bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acupuncture in Patients With Headache
Authors: Jena S , Witt CM , Brinkhaus B , Wegscheider K , Willich SN
Published: July 2008

We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in addition to routine care in patients with primary headache (> 12 months, two or more headaches/month) compared with treatment with routine care alone and whether the effects of acupuncture differ in randomized and non-randomized patients. In a randomized controlled trial plus non-randomized cohort, patients with headache were allocated to receive up to 15 acupuncture sessions over 3 months or to a control group receiving no acupuncture during the first 3 months. Patients who did not consent to randomization received acupuncture treatment immediately. All subjects were allowed usual medical care in addition to study treatment. Number of days with headache, intensity of pain and health-related quality of life (SF-36) were assessed at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months using standardized questionnaires. Of 15 056 headache patients (mean age 44.1 ± 12.8 years, 77% female), 1613 were randomized to acupuncture and 1569 to control, and 11 874 included in the non-randomized acupuncture group. At 3 months, the number of days with headache decreased from 8.4 ± 7.2 (estimated mean ± S.E.) to 4.7 ± 5.6 in the acupuncture group and from 8.1 ± 6.8 to 7.5 ± 6.3 in the control group ( P < 0.001). Similarly, intensity of pain and quality of life improvements were more pronounced in the acupuncture vs. control group ( P < 0.001). Treatment success was maintained through 6 months. The outcome changes in non-randomized patients were similar to those in randomized patients. Acupuncture plus routine care in patients with headache was associated with marked clinical improvements compared with routine care alone.
Migraine and Antiphospholipid Antibodies: No Association Found in Migraine-Discordant Monozygotic Twins
Authors: Williams FMK , Cherkas LF , Bertolaccini ML , Murru V , Surdulescu GL , Hughes GRV , Khamashta MA , Spector TD , MacGregor AJ
Published: July 2008

Migraine headache (with and without aura) is common in the general population and is known to be influenced by genetic factors with heritability estimates between 34-57±. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a hypercoagulable state characterized by clinical features including venous and arterial thromboses, pregnancy loss and migraine, and by association with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Numerous small studies have investigated whether aPL are associated with migraine in the general population—-with contradictory results. In this study, the question was addressed by studying the prevalence of aPL in members of monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs differing in their migraine status. Such twins provide a unique natural experiment, matched as they are for age, sex and genetic factors, and allow the role of environmental factors, such as aPL, to be determined. Despite 95± power to detect a difference of 0.59 IgG units per litre in anticardiolipin antibody IgG titres, no difference in prevalence of aPL could be detected in migraine-discordant MZ twins.
A double‐blind, randomized trial of 0.05% betamethasone vs. topical catalase/dismutase superoxide in vitiligo
Authors: Sanclemente G , Garcia JJ , Zuleta JJ , Diehl C , Correa C , Falabella R
Published: July 2008

Background  Among all the topical immunomodulators, vitiligo's mainstay therapy includes topical corticosteroids. Many other non‐immune theories have also been suggested for vitiligo's pathogenesis, but the role of oxidative stress has gained more importance in recent years.

Objective  To compare the effect of topical 0.05% betamethasone vs. catalase/dismutase superoxide (C/DSO).

Study design  Randomized, matched‐paired, double‐blind trial.

Setting  Dermatology Section, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.

Subjects  Patients (aged > 18 years or between 12 and 18 years) with parent's informed consent, with stable or active bilateral vitiligo.

Intervention  Topical 0.05% betamethasone or C/DSO.

Methods  Two lesions similar to each other in size were chosen. All assessments were made by two blinded investigators, and photographs were subjected to morphometry analysis.

Main outcome  Skin repigmentation by digital morphometry.

Results  Twenty‐five patients were enrolled in the study (21 women and 4 men). Mean age of participants was 40 years (range: 12–74 years). One patient on C/DSO experienced a mild local erythematous papular rash that self‐resolved. At 4 months of therapy, there was no statistical difference on the percentage of repigmentation between betamethasone and C/DSO (5.63% ± 27.9 vs. 3.22% ± 25.8, respectively, P = 0.758). After 10 months of therapy, the percentage of skin repigmentation increased to 18.5 ± 93.14% with betamethasone and to 12.4 ± 59% with C/DSO, but again, we found no statistical differences (P = 0.79).

Discussion and conclusions  Few studies have described objective methods to evaluate repigmentation among vitiligo patients. Digital morphometry provides an objective assessment of repigmentation in vitiligo. Objective vitiligo repigmentation with topical C/DSO at 10 months is similar to topical 0.05% betamethasone. Although a mild adverse effect was related to the use of C/DSO, such finding was not severe enough to discontinue treatment.
The advantage of establishing homogeneous patient groups: Is it worth isolating ‘juvenile acne of the face’?
Authors: Revuz J , Pawin H , Poli F , Faure M , Chivot M , Beylot C , Dréno B
Published: July 2008

Background  Acne is a highly heterogeneous disorder with respect to its regional involvement, demographics, lesion types and response to treatment. Homogeneous patient groups must therefore be created before measuring the severity of acne and interpreting the results of therapeutic trials. The individualization of ‘juvenile acne of the face’ is a first step in this direction.

