bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphologic variations of the prostatic utricle
Authors: Oh Chang‐Seok , Chung In‐Hyuk , Won Hyung‐Sun , Kim Jang Hwan , Nam Kwang‐Il
Published: January 2009

Anatomical variations of the prostatic utricle (PU) have rarely been reported despite an understanding of them being required for diagnosing and treating PU anomalies. This study was performed on 57 prostates to clarify the variations of this structure. Fifty prostates were dissected under a surgical microscope, five prostates were used for ultrasonography and dissection, and two others were processed for light microscopy and reconstructed into 3D models. The PU was classified into three types based on the location of its pouch. The most common type was one in which the PU projected out from between the two ejaculatory ducts. The site and shape of the utricular orifice were also diverse on the seminal colliculus, which was most commonly located on the distal three‐fourths of the prostatic urethra. The results of this study clarified the variations in the anatomy of the PU and may help improve diagnosis and treatment of PU diseases. Clin. Anat. 22:358–364, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hermann Stieve's clinical‐anatomical research on executed women during the “Third Reich”
Authors: Winkelmann Andreas , Schagen Udo
Published: January 2009

Hermann Stieve (1886–1952) was Director of the Berlin Institute of Anatomy from 1935 to 1952. His research on the female reproductive system is controversial, as some of his scientific insights derived from histological investigations on the genital organs of executed women. These investigations were made possible by the sharp increase in executions during the “Third Reich.” Stieve's research was methodologically accurate and contributed significantly to contemporary scientific debates. Nevertheless, his use of the organs of execution victims, some of them resistance fighters, benefited from the Nazi justice system. He thus indirectly supported this system of injustice. The allegation, however, that Stieve “ordered” the death of prison inmates according to their menstrual cycle, appears to be incorrect. An appraisal of Stieve's research should avoid traditional black‐and‐white classifications of research during Nazi times. In our opinion, Stieve was neither a murderer nor a fervent Nazi. Nevertheless, his research results were flawed by their ethical and political context. Stieve will remain a somber footnote in the biographies of many execution victims. Clin. Anat. 22:163–171, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neuroanatomy of cervical sympathetic trunk: A cadaveric study
Authors: Saylam Canan Y. , Ozgiray Erkin , Orhan Mustafa , Cagli Sedat , Zileli Mehmet
Published: January 2009

To reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury to sympathetic chain during anterior and anterolateral approaches to the cervical spine, its location has to be well defined and known by surgeons. We analyzed the course of sympathetic chain and its ganglia from C7 up to its entry into the cranial base and its relationship mainly with the longus colli (LC). Formalin fixed 20 human cadavers were dissected under operating microscope. Measurement of the dimensions of the ganglia, distance of the trunk to the LC, and the angles identifying the course of the chain were performed. Superior and inferior cervical/cervicothoracic ganglion were observed in all specimens, the middle cervical ganglion was observed in 48% of the specimens. The middle ganglion consisted of two ganglia in 10% of the dissected sides. Forty percent of the inferior cervical/cervicothoracic ganglion was at the C7 level, 25% was at C7‐Th1 disc level, and 35% was at Th1 level. Vertebral ganglion was detected in only 8% of the specimens. The course of the sympathetic trunk converges medially descending from upper cervical levels to the lower levels. Anterior surgical approach to the cervical spine is a commonly used procedure. Although Horner syndrome due to sympathetic injury is not a common sequence of cervical operations, our findings support the current few reports on the subject and should be useful to any surgeon who operates in the cervical region to avoid this uncommon complication. Clin. Anat. 22:324–330, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anatomical variability of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve: Findings from a surgical series
Authors: Carai Andrea , Fenu Grazia , Sechi Elia , Crotti Francesco M. , Montella Andrea
Published: January 2009

The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) is a branch of the lumbar plexus and supplies the skin of the lateral thigh region. This entrapment‐compressive syndrome is named meralgia paresthetica or Roth's meralgia and depends, on a vast majority of cases, on the entrapment of the nerve in proximity of the inguinal ligament. Surgical decompression of the nerve is an option when conservative treatments fail and is usually performed through a 3‐cm infrainguinal skin incision. Available data on anatomical variations of the LFCN derive from extensive cadaver dissections and lack many features relevant to the surgeon. This study was conducted to investigate anatomical details of the LFCN at the site of surgery for meralgia paresthetica. We reviewed retrospective data regarding the anatomical features of LFCN from 148 consecutive patients operated on for Roth's meralgia. In the majority of the cases the LFCN was a single trunk, deep to the thigh superficial fascia and to the inguinal ligament and coursing inferior‐lateral to the anterior superior iliac spine. Less frequent findings were early nerve bifurcation, epifascial position, inferior‐medial direction, and exit from the pelvis through an iliac bone canal. In 13 cases (8.8%) the nerve was not found at surgery. Anatomical variations of the LFCN must be considered at the time of surgery to maximize success rates and avoid nerve damage during surgical dissection. Clin. Anat. 22:365–370, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Diploic venous anatomy studied in‐vivo by MRI
Authors: Jivraj Khalil , Bhargava Ravi , Aronyk Keith , Quateen Ahmed , Walji Anil
Published: January 2009

