bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Affective spaces, melancholic objects: ruination and the production of anthropological knowledge*
Authors: Navaro‐Yashin Yael 
Published: February 2009

This article critically engages with recent theoretical writings on affect and non‐human agency by way of studying the emotive energies discharged by properties and objects appropriated during war from members of the so‐called ‘enemy’ community. The ethnographic material comes from long‐term fieldwork in Northern Cyprus, focusing on how it feels to live with the objects and within the ruins left behind by the other, now displaced, community. I study Turkish‐Cypriots’ relations to houses, land, and objects that they appropriated from the Greek‐Cypriots during the war of 1974 and the subsequent partition of Cyprus. My ethnographic material leads me to reflect critically on the object‐centred philosophy of Actor Network Theory and on the affective turn in the human sciences after the work of Gilles Deleuze. With the metaphor of ‘ruination’, I study what goes amiss in scholarly declarations of theoretical turns or shifts. Instead, proposing an anthropologically engaged theory of affect through an ethnographic reflection on spatial and material melancholia, I argue that ethnography, in its most productive moments, is trans‐paradigmatic. Retaining what has been ruined as still needful of consideration, I suggest an approach which merges theories of affect and subjectivity as well as of language and materiality.RésuméL'article examine sous un angle critique les écrits théoriques récents sur l'affect et l'agencynon humaine pour étudier les énergies émotives libérées par les biens et objets confisqués lors d'un conflit armé aux membres de la communauté dite «ennemie». Le matériel ethnographique provient d'un travail de terrain de longue durée dans le Nord de Chypre, qui portait sur le ressenti de ceux qui vivent avec ces objets, dans les ruines laissées par l'autre communauté désormais déplacée. L'auteure étudie les relations des Chypriotes turcs avec les maisons, les terres et les objets qu'ils se sont appropriés sur les Chypriotes grecs lors de la guerre de 1974 et de la partition de Chypre. Le matériel ethnographique la conduit à une réflexion critique sur la philosophie centrée sur les objets de la théorie de l'acteur‐réseau et sur le tournant affectif des sciences humaines à la suite des travaux de Gilles Deleuze. Par la métaphore de la «ruine», l'auteur sonde ce qui ne va pas dans les proclamations académiques de tournants théoriques et de changements paradigmatiques. En lieu et place, elle propose une théorie de l'affect engagée dans l'anthropologie, par une réflexion ethnographique sur la mélancolie spatiale et matérielle, et affirme que l'ethnographie, dans ses moments les plus productifs, est trans‐paradigmatique. En gardant ce qui est «ruiné» comme digne encore de considération, l'auteure suggère une approche qui concilie les théories de l'affect et de la subjectivité et du langage et de la matérialité.
The Virgin of Guadalupe: a nexus of affect
Authors: Napolitano Valentina 
Published: February 2009

Through an analysis of current celebrations of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Rome, I discuss how the Virgin echoes worries aboutpatria y fe(nation and faith) as well as a Catholic faith mobilized in reaction to secularism. The Virgin's performative celebrations awaken a phantomatic unity of the nation and the family through affect and subtle racial tensions within, first, the body of religious transnational migration related to diocesan and missionary politics, and, second, the distribution of cultural and indigenous narratives of a Mexican identity abroad. By paying attention to traces of the Mexican Cristero War (1926‐9), as they are affectively re‐narrativized in twenty‐first‐century Rome, I argue that the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe does not show a religiosity connected to a return of the dispossessed and to a symbol of their liberation (as seems to be the case at the Mexican/US border); rather, the celebration of the Virgin in this context becomes a nexus of affect signalling the strengthening of an Orthodox (as ultramontane), transnational Catholic Church.RésuméPar le biais d'une analyse des célébrations actuelles de la Vierge de Guadalupe à Rome, l'auteure discute de la manière dont la Vierge fait écho aux inquiétudes pour «la patrie et la foi» (patria y fe) ainsi que sur la mobilisation de la foi catholique en réaction aux sécularisme. Les célébrations performatives de la Vierge révèlent une unité fantasmatique de la nation et de la famille par le biais de l'affect et de tensions raciales subtiles au sein, d'une part, de la migration transnationale religieuse liée à la politique diocésaine et missionnaire, et d'autre part à la diffusion à l'étranger de narrations culturelles et indigènes d'une identité mexicaine. En s'intéressant aux traces de la guerre des Cristeros au Mexique (1926‐1929), remises en récit sous un angle affectif dans la Rome du XXIesiècle, l'auteure affirme que la célébration de la Vierge de Guadalupe ne manifeste pas une religiosité liée au retour des dépossédés et à un symbole de libération (comme cela semble faire être le cas à la frontière entre le Mexique et les États‐Unis) mais elle devient plutôt, dans ce contexte, un point de fusion des affects qui signale la montée en puissance d'une Église catholique transnationale empreinte d'orthodoxie ultramontaine.
Etanercept: Efficacy and safety
Authors: Jiménez‐Puya R , Gómez‐García F , Amorrich‐Campos V , Moreno‐Giménez JC 
Published: February 2009

