bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An experimental study into the geometry of supply‐limited dunes
Authors: TUIJNDER ARJAN P. , RIBBERINK JAN S. , HULSCHER SUZANNE J. M. H.
Published: March 2009

The relationship between dune geometry and the volume of mobile sediment was studied in flume experiments. In these flume experiments, the volume of mobile sediment on top of an immobile coarse sediment layer was increased stepwise and the bedform characteristics were observed. A strong relationship was found between the volume that is mobile – and therefore available for bedform formation – and the dune dimensions and regularity. If the sediment supply is limited, dunes are smaller and more regular. Series of experiments with a decreasing supply limitation were conducted for different flow velocities and water depths. The relationship between the dune dimensions and the available volume is different for each series. The observed relationships between dune dimensions and layer thickness collapse to one relationship for height and one for length if scaling parameters are introduced. Current models for bedform dimensions under alluvial conditions can be extended to partial transport conditions using this relationship.
Cold hardiness of southern‐adapted blueberry (Vaccinium × hybrid) genotypes and the potential for their use in northern‐adapted blueberry breeding
Authors: Ehlenfeldt M. K. , Rowland L. J. , Ogden E. L. , Vinyard B. T.
Published: March 2009

Twelve southern‐adapted blueberry genotypes, both southern highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum L. introgressed with 2x V. darrowi Camp) and rabbiteye (V. ashei Reade), were evaluated for bud development using a morphological scale and for mid‐winter cold hardiness using a shoot freezing assay. The winter of 2006–2007 was particularly warm producing higher bud development scores for several of the genotypes and an apparent decrease of cold hardiness. Significant differences in LT50 values (treatments causing 50% bud mortality) were observed among the genotypes in both years, with a significant clone × year interaction. The greatest range in LT50 values occurred in 2007, when values ranged from −11.9°C for ‘Millennia’ to −25.5°C for ‘Reveille’, two southern highbush cultivars. Results suggest that germplasm selected in North Carolina might typically have sufficient cold hardiness to be used without concern as parental material in the development of blueberry germplasm with northern adaptation. Other more southern germplasm was generally less hardy and, if utilized as parental material, the resulting progeny would require greater scrutiny with regard to cold hardiness.
A review on transgenic approaches to accelerate breeding of woody plants
Authors: Flachowsky H. , Hanke M.‐V. , Peil A. , Strauss S. H. , Fladung M.
Published: March 2009

The long juvenile period of trees delays the breeding of new varieties. Flowering begins within 5–10 years in most cultivated forest trees under intensive management, but can take up to 40 years in some species and environmental conditions. To accelerate the breeding process several agrotechnical and biotechnical methods have been developed. Knowledge about genes controlling flower initiation in model plants like Arabidopsis thaliana, and identification of homologous genes in trees, have led to new possibilities for early‐flower induction. Overexpression of MADS‐box and other floral regulatory genes resulted in early flowering in some tree species and/or varieties. However, these methods have not yet been shown to enable the production of fertile, viable or normal gametes and progeny; developmental research towards these ends is therefore of high priority. A breeding scheme has been developed to use early flowering trees for the introduction of genes from wild species that would allow several backcrosses to occur in only a few years, and to produce at the end a non‐transgenic improved variety. Research to develop practical early flowering methods could lead to several new methods for breeding and biotechnology.
EFFECTS OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DIABETES MELLITUS ON PHARMACOLOGICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY ELICITED MYOMETRIAL CONTRACTILITY
Authors: Spiegl Gábor , Zupkó István , Minorics Renáta , Csík Gábor , Csonka Dénes , Falkay George
Published: March 2009

Diabetes is one of the most frequent complications of gestation, affecting approximately 7% of pregnancies. However, little is known about its effects on electrically and pharmacologically stimulated myometrial contractility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the consequences of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetes on: (i) electrical field stimulation (EFS)‐evoked contraction of isolated uterine rings as a function of gestational age; and (ii) the uterotonic and tocolytic actions of α‐ and β‐adrenoceptor stimulation, respectively. The effects of oxytocin in late pregnancy were also investigated.

During pregnancy, EFS‐evoked contractions of isolated uterine rings from intact rats declined, whereas isolated uterine rings from diabetic rats exhibited continuously low sensitivity to EFS.

In non‐pregnant rats, diabetes resulted in increased noradrenaline‐mediated contractility and a decreased relaxation response to terbutaline. At the mRNA level, diabetes enhanced the expression of α1B‐adrenoceptors in non‐pregnant rats from 14.65 to 18.39 µg/mL (P < 0.05), whereas the expression of α1D‐adrenoceptors decreased (from 42.87 to 35.67 µg/mL;P < 0.05). During pregnancy, the responses to these sympathomimetics did not differ between diabetic and intact rats.

In late pregnancy (on Days 15 and 21), oxytocin caused greater maximum contractility of uterine rings from diabetic rats without affecting the EC50. In addition, on Day 15 of pregnancy, the expression of oxytocin receptors in the myometrium of diabetic rats was higher than that in intact rats.

