bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential threshold effects of habitat fragmentation on gene flow in two widespread species of bush crickets
Authors: LANGE REBECCA , DURKA WALTER , HOLZHAUER STEPHANIE I. J. , WOLTERS VOLKMAR , DIEKÖTTER TIM
Published: October 2010

Effects of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity vary among species. This may be attributed to the interacting effects of species traits and landscape structure. While widely distributed and abundant species are often considered less susceptible to fragmentation, this may be different if they are small sized and show limited dispersal. Under intensive land use, habitat fragmentation may reach thresholds at which gene flow among populations of small‐sized and dispersal‐limited species becomes disrupted. Here, we studied the genetic diversity of two abundant and widespread bush crickets along a gradient of habitat fragmentation in an agricultural landscape. We applied traditional (GST,θ) and recently developed (,D) estimators of genetic differentiation on microsatellite data from each of twelve populations of the grassland speciesMetrioptera roeseliiand the forest‐edge speciesPholidoptera griseoapterato identify thresholds of habitat fragmentation below which genetic population structure is affected. Whereas the grassland species exhibited a uniform genetic structuring (GST = 0.020–0.033;D = 0.085–0.149) along the whole fragmentation gradient, the forest‐edge species’ genetic differentiation increased significantly fromD < 0.063 (GST < 0.018) toD = 0.166 (GST = 0.074), once the amount of suitable habitat dropped below a threshold of 20% and its proximity decreased substantially at the landscape scale. The influence of fragmentation on genetic differentiation was qualitatively unaffected by the choice of estimators of genetic differentiation but quantitatively underestimated by the traditional estimators. These results indicate that even for widespread species in modern agricultural landscapes fragmentation thresholds exist at which gene flow among suitable habitat patches becomes restricted.
Sweet’s syndrome: retrospective study of clinical and histologic features of 44 cases from a tertiary care center
Authors: Abbas Ossama , Kibbi Abdul‐Ghani , Rubeiz Nelly
Published: October 2010

Background  Sweet’s syndrome (SS) is an uncommon disorder characterized by the abrupt onset of erythematous papules and plaques that histologically exhibit diffuse dermal neutrophilic infiltrate and edema. There are usually associated constitutional symptoms such as fever, neutrophilia, elevated serum inflammatory markers, and associated disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and histologic features of all patients diagnosed with SS at our institution between 1971 and 2008 and to compare their findings with those published in the literature.

Methods  Retrospective review of 44 cases of SS diagnosed at the American University of Beirut ‐ Medical Center between 1971 and 2008. Data collected included clinical (age, gender, morphology and distribution of lesions, associated symptoms and disorders, therapy) and histologic features, as well as laboratory abnormalities.

Results  Most of our patients showed the typical clinical, histologic, and laboratory abnormalities characteristic of SS. Of our 44 patients, 33 (75%) had classic SS while 11 (25%) had an underlying malignant disorder. Of all patients, 7 (16%) were in the pediatric age group, five (11%) had the neutrophilic dermatosis of the dorsal hands variant of SS and two (5%) had subcutaneous SS. Most patients were treated with a tapering dose of systemic corticosteroids with a good response.

Conclusion  The clinical and histologic findings of the 44 SS patients in our study are generally comparable to those published in the literature, with some differences.
Immunohistochemical prognostic criteria in xeroderma pigmentosum
Authors: Karakok Metin , Turkmen Arif , Bekerecioglu Mehmet , Emrah Koçer N.
Published: October 2010

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a rare inheritable disease characterized by severe sun sensitivity and early development of skin cancers. We compared the expression of cell proliferation markers and cell cycle checkpoint regulators in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and basal cell carcinomas (BCC) from patients with and without XP. Immunostaininng for p53, Ki‐67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was determined in SCCs and BCCs from 18 XP patients and 30 controls. Nine of the 18 XP patients had SCC and BCC, and the other nine had only SCC. In the control group, 15 moderately differentiated SCCs and 15 BCCs were evaluated. Expressions of p53, Ki‐67 and PCNA in XP and non‐XP patients were assessed statistically by using the Chi‐square method. Expression of Ki‐67 and PCNA was found to be greater in SCC from XP patients than controls (P = 0.021 and P = 0.033, respectively). Expression of PCNA and p53 by BCCs was greater in XP patients (P < 0.001 and P = 0.027, respectively). There was a significant difference in Ki‐67 (P < 0.001) and PCNA (P = 0.001) expression between the lesions of the XP patients who died during the follow up and XP patients who survived. In XP patients, SCCs with more than 10% Ki‐67 expression and %50 PCNA expression have a poor prognosis. Our results suggest that increased Ki‐67 and PCNA expression may be a predictor for recurrence of nonmelanocytic skin cancer and a poor prognosis.
Secondary syphilis resembling erythema multiforme
Authors: Bhate Chinmoy , Tajirian Ani L. , Kapila Rajendra , Clark Lambert W. , Schwartz Robert A.
Published: October 2010

Background  Secondary syphilis, which typically begins 4‐10 weeks after initial exposure to Treponema pallidum, manifests with a range of cutaneous patterns. One unusual variation features oval, targetoid plaques that may resemble erythema multiforme (EM).

