bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Antennal Circadian Clock and Circadian Rhythms in Peripheral Pheromone Reception in the Moth Spodoptera littoralis
Authors: Merlin Christine , Lucas Philippe , Rochat Didier , François Marie-Christine , Maïbèche-Coisne Martine , Jacquin-Joly Emmanuelle
Published: December 2007

Circadian rhythms are observed in mating behaviors in moths: females emit sex pheromones and males are attracted by these pheromones in rhythmic fashions. In the moth Spodoptera littoralis, we demonstrated the occurrence of a circadian oscillator in the antenna, the peripheral olfactory organ. We identified different clock genes, period ( per), cryptochrome1 ( cry1) and cryptochrome2 ( cry2), in this organ. Using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), we found that their corresponding transcripts cycled circadianly in the antenna as well as in the brain. Electroantennogram (EAG) recordings over 24 h demonstrated for the first time a circadian rhythm in antennal responses of a moth to sex pheromone. qPCR showed that out of one pheromone-binding protein (PBP), one olfactory receptor (OR), and one odorant-degrading enzyme (ODE), all putatively involved in the pheromone reception, only the ODE transcript presented a circadian rhythm that may be related to rhythms in olfactory signal resolution. Peripheral or central circadian clock control of olfaction is then discussed in light of recent data.
The Digital Dollhouse
Authors: Martey Rosa Mikeal , Stromer-Galley Jennifer
Published: December 2007

This article investigates the relationships between norms and the rich visual environment of the multiplayer game The Sims Online (TSO). Literature suggests that people exhibit normative behavior in online environments. The complex actions and interactions possible with the game's avatars and a minimal game structure make TSO an evocative online space in which to examine social interaction. Through participation and observation, we examined conversation and avatar conduct in TSO and found norms for verbal and nonverbal behavior that governed both text and avatar use. These norms are related to offline expectations of politeness and etiquette associated with visiting and hosting in people's homes, and they correspond with the visual dollhouse-like environment of TSO and its characters. This game is a special context where social norms are clear and powerful, affecting not only players' game play but also their social interaction.
Regulation of adult erythropoiesis by prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins
Authors: Takeda Kotaro , Aguila Hector L. , Parikh Nehal S. , Li Xiping , Lamothe Katie , Duan Li-Juan , Takeda Hiromi , Lee Frank S. , Fong Guo-Hua
Published: December 2007

Polycythemia is often associated with erythropoietin (EPO) overexpression and defective oxygen sensing. In normal cells, intracellular oxygen concentrations are directly sensed by prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)–containing proteins, which tag hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) α subunits for polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation by oxygen-dependent prolyl hydroxylation. Here we show that different PHD isoforms differentially regulate HIF-α stability in the adult liver and kidney and suppress Epo expression and erythropoiesis through distinct mechanisms. Although Phd1−/− or Phd3−/− mice had no apparent defects, double knockout of Phd1 and Phd3 led to moderate erythrocytosis. HIF-2α, which is known to activate Epo expression, accumulated in the liver. In adult mice deficient for PHD2, the prototypic Epo transcriptional activator HIF-1α accumulated in both the kidney and liver. Elevated HIF-1α levels were associated with dramatically increased concentrations of both Epo mRNA in the kidney and Epo protein in the serum, which led to severe erythrocytosis. In contrast, heterozygous mutation of Phd2 had no detectable effects on blood homeostasis. These findings suggest that PHD1/3 double deficiency leads to erythrocytosis partly by activating the hepatic HIF-2α/Epo pathway, whereas PHD2 deficiency leads to erythrocytosis by activating the renal Epo pathway.
Incudomalleal joint formation: the roles of apoptosis, migration and downregulation
Authors: Amin Susan , Matalova Eva , Simpson Carol , Yoshida Hiroki , Tucker Abigail S
Published: December 2007

Background

The middle ear of mammals is composed of three endochondrial ossicles, the stapes, incus and malleus. Joints link the malleus to the incus and the incus to the stapes. In the mouse the first arch derived malleus and incus are formed from a single Sox9 and Type II collagen expressing condensation that later subdivides to give rise to two separate ossicles. In contrast the stapes forms from a separate condensation derived from the second branchial arch. Fusion of the malleus and incus is observed in a number of human syndromes and results in conductive hearing loss. Understanding how this joint forms during normal development is thus an important step in furthering our understanding of such defects.

Results

We show that the developing incudomalleal joint is characterised by a lack of proliferation and discrete areas of apoptosis. Apoptosis has been suggested to aid in the removal of pre-cartilaginous cells from the joint region, allowing for the physical separation of the cartilaginous elements, however, we show that joint initiation is unaffected by blocking apoptosis. There is also no evidence of cell migration out of the presumptive joint region, as observed by labelling of joint and ossicle cells in culture. Using Type II collagen lacZ reporter mice, however, it is evident that cells in the presumptive joint region remain in place and downregulate cartilage markers.

