bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Infraclavicular coracoid approach brachial plexus block for radial club hand repair
Authors: PONDE VRUSHALI , ATHANI B. , THRUPPAL SHREEDHAR 
Published: April 2007

SummaryBackground:  Radial club hand is a congenital deformity in which the radius is absent, the metacarpophylangeal and interphalayngeal joints are fused and muscles arising from the radius are absent. This can alter the motor response to peripheral nerve stimulation. The classical motor response to median nerve stimulation (contractions of the fingers) cannot be elicited, hence fine twitches in the hand, at the wrist or in the surgical area or pronation–supination at a current of 0.5 mA were taken as endpoints.The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of achieving successful infraclavicular coracoid approach block in the intra‐ and postoperative periods when ideal responses to electrical nerve stimulation are absent because of congenital anomalies.Methods:  Thirty‐five patients aged 8 months to 2 years, weighing 7–12 kg were selected and the blocks were performed under light general anesthesia. Fentanyl 2 μg·kg−1was used as rescue analgesic in case of block failure. Postoperatively CHEOPS pain score was recorded at h1, h4 h6, h8, and h10 postoperatively. Tramadol 2 mg·kg−1 was given in case of inadequate pain relief (CHEOPS >4).Results:  In no patient could we elicit the finger flexion response which is typical of median nerve stimulation. Intraoperatively, one out of 35 children (3.3%) showed reaction to pain. In the postoperative period two out of 35 (6%) children had high pain scores and were given tramadol. Analgesia lasted for 6.5 ± 1.50 h.Conclusions:  Despite the limitation of absence of an ideal response to nerve stimulation in radial club hand, endpoints such as fine twitches in the hand, at the wrist or in the surgical area or pronation–supination were sufficient to achieve a successful block. This block gives satisfactory intra‐ and postoperative analgesia.
Steinernema kraussei, an indigenous nematode found in coniferous forests: efficacy and field persistence against Hylobius abietis
Authors: Torr Peter , Heritage Stuart , Wilson Michael J. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract1 More than 100 ha of forest restocking sites in Northern Britain are treated annually with the entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema carpocapsae to control larvae of the large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis. However, data on geographical distribution, thermal niche breadth and foraging strategy suggest that S. carpocapsae may be a poor choice for this application.2 We undertook laboratory and field experiments that compared S. carpocapsae with Steinernema kraussei for efficacy towards H. abietis. Steinernema kraussei is indigenous to Northern Britain, active at low temperatures and is thought to adopt a ‘cruise’ foraging strategy particularly suitable for finding subterranean sedentary insects such as H. abietis. Conversely, S. carpocapsae has not been recorded in Northern Britain, prefers warmer temperatures and is thought to remain at the soil surface adopting an ambush foraging strategy.3 There were no differences in the ability of the two nematodes to infect and kill larvae of H. abietis in laboratory experiments and, in two field experiments, both species were equally effective both in terms of parasitizing larvae within the stumps and reducing emergence of adult H. abietis. In one experiment, we monitored persistence of nematodes for 1 year after application and found S. kraussei persistence was much greater than that of S. carpocapsae.4 The greater persistence of S. kraussei suggests that this nematode is better adapted to conditions in Northern Britain, but this may potentially represent a greater threat to nontarget insects.5 Our data suggest that there would be little benefit associated with substituting S. kraussei for S. carpocapsae in integrated pest management systems for H. abietis.
Whales, Sustainability and International Environmental Governance
Authors: Currie Duncan 
Published: April 2007

The international governance structures in place with respect to whales are dominated by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). However, the IWC's constitutive document, the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), lacks many critical elements of good governance which have evolved since the conclusion of the convention. Since the signing of the ICRW, there have been significant and far‐reaching developments in the ways and means by which sustainable development and environmental policy is formulated and implemented. Sustainability principles have expanded well beyond limited conservation objectives to include, in particular, the precautionary and ecosystem approaches. International governance has also evolved to require efficient and participation‐based decision‐making processes, including integrated management and sustainability, efficient and participation‐based decision‐making processes, international cooperation between States and coordination between international agencies, transparency, and dispute‐resolution and compliance mechanisms. These are all elemental aspects of modern environmental governance. Necessary reforms to the ICRW are substantial, and in light of the unanimity required, it is likely that only a new convention will achieve the necessary changes. A governance framework for whales must enable and encourage participants and stakeholders to cooperate in a spirit of global partnership. The goal should be to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the global whale populations as part of the overall goal of the sustainability of the oceans and seas implementing the ecosystem and precautionary approaches. It must integrate with other elements of international governance to that wider goal.
What do Thirteen Million Price Records have to Say about Consumer Price Rigidity?*
Authors: Baudry Laurent , Le Bihan Hervé , Sevestre Patrick , Tarrieu Sylvie 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBased on the analysis of 13 million price records underlying the computation of the French consumer price index, we provide a detailed assessment of consumer price rigidity. Our main results are as follows. The average duration of prices is around 8 months. Price durations and the patterns of price‐setting strongly differ across sectors. Price cuts are almost as frequent as increases, suggesting no specific downward nominal rigidity. Price changes typically have large absolute sizes. Time variation in the frequency of price changes and in their size both contribute to inflation fluctuations. Overall there is evidence of both time‐ and state‐dependent price‐setting.
A Breakdown of the Valuation Effects of International Cross‐listing*
Authors: Bris Arturo , Cantale Salvatore , Nishiotis George P. 
Published: April 2007

