bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Histological investigations on the effects of feeding a diet containing red hot pepper on the reproductive organs of the chicken
Authors: Özer Aytekin , Erdost Hatice , Zõk Berrin
Published: August 2005

In the present study the growth and reproductive organ differences in chickens fed a diet containing 1% red hot pepper (10 g/kg diet) from the first day of age were investigated. In birds fed with the experimental diet it was observed that the abdominal fat content decreased. During the experiment the increase in weight gain in the treated group in the first 4 months was reversed in favour of the control group in month 5. Follicular development in the treated group was faster and laying started 11 days before the control group, and the epithelial and muscular development of the oviduct was always greater than that of the control group.

The results indicated that red hot pepper consumed in lower concentrations during the development period in the chickens caused faster development of the reproductive system organs. Laying started 11 days earlier in chicks fed with the red hot pepper added diet, an important economic aspect for egg producers, but which may have implications for other animals. A decrease in abdominal fat content and disorders of lipid metabolism are still under investigation. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Aralia continentalis on hyperalgesia with peripheral inflammation
Authors: Park Hi‐Joon , Hong Mi‐Sook , Lee Ji Suk , Leem Kang‐Hyun , Kim Chang‐Ju , Kim Jin‐Woo , Lim Sabina
Published: August 2005

This study aimed to determine the antinociceptive effect of Aralia continentalis extract (AC) on Freund's adjuvant‐induced arthritis in rats. Adult Sprague‐Dawley rats received an injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the articular cavity of the ankle joint, and then antinociceptive behaviors and spinal Fos expression were examined. AC was found to suppress significantly nociceptive behaviors caused by CFA injection. In addition, it also decreased adjuvant‐induced Fos expression in the lumbar spinal cord induced by CFA. In conclusion, this study showed that AC produced significant antinociceptive effects on CFA‐induced arthritis in rats, and it is suggested that AC is recommended to alleviate the arthritis‐related symptoms in humans. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systematic evaluation of organochlorine pesticide residues in Chinese materia medica
Authors: Leung Kelvin Sze‐Yin , Chan Kelvin , Chan Chi‐Leung , Lu Guang‐Hua
Published: August 2005

A systematic evaluation on the levels of organochlorine pesticide residues (OCP) was conducted on four selected, authentic Chinese materia medica, namely: Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Notoginseng, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae and Radix Ginseng. Altogether ten representative batches of samples were analysed for each herb. Six batches were collected in the major cultivation areas of the Mainland whilst the remaining four batches were procured in the Hong Kong herbal market. All except Radix Angelicae Sinensis have been identified as containing quintozene and hexachlorocyclohexane in various levels. Hexachlorobenzene and lindane were also reported in samples of Radix Ginseng. The banned pesticide, DDT and its derivatives, was also observed in one of the Radix Notoginseng samples. The investigation will be continued for a target list of common used herbs in Hong Kong. All the results will be gathered and analysed for setting up regulatory permissible limits of OCP residues in Chinese materia medica used in Hong Kong. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavioural and biochemical effects of fractions prepared from Banxia Houpu decoction in depression models in mice
Authors: Wang Yemin , Kong Lingdong , Chen Yumei
Published: August 2005

Banxia‐houpu decoction is widely used in therapy for depression in China. The water‐EtOH extract (WE‐1) and chloroform‐soluble fraction (WE‐1‐2) of Banxia‐houpu decoction reduced the duration of immobility in the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST), the efficacy of the latter was higher than that of the former. The petroleum‐soluble fraction (WE‐1‐1), ethyl acetate‐soluble fraction (WE‐1‐3) and water‐soluble fraction (WE‐1‐4) tended to possess antiimmobility effects in the TST. After a 21‐day treatment, the potency of WE‐1‐2 was almost equivalent to that of fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), in the TST, but WE‐1‐2 showed a lower efficiency than fluoxetine in the FST. WE‐1, as well as WE‐1‐3, was found to increase serotonin (5‐HT) and 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) levels in mouse hippocampus and striatum, the activities of WE‐1 and WE‐1‐3 were much stronger than that of fluoxetine. Moreover, WE‐1‐1, WE‐1‐2 and WE‐1‐4 significantly elevated 5‐HT and 5‐HIAA levels only in the striatum, the degrees of increase of 5‐HT and 5‐HIAA levels were comparable to that of fluoxetine, which significantly enhanced the levels in all regions of animal brains. Neither fractions or fluoxetine affected norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) levels in the animal brains. It was found that WE‐1, WE‐1‐2 and fluoxetine significantly decreased serum and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the study. These results provide evidence for a potential role of antidepressive activities in the therapeutic effects of the Banxia‐houpu decoction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treating intermittent allergic rhinitis: a prospective, randomized, placebo and antihistamine‐controlled study of Butterbur extract Ze 339
Authors:   Study Group
Published: August 2005

Background: Intermittent allergic rhinitis (IAR) causes patients distress and impairs their work performance and quality of life. A variety of medicines are used by sufferers whose anguish frequently leads to trying new treatments, increasingly from herbal sources.

