bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of glycogen synthase kinase 3 in the early stages of Alzheimers’ disease
Authors: Hernández Félix , Avila Jesús
Published: October 2008

There are two different types of Alzheimers’ disease, familiar Alzheimers’ disease (FAD) and Sporadic Alzheimers’ disease (SAD), and the origin of the disease could be different in both familial and sporadic cases. In terms of FAD, mutations in three different genes are likely to promote the onset of the disease whereas for SAD, different risk factors might be involved. Nevertheless, downstream of the initial causes of the disease some common factors may be involved. In this review, rather than the differences, we have focused on some of the common features shared by Alzheimers’ patients, irrespective of the origin of their disorder. Among these common features, at the molecular level, the activation of the protein kinase GSK3 may be relevant.
Regulation of the human PDZK1 expression by peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha
Authors: Tachibana Keisuke , Anzai Naohiko , Ueda Chihiro , Katayama Tatsuya , Yamasaki Daisuke , Kirino Takayoshi , Takahashi Rika , Ishimoto Kenji , Komori Hidenori , Tanaka Toshiya , Hamakubo Takao , Ueda Yukihiko , Arai Hiroyuki , Sakai Juro , Kodama Tatsuhiko , Doi Takefumi
Published: October 2008

Although PDZK1 is a well‐known adaptor protein, the mechanisms for its role in transcriptional regulation are largely unknown. The peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is a ligand‐activated transcription factor that plays an important role in the regulation of lipid homeostasis. Previously, we established a tetracycline‐regulated human cell line that can be induced to express PPARα and identified candidate target genes, one of which was PDZK1. In this study, we cloned and characterized the promoter region of the human pdzk1 gene and determined the PPAR response element. Finally, we demonstrate that endogenous PPARα regulates PDZK1 expression.
A reducing environment stabilizes HIF‐2α in SH‐SY5Y cells under hypoxic conditions
Authors: Chen Hu , Shi Honglian
Published: October 2008

Accumulating evidence suggests that hypoxia‐inducible factor‐2 (HIF‐2) is important for the cellular response to hypoxia. However, it is not clear how HIF‐2 is regulated under hypoxic conditions. We investigated kinetic changes in redox status and HIF‐2α accumulation in hypoxic SH‐SY5Y cells. Our results demonstrated that hypoxia caused a reducing environment and increased HIF‐2α protein levels. Experiments with redox modulations (N‐acetylcysteine and l‐buthionine sulfoximine) confirmed that a reducing environment induced HIF‐2α accumulation while an oxidizing environment decreased it. In addition, experiments with SOD mimic, catalase, and exogenous H2O2 provided evidence that the presence of H2O2 down‐regulated the amount of HIF‐2α protein. This study offers novel evidence supporting redox status regulation of HIF‐2α accumulation under hypoxic conditions.
How to avoid iatrogenic morbidity and mortality while increasing availability of oxytocin and misoprostol for PPH prevention?
Authors: Lovold Ann , Stanton Cynthia , Armbruster Deborah
Published: October 2008

Objective

Increased availability of oxytocin and misoprostol is needed to reduce the risk of postpartum hemorrhage. This review compiles rates and risks of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with use of these medications for labor induction and augmentation in low‐income countries. Recommendations are proposed based on the findings.

Methods

We did a structured literature review using 5 databases followed by analysis of induction and augmentation rates from existing data.

Results

Combined induction and augmentation rates were documented in up to 50% of hospital‐based deliveries identified in the databases. Data are sparse but suggest associations between induction/augmentation and stillbirth, neonatal resuscitation, and uterine rupture, and inappropriate administration of oxytocin and misoprostol both outside and inside healthcare systems in low‐income countries.

Conclusions

Guidelines for labor induction/augmentation are needed specifically for low resourced settings. Rigorous studies should be pursued to quantify the magnitude and effect of inappropriate induction and augmentation on maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. Programs are needed to ensure community‐wide awareness of the adverse effects of the improper use of these drugs on mothers and babies, especially in out‐of‐hospital settings.
Care‐seeking behavior of women with reproductive health problems from low‐income areas of Beirut
Authors: El‐Kak Faysal , Khawaja Marwan , Salem Myelene , Zurayk Huda
Published: October 2008

Objective

To examine the patterns of care‐seeking behavior and provider choice of women with self‐reported reproductive health problems from 3 urban communities in Beirut.

Methods

The study was based on a sample of 1869 completed questionnaires from 2051 eligible women (married or had been married, and between 15 and 59 years) obtained during the Urban Health Survey. Associations between community of residence, other background characteristics, and two outcome measures (health care usage and choice of provider) were assessed using logistic regression.

Results

Of the 1869 women assessed, 439 (23.5%) reported reproductive health problems; of these, 273 (62%) women sought care for their problems, with the majority (52.5%) using private providers. Younger age, health insurance, and severity and duration of problems were associated with use. Women with higher parity and those with financial problems were significantly more likely to use public and subsidized services.

