bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Subclinical Cushing Syndrome Before and After Surgery
Authors: Erbil Yeşim , Ademoğlu Evin , Özbey Neşe , Barbaros Umut , Yanık Burcu Tulumoğlu , Salmaslioğlu Artur , Bozbora Alp , Özarmağan Selçuk
Published: August 2006

Background

The widespread use of ultrasound, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging has led to an increase in the number of incidental adrenal masses identified. Asymptomatic incidentally discovered adrenal masses may indicate that subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS) is not uncommon. We aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular risk of patients with SCS before and after surgery.

Methods

An autonomous cortisol‐producing tumor was detected in 11 of 94 patients with adrenal incidentaloma between 1995 and 2005. Twenty‐eight patients suffering from classical Cushing syndrome (CS) associated with unilateral adrenocortical adenoma, who were treated at our department in the same period, served as a control group. Cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure, body mass index, and lipid profile were evaluated before and 1 year after surgery.

Results

The frequency of hypertension (61% versus 63%), obesity (46% versus 55%), diabetes mellitus (50% versus 36%), hypercholesterolemia (39% versus 36%), and low HDL cholesterol (28% versus 36%) were not significantly different between CS and SCS patients, respectively. Adverse cardiovascular risk profile improved 1 year after adrenalectomy in both groups, although the changes were not significant with respect to body mass index, frequency of diabetes, and hyperlipidemia in SCS patients. But frequency of systolic/diastolic hypertension decreased significantly in this group.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors commonly observed in classical CS, is also present in SCS. Unilateral adrenalectomy does not always lead to significant improvements in cardiovascular risk profile in SCS.
Protective and compensatory factors mitigating the influence of deviant friends on delinquent behaviours during early adolescence
Authors: Fergusson David M. , Vitaro Frank , Wanner Brigitte , Brendgen Mara
Published: August 2006

This study examined factors that could moderate or compensate the link between exposure to deviant friends and delinquent behaviours in a sample of 265 early adolescents. The putative moderating or compensatory factors referred to the behavioural domain (i.e. novelty seeking, harm avoidance), the biological domain (i.e. physical maturation), the sociofamily domain (i.e. sociofamily adversity, parental practices), the school domain (i.e. academic performance), and the social domain (i.e. peer acceptance). A series of regression analyses showed that novelty seeking and puberty status moderated the link between friends' self‐reported delinquency and participants' self‐reported delinquency. In addition, all the factors except peer acceptance also had main effects that, cumulatively, reduced the association between friends' delinquency and self‐rated delinquency through compensatory main effects. These results are discussed in light of the differential roles of moderating and of compensatory factors.
Correlation of folding kinetics with the number and isomerization states of prolines in three homologous proteins of the RNase family
Authors: Pradeep Lovy , Shin Hang-Cheol , Scheraga Harold A.
Published: August 2006

Several studies attribute the slower phases in protein folding to prolyl isomerizations, and several others do not. A correlation exists between the number of prolines in a protein and the complexity of the mechanism with which it folds. In this study, we have demonstrated a direct correlation between the number of cis‐prolyl bonds in a native protein and the complexity with which it folds via slower phases by studying the folding of three structurally homologous proteins of the ribonuclease family, namely RNase A, onconase and angiogenin, which differ in the number and isomerization states of their proline residues.
Alcohol abuse — A persistent preventable risk for congenital anomalies
Authors: Baumann P. , Schild C. , Hume R.F. , Sokol R.J.
Published: August 2006

Objective: To examine whether alcohol abuse (ALC) continued to be a health hazard to pregnant women in the 1990s.

Study design: Analysis of a perinatal data base comprising 170,258 women with singleton pregnancies. Univariate cross table analysis and logistic regression were conducted to examine the association between alcohol abuse and congenital malformations coded according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).

Results: 14,727/170,258 mothers (8.6%) admitted to ALC during pregnancy and 36,705/170,258 (21.6%) to smoking. Anomaly rates for ALC (365/14,092, 4.3%) vs. Non‐ALC (6187/149,344, 4.0%) differed significantly (p < 0.001). The rates of specific anomalies varied between < 0.1% and 1.1%. Odds ratios for 16 ICD 9 anomaly categories were > 1 in 14 instances overall (Sign test, p = 0.004), in 12 instances in women < 30 years (p = 0.08), and in 13 instances in women over 30 years (p = 0.02). Congenital anomalies of the “respiratory system” (ICD9 748), of “genital organs” (ICD9 752.1), of the “integument” (ICD9 757), and “other anomalies of limbs/other musculoskeletal anomalies” (ICD 755/756) were statistically significantly associated with ALC, especially in women > 30 years.

Conclusion: ALC in pregnancy continued to be an important factor independently associated with an increased incidence of a broader range of congenital anomalies than previously recognized. Risk for anatomic anomalies was increased in offspring of ALC women over age 30, consistent with previous reports of increased risk of neurobehavioral abnormality in offspring of women over 30.
Outcomes and complications of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy
Authors: Seow Kok‐Min , Tsou Chung‐Tsung , Lin Yu‐Hung , Hwang Jiann‐Loung , Tsai Yieh‐Loong , Huang Lee‐Wen
Published: August 2006

Objective: To report whether operative time, intraoperative complications, and rate of conversion to laparotomy decreased after physicians had acquired an additional 4 years experience with laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH).

