bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of ABCA1gene polymorphisms on ischaemic stroke risk and relationship with lipid profile
Authors: Pasdar Alireza , Yadegarfar Ghasem , Cumming Alastair , Whalley Lawrence , St Clair David , MacLeod Mary-Joan
Published: June 2007

Background

Ischaemic stroke is a common disorder with genetic and environmental components contributing to overall risk. Atherothromboembolic abnormalities, which play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of ischaemic stroke, are often the end result of dysregulation of lipid metabolism. The ATP Binding Cassette Transporter (ABCA1) is a key gene involved in lipid metabolism. It encodes the cholesterol regulatory efflux protein which mediates the transfer of cellular phospholipids and cholesterol to acceptor apolipoproteins such as apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I). Common polymorphisms in this gene affect High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) and Apolipoprotein A-I levels and so influence the risk of atherosclerosis. This study has assessed the distribution of ABCA1 polymorphisms and haplotype arrangements in patients with ischaemic stroke and compared them to an appropriate control group. It also examined the relationship of these polymorphisms with serum lipid profiles in cases and controls.

Methods

We studied four common polymorphisms in ABCA1 gene: G/A-L158L, G/A-R219K, G/A-G316G and G/A-R1587K in 400 Caucasian ischaemic stroke patients and 487 controls. Dynamic Allele Specific Hybridisation (DASH) was used as the genotyping assay.

Results

Genotype and allele frequencies of all polymorphisms were similar in cases and controls, except for a modest difference in the ABCA1 R219K allele frequency (P-value = 0.05). Using the PHASE2 program, haplotype frequencies for the four loci (158, 219, 316, and 1587) were estimated in cases and controls. There was no significant difference in overall haplotypes arrangement in patients group compared to controls (p = 0.27). 2211 and 1211 haplotypes (1 = common allele, 2 = rare allele) were more frequent in cases (p = 0.05). Adjusted ORs indicated 40% and 46% excess risk of stroke for these haplotypes respectively. However, none of the adjusted ORs were statistically significant. Individuals who had R219K "22" genotype had a higher LDL level (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study does not support a major role for the ABCA1 gene as a risk factor for ischaemic stroke. Some haplotypes may confer a minor amount of increased risk or protection. Polymorphisms in this gene may influence serum lipid profile.
Ftm is a novel basal body protein of cilia involved in Shh signalling
Authors: Vierkotten Jeanette , Dildrop Renate , Peters Thomas , Wang Baolin , Rüther Ulrich
Published: June 2007

In this study we show in mice that Ftm (Rpgrip1l) is located at the ciliary basal body. Our data reveal that Ftm is necessary for developmental processes such as the establishment of left-right asymmetry and patterning of the neural tube and the limbs. The loss of Ftm affects the ratio of Gli3 activator to Gli3 repressor, suggesting an involvement of Ftm in Shh signalling. As Ftm is not essential for cilia assembly but for full Shh response, Ftm can be considered as a novel component for cilium-related Hh signalling. Furthermore,the absence of Ftm in arthropods underlines the divergence between vertebrate and Drosophila Hh pathways.
Involvement of vessels and PDGFB in muscle splitting during chick limb development
Authors: Tozer Samuel , Bonnin Marie-Ange , Relaix Frédéric , Di Savino Sandrine , García-Villalba Pilar , Coumailleau Pascal , Duprez Delphine
Published: June 2007

Muscle formation and vascular assembly during embryonic development are usually considered separately. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the vasculature and muscles during limb bud development. We show that endothelial cells are detected in limb regions before muscle cells and can organize themselves in space in the absence of muscles. In chick limbs,endothelial cells are detected in the future zones of muscle cleavage,delineating the cleavage pattern of muscle masses. We therefore perturbed vascular assembly in chick limbs by overexpressing VEGFA and demonstrated that ectopic blood vessels inhibit muscle formation, while promoting connective tissue. Conversely, local inhibition of vessel formation using a soluble form of VEGFR1 leads to muscle fusion. The endogenous location of endothelial cells in the future muscle cleavage zones and the inverse correlation between blood vessels and muscle suggests that vessels are involved in the muscle splitting process. We also identify the secreted factor PDGFB (expressed in endothelial cells) as a putative molecular candidate mediating the muscle-inhibiting and connective tissue-promoting functions of blood vessels. Finally, we propose that PDGFB promotes the production of extracellular matrix and attracts connective tissue cells to the future splitting site, allowing separation of the muscle masses during the splitting process.
Eye lesions in Sprague-Dawley rats: type and incidence in relation to age
Authors: Taradach C. , Regnier B. , Perraud J.
Published: June 2007

Ophthalmological examination of about 3000 rats up to 2 years old, untreated controls in toxicological studies, has provided information on the varying incidence with age of various spontaneous ophthalmic lesions of low frequency. Such information is of fundamental value in assessing the effect of administered compounds on ophthalmic changes.
Kidney disease in the rabbit: a histological survey
Authors: Hinton M.
Published: June 2007

