bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
BIOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF ANTIDIABETOGENIC PROPERTIES OF SOME COMMONLY USED INDIAN PLANTS ON STREPTOZOTOCIN‐INDUCED DIABETES IN EXPERIMENTAL RATS
Authors: Narendhirakannan RT , Subramanian S , Kandaswamy M 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

Diabetes mellitus is a serious metabolic disorder with micro‐ and macrovascular complications that results in significant morbidity and mortality.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypoglycaemic efficacy of commonly used traditional Indian plants, such as Murraya koenigii, Mentha piperitae, Ocimum sanctum and Aegle marmelos, in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced experimental rats.
Oral administration of the ethanolic extract of these plants resulted in a significant decrease in the levels of blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and urea, with a concomitant increase in glycogen, haemoglobin and protein, in diabetic rats. Treatment with these plant extracts also resulted in an increase in insulin and C‐peptide levels and glucose tolerance.
The decreased activities of carbohydrate‐metabolising enzymes, such as hexokinase, glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase and glycogen synthase, in diabetic rats were significantly elevated towards near normal in rats treated with extracts of M. koenigii, O. sanctum and A. marmelos; the increased activities of lactate dehydrogenase, fructose‐1,6‐bisphosphatase, glucose‐6‐phosphatase and glycogen phosphorylase in STZ diabetic rats were significantly reduced following treatment with the plant extracts.
Elevated specific binding of [125I]‐labelled insulin to the receptor found in diabetic rats was markedly decreased in extract‐treated groups. However, treatment of diabetic rats with M. piperitae did not result in any significant modification in all parameters.
Phytochemical screening conducted by us revealed the presence of biologically active ingredients in the ethanolic extracts of M. koenigii, O. sanctum and A. marmelos, which may readily account for the observed hypoglycaemic activity.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF INTRAVENOUSLY ADMINISTERED INSULIN‐LIKE GROWTH FACTOR‐I IN CONSCIOUS SPRAGUE‐DAWLEY RATS
Authors: Cao Nga , Lau Shannen , Nguyen Tien Thuy , White Paul J 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

Insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐I has acute effects on cardiovascular function, including a well‐characterized vasodilator response in isolated arteries. In addition to increasing the release of nitric oxide, IGF‐I also has effects on a variety of other signalling pathways that affect vascular tone, in particular interactions with the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. We sought to characterize the effects of intravenous IGF‐I on blood pressure and on responses to noradrenaline (NA), angiotensin II, acetylcholine and dobutamine.
Administration of IGF‐I administration caused small decreases in mean arterial pressure (5.4 ± 1.5%) and responsiveness to the prazosin‐sensitive vasoconstrictor effects of NA (a 2.1 ± 0.6‐fold increase in ED50; n = 40; P < 0.01) and both effects were maximal at 200 µg/kg IGF‐I. In addition, IGF‐I significantly increased pulse pressure increases induced by low doses of dobutamine (from an increase in pulse pressure of 9.9 ± 1.2 to 13.4 ± 1.9 mmHg; n = 39; P < 0.05). Administration of IGF‐I had no significant effect on responses to AngII or ACh.
Intravenous administration of IGF‐I receptor antisense oligonucleotides (400 µg/kg) abolished the effects of IGF‐I on NA‐induced vasoconstriction (n = 11; P < 0.05), whereas administration of a mismatch oligonucleotide did not.
These data indicate that the maximal effects of exogenously administered IGF‐I include modest direct vasodilation and inhibition of constrictor responses to NA and an increase in the effect of dobutamine on pulse pressure. The magnitude of these effects was less than what previous in vitro studies and those performed in anaesthetized animals may have indicated likely.
The modest magnitude of the dilator effects of IGF‐I observed in conscious rats in vivo in the present study suggests that IGF‐I is unlikely to be a major player in regulating vascular tone in normotensive animals.
REFLEXLY EVOKED COACTIVATION OF CARDIAC VAGAL AND SYMPATHETIC MOTOR OUTFLOWS: OBSERVATIONS AND FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Paton Julian FR , Nalivaiko Eugene , Boscan Pedro , Pickering Anthony E 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

