bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carnosine protects brain microvascular endothelial cells against rotenone‐induced oxidative stress injury through histamine H1 and H2 receptors in vitro
Authors: Zhang Luyi , Yao Ke , Fan Yanying , He Ping , Wang Xiaofen , Hu Weiwei , Chen Zhong
Published: November 2012

Although it is believed that carnosine has protective effects on various cell types, its effect on microvascular endothelial cells has not been well defined. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of carnosine in microvascular endothelial cells using an in vitro rotenone‐induced oxidative stress model.

Mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells were exposed to 1 μmol/L rotenone for 18 h. In some experiments, carnosine (100 nmol/L–1 mmol/L) was added 30 min prior to rotenone exposure. When used, histamine receptor antagonists (100 nmol/L–10 μmol/L) were added 15 min before carnosine treatment. After rotenone exposure, apoptosis of microvascular cells was analysed by Hoechst 33342 staining, whereas mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed by JC‐1 staining. Intracellular carnosine and histamine levels were determined using HPLC or ultra‐HPLC.

Over the range 1 μmol/L–1 mmol/L, carnosine concentration‐dependently decreased the number of apoptotic cells after 18 h exposure to rotenone. This effect was reversed by the histamine H1 receptor antagonists pyrilamine and diphenhydramine (1 and 10 μmol/L) and the H2 receptor antagonists cimetidine (100 nmol/L–10 μmol/L) and zolatidine (10 μmol/L). α‐Fluoromethylhistidine (100 μmol/L), a selective and irreversible inhibitor of histidine decarboxylase, also significantly inhibited the protective effects of carnosine. At 0.1 mmol/L, carnosine restored the decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential after 6 h exposure to 1 μmol/L rotenone and this effect was also reversed by the H1 and H2 receptor antagonists. Moreover, intracellular carnosine levels increased as early as 1 h after carnosine treatment, whereas intracellular histamine levels increased 18 h after carnosine treatment.

The results of the present study indicate that carnosine protects brain microvascular endothelial cells against rotenone‐induced oxidative stress injury via histamine H1 and H2 receptors. The findings suggest that carnosine may be beneficial in the treatment of microvascular endothelial dysfunction induced by oxidative stress.
Postcranial Sex Estimation of Individuals Considered Hispanic
Authors: Tise Meredith L. , Spradley M. Katherine , Anderson Bruce E.
Published: November 2012

When forensic anthropologists estimate the sex of Hispanic skeletal remains using nonpopulation specific metric methods, initial observations cause males to frequently misclassify as female. To help improve these methods, this research uses postcranial measurements from United States–Mexico border migrant fatalities at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner in Tucson, Arizona, as well as Hispanic individuals from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank. Using a total of 114 males and 28 females, sectioning points and discriminant functions provide classification rates as high as 89.43% for Hispanic individuals. A test sample assessed the reliability of these techniques resulting in accuracy up to 99.65%. The clavicle maximum length measurement provides the best univariate estimate of sex, while the radius provides the best multivariate estimated of sex. The results of this research highlight the need for population specific data in the creation of a biological profile, especially when working with individuals considered Hispanic.
A Quantitative Analysis of Torn and Cut Duct Tape Physical End Matching
Authors: McCabe Kaitlin R. , Tulleners Frederic A. , Braun Jerome V. , Currie Gillian , Gorecho Esmeraldo N.
Published: November 2012

Forensic scientists are often asked to physically compare duct tape samples found in association with criminal activity. This study was designed to statistically evaluate the error and accuracy rates associated with duct tape physical end matching. The experimental design consisted of a blind study in which three researchers independently analyzed eight types of tape subjected to four methods of separation. The lowest mean accuracy observed was 98.15%, the highest mean false‐positive rate observed was 3.33%, and the highest mean false‐negative rate was 2.67%. Overall, high accuracy with low false‐positive and false‐negative error rates were observed. This study confirms the use of physical end matching in identifying duct tape samples as matching or nonmatching and that the differences between analysts, brands, tape grades, tape color, and methods of separation have varying contributions to misidentifications and inconclusive results. This study also demonstrates the importance of peer review in duct tape analysis.
Stress Increases Voluntary Alcohol Intake, but Does not Alter Established Drinking Habits in a Rat Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Meyer Edward M. , Long Virginia , Fanselow Michael S. , Spigelman Igor
Published: November 2012

Background

Life‐altering anxiety disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can co‐occur at high rates with substance use disorders. Alcoholism, compared with other substance use disorders, is particularly common. Rodent studies of acute stress effects on alcohol consumption show that stress can alter ethanol (EtOH) consumption. This study examined voluntary EtOH consumption in male Long–Evans rats that had undergone a stress‐enhanced fear learning (SEFL) procedure.

