bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
ErbB receptor signalling regulates dendrite formation in mouse cerebellar granule cells in vivo
Authors: Rieff Heather I. , Corfas Gabriel 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThe formation of morphologically and functionally mature dendrites is a key event in neuronal maturation and the establishment of functional neuronal networks, but the signals that regulate mammalian dendritic development remain poorly understood. Here we show that the erbB receptor signalling pathway, which modulates expression of several neurotransmitter receptors, also regulates dendritic development of cerebellar granule cells in the intact cerebellum. These results suggest that neuregulin–erbB signalling may control a program of postsynaptic development, from initiating dendrite morphogenesis to the formation and maturation of the postsynaptic apparatus.
Divergent thinking training is related to frontal electroencephalogram alpha synchronization
Authors: Fink Andreas , Grabner Roland H. , Benedek Mathias , Neubauer Aljoscha C. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractCortical activity in the human electroencephalogram alpha band was measured (by means of an event‐related approach) in a pre‐ and a post‐test (with intermediate training) while participants (n = 30) were confronted with divergent thinking tasks. Half of the participants received a divergent thinking training (over a time period of 2 weeks) which was composed of exercises structurally similar to those used in the pre‐ and post‐test. Analyses revealed that the training group displayed higher task‐related synchronization of frontal alpha activity (i.e. increases in alpha power from the pre‐stimulus reference to the activation interval) than the control group. These findings are in line with the view of frontal alpha synchronization as a selective top–down inhibition process that prevents internal or top–down information processing being disturbed by incoming external input.
Diagnosis and management of hypertension in obesity
Authors: Narkiewicz K. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryCardiovascular risk in a patient with obesity hypertension increases with the extent of risk factor clustering. It is therefore important to determine the global risk of a patient with hypertension rather than to focus solely on blood pressure. Every hypertensive should be screened for other than blood pressure risk factors, target organ damage and concomitant diseases or accompanying clinical conditions. Assessment of blood pressure and target organ damage might be more difficult in obese hypertensives than in normal‐weight patients. Intensive lifestyle interventions can reduce weight, and decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk in obese hypertensive patients. Current guidelines do not provide specific recommendation for pharmacological management of the hypertensive patients with obesity. Recent trials have consistently shown that therapy involving beta‐blockers and diuretics may induce more new‐onset diabetes compared with other combination therapies. Several lines of evidence suggest that anti‐hypertensive agents that block the renin‐angiotensin system may be especially beneficial in treating obese hypertensive patients. Hypertension management in obese individuals is complicated by poorer response to treatment, and the increased need for multiple medications. It is important to consider obstructive sleep apnoea in the differential diagnosis of hypertensive patients who respond poorly to combination therapy with anti‐hypertensive medications.
World Bank Independence: A Model and Statistical Analysis of US Influence
Authors: Fleck Robert K. , Kilby Christopher 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis paper develops a model to test whether World Bank lending caters to US interests. We use country‐level panel data to examine the geographic distribution of World Bank lending to 110 countries from 1968 to 2002. After controlling for country characteristics expected to influence the distribution of lending in a manner consistent with the World Bank's charter and stated allocation mechanisms, we introduce variables reflecting US interests. The empirical results are consistent with a significant US influence, but one which varies across presidential administrations. These findings have important implications because donor influence may reduce the credibility, and hence the development effectiveness, of multilateral aid organizations.
UVB in the management of early stage mycosis fungoides
Authors: Pavlotsky F , Barzilai A , Kasem R , Shpiro D , Trau H 
Published: April 2006

AbstractBackground  Several options for treatment of early mycosis fungoides (MF) offer similar success rates. Previous small studies have shown UVB to be at least as effective as PUVA.Objective  To summarize our experience with UVB treatment of early MF.Methods  A retrospective analysis of early‐stage MF patients treated by narrow band (NB) or broad band (BB) UVB in our institution between 1996 and 2002. Most patients achieving complete response (CR) were put on maintenance until natural sun exposure was possible and followed up every 3–6 months. The results were compared to those previously reported regarding PUVA.Results  Sixty‐eight and 43 patients were treated by NB and BB UVB, respectively. Eighty‐six per cent (84 and 89% in NB and BB UVB groups, respectively) of IA and 71% (78 and 44% in NB and BB UVB groups, respectively) of IB patients achieved CR within a mean of 12.8 and 10.6 weeks, respectively. When maintenance was stopped, 65 and 30% had not relapsed after an average follow up of 27 and 222 weeks, respectively. Non‐relapse rate was 33 and 48% for those having had vs. those not having had maintenance, respectively.Conclusions  Our results are comparable to all previously reported for skin‐targeted treatments, including PUVA and, to our belief, reflect the nature of early MF, in which CR can probably be achieved in most of the patients. Among the responding patients there is no relapse during prolonged follow‐up in about one third of the cases. Thus, we believe treatment should be stopped completely following first CR induction and maintenance treatment should be considered for relapsing patients only. Both broad and narrow UVB options are good and future choices should be made on the basis of short‐ and long‐term side‐effects.
Reversing the export of people with learning disabilities and complex health needs
Authors: Pritchard Andrew , Roy Ashok 
Published: April 2006

