bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CLINICAL RESULTS OF ENDOSCOPIC HEMOSTASIS USING A SHORT TRANSPARENT HOOD AND SHORT HEMOCLIPS FOR NON‐VARICEAL UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING
Authors: Hosoe Naoki , Imaeda Hiroyuki , Kashiwagi Kazuhiro , Naganuma Makoto , Inoue Nagamu , Suzuki Hidekazu , Suganuma Kazuhiro , Ida Yosuke , Nakamizo Hiromasa , Aiura Koichi , Ogata Haruhiko , Iwao Yasushi , Kumai Koichiro , Hibi Toshifumi
Published: March 2009

Aim:  Endoscopic hemostasis using hemoclips is useful, but there are technical difficulties because the angle of the approach is tangential. A transparent hood facilitates the observation and treatment of these lesions, and a shorter hood provides a wider visible field. Endoscopic hemoclipping of hard lesions with hemoclips of the conventional size does not reliably result in sustained hemostasis because the clips slip. Short clips, however, can be easily clamped on protruded visible vessels without slip. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic hemostasis with a short transparent hood and short clips.

Methods:  Subjects were 198 patients with 214 lesions of non‐variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding at Keio University Hospital. We used a video endoscope with a short transparent hood attached to its distal tip and carried out hemostasis using short hemoclips.

Results:  The short transparent hood provided a good visual field. If the lesions were in the tangential, the short hood made it possible to observe them in the frontal view and made clip hemostasis much easier. The short clip could be securely clamped against protruded visible vessels. Of 214 lesion, 211 (98.6%) had temporal hemostasis. Rebleeding occurred in 13 of 211 lesions (6.2%), and 205 of 214 lesions (95.8%) had permanent hemostasis. Nine cases were endoscopically difficult.

Conclusion:  Endoscopic hemostasis with a short transparent hood and short clips is useful for non‐variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
LAPAROSCOPIC RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA
Authors: Asahina Yasuhiro , Nakanishi Hiroyuki , Izumi Namiki
Published: March 2009

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the best curative treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma in selected patients, and this procedure can be applied either percutaneously or laparoscopically. Although the percutaneous approach is less invasive and is considered the first choice, RFA with laparoscopic guidance is highly recommended for patients with a relative contraindication for percutaneous RFA, such as lesions adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, bile duct and heart. Recent advances in laparoscopic ultrasound have widened the indication for laparoscopic ablation. In the present paper, we review the indications, advantages, prognosis and safety of laparoscopic RFA for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Use of methylene blue in pheochromocytoma resection: case report
Authors: AMIN NASR AHMED , FATANI JEHAN , KASHKARI IBRAHEEM , AL SHAMMARY MOHAMED , AMIN TAREK
Published: March 2009

We report the use of intravenous Methylene blue to treat the hypotension occurring following adrenal vein ligation in a case of pheochromocytoma resection in a child. The potential benefits and problems, including correct dosage, are discussed.
Projected impacts of climate change on a continent‐wide protected area network
Authors: Hole David G. , Willis Stephen G. , Pain Deborah J. , Fishpool Lincoln D. , Butchart Stuart H. M. , Collingham Yvonne C. , Rahbek Carsten , Huntley Brian
Published: March 2009

Despite widespread concern, the continuing effectiveness of networks of protected areas under projected 21st century climate change is uncertain. Shifts in species’ distributions could mean these resources will cease to afford protection to those species for which they were originally established. Using modelled projected shifts in the distributions of sub‐Saharan Africa’s entire breeding avifauna, we show that species turnover across the continent’s Important Bird Area (IBA) network is likely to vary regionally and will be substantial at many sites (> 50% at 42% of IBAs by 2085 for priority species). Persistence of suitable climate space across the network as a whole, however, is notably high, with 88–92% of priority species retaining suitable climate space in ≥ 1 IBA(s) in which they are currently found. Only 7–8 priority species lose climatic representation from the network. Hence, despite the likelihood of significant community disruption, we demonstrate that rigorously defined networks of protected areas can play a key role in mitigating the worst impacts of climate change on biodiversity.
Origin of the lichen–spruce woodland in the closed‐crown forest zone of eastern Canada
Authors: Girard François , Payette Serge , Gagnon Réjean
Published: March 2009

Aim  We investigate the timing and factors responsible for the transformation of closed‐crown forests into lichen–spruce woodlands.

Location  The study area extends between 70° and 72° W in the closed‐crown forest zone from its southern limit near 47°30′ N to its northern limit at the contact with the lichen–spruce woodland zone around 52°10′ N. A total of 24 lichen–spruce woodlands were selected.

Methods  Radiocarbon dating of charcoals at mineral soil contact and within the organic horizons allowed the principal factors causing the degradation of the closed‐crown forest to be identified, i.e. light fires, successive fires and the occurrence of a spruce budworm epidemic followed by a fire.

