bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transport of Cd and Zn to seeds of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) during specific stages of plant growth and development
Authors: Sankaran Renuka P. , Ebbs Stephen D.
Published: November 2007

The accumulation of excess Cd in the seeds of cereal and other crops compromises their commercial value and presents a potential risk to human health. Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] is a moderate accumulator of heavy metals such as Cd and Zn, and the seeds are consumed throughout the world, particularly in the Indian subcontinent. The study here examined the transport of Cd into Indian mustard plants and to seeds as a function of external Cd and the stage of the life cycle (vegetative growth, flowering and seed set) to identify critical developmental windows where transport from roots to seeds was the greatest. Plants were also treated simultaneously with Zn to determine if Zn fertilization mitigated the transport of Cd to seeds. Plants treated with Cd during the seed set accumulated the highest concentrations of Cd, exceeding 8 mg kg−1 dry weight in some instances. Cadmium accumulated during vegetative growth was not highly redistributed to seeds. No effects of Zn were observed with regard to Cd redistribution to seeds. This may be because of the relatively small Zn : Cd ratios tested. However, the results suggest that if Zn fertilization is to be used to reduce the Cd accumulation in seeds of this species, that plants should be treated during the seed set stage. As the seeds of Indian mustard consistently accumulated Cd to concentrations that exceed acceptable limits for food crops, additional study of Cd redistribution in this species is warranted.
Future CO2 concentrations, though not warmer temperatures, enhance wheat photosynthesis temperature responses
Authors: Alonso Aitor , Pérez Pilar , Morcuende Rosa , Martinez‐Carrasco Rafael
Published: November 2007

The temperature dependence of C3 photosynthesis is known to vary according to the growth environment. Atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature are predicted to increase with climate change. To test whether long‐term growth in elevated CO2 and temperature modifies photosynthesis temperature response, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was grown in ambient CO2 (370 μmol mol−1) and elevated CO2 (700 μmol mol−1) combined with ambient temperatures and 4°C warmer ones, using temperature gradient chambers in the field. Flag leaf photosynthesis was measured at temperatures ranging from 20 to 35°C and varying CO2 concentrations between ear emergence and anthesis. The maximum rate of carboxylation was determined in vitro in the first year of the experiment and from the photosynthesis–intercellular CO2 response in the second year. With measurement CO2 concentrations of 330 μmol mol−1 or lower, growth temperature had no effect on flag leaf photosynthesis in plants grown in ambient CO2, while it increased photosynthesis in elevated growth CO2. However, warmer growth temperatures did not modify the response of photosynthesis to measurement temperatures from 20 to 35°C. A central finding of this study was that the increase with temperature in photosynthesis and the photosynthesis temperature optimum were significantly higher in plants grown in elevated rather than ambient CO2. In association with this, growth in elevated CO2 increased the temperature response (activation energy) of the maximum rate of carboxylation. The results provide field evidence that growth under CO2 enrichment enhances the response of Rubisco activity to temperature in wheat.
Oncological outcome of minimum incision endoscopic radical nephrectomy for pathologically organ confined renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Iimura Yasumasa , Kihara Kazunori , Saito Kazutaka , Masuda Hitoshi , Kobayashi Tsuyoshi , Kawakami Satoru
Published: November 2007

Objective:  To date, follow‐up after minimum incision endoscopic radical nephrectomy (MIES radical nephrectomy) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been reported. Minimum incision indicates an incision that narrowly permits the extraction of the specimen. To evaluate the oncological outcome of the patients with pathologically organ confined (pT1‐2N0M0) RCC treated with this operation, the results in those patients were analyzed.

Methods:  From 1998 to 2006, 154 consecutive patients underwent MIES radical nephrectomy under diagnosis of clinical T1‐2N0M0 RCC in our hospital. Of the patients, 127 patients with pathologically confirmed organ confined (pT1‐2N0M0) RCC constituted the current study population. Overall, the recurrence‐free and cancer‐specific survival rates of the patients treated with MIES radical nephrectomy were calculated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared with those of the patients treated with open radical nephrectomy using the log rank test.

Results:  The median follow‐up period was 34 months (range: 3–98 months). Of the 127 pT1‐2N0M0 patients treated with MIES radical nephrectomy, the disease recurred in nine patients and four patients died of the cancer during follow‐up. The five‐year overall, recurrence‐free and cancer‐specific survival rates were 95.0%, 90.8% and 95.8%, respectively. Overall, the recurrence‐free and cancer‐specific survival rates were not different from those of patients treated with open radical nephrectomy.

