bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Vision and the representation of the surroundings in spatial memory
Authors: Tatler Benjamin W. , Land Michael F. 
Published: January 2011

One of the paradoxes of vision is that the world as it appears to us and the image on the retina at any moment are not much like each other. The visual world seems to be extensive and continuous across time. However, the manner in which we sample the visual environment is neither extensive nor continuous. How does the brain reconcile these differences? Here, we consider existing evidence from both static and dynamic viewing paradigms together with the logical requirements of any representational scheme that would be able to support active behaviour. While static scene viewing paradigms favour extensive, but perhaps abstracted, memory representations, dynamic settings suggest sparser and task-selective representation. We suggest that in dynamic settings where movement within extended environments is required to complete a task, the combination of visual input, egocentric and allocentric representations work together to allow efficient behaviour. The egocentric model serves as a coding scheme in which actions can be planned, but also offers a potential means of providing the perceptual stability that we experience.
Solanaceae XIPs are plasma membrane aquaporins that facilitate the transport of many uncharged substrates
Authors: Bienert Gerd Patrick , Bienert Manuela Désirée , Jahn Thomas Paul , Boutry Marc , Chaumont François 
Published: January 2011

SummaryMajor intrinsic proteins (MIPs) transport water and uncharged solutes across membranes in all kingdoms of life. Recently, an uncharacterized MIP subfamily was identified in the genomes of plants and fungi and named X Intrinsic Proteins (XIPs). Here, we describe the genetic features, localization, expression, and functions of a group of Solanaceae XIPs. XIP cDNA and gDNA were cloned from tobacco, potato, tomato, and morning glory. A conserved sequence motif in the first intron of Solanaceae XIPs initiates an RNA‐processing mechanism that results in two splice variants (α and β). When transiently or stably expressed in tobacco plants, yellow fluorescent protein‐tagged NtXIP1;1α and NtXIP1;1β were both localized in the plasma membrane. Transgenic tobacco lines expressing NtXIP1;1‐promoter‐GUS constructs and RT‐PCR studies showed that NtXIP1;1 was expressed in all organs. The NtXIP1;1 promoter was mainly active in cell layers facing the environment in all above‐ground tissues. Heterologous expression of Solanaceae XIPs in Xenopus laevis oocytes and various Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants demonstrated that these isoforms facilitate the transport of bulky solutes, such as glycerol, urea, and boric acid. In contrast, permeability for water was undetectable. These data suggest that XIPs function in the transport of uncharged solutes across the cell plasma membrane in specific plant tissues, including at the interface between the environment and external cell layers.
Building bridges: formin1 of Arabidopsis forms a connection between the cell wall and the actin cytoskeleton
Authors: Martinière Alexandre , Gayral Philippe , Hawes Chris , Runions John 
Published: January 2011

SummaryActin microfilament (MF) organization and remodelling is critical to cell function. The formin family of actin binding proteins are involved in nucleating MFs in Arabidopsis thaliana. They all contain formin homology domains in the intracellular, C‐terminal half of the protein that interacts with MFs. Formins in class I are usually targeted to the plasma membrane and this is true of Formin1 (AtFH1) of A. thaliana. In this study, we have investigated the extracellular domain of AtFH1 and we demonstrate that AtFH1 forms a bridge from the actin cytoskeleton, across the plasma membrane and is anchored within the cell wall. AtFH1 has a large, extracellular domain that is maintained by purifying selection and that contains four conserved regions, one of which is responsible for immobilising the protein. Protein anchoring within the cell wall is reduced in constructs that express truncations of the extracellular domain and in experiments in protoplasts without primary cell walls. The 18 amino acid proline‐rich extracellular domain that is responsible for AtFH1 anchoring has homology with cell‐wall extensins. We also have shown that anchoring of AtFH1 in the cell wall promotes actin bundling within the cell and that overexpression of AtFH1 has an inhibitory effect on organelle actin‐dependant dynamics. Thus, the AtFH1 bridge provides stable anchor points for the actin cytoskeleton and is probably a crucial component of the signalling response and actin‐remodelling mechanisms.
A 5‐year venom immunotherapy protocol with 50 μg maintenance dose: safety and efficacy in school children
Authors: Konstantinou George N. , Manoussakis Emmanuel , Douladiris Nikolaos , Hatziioannou Anastasios , Giavi Stavroula , Saxoni‐Papageorgiou Photini , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G. 
Published: January 2011

