bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of a fat load and exercise on asymptomatic VLCAD deficiency
Authors: Spiekerkoetter U. 
Published: April 2007

SummaryThe patient was identified via family screening at the age of 3 years when very long‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency was diagnosed in his sister by newborn screening. Enzyme and molecular analyses confirmed VLCAD‐deficiency (VLCADD). Until the age of 8 years no severe illnesses occurred and the patient was completely asymptomatic without a fat‐reduced and fat‐modified diet. On regular follow‐up, creatine kinase (CK) and liver transaminases were always in the normal range. A long‐chain fat load with 1.5 g/kg body weight did not result in clinical symptoms, nor in elevation of CK or liver transaminases. At the age of 8 years, the patient for the first time complained of recurrent muscle pain after exercise. CK concentrations were elevated up to 20 000 U/L during one of these episodes. Medium‐chain fat was supplemented. With a medium‐chain fat‐rich meal directly before exercise, muscle pain after exercise clearly decreased. In asymptomatic mild VLCADD, a fat‐reduced diet may not be necessary, whereas in later infancy and adolescence, strenuous physical exercise may require additional energy from medium‐chain fat.
DNA-Reparaturdefekte und Krebs
Authors: Digweed M. , Sperling K. 
Published: April 2007

Zusammenfassung
Die Zellen des lymphatischen Systems sind durch das hohe Ausmaß somatischer Rekombination und die damit verbundene Hypermutabilität gekennzeichnet. Dabei werden DNA-Doppelstrang-Brüche (DSB) induziert und „repariert“, wobei die beteiligten Gene auch in die allgemeine Reparatur von DSB einbezogen sind. Keimbahnmutationen in diesen Genen gehen mit einem besonders hohen Risiko für Lymphome einher. Diese genetisch bedingten Krankheiten sowie die charakteristischen somatischen Mutationen in Lymphomen haben wesentlich zum Verständnis von DNA-Reparaturdefekten bei der Kanzerogenese beigetragen.
Three‐dimensional transrectal ultrasonography in adolescent patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome
Authors: Sun Li , Fu Qingzhao 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of 3‐dimensional transrectal ultrasonography (3D‐TRS) in adolescent patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Methods: Ovarian follicle number, ovarian volume, ovarian stromal area, total ovarian area, and stromal area to total area ratio (S/A) were evaluated using 3D‐TRS in 75 amenorrheic, oligomenorrheic, or asymptomatic virgin patients and 25 healthy controls. Serum biochemical markers of PCOS were assayed during the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle in menstruating patients and controls, and on a randomly selected day in amenorrheic patients. Results: When assessing the delicate structure of the ovary in virgin patients, 3D‐TRS was convenient, accurate, specific, sensitive, and more reliable overall than transabdominal ultrasonography. Ovarian stromal area and S/A ratio were significantly greater in patients with PCOS than in controls, and also in the patients who had ultrasonically diagnosed polycystic ovaries without clinical or biochemical evidence of PCOS. The S/A ratio was the studied variable most significantly correlated with androgen levels. Conclusions: These findings indicated that, in adolescent patients, 3D‐TRS combined with transabdominal ultrasonography can improve the precision of the diagnosis of PCOS. The S/A ratio may become the ultrasonographic diagnostic marker for PCOS.
What is the meaning of these constant interruptions?
Authors: HUTTON GRAHAM , WRIGHT JOEL 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAsynchronous exceptions, orinterrupts, are important for writing robust, modular programs, but are traditionally viewed as being difficult from a semantic perspective. In this article, we present a simple, formally justified, semantics for interrupts. Our approach is to show how a high-level semantics for interrupts can be justified with respect to a low-level implementation, by means of a compiler and its correctness theorem. In this manner we obtain two different perspectives on the problem, formally shown to be equivalent, which gives greater confidence in the correctness of our semantics.
Clinical Significance of Olfactory Event‐Related Potentials Related to Orthonasal and Retronasal Olfactory Testing
Authors: Rombaux Philippe , Bertrand Bernard , Keller Thomas , Mouraux André 
Published: April 2007