Conclusion

The malleus and incus first appear as a single united condensation expressing early cartilage markers. The incudomalleal joint region forms by cells in the presumptive joint region switching off cartilage markers and turning on joint markers. Failure in this process may result in fusion of this joint, as observed in human syndromes such as Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome or Treacher Collins Syndrome.
Genome-wide interacting effects of sucrose and herbicide-mediated stress in Arabidopsis thaliana: novel insights into atrazine toxicity and sucrose-induced tolerance
Authors: Ramel Fanny , Sulmon Cécile , Cabello-Hurtado Francisco , Taconnat Ludivine , Martin-Magniette Marie-Laure , Renou Jean-Pierre , El Amrani Abdelhak , Couée Ivan , Gouesbet Gwenola
Published: December 2007

Background

Soluble sugars, which play a central role in plant structure and metabolism, are also involved in the responses to a number of stresses, and act as metabolite signalling molecules that activate specific or hormone-crosstalk transduction pathways. The different roles of exogenous sucrose in the tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana plantlets to the herbicide atrazine and oxidative stress were studied by a transcriptomic approach using CATMA arrays.

Results

Parallel situations of xenobiotic stress and sucrose-induced tolerance in the presence of atrazine, of sucrose, and of sucrose plus atrazine were compared. These approaches revealed that atrazine affected gene expression and therefore seedling physiology at a much larger scale than previously described, with potential impairment of protein translation and of reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) defence mechanisms. Correlatively, sucrose-induced protection against atrazine injury was associated with important modifications of gene expression related to ROS defence mechanisms and repair mechanisms. These protection-related changes of gene expression did not result only from the effects of sucrose itself, but from combined effects of sucrose and atrazine, thus strongly suggesting important interactions of sucrose and xenobiotic signalling or of sucrose and ROS signalling.

Conclusion

These interactions resulted in characteristic differential expression of gene families such as ascorbate peroxidases, glutathione-S-transferases and cytochrome P450s, and in the early induction of an original set of transcription factors. These genes used as molecular markers will eventually be of great importance in the context of xenobiotic tolerance and phytoremediation.
NMR and X-ray analysis of structural additivity in metal binding site-swapped hybrids of rubredoxin
Authors: LeMaster David M , Anderson Janet S , Wang Limin , Guo Yi , Li Hongmin , Hernández Griselda
Published: December 2007

Background

Chimeric hybrids derived from the rubredoxins of Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf) and Clostridium pasteurianum (Cp) provide a robust system for the characterization of protein conformational stability and dynamics in a differential mode. Interchange of the seven nonconserved residues of the metal binding site between the Pf and Cp rubredoxins yields a complementary pair of hybrids, for which the sum of the thermodynamic stabilities is equal to the sum for the parental proteins. Furthermore, the increase in amide hydrogen exchange rates for the hyperthermophile-derived metal binding site hybrid is faithfully mirrored by a corresponding decrease for the complementary hybrid that is derived from the less thermostable rubredoxin, indicating a degree of additivity in the conformational fluctuations that underlie these exchange reactions.

Results

Initial NMR studies indicated that the structures of the two complementary hybrids closely resemble "cut-and-paste" models derived from the parental Pf and Cp rubredoxins. This protein system offers a robust opportunity to characterize differences in solution structure, permitting the quantitative NMR chemical shift and NOE peak intensity data to be analyzed without recourse to the conventional conversion of experimental NOE peak intensities into distance restraints. The intensities for 1573 of the 1652 well-resolved NOE crosspeaks from the hybrid rubredoxins were statistically indistinguishable from the intensities of the corresponding parental crosspeaks, to within the baseplane noise level of these high sensitivity data sets. The differences in intensity for the remaining 79 NOE crosspeaks were directly ascribable to localized dynamical processes. Subsequent X-ray analysis of the metal binding site-swapped hybrids, to resolution limits of 0.79 Å and 1.04 Å, demonstrated that the backbone and sidechain heavy atoms in the NMR-derived structures lie within the range of structural variability exhibited among the individual molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit (~0.3 Å), indicating consistency with the "cut-and-paste" structuring of the hybrid rubredoxins in both crystal and solution.

Conclusion

Each of the significant energetic interactions in the metal binding site-swapped hybrids appears to exhibit a 1-to-1 correspondence with the interactions present in the corresponding parental rubredoxin structure, thus providing a structural basis for the observed additivity in conformational stability and dynamics. The congruence of these X-ray and NMR experimental data offers additional support for the interpretation that the conventional treatment of NOE distance restraints contributes substantially to the systematic differences that are commonly reported between NMR- and X-ray-derived protein structures.
Molecular Mechanisms of Skin Aging
Authors: MAKRANTONAKI E. , ZOUBOULIS C. C.
Published: December 2007

