bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis induced by SARS-CoV 3b protein in transfected cells
Authors: Yuan Xiaoling , Shan Yajun , Zhao Zhenhu , Chen Jiapei , Cong Yuwen
Published: August 2005

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), cause of the life-threatening atypical pneumonia, infects many organs, such as lung, liver and immune organ, and induces parenchyma cells apoptosis and necrosis. The genome of SARS-CoV, not closely related to any of the previously characterized coronavirus, encodes replicase and four major structural proteins and a number of non-structural proteins. Published studies suggest that some non-structural proteins may play important roles in the replication, virulence and pathogenesis of viruses. Among the potential SARS-CoV non-structural proteins, 3b protein (ORF4) is predicted encoding 154 amino acids, lacking significant similarities to any known proteins. Till now, there is no report about the function of 3b protein. In this study, 3b gene was linked with the EGFP tag at the C- terminus. Through cell cycle analysis, it was found that over-expression of 3b-EGFP protein in Vero, 293 and COS-7 cells could induce cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and that especially in COS-7 cells, expression of 3b-EGFP was able to induce the increase of sub-G1 phase from 24 h after transfection, which was most obvious at 48 h. The apoptosis induction of 3b fusion protein in COS-7 cells was further confirmed by double cell labeling with 7-AAD and Annexin V, the function of 3b protein inducing cell G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis may provide a new insight for further study on the mechanism of SARS pathogenesis.
Metabolic profiling of laser microdissected vascular bundles of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Schad Martina , Mungur Rajsree , Fiehn Oliver , Kehr Julia
Published: August 2005

Background

Laser microdissection is a useful tool for collecting tissue-specific samples or even single cells from animal and plant tissue sections. This technique has been successfully employed to study cell type-specific expression at the RNA, and more recently also at the protein level. However, metabolites were not amenable to analysis after laser microdissection, due to the procedures routinely applied for sample preparation. Using standard tissue fixation and embedding protocols to prepare histological sections, metabolites are either efficiently extracted by dehydrating solvents, or washed out by embedding agents.

Results

In this study, we used cryosectioning as an alternative method that preserves sufficient cellular structure while minimizing metabolite loss by excluding any solute exchange steps. Using this pre-treatment procedure, Arabidopsis thaliana stem sections were prepared for laser microdissection of vascular bundles. Collected samples were subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF MS) to obtain metabolite profiles. From 100 collected vascular bundles (~5,000 cells), 68 metabolites could be identified. More than half of the identified metabolites could be shown to be enriched or depleted in vascular bundles as compared to the surrounding tissues.

Conclusion

This study uses the example of vascular bundles to demonstrate for the first time that it is possible to analyze a comprehensive set of metabolites from laser microdissected samples at a tissue-specific level, given that a suitable sample preparation procedure is used.
Acute axonal damage predicts clinical outcome in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Lim E T , Sellebjerg F , Jensen C V , Altmann D R , Grant D , Keir G , Thompson E J , Giovannoni G
Published: August 2005

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine how cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neurofilament heavy chain (NfHSMI34 and NfHSMI35) levels relate to clinical outcome in optic neuritis (ON) and multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse patients treated with high dose oral methylprednisolone; and (2) to correlate neurofilament and myelin basic protein (MBP) concentrations, particularly as the latter was previously associated with clinical disability. Fifty subjects participated in two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Eight/18 patients in the ON trial and 15/32 subjects in the MS attack trial were treated with oral methylprednisolone. In the MS attack trial group, CSF NfHSMI34 and NfHSMI35 measured at week 3 and DCSF NfHSMI34 levels from baseline to week 3 were predictive of clinical outcome at week 8 and 52. In the ON group, no such association was seen. When both groups were combined, baseline CSF NfHSMI34 and NfHSMI35 correlated positively with baseline enhancing lesion volume (ELV) (rs=0.50, p<0.01 and rs=0.53, p<0.01, respectively). Levels of NfHSMI35 at baseline and week 3 also strongly correlated with the MBP concentration. This study supports the view that acute inflammation in ON and MS results in axonal pathology and that the latter has a role in determining functional impairment.
Intravenous immunoglobulins in the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis - results of a retrospective multicenter observational study over five years
Authors: Haas J , Maas-Enriquez M , Hartung H P
Published: August 2005

Use of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) has been recommended for treatment of RRMS if first line therapy with beta-interferon or glatiramer acetate is not tolerated, or if contraindications exist. This consensus recommendation is based on the demonstration of efficacy and tolerability of IVIG in four randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The impact of non-randomized observational trials on evidence-based recommendations for treatment is still under discussion. In order to evaluate the transferability of study results derived from RCTs into a routine practice setting, we carried out a retrospective data analysis on patients with RRMS who had been treated with IVIG during the last five years. Data sets from 308 out of 1122 screened patients were available for analysis. Treatment with IVIG resulted in a 69% reduction of the mean annual relapse rate (ARR) (calculated over two years) from 1.749±1.15 before IVIG treatment to 0.539±0.61 after start of IVIG treatment. Mean expanded disability status scale (EDSS) values remained stable throughout the observation period. The results of this observational study were similar to the results of previous RCTs with IVIG.
A pairwise likelihood approach to generalized linear models with crossed random effects
Authors: Bellio Ruggero , Varin Cristiano
Published: August 2005