AbstractObjective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the likelihood of recording olfactory event‐related potentials (OERPs) in patients with an olfactory dysfunction and to correlate the electrophysiological responses to orthonasal and retronasal olfactory testing.Design/Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study of 65 patients with different origins of their olfactory loss. Orthonasal olfactory function was assessed with the “Sniffin' Sticks” test (orthonasal score; maximal score 48) and retronasal olfactory function with odorized powders presented intraorally (retronasal score; maximal score 20). The OERPs were obtained after presentation of 2‐phenyl ethyl alcohol, the selected olfactory stimulus. Causes of olfactory dysfunction included postinfectious olfactory loss (n = 15), head trauma (n = 26), nasal polyposis (n = 15), and mixed causes (idiopathic, toxic, drug induced) (n = 9).Results: Based on orthonasal testing, 32 and 33 patients were diagnosed with anosmia and hyposmia, respectively. Twenty‐two patients from the hyposmic group demonstrated reliable OERPs. No OERPs were recorded in the anosmic group. Prevalence of OERPs in a cohort of patients with olfactory dysfunction was 33.8% (22 of 65). Median score (expressed as the percentage of the maximal score that could be obtained theoretically) in which OERPs were recorded was 50% (24 of 48) with orthonasal testing and 80% (16 of 20) with retronasal testing.Conclusions: Patients with olfactory dysfunction usually demonstrate OERPs in one third of the cases. When olfactory dysfunction is in the range that separates normosmic subjects from anosmic patients, patients may have identifiable OERPs. Interpretation of both orthonasal and retronasal psychophysical olfactory testing should be supported by the recording of OERPs in a clinical setting.
Eco‐evolutionary dynamics of communities and ecosystems
Authors: FUSSMANN G. F. , LOREAU M. , ABRAMS P. A. 
Published: April 2007