The purpose of the present review is to highlight the pattern of activity in the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves innervating the heart during their reflex activation.
We describe the well‐known reciprocal control of cardiac vagal and sympathetic activity during the baroreceptor reflex, but point out that this appears to be the exception rather than the rule and that many other reflexes reviewed herein (e.g. peripheral chemoreceptor, nociceptor, diving response and oculocardiac) involve simultaneous coactivation of both autonomic limbs.
The heart rate response during simultaneous activation of cardiac autonomic outflows is unpredictable because it does not simply reflect the summation of opposing influences. Indeed, it can result in bradycardia (peripheral chemoreceptor, diving and corneal), tachycardia (nociceptor) and, in some circumstances, can predispose to malignant arrhythmias.
We propose that this cardiac autonomic coactivation may allow greater cardiac output during bradycardia (increased ventricular filling time and stronger contraction) than activation of the sympathetic limb alone. This may be important when pumping blood into a constricted vascular tree, such as is the case during the peripheral chemoreceptor reflex and the diving response.
DUAL ACTIVATION OF CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC COMPONENTS DURING CONDITIONED FEAR TO CONTEXT IN THE RAT
Authors: Carrive Pascal 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

The present study investigates the contribution of the sympathetic and vagal parasympathetic systems to the tachycardic response of long‐lasting (40 min) conditioned fear responses to context.
The conditioned fear response evoked by re‐exposure to a footshock chamber was tested 10 min after intravenous injection of the β‐adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol (2 mg/kg) or the muscarinic antagonist atropine methyl nitrate (2 mg/kg) in rats implanted with radiotelemetric probes.
Compared with saline controls, the drugs did not change the behavioural component of the response (freezing, 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations) or its pressor component (+28 mmHg).
Propranolol abolished the tachycardic response of fear, whereas atropine more than doubled it (from +75 to +175 b.p.m. above resting baseline).
The results demonstrate that both sympathetic and vagal parasympathetic outflows to the heart are strongly activated during conditioned fear. The vagal activation may act to hold back cardiac acceleration while the animal waits for the aversive stimulus to come.
DIFFERENTIAL CONTROL OF CARDIAC FUNCTIONS BY THE BRAIN
Authors: Salo Lauren M , Campos Ruy R , McAllen Robin M 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

The idea is introduced that cardiac rate, contractility or atrioventricular (A‐V) conduction spread may be controlled independently by the brain. Limited data from reflex studies are cited to support this view.
Evidence is presented that individual autonomic post‐ and preganglionic neurons have quite specific actions on the heart. Premotor and other central neurons can have preferential actions on heart rate, contractility or A‐V conduction.
The functional implications of selective cardiac control are discussed.
5‐HT1ARECEPTORS IN STRESS‐INDUCED CARDIAC CHANGES: A POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN MENTAL AND CARDIAC DISORDERS
Authors: Nalivaiko Eugene 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARYMental disorders associated with chronic stressors are established risk factors for cardiac morbidity and mortality, but there is no satisfactory explanation of the mechanistic link between mental and cardiac disorders.The present article presents the hypothesis suggesting that abnormal functioning of serotonin 5‐HT1Areceptors in the lower brain stem may represent this missing link. Currently available data suggest that there may be a global downregulation of 5‐HT1Areceptors in depressive and panic patients.Recent animal results indicate that 5‐HT1Areceptors, located in the medullary raphe, possibly on the raphe–spinal presympathetic cardiomotor neurons, reduce stress‐elicited activation of these neurons.Decreased density/function of 5‐H1Areceptors in the raphe area (possibly occurring during chronic stress/depression) may lead to increased sympathetic outflow to the heart and, consequently, to the increase in noradrenalin release from the cardiac sympathetic nerve terminals.
MECHANISMS OF SYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION IN HEART FAILURE
Authors: Watson AMD , Hood SG , May CN 
Published: December 2006

