bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological evidence for an anticonvulsant relay in the rat ventromedial medulla
Authors: Shehab Safa , Alzigali Laila , Madathil Muhammed , Redgrave Peter
Published: October 2007

Local disinhibition of several interconnected regions in the brainstem of rats, including the dorsal midbrain, the mesencephalic locomotor region and the ventrolateral pontine reticular formation, has anticonvulsant properties in the maximal electroshock model of epilepsy. A recent anatomical study [Shehab, S., McGonigle, D., Hughes, D., Todd, A. & Redgrave, P. (2005) Eur. J. Neurosci., 22, 1431–1444.] revealed significant anatomical connections between an anticonvulsant relay region in the ventrolateral pons and reticulospinal projection neurons in the ventromedial medullary reticular formation. This pathway was shown to have both glutamatergic and GABAergic components. The purpose of the present study was to test whether local excitation or inhibition directed to the target zone of this projection in the ventral medulla would also have anticonvulsant properties. Neural excitation induced by local bilateral injections of the GABAA antagonist bicuculline into the ventromedial medulla caused a reliable dose‐related suppression of hindlimb extension in the maximal electroshock test. The anticonvulsant effect of bicuculline was significantly greater in the terminal zone of the afferent projection from the ventral pons than that observed in adjacent tissue. Neither direct excitation following injections of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate nor direct inhibition by injections of the GABA agonist muscimol into the same region had reliable anticonvulsant effects. A statistically reliable association was observed between the anticonvulsant and locomotor activation effects of injections of bicuculline into the ventral medulla. No such relationship was found with bicuculline‐induced disturbances of muscle tone, as reflected by the presence of postural dysfunction. Together these data establish the final functional link connecting brainstem anticonvulsant circuitry with reticulospinal systems controlling hindlimb musculature.
Lesions of rat infralimbic cortex result in disrupted retardation but normal summation test performance following training on a Pavlovian conditioned inhibition procedure
Authors: Rhodes S. E. V. , Killcross A. S.
Published: October 2007

The prefrontal cortex has a well‐established role in the inhibition of inappropriate responding. Converging evidence implicates the infralimbic (IL) region of the rat medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) in the maintenance of extinction [Quirk et al. (2000)J. Neurosci., 20, 6225–6231; Rhodes & Killcross (2004)Learn. Mem., 11, 611–616], a process generally considered to be mediated by the formation of inhibitory associations. An appetitive Pavlovian conditioned inhibition paradigm was used in order to investigate further the role of the IL MPFC in the control over behaviour by inhibitory associations. In two separate experiments, the effect of IL lesions on summation and retardation tests of conditioned inhibition was assessed. IL lesions did not affect summation test performance, indicating that lesioned animals were able to acquire inhibitory associations between a stimulus and reward and could express them normally when placed in competition with an excitatory cue. However, the retardation of excitatory conditioning that is normally seen when a stimulus with inhibitory properties is subsequently paired with reward was abolished in IL‐lesioned animals. This suggests a selective role for the IL MPFC in the competition for behavioural control between the inhibitory and excitatory associations of a single stimulus.
Regeneration‐enhancing effects of EphA4 blocking peptide following corticospinal tract injury in adult rat spinal cord
Authors: Fabes Jez , Anderson Patrick , Brennan Caroline , Bolsover Stephen
Published: October 2007

Spinal cord injury often leads to permanent incapacity because long axons cannot regenerate in the CNS. Eph receptors inhibit axon extension through an effect on the actin cytoskeleton. We have previously reported that after injury EphA4 appears at high levels in stumps of corticospinal axons, while a cognate ligand, ephrinB2, is upregulated at the lesion site so as to confine the injured axons. In this study we have infused lesioned spinal cords with a peptide antagonist of EphA4. In treated animals the retrograde degeneration that normally follows corticospinal tract injury is absent. Rather, corticospinal tract axons sprout up to and into the lesion centre. In a behavioural test of corticospinal tract function, peptide treatment substantially improved recovery relative to controls. These results suggest that blocking EphA4 is likely to contribute to a future successful clinical treatment for spinal cord injury.
The effect of CB1 receptor antagonism in the right basolateral amygdala on conditioned fear and associated analgesia in rats
Authors: Roche Michelle , O'Connor Emer , Diskin Catherine , Finn David P.
Published: October 2007