Conclusion:  MIES radical nephrectomy has the validity in adequate cancer control and is one of the recommendable options as a minimally invasive surgery for patients with organ confined RCC.
Adult neurogenesis in primate and rodent spinal cord: comparing a cervical dorsal rhizotomy with a dorsal column transection
Authors: Vessal Mani , Aycock Ari , Garton Margaret Tess , Ciferri Melanie , Darian‐Smith Corinna
Published: November 2007

Neurogenesis has not been shown in the primate spinal cord and the conditions for its induction following spinal injury are not known. In the first part of this study, we report neurogenesis in the cervical spinal dorsal horn in adult monkeys 6–8 weeks after receiving a well‐defined cervical dorsal rhizotomy (DRL). 5‐Bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered 2–4 weeks following the lesion. Cells colabeled with BrdU and five different neuronal markers were observed in the peri‐lesion dorsal horn 4–5 weeks after BrdU injection. Those colabeled with BrdU and neuron‐specific nuclear protein, and BrdU and glial fibrillary acidic protein were quantified in the dorsal horn peri‐lesion region, and the ipsi‐ and contralateral sides were compared. A significantly greater number of BrdU/neuron‐specific nuclear protein‐ and BrdU/glial fibrillary acidic protein‐colabeled cells were found on the lesion side (P < 0.01). These findings led us to hypothesize that neurogenesis can occur within the spinal cord following injury, when the injury does not involve direct trauma to the cord and glial scar formation. This was tested in rats. Neurogenesis and astrocytic proliferation were compared between animals receiving a DRL and those receiving a dorsal column lesion. In DRL rats, neurogenesis was observed in the peri‐lesion dorsal horn. In dorsal column lesion rats, no neurogenesis was observed but astrocytic activation was intense. The rat data support our hypothesis and findings in the monkey, and show that the response is not primate specific. The possibility that new neurons contribute to recovery following DRL now needs further investigation.
REVIEW ARTICLE: Neuronal coding and spiking randomness
Authors: Kostal Lubomir , Lansky Petr , Rospars Jean‐Pierre
Published: November 2007

Fast information transfer in neuronal systems rests on series of action potentials, the spike trains, conducted along axons. Methods that compare spike trains are crucial for characterizing different neuronal coding schemes. In this paper we review recent results on the notion of spiking randomness, and discuss its properties with respect to the rate and temporal coding schemes. This method is compared with other widely used characteristics of spiking activity, namely the variability of interspike intervals, and it is shown that randomness and variability provide two distinct views. We demonstrate that estimation of spiking randomness from simulated and experimental data is capable of capturing characteristics that would otherwise be difficult to obtain with conventional methods.
Developmental plasticity of the carotid chemoafferent pathway in rats that are hypoxic during the prenatal period
Authors: Peyronnet J. , Roux J. C. , Mamet J. , Perrin D. , Lachuer J. , Pequignot J. M. , Dalmaz Y.
Published: November 2007

The chemoreflex pathway undergoes postnatal maturation, and the perinatal environment plays a critical role in shaping respiratory control system. We investigated the role of prenatal hypoxia on the maturation of the chemoreflex neural circuits regulating ventilation in rat. Effects of hypoxia (10% O2) from the 5th to the 20th day of gestation were studied on male offspring at birth and on postnatal days 3, 7, 21 and 68. Maturation of the respiratory control system was assessed by in vivo tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity measurement in peripheral chemoreceptors (carotid bodies, petrosal ganglia), and in brainstem catecholaminergic cell groups (A2C2c and A1C1 areas in the medulla, A5 and A6 areas in the pons). Resting ventilation and ventilatory response to hypoxia were evaluated as functional sequelae. In peripheral structures, prenatal hypoxia reduced TH activity within the first postnatal week and enhanced it later. In contrast, in central areas, prenatal hypoxia upregulated TH activity within the first postnatal week and downregulated it later. The in vivo TH activity impairment is therefore tissue specific, with an opposite effect on the peripheral and central neural circuits. A shift of the effect of prenatal hypoxia occurred between 1 and 3 weeks, indicating a postnatal temporal effect of prenatal hypoxia. An important period in the development of the chemoafferent pathway occurred between the first and the third postnatal week. Functionally, prenatal hypoxia impaired resting ventilation and ventilatory response to hypoxia. The alterations of the catecholaminergic components of the chemoafferent pathway resulting from prenatal hypoxia might contribute to impair postnatal respiratory behaviour.
Effects of opioid receptor blockade on the renewal of alcohol seeking induced by context: relationship to c‐fos mRNA expression
Authors: Marinelli Peter W. , Funk Douglas , Juzytsch Walter , Li Zhaoxia , Lê A. D.
Published: November 2007

Contextual stimuli associated with alcohol availability can induce alcohol seeking during abstinence. Using a renewal procedure, we tested the effect of opioid receptor blockade on context‐induced alcohol seeking, and its relationship to the activity of brain sites involved in learning and reward. Thirty‐six male Wistar rats were trained to lever press for a 12% (w/v) alcohol solution before undergoing extinction sessions (no alcohol delivery). Half of the rats underwent training, extinction and testing in a single context with a distinct set of olfactory, visual, auditory and tactile properties [training, extinction and test in Context A (AAA)]. The other half were trained and extinguished in different contexts and returned to the training context on the test day [training, extinction and test in Contexts A, B and A, respectively (ABA)]. On the test day, the rats from each condition were pre‐treated with either saline or 1 mg/kg naltrexone (s.c.) and tested for alcohol seeking. Immediately following the test session, rats were killed and their brains were analysed for c‐fos mRNA expression using in‐situ hybridization. Re‐exposure to the alcohol‐associated context (ABA) significantly increased operant behaviour on the previously active lever relative to the AAA groups and this increased responding was associated with increased c‐fos mRNA expression in the basal and lateral amygdala and the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus. Naltrexone pre‐treatment attenuated context‐induced alcohol seeking and inhibited c‐fos mRNA expression in the lateral amygdala and CA3. Our findings point to a critical role for the basolateral amygdala and dorsal hippocampus in mediating context‐induced renewal of alcohol seeking and suggest that opioidergic mechanisms mediate this effect.
The slow afterhyperpolarization modulates high pH‐induced changes in the excitability of rat CA1 pyramidal neurons
Authors: Kelly Tony , Mann Mandeep , Church John
Published: November 2007