SUMMARY

Heart Failure (HF) is a serious, debilitating condition with poor survival rates and an increasing level of prevalence. A characteristic of HF is a compensatory neurohumoral activation that increases with the severity of the condition.
The increase in sympathetic activity may be beneficial initially, providing inotropic support to the heart and peripheral vasoconstriction, but in the longer term it promotes disease progression and worsens prognosis. This is particularly true for the increase in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, as shown by the strong inverse correlation between cardiac noradrenaline spillover and prognosis and by the beneficial effect of β‐adrenoceptor antagonists.
Possible causes for the raised level of sympathetic activity in HF include altered neural reflexes, such as those from baroreceptors and chemoreceptors, raised levels of hormones, such as angiotensin II, acting on circumventricular organs, and changes in central mechanisms that may amplify the responses to these inputs.
The control of sympathetic activity to different organs is regionally heterogeneous, as demonstrated by a lack of concordance in burst patterns, different responses to reflexes, opposite responses of cardiac and renal sympathetic nerves to central angiotensin and organ‐specific increases in sympathetic activity in HF. These observations indicate that, in HF, it is essential to study the factors causing sympathetic activation in individual outflows, in particular those that powerfully, and perhaps preferentially, increase cardiac sympathetic nerve activity.
Propofol and remifentanil for deep sedation in children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy
Authors: ABU‐SHAHWAN IBRAHIM , MACK DAVID 
Published: December 2006

SummaryPurpose:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a combination of propofol and remifentanil deep sedation in spontaneously breathing children less than 7 years of age undergoing upper and/or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.Methods:  The effect of propofol and remifentanil sedation was prospectively studied in 42 unpremedicated children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Anesthesia was induced with a combination of sevoflurane, nitrous oxide and oxygen. Anesthesia was maintained with an infusion of propofol (50–80 μg·kg−1·min−1) and remifentanil (0.1 μg·kg−1·min−1). Demographic data, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation were recorded every 5 min for each child. In addition, recovery and discharge times were recorded.Results:  All 42 procedures were completed with no complications. The combination of propofol and remifentanil resulted in a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. There was no respiratory depression or oxygen desaturation in any child. A bolus of propofol (1 mg·kg−1) was necessary in one child for excessive movement. No patient experienced any side effects in the recovery period.Conclusion:  The combination of propofol and remifentanil for sedation in children undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy can be considered safe, effective and acceptable.
Level of sedation evaluation with Cerebral State Index and A‐Line Arx in children undergoing diagnostic procedures
Authors: DISMA NICOLA , LAURETTA DANIELA , PALERMO FILIPPO , SAPIENZA DANILA , INGELMO PABLO MAURICIO , ASTUTO MARINELLA 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground:  Monitoring of anesthesia depth is difficult clinically, particularly in children. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation existing between CSI (Cerebral State Index), or AAI (A‐line ARX) and a clinical sedation scale such as UMSS (University of Michigan Sedation Scale), during deep sedation with propofol in children undergoing diagnostic procedures.Methods:  Twenty ASA I and II children, scheduled to undergo deep sedation for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS), were enrolled. The patients were randomly assigned to receive depth of anesthesia monitoring with CSI or AAI. The anesthetist administered repeated doses of propofol every 10 s to a UMSS score of 3–4. An attending anesthetist, not involved in drug administration, recorded time and doses of sedation medications, vital signs, UMSS score and CSI or AAI score. All the evaluations were recorded at awake state (baseline), every 10 s until an UMSS score of 3–4 and every 3 min until the children were awake.Results:  We enrolled 13 males and seven females ranging in age from 8 months to 7 years. After induction of anesthesia CSI and AAI scores decreased and from the end of the procedure to emergence the two scores increased. The CSI data showed a strong correlation with the UMSS scores (r = −0.861; P < 0.0001); we found a similar correlation between the AAI data and the UMSS scores (r = −0.823; P < 0.0001).Conclusions:  Our study suggests that CSI and AAI may be two, real‐time and objective tools to assess induction and emergence during propofol sedation in children undergoing EGDS and MRI.
Tension chylothorax in two pediatric patients
Authors: WHEELER ADAM D. , TOBIAS JOSEPH D. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryAlthough the accumulation of gas is the most common cause of an expanding interpleural space, the presence of other structures or substances (hydrothorax, gastrothorax, hemothorax, urohemothorax, pyothorax, and chylothorax) under pressure may be sufficient to cause hemodynamic and respiratory compromise. We present two pediatric patients that developed hemodynamic and respiratory effects secondary to a chylothorax. The first patient presented in respiratory distress and cardiovascular collapse 4 weeks after a Fontan procedure. Placement of a chest tube resulted in the release of chyle under pressure and prompt resolution of hemodynamic and respiratory symptoms. The second patient was a 2100 g neonate who developed a chylothorax during an episode of sepsis following gastroschisis repair. On two separate occasions, the development of the chylothorax was associated with tachycardia, oliguria, and increased requirements during mechanical ventilation. Chest tube placement resulted in the release of chyle under pressure and resolution of the symptoms. These two cases demonstrate that chylothorax like pneumothorax can have deleterious effects on hemodynamic and respiratory function.
AEP‐monitor/2 derived, composite auditory evoked potential index (AAI‐1.6) and bispectral index as predictors of sevoflurane concentration in children
Authors: IRONFIELD CRAIG M , DAVIDSON ANDREW J 
Published: December 2006

