bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of tetrahydrobiopterin on venous bubble grade and acute diving‐induced changes in cardiovascular function
Authors: Glavas Duska , Bakovic Darija , Obad Ante , Palada Ivan , Breskovic Toni , Valic Zoran , Brubakk Alf O. , Dujic Zeljko
Published: December 2008

Introduction:  Self‐contained underwater breathing apparatus diving reduces cardiovascular function and increases pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) up to 3 days after a single dive. Acute antioxidants partially attenuated arterial endothelial dysfunction, whereas cardiac and PA functions were unaffected. We tested the hypothesis that acute tetrahydobiopterin (BH4), as a cofactor of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase, reduces bubble grade (BG) and attenuates alteration in cardiovascular function after diving because of increased NO bioavailability.

Materials and methods:  Mean PAP (mPAP), PA acceleration time and right ventricle ejection time, left ventricle ejection fraction (LV‐EF) and BG were measured after oral placebo (P), vitamin C (C) or a combination of vitamin C and BH4 (BH4) in a randomized, placebo controlled trial before and after field dive to 30 m of sea water for 30 min bottom time.

Results:  Eight recreational divers performed three dives with a 3‐days period between them. Regarding the primary hypothesis, no difference was observed between post‐dive changes in BG (2·1 ± 2·2 bubbles cm−2 for P, 3·4 ± 3·9 for C and 3·6 ± 2·1 for BH4), mPAP (25·6 ± 6·5 mmHg for P, 25·9 ± 8·6 for C and 22·6 ± 3·5 for BH4) and LV‐EF (62·6 ± 4·6% for P, 61·4 ± 3·9 for C and 61·6 ± 3·7 for BH4) with all three conditions.

Conclusion:  This suggests that co‐administration of BH4 and vitamin C does not improve heart and pulmonary artery function after diving.
Calibration of FISK, an Invasiveness Screening Tool for Nonnative Freshwater Fishes
Authors: Copp Gordon H. , Vilizzi Lorenzo , Mumford John , Fenwick Gemma V. , Godard Michael J. , Gozlan Rodolphe E.
Published: December 2008

Adapted from the weed risk assessment (WRA) of Pheloung, Williams, and Halloy, the fish invasiveness scoring kit (FISK) was proposed as a screening tool for freshwater fishes. This article describes improvements to FISK, in particular the incorporation of confidence (certainty/uncertainty) ranking of the assessors' responses, and reports on the calibration of the score system, specifically: determination of most appropriate score thresholds for classifying nonnative species into low‐, medium‐, and high‐risk categories, assessment of the patterns of assessors' confidences in their responses in the FISK assessments. Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, FISK was demonstrated to distinguish accurately (and with statistical confidence) between potentially invasive and noninvasive species of nonnative fishes, with the statistically appropriate threshold score for high‐risk species scores being ≥19. Within the group of species classed as high risk using this new threshold, a “higher risk” category could be visually identified, at present consisting of two species (topmouth gudgeon Pseudorasbora parva and gibel carp Carassius gibelio). FISK represents a useful and viable tool to aid decision‐ and policymakers in assessing and classifying freshwater fishes according to their potential invasiveness.
Ranking the Risks from Multiple Hazards in a Small Community
Authors: Li Hua , Apostolakis George E. , Gifun Joseph , VanSchalkwyk William , Leite Susan , Barber David
Published: December 2008

Natural hazards, human‐induced accidents, and malicious acts have caused great losses and disruptions to society. After September 11, 2001, critical infrastructure protection has become a national focus in the United States and is likely to remain one for the foreseeable future. Damage to the infrastructures and assets could be mitigated through predisaster planning and actions. A systematic methodology was developed to assess and rank the risks from these multiple hazards in a community of 20,000 people. It is an interdisciplinary study that includes probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), decision analysis, and expert judgment. Scenarios are constructed to show how the initiating events evolve into undesirable consequences. A value tree, based on multi‐attribute utility theory (MAUT), is used to capture the decisionmaker's preferences about the impacts on the infrastructures and other assets. The risks from random failures are ranked according to their expected performance index (PI), which is the product of frequency, probabilities, and consequences of a scenario. Risks from malicious acts are ranked according to their PI as the frequency of attack is not available. A deliberative process is used to capture the factors that could not be addressed in the analysis and to scrutinize the results. This methodology provides a framework for the development of a risk‐informed decision strategy. Although this study uses the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus as a case study of a real project, it is a general methodology that could be used by other similar communities and municipalities.
Does Education Necessarily Mean Enlightenment? The Case of Higher Education among Palestinians—Bedouin Women in Israel
Authors: Abu‐Rabia‐Queder Sarab
Published: December 2008

This study challenges and evaluates modern‐liberal‐humanistic discourse on education as enlightenment through analysis of the life stories of the first Bedouin women to acquire higher education (hereafter: First Women). The liberal discourse is examined in terms of its ethnic and genderial contexts and the special status these women gained as trailblazers. I explore the meaning of enlightenment among Bedouin women and the question of when and whether (higher) education facilitates or impedes their progress. [education, enlightenment, postmodernism, modernism, Bedouin women]
Raising Quality, Fostering “Creativity”: Ideologies and Practices of Education Reform in Beijing
Authors: Woronov T. E.
Published: December 2008