Methods: Prospective, randomized, double‐blind, parallel group comparison study of Butterbur extract (Ze 339; 8 mg total petasine; one tablet thrice‐daily), fexofenadine (Telfast 180®, one tablet once‐daily) and placebo in 330 patients. Protocol and analysis were according to the latest guidelines on new treatments for allergic rhinitis. The primary efficacy variable was a change in symptoms from baseline to endpoint during daytime. The secondary efficacy variables were: (a) as per primary variable (evening/night); (b) Physician's global assessment; (c) Responder rates. Safety was closely monitored.

Findings: Both active treatments were individually significantly superior to placebo (p < 0.001) in improving symptoms of IAR, while there were no differences between the two active treatments (p = 0.37). Superiority to placebo was similarly shown during the evening/night (p < 0.001), by physicians' own assessment and by responder rates. Both treatments were well tolerated.

Interpretation: Butterbur Ze 339 and Fexofenadine are comparably efficacious relative to placebo. Despite being a herbal drug, Butterbur Ze 339 has now been subject to a series of well controlled trials and should be considered as an alternative treatment for IAR. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three‐dimensional extended imaging: a new display modality for three‐dimensional ultrasound examination
Authors: Leung K. Y. , Ngai C. S. W. , Chan B. C. , Leung W. C. , Lee C. P. , Tang M. H. Y.
Published: August 2005

Objective

To describe Three‐Dimensional eXtended Imaging (3DXI)™ as a new display modality for three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound examination of the fetus.

Methods

The spine, palate, heart and brain were evaluated using 3D ultrasound examination at a mean gestational age of 22 weeks in 35, 31, 32 and 31 fetuses, respectively. The volume data captured were analyzed using the conventional orthogonal display mode (ODM), as well as the 3DXI, which includes the Multi‐Slice View™ (MSV) mode and the Oblique View™ (OBV) mode. The MSV mode allows simultaneous display of multiple sequential parallel planes while the OBV mode allows examination of a non‐standard straight or curved plane.

Results

The MSV mode allowed a simultaneous display of multiple sequential parallel planes of the fetal structures, but we found some uncertainty if an isolated image in one of the multi‐slice images represented the exact level of a fetal structure. The MSV mode was advantageous in one of the six cases of facial cleft by allowing the simultaneous display of bilateral clefts that were located in two different axial planes. The multi‐slice images were helpful in making the diagnosis in one case of holoprosencephaly. The OBV mode allowed examination of the coronal plane across the curvature of the spine, and the ‘in‐plane’ view of the interventricular septum in a non‐gated study.

Conclusion

The 3DXI can display the volume data in a different manner from that which usually results from the use of more conventional ODM, and provide additional information over conventional two‐dimensional sonography. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Selective reduction of multifetal pregnancy using high‐intensity focused ultrasound in the rabbit model
Authors: Paek B. , Foley J. , Zderic V. , Starr F. , Shields L. E. , Vaezy S.
Published: August 2005

Objective

High‐order multifetal pregnancies carry a significant risk of obstetric complications and poor pregnancy outcome. Selective reduction has traditionally been performed using transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound‐guided intracardiac injection of potassium chloride. We have previously shown that high‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) can create a coagulative tissue necrosis in the sheep fetus. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of non‐invasive selective fetal reduction using HIFU in a rabbit model.

Methods

A protocol for HIFU‐induced tissue coagulation was developed in the rabbit model. The fetal heart was targeted with ultrasound‐guided tissue ablation by a HIFU beam. Five time‐mated does between 20–29 days' gestation underwent transabdominal fetal cardiac ablation in a total of 11 fetuses. The HIFU system consisted of a 7‐MHz high‐power transducer, operated at 2000 W/cm2. The fetal heart rate was observed using real‐time ultrasound with Doppler flow velocimetry. All lesions were assessed macroscopically and by histological analysis.

Results

Severe bradycardia leading to asystole was observed in all targeted fetuses with ultrasound examination. Dissection of fetuses demonstrated a necrotic intrathoracic lesion similar in size to the HIFU focus (approximately 1 × 9 mm). None of the surrounding fetuses was found to have bradycardia during the procedure or a macroscopic lesion on dissection.

Conclusion

In this pilot study HIFU seems promising to ablate even highly vascularized tissue in the fetus. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal tele‐echography using a robotic arm and a satellite link
Authors: Arbeille P. , Ruiz J. , Herve P. , Chevillot M. , Poisson G. , Perrotin F.
Published: August 2005

Objective

To design a method for conducting fetal ultrasound examinations in isolated hospital sites using a dedicated remotely controlled robotic arm (tele‐echography).

Methods

Tele‐echography was performed from our hospital (expert center) on 29 pregnant women in an isolated maternity hospital (patient site) 1700 km away, and findings were compared with those of conventional ultrasound examinations. At the patient site, a robotic arm holding the real ultrasound probe was placed on the patient's abdomen by an assistant with no experience of performing ultrasound. The robotic arm, remotely controlled with a fictive (expert) probe, reproduced the exact movements (tilting and rotating) of the expert hand on the real ultrasound probe.

