bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diverse cell signalling pathways regulate pollen‐stigma interactions: the search for consensus
Authors: Hiscock Simon J. , Allen Alexandra M. 
Published: April 2008

SummarySiphonogamy, the delivery of nonmotile sperm to the egg via a pollen tube, was a key innovation that allowed flowering plants (angiosperms) to carry out sexual reproduction on land without the need for water. This process begins with a pollen grain (male gametophyte) alighting on and adhering to the stigma of a flower. If conditions are right, the pollen grain germinates to produce a pollen tube. The pollen tube invades the stigma and grows through the style towards the ovary, where it enters an ovule, penetrates the embryo sac (female gametophyte) and releases two sperm cells, one of which fertilizes the egg, while the other fuses with the two polar nuclei of the central cell to form the triploid endosperm. The events before fertilization (pollen–pistil interactions) comprise a series of complex cellular interactions involving a continuous exchange of signals between the haploid pollen and the diploid maternal tissue of the pistil (sporophyte). In recent years, significant progress has been made in elucidating the molecular identity of these signals and the cellular interactions that they regulate. Here we review our current understanding of the cellular and molecular interactions that mediate the earliest of these interactions between the pollen and the pistil that occur on or within the stigma – the ‘pollen–stigma interaction’.ContentsSummary286I.Introduction287II.The pollen–stigma interaction289III.Pollen–stigma interactions in species with wet stigmas290IV.Pollen–stigma interactions in species with dry stigmas295V.Is there any consensus among cell signalling pathways regulating pollen–stigma interactions?299VI.Incompatibility and the pollen–stigma interaction300VII.New directions in pollen–stigma interaction research302VIII.Future prospects310Acknowledgements312References312
Ideological maps of consumer education
Authors: McGregor Sue L.T. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe case is made for the merit of discovering and owning the ideological and paradigmatic underpinnings of consumer‐related education initiatives. After briefly profiling two camps of dominant and contending/emergent world views (ideologies and attendant paradigms), two ideological maps of consumer education are developed and applied, providing a scaffold for future deliberations about the import of world views in consumer education.
Estimating differences in gasoline consumption among socio‐economic groups in Greece
Authors: Sardianou Eleni 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis study presents insights into the determinants of gasoline consumption for transportation based on cross section data for Greece. Given that car ownership decisions and gasoline demand decisions are taken jointly, in the empirical analysis, we employ the two‐step Heckman approach. Quantile regression analysis is used to investigate disparities in behaviour among different levels of gasoline consumption. The empirical results report that demographic and economic characteristics specify the consumer's choices with respect to gasoline consumption. An energy conservation framework can improve upon the situation by facing consumers as socio‐economic subgroups with different transportation needs and different lifestyle aspects.
Anticonvulsant profile and teratogenicity of 3,3‐dimethylbutanoylurea: A potential for a second generation drug to valproic acid
Authors: Shimshoni Jakob Avi , Yagen Boris , Pessah Neta , Wlodarczyk Bogdan , Finnell Richard H. , Bialer Meir 
Published: April 2008