Critics of education in China call for increasing students' “creativity” as key to improving the nation's education. This article examines the idea of children's “creativity” in Beijing, associated with an education reform movement called “Education for Quality.” On the basis of ethnographic research in three elementary schools in Beijing, I argue that efforts to increase students' creativity flounder both on structural impediments within the Chinese educational system and on contradictions inherent within the ideology of children's “quality.” [China, education, quality, ideology]
Becoming Literate, Being Human: Adult Literacy and Moral Reconstruction in Botswana
Authors: Riemer Frances J.
Published: December 2008

This article draws on ethnographic research to examine relationships between literacy and identity for newly literate men and women in the southern African country of Botswana. Situating beliefs about literacy in the intersection of evangelical missionary discourse, colonial‐era labor practices, and modernity rhetoric, I argue that literacy is attributed with the power to transform oneself and describe an adult learning community that based pedagogy in these shared beliefs about literacy. [literacy practices, adult education, southern Africa, ethnographic research]
Definitions of response and remission in schizophrenia: recommendations for their use and their presentation
Authors: Leucht S. , Davis J. M. , Engel R. R. , Kissling W. , Kane J. M.
Published: December 2008

Objective:  To review and make recommendations for the definition and presentation of the terms ‘response’ and ‘remission’ in schizophrenia.

Method:  Selective review of publications on definitions of response and remission in schizophrenia.

Results:  When the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) or the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) are used for definitions of response, a cut‐off of at least 50% reduction of the baseline score should be used for acutely ill, non‐refractory patients and a cut‐off of at least 25% reduction for refractory patients. When percentage BPRS/PANSS reduction is calculated, the 18/30 points minimum scores meaning ‘no symptoms’ on the should be subtracted. In addition, responder rates from 0–100% could be presented in a table in steps of 25%. For large and simple practical trials, the Clinical Global Impression scale with suggested improvements could be used 1‐7 scale.

Conclusion:  To show how many patients are still symptomatic at the end of study and to show the overall amount of change in both remission and responder criteria should be presented.
Schizophrenia treatment: content versus delivery
Authors: Van Os J.
Published: December 2008

Objective:  To review the evidence supporting the importance of ensuring that patients with psychiatric disorders receive an optimal and appropriate level of non‐pharmacological treatment, and how Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) may be able to contribute to this aim.

Method:  Analysis of data from selected individual published studies on ACT, in addition to reviews from the Cochrane Library, and other study groups.

Results:  Treatment management using ACT appears to offer benefits in terms of reduction in hospitalisation, although there is some debate as to whether this is the most representative outcome measure. Preliminary indications using remission as an outcome measure have also shown promising results in favour of ACT.

Conclusion:  While further investigation and validation are necessary, current data indicate that ACT may be an appropriate strategy to facilitate the delivery of treatment to patients with psychotic disorders.
Connecting patient needs with treatment management
Authors: Kerwin R.
Published: December 2008

Objective:  To propose ideas for the development of a core strategy for monitoring patients with schizophrenia to ensure physical health and optimal treatment provision.

Method:  A panel of European experts in the field of schizophrenia met in Bordeaux in June 2006 to discuss, ‘Patient management optimisation through improved treatment monitoring.’

Results:  Key consensus from the discussion deemed that weight gain, oral health and ECG parameters were core baseline parameters to be monitored in all patients with schizophrenia. Further, an identification of a patient’s own barriers to treatment alongside local health service strategies might comprise elements of an individualised management strategy which would contribute to optimisation of treatment. Any monitoring strategy should be kept simple to encourage physician compliance.

Conclusion:  A practical solution to the difficulties of providing holistic patient care would be to suggest a limited set of physical parameters to be monitored by physicians on a regular basis.
Radiographic detection of artificial intra‐bony defects in the edentulous area
Authors: Van Assche N. , Jacobs R. , Coucke W. , Van Steenberghe D. , Quirynen M.
Published: December 2008

Background: Since intra‐bony pathologies might jeopardize implant outcome, their preoperative detection is crucial.

Material and methods: In sixteen human cadaver bloc sections from upper and lower jaws, artificial defects with progressively increasing size (n=7) have been created. From each respective defect, analogue and digital intra‐oral radiographs were taken, the latter processed via a periodontal filter and afterwards presented in black‐white as well as in colour, resulting in three sets of 7 images per bloc section. Eight observers were asked to diagnosis an eventual defect on randomly presented radiographs, and at another occasion to rank each set based on the defect size.

Results: The clinicians were only able to identify a defect, when the junctional area was involved, except for bony pieces with a very homogeneous structure.