To cite this article: Konstantinou GN, Manoussakis E, Douladiris N, Hatziioannou A, Giavi S, Saxoni‐Papageorgiou P, Papadopoulos NG. A 5‐yr venom immunotherapy protocol with 50 μg maintenance dose: safety and efficacy in school children. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2011; 22: 393–397.AbstractBackground:  Venom immunotherapy (VIT) has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for preventing sting‐induced anaphylaxis in patients with systemic reactions to hymenoptera stings. A remaining problem is the relative effectiveness and safety of different immunotherapy protocols used with respect to maintenance dose, injection interval, and duration.Objective:  We aimed to describe a modified cluster VIT protocol with a maintenance dose of 50 μg lasting 5 yr and to evaluate retrospectively its safety and efficacy in children.Patients and Methods:  Fifty four children 9.5 ± 3.2 yr old with a history of at least one anaphylactic reaction to hymenoptera stings underwent VIT between 1995 and 2006. The identification of the offending insect(s) was based on patient’s report and documented with in‐vivo (SPTs and IDs) and in‐vitro (RAST/CAP) test results. A modified cluster outpatient protocol lasting 5 wks, reaching a maintenance dose of 50 μg was followed according to clinical history and test results. After the maintenance dose was achieved, the followed injection‐intervals were 4 wks for the first year, 5 wks for the 2nd year and 3rd year, and 6 wks for the last 2 yr.Results:  Of the 54 children, 52 tolerated the 50 μg VIT protocol without side effects. Twenty one of them reported at least one field sting from at least one of the culprit, for their allergy, insects, 6 ± 3.5 yr after they have started VIT treatment. In 11 of them, sting occurred 3.5 ± 2.9 yr after the VIT was completed, whereas the other 10 of them during immunotherapy, 3.2 ± 1.4 yr after they have started VIT. In the remaining two children, the maintenance dose was increased to 100 μg due to systemic reactions from the VIT. The data reflect outcomes 6–16 yr after the patients’ initial allergic reaction.Conclusion:  VIT with 50 μg maintenance dose lasting 5 yr appears to be safe and effective enough to induce tolerance in children with hymenoptera venom hypersensitivity.
Liver transplantation as a treatment option for three siblings with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Tevfik Küçükkartallar , Yucel Yankol , Turan Kanmaz , Serdar Topaloğlu , Koray Acarli , Munci Kalayoglu 
Published: January 2011

Küçükkartallar T, Yankol Y, Kanmaz T, Topaloğlu S, Acarli K, Kalayoglu M. Liver transplantation as a treatment option for three siblings with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 281–284. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract:  FH is a hereditary inherited disorder of cholesterol metabolism. Homozygous form of the disease associates severe form of atherosclerotic disease. Clinicians have been tried to inhibit the progression of the homozygous FH with medical and surgical treatment. We here present three siblings with homozygous FH who were successfully treated with liver transplantation.
Analyses of inheritance patterns and consistent expression of sporamin and chitinase PjChi‐1 genes in Brassica napus
Authors: Liu HongBo , Naeem Muhammad S. , Liu Dan , Zhu YaNa , Guo Xiang , Cui Peng , Zhou WeiJun 
Published: January 2011