Methods

Adult Long–Evans rats were exposed to a stress that consisted of 15 inescapable foot‐shocks (1 mA, 1 second) known to cause a long‐lasting nonassociative enhancement of subsequent fear learning. Control animals received no shock. One day later, animals were placed in a novel and very different context and received a single foot‐shock. On day 3, animals were returned to the single shock context and freezing was used as a measure of learned fear. The intermittent access 2‐bottle choice (2BC) regimen consisted of 1 bottle of water and 1 bottle of experimental solution, either 19% EtOH or 28.4% sucrose–0.08% quinine, for a 24‐hour period, 3 days a week, and all other times 2 water bottles. This regimen lasted until stable levels of experimental solution drinking were reached, at which point the experimental solution was removed for 40 days and then returned to measure the resumption of consumption.

Results

Rats that received stress prior to EtOH consumed significantly more EtOH than control rats before and after reinstatement. Rats that received stress after drinking was established did not consume significantly more EtOH when the drug was returned. Stress had no significant effect on sucrose–quinine drinking, our calorie and taste control for EtOH.

Conclusions

A single traumatic event sufficient to produce long‐lasting enhancement of fear learning increases voluntary EtOH consumption, but does not alter previously acquired EtOH drinking habits or alter the consumption of a calorically equivalent sweet‐bitter‐tasting solution.
“High” Motivation for Alcohol: What are the Practical Effects of Energy Drinks on Alcohol Priming?
Authors: Peacock Amy , Bruno Raimondo
Published: November 2012

Background

While several researchers have proposed a causal relationship between alcohol mixed with energy drink (AmED) consumption and subsequent alcohol intake, there is a dearth of research exploring the potential mechanisms underpinning this association.

Methods

Marczinski and colleagues (in press) report the results of a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, between‐groups study assessing whether an initial AmED dose primes an increased motivation to drink relative to alcohol alone. Participants (n = 80) received either alcohol (0.91 ml/kg vodka), energy drink (ED; 1.82 ml/kg Red Bull®), AmED, or a placebo beverage and then self‐reported their motivation to drink via the Desire‐for‐Drug scale.

Results

Subjective ratings of “desire more alcohol” were significantly higher than predrink in the placebo, alcohol, and AmED conditions, with this effect apparent at more time points in the AmED condition. While it was concluded that EDs may increase alcohol priming, between‐condition analyses revealed that ratings did not differ significantly in AmED and alcohol conditions, with moderate magnitude treatment effects at most, and ratings of desire generally closer to 0 (absence of desire) than 100 (very much desire).

Conclusions

While the study by Marczinski and colleagues fills an important gap in the literature, direct measurement of AmED priming's effect on subsequent alcohol consumption using a within‐subjects design and appropriate statistical comparison is required to (i) establish the practical implications of these results for AmED consumers and (ii) discount any individual differences in such priming effects.
Tracheal intubation with a camera embedded in the tube tip (Vivasight™)
Authors: Huitink J. M. , Koopman E. M. , Bouwman R. A. , Craenen A. , Verwoert M. , Krage R. , Visser I. E. , Erwteman M. , van Groeningen D. , Tijink R. , Schauer A.
Published: November 2012

We studied tracheal intubation in manikins and patients with a camera embedded in the tip of the tracheal tube (Vivasight™). Four people in two teams and two individuals attempted intubation of a manikin through an i‐gel™ 10 times each. The tracheas of 12 patients with a Mallampati grade of 1 were intubated with a Vivasight tracheal tube through a Berman airway, passed over a Frova™ introducer. All 60 manikin intubations were successful, taking a mean (SD) time of 1.4 (0.5) s. The fastest intubation was performed in 0.5 s. All 12 participants’ tracheas were successfully intubated in a median (IQR [range]) time of 90 (70–120 [50–210]) s. Seven participants complained of a sore throat, comparable with earlier findings for standard laryngoscopy and intubation: five mild; one moderate; and one severe. Tracheal intubation with the Vivasight through the i‐gel or Berman airway is an alternative to existing techniques, against which it should be compared in randomised controlled trials in human participants. It has potential as a fast airway rescue technique.
Plant seedlings in a species‐rich meadow: effect of management, vegetation type and functional traits
Authors: Mudrák Ondřej , Doležal Jiří , Hájek Michal , Dančák Martin , Klimeš Leoš , Klimešová Jitka
Published: November 2012

Questions

(1) How do various mowing regimes used for the preservation of diverse meadow biota affect the occurrence of plant seedlings? (2) Does the effect of mowing regime on seedlings differ among vegetation types? (3) Are the seedlings occurring under a particular management type characterized by distinct functional traits? (4) Do the traits of seedlings differ from those of resident adult plant species?

Location

White Carpathians (Bílé Karpaty) Mountains, Czech Republic.

Methods

In a species‐rich meadow, seedlings (non‐graminoids only) were identified to species and counted in an experiment that included management cessation and five mowing regimes in three types of vegetation for 2 yr. The abundance‐weighted averages of functional traits were compared between seedling and adult plant communities.

