bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Review article: modern technology in the diagnosis of gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease – Bilitec, intraluminal impedance and Bravo capsule pH monitoring
Authors: HIRANO I. 
Published: February 2006

SummaryAmbulatory pH monitoring detects abnormal levels of acid reflux in the oesophagus and can be used to correlate patients’ symptoms with oesophageal acid exposure. Catheter‐based pH testing has several limitations, including issues of sensitivity, specificity, tolerability and the inability to record non‐acid reflux events.In an effort to improve upon these drawbacks, several devices have been introduced, including the Bilitec system for measuring duodenogastro‐oesophageal reflux; intraluminal impedance monitoring, which detects the distribution, composition and clearing of both acid and non‐acid oesophageal reflux; and a wireless pH monitoring device, the Bravo capsule.Initial investigations using the Bilitec system demonstrated that duodenogastro‐oesophageal reflux tracked very closely with acid reflux and decreased with proton‐pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, casting doubt on the clinical utility of Bilitec monitoring. Recent evidence revealed a possible role for duodenogastro‐oesophageal reflux in a subset of patients who continue to report reflux symptoms in the setting of normalized oesophageal acid exposure on high‐dose PPI therapy.When combined with pH monitoring, impedance monitoring enhances the detection and characterization of gastro‐oesophageal reflux and may have a role in the evaluation of certain specific gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms that persist despite acid suppression therapy.The utility of the Bravo wireless technology for GERD diagnosis has been validated in several studies, with improvements over catheter‐based pH monitoring in tolerability, accuracy and sensitivity, as well as the ability to record periods both off and on PPI therapy in a single study.All three diagnostic modalities have advanced the understanding of GERD pathogenesis, but their impact on the clinical management of GERD is still the focus of active investigation.
Auxin controls local cytokinin biosynthesis in the nodal stem in apical dominance
Authors: Tanaka Mina , Takei Kentaro , Kojima Mikiko , Sakakibara Hitoshi , Mori Hitoshi 
Published: February 2006

SummaryIn intact plants, the shoot apex grows predominantly and inhibits outgrowth of axillary buds. After decapitation of the shoot apex, outgrowth of axillary buds begins. This phenomenon is called an apical dominance. Although the involvement of auxin, which represses outgrowth of axillary buds, and cytokinin (CK), which promotes outgrowth of axillary buds, has been proposed, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms. In the present study, we demonstrated that auxin negatively regulates local CK biosynthesis in the nodal stem by controlling the expression level of the pea (Pisum sativumL.) gene adenosine phosphate–isopentenyltransferase (PsIPT), which encodes a key enzyme in CK biosynthesis. Before decapitation, PsIPT1 and PsIPT2 transcripts were undetectable; after decapitation, they were markedly induced in the nodal stem along with accumulation of CK. Expression of PsIPT was repressed by the application of indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA). In excised nodal stem, PsIPT expression and CK levels also increased under IAA‐free conditions. Furthermore, β‐glucuronidase expression, under the control of the PsIPT2 promoter region in transgenic Arabidopsis, was repressed by an IAA. Our results indicate that in apical dominance one role of auxin is to repress local biosynthesis of CK in the nodal stem and that, after decapitation, CKs, which are thought to be derived from the roots, are locally biosynthesized in the nodal stem rather than in the roots.
Impact of basic FGF expression in astrocytes on dopamine neuron synaptic function and development
Authors: Forget Caroline , Stewart Jane , Trudeau Louis‐Éric 
Published: February 2006