Extra‐ and intracellular recordings from the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices were employed to examine the role of the slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) in modulating the increases in neuronal excitability observed on increasing extracellular pH (pHo) from 7.4 to 7.7. In the majority of experiments, an antidromic conditioning stimulus applied in the presence of d(–)‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoic acid (d‐APV), 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione disodium salt (CNQX) and bicuculline was employed to elicit a sAHP, and an antidromic test stimulus was applied during the sAHP. At pHo 7.4, a single conditioning stimulus elicited an action potential followed by a sAHP, which in turn inhibited the response to the test stimulus compared with the conditioning stimulus. Increasing the number of action potentials in the conditioning stimulus augmented the sAHP and further inhibited the test response, whereas isoproterenol inhibited the sAHP and prevented the relative inhibition of the test response. At pHo 7.7, a single conditioning stimulus elicited a burst of action potentials followed by a large sAHP, which in turn prevented the test stimulus from eliciting a burst of action potentials and, in extracellular recordings, further increased the inhibition of the test response. The latter effect did not solely reflect a high pHo‐induced increase in the conditioning response (and, thus, the subsequent sAHP), but rather involved a more direct effect of high pHo to augment the sAHP. The results indicate that increasing pHo increases the excitability of CA1 neurons to an initial stimulus; however, a high pHo‐dependent increase in the sAHP evoked by the initial stimulus limits the response to subsequent stimuli.
Restoration of impaired phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) by EGb 761 and its constituents in Aβ‐expressing neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Xu Yanan , Cui Changhai , Pang Cheuk , Christen Yves , Luo Yuan
Published: November 2007

Cyclic AMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) plays important roles in neuronal plasticity and amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ)‐induced cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we demonstrated that Ginkgo biloba extract, EGb 761, displayed the neuron protective effect by activating the CREB signaling pathway. Wild‐type neuroblastoma cells cultured in a conditioned medium containing cell‐secreted Αβ exhibited reduced levels of phosphorylated CREB (pCREB). Addition of EGb 761 (100 µg/mL) or an anti‐oligomer‐specific antibody (A‐11) to the conditioned medium could restore pCREB level. In a neuroblastoma cell line expressing Αβ, treatment with EGb 761 increased levels of pCREB and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor. Furthermore, CREB phosphorylation induced by EGb 761 was blocked by inhibitors of several upstream signaling pathways of CREB, including protein kinase C, ERK, ribosomal S6 kinase(RSK)90 and nitric oxide pathway. Moreover, these inhibitors differentially blocked the effects of individual components of EGb 761, ginkgolide C, quercetin and bilobalide, which suggest diverse effects of the EGb 761 individual components. Actions of individual EGb 761 components provide further insights into direct mechanisms underlying the effect of EGb 761 on enhancing the cognitive performance of patients with AD.
Mapping of Cbln1‐like immunoreactivity in adult and developing mouse brain and its localization to the endolysosomal compartment of neurons
Authors: Wei Peng , Smeyne Richard J. , Bao Dashi , Parris Jennifer , Morgan James I.
Published: November 2007

Cbln1 is a secreted glycoprotein essential for synapse structure and function in cerebellum that is also expressed in extracerebellar structures where its function is unknown. Furthermore, Cbln1 assembles into homomeric complexes and heteromeric complexes with three family members (Cbln2–Cbln4), thereby influencing each other's degradation and secretion. Therefore, to understand its function, it is essential to establish the location of Cbln1 relative to other family members. The localization of Cbln1 in brain was determined using immunohistochemistry and cbln1‐lacZ transgenic mice. Cbln1‐like immunoreactivity (CLI) was always punctate and localized to the cytoplasm of neurons. The punctate CLI colocalized with cathepsin D, a lysosomal marker, but not with markers of endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi, indicating that Cbln1 is present in neuronal endosomes/lysosomes. This may represent the cellular mechanism underlying the regulated degradation of Cbln1 observed in vivo. Outside the cerebellum, CLI mapped to multiple brain regions that were frequently synaptically interconnected, warranting their analysis in cbln1‐null mice. Furthermore, whereas CLI increased dramatically in the cerebellum of cbln3‐null mice it was unchanged in extracerebellar neurons. This opens the possibility that other family members that are coexpressed in these areas control Cbln1 levels, potentially by modulating processing in the endolysosomal pathway. During development of cbln1‐lacZ mice, β‐galactosidase staining was first observed in proliferating granule cell precursors prior to synaptogenesis and thereafter in maturing and adult granule cells. As cbln3 is only expressed in post‐mitotic, post‐migratory granule cells, Cbln1 homomeric complexes in precursors and Cbln1–Cbln3 heteromeric complexes in mature granule cells may have distinct functions and turnover.
cDNA microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes in penile tissue after treatment with tadalafil
Authors: Andrade Enrico , Andrade Priscila Maria , Borra Ricardo Carneiro , Claro Joaquim , Srougi Miguel
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate differential gene expression in penile tissue after treatment with the phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor tadalafil, as of the three clinically available PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil, and vardenafil) used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), tadalafil has a long half‐life and low incidence of side‐effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 32 adult rats were divided into two groups. The control group received 0.5 mL of drinking water alone, while the tadalafil group was treated with tadalafil at a dose of 0.27 mg/kg. At 4 h after treatment with water or tadalafil the rats were killed and the penile tissue was removed. The total RNA was isolated from the penile tissue from both groups and differentially expressed genes were identified by cDNA microarray analysis. To validate the expression data from the microarray analysis, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used.

