bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of the Intermediate Filament Protein Nestin at Rodent Neuromuscular Junctions by Innervation and Activity
Authors: Kang Hyuno , Tian Le , Son Young-Jin , Zuo Yi , Procaccino Diane , Love Flora , Hayworth Christopher , Trachtenberg Joshua , Mikesh Michelle , Sutton Lee , Ponomareva Olga , Mignone John , Enikolopov Grigori , Rimer Mendell , Thompson Wesley
Published: May 2007

The intermediate filament nestin is localized postsynaptically at rodent neuromuscular junctions. The protein forms a filamentous network beneath and between the synaptic gutters, surrounds myofiber nuclei, and is associated with Z-discs adjacent to the junction.In situhybridization shows that nestin mRNA is synthesized selectively by synaptic myonuclei. Although weak immunoreactivity is present in myelinating Schwann cells that wrap the preterminal axon, nestin is not detected in the terminal Schwann cells (tSCs) that cover the nerve terminal branches. However, after denervation of muscle, nestin is upregulated in tSCs and in SCs within the nerve distal to the lesion site. In contrast, immunoreactivity is strongly downregulated in the muscle fiber. Transgenic mice in which the nestin neural enhancer drives expression of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter show that the regulation in SCs is transcriptional. However, the postsynaptic expression occurs through enhancer elements distinct from those responsible for regulation in SCs. Application of botulinum toxin shows that the upregulation in tSCs and the loss of immunoreactivity in muscle fibers occurs with blockade of transmitter release. Extrinsic stimulation of denervated muscle maintains the postsynaptic expression of nestin but does not affect the upregulation in SCs. Thus, a nestin-containing cytoskeleton is promoted in the postsynaptic muscle fiber by nerve-evoked muscle activity but suppressed in tSCs by transmitter release. Nestin antibodies and GFP driven by nestin promoter elements serve as excellent markers for the reactive state of SCs. Vital imaging of GFP shows that SCs grow a dynamic set of processes after denervation.
A Labeled-Line Code for Small and Large Numerosities in the Monkey Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Nieder Andreas , Merten Katharina
Published: May 2007

How single neurons represent information about the magnitude of a stimulus remains controversial. Neurons encoding purely sensory magnitude typically show monotonic response functions (“summation coding”), and summation units are usually implemented in models of numerosity representation. In contrast, cells representing numerical quantity exhibit nonmonotonic tuning functions that peak at their preferred numerosity (“labeled-line code”), but the restricted range of tested quantities in these studies did not permit a definite answer. Here, we analyzed both behavioral and neuronal representations of a broad range of numerosities from 1 to 30 in the prefrontal cortex of monkeys. Numerosity-selective neurons showed a clear and behaviorally relevant labeled-line code for all numerosities. Moreover, both the behavioral and neuronal tuning functions obeyed the Weber–Fechner Law and were best represented on a nonlinearly compressed scale. Our single-cell study is in good agreement with functional imaging data reporting peaked tuning functions in humans, demonstrating neuronal precursors for human number competence in a nonhuman primate. Our findings also emphasize that the manner in which neurons encode and maintain magnitude information may depend on the precise task at hand as well as the type of magnitude to represent and memorize.
Multisensory Integration Shortens Physiological Response Latencies
Authors: Rowland Benjamin A. , Quessy Stephan , Stanford Terrence R. , Stein Barry E.
Published: May 2007

Individual superior colliculus (SC) neurons integrate information from multiple sensory sources to enhance their physiological response. The response of an SC neuron to a cross-modal stimulus combination can not only exceed the best component unisensory response but can also exceed their arithmetic sum (i.e., superadditivity). The present experiments were designed to investigate the temporal profile of multisensory integration in this model system. We found that cross-modal stimuli frequently shortened physiological response latencies (mean shift, 6.2 ms) and that response enhancement was greatest in the initial phase of the response (the phenomenon of initial response enhancement). The vast majority of the responses studied evidenced superadditive computations, most often at the beginning of the multisensory response.
Nav1.1 Localizes to Axons of Parvalbumin-Positive Inhibitory Interneurons: A Circuit Basis for Epileptic Seizures in Mice Carrying anScn1aGene Mutation
Authors: Ogiwara Ikuo , Miyamoto Hiroyuki , Morita Noriyuki , Atapour Nafiseh , Mazaki Emi , Inoue Ikuyo , Takeuchi Tamaki , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Yanagawa Yuchio , Obata Kunihiko , Furuichi Teiichi , Hensch Takao K. , Yamakawa Kazuhiro
Published: May 2007

Loss-of-function mutations in humanSCN1Agene encoding Nav1.1 are associated with a severe epileptic disorder known as severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy. Here, we generated and characterized a knock-in mouse line with a loss-of-function nonsense mutation in theScn1agene. Both homozygous and heterozygous knock-in mice developed epileptic seizures within the first postnatal month. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that, in the developing neocortex, Nav1.1 was clustered predominantly at the axon initial segments of parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons. In heterozygous knock-in mice, trains of evoked action potentials in these fast-spiking, inhibitory cells exhibited pronounced spike amplitude decrement late in the burst. Our data indicate that Nav1.1 plays critical roles in the spike output from PV interneurons and, furthermore, that the specifically altered function of these inhibitory circuits may contribute to epileptic seizures in the mice.
Involvement of the Basal Ganglia and Cerebellar Motor Pathways in the Preparation of Self-Initiated and Externally Triggered Movements in Humans
Authors: Purzner Jamie , Paradiso Guillermo O. , Cunic Danny , Saint-Cyr Jean A. , Hoque Tasnuva , Lozano Andres M. , Lang Anthony E. , Moro Elena , Hodaie Mojgan , Mazzella Filomena , Chen Robert
Published: May 2007

