bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Undaria mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal DNA (Phaeophyceae, Alariaceae): Structural properties and use for phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Saitoh Kenji , Muraoka Daisuke 
Published: July 2006

SUMMARYWe sequenced mitochondrial 23S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) from two Undaria species and compared them with homologous sequences from related brown algae. The 23S rDNA sequences from Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar were 2707 bp in length, of which 1290–1292 sites were assigned to stem regions and the rest to loop regions in the rRNA secondary structure model. In Undaria undarioides (Yendo) Okamura, the sequences were 2708–2709 bp in length and 1290 sites were assigned to stems. There were three sequence types among the seven U. pinnatifida individuals examined and two among the four U. undarioides individuals. A maximum parsimony analysis of these sequence data with those from related brown algal species resolved a robust monphyly of each of the two Undaria species, suggesting the utilities of 23S rDNA for phylogeny at species or intraspecific level in brown algae. Accounting for variations among sequences parsimoniously, sequence changes were sorted into 423 events, of which 165 were mapped to stems of the secondary structure.
Initial experience with dexmedetomidine for diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization in children
Authors: MUNRO HAMISH M. , TIROTTA CHRISTOPHER F. , FELIX DONALD E. , LAGUERUELA RICHARD G. , MADRIL DANIELLE R. , ZAHN EVAN M. , NYKANEN DAVID G. 
Published: July 2006

SummaryBackground:  Children undergoing diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization require deep sedation or general anesthesia (GA). Dexmedetomidine, a selective alpha‐2 adrenergic agonist, has sedative, analgesic and anxiolytic properties without respiratory depression. These characteristics make it potentially suitable as a sedative agent during diagnostic procedures in children. We report our experience using dexmedetomidine in 20 children aged 3 months to 10 years undergoing cardiac catheterization.Methods:  Following a midazolam premedication, intravenous access was secured facilitated by the inhalation of sevoflurane in oxygen. A loading dose of 1 μg·kg−1 dexmedetomidine was administered over 10 min followed by an initial infusion rate of 1 μg·kg−1·h−1. Nasal cannulae were applied, allowing endtidal CO2 monitoring with the patients breathing spontaneously. Hemodynamic parameters, Bispectral Index Score (BIS) and sedation score were measured every 5 min. Patient movement or evidence of inadequate sedation were treated with propofol (1 mg·kg−1). The dexmedetomidine infusion rate was titrated to the level of sedation to a maximum of 2 μg·kg−1·h−1 to maintain a sedation score of 4–5 and a BIS value <80.Results:  Five patients (25%) had some movement on local infiltration or groin vessel access. This did not necessitate restraint or result in difficulty securing vascular access. No patients failed sedation that required the addition of another sedative agent or conversion to GA; eight patients were sedated with dexmedetomidine alone; however, 12 (60%) patients did receive a propofol bolus at some time during the procedure due to movement, increasing BIS value or in anticipation of stimulation. There were no incidences of airway obstruction or respiratory depression. In all cases the heart rate and blood pressure remained within 20% of baseline. No patient required treatment for profound bradycardia or hypotension. The average infusion rate for dexmedetomidine following the loading dose was 1.15 (±0.29)μg·kg−1·h−1 (range 0.6–2.0 μg·kg−1·h−1).Conclusions:  This initial experience showed dexmedetomidine, with or without the addition of propofol, may be a suitable alternative for sedation in spontaneously breathing patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.
Does Parental Participation in Schools Empower or Strain Civil Society? The Case of Community‐managed Schools in Central America
Authors: Corrales Javier 
Published: July 2006

