bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Isolation, Identification and Enrichment of Type A Spermatogonia from the Testis of Chinese Cross‐Bred Buffaloes (Swamp × River)
Authors: Ahmad S , Xiao Y , Han L , Hua H , Riaz H , Liang A , Yang L‐G 
Published: August 2012

ContentsThe proportion of type A spermatogonia in the isolated testis cells is a prerequisite for conducting experiments and the manipulation of these germ cells. Thus, this study was designed to examine the wide range of strategies for the isolation, identification and enrichment of type A spermatogonia in pre‐pubertal buffalo calves (3–6 months). Histological findings revealed the presence of maximum number of type A spermatogonia at 5 months, which was further confirmed by DBA immunohistochemistry. In a newly modified strategy for the isolation of testis tissues, mincing followed by trituration and two rounds of digestion with collagenase, hyaluronidase and DNase yielded more than 95% testis cell population. Differential plating with laminin, poly‐l‐lysine and gelatin significantly (p < 0.05) affected the purity of type A spermatogonia. Among these extracellular matrix (ECMs) molecules, laminin and gelatin performed well and reached at a purity of 39.38 ± 1.21% and 32.15 ± 1.60%, respectively. In addition, combination of laminin and gelatin followed by Percoll centrifugation performed the best and yielded >90% type A spermatogonial purity. Moreover, viability of the cells was not affected (p > 0.05) irrespective of different enrichment methods. In conclusion, type A spermatogonia isolation and enrichment system was developed using different ECM molecules in buffaloes, which will aid in solving wide range of problems especially fertility‐related problems and transgenic animal production in buffaloes.
Stress shifts the response of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to an anxiogenic mode
Authors: Ventura‐Silva Ana P. , Pêgo José M. , Sousa João C. , Marques Ana R. , Rodrigues Ana J. , Marques Fernanda , Cerqueira João J. , Almeida Osborne F. X. , Sousa Nuno 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is critically implicated in anxiety behavior and control of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis. Having previously shown that chronic stress triggers dendritic/synaptic remodeling in specific nuclei of the BNST, we characterised the pattern of activation of neurons within different regions of the BNST under basal conditions and after an anxiogenic stimulus in control and stressed rats. Under basal conditions, stressed, but not control, animals displayed increased cFOS expression in the dorsomedial nucleus and decreased activation of the principal nucleus. This pattern resembled that observed in controls that had been exposed to the anxiogenic stimulus. Subsequent analysis of various BNST subnuclei revealed differential patterns of gene expression in controls and stressed animals. We found decreased levels of corticotropin‐releasing hormone 1 receptor mRNA expression in the dorsomedial and fusiform nuclei, and a global increase in the levels of corticotropin‐releasing hormone 2 receptor in the principal nucleus. In addition, we found subnuclei‐specific increases in GABAA and NR2B receptors in stressed animals, which suggest changes in the GABAergic and glutamergic innervation of the BNST. Importantly, these findings were associated with increased anxiety‐like behavior and impaired control of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis in stressed animals. In summary, these data reveal that chronic stress shifts the pattern of response of the BNST to an anxiogenic mode and provide new information on the underlying mechanisms of the stress‐induced hypercorticalism and hyperanxious status.
Opposite effects of ketamine and deep brain stimulation on rat thalamocortical information processing
Authors: Kulikova Sofya P. , Tolmacheva Elena A. , Anderson Paul , Gaudias Julien , Adams Brendan E. , Zheng Thomas , Pinault Didier 
Published: August 2012