Results

In 93.1% of the cases, all biometric parameters, placental location and amniotic fluid volume, were correctly assessed using the teleoperated robotic arm. In two cases, femur length could not be correctly measured. The mean duration of fetal ultrasound examination was 14 min (range, 10–18) and 18 min (range, 13–23) by conventional and tele‐echography methods, respectively. The mean number of times the robotic arm was repositioned on the patient's abdomen was seven (range, 5–9).

Conclusion

Tele‐echography using a robotic arm provides the main information needed to assess fetal growth and the intrauterine environment within a limited period of time. Copyright © 2005 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing the Steps to War
Authors: SENESE PAUL D. , VASQUEZ JOHN A.
Published: August 2005

This analysis outlines and tests the steps-to-war explanation of international conflict. At the core of this explanation is the expectation that territorial disputes are a key source of war and that as states that have these disputes make politically relevant alliances, have recurring disputes and build up their military forces against each other, they will experience ever-increasing probabilities of war. The absence of these risk factors is expected to lessen the chances of severe conflict. Utilizing the Militarized Interstate Dispute data of the Correlates of War project, the data analyses provide full support for the steps-to-war explanation during the 1816–1945 era and partial support for the Cold War nuclear 1946–92 span. Among the findings for this latter period is the presence of a curvilinear relationship between the number of prior disputes and the probability of war – after a large number of disputes, states begin to ritualize their behaviour at levels short of war.
Opinion–Policy Dynamics: Public Preferences and Public Expenditure in the United Kingdom
Authors: SOROKA STUART N. , WLEZIEN CHRISTOPHER
Published: August 2005

Work exploring the relationship between public opinion and public policy over time has largely been restricted to the United States. A wider application of this line of research can provide insights into how representation varies across political systems, however. This article takes a first step in this direction using a new body of data on public opinion and government spending in Britain. The results of analyses reveal that the British public appears to notice and respond (thermostatically) to changes in public spending in particular domains, perhaps even more so than in the United States. They also reveal that British policymakers represent these preferences in spending, though the magnitude and structure of this response is less pronounced and more general. The findings are suggestive about the structuring role of institutions.
Reflections on the concept of symmetry
Authors: LORENZ KUNO
Published: August 2005

The concept of symmetry is omnipresent, although originally, in Greek antiquity, distinctly different from the modern logical notion. In logic a binary relation R is called symmetric if xRy implies yRx. In Greek, ‘being symmetric’ in general usage is synonymous with ‘being harmonious’, and in technical usage, as in Euclid's Elements, it is synonymous with ‘commensurable’. Due to the second meaning, which is close to the etymology of συ´μμετρoς, ‘with measure’ has likewise to be read as ‘being [in] rational [ratios]’ and displays the origin of the concept of rationality of establishing a proportion. Heraclitus can be read as a master of such connections. Exercising rationality is a case of simultaneously finding and inventing symmetries. On that basis a proposal is made of how to relate the modern logical notion of symmetry, a second-order concept, on the one hand with modern first-order usages of the term symmetric in geometry and other fields, and on the other hand with the notion of balance that derives from the ancient usage of symmetric. It is argued that symmetries as states of balance exist only in theory, in practice they function as norms vis-à-vis broken symmetries.
Mirror symmetry and fundamental interactions
Authors: NAVILIAT-CUNCIC OSCAR
Published: August 2005

Our modern representation of elementary processes considers that all physical phenomena result from the interplay of four fundamental interactions: the gravitational attraction, the electromagnetic force, the strong interaction and the weak interaction. Formally, the quantum mechanical description of elementary processes introduces the concept of discrete symmetry, illustrated for instance by space and time inversions. Discrete symmetries play a central role in the elaboration of theories and models, and have profound consequences in the predictions of these theories. For nearly 50 years, it has been observed that, of the four fundamental interactions, only the weak interaction violates mirror symmetry, and all observations so far indicate that it does so in a so-called maximal way. Despite overwhelming evidence of mirror-symmetry breaking, the search for a possibly underlying left–right symmetry has been pursued for many years by dedicated experiments. In this paper we review the context of mirror symmetry breaking in the weak interaction, we describe its interpretation in the framework of the standard model of particle physics and describe current efforts to identify the restoration of the left–right symmetry.
Symmetry and complexity in dynamical systems
Authors: MAINZER KLAUS
Published: August 2005

Historically, static symmetric bodies and ornaments are geometric idealizations in the Platonic tradition. Actually, symmetries are locally and globally broken by phase transitions of instability in dynamical systems generating a variety of new order and partial symmetries with increasing complexity. The states of complex dynamical systems can refer to, for example, atomic clusters, crystals, biomolecules, organisms and brains, social and economic systems. The paper discusses dynamical balance as dynamical symmetry in dynamical systems, which can be simulated by computational systems. Its emergence is an interdisciplinary challenge of nonlinear systems science. The philosophy of science analyses the common methodological framework of symmetry and complexity.
Symmetry in chemistry
Authors: HARGITTAI MAGDOLNA , HARGITTAI ISTVÁN
Published: August 2005