RESULTS

In all, 153 genes were differentially expressed between the control group and the tadalafil group. We validated the microarray results by quantitative PCR for the insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP‐6) gene and the neuronal calcium sensor 1 (NCS‐1) gene, both of which were up‐regulated in the tadalafil group, and for the natriuretic peptide receptor 1 (NPR‐1) gene that was down‐regulated in this group. Immunohistochemistry showed localization of the NCS‐1 protein in sinusoid trabeculae of the corpus cavernosum in control and tadalafil‐treated rats.

CONCLUSIONS

There was differential expression in 153 genes after tadalafil treatment. Some of these genes such as IGFBP‐6, NPR‐1 and NCS‐1, might result in new targets in the treatment of ED.
Reactive oxygen species mediate detrusor overactivity via sensitization of afferent pathway in the bladder of anaesthetized rats
Authors: Masuda Hitoshi , Kihara Kazunori , Saito Kazutaka , Matsuoka Yoh , Yoshida Soichiro , Chancellor Michael B. , De Groat William C. , Yoshimura Naoki
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on the micturition reflex in vivo, especially in bladder afferent signalling in rats, as several pathophysiological conditions in the urinary bladder (e.g. ischaemia/reperfusion and inflammation) are characterized by the formation of ROS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult female Sprague‐Dawley rats under urethane anaesthesia (normal or pretreated with 125 mg/kg capsaicin, subcutaneously, 4 days before) were assessed by continuous cystometrography (CMG) with or without the intravesical administration of H2O2 (0.003–3%) to stimulate ROS damage. To investigate the mechanism of H2O2, catalase (a H2O2 scavenger) was applied intravesically (2000 IU/mL), or rats were given intravenous injections with superoxide dismutase (SOD, 20 000 IU/kg, a superoxide anion scavenger), dimethylthiourea (DMTU, 100 mg/kg, a hydroxyl radical scavenger), deferoxamine (20 mg/kg, an iron‐chelator that prevents the formation of hydroxyl radical), indomethacin (3 mg/kg, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) or ketoprofen (1 mg/kg, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor) just before or during the intravesical administration of H2O2. Prostaglandin (PG) levels (PGE2 and 6‐keto‐PGF1α) were measured in the bladder of rats treated with intravesical 0.3% H2O2 for 30 min with or without indomethacin.

RESULTS

Intravesical administration of H2O2 induced detrusor overactivity, as shown by a reduction in the mean (sem) intercontraction interval (ICI), in a dose‐dependent manner in normal rats (0.3% H2O2, P < 0.01, 36.2 (4.7)% of the control ICI). H2O2‐induced detrusor overactivity was almost abolished by catalase and significantly suppressed by DMTU, deferoxamine, capsaicin pretreatment, indomethacin or ketoprofen but not by SOD. The level of PGs was significantly increased by H2O2 instillation, and indomethacin significantly inhibited the increase in PGs.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that oxidative stress induced by H2O2 activates capsaicin‐sensitive C‐fibre afferent pathways, at least in part, mediated via stimulation of the cyclooxygenase pathway, thereby inducing detrusor overactivity. Thus, rats treated with intravesical H2O2 appear to be a suitable model for the study of detrusor overactivity.
Narrow‐band imaging flexible cystoscopy in the detection of recurrent urothelial cancer of the bladder
Authors: Bryan Richard T. , Billingham Lucinda J. , Wallace D. Michael A.
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether narrow‐band imaging (NBI) flexible cystoscopy improves the detection rate of urothelial carcinomas (UCs) of the bladder. NBI is an optical image enhancement technology in which the narrow bandwidth of light is strongly absorbed by haemoglobin and penetrates only the surface of tissue, increasing the visibility of capillaries and other delicate tissue surface structures by enhancing contrast between the two.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between November 2005 and May 2007 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, NBI flexible cystoscopy was performed on 29 patients with known recurrences of UC of the bladder after initial conventional white‐light imaging (WLI) flexible cystoscopy with the same instrument (Olympus Lucera sequential RGB endoscopy system).