Abstract:  The process of skin aging in humans is complex and is induced by multiple factors, including genetic and various environmental ones
. In particular, the superposition of environmental factors, such as UV irradiation on skin, results in massive wound‐like morphological alterations mainly of the dermis. In sun‐protected areas the most pronounced changes occur within the epidermis and affect mostly the basal cell layer.
As a result, while sun‐protected aged skin appears thin, finely wrinkled, and dry, photoaged skin is characterized by deep wrinkles, laxity, and roughness. Although the fundamental mechanisms are still poorly understood, a growing body of evidence points toward the involvement of multiple pathways in the generation of aged skin. Recent data obtained by expression‐profiling studies and studies of progeroid syndromes (e.g., Hutchinson‐Gilford progeria, Werner syndrome, Rothmund‐Thomson syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, ataxia teleangiectasia, and Down syndrome) illustrate that among the most important biological processes involved in skin aging are alterations in DNA repair and stability, mitochondrial function, cell cycle and apoptosis, ubiquitin‐induced proteolysis, and cellular metabolism. One of the major factors that has been proposed to play an exquisite role in the initiation of aging is the physiological hormone decline occurring with age. However, hormones at age‐specific levels may not only regulate age‐associated mechanisms but also regulate tumor‐suppressor pathways that influence carcinogenesis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aging may open new strategies in dealing with the various diseases accompanying aging, including cancer.
A More Atherogenic Serum Lipoprotein Profile Is Present in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Valkenburg Olivier , Steegers-Theunissen Regine P. M. , Smedts Huberdina P. M. , Dallinga-Thie Geesje M. , Fauser Bart C. J. M. , Westerveld Egbertine H. , Laven Joop S. E.
Published: December 2007

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with a higher frequency of cardiovascular risk factors. Apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and apoB are potent markers for cardiovascular risk. Data on apo levels in women with PCOS are scarce and contradictory.

Objective: Our objective was to identify changes in lipid metabolism in women with PCOS, and the relative impact of obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperandrogenism on lipid parameters.

Design: This was a case-control study.

Setting: The study was performed at a single referral center.

Subjects: PCOS was diagnosed according to the 2003 Rotterdam criteria. Healthy mothers with regular menstrual cycles served as controls.

Main Outcome Parameters: Fasting insulin, triglycerides (TGs), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, apoA-I, and apoB were determined. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol was calculated using the Friedewald formula.

Results: We included 557 women with PCOS and 295 controls. After correction for age and body mass index, PCOS women had higher median levels of insulin (10.1 vs. 6.9 mU/liter), TGs (95 vs. 81 mg/dl), cholesterol (196 vs. 178 mg/dl), and LDL-cholesterol (125 vs. 106 mg/dl) in combination with lower levels of HDL-cholesterol (46 vs. 55 mg/dl) and apoA-I (118 vs. 146 mg/dl) compared with controls (all P values ≤ 0.01). apoB levels were similar in cases and controls. Free androgen index, body mass index, SHBG, and estradiol were independent predictors of apoA-I levels in women with PCOS.

Conclusions: PCOS is associated with a more pronounced atherogenic lipid profile. Furthermore, obesity and hyperandrogenism contribute to an adverse lipid profile. Finally, PCOS seems to constitute an additional risk factor for an atherogenic lipid profile.
A stable algorithm for stationary distribution calculation for a BMAP/SM/1 queueing system with Markovian arrival input of disasters
Authors: Dudin Alexander , Semenova Olga
Published: December 2007

Disaster arrival into a queueing system causes all customers to leave the system instantaneously. We present a numerically stable algorithm for calculating the stationary state distribution of an embedded Markov chain for the BMAP/SM/1 queue with a MAP input of disasters.
DrosophilaVps35 function is necessary for normal endocytic trafficking and actin cytoskeleton organisation
Authors: Korolchuk Viktor I. , Schütz Martin M. , Gómez-Llorente Carolina , Rocha João , Lansu Nico R. , Collins Stephanie M. , Wairkar Yogesh P. , Robinson Iain M. , O'Kane Cahir J.
Published: December 2007

To identify novel proteins required for receptor-mediated endocytosis, we have developed an RNAi-based screening method in Drosophila S2 cells, based on uptake of a scavenger receptor ligand. Some known endocytic proteins are essential for endocytosis in this assay, including clathrin and α-adaptin; however, other proteins important for synaptic vesicle endocytosis are not required. In a small screen for novel endocytic proteins, we identified the Drosophila homologue of Vps35, a component of the retromer complex, involved in endosome-to-Golgi trafficking. Loss of Vps35 inhibits scavenger receptor ligand endocytosis, and causes mislocalisation of a number of receptors and endocytic proteins. Vps35 has tumour suppressor properties because its loss leads to overproliferation of blood cells in larvae. Its loss also causes signalling defects at the neuromuscular junction, including upregulation of TGFβ/BMP signalling and excessive formation of synaptic terminals. Vps35 negatively regulates actin polymerisation, and genetic interactions suggest that some of the endocytic and signalling defects of vps35 mutants are due to this function.
Prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in women
Authors:   Writing Group on Osteoporosis for the British Menopause Society Council, Al-Azzawi Farook , Barlow David , Hillard Tim , Studd John , Williamson Jenny , Rees Margaret
Published: December 2007

Osteoporosis affects one in three women. There has been some confusion among women and health professionals about the management of osteoporosis since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative and Million Women studies. This guidance regarding estrogen-based and non-estrogen-based treatments for osteoporosis responds to the controversies about the benefits and risks of individual agents. Treatment choice should be based on up-to-date evidence and targeted to individual women's needs.
Percutaneous screw fixation for sacral insufficiency fractures
Authors: Tsiridis E. , Upadhyay N. , Gamie Z. , Giannoudis P. V.
Published: December 2007

Sacral insufficiency fractures are traditionally treated with bed rest and analgesia. The importance of early rehabilitation is generally appreciated; but pain frequently delays this, resulting in prolonged hospital stay and the risk of complications related to immobility. We describe three women with sacral insufficiency fractures who were treated with percutaneous sacroiliac screws and followed up for a mean of 18 months (12 to 24). They had immediate pain relief, uncomplicated rehabilitation and uneventful healing.
Pre-operative clinical and radiological assessment of the patellofemoral joint in unicompartmental knee replacement and its influence on outcome
Authors: Beard D. J. , Pandit H. , Ostlere S. , Jenkins C. , Dodd C. A. F. , Murray D. W.
Published: December 2007

Anterior knee pain and/or radiological evidence of degeneration of the patellofemoral joint are considered to be contraindications to unicompartmental knee replacement. The aim of this study was to determine whether this is the case.