Summary
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anticonvulsant activity and teratogenic potential of branched aliphatic acylureas represented by isovaleroylurea (IVU), pivaloylurea (PVU) and 3,3‐dimethylbutanoylurea (DBU), as potential second‐generation drugs to valproic acid (VPA).
Methods: The anticonvulsant activity of IVU, PVU, and DBU was determined in mice and rats utilizing the maximal electroshock seizure (MES) and the pentylenetetrazole (scMet) tests. The ability of DBU to block electrical‐, or chemical‐induced seizures was further examined in three acute seizure models: the psychomotor 6 Hz model, the bicuculline and picrotoxin models and one model of chronic epilepsy (i.e., the hippocampal kindled rat model). The induction of neural tube defects (NTDs) by IVU, PVU, and DBU was evaluated after i.p. administration at day 8.5 of gestation to a mouse strain highly susceptible to VPA‐induced teratogenicity. The pharmacokinetics of DBU was studied following i.v. administration to rats.
Results: DBU emerged as the most potent compound having an MES‐ED
50
of 186 mg/kg (mice) and 64 mg/kg (rats) and an scMet‐ED
50
of 66 mg/kg (mice) and 26 mg/kg (rats). DBU underwent further evaluation in the hippocampal kindled rat (ED
50
= 35 mg/kg), the psychomotor 6 Hz mouse model (ED
50
= 80 mg/kg at 32 mA and ED
50
= 133 mg/kg at 44 mA), the bicuculline‐ and picrotoxin‐induced seizure mouse model (ED
50
= 205 mg/kg and 167 mg/kg, respectively). In contrast to VPA, DBU, IVU, and PVU did not induce a significant increase in NTDs as compared to control. DBU was eliminated by metabolism with a half‐life of 4.5 h.
Conclusions: DBU's broad spectrum and potent anticonvulsant activity, along with its high safety margin and favorable pharmacokinetic profile, make it an attractive candidate to become a new, potent, and safe AED.
Gene expression analysis in absence epilepsy using a monozygotic twin design
Authors: Helbig Ingo , Matigian Nicholas A. , Vadlamudi Lata , Lawrence Kate M. , Bayly Marta A. , Bain Sharon M. , Diyagama Dileepa , Scheffer Ingrid E. , Mulley John C. , Holloway Andrew J. , Dibbens Leanne M. , Berkovic Samuel F. , Hayward Nicholas K. 
Published: April 2008

Summary
Purpose: To identify genes involved in idiopathic absence epilepsies by analyzing gene expression using a monozygotic (MZ) twin design.
Methods: Genome‐wide gene expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) was determined using microarrays derived from five discordant and four concordant MZ twin pairs with idiopathic absence epilepsies and five unaffected MZ twin pairs. Gene expression was analyzed using three strategies: discordant MZ twins were compared as matched pairs, MZ twins concordant for epilepsy were compared to control MZ twins, and a singleton design of affected versus unaffected MZ twin individuals was used irrespective of twin pairing. An overlapping gene list was generated from these analyses. Dysregulation of genes recognized from the microarray experiment was validated using quantitative real time PCR (qRT‐PCR) in the twin sample and in an independent sample of 18 sporadic absence cases and 24 healthy controls.
Results: Sixty‐five probe sets were identified from the three combined microarray analysis strategies. Sixteen genes were chosen for validation and nine of these genes confirmed by qRT‐PCR in the twin sample. Differential expression for EGR1 (an immediate early gene) and RCN2 (coding for the calcium‐binding protein Reticulocalbin 2) were reconfirmed by qRT‐PCR in the independent sample.
Discussion: Using a unique sample of discordant MZ twins, our study identified genes with altered expression, which suggests novel mechanisms in idiopathic absence epilepsy. Dysregulation of EGR1 and RCN2 is implicated in idiopathic absence epilepsy.
Where Are the Left Ventricular Leads Really Implanted? A Study of 90 Consecutive Patients
Authors: D'IVERNOIS CHRISTOPHE , LESAGE JÉRÔME , BLANC PATRICK 
Published: April 2008

Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a recognized treatment for severe heart failure. The recommended left ventricular (LV) lead position is at the lateral or posterolateral wall. However, LV leads cannot always be implanted at the expected site. The aim of our study was to describe in a large series of patients the anatomical position really achieved by LV leads at implant.
Method: In consecutive patients referred for CRT, we determined the LV lead implantation success rate, the success rate for the initial target vein, and the final position achieved by the tip of the LV lead in the left and right anterior oblique projections.
Results: Ninety patients (66 men, 71 ± 9 years, 20% New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV) were referred for an LV lead implantation between September 2003 and March 2006. A LV lead could be implanted in 92% of patients. In 70%, LV leads were implanted in the initial target vein. The final location was lateral or posterolateral in 68% and anterior or anterolateral in 32% of patients. The mean procedural time was 117 ± 42 minutes.
Conclusions: LV lead implantation was achieved in 92% of patients with mean procedure duration of less than 2 hours. Nevertheless, 30% of LV leads were implanted outside of the initial target vein and 32% at the anterior or anterolateral wall. Further studies are warranted to compare the responder rate to CRT when the LV lead is at the lateral or posterolateral wall or when the LV lead is at an alternative site.
The Impact of the Components of Metabolic Syndrome on Heart Rate Variability: Using the NCEP‐ATP III and IDF Definitions
Authors: MIN KYOUNG‐BOK , MIN JIN‐YOUNG , PAEK DOMYUNG , CHO SUNG‐IL 
Published: April 2008