Symmetry and chemistry have been in a fruitful interplay, initially in spectroscopy and crystallography, lately in more traditional domains of chemistry, such as reactivity and conformational analysis. A simple phenomenological approach suffices to get an idea about the symmetries of molecules whereas group theoretical approach greatly facilitates the understanding of molecular vibrations, electronic structure, and the mechanism of chemical reactions. In our discussion, the multi-level relationship between symmetry and chemistry is demonstrated by a sampler of examples, including the variations of symmetry of free molecules and molecular packing in crystals. Symmetry considerations continue to assist chemistry in systematizing and interpreting observations and also in discovering new reactions, molecules, and other materials.
Symmetry and asymmetry in the human brain
Authors: HUGDAHL KENNETH
Published: August 2005

Structural and functional asymmetry in the human brain and nervous system is reviewed in a historical perspective, focusing on the pioneering work of Broca, Wernicke, Sperry, and Geschwind. Structural and functional asymmetry is exemplified from work done in our laboratory on auditory laterality using an empirical procedure called dichotic listening. This also involves different ways of validating the dichotic listening procedure against both invasive and non-invasive techniques, including PET and fMRI blood flow recordings. A major argument is that the human brain shows a substantial interaction between structurally, or ‘bottom-up’ asymmetry and cognitively, or ‘top-down’ modulation, through a focus of attention to the right or left side in auditory space. These results open up a more dynamic and interactive view of functional brain asymmetry than the traditional static view that the brain is lateralized, or asymmetric, only for specific stimuli and stimulus properties.
Symmetry and asymmetry in aesthetics and the arts
Authors: McMANUS I. C.
Published: August 2005

Symmetry and beauty are often claimed to be linked, particularly by mathematicians and scientists. However philosophers and art historians seem generally agreed that although symmetry is indeed attractive, there is also a somewhat sterile rigidity about it, which can make it less attractive than the more dynamic, less predictable beauty associated with asymmetry. Although a little asymmetry can be beautiful, an excess merely results in chaos. As Adorno suggested, asymmetry probably results most effectively in beauty when the underlying symmetry upon which it is built is still apparent. This paper examines the ways in which asymmetries, particularly left-right asymmetries, were used by painters in the Italian Renaissance. Polyptychs often show occasional asymmetries, which are more likely to involve the substitution of a left cheek for a right cheek, than vice-versa. A hypothesis is developed that the left and right cheeks have symbolic meanings, with the right cheek meaning ‘like self’ and the left cheek meaning ‘unlike self’. This principle is evaluated in pictures such as the Crucifixion, the Annunciation and, the Madonna and Child. The latter is particularly useful because the theological status of the Madonna changed during the Renaissance, and her left–right portrayal also changed at the same time in a comprehensible way. Some brief experimental tests of the hypothesis are also described. Finally the paper ends by considering why it is that the left rather than the right cheek is associated with ‘unlike self’, and puts that result in the context of the universal ‘dual symbolic classification’ of right and left, which was first described by the anthropologist Robert Hertz.
Integrating functional diversity, food web processes, and biogeochemical carbon fluxes into a conceptual approach for modeling the upper ocean in a high‐CO2 world
Authors: Legendre Louis , Rivkin Richard B.
Published: August 2005

Marine food webs influence climate by channeling carbon below the permanent pycnocline, where it can be sequestered. Because most of the organic matter exported from the euphotic zone is remineralized within the “upper ocean” (i.e., the water column above the depth of sequestration), the resulting CO2 would potentially return to the atmosphere on decadal timescales. Thus ocean‐climate models must consider the cycling of carbon within and from the upper ocean down to the depth of sequestration, instead of only to the base of the euphotic zone. Climate‐related changes in the upper ocean will influence the diversity and functioning of plankton functional types. In order to predict the interactions between the changing climate and the ocean's biology, relevant models must take into account the roles of functional biodiversity and pelagic ecosystem functioning in determining the biogeochemical fluxes of carbon. We propose the development of a class of models that consider the interactions, in the upper ocean, of functional types of plankton organisms (e.g., phytoplankton, heterotrophic bacteria, microzooplankton, large zooplankton, and microphagous macrozooplankton), food web processes that affect organic matter (e.g., synthesis, transformation, and remineralization), and biogeochemical carbon fluxes (e.g., photosynthesis, calcification, respiration, and deep transfer). Herein we develop a framework for this class of models, and we use it to make preliminary predictions for the upper ocean in a high‐CO2 world, without and with iron fertilization. Finally, we suggest a general approach for implementing our proposed class of models.
First results from a controlled deep sea CO2 perturbation experiment: Evidence for rapid equilibration of the oceanic CO2 system at depth
Authors: Nakayama Noriko , Peltzer Edward T. , Walz Peter , Brewer Peter G.
Published: August 2005

We have carried out series of remotely operated vehicle–controlled oceanic CO2 system perturbation experiments off the coast of California at depths down to 1000 m to observe reaction rates and pathways with both HCl and HCO3− addition. The work was done to evaluate possible barriers to carrying out future Free Ocean CO2 Enrichment experiments to simulate the chemistry of the emerging high CO2–lower pH ocean. A looped 460 mL flow cell with a pH sensor was used to monitor the time to equilibrium for 900 μL additions of 0.008 N HCl and for small slugs of HCO3−enriched seawater. The results were compared to equivalent experiments at the same temperature and 1 atm pressure. In each case the experiments at depth showed significantly faster time to equilibrium than those at 1 atm. These results are consistent with the low partial molal volume of CO2 in seawater, favoring the hydration reaction rate. The results imply, but do not prove, a significant effect of pressure on the rate constants. The relatively rapid equilibration times observed in seawater of 4°C and at 10 MPa indicates that there are no fundamental physical chemistry limits for carrying out small‐scale free‐ocean CO2 enrichment experiments.
Surface tensions and densities of H2SO4 + NH3 + water solutions
Authors: Hyvärinen Antti‐Pekka , Raatikainen Tomi , Laaksonen Ari , Viisanen Yrjö , Lihavainen Heikki
Published: August 2005

The static surface tensions and densities of ternary H2SO4 + NH3 + H2O solutions were measured at about 298 K using the Wilhelmy plate method. The mole fractions of H2SO4 ranged from 0 to 0.45 (0 to 82 wt%) and the mole fractions of NH3 from 0 to 0.26 (0 to 25 wt%). The available mole fractions were limited by the concentrations of the original aqueous ammonia solution and salt formation during mixing of sulfuric acid and ammonia. At constant mole fractions of H2SO4, the surface tension reaches its highest value when the mole fraction ratio between NH3 and H2SO4 is 2, corresponding to the binary solution of (NH4)2SO4 + water. The surface tensions and densities are presented, and expressed as polynomials as a function of sulfuric acid and ammonia mole fractions.
Paleomagnetism of Devonian red beds in the Appalachian Plateau and Valley and Ridge provinces
Authors: Cox Eric , Elmore R. Douglas , Evans Mark
Published: August 2005

Samples of red and green fluvial to marine sandstones in the Hampshire Formation/Catskill Group from regional‐scale folds across the structural trend of the Valley and Ridge (VR) and Appalachian Plateau (AP) provinces of West Virginia were analyzed to test models for remagnetization of red sandstones. The red sandstones contain a dominant secondary Pennsylvanian‐Permian magnetization with south declinations (154.8°–166.9°) and shallow inclinations (0.2°–19.3°) that resides in hematite and is interpreted as a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired during the Kiaman reversed superchron. Incremental fold tests for this CRM yield generally prefolding results from the AP rocks and synfolding results from the VR rocks. This suggests that the remanence acquisition in the AP may have occurred within the time span of deformation. A second, high unblocking temperature apparent synfolding CRM is also found in a few samples of the red sandstones and is distinguished by slightly steeper inclinations than the dominant component on northwest dipping beds. Specimens from green sandstone have weak intensities and are dominated by a modern viscous remanence. Thin section analysis shows the presence of authigenic specular hematite cement and submicron particle size red hematite pigment. Geochemical/fluid inclusion studies indicate that the rocks were exposed to mixed methane‐saturated formational and meteoric fluids with no evidence that external warm orogenic fluids altered the rocks. A working model for CRM acquisition involves (1) methane reduction of previously formed iron phases and mobilization of iron and (2) a return to oxidizing conditions and precipitation of new authigenic hematite as a result of the introduction of meteoric fluids just prior to and during uplift. The green sandstones probably formed as a result of gleying which occurs in paleosols although they could be a relic of or preserve evidence of the reduction phase.
Fundamental role of nitric oxide in neuritogenesis of PC12h cells
Authors: Yamazaki Matsumi , Chiba Kenzo , Mohri Tetsuro
Published: August 2005

We investigated the neuritogenic action of nitric oxide (NO)‐generating agents and their mechanisms of action in a subclone of rat pheochromocytoma, PC12h cells.

NO donors such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 0.05–1 μM), NOR1 (5–100 μM), NOR2 (5–20 μM), NOR3 (5–20 μM), NOR4 (5–100 μM), or S‐nitroso‐N‐acetyl‐DL‐penicillamine (SNAP, 10–100 μM) significantly induced neurite outgrowth.

NOR4‐induced neurite outgrowth was accompanied by expression of neurofilament 200 kDa subunit (NF200) protein, an axonal marker, and was significantly inhibited by an NO scavenger, a soluble GC inhibitor, and a PKG inhibitor: 2‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazole‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide (carboxy‐PTIO, 20–100 μM), 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a] quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ, 100 μM) and KT5823 (0.2–1 μM), respectively.

The intracellular cGMP concentration of cells was markedly increased by treatment with NOR4 (100 μM).

A mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase inhibitor, PD98059 (10–50 μM), abolished the NOR4‐induced neurite outgrowth. In agreement with this observation, NOR4 did phosphorylate extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) 1 and 2, substrates of MAPK kinase.

A membrane‐permeable cGMP analog, 8‐Br‐cGMP (1 mM) also induced significant neurite outgrowth. The 8‐Br‐cGMP‐induced neurite outgrowth was almost completely inhibited by both KT5823 (0.5 μM) and PD98059 (50 μM). Moreover, sustained ERK phosphorylation was observed in the 8‐Br‐cGMP‐treated PC12h cells.

