bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cohort study of the effects of serum osteoprotegerin and osteoprotegerin gene polymorphisms on cardiovascular mortality in elderly women
Authors: Ueland Thor , Wilson Scott G. , Amirul Islam F. M. , Mullin Ben , Devine Amanda , Bollerslev Jens , Zhu Kun , Prince Richard L.
Published: April 2009

Objective  To investigate the role of serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) and OPG gene polymorphisms in relation to cardiovascular (CV) and all‐cause mortality in elderly women.

Background  The OPG/RANK/RANKL plays a vital role in bone cell biology. It has also been detected in myocardial tissue and atherosclerotic plaques. In some population studies, OPG and OPG gene polymorphisms have been associated with CV disease risk.

Design, measurements and results  In an 8·5‐year cohort population study of 1333 postmenopausal women mean age 75·2 ± 2·7 years, serum OPG concentrations above the median were associated with an increased risk of all‐cause [odds ratio (OR) 1·39 (1·04–1·85)], and in particular CV mortality [OR 1·83 (1·10–3·05)], before and after adjusting for age, BMI, treated hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, previous HRT use, calcium supplementation and smoking. Genotyping the OPG gene did not provide further information on the association between OPG and CV risk or mortality events.

Conclusions  Raised osteoprotegerin appears to be an independent risk factor for total and CV death and thus has potential as a useful biomarker of risk as well as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Effects of rosiglitazone, a PPAR‐γ agonist, on the contractility of bovine uterus in vitro
Authors: RIZZO A. , SPEDICATO M. , COSOLA C. , MINOIA G. , ROSCINO M. T. , PUNZI S. , SCIORSCI R. L.
Published: April 2009

Rosiglitazone is a drug used in human medicine for treating type II diabetes mellitus. It activates Peroxisome Proliferators‐Activated Receptors gamma (PPAR‐γ), which regulate energetic metabolism. We aimed to evaluate the effects of rosiglitazone on bovine myometrial contractility in vitro. Myometrial strips were collected from uteri of cows in estrus, diestrus, and pregnancy. Contractions were recorded using an isometric force transducer. After the equilibration period, rosiglitazone (1 × 10−6) was added to the bath. Its effects on the amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions were evaluated. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA and Student’s t‐test and were considered significant at P < 0.05. Rosiglitazone increased the mean amplitude during estrus (P < 0.01), diestrus (P < 0.05), and pregnancy (P < 0.01); the frequency of contractions in both pregnancy (P < 0.05) and diestrus (P < 0.05) increased as well. These effects are likely due, in our opinion, to an increase in intracellular calcium concentrations, as well as enhanced uptake of glucose from the Krebs’ solution. The differences observed according in the different phases are ascribable to the different hormonal milieu. Our study indicates that rosiglitazone affects bovine myometrial contractility. It may be considered a starting point for further studies on the application of this drug in veterinary obstetrics.
Postnatal downregulation of inhibitory neuromuscular transmission to the longitudinal muscle of the guinea pig ileum
Authors: Bian X. , Burda J. E. , Carrasquillo M. , Galligan J. J.
Published: April 2009

Abstract Neuromuscular transmission is crucial for normal gut motility but little is known about its postnatal maturation. This study investigated excitatory/inhibitory neuromuscular transmissionin vitrousing ileal nerve‐muscle preparations made from neonatal (≤48 h postnatal) and adult (∼4 months postnatal) guinea pigs. In tissues from neonates and adults, nicotine (0.3–30 μmol L−1) contracted longitudinal muscle preparations in a tetrodotoxin (TTX) (0.3 μmol L−1)‐sensitive manner. The muscarinic receptor antagonist, scopolamine (1 μmol L−1), reduced substantially nicotine‐induced contractions in neonatal tissues but not adult tissues. In the presence ofNω‐nitro‐l‐arginine (NLA, 100 μmol L−1) to block nitric oxide (NO) mediated inhibitory neuromuscular transmission, scopolamine‐resistant nicotine‐induced contractions were revealed in neonatal tissues. NLA enhanced the nicotine‐induced contractions in neonatal but not in adult tissues. Electrical field stimulation (20 V; 0.3 ms; 5–25 Hz, scopolamine 1 μmol L−1present) caused NLA and TTX‐sensitive longitudinal muscle relaxations. Frequency–response curves in neonatal tissues were left‐shifted compared with those obtained in adult tissues. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that NO synthase (NOS)‐immunoreactivity (ir) was present in nerve fibres supplying the longitudinal muscle in neonatal and adult tissues. However, quantitative studies demonstrated that fluorescence intensity of NOS‐ir nerve fibres was higher in neonatal than adult tissues. Nerve fibres containing substance P were abundant in longitudinal muscle in adult but not in neonatal tissues. Inhibitory neuromuscular transmission is relatively more effective in the neonatal guinea pig small intestine. Delayed maturation of excitatory motor pathways might contribute to paediatric motility disturbances.
Influence of genetic polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTT1 and GSTP1 on allograft outcome in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Singh Ranjana , Manchanda Parmeet K. , Kesarwani Pravin , Srivastava Aneesh , Mittal Rama D.
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  Introduction:  Glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) are important in protection against xenobiotic compounds and toxicity caused by immunosuppressants in renal transplant recipients. In the present study we hypothesize that genetic variability in GSTM1, GSTM3, GSTP1 and GSTT1 genes may be associated with allograft outcome.