With 6 figures and 2 tables AbstractStable and consistent expression of foreign genes in serial propagation is a crucial factor to induce effective and efficient resistance through genetic engineering in insects and fungi. To better understand the inheritance patterns and expression of transgenes, two genes (sporamin and chitinase PjChi‐1) in T1 progeny of four single‐copy T0 transformants were characterized. PCR detection revealed that the segregation ratio was 3 : 1 for tested plants of each T0 transformant, which agreed with the Mendelian rules. In RT‐PCR analysis, 10 positive progeny plants of T0‐11 line showed a stable expression of sporamin and PjChi‐1 but not in wild type. Moreover, a higher expression level of sporamin gene in T1‐11‐3 was confirmed compared to the other progeny plants using Northern blot hybridization technique. Artificial inoculation of 10 plants (T1‐11) with Lepidoptera larvae (Plutella xylostella) and fungus (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) in in vitro bioassays showed significant resistance compared to the wild type. Progeny T1‐11‐3 showed the stronger resistance, which was consistent with the higher expression level of sporamin gene in Northern blot hybridization detection, whereas there was no difference in insect and fungi resistance among these positive T1‐11 plants. These results indicate that both combined genes have been inherited from parental transformants to their progeny and showed a consistent resistance to insect and fungus in all positive T1 progeny.
Governance approval for multisite, non‐interventional research: what can Harmonisation of Multi‐Centre Ethical Review learn from the New South Wales experience?
Authors: Vajdic C. M. , Meagher N. S. , Hicks S. C. , Faedo M. , Ward R. L. , Pearson S.‐A. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractBackground:  In 2007, New South Wales Health mandated the separation of ethical and scientific review from research governance at all New South Wales public health sites based on their distinction in the National Health and Medical Research Council National Statement. This separation allowed for single‐site ethical review of multicentre studies.Aims:  To investigate the time taken for governance approval of multicentre studies through the site‐specific approval (SSA) process.Methods:  A retrospective audit of the SSA process for five non‐interventional studies proposed by a university cancer research unit.Results:  The median total governance approval time for all submissions (n= 28) was 12 weeks (range 2.5–64); median time from starting the SSA to submission was 8 weeks (range 1–48) and median time for governance approval was 5 weeks (range 0.3–40). Approval times were shorter for public compared to private institutions. Reasons for delays in finalising submissions for approval were the absence of institutional governance officers, lack of clarity regarding signatories, the need to identify a principal investigator employed by the institution, and lack of recognition of ethical approval by private institutions. The need to develop legal agreements between the university and hospital was the main reason for lengthy delays in obtaining approval.Conclusions:  The advantages of a harmonised single ethical review process were undermined by the coexistence of a fragmented, complex and lengthy governance approval process. This experience has implications for the success of the national Harmonisation of Multi‐Centre Ethical Review (HoMER) model. A harmonised and fully supported national approach to research governance should be developed contemporaneously with HoMER.
Assessment of chronic hepatitis B: the importance of hepatitis B virus DNA testing
Authors: Croagh C. M. N. , Bell S. J. , Locarnini S. , Desmond P. V. 
Published: January 2011

AbstractBackground:  Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has an estimated prevalence of 90 000 to 160 000 in Australia. Cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are important complications of CHB and appropriate evaluation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive individuals is vital to identify treatment candidates.Methods:  A review of the database of a tertiary hospital was performed and 348 HBsAg‐positive individuals with baseline demographic, virological, serological and biochemical variables were identified and evaluated cross‐sectionally. A small subgroup of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative patients with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at baseline were identified and followed longitudinally.Results:  175/348 (50%) of patients were in the HBeAg‐negative, chronic hepatitis phase of disease, 22% in the HBeAg‐positive immune clearance and 6% in the immune tolerant phases. HBeAg‐negative patients were older and more likely to be male than HBeAg‐positive patients. The correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and ALT levels was examined. ALT and HBV DNA levels showed no correlation in HBeAg‐positive CHB and only a weak correlation in HBeAg‐negative patients. Furthermore, 35% of HBeAg‐negative patients with detectable HBV DNA had a normal ALT. Conversely 38% of HBeAg‐negative patients with no detectable HBV DNA had an elevated ALT. A persistently normal ALT over 24 months was seen in five of nine HBeAg‐negative patients with normal initial ALT and detectable HBV DNA.Conclusion:  Appropriate evaluation of HBeAg‐negative CHB must include HBV DNA because the ALT is not a reliable guide to underlying viral replication.
Profiling the “Pro‐Environmental Individual”: A Personality Perspective
Authors: Markowitz Ezra M. , Goldberg Lewis R. , Ashton Michael C. , Lee Kibeom 
Published: January 2011