Methods  We describe a 23‐year‐old woman with an EM‐like eruption, a mucous patch, and a prominent alopecia somewhat moth‐eaten in appearance. She had positive rapid plasma reagin and fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA‐ABS) tests, and a skin biopsy revealed swollen endothelial cells with a superficial perivascular infiltrate containing plasma cells. Response to intramuscular penicillin therapy was consistent with the empiric diagnosis of secondary syphilis.

Conclusions  One should consider secondary syphilis in the differential diagnosis of an eruption resembling EM.
The role of human herpesvirus‐6, Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus infections in the etiopathogenesis of different types of cutaneous drug reactions
Authors: Özcan Deren , Seçkin Deniz , Bilezikçi Banu , Arslan Hande
Published: October 2010

Background Recently, it has been recognized that drug‐induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is associated with reactivation of human herpesvirus‐6 (HHV‐6), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV). However, whether those viruses have a role in the development of cutaneous drug reactions (CDRs) other than DIHS is not known.

Objective To investigate the role of HHV‐6, EBV and CMV infections in the etiopathogenesis of different types of CDRs.

Methods Eighteen patients with diagnosis of CDR according to the clinical and histopathological findings were evaluated. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the detection of EBV, CMV, and HHV‐6 DNA in lesional skin biopsy specimens; EBV and CMV DNA in serum samples; and HHV‐6 DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Results The genome of HHV‐6 was detected only in the lesional skin of two patients with DIHS. Epstein–Barr virus and CMV DNA in the skin lesions, EBV and CMV genomes in the serum samples, and HHV‐6 DNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were negative in all patients.

Limitations The patient population was small and did not include all types of CDRs. Also, we had only two patients with DIHS. We had not been able to measure the increase in anti‐viral IgG titers in serial serum samples.

Conclusion Epstein–Barr virus and CMV infections do not seem to have a role in the etiopathogenesis of CDRs including DIHS. The association between HHV‐6 infection and CDRs is likely to be limited to DIHS.
Mycetoma in South India: retrospective analysis of 13 cases and description of two cases caused by unusual pathogens: Neoscytalidium dimidiatum and Aspergillus flavus
Authors: Padhi Somanath , Uppin Shantveet G , Uppin Megha S , Umabala P , Challa Sundaram , Laxmi V , Prasad VBN
Published: October 2010

Background  Mycetoma is a chronic suppurative and/or granulomatous inflammatory lesion of skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and tendons caused by the traumatic inoculation of either fungal (eumycotic) or bacterial (actinomycotic) organisms present in the soil. The disease is characterized by triad of tumefaction, discharging sinuses, and grains.

Material and methods  Thirteen new cases of biopsy proven mycetomas were analyzed, retrospectively, from January 2000 to October 2009. Clinical parameters, bone involvement, microbiological properties, and histopathological features were evaluated. Categorization into eumycotic or actinomycotic was based upon features on hematoxylin and eosin stained sections with special stains. Therapeutic outcome was presented wherever available.

Results  There were eight actinomycetomas and five eumycetoma cases including 11 men and two women. Foot and lower extremities were the most common site of involvement (9 of 13, 69%). Culture results were available in 8 of 13 cases (61.5%). Madurella mycetomatis, Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, and Aspergillus flavus were the isolates among eumycetomas whereas Acinomadura madurae, Actinomadura pelletieri, and Nocardia species were the isolates among actinomycetomas. Two cases had underlying bone involvement. On follow‐up, four of five eumycetoma cases showed partial improvement following surgery and antifungal therapy, one had amputation of the lower leg. Of the actinomycetomas, six of eight had dramatic improvement following sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim based therapy, one had complete cure, and one was lost to follow‐up.

Conclusion  Strong clinical suspicion, exact categorization of lesion into eumycotic or actinomycotic along with culture correlation, is essential for prognosis and effective therapy.
Plasma adiponectin concentration and left ventricular hypertrophy in kidney transplant patients
Authors: Adamczak Marcin , Błach Anna , Kolonko Aureliusz , Szotowska Magdalena , Chudek Jerzy , Franek Edward , Więcek Andrzej
Published: October 2010

Adamczak M, Błach A, Kolonko A, Szotowska M, Chudek J, Franek E, Więcek A. Plasma adiponectin concentration and left ventricular hypertrophy in kidney transplant patients. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 561–568. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Background:  Low plasma adiponectin concentration is associated with more frequent occurrence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and more exaggerated intima‐media thickness of common carotid artery (IMT). IMT is an early surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to assess the relationship between plasma adiponectin concentration and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and IMT in kidney transplant patients (KTP).

Methods:  In 88 adult KTP, plasma adiponectin concentration, LVMI, and IMT were estimated. LVH was defined as LVMI >110 or >125 g/m2 for females and males, respectively. Data presented are means and 95% CI.

Results:  Plasma adiponectin concentration was similar in KTP with (n = 42) or without LVH (n = 46) (13.5 [11.4–15.6] vs. 13.1 [11.6–14.6] μg/mL, respectively), as well as in KTP subgroups divided according to the IMT value tertiles (p = 0.42) (11.7 [10.0–13.3], 14.2 [11.7–16.6], and 14.0 [11.7–16.4] μg/mL in the lowest, middle, and highest tertiles, respectively). Plasma glucose concentrations were similar in KTPs with LVH or without LVH. No significant correlation was found between plasma adiponectin concentration and both LVMI (R = −0.02; p = 0.87) and IMT (R = 0.09; p = 0.38), respectively.

