bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic observers for a class of uncertain biological processes
Authors: Chachuat B. , Bernard O.
Published: January 2006

In this paper, probabilistic observers are considered for a class of continuous biological processes described by mass‐balance‐based models. It is assumed that the probability density functions (PDFs) of the uncertain parameters and inputs of the model, as well as the PDFs of the missing initial conditions are known. Then, the PDFs of the unmeasured state variables are obtained, at any time, by considering the image of these initial PDFs by the flow of the dynamic model (differential system). In comparison to classical open‐loop asymptotic and interval observers, the method provides information on the confidence level of the estimates rather than simple upper and lower bounds. Moreover, unlike Kalman filters, probabilistic observers are not restricted to Gaussian distributions for the uncertain parameters. The design and application of a probabilistic observer to an industrial wastewater treatment plant is presented. Finally, a number of practical considerations is discussed in connection to both implementation and utilization issues. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An investigation of Zimbabwe high school chemistry students' laboratory work–based images of the nature of science
Authors: Vhurumuku Elaosi , Holtman Lorna , Mikalsen Oyvind , Kolsto Stein D.
Published: January 2006

This study investigates the proximal and distal images of the nature of science (NOS) that A‐level students develop from their participation in chemistry laboratory work. We also explored the nature of the interactions among the students' proximal and distal images of the NOS and students' participation in laboratory work. Students' views of the NOS and the nature of their chemistry laboratory work were elicited through students' responses to an open‐ended questionnaire and semistructured interviews. The results suggest that students build some understandings of the NOS from their participation in laboratory work. Students' proximal NOS understandings appear to build into and interact with their understandings of the nature and practice of professional science. This interaction appears to be mediated by the nature of instruction. It is posited that each student's conceptual ecological system is replete with interactions, which govern attenuation of proximal understandings into distal images. Methodologically, the study illustrates how students' laboratory work–based proximal and distal images of the NOS can be identified and extracted through analyzing and interpreting their responses to protocols. Implications for A‐level Chemistry instruction and curriculum development are raised. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 127–149, 2006
High expression of N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase V in favorable neuroblastomas: Involvement of its effect on apoptosis
Authors: Inamori Kei-ichiro , Gu Jianguo , Ohira Miki , Kawasaki Atsushi , Nakamura Yohko , Nakagawa Takatoshi , Kondo Akihiro , Miyoshi Eiji , Nakagawara Akira , Taniguchi Naoyuki
Published: January 2006

Neuroblastoma (NBL), derived from the sympathetic precursor cells, is one of the most common pediatric solid tumors. The expression of N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase V and IX (GnT‐V and GnT‐IX) mRNA in 126 primary NBLs were quantitatively analyzed and higher expression levels of GnT‐V were found to be associated with favorable stages (1, 2 and 4s). Conversely, the downregulation of GnT‐V expression by small interfering RNA resulted in a decrease in the susceptibility to cell apoptosis induced by retinoic acid in NBL cells accompanied by morphological change. These results suggest that GnT‐V is associated with prognosis by modulating the sensitivity of NBLs to apoptosis.
Inhaled Foreign Bodies: Presentation, Management and Value of History and Plain Chest Radiography in Delayed Presentation
Authors: Ibrahim Sersar Sameh , Hassan Rizk Walid , Bilal Maha , El Diasty Mohammed M. , Abudlla Eltantawy Tarik , Badry Abdelhakam Bahaa , Elgamal Adel Mohamed F. , Abou Bieh Alaa Ali
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES

To assess the clinical and management aspects of tracheobronchial foreign body (FB) in children and adults; to judge the influence of the operator's experience on the outcome of the procedure and to evaluate the factors associated with delayed diagnosis of FB aspiration (FBA) in children; and to compare clinical, radiologic and bronchoscopic findings in the patients with suspected FB inhalation (FBI).

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Retrospective review of a 10‐year experience (from 1995 to 2005), involving a 1512‐bed Mansoura university hospital and a 184‐bed Mansoura emergency hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Three thousand three hundred patients underwent rigid bronchoscopy for suspected FBI between 1995 and 2005 in Mansoura, Egypt. The data were analyzed in 3 groups: the patients with negative bronchoscopy for FBI (group 1), early (group 2), and delayed diagnosis (group 3). Foreign body was removed using the rigid bronchoscope with or without using the extracting forceps (Egyptian novel technique; Sersar technique).

RESULTS

The penetration syndrome and decreased breath sounds were determined in a significantly higher number of the patients with FBI. The plain chest radiography revealed radiopaque foreign bodies (FBs) in 23.56% of all patients with FBI. Pneumonia and atelectasis were more common in the groups with negative bronchoscopy and with delayed diagnosis (P < 0.01). The FBs were mostly of vegetable origin, such as seeds and peanuts. The Egyptian novel (Sersar) technique was used since 2004 April in 100 cases (4.62%) with a history of FBI (pins and or small rounded materials). It was successful in 73 cases of nonimpacted inhaled pins.

CONCLUSIONS

Bronchoscopy is indicated on appropriate history and on suspicion. To prevent delayed diagnosis, characteristic symptoms, and clinical and radiologic signs of FBI should be checked in all suspected cases. Because clinical and radiologic findings of FBI in delayed cases may mimic other disorders, the clinician must be aware of the likelihood of FBI.

