bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ub Iwerks' (Multi)Plain Cinema
Authors: Telotte J. P.
Published: July 2006

While pioneer animator Ub Iwerks has often been praised as a driving force behind the early success of the Walt Disney Company, his independent work has received scant attention. That relative omission from animation history seems curious given two key features of his cartoon work: an emphasis on gags involving protean, transformative effects – a characteristic often linked to avant-garde filmmaking; and his pioneering work on a multiplane camera – a device that would become crucial to a developing realist aesthetic in American animation. This article examines these features to situate his work in terms of American animation's shifting aesthetic in the 1930s. It suggests that we see Iwerks' cartoons as symptomatic of a larger struggle in this period between the avant-garde and an emerging realism, closely linked to the classical narrative mode of live-action cinema, and the relative failure of his films as indicative of an inability to negotiate between these different pulls.
Platonic Sex: Perversion and Shôjo Anime (Part One)
Authors: Lamarre Thomas
Published: July 2006

Anime abounds in images of ‘nonhuman women’, that is, goddesses, female robots, gynoids, alien women, animal girls, female cyborgs, and many others. This article provides an introduction to problems of gender and genre in relation to the nonhuman woman, followed by an extended discussion of the animated television series Chobits, based on a manga series by the four-woman team CLAMP. In a manner eerily consonant with psychoanalytic theory, Chobits reads problems of media and technology almost exclusively in terms of human desire, in terms of the weird substance of enjoyment. Yet, because the nonhuman woman remains nonhuman, structures of desire are subject to perverse material twists, and Chobits offers a very unusual logic of suture. The nonhuman woman becomes the catalyst for ways of looking that appear to bypass relations with Others altogether, promising the production of entirely new worlds at some elemental level of perception.
Comics and the Critique of Chronophotography, or ‘He Never Knew When It Was Coming!’
Authors: Bukatman Scott
Published: July 2006

In the wake of Muybridge's and Marey's experiments in recording movement, comics quickly began to emphasize the depiction of continuous movement. Chronophotography mapped the kinetic body onto the regulated spaces of industrial culture: it was a means of revealing the body and a tool for its containment and control. Comics by Wilhelm Busch, Steinlen, Winsor McCay and others, however, mimic the fixed viewpoints and measured progress of chronophotography, but caricature the instrumental reason that supplied its motivation. Each episode of Winsor McCay's Little Sammy Sneeze, for example, offered systematic and meticulous time–motion breakdowns of everyday activities, but the rhythm of efficient motion is subverted by the mighty sneeze that turns all to chaos. With an emphasis on the pioneering comics and animation work of McCay, this article explores the peculiar, parodic counter-logics that mark an oasis of disorder in a time of insistent regulation.
Critique of the New Historical Landscape of South Korean Animation
Authors: Kim Joon-Yang
Published: July 2006

This article introduces and critically engages with the animated films produced in the geopolitical reality of South Korea from the colonial period under Japanese occupation to the present, and the animation-related phenomena they caused. In the past, studies of South Korean animation have tended to describe it merely in terms of a production factory on the international scene of animation. However, the history of South Korean animation, many parts of which have been forgotten or not recorded, is as extensive as that of South Korea itself. In exploring the historical and political contexts of South Korean animation in chronological order, the aim is not to present a grand narrative of national cinema. Rather, the article hopes to shed some light on the complex web of animation production, aesthetic expression and South Korean ideologies and political situations.
Clay minerals in onshore and offshore strata of the British Isles: origins and clay mineral stratigraphy
Authors: Jeans C. V. , Merriman R. J.
Published: July 2006

The publication of The Clay Mineralogy of British Sediments by Perrin in 1971 collated several decades of clay mineral research in the British Isles and for the first time presented all the data in a stratigraphical framework. While it quickly became a useful source of information for geologists, engineers and soil scientists, it also revealed many gaps in clay mineral data through the geological succession, stimulating further research. Within ten years of publication, a successor to Perrin's book was under discussion by the Clay Minerals Group. Inevitably, the enthusiasm for the concept of the project gave way to the patience of a long gestation. A successor to Perrin (1971) became a standing item on the agenda of Clay Minerals Group Committee meetings, and the bane of many a Chairman's three years in office. By the mid-1990s the project began to show real progress, gathering momentum from the success of an international series of 'Cambridge clay mineral diagenesis conferences' (1981, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1998) that were supported by the oil industry. A timely injection of financial support from the Joint Association for Petroleum Exploration Courses (JAPEC) ensured a successful conclusion for the project.

The cost of publication has been borne by three sponsors: the Clay Minerals Group, JAPEC (UK: training), and the Mineralogical Society. Consequently, the financing of this Special Volume of Clay Minerals is entirely independent of the usual costs of publishing the journal. We owe our particular thanks to Kevin Murphy, Editorial Manager, for his care and humour in guiding Clay minerals in onshore and offshore strata of the British Isles through publication.
Clay mineralogy of the Permo-Triassic strata of the British Isles: onshore and offshore
Authors: Jeans C. V.
Published: July 2006

The regional distribution, mineralogy, petrology and chemistry of the detrital and authigenic clay minerals associated with the Permo-Triassic strata (excluding the Rotliegend: see Ziegler, 2006; this volume), of the onshore and offshore regions of the British Isles are reviewed within their stratigraphical framework. The origin of these clay minerals is discussed in relation to current hypotheses on the developments of the Mg-rich clay mineral assemblages associated with the evaporitic red-bed Germanic facies of Europe and North Africa.

