bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
RNA interference of the BMPR‐IB gene blocks BMP‐2‐induced osteogenic gene expression in human bone cells
Authors: Singhatanadgit W. , Salih V. , Olsen I. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractWe have previously shown that human bone cells express bone morphogenetic protein receptor‐IB (BMPR‐IB). However, little is known about the precise role of this receptor in the response of osteoblastic genes to the BMP in these cells. To determine BMPR‐IB‐dependent osteoblastic gene expression, the present study examined the effects of BMPR‐IB knockdown on BMP‐induced osteoblast‐associated genes. BMPR‐IB mRNA and protein were markedly suppressed by transfection of cells with BMPR‐IB siRNA. Using three different bone cell samples, BMP‐2 stimulation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OC), distal‐less homeobox‐5 (Dlx5) and core binding factor alpha‐1 (Cbfa1) was found to be specifically and significantly reduced in the BMPR‐IB siRNA‐transfected cultures compared with that of control cultures. Our study has provided evidence that BMPR‐IB‐dependent signaling plays a crucial role in BMP‐2 up‐regulation of the ALP, OC, Dlx5 and Cbfa1 genes in bone cells, suggesting a pivotal role of this receptor in BMP‐2‐induced osteoblast differentiation in vitro. These findings thus suggest the possibility that BMPR‐IB could be a therapeutic target for enhancing bone regeneration in vivo.
Temporal summation of pressure pain during muscle hyperalgesia evoked by nerve growth factor and eccentric contractions
Authors: Nie Hongling , Madeleine Pascal , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Graven‐Nielsen Thomas 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTNerve growth factor (NGF) has a key role in the generation and potentiation of pain. Its centrally sensitizing effects may facilitate pain responses to noxious stimulus. This study assessed (1) the influence of NGF on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in shoulder muscles; and (2) the temporal summation of pressure pain during hyperalgesia induced by NGF and DOMS. In a blinded design, 10 healthy subjects were injected with NGF in the trapezius muscle on one side and with isotonic saline on the contralateral side as control. The subjects undertook shoulder eccentric exercise to induce DOMS in the shoulder muscles 3h after the injections. The soreness intensity to muscle contraction, pressure pain thresholds (PPT), and pain intensity to sequential stimuli (i.e. temporal summation at 1 and 30s inter‐stimulus interval (ISI)) were assessed before injections −3, 24h, and 4, 7, and 21 days after injections. The soreness intensity to muscle contraction significantly increased at 3 and 24h in both shoulders (P<0.05) and went back to baseline levels at day 7. The same development was seen in PPT as reduced thresholds (P<0.05). The NGF injected side had higher pain ratings during temporal summation at 1s ISI compared with the contralateral side 24h after injections. Intramuscular administration of NGF intensified the DOMS responses, evoking facilitated temporal summation. Central as well as peripheral sensitization mechanisms may play a role in the facilitation.
Prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in a resource‐poor setting
Authors: Geerts Lut 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and efficiency of systematic, ultrasound‐based risk adjustment using a published algorithm with that of a maternal age cutoff of 37 years for the prenatal detection of chromosomal abnormalities (especially autosomal trisomies).MethodsThese approaches were compared in a retrospective study of 136 chromosomal abnormalities confirmed by karyotyping prenatally (n = 46) or postnatally (n = 90). There were 114 autosomal trisomies.ResultsMaternal age was known for 103 fetuses with confirmed abnormalities. The ultrasound‐based risk adjustment approach was more sensitive for autosomal trisomy (93.9% vs 44.1%), and karyotyping for younger women with abnormalities on ultrasound was more effective than routine karyotyping in older women (1 trisomy detected in 13.5 vs 42.8 samples, P < 0.001). A lack of screening was the main reason for the postnatal diagnosis.ConclusionUltrasound‐based risk adjustment was the more effective approach.
When did Ownership Separate from Control? Corporate Governance in the Early Nineteenth Century
Authors: HILT ERIC 
Published: August 2008

