bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
β/γ Oscillatory Activity in the CA3 Hippocampal Area is Depressed by Aberrant GABAergic Transmission from the Dentate Gyrus after Seizures
Authors: Treviño Mario , Vivar Carmen , Gutiérrez Rafael
Published: January 2007

Oscillatory activity in the CA3 region is thought to be involved in the encoding and retrieval of information. These oscillations originate from the recurrent excitation between pyramidal cells that are entrained by the synchronous rhythmic inhibition of local interneurons. We show here that, after seizures, the dentate gyrus (DG) tonically inhibits β/γ (20–24 Hz) field oscillations in the CA3 area through GABA-mediated signaling. These oscillations originate in the interneuron network because they are maintained in the presence of ionotropic glutamate receptor antagonists, and they can be blocked by GABAAreceptor antagonists or by perfusion of a calcium-free extracellular medium. Inhibition of this oscillatory activity requires intact DG-to-CA3 connections, and it is suppressed by the activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR). The influence of mGluR activation was reflected in the spontaneous subthreshold membrane oscillations of CA3 interneurons after one seizure but could also be observed in pyramidal cells after several seizures. Coincident stimulation of the DG at θ and β/γ frequencies produced a frequency-dependent excitation of interneurons and the inhibition of pyramidal cells. Indeed, these effects were maximal at the frequency that matched the mGluR-sensitive spontaneous field oscillations, suggesting a resonance phenomenon. Our results shed light on the mechanisms that may underlie the deficits in memory and cognition observed after epileptic seizures.
From ether theory to ether theology: Oliver Lodge and the physics of immortality
Authors: Raia Courtenay Grean
Published: January 2007

This article follows the development of physicist Oliver Lodge's religio‐scientific worldview, beginning with his reticent attraction to metaphysics in the early 1880s to the full formulation of his “ether theology” in the late 1890s. Lodge undertook the study of psychical phenomena such as telepathy, telekinesis, and “ectoplasm” to further his scientific investigations of the ether, speculating that electrical and psychical manifestations were linked phenomena that described the deeper underlying structures of the universe, beneath and beyond matter. For Lodge, to fully understand the ether was to force from the universe an ultimate Revelation, and psychical research—as the most modern and probatory science—was poised to replace religion as the means of that disclosure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lipid composition of cultured B16 melanoma cell variants with different lung‐colonizing potential
Authors: Calorini L. , Fallani A. , Tombaccini D. , Mugnai G. , Ruggieri S.
Published: January 2007

Lipid components influence several cell surface properties that are critical in different stages of the metastatic process. In this study, we examined whether the different lung‐colonizing potential of B16‐F1 and B16‐F10 melanoma cells could be related to a characteristic lipid profile. The lipid analyses, carried out on the same cell cultures used for the assay of lung‐colonizing potential, revealed characteristics in the lipid composition of both B16‐F1 and B16‐F10 melanoma cells that are common to other systems of malignant cells: a high level of 18∶1 associated with low proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids, accumulation of ether‐linked lipids and absence of complex gangliosides. The two B16 melanoma variants differed significantly only with respect to ether‐linked lipids, due to a higher level of alkyl‐PC in B16‐F10 than in B16‐F1.
Gas chromatographic separation of wax esters based on the degree of unsaturation
Authors: Takagi Toru , Itabashi Yutaka , Ota Toru , Hayashi Kenji
Published: January 2007

The wax esters of sperm whale head oil have been characterized by gas‐liquid chromatography on an APOLAR 10C column according to their carbon number and number of double bonds. The novel technique permits the direct quantitative analysis of saturated and unsaturated wax esters.
Phospholipid content and fatty acid composition of human heart
Authors: Rocquelin G. , Guenot L. , Astorg P. O. , David M.
Published: January 2007

Phospholipid content and fatty acid composition of human heart were determined on 36 biopsy specimens collected during open heart surgery. The main phospholipid classes, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), and sphingomyelin (SPH) were separated by HPLC, quantified, and converted to fatty acid methyl esters which were chromatographed on capillary GLC columns. Sex and age (mainly 40–70) of patients had no significant influence on the relative distribution of phospholipid classes and only a slight effect on fatty acid composition. Incorporation oftrans 18∶1 in phospholipid classes was low.cis andtrans octadecenoic isomers seemed to be selectively incorporated, the Δ9 and Δ11cis ortrans isomers being predominant. Human and rat data were compared, and some species differences were noticed. In human PC, palmitic acid is higher and stearic acid much lower than in rat PC. Saturated dimethyl acetals (16∶0 and 18∶0) in PC and PE were greater for humans. Incorporation of 20∶4 n−6 in human PE is higher than in rat PE.
Tritium labeling of lipids
Authors: Mounts T. L.
Published: January 2007

The elucidation of metabolic pathways, chemical reactions and biosyntheses has been greatly enhanced by the use of radioisotopes. Tritium has become an important tool in lipid research. Lipids have been labeled with tritium by a variety of techniques, including chemical synthesis, catalytic reductions, exchange reactions and radiation‐induced reactions. Specific examples of labeling procedures are presented. Recent developments in tritium analysis instrumentation and procedures are also presented. Current applications of tritium as a tracer are in biological investigations and catalytic hydrogenation of lipids.
Observations on changes in lipid composition and lecithin‐cholesterol‐acyl transferase reaction of bovine plasma induced by heat exposure
Authors: Noble R. C. , O'Kelly J. C. , Moore J. H.
Published: January 2007