Conclusion

The private health sector needs to be more involved in planning, implementing, and offering reproductive health care in low‐income communities.
Efficacy of atenolol as a single antihypertensive agent in hyperthyroid cats
Authors: Henik Rosemary A. , Stepien Rebecca L. , Wenholz Lisa J. , Dolson Michele K.
Published: October 2008

β-Adrenergic blockers, particularly atenolol, are often recommended for the tachycardia and hypertension that accompany hyperthyroidism; however, the effects of monotherapy with atenolol on both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) have not been reported. Twenty hyperthyroid cats with SBP ≥160 mmHg were studied retrospectively to investigate the SBP and HR lowering effects of atenolol. Median pre-treatment SBP and HR for all cats were 186.5 mmHg and 231 beats/min, respectively. All cats were treated with atenolol at a dosage of 1–2 mg/kg PO q 12 h for a minimum of 5 days prior to reassessment and treatment with radioactive iodine. SBP and HR both decreased following atenolol therapy in this group of cats to median values of 171.5 mmHg ( P=0.0088) and 185/min ( P=0.0003). However, when successful clinical control of hypertension was defined as a post-treatment SBP <160 mmHg, atenolol monotherapy was ineffective in 70% of the cases. There was no statistically significant difference in baseline serum total thyroxine or atenolol dosage between clinical responders and non-responders. While atenolol effectively reduces HR in most cats with hyperthyroidism, elevated SBP is poorly controlled, and the addition of another vasodilator such as amlodipine or an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor is needed to treat associated hypertension.
Reversing privatization, rebalancing government reform: Markets, deliberation and planning
Authors: Warner Mildred E
Published: October 2008

The last decades of the 20th century witnessed a profound experiment to increase the role of markets in local government service delivery. However, that experiment has failed to deliver adequately on efficiency, equity or voice criteria. This has led to reversals. But this reverse privatization process is not a return to the direct public monopoly delivery model of old. Instead it heralds the emergence of a new balanced position which combines use of markets, deliberation and planning to reach decisions which may be both efficient and more socially optimal.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party: The long road to Europe
Authors: Spirova Maria
Published: October 2008

The article provides an analysis of the evolution of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) from a Marxist party in the late 1980s into a European socialist party by the early 2000s. The BSP dominance of the political process in Bulgaria during the early and mid-1990s can be attributed, this article argues, to several factors: the nature of the old regime, the absence of any meaningful opposition before 1989 and its relative weakness during the transition period, the crucial role that the Bulgarian Communist Party (BKP) played in the transition to democracy, and the organizational continuity that the newly renamed BSP chose to maintain. In turn, the preserved dominance of the BSP allowed it to remain relatively unreformed in terms of economic and foreign policy positions. It was only after its devastating defeat in the 1997 elections that the BSP came to advocate a truly social-democratic platform and to support a pro-EU and pro-NATO foreign policy. This ideological transformation of the BSP was supported and encouraged actively by the Party of European Socialists, which has been deeply involved in the process of strengthening the social democracy in Bulgaria since the mid-1990s. As a result of this transformation, by 2008 the BSP is recognized as a democratic, center-left party.
The Cambridge Companion to Don DeLillo
Authors: Duvall John N.
Published: October 2008

With the publication of his seminal novel White Noise, Don DeLillo was elevated into the pantheon of great American writers. His novels are admired and studied for their narrative technique, political themes, and their prophetic commentary on the cultural crises affecting contemporary America. In an age dominated by the image, DeLillo's fiction encourages the reader to think historically about such matters as the Cold War, the assassination of President Kennedy, threats to the environment, and terrorism. This Companion charts the shape of DeLillo's career, his relation to twentieth-century aesthetics, and his major themes. It also provides in-depth assessments of his best-known novels, White Noise, Libra, and Underworld, which have become required reading not only for students of American literature, but for all interested in the history and the future of American culture.
On traced monoidal closed categories
Authors: HASEGAWA MASAHITO
Published: October 2008

The structure theorem of Joyal, Street and Verity says that every traced monoidal category arises as a monoidal full subcategory of the tortile monoidal category Int. In this paper we focus on a simple observation that a traced monoidal category is closed if and only if the canonical inclusion from into Int has a right adjoint. Thus, every traced monoidal closed category arises as a monoidal co-reflexive full subcategory of a tortile monoidal category. From this, we derive a series of facts for traced models of linear logic, and some for models of fixed-point computation. To make the paper more self-contained, we also include various background results for traced monoidal categories.
Pre- and post-harvest influences on physiological dormancy alleviation of an AustralianAsteraceaespecies:Actinobole uliginosum(A. Gray) H. Eichler
Authors: Hoyle Gemma L. , Daws Matthew I. , Steadman Kathryn J. , Adkins Steve W.
Published: October 2008

