bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Demyelination secondary to chronic nerve compression injury alters Schmidt–Lanterman incisures
Authors: Berger Brent L. , Gupta Ranjan 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe role of Schmidt–Lanterman incisures (SLIs) within the myelin sheath remains the subject of much debate. Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between the number of SLIs per internode and internodal width for both normal and pathological myelin internodes. As chronic nerve compression (CNC) injury induces demyelination, we sought to evaluate if CNC injury altered the occurrence of SLIs using nerve‐teasing techniques and light microscopy. Rigorous examination of the teased axons from nerves subjected to CNC injury for 1 month, 2 months or 8 months revealed that there is indeed a positive correlation between the number of SLIs per internode and the internodal width. However, unlike previous studies, the degree of positive correlation between these two parameters was greater in the internodes that had undergone remyelination in response to CNC injury as compared with the internodes from control nerves. These findings support the theory that SLIs are likely to assist in the metabolic processes of the myelin sheath, including growth and maintenance of the myelin sheath.
Post‐embryonic remodelling of neurocranial elements: a comparative study of normal versus abnormal eye migration in a flatfish, the Atlantic halibut
Authors: Sæle Øystein , Silva Nadia , Pittman Karin 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe process of eye migration in bilaterally symmetrical flatfish larvae starts with asymmetrical growth of the dorsomedial parts of the ethmoid plate together with the frontal bones, structures initially found in a symmetrical position between the eyes. The movement of these structures in the future ocular direction exerts a stretch on the fibroblasts in the connective tissue found between the moving structures and the eye that is to migrate. Secondarily, a dense cell population of fibroblasts ventral to the eye starts to proliferate, possibly cued by the pulling forces exerted by the eye. The increased growth ventral to the eye pushes the eye dorsally. Osteoblasts are deposited in the dense cell layer, forming the dermal part of the lateral ethmoid, and at full eye migration this will cover the area vacated by the migrated eye. When the migrating eye catches up with the previous migrated dermal bones, the frontals, these bones will be remodelled to accommodate the eye. Our findings suggest that a combination of extremely localized signals and more distant factors may impinge upon the outcome of the tissue remodelling. Early normal asymmetry of signalling factors may cascade on a series of events.
The relationship of myocardial bridges to coronary artery dominance in the adult human heart
Authors: Loukas Marios , Curry Brian , Bowers Maggi , Louis Robert G. , Bartczak Artur , Kiedrowski Miroslaw , Kamionek Michal , Fudalej Martin , Wagner Teresa 
Published: June 2006

AbstractMyocardial bridging is recognized as an anatomical variation of the human coronary circulation in which an epicardial artery lies in the myocardium for part of its course. Thus, the vessel is ‘bridged’ by myocardium. The anterior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery has been reported as the most common site of myocardial bridges but other locations have been reported. The purpose of this study was to provide more definitive information on the vessels with myocardial bridges, the length and depth of the bridged segment, and the relationship between the presence of bridges and coronary dominance. Two hundred formalin‐fixed human hearts were examined. Myocardial bridges were found in 69 (34.5%) of the hearts with a total of 81 bridges. One bridge was found in 59 of these hearts and multiple bridges were observed in ten (eight with double bridges and two with triple bridges). Bridges were most often found over the anterior interventricular artery (35 hearts). Bridges were also found over the diagonal branch of the left coronary artery (14), over the left marginal branch (five) and over the inferior interventricular branch of the left coronary artery (six). Bridges were also found over the right coronary artery (15 hearts), over the right marginal branch (four) and over the inferior interventricular branch of the right coronary artery (two). The presence of bridges appeared to be related to coronary dominance, especially in the left coronary circulation. Forty‐six (66.6%) of the hearts with bridges were left dominant. Forty‐two of these had bridges over the left coronary circulation and four over the right coronary circulation. Seventeen hearts (24.6%) were right dominant. Eleven of these had bridges over the right coronary circulation and six over the left coronary circulation. The remaining six hearts were co‐dominant with four having bridges over the left coronary circulation and two over the right coronary circulation. The mean length of the bridges was 31 mm and the mean depth was 12 mm. The possible clinical implications of myocardial bridging may vary from protection against atherosclerosis to systolic vessel compression and resultant myocardial ischaemia.
Expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide in the primary lymphoid organs of the duckAnas platyrhynchos
Authors: Squillacioti Caterina , Mirabella Nicola , De Luca Adriana , Paino Giuseppe 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) was studied in the thymus and bursa of Fabricius of the duckAnas platyrhynchos, at different ages, using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, RT‐PCR and sequencing. In the thymus, PACAP immunoreactivity (‐ir) was found in lymphoid cells. CD68/ and PGP 9.5/PACAP38 double labelling showed that PACAP was not expressed either in macrophages or in epithelial cells, suggesting that the PACAP‐positive cells observed were lymphoid cells. Immunoreactive lymphocytes were observed in the interlobular septa. They increased in number with ageing. In the bursa, PACAP‐ir was found in nerve fibres and in a few lymphoid cells. RT‐PCR revealed PACAP mRNA expression in the thymus but not in the bursa. These results suggest that PACAP plays a role in the functions of the immune system in birds.
Calcium in plant defence‐signalling pathways
Authors: Lecourieux David , Ranjeva Raoul , Pugin Alain 
Published: June 2006

