bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical and Chemical Properties of Human Embryonic Prealbumin and its Association with Malignancies
Authors: TATARINOV YU. S. , KALASHNIKOV V. V. , KRAEVSKY N. A. , KURIKA A. V. , PAVLENKO A. F. , OVODOV YU. S. , VOLOSHUK S. G.
Published: February 2009

Human embryonic prealbumin (EPA) was purified from pooled fetal sera by a combination of the salt precipitation methods, ion‐exchange chromatography and electro‐isofocusing. Purified EPA preparations had about 80% peptide and 20% carbohydrate including mannose, fucose, glucose, galactose, glucosamine and galactosamine. Amino acid composition of EPA may be characterized by high concentration of aspragin. glutamine acids and proline but very low concentration of methionine.

By immunodiffusion in agar, EPA was found in all fetal sera and in some malignant tissue homogenates including carcinomas of ovary, breast, stomach, lung, kidney, and intestinal tract.
Serum Levels of Polyamines in Cancer Patients
Authors: ENDO Y. , SAMEJIMA K. , FUJINO M. , ODA T.
Published: February 2009

Serum polyamines were determined by Samejima's method.

Total putrescine, cadaverine and spermidine in healthy adults were 0.29±0.08, 0.11 ± 0.08. and 0.43 ± 0.15 nmoles/ml. respectively. Spermidine was not detected in the serum by this method. About half of total polyamines existed in free form in the serum. No significant elevation of serum polyamines was observed in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. Increased serum putrescine was observed in some cases of malignancies, such as hepatomas (0.76 nmoles/ml. 0.62 nmoles/ml), pharyngeal carcinoma (0.66 nmoles/ml), peritonitis carcinoma (0.60 nmoles/ml) and colon carcinoma (0.45 nmoles/ml). Determination of serum polyamines. especially of putrescine, may provide a potential indicator in some cases of malignancy.
A novel FIP1L1‐PDGFRA mutant destabilizing the inactive conformation of the kinase domain in chronic eosinophilic leukemia/hypereosinophilic syndrome
Authors: Salemi S. , Yousefi S. , Simon D. , Schmid I. , Moretti L. , Scapozza L. , Simon H.‐U.
Published: February 2009

Background:  The Fip1‐like‐1–platelet‐derived growth factor receptor alpha (FIP1L1‐PDGFRA) gene fusion is a common cause of chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL)/hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), and patients suffering from this particular subgroup of CEL/HES respond to low‐dose imatinib therapy. However, some patients may develop imatinib resistance because of an acquired T674I mutation, which is believed to prevent drug binding through steric hindrance.

Methods:  In an imatinib resistant FIP1L1‐PDGFRA positive patient, we analyzed the molecular structure of the fusion gene and analyzed the effect of several kinase inhibitors on FIP1L1‐PDGFRA‐mediated proliferative responses in vitro.

Results:  Sequencing of the FIP1L1‐PDGFRA fusion gene revealed the occurrence of a S601P mutation, which is located within the nucleotide binding loop. In agreement with the clinical observations, imatinib did not inhibit the proliferation of S601P mutant FIP1L1‐PDGFRA‐transduced Ba/F3 cells. Moreover, sorafenib, which has been described to inhibit T674I mutant FIP1L1‐PDGFRA, failed to block S601P mutant FIP1L1‐PDGFRA. Structural modeling revealed that the newly identified S601P mutated form of PDGFRA destabilizes the inactive conformation of the kinase domain that is necessary to bind imatinib as well as sorafenib.

Conclusions:  We identified a novel mutation in FIP1L1‐PDGFRA resulting in both imatinib and sorafenib resistance. The identification of novel drug‐resistant FIP1L1‐PDGFRA variants may help to develop the next generation of target‐directed compounds for CEL/HES and other leukemias.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Authors: Girard M. , Lacasse Y. , Cormier Y.
Published: February 2009

The first few cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) were described in the early 20th century in farmers exposed to moldy hay or straw. As then, HP has been ascribed to multiple inhaled antigens found in a large variety of environmental settings. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis results from an exaggerated immune response, which gives rise to acute infection‐like symptoms or to progressive, sometimes irreversible lung damage. The diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical characteristics of the disease. Clinical diagnostic criteria have recently been published. The immune mechanisms leading to HP are still incompletely understood. Initially, believed to be a classes III and IV immune response, we now have a clearer understanding of the complex inflammatory events involved. These include the release of pro inflammatory cytokines and a decrease in the immune control mechanisms via surfactant, dendritic and T‐regulatory cells. Despite the improved understanding, the treatment and outcome of HP have not changed. Oral corticosteroids remain the only effective drugs and contact withdrawal constitutes the ideal solution. If unchecked, HP can lead to irreversible lung damage in the form of fibrosis or emphysema, respiratory insufficiency and even death.
Thioredoxin reduces C‐C chemokine‐induced chemotaxis of human eosinophils
Authors: Kobayashi N. , Yamada Y. , Ito W. , Ueki S. , Kayaba H. , Nakamura H. , Yodoi J. , Chihara J.
Published: February 2009

Background:  Human thioredoxin (TRX) is one of redox‐active proteins that regulate reactive oxidative metabolisms. In recent study, we found that serum levels of TRX were elevated in asthmatic patients with exacerbation; however, few details are known about the physiological role of TRX in allergic inflammation, involving eosinophil infiltration.