Calvarial diploic venous anatomy has been studied post‐mortem, but few studies have addressed these venous structures in‐vivo. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that intraosseous infusion through the skull diploic space near the diploic veins in animals and humans does access the superior sagittal sinus and the systemic venous system. We developed a volumetric method of imaging the diploic veins in‐vivo using MRI, intravenous gadolinium, and digital subtraction to provide for three‐dimensional depiction and exact localization of these veins. We hypothesized that this technique would allow for an assessment of the probability of existence, distribution, and concentration of diploic veins in the skull. We scanned 31 neurosurgical patients, and were able to create 3D diploic venous maps in 74% of them. These maps were processed using Adobe Photoshop CS2. Mathworks MatLab 6.5, once customized, counted the number of pixels occupied by the diploic veins in the processed image. The probability of veins was highest in the occipital regions (100%). The inferior occipital (4.1%) and posterior parietal (4.1%) regions had the highest concentrations of diploic veins. Digital subtraction venography using a volumetric MRI sequence can demonstrate the diploic veins in‐vivo. The inferior occipital region may be the best area for an intraosseous infusion device because it has the greatest likelihood of containing a vein and also has the highest concentration of veins. Clin. Anat. 22:296–301, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The clinical anatomy of the anterolateral abdominal wall musculature
Authors: Ger Ralph
Published: January 2009

The anatomy of the anterolateral abdominal wall is mainly of interest to medical students early in their studies. Clinically, it is mostly relevant to surgeons who are performing laparotomies and repairing or preventing hernias. The author's life‐long experience suggests that some of the lesser‐known details of the anatomy of the abdominal wall have been neglected resulting in some suboptimal results. This manuscript highlights some of these details which, hopefully, will lead to improved outcomes for patients. Clin. Anat. 22:392–397, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anatomy of the petrosphenoidal and petrolingual ligaments at the petrous apex
Authors: Liu Xiao‐Dong , Xu Qi‐Wu , Che Xiao‐Ming , Mao Ren‐Ling
Published: January 2009

The petrous apex is a complex area surrounded by the cavernous sinus, Dorello's canal and Meckel's cave. The petrosphenoidal ligament (PSL) and the petrolingual ligament (PLL) are important structures located in the region. These two ligaments were examined under a surgical microscope in 10 specimens of five adult cadaveric heads fixed in formalin. They were found to span from the petrous apex to the posterior clinoid process, and the lingula of the sphenoid bone, respectively. The dural sleeve of the abducens nerve, the dorsal meningeal artery or its medial branch, and the venous blood space were located below the PSL in all specimens, and the petrous or sphenoidal insertion of the PSL varied in five specimens. The PLL invariably surrounded part of the dorsal and lateral walls of the lacerum segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA), just under the anteroinferior portion of the anteromedial wall of Meckel's cave in all specimens. The PSL and PLL are valuable anatomical landmarks for identifying the ICA and the nerves in this region. A thorough understanding of the relationship of the two ligaments with neurovascular structures is a prerequisite for surgery in and around the petrous apex. Clin. Anat. 22:302–306, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A voxel‐based morphometric MRI study in men with borderline personality disorder: preliminary findings
Authors: Völlm Birgit A. , Zhao Ling , Richardson Paul , Clark Lynn , Deakin John F. W. , Williams Steve , Dolan Mairead C.
Published: January 2009

Objective There is increasing evidence for subtle changes in brain morphology and function in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Structural brain imaging studies show lower volume in frontal, temporal and parietal brain regions than in healthy controls. The aim of our preliminary study of men with BPD was to investigate structural brain changes and their relationship with a measure of impulsivity.

Methods We examined seven male patients with BPD and six control men using voxel‐based morphometry. Analysis of covariance was carried out to assess regionally specific differences in grey and white matter (WM) volumes. Correlations between trait impulsivity as measured using the Impulsiveness‐Venturesomeness‐Empathy scale and brain volumes were studied.

Results Compared with healthy men, men with BPD had similar WM volumes but smaller grey matter (GM) volumes in frontal, temporal and parietal cortices. The latter were negatively correlated with trait impulsivity.

Conclusions Our findings fit with previous reports of smaller regional GM volumes reported in women with BPD, and suggest that in men there may be an association between smaller GM volumes and impulsivity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The development of a specialist hostel for the community management of personality disordered offenders
Authors: Blumenthal Stephen , Craissati Jackie , Minchin Louise
Published: January 2009

Background Since the late 1990s, in England and in Wales, there has been increasing interest in the particular challenges of managing offenders with personality disorder (PD). In 1999, a specialist hostel, managed by the probation service but with a high level of forensic mental health service input, was opened to high‐risk PD offenders.

Aims To describe the first 93 high‐risk residents with PD who were completing sentences under life licence, parole or probation, and their outcome.

Methods We investigated the nature of the offences residents had previously committed, their psychological profile in terms of personality patterns on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI‐III) and the Psychopathy Checklist‐Revised (PCL‐R), as well as staff commentary on their progress, to establish whether these factors related to outcome in terms of completion of stay in the hostel or premature discharge. Curfew failures and rearrest rates were also measured.