SummaryIn plant cells, the calcium ion is a ubiquitous intracellular second messenger involved in numerous signalling pathways. Variations in the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) couple a large array of signals and responses. Here we concentrate on calcium signalling in plant defence responses, particularly on the generation of the calcium signal and downstream calcium‐dependent events participating in the establishment of defence responses with special reference to calcium‐binding proteins.

Contents

I.
Introduction
250

II.
Increases in free cellular [Ca2+]: an early and key event in plant defence signalling
251

III.
Relationships between [Ca2+]cyt increases and defence‐signalling pathways
256

IV.
Calcium targets involved in plant defence reactions
258

V.
Concluding remarks
262

Acknowledgements
263

References
263
Electrophysiological support for strategic processing of spatial sentences
Authors: Noordzij Matthijs L. , Van Der Lubbe Rob H. J. , Postma Albert 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThe aims of the present EEG study were to distinguish between the various representation options of spatial sentences and to gain insight into the moment at which differences in the processing of spatial sentences arise. To examine the possible existence of different strategies, we used sentence–sentence and sentence–picture verification trials in mixed blocks, whereby the probability of a specific second stimulus was fixed within a block but varied between blocks. Brain activation (slow wave, 550–1100 ms after stimulus onset) linked to parsing spatial sentences (and not nonspatial sentences) occurred at parieto‐occipital regions associated with mental image processing, and only when participants were expecting to compare verbal information to a picture. Therefore, this study provides neuroimaging evidence that different representational formats of spatial sentences arise almost directly when people are reading a spatial sentence.
Diurnal variation of the startle reflex in relation to HPA‐axis activity in humans
Authors: Miller Mark W. , Gronfier Claude 
Published: June 2006

