bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What attracts birds to newly mown pasture? Decoupling the action of mowing from the provision of short swards
Authors: DEVEREUX CLAIRE L. , WHITTINGHAM MARK J. , KREBS JOHN R. , FERNÁNDEZ‐JURICIC ESTEBAN , VICKERY JULIET A.
Published: July 2010

Many bird species flock to forage on newly mown grass swards. Several potential benefits are offered by such swards, including increases in prey availability (flush of foliar prey, reduced physical obstruction to surface and soil prey) and a foraging environment with fewer visual obstructions, so allowing predators to be detected more easily. We performed a field experiment using captive Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris foraging in bottomless enclosures on newly mown swards (within 1 h) and old mown swards (48 h). We performed the experiment during winter months and standardized sward height to exclude other confounding effects in order to determine the temporal benefits of mowing for species foraging on soil invertebrates. We found no differences in the vigilance or time budgets of Starlings foraging on newly or old mown swards. Intake efficiency (prey captured per 100 roots) was greater on newly mown swards, suggesting that Starlings used less energy to obtain their prey on that substrate. It is possible that mowing alters the microclimate of the soil and sward, causing invertebrate availability to decline over time, which causes the lower foraging efficiency. Mowing is a technique often used to manipulate grassland habitats in ecological research; it has recently been advocated as a conservation management tool for wintering bird populations. We suggest that care should be taken when designing such studies to avoid confounding the factors under investigation with temporal changes in prey availability.
Brain neurotoxic amyloid‐beta peptides: their potential role in the pathophysiology of depression and as molecular therapeutic targets
Authors: Pomara Nunzio , Sidtis John J
Published: July 2010

The monoamine hypothesis ascribes an important role to the underactivity of brain monoamines such as 5‐HT, noradrenaline and dopamine to the pathophysiology of depression. This view emerged more than 50 years ago and has guided development of most medications currently used for the treatment of this disorder. However, large numbers of depressed individuals treated with currently available antidepressant agents, or even with various combinations, do not respond. Residual symptoms, relapses and recurrences are common while receiving adequate doses of these medications. In a recent issue of the BJP, Colaianna et al. describe results suggesting that a new neurobiological mechanism with treatment implications should be considered for the development of depression in humans, namely, elevations in potentially neurotoxic brain amyloid‐β peptides.

LINKED ARTICLE To view the paper by Colaianna et al. visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2010.00669.x
Some Thoughts on the Economic History of Early Colonial Mexico
Authors: Salvucci Richard J.
Published: July 2010

Competitive markets reward the scarce factor of production. As a result of the Spanish Conquest, Indian labor became the scarce factor of production relative to land. But the whole point of conquest was to enrich the Spaniards, not the Indians. Therefore, the Spaniards resisted the use of the market as a device to accomplish productive economic activities. The result was an inefficient allocation of resources and a suboptimal rate of growth, not to say the structural economic distortions that resulted. The development of the economy in colonial Mexico was, in effect, given over to wholesale rent‐seeking, the allocation of resources by the use of political power. If there is a conceptual basis for understanding colonial development, it is this rather than dependent capitalism.
CO2 insufflation influences the temperature of the open surgical wound
Authors: Frey Joana M. , Svegby Henrik K. , Svenarud Peter K. , Van Der Linden Jan A.
Published: July 2010

In open surgery, heat is lost due to radiation and evaporation through the wound. Hypothermia causes tissue hypoxia and impairs various cellular immune functions that increases the risk for postoperative wound infections and delayed wound healing. The patient's body is usually well protected with heating arrangements, but the open wound is left unprotected and until now no practical method has been available to protect it thermically. We therefore investigated if insufflation of an open surgical wound with carbon dioxide would affect wound temperature. In 10 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the sternotomy wound was insufflated with dry, room temperature carbon dioxide via a gas diffuser for 2 minutes. A heat‐sensitive camera measured the wound temperature before, during, and after insufflation. Exposure to carbon dioxide increased the median temperature of the whole wound by 0.5 °C (p=0.01). The temperature of the area distant to the diffuser increased by 1.2 °C (p<0.01) whereas in the area close to the diffuser it decreased by 1.8 °C (p<0.01). In conclusion, short‐term insufflation of dry room temperature carbon dioxide in an open wound increases the surface temperature significantly. Although a small increase, it may reduce the incidence of postoperative wound infections in the future.
A randomized‐controlled trial comparing cadexomer iodine and nanocrystalline silver on the healing of leg ulcers
Authors: Miller Charne N. , Newall Nelly , Kapp Suzanne E. , Lewin Gill , Karimi Leila , Carville Keryln , Gliddon Terry , Santamaria Nick M.
Published: July 2010

