bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Charles Langmaid (1913–97): The travels of a young ship's surgeon
Authors: Roberts Alun
Published: June 2010

Charles Langmaid graduated in medicine from the University of Wales in the summer of 1935. Eighteen months later, with the encouragement of Professor Lambert Rogers, Charles decided to embark on a shorter version of what today would be regarded as a ‘gap year’ by securing a short-term commission as a ship's surgeon, a not uncommon venture for those on the threshold of a medical career. Charles' three-month journey on MV Glengarry to the Far East was recorded meticulously in the form of a diary. While it is clear that Charles's clinical skills were not fully tested during the voyage, he considered the trip ‘a most interesting and relaxing experience’ that undoubtedly got his distinguished surgical career off to an invigorating start.
John Reissberg Wolfe (1823–1904): a plastic surgeon in Garibaldi's Army
Authors: Somma Alfredo Musajo , Somma Laura Musajo
Published: June 2010

John Wolfe graduated MD from Glasgow University in 1856. He founded the Glasgow Ophthalmic Institution in 1868 and he ran this for a quarter of a century. In 1875 he published the technique of full-thickness skin grafting in the British Medical Journal. In the last decades of the 19th century he gained wide experience in soft-tissue transplants. Generally unknown was Wolfe's earlier appointment as military surgeon to Garibaldi's army. An original and unpublished letter related to his Italian experience gives evidence of the colourful personality of this Hungarian-born Scottish-trained surgeon.
Birth of the science of immunology
Authors: Schmalstieg Frank C , Goldman Armond S
Published: June 2010

The science of immunology emerged in the last of the 19th and the first of the 20th century. Substantial progress in physics, chemistry and microbiology was essential for its development. Indeed, microorganisms became one of the principal investigative tools of the major founders of that science – Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Ilya Ilich Metchnikoff, Paul Ehrlich and Jules Bordet. It is pertinent that these pioneering scientists were born when questioning and exploration were encouraged because of the legacies of the previous century of enlightenment. Mentors greatly aided their development. Their discoveries were shaped by their individual personalities. In turn they developed other contributors to the nascent field. Their discoveries included the types of leukocytes, the roles of neutrophils in inflammation and defence, cellular lysis due to complement, the principles of humoral and cellular immunology, passive and active immunization, tissue antigens, anaphylaxis, anaphylactoid reactions and autoimmunity. Their work formed the basis of modern immunology that developed many decades later. Immunology has enormously impacted our understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of infections, immune-mediated disorders and inflammation. Burgeoning advances forecast further important clinical applications of immunology. Yet, their applications will be problematic because few physicians sufficiently understand the science. We propose that understanding modern immunology requires a grasp of how that science developed – who made the discoveries, how they were made, their successes and failures, their interactions and debates all reveal the foundation of modern immunology.
A Review of Inhaled Technosphere Insulin
Authors: Neumiller Joshua J , Campbell R Keith , Wood Lindy D
Published: June 2010

Objective:

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and clinical use of Technosphere insulin.

Data Sources:

A MEDLINE search (1966–March 2010) was conducted for English-language articles using the terms AFREZZA, AFRESA, Technosphere insulin, pulmonary insulin, and inhaled insulin. Abstracts from the American Diabetes Association and European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meetings, presented in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 were also searched for relevant data.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

English-language articles pertinent to the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of Technosphere insulin were reviewed.

Data Synthesis:

Technosphere insulin is an inhaled insulin product with a pharmacokinetic profile suitable to meet prandial insulin needs in patients with diabetes. Technosphere insulin has demonstrated efficacy in terms of postprandial and overall glycemic control, with efficacy and safety outcomes maintained for up to 4 years in one study. The overall tolerability profile for Technosphere insulin in clinical trials published to date has demonstrated a relatively low risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain when compared with subcutaneous mealtime insulins. Clinical trials to date have demonstrated safety in terms of pulmonary function, and the absorption of Technosphere insulin is not significantly altered in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or in those who smoke.

Conclusions:

The Technosphere delivery system allows for the rapid absorption of Technosphere insulin via the lung, making this product a potential option for prandial insulin coverage in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The device to administer the insulin is well designed, small, and easy to use. Technosphere inhaled insulin may provide a useful treatment option for patients resistant to or fearful of initiating prandial insulin injections.
Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome: Within-Syndrome Differences and Age-Related Changes
Authors: McDuffie Andrea , Abbeduto Leonard , Lewis Pamela , Kover Sara , Kim Jee-Seon , Weber Ann , Brown W. Ted
Published: June 2010

The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) was used to examine diagnostic profiles and age-related changes in autism symptoms for a group of verbal children and adolescents who had fragile X syndrome, with and without autism. After controlling for nonverbal IQ, we found statistically significant between-group differences for lifetime and current autism symptoms for the Communication and Restricted Interests/Repetitive Behaviors domains, but not the Reciprocal Social Interaction domain. Effect sizes for differences in Reciprocal Social Interaction also were smaller than effect sizes for the other domains, with one exception. Overall, severity of autism symptoms improved with age for all participants, with the least improvement noted for Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behaviors. FMRP did not account for unique variance in autism symptoms over and above nonverbal IQ.
Skinner Releasing Technique: dancing from within
Authors: Emslie Manny
Published: June 2010