Methods  Based on textbooks, major reviews of acne and a ′Medline′ literature search, we identified four key points to delineate sub groups of acne patients.

Result  ‘Juvenile acne of the face’ is defined by four main clinical criteria: (1) age (from puberty to age 25 years), (2) site (face), (3) lesion type (polymorphous), (4) absence of a causal factor. Other subgroups of ‘true’ acne are listed with their distinctive characteristics. Non‐acne follicular diseases (i.e. without sebum retention) are listed.

Discussion  We chose ‘juvenile acne of the face’ to define the first homogeneous group of patients because it is the most frequent form of acne and the target of most acne drugs. It has a sufficiently uniform prognosis to devise a functional and reproducible severity rating scale with the aim of facilitating the evaluation and comparison of therapeutic methods.

Conclusion  The next step in our work will be to elaborate severity scales which are dedicated to a single type of acne.
A cross‐sectional study of psychological morbidity in patients with acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis in specialist dermatology and general practices
Authors: Magin PJ , Pond CD , Smith WT , Watson AB , Goode SM
Published: July 2008

Background  There is considerable evidence for an association of skin diseases with psychological morbidity. This relationship is best established for acne, psoriasis and atopic eczema. Previous studies have mostly been performed in specialist dermatological practice, and there is a lack of studies that include patients from general practice and a lack of controlled studies employing multivariate analysis.

Aims/objectives  This study aims to examine the relationship of acne, psoriasis and atopic eczema with psychological morbidities in patients recruited from general practice as well as specialist dermatology practice.

Methods and subjects  In this cross‐sectional study, 108 patients from general and specialist dermatology practices with the three diseases had disease severity assessed and completed measures of minor psychological disturbance (General Health Questionnaire‐12), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), public self‐consciousness and social anxiety (Fenigstein Self‐Consciousness Scale), and neuroticism and extraversion/introversion (Eysenck Personality Inventory). Demographic data were also collected, along with self‐ratings of disease severity. Control subjects were 96 patients without skin disease recruited from the same general practices as the subjects.

Results  On univariate analyses, patients with skin disease had higher levels of minor psychological disturbance, public self‐consciousness and neuroticism than did controls. There were no differences in psychological measures between specialist and general practice patients or between patients with different skin diseases. On multivariate analyses, the significant differences did not persist.

Conclusions  This study demonstrates confounding in the relationship of skin diseases with psychological morbidity. The complex relationship of skin disease and psychological morbidity should be re‐examined.
Roads as barriers to animal movement in fragmented landscapes
Authors: Shepard D. B. , Kuhns A. R. , Dreslik M. J. , Phillips C. A.
Published: July 2008

Roads can act as barriers to animal movement through mortality during crossing attempts or behavioral avoidance. This barrier effect has negative demographic and genetic consequences that can ultimately result in local or regional extinction. Here we use radio‐telemetry data on three terrestrial vertebrates (eastern massasaugaSistrurus catenatus, eastern box turtleTerrapene carolinaand ornate box turtleTerrapene ornata) to test whether roads acted as barriers to movement. Specifically, we test whether individuals avoided crossing roads by comparing the number of observed crossings with the number of road crossings predicted by randomizations of individual movement paths. All species crossed roads significantly less often than predicted by chance, indicating strong road avoidance. Results of this study showing behavioral avoidance and previous studies on road mortality indicate that roads are strong barriers to these species. High mortality during crossing attempts would select for road avoidance, reducing the number of individuals killed on roads over time but leading to genetically partitioned subpopulations due to a lack of gene flow. In species that are long‐lived and late‐maturing, negative genetic effects might not be observable over short time‐scales, thus placing populations at high risk of extinction because of a failure to detect an incrementally worsening problem. Formulating successful management strategies for many species in decline will require integrating data on road mortality, animal behavior and population genetics in order to understand more clearly the barrier effect of roads.
Looking for the Iberian lynx in central Spain: a needle in a haystack?
Authors: Alda F. , Inogés J. , Alcaraz L. , Oria J. , Aranda A. , Doadrio I.
Published: July 2008

The Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus has suffered a dramatic reduction in its range throughout the Iberian Peninsula and at present is one of the most endangered mammals in the world. The latest studies report that, out of the 48 breeding areas that existed in 1990, only two populations are left in southern Spain. As a consequence, some of the formerly largest populations, such as Montes de Toledo (central Spain), are to all intents and purposes regarded as extinct. To determine the current distribution of Iberian lynx outside the two recognized populations, we surveyed five different areas where the species is considered extinct and collected 581 faeces for the genetic identification of the species. We identified 18 samples as belonging to Iberian lynx in four out of the five areas studied, providing clear evidence for the presence of lynx in central Spain. In some areas the species was detected repeatedly at different localities and on different dates, indicating a regular occurrence of an unknown number of individuals. The conservation implications of these results are discussed in terms of the genetic importance of the individuals found and future reintroductions of the species from an ongoing captive‐breeding programme.
Microsatellite DNA analysis of success in conserving genetic diversity after 33 years of refuge management for the desert pupfish complex
Authors: Koike H. , Echelle A. A. , Loftis D. , Van Den Bussche R. A.
Published: July 2008