Chronic leg ulcers are a debilitating, often painful, and costly condition. Leg ulcer healing may be impaired by bacterial colonization, which, unless effective intervention is instigated, can lead to infection. Although it is generally agreed that an antimicrobial dressing is clinically indicated when a wound becomes critically colonized, there is currently no agreement on what constitutes the best practice in the use of antimicrobials. This research compared the effectiveness of two commonly used antimicrobials: nanocrystalline silver and cadexomer iodine. A randomized‐controlled trial was conducted in which 281 community nursing clients with leg ulcers compromised by bacterial burden were randomly assigned to have their wounds treated with either silver or iodine dressings. Sixty‐four percent of ulcers healed within 12 weeks. The performance of each of the two antimicrobials was comparable in terms of overall healing rate and the number of wounds healed. However, use of silver compounds was associated with a quicker healing rate during the first 2 weeks of treatment and in wounds that were larger, older, and had more exudate. This trial provides some insights as to circumstances in which one product may be preferred over the other.
An early temperature‐sensitive period for the plasticity of segment number in the centipede Strigamia maritima
Authors: Vedel Vincent , Apostolou Zivkos , Arthur Wallace , Akam Michael , Brena Carlo
Published: July 2010

Geophilomorph centipedes show variation in segment number (a) between closely related species and (b) within and between populations of the same species. We have previously shown for a Scottish population of the coastal centipede Strigamia maritima that the temperature of embryonic development is one of the factors that affects the segment number of hatchlings, and hence of adults, as these animals grow epimorphically—that is, without postembryonic addition of segments. Here, we show, using temperature‐shift experiments, that the main developmental period during which embryos are sensitive to environmental temperature is surprisingly early, during blastoderm formation and before, or very shortly after, the onset of segmentation.
Gene expression patterns in an onychophoran reveal that regionalization predates limb segmentation in pan‐arthropods
Authors: Janssen Ralf , Eriksson Bo Joakim , Budd Graham E. , Akam Michael , Prpic Nikola‐Michael
Published: July 2010

SUMMARY In arthropods, such as Drosophila melanogaster, the leg gap genes homothorax (hth), extradenticle (exd), dachshund (dac), and Distal‐less (Dll) regionalize the legs in order to facilitate the subsequent segmentation of the legs. We have isolated homologs of all four leg gap genes from the onychophoran Euperipatoides kanangrensis and have studied their expression. We show that leg regionalization takes place in the legs of onychophorans even though they represent simple and nonsegmented appendages. This implies that leg regionalization evolved for a different function and was only later co‐opted for a role in leg segmentation. We also show that the leg gap gene patterns in onychophorans (especially of hth and exd) are similar to the patterns in crustaceans and insects, suggesting that this is the plesiomorphic state in arthropods. The reversed hth and exd patterns in chelicerates and myriapods are therefore an apomorphy for this group, the Myriochelata, lending support to the Myriochelata and Tetraconata clades in arthropod phylogeny.
Early cranial patterning in the direct‐developing frog Eleutherodactylus coqui revealed through gene expression
Authors: Kerney Ryan , Gross Joshua B. , Hanken James
Published: July 2010

SUMMARY
Genetic and developmental alterations associated with the evolution of amphibian direct development remain largely unexplored. Specifically, little is known of the underlying expression of skeletal regulatory genes, which may reveal early modifications to cranial ontogeny in direct‐developing species. We describe expression patterns of three key skeletal regulators (runx2, sox9, and bmp4) along with the cartilage‐dominant collagen 2α1 gene (col2a1) during cranial development in the direct‐developing anuran, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Expression patterns of these regulators reveal transient skeletogenic anlagen that correspond to larval cartilages, but which never fully form in E. coqui. Suprarostral anlagen in the frontonasal processes are detected through runx2, sox9, and bmp4 expression. Previous studies have described these cartilages as missing from Eleutherodactylus cranial ontogeny. These transcriptionally active suprarostral anlagen fuse to the more posterior cranial trabeculae before they are detectable with col2a1 staining or with the staining techniques used in earlier studies. Additionally, expression of sox9 fails to reveal an early anterior connection between the palatoquadrate and the neurocranium, which is detectable through sox9 staining in Xenopus laevis embryos (a metamorphosing species). Absence of this connection validates an instance of developmental repatterning, where the larval quadratocranial commissure cartilage is lost in E. coqui. Expression of runx2 reveals dermal‐bone precursors several developmental stages before their detection with alizarin red. This early expression of runx2 correlates with the accelerated embryonic onset of bone formation characteristic of E. coqui and other direct‐developing anurans, but which differs from the postembryonic bone formation of most metamorphosing species. Together these results provide an earlier depiction of cranial patterning in E. coqui by using earlier markers of skeletogenic cell differentiation. These data both validate and modify previously reported instances of larval recapitulation and developmental repatterning associated with the evolution of anuran direct development.
Evolutionary origin of rhopalia: insights from cellular‐level analyses of Otx and POU expression patterns in the developing rhopalial nervous system
Authors: Nakanishi Nagayasu , Yuan David , Hartenstein Volker , Jacobs David K.
Published: July 2010