SummaryWe review theoretical and empirical studies to identify instances where evolutionary processes significantly affect the dynamics of populations, communities and ecosystems.Early theoretical work on eco‐evolutionary dynamics was concerned with the effect of (co)evolution on the stability of two‐species predator–prey systems and the occurrence of character displacement in simple competitive systems. Today's theoretical ecologists are extending this work to study the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of multispecies communities and the functioning and evolutionary emergence of ecosystems.In terms of methodology, eco‐evolutionary modelling has diversified from simple, locus‐based population genetic models to encompass models of clonal selection, quantitative trait dynamics and adaptive dynamics.The few empirical studies on community dynamics that explicitly considered evolutionary processes support the view that evolutionary and ecological dynamics often occur on similar time‐scales, and that they co‐determine the dynamical behaviour of ecological communities.
Investigating the potential impacts of climate change on a marine turtle population
Authors: HAWKES L. A. , BRODERICK A. C. , GODFREY M. H. , GODLEY B. J. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractRecent increases in global temperatures have affected the phenology and survival of many species of plants and animals. We investigated a case study of the effects of potential climate change on a thermally sensitive species, the loggerhead sea turtle, at a breeding location at the northerly extent of the range of regular nesting in the United States. In addition to the physical limits imposed by temperature on this ectothermic species, sea turtle primary sex ratio is determined by the temperature experienced by eggs during the middle third of incubation. We recorded sand temperatures and used historical air temperatures (ATs) at Bald Head Island, NC, to examine past and predict future sex ratios under scenarios of warming. There were no significant temporal trends in primary sex ratio evident in recent years and estimated mean annual sex ratio was 58% female. Similarly, there were no temporal trends in phenology but earlier nesting and longer nesting seasons were correlated with warmer sea surface temperature. We modelled the effects of incremental increases in mean AT of up to 7.5°C, the maximum predicted increase under modelled scenarios, which would lead to 100% female hatchling production and lethally high incubation temperatures, causing reduction in hatchling production. Populations of turtles in more southern parts of the United States are currently highly female biased and are likely to become ultra‐biased with as little as 1°C of warming and experience extreme levels of mortality if warming exceeds 3°C. The lack of a demonstrable increase in AT in North Carolina in recent decades coupled with primary sex ratios that are not highly biased means that the male offspring from North Carolina could play an increasingly important role in the future viability of the loggerhead turtle in the Western Atlantic.
Efferent connections of the ventral auditory area in the rat cortex: implications for auditory processing related to emotion
Authors: Kimura A. , Donishi T. , Okamoto K. , Imbe H. , Tamai Y. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn the rat auditory cortex, ventral (VA) and posterodorsal (PD) areas are the two major auditory fields that receive thalamic afferents from the dorsal division of the medial geniculate body (MGD). VA and PD are presumed to serve distinct functions in tandem as the pair of major cortical recipients of extralemniscal thalamic inputs. To deduce the functional significance of VA, efferent connections of VA were examined with the anterograde tracer biocytin. VA lies primarily in the ventral margin of area Te1 and represents frequencies primarily < 15 kHz [Donishi, T., Kimura, A., Okamoto, K. & Tamai, Y. (2006) Neuroscience, 141, 1553–1567.] Biocytin was iontophoretically injected into cortical regions which were defined as VA based on histological location, auditory response and thalamocortical connectivity. Anterograde labelling revealed two important aspects of cortical projections. First, VA sent a projection to a well‐confined region in the caudal end of the insular cortex (Ins) pivotal for fear memory formation during aversive conditioning. Second, VA sent parallel projections to cortical regions that probably comprise the other nonprimary auditory fields, including PD. The results suggest that VA relays auditory input from the MGD to the Ins for affective memory formation and at the same time dispatches the auditory signal, which may represent emotional content, to the remaining nonprimary auditory fields. PD is assumed to play a pivotal role in auditory spatial processing for directed attention (Kimura et al., 2004). As the counterpart of PD, VA is assumed to give rise to another major stream of cortical information processing, most probably related to emotion.
Acute retinal ganglion cell injury caused by intraocular pressure spikes is mediated by endogenous extracellular ATP
Authors: Resta Valentina , Novelli Elena , Vozzi Giovanni , Scarpa Cristiano , Caleo Matteo , Ahluwalia Arti , Solini Anna , Santini Eleonora , Parisi Vincenzo , Di Virgilio Francesco , Galli‐Resta Lucia 
Published: April 2007