The effects of maternal air temperature and soil moisture upon seed physiological dormancy (PD) alleviation of an Australian nativeAsteraceaewere investigated. From the onset of flowering,Actinobole uliginosumplants growingex situwere subjected to either a warm (mean 26°C) or cool (mean 17°C) temperature regime, with adequate or limited water availability. In the warm environment, the reproductive phase was accelerated, and plants yielded fewer seeds over a shorter, earlier harvest period, when compared to those in the cool environment. Initial germination of all seeds was low ( < 20% at 15°C) due to PD, which was gradually alleviated by a dry after-ripening (DAR) treatment (34/20°C, 40% relative humidity, in darkness). Seeds from plants grown in the warm environment were more responsive to DAR than seeds from the cool environment, but maternal plant water availability had little effect on dormancy status. Germination was higher at 15°C than at 25/15°C, reaching a plateau ofc.80% germination after 20 weeks DAR. Before DAR, application of GA3had little impact on seeds, which would consequently be classified as having deep PD if tested at the time of dispersal. However, DAR caused seeds to become increasingly responsive to GA3, reaching 97% germination at 15°C following just 4 weeks of DAR, which would indicate non-deep PD if seeds were tested following a period of warm, dry storage. Maternal air temperature regulates PD status ofA. uliginosum, such that seeds collected from a warmer environment are likely to be more responsive to DAR. Post-harvest storage in an environment suitable for DAR affects seed response to GA3, which has implications for germination stimulation and dormancy classification.
Dormancy, germination requirements and storage behaviour of seeds ofConvolvulaceae(Solanales) and evolutionary considerations
Authors: Jayasuriya K.M.G. Gehan , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C.
Published: October 2008

Convolvulaceaeis the only family in the asterid clade with species that produce physically dormant seeds, and most studies on germination in this family have focused on scarified seeds. However, no study has been done on the taxonomic/evolutionary pattern of seed dormancy inConvolvulaceae. We determined the moisture content of non-treated seeds and water uptake and germination percentages for non-treated and manually scarified seeds of 46 species in 11 of the 12 tribes in this family. Germination was tested over a range of temperatures in light/dark and in the dark. The effect of drying and storage at low temperatures was tested on seeds ofErycibe henryiandMaripa panamensis, the only species with high initial moisture content. Non-treated fresh seeds ofBonamia menziesii,M. panamensisandE. henryiimbibed water, whereas those of the other 43 species did not. Manually scarified seeds of all these 43 species took up large amounts of water. Therefore, seeds of 43 of the 46 species are physically dormant, and three are non-dormant. Seeds of all 46 species germinated after imbibition, except those ofCuscuta europaea, which are reported to have combinational dormancy.M. panamensisandE. henryiseeds are recalcitrant and those of the other 44 species orthodox. InConvolvulaceae, basal tribes or tribes derived from basal tribes contain species with non-dormant recalcitrant, physically dormant orthodox and combinationally dormant orthodox seeds. Physical dormancy of seeds in this family possibly evolved from a non-dormant recalcitrant seed-producing ancestor closely related toErycibeae.
Chemical effects of a dominant grass on seed germination of four familial pairs of dry grassland species
Authors: Ruprecht Eszter , Donath Tobias W. , Otte Annette , Lutz Eckstein R.
Published: October 2008

Community composition and ecosystem processes during succession may be driven partly by traits of plant species that attain dominance. Here, we addressed the hypothesis that Stipa pulcherrima, the dominant grass of abandoned continental grasslands, controls seedling recruitment of co-occurring species through chemical effects of its litter. Eight species with successful and unsuccessful recruitment under field conditions were selected (four familial pairs) to study experimentally the effects of leaf leachate under four temperature regimes. Since fungi developed in leachate-treated Petri dishes, in another experiment seeds were surface sterilized to remove confounding effects of fungi on recruitment. Leachate affected various stages of seedling recruitment: it significantly reduced seed germination (by 33–94%) and radicle elongation, and it delayed germination of seedlings of all species. In two families, species with unsuccessful field recruitment were more negatively affected than the successful ones. In a third family, the species with successful recruitment was more negatively affected, and in the fourth there were no differences. Similar germination responses after exclusion of fungi through seed-surface sterilization suggested that leachate was responsible for the observed effects on recruitment. Besides other traits and physical/microclimatic effects of accumulating litter, S. pulcherrima influences plant community dynamics and may potentially affect ecosystem processes through its secondary compounds.
Tomato mutants sensitive to abiotic stress display different abscisic acid content and metabolism during germination
Authors: Andrade Andrea , Masciarelli Oscar , Alemano Sergio , Luna Virginia , Abdala Guillermina
Published: October 2008

We report the determination of abscisic acid (ABA) and its metabolites, phaseic acid (PA), dihydrophaseic acid (DPA) and ABA glucose ester (ABA-GE), in non-dormant dry and imbibed seeds of tomato (Solanum lycopersicumMill.) cv. Moneymaker (wild type), and itstss1,tss2andtos1mutants. High ABA in dry seeds may originate from ABA accumulation in the sheath tissue, which was in contact with an ABA-containing medium, the endocarpus. The highest germination percentages at 72 h, observed intss1andtss2, coincided with minimal ABA content. Wild-type and mutant seeds showed different ABA and catabolic patterns, and these were correlated with their sensitivity to abiotic stress. Whereas dry seeds showed a high basal ABA, imbibed seeds showed higher ABA metabolite content, particularly DPA. The dramatic decrease of ABA following seed imbibition suggests an activation of ABA catabolism during the early stages of the germination process. The observed variation of ABA metabolites among dry and imbibed seeds ofSolanum lycopersicumcv. Moneymaker and itstss1,tss2andtos1mutants shows that ABA metabolism is differentially regulated in these genotypes.
From the Editor
Authors: Cohn M.A.
Published: October 2008

