bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinctions between persistent and reversible group I mGluR‐induced epileptiform burst prolongation
Authors: Fuortes Michaelangelo G. , Rico Marjorie J. , Merlin Lisa R.
Published: July 2010

We have previously shown that selective activation of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) results in long‐lasting enhancement of synchronized network activity in the hippocampal slice. Data herein suggest that activation of group I mGluRs need not result in this potentially epileptogenic effect. (1S,3R)‐1‐Aminocyclopentane‐1,3‐dicarboxylic acid (ACPD), a nonselective mGluR agonist, elicits ictaform bursts identical in appearance to those induced by selective agonists, but ACPD‐induced bursts do not persist following removal of the agent. Like the bursts induced by selective agonist, the ACPD bursts are blocked with group I mGluR antagonists and are not dependent on activation of either N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors or protein kinase C. However, they differ from the persistent bursts in that they do not require active protein synthesis and they are not suppressed with L‐cysteine sulfinic acid, an agonist at a phospholipase D‐coupled metabotropic receptor. These novel findings provide evidence that group I mGluR‐induced epileptogenesis may be preventable.
Comparison of Mitotyper Rules and Phylogenetic‐based mtDNA Nomenclature Systems
Authors: Polanskey Deborah , Den Hartog Bobi K. , Elling John W. , Fisher Constance L. , Kepler Russell B. , Budowle Bruce
Published: July 2010

Abstract:  A consistent nomenclature scheme is necessary to characterize a forensic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype. A standard nomenclature, called the Mitotyper Rules™, has been developed that applies typing rules in a hierarchical manner reflecting the forensic practitioner’s nomenclature preferences. In this work, an empirical comparison between the revised hierarchical nomenclature rules and the phylogenetic approach to mtDNA type description has been conducted on 5173 samples from the phylogenetically typed European Mitochondrial DNA Population database (EMPOP) to identify the degree and significance of any differences. The comparison of the original EMPOP types and the results of retyping these sequences using the Mitotyper Rules demonstrates a high degree of concordance between the two alignment schemes. Differences in types resulted mainly because the Mitotyper Rules selected an alignment with the fewest number of differences compared with the rCRS. In addition, several identical regions were described in more than one way in the EMPOP dataset, demonstrating a limitation of a solely phylogenetic approach in that it may not consistently type nonhaplogroup‐specific sites. Using a rule‐based approach, commonly occurring as well as private variants are subjected to the same rules for naming, which is particularly advantageous when typing partial sequence data.
Automated Alignment and Nomenclature for Consistent Treatment of Polymorphisms in the Human Mitochondrial DNA Control Region
Authors: Budowle Bruce , Polanskey Deborah , Fisher Constance L. , Den Hartog Bobi K. , Kepler Russell B. , Elling John W.
Published: July 2010

Abstract:  Naming mtDNA sequences by listing only those sites that differ from a reference sequence is the standard practice for describing the observed variations. Consistency in nomenclature is desirable so that all sequences in a database that are concordant with an evidentiary sequence will be found for estimating the rarity of that profile. The operational alignment and nomenclature rules, i.e., “Wilson Rules,” suggested for this purpose do not always guarantee a single consistent sequence description for all observed polymorphisms. In this work, the operational alignment/nomenclature rules were reconfigured to better reflect traditional user preferences. The rules for selecting alignments are described. In addition, to avoid human error and to more efficiently name mtDNA sequence variants, a computer‐facilitated method of aligning mtDNA sample sequences with a reference sequence was developed. There were 33 differences between these hierarchical rules and the data in SWGDAM, which translates into a 99.92% consistency between the new rules and the manual historical nomenclature approach. The data support the reliability of the current SWGDAM database. As the few discrepancies were changed in favor of the new hierarchical rules, the quality of the SWGDAM database is further improved.
From Abstract to Publication: The Fate of Research Presented at an Annual Forensic Meeting
Authors: Tambuscio Silvia , Boghossian Elie , Sauvageau Anny
Published: July 2010

Abstract:  In forensic sciences, the fate of abstracts presented at international meetings has not yet been assessed. The purpose of this study is to estimate publication ratio and evaluate possible predictors of publication after the 58th edition of the 2006 American Academy of Forensic Sciences annual meeting. Section of the meeting, type of presentation (oral platform or poster), number of authors per abstract and per paper, time span to publication, countries involved, and journal of publication were tabulated. A total of 623 abstracts were presented, from which 102 were subsequently published as a full paper. The overall publication rate was 16.4%, ranging from 3.4% (jurisprudence) to 28.8% (toxicology). The type of presentation (oral platform or poster) did not significantly affect the outcome of the abstract. However, a higher number of authors, foreign authors, and international collaboration were found to be good predictive factors of publication.
Molecular characterization of a novel chromosomal translocation t(12;14)(q23;q11.2) in T‐lymphoblastic lymphoma between the T‐cell receptor delta‐deleting elements (TRDREC and TRAJ61) and the hypothetical gene C12orf42
Authors: Przybylski Grzegorz K. , Dittmann Kathleen , Grabarczyk Piotr , Dölken Gottfried , Gesk Stefan , Harder Lana , Landmann Eva , Siebert Reiner , Schmidt Christian A.
Published: July 2010