Conclusion:  Results of this cross‐sectional study do not confirm the roles of low adiponectin and high glucose in the pathogenesis of LVH and atherosclerosis in KTP.
The relative risk of overall graft loss and acute rejection among African American renal transplant recipients is attenuated with advancing age
Authors: Schold Jesse D. , Srinivas Titte R. , Braun William E. , Shoskes Daniel A. , Nurko Saul , Poggio Emilio D.
Published: October 2010

Schold JD, Srinivas TR, Braun WE, Shoskes DA, Nurko S, Poggio ED. The relative risk of overall graft loss and acute rejection among African American renal transplant recipients is attenuated with advancing age. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 721–730. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract: Background:  Graft loss rates are elevated among African American (AA) kidney transplant recipients. This may be attributable to immunological responses, socioeconomic disparities, comorbid conditions and access to care, but it is unclear whether risks are uniform in the AA population.

Methods:  We utilized multivariable models with the national SRTR database for adult recipients transplanted from 2000 to 2009 (n = 112 120) to investigate whether risks of graft loss, death and acute rejection between AAs and Caucasians vary with age.

Results:  Relative to Caucasians, AA recipients had significantly higher risk of overall graft loss among patients aged 18–49 (AHR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.30–1.43) but comparable risk among patients aged >65 (AHR = 1.04, 95% CI 0.96–1.13). Among recipients aged 18–34, AAs had higher risk of acute rejection (AOR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.12–1.57) but similar likelihood among recipients aged >65 (AOR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.75–1.17). Differences between race groups, as well as the relatively higher risks among younger AAs, were most pronounced following one yr post‐transplantation and diminished with presence of other risk factors.

Conclusions:  Elevated risks of overall graft loss and acute rejection are present among younger but not older AA kidney transplant recipients. These findings may have important implications for treatment decisions, follow‐up protocols and designation of “high‐risk” patients.
Genetic analysis of powdery mildew resistance in German winter wheat cultivar Cortez
Authors: Mohler V. , Bauer A. , Bauer C. , Flath K. , Schweizer G. , Hartl L.
Published: October 2010

With 2 figures and 1 table

Fungal diseases of wheat, including powdery mildew (Pm), have caused significant crop, yield and quality losses throughout the world and continue to impact on production. Knowledge of the genetic basis of powdery mildew resistance of wheat cultivars will greatly support future efforts developing and cultivating resistant cultivars. Genetic studies were conducted on the German winter wheat cultivar ‘Cortez’ to identify genes involved in powdery mildew resistance at seedling and adult plant growth stages using doubled haploid (DH) population Atlantis/Cortez. Analysis of association between molecular markers and powdery mildew severity in selected genotypes indicated the involvement of two genes on chromosomes 1A and 7B in seedling resistance. The same gene on chromosome 1A was also found to be effective at adult plant stage. Quantitative trait loci analysis corroborated that the gene on chromosome 1A significantly contributed to field resistance in all five test environments and explained between 22.9% and 51.4% of the total phenotypic variation. The gene on chromosome 7B was identified as Pm5, whereas the gene on chromosome 1A potentially conditioning resistance was identified as Pm3e.
Cloning and functional characterization of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis in the novel oilseed crop Lepidium campestre L.
Authors: Eriksson Dennis , Merker Arnulf
Published: October 2010

With 1 Figure and 1 Table

We aim at domesticating the cruciferous Lepidium campestre L. as a novel oilseed crop. The potential to modify the fatty acid profile of the seed oil to obtain a suitable industrial oil quality is being explored. Using degenerate primers, two cDNAs corresponding to a putative FATTY ACID ELONGASE 1 (FAE1) and a putative microsomal FATTY ACID DESATURASE 2 (FAD2), respectively, were obtained from a L. campestre RACE‐ready cDNA library from developing fruits. The LcFAE1 cDNA contains a CDS (coding sequences) of 1521 nt and the LcFAD2 cDNA contains a CDS of 1152 nt. These L. campestre cDNAs both show high homology to other plant FAE1 and FAD2 genes. Functional complementation with the LcFAE1 and LcFAD2 in Arabidopsis thaliana fae1 and fad2 mutants, low in eicosenoic acid and linoleic acid, respectively, restores the wild‐type fatty acid profile of the seed oil. Thus, development of L. campestre cultivars with a modified seed oil quality through up‐ or down‐regulation of the cloned genes may be achieved provided that an efficient transformation protocol for this species is developed.
A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Bulinus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) with conserved nuclear genes
Authors: Jørgensen Aslak , Madsen Henry , Nalugwa Allen , Nyakaana Silvester , Rollinson David , Stothard J. Russell , Kristensen Thomas K.
Published: October 2010

Jørgensen, A., Madsen, H., Nalugwa, A., Nyakaana, S., Rollinson, D., Stothard, J. R. & Kristensen, T. K. A molecular phylogenetic analysis of Bulinus (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) with conserved nuclear genes. —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 126–136.