Results Of the 80 men who completed their residency within the two years of the study, the majority (50) left the hostel for positive reasons under mutual agreement. One‐fifth were rearrested while resident, which is a lower rate than would be expected for such a group of offenders. PCL‐R scores were predictive of outcome, but so was previous offending history. Self‐defeating traits on the MCMI‐III and negative comments written by hostel staff were also associated with failure.

Conclusions The hostel development demonstrated that probation and health services can work together to manage violent offenders with high levels of psychological dysfunction, and the evaluation provided some indications of how such arrangements might be enhanced. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A qualitative study exploring the life‐course experiences of young offenders with symptoms and signs of ADHD who were detained in a residential care setting
Authors: Young Susan , Chesney Simon , Sperlinger David , Misch Peter , Collins Philip
Published: January 2009

Background An association between attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and offending is increasingly being recognised among youths in the criminal justice system, but is poorly understood.

Methods Using the qualitative methodology of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, we explored the self‐reported life‐course experiences of five adolescents in a young offenders' secure unit; all had been rated by teachers on Conner's scale as having ADHD, although only one had received a clinical diagnosis.

Results Three master themes were identified: loss, a search for belonging and responses to confinement. The themes suggest that both the ADHD and the offending behaviour of these young men need to be understood in the context of losses that they have suffered and their responses to these losses. They showed a preoccupation with family matters and a desperate wish to find a way to belong; they almost seemed to welcome some aspects of their confinement.

Conclusion These themes suggest that ‘being held’ may, to some extent, fulfil a self‐identified need for belonging and reattachment after major losses. Therapeutic interventions may need to take account of the possibility that this confinement may also validate for these young men a tendency to attribute the course of their lives to external factors. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcome measures used in forensic mental health research: a structured review
Authors: Chambers Jemma C. , Yiend Jenny , Barrett Barbara , Burns Tom , Doll Helen , Fazel Seena , Jenkinson Crispin , Kaur Asha , Knapp Martin , Plugge Emma , Sutton Lesley , Fitzpatrick Ray
Published: January 2009

Background The evidence base for forensic mental health (FMH) services has been developing since the late 1990s. Are outcome measures sound enough for the evaluation tasks?

Aims To identify, from published literature, outcome measures used in FMH research and, where feasible, assess their quality.

Method A structured review was undertaken of trials and intervention studies published between 1990 and 2006. Details of outcome variables and measures were abstracted. Evidence regarding most frequently occurring outcome measures was assessed.

Results Four hundred and fifty different instruments were used to assess outcomes, incorporating 1038 distinct variables. Very little evidence could be found to support the measurement properties of commonly used instruments.

Conclusions and implications for practice There is little consistency in the use of outcome measure in FMH research. Effort is required to reach consensus on validated outcome measures in this field in order to better inform practice. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of bivalirudin on in‐hospital bleeding and six‐month outcomes in octogenarians undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Lemesle Gilles , De Labriolle Axel , Bonello Laurent , Syed Asmir , Collins Sara , Maluenda Gabriel , Torguson Rebecca , Kaneshige Kimberly , Xue Zhenyi , Suddath William O. , Satler Lowell F. , Kent Kenneth M. , Lindsay Joseph , Pichard Augusto D. , Waksman Ron
Published: January 2009

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the impact of replacing heparin with bivalirudin in octogenarians undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on postprocedure hemorrhage and 6‐month mortality. Background: Randomized trials comparing the antithrombin agent bivalirudin with heparin as the intraprocedural anticoagulant identify a reduction in periprocedural bleeding after PCI. Further, the occurrence of such bleeding seems to predict an increased risk of death or myocardial infarction both in‐hospital and at long‐term follow‐up. Importantly, elderly people who are at the greatest risk of post‐PCI bleeding complications are underrepresented in these randomized trials. Methods: From 2000 to 2007, 2,766 consecutive patients from our center who were ≥80 years of age underwent PCI with stent implantation and were included in this analysis. Bivalirudin was used in 1,207 (43.6%) patients and heparin in 1,559 (56.4%). We compared the rates of post‐PCI bleeding complications and 6‐month mortality. Results: The overall in‐hospital bleeding and 6‐month mortality rates were 4.6% and 11.8%, respectively. By multivariate logistic regression and after adjustment by propensity score analysis, bivalirudin was associated with a significant decrease in in‐hospital bleedings (HR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.23–0.73, P = 0.003). By multivariate Cox analysis, bivalirudin was also associated with a significant decrease (HR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4–0.9, P = 0.01) and in‐hospital bleedings with a significant increase in the 6‐month mortality (HR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.6–3.9, P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study suggests an important subset for use of bivalirudin in lieu of heparin that will benefit the very elderly. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effectiveness of the transradial approach to reduce bleedings in patients undergoing urgent coronary angioplasty with GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors for acute coronary syndromes
Authors: De Carlo Marco , Borelli Gabriele , Gistri Roberto , Ciabatti Nicola , Mazzoni Alessandra , Arena Marco , Petronio A. Sonia
Published: January 2009

