bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minocycline Reduces Neuronal Death and Attenuates Microglial Response after Pediatric Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Tang Minke , Alexander Henry , Clark Robert SB , Kochanek Patrick M , Kagan Valerian E , Bayır Hülya
Published: September 2009

The mechanisms leading to delayed neuronal death after asphyxial cardiac arrest (ACA) in the developing brain are unknown. This study aimed at investigating the possible role of microglial activation in neuronal death in developing brain after ACA. Postnatal day-17 rats were subjected to 9 mins of ACA followed by resuscitation. Rats were randomized to treatment with minocycline, (90 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) or vehicle (saline, i.p.) at 1 h after return of spontaneous circulation. Thereafter, minocycline (22.5 mg/kg, i.p.) was administrated every 12 h until sacrifice. Microglial activation (evaluated by immunohistochemistry using ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 (Iba1) antibody) coincided with DNA fragmentation and neurodegeneration in CA1 hippocampus and cortex (assessed by deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), Fluoro-Jade-B and Nissl stain). Minocycline significantly decreased both the microglial response and neuronal degeneration compared with the vehicle. Asphyxial CA significantly enhanced proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine levels in hippocampus versus control (assessed by multiplex bead array assay), specifically tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), and growth-related oncogene (GRO-KC) ( P<0.05). Minocycline attenuated ACA-induced increases in MIP-1α and RANTES ( P<0.05). These data show that microglial activation and cytokine production are increased in immature brain after ACA. The beneficial effect of minocycline suggests an important role for microglia in selective neuronal death after pediatric ACA, and a possible therapeutic target.
GIT1 is a novel MEK1–ERK1/2 scaffold that localizes to focal adhesions
Authors: Zhang Ning , Cai Weihua , Yin Guoyong , Nagel David J. , Berk Bradford C.
Published: September 2009

Cell polarity is critical for cell migration and requires localized signal transduction in subcellular domains. Recent evidence demonstrates that activation of ERK1/2 (extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase 1/2) in focal adhesions is essential for cell migration. GIT1 (G‐protein‐coupled receptor kinase‐interacting protein 1) has been shown to bind paxillin and regulate focal‐adhesion disassembly. We have previously reported that GIT1 binds to MEK1 [MAPK (mitogen‐activated protein kinase)/ERK kinase 1] and acts as a scaffold to enhance ERK1/2 activation in response to EGF (epidermal growth factor). In the present study we show that GIT1 associates with ERK1/2 in focal adhesions and this association increases after EGF stimulation. The CC (coiled‐coil) domain of ERK1/2 is required for association with GIT1, translocation to focal adhesions, and cell spreading and migration. Immunofluorescent staining showed that, after EGF stimulation, GIT1 co‐localized with pERK1/2 (phosphorylated ERK1/2) in focal adhesions. The binding of GIT1 and ERK1/2 was functionally important, since transfecting an ERK2 mutant lacking the CC domain [ERK2(del CC)] significantly decreased pERK1/2 translocation to focal adhesions, cell spreading and migration induced by EGF. In summary, the CC domain of ERK1/2 is necessary for binding to GIT1, for ERK1/2 activation in focal adhesions, and for cell spreading and migration.
Grain & Graze: an innovative triple bottom line approach to collaborative and multidisciplinary mixed-farming systems research, development and extension
Authors: Price R. J. , Hacker R. B.
Published: September 2009

The Grain & Graze program attempted to improve the ‘triple bottom line’ of mixed-farming systems in Australia through a major program of research, development and extension (RD&E) that operated across nine regions, with a total budget of A$31million provided by four R&D corporations and over 60 regional partners. Regional activities were complemented by a series of national projects and management and governance arrangements were organised at both regional and national levels with significant producer input. While the two-tiered management structure resulted in both tensions and opportunities the outputs of the program were substantial including 278 demonstration and trial sites, 180 training courses, over 200 publications, tools and manuals, over 100 research papers and a database of national and regional data. Over 8000 producers participated in program events, over 5000 actively trialled new activities and around 3200 adopted recommended practices despite severely unfavourable seasonal conditions over the 5 years of the program. A return on investment of 3.4 : 1 for the core funders was comparable to some other agricultural RD&E programs if lower than others. The program expanded the scope of farming systems RD&E in Australia through explicit recognition of the triple bottom line and development of formal and informal approaches to integration across these dimensions. It established regional and inter-regional networks of producers and scientists that can be expected to have ongoing significance. The papers that follow in this special issue reflect the magnitude of the program’s achievements.
Quatre prépositions causales du français
Authors: Iordanskaja Lidija , Arbatchewsky-Jumarie N.
Published: September 2009

The paper studies the meaning and the cooccurrence of four French prepositions used to express the causal relation: À CAUSE DE, SOUS L’EFFET DE, DE, and PAR. Each preposition is characterized along the three following aspects: (1) the type of causation it expresses (direct? with contact? with unity of time?); (2) semantic restrictions on the complement of the preposition — the noun phrase that denotes the cause, as well as on the phrase governing the preposition and denoting the effect; (3) the preposition’s lexical and syntactic restricted cooccurrence. The lexicographic descriptions of the four prepositions are presented.
The role of discourse, syntax and the lexicon in determining the nature and extent of focus
Authors: Lombardi Vallauri Edoardo
Published: September 2009