RESULTS

Subjectively, NBI provided a much clearer view of bladder UCs and in particular their delicate capillary architecture. Objectively, NBI detected 15 additional UCs in 12 of 29 patients (41%), as compared with WLI. The mean (sd) difference was 0.52 (0.74) UCs per patient (P < 0.001, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test).

CONCLUSIONS

Even in the few patients studied there is strong evidence that NBI differs from WLI in the number of UCs it detects, with a significantly increased detection rate. We feel that further evaluation of NBI flexible cystoscopy in more patients will show this technique to be highly valuable in the detection of both new and recurrent bladder UCs, and this work is continuing in our unit.
Novel agents for muscle‐invasive and advanced urothelial cancer
Authors: Sonpavde Guru , Ross Robert , Powles Thomas , Sweeney Christopher J. , Hahn Noah , Hutson Thomas E. , Galsky Matthew D. , Lerner Seth P. , Sternberg Cora N.
Published: November 2007

Conventional front‐line platinum‐based combination chemotherapy yields high response rates but suboptimal long‐term outcomes for advanced urothelial cancer. Salvage therapy is an unmet need, with disappointing outcomes. The profusion of novel biological agents offers the promise of improved outcomes. Neoadjuvant therapy before cystectomy for muscle‐invasive bladder cancer provides an important paradigm and an interesting approach in developing novel agents. Patients who are not candidates for cisplatin require special attention. A multidisciplinary approach and collaboration among laboratory scientists, oncologists, urologists and radiation oncologists is necessary to make therapeutic advances. Recent and ongoing trials of novel chemotherapeutic and biologic agents are reviewed.
Changes in body composition, muscle function and energy expenditure after radical cystectomy
Authors: Mathur Sachin , Plank Lindsay D. , Hill Andrew G. , Rice Michael A. , Hill Graham L.
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE

To determine the changes in body composition, muscle function and energy expenditure after radical cystectomy (RC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eleven consecutive men (median age 66 years, range 44–79) who had a RC over a 1‐year period had measurements made of their total body protein, by neutron‐activation analysis, total body water by tritium dilution, total body potassium by whole‐body counting, resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry, and grip strength and respiratory muscle strength. These variables were measured on the day before surgery and at 2 weeks and 6 months after RC. Total body fat was derived using a multicompartment model. Artificial nutritional support was not provided after RC and no oral caloric intake was provided until bowel function returned.

RESULTS

Five patients were malnourished before RC and four had significant complications afterward. Over the first 2 weeks there were significant losses in mean (sem) protein levels, at 0.68 (0.17) kg (P < 0.001) and water, at 3.00 (0.73) L (P < 0.001), while body fat was unchanged. Resting energy expenditure was 11% higher than predicted at 14 days after RC (P < 0.001). Body potassium changes mirrored the protein changes but were not statistically significant. Over the subsequent 6 months, 63%, i.e. 0.43 (0.24) kg, of the body protein lost after surgery was regained. Muscle function had returned to baseline levels at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that the catabolic loss of body protein after RC is not regained by 6 months. Regimens directed at early nutritional support after RC for these patients might improve the recovery of body composition, with consequent clinical benefits.
α‐blockers improve chronic ischaemia of the lower urinary tract in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Pinggera Germar‐M. , Mitterberger Michael , Pallwein Leo , Schuster Antonius , Herwig Ralf , Frauscher Ferdinand , Bartsch Georg , Strasser Hannes
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether a mechanism of action of α‐blockers on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) involves improved perfusion of the LUT.

PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The accuracy of perfusion measurements using transrectal colour Doppler ultrasound (TRCDUS) and colour pixel density (CPD) was initially confirmed in a porcine model. Following this confirmation, measurements were taken from four healthy male volunteers and 19 patients with LUTS. The urinary bladder was filled slowly (50 mL/min) with 0.2 m KCl, which resembles the osmolarity of concentrated urine, and evaluated by cystometry. In parallel, TRCDUS and measurement of the CPD of the LUT were performed. The patients with LUTS were then treated with daily α‐blocker (0.4 mg tamsulosin) for 5 weeks and urodynamic variables as well as perfusion were evaluated again.

RESULTS

In the healthy men, perfusion of the LUT increased considerably (157%) during filling of the bladder to a mean (sd) maximum cystometric capacity (Cmax) of 481 (28.9) mL. All the patients with LUTS had a reduced mean Cmax during filling with KCl at 322.4 (58.5) mL. The mean CPD in the urinary bladder and the prostate were only increased by 58.4% during filling with KCl. After α‐blocker therapy the mean Cmax during filling with KCl rose to 382.5 (42.9) mL; furthermore, perfusion of the LUT measured by CPD was significantly increased (132.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

The present data strongly suggest that LUTS are associated with chronic ischaemia of the prostate and urinary bladder. α‐blockers increase perfusion in the LUT and Cmax. These results might explain the therapeutic effects of α‐blockers on LUTS.
Measurement of factors influencing the participation of patients with prostate cancer in clinical trials: a Canadian perspective
Authors: Davison B. Joyce , So Alan , Goldenberg S. Larry , Berkowitz Jonathan , Gleave Martin E.
Published: November 2007

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors that patients with prostate cancer believe to be important determinants in their decisions about future enrolment in clinical trials.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 122 patients (within 5 years of a diagnosis of prostate cancer) who had never been asked to participate in a clinical trial were asked to complete a 30‐item measure of ‘Factors Influencing Participation’ in clinical trials.