Background: This study examined the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and heart rate variability (HRV) in Korean adults.
Methods: Data were collected from family health examinations performed from December 2003 through January 2004, and 1,041 subjects consisting of males and females aged 20–87 years were included in this study. Measurement of the 5‐minute HRV and several examinations for MetS were completed. The HRV was analyzed in both the time domain with the standard deviation of NN (SDNN) intervals and the frequency domain with the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) components. MetS was defined by the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP‐ATP III) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
Results: There were significant differences in the MetS components and HRV indices between the two groups (with vs without MetS). The adjusted means of the HRV indices in the group with MetS were significantly lower than those in the group without MetS (P < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was found between all components of MetS and the HRV indices; additionally, as the number of MetS components increased, the HRV indices gradually decreased.
Conclusions: Decreased cardiac autonomic tone was strongly associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, and HRV measurement could become an indispensable part of evaluating one's risk of cardiovascular disease, though we currently do not have sufficient information to identify the cutoff values for the HRV indices.
Initial Clinical Experience with a Remote Magnetic Catheter Navigation System for Ablation of Cavotricuspid Isthmus‐Dependent Right Atrial Flutter
Authors: ARYA ARASH , KOTTKAMP HANS , PIORKOWSKI CHRISTOPHER , BOLLMANN ANDREAS , GERDES‐LI JIN‐HONG , RIAHI SAM , ESATO MASAHIRO , HINDRICKS GERHARD 
Published: April 2008

Background: A remote magnetic navigation system (MNS) is available and has been used with a 4‐mm‐tip magnetic catheter for radiofrequency (RF) ablation of some supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias; however, it has not been evaluated for the ablation of cavotricuspid isthmus‐dependent right atrial flutter (AFL). The present study evaluates the feasibility and efficiency of this system and the newly available 8‐mm‐tip magnetic catheter to perform RF ablation in patients with AFL.
Methods: Twenty‐six consecutive patients (23 men, mean age 64.6 ± 9.6 years) underwent RF ablation using a remote MNS. RF ablation was performed with an 8‐mm‐tip magnetic catheter (70°C, maximum power 70 W, 90 seconds). The endpoint of ablation was complete bidirectional isthmus block. To assess a possible learning curve, procedural data were compared between the first 14 (group 1) and the rest (group 2) of the patients.
Results: The initial rhythm during ablation was AFL in 20 (19 counterclockwise and 1 clockwise) and sinus rhythm in six patients. Due to technical issues, the ablation in the 18th patient could not be done with the MNS, and so we switched to conventional ablation. The remote magnetic navigation and ablation procedure was successful in 24 of the 25 (96%) remaining patients with AFL. In one patient (patient 2), conventional catheter was used to complete the isthmus block after termination of AFL. The procedure, preparation, ablation, and fluoroscopy times (median [range]) were 53 (30–130) minutes, 28 (10–65) minutes, 25 (12–78) minutes, and 7.5 (3.2–20.8) minutes, respectively. Patients in group 2 had shorter procedure (45 [30–70] min vs 80 [57–130] min, P = 0.0001), preparation (25 [10–30] min vs 42 [30–65] min, P = 0.0001), ablation (20 [12–40] min vs 31 [20–78] min, P = 0.002), and fluoroscopy (7.2 [3.2–12.2] min vs 11.0 [5.4–20.8] min, P = 0.014) times. No complication occurred during the procedure.
Conclusion: Using a remote MNS and an 8‐mm‐tip magnetic catheter, ablation of AFL is feasible, safe, and effective. Our data suggest that there is a short learning curve for this procedure.
Evaluation of a generic quality of life instrument for early childhood caries‐related pain
Authors: Easton Jill A. , Landgraf Jeanne M. , Casamassimo Paul S. , Wilson Stephen , Ganzberg Steven 
Published: April 2008