Conclusion: For longitudinal evaluation of healing bone (e.g. after tooth extraction), colour digital images can be recommended. These observations indicate that intra‐oral radiographs are not always reliable for the detection of any intra‐bony defect.
Purely cancellous vs. corticocancellous bone in sinus floor augmentation with autogenous iliac crest: a prospective clinical trial
Authors: Gerressen Marcus , Hermanns‐Sachweh Benita , Riediger Dieter , Hilgers Ralf‐Dieter , Spiekermann Hubertus , Ghassemi Alireza
Published: December 2008

Objectives: Among the different graft materials being applied in sinus elevation surgery autogenous bone, especially from the iliac crest, is considered to be the graft of choice. The goal of this prospective study was to investigate whether purely cancellous transplants of this donor site lead to significantly better results regarding bone quantity and quality when compared to corticocancellous iliac bone grafts.

Material and methods: Fifteen patients suffering from extreme maxillary atrophy underwent bilateral sinus floor augmentation with grafts from the iliac crest consisting of purely cancellous bone (PCB) for the right side and a mixture of 50% cancellous and 50% cortical bone for the left side, respectively. Bone samples that were taken during implant insertion were examined histologically for semiquantitative assessment. In addition, bone density was measured histomorphometrically. Data were statistically analyzed by a repeated measures analysis of covariance model and post hoc paired t‐tests as well as Pearson's correlation analysis.

Results: Semiquantitative analysis of bone quality resulted in comparable results for both graft preparations while bone density was significantly higher in the PCB group. Without consideration of the different transplant groups, there was neither a significant correlation between patients' age and bone density nor bone quality. Differences between the genders could not be observed either.

Conclusions: Because of better bone density, the PCB graft from the iliac crest remains our gold standard. Even in elderly patients, autogenous grafts can be utilized without losses in the properties of the resulting bone.
Sinus floor augmentation with recombinant human growth and differentiation factor‐5 (rhGDF‐5): a pilot study in the Goettingen miniature pig comparing autogenous bone and rhGDF‐5
Authors: Gruber Rudolf Matthias , Ludwig Arwed , Merten Hans‐Albert , Pippig Susanne , Kramer Franz‐Josef , Schliephake Henning
Published: December 2008

Aim: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that recombinant human growth and differentiation factor‐5 (rhGDF‐5) in combination with a β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) scaffold material results in superior bone formation in sinus floor augmentations in miniature pigs compared with a particulated autogenous bone graft combined with the scaffold material.

Material and methods: Six adult female Goettingen minipigs underwent a maxillary sinus floor augmentation procedure. In a split‐mouth design, the sinus floors were augmented with β‐TCP mixed with autogenous cortical bone chips, in a ratio of approximately 1 : 1, on one side. The contralateral test site was augmented using β‐TCP coated with two concentrations of rhGDF‐5 (400 μg rhGDF‐5/g β‐TCP or 800 μg rhGDF‐5/g β‐TCP; three animals in each case). Simultaneously, one dental implant was inserted into each sinus floor augmentation. After 12 weeks, a histological and histomorphometric assessment of non‐decalcified histological specimens was made.

Results: There were significantly higher mean values of volume density of newly formed bone using β‐TCP coated with two concentrations of rhGDF‐5 (400 μg: 32.9%; 800 μg: 23.9%) than with the corresponding control (autogenous bone/β‐TCP) (14.6%, 12.9%) (P=0.012, P=0.049). The bone‐to‐implant contact rates (BIC) were significantly enhanced in test sites (400 μg: 84.2%; 800 μg: 69.8%) compared with the corresponding control sites (24.8%, 40.8%) (P=.027, P=.045).

Conclusion: rhGDF‐5 delivered on β‐TCP significantly enhanced bone formation compared with β‐TCP combined with autogenous bone in sinus lift procedures in miniature pigs.
Assessment of bone vascularity in the anterior mandible using laser Doppler flowmetry
Authors: Verdonck Henk W. D. , Meijer Gert J. , Kessler Peter , Nieman Fred H. , De Baat Cees , Stoelinga Paul J. W.
Published: December 2008

Objectives: In irradiated bone, a method assessing vascularity of intended implant recipient bone would be of clinical significance in preventing early implant loss and in reducing the risk of osteoradionecrosis due to surgical oral implant insertion. At present, assessing bone vascularity clinically, using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), seems to be realistic. The hypotheses of this study were that bone vascularity in the human anterior mandible can be assessed during implant insertion by LDF and that the recorded LDF values are providing standard data for bone vascularity in the human anterior mandible.

Material and methods: Twenty‐three randomly selected non‐irradiated edentulous patients scheduled for treatment with oral implants in the anterior mandible were assigned, 12 men and 11 women. The patients' history of edentulousness and resorption of the residual alveolar ridges were registered. In pilot osteotomy sites of planned implant insertion, the bone vascularity was registered, using LDF and expressed in perfusion units (PU). The statistical distribution and characteristics of the LDF values were explored, separately for men and women.

Results: A total of 41 pilot osteotomy sites were recorded with a mean LDF value of 25.80 PU. No obvious gender difference was found and LDF values did not show a relationship with patient's age or history of edentulousness.