These results suggest that NO itself has the ability to induce neurite outgrowth and that NO‐induced ERK activation involves the NO‐cGMP‐PKG signaling pathway in PC12h cells.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2005) 146, 662–669. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0706370
‘Recruitment’, ‘Composition’, and ‘Mandate’ Issues in Deliberative Processes: Should we Focus on Arguments Rather than Individuals?
Authors: Davies Ben B , Blackstock Kirsty , Rauschmayer Felix
Published: August 2005

Public participation in environmental decisionmaking has become an accepted part of Western societies over the last three decades. Whereas on a simple level every democratic process based on aggregating individual preferences contains an element of public participation, the literature on discursive democracy emphasises instead a more subtle, rich, and intense social process of deliberation. In this model, the spectrum of understandings, interests, and values expressed in different discourses is explored in detail by participants before a decision is reached. Although within an idealised model of discursive democracy such deliberations would involve every member of society potentially affected by the issue under discussion, a range of constraints mean that in practice this ideal model can only be approximated by discussions held in various forms of ‘minipublics’, which contain in most cases only a tiny proportion of the relevant community—for example, citizens' juries and consensus conferences. We identify three problem areas concerning the choice of participants in such ‘minipublics’, which we call the ‘recruitment problem’ (how individual participants are chosen to take part), the ‘composition problem’ (what the final composition of the minipublic is), and the ‘mandate problem’ (what role each of the participants assumes within the process). We suggest that most studies have not explicitly distinguished these elements, and consequently the rationale for why the results of such processes should be considered legitimate in either an advisory or a decisionmaking capacity is often unclear. We review the limitations of traditional recruitment methods and suggest a new alternative we consider appropriate for discursive processes—utilising Q methodology as a step in developing a purposive sampling frame for the recruitment phase. Although this approach is not without problems, we suggest that it could potentially offer a better basis on which to address the recruitment problem for those processes seeking to approximate discursively democratic ideals.
Growing Innovation Policy: The Case of Organic Agriculture in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Blay-Palmer Alison
Published: August 2005

A case study of innovation in organic agriculture in Ontario, Canada, illustrates the merits of multiscaled analysis as a tool to identify relevant policy options for the European Union and North America. Policy recommendations that emerged from interviews included the need to: develop and reinforce local networks and associational capacity; address inequities that result from global subsidies; and develop national research funding and standards to support organics. These policy changes would provide production and marketing alternatives, making the sector more resilient. Theoretically, the research highlights the dynamic and interconnected facets of innovation and the need for multiscaled analysis to capture interscale linkages.
Subtle Changes in Cutaneous Nerves and Sural Nerve Biopsy in a Patient With Fabry's Disease
Authors: Lim Siew-Na , Huang Chin-Chang , Kuo Hung-Chou , Hsieh Yu-Chen , Chu Chun-Che
Published: August 2005

We report the clinical manifestations, and sural nerve and skin biopsy findings in a patient with Fabry's disease who had normal renal function. The patient had a typically painful neuropathy with an increase of sensory thresholds in quantitative sensory tests and a low level of serum α-galactosidase. Although the sural nerve biopsy revealed electron-dense bodies in the perineurial cells, normal axon and myelin structures and even the fiber density of large and small myelinated fibers were noted. However, the cutaneous nerve biopsy study showed early changes in the small-fiber neuropathy. The data indicate that a cutaneous nerve biopsy study can be an adjuvant diagnostic tool in some patients with Fabry's disease and a normal renal function.
Increased Susceptibility of Low-Density Lipoprotein to Ex Vivo Oxidation in Mice Transgenic for Human Apolipoprotein B Treated with 1 Melatonin-Related Compound Is Not Associated with Atherosclerosis Progression
Authors: Tailleux Anne , Gozzo Andrea , Torpier Gérard , Martin-Nizard Françoise , Bonnefont-Rousselot Dominique , Lemdani Mohamed , Furman Christophe , Foricher Rachel , Chevé Gwenaël , Yous Saïd , Micard Florence , Bordet Régis , Gardes-Albert Monique , Lesieur Daniel , Teissier Elisabeth , Fruchart Jean-Charles , Fiévet Catherine , Duriez Patrick
Published: August 2005

Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that LDL oxidation has an important role in atherosclerosis. It has been demonstrated that the feeding of hypercholesterolemic mice on an atherogenic diet supplemented with melatonin highly increases the surface of atherosclerotic lesions in aorta and the sensitivity of atherogenic lipoprotein to ex vivo oxidation even though high melatonin doses inhibit lipoprotein oxidation in vitro. A melatonin-related compound (DTBHB: N-[2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzamide) has been reported to strongly inhibit lipid peroxidation in vitro. In the present study, DTBHB treatment considerably increased the sensitivity of atherogenic lipoproteins to ex vivo oxidation but did not modify atherosclerotic lesion development in mice. Moreover, DTBHB treatment did not induce detectable lipidic alteration. These data confirm that the capacity of molecules to inhibit atherogenic lipoprotein oxidation in vitro offers no prediction of their capacity to inhibit in vivo atherosclerosis development.
Dissociation Between Improvement in Left Ventricular Performance and Functional Class in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Ennezat Pierre V , Ennezat Caroline A , Vijayaraman Pugazhendhi , Lachmann Justine , Asseman Philippe , Cohen-Solal Alain , Sonnenblick Edmund H , LeJemtel Thierry H
Published: August 2005

Resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and functional capacity do not correlate in chronic heart failure patients treated with digitalis, diuretics, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. We sought to determine whether substantial improvement in LVEF, as may occur during long-term β-blockade or after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, leads consistently to improvement in functional class. Doppler echocardiogram and assessment of functional class were obtained at baseline and 12 months after initiation of β-blockade (87 patients) or CABG surgery (51 patients). At 12 months the effects of β-blockade were variable: LVEF increased greatly by ≥11% (median value) in 45 patients (52%) and by <11% in 19 (22%), but it decreased or remained unchanged in 23 patients (26%). In contrast, functional class was unchanged or worsened in 59 patients (68%) and improved in only 28 (32%). Similarly, surgery had variable effects on LVEF. LVEF increased by ≥12% (median) in 28 patients (55%) and by <12% in 14 (27%), whereas it decreased or remained unchanged in 9 patients (18%). Functional class was unchanged or worsened in 41 patients (80%) and improved in only 10 (20%). Changes in functional class and LVEF were unrelated for both interventions. Both β-blockade and CABG surgery improve LVEF in the majority of patients. However, significant improvement in LVEF does not enhance functional capacity consistently in chronic heart failure.
The Endothelium-Dependent Vasodilator Effect of the Nonpeptide Ang(1-7) Mimic AVE 0991 Is Abolished in the Aorta of Mas-Knockout Mice
Authors: Lemos Virginia S , Silva Denise M. R , Walther Thomas , Alenina Natalia , Bader Michael , Santos Robson A. S
Published: August 2005

Recently, we demonstrated that the endothelium-dependent vasodilator effect of angiotensin(1-7) in the mouse aorta is abolished by genetic deletion of the G protein-coupled receptor encoded by the Mas protooncogene. To circumvent the limitations posed by the possible metabolism of Ang(1-7) in this vessel, in this work we studied the mechanism underlying the vasorelaxant effect of AVE 0991, a nonpeptide mimic of the effects of Ang(1-7), using wild-type and Mas-deficient mice. Ang(1-7) and AVE 0991 induced an equipotent concentration-dependent vasodilator effect in aortic rings from wild-type mice that was dependent on the presence of endothelium. The vasodilator effect of Ang(1-7) and AVE 0991 was completely blocked by 2 specific Ang(1-7) receptor antagonists, A-779 and D-Pro7-Ang(1-7), and by inhibition of NO synthase with L-NAME. Moreover, in aortic rings from Mas-deficient mice, the vasodilator effect of both Ang(1-7) and AVE 0991 was abolished. In contrast, the vasodilator effect of acetylcholine and substance P were preserved in Mas-null mice. In addition, the vasoconstriction effect induced by Ang II was slightly increased, and the vasodilation induced by the AT2 agonist CGP 42112A was not altered in Mas-deficient mice. Our results show that Ang(1-7) and AVE 0991 produced an NO-dependent vasodilator effect in the mouse aorta that is mediated by the G protein-coupled receptor Mas.
Coronary Vasodilator Effects of Endogenous Cannabinoids in Vasopressin-Preconstricted Unpaced Rat Isolated Hearts
Authors: Wagner Jens A , Abesser Marco , Karcher Jan , Laser Martin , Kunos George
Published: August 2005

The mechanisms by which cannabinoids alter coronary vascular tone and cardiac performance are controversial. We investigated the effects of various cannabinoids in spontaneously beating Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Bolus injections of anandamide (0.1-1 μmol) caused no change in coronary flow (CF) or left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP). In hearts preperfused with vasopressin to induce vasoconstrictor tone, anandamide or the selective CB1 receptor agonist ACEA (1-100 nmol) dose-dependently increased CF by up to 267% and LVSP by 20 mm Hg. The metabolically stable endocannabinoid derivatives, R-methanandamide and noladin ether, displayed similar effects. In contrast, Δ9-THC (10-100 nmol), the major psychoactive ingredient of cannabis, strongly decreased CF and LVSP. The CB2 receptor agonist JWH-133 (10-100 nmol) elicited vasodilator and positive inotropic effects only at higher doses. The CB1 antagonists SR141716A and AM-251 as well as the potassium channel inhibitors tetraethylammonium and iberiotoxin blocked the anandamide-induced increases in CF and LVSP, whereas the CB2 antagonist SR144528 and the putative “CB3 antagonist” O-1918 did not have an inhibitory effect. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of cardiac CB1 but no CB2 receptors. Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol were detected in heart tissue. However, combined application of fatty acid amidohydrolase inhibitors and the transport inhibitor AM-404 to augment tissue levels of endocannabinoids was without effect on CF or LVSP. We conclude that in the rat isolated heart with reestablished vasoconstrictor tone, cannabinoids including anandamide elicit coronary vasodilation and a secondary increase in contractility via CB1 receptors and potassium channels.
Monocyte Release of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Interleukin-1β in Primary Type IIa and IIb Dyslipidemic Patients Treated With Statins or Fibrates
Authors: Okopień Bogusław , Krysiak Robert , Kowalski Jan , Madej Andrzej , Belowski Dariusz , Zieliński Marek , Herman Zbigniew S
Published: August 2005

