bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Motor cortex stroke impairs individual digit movement in skilled reaching by the rat
Authors: Alaverdashvili Mariam , Whishaw Ian Q. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractOver 30 years ago, Castro [(1972) Brain Res., 37, 173–185] proposed that motor cortex (MtCx) ablation produced deficits in digital usage that contributed to the rat’s impairments in a reach‐to‐eat task, but the impairment was not directly documented. The present study examined digit use in control rats and rats with MtCx lesions using high‐speed (1000 f/s) video recording. Temporal and spatial characteristics of individual digits were evaluated by digitizing the tip of the digits and digital joints using the motion measurement system Peak Motus. Control rats displayed differential digital use during grasping actions and MtCx damage reduced individual digit movement, both as the paw was pre‐shaped for grasping and in the grasping action itself. The findings show that although grasping is retained following MtCx damage, MtCx is essential for dexterous movement. The results are discussed in relation to the idea that rodent MtCx is not only necessary for rotatory movements of the limb, but also for digital control and in relation to the similarities of rodent digit use to that described for primates.
Corticotropin‐releasing factor in the dorsal raphe nucleus increases medial prefrontal cortical serotonin via type 2 receptors and median raphe nucleus activity
Authors: Forster Gina L. , Pringle Ronald B. , Mouw Nicholas J. , Vuong Shawn M. , Watt Michael J. , Burke Andrew R. , Lowry Christopher A. , Summers Cliff H. , Renner Kenneth J. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractInteractions between central corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) and serotonergic systems are believed to be important for mediating fear and anxiety behaviors. Recently we demonstrated that infusions of CRF into the rat dorsal raphe nucleus result in a delayed increase in serotonin release within the medial prefrontal cortex that coincided with a reduction in fear behavior. The current studies were designed to study the CRF receptor mechanisms and pathways involved in this serotonergic response. Infusions of CRF (0.5 μg/0.5 μL) were made into the dorsal raphe nucleus of urethane‐anesthetized rats following either inactivation of the median raphe nucleus by muscimol (25 ng/0.25 μL) or antagonism of CRF receptor type 1 or CRF receptor type 2 in the dorsal raphe nucleus with antalarmin (25–50 ng/0.5 μL) or antisauvagine‐30 (2 μg/0.5 μL), respectively. Medial prefrontal cortex serotonin levels were measured using in‐vivo microdialysis and high‐performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Increased medial prefrontal cortex serotonin release elicited by CRF infusion into the dorsal raphe nucleus was abolished by inactivation of the median raphe nucleus. Furthermore, antagonism of CRF receptor type 2 but not CRF receptor type 1 in the dorsal raphe nucleus abolished CRF‐induced increases in medial prefrontal cortex serotonin. Follow‐up studies involved electrical stimulation of the central nucleus of the amygdala, a source of CRF afferents to the dorsal raphe nucleus. Activation of the central nucleus increased medial prefrontal cortex serotonin release. This response was blocked by CRF receptor type 2 antagonism in the dorsal raphe. Overall, these results highlight complex CRF modulation of medial prefrontal cortex serotonergic activity at the level of the raphe nuclei.
Rewarding and aversive effects of nicotine are segregated within the nucleus accumbens
Authors: Sellings Laurie H. L. , Baharnouri Golriz , McQuade Lindsey E. , Clarke Paul B. S. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractForebrain dopamine plays a critical role in motivated behavior. According to the classic view, mesolimbic dopamine selectively guides behavior motivated by positive reinforcers. However, this has been challenged in favor of a wider role encompassing aversively motivated behavior. This controversy is particularly striking in the case of nicotine, with opposing claims that either the rewarding or the aversive effect of nicotine is critically dependent on mesolimbic dopamine transmission. In the present study, the effects of 6‐hydroxydopamine lesions of nucleus accumbens core vs. medial shell on intravenous nicotine conditioned place preference and conditioned taste aversion were examined in male adult rats. Dopaminergic denervation in accumbens medial shell was associated with decreased nicotine conditioned place preference. Conversely, denervation in accumbens core was associated with an increase in conditioned place preference. In addition, dopaminergic denervation of accumbens core but not medial shell abolished conditioned taste aversion for nicotine. We conclude that nucleus accumbens core and medial shell dopaminergic innervation exert segregated effects on rewarding and aversive effects of nicotine. More generally, our findings indicate that dopaminergic transmission may mediate or enable opposing motivational processes within functionally distinct domains of the accumbens.