The results of the present study indicate that experimental diabetes facilitates gestation‐induced denervation and increases myometrial sensitivity to oxytocin in late pregnancy. If similar mechanisms operate in humans, this could contribute to a tendency to premature uterine contractions in diabetes‐complicated pregnancies.
FLUOXETINE PROTECTS AGAINST MONOCROTALINE‐INDUCED PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION: POTENTIAL ROLES OF INDUCTION OF APOPTOSIS AND UPREGULATION OF Kv1.5 CHANNELS IN RATS
Authors: Zhai Feng‐Guo , Zhang Xin‐Hua , Wang Huai‐Liang
Published: March 2009

Suppressing apoptosis and downregulating K+ channels in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) have been implicated in the development of pulmonary vascular medial hypertrophy and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Previous studies have shown that selective serotonin re‐uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) protected against PAH. The aim of the present study was to investigate the involvement of Kv1.5 channels and apoptosis in the protective effect of the SSRI fluoxetine against PAH.

Monocrotaline (MCT) was used to establish PAH in Wistar rats. Fluoxetine (2 and 10 mg/kg per day) was administered by gavage once a day for 3 weeks. Three weeks after the induction of PAH by MCT, pulmonary haemodynamic measurements and pulmonary artery morphological assessments were undertaken, along with detection of apoptosis and Kv1.5.

Fluoxetine (2 and 10 mg/kg per day) decreased pulmonary artery pressure, reduced the right ventricular index and inhibited the increase in medial wall thickness of pulmonary arteries in established PAH. Fluoxetine (10 mg/kg per day) reduced the expression of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL protein, increased the expression of cleaved caspase 3 protein and enhanced the expression of Kv1.5 protein and mRNA in pulmonary arteries. Furthermore, fluoxetine (10 mg/kg per day) significantly suppressed proliferation and enhanced apoptosis of PASMC in MCT‐induced PAH.

In conclusion, fluoxetine protects against MCT‐induced PAH by suppressing PASMC proliferation, inducing PASMC apoptosis and upregulating Kv1.5 channels.
Pharmacological changes in cellular Ca2+homeostasis parallel initiation of atrial arrhythmogenesis in murine langendorff‐perfused hearts
Authors: Zhang Yanmin , Schwiening Christof , Killeen Matthew J , Zhang Yanhui , Ma Aiqun , Lei Ming , Grace Andrew A , Huang Christopher L‐H
Published: March 2009

Intracellular Ca2+overload has been associated with established atrial arrhythmogenesis. The present experiments went on to correlate acute initiation of atrial arrhythmogenesis in Langendorff‐perfused mouse hearts with changes in Ca2+homeostasis in isolated atrial myocytes following pharmacological procedures that modified the storage or release of sarcoplasmic reticular (SR) Ca2+or inhibited entry of extracellular Ca2+.

Caffeine (1 mmol/L) elicited diastolic Ca2+waves in regularly stimulated atrial myocytes immediately following addition. This was followed by a decline in the amplitude of the evoked transients and the disappearance of such diastolic events, suggesting partial SR Ca2+depletion.

Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; 0.15 µmol/L) produced more gradual reductions in evoked Ca2+transients and abolished diastolic Ca2+events produced by the further addition of caffeine.

Nifedipine (0.5 µmol/L) produced immediate reductions in evoked Ca2+transients. Further addition of caffeine produced an immediate increase followed by a decline in the amplitude of the evoked Ca2+transients, without eliciting diastolic Ca2+events.

These findings correlated with changes in spontaneous and provoked atrial arrhythmogenecity in mouse isolated Langendorf‐perfused hearts. Thus, caffeine was pro‐arrhythmogenic immediately following but not > 5 min after application and both CPA and nifedipine pretreatment inhibited such arrhythmogenesis.

Together, these findings relate acute atrial arrhythmogenesis in intact hearts to diastolic Ca2+events in atrial myocytes that, in turn, depend upon a finite SR Ca2+store and diastolic Ca2+release following Ca2+‐induced Ca2+release initiated by the entry of extracellular Ca2+.
ROLE OF ACTIVATED INTRARENAL REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND RENIN–ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM IN IgA NEPHROPATHY MODEL MICE
Authors: Ohashi Naro , Katsurada Akemi , Miyata Kayoko , Satou Ryousuke , Saito Toshie , Urushihara Maki , Kobori Hiroyuki
Published: March 2009

Using HIGA (high IgA of ddY) mice as an IgA nephropathy model and BALB/c mice as controls, we demonstrated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) were activated in kidneys of HIGA mice. However, it was difficult to establish an association between renal damage and changes in ROS and the RAS. Therefore, the present study was performed to determine whether renal injury is associated with changes in ROS and the RAS in HIGA mice.

Male HIGA mice were divided into four groups of 10 each: (i) untreated mice (HIGA + null); (ii) mice treated with the angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist olmesartan (5 mg/kg per day; HIGA + OLM); (iii) mice treated with the superoxide dismutase mimetic tempol (50 mg/kg per day; HIGA + Tempol); and (iv) mice treated with RAS‐independent antihypertensive drugs (30 mg/kg per day hydralazine, 0.6 mg/kg per day reserpine and 12 mg/kg per day hydrochlorothiazide; HIGA + HRH). Mice were treated for 5 weeks.

Systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the HIGA + OLM and HIGA + HRH groups, but not in the HIGA + Tempol group, compared with HIGA + null mice. The expression of two ROS markers (4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal and heme oxygenase‐1) and angiotensin II as a marker of the RAS decreased significantly in HIGA + OLM and HIGA + Tempol mice, but not in HIGA + HRH mice, compared with HIGA + null mice. As a marker of renal damage, mesangial matrix expansion and the desmin‐positive area decreased significantly in the HIGA + OLM and HIGA + Tempol groups, but not in HIGA + HRH group, compared with the HIGA + null group.

These data suggest that intrarenal ROS and RAS activation play a pivotal role in the development of IgA nephropathy model mice, from the early phase, independent of blood pressure.
Environmental factors and population fluctuations of Akodon azarae (Muridae: Sigmodontinae) in central Argentina
Authors: ANDREO VERÓNICA , PROVENSAL CECILIA , SCAVUZZO MARCELO , LAMFRI MARIO , POLOP JAIME
Published: March 2009

The aim of this work was to explore the relationship between population density of Akodon azarae (Muridae: Sigmodontinae) and climatic and environmental variables, and determine which of them are associated to within and among‐year changes in rodent abundance in agro‐ecosystems from south Córdoba, Argentina. The study was carried out in a rural area of central Argentina, from 1983 to 2003. Density was estimated as a relative density index (RDI). Temperature, precipitation and humidity were obtained from records of the National University of Rio Cuarto. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature were recorded from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1983–1998) and Landsat (1998–2003) imagery data sets. We performed simple correlations, multiple regressions and distributed lag analysis. Direct association of climatic and environmental variables with RDI was in general, low. The amount of variability in seasonal changes in density explained by climatic and environmental variables altogether varied from 10% to 70%. Seasonal population fluctuations were influenced by NDVI and rainfall with one and two seasons of delay. Autumn maximum density of the species was also associated with vegetation and rainfall of previous seasons. There also seemed to be an indirect influence of rainfall through vegetation given that we found a positive correlation between them. Results were consistent with basic aspects of the ecology of the species, such as its strong preference for highly covered areas, which provide food and protection from predators, likely increasing its reproductive success. Therefore, in the rural area central Argentina, A. azarae showed seasonal fluctuations with delayed influence of rainfall and vegetation and indirect effects of rainfall.
Arid Recovery – A comparison of reptile and small mammal populations inside and outside a large rabbit, cat and fox‐proof exclosure in arid South Australia
Authors: MOSEBY KATHERINE ELIZABETH , HILL BRYDIE MAY , READ JOHN LLEWELLYN
Published: March 2009

Australian arid zone mammal species within the Critical Weight Range (CWR) of 35 g–5.5 kg have suffered disproportionately in the global epidemic of contemporary faunal extinctions. CWR extinctions have been attributed largely to the effects of introduced or invasive mammals; however, the impact of these threatening processes on smaller mammals and reptiles is less clear. The change in small mammal and reptile assemblages after the removal of rabbits, cats and foxes was studied over a 6‐year period in a landscape‐scale exclosure in the Australian arid zone. Rodents, particularly Notomys alexis and Pseudomys bolami, increased to 15 times higher inside the feral‐proof Arid Recovery Reserve compared with outside sites, where rabbits, cats and foxes were still present. Predation by cats was thought to exert the greatest influence on rodent numbers owing to the maintenance of the disparity in rodent responses through dry years and the differences in dietary preferences between rabbits and P. bolami. The presence of introduced Mus domesticus or medium‐sized re‐introduced mammal species did not significantly affect resident small mammal or reptile abundance. Abundance of most dasyurids and small lizards did not change significantly after the removal of feral animals although reductions in gecko populations inside the reserve may be attributable to second order trophic interactions or subtle changes in vegetation structure and cover. This study suggests that populations of rodent species in northern South Australia below the CWR may also be significantly affected by introduced cats, foxes and/or rabbits and that a taxa specific model of Australian mammal decline may be more accurate than one based on body weight.
Sublethal costs associated with the consumption of toxic prey by snakes
Authors: LLEWELYN JOHN S. , PHILLIPS BENJAMIN L. , SHINE RICHARD
Published: March 2009

Costs of plant defences to herbivores have been extensively studied, but costs of chemical defences to carnivores are less well understood. We examine the costs to Australian keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Gray 1841) of consuming cane toads (Bufo[Rhinella]marinus Linnaeus 1758). Cane toads (an invasive species in Australia) are highly toxic. Although keelbacks can consume toads without dying (unlike most Australian snakes), we show that cane toads are poor quality prey for keelbacks. Toads are of low net nutritional value, take longer to consume than do native frogs and reduce the snake's locomotor performance for up to 6 h after ingestion of a meal. These latter effects may increase a snake's vulnerability to predation. Nutritional content of vertebrate prey is not the only factor driving the evolution of foraging behaviour; other more subtle costs, such as risk of predation, may be widespread.
Causes and consequences of aggregation by neonatal tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus, Elapidae)
Authors: AUBRET FABIEN , SHINE RICHARD
Published: March 2009