Histological lesions were observed in the kidneys of 77 (32·5%) of 237 rabbits which were either found dead or were killed because they were unwell, and in 19 (25%) of 75 apparently healthy adult rabbits. Lesions associated with an infectious process such as renal abscesses, staphylococcal nephritis, pyelonephritis and pyelitis were the principal finding in rabbits up to 5 months of age, while renal fibrosis, with or without dystrophic calcification, was the most common lesion observed in rabbits aged over 10 months. Spontaneous amyloidosis was seen in 2 rabbits.
A clinical and pathological study of inherited glaucoma in New Zealand white rabbits
Authors: Tesluk Gregory C. , Peiffer Robert L. , Brown Doris
Published: June 2007

The eyes of 7 rabbits with clinical megaloglobus, selected from a large colony, were studied with slit-lamp microscopy, gonioscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy and tonometry. Selected light and scanning electron microscopy was also performed. There were 11 glaucomatous eyes among the 7 rabbits: gonioscopy demonstrated open iridocorneal angles with absence of pectinate fibres. Incomplete cleavage of the iridocorneal angles in glaucomatous eyes was noted histologically. Because of the similarity of the iridocorneal angles of glaucomatous rabbit eyes with those of human eyes with congenital glaucoma, these rabbits may serve as an experimental model in the understanding and management of certain types of human glaucoma.
Reference intervals for some clinical chemical parameters in the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus): effect of age and sex
Authors: Davy C. W. , Jackson M. R. , Walker J.
Published: June 2007

Reference intervals for some clinical chemistry parameters in the marmoset were calculated. The effects of age (250-300 days compared with 500-550 days) and sex on the values found was investigated. Alkaline phosphatase levels decreased with age, young males having higher plasma levels than young females, but no sex differences were discernible for older animals. Levels of ɤ-glutamyl transpeptidase and sorbitol dehydrogenase were higher in older males than in younger females. Higher plasma iron levels were found in the males with increasing age. Age and sex effects for protein and albumin were interactive and further interpretation was therefore difficult. No significant age or sex effects were seen for cholinesterase, acetylcholinesterase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase, aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase or bilirubin.
Canine tooth root infection as a cause of facial abscess in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Baskerville Margaret
Published: June 2007

Facial abscesses in a colony of common marmosets were found to be caused by abscessation of an upper canine tooth root. Trauma to the upper canine, resulting in exposure of the pulp cavity, was thought to be the mode of infection. Radiography was the most useful diagnostic aid in establishing the nature and extent of the lesion. Antibiotic therapy alone was inadequate, and provision of drainage by extracting the tooth, in conjunction with antibiotics, proved the most effective treatment.
The effect of accelerated lactation on fetal maintenance in the rat
Authors: Graham T. R. , Daniel J. C.
Published: June 2007

Rats mated post partum were permitted to nurse 2 pups until day 9, at which time laparotomy was performed and the number of implantation sites counted. Control animals were left to nurse 2 pups or none, while lactation was then accelerated in 4 other groups by the addition of more pups to totals of 3, 5, 7 or 9. On day 19 the mothers were killed and the fetuses counted, weighed and checked for normality. With increased lactational demand the proportion of fetuses maintained decreased. Total fetal weight was decreased significantly only when 7 or more pups were being nursed. Individual fetal weights and normalcy were not affected by accelerated lactation.
A new mutant at the Dystrophia muscularis (dy) locus in the SM strain of mice
Authors: Hayakawa J. , Tsuji S.
Published: June 2007

Muscular dystrophy was found in the SM strain of mice. This defect was shown to be caused by a single autosomal recessive gene allelic with the genes at the dy locus. The dystrophic SM mice may provide a useful animal model for human muscular dystrophy, because SM strain has been selected for small body size and carries rare alleles at several loci.
Relationship of hormonally induced developmental changes in preovulatory follicles of the rabbit
Authors: Bonhoff A. J. , Adams C. E.
Published: June 2007

Observations made during these investigations agree with the findings of various authors concerning atresia and follicular growth. In addition the results demonstrate that it is possible to induce the resumption of meiosis in rabbit oocytes without ovulation. This will be a useful tool for further investigations of changes in the chromosomal events during preovulatory ageing.
Influence of housing conditions on pregnancy outcome in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)
Authors: Boot R. , Leussink A. B. , Vlug R. F.
Published: June 2007

Female cynomolgus monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis) were kept under 3 different housing conditions: individually in type A cages (45 × 45 × 60 cm), individually in type B cages (70 × 70 × 100 cm) and as couples in type B cages. Primigravida did not show early embryonic mortality, differing significantly from 11·5% early losses in multigravida. Early embryonic mortality was not affected by housing condition.