Inference in generalized linear models with crossed effects is often made cumbersome by the high-dimensional intractable integrals involved in the likelihood function. We propose an inferential strategy based on the pairwise likelihood, which only requires the computation of bivariate distributions. The benefits of our approach are the simplicity of implementation and the potential to handle large data sets. The estimators based on the pairwise likelihood are generally consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. The pairwise likelihood makes it possible to improve on standard inferential procedures by means of bootstrap methods. The performance of the proposed methodology is illustrated by simulations and application to the well-known salamander mating data set.
Introduction to “Moral Economies, State Spaces, and Categorical Violence”
Authors: SIVARAMAKRISHNAN K.
Published: August 2005

By studying and writing about social revolutions and popular protest, James Scott has provided anthropologists and social theorists with a wide‐ranging analytical vocabulary for speaking about peace and its inseparable twin—violence. His particular area of expertise has been the arts of repressive peace, and the artfulness of those who elude or defy such silencing technologies. The publication of The Moral Economy of the Peasant in 1976 initiated the first interactions between Scott's unique brand of political theory and anthropology in the shared topical space of peasant studies and the shared geographic space of Asian studies. The authors of this “In Focus” have assembled this special collection to celebrate and evaluate those and subsequent interactions covering a quarter of a century and spanning the publication of at least three other books: Weapons of the Weak (1985), Domination and the Arts of Resistance (1990), and Seeing Like a State (1998).
The Contracting Fibroblast as a Clue to Dupuytren’s Contracture
Authors: HUESTON J. T. , HURLEY J. V. , WHITTINGHAM S.
Published: August 2005

Examination of fibrous tissue from various sites in the palm reveals the presence of myofibroblasts only in the nodules, underlining their primary role in the production of contracture.
Unusual Congenital Anomalies of the Thumb Extensors
Authors: KOBAYASHI AKIRA , OHMIYA KENRO , IWAKUMA TAKEYUKI , MITSUYASU MOTOO
Published: August 2005

A case of rare hereditary anomaly of the extensor tendons of the thumb and a case of congenital duck-neck deformity of the thumb are reported.
Repair of the Dorsal Apparatus of the Finger
Authors: FRITSCHI ERNEST , HAMILTON JEAN , JAMES J. H.
Published: August 2005

This paper describes a simple method of assessing the constituent features of flexion deformities of the proximal interphalangeal joints in Hansen’s disease, and a simple operation to correct the anterior displacement of the lateral band and the associated contractures.
A Complication of Distal Interphalangeal Joint Arthrodesis
Authors: BELTRAN J. E. , BARJAU R. , MORETA D.
Published: August 2005

The authors report the appearance of a swan-neck deformity few months after arthrodesis of the distal interphalangeal joint. The pathomechanics, prevention and treatment of the established deformity are discussed.
Observations on the use of Silicone Rubber Spacers in Tendon Graft Surgery
Authors: LEONARD A. G. , DICKIE W. R.
Published: August 2005

Lessons learned from the use of silicone rubber spacers for the preparation of tendon graft beds in sixty digits are reported.
Percutaneous Internal Fixation of Fractures of the Proximal Phalanges
Authors: JOSHI B. B.
Published: August 2005

A rational method for management of the fractures of the proximal phalanges is presented. By this technique fracture healing and recovery of movement take place concurrently rather than consecutively thereby the morbidity is greatly reduced. It leads to early and complete rehabilitation of the patient in a short period.
The Dorsal Wrinkle Ligaments of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint
Authors: LAW PENELOPE , McGROUTHER D. A.
Published: August 2005

This investigation is concerned with a precise description of the anatomy of cutaneous ligaments over the dorsum of the proximal interphalangeal joint which define the “wrinkle pattern” and their relationship to other fascial structures in the digits.

The significance of alterations of the wrinkle pattern in pathological conditions (e.g. knuckle pads) will be discussed.
Repair of Chronic Subluxation of the Distal Radioulnar Joint (Ulnar Dorsal) Using Flexor Carpi Ulnaris Tendon
Authors: TSAI TSU-MIN , STILWELL JOHN H.
Published: August 2005

Chronic dislocation of the distal radio-ulnar joint is usually treated conservatively or by resection of the ulnar head (the Darrach procedure). Recently there has emerged a trend towards reconstructive stabilization procedures, based on modifications of old methods. This article describes a stabilization procedure for correction of chronic subluxation of the distal radio-ulnar joint (ulnar-dorsal) using the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon. A series of five patients is presented together with a historical review of the development of reconstructive approaches in this area.
An Anomalous Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Indicis Muscle in Association with a Fibroma Presenting as a Stiff Painful Finger
Authors: KERNOHAN J. , DAKIN P. K. , QUAIN J. S. , HELAL B.
Published: August 2005

