bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Inhibitory activity of thymol against the formation and viability of Candida albicans hyphae
Authors: Braga P. C. , Alfieri M. , Culici M. , Dal Sasso M. 
Published: June 2007

SummaryAs the capacity of Candida albicans to produce hyphae is considered an important virulence factor in the pathogenesis of candiasis, the aim of this study was to investigate whether thymol, the major component of thyme oil, can interfere with the filamentous forms of Candida albicans and their viability. The morphological transition from yeasts to filamentous forms was investigated by analysing the morphological index (MI), which classifies the differentiated forms and blastoconidia; viability was investigated by means of fluorescence microscopy using a new SYTO‐9 and propidium iodide method previously used to stain only blastoconidia. Without thymol, there was an average of 94.00 ± 3.06% hyphal forms. After 6 h of incubation with 1x MIC (125 μg ml−1), 1/2x MIC and 1/4x MIC of thymol, filamentation was, respectively, 14.33 ± 8.25%, 28.33 ± 7.17% and 45.67 ± 8.09% in comparison with control (all statistically significant). In the absence of thymol, viable cells accounted for an average of 93.00 ± 4.00% whereas, after 6 h of incubation with 1x MIC, 1/2x MIC and 1/4x MIC of thymol, the presence of 54.33 ± 1.86%, 29.00 ± 3.61% and 23.00 ± 2.52% of yellow–orange coloured forms indicated damaged membranes and reduced viability. Our findings show that thymol interferes with the formation and viability of hyphae. This can be attributed to the characteristics of thymol disturbing Candida cell membranes and metabolism, probably by affecting fungal cell‐wall synthesising enzymes.
Dissociation of sexual function and sexual bother following autologous sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy
Authors: Kuwata Yoshihiro , Muneuchi Gan , Igawa Hiroharu H , Tsukuda Fumio , Inui Masashi , Kakehi Yoshiyuki 
Published: June 2007

Aim:  We prospectively investigated health‐related quality of life (HR‐QOL), including sexual function and sexual bother, in patients who underwent nerve grafting during a radical prostatectomy in comparison with those who underwent a non‐nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy.Methods:  Between August 2001 and May 2004, radical prostatectomies were performed on 69 patients with clinical T1‐T2N0/M0 prostate cancer. Of these, 66 patients (22: nerve‐grafting patients, 44: non‐nerve‐sparing and non‐nerve‐grafting patients) were enroled into this study. The observation periods ranged from 12–46 months (median: 29 months). The general HR‐QOL was measured with the SF‐36 General Health Survey and disease‐specific HR‐QOL was measured with the University of California Los Angeles‐Prostate Cancer Index.Results:  Penile tumescence was observed in 11 out of 15 (73.3%) prostate‐specific antigen failure‐free patients who underwent unilateral nerve grafting with contra‐lateral nerve‐sparing or bilateral nerve grafting. Vaginal penetration was observed in six out of 15 (40.0%) patients. The time for partial erection and for intercourse, respectively, ranged from 3–21 months (median = 6 months) and 6–36 months (median = 13.5 months). There were no significant differences in general HR‐QOL changes over time between the nerve‐grafting patients and the patients without any nerve‐preserving procedures. The sexual function score was significantly better in the nerve‐grafting (bilateral nerve graft or unilateral nerve graft with contra‐lateral nerve‐sparing) patients than in the non‐nerve‐sparing/non‐nerve‐grafting patients. The sexual bother score, however, was more serious for the patients who underwent nerve‐grafting surgery than for the non‐nerve‐sparing/non‐nerve‐grafting patients.Conclusion:  Sexual bother is serious for patients who attempt to maintain sexual function after special surgical procedures, such as nerve‐grafting surgery. We should be aware that careful counseling is needed to avoid impatient and excessive hope for the recovery of sexual function.
Effects of exogenous hyaluronan on midline crossing and axon divergence in the optic chiasm of mouse embryos
Authors: Lin Ling , Wang Jun , Chan Chung‐Kit , Chan Sun‐On 
Published: June 2007

