bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
GM1‐induced activation of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase: involvement of Trk receptors
Authors: Duchemin Anne‐Marie , Ren Qun , Neff Norton H. , Hadjiconstantinou Maria 
Published: November 2007

J. Neurochem.(2008)104,1466–1477.AbstractThe ganglioside GM1 promotes neuronal growth, differentiation, survival, phenotypic expression, and function restoration, by apparently interacting with neurotrophic factors and/or their receptors. In brain, GM1 activates the Trk receptors for neurotrophins and the Raf/MEK/ERK cascadein situandin vivo. We have expanded these studies and explored whether GM1 recruits the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)‐kinase pathway in brain also. Incubating striatal slices with GM1 increased the activity of PI3‐kinase in phosphotyrosine immunoprecipitates in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner, and the response was blocked by the PI3‐kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002. PI3‐kinase activation following GM1 was rapid and short lasting with an EC50of 5 μmol/L. There was a temporally parallel activation of the downstream PI3‐kinase target Akt, which was prevented by PI3‐kinase inhibition. PI3‐kinase activity was found increased in Trk and Gab1 immunoprecipitates, and co‐immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated the association of Trk and Gab1 after GM1 treatment. Enhanced PI3‐kinase activity associated with Trk or Gab1 immunoprecipitates was blocked by the Trk inhibitor K252a. GM1 did not appear to transactivate Trk and did not alter the efflux of neurotrophins in striatal slices. Our findings suggest that GM1 induces activation of PI3‐kinase that is, in part, mediated through Trk and Gab1.
Spontaneous Vegetation on Overburden Piles in the Coal Basin of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Authors: Dos Santos Robson , Citadini‐Zanette Vanilde , Leal‐Filho Laurindo S. , Hennies Wildor T. 
Published: November 2007

Abstract The objective of this work was to select indigenous vegetal species for restoration programs aiming at the regeneration of ombrophilous dense forest. Thirty‐five spoil piles located in the county of Sideropolis, Santa Catarina, that received overburden disposal for 39 years (1950–1989) were selected for study because they exhibited remarkable spontaneous regrowth of trees compared to surrounding spoil piles. Floristic inventory covered the whole area of the 35 piles, whereas survey on phytosociology and natural regeneration studies were conducted in 70 plots distributed along the 35 piles. Floristic inventory recorded 83 species from 28 botanical families. Herbaceous terricolous plants constituted the predominant species (47.0%), followed by shrubs (26.5%), trees (19.3%), and vines (7.2%). Results from surveys on phytosociology and natural regeneration, focused on shrubs and trees, recorded incipient ecological succession. In addition, the most adapted species recorded on the overburden piles, as ranked by index of natural regeneration (RNT) plus importance value index (IVI), were as follows: Clethra scabra (RNT = 23.93%; IVI = 17.28%), Myrsine coriacea (RNT = 20.93%, IVI = 11.26%), Eupatorium intermedium (RNT = 7.56%, IVI = 0.40%), Miconia ligustroides (RNT = 5.84%, IVI = 2.37%), Ossaea amygdaloides (RNT = 3.84%, IVI = 1.30%), Tibouchina sellowiana (RNT = 3.29%, IVI = 1.94%), Eup. inulaefolium (RNT = 2.65%, IVI = 0.80%), and Baccharis dracunculifolia (RNT = 2.28%; IVI = 0.56%). High values of IVI and RNT exhibited by the exotic species Eucalyptus saligna (IVI = 21.73%, RNT = 51.41%) indicated strong competition between exotic and indigenous species. Severe chemical (acidic pH and lack of nutrients) and physical (coarse substrate and slope angle of 40–50°) characteristics displayed by the overburden piles constituted limitations to floristic diversity and size of indigenous trees, indicating the need for substrate reclamation prior to forest restoration.
Restoring Tree Islands in the Everglades: Experimental Studies of Tree Seedling Survival and Growth
Authors: Van Der Valk Arnold G. , Wetzel Paul , Cline Eric , Sklar Fred H. 
Published: November 2007