AbstractSensory and cognitive deficits are common in schizophrenia. They are associated with abnormal brain rhythms, including disturbances in γ frequency (30–80 Hz) oscillations (GFO) in cortex‐related networks. However, the underlying anatomofunctional mechanisms remain elusive. Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that these deficits result from a hyporegulation of glutamate N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors. Here we modeled these deficits in rats with ketamine, a non‐competitive N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor antagonist and a translational psychotomimetic substance at subanesthetic doses. We tested the hypothesis that ketamine‐induced sensory deficits involve an impairment of the ability of the thalamocortical (TC) system to discriminate the relevant information from the baseline activity. Furthermore, we wanted to assess whether ketamine disrupts synaptic plasticity in TC systems. We conducted multisite network recordings in the rat somatosensory TC system, natural stimulation of the vibrissae and high‐frequency electrical stimulation (HFS) of the thalamus. A single systemic injection of ketamine increased the amount of baseline GFO, reduced the amplitude of the sensory‐evoked TC response and decreased the power of the sensory‐evoked GFO. Furthermore, cortical application of ketamine elicited local and distant increases in baseline GFO. The ketamine effects were transient. Unexpectedly, HFS of the TC pathway had opposite actions. In conclusion, ketamine and thalamic HFS have opposite effects on the ability of the somatosensory TC system to discriminate the sensory‐evoked response from the baseline GFO during information processing. Investigating the link between the state and function of the TC system may conceptually be a key strategy to design innovative therapies against neuropsychiatric disorders.
Massive somatic deafferentation and motor deefferentation of the lower part of the body impair its visual recognition: a psychophysical study of patients with spinal cord injury
Authors: Pernigo S. , Moro V. , Avesani R. , Miatello C. , Urgesi C. , Aglioti S. M. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractEmbodied cognition theories postulate that perceiving and understanding the body states of other individuals are underpinned by the neural structures activated during first‐hand experience of the same states. This suggests that one’s own sensorimotor system may be used to identify the actions and sensations of others. Virtual and real brain lesion studies show that visual processing of body action and body form relies upon neural activity in the ventral premotor and the extrastriate body areas, respectively. We explored whether visual body perception may also be altered in the absence of damage to the above cortical regions by testing healthy controls and spinal cord injury (SCI) patients whose brain was unable to receive somatic information from and send motor commands to the lower limbs. Participants performed tasks investigating the ability to visually discriminate changes in the form or action of body parts affected by somatosensory and motor disconnection. SCI patients showed a specific, cross‐modal deficit in the visual recognition of the disconnected lower body parts. This deficit affected both body action and body form perception, hinting at a pervasive influence of ongoing body signals on the brain network dedicated to visual body processing. Testing SCI patients who did or did not practise sports allowed us to test the influence of motor practice on visual body recognition. We found better upper body action recognition in sport‐practising SCI patients, indicating that motor practice is useful for maintaining visual representation of actions after deafferentation and deefferentation. This may be a potential resource to be exploited for rehabilitation.
Distinct neural processes in grapheme–colour synaesthetes and semantic controls
Authors: Niccolai Valentina , Wascher Edmund , Stoerig Petra 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIn synaesthetes, stimulation of one sensory pathway provokes a sensory experience (e.g. a colour concurrent) in a different sensory modality or sub‐modality. Results of synaesthetic Stroop and priming tests indicate that the perception of a colour concurrent interferes with the processing of a veridical colour in synaesthetes. We here examined the congruency between a stimulus’ colour and the colour concurrent both in grapheme–colour synaesthetes and in non‐synaesthetes trained on grapheme–colour associations. Electrophysiological (electroencephalogram) and behavioural measurements were collected during a priming task that included grapheme–grapheme and grapheme–colour patch pairs. To investigate covert bidirectional synaesthesia, an additional inverted colour patch–grapheme condition was included. Both groups of participants showed longer reaction time and more negative‐going N300 and N400 event‐related potential (ERP) components on incongruent trials. Whereas ERP effects in the non‐synaesthetes were largely confined to the late cognitive components N300, P300 and N400, the synaesthetes also showed congruency‐dependent modulation of the early sensory component N170. Our results suggest that early cognitive processes distinguish cross‐modal synaesthetic perceptions from acquired associations. The involvement of both early‐ and late‐stage cognitive components in bidirectional synaesthesia possibly indicates similar feature‐binding mechanisms during processing of opposite flow directions of information, namely grapheme–colour and colour–grapheme.
Anesthesia for surgery related to craniosynostosis: a review. Part 1
Authors: Thomas Kate , Hughes Corinna , Johnson David , Das Sumit 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe management of children with craniosynostosis is multidisciplinary and has evolved significantly over the past five decades. The treatment is primarily surgical. The anesthetic challenges continue to be the management of massive blood transfusion and prolonged anesthesia in small children, often further complicated by syndrome‐specific issues. This two‐part review aims to provide an overview of the anesthetic considerations for these children. This first part describes the syndromes associated with craniosynostosis, the provision of services in the UK, surgical techniques, preoperative issues, and the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. The second part of this review will explore hemorrhage control, the use of blood products, metabolic disturbance, and postoperative issues.
Does the presence of grassy strips and landscape grain affect the spatial distribution of aphids and their carabid predators?
Authors: Al Hassan Diab , Georgelin Ewen , Delattre Thomas , Burel Françoise , Plantegenest Manuel , Kindlmann Pavel , Butet Alain 
Published: August 2012