Abstract –  Objective:  This prospective study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Infant and Toddler Child Quality of Life Questionnaire (ITQOL) by comparing quality of life (QOL) of two groups of children afflicted with early childhood dental caries with a caries‐free group.Methods:  A convenience sample of 150 children divided into three groups (mean age [months] 51 ± 15) was studied. Group I (OR) had extensive dental caries and were waiting for several months for treatment under general anesthesia. Group II were children who sought emergency services for acute odontogenic pain/abscess, and group III were children who were caries‐free new patients. Parents/caretakers were administered the ITQOL, which assesses a child’s physical, emotional and social well being from the parent/guardian’s perspective.Results:  The ITQOL had high success in item validity with good reliability. Significant differences in QOL were noted for scales of pain and discomfort, behavior and moods, global behavior, and impact on parental time (P ≤ 0.05) among the three groups. No significant differences were noted for scales of growth and development, general health and impact on parents’ emotional and mental health.Conclusions:  The ITQOL proved to be a useful instrument for characterizing QOL in this dental caries‐afflicted sample. Overall, children with chronic and acute dental caries had a poorer QOL than caries‐free children in areas of behavior, mood, pain and parental impact.
Relationship of adhesion molecules expression with epithelial differentiation markers during fetal skin development
Authors: Lourenço Silvia Vanessa , Kamibeppu Leonardo , Fernandes Juliana Dumêt , Sotto Mirian Nacagami , Nico Marcello Menta S. 
Published: April 2008

Background:  Cadherins and integrins are important for maintenance of tissue integrity and in signal transduction during skin development. Distribution of these molecules in human skin development was investigated and associated with markers of differentiation, cytokeratins (CK) and involucrin (INV).Methods:  Using immunohistochemistry expression of E‐ and P‐cadherins, integrins beta‐1 and ‐4, CK10, CK14 and INV was assessed in skin fragments of 10 human fetuses (gestational weeks ranged from 4 to 24, all weighing up to 500 g).Results:  At initial phases of development, integrins beta‐1 and ‐4 and E‐ and P‐cadherins were present on epithelial cell membranes in all layers. CK14 and CK10 were expressed in all epithelial layers and INV weakly detected in the superficial layer. In more advanced stages, integrins were detected in all layers, but a marked polarized expression was seen in basal layer. E‐cadherin was detected in all layers, but the cornified stratum and P‐cadherin were observed in the lower layers. CK14 was expressed in basal layer, CK10 in suprabasal stratum and INV was observed in cornified layer.Conclusions:  Cadherins and integrins are essential for skin development, being spatially and temporally regulated. Their expression is related with the expression of maturation markers of the epidermis.
Maternal endocrine adaptations to placental hormones in houmans
Authors: Evain‐Brion D 
Published: April 2008

Evain‐Brion D. Maternal endocrine adaptations to placental hormones in humans. Acta Pzdiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 12‐16. Stockholm. ISSN 0803‐5326The remarkable endocrine alterations that are characteristic of human pregnancy are attributable to the placenta. In this tissue, steroid and peptide hormones are produced in extraordinary amounts. In addition, the haemomonochorioendothelial placentation of human pregnancy contributes to the unique distribution of products formed in trophoblasts into maternal and fetal compartments. In this review, the partial control exerted by the trophoblast on maternal metabolism is illustrated by the replacement in the maternal compartment of pituitary growth hormone (GH) with the trophoblast's own product, human placental GH. Placental GH differs from pituitary GH by 13 amino acids, has high somatogenic and low lactogenic activities and is secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast in a non‐pulsatile manner. This continuous secretion appears to have important implications for the control of maternal levels of insulin‐like growth factor I. Placental GH secretion is inhibited by glucose in vitro and in vivo, and is significantly decreased in the maternal circulation in cases of pregnancies with intrauterine growth retardation. U Fetal growth, growth hormone, human placenta, intrauterine growth retardation
Alterations of neonatal thyroid function
Authors: Grüters A , Krude H , Biebermann H , Liesenkötter KP , Schöneberg T , Gudernamm T 
Published: April 2008

