bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acidosis
Authors: Johnson David
Published: June 2006

Date written: February 2004

Final submission: July 2004
Erythropoietin
Authors: Johnson David
Published: June 2006

Date written: February 2004

Final submission: July 2004
Pregnancy
Authors: Johnson David
Published: June 2006

Date written: February 2004

Final submission: July 2004
Other forms of dietary intervention
Authors: Johnson David
Published: June 2006

Date written: February 2004

Final submission: July 2004
Blood pressure control: targets
Authors: Gillin Adrian
Published: June 2006

Date written: May 2005

Final submission: October 2005
Blood pressure control: role of specific antihypertensives
Authors: Gillin Adrian
Published: June 2006

Date written: May 2005

Final submission: October 2005
Antihypertensive therapy in diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Nicholls Kathy
Published: June 2006

Date written: September 2004

Final submission: September 2005
Smoking and the progression of diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Nicholls Kathy
Published: June 2006

Date written: September 2004

Final submission: September 2005
Renal artery stenosis
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Specific management of IgA nephropathy: role of fish oil
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Membranous nephropathy: role of alkylating agents
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Membranous nephropathy: role of steroids
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Idiopathic membranous nephropathy: use of other therapies
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Reflux nephropathy
Authors: Thomas Merlin
Published: June 2006

Date written: July 2005

Final submission: September 2005
Vitamin D in dialysis patients
Authors: Faull Randall
Published: June 2006

Date written: August 2005

Final submission: January 2006
Leukoaraiosis Predicts Hidden Global Functioning Impairment in Nondisabled Older People: The LADIS (Leukoaraiosis and Disability in the Elderly) Study
Authors: Pantoni Leonardo , Poggesi Anna , Basile Anna Maria , Pracucci Giovanni , Barkhof Frederik , Chabriat Hugues , Erkinjuntti Timo , Ferro José M. , Hennerici Michael , O'Brien John , Schmidt Reinhold , Visser Marieke C. , Wahlund Lars‐Olof , Waldemar Gunhild , Wallin Anders , Inzitari Domenico ,   on behalf of the LADIS Study Group
Published: June 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether leukoaraiosis severity is independently associated with differences in global functioning in nondisabled elderly patients.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional data analysis from an ongoing longitudinal multicenter and multinational study.

SETTING: The Leukoaraiosis and Disability Study, a collaboration aimed at assessing leukoaraiosis as an independent predictor of the transition to disability in older people.

PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred thirty‐nine nondisabled subjects (288 men, 351 women, mean age±standard deviation 74.1±5.0) with magnetic resonance imaging–detected leukoaraiosis of different severity and presenting with one of the following: mild cognitive or motor disturbances, minor cerebrovascular events, or mood alterations or in whom leukoaraiosis was incidentally identified.

MEASUREMENTS: Centralized assessment of leukoaraiosis severity according to the three severity degrees of the Fazekas scale; Disability Assessment for Dementia (DAD) Scale for measurement of global functioning.

RESULTS: At baseline, 44% of participants had a mild, 31% a moderate, and 25% a severe degree of leukoaraiosis. A significant trend toward declining performance on the DAD Scale was apparent with increasing leukoaraiosis score severity (total score=98.8, 98.6, 97.5, respectively, in the three leukoaraiosis categories, analysis of variance P=.002). Similar trends were obtained for basic (P=.01) and instrumental (P<.001) function items. The statistical significance of these differences was confirmed in a multiple linear regression analysis correcting for numerous factors known to influence disability in older people. Executive function test performance declined along with increasing leukoaraiosis severity and was significantly related to DAD total score.

CONCLUSION: Even in nondisabled elderly patients, levels of functional ability are related to white matter lesion severity. Executive dysfunction may mediate this relationship.
A 10‐year review of the occurrence and treatment of central giant cell granulomas, in a District General Hospital
Authors: Farrier S. L. , Farrier J. N. , Smart M. K. , Nash E. S.
Published: June 2006

Background:  There is considerable variation in the clinical presentation, behaviour and radiological appearance of central giant cell granulomas (CGCGs), for which multiple treatment modalities have been suggested.

Method:  A 10‐year retrospective review of the clinical presentation, radiological features and treatment received was undertaken.

Results:  The cohort of patients included six males and three females, with an age range of 7–61 years. Six lesions were in the mandible and three in the maxilla. Eight lesions presented with swelling, three in relation to teeth. One case was an incidental finding. Six cases were confined within the cortical plates, one involved soft tissue. Radiological presentation was diverse, but within the existing confines of CGCGs. With one exception, primary treatment was surgical resection with excisional curettage of the remaining bone; to date, none have recurred.

