bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiological significance of senescence marker protein‐30
Authors: Maruyama Naoki , Ishigami Akihito , Kondo Yoshitaka
Published: September 2010

A novel rat liver protein of 30 kDa, SMP30 decreases with aging. This protein is expressed most prominently in the liver and kidneys among the various organs. Its gene is located on the X chromosome. No functional domain was recognized in the entire amino acid sequence. Recently, we found a homology between rat SMP30 and two species of bacterial gluconolactonase (EC 3.1.1.17). The lactonase reaction with l‐gulono‐γ‐lactone is the penultimate step in vitamin C (l‐ascorbic acid) biosynthesis. SMP30‐knockout (KO) mice fed a vitamin C‐deficient diet displayed symptoms of scurvy. In SMP30‐KO mice, hepatocytes were more susceptible to apoptosis induced by TNF‐α plus actinomycin D than hepatocytes from wild‐type mice. Two morphological features considered to be a hallmark of senescence are apparent in SMP30‐KO mice. At 12 months of age, SMP30‐knockout mice had clearly visible deposits of lipofuscin and senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐GAL) in their renal tubular epithelia. These features are compatible with high electron dense deposits in lysosomes. This observation suggests that the SMP30‐knockout mouse is a useful model of ordinal senescence. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2010; 10 (Suppl. 1): S88–S98.
Successful Pregnancy in a Case of Congenital Adrenogenital Syndrome
Authors: Prabhaker Shah , Rajendran K. , Seshadri R. , Lalita Kothar
Published: September 2010

This paper describes a typical patient with congenital adrenogenital syndrome who conceived following cortisone treatment and was delivered recently of a normal female infant by caesarean section. In this particular patient the signs of virilisatwn became manifested as late as 14 years. As far as we are aware, this is perhaps the first paper where serial steroidal analyses during prenatal and lactational amenorrhoea lasting up to eight months are reported.
The effect of diabetes mellitus on age‐associated lean mass loss in 3153 older adults
Authors: Lee J. S. W. , Auyeung T. W. , Leung J. , Kwok T. , Leung P. C. , Woo J.
Published: September 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1366–1371 (2010)

Aims  Diabetes mellitus may be associated with excessive lean mass loss. Other diabetes‐related conditions may also play a role. We assessed body composition changes associated with diabetes in older adults with adjustment for diabetes‐related co‐morbidities.

Methods  Three thousand, one hundred and fifty‐three community‐living adults aged ≥ 65 years were examined for lifestyle factors, diabetes‐related medical conditions and body composition by dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry at baseline and 4 years later. Body composition changes were compared between participants with diabetes and those without diabetes. Multivariate linear regression was used to examine the relationship between appendicular lean mass loss and confounders.

Results  Appendicular lean mass loss in men with diabetes was two times that of men without diabetes (−1.5% in ‘no diabetes’ vs. −3.0% in ‘diabetes’) and in women with diabetes was 1.8 times that of those without diabetes (−1.9% in ‘no diabetes’ vs. −3.4% in ‘diabetes’) over 4 years. Men with diabetes also had higher total body mass loss and higher total body fat loss than men without diabetes. Women with diabetes had higher total body mass loss but total body fat loss was similar. After adjusting for age, body mass index, diabetes‐related conditions, lifestyle factors and total body mass loss, diabetes remained an independent predictor of appendicular lean mass loss in both men and women.

Conclusion  Diabetes was associated with higher body mass loss and higher appendicular lean mass loss in older adults. In men, diabetes was also associated with total body fat loss.
Predictors of incident major depression in diabetic outpatients with subthreshold depression
Authors: Bot Mariska , Pouwer François , Ormel Johan , Slaets Joris P. J. , De Jonge Peter
Published: September 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1295–1301 (2010)

Aims  The objective of the study was to determine rates and risks of major depression in diabetes outpatients with subthreshold depression.

Methods  This study is based on data of a stepped care‐based intervention study in which diabetic patients with subthreshold depression were randomly allocated to low‐intensity stepped care, aimed at reducing depressive symptoms, or to care as usual. Patients had a baseline Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) score ≥ 16, but no baseline major depression according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Demographic, biological and psychological characteristics were collected at baseline. The MINI was used to determine whether participants had major depression during 2 year follow‐up. Predictors of major depression were studied using logistic regression models.

Results  Of the 114 patients included at baseline, 73 patients were available at 2 year follow‐up. The 2 year incidence of major depression was 42% (n = 31). Higher baseline anxiety levels [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.50; P = 0.018] and depression severity levels (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.00–1.18; P = 0.045) were predictors of incident major depression. Stepped care allocation was not related to incident major depression. In multivariable models, similar results were found.