Summary

The paper compares broad focus, narrow focus and contrastive focus in English and Italian. It concludes that a focus cannot have a contrastive meaning unless some precise syntactic and discourse features “preliminarly” make it a narrow focus. The comparison between broad and narrow focus should be made on a syntactic and discourse level, whereas the relationship between narrow and contrastive focus is better described in semantic terms. In particular, a narrow focus arises when the intonational prominence is in a marked position, i.e. not only a position which is marked for the intonational prominence as such, but also any position that is marked for the constituent that bears the prominence. One difference in this respect between order in English (more fixed) and in Italian (less fixed) is analysed, leading to the conclusion that some relationships with narrow focus usually attributed to specific syntactic roles are better seen as a matter of simple position of the constituents. The different factors that cause contrastive focus (such as words belonging to closed paradigms, focus on given information, etc.) are analysed comparatively and a classification is suggested in terms of paradigmatic vs. syntagmatic contrast.
The Role of Colonization in the Pathogenesis of Nosocomial Infections
Authors: Bonten Marc J.M. , Weinstein Robert A.
Published: September 2009

The close relationship between colonization and the development of nosocomial infections has been demonstrated. Patient-related factors, such as underlying illness for all major sites of infection and advanced age, and pathogen-related factors, such as the ability of bacteria to adhere to epithelial cells, play the major roles in the pathogenesis of colonization. However, exact mechanisms of colonization have not been elucidated, and modulation of bacterial adherence as a method of infection prevention remains experimental. Current methods of infection prevention, therefore, focus either on preventing growth of colonizing microorganisms or on preventing patient-pathogen contact. Topical antibiotics have been used as a method of colonization prevention. However, their effectiveness may be limited by increases in antibiotic resistance; moreover, the effects on patient outcome are controversial. Maintenance of the physiologic mucosal environment using nonantimicrobial agents seems a promising approach, but only a few studies demonstrating efficacy have been published. Prevention of colonization still must rely heavily on basic infection control measures to prevent contact between patient and pathogen.
Risk Factors Associated With Isolation of Stenotrophomonas (Xanthomonas) maltophilia in Clinical Specimens
Authors: VanCouwenberghe Carolyn J. , Farver Thomas B. , Cohen Stuart H.
Published: September 2009

Objective:

To determine risk factors for patients whose cultures grew Stenotrophomonas maltophilia.

Design:

Retrospective case-control study of 60 patients with cultures positive for S maltophilia, matched by specimen site to 120 controls whose cultures grew other gram-negative aerobic bacteria.

Setting:

University medical center.

Results:

S maltophilia was identified from the following sites: respiratory (36), wound (13), urinary (6), blood (4), and cerebral spinal fluid (1). By univariate analysis, cases had a higher risk of exposure than controls for ampicillin (P<.001), gentamicin (P<.001), vancomycin (P=.001), metronidazole (P=.003), piperacillin (P=.007), cefotaxime (P=.014), ceftazidime (P=.017), ciprofloxacin (P=.030), tobramycin (P=.040), and chronic respiratory disease (P=.024). Length of time foreign objects were in place prior to positive culture differed significantly between cases and controls only for endotracheal tubes in patients with respiratory isolates (median number of days: 12.5 for cases, 5 for controls; P=.007). For patients with urinary tract infections, having a urinary catheter increased the odds of infection 10 times over controls. Exposures found by multivariate analysis to be significantly more prevalent in cases than controls included ampicillin, cefotaxime, erythromycin, gentamicin, metronidazole, piperacillin, tobramycin, chronic respiratory disease, and female gender. Odds ratios were >1 indicating higher risk for cases, except for erythromycin, which had an odds ratio <1.

Conclusions:

The primary risk factor associated with isolation of S maltophilia was antibiotic use. For patients with pulmonary infections, chronic respiratory disease and length of time an endotracheal tube was in place also contributed to the risk. This suggests that judicious use of antibiotics may prevent some cases of S maltophilia infection.
Effects of egg size, parental origin and feeding conditions on growth of larval and juvenile cod Gadus morhua
Authors: Paulsen H. , Kjesbu O. S. , Buehler V. , Case R. A. J. , Clemmesen C. , Carvalho G. , Hauser L. , Hutchinson W . F. , Moksness E. , OTTERå H. , Thorsen A. , SVåSAND T.
Published: September 2009