Results  Charcoals dated in the organic horizon were less than 200 years old, suggesting a recent transformation of the closed‐crown forest following surface fires. Before their transformation into lichen–spruce woodlands, stands were occupied by old, dense forests that originated from fires dating back to 1000 yr bp. The radiocarbon dating of charcoals in the organic horizon indicated that several stands burned twice in less than 50 years, while others burned shortly after a spruce budworm epidemic. Light fires are frequent within the lichen–spruce woodlands according to multiple charcoal layers found within the organic matter horizon.

Main conclusions  While closed‐crown forests are predicted to expand under climate warming, compound disturbances diminish the natural regeneration of the closed‐crown forests in the south and favour the expansion of lichen–spruce woodlands. As black spruce germinates on mineral soils, surface fires accentuate the expansion of the lichen–spruce woodlands southward. Under global warming, warmer springs will lead to earlier low‐intensity fires that do not remove as much organic matter, and hence prevent conditions suitable for black spruce regeneration. Also, spruce budworm reduces seed production for a certain time. The occurrence of fire during this period is critical for regeneration of black spruce.
The Procompetitive Effect of Demand‐Enhancing Check‐Off Programs
Authors: Crespi John M. , Marette Stéphan
Published: March 2009

This article explores demand‐enhancing check‐off programs and how such programs may influence both private programs as well as industry market structure. Under duopoly, a firm may increase its sales through privately funding product quality improvements. However, such endogenous sunk costs may also be used to exclude a rival. Industry‐funded check‐off programs affect firms’ strategies and can be procompetitive. The rationale lies not only in how the check‐off enhancement is perceived by consumers but also in the way the check‐off's crowding‐out effect reduces the ability of a firm to use its private expenditures to bar a rival's market access.
Efficiency, Cointegration and Contagion in Equity Markets: Evidence from China, Japan and South Korea*
Authors: Sohel Azad A.S.M.
Published: March 2009

This paper empirically examines whether three East Asian stock markets, namely, those of China, Japan and South Korea, are individually and/or jointly efficient, and whether contagion exists between the cointegrated markets. While individual market efficiency is examined through testing for the random walk hypothesis, joint market efficiency is examined through testing for cointegration and contagion. The present study finds that the hypothesis of individual market efficiency is strongly rejected for the Chinese stock market, but not for the Japanese and the South Korean stock markets. However, when testing for cointegration, market efficiency is strongly rejected for all these markets. We take a simple case of contagion and find that although there is a long‐term relationship among the three markets, the contagion hypothesis cannot be rejected only between Japanese and South Korean stock markets, indicating short‐run portfolio diversification benefits from these two markets.
Impact of the National Pension Fund on the Suitability of Elderly Pensions in Thailand*
Authors: Pfau Wade D. , Atisophon Vararat
Published: March 2009

This study combines a traditional hypothetical worker approach with the techniques of stochastic forecasting to provide a better sense about the suitability of the pension system for formal sector private workers in Thailand. With regard to the proposed defined‐contribution pension, we find that workers with a 40‐year career can only expect a median replacement rate of approximately 13–14 percent of their final 5 years of income. Most of the pension benefits will still likely come from the unsustainable defined‐benefit pension system and further reforms will be needed to maintain suitable pensions.
Group-Based Trust in Strangers
Authors: Foddy Margaret , Platow Michael J. , Yamagishi Toshio
Published: March 2009

Across two studies, we provide evidence for group-based trust in strangers. Specifically, when we offered participants a choice between an unknown monetary allocation made by an in-group (university or major) or an out-group allocator, both of whom had total control over the distribution of an identical sum of money, participants strongly preferred the in-group allocator. This preference occurred regardless of whether the stereotype of the in-group was relatively more positive or more negative than that of the out-group. However, this preference did not persist when participants believed that the allocator was unaware of their group membership. Measures of expected share of the allocator's funds support our hypothesis that differential trust of in-group members results from expectations of altruistic and fair behavior toward fellow in-group members rather than from positive stereotypes of the in-group.
The Briefest of Glances
Authors: Greene Michelle R. , Oliva Aude
Published: March 2009

What information is available from a brief glance at a novel scene? Although previous efforts to answer this question have focused on scene categorization or object detection, real-world scenes contain a wealth of information whose perceptual availability has yet to be explored. We compared image exposure thresholds in several tasks involving basic-level categorization or global-property classification. All thresholds were remarkably short: Observers achieved 75%-correct performance with presentations ranging from 19 to 67 ms, reaching maximum performance at about 100 ms. Global-property categorization was performed with significantly less presentation time than basic-level categorization, which suggests that there exists a time during early visual processing when a scene may be classified as, for example, a large space or navigable, but not yet as a mountain or lake. Comparing the relative availability of visual information reveals bottlenecks in the accumulation of meaning. Understanding these bottlenecks provides critical insight into the computations underlying rapid visual understanding.
Foreign Aid, Infrastructure Development and Welfare: An Intertemporal Analysis
Authors: Djajić Slobodan
Published: March 2009

The author examines the welfare implications of foreign aid within the framework of a two‐period, two‐country model of international trade. It is up to the donor country to decide what fraction of any given aid package is to be made available for the recipient's immediate consumption in period one, and what part should be allocated for investment in infrastructure that expands the recipient's production possibilities in period two. The focus of the analysis is on the conditions under which both countries agree or disagree on the manner in which the aid funds should be divided between the two options.
Monetary Policy Rules for Managing Aid Surges in Africa
Authors: Adam Christopher , O'Connell Stephen , Buffie Edward , Pattillo Catherine
Published: March 2009

This paper examines the properties of alternative monetary policy rules in response to large aid surges in low‐income countries characterized by incomplete capital market integration and currency substitution. Using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, it is shown that simple monetary rules that stabilize the path of expected future seigniorage for a given aid flow have attractive properties relative to a range of conventional alternatives, including those involving heavy reliance on bond sterilization or a commitment to a pure exchange rate float. These simple rules, which are shown to be robust across a range of fiscal responses to aid inflows, appear to be consistent with actual responses to recent aid surges in a range of post‐stabilization countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa.
A Vertical VAS is a Valid Instrument for Monitoring Headache Pain Intensity
Authors: Lundqvist C , Benth JŠ , Grande RB , Aaseth K , Russell MB
Published: March 2009

Visual analogue scales (VAS) are well-validated instruments for assessing pain intensity, but have an impractical format. The aim of the study was to validate a vertical against a horizontal VAS for pain intensity registration. Out-patients with headache or non-headache pain were included. Participants completed a horizontal and a vertical VAS. Both were completed twice for test-retest. Headache was diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edition. The results on vertical and horizontal VAS did not differ significantly in the different headache or chronic pain groups. For test-retest evaluation, effect sizes and Cohen's δ values were < 0.029 with < 1.5% change from test to retest ( P < 0.01). Correlation coefficients were > 0.95. Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between vertical and horizontal scores with correlation coefficients > 0.84. A vertical VAS is equally valid as a horizontal VAS for registration of pain intensity in headache and non-headache patients.
Ictal and Interictal Phonophobia in Migraine—A Quantitative Controlled Study
Authors: Ashkenazi A , Mushtaq A , Yang I , Oshinsky ML
Published: March 2009

The aim of the study was to evaluate quantitatively ictal and interictal phonophobia in episodic migraine (EM). We included subjects with EM and age- and gender-matched controls. Sound stimuli were pure tones at frequencies of 1000, 4000 and 8000 Hz. Sound aversion thresholds (SATs) were determined as the minimal sound intensity perceived as unpleasant or painful. Migraineurs were examined both between and during attacks. We compared interictal SATs in migraineurs with those in controls. We also compared ictal and interictal SATs in migraineurs. Sixty migraineurs and 52 controls were included. Interictal mean SAT of migraineurs, averaged for the three frequencies, was significantly lower than that of controls [90.4 (0.8) dB vs. 105.9 (1.1) dB, respectively, P < 0.0001]. In migraineurs, mean ictal SAT, averaged for the three frequencies, was significantly lower than interictal SAT [76.0 (0.9) dB vs. 91.0 (0.8) dB, respectively, P < 0.0001]. Patients with EM exhibit increased sound aversion between attacks that is further augmented during an acute attack.
Rangeland degradation is poised to cause Africa's first recorded avian extinction
Authors: Spottiswoode C. N. , Wondafrash M. , Gabremichael M. N. , Abebe Y. Dellelegn , Mwangi M. A. K. , Collar N. J. , Dolman P. M.
Published: March 2009

Rangeland degradation by livestock threatens several restricted‐range species, but is largely overlooked by conservation biologists. The Sidamo larkHeteromirafra sidamoensis, confined to the Liben Plain grassland in southern Ethiopia, is critically endangered by bush encroachment, permanent settlement and agricultural conversion. Its global range was previously estimated at 760 km2, but in 2007–2008 available habitat covered<35 km2. Density estimates from multi‐model inference analysis of distance transect data provided a global population estimate of 90–256 adults (possibly with a serious sex‐ratio bias towards males). Logistic regression models of habitat selection showed that males preferentially occurred in areas of grassland with greater cover of medium‐length grass (5–15 cm), less cover of bare ground and fewer bushes. Habitat transects extending outward from its core range revealed massive and rapid bush encroachment, corroborating information from semi‐structured interviews. The survival of both local Borana pastoralism and this species – mainland Africa's likeliest first avian extinction – depends on restoring seasonal patterns of grazing, resisting agricultural conversion of grasslands, reversing fire suppression policies and clearing bush.
Living with major depression: experiences from families’ perspectives
Authors: Ahlström Britt Hedman , Skärsäter Ingela , Danielson Ella
Published: March 2009