Methods:  The study included 223 controls and 273 transplant recipients categorized into 184 stable graft function (SGF), 57 rejection episodes (RE) and 32 delayed graft function (DGF). The polymorphism was studied using multiplex PCR and PCR‐RFLP.

Results:  GSTM1 null genotype showed a 3.35‐fold higher risk for rejection in SGF vs. RE category [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–8.84, p = 0.014]. Mutant (G) allele of GSTP1 was associated with a 5.52‐fold risk for DGF (95% CI 1.37–22.17, p = 0.016). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed significantly lower mean time to first RE in null genotype as compared with GSTM1 present patients (Log p = 0.002). The dose adjusted C2 levels in null genotype was higher as compared with GSTM1 present patients at one (p = 0.007) and three months (p = 0.027) post transplantation.

Conclusion:  Patients with variant genotype of GSTM1 and GSTP1 were at higher risk for rejection and delayed functioning of the allograft, respectively, supporting the hypothesis for involvement of GST isoform variants in allograft outcome in renal transplant recipients.
Silent synapses onto interneurons in the rat CA1 stratum radiatum
Authors: Riebe Ilse , Gustafsson Bengt , Hanse Eric
Published: April 2009

Glutamate transmission to γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons and to principal neurons differs in various important respects. Whether these differences exist from an early developmental stage, or result from differential development from a more common state, is unclear. In the hippocampal CA1 area, glutamate transmission to the developing, but not to the adult, principal neurons is characterized by the presence of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) silent synapses and of AMPA silencing induced by test pulse stimulation (0.03–1 Hz). In the present study, we examined whether this developmental difference in AMPA signaling is also true for glutamate transmission to CA1 stratum radiatum interneurons. We found that AMPA silent synapses onto these interneurons also exist, and that they can be generated by test pulse stimulation. In marked contrast to AMPA silencing in principal neurons, AMPA silencing in interneurons was not developmentally restricted, but was observed to the same extent after the first postnatal month as in the second postnatal week. In addition, we found that glutamate synapses onto these interneurons can also be N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA)‐silent, that is, only AMPA‐signaling. After test pulse stimulation, the AMPA‐silent, the NMDA‐silent and the AMPA/NMDA‐signaling synapses onto the developing interneurons were estimated to be about equally frequent. These results highlight a diversity of glutamate signaling to CA1 stratum radiatum interneurons, and they indicate that the glutamate synapses onto pyramidal neurons and to interneurons can mature differentially.
Brief exposure of juvenile rats to noise impairs the development of the response properties of inferior colliculus neurons
Authors: Grécová Jolana , Bureš Zbyněk , Popelář Jiří , Šuta Daniel , Syka Josef
Published: April 2009

Temporary impairment of the auditory periphery during the sensitive period of postnatal development of rats may result in a deterioration of neuronal responsiveness in the central auditory nuclei of adult animals. In this study, juvenile rats (postnatal day 14) were exposed for 8 min to intense broad‐band noise; at the age of 3–6 months, the excitatory and inhibitory response areas of neurons in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus were recorded under ketamine–xylazine anaesthesia in these animals and compared with those of age‐matched controls. The response thresholds were similar in the exposed and control animals. The frequency selectivity of low‐frequency neurons was comparable in both groups; however, high‐frequency neurons had significantly wider excitatory response areas in the exposed rats, indicating disrupted development of high‐frequency hearing. Forty‐one per cent and 25% of neurons in exposed animals and in controls, respectively, lacked a distinct inhibitory area; these neurons had similar frequency selectivity in the exposed and control rats. As the presence of an inhibitory sideband was associated with sharper frequency tuning in both groups, it appears that lateral inhibition substantially influences neuronal frequency selectivity. If present, the inhibitory areas had comparable bandwidths in both groups; however, they were shifted to the side in the exposed animals, allowing the expansion of the excitatory areas. The results indicate that a brief exposure of juvenile rats to noise leads to a significant worsening of the frequency selectivity of inferior colliculus neurons in adult animals; the poorer frequency selectivity may be due to missing or displaced inhibitory sidebands.
TRPV1 controls acid‐ and heat‐induced calcitonin gene‐related peptide release and sensitization by bradykinin in the isolated mouse trachea
Authors: Kichko Tatjana I. , Reeh Peter W.
Published: April 2009