AbstractPerturbation of the transmembrane glycoprotein, CD44, has been shown to cause multiple errors in axon routing in the mouse optic chiasm. In a recent report we have shown that the major CD44 ligand, hyaluronan (HA), is colocalized with CD44 at the midline of the chiasm, suggesting a possible contribution to the control of axon routing in the chiasm. We examined this issue by investigating the effects of exogenous HA on routing of axons in the chiasm in slice preparations of the optic pathway. In preparations of the E13 optic pathway, administration of exogenous HA produced a dose‐dependent failure in midline crossing of the first generated optic axons. In E15 slices, when the adult pattern of axon divergence develops in the chiasm, anterograde filling of the optic axons showed an obvious reduction in the uncrossed pathway after HA treatment. This reduction was confirmed by retrograde filling of the ganglion cells in E15 slices, and later in E16 pathways where the uncrossed projection is better developed. Furthermore, we have demonstrated in explant cultures of the retina that HA, when presented in soluble or substrate‐bound form, does not affect outgrowth and extension of retinal neurites. These findings together indicate the crucial functions of this matrix molecule in regulating midline crossing and axon divergence, probably through interactions with guidance molecules including CD44, at the midline of the chiasm.
ACCELERATED FAILURE TIME MODELS WITH NONLINEAR COVARIATES EFFECTS
Authors: Leng Chenlei , Ma Shuangge 
Published: June 2007

SummaryAs a flexible alternative to the Cox model, the accelerated failure time (AFT) model assumes that the event time of interest depends on the covariates through a regression function. The AFT model with non‐parametric covariate effects is investigated, when variable selection is desired along with estimation. Formulated in the framework of the smoothing spline analysis of variance model, the proposed method based on the Stute estimate (Stute, 1993[Consistent estimation under random censorship when covariables are present,J. Multivariate Anal.45, 89–103]) can achieve a sparse representation of the functional decomposition, by utilizing a reproducing kernel Hilbert norm penalty. Computational algorithms and theoretical properties of the proposed method are investigated. The finite sample size performance of the proposed approach is assessed via simulation studies. The primary biliary cirrhosis data is analyzed for demonstration.
Language play in the classroom: encouraging children's intuitive creativity with words through poetry
Authors: Cumming Rachel 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThis article begins by identifying that children have a spontaneous predilection for playing with language, engaging in poetic discourse even before their first poetry lesson. Although children's language play is relatively unresearched in the classroom, in a case study of two groups of pupils aged between 10 and 11, it was observed that children engaged in creative word play, and that this was generated in response to interaction with poetry and each other. This article suggests that children's poetical experiences may best be nurtured by building bridges between children's existing knowledge of language play and the specialised knowledge of poetry taught in the classroom through a teaching methodology based on socio‐constructivist principles.
Contusive spinal cord injury evokes localized changes in NADPH‐d activity but extensive changes in Fos‐like immunoreactivity in the rat
Authors: Allbutt Haydn N. , Siddall Phillip J. , Keay Kevin A. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe histological detection of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐diaphorase (NADPH‐d), a marker for nitric oxide‐producing cells, was used to evaluate ongoing changes in the neural biochemistry of the rat spinal cord 1 week following contusive spinal cord injury (SCI). In addition, the immunohistochemical detection of the immediate‐early gene c‐fos was used to identify basal patterns of neural activity at this time. The numbers and laminar locations of NADPH‐d‐ and c‐fos‐positive cells were examined in spinal segments adjacent to the site of injury (T12–S3) as well as those distant from the injury (C3–C5) in both SCI and un‐injured rats. Our data show that contusive SCI results in a significant reduction in NADPH‐d labelling in the superficial dorsal horn, and a significant increase in NADPH‐d expression in small bipolar neurons and large motoneurons in the ventral horn at the site of the injury. In spinal segments distant to the injury site (C3–C5), NADPH‐d activity did not differ from that of uninjured controls. Furthermore, significant reductions in the levels of c‐fos expression were observed in SCI rats, in spinal segments both at and distant to the site of injury for all spinal laminae. The only exception was a dramatic increase observed in the sacral parasympathetic nucleus. These data suggest that increased NADPH‐d expression is related to conditions specific to the site of injury, whereas the changes in c‐fos expression probably indicate more global changes in neuronal activity following SCI.
Heart‐rate and blood‐pressure variability during psychophysiological tasks involving speech: Influence of respiration
Authors: Beda Alessandro , Jandre Frederico C. , Phillips David I.W. , Giannella‐Neto Antonio , Simpson David M. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractChanges in heart‐rate and systolic arterial pressure variability (HRV and SAPV) indexes have been used in psychophysiology to assess autonomic activation, including during tasks involving speech. The current article clearly demonstrates in a sample of 25 adult subjects that the erratic and broadband respiratory patterns during such tasks violate the usual assumption that respiration is limited to the high‐frequency band (0.15–0.4 Hz). For these tasks, interindividual differences and rest–task changes in HRV and SAPV in the low‐frequency band (0.04–0.15 Hz) can be explained, to a large extent, by variations in the respiratory volume signal. This makes the use of HRV and SAPV as markers of autonomic function during these tasks highly questionable. Furthermore, a number of subjects with long respiratory period at rest were identified, whose presence in the sample can bias the estimation of baseline rest values.
Arousal and attention: Picture size and emotional reactions
Authors: Codispoti Maurizio , De Cesarei Andrea 
Published: June 2007