This article begins by introducing some thoughts on the current place of somatic approaches to learning dance in higher education. Specific references are then made to the pedagogy of Skinner Releasing Technique and the ways in which this practice cultivates body awareness, creative
play and personal artistry. The article concludes with suggestions as to why we should be making space for somatic approaches in dance education.
Artist-led, artist-used: experiences at Coventry's Summer Dancing 2009
Authors: Pollard Niki , Coe Katye , Collard-Stokes Gemma , Le Quesne Lizzy , Moran Joe
Published: June 2010

This multi-authored article arises from an artist-led festival of dance and probes what is entailed by the commitment to an artist-led structure. The festival, Summer Dancing 2009 in Coventry, is becoming significant in the United Kingdom as a gathering, both regionally and nationally,
of practitioners whose expertise is grounded in what might be termed somatic dance practices. It is proposed that artist-led may indicate an aim to be led by artists for other artists; that is, for an event or organization to be artist-used and useful. With the question of artists' use at
the fore, the article reports on a festival panel debate and on a project of practitioner-focused writing, examining how a dance practitioner may be stimulated, challenged or find connections to an existing practice.
Written in the body: reflections on encounters with somatic practices in postgraduate dance training
Authors: Allen Jess
Published: June 2010

This article tracks my exploration of the somatic practices as a postgraduate dance student, set against the background of my previous experience and my journey to this place through conventional dance training. Personal reflections and journal writings are combined with a more formal
definition and discussion of the somatic practices and their application to dance training and performance, with particular reference to the Alexander Technique and Body-Mind Centering. What emerges is a personal record of the shifts in my thinking/moving that were necessary to realize fully
what the somatic practices have to offer, both in dance and life. It also charts the struggle and frustrations as well as the delights and discoveries that I encountered in this rite of passage.
Integrating semi-structured somatic practices and contemporary dance technique training
Authors: Weber Rebecca
Published: June 2010

Previous research has examined the effects of more structured somatic practices, sometimes referred to as codified or structural integrity techniques, on contemporary dance education, yet few researchers have addressed the effects of open- or semi-structured somatic frameworks. This
article is presented in two parts: the first part examines previous research as a ground from which to develop a method to deliver and study the effects of less codified somatic frameworks within a contemporary dance technique; the second part presents a short piece of practical research which
developed from this basis. The research, conducted within a first-year college dance programme, consisted of a series of somatically informed contemporary dance technique classes. Results of the study included students' displaying enhanced bodily connection, creativity, confidence and critical
understanding of tenets underlying somatic work, as well as some implications for dance technique. It also addresses some of the issues arising from introducing semi-structured frameworks within a contemporary technique class.
Dissociation and Second Life: Pathology or transcendence?
Authors: Garvey Gregory P
Published: June 2010

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR treats dissociation as a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Survey instruments used to measure dissociation incorporate questions that focus
on depersonalization, de-realization, and dissociative-identity disorder (DID). The self-administered Structured Clinical Interview for DepersonalizationDerealization Spectrum (SCI-DER) asks a subject if they ever felt that your body did not seem to belong you or you were outside your body
(Mula et al. 2008). This last question references what is also known as the out-of-body experience (OBE). In some cultures and religious practices OBE is considered desirable. Research has shown that OBE can be induced. For users of the virtual world Second Life, OBE is the default point of
view (POV). Users are represented as avatars that look unreal and one's surroundings look unreal. Yet reality testing is intact (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Many users have multiple avatars, which enact distinct identities or personalities, and this fits the criteria for dissociative
identity disorder. To experience any of these disorders in real life may be considered undesirable, even pathological. But for users of Second Life such dissociative experiences are considered normal, liberating, and even transcendent.
Media behaviour: towards the transformation society
Authors: Gallon Ray
Published: June 2010

Transformation can only occur through behavioural evolution.

Global consciousness, collective intelligence and other similar utopian expressions fill the pages of books, websites, blogs and academic articles as once again the promise of transcendent transformation via new
technology fills our techno-romantic hearts with hope.

Past promises have often led to disappointment. It is clear that ideals will not be attained by the simple advance of technology. If, as Marshall McLuhan asserted, our tools shape us we need to examine our media, new and old, from a
behavioural perspective in two directions: how the media behave (as systems, as tools, as environments); and how we behave as users, participants and members of these systems and environments.