Methods: Group 1 (n = 462) included the women who underwent LAVH from May 1, 1994 to December 31, 1997, and group 2 (n = 583) included those who underwent LAVH from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 2001.

Results: The mean duration of surgery in groups 1 and 2 was 146 and 114 min, respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.0001). The overall complication rate in the last 4 years of the study was 7.1%, which was significantly lower than the 13.4% calculated for the first 4 years (P = 0.001).

Conclusion: Operative time as well as rates of surgical complications and conversion to laparotomy decreased with increased surgeon experience at performing LAVH.
Phalangeal Neck Fractures in Adults
Authors: AL-QATTAN M. M.
Published: August 2006

The author investigated the pattern of injury and outcome of management in 11 adults with phalangeal neck fractures. The mean age was 40 years. The fracture occurred at the neck of the proximal phalanx of the thumb in seven cases and at the neck of the middle phalanx of the fingers in the remaining four cases. One patient had an undisplaced (Type I) fracture and was treated with splinting; the final result was graded as excellent. Nine patients had Type II fractures (the displaced distal fragment maintaining bone-to-bone contact with the proximal fragment) and all patients were treated with closed reduction and single K-wire fixation. The final outcome of Type II fractures was considered good in eight patients and fair in one patient. One patient had a Type III fracture (the displaced distal fragment was rotated 180° with no bone-to-bone contact with the proximal fragment). The fracture required open reduction and K-wire fixation and the final result was poor.
The Relationship between Pre-Operative Symptoms, Operative Findings and Postoperative Complications in Schwannomas
Authors: SAWADA T. , SANO M. , OGIHARA H. , OMURA T. , MIURA K. , NAGANO A.
Published: August 2006

This study presents a retrospective review of the management of schwannomas in the limbs and examines the relationship between pre-operative clinical examination, operative findings and postoperative neurological complications. Eighteen tumours with a histological diagnosis of schwannoma in 17 patients who underwent surgery between 1998 and 2004 were the basis of this study. Enucleation of the tumour was possible in 14 cases. None of these patients had neurological complications pre-operatively but eight had mild neurological complications postoperatively. The complications consisted of sensory deficit in five cases, motor weakness in one and both in two. Enucleation of the tumours was impossible in four cases. These schwannomas originated in the brachial plexus in three cases and the ulnar nerve in the proximal arm in one case. Tumours with pre-operative symptoms and masses located at a proximal site in the limb were more likely to be impossible to enucleate completely.
Color revolutions: The Belarus case
Authors: Marples David R.
Published: August 2006

This paper focuses on the 2006 presidential elections in Belarus and offers several explanations for the lack of regime change. It posits that the answers lie in the official interpretations of the historical past, the personal popularity of the president—acquired partly through his firm control over the media and persecution of his enemies—and the electorate’s focus on economic rather than political issues or emphasis on democratic values. It notes also the importance of Russia as a player in Belarus, and Russia’s ambivalent attitude toward the continuing dictatorship in Minsk.
Frazzled, Fried … Finished? A Guide to Help Nurses Find Balance
Authors: Littlefield A. Lynn
Published: August 2006

Frazzled, Fried … Finished? A Guide to Help Nurses Find Balance, Joan C. Borgatti, 2004, softcover, 132 pp $15.95
Unit‐Based Staff Development for Clinical Nurses
Authors: Goldberg Judith L.
Published: August 2006

Unit‐Based Staff Development for Clinical Nurses, Joan Such Lockhart, 2004, hardcover, 314 pages $84
Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Leaders Who Changed the Path of a Profession
Authors: Tidwell Janet
Published: August 2006

Pivotal Moments in Nursing: Leaders Who Changed the Path of a Profession, Beth P. Houser, Kathy N. Player, 2004, softcover, 286 pp $29.95
Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse
Authors: Knapp Nancy
Published: August 2006

Illegal Drugs: A Complete Guide to Their History, Chemistry, Use, and Abuse, Paul Gahlinger, 2004, softcover, 456 pp $20
Perioperative Care of Environmentally Sensitive Patients
Authors: Koch Frances , Huggins Karen A.
Published: August 2006

In today's complex environment, with an increasing number of chemicals and environmental contamination, some individuals have developed sensitivities to their surroundings. Surgical intervention for environmentally sensitive patients provides an opportunity to reach beyond the boundaries of the OR. These patients require highly individualized perioperative nursing assessments and care planning on a multidisciplinary level. Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas has developed a protocol to initiate collaborative planning for these patients and has had the opportunity to successfully care for these patients.
Transcultural Health Care: A Culturally Competent Approach
Authors: Bartlett Carolyn
Published: August 2006

Transcultural Health Care: A Culturally Competent Approach By Larry D. Purnell, Betty J. Paulanka 1998, 511 pp $31.95 paperback
Soap, Water and Sex
Authors: Lagueux Donna
Published: August 2006

Soap, Water and Sex By Jacob Lipman 1998, 191 pp $18.95 paperback
International Education—a Kaleidoscopic View
Authors: Gruendemann Barbara J.
Published: August 2006