Objective:  In the present study, we examined whether TRX modulated C‐C chemokine‐induced chemotaxis of human eosinophils.

Methods:  Eosinophils were isolated from subjects with mild eosinophilia by modified CD16 negative selection. After incubation with or without recombinant TRX, chemotaxis of human eosinophils was measured using Boyden chamber.

Results:  Preincubation with TRX suppressed eotaxin‐ and regulated on activation, normal T‐cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)‐induced chemotaxis of eosinophils. Although, TRX had no effect on the expression of C‐C chemokine receptor 3, which is a receptor of eotaxin and RANTES, we demonstrated that the activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinases, which play an important role in eosinophil migration, was attenuated by the treatment with TRX.

Conclusion:  Our results suggest that the elicited TRX is beneficial to reduce allergic inflammation through negative regulation of eosinophil functions and has potential in the treatment of allergic diseases, such as asthma.
IGL‐1 solution in kidney transplantation: first multi‐center study
Authors: Codas Ricardo , Petruzzo Palmina , Morelon Emmanuel , Lefrançois Nicole , Danjou Fabrice , Berthillot Celine , Contu Paolo , Espa Michele , Martin Xavier , Badet Lionel
Published: February 2009

Abstract:  IGL‐1 solution is characterized by inversion of K+ and Na+ concentrations in the University Wisconsin (UW) solution and polyethylene glycol 35 (PEG 35) substitution for hydroxy ethyl starch. In this prospective study, 121 patients transplanted with kidneys preserved in IGL‐1 solution were compared to 102 patients grafted with kidneys preserved in UW solution. Serum creatinine and creatinine clearance, delayed graft function (DGF) and rejection episodes, patient and graft survival were evaluated in the first post‐transplant year. Groups were comparable regarding to donor and recipient characteristics. Median creatinine levels were significantly lower in IGL‐1 group from day 6 to day 14 and it decreased more rapidly in the IGL‐1 group (from day 4 to day 15: p < 0.05). Creatinine clearance values were usually higher in the IGL‐1 group for the first 15 d. During the follow‐up period serum creatinine concentrations were lower in IGL‐1 group at one, three, six and 12 months after transplantation (p = 0.04; p = 0.06, p = 0.01 and p = 0.08, respectively) while creatinine clearance values were similar during the follow‐up. No significant difference in DGF and rejection rates as well as in patient and graft survival was shown between the two groups. Kidneys preserved in IGL‐1 solution showed to have the same function as kidneys preserved in UW solution.
Myeloma kidney with isolated tubulointerstitial light chain deposition in a renal allograft
Authors: Balamuthusamy S. , Hamrahian M. , Zhang R. , Batuman V.
Published: February 2009

Abstract:  Myeloma kidney and myeloma‐associated renal disorders including light chain deposition disease can occur as recurrent or de novo disease in renal allografts. These kidney disorders usually manifest with worsening allograft function and proteinuria. Identification of the precise cause of kidney disorder often requires kidney biopsy and demonstration of monoclonal light chains in the kidney. Here, we present an unusual case of light chain nephropathy in a living‐related kidney transplant recipient involving light chain crystallization in the proximal tubule occurring within less than three months after transplant. The etiology of renal failure prior to transplant in our patient is not clear. To the best of our knowledge, the ultrastructural changes seen in our patient have not been described in literature previously. Our patient was treated with steroids, which resulted in short‐term improvement in allograft dysfunction.
Invasive aspergillosis in two liver transplant recipients: diagnosis by SeptiFast
Authors: Steinmann J. , Buer J. , Rath P.‐M. , Paul A. , Saner F.
Published: February 2009

Abstract: We report the clinical features, diagnosis, and monitoring findings of invasive aspergillosis (IA) in 2 liver transplant recipients. Blood/serum samples and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were analyzed by a novel commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay (SeptiFast) and an Aspergillus galactomannan (GM) enzyme‐linked immunoassay (EIA). The diagnosis of IA could be performed in <6 h with the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus DNA in blood and BAL fluid. High GM values (mean: 9.1, range: 7.3–10.8) in serum and BAL fluid confirmed the SeptiFast result. Follow‐up of the SeptiFast findings and GM index correlated with the clinical course. The molecular detection of A. fumigatus‐specific DNA and GM test in blood/serum and BAL samples appears to be a useful tool for prompt diagnosis of IA. Further prospective clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the accuracy of SeptiFast and the GM test in diagnosing IA.
Liver transplantation for patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Wang B. , Lu Y. , Yu L. , Liu C. , Liu X. , Wu Z. , Zhu H.‐T. , Pan C.‐E.
Published: February 2009

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) infection in a liver transplantation candidate is not rare in China. There is little experience on how to manage the pre‐existing TB infection in liver transplantation recipients.

Aim. Patients with pre‐existing pulmonary TB who received liver transplantation are described and the perioperative treatment is discussed.

Methods. The treatment of 3 patients with pre‐existing pulmonary TB infection who received liver transplantation was reviewed.

Results. The patients were given nonstandard antituberculous therapy according to their reaction to the drugs. No evidence of TB infection relapse was discovered.