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is part of the cortico-basal ganglia (BG)–thalamocortical circuit, whereas the ventral lateral nucleus of the thalamus (VL) is a relay nucleus in the cerebello-dentato-thalamocortical (CTC) pathway. Both pathways have been implicated in movement preparation. We compared the involvement of the STN and VL in movement preparation in humans by recording local field potentials (LFPs) from seven patients with Parkinson's disease with deep-brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes in the STN and five patients with tremor and electrodes in VL. LFPs were recorded from DBS electrodes and scalp electrodes simultaneously while the patients performed self-paced and externally cued (ready, go/no-go) movements. For the self-paced movement, a premovement-related potential was observed in all patients from scalp, STN (phase reversal, five of six patients), and VL (phase reversal, five of five patients) electrodes. The onset times of the potentials were similar in the cortex, STN, and VL, ranging from 1.5 to 2 s before electromyogram onset. For the externally cued movement, an expectancy potential was observed in all patients in cortical and STN electrodes (phase reversal, six of six patients). The expectancy potential was recorded from the thalamic electrodes in four of five patients. However, phase reversal occurred only in one case, and magnetic resonance imaging showed that this contact was outside the VL. The cortico-BG–thalamocortical circuit is involved in the preparation of both self-paced and externally cued movements. The CTC pathway is involved in the preparation of self-paced but not externally cued movements, although the pathway may still be involved in the execution of these movements.
Radiolabelled153Sm-chelates of glycoconjugates: multivalence and topology effects on the targeting of the asialoglycoprotein receptor
Authors: Torres Susana , Martins Jose A. , André João P. , Neves Maria , Santos Ana C. , Prata Maria I. M. , Geraldes Carlos F. G. C.
Published: May 2007

In this paper we report and discuss the biodistribution studies with Wistar rats of a series of153Sm(III)-glycoconjugates, based on DO3A and DO2A(cis) scaffolds (DO3A=1,4,7-tris(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane; DO2A(cis) = 1,4-bis(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane). The effects of changing the sugar type (galactose, lactose and glucose), valency (mono and divalent) and topology on the targeting ability of the liver asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) are evaluated. Divalent glycoconjugates with different topologies were generated by a pendant glycodendrimeric (generation 1) architecture on a DO3A scaffold and by a linear DO2A(cis)-bis derivative. The results show that the galactose conjugates are more target efficient than the lactose analogues, while the glucose conjugates have no liver targeting ability. Divalent galactose conjugates are more efficiently targeted to the liver than the monovalent ones, while the dendrimeric topology of DO3A-Gal2has higher targeting efficiency than that of the DO2A(cis)-Gal2.
Messstrategien für die zerstörungsfreie Schichtmessung mittels Ultraschallmikroskopie (Strategies for the Non-Destructive Characterization of Thin Layers with Scanning Acoustic Microscopy)
Authors: Schmitt Robert , Hafner Philip , Engelmann Bastian
Published: May 2007

Die Ultraschallmikroskopie ermöglicht hochauflösende und zerstörungsfreie Materialprüfungen im Mikrobereich durch stark fokussierte und hochfrequente Schallfelder. Am Beispiel der Messung an Mikrobeschichtungen werden neue Messstrategien, Auswertungs- und Einsatzmöglichkeiten dieser Technologie vorgestellt.
Magnetic-inductive Flow Sensor with Variable Cross Section – Design Using FEA (Magnetisch-induktiver Durchflusssensor mit variablem Querschnitt – Design mithilfe der FEA)
Authors: Krause Jens , Stange Gerd
Published: May 2007

Flow sensors for electrically conducting fluids based on the magnetic-inductive (MID) principle are widely used because they contain no moving parts. In the flowing fluid the Lorentz force, due to an outer magnetic field, separates electric charges and induces an electric field. The potential is proportional to the average flow velocity. In standard devices a tube with circular cross section is used. We propose a varying shape that can be adjusted such that the MID-effect is 50% larger. The concept is verified and optimized using Finite-Element-Simulations with Comsol Multiphysics. The 3-D simulations include Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible fluids, magnetostatics, and electrostatics. This paper features the design with 1 cm diameter in the flow range up to 6 m/s. The methodology, however, using Finite-Element-Analysis, that will be described here in detail, can be extended to other configurations.
Ethnographic Studies of Childhood: A Historical Overview
Authors: LeVINE ROBERT A.
Published: May 2007

In this article, I briefly survey the ethnographic research literature on childhood in the 20th century, beginning with the social and intellectual contexts for discussions of childhood at the turn of the 20th century. The observations of Bronislaw Malinowski and Margaret Mead in the 1920s were followed by later ethnographers, also describing childhood, some of whom criticized developmental theories; still others were influenced initially by Freudian and other psychoanalytic theories and later by the suggestions of Edward Sapir for research on the child's acquisition of culture. The Six Cultures Study led by John Whiting at midcentury was followed by diverse trends of the period after 1960—including field studies of infancy, the social and cultural ecology of children's activities, and language socialization. Ethnographic evidence on hunting and gathering and agricultural peoples was interpreted in evolutionary as well as cultural and psychological terms. The relationship between ethnography and developmental psychology remained problematic.
Ecological Nationalisms: Nature, Livelihood, and Identities in South Asia
Authors: WALLACE BEN J.
Published: May 2007