Conclusions  Having a higher baseline level of anxiety and depression appeared to be related to incident major depression during 2 year follow‐up in diabetic patients with subthreshold depression. A stepped care intervention aimed at depression alone did not prevent the onset of depression in these patients. Besides level of depression, anxiety might be taken into account in the prevention of major depression in diabetic patients with subthreshold depression.
Vulnerability to Poverty in Papua New Guinea in 1996
Authors: Jha Raghbendra , Dang Tu
Published: September 2010

This paper uses cross‐section data from the 1996 Papua New Guinea Household Survey to assess household vulnerability to poverty in Papua New Guinea. Vulnerability varies across regions, household size, gender and level of education of households. We use a simple empirical model that permits estimation of vulnerability to poverty assuming that households have the same conditional distribution of consumption in a stationary environment. Although this approach does not capture all dimensions of vulnerability, it at least raises the policy interest that vulnerability should be considered alongside poverty.
The Comparative Auatomy of the Palatine Tonsil.
Authors: Hett Mary L.
Published: September 2010

The tuberculum tonsillare is always present in the embryo, but its subsequent history depends on the amount of lymphoid tissue which is formed in it.

Epithelial ingrowths are usually formed in the palatine tonsil at some period of growth.

Special investigation was made of the condition in the dog and cat. It was found that (a) epithelial ingrowth takes place in the palatine tonsil of the dog during the fœtal period and first few months of post‐natal life, probably continuing to some extent throughout life; (b) epithelial ingrowth occurs to a small extent in the palatine tonsil of the Domestic Cat during the fœtal period and first few days of post‐natal life only.

The extent of epithelial ingrowth in the palatine tonsil is correlated with (a) activity of the tonsil, (b) the location of the lymphoid tissue. Epithelial ingrowths are less evident in simple pocket‐shaped tonsils, and are also inversely proportional to the size of the tuberculum and to the amount of lymphoid tissue which it contains.

Tonsils may be grouped into five classes:—

a. Simple pocket‐shaped tonsils with epithelial ingrowths only in the early stages, e. g., rabbit.

b. Pocket‐shaped tonsils with numerous ingrowths and crypts, e. g., Felidæ.

c. Tonsils with a flattened sinus and large projecting tuberculum tonsillare in which is located most of the lymphoid tissue, e. g., Canidæ.

d. Tonsils with flattened sinus and no tuberculum tonsillare in the adult lymphoid tissue developing below the floor of the sinus, e. g., Artiodactyia.

e. Tonsils with a flattened sinus and small tuberculum tonsillare, the lymphoid tissue being formed on the floor of the sinus and usually projecting from it as a solid mass, e. g., Man and anthropoid apes.

It is suggested that certain limiting folds surrounding the palatine tonsil serve to direct the secretion downwards in the fauces.

No clear correlation can be demonstrated between tonsil form and feeding‐habits, but the following generalisations may be made:—

a. In carnivorous mammals (both Eutherian and Marsupial) the palatine tonsil usually constitutes a solid projecting mass.

b. In herbivorous mammals the palatine tonsils are either of a simple pocket‐shape, as in the Rodents, or they are extensive and of the “embedded” type, being developed below the surface‐level of the pharynx.

c. In insectivorous mammals the palatine tonsil is relatively small and simple.

It is hence suggested that the size and importance of the tonsil in the adult may have some connection with its action in freeing the pharyngeal mucosa from food particles.
Selective suppression of the incorrect response implementation in choice behavior assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation
Authors: Tandonnet Christophe , Garry Michael I. , Summers Jeffery J.
Published: September 2010

Selecting the adequate alternative in choice situations may involve an inhibition process. Here we assessed response implementation during the reaction time of a between‐hand choice task with single‐ or paired‐pulse (3 or 15 ms interstimulus intervals [ISIs]) transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex. The amplitude of the single‐pulse motor evoked potential (MEP) initially increased for both hands. At around 130 ms, the single‐pulse MEP kept increasing for the responding hand and decreased for the nonresponding hand. The paired‐pulse MEP revealed a similar pattern for both ISIs with no effect on short intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation measures. The results suggest that the incorrect response implementation was selectively suppressed before execution of the correct response, preventing errors in choice context. The results favor models assuming that decision making involves an inhibition process.
Controls on body size during the Late Permian mass extinction event
Authors: HE W.‐H. , TWITCHETT R. J. , ZHANG Y. , SHI G. R. , FENG Q.‐L. , YU J.‐X. , WU S.‐B. , PENG X.‐F.
Published: September 2010

This study examines the morphological responses of Late Permian brachiopods to environmental changes. Quantitative analysis of body size data from Permian–Triassic brachiopods has demonstrated significant, directional changes in body size before, during and after the Late Permian mass extinction event. Brachiopod size significantly reduced before and during the extinction interval, increased for a short time in more extinction‐resistant taxa in the latter stages of extinction and then dramatically reduced again across the Permian/Triassic boundary. Relative abundances of trace elements and acritarchs demonstrate that the body size reductions which happened before, during and after extinction were driven by primary productivity collapse, whereas declining oxygen levels had less effect. An episode of size increase in two of the more extinction‐resistant brachiopod species is unrelated to environmental change and possibly was the result of reduced interspecific competition for resources following the extinction of competitors. Based on the results of this study, predictions can be made for the possible responses of modern benthos to present‐day environmental changes.
Inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase by troglitazone,N‐arachidonoyl dopamine and the irreversible inhibitor JZL184: comparison of two different assays
Authors: Björklund E , Norén E , Nilsson J , Fowler CJ
Published: September 2010

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Drugs used clinically usually have a primary mechanism of action, but additional effects on other biological targets can contribute to their effects. A potentially useful additional target is the endocannabinoid metabolizing enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL). We have screened a range of drugs for inhibition of MGL and compared the observed potencies using different MGL enzyme assays.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

MGL activity was screened using recombinant human MGL (cell lysates and purified enzyme) with 4‐nitrophenyl acetate (NPA) as substrate. 2‐Oleolyglycerol metabolism by rat cerebellar cytosolic MGL and by recombinant MGL was also investigated.