Abstract In May 2004, 400 tree seedlings of seven different species found on tree islands in the Florida Everglades were planted at different elevations along five transects on eight newly constructed tree islands, four with and four without limestone cores. Seedlings suffered between 40 and 85% mortality during the first 120 days, the period with the lowest water levels. Ilex cassine L., Salix caroliniana Michx., Chrysobalanus icaco L., and Annona glabra had the highest number of surviving seedlings, whereas Magnolia virginiana L., Myrica cerifera L., and Acer rubrum L. had the fewest. During the remainder of the study, water levels were mostly higher and sometimes covered the entire islands for months at a time. After 220 days, nearly all seedlings of M. virginiana and My. cerifera had died. At the end of the study, seedlings of I. cassine and A. glabra had the highest survivorship rates. Seedling biomass of C. icaco and I. cassine was greatest at the highest elevations, whereas seedlings of A. glabra had similar biomass at all elevations. Seedling survivorship was not statistically different between islands with and without limestone cores; however, when seedlings of all species were combined, island core type was significantly different for aboveground biomass, seedling height, and canopy width. Because of the higher survivorship under both low and high water conditions, A. glabra, I. cassine, and S. caroliniana are the most suitable species for establishing tree species on restored tree islands in the Everglades.
Capturing Genetic Variation during Ecological Restorations: An Example from Kankakee Sands in Indiana
Authors: Dolan Rebecca W. , Marr Deborah L. , Schnabel Andrew 
Published: November 2007

AbstractGenetic variation in populations, both natural and restored, is usually considered crucial for response to short‐term environmental stresses and for long‐term evolutionary change. To have the best chance of successful long‐term survival, restored populations should reflect the extant variation found in remnants, but restored sites may suffer from genetic bottlenecks as a result of founder effects. Kankakee Sands is a large‐scale restoration being conducted by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in northwestern Indiana. Our goal was to test for loss of genetic variation in restored plant populations by comparing them with TNC’s seed source nursery and with local remnant populations that were the source of nursery seed and of the first few restored sites. Allozyme analysis ofBaptisia leucantha,Asclepias incarnata,Coreopsis tripteris, andZizia aureashowed low levels of allozyme diversity within all species and reductions in polymorphism, alleles per locus, and expected heterozygosity between remnants and restorations for all species exceptA. incarnata. Almost all lost alleles were rare; restored populations contained almost 90% of alleles at polymorphic loci that occurred in remnants at frequencies greater than 1%. Allele frequencies for most loci did not differ between remnants and restored sites. Most species showed significant allele frequency differentiation among remnant populations and among restored sites. Our results indicate that seed collection techniques used at Kankakee Sands captured the great majority of allozyme variation present in seed source remnant populations.
Evaluating Dispersal Limitation in Passive Bottomland Forest Restoration
Authors: Battaglia Loretta L. , Pritchett Davis W. , Minchin Peter R. 
Published: November 2007

Abstract Dispersal limitation can retard natural establishment of desirable species on restoration sites, especially where landscapes are fragmented, but dispersal limitation is assumed to become less critical with time as early colonists become reproductively mature. Distribution patterns of recruiting trees in a 20‐year‐old passively restored bottomland in northeast Louisiana suggested persistent dispersal limitation in some bottomland hardwood species and influence of dense shrub patches on colonization. To test these hypotheses, we measured seed rain as a function of distance to seed source and association with shrub cover. Seed rain of the wind‐dispersed Fraxinus pennsylvanica was highest near the forest edge, except where mature recruits occurred. Although shrub presence did not influence dispersal of F. pennsylvanica, its negative influence on probability of occurrence in the sapling layer suggests that shrub cover may limit its regeneration. The bird‐dispersed Crataegus viridis and Ilex decidua were found in the seed rain and as reproductive individuals within the field; neither had a positive relationship with shrub presence. Dispersal of heavy‐seeded Quercus spp. and Carya aquatica was limited to within 20 m of the forest edge. These results imply that dispersal limitation is diminishing in wind‐ and bird‐dispersed species with maturation of in‐field recruits and that shrub patches may influence these patterns. Heavy‐seeded species, however, remain restricted to field edges that directly abut a seed source. If canopy closure by wind‐ and bird‐dispersed species precedes dispersal of heavy‐seeded species into the field, establishment of Quercus and Carya spp. may remain low for the foreseeable future.
Seed Dynamics of Early and Late Successional Tree Species in Tropical Abandoned Pastures: Seed Burial as a Way of Evading Predation
Authors: Garcia‐Orth Ximena , Martínez‐Ramos Miguel 
Published: November 2007