AbstractDiurnal variation of baseline startle amplitude was examined in 14 normal inpatients on a research unit where behavioral activity and environmental stimuli were highly controlled. We tested a hypothesized association between diurnal variations of salivary cortisol and reflex amplitude by recording acoustic startle eyeblinks shortly before bedtime, when cortisol was near its lowest daily level, and just after awakening, when cortisol was at its peak. Results showed that startle eyeblinks were greater during evening than morning sessions, whereas the opposite was true for cortisol levels. Skin conductance levels and reaction time performance also increased from morning to evening. These findings are consistent with accumulating evidence suggesting a possible link between startle reactivity and hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis activity, and an association between diurnal variations in endogenous arousal and startle amplitude.
Musical training and language‐related brain electrical activity in children
Authors: Moreno Sylvain , Besson Mireille 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThis experiment aimed at testing whether 8 weeks of musical training affect the ability of 8‐year‐old children to detect pitch changes in language. Twenty nonmusician children listened to linguistic phrases that ended with prosodically congruous words or with weak or strong pitch incongruities. We recorded reaction times, error rates, and event‐related brain potentials to the final words. Half of the children followed music training and the other half painting training, and all children were retested following training. For both groups, the weak incongruity was the most difficult to detect, but performance was not significantly different between groups. However, the amplitude of a late positive component was largest to strong incongruities and was reduced after training only in the music group. These results suggest that a relatively short exposure to pitch processing in music exerts some influence on pitch processing in language.
Cerebral processes during visuo‐motor imagery of hands
Authors: Thayer Zoë C. , Johnson Blake W. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractWe investigated the role of cerebral motor structures during mental hand rotation. Neural activity was measured with event‐related potentials (ERPs) in 16 healthy participants while they performed handedness judgments of visually presented hands. Mental rotation was associated with ERP amplitude modulations as early as 170 ms but most strongly during a time window of about 600–800 ms. Source analysis of ERPs during these time windows indicated generators in bilateral extrastriate and parietal cortices. The results do not support a direct involvement of anterior motor cortices in the neural computations underlying mental rotation. However, motor regions may play a role in providing ongoing kinaesthetic feedback during mental rotation or in checking the results of the imagined transformation.
A comparative validation of sympathetic reactivity in children and adults
Authors: Quigley Karen S. , Stifter Cynthia A. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractThis study provides comparative data on cardiac reactivity to common laboratory tasks in preschool children (ages 4.5–5.5 years) and young adults. We used a series of tasks (an emotionally evocative video, interview, reaction time task, and cold forehead pressor) to examine whether pre‐ejection period, a common estimate of sympathetic cardiac activity in adults, provides a comparable measure of sympathetic reactivity to these tasks in preschool children. Our results demonstrate that the cardiac reactivity (pre‐ejection period, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and heart period) to such tasks in children and young adults is similar, but with smaller sympathetic reactivity in children. The consistency of the reactivity across tasks within individuals and consistency of reactivity across children and young adults suggests that pre‐ejection period is a reasonable estimate of sympathetic activity in children.
Systolic inhibition of nociceptive responding is moderated by arousal
Authors: McIntyre David , Edwards Louisa , Ring Christopher , Parvin Becky , Carroll Douglas 
Published: June 2006

AbstractInhibition of the nociceptive flexion reflex during systole could be due to activation of the arterial baroreceptors. Physiological arousal, characterized by raised blood pressure, increases afferent activity from the arterial baroreceptors but attenuates the baroreflex. This study examined the effects of arousal on systolic inhibition of the nociceptive flexion reflex in 38 adults. The threshold current to elicit the reflex in the leg was determined, and participants were stimulated at threshold intensity for 12 trials in two conditions: rest (low arousal) and mental arithmetic (high arousal). In each trial, stimulation was delivered 0 ms, 300 ms, or 600 ms after the R‐wave of the electrocardiogram. Nociceptive responding was inhibited for stimulation at 300 ms after the R‐wave during rest but not mental arithmetic. This moderation of systolic inhibition of nociception could be due to attenuation of the baroreflex with increased arousal.
P50 sensitivity to physical and psychological state influences
Authors: White Patricia M. , Yee Cindy M. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractAlthough P50 is described as a largely preattentive process, increasing evidence suggests that the psychological state of a participant may influence P50 and its suppression. A paired‐stimulus paradigm was used to examine the contributions of variability in stimulus parameters and state factors, such as expectancy and vigilance, on P50. Results obtained from 34 healthy subjects indicate that stimulus intensity and background stimulus intensity influenced P50 amplitude whereas stimulus duration had no significant impact. Importantly, P50 suppression varied with fluctuations in P50 amplitude to the first stimulus, and both P50 and its suppression reflected possible declines in attention or vigilance over the course of the session. Findings from this study suggest that P50 is not entirely preattentional and may reflect the psychological state of a participant. Implications of these results for research with schizophrenia patients are discussed.
Effects of chronic trimetazidine treatment on myocardial preconditioning in anesthetized rats
Authors: Kara Ali F. , Demiryürek Şeniz , Çelik Ahmet , Tarakçıoğlu Mehmet , Demiryürek Abdullah T. 
Published: June 2006