RESULTS

Factor analysis showed that variables influencing participation can be grouped into three areas: acceptability (e.g. recruitment process and altruistic beliefs); awareness (e.g. impact on quality of life, survivorship and randomization process); and accessibility (e.g. costs to patient, influence of family, age, time and need for extra tests). Awareness items were rated significantly more important by patients with T1 or T2 disease (P = 0.002). Patients who had not made a treatment decision also rated awareness (P = 0.05) and acceptability (P = 0.04) items higher. Patients with less than a university education identified access items as more important (P = 0.03). Helping future patients with prostate cancer, the impact of the study protocol on survival, being fully informed about the study, relationship with specialists, and impact of study on quality of life were identified as the five variables having the most influence on future enrolment.

CONCLUSIONS

Men rated items related to awareness and acceptability as being the most important determinants to future enrolment in a clinical trial. Knowledge about what these men believe is important for their future participation in a clinical trial will help researchers to design protocols that address the needs of targeted patient groups.
Avatars of the Collective: A Realist Theory of Collective Subjectivities
Authors: Vandenberghe Frédéric
Published: November 2007

Let it be a network of voices … A network of voices that not only speak, but also struggle and resist for humanity.
Antonyms in dictionary entries: Methodological aspects*
Authors: Paradis Carita , Willners Caroline
Published: November 2007

Abstract.  This paper takes the treatment of antonymy in Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary (2003) as the point of departure for a discussion about the principles of antonym inclusion in dictionaries and corpus methodologies in lexicology. Ccaled includes canonical antonyms such as good/bad and dead/alive, as well as more contextually restricted pairings such as hot/mild and flat/fizzy. The vast majority of the antonymic pairings in the dictionary are adjectives. Most of the antonyms are morphologically different from the headwords they define and typically do not involve antonymic affixes such as non–, un– or –less. Only just over one‐third of the total number of pairs is given in both directions. The principles for when antonyms are included in ccaled are not transparent. We propose an initial top‐down corpus‐driven method to support decisions about antonym selection and inclusion.
REGIONAL DYNAMICS AND CONVERGENCE PROFILES IN THE ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION: A NON‐PARAMETRIC APPROACH
Authors: EZCURRA ROBERTO , RAPÚN MANUEL
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the evolution of spatial disparities in labour productivity in the enlarged European Union, using data on 250 NUTS‐2 regions over the period 1991–2003. To achieve this aim, a non‐parametric approach that allows us to analyse the external shape and dynamics of the entire cross‐sectional distribution has been applied. The estimates show the distribution under consideration to have a bimodal structure, which raises the possible presence in this context of a polarisation pattern characterised by two internally homogeneous regional clusters. The evidence presented does nevertheless suggest a process of convergence over the sample period, despite a relatively low degree of intra‐distribution mobility. Factors such as the geographical location of the various regions, agglomeration economies or the sectoral composition of economic activity have also been examined for their role in explaining the observed disparities.
TIME SPENT IN PAID WORK BY WOMEN AND MEN IN URBAN AND LESS URBAN CONTEXTS IN THE NETHERLANDS
Authors: DE MEESTER EDITH , MULDER CLARA H. , FORTUIJN JOOS DROOGLEEVER
Published: November 2007

This paper addresses the question to what extent the degree of urbanisation influences the time spent in paid work by men and women in the Netherlands. The effects of the residential context have been estimated separately for women and men and for different household contexts, after accounting for age, age differences between partners, educational level and differences between partners in educational level. Data from the Netherlands Kinship Panel Study and Tobit regression analyses have been used. The hypotheses are based on human capital theory, gender inequality theory, time space geography, and ideas concerning lifestyle orientations. The results indicate that in strongly urbanised areas women work more hours than women living elsewhere, whereas men in strongly urbanised areas work fewer hours. The impact of the residential context is strongest for women and men who have a partner and children.
A MODEL OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL SEGREGATION IN THE ARAB GHETTO IN TEL AVIV‐JAFFA
Authors: GOLDHABER RAVIT , SCHNELL IZHAK
Published: November 2007