Composite clay mineral successions are described for seven regions of the British Isles — the Western Approaches Trough; SW England; South Midlands; Central Midlands; the Cheshire Basin; NE Yorkshire; and the Central North Sea. The detrital clay mineral assemblages of the Early Permian strata are variable, consisting of mica, smectite, smectite-mica, kaolin and chlorite, whereas those of the Late Permian and the Trias are dominated by mica, usually in association with minor Fe-rich chlorite. The detrital mica consists of a mixture of penecontemporaneous ferric mica, probably of pedogenic origin, and recycled Pre-Permian mica. In the youngest Triassic strata (Rhaetian), the detrital clay assemblages may contain appreciable amounts of poorly defined collapsible minerals (irregular mixed-layer smectite-mica-vermiculite) and kaolin, giving them a Jurassic aspect. There are two types of authigenic clay mineral assemblages. Kaolin may occur as a late-stage diagenetic mineral where the original Permo-Triassic porewaters of the sediment have been replaced by meteoritic waters. A suite of early-stage diagenetic clay minerals, many of them Mg-rich, are linked to the evaporitic red-bed facies — these include sepiolite, palygorskite, smectite, irregular mixed- layer smectite-mica and smectite-chlorite, corrensite, chlorite and glauconite (sensu lato). The sandstones and mudstones of the onshore regions of the British Isles display little or no difference in their detrital and authigenic clay mineral assemblages. In contrast, the sandstones of the offshore regions (North Sea) show major differences with the presence of extensive chloritic cements containing Mg-rich and Al-rich chlorite, irregular mixed-layer serpentine-chlorite, and mica.
Clay mineralogy of Carboniferous sandstone reservoirs, onshore and offshore UK
Authors: Shaw H. F.
Published: July 2006

The distribution and origin of clay minerals in Carboniferous sandstone reservoir rocks, onshore and offshore UK, is reviewed using both published and unpublished sources. The clay mineralogy for many of the Carboniferous reservoir sands tends to be similar, with the detrital clays predominantly illitic whereas the diagenetic clay assemblages are dominated by kaolin with usually lesser amounts of illite. The main exception to this pattern is found in the Dinantian sandstones of the Clair Basin where significant amounts of smectite are present. Three stages of diagenetic kaolin formation are widely recognized. Firstly eogenetic and/or telogenetic kaolinite; secondly mesogenetic kaolin; and thirdly the partial or complete transformation of kaolinite to dickite during deep burial. In addition to the formation of diagenetic clay phases, the sandstone reservoirs also display a complex diagenetic history involving cementation and dissolution processes. These have affected the reservoir properties of the sandstones but the depositional facies architecture still exerts a major recognizable influence on reservoir porosity-permeability characteristics. The abundance of kaolin cements shows no clear correlation with variations in porosity and permeability for Carboniferous reservoirs. Pore- filling smectite affects reservoir porosity and permeability in the Dinantian of the Clair Field, and could be a potential source of serious reservoir damage arising from swelling.
Clinical management of women with metastatic breast cancer: a descriptive study according to age group
Authors: Manders Klaartje , van de Poll-Franse Lonneke V , Creemers Geert-Jan , Vreugdenhil Gerard , van der Sangen Maurice JC , Nieuwenhuijzen Grard AP , Roumen Rudi MH , Voogd Adri C
Published: July 2006

Background

The primary aim of treatment of a patient who has developed metastatic disease is palliation. The objectives of the current study are to describe and quantify the clinical management of women with metastatic breast cancer from the diagnosis of metastatic disease until death and to analyze differences between age groups.

Methods

Data were collected from the medical files of all patients (n = 116) who had died after December 31, 1999, after a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer in two teaching hospitals in the south of the Netherlands.

Results

Of the 116 patients included in our study, 10 (9%) already had metastatic disease at diagnosis and 106 developed distant disease after the diagnosis of localized breast cancer. Before they died, 70% of the 116 patients developed metastases in one or more bones, 50% in the lung and/or pleura, 50% in the abdominal viscera, 23% in the central nervous system, and 19% in the skin. Patients younger than 50 years were much more likely to develop metastases in the central nervous system than patients 50 years and older. Seventy-seven (66%) of the 116 patients with metastatic breast cancer received chemotherapy. This proportion decreased with age (p = 0.005), as did the number of schemes per patient. Together, they received 132 chemotherapy schemes, of which 35 (27%) resulted in partial remission or stabilization of the disease process. Ninety-eight patients (84%) received hormonal treatment. This proportion did not differ between the three age groups. Together, they received 216 hormonal treatments, 38 (16%) of which resulted in partial remission or stabilization of the disease process. Seventy-nine patients (68%) received palliative radiotherapy. This proportion decreased with age (p = 0.03). Together, they underwent 216 courses, 176 (77%) of which resulted in relief of the complaints.

