bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the variable charge of two organic soils by means of the NICA‐Donnan model
Authors: Vasiliadis B. , Antelo J. , Iglesias A. , López R. , Fiol S. , Arce F.
Published: July 2007

We have tested to see if the generic set of NICA‐Donnan model parameters, used to describe isolated humic substances, can also describe soil humic substances in situ. A potentiometric back‐titration technique was used to determine the variable surface charge of two organic peat soils at three different ionic strengths. The non‐ideal, competitive‐adsorption NICA‐Donnan model was used to simulate the surface charge, by assuming a bimodal distribution of H+ affinity on the soil solid phase. The model provided an excellent fit to the experimental data. The Donnan volume, VD, varied slightly with ionic strength, although the variation was less than for humic substances in solution. The values obtained for the parameters that define the affinity distributions, the intrinsic proton binding constant (log Kiint) and the heterogeneity of the site (mi), were similar to those observed for isolated soil humic acids. The abundance of carboxylic groups in the whole soil represented 30% of the typical value for isolated soil humic acids. The composition of the organic matter of the whole soils, obtained by 13C CPMAS NMR, was comparable to the characteristic composition of soil humic acids.
Androgen receptor gene haplotype is associated with male infertility
Authors: Saare M. , Belousova A. , Punab M. , Peters M. , Haller K. , Ausmees K. , Poolamets O. , Karro H. , Metspalu A. , Salumets A.
Published: July 2007

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the importance of androgen receptor (AR) gene haplotypes and polymorphic CAG/GGN microsatellites in the aetiology of male infertility. We genotyped six haplotype‐tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms and CAG/GGN microsatellites of theARgene in 112 infertile and 212 control Estonian men. A total of 13ARhaplotypes (HAP1–13) were identified, among which HAP4 was found to confer increased risk for male infertility (OR = 5.15, 95% CI = 1.75–15.15,p = 0.003). However, infertile patients and controls had similar lengths and distributions of bothARCAG (mean ± SD number of repeats 21.1 ± 2.5 vs.21.2 ± 2.3, respectively) and GGN (mean ± SD number of repeats 22.5 ± 1.5 vs.22.4 ± 1.9, respectively) repeats. In addition, HAP2 was associated with more CAG repeats (r = 1.17,p = 0.033) and HAP3 with fewer CAG repeats (r = −2.93,p < 0.001) than the major haplotype HAP1. HAP3 and HAP4 were associated with more GGN repeats (r = 1.35,p = 0.001 andr = 1.36,p = 0.002, respectively) than HAP1. In conclusion, our results implicated theAR‐HAP4 gene haplotype in increased risk for male infertility, while no association was found betweenARCAG/GGN microsatellites and impaired spermatogenesis.
Influence of moderate cycling on scrotal temperature
Authors: Jung A. , Strauß P. , Lindner H. J. , Schuppe H. C.
Published: July 2007

Testicular temperature highly correlates with scrotal temperature. It has been postulated that cycling is associated with increased scrotal temperatures with time and consecutively with impaired semen quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of moderate cycling on scrotal temperature during highly standardized conditions in an experimental lab. A total of 25 volunteers without a history of infertility and normal andrological examination were included for scrotal temperature evaluation. Scrotal temperatures were measured every minute with a portable data recorder connected with two thermistor temperature sensors, which were attached on either side of the scrotum. A further thermistor sensor was attached on the central surface of the bicycle saddle. Ambient temperature in the study room was adjusted to 22 °C throughout the whole experiment. All volunteers started the experiment at the same daytime. Clothing of the volunteers consisted of standardized cotton wool trousers and shirts fitting to body size. After acclimatization to the study room in a sitting posture, each volunteer cycled on an exercise cycle for 60 min with a power of 25 Watt representing a speed of 25.45 km/h respectively. The saddle surface temperature reached in the median 35.59 °C after 60 min cycling. Median values of scrotal temperatures increased from 35.75 °C at the beginning to 35.82 °C after 60 min for the left side and from 35.50 to 35.59 °C for the right side. No correlation between cycling duration and scrotal temperatures could be found using multivariateanovafor repeated measurements. However, scrotal temperatures during cycling were significantly lower (p < 0.001) compared with the last 10 min in sitting posture before starting cycling with a difference of 1.31 °C for the left and 1.46 °C for the right side. The present study suggests that moderate cycling under standardized conditions with a power of 25 Watt is not a major genital heat stress factor.
Penile vascular evaluation and sexual function before and after radical retropubic prostatectomy: 5‐year follow‐up
Authors: Dubbelman Yvette D. , Wildhagen Mark F. , Dohle Gert R.
Published: July 2007