Refuge populations of Cyprinodon macularius and Cyprinodon eremus, the extant members of the endangered desert pupfish complex, have been maintained for up to 33 years in semi‐natural refuges. We examined the success of the refuge program in maintaining diversity at four microsatellite DNA loci in 24 refuge populations of C. macularius and six of C. eremus that include, respectively, seven and four lineages representing original translocations from the wild. These lineages have been maintained with essentially no inoculations of genetic material from the wild and, except for one refuge, no intermixing of lineages. Comparison with wild‐source populations showed marked declines in diversity within local refuges and within lineages, but relatively minor declines for the composite of all refuge populations for each species. In genetic makeup, the refuge populations generally clustered by lineage, indicating significant genetic drift early in lineage history. The results indicate that, with relatively minor adjustments in management, the refuge program can successfully preserve a large portion of the wild genetic diversity in the desert pupfish complex.
Adult stem cell maintenance and tissue regeneration in the ageing context: the role for A‐type lamins as intrinsic modulators of ageing in adult stem cells and their niches
Authors: Pekovic Vanja , Hutchison Christopher J.
Published: July 2008

Adult stem cells have been identified in most mammalian tissues of the adult body and are known to support the continuous repair and regeneration of tissues. A generalized decline in tissue regenerative responses associated with age is believed to result from a depletion and/or a loss of function of adult stem cells, which itself may be a driving cause of many age‐related disease pathologies. Here we review the striking similarities between tissue phenotypes seen in many degenerative conditions associated with old age and those reported in age‐related nuclear envelope disorders caused by mutations in the LMNA gene. The concept is beginning to emerge that nuclear filament proteins, A‐type lamins, may act as signalling receptors in the nucleus required for receiving and/or transducing upstream cytosolic signals in a number of pathways central to adult stem cell maintenance as well as adaptive responses to stress. We propose that during ageing and in diseases caused by lamin A mutations, dysfunction of the A‐type lamin stress‐resistant signalling network in adult stem cells, their progenitors and/or stem cell niches leads to a loss of protection against growth‐related stress. This in turn triggers an inappropriate activation or a complete failure of self‐renewal pathways with the consequent initiation of stress‐induced senescence. As such, A‐type lamins should be regarded as intrinsic modulators of ageing within adult stem cells and their niches that are essential for survival to old age.
A model of the intracortical vascular system of long bones and of its organization: an experimental study in rabbit femur and tibia
Authors: Pazzaglia Ugo E. , Bonaspetti Giovanni , Ranchetti Federico , Bettinsoli Pierfrancesco
Published: July 2008

The vascular anatomy of the cortical bone and the canal system are highly correlated, and the former has an important bearing on shape and microscopic lamellar structure, as it is established in the progression of the remodelling process. The classical description of a longitudinal system of canals (Havers’) connected by the transversal Volkmann's canals is the generally acknowledged model of the structural organization of the cortex. However, it is remarkably difficult to study the circulation inside the compact bone in detail owing to its hard, calcified matrix, and the methods thus far applied have represented either the bone morphology and the architecture of the canal system or the injected vessel network. In the present study, the intracortical vessel network was injected with black China ink and evidenced by transillumination of full‐thickness, decalcified hemicortices. By making use of the depth of field of the microscope objective, the three‐dimensional architecture of the network was highlighted and the morphometry of vessel size measurements and a classification of the network nodes according to the number of arms was made possible. These observations were integrated with data obtained by routine histology on decalcified sections relevant to the connections of the intracortical canal system with the outer environment, with regard to the direction of advancement of new canals and with regard to the mode of formation of the system nodes. The formation of the intracortical vessels network involved two processes: the incorporation of the periosteal network and osteonal remodelling, the latter occurring through the advancement of cutting cones followed by their own vascular loop and by concentric lamellar apposition. The two systems could be distinguished by the diameter of the vessels (the former were significantly larger) and by the network architecture (the former convoluted, and the latter longitudinally orientated and straight). Longitudinal vessels could form branches or create connections with the periosteal derived vessels that occasionally meet on the line of their advancement. They were observed entering from either inside the cortex from the metaphyses or from the endosteal surface of the marrow cavity. The combined observations from different methods of study documented a model of intracortical canal and vessel networks formed by two initially independent systems: one derived from the external, periosteal vessels, and one from metaphyseal and marrow vessels. Connections between the two were established with the advancing of cutting cones from the extremities of the diaphysis. Analysis of the system architecture and the modalities of its progressive organization suggested that the direction of advancement of a forming canal does not necessarily correspond to the final blood flow direction of its central vessel.
Prenatal and early postnatal morphogenesis and growth of human laryngotracheal structures
Authors: Fayoux Pierre , Marciniak Bruno , Devisme Louise , Storme Laurent
Published: July 2008