The aim of this study was to describe the ways of living with major depression in families. Seven families with an adult member who suffered major depression participated, in all 18 participants. Data were collected from seven narrative group interviews, one with each family. A qualitative thematic content analysis was used and the text was coded according to its content and further interpreted into themes. Findings consist of five themes: ‘Being forced to relinquish control of everyday life’; during depression the family members lost their energy and could not manage everyday life. ‘Uncertainty and instability are affecting life’; everyday life in the families was unstable and emotions influenced the atmosphere. ‘Living on the edge of the community’: the families periodically lived in seclusion. ‘Everyday life becomes hard’; everyday life was demanding for everyone in the family and the responsibility shifted between family members. ‘Despite everything a way out can be found’; the families as a unit as well as individually had their own ways of coping and finding some kind of satisfaction within the bounds of possibility. The families’ experiences were demanding. Children were aware of their parent’s depression and were involved in managing everyday life and emotionally affected by the situation. This legitimates the need for nurses and other healthcare professionals to have a family’s perspective on the whole situation and to include partners as well as children and take their experiences seriously when supporting and guiding a family. It is important to develop strategies which in particular include children in the planning, provision and receiving of care as well as unburden them with the responsibility. It is also important to support the family in their own coping strategies with a major depressive episode.
ON PENTAMPLEXUSSCHINDEWOLF, 1940 (ANTHOZOA, RUGOSA) AND ITS POSSIBLE RELATIVES AND ANALOGUES
Authors: FEDOROWSKI JERZY
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Three ampleximorphic taxa are revised and their most important characters are discussed in terms of possible or apparent relationships. Re‐interpretation of its early ontogeny allows the assignment of Pentamplexus Schindewolf, 1940 to the family Polycoeliidae de Fromentel, 1861. Stereolasma variabilisVojnovsky‐Krieger, 1934 is established as the type species of Vojnovskytes gen. nov. It resembles the family Polycoeliidae in some characters and the Antiphyllidae Ilina, 1970 or the Laccophyllidae Grabau, 1928 in others. Thus, its family status is not established. Revision of the type material of Fasciculophyllum tripusSchindewolf, 1952 allows its inclusion within the new genus Silesamplus, probably related to the family Laccophyllidae Grabau, 1928. Amplexoid morphology is further shown to be inadequate for the establishment of relationships on the family or subfamily level. Early ontogeny is most important in that respect, but biform vs normal morphology in the tabularium and free vs contratingent development of minor septa must also be considered, where appropriate.
ORDOVICIAN FISH FROM THE ARABIAN PENINSULA
Authors: SANSOM IVAN J. , MILLER C. GILES , HEWARD ALAN , DAVIES NEIL S. , BOOTH GRAHAM A. , FORTEY RICHARD A. , PARIS FLORENTIN
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Over the past three decades Ordovician pteraspidomorphs (armoured jawless fish) have been recorded from the fringes of the Gondwana palaeocontinent, in particular Australia and South America. These occurrences are dominated by arandaspid agnathans, the oldest known group of vertebrates with extensive biomineralisation of the dermoskeleton. Here we describe specimens of arandaspid agnathans, referable to the genus Sacabambaspis Gagnier, Blieck and Rodrigo, from the Ordovician of Oman, which represent the earliest record of pteraspidomorphs from the Arabian margin of Gondwana. These are among the oldest arandaspids known, and greatly extend the palaeogeographical distribution of the clade around the periGondwanan margin. Their occurrence within a very narrow, nearshore ecological niche suggests that similar Middle Ordovician palaeoenvironmental settings should be targeted for further sampling.
GENERIC HOMES FOR BRITISH SILURIAN LINGULOID BRACHIOPODS
Authors: COCKS L. ROBIN M. , POPOV LEONID E.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Since the brachiopod Order Lingulida has been greatly revised in recent years, with particular emphasis on Cambrian and Ordovician genera, many well‐established Silurian linguloid species from the British Isles have been left without an appropriate genus in which to place them. This is rectified here by allocating the various species, mostly erected in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, to a variety of genera which have been mainly erected within the last forty years. Two new genera are erected, Mergliella, with type species Lingula becheiDavidson, 1866, and Striatilingula, with type species Lingula? striata J. de C. Sowerby, 1839.
SULCIPENTAMERUS(PENTAMERIDA, BRACHIOPODA) FROM THE LOWER SILURIAN WASHINGTON LAND GROUP, NORTH GREENLAND
Authors: JIN JISUO , HARPER DAVID A. T. , RASMUSSEN CHRISTIAN M. Ø.
Published: March 2009

Abstract: The brachiopodSulcipentamerus, previously considered a common endemic pentameride genus in the Lower Silurian (Aeronian) of South China, is reported from largely coeval strata in the Hauge Bjerge, Ymers Gletcher and Odins Fjord formations (Washington Land Group) of North Greenland. Two species are present. In eastern North Greenland,S. cf.dorsoplanusoccurs in carbonate strata of Aeronian – early Telychian age, whereas in the western region, a new species,S.lunatussp. nov., is described. The identification of both forms asSulcipentamerusis indicated by their relatively long ventral median septum and dorsal inner hinge plates. The new species,Sulcipentamerus lunatussp. nov., is characterized by a nonlobate shell, a narrow but sharply defined interarea bordering the delthyrium and a deeply concave pseudodeltidium. Despite the two known occurrences of the genus in South China and Greenland, theSulcipentamerus‐bearingHarpidiumFauna of North Greenland (northeastern part of Laurentia) was quite distinct from both the Aeronian–Telychian brachiopod faunas of South China and the southern half of Laurentia. In general, the Aeronian pentameride brachiopod faunas of these three regions are strongly endemic, in contrast to their more tightly clustered counterparts from Avalonia, Baltica, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Tadzhikistan, Kolyma and Novaya Zemlya.
RE‐ASSESSMENT OF THE TYPE COLLECTIONS OF FOURTEEN CORALLINALEAN SPECIES (CORALLINALES, RHODOPHYTA) DESCRIBED BY W. ISHIJIMA (1942–1960)
Authors: IRYU YASUFUMI , BASSI DAVIDE , WOELKERLING WILLIAM J.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Many species of fossil coralline algae have been separated on the basis of only a few characters with slight or doubtful taxonomic significance. Analysis of the type material of the fossil coralline algal species is, therefore, needed in order to assess the taxonomic status and circumscription of these taxa. Wataru Ishijima has been one of the most prolific Japanese palaeontologists who worked on fossil calcareous algae from the western Pacific region. Ishijima described a large number of new taxa of fossil calcareous algae mostly belonging to the Corallinales from Eocene to Pleistocene sedimentary successions. An analysis of some of Ishijima’s types of Corallinales (Rhodophyta) described from 1942 to 1960, currently housed in the Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan), is presented. For fourteen taxa, changes were made to previously published statements of typification. Re‐examination of the types from a modern perspective of coralline algal taxonomy reveals that Hydrolithon taishakuensis (Ishijima) comb. nov (= Lithothamnium taishakuensis), Sporolithon kobamazimensis (Ishijima) comb. nov. (= Archaeolithothamnium kobamazimensis), Sporolithon kuboiensis (Ishijima) comb. nov. (= Archaeolithothamnium kuboiensis) and Sporolithon taiwanensis (Ishijima) comb. nov. (= Archaeolithothamnium taiwanensis) showed significant features justifying their use as species names. No diagnostic characters occur in two types (L. nishiwadai, L. otsukiensis) and therefore the taxonomic disposition of these taxa remains unknown. Lithophyllum quadratum Ishijima is considered as a species of uncertain status within Lithophyllum pending further study. Lithoporella crassa Ishijima and Lithoporella hayasakai Ishijima are considered heterotypic synonyms of Lithophyllum prototypum (Foslie) Foslie, while Porolithon hanzawai Ishijima is a heterotypic synonym of Hydrolithon onkodes (Heydrich) Penrose and Woelkerling. Mesophyllum arakuraensis Ishijima is co‐specific to, and has nomenclatural priority over, M. contii Ishijima. However, M. arakuraensis and M. contii do not show evidence whether either might belong to Synarthrophyton instead of Mesophyllum. Lithothamnion ishizuchiensis Ishijima and L. kasedaensis Ishijima have no diagnostic features that can be used to ally them to any particular genus or species of Melobesioideae.
A PALAEOGENE RECORD OF EXTANT LOWER PHOTIC ZONE CALCAREOUS NANNOPLANKTON
Authors: BOWN P. R. , DUNKLEY JONES T. , YOUNG J. R. , RANDELL R.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  In this paper, we document Palaeogene occurrences of the extant nannoplankton genera Gladiolithus, Algirosphaera and Solisphaera from claystones of the Kilwa Group microfossil lagerstätte, coastal Tanzania. In the modern ocean, these taxa are restricted to tropical and subtropical lower photic zone habitats (100–200 m). All three genera produce small and/or fragile coccoliths, which have not previously been found as fossils or are only found in late Quaternary sediments. Their presence in the Kilwa Group sediments demonstrates the exceptional quality of preservation and provides a minimum origination time for these ecologically specialized nannoplankton. Gladiolithus is present in the oldest Palaeogene Kilwa Group material studied (late Paleocene, c. 59 Ma), which pushes back the origination time for lower photic zone coccolithophores by over 40 million years. The co‐occurrence of several species of Gladiolithus alongside Algirosphaera and Solisphaera suggests that a relatively diverse lower photic zone assemblage was established by at least the Eocene. The abundant and consistent occurrence of specimens that are indistinguishable from the modern species Gladiolithus flabellatus has been observed in samples of late Paleocene (Nannofossil Zone NP6) to early Oligocene (Nannofossil Zone NP21) age and support an open ocean palaeoenvironmental interpretation for the Kilwa Group sediments. We describe three new species of Gladiolithus, G. brevis, G. ornatus and G. contus and one new combination, Algirosphaera fabaceus.
Mythico‐History, Social Memory, and Praxis: Anthropological Approaches and Directions
Authors: Rasmussen Susan
Published: March 2009

This article explores the interface and tension between myth, history, and memory, in relation to ideology and praxis of identity. There is a critical overview of anthropological and other approaches in the humanities and social sciences to ‘mythico‐history’ and social memory, their mutual influences, and current debates and directions in this literature. In particular, emphasis is upon the uses of oral narratives in historiography and social context in the constructions of personal and collective identities of difference, for example, ethnicity and gender in ‘narratives of nation’ and ‘myths of matriliny’ and their connections to social practice, drawing on secondary cross‐cultural data and primary data from this anthropologist's research in Tuareg (Kel Tamajaq) communities of northern Niger and Mali.
Thyroid dysfunction in primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Silveira Marina G. , Mendes Flavia D. , Diehl Nancy N. , Enders Felicity T. , Lindor Keith D.
Published: March 2009

Background/Aims: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disease, although it is uncertain that this association is higher than in other liver diseases.

Methods: We compared the prevalence and incidence of thyroid dysfunction (TD) in a series of patients with PBC (n=67) with patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (n=79) and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (n=97) seen in a tertiary referral centre who had previously participated in clinical trials.

Results: At initial evaluation, prevalence of TD in PBC was 13% compared with 11% in PSC (P=0.71) and 25% in NAFLD (P=0.08). Incidence of TD was 2.9 patients per 100 person‐years in PBC compared with 2.1 patients per 100 person‐years in PSC (P=0.57) and 1.8 patients per 100 person‐years in non‐alcoholic liver disease (P=0.45). Older age, female gender, biochemical abnormalities and concurrent autoimmune disorders were not predictive of the development of TD.

Conclusions: TD was unexpectedly as common in patients with PBC as in patients with PSC and NAFLD, yet significantly more common than expected in the general population. Further investigation of thyroid disease in PSC and NAFLD is warranted.
Mapping brain activity on the verge of a photically induced generalized tonic–clonic seizure
Authors: Moeller Friederike , Siebner Hartwig R. , Wolff Stephan , Muhle Hiltrud , Granert Oliver , Jansen Olav , Stephani Ulrich , Siniatchkin Michael
Published: March 2009

In a photosensitive patient intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) accidentally provoked a generalized tonic–clonic seizure during simultaneous recordings of electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Before seizure onset, IPS consistently induced generalized photoparoxysmal responses (PPRs). These PPRs were associated with increases in blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal in the visual cortex, the thalamus, and both superior colliculi, and a decrease in BOLD signal in the frontoparietal areas. The BOLD signal in the visual cortex increased in magnitude during consecutive epochs of IPS associated with PPRs. We propose that repeated IPS led to an excessive amount of neuronal activity in the visual cortex that evoked PPRs and finally exceeded a critical threshold and triggered a generalized seizure.
Are personality traits of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy related to frontal lobe dysfunctions? A proton MRS study
Authors: De Araújo Filho Gerardo Maria , Lin Katia , Lin Jaime , Peruchi Mirella M. , Caboclo Luís Otávio S.F. , Guaranha Mirian S.B. , Guilhoto Laura M.F.F. , Carrete Jr Henrique , Yacubian Elza Márcia T.
Published: March 2009

Purpose:  Personality traits characterized by emotional instability and immaturity, unsteadiness, lack of discipline, hedonism, frequent and rapid mood changes, and indifference toward one’s disease have been associated with patients who have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). Literature data demonstrate worse seizure control and more psychosocial dysfunctions among patients with JME who have those traits. In this controlled study we performed a correlation analysis of psychiatric scores with magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) values across JME patients, aiming to verify the existence of a possible relation between frontal lobe dysfunction and the prevalence of personality disorders (PDs) in JME.

Methods:  Sixteen JME patients with cluster B PDs, 41 JME patients without any psychiatric disorder, and 30 healthy controls were submitted to a psychiatric evaluation and to a quantitative multivoxel MRS of thalamus; insula; cingulate gyrus; striatum; and frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Groups were homogeneous according to age, gender, and manual dominance. Psychiatric evaluation was performed through the Scheduled Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV, Axis I and II (SCID I and II, respectively).

Results:  A significant reduction of N‐acetyl‐aspartate over creatinine (NAA/Cr) ratio was observed mainly in the left frontal lobe in the JME and PD group. In addition, a significant increase in the glutamate–glutamine over creatinine GLX/Cr ratio was also observed in this referred region in the same group.

Discussion:  These data support the hypothesis that PDs in JME could represent neuronal dysfunction and possibly a more severe form of this epileptic syndrome.
The Impact of Judicial Opinion Language on the Transmission of Federal Circuit Court Precedents
Authors: Hume Robert J.
Published: March 2009

Why do some federal circuit court precedents transmit across circuits when others do not? Does judicial opinion language influence which cases are more likely to transmit? Previous research on the transmission of precedents has focused primarily on attributes of the circuits or judges who wrote the decisions, without considering whether opinion language also influences citations. This study hypothesizes that precedents are more likely to transmit to other circuits when judges communicate their importance using features of opinion language such as the legal grounding, the amount of supporting evidence, and the decision to file a per curiam opinion. The results indicate that opinion language does influence the transmission of precedents, which suggests that judges who care about policy and are willing to take affirmative steps to encourage citations can use opinion language to enhance their impact.
Common polymorphisms in the interleukin‐22 gene are not associated with chronic plaque psoriasis
Authors: Weger Wolfgang , Hofer Angelika , Wolf Peter , El‐Shabrawi Yosuf , Renner Wilfried , Kerl Helmut , Salmhofer Wolfgang
Published: March 2009

Background:  Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Among other cytokines, interleukin 22 (IL‐22) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic plaque psoriasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate a hypothesized association between common IL‐22 gene polymorphisms and chronic plaque psoriasis.

Methods:  Genotypes of 10 common polymorphisms of the IL‐22 gene were determined by fluorogenic 5′ exonuclease assays (TaqMan) in 475 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and 252 controls.

Results:  Two blocks of high linkage disequilibrium, formed by eight polymorphisms upstream of exon 5 (rs2227485, rs2227491, rs2046068, rs1179251, rs1012356, rs2227501, rs2227503, rs976748) and two polymorphisms in the 3′ near gene region (rs1182844, rs1179246), were observed within the IL‐22 gene. Neither single polymorphisms nor haplotypes were significantly associated with the presence or clinical features of chronic plaque psoriasis (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:  Our data suggest that the investigated IL‐22 gene polymorphisms are unlikely major risk factors for chronic plaque psoriasis.
Expression and regulation of cathepsin K in skin fibroblasts
Authors: Quintanilla‐Dieck Maria J. , Codriansky Katerine , Keady Michelle , Bhawan Jag , Rünger Thomas M.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Cathepsin K (catK) is a lysosomal cysteine protease with strong collagenolytic activity well known to mediate bone resorption in osteoclasts. Recently, catK has also been reported to be expressed in other tissues. In the dermis, it is expressed only under certain circumstances such as scarring or inflammation. We therefore investigated the expression and regulation of this protease in dermal fibroblasts using immunoblotting and immunostaining. Cultured skin fibroblasts were found to strongly express catK in lysosomes. Internalization of collagen I and IV to lysosomes of fibroblasts indicates a role of catK in intracellular collagen degradation after endocytosis, a process that is different from the metalloproteinase‐mediated collagen degradation in the extracellular space. In fibroblasts, interleukin‐1α and cellular confluence upregulate catK expression and transforming growth factor‐β1 inhibits confluence‐induced catK upregulation in skin fibroblasts. RANKL (ligand of receptor activator of NF‐κB) did not alter catK expression. These regulators of catK expression are likely to play a role in the as‐needed upregulation in certain skin conditions, where the prominent matrix‐degrading properties of catK are thought to require tight regulation to maintain the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix.
Partially purified Curcuma longa inhibits alpha‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone‐stimulated melanogenesis through extracellular signal‐regulated kinase or Akt activation‐mediated signalling in B16F10 cells
Authors: Jang Ji Yeon , Lee Jun Hyuk , Jeong Seong Yun , Chung Kyung Tae , Choi Yung Hyun , Choi Byung Tae
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Bioassay‐guided fractionation of Curcuma longa by solvent partitioning and purification with octadecylsilane open column chromatography yielded a partial purification. The active 80% methanol chromatographic fraction from the ethyl acetate layer [partial purification from C. longa (PPC)] was used to investigate the alpha‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (α‐MSH)‐stimulated melanogenesis signal pathway in B16F10 cells. In cells stimulated α‐MSH, PPC inhibited cellular melanin contents, tyrosinase activity and expression of melanogenesis‐related proteins including microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase and tyrosinase‐related proteins (TRP). Melanogenesis‐regulating signalling such as mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/Akt was activated by PPC in α‐MSH‐stimulated B16F10 cells. The suppressive activity of PPC on α‐MSH‐induced melanogenesis was abrogated by selective inhibition of MEK/ERK (PD98059) and PI3K (LY294002). MEK/ERK or Akt activation by PPC may contribute to reduced melanin synthesis via MITF and its downstream signal pathway including tyrosinase and TRPs in α‐MSH‐induced melanogenesis.
Comparative thermodynamic and spectroscopic properties of water interaction with human stratum corneum
Authors: Yadav Santosh , Wickett R. Randall , Pinto Neville G. , Kasting Gerald B. , Thiel Stephen W.
Published: March 2009

Background/purpose: The water content of skin has a significant impact on skin properties; sufficient hydration is necessary to keep the skin supple, flexible, and smooth. To understand more completely the water retention properties of the human skin barrier, physical macroscopic properties must be related to the structural organization of the stratum corneum (SC). Water, lipids, and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) influence the molecular structures that affect the properties of SC, including water sorption and binding enthalpy. In the research reported here, isothermal microcalorimetry was used to study the interaction of water vapor with isolated human SC in intact, delipidized, and water‐washed delipidized forms to identify the influences of the principal components of SC on water sorption. The calorimetric data are interpreted in conjunction with spectroscopic results to identify the conformational changes in keratins induced by lipid and NMF removal and to assess the influence of these changes on water binding in SC.

Methods: Isothermal calorimetry was used to measure the integral heat of water vapor sorption on intact, delipidized, and water‐washed delipidized human SC at 32 °C as a function of relative humidity using back and thigh skin from three donors. Calorimetric measurements were combined with water vapor sorption measurements to determine the differential thermodynamic properties of these systems. Attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate effects of extraction on protein secondary structure.

Results: The magnitudes of the differential enthalpy, entropy, and free energy were greatest for intact SC and least for water‐washed delipidized SC. Water sorption followed a similar trend. Delipidization led to a significantly reduced binding enthalpy at low water content; water washing the delipidized SC had only a small additional effect on binding enthalpy. Delipidization converts a fraction of keratin α‐helixes to turns and random coils, while water sorption converts a fraction of keratin α‐helixes to β‐sheets, turns, and random coils.

Conclusions: The results of this study are consistent with a water sorption model in which keratin–keratin hydrogen bonds are replaced by keratin–water hydrogen bonds. Delipidization reduces the fraction of dry keratin that is in the α‐helix conformation, suggesting that lipids hold the keratins in a conformation conducive to optimal hydration.
In vivo simultaneous measurement of urea and water in the human stratum corneum by diffuse‐reflectance near‐infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Egawa Mariko
Published: March 2009

Background/purpose: As near‐infrared spectroscopy is a powerful non‐invasive technique, information about several functional groups such as OH, NH, and CH can be monitored simultaneously. This study aimed to coincidentally measure urea and water contents in the human stratum corneum after the treatment of urea‐containing cream, in vivo, by a Fourier transform near‐infrared spectrometer with a fiber‐optic probe.

Method: Diffuse reflectance spectra of heels of five healthy Japanese volunteers in the 1250–2500 nm region were measured in vivo before and after the 2‐h treatment of urea‐containing cream. The relative urea content of the heel was calculated from the peak height ratio at 1976 and 2175 nm in the second derivative spectra and that of water was obtained from the 1900 nm water band and that at 2175 nm. Water mobility was calculated from the peak top wavelength of the 1900 nm water band.

Results: The estimated water content tended to increase 1 and 2 h after the treatment compared with before the treatment and subsequently gradually decreased with time. The estimated urea content significantly increased 1 h after the treatment. Significant changes in peak wavelength to shorter wavelengths 1, 2, and 4 h after the treatment was observed, suggesting that the water mobility increased.

Conclusion: The estimated urea and water contents in heels before and after the treatment with urea‐containing cream were monitored separately in vivo by diffuse reflectance near‐infrared spectroscopy. We demonstrated the potential of NIR spectroscopy for evaluating the efficacy of topical application of a urea‐containing cream to the skin in vivo.
Allosteric and binding properties of Asp1–Glu382 truncated recombinant human serum albumin – an optical and NMR spectroscopic investigation
Authors: Fanali Gabriella , Pariani Giorgio , Ascenzi Paolo , Fasano Mauro
Published: March 2009

Human serum albumin (HSA) is known for its exceptional ligand‐binding capacity; indeed, its modular domain organization provides a variety of ligand‐binding sites. Its flexible modular structure involves more than the immediate vicinity of the binding site(s), affecting the ligand‐binding properties of the whole protein. Here, biochemical characterization by1H‐NMR relaxometry and optical spectroscopy of a truncated form of HSA (tHSA) encompassing domains I and II (Asp1–Glu382) is reported. Removal of the C‐terminal domain III results in a number of contacts that involve domain I (containing the heme site) and domain II (containing the warfarin site) being lost; however, the allosteric linkage between heme and warfarin sites is maintained. tHSA shows a nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion profile similar to that of HSA, and displays increased affinity for ibuprofen, warfarin, and heme, suggesting that the fold is preserved. Moreover, the allosteric properties that make HSA a peculiar monomeric protein and account for the regulation of ligand‐binding modes by heterotropic interactions are maintained after removal of domain III. Therefore, tHSA is a valuable model with which to investigate allosteric properties of HSA, allowing independent analysis of the linkages between different drug‐binding sites.
l‐Lactate dehydrogenation in flavocytochrome b2
Authors: Tabacchi Gloria , Zucchini Daniela , Caprini Gianluca , Gamba Aldo , Lederer Florence , Vanoni Maria A. , Fois Ettore
Published: March 2009

First principles molecular dynamics studies on active‐site models of flavocytochrome b2 (l‐lactate : cytochrome c oxidoreductase, Fcb2), in complex with the substrate, were carried out for the first time to contribute towards establishing the mechanism of the enzyme‐catalyzed l‐lactate oxidation reaction, a still‐debated issue. In the calculated enzyme–substrate model complex, the l‐lactate α‐OH hydrogen is hydrogen bonded to the active‐site base H373 Nε, whereas the Hα is directed towards flavin N5, suggesting that the reaction is initiated by α‐OH proton abstraction. Starting from this structure, simulation of l‐lactate oxidation led to formation of the reduced enzyme–pyruvate complex by transfer of a hydride from lactate to flavin mononucleotide, without intermediates, but with α‐OH proton abstraction preceding Hα transfer and a calculated free energy barrier (12.1 kcal·mol−1) consistent with that determined experimentally (13.5 kcal·mol−1). Simulation results also revealed features that are of relevance to the understanding of catalysis in Fcb2 homologs and in a number of flavoenzymes. Namely, they highlighted the role of: (a) the flavin mononucleotide–ribityl chain 2′OH group in maintaining the conserved K349 in a geometry favoring flavin reduction; (b) an active site water molecule belonging to a S371–Wat–D282–H373 hydrogen‐bonded chain, conserved in the structures of Fcb2 family members, which modulates the reactivity of the key catalytic histidine; and (c) the flavin C4a–C10a locus in facilitating proton transfer from the substrate to the active‐site base, favoring the initial step of the lactate dehydrogenation reaction.