Results

Seedling occurrence was suppressed by management cessation (abandonment) but differences among the five mowing treatments were small for all vegetation types. Seedling density and species richness were highest in vegetation dominated by Bromus erectus, intermediate in vegetation dominated by Molinia arundinacea, and lowest in vegetation dominated by Calamagrostis epigejos. Comparison of functional trait composition of seedlings with that of adult plants revealed that seedlings were largely produced by species with no or limited clonal growth and with low stature, and therefore with lower competitive ability.

Conclusions

The results indicate that short‐term alteration of the mowing regime does not change conditions conducive to seedling occurrence, but even short‐term abandonment hinders the establishment of small, non‐clonal species. Rapid changes in species composition after abandonment in temperate meadows are therefore due not only to competitive exclusion of subordinate plant species, but also to their inability to establish from seeds.
Childbirth Across Cultures: Research and Practice
Authors: Chalmers Beverley
Published: November 2012

Countries and cultures differ in their approach to childbirth, as well as in their research practices. This paper examines 10 surveys of women's reports of their labor and birth in seven countries spanning North America and Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Similarities and differences in practice are highlighted, and the methodological difficulties of conducting research in cross‐cultural settings are examined. This paper discusses innovative and culturally unique perinatal practices that are not revealed by such surveys and stresses the importance of sharing such ideas globally. (BIRTH 39:4 December 2012)
Obstetric Variation, Intervention, and Outcomes: Doing More but Accomplishing Less
Authors: Glantz J. Christopher
Published: November 2012

Obstetric interventions, particularly induction of labor and cesarean section, are done more and more commonly, although there is a wide variation between hospitals and practitioners in specific rates. This degree of variation implies imprecision and uncertainty about diagnoses and indicated management. Although the net result of this variation has been a “more is better” approach leading to increasing use of obstetric interventions, little evidence of commensurate improvements in outcome is available. A combined package of using currently available evidence, formulating best practices, instituting regular review and feedback to hospitals and practitioners about intervention rates, and a public health approach to educate women has the potential to achieve an acceptable balance between when intervention in the labor and delivery process is warranted and when it is unnecessary. (BIRTH 39:4 December 2012)
Integrating Women's Views into Maternity Care Research and Practice
Authors: Green Josephine M.
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of women's views in maternity care research and practice: what we mean by that, how and when women's views are sought (or not), and what we should do next. It is argued that women's views are not a stand‐alone extra, but integral at every stage, including having an impact on clinical outcomes. Attending to “women's views” should not only mean a post hoc assessment of experiences but also needs to consider expectations and values. Importantly, this approach needs to apply not only to the care of individual women but also to the shaping of research and policy agendas. Recommendations are made for ways in which women's views can have a more central role in research and practice in the future. (BIRTH 39:4 December 2012)
Cesarean Section on Maternal Request: A Societal and Professional Failure and Symptom of a Much Larger Problem
Authors: Klein Michael C.
Published: November 2012

The scientific literature was silent about a relationship of pelvic floor, urinary, and fecal incontinence and sexual issues with mode of birth until 1993, when Sultan et al's impressive rectal ultrasound studies were published. They showed that perirectal fibers were damaged in many vaginal births, but not as a result of a cesarean section. These findings helped to pioneer a new area of research, ultimately leading to increasing support among health professionals and the public that maternal choice of cesarean delivery could be justified—even that maternal choice and autonomous decision‐making trump other considerations, including evidence. A growing number of birth practitioners are choosing cesarean section for themselves—usually on the basis of concerns over pelvic floor, urinary incontinence, and sexual issues. Behind this choice is a training experience that focuses on the abnormal, interprets the literature through a pathological lens, and lacks sufficient opportunity to see normal childbirth. Cesarean section on maternal request is a complex issue based on fear and misinformation that is a symptom of a system needing reform, that is, a major change in community and professional education, governmental policy making, and creation of environments emphasizing the normal. Systemic change will require the training of obstetricians mainly as consultants and the education of a much larger cadre of midwives and family physicians who will provide care for most pregnant women in settings designed to facilitate the normal. Tinkering with the system will not work—it requires a complete refit. (BIRTH 39:4 December 2012)
Moving Beyond the Debate: A Holistic Approach to Understanding and Treating Effects of Neuraxial Analgesia
Authors: Simkin Penny
Published: November 2012

Neuraxial analgesia is here to stay, yet, spirited debate continues over potential harms and the quality of research that fails to identify them. This paper proposes moving beyond the debate and examining holistically the impact of neuraxial analgesia on the psychophysiology of mother and baby. A review of alterations in functioning of many systems is followed by a suggested four‐part protocol to partially restore normal physiology and emotional well‐being, and improve outcomes of neuraxial analgesia. (BIRTH 39:4 December 2012)
New ways to separate Graft‐versus‐Host Disease and Graft‐versus‐Tumour effects after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Kotsiou Eleni , Davies Jeff K.
Published: November 2012

