bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrastructural findings in progressive macular hypomelanosis indicate decreased melanin production
Authors: Relyveld GN , Dingemans KP , Menke HE , Bos JD , Westerhof W 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  The pathogenesis of progressive macular hypomelanosis (PMH) is unknown. Recently, Westerhof et al. (Arch Dermatol 2004; 140: 210–214) hypothesized that Propionibacterium acnes produces a depigmenting factor that interferes with melanogenesis in the skin, resulting in hypopigmented spots. The purpose of the study is to gain an insight into the pathogenesis of PMH.Materials and methods  We took a biopsy of 2‐mm diameter from normal and lesional skin in eight PMH patients. Using electron microscopy, we compared melanization of melanosomes, melanosome transfer and amount of epidermal melanin in normal and lesional skin.Result  Compared to non‐lesional skin, we observed a decrease of epidermal melanin and less melanized melanosomes in lesional skin of all patients. When comparing normal and lesional skin of patients with skin type V and VI, we observed a difference in melanosome size and maturation and a switch of transferred melanosomes from single stage IV transferred melanosomes to aggregated stage I, II and III transferred melanosomes, as seen in healthy skin of skin type I to IV.Conclusion  Hypopigmentation in PMH seems to be the result of an altered melanogenesis based on a decrease in melanin formation and a change in the distribution of melanosomes. In lesional skin of PMH patients with skin type V and VI less melanized, aggregated melanosomes in stead of single, mature melanosomes are transferred from melanocytes to keratinocytes. This results in a decrease of epidermal melanin. Further investigations are needed to determine the precise role of Propionibacterium acnes in this alteration of melanogenesis.
Late‐onset Behçet's disease does not correlate with indolent clinical course: report of seven Taiwanese patients
Authors: Tsai J , Chen G‐S , Lu Y‐W , Wu C‐S , Lan C‐C E. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractBackground  Behçet's disease (BD) is a recurrent multisystem disease of uncertain aetiology. The young adults are most often affected, usually during the third decade. Late occurrence of the disease is considered uncommon and less frequently investigated.Objective  The aim of this study was to examine the clinical features of BD patients with disease onset at a later age and compare them with the usual age of onset group.Methods  Retrospective review of clinical charts of BD patients was conducted. Patients with age of onset at or after 40 years of age were identified. The clinical profiles and medications required to control the disease activity were documented. Comparisons of clinical features and the medications used were made between patients with disease onset before and after 40 years of age.Results  Seven late‐onset BD patients were identified. Among them, five patients required the use of systemic immunosuppressant in addition to colchicine and corticosteroid for adequate disease control. There is no significant difference in clinical profiles between patients with disease onset before and after 40 years of age, but the incidence of uveitis, an indicator of unfavourable prognosis, was surprisingly high. More specifically, it was noted in four of seven patients identified.Conclusion  Our findings indicate that the clinical course of BD is not indolent in the patients with late‐onset BD. More importantly, physicians should be aware that BD can occur in older patients, and close attention regarding their disease activities is warranted as their clinical courses may not be as benign as previously believed.
Doomed to die? Predicting extinction risk in the true hawks Accipitridae
Authors: Krüger O. , Radford A. N. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractOne of the most important tasks in conservation biology is identifying species at risk from extinction and establishing the most likely factors influencing this risk. Here, we consider an ecologically well‐defined, monophyletic group of organisms, the true hawks of the family Accipitridae, which are not only among the most studied, but also contain some of the rarest bird species in the world. We investigate which intrinsic and extrinsic factors, covering morphology, life history and ecology, covary with International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources threat status, as well as global population size and geographic range size. By decomposing threat status into population size and range size, we test whether any factors are generally important: we found that species with less habitat specialization, a larger clutch size and more plumage polymorphism were associated with lower extinction risk and larger population and range sizes. Species with special habitat requirements might be less capable of dealing with habitat transformation and fragmentation, while species with small clutch sizes might not be able to reverse population declines. Plumage polymorphism might indicate the size of the species' gene pool and could be a good marker of extinction risk. The analyses also emphasized that no single factor is likely to be sufficient when predicting the threat of extinction.