This article illustrates this thesis using behavioural aspects of two current phenomena: social
media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and music. Using concrete examples, it indicates paths to lead us from a mechanical, consumerist, technology-oriented notion, the information society, based on quantitative accumulation, towards the transformation society in which meaningful human
interactions are encouraged proactively. We need to educate our children about media behaviour, much as we have always educated children about other social behaviours.
MAPPING the domains of media art practice: A trans-disciplinary enquiry into collaborative creative processes
Authors: Jacobsen Mogens , Sndergaard Morten
Published: June 2010

From new practices emerge new domains. And from new domains emerge new competencies and roles. This article investigates some of the new competencies and roles emerging from the trans-disciplinary practice of curators, artists, scientists, programmers etc., which are involved in media
art practice. Our hypothesis is that these new domains have a more general existence and profile in the paradigm of media art even though the following is based on the process of creating the MAP Media Art Platform at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MFSK) in Roskilde, Denmark, between 2005
and 2008, a process in which we both were involved as media artist and media art curator, respectively. Our focus in this article is to investigate further the status of these new competencies and roles, and to ask: what are these new domains that emerge with regard to the artist, the software
developer, the academic, the scientist and the curator
Biochemical markers of muscular damage
Authors: Brancaccio Paola , Lippi Giuseppe , Maffulli Nicola
Published: June 2010

Muscle tissue may be damaged following intense prolonged training as a consequence of both metabolic and mechanical factors. Serum levels of skeletal muscle enzymes or proteins are markers of the functional status of muscle tissue, and vary widely in both pathological and physiological conditions. Creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, aldolase, myoglobin, troponin, aspartate aminotransferase, and carbonic anhydrase CAIII are the most useful serum markers of muscle injury, but apoptosis in muscle tissues subsequent to strenuous exercise may be also triggered by increased oxidative stress. Therefore, total antioxidant status can be used to evaluate the level of stress in muscle by other markers, such as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, malondialdehyde, sulfhydril groups, reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and others. As the various markers provide a composite picture of muscle status, we recommend using more than one to provide a better estimation of muscle stress.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:757–67.
Identifying Neuronal Lineages ofDrosophilaby Sequence Analysis of Axon Tracts
Authors: Cardona Albert , Saalfeld Stephan , Arganda Ignacio , Pereanu Wayne , Schindelin Johannes , Hartenstein Volker
Published: June 2010

TheDrosophilabrain is formed by an invariant set of lineages, each of which is derived from a unique neural stem cell (neuroblast) and forms a genetic and structural unit of the brain. The task of reconstructing brain circuitry at the level of individual neurons can be made significantly easier by assigning neurons to their respective lineages. In this article we address the automation of neuron and lineage identification. We focused on theDrosophilabrain lineages at the larval stage when they form easily recognizable secondary axon tracts (SATs) that were previously partially characterized. We now generated an annotated digital database containing all lineage tracts reconstructed from five registered wild-type brains, at higher resolution and including some that were previously not characterized. We developed a method for SAT structural comparisons based on a dynamic programming approach akin to nucleotide sequence alignment and a machine learning classifier trained on the annotated database of reference SATs. We quantified the stereotypy of SATs by measuring the residual variability of aligned wild-type SATs. Next, we used our method for the identification of SATs within wild-type larval brains, and found it highly accurate (93–99%). The method proved highly robust for the identification of lineages in mutant brains and in brains that differed in developmental time or labeling. We describe for the first time an algorithm that quantifies neuronal projection stereotypy in theDrosophilabrain and use the algorithm for automatic neuron and lineage recognition.
Spinal Cord Injury Immediately Changes the State of the Brain
Authors: Aguilar Juan , Humanes-Valera Desiré , Alonso-Calviño Elena , Yague Josué G. , Moxon Karen A. , Oliviero Antonio , Foffani Guglielmo
Published: June 2010

Spinal cord injury can produce extensive long-term reorganization of the cerebral cortex. Little is known, however, about the sequence of cortical events starting immediately after the lesion. Here we show that a complete thoracic transection of the spinal cord produces immediate functional reorganization in the primary somatosensory cortex of anesthetized rats. Besides the obvious loss of cortical responses to hindpaw stimuli (below the level of the lesion), cortical responses evoked by forepaw stimuli (above the level of the lesion) markedly increase. Importantly, these increased responses correlate with a slower and overall more silent cortical spontaneous activity, representing a switch to a network state of slow-wave activity similar to that observed during slow-wave sleep. The same immediate cortical changes are observed after reversible pharmacological block of spinal cord conduction, but not after sham. We conclude that the deafferentation due to spinal cord injury can immediately (within minutes) change the state of large cortical networks, and that this state change plays a critical role in the early cortical reorganization after spinal cord injury.
The RCK2 Domain Uses a Coordination Site Present in Kir Channels to Confer Sodium Sensitivity to Slo2.2 Channels
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Rosenhouse-Dantsker Avia , Tang Qiong-Yao , Noskov Sergei , Logothetis Diomedes E.
Published: June 2010

