bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ex vivo evaluation of dye penetration associated with various dentine bonding agents in conjunction with different irrigation solutions used within the pulp chamber
Authors: Bansal S. , Tewari S.
Published: October 2008

Aim  To compare the effect of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), chlorhexidine, povidone iodine and sodium ascorbate on dye penetration associated with various dentine adhesives used within the pulp chamber.

Methodology  One hundred and sixteen mandibular molar teeth were divided into eight groups of 12 teeth each by irrigation regimen and adhesive system. The roof of pulp chambers and roots were removed under water cooling. The pulp chambers in the experimental groups were irrigated with 5.25% NaOCl, 0.2% chlorhexidine, 5% w/v povidone iodine or 5.25% NaOCl followed by sodium ascorbate and restored with Surefil using either Prime & Bond NT or Xeno III with each irrigation regimen. Twenty teeth were used as control specimens in which no disinfectant was used before bonding. Ten teeth from each group were immersed in 2% methylene blue dye and assessed for dye penetration. The data were statistically analysed by Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U‐tests. Two samples in each group were observed under scanning electron microscopy for interfacial gap evaluation.

Results  No significant difference was found in dye leakage between control and groups with 5.25% NaOCl pretreatment with both adhesive systems. Chlorhexidine and povidone iodine pretreatment resulted in significantly less dye penetration with Xeno III as compared with Prime & Bond NT. Sodium ascorbate treatment following NaOCl application significantly reduced microleakage and improved the marginal adaptation with both adhesive systems.

Conclusions  The type of irrigant affected the sealing ability of bonding agents inside the pulp chamber and was material specific. Xeno III had less dye penetration with CHX and povidone iodine whilst sodium ascorbate pretreatment after NaOCl reduced dye penetration with both PBNT and Xeno III.
Microscopic appearance and apical seal of root canals filled with gutta‐percha and ProRoot Endo Sealer after immersion in a phosphate‐containing fluid
Authors: Weller R. N. , Tay K. C. Y. , Garrett L. V. , Mai S. , Primus C. M. , Gutmann J. L. , Pashley D. H. , Tay F. R.
Published: October 2008

Aim  To investigate the sealing quality of ProRoot Endo Sealer, a calcium silicate‐based sealer and its morphologic characteristics after immersion in a phosphate‐containing fluid (PCF).

Methodology  Single‐rooted canals were filled with gutta‐percha and either ProRoot Endo Sealer or two commercially available zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE)‐based and epoxy resin‐based sealers. The sealers were allowed to set for 6 days and the filled teeth were immersed in PCF for 24 h before fluid leakage evaluation. After initial leakage evaluation at the 7th day, each filled root was restored and reimmersed in PCF for 28 days before the second phase of leakage evaluation at 35 days. Cryofractured specimens of additional teeth filled with the three sealers were examined using scanning electron microscopy after immersion in PCF for the two periods.

Results  One‐way repeated measures anova and Tukey test revealed significant differences between the ZOE‐based sealer at 35 days and the calcium silicate‐based sealer at 35 days (P < 0.001), and between the ZOE‐based sealer at 7 days and the calcium silicate‐based sealer at 35 days (P = 0.001). No difference was found between the epoxy resin‐based sealer and the calcium silicate‐based sealer after both storage periods. Cryofractured calcium silicate‐based sealer specimens demonstrated apatite‐like crystalline deposits along the apical and middle thirds of the canal walls via transformation from amorphous calcium phosphate‐like precursors.

Conclusions  ProRoot Endo Sealer is comparable in sealing quality to the epoxy resin‐based sealer and seals better than the ZOE‐based sealer after immersion in PCF. The calcium silicate‐based sealer also demonstrates ex vivo bioactivity when it comes into contact with phosphate ions.
Assessment of vascularity as an index of angiogenesis in periradicular granulomas. Comparison with oral carcinomas and normal tissue counterparts
Authors: Davey K. J. , Perrier S. , Ohe G. , Gilbert A. D. , Bankfalvi A. , Saunders W. P. , Schor S. L. , Schor A. M.
Published: October 2008

Aim  To quantify vascularity in periradicular granulomas using different endothelial markers, and assess its value as an index of angiogenesis by comparing granulomas with healthy periodontal ligament (PDL). To use oral tumours, compared with adjacent normal mucosa, as positive controls.

Methodology  Paraffin‐embedded sections were stained with antibodies to von Willebrand factor (vWF), a pan‐endothelial marker, and CD105, a putative marker for angiogenic vessels. Vascularity was quantified by different methods reflecting vessel volume and density.

Results  Irrespective of the marker or method used, vascularity values were similar in periradicular granuloma and PDL. Both tissues were highly vascularized, with levels similar to those found in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Vascularity was significantly higher in the latter than in normal mucosa. Fewer vessels were positive for CD105 than for vWF in the normal mucosa, whereas similar numbers were found in the other tissues examined.

