bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smoking cessation in HIV patients: rate of success and associated factors
Authors: Fuster M , Estrada V , Fernandez‐Pinilla MC , Fuentes‐Ferrer ME , Tellez MJ , Vergas J , Serrano‐Villar S , Fernandez‐Cruz A
Published: July 2009

Background

Smoking is the modifiable cardiovascular (CV) risk factor that contributes most to causing premature CV disease. Prevalence of smoking in patients with HIV infection is double that of the general population.

Objectives

To determine the rate of patients succeeding in quitting smoking after 12 months, factors associated with this success, and the characteristics of tobacco consumption and nicotine dependence.

Methods

Longitudinal descriptive study. Three hundred and sixty‐eight HIV‐infected patients were interviewed. Smokers in Prochaska's stage of action began a programme to quit smoking. We registered the variables related to tobacco consumption and the level of success of cessation.

Results

63.9% of the patients were active smokers and 14% of them began the cessation programme. Average motivation for cessation was 7.8 ± 1.4 (Richmond) and nicotine dependence rate 5.5 ± 3.0 (Fagerström). After 1 year, 25% had quit smoking. Those patients who stopped smoking presented a higher motivation level (8.8 ± 1.3 vs. 7.5 ± 1.5, P=0.048). Cessation significantly reduced their CV risk at 12 months {2.5 [interquartile range (IQR) 2.0–5.2] vs. 1.7 [IQR 1.0–3.5], P=0.026}.

Conclusions

The prevalence of smokers in our population of HIV‐infected patients was 63.9%. Only 14% began a smoking cessation programme. Twelve months after a programme to quit smoking, cessation rate was 25%; this was influenced mostly by the level of motivation of the patient.
MHC2TA rs4774C and HHV‐6A active replication in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Alvarez‐Lafuente R. , Martinez A. , Garcia‐Montojo M. , Mas A. , De Las Heras V. , Dominguez‐Mozo M. I. , Maria del Carmen C. , López‐Cavanillas M. , Bartolome M. , Gomez de la Concha E. , Urcelay E. , Arroyo R.
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  In a previous report, a strong gene–environment interaction between human herpesvirus 6A (HHV6A) active replication and MHC2TA rs4774C was demonstrated. The objectives of this study were: (i) to reappraise the association that was found in the previous study; (ii) to evaluate if MS patients with minor allele C and HHV‐6A active infection had different clinical behavior; and (iii) to analyze the possible association of MHC2TA rs4774C with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV).

Methods:  A total of 149 MS patients were analyzed both at the MHC2TA locus and by HHV‐6A status in serum. We studied a G/C polymorphism (rs4774) by a TaqMan Assay‐on‐Demand. HHV‐6A genomes in serum were evaluated by quantitative PCR. A control group of 562 healthy Spanish individuals was included for comparative purposes in the genetic analyses. A battery of clinical data was collected for all the MS patients included in the study.

Results:  (i) MHC2TA/HHV‐6A interaction: we found the same strong association of the rs4774C allele with HHV‐6A active replication than in the previous study (P = 0.0001). (ii) Clinical data: the two main statistical significant differences for MS patients with HHV‐6A active infection and minor allele C were: (a) a significant number of them were not free of progression (EDSS = 0) 2 years after the diagnosis (P = 0.01); (b) only a third of them responded to interferon beta treatment (P = 0.05).

Conclusions:  This study has verified previous results about the strong gene–environment interaction between HHV6A active replication and MHC2TA rs4774C. Furthermore, a different clinical behavior for MS patients with HHV‐6A active infection and minor allele C was found.
A Map Analysis of Middle East Immigrants in Detroit and Suburbs, 1961–1974
Authors: Carlson Alvar w.
Published: July 2009

Abstract. Many recent immigrants from the Middle East have located in the Detroit metropolitan area. Data were extracted from Petitions for Naturalization to determine some characteristics of these immigrants and aspects of their settling processes. This source of data could be the basis of new study on the migration and settlement of immigrant ethnic groups in the United States.
A Model for building a Co‐operative World
Authors: Jelden Helmut
Published: July 2009

In November, 1977, a seminar was held in Caracas, the Capital of Venezuela. It was organized by the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM), in which representatives of 17 Latin American countries and observers from Austria, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and the United States of America participated and which dealt with this ‘theme of the future’.

A number of resolutions adopted by the Seminar originated from an address delivered by the author. This address was generally considered to open new perspectives.