Although snakes traditionally have been regarded as asocial animals, recent studies have revealed complex interactions among neonatal snakes and their mothers. We noticed frequent aggregation by captive neonatal Australian elapids (tiger snakes, Notechis scutatus), and conducted simple experiments to clarify the proximate causation of, and potential consequences of, aggregative behaviour. Litters of neonates exhibited statistically significant aggregation (clustering) in empty containers, especially if the test area was subjected to rapid cooling. Aggregation was most pronounced inside shelter‐sites, and familiar shelters (i.e. containing scent cues from the litter) attracted snakes more than did novel (unscented) shelters. Snakes in larger aggregations cooled more slowly (reflecting their higher combined mass and thus, thermal inertia) and higher body temperatures facilitated neonatal locomotor performance, retreat‐site location and anti‐predator tactics. Plausibly, aggregation in neonatal tiger snakes (and other reptiles) functions to retard cooling rates, with the result that the young snakes are better able to evade or repel attacks by predators.
Fire frequency influences composition and structure of the shrub layer in an Australian subcoastal temperate grassy woodland
Authors: WATSON PENNY J. , BRADSTOCK ROSS A. , MORRIS E. CHARLES
Published: March 2009

Little is known about the relationship between fire regimes and plant diversity in Australia's temperate grassy woodlands. The effect of fire frequency on shrubs in grassy woodland remnants across Western Sydney's Cumberland Plain was examined. Shrub species richness and composition were compared in sites that had experienced a high, moderate or low frequency of fire over the previous 20 years. Nine sites were surveyed, three in each fire frequency category; most sites, including all low‐fire‐frequency sites, had burnt 9–36 months prior to sampling. Fire frequency had a profound effect on the composition and structure of the shrub layer. Per cent frequency and density of the prickly shrub Bursaria spinosa (Pittosporaceae) was considerably higher in low‐fire‐frequency sites than where fires had occurred at least once a decade. In sites where fire had been absent for decades prior to a recent fire, this species dominated the landscape, while elsewhere it occurred as clumps in a grassy matrix. Per cent frequency of other native shrubs, particularly obligate seeders, was greatest at moderate fire frequencies. Exotic shrubs were recorded most often where fire had been rare. While ordination clearly separated out the low‐fire‐frequency sites, complete separation between high‐ and moderate‐fire‐frequency blocks was not achieved. The increase in Bursaria in the absence of fire mirrors the encroachment of woody plants into a range of grassy ecosystems around the world. The sensitivity of obligate seeder species, many of them short‐lived legumes with fire‐cued seeds, to both very frequent and very infrequent fire shows the vulnerability of these species to extreme fire regimes, despite the safeguards conferred by hard‐seededness. Competition from Bursaria, as well as loss of viable seed in the soil, may have contributed to the low frequency of these species after a long inter‐fire interval.
Effects of the sowing depth and temperature on the seedling emergence and early growth of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) and wheat
Authors: KESHTKAR ESHAGH , KORDBACHEH FARNAZ , MESGARAN MOHSEN B. , MASHHADI HAMID R. , ALIZADEH HASSAN M.
Published: March 2009

The experiment was conducted under a controlled environment to study the effects of different temperature regimes (15/10°C, 20/15°C, and 25/20°C day/night) and sowing depths (0, 2, 4, and 6 cm) on the seedling emergence and early growth (height gain) of wheat (cv. Marvdasht) and wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum). The cumulative emergence and plant height gain over time were modeled with the use of a logistic function. For a particular temperature regime, the maximum percentage emergence (Emax) of wheat was higher than that of wild barley across all sowing depths. The maximum and minimum Emax values for both species occurred at 20/15°C and 25/20°C, respectively. The time taken to reach 50% of the Emax (i.e. E50) increased with the sowing depth in both species under all temperature regimes. The E50 of wild barley was greater than that of wheat for all temperature regimes, with maximum differences observed at 20/15°C. The greatest maximum plant height (Hmax) was observed at the surface planting for both plants. The Hmax was reduced at temperatures either lower or higher than 20/15°C, with a more notable reduction in wild barley. At all temperature regimes, the time taken to reach 50% of the Hmax (i.e. H50) increased linearly with the sowing depth but, at higher temperatures, the accelerated growth rate reduced the H50. The wild barley seedling emergence and height gain rate, as expressed relative to those of wheat, revealed the highest superiority of wheat over wild barley at 25/20°C and the sowing depth of 4 cm.
Phosphorus fertilizer effects on the competition between wheat and several weed species
Authors: BLACKSHAW ROBERT E. , BRANDT RANDALL N.
Published: March 2009