A study has been made with steers maintained at 22 C and 35 C on the lipid composition of the plasma, with particular reference to the role and specificity of the lecithin‐cholesterol‐acyl transferase enzyme in the formation of the cholesteryl esters. Exposure to a temperature of 35 C produced a steady decline in the total lipid concentration of the plasma, which reached a new equilibrium after 7–8 days. The concentrations of the lecithin, free cholesterol and cholesteryl ester fractions in the plasma of the steers at 35 C were reduced to ca. 60% of the corresponding concentrations found in the animals maintained at 22 C. The concentration of 18∶2 circulating in both the cholesteryl ester and lecithin fractions was reduced particularly by exposure to the elevated temperature. No significant change in total blood volume could be detected in the animals between the two environmental temperatures. Incubation of the plasma at 38 C for 20 hr resulted in an increase in the concentrations of the fatty acids contained in the cholesteryl ester and lysolecithin fractions and a decrease in the concentration of the fatty acids contained in the lecithin fraction for the animals at both environmental temperatures. The net esterification of cholesterol by the acyl transferase enzyme in the plasma from the animals at 35 C was very much less than that found in the plasma from the animals at 22 C. Under the conditions of the experiment, the esterification process was shown to have a high specificity for 18∶2. Evidence is available to suggest that the relationship between the acyl transferase activity of the plasma and the polyunsaturated fatty acids of the circulatory lipids may be severely disturbed by high environment temperatures. These results are discussed in relation to several known metabolic effects observed in animals exposed to high environmental temperatures.
Glycerol thioethers in human heart
Authors: Ferrell William J.
Published: January 2007

Glycerol thioethers have been isolated from the nonpolar (neutral) lipids of several human hearts. The qualitative distribution of these thioethers was determined by gas liquid chromatography. The principal compounds found were the 16∶0, 18∶0 and 18∶1 ether chains.
Radiochemical Decomposition of lactosyl‐6‐[3H]‐ceramide
Authors: Mumford Richard A. , Raghavan Srinivasa S. , Rhoads David B. , Kanfer Julian N.
Published: January 2007

Galactosyl‐6‐[3H] glucosyl ceramide was prepared by the sequential action of galactose oxidase and sodium borohydride‐[3H] reduction. A water‐soluble radioactive contaiminant appeared after a 2 month storage at −4 C. This was identified as lactose‐[3H] by both chromatographic and carrier dilution techniques.
Katabatic flow along a differentially cooled sloping surface
Authors: SHAPIRO ALAN , FEDOROVICH EVGENI
Published: January 2007

Buoyancy inhomogeneities on sloping surfaces arise in numerous situations, for example, from variations in snow/ice cover, cloud cover, topographic shading, soil moisture, vegetation type, and land use. In this paper, the classical Prandtl model for one-dimensional flow of a viscous stably stratified fluid along a uniformly cooled sloping planar surface is extended to include the simplest type of surface inhomogeneity – a surface buoyancy that varies linearly down the slope. The inhomogeneity gives rise to acceleration, vertical motions associated with low-level convergence, and horizontal and vertical advection of perturbation buoyancy. Such processes are not accounted for in the classical Prandtl model. A similarity hypothesis appropriate for this inhomogeneous flow removes the along-slope dependence from the problem, and, in the steady state, reduces the Boussinesq equations of motion and thermodynamic energy to a set of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Asymptotic solutions for the velocity and buoyancy variables in the steady state, valid for large values of the slope-normal coordinate, are obtained for a Prandtl number of unity for pure katabatic flow with no ambient wind or externally imposed pressure gradient. The undetermined parameters in these solutions are adjusted to conform to lower boundary conditions of no-slip, impermeability and specified buoyancy. These solutions yield formulae for the boundary-layer thickness and slope-normal velocity component at the top of the boundary layer, and provide an upper bound of the along-slope surface-buoyancy gradient beyond which steady-state solutions do not exist. Although strictly valid for flow above the boundary layer, the steady asymptotic solutions are found to be in very good agreement with the terminal state of the numerical solution of an initial-value problem (suddenly applied surface buoyancy) throughout the flow domain. The numerical results also show that solution non-existence is associated with self-excitation of growing low-frequency gravity waves.
On a Remarkable Case of Samples Connected in a Chain. Appendix on the statistical investigation of a text by Aksakov.
Authors: Markov A. A.
Published: January 2007

I have conducted a similar investigation on a text by a different author (S. T. Aksakov: “Childhood Years of Bagrov's Grandson”). The results of this investigation, which was performed on a text passage of 100,000 letters, are presented in the following tables from which one can see how and to what extent the limit theorems of the calculus of probability actually become evident.
Type sharing constraints and undecidability
Authors: NARBEL PHILIPPE
Published: January 2007

Let ${\cal A}$ be a set of modules and parameterized modules including type sharing constraint specifications. We prove that determining the set of the effective modules described by ${\cal A}$ is undecidable. As a consequence, type sharing constraints are proved to be not always avoidable by constructive transformations.
Introduction: Themed Section on Equality
Authors: McLaughlin Eithne
Published: January 2007