Conclusions  A comparison of vascularity in oral tumours and normal oral mucosa provided evidence of angiogenesis in the former. Staining with CD105 added limited value to staining with vWF in these tissues. In contrast, a comparison of periradicular granuloma and PDL failed to demonstrate evidence of angiogenesis in the granuloma. As all vessels were similarly stained with vWF and CD105 in granuloma and PDL, a possible hypothesis is that all vessels are newly formed in these tissues. A more plausible alternative is that CD105 expression may reflect the metabolic activity or intrinsic characteristics of the tissues, rather than the presence of angiogenic vessels.
Significant contribution of the pgdA gene to the virulence of Streptococcus suis
Authors: Fittipaldi Nahuel , Sekizaki Tsutomu , Takamatsu Daisuke , De La Cruz Domínguez‐Punaro María , Harel Josée , Bui Nhat Khai , Vollmer Waldemar , Gottschalk Marcelo
Published: October 2008

Streptococcus suis is a major swine pathogen and emerging zoonotic agent. In this study we have determined the muropeptide composition of S. suis peptidoglycan (PG) and found, among other modifications, N‐deacetylated compounds. Comparison with an isogenic mutant showed that the product of the pgdA gene is responsible for this specific modification which occurred in very low amounts. Low level of PG N‐deacetylation correlated with absence of significant lysozyme resistance when wild‐type S. suis was grown in vitro. On the other hand, expression of the pgdA gene was increased upon interaction of the bacterium with neutrophils in vitro as well as in vivo in experimentally inoculated mice, suggesting that S. suis may enhance PG N‐deacetylation under these conditions. Evaluation of the ΔpgdA mutant in both the CD1 murine and the porcine models of infection revealed a significant contribution of the pgdA gene to the virulence traits of S. suis. Reflecting a severe impairment in its ability to persist in blood and decreased ability to escape immune clearance mechanisms mediated by neutrophils, the ΔpgdA mutant was highly attenuated in both models. The results of this study suggest that modification of PG by N‐deacetylation is an important factor in S. suis virulence.
The hmuUV genes of Sinorhizobium meliloti 2011 encode the permease and ATPase components of an ABC transport system for the utilization of both haem and the hydroxamate siderophores, ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B
Authors: Cuív Páraic Ó , Keogh Damien , Clarke Paul , O'Connell Michael
Published: October 2008

Sinorhizobium meliloti, the endosymbiont of Medicago sativa, can use haem compounds, including haemoglobin and leghaemoglobin, when growing in the free‐living state. The components of the system involved in haem acquisition were confirmed to be ShmR, an outer membrane receptor, and HmuTUV, predicted to be an ABC transport system comprising a periplasmic protein, a permease and an ATPase respectively. The roles of HmuTUV in haem transport were confirmed in a heterologous expression system in Escherichia coli in conjunction with HasR, the outer membrane haem receptor of Serratia marcescens. hmuTUV mutants of S. meliloti showed a reduced capacity to acquire haem, suggesting the presence of a second haem acquisition system in the organism. S. meliloti can also acquire iron from xenosiderophores and the genes encoding the outer membrane receptors for ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B, fhuA1 and fhuA2, respectively, were identified. In light of this it is proposed that fhuA2 should be renamed foxA in the S. meliloti 1021 genome sequence. A siderophore reductase, FhuF, with the capacity to complement an E. coli ferrioxamine B reductase mutant, was identified encoded by a gene next to fhuA2. In the same transcriptional unit as fhuF the gene fhuP was identified and shown to encode a protein necessary for transport of ferrichrome and ferrioxamine B and predicted to be periplasmic. Interestingly, the remaining components of the transport system for the siderophores are HmuU and HmuV. Ferrichrome, ferrioxamine B and haem compounds therefore share components of the same transport system in S. meliloti.
Alteration in glycerol and metalloid permeability by a single mutation in the extracellular C‐loop of Leishmania major aquaglyceroporin LmAQP1
Authors: Uzcategui Nestor L. , Zhou Yao , Figarella Katherine , Ye Jun , Mukhopadhyay Rita , Bhattacharjee Hiranmoy
Published: October 2008

The Leishmania major aquaglyceroporin, LmAQP1, is responsible for the transport of antimonite [Sb(III)], an activated form of Pentostam or Glucantime. Downregulation of LmAQP1 provides resistance to trivalent antimony compounds and increased expression of LmAQP1 in drug‐resistant parasites can reverse the resistance. Besides metalloid transport, LmAQP1 is also permeable to water, glycerol, methylglyoxal, dihydroxyacetone and sugar alcohols. LmAQP1 also plays a physiological role in volume regulation and osmotaxis. In this study, we examined the role of extracellular C‐loop glutamates (Glu143, Glu145 and Glu152) in LmAQP1 activity. Alteration of both Glu143 and Glu145 to alanines did not affect either the biochemical or physiological properties of the protein, suggesting that neither residue is critical for LmAQP1 activity. Alteration of Glu152 to alanine, aspartate and glutamine affected metalloid transport in the order, wild‐type > E152Q > E152D > E152A. In fact, axenic amastigotes expressing E152A LmAQP1 accumulated negligible levels of either arsenite [As(III)] or Sb(III). Alteration of Glu152 significantly affected volume regulation and osmotaxis, suggesting that Glu152 is critical for the physiological activity of the parasite. More importantly, alteration of Glu152 to alanine did not affect glycerol permeability. Although the metalloids, As(III) and Sb(III), are believed to be transported through aquaglyceroporin channels as they behave as inorganic molecular mimic of glycerol, this is the first report where metalloid and glycerol transport can be dissected by a single mutation at the extracellular pore entry of LmAQP1 channel.
Bartonella henselaesurvives after the storage period of red blood cell units: is it transmissible by transfusion?
Authors: Magalhães R. F. , Pitassi L. H. U. , Salvadego M. , De Moraes A. M. , Barjas‐Castro M. L. , Velho P. E. N. F.
Published: October 2008

