bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison between aortic, mitral and tricuspid annular velocities measured with quantitative two‐dimensional color Doppler tissue imaging in healthy subjects
Authors: Emilsson K. , Egerlid R. , Magnuson A. , Nygren B. M.
Published: May 2007

Objectives  To compare the systolic, early and late diastolic velocities of the aortic, mitral and tricuspid annuli in healthy subjects and to study the intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility (IIOR) of measuring the velocities at the aortic annulus.

Methods  Twenty healthy subjects with mean age 28 years were investigated with quantitative two‐dimensional color Doppler tissue imaging and the systolic, early and late diastolic velocities were measured at the aortic, mitral and tricuspid annuli.

Results  The mitral annulus had significant higher systolic velocity and early diastolic velocity than the aortic annulus. The late diastolic velocity was significant lower at the aortic annulus compared with the both other annuli.

At the different sites of the annuli the highest systolic velocity and early diastolic velocity were measured at the lateral site of the mitral annulus, whereas the lowest systolic velocity was measured at the septal site of the same annulus. The lowest early diastolic velocity was found at the septal site of the aortic annulus.

The highest late diastolic velocity was measured at the lateral site of the tricuspid annulus and the lowest at the lateral site of the aortic annulus.

Conclusions  The mitral annulus has statistical significant higher systolic and early diastolic velocities than the aortic annulus. There are significant differences in velocities between several of the different sites of the annuli. IIOR of measuring the systolic and early diastolic velocities of the aortic annulus is good.
Keeping London working: global cities, the British state and London's new migrant division of labour
Authors: May Jon , Wills Jane , Datta Kavita , Evans Yara , Herbert Joanna , McIlwaine Cathy
Published: May 2007

This paper explores the emergence of a new ‘migrant division of labour’ in London. In contrast to a vision of ‘professionalization’, it shows that London's labour market has been characterized by processes of occupational polarization and that a disproportionate number of London's low‐paid jobs are now filled by foreign‐born workers. Drawing on original survey data, the paper explores the pay and conditions of London's low‐paid migrant workers and develops a framework for understanding the emergence of a new migrant division of labour in London. In particular, the paper stresses the role of the British state in shaping this divide. The paper concludes that the emergence of such a divide in London necessitates a re‐conceptualization of the place of migrant workers in the ‘global city’ and of the processes shaping global city labour markets, and outlines what this new division of labour might mean for politics and policy in London.
British Asian narratives of urban space
Authors: Phillips Deborah , Davis Cathy , Ratcliffe Peter
Published: May 2007

Ethnic segregation is at the centre of debates about ‘race’ and ‘difference’, integration and citizenship in multicultural Britain. This paper critically examines discourses of segregation and challenges interpretations based on cultural ‘otherness’, normative assumptions about patterns of social and spatial integration and the ‘whiteness’ of the city. Drawing on research in Leeds and Bradford, the paper presents insights into how British Asians perceive, and make sense of, the spaces in which they are living and through which they are being enjoined to disperse. Their narratives of the city reveal multiple readings of ethnic segregation, the multi‐ethnic inner city and the suburbs.
Changing climate and extreme floods in the British uplands
Authors: Macklin Mark G , Rumsby Barbara T
Published: May 2007

Recent devastating flood events in the British uplands have focused attention on flood prediction and risk assessment, and highlighted one of the most important challenges facing river basin managers in the UK. The short instrumental record of river flow in the UK and the sparse distribution of gauges in upland river basins hamper predictions of future flooding. In this study, we compare and evaluate all lichen‐dated flood deposits from UK upland river basins in order to assess changing flood risk over the last 250 years. Our analysis indicates that the incidence and size of extreme events have markedly decreased over the last 50 years, and may be at their lowest level since ad 1750. Occurrence of extreme upland floods over the last 200–300 years appears to be associated with negative North Atlantic Oscillation index values and significant non‐stationarity evident in the historical flood series is shown to relate to decadal and multi‐decadal scale climatic fluctuations.
The Role of the United Nations in the Independence of Namibia
Authors: Saunders Christopher
Published: May 2007

When South African rule ended and Namibia finally gained its independence on 21 March 1990 it was the United Nations (UN) Secretary‐General Pérez de Cuellar who presided at the ceremony in Windhoek, the capital, and who swore in Sam Nujoma as the first President of the independent state. This symbolically recognised the fact that the UN had played a major role in aiding the process leading to independence. But that role was very different from the one which the UN had wanted to play decades before. This article explains why the UN's role was more limited than originally conceived, and assesses what the UN did to help achieve Namibia's independence.
Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori Infection Among Schoolchildren and Teachers in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Ding‐Bang , Lin Jye‐Bin , Chen Chien‐Yi , Chen Shiuan‐Chih , Chen Wen‐Kang
Published: May 2007

Background:  Helicobacter pylori are associated with chronic antral gastritis that is related to duodenal ulcer, gastric ulcer, and probably gastric adenocarcinoma. Infection of H. pylori during childhood is considered an important risk factor for gastric carcinoma in adult life.

