bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Degeneration of neuronal cell bodies following axonal injury in WldS mice
Authors: Wang Ai Ling , Yuan Ming , Neufeld Arthur H. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe phenotype of WldS (“slow Wallerian degeneration”) mice demonstrates prolonged survival of injured axons. However, whether the WldS mutation delays degeneration of the neuronal cell body following axonal injury is unclear. We used a retrograde model of axonal transport failure in WldS mice to test whether the mutant WldS protein has any beneficial effect on the neuronal cell body. Retrograde axonal transport was physically blocked by optic nerve crush and confirmed by the absence of Fluoro‐Gold labeling in wild‐type and in WldS mice. After this axonal injury, there was marked protection of axonal degeneration in the WldS phenotype, as confirmed by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. However, the WldS protein, localized in the nucleus of retinal ganglion cells, did not prevent or delay degeneration of the retinal ganglion cell body, confirmed by TUNEL staining and Fluoro‐Gold labeling. These results imply that, after axonal injury, Wallerian degeneration of axons and degeneration of the neuronal cell body have different mechanisms, which are autonomous and independent of each other. Although the WldS phenotype can be used to demonstrate stable enucleate axons, the mutation is unlikely to protect neurons in neurodegenerative diseases in which there is failure of retrograde transport. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of growth‐inhibiting activities of Cordyceps militaris and Paecilomyces japonica cultured on Bombyx mori pupae towards human gastrointestinal bacteria
Authors: Yeon Sung‐Hum , Kim Jun‐Ran , Ahn Young‐Joon 
Published: October 2006

AbstractThe growth‐inhibiting activities of materials derived from the fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris cultured on Bombyx mori pupae (CM‐1) and pupae separated from the culture (CM‐2), and the fruiting body of Paecilomyces japonica cultured on B. mori pupae (PJ‐1) and pupae separated from the culture (PJ‐2), fresh B. mori larvae (BML), fresh B. mori female pupae (BMP), and Morus alba leaves (MAL) towards eight lactic acid‐producing bacteria and 11 harmful intestinal bacteria were examined using an impregnated paper disc bioassay. At 10 mg per disc, methanolic extracts from CM‐1 and CM‐2 strongly inhibited growth of Clostridium difficile ATCC 9689, C. paraputrificum ATCC 25780, and C. perfringens ATCC 13124 without adverse effects on the growth of eight lactic acid‐producing bacteria and the other eight harmful bacteria. The methanolic extracts from PJ‐1, PJ‐2, BML, BMP, and MAL did not affect growth of all test bacteria. The growth‐inhibiting principle of CM‐1 and CM‐2 towards test clostridia was characterized as cordycepin by spectroscopic analysis. The contents of cordycepin in dried CM‐1 and CM‐2 were 0.69% and 0.54%, respectively. These results suggest that cordycepin may be produced from the fruiting body of C. militaris cultured on B. mori pupae and then translocated to its host insect and accumulated. Structure‐growth inhibition relationships of cordycepin and its eight derivatives against C. perfringens ATCC 13124 indicate that a deoxy form at either 3′ or 2′ position appears critical for the inhibitory activity. Natural cordycepin and its two analogues, 2′‐deoxyadenosine and tubercidin, merit further study as a potential antibacterial agent against various diseases caused by harmful intestinal bacteria such as clostridia. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Supercompactness and measurable limits of strong cardinals II: Applications to level by level equivalence
Authors: Apter Arthur W. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractWe construct models for the level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness in which for κ the least supercompact cardinal and δ ≤ κ any cardinal which is either a strong cardinal or a measurable limit of strong cardinals, 2δ > δ + and δ is < 2δ supercompact. In these models, the structure of the class of supercompact cardinals can be arbitrary, and the size of the power set of κ can essentially be made as large as desired. This extends and generalizes [5, Theorem 2] and [4, Theorem 4]. We also sketch how our techniques can be used to establish a weak indestructibility result. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Simple characterization of functionally complete one‐element sets of propositional connectives
Authors: Maksimović Petar , Janičić Predrag 
Published: October 2006

