bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impaired hippocampal LTP in inbred mouse strains can be rescued by β‐adrenergic receptor activation
Authors: Schimanski Lesley A. , Ali Declan W. , Baker Glen B. , Nguyen Peter V.
Published: April 2007

Long‐term potentiation (LTP), an activity‐dependent enhancement of synaptic strength, and memory can be influenced by neuromodulatory transmitters such as norepinephrine (NE) and also by genetic background. β‐Adrenergic receptor activation can facilitate the expression of hippocampal CA1 LTP induced by weak stimulus patterns, but its influence on LTP induced by stronger stimulus patterns is unclear. We examined neural NE and dopamine (DA) levels, β‐adrenergic receptor expression and hippocampal LTP in genetically diverse inbred mouse strains. Brain tissue levels of NE were significantly lower in strains 129S1/SvImJ (129), BALB/cByJ (BALB) and C3H/HeJ (C3H) than in C57BL/6NCrlBR (B6). Western blot analysis showed that hippocampal β1‐adrenergic receptor expression was similar in strains B6, 129 and C3H, but was increased in BALB. LTP was induced in area CA1 of hippocampal slices by four trains of high‐frequency stimulation (HFS) of the Schaeffer collaterals in the four inbred strains. Two hours after induction, LTP was significantly reduced in strains 129, BALB and C3H compared to B6, correlating with neural NE levels. We rescued hippocampal LTP in strains 129, BALB and C3H to levels seen in B6 by bath application of 1 µm isoproterenol, a β‐adrenergic receptor agonist, during HFS. Propranolol, a β‐adrenergic receptor antagonist, blocked this rescue in 129, BALB and C3H but did not affect LTP in strain B6. Thus, although this form of multitrain LTP does not rely on β‐adrenergic receptor activation, our data show that pharmacological activation of β‐adrenergic receptors during multiple trains of HFS can rescue CA1 LTP in genetically diverse strains with impaired LTP.
Olfactory lateralization in homing pigeons: initial orientation of birds receiving a unilateral olfactory input
Authors: Gagliardo Anna , Pecchia Tommaso , Savini Maria , Odetti Francesca , Ioalè Paolo , Vallortigara Giorgio
Published: April 2007

It has been shown that homing pigeons (Columba livia) rely on olfactory cues to navigate from unfamiliar locations. In fact, the integrity of the olfactory system, from the olfactory mucosa to the piriform cortex, is required for pigeons to navigate over unfamiliar areas. Recently it has been shown that there is a functional asymmetry in the piriform cortex, with the left piriform cortex more involved in the use of the olfactory navigational map than the right piriform cortex. To investigate further the lateralization of the olfactory system in relation to navigational processes in carrier pigeons, we compared their homing performance after either their left or the right nostril was plugged. Contrary to our expectations, we observed an impairment in the initial orientation of the pigeons with their right nostril plugged. However, both groups released with one nostril plugged tended to be poorer than control pigeons in their homing performance. The observed asymmetry in favour of the right nostril might be due to projections from the olfactory bulbs to the contralateral globus pallidum, a structure involved in motor responses.
Social stress induces hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis responses in lactating rats bred for high trait anxiety
Authors: Douglas A. J. , Meddle S. L. , Kroemer S. , Muesch W. , Bosch O. J. , Neumann I. D.
Published: April 2007

Hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis responses to various stressors are typically attenuated during lactation, including in rats selectively bred for high or low anxiety. As high‐anxiety dams are more aggressive towards intruders than low‐anxiety dams during maternal defence, we investigated their hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenal axis responses to this social stress. Maternal defence induced elevated stress responses in high‐anxiety dams only; nerve‐growth‐factor‐induced gene B mRNA expression in the parvocellular paraventricular nucleus and adrenocorticotropin hormone secretory responses were substantially enhanced after maternal defence. In contrast, secretory responses to a non‐social stress (elevated platform) were not different between high‐ and low‐anxiety dams. Thus, responsiveness of the stress axis in lactation is dependent upon the innate level of anxiety of the dam and, as a consequence, her reactiveness to social threat.
Protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibition reduces degeneration of dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons and projections in 6‐OHDA treated adult rats
Authors: Yang Peng , Dankowski Aygul , Hagg Theo
Published: April 2007