Further reproductive failure rates did not differ significantly for primigravid (18·5%) and multigravid females (24·0%), though abortion tended to occur more frequently in primigravida. Perinatal mortality (16·1%) accounted for most of the losses under each housing condition. More successful pregnancies (90%) were recorded for females housed individually in type B cages than for females housed in type A cages (68%). About 50% of the couples originally established remained until weaning of their infants, yielding 77% viable offspring. For multigravid females statistical evaluation showed a significant effect of housing conditions on reproductive outcome ( x2-test 0·01 < P < 0·05) that could be entirely attributed to low losses in females housed individually in type B cages. It is concluded that housing conditions can have a profound influence on reproductive success in cynomolgus monkeys.
Plasma aminotransferase measurements in the marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Cowie J. R. , Evans G. O.
Published: June 2007

Plasma aminotransferase values were measured in a large number of samples from male and female marmosets. There were no differences due to age or sex for either AST or ALT. Haemolysis affected values for both enzymes, though the effect on ALT was greater.
A Yaba-like condition in a young baboon (Papio anubis)
Authors: Whittaker D. , Glaister J. R.
Published: June 2007

A rapidly developing proliferation of subcutaneous nodules on the leg of a young baboon is described. Histologically the nodules consisted of plump round cells, many of which contained intracytoplasmic eosinophilic viral-like inclusions.
Lipid keratopathy and atheromatosis in an SPF laboratory rabbit colony attributable to diet
Authors: Sebesteny A. , Sheraidah G. A. K. , Trevan D. J. , Alexander R. A. , Ahmed A. I.
Published: June 2007

Sporadic cases of corneal opacity occurred in an SPF rabbit colony fed on a diet containing 10% white fishmeal. Routine histological monitoring also revealed atheromatous lesions involving the intima of the aorta, coronary arteries and the arteries of other organs in 29 rabbits examined. Serum cholesterol levels above 10 mmol/l were found in 7 rabbits, including 4 affected with corneal lesions, which proved to be lipid keratopathy on histochemical and electron microscopical examination.

The serum cholesterol level was found to be within normal range (below 2·27 mmol/l) in 10 rabbits reared entirely on a modified version of the diet, where the 10% fishmeal content was replaced with 10% grassmeal. No more ocular or atheromatous lesions have been found since the adoption of the new diet for the colony.
Aeromonas, acclimation, and penicillin as complications when leeches are applied to skin flaps in rabbits
Authors: Richerson J. T. , Davis J. A. , Meystrik R.
Published: June 2007

The medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, has been recognized by plastic surgeons for its ability to reduce congestion and improve blood flow in grafted skin flaps by withdrawing excess blood. The leech's ability to digest blood is due to the presence of Aeromonas hydrophila in the gut of the leech. In this report we describe the occurrence of Aeromonas hydrophila septicaemia in rabbits used in a study to evaluate the efficacy of the medicinal leech on abdominal skin flap survival. In New Zealand White rabbits, twin 5 × 10 cm abdominal skin flaps were prepared and the epigastric vein was ligated to produce a model of venous congested skin. After 12 hours, a leech was applied to one of the congested abdominal flaps and skin survivability was assessed and compared with the unleeched flap. Five rabbits died acutely approximately 24 hours post-operatively. Gross necropsy, bacteriology and histopathology findings indicated that A. hydrophila was the causative agent of the septicaemia-toxaemia syndrome with an associated pneumonia and typhlitis. Review of the management and the experimental surgery protocol suggested that the two major disposing factors of Aeromonas septicaemia in these rabbits were stress and excessive prophylactic administration of penicillin.
A new variant of the Es-4 locus in the rat
Authors: Katoh H. , Utsu S. , Wakana S. , Li Q-F.
Published: June 2007

A new variant of kidney esterase in the DK/Nac rat strain is reported. The new esterase was tentatively named ES-4C determined by a third allele of the Es- 4 locus of Linkage Group V (LGV). Strain distribution was surveyed using 17 inbred strains, but no strain except for the DK/Nac strain possessed the ES-4C type. Although we surveyed outbred stocks (Jcl:Wistar and Jcl:SD) we could not find rats carrying the ES-4C type. Genetic analysis of the ES-4C type was carried out using mating experiments between DK/Nac and BUF/Nac (ES-4B). The results indicated that the new variant was controlled by the Es-4 locus and it was named the Es-4C allele.
Criminology, Crime and Politics Before and After 9/11
Authors: Hogg Russell
Published: June 2007

Criminologists have mostly followed the criminal law in adopting an apolitical concept of crime. They paid limited attention to both political crime and the political power to criminalise. The article traces efforts to redress this since the 1960s. It nevertheless remained a minority concern, mostly of critical criminology. Yet crime has been politicised in various ways by other developments, also examined in the article. The events of 9/11 have crowned the emergence of crime as a strategic security issue posing a challenge to criminology to engage with politically inspired crime and its control.
Invasion by Nonnative Brook Trout in Panther Creek, Idaho: Roles of Local Habitat Quality, Biotic Resistance, and Connectivity to Source Habitats
Authors: Benjamin Joseph R. , Dunham Jason B. , Dare Matthew R.
Published: June 2007