A description is given of a fibroma associated with an anomalous muscle arising from the flexor digitorum superficialis indicis tendon distal to the transverse carpal ligament, which presented as a stiff painful finger.
Pseudo-Malignant Osseous Tumour of Soft Tissue
Authors: BULSTRODE C. , HELAL B. , REVELL P.
Published: August 2005

A case of pseudo-malignant osseous tumour of soft tissue in the hand is described. The history was over two years with intractable pain becoming the dominant symptom. There was no history of trauma or infection initiating the condition. Local amputation provided complete relief of symptoms and there has been no recurrence in two years.
Salvage of a Mutilated Hand Using Various Microsurgical Procedures
Authors: SOLINC M. , BAJEC J. , GANG R. K.
Published: August 2005

A 14-year-old boy with a mutilated hand was treated by five microsurgical procedures at different stages over a period of 18 months to restore a functional hand.
The Nicolle Finger Joint Prosthesis: A Reappraisal
Authors: VARMA S. K. , MILWARD T. M.
Published: August 2005

The Nicolle prosthesis was used to replace 101 metacarpophalangeal joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis over a ten-year period. Mean active flexion achieved was 30°. Mean ulnar deviation was 27°.4% of joints had to be removed after a mean interval of 42 months, for infection. None of the implants had fractured.
The Hand in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
Authors: MILLER M. J. , WILLIAMS L. L. , SLACK S. L. , NAPPI J. F.
Published: August 2005

The upper extremity was evaluated in 68 symptomatic individuals previously diagnosed as having Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Consistent patterns of motor and sensory involvement were found noted as well as a predictable progression of neuromuscular deficits. Improved understanding of the clinical behaviour of this disorder is necessary to develop better treatment strategies.
An Improved Technique of Posterior Deltoid to Triceps Transfer in Tetraplegia
Authors: MENNEN U. , BOONZAIER A. C.
Published: August 2005

An improved technique to motorise the triceps is described whereby the bony insertion of the deltoid into the humerus is detached. Similarly the bony insertion of the triceps into the olecranon is detached and a 10 mm. width of this central section of the triceps tendon and aponeurosis reflected with its bony insertion. The two bony blocks are sutured together by stainless steel wire. This technique allows for early active mobilisation of the elbow which allows the patient early rehabilitation, prevents adhesions and eliminates the disadvantage of transferred tendons elongating. These complications were seen with earlier versions of motorisation of the triceps. Careful patient selection and pre-operative evaluation is of the utmost importance to achieve a successful motorised elbow extension procedure.
Regulation of fatty acid uptake and metabolism in L6 skeletal muscle cells by resistin
Authors: Palanivel Rengasamy , Sweeney Gary
Published: August 2005

Resistin has been proposed as a potential link between obesity and insulin resistance. It is also well established that altered metabolism of fatty acids by skeletal muscle can lead to insulin resistance and lipotoxicity. However, little is known about the effect of resistin on long chain fatty acid uptake and metabolism in skeletal muscle. Here we show that treating rat skeletal muscle cells with recombinant resistin (50 nM, 24 h) decreased uptake of palmitate. This correlated with reduced cell surface CD36 content and lower expression of FATP1, but no change in FATP4 or CD36 expression. We also found that resistin decreased fatty acid oxidation by measuring 14CO2 production from [1‐14C] oleate and an increase in intracellular lipid accumulation was detected in response to resistin. Decreased AMPK and ACC phosphorylation were observed in response to resistin while expression of ACC and AMPK isoforms was unaltered. Resistin mediated these effects without altering cell viability. In summary, our results demonstrate that chronic incubation of skeletal muscle cells with resistin decreased fatty acid uptake and metabolism via a mechanism involving decreased cell surface CD36 content, FATP1 expression and a decrease in phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC.
Postoperative Changes of Carpal Canal Pressure in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Prospective Study with Follow-Up of 1 Year
Authors: SANZ J , LIZAUR A , CAMPO F SÁNCHEZ DEL
Published: August 2005

Carpal canal pressures were measured in 103 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, before and after open release, with a postoperative follow-up of 1 year. Twenty-five normal subjects were used as controls. Pressures were measured with the wrists in three positions: neutral, full passive flexion and full passive extension. At each wrist position, the mean pre-operative pressures in the study group were significantly higher than in the control group. In both groups, the pressures were maximal with full passive extension and minimal in the neutral wrist position. Immediately after surgical release, there was a marked decrease of the carpal canal pressures. However, during the second postoperative month, there was a significant increase of the pressures at each wrist position, although these were still within the normal control range. This rise in pressures persisted to 12 months. These findings suggest that the carpal ligament reconstitutes by normal scar formation, but with lengthening such that the volume of the carpal canal is enlarged, so preventing a rise in pressure with return of the pre-operative problem.
Voronoi neighbor statistics of hard-disks and hard-spheres
Authors: Kumar V. Senthil , Kumaran V.
Published: August 2005

