bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronic activation of the D2 dopamine autoreceptor inhibits synaptogenesis in mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in vitro
Authors: Fasano C. , Poirier A. , DesGroseillers L. , Trudeau L.‐E. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractChronic blockade or activation of dopamine receptors is critical for the pharmacological treatment of diseases like schizophrenia, Parkinson’s or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder. However, the long‐term impact of such treatments on dopamine neurons is unclear. Chronic blockade of the dopamine D2 receptor in vivo triggers an increase in the axonal arborization of dopamine neurons [European Journal of Neuroscience, 2002, 16, 787–794]. However, the specific involvement of presynaptic (autoreceptors) vs. postsynaptic D2 receptors as well as the molecular mechanisms involved have not been determined. Here, we examined the role of D2 autoreceptors in regulating the ability of mouse dopamine neurons to establish axon terminals. Chronic activation of this receptor with quinpirole, a specific agonist, decreased the number of axon terminals established by isolated dopamine neurons. This effect was accompanied by a decrease in dopamine release and was mediated through inhibition of protein kinase A. The decrease in axon terminal number induced by D2 receptor activation was also occluded when the mammalian Target of Rapamycin pathway of mRNA translation was blocked. Our results suggest that chronic activation of the D2 autoreceptor inhibits synaptogenesis by mesencephalic dopamine neurons through translational regulation of the synthesis of proteins required for synapse formation. This study provides a better understanding of the impact of long‐term pharmacological interventions acting through the D2 receptor.
Direct effects of prismatic lenses on visuomotor control: an event‐related functional MRI study
Authors: Danckert James , Ferber Susanne , Goodale Melvyn A. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractExposure to prisms has long been used to explore the control of visually guided actions primarily because adaptation requires the recalibration of misaligned reference frames due to perturbed visual input (i.e. eye‐in‐head and hand‐centered reference frames must be realigned). To date, the only neuroimaging study to explore the direct effects of prisms on pointing used positron emission tomography and found increased activation only in right parietal cortex. We used event‐related functional MRI to examine the effects of prisms on visuomanual pointing. Results demonstrated changes in activity in the anterior cingulate, the anterior intraparietal region and in a medial region of the right cerebellum. Specifically, activity in these regions was higher for the first few pointing trials made while viewing targets through prisms when directly contrasted to the last few trials. These results highlight that a more extensive network of cortical and cerebellar regions is involved in recalibrating visuomotor commands in the face of perturbed visual input.
Anesthetic management of gastrochisis – a review of our practice over the past 5 years
Authors: RAGHAVAN MURALI , MONTGOMERIE JAMES 
Published: October 2008

SummaryBackground:  Surgical closure of gastrochisis has traditionally been performed under general anesthesia followed by admission to intensive care and postoperative ventilation. We reviewed the management of these neonates in our hospital over the past 5 years to identify changes in practice and possible factors which affect the perioperative course.Methods:  We retrospectively identified cases of gastrochisis undergoing repair from June 2002 to May 2007. Details of the demographic data, preoperative factors, intraoperative anesthetic and surgical management and postoperative care were collected from the anesthetic chart, operative record and patient notes.Results:  Forty‐eight self‐ventilating neonates underwent operative repair in theatre. A neuraxial local anesthetic block was performed as part of the anesthetic technique in 22 patients. There was a significant difference in the need for postoperative ventilation in this group (23%) when compared with a traditional opioid‐based method of providing analgesia (88%, P < 0.05). This difference was seen in both term and preterm babies.Conclusion:  Conclusions are difficult when analyzing retrospective data in patients with a variety of factors. The results suggest that anesthesia which includes a regional technique is a valid method in these cases. Traditional opioid analgesia when compared to regional techniques may be associated with increased need for postoperative ventilation.