International travel presents opportunities for perioperative nurses to share their knowledge about surgical patient care and preventing the spread of infection. This article outlines the author's personal experiences with international travel, educational pursuits, and conferring with nurses, physicians, epidemiologists, hospital administrators, and medical product company representatives. It also discusses culture and values, teaching and learning, and accomplishments in settings where both financial and human resources are sparse, but outcomes are positive and meaningful.AORN J70 (Oct 1999) 608‐617.
Risk of Blood Contamination of Health Care Workers in Spine Surgery: A Study of 324 Cases
Authors: Schroeter Kathryn
Published: August 2006

Risk of Blood Contamination of Health Care Workers in Spine Surgery: A Study of 324 Cases, DA Wong, Spine, 23, June 1998, 1261–1266
A Systems Approach to Resolving OR Conflict
Authors: Pape Tess
Published: August 2006

Effective communication and courteous interaction with other hospital departments are essential for a smooth‐running OR. To function effectively in a perioperative setting, OR personnel need patience, knowledge, and skill in problem‐solving techniques. When health care employees are not taught these techniques and protocols are not in place to manage conflict, friction develops and productivity suffers. In this article, conflict situations between two hospital departments and an OR are presented to characterize successful conflict resolution methods using a systems approach. The results include reduction of surgical procedure delays, efficient ordering of supplies, and improved interpersonal relations. AORN J 69 (March 1999) 551–566.
A Perioperative Nurse's Experience in Haiti
Authors: Stobinski James X.
Published: August 2006

Haiti is a poor Caribbean nation plagued by years of political uncertainty and a wealth of unmet health care needs. A significant amount of its health care, especially for indigent people, is provided by volunteer nongovernment organizations, including military medical staff members from the United States and Canada. One perioperative nurse, who served with a US Navy surgical company in Port au Prince, Haiti, shares his impressions and experiences of providing surgical care to United Nations troops and Haitian citizens at five hospitals in the Port au Prince area. AORN J 69 (Feb 1999) 346–357.
Essentials of Managed Health Care
Authors: Lampkins Gwendolyn
Published: August 2006

Essentials of Managed Health Care, second ed By Peter R. Kongstvedt 1997, 572 pp $49, paperback
Reinventing your Nursing Career: A Handbook for Success in the Age of Managed Care
Authors: MacIlraith Norrie L.
Published: August 2006

Reinventing your Nursing Career: A Handbook for Success in the Age of Managed Care, By Michael Newell, Mario Pinardo 1998, 253 pp $21, paperback
Rewarming Cardiac Surgical Patients: Warm Water vs Warm Air
Authors: Fawcett Debra L.
Published: August 2006

Rewarming Cardiac Surgical Patients: Warm Water vs Warm Air, MM Sanford, American Journal of Critical Care, Vol 6, Jan 1997, 39–45
What Perioperative Nurses Need to Know About Substance Abuse
Authors: Bailes Barbara
Published: August 2006

Substance abuse can occur with legal drugs (eg, alcohol, tobacco, prescription medications), illegal drugs that are purchased on the street, or prescription drugs used for reasons other than health. Alcohol is the most commonly used legal drug, and cocaine, heroin, and marijuana are the most commonly used illegal drugs. Each drug has specific effects on body systems. Some drugs can lead to acute and chronic problems; some even can cause death. Perioperative nurses may be among the few health care professionals who assess and care for substance abusers. As such, they should be prepared to recognize the symptoms of substance abuse and implement measures to support and help these Individuals. This article provides perioperative nurses with information about the use and abuse of alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana; the acute and chronic effects that these drugs have on various body systems; and guidelines and interventions that can be implemented when caring for substance abusers.
Genetics in the OR—Implications for Perioperative Nursing Practice
Authors: Lea Dale Halsey , Tinley Susan T.
Published: August 2006

New developments in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology are increasing understanding of the role of genetics in health and disease. This kind of health information requires that perioperative nurses develop new skills and roles that will enhance the quality of genetic health care they provide to patients, particularly with regard to managing genetic information. Perioperative nurses expand their scope of practice to incorporate a genetic focus into health assessment, patient education, and patient support as they assimilate new genetic information into their daily lives. Perioperative nurses familiar with genetic counseling services—and how and when to refer patients for such services—will ensure that all patients have access to the most current and appropriate genetic information with which to make informed health choices. AORN J 67 (June 1998) 1175–1191.
Postoperative Education That Works
Authors: Fox Vicki J.
Published: August 2006

Perioperative nurses have acquired greater responsibility for patients' and family members' postoperative education. Recent nursing research indicates that patients may not be getting specific information about dealing with the everyday practical matters they encounter while recovering at home from their surgical procedures. This article addresses some of these issues (eg, food, sex, driving, bathing, wound care, return to work, limits on activities). The authors answer questions most often asked by patients and their family members. AORN J 67 (May 1998) 1010‐1017.
Ultraclean Laminar Airflow ORs
Authors: Friberg Barbro
Published: August 2006