Advances in neonatal medicine have resulted in increased care of fetal and neonatal airways. These advances have required an exhaustive knowledge of fetal airway anatomy and development. The aim of this study was to determine the anatomical development of laryngotracheal structures during the fetal and immediate postnatal period and to correlate these observations with other fetal biometric parameters to estimate developmental particularities of the fetal airway. An anatomical prospective study was based on examination of larynx and trachea from 300 routine autopsies of fetuses and infants, free of malformation and never intubated. Anatomical measurements of cricoid cartilage, thyroid cartilage, glottis, arytenoid cartilage and trachea were performed using a precision calliper and precision divider. Statistical analysis was performed to represent the growth of anatomical structures and to evaluate the correlation with biometric data. Raw data and 10th and 90th percentile curves were fitted satisfactorily with a linear model for gestational age. A linear relationship between laryngotracheal measurement and body weight and height was observed except for glottis length, interarytenoid distance and anterior cricoid height. The diameter of the cricoid lumen was significantly less than that of the trachea and glottis lumen. A sexual dysmorphism was noted for thyroid cartilage measurements and interarytenoid distance, with measurements significantly smaller in females. This study reports the anatomical development of normal laryngotracheal structures during the fetal period. Despite the fact that this study was performed during postmortem examination, these observations can be useful to develop criteria, materials and surgical procedures adapted to fetal and neonatal airways as well as for the purposes of early diagnosis and management of laryngotracheal malformations.
Distribution, density and morphology of electroreceptor organs in mormyrid weakly electric fish: anatomical investigations of a receptor mosaic
Authors: Hollmann M. , Engelmann J. , Von Der Emde G.
Published: July 2008

Gnathonemus petersii and other African weakly electric fish (Mormyridae) produce electric signals in order to sense their environment, a process called active electrolocation. During active electrolocation electrical images of objects in the environment are cast onto a mosaic of electroreceptors, which are embedded in the animal's skin. In Gn. petersii and four other species of mormyrid fish, the densities of electroreceptor organs (mormyromasts and ampullary organs) were determined at various skin regions, including the chin, the nasal region and the back. In all species investigated, the highest mormyromast densities were found at the chin, followed by the nasal region. In addition to this comparative approach, we investigated the electroreceptive epidermis of Gn. petersii in more detail. At the moveable chin appendix, the Schnauzenorgan, scanning electron microscopy analysis helped to elucidate the mosaic‐like distribution and the morphology of the electroreceptor organs and their embedding in the epidermis. Because the number of mormyromasts increased very little when fish got bigger, receptor organ densities decreased with standard length. Mormyromast density at the Schnauzenorgan, especially at its tip, highly exceeded that at all other skin regions. Along the Schnauzenorgan, receptor densities decreased exponentially from the tip towards the base. At the nasal region, mormyromast densities were more than three times higher compared to the rest of the fish's head and trunk. A similar distribution to that of the mormyromasts was found for the ampullary electroreceptor organs, which are used for passive electroreception. Our findings support the hypothesis that at least in Gn. petersii the Schnauzenorgan and the nasal region are electroreceptive foveae.
Shape analysis of different populations of clams in relation to their geographical structure
Authors: Costa C. , Aguzzi J. , Menesatti P. , Antonucci F. , Rimatori V. , Mattoccia M.
Published: July 2008

Bivalves are excellent candidates for geographically based studies of the morphological variation in individuals of different populations based on the analysis of their shape profiles. In this study, we quantified the overall shell shape differences in individuals of different populations of Ruditapes decussatus and Ruditapes philippinarum in relation to their geographical and genetic distances. A total of 395 and 124 individuals of R. decussatus (nine populations) and R. philippinarum (four populations), respectively, were sampled in different Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal locations. Pictures of the left valve were taken from all individuals. Their profiles were analysed using elliptic Fourier analysis. Mean outlines were computed. In order to classify different individuals for species, the coefficients of harmonic equations were analysed by partial least square discriminant analysis and soft independent modelling of class analogy. The results showed a high percentage of correct classification (99%) between the two species in the independent test. We found that the morphological distance between R. philippinarum and R. decussatus is higher than the morphological distance among populations of the same species. The absence of correspondence between the geographical location and the pattern of morphological and genetic variation indicates the occurrence of a reaction norm in the morphological adaptation of shell shapes to different local environmental conditions.
Spatio‐temporal sharing between the European wildcat, the domestic cat and their hybrids
Authors: Germain E. , Benhamou S. , Poulle M.‐L.
Published: July 2008

The European wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris, which can hybridize with the domestic cat Felis catus to produce fertile hybrids, is threatened by hybridization. To identify the behavioural processes that can affect interbreeding, we investigated the spatio‐temporal sharing between wildcats, domestic cats and their hybrids (defined on their genotypes) in a rural area of north‐eastern France where hybridization is frequent. Wildcats' and hybrids' home ranges were larger than those of domestic cats, and they did not vary according to body mass, season and reproductive period. The three types of cats had similar daily activity rhythms but the concordance between their space use patterns was low or null. Thus, a high spatio‐temporal concordance is not a prerequisite for hybridization. Rare excursions made by the cats outside of their home ranges may be at the origin of interbreeding. Moreover, hybrids may play a key role in hybridization by behaving as wildcats and by sharing at least a part of their range with them as well as with domestic cats. Behavioural barriers between them and wildcats may not exist because of their similarity in morphology and spatial behaviour.
Anti‐predator behaviour, space use and habitat selection in female roe deer during the fawning season in a wolf area
Authors: Bongi P. , Ciuti S. , Grignolio S. , Del Frate M. , Simi S. , Gandelli D. , Apollonio M.
Published: July 2008