The neighbor distribution in hard-sphere and hard-disk fluids is analyzed using Voronoi tessellation. The statistical measures analyzed are the nth neighbor coordination number (Cn), the nth neighbor distance distribution [fn(r)], and the distribution of the number of Voronoi faces (Pn). These statistics are sensitive indicators of microstructure, and they distinguish thermodynamic and annealed structures. A sharp rise in the hexagon population marks the onset of hard-disk freezing transition, and Cn decreases sharply to the hexagonal lattice values. In hard-disk random structures the pentagon and heptagon populations remain significant even at high volume fraction. In dense hard-sphere (three-dimensional) structures at the freezing transition, C1 is close to 14, instead of the value of 12 expected for a face-centered-cubic lattice. This is found to be because of a topological instability, where a slight perturbation of the positions in the centers of a pair of particles transforms a vertex in the Voronoi polyhedron into a Voronoi surface. We demonstrate that the pair distribution function and the equation-of-state obtained from Voronoi tessellation are equal to those obtained from thermodynamic calculations. In hard-sphere random structures, the dodecahedron population decreases with increasing density. To demonstrate the utility of the neighbor analysis, we estimate the effective hard-sphere diameter of the Lennard-Jones fluid by identifying the diameter of the spheres in the hard-sphere fluid which has C1 equal to that for the Lennard-Jones fluid. The estimates are within 2% deviation from the theoretical results of Barker-Henderson and Weeks-Chandler-Andersen.
Reactions of SiCl groups in amorphous SiO2 with mobile interstitial chemical species: Formation of interstitial Cl2 and HCl molecules, and role of interstitial H2O molecules
Authors: Kajihara Koichi , Hirano Masahiro , Skuja Linards , Hosono Hideo
Published: August 2005

Reactions of the network-bound chloride (SiCl) groups in amorphous SiO2 (a-SiO2 or SiO2 glass) with mobile interstitial oxygen (O2), water (H2O), and hydrogen (H2) molecules thermally loaded from ambient atmosphere and with mobile radicals created by exposure to F2 laser light (λ=157nm,hν=7.9eV) were investigated. Reactions of the SiCl groups with O2 and H2O produce interstitial chlorine (Cl2) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) molecules, respectively. An infrared-absorption band appearing at ∼2815cm−1 is assigned to the interstitial HCl. The SiCl groups do not react with H2 below 400°C. However, sequential gas loading first with O2, then with H2 leads to the production of interstitial H2O, which decomposes the SiCl groups into HCl. Furthermore, the formation of the interstitial HCl with exposure to F2 laser light, most likely due to the cracking of the Si–Cl bonds with photogenerated hydrogen atoms (H0), was demonstrated. These findings yield a general picture of the reactions of the chlorine-related species in a-SiO2 and demonstrate the significant influence of even minor amounts (<1018cm−3) of interstitial H2O on defect formation and annihilation processes.
Studies of high-temperature phase transition, electrical conductivity, and dielectric relaxation in (NH4)H2PO4 single crystal
Authors: Chen R. H. , Yen Chen-Chieh , Shern C. S. , Fukami T.
Published: August 2005

Optical observation, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermogravimetric measurements have been carried out on (NH4)H2PO4 single crystal in the temperature range of 30–250°C. The results show that the crystal starts to decompose at around 160°C. Upon heating, ammonia NH3 escapes from the surface of the crystal gradually with the production of phosphoric acid. The measured ac impedance data are analyzed as a function of frequency in the temperature range between 40 and 150°C. The frequency dependence of conductivity follows Jonscher’s dynamical law with the relation σ(ω)=σ(0)+Bωn, where ω is the frequency of the applied ac electric field and B is a constant. The obtained values of the exponent n decrease from 1 to 0.25 as the temperature is raised. The electrical conduction at low temperatures below 70°C is attributed to the hopping of proton on O–H–O hydrogen bonds among hydrogen vacancies. The activation energy of the migration is 0.12eV in this extrinsic region. At temperatures between 70 and 97°C, additional defects are created by breaking the stronger hydrogen bond in ammonium groups. The activation energy of defect formation and migration of proton among defects is 0.83eV. At temperatures above 97°C, ammonium ions in the crystal are proposed to have the contribution to the electrical conduction with an activation energy of 3.01eV.
Interfacial structure of oxidized AlN(0002)∕Si(111) thin film
Authors: Kang H. C. , Noh D. Y.
Published: August 2005

We present an interfacial structure formed during the thermal oxidation of epitaxial AlN(0002)∕Si(111) thin film investigated by synchrotron x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. We found that a crystalline interlayer with a thickness of ∼30Å is formed as the AlN film transforms to epitaxial cubic spinel γ-Al2O3 during the initial stage of oxidation. The lattice spacing of such crystalline interlayer is about 5.441 Å, and we believe it to be an aluminum-silicate (AlxSiO2−δ) phase having a diamond structure. As the annealing proceeds further, an amorphous-SiO2 (α-SiO2) layer is formed between the crystalline AlxSiO2−δ interlayer and the resultant γ-Al2O3 film. The α-SiO2 layer grows as the annealing time increases, which indicates that Si atoms diffuse continuously through the crystalline AlxSiO2−δ interlayer.
A Novel Plant Major Intrinsic Protein in Physcomitrella patens Most Similar to Bacterial Glycerol Channels
Authors: Gustavsson Sofia , Lebrun Anne-Sophie , Nordén Kristina , Chaumont François , Johanson Urban
Published: August 2005