summaryBartonella henselaeis the agent of cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. Blood donors can be asymptomatic carriers ofB. henselaeand the risk for transmission by transfusion should be considered. The objective of this study was to demonstrate thatB. henselaeremains viable in red blood cell (RBC) units at the end of the storage period. Two RBC units were split into two portions. One portion was inoculated withB. henselaeand the other was used as a control. All units were stored at 4 °C for 35 days. Aliquots were collected on a weekly basis for culture in a dish with chocolate agar, ideal for the cultivation of this agent. Samples were collected on days 1 and 35 and taken for culture in Bact/AlertRblood culture bottles. Aliquots taken simultaneously were fixed in Karnovsky’s medium for subsequent electron microscopy evaluation. Samples from infected bags successfully isolatedB. henselaeby chocolate agar culture, although Bact/AlertRblood culture bottles remained negative.Bartonellaspp. structures within erythrocytes were confirmed by electron microscopy. The viability ofB. henselaewas demonstrated after a storage period of RBC units. These data reinforce the possibility of infection by transfusion of blood units collected from asymptomatic blood donors.
A questionnaire‐based survey of perioperative blood conservation practice for revision hip arthroplasty in Scotland
Authors: Harkness M. , Palmer J. B. , Watson D. , Walsh T. S.
Published: October 2008

summary The aim of this study was to describe current blood conservation practice during revision hip surgery in Scotland and document practice variation. Revision hip surgery is associated with a high likelihood of blood transfusion. A decrease in the proportion of patients requiring blood transfusion has been documented, but the reasons for this are unclear. Various blood conservation practices are available to clinicians, but the extent to which these are used in Scottish hospitals is not known. A cross‐sectional postal survey was sent to all consultant orthopaedic surgeons and consultant anaesthetists participating in revision hip surgery in Scottish hospitals. Responses were received from 92 of 120 (77%) surgeons, and 174 of 216 (81%) anaesthetists (62/92). A total of 62 of 92 (67%) surgeons and 78 of 174 (45%) anaesthetists surveyed participated in revision hip surgery. Blood conservation practice varied widely: 34 of 78 (44%) anaesthetists routinely assessed revision hip patients ≥1 week prior to surgery; 10 of 62 (16%) surgeons and 24 of 78 (31%) anaesthetists routinely used cell salvage; 7 of 78 (9%) anaesthetists and 2 of 62 (3%) surgeons routinely used tranexamic acid; and 45 of 62 (73%) surgeons use a transfusion protocol. A wide variation in the use of blood conservation strategies exists during revision hip surgery in Scotland.
A tabletop exercise to assess a hospital emergency blood management contingency plan in a simulated acute blood shortage
Authors: Galloway M. J. , Jane G. , Sudlow L. , Trattles J. , Watson J.
Published: October 2008

summary The objective was to assess both our local plan and the assumptions made in the national guidelines on how laboratories should prepare for an acute shortage of red cells. The Chief Medical Officer’s National Blood Transfusion Committee for England and North Wales has issued guidance on how hospitals should prepare contingency plans to deal with a shortage of red cells for transfusion. This study has therefore assessed the practicalities of these proposals together with assessing how well local policies would deal with this situation. A tabletop exercise was carried out in which all requests over a 21‐day period were assessed. The restrictions as suggested by the national blood transfusion committee were applied and the impact on the blood stocks during an acute blood shortage was assessed. The results show that application of the national guidelines on the restriction of the use of red cells during an acute blood shortage resulted in all transfusion requests for red cells being met. We also appear to have shown that the assumptions made by the national transfusion team are realistic. Carrying out a tabletop exercise is a useful method to assess local procedures for dealing with an acute reduction in the supply of red cells.
Impairment of short‐term memory associated with low iron stores in a volunteer multidose plateletpheresis donor
Authors: Page E. A. , Harrison J. F. , Jaldow E. J. , Kopelman M.
Published: October 2008

summary A platelet donor may lose 80–100 mL of blood both in the harness and by blood sampling at each donation, the equivalent of four to five whole blood donations per annum for a donor attending at 2‐weekly intervals. A 54‐year‐old male multidose platelet donor had donated platelets at regular 2‐weekly intervals for 6 years. He developed an impairment of anterograde memory (new learning). A self‐rating scale revealed a moderate degree of depression [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score 22]. Memory testing (Doors and People Memory Battery) showed low scores, particularly for verbal recall and verbal recognition memory. He was found to have a normal haemoglobin of 157g L−1 with normal red blood cell indices, but a low serum ferritin (15 ng mL−1) and a low serum iron (8·1 mmol L−1). Following iron therapy and a return of his iron stores to normal levels, there was an improved BDI score of 13 (minimal level of depression) and a marked improvement in memory test scores. This has been maintained even though he has resumed platelet donation but at reduced intervals.
Detection of raised intracranial pressure by ultrasound measurement of optic nerve sheath diameter in African children
Authors: Beare Nicholas A. V. , Kampondeni Sam , Glover Simon J. , Molyneux Elizabeth , Taylor Terrie E. , Harding Simon P. , Molyneux Malcolm E.
Published: October 2008

Objective  To evaluate optic nerve sheath (ONS) ultrasound as a non‐invasive method of detecting raised intracranial pressure (ICP) and to establish normal ONS diameter data for African children.