Ecological Nationalisms: Nature, Livelihood, and Identities in South Asia. Gunnel Cederlöf and K. Sivaramakrishnan, eds. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006. 399 pp.
Moral Sentiments and Material Interests: The Foundations of Cooperation in Economic Life
Authors: HAMES RAYMOND
Published: May 2007

Moral Sentiments and Material Interests: The Foundations of Cooperation in Economic Life. Herbert Gintis, Samuel Bowles, Robert Boyd, and Ernst Fehr, eds. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2005. 404 pp.
Pious Property: Islamic Mortgages in the United States
Authors: APPLBAUM KALMAN
Published: May 2007

Pious Property: Islamic Mortgages in the United States. Bill Maurer. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2006. 123 pp.
Accelerating Possession: Global Future of Property and Personhood
Authors: CARR SUMMERSON , LISTOE DANIEL
Published: May 2007

Accelerating Possession: Global Future of Property and Personhood. Bill Maurer and Gabrielle Schwab, eds. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006. 275 pp.
Households and Families of the Longhouse Iroquois at Six Nations Reserve
Authors: JORDAN KURT A.
Published: May 2007

Households and Families of the Longhouse Iroquois at Six Nations Reserve. Merlin G. Myers. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006. 258 pp.
The State and Small‐Scale Fisheries in Puerto Rico
Authors: GARCÍA‐QUIJANO CARLOS
Published: May 2007

The State and Small‐Scale Fisheries in Puerto Rico. Ricardo Pérez. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2005. 218 pp.
Migration and Vodou
Authors: CHIERICI ROSE‐MARIE
Published: May 2007

Migration and Vodou. Karen E. Richman. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2005. 356 pp.
Powers of the Secular Modern: Talal Asad and His Interlocutors
Authors: BERNAL VICTORIA
Published: May 2007

Powers of the Secular Modern: Talal Asad and His Interlocutors. David Scott and Charles Hirschkind, eds. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2006. 355 pp.
Conservation Is Our Government Now: The Politics of Ecology in Papua New Guinea
Authors: SCAGLION RICHARD
Published: May 2007

Conservation Is Our Government Now: The Politics of Ecology in Papua New Guinea. Paige West. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2006. 320 pp.
The Vanishing Mother: Cesarean Section and “Evidence‐Based Obstetrics”
Authors: Wendland Claire L.
Published: May 2007

The philosophy of “evidence‐based medicine”—basing medical decisions on evidence from randomized controlled trials and other forms of aggregate data rather than on clinical experience or expert opinion—has swept U.S. medical practice in recent years. Obstetricians justify recent increases in the use of cesarean section, and dramatic decreases in vaginal birth following previous cesarean, as evidence‐based obstetrical practice. Analysis of pivotal “evidence” supporting cesarean demonstrates that the data are a product of its social milieu: The mother's body disappears from analytical view; images of fetal safety are marketing tools; technology magically wards off the unpredictability and danger of birth. These changes in practice have profound implications for maternal and child health. A feminist project within obstetrics is both feasible and urgently needed as one locus of resistance.
The Uninterrupted Ocean: Leibniz and the Encyclopedic Imagination
Authors: Selcer Daniel
Published: May 2007

This article explores a remarkable moment in the history of the early modern encyclopedia, namely G. W. Leibniz's philosophical reflections on the procedures for its proper construction. The focus of the article is on the way that Leibniz develops a metaphysics of notation and cross-reference intended to ground a generative encyclopedic strategy that both establishes an image of the systematic nature of human knowledge and produces the terms that it structures.
Hydraulic properties of sulphoaluminate belite cement based on steelmaking slags
Authors: Adolfsson D. , Menad N. , Viggh E. , Björkman B.
Published: May 2007

Based on modified Bogue calculations, steelmaking slags were combined in order to produce a belite-rich clinker activated with sulphoaluminate. The experiments were conducted on two different mixtures based on steelmaking slags together with additives, namely MixA and MixB. The objective of the present study was to investigate the hydraulic properties of the specimens, using conduction calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, and also to measure the mechanical strength of the specimens when hydrated for 2 and 28 days. The compressive strength was satisfactory in relation to the estimated compositions. Both mixtures behaved the same with regard to heat development as well as the amount of ettringite formed during the first 24 h of the hydration.
Influence of P(V) on the characteristics of calcium silicates and the hydration of clinkers
Authors: Nastac D. C. , Kääntee U. , Liimatainen J. , Hupa M. , Muntean M.
Published: May 2007