Chromosomal aberrations have diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic relevance in hematologic malignancies. By combining fine‐tiling comparative genomic hybridization (FT‐CGH) and ligation‐mediated PCR (LM‐PCR), we established a fast, robust approach to precisely characterize chromosomal breakpoints. Using this approach, we clarified at the molecular level novel chromosomal translocation t(12;14)(q23;q11.2) in T‐lymphoblastic lymphoma. The translocation occurred during the deletional rearrangement of the T‐cell receptor delta gene (TRD), which is a pivotal step in T cell differentiation toward the alpha/beta vs. the gamma/delta lineage. We found that this rearrangement disrupted the hypothetical gene C12orf42 and brought the Achaete‐scute complex homolog 1 gene into proximity of the TRA enhancer, which encodes a member of the basic helix‐loop‐helix family of transcription factors and is overexpressed in thyroid and lung cancers.
Serum eythropoietin in athletes at moderate altitude
Authors: Berglund B. , Fleck S. J. , Kearney J. T. , Wide L.
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this study was to determine resting serum erythropoietin concentrations (S‐[epo]) in endurance‐trained sea‐level residents 2 week after arrival at moderate altitude as well as after descent to sea level, and in endurance‐ and strength‐trained residents at moderate altitude. S‐[epo] concentrations were determined in 2 groups of non‐altitude‐acclimatized endurance‐trained athletes normally living at sea level (group UAET, 20 men and 7 women, and group UACCS, 14 men and 6 women); and 2 groups of altitude‐acclimatized athletes, all long‐term residents at 1900 m above sea level (strength‐trained judo athletes, group AST 10 men and 11 women, and endurance‐trained athletes, group AET, 10 men and 10 women). Hematocrit (Hct) but not S‐[ep] was significantly higher in pup AET than group AST Resting S‐[epo] in group UAET was determined l,2,7, and 14 d after arrival from sea level to 1900 m above sea level. The Hct increased significantly from day 1 to day 7 in the women of group UAET. The Hct of the males in group UAET did not change significantly throughout the 2 weeks at altitude. The women in group UAET showed a significant decrease in S‐[epo] from day 1 to day 7, The S‐[epo] in the men of group UAET did not change from day 1 to day 2, but decreased significantly from day 2 to day 14. Resting S‐[epo] in group UACCS was obtained before and at the end of the 2‐week training period at high‐altitude and after high‐altitude training. Only the UACCS men had, in comparison with sea‐level S‐[epo], similar S‐[epo] after 2 weeks of high‐altitude training and significantly lower S‐[epo] 2 d, but not 9 or 19 d after descent to sea level. These data indicate similar resting S‐[epo] levels in acclimatized endurance‐ and strength‐trained athletes, although the former group had higher Hct than the latter. In non‐altitude‐acclimatized endurance athletes, S‐[epo] increased the ht days at altitude and thereafter decreased to similar S‐[epo] as at sea level after 2 weeks of altitude training. After descent to sea level, S‐[epo] decreased transiently but returned to the pre‐altitude level after 9 d
Wrist arthroscopy
Authors: Van Heest A. E.
Published: July 2010

Major advancement in arthroscopic equipment and techniques has extended the ability of large joint arthroscopy to be performed in smaller joints. Although wrist arthroscopy is performed in small numbers, the same advantages are afforded as in large joint procedures. It provides important diagnostic information and therapeutic intervention, while avoiding the significant morbidity of open techniques. Patients with mechanical wrist pain are the best candidates for arthroscopy to evaluate ligamentous injuries or triangular fibrocartilage complex injuries. Arthroscopy is also an effective tool in the evaluation and treatment of intra‐articular distal radius fractures and is particularly useful in radial styloid fractures. Wrist arthroscopy is a technically demanding procedure. However, it remains a safe and effective method for diagnosis and treatment if performed using a precise technique and if the surgeon has a precise understanding of the anatomy of the wrist.
Muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program and 9 month follow‐up in subjects with low back pain. A controlled study
Authors: Kuukkanen T. , Mälkiä E.
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this study was to assess, in subjects with low back pain, the changes and their permanence in muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program. Ninety subjects with chronic low back pain participated in the study. The study design was controlled and it was carried out in three groups: intensive training, home exercise, and control group. Isometric and dynamic muscle strength of the trunk and lower limb were measured, at the beginning of the study and after the 3 months exercise program, and then during each of the follow‐up sessions. The Oswestry Index and back pain intensity were also determined. Both exercise groups received benefit from the progressive exercise program. Their muscular performance improved and their back pain intensity decreased significantly. Among the home exercise group, the Oswestry Index also changed positively. The results demonstrate that the home exercise program could be as effective as the intensive training program in increasing muscle strength, as well as decreasing back pain and functional disability among low back pain patients with mild functional limitations.
Isokinetic muscle performance in healthy female handball players and players with a unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Lund‐Hanssen H. , Gannon J. , Engebretsen L. , Holen K. , Hammer S.
Published: July 2010