Method  Children with acute neurological disease admitted to the Paediatric Department of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi had ultrasound measurements of ONS diameter. Controls were children admitted to the same department with non‐neurological disease. The mean of three measurements of the ONS diameter was used for analysis. Children were assessed for clinical signs of raised ICP. Patients had CT brain scans if required for their normal clinical care.

Results  In 14 children with neurological disease and clinical signs suggestive of raised ICP, the mean ONS diameter was 5.4 mm (range 4.3–6.2 mm). Radiological signs on CT scans substantiated the presence of raised ICP in eight (all those scanned). In seven children with neurological disease but no specific signs of raised ICP the mean ONS diameter was 3.6 mm (range 2.8–4.4 mm). None of four of these patients examined by CT scan had signs of elevated ICP. The mean ONS diameter in 30 controls without neurological disease was 3.5 mm (range 2.5–4.1 mm). If 4.2 mm is taken as the upper limit of normal the sensitivity and specificity of this test for elevated ICP is 100% and 86%, respectively.

Conclusion  ONS ultrasound is an accurate method for detecting raised ICP that can be applied in a broad range of settings. It has the advantages of being a non‐invasive, bedside test, which can be repeated multiple times for re‐evaluation.
Quality of life after postoperative endophthalmitis
Authors: Clark Antony , Ng Jonathon Q , Morlet Nigel , Tropiano Elisabeth , Mahendran Priya , Spilsbury Katrina , Preen David , Semmens James B
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Purpose:  The aim of this study is to determine if postoperative endophthalmitis adversely affects quality of life after cataract surgery.

Methods:  We compared quality of life in patients who developed endophthalmitis after cataract surgery between 1 January and 31 December 2003 with those who had uncomplicated surgery. The National Eye Institute VFQ‐25 (VFQ‐25) and EuroQol EQ‐5D (EQ‐5D) questionnaires and time trade‐off utility scores were used to compare self‐perceived general health and vision‐related quality of life between groups. Linear regression was used to model differences between groups after adjusting for age, gender and visual acuity in the better eye.

Results:  Nineteen postoperative endophthalmitis cases were compared with 30 who had uncomplicated cataract surgery. Following surgery the mean composite VFQ‐25 score was 13.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.0–26.4, P < 0.01) lower in endophthalmitis cases. Endophthalmitis patients reported significantly lower (P < 0.05) general vision, near vision, peripheral vision, mental health and role difficulties subscales scores after adjusting for age, sex and visual acuity. No significant differences were found in other subscales. Mean time trade‐off utility and all EQ‐5D scores were similar except for mobility (95% CI: 0.04–0.68, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Endophthalmitis after cataract surgery negatively impacts on self‐perceived vision‐related quality of life, resulting in poorer psychological well‐being and ability to maintain a role in daily life.
Cataract surgical coverage and self‐reported barriers to cataract surgery in a rural Myanmar population
Authors: Athanasiov Paul A , Casson Robert J , Newland Henry S , Shein Win K , Muecke James S , Selva Dinesh , Aung Than
Published: October 2008

Abstract

Purpose:  The aim of this study is to determine the cataract surgical coverage and investigate the barriers to cataract surgery as reported by those with cataract‐induced visual impairment in rural Myanmar.

Methods:  A cross‐sectional, population‐based survey of inhabitants 40 years of age and over from villages in the Meiktila District (central Myanmar); 2481 eligible participants were identified and 2076 participated. Data recording included corrected visual acuity, dilated slit lamp examination and stereoscopic fundus examination. Lens opacity was graded using the Lens Opacities Classification System III. Participants with cataract‐induced visual impairment (acuity < 6/18 in better eye) were also invited to respond to a verbal questionnaire about barriers to cataract surgery.

Results:  Cataract surgical coverage for visual acuity cut‐offs of <6/18, <6/60 and <3/60 was 9.74%, 20.11% and 22.3%, respectively, for people and 4.18%, 9.39% and 13.47%, respectively, for eyes. Cataract surgical coverage was higher for men than women, but gender was not associated with refusal of services. Of the 239 who responded to the extra questionnaire, 216 were blind or had low vision owing to cataract. Three quarters refused referral for surgery: cost and fear of surgery were the most frequently reported barriers.