Hemodynamic effects of levobupivacaine after pediatric caudal anesthesia evaluated by transesophageal doppler
Authors: GALANTE DARIO , PELLICO GIUSEPPE , MEOLA SALVATORE , CASO ANTONIO , DE CAPRARIS ANTONELLA , MILILLO ROSELLA , MIRABILE CRISTIAN , OLIVIERI MARIA , CINNELLA GILDA , DAMBROSIO MICHELE 
Published: October 2008

SummaryBackground:  The aim of this study is to determine if there are significant differences in hemodynamic effects between combined general‐regional anesthesia using levobupivacaine 0.25% 2 ml·kg−1 via the caudal route in comparison with balanced general anesthesia using continuous infusion of remifentanil in young children undergoing genitourinary surgery.Patients and methods:  62 ASA I‐II pediatric patients (12 female, 50 male) aged 6 months to 7 years undergoing genitourinary surgery were included in the study. Patients were randomly allocated into one of two groups of 31 patients each. Group Caud received caudal blockade with levobupivacaine 0.25% 2 mg·kg−1 in combined general‐regional anesthesia and Group Gen received balanced general anesthesia with remifentanil.The noninvasive hemodynamic parameters were measured in each group 5 min after induction of general anesthesia or caudal block (Tcaud), after further 5 min coincident with skin incision (Tsi), 10 min after skin incision (T10i), at the end of surgical procedure (Tend). The time between Tcaud and Tsi was 10 min and the measurements during the interval time T10i‐Tend were performed every 15 min according to the duration of surgical procedures.Results:  There was a decrease in all measured hemodynamic parameters at skin incision. The decreases occurred in both groups with those in the caudal group occurring at skin incision and those in the balanced anesthesia group occurring at 10 min after skin incision. These variations showed no significant differences for any of the stated outcomes; neither between the groups at each time point nor in the caudal in comparison with baseline measurements.Conclusions:  Using transesophageal Doppler no differences in hemodynamic parameters could be detected between balanced general anesthesia with either caudal levobupivacaine or remifentanil infusion. Both techniques showed good hemodynamic stability with only minor changes from baseline over time which are unlikely to be of clinical significance except possibly in patients with preexisting cardiovascular compromise. Other studies with noninvasive monitoring in a larger population are required to better understand the consequences of caudal blockade on CO and on regional blood flow in infants.
The significance of lymphovascular invasion in transurethral resection of bladder tumour and cystectomy specimens on the survival of patients with urothelial bladder cancer
Authors: Streeper Necole M. , Simons Christopher M. , Konety Badrinath R. , Muirhead DesiRae M. , Williams Richard D. , O’Donnell Michael A. , Joudi Fadi N. 
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVETo test the hypothesis that patients with bladder cancer who had evidence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in their transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) and radical cystectomy (RC) specimens would have a worse prognosis and higher likelihood of clinical understaging, and to assess the effect of LVI discovered at RC on subsequent disease‐related mortality, as the prognostic significance of LVI in TURBT or RC specimens of patients treated for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is not completely established.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the records of 163 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder seen at our institution, and who had TURBT (69) or RC (94) between 1995 and 2005. We compared patients with LVI on TURBT and/or RC specimens to a group of controls who did not have LVI on TURBT (34) or RC (32).RESULTSPatients with LVI present in their TURBT specimen had a shorter disease‐specific survival than those without LVI, with a 5‐year survival of 33.6% vs 62.9% (log‐rank test P = 0.027; hazard ratio 2.21). LVI at TURBT varied with clinical stage (P = 0.049). Patients with LVI and who were clinical stage I or II had lower survival than those without LVI (P = 0.049; hazard ratio 2.68). LVI did not affect survival among those with clinical stage III or IV (P = 0.29). There was a trend for patients with LVI at TURBT to be clinically understaged compared to those without LVI (75% vs 46%) but the difference was not significant (P = 0.086). Patients with LVI detected in their RC specimen were significantly more likely to have cancer recurrence than were those with no evidence of LVI (48% vs 19%, P = 0.006). For the RC group there was also a significant difference in survival distribution between patients with evidence of LVI vs those without (5‐year survival 45.5% vs 78.4%, P = 0.017). Those with LVI were significantly more likely to die from the disease than those without LVI (P = 0.017; hazard ratio 2.92).CONCLUSIONSOur findings suggest that LVI is a histological feature that might be associated with a poorer prognosis in patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. The presence of LVI in TURBT specimens predicts shorter survival for patients with stage I or II disease. The presence of LVI in RC specimens predicts recurrence of disease and shorter survival. Further studies are needed to determine whether this group of patients would benefit from early RC and/or perioperative chemotherapy to improve clinical outcomes.
Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for tumour in the presence of nephrolithiasis or pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction
Authors: Baccala Angelo , Lee Una , Hegarty Nicholas , Desai Mihir , Kaouk Jihad , Gill Inderbir 
Published: October 2008

OBJECTIVETo report on patients with a small renal mass and concomitant calculus or pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO), and to propose an algorithm for minimally invasive management when these conditions coexist, as the success of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) depends greatly on the absence after surgery of ureteric obstruction.PATIENTS AND METHODSFifteen (3%) of 548 patients undergoing LPN (November 1999 to May 2005) had concomitant calculus/PUJO; the calculus/PUJO was treated in six, either before (one), during (three) or after (two) LPN, depending on the presence of obstruction. The remaining nine patients were monitored as they had a punctate and unobstructing stone burden.RESULTSThe mean (range) tumour size was 2.7 (1.4–4) cm, the operative duration 3.8 (2–6) h, the warm ischaemia time 34.8 (22–53) min, and blood loss 237 (50–600) mL. Two patients with concomitant PUJO had a single‐session dismembered Anderson‐Hynes pyeloplasty and LPN. Three patients with smaller stones (5–12 mm) had extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy or or ureteroscopic removal before (one) or after (two) LPN. One patient with a larger 1.6 cm obstructing renal pelvic calculus had laparoscopic flexible pyeloscopy, but the stone was not visualized. At the end of all treatments, the 6‐month tumour‐free and stone‐free rates were 15/15 and 11/13, respectively.CONCLUSIONPatients with a concomitant small renal mass and calculus/PUJO can be successfully managed in a simultaneous or staged manner using minimally invasive techniques. A management algorithm is presented.
Prevalence and determinants of diabetes mellitus in the Indian industrial population
Authors: Ajay V. S. , Prabhakaran D. , Jeemon P. , Thankappan K. R. , Mohan V. , Ramakrishnan L. , Joshi P. , Ahmed F. U. , Mohan B. V. M. , Chaturvedi V. , Mukherjee R. , Reddy K. S. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractAim   To highlight the regional difference in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and to explore determinants in variability in the Indian industrial population.Methods   A cross‐sectional survey was carried out among the employees and their family members (10 930 individuals, mean age 39.6 years, 6764 male) of eleven medium‐to‐large industries from diverse sites in India, using a stratified random sampling technique. Information on behavioural, clinical and biochemical risk factors of DM was obtained, through standardized instruments. DM was diagnosed when fasting blood glucose was ≥ 7.0 mmol/l and/or individuals took drug treatment for DM. Multiple logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify the potential predictors of DM.Result   In the 20 to 69‐year‐old age group, the crude prevalence of DM and impaired fasting glucose was 10.1 and 5.3%, respectively. Urban sites had a higher prevalence and awareness of DM status. Individuals in the lower education group had a high prevalence of DM (11.6%). In diabetic subjects, 38.4% were unaware that they had diabetes. Waist‐circumference‐to‐height ratio had a higher DM predictive power than waist circumference and body mass index. The risk factors associated with overall prevalence of DM were: age, sex, low‐education level, family history of DM, hypertension and overweight/obesity. Interaction of risk factors was observed only in urban high‐prevalence sites.Conclusion   There are wide regional variations in the prevalence of DM in India. The high burden of undetected diabetes, even in settings with universal access to on‐site health care, highlights the need for innovative prevention and control strategies.