Abstract It is well known that cross‐listing domestic stocks in foreign exchanges has significant valuation effects on the listed company's shares. Using a sample of firms with dual shares, we explore the differential effects of cross‐listing on prices and we are able to separate the different sources of the benefits of cross‐listing. These sources include market segmentation, liquidity, and the bonding of controlling shareholders to lower expropriation of firm resources. Our results show that even though the market segmentation and bonding effects are both statistically significant, the economic significance of segmentation is more than double that of bonding. Furthermore, we document an economically and statistically significant increase in the liquidity of both share classes after the listing. Overall, our results explain why less and less firms are willing to list in the USA: Sarbanes Oxley has increased the cost of adopting better governance while its benefits are not substantial; and market segmentation has decreased significantly in the last years.
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: The Active Investment Strategies behind Index Performance
Authors: Ranaldo Angelo , Häberle Rainer 
Published: April 2007

Abstract This paper argues that the commonly used market indices imply forms of active investment management in disguise. The selection and rebalancing rules make these indices highly exclusive and dynamic regarding their underlying components and significantly bias their performance. Any passive investment tracking these indices turns into an active strategy characterised by market timing and state‐dependent performance. Evidence is provided that exclusive indices outperform (underperform) more inclusive peer indices in upward (downward) markets. The constitution and maintenance rules of exclusive indices correspond to a set of active trading and investment rules similar to momentum strategies.
Valuation in US Commercial Real Estate
Authors: Ghysels Eric , Plazzi Alberto , Valkanov Rossen 
Published: April 2007

Abstract We consider a log‐linearized version of a discounted rents model to price commercial real estate as an alternative to traditional hedonic models. First, we verify a key implication of the model, namely, that cap rates forecast commercial real estate returns. We do this using two different methodologies: time series regressions of 21 US metropolitan areas and mixed data sampling (MIDAS) regressions with aggregate REIT returns. Both approaches confirm that the cap rate is related to fluctuations in future returns. We also investigate the provenance of the predictability. Based on the model, we decompose fluctuations in the cap rate into three parts: (i) local state variables (demographic and local economic variables); (ii) growth in rents; and (iii) an orthogonal part. About 30% of the fluctuation in the cap rate is explained by the local state variables and the growth in rents. We use the cap rate decomposition into our predictive regression and find a positive relation between fluctuations in economic conditions and future returns. However, a larger and significant part of the cap rate predictability is due to the orthogonal part, which is unrelated to fundamentals. This implies that economic conditions, which are also used in hedonic pricing of real estate, cannot fully account for future movements in returns. We conclude that commercial real estate prices are better modelled as financial assets and that the discounted rent model might be more suitable than traditional hedonic models, at least at an aggregate level.
Bank Mergers and Diversification: Implications for Competition Policy
Authors: Banal‐Estañol Albert , Ottaviani Marco 
Published: April 2007

Abstract This paper analyses competition and mergers among risk averse banks. We show that the correlation between the shocks to the demand for loans and the shocks to the supply of deposits induces a strategic interdependence between the two sides of the market. We characterise the role of diversification as a motive for bank mergers and analyse the consequences of mergers on loan and deposit rates. When the value of diversification is sufficiently strong, bank mergers generate an increase in the welfare of borrowers and depositors. If depositors have more correlated shocks than borrowers, bank mergers are relatively worse for depositors than for borrowers.
High serum levels of antibodies against the recombinant 70 kDa ribonucleoprotein are useful for diagnosing mixed connective tissue disease
Authors: Salmhofer W , Hermann J , Joch M , Kerl H , Graninger W 
Published: April 2007