Segregation is studied as a multidimensional characteristic of individual behaviour in social space. It is argued that in a globalising world, homology among residential, territorial (forms of regionalising daily life) and interactive (forms of developing social networks) segregations cannot be taken for granted. The study shows that even in the highly segregated case of Arabs resident in Jaffa, the different dimensions of segregation only partially correlate, and they are explained by different mechanisms of exclusion. The results of the study suggest that structural constraints impact on ghettoisation of Arabs in Jaffa, but at the same time it is shown that Arabs respond differentially to these constraints. Four types of segregation are noted: (i) the majority, who are segregated in all three dimensions (residential, territorial and interactive); (ii) a small minority who succeeded in forming desegregated daily activity spaces and interethnic social networks regardless of their levels of residential segregation; (iii) those who failed to transform their desegregated daily activity spaces into interethnic social networks and (iv) those who succeeded in developing interethnic networks within the residential space of the ghetto. The analysis highlights the double marginalisation of Arab females, who are restricted to poor residential spaces by state and municipal renewal policies and to segregation in everyday life activity spaces by Arab males.
Holy Weddings, Unholy Marriages: Christian Spouses and Domestic Discords in Early Colonial Lesotho, 1870–1900
Authors: PHOOFOLO PULE
Published: November 2007

In the Lesotho Archives in the capital Maseru, lies unreferenced, scattered files containing testimonies of Christianised BaSotho couples embroiled in marital litigations in the last third of the nineteenth century. Reading these testimonies in relation to one another, and engaging in an in‐depth qualitative examinations of the narratives embedded in the texts offers a rare opportunity to explore the texture of conjugal relationships among Christianised spouses in this period. The compelling picture that emerges is one of extreme instability of Christian marriages. We behold here conjugal lives teeming with conflicts and intrigue. Adultery accusations and spousal violence punctuated the conjugal lives of these spouses in unexpected intensity. This study concludes that after over half a century of missionising the BaSotho, evangelical missionaries seemingly had had little impact on the texture of BaSotho conjugal relations. The rampant “adultery” and spousal abuse that seemingly plagued these Christian spouses were expressions of pre‐Christian patterns that were manifestations of gendered conflicts.
New Approaches to Sacred Space
Authors: CROSBY VANESSA
Published: November 2007

Stephen Murray: A Gothic Sermon: Making a Contract with the Mother of God, Saint Mary of Amiens. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004.

Jaime Lara: City, Temple, Stage: Eschatological Architecture and Liturgical Theatrics in New Spain. Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2004.

Robert Nelson: Hagia Sophia 1850–1950: Holy Wisdom, Holy Monument. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2004.

Robert W. Moss: Historic Sacred Places of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005.
Educating student pharmacists about herbal medicines: faculty–librarian collaboration
Authors: Lapidus Mariana
Published: November 2007

Objective: To determine the impact of the teaching collaboration between faculty and librarians in instructing pharmacy students on herbal medicines.

Methods: An elective course with an integrated library instruction component is described. Qualitative data on students’ perceptions of library instruction were collected and analysed as the result of pre‐ and post‐surveys.

Results:

Based on the results of pre‐test and post‐test surveys, the number of students who felt they were able to select the best print and electronic resources for finding herbal information increased to 100% from 50 and 60 correspondingly. This indicated a significant change in students’ perceived knowledge of information sources in the field of herbal medicine, as well as overall progress in information literacy and problem‐solving skills.

Conclusion: Team teaching by faculty librarians is an effective way of educating future pharmacists on the information resources in the field of complementary and alternative therapies.
Developing a database of behavioural medicine interventions1
Authors: Falzon Louise , Trudeau Kimberlee J.
Published: November 2007

Objective:  To describe the development of the Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database of interventions and its contribution to the knowledge base of this field.

Methods:  A list of behavioural medicine interventions was solicited from content experts. The resulting list of index terms was used to generate a comprehensive search strategy to retrieve relevant records, and a thesaurus of terms with which to index them. The records are included in a register. A subset of records have been coded for study design, health condition, intervention, study participants, setting and provider and made available in a public online database.

Results:  The Cochrane Behavioral Medicine Field database consists of over 3500 records of systematic reviews, meta‐analyses and randomized controlled trials for public educational use.

Conclusions:  The register provides a comprehensive listing of studies relating to behavioural medicine interventions. The public online database enables easy access to the evidence base and provides enhanced details of the studies included on it. These databases are a valuable resource for the behavioural medicine community. Other fields are encouraged to duplicate these methods in the design of content‐specific databases.
Interprofessional/multiprofessional health professions education: designing an efficient search to scope the literature of this exploding field
Authors: Dimoliatis Ioannis D. K. , Roff Sue
Published: November 2007

Background and objective:  With the advent of an interprofessional approach to delivering health care in today's health care systems, should health care professionals be educated together? Supported by policy‐making circles worldwide, interprofessional education is accumulating a research literature at an exponential rate. Using one‐word search terms in the medline query box for scoping this body of literature, we obtained an unmanageable number of articles (342 338 in all fields). The objective of our study was to outline an efficient specific query.

Methods:  We created 1072 phrasal search terms consisting of a prefix, an adjective and a noun. Of those, 66 were prolific for the whole indexed period (1950–2006).