SummaryBackground:  Level of anesthesia may be predicted with the auditory evoked potential or with passive processed electroencephalogram (EEG) parameters. Some previous reports suggest the passive EEG does not reliably predict level of anesthesia in infants. The AAI‐1.6 is a relatively new index derived from the AEP/2 monitor. It combines auditory evoked potentials and passive EEG parameters into a single index. This study aimed to assess the AAI‐1.6 as a predictor of level of anesthesia in infants and children.Methods:  Four infants aged less than 1 year, and five older children aged between 2 and 11 years were enrolled. They all had uniform sevoflurane anesthesia for cardiac catheterization. The AAI‐1.6 and bispectral index (BIS) were recorded after achieving equilibrium at 1.5%, 2% and 2.5% sevoflurane, and immediately prior to awakening. The prediction coefficient (Pk) for BIS and AAI‐1.6 was calculated and compared within each age group.Results:  The Pk for the AAI‐1.6 was low in both 0–1 and 2–11 years age groups. In the 2–12 years group, the Pk for BIS was significantly higher than the Pk for the AAI‐1.6 (Pk for BIS: 0.89, Pk for AAI‐1.6: 0.53, P < 0.01). In contrast in the 0–1 year age group there was no evidence for a difference between the Pk for BIS and the Pk for the AAI‐1.6 (Pk for BIS: 0.74, Pk for AAI‐1.6: 0.53, P = 0.25).Conclusions:  This preliminary study suggests AAI‐1.6 is a poor predictor of sevoflurane concentration in infants and children.
Postnatal development of canine axial globe length measured by B‐scan ultrasonography
Authors: Tuntivanich N. , Petersen‐Jones Simon M. , Steibel Juan P. , Johnson C. , Forcier Janice Q. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractObjective The objectives of this study were to document the development of axial globe length (AGL) in normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs between 2 and 52 weeks of age, to determine a relationship between AGL and age, and derive an equation to predict AGL in normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs.Animals studied and procedure The AGL of twenty normal mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs was measured at 12 time points from 2 to 52 weeks of age using B‐scan ultrasonography.Results The mean (± SEM) AGL increased from 12.65 mm (± 0.18) at 2 weeks of age to 19.52 mm (± 0.18) at 52 weeks of age. The correlation between AGL and age was evaluated by fitting possible variables to a regression pattern. A linear model of natural logarithmic‐transformed value of AGL (mm) and age (week) was established. Side (left or right eye) and gender did not correlate with development of AGL.Conclusions A reverse transformation of the formula can be used to predict AGL in mesocephalic cross‐bred dogs: AGL = 10.847 * age in weeks0.1653.
Endless minds most beautiful
Authors: Finlay Barbara L. 
Published: December 2006