AbstractAmong the various educational models in Latin America that seek to increase parental participation in schooling, perhaps the most far‐reaching is the experiment with self‐managed schools. These are publicly funded schools administered by parents. Broad public powers, such as the capacity to decide the budget and make staffing decisions, are given to parents, many of whom have had very limited prior administrative experience. How does this policy innovation impact on civil society? Does parental participation in school administration empower participating citizens or strain civil society? There are various ways of answering these questions. This article looks at some possible ways to conceptualize and assess the relationship between parental participation in self‐managed schools and civil society. The article draws from the experience of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, where these reforms have advanced significantly since the 1990s.
Identifying fern gametophytes using DNA sequences
Authors: SCHNEIDER HARALD , SCHUETTPELZ ERIC 
Published: July 2006

AbstractIdentification of fern gametophytes is generally hampered by low morphological complexity. Here we explore an alternative: DNA‐based identification. We obtained a plastid rbcL sequence from a sterile gametophyte of unknown origin (cultivated for more than 30 years) and employed blast to determine its affinities. Using this approach, we identified the gametophyte as Osmunda regalis. To evaluate the robustness of this determination, and the usefulness of rbcL in differentiating among species, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis of osmundaceous fern sequences. Based on our results, it is evident that DNA‐based identification has considerable potential in exploring the ecology of fern gametophytes.
Microsatellite loci from the trematode Lecithochirium fusiforme, a parasite of the European conger eel
Authors: VILAS R. , CRISCIONE C. D. , PANIAGUA E. , BLOUIN M. S. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractSeven polymorphic loci containing dinucleotide repeats and one trinucleotide microsatellite were developed for the hemiurid fluke Lecithochirium fusiforme, a parasite of the European conger eel Conger conger. All parasites that were collected from a single individual host (a total of 54 specimens) were genotyped. The number of alleles ranged from two to eight. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.057 to 0.736 and from 0.091 to 0.794, respectively. Hardy–Weinberg deviations were statistically significant for two loci. These markers will be useful for study of parasite transmission patterns and population genetic structure.
Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti)
Authors: HUEBINGER RYAN M. , DE MAAR THOMAS W. J. , WOODRUFF LAURENCE H. , POMP DANIEL , LOUIS EDWARD E. 
Published: July 2006

AbstractEight microsatellite loci were isolated from a genomic DNA library created from Grant's gazelle (Gazella granti). Observed and expected levels of heterozygosity were computed utilizing 20 individuals from a population in Central Kenya. Tests for Hardy–Weinberg equilibria were conducted and found that two of the eight loci deviated from equilibrium in this population. These markers were developed to analyse the genetic effects of culling and isolation on a game preserve in Kenya.
Revival on the Right: Making Sense of the Conservative Moment in Post‐World War II American History
Authors: Dochuk Darren 
Published: July 2006

AbstractSince 1990 historians have made a concerted effort to utilize new methodologies and highlight different themes and dimensions of political history in a quest to understand better the post‐World War II American Right. The result of this shift in American historiography has been a more intense, creative, and fruitful discussion about the origins and development of modern conservatism. As this article demonstrates, among the many historians now concerned with this subject are those who seek to employ a socio‐cultural approach in order to uncover conservative political activism at the grassroots level. Their scholarship has led to a heightened appreciation of how longstanding local and regional political battles over issues of race, space, and place galvanized a national movement which, by the early 1970s, identified itself as the New Right and aligned itself with the Republican Party.
Transcallosal Resection of Hypothalamic Hamartoma for Intractable Epilepsy
Authors: Ng Yu‐tze , Rekate Harold L. , Prenger Erin C. , Chung Steve S. , Feiz‐Erfan Iman , Wang Norman C. , Varland Maggie R. , Kerrigan John F. 
Published: July 2006

