bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cuban Anti‐slavery Narrative through Postcolonial Eyes: Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda’s Sab
Authors: WILLIAMS CLAUDETTE
Published: March 2008

Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda’s Sab (1841) has come to be regarded as an iconic work in the canon of nineteenth‐century Cuban fiction, celebrated as much for its literary pedigree as for its radical combination of anti‐slavery and feminist ideas. Yet it has been the subject of very divergent critical appraisals. This essay sets out to breathe new life into Avellaneda’s novel by interpreting it through a postcolonial optic. Drawing on ideas from the scholarship of Edward Said and Frantz Fanon, as well as the ideas of literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, these pages explore the implications of its nationalist, racial, sexual and feminist politics for Sab’s anti‐slavery meaning. This postcolonial reading provides a possible solution for the conflicts between its various interpretations.
Political Representation and Gender in Brazil: Quotas for Women and their Impact
Authors: MIGUEL LUIS F.
Published: March 2008

In the 1990s, Brazilian Congress approved an electoral quota for female candidates in parliamentary competition (with exception of the Senate). The reticence of the law and the peculiarities of the Brazilian open lists electoral system have given rise to concern that the quotas will fail. In fact, there has been no great increase in the number of women in Brazilian legislatives – there has been some change in the municipalities, a little less in the states and almost nothing at the federal level. Analysing in detail the results of four elections to the federal Chamber of Deputies, two before and two after the quotas, it becomes apparent that, in Brazil, the impact of quotas is mediated far more than in other countries. Quotas provide, above all, an incentive to party elites to support an increase in the number of female political leaders, and the results may appear only at mid term.
Playing the Tune of Citizenship: Indian Brass Bands in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico, 1876–1911
Authors: ACEVEDO‐RODRIGO ARIADNA
Published: March 2008

This article examines popular citizenship practices among the Indians of the Sierra Norte de Puebla (Mexico), focusing on the brass bands that participated in religious and patriotic festivals. Rather than analysing the bands as part of the region’s popular Liberalism, or concentrating on the festivals’ nationalistic content, as previous studies have done, it underlines how the bands’ organisation combined customary Indian practices with Liberal regulations, and transformed both. This resulted in the successful exercise of citizenship providing bandsmen with effective participation in face‐to‐face community life and a form of connection with the wider national sphere.
Temporal and functional dynamics of the transcriptome during nerve growth factor‐induced differentiation
Authors: Dijkmans Thomas F. , van Hooijdonk Lenneke W. A. , Schouten Theo G. , Kamphorst Jessica T. , Vellinga Anette C. A. , Meerman John H. N. , Fitzsimons Carlos P. , de Kloet E. Ron , Vreugdenhil Erno
Published: March 2008

The rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) is an extensively used model to study neuronal differentiation. The initial signaling cascades triggered by nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulation have been subject to thorough investigation and are well characterized. However, knowledge of temporal transcriptomal regulation during NGF‐induced differentiation of PC12 cells remains far from complete. We performed a microarray study that characterized temporal and functional changes of the transcriptome during 4 subsequent days of differentiation of Neuroscreen‐1 PC12 cells. By analyzing the transcription profiles of 1595 NGF‐regulated genes, we show a large diversity of transcriptional regulation in time. Also, we quantitatively identified 26 out of 243 predefined biological process and 30 out of 255 predefined molecular function classes that are specifically regulated by NGF. Combining the temporal and functional transcriptomal data revealed that NGF selectively exerts a temporally coordinated regulation of genes implicated in protein biosynthesis, intracellular signaling, cell structure, chromatin packaging and remodeling, intracellular protein traffic, mRNA transcription, and cell cycle. We will discuss how NGF‐induced changes may modulate the transcriptional response to NGF itself during differentiation.
A novel calcium‐binding protein is associated with tau proteins in tauopathy
Authors: Vega Irving E. , Traverso Edwin E. , Ferrer‐Acosta Yancy , Matos Eduardo , Colon Migdalisel , Gonzalez John , Dickson Dennis , Hutton Michael , Lewis Jada , Yen Shu H.
Published: March 2008

Tauopathies are a group of neurological disorders characterized by the presence of intraneuronal hyperphosphorylated and filamentous tau. Mutations in the tau gene have been found in kindred with tauopathy. The expression of the human tau mutant in transgenic mice induced neurodegeneration, indicating that tau plays a central pathological role. However, the molecular mechanism leading to tau‐mediated neurodegeneration is poorly understood. To gain insights into the role that tau plays in neurodegeneration, human tau proteins were immunoprecipitated from brain lysates of the tauopathy mouse model JNPL3, which develops neurodegeneration in age‐dependent manner. In the present work, a novel EF‐hand domain‐containing protein was found associated with tau proteins in brain lysate of 12‐month‐old JNPL3 mice. The association between tau proteins and the novel identified protein appears to be induced by the neurodegeneration process as these two proteins were not found associated in young JNPL3 mice. Consistently, the novel protein co‐purified with the pathological sarkosyl insoluble tau in terminally ill JNPL3 mice. Calcium‐binding assays demonstrated that this protein binds calcium effectively. Finally, the association between tau and the novel calcium‐binding protein is conserved in human and enriched in Alzheimer’s disease brain. Taken together, the identification of a novel calcium‐binding protein associated with tau protein in terminally ill tauopathy mouse model and its confirmation in human brain lysate suggests that this association may play an important physiological and/or pathological role.
Androgens regulate neprilysin expression: role in reducing β‐amyloid levels
Authors: Yao Mingzhong , Nguyen Thuy‐Vi V. , Rosario Emily R. , Ramsden Martin , Pike Christian J.
Published: March 2008