SUMMARY
In Cnidaria, the medusae of Scyphozoa and its sister‐group Cubozoa uniquely possess rhopalia at their bell margin. These sensory centers coordinate behavior and development. We used fluorescent in situ hybridization and confocal microscopy to examine mRNA expression patterns in Aurelia sp.1 (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) during early medusa formation, while simultaneously visualizing the developing nervous system by immunofluorescence. The genes investigated include AurOtx1, and the POU genes, AurPit1, and AurBrn3, homologs of genes known to function in cephalar neural organization and sensory cell differentiation across Bilateria. Our results show that AurOtx1 expression defines the major part of the oral neuroectodermal domain of the rhopalium, within which distinct populations of AurBrn3‐ and AurPit1‐expressing sensory cells develop. Thus, despite the unique attributes of rhopalial evolution, we suggest that the rhopalial nervous system of scyphozoan medusae involves similar patterns of differential expression of genes that function in bilaterian cephalic structure and neuroendocrine system development. We propose that rhopalia evolved from preexisting sensory structures that developed distinct populations of sensory cells differentially expressing POU genes within Otx oral‐neuroectodermal domains. This implies some commonality of developmental genetic functions involving these genes in the still poorly constrained common ancestor of bilaterians and cnidarians.
Comparative Finite Element Model Analysis of Ascending Aortic Flow in Bicuspid and Tricuspid Aortic Valve
Authors: Viscardi Francesca , Vergara Christian , Antiga Luca , Merelli Sabrina , Veneziani Alessandro , Puppini Giovanni , Faggian Giuseppe , Mazzucco Alessandro , Luciani Giovanni Battista
Published: July 2010

In bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease, the role of genetic and hemodynamic factors influencing ascending aortic pathology is controversial. To test the effect of BAV geometry on ascending aortic flow, a finite element analysis was undertaken. A surface model of aortic root and ascending aorta was obtained from magnetic resonance images of patients with BAV and tricuspid aortic valve using segmentation facilities of the image processing code Vascular Modeling Toolkit (developed at the Mario Negri Institute). Analytical models of bicuspid (antero‐posterior [AP], type 1 and latero‐lateral, type 2 commissures) and tricuspid orifices were mathematically defined and turned into a volumetric mesh of linear tetrahedra for computational fluid dynamics simulations. Numerical simulations were performed with the finite element code LifeV. Flow velocity fields were assessed for four levels: aortic annulus, sinus of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, and ascending aorta. Comparison of finite element analysis of bicuspid and tricuspid aortic valve showed different blood flow velocity pattern. Flow in bicuspid configurations showed asymmetrical distribution of velocity field toward the convexity of mid‐ascending aorta returning symmetrical in distal ascending aorta. On the contrary, tricuspid flow was symmetrical in each aortic segment. Comparing type 1 BAV with type 2 BAV, more pronounced recirculation zones were noticed in the latter. Finally, we found that in both BAV configurations, maximum wall shear stress is highly localized at the convex portion of the mid‐ascending aorta level. Comparison between models showed asymmetrical and higher flow velocity in bicuspid models, in particular in the AP configuration. Asymmetry was more pronounced at the aortic level known to be more exposed to aneurysm formation in bicuspid patients. This supports the hypothesis that hemodynamic factors may contribute to ascending aortic pathology in this subset of patients.
Cellulose Acetate Beads Activate the Complement System but Inactivate the Anaphylatoxins Generated
Authors: Takeda Yuji , Ohba Masahiro , Ueno Masamichi , Saniabadi Abbi R. , Wakabayashi Ichiro
Published: July 2010

The generation of anaphylatoxins, particularly C5a, is important in extracorporeal circulation therapies such as granulocyte/monocyte apheresis, which activates the complement system and elevates C5a levels. However, no side effects of granulocyte/monocyte apheresis using cellulose acetate beads have been reported. To investigate the mechanism of complement activation, we prepared plasma from cellulose acetate bead‐treated blood (P‐CAB) and compared it with zymosan‐activated plasma (ZAP). Anaphylaxis activity was measured by skin test, and the activity of carboxypeptidase, which inactivates C5a, was measured by colorimetric assay. Pro‐carboxypeptidase R and neutrophil elastase concentrations were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Although C5a was generated in P‐CAB, the anaphylaxis activity of P‐CAB was lower than that of ZAP. Carboxypeptidase activity and pro‐carboxypeptidase R levels were suppressed in P‐CAB, but not in ZAP. Furthermore, neutrophil elastase levels increased in P‐CAB. The decreases in carboxypeptidase activity and inactivation of anaphylatoxin were inhibited by a neutrophil elastase inhibitor. These results suggest that cellulose acetate beads initiate the activation of carboxypeptidase R via elastase release, thereby inducing the inactivation of anaphylatoxin.
Orthotopic Heart Transplantation in a Child With Hereditary Spherocytosis
Authors: Johnson Charles E. , Schmitz Michael L. , McKamie Wesley A. , Edens R. Erik , Imamura Michiaki , Jaquiss Robert D. B.
Published: July 2010

Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a genetic, frequently familial hemolytic blood disease that presents with varying degrees of hemolytic anemia, splenomegaly, and jaundice. The disease arises as a result of defects in any of a number of proteins responsible for maintaining the shape and flexibility of the red blood cell, resulting in an osmotically fragile and characteristically spherical red blood cell. Theoretically, cardiopulmonary bypass can exacerbate hemolysis and subsequent renal dysfunction. There are few reports of open heart surgery for patients with HS and none for orthotopic heart transplantation. We report a 6‐year‐old boy with HS who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation.
Modeling new therapies for infantile spasms
Authors: Chudomelova Lenka , Scantlebury Morris H. , Raffo Emmanuel , Coppola Antonietta , Betancourth David , Galanopoulou Aristea S.
Published: July 2010