The Seminar in Caracas followed a similar one held the year before in San José. In this seminar the foundations were laid for a new form of personal co‐operation between Europe and Latin America.
Do rivers function as genetic barriers for the plateau wood frog at high elevations?
Authors: Zhao S. , Dai Q. , Fu J.
Published: July 2009

Using the plateau wood frog Rana kukunoris from the Hengduan Mountains as a model system, we tested whether rivers form significant genetic barriers (the riverine barrier hypothesis) to high elevation amphibians. Samples were collected from eight sites across three major river drainages, the Min, the Dadu and the Yalong Rivers, and the population genetic structure of these frogs was evaluated with data from eight microsatellite DNA loci. A large amount of genetic structure was found, and the pairwise FST ranged from 0.022 to 0.508 and a global FST was 0.215. Both analysis of molecular variance and isolation by distance analysis suggested that rivers, mountain ridges and geographic distances all contributed significantly to the population structure. However, no single landscape has prominent barrier effect to the plateau wood frog populations. An assignment analysis using the computer program Structure grouped the eight populations into four population clusters, and no single type of landscape can sufficiently explain the clustering. In conclusion, rivers do not appear to be the leading genetic barriers for the plateau wood frog. The strong population genetic structure is likely the consequence of attributes of the species, as opposed to environmental fragmentation, and the barrier effect of the landscapes is largely swamped by the large amount of intrinsic population structure.
Out of the swamp: unidirectional hybridization with weedy species may explain the prevalence of Amaranthus tuberculatus as a weed
Authors: Trucco Federico , Tatum Tatiana , Rayburn A. Lane , Tranel Patrick J.
Published: July 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03077.xFeatured paper: See Commentary, p741
Parsing the componential structure of post‐error ERPs: A principal component analysis of ERPs following errors
Authors: Arbel Yael , Donchin Emanuel
Published: July 2009

We report the results of two experiments designed to clarify the spatial and temporal characteristics of the positive deflection that follows the error related negativity (ERN) elicited to incorrect responses in speeded reaction time tasks. Principal components analysis (PCA) indicates that the positive deflection reported to follow the ERN is composed of two different components: (a) a fronto‐cental positive deflection that follows the ERN and shares its spatial distribution and (b) a P300. When accuracy was required of the participants, the ERN and the P300 were larger in amplitude than when speed and accuracy were equally weighted. On the other hand, the amplitude of the fronto‐central positive component was not affected by the degree to which accuracy was stressed.
The coastal‐disjunct mesic flora in the inland Pacific Northwest of USA and Canada: refugia, dispersal and disequilibrium
Authors: Gavin Daniel G.
Published: July 2009

Aim Understanding the history of the mesic‐adapted plant species of eastern British Columbia and northern Idaho, disjunct from their main coastal distribution, may suggest how biotas reorganize in the face of climate change and dispersal barriers. For different species, current evidence supports establishment of the disjunction via an inland glacial refugium, via recent dispersal from the coast, or via a combination of both. In this study, the modern distributions of the coastal‐disjunct vascular plants are analysed with respect to modern climate to examine how refugia and/or dispersal limitation control regional patterns in species richness.

Location North‐west North America.

Methods The distributions of nine tree and 58 understorey species with a coastal‐disjunct pattern were compiled on a 50‐km grid. The relationship between species richness and an estimate of available moisture was calculated separately for formerly glaciated and unglaciated portions of the coastal and inland regions. Growth habit and dispersal mode were assessed as possible explanatory variables for species distributions.

Results Species richness shows a strong relationship to climate in coastal‐unglaciated areas but no relationship to climate in inland‐glaciated areas. In inland‐glaciated areas, richness isc. 70% lower than that expected from climate. Species with animal‐dispersed seeds occupy a larger portion of coastal and inland regions than species with less dispersal potential.

Main conclusions Modern patterns of diversity are consistent with both refugia and dispersal processes in establishing the coastal‐disjunct pattern. The inland glacial refugium is marked by locally high diversity and several co‐distributed endemics. In the inland‐glaciated area, dispersal limitation has constrained diversity despite the nearby refugia. Onset of mesic climate within only the last 3000 years and the low dispersal capacity of many species in the refugium may explain this pattern. This study suggests that vascular plant species will face significant challenges responding to climate change on fragmented landscapes.
Diatom elemental and morphological changes in response to iron limitation: a brief review with potential paleoceanographic applications
Authors: MARCHETTI A. , CASSAR N.
Published: July 2009

Diatoms are a major group of phytoplankton that account for approximately 40% of the ocean carbon fixation and the vast majority of biogenic silica production through the construction of their cell walls (termed frustules). These frustules accumulate and are partially preserved in the ocean sediments. Diatom growth and nutrient utilization in high‐nitrate, low‐chlorophyll regions of the world’s oceans are mostly regulated by iron availability. Diatoms acclimate to iron limitation by decreasing cell size. The associated increase in surface area‐to‐volume ratio and decrease in diffusive boundary layer thickness may improve nutrient uptake kinetics. In parallel, cellular silicon (Si) contents are elevated in iron‐limited diatoms relative to nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). Variations in degree of silicification and nutritional requirements of iron‐limited diatoms have been hypothesized to account for higher cellular Si and/or lower cellular N and C, respectively. However, in some diatoms, frustule silicification does not significantly change when cells are iron‐limited. Instead, changes in the Si‐containing valve surface area relative to volume within these diatoms is hypothesized to be responsible for the variations in the cellular Si : N and Si : C ratios. In particular, some examined iron‐limited pennate diatoms have reduced widths relative to their lengths (i.e. lower length‐normalized widths, LNW) compared to iron‐replete cells. In the pennate diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, the mean LNWs of valves preserved in sediments throughout the Southern Ocean (a well‐characterized iron‐limited region) is positively correlated with satellite‐derived, climatological net primary productivity in the overlying waters. Because of the specific morphological changes in pennate diatom frustules in response to iron availability, the valve morphometerics (e.g. LNWs) can potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for iron‐limited diatom growth and relative changes in the Si : N (and Si : C) ratios in extant diatom assemblages as well as those preserved in the sediments.
Possible involvement of GABAergic mechanism in protective effect of melatonin against sleep deprivation–induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice
Authors: Kumar Anil , Singh Anant
Published: July 2009

