bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cocaine withdrawal enhances long‐term potentiation induced by corticotropin‐releasing factor at central amygdala glutamatergic synapses via CRF1, NMDA receptors and PKA
Authors: Pollandt Sebastian , Liu Jie , Orozco‐Cabal Luis , Grigoriadis Dimitri E. , Vale Wylie W. , Gallagher Joel P. , Shinnick‐Gallagher Patricia 
Published: September 2006

AbstractCocaine addiction is an enduring, relapsing, behavioural disorder in which stressors reinstate cocaine‐seeking even after prolonged abstinence. Evidence suggests that the ‘anxiety‐like’ behaviour and stress associated with protracted withdrawal may be mediated by increased corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), a part of the limbic circuitry engaged in the coding and transmission of stimulus–reward associations. In the present study we describe a long‐lasting potentiation of glutamatergic transmission induced at lateral amygdala (LA)‐to‐CeA synapses by rat/human CRF. After 2 weeks of withdrawal from repeated intermittent exposure to cocaine, CRF‐induced long‐term potentiation (LTP) was greatly enhanced compared to the respective saline control group while, after short‐term withdrawal (24 h), there was no significant difference between the two treatment groups, indicating alterations in CRF systems during protracted withdrawal from chronic cocaine. After prolonged withdrawal, CRF‐induced LTP was dependent on activation of CRF2, CaV2.3 (R‐type) calcium channels and intracellular signalling through protein kinase C in both saline‐ and cocaine‐treated groups. The enhanced CRF‐induced LTP after 2 weeks of withdrawal was mediated through augmented CRF1receptor function, associated with an increased signalling through protein kinase A, and requiredN‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Accordingly, single‐cell recordings revealed a significantly increased NMDA/AMPA ratio after prolonged withdrawal from the cocaine treatment. These results support a role for CRF1receptor antagonists as plausible treatment options during withdrawal from chronic cocaine and suggest CaV2.3 blockers as potential candidates for pharmaceutical modulation of CRF systems.
Distinct patterns of plasticity in prefrontal cortex neurons that encode slow and fast responses to stress
Authors: Jackson Mark E. , Moghaddam Bita 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThe prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in cognitive and affective responses to acute and chronic stress; however, direct evidence for the reactivity or adaptability of PFC neurons to stress is lacking. We followed the unit activity of medial PFC (mPFC) neurons in awake rats during two consecutive exposures to restraint stress or to a non‐aversive novel object. The majority (75%) of mPFC neurons had significant responses to the initial restraint that was differentiated into one of three temporal patterns: (i) phasic increase in firing rate during the restraint period, (ii) slow onset increase in firing rate that was sustained for > 2 h after restraint, and (iii) brief bi‐phasic responses to initiation and termination of restraint. Exposure to a novel object elicited an exposure‐locked phasic response in 40% of the neurons. None of the neurons displayed the sustained activation that was prominent after restraint. A second exposure to the object no longer elicited this phasic response while neurons in the three restraint‐responsive groups modified their firing rate during the second restraint in a manner that was specific to their pattern of response to the first restraint. These findings demonstrate that whereas some mPFC neurons respond phasically to novel stimuli irrespective of their aversive nature, a separate population of PFC neurons responds to a stressful stimulus with a sustained increase in firing rate that persists in the absence of that stimulus. These neurons may be a substrate for adaptive responses that are necessary for behavioral modification.
Neural responses to silent lipreading in normal hearing male and female subjects
Authors: Ruytjens Liesbet , Albers Frans , Van Dijk Pim , Wit Hero , Willemsen Antoon 
Published: September 2006