Between January 2000 and September 2003, in 100 knees (91 patients) in which Oxford unicompartmental knee replacements were undertaken for anteromedial osteoarthritis, pre-operative anterior knee pain and the radiological status of the patellofemoral joint were defined using the Altman and Ahlback systems. Outcome was evaluated at two years with the Oxford knee score and the American Knee Society score.

Pre-operatively 54 knees (54%) had anterior knee pain. The clinical outcome was independent of the presence or absence of pre-operative anterior knee pain. Degenerative changes of the patellofemoral joint were seen in 54 patients (54%) on the skyline radiographs, including ten knees (10%) with joint space obliteration. Patients with medial patellofemoral degeneration had a similar outcome to those without. For some outcome measures patients with lateral patellofemoral degeneration had a worse score than those without, but these patients still had a good outcome, with a mean Oxford knee score of 37.6 (SD 9.5). These results show that neither anterior knee pain nor radiologically-demonstrated medial patellofemoral joint degeneration should be considered a contraindication to Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement. With lateral patellofemoral degeneration the situation is less well defined and caution should be observed.
The New Jersey Digital Highway: A Next-generation Approach to Statewide Digital Library Development
Authors: Langschied Linda , Montanaro Ann
Published: December 2007

The New Jersey Digital Highway (NJDH) is a statewide collaborative being built by public information providers in New Jersey including libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, public broadcasting, and schools. Its broad mission is to develop and sustain an immersive, user-centered information portal to support the New Jersey learner, providing seamless access to cultural heritage materials. To that end, NJDH integrates concepts and technologies of mature digital library initiatives. Equal attention is being given to the competing needs of standardization and customization. It has a user-centered focus that emphasizes the active engagement of the education community and end users. The project stresses iterative training and assessment to inform the entire development and presentation process. But the NJDH initiative extends beyond that of earlier statewide digitization projects in its core mission: to build a robust preservation platform that will ensure perpetual access to the State's digitized collections. NJDH development is one of the first statewide digitization initiatives to have as its core mission the development of a solid digital preservation platform. The integration of core digital preservation extends the capabilities of existing consortial digital library initiatives. NJDH will demonstrate a digital preservation strategy for a statewide digitization initiative that is extensible to other states or institutions. The initial development of NJDH was funded through a National Leadership Grant for Museums and Libraries awarded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in 2003.
Preserving Visual Recordings at a Library of Animal Behavior: Part 1: From Submitted Media to Archival MastersMicrofilm Media and Technology in a Digital World
Authors: Dantzker Marc
Published: December 2007

In the year 2000, the directors of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology decided to add moving images to their Library of Natural Sounds. By that time, the sound library had been building for more than 70 years and had become the world's largest archive of animal sounds. The decision to add video and film to the world-renowned audio archive expanded the mission of the Library toward the archival of animal behavior recordings writ large. The new multimedia archive was renamed the Macaulay Library, after our principal patrons Linda and William Macaulay, and was re-branded as a medium-agnostic resource for zoological natural history recordings.
Synaptic Plasticity and Calcium Signaling in Purkinje Cells of the Central Cerebellar Lobes of Mormyrid Fish
Authors: Han Victor Z. , Zhang Yueping , Bell Curtis C. , Hansel Christian
Published: December 2007

Climbing fiber (CF)-evoked calcium transients play a key role in plasticity at parallel fiber (PF) to Purkinje cell synapses in the mammalian cerebellum. Whereas PF activation alone causes long-term potentiation (LTP), coactivation of the heterosynaptic CF input, which evokes large dendritic calcium transients, induces long-term depression (LTD). This unique type of heterosynaptic interaction is a hallmark feature of synaptic plasticity in mammalian Purkinje cells. Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of mormyrid electric fish are characterized by a different architecture of their dendritic trees and by a more pronounced separation of CF and PF synaptic contact sites. We therefore examined the conditions for bidirectional plasticity at PF synapses onto Purkinje cells in the mormyrid cerebellumin vitro. PF stimulation at elevated frequencies induces LTP, whereas LTD results from PF stimulation at enhanced intensities and depends on dendritic calcium influx and metabotropic glutamate receptor type 1 activation. LTD can also be observed after pairing of low intensity PF stimulation with CF stimulation. Using a combination of whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and fluorometric calcium imaging, we characterized calcium transients in Purkinje cell dendrites. CF activation elicits calcium transients not only within the CF input territory (smooth proximal dendrites) but also within the PF input territory (spiny palisade dendrites). Paired PF and CF activation elicits larger calcium transients than stimulation of either input alone. A major source for dendritic calcium signaling is provided by P/Q-type calcium channels. Our data show that despite the spatial separation between the two inputs CF activity facilitates LTD induction at PF synapses.
Counting on Inhibition and Rate-Dependent Excitation in the Auditory System
Authors: Edwards Christofer J. , Leary Christopher J. , Rose Gary J.
Published: December 2007