The effect of the addition of small amounts of meat and bone meal (MBM) ash on the clinkering process and on the hydraulic reactivity of obtained clinkers was studied. The study was aimed at simulating the clinker burning process in an industrial furnace that replaced up to 20 wt% conventional fuel with MBM used as alternative fuel. Laboratory clinkers were obtained by adding from 0.07 to 0.88 wt.% of MBM ash to an industrial raw mixture, and were compared with a clinker obtained without additions. The free lime content in the clinker increased steadily when the concentration of phosphorus was increased up to a level of 0.16 wt% P2O5 in the raw mixture. With higher phosphorus additions the free lime content increased only insignificantly. The results of X-ray microanalysis indicated that a maximum of 2.3 and 3.3% of the silicon sites were replaced by phosphorus in alite and belite, respectively. The clinker containing 0.6 wt% P2O5 slowed down the hydration process for approximately 1 day and thereafter began to exceed the degree of hydration of the reference sample. The values of degree of hydration of clinker rich in P2O5 exceeded the reference sample at 7 and 28 days by approximately 3 and 5%, respectively.
Use of Wastewater and Compost Extracts as Nutrient Sources for Growing Nursery and Turfgrass Species
Authors: Michitsch Robert C. , Chong Calvin , Holbein Bruce E. , Voroney R. Paul , Liu Hua‐Wu
Published: May 2007

Nutrient salts present in liquid by‐products following waste treatment are lost resources if not effectively recycled, and can cause environmental problems if improperly disposed. This research compared the growth response and mineral nutrient status of two nursery and two turfgrass species, hydroponically supplied with nutritive by‐product extracts derived from anaerobically digested municipal solid waste (MSW) and aerobically composted organic wastes from the mushroom and MSW industries. Forsythia (Forsythia × intermedia ‘Lynwood’) and weigela (Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’), and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), were grown in nutrient solutions/extracts prepared from: (i) half‐strength Hoagland's #2 solution (HH; control), (ii) Plant Products liquid fertilizer (PP; g kg−1: 180 N; 39 P; 224 K), (iii) spent mushroom compost (SMC), (iv) MSW compost (GMC), and (v) intra‐process wastewater from the anaerobic digestion of MSW (ADW). Additional nutrient solutions (SMC‐A, GMC‐A, and ADW‐A) were prepared by amending the original solutions with N, P, and/or K to concentrations in HH (mg L−1: 105 N; 15 P; 118 K). Plants receiving the SMC‐A extract grew best or at least as well as those in HH, PP, and the amended GMC‐A and ADW‐A solutions. This study indicated that, with proper amendments of N, P, K and other nutrients, water‐soluble constituents derived from organic waste treatment have potential for use as supplemental nutrient sources for plant production.
Phosphorus and Other Soil Components in a Dairy Effluent Sprayfield within the Central Florida Ridge
Authors: Woodard Kenneth R. , Sollenberger Lynn E. , Sweat Lewin A. , Graetz Donald A. , Nair Vimala D. , Rymph Stuart J. , Walker Leighton , Joo Yongsung
Published: May 2007

There is concern that P from dairy effluent sprayfields will leach into groundwater beneath Suwannee River basins in northern Florida. Our purpose was to describe the effects of dairy effluent irrigation on the movement of soil P and other nutrients within the upper soil profile of a sprayfield over three 12‐mo cycles (April 1998–March 2001). Effluent P rates of 70, 110, and 165 kg ha−1cycle−1were applied to forages that were grown year‐round. The soil is a deep, excessively drained sand (thermic, uncoated Typic Quartzipsamment). Mean P concentration in soil water below the rooting zone (152‐cm depth) was ≤0.1 mg L−1during 11 3‐mo periods. Mehlich‐1‐extractable (M1) P, Al, and Ca in the topsoil increased over time but did not change in subsoil depths of 25 to 51, 51 to 71, 71 to 97, and 97 to 122 cm. Topsoil Ca increased as effluent rate increased. High Ca levels were found in dairy effluent (avg.: 305 mg L−1) and supplemental irrigation water (avg.: 145 mg L−1) which likely played a role in retaining P in the topsoil. An effect of effluent rate on P and Al concentrations in the topsoil was not detected, probably due to large and variable quantities present at project initiation. The P retention capacity (i.e., Al plus Fe) increased in the topsoil because Al increased. Dairy effluent contained Al (avg.: 31 mg L−1). Phosphorus saturation ratio (PSR) increased over time in the topsoil but not in subsoil layers. Regardless of effluent rate, the P retention capacity and PSR of subsoil, which contained 119 to 229 mg kg−1of Al, should be taken into account when assessing the risk of P moving below the rooting zone of most forage crops.
Monitoring of Nitrate Leaching in Sandy Soils
Authors: Zotarelli Lincoln , Scholberg Johannes M. , Dukes Michael D. , Muñoz‐Carpena Rafael
Published: May 2007

Proper N fertilizer and irrigation management can reduce nitrate leaching while maintaining crop yield, which is critical to enhance the sustainability of vegetable production on soils with poor water and nutrient‐holding capacities. This study evaluated different methods to measure nitrate leaching in mulched drip‐irrigated zucchini, pepper, and tomato production systems. Fertigation rates were 145 and 217 kg N ha−1 for zucchini; 192 and 288 kg N ha−1 for pepper; and 208 and 312 kg N ha−1 for tomato. Irrigation was either applied at a fixed daily rate or based on threshold values of soil moisture sensors placed in production beds. Ceramic suction cup lysimeters, subsurface drainage lysimeters and soil cores were used to access the interactive effects of N rate and irrigation management on N leaching. Irrigation treatments and N rate interaction effects on N leaching were significant for all crops. Applying N rates in excess of standard recommendations increased N leaching by 64, 59, and 32%, respectively, for pepper, tomato, and zucchini crops. Independent of the irrigation treatment or nitrogen rate, N leaching values measured from the ceramic cup lysimeter‐based N leaching values were lower than the values from the drainage lysimeter and soil coring methods. However, overall nitrate concentration patterns were similar for all methods when the nitrate concentration and leached volume were relatively low.
Nutrient Load Generated by Storm Event Runoff from a Golf Course Watershed
Authors: King K. W. , Balogh J. C. , Hughes K. L. , Harmel R. D.
Published: May 2007