EBM rating: C‐4
Diagnosis of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Among Globus Patients
Authors: Hoon Park Kyung , Myung Choi Sun , UK Kwon Soon , Won Yoon Sang , UK Kim Seon
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is suggested as one of the most common etiologic factors of globus; currently, however, only a few tools are available to carry out effective diagnosis of LPR in clinics. The goal of this study was to assess the validity of reflux finding score (RFS), reflux symptom index (RSI), and symptom checklist‐90‐revision (SCL‐90‐R) as diagnostic methods for LPR.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We selected 57 globus patients who were divided into test and control groups according to the results of 24‐hour double‐probe ambulatory pH monitoring. RFS, RSI, and SCL‐90‐R were then compared between the 2 groups, and the logical products of the 3 tests were also compared.

RESULTS

RFS and RSI showed low specificity and there was no significant difference between the test and control groups. However, SCL‐90‐R revealed significantly high scores in the control group. The logical product of combining positive RFS and negative SCL‐90‐R was significantly different between the groups.

CONCLUSION

RFS and RSI are less valid as diagnostic tools for LPR when used independently. Patients with LPR are found to exhibit weaker psychological symptoms than non‐LPR patients.

EBM rating: B‐2b
Intraoperative Evaluation of Cortical Bony Margins with Frozen‐Section Analysis
Authors: Oxford Lance E. , Ducic Yadranko
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES

To describe and evaluate the efficacy of frozen‐section analysis of cortical bone margins in surgery of the craniofacial skeleton.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of patients undergoing oncologic resection of various head and neck neoplasms with osseous involvement by the senior author (Y.D.) from 1998 to 2003.

RESULTS

Frozen‐section analysis of cortical bone was performed in 38 patients. Adequate specimens for histological analysis were obtained in all patients. Frozen sections were positive in 21 of 22 patients with bone invasion on decalcified specimens. After validating our technique for frozen analysis of cortical bone in 13 patients, the method had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100% in 25 patients. Malignancies diagnosed on frozen cortical bone specimens included squamous cell carcinoma (15), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (3), and sarcoma (3). Frozen cortical margins altered the extent of bony resection in 8 patients.

CONCLUSION

A simple technique for analysis of cortical bone involvement by neoplasm is presented and reviewed. It allows for frozen‐section analysis with standard equipment and appears to be a reliable method to evaluate bony margins intra‐operatively.

EBM rating: C‐4
Physiotherapy Rehabilitation of the Smile after Long‐Term Facial Nerve Palsy using Video Self‐Modeling and Implementation Intentions
Authors: Coulson Susan E. , Adams Roger D. , O'Dwyer Nicholas J. , Croxson Glen R.
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES

To improve smiling after long‐term facial nerve palsy (FNP). Physiotherapy rehabilitation of an adapted (more symmetrical) smile was investigated in FNP subjects 1 year post‐onset, using video self‐modeling (video replay of only best adapted smiles) and implementation intentions (preplanning adapted smiles for specific situations).

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

Prospective, blinded clinical trial. Facial‐Nerve‐Palsy Clinic.

RESULTS

After video self‐modeling: 1) reaction time (RT) to initiation of adapted smiles became 224 ms faster whereas RT for everyday (asymmetrical) smiles became 153 ms slower; 2) adapted smiles were completed 544 ms faster; 3) adapted smiles had higher overall quality, movement control, and symmetry ratings; and 4) Facial Disability Index scores also improved. Implementation intentions after video self‐modeling ensured transfer of adapted smile to everyday situations.

CONCLUSION

Following intervention the smile improved, with significant changes in availability, execution speed, and quality.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study supports these rehabilitation techniques to maximize quality of smiling following FNP.

EBM rating: B‐2b
Comparison of Posttonsillectomy Pain Using the Ultrasonic Scalpel, Coblator, and Electrocautery
Authors: Parsons Stephen P. , Cordes Susan R. , Comer Brett
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES

To compare postoperative tonsillectomy pain between 3 commonly used surgical devices: the Harmonic Ultrasonic Scalpel (Ethicon Endo‐Surgery, Cincinnati, OH), the Coblator (ArthroCare Corp, Sunnyvale, CA), and electrocautery.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

A prospective, randomized trial. One hundred thirty‐four patients were randomly assigned to receive a tonsillectomy with 1 of 3 surgical devices. All patients were asked to fill out a postoperative diary.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences in pain scores were revealed between the Coblator and electrocautery (P = 0.02) and between the Coblator and the Ultrasonic Scalpel (P = 0.003), with the Coblator having lower pain scores. Electrocautery and the Ultrasonic Scalpel did not differ significantly from each other. The Coblation method showed a strong trend toward quicker return to normal diet.

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing tonsillectomy with the Coblator device reported less pain over a 10‐day period than patients undergoing tonsillectomy with electrocautery or the Ultrasonic Scalpel. Pain after tonsillectomy remains a major issue for our patients. The choice of surgical instrument appears to be one way to reduce this pain.

EBM rating: A‐1b
JAMES VI AND I, THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, AND BRITISH ECCLESIASTICAL CONVERGENCE
Authors: MACDONALD ALAN R.
Published: January 2006

Recent historiography has argued that the British ecclesiastical policies of James VI and I sought ‘congruity’ between the different churches in Scotland, England, and Ireland, rather than British ecclesiastical union or the anglicanization of all the churches. It is argued here that the asymmetry of the changes he sought in Scotland and England has been underplayed and that this has masked his choice of a fundamentally Anglican model for the British churches. Through allowing the archbishop of Canterbury to interfere in Scottish ecclesiastical affairs, undermining the presbyterian system, promoting episcopal power and liturgical reform, anglicanization of the Church of Scotland was the goal of James VI and I, and one which he pursued until his death. The motivation for King James's persistent desire for the fulfilment of this policy is to be found in his rapid assimilation to the Church of England after 1603 and, moreover, in his goal of the reunification of Christendom as a whole, on the Anglican model.
THE MNEMONIC TURN IN THE CULTURAL HISTORIOGRAPHY OF BRITAIN'S GREAT WAR
Authors: HEATHORN STEPHEN
Published: January 2006

How the First World War has come to be remembered has, over the past two decades, become a major concern for British historians, eclipsing earlier scholarly preoccupations with war guilt and its political consequences, the impact of the war on social structure and the status of women, and the conflict's role in the rise of the modernist aesthetic. This article surveys both scholarship on the cultural legacy of the First World War in Britain and the debates about how the memory of this war – the ‘Great War’ – has either retarded its consideration ‘as history’ or spurred new, if not always entirely successful, modes of inquiry into the relationships among war, society, and culture. The article argues that memory of the Great War must itself be treated as history; that the meaning of that memory should be placed within the context of the changing events, ideas, and identities of the entire twentieth century; and that more scholarly attention needs to be directed at the popular reception of representations of the Great War by the population at large, and at the power of the various forms of media by which those representations have been conveyed to their audience and have thereby shaped memory of the conflict.
BORN MODERN: ANTIPODEAN VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Authors: BROWN NICHOLAS
Published: January 2006

Making peoples: a history of the New Zealanders from Polynesian settlement to the end of the nineteenth century. By James Belich. London: Penguin, 2001. Pp. 497. ISBN 0-14-100639-0. £9.99.

Paradise reforged: a history of the New Zealanders from the 1880s to the year 2000. By James Belich. London: Allen Lane, 2002. Pp. 606. ISBN 0-7139-9172-0. £25.00.

The Enlightenment and the origins of European Australia. By John Gascoigne. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Pp. xviii+233. ISBN 0-521-80343-80. £45.00.

Australian ways of death: a social and cultural history, 1840–1918. By Pat Jalland. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2002. Pp. vi+378. ISBN 0-19-550754-1. £15.99.

White flour, white power: from rations to citizenship in central Australia. By Tim Rowse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. Pp. xiii+255. ISBN 0-521-62457-6. £40.00.

The five books covered here might seem a random sample: antipodean oddments from the edge of a review editor's desk. Their subject matter – from ‘ways of death’ in Australia to rationing policies for indigenous Australians – is diverse, as are their approaches: a scholarly assessment of the influence of Enlightenment ideas in the Australian colonies through to a massive two-volume general history of New Zealand to 2000. Yet even in this eclectic mix there are common themes, reflecting current interests and models in the writing of history in both countries. For some time, Australia and New Zealand have been productively positioned in relation to European social change as ‘born modern’ experiments, or at least as colonies which forced or anticipated aspects of the modernity shaping metropolitan centres. There have been several phases of historiography advancing this thesis, each reflecting a desire on the part of historians ‘down under’ to relate their account to wider dynamics, or to incorporate models that redress or refute the ‘isolation’ of their history by exploring categories extending beyond the national chronicle. More recently, historians of post-colonialism have returned the interest. They have traced in the extension of colonialism many of the crucial factors shaping core elements of nineteenth-century European nationalism, even the concept of Europe itself. In complex patterns of interdependence within ‘empire’, these historians have also identified several themes of ‘modernity’: reflexive approaches to ‘self’ and identity; discursive matrices of liberal government; the application and testing of the Enlightenment project of ‘reason’ and the ‘disenchantment’ of scientific knowledge and classification.
USE OF PERIODIC ABSTINENCE IN BANGLADESH: DO THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND?
Authors: KAMAL NASHID , SAHA UNNATI R. , ALI KHAN MEHRAB , BAIRAGI RADHESHYAM
Published: January 2006

Data from a nationally representative study in Bangladesh (BDHS 1996–97) were analysed to identify significant predictors of use of periodic abstinence, in comparison with other modern contraceptive methods. The study found that women in Bangladesh mostly use modern methods during their peak reproductive years, after which some of them switch to periodic abstinence. These women tend to be more from educated and from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and with at least one living son. Another set of data from the Matlab DSS was analysed and the results were in the same direction. Focus group discussions found that women were using the periodic abstinence method incorrectly, abstaining for more days than is necessary. For Bangladeshi contraceptive users to reach a higher degree of use-effectiveness for period abstinence, more IEC materials need to be developed.
Distribution and clustering ofOesophagostomum bifurcumand hookworm infections in Northern Ghana
Authors: ZIEM J. B. , OLSEN A. , MAGNUSSEN P. , HORTON J. , AGONGO E. , GESKUS R. B. , POLDERMAN A. M.
Published: January 2006