Materials and Methods:  To examine the epidemiologic characteristics of H. pylori infection among schoolchildren in central Taiwan, a community‐based survey was carried out using stratified sampling in 10 elementary schools and three junior high schools including students and theirs teachers. Serum specimens of 1950 healthy schoolchildren (aged 9–15 years old) and 253 teachers who were randomly sampled were screened for the H. pylori antibodies by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analysis was performed by using the spss for Windows statistical software system.

Results:  A total of 332 subjects were H. pylori antibodies positive, giving an overall prevalence of 15.1%. The age‐specific seropositive rates were 11.0% in 9–12 years age group, 12.3% in 13–15 years age group, and 45.1% in the teacher group. The older the age, the higher the seroprevalence (OR = 11.53; 95% CI = 6.73–19.74; p < .001 for children vs. teachers). There was no difference in the seroprevalence of H. pylori infection by gender, ethnicity, geographical area, socioeconomic level, parental education, sibship size, family members, and source of drinking water.

Conclusion:  The teachers had a much higher prevalence of H. pylori antibodies. The finding suggests that these teachers (adults) might be infected in their early childhood and implies that the poor environmental and hygienic conditions might be responsible for it. It seemed that poor water supply system, sewage disposal, and other environmental hygiene in adult might play some roles in H. pylori infection in Taiwan (before early 1980s).
The Relationship of Helicobacter pylori Positivity with Age, Sex, and ABO/Rhesus Blood Groups in Patients with Gastrointestinal Complaints in Turkey
Authors: Şeyda Türkölmez , Derya Çayır , Füsun Aydoğan , Meliha Korkmaz
Published: May 2007

Background:  To determine the magnitude of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastrointestinal complaints in Turkey.

Methods: We studied 1680 patients with variable gastrointestinal complaints. The H. pylori infection status was determined using C‐14 urea breath test (UBT). Overall, 1567 patients (548 male, 1019 female; age range 4–80 years, mean 29.37 ± 17.30 years) were included in this study. The relationship between H. pylori positivity and age, sex, sociodemographic characteristic, blood groups, and gastrointestinal diagnosis was determined.

Results: H. pylori positivity was found to be 68%. The difference in positivity rates between age groups 4–9 years and other groups was statistically significant (p = .001). H. pylori positivity was 67.7% in males and 68.2% in females (p = .865). H. pylori positivity was 72.1, 65.1, 70, and 68.4% in blood groups A, B, AB, and O (p = .703), and 68.9% and 76.3% in Rh (+) and Rh (–) blood subgroups, respectively (p = .292). There was no statistically significant difference between H. pylori positivity and gastrointestinal diagnosis (p = .980). There was significant association between increased number of household members and low socioeconomic status, and H. pylori positivity (p < .001). Living in rural and suburban area was significantly associated with H. pylori positivity compared with living in urban.

Conclusions: H. pylori infection positivity rate was 68% in symptomatic subjects in Turkey and the positivity rate was significantly lower at age 4–9 years than the other age groups. It was not related to gender, ABO, and Rh blood groups and gastrointestinal diagnosis. Low socioeconomic conditions and living in rural and suburban area were significantly associated with H. pylori positivity.
Helicobacter pylori Infection as a Triggering Factor of Attacks in Patients with Hereditary Angioedema
Authors: Visy Beáta , Füst George , Bygum Anette , Bork Konrad , Longhurst Hilary , Bucher Christoph , Bouillet Laurence , Cicardi Marco , Farkas Henriette
Published: May 2007

Background:  Helicobacter pylori infection is considered among the causative factors of urticaria and angioedema. Having conducted a study on 65 patients, Hungarian authors reported in 2001 that successful eradication of H. pylori is followed by a significant reduction in the number of attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). The present study aimed to reinvestigate the relationship between H. pylori infection and the attack rate in the framework of an international collaborative study.

Materials and methods:  Within the framework of the PREHAEAT project launched by the European Union, further 152 patients were studied in seven collaborating centers, and participants of the earlier study were followed up in order to detect any relationship between H. pylori infection and the occurrence of attacks in patients suffered from HAE.

Results:  The proportion of patients experiencing frequent (≥ 5 per year) abdominal attacks was higher (p = .002) among the H. pylori‐infected participants of the international study who underwent eradication as compared to the rest of patients. Successful eradication of H. pylori significantly (p = .0006) reduced the number of attacks in these patients as well.

Nine subjects of the previous Hungarian study who underwent eradication therapy for dyspepsia were followed up for an additional 4 years. In these patients, attack frequency remained consistently low.