The survival of injured adult dopaminergic substantia nigra pars compacta neurons can be promoted by various neurotrophic factors. Most neurotrophic factor receptors are activated by intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation upon ligand binding and are subsequently inactivated or dephosphorylated by protein tyrosine phosphatases. This raised the possibility that tyrosine phosphatase inhibition might improve neuronal survival. Here, we infused the stable water‐soluble tyrosine phosphatase‐specific inhibitor, peroxovanadium [potassium bisperoxo(1,10‐phenanthroline)oxovanadate (V) (bpV(phen))], for 14 days close to the substantia nigra starting immediately after a unilateral moderate injury by injection of the neurotoxin 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) into the midbrain of adult Sprague–Dawley rats. The dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons were identified by retrograde tracing with fluorogold 7 days prior to the injury. With infusion of 3 or 10 µm peroxovanadium, 75% of these neurons survived compared to 45% in vehicle‐infused rats. Degeneration of the dopaminergic projections to the neostriatum was also reduced by 10 µm peroxovanadium. Twenty minutes after an acute injection of peroxovanadium into the substantia nigra, increased tyrosine phosphorylation in Western blots of nigral extracts was seen in the same protein bands as after injections of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or NT‐4. This suggests that peroxovanadium enhances endogenous neurotrophic signalling resulting in improved neuronal survival. The neuroprotective effects of this small molecule protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor represent a proof‐of‐principle for a novel treatment strategy in a model for Parkinson's disease.
Empirical tests of the functional significance of amygdala‐based modulation of hippocampal representations: evidence for multiple memory consolidation pathways
Authors: McDonald Robert J. , Lo Queenie , King Amy L. , Wasiak Tamara D. , Hong Nancy S.
Published: April 2007

This series of experiments evaluated the effects of amygdala damage on the acquisition and long‐term retention of variants of the water task, and tested the hypothesis that the amygdala is an essential neural system for consolidation of hippocampal memories. In Experiment 1, rats with large, neurotoxic lesions of the amygdala (AMYG) showed normal acquisition on the standard spatial version of the water task, as well as normal retention and decay rate profiles on the 24‐h and 30‐day retention probes. In Experiment 2, AMYG rats showed normal one‐trial place learning abilities and could retain this one‐trial information over a 24 h delay. Experiment 3 showed that the amygdala lesions used in this study were functionally significant because AMYG rats, from Experiment 2, showed impairments in a discriminative fear conditioning to context paradigm. Experiment 4 was a critical test of the idea that the amygdala is a decisive locus for consolidation of hippocampal memories. AMYG rats were trained to sub‐asymptotic levels of performance on the standard version of the water task. Following each training session, the subjects were given a post‐training peripheral injection of d‐amphetamine. A probe test revealed that normal subjects and AMYG rats showed similar post‐training memory improvement effects. Taken together, the results show that hippocampal memory consolidation processes do not require amygdala modulation. Arguments for an alternative view are presented suggesting that there are multiple memory consolidation pathways, one of which may depend on amygdala neural circuitry.
Dissociable effects of disconnecting amygdala central nucleus from the ventral tegmental area or substantia nigra on learned orienting and incentive motivation
Authors: El‐Amamy Heather , Holland Peter C.
Published: April 2007

Recent evidence suggests that the amygdala central nucleus (CeA) and midbrain‐striatal dopamine systems are critically involved in the alteration of attentional and emotional processing of initially neutral stimuli by associative learning. In rats, the acquisition of learned orienting responses (ORs) to visual cues paired with food is impaired by lesions of the CeA, and by lesions that disconnect CeA from the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), a region traditionally implicated in elevated responsiveness to sensory stimuli. Similarly, the acquisition of emotional significance to cues paired with food also depends on the function of CeA and of the ventral striatal nucleus accumbens (ACB), a region often considered crucial to acquired reward and motivation. For example, the ability of a cue previously paired with food to increase the rate of food‐reinforced instrumental responding (Pavlovian‐instrumental transfer, PIT) is eliminated by lesions of the CeA or the accumbens core. In this experiment, we found that lesions that functionally disconnected CeA from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) impaired the acquisition of conditioned orienting to auditory cues paired with food, but had no effect on their ability to enhance instrumental responding, relative to the effects of unilateral lesions of that region. By contrast, lesions that disconnected CeA from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) had no effect on the acquisition of conditioned orienting, but facilitated Pavlovian‐instrumental transfer relative to unilateral midbrain lesions, rescuing that function to sham–lesion control levels. Otherwise, unilateral lesions of either midbrain region impaired transfer. Implications of these results for circuit models of amygdalo–striatal interactions in associative learning are discussed.
Implication of protein kinase C in the orexin‐induced elevation of extracellular dopamine levels and its rewarding effect
Authors: Narita Minoru , Nagumo Yasuyuki , Miyatake Mayumi , Ikegami Daigo , Kurahashi Kana , Suzuki Tsutomu
Published: April 2007

In the present study, we investigated the role of orexinergic systems in the activation of midbrain dopamine neurons. In anin vitrostudy, exposure to either orexin A or orexin B under superfusion conditions produced a transient increase in the intracellular Ca2+concentration through the phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC) pathway via Gq11α or Gβγ subunits in midbrain cultured neurons, which were shown to be tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐positive cells, but not in purified midbrain astrocytes. Here we show thatin vivoinjection with a selective PKC inhibitor chelerythrine chloride or 2‐{8‐[(dimethylamino)methyl]‐6,7,8,9‐tetrahydropyrido[1,2‐a]indol‐3‐yl}‐3‐1‐methyl‐1H‐indol‐3‐ylmaleimide HCl (Ro‐32–0432) into the ventral tegmental area (VTA) significantly suppressed the place preference and increased levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) induced by intra‐VTA injection of orexins. These results strongly support the idea that activation of the orexin‐containing neuron in the VTA leads to the direct activation of mesolimbic dopamine neurons through the activation of the PLC/PKC pathway via Gq11α or Gβγ‐subunit activation, which could be associated with the development of its rewarding effect.
Phenylalanine activates the mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis through the RhoA/Rho‐associated kinase pathway in cortical neurons
Authors: Zhang Yongjun , Gu Xuefan , Yuan Xiaobing
Published: April 2007