Infantile spasms are the classical seizure type of West syndrome. Infantile spasms often herald a dismal prognosis, due to the high probability to evolve into intractable forms of epilepsies with significant cognitive deficits, especially if not adequately treated. The current therapies—high doses of adrenocorticotropic hormone, steroids, or the γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase inhibitor vigabatrin—are often toxic and may not always be effective. The need to identify new therapies for spasms has led to the generation of a number of rodent models of infantile spasms. These include acute and chronic models of infantile spasms, with cryptogenic or symptomatic origin, many of which are based on specific etiologies. In this review, we summarize the clinical experience with treating infantile spasms and the main features of the new animal models of infantile spasms and discuss their utility in the preclinical development of new therapies for infantile spasms.
Inflammation induced by LPS enhances epileptogenesis in immature rat and may be partially reversed by IL1RA
Authors: Auvin Stéphane , Shin Don , Mazarati Andrey , Sankar Raman
Published: July 2010

Inflammatory signaling in the central nervous system (CNS) has been shown to exacerbate both seizure activity and seizure‐induced neuronal injury. However, it has not been firmly established whether neurodegeneration is a prerequisite of proconvulsant effect of neuroinflammation, or whether the latter may facilitate seizures without involving neuronal injury. We examined effects of inflammation in the rapid kindling model, where seizure progression occurs in the absence of neurodegeneration. P14 male Wistar rats were subjected to a rapid kindling procedure: 60 electrical stimulations of the hippocampus delivered every 5 min at the current that had been established to induce afterdischarge. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was injected (50 μg/kg, i.p., 2 h prior to the rapid kindling protocol [RKP]); IL‐1Ra was injected (25 mg/kg, i.p., 2 h prior to the RKP). The effects of treatments were examined on baseline hippocampal excitability, on the progression of rapid kindling, and on the retention of rapid kindling. LPS increased baseline hippocampal excitability, evident as the decrease of hippocampal ADT. LPS also increased kindling progression. Twenty‐four hours after the completion of kindling procedure, LPS‐treated animals exhibited increased excitability as compared with saline‐treated kindling controls. The kindling progression was blocked by IL1RA when given in combination with LPS. IL1RA was able to reverse the effect of LPS on afterdischarge duration (ADD) while IL1RA alone decreased ADT. We showed that inflammation provoked by LPS enhanced rapid kindling epileptogenesis in immature rat brains. IL1RA was also able to mitigate this augmentation of epileptogenesis enhanced by LPS.
Remodeling of extracellular matrix and epileptogenesis
Authors: Dityatev Alexander
Published: July 2010

Extracellular matrix (ECM) in the brain is composed of molecules synthesized and secreted by neurons and glial cells, which form stable aggregates of diverse composition in the extracellular space. In the mature brain, ECM undergoes a slow turnover and restrains structural plasticity while supporting multiple physiologic processes, including perisomatic γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibition, synaptic plasticity, and homeostatic regulations. Seizures lead to striking remodeling of ECM, which may be essentially engaged in different aspects of epileptogenesis. This view is supported by human genetic studies linking ECM molecules and epilepsy, by data showing altered epileptogenesis in mice deficient in ECM molecules, and by evidence that ECM may shape seizure‐induced sprouting of mossy fibers, granule cell dispersion, and astrogliosis. Therefore, restraining seizure‐induced remodeling of ECM or suppressing the signaling triggered by the remodeled ECM might provide effective therapeutic strategies to antagonize the progression of epileptogenesis.
Grafting of GABAergic precursors rescues deficits in hippocampal inhibition
Authors: Calcagnotto Maria E. , Zipancic Ivan , Piquer‐Gil Marina , Mello Luiz E. , Álvarez‐Dolado Manuel
Published: July 2010

γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) has an important role in the mechanism of epilepsy. Cell grafts from different sources have been performed to modulate local circuits or increase GABAergic inhibition in animal models of epilepsy. Among the different transplanted cell types, the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)–derived cells present the best properties to be used in cell‐based therapy. In this work we review previous experiences with these cells. In addition, we present new evidence showing their ability to modulate the levels of inhibition in the host brain of mice with alterations in the GABAergic system, caused by the specific ablation of hippocampal interneurons. Grafted GFP+ MGE–derived cells occupied the area of ablation and differentiated into mature NK‐1‐, SOM‐, PV‐, CR‐, and NPY‐expressing interneurons. Inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) frequency and amplitude on CA1 pyramidal cells of the ablated hippocampus significantly increased after transplantation, reaching levels similar to controls. Our data strongly suggest the suitability of MGE‐derived cells for the treatment of neurologic conditions for which an increase or modulation of synaptic inhibition is required.
Effect of neuronal precursor cells derived from medial ganglionic eminence in an acute epileptic seizure model
Authors: Calcagnotto Maria E. , Ruiz Lorena P. , Blanco Miriam M. , Santos‐Junior Jair G. , Valente Maria F. , Patti Camila , Frussa‐Filho Roberto , Santiago Marcelo F. , Zipancic Ivan , Álvarez‐Dolado Manuel , Mello Luiz E. , Longo Beatriz M.
Published: July 2010