This issue of Seed Science Research is my last at the helm. Some of you will cheer and some will sigh. As editor for the past 10 years, I have done much of what I set out to do.
Retrograde episodic and semantic memory impairment correlates with side of temporal lobe damage
Authors: BUCCIONE IVANA , FADDA LUCIA , SERRA LAURA , CALTAGIRONE CARLO , CARLESIMO GIOVANNI A.
Published: October 2008

Patients with damage to the mesial and anterior portions of the temporal lobes suffer from a memory impairment involving both anterograde and retrograde amnesia. In the retrograde domain, it has been suggested that the relative severity of autobiographical and nonautobiographical memory impairment may depend on the prevalent side of the temporal damage. Here we present two patients suffering from damage to the mesial and anterior portions of the temporal lobes (hippocampal formation, parahippocampal gyrus and polar cortex) as a result of herpes encephalitis. In the first case, A.S., damage predominantly affected the right temporal lobe, whereas in the second patient, R.S., the damage was bilateral but more severe on the left side. A detailed investigation of the retrograde memory deficit demonstrated a partial double dissociation between the two patients, with A.S. almost exclusively impaired in the autobiographical domain (both episodic and semantic) and R.S. with poor performances in all domains, but much more severe in the nonautobiographical (both public events and general semantic knowledge) than in the autobiographical one. These findings reinforce the view of specialization of right and left temporal lobes in the retrieval of retrograde autobiographical and nonautobiographical memories, respectively. (JINS, 2008, 14, 1083–1094.)
Education level moderates learning on two versions of the Iowa Gambling Task
Authors: DAVIS CAROLINE , FOX JOHN , PATTE KAREN , CURTIS CLAIRE , STRIMAS RACHEL , REID CAROLINE , McCOOL CATHERINE
Published: October 2008

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is the major plank of behavioral support for the Somatic Marker Hypothesis—a prominent theory of emotionally-based decision making. Despite its widespread use, some have questioned the ecological and discriminative validity of the IGT because a substantial proportion of neurologically-normal adults display a response pattern indistinguishable from those with ventromedial prefrontal cortical brain lesions. In a large sample of healthy adults, we examined the statistical influence of several demographic variables on two versions of the IGT, with the specific prediction that educational attainment would moderate learning across trials. Results confirmed a highly significant effect of education. On the commonly used original version of the IGT, performance tended to improve more rapidly, and reach a higher eventual positive score, as the level of education increased. Age and gender were nonsignificant effects in the model, and Caucasians had slightly better IGT performance than their non-Caucasian counterparts. Conclusions are that education level, among neurologically-normal adults, should be treated as a stratification or matching variable in case-control research using this task. (JINS, 2008, 14, 1063–1068.)
Dissociation of perceptual and motor inhibitory processes in young and elderly participants using the Simon task
Authors: GERMAIN SOPHIE , COLLETTE FABIENNE
Published: October 2008

Deficits in inhibitory abilities are frequently observed in normal aging. However, few studies have explored the generality of these deficits in a single group of participants. Here, we used an adaptation of the Simon task to differentially assess perceptual and motor inhibition using the same stimuli and task design and to determine whether these processes use separate or shared cognitive resources. We were interested in determining whether (1) normal aging is associated with the use of separate (as previously evidenced in young participants) or similar cognitive resources to perform perceptual and motor inhibition tasks; (2) older participants present a specific impairment in one of these two processes. Analyses of reaction times indicated that motor and perceptual inhibitory processes share some cognitive resources and both are impaired in normal aging. These results can be interpreted by considering that a dedifferentiation process is responsible for the inhibitory deficits presented by older participants. (JINS, 2008,14, 1014–1021.)
Regional cerebral blood flow correlates of visuospatial tasks in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: TIPPETT WILLIAM J. , BLACK SANDRA E.
Published: October 2008

This study investigated the role of visuospatial tasks in identifying cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), by correlating neuropsychological performance with cerebral perfusion measures. There were 157 participants: 29 neurologically healthy controls (age: 70.3 ± 6.6, MMSE ≥ 27), 86 patients with mild AD (age: 69.18 ± 8.28, MMSE ≥ 21) and 42 patients moderate/severe AD (age: 68.86 ± 10.69, MMSE 8–20). Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) was used to derive regional perfusion ratios, and correlated using partial least squares (PLS) with neuropsychological test scores from the Benton Line Orientation (BLO) and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (RO). Cross-sectional analysis demonstrated that mean scores differed in accordance with disease status: control group (BLO 25.5, RO 33.3); mild AD (BLO 20.1, RO 25.5); moderate/severe AD (BLO 10.7, RO 16). Correlations were observed between BLO/RO and right parietal SPECT regions in the AD groups. Visuospatial performance, often undersampled in cognitive batteries for AD, is clearly impaired even in mild AD and correlates with functional deficits as indexed by cerebral perfusion ratios on SPECT implicating right hemisphere circuits. Furthermore, PLS reveals that usual spatial tasks probe a distributed brain network in both hemispheres including many areas targeted by early AD pathology. (JINS, 2008, 14, 1034–1045.)
Cross linguistic aphasia testing: The Portuguese version of the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT)
Authors: LAUTERBACH MARTIN , MARTINS ISABEL PAVÃO , GARCIA PAULA , CABEÇA JOANA , FERREIRA ANA CRISTINA , WILLMES KLAUS
Published: October 2008