AbstractIn the past, researchers investigated silent lipreading in normal hearing subjects with functional neuroimaging tools and showed how the brain processes visual stimuli that are normally accompanied by an auditory counterpart. Previously, we showed activation differences between males and females in primary auditory cortex during silent lipreading, i.e. only the female group significantly activated the primary auditory region during lipreading. Here we report and discuss the overall activation pattern in males and females. We used positron emission tomography to study silent lipreading in 19 normal hearing subjects (nine females). Prior to scanning, subjects were tested on their lipreading ability and only good lipreaders were included in the study. Silent lipreading was compared with a static image. In the whole group, activations were found mainly in the left hemisphere with major clusters in superior temporal, inferior parietal, inferior frontal and precentral regions. The female group showed more clusters and these clusters were larger than in the male group. Sex differences were found mainly in right inferior frontal and left inferior parietal regions and to a lesser extent in bilateral angular and precentral gyri. The sex differences in the parietal multimodal region support our previous hypothesis that the male and female brain process visual speech stimuli differently without differences in overt lipreading ability. Specifically, females associate the visual speech image with the corresponding auditory speech sound whereas males focus more on the visual image itself.
Identification of acetate‐utilizing Bacteria and Archaea in methanogenic profundal sediments of Lake Kinneret (Israel) by stable isotope probing of rRNA
Authors: Schwarz Julia I. K. , Lueders Tillmann , Eckert Werner , Conrad Ralf 
Published: September 2006

SummaryAcetate is an important intermediate in the decomposition of organic matter in anoxic freshwater sediments. Here, we identified distinct microorganisms active in its oxidation and transformation to methane in the anoxic methanogenic layers of Lake Kinneret (Israel) profundal sediment by rRNA‐based stable isotope probing (RNA‐SIP). After 18 days of incubation with amended [U‐13C]acetate we found that archaeal 16S rRNA was 13C‐labelled to a far greater extent than bacterial rRNA. We identified acetoclastic methanogens related to Methanosaeta concilii as being most active in the degradation and assimilation of acetate. Oxidation of the acetate‐methyl group played only a minor role, but nevertheless ‘heavy’13C‐labelled bacterial rRNA templates were identified. ‘Heavy’ bacteria were mainly affiliated with the Betaproteobacteria (mostly Rhodocyclales and Nitrosomonadales), the Nitrospira phylum (related to ‘Magnetobacterium bavaricum’ and Thermodesulfovibrio yellowstonii), and also with the candidate phylum ‘Endomicrobia’. However, the mode of energy gain that allowed for the assimilation of 13C‐acetate by these bacterial groups remains unknown. It may have involved syntrophic oxidation of acetate, reduction of chlorinated compounds, reduction of humic substances, fermentation of organic compounds, or even predation of 13C‐labelled Methanosaeta spp. In summary, this SIP experiment shows that acetate carbon was predominantly consumed by acetoclastic methanogens in profundal Lake Kinneret sediment, while it was also utilized by a small and heterogeneous community of bacteria.
Temporal gene‐expression in Escherichia coli K‐12 biofilms
Authors: Domka Joanna , Lee Jintae , Bansal Tarun , Wood Thomas K. 
Published: September 2006

SummaryAnalysis of the temporal development of Escherichia coli K‐12 biofilms in complex medium indicates the greatest differential gene expression between biofilm and suspension cells occurred in young biofilms at 4 and 7 h (versus 15 and 24 h). The main classes of genes differentially expressed (biofilm versus biofilm and biofilm versus suspension cells) include 42 related to stress response (e.g. cspABFGI), 66 related to quorum sensing (e.g. ydgG, gadABC, hdeABD), 20 related to motility (e.g. flgBCEFH, fliLMQR, motB), 13 related to fimbriae (e.g. sfmCHM, fimZ, csgC), 24 related to sulfur and tryptophan metabolism (e.g. trpLBA, tnaLA, cysDNCJH), 80 related to transport (e.g. gatABC, agaBC, ycjJ, ydfJ, phoU, phnCJKM), and six related to extracellular matrix (e.g. wcaBDEC). Of the 93 mutants identified and studied, 76 showed altered biofilm formation. Biofilm architecture changed from thin and dense to globular and dispersed to dense and smooth. The quorum‐sensing signal AI‐2 controls gene expression most clearly in mature biofilms (24 h) when intracellular AI‐2 levels are highest. Sulfate transport and metabolism genes (cysAUWDN) and genes with unknown functions (ymgABCZ) were repressed in young (4, 7 h) biofilms, induced in developed biofilms (15 h), and repressed in mature (24 h) biofilms. Genes related to both motility and fimbriae were induced in biofilms at all sampling time points and colanic acid genes were induced in mature biofilms (24 h). Genes related to dihydroxyacetone phosphate synthesis from galactitol and galactosamine (e.g. gatZABCDR, agaBCY) were highly regulated in biofilms. Genes involved in the biosynthesis of indole and sulfide (tnaLA) are repressed in biofilms after 7 h (corroborated by decreasing intracellular indole concentrations in biofilms). Cold‐shock protein transcriptional regulators (cspABFGI) appear to be positive biofilm regulators, and deletions in respiratory genes (e.g. hyaACD, hyfCG, appC, narG) increased biofilm formation sevenfold.
Metabolic syndrome and pulse pressure
Authors: Mannucci E. , Monami M. , Bardini G. , Sposato I. , Ungar A. , Pepe G. , Masotti G. , Marchionni N. , Rotella C. M. 
Published: September 2006