The intervals between acoustic elements are important in audition. Although neurons have been recorded that show interval tuning, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The anuran auditory system is well suited for addressing this problem. One class of midbrain neurons in anurans responds selectively over a narrow range of pulse-repetition rates (PRRs) and only after several sound pulses have occurred with the “correct” timing. This “interval-counting” process can be reset by a single incorrect interval. Here we show, from whole-cell patch recordings of midbrain neuronsin vivo, that these computations result from interplay between inhibition and rate-dependent excitation. An individual pulse or slowly repeated pulses elicited inhibition and subthreshold excitation. Excitation was markedly enhanced, however, when PRR was increased over a neuron-specific range. Spikes were produced when the enhanced excitation overcame the inhibition. Interval-number thresholds were positively correlated with the strength of inhibition and number of intervals required to augment the excitation. Accordingly, interval-number thresholds decreased when inhibition was attenuated by loading cells with cesium fluoride. The selectivity of these neurons for the interpulse interval, and therefore PRR, was related to the time course of excitatory events and the rate dependence of enhancement; for cells that were tuned to longer intervals, EPSPs were broader, and enhancement occurred at slower PRRs. The frequency tuning of the inhibition generally spanned that of the excitation, consistent with its role in temporal computation. These findings provide the first mechanistic understanding of interval selectivity and counting in the nervous system.
The Source of Afterdischarge Activity in Neocortical Tonic–Clonic Epilepsy
Authors: Trevelyan Andrew J. , Baldeweg Torsten , van Drongelen Wim , Yuste Rafael , Whittington Miles
Published: December 2007

Tonic–clonic seizures represent a common pattern of epileptic discharges, yet the relationship between the various phases of the seizure remains obscure. Here we contrast propagation of the ictal wavefront with the propagation of individual discharges in the clonic phase of the event. In anin vitromodel of tonic–clonic epilepsy, the afterdischarges (clonic phase) propagate with relative uniform speed and are independent of the speed of the ictal wavefront (tonic phase). For slowly propagating ictal wavefronts, the source of the afterdischarges, relative to a given recording electrode, switched as the wavefront passed by, indicating that afterdischarges are seeded from wavefront itself. In tissue that has experienced repeated ictal events, the wavefront generalizes rapidly, and the afterdischarges in this case show a different “flip–flop” pattern, with frequent switches in their direction of propagation. This same flip–flop pattern is also seen in subdural EEG recordings in patients suffering intractable focal seizures caused by cortical dysplasias. Thus, in both slowly and rapidly generalizing ictal events, there is not a single source of afterdischarge activity: rather, the source is continuously changing. Our data suggest a complex view of seizures in which the ictal event and its constituent discharges originate from distinct locations.
The Medial Prefrontal Cortex Is Involved in Spatial Memory Retrieval under Partial-Cue Conditions
Authors: Jo Yong Sang , Park Eun Hye , Kim Il Hwan , Park Soon Kwon , Kim Hyun , Kim Hyun Taek , Choi June-Seek
Published: December 2007

Brain circuits involved in pattern completion, or retrieval of memory from fragmented cues, were investigated. Using different versions of the Morris water maze, we explored the roles of the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in spatial memory retrieval under various conditions. In a hidden platform task, both CA3 and mPFC lesions disrupted memory retrieval under partial-cue, but not under full-cue, conditions. For a delayed matching-to-place task, CA3 lesions produced a deficit in both forming and recalling spatial working memory regardless of extramaze cue conditions. In contrast, damage to mPFC impaired memory retrieval only when a fraction of cues was available. To corroborate the lesion study, we examined the expression of the immediate early gene c-fosin mPFC and the hippocampus. After training of spatial reference memory in full-cue conditions for 6 d, the same training procedure in the absence of all cues except one increased the number of Fos-immunoreactive cells in mPFC and CA3. Furthermore, mPFC inactivation with muscimol, a GABA agonist, blocked memory retrieval in the degraded-cue environment. However, mPFC-lesioned animals initially trained in a single-cue environment had no difficulty in retrieving spatial memory when the number of cues was increased, demonstrating that contextual change per se did not impair the behavioral performance of the mPFC-lesioned animals. Together, these findings strongly suggest that pattern completion requires interactions between mPFC and the hippocampus, in which mPFC plays significant roles in retrieving spatial information maintained in the hippocampus for efficient navigation.
Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Modulation of Prefrontal–Parietal–Striatal Brain Systems during Arithmetic and Temporal Transformations in Working Memory
Authors: Tan Hao-Yang , Chen Qiang , Goldberg Terry E. , Mattay Venkata S. , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Weinberger Daniel R. , Callicott Joseph H.
Published: December 2007