Age‐related testosterone depletion in men is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Prior studies suggest that androgens affect Alzheimer’s disease risk by regulating accumulation of β‐amyloid protein (Aβ) by an undefined mechanism. In this study, we investigated the role of the Aβ‐catabolizing enzyme neprilysin (NEP) in this process. First, we observed that androgens positively regulate neural expression of NEP in adult male rats. Next, we investigated androgen regulatory effects on both NEP expression and Aβ levels using cultured hippocampal neurons and neuronally differentiated rat pheochromocytoma cell 12 with or without androgen receptor (AR). Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) induced a time‐dependent increase in NEP expression. DHT also significantly decreased levels of Aβ in AR‐expressing cells transfected with amyloid precursor protein, but did not affect levels of either full‐length or non‐amyloidogenic, soluble amyloid precursor protein. Importantly, the DHT induced decrease of Aβ was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of NEP. The DHT‐mediated increase in NEP expression and decrease in Aβ levels were (i) not observed in rat pheochromocytoma cell 12 lacking AR and (ii) blocked in AR‐expressing cells by the antagonists, cyproterone acetate and flutamide. Together, these findings suggest that androgen regulation of Aβ involves an AR‐dependent mechanism requiring up‐regulation of the Aβ catabolizing enzyme NEP.
High temporal resolution of amino acid levels in rat nucleus accumbens during operant ethanol self‐administration: involvement of elevated glycine in anticipation
Authors: Li Zhimin , Zharikova Aleutina , Bastian Jaime , Esperon Leonardo , Hebert Nicole , Mathes Clare , Rowland Neil E. , Peris Joanna
Published: March 2008

Capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser‐induced fluorescence detection (CE‐LIF) provides 15‐s temporal resolution of amino acid levels in microdialysate, which, for the first time, allows almost real time measurement of changes during episodes of behavior. We trained Sprague‐Dawley rats to self‐administer either 10% ethanol‐containing gelatin or non‐alcoholic gelatin in a typical operant chamber. After rats reached stable daily levels of responding, microdialysis probes were inserted into nucleus accumbens and samples were collected before, during and after operant sessions with on‐line analysis via CE‐LIF. During the first 15 min of the operant session, there was a significant increase in taurine that correlated with the amount of ethanol consumed (R2 = 0.81) but no change in rats responding for plain gel. There were large, consistent increases in glycine in both the ethanol and plain gel groups which correlated with the amount of gel consumed. A smaller increase was observed in rats with free non‐operant access to plain gel compared to the increase seen with the same amount of gel consumed under operant conditions. When rats were given a time out after each delivery of gel in the operant protocol, the greatest increase of glycine was obtained with the longest time out period. Thus, increases in glycine in nucleus accumbens appear to be related to anticipation of reinforcement.
Amyloid beta peptide and NMDA induce ROS from NADPH oxidase and AA release from cytosolic phospholipase A2 in cortical neurons
Authors: Shelat Phullara B. , Chalimoniuk Malgorzata , Wang Jing‐Hung , Strosznajder Joanna B. , Lee James C. , Sun Albert Y. , Simonyi Agnes , Sun Grace Y.
Published: March 2008

Increase in oxidative stress has been postulated to play an important role in the pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. There is evidence for involvement of amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ) in mediating the oxidative damage to neurons. Despite yet unknown mechanism, Aβ appears to exert action on the ionotropic glutamate receptors, especially the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor subtypes. In this study, we showed that NMDA and oligomeric Aβ1–42 could induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production from cortical neurons through activation of NADPH oxidase. ROS derived from NADPH oxidase led to activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2, phosphorylation of cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α), and arachidonic acid (AA) release. In addition, Aβ1–42‐induced AA release was inhibited by d(−)‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoic acid and memantine, two different NMDA receptor antagonists, suggesting action of Aβ through the NMDA receptor. Besides serving as a precursor for eicosanoids, AA is also regarded as a retrograde messenger and plays a role in modulating synaptic plasticity. Other phospholipase A2 products such as lysophospholipids can perturb membrane phospholipids. These results suggest an oxidative‐degradative mechanism for oligomeric Aβ1–42 to induce ROS production and stimulate AA release through the NMDA receptors. This novel mechanism may contribute to the oxidative stress hypothesis and synaptic failure that underline the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Changes in corneal sensitivity and tear physiology after phacoemulsification
Authors: Khanal Santosh , Tomlinson Alan , Esakowitz Leonard , Bhatt Priya , Jones David , Nabili Shahriar , Mukerji Subhanjan
Published: March 2008

Purpose:  To identify any changes in corneal sensitivity and tear physiology after phacoemulsification and to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of ophthalmic lubricants.