Objectives: To analyze the effectiveness of the transradial approach in reducing bleeding rates following urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPIs). Background: PCI and use of GPIs are recommended in acute coronary syndromes, but are strong predictors of severe hemorrhagic complications, which, in turn, are associated with reduced survival. The transradial approach represents a simple and effective solution to reduce vascular access site bleedings, particularly with GPIs. Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing urgent transradial PCI under GPI treatment were enrolled in the registry. No patients were excluded. In addition, we performed a case‐matched comparison of the transradial versus transfemoral approach using propensity analysis to adjust for known risk factors for bleeding. The primary end point was the rate of bleedings, graded according to the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) classification. Results: Five hundred thirty‐one consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled in the registry. TIMI major, minor, and minimal bleedings were 0.2%, 1.7%, and 6.4%, respectively. Transfusion rate was 0.8%. After propensity‐matched analysis, the transradial approach was associated with significantly lower rates of all types of bleedings, while the transfemoral approach was the strongest predictor of TIMI major/minor bleedings (odds ratio 6.67; 95% confidence interval 1.72–25; P = 0.006). Conclusions: The transradial approach dramatically reduces access site bleedings, including TIMI major and minor bleedings, and transfusion rate, while preserving procedural success and clinical outcome. The transradial approach is an attractive solution to reduce bleeding complications in patients treated with GPIs. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multicenter randomized trial of facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention with low‐dose tenecteplase in patients with acute myocardial infarction: The Athens PCI trial
Authors: Kanakakis John , Nanas John N. , Tsagalou Eleftheria P. , Maroulidis George D. , Drakos Stavros G. , Ntalianis Argirios S. , Tzoumele Panagiotis , Skoumbourdis Emmanuel , Charbis Panagiotis , Rokas Stylianos , Anastasiou‐Nana Maria
Published: January 2009

Objectives: To examine the safety and efficacy of low‐dose tenecteplase, administered before facilitated percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to restore Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 2 or 3 blood flow in the infarct related artery (IRA) in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) scheduled to undergo PCI with a shortest anticipated delay of 30 min. Background: PCI preceded by administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, full‐dose thrombolytics, or both, is associated with no benefit or a higher incidence of adverse events than PCI alone. Methods: Patients with STEMI < 6 hr in duration were randomly assigned to PCI preceded by tenecteplase, 10 mg (facilitated PCI group, n = 143) versus standard PCI (control group, n = 141). All patients received aspirin and unfractionated heparin (70 IU/kg bolus) at time of randomization. Both groups received IIb/IIIa inhibitors in the catheterization laboratory and for at least 20 hr after PCI. Results: The median door‐to‐balloon time was 122 min (91–175) in the facilitated PCI versus 120 min (89–175) in the control group. IRA patency on arrival in the catheterization laboratory was 59.5% in the facilitated PCI (24% TIMI‐2, 35% TIMI‐3), versus 37% in the control (8% TIMI‐2, 29% TIMI‐3) group (P = 0.0001). During hospitalization, 9 patients (6%) died in the facilitated PCI versus 5 patients (3.5%) in the control group (P = 0.572). A single patient in the facilitated PCI group suffered a non‐fatal ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Facilitated PCI with low‐dose tenecteplase in patients presenting with STEMI was associated with a high IRA patency rate before PCI. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In Situ Analysis of the Zn(S,O) Buffer Layer Preparation for Chalcopyrite Solar Cells by Zn L‐edge X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Lauermann Iver , Kropp Timo , Vottier Damien , Ennaoui Ahmed , Eberhardt Wolfgang , Aziz Emad F.
Published: January 2009

Bridging the gap between high‐vacuum soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and real systems under ambient conditions probes chemical reactions in situ during deposition and annealing processes. The origin of highly efficient buffer layers in Zn(S,O) is the complex formation between Zn2+ and the SC group of thiourea (see schematic), which allows ligand‐to‐metal and metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (LMCT and MLCT).

magnified image
Monoamines block kainate‐ and carbachol‐induced γ‐oscillations but augment stimulus‐induced γ‐oscillations in rat hippocampus in vitro
Authors: Wójtowicz Anna Maria , van den Boom Leander , Chakrabarty Arnab , Maggio Nicola , Haq Rizwan ul , Behrens Christoph J. , Heinemann Uwe
Published: January 2009