Working memory (WM) is critically mediated by dopaminergic tuning of signal-to-noise in cortical neural assemblies. However, little is known about the distributed neuronal networks impacted by dopaminergic modulation in the component processes of WM. Here, we used the genotype of the Val158Met polymorphism in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) as an index of relative cortical dopamine bioavailability and tuning efficiency, to examine the spatial and subprocess specificity by which dopaminergic modulation occurs within the prefrontal-parietal-striatal network during WM, thus empirically showing that dopamine plays key roles in updating and stabilizing new information at the neural systems level. In an event-related fMRI task dissociating component numerical WM subprocesses, baseline numerical size comparison engaged ventrolateral prefrontal cortical activation that correlated withCOMTVal-allele load (COMTVal>Met), while performing arithmetic transformations further engaged this genotype effect in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), as well as in parietal and striatal regions. Critically, additional temporal integration of information in WM disproportionately engaged greaterCOMTVal>Met effects only at DLPFC.COMTVal>Met effects were also observed in DLPFC during encoding of new information into WM, but not at its subsequent retrieval. Thus, temporal updating operations, but less so the retrieval of already encoded representations, engaged relatively specific dopaminergic tuning at the DLPFC. Manipulating and rapidly updating representations were sensitive to dopaminergic modulation of neural signaling in a larger prefrontal-parietal-striatal network. These findings add to the integration of dopaminergic signaling in basic cortical assemblies with their roles in specific human brain networks during the orchestration of information processing in WM.
Social security reform in the US: Lessons from Hungary
Authors: Simonovits A.
Published: December 2007

The partial privatisation of the US Social Security system was clearlythetop economic policy priority for the Bush administration around 2003. While many famous economists, publicists and politicians support, others reject the partial privatisation of the Social Security system. Political opposition has defeated the Bush plan but the basic idea will resurface sooner or later. Until now, international comparisons have been quite infrequent, concentrated on few countries (Chile, Great Britain and Sweden) and left out similar reforms introduced in similar situations, like in Hungary, Poland and other excommunist countries. In an attempt to fill this gap, in this article I outline the lessons learnt from the Hungarian reform, which started in 1998. The conclusion is simple: such a reform is feasible but does not solve the problems of social security (like sustainability and equity).
Análise dos registros de leishmaniose visceral pelo método de captura-recaptura
Authors: Maia-Elkhoury Ana Nilce Silveira , Carmo Eduardo Hage , Sousa-Gomes Marcia Leite , Mota Eduardo
Published: December 2007

OBJETIVO: Analisar o número de casos, óbitos, incidência e letalidade e estimar a subnotificação da leishmaniose visceral, bem como a cobertura dos sistemas nacionais de informações. MÉTODOS: Foram analisados casos confirmados de leishmaniose visceral com base nos sistemas: Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (Sinan), Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade (SIM) e Sistema de Informações Hospitalares (SIH), nos anos de 2002 e 2003. As variáveis utilizadas no relacionamento para identificação dos pares foram: nome do paciente, nome da mãe, data de nascimento, sexo, município de residência e endereço. Para cálculo das estimativas aplicou-se a metodologia de captura-recaptura, utilizando a fórmula de Chapman. RESULTADOS: A subnotificação estimada para casos de leishmaniose visceral no Sinan, em relação ao SIH e SIM, foi 42,2% e 45,0%, respectivamente. A subnotificação estimada de óbitos no SIM foi 53,0% e 46,5%, quando comparada com Sinan-óbitos e SIH-óbitos, respectivamente. Comparando o Sinan e o SIH, a incidência estimada foi de 2,9 por 100.000 habitantes, 70,5% mais alta que a encontrada utilizando somente os dados do Sinan. Da comparação dos dados do SIM e Sinan-óbitos a letalidade estimada de 8%, representou um incremento de 16% da inicialmente registrada no Sinan-óbitos. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados mostram elevada subnotificação estimada de casos e óbitos de leishmaniose visceral no Brasil. O relacionamento dos sistemas de informações e aplicação do método captura-recaptura permitiram conhecer e melhorar as estimativas epidemiológicas, sendo factível sua utilização nos serviços de saúde.
Consumo alimentar na gestação e no pós-parto segundo cor da pele no município do Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Lacerda Elisa Maria de Aquino , Kac Gilberto , Cunha Cynthia Braga da , Leal Maria do Carmo
Published: December 2007

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o consumo alimentar durante a gestação e pós-parto, segundo cor da pele. MÉTODOS: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo que incluiu 467 mulheres entre 15 e 45 anos no período pós-parto, no município do Rio de Janeiro, entre 1999 e 2001. Foi aplicado um questionário de freqüência de consumo de alimentos aos 15 dias pós-parto (consumo referente ao período da gestação) e aos seis meses (consumo referente ao período pós-parto). Foi utilizada análise de covariância para analisar diferenças no consumo alimentar, segundo cor da pele, controlada pela escolaridade. RESULTADOS: Durante a gestação, pretas e pardas apresentaram consumo de energia 13,4% e 9,1% (p=0,009 e p=0,028) e consumo de carboidrato 15,1% e 10,5% maior que brancas (p=0,005 e p=0,014), respectivamente. Mulheres pretas e brancas apresentaram consumo energético 34% e 20% acima das recomendações nutricionais, respectivamente (p=0,035). Durante o período pós-parto, as pretas apresentaram consumo de energia 7,7% maior e consumo de lipídios 14,8% maior que as brancas; consumo de ácidos graxos saturados 23,8% maior que brancas (p=0,003) e 13% maior que pardas (p=0,046). A adequação de consumo de lipídios e ácidos graxos saturados foi maior em pretas que em brancas (p=0,024 e p=0,011, respectivamente). CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados mostram ser necessário revisar estratégias de intervenção nutricional no pré-natal e implementar assistência nutricional no pós-parto, para ajustar o consumo alimentar a níveis adequados, considerando as diferenças por cor/raça identificadas.
Eventos adversos pós-vacina contra a difteria, coqueluche e tétano e fatores associados à sua gravidade
Authors: Freitas Fabiana Ramos Martin de , Sato Helena Keico , Aranda Clélia Maria Sarmento de Souza , Arantes Benedito Antonio Figueiredo , Pacheco Maria Aparecida , Waldman Eliseu Alves
Published: December 2007