A gene encoding a novel fifth type of major intrinsic protein (MIP) in plants has been identified in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Phylogenetic analyses show that this protein, GlpF-like intrinsic protein (GIP1;1), is closely related to a subclass of glycerol transporters in bacteria that in addition to glycerol are highly permeable to water. A likely explanation of the occurrence of this bacterial-like MIP in P. patens is horizontal gene transfer. The expressed P. patens GIP1;1 gene contains five introns and encodes a unique C-loop extension of approximately 110 amino acid residues that has no obvious similarity with any other known protein. Based on alignments and structural comparisons with other MIPs, GIP1;1 is suggested to have retained the permeability for glycerol but not for water. Studies on heterologously expressed GIP1;1 in Xenopus laevis oocytes confirm the predicted substrate specificity. Interestingly, proteins of one of the plant-specific subgroups of MIPs, the NOD26-like intrinsic proteins, are also facilitating the transport of glycerol and have previously been suggested to have evolved from a horizontally transferred bacterial gene. Further studies on localization and searches for GIP1;1 homologs in other plants will clarify the function and significance of this new plant MIP.
The Mutant of sll1961, Which Encodes a Putative Transcriptional Regulator, Has a Defect in Regulation of Photosystem Stoichiometry in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Fujimori Tamaki , Higuchi Mieko , Sato Hanayo , Aiba Hiroshi , Muramatsu Masayuki , Hihara Yukako , Sonoike Kintake
Published: August 2005

In acclimation to changing light environments, photosynthetic organisms modulate the ratio of two photosynthetic reaction centers (photosystem I [PSI] and photosystem II). One mutant, which could not modulate photosystem stoichiometry upon the shift to high light, was isolated from mutants created by random transposon mutagenesis. Measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence and analysis of the reaction center subunits of PSI through western blotting in this mutant revealed that the content of PSI could not be suppressed under high-light condition. In the mutant, transposon was inserted to the sll1961 gene encoding a putative transcriptional regulator. DNA microarray analysis revealed that the expression of sll1773 was drastically induced in the sll1961 mutant upon exposure to high light for 3 h. Our results demonstrate that a transcriptional regulator, Sll1961, and its possible target proteins, including Sll1773, may be responsible for the regulation of photosystem stoichiometry in response to high light.
An mTph2 SNP gives rise to alterations in extracellular 5‐HT levels, but not in performance on a delayed‐reinforcement task
Authors: Isles Anthony R. , Hathway Gareth J. , Humby Trevor , De La Riva Carlos , Kendrick Keith M. , Wilkinson Lawrence S.
Published: August 2005

5‐Hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) is an important neurotransmitter mediating many aspects of cognition and behaviour. One psychology in which 5‐HT plays an important role is impulsive responding. Recently, we have demonstrated that variation in an aspect of impulsive behaviour, namely delayed gratification, has a clear genetic contribution. Here, we examined the neurobiological relevance of a recently discovered single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the murine gene tryptophan hydroxylase (mTph2) by analysing extracellular levels of 5‐HT in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral striatum (VS), key brain regions for impulsive behaviours. The allelic variants were associated with systematic effects on baseline 5‐HT efflux in the mPFC and VS. We then went on to examine whether the mTph2 allelic variants gave rise to differences in impulsive behaviour. However, the mTph2 genotype, and therefore presumably baseline brain levels of 5‐HT, did not predict impulsive choice, as indexed by sensitivity to delayed reinforcement. Consequently, the data do not support a role for the mTph2 C1473G polymorphism on this aspect of impulsive behaviour. Instead, they indicate that perturbations of the 5‐HT system via heritable traits may have differential consequences for qualitatively distinct aspects of impulsive behaviour.
Arginine‐vasopressin and vasointestinal polypeptide rhythms in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the mouse lemur reveal aging‐related alterations of circadian pacemaker neurons in a non‐human primate
Authors: Cayetanot Florence , Bentivoglio Marina , Aujard Fabienne
Published: August 2005

