bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Glutamate regulates retinal progenitors cells proliferation during development
Authors: Martins Rodrigo A. P. , Linden Rafael , Dyer Michael A. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe precise coordination of cell cycle exit and cell fate specification is essential for generating the correct proportion of retinal cell types during development. The decision to exit the cell cycle is regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic cues. There is growing evidence that neurotransmitters can regulate cell proliferation and cell fate specification during the early stages of CNS development prior to the formation of synaptic connections. We found that the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate regulates retinal progenitor cell proliferation during embryonic development of the mouse. AMPA/kainate and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors are expressed in embryonic retinal progenitor cells. Addition of exogenous glutamate leads to a dose‐dependent decrease in cell proliferation without inducing cell death or activating the p53 pathway. Activation of AMPA/kainate receptors induced retinal progenitor cells to prematurely exit the cell cycle. Using a replication‐incompetent retrovirus to follow the clonal expansion of individual retinal progenitor cells, it was observed that blockade of AMPA/kainate receptors increased the proportion of large clones, showing that modulation of endogenous glutamatergic activity can have long‐term consequences on retinal cell proliferation. Real time reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that glutamate does not alter the levels of the mRNA and proteins that regulate the G1/S‐phase transition. Instead, the activity of the Cdk2 kinase is reduced in the presence of glutamate. These data indicate that glutamate regulates retinal progenitor cell proliferation by post‐translational modulation of cyclin/Cdk2 kinase activity.
Hypo‐response of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical axis after an ethanol challenge in prenatally stressed adolescent male rats
Authors: Van Waes Vincent , Enache Mihaela , Dutriez Isabelle , Lesage Jean , Morley‐Fletcher Sara , Vinner Elisabeth , Lhermitte Michel , Vieau Didier , Maccari Stefania , Darnaudéry Muriel 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe period of adolescence and environmental factors, such as stress, are important in determining ethanol vulnerability in both humans and rats. Ethanol is a powerful activator of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis but attenuated responses of the HPA axis to ethanol have been described in populations with a high risk of ethanol abuse. In rats, prenatal stress leads to prolonged stress‐induced corticosterone secretion and increases the vulnerability to drugs of abuse, such as amphetamine and nicotine in adulthood and 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine in adolescent rats. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of a prenatal stress on HPA axis responsiveness to a moderate dose of ethanol (1.5 g/kg i.p.) in adolescent male rats (28 days old). The parameters evaluated were plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone, plasma corticosterone and mRNA expression of HPA axis central markers (mineralocorticoid receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, corticotropin‐releasing hormone and pro‐opiomelanocortin). Contrary to prior expectations, our results demonstrate that prenatal stress blunts the HPA axis responsiveness to a moderate dose of ethanol in adolescent rats in spite of similar blood ethanol levels. These data suggest that prenatal stress may have the opposite effect on the response to stress depending on the attributes of the stressor stimulus. They thus raise questions about the possible impact of prenatal stress on the further development of ethanol vulnerability.
Microglial glutamate uptake is coupled to glutathione synthesis and glutamate release
Authors: Persson Mikael , Sandberg Mats , Hansson Elisabeth , Rönnbäck Lars 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe physiological function of microglial glutamate uptake has been debated as it is about 10% of that measured for astrocytes. This study addresses how glutamate, taken up from the extracellular space, is utilized by microglia. It was found that purified rat microglia incubated for 60 min with 3H‐glutamate had an increased intracellular accumulation of 3H‐glutamate after 12 h incubation with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) but not after incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Furthermore, LPS‐ but not TNF‐α‐treated cells showed an increased efflux of 3H‐labelled compounds, presumably glutamate through the XC– system and treatment with LPS or TNF‐α increased the microglial glutathione concentrations and led to an increased incorporation of 3H‐glutamate into glutathione. Depending on the stimuli, 3–6% of the total labelled contents were found in the form of glutathione and 25–35% in the form of glutamate. These results show that microglial glutamate uptake is directly coupled to glutathione synthesis and release of glutamate and/or glutamate metabolites. Additionally, the increased glutathione contents after LPS or TNF‐α treatment were able to reduce microglial cell death after H2O2 challenge, showing a potential (self)‐protective function for microglial glutamate transporter expression and glutathione synthesis.
Hypothalamic–endocrine aspects in Huntington's disease
Authors: Petersén Åsa , Björkqvist Maria 
Published: August 2006