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os eventos adversos pós-vacina contra a difteria, coqueluche e tétano (EAPV-DPT) e os fatores associados à sua gravidade. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com componente descritivo e analítico, abrangendo os eventos adversos pós-vacina DPT notificados no Estado de São Paulo, de 1984 a 2001, entre crianças menores de sete anos de idade. A definição de caso foi a adotada pela vigilância de EAPV-DPT; os dados obtidos foram originados da vigilância passiva desses eventos. No cálculo das taxas, o numerador foram os EAPV e o denominador o número de doses aplicadas. A associação entre a gravidade dos EAPV-DPT e as exposições de interesse foi investigada pelas estimativas não ajustadas e ajustadas da odds ratio, com os respectivos intervalos de 95% de confiança, usando regressão logística não condicional. RESULTADOS: Identificaram-se 10.059 EAPV-DPT relativos a 6.266 crianças, apresentando um ou mais EAPV, 29,5% foram internadas e em 68,2% houve contra-indicação das doses subseqüentes de DPT. Cerca de 75% dos eventos ocorreram nas primeiras seis horas após a aplicação da vacina. Os eventos mais freqüentes foram: febre<39,5°C, reação local, evento hipotônico hiporresponsivo e convulsão. Mostraram-se independentemente associadas à gravidade: intervalo inferior a uma hora entre a aplicação da vacina e o evento (OR=2,1), primeira dose aplicada (OR=5,8), antecedentes neurológicos pessoais (OR=2,2) e familiares (OR=5,3). CONCLUSÕES: A vigilância passiva de EAPV mostrou-se útil no monitoramento da segurança da vacina DPT, descrevendo as características e a magnitude desses eventos, assim como permitiu identificar possíveis fatores associados às formas graves.
Combined life-cycle cost assessment of roof construction
Authors: Worth Z. , Boyle C. , McDowall W. R.
Published: December 2007

This paper compares the combined life-cycle costs of four different types of roof construction common in New Zealand. Two cladding options have been chosen, namely steel sheeting and concrete tiles, supported by two different types of framing, namely softwood timber trusses and lightweight structural steel framing. The material quantities, embodied energy and CO2 emissions of each roof configuration have been assessed using simplified life-cycle models. The combined life-cycle cost of each roofing system has been determined by adding the material costs with the estimated ‘costs’ of the embodied energy and CO2 emissions. Material costs have been determined based on current installed prices and the maintenance costs discounted to net present values. The embodied energy and CO2 emissions have been calculated using previous input-output models developed for New Zealand building materials. It was generally found that concrete-tiled roof structures had lower overall combined life-cycle costs when compared to the steel sheeting options, mainly owing to the greater durability and lower embodied energy content of the concrete tile cladding. It is hoped that this paper will aid housing developers and stakeholders in making sustainable choices in their selection of roofing materials.
Continuum-many Boolean algebras of the form Borel
Authors: Oliver Michael Ray
Published: December 2007

We examine the question of how many Boolean algebras, distinct up to isomorphism, that are quotients of the powerset of the naturals by Borel ideals, can be proved to exist in ZFC alone. The maximum possible value is easily seen to be the cardinality of the continuum ; earlier work by Ilijas Farah had shown that this was the value in models of Martin's Maximum or some similar forcing axiom, but it was open whether there could be fewer in models of the Continuum Hypothesis.

We develop and apply a new technique for constructing many ideals whose quotients must be nonisomorphic in any model of ZFC. The technique depends on isolating a kind of ideal, called shallow, that can be distinguished from the ideal of all finite sets even after any isomorphic embedding, and then piecing together various copies of the ideal of all finite sets using distinct shallow ideals. In this way we are able to demonstrate that there are continuum-many distinct quotients by Borel ideals, indeed by analytic P-ideals, and in fact that there is in an appropriate sense a Borel embedding of the Vitali equivalence relation into the equivalence relation of isomorphism of quotients by analytic P-ideals. We also show that there is an uncountable definable wellordered collection of Borel ideals with distinct quotients.
A Tale of Two Time Periods: Ovarian Cancer Trends in Ontario
Authors: Elit L. , Bondy S.J. , Chen Z. , Paszat L.
Published: December 2007