This study investigated the anti‐predator strategies adopted by 19 radio‐collared female roe deer during the fawning season by monitoring their spatial behaviour and habitat selection by means of radio‐tracking. The study was carried out in a forest area of the Apennine Mountains (central Italy), where wolves are natural predators of roe deer and in summer fawns are more frequently predated than adult roe deer. The presence of fawns was monitored by means of direct observations. Roe deer fawns are known to adopt the hiding strategy during the lactation period, when they lie concealed for long periods waiting for their mothers' milk. As a consequence of this, the home‐range sizes of mothers were significantly smaller than those of non‐mothers during the summer lactation only. In contrast, no significant difference was found in spring, when fawns were absent, or autumn, when they were already weaned. In order to increase the success of the hiding strategy adopted by their fawns against wolf predation, mothers selected denser habitats (deciduous coppice forests) that provided denser undergrowth vegetation and limited visibility. In doing so, mothers traded open areas for forests throughout the fawning season. Indeed, mothers made significant habitat selection throughout the monitored period, and this was marked after the birth of fawns. In contrast, non‐mothers generally used habitat types according to their availability. During lactation, the correlation between habitat use by mothers and habitat visibility (assessed using the form of a standard‐sized roe deer) was inversely significant. These results taken together highlight the importance of anti‐predator strategies adopted by roe deer mothers during the critical phase for fawn survival.
Byron to D'Annunzio: from liberalism to fascism in national poetry, 1815–1920
Authors: ABERBACH DAVID
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT. From Byron's death at Missolonghi in 1824 to D'Annunzio's capture of Fiume for Italy in 1919, the nationalism of universal liberalism and independence struggles changed, in literature as in politics, to cruel dictatorial fascism. Byron was followed by a series of idealistic fighter‐poets and poet‐martyrs for national freedom, but international tensions culminating in World War I exposed fully the intolerant, brutal side of nationalism. D'Annunzio, like Byron, both a major poet and charismatic war leader, was a key figure in transforming nineteenth‐century democratic nationalism into twentieth‐century dictatorial fascism. The poet's ‘lyrical dictatorship’ at Fiume (1919–20) inspired Mussolini's seizure of power in 1922, with far‐reaching political consequences. The poet became the dangerous example of a Nietzschean Übermensch, above common morality, predatory and morally irresponsible. This article shows how the meaning of nationalism was partly determined and transformed by poets, illustrating their role as ‘unacknowledged legislators of the world’.
Reimagined communities: Union veterans and the reconstruction of American nationalism
Authors: GRANT SUSAN‐MARY
Published: July 2008

ABSTRACT.American commemoration of the Union dead and the role this played in the development of post‐war American nationalism is a topic of growing interest. Those who survived, however, are too often left out of the discussion: unsettling reminders of the sectional conflict at the time, the veterans' role in the reconstruction of American nationalism was rather more ambiguous than historians have made it seem. To trace the lineaments of American national identity after the Civil War requires some assessment of the ways in which the veteran was incorporated into or detached from the home front during the war itself and, later, from post‐war society. The evidence suggests that, in contrast to the ambiguity surrounding the veteran, the dead could, in many ways, be more easily accommodated by the new nationalist discourse emerging from the war. Positioning the veteran at the centre of the debate on war and nationalism, indeed, challenges the very concept of an imagined community emerging from or through civil conflict.
Negative regulation of neurogenesis and spatial memory by NR2B‐containing NMDA receptors
Authors: Hu Mei , Sun Yong‐Jun , Zhou Qi‐Gang , Chen Ling , Hu Yao , Luo Chun‐Xia , Wu Jia‐Yi , Xu Jin‐Shu , Li Li‐Xin , Zhu Dong‐Ya
Published: July 2008