AbstractObjective  To evaluate the efficacy and safety of etanercept in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.Methods  An observational, longitudinal, and retrospective study involving two groups of dose of treatment with etanercept (50 vs. 100 mg/week). The selected patients presented moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and they had received treatment with the mentioned drug. A total of 58 patients were included in the study. The efficacy of the drug was evaluated by measuring the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), body surface area (BSA) and physician's global assessment (PGA) in weeks 8, 16, 24, 32, 40 and 48.Results  A statistically significant improvement was observed in the PASI, BSA and PGA indexes after 24 and 48 weeks of therapy. As for PASI, and after 48 weeks of treatment, PASI 50, 75 and 90 were 100.0%, 92.3% and 69.2%, respectively. In our series, etanercept 50 mg/week reached the same results after 48 weeks as etanercept 100 mg/week, though the initial response was faster in the last group. The PASI, BSA and PGA indexes diminished significantly with the treatment, though without statistically significant differences between both groups. As for the safety, etanercept was well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were recorded. There were no cases of tuberculosis or opportunistic infections.Conclusions  Our study confirms the efficacy and safety outcomes of the clinical trials of etanercept in psoriasis with both doses of treatment. As for the safety, etanercept was well tolerated, and all the recorded adverse events coincided with the known potential side‐effects of treatment.Conflicts of interestNone declared
Uptake of organic nitrogen by plants
Authors: Näsholm Torgny , Kielland Knut , Ganeteg Ulrika 
Published: February 2009

SummaryLanguishing for many years in the shadow of plant inorganic nitrogen (N) nutrition research, studies of organic N uptake have attracted increased attention during the last decade. The capacity of plants to acquire organic N, demonstrated in laboratory and field settings, has thereby been well established. Even so, the ecological significance of organic N uptake for plant N nutrition is still a matter of discussion. Several lines of evidence suggest that plants growing in various ecosystems may access organic N species. Many soils display amino acid concentrations similar to, or higher than, those of inorganic N, mainly as a result of rapid hydrolysis of soil proteins. Transporters mediating amino acid uptake have been identified both in mycorrhizal fungi and in plant roots. Studies of endogenous metabolism of absorbed amino acids suggest that L‐ but not D‐enantiomers are efficiently utilized. Dual labelled amino acids supplied to soil have provided strong evidence for plant uptake of organic N in the field but have failed to provide information on the quantitative importance of this process. Thus, direct evidence that organic N contributes significantly to plant N nutrition is still lacking. Recent progress in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant organic N uptake may open new avenues for the exploration of this subject.ContentsSummary31I.Introduction31II.Availability32III.Uptake34IV.Field studies of plant amino acid uptake41V.Conclusions and future perspectives43Acknowledgements44References45
Role of caspase‐3 in tau truncation at D421 is restricted in transgenic mouse models for tauopathies
Authors: Zhang Qipeng , Zhang Xiaoguang , Chen Jie , Miao Yanying , Sun Anyang 
Published: February 2009