Conclusion:  Diagnosis relies on correct interpretation of clinical, radiographical and histopathological data. Alternative treatments are worthy of consideration, although surgical excision remains the treatment of choice.
Intralysosomal iron chelation protects against oxidative stress‐induced cellular damage
Authors: Kurz Tino , Gustafsson Bertil , Brunk Ulf T
Published: June 2006

Oxidant‐induced cell damage may be initiated by peroxidative injury to lysosomal membranes, catalyzed by intralysosomal low mass iron that appears to comprise a major part of cellular redox‐active iron. Resulting relocation of lytic enzymes and low mass iron would result in secondary harm to various cellular constituents. In an effort to further clarify this still controversial issue, we tested the protective effects of two potent iron chelators – the hydrophilic desferrioxamine (dfo) and the lipophilic salicylaldehyde isonicotinoyl hydrazone (sih), using cultured lysosome‐rich macrophage‐like J774 cells as targets. dfo slowly enters cells via endocytosis, while the lipophilic sih rapidly distributes throughout the cell. Following dfo treatment, long‐term survival of cells cannot be investigated because dfo by itself, by remaining inside the lysosomal compartment, induces apoptosis that probably is due to iron starvation, while sih has no lasting toxic effects if the exposure time is limited. Following preincubation with 1 mm dfo for 3 h or 10 µm sih for a few minutes, both agents provided strong protection against an ensuing ∼LD50 oxidant challenge by preventing lysosomal rupture, ensuing loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and apoptotic/necrotic cell death. It appears that once significant lysosomal rupture has occurred, the cell is irreversibly committed to death. The results lend strength to the concept that lysosomal membranes, normally exposed to redox‐active iron in high concentrations, are initial targets of oxidant damage and support the idea that chelators selectively targeted to the lysosomal compartment may have therapeutic utility in diminishing oxidant‐mediated cell injury.
Dependence of Soil Respiration on Soil Temperature and Soil Moisture in Successional Forests in Southern China
Authors: Tang Xu‐Li , Zhou Guo‐Yi , Liu Shu‐Guang , Zhang De‐Qiang , Liu Shi‐Zhong , Li Jiong , Zhou Cun‐Yu
Published: June 2006

The spatial and temporal variations in soil respiration and its relationship with biophysical factors in forests near the Tropic of Cancer remain highly uncertain. To contribute towards an improvement of actual estimates, soil respiration rates, soil temperature, and soil moisture were measured in three successional subtropical forests at the Dinghushan Nature Reserve (DNR) in southern China from March 2003 to February 2005. The overall objective of the present study was to analyze the temporal variations of soil respiration and its biophysical dependence in these forests. The relationships between biophysical factors and soil respiration rates were compared in successional forests to test the hypothesis that these forests responded similarly to biophysical factors. The seasonality of soil respiration coincided with the seasonal climate pattern, with high respiration rates in the hot humid season (April‐September) and with low rates in the cool dry season (October‐March). Soil respiration measured at these forests showed a clear increasing trend with the progressive succession. Annual mean (±SD) soil respiration rate in the DNR forests was (9.0 ± 4.6) Mg CO2‐C/hm2per year, ranging from (6.1 ± 3.2) Mg CO2‐C/hm2per year in early successional forests to (10.7 ± 4.9) Mg CO2‐C/hm2 per year in advanced successional forests. Soil respiration was correlated with both soil temperature and moisture. The T/M model, where the two biophysical variables are driving factors, accounted for 74%‐82% of soil respiration variation in DNR forests. Temperature sensitivity decreased along progressive succession stages, suggesting that advanced‐successional forests have a good ability to adjust to temperature. In contrast, moisture increased with progressive succession processes. This increase is caused, in part, by abundant respirators in advanced‐successional forest, where more soil moisture is needed to maintain their activities.

(Managing editor: Ya‐Qin Han)
Insurance Coverage of Prescription Drugs and the Rural Elderly
Authors: Mueller Curt , Schur Claudia
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT: Context: Rural impacts of a Medicare drug benefit will ultimately depend on the number of elderly who are currently without drug coverage, new demand by those currently without coverage, the nature of the new benefit relative to current benefits, and benefit design. Purpose: To enhance understanding of drug coverage among rural elderly Medicare beneficiaries and their expenditures for pharmaceuticals. Methods: Estimates of the extent of coverage, expenditures, and sources of drugs were obtained using data are from the 1997 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and the Pharmacy Verification and Household Components of the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Findings: Three‐quarters of the urban elderly had some type of drug coverage in 1997 versus 59% of the elderly in rural areas. Urban residents were more likely to have obtained their drug coverage from an employersponsored supplemental plan, and rural residents were more likely to have self‐purchased Medigap drug coverage. Expenditures and use of drugs by Medicare beneficiaries are greater for those with than without coverage, and differences are invariant with respect to geographic location. Coverage under self‐purchased supplemental plans appears less generous than under employer‐sponsored plans in both rural and urban areas. Rural and urban elderly are more than twice as likely to receive at least 1 prescribed medication through the mail than the general population. Conclusion: A well‐designed Medicare drug benefit would be especially beneficial to the rural elderly because relatively more rural elderly currently lack coverage or have less generous coverage than urban beneficiaries. Mail‐order distribution may help contain future program expenditures.
Self‐Treatment of Pain in a Rural Area
Authors: Vallerand April Hazard , Fouladbakhsh Judith M. , Templin Thomas
Published: June 2006