Turf, including home lawns, roadsides, golf courses, parks, etc., is often the most intensively managed land use in the urban landscape. Substantial inputs of fertilizers and water to maintain turf systems have led to a perception that turf systems are a major contributor to nonpoint source water pollution. The primary objective of this study was to quantify nutrient (NO3–N, NH4–N, and PO4–P) transport in storm‐generated surface runoff from a golf course. Storm event samples were collected for 5 yr (1 Apr. 1998–31 Mar. 2003) from the Morris Williams Municipal Golf Course in Austin, TX. Inflow and outflow samples were collected from a stream that transected the golf course. One hundred fifteen runoff‐producing precipitation events were measured. Median NO3–N and PO4–P concentrations at the outflow location were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than like concentrations measured at the inflow location; however, median outflow NH4–N concentration was significantly less than the median inflow concentration. Storm water runoff transported 1.2 kg NO3–N ha−1 yr−1, 0.23 kg NH4–N ha−1 yr−1, and 0.51 kg PO4–P ha−1 yr−1 from the course. These amounts represent approximately 3.3% of applied N and 6.2% of applied P over the contributing area for the same period. NO3–N transport in storm water runoff from this course does not pose a substantial environmental risk; however, the median PO4–P concentration exiting the course exceeded the USEPA recommendation of 0.1 mg L−1 for streams not discharging into lakes. The PO4–P load measured in this study was comparable to soluble P rates measured from agricultural lands. The findings of this study emphasize the need to balance golf course fertility management with environmental risks, especially with respect to phosphorus.
Lability of Drinking Water Treatment Residuals (WTR) Immobilized Phosphorus
Authors: Agyin‐Birikorang Sampson , O'Connor George A.
Published: May 2007

Time constraints associated with conducting long‐term (>20 yr) field experiments to test the stability of drinking water treatment residuals (WTR) sorbed phosphorus (P) inhibit improved understanding of the fate of sorbed P in soils when important soil properties (e.g., pH) change. We used artificially aged samples to evaluate aging and pH effects on lability of WTR‐immobilized P. Artificial aging was achieved through incubation at elevated temperatures (46 or 70°C) for 4.5 yr, and through repeated wetting and drying for 2 yr. Using a modified isotopic (32P) dilution technique, coupled with a stepwise acidification procedure, we monitored changes in labile P concentrations over time. This technique enabled evaluation of the effect of pH on the lability of WTR‐immobilized P. Within the pH range of 4 to 7, WTR amendment, coupled with artificial aging, ultimately reduced labile P concentrations by ≥75% relative to the control (no‐WTR) samples. Soil samples with different physicochemical properties from two 7.5‐yr‐old, one‐time WTR‐amended field sites were utilized to validate the trends observed with the artificially aged samples. Despite the differences in physicochemical properties among the three (two field‐aged and one artificially aged) soil samples, similar trends of aging and pH effects on lability of WTR‐immobilized P were observed. Labile P concentrations of the WTR‐amended field‐aged samples of the two sites decreased 6 mo after WTR amendment and the reduction persisted for 7.5 yr, ultimately resulting in ≥70% reduction, compared to the control plots. We conclude that WTR application is capable of reducing labile P concentration in P‐impacted soils, doing so for a long time, and that within the commonly encountered range of pH values for agricultural soils WTR‐immobilized P should be stable.
Mitochondrial Respiration Is Decreased in Skeletal Muscle of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Mogensen Martin , Sahlin Kent , Fernström Maria , Glintborg Dorte , Vind Birgitte F. , Beck-Nielsen Henning , Højlund Kurt
Published: May 2007

We tested the hypothesis of a lower respiratory capacity per mitochondrion in skeletal muscle of type 2 diabetic patients compared with obese subjects. Muscle biopsies obtained from 10 obese type 2 diabetic and 8 obese nondiabetic male subjects were used for assessment of 3-hydroxy-Acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase (HAD) and citrate synthase activity, uncoupling protein (UCP)3 content, oxidative stress measured as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), fiber type distribution, and respiration in isolated mitochondria. Respiration was normalized to citrate synthase activity (mitochondrial content) in isolated mitochondria. Maximal ADP-stimulated respiration (state 3) with pyruvate plus malate and respiration through the electron transport chain (ETC) were reduced in type 2 diabetic patients, and the proportion of type 2X fibers were higher in type 2 diabetic patients compared with obese subjects (all P < 0.05). There were no differences in respiration with palmitoyl-l-carnitine plus malate, citrate synthase activity, HAD activity, UCP3 content, or oxidative stress measured as HNE between the groups. In the whole group, state 3 respiration with pyruvate plus malate and respiration through ETC were negatively associated with A1C, and the proportion of type 2X fibers correlated with markers of insulin resistance (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we provide evidence for a functional impairment in mitochondrial respiration and increased amount of type 2X fibers in muscle of type 2 diabetic patients. These alterations may contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes in humans with obesity.
The Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Pathway Regulates Nutrient-Sensitive Glucose Uptake in Man
Authors: Krebs Michael , Brunmair Barbara , Brehm Attila , Artwohl Michaela , Szendroedi Julia , Nowotny Peter , Roth Erich , Fürnsinn Clemens , Promintzer Miriam , Anderwald Christian , Bischof Martin , Roden Michael
Published: May 2007