Abstracts

Several lines of evidence suggest involvement of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in the regulation of neurogenesis in adults and the formation of spatial memory. Functional properties of NMDARs are strongly influenced by the type of NR2 subunits incorporated. In adult forebrain regions such as the hippocampus and cortex, only NR2A and NR2B subunits are available to form the receptor complex with NR1 subunit. NR2B is predominant NR2 subunit in any of rat or human neural stem cells (NSCs). Thus, we suppose that NR2B‐containing NMDAR should be critical in regulating adult neurogenesis, and thereby playing a role in the formation of spatial memory. In the cultured NSCs derived from the embryonic brain of rats, NR2B subunit‐specific NMDAR antagonist Ro25‐6981 increased cell proliferation, whereas MK‐801, non‐selective open‐channel blocker of NMDARs, inhibited cell proliferation. Blockade of NR2B‐containing NMDAR stimulated neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus and facilitated the formation of spatial memory. The enhanced spatial memory dropped back to base level when the NR2B antagonist‐induced neurogenesis was neutralized by 3′‐azido‐deoxythymidine, a telomerase inhibitor. In addition, blockade of NR2B inhibited neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) enzymatic activity. In null mutant mice lacking nNOS gene (nNOS−/−), the effects of NR2B antagonist on neurogenesis disappeared. Moreover, nitric oxide donor DETA/NONOate attenuated and nNOS inhibitor 7‐nitroindazole enhanced the effect of Ro 25‐6981 on NSCs proliferation. Our findings suggest that NR2B‐containing NMDAR subtypes negatively regulate neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus by activating nNOS activity and thereby hinder the formation of spatial memory.
Identification and characterization of a novel, shorter isoform of the small conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channel SK2
Authors: Murthy Saravana R. K. , Teodorescu Georgeta , Nijholt Ingrid M. , Dolga Amalia M. , Grissmer Stephan , Spiess Joachim , Blank Thomas
Published: July 2008

Throughout the CNS, small conductance Ca2+‐activated potassium (SK) channels modulate firing frequency and neuronal excitability. We have identified a novel, shorter isoform of standard SK2 (SK2‐std) in mouse brain which we named SK2‐sh. SK2‐sh is alternatively spliced at exon 3 and therefore lacks 140 amino acids, which include transmembrane domains S3, S4 and S5, compared with SK2‐std. Western blot analysis of mouse hippocampal tissue revealed a 47 kDa protein product as predicted for SK2‐sh along with a 64 kDa band representing the standard SK2 isoform. Electrophysiological recordings from transiently expressed SK2‐sh revealed no functional channel activity or interaction with SK2‐std. With the help of real‐time PCR, we found significantly higher expression levels of SK2‐sh mRNA in cortical tissue from AD cases when compared with age‐matched controls. A similar increase in SK2‐sh expression was induced in cortical neurons from mice by cytokine exposure. Substantial clinical evidence suggests that excess cytokines are centrally involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Thus, SK2‐sh as a downstream target of cytokines, provide a promising target for additional investigation regarding potential therapeutic intervention.
Expression of Kv1.2 in microglia and its putative roles in modulating production of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species
Authors: Li Fan , Lu Jia , Wu Chun‐Yun , Kaur Charanjit , Sivakumar Viswanathan , Sun Jun , Li Shuqing , Ling Eng‐Ang
Published: July 2008

Microglial cells are endowed with different potassium ion channels but their expression and specific functions have remained to be fully clarified. This study has shown Kv1.2 expression in the amoeboid microglia in the rat brain between 1 (P1) and 10 (P10) days of age. Kv1.2 expression was localized in the ramified microglia at P14 and was hardly detected at P21. In postnatal rats exposed to hypoxia, Kv1.2 immunoreactivity in microglia was markedly enhanced. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis confirmed Kv1.2 mRNA expression in microglial cellsin vitro. It was further shown that Kv1.2 and protein expression coupled with that of interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) was significantly increased when the cells were subjected to hypoxia. The same increase was observed in cells exposed to adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Concomitantly, the intracellular potassium concentration decreased significantly. Blockade of Kv1.2 channel with rTityustoxin‐Kα (TsTx) resulted in partial recovery of intracellular potassium concentration accompanied by a reduced expression of IL‐1β and TNF‐α mRNA and protein expression and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. We conclude that Kv1.2 in microglia modulates IL‐1β and TNF‐α expression and ROS production probably by regulating the intracellular potassium concentration.
P2Y1receptor‐mediated glutamate release from cultured dorsal spinal cord astrocytes
Authors: Zeng Jun‐Wei , Liu Xiao‐Hong , Zhang Jin‐Hai , Wu Xi‐Gui , Ruan Huai‐Zhen
Published: July 2008

P2 receptors have been implicated in the release of neurotransmitter and proinflammatory cytokines by the response to neuroexcitatory substances in astrocytes. In the present study, we examined the mechanisms of ADP and adenosine 5′‐O‐2‐thiodiphosphate (ADPbetaS, ADP analogue) on glutamate release from cultured dorsal spinal cord astrocytes by using confocal laser scanning microscopy and HPLC. Immunofluorescence activity showed that P2Y1receptor protein is expressed in cultured astrocytes. ADP and ADPbetaS‐induced [Ca2+]iincrease and glutamate release are mediated by P2Y1receptor. Ca2+release from IP3‐sensitive calcium stores and protein kinase C (PKC) activation is important for glutamate release from astrocytes. Furthermore, P2Y1receptor‐evoked glutamate release is regulated by volume‐sensitive Cl−channels and anion co‐transporter, which open up the possibility that P2Y1receptor activation causes the increase of cell volume. Release of glutamate by ADPbetaS was abolished by 5‐nitro‐2 (3‐phenyl propy lamino)–benzoate plus furosemide but was unaffected by botulinum toxin A. These observations indicate that P2Y1receptor‐evoked glutamate may be mediated via volume‐sensitive Cl−channel but not via exocytosis of glutamate containing vesicles. We speculate that P2Y1receptors‐evoked glutamate efflux, occurring under pathological condition, may modulate the activity of synapses in spinal cord.
PLC‐dependent intracellular Ca2+ release was associated with C6‐ceramide‐induced inhibition of Na+ current in rat granule cells
Authors: Liu Zheng , Fei Xiao‐Wei , Fang Yan‐Jia , Shi Wen‐Jie , Zhang Yu‐Qiu , Mei Yan‐Ai
Published: July 2008