Equality law is in a state of ferment in the UK with a Westminster bill having laid the ground for a single Equality and Human Rights Commission, new European Directives on Equality, a debate in Northern Ireland over the adoption of a Single Equality Act (OFMDFM, 2004) and a stalled debate in Northern Ireland over a Bill of Rights. (O'Connell, 2006: 3).
Metabolite transport across the peroxisomal membrane
Authors: Visser Wouter F. , van Roermund Carlo W. T. , Ijlst Lodewijk , Waterham Hans R. , Wanders Ronald J. A.
Published: January 2007

In recent years, much progress has been made with respect to the unravelling of the functions of peroxisomes in metabolism, and it is now well established that peroxisomes are indispensable organelles, especially in higher eukaryotes. Peroxisomes catalyse a number of essential metabolic functions including fatty acid β-oxidation, ether phospholipid biosynthesis, fatty acid α-oxidation and glyoxylate detoxification. The involvement of peroxisomes in these metabolic pathways necessitates the transport of metabolites in and out of peroxisomes. Recently, considerable progress has been made in the characterization of metabolite transport across the peroxisomal membrane. Peroxisomes posses several specialized transport systems to transport metabolites. This is exemplified by the identification of a specific transporter for adenine nucleotides and several half-ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporters which may be present as hetero- and homo-dimers. The nature of the substrates handled by the different ABC transporters is less clear. In this review we will describe the current state of knowledge of the permeability properties of the peroxisomal membrane.
Identification of interfacial and bulk effects in modulating fatigue behaviors of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films
Authors: Wang Y. , Yuan F. , Wei T. , Zhu C. , Wang K. F. , Xia Y. D. , Liu J.-M.
Published: January 2007

The polarization fatigue behaviors of Pt∕LaNiO3∕Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3∕LaNiO3∕Pt (Pt/LNO/PZT/LNO/Pt) and Pt/PZT/Pt structures under different temperatures T, voltages Vamp, and frequencies f are investigated in order to clarify defect-related interfacial and bulk effects. The fatigue endurance of the Pt/LNO/PZT/LNO/Pt structure is enhanced at higher T, larger Vamp, and lower f, whereas for the Pt/PZT/Pt structure a better antifatigue performance is obtained at lower T, smaller Vamp, and higher f. The defect chemistry as one of the origins of the switching fatigue is demonstrated by the predominant interfacial effect and bulk effect resulting in two types of markedly opposite fatigue responses.
Large enhancement of intersystem crossing in polyfluorenes by iridium-complex doping
Authors: Liao Hua-Hsien , Yang Chia-Ming , Wu Chi-Hui , Horng Sheng-Fu , Lee Wei-Shan , Meng Hsin-Fei , Shy Jow-Tsong , Hsu Chain-Shu
Published: January 2007

Photoinduced absorption is used to study the intersystem crossing (ISC) rate of two polyfluorenes doped with iridium (III) tris[2-(4-totyl)pyridinato-N,C2]. It is found that the triplet exciton lifetime of polyfluorene is reduced by the dopants. But instead of decreasing, the population density of polyfluorene triplet exciton increases by almost one order of magnitude. The finding shows that the ISC rate can increase over 100 times due to the spin-orbital interaction with the Ir ion even though it is covered by the ligands. Specifically, the ISC lifetime changes from the intrinsic value of 62ns to as short as 0.28ns upon 10% doping.
Optimum barrier thickness study for the InGaAs∕InAlAs∕AlAs heterostructure barrier varactor diodes
Authors: Emadi T. A. , Bryllert T. , Sadeghi M. , Vukusic J. , Stake J.
Published: January 2007

This experimental study aims at finding the optimum barrier thickness in heterostructure barrier varactor (HBV) diodes to improve the diode efficiency especially for high-power frequency multiplier applications. The influence of barrier thickness on the destructive current leaking over and through the barrier is investigated for different biases and operating temperatures. The authors found that for an InP-based HBV, there is an optimum barrier thickness range between 10to14nm which causes the lowest possible leakage current.
Filamentous Fungi in a Tertiary Care Hospital Environmental Surveillance and Susceptibility to Antifungal Drugs
Authors: Panagopoulou Paraskevi , Filioti Joanna , Farmaki Evangelia , Maloukou Avgi , Roilides Emmanuel
Published: January 2007

Objective.

To evaluate filamentous fungi with respect to environmental load and potential drug resistance in a tertiary care teaching hospital.

Design.

Monthly survey in 2 buildings of the hospital during a 12-month period.

Setting.

Hippokration Hospital in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Methods.

Air, surface, and tap water sampling was performed in 4 departments with high-risk patients. As sampling sites, the solid-organ transplantation department and the hematology department (in the older building) and the pediatric oncology department and the pediatric intensive care unit (in the newer building) were selected.

Results.