Mutational saturation of inspected DNA loci and topological incongruence in the phylogenetic inferences have previously confounded attempts to resolve the evolutionary relationships within the freshwater snail genus Bulinus. Traditionally, the 37 species of Bulinus are placed within the four species groups and the evolutionary divergence between groups is substantial. With an intention to shed new light on species group relationships, the present study was designed to investigate the basal divergences in the phylogeny of Bulinus using highly conserved nuclear genes. The resolved phylogeny inferred that the four species groups of Bulinus were monophyletic and Shimodaira‐Hasegawa topology tests found them to be significantly supported. The Bulinus truncatus/tropicus species complex and Bulinus wrighti (Bulinus reticulatus group) formed a well‐supported sister‐group relationship. The Bulinus africanus species group was the sister‐group to the clade (Bulinus truncatus/tropicus + B. wrighti) with the Bulinus forskalii species group as the sister‐group to these taxa. The sister‐group relationship between Indoplanorbis and Bulinus was non‐significant and the basal clade support of Bulinus improved upon exclusion of Indoplanorbis. The finding of basal long branches of Bulinus species originating from Madagascar strongly suggests the presence of additional cryptic species and an evolutionary scenario influenced by this island’s geological vicariance from the African mainland. Speciation by polyploidy was inferred to have evolved within a clade in the Bulinus truncatus/tropicus species complex. Although the monophyletic status of each species group was firmly supported, it was difficult to establish species group concepts equally across the variations and place this precisely in a specific temporal framework.
Prevalence of injection–meal interval usage and its association with variables of metabolic control in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Müller N. , Kloos C. , Frank T. , Ristow M. , Wolf G. , Müller U. A.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 223–226 (2011)

Objective  Regular human insulin is usually recommended with an injection–meal interval. It is not known how many patients follow these recommendations and, of those who do, the injection–meal interval remains incompletely studied. We investigated the injection–meal interval in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and the association with metabolic control in routine care.

Methods  Four hundred and seventy‐one consecutive patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes were interviewed to determine their injection–meal interval in a university outpatient clinic setting in Germany in 2006. Four hundred and thirty‐three interviews were suitable for analysis (143 Type 1 diabetes, 290 Type 2 diabetes). HbA1c was Diabetes Control and Complications Trial adjusted.

Results  Among those with Type 1 diabetes, 27%‘always’, 27%‘sometimes’ and 46%‘never’ used an injection–meal interval. Forty‐three per cent of patients with Type 2 diabetes always used an injection–meal interval, 12% sometimes and 45% never. Among patients with Type 1 diabetes, there was no difference in HbA1c between those who always used an injection–meal interval (n = 39, age 58 years, duration of diabetes 21.1 years, BMI 28.7 kg/m², HbA1c 7.50%/58 mmol/mol) compared with those who never used an injection–meal interval (n = 66, age 47.3 years, duration of diabetes 17.4 years, BMI 27.3 kg/m², HbA1c 7.55%/59 mmol/mol). Among patients with Type 2 diabetes, HbA1c in those who always used an injection–meal interval (n = 124, age 65 years, duration of diabetes 13.8 years, BMI 32.6 kg/m², HbA1c 7.31%/56 mmol/mol) is 0.27% lower compared with those who never used an injection–meal interval (n = 130, age 64.3 years, duration of diabetes 16 years, BMI 32.8 kg/m², HbA1c 7.58%/59 mmol/mol).

Conclusion  Nearly half of insulin‐treated patients do not use an injection–meal interval. We found no significant association between adherence to injection–meal interval and HbA1c in patients with Type 1 diabetes, but a slightly lower HbA1c in patients with Type 2 diabetes who always use an injection–meal interval.
Low serum bilirubin concentration in haemodialysis patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Fukui M. , Tanaka M. , Yamazaki M. , Hasegawa G. , Nishimura M. , Iwamoto N. , Ono T. , Imai S. , Nakamura N.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 96–99 (2011)

Aims  Previous studies have implicated reduced serum bilirubin concentrations in the development of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to examine whether bilirubin may explain the high incidence of vascular complications in haemodialysis patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  We compared serum bilirubin concentrations, as well as other known aetiological risk factors for cardiovascular disease, in 206 Type 2 diabetes patients on haemodialysis with those in 741 Type 2 diabetes patients not receiving haemodialysis, and evaluated the association between serum bilirubin concentration and cardiovascular disease incidence.

Results  Incidences of cardiovascular disease and systolic blood pressure were higher; however, BMI and serum total cholesterol were lower in haemodialysis patients compared with those in patients without haemodialysis. Serum total (0.30 ± 0.10 vs. 0.74 ± 0.26 mg/dl, 0.005 ± 0.002 vs. 0.013 ± 0.004 mmol/l, P < 0.0001) and indirect (0.17 ± 0.08 vs. 0.70 ± 0.23 mg/dl, 0.003 ± 0.001 vs. 0.012 ± 0.004 mmol/l, P < 0.0001) bilirubin were lower in haemodialysis patients compared with those in patients without haemodialysis. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age (β = 0.109, F = 5.959, P < 0.05), duration of diabetes (β = −0.112, F = 6.048, P < 0.05), sex (β = −0.123, F = 8.623, P < 0.05), cardiovascular disease events (β = −0.099, F = 5.131, P < 0.05) and presence of haemodialysis (β = −0.626, F = 201.727, P < 0.01) were independent factors for serum total bilirubin. Logistic regression demonstrated that age (OR 1.089, 95% CI 1.044–1.136; P < 0.0001), duration of diabetes (OR 1.029, 95% CI 1.001–1.059; P = 0.0423), body mass index (OR 1.115, 95% CI 1.001–1.242; P = 0.0487), habit of smoking (OR 2.445, 95% CI 1.046–5.716; P = 0.0391) and serum total bilirubin (OR 0.192, 95% CI 0.037–0.989; P = 0.0484) were independent factors for cardiovascular disease events.