The nutrient-sensitive kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its downstream target S6 kinase (S6K) are involved in amino acid–induced insulin resistance. Whether the mTOR/S6K pathway directly modulates glucose metabolism in humans is unknown. We studied 11 healthy men (29 years old, BMI 23 kg/m2) twice in random order after oral administration of 6 mg rapamycin, a specific mTOR inhibitor, or placebo. An amino acid mixture was infused to activate mTOR, and somatostatin-insulin-glucose clamps created conditions of low peripheral hyperinsulinemia (∼100 pmol/l, 0–180 min) and prandial-like peripheral hyperinsulinemia (∼450 pmol/l, 180–360 min). Glucose turnover was assessed using d-[6,6-2H2]glucose infusion (n = 8). Skeletal muscle biopsies were performed at baseline and during prandial-like peripheral hyperinsulinemia (n = 3). At low peripheral hyperinsulinemia, whole-body glucose uptake was not affected by rapamycin. During prandial-like peripheral hyperinsulinemia, rapamycin increased glucose uptake compared with placebo by 17% (Rd|300–360 min, 75 ± 5 vs. 64 ± 5 μmol · kg−1 · min−1, P = 0.0008). Rapamycin affected endogenous glucose production neither at baseline nor during low or prandial-like peripheral hyperinsulinemia. Combined hyperaminoacidemia and prandial-like hyperinsulinemia increased S6K phosphorylation and inhibitory insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) phosphorylation at Ser312 and Ser636 in the placebo group. Rapamycin partially inhibited this increase in mTOR-mediated S6K phosphorylation and IRS-1 Ser312 and Ser636 phosphorylation. In conclusion, rapamycin stimulates insulin-mediated glucose uptake in man under conditions known to activate the mTOR/S6K pathway.
Chronic Activation of Liver X Receptor Induces β-Cell Apoptosis Through Hyperactivation of Lipogenesis
Authors: Choe Sung Sik , Choi A Hyun , Lee Joo-Won , Kim Kang Ho , Chung Jun-Jae , Park Jiyoung , Lee Kyeong-Min , Park Keun-Gyu , Lee In-Kyu , Kim Jae Bum
Published: May 2007

Liver X receptor (LXR)α and LXRβ play important roles in fatty acid metabolism and cholesterol homeostasis. Although the functional roles of LXR in the liver, intestine, fat, and macrophages are well established, its role in pancreatic β-cells has not been clearly defined. In this study, we revealed that chronic activation of LXR contributes to lipotoxicity-induced β-cell dysfunction. We observed significantly elevated expression of LXR in the islets of diabetic rodent models, including fa/fa ZDF rats, OLETF rats, and db/db mice. In primary pancreatic islets and INS-1 insulinoma cells, activation of LXR with a synthetic ligand, T0901317, stimulated expression of the lipogenic genes ADD1/SREBP1c, FAS, and ACC and resulted in increased intracellular lipid accumulation. Moreover, chronic LXR activation induced apoptosis in pancreatic islets and INS-1 cells, which was synergistically promoted by high glucose conditions. Taken together, we suggest lipid accumulation caused by chronic activation of LXR in β-cells as a possible cause of β-cell lipotoxicity, a key step in the development of type 2 diabetes.
Education Research Can and Must Address “What Works” Questions
Authors: Slavin Robert E
Published: May 2007

Every year, teachers, principals, superintendents, and other educators have to make hundreds of decisions of potentially great importance to students. What reading program is most likely to ensure high reading performance? Should “social promotion” be used or should retentions be increased? Should summer school programs be provided to struggling students? Should kindergarten be half day or full day? What are the most effective means of providing remediation to children who are falling behind? In a word: What works?
Study of varieties and diversity of walnut forms in Kyrgyzstan (reviewed paper)
Authors: Mamadjanov Davlet
Published: May 2007

The peculiarity of Kyrgyzstan's walnut-fruit forests(Juglans regia L.) consists of a huge diversity of forms of walnut. The walnut selection has a long history in this country,and the selection out of natural seed population is still practiced. The author describes the selection goal, criteria and results of promising forms of walnut out of trial collection plots as well as in natural forest stands.
Using the Contingent Valuation Method for ex ante service innovation evaluation (reviewed paper)
Authors: Notaro Sandra , Glos Geremia , Paletto Alessandro
Published: May 2007

The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) can be a useful tool for the ex ante evaluation of service innovations in the forestry sector, in particular for transforming a recreational forest function from a free to a payment-based utilisation. In presenting the case study results, the superiority of CVM to other evaluation techniques is discussed.
In Truth We Trust: Discourse, Phenomenology, and the Social Relations of Knowledge in an Environmental Dispute
Authors: Carolan Michael S. , Bell Michael M.
Published: May 2007