Most of the γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons in the cerebral cortex originate from restricted regions of the ventral telencephalon known as the caudal and medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and from the preoptic area. It is well established that dysfunction of GABAergic interneurons can lead to epilepsy. During the last decade new approaches to prevent, reduce, or reverse the epileptic condition have been studied, including cell‐based therapy from different sources. Recent studies have shown that transplanted neuronal precursor cells derived from MGE have the ability to migrate, differentiate into inhibitory GABAergic interneurons, and integrate into cortical and hippocampal networks, modifying the inhibitory tone in the host brain. Therefore, transplantation of neuronal precursors derived from MGE into the postnatal central nervous system (CNS) could modify the neuronal circuitry in neurologic diseases in which inhibitory synaptic function is altered, such as in epilepsy. Here, we evaluated the seizure susceptibility of mice transplanted with MGE‐derived cells in the maximum electroconvulsive shock (MES) model and we review some data from different studies using GABAergic precursor or GABA‐releasing cell grafts in animal models of seizure and epilepsy.
Possible therapeutic effects of transcutaneous electrical stimulation via concentric ring electrodes
Authors: Besio Walter G. , Gale Karen N. , Medvedev Andrei V.
Published: July 2010

Even with the latest advancements in antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) there are still many persons whose seizures are not controlled. There are also side effects reported associated with the AEDs. Electrical stimulation of the brain has shown promise toward controlling seizures. However, most brain stimulation techniques involve invasive procedures to implant electrodes and electronic stimulators. There are no conclusive descriptions of where to place the implanted electrodes to control seizures. Noninvasive electrical stimulation does not require the risks of implantation, and the electrodes can be moved easily as needed to determine where they may be the most effective in reducing seizure activity. Herein we review the progress of our group in the development of noninvasive electrical stimulation via concentric ring electrodes to control seizures in rats induced by penicillin G, pilocarpine, and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ).
In search of models of pharmacoresistant epilepsy
Authors: Wahab Abdul , Albus Klaus , Gabriel Siegrun , Heinemann Uwe
Published: July 2010

Clinically available anticonvulsant drugs fail to control seizures in approximately 30% of epileptic patients. If hippocampal sclerosis is combined with focal dysplasia or similar developmental alterations, the likelihood of incomplete seizure control may reach >90%. Because only a minority of epilepsy patients benefit from epilepsy surgery, we need more research into the mechanisms of drug refractoriness. In this review we analyze different approaches to study pharmacoresistance and underlying mechanisms using in vitro models. Epileptiform discharges after prolonged application of low Mg2+ artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) or 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP), or combined application of these convulsants with bicuculline in acute hippocampal–entorhinal cortex slices reveal pharmacoresistance and point to loss of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic function, in part due to reduced delivery of GABA from presynaptic terminals. Interestingly, epileptiform activity in immature tissue (organotypic hippocampal slice cultures and acute intact hippocampus) is immediately resistant to available antiepileptic drugs, and preliminary evidence points to a role of alterations in Cl− homeostasis. Seizure‐like events can also be induced in dissected tissues from human epileptic patients. Future research on human tissue may provide useful information for understanding the mechanisms underlying pharmacoresistance.
Simultaneous EEG, fMRI, and behavior in typical childhood absence seizures
Authors: Berman Rachel , Negishi Michiro , Vestal Matthew , Spann Marisa , Chung Mi Hae , Bai Xiaoxiao , Purcaro Michael , Motelow Joshua E. , Danielson Nathan , Dix‐Cooper Linda , Enev Miro , Novotny Edward J. , Constable R. T. , Blumenfeld Hal
Published: July 2010

Purpose:  Absence seizures cause transient impairment of consciousness. Typical absence seizures occur in children, and are accompanied by 3–4‐Hz spike–wave discharges (SWDs) on electroencephalography (EEG). Prior EEG–functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of SWDs have shown a network of cortical and subcortical changes during these electrical events. However, fMRI during typical childhood absence seizures with confirmed impaired consciousness has not been previously investigated.

Methods:  We performed EEG‐fMRI with simultaneous behavioral testing in 37 children with typical childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). Attentional vigilance was evaluated by a continuous performance task (CPT), and simpler motor performance was evaluated by a repetitive tapping task (RTT).

Results:  SWD episodes were obtained during fMRI scanning from 9 patients among the 37 studied. fMRI signal increases during SWDs were observed in the thalamus, frontal cortex, primary visual, auditory, somatosensory, and motor cortex, and fMRI decreases were seen in the lateral and medial parietal cortex, cingulate gyrus, and basal ganglia. Omission error rate (missed targets) with SWDs during fMRI was 81% on CPT and 39% on RTT. For those seizure epochs during which CPT performance was impaired, fMRI changes were seen in cortical and subcortical structures typically involved in SWDs, whereas minimal changes were observed for the few epochs during which performance was spared.