Sexual dysfunction is common after surgery for prostate cancer. The aetiology of changes in sexual potency after radical prostatectomy is probably multifactorial, including neurogenic, vascular and psychosexual factors. A prospective study was designed to investigate haemodynamic and psychosexual changes before and after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) for organ‐confined prostate cancer. Penile haemodynamic evaluation and an assessment of sexual excitement were performed preoperatively and 3 months after RRP by colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) with visual erotic stimulation combined with a single intracavernous injection of a mixture of papaverine/phentolamine. Questionnaires on sexual function [International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)], general health and quality of life were sent to the patients preoperative, 3 months and 5 years after operation. Forty‐eight men participated in the study. Mean age was 62.6 years (range 55–69). CDU did not show any significant reduction in mean peak systolic flow velocity and mean resistance index. From the men who preoperatively had normal arterial inflow 18% developed arteriogenic insufficiency. Some form of veno‐occlusive insufficiency and low resistance indices were already present in the majority of normal potent men preoperatively. Surgical technique did not influence penile arterial blood flow after the operation. Three months and 5 years postoperatively, there was a highly significant reduction in erectile function, intercourse satisfaction, overall satisfaction, orgasmic function and sexual desire. However, with respect to the outcome at 3 months there was a significant improvement of orgasmic function 5 years after operation, especially after a bilateral nerve sparing procedure. Erections sufficient for vaginal penetration (questions 3 and 4 of the IIEF, score ≥8) improved from 2% to 11% 3 months and 5 years after RRP respectively. Total IIEF score was significantly better after a bilateral nerve‐sparing procedure compared with non‐nerve sparing. No structural vascular changes were observed 3 months after operation. Vascular factors appear to be less important in the aetiology of ED after RRP. There seems to be a trend of a better improvement of sexual function over time, especially orgasmic function, in patients with bilateral nerve‐sparing surgery.
Psychological factors in male partners of infertile couples: relationship with semen quality and early miscarriage
Authors: Zorn B. , Auger J. , Velikonja V. , Kolbezen M. , Meden‐Vrtovec H.
Published: July 2007

In this study we sought to evaluate whether psychological factors in males affect semen quality and pregnancy. In 1076 men of infertile couples, psychological factors, i.e. exposure to acute stress, coping with stress, the WHO (five) Well‐Being Index and the Zung’s Anxiety Scale Inventory scores were assessed by a questionnaire at the time of semen analysis. Relationships between psychological factors and semen quality (sperm concentration, rapid and progressive motility and normal morphology) were assessed. In 353 men with infertility duration of ≤1.5 years, sperm concentration ≥5 × 106 sperm/mL and a female partner with a laparoscopically confirmed tubal patency, we looked prospectively for relations between psychological factors and the occurrence of a natural pregnancy at a 6‐month follow‐up (n = 124), and first‐trimester loss (n = 18). Anxiety trait, found in 19% of men, was related to previous in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection attempts (p = 0.014), cigarette intake (p = 0.006), alcohol intake (p = 0.026) and sexual difficulties (p < 0.001). Regression analyses indicated a significant positive relationship between the level of sperm concentration and the WHO (five) Well‐Being Index score, each successive score number accounting for a 7.3% increase in sperm concentration (p = 0.039), whereas no correlation was found between psychological factors and sperm rapid progressive motility and normal morphology. Poorer coping with stress was related to the occurrence of a first‐trimester miscarriage (p = 0.016) in the female partner. Possible depression in males is related to decreased sperm concentration, and poor coping with stress is associated with increased occurrence of early miscarriage.
Highways as corridors and habitats for the invasive common reed Phragmites australis in Quebec, Canada
Authors: Jodoin Yvon , Lavoie Claude , Villeneuve Paul , Theriault Marius , Beaulieu Julien , Belzile François
Published: July 2007

Roads provide suitable conditions for the establishment and growth of exotic species. Most roads are bordered by drainage ditches forming a network of linear wetlands. Drainage ditches may serve as habitats and corridors facilitating the spread of aquatic invaders into the intersected ecosystems. The common reed Phragmites australis is one of these aquatic invaders frequently found in marshes and drainage ditches along roads. We hypothesized that highways have acted as corridors for the dispersal of the common reed and have contributed to the invasion of North American wetlands by this species.

We mapped the spatial distribution of the common reed along the highway network of the province of Quebec, Canada, where a large‐scale invasion of this plant species has been reported since the 1960s. We also identified the genotype of common reed colonies using molecular tools and the main characteristics that favour the presence of the common reed in road ditches.

Approximately 67% of the 1359 1‐km highway sections surveyed during summer 2003 in Quebec had at least one common reed colony. End to end, common reed colonies totalled 324 km, i.e. 24% of the 1359 km surveyed.

Common reed colonies located along the highways were largely (99%) dominated by the exotic (Eurasian) genotype (haplotype M).

The common reed was more abundant along highways located in warm regions, with a sum of growing degree‐days (> 5 °C, 12‐month period) ≥ 1885, along highways built before the 1970s and in agricultural regions dominated by corn and soybean crops. Common reed colonies were larger when located along highways that were wide, built before the 1970s or in warm regions. This was particularly apparent if the roadside was bordered by a wetland. On the other hand, common reed colonies were more likely to be narrow when located near a woodland.