Conclusion

Patients aged 70 years and older are less likely to receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Part of this difference could be explained by their shorter survival time after the diagnosis of metastatic disease and their lower risk of developing brain and bone metastases. However, more research is needed to understand the age-related differences in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, and especially how comorbidity and frailty limit therapeutic choices.
Where do the elderly die? The impact of nursing home utilisation on the place of death. Observations from a mortality cohort study in Flanders
Authors: Van Rensbergen Gilberte , Nawrot Tim S , Van Hecke Ettiene , Nemery Benoit
Published: July 2006

Background

Most of the research concerning place of death focuses on terminally ill patients (cancer patients) while the determinants of place of death of the elderly of the general population are not intensively studied. Studies showed the influence of gender, age, social-economical status and living arrangements on the place of death, but a facet not taken into account so far is the influence of the availability of nursing homes.

Methods

We conducted a survey of deaths, between January 1999 and December 2000 in a small densely populated area in Belgium, with a high availability of nursing homes (within 5 to 10 km of the place of residence of every elderly). We determined the incidence of total mortality (of subjects >60 years) from local official death registers that we consulted via the priest or the mortician of the local parish, to ask where the decedent had died and whether the deceased had lived in a nursing home. We compared the distribution of the places of death between parishes with a nursing home and with parishes without nursing home.

Results

240 women and 217 men died during the two years study period. Only 22% died at home, while the majority (78%) died in an institutional setting, either a hospital (50%) or a nursing home (28%). Place of death was influenced by individual factors (age and gender) and the availability of a nursing home in the 'own' parish. The chance of in-hospital death was 65% higher for men (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 14 to 138%; p = 0.008) and decreased by 4% (CI: -5.1% to -2.5%; p < 0.0001) for each year increase in age. Independent of gender and age, the chance of in-hospital death was 41% (CI: -60% to -13%; p = 0.008) lower in locations with a nursing home.

Conclusion

Demographic, but especially social-contextual factors determine where elderly will end their life. The majority of elderly in Flanders die in an institution. Age, gender and living situation are predictors of the place of death but the embedment of a nursing home in the local community seems to be a key predictor.
Gene expression in acute Stanford type A dissection: a comparative microarray study
Authors: Weis-Müller Barbara Theresia , Modlich Olga , Drobinskaya Irina , Unay Derya , Huber Rita , Bojar Hans , Schipke Jochen D , Feindt Peter , Gams Emmeran , Müller Wolfram , Goecke Timm , Sandmann Wilhelm
Published: July 2006

Background

We compared gene expression profiles in acutely dissected aorta with those in normal control aorta.

Materials and methods

Ascending aorta specimen from patients with an acute Stanford A-dissection were taken during surgery and compared with those from normal ascending aorta from multiorgan donors using the BD Atlas™ Human1.2 Array I, BD Atlas™ Human Cardiovascular Array and the Affymetrix HG-U133A GeneChip
®. For analysis only genes with strong signals of more than 70 percent of the mean signal of all spots on the array were accepted as being expressed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to confirm regulation of expression of a subset of 24 genes known to be involved in aortic structure and function.

Results

According to our definition expression profiling of aorta tissue specimens revealed an expression of 19.1% to 23.5% of the genes listed on the arrays. Of those 15.7% to 28.9% were differently expressed in dissected and control aorta specimens. Several genes that encode for extracellular matrix components such as collagen IV α2 and -α5, collagen VI α3, collagen XIV α1, collagen XVIII α1 and elastin were down-regulated in aortic dissection, whereas levels of matrix metalloproteinases-11, -14 and -19 were increased. Some genes coding for cell to cell adhesion, cell to matrix signaling (e.g., polycystin1 and -2), cytoskeleton, as well as several myofibrillar genes (e.g., α-actinin, tropomyosin, gelsolin) were found to be down-regulated. Not surprisingly, some genes associated with chronic inflammation such as interleukin -2, -6 and -8, were up-regulated in dissection.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate the complexity of the dissecting process on a molecular level. Genes coding for the integrity and strength of the aortic wall were down-regulated whereas components of inflammatory response were up-regulated. Altered patterns of gene expression indicate a pre-existing structural failure, which is probably a consequence of insufficient remodeling of the aortic wall resulting in further aortic dissection.
Heat-killed BCG induces biphasic cyclooxygenase 2+ splenic macrophage formation—role of IL-10 and bone marrow precursors
Authors: Shibata Yoshimi , Gabbard Jon , Yamashita Makiko , Tsuji Shoutaro , Smith Mike , Nishiyama Akihito , Henriksen Ruth Ann , Myrvik Quentin N
Published: July 2006

Previous studies have shown that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release by splenic F4/80+ cyclooxygenase (COX)-2+ macrophages (MØ) isolated from mice, treated with mycobacterial components, plays a major role in the regulation of immune responses. However, splenic MØ, isolated from untreated mice and treated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ, express COX-1 and COX-2 within 1 day but release only minimal amounts of PGE2 following elicitation with calcium ionophore A23187. For further characterization of in vivo requirements for development of PGE2-releasing MØ (PGE2-MØ), C57Bl/6 [wild-type (WT)], and interleukin (IL)-10-deficient (IL-10−/−) mice were treated intraperitoneally with heat-killed Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (HK-BCG). One day following injection, COX-2 was induced in splenic MØ of both mouse strains. However, PGE2 biosynthesis by these MØ was not increased. Thus, expression of COX-2 is not sufficient to induce PGE2 production in vivo or in vitro. In sharp contrast, 14 days after HK-BCG treatment, PGE2 release by COX-2+ splenic MØ increased as much as sevenfold, and a greater increase was seen in IL-10−/− cells than in WT cells. To further determine whether the 14-day splenic PGE2-MØ could be derived from bone marrow precursors, we established a chimera in which bone marrow cells were transfused from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transgenic donors to WT mice. Donors and recipients were treated with HK-BCG simultaneously, and marrow transfusion was performed on Days 1 and 2. On Day 14 after BCG treatment, a significant number of spleen cells coexpressed COX-2 and GFP, indicating that bone marrow-derived COX-2+ MØ may be responsible for the increased PGE2 production.
The Impact of Primary Hyperparathyroidism on the Oral Cavity
Authors: Padbury Allan D. , Tözüm Tolga F. , Taba Mario , Ealba Erin L. , West Brady T. , Burney Richard E. , Gauger Paul G. , Giannobile William V. , McCauley Laurie K.
Published: July 2006