AbstractHuntington's disease (HD) is a hereditary and fatal disorder caused by an expanded CAG triplet repeat in the HD gene, resulting in a mutant form of the protein huntingtin. Wild‐type and mutant huntingtin are expressed in most tissues of the body but the normal function of huntingtin is not fully known. In HD, the neuropathology is characterized by intranuclear and cytoplasmic inclusions of huntingtin aggregates, and cell death primarily in striatum and cerebral cortex. However, hypothalamic atrophy occurs at early stages of HD with loss of orexin‐ and somatostatin‐containing cell populations. Several symptoms of HD such as sleep disturbances, alterations in circadian rhythm, and weight loss may be due to hypothalamic dysfunction. Endocrine changes including increased cortisol levels, reduced testosterone levels and increased prevalence of diabetes are found in HD patients. In HD mice, alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis occurs as well as pancreatic β‐cell and adipocyte dysfunction. Increasing evidence points towards important pathology of the hypothalamus and the endocrine system in HD. As many neuroendocrine factors are secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid, blood and urine, it is possible that their levels may reflect the disease state in the central nervous system. Investigating neuroendocrine changes in HD opens up the possibility of finding biomarkers to evaluate future therapies for HD, as well as of identifying novel targets for therapeutic interventions.
Endogenous opioids encode relative taste preference
Authors: Taha Sharif A. , Norsted Ebba , Lee Lillian S. , Lang Penelope D. , Lee Brian S. , Woolley Joshua D. , Fields Howard L. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractEndogenous opioid signaling contributes to the neural control of food intake. Opioid signaling is thought to regulate palatability, the reward value of a food item as determined by orosensory cues such as taste and texture. The reward value of a food reflects not only these sensory properties but also the relative value of competing food choices. In the present experiment, we used a consummatory contrast paradigm to manipulate the relative value of a sucrose solution for two groups of rats. Systemic injection of the nonspecific opioid antagonist naltrexone suppressed sucrose intake; for both groups, however, this suppression was selective, occurring only for the relatively more valuable sucrose solution. Our results indicate that endogenous opioid signaling contributes to the encoding of relative reward value.
A pilot study of inhaled methoxyflurane for procedural analgesia in children
Authors: BABL FRANZ , BARNETT PETER , PALMER GRETA , OAKLEY ED , DAVIDSON ANDREW 
Published: August 2006