Conclusions:  As shown by experience from the Hungarian and the international trial, the number of frequent, edematous abdominal attacks may decrease substantially following the eradication of H. pylori from HAE patients infected with this pathogen. Therefore, screening of patients with HAE for H. pylori infection seems warranted. Eradication of H. pylori may lead to a marked reduction in disease severity.
HP/LT metamorphism in the Volparone Breccia (Northern Corsica, France): evidence for involvement of the Europe/Corsica continental margin in the Alpine subdution zone
Authors: MALASOMA A. , MARRONI M.
Published: May 2007

The Alpine belt in Corsica (France) is characterized by the occurrence of stacked tectonic slices derived from the Corsica/Europe continental margin, which outcrop between two weakly or non‐metamorphic tectonic domains: the ‘autochthonous’ domain of the Hercynian basement to the west and the Balagne Nappe (ophiolitic unit belonging to the ‘Nappes supérieures’) to the east. These slices, including basement rocks (Permian granitoids and their Palaeozoic host rocks), Late Carboniferous–Permian volcano‐sedimentary deposits, coarse‐grained polymict breccias (Volparone Breccia) and Middle Eocene siliciclastic turbidite deposits, were affected by a polyphase deformation history of Alpine age, associated with a well‐developed metamorphic recrystallization. This study provides new quantitative data about the peak of metamorphism and the retrograde P–T path in the Alpine Corsica: the tectonic slices of Volparone Breccia from the Balagne region (previously regarded as unmetamorphosed) were affected by peak metamorphism characterized by the phengite + chlorite + quartz ± albite assemblage. Using the chlorite‐phengite local equilibria method, peak metamorphic P–T conditions coherent with the low‐grade blueschist facies are estimated as 0.60 ± 0.15 GPa and 325 ± 20 °C. Moreover, the retrograde P–T path, characterized by a decrease of pressure and temperature, is evidence of the first stage of the exhumation path from the peak metamorphic conditions to greenschist facies conditions (0.35 ± 0.06 GPa and 315 ± 20 °C). The occurrence of metamorphic peak at high‐pressure/low‐temperature (HP/LT) conditions is evidence of the fact that these tectonic slices, derived from the Corsica/Europe continental margin, were deformed and metamorphosed in the Alpine subduction zone during their underplating at ∼20 km of depth into the accretionary wedge and were subsequently juxtaposed against the metamorphic and non‐metamorphic oceanic units during a complex exhumation history.
Plasma Protein Binding Properties to Immobilized Heparin and Heparin–Albumin Conjugate
Authors: Mirow Nikolas , Zimmermann Bastian , Maleszka Ariane , Knobl Hermann , Tenderich Gero , Koerfer Reiner , Herberg Friedrich W.
Published: May 2007

Abstract:  Selective adhesion of plasma proteins to immobilized heparin is considered to be beneficial regarding hemocompatibility of foreign materials in contact with blood. Prothrombin, thrombin, antithrombin III (AT3), and fibrinogen were selected for analysis in an experimental model. Biomolecular interaction analysis employing surface plasmon resonance was utilized to record and analyze their binding properties in real time. Biotinylated heparin, heparin–albumin conjugate, and albumin, respectively, were immobilized onto streptavidin‐coated sensors as ligands. Prothrombin did not bind to any of the ligand surfaces and no specific binding of any of the plasma proteins to albumin was observed. Binding kinetics of thrombin to heparin and to heparin–albumin conjugate were calculated using two different methods. For heparin, identical KD(equilibrium dissociation constant) values of 61 × 10−9 M were obtained with both methods. For the conjugate, only slightly different KD values of 111 × 10−9 and 104 × 10−9 M, respectively, were calculated. The affinity of thrombin toward the heparin‐coated surface proved to be higher than its affinity toward the heparin conjugate. The binding pattern of AT3 to both heparin and heparin–albumin conjugate, although specific, was biphasic, possibly due to a conformational change during the binding process. Steady‐state kinetic analysis revealed a KD value of 281 ± 24 × 10−9 M for the heparin surface. For the conjugate surface, a KD of 53 ± 5 × 10−9 M was calculated, indicating a higher affinity toward heparin–albumin conjugate. A high‐affinity binding of fibrinogen to high‐density surfaces of both heparin and the conjugate was observed. However, as binding to low‐density surfaces was considerably reduced, specificity remained uncertain.
Blunted Hemodynamic Response and Reduced Oxygen Delivery With Exercise in Anemic Heart Failure Patients With Systolic Dysfunction
Authors: Listerman Jennifer , Geisberg Carrie , Nading Mary A. , Goring Joann , Huang Robert , Butler Javed
Published: May 2007

Anemic heart failure patients with systolic dysfunction are known to have reduced exercise capacity. Whether this is related to poor hemodynamic adaptation to anemia is not known. Peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO2) and hemodynamics at rest and peak exercise were assessed among 209 patients and compared among those who were (n=90) and were not (n=119) anemic. Peak VO2 was significantly lower among anemic patients (11.7±3.3 mL/min/kg vs 13.4±3.1 mL/min/kg; P=.01). At rest, right atrial pressure was higher (10±5 mm Hg vs 8±4 mm Hg; P=.02) and venous oxygen saturation lower (62%±8% vs 58%±10%; P<.01) among anemic patients. At peak exercise, anemic patients had a higher wedge pressure (27±9 mm Hg vs 24±10 mm Hg; P=.04). No significant differences in stroke volume, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, or oxygen saturation were noted between the 2 groups. In conclusion, the relative hemodynamic response to exercise among anemic heart failure patients appears blunted and may contribute to worse exercise tolerance.
Novel Strategies: Challenge Loop Diuretics and Sodium Management in Heart Failure—Part I
Authors: Pasquale Pietro Di , Sarullo Filippo M. , Paterna Salvatorew
Published: May 2007