In this report, the effects of C6‐ceramide on the voltage‐gated inward Na+ currents (INa), two types of main K+ current [outward rectifier delayed K+ current (IK) and outward transient K+ current (IA)], and cell death in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells were investigated. At concentrations of 0.01–100 μM, ceramide produced a dose‐dependent and reversible inhibition of INa without alteration of the steady‐state activation and inactivation properties. Treatment with C2‐ceramide caused a similar inhibitory effect on INa. However, dihydro‐C6‐ceramide failed to modulate INa. The effect of C6‐ceramide on INa was abolished by intracellular infusion of the Ca2+‐chelating agent, 1,2‐bis (2‐aminophenoxy) ethane‐N, N, N9, N9‐tetraacetic acid, but was mimicked by application of caffeine. Blocking the release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum with ryanodine receptor blocker induced a gradual increase in INa amplitude and eliminated the effect of ceramide on INa. In contrast, the blocker of the inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate‐sensitive Ca2+ receptor did not affect the action of C6‐ceramide. Intracellular application of GTPγS also induced a gradual decrease in INa amplitude, while GDPβS eliminated the effect of C6‐ceramide on INa. Furthermore, the C6‐ceramide effect on INa was abolished after application of the phospholipase C (PLC) blockers and was greatly reduced by the calmodulin inhibitors. Fluorescence staining showed that C6‐ceramide decreased cell viability and blocking INa by tetrodotoxin did not mimic the effect of C6‐ceramide, and inhibiting intracellular Ca2+ release by dantrolene could not decrease the C6‐ceramide‐induced cell death. We therefore suggest that increased PLC‐dependent Ca2+ release through the ryanodine‐sensitive Ca2+ receptor may be responsible for the C6‐ceramide‐induced inhibition of INa, which does not seem to be associated with C6‐ceramide‐induced granule neuron death.
Rate and mode of application of the urease inhibitorN‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on ammonia volatilization from surface‐applied urea
Authors: Watson C. J. , Akhonzada N. A. , Hamilton J. T. G. , Matthews D. I.
Published: July 2008

A laboratory study evaluated the effect of rate (0, 100, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg) and mode of application of the urease inhibitorN‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) (coating the urea granule, adding to the urea melt or adding to urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solutions) on NH3volatilization from urea, at three temperatures (5, 15 and 25 °C), with four contrasting soil types. Daily ammonia loss was measured for up to 21 days after surface N application, using ventilated soil enclosures. Ammonia loss from unamended urea varied with soil type and temperature and ranged from 8.2 to 31.9% of the N applied. nBTPT was highly effective in lowering NH3volatilization from urea and in delaying the time of maximum rate of loss. The average % inhibition over all soils, temperatures and formulations was 61.2, 69.9, 74.2, 79.2 and 79.8% for the 100, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg nBTPT concentration, respectively. The % inhibition with nBTPT was lower at 15 °C compared with at 5 or 25 °C and was lower in UAN solutions than in granular products. There was little difference between the melted and coated granular products in lowering NH3loss or in soil N transformations. The stability of nBTPT in urea products was dependent on its mode of application and on the storage temperature. Incorporating nBTPT in the urea melt produced a more homogeneous product with superior stability than coating the urea granule.
The contribution of agricultural practices to nitrous oxide emissions in semi‐arid Mali
Authors: Dick J. , Kaya B. , Soutoura M. , Skiba U. , Smith R. , Niang A. , Tabo R.
Published: July 2008

The yield and flux of nitrous oxide (N2O) emitted from continuous cereals (with and without urea), legumes/cereal in rotation and cereal/legume in rotation all with or without organic manure was monitored from January 2004 to February 2005. All treatments except continuous cereals had phosphate added. The cereal grown July–October in 2003 and 2004 was pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and the legume was a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The 10 m × 10 m plots were established in a semi‐arid climate in Mali. The addition of organic manure and both inorganic fertilizers increased yield and N2O emissions. Continuous cereals treated with both organic manure and urea emitted significantly less N2O (882 g N/ha per year) than plots receiving no organic manure(1535 g N/ha per year). Growing N‐fixing crops in rotation did not significantly increase N2O emissions. This study supports the new practice of growing cereal and legumes in rotation as an environmentally sustainable system in semi‐arid Mali.
Regional‐scale modelling of the spatial distribution of surface and subsurface textural classes in alluvial soils using Markov chain geostatistics
Authors: Zhang C. , Li W.
Published: July 2008