Sleep is an important physiological process responsible for the maintenance of physical, mental and emotional health of a living being. Sleep deprivation is considered risky for several pathological diseases such as anxiety and motor and cognitive dysfunctions. Sleep deprivation has recently been reported to cause oxidative damage. This study has been designed to explore the possible involvement of the GABAergic mechanism in protective effects of melatonin against 72‐h sleep deprivation‐induced behaviour modification and oxidative damage in mice. Mice were sleep‐deprived for a period of 72 h using the grid over water suspended method. Animals were divided into groups of 6–8 animals each. Melatonin (5 and 10 mg/kg), flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg), picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) and muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) were administered for 5 days starting 2 days before 72‐h sleep deprivation. Various behavioural tests (plus maze, zero maze, mirror chamber, actophotometer) and body weight assessment followed by oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde level, glutathione, catalase, nitrite and protein) were carried out. The 72‐h sleep deprivation caused significant anxiety‐like behaviour, weight loss, impaired locomotor activity and oxidative damage as compared with naïve (without sleep deprivation). Treatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg, ip) significantly improved locomotor activity, weight loss and antianxiety effect as compared with control (sleep‐deprived). Biochemically, melatonin treatment significantly restored reduced glutathione, catalase activity, attenuated lipid peroxidation and nitrite level as compared with control animals (72‐h sleep‐deprived). Flumazenil (0.5 mg/kg) and picrotoxin (0.5 mg/kg) pretreatments with a lower dose of melatonin (5 mg/kg) significantly antagonized the protective effect of melatonin. However, muscimol (0.05 mg/kg) pretreatment with melatonin (5 mg/kg, ip) potentiated the protective effect of melatonin which was significant as compared with their effect per se. This study suggests that GABAergic modulation is involved in the protective action of melatonin against sleep deprivation‐induced anxiety‐like behaviour and associated oxidative damage.
Flavocoxid, a dual inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and 5‐lipoxygenase, blunts pro‐inflammatory phenotype activation in endotoxin‐stimulated macrophages
Authors: Altavilla D , Squadrito F , Bitto A , Polito F , Burnett BP , Di Stefano V , Minutoli L
Published: July 2009

Background and purpose:  The flavonoids, baicalin and catechin, from Scutellaria baicalensis and Acacia catechu, respectively, have been used for various clinical applications. Flavocoxid is a mixed extract containing baicalin and catechin, and acts as a dual inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (COX) and 5‐lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes. The anti‐inflammatory activity, measured by protein and gene expression of inflammatory markers, of flavocoxid in rat peritoneal macrophages stimulated with Salmonella enteritidis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated.

Experimental approach:  LPS‐stimulated (1 µg·mL−1) peritoneal rat macrophages were co‐incubated with different concentrations of flavocoxid (32–128 µg·mL−1) or RPMI medium for different incubation times. Inducible COX‐2, 5‐LOX, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and inhibitory protein κB‐α (IκB‐α) levels were evaluated by Western blot analysis. Nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) binding activity was investigated by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) gene and protein expression were measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay respectively. Finally, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite levels in macrophage supernatants were evaluated.

Key results:  LPS stimulation induced a pro‐inflammatory phenotype in rat peritoneal macrophages. Flavocoxid (128 µg·mL−1) significantly inhibited COX‐2 (LPS = 18 ± 2.1; flavocoxid = 3.8 ± 0.9 integrated intensity), 5‐LOX (LPS = 20 ± 3.8; flavocoxid = 3.1 ± 0.8 integrated intensity) and iNOS expression (LPS = 15 ± 1.1; flavocoxid = 4.1 ± 0.4 integrated intensity), but did not modify COX‐1 expression. PGE2 and LTB4 levels in culture supernatants were consequently decreased. Flavocoxid also prevented the loss of IκB‐α protein (LPS = 1.9 ± 0.2; flavocoxid = 7.2 ± 1.6 integrated intensity), blunted increased NF‐κB binding activity (LPS = 9.2 ± 2; flavocoxid = 2.4 ± 0.7 integrated intensity) and the enhanced TNF‐α mRNA levels (LPS = 8 ± 0.9; flavocoxid = 1.9 ± 0.8 n‐fold/β‐actin) induced by LPS. Finally, flavocoxid decreased MDA, TNF and nitrite levels from LPS‐stimulated macrophages.