AbstractBackground  Anti‐Sm antibodies and anti‐RNP antibodies are considered to be diagnostic markers of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). However, cross‐reactivity between the antibodies diminishes their discriminating specificity between these diagnoses.Objective  We examined whether we could achieve better differentiation between these two disease entities using recombinant antigens to RNP70 and SmD and quantitative immunoassays.Patients/methods  Sera from 51 patients with SLE and 10 patients with MCTD and from a control group of 59 patients were used in a cross‐sectional setting. Semiquantitative ELISAs for the detection of antibodies to RNP‐70, RNP‐A, RNP‐C, SmBB′ and SmD were used and the results were compared to conventional ELISA tests using U1‐snRNP and a mixture of SmBB′ and SmD as antigenic substrates.Results  Sera from MCTD patients showed higher levels of anti‐RNP‐70 antibodies than sera from SLE patients. Levels of anti‐SmBB′ or anti‐SmD antibodies were not significantly different between SLE and MCTD sera. However, the presence of antibodies directed against SmD was more frequent in SLE.Conclusions  Our results suggest that the use of RNP‐70 and SmD antigens may increase the practical value of immunoassays used to confirm a diagnosis of SLE or MCTD in patients with connective tissue disease.
Evaluating the suitability of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies for standard immunodetection procedures
Authors: Moser N. , Mechawar N. , Jones I. , Gochberg‐Sarver A. , Orr‐Urtreger A. , Plomann M. , Salas R. , Molles B. , Marubio L. , Roth U. , Maskos U. , Winzer‐Serhan U. , Bourgeois J.‐P. , Le Sourd A.‐M. , De Biasi M. , Schröder H. , Lindstrom J. , Maelicke A. , Changeux J.‐P. , Wevers A. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractNicotinic acetylcholine receptors play important roles in numerous cognitive processes as well as in several debilitating central nervous system (CNS) disorders. In order to fully elucidate the diverse roles of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in CNS function and dysfunction, a detailed knowledge of their cellular and subcellular localizations is essential. To date, methods to precisely localize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the CNS have predominantly relied on the use of anti‐receptor subunit antibodies. Although data obtained by immunohistology and immunoblotting are generally in accordance with ligand binding studies, some discrepancies remain, in particular with electrophysiological findings. In this context, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit‐deficient mice should be ideal tools for testing the specificity of subunit‐directed antibodies. Here, we used standard protocols for immunohistochemistry and western blotting to examine the antibodies raised against the α3‐, α4‐, α7‐, β2‐, and β4‐nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits on brain tissues of the respective knock‐out mice. Unexpectedly, for each of the antibodies tested, immunoreactivity was the same in wild‐type and knock‐out mice. These data imply that, under commonly used conditions, these antibodies are not suited for immunolocalization. Thus, particular caution should be exerted with regards to the experimental approach used to visualize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain.
Proteomic analysis of γ‐butyrolactone‐treated mouse thalamus reveals dysregulated proteins upon absence seizure
Authors: Ryu Myung‐Jeom , Kim Daesoo , Kang Un‐Beom , Kim Joon , Shin Hee‐Sup , Lee Cheolju , Yu Myeong‐Hee 
Published: April 2007

AbstractAbsence seizure has been of interest because the symptom is related to sensory processing. However, the mechanism that causes the disease is not understood yet. To better understand the molecular mechanism related to the disease progress at protein level, we performed proteomic studies using the thalamus of mice for which absence seizure was induced by γ‐butyrolactone (GBL). Differential proteome expression between GBL‐treated mice and control mice was examined by fluorescence 2D difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) at three different time points (5, 10, and 30 min) after GBL‐administration. We identified 16 proteins differentially expressed by >1.4‐fold at any of the three time points. All proteins besides the serine protease inhibitor EIA were down‐regulated in absence seizure‐induced mice. The down‐regulated proteins can be classified into five groups by their biological functions: cytoskeleton rearrangement, neuroprotection, neurotransmitter secretion, calcium binding, and metabolism. The maximum level of change was reached by 10 min after GBL‐treatment, with the expression level returning back to the original at 30 min when mice were awakened from absence seizure thereby demonstrating the proteomic response is reversible. Our results suggest that absence seizures are associated with restricted functional sets of proteins, whose down‐regulation may interfere with general function of neuronal cells.
Fusion of diphtheria toxin and urotensin II produces a neurotoxin selective for cholinergic neurons in the rat mesopontine tegmentum
Authors: Clark S. D. , Alderson H. L. , Winn P. , Latimer M. P. , Nothacker H.‐P. , Civelli O. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractUrotensin II is a neuropeptide first isolated from fish and later found in mammals: where it has potent cardiovascular, endocrine and behavioral effects. In rat brain the urotensin II receptor (UII‐R) is predominately expressed in the cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine (PPTg) and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei. Typically, the function of the PPTg has been examined using excitotoxins, destroying both cholinergic and non‐cholinergic neurons, which confounds interpretation. We took advantage of UII‐R’s unique expression profile, by combining UII with diphtheria toxin, to engineer a toxin specific for cholinergic neurons of the PPTg. In vitro, two different toxin constructs were shown to selectively activate UII‐R (average EC50 ≈ 30 nmol/L; calcium mobility assay) and to be 10 000‐fold more toxic to UII‐R expressing CHO cells, than wildtype cells (average LD50 ≈ 2 nmol/L; cell viability). In vivo, pressure injection into the PPTg of rats, resulted in specific loss of choline transporter and NADPH diaphorase positive neurons known to express the UII‐R. The lesions developed over time, resulting in the loss of over 80% of cholinergic neurons at 21 days, with little damage to surrounding neurons. This is the first highly selective molecular tool for the depletion of mesopontine cholinergic neurons. The toxin will help to functionally dissect the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei, and advance the understanding of the functions of these structures.
Leptin induces interleukin‐1β release from rat microglial cells through a caspase 1 independent mechanism
Authors: Pinteaux Emmanuel , Inoue Wataru , Schmidt Lorraine , Molina‐Holgado Francisco , Rothwell Nancy J. , Luheshi Giamal N. 
Published: April 2007