We investigated, over the course of 2 years, the spatial distribution and abundance of two species of aphid,Metopolophium dirhodumandSitobion avenae, and predatory species of carabid. This was undertaken in 24 wheat fields in ‘coarse‐grain’ and ‘fine‐grain’ landscapes in western France. A greater percentage of the latter landscape was covered by hedgerows and grassland and the total area covered by fields and the average size of the fields were smaller.The effects on aphid abundance of the distance from field margins, the presence of grassy strips and carabid abundance were determined in both landscapes.Both aphid species were more abundant in the ‘fine‐grain’ landscape, which may have been a result of the higher density of semi‐natural elements. In both types of landscape, the total numbers of aphids were negatively correlated with the distance from the field margin. This may have been because aphids were dispersing from overwintering sites in field margins. The abundance ofM. dirhodumwas strongly negatively correlated with the presence of grassy strips in the ‘coarse‐grain’ landscape, although there were no such significant correlations for either of the aphid species in the ‘fine‐grain’ landscape.Aphid and carabid abundances were negatively correlated in the ‘fine‐grain’ and positively in ‘coarse‐grain’ landscape.The results obtained in the present study emphasize the importance of semi‐natural areas in agricultural landscapes in shaping the spatial distribution of aphids and carabid beetles, their natural enemies, at different spatial scales.
Phase II trial of RAD001 and bicalutamide for castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Nakabayashi Mari , Werner Lilian , Courtney Kevin D. , Buckle Geoffrey , Oh William K. , Bubley Glen J. , Hayes Julia H. , Weckstein Douglas , Elfiky Aymen , Sims Danny M. , Kantoff Philip W. , Taplin Mary‐Ellen 
Published: August 2012

Study Type – Therapy (cohort)Level of Evidence 2aWhat's known on the subject? and What does the study add?Despite expanding treatment options for castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), therapies with long response duration remain intangible due to prostate cancer cells’ natural ability to develop iterative resistance. Androgen receptor (AR) signaling has been shown to play a critical role in CRPC and its expression is regulated by the PI3K‐Akt pathway. Thus inhibition of AR signalling and PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR (a downstream mediator of the PI3K‐Akt pathway) pathway is a logical combination in CRPC and we report a phase II trial of RAD001 and bicalutamide.Our study is the first clinical trial report of an AR inhibitor of PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR. The AR pathway and the PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR pathway are two of the most relevant growth pathway for CRPC. Despite low efficacy results from our trial there will be significant interest in the field for these data (dose, schedule, response, toxicity, trial design) as newer generations of both AR inhibitors and PI3K‐Akt‐mTOR inhibitors are in development and likely will be tested in combination in CRPC.OBJECTIVES
To determine best overall response and duration of response of RAD001, a selective inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin, in combination with bicalutamide in castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).
To characterize the toxicity profile of RAD001 in combination with bicalutamide in patients with CRPC.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
A phase II study was conducted to explore the efficacy and tolerability of RAD001 (10 mg daily) in combination with bicalutamide (50 mg daily) in men with progressive CRPC.
The primary endpoint was a composite of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level and measurable disease response by standard criteria.
This single‐stage trial with a sample size of 38 eligible patients provided 90% power to differentiate a response rate of ≥40% from a response rate of ≤20%, as expected for bicalutamide alone (α= 0.10, power = 0.90).
RESULTS
In total, 36 men were enrolled, with a median (range) age of 68 (60–72) years and median (range) baseline PSA level of 22.2 (8.4–121.3) ng/mL, and 89% had metastatic disease.
There were 31 (86%) patients had previously used bicalutamide for a median duration of 7.4 months.
There were two patients with a confirmed PSA level decline ≥50%.
The median (interquartile range) time to progression was 8.7 (7.9–15.9) weeks.
The most common toxicity was grade 1/2 mucositis, which was observed in 20 (56%) patients.
CONCLUSION
The combination of RAD001 and bicalutamide in men with CRPC was well tolerated but had low activity and failed to achieve the primary endpoint of improved response compared to the results previously achieved for bicalutamide alone in this population.
Association of symptoms with urodynamic findings in men with overactive bladder syndrome
Authors: Al‐Zahrani Ali A. , Gajewski Jerzy B. 
Published: August 2012