Both 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)α activators (fibrates) proved to be effective in the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. The benefits of hypolipemic therapy in cardiovascular diseases cannot be explained only by the lipid-lowering potential of these agents. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of hypolipemic agents on proinflammatory cytokine release from human monocytes in relationship with their action on plasma levels of sensitive systemic marker of low-grade vascular inflammation. Plasma lipid and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukin-1β from monocytes were assessed at baseline and 30 and 90 days following randomization of IIa dyslipidemic patients into fluvastatin or simvastatin groups and randomization of type IIb dyslipidemic patients to the micronized form of either ciprofibrate or fenofibrate. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes from dyslipidemic patients released significantly more TNFα (types IIa and IIb dyslipidemias) and interleukin-1β (type IIa dyslipidemia) in comparison with monocytes in 59 age-, sex-, and weight-matched control subjects. Their baseline hsCRP levels were also higher. Both statins and fibrates reduced the release of TNFα and interleukin-1β, and lowered plasma hsCRP levels. The effects of hypolipemic agents on cytokine release and plasma hsCRP were unrelated to their lipid-lowering action. Our results have demonstrated that type IIa and IIb dyslipidemic patients exhibit the abnormal pattern of TNFα and interleukin-1β production by activated monocytes. Both HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and PPARα activators normalize monocytic secretion of these cytokines, and this action may partially contribute to the systemic antiinflammatory effect of hypolipemic agents. The statin- and fibrate-induced suppression of proinflammatory cytokine release from monocytes seems to play a role in their beneficial effect on the incidence of cardiovascular events.
Green Tea Polyphenols Induce Apoptosis in vitro in Peripheral Blood T Lymphocytes of Adult T‐Cell Leukemia Patients
Authors: Li Hong‐Chuan , Yashiki Shinji , Sonoda Junichiro , Lou Hong , Ghosh Subrata K. , Byrnes John J. , Lema Carolina , Fujiyoshi Toshinobu , Karasuyama Mitsuaki , Sonoda Shunro
Published: August 2005

Green tea polyphenols (TEA) are known to exhibit antioxidative activity as well as tumor‐suppressing activity. In order to examine the tumor‐suppressing activity of TEA against adult T‐cell leukemia (ATL), we cultivated peripheral blood T lymphocytes of ATL patients (ATL PBLs), an HTLV‐I‐infected T‐cell line (KODV) and healthy controls (normal PBLs) for 3 days in the presence of TEA and its main constituent, epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCg), to measure cell proliferation and apoptosis, and to quantitate mRNAs of HTLV‐I pX and β‐actin genes of the cultured cells. Growth of ATL PBLs was significantly inhibited by 9–27 μg/ml of TEA and EGCg, in contrast to minimal growth inhibition of T cells of normal PBLs. Inhibition of KODV was intermediate between ATL PBLs and normal PBLs. The ATL PBLs and KODV treated with 27 μg/ml of either TEA or EGCg induced apoptotic DNA fragmentation, producing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP‐biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL)‐positive cells, while the normal PBLs treated with the same concentration of TEA or EGCg produced a negligibly small number of TUNEL‐positive cells, in which apoptotic DNA fragmentation was not detectable. Expression of HTLV‐I pX mRNA was suppressed more than 90% in ATL PBLs by treatment with 3–27 μg/ml of either TEA or EGCg, while expression of β‐actin mRNA was much less suppressed by treatment with the same concentration of TEA or EGCg. These results indicate that TEA and EGCg inhibit growth of ATL PBLs, as well as HTLV‐I‐infected T‐cells, by suppressing HTLV‐I pX gene expression and inducing apoptotic cell death.
Immunohistochemical Detection of Carcinogen‐DNA Adducts in Normal Human Prostate Tissues Transplanted into the Subcutis of Athymic Nude Mice: Results with 2‐Amino‐1‐methyl‐6‐phenylimidazo[4,5‐b]pyridine (PhIP) and 3,2′‐Dimethyl‐4‐aminobiphenyl (DMAB) and Relation to Cytochrome P450s and N‐Acetyltransferase Activity
Authors: Cui Lin , Takahashi Satoru , Tada Mariko , Kato Koji , Yamada Yasuyuki , Kohri Kenjiro , Shirai Tomoyuki
Published: August 2005

Human prostate tissue transplanted into nude mice was examined immunohistochemically for DNA adducts formed after administration of 3,2′‐dimethyl‐4‐aminobiphenyl (DMAB) or 2‐amino‐1‐methyl‐6‐phenylimidazo[4,5‐b]pyridine (PhIP). Positive staining for DMAB‐ or PhIP‐DNA adducts was evident in 70–95% of both epithelial and stromal cells in human prostate xenografts. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis revealed a normal human prostate epithelial cell line (PrEC) to express both cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) and N‐acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) mRNA, while a normal human prostate fibroblast cell line (NHPF) expressed NAT2, but not CYP1A2 mRNA. In addition, NAT2 and to a lesser extent CYP1A2 mRNAs were also found in four cases of normal human prostate tissues. The results suggest that initial activation of chemicals by liver CYP1A2 and subsequent metabolism by prostate NAT2 is a major pathway of DNA adduct formation in human prostate cells. Thus, the data suggest that human prostate has the potential to be targeted by environmental carcinogens.