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase, resulting in an accumulation of phenylalanine in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid of phenylketonuria patients. Phenylketonuria is neuropathologically characterized by neuronal cell loss, white matter abnormalities, dendritic simplification, and synaptic density reduction. The neuropathological effect may be due to the ‘toxicity’ of the high concentration of phenylalanine, while the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that cultured cerebral cortical neurons underwent mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis when exposed to phenylalanine. We further demonstrated that phenylalanine induced RhoA activation. Phenylalanine also promoted myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, which might be the result of the activation of Rho‐associated kinase (ROCK). The RhoA antagonist, C3 transferase (C3), Rho‐associated kinase specific inhibitor, Y‐27632, and the overexpression of either dominant negative RhoA or dominant negative Rho‐associated kinase inhibited phenylalanine‐induced caspase‐3 activation and rescued neurons from apoptosis, indicating that the RhoA/Rho‐associated kinase signalling pathway plays an important role in phenylalanine‐induced neuronal apoptosis.
Dorsolateral cervical spinal injury differentially affects forelimb and hindlimb action in rats
Authors: Muir Gillian D. , Webb Aubrey A. , Kanagal Srikanth , Taylor Laura
Published: April 2007

In experimental spinal injury studies, damage to the dorsal half of the spinal cord is common but the behavioural effects of damage to specific pathways in the dorsal cord have been less well investigated. We performed bilateral transection of the dorsolateral spinal funiculus (DLF) on 12 Long–Evans rats at the third cervical spinal segment. We quantified overground locomotion by measuring ground reaction forces, step timing and step distances as animals moved unrestrained. We also assessed skilled locomotion by measuring footslip errors made while the animals crossed horizontal ladders, and examined paw usage in a cylinder exploration task and during a skilled reaching task. Ground reaction forces revealed that rats with bilateral DLF lesions moved with a symmetrical gait, characterized mainly by altered forces exerted by the hindlimbs, delayed onset of hindlimb stance, and understepping of the hindlimbs relative to the forelimbs. These alterations in overground locomotion were subtle but were nevertheless consistent between animals and persisted throughout the 6‐week recovery period. During ladder crossing, rats with DLF lesions made more footslip errors with the hindlimbs after surgery than before. Spontaneous forelimb usage during exploration was not affected by DLF axotomy but lesioned animals were less successful during skilled reaching. This is the first study which describes preferentially altered hindlimb use during overground locomotion after cervical DLF transections. We discuss these findings in relation to previous work and to the possible contributions of different ascending and descending pathways in the DLF to locomotion and skilled movements in rats.
The extreme C‐terminus of GluRδ2 is essential for induction of long‐term depression in cerebellar slices
Authors: Kohda Kazuhisa , Kakegawa Wataru , Matsuda Shinji , Nakagami Ryoichi , Kakiya Naomasa , Yuzaki Michisuke
Published: April 2007

Long‐term depression (LTD) of parallel fibre (PF)–Purkinje cell synapses in the cerebellum is recognized as a cellular substrate of motor learning. Although the δ2 glutamate receptor (GluRδ2) has been shown to be crucial for LTD, the mechanisms by which GluRδ2 functions remain elusive. In this study, we developed a virus vector‐based gene transfer approach to rescue impaired LTD in GluRδ2‐null Purkinje cells in cerebellar slice preparations. We demonstrated that LTD was restored in GluRδ2‐null Purkinje cells transduced with wild‐type but not with mutant GluRδ2, which lacked the PDZ‐ligand domain in the C‐terminus. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed no difference in expression levels or spine localization patterns between virally introduced wild‐type and mutant GluRδ2 proteins. Similarly, LTD was abrogated in Purkinje cells that had been acutely perfused with peptides, hampering the interaction of GluRδ2 with PDZ proteins such as PSD‐93, PTPMEG and S‐SCAM but not with delphilin. Together, these results indicate that PDZ proteins that bind to the C‐terminus of GluRδ2 are not essential for localizing GluRδ2 at synapses but are crucial for conveying signals necessary for the induction of LTD.
Proliferative responses to growth factors decline rapidly during postnatal maturation of mammalian hair cell epithelia
Authors: Gu Rende , Montcouquiol Mireille , Marchionni Mark , Corwin Jeffrey T.
Published: April 2007