AbstractLeptin regulates energy balance by suppressing appetite and increasing energy expenditure through actions in the hypothalamus. Recently we demonstrated that the effects of leptin are, at least in part, mediated by the release of interleukin (IL)‐1β in the brain. Microglia constitute the major source of IL‐1β in the brain but it is not known whether these cells express leptin receptors, or respond to leptin to produce IL‐1β. Using RT‐PCR and immunocytochemistry, we demonstrate that primary rat microglial cells express the short (non‐signalling) and long (signalling) isoforms of the leptin receptors (Ob‐R)s. Immunoassays performed on cell medium collected 24 h after leptin treatment (0.01–10 μg/mL) demonstrated a dose‐dependent production and release of IL‐1β and its endogenously occurring receptor antagonist IL‐1RA. In addition leptin‐induced IL‐1β release occurs via a signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)‐dependent mechanism. Western blot analysis demonstrated that leptin induced the synthesis of pro‐IL‐1β in microglial cells and the release of mature 17 kDa isoform into the culture medium. Leptin‐induced IL‐1β release was neither inhibited by the pan‐caspase inhibitor BOC‐D‐FMK, nor by the caspase 1 inhibitor Ac‐YVAD‐CHO indicating that IL‐1 cleavage is independent of caspase activity. These results confirm our earlier observations in vivo and demonstrate that microglia are an important source of IL‐1β in the brain in response to leptin.
The psychological and neurophysiological concomitants of mindfulness forms of meditation
Authors: Ivanovski Belinda , Malhi Gin S. 
Published: April 2007

Objective:To provide a comprehensive review and evaluation of the psychological and neurophysiological literature pertaining to mindfulness meditation.Methods:A search for papers in English was undertaken using PsycINFO (from 1804 onward), MedLine (from 1966 onward) and the Cochrane Library with the following search terms: Vipassana, Mindfulness, Meditation, Zen, Insight, EEG, ERP, fMRI, neuroimaging and intervention. In addition, retrieved papers and reports known to the authors were also reviewed for additional relevant literature.Results:Mindfulness-based therapeutic interventions appear to be effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety, psychosis, borderline personality disorder and suicidal/self-harm behaviour. Mindfulness meditation per se is effective in reducing substance use and recidivism rates in incarcerated populations but has not been specifically investigated in populations with psychiatric disorders. Electroencephalography research suggests increased alpha, theta and beta activity in frontal and posterior regions, some gamma band effects, with theta activity strongly related to level of experience of meditation; however, these findings have not been consistent. The few neuroimaging studies that have been conducted suggest volumetric and functional change in key brain regions.Conclusions:Preliminary findings from treatment outcome studies provide support for the application of mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of affective, anxiety and personality disorders. However, direct evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation per se in the treatment of psychiatric disorders is needed. Current neurophysiological and imaging research findings have identified neural changes in association with meditation and provide a potentially promising avenue for future research.
Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses in children and adolescents
Authors: Clayton Edward H. , Hanstock Tanya L. , Garg Manohar L. , Hazell Philip L. 
Published: April 2007

Objective:Long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA) are in increasing use in the general population to treat health problems. The objective of the current article is to review the evidence for the rationale and benefit of LCn-3PUFA in the treatment of common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.Methods:A search of Psychlit, PubMed and Cochrane Databases was conducted using the terms child, adolescent, bipolar, depression, psychosis, first-episode psychosis, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, psychiatric, omega-3, n-3, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. Further studies were identified from the bibliographies of published reviews.Results:One small randomized controlled trial with LCn-3PUFA supplementation in depression in children found a small beneficial effect over placebo. Four placebo-controlled trials showed uncertain benefit of LCn-3PUFA for ADHD. Single placebo-controlled trials showed no benefit in autism or bipolar disorder. There is an absence of studies examining benefit for first-episode psychosis or schizophrenia in children and adolescents.Conclusions:While children and adolescents are receiving LCn-3PUFA for a range of psychiatric indications, there is only evidence of likely benefit for unipolar depression.