AbstractThere is considerable scientific interest in the psychological correlates of pro‐environmental behaviors. Much research has focused on demographic and social‐psychological characteristics of individuals who consistently perform such actions. Here, we report the results of 2 studies in which we explored relations between broad personality traits and pro‐environmental actions. Using a wide variety of behavior and personality measures, we consistently found moderate positive relations between Openness to Experience and pro‐environmental activities in both a community sample (Study 1: N = 778) and an undergraduate student sample (Study 2: N = 115). In Study 2, we showed that the effect of Openness on pro‐environmental behaviors was fully mediated by individuals’ environmental attitudes and connection to nature. Our findings suggest that high levels of aesthetic appreciation, creativity, and inquisitiveness, but not personality traits associated with altruism, may have motivated the performance of pro‐environmental actions among our respondents. Implications for intervention development are discussed.
EXPERTISE, WISDOM AND MORAL PHILOSOPHERS: A RESPONSE TO GESANG
Authors: COWLEY CHRISTOPHER 
Published: January 2011

ABSTRACTIn a recent issue of Bioethics, Bernard Gesang asks whether a moral philosopher possesses greater moral expertise than a non‐philosopher, and his answer is a qualified yes, based not so much on his infallible access to the truth, but on the quality of his theoretically‐informed moral justifications. I reject Gesang's claim that there is such a thing as moral expertise, although the moral philosopher may well make a valid contribution to the ethics committee as a concerned and educated citizen. I suggest that wisdom is a lot more interesting to examine than moral expertise. Again, however, moral philosophers have no monopoly on wisdom, and the study of philosophy may even impede its cultivation.
Educating with the hands: working on the body/self in Alexander Technique
Authors: Tarr Jennifer 
Published: January 2011

AbstractTraditionally, forms of body work such as Alexander Technique have been excluded from mainstream biomedicine and healthcare, despite attempts by practitioners to have the work accepted within the medical community. Using data from a UK‐based study of Alexander Technique which combined participant observation, interviews with 17 teachers and pupils, and analysis of historical texts, this article examines the relationship of the Alexander Technique to the field of healthcare, looking at its embodied practices, and contrasting these with the discourses in which it is framed. Applying Foucault’s concept of ‘techniques of the self’, the article examines Alexander Technique’s physical practices as a form of embodied knowledge, and goes on to look at its use of particular ideas about nature and evolution as guiding authorities, its emphasis on holism through its conception of the ‘self’, and how it has been positioned in relation to biomedical approaches. The article argues that while the embodied practice of Alexander Technique has much to offer to mainstream healthcare, the discourses and knowledge systems in which it is embedded make it unlikely to receive mainstream medical acceptance.
Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare services
Authors: Twikirize Janestic M. , O'Brien Constance 
Published: January 2011

Twikirize JM, O'Brien C. Why Ugandan rural households are opting to pay community health insurance rather than use the free healthcare servicesUganda reintroduced free healthcare in 2001, but today, nine years later, less than 30 per cent of the population are using these services. This study investigated why rural households were under‐utilising the government's free health services and turning to community health insurance instead. A survey carried out on 260 randomly selected households was triangulated with qualitative data gained from 3 focus groups and 12 in‐depth interviews. The findings showed that 21 per cent of the households always accessed the government's free health services, while 79 per cent used private health services. The reasons given were poor quality services, including frequent drug stock‐outs, unmotivated and insufficiently trained health personnel, and overcrowding. Factors influencing enrolment in community health insurance included easier access to healthcare, financial protection against the cost of care, better quality care and benefits related to mutual assistance. This has both practical and policy implications, which are discussed in this article.
Risk of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size in pregnant women
Authors: KOO YU‐JIN , KIM TAE‐JIN , LEE JI‐EUN , KWON YONG‐SOON , KIM HYUN‐JA , LEE IN‐HO , LIM KYUNG‐TAEK , LEE KI‐HEON , SHIM JAE‐UK , MOK JUNG‐EUN 
Published: January 2011