Summary: Purpose:To present the results of transcallosal surgical resection of hypothalamic hamartoma (HH) in 26 patients with refractory epilepsy in a prospective outcome study.Methods:Patients with refractory epilepsy symptomatic to HH were referred for surgical resection of their HH (mean age, 10.0 years; range, 2.1–24.2 years). A transcallosal, interforniceal approach was used to remove and/or disconnect the hamartoma. Volumetry was obtained on pre‐ and postoperative brain MRI scans to determine percentage of resection. Outcome assessment included determination of postoperative seizure frequencies in comparison to baseline and the incidence of postoperative complications. Postoperative changes in cognitive and behavioral functioning, in comparison to baseline, were elicited by parental report.Results:The average postoperative follow‐up interval was 20.3 months (range, 13–28 months). Fourteen (54%) patients were completely seizure free, and nine (35%) had at least a 90% improvement in total seizure frequency. Parents reported postoperative improvement in behavior in 23 (88%) patients and in cognition in 17 (65%) patients. Transient postoperative memory disturbance was seen in 15 (58%) patients, but persisted in only two (8%). Two (8%) patients had persisting endocrine disturbance requiring hormone replacement therapy (diabetes insipidus and hypothyroidism in one each). With univariate analysis, the likelihood of a seizure‐free outcome correlated with younger age, shorter lifetime duration of epilepsy, smaller preoperative HH volume, and 100% HH resection.Conclusions:Refractory epilepsy associated with HH can be safely and effectively treated with surgical resection by a transcallosal, interforniceal approach. Short‐term memory deficits appear to be transient for most patients, and family perception of the impact of surgery on cognitive and behavioral domains is favorable. Complete resection yields the best result.
Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus as Adjunct Treatment for Refractory Epilepsy
Authors: Handforth Adrian , DeSalles Antonio A. F. , Krahl Scott E. 
Published: July 2006

Summary:  Purpose: We studied the efficacy and safety of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory partial‐onset epilepsy in two cases. Methods: This was an open treatment pilot study for subjects who had failed numerous medications and had seizure injuries. Seizure counts and adverse events were collected during a 3‐4 month baseline, and for 26‐32 months after DBS surgery, with AEDs held constant. Results: Case 1, age 45, with bitemporal seizures, had about half the seizure frequency but still fell with injuries. Case 2, age 46, with left frontal encephalomalacia, had a frequency reduction of about one‐third, but a more meaningful reduction of seizure severity and injuries. Conclusions: Subthalamic DBS partly reduced partial‐onset seizures, but the quality of life was more affected by seizure‐related injuries.
Neocortical Hyperexcitability in a Genetic Model of Absence Seizures and Its Reduction by Levetiracetam
Authors: D'Arcangelo Giovanna , D'Antuono Margherita , Tancredi Virginia , Avoli Massimo 
Published: July 2006