AbstractBuilding on the assumption that the motivational relevance of an emotional scene depends on contextual factors such as proximity or stimulus size, the present study examined the effects of picture size on emotional perception using autonomic, facial, and subjective reactions. Affective changes were measured while participants viewed pictures presented in small, medium, and large sizes and varying in affective picture content. Whereas affective modulation of heart rate and Corrugator Supercilii muscle activity were not modulated by picture size, emotional modulation of skin conductance was absent for the smallest stimuli and increased linearly for the medium and largest stimulus sizes. Stimulus size modulated sympathetic changes possibly related to activation of the strategic motivational systems and action preparation. In contrast, responses related to orienting, categorization, and communicative functions did not covary with picture size.
Development and characterization of 45 novel microsatellite markers for sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)
Authors: ZHAN AIBIN , BAO ZHENMIN , LU WEI , HU XIAOLI , PENG WEI , WANG MINGLING , HU JINGJIE 
Published: June 2007

AbstractSimple sequence repeat‐enriched library screening and expressed sequence tag database mining were adopted to develop microsatellite markers for sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus). Eighty‐three microsatellite loci were selected for polymorphism assessment using 48 individuals. The results showed that 45 novel loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles ranged from two to 16, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0 to 0.9375 and from 0.1135 to 0.9674, respectively. No significant linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci was found and 26 loci conformed to the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These markers are therefore a potential tool for studies in the population structure and linkage map construction for A. japonicus.
Neoproterozoic ‘snowball Earth’ glaciations and the evolution of altruism
Authors: BOYLE R. A. , LENTON T. M. , WILLIAMS H. T. P. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTWe hypothesize that a demographic and ecological effect of Neoproterozoic ‘snowball Earth’ glaciations was to increase the fitness of group‐level traits and consequently the likelihood of the evolution of macroscopic form. Extreme and repeated founder effects raised genetic relatedness – and therefore the influence of kin selection on the individuals within a group. This was permissive for the evolution of some highly costly altruistic traits, including those for macroscopic differentiation. In some eukaryotic species, the harsh and fluctuating abiotic conditions made a macroscopic physiology advantageous, perhaps necessary, for collective survival. This caused population‐wide group viability selection, whereby non‐altruist ‘cheat’ genotypes killed the groups they were in, and therefore themselves, by reaching fixation. Furthermore, dispersal between refugia would reach zero under anything near a ‘hard snowball’, which would protect altruists at high local frequency from the influx of cheats from neighbouring groups. We illustrate our hypothesis analytically and with a simple spatial model. We show how removal of between‐group dispersal, in a population with initial between‐group variation in cheat frequency, causes the relative frequency of altruists to increase while the population as a whole decreases in size, as a result of group death caused by cheat invasion. This may be of particular relevance to animal multicellularity because irreversible differentiation (highly altruistic in that it imposes a high fitness cost on the individual cell) is more prevalent than in other multicellular eukaryotes. The relevance of our hypothesis should be scaled by any future consensus on the severity of snowball Earth, but it is theoretically plausible that global‐scale glaciations had a systematic influence on the level of selection during Earth history.
Calotropis procera latex‐induced inflammatory hyperalgesia – effect of bradyzide and morphine
Authors: Kumar Vijay L. , Sehgal Raman 
Published: June 2007