Abstract Objective. To investigate risks of torsion and malignancy by adnexal mass size during pregnancy. Design. Retrospective review of medical records. Setting. General university hospital and healthcare center. Population. Four hundred and seventy women who underwent surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy between 2002 and 2009. Main Outcome Measures. Rate of torsion and malignancy according to mass size classified into four groups: <6, 6–10, 10–15 and ≥15 cm. Results. Torsion was encountered in 55 patients (11.7%) and malignancy was confirmed in 20 (4.3%). A mass size of 6–10 cm had a significantly higher risk of torsion than a mass <6 cm (odds ratio 2.68, 95% confidence interval 1.33–5.40, p=0.006). Masses ≥15 cm had an approximately 12‐fold higher risk of malignancy compared with masses <6 cm (odds ratio 12.36, 95% confidence interval 2.90–52.67, p=0.001). However, for masses of 10–15 cm, the risks of both torsion and malignancy were not higher than those of masses <6 cm. Conclusions. Risks of torsion and malignancy are not directly proportional to increasing mass size in pregnant women. Physicians should be aware of a high risk of malignancy in women with an adnexal mass of over 15 cm. However, if a mass is smaller, the size should not be considered as a single independent factor in a decision for surgery.
Second trimester fetal magnetic resonance imaging improves diagnosis of non‐central nervous system anomalies
Authors: AMINI HASHEM , WIKSTRÖM JOHAN , AHLSTRÖM HÅKAN , AXELSSON OVE 
Published: January 2011

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the additional information of second trimester magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with ultrasound in fetuses with identified or suspected non‐CNS anomalies and to study the clinical impact of the MRI information on pregnancy management. Design. Prospective study during 2003–2007. The fetal MRI examination was planned to be performed within 3 days after the ultrasound. Setting. Uppsala University hospital. Sample. Sixty‐three women in whom the second trimester ultrasound identified or raised suspicion of fetal anomalies were included. Methods. Ultrasound was compared to MRI in relation to the final diagnosis, which was based on the assessment of all available data, including postpartum clinical follow‐up and autopsy results. Main Outcome Measures. Evaluation of the additional information gained from MRI and the consequences it had on pregnancy management. Results. The mean interval between ultrasound and MRI was 2.6 days (range 0–15 days). In 42 (67%) women MRI was performed within 3 days. All MRI examinations were assessable. In 43 (68%) fetuses MRI provided no additional information, in 17 (27%) MRI added information without changing the management and in three (5%) MRI provided additional information which changed the management. All these three cases had oligohydramnios. In all six cases of diaphragmatic hernia MRI provided additional information. Conclusions. Fetal MRI of non‐CNS anomalies in the second trimester seems to be a valuable adjunct to ultrasound diagnosis of non‐CNS anomalies, especially in cases of oligohydramnios and diaphragmatic hernia.
Modelling collagen fibre orientation in porcine skin based upon confocal laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Jor Jessica W. Y. , Nielsen Poul M. F. , Nash Martyn P. , Hunter Peter J. 
Published: January 2011

Background: The mechanical properties of skin, and its ability to resist a wide range of deformations, are mainly determined by the collagen network within the dermis.Aims: In order to quantify the structure–function relationship of skin, quantitative data on collagen orientation are acquired in this study.Materials & Methods: Saggital cryosections from the abdominal region of young pigs were stained with picrosirus red for collagen detection and images were acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Spatial distributions of collagen orientation were determined using a structure–tensor approach. Orientation data were fitted to a mixture of two von Mises distributions.Results: It was observed that collagen is organised into large bundles in the reticular dermis that run obliquely between the epidermis to hypodermis along two predominant orientations.Discussion: This distinct lattice structure was apparent in all sections, regardless of the sectioning orientation. Based on our observations from CLSM images,we propose a conceptual model expressed in terms of a density distribution function to describe collagen orientation.Conclusion: We demonstrate that two parameters of this distribution (the mean and spread parameter) may be directly determined using CLSM image analysis. An important advantage of this approach is that model parameters can be estimated directly from observable microstructural features.