Discussion:  These findings suggest that typical absence seizures involve a network of cortical–subcortical areas necessary for normal attention and primary information processing. Identification of this network may improve understanding of cognitive impairments in CAE, and may help guide development of new therapies for this disorder.
Decreased Pulmonary Inflammation Following Ethanol and Burn Injury in Mice Deficient in TLR4 but not TLR2 Signaling
Authors: Bird Melanie D. , Zahs Anita , Deburghgraeve Cory , Ramirez Luis , Choudhry Mashkoor A. , Kovacs Elizabeth J.
Published: July 2010

Background:  Clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that alcohol consumption prior to burn injury leads to dysregulated immune function and subsequent higher rates of morbidity and mortality. Our laboratory previously observed higher levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and leukocyte infiltration in the lungs of mice following ethanol and burn injury. To understand the mechanism of the increased inflammatory response, we looked at different signaling initiators of inflammation including toll‐like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and 4) pathways.

Methods:  Wild‐type, TLR2, and TLR4 knockout mice were treated with vehicle or a single binge dose of ethanol (1.11 g/kg) and subsequently given a sham or burn injury. Twenty‐four hours postinjury, systemic and pulmonary levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines were quantified, and differences in neutrophil infiltration were determined by histological examination.

Results:  Higher numbers of neutrophils were observed in the lungs of wild‐type mice following the combined insult of ethanol and burn injury relative to either injury alone. This increase in leukocyte accumulation was absent in the TLR4 knockout mice. Circulating levels of IL‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α were also elevated in wild‐type mice but not in TLR4 knockout mice. Consistent with these findings, pulmonary levels of KC and IL‐6 were increased in wild‐type mice following burn and ethanol compared to burn injury alone as well as to their TLR4 knockout counterparts. In contrast, TLR2 knockout mice displayed similar levels, to wild‐type mice, of neutrophil infiltration as well as IL‐6 and KC in the lung.

Conclusions:  These data suggest that TLR4 signaling is a crucial contributory component in the exuberant inflammation after ethanol and burn injury. However, TLR2 does not appear to play a vital role in the aberrant pulmonary inflammation.
Long‐Term Effects of Conjugated Equine Estrogen Therapies on Domain‐Specific Cognitive Function: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging Extension
Authors: Espeland Mark A. , Brunner Robert L. , Hogan Patricia E. , Rapp Stephen R. , Coker Laura H. , Legault Claudine , Granek Iris , Resnick Susan M. ,   for the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging Study Group
Published: July 2010

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether small decrements in global cognitive function that conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) therapies have been shown to produce in older women persist after cessation and extend to specific cognitive domains.

DESIGN: Randomized controlled clinical trial.

SETTING: Fourteen clinical centers of the Women's Health Initiative.

PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand three hundred four women aged 65 to 80 free of probable dementia at enrollment.

INTERVENTION: CEE 0.625 mg/d with or without medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10 mg/d) and matching placebos.

MEASUREMENTS: Annual administrations of a battery of cognitive tests during and after the trial.

RESULTS: Assignment to CEE‐based therapies was associated with small mean relative decrements in global cognitive function and several domain‐specific cognitive functions during the trial, which largely persisted through up to 4 years after the trial. The strongest statistical evidence was for global cognitive function (0.07–standard deviation decrements during (P=.007) and after (P=.01) the trial. For domain‐specific scores, the mean decrements were slightly smaller, were less significant, and tended to be larger for CEE‐alone therapy.

CONCLUSION: CEE‐based therapies, when initiated after the age of 65, produce a small broad‐based decrement in cognitive function that persists after their use is stopped, but the differences in cognitive function are small and would not be detectable or have clinical significance for an individual woman. Differences in effects between cognitive domains suggest that more than one mechanism may be involved.
Assessing Dimensionality and Responsiveness of Outcomes Measures for Patients with Low Back Pain
Authors: Cleland Josh , Gillani Rabya , Bienen E. Jay , Sadosky Alesia
Published: July 2010

Objective:  To provide a systematic literature review of the responsiveness of patient‐reported health outcomes measures for the evaluation of low back pain (LBP).

Methods and Design:  Searches of MEDLINE and EMBASE were performed for articles published in English through June 29, 2009 using the search terms “back pain” or “low back pain” and “questionnaires” or “instrument” or “survey” or “measure” or “patient report outcome.” Information on responsiveness was gathered through additional measure‐specific searches that included the measure name, first author of the original paper, and “respons*” or “sensit*.” Responsiveness was determined based on use of a receiver operating characteristics curve or effect size statistics.

Results:  Of 43 identified measures, 31 were reported as being responsive to treatment or clinical change, 25 of which were evaluated for responsiveness using methods considered adequate. When considering both the responsiveness evaluation and the underlying factor structure, 13 measures were identified as being adequately validated for use in evaluating responsiveness in the research or clinical practice setting. The majority of the LBP outcome assessment studies were comprised of patients undergoing physical and interventional therapies from clinical practice and clinical trials. The Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Index were the most comprehensively validated measures with respect to responsiveness.