Chronic cough derives from inflammatory hypersensitivity of tracheobronchial nerve endings, most of which express the polymodal capsaicin receptor‐channel transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) type 1 and the secretory neuropeptide calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP). An isolated mouse trachea preparation was established to measure chemically and thermally stimulated CGRP release as an index for sensory transduction of potential cough‐inducing stimuli. TRPV1 knockout mice were employed to assess the TRPV1 contribution to tracheal responsiveness and sensitization. Graded heat‐induced CGRP release depended entirely on extracellular calcium and partly on TRPV1; knockout mice showed 60% less CGRP release at 45°C (for 5 min) than wild‐types. This heat response was facilitated by the TRPV1 agonist ethanol and the TRPV1–3 agonist 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate, effects that were reduced or absent in TRPV1−/−, respectively. The TRPV1 antagonists ruthenium red and N‐(4‐t‐butylphenyl)‐4‐(3‐chloropyridin‐2‐yl) tetrahydropyrazine‐1(2H)‐carboxamide were ineffective on the basal heat response. A step increase of temperature from 22 to 40°C caused a TRPV1‐independent CGRP release that was doubled by bradykinin in wild‐types but not TRPV1−/−. Proton stimulation resulted in a bell‐shaped concentration–response curve with threshold at pH 6.7 and a maximum at pH 5.7; responses were greatly reduced but not abolished in TRPV1−/−. Coadministration of amiloride (30 μm), the blocker of acid‐sensing ion channels, was ineffective in both TRPV1 genotypes. The data suggest that tracheal acid sensing mainly involves TRPV1 but not acid‐sensing ion channels, whereas noxious heat responsiveness partly depends and (inflammatory) sensitization to heat largely depends on the capsaicin receptor in tracheal nerve endings. Lowering of their heat threshold to near body temperature may sustain hypersensitivity and neurogenic inflammation of the upper airways.
A novel transcriptomic approach to identify candidate genes for grain quality traits in wheat
Authors: Wan Yongfang , Underwood Claudia , Toole Geraldine , Skeggs Peter , Zhu Tong , Leverington Michelle , Griffiths Simon , Wheeler Tim , Gooding Mike , Poole Rebecca , Edwards Keith J. , Gezan Salvador , Welham Sue , Snape John , Mills E. N. Clare , Mitchell Rowan A. C. , Shewry Peter R.
Published: April 2009

A novel methodology is described in which transcriptomics is combined with the measurement of bread‐making quality and other agronomic traits for wheat genotypes grown in different environments (wet and cool or hot and dry conditions) to identify transcripts associated with these traits. Seven doubled haploid lines from the Spark × Rialto mapping population were selected to be matched for development and known alleles affecting quality. These were grown in polytunnels with different environments applied 14 days post‐anthesis, and the whole experiment was repeated over 2 years. Transcriptomics using the wheat Affymetrix chip was carried out on whole caryopsis samples at two stages during grain filling. Transcript abundance was correlated with the traits for approximately 400 transcripts. About 30 of these were selected as being of most interest, and markers were derived from them and mapped using the population. Expression was identified as being under cis control for 11 of these and under trans control for 18. These transcripts are candidates for involvement in the biological processes which underlie genotypic variation in these traits.
Source populations in carnivore management: cougar demography and emigration in a lightly hunted population
Authors: Cooley H. S. , Wielgus R. B. , Koehler G. , Maletzke B.
Published: April 2009

Wildlife agencies typically attempt to manage carnivore numbers in localized game management units through hunting, and do not always consider the potential influences of immigration and emigration on the outcome of those hunting practices. However, such a closed population structure may not be an appropriate model for management of carnivore populations where immigration and emigration are important population parameters. The closed population hypothesis predicts that high hunting mortality will reduce numbers and densities of carnivores and that low hunting mortality will increase numbers and densities. By contrast, the open population hypothesis predicts that high hunting mortality may not reduce carnivore densities because of compensatory immigration, and low hunting mortality may not result in more carnivores because of compensatory emigration. Previous research supported the open population hypothesis with high immigration rates in a heavily hunted (hunting mortality rate=0.24) cougar population in northern Washington. We test the open population hypothesis and high emigration rates in a lightly hunted (hunting mortality rate=0.11) cougar population in central Washington by monitoring demography from 2002 to 2007. We used a dual sex survival/fecundity Leslie matrix to estimate closed population growth and annual census counts to estimate open population growth. The observed open population growth rate of 0.98 was lower than the closed survival/fecundity growth rates of 1.13 (deterministic) and 1.10 (stochastic), and suggests a 12–15% annual emigration rate. Our data support the open population hypothesis for lightly hunted populations of carnivores. Low hunting mortality did not result in increased numbers and densities of cougars, as commonly believed because of compensatory emigration.
Effects of hunting on the behaviour and spatial distribution of farmland birds: importance of hunting‐free refuges in agricultural areas
Authors: Casas F. , Mougeot F. , Viñuela J. , Bretagnolle V.
Published: April 2009