Theoretical models and empirical evidence suggest that the invasion of nonnative species in freshwaters is facilitated through the interaction of three factors: habitat quality, biotic resistance, and connectivity. We measured variables that represented each factor to determine which were associated with the occurrence of nonnative brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis in Panther Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River, Idaho. Habitat variables included measures of summer and winter temperature, instream cover, and channel size. The abundance of native rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss within sampled sites was used as a measure of biotic resistance. We also considered the connectivity of sample sites to unconfined valley bottoms, which were considered habitats that may serve as sources for the spread of established populations of brook trout. We analyzed the occurrence of small (<150‐mm [fork length]) and large (≥150‐mm) brook trout separately, assuming that the former represents an established invasion while accounting for the higher potential mobility of the latter. The occurrence of small brook trout was strongly associated with the proximity of sites to large, unconstrained valley bottoms, providing evidence that such habitats may serve as sources for the spread of brook trout invasion. Within sites, winter degree‐days and maximum summer temperature were positively associated with the occurrence of small brook trout. The occurrence of large brook trout was not related to any of the variables considered, perhaps due to the difficulty of linking site‐specific habitat factors to larger and more mobile individuals. The abundance of rainbow trout was not conclusively associated with the occurrence of either small or large brook trout, providing little support for the role of biotic resistance. Overall, our results suggest that source connectivity and local habitat characteristics, but not biotic resistance, influence the establishment and spread of nonnative brook trout populations. Further work is needed to confirm that the patterns observed here are relevant to other localities where brook trout have invaded and to understand the mechanisms contributing to the invasion process.
Variation of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms in Yukon River Chum Salmon: Population Structure and Application to Mixed‐Stock Analysis
Authors: Flannery Blair G. , Wenburg John K. , Gharrett Anthony J.
Published: June 2007

The population structure of fall‐run Yukon River chum salmonOncorhynchus ketahas been studied previously using allozyme, microsatellite, and mitochondrial markers. However, genetically similar populations from tributaries near the U.S.‐Canadian border render mixed‐stock analyses (MSAs) difficult in the fisheries from lower portions of the Yukon River; MSA simulation apportionment estimates are less than 90% accurate for the border region divided by country of origin. To increase the accuracy and precision of contribution estimates to harvests in the Yukon River and to improve our understanding of the population structure of fall‐run chum salmon, we investigated the variation of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Our results show that Yukon River chum salmon populations are structured by both seasonal race and geographic region. As expected, the MSA is most successful when mixtures are allocated to geographic regions. Both AFLP and microsatellites have better than 80% apportionment accuracy in MSA simulations for the U.S. and Canadian border regions, but neither approach clearly or consistently outperforms the other. In general, the population structure resolved by AFLP is similar to that observed for other genetic markers. Relatively weak population divergence, rather than shortcomings of the previously studied genetic marker systems, appears to be the limiting factor in attaining high levels of accuracy and precision in MSA.
An Evaluation of the Relative Influence of Habitat Complexity and Habitat Stability on Fish Assemblage Structure in Unregulated and Regulated Reaches of a Large Southeastern Warmwater Stream
Authors: Shea Colin P. , Peterson James T.
Published: June 2007

River regulation and development are the foremost problems threatening lotic fishes and other aquatic biota in the United States. The operation of hydroelectric facilities can influence both habitat availability and environmental stability in downstream reaches. We evaluated the relative influence of habitat complexity and environmental stability on fish assemblage structure at unregulated and hydropower‐regulated reaches of the Flint River in southwestern Georgia. The availability of different habitat types was highly variable at the regulated reach owing to large, daily fluctuations in discharge. Habitat‐specific fish assemblages also differed between reaches, as a greater number of species occupied identical habitat types at the unregulated reach, most notably in shallow, slow‐flowing habitats. Differences in fish assemblage structure between study reaches in comparable habitat types were explained equally well by patterns of habitat structure and variability. Within‐reach patterns of fish assemblage structure were best explained by patterns of habitat structure at both study reaches. However, the relative influence of habitat complexity and habitat stability differed within each study reach, habitat variability influencing fish assemblage structure to a greater extent at the regulated reach than at the unregulated reach. These differences suggest that both habitat structure and variability influence Flint River fish assemblages and that flow regulation associated with hydropower operation primarily affects riverine fish communities by increasing environmental variability. Thus, flow management plans for regulated rivers based on minimum flows may be most effective when implemented in conjunction with plans that reduce the spatial and temporal variability of habitat availability, particularly in shallow, slow‐flowing habitats.
Genetic Investigation of Natural Hybridization between Rainbow and Coastal Cutthroat Trout in the Copper River Delta, Alaska
Authors: Williams Ian , Reeves Gordon H. , Graziano Sara L. , Nielsen Jennifer L.
Published: June 2007

Molecular genetic methods were used to quantify natural hybridization between rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykissor steelhead (anadromous rainbow trout) and coastal cutthroat troutO. clarkii clarkiicollected in the Copper River delta, Southeast Alaska. Eleven locations were sampled to determine the extent of hybridization and the distribution of hybrids. Four diagnostic nuclear microsatellite loci and four species‐specific simple sequence repeat markers were used in combination with restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of NADH dehydrogenase 5/6 (ND5/6) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to investigate the genetic structure of trout from both species and identify putative interspecific hybrids. Hybrids were found in 7 of the 11 streams sampled in the Copper River delta, the extent of hybridization across all streams varying from 0% to 58%. Hybrid trout distribution appeared to be nonrandom, most individuals of mixed taxonomic ancestry being detected in streams containing rainbow trout rather than in streams containing coastal cutthroat trout. Genotypic disequilibrium was observed among microsatellite loci in populations with high levels of hybridization. We found no significant correlation between unique stream channel process groups and the number of hybrid fish sampled. Eighty‐eight percent of fish identified as first‐generation hybrids (F1) in two populations contained coastal cutthroat trout mtDNA, suggesting directionality in hybridization. However, dominance of coastal cutthroat trout mtDNA was not observed at a third location containing F1hybrids, indicating that interspecific mating behavior varied among locations. Backcrossed individuals were found in drainages lacking F1hybrids and in populations previously thought to contain a single species. The extent and distribution of backcrossed individuals suggested that at least some hybrids are reproductively viable and backcrossed hybrid offspring move throughout the system.
Constitutively active FOXO1a and a DNA-binding domain mutant exhibit distinct co-regulatory functions to enhance progesterone receptor A activity
Authors: Rudd Michael D , Gonzalez-Robayna Ignacio , Hernandez-Gonzalez Inmaculada , Weigel Nancy L , Bingman William E , Richards JoAnne S
Published: June 2007