Monoamines are implicated in a cognitive processes in a variety of brain regions, including the hippocampal formation, where storage and retrieval of information are facilitated by synchronous network activities. We have investigated the effects of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine on carbachol‐, kainate‐, and stimulus‐induced hippocampal γ‐oscillations employing combined extra‐ and intracellular recordings. Monoamines dose‐dependently and reversibly suppressed kainate‐ and carbachol‐induced γ‐oscillations while increasing the frequency. The effect of serotonin was mimicked by fenfluramine, which releases serotonin from presynaptic terminals. Forskolin also suppressed kainate‐ and carbachol‐induced γ‐oscillations. This effect was mimicked by 8‐Br‐cAMP and isoproterenol, an agonist of noradrenergic β‐receptor suggesting that the monoamines‐mediated suppression of these oscillations could involve intracellular cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (AMP). By contrast, stimulus‐induced γ‐oscillations were dose‐dependently augmented in power and duration after monoamines application. Intracellular recordings from pyramidal cells revealed that monoamines prolonged the stimulus‐induced depolarization and membrane potential oscillations. Stimulus‐induced γ‐oscillations were also suppressed by isoproterenol, the D1 agonist SKF‐38393 forskolin, and 8‐Br‐cAMP. This suggests that the augmentation of stimulus‐induced γ‐oscillations by monoamines involves—at least in part—different classes of cells than in case of carbachol‐ and kainate‐induced γ‐oscillations. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neural bases of autobiographical support for episodic recollection of faces
Authors: Trinkler Iris , King John A. , Doeller Christian F. , Rugg Michael D. , Burgess Neil
Published: January 2009

Incidental retrieval of autobiographical knowledge can provide rich contextual support for episodic recollection of a recent event. We examined the neural bases of these two processes by performing fMRI scanning during a recognition memory test for faces that were unfamiliar, famous, or personally known. The presence of pre‐experimental knowledge of a face was incidental to the task, but nonetheless resulted in improved performance. Two distinct networks of activation were associated with correct recollection of a face's prior presentation (recollection hits vs. correct rejections) on one hand, and with pre‐experimental knowledge about it (famous or personally known vs. unfamiliar faces) on the other. The former included mid/posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and ventral striatum. The latter included bilateral hippocampus, retrosplenial, and ventromedial prefrontal cortices. Anterior and medial thalamic activations showed an interaction between both effects, driven by increased activation for recollection of unfamiliar faces. When recollecting the presentation of a famous or personally known face, hippocampal activation increased with participants' ratings of how well they felt they knew the person shown. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex showed significantly greater activation for personally known than famous faces. Our results indicate a dissociation between the involvement of retrosplenial vs. mid/posterior cingulate and precuneus in memory tasks. They also indicate that, during recognition memory experiments, the hippocampus supports incidental retrieval of pre‐experimental knowledge about the stimuli presented. This type of knowledge likely underlies the additional recollection found for prior presentation of well known stimuli compared with novel ones and may link hippocampal activation at encoding to subsequent memory performance more generally. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Memory‐related changes in L‐citrulline and agmatine in the rat brain
Authors: Liu Ping , Jing Yu , Collie Nicola D. , Chary Sree , Zhang Hu
Published: January 2009

L‐citrulline, L‐ornithine, and agmatine are the metabolites of L‐arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), arginase, and arginine decarboxylase (ADC), respectively. In contrast to the NOS and arginase pathways, the role of the ADC‐agmatine pathway in learning and memory has only been paid attention lately. Recent evidence suggests a potential involvement of agmatine in learning and memory processing. The present study further addressed this issue by comparing the levels of agmatine, as well as L‐arginine, L‐citrulline, and L‐ornithine, in the hippocampus, parahippocampal region, prefrontal cortex, vestibular nucleus, and cerebellum in rats that were trained in the delayed nonmatch to position task in the T‐maze with their yoked controls. There were significantly increased agmatine levels in the prefrontal, entorhinal, and perirhinal cortices and increased L‐citrulline concentrations in the dentate gyrus (DG) and prefrontal cortex in the T‐maze training group relative to the control one. L‐arginine and L‐ornithine levels were not significantly different between groups in the brain regions examined. These results demonstrate T‐maze training‐induced region‐specific increases in L‐citrulline and agmatine. Significant positive correlations between prefrontal and perirhinal agmatine levels and animals' performance in the T‐maze further suggest the direct involvement of agmatine in learning and memory processing. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hitting the bull's eye: Novel directed cancer therapy through helicase‐targeted synthetic lethality
Authors: Aggarwal Monika , Brosh Robert M.
Published: January 2009

Designing strategies for anti‐cancer therapy have posed a significant challenge. One approach has been to inhibit specific DNA repair proteins and their respective pathways to enhance chemotherapy and radiation therapy used to treat cancer patients. Synthetic lethality represents an approach that exploits pre‐existing DNA repair deficiencies in certain tumors to develop inhibitors of DNA repair pathways that compensate for the tumor‐associated repair deficiency. Since helicases play critical roles in the DNA damage response and DNA repair, particularly in actively dividing and replicating cells, it is proposed that the identification and characterization of synthetic lethal relationships of DNA helicases will be of value in developing improved anti‐cancer treatment strategies. In this review, we discuss this hypothesis and current evidence for synthetic lethal interactions of eukaryotic DNA helicases in model systems. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 758–763, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isoform‐specific cleavage of 14‐3‐3 proteins in apoptotic JURL‐MK1 cells
Authors: Kuželová Kateřina , Grebeňová Dana , Pluskalová Michaela , Kavan Daniel , Halada Petr , Hrkal Zbyněk
Published: January 2009