Abstract We explored different treatments to enhance the probability of sowed seeds of two early successional (ES, Cecropia obtusifolia and Ochroma pyramidale) and two late successional (LS, Brosimum costaricanum and Dialium guianense) species to escape predation and germinate in abandoned cattle‐raising pasture fields in Southeastern Mexico. ES species were sown in groups of 50 seeds under three treatments: invertebrate exclusion, burial, and exposition to seedeaters. LS species were sown in groups of 10 seeds under three treatments: vertebrate exclusion, burial, and exposition to seedeaters. We registered seed predation and germination 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 days after the initial sowing. Overall, ES showed higher predation rates (mean ± SE = 0.45 ± 0.07 seed seed−1 day−1; n = 3) than LS species (0.09 ± 0.02 seed seed−1 day−1). Cecropia obtusifolia was completely predated in all treatments after 8 days. Burial and exclusion treatments reduced final predation in circa 6% for O. pyramidale, relative to that of exposed seeds (85% after 8 days); most germination occurred in buried seeds (3.7%). In B. costaricanum, burial enabled germination by 10%; exposed and excluded seeds were removed 100%. Dialium guianense showed 12% germination in buried seeds and circa 20% of the seeds were not removed after 64 days. Direct sowing would be a recommended rainforest restoration practice for species with relatively large seeds if deposited in groups and buried. Studies which address variation across numerous sites are necessary in order to generate more consistent seed predation patterns and rainforest restoration principles in tropical pastures.
Botulinum Toxin Type A for the Treatment of Nummular Headache: Four Case Studies
Authors: Mathew Ninan T. , Kailasam Jayasree , Meadors Lori 
Published: November 2007

Objective.— We assessed the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA; BOTOX®: Allergan, Inc., Irvine, CA, USA) in patients with nummular headache who did not respond to other treatments including nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local anesthetics, and/or gabapentin.Background.— Nummular headache is characterized by circumscribed round or elliptical areas of fluctuating mild‐to‐moderate head pain in a chronic or remitting pattern. It is a relatively rare primary headache disorder that responds poorly to adequate treatment trials with local anesthetic, migraine, or neuropathic pain agents or NSAIDs.Methods.— Four patients aged 35‐58 years with intractable nummular headaches were given 25 units of BoNTA divided among 10 injection sites in and around the circumscribed affected areas of pain, paresthesia, and allodynia. All patients had 2 sets of injections approximately 14 weeks apart.Results.— All patients met the International Headache Society criteria for nummular headache (International Classification of Headache Disorders, A13.7.1). Patients were female; mean age of onset was 42 years. Average disease duration prior to BoNTA treatment was 3.75 years. One patient reported concurrent episodic migraine and another reported concurrent tension‐type headache. Patients reported round‐shaped (n = 2; 6 and 3 cm in diameter), oval (n = 1; 4 × 2 cm), and elliptical (n = 1; 6 cm in length) areas of pain. Painful symptoms were reported in the right parietal convexity (n = 2) and the posterior frontal, unilaterally (n = 2). All patients experienced spontaneous or stimuli‐triggered exacerbations and variable combinations of sensory disturbances, including allodynia, tenderness, and paresthesia. The temporal pattern was continuous in 3 patients and intermittent in one. Both the size and shape of the pain remained unchanged in all patients since the onset of nummular headache symptoms. Six to 10 days following BoNTA treatment, all patients experienced a reduction in nummular headache symptoms, which lasted approximately 14 weeks on average. Repeat injections gave the same degree of improvement. No treatment‐related adverse events were reported.Conclusions.— BoNTA appears to be a well‐tolerated effective treatment for intractable, persistent nummular headache in patients with an inadequate response to other treatments including NSAIDs, gabapentin, or local anesthetics.
Late EEG responses triggered by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the evaluation of focal epilepsy
Authors: Valentin Antonio , Arunachalam Ramamurthy , Mesquita‐Rodrigues Arvin , Garcia Seoane Jorge J. , Richardson Mark P. , Mills Kerry R. , Alarcon Gonzalo 
Published: November 2007