Abstract The marriage of evolution and development to produce the new discipline ‘evo‐devo’ in biology is situated in the general history of evolutionary biology, and its significance for developmental cognitive science is discussed. The discovery and description of the highly conserved, robust and ‘evolvable’ mechanisms that organize the vertebrate body plan and fundamental physiology have direct implications for what we should investigate in the evolution of behavior and cognition.
Comparative cognitive development
Authors: Matsuzawa Tetsuro 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThis paper aims to compare cognitive development in humans and chimpanzees to illuminate the evolutionary origins of human cognition. Comparison of morphological data and life history strongly highlights the common features of all primate species, including humans. The human mother–infant relationship is characterized by the physical separation of mother and infant, and the stable supine posture of infants, that enables vocal exchange, face‐to‐face communication, and manual gestures. The cognitive development of chimpanzees was studied using the participation observation method. It revealed that humans and chimpanzees show similar development until 3 months of age. However, chimpanzees have a unique type of social learning that lacks the social reference observed in human children. Moreover, chimpanzees have unique immediate short‐term memory capabilities. Taken together, this paper presents a plausible evolutionary scenario for the uniquely human characteristics of cognition.
‘Like me’: a foundation for social cognition
Authors: Meltzoff Andrew N. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractInfants represent the acts of others and their own acts in commensurate terms. They can recognize cross‐modal equivalences between acts they see others perform and their own felt bodily movements. This recognition of self–other equivalences in action gives rise to interpreting others as having similar psychological states such as perceptions and emotions. The ‘like me’ nature of others is the starting point for social cognition, not its culmination.
ASYMPTOTIC LIKELIHOOD APPROXIMATIONS USING A PARTIAL LAPLACE APPROXIMATION
Authors: Taylor Julian D. , Verbyla Arūnas P. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryElimination of a nuisance variable is often non‐trivial and may involve the evaluation of an intractable integral. One approach to evaluate these integrals is to use the Laplace approximation. This paper concentrates on a new approximation, called the partial Laplace approximation, that is useful when the integrand can be partitioned into two multiplicative disjoint functions. The technique is applied to the linear mixed model and shows that the approximate likelihood obtained can be partitioned to provide a conditional likelihood for the location parameters and a marginal likelihood for the scale parameters equivalent to restricted maximum likelihood (REML). Similarly, the partial Laplace approximation is applied to thet‐distributionto obtain an approximate REML for the scale parameter. A simulation study reveals that, in comparison to maximum likelihood, the scale parameter estimates of thet‐distributionobtained from the approximate REML show reduced bias.
A FULLY NONPARAMETRIC TEST FOR ONE‐WAY LAYOUTS
Authors: Elmore R. T. , Hettmansperger T. P. , Xuan F. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe use of a vector of sign statistics as the basis of a nonparametric test for equality of distributions in one‐way layouts is considered. An important feature of this test is its ability to detect a broad range of alternatives, including scale and shape differences. In this scenario, the data consist of several independent measurements on each treatment or subject. Presented here are a finite sample and asymptotic distribution theory for the test statistics and a discussion of a follow‐up clustering procedure based on a mixture model approximation. Finally, the methods are illustrated using two examples from the literature.
ASSESSING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIC RHINOCONJUNCTIVITIS AND POLLEN COUNTS
Authors: Byth K. , Cox D.R. , Forder P. 
Published: December 2006

SummaryThe relationship between daily pollen counts during the peak pollen season and hay fever symptoms in known sufferers of pollen allergy was investigated in a Sydney hospital‐based study. This paper develops statistical models for both the short term (day to day) associations and the longer term relationships between these time series. Possible effects of asthma status are investigated. The analyses illustrate how different relationships between time series may be explored in a simple way by working on different time scales with suitably transformed variables.
Are There Economic Incentives for Non‐Traditional Students to Enter HE? The Labour Market as a Barrier to Widening Participation
Authors: Adnett Nick , Slack Kim 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThe expansion of higher education (HE) in the UK has disproportionately benefited young people from relatively rich families: the gap between rich and poor in terms of participation in HE having widened since the 1970s. We explore a neglected possible cause of this class difference: that the labour market fails to provide sufficient incentives for potential entrants from less advantaged backgrounds to enter HE. Most studies of the rewards from participating in HE in the UK suggest that the rates of returns are sufficiently high to provide clear economic incentives to participate. However, until recently, most studies generated estimates of the average rate of return to graduation, which could overestimate returns to marginal entrants, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this review we examine the methodological problems faced by more targeted studies of the rates of return to graduation and review their key findings concerning the economic returns to non‐traditional entrants.