bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thalamic Dysfunction in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy: A Proton MRS Study
Authors: Mory Susana B. , Li Li M. , Guerreiro Carlos A. M. , Cendes Fernando 
Published: November 2003

Summary:  Purpose: To investigate neuronal dysfunction in the thalami of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Methods: We performed single‐voxel proton MRS over the right and the left thalami of 10 consecutive patients (five women) with JME (mean age, 31.6 years) and 10 age‐matched healthy volunteers (five men). All patients had seizure onset in late childhood–teenage, normal neurologic examination, typical EEG of JME, and normal high‐resolution MR imaging (MRI). We determined ratios of N‐acetylaspartate (NAA) over creatine‐phosphocreatine (Cr). Values <2 standard deviations from controls were considered abnormal. We performed analysis of variance to evaluate group differences. Results: Group analysis showed that thalami NAA/Cr ratios were significantly decreased in JME patients (left side, 1.58 ± 0.26; right side, 1.5 ± 0.15) as compared with controls (left side, 1.98 ± 0.18; right side, 1.88 ± 0.15; p = 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). Individual analysis showed that nine of the 10 patients had abnormal NAA/Cr in at least one of the thalami. Conclusions: This study shows evidence of neuronal dysfunction in the thalami of patients with JME, which may have relevance for the mechanisms of seizure generation in this form of generalized epilepsy.
Long‐Term Outcome after Implantation of Bare Metal Stents for the Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease:
Authors: HAASE JÜRGEN , JUNG TOBIAS , STÖRGER HANS , HOFMANN MANFRED , REINEMER HARALD , SCHWARZ CLAUS‐EBERHARD , SCHÖPF JOSEF , SCHWARZ FRANZ 
Published: November 2003

Background:

The widespread use of drug‐eluting stents in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) is hampered by unequal regulations for reimbursement. Identification of patients with maximal benefit from this technology may be achieved by assessing long‐term clinical outcome after implantation of uncoated bare metal stents.
Patients and Methods:

A consecutive series of 1,000 patients with CAD treated with bare metal coronary stents of various designs from January 1995 to December 1995 was retrospectively followed over 4 years. The primary end points of the study were major adverse cardiac events.
Results:

The mean age of patients was 62 ± 10.3 years, 77.5% were male, and 18% were diabetic. Clinical follow‐up was obtained in 821 patients (82.1%) after 4.6 ± 1.1 years. During this period of time, 31.8% were admitted for repeat PCI, 15.1% underwent CABG operation, 3.5% had myocardial infarctions, and 3.7% died. At 4 years, 46.3% of diabetic patients survived without event versus 57.6% of nondiabetic patients (P < 0.05). Patients with CAD I survived without event in 65.3% versus 54.0% of patients with CAD II and 48.5% of patients with CAD III (P < 0.02).
Conclusion:

Implantation of uncoated stents provides the worst long‐term clinical outcome in patients with diabetes and those with multivessel CAD. Both groups of patients appear to be primary candidates for the use of drug‐eluting stents. (J Interven Cardiol 2003;16:469–473)
Bis(μ-di-2-pyridylaminato 1-oxide)bis[(trifluoroacetato)copper(II)] acetonitrile disolvate
Authors: Zeng Xi-Rui , Fang Xiao-Niu , Peng Shie-Ming , Lin Hsiu-Mei 
Published: November 2003

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Cu2(C2F3O2)2(C10H8N3O)2]·2CH3CN, contains discrete [Cu2(CF3COO)2(O-dpa)2] molecules (O-dpaH is di-2-pyridylamine 1-oxide) which have imposed crystallographic twofold symmetry and an acetonitrile molecule of solvation. The O-dpa− ligand is both bidentate and bridging, linking two Cu atoms with a separation of 3.4270 (11) Å. Each Cu atom is surrounded by four coordinated atoms that are almost coplanar, with dimensions Cu—N = 1.940 (2) and 1.984 (3) Å, and Cu—O = 1.912 (2) and 1.945 (2) Å.
Helping children apply their knowledge to their behavior on a dimension‐switching task
Authors: Kirkham Natasha Z. , Cruess Loren , Diamond Adele 
Published: November 2003