Millions of lives are affected by hearing and balance deficits that arise as a consequence of sensory hair cell loss. Those deficits affect mammals permanently, but hearing and balance recover in nonmammals after epithelial supporting cells divide and produce replacement hair cells. Hair cells are not effectively replaced in mammals, but balance epithelia cultured from the ears of rodents and adult humans can respond to hair cell loss with low levels of supporting cell proliferation. We have sought to stimulate vestibular proliferation; and we report here that treatment with glial growth factor 2 (rhGGF2) yields a 20‐fold increase in cell proliferation within sheets of pure utricular hair cell epithelium explanted from adult rats into long‐term culture. In epithelia from neonates, substantially greater proliferation responses are evoked by rhGGF2 alone, insulin alone and to a lesser degree by serum even during short‐term cultures, but all these responses progressively decline during the first 2 weeks of postnatal maturation. Thus, sheets of utricular epithelium from newborn rats average > 40% labelling when cultured for 72 h with bromo‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) and either rhGGF2 or insulin. Those from 5‐ and 6‐day‐olds average 8–15%, 12‐day‐olds average < 1% and after 72 h there is little or no labelling in epithelia from 27‐ and 35‐day‐olds. These cells are the mammalian counterparts of the progenitors that produce replacement hair cells in nonmammals, so the postnatal quiescence described here is likely to be responsible for at least part of the mammalian ear's unique vulnerability to permanent sensory deficits.
Changes in neuronal response to ischemia in retinas with genetic alterations of somatostatin receptor expression
Authors: Catalani Elisabetta , Cervia Davide , Martini Davide , Bagnoli Paola , Simonetti Elisa , Timperio Anna Maria , Casini Giovanni
Published: April 2007

Ischemia is a primary cause of neuronal death in retinal diseases. The repertoire of expressed transmitter receptors would determine the neurons' responses to ischemic damage, and peptidergic receptors may be involved. With a new in vitro model of the ischemic mouse retina, we investigated whether an altered expression of somatostatin receptors could modulate retinal responses to ischemia. We used retinas of somatostatin receptor 1 (sst1) knock out (KO) mice, where sst2 are over‐expressed and over‐functional, and of sst2 KO mice. TUNEL analysis of ischemic retinas showed a marked reduction of cell death in sst1 KO retinas, while there were no differences between wild‐type (WT) and sst2 KO retinas. In addition, caspase‐3 mRNA expression was also reduced in sst1 KO as compared to WT retinas. An immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that different cell populations responded differently to the ischemic insult, and that the persistence of some immunohistochemical markers was greater in sst1 KO than in WT or in sst2 KO retinas. In particular, rod bipolar cell survival was markedly improved in sst1 KO retinas, while it was dramatically decreased in sst2 KO retinas. Furthermore, consistent with a role of glutamate excitotoxicity in ischemia‐induced neuronal death, retinal glutamate release was observed to increase under ischemic conditions, but this increase was significantly reduced in sst1 KO retinas. These observations demonstrate that an increased presence of functional sst2 protects against retinal ischemia, thus implementing the background for the use of sst2 analogs in therapies of retinal diseases such as glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy.
Diversity and abundance of Gram positive bacteria in a tidal flat ecosystem
Authors: Stevens Heike , Brinkhoff Thorsten , Rink Beate , Vollmers John , Simon Meinhard
Published: April 2007

Gram positive bacteria recently have been identified as important components of freshwater ecosystems and are also present in marine environments. However, their quantitative significance and possible role in the latter systems is still little studied, in particular in coastal regions. Therefore, we investigated the abundance and composition of Gram positive bacteria in the Wadden Sea, a tidal flat ecosystem in the German Bight of the North Sea. Applying fluorescence in situ hybridization we found that Actinobacteria constitute 4–7% of total bacteria in the Wadden Sea and slightly higher proportions in a freshwater drainage channel connected to the sea by a sluice. The application of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 16S rRNA gene fragments after amplification by an Actinobacteria‐specific primer set and subsequent sequencing showed that the composition of the actinobacterial community in the Wadden Sea was distinctly different from that in the freshwater system. A bacterial clone library of 111 clones yielded eight Gram positive phylotypes which are related closely to other marine phylotypes including the Marine Actinobacteria Clade but also to freshwater phylotypes. We applied dilution cultures, enriched with various biopolymers, Marine Broth and Fucus vesiculosus extracts, for isolating bacteria from the bulk water, suspended aggregates, the oxic surface and oxic/anoxic transition zone of the sediment. Fifty‐three isolates affiliated to seven families of the order Actinomycetales and nine isolates to the family Bacillaceae. The salinity range (1–45‰ NaCl) and growth optimum of 14 strains from various families showed that all except one strain exhibited a rather broad range of sustained growth from 1‰ to ≥ 20‰ NaCl and several strains exhibited an optimum of > 10‰ NaCl. The results indicate that the Gram positive bacterial community in the Wadden Sea is surprisingly diverse and consists mainly of indigenous species which appear to be well adapted to the environmental conditions of this coastal ecosystem.
Laparoscopy in paediatric urology: present status
Authors: Smaldone Marc C. , Sweeney Danielle D. , Ost Michael C. , Docimo Steven G.
Published: April 2007