Context: Primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) is a systemic disease causing bone loss. Periodontal disease is a local inflammatory disease characterized by alveolar bone loss. The older literature records that HPT is associated with loss of radicular lamina dura and brown tumors of the bone, but contemporary studies are lacking.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effects of HPT on oral bony structures and periodontal disease in a contemporary population.

Design: This was a cross-sectional, case-controlled study.

Setting: The study was conducted at the clinics of endocrine surgery and hospital dentistry.

Patients and Other Participants: Fifty-nine patients, 39 with HPT and 20 thyroid controls, were included in the study.

Main Outcome Measures: Periodontal clinical measures and dental radiographic analyses were used in this study.

Results: HPT patients were more likely to have tori and reductions in radicular lamina dura on dental radiographs. Widening of the periodontal ligament space surrounding teeth correlated with serum PTH levels. Panoramic radiographs demonstrated reduced cortical bone thickness at the angle of the mandible in HPT patients but no evidence of brown tumors or other overt pathologies.

Conclusions: Changes in the oral cavity observed in patients with HPT suggested both decreased cortical density and increased likelihood of oral tori. The contemporary oral manifestations of primary HPT are different from those previously reported, and health care providers should be aware of newer, more subtle findings that may be present when treating patients with HPT.
Human Fetal Ovary Development Involves the Spatiotemporal Expression of P450c17 Protein
Authors: Cole Beth , Hensinger Krista , Maciel Gustavo A. R. , Chang R. Jeffery , Erickson Gregory F.
Published: July 2006

Objective: The purpose of this research was to characterize the spatiotemporal expression of P450c17 in the human fetal ovary.

Design: P450c17 protein was visualized in sections of control and anencephalic ovaries using immunohistochemistry.

Subjects: Subjects included control (nonanencephalic) and anencephalic human fetal ovaries during the second and third trimesters.

Results: In second-trimester control ovaries, P450c17 was highly expressed in primary interstitial cells (PIC) located between the ovigerous cords near the cortical-medullary border where meiosis and primordial follicle formation were occurring. Morphometric analysis revealed a progressive decrease in the number of PIC during the second trimester, suggesting that PIC might have a finite lifetime. Between 25 and 32 wk, relatively few cells stained positive for P450c17; however, after 33 wk, P450c17 was strongly expressed in theca interstitial cells (TIC) bordering developing follicles. Surprisingly, the TIC appeared remarkably early during folliculogenesis, e.g. as early as the primary-to-secondary transition, and exhibited notable hyperplasia throughout preantral and early antral follicle growth. Owing to large numbers of developing preantral follicles, the third trimester was characterized by an increased abundance of P450c17-positive TIC. During this time period, P450c17 was strongly expressed in the hilus interstitial cells juxtaposed to the rete ovarii. Studies of ovaries of anencephalic fetuses revealed a similar spatiotemporal pattern of P450c17 expression in the PIC, TIC, and hilus interstitial cells, consistent with the possibility that pituitary hormones may not be involved in P450c17 expression in fetal ovaries.

Conclusion: We identified three different classes of P450c17-expressing interstitial cells in the human fetal ovary, each having a different spatiotemporal pattern of P450c17 expression and, presumably, a different set of physiological functions.
Growth Hormone Treatment and Risk of Second Neoplasms in the Childhood Cancer Survivor
Authors: Ergun-Longmire Berrin , Mertens Ann C. , Mitby Pauline , Qin Jing , Heller Glenn , Shi Weiji , Yasui Yutaka , Robison Leslie L. , Sklar Charles A.
Published: July 2006

Context: GH deficiency is common in childhood cancer survivors. In a previous report, although we did not find an increase in the risk of disease recurrence in survivors treated with GH, GH-treated survivors did have an increased risk of developing a second neoplasm (SN) (rate ratio, 3.21).

Objective: In this analysis, we have reassessed the risk of GH-treated survivors developing an SN after an additional 32 months of follow-up.

Design and Setting: We conducted a retrospective cohort multicenter study.

Patients: Among a total of 14,108 survivors who were enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a retrospective cohort of 5-yr survivors of childhood cancer, we identified 361 who were treated with GH.

Main Outcome: We assessed the risk of developing an SN.

Results: During the extended follow-up, five new SN developed in survivors treated with GH, for a total of 20 SN, all solid tumors. Using a time-dependent Cox model, the rate ratio of GH-treated survivors developing an SN, compared with non-GH-treated survivors, was 2.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.3–3.5; P < 0.002). Meningiomas were the most common SN (n = 9) among the GH-treated group.