AbstractTruncated tau is widely detected in Alzheimer’s disease brain, and caspase‐3 has been considered as a major executioner for tau truncation at aspartate421 (D421), according to its capability of cleaving recombinant tau in vitro. Here we investigated the relationship between D421 truncated tau and caspase‐3 in two transgenic mouse models for tauopathies. In adult transgenic mice, activated caspase‐3 could not be detected in neurons containing truncated tau, with the exception of a few glia‐like cells or neurons in postnatal mice. Caspase‐3 expression exhibited a dramatic decrease at the early development stage, and kept at constantly low levels during adult stages in both wild type and transgenic mice. On the other hand, co‐incubating brain homogenates from adult tau transgenic mice and ethanol‐treated postnatal mice promoted tau truncation at D421, which was mildly reduced by caspase inhibitor, but completely suppressed by phosphatase inhibitor, indicating that hyperphosphorylated tau becomes a poor substrate for truncation at D421. Taken together, our study shows that insufficient caspase‐3 expression and hyperphosphorylated status of tau in the adult transgenic mouse brain restrict caspase‐3 as an efficient enzyme for tau truncation in vivo. Clearly, there is a caspase‐3 independent mechanism responsible for tau truncation at D421 in these models.
Presynaptic glycine receptors facilitate spontaneous glutamate release onto hilar neurons in the rat hippocampus
Authors: Lee Eun‐Ah , Cho Jin‐Hwa , Choi In‐Sun , Nakamura Michiko , Park Hye‐Mi , Lee Jong‐Ju , Lee Maan‐Gee , Choi Byung‐Ju , Jang Il‐Sung 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAlthough glycine receptors are found in most areas of the brain, including the hippocampus, their functional significance remains largely unknown. In the present study, we have investigated the role of presynaptic glycine receptors on excitatory nerve terminals in spontaneous glutamatergic transmission. Spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) were recorded in mechanically dissociated rat dentate hilar neurons attached with native presynaptic nerve terminals using a conventional whole‐cell patch recording technique under voltage‐clamp conditions. Exogenously applied glycine or taurine significantly increased the frequency of sEPSCs in a concentration‐dependent manner. This facilitatory effect of glycine was blocked by 1 μM strychnine, a specific glycine receptor antagonist, but was not affected by 30 μM picrotoxin. In addition, Zn2+(10 μM) potentiated the glycine action on sEPSC frequency. Pharmacological data suggested that the activation of presynaptic glycine receptors directly depolarizes glutamatergic terminals resulting in the facilitation of spontaneous glutamate release. Bumetanide (10 μM), a specific Na‐K‐2C co‐transporter blocker, gradually attenuated the glycine‐induced sEPSC facilitation, suggesting that the depolarizing action of presynaptic glycine receptors was due to a higher intraterminal Cl−concentration. The present results suggest that presynaptic glycine receptors on excitatory nerve terminals might play an important role in the excitability of the dentate gyrus‐hilus‐CA3 network in physiological and/or pathological conditions.
Metabolism of neuroactive steroids in day‐old chick brain
Authors: Sujkovic Elizabeth , Mileusnic Radmila , Fry Jonathan P. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractMetabolism of the neuroactive steroids pregnenolone (PREG), progesterone (PROG), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) was investigated in day‐old chick brain following direct injection of the3H‐labelled compounds into the intermediate medial mesopallium and sampling at times known to be crucial for memory formation in this brain region.3H‐label from these steroids was cleared rapidly from the brain, decreasing to barely detectable levels within 5 h. Following extraction and fractionation, the3H‐labelled brain steroids were identified by TLC, coupled with acetylation and/or separation in different solvent systems. PREG and PROG were converted within 10 min mostly to 20β‐dihydropregnenolone (20β‐DHPREG) and 5β‐dihydroprogesterone, respectively. There was no detectable metabolism of DHEA. Label from DHEAS persisted for longer (half‐time 18.9 min) than the free steroid but with no detectable metabolism other than a small amount (4%) of desulphation to DHEA. Further investigation of chick brain steroid metabolism by incubation of subcellular fractions (1–3 h, 37°C) with PREG, PROG or DHEA plus NADPH led to the formation of the following compounds: 20β‐DHPREG from PREG (particularly in cytosol); 5β‐dihydroprogesterone and 3α,5β‐tetrahydroprogesterone from PROG and no detectable metabolism of DHEA. Following incubation of the same brain fractions and labelled steroids with NAD+, there was no detectable metabolism of PREG or PROG but some conversion of DHEA to androstenedione, especially in the nuclear fraction. The results suggest direct actions of DHEA(S) on the early stages of memory formation in the chick and introduce the possibility that PREG may act indirectly via 20β‐DHPREG.
Calcineurin and cytoskeleton in low‐frequency depression
Authors: Silverman‐Gavrila Lorelei B. , Charlton Milton P. 
Published: February 2009