The endocannabinoid system mediates analgesia expressed following exposure to conditioned or unconditioned aversive stimuli, and controls the extinction of conditioned aversive behaviour. The present study investigated the effects of administration of the cannabinoid1 (CB1) receptor antagonist SR141716A into the right basolateral amygdala (BLA) on expression of conditioned fear, formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour, fear‐conditioned analgesia and associated alterations in monoamine levels in discrete rat brain areas. Re‐exposure to a context previously paired with footshock significantly reduced formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour. Intra‐BLA administration of SR141716A did not attenuate fear‐conditioned analgesia, but reduced formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour and attenuated the formalin‐induced decrease in freezing and 22‐kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in the early part of the trial. Furthermore, intra‐BLA SR141716A significantly prolonged the duration of these fear‐related behaviours in fear‐conditioned rats not receiving formalin. Fear‐conditioned analgesia was accompanied by increased homovanillic acid (HVA) : dopamine (DA) ratio and reduced serotonin (5‐HT) in the cerebellum, an effect not altered by SR141716A. SR141716A‐induced analgesia was accompanied by reduced DA, increased HVA : DA ratio and reduced 5‐HT levels in the cerebellum, increased hippocampal HVA levels and increased 5‐hydroxyindole‐3‐acetic acid (5‐HIAA) in the amygdaloid cortex. The SR141716A‐induced prolongation of contextually induced aversive behaviour was accompanied by reduced DA and 3,4‐dihyroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), levels in the hippocampus, and increased DA and 5‐HIAA in the periaqueductal grey. These data suggest an important role for CB1 receptors in the right BLA in mediating short‐term extinction of conditioned aversive behaviour but not fear‐conditioned analgesia. The results also enhance our understanding of endocannabinoid–monoamine interactions of relevance to conditioned fear and associated analgesia.
A toolbox for light control of Drosophila behaviors through Channelrhodopsin 2‐mediated photoactivation of targeted neurons
Authors: Zhang Wei , Ge Wooping , Wang Zuoren
Published: October 2007

In order to study the function of specific neural circuits, we generated UAS‐Channelrhodopsin2 (ChR2) transgenic Drosophila and established a ChR2‐based system that enables specific activation of targeted neurons in larval and adult fruit flies with blue light illumination, under the control of a newly designed light source that provides fully programmable stimulation patterns. We showed that stimulating selectively the nociceptor of larvae expressing ChR2 elicited light‐induced ‘pain’ response, confined freely behaving larvae in defined area and directed larva migration along a preset route. In freely behaving adult flies, rapid photoactivation of targeted gustatory sensory neurons, dopaminergic modulatory neurons and motor neurons triggered the proboscis extension response, escaping reflex and changes in the locomotion pattern, respectively, with precise temporal control. This non‐invasive method for remote control of animal behaviors also provides a potential tool for conducting ‘gain of function’ studies toward understanding how animal behaviors are controlled by neural activity.
Plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase in the cilia of olfactory receptor neurons: possible role in Ca2+ clearance
Authors: Castillo Karen , Delgado Ricardo , Bacigalupo Juan
Published: October 2007

Olfactory sensory neurons respond to odorants increasing Ca2+ concentrations in their chemosensory cilia. Calcium enters the cilia through cAMP‐gated channels, activating Ca2+‐dependent chloride or potassium channels. Calcium also has a fundamental role in odour adaptation, regulating cAMP turnover rate and the affinity of the cyclic nucleotide‐gated channels for cAMP. It has been shown that a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) extrudes Ca2+ from the cilia. Here we confirm previous evidence that olfactory cilia also express plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase (PMCA), and show the first evidence supporting a role in Ca2+ removal. Both transporters were detected by immunoblot of purified olfactory cilia membranes. The pump was also revealed by immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Inside‐out cilia membrane vesicles transported Ca2+ in an ATP‐dependent fashion. PMCA activity was potentiated by luminal Ca2+ (K0.5 = 670 nm) and enhanced by calmodulin (CaM; K0.5 = 31 nm). Both carboxyeosin (CE) and calmidazolium reduced Ca2+ transport, as expected for a CaM‐modulated PMCA. The relaxation time constant (τ) of the Ca2+‐dependent Cl– current (272 ± 78 ms), indicative of luminal Ca2+ decline, was increased by CE (2181 ± 437 ms), by omitting ATP (666 ± 49 ms) and by raising pH (725 ± 65 ms), suggesting a role of the pump on Ca2+ clearance. Replacement of external Na+ by Li+ had a similar effect (τ = 442 ± 8 ms), confirming the NCX involvement in Ca2+ extrusion. The evidence suggests that both Ca2+ transporters contribute to re‐establish resting Ca2+ levels in the cilia following olfactory responses.
A natural antisense transcript against Rad18, specifically expressed in neurons and upregulated during β‐amyloid‐induced apoptosis
Authors: Parenti Rosalba , Paratore Sabrina , Torrisi Antonietta , Cavallaro Sebastiano
Published: October 2007

Apoptosis, the main form of programmed cell death, is associated to a complex and dynamic transcriptional and post‐transcriptional programme. By microarray analysis, we have previously implicated 241 genes differentially expressed in rat cortical neurons exposed to β‐amyloid (Aβ) protein, the major constituent of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease. A large number of identified genes have no name or known function. In the present study, we have investigated one of these genes that encodes for a natural antisense transcript against Rad18 (NAT‐Rad18). Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) confirmed differential expression of this transcript in cortical neurons exposed to Aβ. In situ hybridization, qRT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the regional and cellular distribution of NAT‐Rad18 in adult rat brain. These experiments showed a widespread distribution of NAT‐Rad18, with the highest levels in the cerebellum, brainstem and cortex, where it was specifically expressed by neurons. NAT‐Rad18 was also strongly expressed in epithelial cells of choroid plexus and cerebral vessels. At the cellular level, expression of Rad18 was counterbalanced by that of its natural antisense transcript, as shown by both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. These experiments suggest the existence of a NAT that exerts a post‐transcriptional control over Rad18.
Neural representation of spectral and temporal features of song in the auditory forebrain of zebra finches as revealed by functional MRI
Authors: Boumans Tiny , Theunissen Frédéric E. , Poirier Colline , Van Der Linden Annemie
Published: October 2007