AbstractA set of propositional connectives is said to befunctionally completeif all propositional formulae can be expressed using only connectives from that set. In this paper we give sufficient and necessary conditions for a one‐element set of propositional connectives to be functionally complete. These conditions provide a simple and elegant characterization of functionally complete one‐element sets of propositional connectives (of arbitrary arity). (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Recent Advances in Carbohydrate Microarrays
Authors: de Paz Jose L. , Seeberger Peter H. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractCarbohydrate microarrays have become a powerful tool to elucidate the biological role of these important biomolecules. This minireview focuses on the most recent advances involving carbohydrate microarrays, including the use of sugar arrays to study carbohydrate–cell interactions and to detect pathogens. Other important developments are novel immobilization strategies to covalently attach unmodified carbohydrates and the application of this robotic technology to the printing of medium‐size (more than 200 compounds) glycan libraries using reproducible amide bond formation and standard DNA array protocols. Recent advances in synthetic carbohydrate chemistry, such as the development of the automated solid‐phase oligosaccharide synthesizer, will increase the complexity and utility of carbohydrate microarrays. Carbohydrate arrays are beginning to have a major impact in the field of glycomics, aiding the discovery of new roles for carbohydrates in cell biology.
Middle cerebral artery pulsatility index: reliability at different sampling sites
Authors: Figueras F. , Fernandez S. , Eixarch E. , Gomez O. , Martinez J. M. , Puerto B. , Gratacos E. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractObjectivesTo analyze the interobserver reliability of measurement of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) pulsatility index (PI) at two different sampling sites.MethodsThis study included 100 consecutive singleton pregnancies between 24 and 40 weeks with normal fetal growth. The PI was calculated by two independent operators at proximal and distal sampling sites of the near‐field MCA. Reliability analyses were performed between observers at each sampling site by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for agreement. Differences between observers were explored and agreement limits calculated by means of the Bland–Altman test.ResultsSatisfactory flow velocity waveforms were obtained successfully in each fetus at both sampling sites. Peak systolic, end‐diastolic and time‐averaged maximum velocities were significantly higher at the proximal compared with the distal sampling site. Conversely, PI was significantly higher at the distal compared with the proximal site. ICCs for PI were 0.3 and 0.33 at the proximal and the distal sampling sites, respectively. The 95% interval of the PI differences between observers were + 0.91 and − 1.14 at the proximal and + 1.03 and − 1.08 at the distal sampling sites. In about 30% of the cases the PI difference between observers was greater than 0.5 at both sampling sites.ConclusionsModerate interobserver reliability in the measurement of end‐diastolic and time‐averaged maximum MCA flow velocities results in limited agreement of the PI calculation at both proximal and distal sampling sites. These results may preclude its clinical applicability. Copyright © 2006 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Epidemiological Profile and Clinical Associations of Human Bocavirus and Other Human Parvoviruses
Authors: Manning A. , Russell V. , Eastick K. , Leadbetter G. H. , Hallam N. , Templeton K. , Simmonds P. 
Published: October 2006