ABSTRACT: Context: In the United States, 42% of adults say they experience pain daily, the majority often relying on self‐treatment. In addition, an increasing number of people are seeking complementary/alternative therapies, often without informing their health care providers. Purpose: To explore the occurrence of pain and the modalities of self‐treatment used by community members (N = 108) from a rural area of Michigan, the potential for interactions between pain self‐treatment modalities and other medications currently being taken, and demographic variables that might affect self‐treatment choice. Method: This exploratory descriptive study was conducted using a survey method. Findings: Findings revealed that 66% were taking prescription medications, 75% over‐the‐counter medications, 20% herbal supplements, and 35% nonpharmacological treatments. Of the reported prescription and over‐the‐counter medications, 18% were opioids, 77% were nonopioids, and 18% were adjuvant medications. One‐third of the subjects were taking more than 1 medication and/or herbal product or supplement, increasing their risk for potential drug–herb interactions, complicated by the fact that 20% did not inform their primary care practitioner of their self‐treatment choices. Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge of current self‐treatment choices regarding pain management and potentially harmful interactions that might occur from using multiple medications and supplements.
Early Antibody Responses to Experimental
Mycobacterium bovis
Infection of Cattle
Authors: Waters W. R. , Palmer M. V. , Thacker T. C. , Bannantine J. P. , Vordermeier H. M. , Hewinson R. G. , Greenwald R. , Esfandiari J. , McNair J. , Pollock J. M. , Andersen P. , Lyashchenko K. P.
Published: June 2006

Bovine tuberculosis persists as a costly zoonotic disease in numerous countries despite extensive eradication and control efforts. Sequential serum samples obtained from
Mycobacterium bovis
-infected cattle were evaluated for seroreactivity to mycobacterial antigens. Animals received
M. bovis
by aerosol, intratonsil, intranasal, or intratracheal inoculation. Assays included the multiantigen print immunoassay for determination of antigen recognition patterns, immunoblot analysis for sensitive kinetic studies, and the VetTB STAT-PAK test, a novel, rapid test based on lateral-flow technology. Responses to MPB83 were detected for all
M. bovis
-infected animals regardless of the route or strain of
M. bovis
used for inoculation. Other less commonly recognized antigens included ESAT-6, CFP-10, and MPB70. Responses to MPB83 were detectable as early as 4 weeks after inoculation, were boosted upon injection of purified protein derivatives for skin testing, and persisted throughout the course of each of the four challenge studies. MPB83-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) was detected prior to MPB83-specific IgG detection; however, early IgM responses rapidly waned, suggesting a benefit of tests that detect both IgM- and IgG-specific antibodies. The VetTB STAT-PAK test detected responses in sera from 60% (15/25) of the animals by 7 weeks after challenge and detected responses in 96% (24/25) of the animals by 18 weeks. These findings demonstrate the potential for new-generation antibody-based tests for the early detection of
M. bovis
infection in cattle.
Identification of a Haarlem Genotype-Specific Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the
mgtC
Virulence Gene of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Alix Eric , Godreuil Sylvain , Blanc-Potard Anne-Béatrice
Published: June 2006

MgtC is a virulence factor common to several intracellular pathogens, including
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, that might have been acquired through horizontal gene transfer. In the present study, we investigated the polymorphism of
mgtC
in clinical isolates representative of the main epidemic groups of
M. tuberculosis
. MgtC appears to have a low polymorphism rate in
M. tuberculosis
that consists exclusively of nonsynonymous mutations. We identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at
mgtC
codon 182 (
mgtC
182
) specifically associated with the Haarlem genotype. A simple PCR assay, called the “on/off switch assay,” using phosphorothioate-modified primers and
Pfu
polymerase allowed us to distinguish Haarlem from non-Haarlem strains based on the
mgtC
182
SNP. The amino acid change (H182R) associated with the
mgtC
182
SNP in Haarlem strains does not appear to procure a selective advantage. Our results offer a simple and rapid tool to distinguish between Haarlem and non-Haarlem strains. In addition, the on/off switch assay, which allows the detection of SNPs on chromosomal DNA and
M. tuberculosis
cultures, provides a novel approach for the screening of known SNPs in
M. tuberculosis
.
Keratitis Due to
Shigella flexneri
Authors: Muytjens Harry L. , Eggink Catharina A. , Dijkman Frederik C. A. P. , Bakkers Judith M. J. E. , Melchers Willem J. G.
Published: June 2006

Multiresistant
Shigella flexneri
isolates were cultured from the cornea and stool of a girl. Genetic analysis showed the isolates were identical.
Shigella
spp. are rare causes of ulcerative keratitis; there have only been 14 published cases since 1943. Although prognosis after local treatment is good, shigellosis is a systemic infection, possibly leading to dehydration.
Variability of Kinetoplast DNA Gene Signatures of
Trypanosoma cruzi
II Strains from Patients with Different Clinical Forms of Chagas' Disease in Brazil
Authors: Lages-Silva Eliane , Ramírez Luis Eduardo , Pedrosa André Luiz , Crema Eduardo , da Cunha Galvão Lúcia Maria , Junho Pena Sérgio Danilo , Macedo Andrea Mara , Chiari Egler
Published: June 2006