KEY RESULTS

Among the 96 compounds screened in the NPA assay, troglitazone, CP55,940,N‐arachidonoyl dopamine and AM404 inhibited NPA hydrolysis by the lysates with IC50values of 1.1, 4.9, 0.78 and 3.1 µM, respectively. The potency for troglitazone is in the same range as its primary pharmacological activity, activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) γ. Among PPARγ ligands, the potency order towards human MGL was troglitazone > ciglitazone > rosiglitazone > 15‐deoxy‐Δ12,14‐prostaglandin J2≈ CAY 10415 > CAY 10514. In contrast to the time‐dependent inhibitor JZL184, the potency of troglitazone was dependent upon the enzyme assay system used. Thus, troglitazone inhibited rat cytosolic 2‐oleoylglycerol hydrolysis less potently (IC5041 µM) than hydrolysis of NPA by the human MGL lysates.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

‘Hits’ in screening programmes for MGL inhibitors should be assessed in different MGL assays. Troglitazone may be a useful lead for the design of novel, dual action MGL inhibitors/PPARγ activators.
What Every Conservation Biologist Should Know about Economic Theory
Authors: GOWDY JOHN , HALL CHARLES , KLITGAARD KENT , KRALL LISI
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  The last century has seen the ascendance of a core economic model, which we will refer to as Walrasian economics. This model is driven by the psychological assumptions that humans act only in a self‐referential and narrowly rational way and that production can be described as a self‐contained circular flow between firms and households. These assumptions have critical implications for the way economics is used to inform conservation biology. Yet the Walrasian model is inconsistent with a large body of empirical evidence about actual human behavior, and it violates a number of basic physical laws. Research in behavioral science and neuroscience shows that humans are uniquely social animals and not self‐centered rational economic beings. Economic production is subject to physical laws including the laws of thermodynamics and mass balance. In addition, some contemporary economic theory, spurred by exciting new research in human behavior and a wealth of data about the negative global impact of the human economy on natural systems, is moving toward a world view that places consumption and production squarely in its behavioral and biophysical context. We argue that abandoning the straightjacket of the Walrasian core is essential to further progress in understanding the complex, coupled interactions between the human economy and the natural world. We call for a new framework for economic theory and policy that is consistent with observed human behavior, recognizes the complex and frequently irreversible interaction between human and natural systems, and directly confronts the cumulative negative effects of the human economy on the Earth's life support systems. Biophysical economics and ecological economics are two emerging economic frameworks in this movement.
Electronic Grassroots Organizing
Authors: Wittig Michele Andrisin , Schmitz Joseph
Published: September 2010

Using principles derived from communication theory and social psychology, the authors develop and test propositions about grassroots organizing on electronic media. Three categories of users on a municipal electronic network were studied: city decision makers, activists who formed a grassroots group that developed and successfully lobbied city decision makers to establish a transitional center for the homeless, and a social group of users who later joined the system. The authors report analyses based on survey data, interviews, and extensive participant‐observation. Results showed that (1) the municipal electronic network facilitated the formation of users' ties across traditional socioeconomic boundaries and power differentials, (2) users of the system reported that their perceptions regarding a (homeless) outgroup had been positively altered, and (3) the system enhanced participation of previous nonparticipants in civic life.
A Tiered Intervention Model for Early Vocabulary Instruction: The Effects of Tiered Instruction for Young Students At Risk for Reading Disability
Authors: Pullen Paige C. , Tuckwiller Elizabeth D. , Konold Timothy R. , Maynard Katrina L. , Coyne Michael D.
Published: September 2010