Synthesis and applications. Several disturbances (de‐icing salts, ditch digging and agricultural nitrogen input) favour the development of large common reed colonies along roads, some of them expanding out of roadsides, particularly in wetlands. Reducing disturbances, leaving (or planting) a narrow (a few metres) hedge of trees or shrubs along highways or planting salt‐resistant shrubs in roadside ditches could be efficient ways to slow the expansion of common reed or to confine the species to roadsides.
Floristic elements in European vascular plants: an analysis based onAtlas Florae Europaeae
Authors: Finnie Thomas J. R. , Preston Christopher D. , Hill Mark O. , Uotila P. , Crawley Michael J.
Published: July 2007

Aim To identify floristic elements in the European flora by an analysis of the distributions of species and species groups mapped inAtlas Florae Europaeae.

Location Europe, as defined byFlora Europaea.

Methods We analysed the native distributions of 2762 species and 33 species’ aggregates from 79 families, which representc.20% of the European flora. The distributional data base, derived fromAtlas Florae Europaeae, includes records from 4420 50 × 50‐km UTM grid squares. We classified species into floristic elements by a three‐stage clustering procedure, which consisted of: (1) constructing a dissimilarity hierarchy by complete linkage clustering, using a distance measure based on Jaccard’s coefficient; (2) cutting the hierarchical tree at the 0.95 level to create initial clusters, and forcing small clusters to link with larger ones until the sum of within‐group pairwise distances exceeded a threshold value; and (3) checking the allocation of all species to the redefined clusters and reassigning species if appropriate, using the cosine of the angle between the species and cluster centres to measure the similarity of species to clusters.

Results The clustering procedure classified 2793 taxa into 18 floristic elements, which included between 66 and 289 taxa; two species had unique, non‐overlapping distributions and could not be classified.

Main conclusions The analysis highlights the floristic diversity of the mountains of central and southern Europe, and of the Mediterranean region. The floristic elements of northern latitudes and the temperate lowlands tend to be composed of wide‐ranging species and include only a low proportion of European endemics. The montane elements, including those centred on montane areas in the Mediterranean region, are composed predominantly of perennial species and include high or very high proportions of European endemics. Classifications that recognize one ‘Alpine’ and one ‘Mediterranean’ biogeographical zone in Europe fail to reflect this floristic diversity.
An Arabidopsis MLH1 mutant exhibits reproductive defects and reveals a dual role for this gene in mitotic recombination
Authors: Dion Éric , Li Liangliang , Jean Martine , Belzile François
Published: July 2007

The eukaryotic DNA mismatch repair (MMR) system contributes to maintaining genome integrity and DNA sequence fidelity in at least two important ways: by correcting errors arising during DNA replication, and also by preventing recombination events between divergent sequences. This study aimed to investigate the role of one key MMR gene in recombination. We obtained a mutant line in which the AtMLH1 gene has been disrupted by the insertion of a T‐DNA within the coding region. Transcript analysis indicated that no full‐length transcript was produced in mutant plants. The loss of a functional AtMLH1 gene led to a significant reduction in fertility in both homozygotes and heterozygotes, and we observed a strong bias against transmission of the mutant allele. To investigate the role of AtMLH1 in mitotic recombination, the mutant was crossed to a series of recombination reporter lines. A strong decrease (72%) in the frequency of homologous recombination was observed in the mutant. However, the decline in recombination due to homeology was less severe in the Atmlh1 mutant than in a wild‐type control. These data demonstrate a dual role for AtMLH1 in recombination: it is both required for recombination and acts to limit recombination between diverged sequences.
MODULATOR OF PIN genes control steady‐state levels of Arabidopsis PIN proteins
Authors: Malenica Nenad , Abas Lindy , Benjamins René , Kitakura Saeko , Sigmund Harald F. , Jun Kim S. , Hauser Marie‐Theres , Friml Jiří , Luschnig Christian
Published: July 2007

Polar transport of the phytohormone auxin controls numerous growth responses in plants. Molecular characterization of auxin transport in Arabidopsis thaliana has provided important insights into the mechanisms underlying the regulation of auxin distribution. In particular, the control of subcellular localization and expression of PIN‐type auxin efflux components appears to be fundamental for orchestrated distribution of the growth regulator throughout the entire plant body. Here we describe the identification of two Arabidopsis loci, MOP2 and MOP3 (for MODULATOR OF PIN), that are involved in control of the steady‐state levels of PIN protein. Mutations in both loci result in defects in auxin distribution and polar auxin transport, and cause phenotypes consistent with a reduction of PIN protein levels. Genetic interaction between PIN2 and both MOP loci is suggestive of functional cross‐talk, which is further substantiated by findings demonstrating that ectopic PIN up‐regulation is compensated in the mop background. Thus, in addition to pathways that control PIN localization and transcription, MOP2 and MOP3 appear to be involved in fine‐tuning of auxin distribution via post‐transcriptional regulation of PIN expression.
A mitochondrial protein homologous to the mammalian peripheral‐type benzodiazepine receptor is essential for stress adaptation in plants
Authors: Frank Wolfgang , Baar Kim‐Miriam , Qudeimat Enas , Woriedh Mayada , Alawady Ali , Ratnadewi Diah , Gremillon Louis , Grimm Bernhard , Reski Ralf
Published: July 2007