Study Type – Therapy (review)Level of Evidence 4What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?It is known that overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms correlate weakly with urodynamic findings, especially in female patients.The study shows that OAB symptoms also correlate weakly with urodynamic findings in male patients. More than third of male patients with OAB symptoms had evidence of BOO. The study finds that a pressure flow study is of benefit in the evaluation of this group of patients.OBJECTIVE
To assess the correlation between overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms with urodynamic (UD) findings in men.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We conducted a retrospective study of all UD studies involving men with OAB symptoms.
All UD studies were carried out at a single centre from 1994 to 2009 and were reported by one urology specialist.
RESULTS
There were 668 UD reports included in the final analysis. All patients had symptoms of urgency with or without urgency incontinence (UI).
There was a weak correlation between OAB symptoms and UD findings.
All storage symptoms, except frequency, correlated with a finding of detrusor overactivity (DO).
Severity of urgency correlated inversely with a finding of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).
Both nocturia and frequency correlated inversely with maximum cystometric capacity.
More than 75% of patients had concomitant voiding symptoms. Severity of voiding symptoms (slow stream and incomplete emptying) correlated inversely with documentation of DO. Voiding symptoms were predictors of BOO, while severe urgency was a negative predictor for BOO.
CONCLUSIONS
There were weak correlations between OAB symptoms and UD findings. Most men with OAB symptoms had concomitant voiding symptoms and more than a third (43%) of these had evidence of BOO.
A pressure flow study is of benefit in the evaluation of patients with OAB symptoms.
Undergraduate nursing education reform in France: from vocational to academic programmes
Authors: Debout C. , Chevallier‐Darchen F. , Petit dit Dariel O. , Rothan‐Tondeur M. 
Published: August 2012

DEBOUT C., CHEVALLIER‐DARCHEN F., PETIT DIT DARIEL O. & ROTHAN‐TONDEUR M. (2012) Undergraduate nursing education reform in France: from vocational to academic programmes. International Nursing ReviewBackground:  France is currently implementing a number of reforms to the healthcare and education systems. Within this context, a comprehensive reform of undergraduate nurse education was launched in 2009, bringing nurse education closer to the higher education environment. It is likely in future to move from being vocational towards becoming an academic educational programme.Aim:  In this paper, the 2009 reform of the French pre‐registration nursing curriculum will be analysed in light of the European framework.Process:  The pedagogical approach, methods and content of nursing education in France are undergoing an in‐depth reorganization. The main innovation that the reforms introduce is a competency‐based approach. France is joining the group of countries that require first degree‐level entry to the nursing profession.Conclusion:  There are still many unanswered questions regarding the competencies and qualifications required by both the academic and clinical educators many of whom have not been previously involved in research or publications. The future status of nursing science is unclear, as is the way in which the nursing profession will be able to retain control over its educational mechanisms.
Mice fed on a diet enriched with genetically engineered multivitamin corn show no sub‐acute toxic effects and no sub‐chronic toxicity
Authors: Arjó Gemma , Capell Teresa , Matias‐Guiu Xavier , Zhu Changfu , Christou Paul , Piñol Carme 
Published: August 2012