Hunting is one of the human activities that directly affect wildlife and has received increasing attention given its socioeconomic dimensions. Most studies have been conducted on coastal and wetland areas and showed that hunting activity can greatly affect bird behaviour and distribution. Hunting‐free reserves for game species are zones where birds find an area of reduced disturbance. We evaluated the effect of hunting activities on the behaviour and use of hunting‐free areas of lapwings Vanellus vanellus, golden plovers Pluvialis apricaria and little bustards Tetrax tetrax in agricultural areas. We compared the habitat use and behaviour of birds on days before, during and after hunting took place. All three studied species showed strong behavioural responses to hunting activities. Hunting activity increased flight probability and time spent vigilant (higher on hunting days than just before and after a hunting day), to the detriment of resting. We also found distributional (use of hunting‐free reserve) responses to hunting activities, with hunting‐free reserves being used more frequently during hunting days. Thus, reserves can mitigate the disturbance caused by hunting activities, benefiting threatened species in agricultural areas. Increasing the size or number of hunting‐free areas might be an important management and conservation tool to reduce the impacts of hunting activities.
Animal decisions and conservation: the recolonization of a severely polluted river by the Eurasian otter
Authors: Delibes M. , Cabezas S. , Jiménez B. , González M. J.
Published: April 2009

Animals make decisions relying on environmental cues associated to high survival or breeding success along their evolutionary history. However, because of rapid anthropogenic changes in the environment, they may lack useful cues, making bad decisions with potential consequences for individuals and populations. Contaminants are difficult or impossible to detect for animals, so polluted habitats could be used in spite of their dangerous effects. The Eurasian otterLutra lutrareoccupied the Guadiamar River (SW Spain) <1 year after a toxic spill that killed the fauna living in it. The levels of heavy metals and arsenic (As) in the river trophic web at that moment were probably harmful for otters. To investigate this, we determined the amount of several heavy metals including copper, cadmium, zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and metalloids such as As in otter faeces and estimated the exposure of otters to these elements as average ingestion. Concentrations of Zn, Pb and As were statistically higher in faeces collected along the Guadiamar River than in those collected along the Guadalete River (reference area). An ‘average otter’ in the Guadiamar River would consume 3–4 mg of Pb and more than 5 mg of As daily. Such doses must be hazardous for the species and challenge the usual assertion that otter presence is a good indicator of river quality.
Optimism, Pessimism, and Coalitional Presidentialism: Debating the Institutional Design of Brazilian Democracy
Authors: POWER TIMOTHY J.
Published: April 2009

Research on Brazil's political institutions has gone through several phases since democratisation in 1985. In the early years of democracy, pessimism prevailed with regard to governability. This view gave way in the mid‐1990s to a more optimistic view that stressed two innovations of the Constitution of 1988: enhanced presidential power and centralised legislative procedure. In recent years, a third phase of research has shifted attention to the crucial role of inter‐party alliances. These analytical approaches have converged into an emerging research programme on ‘coalitional presidentialism’, which places executive‐legislative relations at the centre stage of macropolitical analysis. This article reviews the three phases of the debate and reflects on future research agendas.
Chilean Constitutionalism Before Allende: Legality Without Courts
Authors: FAUNDEZ JULIO
Published: April 2009

In the 1960s and early 1970s, two political movements in Chile, one led by Eduardo Frei and the other by Salvador Allende, achieved remarkable victories in presidential elections. They both vowed to bring about radical change within the framework of the law. Unfortunately, however, both administrations failed to achieve their objectives. This article, focusing on the 30‐year period that preceded these two electoral victories, argues that Frei and Allende's seemingly inordinate faith in the virtues and flexibility of the legal system was firmly rooted in the political system and stemmed from a peculiar form of constitutionalism, which it describes as legality without courts.
Gene expression profiling to define host response to baculoviral transduction in the brain
Authors: Boulaire Jérôme , Zhao Ying , Wang Shu
Published: April 2009

Recombinant baculoviral vectors efficiently transduce several types of cells in the brain. To characterize host responses to virus challenge, thus verifying the suitability of using baculovirus for the development of gene therapy strategies in the central nervous system, we used cDNA microarray technology to examine in vitro and in vivo global cellular gene expression profiles in the rat brain, cultured human astrocytes and human neuronal cells after viral transduction. We demonstrated that the transduction induced host antiviral responses as a major reaction in all three types of samples profiled. The related genes were mainly those associated with innate immunity, including several of the genes involved in Toll‐like receptor signaling pathway and cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction. These findings should be useful in understanding the molecular basis for neural cell response to baculoviral transduction and in guiding rational therapeutic applications of baculoviral vectors in the central nervous systems.
Knowing and Doing: Research Leading to Action in the Conservation of Forest Genetic Diversity of Patagonian Temperate Forests
Authors: GALLO LEONARDO A. , MARCHELLI PAULA , CHAUCHARD LUIS , GONZALEZ PEÑALBA MARCELO
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  Researchers dealing with conservation subjects usually do not put the results of their work into practice, even when the primary purpose of their research is the preservation of biodiversity. In the South American temperate forests we identified an area with the highest genetic diversity in Argentina of Nothofagus nervosa, one of the most relevant southern beech species. Based on the information of our scientific study and our recommendations, the authorities of Lanin National Park changed the protection status of this area to avoid logging. The new forestry management plans include consideration of “high genetic diversity” in decisions on where logging will be allowed. Results of our initial genetic study induced the analysis of biodiversity at the species and ecosystems levels, which yielded results similar to our genetic studies. A strong connection among researchers and managers from the onset of our study and the awareness of the former about the importance of the implementation of the research work were key to bridging the gap between conservation research and conservation practice.
Conservation Threats Due to Human‐Caused Increases in Fire Frequency in Mediterranean‐Climate Ecosystems
Authors: SYPHARD ALEXANDRA D. , RADELOFF VOLKER C. , HAWBAKER TODD J. , STEWART SUSAN I.
Published: April 2009