A major challenge to transplant immunologists and physicians remains the separation of harmful graft‐versus‐host disease (GvHD) and beneficial graft‐versus‐tumour (GvT) effects after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent advances in our understanding of the allogeneic immune response provide potential new opportunities to achieve this goal. Three potential new approaches that capitalize on this new knowledge are considered in depth; the manipulation of organ‐specific cytokines and other pro‐inflammatory signals, the selective manipulation of donor effector T cell migration, and the development of cell‐mediated immunosuppressive strategies using donor‐derived regulatory T cells. These new approaches could provide strategies for local control of allogeneic immune responses, a new paradigm to separate GvHD and GvT effects. Although these strategies are currently in their infancy and have challenges to successful translation to clinical practice, all have exciting potential for the future.
Deficiency in Mural Vascular Cells Coincides with Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Sengillo Jesse D. , Winkler Ethan A. , Walker Corey T. , Sullivan John S. , Johnson Mahlon , Zlokovic Berislav V.
Published: November 2012

Neurovascular dysfunction contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cerebrovascular abnormalities and blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage have been shown in AD. The BBB dysfunction can lead to leakage of potentially neurotoxic plasma components in brain that may contribute to neuronal injury. Pericytes are integral in maintaining the BBB integrity. Pericyte‐deficient mice develop a chronic BBB damage preceding neuronal injury. Moreover, loss of pericytes was associated with BBB breakdown in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here, we demonstrate a decrease in mural vascular cells in AD, and show that pericyte number and coverage in the cortex and hippocampus of AD subjects compared with neurologically intact controls are reduced by 59% and 60% (P < 0.01), and 32% and 33% (P < 0.01), respectively. An increase in extravascular immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fibrin deposition correlated with reductions in pericyte coverage in AD cases compared with controls; the Pearson's correlation coefficient r for the magnitude of BBB breakdown to IgG and fibrin vs. reduction in pericyte coverage was −0.96 (P < 0.01) and −0.81 (P < 0.01) in the cortex, respectively, and −0.86 (P < 0.01) and −0.98 (P < 0.01) in the hippocampus, respectively. Thus, deficiency in mural vascular cells may contribute to disrupted vascular barrier properties and resultant neuronal dysfunction during AD pathogenesis.
Deferasirox (ICL670A) effectively inhibits oesophageal cancer growth in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Ford SJ , Obeidy P , Lovejoy DB , Bedford M , Nichols L , Chadwick C , Tucker O , Lui GYL , Kalinowski DS , Jansson PJ , Iqbal TH , Alderson D , Richardson DR , Tselepis C
Published: November 2012

Background and Purpose

Growing evidence implicates iron in the aetiology of gastrointestinal cancer. Furthermore, studies demonstrate that iron chelators possess potent anti‐tumour activity, although whether iron chelators show activity against oesophageal cancer is not known.

Experimental Approach

The effect of the iron chelators, deferoxamine (DFO) and deferasirox, on cellular iron metabolism, viability and proliferation was assessed in two oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell lines, OE33 and OE19, and the squamous oesophageal cell line, OE21. A murine xenograft model was employed to assess the effect of deferasirox on oesophageal tumour burden. The ability of chelators to overcome chemoresistance and to enhance the efficacy of standard chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin, fluorouracil and epirubicin) was also assessed.

Key Results

Deferasirox and DFO effectively inhibited cellular iron acquisition and promoted intracellular iron mobilization. The resulting reduction in cellular iron levels was reflected by increased transferrin receptor 1 expression and reduced cellular viability and proliferation. Treating oesophageal tumour cell lines with an iron chelator in addition to a standard chemotherapeutic agent resulted in a reduction in cellular viability and proliferation compared with the chemotherapeutic agent alone. Both DFO and deferasirox were able to overcome cisplatin resistance. Furthermore, in human xenograft models, deferasirox was able to significantly suppress tumour growth, which was associated with decreased tumour iron levels.

Conclusions and Implications

The clinically established iron chelators, DFO and deferasirox, effectively deplete iron from oesophageal tumour cells, resulting in growth suppression. These data provide a platform for assessing the utility of these chelators in the treatment of oesophageal cancer patients.

Linked Article

This article is commented on by Keeler and Brookes, pp. 1313–1315 of this issue. To view this commentary visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.12093
Physical Activity and Cognitive Control: Implications for Drug Abuse
Authors: Hillman Charles H. , Drobes David J.
Published: November 2012

This article focuses on a growing body of research that has studied the beneficial relation between chronic participation in—and acute responses to—physical activity and brain health, cognition, and scholastic achievement. Specifically, it highlights the relevant behavioral and neuroimaging findings of this beneficial relation in children and adults, providing evidence for the influence of chronic and acute physical activity on brain structure and function that underlie cognition and scholastic achievement. In addition, the article discusses the implications for the role of physical activity on drug use, as well as its prevention and treatment, and makes recommendations for further research in this area.
What Developmental Science Can Contribute to a Transdisciplinary Understanding of Childhood Obesity: An Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Risk Model
Authors: Harrist Amanda W. , Topham Glade L. , Hubbs‐Tait Laura , Page Melanie C. , Kennedy Tay S. , Shriver Lenka H.
Published: November 2012