Conclusion: Although cancer survivors treated with GH appear to have an increased risk of developing SN compared with survivors not so treated, the elevation of risk due to GH use appears to diminish with increasing length of follow-up. Continued surveillance is essential.
Model for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Crouzon Syndrome
Authors: Perlyn Chad A. , Morriss-Kay Gillian , Darvann Tron , Tenenbaum Marissa , Ornitz David M.
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE

Crouzon syndrome is caused by mutations in FGFR2 leading to constitutive activation of receptors in the absence of ligand binding. The syndrome is characterized by premature fusion of the cranial sutures that leads to abnormal skull shape, restricted brain growth, and increased intracranial pressure. Surgical remodeling of the cranial vault is currently used to treat affected infants. The purpose of this study was to develop a pharmacologic strategy using tyrosine kinase inhibition as a novel treatment for craniosynostotic syndromes caused by constitutive FGFR activation.

METHODS

Characterization of cranial suture fusion in Fgfr2C342Y/+ mutant mice, which carry the most common Crouzon mutation, was performed using MicroCT analysis from embryogenesis through maturation. Whole calvarial cultures from wild-type and Fgfr2C342Y/+ mice were then established and calvaria cultured for 2 weeks in the presence of DMSO control or PD173074, an FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Paraffin sections were prepared to show suture morphology and calcium deposition.

RESULTS

In untreated Fgfr2C342Y/+ cultures, the coronal suture fused bilaterally with loss of overlap between the frontal bone and parietal bone. Calvaria treated with PD173074 (2 (M) showed patency of the coronal suture and were without evidence of any synostosis.

CONCLUSION: We report the successful use of PD173074 to prevent in-vitro suture fusion in a model for Crouzon syndrome. Further studies are underway to develop an in-vivo treatment protocol as a novel therapeutic modality for FGFR associated craniosynostotic syndromes.
Myogenic potential of adipose-tissue-derived cells
Authors: Di Rocco Giuliana , Iachininoto Maria Grazia , Tritarelli Alessandra , Straino Stefania , Zacheo Antonella , Germani Antonia , Crea Filippo , Capogrossi Maurizio C.
Published: July 2006

Adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells can be directed towards a myogenic phenotype in vitro by the addition of specific inductive media. However, the ability of these or other adipose-tissue-associated cells to respond to `natural' myogenic cues such as a myogenic environment has never been investigated in detail. Here, we provide evidence that a restricted subpopulation of freshly harvested adipose-tissue-derived cells possesses an intrinsic myogenic potential and can spontaneously differentiate into skeletal muscle. Conversion of adipose-tissue-derived cells to a myogenic phenotype is enhanced by co-culture with primary myoblasts in the absence of cell contact and is maximal when the two cell types are co-cultured in the same plate. Conversely, in vitro expanded adipose-tissuederived mesenchymal stem cells require direct contact with muscle cells to generate skeletal myotubes. Finally, we show that uncultured adipose-tissue-associated cells have a high regenerative capacity in vivo since they can be incorporated into muscle fibers following ischemia and can restore significantly dystrophin expression in mdx mice.
How can biochemical reactions within cells differ from those in test tubes?
Authors: Minton Allen P.
Published: July 2006

Nonspecific interactions between individual macro-molecules and their immediate surroundings (`background interactions') within a medium as heterogeneous and highly volume occupied as the interior of a living cell can greatly influence the equilibria and rates of reactions in which they participate. Background interactions may be either repulsive, leading to preferential size-and-shape-dependent exclusion from highly volume-occupied elements of volume, or attractive, leading to nonspecific associations or adsorption. Nonspecific interactions with different constituents of the cellular interior lead to three classes of phenomena: macromolecular crowding, confinement and adsorption. Theory and experiment have established that predominantly repulsive background interactions tend to enhance the rate and extent of macromolecular associations in solution, whereas predominately attractive background interactions tend to enhance the tendency of macromolecules to associate on adsorbing surfaces. Greater than order-of-magnitude increases in association rate and equilibrium constants attributable to background interactions have been observed in simulated and actual intracellular environments.
Extraction of Alkali Metal Picrates with Benzo-18-crown-6 into Various Organic Solvents. Fundamental Equilibria which Govern the Highest Extraction Selectivity for K+ among Alkali Metal Ions
Authors: Takeda Yasuyuki , Kawarabayashi Atsuhiro , Takahashi Keiko , Kudo Yoshihiro
Published: July 2006