Summary

The milky white latex of the plant Calotropis procera induces inflammatory response upon accidental exposure and on local administration that could be effectively ameliorated by antihistaminic and standard anti‐inflammatory drugs.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti‐oedematogenic and analgesic effect of the bradykinin antagonist, bradyzide (BDZ) and the opioidergic analgesic, morphine (Mor) against inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by the dried latex (DL) of C. procera in the rat paw oedema model.
An aqueous solution of DL (0.1 ml of 1% solution) was injected into the sub‐plantar surface of the rat paw and the paw volume was measured at different time intervals. The inhibitory effect of bradyzide and morphine on oedema formation and hyperalgesic response was compared with that of cyproheptadine (CPH), a potent inhibitor of DL‐induced oedema formation.
The hyperalgesic response was evaluated by the dorsal flexion pain test, compression test and by observing motility, stair‐climbing ability, and the grooming behaviour of the rats.
The effect of these drugs was also evaluated against DL‐induced writhings in the mouse model.
Both bradyzide and morphine inhibited DL‐induced oedema formation by 30–40% and CPH was more effective in this regard (81% inhibition). The antihyperalgesic effect of both the drugs was more pronounced than that of CPH. Both bradyzide and morphine markedly inhibited the grooming behaviour and the effect of morphine could be reversed by pretreatment with naloxone.
Thus, our study shows that DL‐induced oedema formation is effectively inhibited by antihistaminic/antiserotonergic drug and associated hyperalgesia by analgesic drugs.
CONCENTRATED OPENING VOLUME: MARKET CLOSURE OR STRATEGIC TRADING?
Authors: Asem Ebenezer 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe NYSE extended its trading hours on September 30, 1985, by opening at 9:30 a.m. rather than at 10:00 a.m. Whereas the market closure models predict that the extension would result in lower relative volume and return variability at the open, the strategic trading models predict that the opening volume and return variability would remain relatively the same. Evidence around the extension suggests that the relative opening volume and return variability declined initially but increased gradually to their pre‐extension levels. This evidence favors the strategic trading model explanation of the heightened opening volume.
Political Conflict in the Italian City States
Authors: Martines Lauro 
Published: June 2007

POLITICAL OPPOSITION IN ITALIAN CITY STATES WAS NOT FOR MEN who valued themselves more than they valued politics. The stakes were too high. Exile or loss of life and property were too often the penalties. The difficult legal circumstances which attended organized political opposition went back to the early commune, to the fervour of the civil struggles that began late in the 12th century. These were to affect the character of the opposition down to the 16th century. If the contenders in political strife sometimes expressed a readiness to compromise, they revealed, just as often, an inability to do so. And in critical times the desire for the physical elimination of political opponents easily emerged.Major rivalries of the 11th and 12th centuries inadvertently favoured the rise of local government. The communes – rendered bolder in many cases by their quickening economies – profited from the conflicts between papacy and empire, between the emperor and the German princes, and between the episcopal and comital powers in Italy. As imperial authority waned, local groups all over north and central Italy pressed forward to take over the administration of their own affairs.
Peace, Commerce and Democracy
Authors: Ionescu Ghiţa 
Published: June 2007