More complex models than those currently available are needed to guide research about childhood obesity. This article presents an interpersonal and intrapersonal risk model of child obesity, a transdisciplinary model of psychosocial risk factors that is based on work in developmental, family, and nutritional sciences. Two interpersonal realms of child development identified as being potentially significant for understanding the development and maintenance of overweight include the child's family and peer contexts. Child intrapersonal variables proposed as mediators between these contexts and weight outcomes include poor self‐regulation and self‐awareness, negative affect, and emotional or external eating. The article encourages developmental scientists to add their expertise to the study of childhood obesity by using models such as the one outlined here for the generation and testing of hypotheses so that future intervention efforts may be improved.
Efficacy of azithromycin in preventing lethal graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Iwamoto S , Azuma E , Kumamoto T , Hirayama M , Yoshida T , Ito M , Amano K , Ido M , Komada Y
Published: November 2012

Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is initiated by donor T lymphocytes that recognize histocompatibility antigens presented by recipient dendritic cells (DCs). Current approaches to reduce GVHD are focused on suppressing donor T lymphocyte responses to alloantigens. However, these strategies may be inadequate in the setting of allogeneic transplants (particularly histoincompatible transplants), may increase the risk of tumour relapse and are associated with high rates of opportunistic infections. We hypothesized that inhibition of recipient DCs might suppress GVHD. We recently demonstrated in vitro that azithromycin, a macrolide antibiotic, also acts as a nuclear factor (NF)-κB inhibitor of murine DCs and inhibits their maturation and functions, including allogeneic responses. We investigated whether azithromycin could prevent alloreactions in a murine histoincompatibility model. Oral administration of azithromycin to recipient mice for 5 days during major-histoincompatible BMT suppressed lethal GVHD significantly, whereas ex-vivo lymphocyte function was not affected by the drug. These data suggest that azithromycin has potential as a novel prophylactic drug for lethal GVHD.
Anti-cytokine autoantibodies suggest pathogenetic links with autoimmune regulator deficiency in humans and mice
Authors: Kärner J , Meager A , Laan M , Maslovskaja J , Pihlap M , Remm A , Juronen E , Wolff A S B , Husebye E S , Podkrajšek K T , Bratanic N , Battelino T , Willcox N , Peterson P , Kisand K
Published: November 2012

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) is a recessive disorder resulting from mutations in the autoimmune regulator (AIRE). The patients' autoantibodies recognize not only multiple organ-specific targets, but also many type I interferons (IFNs) and most T helper type 17 (Th17) cell-associated cytokines, whose biological actions they neutralize in vitro. These anti-cytokine autoantibodies are highly disease-specific: otherwise, they have been found only in patients with thymomas, tumours of thymic epithelial cells that fail to express AIRE. Moreover, autoantibodies against Th17 cell-associated cytokines correlate with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis in both syndromes. Here, we demonstrate that the immunoglobulin (Ig)Gs but not the IgAs in APECED sera are responsible for neutralizing IFN-ω, IFN-α2a, interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-22. Their dominant subclasses proved to be IgG1 and, surprisingly, IgG4 without IgE, possibly implicating regulatory T cell responses and/or epithelia in their initiation in these AIRE-deficiency states. The epitopes on IL-22 and IFN-α2a appeared mainly conformational. We also found mainly IgG1 neutralizing autoantibodies to IL-17A in aged AIRE-deficient BALB/c mice – the first report of any target shared by these human and murine AIRE-deficiency states. We conclude that autoimmunization against cytokines in AIRE deficiency is not simply a mere side effect of chronic mucosal Candida infection, but appears to be related more closely to disease initiation.
Phylogenetic analyses of Tolpis Adans. (Asteraceae) reveal patterns of adaptive radiation, multiple colonization and interspecific hybridization
Authors: Gruenstaeudl Michael , Santos‐Guerra Arnoldo , Jansen Robert K.
Published: November 2012

The plant genus Tolpis (Asteraceae) has been the subject of several investigations on the evolution of oceanic island plants. Its insular species were utilized in studies of artificial hybrid fertility, testing the validity of Baker’s law, the application of DNA barcodes, and the phylogenetic utility of inter‐simple sequence repeat markers. Despite this considerable interest in Tolpis, little is known about its phylogenetic history. Past investigations were unable to resolve most of the interspecific relationships, especially within the Canary Islands, where the genus is particularly diverse. Incomplete taxon sampling, the use of ambiguous outgroups and the limited utility of slowly evolving chloroplast DNA markers precluded detailed reconstructions. The present investigation presents a comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Tolpis. By utilizing highly variable nuclear DNA markers and a comprehensive taxon set, we have resolved the majority of interspecific relationships in the genus. Evaluations of competing tree topologies and ancestral area reconstructions complemented the analyses. Our results highlight the presence of three dominant mechanisms of island plant evolution—island colonization, adaptive radiation and interspecific hybridization—in Tolpis: (i) the extant distribution of the genus is the result of two independent colonization pathways, (ii) Tolpis has colonized at least one archipelago multiple times, (iii) the present insular diversity is the product of adaptive radiation, (iv) potential hybridization was detected between species now inhabiting different islands and archipelagoes, indicating sympatric historical distributions, and (v) several undescribed species await taxonomic recognition.
Neuronal responses to face‐like stimuli in the monkey pulvinar
Authors: Nguyen Minh Nui , Hori Etsuro , Matsumoto Jumpei , Tran Anh Hai , Ono Taketoshi , Nishijo Hisao
Published: November 2012