SummaryBackground  There is an increase in people with learning disabilities with offending and other disturbed behaviour who are placed in the local community and out of their area of origin.Aims  To compare clients placed locally and out of area.Method  All authorities in an English region were surveyed and interviewed about their clients placed locally and out of area.Results  External placements were common place and expensive especially for clients with complex needs. Information regarding these clients was variable as was the joint commissioning process. The population was predominantly young and male requiring high levels of long term funding.Conclusions  To reduce flows of high cost clients out of area, there is a need to develop joined up commissioning, and monitoring of services and partnerships with local providers to increase capacity and improve quality. Better information would enable commissioning to become less reactive.
Genetic Change in the Polynesian Population of Easter Island: Evidence from Alu Insertion Polymorphisms
Authors: González‐Pérez E. , Esteban E. , Via M. , García‐Moro C. , Hernández M. , Moral P. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryThe origin of Pacific islanders is still an open issue in human population genetics. To address this topic we analyzed a set of 18 Alu insertion polymorphisms in a total of 176 chromosomes from native Easter Island inhabitants (Rapanui). Available genealogical records allowed us to subdivide the total island sample into two groups, representative of the native population living in the island around 1900, and another formed by individuals with some ancestors of non‐Rapanui origin. Significant genetic differentiation was found between these groups, allowing us to make some biodemographic and historical inferences about the origin and evolution of this geographically isolated island population. Our data are consistent with equivalent and recent contributions from Amerindian and European migrants to the 1900s Rapanui population, with an accelerated increase in the European gene flow during the 20th century, especially since the 1960s. Comparative analysis of our results with other available Alu variation data on neighbouring populations supports the “Voyaging Corridor” model of Polynesian human settlement, which indicates that pre‐Polynesians are mainly derived from Southeast Asian and Wallacean populations rather than from Taiwan or the Philippines. This study underlines the importance of sampling and taking into account historical information in genetic studies to unravel the recent evolution of human populations.
The A370T Variant (StuI Polymorphism) in the LDL Receptor Gene is not Associated with Plasma Lipid Levels or Cardiovascular Risk in UK Men
Authors: Vieira José Ricardo S. , Whittall Ros A. , Cooper Jackie A. , Miller George J. , Humphries Steve E. 
Published: April 2006

SummaryOver 800 different missense mutations in the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene (LDLR) have been identified in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). Only two of them, including the Alanine to Threonine change at position 370 (A370T), have been discovered in FH patients but do not cause FH. The frequency of the 370T allele has been reported worldwide to be between 0.022 and 0.070, with no clear association with high cholesterol levels or risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. To explore this relationship in more detail we have determined this genotype in 2,659 healthy middle‐aged (50–61 years) men participating in the prospective Second Northwick Park Heart Study, with 236 CHD and 67 stroke incident events. The genotype distribution was in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium and in the no‐event group the frequency of 370T was 0.046 (95% CI 0.040–0.052). Overall, there was no significant association of the 370T allele with any measured plasma lipid trait, and there was no difference in genotype distribution or allele frequency between the no‐event and CHD (0.059; 95% CI 0.040–0.085) or stroke (0.037; 95% CI 0.012–0.085) groups ( p= 0.18 and 0.65, respectively). There was evidence for significant interaction ( p= 0.006) between body mass index (BMI) and genotype on CHD risk, with 370A homozygotes showing the expected higher CHD risk for those with higher BMI, whilst risk for 370T allele carriers was highest in men in the lowest tertile of BMI. The explanation for this association is unclear, and may simply be chance. Thus, these data confirm the absence of a significant impact of the A370T polymorphism on LDL receptor function, at least as measured by the effect on plasma lipid levels and CHD risk.
Nidamental glands in males of the oceanic squid Ancistrocheirus lesueurii (Cephalopoda: Ancistrocheiridae) – sex change or intersexuality?
Authors: Hoving H. J. T. , Roeleveld M. A. C. , Lipinski M. R. , Videler J. J. 
Published: April 2006