Song perception in songbirds, just as music and speech perception in humans, requires processing the spectral and temporal structure found in the succession of song‐syllables. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and synthetic songs that preserved exclusively either the temporal or the spectral structure of natural song, we investigated how vocalizations are processed in the avian forebrain. We found bilateral and equal activation of the primary auditory region, field L. The more ventral regions of field L showed depressed responses to the synthetic songs that lacked spectral structure. These ventral regions included subarea L3, medial‐ventral subarea L and potentially the secondary auditory region caudal medial nidopallium. In addition, field L as a whole showed unexpected increased responses to the temporally filtered songs and this increase was the largest in the dorsal regions. These dorsal regions included L1 and the dorsal subareas L and L2b. Therefore, the ventral region of field L appears to be more sensitive to the preservation of both spectral and temporal information in the context of song processing. We did not find any differences in responses to playback of the bird's own song vs other familiar conspecific songs. We also investigated the effect of three commonly used anaesthetics on the blood oxygen level‐dependent response: medetomidine, urethane and isoflurane. The extent of the area activated and the stimulus selectivity depended on the type of anaesthetic. We discuss these results in the context of what is known about the locus of action of the anaesthetics, and reports of neural activity measured in electrophysiological experiments.
Effects of insular cortex lesions on conditioned taste aversion and latent inhibition in the rat
Authors: Roman Christopher , Reilly Steve
Published: October 2007

The present study tested the hypothesis that lesions of the insular cortex of the rat retard the acquisition of conditioned taste aversions (CTAs) because of an impairment in the detection of the novelty of taste stimuli. Demonstrating the expected latent inhibition effect, nonlesioned control subjects acquired CTAs more rapidly when the conditioned stimulus (0.15% sodium saccharin) was novel rather than familiar (achieved by pre‐exposure to the to‐be‐conditioned taste cue). However, rats with insular cortex lesions acquired taste aversions at the same slow rate regardless of whether the saccharin was novel or familiar. The pattern of behavioural deficits obtained cannot be interpreted as disruptions of taste detection or stimulus intensity, but is consistent with the view that insular cortex lesions disrupt taste neophobia, a dysfunction that consequently retards CTA acquisition because of a latent inhibition‐like effect.
Distinct detergent‐resistant membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) respectively harvest K+ and water transport systems in brain astroglia
Authors: Hibino Hiroshi , Kurachi Yoshihisa
Published: October 2007

The detergent‐resistant microdomains (DRM) of cell membranes scaffold different molecules and regulate cell functions by orchestrating various signaling pathways including G‐proteins and tyrosine kinase. Here we report a novel role for DRM in astroglial cells. K+‐buffering inwardly rectifying Kir4.1 channels and the water channel AQP4 are expressed in astrocytes and they may be functionally coupled to maintain ionic and osmotic homeostasis in the brain. Kir4.1 and AQP4 channel proteins were abundant in noncaveloar DRM in the brain and also in HEK293T cells when exogenously expressed. In HEK293T cells, depletion of membrane cholesterol by methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (MβCD) resulted in loss of Kir4.1 association with DRM and its channel activity but did not affect either the distribution or the function of AQP4. Immunolabeling showed that Kir4.1 and AQP4 were occasionally distributed in close proximity but in distinct compartments of the astroglial cell membrane. Astroglial noncaveolar DRM may therefore be made up of at least two distinct compartments, MβCD‐sensitive and MβCD‐resistant microdomains, which control localization and function of, respectively, Kir and AQP4 channels on the cell membrane.
Chronic and acute alterations in the functional levels of Frequenins 1 and 2 reveal their roles in synaptic transmission and axon terminal morphology
Authors: Romero‐Pozuelo Jesús , Dason Jeffrey S. , Atwood Harold L. , Ferrús Alberto
Published: October 2007