FOXO (Forkhead box O1 transcription factors) factors interact with and modify the activity of other transcription factors, including nuclear hormone receptors. However, not all of the structural domains within the FOXO proteins that mediate these functional interactions have been clearly defined. To address this issue, we used a constitutively active (nuclear) mutant of FOXO1a (designated FOXOA3) and within FOXOA3 made additional mutations to alter the putative nuclear hormone interacting domain (NID), minimal activation domain (MAD), DNA-binding domain (DBD), and the N terminus. We document that FOXOA3 enhanced the hormone-dependent transcriptional activity of liganded progesterone receptors A (PGRA) on a glucocorticoid response element-responsive promoter, PGRA on the insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 promoter, and estrogen receptor α on an estrogen response element-responsive promoter. The effects of FOXOA3 on PGRA were dependent, in part, on an intact NID, the MAD, and N-terminal domain. In striking contrast, a FOXOA3 DNA-binding mutant (FOXOA3-mDBD) modulated PGRA, PGRB, and ESR1 activities by distinctly different mechanisms, markedly elevating ligand-independent activity of these nuclear hormone receptors even in the double mutant lacking the MAD. Furthermore, both FOXOA3 and FOXOA3-mDBD enhanced the activity of a transcriptionally defective PGRA lacking its AF1 transactivation domain, indicating that this region of the receptor is not essential in this context. Since FOXOA3, FOXOA3-mDBD, and FOXOA3-mNID all bound PGRA in a GST pull-down assay, it appears that the LXXLL (leucine–X–X–leucine–leucine) motif within the NID is not critical for FOXOA3 interactions with PGRA, but may modify the recruitment of other co-regulatory molecules. Collectively, the results show that FOXOA3 exerts co-regulatory functions independent of DNA binding and that the DNA-binding defective form of FOXO1a is transcriptionally active as a co-regulator of these nuclear hormone receptors.
Classical color fields as a dark matter candidate
Authors: Dzhunushaliev Vladimir
Published: June 2007

A model of Dark Matter is proposed where the Dark Matter is a classical color field. The color fields are invisible as they may interact with colored elementary particles like the ’t Hooft-Polyakov monopole only. Comparison with the Universal Rotation Curve is carried out.
Seven-year follow-up in a case of primary hyperparathyroidism using quantitative ultrasound and dual X-ray absorptiometry
Authors: Bolanowski Marek , Pluskiewicz Wojciech , Syrycka Joanna
Published: June 2007

We have previously reported a case of a 36-year-old woman who was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism following initial skeletal abnormalities in the hand phalanges and calcaneus revealed by quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Successful parathyroid adenoma surgery resulted in progressive increase of bone mineral density and QUS parameters within 6 months, 1 year and 2 years of follow-up. Now, 5 years after the last measurement and at the onset of her menopause, the study was repeated. It has shown further increase in some ultrasonic and densitometric parameters but decrease in others. This discrepancy could be associated with the early influence of perimenopause on trabecular bone. Based on the current report one can conclude that peripheral QUS used on the hand phalanges and calcaneus is a useful tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of skeletal alterations due to parathyroid dysfunction. Moreover, it can detect early changes associated with perimenopause.
Gait Coordination After Stroke: Benefits of Acoustically Paced Treadmill Walking
Authors: Roerdink Melvyn , Lamoth Claudine JC , Kwakkel Gert , van Wieringen Piet CW , Beek Peter J
Published: June 2007

Background and Purpose: Gait coordination often is compromised after stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of acoustically paced treadmill walking as a method for improving gait coordination in people after stroke.

Participants: Ten people after stroke volunteered for the study and comprised the experimental group. Nine elderly people who were healthy served as a control group.

Methods: Gait cycle parameters, interlimb coordination, and auditory-motor coordination were examined while participants walked on a treadmill with and without acoustic pacing.

Results: Stride frequency was adjusted to different acoustic pacing frequencies in all participants. In people after stroke, gait symmetry improved with acoustic pacing. They predominantly coordinated movements of the nonparetic limb to ipsilateral tones.