From January to May of 2000, the fungal load in air (FLA) was low, ranging from 0 to 12 colony-forming units (cfu) per m3 in both buildings. During the summer months, when high temperature and humidity predominate, the FLA increased to 4-56 cfu/m3. The fungi commonly recovered from culture of air specimens wereAspergillus niger(25.9%),Aspergillus flavus(17.7%), andAspergillus fumigatus(12.4%). Non-Aspergillusfilamentous fungi, such asZygomycetesandDematiaceousspecies, were also recovered. The pediatric intensive care unit had the lowest mean FLA (7.7 cfu/m3), compared with the pediatric oncology department (8.7 cfu/m3), the solid-organ transplantation department (16.1 cfu/m3), and the hematology department (22.6 cfu/m3). Environmental surfaces were swabbed, and 62.7% of the swab samples cultured yielded filamentous fungi similar to the fungi recovered from air but with low numbers of colony-forming units. Despite vigorous sampling, culture of tap water yielded no fungi. The increase in FLA observed during the summer coincided with renovation in the building that housed the solid-organ transplantation and hematology departments. All 54Aspergillusair isolates randomly selected exhibited relatively low minimum inhibitory or effective concentrations for amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, micafungin, and anidulafungin.

Conclusion.

Air and surface fungal loads may vary in different departments of the same hospital, especially during months when the temperature and humidity are high. EnvironmentalAspergillusisolates are characterized by lack of resistance to clinically important antifungal agents.
Ghrelin and Des-Acyl Ghrelin Promote Differentiation and Fusion of C2C12 Skeletal Muscle Cells
Authors: Filigheddu Nicoletta , Gnocchi Viola F. , Coscia Marco , Cappelli Miriam , Porporato Paolo E. , Taulli Riccardo , Traini Sara , Baldanzi Gianluca , Chianale Federica , Cutrupi Santina , Arnoletti Elisa , Ghè Corrado , Fubini Alberto , Surico Nicola , Sinigaglia Fabiola , Ponzetto Carola , Muccioli Giampiero , Crepaldi Tiziana , Graziani Andrea
Published: January 2007

Ghrelin is an acylated peptidyl gastric hormone acting on the pituitary and hypothalamus to stimulate appetite, adiposity, and growth hormone release, through activation of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR)-1a receptor. Moreover, ghrelin features several activities such as inhibition of apoptosis, regulation of differentiation, and stimulation or inhibition of proliferation of several cell types. Ghrelin acylation is absolutely required for both GHSR-1a binding and its central endocrine activities. However, the unacylated ghrelin form, des-acyl ghrelin, which does not bind GHSR-1a and is devoid of any endocrine activity, is far more abundant than ghrelin in plasma, and it shares with ghrelin some of its cellular activities. Inhere we show that both ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin stimulate proliferating C2C12 skeletal myoblasts to differentiate and to fuse into multinucleated myotubes in vitro through activation of p38. Consistently, both ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin inhibit C2C12 proliferation in growth medium. Moreover, the ectopic expression of ghrelin in C2C12 enhances differentiation and fusion of these myoblasts in differentiation medium. Finally, we show that C2C12 cells do not express GHSR-1a, but they do contain a common high-affinity binding site recognized by both acylated and des-acylated ghrelin, suggesting that the described activities on C2C12 are likely mediated by this novel, yet unidentified receptor for both ghrelin forms.
Autologous Fat Graft Absorption in Unilateral Paralyzed Canine Vocal Folds
Authors: de Souza Kruschewsky Leonardo , de Mello‐Filho Francisco Verissimo , dos Santos Antonio Carlos , Rosen Clark Alan
Published: January 2007

Objective. The objective of this experimental prospective study on an animal model was to determine the rate of autologous fat graft absorption in 24 paralyzed canine left vocal folds 12 weeks after introduction.

Methods. Forty mongrel dogs of both sexes weighing 15 to 20 kg were divided into three study groups (SGs) of eight dogs each whose larynges were grafted by vocal fold lipoinjection (VFL‐SGA), vocal fold lipoinjection plus insulin (VFLi‐SGB), and by fat graft medialization laryngoplasty (FGML‐SGC) and observed for 12 weeks. Two control groups (CGs) of eight dogs each were submitted to fat graft medialization laryngoplasty (FGML‐CG1) and by vocal fold lipoinjection (VFL‐CG2), respectively, followed by immediate killing. All 40 dogs were submitted to left vagal and recurrent laryngeal nerve resection. All animals were confirmed to have a left vocal fold paralysis 4 weeks later when 2 mL of autologous fat graft was placed inside the left paraglottic space. The larynges were removed at preestablished times and studied for remaining fat graft volume by magnetic resonance imaging.

Results. The mean volume obtained by imaging were 1.9388 mL for CG1, 1.0476 mL for CG2, 0.1924 mL for VFL, 0.336 mL for VFLi, and 0.565 mL for FGML. CG1 and CG2 did not differ significantly from one another but differed from the SGs, with statistical analysis suggesting a lower absorption of the fat graft in FGML.

Conclusion. The absorption rate was 82% in SGA, 68% in the SGB, and 71% in SGC.
Increased carotid intima‐media thickness in remote and urban Indigenous Australians: impact of diabetes and components of the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Maple‐Brown L. , Cunningham J. , Celermajer D. S. , O'Dea K.
Published: January 2007

Objective  Indigenous Australians have rates of cardiovascular (CVD) mortality some seven to 10‐fold higher than non‐Indigenous Australians aged 25–64 years. We aimed to evaluate the impact of type 2 diabetes and components of the metabolic syndrome on carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) as a marker of cardiovascular risk in Indigenous Australians living in remote and urban environments and in Australians of European ancestry.

