bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WallGen, Software to Construct Layered Cellulose-Hemicellulose Networks and Predict Their Small Deformation Mechanics
Authors: Kha Hung , Tuble Sigrid C. , Kalyanasundaram Shankar , Williamson Richard E.
Published: December 2009

We understand few details about how the arrangement and interactions of cell wall polymers produce the mechanical properties of primary cell walls. Consequently, we cannot quantitatively assess if proposed wall structures are mechanically reasonable or assess the effectiveness of proposed mechanisms to change mechanical properties. As a step to remedying this, we developed WallGen, a Fortran program (available on request) building virtual cellulose-hemicellulose networks by stochastic self-assembly whose mechanical properties can be predicted by finite element analysis. The thousands of mechanical elements in the virtual wall are intended to have one-to-one spatial and mechanical correspondence with their real wall counterparts of cellulose microfibrils and hemicellulose chains. User-defined inputs set the properties of the two polymer types (elastic moduli, dimensions of microfibrils and hemicellulose chains, hemicellulose molecular weight) and their population properties (microfibril alignment and volume fraction, polymer weight percentages in the network). This allows exploration of the mechanical consequences of variations in nanostructure that might occur in vivo and provides estimates of how uncertainties regarding certain inputs will affect WallGen's mechanical predictions. We summarize WallGen's operation and the choice of values for user-defined inputs and show that predicted values for the elastic moduli of multinet walls subject to small displacements overlap measured values. “Design of experiment” methods provide systematic exploration of how changed input values affect mechanical properties and suggest that changing microfibril orientation and/or the number of hemicellulose cross-bridges could change wall mechanical anisotropy.
Enhanced Abscisic Acid-Mediated Responses innia1nia2noa1-2Triple Mutant Impaired in NIA/NR- and AtNOA1-Dependent Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis
Authors: Lozano-Juste Jorge , Leoݩn Joseݩ
Published: December 2009

Nitric oxide (NO) regulates a wide range of plant processes from development to environmental adaptation. Despite its reported regulatory functions, it remains unclear how NO is synthesized in plants. We have generated a triple nia1nia2noa1-2 mutant that is impaired in nitrate reductase (NIA/NR)- and Nitric Oxide-Associated1 (AtNOA1)-mediated NO biosynthetic pathways. NO content in roots of nia1nia2 and noa1-2 plants was lower than in wild-type plants and below the detection limit in nia1nia2noa1-2 plants. NIA/NR- and AtNOA1-mediated biosynthesis of NO were thus active and responsible for most of the NO production in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The nia1nia2noa1-2 plants displayed reduced size, fertility, and seed germination potential but increased dormancy and resistance to water deficit. The increasing deficiency in NO of nia1nia2, noa1-2, and nia1nia2noa1-2 plants correlated with increased seed dormancy, hypersensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA) in seed germination and establishment, as well as dehydration resistance. In nia1nia2noa1-2 plants, enhanced drought tolerance was due to a very efficient stomata closure and inhibition of opening by ABA, thus uncoupling NO from ABA-triggered responses in NO-deficient guard cells. The NO-deficient mutants in NIA/NR- and AtNOA1-mediated pathways in combination with the triple mutant will be useful tools to functionally characterize the role of NO and the contribution of both biosynthetic pathways in regulating plant development and defense.
The Role of Casein Kinase II in Flowering Time Regulation Has Diversified during Evolution
Authors: Ogiso Eri , Takahashi Yuji , Sasaki Takuji , Yano Masahiro , Izawa Takeshi
Published: December 2009

Casein kinase II (CK2) is a protein kinase with an evolutionarily conserved function as a circadian clock component in several organisms, including the long-day plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The circadian clock component CIRCADIAN CLOCK ASSOCIATED1 (CCA1) is a CK2 target in Arabidopsis, where it influences photoperiodic flowering. In rice (Oryza sativa), a short-day plant, Heading date6 (Hd6) encodes a CK2α subunit that delays flowering time under long-day conditions. Here, we demonstrate that control of flowering time in rice by the Hd6 CK2α subunit requires a functional Hd1 gene (an Arabidopsis CONSTANS ortholog) and is independent of the circadian clock mechanism. Our findings from overexpressing the dominant-negative CK2 allele in rice support the independence of CK2 function from the circadian clock. This lack of control of the circadian clock by Hd6 CK2α might be due to the presence of glutamate in OsLHY (a CCA1 ortholog in rice) instead of the serine at the corresponding CK2 target site in CCA1. However, this glutamate is critical for the control of the OsPRR1 gene (a rice ortholog of the Arabidopsis TOC1/PRR1 gene) by OsLHY for regulation of the circadian clock. We also demonstrated that the other conserved CK2 target sites in OsLHY conferred robust rhythmic expression of OsLHY-LUC under diurnal conditions. These findings imply that the role of CK2 in flowering-time regulation in higher plants has diversified during evolution.
Jasmonate-Dependent and -Independent Pathways Mediate Specific Effects of Solar Ultraviolet B Radiation on Leaf Phenolics and Antiherbivore Defense
Authors: Demkura Patricia V. , Abdala Guillermina , Baldwin Ian T. , Ballareݩ Carlos L.
Published: December 2009

Ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation, a very small fraction of the daylight spectrum, elicits changes in plant secondary metabolism that have large effects on plant-insect interactions. The signal transduction pathways that mediate these specific effects of solar UV-B are not known. We examined the role of jasmonate signaling by measuring responses to UV-B in wild-type and transgenic jasmonate-deficient Nicotiana attenuata plants in which a lipoxygenase gene (NaLOX3) was silenced (as-lox). In wild-type plants, UV-B failed to elicit the accumulation of jasmonic acid (JA) or the bioactive JA-isoleucine conjugate but amplified the response of jasmonate-inducible genes, such as trypsin proteinase inhibitor (TPI), to wounding and methyl jasmonate, and increased the accumulation of several phenylpropanoid derivatives. Some of these phenolic responses (accumulation of caffeoyl-polyamine conjugates) were completely lacking in as-lox plants, whereas others (accumulation of rutin and chlorogenic acid) were similar in both genotypes. In open field conditions, as-lox plants received more insect damage than wild-type plants, as expected, but the dramatic increase in resistance to herbivory elicited by UV-B exposure, which was highly significant in wild-type plants, did not occur in as-lox plants. We conclude that solar UV-B (1) uses jasmonate-dependent and -independent pathways in the elicitation of phenolic compounds, and (2) increases sensitivity to jasmonates, leading to enhanced expression of wound-response genes (TPI). The lack of UV-B-induced antiherbivore protection in as-lox plants suggests that jasmonate signaling plays a central role in the mechanisms by which solar UV-B increases resistance to insect herbivores in the field.
Knockdown of the Symbiotic Sucrose Synthase MtSucS1 Affects Arbuscule Maturation and Maintenance in Mycorrhizal Roots of Medicago truncatula
Authors: Baier Markus Christian , Keck Matthias , Goݶdde Victoria , Niehaus Karsten , Kuݶster Helge , Hohnjec Natalija
Published: December 2009

The relevance of the symbiosis-induced Medicago truncatula sucrose synthase gene MtSucS1 for an efficient arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) was studied using two independent antisense lines that displayed up to 10-fold reduced SucS1 levels in roots. Mycorrhizal MtSucS1-reduced lines exhibited an overall stunted aboveground growth under inorganic phosphorus limitation. Apart from a reduced plant height, shoot weight, and leaf development, a delayed flowering, resulting in a lower seed yield, was observed. In addition, the root-to-shoot and root weight ratios increased significantly. Gene expression studies demonstrated a major reversion of AM-associated transcription, exhibiting a significant repression of well-known plant AM marker and mycosymbiont genes, together indicating a diminished AM fungus colonization of MtSucS1-antisense lines. Concomitantly, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolite profiling revealed that mycorrhizal MtSucS1-reduced lines were affected in important nodes of the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus metabolism, accentuating a physiological significance of MtSucS1 for AM. In fact, antisensing MtSucS1 provoked an impaired fungal colonization within the less abundant infected regions, evident from strongly reduced frequencies of internal hyphae, vesicles, and arbuscules. Moreover, arbuscules were early senescing, accompanied with a reduced development of mature arbuscules. This defective mycorrhiza status correlated with reduced phosphorus and nitrogen levels and was proportional to the extent of MtSucS1 knockdown. Together, our results point to an important role for MtSucS1 in the establishment and maintenance of arbuscules in the AM symbiosis.
Distribution, density and impact of invasive plants in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Authors: Ng’weno Caroline C. , Mwasi Shem M. , Kairu Jim K.
Published: December 2009

Invasive plants have invaded swathes of grasslands in Lake Nakuru National Park thus necessitating the Park management to institute measures to control them. Despite this, information on the status and impact of invasive plants in these grasslands is lacking. Six grassland types were identified and assigned random numbers. Five study sites were then randomly selected from each grassland type. The Point‐Centre Quarter method was used to determine the distribution and density of seven major invasive plants, whilst their impact was assessed by comparing biomass and crude protein content of important forage grasses in invaded and noninvaded grasslands. Results show that the distribution of invasive plants did not differ among the grasslands (F5, 30 = 1.47, P = 0.229) but their densities differed among the plants (F6, 30 = 20.99, P < 0.001). The mean biomass in invaded and noninvaded grasslands (22 g m−2 versus 37.2 g m−2) was significantly different (t‐test, P < 0.05), while crude protein content of grasses in invaded (7.73, % DM) and noninvaded (9.3, % DM) patches was not significantly different (t‐test; P > 0.05). Our results suggest that invasive plants lower grass production and hence might reduce food availability to grazers.
Multiple roles of PPARα in brown adipose tissue under constitutive and cold conditions
Authors: Komatsu Makiko , Tong Yuhong , Li Yufeng , Nakajima Takero , Li Gang , Hu Rui , Sugiyama Eiko , Kamijo Yuji , Tanaka Naoki , Hara Atsushi , Aoyama Toshifumi
Published: December 2009