An experimental study was performed to disentangle parental and environmental effects on the growth of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua larvae and juveniles. Eggs were collected during the spawning season from spawning pairs (families) kept separately in specially designed spawning compartments. Newly hatched larvae were released simultaneously into two mesocosms of 2500 and 4400 m3. Larval growth was monitored by sampling over a 10 week period, after which juveniles were transferred to on‐growing tanks, where they were tagged and kept for up to 2 years. Maternal origin was determined by individual microsatellite genotyping of the larvae (n = 3949, 24 families) and juveniles (n = 600). The results showed significant positive correlations between egg size and larval size during the whole mesocosm period. Correlations, however, weakened with time and were no longer significant at the first tank‐rearing sampling at an age of 9 months. Significant family‐specific differences in growth were observed. The coefficient of variation (c.v.) was calculated in order to examine variation in standard length of larvae during the mesocosm period. Inter‐family c.v. was on average 69% of intra‐family c.v. Differences in zooplankton densities between the two mesocosms were reflected in larval growth, condition factor and c.v. Low food abundance appeared to reduce c.v. and favour growth of larvae that showed relatively slow growth at high food abundance. It is suggested that genetically determined variation in growth potential is maintained by environmental variability.
Persistent parental effects on the survival and size, but not burst swimming performance of juvenile sockeye salmonOncorhynchus nerka
Authors: Nadeau P. S. , Hinch S. G. , Pon L. B. , Patterson D. A.
Published: September 2009

Sockeye salmonOncorhynchus nerkawere used as a model in an artificial fertilization experiment to investigate the relationships between individual adultO. nerkaand their offspring. Survival, size and burst swimming ability were assessed in fry of known parentage (adult spawners from the Weaver Creek population, British Columbia, Canada). Maternal identity significantly affected the survival rate of eggs at hatch time, though this effect did not extend to fry life stages. The results were also suggestive of a paternal effect on both egg and fry survival, though this could not be separated from the experimental block design. After 4 months of exogenous feeding, fry mass remained under significant maternal influence, though fork length did not, despite having a high correlation with mass. Burst swimming performance was highly variable among individuals, and was not significantly influenced by maternal identity or individual fry size. Collectively, the findings presented here suggest that maternal, and possibly paternal, effects can be integral components of population dynamics in the early life stages ofO. nerka. A good understanding of these factors will be essential for scientists and fisheries managers in developing a more holistic view of population‐level spawning success and fry survival.
Interannual distribution of Pacific hake Merluccius productus larvae in the southern part of the California Current
Authors: Funes‐Rodríguez R. , Elorduy‐Garay J. F. , Hinojosa‐Medina A. , Zárate‐Villafranco A.
Published: September 2009

The interannual distribution of early life stages of Pacific hake Merluccius productus, within the southern part of the California Current (32–23° N) from 1951 to 2001, was examined to describe the relationship between spawning habitat and environmental conditions. Mean annual abundance was affected by different factors along the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. In the northern areas (Ensenada and Punta Baja), reduced abundance of larvae coincided with the El Niño and a North Pacific Ocean climatic regime shift, but in the southern areas (San Ignacio to Bahía Magdalena), the drastic reductions suggested a fishery effect for large adults of the coastal migratory population, starting in 1966. Two spawning stocks, coastal and dwarf, were evident in comparisons of latitudinal differences in occurrence of early stages and differences in temperature preferences that seemed to break at Punta Eugenia.
The reproductive ecology of the southern red tabira bitterling Acheilognathus tabira jordani in Japan
Authors: Oshiumi C. , Kitamura J.
Published: September 2009

The life history, population and reproductive variables of the southern red tabira bitterling Acheilognathus tabira jordani were investigated in a lowland reach of the River Ohara in Shimane Prefecture, western Honshu, Japan. Acheilognathus t. jordani, like all other species of bitterling, lays its eggs on the gills of freshwater mussels. It was the only species of bitterling present in the study reach, and three species of bivalve mussel were available to it for spawning: Anemina arcaeformis, Anodonta lauta and Corbicula leana. Spawning by A.t. jordani was recorded between early April and early July in 2003 and began at a size of 38· 0 mm standard length (LS) in the 1+ age class. Ovipositor length (LOP) during oviposition was positively correlated with female LS, and showed significant seasonal variation, with a mean ±s.d.LOP of 27· 5 ± 5· 3 mm ranging from 16· 8 to 42· 0 mm during the spawning period, which was shorter than that of a previously studied A. t. tabira population. Eggs of this subspecies are relatively long and elliptic in shape, with a volume of c. 2· 4 mm3. Egg number correlated positively with female LS and both egg shape and volume changed significantly with season. The population size of adults was estimated to be 850 individuals, and comprised age 0+ to 3+ individuals with LS ranging from 12· 0 to 72· 2 mm. The population sex ratio was significantly female biased, with seven females: three males. Egg shape and size and LOP during oviposition in the present A. tabira population may be the result of local adaptations to the mussel species utilized and no competition with other bitterling species for spawning sites.
Disjunct distributions in Gerris species (Insecta: Hemiptera: Gerridae): an analysis based on spatial and taxonomic patterns of genetic diversity
Authors: Gagnon M.‐C. , Turgeon J.
Published: September 2009

Aim  To perform a comparative analysis of distribution and genetic diversity in three closely related water strider species (Gerris) in order to shed light on a putative disjunct distribution in Gerris gillettei.

Location  Canada and the western United States.

Methods  Entomological collections from Canada and the United States were surveyed for records of Gerris pingreensis, G. gillettei and Gerris incognitus in order to establish the distribution range of each species. Using samples from present populations, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence variation were used to construct minimum‐spanning networks. Distribution patterns and genetic diversity were then compared among species.