Conclusion. Pre‐existing TB infection should not be an absolute contraindication to orthotopic liver transplantation. The use of second‐line antituberculous therapy is safe and effective for the treatment of TB infection in liver transplantation recipients.
Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in the Alleviation of Ionic, Osmotic and Oxidative Stresses Induced by Salinity in Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. (pigeonpea)
Authors: Garg N. , Manchanda G.
Published: February 2009

Salinity stress causes ion toxicity and osmotic imbalances, leading to oxidative stress in plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are considered bio‐ameliorators of saline soils and could develop salinity tolerance in crop plants. Pigeonpea exhibits strong mycorrhizal development and has a high mycorrhizal dependency. The role of AM in enhancing salt tolerance of pigeonpea in terms of shoot and root dry weights, phosphorus and nitrogen contents, K+ : Na+, Ca2+ : Na+ ratios, lipid peroxidation, compatible solutes (proline and glycine betaine) and antioxidant enzyme activities was examined. Plants were grown and maintained at three levels of salt (4, 6 and 8 dSm−1). Stress impeded the growth of plants, led to weight gain reductions in shoots as well as roots and hindered phosphorus and nitrogen uptake. However, salt‐stressed mycorrhizal plants produced greater root and shoot biomass, had higher phosphorus and nitrogen content than the corresponding uninoculated stressed plants. Salt stress resulted in higher lipid peroxidation and membrane stability was reduced in non‐AM plants. The presence of fungal endophyte significantly reduced lipid peroxidation and membrane damage caused by salt stress. AM plants maintained higher K+ : Na+ and Ca2+ : Na+ ratios than non‐AM plants under stressed and unstressed conditions. Salinity induced the accumulation of both proline and glycine betaine in AM and non‐AM plants. The quantum of increase in synthesis and accumulation of osmolytes was higher in mycorrhizal plants. Antioxidant enzyme activities increased significantly with salinity in both mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal plants. In conclusion, pigeonpea plants responded to an increased ion influx in their cells by increasing the osmolyte synthesis and accumulation under salt stress, which further increased with AM inoculation and helped in maintaining the osmotic balance. Increase in the antioxidant enzyme activities in AM plants under salt stress could be involved in the beneficial effects of mycorrhizal colonization.
Effects of Post‐Anthesis Drought and Waterlogging on Accumulation of High‐Molecular‐Weight Glutenin Subunits and Glutenin Macropolymers Content in Wheat Grain
Authors: Jiang D. , Yue H. , Wollenweber B. , Tan W. , Mu H. , Bo Y. , Dai T. , Jing Q. , Cao W.
Published: February 2009

Drought and flooding during grain filling have become major constraints to wheat quality and yield. The impacts of water deficits and waterlogging during the grain filling on contents of high‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS) and of glutenin macropolymers (GMP) in grains of the winter wheat cultivar Yumai 34 with high grain protein content (GPC) and Yangmai 9 with low GPC were studied. At maturity, GPC was higher under drought and lower under waterlogging compared to the control, while contents of GMP and HMW‐GS were reduced by the two water‐stress treatments. The contents of both HMW‐GS and GMP were higher in Yumai 34 than in Yangmai 9. A drought event after anthesis increased the accumulation of HMW‐GS during the early grain filling stage. By contrast, waterlogging reduced the accumulation of HMW‐GS during the whole grain filling phase. At maturity, the HMW‐GS and GMP to protein ratios were also depressed under the two water‐stress events, while the HMW‐GS to GMP ratio was very close between the three treatments in Yumai 34 and much higher under the control than the drought and waterlogging treaments in Yangmai 9. It is concluded that the variation in GMP content with various water‐stress treatments is attributed to the changing in accumulation of HMW‐GS in the grain.
Forecasting migration of cereal aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in autumn and spring
Authors: Klueken A. M. , Hau B. , Ulber B. , Poehling H.‐M.
Published: February 2009

The migration of cereal aphids and the time of their arrival on winter cereal crops in autumn and spring are of particular importance for plant disease (e.g. barley yellow dwarf virus infection) and related yield losses. In order to identify days with migration potentials in autumn and spring, suction trap data from 29 and 45 case studies (locations and years), respectively, were set‐off against meteorological parameters, focusing on the early immigration periods in autumn (22 September to 1 November) and spring (1 May to 9 June). The number of cereal aphids caught in a suction trap increased with increasing temperature, global radiation and duration of sunshine and decreased with increasing precipitation, relative humidity and wind speed. According to linear regression analyses, the temperature, global radiation and wind speed were most frequently and significantly associated with migration, suggesting that they have a major impact on flight activity. For subsequent model development, suction trap catches from different case studies were pooled and binarily classified as days with or without migration as defined by a certain number of migrating cereal aphids. Linear discriminant analyses of several predictor variables (assessed during light hours of a given day) were then performed based on the binary response variables. Three models were used to predict days with suction trap catches ≥1, ≥4 or ≥10 migrating cereal aphids in autumn. Due to the predominance of Rhopalosiphum padi individuals (99.3% of total cereal aphid catch), no distinction between species (R. padi and Sitobion avenae) was made in autumn. As the suction trap catches were lower and species dominance changed in spring, three further models were developed for analysis of all cereal aphid species, R. padi only, and Metopolophium dirhodum and S. avenae combined in spring. The empirical, cross‐classification and receiver operating characteristic analyses performed for model validation showed different levels of prediction accuracy. Additional datasets selected at random before model construction and parameterization showed that predictions by the six migration models were 33–81% correct. The models are useful for determining when to start field evaluations. Furthermore, they provide information on the size of the migrating aphid population and, thus, on the importance of immigration for early aphid population development in cereal crops in a given season.
Modified technique to extract malpositioned or migrated self‐expanding stents from the esophagus and stomach
Authors: Munoz Juan Carlos , Khoury Joe E , Alizadeh Mary , Pudhota Sunitha , Smith‐McCutchen Aja , Corregidor Ana M , Lambiase Louis R , Vega Kenneth J
Published: February 2009