Conclusion:  Cost plays a large role in the burden of cataract in this region. Implementation of educational programmes, reforms to local health service and subsidization of ophthalmic care may improve the uptake of cataract surgery.
Understanding intraocular lymphomas
Authors: Coupland Sarah E , Damato Bertil
Published: October 2008

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to describe the clinical features, pathology and molecular biology of intraocular lymphomas, which represent a heterogenous group of malignant neoplasms; to propose an anatomical classification of these tumours according to whether they occur in the retina or uvea; and to overview laboratory investigations and highlight factors required for successful biopsy. Recent findings show that retinal lymphomas are high‐grade (i.e. aggressive), B‐cell malignancies and are associated with a poor prognosis, with most patients dying of central nervous system disease. Immunophenotyping and somatic mutation analyses indicate that these lymphomas are probably derived from early post‐germinal centre cells. Primary choroidal lymphomas are typically low‐grade (i.e. indolent), B‐cell tumours with morphological, immunophenotypical and genotypic features similar to extranodal marginal zone B‐cell lymphomas (EMZL) elsewhere in the body. The putative cell of origin is the post‐germinal centre (memory) B cell. Primary iridal lymphomas are very rare, with an equal distribution of B‐ and T‐cell types and with a variable clinical course, most patients succumbing to their disease as a result of systemic dissemination. Primary lymphomas limited to the ciliary body are exceptionally rare. Secondary uveal lymphomas/leukaemias occur in patients with advanced systemic lymphoma or leukaemia, respectively. In summary, the term ‘primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL)’ is imprecise. It would be preferable to refer to the various forms of intraocular lymphoma according to whether they are retinal, choroidal, ciliary or iridal and whether they are primary or secondary in these locations.
Uncoupling of interleukin‐6 from its signalling pathway by dietary n‐3‐polyunsaturated fatty acid deprivation alters sickness behaviour in mice
Authors: Mingam Rozenn , Moranis Aurélie , Bluthé Rose‐Marie , De Smedt‐Peyrusse Véronique , Kelley Keith W. , Guesnet Philippe , Lavialle Monique , Dantzer Robert , Layé Sophie
Published: October 2008

Sickness behaviour is an adaptive behavioural response to the activation of the innate immune system. It is mediated by brain cytokine production and action, especially interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential fatty acids that are highly incorporated in brain cell membranes and display immunomodulating properties. We hypothesized that a decrease in n‐3 (also known as omega3) PUFA brain level by dietary means impacts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced IL‐6 production and sickness behaviour. Our results show that mice exposed throughout life to a diet containing n‐3 PUFA (n‐3/n‐6 diet) display a decrease in social interaction that does not occur in mice submitted to a diet devoid of n‐3 PUFA (n‐6 diet). LPS induced high IL‐6 plasma levels as well as expression of IL‐6 mRNA in the hippocampus and cFos mRNA in the brainstem of mice fed either diet, indicating intact immune‐to‐brain communication. However, STAT3 and STAT1 activation, a hallmark of the IL‐6 signalling pathway, was lower in the hippocampus of LPS‐treated n‐6 mice than n‐3/n‐6 mice. In addition, LPS did not reduce social interaction in IL‐6‐knockout (IL‐6‐KO) mice and failed to induce STAT3 activation in the brain of IL‐6‐KO mice. Altogether, these findings point to alteration in brain STAT3 as a key mechanism for the lack of effect of LPS on social interaction in mice fed with the n‐6 PUFA diet. The relative deficiency of Western diets in n‐3 PUFA could impact on behavioural aspects of the host response to infection.
Cocaine disinhibits dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area via use‐dependent blockade of GABA neuron voltage‐sensitive sodium channels
Authors: Steffensen Scott C. , Taylor Seth R. , Horton Malia L. , Barber Elise N. , Lyle Laura T. , Stobbs Sarah H. , Allison David W.
Published: October 2008

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cocaine on γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Utilizing single‐unit recordingsin vivo, microelectrophoretic administration of DA enhanced the firing rate of VTA GABA neurons via D2/D3 DA receptor activation. Lower doses of intravenous cocaine (0.25–0.5 mg/kg), or the DA transporter (DAT) blocker methamphetamine, enhanced VTA GABA neuron firing rate via D2/D3 receptor activation. Higher doses of cocaine (1.0–2.0 mg/kg) inhibited their firing rate, which was not sensitive to the D2/D3 antagonist eticlopride. The voltage‐sensitive sodium channel (VSSC) blocker lidocaine inhibited the firing rate of VTA GABA neurons at all doses tested (0.25–2.0 mg/kg). Cocaine or lidocaine reduced VTA GABA neuron spike discharges induced by stimulation of the internal capsule (ICPSDs) at dose levels 0.25–2 mg/kg (IC501.2 mg/kg). There was no effect of DA or methamphetamine on ICPSDs, or of DA antagonists on cocaine inhibition of ICPSDs. In VTA GABA neuronsin vitro, cocaine reduced (IC5013 μm) current‐evoked spikes and TTX‐sensitive sodium currents in a use‐dependent manner. In VTA DA neurons, cocaine reduced IPSCs (IC5013 μm), increased IPSC paired‐pulse facilitation and decreased spontaneous IPSC frequency, without affecting miniature IPSC frequency or amplitude. These findings suggest that cocaine acts on GABA neurons to reduce activity‐dependent GABA release on DA neurons in the VTA, and that cocaine’s use‐dependent blockade of VTA GABA neuron VSSCs may synergize with its DAT inhibiting properties to enhance mesolimbic DA transmission implicated in cocaine reinforcement.
Muscle relaxant use for tracheal intubation in pediatric anaesthesia: a survey of clinical practice in Germany
Authors: NAUHEIMER D. , FINK H. , FUCHS‐BUDER TH. , GELDNER G. , HOFMOCKEL R. , ULM K. , WALLEK B. , BLOBNER M.
Published: October 2008

Objectives:  Aim of this Germany‐wide study was to evaluate the use and application customs of neuromuscular blocking drugs (NMBDs) for tracheal intubation in children of age 5 years or younger.