AbstractBehavioural sensitization to amphetamine (AMPH) requires action of the drug in the ventral midbrain where dopamine (DA) neurons are located. In vivo studies suggest that AMPH sensitization requires enhanced expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the nucleus of midbrain astrocytes. One idea is that the AMPH‐induced increase in bFGF expression in astrocytes leads to enhanced secretion of this peptide and to long‐term plasticity in DA neurons. To study directly the effects of astrocytic expression of bFGF on DA neurons, we established a cell‐culture model of mesencephalic astrocytes and DA neurons. Immunolabelling showed that even in the absence of a pharmacological stimulus, the majority of mesencephalic astrocytes in culture express bFGF at a nuclear level. Arguing against the idea that bFGF was secreted, bFGF was undetectable in the extracellular medium (below 10 pg/mL). However, supplementing culture medium with exogenous bFGF at standard concentrations (20 ng/mL) led to a dramatic change in the morphology of astrocytes, increased spontaneous DA release, and inhibited synapse formation by individual DA neurons. RNA interference (siRNA) against bFGF mRNA, caused a reduction in DA release but produced no change in synaptic development. Together these data demonstrate that under basal conditions (in the absence of a pharmacological stimulus such as amphetamine) bFGF is not secreted even though there is abundant nuclear expression in astrocytes. The effects of bFGF seen here on DA neurons are thus likely to be mediated through more indirect glial–neuronal interactions, leading to enhanced DA release without a necessary change in synapse number.
The sound of actions as reflected by mismatch negativity: rapid activation of cortical sensory–motor networks by sounds associated with finger and tongue movements
Authors: Hauk O. , Shtyrov Y. , Pulvermüller F. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIn order to explore the activation dynamics of the human action recognition system, we investigated electrophysiological distinctions between the brain responses to sounds produced by human finger and tongue movements. Of special interest were the questions of how early these differences may occur, and whether the neural activation at the early stages of processing involves cortical motor representations related to the generation of these sounds. For this purpose we employed a high‐density EEG set‐up and recorded mismatch negativity (MMN) using a recently developed novel multideviant paradigm which allows acquisition of a high number of trials within a given time period. Deviant stimuli were naturally recorded finger and tongue clicks, as well as control stimuli with similar physical features but without the clear action associations (this was tested in a separate behavioural experiment). Both natural stimuli produced larger MMNs than their respective control stimuli at ∼ 100 ms, indicating activation of memory traces for familiar action‐related sounds. Furthermore, MMN topography at this latency differed between the brain responses to the natural finger and natural tongue sounds. Source estimation revealed the strongest sources for finger sounds in centrolateral areas of the left hemisphere, suggesting that hearing a sound related to finger actions evokes activity in motor areas associated with the dominant hand. Furthermore, tongue sounds produced activation in more inferior brain areas. Our data suggest that motor areas in the human brain are part of neural systems subserving the early automatic recognition of action‐related sounds.
Electrophysiological and morphological characteristics of GABAergic respiratory neurons in the mouse pre‐Bötzinger complex
Authors: Kuwana Shun‐ichi , Tsunekawa Naoko , Yanagawa Yuchio , Okada Yasumasa , Kuribayashi Junya , Obata Kunihiko 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThe characteristics of GABAergic neurons involved in respiratory control have not been fully understood because identification of GABAergic neurons has so far been difficult in living tissues. In the present in vitro study, we succeeded in analysing the electrophysiological as well as morphological characteristics of GABAergic neurons in the pre‐Bötzinger complex. We used 67‐kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase‐green fluorescence protein (GAD67‐GFP) (Δneo) knock‐in (GAD67GFP/+) mice, which enabled us to identify GABAergic neurons in living tissues. We prepared medullary transverse slices that contained the pre‐Bötzinger complex from these neonatal mice. The fluorescence intensity of the pre‐Bötzinger complex region was relatively high among areas of the ventral medulla. Activities of GFP‐positive neurons in the pre‐Bötzinger complex were recorded in a perforated whole‐cell patch‐clamp mode. Six of 32 GFP‐positive neurons were respiratory and the remaining 26 neurons were non‐respiratory; the respiratory neurons were exclusively inspiratory, receiving excitatory post‐synaptic potentials during the inspiratory phase. In addition, six inspiratory and one expiratory neuron of 30 GFP‐negative neurons were recorded in the pre‐Bötzinger complex. GFP‐positive inspiratory neurons showed high membrane resistance and mild adaptation of spike frequency in response to depolarizing current pulses. GFP‐positive inspiratory neurons had bipolar, triangular or crescent‐shaped somata and GFP‐negative inspiratory neurons had multipolar‐shaped somata. The somata of GFP‐positive inspiratory neurons were smaller than those of GFP‐negative inspiratory neurons. We suggest that GABAergic inhibition not by expiratory neurons but by inspiratory neurons that have particular electrophysiological and morphological properties is involved in the respiratory neuronal network of the pre‐Bötzinger complex.
Dietary phytoestrogens improve stroke outcome after transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats
Authors: Burguete María C. , Torregrosa Pérez‐Asensio Germán, Fernando J. , Castelló‐Ruiz María , Salom Gil Juan B., José V. , Alborch Enrique 
Published: February 2006