Design, patients and measurements  CIMT was measured by high‐resolution B‐mode ultrasound imaging of the common carotid artery in 119 remote Indigenous, 144 urban Indigenous and 122 urban European Australians with and without diabetes.

Results  In nondiabetic participants, CIMT was lowest in Europeans (mean (SD) 0·64 mm (0·10)), higher in urban Indigenous Australians (0·67 mm (0·12)) and highest in remote Indigenous Australians (0·73 mm (0·15), P < 0·001). CIMT was higher with diabetes with the same pattern observed between populations: 0·73 mm, 0·79 mm and 0·82 mm, respectively (P < 0·001). Traditional risk factors (age, male gender, blood pressure and HbA1c) explained 35–45% of the variance of CIMT within each population group. However, differences in CIMT between population groups were maintained after adjustment for these cardiovascular risks plus cholesterol and smoking (P < 0·001). Factor analysis revealed that variables of the metabolic syndrome, together with smoking and elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP) and urinary albumin‐creatinine ratio (ACR), are likely to explain the higher CIMT in Indigenous Australians (and the urban‐remote gradient). Unmeasured variables (genetic, psychosocial and socioeconomic) may also contribute to higher CIMT in these populations.

Conclusion  Glycaemic control and metabolic syndrome components contribute significantly to premature atherogenesis in Indigenous Australians and we recommend that therapy should be targeted accordingly.
Day case haemorrhoidectomy
Authors: Miles A. J. G. , Dunkley A. J.
Published: January 2007

Objective  Day case haemorrhoidectomy in a District General Hospital. We have investigated the uptake and outcome of day case haemorrhoidectomy in a small district general hospital.

Method  Case note review with completion of standard proforma for all patients undergoing haemorrhoidectomy as day case (same day admission and discharge) or inpatient over a 4‐year period.

Results  Sixty patients underwent day case closed haemorrhoidectomy, 2 day case stapled haemorrhoidectomy and 1 day case open haemorrhoidectomy, whilst 18 patients were treated as in‐patients. One patient required re‐admission within 31 days for reactionary haemorrhage after day case surgery. None suffered acute urinary retention. Concomitant medical disease or emergency admission were the only reasons for exclusion from day case haemorrhoidectomy. Of the 18 patients treated as in‐patients haemorrhoidectomy two had unplanned readmission.

Conclusion  Closed haemorrhoidectomy with same day discharge should be offered to all patients that require surgical treatment of haemorrhoids and do not have other contra‐indications to day case surgery.
Devolution and its Jurisdictional Asymmetries
Authors: Himsworth C. M. G.
Published: January 2007

The devolution of legislative and executive powers to the different parts of the United Kingdom has meant that, because of the asymmetric arrangements made, there has been an increase in policy divergence from one part to another. Some of this has been intended, some unintended. With reference, in particular, to Scotland and Wales this article focuses on the asymmetric consequences of devolution which derive specifically from the jurisdictional or ‘legal system’ differences across the United Kingdom. These affect the conditions under which law‐making powers may be devolved, the ‘management’ of devolution and the rights enjoyed by citizens. It is argued that the devolution of ‘legal system’ competence carries with it problems quite different from those associated with the devolution of other powers.
Preventing Secondary Victimisation Through Anonymity
Authors: Gillespie Alisdair A. , Bettinson Vanessa
Published: January 2007

This note examines the decision of the Court of Appeal in R (Gazette Media Company Ltd) v Teesside Crown Court1 where the Court was asked to rule on the legality of an order under s.39, Children and Young Persons Act 1933 purporting to ban the identity of the victim and defendants in a prosecution. The facts of the prosecution are set out below but the interesting issues that arise from this decision come not so much from the facts and decision (which was, to an extent, inevitable) but rather from the fact that the current law does not, in our opinion, adequately protect children from secondary victimisation and that the courts have erred in their current understanding of the legal position.
To Bowl a Mexican Maiden Over: Cricket in Mexico, 1827–1900
Authors: COSTELOE MICHAEL P.
Published: January 2007

The Mexico City Cricket Club was founded in 1827 by a mixed group of British and foreign nationals. This article traces its origins, rules and regulations, membership, progress and activities through to the 1870s and again in the revival of the 1880s and 1890s. It reveals that although the game of cricket was adopted by few Mexicans, it was enthusiastically played by the British community in Mexico throughout the nineteenth century. The Club continues to the present time in Mexico City.
Molecular characterization of the membrane‐bound quinol peroxidase functionally connected to the respiratory chain
Authors: Yamada Hiroyuki , Takashima Eizo , Konishi Kiyoshi
Published: January 2007