Soil texture is directly associated with other soil physical and chemical properties and can affect crop yield, erodibility and water and pollutant movement. Thus, maps of soil textural class are valuable for agricultural management. Conventional spatial statistical methods do not capture the complex large‐scale spatial patterns of multi‐class variables. Markov chain geostatistics (MCG) was recently proposed as a new approach for the conditional simulation of categorical variables. In this study, we apply an MCG algorithm to simulate the spatial distribution of textural classes of alluvial soils at five different depths in a 15‐km2area on the North China Plain. Soil texture was divided into five classes – sand, sandy loam, light loam, medium loam and clay. Optimal prediction maps, simulated maps and occurrence probability maps for each depth were generated from sample data. Simulated results delineated the distribution of the five soil textural classes at the five depths and quantified related spatial uncertainties caused by limited sample size (total of 139 points). These results are not only useful for understanding the spatial distribution of soil texture in alluvial soils, but also provide valuable quantitative information for precision agriculture, soil management and studies on environmental processes affected by surface and subsurface soil textures.
THOUGHTS ON THE UTILITY OF A BIVARIATE‐SPLITTING APPROACH TO OLMEC CERAMIC DATA INTERPRETATION*
Authors: HANCOCK R. G. V. , HANCOCK K. E. , HANCOCK J. K.
Published: July 2008

A recently resolved debate centred on the interpretation of a major set of INAA data that was based on Olmec ceramics from Mexico. In an attempt to answer questions arising from the debate, this paper discusses the effect of numbers of samples chosen for data interpretation. It also presents interpretations of the ceramic data set based on a bivariate data‐splitting approach and compares the results of this with the multivariate analysis approaches employed by the initial publishers of the data.
Immigration as a political issue in Denmark and Sweden
Authors: GREEN‐PEDERSEN CHRISTOFFER , KROGSTRUP JESPER
Published: July 2008

Abstract. Studies of party politics and party competition in West European democracies all point to diversification. Non‐economic issues such as the environment, refugees and immigrants or law and order have become increasingly central to party politics. However, there has been surprisingly little interest in explaining variation across time and countries concerning which issues actually become central to party competition. From the sparse literature, two general answers can be discerned. One is societal, focusing on mass media coverage, public opinion and the development of the policy problems related to the issue. The other focuses on the structure of party competition itself – more precisely on the incentives for different parties in drawing attention to different issues. This study stresses the importance of the latter based on a study of the immigration issue in Denmark and Sweden. Party political attention to this issue in the 1990s has been considerably stronger in Denmark than in Sweden. This can be explained by the different strategic situation of the main stream right‐wing parties in the two countries. Focusing on the immigrant issue easily leads to a conflict with the centre‐right, especially social liberal parties. In Sweden, such a conflict would undermine mainstream right‐wing attempts at winning government power. In Denmark, the Social Liberals governed with the Social Democrats in the 1990s, which made it attractive for the main stream right‐wing parties to focus on the issue in order to win government power based on the support of radical right‐wing parties.
Growing supranational identities in a globalising world? A multilevel analysis of the World Values Surveys
Authors: JUNG JAI KWAN
Published: July 2008

Abstract. Are globalisation and regional integration producing a postnational identity among a wide variety of publics? Using the World Values Surveys (WVS), this article shows that there is a global pattern in public attitudes toward supranational identity: the younger the respondent, the more supranational. Yet a life‐cycle effect, as opposed to a generational one, underlies this pattern. A multilevel analysis confirms this age effect on supranational identification in 43 countries covered in the recent wave of the WVS, but provides little support for the idea that a country's integration into the global economy and world society promotes supranational attachments among mass publics, especially youths. Regional integration and globalisation appear either complementary or contradictory to this identity shift, depending upon how ordinary citizens perceive their country's involvement in the processes of regional integration and globalisation, respectively.
Immigration sceptics, xenophobes or racists? Radical right‐wing voting in six West European countries
Authors: RYDGREN JENS
Published: July 2008

Given how central the immigration issue has been for the new radical right‐wing parties in Western Europe, many have turned to immigration‐related factors in trying to explain their emergence and electoral mobilisation. This research has convincingly shown that immigration scepticism (i.e., wanting to reduce immigration) is among the principal factors for predicting who will vote for a radical right‐wing party. However, earlier studies have often uncritically equated immigration scepticism with xenophobia or even racism. By using data from the first round of the European Social Survey (2003) involving six West European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Norway), this article differentiates between immigration scepticism and xenophobic attitudes. The analyses strongly indicate that xenophobic attitudes are a far less significant factor than immigration scepticism for predicting who will vote for the new radical right. Moreover, this article analyses the extent to which anti‐immigration frames employed by radical right‐wing parties resonate with attitudes held by supporting voters, and to what extent they make a difference for people's decision to vote for the radical right. The analyses indicate that frames linking immigration to criminality and social unrest are particularly effective for mobilising voter support for the radical right. Finally, the article criticises earlier research that explained radical right‐wing voting with reference to ethnic competition theory. In contrast to much of the earlier research that used macro‐level measures and comparisons, this study uses (self‐reported) individual‐level data on the degree of ethnic heterogeneity of people's area of residence. Hypotheses derived from ethnic competition theory receive less support than expected, which indicates that earlier research may have overestimated the significance of these factors.