Abstract: Periodic wildfire is an important natural process in Mediterranean‐climate ecosystems, but increasing fire recurrence threatens the fragile ecology of these regions. Because most fires are human‐caused, we investigated how human population patterns affect fire frequency. Prior research in California suggests the relationship between population density and fire frequency is not linear. There are few human ignitions in areas with low population density, so fire frequency is low. As population density increases, human ignitions and fire frequency also increase, but beyond a density threshold, the relationship becomes negative as fuels become sparser and fire suppression resources are concentrated. We tested whether this hypothesis also applies to the other Mediterranean‐climate ecosystems of the world. We used global satellite databases of population, fire activity, and land cover to evaluate the spatial relationship between humans and fire in the world's five Mediterranean‐climate ecosystems. Both the mean and median population densities were consistently and substantially higher in areas with than without fire, but fire again peaked at intermediate population densities, which suggests that the spatial relationship is complex and nonlinear. Some land‐cover types burned more frequently than expected, but no systematic differences were observed across the five regions. The consistent association between higher population densities and fire suggests that regardless of differences between land‐cover types, natural fire regimes, or overall population, the presence of people in Mediterranean‐climate regions strongly affects the frequency of fires; thus, population growth in areas now sparsely settled presents a conservation concern. Considering the sensitivity of plant species to repeated burning and the global conservation significance of Mediterranean‐climate ecosystems, conservation planning needs to consider the human influence on fire frequency. Fine‐scale spatial analysis of relationships between people and fire may help identify areas where increases in fire frequency will threaten ecologically valuable areas.
Demographic Stability Metrics for Conservation Prioritization of Isolated Populations
Authors: FINN DEBRA S. , BOGAN MICHAEL T. , LYTLE DAVID A.
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  Systems of geographically isolated habitat patches house species that occur naturally as small, disjunct populations. Many of these species are of conservation concern, particularly under the interacting influences of isolation and rapid global change. One potential conservation strategy is to prioritize the populations most likely to persist through change and act as sources for future recolonization of less stable localities. We propose an approach to classify long‐term population stability (and, presumably, future persistence potential) with composite demographic metrics derived from standard population‐genetic data. Stability metrics can be related to simple habitat measures for a straightforward method of classifying localities to inform conservation management. We tested these ideas in a system of isolated desert headwater streams with mitochondrial sequence data from 16 populations of a flightless aquatic insect. Populations exhibited a wide range of stability scores, which were significantly predicted by dry‐season aquatic habitat size. This preliminary test suggests strong potential for our proposed method of classifying isolated populations according to persistence potential. The approach is complementary to existing methods for prioritizing local habitats according to diversity patterns and should be tested further in other systems and with additional loci to inform composite demographic stability scores.
Bone mineral density in children, adolescents, and young adults with epilepsy
Authors: Coppola Giangennaro , Fortunato Delia , Auricchio Gianfranca , Mainolfi Ciro , Operto Francesca Felicia , Signoriello Giuseppe , Pascotto Antonio , Salvatore Marco
Published: April 2009

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) in a large population of children, adolescents, and young adults with epilepsy alone or in association with cerebral palsy and/or mental retardation.

Methods:  Ninety‐six patients were enrolled in the study. The group comprised 50 males and 46 females, aged between 3 and 25 years (mean age 11 years). The control group consisted of 63 healthy children and adolescents (23 males, 40 females), aged between 3 and 25 years (mean age 12.1 years). Patients underwent a dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan of the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and the z scores were calculated for each patient; the t score was considered for patients 18 years of age or older.

Results:  Abnormal BMD was found in 56 patients (58.3%), with values documenting osteopenia in 42 (75%) and osteoporosis in 14 (25%). A significant difference emerged between epileptic patients and the control group in BMD, z score, and body mass index (BMI) (p = <0.001). Lack of autonomous gait, severe mental retardation, long duration of antiepileptic treatment, topiramate adjunctive therapy, and less physical activity significantly correlated with abnormal BMD.