Slo2 Na+-activated potassium channels are widely expressed in neurons and other cells, such as kidney, heart, and skeletal muscle. Although their important physiological roles continue to be appreciated, molecular determinants responsible for sensing intracellular Na+remain unknown. Here we report identification of an Na+regulatory site, similar to an Na+coordination motif described in Kir channels, localized in the RCK2 domain of Slo2.2 channels. Molecular simulations of the homology-modeled Slo2.2 RCK2 domain provided structural insights into the organization of this Na+coordination site. Furthermore, free energy calculations reproduced the experimentally derived monovalent cation selectivity. Our results suggest that Slo2.2 and Kir channels share a similar mechanism to coordinate Na+. The localization of an Na+sensor within the RCK2 domain of Slo2.2 further supports the role of RCK (regulators of conductance of K+) domains of Slo channels in coupling ion sensing to channel gating.
Epileptogenesis Provoked by Prolonged Experimental Febrile Seizures: Mechanisms and Biomarkers
Authors: Dubé Céline M. , Ravizza Teresa , Hamamura Mark , Zha Qinqin , Keebaugh Andrew , Fok Kimberly , Andres Adrienne L. , Nalcioglu Orhan , Obenaus Andre , Vezzani Annamaria , Baram Tallie Z.
Published: June 2010

Whether long febrile seizures (FSs) can cause epilepsy in the absence of genetic or acquired predisposing factors is unclear. Having established causality between long FSs and limbic epilepsy in an animal model, we studied here if the duration of the inciting FSs influenced the probability of developing subsequent epilepsy and the severity of the spontaneous seizures. We evaluated if interictal epileptifom activity and/or elevation of hippocampal T2 signal on magnetic resonance image (MRI) provided predictive biomarkers for epileptogenesis, and if the inflammatory mediator interleukin-1β (IL-1β), an intrinsic element of FS generation, contributed also to subsequent epileptogenesis. We found that febrile status epilepticus, lasting an average of 64 min, increased the severity and duration of subsequent spontaneous seizures compared with FSs averaging 24 min. Interictal activity in rats sustaining febrile status epilepticus was also significantly longer and more robust, and correlated with the presence of hippocampal T2 changes in individual rats. Neither T2 changes nor interictal activity predicted epileptogenesis. Hippocampal levels of IL-1β were significantly higher for >24 h after prolonged FSs. Chronically, IL-1β levels were elevated only in rats developing spontaneous limbic seizures after febrile status epilepticus, consistent with a role for this inflammatory mediator in epileptogenesis. Establishing seizure duration as an important determinant in epileptogenesis and defining the predictive roles of interictal activity, MRI, and inflammatory processes are of paramount importance to the clinical understanding of the outcome of FSs, the most common neurological insult in infants and children.
The DREAM Protein Negatively Regulates the NMDA Receptor through Interaction with the NR1 Subunit
Authors: Zhang Ying , Su Ping , Liang Ping , Liu Tao , Liu Xu , Liu Xin-Ying , Zhang Bo , Han Tao , Zhu Yan-Bing , Yin Dong-Min , Li Junfa , Zhou Zhuan , Wang Ke-Wei , Wang Yun
Published: June 2010

Glutamate-induced excitotoxicity has been implicated in the etiology of stroke, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative diseases. NMDA receptors (NMDARs) play a pivotal role in excitotoxic injury; however, clinical trials testing NMDAR antagonists as neuroprotectants have been discouraging. The development of novel neuroprotectant molecules is being vigorously pursued. Here, we report that downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM) significantly inhibits surface expression of NMDARs and NMDAR-mediated current. Overexpression of DREAM showed neuroprotection against excitotoxic neuronal injury, whereas knockdown of DREAM enhanced NMDA-induced toxicity. DREAM could directly bind to the C0 domain of the NR1 subunit. Although DREAM contains multiple binding sites for the NR1 subunit, residues 21-40 of the N terminus are the main binding site for the NR1 subunit. Thus, 21-40 residues might relieve the autoinhibition conferred by residues 1-50 and derepress the DREAM core domain by a competitive mechanism. Intriguingly, the cell-permeable TAT-21-40 peptide, constructed according to the critical binding site of DREAM to the NR1 subunit, inhibits NMDAR-mediated currents in primary cultured hippocampal neurons and has a neuroprotective effect onin vitroneuronal excitotoxic injury andin vivoischemic brain damage. Moreover, both pretreatment and posttreatment of TAT-21-40 is effective against excitotoxicity. In summary, this work reveals a novel, negative regulator of NMDARs and provides an attractive candidate for the treatment of excitotoxicity-related disease.
Chinese–English Bilinguals Reading English Hear Chinese
Authors: Wu Yan Jing , Thierry Guillaume
Published: June 2010