The pulvinar nuclei appear to function as the subcortical visual pathway that bypasses the striate cortex, rapidly processing coarse facial information. We investigated responses from monkey pulvinar neurons during a delayed non‐matching‐to‐sample task, in which monkeys were required to discriminate five categories of visual stimuli [photos of faces with different gaze directions, line drawings of faces, face‐like patterns (three dark blobs on a bright oval), eye‐like patterns and simple geometric patterns]. Of 401 neurons recorded, 165 neurons responded differentially to the visual stimuli. These visual responses were suppressed by scrambling the images. Although these neurons exhibited a broad response latency distribution, face‐like patterns elicited responses with the shortest latencies (approximately 50 ms). Multidimensional scaling analysis indicated that the pulvinar neurons could specifically encode face‐like patterns during the first 50‐ms period after stimulus onset and classify the stimuli into one of the five different categories during the next 50‐ms period. The amount of stimulus information conveyed by the pulvinar neurons and the number of stimulus‐differentiating neurons were consistently higher during the second 50‐ms period than during the first 50‐ms period. These results suggest that responsiveness to face‐like patterns during the first 50‐ms period might be attributed to ascending inputs from the superior colliculus or the retina, while responsiveness to the five different stimulus categories during the second 50‐ms period might be mediated by descending inputs from cortical regions. These findings provide neurophysiological evidence for pulvinar involvement in social cognition and, specifically, rapid coarse facial information processing.
Antisaccades as decisions: LATER model predicts latency distributions and error responses
Authors: Noorani I. , Carpenter R. H. S.
Published: November 2012

Antisaccades are widely used in the study of voluntary behavioural control: a subject told to look in the opposite direction to a stimulus must suppress the automatic response of looking towards it, leading to delays and errors that are commonly believed to be generated by competing decision processes. However, currently we lack a precise model of the details of antisaccade behaviour, or indeed detailed quantitative data in the form of full reaction time distributions by which any such model could be evaluated. We measured subjects' antisaccade latency distributions and error rates, and found that we could account precisely for both distributions and errors with a model having three competing LATER processes racing to threshold. In an even more stringent test, we manipulated subjects' expectation of the stimulus, leading to large changes in behaviour that were nevertheless still accurately predicted. The antisaccade task is widely used in the laboratory and clinic because of the relative complexity and vulnerability of the underlying decision mechanisms: our model, grounded in detailed quantitative data, is a robust way of conceptualizing these processes.
Regulation of acetylcholinesterase activity by nitric oxide in rat neuromuscular junction via N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor activation
Authors: Petrov Konstantin A. , Malomouzh Artem I. , Kovyazina Irina V. , Krejci Eric , Nikitashina Alexandra D. , Proskurina Svetlana E. , Zobov Vladimir V. , Nikolsky Evgeny E.
Published: November 2012

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an enzyme that hydrolyses the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, thereby limiting spillover and duration of action. This study demonstrates the existence of an endogenous mechanism for the regulation of synaptic AChE activity. At the rat extensor digitorum longus neuromuscular junction, activation of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors by combined application of glutamate and glycine led to enhancement of nitric oxide (NO) production, resulting in partial AChE inhibition. Partial AChE inhibition was measured using increases in miniature endplate current amplitude. AChE inhibition by paraoxon, inactivation of NO synthase by Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester, and NMDA receptor blockade by dl‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphopentanoic acid prevented the increase in miniature endplate current amplitude caused by amino acids. High‐frequency (10 Hz) motor nerve stimulation in a glycine‐containing bathing solution also resulted in an increase in the amplitude of miniature endplate currents recorded during the interstimulus intervals. Pretreatment with an NO synthase inhibitor and NMDA receptor blockade fully eliminated this effect. This suggests that endogenous glutamate, released into the synaptic cleft as a co‐mediator of acetylcholine, is capable of triggering the NMDA receptor/NO synthase‐mediated pathway that modulates synaptic AChE activity. Therefore, in addition to well‐established modes of synaptic plasticity (e.g. changes in the effectiveness of neurotransmitter release and/or the sensitivity of the postsynaptic membrane), another mechanism exists based on the prompt regulation of AChE activity.
Elevated potassium provides an ionic mechanism for deep brain stimulation in the hemiparkinsonian rat
Authors: Sutton Alexander C. , Yu Wilson , Calos Megan E. , Mueller Lauren E. , Berk Matthew , Shim Jenny , Molho Eric S. , Brotchie Jonathan M. , Carlen Peter L. , Shin Damian S.
Published: November 2012