SummaryMultivitamin corn is a novel genetically engineered variety that simultaneously produces high levels of β‐carotene, ascorbate and folate, and therefore has the potential to address simultaneously multiple micronutrient deficiencies caused by the lack of vitamins A, B9 and C in developing country populations. As part of the development process for genetically engineered crops and following European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommendations, multivitamin corn must be tested in whole food/feed sub‐chronic animal feeding studies to ensure there are no adverse effects, and potential allergens must be identified. We carried out a 28‐day toxicity assessment in mice, which showed no short‐term sub‐acute evidence of diet‐related adverse health effects and no difference in clinical markers (food consumption, body weight, organ/tissue weight, haematological and biochemical blood parameters and histopathology) compared to mice fed on a control diet. A subsequent 90‐day sub‐chronic feeding study again showed no indications of toxicity compared to mice fed on control diets. Our data confirm that diets enriched with multivitamin corn have no adverse effects on mice, do not induce any clinical signs of toxicity and do not contain known allergens.
Simultaneous boosting of source and sink capacities doubles tuber starch yield of potato plants
Authors: Jonik Claudia , Sonnewald Uwe , Hajirezaei Mohammad‐Reza , Flügge Ulf‐Ingo , Ludewig Frank 
Published: August 2012

SummaryAn important goal in biotechnological research is to improve the yield of crop plants. Here, we genetically modified simultaneously source and sink capacities in potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Desirée) plants to improve starch yield. Source capacity was increased by mesophyll‐specific overexpression of a pyrophosphatase or, alternatively, by antisense expression of the ADP‐glucose pyrophosphorylase in leaves. Both approaches make use of re‐routing photoassimilates to sink organs at the expense of leaf starch accumulation. Simultaneous increase in sink capacity was accomplished by overexpression of two plastidic metabolite translocators, that is, a glucose 6‐phosphate/phosphate translocator and an adenylate translocator in tubers. Employing such a ‘pull’ approach, we have previously shown that potato starch content and yield can be increased when sink strength is elevated. In the current biotechnological approach, we successfully enhanced source and sink capacities by a combination of ‘pull’ and ‘push’ approaches using two different attempts. A doubling in tuber starch yield was achieved. This successful approach might be transferable to other crop plants in the future.
Temporal discounting of monetary rewards in children and adolescents with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Demurie Ellen , Roeyers Herbert , Baeyens Dieter , Sonuga‐Barke Edmund 
Published: August 2012

AbstractIt has been difficult to differentiate attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in terms of some aspects of their cognitive profile. While both show deficits in executive functions, it has been suggested that they may differ in their response to monetary reward. For instance, children with ADHD prefer small immediate over large delayed rewards more than typically developing controls. One explanation for this is that they discount the value of rewards to a higher degree as they are moved into the future. The current study investigated whether children with ADHD can be differentiated from those with ASD in terms of reward discounting. Thirty‐nine children (8–16 y) with ADHD, 34 children with ASD and 46 typically developing controls performed a hypothetical monetary temporal discounting task. Participants were instructed to make repeated choices between small variable rewards (0, 5, 10, 20, 30€) delivered immediately and large rewards delivered after a variable delay. Children with ADHD but not ASD discounted future rewards at a higher rate than typically developing controls. These data confirm steeper discounting of future rewards in ADHD and add to a small but growing literature showing that the psychological profile of ADHD can be distinguished from that of ASD in terms of disrupted motivational processes.
Dynamic Pricing and the Peak Electricity Load Problem
Authors: Simshauser Paul , Downer David 
Published: August 2012

AbstractReforms to Australia's 45,000 MW electricity market were met with remarkable success, but wholesale market gains have been largely exhausted. Above‐trend growth in investment in energy infrastructure is driving retail prices to levels that triggered the sectoral assault in the first place. This pressure should initiate the last piece of the reform puzzle—removing price regulation, installing smart meters and implementing dynamic pricing to halt the primary cause of the problem, rapidly rising peak demand. We find that such a change can lead to non‐trivial reductions in household peak demand, with our sample load factor improving by 9 percentage points.