J. Neurochem. (2009) 109, 716–732.AbstractTransmitter release at high probability phasic synapses of crayfish neuromuscular junctions depresses by over 50% in 60 min when stimulated at 0.2 Hz. Inhibition of the protein phosphatase calcineurin by intracellular pre‐synaptic injection of autoinhibitory peptide inhibited low‐frequency depression (LFD) and resulted in facilitation of transmitter release. Since this inhibitor had no major effects when injected into the post‐synaptic cell, only pre‐synaptic calcineurin activity is necessary for LFD. To examine changes in phosphoproteins during LFD we performed a phosphoproteomic screen on proteins extracted from motor axons and nerve terminals after LFD induction or treatment with various drugs that affect kinase and phosphatase activity. Proteins separated by PAGE were stained with phospho‐specific/total protein ratio stains (Pro‐Q Diamond/SYPRO Ruby) to identify protein bands for analysis by mass spectrometry. Phosphorylation of actin and tubulin decreased during LFD, but increased when calcineurin was blocked. Tubulin and phosphoactin immunoreactivity in pre‐synaptic terminals were also reduced after LFD. The actin depolymerizing drugs cytochalasin and latrunculin and the microtubule stabilizer taxol inhibited LFD. Therefore, dephosphorylation of pre‐synaptic actin and tubulin and consequent changes in the cytoskeleton may regulate LFD. LFD is unlike long‐term depression found in mammalian synapses because the latter requires in most instances post‐synaptic calcineurin activity.Thus, this simpler invertebrate synapse discloses a novel pre‐synaptic depression mechanism.
Evaluation of a Computerized Method for Denture Biofilm Quantification: Inter‐Examiner Reproducibility
Authors: Silva‐Lovato Cláudia Helena , Totti Ana Maria Gomes , Paranhos Helena Freitas Oliveira , Totti Valéria Gomes 
Published: February 2009

Abstract Purpose: The objective of this work was to evaluate the accuracy and inter‐examiner reproducibility of the computerized method Image Tool 2.02 (Windows, version 2.02, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX) in the quantification of complete denture biofilm. Materials and Methods: Two hundred digital photographs of the internal surface of complete upper dentures with biofilm dyed in 1% neutral red were used. The photographs were burned to a CD and sent to two researchers who received practical training and written instructions on how to use the method; then, in a 20‐day period, the stained biofilm on the internal surface was measured, and ten photographs were analyzed daily. Each examiner independently quantified the percentage of stained area on each photograph. The inter‐examiner reproducibility (i.e., agreement) was estimated by calculating an intra‐class correlation coefficient (ICC) based on an ANOVA mixed model (SPSS software, Chicago, IL). Results: The ICC showed excellent agreement (ICC = 0.993, p < 0.001). The difference in the percentage of the stained area recorded by the two examiners was ≤1 point for 187 (93.5%) of the 200 photographs. Conclusions: The obtained results suggest that the computerized method aided by the Image Tool software (2.0) can be employed to quantify complete denture biofilm, seeing that it demonstrated inter‐examiner reproducibility of the results.
Flow cytometric assay for the simultaneous determination of residual white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets in fresh‐frozen plasma: validation and two years' experience
Authors: Lambrecht Bernd , Spengler Hans‐Peter , Nauwelaers Frans , Bauerfeind Ursula , Mohr Harald , Müller Thomas H. 
Published: February 2009