Conclusions  Low serum bilirubin concentration could be one of the important factors for the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in Type 2 diabetes patients receiving haemodialysis.
A retrospective study of the incidence of diagnosed Type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents in a large health organization in Israel, 2000–2008
Authors: Sella T. , Shoshan A. , Goren I. , Shalev V. , Blumenfeld O. , Laron Z. , Chodick G.
Published: October 2010

Diabet. Med. 28, 48–53 (2011)

Aims  To determine the incidence and examine temporal trends of Type 1 diabetes among children aged < 18 years, in a large Israeli health organization.

Methods  All incident Type 1 diabetes cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 were ascertained from an automated diabetes registry based on members’ electronic records and validated by comparison with the Israel Juvenile Diabetes Register.

Results  During the study period, a total of 648 incident cases of Type 1 diabetes were identified. The average annual age‐and‐sex‐standardized incidence was 11.09 per 100 000 person‐years. There was an annual 5.82% (95% CI 1.80–9.98%) rise in incidence, with a greater relative increase in toddlers under 5 years of age. Incidence increased with age and demonstrated seasonal variation. Mean age at onset of diabetes significantly (P = 0.07) decreased from 10.21 years (sd = 4.48) in 2000–2002 to 9.25 years (sd = 4.54) in 2006–2008. Among very young patients (< 5 years), average blood glucose values at diagnosis dropped from 32.4 mmol/l (sd = 9.5) to 19.5 mmol/l (sd = 11.0) over the study period, with little change in average glucose for older children.

Conclusions  Incidence of diagnosed Type 1 diabetes continues to increase in Israel at a rate that is high compared with similar American and European populations. At the same time, the clinical presentation of children is changing.
Venture capital funds and the public equity market
Authors: McKenzie Michael D. , Janeway William H.
Published: October 2010

This paper considers the relationship between the public equity market and the returns to venture investing using a dataset which is derived from the records of two large limited partners who have been investing in venture capital for almost 30 years. Evidence is found to suggest that market conditions over the investment cycle, and exit conditions at the time of exit in particular, are an important determinant. This paper also investigates whether any other aspects of the venture investment process respond to events in the broader market. While general trends are evident in the venture investment cycle, only the intensity of the investment process is found to respond to events in the public equity market.
Tony Blair's ‘Media’ Speech: The Commentators
Authors: RIDDELL PETER , O'NEILL ONORA , HUTTON WILL , FRANKS SUZANNE , MOORE MARTIN , PURVIS STEWART , TENCH DAN
Published: October 2010

Tony Blair's speech challenged the media over its standards in his valedictory lecture. Many of his charges about the absence of balance, attacks on motive and a pack mentality stand up, even if some are exaggerated and also applied well before his arrival in 10 Downing Street. Mr Blair's solutions did ot match his critique. What is required is a more self‐questioning media, being held to account on the internet and on specialist blogging sites. Vigorous criticism, requiring justification, is a more credible rout than tighter regulation.

Tony Blair's speech on the changing pressures on the media is both interesting and convincing in its diagnosis (although generally reported in ways that did not reveal this). It is less convincing in suggestions for change: the fact that on‐line media will fall under Of‐com, and so under its minimal ‘content regulation’ will have little impact. Effective change could begin with other types of (self or other regulation). Some steps towards change might include minimal requirements for journalists and editors to accept elementary forms of accountability, such as disclosing conflicts of interest and payments made for ‘stories’.

The scale of media coverage may be crucial in determining the allocation of aid, yet the attention the media pays to particular causes is arbitrary. Many serious disasters are not reported and as a consequence do not receive adequate aid, so that the victims of the crisis will lose out. Chronic long term problems, like famine, are ignored in favour of ‘sudden emergencies’. Reporting seeks sensation and simple stories which influences the way that aid agencies respond to the media. The complex background to a faraway disaster is often overlooked and not properly reported.

Tony Blair's speech describing some of the news media as ‘feral beasts’ contained one paragraph which contained an insight into his views on new media.

It was known that the outgoing Prime Minister was uncomfortable with some aspects of new technology but his remarks reveal a wider disappointment with how new media has failed to deliver changes which he had hoped for in political communications.This paper records Mr Blair's problems with new media and argues that by focusing on how the new technologies might provide a better way for politicians to by‐pass the traditional media he has missed the point of their wider benefits.
REASONS FOR ACTION AND PRACTICAL REASONING
Authors: Alvarez Maria
Published: October 2010

This paper seeks a better understanding of the elements of practical reasoning: premises and conclusion. It argues that the premises of practical reasoning do not normally include statements such as ‘I want to ϕ’; that the reasoning in practical reasoning is the same as in theoretical reasoning and that what makes it practical is, first, that the point of the relevant reasoning is given by the goal that the reasoner seeks to realize by means of that reasoning and the subsequent action; second, that the premises of such reasoning show the goodness of the action to be undertaken; third, that the conclusions of such reasoning may be actions or decisions, that can be accompanied by expressions of intention, either in action, or for the future; and that these are justified, and might be contradicted, in ways that are not only peculiar to them (i.e. in ways that diverge from those found in theoretical reasoning), but are distinctively practical, in that they involve reference to reasons for acting and to expressions of intention, respectively.1
WHAT IS THE CONTENT OF AN INTENTION IN ACTION?
Authors: McDowell John
Published: October 2010