Information on phosphorus (P) fertilizer affecting crop–weed competitive interactions might aid in developing improved weed management systems. A controlled environment study was conducted to examine the effect of three P doses on the competitive ability of four weed species that were grown with wheat. Two grass and two broad‐leaved weed species were chosen to represent the species that varied in their growth responsiveness to P: wild oat (medium), Persian darnel (low), round‐leaved mallow (high), and kochia (low). Wheat and each weed species were grown in a replacement series design at P doses of 5, 15, and 45 mg P kg−1 soil. The competitive ability of the low P‐responsive species, Persian darnel and kochia, decreased as the P dose increased, supporting our hypothesis that the competitiveness of species responding minimally to P would remain unchanged or decrease at higher P levels. As expected, the competitiveness of the high P‐responsive species, round‐leaved mallow, progressively improved as the P dose increased. However, wild oat's competitive ability with wheat was not affected by the P fertilizer. The results suggest that fertilizer management strategies that favor crops over weeds might deserve greater attention when weed infestations consist of species known to be highly responsive to higher soil P levels. The information gained in this study could be used to advise farmers of the importance of strategic fertilizer management in terms of both weed management and crop yield.
Perceptual stability during dramatic changes in olfactory bulb activation maps and dramatic declines in activation amplitudes
Authors: Homma R. , Cohen L. B. , Kosmidis E. K. , Youngentob S. L.
Published: March 2009

We compared the concentration dependence of the ability of rats to identify odorants with the calcium signals in the nerve terminals of the olfactory receptor neurons. Although identification performance decreased with concentrations both above and below the training stimuli it remained well above random at all concentrations tested (between 0.0006% and 35% of saturated vapor). In contrast, the calcium signals in the same awake animals were much smaller than their maximum values at odorant concentrations <1% of saturated vapor. In addition, maps of activated glomeruli changed dramatically as odorant concentration was reduced. Thus perceptual stability exists in the face of dramatic changes in both the amplitude and the maps of the input to the olfactory bulb. The data for the concentration dependence of the response of the most sensitive glomeruli for each of five odorants was fitted with a Michaelis–Menten (Hill) equation. The fitted curves were extrapolated to odorant concentrations several orders of magnitude lower the smallest observed signals and suggest that the calcium response at low odorant concentrations is > 1000 times smaller than the response at saturating odorant concentrations. We speculate that only a few spikes in olfactory sensory neurons may be sufficient for correct odorant identification.
Effects of dopamine‐related gene–gene interactions on working memory component processes
Authors: Stelzel Christine , Basten Ulrike , Montag Christian , Reuter Martin , Fiebach Christian J.
Published: March 2009

Dopamine modulates complex cognitive functions like working memory and cognitive control. It is widely accepted that an optimal level of prefrontal dopamine supports working memory performance. In the present study we used a molecular genetic approach to test whether the optimal activity of the dopamine system for different component processes of working memory is additionally related to the availability of dopamine D2 receptors. We sought evidence for this assumption by investigating the interaction effect (epistasis) of variations in two dopaminergic candidate genes: the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism, which has been shown to influence prefrontal dopamine concentration, and the DRD2/ANKK1‐Taq‐Ia polymorphism, which has been related to the density of D2 receptors. Our results show that COMT effects on working memory performance are modulated by the DRD2/ANKK1‐TAQ‐Ia polymorphism and the specific working memory component process under investigation. Val− participants – supposedly characterized by increased prefrontal dopamine concentrations – outperformed Val+ participants in the manipulation of working memory contents, but only when D2 receptor density could be considered to be high. No such effect was present for passive maintenance of working memory contents or for maintenance in the face of distracting information. This beneficial effect of a balance between prefrontal dopamine availability and D2 receptor density reveals the importance of considering epistasis effects and different working memory subprocesses in genetic association studies.
Phosphodiesterase type IV inhibition prevents sequestration of CREB binding protein, protects striatal parvalbumin interneurons and rescues motor deficits in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington’s disease
Authors: Giampà Carmela , Middei Silvia , Patassini Stefano , Borreca Antonella , Marullo Fabrizia , Laurenti Daunia , Bernardi Giorgio , Ammassari‐Teule Martine , Fusco Francesca R.
Published: March 2009

The phosphodiesterase type IV inhibitor rolipram increases cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation and exerts neuroprotective effects in both the quinolinic acid rat model of Huntington’s disease (DeMarch et al., 2007) and the R6/2 mouse including sparing of striatal neurons, prevention of neuronal intranuclear inclusion formation and attenuation of microglial reaction (DeMarch et al., 2008). In this study, we sought to determine if rolipram has a beneficial role in the altered distribution of CREB binding protein in striatal spiny neurons and in the motor impairments shown by R6/2 mutants. Moreover, we investigated whether rolipram treatment altered the degeneration of parvalbuminergic interneurons typical of Huntington’s disease (Fusco et al., 1999). Transgenic mice and their wild‐type controls from a stable colony maintained in our laboratory were treated with rolipram (1.5 mg/kg) or saline daily starting from 4 weeks of age. The cellular distribution of CREB binding protein in striatal spiny neurons was assessed by immunofluorescence, whereas parvalbuminergic neuron degeneration was evaluated by cell counts of immunohistochemically labeled tissue. Motor coordination and motor activity were also examined. We found that rolipram was effective in preventing CREB binding protein sequestration into striatal neuronal intranuclear inclusions, sparing parvalbuminergic interneurons of R6/2 mice, and rescuing their motor coordination and motor activity deficits. Our findings demonstrate the possibility of reversing pharmacologically the behavioral and neuropathological abnormalities of symptomatic R6/2 mice and underline the potential therapeutic value of phosphodiesterase type IV inhibitors in Huntington’s disease.
Respiration‐gated formation of gamma and beta neural assemblies in the mammalian olfactory bulb
Authors: Cenier Tristan , David François , Litaudon Philippe , Garcia Samuel , Amat Corine , Buonviso Nathalie
Published: March 2009