Background and Aim:  Various methods have been used to remove self expandable stents (SES) because of either malposition or migration. The main difficulties encountered in such situations are the anatomic obstacle of the lower and upper esophageal sphincters as well as risk of mucosal injury during removal.

Methods:  We describe a modified approach using an esophagogastroduodenoscope (EGD) in combination with a foreign body hood protector, rat tooth forceps and snare allowing for successful SES removal from the upper gastrointestinal tract in four cases.

Results:  In all cases, the SES were successfully removed from upper gastrointestinal tract using this technique. No complications were noted after extraction.

Conclusion:  The foreign body hood protector combined with rat tooth forceps/snare technique is a safe and effective alternative to previously described methods for extraction of SES from the upper gastrointestinal tract. This method may be applicable for the removal of other such objects within the endoscope's reach.
Light regulation of retinal dopamine that is independent of melanopsin phototransduction
Authors: Cameron M. A. , Pozdeyev N. , Vugler A. A. , Cooper H. , Iuvone P. M. , Lucas R. J.
Published: February 2009

Light‐dependent release of dopamine (DA) in the retina is an important component of light‐adaptation mechanisms. Melanopsin‐containing inner retinal photoreceptors have been shown to make physical contacts with DA amacrine cells, and have been implicated in the regulation of the local retinal environment in both physiological and anatomical studies. Here we determined whether they contribute to photic regulation of DA in the retina as assayed by the ratio of DA with its primary metabolite, 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and by c‐fos induction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐labelled DA amacrine cells. Light treatment (∼0.7 log W/m2 for 90 min) resulted in a substantial increase in DA release (as revealed by an increase in the DOPAC : DA ratio), as well as widespread induction of nuclear c‐fos in DA amacrine cells in wild‐type mice and in mice lacking melanopsin (Opn4−/−). Light‐induced DA release was also retained in mice lacking rod phototransduction (Gnat1−/−), although the magnitude of this response was substantially reduced compared with wild‐types, as was the incidence of light‐dependent nuclear c‐fos in DAergic amacrines. By contrast, the DAergic system of mice lacking both rods and cones (rd/rd cl) showed no detectable light response. Our data suggest that light regulation of DA, a pivotal retinal neuromodulator, originates primarily with rods and cones, and that melanopsin is neither necessary nor sufficient for this photoresponse.
A systematic review of postoperative analgesia following laparoscopic colorectal surgery
Authors: Levy B. F. , Tilney H. S. , Dowson H. M. P. , Rockall T. A.
Published: February 2009

Objective  The use of epidural analgesia is considered fundamental in Enhanced Recovery Protocols. However its value in the perioperative management of laparoscopic colorectal surgical patients is unclear and analgesic regimens vary. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of various analgesic regimes on outcomes following laparoscopic colectomy.

Method  A systematic review of studies assessing analgesic regimes following laparoscopic colorectal resection was performed. The primary outcome of interest was length of hospital stay whilst the secondary outcomes included pain, time to tolerate a normal diet, return of bowel function and postoperative complications.

Results  Eight studies were identified, five of which compared epidural vs patient controlled analgesia/intra‐venous morphine. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of outcomes, except pain control which was superior in the epidural group. Spinal anaesthesia using intrathecal morphine in addition to local anaesthetic, and the use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory agents have also been shown to reduce postoperative pain.

Conclusion  There is a paucity of data assessing the benefits of postoperative analgesic regimes following laparoscopic colorectal surgery and none of the protocols were shown to be clearly superior. Further studies, including the assessment of spinal analgesia are required to determine the most appropriate analgesic regime following laparoscopic colorectal surgery.
Risk factors for recurrence and incontinence after anal fistula surgery
Authors: Jordán J. , Roig J. V. , García‐Armengol J. , García‐Granero E. , Solana A. , Lledó S.
Published: February 2009

Objective  Fistula‐in‐ano continues to raise problems that require important therapeutic decisions. Our aim was to evaluate its recurrence and incontinence risk factors.

Method  We analysed a series of 279 patients who had undergone anal fistula surgery with long‐term follow‐up.

Results  42.7% of the fistulae were considered complex and 46% had been referred from other institutions. There was delayed healing or recurrence in 7.2% patients, which appeared at a median of 4 months. The factors associated with recurrence were the type of fistula (extrasphincteric/suprasphincteric), nonidentification of internal opening (IO), recurrent or complex fistulae (CF), and associated chronic abscess. Only CF and nonidentification of IO were statistically significant in the multivariate analysis. Preoperative incontinence was a risk factor for postoperative incontinence, as were suprasphincteric, recurrent and CF. The age and gender of the patient did not influence postoperative continence, nor did the surgeon or surgical technique appear as a risk factor, although after excluding preoperative incontinent patients, fistulotomy was the technique that showed a higher risk of incontinence. Multivariate analysis only confirmed previous incontinence as a RF.

