bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous dwarf rat: A novel model for aging research
Authors: Kuramoto Kazunao , Tahara Shoichi , Sasaki Toru , Matsumoto Shigenobu , Kaneko Takao , Kondo Hiroshi , Yanabe Makoto , Takagi Shohei , Shinkai Tadashi 
Published: September 2009

Aim:  Dwarf animal models can provide new models for aging research. For the spontaneous dwarf rat (SDR), a dwarf strain derived from the Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat, no data relevant to aging research are available. The present study aimed to examine its growth, hormonal background, lifespan and age‐related diseases.Methods:  Male SDR and SD rats were used for growth comparison and for immunohistochemistry and plasma hormonal analysis. SDR of each sex were maintained until natural death and then inspected pathologically.Results:  SDR showed an apparent dwarfism in their youth. Immunohistochemistry indicated that the development of growth hormone (GH)‐positive cells in the pituitary was insufficient in SDR. In SDR, plasma GH levels were lower than in SD rats. Moreover, both insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and insulin levels were decreased compared to levels in SD rats. Male and female SDR showed a mean lifespan of 29.3 ± 3.3 and 26.8 ± 5.3 months, respectively. The main neoplastic lesions in SDR were pituitary and mammary tumors. Major non‐neoplastic lesions were incisor malocclusion, heart disease, chronic nephropathy (male) and cerebral hemorrhage (female). Most cases of chronic nephropathy were mild.Conclusion:  Compared with longevity data and pathological data reported for SD rats, the lifespan in SDR was increased by 20–40% in males and 10–20% in females, and SDR had characteristic decreases in pituitary and mammary tumors as well as in severe chronic nephropathy. The SDR, differing in endocrinology, longevity and pathology from the SD rat, is potentially a new animal model for aging research.
Post‐pubertal emergence of a dopamine phenotype in netrin‐1 receptor‐deficient mice
Authors: Grant Alanna , Speed Zoe , Labelle‐Dumais Cassandre , Flores Cecilia 
Published: September 2009

AbstractDuring the pubertal period the mesocortical dopamine (DA) system undergoes substantial reorganization of neuronal connectivity and functional refinement. Netrins are guidance cues involved in the organization of neuronal circuitry. We have previously shown that adult mice that develop with reduced levels of the netrin‐1 receptor [deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC)] display selective reorganization of mesocortical DA circuitry, show enhanced mesocortical DA function and exhibit a behavioural phenotype opposite to that observed in animal models of schizophrenia. Here we assess whether the dcc behavioural and DA phenotypes are present prior to the maturation of the mesocortical DA system by comparing dcc‐heterozygous and wild‐type mice at the post‐weaning and peri‐pubertal periods on various indices of DA function. At both the post‐weaning and peri‐pubertal ages, but unlike in adulthood, dcc‐heterozygous and wild‐type mice show no differences in the number of midbrain DA neurones or in tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels in the medial prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, the elevated baseline concentration of mesocortical DA and DA metabolites observed in adult dcc‐heterozygous mice is not present in either post‐weanling or peri‐pubertal mice. Interestingly, post‐weanling, but not peri‐pubertal, dcc‐heterozygous mice show greater baseline concentrations of DA metabolites in the nucleus accumbens, opposite to what was observed in adulthood. Finally, neither post‐weanling nor peri‐pubertal dcc‐heterozygous mice demonstrate the blunted amphetamine‐induced locomotor response observed in adulthood. Thus, these findings show that the ‘protective’dcc phenotype has a post‐pubertal emergence and indicate that DCC may play a role in the normal maturation of the mesocorticolimbic DA system.
Sensory deprivation regulates the development of the hyperpolarization‐activated current in auditory brainstem neurons
Authors: Hassfurth Benjamin , Magnusson Anna K. , Grothe Benedikt , Koch Ursula 
Published: September 2009

AbstractHyperpolarization‐activated and cyclic nucleotide‐gated (HCN) channels are highly expressed in the superior olivary complex, the primary locus for binaural information processing. This hyperpolarization‐activated current (Ih) regulates the excitability of neurons and enhances the temporally precise analysis of the binaural acoustic cues. By using the whole‐cell patch‐clamp technique, we examined the properties of Ih current in neurons of the lateral superior olive (LSO) and the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) before and after hearing onset. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that Ih currents are actively regulated by sensory input activity by performing bilateral and unilateral cochlear ablations before hearing onset, resulting in a chronic auditory deprivation. The results show that after hearing onset, Ih currents are rapidly upregulated in LSO neurons, but change only marginally in neurons of the MNTB. We also found a striking difference in maximal current density, voltage dependence and activation time constant between the LSO and the MNTB in mature‐like animals. Following bilateral cochlear ablations before hearing onset, the Ih currents were scaled up in the LSO and scaled down in the MNTB. Consequently, in the LSO this resulted in a depolarized resting membrane potential and a lower input resistance of these neurons. This type of activity‐dependent homeostatic change could thus result in an augmented response to the remaining inputs.
Aggressive and Prosocial Peer Group Functioning: Effects on Children's Social, School, and Psychological Adjustment
Authors: Chung‐Hall Janet , Chen Xinyin 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThis study examined the effects of aggressive and prosocial contexts of peer groups on children's socioemotional and school adjustment. Data on informal peer groups, social functioning, and different aspects of adjustment were collected from multiple sources in a sample of elementary school children (149 boys, 181 girls; M age = 10 years). Multilevel analyses indicated that group aggressive and prosocial orientations made direct contributions to children's social, school, and psychological functioning. Group contexts also moderated the individual‐level relations between social behavior and self‐perceptions; prosocial behavior was associated with social or scholastic self‐perceptions more evidently in low prosocial and high aggressive groups. The results suggest that the peer group is an important context for children's performance and adjustment in various domains.
Network-Based Genomic Discovery: Application and Comparison of Markov Random-Field Models
Authors: Wei Peng , Pan Wei 
Published: September 2009

SummaryAs biological knowledge accumulates rapidly, gene networks encoding genomewide gene–gene interactions have been constructed. As an improvement over the standard mixture model that tests all the genes identically and independently distributed a priori, Wei and co-workers have proposed modelling a gene network as a discrete or Gaussian Markov random field (MRF) in a mixture model to analyse genomic data. However, how these methods compare in practical applications is not well understood and this is the aim here. We also propose two novel constraints in prior specifications for the Gaussian MRF model and a fully Bayesian approach to the discrete MRF model. We assess the accuracy of estimating the false discovery rate by posterior probabilities in the context of MRF models. Applications to a chromatin immuno-precipitation–chip data set and simulated data show that the modified Gaussian MRF models have superior performance compared with other models, and both MRF-based mixture models, with reasonable robustness to misspecified gene networks, outperform the standard mixture model.
Site‐specific population dynamics and variable olfactory marker protein expression in the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium
Authors: Bock Patricia , Rohn Karl , Beineke Andreas , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Wewetzer Konstantin 
Published: September 2009

AbstractThe main olfactory epithelium is a pseudostratified columnar epithelium that displays neurogenesis over the course of a lifetime. New olfactory neurons arise basally and are transferred to the middle third of the epithelium during maturation. It is generally believed that this pattern is present throughout the olfactory area. In the present study, we show that the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium is composed of two distinct types of epithelium, designated A and B, which not only differ in olfactory neuron morphology, marker expression and basal cell proliferation but also display a patchy distribution and preferential localization within the nasal cavity. Type A epithelium, abundant in the caudal part of the olfactory area, contains well‐differentiated olfactory neurons positive for olfactory marker protein but low numbers of immature neurons and proliferating basal cells, as visualized by TrkB/Human Natural Killer‐1 (HNK‐1) glyco‐epitope and Ki‐67 immunostaining, respectively. In contrast, type B epithelium is mainly found in the rostral part and contains smaller and elongated neurons that display increased levels of TrkB/Human Natural Killer‐1 (HNK‐1) glyco‐epitope immunoreactivity and a higher number of Ki‐67‐positive basal cells but lower and variable levels of olfactory marker protein. The vomeronasal organ displays a uniform distribution of molecular markers and proliferating basal cells. The observation that olfactory marker protein in type A and B epithelium is preferentially localized to the nucleus and cytoplasm, respectively, implies correlation between subcellular localization and olfactory neuron maturation and may indicate distinct functional roles of olfactory marker protein. Whether the site‐specific population dynamics in the postnatal canine olfactory epithelium revealed in the present study are modulated by physiological parameters, such as airflow, has to be clarified in future studies.
The representation of fathers by children of depressed mothers: refining the meaning of parentification in high‐risk samples
Authors: Woolgar Matthew , Murray Lynne 
Published: September 2009

Background: Children’s representations of mothers in doll‐play are associated with child adjustment. Despite the importance of fathers for children’s adjustment, especially in the context of maternal psychopathology, few studies have considered children’s representations of their fathers.Method: We examined the portrayal of fathers by 5‐year‐old children of depressed (N = 55) and non‐depressed (N = 39) mothers in a doll‐play procedure concerning family experience.Results: Children gave equal prominence in their play to mothers and fathers. Representations of fathers were unrelated to maternal mood, but were associated with parental conflict. Representations of child care for the father that was unreciprocated predicted poor child adjustment in school, but only in children exposed to maternal postnatal depression.Conclusions: It may be clinically useful to consider children’s distinctive representations of their mother and father; but the concept of parentification in relation to risk and resilience effects requires refinement.
Pathogenesis of familial Parkinson’s disease: new insights based on monogenic forms of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hatano Taku , Kubo Shin‐ichiro , Sato Shigeto , Hattori Nobutaka 
Published: September 2009

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common movement disorders caused by the loss of dopaminergic neuronal cells. The molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal degeneration in PD remain unknown; however, it is now clear that genetic factors contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease. Approximately, 5% of patients with clinical features of PD have clear familial etiology, which show a classical recessive or dominant Mendelian mode of inheritance. Over the decade, more than 15 loci and 11 causative genes have been identified so far and many studies shed light on their implication in not only monogenic but also sporadic form of PD. Recent studies revealed that PD‐associated genes play important roles in cellular functions, such as mitochondrial functions, ubiquitin‐proteasomal system, autophagy‐lysosomal pathway and membrane trafficking. Furthermore, the proteins encoded by PD‐associated genes can interact with each other and such gene products may share a common pathway that leads to nigral degeneration. However, their precise roles in the disease and their normal functions remain poorly understood. In this study, we review recent progress in knowledge about the genes associated with familial PD.
Delayed activin A administration attenuates tissue death after transient focal cerebral ischemia and is associated with decreased stress‐responsive kinase activation
Authors: Mukerji Shibani S. , Rainey Riley N. , Rhodes Jamie L. , Hall Alison K. 
Published: September 2009

AbstractFocal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion initiates complex cellular and molecular interactions that lead to either cell repair or destruction. In earlier work, we found that activin A is an early gene response to cerebral ischemia and supports cortical neuron survival in vitro. In this study, the ability of exogenous activin A to attenuate injury from transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was tested in adult mice. Intracerebroventricular administration of activin A prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion reduced infarct volume apparent 1 day after experimental stroke. A single activin A administration at 6 h following ischemia/reperfusion reduced lesion volumes at 1 and 3 days and led to improved neurobehavior. Moreover, activin A treatment spared neurons within the ischemic hemisphere and led to a concomitant reduction in microglial activation. Activation of the stress‐responsive kinases p38 and c‐jun N‐terminal kinase implicated in neuronal apoptosis after stroke was reduced following activin A treatment. Together these findings suggest that activin A promotes tissue survival after focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion with an extended therapeutic window.
Computer Use and Attitudes Towards Computerised Therapy Amongst Young People and Parents Attending Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Authors: Stallard Paul , Velleman Sophie , Richardson Thomas 
Published: September 2009

Background:  There has been little research examining attitudes towards computerised therapy in young people.Method:  A self‐report survey of 37 young people and 31 parents using Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).Results:  Young people reported high levels of computer usage and online help‐seeking behaviour. Young people were cautious about computerised therapy whereas parents were more positive, identifying more benefits than concerns.Conclusions:  Mental health professionals need to be aware of young people’s online help‐seeking behaviour in order to correct inaccuracies and maximise uptake of computerised therapy.
The Effectiveness of a Community Intensive Therapy Team on Young People’s Mental Health Outcomes
Authors: Simpson Wendy , Cowie Lee , Wilkinson Lucy , Lock Naomi , Monteith Graham 
Published: September 2009

Background:  UK‐wide concerns about availability, cost, efficacy and inappropriate use of psychiatric inpatient provision for adolescents have led to the development of new models of intensive community based care.Method:  This paper describes the Fife Intensive Therapy Team (FITT) model and provides an analysis of HoNOSCA (Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale for Children and Adolescents) data for 57 patients to evaluate the effectiveness of the service.Results:  Following intervention by the FITT, a substantial and significant reduction in HoNOSCA scores was recorded.Conclusions:  The apparent success of the model has implications for the future development of acute mental health services for young people.
Spatial Implications Associated with Using Euclidean Distance Measurements and Geographic Centroid Imputation in Health Care Research
Authors: Jones Stephen G. , Ashby Avery J. , Momin Soyal R. , Naidoo Allen 
Published: September 2009

Objective. To determine the effect of using Euclidean measurements and zip‐code centroid geo‐imputation versus more precise spatial analytical techniques in health care research.Data Sources. Commercially insured members from a southeastern managed care organization.Study Design. Distance from admitting inpatient facility to member's home and zip‐code centroid (geographic placement) was compared using Euclidean straight‐line and shortest‐path drive distances (measurement technique).Data Collection. Administrative claims from October 2005 to September 2006.Principal Findings. Measurement technique had a greater impact on distance values compared with geographic placement. Drive distance from the geocoded address was highly correlated (r=0.99) with the Euclidean distance from the zip‐code centroid.Conclusions. Actual differences were relatively small. Researchers without capabilities to produce drive distance measurements and/or address geocoding techniques could rely on simple linear regressions to estimate correction factors with a high degree of confidence.
Treatment of suction termination of pregnancy‐retained products with misoprostol markedly reduces the repeat operation rate
Authors: CHAMBERS Dennis G. , MULLIGAN Ea C. 
Published: September 2009

A six‐year audit of clinical outcomes following the treatment of suction termination of pregnancy‐retained products of conception symptoms with 200 µg of misoprostol orally or sublingually three times a day for six doses showed that it was 93% effective and it reduced the repeat dilation and curettage rate by 79.6% (P < 0.001).
Randomised double‐blind trial of the effect of vitamin C on dyspareunia and vaginal discharge in women receiving doxycycline and triple sulfa for chlamydial cervicitis
Authors: KHAJEHEI Marjan , KESHAVARZ Tahereh , TABATABAEE Hamid Reza 
Published: September 2009

Background:  Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial cause of cervicitis.Aim:  The aim of this randomised, double‐blind trial was to compare the effect of vitamin C on dyspareunia and vaginal discharge in women receiving doxycycline and triple sulfa for chlamydial cervicitis.Methods:  Eighty women with increased anti‐C. trachomatis IgM, reporting abnormal vaginal discharge and dyspareunia, demonstrating signs of cervical oedema and erythema and friability of cervix were included. Thirty‐nine women received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice daily plus triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily for ten days, and 41 received doxycycline capsules 100 mg twice–daily and triple sulfa vaginal cream once daily plus vitamin C tablets 250 mg once daily for ten days. Women were evaluated at follow‐up visit, eleventh day, following completion of intervention.Analysis:  The effect of treatment was assessed regarding clinical criteria (presence of endocervical mucopus and cervical severity score) and presence of dyspareunia. Statistical analysis was carried out using spss version 11.5.Results:  The mean age of women was 30.6 ± 8.4 years. There was no relationship between demographics and dyspareunia and discharge (P > 0.05). There was statistically significant difference between the effect of ‘doxycycline plus triple sulfa’ and ‘doxycycline, triple sulfa plus vitamin C’ on discharge and dyspareunia (P = 0.005, P < 0.001, respectively). Most frequently reported drug‐related adverse event in both groups was heartburn.Conclusion:  Adding vitamin C to doxycycline and triple sulfa was more efficient than standard regimen (doxycycline and triple sulfa without vitamin C) in treating chlamydial cervicitis.
Twin deliveries and place of birth in NSW 2001–2005
Authors: ALGERT Charles S. , MORRIS Jonathan M. , BOWEN Jennifer R. , GILES Warwick , ROBERTS Christine L. 
Published: September 2009

Background:  Twin pregnancies have an elevated risk of adverse outcomes, particularly preterm twins.Aims:  Describe the distribution of twin deliveries by hospital level, the associated perinatal and maternal morbidity, and determine predictors of perinatal morbidity and urgent transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit.Methods:  Longitudinally linked New South Wales delivery and hospital records for the years 2001–2005 were used to identify perinatal and maternal morbidity/mortality in twin pregnancies. Regression analysis was used to examine predictive factors, including birth hospital volume.Results:  At ≤ 32 weeks, 88.1% of twins were delivered in tertiary referral hospitals. By 34–35 weeks, only 39.7% of twins were delivered in tertiary units. Gestational age was the primary predictor of perinatal morbidity/mortality. Perinatal morbidity/mortality and maternal morbidity were lowest for deliveries at 38 weeks. There was no evidence that planned caesarean section at ≤ 38 weeks was protective against perinatal morbidity/mortality. There was an increased risk of perinatal morbidity/mortality (odds ratio (OR) = 2.22) for twins delivered at 33–35 weeks gestation at hospitals with < 500 deliveries per annum, and an increased risk of urgent neonatal transfer (OR = 2.06). Twin pairs for whom there was a ≥ 20% discordance in birthweight had an increased risk of morbidity/mortality at 36–38 weeks (OR = 1.79).Conclusions:  Both infant and maternal morbidity increase from 39 weeks gestation. Delivery of twins before 36 weeks at smaller hospitals (< 500 deliveries per annum) should be avoided. A twin pregnancy where there is a ≥ 20% difference in estimated fetal weights should be considered for referral to a tertiary obstetric unit.
Kjelland's forceps in the new millennium. Maternal and neonatal outcomes of attempted rotational forceps delivery
Authors: AL‐SUHEL Raya , GILL Simmerjyot , ROBSON Stephen , SHADBOLT Bruce 
Published: September 2009

Background:  The use of Kjelland's forceps is now uncommon, and published maternal and neonatal outcome data are from deliveries conducted more than a decade ago. The role of Kjelland's rotational delivery in the ‘modern era’ of high caesarean section rates is unclear.Aims:  To compare the results of attempted Kjelland's forceps rotational delivery with other methods of instrumental delivery in a tertiary hospital.Methods:  Retrospective review of all instrumental deliveries for singleton pregnancies 34 or more weeks gestation in a four‐year birth cohort, with reference to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.Results:  The outcomes of 1067 attempted instrumental deliveries were analysed. Kjelland's forceps were successful in 95% of attempts. Kjelland's forceps deliveries had a rate of adverse maternal outcomes indistinguishable from non‐rotational ventouse, and lower than all other forms of instrumental delivery. Kjelland's forceps also had a lower rate of adverse neonatal outcomes than all other forms of instrumental delivery.Conclusions:  Prudent use of Kjelland's forceps by experienced operators is associated with a very low rate of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Training in this important obstetric skill should be reconsidered urgently, before it is lost forever.