AbstractAs phytoestrogens are postulated as being neuroprotectants, we assessed the hypothesis that dietary isoflavone‐type phytoestrogens are neuroprotective against ischemic stroke. Transient focal cerebral ischemia (90 min) was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) following the intraluminal thread technique, both in rats fed with soy‐based diet and in rats fed with isoflavone‐free diet. Cerebro‐cortical laser‐Doppler flow (cortical perfusion, CP), arterial blood pressure, core temperature,PaO2,PaCO2, pH and glycemia were measured before, during and after MCAO. Neurological examination and infarct volume measurements were carried out 3 days after the ischemic insult. Dietary isoflavones (both glycosides and aglycones) were measured by high‐performance liquide chromatography. Neither pre‐ischemic, intra‐ischemic nor post‐ischemic CP values were significantly different between the soy‐based diet and the isoflavone‐free diet groups. Animals fed with the soy‐based diet showed an infarct volume of 122 ± 20.2 mm3(19 ± 3.3% of the whole ipsilateral hemisphere volume). In animals fed with the isoflavone‐free diet the mean infarct volume was significantly higher, 191 ± 26.7 mm3(28 ± 4.1%,P < 0.05). Neurological examination revealed significantly higher impairment in the isoflavone‐free diet group compared with the soy‐based diet group (3.3 ± 0.5 vs. 1.9 ± 0.5,P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that dietary isoflavones improve stroke outcome after transient focal cerebral ischemia in such a way that a higher dietary isoflavone content results in a lower infarct volume and a better neurological status.
Development of contralateral and ipsilateral frequency representations in ferret primary auditory cortex
Authors: Mrsic‐Flogel Thomas D. , Versnel Huib , King Andrew J. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractLittle is known about the maturation of functional maps in the primary auditory cortex (A1) after the onset of sensory experience. We used intrinsic signal imaging to examine the development of the tonotopic organization of ferret A1 with respect to contralateral and ipsilateral tone stimulation. Sound‐evoked responses were recorded as early as postnatal day (P) 33, a few days after hearing onset. From P36 onwards, pure tone stimuli evoked restricted, tonotopically organized patches of activity. There was an age‐dependent increase in the cortical area representing each octave, with a disproportionate expansion of cortical territory representing frequencies > 4 kHz after P60. Similar tonotopic maps were observed following stimulation of the contralateral and ipsilateral ears. During the first few weeks following hearing onset, no differences were found in the area of cortical activation or in the magnitude of the optical responses evoked by stimulation of each ear. In older animals, however, contralateral stimuli evoked stronger responses and activated a larger A1 area than ipsilateral stimuli. Our findings indicate that neither the tonotopic organization nor the representation of inputs from each ear reach maturity until approximately 1 month after hearing onset. These results have important implications for cortical signal processing in juvenile animals.
Monitoring the European pine sawfly with pheromone traps in maturing Scots pine stands
Authors: Lyytikäinen‐Saarenmaa Päivi , Varama Martti , Anderbrant Olle , Kukkola Mikko , Kokkonen Anna‐Maija , Hedenström Erik , Högberg Hans‐Erik 
Published: February 2006