The clinical course of Chagas' disease varies widely among different patients and geographic regions. For reasons that are not completely understood but involve host and parasite factors, some patients never develop the disease while others present cardiac and/or gastrointestinal symptoms. Many studies have been conducted in order to correlate the genetic variability of the parasites with the clinical forms of the disease, but no conclusive data have been obtained. Our research aims at characterizing the genetic profiles of
Trypanosoma cruzi
isolates recently obtained from 70 chagasic patients who either showed pathological lesions with symptoms of various intensities or were asymptomatic. All patients came from an area where Chagas' disease is endemic in southeast Brazil where vectorial transmission has been controlled and different clinical forms of the disease can be found. The molecular characterization of parasites evaluated the polymorphisms of the 3′ region of the 24Sα rRNA gene and the variability of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles of
T. cruzi
populations by low-stringency single specific primer PCR. Data presented here provide a strong correlation between
T. cruzi
II and human infection in this region. However, a high degree of variability was observed within
T. cruzi
II, as demonstrated by intense kDNA polymorphism among all clinical forms and also within each of them, irrespective of the intensity of pathological processes.
Microsatellite Analysis of Three Phylogenetic Species of
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
Authors: Matute Daniel R. , Sepulveda Victoria E. , Quesada Lina M. , Goldman Gustavo H. , Taylor John W. , Restrepo Angela , McEwen Juan G.
Published: June 2006

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, an important human systemic mycosis in Latin America. Recently, the existence of three different phylogenetic species (S1, PS2, and PS3) of
P. brasiliensis
was demonstrated. Despite being genetically isolated, all three species were capable of inducing disease in both humans and animals, although lower virulence has been found with the PS2 species. The available molecular methods developed to characterize and type strains have not been useful for assigning isolates to the described species, creating the need for molecular markers capable of distinguishing genetically isolated groups. Here, we describe a PCR and sequencing-based microsatellite marker system that is stable, easy to assay, adaptable to large series of isolates, and discriminatory enough to be used as a typing system in identifying the three proposed species of
P. brasiliensis
. In addition, this system provides an unambiguous tool for strain discrimination between two (S1 and PS2) of the three phylogenetic species.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for
Enterococcus faecalis
Reveals Hospital-Adapted Genetic Complexes in a Background of High Rates of Recombination
Authors: Ruiz-Garbajosa Patricia , Bonten Marc J. M. , Robinson D. Ashley , Top Janetta , Nallapareddy Sreedhar R. , Torres Carmen , Coque Teresa M. , Cantón Rafael , Baquero Fernando , Murray Barbara E. , del Campo Rosa , Willems Rob J. L.
Published: June 2006

A multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme based on seven housekeeping genes was used to investigate the epidemiology and population structure of
Enterococcus faecalis
. MLST of 110 isolates from different sources and geographic locations revealed 55 different sequence types that grouped into four major clonal complexes (CC2, CC9, CC10, and CC21) by use of eBURST. Two of these clonal complexes, CC2 and CC9, are particularly fit in the hospital environment, as CC2 includes the previously described BVE clonal complex identified by an alternative MLST scheme and CC9 includes exclusively isolates from hospitalized patients. Identical alleles were found in genetically diverse isolates with no linkage disequilibrium, while the different MLST loci gave incongruent phylogenetic trees. This demonstrates that recombination is an important mechanism driving genetic variation in
E. faecalis
and suggests an epidemic population structure for
E. faecalis
. Our novel MLST scheme provides an excellent tool for investigating local and short-term epidemiology as well as global epidemiology, population structure, and genetic evolution of
E. faecalis
.
Evaluation of the BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System for Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Staphylococci and Enterococci
Authors: Carroll Karen C. , Borek Anita P. , Burger Chad , Glanz Brian , Bhally Hasan , Henciak Susan , Flayhart Diane C.
Published: June 2006

We evaluated the Phoenix automated microbiology system (BD Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, MD) for the identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of challenge and clinical staphylococci and enterococci recovered from patients in a tertiary-care medical center. In total, 424 isolates were tested: 90 enterococci; 232
Staphylococcus aureus
isolates, including 14 vancomycin-intermediate
S. aureus
isolates; and 102 staphylococci other than
S. aureus
(non-
S. aureus
). The Phoenix panels were inoculated according to the manufacturer's instructions. The reference methods for ID comparisons were conventional biochemicals and cell wall fatty acid analysis with the Sherlock microbial identification system (v 3.1; MIDI, Inc. Newark, DE). Agar dilution was the reference AST method. The overall rates of agreement for identification to the genus and the species levels were 99.7% and 99.3%, respectively. All
S. aureus
isolates and enterococci were correctly identified by the Phoenix panels. For the non-
S. aureus
staphylococci, there was 98.0% agreement for the ID of 16 different species. The AST results were stratified by organism group. For
S. aureus
, the categorical agreement (CA) and essential agreement (EA) were 98.2% and 98.8%, respectively. Three of three very major errors (VMEs; 1.7%) were with oxacillin. For non-
S. aureus
staphylococci, the CA, EA, VME, major errors, and minor error rates were 95.7%, 96.8%, 0.7%, 1.7%, and 2.9%, respectively. The two VMEs were with oxacillin. For the enterococci, there was 100% CA and 99.3% EA. All 36 vancomycin-resistant enterococci were detected by the Phoenix system. The Phoenix system compares favorably to traditional methods for the ID and AST of staphylococci and enterococci.
TheEscherichia coliProteome: Past, Present, and Future Prospects
Authors: Han Mee-Jung , Lee Sang Yup
Published: June 2006