Summary:  Purpose: To study the effect of the antiepileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) on the patterns of intrinsic optical signals (IOSs) generated by slices of the somatosensory cortex obtained from 3‐ and 6‐month‐old WAG/Rij and age‐matched, nonepileptic control (NEC) rats. Methods: WAG/Rij and NEC animals were anesthetized with enfluorane and decapitated. Brains were quickly removed, and neocortical slices were cut coronally with a vibratome, transferred to a submerged tissue chamber, and superfused with oxygenated artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Slices were illuminated with a dark‐field condensor and examined with a ×2.5 objective; images were processed with a real time digital video image‐enhancement system. Images were acquired before (background) and during electrical stimulation with a temporal resolution of 10 images/s and were displayed in pseudocolors. Extracellular stimuli (200 μs; <4 V) were delivered through bipolar stainless steel electrodes placed in the white matter. Results: IOSs recorded in NEC slices bathed in control aCSF became less intense and of reduced size with age (p < 0.05); this trend was not seen in WAG/Rij slices. Age‐dependent decreases in IOS intensity and area size were also seen in NEC slices superfused with aCSF containing the convulsant 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP, 5 μM); in contrast, significant increases in both parameters occurred with age in 4‐AP–treated WAG/Rij slices (p < 0.05). Under any of these conditions, the IOS intensity and area size slices were larger in WAG/Rij than in NEC slices. LEV (50–500 μM) application to WAG/Rij slices caused dose‐dependent IOS reductions that were evident both in control and in 4‐AP–containing aCSF and were more pronounced in 6‐month‐old tissue. Conclusions: These data demonstrate age‐dependent IOS modifications in NEC and WAG/Rij rat slices and identify a clear pattern of hyperexcitability that occurs in 6‐month‐old WAG/Rij neocortical tissue, an age when absence seizures occur in all animals. The ability of LEV to reduce these patterns of network hyperexcitability supports the potential use of this new antiepileptic drug in primary generalized epileptic disorders.
Inactivation of Caspase‐1 in Rodent Brain: A Novel Anticonvulsive Strategy
Authors: Ravizza Teresa , Lucas Sian‐Marie , Balosso Silvia , Bernardino Liliana , Ku George , Noé Francesco , Malva Joao , Randle John C. R. , Allan Stuart , Vezzani Annamaria 
Published: July 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Cytokines and related inflammatory mediators are rapidly synthesized in the brain during seizures. We previously found that intracerebral administration of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1)‐β has proconvulsant effects, whereas its endogenous receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra) mediates potent anticonvulsant actions in various models of limbic seizures. In this study, we investigated whether seizures can be effectively inhibited by blocking the brain production of IL‐1β, by using selective inhibitors of interleukin‐converting enzyme (ICE/caspase‐1) or through caspase‐1 gene deletion. Methods: Caspase‐1 was selectively blocked by using pralnacasan or VX‐765. IL‐1β release was induced in mouse organotypic hippocampal slice cultures by proinflammatory stimuli [lipopolysaccaride (LPS) + adenosine triphosphate (ATP)] and measured with enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IL‐1β production during seizures was measured in the rat hippocampus by Western blot. Seizures were induced in freely moving mice and rats by intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid and recorded by EEG analysis. Results: Caspase‐1 inhibition reduced the release of IL‐1β in organotypic slices exposed to LPS+ATP. Administration of pralnacasan (intracerebroventricular, 50 μg) or VX‐765 (intraperitoneal, 25–200 mg/kg) to rats blocked seizure‐induced production of IL‐1β in the hippocampus, and resulted in a twofold delay in seizure onset and 50% reduction in seizure duration. Mice with caspase‐1 gene deletion showed a 70% reduction in seizures and an approximate fourfold delay in their onset. Conclusions: Inhibition of caspase‐1 represents an effective and novel anticonvulsive strategy, which acts by selectively reducing the brain availability of IL‐1β.
Paradoxes of Online Investing: Testing the Influence of Technology on User Expectancies*
Authors: Looney Clayton Arlen , Valacich Joseph S. , Todd Peter A. , Morris Michael G. 
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACTAt an increasing rate, individual investors are taking personal control over their financial destinies by investing their money online. Compared to offline do‐it‐yourself approaches, evidence suggests that investors exhibit lofty expectations and perform significantly worse after going online. However, little is understood about the mechanisms fueling expectancies, the role technologies play in their formation, or how technologies shape investment decisions. Therefore, this article explores the paradoxical nature of online investing technologies, which can give rise to a heightened state of conviction in one's capability to invest successfully. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory, the concepts of encapsulation and combination are introduced to develop a research model describing how functional and technical self‐efficacy judgments independently and collectively shape and influence outcome expectancies. The results suggest that perceptions about what one can accomplish through online investing technologies can lead investors to exaggerate their capabilities, which, in turn, produces elevated expectancies of financial payoffs and nonmonetary rewards. These findings carry important implications. In tasks requiring both computing and functional skills, the principals of encapsulation and combination highlight the importance of comprehensively capturing self‐efficacy beliefs across skill domain boundaries. Moreover, online investing represents a paradoxical case that challenges the traditional assumption that fostering a robust sense of efficacy represents a purely noble enterprise. In fact, strong self‐efficacy beliefs can prove counterproductive, leading to severe, irreversible, and unintended consequences. Going forward, these discoveries provide a solid foundation to enhance systems designs and facilitate a deeper understanding of user psychology.
Data‐Driven Classification Using Boundary Observations
Authors: Zobel Christopher W. , Cook Deborah F. , Ragsdale Cliff T. 
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACTClassification is often a critical task for business managers in their decision‐making processes. It is generally more difficult for a classification scheme to produce accurate results when the input domains of the various output classes coincide, to some degree, with one another. In an attempt to address this issue, this article discusses a data‐driven algorithm that identifies the region of coincidence, or overlap, for two‐group classification problems by empirically determining the convex boundary for each group. The results are extendable to multigroup classification. The class membership of a new observation is then determined by its relative position with respect to each of these boundaries. Due to minimal data storage requirements, this boundary‐point classification technique can adapt to changing conditions far more easily than other approaches. Test results demonstrate that the new classification technique has similar performance to a back‐propagation neural network under static conditions and significantly outperforms a back‐propagation neural network under dynamic conditions.
Pilocarpine treatment in a mixed cohort of xerostomic patients
Authors: Aframian DJ , Helcer M , Livni D , Robinson SDM , Markitziu A , Nadler C 
Published: July 2006