BACKGROUND: A fully automated single‐tube assay with tubes (BD TruCOUNT, BD Biosciences) for absolute counting of residual cells in freshly prepared plasma by flow cytometry was developed (BD Plasma Count).STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The nucleic acid dye thiazole orange stains white blood cells (WBCs). The monoclonal antibodies anti‐CD41a–peridinin chlorophyll protein–Cy5.5 and anti‐glycophorin A–fluorescein isothiocyanate label platelets (PLTs) and red blood cells (RBCs), respectively. No fixation, permeabilization, or washing steps were required. Validation was done according to guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization and the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Cell‐free plasma was spiked with each cell type for accuracy, reproducibility, and linearity measurements.RESULTS: Results showed no carryover or drift under automated sample acquisition conditions. Nonspecific background was fewer than 0.3 cells per µL for residual WBCs (rWBCs), fewer than 2.7 cells per µL for rRBCs, and fewer than 85 cells per µL for rPLTs. Determinations of rWBC and rPLT counts were linear with a coefficient of variation of less than 12 percent for the imprecision. Owing to cross‐linking of the anti‐glycophorin A antibody, linearity and precision for rRBCs diverged up to 21 percent at a count of 6000 rRBCs per µL. In a 2‐year period, five operators investigated 2666 quality control (QC) samples of fresh‐frozen plasma on 108 working days. Maximum cell numbers found were 196 for rWBCs, 3960 for rRBCs, and 28,952 for rPLTs per µL. In 31 cases (1.2%) rWBCs were out of specification. No outlier was observed for rRBCs and rPLTs. Residual RBC cell numbers determined were always within the acceptable concentration range of the assay.CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the single‐tube test is suitable for routine QC assessment of the cellular contaminants of therapeutic plasma according to the European recommendations.
Clinical outcomes after platelet transfusions in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: Swisher Karen K. , Terrell Deirdra R. , Vesely Sara K. , Kremer Hovinga Johanna A. , Lämmle Bernhard , George James N. 
Published: February 2009

BACKGROUND: Reports of deterioration and death after platelet (PLT) transfusions in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) have led to recommendations that they should not be given except for life‐threatening hemorrhage.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Published reports of PLT transfusions in patients with TTP were systematically reviewed and data from the Oklahoma TTP‐HUS Registry, an inception cohort of 382 consecutive patients, 1989 through 2007, were analyzed.RESULTS: A systematic review identified 34 publications describing outcomes of patients with TTP after PLT transfusions: 9 articles attributed complications to PLT transfusions, 4 suggested that they may be safe, and 21 articles did not comment about a relation between PLT transfusions and outcomes. Fifty‐four consecutive patients from the Oklahoma TTP‐HUS Registry were prospectively analyzed. ADAMTS13 activity was less than 10 percent in 47 patients; also included were 7 patients whose activity was not measured but who may have been deficient. Thirty‐three (61%) patients received PLT transfusions. The frequency of death was not different between the two groups (p = 0.971): 8 (24%) patients who received PLT transfusions died (thrombosis, 5; hemorrhage, 1; sepsis, 2) and 5 (24%) patients who did not receive PLT transfusions died (thrombosis, 4; hemorrhage, 1). The frequency of severe neurologic events was also not different (p = 0.190): 17 (52%) patients who received PLT transfusions (in 5 of these 17 patients, neurologic events only occurred before PLT transfusions) and 7 (33%) patients who did not receive PLT transfusions.CONCLUSION: Evidence for harm from PLT transfusions in patients with TTP is uncertain.
Baseline profiles of adolescent vs. adult‐onset first‐episode psychosis in an early detection program
Authors: Joa I. , Johannessen J. O. , Langeveld J. , Friis S. , Melle I. , Opjordsmoen S. , Simonsen E. , Vaglum P. , McGlashan T. , Larsen T. K. 
Published: February 2009

Objective:  Psychotic disorders often start in adolescence. We aim to investigate premorbid and baseline differences characterizing patients with an onset of psychosis in adolescence versus adulthood.Method:  We compare first‐episode, DSM‐IV non‐affective psychosis with onset before (n = 43) and after (n = 189) 18 years on duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), level of symptoms, suicidal behaviour, and other baseline clinical and demographic characteristics.Results:  Adolescent onset patients had poorer premorbid functioning, a longer DUP, higher suicidality, and more depressive symptoms. They also had better cognition, fewer psychotic symptoms, and were more likely to be treated on an out‐patient basis.Conclusion:  Adolescents with first‐episode psychosis may have a slower and more silent, i.e. insidious onset, and are at risk of experiencing longer treatment delays than adults. They fit the description of what used to be labeled process (versus reactive) schizophrenia.