Here, we report for the first time quinol peroxidase (QPO), an enzyme that uses ubiquinol‐1 as an electron donor for the reduction of H2O2 to water. We purified QPO to > 90% purity from the membrane fraction of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. QPO is a 53.6‐kDa protein that contains three heme c molecules. The qpo gene was predicted to encode a putative bacterial cytochrome c peroxidase with N‐terminal extensions containing an additional potential heme c‐binding motif. Although qpo has high sequence homology to bacterial cytochrome c peroxidases, QPO did not catalyze peroxidation in the presence of horse heart cytochrome c. In addition, the cytoplasmic membrane of A. actinomycetemcomitans had apparent QPO‐dependent peroxidase activity in the presence of NADH or succinate, which are substrates for the respiratory chain. Based on these findings, we present a new mechanism for the scavenging of reactive oxygen species in which quinol in the respiratory chain is consumed.
Characteristics of the
m
2000 Automated Sample Preparation and Multiplex Real-Time PCR System for Detection of
Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Marshall R. , Chernesky M. , Jang D. , Hook E. W. , Cartwright C. P. , Howell-Adams B. , Ho S. , Welk J. , Lai-Zhang J. , Brashear J. , Diedrich B. , Otis K. , Webb E. , Robinson J. , Yu H.
Published: January 2007

We evaluated a new real-time PCR-based prototype assay for the detection of
Chlamydia trachomatis
and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
developed by Abbott Molecular Inc. This assay is designed to be performed on an Abbott
m
2000 real-time instrument system, which consists of an
m
2000
sp
instrument for sample preparation and an
m
2000
rt
instrument for real-time PCR amplification and detection. The limit of detection of this prototype assay was determined to be 20 copies of target DNA for both
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
, using serially diluted linearized plasmids. No cross-reactivity could be detected when 55 nongonococcal
Neisseria
isolates and 3 non-
C. trachomatis Chlamydia
isolates were tested at 1 million genome equivalents per reaction. Concordance with the Roche Amplicor, BDProbeTec ET, and Gen-Probe APTIMA Combo 2 tests was assessed using unlinked/deidentified surplus clinical specimens previously analyzed with these tests. For
C. trachomatis
, concordance for positive results ranged from 93.7% to 100%, while concordance for negative results ranged from 98.2% to 100%. For
N. gonorrhoeae
, concordance for positive and negative results ranged from 91.4% to 100% and 99.3% to 100%, respectively. A workflow analysis of the prototype assay was conducted to obtain information on throughput under laboratory conditions. At 48 samples/run, the time to first result for both
C. trachomatis
and
N. gonorrhoeae
was 4.5 h. A total of 135 patient specimens could be analyzed in 8.9 h, with 75 min of hands-on time. This study demonstrated the technical and clinical feasibility of the new Abbott real-time PCR
C. trachomatis
/
N. gonorrhoeae
assay.
The Whisking Rhythm Generator: A Novel Mammalian Network for the Generation of Movement
Authors: Cramer Nathan P. , Li Ying , Keller Asaf
Published: January 2007

Using the rat vibrissa system, we provide evidence for a novel mechanism for the generation of movement. Like other central pattern generators (CPGs) that underlie many movements, the rhythm generator for whisking can operate without cortical inputs or sensory feedback. However, unlike conventional mammalian CPGs, vibrissa motoneurons (vMNs) actively participate in the rhythmogenesis by converting tonic serotonergic inputs into the patterned motor output responsible for movement of the vibrissae. We find that, in vitro, a serotonin receptor agonist, α-Me-5HT, facilitates a persistent inward current (PIC) and evokes rhythmic firing in vMNs. Within each motoneuron, increasing the concentration of α-Me-5HT significantly increases the both the magnitude of the PIC and the motoneuron's firing rate. Riluzole, which selectively suppresses the Na+ component of PICs at low concentrations, causes a reduction in both of these phenomena. The magnitude of this reduction is directly correlated with the concentration of riluzole. The joint effects of riluzole on PIC magnitude and firing rate in vMNs suggest that the two are causally related. In vivo we find that the tonic activity of putative serotonergic premotoneurons is positively correlated with the frequency of whisking evoked by cortical stimulation. Taken together, these results support the hypothesized novel mammalian mechanism for movement generation in the vibrissa motor system where vMNs actively participate in the rhythmogenesis in response to tonic drive from serotonergic premotoneurons.
Tumor suppressor PTEN is a physiologic suppressor of chemoattractant-mediated neutrophil functions
Authors: Subramanian Kulandayan K. , Jia Yonghui , Zhu Daocheng , Simms Benjamin T. , Jo Hakryul , Hattori Hidenori , You Jian , Mizgerd Joseph P. , Luo Hongbo R.
Published: January 2007

The recruitment and activation of neutrophils at infected tissues is essential for host defense against invading microorganisms. However, excessive neutrophil recruitment or activation can also damage the surrounding tissues and cause unwanted inflammation. Hence, the responsiveness of neutrophils needs to be tightly regulated. In this study, we have investigated the functional role of tumor suppressor PTEN in neutrophils by using a mouse line in which PTEN is disrupted only in myeloid-derived cells. Chemoattractant-stimulated PTEN−/− neutrophils displayed significantly higher Akt phosphorylation and actin polymerization. A larger fraction of these neutrophils displayed membrane ruffles in response to chemoattractant stimulation. In addition, chemoattractant-induced transwell migration and superoxide production were also augmented. Single-cell chemotaxis assays showed that PTEN−/− neutrophils have a small (yet statistically significant) defect in directionality. However, these neutrophils also showed an increase in cell speed. As a result, overall chemotaxis, which depends on speed and directionality, was not affected. Consistent with the increased responsivenessof PTEN−/− neutrophils, the in vivo recruitment of these cells to the inflamed peritoneal cavity was significantly enhanced. Thus, as a physiologic-negative regulator, PTEN should be a promising therapeutic target for modulating neutrophil functions in various infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Total and functional parasite specific IgE responses in Plasmodium falciparum-infected patients exhibiting different clinical status
Authors: Duarte Joana , Deshpande Prakash , Guiyedi Vincent , Mécheri Salah , Fesel Constantin , Cazenave Pierre-André , Mishra Gyan C , Kombila Maryvonne , Pied Sylviane
Published: January 2007