For the determination of the actual overall extraction equilibrium constant (Kex) and the ion-pair formation constant (KMLA) in water of a crown ether–metal salt 1 : 1 : 1 complex, a more completed method is established by considering the concentration of the resulting 1 : 1 : 1 crown ether complex and ion-pair formation between the uncomplexed metal ion and the anion in the aqueous phase. The theoretical predictions were verified experimentally by solvent extraction with benzo-18-crown-6 (B18C6), alkali metal (Na, K, Rb) picrates, and various diluents of low dielectric constant. The actual log KMLA values in water at 25 °C of the 1 : 1 : 1 B18C6-alkali metal picrate complexes are 1.54 ± 0.16 for Na, 3.30 ± 0.20 for K, and 3.11 ± 0.24 for Rb. The distribution constants of the 1 : 1 : 1 B18C6 complexes were calculated from the partition constants of B18C6, the formation constants in water of the B18C6-alkali metal-ion complexes, and the actual Kex and KMLA values obtained in this study. The distribution behavior of the 1 : 1 : 1 B18C6 complexes is explained based on regular solution theory. The molar volumes and solubility parameters of the complexes were determined. Moreover, the fundamental equilibria which govern the highest extraction selectivity of B18C6 for K+among the alkali metal ions were completely elucidated.
Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of the Anti-Platelet Activating Factor, 4-Thiazolidinones, Using Silyl Derivatives of 2-Mercaptoalkanoic Acids
Authors: Tanabe Yoo , Okumura Hitomi , Nagaosa Masaki , Murakami Masanari
Published: July 2006

The cyclo-condensation of silyl 2-mercaptoalkanoates and arylmethyleneamines proceeded with high stereoselectivity to give alternatively both the cis- and trans-2,5-disubstituted 4-thiazolidinones, some of which are known as anti-platelet activating factor-active drugs. The use of the piperidine catalyst and no catalyst showed very high cis-stereoselectivity (cis/trans = 10/1—50/1) during the reaction. On the other hand, the trans-selective reaction was promoted by Ti(O-i-Bu)4 and Al(O-s-Bu)3 catalysts (cis/trans = 1/8—1/25). Both reactions were conducted with higher cis- and trans-selectivities as compared with those of the alkyl 2-mercaptoalkanoates under mild conditions. The cyclo-condensation using trimethylsilyl 2-(trimethylsilylthio)propionate and methyl 2-(trialkylsilylthio)propionates proceeded by the action of a catalytic amount (0.02 molar amount) of tetrabutylammonium fluoride with moderate cis-selectivity.
Impaired Firing and Cell-Specific Compensation in Neurons Lacking Nav1.6 Sodium Channels
Authors: Van Wart Audra , Matthews Gary
Published: July 2006

The ability of neurons to fire precise patterns of action potentials is critical for encoding inputs and efficiently driving target neurons. At the axon initial segment and nodes of Ranvier, where nerve impulses are generated and propagated, a high density of Nav1.2 sodium channels is developmentally replaced by Nav1.6 channels. In retinal ganglion cells (GCs), this isoform switch coincides with the developmental transition from single spikes to repetitive firing. Also, Nav1.6 channels are required for repetitive spiking in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. These previous observations suggest that the developmental appearance of Nav1.6 underlies the transition to repetitive spiking in GCs. To test this possibility, we recorded from GCs ofmed(Nav1.6-null) and wild-type mice during postnatal development. By postnatal day 18, when the switch to Nav1.6 at GC initial segments is normally complete, the maximal sustained and instantaneous firing rates were lower inmedthan in wild-type GCs, demonstrating that Nav1.6 channels are necessary to attain physiologically relevant firing frequencies in GCs. However, the firing impairment was milder than that reported previously inmedPurkinje neurons, which prompted us to look for differences in compensatory sodium channel expression. Both Nav1.2 and Nav1.1 channels accumulated at initial segments and nodes ofmedGCs, sites normally occupied by Nav1.6. InmedPurkinje cells, only Nav1.1 channels were found at initial segments, whereas in other brain regions, only Nav1.2 was detected atmedinitial segments and nodes. Thus, compensatory mechanisms in channel isoform distribution are cell specific, which likely results in different firing properties.
Purinergic P2 Receptors Modulate Excitability But Do Not Mediate pH Sensitivity of RTN Respiratory Chemoreceptors
Authors: Mulkey Daniel K. , Mistry Akshitkumar M. , Guyenet Patrice G. , Bayliss Douglas A.
Published: July 2006

The cellular mechanism(s) by which the brain senses changes in pH to regulate breathing (i.e., central chemoreception) have remained incompletely understood, in large part because the central respiratory chemoreceptors have themselves eluded detection. Here, we recorded from a newly identified population of central chemoreceptors located in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) on the ventral surface of the brainstem to test a recently proposed role for purinergic P2 receptor signaling in central respiratory chemoreception (Gourine et al., 2005). Using loose-patch current-clamp recordings in brainstem slices from rat pups (postnatal day 7–12), we indeed show purinergic modulation of pH-sensitive RTN neurons: activation of P2X receptors indirectly inhibited RTN firing by increasing inhibitory input, whereas P2Y receptor stimulation caused direct excitation of RTN chemoreceptors. However, after blocking P2 receptors with the broad-spectrum antagonists PPADS (pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonate) or RB2 (reactive blue 2), the pH sensitivity of RTN neurons remained intact. Therefore, we conclude that purinergic signaling can modulate RTN neuron activity but does not mediate the pH sensing intrinsic to these central respiratory chemoreceptors.
RNA-Binding Proteins: A Lesson in Repression
Authors: Wells David G.
Published: July 2006

Regulation of protein expression in neurons by controlling not only when, but where, mRNAs are translated is likely to play an important role in neuronal function. In this review I focus on the mRNA-binding proteins that control mRNA translation in neurons and how they may participate in local, synaptodendritic protein synthesis.
Synaptic Regulation of Translation of Dendritic mRNAs
Authors: Schuman Erin M. , Dynes Joseph L. , Steward Oswald
Published: July 2006

The selective localization of protein synthetic machinery at postsynaptic sites makes it possible for the synthesis of particular proteins to be regulated by synaptic signals. Here we consider how the structure of the machinery constrains synthetic capacity and the evidence that mRNA translation is locally controlled by synaptic signals.