Material and Methods:  In the year 2005, a total of 3260 questionnaires were sent out to all heads of anesthesia departments at all types of hospitals as well as ambulatory anesthesia centers in Germany. The fields covered by the questionnaire were regarding institutional size, amount of general anesthesia and specifically pediatric cases, number of intubations and NMBDs used, frequency of use of the individual relaxants and techniques utilized when administering muscle relaxants.

Results:  Of the sent‐out questionnaires 66.9%could be analyzed: 82% of hospitals use 1–3 muscle relaxants in children; 91% of the ambulatory anesthesia centers use a repertoire of 1–2 neuromuscular blockers for pediatric cases. However, general anesthesia with tracheal intubation in children is often induced without using any NMBD at all. Mivacurium is the predominantly used NMBD for pediatric intubation in Germany. In contrast, the use of succinylcholine is far less in ambulatory anesthesia centers than in hospitals. Despite controversial discussion, precurarization, priming, and timing are still utilized in German anesthesia practice.

Conclusion:  In Germany, mivacurium, with its favorable pharmacologic profile for short cases, is the predominantly used NMBD for pediatric tracheal intubation. Despite the known adverse effects of intubation without muscle relaxation, this technique is also wide‐spread, especially among German anesthetists in ambulatory anesthesia centers. Surveys like these are important to determine a status quo of use and application customs of NMBDs in pediatric anesthesia and provide a basis for numerous other studies.
A molecular phylogeny of the Cephalaspideasensu lato(Gastropoda: Euthyneura): Architectibranchia redefined and Runcinacea reinstated
Authors: Malaquias Manuel António E , Mackenzie‐Dodds Jacqueline , Bouchet Philippe , Gosliner Terrence , Reid David G
Published: October 2008

The monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of the Cephalaspideasensu lato(sensu Burn and Thompson 1998) have been investigated by means of Bayesian, parsimony and distance analyses of nuclear (18S rRNA and 28S rRNA) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes.

Results revealed the presence of three monophyletic groups among the Cephalaspideas. l.(i) Architectibranchia (sensu Haszprunar 1985, in part: including Acteonidae and Aplustridae, but excluding Diaphanidae), (ii) Cephalaspidea including Diaphanidae but not Runcinidae (both previously of uncertain systematic affinity), and (iii) Runcinacea.

The monophyly of the architectibranch families Acteonidae (represented byActeonandPupa) and Aplustridae (HydatinaandMicromelo); of the runcinacean family Runcinidae (Runcina); and of the cephalaspidean families Aglajidae (Chelidonura,Aglaja,Odontoglaja,NavanaxandPhilinopsis), Bullidae (Bulla), Gastropteridae (SiphopteronandSagaminopteron), Haminoeidae (Atys,Haminoea,PhanerophthalmusandSmaragdinella,but notVentomnestia), and Retusidae (RetusaandPyrunculus, but notVolvulella) is suggested. The families Scaphandridae (Scaphander) and Rhizoridae (Volvulella) are reinstated as valid. A new phylogenetic classification of the Cephalaspidea is proposed.
The Laptev Sea walrus Odobenus rosmarus laptevi: an enigma revisited
Authors: Lindqvist Charlotte , Bachmann Lutz , Andersen Liselotte W , Born Erik W , Arnason Ulfur , Kovacs Kit M , Lydersen Christian , Abramov Alexei V , Wiig ØYstein
Published: October 2008

The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is in some current systematic schemes divided into three subspecies: O. r. rosmarus in the North Atlantic, O. r. divergens in the North Pacific and O. r. laptevi in the Laptev Sea. These three subspecies have been described as differing in body size, but the taxonomic status of O. r. laptevi is disputed. The current study applies molecular and morphometric methods to assess the taxonomic status of O. r. laptevi and to analyse the systematic and phylogeographic relationships between the three purported walrus subspecies. Tusk length and tusk circumference were measured from the few skulls available of O. r. laptevi, and the obtained values were within the ranges reported for Pacific walruses. Thus, morphologically, subspecies status for O. r. laptevi is not supported according to the Amadon–Mayr ‘75% rule’. Phylogenetic analyses and haplotype networks based on mitochondrial nucleotide sequence data of NADH dehydrogenase 1, 16S rRNA, cytochrome oxidase I and the d‐loop of the control region of the historic O. r. laptevi bone material and contemporary O. r. rosmarus and O. r. divergens showed that the Laptev Sea walrus groups with individuals from the North Pacific. Thus, the mitochondrial sequence data do not support the recognition of three walrus subspecies as reciprocally monophyletic evolutionary units with independent evolutionary histories. Only O. r. rosmarus and O. r. divergens meet this criterion with the present sampling. Accordingly, we recommend that Odobenus r. laptevi be abandoned and the Laptev walrus instead be recognized as the westernmost population of the Pacific walrus, Odobenus r. divergens. However, further research is recommended to assess whether the Laptev walrus could be considered as a significant unit in terms of conservation and management, since it is unique in several ecological parameters.
Molecular ecology and phylogeography of the bent‐wing bat complex (Miniopterus schreibersii) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Asia Minor and adjacent regions
Authors: Furman Andrzej , ÇOraman Emrah , Bilgin Raşit , Karataş Ahmet
Published: October 2008