This is the first of a 2‐part series. This article reviews the relationships among diuretics, neurohormonal activation, renal function, fluid and Na management, the cardiorenal syndrome, and heart failure. Part II will describe novel therapies based on these relationships, focusing particularly on vasopressin antagonists and treatment using hypertonic saline solution with high‐dose loop diuretics. Heart failure (HF) is a complex hemodynamic disorder characterized by chronic and progressive pump failure and fluid accumulation. Diuretics are a vital component of symptomatic management, and enhancing diuretic response in the setting of diuretic resistance is therefore pivotal. In HF patients treated with diuretics, compensatory pathophysiologic mechanisms to maintain vascular resistance, such as nonosmotic stimulation of vasopressin secretion and activation of the renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system and sympathetic nervous system, promote renal Na and water reabsorption. Thus, there remains a need to develop novel therapies for HF patients who are refractory to conventional medical treatment. The conflicting results of diuretic treatments in HF and the importance of Na management in the context of the cardiorenal syndrome and neurohormonal activation have suggested novel and counterintuitive strategies, focusing primarily on the use of vasopressin antagonists and hypertonic saline solution with high doses of loop diuretics and neurohormonal interference. The authors review the current evidence for these therapies and suggest hypothetical bases for their efficacy.
Heat Therapy in the Management of Heart Failure
Authors: Weber Adrianna A. , Silver Marc A.
Published: May 2007

Heart failure remains a health care epidemic, and additional complementary therapies beyond pharmaceuticals and devices are needed. Using heat therapy or topical thermal therapy is an ancient therapeutic approach for the treatment of heart failure. Currently, there are several studies reporting salutary effects of heat therapy in patients with heart failure using either dry heat or water immersion therapies. The authors describe an additional theoretic construct using topically applied heat pads that might be a simple and economic approach to affect heat therapy as an adjunct for many patients. Hopefully future studies will continue to explore heat therapy as adjunctive care for heart failure patients.
PARP Inhibitors and Heart Failure—Translational Medicine Caught in the Act
Authors: Booz George W.
Published: May 2007

With the introduction of this new section, “Spotlight on Heart Failure Translational Research,” Congestive Heart Failure recognizes the importance of the cutting‐edge research that frequently translates to clinical practice in a rapid timeframe. It is the intent of the Co‐Editors in Chief to provide the readership with a window on the future of heart failure therapeutics through the introduction of this section. Dr. George W. Booz, Section Editor for this pivotal area, cordially invites the submission of translational research in all aspects of heart failure for review and potential publication within this section.—John E. Strobeck, MD, PhD and Marc A. Silver, MD, Co‐Editors in Chief
Brain Activation Elicited by Affectively Positive Stimuli Is Associated With a Lower Risk of Relapse in Detoxified Alcoholic Subjects
Authors: Heinz Andreas , Wrase Jana , Kahnt Thorsten , Beck Anne , Bromand Zohra , Grüsser Sabine M. , Kienast Thorsten , Smolka Michael N. , Flor Herta , Mann Karl
Published: May 2007

Background: Stimuli that are regularly associated with alcohol intake (AI) may acquire incentive salience, while other reinforcers can be devalued. We assessed whether brain activation elicited by (1) alcohol associated, (2) affectively positive, and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli is associated with the subsequent risk of relapse.

Methods: Twelve detoxified alcoholic subjects (6 women and 6 men) and 12 age‐matched and gender‐matched healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a fast single‐event paradigm using standardized affective and alcohol‐associated pictures. Patients were followed for 6 months and AI was recorded.

Results: In alcoholic subjects, compared with healthy control subjects, (1) alcohol‐related versus neutral visual stimuli elicited increased activation in the prefrontal (PFC; BA 6 and 10) and cingulate cortex (BA 23 and 24), precuneus and adjacent parietal cortex; (2) positive versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; BA 24), PFC (BA 10), ventral striatum and thalamus; and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the PFC (BA 10). Seven alcoholic subjects relapsed. Within the follow‐up period of 6 months, the number of subsequent drinking days (DD) and the amount of AI were inversely correlated with brain activation elicited by positive versus neutral stimuli in the thalamus (DD: r=−0.63, p=0.03; AI: r=−0.63, p=0.03) and in the ventral striatum (DD: r=−0.60, p=0.04; AI: r=−0.48, p=0.11).

Conclusions: In this study, brain activation elicited by briefly presented alcohol‐associated stimuli was not associated with the prospective risk of relapse. Unexpectedly, alcoholic subjects displayed increased limbic brain activation during the presentation of affectively positive but not negative stimuli, which may reflect a protective factor in detoxified alcoholic subjects.
Advances in Genetics of Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsies
Authors: Delgado-Escueta Antonio V.
Published: May 2007

One by one, mutation-containing mendelian genes that cause monogenic juvenile myoclonic epilepsies (JME) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)-susceptibility alleles that increase risks for nonmendelian complex JME should fall to the power of molecular genetics. Of 15 chromosome loci, 3 mendelian genes (α1-subunit of the GABAA receptor [GABRA1], chloride channel 2 gene [CLCN2], and Myoclonin1/EFHC1) and 2 SNP-susceptibility alleles of putative JME genes in epistases (bromodomain-containing protein 2 [BRD2] and connexin [Cx]-36) have been identified, so far. Antiepileptic drugs now can be designed against the specific molecular defects of JME.
More is Not Better: Hormones for Menopausal Women with Epilepsy?
Authors: Pennell Page B.
Published: May 2007