Conclusion and implications:  Flavocoxid might be useful as a potential anti‐inflammatory agent, acting at the level of gene and protein expression.
Curcumin adds spice to the debate: lipid metabolism in liver disease
Authors: Graham Annette
Published: July 2009

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the major source of the collagens involved in fibrosis and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), undergo a profound loss of lipid and vitamin A storage capacity, as a consequence of a decline in expression of ‘adipogenic’ transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ (PPARγ). By contrast, hepatocytes undergo a micro‐ and macro‐vesicular steatosis, reflecting the accumulation of triacylglycerol, and associated with chronic inflammation and fibrosis. These paradoxical findings are extended in this issue: Kang and Chen demonstrate that while low‐density lipoproteins (LDL) can activate HSCs, curcumin can inhibit this process by activation of PPARγ, which not only represses gene expression of SREBP‐2 and LDLR, but via induction of expression of SREBP‐1c, restores the lipid storage capacity characteristic of quiescent HSCs, suggesting that curcumin may be of therapeutic usage in protecting against liver steatosis and fibrosis.
Into the Field: Naturalistic Education and the Future of Conservation
Authors: HAYES MARK A.
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  Some educational psychologists and researchers have argued that there are multiple ways of being intelligent. In the early 1980s, Howard Gardner presented a theory of multiple intelligences by proposing that humans can be described not by a single kind of intelligence, or intelligence quotient score, but rather by a variety of kinds of intelligence. This idea of considering multiple views of intelligence has helped educators look at intelligence from a less rigid, more expansive perspective. I considered how the relatively new concept of naturalistic intelligence, which is the cognitive potential to process information that is exhibited by expert naturalists, might influence the design of undergraduate biology curricula. Naturalistic intelligence can be fostered in undergraduate biology students by emphasizing the need for well‐rounded scientific naturalists; developing curricula that involves students in outdoor inquiry‐based projects; and helping students learn how to observe both the natural world and their own learning, skills that are essential to developing expert naturalistic knowledge. Professors, graduate students, and administrators can improve the naturalistic intelligence of undergraduate biology students by giving these students opportunities to be involved in outdoor research. Time spent outdoors alone and among people with expertise in natural history, ecology, and conservation biology will have important influences on the knowledge and skills biology undergraduates learn, the careers they pursue, and the contributions they make to conserving Earth's biodiversity.
Identifying Conservation Areas on the Basis of Alternative Distribution Data Sets
Authors: UNDERWOOD JARED G. , D’AGROSA CATERINA , GERBER LEAH R.
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  Distribution data on biodiversity features is a major component of conservation planning that are often inaccurate; thus, the true distribution of each feature is commonly over‐ or underrepresented. The selection of distribution data sets may therefore lead to variability in the spatial configuration and size of proposed reserve networks and uncertainty regarding the extent to which these networks actually contain the biodiversity features they were identified to protect. Our goals were to investigate the impact on reserve selection of choosing different distribution data sets and to propose novel methods to minimize uncertainty about target attainment within reserves. To do so, we used common prioritization methods (richness mapping, systematic reserve design, and a novel approach that integrates multiple types of distribution data) and three types of data on the distribution of mammals (predicted distribution models, occurrence records, and a novel combination of the two) to simulate the establishment of regional biodiversity reserves for the state of Arizona (U.S.A.). Using the results of these simulations, we explored variability in reserve placement and size as a function of the distribution data set. Spatial overlap of reserve networks identified with only predicted distribution data or only occurrence distribution data never exceeded 16%. In pairwise comparisons between reserves created with all three types of distribution data, overlap never achieved 50%. The reserve size required to meet conservation targets also varied with the type of distribution data used and the conservation goal; the largest reserve system was 10 times the smallest. Our results highlight the impact of employing different types of distribution data and identify novel tools for application to existing distribution data sets that can minimize uncertainty about target attainment.
Encephalopathy with status epilepticus during slow sleep: “The Penelope syndrome”
Authors: Tassinari Carlo A. , Cantalupo Gaetano , Rios‐Pohl Loreto , Giustina Elvio Della , Rubboli Guido
Published: July 2009

ESES (encephalopathy with status epilepticus during sleep) is an epileptic encephalopathy with heterogeneous clinical manifestations (cognitive, motor, and behavioral disturbances in different associations, and various seizure types) related to a peculiar electroencephalography (EEG) pattern characterized by paroxysmal activity significantly activated during slow sleep—that is, a condition of continuous spikes and waves, or status epilepticus, during sleep. The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying this condition are still incompletely understood; recent data suggest that the abnormal epileptic EEG activity occurring during sleep might cause the typical clinical symptoms by interfering with sleep‐related physiologic functions, and possibly neuroplasticity processes mediating higher cortical functions such as learning and memory consolidation. As in the myth of Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, what is weaved during the day will be unraveled during the night.
Specific language impairment versus Landau‐Kleffner syndrome
Authors: Billard Catherine , Fluss Joel , Pinton Florence
Published: July 2009

The occurrence of sleep electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities in some children with specific language impairment (SLI), the various forms of language dysfunction patterns seen in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS), and finally the acquired aphasia in Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS) indicate a large spectrum of interactions between language and epilepsy. As such, the question is whether SLI and LKS should rather be considered along a continuum or as two entirely distinct entities. In addition, the rationale for using antiepileptic medications in rare forms of SLI is discussed.
The epileptic hypothesis: Developmentally related arguments based on animal models
Authors: Galanopoulou Aristea S. , Moshé Solomon L.
Published: July 2009

