bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mapping QTLs for nitrogen‐deficiency tolerance at seedling stage in rice (Oryza sativaL.)
Authors: Feng Y. , Cao L. Y. , Wu W. M. , Shen X. H. , Zhan X. D. , Zhai R. R. , Wang R. C. , Chen D. B. , Cheng S. H. 
Published: February 2010

With 2 figures and 4 tablesAbstractA recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, consisting of 238 F12lines derived from ‘R9308’/’Xieqingzao B’, the parents of a super hybrid rice in China, was developed for mapping quantitative trait locus (QTL) for nitrogen deficiency tolerance. A genetic linkage map with 198 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was constructed. Six traits of shoot dry weight (SW), root dry weight (RW), plant dry weight (PW), maximum root length (RL), chlorophyll content (Chl), plant height (PH) were used to assess the N‐deficiency tolerance. The ratio of the parameters from the two treatments was calculated as derived parameters. QTL analysis detected seven QTLs on chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 8 associated with N‐deficiency tolerance in this mapping population. These QTLs explained 9.07–14.45% of the phenotypic variation. The ‘R9308’ alleles increased the relative traits except that of locus on chromosome 8. One of the major QTL clusters was detected in the interval RM5385–RM7192 on chromosome 1, which was associated with N recycling in rice. This chromosomal region may be enriched with the key N metabolism genes.
Ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 as a biomarker for ischemic and traumatic brain injury in rats
Authors: Liu Ming C. , Akinyi Linnet , Scharf Dancia , Mo Jixiang , Larner Stephen F. , Muller Uwe , Oli Monika W. , Zheng Wenrong , Kobeissy Firas , Papa Linda , Lu Xi‐Chun , Dave Jitendra R. , Tortella Frank C. , Hayes Ronald L. , Wang Kevin K. W. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractUbiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 (UCH‐L1), also called neuronal‐specific protein gene product 9.5, is a highly abundant protein in the neuronal cell body and has been identified as a possible biomarker on the basis of a recent proteomic study. In this study, we examined whether UCH‐L1 was significantly elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following controlled cortical impact (CCI) and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO; model of ischemic stroke) in rats. Quantitative immunoblots of rat CSF revealed a dramatic elevation of UCH‐L1 protein 48 h after severe CCI and as early as 6 h after mild (30 min) and severe (2 h) MCAO. A sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay constructed to measure UCH‐L1 sensitively and quantitatively showed that CSF UCH‐L1 levels were significantly elevated as early as 2 h and up to 48 h after CCI. Similarly, UCH‐L1 levels were also significantly elevated in CSF from 6 to 72 h after 30 min of MCAO and from 6 to 120 h after 2 h of MCAO. These data are comparable to the profile of the calpain‐produced αII‐spectrin breakdown product of 145 kDa biomarker. Importantly, serum UCH‐L1 biomarker levels were also significantly elevated after CCI. Similarly, serum UCH‐L1 levels in the 2‐h MCAO group were significantly higher than those in the 30‐min group. Taken together, these data from two rat models of acute brain injury strongly suggest that UCH‐L1 is a candidate brain injury biomarker detectable in biofluid compartments (CSF and serum).
Mechanical feedback amplification in Drosophila hearing is independent of synaptic transmission
Authors: Kamikouchi Azusa , Albert Jörg T. , Göpfert Martin C. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractVertebrate inner‐ear hair cells use mechanical feedback to amplify sound‐induced vibrations. The gain of this ‘cochlear amplifier’ is centrally controlled via efferent fibres that, making synaptic contacts with the hair cells, modulate the feedback gain. The sensory neurons of the Drosophila ear likewise employ mechanical feedback to assist sound‐evoked vibrations, yet whether this neuron‐based feedback is also subject to efferent control has remained uncertain. We show here that the function of Drosophila auditory neurons is independent of efferent modulation, and that no synaptic transmission is needed to control the gain of mechanical feedback amplification. Immunohistochemical, mechanical and electrophysiological analyses revealed that the Drosophila auditory organ lacks peripheral synapses and efferent innervations, and that blocking synaptic transmission in a pan‐neural manner does not affect the afferent electrical activity of the sensory neurons or the mechanical feedback gain. Hence, unlike the cochlear amplifier of vertebrates, mechanical feedback amplification in Drosophila is not associated with an efferent control system but seems to be a purely local process that is solely controlled peripherally within the ear itself.
Endogenous control of waking brain rhythms induces neuroplasticity in humans
Authors: Ros Tomas , Munneke Moniek A. M. , Ruge Diane , Gruzelier John H. , Rothwell John C. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThis study explores the possibility of noninvasively inducing long‐term changes in human corticomotor excitability by means of a brain–computer interface, which enables users to exert internal control over the cortical rhythms recorded from the scalp. We demonstrate that self‐regulation of electroencephalogram rhythms in quietly sitting, naive humans significantly affects the subsequent corticomotor response to transcranial magnetic stimulation, producing durable and correlated changes in neurotransmission. Specifically, we show that the intrinsic suppression of alpha cortical rhythms can in itself produce robust increases in corticospinal excitability and decreases in intracortical inhibition of up to 150%, which last for at least 20 min. Our observations may have important implications for therapies of brain disorders associated with abnormal cortical rhythms, and support the use of electroencephalogram‐based neurofeedback as a noninvasive tool for establishing a causal link between rhythmic cortical activities and their functions.
Immunocytochemical evidence that monkey rod bipolar cells use GABA
Authors: Lassová Luisa , Fina Marie , Sulaiman Pyroja , Vardi Noga 
Published: February 2010