Aim:  Pulse pressure (PP) has been reported to be increased in patients with abdominal adiposity and insulin resistance. Aim of the present study is to verify the association of high PP with metabolic syndrome (MS) and with its individual components.Methods:  The relationship between PP and MS was studied in a sample of 1724 subjects aged (mean ± s.d.) 52.8 ± 1.3 years, enrolled in a screening programme for diabetes FIrenze‐Bango A Ripoli (FIBAR) study, and in a consecutive series of 1775 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 64.3 ± 9.1 years; only subjects not treated with antihypertensive medication were included in the analysis.Results:  In the FIBAR sample, PP was significantly higher in subjects with MS. A significant correlation of PP was found in women with waist circumference, fasting glucose and triglyceride (r = 0.14, 0.15, and 0.09 respectively), and in men with fasting glucose only (r = 0.09); the correlation was no longer significant after adjustment for age and mean blood pressure. Similar results were obtained in the series of patients with type 2 diabetes.Discussion:  High PP is associated with MS and its components, but this association seems to disappear after adjustment for age and mean blood pressure. On the basis of the present data, high PP cannot be considered as one of the alterations associated with MS.
Devolution and the Restructuring of Participation in Higher Education in Wales
Authors: Rees Gareth , Taylor Chris 
Published: September 2006

AbstractThis paper examines patterns of participation in higher education (HE) Wales, in the context of the devolution of powers over HE to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government. In particular, this democratic devolution has resulted in the introduction of arrangements for student finance which are quite distinctive from those in other parts of the UK. In the event, trends in participation amongst Welsh‐domiciled young people (even when disaggregated by gender and socio‐economic background) show little evidence of impacts from these arrangements. Analysis of the geography of participation within Wales does reveal some evidence of convergence between areas of low and high participation. The picture is further complicated when the flows of students into and out of Wales, which are much larger than for other parts of the UK, are taken into account. This poses major questions for Welsh policy makers, especially because, from 2007–2008, there will be a significant price differential for Welsh‐domiciled students studying in Wales and those who wish to go elsewhere.
Maternal factors and the probability of a planned home birth
Authors: Anthony S. , Buitendijk S.E. , Offerhaus P.M. , van Dommelen P. , van der Pal‐de Bruin K.M. 
Published: September 2006

Objectives  In the Netherlands, approximately one‐third of births are planned home births, mostly supervised by a midwife. The relationship between maternal demographic factors and home births supervised by midwives was examined.Design  Cross‐sectional study.Setting  Dutch national perinatal registries of the year 2000.Population  All women starting their pregnancy care under the supervision of a midwife, because these women have the possibility of having a planned home birth.Methods  The possible groups of birth were as follows: planned home birth or short stay hospital birth, both under the supervision of a midwife, or hospital birth under the supervision of an obstetrician after referral from the midwife during pregnancy or birth. The studied demographic factors were maternal age, parity, ethnicity and degree of urbanisation. Probabilities of having a planned home birth were calculated for women with different demographic profiles.Main outcome measure  Place of birth.Results  In all age groups, the planned home birth percentage in primiparous women was lower than in multiparous women (23.5%vs 42.8%). A low home birth percentage was observed in women younger than 25 years. Dutch and non‐Dutch women showed almost similar percentages of obstetrician‐supervised hospital births but large differences in percentage of planned home births (36.5%vs 17.3%). Fewer home births were observed in large cities (30.5%) compared with small cities (35.7%) and rural areas (35.8%).Conclusions  This study demonstrates a clear relationship between maternal demographic factors and the place of birth and type of caregiver and therefore the probability of a planned home birth.
Developmental toxicity of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists during human pregnancy: a report of 10 cases
Authors: Serreau Raphael , Luton Dominique , Macher Marie‐Alice , Delezoide Anne‐Lise , Garel Catherine , Jacqz‐Aigrain Evelyne 
Published: September 2006