Abstract

During 1989–93, field studies were conducted in Finland to develop a method based on pheromone traps to monitor and forecast population levels of the European pine sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer Geoffr.) and tree defoliation.
Three traps per site were baited with 100 µg of the N. sertifer sex pheromone, the acetate ester of (2S,3S,7S)‐3,7‐dimethyl‐2‐pentadecanol (diprionol), in maturing pine stands in southern and central Finland. In addition, three different dosages (1, 10 and 100 µg) of the pheromone were tested in 1991–92.
The highest number of males was observed in traps baited with the highest dose. On average, there was a 10‐fold increase in trap catch between lure doses.
Density of overwintering eggs was used to evaluate the effectiveness of pheromone traps in predicting sawfly populations. The proportion of healthy overwintering eggs was determined each year. A model based on the number of current shoots on sample trees, diameter at breast height and tree height was formulated to estimate eggs per hectare.
Linear regression analysis produced high coefficients of determination between number of males in traps and density of total eggs in the subsequent generation, when populations were at peak densities. The relationships were not significant for low population densities. The results indicate a risk of moderate defoliation when the seasonal trap catch is 800–1000 males per trap or higher.
Synthetic amides toxic to the leaf‐cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa L. and its symbiotic fungus
Authors: Pagnocca F. C. , Victor S. R. , Bueno F. C. , Crisóstomo F. R. , Castral T. C. , Fernandes J. B. , Corrêa A. G. , Bueno O. C. , Bacci M. , Hebling M. J. A. , Vieira P. C. , Da Silva M. F. G. F. 
Published: February 2006

Abstract

Nine synthetic amides similar to natural N‐piperidine‐3‐(4,5‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide and N‐pyrrolidine‐3‐(4,5‐methylenedyoxiphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide were synthesized and identified by their spectroscopic data.
The toxicity of these synthetic amides to the Atta sexdens rubropilosa workers and the antifungal activity against Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the symbiotic fungus of the leaf‐cutting ants, were determined.
Workers ants that were fed daily on an artificial diet to which these compounds were added had a higher mortality rate than the controls for N‐pyrrolidine‐3‐(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide and N‐benzyl‐3‐(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide at a concentration of 100 µg/mL.
The completely inhibition (100%) of the fungal growth was observed with N‐piperidine‐3‐(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide and N,N‐diethyl‐3‐(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide at concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL and N‐pirrolidine‐3‐(3′,4′‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2‐(E)‐propenamide at a concentration of 100 µg/mL.
The possibility of controlling these insects in the future using synthetic piperamides that can simultaneously target both organisms is discussed.
Fishing down the deep
Authors: Morato Telmo , Watson Reg , Pitcher Tony J. , Pauly Daniel 
Published: February 2006

AbstractGlobal landings of demersal marine fishes are demonstrated to have shifted to deeper water species over the last 50 years. Our analysis suggests deep‐water fish stocks may be at serious risk of depletion, as their life histories render them highly vulnerable to overfishing with little resilience to over‐exploitation. Deep‐sea fisheries are exploiting the last refuges for commercial fish species and should not be seen as a replacement for declining resources in shallower waters. Instead, deep‐water habitats are new candidates for conservation.
‘As He Refined the Language’: Dryden's Task as a Translator
Authors: Currell David 
Published: February 2006

AbstractThis essay was runner‐up in the 2005Literature CompassGraduate Essay Prize, Seventeenth Century Section.The essay surveys Dryden's prose works, and his career as translator from Westminster School toFables Ancient and Modern, in order to show his conception of literary translation as a tool to elevate, enrich and refine the English language. Dryden had a heavy investment in the idea oftranslatio studii, the translation of the arts between successive cultures, from Ancient Greece to Restoration England, and perceived himself as a crucial agent in this historical progress. But accompanying the premise of England's inheritance of cultural eminence is a veneration for Latin which makes classicising via translation a crucial task for England's leading person of letters; especially as hopes of a British Academy under royal patronage faded. Dryden found ways to advance this aim under all his three theorised modes of translation: metaphrase (word‐for‐word), imitation (loose rewriting) and paraphrase (a middle path). Finally, at the end of his life, he discusses the English language as if his project had attained some success, and was an appropriate medium in which to set down Latin classics beside its own classics as peers.
Differential Role of Transient Receptor Potential Channels in Ca2+ Entry and Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Epithelial Cells
Authors: Thebault Stephanie , Flourakis Matthieu , Vanoverberghe Karine , Vandermoere Franck , Roudbaraki Morad , Lehen'kyi V'yacheslav , Slomianny Christian , Beck Benjamin , Mariot Pascal , Bonnal Jean-Louis , Mauroy Brigitte , Shuba Yaroslav , Capiod Thierry , Skryma Roman , Prevarskaya Natalia 
Published: February 2006