Bilingual individuals have been shown to access their native language while reading in or listening to their other language. However, it is unknown what type of mental representation (e.g., sound or spelling) they retrieve. Here, using event-related brain potentials, we demonstrate unconscious access to the sound form of Chinese words when advanced Chinese–English bilinguals read or listen to English words. Participants were asked to decide whether or not English words presented in pairs were related in meaning; they were unaware of the fact that some of the unrelated word pairs concealed either a sound or a spelling repetition in their Chinese translations. Whereas spelling repetition in Chinese translations had no effect, concealed sound repetition significantly modulated event-related brain potentials. These results suggest that processing second language activates the sound, but not the spelling, of native language translations.
Motoneuronal TASK Channels Contribute to Immobilizing Effects of Inhalational General Anesthetics
Authors: Lazarenko Roman M. , Willcox Sarah C. , Shu Shaofang , Berg Allison P. , Jevtovic-Todorovic Vesna , Talley Edmund M. , Chen Xiangdong , Bayliss Douglas A.
Published: June 2010

General anesthetics cause sedation, hypnosis, and immobilization via CNS mechanisms that remain incompletely understood; contributions of particular anesthetic targets in specific neural pathways remain largely unexplored. Among potential molecular targets for mediating anesthetic actions, members of the TASK subgroup [TASK-1 (K2P3.1) and TASK-3 (K2P9.1)] of background K+channels are appealing candidates since they are expressed in CNS sites relevant to anesthetic actions and activated by clinically relevant concentrations of inhaled anesthetics. Here, we used global and conditional TASK channel single and double subunit knock-out mice to demonstrate definitively that TASK channels account for motoneuronal, anesthetic-activated K+currents and to test their contributions to sedative, hypnotic, and immobilizing anesthetic actions. In motoneurons from all knock-out mice lines, TASK-like currents were reduced and cells were less sensitive to hyperpolarizing effects of halothane and isoflurane. In an immobilization assay, higher concentrations of both halothane and isoflurane were required to render TASK knock-out animals unresponsive to a tail pinch; in assays of sedation (loss of movement) and hypnosis (loss-of-righting reflex), TASK knock-out mice showed a modest decrease in sensitivity, and only for halothane. In conditional knock-out mice, with TASK channel deletion restricted to cholinergic neurons, immobilizing actions of the inhaled anesthetics and sedative effects of halothane were reduced to the same extent as in global knock-out lines. These data indicate that TASK channels in cholinergic neurons are molecular substrates for select actions of inhaled anesthetics; for immobilization, which is spinally mediated, these data implicate motoneurons as the likely neuronal substrates.
TDP-43 Mediates Degeneration in a NovelDrosophilaModel of Disease Caused by Mutations in VCP/p97
Authors: Ritson Gillian P. , Custer Sara K. , Freibaum Brian D. , Guinto Jake B. , Geffel Dyanna , Moore Jennifer , Tang Waixing , Winton Matthew J. , Neumann Manuela , Trojanowski John Q. , Lee Virginia M.-Y. , Forman Mark S. , Taylor J. Paul
Published: June 2010

Inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) is a dominantly inherited degenerative disorder caused by mutations in thevalosin-containing protein(VCP7) gene. VCP (p97 in mouse, TER94 inDrosophila melanogaster, and CDC48 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae) is a highly conserved AAA+(ATPases associated with multiple cellular activities) ATPase that regulates a wide array of cellular processes. The mechanism of IBMPFD pathogenesis is unknown. To elucidate the pathogenic mechanism, we developed and characterized aDrosophilamodel of IBMPFD (mutant-VCP-related degeneration). Based on genetic screening of this model, we identified three RNA-binding proteins that dominantly suppressed degeneration; one of these was TBPH, theDrosophilahomolog of TAR (trans-activating response region) DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43). Here we demonstrate that VCP and TDP-43 interact genetically and that disease-causing mutations in VCP lead to redistribution of TDP-43 to the cytoplasmin vitroandin vivo, replicating the major pathology observed in IBMPFD and other TDP-43 proteinopathies. We also demonstrate that TDP-43 redistribution from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is sufficient to induce cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we determined that a pathogenic mutation in TDP-43 promotes redistribution to the cytoplasm and enhances the genetic interaction with VCP. Together, our results show that degeneration associated with VCP mutations is mediated in part by toxic gain of function of TDP-43 in the cytoplasm. We suggest that these findings are likely relevant to the pathogenic mechanism of a broad array of TDP-43 proteinopathies, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Isolation of Somatic Na+Currents by Selective Inactivation of Axonal Channels with a Voltage Prepulse
Authors: Milescu Lorin S. , Bean Bruce P. , Smith Jeffrey C.
Published: June 2010