Vocabulary knowledge at school entry is a robust predictor of later reading achievement. Many children begin formal reading instruction at a significant disadvantage due to low levels of vocabulary. Until recently, relatively few research studies examined the efficacy of vocabulary interventions for children in the early primary grades (e.g., before fourth grade), and even fewer addressed vocabulary intervention for students at increased risk for reading failure. In more recent work, researchers have begun to explore ways in which to diminish the “meaningful differences” in language achievement noted among children as they enter formal schooling. This article provides a review of a particularly effective model of vocabulary intervention based on shared storybook reading and situates this model in a context of tiered intervention, an emerging model of instructional design in the field of special education. In addition, we describe a quasi‐experimental posttest‐only study that examines the feasibility and effectiveness of the model for first‐grade students. Participants were 224 first‐grade students of whom 98 were identified as at risk for reading disability based on low levels of vocabulary. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences on measures of target vocabulary knowledge at the receptive and context level, suggesting that students at risk for reading failure benefit significantly from a second tier of vocabulary instruction. Implications for classroom practice as well as future research are provided.
The Use of the Regression Discontinuity Design in Tiered Intervention Research: A Pilot Study Exploring Vocabulary Instruction for At‐Risk Kindergarteners
Authors: Tuckwiller Elizabeth D. , Pullen Paige C. , Coyne Michael D.
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this article was twofold: (1) to explore the feasibility of the regression discontinuity design (RDD) in response‐to‐intervention implementation research and (2) to expand upon the limited research on vocabulary instruction for kindergarten students who are at risk for reading failure due to limited vocabularies. This pilot study employed an abbreviated, prototypical tiered instructional model to deliver vocabulary instruction to both at‐risk kindergarten students and students not at risk for reading failure. The study was designed using RDD and the data were analyzed using a regression‐based analytic model. The pros and cons of this research design, specifically in regards to learning disabilities research, is examined.
Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation Controlled Successfully With Phenytoin
Authors: GOLIAN MEHRDAD , BHAGIRATH KAPIL M. , SAPP JOHN L. , JASSAL DAVINDER S. , KHADEM ALIASGHAR
Published: September 2010

Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation. We describe a case of an individual with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation whose arrhythmias were successfully controlled with phenytoin therapy. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 472‐474)
Pertussis serology: assessment of IgG anti‐PT ELISA for replacement of the CHO cell assay*
Authors: DALBY TINE , SØRENSEN CHARLOTTE , PETERSEN JESPER WESTPHAL , KROGFELT KAREN ANGELIKI
Published: September 2010

Dalby T, Sørensen C, Petersen JW, Krogfelt KA. Pertussis serology: assessment of IgG anti‐PT ELISA for replacement of the CHO cell assay. APMIS 2010; 118: 968–72.

Two types of serological assays are commonly used for the assessment of pertussis vaccine‐induced antibodies; the Chinese hamster ovary cell (CHO cell) assay and the immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti pertussis toxin (PT) enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (IgG anti‐PT ELISA). Recently, both the techniques have been modified to improve performance with sera with interfering activity (CHO cell assay) or with heat‐treated sera (IgG anti‐PT ELISA). These two improved techniques were compared by the analysis of 100 individual serum samples from a previous clinical trial and 213 sera from a longitudinal serum collection from 20 Danish adults recently vaccinated with the Danish acellular pertussis vaccine. The comparison showed a significant linear correlation between the results of the two assays with a p‐value of <0.0001 for the 100 individual samples. We, therefore, conclude that the improved IgG anti‐PT ELISA can be used as a replacement for the often troublesome and time‐consuming CHO cell assay for the measurement of vaccine‐induced human antibodies to PT.
Expression of SATB1 and heparanase in gastric cancer and its relationship to clinicopathologic features
Authors: CHENG CHAO , LU XIAOMING , WANG GUOBIN , ZHENG LIDUAN , SHU XIAOGANG , ZHU SHIKAI , LIU KE , WU KE , TONG QIANG
Published: September 2010

Cheng C, Lu X, Wang G, Zheng L, Shu X, Zhu S, Liu K, Wu K, Tong Q. Expression of SATB1 and heparanase in gastric cancer and its relationship to clinicopathologic features. APMIS 2010; 118: 855–63.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of special AT‐rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) and heparanase in human gastric cancer as well as its relationship to the clinicopathologic factors. Specimens from 102 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy between 2000 and 2002 were studied by immunohistochemistry for SATB1 and heparanase expression. SATB1 and heparanase were positively expressed in 48.0% and 51.0% of gastric cancer cases, respectively. The expression of SATB1 and heparanase was significantly correlated with the depth of invasion, tumor‐node‐metastatsis (TNM) stage, lymph node metastasis, whereas SATB1 expression was also significantly correlated with distant metastasis. Patients with SATB1‐negative expression and heparanase‐negative expression had higher survival rates than those with SATB1‐positive or heparanase‐positive expression. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between SATB1 and heparanase. In multivariable analysis, SATB1 expression was also identified as an independent prognostic indicator for gastric cancer. Our results suggest that combined analysis of SATB1 and heparanase expression may have significant value in determining invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer and assessing prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.
T‐cell expression of CD91 – a marker of unresponsiveness to anti‐TNF therapy in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: ERIKSSON CATHARINA , RANTAPÄÄ‐DAHLQVIST SOLBRITT , SUNDQVIST KARL‐GÖSTA
Published: September 2010