SummaryBackground:  Methoxyflurane (MF), a potent volatile anesthetic, can be used as an analgesic in subanesthetic concentrations. In Australia, MF is extensively used in children and adults as an analgesic in the prehospital setting via a hand‐held inhaler device. We conducted a pilot study to explore its use as a patient controlled analgesic for painful procedures in children in the emergency department (ED).Methods:  This is a prospective observational case series of children aged 5 years and older requiring procedural analgesia for brief painful procedures. Pain scores, depth of sedation, adverse events and patient, parent and staff satisfaction were assessed as well as consumption of MF measured.Results:  Fourteen patients (aged 6–13 years) received MF mainly for extremity injuries. Amount of MF consumed ranged from 0.36 to 3.06 g per patient inhaled over 4–25 min. There were no serious adverse events. No patient was deeply sedated. Five patients had mild brief self‐resolving adverse events including agitation, euphoria, blurry vision, dizziness and cough. Four patients with fractures with initial high pain scores (≥6) received MF for bridging analgesia with large drops in pain scores. Four patients who required fracture reductions with initial low scores did not achieve adequate analgesia. The remaining six patients had painful procedures undertaken with satisfactory analgesia.Conclusions:  On the basis of this small pilot study of MF use in children in the ED, this agent appears to be a powerful analgesic. MF seems most useful as a self‐titrated bridging analgesic agent in patients after extremity trauma. It appears less useful as a procedural agent when patients are unable to anticipate and achieve a sufficient level of analgesia before painful stimulus infliction. Pre‐ and intraprocedure coaching is an important aspect of its use especially if initial pain scores are low.
Ecosystem productivity can be predicted from potential relative growth rate and species abundance
Authors: Vile Denis , Shipley Bill , Garnier Eric 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe show that ecosystem‐specific aboveground net primary productivity (SANPP, g g−1 day−1, productivity on a per gram basis) can be predicted from species‐level measures of potential relative growth rate (RGRmax), but only if RGRmax is weighted according to the species’ relative abundance. This is in agreement with Grime's mass‐ratio hypothesis. Productivity was measured in 12 sites in a French Mediterranean post‐agricultural succession, while RGRmax was measured on 26 of the most abundant species from this successional sere, grown hydroponically. RGRmax was only weakly correlated (r2 = 0.12, P < 0.05) with field age when species abundance was not considered, but the two variables were strongly correlated (r2 = 0.81, P < 0.001) when the relative abundance of species in each field was taken into account. SANPP also decreased significantly with field age. This resulted in a tight relationship (r2 = 0.77, P < 0.001) between productivity and RGRmax weighted according to species relative biomass contribution. Our study shows that scaling‐up from the potential properties of individual species is possible, and that information on potential and realized species traits can be integrated to predict ecosystem functioning.
Microbial diversity and dynamics in multi‐ and single‐compartment anaerobic bioreactors processing sulfate‐rich waste streams
Authors: Briones Aurelio M. , Daugherty Becky J. , Angenent Largus T. , Rausch Kent D. , Tumbleson Mike E. , Raskin Lutgarde 
Published: August 2006

SummaryWe investigated bacterial and archaeal community structures and population dynamics in two anaerobic bioreactors processing a carbohydrate‐ and sulfate‐rich synthetic wastewater. A five‐compartment anaerobic migrating blanket reactor (AMBR) was designed to promote biomass and substrate staging, which partially separates the processes of methanogenesis and sulfidogenesis in the middle and outer compartment(s) respectively. The second reactor was a conventional, single‐compartment upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. Both reactors, which were seeded with the same inoculum, performed well when the influent chemical oxygen demand (COD)/SO42– mass ratio was 24.4. The AMBR performed worse than the UASB reactor when the influent COD/SO42– mass ratio was decreased to 5.0 by raising the sulfate load. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA genes showed that the increase in sulfate load had a greater impact on bacterial diversity and community structure for the five AMBR compartments than for the UASB reactor. Moreover, bacterial community profiles across AMBR compartments became more similar through time, indicating a converging, rather than a staged community. While similar populations were abundant in both reactors at the beginning of the experiment, fermenting bacteria (clostridia, streptococci), and sulfate‐reducing bacteria became more abundant in the AMBR, after shifting to a higher sulfate load, while a novel Thermotogales‐like population eventually became predominant in the UASB reactor. A similar shift in the community structure of the hydrogenotrophic methanogens in the AMBR occurred: representatives of the Methanobacteriaceae out‐competed the Methanospirillaceae after increasing the sulfate load in the AMBR, while the archaeal community structure was maintained in the UASB.
The role of angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers in the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mathur G. , Noronha B. , Rodrigues E. , Davis G. 
Published: August 2006