Abstract
BackgroundHuman bocavirus (HBoV) and PARV4 are newly discovered human parvoviruses. HBoV, which was first detected in respiratory samples, has a potential role in the development of human respiratory disease. The present study compared the frequencies, epidemiological profiles, and clinical backgrounds of HBoV and PARV4 infections with those of other respiratory virus infections, by evaluating diagnostic samples referred to the Specialist Virology Laboratory (SVL) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Edinburgh, United Kingdom)
MethodsAnonymized samples and study subject information were obtained from the respiratory sample archive of the SVL. Samples were screened for HBoV, PARV4, B19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviruses, influenza viruses, and parainfluenza viruses by use of nested polymerase chain reaction
ResultsHBoV infection was detected in 47 (8.2%) of 574 study subjects,&amp;ranking third in prevalence behind RSV infection (15.7%) and adenovirus infection (10.3%). Peak incidences of HBoV were noted among infants and young children (age, 6–24 months) during the midwinter months (December and January) and were specifically associated with lower respiratory tract infections. HBoV infections were frequently accompanied by other respiratory viruses (frequency, 43%), and they were more prevalent among individuals infected with other respiratory viruses (17%), frequently adenovirus or RSV. All respiratory samples were negative for PARV4
ConclusionsIn the present study, HBoV was a frequently detected, potential respiratory pathogen, with a prevalence and an epidemiological profile comparable to those of RSV. Identification of HBoV infections may be clinically important in the future
Continuous characters analyzed as such
Authors: Goloboff Pablo A. , Mattoni Camilo I. , Quinteros Andrés Sebastián 
Published: October 2006

AbstractQuantitative and continuous characters have rarely been included in cladistic analyses of morphological data; when included, they have always been discretized, using a variety of ad hoc methods. As continuous characters are typically additive, they can be optimized with well known algorithms, so that with a proper implementation they could be easily analyzed without discretization. The program TNT has recently incorporated algorithms for analysis of continuous characters. One of the problems that has been pointed out with existing methods for discretization is that they can attribute different states to terminals that do not differ significantly—or vice versa. With the implementation in TNT, this problem is diminished (or avoided entirely) by simply assigning to each terminal a range that goes from the mean minus one (or two) SE to the mean plus one (or two) SE; given normal distributions, terminals that do not overlap thus differ significantly (more significantly if using more than 1 SE). Three real data sets (for scorpions, spiders and lizards) comprising both discrete and quantitative characters are analyzed to study the performance of continuous characters. One of the matrices has a reduced number of continuous characters, and thus continuous characters analyzed by themselves produce only poorly resolved trees; the support for many of the groups supported by the discrete characters alone, however, is increased when the continuous characters are added to the analysis. The other two matrices have larger numbers of continuous characters, so that the results of separate analyses for the discrete and the continuous characters can be more meaningfully compared. In both cases, the continuous characters (analyzed alone) result in trees that are relatively similar to the trees produced by the discrete characters alone. These results suggest that continuous characters carry indeed phylogenetic information, and that (if they have been observed) there is no real reason to exclude them from the analysis.© The Willi Hennig Society 2006.
Addressing the efficacy of dihydrocodeine versus methadone as an alternative maintenance treatment for opiate dependence: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Robertson J. Roy , Raab Gillian M. , Bruce Malcolm , McKenzie James S. , Storkey Helen R. , Salter Amy 
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTAim  The aim of this study is to define the efficacy of dihydrocodeine as an alternative to methadone in the maintenance treatment of opiate dependence.Design  A pragmatic open‐label randomized controlled study of patients recommended for opiate maintenance treatment to test equivalence of the two treatment options with follow‐up continuing for up to 42 months after recruitment.Setting  Assessment at either Edinburgh’s Community Drug Problem Service or at two general practitioner practices with specialist drug community psychiatric nurses, then with shared care follow‐up.Participants  Two hundred and thirty‐five subjects (168 male, 67 female) with opiate dependence syndrome were recruited. Subjects selected were suitable for opiate maintenance treatment. Routine treatment was offered throughout.Intervention  Patients were randomized to receive either methadone mixture 1 mg/ml or dihydrocodeine, 30 mg or 60 mg tablets.Measurements  The primary outcome measure was retention in treatment. Eight secondary outcomes included total illicit opiate use, reported crime, physical health, mental health, injecting drug use, overdoses, selling drugs and being in education or work. Measures were compared over 42 months follow‐up.Findings  There was no difference in groups for retention in treatment at follow‐up and there was improvement in all secondary outcomes from baseline. No significant difference in outcomes was found between randomized groups over time. Compliance with randomized treatment differed by randomized group and was affected by experiences in custody during follow‐up. Those randomized to dihydrocodeine were more likely to switch treatments.Conclusions  These results, combined with existing clinical experience, provide evidence that dihydrocodeine is a viable alternative to methadone as a maintenance treatment for opiate dependence. Indirect comparisons with other studies show dihydrocodeine (and methadone) to be superior to placebo.
Comorbidity of DCD and SLI: significance of epileptiform activity during sleep
Authors: Scabar A. , Devescovi R. , Blason L. , Bravar L. , Carrozzi M. 
Published: October 2006