The significant morbidity linked to epileptic encephalopathies of childhood has prompted the need to identify and dissect the factors and mechanisms that contribute to the resultant functional regression. Although experiments specifically assessing language in rodents are difficult to design, a number of studies have shed light on the conditions that contribute to the functional deterioration. In particular, interictal spikes and seizures, especially if prolonged or frequent, may cause acute or long‐lasting effects on brain functioning and development, which may impair performance in a variety of behavioral tests. These effects are further modified by a number of genetic, biological, and epigenetic factors, including age, sex, and underlying pathology, which further diversify outcome. Of special importance is the developmental age when the epileptic disorder manifests, because it may dictate outcome but also may be a deciding factor in selecting appropriate therapies.
Insights into the pathophysiology of psychomotor regression in CSWS syndromes from FDG‐PET and EEG‐fMRI
Authors: De Tiège Xavier , Goldman Serge , Van Bogaert Patrick
Published: July 2009

Epilepsy syndromes with continuous spikes‐and‐waves during slow sleep (CSWS) are age‐related epileptic encephalopathies characterized by the development of various types of psychomotor regression in close temporal concordance with the appearance of the electroencephalography (EEG) pattern of CSWS. Functional cerebral imaging studies performed in children with CSWS have shown evidence for the existence of increase in metabolism or perfusion at the site of the epileptic focus, associated with decrease in metabolism or perfusion in distant and connected brain areas. Longitudinal [18F]‐fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography (FDG‐PET) studies and effective connectivity analyses have suggested the existence of a pathophysiologic link between increases and decreases in metabolism/perfusion that could be explained by the theory of remote inhibition. These findings highlight that the psychomotor regression observed in CSWS syndromes is not only related to the neurophysiologic impairment at the site of the epileptic foci but also to epilepsy‐induced neurophysiologic changes in distant connected brain areas.
Magnetoencephalography in Landau‐Kleffner syndrome
Authors: Paetau Ritva
Published: July 2009

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) detects weak magnetic fields outside the head. Spikes generated on the perisylvian convexity are detected only by electroencephalography (EEG), whereas spikes with intrasylvian generators are selectively seen by MEG. Generators of MEG and EEG spikes are determined using equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) that represent local cortical activity in parallel pyramidal neurons. MEG localizes cortical spike generators with a 1–2‐cm spatial accuracy, and with a millisecond time resolution. This allows tracking of neural activity over successive synaptic connections in the cortical network. Both EEG and MEG are necessary for comprehensive spatial and temporal description of perisylvian epileptic networks in the Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS). MEG studies suggest that in more than 80% of LKS patients, the bilateral epileptic discharges are generated in the auditory‐ and language‐related perisylvian cortex. Approximately 20% of children with LKS children have a unilateral perisylvian pacemaker that triggers secondary bilateral synchrony of spikes. This 20% may regain considerable language skills after multiple subpial transections (MSTs) of the pacemaker area. Outcome data of a few surgery patients suggest an indispensable role of MEG when planning the most efficient therapy for patients with LKS.
Landau‐Kleffner syndrome and CSWS syndrome: Treatment with intravenous immunoglobulins
Authors: Arts Willem F. M. , Aarsen Femke K. , Scheltens‐de Boer Marjan , Catsman‐Berrevoets Coriene E.
Published: July 2009

This study reports results of therapy with immunoglobulin in children with Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS) or the syndrome of continuous spikes and waves during sleep (CSWS syndrome). In a prospective study, children diagnosed between 2002 and 2006 with either LKS or CSWS syndrome were treated soon after diagnosis with intravenous courses of immunoglobulin (IVIg). We compared the results with those reported in the literature and with data from a retrospective survey of our earlier patients. Six children (two girls), aged 4–9 years, were included. Three had LKS, and three had CSWS syndrome. One child—with typical LKS—had been treated with prednisone before (without response). No patient had seizures during IVIg treatment and follow‐up. Their electroencephalography (EEG) findings did not improve. Neuropsychological improvement occurred in one child with CSWS syndrome. Three children did not show any beneficial effect; they were subsequently treated with steroids, one with a clearly positive result. We conclude that successful treatment of LKS and CSWS syndrome with IVIg occurs occasionally. However, the improvement cannot always be clearly attributed to this. It might also reflect the natural course of the disease. Although the temporal relation between IVIg treatment and clinical improvement cannot be denied in individual patients, its real value remains to be determined.
Rational treatment options with AEDs and ketogenic diet in Landau‐Kleffner syndrome: Still waiting after all these years
Authors: Lagae Lieven
Published: July 2009

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) remain a first treatment approach in Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS) and related syndromes. In the current literature, only class IV evidence is available. Inclusion criteria and outcome parameters are ill‐defined. Most commonly, valproate, ethosuximide, and/or benzodiazepines are used. More recent case series show that sulthiame and especially levetiracetam can be considered as effective drugs. Smaller studies also point to the ketogenic diet as a valuable treatment option in LKS.
The assessment of auditory function in CSWS: Lessons from long‐term outcome
Authors: Metz‐Lutz Marie‐Noëlle
Published: July 2009