Conservation implications of prey responses to wild dogs Lycaon pictus during the denning season on wildlife ranches
Authors: Romañach S. S. , Lindsey P. A. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThe spread of game ranching in southern Africa provides opportunities for the reestablishment of populations of endangered wild dogs extirpated by livestock ranchers. However, this potential has not been realized, partly because of negative rancher perceptions. Some ranchers believe that wild dogs impart costs by killing wildlife that could be utilized consumptively. Others complain that wild dogs make ungulates ‘skittish’ and cause local reductions in prey densities while denning. We compared the skittishness and density of prey species inside and outside the denning home ranges of nine wild dog packs in Zimbabwe. Wild dogs had no impact on prey skittishness, but prey species did occur at lower densities inside denning home ranges. In some scenarios, and particularly on fenced game ranches, wild dogs could cause prey population declines during denning. On small game ranches, the use of fences as a tool by wild dogs during hunting can increase the proportion of large prey species in their diet by up to 11 times, and thus increase the minimum area required to support that diet. In addition, game fencing is typically permeable to wild dogs but not their prey, preventing the recovery of prey populations through the natural influx of prey animals into the denning area following departure of the dogs. Wild dogs could thus impose significant financial costs to game ranchers hosting denning packs. Our findings emphasize the importance of promoting the formation of conservancies, where neighbouring landowners remove boundary fences to create larger contiguous wildlife areas.
Evaluation of the NK2 Homeobox 1 Gene (NKX2‐1) as a Hirschsprung's Disease Locus  THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN RETRACTED
Authors: Garcia‐Barceló M.‐M. , Lau D. K. , Ngan E. S. , Leon T. Y. , Liu T. , So M. , Miao X. , Lui V. C. , Wong K. K. , Ganster R. W. , Cass D. T. , Croaker G. D. H. , Tam P. K. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryHirschsprung's disease (HSCR, colonic aganglionosis) is an oligogenic entity that usually requires mutations in RET and other interacting loci. Decreased levels of RET expression may lead to the manifestation of HSCR. We previously showed that RET transcription was decreased due to alteration of the NKX2–1 binding site by two HSCR‐associated RET promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). This prompted us to investigate whether DNA alterations in NKX2‐1 could play a role in HSCR by affecting the RET‐regulatory properties of the NKX2–1 protein. Our initial study on 86 Chinese HSCR patients revealed a Gly322Ser amino acid substitution in the NKX2–1 protein. In this study, we have examined 102 additional Chinese and 70 Caucasian patients and 194 Chinese and 60 Caucasian unselected, unrelated, subjects as controls. The relevance of the DNA changes detected in NKX2‐1 by direct sequencing were evaluated using bioinformatics, reporter and binding‐assays, mouse neurosphere culture, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence techniques. Met3Leu and Pro48Pro were identified in 2 Caucasian and 1 Chinese patients respectively. In vitro analysis showed that Met3Leu reduced the activity of the RET promoter by 100% in the presence of the wild‐type or HSCR‐associated RET promoter SNP alleles. The apparent binding affinity of the NKX2–1 mutated protein was not decreased. The Met3Leu mutation may affect the interaction of NKX2–1 with its protein partners. The absence of NKX2‐1 expression in mouse but not in human gut suggests that the role of NKX2–1 in gut development differs between the two species. NKX2‐1 mutations could contribute to HSCR by affecting RET expression through defective interactions with other transcription factors.
Association of Polymorphic Sites in the OCA2 Gene with Eye Colour Using the Tree Scanning Method
Authors: Branicki W. , Brudnik U. , Kupiec T. , Wolańska‐Nowak P. , Szczerbińska A. , Wojas‐Pelc A. 