Conclusion: The hypotheses that bone vascularity in the human anterior mandible can be assessed during implant insertion by LDF and that the recorded LDF values are providing standard data for bone vascularity in the human anterior mandible, were confirmed.
The Protein Kinase A‐Anchoring Protein Moesin is Bound to Pigment Granules in Melanophores
Authors: Semenova Irina , Ikeda Kazuho , Ivanov Pavel , Rodionov Vladimir
Published: December 2008

Major signaling cascades have been shown to play a role in the regulation of intracellular transport of organelles. In Xenopus melanophores, aggregation and dispersion of pigment granules are regulated by the second messenger cyclic AMP through the protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway. PKA is bound to pigment granules where it forms complexes with molecular motors involved in pigment transport. Association of PKA with pigment granules occurs through binding to A‐kinase‐anchoring proteins (AKAPs), whose identity remains largely unknown. In this study, we used mass spectrometry to examine an 80 kDa AKAP detected in preparations of purified pigment granules. We found that tryptic digests of granule protein fractions enriched in the 80 kDa AKAP contained peptides that corresponded to the actin‐binding protein moesin, which has been shown to function as an AKAP in mammalian cells. We also found that recombinant Xenopus moesin interacted with PKA in vitro, copurified with pigment granules and bound to pigment granules in cells. Overexpression in melanophores of a mutant moesin lacking conserved PKA‐binding domain did not affect aggregation of pigment granules but partially inhibited their dispersion. We conclude that Xenopus moesin is an AKAP whose PKA‐scaffolding activity plays a role in the regulation of pigment dispersion in Xenopus melanophores.
Terra Firma forme dermatosis. Case series and review of the literature
Authors: Akkash Laith , Badran Dana , Al‐Omari Aseel Q
Published: December 2008

Terra Firma forme dermatosis (TFFD) is an infrequently described disorder which features dirt‐like lesions that clear after rubbing with alcohol. We describe a series of four patients with the disorder, discuss differential diagnostic considerations and review the literature.
Inhaled corticosteroid therapy reduces cytokine levels in sputum from very preterm infants with chronic lung disease
Authors: Honda Rie , Ichiyama Takashi , Sunagawa Shinpei , Maeba Shinji , Hasegawa Keiko , Furukawa Susumu
Published: December 2008

Aim: To evaluate the effects of inhaled corticosteroid therapy and high‐frequency oscillatory ventilation (oscillation) on preterm infants with chronic lung disease (CLD).

Methods: Ten infants with CLD who received inhaled corticosteroid therapy were enrolled. Week 1 was defined as the first week of therapy. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)‐8, tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐10 and IL‐12p70 in serial sputum specimens from the infants were determined using a cytometric bead array.

Results: The sputum concentrations of IL‐8 obtained from the infants during week 3–4 were significantly lower than those obtained before therapy and during week 1–2. The sputum concentrations of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐10 during week 3–4 were significantly lower than the concetrations during week 1–2. The ratio of IL‐8 levels during week 1–2 to those before therapy in infants who received oscillation (n = 4) was significantly lower than in those who received intermittent mandatory ventilation (n = 6).

Conclusion: Inhaled corticosteroids may be associated with a decrease in pro‐inflammatory cytokine levels in sputum from infants with CLD from 2 weeks after the start of therapy. Our further investigations suggest that therapy with oscillation modulated airway inflammation earlier than therapy with intermittent mandatory ventilation.
Risk factors of neonatal respiratory distress following vaginal delivery and caesarean section in the German population
Authors: Heinzmann Andrea , Brugger Markus , Engels Christina , Prömpeler Heinrich , Superti‐Furga Andrea , Strauch Konstantin , Krueger Marcus
Published: December 2008

Background: The incidence of caesarean section (CS) is steadily rising world‐wide. In particular, CS on maternal demand is performed more frequently. In parts, this might be due to insufficient information of pregnant women about neonatal risks of CS. We sought to specify neonatal outcomes following different modes of delivery, i.e. vaginal delivery, primary CS and secondary CS and to define risk factors for respiratory morbidity and hospitalization.

Methods: We analysed 2073 births (gestational age > 35 weeks) during a two‐year period at a tertiary obstetric and neonatal centre in Germany. Statistical analyses were performed for single parameters by SPSS as well as by logistic regression to account for possible confounders. Furthermore, extensive model calculation was done.

Results: Respiratory morbidity was increased following primary and secondary CS (p = 0.001). By multiple logistic regression, the strongest effect on respiratory symptoms was seen with gestational age, each week more in utero reducing the risk by an odds ratio (OR) of 0.69 (95% CI: [0.61; 0.79]; p = 1.9 × 10−8). Furthermore, a significant interaction between mode of delivery and gestational age was found for the risk of respiratory symptoms (p = 0.0035).