The cloning of abiotic stress‐inducible genes from the moss Physcomitrella patens led to the identification of the gene PpTSPO1, encoding a protein homologous to the mammalian mitochondrial peripheral‐type benzodiazepine receptor and the bacterial tryptophane‐rich sensory protein. This class of proteins is involved in the transport of intermediates of the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway. Like the mammalian homologue, the PpTSPO1 protein is localized to mitochondria. The generation of PpTSPO1‐targeted moss knock‐out lines revealed an essential function of the gene in abiotic stress adaptation. Under stress conditions, the PpTSPO1 null mutants show elevated H2O2 levels, enhanced lipid peroxidation and cell death, indicating an important role of PpTSPO1 in redox homeostasis. We hypothesize that PpTSPO1 acts to direct porphyrin precursors to the mitochondria for heme formation, and is involved in the removal of photoreactive tetrapyrrole intermediates.
Characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana mismatch specific endonucleases: application to mutation discovery by TILLING in pea
Authors: Triques Karine , Sturbois Bénédicte , Gallais Stéphane , Dalmais Marion , Chauvin Stéphanie , Clepet Christian , Aubourg Sébastien , Rameau Catherine , Caboche Michel , Bendahmane Abdelhafid
Published: July 2007

Scanning DNA sequences for mutations and polymorphisms has become one of the most challenging, often expensive and time‐consuming obstacles in many molecular genetic applications, including reverse genetic and clinical diagnostic applications. Enzymatic mutation detection methods are based on the cleavage of heteroduplex DNA at the mismatch sites. These methods are often limited by the availability of a mismatch‐specific endonuclease, their sensitivity in detecting one allele in a pool of DNA and their costs. Here, we present detailed biochemical analysis of five Arabidopsis putative mismatch‐specific endonucleases. One of them, ENDO1, is presented as the first endonuclease that recognizes and cleaves all types of mismatches with high efficiency. We report on a very simple protocol for the expression and purification of ENDO1. The ENDO1 system could be exploited in a wide range of mutation diagnostic tools. In particular, we report the use of ENDO1 for discovery of point mutations in the gibberellin 3β‐hydrolase gene of Pisum sativum. Twenty‐one independent mutants were isolated, five of these were characterized and two new mutations affecting internodes length were identified. To further evaluate the quality of the mutant population we screened for mutations in four other genes and identified 5–21 new alleles per target. Based on the frequency of the obtained alleles we concluded that the pea population described here would be suitable for use in a large reverse‐genetics project.
Characterization of seed‐specific benzoyloxyglucosinolate mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Kliebenstein Daniel J. , D’Auria John C. , Behere Aditi S. , Kim Jae Hak , Gunderson Kevin L. , Breen John N. , Lee Grace , Gershenzon Jonathan , Last Robert L. , Jander Georg
Published: July 2007

Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites involved in pathogen and insect defense of cruciferous plants. Although seeds and vegetative tissue often have very different glucosinolate profiles, few genetic factors that determine seed glucosinolate accumulation have been identified. An HPLC‐based screen of 5500 mutagenized Arabidopsis thaliana lines produced 33 glucosinolate mutants, of which 21 have seed‐specific changes. Five of these mutant lines, representing three genetic loci, are compromised in the biosynthesis of benzoyloxyglucosinolates, which are only found in seeds and young seedlings of A. thaliana. Genetic mapping and analysis of T‐DNA insertions in candidate genes identified BZO1 (At1g65880), which encodes an enzyme with benzoyl‐CoA ligase activity, as being required for the accumulation of benzoyloxyglucosinolates. Long‐chain aliphatic glucosinolates are elevated in bzo1 mutants, suggesting substrate competition for the common short‐chain aliphatic glucosinolate precursors. Whereas bzo1 mutations have seed‐specific effects on benzoyloxyglucosinolate accumulation, the relative abundance of 3‐benzoyloxypropyl‐ and 4‐benzoyloxybutylglucosinolates depends on the maternal genotype.
The plastid sigma factor SIG1 maintains photosystem I activity via regulated expression of the psaA operon in rice chloroplasts
Authors: Tozawa Yuzuru , Teraishi Masayoshi , Sasaki Tadamasa , Sonoike Kintake , Nishiyama Yoshitaka , Itaya Mitsuhiro , Miyao Akio , Hirochika Hirohiko
Published: July 2007

Sigma factors encoded by the nucleus of plants confer promoter specificity on the bacterial‐type RNA polymerase in chloroplasts. We previously showed that transcripts of OsSIG1, which encodes one such sigma factor in rice, accumulate relatively late during leaf development. We have now isolated and characterized two allelic mutants of OsSIG1, in which OsSIG1 is disrupted by insertion of the retrotransposon Tos17, in order to characterize the functions of OsSIG1. The OsSIG1−/− plants were found to be fertile but they manifested an approximately one‐third reduction in the chlorophyll content of mature leaves. Quantitative RT‐PCR and northern blot analyses of chloroplast gene expression revealed that the abundance of transcripts derived from the psaA operon was markedly reduced in OsSIG1−/− plants compared with that in wild‐type homozygotes. This effect was accompanied by a reduction in the abundance of the core protein complex (PsaA–PsaB) of photosystem I. Analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence also revealed a substantial reduction in the rate of electron transfer from photosystem II to photosystem I in the OsSIG1 mutants. Our results thus indicate that OsSIG1 plays an important role in the maintenance of photosynthetic activity in mature chloroplasts of rice by regulating expression of chloroplast genes for components of photosystem I.
Individual differences in response to novelty predict prefrontal cortex dopamine transporter function and cell surface expression
Authors: Zhu Jun , Bardo Michael T. , Bruntz Ronald C. , Stairs Dustin J. , Dwoskin Linda P.
Published: July 2007