A total of 114 healthy female European team handball players in the elite to second division with no previous ACL injury, and the uninjured legs of 22 females with a unilaterally reconstructed ACL (the injury sustained while playing handball; mean time from reconstruction 15 months) were examined with a Biodex isokinetic testing device. Five extensions and flexions at lower speed (60°/s) and 15 repetitions at higher speed (240°/s) were performed. Gravity‐corrected peak torque values for flexion and extension were obtained, and hamstrings‐to‐quadriceps ratios (H/Q) were calculated at both speeds. Compared with the control group, the uninjured legs of the injury group showed 8% weaker quadriceps muscles and 14% higher H/Q ratios at higher speed. The other between‐group comparisons were not significant. These differences could have been developed by strength reduction after the injury in the noninjured limb due‐to‐insufficient rehabilitation, by a weaker musculature in the patient group already initially, or by both mechanisms. If the second option is true, the finding may indicate that weak quadriceps musculature is one of the risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The study establishes additional normative data on hamstrings and quadriceps torque on high‐level female handball players.
Cryotherapy in sports medicine
Authors: Swenson C. , Swärd L. , Karlsson J.
Published: July 2010

The use of cryotherapy, i.e. the application of cold for the treatment of injury or disease, is widespread in sports medicine today. It is an established method when treating acute soft tissue injuries, but there is a discrepancy between the scientific basis for cryotherapy and clinical studies. Various methods such as ice packs, ice towels, ice massage, gel packs, refrigerant gases and inflatable splints can be used. Cold is also used to reduce the recovery time as part of the rehabilitation programme both after acute injuries and in the treatment of chronic injuries. Cryotherapy has also been shown to reduce pain effectively in the post‐operative period after reconstructive surgery of the joints. Both superficial and deep temperature changes depend on the method of application, initial temperature and application time. The physiological and biological effects are due to the reduction in temperature in the various tissues, together with the neuromuscular action and relaxation of the muscles produced by the application of cold. Cold increases the pain threshold, the viscosity and the plastic deformation of the tissues but decreases the motor performance. The application of cold has also been found to decrease the inflammatory reaction in an experimental situation. Cold appears to be effective and harmless and few complications or side‐effects after the use of cold therapy are reported. Prolonged application at very low temperatures should, however, be avoided as this may cause serious side‐effects, such as frost‐bite and nerve injuries. Practical applications, indications and contraindications are discussed.
Early functional treatment for acute ligament injuries of the ankle joint
Authors: Karlsson Jon , Eriksson Bengt I. , Swärd Leif
Published: July 2010

Eighty‐six patients with acute (<24 h) grade II or III lateral ligament ruptures were randomized into two different non‐surgical treatment groups. The main difference in treatment protocols between the two groups was during the first week after injury. Group I (n=46) was to receive functional treatment using specially designed compression pads, elevation of the injured foot (24 h), repeated elastic wrapping (compression bandage followed by ankle tape), early full weight‐bearing and proprioceptive range‐of‐motion training. Group II (n=40) was to receive conventional treatment with an elastic bandage, partial weight bearing and crutches until the pain subsided. One week after the injury, patients from both groups were given identical rehabilitation instructions. No early surgery was performed. The mean follow‐up period was 18 months. The functional results were satisfactory in 91% of the patients in group I and in 87% of the patients in group II (NS). Five patients had been operated on due to recurrent instability, two in group I and three in group II (NS). The mean sick leave was significantly shorter in group I; 5.6±4.2 days compared with 10.2±6.8 days in group II. Return to sports activities was also significantly earlier in group I, 9.6±4.8 days compared with 19.2±9.5 days in group II. In this study, non‐surgical treatment of acute grade II and III ligament injuries of the ankle produced satisfactory results in the majority of patients. Early functional treatment resulted in shorter sick leave and facilitated an earlier return to sports, but it did not influence the final results.
Local corticosteroid injection in sport: review of literature and guidelines for treatment
Authors: Fredberg U.
Published: July 2010

The risks and benefits of local injection therapy of overuse sports injuries with cortisteroids are reviewed here. Injection of corticosteroid inside the tendon has a deleterious effect on the tendon tissue and should be unanimously condemned. No reliable proof exists of the deleterious effects of peritendinous injections. Too many conclusions in the literature are based on poor scientific evidence and it is just the reiteration of a dogma if all steroid injections are abandoned. The corticosteroids represent an adjuvant treatment in the overall management of sports injuries: basic treatment is ‘active’ rest and graduated rehabilitation within the limits of pain. With proper indications there are only few and trivial complications that may occur with corticosteroid injections. Guidelines for proper local injection therapy with corticosteroids are given.
Snapping popliteal tendon as a source of lateral knee pain
Authors: Crites B. M. , Lohnes J. , Garrett W. E.
Published: July 2010

A 25‐year‐old female patient underwent surgery for a history of pain and popping on the lateral aspect of her right knee. It was initially thought that the patient had iliotibial (IT) band syndrome which was refractory to conservative treatment. However, upon release of the IT band, the snapping which was audible and palpable pre‐operatively was still present. Further exploration of the posterior‐lateral aspect of the knee revealed that the popliteal tendon was snapping over the incisura poplitea extensoria on the lateral femoral condyle. Excision of the prominent portion of the articular ridge below the sulcus popliteus eliminated the snapping sensation. The patient has remained asymptomatic since surgery for the past 22 months.
Eye injuries in sports
Authors: Drolsum L.
Published: July 2010