Since the discovery of protein synthetic machinery at synaptic sites on dendrites (Steward and Levy, 1982), substantial progress has been made in identifying dendritic mRNAs and in showing that dendritic protein synthesis is critical for persistent synaptic modifications like long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). Although many pieces of the puzzle have been identified, major questions remain. Here we focus on one of the unknowns: how translational activity at synapses is regulated and whether regulation involves upregulation or downregulation of overall translation or differential regulation of the translation of particular transcripts. It is useful to begin by considering constraints imposed by the nature of the protein synthetic machinery at synapses.
Food-Induced Behavioral Sensitization, Its Cross-Sensitization to Cocaine and Morphine, Pharmacological Blockade, and Effect on Food Intake
Authors: Le Merrer Julie , Stephens David N.
Published: July 2006

Repeated administration of abused drugs sensitizes their stimulant effects and results in a drug-paired environment eliciting conditioned activity. We tested whether food induces similar effects. Food-deprived male mice were given novel food during 30 min tests in a runway (FR group) that measured locomotor activity. Whereas the activity of this group increased with repeated testing, that of a group exposed to the runways but that received the food in the home cage (FH group), or of a group satiated by prefeeding before testing (SAT group), decreased. When exposed to the runways in the absence of food, the paired group was more active than the other groups (conditioned activity); no activity differences were seen in an alternative, non-food-paired, apparatus. Conditioned activity survived a 3-week period without runway exposure. Conditioned activity was selectively reduced by the opiate antagonist naltrexone (10–20 mg/kg) and by the noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonist GYKI 52466 [1-(4-aminophenyl)-4-methyl-7,8-methylenedioxy-5H-2,3-benzodiazepine hydrochloride] (5–10 mg/kg). The D1antagonistSCH23390[R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride] (15–30 μg/kg) and D2antagonist sulpiride (25–125 mg/kg) reduced activity nonspecifically. A single intraperitoneal dose of cocaine (10 mg/kg) or morphine (20 mg/kg) increased activity compared with saline, the stimulant effect being larger in the FR group, suggesting “cross-sensitization” to these drugs. However, pretreatment with GYKI 52466 or naltrexone at doses that suppressed conditioned activity in FR animals suppressed cross-sensitization to cocaine. When allowedad libitumaccess to food in the runway, FR mice consumed more pellets in a time-limited test. Thus, many of the features of behavioral sensitization to drugs can be demonstrated using food reward and may contribute to excessive eating.
Emerging Rural Settlement Patterns and the Geographic Redistribution of America's New Immigrants*
Authors: Lichter Daniel T. , Johnson Kenneth M.
Published: July 2006

Abstract  This paper analyzes geographic patterns of population concentration and deconcentration among the foreign‐born population during the 1990–2000 period. A goal is to examine whether the foreign‐born population, including recent arrivals, are dispersing geographically from metro gateway cities into rural and other less densely populated parts of the country. The paper also evaluates the so‐called balkanization hypothesis, which is that immigration flows run counter‐cyclical to the redistribution trends of the native‐born population, while reinforcing spatial isolation and immigrant segregation. Data for U.S. counties or county equivalents come from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census (Summary Files 1, 3 and 4). Our results suggest that America's immigrant population is dispersing spatially. Immigrants are less concentrated today than in the past and they are less segregated from other population groups, including their own racial group and whites. However, changes over the past decade have been modest. The immigrant population, even in 2000, remained considerably more concentrated than the native‐born population. The empirical results provide little evidence of geographic balkanization.
Gender Differences in Lymphocyte Populations, Plasma HIV RNA Levels, and Disease Progression in a Cohort of Children Born to Women Infected With HIV
Authors: Foca Marc , Moye Jack , Chu Clara , Matthews Yvonne , Rich Ken , Handelsman Ed , Luzuriaga Katherine , Paul Mary , Diaz Clemente ,   Women and Infants Transmission Study
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE. We sought to document gender differences in lymphocyte subsets and plasma RNA levels in a pediatric cohort with presumed minimal hormonal differences (on the basis of age).

METHODS. Blood samples from antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected children (n = 158) and HIV-uninfected children (n = 1801) who were enrolled in the Women and Infants Transmission Study were analyzed at specified study intervals with consensus protocols, and various parameters were compared.

RESULTS. Antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected female children had, on average, 0.38 log10 copies per mL lower plasma RNA levels than did their male counterparts, but lymphocyte differences were not noted in this cohort. Despite their higher plasma RNA level, a greater proportion of male children survived through 8 years of age. There were no gender differences with respect to the age of diagnosis of HIV, time to antiretroviral therapy after diagnosis of HIV, or type of antiretroviral therapy. Lymphocyte differences were noted for uninfected children.