Hormone Replacement Therapy in Women with Epilepsy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Harden CL, Herzog AG, Nikolov BG, Koppel BS, Christos PJ, Fowler K, Labar DR, Hauser WA. Epilepsia 2006;47(9):1447–1451. PURPOSE: Previous reports have suggested that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could increase seizure activity in women with epilepsy. We sought to determine whether adding HRT to the medication regimen of postmenopausal women with epilepsy was associated with an increase in seizure frequency. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the effect of HRT on seizure frequency in postmenopausal women with epilepsy, taking stable doses of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and within 10 years of their last menses. After a 3-month prospective baseline, subjects were randomized to placebo, Prempro (0.625 mg of conjugated equine estrogens plus 2.5 mg of medroxyprogesterone acetate or CEE/MPA) daily, or double-dose CEE/MPA daily for a 3-month treatment period. RESULTS: Twenty-one subjects were randomized after completing baseline. The subjects’ ages ranged from 45 to 62 years (mean, 53 years; SD, μ5), and the number of AEDs used ranged from none to three (median, one). Five (71%) of seven subjects taking double-dose CEE/MPA had a worsening seizure frequency of at least one seizure type, compared with four (50%) of eight taking single-dose CEE/MPA and one (17%) of six taking placebo (p = 0.05). An increase in seizure frequency of the subject's most severe seizure type was associated with increasing CEE/MPA dose (p = 0.008). An increase in complex partial seizure frequency also was associated with increasing CEE/MPA dose (p = 0.05). Two subjects taking lamotrigine had a decrease in lamotrigine levels of 25–30% while taking CEE/MPA. CONCLUSIONS: CEE/MPA is associated with a dose-related increase in seizure frequency in postmenopausal women with epilepsy. CEE/MPA may decrease lamotrigine levels.
Treatment Options for Hypothalamic Hamartomas—No Laughing Matter
Authors: Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: May 2007

Surgical Management of Hypothalamic Hamartomas with Epilepsy: The Stereoendoscopic Approach. Procaccini E, Dorfmuller G, Fohlen M, Bulteau C, Delalande O. Neurosurgery 2006 Oct;59(4 Suppl 2):ONS336–ONS346. OBJECTIVE: Hypothalamic hamartomas (HHs) require surgical treatment in patients presenting with refractory epilepsy. METHODS: The authors report on a single-center series of 33 patients (24 males, 9 females) who underwent surgery between January 1997 and April 2004. They experienced several types of seizure (gelastic, tonic, partial, atonic, generalized tonic-clonic, dacrystic, infantile spasm, mental retardation, and behavioral and endocrinological abnormalities). Forty-nine interventions were carried out. Every patient, with the exception of the first, underwent hamartoma disconnection (pterional approach, six patients; endoscopy, 15 patients; both, 11 patients). The endoscopic approach was carried out with a frameless stereotactic system to enhance feasibility and efficacy of the disconnecting procedure. RESULTS: Surgery-related neurological complications occurred in two patients, both after a pterional microsurgical approach. Furthermore, two patients experienced panhypopituitarism and one patient experienced transitory central insipid diabetes. All patients but one showed recovery or considerable improvement of their epilepsy (Engel Class 1, 48.5%; Engel Class 2, 3%; Engel Class 3, 45.5%; mean follow-up duration, 1 year 7 months). CONCLUSIONS: According to the proposed classification of sessile HH into four types, the best candidates for endoscopic disconnection are Type 2 and Type 3 HHs. In the present series, 90% of patients affected by Type 2 HH became seizure-free and the remaining 10% improved; of those with Type 3 HH at presentation, 35.3% recovered and 60% improved. Neuropsychological and endocrinological test results showed improvement in many patients. Data from our series demonstrate that frameless stereotactic endoscopic disconnection should be considered as the treatment of choice in the presence of favorable anatomic conditions.
Do Single Seizures Cause Neuronal Death in the Human Hippocampus?
Authors: Rocha Luisa L. , Lopez-Meraz Maria-Leonor , Niquet Jerome , Wasterlain Claude G.
Published: May 2007

The question of whether repeated single seizures cause neuronal death in the adult human brain is of great clinical importance and might have broad therapeutic implications. Reviewed here are recent studies on the effects of repeated single seizures (in the absence of status epilepticus) on hippocampal volume and on neuronal death markers in blood and in surgically ablated hippocampi.
No Calm before the Storm: Reduced GABA Inhibition Precedes Seizures in Tish Rats
Authors: Stafstrom Carl E.
Published: May 2007