Conclusion  The overall recurrence rate is acceptable, but high fistulae continue to be difficult to treat. IO identification is also essential for obtaining good results. It is important to identify the patients with preoperative incontinence as they are at a greater risk of deterioration after surgery.
The Provision of Mandarin Chinese in the UK Secondary Schools: what's in the way?
Authors: PING WANG
Published: February 2009

More and more British secondary schools start to offer Mandarin Chinese and some have already implemented it into the school timetable. However, the provision of Mandarin Chinese still faces many problems, which are discussed in this article from five perspectives based on the data collected.
Strengthening Basic Education: an EU‐China joint project in Gansu Province
Authors: ROBINSON BERNADETTE , WENWU YI
Published: February 2009

Since 1986 when the National People's Congress ratified the Compulsory Education Law, China's achievement of nine‐year compulsory basic education for its huge school‐age population has been rapid and successful. However, the rate of achievement has grown unevenly across the country, reflecting the different economic development patterns of the more prosperous Eastern coastal China and poor Western and rural areas. As quantitative targets were gained for most of the country, attention turned to the quality of basic education and the increasing gap between the more advanced and less developed areas. Shortage of resources for improving the situation in the poorest areas led the Chinese government to seek assistance from international donors, including the European Union. This article describes a joint European Union‐China project undertaken to improve the quality of compulsory nine‐year education with the ultimate goal of reducing poverty in one of the poorest Western provinces, Gansu. It outlines the policy context and summarises the project's organisation, strategies and outcomes. It identifies the main issues that arose during its implementation and examines the inter‐cultural dimension of collaborative work on this project.
Relational memory during infancy: evidence from eye tracking
Authors: Richmond Jenny , Nelson Charles A.
Published: February 2009

Here we report evidence from a new eye‐tracking measure of relational memory that suggests that 9‐month‐old infants can encode memories in terms of the relations among items, a function putatively subserved by the hippocampus. Infants learned about the association between faces that were superimposed on unique scenic backgrounds. During test trials, infants were shown three faces presented on a familiar scene. All three faces were equally familiar; however, one had been presented with the test background earlier. Visual behavior was recorded continuously using a TOBII eye tracker. Infants looked preferentially at the face that matched the test background very early in the trial; however, the time course of this preferential looking effect varied as a function of delay. These results suggest that by 9 months of age infants can form memories that represent the relations among items and maintain them over short delays.
The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed‐book, invigilated exams and open‐book, open‐web exams
Authors: Williams Jeremy B. , Wong Amy
Published: February 2009

Educators have long debated the usefulness (or otherwise) of final examinations; a debate that has typically revolved around the relative merits of closed‐book exams, open‐book exams, take‐home exams or their substitution by some other assessment format (eg, project work). This paper adds a new dimension to the debate by considering how the final examination assessment instrument might be enhanced through harnessing the power of technology, more specifically, how the learner experience of the final examination might be made more authentic and, in the process, more constructively aligned with stated learning outcomes. The authors report on the latest findings of an ongoing research project evaluating the effectiveness of ‘open‐book, open‐web’ (OBOW) examinations delivered by an online university, vis‐à‐vis a closed‐book, invigilated alternative. Earlier research had indicated that the OBOW model receives the strong endorsement of students in a number of respects, most particularly the quality of the learning outcomes.
Children’s Trust in Previously Inaccurate Informants Who Were Well or Poorly Informed: When Past Errors Can Be Excused
Authors: Nurmsoo Erika , Robinson Elizabeth J.
Published: February 2009

Past research demonstrates that children learn from a previously accurate speaker rather than from a previously inaccurate one. This study shows that children do not necessarily treat a previously inaccurate speaker as unreliable. Rather, they appropriately excuse past inaccuracy arising from the speaker’s limited information access. Children (N= 67) aged 3, 4, and 5 years aimed to identify a hidden toy in collaboration with a puppet as informant. When the puppet had previously been inaccurate despite having full information, children tended to ignore what they were told and guess for themselves: They treated the puppet as unreliable in the longer term. However, children more frequently believed a currently well‐informed puppet whose past inaccuracies arose legitimately from inadequate information access.
Individualizing Student Instruction Precisely: Effects of Child × Instruction Interactions on First Graders’ Literacy Development
Authors: McDonald Connor Carol , Piasta Shayne B. , Fishman Barry , Glasney Stephanie , Schatschneider Christopher , Crowe Elizabeth , Underwood Phyllis , Morrison Frederick J.
Published: February 2009

