bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Visual contribution to walking in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder
Authors: Deconinck F. J. A. , De Clercq D. , Savelsbergh G. J. P. , Van Coster R. , Oostra A. , Dewitte G. , Lenoir M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground  The motor co‐ordination problems of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have been frequently associated with poor visuospatial processing. In order to extend these findings mainly based on fine motor experiments, the present study investigates the contribution of vision to the control of walking in children with DCD.Methods  Children with DCD (n = 12) walked at their preferred speed on a straight, firm and uncluttered walkway in a condition with normal lighting and in a dark condition. Spatiotemporal gait variables were assessed by means of a three‐dimensional ProReflex camera system and compared with the gait pattern of matched, typically developing (TD) children (n = 12).Results  In normal lighting, the gait pattern of both groups was similar, with the exception of subtle differences in the temporal phasing, showing a slightly longer support phase in the children with DCD. In the dark, step frequency and step length were decreased in the children with DCD, resulting in a significantly slower walking velocity. In addition, the medio‐lateral excursion of the centre of mass tended to increase in this group. In the TD children, adaptations to the spatiotemporal pattern remained absent.Conclusions  These results suggest that children with DCD are more dependent on global visual flow information than TD children for the maintenance of balance and the control of velocity during walking. This increased dependency on visual control might be associated with a poorly developed internal sensorimotor model.
Comorbidity, co‐occurrence, continuum: what’s in a name?
Authors: Kaplan B. , Crawford S. , Cantell M. , Kooistra L. , Dewey D. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground  Comorbidity, co‐occurrence and continuum are three terms used when referring to developmental problems such as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), but they can be confusing and misleading. Further, the terms can be upsetting to parents, and are not always helpful in guiding the selection of clinical interventions.Goals  The main purpose of this paper is to question some of the terminology we employ when referring to DCD and other developmental problems. A secondary purpose is to discuss some of the conceptual frameworks that have been proposed that attempt to address the issue of the interrelationships among developmental problems.Approach  The terminology is examined by first referring to the basic dictionary definitions. Second, data we have published that relate to the issues of co‐occurrence and continuum are reviewed in light of the terminology questions. Finally, we review some alternative conceptual frameworks which more accurately describe the relationships among developmental problems.Conclusion  The term ‘comorbidity’ has limited relevance to developmental problems, and its use is questionable. In contrast, co‐occurrence and continuum are more useful terms to use in regard to developmental problems. Concepts such as atypical brain development and minor neurological dysfunction provide some possible explanations for the increased levels of co‐occurrence of developmental disorders in children who are more severely affected.
The National Evaluation of Sure Start Research Team Effects of Sure Start local programmes on children and families: early findings from a quasi‐experimental, cross sectional study
Authors: Reading Richard 
Published: October 2006

.

Belsky J.,
Melhuish E.,
Barnes J.,
Leyland A.H. &
Romaniuk H.
(
2006
)

,
332
,
1476
.
Objective  To evaluate the effects of Sure Start local programmes (SSLPs) on children and their families. To assess whether variations in the effectiveness of SSLPs are due to differences in implementation.Design  Quasi‐experimental cross sectional study using interviews with mothers and cognitive assessment of children aged 36 months who speak English.Setting  Socially deprived communities in England: 150 communities with ongoing SSLPs and 50 comparison communities.Participants  Mothers of 12 575 children aged 9 months and 3927 children aged 36 months in SSLP areas; mothers of 1509 children aged 9 months and 1101 children aged 36 months in comparison communities.Outcome measures  Mothers’ reports of community services and local area, family functioning and parenting skills, child health and development, and verbal ability at 36 months.Results  Differences between SSLP areas and comparison areas were limited, small and varied by degree of social deprivation. SSLPs had beneficial effects on non‐teenage mothers (better parenting, better social functioning in children) and adverse effects on children of teenage mothers (poorer social functioning) and children of single parents or parents who did not work (lower verbal ability). SSLPs led by health services were slightly more effective than other SSLPs.Conclusion  Sure Start local programmes seem to benefit relatively less socially deprived parents (who have greater personal resources) and their children but seem to have an adverse effect on the most disadvantaged children. Programmes led by health services seem to be more effective than programmes led by other agencies.
Spinning the Rural Agenda: The Countryside Alliance, Fox Hunting and Social Policy
Authors: Anderson Alison 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThis paper investigates the ways in which the UK hunting lobby has historically sought to widen its appeal by wrapping the hunting debate up in broader countryside issues in an attempt to present it as an integral part of rural life. It is based upon a detailed analysis of the re‐branding of the hunting lobby and the subsequent framing of the Countryside Alliance's Liberty and Livelihood March in the British newspaper press in September 2002. This illustrates how the hunting lobby has fed upon and promoted the perception of a growing urban–rural divide in the UK. The analysis suggests that there is a long history of symbiotic relationships between campaigning organizations promoting a ‘countryside agenda’ and the politically partisan UK press. Gaining extensive newspaper access, however, does not guarantee that a protest group is successful in its aims. This case study suggests that it is important to consider the less visible processes of news production within their historical context, and in relation to the broader policy‐making arena, to adequately assess whether there has been a fundamental shift in the relationship between protest movements and the press in recent years.
Minamata Disease and Environmental Governance
Authors: Funabashi Harutoshi 
Published: October 2006

Abstract:  This article aims to clarify the conditions necessary for environmental governance through a case study of one of the most tragic examples of environmental destruction, the Minamata disease. The Minamata disease is methyl‐mercury poisoning resulting from the ingestion of contaminated fish and shellfish. The first incident of the Minamata disease occurred in the mid‐1950s, in Kumamoto Prefecture. In spite of the grave lesson that the pollution in Kumamoto provided, Japanese society went on to experience a second occurrence of Minamata disease in the mid‐1960s, in Niigata Prefecture. Conflicts between victims, the companies responsible for contamination, and the central and prefectural governments have continued for the past 50 years. As a whole, the history of the two incidences of Minamata disease shows a lack of environmental governance in Japanese society. Effective environmental governance is the ability to produce adequate solutions to a variety of environmental problems. In order to resolve an environmental problem such as Minamata disease adequately, four tasks must be achieved. These are the discovery of the cause, the prevention of suffering, recovery from suffering and the learning of a lesson. What factors are crucial to the achievement of these tasks? Through an analysis of the history of Minamata disease, I would like to point out three fundamental factors that have a decisive influence on the solution of an environmental problem. They are the existence of an effective and just juridical system, a mature public sphere, and the quality of individual actors who are concerned with an environmental problem. The following conditions are important to the fostering of environmental governance on a more concrete level: sensitivity of the society and the ability to set an agenda, autonomy of the research process and of any research groups, organization of the antipollution movement, an adequately designed system for compensation, and various measures which help to counter socially amplified suffering.
Metabolic Changes in Neuronal Migration Disorders: Evaluation by Combined MRI and Proton MR Spectroscopy
Authors: Simone I. L. , Federico F. , Tortorella C. , De Blasi R. , Bellomo R. , Lucivero V. , Carrara D. , Bellacosa A. , Livrea P. , Carella A. 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To assess the role of 1H‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in detecting biochemical abnormalities in neuronal migration disorders (NMDs). Methods: We performed 1H‐MRS studies on 17 brain NMD areas [five polymicrogyria, eight subcortical heterotopia, and four cortical dysplasia on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)]. The study group consisted of 15 patients, all but one affected by partial epileptic seizures. Spectra were acquired from volumes of interest localized on NMDs and contralateral sides and compared with those obtained on gray and white matter of 18 neurologic controls. Results: NMD lesions were characterized by lower N‐acetylaspartate to creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline to Cr (Cho/Cr) ratios than those of the white (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004) and gray matter (p = 0.03 and p = 0.06) of neurologic controls. In addition, the normal‐appearing contralateral sides to the NMD lesions showed a significant decrease of Cho/Cr ratio when compared with those of white (p = 0.003) and gray matter (p = 0.05) of neurologic controls. No relation was found between NAA/Cr decrease, EEG abnormalities, and NMD sides, or between NAA/Cr ratios, duration of epilepsy, and frequency of seizures. Lactate signal was detected in the spectra of four patients who had an epileptic seizure a short time before MR examination. Conclusions: NAA/Cr decrease may be related more to structural and functional alteration of the NMD sides than to epileptic activity in these lesions. Low Cho/Cr may be related to a more extensive diffuse hypomyelination than suggested by the MRI findings. An activation of anerobic glycolysis during and after seizures could account for the presence of lactate. These data confirm that 1H‐MRS is an advanced technique that may provide useful biochemical information in vivo on neurobiologic processes underlying NMDs.
Hemodynamic and Metabolic Aspects of Photosensitive Epilepsy Revealed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Hill Rosamund A. , Chiappa Keith H. , Huang‐Hellinger Frank , Jenkins Bruce G. 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To study in humans the hemodynamic and metabolic consequences of both photic stimulationtriggered and spontaneous generalized epileptiform discharges. Methods: Simultaneous EEG, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and MR spectroscopy were performed in a 1.5‐T scanner in 16 patients with generalized epilepsy, including nine with photosensitive epilepsy, and 12 normal subjects. Results: With a flash stimulation duration of 2 s, prominent visual cortex activation was seen in all normals and patients. There were no fMRI‐registered hemodynamic abnormalities found in relation to the brief photoparoxysmal spike‐wave activity evoked in the photosensitive patients. However, irrespective of the presence of a spike‐wave response to the photic stimulation, the photosensitive patients showed four unique findings compared with normals: (a) slightly, but significantly, increased lactate levels in the occipital cortex in the resting state, (b) an increased area of visual cortical activation with photic stimulation, (c) simultaneous with the occipital cortex stimulus‐induced increased fMRI signal there were noncontiguous areas of signal attenuation most prominent in perirolandic regions, and (d) a marked decrement (undershoot) of fMRI signal intensity immediately after the photic stimulation in the occipital cortex and in the region of the posterior cingulate gyrus. Conclusions: These findings suggest abnormal interictal metabolism and increased vascular reactivity in the photosensitive patients.
Lamictal (Lamotrigine) Monotherapy for Typical Absence Seizures in Children
Authors: Frank L. Matthew , Enlow Thomas , Holmes Gregory L. , Manasco Penelope , Concannon Susan , Chen Chao , Womble Gilda , Casale Eugene J. 
Published: October 2006

Summary: Purpose: To investigate whether lamotrigine (LTG) monotherapy is effective and safe for newly diagnosed typical absence seizures in children and adolescents (aged 3–15 years, n = 45). Methods: A “responder‐enriched” study design was used: open‐label dose escalation was followed by placebo‐controlled, double‐blind testing of LTG. Conventional hyperventilation testing with EEG recording was used to confirm diagnoses and assess treatment success defined as complete freedom from seizures. Ambulatory 24‐h EEG recordings provided supporting evidence of effectiveness. Safety was assessed by evaluation of adverse events, vital signs, and physical, neurologic, and laboratory examinations. Plasma samples were taken to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of LTG. Results: During initial open‐label dose escalation, 71.4% of patients (intent‐to‐treat) or 82% (per protocol analysis) became seizure free; individual patients responded at doses ranging from 2 to 15 mg/kg/day (median, 5.0). In the placebo‐controlled, double‐blind phase of the study, statistically significantly more patients remained seizure free when treated with LTG (62%) than with placebo (21%; p < 0.02; for the intent‐to‐treat analysis). Mean plasma concentrations of LTG, were linearly related to dose, although there was substantial interindividual variation. No patients were withdrawn from the study for any safety‐related reason. Conclusions: LTG monotherapy is effective for typical absence seizures in children and is generally well tolerated.
Characterization of a Highly Hop-ResistantLactobacillus brevisStrain Lacking Hop Transport
Authors: Behr Jürgen , Gänzle Michael G. , Vogel Rudi F. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTResistance to hops is a prerequisite for lactic acid bacteria to spoil beer. In this study we analyzed mechanisms of hop resistance ofLactobacillus brevisat the metabolism, membrane physiology, and cell wall composition levels. The beer-spoiling organismL. brevisTMW 1.465 was adapted to high concentrations of hop compounds and compared to a nonadapted strain. Upon adaptation to hops the metabolism changed to minimize ethanol stress. Fructose was used predominantly as a carbon source by the nonadapted strain but served as an electron acceptor upon adaptation to hops, with concomitant formation of acetate instead of ethanol. Furthermore, hop adaptation resulted in higher levels of lipoteichoic acids (LTA) incorporated into the cell wall and altered composition and fluidity of the cytoplasmic membrane. The putative transport protein HitA and enzymes of the arginine deiminase pathway were overexpressed upon hop adaptation. HorA was not expressed, and the transport of hop compounds from the membrane to the extracellular space did not account for increased resistance to hops upon adaptation. Accordingly, hop resistance is a multifactorial dynamic property, which can develop during adaptation. During hop adaptation, arginine catabolism contributes to energy and generation of the proton motive force until a small fraction of the population has established structural improvements. This acquired hop resistance is energy independent and involves an altered cell wall composition. LTA shields the organism from accompanying stresses and provides a reservoir of divalent cations, which are otherwise scarce as a result of their complexation by hop acids. Some of the mechanisms involved in hop resistance overlap with mechanisms of pH resistance and ethanol tolerance and as a result enable beer spoilage byL. brevis.
Effect of Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane on Methylation of Bismuth by
Methanosarcina barkeri
Authors: Michalke Klaus , Meyer Jörg , Hensel Reinhard 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), a common constituent of household products, triggers the transformation of bismuth to the volatile toxic derivative trimethylbismuth by
Methanosarcina barkeri
, which is a representative member of the sewage sludge microflora. Comparative studies with the ionophores monensin and lasalocid, which induce effects similar to those observed for OMCTS, indicated that the stimulation of bismuth methylation is not specific for the siloxane and suggested that the stimulation observed is mainly due to facilitated membrane permeation of the metal ion.
Essentiality of a Newly Identified Carbohydrate-Binding Module for the Function of CelB (BH0603) from the Alkaliphilic Bacterium
Bacillus halodurans
Authors: Wamalwa Benson Munyali , Sakka Makiko , Shiundu Paul Mwanza , Ohmiya Kunio , Kimura Tetsuya , Sakka Kazuo 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

CelB (BH0603) from
Bacillus halodurans
is a modular glycoside hydrolase with a family 5 catalytic module, an immunoglobulin-like module, and module PfamB of unknown function. The recombinant PfamB module bound to Avicel and was essential for CelB hydrolytic function. We propose that module PfamB be designated a new carbohydrate-binding module.
Microbial Community in Black Rust Exposed to Hot Ridge Flank Crustal Fluids
Authors: Nakagawa Satoshi , Inagaki Fumio , Suzuki Yohey , Steinsbu Bjørn Olav , Lever Mark Alexander , Takai Ken , Engelen Bert , Sako Yoshihiko , Wheat Charles Geoffrey , Horikoshi Koki ,   Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 301 Scientists
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTDuring Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 301, we obtained a sample of black rust from a circulation obviation retrofit kit (CORK) observatory at a borehole on the eastern flank of Juan de Fuca Ridge. Due to overpressure, the CORK had failed to seal the borehole. Hot fluids from oceanic crust had discharged to the overlying bottom seawater and resulted in the formation of black rust analogous to a hydrothermal chimney deposit. Both culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses indicated that the black-rust-associated community differed from communities reported from other microbial habitats, including hydrothermal vents at seafloor spreading centers, while it shared phylotypes with communities previously detected in crustal fluids from the same borehole. The most frequently retrieved sequences of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes were related to the generaAmmonifexandMethanothermococcus, respectively. Most phylotypes, including phylotypes previously detected in crustal fluids, were isolated in pure culture, and their metabolic traits were determined. Quantification of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes, together with stable sulfur isotopic and electron microscopic analyses, strongly suggested the prevalence of sulfate reduction, potentially by theAmmonifexgroup of bacteria. Stable carbon isotopic analyses suggested that the bulk of the microbial community was trophically reliant upon photosynthesis-derived organic matter. This report provides important insights into the phylogenetic, physiological, and trophic characteristics of subseafloor microbial ecosystems in warm ridge flank crusts.