We report the adaptation of the Aachen Aphasia Test (AAT) to the Portuguese language (PAAT) and the results of its standardization in 125 persons with aphasia and 153 healthy controls. Patients with aphasia had a previous syndromic diagnosis, obtained through a Portuguese aphasia battery, which served as a reference. The control group was stratified by age and educational level. Hierarchical cluster analyses showed good construct validity. The increasing degree of difficulty and complexity throughout the item sets comprising subtests was confirmed. The discriminatory power of the PAAT for the selection of aphasic from non-aphasic persons proved to be as high as for the AAT versions in other languages. Classification of standard aphasic syndromes by means of discriminant analyses was good. Internal consistency, measured by means of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, was high to very high for the different PAAT subtests. Performance differences caused by age or educational level among the healthy control persons emphasized the need for correction factors. In conclusion, the PAAT showed robust psychometrical properties, comparable to the original German and to adaptations to other languages. It constitutes a useful tool for cross-linguistic and multicenter studies. (JINS, 2008, 14, 1046–1056.)
Patterns of visual sensory and sensorimotor abnormalities in autism vary in relation to history of early language delay
Authors: TAKARAE YUKARI , LUNA BEATRIZ , MINSHEW NANCY J. , SWEENEY JOHN A.
Published: October 2008

Visual motion perception and pursuit eye movement deficits have been reported in autism. However, it is unclear whether these impairments are related to each other or to clinical symptoms of the disorder. High-functioning individuals with autism (41 with and 36 without delayed language acquisition) and 46 control subjects participated in the present study. All three subject groups were matched on chronological age and Full-Scale IQ. The autism group with delayed language acquisition had bilateral impairments on visual motion discrimination tasks, whereas the autism group without delay showed marginal impairments only in the left hemifield. Both autism groups showed difficulty tracking visual targets, but only the autism group without delayed language acquisition showed increased pursuit latencies and a failure to show the typical rightward directional advantage in pursuit. We observed correlations between performance on the visual perception and pursuit tasks in both autism groups. However, pursuit performance was correlated with manual motor skills only in the autism group with delayed language, suggesting that general sensorimotor or motor disturbances are a significant additional factor related to pursuit deficits in this subgroup. These findings suggest that there may be distinct neurocognitive phenotypes in autism associated with patterns of early language development. (JINS, 2008,14, 980–989.)
Affective response to eye contact and face recognition ability in children with ASD
Authors: JOSEPH ROBERT M. , EHRMAN KELLY , MCNALLY REBECCA , KEEHN BRANDON
Published: October 2008

This study tested the hypothesis that affective arousal in response to eye contact is negatively associated with face identification skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 20 children and adolescents with ASD and 20 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children. Skin conductance response (SCR), a psychophysiological measure of autonomic arousal, was collected while participants viewed faces with gaze directed toward them and faces with gaze averted away from them. Participants also completed an independent match-to-sample face recognition test. Children with ASD exhibited significantly larger SCRs than TD children to faces with direct and averted gaze. There were no differences between SCRs to direct gaze and averted gaze in either group. Children with ASD exhibited a marginally significant decrease in face recognition accuracy relative to TD children, particularly when face recognition depended on the eye region of the face. Face recognition accuracy among children with ASD was negatively correlated with the amplitude of SCRs to direct gaze but not to averted gaze. There was no association between face recognition accuracy and SCRs to gaze in the TD group. These findings suggest that autonomic reactivity to eye contact may interfere with face identity processing in some children with ASD. (JINS, 2008,14, 947–955.)
Functional brain organization for visual search in ASD
Authors: KEEHN BRANDON , BRENNER LAURIE , PALMER ERICA , LINCOLN ALAN J. , MÜLLER RALPH-AXEL
Published: October 2008