We present a simple and effective method for isolating the somatic Na+current recorded under voltage clamp from neurons in brain slices. The principle is to convert the axon from an active compartment capable of generating uncontrolled axonal spikes into a passive structure by selectively inactivating axonal Na+channels. Typically, whole-cell currents from intact neurons under somatic voltage clamp contain a mixture of Na+current and axial current caused by escaped axonal spikes. We found that a brief prepulse to voltages near spike threshold evokes the axonal spike, which inactivates axonal but not somatic channels. A subsequent voltage step then evokes only somatic Na+current from electrotonically proximal sodium channels under good voltage-clamp control. Simulations using a neuron compartmental model support the idea that the prepulse effectively inactivates currents from the axon and isolates well controlled somatic currents. Na+currents recorded from cortical pyramidal neurons in slices, using the prepulse, were found to have voltage dependence nearly identical to that of currents recorded from acutely dissociated pyramidal neurons. In addition, studies in dissociated neurons show that the prepulse has no visible effect on the voltage dependence and kinetics of Na+currents elicited by the subsequent voltage step, only decreasing the amplitude of the currents by 10–20%. The technique was effective in several neuronal types in brain slices from male and female neonatal rats and mice, including raphé neurons, cortical pyramidal neurons, inferior olivary neurons, and hypoglossal motoneurons.
Selective Changes in Thin Spine Density and Morphology in Monkey Prefrontal Cortex Correlate with Aging-Related Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Dumitriu Dani , Hao Jiandong , Hara Yuko , Kaufmann Jeffrey , Janssen William G. M. , Lou Wendy , Rapp Peter R. , Morrison John H.
Published: June 2010

Age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) occurs in many mammalian species, including humans. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), in which circuit disruption occurs through neuron death, AAMI is due to circuit and synapse disruption in the absence of significant neuron loss and thus may be more amenable to prevention or treatment. We have investigated the effects of aging on pyramidal neurons and synapse density in layer III of area 46 in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of young and aged, male and female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) that were tested for cognitive status through the delayed non-matching-to-sample (DNMS) and delayed response tasks. Cognitive tests revealed an age-related decrement in both acquisition and performance on DNMS. Our morphometric analyses revealed both an age-related loss of spines (33%,p< 0.05) on pyramidal cells and decreased density of axospinous synapses (32%,p< 0.01) in layer III of area 46. In addition, there was an age-related shift in the distribution of spine types reflecting a selective vulnerability of small, thin spines, thought to be particularly plastic and linked to learning. While both synapse density and the overall spine size average of an animal were predictive of number of trials required for acquisition of DNMS (i.e., learning the task), the strongest correlate of behavior was found to be the head volume of thin spines, with no correlation between behavior and mushroom spine size or density. No synaptic index correlated with memory performance once the task was learned.
Hochdetektive pyroelektrische Infrarotsensoren auf der Basis von LiTaO3
Authors: Schossig Marco , Norkus Volkmar , Gerlach Gerald
Published: June 2010

Eine in den letzten Jahren entwickelte flexible Herstellungstechnologie für pyroelektrische Infrarotsensoren auf der Basis von Lithiumtantalat (LiTaO3) ermöglicht es, Sensoren zu entwerfen und zu fertigen, die einen hohen Signal-Rausch-Abstand besitzen und der geplanten Anwendung optimal angepasst sind. So wurden ultradünne, freitragende LiTaO3-Schichten mit einer Dicke von weniger als 1 μm hergestellt, mit denen die Sensoren eine spezifische Detektivität D
* von über 5×109 cm Hz1/2W-1 erreichen.
Spurengasdetektion mittels Laserionenmobilitätsspektrometrie
Authors: Oberhüttinger Carola , Kessler Matthias , Langmeier Andreas , Göbel Johann , Müller Gerhard
Published: June 2010

Die Ionenmobilitätsspektrometrie eignet sich zum schnellen Nachweis von Gasen unter Atmosphärendruck. Verwendet man zur Ionisation der Gasmoleküle eine radioaktive Quelle (63Ni), können sich die Signale mehrerer Substanzen überlagern, was zu schwer interpretierbaren Spektren führt. Um die Vorteile der Laserionisation zu demonstrieren, untersuchten wir die Detektion von Kohlenwasserstoffen und Aminen im Spurengasbereich mit Hilfe der Zwei-Photon-Ionisation.
TSH and free thyroxine concentrations are associated with differing metabolic markers in euthyroid subjects
Authors: Garduño-Garcia Jose de Jesus , Alvirde-Garcia Ulices , López-Carrasco Guadalupe , Padilla Mendoza Ma Elena , Mehta Roopa , Arellano-Campos Olimpia , Choza Ricardo , Sauque Leobardo , Garay-Sevilla Maria Eugenia , Malacara Juan Manuel , Gomez-Perez Francisco J , Aguilar-Salinas Carlos A
Published: June 2010

Objective

To examine the association between thyroid function and the components of the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in an Hispanic population.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

Subjects with no history of thyroid disease or diabetes were included. Thyroid function was stratified as euthyroid or subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) status and subsequently by free thyroxine (FT4) and TSH tertiles. The association of the metabolic syndrome components (defined by 2004 Adult Treatment Panel III criteria) and insulin resistance with thyroid status, TSH, and FT4 were examined.