The proteins of 14‐3‐3 family are substantially involved in the regulation of many biological processes including the apoptosis. We studied the changes in the expression of five 14‐3‐3 isoforms (β, γ, ε, τ, and ζ) during the apoptosis of JURL‐MK1 and K562 cells. The expression level of all these proteins markedly decreased in relation with the apoptosis progression and all isoforms underwent truncation, which probably corresponds to the removal of several C‐terminal amino acids. The observed 14‐3‐3 modifications were partially blocked by caspase‐3 inhibition. In addition to caspases, a non‐caspase protease is likely to contribute to 14‐3‐3's cleavage in an isoform‐specific manner. While 14‐3‐3 γ seems to be cleaved mainly by caspase‐3, the alternative mechanism is essentially involved in the case of 14‐3‐3 τ, and a combined effect was observed for the isoforms ε, β, and ζ. We suggest that the processing of 14‐3‐3 proteins could form an integral part of the programmed cell death or at least of some apoptotic pathways. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 673–681, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dimerization of DNA methyltransferase 1 is mediated by its regulatory domain
Authors: Fellinger Karin , Rothbauer Ulrich , Felle Max , Längst Gernot , Leonhardt Heinrich
Published: January 2009

DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification and plays a crucial role in the regulation of gene expression. Within the family of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts), Dnmt3a and 3b establish methylation marks during early development, while Dnmt1 maintains methylation patterns after DNA replication. The maintenance function of Dnmt1 is regulated by its large regulatory N‐terminal domain that interacts with other chromatin factors and is essential for the recognition of hemi‐methylated DNA. Gelfiltration analysis showed that purified Dnmt1 elutes at an apparent molecular weight corresponding to the size of a dimer. With protein interaction assays we could show that Dnmt1 interacts with itself through its N‐terminal regulatory domain. By deletion analysis and co‐immunoprecipitations we mapped the dimerization domain to the targeting sequence TS that is located in the center of the N‐terminal domain (amino acids 310–629) and was previously shown to mediate replication independent association with heterochromatin at chromocenters. Further mutational analyses suggested that the dimeric complex has a bipartite interaction interface and is formed in a head‐to‐head orientation. Dnmt1 dimer formation could facilitate the discrimination of hemi‐methylated target sites as has been found for other palindromic DNA sequence recognizing enzymes. These results assign an additional function to the TS domain and raise the interesting question how these functions are spatially and temporarily co‐ordinated. J. Cell. Biochem. 106: 521–528, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Daylight climatology in Athens, Greece: types of diurnal variation of illuminance levels
Authors: Markou Marina T. , Bartzokas Aristides , Kambezidis Harry D.
Published: January 2009

In the present work, the diurnal variation of illuminance levels in Athens, Greece, is studied during winter and summer. The database consists of 5‐minute values of global horizontal illuminance for the period 1992–1996 recorded at the National Observatory of Athens (NOA). For each season, two sets of data are determined (sunrise to noon and noon to sunset) consisting of the semi‐diurnal courses of illuminance anomalies from the mean semi‐diurnal course of each day of the year. By using the multivariate statistical methods Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis, the identification of the most characteristic modes of diurnal variation of global illuminance is attempted. It is found that six types of semi‐diurnal courses (sunrise to noon and noon to sunset) of global illuminance are the most characteristic for winter, while for summer, six types of courses are found for sunrise to noon and five for noon to sunset. Some of these courses present the almost smooth ascending/descending intra‐daily variation of illuminance, while others show significant disturbances during various daytime periods due to development of clouds. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society
Antioxidative effects of curcumin and its analogues against the free‐radical‐induced peroxidation of linoleic acid in micelles
Authors: Dai Fang , Chen Wei‐Feng , Zhou Bo , Yang Li , Liu Zhong‐Li
Published: January 2009

Curcumin (1,7‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione, 1) is a yellow ingredient isolated from turmeric (curcumin longa). Many health benefits have been claimed for curcumin, and these have generally been ascribed to its radical‐trapping antioxidant properties. In order to find more active antioxidants with 1 as the lead compound, we synthesized curcumin analogues, i.e., 1,7‐bis(3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (2), 1‐(3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐7‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (3), 1‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl)‐7‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (4), 1,7‐bis (4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (5), 1,7‐bis(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (6), 1,7‐bis(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (7), and 1,7‐diphenyl‐1,6‐heptadiene‐3,5‐dione (8). Antioxidative effects of curcumin and these analogues against the peroxidation of linoleic acid were studied in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles. The peroxidation was initiated thermally by a water‐soluble initiator 2,2′‐azobis(2‐amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH), and reaction kinetics were monitored by the formation of linoleic acid hydroperoxides. Kinetic analysis of the antioxidation process demonstrates that these compounds, except 6, 7 and 8, are effective antioxidants in micelles by H‐atom abstraction from the phenolic groups. Compounds 2 and 3, which bear ortho‐diphenoxyl functionality, possess significantly higher antioxidant activity than curcumin and other analogues, and the 4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxyphenyl group also plays an important role in the antioxidative activity. In addition, the synergistic antioxidant effect of these compounds with α‐tocopherol (vitamin E) in micelles was also studied by following the formation of linoleic acid hydroperoxides and the consumption of α‐tocopherol. It was found that these compounds could not synergistically interact with α‐tocopherol in micelles. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of release of inflammatory mediators in rat peritoneal mast cells and murine macrophages by a chinese herbal medicine formula (RCM‐102)
Authors: Lenon George Binh , Xue Charlie Changli , Story David Frederick , Thien Francis Chung Kong , Li Chun Guang
Published: January 2009