In this study we investigate population genetic structure and phylogeography of the bent‐wing bat complex (Miniopterus schreibersii) in Asia Minor and adjacent regions. PCR amplification and sequencing of the first hypervariable domain of the mitochondrial control region were used to obtain the genetic data. Morphometric differentiation between lineages was analysed by comparing forearm lengths. We found two reciprocally monophyletic lineages within the M. schreibersii complex, identified as M. s. schreibersii and M. s. pallidus. Distributions of the lineages were allopatric with a U‐shaped suture zone passing through Central Anatolia. The suture zone separated coastal regions occupied by M. s. schreibersii from inland, higher altitude regions occupied by M. s. pallidus. The lineages showed a considerable sequence divergence of c. 9%, accompanied by a corresponding difference in forearm length. The presence of the genetically distinct lineages, with allopatric distribution and corresponding morphometric differences, probably reflects their long isolation during the ice‐age in the Balkans and the Caspian/Caucasus refugia, followed subsequently by expansion into different habitats. Based on the present data, the lineages can be recognized as evolutionary significant units.
BIOMETRICS, IDENTIFICATION AND SURVEILLANCE
Authors: LYON DAVID
Published: October 2008

Governing by identity describes the emerging regime of a globalizing, mobile world. Governance depends on identification but identification increasingly depends on biometrics. This ‘solution’ to difficulties of verification is described and some technical weaknesses are discussed. The role of biometrics in classification systems is also considered and is shown to contain possible prejudice in relation to racialized criteria of identity. Lastly, the culture of biometric identification is shown to be limited to abstract data, artificially separated from the lived experience of the body including the orientation to others. It is proposed that creators of national ID systems in particular address these crucial deficiencies in their attempt to provide new modes of verification.
BODY, BIOMETRICS AND IDENTITY
Authors: MORDINI EMILIO , MASSARI SONIA
Published: October 2008

According to a popular aphorism, biometrics are turning the human body into a passport or a password. As usual, aphorisms say more than they intend. Taking the dictum seriously, we would be two: ourself and our body. Who are we, if we are not our body? And what is our body without us? The endless history of identification systems teaches that identification is not a trivial fact but always involves a web of economic interests, political relations, symbolic networks, narratives and meanings. Certainly there are reasons for the ethical and political concerns surrounding biometrics but these reasons are probably quite different from those usually alleged.
C’est encœur plus jeuli, le Mareuc: some evidence for the spread of //‐fronting in French
Authors: Armstrong Nigel , Low Jennifer
Published: October 2008

This paper examines //‐fronting in French, the centralising or fronting of the back rounded mid‐vowel //. Using variationist methodology, we present some results from a corpus of speech recorded in Roanne in central eastern France. After an analysis of the co‐articulatory factors that endorse and disfavour //‐fronting, we present results suggesting that young females may be leading a change in the direction of the supralocal frontmost variant. We also examine evidence that points to the unrounding of // after /r/, a phenomenon that appears to give the effect of fronting. We conclude with a consideration of the nature of the phonological levelling which characterises the current French situation, and which //‐fronting exemplifies.
Lexical similarity and endemism in historical wordlists of Australian Aboriginal languages of the greater Sydney region
Authors: Jones Caroline , Laffan Shawn
Published: October 2008

To reconstruct an indigenous language known solely from historical wordlists, the linguist needs to decide which source wordlists are most relevant, i.e. which sources are most likely to be attestations of the language to be reconstructed. There is little published research on methods appropriate to this task, and yet there is increasing attention to indigenous language reconstruction in support of language revival and revitalisation in education and community contexts. This paper1 describes a replicable and relatively objective method for comparing lexical similarity within a set of historical sources. The method described draws on the use of measures of lexical similarity in linguistics and the use of measures of endemism in biogeography. The method is illustrated via an analysis of historical sources for Aboriginal languages from the greater Sydney region, New South Wales, Australia. The sample is used to describe the overall similarity and difference between wordlists from this region, and to identify which wordlists are most similar to the wordlist recorded by the surveyor R. H. Mathews (e.g. 1903) as Darkinyung language.
Consistent Model Selection and Data-Driven Smooth Tests for Longitudinal Data in the Estimating Equations Approach
Authors: Wang Lan , Qu Annie
Published: October 2008

Model selection for marginal regression analysis of longitudinal data is challenging owing to the presence of correlation and the difficulty of specifying the full likelihood, particularly for correlated categorical data. The paper introduces a novel Bayesian information criterion type model selection procedure based on the quadratic inference function, which does not require the full likelihood or quasi-likelihood. With probability approaching 1, the criterion selects the most parsimonious correct model. Although a working correlation matrix is assumed, there is no need to estimate the nuisance parameters in the working correlation matrix; moreover, the model selection procedure is robust against the misspecification of the working correlation matrix. The criterion proposed can also be used to construct a data-driven Neyman smooth test for checking the goodness of fit of a postulated model. This test is especially useful and often yields much higher power in situations where the classical directional test behaves poorly. The finite sample performance of the model selection and model checking procedures is demonstrated through Monte Carlo studies and analysis of a clinical trial data set.
Empirical Bayes Confidence Intervals Shrinking Both Means and Variances
Authors: Gene Hwang J. T. , Qiu Jing , Zhao Zhigen
Published: October 2008