Environmental distribution and population biology of Candidatus Accumulibacter, a primary agent of biological phosphorus removal
Authors: Peterson S. Brook , Warnecke Falk , Madejska Julita , McMahon Katherine D. , Hugenholtz Philip 
Published: July 2008

SummaryMembers of the uncultured bacterial genus Candidatus Accumulibacter are capable of intracellular accumulation of inorganic phosphate in activated sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) performing enhanced biological phosphorus removal, but were also recently shown to inhabit freshwater and estuarine sediments. Additionally, metagenomic sequencing of two bioreactor cultures enriched in Candidatus Accumulibacter, but housed on separate continents, revealed the potential for global dispersal of particular Candidatus Accumulibacter strains, which we hypothesize is facilitated by the ability of Candidatus Accumulibacter to persist in environmental habitats. In the current study, we used sequencing of a phylogenetic marker, the ppk1 gene, to characterize Candidatus Accumulibacter populations in diverse environments, at varying distances from WWTPs. We discovered several new lineages of Candidatus Accumulibacter which had not previously been detected in WWTPs, and also uncovered new diversity and structure within previously detected lineages. Habitat characteristics were found to be a key determinant of Candidatus Accumulibacter lineage distribution while, as predicted, geographic distance played little role in limiting dispersal on a regional scale. However, on a local scale, enrichment of particular Candidatus Accumulibacter lineages in WWTP appeared to impact local environmental populations. These results provide evidence of ecological differences among Candidatus Accumulibacter lineages.
Abdominosacral resection is not related to the risk of neurological complications in patients with low‐rectal cancer
Authors: Bębenek M. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective  Some authors claim that the risk of sacrectomy‐related neurological complications is a serious limitation of abdominosacral resection (ASR). We determined the incidence of neurological complications in patients with a low‐rectal cancer who were treated by ASR.Method  The clinical records of 54 consecutive patients with low‐rectal cancer who were operated on by ASR were analysed. The occurrence of neurological complications in these patients was compared with that of 140 consecutive patients with cancer of the mid‐ and upper rectum who underwent anterior resection (AR) during the same period. Neurological complications were defined as bowel, bladder or sexual dysfunction, gait abnormalities and local parasthesiae persisting for more than 6 months following surgery.Results  There were no persisting neurological complications after either AR or ASR. At the end of hospitalization, the 16 of 140 and 12 of 54 of those treated with AR and ASR had neurological complications, which fell to five of 140 and three of 53 at 3 months, respectively; at 6 months, no one treated had any complications.Conclusion  Neurological complications after AR and ASR were similar but recovery was complete at 6 months following surgery.
Treatment of left‐sided colonic emergencies: a comparison of US and UK surgical practices
Authors: Engledow A. H. , Bond‐Smith G. , Motson R. W. , Jenkinson A. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractBackground  Surgeons are increasingly considering resection and primary anastomosis when treating left‐sided colonic obstruction or perforation in preference to the more traditional staged procedures. Previous studies in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) have suggested a greater interest in single‐staged procedures amongst UK surgeons. This study was aimed to directly compare the treatment preferences between UK and US surgeons.Method  A questionnaire, designed to determine the procedure of choice when faced with left‐sided colonic emergencies in patients with good and poor anaesthetic risk, was sent to 500 surgeons in the UK and 500 surgeons in the USA.Results  UK surgeons were more likely to perform resection, primary anastomosis and on‐table colonic lavage in patients with sigmoid obstruction (good anaesthetic risk: P < 0.0001; poor risk: P < 0.01) and sigmoid perforation (good risk: P < 0.0001). In good‐risk patients with sigmoid obstruction, US surgeons were more likely than UK to choose Hartmann’s procedure (P < 0.0001). US surgeons performing primary anastomosis were less likely to perform on‐table lavage.Conclusion  Single‐stage procedures are widely accepted as viable treatment options in both the UK and the USA when dealing with left‐sided colonic emergencies. British surgeons are more likely to favour single‐staged procedures, particularly with on‐table colonic lavage, when compared with US surgeons.