HumanOesophagostomuminfections are locally common in northern Ghana. The present study describes the results of a cross-sectional survey involving 1011 subjects, selected by a compound-based random sampling method from 1227 compounds in 24 villages. Selected persons were examined by both Kato and coproculture methods. Hookworm-like eggs, representing ova ofOesophagostomum bifurcumand hookworm were detected in 87·5% of the Kato smears. The geometric mean egg count of the infected subjects was 1018. Upon coproculture, third-stage larvae ofO. bifurcumand hookworm were detected in 53·0% and 86·9% of subjects respectively. Oesophagostomum infections were clustered but no clear explanation for aggregation of infections could be found as yet. Subjects infected with hookworm had a 5-fold higher risk of being infected withO. bifurcum. Infection rates in adult women were higher than in adult men. No association was found with family size, level of hygiene or with the presence of animals in the compounds. Representatives of the Bimoba-tribe were significantly more infected than those of the other tribes. It appears, however, that this tribal association is a geographical phenomenon: Bimoba are mostly living in villages with the highest infection rates.
The relationship between polychlorinated biphenyls in blubber and levels of nematode infestations in harbour porpoises,Phocoena phocoena
Authors: BULL J. C. , JEPSON P. D. , SSUNA R. K. , DEAVILLE R. , ALLCHIN C. R. , LAW R. J. , FENTON A.
Published: January 2006

Post-mortem examinations of harbour porpoises,Phocoena phocoena, regularly reveal heavy parasitic worm burdens. These same post-mortem records show varying levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulating in the blubber of porpoises. Although a number of papers have documented geospatial and temporal changes of PCBs and their detrimental effects on marine mammal health, as yet none have examined their role in determining nematode burdens in wild marine mammal populations. Using a data set consisting of harbour porpoises stranded in the UK between 1989 and 2002, we found a significant, positive association between PCB levels and nematode burdens, although the nature of the relationship was confounded with porpoise sex, age and cause of death. It was also apparent that individuals with the heaviest infestations of nematodes did not have the highest PCB level: while PCBs are important, they are clearly not the sole determinants of nematode burdens in wild populations of the harbour porpoise around the UK.
Effects of four tanniferous plant extracts on thein vitroexsheathment of third-stage larvae of parasitic nematodes
Authors: BAHUAUD D. , DE MONTELLANO C. MARTINEZ-ORTIZ , CHAUVEAU S. , PREVOT F. , TORRES-ACOSTA F. , FOURASTE I. , HOSTE H.
Published: January 2006

The anthelmintic properties of tanniferous plants and of their secondary metabolites represent one possible alternative to chemotherapy that is currently being explored as a means of achieving sustainable control of gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants. Previousin vivoandin vitroresults suggest that tanniferous plants can have direct anti-parasitic effect against different stages of nematodes. However, the mode of action of the bioactive plant compounds remains obscure. The objectives of the current study were (1) to examine the hypothesis that extracts of tanniferous plants might interfere with the exsheathment of third-stage infective larvae (L3); (2) to assess the role of tannins in the process by examining the consequence of adding an inhibitor of tannins (polyethylene glycol: PEG) to extracts. The effects of 4 tanniferous plant extracts on exsheathment have been examined on L3 ofHaemonchus contortusandTrichostrongylus colubriformis. Artificial exsheathment was inducedin vitroby adding hypochloride solution to larval suspension. The evolution of exsheathment with time was measured by repeated observations at 10-min interval for 60 min. The selected plants were: genista (Sarothamnus scoparius), heather (Erica erigena), pine tree (Pinus sylvestris), and chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), with tannin contents ranging from 1·5 to 24·7% of DM. Extracts of a non-tanniferous plant (rye grass, tannin content: 0·3% of DM) were included in the assay as negative controls. The extracts were tested at the concentration of 600 μg/ml and the effects were compared to the rate of exsheathment of control larvae in PBS. No statistical differences in the pattern of exsheathment was observed after addition of rye grass or genista extracts for both nematode species and with heather extracts forT. colubriformis. In contrast, pine tree extracts on larvae of both species and heather extracts withH. contortusinduced a significant delay in exsheathment. Last, contact with chest nut extracts led to a total inhibition of the process for both nematodes. These results suggest that extracts of tanniferous plants might affect a key process in the very early stages of larval invasion of the host. In most cases, the addition of PEG led to a total or partial restoration towards control values. This suggests that tannins are largely involved in the inhibitory process. However, other secondary metabolites may also interfere with the process that would help to explain some of the differences in response observed between the two nematode species.
A preliminary proteomic survey of thein vitroexcretory/secretory products of fourth-stage larval and adultTeladorsagia circumcincta
Authors: CRAIG H. , WASTLING J. M. , KNOX D. P.
Published: January 2006

The nature of the proteins which comprise thein vitroexcretory/secretory products (ES) of the fourth-stage larva (L4) and adultTeladorsagia circumcinctaare largely undefined, despite the fact that this nematode induces profound changes, in part related to parasite ES, in the cellular architecture of the glands lining the abomasal surface of infected sheep and goats. In this study, the protein components of L4 and adult ES were fractionated using 1D gel electrophoresis and the major protein bands, detected by Coomassie blue staining, excised from the gel and subjected to tryptic digest and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis. The resultant peptide mass fingerprints were used to identify 15 L4 and 13 adult ES proteins. Several proteins, such as globin and some metabolic enzymes, were present in both ES. L4 ES alone contained thioredoxin peroxidase, an enzyme that can detoxify free radicals resulting from host inflammatory responses to the parasite, a cysteine proteinase which may aid penetration of the gastric mucosa and 2 different galectins which may influence cell differentiation and morphogenesis. Adult ES contained a nucleoside diphosphate kinase homologue, an enzyme which has been linked to cellular changes and can affect liquid secretion and goblet cell degranulation.
Construction and screening of a cDNA library from the triactinomyxon spores ofMyxobolus cerebralis, the causative agent of salmonid Whirling Diseases
Authors: EL-MATBOULI M. , SOLIMAN H.
Published: January 2006

The ZAP Express cDNA library was constructed using mRNA extracted from the triactinomyxon spores ofMyxobolus cerebralis. First-strand cDNA was synthesized using Moloney Murine leukaemia virus reverse transcriptase. Following second-strand cDNA synthesis, the double-stranded cDNA was digested withXhoI restriction enzyme, cDNA fragments less than 400 bp were removed and the remaining cDNA was ligated with the lambda ZAP Express vector. The recombinants were packagedin vitrousing Gigapack III gold packaging extract. The primary cDNA library titre contained 0·5×106clones, with 97% recombinant and only 3% non-recombinant clones. The cDNA library was then screened using the anti-triactinomyxon antibodies. Positive clones were selected and re-screened twice more to give a final selection of 526 clones. One clone (46-5) was selected randomly and subjected toin vivo excision of the pBK-CMV phagemid from the ZAP express vector. The sequence of the entire clone was obtained using rapid amplification of the cDNA ends. A search of the clone sequence against GenBank revealed that it related to ribosomal protein L23 and it had a high percentage similarity to this protein from different species. A conserved domain for ribosomal protein L23 was also identified in the clone sequence.
Ultrastructure and phylogeny ofPhilasterides dicentrarchi(Ciliophora, Scuticociliatia) from farmed turbot in NW Spain
Authors: PARAMÁ A. , ARRANZ J. A. , ÁLVAREZ M. F. , SANMARTÍN M. L. , LEIRO J.
Published: January 2006

Several species of opportunistic histophagous scuticociliates have been implicated in systemic infections of farmed fish. In turbot, scuticociliatosis is an emerging disease, and the identification of the parasite species involved is controversial. We have previously isolatedPhilasterides dicentrarchifrom farmed turbot scuticociliatosis outbreaks in northwest Spain. In the present study, we report detailed ultrastructural studies of this parasite, and investigate phylogenetic relations with other members of the order Philasterida on the basis of sequence comparison of the small-subunit rRNA (SSUrRNA) gene. Ultrastructural study indicates the presence of dikinetids in the anterior two-thirds of the body; micronucleus closely associated with the macronucleus, though not physically connected; numerous mitochondria located below the cell cortex, parallel to the surface; numerous spherical and fusiform extrusomes located close to the plasma membrane. We consider that these characteristics are useful for diagnosis of infections by this parasite. A nested 350-bp nucleotide sequence of the SSUrRNA gene of the turbotP. dicentrachiisolate showed high identity with previously reported SSUrRNA gene sequences from 2 scuticociliates isolated from olive flounderParalichthys olivaceusin Korea, namelyP. dicentrarchi(98%) andMiamiensis avidus(99%); conversely, ourP. dicentrarchisequence showed low identity (86%) with that ofUronema marinum, a scuticociliate that has also been implicated in scuticociliatosis outbreaks in turbot in Europe and olive flounder in Asia. Phylogenetic tree construction on the basis of the SSUrRNA gene sequences, using the neighbour-joining method, confirm that the differentP. dicentrarchiisolates andM. avidusare closely related and a possible synonymy between both ciliates species should be considered.
Longitudinal studies of antisaccades in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia
Authors: HARRIS MARGRET S. H. , REILLY JAMES L. , KESHAVAN MATCHERI S. , SWEENEY JOHN A.
Published: January 2006

Background. Prefrontal cortical dysfunctions, including disturbances in adaptive context-specific behavior, have been reported in neuropsychological and brain imaging studies of schizophrenia. Some data suggest that treatment with antipsychotic medications may ameliorate these deficits.

Method. We investigated antisaccade performance in 39 antipsychotic-naive, first-episode schizophrenia patients who were re-evaluated 6 weeks after treatment initiation. A group of matched healthy subjects were examined at similar time-points. Patients and healthy individuals available for longer-term testing were re-assessed 26 and 52 weeks after initial testing.

Results. Before treatment, patients showed elevated rates of response suppression errors and prolonged latencies of correct antisaccades. Increased rates of antisaccade errors were associated with faster response latencies during a separate, visually guided saccade task, but only prior to treatment. Throughout the 1-year follow-up, patients progressively improved in their ability to voluntarily suppress context-inappropriate behavior. Although treatment assignment was by clinician choice, results of exploratory analyses revealed that patients treated with risperidone progressively planned and initiated correct antisaccades more quickly than patients receiving haloperidol.

Conclusions. Deficits in the voluntary control of spatial attention are exaggerated during acute episodes of illness, but remain an enduring aspect of prefrontal dysfunction in schizophrenia even after treatment. During acute illness, speeded sensorimotor transformations may compound these deficits and contribute to the heightened distractibility associated with acute psychosis. Continued improvement in task performance throughout the 1-year follow-up suggests that partial normalization of prefrontal cognitive functions resulting from antipsychotic treatment may have a longer and more gradual time course than the reduction of acute psychotic symptoms.
Effect of cryopreservation on fusion efficiency and in vitro development into blastocysts of bovine cell lines used in somatic cell cloning
Authors: Hayes O. , Rodríguez LL. , González A. , Falcón V. , Aguilar A. , Castro F.O.
Published: January 2006

The outcome of the process of cloning by nuclear transfer depends on multiple factors that affect its efficiency. Donor cells should be carefully selected for their use in somatic nuclear transfer, and the protocols used for keeping frozen cell banks are of cardinal importance. Here we studied the effect of two protocols for freezing donor cells on fusion rate and development into blastocysts. Our hypothesis is that freezing affects cell membranes in a way that interferes with the fusion process upon cloning but without hampering normal cell development in vitro. We found that freezing cell lines without controlling the cooling rate gives lower yields in the fusion step and in the final development into blastocysts, compared with cells frozen with a controlled cooling rate of approximately 1°C/min. Transmission electron microscopy of the cells subjected to different freezing procedures showed major damage to the cells frozen with a non-controlled protocol. We conclude that freezing of donor cells for cloning is a critical step in the procedure and should be monitored carefully using a method that allows for a step-wise, controlled cooling rate.
Effects of caffeine treatment on aged porcine oocytes: parthenogenetic activation ability, chromosome condensation and development to the blastocyst stage after somatic cell nuclear transfer
Authors: Iwamoto Masaki , Onishi Akira , Fuchimoto Dai-ichiro , Somfai Tamas , Suzuki Shun-ichi , Yazaki Satoko , Hashimoto Michiko , Takeda Kumiko , Tagami Takahiro , Hanada Hirofumi , Noguchi Junko , Kaneko Hiroyuki , Nagai Takashi , Kikuchi Kazuhiro
Published: January 2006

The possibility of using aged porcine oocytes treated with caffeine, which inhibits the decrease in M-phase promoting factor activity, for pig cloning was evaluated. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured initially for 36h and subsequently with or without 5mM caffeine for 24h (in total for 60h: 60CA+ or 60CA– group, respectively). As a control group, COCs were cultured for 48h without caffeine (48CA–). The pronuclear formation rates at 10h after electrical stimulation in the 60CA+ and 60CA– groups decreased significantly (p<0.05) compared with the 48CA– group. However, the fragmentation rate was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the 60CA– group than in the 60CA+ and 48CA– groups. When the stimulated oocytes were cultured for 6 days, the 60CA+ group showed significantly lower blastocyst formation and higher fragmentation or degeneration rates (p<0.05) than the 48CA– group. However, the number of total cells in blastocysts was not affected by maturation period or caffeine treatment. When somatic cell nuclei were injected into the non-enucleated oocytes and exposed to cytoplasm for a certain duration (1–11h) before the completion of maturation (48 or 60h), the rate of nuclear membrane breakdown after exposure to cytoplasm for 1–2h in the 60CA– oocytes was significantly lower (p;<0.05) than in the other experimental groups. The rate of scattered chromosome formation in the same 60CA– group tended to be lower (p=0.08) than in the other groups. After the enucleation and transfer of nuclei, blastocyst formation rates in the 60CA+ and 60CA– groups were significantly lower (p<0.05) than in the 48CA– group. Blastocyst quality did not differ among all the groups. These results suggest that chromosome decondensation of the transplanted somatic nucleus is affected by both the duration of exposure to cytoplasm and the age of the recipient porcine oocytes, and that caffeine treatment promotes nuclear remodelling but does not prevent the decrease in the developmental ability of cloned embryos caused by oocyte aging.
The maternal age effect: a hypothesis based on oxidative phosphorylation
Authors: Wilding Martin , Di Matteo Loredana , Dale Brian
Published: January 2006

The ‘maternal age effect’ in human reproduction, characterized by a negative relationship between maternal age and reproductive efficiency, remains a poorly understood phenomenon. Current data suggest that oocyte physiology determines this relationship. In this review, we present a hypothesis of a mitochondrial role in the physiology of ageing in human oocytes. We suggest that the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in the ageing human oocyte is degraded by free radical attack on the primordial oocytes residing in the ovary. Although deficiencies in oxidative phosphorylation can be accounted for in the short term by anaerobic respiration, we suggest that, in the long term, the level of oxidative phosphorylation strongly influences oocyte quality.
TEX101 is shed from the surface of sperm located in the caput epididymidis of the mouse
Authors: Takayama Takeshi , Mishima Takuya , Mori Miki , Ishikawa Tomoko , Takizawa Takami , Goto Tadashi , Suzuki Mitsuaki , Araki Yoshihiko , Matsubara Shigeki , Takizawa Toshihiro
Published: January 2006