Eriksson C, Rantapää‐Dahlqvist S, Sundqvist K‐G. T‐cell expression of CD91 – a marker of unresponsiveness to anti‐TNF therapy in rheumatoid arthritis. APMIS 2010; 118: 837–45.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of thrombospondin‐1 (TSP‐1) and its receptors, lipoprotein receptor‐related protein/cluster of differentiation (CD)91, calreticulin (CRT), and CD47, on T cells and monocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with anti‐tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy. The surface expression of CD91 and associated components on CD3‐ and CD14‐positive cells was examined using flow cytometry in 12 patients with established RA before and after beginning therapy and compared with that of 9 healthy controls and 12 patients with early RA treated with conventional therapies. CD3‐positive cells from anti‐TNF non‐responders showed significantly greater expression of CD91 expression than those from responders (p < 0.05) after 6 weeks and when all measurements were pooled (p < 0.001). CD91 expression on CD3‐positive cells from non‐responders to other therapies was at the same level as in healthy controls. In contrast, CD14‐positive cells showed no differences in CD91 expression between patients and controls or between responders and non‐responders to anti‐TNF therapy. The expression of TSP‐1, CRT, and CD47 showed no differences between responders and non‐responders. The results suggest T‐lymphocyte expression of CD91 to be a biomarker that signifies unresponsiveness to anti‐TNF therapy in patients with RA and may be used to identify potential responders and non‐responders.
Patterns and timing of diversification in a tropical montane butterfly genus, Lymanopoda (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)
Authors: Casner Kayce L. , Pyrcz Tomasz W.
Published: September 2010

Species distributions are a product of contemporary and historical forces. Using phylogenetic and geographic data, we explore the timing of and barriers to the diversification of the Andean butterfly genus Lymanopoda (Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). Clade and species level diversification is coincident with Andean orogeny and Pleistocene glaciation cycles. Lymanopoda has primarily diversified within elevational bands, radiating horizontally throughout the Andes with occasional speciation across elevational boundaries, often associated with ecotones. Narrow elevational ranges and infrequent speciation into adjacent elevational strata suggest that expansion across elevational gradients is relatively difficult. These results are similar to those found in studies of other Andean taxa.
Contrasting environmental and regional effects on global pteridophyte and seed plant diversity
Authors: Kreft Holger , Jetz Walter , Mutke Jens , Barthlott Wilhelm
Published: September 2010

Pteridophytes (ferns and fern‐allies) represent the second‐largest group of vascular plants, but their global biogeography remains poorly studied. Given their functional biology, pteridophytes are expected to show a more pronounced relation to water availability and a higher dispersal ability compared to seed plants. We test these assertions and document the global pattern of pteridophyte richness across 195 mainland and 106 island regions. Using non‐spatial and spatial simple and multiple regression models, we analyze geographic trends in pteridophyte and seed plant richness as well as pteridophyte proportions in relation to environmental and regional variables. We find that pteridophyte and seed plant richness are geographically strongly correlated (all floras: r=0.68, mainland: r=0.82, island floras: r=0.77), but that the proportions of pteridophytes in vascular plant floras vary considerably (0–70%). Islands (mean=15.3%) have significantly higher proportions of pteridophytes than mainland regions (mean=3.6%). While the relative proportions of pteridophytes on islands show a positive relationship with geographic isolation, proportions in mainland floras increase most strongly along gradients of water availability. Pteridophyte richness peaks in humid tropical mountainous regions and is lowest in deserts, arctic regions, and on remote oceanic islands. Regions with Mediterranean climate, outstanding extra‐tropical centres of seed plant richness, are comparatively poor in pteridophytes. Overall, water‐energy variables and topographical complexity are core predictors of both mainland pteridophyte and seed plant richness. Significant residual richness across biogeographic regions points to an important role of idiosyncratic regional effects. Although the same variables emerge as core predictors of pteridophyte and seed plant richness, water availability is clearly a much stronger constraint of pteridophyte richness. We discuss the different limitations of gametophytes and sporophytes that might have limited the ability of pteridophytes to extensively diversify under harsh environmental conditions. Our results point to an important role of taxon‐specific functional traits in defining global richness gradients.
Celebrating the diversity of biogeographical research
Authors: Nogués‐Bravo David , Rahbek Carsten
Published: September 2010

Biogeography aims to understand the temporal and spatial distribution of life on Earth. Biogeographical research is aimed not only at describing where organisms live, at what densities, with whom, and how it all relates to the environmental and geographical setting but also why this is so. The International Biogeography Society, IBS, is a young and vibrant international and interdisciplinary society contributing to the advancement of all studies of the geography of nature, including spatial ecology (). In January 2009, the 4th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society took place in Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. Ecography provided financial support, acting as the sponsor of the Symposium of Extinction Biogeography and contributing to student travel awards. In addition, Ecography was the officially designated journal for publishing some of the many exciting talks and posters presented at the conference. All of the papers in this special issue of Ecography arose from the IBS conference. They have all been subject to external peer review, subsequent revision, and final editorial decisions of acceptance/rejection.
Chromosome dynamics and the regulation of V(D)J recombination
Authors: Hewitt Susannah L. , Chaumeil Julie , Skok Jane A.
Published: September 2010