Results

A total of 3148 subjects were analyzed. The prevalence of SCH was 8.3%. The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was similar in euthyroid and SCH patients (31.6 vs 32.06%, P=0.89). Total cholesterol was higher in patients with SCH (5.51±1.19 vs 5.34±1.05 mmol/l, P<0.032). Serum TSH values showed a positive correlation (adjusted for age and sex) with total cholesterol, triglycerides, and waist circumference. In contrast, FT4 showed a positive correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and an inverse correlation with waist circumference, insulin, and HOMA-IR.

Conclusion

SCH is not associated with an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome (as conceived as a diagnostic category defined by the National Cholesterol, Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III criteria). Despite this, low thyroid function (even in the euthyroid state) predisposes to higher cholesterol, glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR levels. The combined use of TSH and FT4, compared with the assessment based on only FT4, is a more convenient approach to evaluate the association between thyroid function and metabolic variables.
‘The perfect man, the proper man’
Authors: Kosetzi Konstantia , Polyzou Alexandra
Published: June 2010

In this paper we examine the representation of masculinities in Greek men’s lifestyle magazines. We are applying Norman Fairclough’s framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (2001a, b; 2003) to analyse an issue of Nitro, a prototypical and high in circulation Greek men’s lifestyle magazine. The framework links social and cultural changes (in our case in gender relations) with discursive changes manifested through interdiscursivity, which is the focus of this paper. We look at the amalgam of discourses employed, on the basis of linguistic traces of these discourses in the text. The magazine draws mainly on hegemonic discourses of masculinity, asserting a ‘Real Male’ discursive construct and discrediting non-hegemonic masculinities. This can be mainly linked to social changes in Greece related to reactions to feminist progress, consumerism and possibly to the influence of international lifestyle magazines.
Vicarious Language: Gender and Linguistic Modernity in Japan
Authors: Adelman Allison S.
Published: June 2010

Book review of ‘Vicarious language: Gender and linguistic modernity in Japan’ by Miyako Inoue, published by University of California Press in 2006.

‘Japanese women’s language’ has been the focus of a great deal of scholarly work in the fields of linguistics and sociocultural anthropology. Its existence has also continually been authenticated by mass media and popular ideologies of language and gender. In ‘Vicarious Language’, Miyako Inoue puts forward a new and important perspective on ‘Japanese women’s language.’
Review of: Public Discourses of Gay Men
Authors: Nash Carlos M.
Published: June 2010

Book Review
Language shift in West Africa: an introduction
Authors: Igboanusi Herbert
Published: June 2010

West Africa is linguistically the most heterogeneous sub-region in Africa accounting for more than half of Africa’s 2000 languages. In spite of being one of the most linguistically diversified regions in the world with possibly the greatest occurrences of language shift and loss, studies focusing on language shift and maintenance in West Africa are almost absent in sociolinguistic literature. This special issue, which originates from thematic collection of papers on the subject matter, is in response to the need to fill this gap.
A sociolinguistic profile of The Gambia
Authors: Juffermans Kasper , McGlynn Caroline
Published: June 2010

This paper offers a comprehensive description of the ethnic, linguistic, and sociolinguistic situation in the smallest country of mainland Africa, The Gambia. This description follows several periods of fieldwork in the country conducted by the two authors in the process of their doctoral research. Very little has been published about the languages and sociolinguistic situation in The Gambia. Therefore, where documentary evidence is not available, or considered out of date, recourse to Gambians with knowledge in the particular areas under discussion has been made. Following a portrayal of the indigenous and exogenous languages of The Gambia, with attention to overlapping and shifting ethnolinguistic identities, the role of language in several social institutions in a changing society is identified and discussed. The paper culminates in a discussion of the language situation and recognition for more research in this sociolinguistically unexposed country.
A Kente of Many Colours: Multilingualism as a Complex Ecology of Language Shift in Ghana
Authors: Bodomo Adams , Anderson Jemima Asabea , Dzahene-Quarshie Josephine
Published: June 2010

Language shift, a process which may lead speakers to use their language in fewer domains with respect to other languages or even lose proficiency in their language altogether in favour of other languages, is a prominent concept in linguistics. But the concept has been mainly studied from Western perspectives (e.g. Fishman 1964, 1991; and Veltman 1983). This paper discusses language shift from the perspectives of Ghana, a highly multilingual developing nation in West Africa. We introduce the concept of ecology of language shift, and argue that any theory of language shift must rigorously take into consideration the complexity of the ecology in which language shift occurs. Multilingual language shift processes – situations in which different types of language shift are taking place concurrently or sequentially in a country – are thus very different from simple language shift situations in less multilingual set-ups. The paper provides a relatively detailed empirical study of language shift based on a questionnaire survey before outlining some language maintenance activities – such as the pervasive use of indigenous Ghanaian languages in FM radio broadcast - that are being pursued to contain language shift in Ghana, and which may be used for containing language shift in other African countries.
Sociolinguistic Consequences of Language Shift in Anglophone West African Literature
Authors: Bamiro Edmund O.
Published: June 2010

Sociolinguistic Consequences of Language Shift in West African Literature
Edmund Bamiro