The spectrum of laparoscopic surgery in children has developed dramatically; what was initially used as a diagnostic method to identify an impalpable testis is now commonly used for complex reconstructive procedures such as pyeloplasty. Laparoscopic orchidopexy and nephrectomy are well established and are used at many centres. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, adrenalectomy and dismembered pyeloplasty series have reported shorter hospital stays and operative times that are comparable with that of open techniques, and/or decreasing with experience. The initial experiences with laparoscopic ureteric re‐implantation and laparoscopically assisted bladder reconstructive surgery are reported, with encouraging results for feasibility, hospital stay, and cosmetic outcome.
CO‐OPERATION IN COLLECTIVE ECONOMY
Authors: Gerhard Neuenkirch Senator A.D.
Published: April 2007

The Trend towards Concentration and Co‐operation among Public Undertakings, Free Collective‐Economy Undertakings, Co‐operatives and Undertakings in the Utility Housing Sector.
THE TREND TOWARDS MONOPOLIES AND THE GENERAL INTEREST
Authors: Lasserre Georges
Published: April 2007

This article is a sequel to the one published in the Oct.‐Dec. 1967 issue of the Annals under the title Profit, the Enterprise and the General Interest. The delay in the appearance of the second article is regretted; the explanation is to be found in the demands made on the author's time by the upheaval which has taken place in French university teaching since May 1668.
Mind-Set Matters
Authors: Crum Alia J. , Langer Ellen J.
Published: April 2007

In a study testing whether the relationship between exercise and health is moderated by one's mindset, 84 female room attendants working in seven different hotels were measured on physiological health variables affected by exercise. Those in the informed condition were told that the work they do (cleaning hotel rooms) is good exercise and satisfies the Surgeon General's recommendations for an active lifestyle. Examples of how their work was exercise were provided. Subjects in the control group were not given this information. Although actual behavior did not change, 4 weeks after the intervention, the informed group perceived themselves to be getting significantly more exercise than before. As a result, compared with the control group, they showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index. These results support the hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect.
Postidentification Feedback Affects Real Eyewitnesses
Authors: Wright Daniel B. , Skagerberg Elin M.
Published: April 2007

Many studies of simulated eyewitness situations have shown that under certain laboratory conditions, people's confidence about their identifications predicts their accuracy, but that their reported confidence can be affected by telling them that they chose the suspect. In this study, eyewitnesses (n = 134) to real crimes took part in lineups at an identification suite in the United Kingdom and were asked questions about their memory both before and after they were told whether they had identified the suspect or a filler. Before the eyewitnesses were told whether they had identified the suspect or a filler, their responses to several questions reliably differentiated between those who identified the suspect and those who identified a filler. In addition, responses to the memory questions were affected by telling the eyewitnesses whether or not they had identified the suspect. These results show that postidentification feedback affects real eyewitnesses and highlight the importance of recording meta-memory variables before an eyewitness discovers whether he or she has identified the suspect.
Saccade landing point selection and the competition account of pro‐ and antisaccade generation: The involvement of visual attention – A review
Authors: KRISTJÁNSSON ÁRNI
Published: April 2007

This paper presents a review and summary of experimental findings on the role of attention in the preparation of saccadic eye movements. The focus is on experiments where performance ofprosaccades(saccadestowardsa suddenly appearing item) andantisaccades(saccades of equal amplitude in the direction opposite to where the target moved) is compared. Evidence suggests that these two opposite responses to the same stimulus event entail competition between neural pathways that generate reflexive movements to the target and neural mechanisms involved in inhibiting the reflex and generating a voluntary gaze shift in the opposite direction to the target appearance. Evidence for such a competition account is discussed in light of a large amount of experimental findings and the overall picture clearly indicates that this competition account has great explanatory power when data on saccadic reaction times and error rates are compared for the two types of saccade. The role of attention is also discussed in particular in light of the finding that the withdrawal of attention by a secondary task 200 to 500 ms before the saccade target appears, leads to speeded antisaccades (without a similar increase in error rates), showing that the results do not simply reflect a speed‐accuracy trade‐off. This result indicates that the tendency for “reflexive” prosaccades is diminished when attention is engaged in a different task. Furthermore, experiments are discussed that show that as the tendency for a reflexive prosaccade is weakened, antisaccades are speeded up, further supporting the competition account of pro‐ and antisaccade generation. In the light of evidence from neurophysiology of monkeys and humans, a tentative model of pro‐ and antisaccade generation is proposed.
RONALD COASE'S ENGLISHNESS AND STEVEN CHEUNG'S CHINESENESS
Authors: Hsiung Bingyuan
Published: April 2007