It is generally believed that cell-to-cell cross-talk and signal transduction are mediated by cell surface molecules that play diverse and important regulatory roles in spermatogenesis and fertilization. Recently, we identified a novel plasma membrane-associated protein, TES101-reactive protein (TES101RP, or TEX101), on mouse testicular germ cells. In this study, we investigate Tex101 mRNA expression in the adult mouse testis using in situ hybridization, and we examine the fate of TEX101 during sperm transport by immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses. Tex101 mRNA was expressed in a stage-specific manner in spermatocytes and in step 1–9 spermatids of the testis, but not in spermatogonia. Although the TEX101 protein remained on the cell surfaces of step 10–16 spermatids and testicular sperm, it was shed from epididymal sperm located in the caput epididymidis. The results of this study provide additional information on germ cell-specific TEX101 expression during spermatogenesis and post-testicular sperm maturation.
Fertilization and development of bovine oocytes grown in female SCID mice
Authors: Senbon Shoichiro , Ishii Kyosuke , Fukumi Yoshiyuki , Miyano Takashi
Published: January 2006

We previously reported that xenografted bovine secondary follicles developed to the antral stage in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In the present study, bovine secondary follicles 100–240 μm in diameter were xenografted under the kidney capsules of female SCID mice for 6 and 8 weeks, and we examined the oocytes' fertilization and developmental abilities. Bovine follicles developed with prolongation of grafting and became significantly larger than those before grafting. Injection of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) into host mice made some surviving follicles develop larger than the other follicles. Furthermore, bovine oocytes grew in the follicles, and the mean diameter of the oocytes was 100 μm or more at 6 and 8 weeks of transplantation. Bovine oocytes that had grown in eCG-stimulated SCID mice 8 weeks after grafting were subjected to maturation culture. Some of the oocytes that had grown to 110 μm or more matured to the second metaphase (7% of oocytes 110–119 μm and 44% of those >120 μm). When the oocytes were inseminated with bovine spermatozoa, 15% (6/39) formed a female and a male pronucleus, and 2 days after insemination 24% (18/75) of oocytes cleaved and 2% (2/75) developed to the 5- to 8-cell stage. However, no embryo reached the blastocyst stage. These results indicate that bovine oocytes grown in SCID mice could be fertilized but acquired insufficient competence for embryonic development in the present conditions.
Modification of ovary stock solution with magnesium and raffinose improves the developmental competence of oocytes after long preservation
Authors: Iwata H. , Hayashi T. , Sato H. , Kimura K. , Kuwayama T. , Monji Y.
Published: January 2006

During ovary storage oocytes lose some of their developmental competence. In the present study, we maintained storage solutions of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at various temperatures (20 or 35 °C) or supplemented them with magnesium (Mg), raffinose and sucrose. Subsequently, we examined the kinetics of electrolytes in the follicular fluid (FF) during the ovary storage period (9h), the survival rate of granulosa cells in the follicles, and the developmental competence of oocytes after the storage. Lowering the temperature from 35 to 20 °C increased the total cell number of blastocysts that developed at 7 days after in vitro maturation and in vitro fertilization of oocytes. In stock solution with supplements of 15 mM Mg or a combination of 5 mM Mg and 10 mM raffinose or sucrose, a significantly higher number of oocytes developed into blastocysts with a large number of cells in each blastocyst, and a significantly higher number of living granulosa cells were obtained as compared with stock solutions without any supplements. During ovary storage, the concentrations of potassium and chloride in the FF were increased, and the addition of Mg to the stock solution increased the concentration of Mg in the FF. Germinal vesicle breakdown in oocytes that were collected from ovaries stored in the solution supplemented with 15 mM Mg or a combination of 5 mM Mg and 10 mM of raffinose occurred at a slower rate than that in oocytes collected from ovaries stored in PBS alone. On the other hand, the oocytes collected from ovaries stored in the solution supplemented with 15 mM Mg or a combination of 5 mM Mg and 10 mM raffinose reached the metaphase II (MII) stage more rapidly than the oocytes collected from ovaries stored in the PBS alone. In conclusion, the modification of stock solution by the addition of Mg and raffinose improved the developmental competence of oocytes obtained from ovaries preserved for a long period.
Erasmus Lecture 2005 From science to education: the need for a revolution
Authors: LÉNA PIERRE
Published: January 2006