Proteomics has emerged as an indispensable methodology for large-scale protein analysis in functional genomics. TheEscherichia coliproteome has been extensively studied and is well defined in terms of biochemical, biological, and biotechnological data. Even before the entireE. coliproteome was fully elucidated, the largest available data set had been integrated to decipher regulatory circuits and metabolic pathways, providing valuable insights into global cellular physiology and the development of metabolic and cellular engineering strategies. With the recent advent of advanced proteomic technologies, theE. coliproteome has been used for the validation of new technologies and methodologies such as sample prefractionation, protein enrichment, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, protein detection, mass spectrometry (MS), combinatorial assays withn-dimensional chromatographies and MS, and image analysis software. These important technologies will not only provide a great amount of additional information on theE. coliproteome but also synergistically contribute to other proteomic studies. Here, we review the past development and current status ofE. coliproteome research in terms of its biological, biotechnological, and methodological significance and suggest future prospects.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Nef: Adapting to Intracellular Trafficking Pathways
Authors: Roeth Jeremiah F. , Collins Kathleen L.
Published: June 2006

The Nef protein of primate lentiviruses is a unique protein that has evolved in several ways to manipulate the biology of an infected cell to support viral replication, immune evasion, pathogenesis, and viral spread. Nef is a small (25- to 34-kDa), myristoylated protein that binds to a collection of cellular factors and acts as an adaptor to generate novel protein interactions to accomplish specific functions. Of the many biological activities attributed to Nef, the reduction of surface levels of the viral receptor (CD4) and antigen-presenting molecules (major histocompatibility complex class I) has been intensely examined; recent evidence demonstrates that Nef utilizes multiple, distinct pathways to affect these proteins. To accomplish this, Nef promotes the formation of multiprotein complexes, recruiting host adaptor proteins to commandeer intracellular vesicular trafficking routes. The altered trafficking of several other host molecules has also been reported, and an emerging theory suggests that Nef generates pleiotrophic effects in the secretory and endocytic pathways that reprogram intracellular protein trafficking and may ultimately provide an efficient platform for viral assembly. This review critically discusses some of the major findings regarding the impact of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Nef on host protein transport and addresses some emerging directions in this area of human immunodeficiency virus biology.
WITNESSED ENTANGLEMENT
Authors: BRANDÃO FERNANDO G. S. L. , VIANNA REINALDO O.
Published: June 2006

We present a new measure of entanglement for mixed states. It can be approximately computable for every state and can be used to quantify all different types of multipartite entanglement. We show that it satisfies the usual properties of a good entanglement quantifier and derive relations between it and other entanglement measures.
SCHEME FOR BELL-STATE-MEASUREMENT-FREE QUANTUM TELEPORTATION
Authors: YANG MING , CAO ZHUO-LIANG
Published: June 2006

A teleportation scheme for unknown atomic states is proposed in cavity QED. The Bell state measurement is not needed in the teleportation process, and the success probability can reach 1.0. In addition, the current scheme is insensitive to the cavity decay and thermal field.
Serotonergic mediation of constant light-potentiated nonphotic phase shifting of the circadian locomotor activity rhythm in Syrian hamsters
Authors: Knoch Megan E. , Siegel Dustin , Duncan Marilyn J. , Glass J. David
Published: June 2006

Short-term (1–3 days) constant light exposure (brief LL) potentiates nonphotic phase shifting induced by sleep deprivation and serotonin (5-HT) agonist stimulation. The present assessments reveal that exposure to brief LL markedly alters the magnitude and shape of the 5-HT1A,7 receptor agonist, 8-(+)2-dipropyl-amino-8-hydroxyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahyronapthalene (8-OH-DPAT) phase-response curve, facilitating (∼12 h) phase-advance shifts during the early morning when serotonergics have no phase-shifting effect. Brief LL also reduces the threshold for 8-OH-DPAT shifting at midday, evidenced by 5- to 6-h phase-advance shifts elicited by dosages that have no effect without the LL treatment. The brief LL-potentiated phase advances to intraperitoneal 8-OH-DPAT at zeitgeber time 0 (ZT 0) were blocked by the 5-HT1A antagonists, pindolol and WAY 100635, indicating that this shifting is mediated by 5-HT1A receptors. Antagonists with action at 5-HT7 receptors, including ritanserin and metergoline, were without effect. Although autoradiographic analyses of [3H]8-OH-DPAT binding indicate that brief LL does not upregulate suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) 5-HT1A receptor binding, intra-SCN microinjection of 8-OH-DPAT at ZT 0 in brief LL-exposed hamsters induced shifts similar to those produced by intraperitoneal injection, suggesting that SCN 5-HT1A receptors mediate potentiated 8-OH-DPAT-induced shifts during the early morning. Lack of shifting by intra-SCN 8-OH-DPAT at ZT 6 or 18 (when intraperitoneal 8-OH-DPAT induces large shifts), further indicates that brief LL-potentiated shifts at these time points are mediated by 5-HT target(s) outside the SCN. Significantly, sleep deprivation-induced phase-advance shifts potentiated by brief LL (∼9 h) at ZT 0 were blocked by pindolol, suggesting that these behavioral shifts could be mediated by the same SCN 5-HT1A receptor phase-resetting pathway as that activated by 8-OH-DPAT treatment.
Explaining pH Change in Exercising Muscle: Lactic acid, Proton Consumption, and Buffering vs. Strong Ion Difference
Authors: Kemp Graham , Böning Dieter , Beneke Ralph , Maassen Norbert
Published: June 2006