Although previous studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) excel at visual search, underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. This study investigated the neurofunctional correlates of visual search in children with ASD and matched typically developing (TD) children, using an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging design. We used a visual search paradigm, manipulating search difficulty by varying set size (6, 12, or 24 items), distractor composition (heterogeneous or homogeneous) and target presence to identify brain regions associated with efficient and inefficient search. While the ASD group did not evidence accelerated response time (RT) compared with the TD group, they did demonstrate increased search efficiency, as measured by RT by set size slopes. Activation patterns also showed differences between ASD group, which recruited a network including frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices, and the TD group, which showed less extensive activation mostly limited to occipito-temporal regions. Direct comparisons (for both homogeneous and heterogeneous search conditions) revealed greater activation in occipital and frontoparietal regions in ASD than in TD participants. These results suggest that search efficiency in ASD may be related to enhanced discrimination (reflected in occipital activation) and increased top-down modulation of visual attention (associated with frontoparietal activation). (JINS, 2008, 14, 990–1003.)
Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on hippocampal volume, verbal learning, and verbal and spatial recall in late childhood
Authors: WILLOUGHBY KAREN A. , SHEARD ERIN D. , NASH KELLY , ROVET JOANNE
Published: October 2008

Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) show deficits in verbal learning and spatial memory, as well as abnormal hippocampal development. The relationship between their memory and neuroanatomic impairments, however, has not been directly explored. Given that the hippocampus is integral for the synthesis and retrieval of learned information and is particularly vulnerable to the teratogenic effects of alcohol, we assessed whether reduced learning and recall abilities in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are associated with abnormal hippocampal volumes. Nineteen children with FASDs and 18 typically developing controls aged 9 to 15 years were assessed for verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging. Images were analyzed for total intracranial volume and for right and left hippocampal volumes. Results revealed smaller left hippocampi and poorer verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall performance in children with FASDs than controls, as well as positive correlations between selective memory indices and hippocampal volumes only in the FASD group. Additionally, hippocampal volumes increased significantly with age in controls only, suggesting that PAE may be associated with long-term abnormalities in hippocampal development that may contribute to impaired verbal learning and verbal and spatial recall. (JINS, 2008,14, 1022–1033.)
The effect of distraction on the Word Memory Test and Test of Memory Malingering performance in patients with a severe brain injury
Authors: BATT KELLIE , SHORES E. ARTHUR , CHEKALUK EUGENE
Published: October 2008

This research compares the performance of a sample of non-litigating participants with severe brain injury on both the WMT and TOMM under conditions of (1) full effort, (2) distraction, or (3) simulated malingering. The study included 60 participants with a severe brain injury and used restricted randomization to assign participants to the groups. Following Craik (1982) an auditory distraction task was used during the learning phase of each test in the distraction group, while a scenario adapted from Tombaugh (1997) was used to encourage simulation of memory impairment in the simulated malingering group. The results of this study clearly showed that while both tests demonstrated excellent sensitivity, the false positive rates for the WMT were significantly greater than those for the TOMM. It was concluded that the so-called “effort” components of the WMT required more cognitive capacity than was previously believed. (JINS, 2008, 14, 1074–1080.)
Neuronal fiber pathway abnormalities in autism: An initial MRI diffusion tensor tracking study of hippocampo-fusiform and amygdalo-fusiform pathways
Authors: CONTURO THOMAS E. , WILLIAMS DIANE L. , SMITH CHARLES D. , GULTEPE EREN , AKBUDAK ERBIL , MINSHEW NANCY J.
Published: October 2008

MRI diffusion-tensor tracking (DTT) was performed in 17 high-functioning adolescents/adults with autism and 17 pairwise-matched controls. White matter pathways involved in face processing were examined due to the relevance of face perception to the social symptoms of autism, and due to known behavioral and functional imaging findings in autism. The hippocampo-fusiform (HF) and amygdalo-fusiform (AF) pathways had normal size and shape but abnormal microstructure in the autism group. The right HF had reduced across-fiber diffusivity (D-min) compared with controls, opposite to the whole-brain effect of increased D-min. In contrast, left HF, right AF, and left AF had increased D-min and increased along-fiber diffusivity (D-max), more consistent with the whole-brain effect. There was a general loss of lateralization compared with controls. The right HF D-min was markedly low in the autism subgroup with lower Benton face recognition scores, compared with the lower-Benton control subgroup, and compared with the higher-Benton autism subgroup. Similar behavioral relationships were found for performance IQ. Such results suggest an early functionally-significant pathological process in right HF consistent with small-diameter axons (with correspondingly slower neural transmission) and/or higher packing density. In left AF and HF, changes were interpreted as secondary, possibly reflecting axonal loss and/or decreased myelination. (JINS, 2008, 14, 933–946.)
Frontal contributions to face processing differences in autism: Evidence from fMRI of inverted face processing
Authors: BOOKHEIMER SUSAN Y. , WANG A. TING , SCOTT ASHLEY , SIGMAN MARIAN , DAPRETTO MIRELLA
Published: October 2008

Functional neuroimaging studies of face processing deficits in autism have typically focused on visual processing regions, such as the fusiform face area (FFA), which have shown reduced activity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), though inconsistently. We recently reported reduced activity in the inferior frontal region in ASD, implicating impaired mirror-neuron systems during face processing. In the present study, we used fMRI during a face processing task in which subjects had to match faces presented in the upright versus inverted position. Typically developing (TD) children showed a classic behavioral inversion effect, increased reaction time for inverted faces, while this effect was significantly reduced in ASD subjects. The fMRI data showed similar responses in the fusiform face area for ASD and TD children, with both groups demonstrating increased activation for inverted faces. However, the groups did differ in several brain regions implicated in social cognition, particularly prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These data suggest that the behavioral differences in processing upright versus inverted faces for TD children are related not to visual information processing but to the social significance of the stimuli. Our results are consistent with other recent studies implicating frontal and limbic dysfunction during face processing in autism. (JINS, 2008, 14, 922–932.)
Retrograde episodic and semantic memory impairment correlates with side of temporal lobe damage
Authors: KOPELMAN MICHAEL D.
Published: October 2008