Published: February 2008

SummaryA number of genes are considered to affect normal variation in human pigmentation. Recent studies have indicated that OCA2 is the crucial gene involved in the high variation of iris colour present among populations of European descent. In this study, eleven polymorphisms of the OCA2 gene were examined in search of their association with different pigment traits. The evolutionary tree scanning method indicated that the strongest phenotypic eye colour variation is associated with the branch defined by nonsynonymous change rs1800407, which refers to amino acid causing change Arg419Gln located in exon 13. Single SNP analysis indicated that allele 419Gln is associated with green/hazel iris colour (p < 0.001). According to tree scanning analysis, the proportion of eye colour variation explained by this nucleotide position is merely 4%. Thus, additional variation present in the OCA2 gene and perhaps some other pigment related genes must be taken into account in order to explain the high phenotypic variation in iris colour.
Selection of features within and without objects: Effects of gestalt appearance and object‐based instruction on behavior and event‐related brain potentials
Authors: Verleger Rolf , Groen Margriet , Heide Wolfgang , Sobieralska Kinga , Jaśkowski Piotr 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe studied how physical and instructed embedding of features in gestalts affects perceptual selection. Four ovals on the horizontal midline were either unconnected or pairwise connected by circles, forming ears of left and right heads (gestalts). Relevant to responding was the position of one colored oval, either within its pair or relative to fixation (“object‐based” or “fixation‐based” instruction). Responses were faster under fixation‐ than object‐based instruction, less so with gestalts. Previously reported increases of N1 when evoked by features within objects were replicated for fixation‐based instruction only. There was no effect of instruction on N2pc. However P1 increased under the adequate instruction, object‐based for gestalts, fixation‐based for unconnected items, which presumably indicated how foci of attention were set by expecting specific stimuli under instructions that specified how to bind these stimuli to objects.
Changes of performance monitoring with learning in older and younger adults
Authors: Pietschmann Maria , Simon Katja , Endrass Tanja , Kathmann Norbert 
Published: February 2008

AbstractThis study examined age differences in performance monitoring during learning of a stimulus–response association task. At the beginning of the learning process, amplitudes of the response‐locked error‐related negativity (ERN or Ne) and correct response‐related negativity (CRN) did not differ in both age groups. With advanced learning the response ERN/Ne increased and the CRN decreased in younger adults, but did not dissociate in older adults. Feedback ERN amplitudes decreased with learning in both age groups and were reduced in older relative to younger adults. Results indicate that performance monitoring became error specific with advanced learning in younger adults, but not in older adults. This might be due to weak representations of stimulus‐response mappings in older adults as they learned worse. The decrease of the feedback ERN with learning and aging might suggest a decline of attention paid to negative feedback.
Modernizing times: UK hearing‐impaired consumers at the policy crossroads
Authors: Ross Liz 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAlthough there is now a long‐standing belief in the UK that free consumer choice improves market efficiency, the supply of some consumer products and services remained controlled by the state. In the interests of consumers, it regards as vulnerable to misdirection and malpractice or unlikely to have the technical expertise to make informed decisions. Historically, the supply of hearings aids has been restricted to the National Health Service and specific licensed practitioners in the independent sector. Recent changes to both product and service provision have brought about a radical alteration to this situation, and to the framework of control. This case study of a changing healthcare system demonstrates more generally the difficulties experienced by people trying to improve or maintain auditory functions for speech communication. Access to appropriate technological solutions may be precluded by cost, distribution arrangements or lack of knowledge. Overarching these difficulties, regional health policy variations within the UK mean that consumer experiences vary according to where they live. Consumer influence over the direction and scope of changes to the hearing aid market is limited despite the rhetoric of choice. This article examines the emerging ‘liberalized’ market and its contradictions.
Consumer values, the theory of planned behaviour and online grocery shopping
Authors: Hansen Torben 
Published: February 2008

AbstractTaking a hierarchical value‐attitude‐behaviour approach, this study empirically tests relations of consumer personal values, attitude, social norm, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and willingness to buy groceries online. The study distinguishes three groups of consumers: consumers who have not yet bought anything on the Internet; consumers who have bought something on the Internet – but not groceries; and consumers who have bought something on the Internet – including groceries. Data were collected from an online survey of Swedish consumers (n = 1058) using self‐administered questionnaires. The findings suggest that consumers may link personal values to attitude towards online grocery buying – but also that this relation may be moderated by whether the consumer previously has carried out an online purchase or an online grocery purchase.