The development of acidosis during intense exercise has traditionally been explained by the increased production of lactic acid, causing the release of a proton and the formation of the acid salt sodium lactate. On the basis of this explanation, if the rate of lactate production is high enough, the cellular proton buffering capacity can be exceeded, resulting in a decrease in cellular pH. These biochemical events have been termed lactic acidosis. The lactic acidosis of exercise has been a classic explanation of the biochemistry of acidosis for more than 80 years. This belief has led to the interpretation that lactate production causes acidosis and, in turn, that increased lactate production is one of the several causes of muscle fatigue during intense exercise. This review presents clear evidence that there is no biochemical support for lactate production causing acidosis. Lactate production retards, not causes, acidosis. Similarly, there is a wealth of research evidence to show that acidosis is caused by reactions other than lactate production. Every time ATP is broken down to ADP and Pi, a proton is released. When the ATP demand of muscle contraction is met by mitochondrial respiration, there is no proton accumulation in the cell, as protons are used by the mitochondria for oxidative phosphorylation and to maintain the proton gradient in the intermembranous space. It is only when the exercise intensity increases beyond steady state that there is a need for greater reliance on ATP regeneration from glycolysis and the phosphagen system. The ATP that is supplied from these nonmitochondrial sources and is eventually used to fuel muscle contraction increases proton release and causes the acidosis of intense exercise. Lactate production increases under these cellular conditions to prevent pyruvate accumulation and supply the NAD+ needed for phase 2 of glycolysis. Thus increased lactate production coincides with cellular acidosis and remains a good indirect marker for cell metabolic conditions that induce metabolic acidosis. If muscle did not produce lactate, acidosis and muscle fatigue would occur more quickly and exercise performance would be severely impaired.
Role of oxidative stress in defective renal dopamine D1 receptor-G protein coupling and function in old Fischer 344 rats
Authors: Fardoun Riham Zein , Asghar Mohammad , Lokhandwala Mustafa
Published: June 2006

Aging is associated with an increase in oxidative stress. Previously, we have reported that dopamine failed to inhibit proximal tubular Na-K-ATPase and to promote sodium excretion in old rats (Beheray S, Kansra V, Hussain T, and Lokhandwala MF. Kidney Int 58: 712–720, 2000). This was due to uncoupling of dopamine D1 receptors from G proteins resulting from hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors. The present study was designed to test the role of oxidative stress in the age-related decline in renal dopamine D1 receptor function. We observed that old animals had increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a biomarker of oxidative stress, and decreased D1 receptor number and protein in the proximal tubules (PT) compared with adult rats. In old rats, there was increased G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) abundance, increased basal serine phosphorylation of D1 receptors, and defective D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT membranes. Interestingly, supplementation with an antioxidant, tempol (1 mmol/l in drinking water for 15 days), lowered MDA levels and normalized D1 receptor number and protein in old rats to the level seen in adult rats. Furthermore, tempol decreased GRK-2 abundance and D1 receptor serine phosphorylation and restored D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT of old rats. The functional consequence of these changes was the restoration of the natriuretic response to D1 receptor activation in tempol-supplemented old rats. Therefore, in old rats, tempol reduces oxidative stress and prevents GRK-2 membranous abundance and hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors, resulting in restoration of D1 receptor-G protein coupling and the natriuretic response to SKF-38393. Thus tempol, by lowering oxidative stress, normalizes the age-related decline in dopamine receptor function.
Differential Changes of Group II and Group III mGluR Function in Central Amygdala Neurons in a Model of Arthritic Pain
Authors: Li Weidong , Neugebauer Volker
Published: June 2006

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) play important roles in neuroplasticity and disorders such as persistent pain. Group I mGluRs contribute to pain-related sensitization and synaptic plasticity of neurons in the laterocapsular division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC), although the roles of groups II and III mGluRs are not known. Extracellular single-unit recordings were made from 60 CeLC neurons in anesthetized adult rats. Background activity and evoked responses were measured before and during the development of the kaolin/carrageenan-induced knee-joint arthritis. Drugs were administered into the CeLC by microdialysis before and/or after arthritis induction. A selective group III mGluR agonist (LAP4) inhibited CeLC neurons' responses to stimulation of the knee and ankle in arthritis ( n = 7) more potently than under normal conditions ( n = 14). A selective group II agonist (LY354740) inhibited responses under normal conditions ( n = 12) and became more potent in inhibiting responses to noxious stimulation of the knee in arthritis ( n = 10). The effect of LY354740 on innocuous stimulation of the knee and stimulation of the ankle did not change in arthritis. Antagonists for groups II (EGLU, n = 9) and III (UBP1112, n = 8) had no effects under normal conditions. In arthritis, UPB1112 ( n = 5) facilitated the responses to stimulation of knee and ankle, whereas EGLU ( n = 5) selectively increased the responses to stimulation of the knee. These data suggest that mGluRs of groups II and III can inhibit nociceptive processing in CeLC neurons. The increased function and endogenous activation of group II mGluRs in the arthritis pain model appear more input-selective than the general changes of group III mGluRs.
The Climate Sensitivity of the Community Climate System Model Version 3 (CCSM3)
Authors: Kiehl Jeffrey T. , Shields Christine A. , Hack James J. , Collins William D.
Published: June 2006