In this age of debate it is not news that what constitutes ‘truth’ is often at issue in environmental debates. But what is often missed is an insight that the speakers of Middle English understood a millennium ago: that truth comes from trust, which, is the central theoretical position of this paper. Our point is that truth depends essentially on social relations – relations that involve power and knowledge, to be sure, but also identity. Thus, challenges to what constitutes the ‘truth’ are equally challenges to identities and the social networks of trust in which that truth is embedded. We therefore attempt to move beyond Foucaultian discursive theory by reintroducing the subject as both the product and producer of discourse. For Foucault, the subject is reduced to the discursive relations of power/knowledge. In his effort to free us from the Cartesian cogito and the modernist absolutisms that eventually followed, Foucault lapses into a kind of postmodern functionalism. We argue that we should not speak of power/ knowledge, as Foucault suggested, but of power/knowledge/identity, recovering the actors and concrete social relations that produce discourse, and are not only produced by it. We then argue that these social relations become constituted (and reconstituted) in particular moments of phenomenological challenge – discursive moments that confront the existing social relations of knowledge and their dialogue of trust and truth. We illustrate the implications of a threat to the social relations of environmental knowledge through an analysis of one such moment of phenomenological challenge: a dispute over whether or not the power plant in the community where we used to live, Ames, Iowa, is producing dioxin.
Re-Thinking Nature: Towards an Eco-Pluralism
Authors: Curry Patrick
Published: May 2007

Both scientific realism and social constructionism offer unpromising and even destructive ways of trying to understand nature and human–nature relations. The reasons include what these apparent opponents share: a commitment to the (latterly) modernist division between subject/culture and object/nature that results from what is here called ‘monist essentialism’. It is contrasted with ‘relational pluralism’, which provides the basis of a better alternative – ecopluralism – which, properly understood, is necessarily both ecocentric and pluralist.
Integrating Multiple Knowledge Systems into Environmental Decision-making: Two Case Studies of Participatory Biodiversity Initiatives in Canada and their Implications for Conceptions of Education and Public Involvement
Authors: Kelsey Elin
Published: May 2007

Biodiversity initiatives have traditionally operated within a ‘science-first’ model of environmental decision-making. The model assumes a hierarchical relationship in which scientific knowledge is elevated above other knowledge systems. Consequently, other types of knowledge held by the public, such as traditional or lay knowledges, are undervalued and under-represented in biodiversity projects. Drawing upon two case studies of biodiversity initiatives in Canada, this paper looks at the role that constructivist conceptions of education play in the integration of alternative knowledge systems in environmental decision-making. In so doing, it argues that the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing goals outlined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (signed in 1992 under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Programme) demand new models of governance which embrace the adaptive management qualities of learning organisations.
Future Generations and Contemporary Ethics
Authors: Johnson Lawrence E.
Published: May 2007

Future generations do not exist, and are not determinate in their make-up. The moral significance of future generations cannot be accounted for on the basis of a purely individualistic ethic. Yet future generations are morally significant. The Person-Affecting Principle, that (roughly) only acts which are likely to affect particular individuals are morally significant, must be augmented in such a way as to take into account the moral significance of Homo sapiens, a holistic entity which certainly does exist. Recent contributions to Environmental Values by Alan Carter and Ernest Partridge are criticised (but not entirely rejected).
Is Environmentalism a Humanism?
Authors: Hinchman Lewis P.
Published: May 2007

Environmental theorists, seeking the origin of Western exploitative attitudes toward nature, have directed their attacks against ‘humanism’. This essay argues that such criticisms are misplaced. Humanism has much closer affinities to environmentalism than the latter's advocates believe. As early as the Renaissance, and certainly by the late eighteenth century, humanists were developing historically-conscious, hermeneutically-grounded modes of understanding, rather than the abstract, mathematical models of nature often associated with them. In its twentieth-century versions humanism also shares much of the mistrust of consumerism, instrumental reason, and ‘worldlessness’ that marks environmentalist literature. Nevertheless, humanism is indeed committed to the principle that human beings are and ought to be free, and opposes theoretical approaches that suppress freedom. Reconciling humanism and environmental-ism thus involves two steps: resisting the former's tendency to treat nature and freedom as metaphysical polarities, and drawing environmental theory away from flirtation with deterministic, biologistic worldviews. The essay concludes by suggesting Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac as the paradigm case of environmental thought with roots in humanist approaches.
Man and Natural Disaster in the Late Middle Ages: The Earthquake in Carinthia and Northern Italy on 25 January 1348 and its Perception
Authors: Rohr Christian
Published: May 2007

How did people react to natural abnormalities such as earthquakes and floods in the Middle Ages? Why did they experience them as disasters? How did they explain them? Did they really see them as a divine punishment? Reports of the earthquake of 1348, which was followed by a landslide and a flood destroying the city of Villach, were often combined with accounts of the Black Death, which arose in these regions just a few weeks later. There are still only a few studies of natural disasters in the Middle Ages, and for the eastern Alpine regions only the earthquake of 25 January 1348 has been examined in detail, albeit using a variety of approaches. This study tries to provide a mentality-bound approach, searching for the mentalities of the people, but without claiming to write a 'history of mentalities'. Nevertheless, it seems easier to examine mentalities in extreme situations than in normal times, though the records concerning natural disasters in the Late Middle Ages are mostly brief. By re-visiting the sources for the 1348 earthquake following the studies of Borst (1981) and Hammerl (1992) and looking at aspects of its perception, management and explanation, this article calls into question the supposed 'medieval' equation of natural disaster and divine punishment. In spite of the fact that the natural disasters and Black Death were mixed up in the sources, there is little evidence that the earthquake itself was experienced as anything other than something tremendous and unexpected, but which also belonged to daily life.
Historical Seismology in Switzerland: Reflections on Issues and Insights
Authors: Gisler Monika
Published: May 2007

Historical seismology cannot rely on instrumental measurement alone; investigation depends mainly on the evaluation of historical sources. Improving the quality of historical data underlying macroseismic and seismological parameters has been proposed as a desideratum. As a consequence, the investigation and interpretation of historical documents have been encouraged during the last two decades, and seismologists and historians have worked together. Attempts at combining reconstruction of physical processes with the discursive perceptions of a disaster need an interdisciplinary approach. Current discussions in cultural science have heightened the sensitivity of historians, leading them to seek and elaborate new models and to establish contact with scientific disciplines. The revision of the new unified Earthquake Catalog of Switzerland and neighbouring regions (ECOS) during 2000-2002 has to be settled within this context. The objective of the revision was basic research on historical, macroseismic and seismological levels. This paper focuses mainly on methodological approaches, relating to historical and macroseismic purposes, adopted during this project.
Nature, Progress and the 'Disorderly' Fitzroy: The Vain Quest for Queensland's 'Noblest Navigable River', 1865-1965
Authors: Webster Barbara , Mullins Steve
Published: May 2007

In the nineteenth century, engineers deformed and reshaped the natural environment in the name of progress, particularly in new settler societies like Australia. This article focuses on attempts, some experimental but all ultimately unsuccessful, to render Queensland's Fitzroy River suitable for large-scale shipping by constructing 'training' walls and dredging intensively. In addition to examining the motivations for these efforts and their environmental legacy, the paper argues that both engineers and men of commerce saw nature as 'untamed' and female and in need of training or 'husbanding' through the application of modern technology, irrespective of the financial cost.
Seizing The Day: Perrine Moncrieff and Nature Conservation in New Zealand
Authors: Hodge Robin
Published: May 2007

This study examines environmental work by the ornithologist and conservationist Perrine Moncrieff between 1920 and 1980. It discusses her Millais family background and vitalist beliefs as factors assisting the publication of her field guide, New Zealand Birds and How to Identify Them , her advocacy for Abel Tasman National Park, and her Presidency of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union. She and her work were marginalised in the mid-century development era but she became a mentor of conservationists in the 1970s.
Facing the Forest: European Travellers Crossing the Mucuri River Valley, Brazil, in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Horta Duarte Regina
Published: May 2007

Between 1816 and 1859, some European travellers visited the Mucuri River Valley, part of the Brazilian territory where the Atlantic Forest once flourished. From the travellers' accounts, we discuss the conditions of exploration, and some aspects of the historical changes that took place in that territory. Their reports comprise a rich documentation for the debate that is still alive on varied interactions among human societies and transformations of the natural environment. The tropical forests remain a challenge to be faced.
Decisional Conflict and Decision Regret in Head and Neck Oncology
Authors: Heirman Anne Nadine , Arends Coralie Romé , de Jel Dominique Valérie Clarence , Dirven Richard , van der Molen Lisette , Halmos Gyorgy Bela , van den Brekel Michiel Wilhelmus Maria , Stuiver Martijn Matthias
Published: March 2024

Importance

Head and neck cancer (HNC) often requires treatment with a major impact on quality of life. Treatment decision-making is often challenging, as it involves balancing survival against the preservation of quality of life and choosing among treatments with comparable outcomes but variation in morbidity and adverse events; consequently, the potential for decisional conflict (DC) and decision regret (DR) is high.

Objectives

To summarize the literature on DC and DR in HNC, to give an overview of its prevalence and extent, and to advise on clinical practice and future research.

Data Sources

Embase, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched up to February 24, 2023, including all years of publication.

Study Selection

Eligible studies addressed DC and/or DR as primary or secondary outcomes with any instrument in HNC, except cutaneous tumors. Two mutually blinded researchers conducted screening and inclusion with support of an artificial intelligence assistant and conducted risk of bias (ROB) assessment.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed for data extraction. ROB assessments were done using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (qualitative) and CLARITY (quantitative). Meta-analysis with a random-effects model was used to obtain pooled prevalence estimates for DC and DR when at least 4 sufficiently clinically homogeneous studies were available.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Prevalence of DC (qualitative, Decisional Conflict Scale, SURE questionnaire) and DR (qualitative, study-specific questionnaires, Decision Regret Scale, Shame and Stigma Scale).

Results

Overall, 28 studies were included, with 16 included in meta-analyses for DR prevalence. The pooled prevalence of clinically relevant DR above the cutoff score for validated questionnaires (11 studies; 2053 participants) was 71% (95% CI, 58%-82%; I2 = 94%), while for study-specific questionnaires (5 studies; 674 participants) it was 11% (95% CI, 5%-22%; I2 = 92%). Only 4 studies investigated DC, showing a prevalence of 22.6% to 47.5% above cutoff values. Derived overarching themes found in qualitative studies were preparation, shared decision-making roles, information, time pressure, stress of diagnosis, and consequences.

Conclusions and Relevance

Although limited data on DC and DR were available, the studies performed indicated that DC and DR are highly prevalent issues in HNC. Results suggest that study-specific questionnaires underestimated DR. The findings underscore the rationale to improve counseling and shared decision-making for this patient population.