Microsatellite and chromosomal stable colorectal cancers demonstrate poor immunogenicity and early disease recurrence
Authors: Banerjea A. , Hands R. E. , Powar M. P. , Bustin S. A. , Dorudi S. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective  Colorectal cancers may demonstrate chromosomal instability (CSI) or microsatellite instability (MSI‐H). A third group of microsatellite and chromosome stable (MACS) colorectal cancer has been described more recently. Patients with MSI‐H colorectal cancers demonstrate improved outcome and a pronounced inflammatory infiltrate. Enhanced host immune response and increased immunogenicity might explain these observations. This study aims to further characterize colorectal cancer immunogenicity.Method  Microsatellite stability status was determined in resected tumour samples. Microsatellite stable (MSS) tumour samples were stratified by DNA ploidy status, as determined by flow cytometry into aneuploid MSS (CSI) and diploid MSS (MACS) cancers. Lymphocyte proliferation, quantified by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assays assessed tumour protein immunogenicity and ELISA assays quantified inflammatory cytokine release. Kaplan–Meier survival curves and multivariate analyses were used to determine prognostic value.Results  Patients with MSI‐H colorectal cancer had improved outcome but those with MACS cancers undergoing curative surgery had significantly poorer disease‐free survival (P = 0.002). The MACS phenotype was an independent predictor of poor outcome (HR = 2.44, 1.33–4.47, P = 0.004). Lymphocyte proliferation assays confirmed enhanced immunogenicity of MSI‐H proteins and reduced immunogenicity of MACS proteins (P < 0.0001). In vitro levels of IFN‐γ (P = 0.004) and IL‐18 (P < 0.0001) mirrored these differences in lymphocyte activity.Conclusions  Stratification of colorectal cancer by MSI and ploidy status may have prognostic value in patients undergoing curative surgery. MSI‐H cancers display enhanced immunogenic properties but the immune response to MACS cancers appears to be absent and this may contribute to their poor prognosis.
V‐Y Bilateral gluteus maximus myocutaneous advancement flap in the reconstruction of large perineal defects after resection of pelvic malignancies
Authors: Di Mauro D. , D’Hoore A. , Penninckx F. , De Wever I. , Vergote I. , Hierner R. 
Published: July 2008

AbstractObjective  To evaluate the role of the V‐Y bilateral gluteus maximus myocutaneous flap (GLM) in the reconstruction of large perineal defects after wide surgical resections for pelvic malignancies.Method  Twelve consecutive patients (seven females and five males), of mean age 59 years (36–78), with primary or recurrent pelvic malignancies (rectal, anal and vulvar carcinoma), underwent either abdomino‐perineal rectum excision with partial sacrectomy or total pelvic exenteration. The perineal defect was reconstructed by means of a GLM flap. Intra‐operative blood loss, operative time, hospital stay, postoperative complications and long‐term outcome were retrospectively assessed.Results  One patient died postoperatively. All the remaining patients had at least one early and/or late complication. After a mean follow‐up of 31.2 months, seven patients were alive. No major functional impairment in daily activities was observed. Five patients experienced a slight discomfort in either walking, sitting or cycling.Conclusion  Gluteus maximus myocutaneus flap is a useful technique for the repair of perineo‐pelvic defects after abdomino‐perineal rectum excision with partial sacrectomy.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of all members of the genus Elminia confirms their presence within the Stenostiridae clade
Authors: Nguembock Billy , Fjeldså Jon , Cruaud Corinne , Pasquet Eric 
Published: July 2008

The genus Elminia has had a jumbled taxonomic history, being placed among ‘old world flycatchers’ or ‘monarch flycatchers’, where it was for a long time lumped with Trochocercus. It was recently suggested that it might represent a deep clade in the large sylvioid radiation. Using one mitochondrial protein‐coding gene (ND2, 1041 bp) and one nuclear intron (myoglobin intron 2, 700 bp) DNA sequences, we obtained robust evidence for the phylogenetic placement of Elminia in the new family Stenostiridae, which is strongly supported by a synapomorphic insertion of one base in the nuclear myoglobin intron 2 sequence. Our analyses confirm the monophyly of Elminia and resolve relationships within this genus, but cannot confidently identify its sister‐taxon within the stenostirid clade. Two clades were strongly supported within the genus Elminia: one with the two fairy blue flycatchers and another with the three white‐tailed crested‐flycatchers. Within the first clade, Elminia longicauda appears non‐monophyletic but remains strongly related to E. albicauda. In the second clade, E. albiventris is sister to E. albonotata while the Dusky Crested Flycatcher (E. nigromitrata) appears in a basal position within this clade. According to our molecular dating, several geological events in western Africa and the Albertine Rift area seem to be related to the historical distribution of Elminia. Thus, the differentiation between E. albonotata and E. albiventris could be directly related to the tectonic history of these two regions. According to our molecular dating, at least one intercontinental dispersal event involving Culicicapa took place within the Stenostiridae clade at a time when the Middle East was forested.