Discussion and Conclusion: The results suggest that acoustically paced treadmill walking provides an effective means for immediately modifying stride frequency and improving gait coordination in people after stroke and, therefore, may be usefully applied in physical therapist practice. Future research directions for developing guidelines for using acoustically paced treadmill walking in physical therapist practice are discussed.
Recharting the Skies above Berlin: Nostalgia East and West
Authors: Cook Roger F.
Published: June 2007

In the now almost fifteen years since the rush to German unity, East Germany's remembering of its lost cultural objects and social practices has already established a rich history of its own. The first product to become a prominent symbol of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was the Trabant (Trabi). An unattractive, inefficient, obnoxiously loud car manufactured in the GDR, it went overnight from being an object for which many East Germans waited expectantly for several years to be able to purchase to an antiquated, undesired relic. The brunt of some of the first Ossie jokes, it also quickly became a symbol for East German resistance to an arrogant West German dismissal of all that was the GDR.
"Hypermedia Berlin": German Cultural Studies and New Media
Authors: Presner Todd Samuel
Published: June 2007

In this article, I will discuss how my own work on a project called "Hypermedia Berlin"—a Web-based study of Berlin's "cultural geography"—can be situated in a lineage that goes back to Hoffmann's reflection on media and represents another instantiation of what Hinrich Seeba has called "Berlin" as a site for the development of new cultural-critical methodologies for interdisciplinary German Studies.
Urban Vision and Surveillance: Notes on a Moment in Karl Grune's Die Strasse
Authors: Kaes Anton
Published: June 2007

Every film has its moment. Be it an unforeseen glance, an unmotivated gesture, or a startling sequence unnecessary for narrative progression, such a "moment" reveals in a flash what's at stake—then and now. In the following, I analyze such a moment in Karl Grune's Die Strasse (The Street), a film that Siegfried Kracauer considered one of the defining documents of German modernity. Produced and shown in fall of 1923, the film inaugurated the so-called Strassenfilm genre, which combined the visual language of expressionist cinema (oblique angles, harsh lighting, heavy shadows, painted backdrops, distorted spaces, stylized gestures) with an urban setting. In its gritty exploration of sex, crime, morality, and madness, the street film became the prototype for American film noir of the 1940s. The Street has its "moment" in a brief sequence that discloses the film's underlying theoretical project—the nexus between urban modernity and the disciplining power of vision.
Stumbling Stones: Holocaust Memorials, National Identity, and Democratic Inclusion in Berlin
Authors: Harjes Kirsten
Published: June 2007

In 1997, Hinrich Seeba offered a graduate seminar on Berlin at the University of California, Berkeley. He called it: "Cityscape: Berlin as Cultural Artifact in Literature, Art, Architecture, Academia." It was a true German studies course in its interdisciplinary and cultural anthropological approach to the topic: Berlin, to be analyzed as a "scape," a "view or picture of a scene," subject to the predilections of visual perception in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This course inspired my research on contemporary German history as represented in Berlin's Holocaust memorials. The number and diversity of these memorials has made this city into a laboratory of collective memory. Since the unification of East and West Germany in 1990, memorials in Berlin have become means to shape a new national identity via the history shared by both Germanys. In this article, I explore two particular memorials to show the tension between creating a collective, national identity, and representing the cultural and historical diversity of today's Germany. I compare the Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, or "national Holocaust memorial") which opened in central Berlin on May 10, 2005, to the lesser known, privately sponsored, decentralized "stumbling stone" project by artist Gunter Demnig.
Expansion of Human Embryonic Stem Cells In Vitro
Authors: Costa Magdaline , Sourris Koula , Hatzistavrou Tanya , Elefanty Andrew G. , Stanley Edouard G.
Published: June 2007

This unit describes a protocol for the large‐scale expansion of karyotypically normal human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). hESCs can be maintained indefinitely as dense colonies that are mechanically cut into pieces, which are subsequently transferred to fresh organ culture dishes seeded with primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). hESCs can also be enzymatically passaged (bulk culture); however, over time, this style of culturing may lead to the acquisition of chromosomal abnormalities. Nevertheless, enzymatic passaging can be used for short periods (up to 25 passages) without the appearance of cells with abnormal karyotypes. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 1:1C.1.1‐1C.1.7. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Isolation of Mononuclear Cells from Human Cord Blood by Ficoll‐Paque Density Gradient
Authors: Jaatinen Taina , Laine Jarmo
Published: June 2007

When preparing stem cell specimens from cord blood, pre‐enrichment of mononuclear cells is highly recommended to improve the recovery of rare stem cells. Mononuclear cells are easily isolated by density gradient centrifugation. In Ficoll‐Paque density gradient centrifugation, anticoagulant‐treated and diluted cord blood is layered on the Ficoll‐Paque solution and centrifuged. During centrifugation, erythrocytes and granulocytes sediment to the bottom layer. Lower density lymphocytes, together with other slowly sedimenting cells such as platelets and monocytes, are retained at the interface between the plasma and Ficoll‐Paque, where they can be collected and subjected to subsequent isolation of hematopoietic stem cells or to the culture of mesenchymal stem cells. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 1:2A.1.1‐2A.1.4. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Guidelines for the Conduct of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Authors:   ISSCR International Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Task Force
Published: June 2007