On the view proposed, the content of an intention in action is given by what one would say in expressing it, and the proper form for expressing such an intention is a statement about what one is doing: e.g. ‘I am doing such‐and‐such’. By contrast, some think that there are normative or evaluative elements to the content of an intention in action which would be left out of a form that merely stated facts. They think that the appropriate way to express such an intention is a statement about what one should be doing. Davidson, for example, thinks that the statement must essentially be a verdict: that doing such‐and‐such is all‐out desirable. But this is to assume that practical reason is reasoning towards the truth of a proposition, the very mistake which obscures its ‘true character’, as Anscombe correctly points out. Moreover, although Davidson's view helps him account for the possibility of weakness of will, his explanation of the phenomenon is strained and inferior by contrast with the account which the proposed view makes available. The proposed view fits into a broader picture in which intentional action is the exercise of a practical conceptual capacity.
Cognitive deficits in relation to personality type and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in women with stress‐related exhaustion
Authors: SANDSTRÖM AGNETA , PETERSON JONAS , SANDSTRÖM ERIK , LUNDBERG MATTIAS , NYSTROM INGA‐LILL RHODIN , NYBERG LARS , OLSSON TOMMY
Published: October 2010

Sandström, A., Peterson, J., Sandström, E., Lundberg, M., Rhodin Nystrom, I.‐L., Nyberg, L. & Olsson, T. (2011). Cognitive deficits in relation to personality type and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction in women with stress‐related exhaustion. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 71–82.

Exhaustion caused by long‐term work‐related stress may cause cognitive dysfunction. We explored factors that may link chronic stress and cognitive impairment. Personality, psychiatric screening, and behavior were assessed by self‐reporting measures in 20 female patients (mean age 39.3 years; range 26–53) with a preliminary diagnosis of stress‐related exhaustion and in 16 healthy matched controls. Cognitive performance was investigated with a detailed neuropsychological test battery. Cortisol axis function was assessed by urinary and saliva collections of cortisol, dexamethasone suppression, Synacthen response, and corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) tests. Proinflammatory cytokines were measured. Hippocampal volumes were estimated by magnetic resonance imaging. Multivariate and univariate statistical methods were used to explore putative differences between groups and factors linked to cognitive impairment.

Cognitive function clearly differed between groups, with decreased attention and visuospatial memory in the patient group, suggesting frontal cortex/medial temporal cortex‐network dysfunction. Increased harm avoidance and persistence was present among patients, with lowered self‐directedness linked to lower quality of life, increased anxious and depressive tendencies, and experiences of psychosocial stress. Attention was decreased with concomitantly impaired visuospatial memory. The pituitary (adrenocorticotropic hormone, ACTH) response to CRH was decreased in patients, with an increased cortisol/ACTH response to CRH. However, cortisol production rates, diurnal or dexamethasone‐suppressed saliva cortisol levels, and the cortisol response to Synacthen were unaltered. Hippocampal volumes did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that cognitive dysfunction in stress‐related exhaustion is linked to distinct personality traits, low quality of life, and a decreased ACTH response to CRH.
Measurement of enterprise knowledge by state characterization
Authors: Xu Yang , Bernard Alain
Published: October 2010

Abstract:Enterprise production is becoming more and more knowledge oriented nowadays and knowledge management is playing a key role in making commercial profit and maintaining enterprise competence. Knowledge characterization and measurement are the bases of knowledge management, and this paper aims to develop a method for characterizing and measuring knowledge in a comprehensive and practical way. Knowledge in its static state is modelled as a vector, whose values vary with the situation, and changes in state are modelled as a finite state machine.
Xing: The Discourse of Sex and Human Nature in Modern China
Authors: Rocha Leon Antonio
Published: October 2010

In Modern Chinese, xing is the character most commonly used to denote sex, gender and sexuality. However, the character was a specialist Confucian term originally meaning ‘human nature’ in Classical Chinese, and only came to signify both sex and human nature in the early twentieth century. This usage was invented by Japanese intellectuals in the late nineteenth century for their translations of sexological texts from Europe, in which they encountered the concept of sex as a natural drive and the fundamental core of individuals. This article investigates the convoluted linguistic career of xing, and argues that in China in the 1920s, sex/xing became the point of anchorage for a new politics, which naturalised sex, legitimised talk about reproduction and desire, and made imperative the intensification of the production of scientific knowledge on sex (and by extension ‘human nature’). It is emphasised that the history of xing in China in the 1920s is not just a curiosity or appendage to more ‘mainstream’ history of sexuality; rather, it is impossible to appreciate the global nature of modernity without a thorough understanding of the circulation of sexual ideas.
Epistemic Modernity and the Emergence of Homosexuality in China
Authors: Chiang Howard
Published: October 2010

Centred on two Republican‐era Chinese sexologists, Zhang Jingsheng (1888–1970) and Pan Guangdan (1899–1967), this article explores the intellectual context in which the western category of ‘homosexuality’ was introduced to Chinese culture, thereby highlighting its production of a key epistemological rearrangement in the social significance of same‐sex desire in modern China. The article proposes and develops the analytic rubric of ‘epistemic modernity’ to illuminate the pertinent discursive apparatus of cultural translation and negotiation, on the basis of which explicit claims of (sexual) knowledge‐making were imbricated with implicit claims about cultural indicators of traditionality, authenticity and modernity.
Gender, Sexuality and the Formation of Racial Identities in the Eighteenth‐Century Anglo‐Caribbean World
Authors: Newman Brooke N.
Published: October 2010