AbstractCertain bipolar cells in most species immunostain for GABA or its synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase. However, it is unknown whether they actually release GABA and, if so, from which cellular compartment and by what release mechanism. We investigated these questions in monkey retina where rod bipolar cells immunostain for GABA. We found that rod bipolar cells immunostain for one isoform of GAD (GAD65) in their somas, dendrites and axon terminals. Near the fovea, the somatic stain of rod bipolar cells is weaker than that of horizontal cells but, at the periphery, it is stronger. Staining for the vesicular GABA transporter in monkey rod bipolar cells is negative. However, staining for the GABA transporter GAT3 is positive in the soma and primary dendrites (but not in the axon terminals). Staining for GAT3 is also positive in horizontal cells. Double staining of rod bipolar cells and the alpha subunit of the GABAA receptor reveals scarce GABAA puncta that appose rod bipolar dendrites. We conclude that monkey rod bipolar cells use GABA and discuss the possibility that they tonically release GABA from their dendrites using a reverse action of GAT3.
Incubation of nicotine seeking is associated with enhanced protein kinase A‐regulated signaling of dopamine‐ and cAMP‐regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa in the insular cortex
Authors: Abdolahi Amir , Acosta Glen , Breslin Florence J. , Hemby Scott E. , Lynch Wendy J. 
Published: February 2010

AbstractA recent clinical study demonstrated that damage to the insular cortex can disrupt tobacco addiction. The neurobiological mechanisms for this effect are not yet understood. In this study we used an animal model of nicotine addiction to examine the possibility that changes in insular cortex levels of dopamine (DA)‐ and cAMP‐regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP‐32), a phosphoprotein enriched in DA neurons containing DA D1 receptors, may be associated with changes in vulnerability to nicotine addiction. Once rats acquired self‐administration, they were given unlimited access to nicotine (0.01 mg/kg/infusion) for 23 h/day for a total of 10 days. Each infusion was paired with a visual cue (stimulus light) and auditory cue (sound of pump). Nicotine seeking, as assessed under a cue‐induced reinstatement paradigm, and markers of DARPP‐32 signaling, as assessed using western blot analysis, were examined in separate groups of rats at two different abstinent intervals: 1 and 7 days. Consistent with findings with other drugs of abuse, rats in the 7‐day abstinence group took longer to extinguish and responded at higher levels during reinstatement testing as compared with rats in the 1‐day reinstatement group. Relative to saline controls, rats in the 7‐day but not the 1‐day abstinence group had higher levels of DARPP‐32 phosphorylated at the protein kinase A site in the insular cortex. These results demonstrate incubation of drug seeking following extended access to nicotine self‐administration and suggest that enhanced protein kinase A signaling in the insular cortex via phosphorylation of DARPP‐32 at Thr34 is associated with this effect.
A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of the efficacy and safety of bupropion for treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder in ovulating women
Authors: Safarinejad Mohammad Reza , Hosseini Seyyed Yousof , Asgari Majid Ali , Dadkhah Farid , Taghva Arsia 
Published: February 2010