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, the mammalian circadian pacemaker, is entrained by external cues and especially by photic information. Light is transmitted primarily via the retinohypothalamic tract, which terminates in the ventral part (or core) of the SCN, where vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)‐containing neurons are located. VIP cells are mainly intrinsic and project to the dorsal part (or shell) of the SCN, where neurons containing arginine‐vasopressin (AVP) reside. As aging leads to marked changes in the expression of circadian rhythms, we examined in primates whether age‐related decay in biological rhythmicity is associated with changes in the oscillation of peptide expression in SCN neurons. We used double immunohistochemistry and quantitative analysis in the SCN of mouse lemurs, which provide a unique model of aging in non‐human primates. In adult animals, VIP‐positive and AVP‐positive SCN neurons exhibited daily rhythms of their number and immunostaining intensity: AVP immunoreactivity peaked during the second part of the day, and VIP peaked during the night. In aged mouse lemurs, the peaks of AVP and VIP immunopositivity were significantly shifted, so that AVP was most intense at the beginning of the night, whereas VIP peaked at the beginning of daytime. The results show that the circadian rhythm of neuropeptides in the SCN is modified by aging in primates, with a differential regulation of the two main peptidergic cell populations. These changes may affect the ability of the SCN to transmit rhythmic information to other neural target sites, and thereby to modify the expression of some biological rhythms.
Extensive co‐localization and heteromultimer formation of the vanilloid receptor‐like protein TRPV2 and the capsaicin receptor TRPV1 in the adult rat cerebral cortex
Authors: Liapi Anastasia , Wood John N.
Published: August 2005

The capsaicin receptor TRPV1, a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of calcium‐selective ion channels, responds to noxious stimuli and is predominantly expressed in nociceptive neurons. The homologous receptor TRPV2 shows wide tissue distribution including some sensory neurons, where it is proposed to function as a heat sensor or a growth‐factor‐activated channel. Members of the TRP family of channels have been shown to interact, resulting in hybrid channels with new properties. We examined the possibility of multimer formation between TRPV1 and TRPV2, using biochemical techniques. We present evidence that TRPV1 and TRPV2 can heteromultimerize efficiently in vitro. By using immunohistochemistry we detected co‐localization of the two receptors in rat dorsal root ganglia. TRPC4 transcripts are also detected in capsaicin‐sensitive dorsal root ganglia neurons. We extended the search for TRPV1–TRPV2 co‐localization in the brain, where we detected extensive co‐expression of the two receptors in the IV, V and VI layer neurons of the adult rat cerebral cortex. Co‐immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed the interaction of the two receptors in vivo, indicating heteromultimer formation in native tissue. Formation of heteromultimers between vanilloid receptors may increase the functional diversity of this receptor family.
Late Holocene deforestation of a tree line site: estimation of pre‐fire vegetation composition and black spruce cover using soil charcoal
Authors: Asselin Hugo , Payette Serge
Published: August 2005

Anatomical identification of soil charcoal fragments was used to reconstruct the pre‐fire vegetation composition of a tree line site that burned ca 930 cal. AD in northern Québec, Canada. Soil charcoal was also used as a proxy to estimate black spruce Picea mariana palaeo‐cover. The site (a low‐elevated hilltop) is presently devoid of spruce trees and dominated by dwarf birch Betula glandulosa, lichens, ericaceous shrubs (Ledum decumbens, Vaccinium vitis‐idaea) and sedges. In contrast, black spruce dominated before the fire with an understory of Empetrum nigrum and Vaccinium vitis‐idaea. Pre‐fire black spruce cover was estimated at 32%, giving an indication of the potential for warming‐induced natural reforestation of the forest‐tundra.
Scale‐dependence in species‐area relationships
Authors: Turner Will R. , Tjørve Even
Published: August 2005

Species‐area relationships (SARs) are among the most studied phenomena in ecology, and are important both to our basic understanding of biodiversity and to improving our ability to conserve it. But despite many advances to date, our knowledge of how various factors contribute to SARs is limited, searches for single causal factors are often inconclusive, and true predictive power remains elusive. We believe that progress in these areas has been impeded by 1) an emphasis on single‐factor approaches and thinking of factors underlying SARs as mutually exclusive hypotheses rather than potentially interacting processes, and 2) failure to place SAR‐generating factors in a scale‐dependent framework. We here review mathematical, ecological, and evolutionary factors contributing to species‐area relationships, synthesizing major hypotheses from the literature in a scale‐dependent context. We then highlight new research directions and unanswered questions raised by this scale‐dependent synthesis.
Low dispersal ability and habitat specificity promote extinctions in rare but not in widespread species: the Orthoptera of Germany
Authors: Reinhardt Klaus , Köhler Günter , Maas Stephan , Detzel Peter
Published: August 2005

Local extinctions are often non‐randomly associated with range size, dispersal ability and habitat specificity, as well as body size, sexual dimorphism and phylogeny. We used a large data set of the Orthoptera species (bush crickets, crickets, grasshoppers) occurring in Germany and compared the number of occupied grid cells before 1980 to those occupied after 1980, corrected for monitoring intensity. The number of grid cells in which a species went extinct was non‐linearly related to the number of occupied grid cells per species. Using generalized linear modelling we analysed extinction in relation to national distribution (the number of occupied grid cells before 1980), dispersal ability (derived from a large body of literature concerning wing development, colonization dynamics and within‐habitat mobility), habitat specificity (moisture specialists versus generalists), potential reproduction (the number of ovarioles), the degree of sexual size dimorphism and phylogeny (twelve clades). Species with a large global range size also had a large national range size. Species with a large range experienced more total extinction events than species with smaller ranges but relatively fewer compared to range size. The latter relationship was largely shaped by the dispersal ability of the species: the interactions of range size×dispersal ability and range size×habitat specificity explained almost one third of the variation in the number of extinction events. Species with high dispersal ability went extinct in a similar number of grid cells irrespective of their range size. By contrast, species with low dispersal ability went extinct in proportion to their range size. Therefore, comparing the speed of extinction across species in the conventional way of extinction rates (that is the percentage of range contraction) might be flawed because it only applies to species with low dispersal ability. Sexual size dimorphism was not a significant predictor of extinction. Extinction was not concentrated on particular clades.
14,15-Dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α
Authors: Fang Xiang , Hu Shanming , Xu Bingkun , Snyder Gary D. , Harmon Shawn , Yao Jianrong , Liu Yi , Sangras Bhavani , Falck J. R. , Weintraub Neal L. , Spector Arthur A.
Published: August 2005