Methods:  The design of the study was longitudinal, parallel, randomised and double masked. Eighteen patients (average age 70.83 ± 10.66 years, 7 males and 11 females) undergoing phacoemulsification were recruited and divided into three groups of six. In addition to the prednisolone acetate 1% and chloramphenicol 0.5% routinely given to patients postoperatively, the first two groups were given a tear lubricant (Refresh® Soothe and Protect™, Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) and saline (Chauvin Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Essex, UK), respectively, and the third was a control group and did not receive any additional eye drops. Tear production, evaporation, lipid layer interferometry and osmolarity along with corneal sensitivity were measured before and 3 days, 2 weeks, 1 month and 3 months after the surgery.

Results:  Statistically significant detrimental changes were seen in all parameters of corneal sensitivity and tear physiology immediately after phacoemulsification. Tear physiology recovered within 1 month. Corneal sensitivity did not return to normal levels in 3 months, but a trend towards full recovery was seen. Saline and the tear lubricant were not found to have an effect on the improvement of tear physiology and corneal sensitivity post‐surgically.

Conclusions:  Deterioration in corneal sensitivity and tear physiology is seen immediately after phacoemulsification. Corneal sensitivity does not return to preoperative levels until 3 months postoperatively whereas the tear functions recover within 1 month.
The effects of monocular refractive blur on gait parameters when negotiating a raised surface
Authors: Vale Anna , Scally Andy , Buckley John G , Elliott David B
Published: March 2008

Falls in the elderly are a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Elderly people with visual impairment have been found to be at increased risk of falling, with poor visual acuity in one eye causing greater risk than poor binocular visual acuity. The present study investigated whether monocular refractive blur, at a level typically used for monovision correction, would significantly reduce stereoacuity and consequently affect gait parameters when negotiating a raised surface. Fourteen healthy subjects (25.8 ± 5.6 years) walked up to and on to a raised surface, under four visual conditions; binocular, +2DS blur over their non‐dominant eye, +2DS blur over their dominant eye and with their dominant eye occluded. Analysis focussed on foot positioning and toe clearance parameters. Monocular blur had no effect on binocular acuity, but caused a small decline in binocular contrast sensitivity and a large decline in stereoacuity (p < 0.01). Vertical toe clearance increased under monocular blur or occlusion (p < 0.01) with a significantly greater increase under blur of the dominant eye compared with blur of the non‐dominant eye (p < 0.01). Increase in toe clearance was facilitated by increasing maximum toe elevation (p < 0.01). Findings indicate that monocular blur at a level typically used for monovision correction significantly reduced stereoacuity and consequently the ability to accurately perceive the height and position of a raised surface placed within the travel path. These findings may help explain why elderly individuals with poor visual acuity in one eye have been found to have an increased risk of falling.
Use of multiple preferred retinal loci in Stargardt’s disease during natural tasks: a case study*
Authors: Sullivan Brian , Jovancevic‐Misic Jelena , Hayhoe Mary , Sterns Gwen
Published: March 2008

Individuals with central visual field loss often use a preferred retinal locus (PRL) to compensate for their deficit. We present a case study examining the eye movements of a subject with Stargardt’s disease causing bilateral central scotomas, while performing a set of natural tasks including: making a sandwich; building a model; reaching and grasping; and catching a ball. In general, the subject preferred to use PRLs in the lower left visual field. However, there was considerable variation in the location and extent of the PRLs used. Our results demonstrate that a well‐defined PRL is not necessary to adequately perform this set of tasks and that many sites in the peripheral retina may be viable for PRLs, contingent on task and stimulus constraints.
Reproducibility of sphero‐cylindrical prescriptions*
Authors: MacKenzie Graeme E.
Published: March 2008

Purpose:  To investigate the reproducibility of the sphero‐cylindrical prescriptions provided by 40 optometrists.

Methods:  Forty registered optometrists were randomly selected from the cities of Oxford and Westminster in the UK to perform a sphero‐cylindrical refraction on an asymptomatic 29‐year‐old male subject. The 95% limits of reproducibility for each component of refraction were assessed and are presented together with scatterplots, distribution ellipsoids and polar profiles of dioptric power.

Results:  The mean stigmatic (spherical equivalent) refraction for the right eye was −0.83 D (S.D. = 0.28 D) with 95% limits of agreement −1.38 and −0.28 D. The 95% reproducibility limits for stigmatic data [] was 0.78 D. The average inter‐ocular difference in the stigmatic components of refraction was −0.044 D (S.D. = 0.20 D) but estimates ranged from −0.50 to +0.50 D. Mean ortho‐ and oblique antistigmatic refractions were −0.23 D (S.D. = 0.084 D) and −0.14 D (S.D. = 0.086 D) respectively.