Angiotensin II Receptor blockers (ARBs) are an important addition to the current range of medications available for treating a wide spectrum of diseases including cardiovascular diseases. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of death in the United Kingdom and worldwide. More importantly, the presence of the metabolic syndrome and the likelihood of diabetes mellitus taking on epidemic proportions in the years to come all threaten to maintain the mortality rate due to CHD.This review article focuses on the clinical studies that have helped define the trends in the usage of these agents in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and its complications and also explores possible mechanisms of action and future developments.
No effect of inhibition of insulin secretion by diazoxide on weight loss in hyperinsulinaemic obese subjects during an 8‐week weight‐loss diet
Authors: Due A. , Flint A. , Eriksen G. , Møller B. , Raben A. , Hansen J. B. , Astrup A. 
Published: August 2006

Aim:  Obesity is positively associated with hyperinsulinaemia, and it has been suggested that hyperinsulinaemia may contribute to maintain the obese state in insulin‐resistant obese individuals. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of inhibition of insulin secretion by diazoxide on weight loss in obese, normoglycaemic (fasting plasma glucose of ≥6.1 mmol/l), hyperinsulinaemic (fasting plasma insulin of ≥100 pmol/l) adults during a 2.5 MJ/day energy‐deficient diet.Methods:  In an 8‐week, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled parallel design, 35 overweight and obese subjects (age: 23–54 years, body mass index: 27–66 kg/m2) were randomized either to 2 mg/kg/day (maximum 200 mg/day) of oral diazoxide or to placebo. Body composition and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured before and after the intervention. Blood samples, and appetite sensations by visual analogue scales, were collected during fasting, during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and 4 h postprandially after a test meal. Subsequently, an ad libitum meal was given.Results:  Thirty‐one subjects completed the protocol. Eight weeks of diazoxide decreased incremental area under the response curve (iAUC) for insulin (iAUCinsulin) and for C‐peptide (iAUCC‐peptide) and increased iAUC for glucose (iAUCglucose) during the OGTT and the test meal compared with the use of placebo (p < 0.003). No differences in changes between the groups in body weight, body fat, REE or appetite were observed during the 8‐week trial.Conclusion:  These findings do not suggest that hyperinsulinaemia per se contributes to maintenance of the obese state, and insulin secretion inhibition seems not a promising drug target.
UNDERDETERMINATION AND THE ARGUMENT FROM INDIRECT CONFIRMATION
Authors: Bangu Sorin 
Published: August 2006

AbstractIn this paper I criticize one of the most convincing recent attempts to resist the underdetermination thesis, Laudan’s argument from indirect confirmation. Laudan highlights and rejects a tacit assumption of the underdetermination theorist, namely that theories can be confirmed only by empirical evidence that follows from them. He shows that once we accept that theories can also be confirmed indirectly, by evidencenotentailed by them, the skeptical conclusion does not follow. I agree that Laudan is right to reject this assumption, but I argue that his explanation of how the rejection of this assumption blocks the skeptical conclusion is flawed. I conclude that the argument from indirect confirmation is not effective against the underdetermination thesis.
CREATING IDENTITIES, CREATING VALUES?
Authors: Black Oliver 
Published: August 2006

AbstractA popular view is that we create our own identities and values. An attractive version of this is the thesis that the creation of values follows from the creation of identities. The thesis is best supported by a conception of identity in terms of projects and a conception of values that are internal to projects. The line of thought is: I create my projects; in creating my projects, I create values internal to them; so I create those values. This paper argues that the thesis faces a dilemma: it is either true but uninteresting or interesting but false. The dilemma persists whether the values in question are conceived as purpose‐relative, as moral, or as both purpose‐ relative and moral.
PAPINEAU ON ETIOLOGICAL TELEOSEMANTICS FOR BELIEFS
Authors: Mendola Joseph 
Published: August 2006

AbstractTeleosemantics holds that the contents of psychological states depend crucially on the functions of such states. Etiological accounts of function hold that the functions of things depend on their histories, especially their evolutionary or learning histories. Etiological teleosemantics combines these two features. Consider the case of beliefs. Since selection rests on the stable effects of things, since beliefs have no obvious effects independent of unstable desires, and since desires themselves have mental content, beliefs may seem a hard case for etiological teleosemantics. But David Papineau deploys the effects of beliefs mediated by conation in an artful way to evade these difficulties. I argue that accounts with such an architecture are false.
MIND‐INDEPENDENCE DISAMBIGUATED: SEPARATING THE MEAT FROM THE STRAW IN THE REALISM/ANTI‐REALISM DEBATE
Authors: Page Sam 
Published: August 2006