Controversy continues about which brain structures and circuitry underlie the retrieval of past (remote) memories—autobiographical, personal semantic, or general semantic—and also about which lesion sites are critical for retrograde amnesia (RA) to occur (Kopelman, 2008). This issue relates, of course, to the differential predictions of consolidation theory and of multiple trace theory regarding patterns of retrograde amnesia (and indeed the predictions of other theories). The controversy also relates to issues regarding the differential pattern of left hemisphere versus right hemisphere damage, particularly in the temporal lobes, an issue which has influenced the literature since important studies by De Renzi et al. (1987) and O'Connor et al. (1992). De Renzi et al. (1987) described a woman who, following an episode of herpes encephalitis that affected the left temporal lobe, showed a severe impairment of semantic memory with relatively preserved autobiographical memories, whereas O'Connor et al. (1992) reported a patient with right temporal lobe damage (also from herpes encephalitis), who showed disproportionately severe impairment in the recall of autobiographical incidents, relative to remote semantic memories. It is this latter contrast between left- and right-sided damage which the present authors address.
The impact of rapid economic growth and globalization on zinc nutrition in South Korea
Authors: Kwun In-Sook , Do Mi-Sook , Chung Hae-Rang , Kim Yang ha , Beattie John H
Published: October 2008

Objective

Zn deficiency may be widespread in Asian countries such as South Korea. However, dietary habits have changed in response to rapid economic growth and globalization. Zn nutrition in South Koreans has therefore been assessed during a period (1969–1998) of unprecedented economic growth.

Design and methods

Cross-sectional food consumption data from the Korean National Nutrition Survey Reports (KNNSR) of South Korea at four separate time points (1969, 1978, 1988 and 1998) were used to calculate Zn, Ca and phytate intakes using various food composition tables, databases and literature values. Nutrient values in local foods were cited from their analysed values.

Results

Average Zn intake was 5·8, 4·8 and 5·3 mg/d for 1969, 1978 and 1988 respectively, increasing to 7·3 mg/d in 1998 (73 % of the Korean Dietary Reference Intake). The phytate:Zn molar ratio decreased from 21 to 8 during the study period. Dietary Zn depletion due to marked decreases in cereal consumption, particularly barley which has a low Zn bioavailability, was counterbalanced by marked increases in the consumption of meat and fish, which are also Zn-rich foods. Reduced phytate consumption coincident with increased Zn intake suggests that Zn bioavailability also improved, particularly by 1998.

Conclusions

Although total Zn intake was not greatly affected over the initial period of economic growth in South Korea (1969–1988), Zn contributions from different food sources changed markedly and both Zn intake and potential bioavailability were improved by 1998. The study may have implications for Zn nutrition in other Asian countries currently experiencing rapid economic growth.
Amino acid synthesis in Europa's subsurface environment
Authors: Abbas Sam H. , Schulze-Makuch Dirk
Published: October 2008

It has been suggested that Europa's subsurface environment may provide a haven for prebiotic evolution and the development of exotic biotic systems. The detection of hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, water, hydrates and related species on the surface, coupled with observed mobility of icebergs, suggests the presence of a substantial subsurface liquid reservoir that actively exchanges materials with the surface environment. The atmospheric, surface and subsurface environments are described with their known chemistry. Three synthetic schemes using hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and hydrocyanic acid leading to the production of larger biologically important molecules such as amino acids are described. Metabolic pathways based on properties of the subsurface ocean environment are detailed. Tidal heating, osmotic gradients, chemical cycling, as well as hydrothermal vents, provide energy and materials that may support a course of prebiotic evolution leading to the development or sustenance of simple biotic systems. Putative organisms may employ metabolic pathways based on chemical oxidation–reduction cycles occurring in the putative subsurface ocean environment.
Glial cell regulation of neurotransmission and behavior in Drosophila
Authors: Jackson F. Rob , Haydon Philip G.
Published: October 2008

Mounting evidence demonstrates that glial cells might have important roles in regulating the physiology and behavior of adult animals. We summarize some of this evidence here, with an emphasis on the roles of glia of the differentiated nervous system in controlling neuronal excitability, behavior and plasticity. In the review we highlight studies in Drosophila and discuss results from the analysis of mammalian astrocytes that demonstrate roles for glia in the adult nervous system.
Religious Legacies, Churches, and the Shaping of Immigration Policies in the Age of Religious Diversity
Authors: Minkenberg Michael
Published: October 2008