AbstractElevated intraocular pressure may lead to retinal ganglion cell injury and consequent visual deficits. Chronic intraocular pressure increase is a major risk factor for glaucoma, a leading blinding disease, and permanent visual deficits can also occur following acute pressure increments due to trauma, acute glaucoma or refractive surgery. How pressure affects retinal neurons is not firmly established. Mechanical damage at the optic nerve head, reduced blood supply, inflammation and cytotoxic factors have all been called into play. Reasoning that the analysis of retinal neurons soon after pressure elevation would provide useful cues, we imaged individual ganglion cells in isolated rat retinas before and after short hydrostatic pressure increments. We found that slowly rising pressure to peaks observed in trauma, acute glaucoma or refractive surgery (50–90 mmHg) did not damage ganglion cells, whereas a rapid 1 min pulse to 50 mmHg injured 30% of these cells within 1 h. The severity of damage and the number of affected cells increased with stronger or repeated insults. Degrading extracellular ATP or blocking the P2X receptors for ATP prevented acute pressure‐induced damage in ganglion cells. Similar effects were observed in vivo. A short intraocular pressure transient increased extracellular ATP levels in the eye fluids and damaged ganglion cells within 1 h. Reducing extracellular ATP in the eye prevented damage to ganglion cells and accelerated recovery of their response to light. These data show that rapid pressure transients induce acute ganglion cell injury and unveil the causal role of extracellular ATP elevation in such injury.
Distinct types of ionic modulation of GABA actions in pyramidal cells and interneurons during electrical induction of hippocampal seizure‐like network activity
Authors: Fujiwara‐Tsukamoto Yoko , Isomura Yoshikazu , Imanishi Michiko , Fukai Tomoki , Takada Masahiko 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIt has recently been shown that electrical stimulation in normal extracellular fluid induces seizure‐like afterdischarge activity that is always preceded by GABA‐dependent slow depolarization. These afterdischarge responses are synchronous among mature hippocampal neurons and driven by excitatory GABAergic input. However, the differences in the mechanisms whereby the GABAergic signals in pyramidal cells and interneurons are transiently converted from hyperpolarizing to depolarizing (and even excitatory) have remained unclear. To clarify the network mechanisms underlying this rapid GABA conversion that induces afterdischarges, we examined the temporal changes in GABAergic responses in pyramidal cells and/or interneurons of the rat hippocampal CA1 area in vitro. The extents of slow depolarization and GABA conversion were much larger in the pyramidal cell group than in any group of interneurons. Besides GABAA receptor activation, neuronal excitation by ionotropic glutamate receptors enhanced GABA conversion in the pyramidal cells and consequent induction of afterdischarge. The slow depolarization was confirmed to consist of two distinct phases; an early phase that depended primarily on GABAA‐mediated postsynaptic Cl– accumulation, and a late phase that depended on extracellular K+ accumulation, both of which were enhanced by glutamatergic neuron excitation. Moreover, extracellular K+ accumulation augmented each oscillatory response of the afterdischarge, probably by further Cl– accumulation through K+‐coupled Cl– transporters. Our findings suggest that the GABA reversal potential may be elevated above their spike threshold predominantly in the pyramidal cells by biphasic Cl– intrusion during the slow depolarization in GABA‐ and glutamate‐dependent fashion, leading to the initiation of seizure‐like epileptiform activity.
Has Globalisation Really had no Effect on Unions?
Authors: Dreher Axel , Gaston Noel 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYFor a number of OECD countries, the deterioration of labour market outcomes for less‐skilled workers since the early 1980s has coincided with a steady decline in union membership. Globalisation is commonly believed to have contributed to both developments. However, recent studies fail to find support for the presumption that globalisation adversely affects unions. Revisiting this issue by using a novel globalisation index we find that globalisation has indeed contributed to deunionisation. In delving further into the issue, we find that it is social integration, rather than economic or political integration, that has been the main contributor to the decline in union membership.
Estimating the Institutional and Network Effects of Religious Cultures on International Trade
Authors: Lewer Joshua J. , Van den Berg Hendrik 
Published: April 2007

SUMMARYAs a social institution, religion directly influences economic behavior, including trade. Religious culture also impacts trade indirectly because it is part of a society's overall culture, which in turn influences many other formal and informal institutions that also directly influence economic activity. Finally, religious cultures support trade networks. Applying panel data for 84 countries for the years 1995–2000 to an augmented gravity model that distinguishes between the direct institutional, indirect institutional, and network effects of religious cultures, we find that only three of the world's eight major religious cultures directly stimulate international trade. However, the majority of the religious cultures seem to indirectly increase trade through their influence on societies' other institutions, and six of the eight major religions have network effects that increase trade.
Wearing Illkarash: Narratives of Image, Identity and Change among Maasai Labour Migrants in Tanzania
Authors: May Ann , Ikayo Francis Ndipapa Ole 
Published: April 2007

ABSTRACTTanzania Maasai began large‐scale urban labour migration in the mid‐1990s, impelled by livestock losses from disease, drought and land alienation. Although they were readily hired in cities as night watchmen and security guards, many urban citizens expressed condescending views of the migrants, typifying them as ‘unmodern’, and as curious young warriors who were lazy, naive, drunk and dirty. Interviews with about 200 Maasai proved these discursive characterizations to be largely incorrect. Although the State has tried over the last century to ‘develop’ and settle semi‐nomadic pastoralists, the Maasai image is widely used as part of an instrumentalist agenda, to advertise items from telephones to tourism. Lacking political or social capital, the migrants manipulate and reinforce Maasai identity by continuing to wear traditional garments (illkarash), and by engaging in practices that emphasize their difference from the ‘WaSwahili’, bolster cohesion and solidarity among themselves, and increase their chances of urban employment.
The design of an analogical encoding tool for game‐based virtual learning environments
Authors: Williams Douglas , Ma Yuxin , Feist Steven , Richard Charles E. , Prejean Louise 
Published: April 2007