Abstract
One major clinical problem with prostate cancer is the cells' ability to survive and proliferate upon androgen withdrawal. Because Ca2+ is central to growth control, understanding the mechanisms of Ca2+ homeostasis involved in prostate cancer cell proliferation is imperative for new therapeutic strategies. Here, we show that agonist-mediated stimulation of α1-adrenergic receptors (α1-AR) promotes proliferation of the primary human prostate cancer epithelial (hPCE) cells by inducing store-independent Ca2+ entry and subsequent activation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factor. Such an agonist-induced Ca2+ entry (ACE) relied mostly on transient receptor potential canonical 6 (TRPC6) channels, whose silencing by antisense hybrid depletion decreased both hPCE cell proliferation and ACE. In contrast, ACE and related growth arrest associated with purinergic receptors (P2Y-R) stimulation involved neither TRPC6 nor NFAT. Our findings show that α1-AR signaling requires the coupled activation of TRPC6 channels and NFAT to promote proliferation of hPCE cells and thereby suggest TRPC6 as a novel potential therapeutic target. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(4): 2038-47)
α-Sulfoquinovosylmonoacylglycerol Is a Novel Potent Radiosensitizer Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis
Authors: Sakimoto Ippei , Ohta Keisuke , Yamazaki Takayuki , Ohtani Seiji , Sahara Hiroeki , Sugawara Fumio , Sakaguchi Kengo , Miura Masahiko 
Published: February 2006

Abstract
Angiogenesis is a promising target for the treatment of cancer, and varying types of antiangiogenic agents have been developed. However, limitations and problems associated with antiangiogenic therapy have recently arisen. Although radiotherapy can be combined with antiangiogenic compounds to overcome these difficulties, almost all previously described angiogenesis inhibitors could still cause side effects at effective doses, and only additive effects are seen in current combination therapy. In this study, we identified a member of the sulfoquinovosylacylglycerols, α-sulfoquinovosylmonoacylglycerol (α-SQMG), originally derived from sea urchins, as a potent radiosensitizer. The agent synergistically inhibits angiogenesis at low doses when combined with ionizing radiation. Combined treatment with α-SQMG and radiation seems to promote the adoption of a senescence-like phenotype by vascular endothelial cells. Finally, the agent remarkably enhances the radioresponse of human tumors transplanted into nude mice, accompanied by a significant reduction in the vascularity of the tumors. Collectively, α-SQMG may be a novel potent radiosensitizer targeting angiogenesis. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(4): 2287-95)
Minimal Active Domain and Mechanism of Action of the Angiogenesis Inhibitor Histidine-Rich Glycoprotein
Authors: Dixelius Johan , Olsson Anna-Karin , Thulin Åsa , Lee Chunsik , Johansson Irja , Claesson-Welsh Lena 
Published: February 2006

Abstract
Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) is an abundant heparin-binding plasma protein that efficiently arrests growth and vascularization of mouse tumor models. We have shown that the antiangiogenic effect of HRGP is dependent on its histidine/proline–rich domain, which needs to be released from the mother protein to exert its effects. Here we identify a 35-amino-acid peptide, HRGP330, derived from the histidine/proline–rich domain as endowed with antiangiogenic properties in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism of action of HRGP330 involves subversion of focal adhesion function by disruption of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) functions, inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)–induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the FAK substrate α-actinin, and, as a consequence, an arrest in endothelial cell motility. The disturbed focal adhesion function is reflected in the ability of HRGP as well as of HRGP330 to prevent endothelial cell adhesion to vitronectin in a manner involving αvβ3 integrin. In conclusion, HRGP330, which we define as the minimal antiangiogenic domain of HRGP, exerts its effects through signal transduction targeting focal adhesions, thereby interrupting VEGF-induced endothelial cell motility. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(4): 2089-97)