We construct empirical Bayes intervals for a large number p of means. The existing intervals in the literature assume that variances σi2 are either equal or unequal but known. When the variances are unequal and unknown, the suggestion is typically to replace them by unbiased estimators Si2. However, when p is large, there would be advantage in ‘borrowing strength’ from each other. We derive double-shrinkage intervals for means on the basis of our empirical Bayes estimators that shrink both the means and the variances. Analytical and simulation studies and application to a real data set show that, compared with the t-intervals, our intervals have higher coverage probabilities while yielding shorter lengths on average. The double-shrinkage intervals are on average shorter than the intervals from shrinking the means alone and are always no longer than the intervals from shrinking the variances alone. Also, the intervals are explicitly defined and can be computed immediately.
Jenner's Ladies: Women and Vaccination against Smallpox in Early Nineteenth‐Century Britain
Authors: BENNETT MICHAEL
Published: October 2008

In 1798 Edward Jenner published his theory that cowpox inoculation (vaccination) provided immunity to smallpox, the greatest scourge of his age. In the following decade the practice spread remarkably rapidly, partly as a substitute for the older and more dangerous practice of smallpox inoculation (variolation) and partly through the creation of a larger constituency for immunization. While there is some awareness that Jenner was able to cultivate the support of some aristocratic ladies for the new prophylactic, there has been no study of the role of women and women's networks in the adoption and promotion of vaccination. Using a wide range of evidence, this article argues that women were crucial to the rapid establishment of the new practice: as mothers with experience of smallpox and cowpox; as discerning consumers and disseminators of medical knowledge; and as activists, in terms of both patronage and practice. A focus on vaccination offers a new perspective on women's roles in the private and public spheres, and in the mobilization of the British nation during the Napoleonic Wars.
‘What is Happening in Europe?’ Richard Stokes, Fascism, and the Anti‐War Movement in the British Labour Party during the Second World War and After
Authors: CROWCROFT ROBERT
Published: October 2008

This article analyses the political career of the Labour Party MP Richard Rapier Stokes, one of the leading anti‐war agitators in Britain during the Second World War. Stokes was a highly unconventional politician: not only was he more fearful of the threat posed by the Soviet Union than Nazi Germany but he was actually a fascist fellow‐traveller and a member of numerous fascist groups. Campaigning to halt the struggle between Britain and Germany in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Stokes became a prominent figure in extremist politics. Yet, he also came to lead the traditional pacifist element of the Labour Party through the Parliamentary Peace Aims Group that he founded to argue his case. The nature of his political sympathies has not previously been appreciated. After the war, Stokes worked with European anti‐communist groups, comprised largely of fascists, before serving briefly in the cabinet towards the end of the 1945–51 Labour government. This article seeks to reconstruct the career of this neglected figure and integrate him within the literature of both the Labour Party and extremist politics.
What Isn't History? The Nature and Enjoyment of History in the Twenty‐First Century
Authors: MORTIMER IAN
Published: October 2008

For decades historians have worked against a backdrop of questions about the nature of their discipline. Since the 1970s this backdrop, influenced by postmodernism, has increasingly been in conflict with their work. Yet relatively few attempts have been made to justify history theoretically. This article attempts to do so in a universally applicable way. It does not directly engage with any particular philosophical critique; rather it attempts to transcend such critiques by redefining history, relocating it from an exclusively professional domain to a wider public one, and relating it to those who ‘enjoy’ it. In order to facilitate this relocation, the concept of ‘free history’– the totality of possible human engagements with the evidence relating to a past event or state of being – is introduced. This allows historical research to be contextualized as the relationship between the public on the one hand and, on the other, those extant objects and texts which can be located at certain points along the central axis of time. In this way, free history highlights the importance of public trust in historians and the crucial role played by objects and texts in limiting the possible re‐descriptions of the past. This trust, it is argued, combined with public interest, amounts to a social mandate for historians to explore and write about the past, enabling society to gain a view of itself over time, not just in the mirror of the present moment.
Extending Gregory VII's ‘Friendship Network’: Social Contacts in Late Eleventh‐Century France
Authors: RENNIE KRISTON R.
Published: October 2008

In the last quarter of the eleventh century, the Roman Church had a capable ruler and defender in Pope Gregory VII (1073–85). Despite his otherwise charismatic authority, however, Gregory's ability to extend his influence beyond the papacy's more immediate control of Rome and the Campagna was limited. Filling this administrative and legal gap was the emerging office of legation, developing ad hoc under Gregory VII in matters of reform and law. Papal legates such as the French representative, Bishop Hugh of Die (later archbishop of Lyons), became crucial figures in the machinery of papal government. They assumed a vital role in the transmission of reforming legislation north of the Alps while effectively widening Gregory VII's ‘friendship network’ to encompass influential members of the local and regional clerical and lay elite. With the assistance of this ecclesiastical office, moreover, the papacy significantly enhanced its opportunity for social contacts, thereby strengthening its hold on the more distant provinces of Western Christendom. By focusing on existing and growing social networks in late eleventh‐century France, this article examines Hugh of Die's role as an instrument of church reform, and assesses this legate's impact on the larger papal reform initiative in France.