Summary
Purpose: To evaluate the use of EEG responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS‐EEG responses) as a noninvasive tool for the diagnosis of focal epilepsy.
Methods: Fifteen patients and 15 healthy subjects were studied. TMS at an intensity set at resting corticomotor threshold were delivered at the standard EEG electrode positions. For each position, EEG responses to TMS were evaluated before and after averaging EEG recordings synchronized with the TMS pulse.
Results: Two types of TMS‐EEG responses were seen: (A) early responses: consisting of a single slow wave seen after the TMS pulse; and (B) late TMS‐EEG responses, which were subclassified into (b.1) delayed responses: waveforms resembling interictal epileptiform discharges induced by TMS; or (b.2) repetitive responses: onset of a new rhythym induced by TMS. Early responses were observed in patients and healthy subjects when stimulating at various sites and were considered normal responses to TMS. Late TMS‐EEG responses were not seen in healthy subjects, whereas they were seen in 11 of the 15 epileptic patients. Late TMS‐EEG responses occurred when stimulating the epileptogenic side in eight out of the nine patients who had lateralized late TMS‐EEG responses. The combined use of late TMS‐EEG responses and interictal scalp EEG would have suggested the diagnosis of focal epilepsy in all patients, despite the absence of late TMS‐EEG responses in four patients and the presence of normal interictal scalp EEG in three.
Conclusions: TMS‐EEG responses can identify epileptogenic cortex and may substantially improve the diagnosis of focal epilepsy, particularly, if combined with standard EEG studies.
Severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy: A systematic review and a meta‐analysis of individual patient data
Authors: Kassaï Behrouz , Chiron Catherine , Augier Ségolène , Cucherat Michel , Rey Elisabeth , Gueyffier François , Guerrini Renzo , Vincent Julien , Dulac Olivier , Pons Gérard 
Published: November 2007

Summary Severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI) is a rare, but severe disorder with seizures typically resistant to conventional antiepileptic drugs. The objective of the present study was to systematically review the literature on the available treatments for SMEI. Databases searched included Medline, Embase, and Cochrane. We used a fixed effect model to summarize the odds ratio of seizures rates and a logistic model to evaluate the influence of patient characteristics on treatment effect. We found 23 uncontrolled studies and 2 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared stiripentol with placebo. Overall, 64 children aged between 3 and 20 years were included in the two RCTs. The odds ratio of responding to stiripentol relative to placebo was 32 (CI: 6.2, 161) and stiripentol reduced seizure rate by 70% (93%; 47%). The multivariate analysis does not suggest any differences within subgroups of participants and cotherapy. Results of uncontrolled studies in children with SMEI are potentially biased and do not provide valid information on the benefits and harms of treatments. The two RCTs identified, however, were performed with the same objectives and design and showed that seizure frequency is greatly reduced by stiripentol in children with SMEI after 2 months of treatment.
Diadegma mollipla parasitizing Plutella xylostella: host instar preference and suitability
Authors: Nofemela Robert S. , Kfir Rami 
Published: November 2007