Summary:  Perhaps no process has provided more insight into the fine manipulation of locus accessibility than antigen receptor rearrangement. V(D)J recombination is carried out by the lymphoid‐specific recombination‐activating (RAG 1 and 2) proteins and the non‐homologous end joining machinery; yet, it occurs only at specific loci (or portions of loci) during specific developmental stages. This spatiotemporal restriction of recombination is achieved through precise alterations in locus accessibility. In this article, we discuss the work of our laboratory in elucidating how nuclear sublocalization, chromosome conformation, and locus interactions contribute to regulating this complex process. We also discuss what is known about how key factors in B‐cell development (such as the ubiquitously expressed helix loop helix protein E2A, the B‐cell specific transcription factors EBF1 and Pax5, and the interleukin‐7 cytokine signaling pathway) exert their effects through changes in nuclear dynamics.
Evaluation of understanding levels of Indian dental students’ knowledge and perceptions regarding older adults
Authors: Anehosur Gouri Venkatesh , Nadiger Ramesh K.
Published: September 2010

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00416.x
 
Evaluation of understanding levels of Indian dental students’ knowledge and perceptions regarding older adults

Increasing numbers of older people and decreasing rates of edentulism highlight the importance of dental education that focuses on oral health and ageing. Our evaluation study was carried out to assess the Indian dental graduate’s geriatric knowledge, as well as their awareness, of the bio‐psychosocial factors that are potential barriers to geriatric oral health care. A total of 98 students were evaluated during their rotational clinical posting in the fifth year of the dental education programme. The results suggest that general attitudes need to be changed by the inclusion of geriatric dentistry in the dental curriculum. Exposure of students to didactic and clinical setting appears to be a critical element towards positive knowledge and attitude of the elderly.
The DSM Diagnostic Criteria for Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Men
Authors: Brotto Lori A.
Published: September 2010

Introduction

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is one of two sexual desire disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and is defined by two criteria: A—“persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies and desire for sexual activity” and B—“marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.”

Aim

This paper reviews the prevalence and correlates of low desire in men and qualitative and quantitative research on the experience of sexual desire in men and women.

Methods

A literature search of Medline, PudMed, and PsychInfo was used to identify any publication on low desire in men.

Main Outcome Measure

The strength of empirical findings was used as a basis for making proposed revisions to the diagnostic criteria for HSDD in men.

Results

The dilemma of whether desire and arousal can be reliably differentiated in men is discussed, and parallels to the literature in women are drawn. Finally, I consider three options for the diagnosis of low desire in men for DSM-5. Option 1 proposes that the DSM-IV-TR name and criteria are preserved for men in DSM-5. Option 2 proposes that the recently proposed criteria for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder in women are also adopted for men, which would result in one gender-neutral category. Option 3 proposes that the criteria for Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder also be applied to men, with a minor modification to one criterion (i.e., that absent or reduced genital and/or nongenital physical changes not be included as a criterion); this diagnosis would then be applied only to men.

Conclusions

The evidence supporting each of these proposals is presented and critiqued. It is concluded that the proposal for DSM-5 should be made on the basis of field testing of new criteria.
Updating neural representations of objects during walking
Authors: Pearson Keir , Gramlich Rod
Published: September 2010

In quadrupeds, a unique form of memory is used to guide the hind legs over barriers that have already been stepped over by the forelegs. This memory is very long‐lasting (many minutes), incorporates precise information about the size and position of the barrier relative to the hind legs, and is updated as the animal steps sequentially across a barrier. Recent findings from electrophysiological and lesion studies have revealed that neuronal systems in the parietal cortex are necessary for establishing the long‐lasting feature of the memory and may be involved in representing the current position of the barrier relative to the moving body. We hypothesize that the latter involves the modulation of activity in neuronal systems in the posterior parietal cortex by efference copy signals of motor commands for stepping and by sensory signals from muscle proprioceptors. We propose that motor pattern generation for walking occurs within a framework of a body schema that constantly informs pattern generating networks about the geometry of the body and the location of near objects relative to the body.
Timing and mechanism of a window of spontaneous activity in embryonic mouse hindbrain development
Authors: Bosma Martha M.
Published: September 2010

Spontaneous activity (SA) in the developing vertebrate brain is required for correct wiring of circuits and networks. In almost every brain region studied to date, SA is recorded during a period of synaptogenesis, and may deploy ionic mechanism(s) that are not expressed in the adult structure. Eventually the conditions in the immature neurons that allow SA are replaced with ion channels found in the mature neuron; this replacement may itself require SA. In the embryonic (E) 11.5 mouse hindbrain, SA is initiated by a subgroup of serotonergic neurons derived from former rhombomeres 2 and 3; SA events propagate rostrally and caudally along the midline, and into the lateral hindbrain. In this review, I describe the properties of mouse hindbrain SA and the developmental window during which it is expressed, summarize the known mechanisms by which SA arises, and describe other brain regions where this SA is similar (chick hindbrain) or influential (mouse midbrain).
Modulation of developing dorsal horn synapses by tissue injury
Authors: Baccei Mark L.
Published: September 2010