AbstractThis is the first record of intersexuality to have been found within the Cephalopoda. Seven out of 16 sexually mature Ancistrocheirus lesueurii males from southern African waters had nidamental glands in the mantle cavity in addition to a normally developed male reproductive system (spermatophoric complex, testis and hectocotylus). The frequency of occurrence suggests that feminization in male A. lesueurii is not a rare phenomenon in the south‐eastern Atlantic. Normal A. lesueurii shows sexual size dimorphism, with females growing larger than males. The intersexual males formed a distinct size group intermediate between normal males and females, and their testis mass and spermatophore length were significantly larger than in normal males. The absence of oocytes and oviducts in intersexual males indicates that feminization represents pseudohermaphroditism. Intersexuality does not seem to affect male functionality and is apparently advantageous in that larger body size is accompanied by larger testis and spermatophores.
Nitric oxide‐producing microglia mediate thrombin‐induced degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in rat midbrain slice culture
Authors: Katsuki Hiroshi , Okawara Mitsugi , Shibata Haruki , Kume Toshiaki , Akaike Akinori 
Published: April 2006

AbstractActivated microglia are considered to play important roles in degenerative processes of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Here we examined mechanisms of neurotoxicity of thrombin, a protease known to trigger microglial activation, in organotypic midbrain slice cultures. Thrombin induced a progressive decline in the number of dopaminergic neurons, an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production, and whole tissue injury indicated by lactate dehydrogenase release and propidium iodide uptake. Microglia expressed inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in response to thrombin, and inhibition of iNOS rescued dopaminergic neurons without affecting whole tissue injury. Inhibitors of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) such as extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), p38 MAPK and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) attenuated thrombin‐induced iNOS induction and dopaminergic cell death. Whole tissue injury was also attenuated by inhibition of ERK and p38 MAPK. Moreover, depletion of resident microglia from midbrain slices abrogated thrombin‐induced NO production and dopaminergic cell death, but did not inhibit tissue injury. Finally, antioxidative drugs prevented thrombin‐induced dopaminergic cell death without affecting whole tissue injury. Hence, NO production resulting from MAPK‐dependent microglial iNOS induction is a crucial event in thrombin‐induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration, whereas damage of other midbrain cells is MAPK‐dependent but is NO‐independent.
Seeking long‐term relationship: axon and target communicate to organize synaptic differentiation
Authors: Fox Michael A. , Umemori Hisashi 
Published: April 2006

AbstractSynapses form after growing axons recognize their appropriate targets. The subsequent assembly of aligned pre and postsynaptic specializations is critical for synaptic function. This highly precise apposition of presynaptic elements (i.e. active zones) to postsynaptic specializations (i.e. neurotransmitter receptor clusters) strongly suggests that communication between the axon and target is required for synaptic differentiation. What trans‐synaptic factors drive such differentiation at vertebrate synapses? First insights into the answers to this question came from studies at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), where axon‐derived agrin and muscle‐derived laminin β2 induce post and presynaptic differentiation, respectively. Recent work has suggested that axon‐ and target‐derived factors similarly drive synaptic differentiation at central synapses. Specifically, WNT‐7a, neuroligin, synaptic cell adhesion molecule (SynCAM) and fibroblast growth factor‐22 (FGF‐22) have all been identified as target‐derived presynaptic organizers, whereas axon‐derived neuronal activity regulated pentraxin (Narp), ephrinB and neurexin reciprocally co‐ordinate postsynaptic differentiation. In addition to these axon‐ and target‐derived inducers of synaptic differentiation, factors released from glial cells have also been implicated in regulating synapse assembly. Together, these recent findings have profoundly advanced our understanding of how precise appositions are established during vertebrate nervous system development.
Stage of Change for Making an Informed Decision about Medicare Health Plans
Authors: Levesque Deborah A. , Cummins Carol O. , Prochaska Janice M. , Prochaska James O. 
Published: April 2006

Objective. To assess the applicability of the transtheoretical model of change (TTM) to informed choice in the Medicare population.Data Sources/Study Setting. Two hundred and thirty‐nine new Medicare enrollees randomly selected from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' October 2001 Initial Enrollee File, a repository of data for persons who are going to turn 65 and become entitled to enroll in Medicare in the next 3 months.Study Design. Study participants completed TTM measures of stage of change, decisional balance, and self‐efficacy for informed choice, as well as measures of Medicare knowledge, perceived knowledge, and information seeking. Model testing was conducted to determine whether well‐established relationships between stage of change, decisional balance, and self‐efficacy replicate for informed choice in the Medicare population, and whether Medicare knowledge and information‐seeking increase across the stages.Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Survey data were collected using mail surveys with telephone follow‐up for nonresponders.Principal Findings. Predicted relationships were established between stage of change for informed choice and decisional balance, self‐efficacy, Medicare knowledge, and information seeking. The amount of variance accounted for by stage of change for informed choice was larger than that found for smoking cessation, where the TTM has had its greatest successes.Conclusions. The methods and findings lay the groundwork for development of TTM‐based interventions for Medicare beneficiaries, and provide a prototype for the application of the TTM to informed decision making among other types of consumers who are being asked to take more responsibility for their health care.
Working Memory and Decision‐Making Biases in Young Adults With a Family History of Alcoholism: Studies from the Oklahoma Family Health Patterns Project
Authors: Lovallo William R. , Yechiam Eldad , Sorocco Kristen H. , Vincent Andrea S. , Collins Frank L. 
Published: April 2006