AbstractOviposition decisions (i.e., host selection and sex allocation) of female parasitoids are expected to correspond with host quality, as their offspring fitness is dependent on the amount and quality of resources provided by a single host. The host size model assumes that host quality is a linear function of host size, with larger hosts believed to contain a greater quantity of resources, and thus be more profitable than smaller hosts. We tested this assertion in the laboratory on a solitary larval–pupal parasitoid Diadegma mollipla (Holmgren) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) developing on three instars (second–fourth) of one of its hosts, the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). In a no‐choice test, parasitism levels and sex ratio (i.e., proportion of female progeny) were significantly high in hosts attacked in the second instar followed by third then fourth instars. However, the few parasitoids that completed a generation from the fourth instars did so significantly faster than conspecifics that started development in the other two instars. In direct observations, however, the parasitoids (i) randomly attacked the various host instars, (ii) spent a similar period examining the various host instars with their ovipositors, (iii) subdued all three host instars with about the same effort, and (iv) no statistical differences were observed in the attack rates on the three host instars. In a choice test, the females parasitized significantly more third instars followed by second then fourth instars. However, total parasitism in this experiment was 43% lower compared to parasitism of only second instars in the no‐choice test. No significant differences were detected in progeny sex ratios. In both choice and no‐choice tests, significantly more fourth instars died during the course of the experiments than second instars, while third instars were intermediate. The higher parasitism of third than second instars in the choice test indicates that the females perceived larger hosts as higher quality than smaller hosts, despite their lower suitability for larval development.
Optical coherence tomography and vessel diameter changes after intravitreal bevacizumab in diabetic macular oedema
Authors: Soliman Wael , Vinten Martin , Sander Birgit , Soliman Kamell Abd El‐Naser , Yehya Sameer , Rahman Mohamed Saad Abdel , Larsen Michael 
Published: November 2007

Abstract.Purpose:  To assess the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab on diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and retinal vessel calibres.Methods:  We performed a consecutive case series study in which 10 consecutive eyes with diffuse DMO, two of which had not previously been treated, received an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab 1 mg, which was followed by two more injections at 6‐week intervals. Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were carried out at baseline immediately before injection and at 1, 2.5 and 4 months after the first injection. Outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters, macular volume, foveal subfield thickness and vessel diameter measurement.Results:  Intravitreal administration of bevacizumab was followed by a mean increase in BCVA of 7.3 ± 17 (mean ± standard deviation) letters between baseline and month 4, which was 1 month after the last injection (p < 0.0001). This was accompanied by a reduction in mean macular volume from 9.90 ± 1.9 mm3 to 8.96 ± 2.4 mm3 (p = 0.002) and in foveal subfield thickness from 447 ± 117 μm to 388 ± 117 μm (p = 0.03). Two eyes with early proliferative diabetic retinopathy lost all signs of proliferation without any evidence of fibrosis. Although there was a trend towards vasoconstriction, the changes in vessel diameters (arteries and veins) after 4 months of intravitreal Avastin injection were not statistically significant (p = 0.9 and p = 0.17, respectively). Foveal thickness in non‐injected fellow eyes with DMO changed from 428 ± 153 μm at baseline to 383 ± 151 μm at 4 months (p = 0.1), which did not reach statistical significance.Conclusions:  Intravitreal bevacizumab 1 mg every 6 weeks was followed by a moderate reduction in DMO without normalization of foveal and macular thickness. Our observations suggest that a larger study where patients are examined sooner after injection is needed to elucidate the potential relationship between changes in retinal vessel diameters and thickness changes in DMO.
Prominent Langerhans’ cell migration in the arthropod bite reactions simulating Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis
Authors: Kim Se Hoon , Kim Dong Hyun , Lee Kwang Gil 
Published: November 2007

Background:  Epidermal Langerhans’ cells (LCs) play pivotal roles in cutaneous immune responses. An encounter with antigens or other stimuli causes the mobilization and migration of LCs. Therefore, some dermatoses, which originated from antigenic stimuli or trauma, can show LC migration. Recently, we experienced several cases of anthropod bites that showed marked inflammatory infiltrates with eosinophils and CD1a‐positive LCs. It was difficult to differentiate these cases from Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH).Methods:  The degree and pattern of LC infiltration in the skin of arthropod bite reaction was evaluated. The characteristics of CD1a immunohistochemical expression in the arthropod bite reactions were compared with those of LCH.Results:  A few arthropod bite cases (approximately 36%) showed extensive CD1a‐positive LCs in the dermis, especially in the perivascular area. In addition, the CD1a expression patterns of LCs in the arthropod bite reactions were dendritic, whereas that of tumor cells in LCH were distinctly membranous and cytoplasmic.Conclusion:  Some arthropod bite reactions can show marked CD1a‐positive LCs in the dermis, especially in the perivascular area. The dendritic CD1a immunohistochemical staining pattern in arthropod bite reactions is useful in helping to differentiate from LCH.