In recent years, scholars have directed considerable attention to the influence of gender relations and sexual practices on developing racial formations in early British America, the colonial Caribbean and the wider British empire. Understanding that unauthorised intimacies in the imperial world threatened notions of Britishness at home has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the complexity and instability of the process of collective identity formation. Building on pioneering research in early American and British imperial history, this article charts the connection between gendered concepts of ‘whiteness’ in Anglo‐Caribbean contexts and in metropolitan discourses surrounding British national identity, as articulated in eighteenth‐century colonial legislation and official correspondence, popular texts and personal narratives of everyday life. It explores the extent to which the socio‐sexual practices of British West Indian whites imperilled the emerging conflation between whiteness and Britishness.
Power and Historical Figuring: Rachael Pringle Polgreen's Troubled Archive
Authors: Fuentes Marisa J.
Published: October 2010

Rachael Pringle Polgreen, a freed‘mulatto’ woman who owned an infamous brothel/hotel in Bridgetown, Barbados during the 1770s and 1780s became known to her contemporaries through her role in the (sexual) entertainment of transient naval officers and the visits of Prince William of England. Piecing together ‘evidence’ from her will, estate inventory, a nineteenth‐century novel, a lithograph and an interview with a British officer, I engage Polgreen's complicated and fragmented archive, revealing how Polgreen represents an example of the problems with sources depicting women of African descent who lived in a slave society and the silences that inundate their archive. The first part of this article critically re‐examines pieces of her archive, through which an image of Polgreen emerges incommensurable with narratives of her triumphs. Next, through an analysis of the processes by which Polgreen is historically confined by powerful archival and subsequent historical representations, I challenge previous assumptions about her life. Finally, introducing material from the British parliamentary debates in which an incident involving Polgreen is described and new material from Barbados deeds left by Polgreen's former slave, I expose the nuances of Polgreen's ‘agency’ in a slave society – that which depended upon her sexual subjugation of other women of African descent.
The deletion of the microtubule‐associated STOP protein affects the serotonergic mouse brain network
Authors: Fournet Vincent , Jany Marion , Fabre Véronique , Chali Farah , Orsal Didier , Schweitzer Annie , Andrieux Annie , Messanvi Fany , Giros Bruno , Hamon Michel , Lanfumey Laurence , Deloulme Jean‐Christophe , Martres Marie‐Pascale
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem. (2010) 115, 1579–1594.

The deletion of microtubule‐associated protein stable tubule only polypeptide (STOP) leads to neuroanatomical, biochemical and severe behavioral alterations in mice, partly alleviated by antipsychotics. Therefore, STOP knockout (KO) mice have been proposed as a model of some schizophrenia‐like symptoms. Preliminary data showed decreased brain serotonin (5‐HT) tissue levels in STOP KO mice. As literature data demonstrate various interactions between microtubule‐associated proteins and 5‐HT, we characterized some features of the serotonergic neurotransmission in STOP KO mice. In the brainstem, mutant mice displayed higher tissue 5‐HT levels and in vivo synthesis rate, together with marked increases in 5‐HT transporter densities and 5‐HT1A autoreceptor levels and electrophysiological sensitivity, without modification of the serotonergic soma number. Conversely, in projection areas, STOP KO mice exhibited lower 5‐HT levels and in vivo synthesis rate, associated with severe decreases in 5‐HT transporter densities, possibly related to reduced serotonergic terminals. Mutant mice also displayed a deficit of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, probably related to both STOP deletion and 5‐HT depletion. Finally, STOP KO mice exhibited a reduced anxiety‐ and, probably, an increased helpness‐status, that could be because of the strong imbalance of the serotonin neurotransmission between somas and terminals. Altogether, these data suggested that STOP deletion elicited peculiar 5‐HT disconnectivity.
Rapid microelectrode measurements and the origin and regulation of extracellular glutamate in rat prefrontal cortex
Authors: Hascup Erin R. , Hascup Kevin N. , Stephens Michelle , Pomerleau Francois , Huettl Peter , Gratton Alain , Gerhardt Greg A.
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)115,1608–1620.

Glutamate in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a significant role in several mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, addiction and anxiety. Previous studies on PFC glutamate‐mediated function have used techniques that raise questions on the neuronal versus astrocytic origin of glutamate. The present studies used enzyme‐based microelectrode arrays to monitor second‐by‐second resting glutamate levels in the PFC of awake rats. Locally applied drugs were employed in an attempt to discriminate between the neuronal or glial components of the resting glutamate signal. Local application of tetrodotoxin (sodium channel blocker), produced a significant (∼40%) decline in resting glutamate levels. In addition significant reductions in extracellular glutamate were seen with locally applied ω‐conotoxin (MVIIC; ∼50%; calcium channel blocker), and the mGluR2/3agonist, LY379268 (∼20%), and a significant increase with the mGluR2/3antagonist LY341495 (∼40%), effects all consistent with a large neuronal contribution to the resting glutamate levels. Local administration of D,L‐threo‐β‐benzyloxyaspartate (glutamate transporter inhibitor) produced an ∼120% increase in extracellular glutamate levels, supporting that excitatory amino acid transporters, which are largely located on glia, modulate clearance of extracellular glutamate. Interestingly, local application of (S)‐4‐carboxyphenylglycine (cystine/glutamate antiporter inhibitor), produced small, non‐significant bi‐phasic changes in extracellular glutamate versus vehicle control. Finally, pre‐administration of tetrodotoxin completely blocked the glutamate response to tail pinch stress. Taken together, these results support that PFC resting glutamate levels in rats as measured by the microelectrode array technology are at least 40–50% derived from neurons. Furthermore, these data support that the impulse flow‐dependent glutamate release from a physiologically ‐evoked event is entirely neuronally derived.
Voltage‐dependent and ‐independent block of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate receptor channels
Authors: Barygin Oleg I. , Luchkina Natalia V. , Tikhonov Denis B.
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)115,1621–1632.