Results:  Only 2510 citations have the search term in all medline fields; of those 2049 were in title/abstract and 652 in title alone. From the 1950s, the citations were published at a slow rate, but the rate then exploded during the decade 1995 to 2006. The combination of prefixes ‘inter’ and ‘multi’ with the adjectives ‘professional’, ‘disciplinary’ and ‘shared’, and the nouns ‘education’, ‘learning’ and ‘training’ may retrieve almost all the relevant citations, while the terms ‘collaborative’ and ‘common’ may retrieve mainly irrelevant ones. The adjective ‘cohesive’ and nouns ‘practice’ and ‘role’ should be also considered.

Conclusion:  Phrasal search terms highly increased the relevance of medline‐retrieved citations.
Measuring the value and impact of health library and information services: past reflections, future possibilities
Authors: Marshall Joanne Gard
Published: November 2007

Objectives:  To summarize the context, history and results of research studies conducted on the value and impact of health library and information services by the author since 1975 and to use this as a basis for examining ongoing developments related to evaluation research. To provide a comprehensive bibliography of library value and impact studies.

Methods:  Literature review and background based on personal involvement in the studies under discussion.

Results:  The author's studies demonstrate an ongoing evolution of value and impact studies since the mid‐1970s. In health sciences libraries, the approach taken to measuring value and impact has been strongly influenced by the type of research being conducted in the health sciences field as a whole. As a result, health sciences library researchers have become early adopters of methods that incorporate outcome and impact measures and rigorous research designs, and the concept of evidence‐based library and information practice. The paper recommends that a range of research approaches from various disciplines be used to guide future evaluation research.

Conclusions:  Value and impact studies will continue to be important resources for evidence‐based practice as health information professionals deal with evolving user needs and new ways of delivering information to a variety of audiences.
Oxidative stress activates a positive feedback between the γ‐ and β‐secretase cleavages of the β‐amyloid precursor protein
Authors: Tamagno Elena , Guglielmotto Michela , Aragno Manuela , Borghi Roberta , Autelli Riccardo , Giliberto Luca , Muraca Giuseppe , Danni Oliviero , Zhu Xiongwei , Smith Mark A. , Perry George , Jo Dong‐Gyu , Mattson Mark P. , Tabaton Massimo
Published: November 2007

Sequential cleavages of the β‐amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) by β‐secretase and γ‐secretase generate the amyloid β‐peptides, believed to be responsible of synaptic dysfunction and neuronal cell death in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Levels of BACE1 are increased in vulnerable regions of the AD brain, but the underlying mechanism is unknown. Here we show that oxidative stress (OS) stimulates BACE1 expression by a mechanism requiring γ‐secretase activity involving the c‐jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK)/c‐jun pathway. BACE1 levels are increased in response to OS in normal cells, but not in cells lacking presenilins or amyloid precursor protein. Moreover, BACE1 is induced in association with OS in the brains of mice subjected to cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion. The OS‐induced BACE1 expression correlates with an activation of JNK and c‐jun, but is absent in cultured cells or mice lacking JNK. Our findings suggest a mechanism by which OS induces BACE1 transcription, thereby promoting production of pathological levels of amyloid β in AD.
The burden of hyperlipidaemia and diabetes in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Merkler Marijan , Reiner Željko
Published: November 2007

Hyperlipidaemia and diabetes are among the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The incidence of CVD, as evidenced by the respective mean incident rate for each of the risk factor, is quite high throughout the European countries. Of late, these risk factors for CVD, especially for hyperlipidaemia and diabetes are setting in at an alarming rate in many of the low‐ and medium‐income countries also, particularly among their urban populations. Therefore, planning and implementing programmes for prevention of CVD, particularly for controlling risk factors like hyperlipidaemia and diabetes should be accorded high priority.
Glitazones in the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Bouhlel Mohamed Amine , Chinetti‐Gbaguidi Giulia , Staels Bart
Published: November 2007

This review focuses on the recent advances on the role of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ in the modulation of vascular lipid homeostasis and the inflammatory response and the potential role of these activities in the modulation of metabolic and cardiovascular disease.
Forcing the boundaries of genre: the imaginative geography of South America in Luis Sepulveda's Patagonia Express
Authors: Tavares David , Le Bel Pierre‐Mathieu
Published: November 2007

This article considers how literary genre conditions the influence of imaginative geographies on textual representations of place and space. Focusing on a central case study, it argues that the representation of South America in Luis Sepulveda's popular travelogue Patagonia Express is the product of interplay between two competing forces: the boundaries imposed by the travelogue genre and a widely‐circulated imaginative geography of South America as a space where ‘the fantastic’ or magical is inherent to everyday reality.
Witches, children and Kiva‐the‐research‐dog: striking problems encountered in the field
Authors: Swanson Kate
Published: November 2007

This paper examines how power, privilege and vulnerability can surface in unexpected ways during fieldwork. Drawing from my experiences working with indigenous women and children who beg and sell on the streets of Ecuador, I suggest that researchers do not always hold as much power as we might assume. By positioning myself within stories about witches and children, I discuss how multiple research identities can shift power dynamics in unsettling and unexpected ways. In this paper, I also reflect upon a particularly unorthodox research method: using my dog as a research assistant. My dog inadvertently became instrumental in providing access to children's life stories; however, her presence also highlighted some of the dramatic incongruities between their life experiences and my own.