Primary education for all seems on the way to being achieved throughout the world within a couple of decades, despite the deep inequalities and lack of resources that remain. Science education at an elementary level, during the first years of school, should now be considered as essential to the cultural, civic, ethical, economic and technical development of humans and societies, in a context of globalization, as the triad ‘reading–writing–arithmetic’ has been during the two last centuries. Yet current education practice – which often characterizes science lessons in developed countries as well as in developing ones, when they exist at all – is quite unsatisfactory, as it is more concerned with transferring knowledge of facts than with scientific literacy, and misses the goal of capacity building. New developments in the last decade, based on inquiry pedagogy and often proposed or led by science Academies, have demonstrated another way to communicate science, and to involve and train teachers. In France, the United States and Sweden, but also in China, Brazil and Egypt, the results of this new approach have led to great hopes for transformation, fully supported by science academies. In Europe, a recently implemented EU programme aims at similar goals, in the spirit of the Lisbon objectives toward a society of knowledge.
Brain drain: a non-political perspective
Authors: MARKL HUBERT
Published: January 2006

Brains should matter for all academics. In brawn, horsepower of any kind will always be superior. As human species, we may not have the biggest brains in relative or absolute terms, but we certainly have the best. We should never forget, however, that this superior brainpower does not only let academics excel, it is just as responsible for the best CEOs, the best artists, the best sport champions – even for the most efficient and atrocious criminals. Therefore, just battling for brains may not be enough. It must be the right brains, and these do not come freely and ready-made by mother Nature. We cannot simply breed them, we have to nurture, to educate and to hone them, far from only battling for them.
The unification of European law: a pipedream?
Authors: VAN CAENEGEM R. C.
Published: January 2006

The unification of European law – if it is ever achieved – belongs to the future, but much of this present article will be devoted to the past. This makes me look like the ancient Roman king Janus, upon whom the god Saturn bestowed the gift of seeing the future as well as the past, which led to his famous representation, in his Roman temple, as a man with two faces. As a professional historian I am, of course, concerned with past centuries, but the future of Europe and European law concerns me as a citizen of the Old World.
Music and brain plasticity
Authors: JOHANSSON BARBRO B.
Published: January 2006

Complex and widespread activation in many brain areas is seen while performing, listening or mentally imaging music, activity that varies with training, previous exposure, personal preference, emotional involvement and many other factors. Playing a musical instrument demands extensive motor and cognitive abilities, and early musical learning results in plastic reorganization of the developing brain – one example being the increased cortical representation area for the left little finger in (right-handed) string-players, which correlates with age at the start of training. Even though the developing brain has the most pronounced changes, the adult healthy brain has a considerable plasticity. Conductors have superior spatial tuning compared with non-musicians and pianists. Attentive listening to music for as little as three hours can temporarily alter the auditory cortex. Interactions between genetic predisposition, environment and training play a role in music as in other areas. It has been proposed that musical training may improve other cognitive functions. There is some evidence that this may be the case but it is an area that needs further exploration.
Early language development as related to the acquisition of reading
Authors: LUNDBERG INGVAR
Published: January 2006

This article reviews research on early linguistic precursors and enabling skills of reading acquisition among young children. Language development starts early in infancy when the child learns to categorize the speech sounds according to the pattern typical of the mother tongue. Equipped with these sound categories the child is ready to learn to segment words from the sound stream and to understand and to use words. The precise phonological representation of words will facilitate the important development of phonological awareness. Some longitudinal research and training studies indicate the causal direction of the relation between phonological awareness and reading. Preventive and remedial implications are pointed out. Preventive effects are related to vocabulary exposure in different social environments and to informal early literacy socialization. In particular, the benefits of reading aloud to children are discussed. The complexity of the causal relationships between different aspects of early language development, including genetic influences and later reading is emphasized.
Changing intergenerational relationship
Authors: SCABINI EUGENIA , MARTA ELENA
Published: January 2006

This article explores the literature on intergenerational relationships within psychological and sociological disciplines. After a brief description of the different meanings of the term ‘generation’, two theoretical perspectives are discussed: Mannheim's theory of generations and Bengston and colleagues' theory of intergenerational solidarity. Particular attention is given to the process of intergenerational transmission. This is followed by a rereading of the concept of generation in light of the relational–intergenerational perspective. This perspective attempts to consider together family and social generations, taken to be interdependent. The application of this perspective to the transition to adulthood is crucial to an understanding of intergenerational dynamics, whether in the family or in the community. It concludes with reflections on the meaning of the intergenerational transmission as seen from the relational-intergenerational perspective and recent research findings.
The hybridization of languages in early modern Europe
Authors: BURKE PETER
Published: January 2006

This article argues that European vernaculars were in closer contact with one another and with languages spoken outside Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries than they had been in the Middle Ages, when Latin dominated written communication. Increased contact led to borrowing, mixing and hybridization, some of it highly self-conscious (as in the case of ‘macaronic’ poetry and drama). Mixing in turn led to a ‘purist’ reaction, first in the case of Latin and then in the case of vernaculars such as Italian, French, German, Dutch and even – to a lesser extent – English.
From The Matrix to Campanella: cultural hybrids and globalization
Authors: GRUZINSKI SERGE
Published: January 2006

Starting from an analysis of the recent film The Matrix, and emphasizing its millenarian and messianic components, the article goes on to consider the importance of millenarian and messianic movements in the Old World (especially Spain and Portugal) and the New world (especially Mexico, Peru and Brazil) in the 16th century, noting Tommaso Campanella's expectation of an imminent world monarchy. The conclusion is that these movements offered a privileged space for different religions to interact and to mix.