Recent findings demonstrate that the most effective reading instruction may vary with children’s language and literacy skills. These Child × Instruction interactions imply that individualizing instruction would be a potent strategy for improving students’ literacy. A cluster‐randomized control field trial, conducted in 10 high‐moderate poverty schools, examined effects of individualizing literacy instruction. The instruction each first grader received (n = 461 in 47 classrooms, mean age = 6.7 years) during fall, winter, and spring was recorded. Comparing intervention‐recommended amounts of instruction with observed amounts revealed that intervention teachers individualized instruction more precisely than did comparison teachers. Importantly, the more precisely the children received recommended amounts of instruction, the stronger was their literacy skill growth. Results provide strong evidence of Child × Instruction interaction effects on literacy outcomes.
Changes in Stress Perception and Coping During Adolescence: The Role of Situational and Personal Factors
Authors: Seiffge‐Krenke Inge , Aunola Kaisa , Nurmi Jari‐Erik
Published: February 2009

The present study investigated the interplay between developmental changes in stress and coping during early and late adolescence. Using a longitudinal design, stress perception and coping styles of 200 adolescents in 7 different stressful situations were investigated. Multilevel piecewise latent growth curve models showed that stress perception decreased during late adolescence, whereas active and internal coping increased continuously from ages 12 to 19. Adolescents’ high levels of perceived stress in a particular situation were associated with a high level of active coping but a low level of internal coping in that same situation. Withdrawal was associated with high levels of perceived stress, independent of situation. Developmental changes in individual adolescents’ stress perception and coping were in most cases situation specific.
Ethnic Diversity, Civil War and Redistribution*
Authors: Tangerås Thomas P. , Lagerlöf Nils‐Petter
Published: February 2009

In a game‐theoretic framework, we analyse the circumstances under which self‐enforcing redistribution and power‐sharing coalitions can be used to peacefully resolve ethnic conflict. The existence of a pacific equilibrium depends crucially on ethnic diversity (the number of ethnic groups). The risk of civil war is comparatively high at intermediate levels of ethnic diversity. The risk is low if a society is either very homogeneous or very diverse. Predictions of the model are consistent with evidence on the incidence of civil war.
Speculative Attacks with Multiple Sources of Public Information*
Authors: Cornand Camille , Heinemann Frank
Published: February 2009

We propose a speculative attack model in which agents receive multiple public signals. Diverse pieces of public information can be taken into account differently by different players and are likely to lead to different appreciations ex post. This process defines players' expected private values of a successful attack. The main result shows that equilibrium uniqueness depends on two conditions: (i) signals are sufficiently dispersed and (ii) private beliefs about signals' relative precision differ sufficiently. We derive some implications for information dissemination policy. Transparency in this context is multidimensional: it concerns the publicity of announcements, the number of signals disclosed and their precision.
Social Competence in Children At Risk Due to Prenatal Cocaine Exposure: Continuity Over Time and Associations with Cognitive and Language Abilities
Authors: Acra C. Françoise , Bono Katherine E. , Mundy Peter C. , Scott Keith G.
Published: February 2009

The continuity of social competence between 36 months and first grade was examined in a sample of children at risk due to prenatal exposure to cocaine (N = 92). Parent report data on social competence were collected at 36 months of age and both parent and teacher report data were collected when children were in first grade. Regression analyses indicated that 36‐month social competence significantly predicted first‐grade parent ratings of social competence, even after controlling for cognitive ability. Thirty‐six month social competence also predicted first‐grade teacher ratings of competence, but these relations were mediated by child gender and cognitive ability. Early social competence was also a significant predictor of first‐grade language ability, after controlling for 36‐month language. These findings emphasize the importance of early social competence for later development.
Affective spaces, melancholic objects: ruination and the production of anthropological knowledge*
Authors: Navaro‐Yashin Yael
Published: February 2009

This article critically engages with recent theoretical writings on affect and non‐human agency by way of studying the emotive energies discharged by properties and objects appropriated during war from members of the so‐called ‘enemy’ community. The ethnographic material comes from long‐term fieldwork in Northern Cyprus, focusing on how it feels to live with the objects and within the ruins left behind by the other, now displaced, community. I study Turkish‐Cypriots’ relations to houses, land, and objects that they appropriated from the Greek‐Cypriots during the war of 1974 and the subsequent partition of Cyprus. My ethnographic material leads me to reflect critically on the object‐centred philosophy of Actor Network Theory and on the affective turn in the human sciences after the work of Gilles Deleuze. With the metaphor of ‘ruination’, I study what goes amiss in scholarly declarations of theoretical turns or shifts. Instead, proposing an anthropologically engaged theory of affect through an ethnographic reflection on spatial and material melancholia, I argue that ethnography, in its most productive moments, is trans‐paradigmatic. Retaining what has been ruined as still needful of consideration, I suggest an approach which merges theories of affect and subjectivity as well as of language and materiality.

L'article examine sous un angle critique les écrits théoriques récents sur l'affect et l'agencynon humaine pour étudier les énergies émotives libérées par les biens et objets confisqués lors d'un conflit armé aux membres de la communauté dite «ennemie». Le matériel ethnographique provient d'un travail de terrain de longue durée dans le Nord de Chypre, qui portait sur le ressenti de ceux qui vivent avec ces objets, dans les ruines laissées par l'autre communauté désormais déplacée. L'auteure étudie les relations des Chypriotes turcs avec les maisons, les terres et les objets qu'ils se sont appropriés sur les Chypriotes grecs lors de la guerre de 1974 et de la partition de Chypre. Le matériel ethnographique la conduit à une réflexion critique sur la philosophie centrée sur les objets de la théorie de l'acteur‐réseau et sur le tournant affectif des sciences humaines à la suite des travaux de Gilles Deleuze. Par la métaphore de la «ruine», l'auteur sonde ce qui ne va pas dans les proclamations académiques de tournants théoriques et de changements paradigmatiques. En lieu et place, elle propose une théorie de l'affect engagée dans l'anthropologie, par une réflexion ethnographique sur la mélancolie spatiale et matérielle, et affirme que l'ethnographie, dans ses moments les plus productifs, est trans‐paradigmatique. En gardant ce qui est «ruiné» comme digne encore de considération, l'auteure suggère une approche qui concilie les théories de l'affect et de la subjectivité et du langage et de la matérialité.
The Virgin of Guadalupe: a nexus of affect
Authors: Napolitano Valentina
Published: February 2009

Through an analysis of current celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Rome, I discuss how the Virgin echoes worries aboutpatria y fe(nation and faith) as well as a Catholic faith mobilized in reaction to secularism. The Virgin's performative celebrations awaken a phantomatic unity of the nation and the family through affect and subtle racial tensions within, first, the body of religious transnational migration related to diocesan and missionary politics, and, second, the distribution of cultural and indigenous narratives of a Mexican identity abroad. By paying attention to traces of the Mexican Cristero War (1926‐9), as they are affectively re‐narrativized in twenty‐first‐century Rome, I argue that the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe does not show a religiosity connected to a return of the dispossessed and to a symbol of their liberation (as seems to be the case at the Mexican/US border); rather, the celebration of the Virgin in this context becomes a nexus of affect signalling the strengthening of an Orthodox (as ultramontane), transnational Catholic Church.

Par le biais d'une analyse des célébrations actuelles de la Vierge de Guadalupe à Rome, l'auteure discute de la manière dont la Vierge fait écho aux inquiétudes pour «la patrie et la foi» (patria y fe) ainsi que sur la mobilisation de la foi catholique en réaction aux sécularisme. Les célébrations performatives de la Vierge révèlent une unité fantasmatique de la nation et de la famille par le biais de l'affect et de tensions raciales subtiles au sein, d'une part, de la migration transnationale religieuse liée à la politique diocésaine et missionnaire, et d'autre part à la diffusion à l'étranger de narrations culturelles et indigènes d'une identité mexicaine. En s'intéressant aux traces de la guerre des Cristeros au Mexique (1926‐1929), remises en récit sous un angle affectif dans la Rome du XXIesiècle, l'auteure affirme que la célébration de la Vierge de Guadalupe ne manifeste pas une religiosité liée au retour des dépossédés et à un symbole de libération (comme cela semble faire être le cas à la frontière entre le Mexique et les États‐Unis) mais elle devient plutôt, dans ce contexte, un point de fusion des affects qui signale la montée en puissance d'une Église catholique transnationale empreinte d'orthodoxie ultramontaine.
Etanercept: Efficacy and safety
Authors: Jiménez‐Puya R , Gómez‐García F , Amorrich‐Campos V , Moreno‐Giménez JC
Published: February 2009

Objective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

Methods  An observational, longitudinal, and retrospective study involving two groups of dose of treatment with etanercept (50 vs. 100 mg/week). The selected patients presented moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and they had received treatment with the mentioned drug. A total of 58 patients were included in the study. The efficacy of the drug was evaluated by measuring the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), body surface area (BSA) and physician's global assessment (PGA) in weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48.

Results  A statistically significant improvement was observed in the PASI, BSA and PGA indexes after 24 and 48 weeks of therapy. As for PASI, and after 48 weeks of treatment, PASI 50, 75 and 90 were 100.0%, 92.3% and 69.2%, respectively. In our series, etanercept 50 mg/week reached the same results after 48 weeks as etanercept 100 mg/week, though the initial response was faster in the last group. The PASI, BSA and PGA indexes diminished significantly with the treatment, though without statistically significant differences between both groups. As for the safety, etanercept was well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were recorded. There were no cases of tuberculosis or opportunistic infections.

Conclusions  Our study confirms the efficacy and safety outcomes of the clinical trials of etanercept in psoriasis with both doses of treatment. As for the safety, etanercept was well tolerated, and all the recorded adverse events coincided with the known potential side‐effects of treatment.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Uptake of organic nitrogen by plants
Authors: Näsholm Torgny , Kielland Knut , Ganeteg Ulrika
Published: February 2009

Languishing for many years in the shadow of plant inorganic nitrogen (N) nutrition research, studies of organic N uptake have attracted increased attention during the last decade. The capacity of plants to acquire organic N, demonstrated in laboratory and field settings, has thereby been well established. Even so, the ecological significance of organic N uptake for plant N nutrition is still a matter of discussion. Several lines of evidence suggest that plants growing in various ecosystems may access organic N species. Many soils display amino acid concentrations similar to, or higher than, those of inorganic N, mainly as a result of rapid hydrolysis of soil proteins. Transporters mediating amino acid uptake have been identified both in mycorrhizal fungi and in plant roots. Studies of endogenous metabolism of absorbed amino acids suggest that L‐ but not D‐enantiomers are efficiently utilized. Dual labelled amino acids supplied to soil have provided strong evidence for plant uptake of organic N in the field but have failed to provide information on the quantitative importance of this process. Thus, direct evidence that organic N contributes significantly to plant N nutrition is still lacking. Recent progress in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant organic N uptake may open new avenues for the exploration of this subject.