Polyamine‐containing toxins and synthetic dicationic derivatives of adamantane and phenylcyclohexyl selectively antagonize Ca2+‐permeable α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor channels. These compounds demonstrate voltage‐dependent open‐channel block and are trapped by closed channels. In this study, we describe an alternative mechanism of non‐competitive AMPA receptor inhibition caused by 9‐aminoacridine and some of its derivatives. These compounds exhibit similar potency against Ca2+‐permeable and Ca2+‐impermeable AMPA receptors. The inhibition is largely voltage‐independent, binding and unbinding do not require presence of agonist. We conclude that 9‐aminoacridine binds to a shallow site in the AMPA receptor, which is located above the activation gate. A comparison of three‐dimensional structures of the antagonists suggests that the ‘V‐like’ shape of the hydrophobic headgroup favors voltage‐dependent binding to the deep site in the channel pore, whereas the compounds possessing flat aromatic headgroups preferably bind to the shallow site. The characterization of the novel mechanism of AMPA receptor channel antagonism opens a way to develop a new family of pharmacological agents, which can be of scientific and practical importance.
Constitutive phosphorylation by protein kinase C regulates D1dopamine receptor signaling
Authors: Rankin Michele L. , Sibley David R.
Published: October 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)115,1655–1667.

The D1dopamine receptor (D1DAR) is robustly phosphorylated by multiple protein kinases, yet the phosphorylation sites and functional consequences of these modifications are not fully understood. Here, we report that the D1DAR is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) in the absence of agonist stimulation. Phosphorylation of the D1DAR by PKC is constitutive in nature, can be induced by phorbol ester treatment or through activation of Gq‐mediated signal transduction pathways, and is abolished by PKC inhibitors. We demonstrate that most, but not all, isoforms of PKC are capable of phosphorylating the receptor. To directly assess the functional role of PKC phosphorylation of the D1DAR, a site‐directed mutagenesis approach was used to identify the PKC sites within the receptor. Five serine residues were found to mediate the PKC phosphorylation. Replacement of these residues had no effect on D1DAR expression or agonist‐induced desensitization; however, G protein coupling and cAMP accumulation were significantly enhanced in PKC‐null D1DAR. Thus, constitutive or heterologous PKC phosphorylation of the D1DAR dampens dopamine activation of the receptor, most likely occurring in a context‐specific manner, mediated by the repertoire of PKC isozymes within the cell.
Reduced bone mineral density is not associated with significantly reduced bone quality in men and women practicing long‐term calorie restriction with adequate nutrition
Authors: Villareal Dennis T. , Kotyk John J. , Armamento‐Villareal Reina C. , Kenguva Venkata , Seaman Pamela , Shahar Allon , Wald Michael J. , Kleerekoper Michael , Fontana Luigi
Published: October 2010

Calorie restriction (CR) reduces bone quantity but not bone quality in rodents. Nothing is known regarding the long‐term effects of CR with adequate intake of vitamin and minerals on bone quantity and quality in middle‐aged lean individuals. In this study, we evaluated body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and serum markers of bone turnover and inflammation in 32 volunteers who had been eating a CR diet (∼35% less calories than controls) for an average of 6.8 ± 5.2 years (mean age 52.7 ± 10.3 years) and 32 age‐ and sex‐matched sedentary controls eating Western diets (WD). In a subgroup of 10 CR and 10 WD volunteers, we also measured trabecular bone (TB) microarchitecture of the distal radius using high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the CR volunteers had significantly lower body mass index than the WD volunteers (18.9 ± 1.2 vs. 26.5 ± 2.2 kg m−2; P = 0.0001). BMD of the lumbar spine (0.870 ± 0.11 vs. 1.138 ± 0.12 g cm−2, P = 0.0001) and hip (0.806 ± 0.12 vs. 1.047 ± 0.12 g cm−2, P = 0.0001) was also lower in the CR than in the WD group. Serum C‐terminal telopeptide and bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase concentration were similar between groups, while serum C‐reactive protein (0.19 ± 0.26 vs. 1.46 ± 1.56 mg L−1, P = 0.0001) was lower in the CR group. Trabecular bone microarchitecture parameters such as the erosion index (0.916 ± 0.087 vs. 0.877 ± 0.088; P = 0.739) and surface‐to‐curve ratio (10.3 ± 1.4 vs. 12.1 ± 2.1, P = 0.440) were not significantly different between groups. These findings suggest that markedly reduced BMD is not associated with significantly reduced bone quality in middle‐aged men and women practicing long‐term calorie restriction with adequate nutrition.