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), lipid mediators synthesized from arachidonic acid by cytochrome P-450 epoxygenases, are converted by soluble epoxide hydrolase (SEH) to the corresponding dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (DHETs). Originally considered as inactive degradation products of EETs, DHETs have biological activity in some systems. Here we examined the capacity of EETs and DHETs to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα). We find that among the EET and DHET regioisomers, 14,15-DHET is the most potent PPARα activator in a COS-7 cell expression system. Incubation with 10 μM 14,15-DHET produced a 12-fold increase in PPARα-mediated luciferase activity, an increase similar to that produced by the PPARα agonist Wy-14643 (20 μM). Although 10 μM 14,15-EET produced a threefold increase in luciferase activity, this was abrogated by the SEH inhibitor dicyclohexylurea. 14-Hexyloxytetradec-5( Z)-enoic acid, a 14,15-EET analog that cannot be converted to a DHET, did not activate PPARα. However, PPARα was activated by 2-(14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoyl)glycerol, which was hydrolyzed and the released 14,15-EET converted to 14,15-DHET. COS-7 cells incorporated 14,15-[3H]DHET from the medium, and the cells also retained a small amount of the DHET formed during incubation with 14,15-[3H]EET. Binding studies indicated that 14,15-[3H]DHET binds to the ligand binding domain of PPARα with a Kdof 1.4 μM. Furthermore, 14,15-DHET increased the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A, a PPARα-responsive gene, in transfected HepG2 cells. These findings suggest that 14,15-DHET, produced from 14,15-EET by the action of SEH, may function as an endogenous activator of PPARα.
Increased ventricular repolarization heterogeneity in patients with ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability and cardiomyopathy: a human in vivo study
Authors: Chauhan Vijay S. , Downar Eugene , Nanthakumar Kumaraswamy , Parker John D. , Ross Heather J. , Chan Wilson , Picton Peter
Published: August 2005

Increased repolarization heterogeneity can provide the substrate for reentrant ventricular arrhythmias in animal models of cardiomyopathy. We hypothesized that ventricular repolarization heterogeneity is also greater in patients with cardiomyopathy and ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability (inducible ventricular tachycardia or positive microvolt T wave alternans, VT/TWA) compared with a similar patient population without ventricular arrhythmia vulnerability (no VT/TWA). Endocardial and epicardial repolarization heterogeneity was measured in patients with ( n = 12) and without ( n = 10) VT/TWA by using transvenous 26-electrode catheters placed along the anteroseptal right ventricular endocardium and left ventricular epicardium. Local activation times (AT), activation-recovery intervals (ARI), and repolarization times (RT) were measured from unipolar electrograms. Endocardial RT dispersion along the apicobasal ventricle was greater ( P < 0.005) in patients with VT/TWA than in those without VT/TWA because of greater ARI dispersion ( P < 0.005). AT dispersion was similar between the two groups. Epicardial RT dispersion along the apicobasal ventricle was greater ( P < 0.05) in patients with VT/TWA than in those without VT/TWA because of greater ARI dispersion ( P < 0.05). AT dispersion was similar between the two groups. A plot of AT as a function of ARI revealed an inverse linear relationship for no VT/TWA such that progressively later activation was associated with progressively shorter ARI. The AT-ARI relationship was nonlinear in VT/TWA. In conclusion, patients with cardiomyopathy and VT/TWA have greater endocardial and epicardial repolarization heterogeneity than those without VT/TWA without associated conduction slowing. The steep repolarization gradients in VT/TWA may provide the substrate for functional conduction block and reentrant ventricular arrhythmias.
From “Project” to “Context”: Community Based Natural Resource Management in Botswana
Authors: Swatuk Larry A.
Published: August 2005