We assessed population-based trends in incidence and survival rates for epithelial ovarian cancer in Ontario in two time periods. Our population-based study cohort included all women with epithelial ovarian cancer treated initially with abdominal surgery in Ontario for January 1996 through December 2001. Incident surgical cases were documented by hospital contact data and the Ontario Cancer Registry. Patient characteristics (age, for example) were obtained from electronic administrative data records. Regression analyses were used to assess the influence of time period on survival while controlling for age, comorbidity, and other factors associated with this outcome. A total of 3825 women met the inclusion criteria. We found that the age-standardized incidence of ovarian cancer remained stable during 1996–2001. A shift to a younger age at diagnosis was found between the two time periods being compared. The univariate analysis revealed a clear difference in death rate, to which age at diagnosis, Charlson comorbidity score, and treatment period contributed. Earlier time period (p < 0.0001), advancing age (p < 0.0001), higher Charlson score (p < 0.0001), and lower income quartile score (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with poorer survival in the univariate analysis. Younger age, lower Charlson score, and more recent time period of diagnosis and treatment (p < 0.0001) were associated with improved survival in the proportional hazards model. We conclude that age-standardized incidence and mortality rates for ovarian cancer in Ontario have remained stable. For women initially treated with surgery, advances in management have led to an improvement in survival.
Cancer Symptom Control Trials: How May We Advance This Field?
Authors: MacDonald N.
Published: December 2007

Canadian Institutes of Health [...]
Percutaneous Cementoplasty of Lytic Metastasis in Left Acetabulum
Authors: Harris K. , Pugash R. , David E. , Yee A. , Sinclair E. , Myers J. , Chow E.
Published: December 2007

Minimally invasive procedures such as percutaneous cementoplasty can provide immediate pain relief and can restore mechanical stability for patients with bone metastases who are not candidates for surgery or who show resistance to radiotherapy or analgesic treatment. Here, we examine a case of percutaneous cementoplasty to treat a lytic lesion of the acetabulum from breast cancer. Good filling was observed, and no complications occurred. A research assistant recorded the patient’s scores on the Karnofsky Performance Scale, Townsend Functional Assessment Scale, and Brief Pain Inventory before surgery and at days 1, 2, and 4 and weeks 1, 2, and 4 post-procedure. Improvement in pain and walking ability was demonstrated within the first 48 hours of treatment, and that improvement remained constant throughout follow-up. These findings echo the literature, in that percutaneous cementoplasty provides immediate and long-term pain relief with few complications. We recommend that percutaneous cementoplasty be used as an additional tool for palliative treatment of patients with bone metastases.
Structure for electro‐spun silk fibroin nanofibers
Authors: Kawahara Yutaka , Nakayama Atsushi , Matsumura Noriaki , Yoshioka Taiyo , Tsuji Masaki
Published: December 2007

Electro‐spinning was made using silk fibroin and it was found that silk fibroin nanofibers of partially oriented amorphous structure are producible using HFIP(1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluoro‐2‐propanol) as a solvent for fibroin via the electro‐spinning setup equipped with parallel electrodes as a collector. Transformation from amorphous to silk I of a highly contracted beta‐turn form or amorphous to silk II of a regular array of antiparallel beta‐sheets occurred preferentially via the treatment with water vapor or ethanol, respectively. In addition the c‐axis of crystallites was oriented parallel to the fiber axis. When the electro‐spinning was made using a dish‐type collector filled with ethanol, a peculiar web texture was obtained. Such a web texture seems to be brought about by the shrinkage of fiber due to the crystallization of fibroin and/or surface tension of ethanol droplets formed between the fibers. In this spinning setup, the c‐axis of crystallites was also oriented parallel to the fiber axis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Hydrodynamische Instabilitäten zweiphasiger Zylinderspaltströmungen mit Rotation und Durchfluss
Authors: Seyfert C. , Piesche M.
Published: December 2007

Die Untersuchung der Vorgänge in transienten, dispersen Strömungen ist von technischer Bedeutung, da diese instabilen Strömungsformen häufig in Misch‐ und Trennapparaten auftreten und das Misch‐ und Separationsverhalten signifikant beeinflussen. Die zweiphasige Strömung im Spalt zwischen zwei konzentrischen Zylindern, wie sie zum Beispiel in Ringkammerzentrifugen anzutreffen ist, wurde in dieser Arbeit sowohl theoretisch als auch experimentell untersucht. Im durchströmten System wurden die Struktur, der Existenzbereich und das Zeitverhalten von hydrodynamischen Instabilitäten im Übergangsbereich laminarer‐turbulenter Strömung ermittelt.
Quantitative Online Detection of Low‐Concentrated Drugs via a SERS Microfluidic System
Authors: Ackermann Katrin R. , Henkel Thomas , Popp Jürgen
Published: December 2007

Herein, quantitative online monitoring of concentration fluctuations of different interesting drugs, namely, the phenothiazine promethazine as well as the anti‐cancer agent mitoxantrone via surface enhanced Raman scattering assay based on a microfluidic device is demonstrated. With the applied liquid/liquid two‐phase‐segmented flow system we succeed in preventing the adhesion of nanoparticle aggregates to the channel walls which is necessary for a quantitative analysis. Even after repeated cycles no carry‐over due to sedimentation of colloid particles is observed. To the best of our knowledge these are the first measurements applying a combination of a microfluidic device with SERS detection for quantitative online monitoring of fluctuations in drug concentrations over hours without use of aggressive chemicals for rinsing the chip surfaces prior to each measurement.