CONCLUSIONS. Plasma RNA levels differed among antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected children according to gender, in a manner similar to that noted in previous pediatric and adult studies. Lymphocyte subsets varied according to gender in a cohort of HIV-exposed but uninfected children. Most importantly, overall mortality rates for this cohort differed according to gender.
Relation of Prematurity and Brain Injury to Crying Behavior in Infancy
Authors: Maunu Jonna , Kirjavainen Jarkko , Korja Riikka , Parkkola Riitta , Rikalainen Hellevi , Lapinleimu Helena , Haataja Leena , Lehtonen Liisa ,   and the PIPARI Study Group
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVES. The objective of this study was to assess crying behavior during infancy in very preterm infants with or without brain injury.

METHODS. A total of 125 very low birth weight infants survived during January 2001 to July 2004 in Turku University Hospital, Finland. They were categorized according to the most pathologic brain finding either in ultrasound or MRI. Baby Day Diary was used to assess crying behavior at term, 6 weeks, and 5 months of corrected age. The behavior of a group of term control infants (n = 49) was assessed at 5 months.

RESULTS. Severe brain injuries in very low birth weight infants did not affect the duration of fussing or crying. In very low birth weight infants, brain injuries did not affect the frequency of fussing or crying bouts or the development of circadian rhythm in crying behavior. At 5 months of corrected age, fussing bouts were more frequent in very low birth weight infants compared with term control infants (6.4 per day vs 4.5 per day), and very low birth weight infants were held more (169 minutes [97] vs 130 minutes [69], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS. This prospective study using a validated cry diary showed that brain injuries that are related to prematurity do not have major effects on crying behavior or development of circadian rhythm. Prematurity does not increase the duration but increases the frequency of fussing and crying at 5 months of corrected age compared with term control infants. It also seems that prematurity and brain pathology may increase caregiving activity in the form of holding.
Prediction of Seizures in Asphyxiated Neonates: Correlation With Continuous Video-Electroencephalographic Monitoring
Authors: Murray Deidre M. , Ryan C. Anthony , Boylan Geraldine B. , Fitzgerald Anthony P. , Connolly Sean
Published: July 2006

BACKGROUND. After perinatal asphyxia, predicting which infants will develop significant hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and neonatal seizures remains a difficult task. High-risk markers (Apgar score, acidosis, nucleated red blood cells, and resuscitation) have been used to predict neonatal seizures with varying success. The “3 strikes” of Apgar score of <5 at 5 minutes, pH <7.00, and need for intubation have been cited as having a positive predictive value of 80%. We examined whether the predictive values of these markers would be increased if early continuous electroencephalographic monitoring allowed us to accurately identify all neonatal seizures and to grade the encephalopathy.

METHOD. We recruited term infants with perinatal asphyxia. Continuous video electroencephalography was commenced soon after birth and continued for 24 to 72 hours. The abilities of high-risk markers to predict electroencephalographic seizurs, background electroencephalographic activity, and Sarnat grade were examined.

RESULTS. Forty-nine infants were suitable for analysis. Electrographic seizures occurred in 11 of the 49 infants. Encephalopathy was scored by using Sarnat grade (6, severe; 18, moderate; 25, mild) and electroencephalographic findings (4 inactive, 4 major abnormalities, 16 moderate abnormalities, and 25 normal/mildly abnormal). Apgar score of <5 at 5 minutes, pH <7.0, and the need for intubation had positive predictive values for neonatal seizures of 18%, 16%, and 21%, respectively. Combining these markers gave a positive predictive value of 25% and a negative predictive value of 77%. Substituting base deficit or lactate for pH in the 3-strikes model did not improve its predictive value. Apgar score of <5 at 5 minutes, nucleated red blood cells, and a base deficit less than −15 mEq/L showed some association with Sarnat grade. Only 5-minute Apgar score was significantly associated with both Sarnat grade and electroencephalographic grade.

CONCLUSION. After perinatal asphyxia, neither the condition at birth nor the degree of metabolic acidosis reliably predict neonatal seizures.
Full Breastfeeding and Hospitalization as a Result of Infections in the First Year of Life
Authors: Paricio Talayero José María , Lizán-García Máxima , Puime Ángel Otero , Muncharaz María José Benlloch , Soto Beatriz Beseler , Sánchez-Palomares Marta , Serrano Luis Santos , Rivera Leonardo Landa
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVE. Our objective was to assess the effect of breastfeeding on the probability of hospitalization as a result of infectious processes during the first year of life

METHODS. We followed 1385 infants from birth to age 1 year between 1996 and 1999. Recruitment and data collection were done at the 6-month well-infant visit under the National Child Health Program. Full breastfeeding, hospital admission, and other relevant variables related to the delivery, infant, mother, health services system, and sociologic aspects were recorded. The statistical analysis included Kaplan-Meier test, Cox regression to obtain the hazard ratio, and the adjusted attributable risk.

RESULTS. Full breastfeeding at discharge after delivery and at 3, 4, and 6 months of age were 85%, 52%, 41%, and 15%, respectively; 78 hospital admissions as a result of infections were recorded (38 respiratory tract, 16 gastrointestinal tract). Mean age at admission was 4.1 months. After estimating the attributable risk, it was found that 30% of hospital admissions would have been avoided for each additional month of full breastfeeding. Seemingly, 100% of full breastfeeding among 4-month-old infants would avoid 56% of hospital admissions in infants who are younger than 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS. On the basis of the present data, we conclude that full breastfeeding would lower the risk for hospital admission as a result of infections among infants who are younger than 1 year within an industrialized country.