Abstract.  Coase once remarked that ‘a theory serves as a base for thinking’, but he never explained explicitly what he meant or developed the idea. Cheung, a friend of Coase for several decades, has inadvertently taken up the task. With his widely read literary economic essays, Cheung forcefully demonstrates the analytical power of economics and almost single‐handedly launched a unique literary tradition in the Chinese‐speaking world. If the economist can help improve the efficiency of resource allocation by advising policy makers, then his helping the general public to acquire the economic way of thinking would have an even more profound impact.
CURRENCY UNIONS, TRADE FLOWS AND CAPITAL FLOWS
Authors: Yetman James
Published: April 2007

Abstract.  Trade within currency unions is much larger than outside of currency unions, even after factoring in many relevant variables. The existing empirical evidence is based on reduced form models of trade, and therefore indicates correlation between but neither causality nor mechanism. This paper argues that the causal relationship runs from currency unions to trade, and then considers two possible mechanisms behind this: currency union membership: reduces trade resistance or reduces investment resistance. We argue that both mechanisms are required to explain the observed economic impact of currency union membership.
IMPOVERISHING TECHNICAL AND PREFERENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS
Authors: Fishburn Geoffrey , Kemp Murray C.
Published: April 2007

Abstract.  Edgeworth showed that a free‐trading country might be impoverished by its own technical improvements if they are confined to the export industry and if no good is inferior in consumption. More recently it has been shown that improvements confined to the country's import competing industry can never be impoverishing if, in that country, no commodity is inferior in consumption. However, in all available proofs of these propositions, it has been assumed that for each country there exists an autarkic equilibrium. It will be shown that, without that assumption, the second proposition must be severely qualified.
Karl Barth on Gethsemane
Authors: JONES PAUL DAFYDD
Published: April 2007

Abstract:  This article considers Karl Barth's understanding of the humanity of Christ in light of remarks on Gethsemane in CD IV/1, §59. I argue that Barth views Christ's humanity as a history in motion, propelled towards crisis; an event of justificatory responsibility; a struggle that marks God's being and human being; and a covenantal rejection of sin and evil. These discrete claims can be gathered into a broader contention: Barth's remarks on Christ's agony in Gethsemane point towards a powerful description of Christ's human identity and agency that runs through the Dogmatics. The article concludes with remarks on the contemporary significance of Barth's Christology.
Do Share Buybacks Provide Price Support? Evidence From Mandatory Non‐Trading Periods
Authors: Keswani Aneel , Yang Jing , Young Steven
Published: April 2007

Abstract:  Financial regulators, analysts and journalists have expressed concern that open market share repurchases may help support share prices. We test this conjecture by examining repurchasing firms' share price patterns on entering mandatory non‐trading periods imposed by the London Stock Exchange. If buybacks provide price support, we would expect to observe price declines when trading bans force firms to suspend their buyback program. Consistent with claims that open market buybacks provide price support, we document average price declines when repurchasing firms enter mandatory non‐trading periods. We also find that the magnitude of the price decline varies cross‐sectionally with proxies for the price support impact of repurchases in the predicted manner. However, economic and statistical significance levels are moderate and largely confined to non‐trading periods preceding interim results announcements, casting doubt on whether trading profits could be earned by exploiting this information.
Diverse origins and timing of formation of basinal brines in the Gulf of Mexico sedimentary basin
Authors: HANOR J. S. , MCINTOSH J. C.
Published: April 2007

A review of five different field areas in the Gulf of Mexico sedimentary basin (GOM) illustrates some of the potentially diverse chemical and physical processes which have produced basinal brines. The elevated salinities of most of the formation waters in the GOM are ultimately related to the presence of the Middle Jurassic Louann Salt. Some of these brines likely inherited their salinity from evaporated Mesozoic seawater, while other saline fluids have been produced by subsequent dissolution of salt, some of which is occurring today. The timing of the generation of brines has thus not been restricted to the Middle Jurassic. The mechanisms of solute transport that have introduced brines throughout much of the sedimentary section of the GOM are not entirely understood. Free convection driven by spatial variations in formation water temperature and salinity is undoubtedly occurring around some salt structures. However, the driving mechanisms for the broad, diffusive upward solute transport in the northern Gulf rim of Arkansas and northern Louisiana are not known. In the Lower Cretaceous of Texas, fluid flow was much more highly focused, and perhaps episodic. It is clear that many areas of the Gulf basin are hydrologically connected and that large‐scale fluid flow, solute transport, and dispersion have occurred.