The long history and dominance of English in West Africa have compelled a shift towards the language by several West African creative writers, beginning especially in the post-World War II decade. Using data from the novels of two prominent authors, the Ghanaian, Ayi Kwei Armah, and the Nigerian, Chinua Achebe, this paper argues that the massive shift in the direction of English has been accompanied by a reterritorialization of the language in the West African sociolinguistic environment. Consequently, language shift in West African literature is mediated by the strategies of disidentification and counteridentification from, and identification with, native English forms and norms. However, the language shift in terms of a transfer of legitimacy from the writers’ filial bond to their mother tongues to their affiliation with imperial language and aesthetics is a double-edged sword.
A demographic analysis of language shift in a Yoruba suburban town, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Dada Samuel Ayodele
Published: June 2010

A significant number of Nigerian languages have not been put into maximum use either by documenting them or by parents attempting to pass them on to the younger generation. Thus, this paper delves into the struggle of the ‘minority’ languages in Nigeria against the oppressive and predative tendencies of the other neighbouring prestige languages. Specifically, it examines societal endoglossic bilingualism in Erushu, Akoko with respect to some demographic variables (sex, age, education, occupation and place of acquisition). Our findings reveal that at 0.05 level of significance, there is a significant difference in the level of subjects’ mastery of Erushu, the mother tongue with respect to age as well as their mastery of Yoruba, the regional lingua franca, with respect to education. However, other variables are not statistically significant. Language use data here reveal a case of language shift as adolescents in this community are gradually giving up the mastery of Erushu in preference for Yoruba and English. The paper further reports on the quest for linguistic and ethnic identity ravaging virtually every small ethno-linguistic group in the nation as evident in the Erushu/Yoruba data presented here. The paper recommends some strategies which Nigerians should adopt in order to preserve and popularize their languages. These are educational, political and cultural strategies. These efforts include organizing language Institutes for small language groups, re-orientating the citizens through government organs as far as language use and language attitudes are concerned and the re-vitalization of some cultural festivals and names.
The role of ethnically mixed marriages in language shift: a case study of Nigeria’s minority languages
Authors: Igboanusi Herbert , Wolf Hans-Georg
Published: June 2010

As the foundation of homes, the marriage institution is an important agent of socialization. In this regard, marriage can be relied upon as a major factor in language and cultural maintenance. However, mixed marriages may contribute to language shift in the home because they can lead to a change in language use patterns among minority language speakers and their children. This means that the likelihood of preserving a minority language is greater in marriages among individuals who speak the same indigenous language than in situations in which spouses speak different languages. This study uses questionnaire data from parents of ethnically mixed marriages to explain how mixed marriages contribute to language shift from minority languages to English (Nigeria’s official language), Nigerian Pidgin (informal lingua franca) and the major languages (i.e. Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) in the home domains. The study shows that the future of minority languages will largely depend on the roles of families and the value attached to minority ethnic identity by young people, particularly those from mixed homes.
Cry Melody in 2-Month-Old Infants with and without Clefts
Authors: Wermke Kathleen , Birr Marlene , Voelter Christiane , Shehata Wafaa-Dieler , Jurkutat Anne , Wermke Peter , Stellzig Angelika-Eisenhauer
Published: June 2010

Objective

To investigate cry melody properties in infants with clefts using objective methods and to identify early differences in cry development in relation to infants without clefts that may indicate special developmental risks.

Design

Melody analysis was carried out on cries from the second month of life. The cry properties of infants with a cleft lip and palate (CLP) and infants with a cleft palate only (CP) were quantitatively compared. Both groups were compared to infants without clefts.

Participants

Twenty-one infants with nonsyndromic clefts, including 11 infants with CLP and 10 infants with CP, were compared to 50 healthy controls.

Main Outcome Measures

Frequency spectrograms and melody diagrams of about 7000 cries were analyzed. For each infant's crying, melodic and rhythmic properties were investigated and expressed by appropriate quantitative indices. Based on previous studies, the degree of melody complexity in an infants’ crying was used as an indicator of their present prespeech developmental status.

Results

The cleft groups did not significantly differ from each other with respect to their cry melody development. However, both groups were significantly different from the control group, exhibiting a lower proportion of complex cry melodies and a deviation in rhythmicity. No significant correlation to hearing performances was found that could explain the differences.

Conclusions

Infants with clefts differ in their cry development from infants without clefts at 2 months of life. This early difference occurs before the infants undergo any surgical intervention or other treatment.
Microdeletion of Chromosome 15q24.3–25.2 and Orofacial Clefting
Authors: Sing Bindya , Song Dongli , Desandre Glenn , Govindaswami Balaji , Rosenthal Scott , Gunn Shelly , Wallerstein Robert
Published: June 2010

We report a case of de novo microdeletion of 15q24.3-q25.2 in an infant with orofacial cleft and general hypotonia and suggest that this may be a critical region in orofacial development. In addition, this case highlights the usefulness of comparative genomic microarray in the evaluation of children with congenital anomalies with such defects.