Results  Our results showed that G. incognitus is a genetically distinct species with an unsuspected disjunct distribution. Gerris pingreensis and G. gillettei were found to share genetic polymorphism and they displayed spatial differences only in terms of haplotype distribution, suggesting that they form a single species.

Main conclusions  Distributional and molecular information uncover unusual distribution patterns and underline taxonomic uncertainty in a group of three closely related Gerris species. Vicariance and failure to recolonize following the last glaciation could explain the G. incognitus disjunction. Morphological and DNA‐based species identifications suggest different post‐glacial recolonization processes for G. pingreensis and G. gillettei. The putative discontinuous range of G. gillettei may be explained as disjunct phenotypes of a single species.
Characterization and evolution of two bacteriome‐inhabiting symbionts in cixiid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Pentastirini)
Authors: Bressan Alberto , Arneodo Joel , Simonato Mauro , Haines William P. , Boudon‐Padieu Elisabeth
Published: September 2009

Like other plant sap‐sucking insects, planthoppers within the family Cixiidae (Insecta: Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) host a diversified microbiota. We report the identification and first molecular characterization of symbiotic bacteria in cixiid planthoppers (tribe: Pentastirini). Using universal eubacterial primers we first screened the eubacterial 16S rRNA sequences in Pentastiridius leporinus (Linnaeus) with PCR amplification, cloning, and restriction fragment analysis. We identified three main 16S rRNA sequences that corresponded to a Wolbachia bacterium, a plant pathogenic bacterium, and a novel gammaproteobacterial symbiont. A fourth bacterial species affiliated with ‘Candidatus Sulcia muelleri’ was detected in PCR assays using primers specific for the Bacteroidetes. Within females of two selected cixiid planthoppers, P. leporinus and Oliarus filicicola, fluorescence In situ hybridization analysis and transmission electron microscopy observations showed that ‘Ca. Sulcia muelleri’ and the novel gammaproteobacterial symbiont were housed in separate bacteriomes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that both of these symbionts occurred in at least four insect genera within the tribe Pentastirini. ‘Candidatus Purcelliella pentastirinorum’ was proposed as the novel gammaproteobacterial symbiont.
Perspectives on Incorporating Human Neurobehavioral End Points in Risk Assessments
Authors: Bellinger David C.
Published: September 2009

Three topics are addressed: (1) measurement issues (e.g., the reliability and validity of neurobehavioral test scores), (2) general principles of assessment, including test selection, and (3) interpretation of scores. Psychological tests generally perform as well as medical tests in terms of reliability and validity. Test manuals, assessment textbooks, and psychologists are useful resources to the risk assessor. The variety of different tests employed in neurobehavioral studies complicates interstudy comparisons. In addition, tests that ostensibly assess the same general domain of function might assess somewhat different abilities within that domain. Although a uniform battery for use in all studies seems desirable, the battery appropriate for a specific study depends on study goals, knowledge about the mechanism(s) of neurotoxicity, nature of the study population, and pattern of exposure. Exposure‐related neurobehavioral deficits are generally indicators of “altered function” rather than of “clinical disease.” Limiting concern to end points corresponding to clinical disease might not be appropriate. Many neurobehavioral diagnoses are phenomenological and a neurotoxicant might cause a unique pattern of deficits for which no label has been created. The concern that a small shift in the central tendency of a distribution of test scores has no significance for the individual should be reexamined in light of the prevention paradox, formulated on the basis of epidemiologic studies of chronic disease. Poor performance on a neurobehavioral test does not necessarily map clearly onto underlying behavioral or neural substrate. The absence of such linkages, given current knowledge about brain‐behavior relationships, should not reduce confidence in neurobehavioral end points. Use of neurobehavioral test scores involves considerations that differ little from those that the risk assessor routinely addresses in using end points commonly used in research on other topics in environmental epidemiology.
Efficacy of quantifying melanosome transfer with flow cytometry in a human melanocyte–HaCaT keratinocyte co‐culture system in vitro
Authors: Ma Hui‐Jun , Zhao Guang , Zi Shao‐Xia , Li Dong‐Guang , Liu Wen , Yang Qing‐Qi
Published: September 2009

Please cite this paper as: Efficacy quantifying melanosome transfer with flow cytometry in a human melanocyte–HaCaT keratinocyte co‐culture system in vitro. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: e282–e285.

Abstract:  In this study, we describe a simple, specific, reproducible and quantitative assay system to assess melanosome transfer. We first established a co‐culture model of normal human epidermal melanocytes and HaCaT keratinocytes. The cells were co‐cultured for 72 h in a serum‐free keratinocyte growth media and double labelled with Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐conjugated antibody against the melanosome‐specific protein gp100, and with Phycoerythrin (PE)‐conjugated antibody against the keratinocyte‐specific marker cytokeratin. Then, the cells were examined using co‐focal microscope and flow cytometry. The increased melanosome transfer from melanocytes to HaCaT keratinocytes was observed in a time‐dependent manner. To verify the accessibility of this method, two known melanosome transfer inhibitors and two known melanosome transfer stimulators were applied. Consistent with previous investigation, soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), niacinamide inhibited melanosome transfer, α‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) and keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) increased melanosome transfer, respectively, in a dose‐dependent manner. The model used in this study could thus represent a rapid and reliable tool to identify modulators of human melanosome transfer.
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 upregulates interleukin‐8 expression at the level of transcription in human melanoma cells
Authors: Oka Masahiro , Sakaguchi Masanobu , Okada Taro , Nagai Hiroshi , Ozaki Michitaka , Yoshioka Toyo , Inoue Hiroshi , Mukaida Naofumi , Kikkawa Ushio , Nishigori Chikako
Published: September 2009

Please cite this paper as: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 upregulates interleukin‐8 expression at the level of transcription in human melanoma cells. Experimental Dermatology 2010; 19: e50–e55.

Abstract:  Many melanoma cells continuously produce interleukin‐8 (IL‐8). The involvement of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the constant production of IL‐8 in melanoma cells was examined. The level of IL‐8 production correlated well with that of the phosphorylated (activated) STAT3 in six human melanoma cell lines. Introduction of the constitutively activated form of STAT3 (STAT3‐C) into WM35 melanoma cells, that show low levels of IL‐8 and phosphorylated STAT3, enhanced IL‐8 production. Knockdown of STAT3 suppressed IL‐8 production in WM1205Lu cells that contain a high level of IL‐8 accompanied by STAT3 phosphorylation. Introduction of STAT3‐C markedly increased the luciferase activity in WM1205Lu cells transfected with reporter vectors linked to the 5′‐flanking region of the IL‐8 gene from ‐546 to +44 base pair (bp) and from ‐272 to +44 bp, but not in cells expressing reporter plasmids from ‐133 to +44 bp and from ‐98 to +44 bp. These results indicate that the upregulation of IL‐8 production is caused by constitutive STAT3 activation at the level of gene transcription in melanoma cells.
Pre Admission Antithrombotics are Associated with Improved Outcomes following Ischaemic Stroke: A Cohort from the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network
Authors: Dowlatshahi D. , Hakim A. , Fang J. , Sharma M.
Published: September 2009

Background

Several studies have attempted to identify predictors of outcome following ischaemic stroke. Reduced stroke severity has been reported with pre admission ASA use, and improved outcomes have been reported with pre admission statin treatment. The interaction between pre treatment medications and clinical response to tPA is less clear. The objective of our study was to assess clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischaemic stroke with respect to pre treatment medications.

Methods

The Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network collected pre morbid and prospective outcome data on 5568 patients with ischaemic stroke. We applied multivariate analyses to correlate pre admission medications with stroke severity on presentation, in-hospital mortality, and modified Rankin at discharge. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, medical history, tPA administration, blood pressure, and glucose on presentation.

Results

Pre admission treatment with ASA and clopidogrel was associated with less severe stroke upon presentation. A similar trend was seen with dipyridamole and ticlopidine, but did not reach statistical significance. Pre treatment with ASA and warfarin was associated with improved Rankin scores at discharge. There was no interaction between tPA treatment and pre admission antiplatelets with respect to in-hospital mortality or disability at discharge, although tPA treatment was independently associated with improved Rankin at discharge. Pre treatment antiplatelet use did not result in increased intracerebral haemorrhage following tPA administration.

Conclusions

Patients with acute ischaemic stroke taking antithrombotic medications at hospital admission have improved functional outcomes. No interaction is noted between use of these medications and outcome following thrombolysis. This large prospective cohort study is consistent with previous published reports, and supports the notion that pre admission antithrombotics may mitigate brain injury during acute stroke.
Subcutaneous pre‐anaesthetic medication with acepromazine–buprenorphine is effective as and less painful than the intramuscular route
Authors: Gurney M. , Cripps P. , Mosing M.
Published: September 2009

Objectives: To compare reaction to injection, sedation and propofol induction dose in dogs receiving acepromazine–buprenorphine pre‐anaesthetic medication by the intramuscular or subcutaneous routes.

Methods: Fifty‐two client owned dogs of American Society of Anesthesiologists grade I or II anaesthetised for diagnostic imaging. Dogs were randomly assigned to receive acepromazine 0·03 mg/kg and buprenorphine 0·02 mg/kg either intramuscular or subcutaneous. Reaction to injection was scored. Sedation was compared before and one hour after pre‐anaesthetic medication. Propofol was administered in 1 mg/kg incremental injections until tracheal intubation was achieved. Total propofol dose was recorded.

Results: Reaction to injection was significantly greater (P=0·009) in the intramuscular group compared to the subcutaneous group. Sedation scores were not significantly different (P=0·523) between the intramuscular and the subcutaneous group. There was no statistically significant difference in propofol dose for induction (P=0·7).

Clinical Significance: Acepromazine–buprenorphine pre‐anaesthetic medication provides a similar degree of sedation whether administered by the intramuscular or subcutaneous route. The intramuscular route is more painful compared to the subcutaneous route.
Protective Effects from Carnosine and Histidine on Acetaminophen‐Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Yan Sheng‐lei , Wu Shwu‐tzy , Yin Mei‐chin , Chen Hung‐tao , Chen Hsiao‐ching
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT:  Protective effects of carnosine or histidine against acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity in Balb/cA mice were examined. Each compound, at 0.5, 1, or 2 g/L, was added into the drinking water for 4 wk. Acute liver injury was induced by acetaminophen treatment intraperitoneally (i.p. 350 mg/kg body weight). Acetaminophen treatment significantly depleted hepatic GSH and ascorbic acid levels, increased hepatic level of malonyldialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), as well as decreased hepatic activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P < 0.05). However, the pre‐intake of carnosine or histidine significantly alleviated acetaminophen‐induced oxidative stress by increasing GSH content, decreasing MDA, ROS, and GSSG formations, and retaining activity of GPX, catalase, and SOD in liver (P < 0.05). The pre‐intake of these compounds also significantly retarded subsequent acetaminophen‐induced increase of cytochrome P450 2E1 activity (P < 0.05). Acetaminophen treatment increased the hepatic levels of interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1 (P < 0.05). The pre‐intake of carnosine or histidine significantly diminished acetaminophen‐induced elevation of these cytokines (P < 0.05). The impact of these compounds on mRNA expression of GPX, TNF‐alpha, and MCP‐1 indicated that these compounds could act at a transcription level. These results support that carnosine and histidine are potent hepatoprotective agents.
ONE IMPROVED AGENT GENETIC ALGORITHM — RING-LIKE AGENT GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR GLOBAL NUMERICAL OPTIMIZATION
Authors: LIU BIN , DUAN TEQI , LI YONGMING
Published: September 2009

In this paper, a novel genetic algorithm — dynamic ring-like agent genetic algorithm (RAGA) is proposed for solving global numerical optimization problem. The RAGA combines the ring-like agent structure and dynamic neighboring genetic operators together to get better optimization capability. An agent in ring-like agent structure represents a candidate solution to the optimization problem. Any agent interacts with neighboring agents to evolve. With dynamic neighboring genetic operators, they compete and cooperate with their neighbors, and they can also use knowledge to increase energies. Global numerical optimization problems are the most important ones to verify the performance of evolutionary algorithm, especially of genetic algorithm and are mostly of interest to the corresponding researchers. In the corresponding experiments, several complex benchmark functions were used for optimization, several popular GAs were used for comparison. In order to better compare two agents GAs (MAGA: multi-agent genetic algorithm and RAGA), the several dimensional experiments (from low dimension to high dimension) were done. These experimental results show that RAGA not only is suitable for optimization problems, but also has more precise and more stable optimization results.
LEFT–RIGHT TWIN HIGGS MODEL AND THE SPIN CORRECTION OF TOP-QUARK PAIR PRODUCTION AT ILC
Authors: LIU YAO-BEI , WANG SHUAI-WEI
Published: September 2009

The left–right twin Higgs model predicts the existence of the new neutral gauge boson ZH. In the off-diagonal basis, we explore the effects of extra neutral gauge boson ZH on the spin configuration of the top-quark pair production in the high energy linear e+e- collider (ILC). We find that the new gauge boson ZH exchange can generate significant corrections to the differential cross-sections for the the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] states. Furthermore, when the ZH mass MZH approaches the center-of-mass energy [Formula: see text], the cross-section resonance emerges. We expect that the effects of the new gauge boson ZH on the spin configurations of the top-quark pairs production might be observed in future ILC experiments.
GENERALIZED CONTROLLED PHASE QUANTUM GATES ENTANGLERS
Authors: HEYDARI HOSHANG
Published: September 2009

We construct a generalized controlled phased gate entangler for a multi-qubit state based on the geometrical structure of quantum systems. We also investigate the relation between the generalized controlled phase construction of a quantum gate entangler and graph state for two-qubit and three-qubit states.
Translational implications of nongenomic actions of thyroid hormone initiated at its integrin receptor
Authors: Davis Paul J. , Davis Faith B. , Lin Hung-Yun , Mousa Shaker A. , Zhou Min , Luidens Mary K.
Published: September 2009

A thyroid hormone receptor on integrin αvβ3 that mediates cell surface-initiated nongenomic actions of thyroid hormone on tumor cell proliferation and on angiogenesis has been described. Transduction of the hormone signal into these recently recognized proliferative effects is by extracellular-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). Other nongenomic actions of the hormone may be transduced by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and are initiated in cytoplasm or at the cell surface. PI3K-mediated effects are important to angiogenesis or other recently appreciated cell functions but apparently not to tumor cell division. For those actions of thyroid hormone [l-thyroxine (T4) and 3,3′-5-triiodo-l-thyronine (T3)] that begin at the integrin receptor, tetraiodothyroacetic acid (tetrac) is an inhibitor of and probe for the participation of the receptor in downstream intracellular events. In addition, tetrac has actions initiated at the integrin receptor that are unrelated to inhibition of the effects of T4 and T3 but do involve gene transcription in tumor cells. Discussed here are the implications of translating these nongenomic mechanisms of thyroid hormone analogs into clinical cancer cell biology, tumor-related angiogenesis, and modulation of angiogenesis that is not related to cancer.
OnTrk—The TrkB Signal Transduction Pathway Is an Increasingly Important Target in Cancer Biology
Authors: Thiele Carol J. , Li Zhijie , McKee Amy E.
Published: September 2009

In the beginning, Trk was an oncogene. Yet Neurotrophin-Trk signaling came to preeminence in the field of neurobiology. Now it is appreciated that Trks regulate important processes in nonneuronal cells and, in addition to their impact on tumors of neural origin, may contribute to the pathogenesis of carcinomas, myelomas, and prostate and lymphoid tumors. Although mutations and rearrangements of Trk are seen only sporadically in human cancers, such as medullary thyroid carcinoma, a number of recent studies indicate that expression of TrkB contributes to tumor pathology. In neuroblastoma, TrkA expression marks good prognosis which TrkB and Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression marks poor prognosis. Activation of the BDNF/TrkB signal transduction pathway also stimulates tumor cell survival and angiogenesis and contributes to resistance to cytotoxic drugs and anoikis, enabling cells to acquire many of the characteristic features required for tumorigenesis. Small molecule inhibitors, such as Cephalon's CEP-701, are in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials, and a series of AstraZeneca Trk inhibitors are poised to enter the clinic. As monotherapy, inhibitors may be effective only in tumors with activating Trk mutations. Important clinical follow-up will be the assessment of Trk inhibitors in combination with standard chemo- or radiotherapy or other signal transduction pathway inhibitors. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(19):5962–7)
Effect of Rinsing with Mouthwashes after Brushing with a Fluoridated Toothpaste on Salivary Fluoride Concentration
Authors: Duckworth R.M. , Maguire A. , Omid N. , Steen I.N. , McCracken G.I. , Zohoori F.V.
Published: September 2009

The aim of the study was to determine whether rinsing with a mouthwash after brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste affected oral fluoride (F) retention and clearance compared with an oral hygiene regime without mouthwash. In this supervised, single-blind study, 3 regimes were compared: (A) brushing for 1 min with 1 g of 1,450 μg F/g NaF toothpaste followed by rinsing for 5 s with 10 ml water; (B) as A but followed by rinsing for 30 s with 20 ml of 100 mg F/l NaF mouthwash, and (C) as B but rinsing for 30 s with a non-fluoridated mouthwash. Twenty-three adults applied each treatment once in a randomised order, separated by 1-week washout periods, and used a non-fluoridated toothpaste at home prior to and during the study. Whole saliva samples (2 ml), collected before each treatment commenced and 10, 20, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min afterwards, were subsequently analysed for fluoride by ion-specific electrode. The mean (SD) back-transformed log (area under salivary F clearance curve) values were: A = 2.36 (+3.37, –1.39), B = 2.54 (+2.72, –1.31) and C = 1.19 (+1.10, –0.57) mmol F/l × min, respectively. The values for regimes A and B were statistically significantly greater than that for regime C (p < 0.001; paired t test). These findings suggest that use of a non-F mouthwash after toothbrushing with a F toothpaste may reduce the anticaries protection provided by toothbrushing with a F toothpaste alone. The use of a mouthwash with at least 100 mg F/l should minimise this risk.
Role of Musculoskeletal Disorders as Concurrent Chronic Conditions: Are They Underestimated in the Discharge?
Authors: Nuñez Montserrat , Sastre Sergi , Vidal Merce , Jansa Margarida , Nuñez Esther , del-Val Jose-Luis , Ortega Raquel , Hernandez Carmen
Published: September 2009

Background: Differences in recording concurrent chronic conditions (CCs) could change the weight of the influence of the different CCs on health status. Objectives: To determine the role of musculoskeletal disorders as concurrent CCs. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Discharged patients with CCs were selected by random stratification. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, health status (SF-36), type and number of self-reported and hospital discharge summary CCs were recorded. Relationships were analyzed using linear regression models. Results: In the 227 patients included, mean self-reported CCs were 6.22 (SD 3.37) and mean hospital discharge CCs were 3.1 (SD 1.95). The most-frequent self-reported CCs were hypertension 48.4%, back pain 40.4%, neck pain 39.6%, and musculoskeletal disorders 38.4%. The most frequent discharge CCs were arterial hypertensive disease 38.3%, all cancers 22.0%, ischemic heart diseases, and angina 15.9%. Musculoskeletal disorders had the greatest negative influence on SF-36 dimensions (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Musculoskeletal disorders were underestimated in the discharge summary in comparison with those reported by patients.
PYK2/PDZ-RhoGEF Links Ca
2+
Signaling to RhoA
Authors: Ying Zhekang , Giachini Fernanda R.C. , Tostes Rita C. , Webb R. Clinton
Published: September 2009

Objective—

Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA)/Rho-kinase-mediated Ca
2+
sensitization is a critical component of constrictor responses. The present study investigates how angiotensin II activates RhoA.

Methods and Results—

Adenoviral vectors were used to manipulate the expression of regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) domain containing Rho-specific guanine exchange factors (RhoGEFs) and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2), a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, in primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells. As an evidence of RhoA activation, RhoA translocation and MYPT1 (the regulatory subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase) phosphorylation were analyzed by Western blot. Results showed that overexpression of PDZ-RhoGEF, but not p115-RhoGEF or leukemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG), enhanced RhoA activation by angiotensin II. Knockdown of PDZ-RhoGEF decreased RhoA activation by angiotensin II. PDZ-RhoGEF was phosphorylated and activated by PYK2 in vitro, and knockdown of PDZ-RhoGEF reduced RhoA activation by constitutively active PYK2, indicating that PDZ-RhoGEF links PYK2 to RhoA. Knockdown of PYK2 or PDZ-RhoGEF markedly decreased RhoA activation by A23187, a Ca
2+
ionophore, demonstrating that PYK2/PDZ-RhoGEF couples RhoA activation to Ca
2+
.

Conclusions—

PYK2 and PDZ-RhoGEF are necessary for angiotensin II–induced RhoA activation and for Ca
2+
signaling to RhoA.
Five-Year Climatology of Midtroposphere Dry Air Layers in Warm Tropical Ocean Regions as Viewed by AIRS/Aqua
Authors: Casey Sean P. F. , Dessler Andrew E. , Schumacher Courtney
Published: September 2009

Many studies have commented on the presence of midtroposphere dry air layers in normally moist areas of the warm-pool region in the tropical western Pacific Ocean. In this study, 5 yr of relative humidity (RH) observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard the Aqua satellite are analyzed to identify areas of anomalously dry air between 600 and 400 hPa over deep convective regions of the tropical oceans. A dry air layer is defined when midlevel RH is <20%, accounting for the lowest 10% of RH observations. Dry air layers appear to be more frequent over the Indian and Pacific Oceans than over the Atlantic Ocean. Large seasonal differences in the locations of dry air layers are apparent in each ocean basin. Large variations are also noted across the Pacific, suggesting limits on the applicability of case-study trends and observations of dry air layers to the Pacific as a whole. Back trajectories are then calculated for each observed parcel. The origin, or location of dehydration, is identified as the point along each trajectory at which the RH of the parcel is ≥100%. An analysis of the time between dehydration and dry air observation by AIRS suggests that dry air layers in June–August tend to last 1–2 days longer than those observed in other seasons. Although more dry air layers are observed to come from each hemisphere in its respective winter, most sources of dry air layers are subtropical and contribute anomalously dry air year-round. Other meteorological features are noted in the back trajectories, such as the eastward/westward wind transition from the subtropics to the tropics and the effects of the Indian monsoon on dry air distribution paths.
MU Radar and Lidar Observations of Clear-Air Turbulence underneath Cirrus
Authors: Luce Hubert , Nakamura Takuji , Yamamoto Masayuki K. , Yamamoto Mamoru , Fukao Shoichiro
Published: September 2009

Turbulence generation mechanisms prevalent in the atmosphere are mainly shear instabilities, breaking of internal buoyancy waves, and convective instabilities such as thermal convection due to heating of the ground. In the present work, clear-air turbulence underneath a cirrus cloud base is described owing to coincident observations from the VHF (46.5 MHz) middle and upper atmosphere (MU) radar, a Rayleigh–Mie–Raman (RMR) lidar, and a balloon radiosonde on 7–8 June 2006 (at Shigaraki, Japan; 34.85°N, 136.10°E). Time–height cross section of lidar backscatter ratio obtained at 2206 LT 7 June 2006 showed the presence of a cirrus layer between 8.0 and 12.5 km MSL. Downward-penetrating structures of ice crystals with horizontal and vertical extents of 1.0–4.0 km and 200–800 m, respectively, have been detected at the cirrus cloud base for about 35 min. At the same time, the MU radar data revealed clear-air turbulence layers developing downward from the cloud base in the environment of the protuberances detected by the RMR lidar. Their maximum depth was about 2.0 km for about 1.5 h. They were associated with oscillatory vertical wind perturbations of up to ±1.5 m s−1 and variances of Doppler spectrum of 0.2–1.5 m−2 s−2. Analysis of the data suggests that the turbulence and the downward penetration of cloudy air were possibly the consequence of a convective instability (rather than a dynamical shear instability) that was likely due to sublimation of ice crystals in the subcloud region. Downward clear-air motions measured by the MU radar were associated with the descending protuberances, and updrafts were observed between them. These observations suggest that the cloudy air might have been pushed down by the downdrafts of the convective instability and pushed up by the updrafts to form the observed protuberances at the cloud base. These structures may be virga or perhaps more likely mamma as reported by recent observations of cirrus mamma with similar instruments and by numerical simulations.
Defense Reform and the Caucasus: Challenges of Institutional Reform During Unresolved Conflict
Authors: Wright Geoffrey
Published: September 2009

The attempt of the Georgian government to reform and restructure its military forces in the past ten years demonstrates the difficulty of conducting Western-style defense reform in postconflict states, which have not seen a formal end to armed conflict. Western-style reforms were intended to bring Georgia greater peace, stability, and accountability, with the added benefit of training additional soldiers to support regional peacekeeping operations. Domestic political imperatives within Georgia, however, demanded that the government restore the territorial integrity of the state by “reintegrating” South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Adjara. In this context, additional organizational and doctrinal interoperability of Georgian forces was desirable, but only to the extent that it enabled Georgian forces to meet these primary domestic political requirements. For Georgia, a country with a weak military tradition and unresolved domestic conflicts causing political controversy at home, military reform was not just an abstract step toward democracy but a potential means to an end of resolving those same conflicts by force or threat of force.