Consumer behaviour of Brazilian primary school students: findings from focus group interviews
Authors: Fiates Giovanna Medeiros Rataichesck , De Mello Castanho Amboni Renata Dias , Teixeira Evanilda 
Published: February 2008

AbstractChildren worldwide are becoming avid consumers of virtually every type of product and service, which qualifies them as an important primary market. The purpose of this study was to obtain primary data about the consumer behaviour of a group of Brazilian children using a qualitative approach. Twelve focus group interviews were conducted with primary school students (7–10 years, n = 57), and results were processed through content analysis. Many, but not all students, received an allowance, mostly from parents and grandparents. Many students spent the money immediately or after just saving only enough to buy a desired item; others preferred to save their money for the sake of saving it or for a specific future endeavor. Money was spent mainly on food, toys and clothes; sometimes on the impulse of the moment and associated with later guilt. Television was considered a big source of information on new products, but regarded as untrustworthy. When they could not get what they wanted, most children appealed to negotiation strategies; many also reported feeling sad or cross. Results showed a situation of late socialization as consumers, suggesting the children could benefit from consumer education strategies targeted at them.
Effect of ovarian hormones on survival genes in laser captured serotonin neurons from macaques
Authors: Bethea Cynthia L. , Reddy Arubala P. 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe sought the effect of estradiol (E) and progesterone (P) on survival gene expression in laser captured serotonin neurons and in the dorsal raphe region of monkeys with cDNA array analysis. Spayed rhesus macaques were treated with either placebo, E or E + P via Silastic implant for 1 month prior to killing. First, RNA from a small block of midbrain containing the dorsal raphe was hybridized to Rhesus Gene Chips (n = 3/treatment). There was a significant change in 854 probe sets with E ± P treatment (anova, p < 0.05); however, only 151 probes sets exhibited a twofold or greater change. Twenty‐five genes related to cell survival changed significantly. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, superoxide dismutase (SOD1), and the caspase inhibitor, BIRC4, was confirmed with quantitative RT‐PCR. Then, RNA from laser captured serotonin neurons (n = 2/treatment) was hybridized to Rhesus Gene Chips. There was a significant change in 744 probe sets, but 10 493 probe sets exhibited a twofold or greater change. Pivotal changes in apoptosis and cell cycle pathways included twofold or greater increases in SOD1, IκBα, Fas apoptotic inhibitory molecule, fibroblast growth factor‐receptor 2 (FGFR2), neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 2 (NTRK2), phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase (p85 subunit), cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase (PKA) (catalytic subunit), calpain 2, and ataxia telangectasia mutated (ATM). Twofold or greater decreases occurred in TNF receptor interacting serine‐threonine kinase 1 (RIP1), BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID), apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1 (Apaf1), caspase recruitment domain 8 (CARD8), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), Diablo and Cyclins A, B, D, and E. The regulation of SOD1, calpain 2, Diablo, and Cyclin D was confirmed with quantitative RT‐PCR (n = 3/treatment). The data indicate that ovarian steroids target the cytokine‐signaling pathway, caspase‐dependent and ‐independent pathways and cell cycle proteins to promote serotonin neuron survival.
Transient adenosine efflux in the rat caudate–putamen
Authors: Cechova Sylvia , Venton B. Jill 
Published: February 2008

AbstractAdenosine is an endogenous byproduct of metabolism that regulates cerebral blood flow and modulates neurotransmission. Four receptors, with affinities ranging from nanomolar to micromolar, mediate the effects of adenosine. Real‐time measurements are needed to understand the extracellular adenosine concentrations available to activate these receptors. In this study, we measured the subsecond time course of adenosine efflux in the caudate–putamen of anesthetized rats after a 1 s, high‐frequency stimulation of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra. Fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon‐fiber microelectrodes was used for simultaneous detection of adenosine and dopamine, which have different oxidation potentials. While dopamine was immediately released after electrical stimulation, adenosine accumulation was slightly delayed and cleared in about 15 seconds. The concentration of adenosine measured after electrical stimulation was 0.94 ± 0.09 μM. An adenosine kinase inhibitor, adenosine transport inhibitor, and a histamine synthetic precursor were used to pharmacologically confirm the identity of the measured substance as adenosine. Adenosine efflux was also correlated with increases in oxygen, which occur because of changes in cerebral blood flow. This study shows that extracellular adenosine transiently increases after short bursts of neuronal activity in concentrations that can activate receptors.