To minimize postoperative infections, ultraclean laminar airflow (LAF) units equipped with high‐efficiency particulate air filters developed for electronic and aerospace technology have been adapted for ORs. Traditionally, the airflow was either vertical or horizontal and, to function properly, encompassed extra side walls inside the OR. Recently, new airstream technology has provided zoned downflow units that provide an exponential airflow (ie, resembling an upside‐down trumpet mouth). The exponential airflow allows for omission of extra side walls, making them more versatile in clinical use. Each different type of LAF requires knowledge of airstream patterns and how OR team members need to dress and work to prevent contamination of the sterile air and the aseptic areas. This article discusses different LAF systems and related demands on OR clothing and behavior. AORN J 67 (April 1998) 841–851.
Responsibilities of the Preoperative Holding Area Nurse
Authors: Dunn Debra
Published: August 2006

The preoperative holding area is an important, but often overlooked, area in the surgical suite. This area, however, is where the majority of surgical patients and their family members have their first direct contact with perioperative staff members. The preoperative holding area can provide the environment for calming, informative interactions that should help patients prepare for their surgical procedures. The preoperative holding area nurse's primary responsibility is to provide information and emotional support for patients and their family members, to ensure that all preoperative data have been accumulated, and to maintain patients' baseline hemodynamic statuses. AORN J 66 (Nov 1997) 820‐844.
Prostate Cancer Treatment with Radioactive Seed Implantation
Authors: Davis Dianna Lynn
Published: August 2006

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. The use of radioactive seeds (ie, brachytherapy) to provide radiation therapy is one of the three recommended treatment options for localized carcinoma of the prostate. This technique places the radioactive source in close proximity to the malignancy and provides a predictable dose of radiation to a confined area, thus sparing nearby healthy tissue. The technique is performed under transracial ultrasonography. Nursing care for the patient undergoing this ambulatory surgery procedure focuses on detailed preoperative instructions and highly technical intraoperative care, followed by individualized postoperative care. AORN J 68 (July 1998) 18–40.
Off the Record: Unrecorded Legislative Votes, Selection Bias and Roll-Call Vote Analysis
Authors: CARRUBBA CLIFFORD J. , GABEL MATTHEW , MURRAH LACEY , CLOUGH RYAN , MONTGOMERY ELIZABETH , SCHAMBACH REBECCA
Published: August 2006

Scholars often use roll-call votes to study legislative behaviour. However, many legislatures only conclude a minority of decisions by roll call. Thus, if these votes are not a random sample of the universe of votes cast, scholars may be drawing misleading inferences. In fact, theories over why roll-call votes are requested would predict selection bias based on exactly the characteristics of legislative voting that scholars have most heavily studied. This article demonstrates the character and severity of this sampling problem empirically by examining European Parliament vote data for a whole year. Given that many legislatures decided only a fraction of their legislation by roll call, these findings have potentially important implications for the general study of legislative behaviour.
Assessing Inter-Institutional Attention to and Influence on Government Regulations
Authors: WEBB YACKEE SUSAN
Published: August 2006

The US federal bureaucracy implements the nation's laws while juggling its own preferences and the preferences of numerous stakeholders. This article begins to unpack the conditions under which the bureaucracy responds to its stakeholders during rule making, and it is argued that bureaucratic responsiveness is conditioned on the level of attention provided by Congress and the President. This argument is tested with a dataset of forty rules and 1,444 interest group comments. Interest group influence is found to be constrained by congressional – but not presidential – attention to rule making. The results also shed light on Wilson's interest group theory of politics and suggest that the fragmentation of group preferences is less important than the central message sent by groups.
Justification by Faith: a Patristic Doctrine
Authors: WILLIAMS D. H.
Published: August 2006

This essay challenges the criticism usually levelled at the early Fathers prior to Augustine for not articulating a view of justification by faith that corresponded with Pauline Christianity as reflected in the formulas of the sixteenth-century reformers. Not only is such a view anachronistic and tends to assume that there was (or is) a uniform definition of justification, but there is evidence that Latin theology before Augustine promulgated the tenets of unmerited grace and the necessity of righteousness that come only through justifying faith. In particular, the Matthew commentary of Hilary of Poitiers explicitly formulates a biblical theology of ‘fides sola iustificat’, and probably contributed to a revival of interest in the Pauline Epistles by the end of the fourth and early fifth centuries.
Erylus aleuticus sp. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Geodiidae) from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA
Authors: Lehnert Helmut , Stone Robert , Heimler Wolfgang
Published: August 2006

A new species of Erylus from the Aleutian Islands is described. This is the first record of the genus from the Aleutian Islands. The new species differs from all other known species of Erylus in the presence of different types of monaxonic megascleres, ranging from oxeas, strongyles, styles, tylostyles to tylotes, often with unequal ends and irregular modifications of these types. The lack of a secondary category of asters is also unusual for the genus.
Limited stock structure in UK populations of the brown shrimp, Crangon crangon, identified by morphology and genetics
Authors: Beaumont Andy R. , Croucher Tim
Published: August 2006