AbstractBackground  In children affected by specific language impairment (SLI), many authors have investigated a link between language and epileptiform discharges during sleep resembling the focal sharp waves typical of benign epilepsy with centro‐temporal spikes (BECTS), the so‐called rolandic spikes. On the other hand, the same electroencephalographic trait occurs in more than 50% of children affected by learning or behavioural disabilities without seizures, supporting the hypothesis of a common genetic disposition. The biological background of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is currently unknown, but a genetic liability may be assumed. The aims of our study were first to estimate the prevalence of sleep‐related epileptiform discharges in children affected by DCD and second to investigate the occurrence of DCD in a population of children affected by BECTS.Methods  We selected a group of eight children with severe DCD. In this group, the presence of epileptiform activity was investigated. We also searched for DCD among a group of 13 children affected by BECTS.Results  We found rolandic spikes in more than 70% of the children with severe DCD and severe DCD in more than 30% of the children with BECTS.Conclusions  In children with severe DCD other disabilities are frequently associated. In these children, epileptiform activity during sleep is very frequently found and in our opinion, this represents a hallmark of ‘Hereditary Impairment of Brain Maturation’, a term only partially resembling ‘Atypical Brain Development’.
Bacterial degradation of airborne phenol in the phyllosphere
Authors: Sandhu Amarjyoti , Halverson Larry J. , Beattie Gwyn A. 
Published: October 2006

SummaryDespite the vast surface area of terrestrial plant leaves and the large microbial communities they support, little is known of the ability of leaf‐associated microorganisms to access and degrade airborne pollutants. Here, we examined bacterial acquisition and degradation of phenol on leaves by an introduced phenol degrader and by natural phyllosphere communities. Whole‐cell gfp‐based Pseudomonas fluorescens bioreporter cells detected phenol on leaves that had previously been transiently exposed to gaseous phenol, indicating that leaves accumulated phenol; moreover, they accumulated it in sites that were accessible to epiphytic bacteria and to concentrations that were at least 10‐fold higher than those in the air. After inoculated leaves were exposed to gaseous 14C‐phenol, leaves harbouring the phenol‐degrading Pseudomonas sp. strain CF600 released eight times more 14CO2 than did leaves harbouring a non‐degrading mutant, demonstrating that CF600 actively mineralized phenol on leaves. We evaluated phenol degradation by natural microbial communities on green ash leaves that were collected from a field site rich in airborne organic pollutants. We found that significantly more phenol was mineralized by these leaves when the communities were present than by these leaves following surface sterilization. Thus, phenol‐degrading organisms were present in these natural communities and were metabolically capable of phenol degradation. Collectively, these results provide the first direct evidence that bacteria on leaves can degrade an organic pollutant from the air, and indicate that bacteria on leaves could potentially contribute to the natural attenuation of organic air pollutants.
Thioquinolobactin, a Pseudomonas siderophore with antifungal and anti‐Pythium activity
Authors: Matthijs Sandra , Tehrani Kourosch Abbaspour , Laus George , Jackson Robert W. , Cooper Richard M. , Cornelis Pierre 
Published: October 2006