The Na‐Mg‐Ca‐Cl compositions of brines in the areas of the Gulf Coast sedimentary basin reviewed in this article are products of diagenesis and do not reflect the composition of the evaporated marine waters present at the time of sediment deposition. Large differences in Na, Ca, and Mg trends for waters hosted by Mesozoic versus Cenozoic sediments may reflect differences in: (i) the sources of salinity (evaporated seawater for some of the Mesozoic sediments, dissolution of salt for some of the Cenozoic sediments); (ii) sediment lithology (dominantly carbonates for much of the Mesozoic sediments, and dominantly siliciclastics for the Cenozoic sediments); or (iii) residence times of brines associated with these sediments (tens of millions of years versus perhaps days).
Localization of the spinal nucleus of accessory nerve in rat: a horseradish peroxidase study
Authors: Ullah Muzammil , Mansor Othman , Ismail Zul Izhar Mohammad , Kapitonova Marina Yu , Sirajudeen K. N. S.
Published: April 2007

The spinal nucleus of the accessory nerve (SNA) comprises the group of somata (perikarya) of motor neurons that supply the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. There are many conflicting views regarding the longitudinal extent and topography of the SNA, even in the same species, and these disagreements prompted the present investigation. Thirty Sprague–Dawley rats (15 males, 15 females) were used. The SNA was localized by retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase. Longitudinally, the SNA was found to be located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9–1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata, the whole lengths of cervical spinal cord segments C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 and rostral fourth of C6. In the caudal part of the medulla oblongata, the SNA was represented by a group of perikarya of motor neurons lying immediately ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. In the spinal cord, the motor neuronal somata of the SNA were located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and in the ventrolateral column only at C3, C4, C5 and rostral quarter of C6. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the sternocleidomastoid were located in the caudal part (caudal 0.9–1.2 mm) of the medulla oblongata ventrolateral to the pyramidal fibres that were passing dorsolaterally after their decussation. They were also located in the dorsomedial and central columns at C1, in the dorsomedial, central and ventrolateral columns at C2 and only in the ventrolateral column at the rostral three‐quarters of C3. The perikarya of motor neurons supplying the trapezius muscle were located in the ventrolateral column only in the caudal three‐quarters of C2, the whole lengths of C3, C4 and C5, and in the rostral quarter of C6.
Quality of life in nursing homes: perception of physically frail elderly residents
Authors: Hjaltadóttir Ingibjörg , Gústafsdóttir Margrét
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this research was to disclose the characteristics of quality of life as perceived by physically frail but lucid elderly people living in nursing homes to increase the understanding of the phenomenon of quality of life in this setting. Eight elderly residents living in two nursing homes in Iceland were interviewed on two occasions. The interviews were audio‐taped and transcribed to generate text for hermeneutic phenomenological analysis. Observation was also undertaken at both nursing homes to enhance the understanding of the residents’ narration. The participants’ concern in relation to quality of life emerges in the following main themes: (i) Securing the insecure body; (ii) Seeking solace; (iii) Preparing for departure; and (iv) Affirmation of self. The findings indicate that the phenomenon quality of life is manifold and complex, having many dimensions. The most important aspects of quality of life were for the residents to feel secure in the nursing home, have a place of their own where they could be alone with their thoughts, set their affairs in order and be prepared for death. Furthermore, it mattered to be recognized as an individual with his or her roots in their own respective family and doing meaningful things. These aspects of life in a nursing home contribute to living in a meaningful world in which humanity is preserved. It is important in caring for this particular group of residents in the nursing home to know what matters most in relation to their quality of life.
Professional roles and research utilization in paediatric care: newly graduated nurses experiences
Authors: Andersson Nina , Cederfjäll Claes , Jylli Leena , Nilsson Kajermo Kerstin , Klang Birgitta
Published: April 2007

The aim of the study was to describe and analyse how newly graduated nurses perceive themselves as professionals and their perceptions of barriers to research utilization when starting to work within paediatric care. The nurses were employed in two paediatric university hospitals in Sweden and had been working as staff nurses for 1–3 months. They answered two questionnaires: The Professional Self‐Description Form and the Barriers Scale. The results showed that in the assessment of their professional level the highest scores were found in consideration, ambition and sensitivity, and the lowest scores in grasp of ideas, leadership and discrimination. In perceptions of research utilization (Barriers Scale), the items with the most common barriers were ‘there is insufficient time on the job to implement new ideas’, ‘the nurse does not have time to read research’ and ‘the facilities are inadequate for implementation’. These results indicate that newly graduated nurses seem to be prepared for the nursing profession when it concerns themselves as human individuals but not so prepared for the practice in the real day‐to‐day work. The most common barriers in the research utilization were connected to the work organization and not to themselves as individuals. The evaluation of professional self, barriers to research utilization and the relationship between these aspects indicates a need for further investigation into the significant meaning of professional self and how this influences the implementation and use of research in everyday work. The results so far also raise the question of how to best support and develop newly graduated nurses in their professional role, to help them to be the highly competent nurses that we need in providing the best and evidence‐based care to those who need it.
Relationships between demographic, clinical and pain variables and health‐related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain treated with instrumented fusion
Authors: Bentsen Signe Berit , Wahl Astrid K , Strand Liv Inger , Hanestad Berit R
Published: April 2007