The mechanism of high‐frequency stimulation used in deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) has not been completely elucidated. Previously, high‐frequency stimulation of the rat entopeduncular nucleus, a basal ganglia output nucleus, elicited an increase in [K+]e to 18 mm, in vitro. In this study, we assessed whether elevated K+ can elicit DBS‐like therapeutic effects in hemiparkinsonian rats by employing the limb‐use asymmetry test and the self‐adjusting stepping test. We then identified how these effects were meditated with in‐vivo and in‐vitro electrophysiology. Forelimb akinesia improved in hemiparkinsonian rats undergoing both tests after 20 mm KCl injection into the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) or the subthalamic nucleus. In the SNr, neuronal spiking activity decreased from 38.2 ± 1.2 to 14.6 ± 1.6 Hz and attenuated SNr beta‐frequency (12–30 Hz) oscillations after K+ treatment. These oscillations are commonly associated with akinesia/bradykinesia in patients with PD and animal models of PD. Pressure ejection of 20 mm KCl onto SNr neurons in vitro caused a depolarisation block and sustained quiescence of SNr activity. In conclusion, our data showed that elevated K+ injection into the hemiparkinsonian rat SNr improved forelimb akinesia, which coincided with a decrease in SNr neuronal spiking activity and desynchronised activity in SNr beta frequency, and subsequently an overall increase in ventral medial thalamic neuronal activity. Moreover, these findings also suggest that elevated K+ may provide an ionic mechanism that can contribute to the therapeutic effects of DBS for the motor treatment of advanced PD.
Exercise‐induced stress resistance is independent of exercise controllability and the medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Greenwood Benjamin N. , Spence Katie G. , Crevling Danielle M. , Clark Peter J. , Craig Wendy C. , Fleshner Monika
Published: November 2012

Exercise increases resistance against stress‐related disorders such as anxiety and depression. Similarly, the perception of control is a powerful predictor of neurochemical and behavioral responses to stress, but whether the experience of choosing to exercise, and exerting control over that exercise, is a critical factor in producing exercise‐induced stress resistance is unknown. The current studies investigated whether the protective effects of exercise against the anxiety‐ and depression‐like consequences of stress are dependent on exercise controllability and a brain region implicated in the protective effects of controllable experiences, the medial prefrontal cortex. Adult male Fischer 344 rats remained sedentary, were forced to run on treadmills or motorised running wheels, or had voluntary access to wheels for 6 weeks. Three weeks after exercise onset, rats received sham surgery or excitotoxic lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex. Rats were exposed to home cage or uncontrollable tail shock treatment three weeks later. Shock‐elicited fear conditioning and shuttle box escape testing occurred the next day. Both forced and voluntary wheel running, but not treadmill training, prevented the exaggerated fear conditioning and interference with escape learning produced by uncontrollable stress. Lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex failed to eliminate the protective effects of forced or voluntary wheel running. These data suggest that exercise controllability and the medial prefrontal cortex are not critical factors in conferring the protective effects of exercise against the affective consequences of stressor exposure, and imply that exercise perceived as forced may still benefit affect and mental health.
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy as a neuropsychiatric syndrome of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Toyota Tomoko , Akamatsu Naoki , Tanaka Akihiro , Shouzaki Taisaku , Tsuji Sadatoshi , Saito Kazuyoshi , Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: November 2012

In this study, we aimed to investigate the types of seizures and epilepsy associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We searched the medical records at a tertiary referral center to identify a cohort of epilepsy patients with SLE who were treated between January 2000 and August 2011. We analyzed the clinical and immunologic profiles of these patients, their seizure and epilepsy classifications, electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments, and the treatment administered for epilepsy and SLE. As the result, 17 patients with SLE and epilepsy were identified. Seven patients had mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), eight had epilepsy secondary to stroke, and two had generalized epilepsy. Of the seven patients with MTLE, anteriotemporal spikes were noted in all patients with EEG, and MRI findings suggesting hippocampal sclerosis were noted in four patients. Clobazam and levetiracetam were effective in treating three patients, and one patient underwent amygdalohippocampectomy. In conclusion, MTLE may be a characteristic manifestation of neuropsychiatric syndrome of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Relationship between sea lice levels on sea trout and fish farm activity in western Scotland
Authors: Middlemas S. J. , Fryer R. J. , Tulett D. , Armstrong J. D.
Published: November 2012