The climate sensitivity of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM) is described in terms of the equilibrium change in surface temperature due to a doubling of carbon dioxide in a slab ocean version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) and the transient climate response, which is the surface temperature change at the point of doubling of carbon dioxide in a 1% yr−1 CO2 simulation with the fully coupled CCSM. For a fixed atmospheric horizontal resolution across model versions, we show that the equilibrium sensitivity has monotonically increased across CSM1.4, CCSM2, to CCSM3 from 2.01° to 2.27° to 2.47°C, respectively. The transient climate response for these versions is 1.44° to 1.09° to 1.48°C, respectively.

Using climate feedback analysis, it is shown that both clear-sky and cloudy-sky processes have contributed to the changes in transient climate response. The dependence of these sensitivities on horizontal resolution is also explored. The equilibrium sensitivity of the high-resolution (T85) version of CCSM3 is 2.71°C, while the equilibrium response for the low-resolution model (T31) is 2.32°C. It is shown that the shortwave cloud response of the high-resolution version of the CCSM3 is anomalous compared to the low- and moderate-resolution versions.
Warm Demander Pedagogy
Authors: Ware Franita
Published: June 2006

This study operationalizes warm demander pedagogy as a component of culturally responsive teaching. These instructional methods emerged during a study that examined the pedagogy of two African American urban teachers as compared to the literature. Through observations and interviews, the study examined the following: (a) How did each teacher describe her instructional practices and beliefs? (b) What similarities and differences existed between the teachers’ practices and beliefs? (c) Was there evidence that the shared cultural/ethnic background of teachers and students influenced instructional practices? The study proposes warm demander and culturally responsive pedagogy to support a culture of achievement for students of color.
Surveillance, Resistance, Observance: Exploring the Teleo-affective Volatility of Workplace Interaction
Authors: Iedema Rick , Rhodes Carl , Scheeres Hermine
Published: June 2006

Central to the critical study of contemporary management practice has been an understanding of the possibilities for worker subjugation framed in terms of the disciplinary practices of surveillance and responses to it in terms of compliance and resistance. In this paper, we explore how the volatility of everyday interaction also leads to a different response — one we call ‘observance’. We introduce this term to refer to the process of identity diversification at work, and to create an analytical-conceptual space that is not fully circumscribed by compliance and resistance. To give the concept of observance empirical flesh, we present an account of team meetings held as part of a quality improvement programme in a manufacturing workplace in Sydney, Australia. We use this account to show how the interpersonal dynamics among team workers led to ‘emergent’ subject positions and conducts. Capturing the effects of the volatility of everyday workplace interaction, the concept of observance is shown to account for such emergent positioning and reflexivity. Observance enables us to highlight this and also how people exceed the parameters of surveillance, compliance and resistance, especially in relation to participativecommunicative or ‘immaterial’ forms of work.
Chronic cannabis use is associated with attention-modulated reduction in prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex in healthy humans
Authors: Kedzior Karina K. , Martin-Iverson Mathew T.
Published: June 2006

Regardless of a wide research interest the nature of a relationship between cannabis use and schizophrenia is controversial. One of the physiological abnormalities in schizophrenia is attention-modulated deficit in prepulse inhibition (PPI), which is a normal reduction in the startle reflex magnitude when a non-startling stimulus (prepulse) precedes the startling stimulus (pulse). This experiment was designed to determine whether or not otherwise healthy people using cannabis would exhibit attention-modulated deficit in PPI. The startle reflex was recorded in carefully screened healthy humans attending to and ignoring auditory pulse and prepulse stimuli separated by short (20-200 ms) and long prepulse intervals (1600 ms). In contrast to 12 non-using controls, cannabis use in 16 healthy humans was associated with significant reduction in%PPI while attending to auditory stimuli, but not while ignoring them. The PPI was correlated with the duration of cannabis use but not with the concentration of cannabinoid metabolites in urine and the recency of cannabis use in the preceding 24 hours. Cannabis use was not associated with changes in prepulse facilitation of startle reflex magnitude (%PPF) at long prepulse intervals, prepulse facilitation of startle reflex latency and startle reflex magnitude in the absence of prepulses. These results suggest that chronic, but not acute, use of cannabis is associated with schizophrenia-like disruption in PPI in healthy controls. Such reduction in PPI is attention-dependent and does not reflect a global deficit in sensorimotor gating in cannabis users.
Stereoselective and region-specific induction of immediate early gene expression in rat parietal cortex by blockade of neurokinin 1 receptors
Authors: Serres Florence , Sartori Simone B. , Halton Anna , Pei Qi , Rochat Catherine , Singewald Nicolas , Sharp Trevor , Millan Mark
Published: June 2006