Discussion:  This study detected abnormal BMD in more than half of a large pediatric population with epilepsy with or without cerebral palsy and/or mental retardation. The clinical significance of these findings has yet to be clarified.
Proepileptic phenotype of SV2A‐deficient mice is associated with reduced anticonvulsant efficacy of levetiracetam
Authors: Kaminski Rafal M. , Gillard Michel , Leclercq Karine , Hanon Etienne , Lorent Geneviève , Dassesse Donald , Matagne Alain , Klitgaard Henrik
Published: April 2009

Purpose: Synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) constitutes a distinct binding site for an antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (Keppra). In the present study we characterized SV2A (+/−) heterozygous mice in several seizure models and tested if the anticonvulsant efficacy of levetiracetam is reduced in these mice.

Methods: Seizure thresholds of male SV2A (+/−) mice and their wild‐type littermates were assessed in pilocarpine (i.p.), kainic acid (s.c.), pentylenetetrazol (i.v.), 6‐Hz and maximal electroshock models. Kindling development was compared in amygdala and corneal kindling models. Ex vivo binding of levetiracetam to SV2A was also performed.

Results: Long‐term electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring and behavioral observations of SV2A (+/−) mice did not reveal any spontaneous seizure activity. However, a reduced seizure threshold of SV2A (+/−) mice was observed in pilocarpine, kainic acid, pentylenetetrazol, and 6‐Hz models, but not in maximal electroshock seizure model. Accelerated epileptogenesis development was also demonstrated in amygdala and corneal kindling models. Anticonvulsant efficacy of levetiracetam, defined as its ability to increase seizure threshold for 6 Hz electrical stimulation, was significantly reduced (approx. 50%) in the SV2A (+/−) mice, consistently with reduced binding to SV2A in these mice. In contrast, valproate produced the same anticonvulsant effect in both SV2A (+/+) and SV2A (+/−) mice.

Discussion:The present results evidence that SV2A is involved in mediation of the in vivo anticonvulsant activity of levetiracetam, in accordance with its previously proposed mechanism of action. Furthermore, the present data also indicate that even partial SV2A deficiency may lead to increased seizure vulnerability and accelerated epileptogenesis.
Antagonists of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors and cortical afterdischarges in immature rats
Authors: Lojková‐Janečková Denisa , Ng Jessica , Mareš Pavel
Published: April 2009

Purpose: Antagonists of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are known to exhibit anticonvulsant action without serious side effects. Recently we found anticonvulsant effects of specific antagonists of mGluR subtypes 1 and 5 (AIDA and MTEP) against pentetrazol‐induced convulsions in developing rats. In order to determine if the effects of these two antagonists are not exclusively restricted to pentetrazol‐induced seizures, we studied their action in a novel seizure model involving immature rats.

Methods: Epileptic afterdischarges were elicited by low‐frequency stimulation of sensorimotor cortical region in 12‐, 18‐, and 25‐day‐old rats with implanted electrodes. Drugs were administered intraperitoneally after the first afterdischarge: AIDA in doses from 5 to 40 mg/kg; MTEP in doses from 2.5 to 40 mg/kg. The stimulation was then repeated five more times with the same current intensity. Electrocorticographic and motor phenomena were recorded and evaluated.

Results: AIDA did not significantly influence movements during stimulation, afterdischarges as well as clonic seizures accompanying afterdischarges. In contrast, MTEP was able to significantly shorten afterdischarges without changes in the two motor phenomena. The effect of MTEP was best expressed in 12‐day‐old rats; in 25‐day‐old rats the trials exhibited only a transient shortening of afterdischarges after high doses of MTEP.

Discussion: In contrast to similar action against pentetrazol‐induced seizures, AIDA and MTEP substantially differ in their action on cortical epileptic afterdischarges. The anticonvulsant action of MTEP in the present model diminishes with age.
Complexity in Urban Development and Management
Authors: Baynes Timothy M.
Published: April 2009

Systems dynamics, cellular automata, agent‐based modeling, and network analyses have been used in population, land use, and transport planning models. An overview of complex systems science as applied to urban development is presented, and examples are given of where the problems of housing people and anticipating their movements have been addressed with complex approaches, sometimes in concert with deterministic, large‐scale urban models. Planning for cities today has additional environmental and social priorities in common with many topics that concern industrial ecology. The research agenda suggested here is that this, too, can be enriched with complex systems thinking and models to complement the often static assessment of environmental performance and better inform decision processes.
Environmental Risk Factors for Community‐Acquired Pneumonia Hospitalization in Older Adults
Authors: Loeb Mark , Neupane Binod , Walter Stephen D. , Hanning Rhona , Carusone Soo Chan , Lewis David , Krueger Paul , Simor Andrew E. , Nicolle Lindsay , Marrie Thomas J.
Published: April 2009

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia in older adults in relation to biophysical environmental factors.

DESIGN: Population‐based case control study with collection of personal interview data.

SETTING: Hamilton, Ontario, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred seventeen people aged 65 and older hospitalized for community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) from September 2002 to April 2005 and 867 controls aged 65 and older randomly selected from the same communities as the cases.