SummaryUnder conditions of iron limitation Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 17400 produces two siderophores, pyoverdine, and a second siderophore quinolobactin, which itself results from the hydrolysis of the unstable molecule 8‐hydroxy‐4‐methoxy‐2‐quinoline thiocarboxylic acid (thioquinolobactin). Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 17400 also displays a strong in vitro antagonism against the Oomycete Pythium, which is repressed by iron, suggesting the involvement of a siderophore(s). While a pyoverdine‐negative mutant retains most of its antagonism, a thioquinolobactin‐negative mutant only slowed‐down Pythium growth, and a double pyoverdine‐, thioquinolobactin‐negative mutant, which does not produce any siderophore, totally lost its antagonism against Pythium. The siderophore thioquinolobactin could be purified and identified from spent medium and showed anti‐Pythium activity, but it was quickly hydrolysed to quinolobactin, which we showed has no antimicrobial activity. Analysis of antagonism‐affected transposon mutants revealed that genes involved in haem biosynthesis and sulfur assimilation are important for the production of thioquinolobactin and the expression of antagonism.
Reduced left ventricular mass after treatment of obese patients with sibutramine: an echocardiographic multicentre study
Authors: Wirth A. , Scholze J. , Sharma A. M. , Matiba B. , Boenner G. 
Published: October 2006

Aim:  In obesity, left ventricular hypertrophy is frequently observed, especially in the presence of hypertension. Following body weight reduction, the left ventricular mass (LVM) is reduced. It is not known to which extent this occurs after treatment with sibutramine.Methods:  In this multicentre trial, 195 male and female patients (18–65 years of age, body mass index 30–40 kg/m2) were treated for 12 weeks with either 15 mg/day sibutramine or placebo. They were advised to follow mildly hypocaloric reducing diets. Exclusion criteria were blood pressure values >180/110 mmHg and tachycardia (heart rate ≥100 beats/min). Echocardiography in M‐mode was performed to determine LVM as well as systolic function.Results:  Body weight was reduced by 6.9 ± 0.3 kg under sibutramine and by 2.1 ± 0.6 kg under placebo; body fat was reduced by 5.2 ± 0.4 kg and 1.6 ± 0.7 kg respectively. In the sibutramine group, LVM was reduced by 10.9 ± 24.2 g; LVM indexed for body surface area was reduced by 2.3 ± 11.8 g/m2 and LVM indexed for body height was reduced by 2.5 ± 6.0 g/m2.7. In the placebo group, LVM and LVM indices were not significantly changed. Changes in LVM correlated with reductions in body weight and initial LVM but not with changes in blood pressure or heart rate.Conclusions:  After 3 months of treatment with sibutramine, obese patients lost about three times as much of body weight and LVM than patients treated with placebo. Therefore, sibutramine may be recommended not only to reduce body weight but also to obtain a regression of the LVM in obese patients with and without hypertension.
Between the Global Environmental Regime and Local Sustainability: A Local Review on the Inclusion, Failure and Reinventing Process of the Environmental Governance
Authors: Nakazawa Hideo 
Published: October 2006

Abstract: Japan has undergone drastic changes in ecological policy and practice over the past 40 years. Although this short history began with significant levels of pollution, notoriously termed “kogai”, the country seems to have achieved great ecological improvements, both technologically and institutionally, and now is one of the most highly ecologically modernized countries. But can this process really be posited as a simple, linear one of ecological modernization, a sort of natural, historical progress toward ideal environmental governance? This paper proposes some questions that cast doubt over this view. It focuses on local struggles for environmental governance, particularly in the city of Kamakura, which proclaimed itself an “environmental municipality” in 1993, a designation that seemingly fell by the wayside in 2001. Investigating this 8‐year case we can extract some lessons concerning the contradictions between global and local, and consequently about the inherent difficulties of top‐down environmental ordinances and insufficiently decentralized environmental governance. At the same time, through this case readers may also discover a new type of civic activity: cities with agriculture. After a short sketch of agri‐environmental movements, I will suggest that such movements are converging with more conventional ones and prevailing throughout the country. Therefore, the ecological modernization process can be seen to include a sort of restoration process: an updated return to perma‐cultural sustainability. Consequently, this essay contributes to international environmental discussion, not only by uncovering the cleavages between global and local, but also by suggesting the possibility of environmental governance alternative to technologically and institutionally driven ones.