This article analyzes the ownership structures and governance institutions of New York's corporations in the 1820s, using a new dataset collected from the records of the state's 1823 capital tax, and from the corporate charters. In contrast to Berle and Means's account of the development of the corporation, the results indicate that many firms were dominated by large shareholders, who were represented on the firms' boards, and held sweeping power to utilize the firms' resources for their own benefit. To address this problem, many firms configured their voting rights in a way that curtailed the power of large investors.“…we complain of directors considering themselves thecompany,when they are merely theagents.”1
Role of early voice therapy in patients affected by unilateral vocal fold paralysis
Authors: D'Alatri L , Galla S , Rigante M , Antonelli O , Buldrini S , Marchese M R 
Published: August 2008

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the functional results obtained after voice therapy in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis caused by different aetiologies.Design:Prospective analysis of the outcome of unilateral vocal fold paralysis cases treated at our speech and language rehabilitation service from November 2003 to January 2006. Thirty cases underwent behavioural treatment, between two and six weeks after unilateral vocal fold paralysis onset. A multi-dimensional assessment was carried out before, immediately after and six months after treatment.Results:After behavioural therapy, the prevalence of complete glottal closure increased significantly (p < 0.05). Subjects' pre-therapy mean values for jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio were statistically significantly different from those taken both immediately and six months after treatment (p < 0.05). The mean values for voice turbulence index significantly improved only six months after therapy (0.08 vs 0.04). At both post-treatment assessments, voice range profile analysis showed a significant decrease of lowest voice frequency and a significant increase of the number of semitones (p < 0.05). Mean values for grade, instability, breathiness, asthenia and voice handicap index scores were significantly decreased both immediately and six months after treatment, compared with pre-treatment values (p < 0.05).Conclusions:Early voice therapy may enable significant improvement in vocal function, allowing the patient to avoid surgery.
Displacement and ethnic reintegration in Ituri, DR Congo: challenges ahead
Authors: Pottier Johan 
Published: August 2008

ABSTRACTThis article examines the ethnic character of Ituri's complex emergency. It considers the local context in which the IDP predicament has unfolded, asking questions about the prospect of, and responsibilities for, post-conflict reintegration. As militia disarmament and peace are linked but not coterminous, it is argued that militant ethnic agendas at the core of the conflict must be scrutinised for their ongoing significance. Revealing the past to be a contested terrain, these agendas call for an apartheid-style solution along lines of segregation first envisaged by Belgian colonialists. To move towards ethnic reintegration, Iturians face the challenge that they must create a common history freed from the stranglehold of extremist interpretations.
Records of Oncaeidae (Copepoda) from the Gulf of Naples, with new records of three species of Triconia
Authors: Di Capua Iole , Boxshall Geoff A. 
Published: August 2008

Three species of Oncaeidae, Triconia umerus, T. hawii and T. rufa are reported for the first time in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Naples, Tyrrhenian Sea, western Mediterranean Sea. They were found in meso-zooplankton samples collected in 2004 and were absent from samples collected prior to 2004. Specimens of Triconia umerus and T. hawii were compared with material collected from the type locality (the Red Sea). In order to facilitate identification, brief differential diagnoses, supported by scanning electron micrographs, are presented for the five species of Triconia that have small body size (450 to 600 μm) and co-occur in the upper 50 m of the water column of the Gulf of Naples. Surface ornamentation on the genital double-somite of the female is reported in T. minuta and T. hawii for the first time, but it is difficult to observe using light microscopy and we infer that it has probably been overlooked in these species hitherto. Possible explanations for the new discovery of these species in such a well-studied area are discussed and it is suggested that they represent relatively recent additions to the fauna. A key to the eleven species of Oncaeidae found in the Gulf of Naples is presented.
Effect of circular arc feet on a control law for a biped
Authors: Kinugasa T. , Chevallereau C. , Aoustin Y. 
Published: August 2008