A growing body of data suggests that information coding can be achieved not only by varying neuronal firing rate, but also by varying spike timing relative to network oscillations. In the olfactory bulb (OB) of a freely breathing anaesthetized mammal, odorant stimulation induces prominent oscillatory local field potential (LFP) activity in the beta (10–35 Hz) and gamma (40–80 Hz) ranges, which alternate during a respiratory cycle. At the same time, mitral/tufted (M/T) cells display respiration‐modulated spiking patterns. Using simultaneous recordings of M/T unitary activities and LFP activity, we conducted an analysis of the temporal relationships between M/T cell spiking activity and both OB beta and gamma oscillations. We observed that M/T cells display a respiratory pattern that pre‐tunes instantaneous frequencies to a gamma or beta regime. Consequently, M/T cell spikes become phase‐locked to either gamma or beta LFP oscillations according to their frequency range and respiratory pattern. Our results suggest that slow respiratory dynamics pre‐tune M/T cells to a preferential fast rhythm (beta or gamma) such that a spike–LFP coupling might occur when units and oscillation frequencies are in a compatible range. This double‐coupling process might define two complementary beta‐ and gamma‐neuronal assemblies along the course of a respiratory cycle.
Gamma activity and reactivity in human thalamic local field potentials
Authors: Kempf Florian , Brücke Christof , Salih Farid , Trottenberg Thomas , Kupsch Andreas , Schneider Gerd‐Helge , Doyle Gaynor Louise M.F. , Hoffmann Karl‐Titus , Vesper Jan , Wöhrle Johannes , Altenmüller Dirk‐Matthias , Krauss Joachim K. , Mazzone Paolo , Di Lazzaro Vincenzo , Yelnik Jérôme , Kühn Andrea A. , Brown Peter
Published: March 2009

Depth recordings in patients with Parkinson’s disease on dopaminergic therapy have revealed a tendency for oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia that is sharply tuned to frequencies of ∼70 Hz and increases with voluntary movement. It is unclear whether this activity is essentially physiological and whether it might be involved in arousal processes. Here we demonstrate an oscillatory activity with similar spectral characteristics and motor reactivity in the human thalamus. Depth signals were recorded in 29 patients in whom the ventral intermediate or centromedian nucleus were surgically targeted for deep brain stimulation. Thirteen patients with four different pathologies showed sharply tuned activity centred at ∼70 Hz in spectra of thalamic local field potential (LFP) recordings. This activity was modulated by movement and, critically, varied over the sleep–wake cycle, being suppressed during slow wave sleep and re‐emergent during rapid eye movement sleep, which physiologically bears strong similarities with the waking state. It was enhanced by startle‐eliciting stimuli, also consistent with modulation by arousal state. The link between this pattern of thalamic activity and that of similar frequency in the basal ganglia was strengthened by the finding that fast thalamic oscillations were lost in untreated parkinsonian patients, paralleling the behaviour of this activity in the basal ganglia. Furthermore, there was sharply tuned coherence between thalamic and pallidal LFP activity at ∼70 Hz in eight out of the 11 patients in whom globus pallidus and thalamus were simultaneously implanted. Subcortical oscillatory activity at ∼70 Hz may be involved in movement and arousal.
Synchronous GABAA‐receptor‐dependent potentials in limbic areas of thein‐vitroisolated adult guinea pig brain
Authors: Uva Laura , Avoli Massimo , De Curtis Marco
Published: March 2009

Epileptiform discharges are known to reflect the hypersynchronous glutamatergic activation of cortical neurons. However, experimental evidence has revealed that epileptiform synchronization is also contributed to by population events mediated by GABAAreceptors. Here, we analysed the spatial distribution of GABAA‐receptor‐dependent interictal events in the hippocampal/parahippocampal region of the adult guinea pig brain isolatedin vitro. We found that arterial perfusion of this preparation with 4‐aminopyridine caused the appearance of glutamatergic‐independent interictal potentials that were reversibly abolished by GABAAreceptor antagonism. Laminar profiles and current source density analysis performed in different limbic areas demonstrated that these GABAA‐receptor‐mediated events were independently generated in different areas of the hippocampal/parahippocampal formation (most often in the medial entorhinal cortex) and propagated between interconnected limbic structures of both hemispheres. Finally, intracellular recordings from principal neurons of the medial entorhinal cortex demonstrated that the GABAergic field potential correlated to inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (membrane potential reversal, −68.12 ± 8.01 mV,n = 5) that were interrupted by ectopic spiking. Our findings demonstrate that, in an acute seizure model developed in the adult guinea pig brain, hypersynchronous GABAA‐receptor‐mediated interictal events are generated from independent sources and propagate within limbic cortices in the absence of excitatory synaptic transmission. As spared or enhanced inhibition was reported in models of epilepsy, our data may support a role of GABA‐mediated signaling in ictogenesis and epileptogenesis.
Occurrence and diversity of naphthalene dioxygenase genes in soil microbial communities from the Maritime Antarctic
Authors: Flocco Cecilia G. , Gomes Newton C. M. , Mac Cormack Walter , Smalla Kornelia
Published: March 2009