Background

There is an increase of serum levels of IgE duringPlasmodium falciparuminfections in individuals living in endemic areas. These IgEs either protect against malaria or increase malaria pathogenesis. To get an insight into the exact role played by IgE in the outcome ofP. falciparuminfection, total IgE levels and functional anti-parasite IgE response were studied in children and adults, from two different endemic areas Gabon and India, exhibiting either uncomplicated malaria, severe non cerebral malaria or cerebral malaria, in comparison with control individuals.

Methodology and results

Blood samples were collected from controls andP. falciparum-infected patients before treatment on the day of hospitalization (day 0) in India and, in addition, on days 7 and 30 after treatment in Gabon. Total IgE levels were determined by ELISA and functionalP. falciparum-specific IgE were estimated using a mast cell line RBL-2H3 transfected with a human Fcε RI α-chain that triggers degranulation upon human IgE cross-linking. Mann Whitney and Kruskall Wallis tests were used to compare groups and the Spearman test was used for correlations.

Total IgE levels were confirmed to increase upon infection and differ with level of transmission and age but were not directly related to the disease phenotype. All studied groups exhibited functional parasite-specific IgEs able to induce mast cell degranulationin vitroin the presence ofP. falciparumantigens. Plasma IgE levels correlated with those of IL-10 in uncomplicated malaria patients from Gabon. In Indian patients, plasma IFN-γ , TNF and IL-10 levels were significantly correlated with IgE concentrations in all groups.

Conclusion

Circulating levels of total IgE do not appear to correlate with protection or pathology, or with anti-inflammatory cytokine pattern bias during malaria. On the contrary, theP. falciparum-specific IgE response seems to contribute to the control of parasites, since functional activity was higher in asymptomatic and uncomplicated malaria patients than in severe or cerebral malaria groups.
A Mean-Spirited Sport: Japanese Brazilian Croquet in S�o Paulo's Public Spaces
Authors: Roth Joshua Hotaka
Published: January 2007

In the city of São Paulo, Brazil, one middle class ethnic minority, Japanese Brazilians, is surprisingly visible in the citys unsecured public spaces. Their presence in these spaces is particularly surprising in light of the extensive scholarly discussion of the death of public space in urban centers throughout the world, and So Paulo specifically. Scholars have highlighted the retreat of middle- and upper classes into gated communities and fortified condominiums that keep them insulated from the poor living in urban slums and squatter settlements. This article focuses on one particular activitythe game of gateballand the cultural dynamics that make playing this game in public especially meaningful to elderly Japanese Brazilians. This case suggests some of the motivations for middle class residents to remain in public spaces despite prevalent discourses on crime and security. More broadly, it suggests that anthropologists account for spaces that are open or closed to varying degrees, and for the possibility that people often move between various types of spaces on a daily basis despite new forms of residential segregation.
Russia and Southeast Asia: A New Relationship
Authors: Buszynski Leszek
Published: January 2007

Russia has been struggling to develop a relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and to be included in Asia-Pacific regionalism. The rebirth of Russia after the demise of the Soviet Union in December 1991 brought with it a repudiation of superpower ambitions and outlying areas such as Southeast Asia dropped in terms of priorities. It was only after Putin emerged as president in April 2000 that Russia's interest in Southeast Asia rekindled, and there were two reasons for this. The first was the recognition of the importance of Asia-Pacific regionalism for Russia's development and that the economic development of Siberia and the Russian Far East required closer integration with Asian regional institutions. Under Putin, Russia moved to forge closer ties with ASEAN and to stake a claim in an emerging East Asian regionalism, a claim that was supported by Malaysia. Moreover, Putin became Russia's major arms salesman and sought to expand arms sales with ASEAN actors: Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. When the East Asian Summit (EAS) was held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2005 Russia was poised to assume a new role in Southeast Asia.
Vietnam's ASEAN Membership Revisited: Golden Opportunity or Golden Cage?
Authors: Dosch JÃ¶rn
Published: January 2007

Vietnam's membership in ASEAN, which was achieved in 1995, is widely regarded as a powerful symbol and most significant result of Hanoi's new foreign policy as part of the doi moi renovation process. This article elaborates on the question as to whether ASEAN membership has been as beneficial to the conduct of Vietnam's foreign affairs as it is generally assumed. Does ASEAN indeed present a continuous golden opportunity for the management of the country's international relations or would it be more accurate to view the Association as a golden cage, which offers clear opportunities in terms of the management of regional order but also increasingly restricts Vietnam's foreign policy options? The article elaborates on the impact of ASEAN membership on Hanoi's bilateral relations with China, the United States, and its Southeast Asian neighbours, establishes to what extent Vietnam's initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the South China Sea disputes are in line with ASEAN's, discusses Vietnam's foreign economic policy interests and also tries to shed some light on the actors and structures in the making of the country's foreign affairs.
Delacroix and Sculpture
Authors: Hannoosh Michele
Published: January 2007