GABAergic Synaptic Inhibition Is Reduced before Seizure Onset in a Genetic Model of Cortical Malformation Trotter SA, Kapur J, Anzivino MJ, Lee KS. J Neurosci 2006;26(42):10756–1067. Malformations of the neocortex are a common cause of human epilepsy; however, the critical issue of how disturbances in cortical organization render neurons epileptogenic remains controversial. The present study addressed this issue by studying inhibitory structure and function before seizure onset in the telencephalic internal structural heterotopia (tish) rat, which is a genetic model of heightened seizure susceptibility associated with a prominent neocortical malformation. Both normally positioned (normotopic) and misplaced (heterotopic) pyramidal neurons in the tish neocortex exhibited lower resting membrane potentials and a tendency toward higher input resistance compared with pyramidal neurons from control brains. GABAergic synaptic transmission was attenuated in the tish cortex, characterized by significant reductions in the frequency of spontaneous IPSCs (sIPSCs) and miniature IPSCs recorded from pyramidal neurons. In addition, the amplitudes of sIPSCs were reduced in the tish neocortex, an effect that was more profound in the normotopic cells. Immunohistochemical assessment of presynaptic GABAergic terminals showed a reduction in terminals surrounding pyramidal cell somata in normotopic and heterotopic tish neocortex. The attenuation of inhibitory innervation was more prominent for normotopic neurons and was associated with a reduction in a subset of GABAergic interneurons expressing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin. Together, these findings indicate that key facets of inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission are disturbed before seizure onset in a brain predisposed to developing seizures. Such alterations represent a rational substrate for reduced seizure thresholds associated with certain cortical malformations.
On Demand Up-regulation of Therapeutic Genes in the Brain: Fiction or Reality?
Authors: Vezzani Annamaria
Published: May 2007

Enhancing GABAAReceptor α 1 Subunit Levels in Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus Inhibits Epilepsy Development in an Animal Model of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Raol YH, Lund IV, Bandyopadhyay S, Zhang G, Roberts DS, Wolfe JH, Russek SJ, Brooks-Kayal AR. J Neurosci 2006;26(44):11342–11346. Differential expression of GABAA receptor (GABR) subunits has been demonstrated in hippocampus from patients and animals with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), but whether these changes are important for epileptogenesis remains unknown. Previous studies in the adult rat pilocarpine model of TLE found reduced expression of GABR α1 subunits and increased expression of α4 subunits in dentate gyrus (DG) of epileptic rats compared with controls. To investigate whether this altered subunit expression is a critical determinant of spontaneous seizure development, we used adeno-associated virus type 2 containing the α4 subunit gene (GABRA4) promoter to drive transgene expression in DG after status epilepticus (SE). This novel use of a condition-dependent promoter upregulated after SE successfully increased expression of GABR α1 subunit mRNA and protein in DG at 1–2 weeks after SE. Enhanced α1 expression in DG resulted in a threefold increase in mean seizure-free time after SE and a 60% decrease in the number of rats developing epilepsy (recurrent spontaneous seizures) in the first 4 weeks after SE. These findings provide the first direct evidence that altering GABR subunit expression can affect the development of epilepsy and suggest that α1 subunit levels are important determinants of inhibitory function in hippocampus.
Hollywood Must Portray Point of View of Others
Authors: IÑÁRRITU ALEJANDRO GONZÁLEZ
Published: May 2007

In the age of globalization we are no longer home alone. Migration brings other worlds into our own just as the global reach of the mass media transmits our world into the hearts and minds of others. The resulting clashes and fusions are shaping the soul of the first global civilization in the making.

In this section, one of Hollywood's top producers, Mike Medavoy, and the Oscar‐nominated director of Babel, Alejandro González Iñárritu share their thoughts with NPQ.
Giving Content to Investor Sentiment: The Role of Media in the Stock Market
Authors: TETLOCK PAUL C.
Published: May 2007

I quantitatively measure the interactions between the media and the stock market using daily content from a popular Wall Street Journal column. I find that high media pessimism predicts downward pressure on market prices followed by a reversion to fundamentals, and unusually high or low pessimism predicts high market trading volume. These and similar results are consistent with theoretical models of noise and liquidity traders, and are inconsistent with theories of media content as a proxy for new information about fundamental asset values, as a proxy for market volatility, or as a sideshow with no relationship to asset markets.
A Copula Approach for Detecting Prognostic Genes Associated With Survival Outcome in Microarray Studies
Authors: Owzar Kouros , Jung Sin‐Ho , Sen Pranab Kumar
Published: May 2007

Summary A challenging and crucial issue in clinical studies in cancer involving gene microarray experiments is the discovery, among a large number of genes, of a relatively small panel of genes whose elements are associated with a relevant clinical outcome variable such as time‐to‐death or time‐to‐recurrence of disease. A semiparametric approach, using dependence functions known as copulas, is considered to quantify and estimate the pairwise association between the outcome and each gene expression. These time‐to‐event type endpoints are typically subject to censoring as not all events are realized at the time of the analysis. Furthermore, given that the total number of genes is typically large, it is imperative to control a relevant error rate in any gene discovery procedure. The proposed method addresses the two aforementioned issues by direct incorporation of the censoring mechanism and by appropriate statistical adjustment for multiplicity. The performance of the proposed method is studied through simulation and illustrated with an application using a case study in lung cancer.
Effects on poverty and equity of the decline in collective tank irrigation management in Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Kajisa Kei , Palanisami K. , Sakurai Takeshi
Published: May 2007