RCM‐102 is a Chinese herbal medicine formulation derived from a formula which was shown to be effective in treating seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) in a randomized placebo‐controlled trial. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effect of RCM‐102 on the formation of inflammatory mediators, histamine, prostaglandin and nitric oxide, which are known to be involved in the pathophysiology of SAR. The effect of RCM‐102 on histamine release was tested in compound 48/80‐stimulated rat peritoneal mast cells. The effects of RCM‐102 on the release of NO and prostaglandins (PGE2) and the expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and COX‐2 were studied in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In rat peritoneal mast cells, RCM‐102 significantly reduced the compound 48/80‐induced histamine release. It also significantly reduced NO and PGE2 production as well as the expression of COX‐2 and iNOS in RAW 264.7 cells. These findings indicate that RCM‐102 inhibits the formation of several allergic/inflammatory mediators and thus may be used for treating related conditions such as SAR. The actions of RCM‐102 are likely to be contributed by the synergistic actions of individual herbal ingredients. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anti‐allergic activity of principles from the roots and heartwood of caesalpinia sappan on antigen‐induced β‐hexosaminidase release
Authors: Yodsaoue Orapun , Cheenpracha Sarot , Karalai Chatchanok , Ponglimanont Chanita , Tewtrakul Supinya
Published: January 2009

The dichloromethane extract of the roots and heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan exhibited potent inhibitory activity against β‐hexosaminidase release as marker of degranulation in rat basophilic leukemic (RBL‐2H3) cells, with inhibition of 98.7% and 87.5% at concentration of 100 µg/ml, respectively. These extracts were further separated by chromatographic techniques to give two chalcones and seven homoisoflavones. Among the compounds tested, sappanchalcone (2) possessed the most potent effect against allergic reaction in RBL‐2H3 cells with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 7.6 µM, followed by 3‐deoxysappanchalcone (1, IC50 = 15.3 µM), whereas other compounds showed moderate and mild effects. The results suggested the following structural requirements of chalcones (1 and 2) and homoisoflavones (3‐9) for anti‐allergic activity: (i) chalcone exhibited higher activity than homoisoflavone (ii) vicinal hydroxylation at B‐ring of chalcone conferred higher activity than one hydroxylation; and (iii) for homoisoflavone, the hydroxyl groups at C‐3 and C‐4 positions decreased the activity. This is the first report of C. sappan for anti‐allergic activity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photodynamic effect of hypericin in primary cultures of human umbilical endothelial cells and glioma cell lines
Authors: Stupáková Viktória , Varinská Lenka , Miroššay Andrej , Šarišský Marek , Mojžiš Ján , Dankovčík Róbert , Urdzík Peter , Ostró Alexander , Mirossay Ladislav
Published: January 2009

Hypericin is the most powerful naturally occurring photosensitizer and as such there is renaissant interest in the potentials of this compound for anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypericin‐mediated photodynamic therapy effects on normal human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) in comparison with cancer human glioma cell lines U‐87 MG and U‐373 MG, in in vitro conditions. The data suggest that endothelial cells as well as glioma cell lines are sensitive only to photoactivated hypericin. The inhibitory effects of photoactivated hypericin did not differ in endothelial compared with tumor cells in cytotoxicity MTT and DNA fragmentation assays. However, an important difference in sensitivity was found between the above mentioned cell types in migration and metalloproteinases inhibition assays performed as cell function tests. The findings in both function tests were supported by the high sensitivity of endothelial cells in an additional angiogenesis test of tubular formation in vitro. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Matrix‐free detection of intact ions from proteins in argon‐cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Mochiji Kozo , Hashinokuchi Michihiro , Moritani Kousuke , Toyoda Noriaki
Published: January 2009

In the secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of organic substances, the molecular weight of the intact ions currently detectable is at best only as high as 1000 Da, which for all practical purposes prevents the technique from being applied to biomaterials of higher mass. We have developed SIMS instrumentation in which the primary ions were argon cluster ions having a kinetic energy per atom, controlled down to 1 eV. On applying this instrumentation to several peptides and proteins, the signal intensity of fragment ions was decreased by a factor of 102 when the kinetic energy per atom was decreased below 5 eV; moreover, intact ions of insulin (molecular weight (MW): 5808) and cytochrome C (MW: 12 327) were detected without using any matrix. These results indicate that fragmentation can be substantially suppressed without sacrificing the sputter yield of intact ions when the kinetic energy per atom is decreased to the level of the target's dissociation energy. This principle is fully applicable to other biomolecules, and it can thus be expected to contribute to applications of SIMS to biomaterials in the future. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Direct evidence for the up‐regulation of Vps34 regulated by PKCγ during short‐term treatment with morphine
Authors: Shibasaki Masahiro , Kurokawa Kazuhiro , Katsura Masashi , Ohkuma Seitaro
Published: January 2009