In a retrospective study from 1988 to 1998, eye injuries were found in 553 patients. Seventy‐six (13.7%) of these injuries were associated with sport. The mechanism of trauma was for the most part a ball (71.1%) or a club (13.2%). Most eye injuries occurred in soccer (35.5%), which is, by far, the most widespread sport in this region of Norway. A disproportionately high number of the injuries occurred in floorball (17.1%), bandy (13.2%), and squash (10.5%). The rules in these sports may, in theory, be strict enough to prevent eye injuries in most cases. However, these rules are often neglected in informal activities. Strategies for educating the general public about the potentially serious effect of eye injuries in sports exposed to such risk are of great importance.
Long‐term effects of leisure time physical activity on risk of insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance, allowing for body weight history, in Danish men
Authors: Berentzen T. , Petersen L. , Pedersen O. , Black E. , Astrup A. , Sorensen T. I.
Published: July 2010

AIMS: To determine if the level of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in young adulthood in obese and non‐obese men reduces the risk of insulin resistance (IR) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in middle age, and if such an effect is explained by the current level of LTPA, or by the body mass index (BMI) history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA.

METHODS: Longitudinal study of groups of obese and randomly selected non‐obese men identified at around age 19, and re‐examined at mean ages of 32, 44 and 51. BMI was measured at all four examinations. LTPA was assessed by self‐administrated questionnaires at the last three examinations. IR and the presence of IGT was determined by an oral glucose tolerance test at the last examination.

RESULTS: LTPA in young adulthood reduced the risk of IR and IGT in middle age throughout the range of BMI. Adjustment for the BMI history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA attenuated the association with IR and IGT, but active men remained at low risk of IR and IGT. Adjustment for subsequent and current levels of LTPA, smoking habits, alcohol intake, educational level and family history of diabetes had no notable influence on the results.

CONCLUSION: LTPA appears to reduce the risk of IR and IGT, an effect which is not explained by the current level of physical activity, and only partially explained by the BMI history preceding and subsequent to the assessment of LTPA.
New understanding of the complex structure of knee menisci: Implications for injury risk and repair potential for athletes
Authors: Rattner J. B. , Matyas J. R. , Barclay L. , Holowaychuk S. , Sciore P. , Lo I. K. Y. , Shrive N. G. , Frank C. B. , Achari Y. , Hart D. A.
Published: July 2010

Menisci help maintain the structural integrity of the knee. However, the poor healing potential of the meniscus following a knee injury can not only end a career in sports but lead to osteoarthritis later in life. Complete understanding of meniscal structure is essential for evaluating its risk for injury and subsequent successful repair. This study used novel approaches to elucidate meniscal architecture. The radial and circumferential collagen fibrils in the meniscus were investigated using novel tissue‐preparative techniques for light and electron microscopic studies. The results demonstrate a unique architecture based on differences in the packaging of the fundamental collagen fibrils. For radial arrays, the collagen fibrils are arranged in parallel into ∼10 μm bundles, which associate laterally to form flat sheets of varying dimensions that bifurcate and come together to form a honeycomb network within the body of the meniscus. In contrast, the circumferential arrays display a complex network of collagen fibrils arranged into ∼5 μm bundles. Interestingly, both types of architectural organization of collagen fibrils in meniscus are conserved across mammalian species and are age and sex independent. These findings imply that disruptions in meniscal architecture following an injury contribute to poor prognosis for functional repair.
GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN CHILD REARING: GOVERNING INFANCY
Authors: Davis Robert A.
Published: July 2010

In this essay, Robert Davis argues that much of the moral anxiety currently surrounding children in Europe and North America emerges at ages and stages curiously familiar from traditional Western constructions of childhood. The symbolism of infancy has proven enduringly effective over the last two centuries in associating the earliest years of children's lives with a peculiar prestige and aura. Infancy is then vouchsafed within this symbolism as a state in which all of society's hopes and ideals for the young might somehow be enthusiastically invested, regardless of the complications that can be anticipated in the later, more ambivalent years of childhood and adolescence. According to Davis, the understanding of the concept of infancy associated with the rise of popular education can trace its pedigree to a genuine shift in sensibility that occurred in the middle of the eighteenth century. After exploring the essentially Romantic positions of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi and Friedrich Fröbel and their relevance to the pattern of reform of early childhood education in the United Kingdom and the United States, Davis also assesses the influence of figures such as Stanley Hall and John Dewey in determining the rationale for modern early childhood education. A central contention of Davis's essay is that the assumptions evident in the theory and practice of Pestalozzi and his followers crystallize a series of tensions in the understanding of infancy and infant education that have haunted early childhood education from the origins of popular schooling in the late eighteenth century down to the policy dilemmas of the present day.
TOTAL PARENTING
Authors: Smith Richard
Published: July 2010

In this essay, Richard Smith observes that being a parent, like so much else in our late‐modern world, is required to become ever more efficient and effective, and is increasingly monitored by the agencies of the state, often with good reason given the many recorded instances of child abuse and cruelty. However, Smith goes on to argue, this begins to cast being a parent as a matter of “parenting,” a technological deployment of skills and techniques, with the loss of older, more spontaneous and intuitive relations between parents and children. Smith examines this phenomenon further through a discussion of how it is captured to some extent in Hannah Arendt's notion of “natality” and how it is illuminated by Charles Dickens in his classic novel, Dombey and Son.
Calcium‐dependent mitochondrial function and dysfunction in neurons
Authors: Pivovarova Natalia B. , Andrews S. Brian
Published: July 2010

Calcium is an extraordinarily versatile signaling ion, encoding cellular responses to a wide variety of external stimuli. In neurons, mitochondria can accumulate enormous amounts of calcium, with the consequence that mitochondrial calcium uptake, sequestration and release play pivotal roles in orchestrating calcium‐dependent responses as diverse as gene transcription and cell death. In this review, we consider the basic chemistry of calcium as a ‘sticky’ cation, which leads to extremely high bound/free ratios, and discuss areas of current interest or controversy. Topics addressed include methodologies for measuring local intracellular calcium, mitochondrial calcium buffering and loading capacity, mitochondrially directed spatial calcium gradients, and the role of calcium overload‐dependent mitochondrial dysfunction in glutamate‐evoked excitotoxic injury and neurodegeneration. Finally, we consider the relationship between delayed calcium de‐regulation, the mitochondrial permeability transition and the generation of reactive oxygen species, and propose a unified view of the ‘source specificity’ and ‘calcium overload’ models ofN‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐dependent excitotoxicity. Non‐NMDA receptor mechanisms of excitotoxicity are discussed briefly.
The molecular identity of the mitochondrial Ca2+ sequestration system
Authors: Starkov Anatoly A.
Published: July 2010

There is ample evidence to suggest that a dramatic decrease in mitochondrial Ca2+ retention may contribute to the cell death associated with stroke, excitotoxicity, ischemia and reperfusion, and neurodegenerative diseases. Mitochondria from all studied tissues can accumulate and store Ca2+, but the maximum Ca2+ storage capacity varies widely and exhibits striking tissue specificity. There is currently no explanation for this fact. Precipitation of Ca2+ and phosphate in the mitochondrial matrix has been suggested to be the major form of storage of accumulated Ca2+ in mitochondria. How this precipitate is formed is not known. The molecular identity of almost all proteins involved in Ca2+ transport, storage and formation of the permeability transition pore is also unknown. This review summarizes studies aimed at identifying these proteins, and describes the properties of a known mitochondrial protein that may be involved in Ca2+ transport and the structure of the permeability transition pore.
Microcrystalline cellulose membrane for re‐epithelisation of chronic leg wounds: a prospective open study
Authors: Ricci Elia B , Cassino Roberto , Di Campli Cristiana
Published: July 2010

Treatment of chronic leg ulcers remains a major health care issue. Although many reports have examined different topical dressings, none have specifically looked at microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). We aimed to evaluate in a prospective, open study the safety and performance of a MCC membrane (Veloderm) in a series of chronic leg wounds of different aetiology. Fifty‐five patients participated in this study. The membrane was applied every 5–10 days for 1 month, immediately after surgical debridement. The wound bed was assessed on days 7, 15 and 30 for erythema, pain, exudate level and infection. The wound size change at 30 days was the primary efficacy parameter and any adverse events were collected and analysed. A wound size change of 55% was achieved at the end of follow‐up, with an improvement in all the collected parameters, but the erythema, which showed a mild increase. To date, this is the largest experience with a MCC product in chronic wounds. Our study suggests that this treatment may be safe and useful and deserves further investigation.
Interactions between Verapamil and Digoxin in Langendorff‐Perfused Rat Hearts: The Role of Inhibition of P‐glycoprotein in the Heart
Authors: Aylin Arici Mualla , Kilinc Emrah , Demir Omer , Ates Mehmet , Yesilyurt Alaattin , Gelal Ayse
Published: July 2010

Abstract: P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) is expressed in tumour cells as well as normal tissues including heart. Modulation of P‐gp transportin vivomay lead to increased drug penetrance to tissues with resulting increases in toxicity. We aimed to investigate the effects of P‐gp on the isolated heart by digoxin infusion in the absence and presence of verapamil. The study was performed in Langendorff isolated perfused rat hearts. After a 20 min. stabilisation period with Tyrode Buffer, digoxin (125 μg/5 mL) was infused for 10 min. in the control group (n = 7). The same dose of digoxin was infused during perfusion with verapamil (1 nm) containing Tyrode Buffer (n = 8) in the study group. Outflow concentration and cardiac parameters of digoxin were measured at frequent intervals for 40 min. AUEC(0–40 min)for left ventricular developed pressure was significantly increased in the presence of verapamil (4260 ± 39.37 mmHg minversus4607 ± 98.09 mmHg min; 95% CI ‐587.7 to −105.8;p = 0.0083). The significant increases in left ventricular developed pressure were at 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 min. AUC(0–40 min)value for outflow digoxin concentration‐time curve was significantly lower in the presence of verapamil. Verapamil increased the positive inotropic effect of digoxin, probably through the inhibition of P‐gp, which effluxes digoxin out of cardiac cells.
What kind of renewal?: How Labour can rebuild
Authors: Straw Will
Published: July 2010

If the Labour Party is to limit its time in opposition to the next five years, it must be clear about what went wrong and rebuild its vision, movement, and policy platform. Will Straw analyses the party's defeat and considers what shape its renewal should take.
Fossil onychophorans from Dominican and Baltic amber: Tertiapatus dominicanus n.g., n.sp. (Tertiapatidae n.fam.) and Succinipatopsis balticus n.g., n.sp. (Succinipatopsidae n.fam.) with a proposed classification of the subphylum Onychophora
Authors: Poinar George
Published: July 2010

Abstract. Tertiapatus dominicanus n.g., n.sp. (Tertiapatidae n.fam.) and Succinipatopsis balticus n.gen., n.sp. (Succinipatopsidae n.fam.) (Lobopodia: Onychophora), the first Tertiary fossils of the Lobopodia, are described from Dominican and Baltic amber, respectively. Both families are characterized by the presence of simple legs lacking foot portions with claws and pads. Tertiapatidae is further characterized by soluble body pigments and oral papillae shorter than the legs. Succinipatopsidae is characterized by non‐soluble body pigments and oral papillae longer than the legs. Nomenclatural changes include the erection of the class Udeonychophora n. nom. for terrestrial onychophorans with a ventral mouth, the order Ontonychophora n.nom. for extant onychophorans possessing legs with a differentiated “foot” portion, and the family Helenodoridae n.nom. for the genus Helenodora from the Carboniferous. The biogeographical significance of these fossils and their phylogenetic relationship with previously described onychophorans are discussed.
Pygmy Hippopotamus/MandriII exhibit at Melbourne Zoo
Authors: ARNOTT JOHN , EMBURY AMANDA , PRENDERGAST RON
Published: July 2010

Melbourne Zoo has recently developed a naturalistic West African tropical rain‐forest exhibit for Pygmy hippopotamuses Choeropsis liberiensis and Mandrills Mandrillus sphinx. The design of the enclosures was commenced in 1989 and the growing and planting of appropriate vegetation took three years. Once the animals were transferred to the exhibit various water‐management problems had to be resolved and some plant destruction occurred.
Real‐time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction: A Potential Tool for Genetic Analysis in Neuropathology
Authors: Aldape Kenneth , Ginzinger David G. , Godfrey Tony E.
Published: July 2010

Since its introduction in the early‐ to mid‐1980s, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been modified and optimized for an increasing number of applications. Early on, the focus was on the amplification of a specific nucleic acid template into quantities amenable to identification and experimental manipulation. While this remains an important application, recent technology has allowed the use of PCR to accurately quantitate the amount of a specific nucleic acid template present in a complex sample. Rather than simply analyzing the final product amount following the course of sequential cycles of amplification, quantitative PCR allows one to measure the accumulation of PCR product during the course of the reaction (“real‐time PCR”). Under the appropriate conditions the number of PCR cycles required for the accumulation of a specific amount of product (during the exponential phase of the reaction) is a reflection of the relative amount of nucleic acid template present in the sample under analysis. Real‐time quantitative PCR allows one to analyze a relatively large number of samples in a short period of time, potentially allowing multiple markers to be applied on a sample within a time frame consistent with clinical settings. In this overview, we will highlight the uses of real‐time quantitative PCR as a potential diagnostic tool in neuropathology, focusing on the analysis of CNS tumors.
Acute Encephalitis, a Poliomyelitis‐like Syndrome and Neurological Sequelae in a Hamster Model for Flavivirus Infections
Authors: Leyssen Pieter , Croes Romaric , Rau Philipp , Heiland Sabine , Verbeken Erik , Sciot Raphael , Paeshuyse Jan , Charlier Nathalie , De Clercq Erik , Meyding‐Lamadé Uta , Neyts Johan
Published: July 2010

Infection of hamsters with the murine flavivirus Modoc results in (meningo) encephalitis, which is, during the acute phase, frequently associated with flaccid paralysis, as also observed in patients with West Nile virus encephalitis. Twenty percent of the hamsters that recover from the acute encephalitis develop life‐long neurological sequelae, reminiscent of those observed, for example, in survivors of Japanese encephalitis. Magnetic resonance imaging and histology revealed severe lesions predominantly located in the olfactory‐limbic system, both in hamsters with acute encephalitis as in survivors. Prominent pathology was also detected in the spinal cord of hamsters with paralysis. Modoc virus infections in hamsters provide a unique model for the study of encephalitis, a poliomyelitis‐like syndrome and neurological sequelae following flavivirus infection.
Cell Death Mechanisms Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Raghupathi Ramesh
Published: July 2010

Neuronal and glial cell death and traumatic axonal injury contribute to the overall pathology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both humans and animals. In both head‐injured humans and following experimental brain injury, dying neural cells exhibit either an apoptotic or a necrotic morphology. Apoptotic and necrotic neurons have been identified within contusions in the acute post‐traumatic period, and in regions remote from the site of impact in the days and weeks after trauma, while degenerating oligodendrocytes and astrocytes have been observed within injured white matter tracts. We review and compare the regional and temporal patterns of apoptotic and necrotic cell death following TBI and the possible mechanisms underlying trauma‐induced cell death. While excitatory amino acids, increases in intracellular calcium and free radicals can all cause cells to undergo apoptosis, in vitro studies have determined that neural cells can undergo apoptosis via many other pathways. It is generally accepted that a shift in the balance between pro‐ and anti‐apoptotic protein factors towards the expression of proteins that promote death may be one mechanism underlying apoptotic cell death. The effect of TBI on cellular expression of survival promoting‐proteins such as Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL, and extracellular signal‐regulated kinases, and death‐inducing proteins such as Bax, c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase, tumor‐suppressor gene, p53, and the calpain and caspase families of proteases are reviewed. In light of pharmacologic strategies that have been devised to reduce the extent of apoptotic cell death in animal models of TBI, our review also considers whether apoptosis may serve a protective role in the injured brain. Together, these observations suggest that cell death mechanisms may be representative of a continuum between apoptotic and necrotic pathways.
Apolipoprotein Aβ: Black Sheep in a Good Family
Authors: Kontush Anatol
Published: July 2010

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) has for a long time been thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Analysis of available data indicates that Aβ possesses properties of a metal‐binding apolipoprotein influencing lipid transport and metabolism. Protection of lipoproteins from oxidation by transition metals, synaptic activity and role in the acute phase response represent plausible physiological functions of Aβ. However, these important biochemical qualities which may critically influence the development of AD, have been largely ignored by mainstream AD researchers, making Aβ appear to be a “black sheep” in a “good apolipoprotein” family. New studies are needed to shed further light on the physiological role of Aβ in lipid metabolism in the brain.
Proteases and Glioma Angiogenesis
Authors: Lakka Sajani S. , Gondi Christopher S. , Rao Jasti S.
Published: July 2010

Angiogenesis, the process by which new branches sprout from existing vessels, requires the degradation of the vascular basement membrane and remodeling of the ECM in order to allow endothelial cells to migrate and invade into the surrounding tissues. Serine, metallo, and cysteine proteinases are 3 types of a family of enzymes that proteolytically degrade various components of extracellular matrix. These proteases release various growth factors and also increase adhesive molecules and signaling pathway molecules upon their activation, which plays a significant role in angiogenesis. Downregulation of these molecules by antisense/siRNA or synthetic inhibitors decreases the levels of these molecules, inhibits the release of growth factors, and decreases the levels of various signaling pathway molecules, thereby leading to the inhibition of angiogenesis. Furthermore, MMPs degrade specific substrates and release angiogenic inhibitors which inhibit angiogenesis. Downregulation of 2 molecules, such as uPA and uPAR, uPAR and MMP‐9, or Cathepsin B and MMP‐9, are more effective to inhibit angiogenesis rather than downregulation of single molecules. However, careful testing of these combinations are most important because multiple effects of these combinations play a significant role in angiogenesis.
Targeted Gene Expression Analysis in Hemimegalencephaly: Activation of β‐Catenin Signaling
Authors: Yu Jia , Baybis Marianna , Lee Allana , McKhann Guy , Chugani Diane , Kupsky William J. , Aronica Eleonora , Crino Peter B.
Published: July 2010

Hemimegalencephaly (HMEG) is a developmental brain malformation characterized by unilateral hemispheric enlargement, cytoarchitectural abnormalities, and an association with epilepsy. To define the developmental pathogenesis of HMEG, the expression of 200 cell signaling, growth, angiogenic, and transcription factor genes was assayed in HMEG samples (n = 8) with targeted cDNA arrays. Differential expression of 31 mRNAs across the 4 gene families was identified in HMEG compared with control cortex. Increases in growth and transcription factor genes included JNK‐1, cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), and tuberin mRNAs and decreases included insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), transforming growth factor β‐3 (TGF‐β3), and NFkB mRNAs. Increased expression of cyclin D1, c‐myc, and WISP‐1 mRNAs in HMEG suggested activation of the Wnt‐1/β‐catenin cascade. Western analysis demonstrated increased levels of non‐phosphorylated β‐catenin, which transcriptionally activates cyclin D1 and c‐myc genes, but reduced levels of Ser33/Ser37/Thr41 phospho‐β‐catenin, which is essential for β‐catenin‐inactivation, in HMEG. Altered expression of 31 mRNAs from 4 gene families in human HMEG may lead to aberrant cell growth and hemispheric enlargement during brain development. Enhanced cyclin D1 and c‐myc transcription likely reflects increased transcriptionally active β‐catenin due to decreased Ser33/Ser37/Thr41 phospho‐β‐catenin and suggests activation of the Wnt‐1/β‐catenin cascade in HMEG.
Perinatal Subplate Neuron Injury: Implications for Cortical Development and Plasticity
Authors: McQuillen P. S. , Ferriero D. M.
Published: July 2010

Perinatal brain injury may result in widespread deficits in visual, motor and cognitive systems suggesting disrupted brain development. Neurosensory and cognitive impairment are observed at increasing frequency with decreasing gestational ages, suggesting a unique vulnerability of the developing brain. The peak of human subplate neuron development coincides with the gestational ages of highest vulnerability to perinatal brain injury in the premature infant. At the same time, human thalamocortical connections are forming and being refined by activity‐dependent mechanisms during critical periods. Subplate neurons are the first cortical neurons to mature and are selectively vulnerable to early hypoxic‐ischemic brain injury in animal models. Timing of subplate neuron death determines the resulting defect in thalamocortical development: very early excitotoxic subplate neuron death results in failure of thalamocortical innervation, while later subplate neuron death interferes with the refinement of thalamocortical connections into mature circuits. We suggest that subplate neuron injury may be a central component of perinatal brain injury resulting in specific neurodevelopmental consequences.
Studies on Disinfection Mechanism of Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water on E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Zeng Xinping , Tang Wenwei , Ye Guoqing , Ouyang Ting , Tian Lin , Ni Yaming , Li Ping
Published: July 2010

Abstract:  Suspension quantitative germicidal test showed that electrolyzed oxidizing water (EO water) was an efficient and rapid disinfectant. Disinfection rates towards E. coli (available chlorine concentration ACC: 12.40 mg/L) and Staphylococcus aureus (ACC: 37.30 mg/L) could reach 100% at 1 and 3 min, respectively. Disinfection mechanism of EO water was investigated at a molecular biological level by detecting a series of biochemical indices. The results showed that the dehydrogenase activities of E. coli and S. aureus decreased rapidly, respectively, at the rates of 45.9% and 32% in the 1st minute treatment with EO water. EO water also improved the bacterial membrane permeability, causing the rise of conductivities and the rapid leakages of intracellular DNA, K+, and proteins in 1 min. The leakages of DNA and K+ tended to slow down after about 1 min while those of proteins began to decrease a little after reaching the peak values. The sodium dodecyl sulfonate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) showed that EO water destroyed intracellular proteins. The protein bands got fainter and even disappeared as the treatment proceeded. EO water's effects on the bacterial ultrastructures were also verified by the transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) photos. The disinfection mechanism of EO water was composed of several comprehensive factors including the destruction of bacterial protective barriers, the increase of membrane permeability, the leakage of cellular inclusions, and the activity decrease of some key enzymes.

Practical Application:  Large‐scale communicable diseases have often occurred due to the infectious pathogenic microorganism. EO water is a novel environment‐friendly disinfectant characterized by its high efficiency, broad spectrum, and no side effects. It has been greatly used in agriculture, food industry, and medicine. Our research lays the foundation for further research of EO water and we can predict that EO water will continue to be broadly used in daily life, health care, sanitation, and so on.
Un musée «éclaté»: le Musée de l'homme et de l'industrie
Authors: De Varine‐Bohan Hugues
Published: July 2010

L'expérience entreprise parmi la communauté urbaine du Creusot‐Montceau‐les‐Mines témoigne d'une nouvelle conception du rôle et de la nature du musée. Créé avec la collaboration active de la population locale à laquelle, en retour, il s'adresse directement, ce musée est en continuel devenir. C'est une expérience audacieuse qui est à son début. Diverses opinions s'affrontent à son sujet. Museum se propose d'en faire le bilan un peu plus tard.
Musée de Londres
Authors: Hume Tom
Published: July 2010

Deux musées, celui du Guildhall, fondé en 1826, celui de Lancaster House, fondé en 1913, sont à l'origine du Museum of London, institué en 1965, doté d'un statut en 1976, inauguré en décembre 1976.

Tom Hume, directeur de l'établissement, en raconte les longues origines. Il en dit les collections prestigieuses, il en évoque le site historique, la nouvelle et audacieuse conception, la préparation à laquelle il a présidé.

La plupart des figures de l'article remontent aux temps du chantier. Les trois dernières s'appliquent au musée ouvert.

Un laboratoire, un conservatoire, une école. Un musée dans la vie où les Londoniens, déjà, se sentent chez eux.
La recherche ethnographique: une richesse infinie
Authors: Guiart Jean
Published: July 2010

Le présent texte reproduit des extraits du discours d'ouverture prononcé par l'auteur à l'occasion du premier symposium « Témoignages et méthodes: le chercheur dans sa propre culture », qui a eu lieu les 12, 13 et 14 novembre 1982 au Musée de l'homme, à Paris, avec la participation de spécialistes venus du monde entier.
Protection sans barrières: un point de vue africain
Authors: Ardouin Claude Daniel
Published: July 2010

Claude Daniel Ardouin, directeur du Musée national du Mali à Bamako, nous fait part des remarques suivantes.
Modernization and Chinese museums: a professional dialogue
Authors: Lengyel Alfonz
Published: July 2010

In March 1984 the author presented a research paper on Chinese museums to a meeting of the International Committee for Museums of Archaeology and History (ICMAH). An abridged version of the paper, presenting its main observations and suggestions, is reproduced below. At Museum's urging, Dr Lengyel then presented his views to a distinguished Chinese museum director, Shen Zhi‐yu, who heads the Shanghai Museum of Art and History. The latter was happy to discuss the text with the author, who has sent us this summary of their dialogue. In the course of the discussion a number of clarifications, facts and ideas emerged.