AbstractTrimetazidine is a widely used anti‐ischemic agent, but effects of its chronic treatment on myocardial preconditioning in anesthetized animals have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 15‐day treatment of trimetazidine on ischemic preconditioning and carbachol‐induced preconditioning in anesthetized rats. Ischemic preconditioning, induced by 5 min of coronary artery occlusion and 5 min of reperfusion, significantly decreased the total number of ventricular ectopic beats, the incidence of ventricular tachycardia and abolished the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) during 30 min of ischemia. Trimetazidine (10 mg/kg/day, i.p. for 15 days and 10 mg/kg, i.v.) itself attenuated these arrhythmia parameters with no marked effect on hemodynamic effects. In the presence of trimetazidine, anti‐arrhythmic effects of ischemic preconditioning were present. Carbachol infusion induced preconditioning with a marked depression of mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate and the total number of ventricular ectopic beats. No VF was observed in carbachol‐induced preconditioning. The marked reductions in arrhythmia parameters that induced carbachol‐induced preconditioning were also preserved in the presence of trimetazidine. Arrhythmia scores and myocardial infarct size were reduced significantly with ischemic preconditioning or carbachol‐induced preconditioning and were not modified by trimetazidine. Lactate and malondialdehyde levels were suppressed significantly with preconditioning or trimetazidine + preconditioning groups. These results show that chronic treatment of trimetazidine protects the heart against ischemia‐induced arrhythmias, reduces myocardial infarct size, plasma lactate and malondialdehyde levels, and preserves the effects of ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning in anesthetized rats.
Comparison of two epoetin brands in anemic hemodialysis patients: results of two efficacy trials and a single‐dose pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Milutinović Slobodan , Plavljanić Ðuro , Trkulja Vladimir 
Published: June 2006

AbstractEpoetin alpha is recombinant human erythropoietin with established efficacy and safety in the treatment of renal anemia. Epoetin omega is recombinant erythropoietin that differs from epoetin alpha in the sugar moiety. We compared the two epoetins in two 12‐week efficacy studies (S1, S2) with twice‐weekly dosing, and a single‐dose crossover pharmacokinetic (PK) study in severely anemic hemodialysis patients. Epoetins were delivered subcutaneously in all studies. S1 was randomized (omega n = 39, alpha n = 38), while S2 included the patients from S1 (omega n = 32, alpha n = 24) with ‘switched’ treatments (omega⇆alpha). In the intent‐to‐treat analysis, average weekly difference in hemoglobin vs. the baseline value was higher in omega‐treated patients in both studies: 1.94 ± 0.81 vs. 1.23 ± 0.62 g/dL in S1 and 1.44 ± 0.72 vs. 0.95 ± 0.62 g/dL in S2. The unadjusted and adjusted omega–alpha differences in S1 were 0.71 g/dL (95% CI 0.38–1.04; P < 0.001) and 0.78 g/dL (95% CI 0.49–1.08; P < 0.001), respectively. Differences in S2 were 0.48 g/dL (95% CI 0.11–0.86; P = 0.012) and 0.46 g/dL (95% CI 0.1–0.82; P = 0.025), unadjusted and adjusted, respectively. Average weekly epoetin dose was lower in the omega groups in both studies: 87 ± 25 vs. 108 ± 21 IU/kg in S1 and 106 ± 25 vs. 125 ± 20 IU/kg in S2. The unadjusted and adjusted omega–alpha differences in S1 were −21 IU/kg (95% CI −32 to −11; P < 0.001) and −24 IU/kg (95% CI −35 to −13; P < 0.001), respectively. Differences in S2 were −19 IU/kg (95% CI −31 to −6; P = 0.006) and −15 IU/kg (95% CI −28 to −2; P = 0.04), unadjusted and adjusted, respectively. In the PK study (n = 17), the peak and total exposure to epoetin after 50 IU/kg of either drug was approximately twice greater for epoetin omega: Cmax omega/alpha 2.19 (95% CI 1.55–3.11), AUC omega/alpha 2.24 (95% CI 1.64–3.06). Epoetins were comparably well tolerated. In hemodialysis patients, subcutaneous epoetin omega apparently provides greater bioavailability and anti‐anemic effect per administered dose (IU) than epoetin alpha.
Book Reviews
Authors: Hernández‐Campoy J.M. , Vassileva Irena , Tosi Arturo , Hüllen Werner , Byram Michael , Čarapić Aleksandar , Deterding David , Field John , Cook Guy 
Published: June 2006