Background: Alcohol misuse is more common in persons with a family history of alcoholism (FH+) than in those with no such history (FH−). Among FH+, behavioral disinhibition and male sex seem to signal the presence of an increased risk.Methods: This study examined cognitive and behavioral characteristics of 175 nonabusing 18‐ to 30‐year‐olds, 87 FH+ and 88 FH−, who were further characterized by their degree of behavioral disinhibition using the Sociability scale of the California Personality Inventory. Working memory and decision making were tested using the Stroop Color‐Word Test and the Iowa Gambling Task, a simulated card game.Results: Persons with a family history of alcoholism who were behaviorally disinhibited displayed significantly greater interference on the Stroop task than the other subgroups. On the Iowa Gambling Task, FH+ males, but not the females, were significantly more attentive to financial gains than other subgroups, and they had greater consistency in their choice behaviors.Conclusions: Persons with a family history of alcoholism, in combination with behavioral disinhibition, appears to signal working memory deficits and in combination with male sex indicates an attraction to the rewarding aspects of a risk‐taking challenge. These findings are not secondary to heavy exposure to alcohol or other drugs, but instead reflect intrinsic risk‐related familial and personal characteristics of the subjects.
Influence of Subjective Intoxication, Breath Alcohol Concentration, and Expectancies on the Alcohol‐Aggression Relation
Authors: Giancola Peter R. 
Published: April 2006

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of subjective intoxication, alcohol‐aggression expectancies, and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) on intoxicated aggression in men and women while controlling for dispositional aggressivity.Methods: Subjects were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or an active placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Levels of subjective intoxication and BrAC were measured immediately before subjects began the aggression task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation.Results: Subjective intoxication ratings were not related to aggressive behavior for either men or women. Alcohol‐aggression expectancies were related to aggression for men, but this effect was rendered nonsignificant when controlling for dispositional aggressivity, which in turn, was significantly related to the dependent variables for both men and women. Finally, BrAC was also related to aggression above and beyond the effects of dispositional aggressivity, yet only for men.Conclusions: Taken as a whole, this study suggests that intoxicated aggression is primarily the result of alcohol's pharmacological properties in conjunction with an aggressive disposition.
Chemical Dependency Patients with Cooccurring Psychiatric Diagnoses: Service Patterns and 1‐Year Outcomes
Authors: Chi Felicia W. , Satre Derek D. , Weisner Constance 
Published: April 2006

Background: Improving services and treatment outcomes for individuals with cooccurring alcohol and drug use disorders and psychiatric conditions has been a critical challenge to clinicians and policy makers. This study examined 1‐year outcomes for individuals entering chemical dependency (CD) treatment with and without cooccurring psychiatric diagnoses targeted by California parity legislation. Among those with cooccurring conditions (i.e., dual‐diagnosis patients), we examined a model including individual characteristics, treatment services, and extratreatment characteristics to understand CD outcome predictors in this population. We hypothesized that longer CD treatment duration and receiving psychiatric services would predict higher abstinence levels. In particular,patterns of psychiatric services (amount of services, receiving a critical dose, or receiving services concurrently with CD treatment) were assessed in relation to outcome.Methods: We examined abstinence rates 1 year after intake for 747 adults with and without cooccurring conditions. Among dual‐diagnosis patients, logistic regression was used to examine predictors of abstinence.Results: At baseline, dual‐diagnosis patients (N=104) had higher levels of medical, family, and employment problems than others. They had similar CD retention and received more psychiatric services during the year after intake and had comparable CD outcomes at 1 year. Length of stay in CD treatment, hours of psychiatric services, number of months with concurrent CD and psychiatric services, and number of 12‐step meetings attended were independent predictors of abstinence for dual diagnosis patients.Conclusions: Chemical dependency outcomes in patients with cooccurring psychiatric conditions were positively associated with the number and patterning of services. Receiving psychiatric services concurrently with CD treatment may be beneficial for dual‐diagnosis patients. Future studies should examine how best to integrate services to optimize treatment outcomes.