In Landau‐Kleffner syndrome (LKS), the prominent and often first symptom is auditory verbal agnosia, which may affect nonverbal sounds. It was early suggested that the subsequent decline of speech expression might result from defective auditory analysis of the patient’s own speech. Indeed, despite normal hearing levels, the children behave as if they were deaf, and very rapidly speech expression deteriorates and leads to the receptive aphasia typical of LKS. The association of auditory agnosia more or less restricted to speech with severe language decay prompted numerous studies aimed at specifying the defect in auditory processing and its pathophysiology. Long‐term follow‐up studies have addressed the issue of the outcome of verbal auditory processing and the development of verbal working memory capacities following the deprivation of phonologic input during the critical period of language development. Based on a review of neurophysiologic and neuropsychological studies of auditory and phonologic disorders published these last 20 years, we discuss the association of verbal agnosia and speech production decay, and try to explain the phonologic working memory deficit in the late outcome of LKS within the Hickok and Poeppel dual‐stream model of speech processing.
CULTIVATION OF ARTHROSPIRA (SPIRULINA) PLATENSIS (CYANOPHYCEAE) BY FED‐BATCH ADDITION OF AMMONIUM CHLORIDE AT EXPONENTIALLY INCREASING FEEDING RATES1
Authors: Carvalho João Carlos M. , Francisco Fernando R. , Almeida Kleber A. , Sato Sunao , Converti Attilio
Published: July 2009

Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis (Nordstedt) Gomont was cultivated under light‐limited conditions in 5‐L open tanks by daily supplying NH4Cl as nitrogen source. Exponentially increasing feeding rates were adopted to prevent ammonia toxicity. The total feeding time (T) was varied between 12 and 20 days, and the starting (m0) and total (mT) quantities of the nitrogen source per unit reactor volume were varied in the ranges 0.19–1.7 mM and 2.3–23.1 mM, respectively. This intermittent addition of the nitrogen source prevented ammonia from reaching inhibitory levels and ensured final cell concentrations (Xm) and cell productivities (Px) comparable with those of batch runs with KNO3. Moreover, the lower nitrogen addition due to the use of NH4Cl rather than KNO3 allowed for higher nitrogen‐to‐cell conversions (Yx/n). These results were evaluated using three‐factor, five‐level, central composite experimental planning, combined with the response surface methodology, selecting T, m0, and mT as the independent variables and Xm, Px, and Yx/n as the response variables. This approach allowed us to identify, through the simultaneous optimization of the variables, T=16 days, m0=1.7 mM, and mT=21.5 mM as the best conditions for A. platensis cultivation at 72 μmol photons·m−2·s−1. Under these conditions, a maximum cell concentration of 1239 mg ·L−1 was obtained, which is a value comparable with that obtained using KNO3 as nitrogen source and nearly coincident with the theoretical one estimated by the response surface methodology.
Risks of Ingestion of Aflatoxin‐Contaminated Groundnuts in Benin: Scale Measurements, Beliefs, and Socioeconomic Factors
Authors: Jolly C. M. , Bayard B. , Vodouhe S.
Published: July 2009

This study evaluates farmers' beliefs and perceived risks of aflatoxin (AF) on the consumption, production, and marketing of groundnuts. A survey was conducted with 181 farmers in Benin to assess their beliefs of AF effects on the marketing of groundnuts, and finally human and animal health. Awareness and action factors were also evaluated. Relationships of the belief and action factors with socioeconomic variables were evaluated using multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) models within a socioeconomic framework using a health belief model (HBM). The results indicate that the scale of the various constructs is reliable and the validity conforms to expectations. The unifactorial models developed in this study provide a satisfactory fit with NFl, CFI, and GFI exceeding 0.90. The results reveal that gender, age, and years of experience in farming significantly impact farmers' action regarding the reduction of AF in groundnut production and marketing. Male farmers are more likely to be aware of AF problems in groundnuts and feel more susceptible to the problems than their female counterparts. Gender and education seem to be dominating factors in the perception of barriers to mitigating the effects of AF, and male and older farmers are more likely to perceive the benefits of producing and marketing good quality groundnuts.
Strong and persistent microbial and inflammatory stimuli overcome the genetic predisposition to higher matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) expression: a mechanistic explanation for the lack of association of MMP1‐1607 single‐nucleotide polymorphism genotypes with MMP‐1 expression in chronic periodontitis lesions
Authors: Repeke Carlos Eduardo , Trombone Ana Paula Favaro , Ferreira Jr. Samuel B. , Cardoso Cristina R. , Silveira Elcia Maria , Martins Jr. Walter , Trevilatto Paula Cristina , Silva João Santana , Campanelli Ana Paula , Garlet Gustavo Pompermaier
Published: July 2009

Aims: Our objective was to evaluate the association between the MMP1‐1607 single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), periodontopathogens and inflammatory cytokines with matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) mRNA levels in vitro and in vivo.