Antagonists at neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors are attracting attention as potential treatments for depressive states in light of their actions in behavioural models predictive of antidepressant properties, their modulation of corticolimbic monoaminergic transmission, and their influence upon neural plasticity. Here, we evaluated the influence of NK1 receptor blockade upon two immediate early genes, Arc and c-fos, implicated in mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. Administration of the selective NK1 receptor antagonist, GR205,171 (40, but not 1, 5 or 10mg/kg i.p.), elicited a pronounced elevation in mRNA encoding Arc in both outer and inner layers of the parietal cortex of rat brain. This action was region-specific inasmuch as Arc expression did not change in other cortical territories examined including frontal cortex, nor in CA1, CA3 and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. In comparison to GR205,171, its less active isomer GR226,206 (1–40mg/kg) did not significantly modify Arc gene expression in parietal cortex or other cortical areas. GR205,171 (40mg/kg) also increased the abundance of c-fosmRNA in outer and inner parietal cortex and caused a corresponding increase in c-fosimmunoreactivity in this region. GR226,206 (40mg/kg i.p.) had no effect on either c-fos mRNA or protein in parietal cortex. In conclusion, administration of GR205,171 elicits a stereospecific increase in Arcand c-fos expression in rat parietal cortex but not in other cortical regions. These data suggest that the parietal cortex plays a role in the central actions of NK1 receptor antagonists.
The novel brain-specific tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene in panic disorder
Authors: Mössner Rainald , Freitag Christine M. , Gutknecht Lise , Reif Andreas , Tauber Ralf , Franke Petra , Fritze Jürgen , Wagner Gerd , Peikert Gregor , Wenda Berit , Sand Philipp , Rietschel Marcella , Garritsen Henk , Jacob Christian , Lesch K. Peter , Deckert Jürgen
Published: June 2006

Panic disorder is a common psychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent anxiety attacks and anticipatory anxiety. Due to the severity of the symptoms of the panic attacks and the frequent additional occurrence of agoraphobia, panic disorder is an often debilitating disease. Elevation of central serotonin levels by drugs such as clomipramine represents one of the most effective treatment options for panic disorder. This points to an important role of dysregulation of the serotonergic system in the genetic etiology of panic disorder. The novel brain-specific 5-HT synthesizing enzyme, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2), which represents the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT production in the brain, may therefore be of particular importance in panic disorder. We focused on the putative transcriptional control region of TPH2 and identified two novel common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TPH2 in and close to this region. Moreover, a recently described loss-of-function mutation of TPH2 which results in an 80% reduction of serotonin production, was assessed. In an analysis of the putative transcriptional control region SNPs in a sample of panic disorder patients and controls no association of the disorder with the TPH2 SNPs or haplotypes was found. Moreover, the loss-of-function R441H mutation of TPH2 was not present in the panic disorder patients. The results of this first study of TPH2 in panic disorder argue against an importance of allelic variation of TPH2 in the pathogenesis of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia.
Clozapine, but not haloperidol, increases neuropeptide Y neuronal expression in the rat hypothalamus
Authors: Kirk Shona L. , Cahir Marie , Reynolds Gavin P.
Published: June 2006

Many atypical antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine, can induce significant weight gain which can have serious implications for drug compliance and morbidity. Food intake and weight gain are regulated primarily by the hypothalamus; the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus is the region initially mediating the effects of circulating hormones on food intake. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important hypothalamic peptide involved in body weight regulation. Immunohistochemical staining of NPY in the ARC was carried out in male Sprague-Dawley rats treated with haloperidol (1.5mg/kg, i.p.) or clozapine (25mg/kg, i.p.) for 3 weeks. Clozapine, but not haloperidol, produced an increase in NPY immunoreactivity in the ARC, suggesting that effects on NPY may be involved in increases in body weight following clozapine treatment.
In vivo tumor growth is inhibited by cytosolic iron deprivation caused by the expression of mitochondrial ferritin
Authors: Nie Guangjun , Chen Guohua , Sheftel Alex D. , Pantopoulos Kostas , Ponka Prem
Published: June 2006

Mitochondrial ferritin (MtFt) is a mitochondrial iron-storage protein whose function and regulation is largely unknown. Our previous results have shown that MtFt overexpression markedly affects intracellular iron homeostasis in mammalian cells. Using tumor xenografts, we examined the effects of MtFt overexpression on tumor iron metabolism and growth. The expression of MtFt dramatically reduced implanted tumor growth in nude mice. Mitochondrial iron deposition in MtFt-expressing tumors was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy. A cytosolic iron starvation phenotype in MtFt-expressing tumors was revealed by increased RNA-binding activity of iron regulatory proteins, and concomitantly both an increase in transferrin receptor levels and a decrease in cytosolic ferritin. MtFt overexpression also led to decreases in total cellular heme content and heme oxygenase-1 levels. In addition, elevated MtFt in tumors was also associated with a decrease in total aconitase activity and lower frataxin protein level. In conclusion, our study shows that high MtFt levels can significantly affect tumor iron homeostasis by shunting iron into mitochondria; iron scarcity resulted in partially deficient heme and iron-sulfur cluster synthesis. It is likely that deprivation of iron in the cytosol is the cause for the significant inhibition of xenograft tumor growth.