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPARα) is a member of the nuclear receptor family, regulating fatty acid degradation in many organs. Two‐dimensional SDS‐PAGE of brown adipose tissue (BAT) from PPARα‐null mice produced a higher‐density spot. Proteomic analysis indicated that the protein was pyruvate dehydrogenase β (PDHβ). To observe PDHβ regulation in BAT, the organ was stimulated by long‐term cold exposure, and the activities of associated enzymes were investigated. Histological and biochemical analyses of BAT showed a significant decrease in the triglyceride content in wild‐type mice and some degree of decrease in PPARα‐null mice on cold exposure. Analyses of molecules related to glucose metabolism showed that the expression of PDHβ is under PPARα‐specific regulation, and that glucose degradation ability may decrease on cold exposure. In contrast, analyses of molecules related to fatty acid metabolism showed that numerous PPARα/γ target molecules are induced on cold exposure, and that fatty acid degradation ability in wild‐type mice is markedly enhanced and also increases to same degree in PPARα‐null mice on cold exposure. Thus, this study proposes novel and multiple roles of PPARα in BAT.
Testis response to low doses of cadmium in Wistar rats
Authors: De Souza Predes Fabricia , Diamante Maria Aparecida S. , Dolder Heidi
Published: December 2009

Although it is well known that cadmium (Cd) causes adverse effects on male rat reproductive organs, few studies have quantified alterations caused by its low doses. Quantification of these alterations, especially in the testis, was measured using morphometry. A single dose of cadmium chloride (1 or 1.2 mg/kg BW) was injected i.p. in adult rats, killed after 7 or 56 days. The lower dose caused slight alterations as measured by morphometrical analysis. The higher dose caused significant reduction in testis and epididymis weight, gonadossomatic index and length of seminiferous tubule (ST) after 7 and 56 days. Cadmium significantly reduced the ST diameter after 56 days. Decreased volume density of ST, after 7 and 56 days, was accompanied by an increase in interstitium volume density. The damage caused by the dose of 1.2 mg/kg can be clearly observed with light microscope. After 7 days, the tubule lumens were filled with degenerated germ cells and multinucleated spermatid aggregates. Vacuolization of the seminiferous epithelium was also observed. After 56 days, increased damage resulted in vacuolated ST, consisting only of Sertoli cells. Scanning electron microscopy examination of the testis showed that, in the group cadmium treated (1.2 mg/kg) and killed after 56 days, the interstitial tissue presents a compact and fibrous appearance with absence of fenestrae. The seminiferous epithelium height diminished and the absence of spermatozoa can be noted. The results show that a very small difference of Cd dose causes a sudden increase in testicular damage, apparently overpowering this tissue’s natural defences.
The future of complete dentures in oral rehabilitation. A critical review
Authors: CARLSSON G. E. , OMAR R.
Published: December 2009

Summary  Based on available investigations and current trends in oral rehabilitation published in the dental literature, an attempt is made to describe the possible future role of complete dentures. For edentulous patients, complete dentures have for long been the only prosthodontic treatment option. Whereas a large number of edentulous patients report satisfaction with denture usage, a smaller number are unable to adapt; for such patients, sophistication of clinical and technical processes or quality of denture‐supporting tissues, appear to have little influence on patient‐perceived outcomes. Since the 1980s, osseointegrated dental implants have dramatically improved the therapeutic possibilities, especially so for maladaptive patients. Those able to access such treatment can expect significant improvements in oral functional status and quality of life. While there is a downward trend in edentulism in several countries, it is region‐specific, confirming the overriding influence of socio‐economic factors on health status. In most societies, despite ageing populations, the need for complete dentures is not likely to reduce in the near future. Whereas a two‐ or even a one‐implant overdenture for the edentulous mandible is increasingly regarded as a minimum standard of care in many developed countries, its routine prescription for the majority in the world who are disadvantaged is unrealistic; for them, even ‘low‐tech’ therapies like conventional dentures are beyond their reach. Improving the conventional management of edentulous patients is a necessity and requires a keener focus by researchers, educators and clinicians in the developed world on the needs of populations with fewer resources.
Induction of the ferritin gene (ftnA) ofEscherichia coliby Fe2+–Fur is mediated by reversal of H‐NS silencing and is RyhB independent
Authors: Nandal Anjali , Huggins Cerys C. O. , Woodhall Mark R. , McHugh Jonathan , Rodríguez‐Quiñones Francisco , Quail Michael A. , Guest John R. , Andrews Simon C.
Published: December 2009

FtnA is the major iron‐storage protein ofEscherichia coliaccounting for ≤50% of total cellular iron. The FtnA gene (ftnA) is induced by iron in an Fe2+–Fur‐dependent fashion. This effect is reportedly mediated by RyhB, the Fe2+–Fur‐repressed, small, regulatory RNA. However, results presented here show thatftnAiron induction is independent of RyhB and instead involves direct interaction of Fe2+–Fur with an ‘extended’ Fur binding site (containing five tandem Fur boxes) located upstream (−83) of theftnApromoter. In addition, H‐NS acts as a direct repressor offtnAtranscription by binding at multiple sites (I–VI) within, and upstream of, theftnApromoter. Fur directly competes with H‐NS binding at upstream sites (II–IV) and consequently displaces H‐NS from theftnApromoter (sites V–VI) which in turn leads to derepression offtnAtranscription. It is proposed that H‐NS binding within theftnApromoter is facilitated by H‐NS occupation of the upstream sites through H‐NS oligomerization‐induced DNA looping. Consequently, Fur displacement of H‐NS from the upstream sites prevents cooperative H‐NS binding at the downstream sites within the promoter, thus allowing access to RNA polymerase. This direct activation offtnAtranscription by Fe2+–Fur through H‐NS antisilencing represents a new mechanism for iron‐induced gene expression.
Horizontally acquired homologues of the nucleoid‐associated protein H‐NS: implications for gene regulation
Authors: Dorman Charles J.
Published: December 2009