This paper investigates the factors influencing the decline in collective management of local commons and the impact of this decline on agricultural production and household consumption. The analysis is based on a village and household data set collected in 1999 in Tamil Nadu, India, where tank irrigation systems are managed collectively for rice cultivation by informal water users' organizations. Our statistical analyses find that one major reason for the decline in collective tank irrigation management is the dissemination of private well irrigation systems. Once the decline has occurred, our analyses predict that the gap in rice yields between farmers who have access to private wells and those who must rely solely on tanks will widen, with only the latter group suffering lower yields. Our analyses also find that the same pattern holds for levels of income and consumption because the affected farmers cannot sufficiently compensate for the loss of their rice income by diversifying their income sources to agricultural labor or nonagricultural work. In this way, the decline in collective management results in greater inequality and poverty.
Economic development and the role of agricultural technology
Authors: Self Sharmistha , Grabowski Richard
Published: May 2007

In earlier debates on economic development, the agricultural sector's role was somewhat controversial. While dualistic models highlighted the importance of agriculture, the mainstream literature placed a greater emphasis on the creation of a modern industrial sector. Soon agriculture disappeared from the mainstream development literature to re‐emerge recently with a variety of multiple‐sector growth models emphasizing the key role of agriculture and specifically technology in agriculture. This article is an empirical cross‐country analysis of agricultural technology's role in economic development. Specifically, the hypothesis being tested is whether improvements in agricultural technology have a significant impact on long‐run economic growth. The results indicate that agricultural modernization has a positive effect on both measures of economic growth and human development.
Are citizens willing to pay for agricultural multifunctionality?
Authors: Kallas Zein , Gómez‐Limón José A. , Arriaza Manuel
Published: May 2007

Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental, and social functions by the agricultural sector. In order to make the concept operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand for such functions. The main objective of this article is to present an empirical application in this sense. For this purpose, we have adopted the agricultural system of cereal steppes in Tierra de Campos in Spain as a case study. The economic valuation technique used is the Choice Experiment. The results suggest the existence of a significant demand for the different functions, although the demand is heterogeneous, depending on the socioeconomic characteristics of the individuals surveyed.
Does human capital raise farm or nonfarm earning more? New insight from a rural Pakistan household panel
Authors: Satriawan Elan , Swinton Scott M.
Published: May 2007

This study explores how human capital affects farm household earnings using two tools to refine measurement of human capital effects. First, it employs a two‐sector model to allow the allocation of family labor between farm and nonfarm activities. Second, it accounts for village fixed effects to evaluate whether results from panel data differ meaningfully from a cross‐sectional data analysis with local binary variables. The results show that education has a negligible effect on farm earnings; instead, experience appears to be the principal channel by which human capital affects agricultural performance in a traditional rural setting. Our results also suggest that prior models that fail to separate nonfarm activities spuriously exaggerated the effect of education to the farm sector. In addition, typical cross‐sectional analyses that ignore fixed effects may cause the effects of education on rural household earnings to be significantly overstated. The fact that panel data regressions accounting for village‐level fixed effects found only one instance of education raising earnings—the effect of literacy on nonfarm income—suggests that considerable heterogeneity may have been ignored in cross‐sectional data analyses, especially ones that omitted village‐level effects.
Neuronal adaptation in the human retina: a study of the single oscillatory response in dark adaptation and mesopic background illumination
Authors: Lundström Anna‐Lena , Wang Ling , Wachtmeister Lillemor
Published: May 2007

Purpose:  The single oscillatory response in complete dark adaptation (DA) and the effect of mesopic illumination were studied in order to investigate the behaviour of the neuronal adaptation system as reflected in the oscillatory potentials (OPs) of the electroretinogram (ERG).

Methods:  The rapid oscillatory and slow components (a‐ and b‐waves) of single ERGs were simultaneously recorded in nine healthy, young subjects in response to first flash after both DA of 45 mins and light adaptation to a steady background light (BGL) of low mesopic intensity.

Results:  Two low‐amplitude oscillatory peaks were present in the single response to the first flash recorded in DA. There was no increase in the summed amplitudes of the OPs (SOP) when recorded in the single response to the first flash in mesopic BGL. However, the morphology of the oscillatory response altered. The first OP was reduced and a third oscillatory peak appeared.

Conclusions:  We conclude that early, scotopically related OPs may indeed be activated in the single response to the first flash in DA (i.e. without using conditioning flashes). Secondly, on its own, adaptation to mesopic BGL does not seem to trigger enhancement of the overall oscillatory response. The altered single oscillatory response to the first flash apparent in the mesopic BGL comprises a third cone‐associated OP and seems to reflect a reorganization of the retinal microcircuitry from a predominantly rod‐activated system to one of mixed rod/cone neuronal activity in the inner part of the retina at the level at which individual OPs have their respective origins.
Increased serum levels of CXCL8 chemokine in acute toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis
Authors: Gonçalves Roberto Martins , Rodrigues David Henrique , Camargos da Costa Alinne Maria , Teixeira Mauro Martins , Ribeiro Campos Wesley , Oréfice Fernando , Teixeira Antônio Lúcio
Published: May 2007

Purpose:  Chemokines have been implicated in the control of leucocyte infiltration in uveitis and in modulating angiogenesis in several ocular conditions. Toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis is a common cause of posterior uveitis. This study aimed to evaluate the serum concentrations of CC and CXC chemokines in patients with acute toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis.