Editor of a new, more complete edition of Delacroix's Journals, Hannoosh studies the Romantic artist's comments on sculpture from two recently discovered notebooks, showing an evolution in his view that sculpture and painting should remain within the limits set by their media and that painting, not sculpture, is the art most appropriate to modernity. Hannoosh shows that Delacroix, in the process of viewing and writing about medieval and Renaissance sculpture, conceives of both an authentic modern sculpture and a sculptural treatment of color in painting. He even imagines a style of colorist painting that would be imbued with the force, grandeur, and immediacy of ancient sculpture.
Lire la pierre: Pouvoir politique et sexuel dans la sculpture litt�raire du XIXe si�cle
Authors: Lloyd Rosemary
Published: January 2007

Lloyd charts the ubiquity, fluidity, and dynamism of sculptural metaphors in the texts of an array of Romantic writers to reveal the paradoxes and anxieties underlying the growing perception that the statue is no longer representative of agreed-upon aesthetic and political values. She concludes that sculpture has begun to "move" across the political map, abandoning traditional sites and entering the streets of a rapidly changing social world where she sees the prevalence of the Pygmalion myth as symptomatic of the changing status of women and of the artist's relationship to both his muse and his public. (In French)
Tensions dynamiques: Le rapport sculpture/po�tique en France, 1829-1859
Authors: Scott David H. T
Published: January 2007

Scott's study is the first of a group of essays in this volume that focus on the translation of sculpture into poetic form. He looks at the tensions between classical and Romantic ideals â stasis and movement, beauty and ugliness, impassibility and expressiveness â that began to manifest themselves in both sculpture and critical writing about sculpture during the transitional period following the Revolution. He argues that the opposition between sculpture/stasis and poetry/movement that was, thanks to Winckelmann and Lessing, aesthetic doxa at the beginning of the nineteenth century, undergoes a change between 1829-1859 in the works of writers who would set the terms for the movement that would later be called "Parnassianism." Sculpture is shown to become more animated in works by David d'Angers, Clésinger, or Pradier, amongst others, and writing to acquire the plastic attributes of sculpture in the poetry of Sainte-Beuve, Gautier, Banville, and Baudelaire. (In French)
Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health of Female Adolescents in Bangladesh by Providing Information and Services
Authors: Bhuiya Ismat , Rob Ubaidur , Chowdhury Aisful Haidar , Khan M. E , Rahman Laila , Adamchak Susan Enea
Published: January 2007

There are 14 million female adolescents in Bangladesh. Half of them aged 15-19 years are married. A large majority of adolescents are ignorant about sexuality, contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV and AIDS. Attempts to address the needs of the adolescents through the existing health and education systems have so far been inadequate despite relevant policies have been in place. The country is facing the challenge of implementing the policies in an effective manner. This study was carried out to assess the feasibility of providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services, and to assess its impact on knowledge, attitude and service utilization. A quasi-experimental design with pre-post measurements was used. Interventions included training of teachers, facilitators, and service providers for providing SRH information and services to adolescents in schools, communities, and health facilities respectively. Interventions resulted in a significant increase in the level of SRH knowledge among adolescents compared to the control site. Adolescents who were exposed to the interventions showed more favorable attitudes towards use of health facility for contraceptives services and use of condom by unmarried sexually active adolescents than the non-exposed in the experimental sites. This was also translated into the increased use of health facilities for SRH services.
Innate Immune Response by Ficolin Binding in Apoptotic Placenta Is Associated with the Clinical Syndrome of Preeclampsia
Authors: Wang Chi Chiu , Yim Ka Wing , Poon Terence CW , Choy Kwong Wai , Chu Ching Yan , Lui Wai Ting , Lau Tze Kin , Rogers Michael S , Leung Tse Ngong
Published: January 2007

Background: Unidentified circulating factors derived from placenta are thought to be responsible for the exaggerated systemic inflammation leading to preeclampsia. Our aim was to identify the circulating factors present in preeclampsia and to investigate their relationship to the underlying systemic immune response responsible for the associated clinical manifestations.

Methods: We obtained blood samples from pregnant women with and without preeclampsia and performed comparative proteomic analyses to identify the abnormal circulating factors by 2-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight for protein separation and identification. In placentas from preeclamptic pregnancies, we evaluated the potential role of the candidate proteins identified by Western and immunohistochemical analysis. We also used proinflammatory cytokine antibody arrays to investigate local and systemic immune responses.

Results: We found that ficolins, the pattern-recognition proteins involved in the lectin-complement pathway, were differentially expressed in plasma from preeclamptic pregnancies. Ficolins were present in low concentrations in plasma but at high concentrations in the placenta, particularly in syncytiotrophoblasts undergoing apoptosis. The binding of ficolins in apoptotic trophoblasts induced innate immunity through local and systemic cytokine activation and correlated with the clinical manifestation of preeclampsia.

Conclusions: We identified specific in vivo circulating factors derived from the placenta that are responsible for the local immune recognition and systemic inflammatory response in the development of clinical manifestations of preeclampsia. These findings may have predictive value and also therapeutic applications to lessen adverse clinical outcomes of preeclampsia.