H‐NS is one of the most intensively studied members of the family of bacterial nucleoid‐associated proteins. It is a DNA‐binding protein with a preference for A+T‐rich DNA sequences, and it represses the transcription of hundreds of genes in Gram‐negative bacteria, including pathogens. In most cases where the issue has been investigated, the repressive activity of H‐NS is opposed by the intervention of an antagonistically acting DNA‐binding protein, a remodelling of local DNA structure, or a combination of these two. H‐NS activity can also be modulated by protein–protein interaction with members of the Hha/YdgT protein family, molecules that share partial amino acid sequence similarity to the oligomerization domain of H‐NS. Of particular interest is the ability of H‐NS to interact with the full‐length paralogue StpA or full‐length orthologues that have been acquired by horizontal DNA transfer. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, Müller et al. describe the H‐NS orthologue Hfp and present evidence that in bacteria that acquire Hfp the range of activities of H‐NS is modified with important implications for the physiology of the bacterium.
Surgical history of ancient China: part 1
Authors: Fu Louis
Published: December 2009

Although surgery was an accepted and quite proficient craft very early on in Chinese history, it has deteriorated through the ages. Despite the fact that anaesthetic agents in major surgery were employed during the third century, Chinese surgery is conspicuous by its stagnation. Reverence for the dead, filial piety, abhorrence of shedding blood and other conservative attitudes make it impossible for any accurate knowledge of the human anatomy and physiology, without which surgery cannot progress. This article surveys some highlights in the history of surgery in ancient China and examines the factors responsible for its decline. The second concluding part deals with orthopaedics.
Fijian seasonal scourge of mango tree falls
Authors: Gupta Anuj , Reeves Ben
Published: December 2009

Background:  Mango tree falls are a frequent presentation at any health facility in the South Pacific. This study aims to identify (i) the number of admissions because of falls from mango trees; (ii) epidemiology; (iii) seasonal trend; (iv) injury profile; and (v) hospital care provided.

Methods:  Retrospective case review on all mango tree falls related injuries resulting in admissions at the Lautoka Hospital, Fiji during a 1‐year period (2007). Patient records were analysed to identify specific injury patterns such as upper/lower limb fractures, spinal cord injury and head injury, caused by mango tree falls.

Results:  Thirty‐nine cases were identified. Eighty‐two percent (n= 32) of the falls occurred in the mango season (June–November). Seventy‐two percent (n= 28) of the patients were males and 28% (n= 11) were females. Seventy‐six percent were aged 5–13 and only 21% were adults. Also, 77% (n= 30) of the patients were ethnic Fijians and 23% (n= 9) were Fijian‐Indians. Sixty‐four percent (n= 25) had closed fractures and 17% (n= 7) had open fractures. Fifty‐six percent (n= 22) of the fractures were of the fore arm. There were two cases of spinal cord injury, four cases of head injury, one ICU admission and one death. Average hospital stay was 7.56 days.

Conclusion:  All these injuries were recreational and the majority in the urban setting. They were all avoidable.
Famous discoveries by medical students
Authors: Stringer Mark D. , Ahmadi Omid
Published: December 2009

Heparin, insulin, the sinoatrial node and ether anaesthesia are just some of the major discoveries made by medical students, all of which have had a huge impact on the practice of surgery. This paper explores the breadth and depth of some of these talented individuals and their extraordinary contributions to medicine. While some continued to enjoy brilliant careers, others became embroiled in damaging disputes about priority or were overtaken by illness or personal problems. Regardless of their fate, their contributions are a potent reminder of what can be achieved by gifted and determined medical students undertaking a period of basic scientific or clinical research.
Evaluating anatomical research in surgery: a prospective comparison of cadaveric and living anatomical studies of the abdominal wall
Authors: Rozen Warren M. , Chubb Daniel , Stella Damien L. , Taylor G. Ian , Ashton Mark W.
Published: December 2009

Background:  Cadaveric research has widely influenced our understanding of clinical anatomy. However, while many soft‐tissue structures remain quiescent after death, other tissues, such as viscera, undergo structural and functional changes that may influence their use in predicting living anatomy. In particular, our understanding of vascular anatomy has been based upon cadaveric studies, in which vascular tone and flow do not match the living situation.

Methods:  An angiographic analysis of the abdominal wall vasculature was performed using plain film and computed tomography angiography in 60 cadaveric hemi‐abdominal walls (from 31 cadavers) and 140 living hemi‐abdominal walls (in 70 patients). The deep inferior epigastric artery (DIEA) and all of its perforating branches larger than 0.5 mm were analysed for number, calibre and location.

Results:  Both large, named vessels and small calibre vessels show marked differences between living anatomy and cadaveric specimens. The DIEA was of larger diameter (4.2 mm versus 3.1 mm, P < 0.01) and had more detectable branches in the cadaveric specimens. Perforators were of greater calibre (diameter 1.5 mm versus 0.8 mm, P < 0.01) and were more plentiful (16 versus 6, P < 0.01) in cadaveric specimens. However, the location of individual vessels was similar.