Materials and Methods: This study investigated the influence of genetic (MMP1‐1607 SNP), microbial (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) and inflammatory [tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β)] factors on the determination of MMP‐1 mRNA levels in periodontal tissues of non‐smoker chronic periodontitis (CP, N=178) and control (C, N=190) groups. The effects of single and repeated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokine stimulation of macrophages with distinct MMP1‐1607 SNP genotypes were also investigated.

Results: In healthy tissues, the MMP1‐1607 2G allele was associated with higher MMP‐1 levels while in CP MMP‐1 levels were associated with the presence and load of periodontopathogens, and also with TNF‐α and IL‐1β expression irrespective of the MMP1‐1607 genotype. In vitro data demonstrate that in 2G macrophages low‐ and intermediate‐dose LPS and TNF‐α+IL‐1β stimulation was associated with increased MMP‐1 expression, while strong and repeated stimulation resulted in higher MMP‐1 levels irrespective of the MMP1‐1607 genotype.

Conclusion: Our data demonstrate a limited role for MMP1‐1607 SNP in periodontitis, where the extensive chronic antigenic challenge exposure overcomes the genetic control and plays a major role in the determination of MMP‐1 expression.
More to learn about: periodontitis‐related knowledge and its relationship with periodontal health behaviour
Authors: Deinzer Renate , Micheelis Wolfgang , Granrath Nicole , Hoffmann Thomas
Published: July 2009

Aim: To assess periodontitis‐related knowledge and its relation to oral health behaviour on a community level and to identify target groups and major topics for health education interventions.

Material and Methods: By means of a multistratified, stochastic telephone survey, 1001 interviews with Germans older than 14 years were carried out. Participants answered questions on the definition, aetiology, and risk factors of periodontal disease and on the risks associated with and measures to prevent them. They also reported on their current oral health behaviour.

Results: Severe knowledge deficits were found with respect to all topics. No consistent relationships with age or education were found, although less educated and very young and old people tended to show the greatest deficits. Knowledge of preventive measures was most strongly related to current oral health behaviour.

Conclusions: Health education on periodontal diseases must be improved on a community level, although schoolchildren, older citizens and the less educated are the groups most in need. Interventions should focus on preventive measures.
Islands in the ice: colonisation routes for rock ptarmigan to the Svalbard archipelago
Authors: Sahlman Tobias , Segelbacher Gernot , Hoglund Jacob
Published: July 2009

The ancestors of rock ptarmigan Lagopus muta originated in the Beringia area well before the disruption of the Beringian land bridge. They spread westwards to Siberia and eastwards to the North American arctic and Greenland. The distribution of rock ptarmigan has been affected by glaciations restricting it to geographically limited refugia. Today the species has a circumpolar distribution in arctic tundra and alpine habitats, with up to 30 subspecies recognised based on morphological characters. We sequenced the mitochondrial control region for 72 individuals and genotyped 69 individuals for 12 microsatellite loci to investigate neutral genetic variation within and among five rock ptarmigan populations, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, Svalbard and Taimyr. Genetic structure among the studied samples was high, overall FST estimated from microsatellite loci was 0.18 and only one out of 16 mtDNA haplotypes was found in more than one population. Genetic variation (h, π, He, allelic richness) was slightly lower in the Svalbard population than in other populations, suggesting a low effective population size, possibly due to isolation following colonisation. An unrooted network and a phylogenetic tree showed that the Scandinavian population has diverged from the other populations by at least ten mutational steps, probably due to independent colonisation of Europe and subsequent long‐term isolation, and rules out Scandinavia as a source for colonisation of Svalbard. Alignment with partial control region sequences from other studies showed that the haplotype that was central in our network and found on Svalbard and in Taimyr, most likely corresponds to a haplotype found in Siberia, Alaska and the Canadian Arctic, but not in Greenland, Scandinavia and Iceland. This suggests an eastern origin of rock ptarmigan in Svalbard, although this question cannot be settled conclusively.
Age‐dependent changes in skin surface assessed by a novel two‐dimensional image analysis
Authors: Zou Yaobin , Song Enmin , Jin Renchao
Published: July 2009

Background/purpose: Skin microrelief has been studied using various methods and devices. However, the long duration of time needed to process one sample or the expensive equipment hampered the use of those systems for routine diagnosis. Today, the emergence of new software and hardware technologies may allow this issue to be resolved.

Methods: To characterize objectively the skin surface, we introduced a new parameter SPm, namely, the area mean of superficial skin texture block formed by primary and secondary lines crossing each other. Based on the skin detector produced by the Boseview Technology Company, we developed a software for acquiring automatically skin images and calculating SPm. The relationship between SPm and age was studied on the dorsal and ventral midway of the forearm (sun‐exposed and sun‐protected areas) of 94 healthy volunteers without a history of smoking.

Results: The skin surface topography can be conveniently quantified with the new parameter SPm. The value of SPm of both sites increases with age, independent of sex, with the site more exposed to light being more affected.