The diversity of naphthalene dioxygenase genes (ndo) in soil environments from the Maritime Antarctic was assessed, dissecting as well the influence of the two vascular plants that grow in the Antarctic: Deschampsia antarctica and Colobanthus quitensis. Total community DNA was extracted from bulk and rhizosphere soil samples from Jubany station and Potter Peninsula, South Shetland Islands. ndo genes were amplified by a nested PCR and analysed by denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis approach (PCR‐DGGE) and cloning and sequencing. The ndo‐DGGE fingerprints of oil‐contaminated soil samples showed even and reproducible patterns, composed of four dominant bands. The presence of vascular plants did not change the relative abundance of ndo genotypes compared with bulk soil. For non‐contaminated sites, amplicons were not obtained for all replicates and the variability among the fingerprints was comparatively higher, likely reflecting a lower abundance of ndo genes. The phylogenetic analyses showed that all sequences were affiliated to the nahAc genes closely related to those described for Pseudomonas species and related mobile genetic elements. This study revealed that a microdiversity of nahAc‐like genes exists in microbial communities of Antarctic soils and quantitative PCR indicated that their relative abundance was increased in response to anthropogenic sources of pollution.
Is the body mass index a predictor of adverse outcome in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy in a mid‐European study population?
Authors: Pfitzenmaier Jesco , Pritsch Maria , Haferkamp Axel , Jakobi Hildegard , Fritsch Frederik , Gilfrich Christian , Djakovic Nenad , Buse Stephan , Pahernik Sascha , Hohenfellner Markus
Published: March 2009

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the histopathological and clinical outcome in prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a prospective urological cancer database, 620 patients with prostate cancer had a radical prostatectomy (RP) as a curative treatment. The patients were categorized into three groups of BMI (kg/m2); ≤25.0 (190, ‘normal weight’), >25.0–30.0 (343, ‘overweight’) and >30.0 (87, ‘obese’). We evaluated the histopathological features and the clinical follow‐up after RP. The median (range) age of the men was 64.4 (41.1–80.1) years and the median follow‐up 5.5 (0.1–15.1) years. The preoperative median prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels for normal, overweight and obese patients were 9.0 (0.3–133.0), 8.9 (0.4–230.0) and 9.2 (0.5–194.0) ng/mL, respectively.

RESULTS

Serum PSA levels were no different among the three groups (P = 0.92). The normal, overweight and obese patients had organ‐confined prostate cancer in 53.7%, 57.1% and 58.6%, respectively (P = 0.34) and had lymph node metastases in 7.9%, 7.6% and 4.6% (P = 0.58). Tumour grading was no different for the three groups (P = 0.25). The PSA recurrence‐free, prostate cancer‐specific and overall survival for the three BMI groups did not differ significantly (each P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The BMI cannot be shown to be a predictor of adverse prognosis either for histopathological features or for the clinical outcome, e.g. PSA‐free, prostate cancer‐specific and overall survival, in a mid‐European study population after RP.
MANAGING CULTURAL POLICY: PITFALLS AND PROSPECTS
Authors: GRAY CLIVE
Published: March 2009

Cultural policies have become increasingly used by governments to fulfil a large number of policy requirements. The extent to which such policies are capable of being effective in fulfilling governmental goals is open to doubt since there are considerable definitional, methodological, analytical and structural difficulties associated with such policies. This paper identifies and analyses these difficulties and indicates that considerable pitfalls lie in the way of attempts to develop, manage and implement effective cultural policies.
CO‐OPTATION, COMMODIFICATION AND THE MEDICAL MODEL: GOVERNING UK MEDICINE SINCE 1991
Authors: HARRISON STEPHEN
Published: March 2009

Self‐regulation and autonomy are traditionally treated as distinctive elements of how professions are governed in contrast to other occupations. For medicine, these elements provide a collective medium of governance (through the institutions of professional self‐regulation) and an individual medium (through the practice of 'clinical autonomy'). Both are reinforced by the intellectual dominance of the so‐called 'biomedical model' of health and illness. Analysts generally agree that, in many countries, both self‐regulation and clinical autonomy are under significant challenge. But it is less obvious that, in the UK at least, the biomedical model has effectively been co‐opted for managerial purposes to support the commodification of medical care. Thus ideas that have traditionally been considered as supporting medical dominance have transpired to be a source of weakness for the profession.
Gender Development, Institutions, and Level of Economic Development
Authors: Self Sharmistha , Grabowski Richard
Published: March 2009