Relational Goods, Sociability, and Happiness
Authors: Becchetti Leonardo , Pelloni Alessandra , Rossetti Fiammetta 
Published: July 2008

SUMMARYThis paper empirically investigates the impact of relational goods on individual life satisfaction. By relational goods we indicate the affective/expressive, non instrumental, side of interpersonal relationships. The homo oeconomicus view of human nature is questioned by the recent upsurge of empirical studies on the determinants of self declared happiness, that show that an increasing income does not always lead to more subjective well being (Easterlin's famous (1974)‘paradox of happiness’). The theoretical literature on relational goods has isolated various mechanisms which may induce an under‐consumption and under‐ production of relational goods. The hypothesis we test is that people with a more intense relational life are less affected by this ‘relational poverty trap’ and are therefore happier. Our findings does not disprove our hypothesis: relational goods turn out to have significant and positive effects on self declared life satisfaction, when other determinants isolated in the literature as important are taken into account and when the inverse causality nexus i.e. from more happiness to a more intense relational life is also taken into account. Finally, we show that gender, age and education matter and in particular that the effects of sociability on happiness are stronger for women, older and less educated individuals. These findings can be useful in designing and evaluating public policies with a direct or indirect effect on the quality and quantity of relational goods.
So, What Did You Do Last Night? The Economics of Infidelity
Authors: Elmslie Bruce , Tebaldi Edinaldo 
Published: July 2008

SUMMARYThis paper develops an economic analysis of infidelity concentrating on the question of how cheating behavior differs between men and women. We develop an expected utility model that borrows from evolutionary biology to form expectations regarding behavior towards infidelity. We use U.S. data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and a Probit model to assess some characteristics of the respondent and his or her spouse that determine the probability of having an extramarital affair. While biology may form basic preferences, some of our results are consistent with the view that people are able to act on more than their base biological instincts alone. Hence, economic theory has a role to play in the understanding of behavior relating to infidelity. More specifically, this study identifies age, social class, individual's own education and the spouse's educational attainment as underlying factors affecting infidelity behavior depending on gender. In general, we find that men and women respond differently to the costs and benefits of having an affair.
Metabolic engineering of hydroxy fatty acid production in plants: RcDGAT2 drives dramatic increases in ricinoleate levels in seed oil
Authors: Burgal Julie , Shockey Jay , Lu Chaofu , Dyer John , Larson Tony , Graham Ian , Browse John 
Published: July 2008

SummaryA central goal of green chemistry is to produce industrially useful fatty acids in oilseed crops. Although genes encoding suitable fatty acid‐modifying enzymes are available from many wild species, progress has been limited because the expression of these genes in transgenic plants produces low yields of the desired products. For example, Ricinus communis fatty acid hydroxylase 12 (FAH12) produces a maximum of only 17% hydroxy fatty acids (HFAs) when expressed in Arabidopsis. cDNA clones encoding R. communis enzymes for additional steps in the seed oil biosynthetic pathway were identified. Expression of these cDNAs in FAH12 transgenic plants revealed that the R. communis type‐2 acyl‐coenzyme A:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (RcDGAT2) could increase HFAs from 17% to nearly 30%. Detailed comparisons of seed neutral lipids from the single‐ and double‐transgenic lines indicated that RcDGAT2 substantially modified the triacylglycerol (TAG) pool, with significant increases in most of the major TAG species observed in native castor bean oil. These data suggest that RcDGAT2 prefers acyl‐coenzyme A and diacylglycerol substrates containing HFAs, and biochemical analyses of RcDGAT2 expressed in yeast cells confirmed a strong preference for HFA‐containing diacylglycerol substrates. Our results demonstrate that pathway engineering approaches can be used successfully to increase the yields of industrial feedstocks in plants, and that members of the DGAT2 gene family probably play a key role in this process.