The purpose of this cross‐sectional study was to assess the relationships between demographic, clinical and pain variables and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients who had undergone instrumented spinal fusion because of chronic low back pain (CLBP). The sample comprises 101 patients (70% women, mean age 46 years) who had received surgery between 1993 and 2000. The SF‐36 Health Survey was used to assess HRQOL. Pain was assessed by sensory, affective and evaluative subgroups of the Norwegian Pain Questionnaire (modified McGill Pain Questionnaire). Age, work status, number of years after surgery, physical training, other chronic conditions and affective and evaluative pain (all p < 0.05) were the most prominent factors affecting HRQOL. The highest adjusted R2 to explain the variance was physical function (52%) and the lowest was emotional role limitations (15%). Pain, particularly affective and evaluative pain, contributed more to the explained variance of HRQOL than demographic and clinical variables.
Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Part II. RNs’ experience of nursing care for patients with COPD and impaired nutritional status
Authors: Odencrants Sigrid , Ehnfors Margareta , Grobe Susan J.
Published: April 2007

This study is the second part of a project with the main purpose of obtaining a deeper understanding of the consequences of living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) concerning meal‐related situations and an impaired nutritional status. COPD is a slowly progressive lung disease that results in several complications, including malnutrition. Nutritional status is an important part of COPD treatment, and there are criteria recommended for nutritional assessment and interventions among patients with COPD. Despite this, patients with extreme malnutrition and unnoticed weight loss are reported. The aim of the study was to investigate how Registered Nurses (RNs) in primary care describe nutritional assessment practices and interventions in COPD patients with impaired nutritional status. An interview approach using semistructured questions and case vignettes was chosen. The sample included 19 RNs working specifically with COPD patients. Data from interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis, and nine categories corresponding to the aim were identified. The RNs reported that their assessment of nutritional status was based largely on intuition. Assessment also included detection of the patients’ current beliefs and being sensible about information provision – When and How. Interventions were supportive eating interventions, practical and cognitive participation, and making patients aware of the illness trajectory. An overall category that influenced nursing was respecting patients’ feelings of shame and guilt about a self‐inflicted disease. It seems that RNs use intuition because of a lack of knowledge of systematic methods of nutritional assessment. The findings also indicate that the RNs attempted to build a relationship of trust with the patients rather than provide early information on sensitive topics (e.g. nutritional information). The study reports areas of nursing care for COPD patients that must be improved in the future.
The impact of arthritis on daily life with the patient perspective in focus
Authors: Lütze Ulla , Archenholtz Birgitha
Published: April 2007

Background:  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) often has a major impact on many areas of an individuals’ life. The unpredictability of the prognosis as well as the day‐to‐day symptoms make it impossible to plan ahead. The aim of this study was to identify the domains of concern in the early course of RA.

Methods:  Interviews were carried out according to the focus group method. Twenty‐three patients with RA, aged between 27 and 67 years and with a disease duration ranging from 1 to 5 years, were included. Four groups were established, the composition of which was based on age, gender and social situation.

Results:  Arthritis had a major impact on daily life of the patients, especially on the way they performed activities. It also strongly influenced their mood and social life. The participants tried to cope by ‘dosing their activities’, ‘using new strategies’ or to ‘stretching their limits’. Their sense of helplessness and uncertainty led to both ‘anger’ and ‘depression’. When activities could no longer be maintained, the role positioning in the family also changed.

Conclusion:  The results of this study support the view that more psychosocial support is required to encourage the recently diagnosed RA patient in the new situation of having a chronic disease.
Isolation and characterization of nine polymorphic microsatellite loci from the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria
Authors: KAATZ H.‐H. , FERENZ H.‐J. , LANGER B. , MORITZ R. F. A.
Published: April 2007

Because of the scarcity of polymorphic genetic markers, only a few genetic studies on the population structure of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, have been carried out. We isolated and characterized nine polymorphic dinucleotide microsatellite loci. These markers were evaluated using individuals from Niger and Senegal. Seven of these microsatellite markers are also applicable to the nongregarious subspecies Schistocerca gregaria flaviventris. Cross‐species applicability was limited to one of the loci in the sister species S. americana and in the locust Locusta migratoria.
Clinical pharmacology in the geriatric patient
Authors: Hilmer Sarah N. , McLachlan Andrew J. , Le Couteur David G.
Published: April 2007

Geriatric patients are a subset of older people with multiple comorbidities that usually have significant functional implications. Geriatric patients have impaired homeostasis and wide inter‐individual variability. Comprehensive geriatric assessment captures the complexity of the problems that characterize frail older patients and can be used to guide management, including prescribing. Prescribing for geriatric patients requires an understanding of the efficacy of the medication in frail older people, assessment of the risk of adverse drug events, discussion of the harm:benefit ratio with the patient, a decision about the dose regime and careful monitoring of the patient's response. This requires evaluation of evidence from clinical trials, application of the evidence to frail older people through an understanding of changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and attention to medication management issues. Given that most disease occurs in older people, and that older people are the major recipients of drug therapy in the Western world, increased research and a better evidence base is essential to guide clinicians who manage geriatric patients.