Conclusion: With the software developed, the details of the skin surface can be observed. SPm appears to be a new valid parameter for characterizing the property of the skin surface. Our method, alone or in combination with other technologies of skin topography analysis may be applied in routine diagnosis for a quantified evaluation of skin aging.
Neonatal airway obstruction caused by rapidly growing nasopharyngeal teratoma
Authors: Maartens IA , Wassenberg T , Halbertsma FJ , Marres HAM , Andriessen P
Published: July 2009

A case report is presented of a rapidly growing congenital nasopharyngeal teratoma (epignathus) in a preterm infant, leading to severe upper airway obstruction. Prenatal diagnosis by ultrasonography did not reveal the condition because the tumour masses were initially small and there was no polyhydramnios. Epignathus is a rare cause of upper airway obstruction of the newborn that can grow rapidly in the neonatal period and should be treated surgically.

Conclusion:  Epignathus is a rare cause of upper airway obstruction of the newborn that can grow rapidly in the neonatal period.
The Association Between Partner Enhancement and Self‐Enhancement and Relationship Quality Outcomes
Authors: Busby Dean M. , Holman Thomas B. , Niehuis Sylvia
Published: July 2009

The purpose of this research was to understand in greater detail, using 2 samples (Study 1 N = 4,881 heterosexual couples; Study 2 N = 335 heterosexual couples who completed the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire), how partner or self‐enhancement patterns differentially influence relationship outcomes. A multivariate analysis of covariance was conducted comparing 4 outcome measures for different couple types in which individuals rated the partner higher, the same, or lower than they rated themselves on affability. Couples in which both individuals perceived themselves as more affable than the partner experienced poorer results on the relationship outcome measures, whereas couples in which both individuals perceived the partner's personality as more affable than their own experienced more positive relationship outcomes. Additional analyses with structural equation models demonstrated the consistent influence of enhancement measures on relationship outcomes for cross‐sectional and longitudinal samples.
Structural and Biophysical Characterization of XIAP BIR3 G306E Mutant: Insights in Protein Dynamics and Application for Fragment‐Based Drug Design
Authors: Moore Cathy D. , Wu Haihong , Bolaños Ben , Bergqvist Simon , Brooun Alexei , Pauly Tom , Nowlin Dawn
Published: July 2009

Previous reports describe modulators of X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP)–caspase interaction designed from the AVPI N‐terminal peptide sequence of second mitochondria‐derived activator of caspase. A fragment‐based drug design strategy was initiated to identify therapeutic non‐peptidomimetic antagonists of X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein–protein interactions. Fragments that bind to the AVPI binding site of BIR3 (bacculoviral inhibitory repeat) were identified, and to further localize the fragment binding within the AVPI binding site, a point mutation was designed which alters the dynamics of flexible loops and blocks PI region of the binding cleft, thus enabling definition of weakly bound small molecules in the AV portion of the binding cleft. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis confirmed the G306E mutation stabilizes the AV pocket. Biophysical characterization of the mutant confirms conformation change within the PI sub‐pocket as evidenced by a significant diminishment in binding affinity of AVPI mimetics, yet the binding affinity of the smaller AV mimetics is maintained or slightly improved in the mutant compared with wild‐type. Additional data from non‐covalent mass spectrometry analysis shows enhanced binding of AV mimetics to the G306E mutant over the wild‐type. The presented data outline a protein engineering strategy that allowed mapping of AV‐replacements with better sensitivity and precision.
Law and Politics Reconsidered: A New Constitutional History of Dred Scott
Authors: Leonard Gerald
Published: July 2009

This essay synthesizes recent writing on the constitutional history of slavery, featuring Mark Graber's Dred Scott and the Problem of Constitutional Evil (2006). It offers a historical and legal analysis of Dred Scott that attempts to clarify the roles of both law and politics in controversial judicial decisions. It joins Graber in rehabilitating Chief Justice Taney's Dred Scott opinion as a plausible implementation of a Constitution that was born in slavery and grew only more suffused with slavery over time. It integrates much recent writing on the social, political, and constitutional history of slavery to develop the context in which the Dred Scott opinions must be read. And it finds that Justice Curtis's celebrated dissent amounted to an unjudicial manipulation of the law, albeit for the higher purpose of striking at the political hegemony of the slaveholding class.

This essay is an abridgement of a longer work (Leonard 2009) that offers, among other things, further analysis of the unjudicial character of Curtis's dissent.
Stochastic modelling of mean monthly flows of Karasu River, in Turkey
Authors: Şengül Selim , Can İbrahim
Published: July 2009

Stochastic modelling of streamflows is vital for planning water resource systems. In this study, a stochastic model of the mean monthly streamflows at 2154 Aşağιkağdariç Gauging Station on Karasu River was constructed. Studies were carried out using data from the water yearbooks published by chk later onEIE. The modelling procedure for streamflows with constant coefficient autoregressive moving average (ARMA) models was given in detail and indicated models were constructed. Analysis with streamflows at 2154 Aşağιkağdariç Gauging Station showed that the autoregressive (AR) (1) model is the most appropriate model among the competing models. While selecting the most efficient model the Akaike information criterion (AIC) was used. The Port–Manteau test showed that residuals are white noise series. Using the AR(1) model, 100 synthetic series were generated and the time series generated were found to have the same statistical parameters (monthly mean, monthly standard deviation and autocorrelation) as historic time series within 95% confidence intervals.