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1bOBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy of sustained‐release (SR) bupropion to placebo in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in ovulating women.PATIENTS AND METHODSAfter a 1‐week, placebo lead‐in phase, 232 treatment‐seeking women with regular menstrual cycles were randomly assigned to bupropion SR 150 mg/daily (116) or placebo (116) for 12 weeks under double‐blind conditions. Efficacy was assessed with the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF‐W), the Personal Distress Scale (PDS), the global efficacy question (GEQ; ‘Did the treatment you received during the 12‐week improve meaningful your sexual desire?’) and overall patient satisfaction question (‘Are you satisfied with the efficacy of your treatment?’).RESULTSThe mean (sd) composite score on the BISF‐W, increased from 15.8 (2.6) and 15.5 (2.2) at baseline to 33.9 (4.2) and 16.9 (2.6) in the bupropion and placebo groups, respectively (P= 0.001). The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for response in the bupropion group relative to placebo was 3.2 (2.1–6.3). The thoughts/desire score more than doubled in patients treated with bupropion (P= 0.001). At the 12‐week evaluation the reduction in the PDS scale was 29.4% in bupropion and 4.7% in the placebo group (P= 0.01). In response to the GEQ, of patients in the bupropion and placebo groups, 65.3%, and 4.3%, respectively, responded ‘Definitely yes’ (P= 0.001). Of patients in the bupropion and placebo groups, 71.8%, and 3.7%, respectively, were definitely satisfied with the efficacy of their treatment, (P= 0.001). After 12 weeks of treatment, 82 women (78.1%) in the bupropion and five (4.9%) in the placebo group were willing to continue therapy (P= 0.001).CONCLUSIONSThe results from this study indicate that bupropion SR is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for HSDD in ovulating women. Further controlled trials are warranted.
Evaluation of fluorodeoxyglucose positron‐emission tomography with computed tomography for staging of urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Lodde Michele , Lacombe Louis , Friede Juan , Morin Francis , Saourine Alexandre , Fradet Yves 
Published: February 2010

Study Type – Diagnostic (case series) Level of Evidence 4OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglusose positron‐emission tomography (FDG‐PET), combined with computed tomography (CT) and forced diuresis, in the staging and follow‐up of urothelial carcinoma (UC).PATIENTS AND METHODSWe recruited 44 patients with muscle‐invasive urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) before radical cystectomy (RC), 19 under follow‐up after RC and seven after systemic chemotherapy. For those who had RC, histopathology was used as the reference standard to compare the sensitivity and specificity of FDG‐PET/CT and standard CT in detecting UBC and pelvic lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, 36 patients with ≥6 months of follow‐up imaging were considered to describe the progression of UC and extrapelvic positive FDG‐PET/CT images.RESULTSFor the detection of primary UBC, FDG‐PET/CT was slightly more sensitive than CT (85% vs 77%) but less specific (25% vs 50%). For the detection of pelvic node metastasis FDG‐PET/CT was more sensitive than CT (57% vs 33%) with a specificity of 100% for both imaging techniques. In 20 patients, extrapelvic FDG‐PET/CT images showed suspected disease at the first evaluation. UC progressed in nine of the 10 patients who had synchronous multiple PET‐positive retroperitoneal or mediastinal lymph nodes, and in only two of the nine with unique hyperactive lesions in the lung. FDG‐PET/CT also detected a pT1G3 UC of the renal pelvis and all bone metastases detected by bone scintigraphy.CONCLUSIONSFDG‐PET/CT could replace standard CT and bone scintigraphy in the presurgical staging and monitoring of patients with UC after surgery or chemotherapy.
Ownership as a Form of Corporate Governance
Authors: Connelly Brian L. , Hoskisson Robert E. , Tihanyi Laszlo , Certo S. Trevis 
Published: February 2010