Population structure of the important commercial brown shrimp, Crangon crangon, was investigated in samples from five UK sites using a multidisciplinary approach based on morphometrics, allozyme electrophoresis and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Multivariate analysis of the morphometric data revealed variation in the tail shape of C. crangon from Wansbeck (north-east England), which was found to have longer inner uropod and telson lengths in comparison with all other sites. Linear discriminant analysis was also able to place 86% of the Wansbeck individuals in the correct group. Crangon crangon were screened at two allozyme loci (Gpi and Pgm) revealing higher levels of polymorphism at both loci than previously reported. Allozyme allele frequencies showed evidence of population subdivision between east and west coast UK sites (FST=0.011). Data from three AFLP loci (Cra47, Cra56 and Cra70) confirmed population differentiation (FST=0.083) and combined allozyme and AFLP genetic data identified C. crangon from Wansbeck as different from all other sites. Random genetic drift and selection in populations with restricted gene flow are likely to be the main causes of the differentiation observed. The results do not support an earlier report of six distinct populations based solely on morphometric analysis.
Burrows of Pestarella tyrrhena (Decapoda: Thalassinidea): hot spots for Nematoda, Foraminifera and bacterial densities
Authors: Koller Helmut , Dworschak Peter C. , Abed-Navandi Daniel
Published: August 2006

Burrow wall sediment (BWS) and chamber debris (CD) of Pestarella tyrrhena burrows were isolated and compared to surrounding sediments differentiated into surface sediment (SS), deep ambient sediment (DAS) and embedded ambient organic debris (EAD). The focus was on the meiofauna community along with granulometric characteristics including organic content (OC) and bacterial abundances.

Clear trends were found for all parameters: the shrimp significantly increased OC within its burrow and affected grain size distributions. The oxidized burrow walls were highly consolidated, consisted of poorly sorted sediment enriched with silt and clay, and contained small particles of macrophyte debris, while coarse inorganic and organic particles >500 μm were concentrated in the CD. Bacterial abundances (epifluorescence microscopy direct counts, SYBR Gold staining) were positively correlated with OC and were significantly higher in BWS than in SS or DAS. Nematode numbers were elevated three-fold and foraminiferal densities by two orders of magnitude in BWS versus non-burrow sediments. Among the anoxic sediments (DAS, EAD, CD) meiofauna densities in CD were highest. Nematode community analysis (PCA, CANOCO) revealed considerable differences between BWS and SS. The BWS harboured more taxa and was dominated by deposit feeders, while in SS epistrate feeders prevailed.

These effects on different levels demonstrate the ability of P. tyrrhena to create a specific microenvironment within the burrow. The burrow walls were most influenced by the shrimp's activity, which corresponds to their nutritional role.
Spawning season and temperature relationships for sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in the eastern North Atlantic
Authors: Coombs S.H. , Smyth T.J. , Conway D.V.P. , Halliday N.C. , Bernal M. , Stratoudakis Y. , Alvarez P.
Published: August 2006

Spawning temperature preferences for sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in the eastern North Atlantic were determined from egg survey data. These were compared with climatological temperature cycles (1986–2002) derived from satellite observations, by geographical region, to predict spawning seasons. Optimum spawning temperatures were determined as 14.0–15.0°C from the English Channel to Portugal and 16.0–18.0°C for all north-west African regions. Spawning seasons were closely related to the general latitudinal trend of the annual temperature cycle, with modification by upwelling in the western Iberian and north-west African regions. Some differences between temperature-based spawning season predictions and field observations were related to variations in seasonal plankton production. Correlations in the annual time-series of favourable spawning temperatures suggested relatively strong linkages between the southern areas from Portugal to Senegal. There was no consistent relationship between annual variations in extent of temperature-predicted spawning seasons and observed field abundance of eggs.
A New Quest for the Sitz im Leben: Social Memory, the Jesus Tradition and the Gospel of Matthew
Authors: BYRSKOG SAMUEL
Published: August 2006

The recent interest in social memory theories among NT scholars promises a new framework for the study of the social dynamics reflected in the Gospels. This essay employs Eviatar Zerubavel's ‘sociomental typography’ of the ‘sociobiographical memory’ in order to conceptualize the contours of the Sitz im Leben of the Gospel of Matthew. The perspective of social memory as described by Zerubavel reveals the mnemonic character of the Sitz im Leben and discloses how those participating in it related to and used the Gospel of Mark, identified with the scribal traits of the Matthean disciples, cherished Peter, and situated themselves in history.
Paul à Thessalonique (1Th 2.1–12)
Authors: COULOT CLAUDE
Published: August 2006

Two sources, the Acts of the Apostles and the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, inform us of the arrival, sojourn and activity of Paul in Thessalonica (Acts 17.1–9; 1 Thess 1.6–2.12), but they hardly tally with each other. Evidence of the Lukan redactor's hand in Acts 17.1–9 invites us to see this narrative as secondary, perhaps, in relation to the account Paul himself gives in 1 Thessalonians, particularly in 1 Thess 2.1–12. It would be of interest, then, to analyse this passage in Paul's letter to detect how he himself portrays the first
Thanks for the Memories: On the Translation of Phil 1.3
Authors: HOLLOWAY PAUL A.
Published: August 2006

According to the natural sense of the Greek, Phil 1.3 should be translated something like, ‘I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you’. Scholars have rejected this interpretation without explanation, presumably because the thought of Paul thanking God for pleasant memories seems too odd even to be considered. Philippians, however, is a letter of consolation, and pleasant memories were a common source of consolation in Hellenistic–Roman antiquity. Read in the context of ancient consolation, from which there compelling parallels, the natural sense of 1.3 makes excellent sense. Accepting this interpretation solves other outstanding exegetical problems in Phil 1.3–11.
Acknowledgements
Authors: LINDMANN BJÖRN , MIGUEL MARIA
Published: August 2006