The relationship between aquaculture and infestations of sea lice on sea trout, Salmo trutta L., is controversial. Here, the association between sea lice infestations on wild sea trout and characteristics of local Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms were investigated using data collected on the Scottish west coast. The proportion of sea trout with louse burdens above a critical level was positively related to the fork length of the sea trout and the mean weight of salmon on the nearest fish farm, and negatively related to the distance to that farm. The distance to the nearest fish farm did not influence the probability of infestations above the critical level beyond 31 km although there was considerable uncertainty around this cut‐off distance (95% limits: 13–149 km). The results support a link between Atlantic salmon farms and sea lice burdens on sea trout in the west of Scotland and provide the type of information required for marine spatial planning.
High‐Performance Integrated Optics with Tellurite Glasses: Status and Prospects
Authors: Madden Steve J. , Vu Khu T.
Published: November 2012

Tellurite glasses have long been recognized as interesting materials for fiber and integrated optics, but it is only recently that the first steps toward high‐performance planar devices have been taken. This study reviews the opportunities for planar tellurite devices, the current state of the art of planar waveguide devices, and considers the areas of research required to move the materials platform to the level of maturity needed to realize its promise.
Adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine: variation of emulsion components affects stability, antigen structure, and vaccine efficacy
Authors: Fox Christopher B. , Barnes V Lucien , Evers Tara , Chesko James D. , Vedvick Thomas S. , Coler Rhea N. , Reed Steven G. , Baldwin Susan L.
Published: November 2012

Please cite this paper as: Fox et al. (2012) Adjuvanted pandemic influenza vaccine: variation of emulsion components affects stability, antigen structure, and vaccine efficacy. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses DOI: 10.1111/irv.12031.

Abstract Background  Adjuvant formulations are critical components of modern vaccines based on recombinant proteins, which are often poorly immunogenic without additional immune stimulants. Oil‐in‐water emulsions comprise an advanced class of vaccine adjuvants that are components of approved seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines. However, few reports have been published that systematically evaluate the in vitro stability and in vivo adjuvant effects of different emulsion components.

Objectives  To evaluate distinct classes of surfactants, oils, and excipients, for their effects on emulsion particle size stability, antigen structural interactions, and in vivo activity when formulated with a recombinant H5N1 antigen.

Methods  Emulsions were manufactured by high pressure homogenization and characterized alone or in the presence of vaccine antigen by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, viscosity, pH, hemolytic activity, electron microscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and SDS‐PAGE. In vivo vaccine activity in the murine model was characterized by measuring antibody titers, antibody‐secreting plasma cells, hemagglutination inhibition titers, and cytokine production.

Results  We demonstrate that surfactant class and presence of additional excipients are not critical for biological activity, whereas oil structure is crucial. Moreover, we report that simplified two‐component emulsions appear more stable by particle size than more complex formulations.Finally, differences in antigen structural interactions with the various emulsions do not appear to correlate with in vivo activity.

Conclusions  Oil‐in‐water emulsions can significantly enhance antibody and cellular immune responses to a pandemic influenza antigen. The dramatic differences in adjuvant activity between squalene‐based emulsion and medium chain triglyceride‐based emulsion are due principally to the biological activity of the oil composition rather than physical interactions of the antigen with the emulsion.
Predicting soil properties from the Australian soil visible–near infrared spectroscopic database
Authors: Rossel R. A. Viscarra , Webster R.
Published: November 2012

There are reflectance spectra in the visible and near infrared wavelengths from some 20 000 archived samples of soil in Australia. Their particular forms depend on absorbances at specific wavelengths characteristic of components in the soil such as water, iron oxides, clay minerals and carbon compounds, and so one might expect to be able to predict soil properties from the spectra. We tested a tree‐based technique for the prediction of 24 soil properties. A tree is first constructed by the definition of rules that separate the data into fairly homogeneous groups for any given property on both the absorptions at specified wavelengths and other, categoric, variables. Then within each group the property is predicted from the absorptions at those wavelengths by ordinary least‐squares regression. The spectroscopic predictions of the soil properties were compared with actual values in a subset of sample data separated from the whole data for validation. The criteria of success that we used were the root mean squared error (RMSE) to measure the inaccuracy of our predictions, the mean error (ME) to measure their bias and the standard deviation of the error (SDE) to measure their imprecision. We also used the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD), which is the ratio of the standard deviation of the observed values to the RMSE of the predictions; the larger it is the better does the technique perform. We found good predictions (RPD>2) for clay and total sand content, for total organic carbon and total nitrogen, pH, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable calcium, magnesium and sodium. Several other properties were moderately well predicted (1.5 ≤ RPD < 2); they included air‐dry water content, volumetric water content at field capacity and wilting point, bulk density, the contents of silt, fine sand and coarse sand, total and exchangeable potassium, total phosphorus and extractable iron. Properties that were poorly predicted (RPD < 1.5) include the carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio, available phosphorus and exchangeable acidity. We conclude that even though the predictions are less accurate than direct measurements, the spectra are cheap yet valuable sources of information for predicting values of individual soil properties when large numbers of analyses are needed, for example, for soil mapping.