abstractFirm ownership is an increasingly influential form of corporate governance. Although firms might be owned by different types of owners, most studies examine owner influence on a particular firm outcome in isolation. This study synthesizes research from multiple disciplines on different types of owners and offers a unifying framework of governance through ownership. Using this framework, we describe the motivations of various types of owners, the tactics owners use to affect firms in which they are invested, and the dominant firm outcomes these owners seek to influence. We note how heightened managerial awareness of heterogeneous owner interests increases owner influence on firm‐level outcomes. We also provide a roadmap for future study and offer research questions about where scholars might turn their attention to better understand the role of owners in directing firm actions. Our study draws attention to emerging forms of ownership, such as hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds, and highlights the changing (and often competing) interests of shareholders and how this impacts theories of governance.
Is social support associated with greater weight loss after bariatric surgery?: a systematic review
Authors: Livhits M. , Mercado C. , Yermilov I. , Parikh J. A. , Dutson E. , Mehran A. , Ko C. Y. , Shekelle P. G. , Gibbons M. M. 
Published: February 2010

SummarySocial support may be associated with increased weight loss after bariatric surgery. The objective of this article is to determine impact of post‐operative support groups and other forms of social support on weight loss after bariatric surgery. MEDLINE search (1988–2009) was completed using MeSH terms including bariatric procedures and a spectrum of patient factors with potential relationship to weight loss outcomes. Of the 934 screened studies, 10 reported on social support and weight loss outcomes. Five studies reported on support groups and five studies reported on other forms of social support (such as perceived family support or number of confidants) and degree of post‐operative weight loss (total n = 735 patients). All studies found a positive association between post‐operative support groups and weight loss. One study found a positive association between marital status (being single) and weight loss, while three studies found a non‐significant positive trend and one study was inconclusive. Support group attendance after bariatric surgery is associated with greater post‐operative weight loss. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of other forms of social support. These factors should be addressed in prospective studies of weight loss following bariatric surgery, as they may represent ways to improve post‐operative outcomes.
Risk factors for periodic breathing in acute stroke: tracheobronchial infection
Authors: Tong D. M. , Liao J. F. 
Published: February 2010

Background and purpose:  Despite evidence from clinical and population studies, the aim of the present study was to suggest that multiple factors contribute to periodic breathing (PB). However, little information has been focused on episodes of tracheobronchial infections (TBI) preceding PB onset.Methods:  Thirty subjects with acute stroke who had PB and 41 subjects with acute stroke that of a sex‐ and age‐matched control group without PB were retrospectively evaluated. Stroke location, extent of stroke (demonstrated on CT or MRI), and characteristics of TBI before PB were assessed. PB diagnosis was carried out using a portable device and a pulse oximeter. Risk factors for patients with PB were compared with those without PB by univariate and multivariate analysis.Results:  Twenty‐four TBI in 30 patients with PB and 11 TBI in 41 patients with non‐PB were diagnosed. There was no significant difference in age, sex, body mass index, stroke type, stroke location, or underlying diseases between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference in snoring, first recurrent stroke, Glasgow Coma Scale, congestive heart failure, TBI, and inflammatory responses between the PB and non‐PB group (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed a difference in the prevalence of snoring (OR = 10.813, CI = 2.131–54.866, P < 0.01), TBI (OR = 5.313, CI = 1.241–22.740, P < 0.05), and inflammatory responses (OR = 7.315, CI = 1.253–43.123, P < 0.05) between the two groups.Conclusions:  In addition to snoring, TBI and inflammatory responses are the two independent predictors for PB in patients with acute stroke. Clinicians should be encouraged to systematically evaluate TBI and inflammatory responses before PB in patients with acute stroke.
Left temporal low‐frequency rTMS for the treatment of tinnitus: clinical predictors of treatment outcome – a retrospective study
Authors: Frank G. , Kleinjung T. , Landgrebe M. , Vielsmeier V. , Steffenhagen C. , Burger J. , Frank E. , Vollberg G. , Hajak G. , Langguth B. 
Published: February 2010

Background:  There is increasing evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce chronic tinnitus. However, treatment results are characterized by high interindividual variability. Therefore, the identification of predictors for treatment response is of high clinical relevance.Methods:  Clinical data of 194 patients with tinnitus were evaluated. All patients were treated with a standardized rTMS procedure (1 Hz, 10 days, 2000 stimuli/day, over the left temporal cortex). A potential influence on the outcome was analysed for the following parameters: age, gender, depression scores in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and tinnitus severity (TQ) before rTMS, lateralization, frequency and duration of tinnitus and extent of hearing loss.Results:  An effect of tinnitus laterality was observed. In patients with left‐sided or bilateral tinnitus, rTMS resulted in a statistically significant reduction of TQ scores, whereas patients with right‐sided tinnitus did not show a significant improvement after rTMS treatment. However, in correlation analyses, we found a trend which did not reach statistical significance that in the subgroup of treatment responders tinnitus duration influenced rTMS outcome. In addition, a multiple regression analysis identified the TQ score at baseline as a significant predictor for treatment outcome. For all other investigated parameters, no statistically significant effects were found.Conclusions:  This study suggests that left temporal low‐frequency rTMS has beneficial effects in left‐sided and bilateral tinnitus, but not in right‐sided tinnitus. In line with the results from earlier studies involving smaller samples, tinnitus duration was found to influence rTMS outcome.
Financial self‐sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor
Authors: Cheng Tyrone 
Published: February 2010

Cheng T. Financial self‐sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poorInt J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 162–172 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare.This study investigated how working‐poor mothers who withdrew from a US government assistance program were affected by the economy, welfare reform policies, and their own human capital, in terms of their likelihood of returning to welfare and their likelihood of becoming nonpoor through work. The study employed longitudinal data (covering 42 months) extracted from a national data set. The sample for the current study, which relied on event history analysis, consisted of 228 working‐poor former welfare mothers. Results showed that the women's return to welfare was correlated to high unemployment, restrictive welfare policies, enrollment in Medicaid and food‐stamp programs, possession of service‐job skills, and being Hispanic. The women were most likely to attain relative financial independence in the presence of generous government assistance program policies, housing assistance, full‐time employment, operative‐job skills, college education, and marriage. African American ethnicity also made achievement of financial independence more likely.
Remember Remember the 6th of December . . . A Rebellion or the Constituting Moment of a Radical Morphoma?
Authors: MENTINIS MIHALIS 
Published: February 2010

AbstractThis essay discusses two complementary dimensions of the December 2008 events in Greece: one, the obvious anger against the brutal capitalist order being established in the country; the other, the disincorporation of a sector of the working class from the body of passivity and apathy that characterizes the working and middle classes. It is argued that the riots could mark the beginning of a new cycle of class struggle, while they did mark the formation of a radical ‘morphoma’; a coming‐together of radicalized sectors of the working class. Violence during the events should be seen in the light of these two dimensions. The essay concludes by questioning the designation of the events as a rebellion by radical leftists.Résumé Cet essai analyse deux dimensions complémentaires des événements de décembre 2008 en Grèce: l’une est la colère manifeste à l’encontre de l’ordre capitaliste brutal instauré dans le pays, l’autre est la rupture d’une partie de la classe ouvrière avec la masse de passivité et d’apathie caractéristique des classes populaire et moyenne. Il défend l’idée que les émeutes pourraient indiquer le début d’un nouveau cycle de lutte des classes, tout en marquant la formation d’un ‘morphome’ radical, rassemblement de secteurs radicalisés de la classe ouvrière. Il faut observer la violence durant cette période à la lumière de ces deux dimensions. La conclusion remet en question la désignation de ces événements comme une rébellion menée par des extrémistes de gauche.