Gender inequality and the lack of gender development are major problems in developing countries. Neoclassical economics has generally argued that economic development will greatly enhance gender development. However, more recent work has emphasized the role of institutions. In this paper, a distinction is made between malleable institutions and those that change only over long periods of time. Empirical estimations of the impacts of economic development, malleable institutions, and hard‐to‐change institutions on gender development are carried out. The results indicate that both economic development and reform of malleable institutions are important determinants of relative gender performance. However, non‐malleable institutions and cultural practices limit the impact that reform and economic development can have on relative gender performance.
THE CALL AND THE GIFTED IN CHRISTOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE: A CONSIDERATION OF BRIAN ROBINETTE'S CRITIQUE OF JEAN‐LUC MARION
Authors: RIVERA JOSEPH M.
Published: March 2009

In his recent article, ‘A Gift to Theology? Jean‐Luc Marion's ‘Saturated Phenomena’ in Christological Perspective’, Brian Robinette has critiqued Marion's phenomenology for confining theology to a one‐sided approach to Christology, one that stresses only the passive, mystical reception of Christ. To correct this imbalance, Robinette brings Marion into dialogue with those more active Christologies or ‘prophetical‐ethical’ liberation theologies of Gustavo Gutierrez, Johann Baptist Metz and others that stress a life‐praxis focused on confronting evil and suffering. In this essay I am arguing that Robinette has not fully developed the ‘logic’ of Marion's phenomenology of the ‘call and the gifted’, in which both a passive and an active element are operative. I explore more fully that very dynamic phenomenological process of the call‐and‐the‐gifted as developed in Marion's work Being Given: Toward a Phenomenology of Givenness. Once viewed in Christological perspective, and especially in light of Christ's death and resurrection, Marion's phenomenology entails an ethical trope consistent with the mission of Christ as rendered in Scriptural revelation, and thus the gap between Marion's work and the prophetical‐ethical theologies of Gutierrez and Baptist Metz becomes narrowed.
Why the United Kingdom Should Join the Eurozone
Authors: Buiter Willem H.
Published: March 2009

The message of this paper is that the global financial crisis that started in August 2007 provides another powerful and sufficient argument for the United Kingdom to join the EMU and adopt the euro as soon as technically possible. This new financial stability argument for UK membership in the EMU is separate from and in addition to the conventional optimal currency arguments for joining, which have also become more persuasive in the past few years.
People with a learning disability as trainers: evaluation of a values based pilot training programme
Authors: Black Lesley‐Ann , Roberts Paul
Published: March 2009

Accessible summary

We wanted to find out about a training programme for staff working in learning disability services. This training was carried out by people with a learning disability and was about their needs for choice, rights and respect. We also wanted to find out about the training they had to become trainers.

Seven people with a learning disability were asked to become trainers to staff.

This article will tell you how the trainers were trained and what they thought about it.

One hundred and nineteen staff who attended the training were asked what they thought about it. Staff said they found it very useful because the trainers themselves had a learning disability.

We also asked the trainers what they thought about being a trainer and they told us they have all learnt new skills.

We want to tell people about the importance of training like this so that more people with a learning disability are helped to become trainers, and because staff and the public can learn a lot from them.

This article presents the findings of an independent evaluation of a pilot project in Northern Ireland called ‘Telling it like it is!’ (TILII) conducted over a 2 year timeframe (2005–2007). Seven people with a learning disability were recruited and trained as TILII trainers. With the help of a project facilitator, they designed and presented a values based training programme for staff working in learning disability services. For the purposes of this evaluation, 12 training sessions were evaluated by 119 course recipients who completed feedback forms at the end of the training session they attended. Comments were documented qualitatively and responses were thematically categorised. In addition, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with the TILII trainers. Eight course participants also participated in semi‐structured interviews. Findings clearly demonstrate that the trainer role has had a positive impact on the trainers; empowering them to become self‐advocates and increasing their confidence and interpersonal skills. Course recipients reported that the training was an effective tool for gaining a better understanding of people with learning disability’s perspective of their own needs and wishes, and highlighted the values that staff should demonstrate in their work. Additional follow‐up evaluation to assess the long‐term impact of this training in practice is needed, however it is hoped that more projects of this nature will be adopted in the future.
Cross dressing and gender dysphoria in people with learning disabilities: a descriptive study
Authors: Parkes Georgina , Hall Ian , Wilson Daniel
Published: March 2009

Accessible summary

Some men with learning disability like to dress in women’s clothes and some men want to be women. Some women with learning disability like to dress in men’s clothes or want to be men.

We found that many people like this had mental health problems. Some people were abused when they were children. Some people were gay. They were not happy about this.

Many people could decide for themselves what support and treatment was best for them, but some people couldn’t.

We aimed to determine the characteristics of people with learning disability who cross‐dress or who have gender dysphoria. Using a retrospective review of anonymised data from clinical records about people referred to a specialist service. All 13 participants cross‐dressed and 12 were biological males. Only one person was in a core transsexual group which may do better from sex reassignment surgery. There was a high level of mental health problems and high levels of reported childhood abuse. Three people were unhappy about their homosexual feelings, and two people had capacity issues. People with learning disabilities experience a wide range of gender identity issues similar to those seen in the non‐learning disabled population. They would benefit from a more person centred understanding. People with learning disability may need longer assessments and more psychotherapeutic exploration and intervention prior to thinking about hormone and surgical interventions. Deciding treatment in someone’s best interests for those lacking capacity presents complex ethical dilemmas.