Objective:  To compare the effect of a single 5‐mg dose of pilocarpine hydrochloride on the salivary flow rate in three groups of xerostomic patients.Subjects and methods:  Forty‐five patients were divided into three groups according to the etiology of their xerostomia: (i) radiotherapy; (ii) Sjögren's syndrome; and (iii) sialosis and xerogenic medications. Following the oral administration of a 5‐mg pilocarpine hydrochloride tablet blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and saliva secretion rates were monitored hourly for 3 h and adverse events were reported.Results:  The most significant and persistent elevation of salivary flow rate was observed in the sialosis/drug‐induced group followed by the Sjögren's syndrome group. The radiotherapy group presented a significant elevation of salivary secretion rate after 1 and 2 h, but returned to baseline at 3 h. No significant changes in vital signs were reported, except for low diastolic pressure measured at 1 h in the radiotherapy group. Several adverse events were recorded throughout the trial; however, only one patient withdrew from the study.Conclusion:  Treatment with pilocarpine hydrochloride tablets may improve saliva secretion in patients taking xerogenic medications and/or suffering from metabolic sialosis expanding the beneficial potential of this sialogogue.
Unveiling a Ghost of Amazonian Rain Forests: Camponotus mirabilis, Engineer of Guadua Bamboo1
Authors: Davidson D. W. , Castro‐Delgado S. R. , Arias J. A. , Mann J. 
Published: July 2006

ABSTRACT Camponotus mirabilis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is a highly specialized resident of live Guadua bamboo in western Amazonia. Workers in established colonies open and invade young, unlignified culms, and mature polydomous colonies occupy several‐to‐many adjacent stems. Multistoried carton shelves support brood inside culms, and larvae are nourished by honeydew of coccids (Cryptostigma guadua). Constructing a system of stem holes and wicks, C. mirabilis modifies occupied stems in ways that produce passive water evacuation. Nocturnally foraging workers gather both prey and wood fiber, a component of wicks. Diurnally, they boil aggressively from agitated stems, and are attacked by parasitic phorid flies (Diptera: Phoridae). Culms housing C. mirabilis are stouter and more erect than are unoccupied stems but are opened regularly by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) searching for brood and perhaps reproductive castes. Damaged by monkeys, weak‐walled Guadua stems frequently collapse and are abandoned by ants. Breakdown of brood shelves leaves nutrient‐rich carton suspended in water within basal internodes, but isotopic analyses fail to show that occupied culms utilize either nitrogen from carton or carbon respired by ants or decomposing debris. Lower foliar nitrogen concentration in occupied than in control stems suggests that coccids and ants parasitize host resources. A prior experimental survey of bamboo ants may have missed C. mirabilis because females found new colonies in culms occupied by another bamboo specialist, and established colonies invade only young bamboo growth.