MEASUREMENTS: Odds ratios (ORs) for risk of pneumonia in relation to environmental and other variables.

RESULTS: Exposure to secondhand smoke in the previous month (OR=1.73, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.04–2.90); poor nutritional score (OR=1.83, 95% CI=1.19–2.80); alcohol use per month (per gram; OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.08–2.61); history of regular exposure to gases, fumes, or chemicals at work (OR=3.69, 95% CI=2.37–5.75); history of regular exposure to fumes from solvents, paints, or gasoline at home (OR=3.31, 95% CI=1.59–6.87); and non‐English language spoken at home (OR=5.31, 95% CI=2.60–10.87) were associated with a greater risk of pneumonia hospitalization in multivariable analysis. Age, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, dysphagia, renal disease, functional status, use of immunosuppressive disease medications, and lifetime history of smoking of more than 100 cigarettes were other variables associated with hospitalization for pneumonia.

CONCLUSION: In elderly people, present and past exposures in the physical environmental are associated with hospitalization for CAP.
Awareness of Functional Difficulties in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Multidomain Assessment Approach
Authors: Okonkwo Ozioma C. , Griffith H. Randall , Vance David E. , Marson Daniel C. , Ball Karlene K. , Wadley Virginia G.
Published: April 2009

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are fully aware of and provide reliable estimates of their functional status.

DESIGN: Controlled, matched‐samples, cross‐sectional study.

SETTING: University medical and research centers.

PARTICIPANTS: Fifty‐seven persons with amnestic MCI and 68 normal controls.

MEASUREMENTS: The study examined accuracy of self‐report in MCI across five functional domains (driving, financial abilities, medication management, grocery shopping, and telephone use) by comparing patients' report of functioning with their performance on laboratory‐based measures of function.

RESULTS: The discrepancy between self‐report and objective performance was significantly higher in patients with MCI than in their cognitively normal peers only on financial abilities. Patients with MCI overestimated their abilities on this functional domain. Patients with MCI also tended to overestimate their driving abilities, although this was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: These findings provide evidence that awareness of functional difficulties is not a unitary construct; rather, it varies across functional domains. They also suggest that self‐report of functional abilities in MCI may be, on the whole, as accurate as in cognitively intact older adults. Even so, the self‐objective discrepancies noted for both study groups suggest that supplementing self‐reported information with objective functional assessment might improve detection of older adults who have begun to experience more functional restriction than is normal for age. In turn, timely identification would permit the targeted implementation of interventions that delay or forestall further deterioration in function.
Topology and Dependency Tests in Spatial and Network Autoregressive Models
Authors: Farber Steven , Páez Antonio , Volz Erik
Published: April 2009

Social network analysis has been identified as a promising direction for further applications of spatial statistical and econometric models. The type of network analysis envisioned is formally identical to the analysis of geographical systems, in that both involve the measurement of dependence between observations connected by edges that constitute a system. An important item, which has not been investigated in this context, is the potential relationship between the topology properties of networks (or network descriptions of geographical systems) and the properties of spatial models and tests. The objective of this article is to investigate, within a simulation setting, the ability of spatial dependency tests to identify a spatial/network autoregressive model when two network topology measures, namely degree distribution and clustering, are controlled. Drawing on a large data set of synthetically controlled social networks, the impact of network topology on dependency tests is investigated under a hierarchy of topology factors, sample size, and autocorrelation strength. In addition, topology factors are related to known properties of empirical systems.
Knowledge Spillovers and Total Factor Productivity: Evidence Using a Spatial Panel Data Model
Authors: Fischer Manfred M. , Scherngell Thomas , Reismann Martin
Published: April 2009

This article investigates the impact of knowledge capital stocks on total factor productivity (TFP) through the lens of the knowledge capital model proposed by Griliches (1979), augmented with a spatially discounted cross‐region knowledge spillover pool variable. The objective is to shift attention from firms and industries to regions and to estimate the impact of cross‐region knowledge spillovers on TFP in Europe. The dependent variable is the region‐level TFP, measured in terms of the superlative TFP index suggested by Caves, Christensen, and Diewert (1982). This index describes how efficiently each region transforms physical capital and labor into output. The explanatory variables are internal and out‐of‐region stocks of knowledge, the latter capturing the contribution of cross‐region knowledge spillovers. We construct patent stocks to proxy annual regional knowledge capital stocks for N=203 regions during 1997–2002. In estimating the effects, we implement a spatial panel data model that controls for spatial autocorrelation as well as individual heterogeneity across regions. The findings provide a fairly remarkable confirmation of the role of knowledge capital contributing to productivity differences among regions and add an important spatial dimension to discussions in the literature by showing that productivity effects of knowledge spillovers increase with geographic proximity.
Hot Potato: Expert‐Consumer Differences in the Perception of a Second‐Generation Novel Food
Authors: Hagemann Kit S. , Scholderer Joachim
Published: April 2009