In May 2005 the University of Coimbra, Portugal hosted a Nobel Workshop in Chemistry entitled ‘Fundamentals of Biomolecular Function: Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Membranes. This volume is based on presentations and discussions from this workshop.
Evaluating model performance and parameter behavior for varying levels of land surface model complexity
Authors: Hogue Terri S. , Bastidas Luis A. , Gupta Hoshin V. , Sorooshian Soroosh
Published: August 2006

This paper investigates model performance and parameter behavior for a range of land surface model (LSM) complexity across a variety of vegetated surfaces. Although LSMs are used routinely in regional and global climate (and weather) prediction, there has been limited rigorous testing of these models across a range of biomes. A systems‐based approach is used to compare five commonly used LSMs (BUCKET, CHASM, BATS1e, BATS2, and Noah) across five different vegetated sites (pasture, short grass, cropland, tropical rain forest, and semiarid desert). Results indicate that there is no “perfect” model and that additional complexity (defined as additional physical representation in a model) does not necessarily equate to improved performance. In general, the medium complexity BATS1e model has the most consistent performance, with overall lower errors across the sites. Results also indicate that prescribed parameter meanings are not consistent across the various LSM formulations. A comparison of BATS1e and BATS2 parameters reveals significant differences in behavior across the study sites. These findings have key implications for general application of a single model across a range of global biomes and for model intercomparison studies where parameters are preassigned to participating models.
Pharmacologically distinct GABAB receptors that mediate inhibition of GABA and glutamate release in human neocortex
Authors: Bonanna Giambattisa , Fassio Anna , Schmid Giovanna , Severi Paolo , Sala Robery , Raiteri Maurizio
Published: August 2006

The release of endogenous γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid in the human brain has been investigated in synaptosomal preparations from fresh neocortical samples obtained from patients undergoing neurosurgery to reach deeply located tumours.

The basal outflows of GABA and glutamate from superfused synaptosomes were largely increased during depolarization with 15 mm KCl. The K+‐evoked overflows of both amino acids were almost totally dependent on the presence of Ca2+ in the superfusion medium.

The GABAB receptor agonist (−)‐baclofen (1, 3 or 10 μm) inhibited the overflows of GABA and glutamate in a concentration‐dependent manner. The inhibition caused by 10 μm of the agonist ranged from 45–50%.

The effect of three selective GABAB receptor antagonists on the inhibition of the K+‐evoked GABA and glutamate overflows elicited by 10 μm (−)‐baclofen was investigated. Phaclofen antagonized (by about 50% at 100 μm; almost totally at 300 μm) the effect of (−)‐baclofen on GABA overflow but did not modify the inhibition of glutamate release. The effect of (−)‐baclofen on the K+‐evoked GABA overflow was unaffected by 3‐amino‐propyl (diethoxymethyl)phosphinic acid (CGP 35348; 10 or 100 μm); however, CGP 35348 (10 or 100 μm) antagonized (−)‐baclofen (complete blockade at 100 μm) at the heteroreceptors on glutamatergic terminals. Finally, [3‐[[(3,4‐dichlorophenyl) methyl]amino]propyl] (diethoxymethyl) phosphinic aid (CGP 52432), 1 μm, blocked the GABAB autoreceptor, but was ineffective at the heteroreceptors. The selectivity of CGP 52432 was lost at 30 μm, as the compound, at this concentration, inhibited completely the (−)‐baclofen effect both on GABA and glutamate release.

It is concluded that GABA and glutamate release evoked by depolarization of human neocortex nerve terminals can be affected differentially through pharmacologically distinct GABAB receptors.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 120, 60–64; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700852
Somatostatin receptors in Neuro2A neuroblastoma cells: ligand internalization
Authors: Koenig J A , Edwardson J M , Humphrey P P A
Published: August 2006

Receptor‐dependent internalization of somatostatin (SRIF) agonists has been a matter of controversy probably because [125I]‐Tyr11‐SRIF‐14 is rapidly degraded. We have studied the internalization of a stable somatostatin analogue, [125I]‐BIM‐23027, in a neuronal cell line, Neuro2A, which natively expresses somatostatin sst2 receptors.

Incubation of Neuro2A cells with [125I]‐BIM‐23027 at 37°C resulted in a time‐dependent internalization of the ligand, which reached a maximum at 30 min. Acid‐washing showed that cell‐surface binding of the ligand accounted for only 34% of total binding at this time. internalization was dramatically reduced at 15°C.

internalization of [125]‐BIM‐23027 was prevented by inclusion of unlabelled somatostatin receptor agonists in a concentration‐dependent manner. The IC50 values for inhibition of [125I]‐BIM‐23027 internalization were approximately 100 fold lower than for inhibition of [125I]‐BIM‐23027 binding to membrane homogenates but followed the same rank order of potencies.

Disruption of G‐protein coupling by treatment with pertussis toxin caused a 60% reduction in internalization of ligand. A combination of antimycin (50 nm) and deoxyglucose (50 mm) pretreatment, which leads to a depletion of cellular ATP, decreased internalization of [125I]‐BIM‐23027 by 66% of control and increased the proportion of surface‐bound ligand. Hypertonic sucrose, which prevents clathrin‐mediated endocytosis, reversibly abolished the internalization of ligand without increasing the proportion bound at the cell surface.