Conclusions:  Cadaveric anatomy displays marked differences to in vivo anatomy, with the absence of living vascular dynamics affecting vessel diameters in cadaveric specimens. Blood vessels are of greater measurable calibre in cadaveric specimens than in the living. Consequently, cadaveric anatomy should be interpreted with consideration of post‐mortem changes, while living anatomical studies, particularly with the use of imaging technologies, should be embraced in anatomical research.
Distinct contributions of the amygdala and hippocampus to fear expression
Authors: Chudasama Yogita , Izquierdo Alicia , Murray Elisabeth A.
Published: December 2009

The present study attempted to distinguish the independent contributions of the amygdala and hippocampus to fear expression. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with bilateral excitotoxic amygdala lesions (n = 4), bilateral excitotoxic hippocampal lesions (n = 8) and unoperated controls (n = 9) were allowed to reach over a neutral junk object or fear‐provoking stimulus (i.e., a rubber snake or a jumping rubber spider) to retrieve a food reward. Monkeys were exposed to each stimulus for 30 s. On each trial we recorded the monkey’s latency to retrieve the food reward and scored their whole‐body reactions to the object. Confirming previous work we found that, relative to controls, both operated groups showed shorter food‐retrieval latencies and exhibited fewer defensive and more approach behaviors when exposed to the fear‐provoking stimuli. However, only monkeys with amygdala lesions showed an abnormal, excessive visual interest in the snake and spider. By contrast, monkeys with hippocampal lesions displayed behaviors that were unrelated to the presence of the fear stimuli, thereby indicating a lack of interest in, and emotional reactivity towards, the snake and spider. These data show that the hippocampus and amygdala contribute independently to the overall expression of defensive responses.
Prostaglandin E receptor EP1 enhances GABA‐mediated inhibition of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and regulates dopamine level in the dorsal striatum
Authors: Tanaka Yasuhiro , Furuyashiki Tomoyuki , Momiyama Toshihiko , Namba Hisaaki , Mizoguchi Akira , Mitsumori Tomoyuki , Kayahara Tetsuro , Shichi Hitoshi , Kimura Kazushi , Matsuoka Toshiyuki , Nawa Hiroyuki , Narumiya Shuh
Published: December 2009

Dopamine (DA) is a neuromodulator that is critical for sensory‐motor, cognitive and emotional functions. We previously found that mice lacking prostaglandin E receptor EP1 showed impulsive emotional behaviors accompanied by enhanced DA turnover in the frontal cortex and striatum. Given that these behavioral phenotypes were corrected by DA receptor antagonists, we hypothesized that EP1 deficiency causes a hyperdopaminergic state for its behavioral phenotype. Here we tested this hypothesis by examining the EP1 action in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. We first used microdialysis and found an elevated extracellular DA level in the dorsal striatum of EP1‐deficient mice compared with wild‐type mice. Despite the EP1 expression in the striatum, neither deficiency nor activation of EP1 altered the intrastriatal control for DA release, uptake or degradation. Immunohistochemistry revealed punctate EP1 signals apposed with dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Many EP1 signals were colocalized with a marker for GABAergic synapses. Further, an EP1 agonist enhanced GABAA‐mediated inhibitory inputs to SNc dopaminergic neurons in midbrain slices. Therefore, the prostaglandin E2‐EP1 signaling directly enhances GABAergic inputs to SNc dopaminergic neurons. The lack of this EP1 action may lead to a hyperdopaminergic state of EP1‐deficient mice.
Functional correlates of activity in neurons projecting from the lamina terminalis to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray
Authors: Uschakov Aaron , McGinty Dennis , Szymusiak Ronald , McKinley Michael J.
Published: December 2009

The lamina terminalis (LT) consists of the organum vasculosum of the LT (OVLT), the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) and the subfornical organ (SFO). All subdivisions of the LT project to the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG). The LT and the vlPAG are implicated in several homeostatic and behavioral functions, including body fluid homeostasis, thermoregulation and the regulation of sleep and waking. By combining visualization of c‐Fos protein and retrograde neuroanatomical tracer we have examined the functional correlates of LT‐vlPAG projection neurons. Rats were injected with retrograde tracer into the vlPAG and, following a 1‐week recovery period, they were subjected to either hypertonic saline administration (0.5 m NaCl, 1 mL/100 g i.p.), 24‐h water deprivation, isoproterenol administration (increases circulating angiotensin II; 50 μg/kg s.c.), heat exposure (39°C for 60 min) or permitted 180 min spontaneous sleep. Retrogradely labeled neurons from the vlPAG and double‐labelled neurons were then identified and quantified throughout the LT. OVLT‐vlPAG projection neurons were most responsive to hypertonic saline and water deprivation. SFO‐vlPAG projection neurons were most active following isoproterenol administration, and MnPO‐vlPAG projection neurons displayed significantly more Fos immunostaining following water deprivation, heat exposure and sleep. These results support the existence of functional subdivisions of LT‐vlPAG‐projecting neurons, and indicate three patterns of activity that correspond to thermal and sleep wake regulation, osmotic or hormonal stimuli.
p53 induction contributes to excitotoxic neuronal death in rat striatum through apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms
Authors: Wang Yan , Dong Xiao‐Xia , Cao Yi , Liang Zhong‐Qin , Han Rong , Wu Jun‐Chao , Gu Zhen‐Lun , Qin Zhen‐Hong
Published: December 2009