Objective  Angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists (ARA). Interacted with the renin–angiotensin system, and the present study was undertaken to examine their fetal and neonatal toxicity when taken by the mother during pregnancy.Design  Prospective follow up of pregnant women exposed to an ARA during early pregnancy.Setting  The present study was conducted in the departments of Paedriatric Pharmacology of the University hospital Robert Debré in Paris, France.Population  Ten women exposed to an ARA during early pregnancy.Methods  Prospective follow up.Main outcome measure  Fetal ultrasonography and outcome of pregnancy.Results  Prenatal ultrasonography showed abnormal features in five cases (oligoamnios related to fetal tabular dysgenesis, fetal dysmorphia and renal abnormalities). Outcome of pregnancy was as follows: three induced abortions, two stillbirths (twin pregnancy), one neonate presenting with dysmorphia and renal disease and five neonates with an uneventful development.Conclusion  Women of reproductive age should be advised of the possible hazards of ARA and treatment should be stopped as soon as pregnany has been documented.
Detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia using impedance spectroscopy: a prospective study
Authors: Brown Brian H. , Milnes Peter , Abdul Summi , Tidy John A. 
Published: September 2006

Objective  To compare cervical impedance spectrometry in the cervical epithelium of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and normal epithelium.Design  Prospective observational study.Setting  Colposcopy clinic, Jessop Wing, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.Population  Eighty‐seven women referred to colposcopy with a moderate or severely dyskaryotic smear.Methods  A pencil probe incorporating four gold electrodes was used to measure an electrical impedance spectrum from cervical epithelium. Colposcopy examinations, including probe positioning, were recorded by video to allow for correlation between results obtained from colposcopic impression, histopathological examination of colposcopically directed punch biopsies and the impedance measurements.Main outcome measures  Cervical impedance derived parameters R, S and C were assessed to see if there was a significant difference in values obtained in CIN and normal squamous epithelium. Analysis was based upon matching the electrical components measured to those identified by cellular modelling as being most sensitive for premalignancy.Results  From normal epithelium through CIN 1 to CIN 2/3, R decreased by a factor of 4.5, S increased by a factor of 2.5 but C remained unchanged.Conclusions  Cervical impedance spectrometry provides a potentially promising screening tool with similar sensitivity and specificity to currently used screening tests, but with the potential advantage of providing instant results. Further work is currently being undertaken to improve the probe in its clinical use.
Intra‐operative introital ultrasound in Burch colposuspension reduces post‐operative complications
Authors: Viereck Volker , Bader Werner , Krauß Thomas , Oppermann Miriam , Gauruder‐Burmester Annett , Hilgers Reinhard , Hackenberg Reinhard , Hatzmann Wolfgang , Emons Günter 
Published: September 2006

Objective  To determine the effect of intra‐operative monitoring of bladder neck elevation on cure rate and post‐operative complications in patients undergoing colposuspension.Design  Prospective, observational study.Setting  Urogynaecology units, university hospitals.Population  Ninety women operated on for genuine stress urinary incontinence.Methods  The topography of the bladder neck and proximal urethra was assessed with pre‐, intra‐ and post‐operative introital ultrasound. These measurements were repeated during follow up for up to 48 months after surgery. Burch colposuspension of the bladder neck was performed under intra‐operative introital ultrasound control, with reference to the patients' individual pre‐operative ultrasound, to achieve a vertical height correction of 1–10 mm.Main outcome measures  Mid‐term surgical outcome and post‐operative complications.Results  Ninety patients underwent colposuspension and 50 (56%) completed 48 months of follow up; 85 women (94%) were objectively continent at 12‐month follow up and 42 of 50 (82%) at 48‐month follow up. Surgical elevation of the bladder neck resulted in a median intra‐operative elevation of 9 mm (7 mm at 48 months). All post‐operative measurements demonstrated a significant decrease in linear dorsocaudal movement of the bladder neck during straining (P < 0.001). Funnelling and hypermobility were still decreased 48 months after incontinence surgery (P <0.001). Voiding difficulty and urgency were uncommon and associated with evidence of funnelling and hypermobility.Conclusion  Intra‐operative introital ultrasound standardises Burch colposuspension and thus might help to avoid overelevation and associated post‐operative complications such as voiding difficulties and de novo urge incontinence without compromising the success of the operation.
Interleukin‐6 and interleukin‐8 in cervical and amniotic fluid: relationship to microbial invasion of the chorioamniotic membranes
Authors: Jacobsson Bo , Mattsby‐Baltzer Inger , Hagberg Henrik 
Published: September 2006