Carmen Fought (ed.), 2004, Sociolinguistic Variation: Critical Reflections. Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics. New York: Oxford University Press, xv + 214 pages, ISBN 0‐19‐517039‐3 (hbk) Diana Yankova, 2004, Legal Language Made Simple: Statutory Provisions in English and Bulgarian. Sofia: Tip‐Top Press, 189 pages, ISBN: 954‐8964‐60‐0 Gunilla Anderman and Margaret Rogers (eds.), 2005, In and Out of English: For Better, For Worse? Clevedon/Buffalo/Toronto: Multilingual Matters, 303 pages, ISBN 1‐85359‐788‐0 (hbk), ISBN 1‐85359‐787‐2 (pbk) Ulrich Ammon et al., 2004, Variantenwörterbuch des Deutschen. Die Standardsprache in Österreich, der Schweiz und Deutschland sowie in Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Ostbelgien und Südtirol. Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter, LXXV + 954 pages, ISBN 3‐11‐016574‐0 Werner Hüllen, 2005, Kleine Geschichte des Fremdsprachenlernens. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag, 184 pages, ISBN 3‐503‐07946‐7 Helena Halmari and Tuija Virtanen (eds.), 2005, Persuasion Across Genres: A linguistic approach. Amsterdam/New York: John Benjamins, viii + 257 pages, ISBN: 90‐272‐5373‐0 (EUR), 1‐5811‐588‐7 (US) Michael Ashby and John Maidment, 2005, Introducing Phonetic Science. Cambridge Introductions to Language and Linguistics. Cambridge University Press, viii + 222 pages, ISBN: 0‐521‐00496‐9 Ewa Da̧browska, 2004, Language, Mind and Brain. Edinburgh University Press, 280 pages, ISBN 0‐7486‐1475‐3 (pbk), 0‐7486‐1475‐5 (hbk) Response to Kumiko Murata's review of Genetically Modified Language
Morphological variation in relation to flower use in bumblebees
Authors: INOUE Maki N. , YOKOYAMA Jun 
Published: June 2006

AbstractTo understand resource partitioning in a bumblebee community, we analyzed various morphological characters. A total of 1269 individuals of six bumblebee species, Bombus ardens, B. hypocrita, B. diversus, B. ignitus, B. honshuensis and B. beaticola, were examined and principal component analysis showed that the bumblebee species were clearly differentiated. Glossa, prementa and head lengths were positively correlated with the second component, and a longer proboscis was associated with a narrower body, which may help bees to intrude into and access deep‐lying nectar sources. Bombus diversus, with a long proboscis and narrow body, preferred flowers with a long corolla tube, whereas B. hypocrita and B. ignitus, which have short proboscises and wide bodies, visited flowers with short corollas or dish‐shaped flowers. Two pairs of consubgeneric species that have similar morphological characteristics, B. ardens and B. beaticola, and B. hypocrita and B. ignitus, divided flower resources by habitat selection and seasonal partitioning. For resource partitioning among bumblebee species, not only morphology but also other factors, such as habitat and seasonal preference, flower use, foraging behavior, and interspecific interactions, are responsible.
Japanese oak silkmoth feeding preference for and performance on upper‐crown and lower‐crown leaves
Authors: OISHI Masako , YOKOTA Taketo , TERAMOTO Noriyuki , SATO Hiroaki 
Published: June 2006

AbstractWe quantified differences in leaf traits between upper and lower crowns of a deciduous oak, Quercus acutissima, and examined feeding preference, consumption and performance of the Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai, for those leaves. Upper‐crown leaves had significantly smaller area, larger dry mass per area, greater thickness, lower water content, higher nitrogen content and a higher N/C ratio than lower‐crown leaves. When simultaneously offered upper‐crown and lower‐crown leaves, moth larvae consumed a significantly larger amount of the former. However, when fed with either upper‐crown or lower‐crown leaves (no choice), they consumed a significantly larger amount of the latter. Female larvae reared on upper‐crown leaves had a significantly smaller fresh weight, but attained a significantly larger pupal fresh and dry weight, with a significantly higher relative growth rate than those on lower‐crown leaves. Although, like female larvae, male larvae had a significantly smaller fresh weight when reared on upper‐crown leaves, they had a significantly larger value only for pupal dry weight. These results suggest that: (i) larvae ingest a greater amount of lower‐crown leaves to compensate for the lower nitrogen content of the foliage, resulting in having an excess of water because of the higher water content of the foliage; (ii) feeding preference for upper‐crown leaves accords with better performance (with respect to dry pupal weight and relative growth rate) on the foliage; (iii) better performance is explained by a higher nitrogen content and N/C ratio of the upper‐crown foliage; and (iv) the effects of leaf quality on performance differ between sexes.