Although tissue injury can evoke significant hyperalgesia in infants from the first days of life, little is known about how injury affects emergent central pain networks at the synaptic level. Recent studies have investigated whether tissue damage at different ages has distinct consequences for synaptic function in the rat superficial dorsal horn (SDH) using in vitro patch clamp recordings from spinal cord slices prepared at different times after an injury. The results demonstrate that tissue damage during the first postnatal week transiently increases the frequency (but not amplitude) of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), while no changes are observed at inhibitory synapses onto the same neurons. Prolonged blockade of sciatic nerve activity in vivo with bupivacaine hydroxide or tetrodotoxin prevented the elevation in mEPSC frequency following early injury. In contrast, tissue damage during the third postnatal week failed to significantly alter spontaneous excitatory or inhibitory synaptic transmission in the SDH. These data show that afferent activity arising from injured peripheral tissue selectively regulates glutamatergic synaptic signaling in the developing SDH in a highly age‐dependent manner.
Developmental regulation of subtype‐specific motor neuron excitability
Authors: Moreno Rosa L. , Ribera Angeles B.
Published: September 2010

At early embryonic stages, zebrafish spinal neuron subtypes can be distinguished and accessed for physiological studies. This provides the opportunity to determine electrophysiological properties of different spinal motor neuron subtypes. Such differences have the potential to then regulate, in a subtype‐specific manner, activity‐dependent developmental events such as axonal outgrowth and pathfinding. The zebrafish spinal cord contains a population of early born neurons. Our recent work has revealed that primary motor neuron (PMN) subtypes in the zebrafish spinal cord differ with respect to electrical properties during early important periods when PMNs extend axons to their specific targets. Here, we review recent findings regarding the development of electrical properties in PMN subtypes. Moreover, we consider the possibility that electrical activity in PMNs may play a cell nonautonomous role and thus influence the development of later developing motor neurons. Further, we discuss findings that support a role for a specific sodium channel isoform, Nav1.6, expressed by specific subtypes of spinal neurons in activity‐dependent processes that impact axonal outgrowth and pathfinding.
Interactions between focused synaptic inputs and diffuse neuromodulation in the spinal cord
Authors: Johnson M.D. , Heckman C.J.
Published: September 2010

Spinal motoneurons (MNs) amplify synaptic inputs by producing strong dendritic persistent inward currents (PICs), which allow the MN to generate the firing rates and forces necessary for normal behaviors. However, PICs prolong MN depolarization after the initial excitation is removed, tend to “wind‐up” with repeated activation and are regulated by a diffuse neuromodulatory system that affects all motor pools. We have shown that PICs are very sensitive to reciprocal inhibition from Ia afferents of antagonist muscles and as a result PIC amplification is related to limb configuration. Because reciprocal inhibition is tightly focused, shared only between strict anatomical antagonists, this system opposes the diffuse effects of the descending neuromodulation that facilitates PICs. Because inhibition appears necessary for PIC control, we hypothesize that Ia inhibition interacts with Ia excitation in a “push–pull” fashion, in which a baseline of simultaneous excitation and inhibition allows depolarization to occur via both excitation and disinhibition (and vice versa for hyperpolarization). Push–pull control appears to mitigate the undesirable affects associated with the PIC while still taking full advantage of PIC amplification.
Defining rhythmic locomotor burst patterns using a continuous wavelet transform
Authors: Gallarda Benjamin W. , Sharpee Tatyana O. , Pfaff Samuel L. , Alaynick William A.
Published: September 2010

We review an objective and automated method for analyzing locomotor electrophysiology data with improved speed and accuracy. Manipulating central pattern generator (CPG) organization via mouse genetics has been a critical advance in the study of this circuit. Better quantitative measures of the locomotor data will further enhance our understanding of CPG development and function. Current analysis methods aim to measure locomotor cycle period, rhythmicity, and left–right and flexor–extensor phase; however, these methods have not been optimized to detect or quantify subtle changes in locomotor output. Because multiple experiments suggest that development of the CPG is robust and that the circuit is able to achieve organized behavior by several means, we sought to find a more objective and sensitive method for quantifying locomotor output. Recently, a continuous wavelet transform (CWT) has been applied to spinal cord ventral root recordings with promising results. The CWT provides greater resolution of cycle period, phase, and rhythmicity, and is proving to be a superior technique in assessing subtle changes in locomotion due to genetic perturbations of the underlying circuitry.
Alternation of agonists and antagonists during turtle hindlimb motor rhythms
Authors: Stein Paul S.G.
Published: September 2010

In a variety of vertebrates, including turtle, many classical and contemporary studies of spinal cord neuronal networks generating rhythmic motor behaviors emphasize a Reciprocal Model with alternation of agonists and antagonists, alternation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), and reciprocal inhibition. Some studies of spinal cord neuronal networks, including some in turtle during scratch motor rhythms, describe a Balanced Model with concurrent EPSPs and IPSPs. The present report reviews turtle spinal cord studies and concludes that there is support for a Combined Model with both alternating and concurrent excitation and inhibition, that is, characteristics of both the Reciprocal and the Balanced Models, in the same spinal cord neuronal network for scratch reflex in turtle. Studies of spinal cord neuronal networks for locomotion in a variety of vertebrates also support a Combined Model.
Mechanisms of excitation of spinal networks by stimulation of the ventral roots
Authors: O’Donovan Michael J. , Bonnot Agnes , Mentis George Z. , Chub Nikolai , Pujala Avinash , Alvarez Francisco J.
Published: September 2010