Objective  To evaluate the levels of interleukin (IL)‐6 and IL‐8 in cervical and amniotic fluid in relation to the presence of bacteria in the membranes in women in preterm labour (PTL).Design  A prospective follow up study.Setting  Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden.Sample  Women with singleton pregnancies (<34 weeks) presenting with PTL (n= 30).Methods  Amniotic fluid was retrieved transabdominally and cervical fluid was sampled from the uterine cervix at admission and analysed for IL‐6 and IL‐8 with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). At birth, the chorioamniotic membranes were separated and samples for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis and general culture were obtained.Main outcome measure  IL‐6 and IL‐8 in relation to microbial invasion of the chorioamniotic membranes.Results  Bacteria were found in the membranes in 8 of 21 patients in PTL for whom chorioamnion as well as amniotic fluid PCR and cultures were available. Cervical IL‐6 was associated with detectable bacteria in the chorioamniotic membranes in women in PTL (median 8.2 ng/mL vs 0.73 ng/mL; P= 0.01). The IL‐6 (median 13 ng/mL vs 1.7 ng/mL; P= 0.004) and IL‐8 (median 7.2 ng/mL vs 0.28 ng/mL; P= 0.01) levels in amniotic fluid were higher in PTL cases in which bacteria were found in the chorioamniotic membranes.Conclusion  IL‐6 in cervical fluid and IL‐6 and IL‐8 in amniotic fluid were higher in those PTL cases in which bacteria were found in the chorioamniotic membranes.
Type‐specific screening for asymptomatic herpes infection in pregnancy: a decision analysis
Authors: Cleary Kirsten Lawrence , Paré Emmanuelle , Stamilio David , Macones George A. 
Published: September 2006

Objective  To evaluate the merits of serum screening for herpes simple virus (HSV) in pregnant women with no history of prior HSV infection.Design  Clinical decision analysis.Population  Hypothetical cohort of pregnant women in first trimester with no clinical history of HSV infection.Methods  We used decision analysis techniques to compare three strategies for antepartum screening for HSV in women with no history of infection: (1) universal screening; (2) targeted screening in women estimated to be at high risk for infection; and (3) current care (no screening). For the screening strategies, we considered screening at 35 weeks of gestation, with prophylactic antiviral therapy for seropositive women. For all women, we assumed caesarean delivery in the setting of symptomatic infection at delivery. We performed a literature review of English‐language publications to derive probability estimates for the rate of HSV seropositivity in asymptomatic pregnant women, and the risks of symptomatic HSV infection and asymptomatic shedding at the time of delivery. We determined the modification of rates of viral shedding, symptomatic lesions and caesarean section with the use of prophylactic suppression therapy for seropositive women based on available data. We chose neonatal herpes with severe sequelae, neonatal death, as well as caesarean delivery as clinically relevant outcomes.Main outcome measures  Number of cases of neonatal death, neonatal HSV with severe sequelae, neonatal HSV with moderate sequelae, patients screened, patients treated and caesarean section with each strategy.Results  Universal maternal screening reduced the total number of deaths and severe sequelae secondary to neonatal HSV. Universal screening required treatment of 3849 women to prevent one case of neonatal death or disease with severe sequelae from HSV. Targeted screening of high risk women treatment of 2277 women to prevent one death or case of severe disease. Universal screening reduced the rate of neonatal HSV attributable to recurrent HSV by 79.3%. Caesarean delivery was reduced with both screening strategies. We used one‐way sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of our model.Conclusions  Maternal screening reduced the number of cases of neonatal HSV. Screening also reduced the rate of caesarean delivery. However, employing universal screening will likely result in a significant expenditure of medical resources because the number needed to treat to avert a single case of neonatal herpes is high.