Conclusions:  We identified 13 measures of LBP that can be used to evaluate responsiveness to change. Choice of a measure warrants careful evaluation of its construct and responsiveness properties in order to maximize the observed impact on pain and functional improvement in subjects with LBP.
Aggregating Data for the Flow‐Intercepting Location Model: A Geographic Information System, Optimization, and Heuristic Framework. 截流选址模型的数据集计: 一个地理信息系统、优化和探索性框架
Authors: Zeng Weiping , Castillo Ignacio , Hodgson Michael John
Published: July 2010

Flow‐intercepting problems have received considerable interest, represented by about 40 academic publications, since the early 1990s. Point‐based demand aggregation also has received much research interest in both industry and academia. Systematic studies of flow data aggregation for flow‐intercepting problems have not, however, been reported to date. Our research highlights the importance of flow‐based demand aggregation and develops a framework for aggregating such demand. This framework represents the first systematic study of aggregation for flow‐intercepting location models (FILM). The standard FILM is the perfect model for our goals—its aggregation errors are easy to understand and its outputs are easy to measure and compare. Our research uses geographic information systems, optimization, and heuristic technologies to examine the special network flow structure of a real‐world transportation system and to develop a comprehensive method of aggregating data for the standard FILM. We apply our method to the 2001 afternoon peak traffic data for Edmonton, Alberta (the sixth largest Canadian city) and find this application to be extremely efficient. We discover that in the Edmonton traffic flow network, a large number of paths have very small flows; major flows are concentrated in a limited number of paths; and a large number of small‐flow paths and a large number of low‐flow nodes on local streets have negligible effects on facility locations for FILM. We speculate that most real‐world transportation systems may have similar characteristics.
Strategic Sensemaking within Funding Relationships: The Effects of Performance Measurement on Organizational Identity in the Social Sector
Authors: Grimes Matt
Published: July 2010

Researchers claim that social entrepreneurship represents a new phenomenon within the social sector. Their studies often distinguish social entrepreneurs according to their emphasis on tracking and measuring their performance. By applying sense making theory to three case studies of funding relationships within the social sector, this study finds that organizations within the social sector employ performance measurement not just as a means of accountability, but also as a tool for making sense of social entrepreneurship as an organizational identity. As such, the article refocuses scholarly attention on social entrepreneurship as a socially constructed phenomenon.
Envirofit International: A Venture Adventure
Authors: Hudnut Paul , DeTienne Dawn R.
Published: July 2010

This case focuses on Envirofit International, a student start–up venture that began in an undergraduate entrepreneurship course. Two engineering students and two faculty members at a land grant university in the United States designed a retrofit kit to vastly reduce emissions from dirty two–stroke motorcycles, which are used throughout Asian cities as taxis. This case presents the beginnings of the Envirofit story, and the issues involved in creating an entrepreneurial venture focused on triple bottom line objectives in “base of pyramid” markets. Specifically, the case examines the ambiguity facing a start–up as it begins to develop a technology, a business model, and a management team. The case demonstrates the tension between planning and doing in managing the uncertainty facing a new venture.
Bubbles around the Heart: Pneumopericardium 10 Days after Pericardiocentesis
Authors: Yuce Murat , Sari Ibrahim , Davutoglu Vedat , Ozer Orhan , Usalan Celalettin
Published: July 2010

(Echocardiography 2010;27:E115‐E116)
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Spark Plasma Sintered TaC0.7 Ceramics
Authors: Limeng Liu , Feng Ye , Yu Zhou , Zhiguo Zhang
Published: July 2010

The TaC0.7 composition was spark plasma sintered (SPS) at 1600°–1900°C using TaC and Ta as the starting powders. Densification process, phase evolution, microstructure development, and the mechanical properties of the composites were investigated. The results indicated that the TaC0.7 composition could be SPS to >95% of theoretical density in 5 min at 1600°C or above. The phase formation was associated with carbon diffusion from the starting particles TaC to Ta to form Ta2C and Ta6C5 as intermediate phases, and subsequently the equilibrium phases of TaCy and ζ‐Ta4C3−x. The presence of lamellar ζ‐Ta4C3−x regions enhanced the flexure strength (up to 972 MPa) and fracture toughness (up to 13.8 MPa·m1/2).
Effects of SPLAT® GM sprayable pheromone formulation on gypsy moth mating success
Authors: Onufrieva Ksenia S. , Thorpe Kevin W. , Hickman Andrea D. , Tobin Patrick C. , Leonard Donna S. , Anderson Roberts E.
Published: July 2010

Several integrated pest management programs rely on the use of mating disruption tactics to control insect pests. Some programs specifically target non‐native species, such as the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). We evaluated SPLAT® GM, a new sprayable formulation of the gypsy moth sex pheromone disparlure, for its ability to disrupt gypsy moth mating. The study was conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2008 in forested areas in Virginia, USA. Mating success of gypsy moth females was reduced by >99% and male moth catches in pheromone‐baited traps by >90%, in plots treated with SPLAT® GM at dosages ranging from 15 to 75 g of active ingredient (a.i.) ha−1. Dosage‐response tests conducted in 2008 indicated that SPLAT® GM applied at a dosage of 7.5 g a.i. ha−1 was as effective as a 15 g a.i. ha−1 dosage.
Temperature‐by‐nutrient interactions affecting growth rate in an insect ectotherm
Authors: Lee Kwang Pum , Roh Chris
Published: July 2010