Public Production of Anti‐Retroviral Medicines in Brazil, 1990–2007
Authors: Flynn Matthew 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThis article examines Brazil's experience with the public production of anti‐retroviral drugs (ARVs) and highlights the important role of the state in guaranteeing access to life‐saving medicines and fulfilling human rights commitments. The key to understanding the government's successful intervention in the pharmaceutical market and provision of treatment rests on the synergistic, albeit political, relationship between reform‐minded public servants and civil society activists. This article argues that three key factors led to the government becoming a direct producer of ARVs: 1) a pre‐existing infrastructure of public laboratories that have served the public health system to a greater or lesser degree since the 1960s; 2) strong civil society pressures, including public health activists both inside and outside the government; and 3) a pharmaceutical sector characterized by high prices and controlled by transnational drug companies.
The Dynamics of Real Markets: Cattle in Southern Zimbabwe following Land Reform
Authors: Mavedzenge B.Z. , Mahenehene J. , Murimbarimba F. , Scoones I. , Wolmer W. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTSince 2000 there have been major changes in the agrarian economy in Zimbabwe. Extensive land redistribution and severe macro‐economic instability have resulted in significant shifts in agricultural production and the functioning of markets, opening opportunities for some and closing options for others. This article focuses on cattle in Masvingo Province, identifying current patterns and dynamics and future challenges. Key to the analysis is an understanding of the social and political embeddedness of real markets and the relationship between the state and an increasingly informal, sometimes illegal, economy. The article traces the transformation of a formalized beef production and marketing system, organized around a relatively narrow group of players, to a more fragmented, diverse and complex system with a different — and potentially wider — scope and reach. It highlights a series of phases, from the technocratic order of the colonial era, and its replication in the period following Independence, to a new situation following land reform. Although there have recently been attempts to reinstate a particular order through price controls and other measures, this has had little impact. The result is a radically reshaped production and market system, which suggests very new political and social relationships for the livestock sector.
HYPERBOLIC DISCOUNTING, PUBLIC DEBT AND BALANCED BUDGET RULES
Authors: Huber Bernd , Runkel Marco 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTThis paper considers a government that chooses its tax and borrowing policy in order to minimize the present value of the excess burden caused by taxation. In doing so, the government uses hyperbolic discounting. It turns out that public deficits are positive even if public expenditures are constant over time. With cyclical expenditures, the government chooses an asymmetric debt policy, i.e., in bad times it borrows more than it repays in good times. In contrast to tax smoothing and political economy theories of public debt, the welfare effects of a balanced budget rule are ambiguous.
A META‐ANALYSIS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INCOME INEQUALITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Authors: De Dominicis Laura , Florax Raymond J. G. M. , De Groot Henri L. F. 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTIn recent years there is a growing interest in determining the impact of inequality on economic growth. Theoretical papers as well as empirical applications have, however, produced controversial results. Although there is a considerable part of the literature that considers inequality detrimental to growth, more recent studies have challenged this result and found a positive effect of inequality on growth. In this paper, we provide a contribution to the empirical puzzle by using meta‐analysis to systematically describe, identify and analyse the variation in outcomes of empirical studies. We find that estimation methods, data quality and sample coverage systematically affect the results. The results point out that it will be particularly useful to increasingly focus research on determining the impact of income inequality on economic growth using single‐country data at the regional level, or a relatively homogeneous set of countries with adequate controls for country‐wide differences in economic, social and institutional characteristics.
MONETARY POLICY RULES IN THE RUN‐UP TO THE EMU
Authors: Chortareas Georgios 
Published: October 2008

ABSTRACTWe characterize central bank behavior in the euro area during the run‐up to the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) era by estimating Taylor rule‐type reaction functions at both the individual and aggregate level. We focus on whether national monetary policies during the run‐up to the EMU were responding to economic developments according to their own policy rules or to a broader, euro area‐wide, policy rule. To consider the last possibility we examine whether national monetary policies were responding to German interest rates. Finally, we compare the performance of the estimated with imposed policy rules.