CSF proteome analysis in multiple sclerosis patients by two‐dimensional electrophoresis
Authors: Chiasserini D. , Di Filippo M. , Candeliere A. , Susta F. , Orvietani P. L. , Calabresi P. , Binaglia L. , Sarchielli P. 
Published: July 2008

Background and purpose:  In recent years, different approaches have been used to investigate changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome in patients affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) with the aim to identify protein markers with potential diagnostic or prognostic value. Because of the lack of standardization of current proteomic techniques, contrasting results were achieved until now in different laboratories. In this study, we compare CSF proteome of 10 relapsing–remitting MS (RR‐MS) patients, 11 patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), and 10 control subjects without neurological or systemic diseases.Methods:  The differential expression of CSF proteins amongst these cohorts of patients was investigated by using two‐dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.Results and conclusions:  We found an overexpression of IgG free kappa light chain protein in both CIS and RR‐MS patients, compared with control subjects and an increased expression of an apolipoprotein E isoform in RR‐MS patients, compared with CIS and control groups. Our results confirm the presence of CSF proteome changes in MS patients. Future research should be aimed to investigate the role of these candidate CSF markers in larger cohorts of CIS and MS patients.
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) Genetic Variation and Early Onset of Non‐Fatal Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Meiner V. , Friedlander Y. , Milo H. , Sharon N. , Ben‐Avi L. , Shpitzen S. , Leitersdorf E. , Siscovick D. S. , Schwartz S. M. 
Published: July 2008

SummaryAlthough Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides between lipoprotein particles and thus plays a crucial role in reverse cholesterol transport, the association of variations in the CETP gene with acute myocardial infarction (MI) remains unclear. In this study we examined whether common genetic variation in the CETP gene is related to early‐onset non‐fatal MI risk in a population‐based case‐control study from western Washington State.Genotyping for the CETP −2708 G/A, −971 A/G, −629 A/C, Intron‐I TaqI G/A and exon‐14 A/G (I405V) SNPs was performed in 578 cases with first acute non‐fatal MI and in 666 demographically similar controls, free of clinical cardiovascular disease, identified randomly from the community. In‐person interviews and non‐fasting blood specimens provided data on coronary heart disease risk factors.In men, there was little evidence for an association between single SNPs and MI risk, but in women the age‐ and race‐adjusted OR was found to be significant in 4 out of the 5 CETP single variants. Haplotype analysis revealed two haplotypes associated with MI risk among men. As compared to men homozygous for the most common haplotype D (−2708 G, −971 G, −629 C, TaqI G and exon‐14 A), the fully‐adjusted multiplicative model identified haplotype G (−2708 G, −971 A, −629 A, TaqI G and exon‐14 G) was associated with a 4.0‐6.0‐fold increased risk of MI for each additional copy; [95%CI 2.4–14.8] and haplotype B (−2708 G, −971 G, −629 A, TaqI A and exon‐14 A) showed a significant decreased risk for early onset MI [OR = 0.18; 95%CI 0.04 – 0.75]. An evolutionary‐based haplotype analysis indicated that the two haplotypes associated with the MI risk are most evolutionarily divergent from the other haplotypes.Variation at the CETP gene locus is associated with the risk of early‐onset non‐fatal MI. This association was found to be independent of HDL‐C levels. These data and the sex‐specific findings require confirmation in other populations.