Previous research has shown that individual differences in response to novelty predict self‐administration and the locomotor response to psychostimulant drugs of abuse. The aim of the present study was to determine if individual differences in response to novelty based on inescapable or free‐choice novelty tests predict dopamine transporter (DAT) function and trafficking as well as nicotine‐induced modulation of DAT. Results show that the maximal velocity (Vmax) of [3H]dopamine uptake into prefrontal cortex (PFC) synaptosomes correlated negatively with the locomotor response to inescapable novelty. In contrast, Vmax correlated positively with novelty place preference in the free‐choice novelty test. The divergent correlations between DAT and the two behavioral phenotypes suggest a differential contribution of DAT in these phenotypes, which are known not to be isomorphic. Furthermore, rats categorized as high responders to inescapable novelty had lower Vmax values, which were accompanied by less DAT expression at the cell surface in PFC compared with low responders, suggesting that inherent individual differences in DAT cellular localization may underlie the differential response to novelty. Compared with the saline control, nicotine increased Vmax and cell surface DAT immunoreactivity in PFC from high responders but not from low responders. Similarly, nicotine increased Vmax and cell surface DAT in PFC in rats classified as low in novelty place preference but not in rats classified as high in novelty place preference. Thus, despite the different behavioral phenotypes, the pharmacological effect of nicotine to increase DAT function and cell surface expression was apparent, such that rats with inherently lower DAT function show a greater sensitivity to the neurochemical effect of nicotine.
A BDNF infusion into the medial prefrontal cortex suppresses cocaine seeking in rats
Authors: Berglind William J. , See Ronald E. , Fuchs Rita A. , Ghee Shannon M. , Whitfield Timothy W. , Miller Scott W. , McGinty Jacqueline F.
Published: July 2007

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical for reinstatement of cocaine seeking and is the main source of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to striatal regions of the brain relapse circuitry. To test the hypothesis that BDNF in the mPFC regulates cocaine‐seeking behavior, rats were trained to press a lever for cocaine infusions (0.2 mg/inf, 2 h/day) paired with light + tone conditioned stimulus (CS) presentations on 10 consecutive days. After the last self‐administration session, rats received a single infusion of BDNF (0.75 µg/0.5 µL/side) into the mPFC; this manipulation produced protracted effects on cocaine‐seeking behavior (non‐reinforced lever pressing). BDNF pretreatment administered after the last session attenuated cocaine seeking 22 h later and, remarkably, it also blocked cocaine‐induced suppression of phospho‐extracellular‐regulated kinase and elevated BDNF immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens. The same pretreatment also suppressed cocaine‐seeking behavior elicited by response‐contingent CS presentations after 6 days of forced abstinence or extinction training, as well as a cocaine challenge injection (10 mg/kg, i.p.) after extinction training. However, BDNF infused into the mPFC had no effect on food‐seeking behavior. Furthermore, BDNF infused on the sixth day of abstinence failed to alter responding, suggesting that the regulatory influence of BDNF is time limited. The suppressive effects of BDNF infused into the mPFC on cocaine seeking indicate that BDNF regulates cortical pathways implicated in relapse to drug seeking and that corticostriatal BDNF adaptations during early abstinence diminish compulsive drug seeking.
GABAergic currents in RT and VB thalamic nuclei follow kinetic pattern of α3‐ and α1‐subunit‐containing GABAA receptors
Authors: Mozrzymas Jerzy W. , Barberis Andrea , Vicini Stefano
Published: July 2007

Inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) of the thalamic reticular (RT) nucleus are dramatically slower than in the neighboring ventrobasal (VB) neurons. It has been suggested that α3‐subunit‐containing receptors underlie slow IPSCs in RT neurons, while rapid synaptic currents in the VB nucleus are due to γ‐aminobutyric acid A receptors (GABAARs), including the α1‐subunit. In our recent study [Barberis et al. (2007) Eur. J. Neurosci., 25, 2726–2740] we have found that profound differences in kinetics of currents mediated by α3β2γ2 and α1β2γ3 receptors resulted from distinct binding and desensitization properties. However, a direct comparison between kinetics of neuronal GABAARs from RT and VB neurons and α3‐ and α1‐subunit‐containing receptors has not been made. For this purpose, current responses to ultrafast GABA applications were recorded from patches excised from neurons in VB and RT areas. Deactivation kinetics determined for RT and VB neurons closely resembled that in currents mediated by α3β2γ2 and α1β2γ2 receptors. In RT neurons, currents elicited by non‐saturating [GABA] had a remarkably slow onset, a hallmark of α3‐subunit‐containing receptors. In VB and RT neurons, single‐channel currents elicited by brief GABA pulses had similar characteristics to those of α1β2γ2 and α3β2γ2 receptors. However, in stationary conditions, similarity between single‐channel currents in neurons and respective recombinant receptors was less apparent. We propose that the non‐stationary kinetics of GABAergic currents in VB and RT nuclei mimic that of currents mediated by α1‐ and α3‐subunit‐containing receptors. The dissimilarity between stationary kinetics of neuronal and recombinant receptors probably reflects differences between GABAARs mediating phasic and tonic currents in these neurons.
The Equity and Legitimacy of Markets for Ecosystem Services
Authors: Corbera Esteve , Brown Katrina , Adger W. Neil
Published: July 2007