The present study sought to investigate mechanisms by which p53 induction contributes to excitotoxic neuronal injury. Rats were intrastriatally administered the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist quinolinic acid (QA), the changes in the expression of p53 and its target genes involved in apoptosis and autophagy, including p53‐upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), Bax, Bcl‐2, damage‐regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM) and other autophagic proteins including microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and beclin 1 were assessed. The contribution of p53‐mediated autophagy activation to apoptotic death of striatal neurons was assessed with co‐administration of the nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) inhibitor SN50, the p53 inhibitor Pifithrin‐alpha (PFT‐α) or the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA). The increased formation of autophagosomes and secondary lysosomes were observed with transmission electron microscope after excitotoxin exposure. QA induced increases in the expression of p53, PUMA, Bax and a decrease in Bcl‐2. These changes were significantly attenuated by pre‐treatment with SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA. SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA also reversed QA‐induced upregulation of DRAM, the ratio of LC3‐II/LC3‐I and beclin 1 protein levels in the striatum. QA‐induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and loss of striatal neurons were robustly inhibited by SN50, PFT‐α or 3‐MA. These results suggest that overstimulation of NMDA receptors can induce NF‐κB‐dependent expression of p53. p53 participates in excitotoxic neuronal death probably through both apoptotic and autophagic mechanisms.
Zn2+ regulates Kv2.1 voltage‐dependent gating and localization following ischemia
Authors: Aras Mandar A. , Saadi Robert A. , Aizenman Elias
Published: December 2009

The delayed‐rectifier K+ channel Kv2.1 exists in highly phosphorylated somatodendritic clusters. Ischemia induces rapid Kv2.1 dephosphorylation and a dispersal of these clusters, accompanied by a hyperpolarizing shift in their voltage‐dependent activation kinetics. Transient modulation of Kv2.1 activity and localization following ischemia is dependent on a rise in intracellular Ca2+and the protein phosphatase calcineurin. Here, we show that neuronal free Zn2+also plays a critical role in the ischemic modulation of Kv2.1. We found that sub‐lethal ischemia in cultured rat cortical neurons led to characteristic hyperpolarizing shifts in K+ current voltage dependency and pronounced dephosphorylation of Kv2.1. Zn2+chelation, similar to calcineurin inhibition, attenuated ischemic induced changes in K+ channel activation kinetics. Zn2+chelation during ischemia also blocked Kv2.1 declustering. Surprisingly, we found that the Zn2+rise following ischemia occurred in spite of calcineurin inhibition. Therefore, a calcineurin‐independent rise in neuronal free Zn2+ is critical in altering Kv2.1 channel activity and localization following ischemia. The identification of Zn2+ in mediating ischemic modulation of Kv2.1 may lead to a better understanding of cellular adaptive responses to injury.
A mental retardation gene, motopsin /neurotrypsin /prss12, modulates hippocampal function and social interaction
Authors: Mitsui Shinichi , Osako Yoji , Yokoi Fumiaki , Dang Mai T. , Yuri Kazunari , Li Yuqing , Yamaguchi Nozomi
Published: December 2009

Motopsin is a mosaic serine protease secreted from neuronal cells in various brain regions, including the hippocampus. The loss of motopsin function causes nonsyndromic mental retardation in humans and impairs long‐term memory formation in Drosophila. To understand motopsin’s function in the mammalian brain, motopsin knockout (KO) mice were generated. Motopsin KO mice did not have significant deficits in memory formation, as tested using the Morris water maze, passive avoidance and Y‐maze tests. A social recognition test showed that the motopsin KO mice had the ability to recognize two stimulator mice, suggesting normal social memory. In a social novelty test, motopsin KO mice spent a longer time investigating a familiar mouse than wild‐type (WT) mice did. In a resident–intruder test, motopsin KO mice showed prolonged social interaction as compared with WT mice. Consistent with the behavioral deficit, spine density was significantly decreased on apical dendrites, but not on basal dendrites, of hippocampal pyramidal neurons of motopsin KO mice. In contrast, pyramidal neurons at the cingulate cortex showed normal spine density. Spatial learning and social interaction induced the phosphorylation of cAMP‐responsive element‐binding protein (CREB) in hippocampal neurons of WT mice, whereas the phosphorylation of CREB was markedly decreased in mutant mouse brains. Our results indicate that an extracellular protease, motopsin, preferentially affects social behaviors, and modulates the functions of hippocampal neurons.
Dexmedetomidine: perioperative applications in children
Authors: YUEN VIVIAN MAN YING
Published: December 2009

Dexmedetomidine is a highly specific and selective alpha‐2‐adrenergic agonist with sedative, anxiolytic, and organ protective effects. Its clinical applications in children include premedication, prevention of emergence delirium, as part of multimodal anesthetic regimen and sedation in the pediatric intensive care unit. Its role in neuroprotection in children undergoing anesthesia should be explored. In this review, various uses of dexmedetomidine are discussed in detail.
Monitoring and impact of fluconazole serum and cerebrospinal fluid concentration in HIV‐associated cryptococcal meningitis‐infected patients
Authors: Manosuthi W , Chetchotisakd P , Nolen TL , Wallace D , Sungkanuparph S , Anekthananon T , Supparatpinyo K , Pappas PG , Larsen RA , Filler SG , Andes D ,   on behalf of the BAMSG 3‐01 Study Team
Published: December 2009

Objectives
The aim of the present study was to assess fluconazole pharmacokinetic measures in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); and the correlation of these measures with clinical outcomes of invasive fungal infections.

Methods
A randomized trial was conducted in HIV‐infected patients receiving three different regimens of fluconazole plus amphotericin B (AmB) for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. Regimens included fluconazole 400 mg/day+AmB (AmB+Fluc400) or fluconazole 800 mg/day+AmB (AmB+Fluc800) (14 days followed by fluconazole alone at the randomized dose for 56 days); or AmB alone for 14 days followed by fluconazole 400 mg/day for 56 days. Serum (at 24 h after dosing) and CSF samples were taken at baseline and days 14 and 70 (serum only) for fluconazole measurement, using gas–liquid chromatography.

Results
Sixty‐four treated patients had fluconazole measurements: 11 in the AmB group, 12 in the AmB+Fluc400 group and 41 in the AmB+Fluc800 group. Day 14 serum concentration geometric means were 24.7 mg/L for AmB+Fluc400 and 37.0 mg/L for AmB+Fluc800. Correspondingly, CSF concentration geometric means were 25.1 mg/L and 32.7 mg/L. Day 14 Serum and CSF concentrations were highly correlated with AmB+Fluc800 (P<0.001, r=0.873) and AmB+Fluc400 (P=0.005, r=0.943). Increased serum area under the curve (AUC) appears to be associated with decreased mortality at day 70 (P=0.061, odds ratio=2.19) as well as with increased study composite endpoint success at days 42 and 70 (P=0.081, odds ratio=2.25 and 0.058, 2.89, respectively).

Conclusion
High fluconazole dosage (800 mg/day) for the treatment of HIV‐associated cryptococcal meningitis was associated with high serum and CSF fluconazole concentration. Overall, high serum and CSF concentration appear to be associated with increased survival and primary composite endpoint success.
Urbanization and Informal Development in China: Urban Villages in Shenzhen
Authors: WANG YA PING , WANG YANGLIN , WU JIANSHENG
Published: December 2009

Informal housing and industrial developments in the so‐called urban villages have been key features of the recent Chinese urbanization. In this article we will examine the development of urban villages in one of the most dynamic Chinese cities — Shenzhen. The article first reviews the urbanization and migration process in the region and the emergence of urban villages. It then examines informal housing, commercial and industrial developments in these villages. We analyse the politics of village urbanization and highlight the important relationship between migration and informal village development. We emphasize the contribution made by urban villages in providing affordable housing and jobs for the low‐income population during the rapid urbanization and urge cautious consideration with regard to hasty and large‐scale redevelopment of these villages. We conclude that the development of urban villages is a very important part of the urbanization process.

L’habitat informel et les aménagements commerciaux et industriels dans les villages dits urbains constituent des caractéristiques essentielles de la récente urbanisation chinoise. Cet article examine le développement des villages urbains dans l’une des villes les plus dynamiques: Shenzhen. L’article revient d’abord sur les processus d’urbanisation et de migration dans la région et sur l’émergence des villages urbains. Il s’attache ensuite à l’habitat informel, ainsi qu’aux aménagements commerciaux et industriels, dans ces villages. La politique d’urbanisation des villages est analysée, mettant en évidence le lien important entre migration et aménagement informel des villages. L’étude souligne que les villages urbains fournissent des logements accessibles financièrement et des emplois à la population à faible revenu pendant la phase rapide d’urbanisation, et insiste sur les précautions à prendre vis‐à‐vis d’un réaménagement précipité et à grande échelle de ces villages. La conclusion met en avant combien le développement des villages urbains est important dans le processus d’urbanisation.
Sexually transmitted infections and related sociodemographic factors in Lisbon’s major Venereology Clinic: a descriptive study of the first 4 months of 2007
Authors: Borges da Costa J , Azevedo J , Santo I
Published: December 2009

Objectives  To assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and relationships between them and sociodemographic/behavioural data in the major Venereology Clinic in Lisbon.

Methods  Every patient attending this STI clinic for the first time in the first 17 weeks of 2007 was enrolled in this study. Early syphilis, Chlamydia trachomatis infection, gonorrhoea, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) first diagnosed and genital warts were considered for the study of statistical associations with sociodemographic/behavioural variables or other STI. Data were analysed with an exact significance level of 5%.

Results  A total of 743 patients were included. In women (n = 296), the only significant associations found were for C. trachomatis and being non‐Caucasian (OR = 2.13, CI 1.17–3.9) or being younger than 25 years (OR = 1.9, CI 1.31–2.79).

Men who have sex with men (176 of the 447 male patients) contributed to 39% of the STI, although more than half of the early syphilis, gonorrhoea and HIV cases were diagnosed in this group.

Conclusions  Despite its limitations, our study allows some insight into the relationships between sociodemographic factors and STI in a selected population attending Lisbon’s major Venereology Clinic. The results were similar to those of other European studies and to recent trends in STI, but differ in the association between C. trachomatis infection and non‐Caucasian women, which is similar to cities with significant African minorities. Attention should be given to the associations found between men who have sex with men and STI such as gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV, as these associations can lead to serious difficulties in the control of HIV infection in Portugal.
Global interrelationships of Plesiosauria (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) and the pivotal role of taxon sampling in determining the outcome of phylogenetic analyses
Authors: Ketchum Hilary F. , Benson Roger B. J.
Published: December 2009

Previous attempts to resolve plesiosaurian phylogeny are reviewed and a new phylogenetic data set of 66 taxa (67% of ingroup taxa examined directly) and 178 characters (eight new) is presented. We recover two key novel results: a monophyletic Plesiosauridae comprising Plesiosaurus dolichodeirus, Hydrorion brachypterygius, Microcleidus homalospondylus, Occitanosaurus tournemirensis and Seeleyosaurus guilelmiimperatoris; and five plesiosaurian taxa recovered outside the split between Plesiosauroidea and Pliosauroidea. These taxa are Attenborosaurus conybeari, ‘Plesiosaurus’macrocephalus and a clade comprising Archaeonectrus rostratus, Macroplata tenuiceps and BMNH 49202. Based on this result, a new name, Neoplesiosauria, is erected for the clade comprising Plesiosauroidea and Pliosauroidea. Taxon subsamples of the new dataset are used to simulate previous investigations of global plesiosaurian relationships. Based on these simulations, most major differences between previous global phylogenetic hypotheses can be attributed to differences in taxon sampling. These include the position of Leptocleididae and Polycotylidae and the monophyly or paraphyly of Rhomaleosauridae. On this basis we favour the results recovered by our, larger analysis. Leptocleididae and Polycotylidae are sister taxa, forming a monophyletic clade within Plesiosauroidea, indicating that the large‐headed, short‐necked ‘pliosauromorph’ body plan evolved twice within Plesiosauria. Rhomaleosauridae forms the monophyletic sister taxon of Pliosauridae within Pliosauroidea. Problems are identified with previous phylogenetic definitions of plesiosaurian clades and new, stem‐based definitions are presented that should maintain their integrity over a range of phylogenetic hypotheses. New, rank‐free clade names Cryptoclidia and Leptocleidia are erected to replace the superfamilies Cryptoclidoidea and Leptocleidoidea. These were problematic as they were nested within the superfamily Plesiosauroidea. The incongruence length difference test indicates no significant difference in levels of homoplasy between cranial and postcranial characters.
Welfare Analysis with a Proxy Consumption Measure: Evidence from a Repeated Experiment in Indonesia*
Authors: Pradhan Menno
Published: December 2009

Every three years, Indonesia fields simultaneously two nationwide surveys which collect consumption data. One collects consumption using 23 questions, the other using 320 questions. Based on a repeated experiment in which the two questionnaires were randomly assigned across households, this paper examines the consequences of using a higher level of aggregation in questioning. A mapping of distribution functions reveals the combined effect of systematic differences in measurement and measurement error. Comparing means by subgroups, the effect of additive measurement error is eliminated, and it is found that using a higher level of aggregation yields a lower consumption measure and that the fraction of underestimation increases as consumption rises. A 1 per cent increase in average consumption increases the fraction by which consumption is underestimated by about 0.4 percentage points. Next, the paper examines the consequences of using the short consumption questionnaire in welfare analysis. Higher relative measurement error in the consumption measure derived from the short questionnaire results in higher poverty estimates even if the poverty line is adjusted to take account of the systematic underestimation. Small differences are found for analysis that is based on the rank the individual holds in the consumption distribution. In gradient analysis, it seems impossible to devise a simple correction factor for the higher consumption elasticities that follow when the short questionnaire is used.
Methodological Innovations in Collecting Spending Data: The HRS Consumption and Activities Mail Survey*
Authors: Hurd Michael , Rohwedder Susann
Published: December 2009

It has traditionally been believed that collecting survey measures of total spending necessarily involved asking a large number of questions, too many for inclusion of a comprehensive spending measure in a general‐purpose survey. In this paper, we report on a supplemental survey to the Health and Retirement Study that took up this challenge. We discuss issues that arise when designing a survey module to collect spending data with strict time constraints, describe how the implementation in the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS) played out, and elicit anomalies that more detailed analysis of data quality revealed. We report how we addressed some of these anomalies in subsequent waves of CAMS. Other anomalies required conducting some randomised experiments to find what explains the observed patterns. The results highlight the tension between asking about spending using a long time frame, which exacerbates recall bias, versus using a short time frame, which risks relying on an unrepresentative snapshot of a household's spending to proxy the total for the last 12 months. An important complicating factor in deciding which goods should be put into which time frames is that there is substantial heterogeneity in the frequency of spending across households even for the same category of spending.
The Allocation of Expenditures within the Household: A New Survey*
Authors: Bonke Jens , Browning Martin
Published: December 2009

We report on a data initiative that is designed to address the question of ‘who gets what’ within the household. The data consist of supplements to the Danish Household Expenditure Survey (DHES), which is a traditional nationally representative diary‐based survey of expenditures. We collect supplementary data of two kinds for all couples (with or without children) in the survey. The first set of additional information is that respondents report on the intra‐household allocation of each item of expenditure recorded in the diary. The allowed assignments are ‘the whole family’, ‘the wife’, ‘the husband’, ‘the children’, ‘others’ and ‘not assignable’. The second addition is an extra set of ‘sociological’ questions concerning household financial management, autonomy and family background.

We focus on the survey design and give some descriptive statistics from the survey. We also show how the distribution of expenditure on clothing, which is often used to look at intra‐household allocation, is related to the distribution of expenditure on other goods.

The paper concludes that it is feasible to collect information on ‘who gets what’ within the household and that some sociological questions provide valuable supplementary information for some issues of interest.