Community based natural resource management (CBNRM) programs presently proliferate across the Global South. In Southern Africa, CBNRM overwhelmingly focuses on wildlife conservation in areas adjacent to national parks and game reserves. The objects of these development activities are remote communities that exhibit the highest levels of poverty in the region, the consequences of which are sometimes resource degradation. CBNRM seeks to empower and enrich the lives of these communities through the active co-management of their natural resource base. Almost without exception, however, CBNRM projects have had disappointing results. Common explanations lay blame at the feet of local people who are seen to lack capacity and will, among other things. This paper contests this explanation by subjecting the particular case of Botswana to a deeper, critical political ecology analysis. Drawing on insights from Homer-Dixon regarding resource capture and ecological marginalization, and from Acharya regarding the localization of global norms, the paper argues that CBNRM is better understood as a discursive site wherein diverse actors bring unequal power/knowledge to bear in the pursuit of particular interests. In Botswana this manifests at a local level as an on-going struggle over access to land and related resources. However, given that CBNRM is supported by a wide array of international actors, forming perhaps the thin edge of a wider wedge in support of democratization, good governance and biodiversity preservation, locally empowered actors are forced to adapt their interests to the strictures of emergent structures of global governance. The outcome is a complex interplay of activities whereby CBNRM is realized but not in a form anticipated by its primary supporters.
Cancer and Global Environmental Politics: Proposing a New Research Agenda
Authors: Dauvergne Peter
Published: August 2005

More than six million people die of cancer every year. Over the next two decades, the World Health Organization predicts global cancer rates will rise to 10 million deaths annually. What is the impact of the global political and economic processes of environmental change on cancer rates? Why, given the strong intuitive reasons to worry about the carcinogenic effects of global environmental change, is there so little research on this topic? What is the political role of science, corporations, nongovernmental organizations and international institutions on cancer research and cancer rates? What is the impact of global patterns of trade, financing, production and consumption on research and rates? This article charts the current social science literature on cancer and global environmental change with the hope of encouraging scholars of global environmental politics to pursue a new research agenda around questions like these.
Acupuncture for dyspnea in advanced cancer: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial [ISRCTN89462491]
Authors: Vickers Andrew J , Feinstein Marc B , Deng Gary E , Cassileth Barrie R
Published: August 2005

Background

Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, is a common symptom in patients with advanced cancer. Pharmacologic management is of proven benefit, but it does not help all patients. Preliminary data suggest that acupuncture can relieve dyspnea in a variety of populations, including cancer patients. We conducted a pilot study (ISRCTN89462491) preparatory to a fully powered randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether acupuncture reduces dyspnea in patients with lung or breast cancer.

Methods

The study sample was comprised of forty-seven patients with lung or breast cancer presenting with dyspnea. Patients receiving symptomatic treatments were not excluded as long as no changes in management were planned during the trial. Patients were randomized to receive a single session of true or placebo acupuncture in addition to their existing dyspnea treatments. Semi-permanent acupuncture "studs" were then inserted: patients applied pressure to these studs twice a day to provide ongoing stimulation to acupuncture points. The subjective sensation of dyspnea was assessed with a 0 – 10 numerical rating scale immediately before and after acupuncture treatment and daily for a week thereafter.

Results

All but two of 47 randomized patients provided follow-up data. Dyspnea scores were slightly higher for patients receiving true versus placebo acupuncture, for both the period immediately following acupuncture treatment and for the daily one week follow-up (differences between means of 0.34, 95% C.I. -0.33, 1.02 and 0.56, 95% C.I. -0.39, 1.51). The 95% confidence interval excludes the prespecified minimum clinically significant difference of a 20% greater improvement in dyspnea for patients receiving acupuncture.

Conclusion

The acupuncture technique used in this trial is unlikely to have effects on dyspnea importantly larger than placebo for patients with advanced cancer.
Evidence of HIV exposure and transient seroreactivity in archived HIV-negative severe hemophiliac sera
Authors: Tenenbaum Scott A , Morris Cindy A , Alexander Steve S , McFerrin Harris E , Garry Robert F , Leissinger Cindy A
Published: August 2005

Background

Approximately 25% of hemophiliacs that were frequently exposed to blood clotting factor concentrates (CFCs) contaminated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are presently HIV seronegative. In this study, we sought to determine if some of these individuals were at any time transiently HIV seropositive. In the early to mid-1980s the majority of severe hemophilia patients were exposed to CFCs contaminated with HIV. Although many of these hemophiliacs became HIV-positive, a small percentage did not become infected. To determine if some of these individuals successfully resisted viral infection, we attempted to document the presence of transient HIV reactive antibodies in archived plasma samples (1980–1992) from currently HIV-negative severe hemophiliacs who had a high probability of repeated exposure to HIV contaminated CFC. Archived plasma samples were retrospectively tested using an FDA approved HIV-1Ab HIV-1/HIV-2 (rDNA) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and a HIV-1 Western blot assay (Wb), neither of which were commercially available until the late 1980s, which was after many of these samples had been drawn.

Results

We found that during the high risk years of exposure to HIV contaminated CFC (1980–1987), low levels of plasma antibodies reactive with HIV proteins were detectable in 87% (13/15) of the haemophiliacs tested. None of these individuals are presently positive for HIV proviral DNA as assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Conclusion

Our data suggest that some severe hemophiliacs with heavy exposure to infectious HIV contaminated CFC had only transient low-level humoral immune responses reactive with HIV antigens yet remained HIV-negative and apparently uninfected. Our data supports the possibility of HIV exposure without sustained infection and the existence of HIV-natural resistance in some individuals.