Methods:  The levels of five chemokines (CCL2, CCL11, CXCL9, CXCL8 and CXCL10) were evaluated in the serum of patients with active toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis (n = 55) and control subjects (n = 40). In a subset of patients (n = 18), a second measure of serum levels of chemokines was performed after the completion of oral treatment with pyrimethamine (25 mg/day), sulphadiazine (1 g, four times per day), folinic acid (7.5 mg/day) and prednisone (initial dose: 1 mg/kg/day) for approximately 30 days.

Results:  Patients with toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis, notably those presenting with vasculitis, had increased serum levels of CXCL8 (mean ± standard error of the mean [SEM] 35.1 ± 6.5 pg/ml) compared with control subjects (mean ± SEM 16.0 ± 2.3 pg/ml; p = 0.01). There were no differences between patients and controls in serum levels of the other chemokines measured. The size of ocular lesions correlated significantly with serum levels of CXCL8 and CXCL9. After treatment, there was a significant reduction in serum levels of CXCL8. Severity of vitreous opacities did not correlate with serum levels of these chemokines.

Conclusions:  These data suggest a role for CXCL8 in the inflammatory process of acute toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis. Furthermore, CXCL8 may be a useful marker for patient follow‐up.
Der zentralarabische Zweig der Weihrauchstraße
Authors: Bukharin Mikhail D.
Published: May 2007

The information of Eratosthenes (Strabo 16.4.4) is of crucial importance for the reconstruction of one of the branches of the ‘Incence Road’ between Gerrha andimageaimageramawt. According to the Classical sources as well as linguistic data ancient Gerrha must be sought in the ‘double city’ of al‐Hufūf–al‐’Uqayr. Comparison with other sources on the correspondence of the number of stages and the travel days of a caravan shows only one way to reachimageaimageramawt from Gerrha: this way would have led from Qaryat al‐Fāw not to Naǧrān, but to the south towards the mouth of the Wādīsabb and aš‐Šuimageayf.
Lipid peroxidation levels and total oxidant status in serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid in patients with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Akalιn Ferda Alev , Baltacιoğlu Esra , Alver Ahmet , Karabulut Erdem
Published: May 2007

Objectives: Increased levels of reactive oxygen species lead to oxidative stress. Recent data suggest increased lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and oxidative stress in periodontitis. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a significant LPO product, increases in oxidative stress. In this study, MDA levels and total oxidant status (TOS) in serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were investigated in patients with chronic periodontitis (CP).

Materials and Methods: Thirty‐six CP patients and 28 periodontally healthy controls were included in the study. Following clinical measurements and samplings, MDA and TOS levels were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography and a novel automatic colorimetric method, respectively.

Results: While the saliva and GCF MDA levels, and serum, saliva and GCF TOS values were significantly higher in the CP group than the control group (p<0.05), no significant difference in serum MDA levels was found (p>0.05). Strong positive correlations were observed between periodontal parameters and MDA and TOS levels (p<0.05).

Conclusions: The results revealed that LPO significantly increased locally in the periodontal pocket/oral environment, while TOS displayed both systemic and local increases in periodontitis. The findings suggest that increased LPO and TOS may play an important role in the pathology of periodontitis, and are closely related to the clinical periodontal status.
TLR2 Arg753Gly, TLR4 Asp299Gly and Thr399Ile gene polymorphisms are not associated with chronic periodontitis in a Turkish population
Authors: Berdeli Afig , Emingil Gülnur , Han Saygan Buket , Gürkan Ali , Atilla Gül , Köse Timur , Baylas Haluk
Published: May 2007

Aim: Toll‐like receptor (TLR) gene polymorphisms could affect the host's ability to respond to microbial pathogens. In this case–control study, the association of TLR2 and TLR4 gene polymorphisms with chronic periodontitis (CP) was investigated.

Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from the peripheral blood of 83 patients with CP and 106 periodontally healthy subjects. The TLR2 Arg753Gly, Arg677Trp and TLR4 Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile gene polymorphisms were genotyped by the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The data were analysed by a χ2 test, logistic regression analysis and the Mann–Whitney U test.

Results: The 753Gln allele was found in 6.1% of the CP patients as compared with 6.6% in the control group (p>0.05). The frequency of the 299Gly and 399Ile allele was 2.4% and 1.8% in CP patients. For the healthy subjects, the frequency was 2.8% for the 299Gly and 2.5% for the 399Ile allele (p>0.05). None of the CP patients or healthy subjects showed homozygosity for the TLR2 and TLR4 alleles. Percentage of sites with bleeding on probing and plaque were significantly higher in 299Gly‐positive patients compared with 299Gly‐negative patients (p<0.05).

Conclusion: These results showed that the TLR2 and TLR4 gene polymorphisms studied are not associated with susceptibility to CP in Turkish patients.