SUMMARYThe purpose of our research is to study the effects of circular arc feet on the biped walk with a geometric tracking control. The biped studied is planar and is composed of five links and four actuators located at each hip and each knee thus the biped is underactuated in single support phase. A geometric evolution of the biped configuration is controlled, instead of a temporal evolution. The input-output linearization with a PD control law and a feed forward compensation is used for geometric tracking. The controller virtually constrains 4 degrees of freedom (DoF) of the biped, and 1 DoF (the absolute orientation of the biped) remained. The temporal evolution of the remained system with impact events is analyzed using Poincaré map. The map is given by an analytic expression based on the angular momentum about the contact point. The effect of the radii of the circular arc feet on the stability is studied. As a result, the speed of convergence decreases when the radii increases, if the radius is larger than the leg length the cyclic motion is not more stable. Among the stable cyclic motion, larger radius broadens the basin of attraction. Our results agree with those obtained for passive dynamic walking on stability, even if the biped is controlled through the geometric tracking.
Motor Nucleus of the Trigeminal Nerve
Authors:   Allen Institute for Brain Science, Kostakis Nicholas , Ng Lydia , Guillozet-Bongaarts Angela 
Published: August 2008

AbstractThis report contains a summary of expression patterns for genes that are enriched in the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve (V) of the pons. All data is derived from the Allen Brain Atlas (ABA) in situ hybridization mouse project. The structure's location and morphological characteristics in the mouse brain are described using the Nissl data found in the Allen Reference Atlas. Using an established algorithm, the expression values of the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve were compared to the values of its larger parent structure, in this case the pons, for the purpose of extracting regionally selective gene expression data. The highest ranking genes were manually curated and verified. 50 genes were then selected and compiled for expression analysis. The experimental data for each gene may be accessed via the links provided; additional data in the sagittal plane may also be accessed using the ABA. Correlations between gene expression in the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve and the rest of the brain, across all genes in the coronal dataset (~4300 genes), were derived computationally. A gene ontology table (derived from DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 2007) is also included, highlighting possible functions of the 50 genes selected for this report.
Molecular pathogenesis of sialic acid storage diseases: insight gained from four missense mutations and a putative polymorphism of human sialin
Authors: Ruivo Raquel , Sharifi Azita , Boubekeur Samira , Morin Pierre , Anne Christine , Debacker Cécile , Graziano Jean‐Charles , Sagné Corinne , Gasnier Bruno 
Published: August 2008

Background information. Free sialic acid storage diseases are caused by mutations of a lysosomal sialic acid transporter called sialin. We showed recently that the milder clinical form, Salla disease, and a related non‐Finish case, are characterized by residual transport, whereas sialin mutants found in lethal infantile cases are inactive. In the present study, we have characterized the molecular effects of a putative polymorphism (M316I) and of four pathogenic mutations associated with either infantile (G127E and R57C) or Salla‐like (G409E) phenotypes, or both (G328E). The transport activity of human sialin was analysed using a novel assay that was based on a construct without the functional lysosomal sorting motif, which is expressed at the plasma membrane.Results. The lysosomal localization of human sialin was not (M316I and G328E) or only partially (R57C, G127E and G409E) affected by the missense mutations. In contrast, all pathogenic mutations abolished transport, whereas the putative M316I polymorphism induced an approx. 5‐fold decrease of sialic acid transport.Conclusions. The molecular effects of the R57C and G127E mutations strengthen the conclusion that the infantile phenotype is caused by loss‐of‐function mutations. On the other hand, the milder severity of the heterozygous G409E patient may reflect an incomplete expression of the splicing mutation present on the second allele. In the case of the G328E mutation, found in the homozygous state in a clinically heterogeneous family, the apparent severity of the transport phenotype suggests that the genetic or environmental factors underlying this clinical heterogeneity might be protective.
Preventing Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the United States: A Multicenter Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Krein Sarah L. , Kowalski Christine P. , Damschroder Laura , Forman Jane , Kaufman Samuel R. , Saint Sanjay 
Published: August 2008