After internalization of [125I]‐BIM‐23027, approximately half of the ligand was recycled back to the extracellular medium within 20 min at 37°C. This finding suggests that the intracellular content of [125I]‐BIM‐23027 reaches a steady state which is determined by the rates of both internalization and recycling of the ligand. In contrast to studies in which the internalization of [125I]‐Tyr11‐SRIF‐14 was examined, neither internalized nor recycled [125I]‐BIM‐23027 was degraded to its component amino acids.

These findings indicate that the somatostatin agonist, [125I]‐BIM‐23027, is internalized in a receptor‐dependent manner which involves clathrin‐coated pits in Neuro2A cells. Furthermore, much of the internalized ligand is rapidly recycled back to the extracellular medium without undergoing significant degradation.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 120, 52–59; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700859
Recombinant saphenous vein 5‐HT1Breceptors of the rabbit: comparative pharmacology with human 5‐HT1Breceptors
Authors: Wurch Thierry , Palmier Christiane , Colpaert Francis C , Pauwels Petrus J
Published: August 2006

The rabbit recombinant saphenous vein 5‐hydroxytryptamine1B(rb 5‐HT1B) receptor stably transfected in rat C6‐glial cells was characterized by measuring adenosine 3′:5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) formation upon exposure to various 5‐HT receptor ligands. The effects of agonists and antagonists were compared with their effects determined previously at the human cloned 5‐HT1B(h 5‐HT1B) receptor under similar experimental conditions.

Intact C6‐glial cells expressing rb 5‐HT1Breceptors exhibited [3H]‐5‐carboxamidotryptamine (5‐CT) binding sites with aKdof 0.80±0.13 nmand a Bmaxbetween 225 to 570 fmol mg−1protein. The binding affinities of a series of 5‐HT receptor ligands determined in a membrane preparation with [3H]‐5‐CT or [3H]‐N‐[4‐methoxy‐3‐(4‐methylpiperazin‐1‐yl)phenyl]‐3‐methyl‐4‐(4‐pyridyl)benzamide (GR 125,743) were similar. With the exception of ketanserin, ligand affinities were comparable to those determined at the cloned h 5‐HT1Breceptor site.

rb 5‐HT1Breceptors were negatively coupled to cyclic AMP formation upon stimulation with 5‐HT agonists. Of the several 5‐HT agonists tested, 5‐CT was the most potent, the potency rank order being: 5‐CT>5‐HT>zolmitriptan>naratriptan>rizatriptan>sumatriptan>R(+)‐8‐(hydroxy‐2‐(di‐n‐propylamino)tetralin (8‐OH‐DPAT). The maximal responses of these agonists were similar to those induced by 5‐HT. The potency of these agonists showed a positive correlation (r2=0.87;P<0.002) with their potency at the cloned h 5‐HT1Breceptor subtype.

2′‐Methyl‐4‐(5‐methyl‐[1,2,4]oxadiazol‐3‐yl)‐biphenyl‐4‐carboxylic acid [4‐methoxy‐3‐(4‐methyl‐piperazin‐1‐yl)‐phenyl]‐amide (GR 127,935), methiothepin and ketanserin each behaved as silent, competitive antagonists at rb 5‐HT1Breceptors; pKBvalues were 8.41, 8.32 and 7.05, respectively when naratriptan was used as an agonist. These estimates accorded with their binding affinities and the potencies found on 5‐HT and/or sumatriptan‐mediated contraction of isolated rabbit saphenous vein segments.

In conclusion, the recombinant saphenous vein 5‐HT1Breceptor of the rabbit shares important pharmacological similarities with the cloned h 5‐HT1Breceptor. However, ketanserin is a more potent antagonist of rb 5‐HT1Breceptors.

British Journal of Pharmacology(1997)120, 153–159; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700868
Effect of adenosine receptor modulation on pentylenetetrazole‐induced seizures in rats
Authors: Malhotra Jatinder , Gupta Yogendra K
Published: August 2006

The effects of adenosine, the adenosine analogue, 2‐chloroadenosine (2‐CADO), the specific adenosine A1 receptor agonist, N6‐cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) and A2 receptor agonist 5′‐(N‐cyclopropyl) carboxamidoadenosine (CPCA), were examined against seizures induced by acute administration of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), 60 mg kg−1, and PTZ kindled seizures, in rats.

Adenosine 1000 mg kg−1, i.p., 5 min pretreatment and CPA 10 mg kg−1 i.p., 60 min pretreatment, showed significant protection against acute PTZ‐induced seizures while, CPCA up to 10 mg kg−1 was ineffective. The adenosine analogue 2‐CADO in a dose of 5 mg kg−1 was only partially protective and on increasing the dose to 10 mg kg−1, this protection was lost.

Theophylline, a non specific adenosine receptor antagonist at 50 mg kg−1 and the specific adenosine A1 receptor antagonist, 8‐cyclopentyl‐1,3‐dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), at 1 mg kg−1, if administered before the maximally protective doses of adenosine and CPA, completely reversed the protection afforded by them against PTZ seizures. While, pretreatment with the adenosine A2 receptor antagonist, 3,7‐dimethyl‐1‐propargylxanthine (DMPX), failed to reverse the protection.