Western democracies are undergoing a process of extraordinary religious and cultural pluralization which is largely a result of an intensified immigration over the last decades. This article analyzes in a structural and an actor-oriented perspective the way in which religion affects the immigration policies in 19 Western democracies. Based on a typology of immigration regimes in 19 Western democracies, the article asks what role Christian legacies (Catholic and Protestant traditions, church-state regimes, Christian parties) and churches (both Catholic and Protestant) play in bringing about particular immigration policies. It follows the “family of nations” concept in comparative policy research (F. Castles) and argues that the interplay of nation building, religious traditions and church-state-relations affect churches' role in the making of immigration policy. This role signifies a disjuncture between the countries' general patterns of religious traditions and immigration policies on the one hand, and the actual policy positions and effects of churches on the other.
The Bishops and Their Flock: John Kerry and the Case of Catholic Voters in 2004
Authors: Hofstetter C. Richard , Ayers John W. , Perry Robert
Published: October 2008

This study evaluates the extent to which the 2004 well publicized Catholic Bishops' warnings and the Church Doctrinal Note mandating that parishioners oppose candidates who supported policies contrary to Church doctrine influenced Catholic support for presidential candidate John Kerry. Data were drawn from a 2004 national survey of 493 Catholic adults using random digit dial procedures and commissioned byTimemagazine. Multivariate analyses indicate that the influence of the Bishops' warnings and the Doctrinal Note diverged by respondents' religious belief. Liberal Catholics exposed to these messages were more likely to support Kerry while conservative Catholics exposed to these messages were more likely to support Bush. The net effect of leaders' messages appeared to have helped rather than hurt Kerry. Our findings point to a multiplicity of effects for religious leaders' messages and should provide a note of caution for religious leaders who take pronounced stances on political affairs.
The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA): Online Research Data, Tools and References
Authors: Finke Roger , Adamczyk Amy
Published: October 2008

The Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) currently archives over 500 local, national, and international data files, and offers a wide range of research tools to build surveys, preview data online, develop customized maps and reports of United States church membership, and examine religion differences across nations and regions of the world. The ARDA also supports reference and teaching tools that draw on the rich data archive. This research article offers a brief introduction to the quantitative data available for exploration or download, and a few of the website features most useful for research and teaching. Supported by the Lilly Endowment, the John Templeton Foundation, the Pennsylvania State University, and the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion, all data downloads and online services are free of charge.
Nonmethane hydrocarbons at Pico Mountain, Azores: 1. Oxidation chemistry in the North Atlantic region
Authors: Helmig D. , Tanner D. M. , Honrath R. E. , Owen R. C. , Parrish D. D.
Published: October 2008

Measurements of nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC) at the Pico Mountain observatory at 2225 m asl on Pico Island, Azores, Portugal, from August 2004 to August 2005 (in part overlapping with the field campaign of the International Consortium on Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation study) were used to investigate NMHC sources and seasonal oxidation chemistry in the central North Atlantic region. Levels of anthropogenic NMHC were characteristic of the marine free troposphere. Their concentrations were low compared to continental sites at higher northern latitudes, but higher than data reported from a similarly located Pacific mountain site at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii. These higher NMHC levels are indicative of a greater influence of the adjacent continents on air composition at Pico. Substantially enhanced NMHC concentrations during the summers of 2004 and 2005 were attributed to long‐range transport of biomass burning plumes originating from fires in northern Canada, Alaska, and Siberia. This finding exemplifies the continuing impact of biomass burning plumes on atmospheric composition and chemistry many days downwind of these emission sources. Seasonal cycles with lower NMHC concentrations and lower ratios of more reactive to less reactive NMHC during summer reflect the higher degree of photochemical processing occurring during transport. The NMHC concentrations indicate no significant role of chlorine atom oxidation on NMHC. Ozone above 35 ppbv was measured at Pico Mountain throughout all seasons. Enhanced ozone levels were observed in air that had relatively “fresh” photochemical signatures (e.g., ln [propane]/[ethane] > −2.5). During spring‐summer air that was more processed (“older” air with ln [propane]/[ethane] < −2.5) on average had lower ozone levels (down to <20 ppbv). This relationship indicates that conditions in the lower free troposphere over the mid–North Atlantic during the spring and summer lead to net photochemical ozone destruction while air is photochemically aging during transport to Pico. This behavior contrasts to that in the mid–North Pacific where other recent studies have found that the photochemistry is more nearly ozone neutral.
Identification of an unknown dielectric target in a half‐space using the E‐pulse technique
Authors: Padhi Shantanu K. , Lui H. S. A. , Shuley N. V.
Published: October 2008

This paper describes an approach to model the impulse response of a dielectric target below a half‐space using a time domain deconvolution technique. The complex natural resonances (CNR) of the target are extracted from the time domain impulse response using a matrix pencil method and can be correlated with the target's physical properties. An automated E‐pulse scheme has been used to discriminate changes in the physical properties of target. The discrimination performance is calculated quantitatively by using an energy discrimination number (EDN) and discrimination ratio (DR). This technique can ultimately be used as a diagnostic tool in detection and discrimination of an unknown target inside a half‐space.