Temperature and nutrition are two prominent environmental variables influencing juvenile growth rate in ectotherms. These two factors interact in complex ways. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the interactive effects of temperature and nutrition on various components of fitness (growth rate, survival), food intake, and level of energy storage in an insect herbivore, caterpillars of Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In a factorial experimental design, final‐instar caterpillars (i.e., fifth instars) were individually reared at one of three constant temperatures (18, 26, and 34 °C), in which they received one of six diets differing in their ratio of protein and digestible carbohydrate [P:C mixture, expressed as the percentage of diet by dry mass: protein 42%:carbohydrate 0% (42:0), 35:7, 28:14, 21:21, 14:28, and 7:35]. Within the range of test temperatures, larval growth rate increased with rising temperature and was strongly affected by P:C mixture, reaching a maximum on moderate P:C diets at each temperature and falling at very high and low P:C mixtures. There was a significant temperature*diet interaction, such that the difference in growth rates between temperatures was greatest on moderate P:C diets and least on the most extreme diets (42:0 and 7:35). Food intake rate patterns followed a similar trend to growth rate. Rapidly growing animals at high ambient temperature suffered high mortality across all dietary P:C mixtures, but to a greater extent on the extremely unbalanced diets. This suggests that there are developmental and physiological costs associated with fast growth at high temperature, as indicated by high rate of pupation failure and reduced lipid storage efficiency. Our study shows how temperature and nutrition interplay to mediate phenotypic variations in growth rates and energy utilization in an insect ectotherm.
Influence of parasitism and soil compaction on pupation of the green bottle fly, Lucilia sericata
Authors: Cammack Jonathan A. , Adler Peter H. , Tomberlin Jeffery K. , Arai Yuji , Bridges William C.
Published: July 2010

The influence of parasitoids and soil compaction on pupation behavior of blow flies was examined in a host–parasitoid system involving Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Larvae of L. sericata were introduced to containers with soil of different compaction levels, with or without parasitoids. Although females of N. vitripennis did not significantly affect the pupation depth of L. sericata, they increased the rate of pupal development by 15.0–23.7 h at 28.4 ± 1.2 °C, and increased the clumping of puparia. Pupation depth of L. sericata was negatively related to soil compaction; mean depth of pupation was 4.4 cm in uncompacted soil and 0.5 cm in high‐compaction soil. In high‐compaction soil, pupal development increased by 10.5–18.8 h at 25.2 ± 0.3 °C, and puparia were clumped. These results provide a framework for locating puparia in forensic investigations and releasing appropriate parasitoids for biological control of blow flies.
Coming to Terms with Separatist Insurgencies
Authors: Harris Albert W.
Published: July 2010

Although insurgencies may begin their rebellions with expressed desires for outcomes unacceptable to opposing governments, the desired insurgent outcomes sometimes undergo modification, creating conditions that can make governments more amenable to external mediation. In certain separatist conflicts, the likelihood of external mediation increases when the political redefinition of the state insisted upon by the insurgents undergoes a revision, from secession to self‐determination, understood as a variant of autonomy.

In the same vein, although it may not happen concurrently, insurgent movements become more amenable to external mediation if and when opposing governments revise the preferred conflict outcome from a military defeat of the insurgents to a containment of the movement. These two developments can serve as objective referents helping external parties to identify a ripe moment in the conflict and initiate mediation.

But the implementation of an agreement ending separatist conflict may not occur if the government fails to submit the proposed territorial bounds of autonomy to prior review by constituents. Potential spoilers among government constituents should be identified and recruited to participate in the negotiations so that the likelihood of agreement rejection is reduced. In some states, however, the legal mechanisms and political opportunities for constituents to act as spoilers do not exist.
Role of the metastasis‐promoting protein osteopontin in the tumour microenvironment
Authors: Anborgh Pieter H. , Mutrie Jennifer C. , Tuck Alan B. , Chambers Ann F.
Published: July 2010

Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted protein present in bodily fluids and tissues. It is subject to multiple post‐translational modifications, including phosphorylation, glycosylation, proteolytic cleavage and crosslinking by transglutamination. Binding of OPN to integrin and CD44 receptors regulates signalling cascades that affect processes such as adhesion, migration, invasion, chemotaxis and cell survival. A variety of cells and tissues express OPN, including bone, vasculature, kidney, inflammatory cells and numerous secretory epithelia. Normal physiological roles include regulation of immune functions, vascular remodelling, wound repair and developmental processes. OPN also is expressed in many cancers, and elevated levels in patients’ tumour tissue and blood are associated with poor prognosis. Tumour growth is regulated by interactions between tumour cells and their tissue microenvironment. Within a tumour mass, OPN can be expressed by both tumour cells and cellular components of the tumour microenvironment, and both tumour and normal cells may have receptors able to bind to OPN. OPN can also be found as a component of the extracellular matrix. The functional roles of OPN in a tumour are thus complex, with OPN secreted by both tumour cells and cells in the tumour microenvironment, both of which can in turn respond to OPN. Much remains to be learned about the cross‐talk between normal and tumour cells within a tumour, and the role of multiple forms of OPN in these interactions. Understanding OPN‐mediated interactions within a tumour will be important for the development of therapeutic strategies to target OPN.