Transcription factor early growth response‐1 induction mediates inflammatory gene expression and brain damage following transient focal ischemia
Authors: Tureyen Kudret , Brooks Nathaniel , Bowen Kellie , Svaren John , Vemuganti Raghu 
Published: February 2008

AbstractEarly growth response‐1 (Egr1) is a sequence‐specific transcription factor (TF) which is induced under hypoxic conditions. We presently report that transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) leads to increased expression of Egr1 in the brains of adult mice and rats between 2 h and 5 days of reperfusion with a peak increase of 8–12‐fold at 1 day. When subjected to transient MCAO and 3 days of reperfusion, Egr1−/− mice showed significantly smaller infarcts (by 44.9 ± 8.4%, p < 0.05) and improved neurological function than Egr1+/+ littermates. Following transient MCAO, brains of Egr1−/− mice showed less water accumulation and decreased neutrophil infiltration (by 42 ± 8%, p < 0.05) compared to Egr1+/+ mice. The number of activated microglia/macrophages were also significantly lower (OX42+ cells by 53 ± 9%, p < 0.05 and ED1+ cells by 59 ± 11%) in the post‐ischemic cortex of Egr1−/− mice compared to Egr1+/+ mice. In addition, post‐ischemic inflammatory gene expression was less pronounced in the brains of Egr1−/− mice compared to Egr1+/+ mice. Preventing cerebral Egr1 protein induction with small interference RNAs that target Egr1 decreased inflammatory gene expression and led to smaller infarcts (by 40.2 ± 6.9%, p < 0.05) and reduced neurological deficits in rats subjected to transient MCAO. Conversely, transient MCAO following adenoviral‐mediated Egr1 over‐expression exacerbated the infarct volume (by 29 ± 5.3%, p < 0.05) and worsened the neurological deficits in rats. These studies indicate Egr1 as a significant contributor of inflammation and neuronal damage after stroke.
N,N‐dimethyl‐thioamphetamine and methyl‐thioamphetamine, two non‐neurotoxic substrates of 5‐HT transporters, have scantin vitroefficacy for the induction of transporter‐mediated 5‐HT release and currents
Authors: Gobbi Marco , Funicello Marcella , Gerstbrein Klaus , Holy Marion , Moya Pablo R. , Sotomayor Ramón , Forray María Inés , Gysling Katia , Paluzzi Silvio , Bonanno Giambattista , Reyes‐Parada Miguel , Sitte Harald H. , Mennini Tiziana 
Published: February 2008

AbstractWe studied two non‐neurotoxic amphetamine derivatives (methyl‐thioamphetamine, MTA andN,N‐dimethylMTA, DMMTA) interacting with serotonin (5‐HT) transporters (SERTs) with affinities comparable to that ofp‐Cl‐amphetamine (pCA). The rank order for their maximal effects in inducing both [3H]5‐HT release from rat brain synaptosomes or hSERT‐expressing HEK‐293 cells, and currents in hSERT‐expressing oocytes, was pCA » MTA ≥ DMMTA. A correlation between drug‐induced release and currents is also strengthened by the similar bell shape of the dose–response curves. Release experiments indicated that MTA and DMMTA are SERT substrates although MTA is taken up by HEK‐293 cells with aVmax40% lower than pCA. The weak effects of MTA and DMMTAin vitromight therefore be due to their properties as ‘partial substrates’ on the mechanisms, other than translocation, responsible for currents and/or release. After either local or systemicin vivoadministration, MTA and DMMTA release 5‐HT in a manner comparable to pCA. These findings confirm that the neurotoxic properties of some amphetamine derivatives are independent of their 5‐HT‐releasing activityin vivo. It is worth noting that only those amphetamine derivatives with high efficiency in inducing 5‐HT release and currentsin vitrohave neurotoxic properties.