Frequenin (Frq) and its mammalian homologue, neuronal calcium sensor 1 (NCS‐1), are important calcium‐binding proteins which enhance neurotransmitter release and facilitation. Here, we report the discovery of a second Frq‐encoding gene (frq2) in Drosophila. The temporal and spatial expression patterns of the two genes are very similar, and the proteins they encode, Frq1 and Frq2, are 95% identical in amino acid sequence. Frq1 is more abundant than Frq2, and is most highly expressed in larva. Loss‐of‐function phenotypes were studied using dominant negative peptides to prevent Frq target binding, RNAi to reduce gene transcription, or both methods. To discriminate chronic from acute loss‐of‐function effects, we compared the effects of transgenic expression and forward‐filling the dominant‐negative peptide into presynaptic terminals. In both cases, a 70% reduction in quantal content per bouton occurred, demonstrating that this trait does not result from homeostatic adaptations of the synapse during development. The chronic treatment also produced more synaptic boutons from MNSNb/d‐Is motorneurons, but fewer active zones per bouton. By contrast, excess‐of‐function conditions yielded a 1.4‐ to 2‐fold increase in quantal content and fewer boutons in the same motorneuron. These synaptic effects resulted in behavioural changes in the Buridan locomotion assay, showing that walking speed is dependent on Frq activity in the nervous system. All the effects were identical for both Frqs, and consistent with excess‐ and loss‐of‐function genotypes. We conclude that Frqs have two distinct functions: one in neurotransmission, regulating the probability of release per synapse, and another in axonal growth and bouton formation.
Differential impact of brain damage on the access mode to memory representations: an information theoretic approach
Authors: Lauro‐Grotto Rosapia , Ciaramelli Elisa , Piccini Carolina , Treves Alessandro
Published: October 2007

Different access modes to information stored in long‐term memory can lead to different distributions of errors in classification tasks. We have designed a famous faces memory classification task that allows for the extraction of a measure of metric content, an index of the relevance of semantic cues for classification performance. High levels of metric content are indicative of a relatively preferred semantic access mode, while low levels, and similar correct performance, suggest a preferential episodic access mode. Compared with normal controls, the metric content index was increased in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), decreased in patients with herpes simplex encephalitis, and unvaried in patients with insult in the prefrontal cortex. Moreover, the metric content index was found to correlate with a measure of the severity of dementia in patients with AD, and to track the progression of the disease. These results underline the role of the medial‐temporal lobes and of the temporal cortex, respectively, for the episodic and semantic routes to memory retrieval. Moreover, they confirm the reliability of information theoretic measures for characterizing the structure of the surviving memory representations in memory‐impaired patient populations.
Transient receptor potential A1 mediates acetaldehyde‐evoked pain sensation
Authors: Bang Sangsu , Kim Kyung Yoon , Yoo Sungjae , Kim Yoon Gyoon , Hwang Sun Wook
Published: October 2007

Six transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels expressed in the sensory afferents play an important role as body thermosensors and also as peripheral pain detectors. It is known that a number of natural compounds specifically activate those sensory neuronal TRP channels, and a well‐known example is cinnamaldehyde for TRPA1. Here we show that human and mouse TRPA1 are activated by acetaldehyde, an intermediate substance of ethanol metabolism, in the HEK293T cell heterologous expression system and in cultured mouse trigeminal neurons. Acetaldehyde failed to activate other temperature‐sensitive TRP channels expressed in sensory neurons. TRPA1 antagonists camphor and gadolinium, and a general TRP blocker ruthenium red inhibited TRPA1 activation by acetaldehyde. Camphor, gadolinium and ruthenium red also suppressed the acute nociceptive behaviors induced by the intradermal administration of acetaldehyde into the mouse footpads. Intradermal co‐application of prostaglandin E2 and acetaldehyde greatly potentiated the acetaldehyde‐induced nociceptive responses, and this effect was reversed by treatment with the TRPA1 antagonist camphor. These results suggest that acetaldehyde causes nociception via TRPA1 activation. Our data may also help elucidate the mechanisms underlying acetaldehyde‐related pathological symptoms such as hangover pain.
Structural and functional remodeling in the retina of a mouse with a photoreceptor synaptopathy: plasticity in the rod and degeneration in the cone system
Authors: Specht Dana , Tom Dieck Susanne , Ammermüller Josef , Regus‐Leidig Hanna , Gundelfinger Eckart Dieter , Brandstätter Johann Helmut
Published: October 2007

Knowledge about the plastic and regenerative capacity of the retina is of key importance for therapeutic approaches to restore vision in patients who suffer from degenerative retinal diseases. In the retinae of mice, mutant for the presynaptic scaffolding protein Bassoon, signal transfer at photoreceptor ribbon synapses is disturbed due to impaired ribbon attachment to the active zone. In a long‐term study we observed, with light and electron microscopic immunocytochemistry and electroretinographic recordings, two overlapping events in the Bassoon mutant retina, i.e. loss of photoreceptor synapses in the outer plexiform layer, and structural remodeling and formation of ectopic photoreceptor synapses in the outer nuclear layer, a region usually devoid of synapses. Formation of ectopic synaptic sites starts around the time when photoreceptor synaptogenesis is completed in wild‐type mice and progresses throughout life. The result is a dense plexus of ectopic photoreceptor synapses with significantly altered but considerable synaptic transmission. Ectopic synapse formation is led by the sprouting of horizontal cells followed by the extension of rod bipolar cell neurites that fasciculate with and grow along the horizontal cell processes. Although only the rod photoreceptors and their postsynaptic partners show structural and functional remodeling, our study demonstrates the potential of the retina for long‐lasting plastic changes.
Context modulates the expression of conditioned motor sensitization, cellular activation and synaptophysin immunoreactivity
Authors: Rademacher David J. , Napier T. Celeste , Meredith Gloria E.
Published: October 2007

We tested the hypothesis that amphetamine (AMPH)‐induced conditioned motor sensitization is accompanied by cellular activation (measured by Fos immunoreactivity) and synaptophysin immunoreactivity in reward‐related brain areas. Forty‐eight rats were tested for conditioned motor sensitization using a conditioning paradigm that was performed in a three‐chambered apparatus. Rats underwent two drug pairings with 1.0 mg/kg AMPH in one outer chamber and, on alternate days, were paired with saline in the other. On the fifth day, relative to the first AMPH treatment, AMPH administration increased motor activity in the AMPH‐paired context but not in the saline‐paired context. Relative to the first saline treatment, saline on the fifth day produced a conditioned increase in motor activity when given in the chamber previously paired with AMPH, and saline given in the saline‐paired context produced a conditioned decrease in motor activity. AMPH administered in the AMPH‐paired context increased the density of both Fos and synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the dentate gyrus, cornu ammonis (CA)1, CA3, basolateral amygdala and dorsolateral striatum. This pairing between context and drug increased Fos but not synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the nucleus accumbens core and shell. Saline administered in the AMPH‐paired context increased the density of Fos immunoreactivity in the basolateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens core. These data indicate that the basolateral amygdala–nucleus accumbens core pathway is necessary for the context‐elicited conditioned motor responses, while the hippocampus encodes the spatial context.
Changes in neural activity associated with a surprising change in the predictive validity of a conditioned stimulus
Authors: Bucci David J. , MacLeod Jill E.
Published: October 2007

Changes in how well a conditioned stimulus (CS) predicts future events can alter the amount of attention paid to that cue. For example, the unexpected violation of a previously established relationship between a CS and another stimulus can increase attentional processing and subsequent conditioning to that cue [J.M. Pearce & G. Hall (1980)Psych. Rev., 106, 532–552]. Previous lesion studies have implicated the central nucleus of the amygdala (CN) and basal forebrain corticopetal cholinergic system in mediating surprise‐induced changes in attention. Here, expression of the immediate‐early gene c‐fos was used to determine which cortical targets of the basal forebrain cholinergic system are activated during an increase in attentional processing. Consistent with previous studies, increased Fos expression was observed in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) when a visual stimulus no longer reliably predicted occurrence of a tone. Similar results were observed in the secondary auditory cortex; however, there were no significant changes in Fos expression in other auditory or visual cortices or in other cortical association areas that have been implicated in attentional function (frontal, cingulate or retrosplenial cortex). These findings support the notion that the PPC is the primary cortical component of a neural system mediating incremental changes in attention. In addition, an increase in Fos‐positive cells was detected in the substantia innominata/nucleus basalis and the CN at the time of surprise. An opposite pattern of results was observed in the basal lateral nucleus of the amygdala, providing evidence for different stimulus‐processing mechanisms in regions of the amygdala.
D4 receptor gene variation modulates activation of prefrontal cortex during working memory
Authors: Herrmann M.J. , Walter A. , Schreppel T. , Ehlis A.‐C. , Pauli P. , Lesch K.‐P. , Fallgatter A.J.
Published: October 2007

It has been shown that dopamine (DA) influences performance on neurocognitive tests, which are thought to rely on prefrontal activity. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of gene polymorphisms related to DA activity, namely the D4 DA receptor (DRD4) gene exon III polymorphisms, on prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. In this study we measured the brain oxygenation of the PFC during ann‐back task with near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We investigated 40 young healthy subjects, 12 of which carried theDRD4exon III 7‐repeat allele (group 7). These were compared with subjects without a 7‐repeat allele (n = 28, group 4). Additionally, we compared good and bad performers with respect to brain activation. As expected, we found significant increases in the concentration of oxygenated haemoglobin [O2Hb] during the 1‐back and 2‐back condition compared with baseline, and a corresponding significant decrease of deoxyhaemoglobin concentration. As a main result of this study we also found an interaction effect between task condition andDRD4genotype with higher increases of [O2Hb] during the 2‐back version compared with the 1‐back version for the subjects of the 7‐repeat allele group only. The same effect was seen as a statistical trend, when we compared bad performers with good performers. Therefore, we interpret the effects of the 7‐repeat allele group ofDRD4as a sign of ineffective brain activity, perhaps even as a sign of prefrontal noise.
A multidisciplinary approach to the definition of species boundaries in branching species of the coral genus Psammocora (Cnidaria, Scleractinia)
Authors: Stefani Fabrizio , Benzoni Francesca , Pichon Michel , Cancelliere Carlotta , Galli Paolo
Published: October 2007

The Indo‐Pacific coral genus Psammocora Dana (1846) has never been formally revised, and its phylogeny has only been partially explored. Several synonymies have been proposed for the 11 nominal species which have highly plastic branching growth forms. In the present study, the definition of genetic and morphologic boundaries among three currently recognized branching morpho‐species, Psammocora stellata, Psammocora contigua and Psammocora obtusangula, is addressed through a joint morphometric and molecular study using corallite and branch measurements, and a portion of the β‐tubulin gene as a marker. The results show a morphological and partial phylogenetic distinction between P. stellata specimens and a complex composed of P. contigua and P. obtusangula, which is interpreted as a synonym species of P. contigua. Among the factors that could be responsible for the lack of reciprocal monophyly of the three species, hybridization is considered the most likely, due to the presence of interspecific recombinant sequences. Type material of nominal species of branching Psammocora is examined and classified based on genetically defined groups, and compared with synonym in the literature. Among the morphological characters used, corallite variables were best for discriminating between the two lineages and allow recognition of putative hybrid specimens. Psammocora stellata is reported for the first time in the western Indian Ocean (Mayotte), thus greatly extending its known distribution range. Finally, a hybrid swarm is identified in the Arabo‐Persian Gulf, while no genetic structure is detected elsewhere in the Indo‐Pacific region.
An association between renal cell carcinoma and multiple myeloma: a case series and clinical implications
Authors: Choueiri Toni K. , Baz Rachid C. , McFadden Carolyn M. , Khasawneh Mohamad , Karam Mary Ann , Kelly Megan , Hussein Mohamad A.
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVE

To describe an association between renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and multiple myeloma (MM) in patients with both disorders, and suggest possible explanations for the association.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients with MM and RCC at the Cleveland Clinic between 1990 and 2005, and identified 1100 with MM, 2704 with RCC and eight with concomitant MM and RCC. The medical records of these eight patients were reviewed.

RESULTS

In four of the eight patients, RCC was diagnosed after the MM at 3, 8, 23 and 46 months, respectively; in the remaining four, the RCC was diagnosed before MM by 108, 35, 13 and 1 months, respectively. The number of cases of RCC expected in the present 1100 patients with MM over 15 years was lower than the four recorded (P < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test). Similarly, the number of cases of MM expected in the 2704 patients with RCC was also lower than the four recorded (P < 0.001, Fisher’s exact test).

CONCLUSIONS

RCC and MM can occur in the same patient at an incidence higher than the expected rate. Possible explanations include genetic abnormalities, environmental exposures or immune‐related mechanisms predisposing to the second malignancy. These findings are particularly relevant in the management of patients with known RCC and lytic bone lesions, or those with known MM and subsequent or concomitant renal masses, especially those involving the right kidney.
Sacral neurostimulation for urinary retention: 10‐year experience from one UK centre
Authors: Datta Soumendra N. , Chaliha Charlotte , Singh Anubha , Gonzales Gwen , Mishra Vibhash C. , Kavia Rajesh B.C. , Kitchen Neil , Fowler Clare J. , Elneil Sohier
Published: October 2007

OBJECTIVES

To report our 10‐year experience of sacral neurostimulation (SNS) for women in urinary retention, comparing the original one‐stage with the newer two‐stage technique, as SNS therapy is a well‐established treatment for urinary retention secondary to urethral sphincter overactivity (Fowler’s syndrome).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 1996 and 2006, 60 patients with urinary retention had a SNS device inserted; their case records were reviewed and data on efficacy, follow‐up, need for continued clean intermittent self‐catheterization (CISC), complications and operative revision rate were assessed.

RESULTS

Overall, 43 of 60 (72%) women were voiding spontaneously, with a mean postvoid residual volume of 100 mL; 30 (50%) no longer needed to use CISC. During a total of 2878 months of SNS experience, adverse event episodes included lead migration in 20, ‘box‐site’ pain in 19, leg pain/numbness in 18 and loss of response/failure in 18 patients; 53% of the women required a surgical revision related to their implanted stimulator. The efficacy of the two‐stage was similar to that of the one‐stage procedure (73% vs 70%). Women with a normal urethral sphincter electromyogram had worse outcomes than women with an abnormal test (43% vs 76%). Although the efficacy was no different in those taking analgesia/antidepressant medication, this group of women had a higher surgical revision rate. Failure and complications for the one‐stage procedure were not restricted to the early follow‐up period. The mean battery life of the implant was 7.31 years.

CONCLUSIONS

SNS has sustained long‐term efficacy but the procedure has a significant complication rate. At present, the two‐stage technique has comparable efficacy to the one‐stage technique but a longer‐term follow‐up is required. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommended the use of SNS in women with urinary incontinence who fail to respond adequately to anticholinergic therapy, but patients choosing this treatment should be made aware of the high complication rate associated with the procedure.
Expression of multiple proteins using full‐length and deleted versions of cowpea mosaic virus RNA‐2
Authors: Sainsbury Frank , Lavoie Pierre‐Olivier , D’Aoust Marc‐André , Vézina Louis‐Philippe , Lomonossoff George P.
Published: November 2007

The use of multiple copies of vectors based on either full‐length or deleted versions of cowpea mosaic virus RNA‐2 for the production of heteromeric proteins in plants was investigated. Co‐infiltration of two full‐length RNA‐2 constructs containing different marker genes into Nicotiana benthamiana in the presence of RNA‐1 showed that the two foreign proteins were efficiently expressed within the same cell in inoculated tissue. Furthermore, the proteins were co‐localized to the same subcellular compartments, an essential prerequisite for heteromer formation. However, segregation of two separate RNA‐2 molecules, and therefore expression of the two proteins, was observed on systemic spread of the recombinant viruses. Thus, efficient assembly of heteromeric proteins is likely to occur only in inoculated tissue. To determine the optimum approach for expression in inoculated tissue, the heavy and light chains of the blood group‐typing immunoglobulin G (IgG) C5‐1 were inserted into full‐length and deleted versions of RNA‐2, and the constructs were agroinfiltrated in the presence of RNA‐1. The results obtained showed that full‐size IgG molecules accumulated using both approaches, but that the levels were significantly higher when deleted RNA‐2 vectors were used. The levels were also greatly enhanced by the inclusion of an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal at the C‐terminus of the heavy chain. As the potential benefit of using full‐length RNA‐2 constructs, the ability to spread systemically, appears to be irrelevant to the production of heteromeric proteins, the use of deleted versions of RNA‐2 is clearly advantageous, particularly as they offer the benefit of biocontainment.
Transnational state entrepreneurship? Assessing Singapore's Suzhou Industrial Park project (1994–2004)
Authors: Pereira Alexius A.
Published: November 2007

Abstract:  This paper examines an exemplary case of ‘transnational state entrepreneurship’, which was the Singapore government's Suzhou Industrial Park project. Between 1994 and 2001, the Singapore government was directly involved in the development and management of the project, hoping to generate an income that could eventually supplement Singapore's domestic economy. The strategy involved servicing the industrial needs of multinational corporations seeking to locate operations in China. This paper finds that transnational state entrepreneurship was less than successful, as the Singapore government's objectives were only partially achieved. The project's biggest problems were its lack of profitability and, ironically, the state's presence. This led to the Singapore government disengaging from the project in 2001. The paper concludes that it would be very difficult for a state, which is essentially a political entity, to be as efficient as a business entity, especially in an international environment.
Examining the Mediators of Agenda Setting: A New Experimental Paradigm Reveals the Role of Emotions
Authors: Miller Joanne M.
Published: October 2007

Over two decades ago, Maxwell McCombs (1981) called for serious investigation of the mediators and moderators of media effects. Without rich, theory‐based understanding of why and when agenda setting happens, he said, we cannot truly appreciate the phenomenon or its implications. This manuscript reports the results of a new experimental paradigm to examine the cognitive mechanism(s) of agenda setting. Challenging the assumption that accessibility is responsible for shifts in importance judgments, the current research shows that the content of news stories is a primary determinant of agenda setting. Rather than solely relying on what is accessible in memory, people pay attention to the content of news stories—to the extent that the content arouses negative emotions, national importance judgments follow.
The Aggregated Consequences of Motivated Reasoning and the Dynamics of Partisan Presidential Approval
Authors: Lebo Matthew J. , Cassino Daniel
Published: October 2007

Research in political psychology has shown the importance of motivated reasoning as a prism through which individuals view the political world. From this we develop the hypothesis that, with strong positive beliefs firmly in place, partisan groups ignore or discount information about the performance of political figures they like. We then speculate about how this tendency should manifest itself in presidential approval ratings and test our hypotheses using monthly presidential approval data disaggregated by party identification for the 1955–2005 period. Our results show that partisan groups generally do reward and punish presidents for economic performance, but only those presidents of the opposite party. We also develop a model of presidential approval for self‐identified Independents and, finally, a model of the partisan gap, the difference in approval between Democrat and Republican identifiers.
Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson as Cultural Icons of U.S. Foreign Policy
Authors: Walker Stephen G. , Schafer Mark
Published: October 2007

The conventional account of American diplomacy in the modern era is marked by a cultural tension between realist and idealist themes symbolized by the statecraft of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. However, a revisionist account has emerged to challenge and even reverse the conventional account of Roosevelt and Wilson. This poses an intriguing empirical puzzle that is essentially psychological, as it pertains to the belief systems of these two presidents. In order to investigate this puzzle and its implications for U.S. strategic culture, we employ an automated content analysis of the public statements by the two leaders regarding their operational code beliefs about the nature of the political universe and the best approach to effective political action. The results reveal similarities and differences in their belief systems and illustrate how psychological models can provide insights into the psychocultural origins of U.S. diplomacy that remain relevant to the present day.
“It's Us Against the World”: How Distrust in Americans versus People‐In‐General Shapes Competitive Foreign Policy Preferences
Authors: Binning Kevin R.
Published: October 2007

Previous research has uncovered links between generalized distrust and preferences for competitive (vs. cooperative) action. However, based on individuals' tendency to hold consistent attitudes and to believe that their own political preferences are morally legitimate, it was hypothesized that the direction of the relationship between distrust and competitive foreign policy preferences would depend on which category individuals had in mind: Americans or people. Two correlational studies with American participants were consistent with this hypothesis. Study 1 showed that distrust in Americans versus people had qualitatively different relationships with support for competitive policy preferences (i.e., immigration control, militaristic action). Study 2 found that when the covariance between distrust in Americans and people was controlled, distrust in Americans predicted opposition to torture of suspected terrorists, whereas distrust in people predicted support for torture of suspected terrorists. Moreover, individual discrepancies between distrust in Americans versus people uniquely predicted support for torture. Finally, mediational analyses in both studies indicated that political conservatism explained the effects between distrust in Americans versus people and competitive policy preferences. It is argued that distrust in Americans and distrust in people are distinct but complementary bases of Americans' moral‐political reasoning.
The Rule of Law, Democracy, and International Law. Learning from the US Experience
Authors: PALOMBELLA GIANLUIGI
Published: November 2007

Abstract. The general issue addressed in this paper is the relation between the rule of law as a matter of national law, and as a matter of international law. Different institutional conceptions of this relationship give rise to different attitudes towards international law. Nonetheless, questions arise that cast doubt on age‐old tenets of certain Western countries concerning the radical separability between the rule of law within the domestic system and in the international realm. The article will start considering some recent developments in the United States' treatment of alien detainees. Then it shall address the relation between domestic constitutions and international legal systems, pointing out the challenge coming from the development of “super partes” international law andjus cogens. The question concerning the appeal to therule of lawwill be made: Can our attitude to the rule of international law be exempted from consistency with therule of lawthat we claim for our domestic system? In order to answer this question (in the negative), an appropriate theoretical perspective is eventually proposed and displayed.
The Paradox of Constituent Power. The Ambiguous Self‐Constitution of the European Union
Authors: LINDAHL HANS
Published: November 2007

Abstract.  The French and Dutch referenda on the adoption of a European Constitutional Treaty highlight a remarkable ambiguity in the self‐constitution of a polity, which can be viewed as both constitution by and of a collective self. This ambiguity is a fundamental feature of polities in general, and the European Union in particular. Rather than suppressing this ambiguity, democracy—and a fortiori a European democracy worth its name—institutionalises it as the guiding principle of political action. As will transpire, the conceptual and normative problems raised by political self‐constitution are linked to self‐attribution, i.e., the conditions under which a collective ascribes legislation to itself.
Is Regionalism Viable? A Case for Global Free Trade
Authors: Oladi Reza , Beladi Hamid
Published: October 2007

We assume an imperfectly competitive world with n commodities and address the question of whether or not (regional) trade blocs are viable. To answer this fundamental question, we use a notion of stability, offered by Greenberg (1990), and show that regional trade blocs are not viable as they are not stable. On the other hand, we demonstrate that a global trade bloc is viable. Therefore, our results provide theoretical support for advocates of global free trade.
Productivity Measurement in Manufacturing and the Expenditure Approach
Authors: Sørensen Anders , Schjerning Bertel
Published: October 2007

This paper studies conversion factors based on the expenditure approach and evaluates the appropriateness for international comparisons of output levels in manufacturing. We apply a consistency check based on the insight that relative productivity levels should be invariant to the choice of base year. Consequently, convergence parameters and dispersion of productivity across countries should also be unaffected by this choice. The results are disappointing: relative measures of productivity depend heavily of the choice of base year and change systematically as the base years roll forward. The conclusion is insensitive to the applied method for developing conversion factors. The implication is that we cannot measure relative productivity levels in manufacturing across countries using the expenditure approach.
Same Sex Couples and Marriage: Negotiating Relational Landscapes with Families and Friends
Authors: Smart Carol
Published: November 2007

Focusing on the decision to enter into a marriage and/or to conduct a commitment ceremony, this paper explores how same-sex couples negotiate their relationships with both family and friends at the point at which they make decisions about who to invite to their ceremony. The ceremony is argued to be a ‘fateful moment’ at which point lesbians and gay men necessarily take stock of relationships which are meaningful to them. It is argued that the data from the qualitative interviews on which this paper is based add to the on-going debates about the meaning and significance of both (given) families and (chosen) friends for same-sex couples and suggests that it is sociologically important to recognise both the blurring of the boundaries between these categories as well as the meanings that individuals themselves bring to an understanding of the significance of these relationships.
Sociological Discourse of the Relational: The Cases of Bourdieu & Latour
Authors: Schinkel Willem
Published: November 2007

Pierre Bourdieu's approach to sociology has been so widely recognized as being innovative that his innovations can be said to have been academically incorporated to the degree of having-been-innovative. On the other hand, the more recent work of Bruno Latour seems to offer a fresh innovative impetus to sociology. Over against Bourdieu's relational sociology, Latour's relationist sociology overcomes the subject-object dichotomy, and abandons the notions of ‘society’ and ‘the social’. In this contribution, a comparison is made between the ideas of Bourdieu and Latour on the question of what sociology should look like, specifically focusing on their respective ideas on what can be called the relational. A Latourian critique of Bourdieu is provided, as well as a Bourdieusian analysis of Latourian sociology. Rather than ending up with two different ‘paradigms’, an attempt is made on the basis of Foucault's archaeology of discourse to view Bourdieusian and Latourian sociology as distinct positions within a discourse on the relational.