Conclusions:  The findings of this paper suggest that refractions performed by multiple optometrists on a single eye will differ in their stigmatic component by over 0.78 D on average not more than once in 20 refractions. The reproducibility of refractions reported here, approximately twice as variable as those reported under repeatability conditions, has profound implications for the analysis of refractive data collected by multiple optometrists over the course of replication, longitudinal and epidemiological studies.
Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder in Turkish Child and Adolescent Survivors Three Years after the Marmara Earthquake
Authors: Bal Aydın
Published: March 2008

The study investigated the emergence of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in child and adolescent survivors in Turkey three years after the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, with consideration of the severity of exposure and the survivors' gender and age. A representative sample of 293 young earthquake survivors (152 female and 141 male between the ages of 8 and 15) participated in the study. Participants' scores on the Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index for Children indicated that 31.4% reported moderate, 24.2% reported severe, and 3.8% reported very severe traumatic stress reactions. Analysis of the Revised Impact of Events Scale for Children scores revealed that 56% reported severe PTSD symptoms. While severity of exposure and gender were significantly associated with severity of PTSD symptoms, age was not related to PTSD symptoms. The results indicated a high need for addressing the mental health problems of the child and adolescent trauma survivors in Turkey.
GEOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF VITREOUS ROCKS EXPLOITED DURING THE FORMATIVE PERIOD IN THE ATACAMA REGION, NORTHERN CHILE*
Authors: SEELENFREUND A. , FONSECA E. , LLONA F. , LERA L. , SINCLAIRE C. , REES C.
Published: March 2008

Petrographic analysis and geochemical characterization studies were carried out on vitreous dacite and/or rhyodacite artefacts from Formative period archaeological sites in the upper Salado River Basin in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. These were compared with samples taken from two source areas located within the subregion, named Linzor and Paniri. Source samples and archaeological specimens were analysed by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) combined with optical emission plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP–OES) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Results from the limited number of samples analysed indicate that the Linzor source seems to have been the primary source exploited during the Early and Late Formative periods in the Salado River Basin.
An Estimated New Keynesian Policy Model for Australia*
Authors: BUNCIC DANIEL , MELECKY MARTIN
Published: March 2008

An open economy New Keynesian policy model for Australia is estimated in this study. We investigate how important external shocks are as a source of macroeconomic fluctuations when compared to domestic ones. The results of our analysis suggest that the Australian business cycle and domestic inflation are most affected by domestic demand and supply shocks, respectively. However, domestic output also appears to be strongly affected by foreign demand shocks and domestic inflation by exchange rate shocks. Domestic variables do not seem to be significantly affected by foreign supply and monetary policy shocks.
Beyond Brigden: Australia's Inter‐War Manufacturing Tariffs, Real Wages and Economic Size*
Authors: TYERS ROD , COLEMAN WILLIAM
Published: March 2008

Pre‐depression Australia maintained a protectionist regime directed at expanding the economy and accommodating immigration. The 1929 Brigden Report recognised that industrial protection would benefit workers and that it might also foster expansion. Although Brigden's wage thesis mirrors the subsequent Heckscher–Ohlin–Samuelson and specific factors models, it has more advanced elements than either. We demonstrate the comparative failings of the latter models and show that the Brigden thesis requires a model with mobile capital, differentiated products, a non‐traded sector and a specific factor. This model suggests that protection might indeed have promoted immigration, capital inflow and overall economic expansion in Australia.
Discounting and the Time Preference Rate*
Authors: CREEDY JOHN , GUEST ROSS
Published: March 2008

This paper provides an analytical review of the evaluation of alternative time streams of consumption and the closely related concept of time preference. The potential sensitivity of comparisons, especially to the choice of time preference rate and elasticity of marginal valuation, is demonstrated. The nature of time preference, based on an axiomatic approach, is then discussed. The analysis of optimisation over time leads to the concept of the social time preference rate, and a difficulty with using this rate is highlighted. Approaches giving rise to declining discount rates over time are discussed, including alternative welfare functions and the role of uncertainty. This is followed by a critique of methods used to ‘estimate’ a time preference rate. Finally, complications introduced by non‐income differences between individuals are examined. Emphasis is placed on the central role of value judgements.
Evidence‐Based Efficacy Comparison of Tolcapone and Entacapone as Adjunctive Therapy in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Lees Andrew J.
Published: March 2008

The relative efficacy has not been adequately established for the two catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitors that are currently available for adjunctive therapy in Parkinson's disease; tolcapone and entacapone. A recent Cochrane meta‐analysis of 14 studies in 2566 patients, conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of tolcapone and entacapone, found both to be statistically superior to placebo in increasing ON time and decreasing OFF time. The meta‐analysis also showed that the weighted mean difference from baseline to endpoint in tolcapone‐treated patients was twice that in entacapone‐treated patients for both placebo‐corrected ON time and OFF time. Withdrawal rates were generally lower for tolcapone. Two additional studies have examined the switch between tolcapone and entacapone. In 40 Parkinson's disease patients with fluctuations who were switched from tolcapone to entacapone, improvements in ON time and reductions in OFF time were approximately twice the magnitude for tolcapone than for entacapone. In a second study examining the switch from entacapone to tolcapone, the results for several exploratory variables also suggested that tolcapone has greater efficacy than entacapone. These findings indicate that tolcapone should be considered in all patients with entacapone‐refractory motor fluctuations.
Ascomycin and FK506: Pharmacology and Therapeutic Potential as Anticonvulsants and Neuroprotectants
Authors: Sierra‐Paredes Germán , Sierra‐Marcuño Germán
Published: March 2008

Ascomycin and FK506 are powerful calcium‐dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase (calcineurin [CaN], protein phosphatase 2B) inhibitors. Their mechanism of action involves the formation of a molecular complex with the intracellular FK506‐binding protein‐12 (FKBP12), thereby acquiring the ability to interact with CaN and to interfere with the dephosphorylation of various substrates. Pharmacological studies of ascomycin, FK506, and derivatives have mainly been focused on their action as immunosuppressants and therapeutic use in inflammatory skin diseases, both in animal studies and in humans. CaN inhibitors have been also proposed for the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative brain diseases. Preclinical studies suggest, however, that ascomycin and its derivatives exhibit additional pharmacological activities. Ascomycin has been shown to have anticonvulsant activity when perfused into the rat hippocampus via microdialysis probes, and ascomycin derivatives may be useful in preventing ischemic brain damage and neuronal death. Their pharmacological action in the brain may involve CaN‐mediated regulation of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate receptor channels, neuronal cytoskeleton and dendritic spine morphology, as well as of the inflammatory responses in glial cells. FK506 and ascomycin inhibit signaling pathways in astrocytes and change the pattern of cytokine and neurotrophin gene expression. However, brain‐specific mechanisms of action other than CaN inhibition cannot be excluded. CaN is a likely potential target molecule in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases, so that the therapeutic potential of ascomycin, FK506, and nonimmunosuppressant ascomycin derivatives as CNS drugs should be further explored.
Strain Differences in Alcohol‐Induced Neurochemical Plasticity: A Role for Accumbens Glutamate in Alcohol Intake
Authors: Kapasova Zuzana , Szumlinski Karen K.
Published: March 2008

Background: Repeated alcohol administration alters nucleus accumbens (NAC) basal glutamate content and sensitizes the capacity of alcohol to increase NAC extracellular glutamate levels. However, the relevance of alcohol‐induced changes in NAC glutamate for alcohol drinking behavior is under‐investigated.

Methods: To examine the relationship between genetic variance in alcohol consumption and alcohol‐induced neuroadaptations within the NAC, in vivo microdialysis was conducted in the alcohol‐preferring C57BL/6J (B6) and alcohol‐avoiding DBA2/J (D2) mouse strains on injections 1 and 8 of repeated alcohol treatment (8 × 2 g/kg, IP). To confirm an active role for NAC glutamate in regulating alcohol drinking behavior, the glutamate reuptake inhibitordl‐threo‐β‐benzyloxyaspartic acid (TBOA) (300 μM) and the Group 2 metabotropic glutamate autoreceptor agonist (2R,4R)‐4‐aminopyrrolidine‐2,4‐dicarboxylate (APDC) (50 μM) were infused into the NAC of B6 and D2 mice prior to alcohol consumption in a 4 bottle‐choice test.

Results: While strain differences were not apparent for NAC basal levels of dopamine, serotonin or γ‐amino butyric acid (GABA), repeated alcohol treatment elevated NAC basal glutamate content only in B6 mice. Strain differences in both the acute and the sensitized neurochemical responses to 2 g/kg alcohol were observed for all neurotransmitters examined. While the alcohol‐induced rise in NAC dopamine and glutamate levels sensitized in B6 mice, a sensitization was not observed in D2 animals. Moreover, B6 mice exhibited a sensitized serotonin and GABA response to alcohol followed repeated treatment, whereas neither tolerance nor sensitization was observed in D2 animals. An intra‐NAC APDC infusion reduced alcohol intake in both B6 and D2 mice by approximately 50%. In contrast, TBOA infusion elevated alcohol intake selectively in B6 mice.

Conclusions: These data indicate an active role for NAC glutamate in regulating alcohol consumption in mice and support the hypothesis that predisposition to high alcohol intake involves genetic factors that facilitate alcohol‐induced adaptations in glutamate release within the NAC.
Patterns of Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol‐Impaired Driving in the United States
Authors: Flowers Nicole T. , Naimi Timothy S. , Brewer Robert D. , Elder Randy W. , Shults Ruth A. , Jiles Ruth
Published: March 2008

Background: Alcohol‐related motor vehicle crashes kill approximately 17,000 Americans annually and were associated with more than $51 billion in total costs in 2000. Relatively little is known about the drinking patterns of alcohol‐impaired (AI) drivers in the United States.

Methods: 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was analyzed for alcohol consumption and self‐reported AI driving among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years for all states. Alcohol consumption was divided into 4 categories: binge/heavy, binge/nonheavy, nonbinge/heavy, and nonbinge/nonheavy. Binge drinking was defined as ≥5 drinks for men or ≥4 drinks for women on one or more occasions in the past month, and heavy drinking was defined as average daily consumption of >2 drinks/day (men) or >1 drink/day (women). The prevalence of AI driving was examined by drinking pattern and by demographic characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between drinking patterns and AI driving.

Results: Five percent of drinkers were engaged in AI driving during the past 30 days. Overall, 84% of AI drivers were binge drinkers and 88% of AI driving episodes involved binge drinkers. By drinking category, binge/nonheavy drinkers accounted for the largest percentage of AI drivers (49.4%), while binge/heavy drinkers accounted for the most episodes of AI driving (51.3%). The adjusted odds of AI driving were 20.1 (95% CI: 16.7, 24.3) for binge/heavy, 8.2 (6.9, 9.7) for binge/nonheavy, and 3.9 (2.4, 6.3) for nonbinge/heavy drinkers, respectively.

Conclusions: There is a strong association between binge drinking and AI driving. Most AI drivers and almost half of all AI driving episodes involve persons who are not heavy drinkers (based on average daily consumption). Implementing effective interventions to prevent binge drinking could substantially reduce AI driving.
Adipose Differentiation‐Related Protein Is a Reliable Lipid Droplet Marker in Alcoholic Fatty Liver of Rats
Authors: Mak Ki M. , Ren Chaoling , Ponomarenko Anatoly , Cao Qi , Lieber Charles S.
Published: March 2008

Background:  Adipose differentiation‐related protein (ADRP) is a lipid droplet‐associated protein that coats cytoplasmic lipid droplets. The present study evaluated whether alcohol feeding enhances ADRP expression and whether ADRP is a lipid droplet marker in alcoholic fatty liver of rats. Because medium‐chain triglycerides (MCT) reduce alcoholic hepatosteatosis, their effects on ADRP were also evaluated.

Methods:  Fatty liver was induced in rats by the consumption of the Lieber‐DeCarli alcohol liquid diet with or without replacement of long‐chain triglycerides (LCT) by MCT (32% of calories). Immunohistochemical staining for ADRP was performed in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded liver sections. ADRP immunostaining was quantified by image analysis. Triacylglycerol was measured chemically. ADRP mRNA and protein were analyzed by real‐time polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. Double staining technique was performed to distinguish ADRP from glycogen in hepatocytes.

Results:  Alcohol feeding for 21 days increased ADRP staining in the centrilobular and mid zonal regions of the liver lobules coincident with fat deposition in the liver. Replacing LCT in the alcohol diet with MCT diminished ADRP immunostaining in parallel with reduced steatosis. MCT also attenuated the up‐regulation of ADRP mRNA and protein after alcohol. In steatotic hepatocytes ADRP selectively stained the surface of macrovesicular and microvesicular lipid droplets. ADRP immunostaining quantitatively correlated with hepatic triacylglycerol levels, validating ADRP as a reliable lipid droplet marker. Compared with hematoxylin and eosin stains, ADRP was more sensitive in detecting microvesicular lipid droplets. ADRP immunostaining also distinguished lipid droplets from glycogen, as demonstrated by double staining for ADRP and glycogen.

Conclusions:  Alcohol induction of fatty liver enhances ADRP expression and MCT oppose the alcohol effects. ADRP is a reliable and sensitive marker for lipid droplets in alcoholic fatty liver. ADRP immunostaining permits quantification of fatty change in hepatocytes and can be used as an ancillary technique in assessing the efficacy of diets or drugs against hepatosteatosis.
Ethanol Selectively Attenuates NMDAR‐Mediated Synaptic Transmission in the Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Weitlauf Carl , Woodward John J.
Published: March 2008

Background:  Brain imaging studies have revealed abnormal function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of alcoholics that may contribute to the impulsive behavior and lack of control over drinking that characterizes this disorder. Understanding how ethanol affects the physiology of PFC neurons may help explain this loss of control and lead to better treatments for alcohol addiction. In a previous study from this laboratory, we showed that ethanol inhibits complex patterns of persistent activity (known as “up‐states”) in medial PFC (mPFC) neurons in a reversible and concentration‐dependent manner.

Methods:  In the current study, whole‐cell patch clamp recordings were used to directly examine the effects of ethanol on the glutamatergic and GABAergic components that underlie persistent activity.

Results:  In deep‐layer mPFC pyramidal neurons, ethanol reversibly attenuated electrically evoked N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate‐type glutamate receptor (NMDAR)‐mediated EPSCs. Significant inhibition was observed at concentrations as low as 22 mM, equivalent to a blood ethanol concentration (0.1%) typically associated with legal limits for intoxication. In contrast to NMDA responses, neither evoked nor spontaneous EPSCs mediated by α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid‐type glutamate receptor were affected by ethanol at concentrations as high as 88 mM, a concentration that can be fatal to non‐tolerant individuals. At similar concentrations, ethanol also had little effect on spontaneous or evoked IPSCs mediated by a‐type γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor. Finally, mPFC neurons showed little evidence of GABAR‐mediated tonic current and this was unaffected by ethanol.

Conclusions:  Together, these results suggest that NMDAR‐mediated processes in the mPFC may be particularly susceptible to disruption following the acute ingestion of ethanol.
Na,K‐ATPase Expression Is Increased in the Lungs of Alcohol‐Fed Rats
Authors: Otis Jeffrey S. , Mitchell Patrick O. , Kershaw Corey D. , Joshi Pratibha C. , Guidot David M.
Published: March 2008

Background:  Alcohol abuse independently increases the risk of developing the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a disease characterized by diffuse alveolar epithelial damage, lung edema, and consequent severe hypoxemia. Chronic alcohol abuse increases alveolar epithelial permeability both in vitro and in vivo, in part due to altered tight junction formation. However, both alcohol‐fed animals and otherwise healthy alcoholic humans do not have pulmonary edema at baseline, even though their lungs are highly susceptible to acute edematous injury in response to inflammatory stresses. This suggests that active fluid transport by the alveolar epithelium is preserved or even augmented in the alcoholic lung. Chronic alcohol ingestion increases expression of apical sodium channels in the alveolar epithelium; however, its effects on the Na,K‐ATPase complex that drives sodium and fluid transport out of the alveolar space have not been examined.

Methods:  Age‐ and gender‐matched Sprague–Dawley rats were fed the Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet containing either alcohol or an isocaloric substitution (control diet) for 6 weeks. Gene and protein expression of lung Na,K‐ATPase α1, α2, and β1 subunits were quantified via real‐time PCR and immunobiological analyses, respectively. Alcohol‐induced, Na,K‐ATPase‐dependent epithelial barrier dysfunction was determined by calculating lung tissue wet:dry ratios following an ex vivo buffer‐perfused challenge for 2 hours in the presence of ouabain (10−4 M), a Na,K‐ATPase inhibitor.

Results:  Chronic alcohol ingestion significantly increased gene and protein expression of each Na,K‐ATPase subunit in rat lungs. Immunohistochemical analyses of the alcoholic lung also revealed that protein expression of the Na,K‐ATPase α1 subunit was increased throughout the alveolar epithelium. Additionally, lungs isolated from alcohol‐fed rats developed more edema than comparably treated lungs from control‐fed rats, as reflected by increased lung tissue wet:dry ratios.

Conclusions:  These findings indicate that chronic alcohol ingestion, which is known to increase alveolar epithelial paracellular permeability, actually increases the expression of Na,K‐ATPase in the lung as a compensatory mechanism. This provides a potential explanation as to why the otherwise healthy alcoholic does not have evidence of pulmonary edema at baseline.
Assessment of Papillary Fibroelastomas with Live Three‐Dimensional Transthoracic Echocardiography
Authors: Le Tourneau Thierry , Pouwels Sébastien , Gal Benjamin , Vincentelli André , Polge Anne‐Sophie , Fayad Georges , Maréchaux Sylvestre , Ennezat Pierre‐Vladimir , Jegou Bruno , Deklunder Ghislaine
Published: March 2008

Seven consecutive patients presenting with typical echocardiographic features of papillary fibroelastoma requiring surgery were studied. All patients underwent standard two‐dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) followed by live three‐dimensional (live 3D) echocardiography with data set storage allowing analysis with systematic cropping of the acquired 3D data and volume measurement of the lesions. Assessment of papillary fibroelastoma by 2D and live 3D TTE was compared to operative findings. The feasibility of live 3D echocardiography in this setting was 100%. The quality of images was considered as optimal in three patients, good in three patients, and poor in one patient. A typical speckled appearance of the tumor was observed in three patients presenting with large tumors. The location of the tumor attachment was precisely defined in all but one patient, with a clear improvement in spatial assessment with live 3D TTE in three patients. Live 3D TTE also improved the operative planning in three patients. Live 3D TTE appears to be useful in the assessment of intracardiac tumors as small as papillary fibroelastomas, leading to a comprehensive approach of the lesion and facilitating the operative planning.
Correlates of Household Smoking Bans in Low‐Income Families of Children With and Without Asthma
Authors: WAMBOLDT FREDERICK S. , BALKISSOON RONALD C. , RANKIN ALLISON E. , SZEFLER STANLEY J. , HAMMOND S. KATHARINE , GLASGOW RUSSELL E. , DICKINSON W. PERRY
Published: March 2008

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) harms all children's health, especially children with asthma. Yet, children with asthma are as likely to live with smokers as healthy children. Household smoking bans are being advocated to reduce children's harm from SHS. To measure the effect of household smoking bans on child SHS exposure and to examine correlates of strict smoking bans in a low‐income, diverse sample, 91 children with asthma were matched to 91 healthy children. All had at least one smoker living in their homes. Nicotine dosimeters, child cotinine assays, and maternal reports quantified child SHS exposures. Maternal reports of household smoking rules, behaviors, and beliefs, and other family characteristics were also gathered. The presence of a strict household smoking ban vastly reduced children's SHS exposures and was associated with fewer cigarettes smoked by the mother and by other family members, the belief that SHS was a personal health risk, having children with asthma, and living in a single‐family home. Many children are exposed to high levels of SHS at home. Strict household smoking bans greatly decrease, but do not eliminate children's SHS exposure. Even in disadvantaged families, mutable factors were associated with strict smoking bans. Increased dissemination and use of established public health strategies are needed to reduce children's SHS exposures.
Feasibility and Impact of a School‐Based Intervention for Families of Urban Adolescents with Asthma: Results from a Randomized Pilot Trial
Authors: BRUZZESE JEAN‐MARIE , UNIKEL LYNNE , GALLAGHER RICHARD , EVANS DAVID , COLLAND VIVIAN
Published: March 2008

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and short‐term outcomes of Asthma: It's a Family Affair!, a school‐based intervention for adolescents with asthma and their caregivers. Twenty‐four ethnic minority families with a middle school student with asthma were randomized to immediate intervention or no‐treatment control. Intervention students received six group sessions on prevention and management of asthma. Caregivers received five group sessions teaching child‐rearing skills to support the youth's autonomy and asthma self‐management. All students attended all sessions; caregivers attended an average of three. Two months post‐intervention, relative to controls, intervention caregivers reported better problem‐solving with children. Intervention students were more responsible for carrying medication, took more prevention steps, and woke fewer nights from asthma. The intervention resulted in positive short‐term changes in family relations, asthma management by students, and health status.
Incorporating Family Therapy into Asthma Group Intervention: A Randomized Waitlist‐Controlled Trial
Authors: NG S.M. , LI ALBERT M. , LOU VIVIAN W.Q. , TSO IVY F. , WAN PAULINE Y. P. , CHAN DOROTHY F.Y.
Published: March 2008

Asthma psychoeducational programs have been found to be effective in terms of symptom‐related outcome. They are mostly illness‐focused, and pay minimal attention to systemic/familial factors. This study evaluated a novel asthma psychoeducation program that adopted a parallel group design and incorporated family therapy. A randomized waitlist‐controlled crossover clinical trial design was adopted. Children with stable asthma and their parents were recruited from a pediatric chest clinic. Outcome measures included, for the patients: exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), spirometry, and adjustment to asthma; and for the parents: perceived efficacy in asthma management, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety subscale, Body Mind Spirit Well‐being Inventory emotion subscale, and Short Form 12 health‐related quality of life scale. Forty‐six patients participated in the study. Attrition rates were 13.0% and 26.0% for the active and control groups, respectively. Repeated‐measures ANOVA revealed a significant decrease in airway inflammation, as indicated by eNO levels, and an increase in patient's adjustment to asthma and parents' perceived efficacy in asthma management. Serial trend analysis revealed that most psychosocial measures continued to progress steadily after intervention. Significant improvements in both symptom‐related measures and mental health and relationship measures were observed. The findings supported the value of incorporating family therapy into asthma psychoeducation programs.
Infection with an insect virus affects olfactory behaviour and interactions with host plant and natural enemies in an aphid
Authors: Ban Liping , Ahmed Elham , Ninkovic Velemir , Delp Gabriele , Glinwood Robert
Published: March 2008

Aphid ecology and population dynamics are affected by a series of factors including behavioural responses to ecologically relevant chemical cues, capacity for population growth, and interactions with host plants and natural enemies. Using the aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) (Homoptera: Aphididae), we showed that these factors were affected by infection with Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV). Uninfected aphids were attracted to odour of uninfected aphids on the host plant, an aggregation mechanism. However, infected aphids were not attracted, and neither infected nor uninfected aphids were attracted to infected aphids on the plant. Infected aphids did not respond to methyl salicylate, a cue denoting host suitability. Infected aphids were more behaviourally sensitive to aphid alarm pheromone, and left the host plant more readily in response to it. RhPV reduced the lifespan and population growth rate of the aphid. The predacious ladybird, Coccinella septempunctata (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), consumed more infected aphids than uninfected aphids in a 24‐h period, and the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi Haliday (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) attacked more infected than uninfected aphids. However, the proportion of mummies formed was lower with infected aphids. The results represent further evidence that associated organisms can affect the behaviour and ecology of their aphid hosts.
Association between alcohol consumption and dental health
Authors: Jansson Leif
Published: March 2008

Objectives: To study the association of alcohol consumption with dental health in a sample from the County of Stockholm.

Material and Methods: In a longitudinal investigation, 513 individuals were examined in 1970 and 1990. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed as well as an interview including questions on alcohol consumption. The clinical investigation consisted of the registration of the number of remaining teeth, dental restorations, caries and periodontal conditions. The marginal bone level and longitudinal bone loss were determined by assessments on the proximal surfaces of all measurable teeth on the radiographs. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were adopted to calculate the partial correlations between alcohol consumption and the investigated odontological variables.

Results: The group of subjects with the highest alcohol consumption (>5 cl pure alcohol per day) had more tooth surfaces with caries, more calculus and more teeth with apical lesions compared with those who reported an alcohol consumption 5 cl of pure alcohol per day. Alcohol consumption was not associated with periodontal disease.

Conclusion: The observations do not support any association between alcohol consumption and periodontal disease. However, individuals with high alcohol consumption had significantly more teeth with decayed surfaces and apical lesions indicating that lifestyle‐related factors may influence dental health.
An update on molecular aspects of the non‐syndromic ichthyoses
Authors: Akiyama Masashi , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: March 2008

Abstract:  Ichthyosis includes a number of subtypes from congenital severe forms, such as harlequin ichthyosis (HI), to mild non‐congenital forms, such as ichthyosis vulgaris. Recently, research into the pathomechanisms of ichthyoses has dramatically advanced and led to the identification of several causative genes and molecules underlying the genetic defects. In most types of ichthyosis, pathogenic mechanisms are associated with defects in skin barrier function. Three major components of the stratum corneum barrier are (i) intercellular lipid layers, (ii) cornified cell envelope and (iii) keratin‐filaggrin degradation products. The causative molecules underlying ichthyosis subtypes include ABCA12, lipoxygenase‐3, 12R‐lipoxygenase, CYP4F2 homolog, ichthyin and steroid sulphatase and all these are thought to be related to the intercellular lipid layers. Transglutaminase 1 has a function in cornified cell envelope formation. Keratins 1, 10 and 2 are involved in the keratin network of suprabasal keratinocytes and filaggrin are essential for formation of keratohyalin granules. In fact, loss of ABCA12 function leads to a defective lipid barrier in the stratum corneum, resulting in the HI phenotype and ABCA12 is a known keratinocyte lipid transporter associated with lipid transport in lamellar granules. Filaggrin gene mutations in ichthyosis vulgaris cause keratohyalin granule deficiency. Information concerning genetic defects and ichthyotic disease pathomechanisms are beneficial to develop effective therapy and provide information for genetic counselling including prenatal diagnosis for families affected by ichthyotic disease.