Adenosine and the adenosine A1 receptor agonist in doses that protected against seizures after acute PTZ administration, offered only incomplete protection when tested against PTZ kindled seizures.

The effects of adenosine and adenosine receptor agonists on mean arterial pressure, heart rate and rectal temperature were studied, to rule out the possibility of their systemic effects mediating the protection of PTZ seizures. All these agents produced a fall in mean arterial pressure, heart rate and hypothermia in the doses exhibiting an anticonvulsant response. While the effect on blood pressure and heart rate was immediate i.e. seen within 5 min and, maintained throughout the observation period, the development of hypothermia lagged behind the onset of hypotension and bradycardia. However, there was no correlation between haemodynamic and hypothermic response and the anticonvulsant effect.

The results indicate that the adenosine mediated anticonvulsant effect is via stimulation of A1 receptors. Hypotension and hypothermia do not appear to contribute to the protection observed with adenosine and the adenosine A1 receptor agonists.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 120, 282–288; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700869
Protein kinase C isoenzymes in rat and human cardiovascular tissues
Authors: Erdbrügger W , Keffel J , Knocks M , Otto T , Philipp T , Michel M C
Published: August 2006

We have compared the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) activity and immuno‐detectable isoenzymes in cytosolic and membrane extracts of rat and human cardiovascular tissues (heart, kidney, aorta, saphenous vein). Experiments were performed in raw extracts and upon combined diethylaminoethylcellulose (DEAE) and phenylsepharose column chromatography.

PKC activity that bound to DEAE mostly eluted with 200 mm NaCl. DEAE‐purified PKC from all tissues except rat kidney bound almost quantitatively to phenylsepharose and eluted with 0.5–0 m NaCl.

Immunoblots with an antibody against classical PKCs and the activator profile for phosphatidylserine, diolein and Ca2+ revealed that the PKC from rat kidney, which did not bind to phenylsepharose, was most probably due to a proteolytically‐generated, constitutively active PKC which is not under the control of a regulatory subunit.

Studies in the reference tissue, rat brain, demonstrated that all PKC isoenzymes investigated (classical PKCs α, β, γ, new PKCs δ, ε, ζ, θ, and atypial PKCs ζ, λ, ι) have similar DEAE and phenylsepharose chromatography elution profiles. In the functional assay an inhibitor of all known PKC isoenzymes, bisindolylmaleimide, and a specific inhibitor of classical PKCs, Gö 6976, both inhibited PKC from rat brain completely and with high potency indicating that the functional assay preferentially detects classical PKC isoenzymes.

Each PKC isoenzyme had a tissue‐specific expression profile which was similar in rat and man. The classical PKCα, the new PKCs δ and ε and all atypical PKCs were detectable in most tissues, whereas the PKCβ and PKCγ were not detected in any pheripheral tissue; PKCζ and PKCθ were found in some tissues.

We conclude that combined DEAE and phenylsepharose chromatography is useful to enrich and detect PKC isoenzymes; no major species differences in tissues‐specific expression patterns appear to exist between rat and man.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 120, 177–186; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700877
Endothelium‐dependent relaxation by substance P in human isolated omental arteries and veins: relative contribution of prostanoids, nitric oxide and hyperpolarization
Authors: Wallerstedt Susanna M , Bodelsson Mikael
Published: August 2006

The objective of the present study was to investigate human omental arteries and veins with respect to: (i) the contractile effect of the thromboxane A2 analogue U46619, (ii) endothelium‐dependency and mediators of the relaxing effect of substance P (SP) and acetylcholine (ACh).

Changes in isometric tension in response to administration of U46619, SP and ACh were measured in human isolated omental arteries and veins with and without endothelium. To investigate the mechanism of action of SP, the SP‐induced relaxation was measured in the presence of indomethacin (cyclo‐oxygenase inhibitor), NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA, nitric oxide‐synthase inhibitor), KCl (inhibitor of endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization), tetraethylammonium (TEA; non‐selective inhibitor of K+‐channels, with some preference for the high conductance Ca2+‐activated K+‐channel, BKCa), glibenclamide (inhibitor of the ATP‐sensitive K+‐channel) and/or clotrimazole (inhibitor of the cytochrome P450‐system and the intermediate conductance Ca2+‐activated K+‐channel, IKCa).

U46619 contracted both the artery and the vein segments. Endothelium removal did not alter the contraction.

ACh caused neither contraction nor relaxation in artery and vein segments precontracted with U46619.

In both artery and vein segments precontracted with U46619, SP produced endothelium‐dependent relaxation. The relaxation was unaffected by indomethacin, but was incompletely reduced by l‐NMMA and KCl respectively. The l‐NMMA‐resistent relaxation was abolished in the presence of KCl.

TEA inhibited the SP‐induced relaxation in artery and vein segments both in the presence and absence of l‐NMMA and indomethacin, while glibenclamide and clotrimazole had no effect.

In conclusion, the SP‐induced relaxation in human omental arteries and veins seems to be mediated via NO and endothelium‐dependent hyperpolarization. KATP and IKCa are probably not involved in the hyperpolarization, but activation of BKCa may contribute to the hyperpolarization. Prostanoid synthesis and the cytochrome P450‐system are probably not involved in the SP‐induced relaxation in this area.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1997) 120, 25–30; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0700879