In this study, we investigated whether PKCγ could be associated with functional changes of vacuolar protein sorting 34 (Vps34) during morphine treatment using primary cultures of cerebral cortical neurons from mice. The immunoprecipitation analysis showed that p‐PKCγ and Vps34 are present together in molecular complexes. The treatment with morphine increases PKCγ and Vps34 levels. Phosphorylation of PKCγ increased Vps34 level. The inhibition of morphine‐induced increase in PKCγ phosphorylation reduced Vps34 level. These results indicates that opioid receptor activation increases PKCγ phosphorylation in the neurons and, in turn, upregulates Vps34 during short‐term treatment with neurons. Synapse 63:365–368, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Maintaining quality assurance for sonographic nuchal translucency measurement: lessons from the FASTER Trial
Authors: D'Alton M. E. , Cleary‐Goldman J. , Lambert‐Messerlian G. , Ball R. H. , Nyberg D. A. , Comstock C. H. , Bukowski R. , Berkowitz R. L. , Dar P. , Dugoff L. , Craigo S. D. , Timor I. E. , Carr S. R. , Wolfe H. M. , Dukes K. , Canick J. A. , Malone F. D.
Published: January 2009

Objective

To evaluate nuchal translucency measurement quality assurance techniques in a large‐scale study.

Methods

From 1999 to 2001, unselected patients with singleton gestations between 10 + 3 weeks and 13 + 6 weeks were recruited from 15 centers. Sonographic nuchal translucency measurement was performed by trained technicians. Four levels of quality assurance were employed: (1) a standardized protocol utilized by each sonographer; (2) local‐image review by a second sonographer; (3) central‐image scoring by a single physician; and (4) epidemiological monitoring of all accepted nuchal translucency measurements cross‐sectionally and over time.

Results

Detailed quality assessment was available for 37 018 patients. Nuchal translucency measurement was successful in 96.3% of women. Local reviewers rejected 0.8% of images, and the single central physician reviewer rejected a further 2.9%. Multivariate analysis indicated that higher body mass index, earlier gestational age and transvaginal probe use were predictors of failure of nuchal translucency measurement and central image rejection (P = 0.001). Epidemiological monitoring identified a drift in measurements over time.

Conclusion

Despite initial training and continuous image review, changes in nuchal translucency measurements occur over time. To maintain screening accuracy, ongoing quality assessment is needed. Copyright © 2009 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Public Policy, Participation and the Third Position: The Implication of Engaging Communities on their Own Terms
Authors: Bishop Brian J. , Vicary David A. , Browne Alison L. , Guard Neil
Published: January 2009

Policy development and implementation should be fundamental for community psychologists in their endeavors to create social change. Policy necessarily is engaged at broad social and political levels, but it is mediated through communities and individuals, and thus appealing for our discipline. We argue that there are increasing opportunities for social input in liberal democracies with the growing awareness of the need to consider social factors in policy. Public participation is one aspect of policy development, but it can be problematic and can disempowered communities, especially disadvantaged communities. Using the framework of the ‘third position’, a case study of attempts to ameliorate institutional oppression of Australian Aboriginal people through policy change is described. Structural reform to community engagement is described in terms of empowerment and capacity building. Power relationships are deconstructed to allow understandings of the dynamics of policy change, and the broader implications for community psychological praxis are discussed.
An Improved Mechanical Material Model for Ballistic Soda-Lime Glass
Authors: Grujicic M. , Pandurangan B. , Bell W.C. , Coutris N. , Cheeseman B.A. , Fountzoulas C. , Patel P. , Templeton D.W. , Bishnoi K.D.
Published: January 2009

In our recent work (Grujicic et al., Int. J. Impact Eng., 2008), various open-literature experimental findings pertaining to the ballistic behavior of soda-lime glass were used to construct a simple, physically based, high strain rate, high-pressure, large-strain mechanical model for this material. The model was structured in such a way that it is suitable for direct incorporation into standard commercial transient non-linear dynamics finite element-based software packages like ANSYS/Autodyn (Century Dynamics Inc., 2007) or ABAQUS/Explicit (Dessault Systems, 2007). To validate the material model, a set of finite element analyses of the edge-on-impact tests was conducted and the results compared with their experimental counterparts obtained in the recent work of Strassburger et al. (Proceedings of the 23rd International Symposium on Ballistics, Spain, April 2007; Proceedings of the 22nd International Symposium on Ballistics, November 2005, Vancouver, Canada). In general, a good agreement was found between the computational and the experimental results relative to: (a) the front shapes and the propagation velocities of the longitudinal and transverse waves generated in the target during impact and (b) the front shapes and propagation velocities of a coherent-damage zone (a zone surrounding the projectile/target contact surface which contains numerous micron and submicron-size cracks). However, substantial computational analysis/experiment disagreements were found relative to the formation of crack centers, i.e. relative to the presence and distribution of isolated millimeter-size cracks nucleated ahead of the advancing coherent-damage zone front. In the present work, it was shown that these disagreements can be substantially reduced if the glass model (Grujicic et al., Int. J. Impact Eng., 2008) is advanced to include a simple macrocracking algorithm based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics.