bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Alcohol‐induced stress in painful alcoholic neuropathy
Authors: Dina Olayinka A. , Khasar Sachia G. , Alessandri‐Haber Nicole , Green Paul G. , Messing Robert O. , Levine Jon D. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractChronic alcohol consumption induces a painful small‐fiber peripheral neuropathy, the severity of which increases during alcohol withdrawal. Chronic alcohol consumption also produces a sustained increase in stress hormones, epinephrine and corticosterone, that is exacerbated during alcohol withdrawal. We report that adrenal medullectomy and administration of a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, mifepristone (RU 38486), both prevented and reversed a model of painful peripheral neuropathy in alcohol binge‐drinking rats. Chronic administration of stress levels of epinephrine to rats that had undergone adrenal medullectomy and were being fed the alcohol diet reconstituted this phenotype. Intrathecal administration of oligodeoxynucleotides antisense to the β2‐adrenergic‐ or glucocorticoid‐receptor also prevented and reversed the pro‐nociceptive effects of ethanol. Our results suggest a convergence of the effects of mediators of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐ and sympathoadrenal‐stress axes on sensory neurons in the induction and maintenance of alcohol‐induced painful peripheral neuropathy.
Neurokinins robustly activate the majority of septohippocampal cholinergic neurons
Authors: Morozova Elena , Wu Min , Dumalska Iryna , Alreja Meenakshi 
Published: July 2010

AbstractIn the brain, tachykinins acting via the three cloned neurokinin (NK) receptors are implicated in stress‐related affective disorders. Hemokinin‐1 is a novel tachykinin that reportedly prefers NK1 to NK2 or NK3 receptors. Although NK1 and NK3 receptors are abundantly expressed in the brain, NK2‐receptor‐mediated electrophysiological effects have rarely been described as NK2 receptors are expressed only in a few brain regions such as the nucleus of the medial septum/diagonal band. Medial septal/diagonal band neurons that control hippocampal mnemonic functions also colocalize NK1 and NK3 receptors. Functionally, intraseptal activation of all three NK receptors increases hippocampal acetylcholine release and NK2 receptors have specifically been implicated in stress‐induced hippocampal acetylcholine release. Electrophysiological studies on the effects of NKs on septohippocampal cholinergic neurons are lacking and electrophysiological effects of hemokinin‐1 have thus far not been reported in brain neurons. In the present study we examined the electrophysiological and pharmacological effects of multiple NKs on fluorescently tagged septohippocampal cholinergic neurons using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings in a rat brain slice preparation. We demonstrate that a vast majority of septohippocampal cholinergic cells are activated by NK1, NK2 and NK3 receptor agonists as well as by hemokinin‐1 via direct post‐synaptic mechanisms. Pharmacologically, hemokinin‐1 recruits not only NK1 but also NK2 and NK3 receptors to activate septohippocampal cholinergic neurons that are the primary source of acetylcholine for the hippocampus.
Spatiotemporal loss of K+ transport proteins in the developing cochlear lateral wall of guinea pigs with hereditary deafness
Authors: Jin Zhe , Ulfendahl Mats , Järlebark Leif 
Published: July 2010

AbstractGenetic deafness is one of the most common human genetic birth defects. To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying human hereditary deafness, deaf animal strains have proved to be invaluable models. The German waltzing guinea pig is a new strain of animals with unidentified gene mutation(s), displaying recessively inherited cochleovestibular impairment. Histological investigations of the homozygous animals (gw/gw) revealed a collapse of the endolymphatic compartment and malformation of stria vascularis. RT‐PCR showed a significant reduction in expression of the strial intermediate cell‐specific gene Dct and the tight‐junction gene Cldn11 in the embryonic day (E)40 and adult gw/gw cochlear lateral wall. Immunohistochemical analysis of the gw/gw cochlea showed loss of the tight junction protein CLDN11 in strial basal cells from E40, loss of the potassium channel subunit KCNJ10 in strial intermediate cells from E50, and loss of the Na–K–Cl cotransporter SLC12A2 in strial marginal cells from E50. In addition, a temporary loss of the gap junction protein GJB2 (connexin 26) between fibrocytes in the spiral ligament of the E50 gw/gw cochlea was observed. The barrier composed of tight junctions between strial basal cells was disrupted in the gw/gw cochlea as indicated by a biotin tracer permeability assay. In conclusion, spatiotemporal loss of K+ transport proteins in the cochlear lateral wall is caused by malformation of the stria vascularis in the developing German waltzing guinea pig inner ear. This new animal strain may serve as a good model for studying human genetic deafness due to disruption of inner ear ion homeostasis.
Overlapping representations of the neck and whiskers in the rat motor cortex revealed by mapping at different anaesthetic depths
Authors: Tandon Shashank , Kambi Niranjan , Jain Neeraj 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe primary motor cortex of mammals has an orderly representation of different body parts. Within the representation of each body part the organization is more complex, with groups of neurons representing movements of a muscle or a group of muscles. In rats, uncertainties continue to exist regarding organization of the primary motor cortex in the whisker and the neck region. Using intracortical microstimulation (ICMS) we show that movements evoked in the whisker and the neck region of the rat motor cortex are highly sensitive to the depth of anaesthesia. At light anaesthetic depth, whisker movements are readily evoked from a large medial region of the motor cortex. Lateral to this is a small region where movements of the neck are evoked. However, in animals under deep anaesthesia whisker movements cannot be evoked. Instead, neck movements are evoked from this region. The neck movement region thus becomes greatly expanded. An analysis of the threshold currents required to evoke movements at different anaesthetic depths reveals that the caudal portion of the whisker region has dual representation, of both the whisker and the neck movements. The results also underline the importance of carefully controlling the depth of anaesthesia during ICMS experiments.
The leaner P/Q‐type calcium channel mutation renders cerebellar Purkinje neurons hyper‐excitable and eliminates Ca2+‐Na+ spike bursts
Authors: Ovsepian Saak V. , Friel David D. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThe leaner mouse mutation of the Cacna1a gene leads to a reduction in P‐type Ca2+ current, the dominant Ca2+ current in Purkinje cells (PCs). Here, we compare the electro‐responsiveness and structure of PCs from age‐matched leaner and wild‐type (WT) mice in pharmacological isolation from synaptic inputs in cerebellar slices. We report that compared with WT, leaner PCs exhibit lower current threshold for Na+ spike firing, larger subthreshold membrane depolarization, rapid adaptation followed by complete block of Na+ spikes upon strong depolarization, and fail to generate Ca2+‐Na+ spike bursts. The Na+ spike waveforms in leaner PCs have slower kinetics, reduced spike amplitude and afterhyperpolarization. We show that a deficit in the P‐type Ca2+ current caused by the leaner mutation accounts for most but not all of the changes in mutant PC electro‐responsiveness. The selective P‐type Ca2+ channel blocker, ω‐agatoxin‐IVA, eliminated differences in subthreshold membrane depolarization, adaptation of Na+ spikes upon strong current‐pulse stimuli, Na+ spike waveforms and Ca2+‐Na+ burst activity. In contrast, a lower current threshold for eliciting repetitive Na+ spikes in leaner PCs was still observed after blockade of the P‐type Ca2+ current, suggesting secondary effects of the mutation that render PCs hyper‐excitable. Higher input resistance, reduced whole‐cell capacitance and smaller dendritic size accompanied the enhanced excitability in leaner PCs, indicative of developmental retardation in these cells caused by P/Q‐type Ca2+ channel malfunction. Our data indicate that a deficit in P‐type Ca2+ current leads to complex functional and structural changes in PCs, impairing their intrinsic and integrative properties.
Evidence for a role of early oestrogens in the central processing of sexually relevant olfactory cues in female mice
Authors: Pierman Sylvie , Douhard Quentin , Bakker Julie 
Published: July 2010

AbstractWe previously found that female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice showed less investigation of socially relevant odours as well as reduced sexual behaviour. We now ask whether these behavioural deficits might be due to an inadequate processing of odours in female ArKO mice. Therefore, we exposed female ArKO mice to same‐ and opposite‐sex urinary odours and determined the expression of the immediate early gene c‐Fos along the main and accessory olfactory projection pathways. We included ArKO males in the present study as we previously observed that they show female‐typical detection thresholds of urinary odours, suggesting a role for perinatal oestrogens in these behavioural responses. No sex or genotype differences were observed in the olfactory bulb after urine exposure. By contrast, sex differences in c‐Fos responses were observed in wild‐type (WT) mice following exposure to male urine in the more central regions of the olfactory pathway; only WT females showed a significant Fos induction in the amygdala, central medial pre‐optic area and ventromedial hypothalamus. However, ArKO females did not show a c‐Fos response to male odours in the ventromedial hypothalamus, suggesting that the processing of male odours is affected in ArKO females and thus that oestrogens may be necessary for the development of neural responses to sexually relevant odours in female mice. By contrast, c‐Fos responses to either male or oestrous female urine were very similar between ArKO and WT males, pointing to a central role of androgen vs. oestrogen signalling in the male circuits that control olfactory investigation and preferences.
Neuroprotective effects of novel phosphatidylglycerol‐based phospholipids in the 6‐hydroxydopamine model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Crotty S. , Fitzgerald P. , Tuohy E. , Harris D. M. , Fisher A. , Mandel A. , Bolton A. E. , Sullivan A. M. , Nolan Y. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractAdministration of VP025 (Vasogen Inc.), a novel drug formulation based on phospholipid nanoparticles incorporating phosphatidylglycerol, has previously been shown to have a neuroprotective effect in the brain. We examined the effect of VP025 in a rat model of Parkinson's disease, the 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) lesion of the medial forebrain bundle. VP025 or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) was administered to rats 14 days, 13 days and 1 day before the unilateral 6‐OHDA lesion. Functional integrity of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons was assessed 7 and 21 days later by amphetamine‐induced rotational testing and we observed that rotational counts were significantly less in rats that were pretreated with VP025 compared with PBS‐pretreated 6‐OHDA‐lesioned rats. Neurochemical analysis at 10 and 28 days after lesion revealed that VP025 protected against a 6‐OHDA‐induced decrease in concentrations of striatal dopamine and its metabolites. Immunocytochemical studies of the ipsilateral substantia nigra showed that VP025 significantly inhibited 6‐OHDA‐induced loss of dopaminergic neurons. We also observed that increases in immunostaining for activated microglia and for activated p38 in dopaminergic neurons of 6‐OHDA‐lesioned rats were prevented by VP025. This study shows that VP025 has significant protective effects on the 6‐OHDA‐lesioned nigrostriatal pathway and may therefore have potential for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Characterization of GABAergic neurons in rapid‐eye‐movement sleep controlling regions of the brainstem reticular formation in GAD67–green fluorescent protein knock‐in mice
Authors: Brown Ritchie E. , McKenna James T. , Winston Stuart , Basheer Radhika , Yanagawa Yuchio , Thakkar Mahesh M. , McCarley Robert W. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractRecent experiments suggest that brainstem GABAergic neurons may control rapid‐eye‐movement (REM) sleep. However, understanding their pharmacology/physiology has been hindered by difficulty in identification. Here we report that mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the GAD67 promoter (GAD67‐GFP knock‐in mice) exhibit numerous GFP‐positive neurons in the central gray and reticular formation, allowing on‐line identification in vitro. Small (10–15 µm) or medium‐sized (15–25 µm) GFP‐positive perikarya surrounded larger serotonergic, noradrenergic, cholinergic and reticular neurons, and > 96% of neurons were double‐labeled for GFP and GABA, confirming that GFP‐positive neurons are GABAergic. Whole‐cell recordings in brainstem regions important for promoting REM sleep [subcoeruleus (SubC) or pontine nucleus oralis (PnO) regions] revealed that GFP‐positive neurons were spontaneously active at 3–12 Hz, fired tonically, and possessed a medium‐sized depolarizing sag during hyperpolarizing steps. Many neurons also exhibited a small, low‐threshold calcium spike. GFP‐positive neurons were tested with pharmacological agents known to promote (carbachol) or inhibit (orexin A) REM sleep. SubC GFP‐positive neurons were excited by the cholinergic agonist carbachol, whereas those in the PnO were either inhibited or excited. GFP‐positive neurons in both areas were excited by orexins/hypocretins. These data are congruent with the hypothesis that carbachol‐inhibited GABAergic PnO neurons project to, and inhibit, REM‐on SubC reticular neurons during waking, whereas carbachol‐excited SubC and PnO GABAergic neurons are involved in silencing locus coeruleus and dorsal raphe aminergic neurons during REM sleep. Orexinergic suppression of REM during waking is probably mediated in part via excitation of acetylcholine‐inhibited GABAergic neurons.
Meningeal cells induce dopaminergic neurons from embryonic stem cells
Authors: Hayashi Hideki , Morizane Asuka , Koyanagi Masaomi , Ono Yuichi , Sasai Yoshiki , Hashimoto Nobuo , Takahashi Jun 
Published: July 2010

AbstractNeural induction of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons from embryonic stem (ES) cells can be achieved by culturing them on a bone marrow‐derived stromal cell line, PA6, which possesses stromal cell‐derived inducing activity (SDIA). The mechanism of SDIA is unknown, but clinical application of ES cell transplantation requires the use of defined factors for DA neuron induction. Here, we demonstrate that meningeal cells harvested from the developing dura can induce DA neuron differentiation from mouse and human ES cells, as assessed by midbrain DA marker expression and secretion of DA in response to potassium stimuli. Intriguingly, the inductive strength of meningeal cells depends on their developmental stage, with those harvested from embryonic day 18 embryos showing the highest activity. Among six soluble factors known to be involved in DA neuron differentiation, only Wnt‐5a and transforming growth factor‐β3 were expressed by both meningeal and PA6 cells, and the expression of Wnt‐5a correlated with the DA neuron induction activity of these cells. Furthermore, the induction of DA neuron differentiation by PA6 cell‐conditioned medium was reversed by addition of a Wnt‐5a neutralizing antibody, whereas recombinant Wnt‐5a promoted DA neuron induction when cells were cultured on Matrigel. These results indicate that meningeal cells can be used as feeders to induce DA neurons from ES cells, and that Wnt‐5a plays an important role in DA neuron induction by SDIA.
Transparent and Specular Object Reconstruction
Authors: Ihrke Ivo , Kutulakos Kiriakos N. , Lensch Hendrik P. A. , Magnor Marcus , Heidrich Wolfgang 
Published: July 2010

AbstractThis state of the art report covers reconstruction methods for transparent and specular objects or phenomena. While the 3D acquisition of opaque surfaces with Lambertian reflectance is a well‐studied problem, transparent, refractive, specular and potentially dynamic scenes pose challenging problems for acquisition systems. This report reviews and categorizes the literature in this field.Despite tremendous interest in object digitization, the acquisition of digital models of transparent or specular objects is far from being a solved problem. On the other hand, real‐world data is in high demand for applications such as object modelling, preservation of historic artefacts and as input to data‐driven modelling techniques. With this report we aim at providing a reference for and an introduction to the field of transparent and specular object reconstruction.We describe acquisition approaches for different classes of objects. Transparent objects/phenomena that do not change the straight ray geometry can be found foremost in natural phenomena. Refraction effects are usually small and can be considered negligible for these objects. Phenomena as diverse as fire, smoke, and interstellar nebulae can be modelled using a straight ray model of image formation. Refractive and specular surfaces on the other hand change the straight rays into usually piecewise linear ray paths, adding additional complexity to the reconstruction problem. Translucent objects exhibit significant sub‐surface scattering effects rendering traditional acquisition approaches unstable. Different classes of techniques have been developed to deal with these problems and good reconstruction results can be achieved with current state‐of‐the‐art techniques. However, the approaches are still specialized and targeted at very specific object classes. We classify the existing literature and hope to provide an entry point to this exiting field.
The lived political economy of occupational overuse syndrome among New Zealand workers
Authors: Jaye Chrystal , Fitzgerald Ruth 
Published: July 2010

AbstractIn New Zealand, as in other industrialised nations, rates of work‐related gradual onset injuries increased during the 1980s and 1990s. The perspectives and experiences of workers suffering what became known as occupational overuse injuries in New Zealand offer insights into local lived political economies. Here, we explore the dominant metaphor, ‘battling’, in participants’ narratives. On the face of it, battles were fought over diagnoses, over occupational health and safety in the workplace, and over entitlements to therapy and income compensation. However, participants were also battling to maintain their identities as hard workers, while resisting and challenging normalising technologies of self and morally charged negative identities offered them by employers, state‐funded accident and injury insurance agencies, and the medical profession. Inherent in their narratives is a critique of the neo‐liberal capitalist political economy that allows workers’ bodies to be exploited (and sacrificed) for employers’ profits.
Economics of Human Trafficking
Authors: Wheaton Elizabeth M. , Schauer Edward J. , Galli Thomas V. 
Published: July 2010

AbstractBecause freedom of choice and economic gain are at the heart of productivity, human trafficking impedes national and international economic growth. Within the next 10 years, crime experts expect human trafficking to surpass drug and arms trafficking in its incidence, cost to human well‐being, and profitability to criminals (Schauer and Wheaton, 2006: 164–165). The loss of agency from human trafficking as well as from modern slavery is the result of human vulnerability (Bales, 2000: 15). As people become vulnerable to exploitation and businesses continually seek the lowest‐cost labour sources, trafficking human beings generates profit and a market for human trafficking is created.This paper presents an economic model of human trafficking that encompasses all known economic factors that affect human trafficking both across and within national borders. We envision human trafficking as a monopolistically competitive industry in which traffickers act as intermediaries between vulnerable individuals and employers by supplying differentiated products to employers. In the human trafficking market, the consumers are employers of trafficked labour and the products are human beings. Using a rational‐choice framework of human trafficking we explain the social situations that shape relocation and working decisions of vulnerable populations leading to human trafficking, the impetus for being a trafficker, and the decisions by employers of trafficked individuals. The goal of this paper is to provide a common ground upon which policymakers and researchers can collaborate to decrease the incidence of trafficking in humans.
Untold Stories: Biases and Selection Effects in Research with Victims of Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
Authors: Brunovskis Anette , Surtees Rebecca 
Published: July 2010

AbstractRecent discussions of trafficking research have included calls for more innovative studies and new methodologies in order to move beyond the current trafficking narrative, which is often based on unrepresentative samples and overly simplified images. While new methods can potentially play a role in expanding the knowledge base on trafficking, this article argues that the solution is not entirely about applying new methods, but as much about using current methods to greater effect and with careful attention to their limitations and ethical constraints. Drawing on the authors’ experience in researching trafficking issues in a number of projects over the past decade, the article outlines and exemplifies some of the methodological and ethical issues to be considered and accommodated when conducting research with trafficked persons ‐‐ including unrepresentative samples; access to respondents; selection biases by “gatekeepers” and self selection by potential respondents. Such considerations should inform not only how research is undertaken but also how this information is read and understood. Moreover, many of these considerations equally apply when considering the application of new methods within this field. The article maintains that a better understanding of how these issues come into play and inform trafficking research will translate into tools for conducting improved research in this field and, by implication, new perspectives on human trafficking.