The ISSCR calls for due consideration and appropriate oversight of human stem cell research to ensure transparent, ethical, and responsible performance of scientific experiments. These Guidelines, prepared by the ISSCR Task Force comprised of international representatives, are meant to emphasize the responsibility of scientists to ensure that human stem cell research is carried out according to rigorous standards of research ethics, and to encourage uniform research practices that should be followed by all human stem cell scientists globally. Curr. Protoc. Stem Cell Biol. 1:A.1A.1‐A.1A.15. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Niaspan increases angiogenesis and improves functional recovery after stroke
Authors: Chen Jieli , Cui Xu , Zacharek Alex , Jiang Hao , Roberts Cynthia , Zhang Chunling , Lu Mei , Kapke Alissa , Feldkamp Carolyn S. , Chopp Michael
Published: June 2007

Objective

High‐density lipoprotein (HDL) is implicated in the modulation of angiogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether the Niacin‐mediated increase of HDL regulates angiogenesis and thereby improves functional outcome after stroke.

Methods

Adult male rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion and were treated with or without different doses (40 and 80mg/kg) of Niaspan, starting 24 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion and daily for 14 days. Neurological functional tests were performed, and serum HDL level was measured. Angiogenesis and angiogenic factor expression were measured by immunohistochemistry, corneal neovascularization and capillary tube formation assay, and Western blot, respectively.

Results

Niaspan significantly increased HDL level, promoted angiogenesis in the ischemic brain, and improved functional outcome after stroke. Niaspan also significantly increased corneal neovascularization compared with nontreatment control. Mechanisms underlying the Niaspan‐induced vascular remodeling were investigated. Niaspan increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin‐1 (Ang1), and phosphorylation of Akt, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and Tie2 in the ischemic brain. Niacin upregulated Ang1 expression in cultured brain endothelial cells and increased vascular endothelial growth factor, Ang1, and endothelial NOS expression in cultured astrocytes, and dose‐dependently increased capillary tube formation compared with nontreatment control. Inhibition of NOS partially decreased Niacin‐induced capillary tube formation. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase or knockdown of Tie2 substantially and significantly decreased Niacin‐induced capillary tube formation.

Interpretation

Niacin increases HDL and promotes angiogenesis, which may contribute to improvement of functional outcome after stroke. The Ang1/Tie2, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/Akt, and endothelial NOS pathways appear to mediate Niacin‐induced angiogenesis. Ann Neurol 2007
Synthesis, characterization and soft transformation of some bis(cyclopentadienyl) Ti(IV) and Zr(IV) complexes of Schiff's base ligands to nano‐sized titania or zirconia materials
Authors: Sharma Namita , Sharma Vinita , Bohra Rakesh , Raju V. S.
Published: June 2007

Some bis(cyclopentadienyl) complexes of Ti(IV)and Zr(IV) have been synthesized by the metathetical reactions of Cp2MCl2 with the sodium salt of monofunctional bidentate Schiff's base ligands in 1:1 and 1:2 stoichiometry in anhydrous THF. All the derivatives of the types Cp2MCl2−n{O(C6H4)CH6H5}n and Cp2MCl2−n{OC(CH3)(R)6H5}n (where R = CH3 or C6H5 and n = 1 or 2) have been characterized by elemental analyses, molecular weight measurements, FT‐IR and ‐NMR [1H and 13C{1H}] studies. The FAB mass spectra of a few representative complexes and the molecular weight measurements in freezing benzene indicate their monomeric nature in solution. Spectral studies appear to indicate mono‐ and bi‐dentate mode of attachment of the ligand in solution and in the solid state, respectively. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) of Cp2TiCl{O(C6H4)CH} (1) and Cp2ZrCl{O(C6H4)CH} (7) indicate their low thermal stability. Transformations of some of these complexes to pure titania (TiO2)/zirconia (ZrO2) have been observed at relatively low sintering temperatures. Powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron micrograph (SEM) studies suggest the nanocrystalline nature of these materials. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The influence of electric field exposure on bone growth and fracture repair in rats
Authors: McClanahan B. J. , Phillips R. D.
Published: June 2007

Rats were exposed to a 60‐Hz electric field at an unperturbed field strength of 100 kV/m to determine its affect on bone growth and fracture repair. Exposure of immature male and female rats for 20 h/day for 30 days did not alter growth rate, cortical bone area, or medullary cavity area of the tibia. In another experiment, midfibular osteotomies were performed and the juvenile rats were exposed at 100 kV/m for 14 days. Evaluation by resistance to deformation and breaking strength indicated that fracture repair was not as advanced in the exposed animals as in the shamexposed animals. In another experiment measurements of resistance to deformation were made in adult rats at 16, 20, and 26 days after osteotmy. Fracture repair was slower in exposed compared to control animals at day 20 and, to a lesser extent, at day 16, but not at day 26.
Teratogenicity of 27.12‐MHz radiation in rats is related to duration of hyperthermic exposure
Authors: Lary Joseph M. , Conover David L. , Johnson Peggy H. , Burg Jénne R.
Published: June 2007