Novel foods have been the object of intense public debate in recent years. Despite widespread efforts to communicate the outcomes of risk assessments to consumers, public confidence in risk management has been low. Social scientists have identified various reasons for this, including a disagreement between technical experts and consumers over the nature of the hazards on which risk assessments should focus. The aim of this study was to identify and compare the ways in which experts and consumers understand the benefits and risks associated with a genetically modified example crop. Two qualitative studies were conducted. In Study 1, mental models were elicited from 24 experts by means of a three‐wave Delphi procedure. In Study 2, mental models were elicited from 25 consumers by means of in‐depth interviews. As expected, the expert mental models were focused on the types of hazards that can realistically be addressed under current regulatory frameworks, whereas the consumers were often more concerned about issues outside the scope of current legislation. Moreover, the experts tended to define risk and benefit in terms of detailed chains of cause‐effect relationships between variables for which clear definitions and measurement rules exist. The concepts the consumers used when reasoning about biological processes were very abstract, suggesting that the participants had, at most, a holistic understanding. In line with this, issues of uncertainty played a prominent role for the consumers.
Fatal Disseminated Cryptococcus as the Initial Presentation of HIV Infection in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Kovarik Carrie L. , Barnard Jeffrey J.
Published: April 2009

Abstract:  Despite the availability of highly active antiretroviral treatment, many HIV‐positive patients still present for the first time with a low CD4 count or an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining illness. This may be due to patients’ refusal to be tested for HIV, delay in seeking medical treatment, or the misdiagnosis of an AIDS‐associated condition. We present a 39‐year‐old African American male with undiagnosed HIV, who died shortly after arrival to the emergency room. An autopsy was performed at the Dallas County Medical Examiners’ Office, and the cause of death was determined to be disseminated cryptococcosis. Further investigation at autopsy revealed HIV 1/2 antibody positivity and HIV western blot positivity. This case demonstrates the importance of considering complications of HIV as a cause of death, even when the patient has no prior history.
Tales from the old guards: Bithnah Fort, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates
Authors: Ziolkowski Michele C. , Al‐Sharqi Abdullah S.
Published: April 2009

This article examines the historical site of Bithnah fort, United Arab Emirates. Relevant historical sources were investigated, which highlighted the strategic importance of Bithnah’s location in the Wadi Ham. A theoretical date was proposed for the site based on these historical references. The architectural features and material culture were combined with ethnographic information. This combination of sources allowed for a much clearer understanding of the fort’s layout and interior use of space. It also provided a context for the village and agricultural space that surround the fortification of Bithnah.
Nouvelles antiquités sudarabiques de la collection Moussaieff
Authors: Bron François
Published: April 2009

This article contains the publication of eight South Arabian antiquities from the collection of Mr Sh. Moussaieff.
Sowing density and harvest time affect fibre content in hemp (Cannabis sativa) through their effects on stem weight
Authors: Westerhuis W. , Amaducci S. , Struik P.C. , Zatta A. , Van Dam J.E.G. , Stomph T.J.
Published: April 2009

Sowing density and harvest time are considered important crop management factors influencing fibre quantity and quality in hemp (Cannabis sativa). We investigated whether the effects of these factors are essentially different or that both factors affect stem weight and thereby total and long‐fibre content. The effects of all combinations of three sowing densities and three harvest times were studied for six different stem parts. Almost 500 samples consisting of stem parts from 50 plants and with a length of 50 cm were tested. Fibres were extracted by a controlled warm‐water retting procedure, followed by breaking and scutching. The initial sample weight was fractionated into retting losses, wood, tow and long fibre. In both Italy and the Netherlands, crops were successfully established with different stem densities (99–283 m−2), plant heights (146–211 cm) and stem diameters (4.5–8.4 mm) at harvest. Stem dry matter yields (6.8–11.7 Mg ha−1) increased with a delay in harvest time but were not affected by sowing density. Retting loss percentages were lower in lower stem parts and decreased with later harvest because maturation was associated with increasing amounts of fibre and wood. Within a certain stem part, however, the absolute retting losses were constant with harvest time. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the amount of fibre in a hemp stem is almost completely determined by the weight and the position of that stem part. When the plant grows, the increase in dry matter is split up into fibres and wood in a fixed way. This total fibre/wood ratio was highest in the middle part of the stem and lower towards both bottom and top. Sowing density and harvest time effects were indirect through stem weight. The long‐fibre weight per stem increased with the total fibre weight and hence with stem weight. Stem weight increased with harvest time; as harvest time did not affect plant density, the highest long‐fibre yields were obtained at the last harvest time. The long fibre/total fibre ratio was lowest in the bottom 5 cm of the stems but similar for all other parts. Sowing density and harvest time effects again were indirect. Fibre percentages in retted hemp decreased with increasing stem weights towards a level that is presumably a variety characteristic. The dry matter increase between harvests, however, is much more important with respect to total and long‐fibre yield.