Markets for ecosystem services are being promoted across the developing world, amidst claims that the provision of economic incentives is vital to bring about resource conservation. This article argues that equity and legitimacy are also critical dimensions in the design and implementation of such markets, if social development goals beyond economic gains are to be achieved. The article examines this issue by focusing on two communities involved in a project for carbon sequestration services of forests in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The perceived legitimacy of the activities and the distribution of economic outcomes and project‐related information are found to be mediated by organizational allegiances and the history of social relations regarding access to property and forest resources. Political affiliation determines the project's legitimacy, while the poorest farmers and women have been excluded from project design and implementation. The authors argue that pitfalls such as these contribute to reinforcing existing power structures, inequities and vulnerabilities, and suggest that this is a product of the nature of emerging markets. Markets for ecosystem services are, in effect, limited in promoting more legitimate forms of decision making and a more equitable distribution of their outcomes.
Resource Accessibility and Vulnerability in Andhra Pradesh: Caste and Non‐Caste Influences
Authors: Bosher Lee , Penning‐Rowsell Edmund , Tapsell Sue
Published: July 2007

Coastal Andhra Pradesh in southern India is prone to tropical cyclones. Access to key resources can reduce the vulnerability of the local population to both large‐scale disasters, such as cyclones, and to the sort of small‐scale crises that affect their everyday lives. This article uses primary fieldwork to present a resource accessibility vulnerability index for over 300 respondents. The index indicates that caste is the key factor in determining who has assets, who can access public facilities, who has political connections and who has supportive social networks. The ‘lower’ castes (which tend to be the poorest) are marginalized to the extent that they lack access to assets, public facilities and opportunities to improve their plight. However, the research also indicates that the poor and powerless lower castes are able to utilize informal social networks to bolster their resilience, typically by women's participation with CBOs and NGOs. Nevertheless it is doubtful whether this extra social capital counterbalances the overall results which show that — despite decades of counteractions by government — caste remains a dominant variable affecting the vulnerability of the people of coastal Andhra Pradesh to the hazards that they face.
No Change for Thirty Years: The Renewed Question of Women's Land Rights in Rural China
Authors: Judd Ellen R.
Published: July 2007

Since the mid‐1990s, a new land‐use rights regime has gradually come into effect in China. It follows upon a series of earlier changes — land reform, collectivization and the first wave of contracting land to households — that paid attention to women's role in publicly recognized work and provided access to land. The new regime, which has gradually come into effect as previous (usually fifteen‐year) terms expired, authorizes an adjustment in land allocation which is then normally frozen for thirty years. An apparently inadvertent effect of this policy is not only the exclusion of young people from direct access to land for up to thirty years from birth, but the de facto separation of the majority of women who marry or remarry patrilocally from allocated land. ‘No change for thirty years’ (sanshi nian bu bian) has thus become the distinctive feature for women of China's current land‐use regime. The state has renounced its potential to reallocate land periodically and there is no indication that market mechanisms are filling, or are capable of filling, the void thereby created. This article examines local conceptions, responses and practices regarding land‐use rights and their transfer within this new framework, using field evidence from three upland agricultural communities in Chongqing and Sichuan (studied in 2003, 2004 and 2005), where land allocations were fixed in 1995, 1999 and 2001 respectively. The ethnographic findings are further explored in relation to contemporary research on gender and land rights.
Mixed Outcomes: The Impact of Regional Autonomy and Decentralization on Indigenous Ethnic Minorities in Indonesia
Authors: Duncan Christopher R.
Published: July 2007

This article examines how indigenous ethnic minorities in Indonesia are being affected by the implementation of decentralization and regional autonomy policies. New legislation transferred responsibility and authority over various issues, including resource extraction and local governance, from the central government to regional authorities at the district level. Members of the growing indigenous rights movement hoped that this decentralization process would allow ethnic minority communities to retain or regain control over natural resources through local‐level politics. Furthermore, some ethnic minorities saw the implementation of decentralization as an opportunity to return to local forms of land tenure and resource management that had been disparaged by the national government for most of the twentieth century. However, these new laws also encourage district level governments to generate income through natural resource exploitation, as they will receive a certain percentage of these revenues. Minority communities could be adversely affected as local governments disregard their land rights in efforts to raise income to cover their new expenses, essentially continuing the practices of previous governments. This article examines the new opportunities, as well as the new threats, posed by decentralization to ethnic minorities throughout Indonesia.
Status Epilepticus in Children with Epilepsy: Dutch Study of Epilepsy in Childhood
Authors: Stroink Hans , Geerts Ada T. , Van Donselaar Cees A. , Peters A. C. Boudewijn , Brouwer Oebele F. , Peeters Els A. , Arts Willem F.
Published: July 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To study course and outcome of epilepsy in children having had a status epilepticus (SE) as the presenting sign or after the diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 494 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy, aged 1 month through 15 years, were followed prospectively for 5 years.

Results: A total of 47 Children had SE. Forty‐one of them had SE when epilepsy was diagnosed. For 32 (78%), SE was the first seizure. SE recurred in 13 out of 41 (32%). Terminal remission at 5 years (TR5) was not significantly worse for these 41 children: 31.7% had a TR5 <1 year versus 21.2% of 447 children without SE. They were not more often intractable. Five out of six children with first SE after diagnosis had a TR5 <1 year. Mortality was not significantly increased for children with SE. Independent factors associated with SE at presentation were remote symptomatic and cryptogenic etiology, and a history of febrile convulsions. Children with first SE after inclusion more often had symptomatic etiology.

Conclusions: Although we find a trend for shorter TR5 in children with SE at presentation, outcome and mortality are not significantly worse. Etiology is an important factor for prognosis. Children with SE during the course of their epilepsy have a worse prognosis and a high recurrence rate of SE. This outcome is not due to the SE itself, but related to the etiology and type of epilepsy. The occurrence of SE is just an indicator of the severity of the disease.
Current Treatment of Myoclonic Astatic Epilepsy: Clinical Experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Authors: Kilaru Sudha , Bergqvist A. G. Christina
Published: July 2007

Summary: Purpose:Myoclonic astatic epilepsy (MAE) is a generalized epilepsy of early childhood. Little is known about the use of newer antiepileptic treatments (AET) in MAE. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics, treatment, and outcome of a contemporary MAE cohort exposed to the new generation AET.

Methods:Charts of subjects with MAE treated between 1998 and 2005 were reviewed.

Results:Twenty‐three subjects (19 boys), with a median (range) follow‐up of 38 (2– 86) months were identified. Thirty‐nine percent had a family history of epilepsy, and 39% had family history of febrile seizures. Age at seizure onset was a median of 36 (12–24) months. Initial EEG was normal in 30%. When seizures ceased, EEG background and epileptiform abnormalities persisted in 17 and 58%, respectively. On average, each subject was exposed to five AET. The most frequently used AET was valproate (83%). Seizure freedom occurred spontaneously in three subjects, with ethosuximide and levetiracetam in one each, valproate and lamotrigine in two each, topiramate in three and the ketogenic diet (KD) in five subjects. By 36 months after seizure onset, 67% achieved seizure freedom. At the last visit, 43% were developmentally normal, 52% had mild, and 5% had moderate cognitive disabilities. Time to seizure freedom did not correlate with cognitive outcome.

Conclusions:The new generation of AET may offer significant benefit to children with MAE. The KD was the most effective AET in this series, and perhaps should be considered earlier in treatment.
Lack of Pharmacokinetic Interaction of Levetiracetam on Carbamazepine, Valproic Acid, Topiramate, and Lamotrigine in Children with Epilepsy
Authors: Otoul Christian , De Smedt Heidi , Stockis Armel
Published: July 2007

Summary

Purpose:To determine whether levetiracetam (LEV) affects plasma concentrations of carbamazepine, valproic acid, topiramate, and lamotrigine in children with epilepsy.

Methods:The potential for interaction of LEV with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was assessed using plasma drug levels obtained in a randomized placebo‐controlled phase III trial of adjunctive LEV in children receiving one or two concomitant AEDs. Multiple plasma AED levels at baseline and during adjunctive treatment with LEV or placebo were compared by repeated measures analysis of covariance and mean concentration ratios (treatment/baseline) were estimated with their 90% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:The study population included 187 children receiving any concomitant AED alone or in combination. The geometric mean concentrations at baseline and during LEV treatment were carbamazepine 8.4 μg/ml versus 8.1 μg/ml (coefficient of variation, CV = 30%; n = 35); valproic acid 83.8 versus 82.5 μg/ml (CV = 38%; n = 23); topiramate 7.3 versus 7.2 μg/ml (CV = 82%; n = 28); lamotrigine 8.2 versus 7.7 μg/ml (CV = 62%; n = 22). For each AED, the mean concentration ratios (LEV/baseline) and their 90% CIs showed that AED concentrations were unaffected by concomitant LEV administration. No differences were observed between LEV and placebo.

Conclusions:LEV does not affect plasma concentrations of carbamazepine, valproic acid, topiramate, or lamotrigine in children with epilepsy.
Intranasal Delivery of a Thyrotropin‐Releasing Hormone Analog Attenuates Seizures in the Amygdala‐Kindled Rat
Authors: Veronesi Michael C. , Kubek Daniel J. , Kubek Michael J.
Published: July 2007

Summary

Purpose:Thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH) is known to have anticonvulsant effects in several animal seizure models and is efficacious in treating patients with certain intractable epilepsies. However, the duration of TRH's action is limited due to low bioavailability and difficulty penetrating the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Since direct nose to brain delivery of therapeutic compounds may provide a means for overcoming these barriers, we utilized the kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy to determine if intranasal administration of a TRH analog, 3‐methyl‐histidine TRH (3Me‐H TRH), could significantly inhibit various seizure parameters.

Methods:Kindling was accomplished using a 1s train of 60 Hz biphasic square wave (200 μA peak to peak) administered daily to the basolateral amygdala until the animal was fully kindled. Afterdischarge duration (ADD) was assessed via electroencephalographs (EEGs) recorded bilaterally from bipolar electrodes in the basolateral amygdala and behavioral seizure severity (stage I–V) was simultaneously recorded digitally. Kindled subjects received 3Me‐H TRH (10−9, 10−8, 10−7M) intranasally 60 and 30 min prior to amygdala stimulation. The ADD and seizure stage was compared to control kindled animals receiving physiological saline intranasally.

Results:Intranasal application of 3Me‐H TRH resulted in a concentration‐dependent reduction in total seizure ADD. Additionally, the analog had significant concentration‐dependent effects on behavioral stages I through IV (partial) and stage V (generalized) seizures. However, 3Me‐H TRH significantly reduced clonus duration only at the highest concentration.

Discussion:The results indicate that intranasal delivery of TRH/analogs may be a viable means to suppress temporal lobe seizures and perhaps other seizure disorders.
Money Market Pressure and the Determinants of Banking Crises
Authors: VON HAGEN JÜRGEN , HO TAI‐KUANG
Published: July 2007

This article develops an index of money market pressure to identify banking crises. We define banking crises as periods in which there is excessive demand for liquidity in the money market. We begin with the theoretical foundation of this new method. With the newly defined crisis episodes, we examine the determinants of banking crises using data complied from 47 countries. We find that slowdown of real GDP, lower real interest rates, extremely high inflation, large fiscal deficits, and over‐valued exchange rates tend to precede banking crises. The effects of monetary base growth on the probability of banking crises are negligible.
Heterogeneous Market‐Making in Foreign Exchange Markets: Evidence from Individual Bank Responses to Central Bank Interventions
Authors: CHARI ANUSHA
Published: July 2007

Using high‐frequency data this article provides evidence that, on average, central bank interventions lead to increased volatility and a widening of bid–ask spreads in the intra‐day market for foreign exchange. The results also show that there is dispersion in the bid–ask spread revisions posted by individual banks in response to the central bank entering the market. The findings are consistent with predictions from standard models of market microstructure with heterogeneous agents and have implications for the market power of central banks as well as the payoff generated by trading large amounts of international reserves.
Determinacy, Learnability, and Monetary Policy Inertia
Authors: BULLARD JAMES , MITRA KAUSHIK
Published: July 2007

We show how monetary policy inertia can help alleviate problems of indeterminacy and non‐existence of stationary equilibrium observed for some commonly studied monetary policy rules. We also find that inertia promotes learnability of equilibrium. The context is a simple, forward‐looking model of the macroeconomy widely used in the rapidly expanding literature in this area. We conclude that this might be an important reason why central banks in the industrialized economies display considerable inertia when adjusting monetary policy in response to changing economic conditions.
The Effects of Bank Lending in an Open Economy
Authors: CLAUS IRIS
Published: July 2007

This article assesses the effects of bank lending in a small open economy with a floating exchange rate and sticky prices. A theoretical model with costly financial intermediation is developed for New Zealand. The results show that the long‐run and business cycle effects of bank lending are small. Whether firms borrow from financial intermediaries or public debt markets is unlikely to affect economic activity. In other words, the financial structure, or degree to which a country's financial system is intermediary based or market based, does not matter.
The superior retina performs better than the inferior retina when reading with eccentric viewing: a comparison in normal volunteers
Authors: Frennesson Christina , Nilsson Sven Erik
Published: July 2007

Purpose:  Patients with an absolute central scotoma, such as in age‐related macular degeneration, need to use eccentric viewing for reading. In the present study, we investigated whether there are differences in reading performance between the superior and inferior retina.

Methods:  Twelve volunteers with normal vision, aged 25–58 years and able to maintain stable eccentric viewing, were studied in a scanning laser ophthalmoscope while reading a line of text, 6 degrees above or below a fixation line (series A). The text, properly magnified above threshold, was scrolled at a speed of 60 words/min. The number of words missed or incorrectly read in 1 min as well as words read when occasionally fixating the text was counted. In series B, a random letter text was superimposed upon the fixation line (i.e. at 6 degrees from the original line of text) to see whether this would disturb reading. In series C, the random letter text was moved away from the fixation line to a distance of 12 degrees from the original line of text. The entire programme was repeated in reverse order, and the mean value of the two series was used for calculations, which were carried out using Student's two‐sided t‐test.

Results:  In all series of experiments, the number of errors was significantly lower when using the superior retina compared with the inferior retina (A: p = 0.006; B: p = 0.042, C: p = 0.009). The addition of the random letter line of text at 6 or 12 degrees did not disturb reading performance significantly. There was no significant difference between the superior and inferior retina in terms of visual acuity.

Conclusions:  In eccentric viewing, reading performance was significantly better when using the superior retina compared with the inferior retina. A line of random letter text at a distance of 6 or 12 degrees from the original line of text did not disturb reading significantly.