It has recently been demonstrated that motoneurons in neonatal rodents release an excitatory amino acid, in addition to acetylcholine, from their central terminals onto Renshaw cells. Although the function of this amino acid release is not understood, it may mediate the excitatory actions of motor axon stimulation on spinal motor networks. Stimulation of motor axons in the ventral roots or muscle nerves can activate the locomotor central pattern generator or entrain bursting in the disinhibited cord. Both of these effects persist in the presence of cholinergic antagonists and are abolished or diminished by ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate antagonists. Calcium imaging in the disinhibited cord shows that a ventral root stimulus evokes ventrolateral activity initially, which subsequently propagates to the rest of the cord. This finding suggests that excitatory interneurons excited by motoneuron recurrent collaterals are located in this region. However, motoneurons do not exhibit short latency excitatory potentials in response to ventral root stimulation indicating that the excitatory effects are mediated polysynaptically. We discuss the significance of these findings.
Cassava Starch Coating and Citric Acid to Preserve Quality Parameters of Fresh‐Cut “Tommy Atkins” Mango
Authors: Chiumarelli Marcela , Pereira Leila M. , Ferrari Cristhiane C. , Sarantópoulos Claire I. G. L. , Hubinger Miriam D.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Combination of citric acid dipping (5 g/L) and cassava starch coating (10 g/L), with and without glycerol (10 g/L), was studied to verify the effectiveness of these treatments to inhibit enzymatic browning, to reduce respiration rate, and to preserve quality parameters of “Tommy Atkins” fresh‐cut mangoes during storage at 5 °C. Color characteristics (L* and C*), mechanical properties (stress at failure), weight loss, β‐carotene content, sensory acceptance, and microbial growth of fruits were evaluated during 15 d. The respiration rate of fruit subjected to the treatments was also analyzed. Nontreated fresh‐cut mango was used as a control sample. Cassava starch edible coatings and citric acid dipping promoted a decrease in respiration rate of mango slices, with values up to 41% lower than the control fruit. This treatment also promoted better preservation of texture and color characteristics of mangoes and delayed carotenoid formation and browning reactions during storage. Moreover, the treated fruit showed great sensory acceptance by consumers throughout the whole storage period. However, the use of glycerol in the coating formulation was not efficient in the maintenance of quality parameters of fresh‐cut mangoes, promoting a higher weight loss of samples, impairing fruit texture characteristics, increasing carotenogenesis, and favoring microbial growth during storage.

Practical Application:  Consumer demand for tropical fresh‐cut products is increasing rapidly in the world market. Fresh‐cut mangoes are appreciated world‐wide for its exotic flavor. However, its shelf life is limited by changes in color, texture, appearance, off‐flavors and microbial growth. The edible coatings act as gas and water vapor barrier, extending the storage time of fresh‐cut fruit and vegetables. Thus, cassava starch is an alternative to preserve minimally processed mangoes and the quality parameters of fresh fruit. The information of this work is useful for the fresh‐cut produce industry to increase shelf life of fresh‐cut mangoes, which can be considered an alternative to fast food and other ready‐to‐eat products, attending the demand for healthy and convenient foodstuffs.
Effects of Rested Harvesting on Muscle Metabolite Concentrations and K‐Values in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Fillets during Storage at 15 °C
Authors: Tuckey Nicholas P. L. , Forster Malcolm E. , Gieseg Steven P.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Improvement of harvesting procedures in aquaculture may also improve the quality and storage properties of the fish. The use of an anesthetic allows fish to be harvested with reduced stress and exhaustion, which affect fillet properties. We report here on the effects of rested harvesting on the postharvest metabolic profiles and K‐values in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fillets stored near to the fish's acclimation temperature at 15 °C for 36 h. Fresh rested fillets were obtained by anesthesia with AQUI‐S™. They had high cut surface pHs (7.63) and high concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (3.75 and 8.73 μmol g−1 respectively), which depleted over 12 h. In contrast, fresh exhausted fillets had low cut surface pHs (6.66) and ATP and creatine phosphate were depleted. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and β‐nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) concentrations also remained significantly higher during the first 12 h of storage in rested fillets. In fresh rested fillets inosine monophosphate (IMP) concentrations reached maximum after 12 h storage (4.78 μmol g−1), whereas maximum IMP concentrations occurred immediately postharvest in the exhausted fillets (6.42 μmol g−1). After 36 h storage, K‐values in exhausted fillets reached 52.11% compared to 19.27% in rested fillets. Rested harvesting of Chinook salmon improved the fillets’ metabolic potential postharvest, extending metabolite depletion times, changing IMP concentrations and reducing K‐values.

Practical Application:  This study shows that an improved metabolic potential is maintained in salmon fillets from fish harvested in a rested state (that is, with no stress and exhaustion) using an isoeugenol based anesthetic (AQUI‐S™). Improved understanding of postharvest metabolic function may help to improve quality and storage properties of high value fish tissues.