Grüters A, Krude H, Biebermann H, Liesenkötter KP, Schöneberg T, Gudermann T. Alterations of neonatal thyroid function. Acta Pædiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 17–22. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5326Recent progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis of neonatal thyroid disorders. Autosomal recessive inheritance of mutations of the thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin genes has been described in some patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and a family history of CH. Autosomal recessive inheritance of mutations of the thyrotrophin (TSH) receptor gene has also been reported in patients with CH and thyroid hypoplasia, and autosomal dominant mutations of the PAX8 gene have been described in patients with different forms of thyroid dysgenesis. These discoveries are important for patients with CH diagnosed by neonatal screening, as these patients will have normal fertility. The molecular genetic analysis of mutations of the TSH gene in patients with familial and sporadic cases of isolated central CH, who are missed by TSH screening programmes, now enables rapid diagnosis and appropriate therapy in the neonate. In newborn infants with severe non‐autoimmune hyperthyroidism, autosomal dominant gain‐of‐function mutations in the TSH receptor gene have been demonstrated. In these patients, molecular genetic studies are extremely helpful in therapeutic decision making, as early thyroid ablation is the only effective treatment that avoids the sequelae of long‐term hyperthyroidism. Molecular genetic studies are therefore useful in the diagnostic work‐up of neonatal thyroid alterations. □Congenital hypothyroidism, molecular pathogenesis, neonatal hyperthyroidism
Sexual dimorphism in the neonatal gonad
Authors: Hughes IA , Coleman N , Ahmed S Faisal , Ng K‐L , Cheng A , Lim HN , Hawkins JR 
Published: April 2008

Hughes IA, Coleman N, Faisal Ahmed S, Ng K‐L, Cheng A, Lim HN, Hawkins JR. Sexual dimorphism in the neonatal gonad. Acta Pædiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 23–30. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5326The neonatal gonad has two distinct forms (i.e., is sexually dimorphic), as judged by morphological and endocrine characteristics. The dimorphic process begins early in embryogenesis. It is well established by the time of birth, by which time the genital ridge has developed into either a testis or an ovary. The mechanisms involved in sex determination involve the Y chromosome, autosomal genes, transcription factors and possibly other unidentified control networks. This review paper describes the morphological changes that occur and the endocrine functions in the developing gonads. It highlights a number of important differences in fetal and neonatal gonadal function. The testis has early histological definition, several determining genes, delayed germ cell maturation, early autonomous steroid secretion, luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor and steroid enzyme expression, high fetal testicular testosterone content, prominent postnatal Leydig and Sertoli cells and high postnatal serum testosterone levels. The ovary has a prolonged monomorphic state, probably one determining gene, germ cells in early meiotic arrest, delayed expression of LH receptor and aromatase, low ovarian oestradiol content, prominent postnatal follicles and low postnatal serum oestradiol levels. □Dimorphism, endocrine function, gonads, morphology, ovary, testis
Mechanisms of in utero overgrowth
Authors: D'Ercole AJ 
Published: April 2008

D'Ercole AJ. Mechanisms of in utero overgrowth. Acta Pædiatr 1999; Suppl 428: 31–6. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5326Determination of the mechanisms that lead to in utero overgrowth has proved elusive. Recently, however, our knowledge has significantly expanded as a result of the generation of experimental mouse models, engineered to disrupt the expression of one or more genes (knockout mice), and by detailed molecular and genetic analyses of infants and children with overgrowth syndromes. Studies of knockout mice have largely defined the essential roles of the insulin‐like growth factors (IGF‐I and IGF‐II), insulin and their receptors in embryonic and fetal growth, and have provided compelling evidence that increased IGF‐II gene expression and/or abundance can stimulate excessive fetal somatic growth. The IGF‐II gene is usually expressed only by the paternally derived allele; however, when this imprinting is erased and IGF‐II expression is biallelic, fetal overgrowth ensues. Such increased IGF‐II expression would appear to explain the overgrowth in Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome. Using the information gathered from knockout mice as a guide to human studies, detailed genetic investigations are likely to unravel the mechanisms behind other human overgrowth syndromes. □Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome, gene expression, imprinting, insulin, insulin‐like growth factors, insulin‐like growth factor receptors, insulin receptor, overgrowth syndromes