Objective.To determine what practices are used by hospitals to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and, through qualitative methods, to understand more fully why hospitals use certain practices and not others.Design.Mixed-methods, sequential explanatory study.Methods.We mailed a survey to the lead infection control professionals at 719 US hospitals (119 Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] hospitals and 600 non-VA hospitals), to determine what practices are used to prevent VAP. We then selected 14 hospitals for an in-depth qualitative investigation, to ascertain why certain infection control practices are used and others not, interviewing 86 staff members and visiting 6 hospitals.Results.The survey response rate was 72%; 83% of hospitals reported using semirecumbent positioning, and only 21% reported using subglottic secretion drainage. Multivariable analyses indicated collaborative initiatives were associated with the use of semirecumbent positioning but provided little guidance regarding the use of subglottic secretion drainage. Qualitative analysis, however, revealed 3 themes: (1) collaboratives strongly influence the use of semirecumbent positioning but have little effect on the use of subglottic secretion drainage; (2) nurses play a major role in the use of semirecumbent positioning, but they are only minimally involved with the use of subglottic secretion drainage; and (3) there is considerable debate about the evidence supporting subglottic secretion drainage, despite a meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials of subglottic secretion drainage that generally supported this preventive practice, compared with only 2 published randomized trials of semirecumbent positioning, one of which concluded that it was ineffective at preventing the development of VAP.Conclusion.Semirecumbent positioning is commonly used to prevent VAP, whereas subglottic secretion drainage is used far less often. We need to understand better how evidence related to prevention practices is identified, interpreted, and used to ensure that research findings are reliably translated into clinical practice.
A toolkit for analysing large-scale plant small RNA datasets
Authors: Moxon Simon , Schwach Frank , Dalmay Tamas , MacLean Dan , Studholme David J. , Moulton Vincent 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Summary: Recent developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have generated considerable demand for tools to analyse large datasets of small RNA sequences. Here, we describe a suite of web-based tools for processing plant small RNA datasets. Our tools can be used to identify micro RNAs and their targets, compare expression levels in sRNA loci, and find putative trans-acting siRNA loci.
Availability: The tools are freely available for use at http://srna-tools.cmp.uea.ac.uk
Contact: vincent.moulton@cmp.uea.ac.uk
The monkfish fishery and its management in the northeastern USA
Authors: Haring Phil , Maguire J-J. 
Published: August 2008

Abstract
Haring, P., and Maguire, J-J. 2008. The monkfish fishery and its management in the northeastern USA. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 65: 1370–1379. The domestic monkfish (Lophius americanus) fishery off the northeastern USA is described, along with the management response to the expansion of the fishery and the challenges posed to the management and scientific processes. The US fishery was virtually non-existent in the early 1980s, but it expanded rapidly over the next decade to the point that a management plan became necessary to regulate harvesting. By law, US fishery management plans must include measurable biological reference points based on maximum sustainable yield or a proxy; management plans must stop overfishing and rebuild overfished stocks. For monkfish, the limited biological and historical fisheries information presented significant challenges to science and management and resulted in the adoption of innovative approaches to comply with the law.
A New Color Variant of the Dry Bean Bacterial Wilt Pathogen (Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens) Found in Western Nebraska
Authors: Harveson Robert M. , Vidaver Anne K. 
Published: August 2008

Bacterial wilt of dry beans, caused by Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Cff), has long been a sporadic but often serious production problem throughout the irrigated High Plains. Because of the systemic nature of this disease, the pathogen will often color or stain seeds. This paper represents the first report of a new color variant for Cff and, combined with the occurrence of the other three pathogen variants for more than 50 years. Accepted for publication 25 June 2008. Published 15 August 2008.
The MADS Domain Protein DIANA Acts Together with AGAMOUS-LIKE80 to Specify the Central Cell inArabidopsisOvules
Authors: Bemer Marian , Wolters-Arts Mieke , Grossniklaus Ueli , Angenent Gerco C. 
Published: August 2008