Role of Erythrocytes as a Reservoir for Ribavirin and Relationship with Adverse Reactions in the Early Phase of Interferon Combination Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infections
Authors: Saito Hidetsugu , Tada Shinichiro , Ebinuma Hirotoshi , Ishii Hiromasa , Kashiwazaki Kazuo , Takahashi Masahiko , Tsukada Nobuhiro , Nishida Jiro , Tanaka Shin , Shiozaki Hiroshi , Hibi Toshifumi 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

We investigated the relationship between serum ribavirin concentrations and clearance, as well as therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions, in 97 Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infections treated with a 6-month course of high-dose alpha2b interferon (6 million units/day) plus ribavirin (600 to 800 mg/day) combination therapy. This randomized trial showed that the saturation of ribavirin uptake after taking ribavirin capsules does not occur within a dose range of 600 to 800 mg/day, which is a standard dosage used clinically in Japan. Serum ribavirin concentrations and clearance did not correlate with sustained virological response rates. Fourteen patients discontinued therapy because of adverse reactions, and sustained virological response rates were significantly reduced by discontinuation of therapy, while dose reduction of ribavirin did not alter the therapeutic effects. Ribavirin concentrations after 1 week and ribavirin clearance were significantly correlated with discontinuation of ribavirin; however, a multiple-regression analysis revealed that only hemoglobin concentration, but not ribavirin clearance, was a significant factor for discontinuation of therapy (odds ratio, 0.514; 95% confidence interval, 0.311 to 0.85;
P
= 0.0095). It appears that peripheral erythrocytes may act as a reservoir for ribavirin and regulate serum ribavirin levels in the very early phase of treatment.
Vancomycin-Tolerant
Streptococcus pneumoniae
in Korea
Authors: Sung Heungsup , Shin Hee Bong , Kim Mi-Na , Lee Kyungwon , Kim Eui-Chong , Song Wonkeun , Jeong Seok Hoon , Lee Wee-Gyo , Park Yeon-Joon , Eliopoulos George M. 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT

A nationwide surveillance study was undertaken to monitor antimicrobial resistance among clinical isolates of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
in Korea, with a special focus on vancomycin tolerance. For the 6-month period from March to August 2002, clinical isolates of
S. pneumoniae
were collected from 11 university hospitals and 1 reference laboratory. One-hundred eighty-eight isolates were measured for lysis rates after exposure to vancomycin for 4 h. Two vancomycin-tolerant
S. pneumoniae
(VTSP) strains, S3 and H8, were isolated from sputum cultures of two patients, who had stayed in intensive-care units of different hospitals with long-term antibiotic therapy and were not treated for pneumococcal pneumonia. The penicillin, cefotaxime, and vancomycin MICs for S3 were 8 μg/ml, >16 μg/ml, and 0.5 μg/ml, and those for H8 were 2 μg/ml, 2 μg/ml, and 0.5 μg/ml, respectively. While S3 belonged to serotype 23F and was autolysin defective, H8 belonged to serotype 13F and had intact autolysin. These strains were not clonally related as determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of chromosomal DNA. In agreement with previous reports, both isolates showed pairing of TIGR4
vex2
with R6
pep27
and had two identical amino acid substitutions, Q441K in
vncS
and N25D in
vex2
. These findings indicate that two VTSP strains have emerged independently in Korea, suggesting a prevalence rate of 1.1%. The emergence of VTSP would be a serious threat in Korea, where there are significant rates of penicillin resistance in
S. pneumoniae
. Monitoring of the prevalence of VTSP and further investigation of the clinical relevance of VTSP are warranted.