Five groups of pregnant Sprague‐Dawley rats were either sham exposed or were irradiated in a 27.12‐MHz radiofrequency (RF) field at 55 A/m and 300 V/m on gestation day 9. The absorbed power (approximately 11 W/kg) caused a relatively rapid increase in the rat's colonic temperature. Rats in group I were sham irradiated for 2.5 h at 0 A/m, 0 V/m. In group II RF irradiation was terminated after the rat's colonic temperature reached 41.0 °C. In group III the 41.0‐ °C temperature was maintained an additional 15 min by varying the field strength. At both temperatures the teratogenic and embryotoxic effects of the RF‐induced hyperthermia increased as the exposure duration increased, but the increase was especially noticeable at 42.0 °C. The results indicate that the teratogenic and embryotoxic effects of RF‐induced hyperthermia are related to both the temperature of the dam during exposure and the length of time the dam's temperature remains elevated.
Electrical discontinuity of tissue substitute models at 27.12 MHz
Authors: Lehmann Justus F. , McDougall John A. , Guy Arthur W. , Chou Chung‐Kwang , Esselman Peter C. , Warren C. Gerald
Published: June 2007

Tissue‐substitute models consisting of layers of synthetic, electrically equivalent subcutaneous fat, muscle, and bone shaped in conformation with the normal anatomy are used for rapid determination of distribution of temperature and specific absorption rate throughout the tissues when exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The surfaces of the bisected models are approximated during a short exposure period, then separated and scanned with a thermograph. A method was developed to eliminate the electrical discontinuity at the bisected surfaces while allowing separation and subsequent thermographic scanning. A thin layer of silk screen wetted with propylene glycol saturated with sodium chloride was used at the fat interface and a 0.9% sodium chloride solution was used to wet the screen at the muscle interface to eliminate electrical discontinuity during exposure to 27.12‐MHz diathermy. Tests showed that in the presence of an electrical discontinuity the heating pattern was grossly distorted. With the method used, the electrical discontinuity is minimized and the subsequent thermographic scanning reveals that the heating pattern is equivalent to that of an intact model.
Hematologic and immunologic effects of pulsed microwaves in mice
Authors: Ragan H. A. , Phillips R. D. , Buschbom R. L. , Busch R. H. , Morris J. E.
Published: June 2007

Mice were exposed in the far field in an anechoic chamber to 2,880‐MHz pulsed microwaves 3 to 7.5 h daily, 5 days/week for 60 to 360 h. Three experiments were performed at average power densities of 5 mW/cm2 and six at 10 mW/cm2, corresponding to averaged specific absorption rates (SARs) of 2.25 and 4.50 mW/g, respectively. Each experiment consisted of eight mice, with a concurrently sham‐exposed group of eight. In two of three studies at 5 mW/cm2, there was a significant increase in bone marrow cellularity in the microwave‐exposed groups compared to the sham‐exposed groups. Significant differences were occasionally seen in erythrocyte, leukocyte, and platelet values from microwaveexposed groups, but were not consistently observed. In one of six groups exposed at 10 mW/cm2, mean bone marrow cellularity was reduced significantly in the microwaveexposed mice; in another group, the lymphocyte count was increased. In only one exposure (10 mW/cm2 for 360 h) was any significant effect noted on serum proteins: a reduction to 5.1 ± 0.3 g/dl in the exposed versus 5.6 ± 0.4 g/dl in the sham‐exposed mice. This was due to a decrease in alpha and beta globulins, with no effect on albumin or gamma globulin concentrations. No effect on bone marrow granulocyte/macrophage colony‐forming units (CFU) was revealed following exposure of mice to pulsed microwaves at 5 mW/cm2. In one of four exposures at 10 mW/cm2, there was a significant increase in CFU‐agar colonies. No significant effects of exposures at 10 mW/cm2 were observed on in vivo and in vitro assays of cell‐mediated immune functions. No exposure‐related histopathologic lesions were found from examination of several tissues and organs. Results of these series of exposures of mice at SARs of 2.25 and 4.50 mW/g indicated no consistent effects on the hematologic, immunologic, or histopathologic variables examined.
Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) to reduce dysfunctional social behaviors of a head injured man
Authors: Turner Jenny M. , Green Gina , Braunling‐McMorrow Debra
Published: June 2007

Differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL) is a technique in which a positive reinforcer is delivered at the end of a specific interval if a target behavior has occurred at a criterion rate. Traditionally, it has been used in educational settings to manage classroom behaviors. Recently, therapists have begun to use DRL to reduce the rates of a variety of behaviors in non‐educational settings. In this study, DRL was part of a behavioral intervention to reduce dysfunctional verbal and physical behaviors of a head‐injured young man. The complete intervention program included DRL, changing criteria, and token reinforcement. Over a period of 15 weeks, the intervention resulted in reductions in behaviors in both categories from high rates to near‐zero rates.
Performance feedback and maintenance of staff behavior residential settings
Authors: Arco Lucius , Birnbrauer Jay S.
Published: June 2007

The literature on staff management reveals a problem in maintaining performance after training programs. The research suggests that maintenance will be maximized by providing regular feedback to relevant personnel, and that feedback, even when self‐management procedures are incorporated, should be based on independent observations of client behavior. Outcome measures should indicate changes in client behavior that are valued by staff. There are times, however, when process feedback is also necessary.