Who Benefits from Marriage?*
Authors: Maasoumi Esfandiar , Millimet Daniel L. , Sarkar Dipanwita 
Published: October 2008

AbstractThe phenomenon that married men earn higher average wages than unmarried men – the marriage premium – is well known. However, the robustness of the premium across the wage distribution and the underlying causes of the marriage premium are unclear. Focusing on the entire wage distribution and employing recently developed semi‐non‐parametric tests for quantile treatment effects, our findings cast doubt on the robustness of the premium. We find that the premium is explained by selection above the median, whereas a positive premium is obtained only at very low wages. The causal effect at low wages may be attributable to employer discrimination.
The Effect of Reminiscence Group Work on Life Satisfaction, Self‐Esteem and Mood of Ageing People with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Van Puyenbroeck Joris , Maes Bea 
Published: October 2008

Background  This study evaluates the effects of reminiscence group work on the subjective well‐being of ageing people with intellectual disabilities.Methods  The content of the successive group work sessions was manipulated as follows: a control‐phase with three ‘current topics’ sessions, an experimental phase with six ‘reminiscence’ sessions and finally three ‘current topics’ sessions. Life satisfaction, perceived self‐competence and mood were measured by questionnaires, filled in by the participants and direct support workers.Results  A quasi‐experimental pre‐test–post‐test design (n = 41) did not detect any changes in life satisfaction and perceived self‐competence. For mood, a quasi‐experimental ABA‐design (n = 41) did not yield an experimental treatment effect, but a significant increase in scores was observed over time. Personality characteristics ‘extraversion’ and ‘emotional stability’, but not memory specificity were found to be significant covariates for the mood scores.Conclusion  Although the study’s design did not allow us to confirm the effect of reminiscence group work, the analysis nonetheless revealed some useful indications for further research. Also, interviews conducted before and after the programme resulted in positive appraisals of the programme as a worthwhile and meaningful activity for ageing people with intellectual disability.
From Advocate to Activist? Mapping the Experiences of Mothers of Children on the Autism Spectrum
Authors: Ryan Sara , Cole Katherine Runswick 
Published: October 2008

Background  For parents of disabled children, the role of advocate often develops to a level of frequency and complexity that other parents do not usually face. This paper considers whether this high level of advocacy translates into a form of activism on the part of mothers and if so, why this shift might occur.Materials and Methods  The broader study from which the data are taken aimed to explore the experiences of living with autism. Qualitative methods were used to understand how participants made sense of their lives and negotiated the social world. This analysis is based on interviews with 36 mothers of children on the autism spectrum.Results  Most mothers adopted an enhanced advocacy role acting either independently or collectively through involvement with support groups. In both cases, some mothers demonstrated an activist role and extended their efforts towards campaigning for change outside of their families.Conclusions  Mothers’ experiences do not sit comfortably within existing articulations of activism but suggest that advocacy and activism may be experienced on a continuum. For many mothers, advocacy and activism are a major part of the experience of mothering a disabled child yet this remains a largely unrecognized role.
Food–niche relationships within a guild of alpine ungulates including an introduced species
Authors: Bertolino S. , Di Montezemolo N. C. , Bassano B. 
Published: October 2008

AbstractTo assess competition for trophic resources within a guild of ungulates, we studied the food niches of sympatric ungulates in an alpine area of the Italian Western Alps and evaluated the extent of their dietary overlap, especially with regard to the presence of the introduced mouflon Ovis musimon. The roe deer Capreolus capreolus had the most diverse diet including dicotyledons, young sprouts of trees and an unusually high percentage of graminoids. The red deer Cervus elaphus and chamois Rupicapra rupricapra mainly consumed graminoids, supplemented with dicotyledonous herbs and woody plants. The mouflon was a grass feeder, with graminoids representing the majority of items ingested in all seasons. Among the native species, we recorded a high overlap of feeding choices between red deer and chamois, which frequently used the same areas and are both intermediate feeders. The mouflon showed considerable dietary overlap with the chamois and red deer in all seasons, while the similarity with roe deer was low. High food–niche overlap can imply competition but only if resources are limited and the species use the same habitats.