AbstractGame‐based virtual learning environments have the potential to provide opportunities for engagement in authentic contexts while completing authentic tasks such as problem solving. However, research in problem‐based learning indicates that scaffolding should be provided for learners to benefit from such learning environments. This paper describes the design of an anagogical encoding tool, a computer‐based scaffold, in a game‐based virtual learning environment. Research on analogical encoding suggests that teaching students to compare cases side‐by‐side to draw out the underlying principles improves knowledge acquisition and transfer. Analogical encoding aids students in attending to the deep underlying structures (ie, principles) of cases, thereby reducing the potential distraction of surface features. This paper intends to translate laboratory research findings on analogical encoding to a scaffolding tool in a game‐based virtual learning environment.
Digital game‐based learning once removed: Teaching teachers
Authors: Becker Katrin 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn the spring of 2005, the author designed and taught a graduate‐level course on digital game‐based learning primarily for teachers. Teachers cannot be expected to embrace digital games as a tool for learning unless they have a sound understanding of the potential as well as the limitations, and are confident in their ability to use games effectively to enhance learning. The course was designed as an introduction to digital games and gaming for instruction and learning. In it, students explored the theories, the possibilities, considerations and constraints related to the design of instructional games, and the use of learning and commercial entertainment games in classroom and out‐of‐class settings. The design of the course, along with the rationales, will be outlined and participant reaction will be profiled. Suggestions for future course designs are described, as well as key elements crucial for teacher preparation. Ultimately, the success of digital games as a medium for learning depends to a large extent on the abilities of new and practicing teachers to take full advantage of this medium.
Protection and Exchange Rates in a Small Open Economy
Authors: Chipman John S. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractIn a small‐open‐economy model with two tradables and one nontradable, if a price index of these three goods is stabilized and the exchange rate is flexible, conditions are obtained in the cases of two and of three or more factors for an export subsidy or an import tariff to result in currency appreciation. In the case of three or more factors, conditions are obtained under which either an export‐subsidy or an import‐tariff policy (or a combination) can take the place of a flexible exchange rate in accommodating the necessary resource allocation to an exogenous capital outflow, generalizing Keynes’s 1931 proposition.
Status‐Seeking, Catching‐Up, and Comparative Statics in a Dynamic Heckscher–Ohlin Model
Authors: Hu Yunfang , Shimomura Koji 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis paper examines a two‐country dynamic general equilibrium model with status‐seeking agents. We show that the introduction of status‐seeking behavior brings about new properties in equilibrium dynamics. While there exists a continuum of steady states in the standard dynamic models, the present framework demonstrates that, under some conditions, there uniquely exists an incompletely specialized steady state, which is locally saddle‐point stable. Therefore, catching‐up and overtaking phenomena seen in economic development can be explained, and comparative statics analysis also is made possible. Our comparative statics analysis illustrates, for example, that trade pattern is determined in the Heckscher–Ohlin manner; the patient country acts just like a capital abundant one to export the capital‐intensive good. Furthermore, as distinct from the existing literature, the present study shows that the existence of an incompletely specialized steady state can be ensured even if the two countries conduct different policies.
Endogenous Trade Policies in a Developing Economy
Authors: Hung Nguyen Manh , Quyen Nguyen Van 
Published: April 2007

AbstractThis paper examines the formation of trade policy for a small open developing economy where lobbying activities may be carried out to influence policy‐making decisions. The paper presents a three‐sector economy in which the manufacturing sector can lobby policymakers for favorable policies. Under some plausible conditions, it is demonstrated that lobbying activities carried out by the owners of the specific factor in the manufacturing sector would secure a protectionist trade policy through either an import tariff or an export subsidy. The government also imposes a consumption tax on agricultural products, which further strengthens the protectionist measure applied to the manufacturing sector. In general equilibrium, there will be a movement of labor to the manufacturing sector, an output expansion in the manufacturing sector, and an output contraction in the agricultural sector, exactly as suggested by factual evidence.