Conclusion: For every eight newborns delivered by primary CS one more than expected with vaginal delivery is hospitalized. It is highly relevant to recognize that each week of gestational age reduces the risk of respiratory symptoms, especially if primary CS is performed. The higher rate of respiratory morbidity and neonatal admission following CS should be clearly recognized in counselling of pregnant women.
AGEING TOWARDS 2000: A CHALLENGE FOR THE RE‐FURBISHMENT OF A SELF
Authors: Seedsman T. A. , Amiel Henry Frederic
Published: December 2008

This paper offers the view that individuals need to accept a large measure of responsibility for their journey toward and into old age. The challenge is for people approaching retirement to have the courage and foresight to re‐invent life in its fullest sense. Many Australians are deceptively unprepared for the likely prospect of spending twenty‐five to thirty years in occupational retirement. It is suggested that society needs to encourage individuals during middle‐life and beyond to become portfolio people in the sense that they are prepared to add new dimensions and challenges to their lives. A number of perspectives for positive adaptation to later life are provided in conjunction with a philosophical framework for activating a meaningful and productive leisure lifestyle.

A great deal of talent is lost in the world from want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whom timidity prevented from making a first effort; who if they could have been induced to begin, would have in all probability gone great lengths in the career of same. The fact is that to do anything in the world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can. (Burnside 1976, p.3.)
COMMUNITY IMPACTS OF TOURISM AMONG OLDER AND LONG‐TERM RESIDENTS
Authors: Ross G. F.
Published: December 2008

Five hundred and seventeen residents, 60 years of age and older, of an Australian tourist city were surveyed to assess the perceived degree of tourism impact. Impact domains examined included economic, social, cultural, leisure, planning and crime. A range of socio‐demographic information was also gathered including age, sex, years of residence, number of friends and relatives working in the tourism industry and suburb location. Older and long‐term residents were more likely to reveal negative evaluations regarding tourism's effects on the social and cultural life of the city and were more likely to believe that tourism was associated with a higher crime rate, and that tourism had not led to more leisure facilities for city residents. In contrast, older and long‐term residents who had more friends and relatives working in the tourism industry were more positive in their evaluation of the effects of the industry on the life of the city. It was also found that females saw fewer leisure and recreation facilities coming as the result of tourism than did males. Finally it was found that older respondents who had been resident in the city at the time of the second world war were more positive in their estimation of American and Australian tourists and somewhat less so for other groups. Implications of these findings for regional planners in tourist cities, for the tourist industry and for future research in this area are explored.
HEALTH AND WELL‐BEING FOR OLDER ADULTS THROUGH PHYSICAL EXERCISES AND SPORTS ‐ OUTLINE OF A MODEL
Authors: Meusel H.
Published: December 2008

For maintaining and developing motor mobility in old age, motor activity is essential. Many phenomena, which have so far been thought to be due to natural consequences of the ageing process, can now be traced back to lack of physical activity. These findings are illustrated by references to the most important human subsystems (such as the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, etc.). To keep these subsystems, and the body as a whole, functioning as well as possible, we must improve their specific adaptability through sport and exercise. Sport and exercise for the elderly, as well as gymnastics for senior citizens, should therefore improve coordinative skills, the ability of the muscles to relax, joint flexibility, muscle strength, endurance, vegetative adaptability, stress tolerance, control of body weight, and resistance to infection.

Training plans for the elderly should cater for as wide a range of abilities and skills and include as great a variety of activities as possible. In this way physical activity will be most efficient as a means of prophylaxis against premature deterioration of motor performance in old age. By maintaining motor ability older people will increase their well‐being and improve the quality of their life.
Post‐ischemic brain damage: targeting PARP‐1 within the ischemic neurovascular units as a realistic avenue to stroke treatment
Authors: Moroni Flavio , Chiarugi Alberto
Published: December 2008

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in industrialized countries but efficacious stroke treatment is still an unmet need. Preclinical research indicates that different molecules afford protection from ischemic neurodegeneration, but all clinical trials conducted so far have inexorably failed. Critical re‐evaluation of experimental data shows that all the components of the neurovascular unit, such as neurons, glia, endothelia and basal membranes, must be protected during the ischemic insult to obtain substantial and long‐lasting neuroprotection. Here, we propose the nuclear enzyme poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP‐1) as a key effector of cell death in the various elements of the neurovascular units, and assert that drugs inhibiting PARP‐1 may therefore represent valuable tools for pharmacological treatment of stroke patients.
Membrane compartments and purinergic signalling: the role of plasma membrane microdomains in the modulation of P2XR‐mediated signalling
Authors: Garcia‐Marcos Mikel , Dehaye Jean‐Paul , Marino Aida
Published: December 2008

Purinergic signalling is implicated in virtually any cellular and physiological function. These functions are mediated through the activation of different receptor subfamilies, among which P2X receptors (P2XRs) are ligand‐gated ion channels that respond mostly to ATP. In addition to forming a nonselective cation channel, these receptors engage with a complex network of signalling pathways, including protein kinase cascades, lipid signal mediators and proteases. It is poorly understood how P2XR stimulation couples to such a variety of intracellular pathways and how the outcome from this complex signalling network is tuned. In this context, segregation of receptors and other signalling components at the plasma membrane is an attractive explanation. Lipid rafts are microdomains of biological membranes with unique physicochemical properties that make them segregate from the bulk of the membrane, provoking the differential partition of receptors and signalling molecules among different domains of the plasma membrane. Here we give an overview of the properties of lipid rafts and how they are studied, along with recent advances in the understanding of their role in modulating P2XR‐mediated signalling.
Membrane compartments and purinergic signalling: P2X receptors in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory events
Authors: Apolloni Savina , Montilli Cinzia , Finocchi Pamela , Amadio Susanna
Published: December 2008