AbstractThe notion of mind‐independence plays a central role in the contemporary realism/anti‐realism debate, but the notion is severely ambiguous and consequently the source of considerable misunderstanding. In this paper, four kinds of mind‐independence are distinguished: ontological, causal, structural, and individuative independence. Appreciating these distinctions entails that one can reject the individuative independence of the natural world, and still maintain that the natural world is causally and structurally independent of us. This paper argues that so‐called anti‐realists, especially Rorty, Putnam, and Goodman, are not opposed to the causal and structural independence of the natural world, as is frequently alleged, but rather its individuative independence. An acceptance of these points will hopefully put an end to the prevalence of strawmen in the debate, and focus attention on meatier issues.
DOES DESCARTES DENY CONSCIOUSNESS TO ANIMALS?
Authors: Thomas Janice 
Published: August 2006

AbstractContrary to longstanding opinion, Descartes does not deny all feeling and awareness to non‐human animals. Though he undoubtedly denies that animals think, a case can be made that he nonetheless would allow them organism consciousness, perceptual consciousness, access consciousness and even phenomenal consciousness. Descartes does not employ or accept an ‘all‐or‐nothing’ view of consciousness. He merely denies (not that this is a small thing) that animals have the capacity for self‐conscious reflective reception or awareness of sensations and feelings.
Unemployment, Life Satisfaction and Retrospective Error
Authors: Jürges Hendrik 
Published: August 2006

SummaryThe paper compares current and 1-year retrospective data on unemployment in the German Socio-Economic Panel study. 13% of all unemployment spells are not reported 1 year later, and another 7% are misreported. The ratio of retrospective to current unemployment has increased in recent years and is related to salience of unemployment measures such as the loss of life satisfaction that is associated with unemployment. Individuals with weak labour force attachment, e.g. women with children or individuals who are close to retirement, have the greatest propensity to under-report unemployment retrospectively. The data are consistent with evidence on retrospective bias found by cognitive psychologists and survey methodologists.
Long‐term assessment of nevirapine‐containing highly active antiretroviral therapy in antiretroviral‐naive HIV‐infected patients: 3‐year follow‐up of the VIRGO study
Authors: Reliquet V , Allavena C , François‐Brunet C , Perré P , Bellein V , Garré M , May T , Souala F , Besnier J‐M , Raffi F 
Published: August 2006

ObjectivesData on the durability of antiretroviral regimens over a 3‐year period have only rarely been reported. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of one or two daily doses of nevirapine (NVP), in combination with stavudine (d4T) and didanosine (ddI), in HIV‐infected patients.MethodsThis study was a follow‐up of the VIR (amune) Grand Ouest (VIRGO) study, a 12‐month open‐label trial to assess the safety and immunovirological activity of NVP‐d4T‐ddI combination therapy in antiretroviral‐naive HIV‐1‐infected adults with baseline CD4 counts ≥200 cells/μL and plasma viral loads ≥5000 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL. Of the 100 patients included in the study, the 67 patients remaining on the initial triple therapy at the end of the study (1 year) were offered an extra 24 months of follow‐up.ResultsOf the 60 patients who extended follow‐up, 46 were still being treated with d4T‐ddI‐NVP at month 36; 91% (39/43) had a plasma viral load <500 copies/mL (data were missing for three patients). CD4 cell counts increased over 36 months. Safety and tolerance were good with no unexpected long‐term toxicity.ConclusionAfter 3 years of treatment with NVP‐d4T‐ddI, nearly half of the patients were still receiving the initial antiretroviral therapy with a sustained and durable immunovirological benefit. Long‐term toxicity was mainly related to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor components of the regimen.