The Coincidence In Time of The Commemoration of the First World War and the end of the negotiations of the Uruguay round of the GATT Treaty has not only a clear symbolic but also a chastening meaning. Above all, even above its economic significance, it has a political meaning already familiar to the readers of this journal, but which now can and must be fully explained as we look at the 550 pages of text signed by the 117 members of the new World Trade Organization (WTO).Now, of course, before we take it for granted that everything has been finalized we should realize that, on the one hand, the treaty must be ratified (like the Maastricht Treaty) and that there may be some doubts about President Clinton's power to persuade the irate Hollywood celluloid-makers and about Premier Ministre Balladur's ability to influence unconvinced French farmers that the treaty was such a great French success, not to speak of the reservations of many developing countries.
Review of the genus Tisis Walker in Java and Sumatra, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae)
Authors: PARK Kyu‐Tek 
Published: June 2007

AbstractThe genus Tisis Walker in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, is reviewed, four new species of the genus, T. javaica sp. nov., T. aurifasciata sp. nov., T. diehli sp. nov., and T. sumatraensis sp. nov., are described as new to science, and some taxonomic notes for all previously known species from this area are given. Descriptions and color images of adults, and figures of the male and female genitalia of the new species are provided.
Effects of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on G Proteins in Brain Areas Associated with the Nigrostriatal and Mesolimbic Dopamine Systems
Authors: Pellegrino Susan M. , Woods James M. , Druse Mary J. 
Published: June 2007

This study examined the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the content of G proteins in brain areas associated with the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine systems of male Fischer 344 rats, aged 3, 5, or 13 months at the time of killing. In addition, G protein mRNA was assessed in 3‐month‐old rats. G proteins were examined in ethanol‐fed rats because a number of studies have implicated these proteins with both the acute and chronic effects of ethanol. Brain areas associated with the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine systems were examined because of the evidence that these systems are sensitive to ethanol. The brain areas examined include the substantia nigra (SN), striatum (ST), globus pallidas (GP), frontal cortex (FCX), nucleus accumbens (NA), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and ventral pallidum (VP).These experiments demonstrated that the 3‐month‐old rats that consumed a 6.6% (v/v) ethanol‐containing liquid diet for 4 weeks had a significant (?30–40%) increase in the mRNA content of G13α, in the FCX, VTA, and VP, and a significant (?20%) decrease of that for G0α in the SN. Nonetheless, the content of the G0α protein subunit was not altered. In addition, there were no significant differences in the content of the proteins detected by antibodies to G6α, G0α, G11α/G12α, and G0α/G13α in the FCX, NA, and ST of similarly treated older rats (5 and 13 months). The content of mRNA for the other G proteins examined in the seven brain areas of 3‐month‐old rats was unaffected by chronic ethanol exposure.
The Power of Doing: A Learning Exercise that Brings the Central Limit Theorem to Life
Authors: Price Barbara A. , Zhang Xiaolong 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThis article demonstrates an active learning technique for teaching the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) in an introductory undergraduate business statistics class. Groups of students carry out one of two experiments in the lab, tossing a die in sets of 5 rolls or tossing a die in sets of 10 rolls. They are asked to calculate the sample average of each experiment. An easy‐to‐use Excel template is designed to calculate the averages from the students' dice rolls. Empirical histograms are generated dynamically for both sample sizes of 5 and 10 rolls, visually demonstrating the convergence toward a bell‐shaped distribution for the sample means. Our classroom experiences with the learning approach show that most students view it as fun and valuable to their learning of the concepts underlying the CLT.
A Simulation Based on Goldratt's Matchstick/Die Game
Authors: Martin Clarence H. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThis teaching brief presents a Microsoft® Excel simulation designed to complement and expand upon the well‐known matchstick/die game introduced by Goldratt in The Goal. This simulation performs 100 replications of a 40‐period processing run for low, medium, and high levels of process variation and displays the comparative results graphically. A single keystroke repeats the process and updates the displays so that the stability of the essential conclusions in the face variation is illustrated dynamically. Suggestions for using the simulation in class are included.