ContentsSummary31I.Introduction31II.Availability32III.Uptake34IV.Field studies of plant amino acid uptake41V.Conclusions and future perspectives43Acknowledgements44References45
Role of caspase‐3 in tau truncation at D421 is restricted in transgenic mouse models for tauopathies
Authors: Zhang Qipeng , Zhang Xiaoguang , Chen Jie , Miao Yanying , Sun Anyang
Published: February 2009

Truncated tau is widely detected in Alzheimer’s disease brain, and caspase‐3 has been considered as a major executioner for tau truncation at aspartate421 (D421), according to its capability of cleaving recombinant tau in vitro. Here we investigated the relationship between D421 truncated tau and caspase‐3 in two transgenic mouse models for tauopathies. In adult transgenic mice, activated caspase‐3 could not be detected in neurons containing truncated tau, with the exception of a few glia‐like cells or neurons in postnatal mice. Caspase‐3 expression exhibited a dramatic decrease at the early development stage, and kept at constantly low levels during adult stages in both wild type and transgenic mice. On the other hand, co‐incubating brain homogenates from adult tau transgenic mice and ethanol‐treated postnatal mice promoted tau truncation at D421, which was mildly reduced by caspase inhibitor, but completely suppressed by phosphatase inhibitor, indicating that hyperphosphorylated tau becomes a poor substrate for truncation at D421. Taken together, our study shows that insufficient caspase‐3 expression and hyperphosphorylated status of tau in the adult transgenic mouse brain restrict caspase‐3 as an efficient enzyme for tau truncation in vivo. Clearly, there is a caspase‐3 independent mechanism responsible for tau truncation at D421 in these models.
Presynaptic glycine receptors facilitate spontaneous glutamate release onto hilar neurons in the rat hippocampus
Authors: Lee Eun‐Ah , Cho Jin‐Hwa , Choi In‐Sun , Nakamura Michiko , Park Hye‐Mi , Lee Jong‐Ju , Lee Maan‐Gee , Choi Byung‐Ju , Jang Il‐Sung
Published: February 2009

Although glycine receptors are found in most areas of the brain, including the hippocampus, their functional significance remains largely unknown. In the present study, we have investigated the role of presynaptic glycine receptors on excitatory nerve terminals in spontaneous glutamatergic transmission. Spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) were recorded in mechanically dissociated rat dentate hilar neurons attached with native presynaptic nerve terminals using a conventional whole‐cell patch recording technique under voltage‐clamp conditions. Exogenously applied glycine or taurine significantly increased the frequency of sEPSCs in a concentration‐dependent manner. This facilitatory effect of glycine was blocked by 1 μM strychnine, a specific glycine receptor antagonist, but was not affected by 30 μM picrotoxin. In addition, Zn2+(10 μM) potentiated the glycine action on sEPSC frequency. Pharmacological data suggested that the activation of presynaptic glycine receptors directly depolarizes glutamatergic terminals resulting in the facilitation of spontaneous glutamate release. Bumetanide (10 μM), a specific Na‐K‐2C co‐transporter blocker, gradually attenuated the glycine‐induced sEPSC facilitation, suggesting that the depolarizing action of presynaptic glycine receptors was due to a higher intraterminal Cl−concentration. The present results suggest that presynaptic glycine receptors on excitatory nerve terminals might play an important role in the excitability of the dentate gyrus‐hilus‐CA3 network in physiological and/or pathological conditions.
Metabolism of neuroactive steroids in day‐old chick brain
Authors: Sujkovic Elizabeth , Mileusnic Radmila , Fry Jonathan P.
Published: February 2009

Metabolism of the neuroactive steroids pregnenolone (PREG), progesterone (PROG), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) was investigated in day‐old chick brain following direct injection of the3H‐labelled compounds into the intermediate medial mesopallium and sampling at times known to be crucial for memory formation in this brain region.3H‐label from these steroids was cleared rapidly from the brain, decreasing to barely detectable levels within 5 h. Following extraction and fractionation, the3H‐labelled brain steroids were identified by TLC, coupled with acetylation and/or separation in different solvent systems. PREG and PROG were converted within 10 min mostly to 20β‐dihydropregnenolone (20β‐DHPREG) and 5β‐dihydroprogesterone, respectively. There was no detectable metabolism of DHEA. Label from DHEAS persisted for longer (half‐time 18.9 min) than the free steroid but with no detectable metabolism other than a small amount (4%) of desulphation to DHEA. Further investigation of chick brain steroid metabolism by incubation of subcellular fractions (1–3 h, 37°C) with PREG, PROG or DHEA plus NADPH led to the formation of the following compounds: 20β‐DHPREG from PREG (particularly in cytosol); 5β‐dihydroprogesterone and 3α,5β‐tetrahydroprogesterone from PROG and no detectable metabolism of DHEA. Following incubation of the same brain fractions and labelled steroids with NAD+, there was no detectable metabolism of PREG or PROG but some conversion of DHEA to androstenedione, especially in the nuclear fraction. The results suggest direct actions of DHEA(S) on the early stages of memory formation in the chick and introduce the possibility that PREG may act indirectly via 20β‐DHPREG.