AbstractMADS box genes in plants consist of MIKC-type and type I genes. While MIKC-type genes have been studied extensively, the functions of type I genes are still poorly understood. Evidence suggests that type I MADS box genes are involved in embryo sac and seed development. We investigated two independent T-DNA insertion alleles of the Arabidopsis thaliana type I MADS box gene AGAMOUS-LIKE61 (AGL61) and showed that in agl61 mutant ovules, the polar nuclei do not fuse and central cell morphology is aberrant. Furthermore, the central cell begins to degenerate before fertilization takes place. Although pollen tubes are attracted and perceived by the mutant ovules, neither endosperm development nor zygote formation occurs. AGL61 is expressed in the central cell during the final stages of embryo sac development. An AGL61:green fluorescent protein–β-glucoronidase fusion protein localizes exclusively to the polar nuclei and the secondary nucleus of the central cell. Yeast two-hybrid analysis showed that AGL61 can form a heterodimer with AGL80 and that the nuclear localization of AGL61 is lost in the agl80 mutant. Thus, AGL61 and AGL80 appear to function together to differentiate the central cell in Arabidopsis. We renamed AGL61 DIANA, after the virginal Roman goddess of the hunt.
Phylogeny of scolopendromorph centipedes (Chilopoda): morphological analysis featuring characters from the peristomatic area
Authors: Edgecombe Gregory D. , Koch Markus 
Published: August 2008

AbstractAlternative schemes for the higher‐level systematics of the centipede order Scolopendromorpha have been established from characters of trunk segmentation, including the segmental position of spiracles, and the presence or absence of eyes. A comparative survey of the preoral chamber by light and scanning electron microscopy contributes 16 new characters of the epipharynx and hypopharynx, sampled from 26 species that represent 20 genera. These new data together with 49 additional morphological characters permit cladistic analysis of the major scolopendromorph groups. The shortest cladograms resolve blind Scolopendromorpha as a basal grade within which a clade now classified as Plutoniuminae + Scolopocryptopidae (supported by unreversed characters from the preoral chamber) is sister to the remaining scolopendromorphs. A unique row of bullet‐shaped sensilla between the labral and clypeal parts of the epipharynx provides a new autapomorphy of the Scolopendromorpha. Either 21 or 23 trunk segments optimize at the base of the Scolopendromorpha but in either case homoplasy is forced on the cladogram. New characters from the epipharynx give additional support for the monophyly of several traditional groupings, including Cryptopinae, Scolopendridae, Otostigmini, and Scolopendrini, and a basal resolution of Asanadini within Scolopendridae. Of the two competing hypotheses for the position of the enigmatic Mediterranean Plutonium zwierleini—being either sister to the cryptopid Theatops or sister to all other Scolopendromorpha—the former hypothesis is strongly supported; spiracles on all trunk segments in Plutonium are homoplastic with the state in Geophilomorpha. Observations on feeding behaviour are needed to illuminate convergence in characters of the epipharynx and mandible in Edentistoma (Otostigminae) and Campylostigmus (Scolopendrini).© The Willi Hennig Society 2008.
Elective intra‐aortic balloon counterpulsation during a high risk liver resection
Authors: Oliver J. C. , Welsh F. K. S. , Bell J. , Bishop A. J. , Glover J. , Rees M. 
Published: August 2008

SummaryWe present the case of a 65‐year‐old male with severe coronary artery disease and a single colorectal liver metastasis. An elective intra‐aortic balloon pump (IABP) was inserted following induction of anaesthesia to reduce left ventricular workload during his liver resection. After an uneventful recovery he was discharged on day 5. We review the literature on the elective use of these devices in cardiac surgery in which it is becoming routine practice in high risk patients. However in non‐cardiac surgery there have been only 15 published cases all in very high risk patients, with favourable outcomes. To our knowledge this is the first published case of the use of elective IABP during liver surgery.