ATP is a potent signalling molecule abundantly present in the nervous system, where it exerts physiological actions ranging from short‐term responses such as neurotransmission, neuromodulation and glial communication, to long‐term effects such as trophic actions. The fast signalling targets of extracellular ATP are represented by the ionotropic P2X receptors, which are broadly and abundantly expressed in neurons and glia in the whole central and peripheral nervous systems. Because massive extracellular release of ATP often occurs by lytic and non‐lytic mechanisms, especially after stressful events and pathological conditions, purinergic signalling is correlated to and involved in the aetiopathology and/or progression of many neurodegenerative diseases. In this minireview, we highlight the contribution of the subclass of ionotropic P2X receptors to several diseases of the human nervous system, such as neurodegenerative disorders and immune‐mediated neuroinflammatory dysfunctions including ischaemia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis. The role of P2X receptors as novel and effective targets for the genetic/pharmacological manipulation of purinergic mechanisms in several neuropathological conditions is now well established. Nevertheless, any successful therapeutic intervention against these diseases cannot be restricted to P2X receptors, but should take into consideration the whole and multipart ATP signalling machinery.
Ejection of hypervelocity binary stars by a black hole of intermediate mass orbiting Sgr A*
Authors: Sesana A. , Madau P. , Haardt F.
Published: December 2008

The discovery of hypervelocity binary stars (HVBs) in the Galactic halo would provide definite evidence of the existence of a massive black hole companion to Sgr A*. Here, we use a hybrid approach to compute the rate of ejection and the total number of HVBs produced by a hypothetical intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH, M2 < 105 M⊙) orbiting Sgr A*. Depending on the mass of M2 and on the properties of binary stars in the central parsec of the Milky Way, we show that the number of undisrupted HVBs expected to be expelled from the Galactic Centre before binary black hole coalescence ranges from zero to a few dozen at most. Therefore, the non-detection of stellar binaries in a complete survey of hypervelocity stars would not rule out the occurrence of an IMBH–Sgr A* in-spiralling event within the last few ×108 yr.
Growth Coalitions and Rural Development Policy in the EU and the US Coalitions pour la croissance et politique de développement rural dans l’Union européenne et les États‐Unis Wachstumskoalitionen und Politik zur Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums in der EU und den USA
Authors: Warner Mildred , Shortall Sally
Published: December 2008

Growth Coalitions and Rural Development Policy in the EU and the US

A recent issue of EuroChoices (7:1) was devoted to a discussion of comparative US–EU rural development policies. This article discusses the concept of growth coalitions, well developed in urban literature but less so in rural literature. Some light is shed on the different positions of rural and environmental issues in EU and US policies. The agricultural lobby is the dominant actor in agricultural growth coalitions because it perceives land in terms of its exchange value. Environmental and rural development actors perceive land in terms of its use value and its contributions to quality of life: they form a rural development coalition, seeing the need to balance growth with quality of life, but they have less political power than the agricultural growth coalition. In the European context, rural and environmental agendas are linked to a multi‐functional agricultural agenda allowing common ground between these two coalitions and greater visibility in the policy arena. In the US, rural interests and environmental groups are more often in opposition to agriculture. This reduces their political visibility and clout. The challenge is how to link the power of the agricultural growth coalitions with rural development coalitions to achieve a broader balance of concerns and a more effective rural development policy.
EFFECTS OF SOME VASOACTIVE DRUGS ON THE VESSELS OF CEREBRAL GREY MATTER IN THE DOG
Authors: HÄGGENDAL EGIL
Published: December 2008

Egil Häggendal. Effects of some vasoactive drugs on the vessels of cerebral grey matter in the dog. Acta physiol. scand. 1965. 66. Suppl. 258. 55–79. ‐ The effects on cerebral circulation of intravenously infused pressor substances, noradrenaline and metaraminol (Aramine MSD) and injected papaverine were studied in 11 mongrel dogs, anaesthetized with pentobarbital. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by external recording of the clearance of radioactive krypton (Kr85) from the brain after short intracarotid injections. Resolutions of the clearance curves into the main components allowed evaluation of blood flow of the cerebral grey matter as distinguished from flow of other cerebral or extracerebral tissues. Previous studies concerning the major effects of the used pressor drugs and papaverine were confirmed but the effects were found to be much more pronounced for the grey matter than for the brain as a whole. The vasoconstricting effect of the pressor drugs was observed also in hypotensive states. It was demonstrated that cerebral autoregulation of flow still functioned during the increased vascular resistance produced by the pressor drugs. Papaverine was also found to dilate the cerebral vessels while the latter were under the influence of the pressor drugs. The effects of these substances were also obvious when slight hypoxia and/or hypercapnia were induced. The mechanism of the earlier described differentiated effect of pressor drugs in normal and hypotensive state is discussed.
The Effect of Metabolic and Ion Transport Inhibitors on the Impulse Activity and Oxygen Uptake of an Isolated Crustacean Neurone
Authors: Glacobini Ezio
Published: December 2008

The effect of 19 metabolic and ion transport inhibitors acting at various enzymatic levels within several metabolic pathways was investigated upon a single neurone preparation of the crayfish stretch receptor organ. Both the nerve cell function as judged by its impulse activity and its metabolism expressed by oxygen uptake were studied. Each inhibitor was tried at various concentrations and pH values. The effect of the respiratory inhibitors, especially rotenone and antimycin A, suggests a coupling of respiration and impulse activity in the crustacean nerve cell. The marked effect of the glycolytic inhibitors and of Na‐malonate strongly suggests a link between glycolysis and Krebs' cycle from one side and maintenance of impulse activity from the other. This view is also supported by the effect of glucose restoring activity after the block caused by several inhibitors. Ouabain and digoxin inhibit both impulse activity and oxygen uptake. In general respiration seems to be less sensitive to inhibitors than the impulse activity, indicating the presence of a safety factor for respiratory processes.
Lactate Elimination and Oxidation in Thyroidectomized, Untreated and Thyroxine‐treated Rabbits
Authors: Svedmyr Nils
Published: December 2008

On the infusion of 11.5 mg L(+)lactate per kg per min for 60 min in the rabbit the increase in the lactate concentration in the blood was smaller in thyroxine‐treated than in untreated and thyroidectomized animals. This was considered to be due to an increase in the metabolic rate of lactate after thyroxine. The regression coefficient for the correlation between the stimulation of oxygen consumption and the increase in the lactic acid content of the blood was higher in thyroxine‐treated than in untreated and thyroidectomized animals.
The Effect of Triiodothyronine Treatment on the Catecholamine Content of the Blood during Infusion of Adrenaline in Man
Authors: Haggendal Jan , Svedmyr Nils
Published: December 2008

The effect of a 30 min i.v. infusion of adrenaline in a dose of 0.1μg/kg/min on the catecholamine content of venous blood was investigated in 5 healthy subjects accustomed to such tests. The adrenaline content increased during the infusion and after 20–30 min reached a maximum value. Oral administration of 1 mg triiodothyronine, which dose potentiated some of the metabolic effects of adrenaline, did not affect either the basal adrenaline content of the blood or the course of its increase during the infusion. The noradrenaline content did not change significantly. It seems probable that the potentiating action of triiodothyronine on certain of the adrenaline effects cannot be ascribed to a change in catecholamine uptake or breakdown.
Sulphate Conjugation during Pregnancy and under the Influence of Cortisone
Authors: Ulkkinen Martti O. P.
Published: December 2008

During pregnancy there is a tendency to lower sulphate conjugation with p‐nitrophenol and also perhaps a tendency to lower sulphurylation of the steroids in guinea pig and rat. Cortisone has no influence on the sulphate conjugation capacity of these compounds in non‐pregnant rats. The sulphurylation capacity of placenta is very low also, and the balance between conjugation and hydrolysis can be assumed to be on the side of the latter.
Two Types of Stretch‐Activated Post‐Synaptic Inhibitions in Spinal Motoneurones as Differentiated by Strychnine
Authors: Kellerth Jan‐Olof , Szumski Alfred J.
Published: December 2008

The effects of strychnine on post‐synaptic inhibitions were intracellularly investigated in cat popliteal, common peroneal and hamstring motoneurones which were activated by stretch of the triceps surae, tibialis anterior or semitendinosus muscles. Inhibitions from muscle stretch were studied by the following four criteria: i) hyperpolarization of the post‐synaptic membrane, ii) decrease in size of the monosynaptic excitatory post‐synaptic potential, iii) reduction of firing rate of a motoneurone stimulated by injected depolarizing current, and iv)“synaptic activation noise” in a hyperpolarizing direction. Post‐synaptic inhibitions abolished by strychnine (strychnine‐ sensitive) and those remaining after strychnine (strychnine‐resistant) were identified. Both types of inhibition were shown to act on the post‐synaptic membrane. Strychnine‐resistant post‐synaptic inhibition was frequently encountered and was found to have characteristics similar to those described for presynaptic inhibition.
Respiratory and Circulatory Effects of CO2 Administered Gastroenterally
Authors: Landin A.‐M. , Malmborg O. , Nisell O. , Zetterquist S.
Published: December 2008

Pure CO2 was injected through a tube into the stomach of 15 subjects for at least 15 min and with a rate of 50–300 ml per min. The CO2 administration caused a proportional increase of the ventilation by 1.4—6.3 1/min. The simultaneous increase of CO2 expiration (43—264 ml/min) was less than expected from the amount given, implying an accumulation in the body of 6—30 per cent of the CO2 injected. The changes in arterial CO2 tension were small, while blood sampled in 7 cases from the pulmonary artery showed more marked increases. There was also a significant rise of the oxygen uptake and of the heart rate, with a concomitant tendency to an increase of the cardiac output. The pulmonary vascular resistance decreased in 6 cases out of 8.
Effects of Combined Hormone Therapy on Erythropoiesis in the Intact Rabbit
Authors: Halvorsen S. , Lindemann R.
Published: December 2008

The effect of hypothalamic stimulation was compared with the effect of administration of GH — ACTH and GH — ACTH — thyroxin — testosterone to intact rabbits daily for 2 weeks and the changes in erythropoiesis have been followed with the same parameters as in the previous study. GH‐ACTH caused a moderate reticulocytosis but less than GH alone, and a slight increase in red cell mass but less than ACTH alone. The effect of the combined hormone administration was intermediate between the effect of the single hormones. Increased production of GH and ACTH is unlikely to be the cause of the effect of hypothalamic stimulation on erythropoiesis. GH‐ACTH‐fhyroxin‐testosterone increased both reticulocytes, red cell mass, red cell mass per kg body weight, hemoglobin, number of erythrocytes and hematocrit, and the effect following 2 weeks of administration was more marked than following electrical stimulation of hypothalamus. The end effect of combined hormone therapy on erythropoiesis cannot therefore be separated from the end effect of electrical stimulation of hypothalamus. There was, however, no significant increase in plasma erythropoietin levels in the group of rabbits receiving combined hormone therapy for 14 days when tested either in starved or in polycythemic mice. This finding may point to the existence of another operating mechanism in the rabbits receiving electrical stimulation of hypothalamus than in those receiving hormones.
The Effect of Cinchophen on the Acid Polysaccharides of the Gastric and Duodenal Wall in Dog
Authors: Häkkinen I. , Hartiala K.
Published: December 2008

Dogs were fed with an ulcerogenic agent, cinchophen, for 6 days and 14 days. The acid polysaccharides of the gastric wall were fractionated and the aminosugar content of the fractions was determined. After 6 days cinchophen feeding a significant increase in the amount of fractions containing chondroitin sulfuric acid B and in three fractions containing epithelial sulfopolysaccharides were noted, whereas the amount of the fraction containing hyaluronic acid showed an opposite tendency. The change in chondroitin sulfuric acid B content was the greatest in the middle sections of the mucosa of the antrum. At this time no ulcers had yet appeared.

After 14 days feeding the content of chondroitin sulfuric acid B fell significantly in all parts of the gastric wall (duodenum, antrum and corpus). In antrum and duodenum it was noted that one of the epithelial polysaccharide fractions also fell. These changes were found over the whole area of the gastric and duodenal wall. The bearing of these observations on the changes in nutritional conditions in the gastric wall is discussed. It would appear that cinchophen feeding is followed by changes in the connective tissue polysaccharides, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphuric acid B and that these changes take place already prior to the ulcer formation.
The Effect of Restraint on the Content of Acid Polysaccharides of Glandular Gastric Wall in Rat
Authors: Häkkinen I. , Hartiala K. , Lang H.
Published: December 2008

Rats were subjected to restraint of various lengths of time. In the experiments of longer duration ulcers developed whereas in the shorter experiments no ulcers were seen. The aminosugar content of acid polysaccharides in the gastric wall of the glandular stomach were increased slightly in the “pre‐ulcerous” groups and fell sharply to below control values in the ulcer groups. Fractionation of polysaccharides from the ulcer groups showed that the fractions believed to contain connective tissue polysaccharides (chondroitin sulfuric acid and hyaluronic acid) and one of the fractions containing epithelial mucopolysaccharides fell significantly. This effect has also been seen in other studies in dogs after cinchophen feeding. This study shows that the changes in the gastric wall polysaccharides can be affected endogenously without any pharmacological agents.
Effect of Thyroidectomy on the Postnatal Fate of the Extra‐adrenal Chromaffin Tissue of the Rat
Authors: Lempinen Matti , Ojala Kari
Published: December 2008

The present study was undertaken in an attempt to explain the possible intermediate effect of cortisone through thyroid gland on the extra‐adrenal chromaffin tissue of the rat. No significant difference in the postnatal disappearance of extra‐adrenal chromaffin cells was observed between the thyroidectomized and normal unoperated controls. On the other hand, cortisone administration sufficient to in‐ crease the amount of extra‐adrenal chromaffin tissue, did not much inactivate the thyroid, as judged histologically.
The Effect of Gold Exposure on the Catecholamine Excretion of Rats Treated with Decaborane
Authors: Johnson D. G.
Published: December 2008

Rats treated with decaborane exhibited a marked reduction in the noradrenaline (NA) content of heart, liver, and spleen but no significant fall in adrenal catecholamines. Decaborane‐treated animals excreted less NA but more adrenaline (A) than control animals. When exposed to 3° C, control animals survived and showed increased NA excretion in contrast to decaborane‐treated rats, which, however, responded with increased excretion of A until death after 4–6 days. Unlike adrenalectomized controls adrenalectomized rats treated with decaborane failed to increase their NA excretion during cold exposure and died in less than 20 hrs. The survival of cold‐exposed animals appears to be related to the liberation of NA, with A release serving as an important secondary mechanism of defense against cold. The results suggest that decaborane treatment curtails the supply of NA in vivo, presumably owing to inhibition of synthesis.