AbstractTo investigate why 3‐year‐olds have difficulty in switching sorting dimensions, children of 3 and 4 years were tested in one of four conditions on Zelazo's card sort task: standard, sleeve, label and face‐up. In the standard condition, children were required to sort blue‐truck and red‐star cards under either a blue‐star or red‐truck model card, first by color or shape, and then by the other dimension. Here 3‐year‐olds sorted correctly until the dimension changed; they continue to sort by the initial dimension. The sleeve condition (placing the sorting cards in an envelope prior to sorting) had little effect. In the label condition, the child labeled the relevant sorting dimension on each trial. Most 3‐year‐olds succeeded; evidently their labeling helped them refocus their attention, overcoming ‘attentional inertia’ (the pull to continue attending to the previously relevant dimension). In the face‐up condition, attentional inertia was strengthened because sorted cards were left face‐up; 4‐year‐olds performed worse than in the standard condition. We posit that attentional inertia is the core problem for preschoolers on the card sort task.
Late talkers show no shape bias in a novel name extension task
Authors: Jones Susan S. 
Published: November 2003

Abstract By 2½ years of age, children typically show a shape bias in object naming – that is, they extend object names mostly to new instances with the same shape. The acquisition of a shape bias is related to a marked increase in the rate of object name learning. This study asks whether, conversely, children who do not readily acquire new object names lack a shape bias. Twelve 2‐ to 3‐year‐old ‘late talkers’– children whose total vocabularies rank below the 30th percentile for their age – were compared with age‐matched children with larger vocabularies in a novel object name extension task. The controls extended novel names across novel objects with the same shape. The late talkers showed no group perceptual bias, but many individuals extended novel names across objects with the same surface texture. The implications of the results both for the role of attentional biases in object name learning and for the etiology of some late talking are discussed.
The basis of preference for lexical words in 6‐month‐old infants
Authors: Shi Rushen , Werker Janet F. 
Published: November 2003

Abstract Six‐month‐old English‐learning infants have been shown to prefer English lexical over English grammatical words. The preference is striking because there are few grammatical words in total number but each occurs far more frequently in input speech than any individual lexical word. This could be because lexical words are universally more salient and interesting acoustic and phonological forms than are grammatical words. Alternatively, familiarity may play a role since infants may know some specific lexical words. Here we explore the first possibility by testing Chinese‐learning infants’ response to English lexical and grammatical words. These infants, who had virtually no prior exposure to English and thus were unfamiliar with any English words, nevertheless preferred to listen to English lexical words, as in the case of English‐learning infants. This finding increases the plausibility that it is the acoustic and phonological salience of lexical words that determines the preference for lexical words in infants.
Problems with the Seeing = Knowing Rule
Authors: Friedman Ori , Griffin Richard , Brownell Hiram , Winner Ellen 
Published: November 2003

Abstract The view that children understand the mind via a coherent theory is supported by evidence that children rigidly follow a Seeing = Knowing Rule: seeing, and only seeing, leads to knowing. This paper presents two kinds of evidence that children do not follow this rule. First, we critically review previous findings that children neglect the role of inference and argue that these studies do not in fact support the view that children follow a Seeing = Knowing Rule. We then present two studies in which children who correctly attributed ignorance and false belief to an observer in a false belief task also attributed ignorance (Study 1) and false belief (Study 2) in true belief tasks. These findings demonstrate that children sometimes attribute ignorance and false belief to an observer who is granted visual access, an outcome that should not occur if children rigidly follow the Seeing = Knowing Rule. We end by discussing some problems associated with modifying the Seeing = Knowing Rule to account for children's failure on the true belief task.
Biological bases of face preference in 6‐week‐old infants
Authors: Blass Elliott M. , Camp Carole Ann 
Published: November 2003

Abstract Six‐week‐old infants (N =40) who started the experiment in either a calm or crying state, received sucrose from an experimenter, while in eye contact with her. Sucrose was delivered either by syringe or on a pacifier. After 3.5 min., the experimenter retired, the mother came into the test room and placed her infant over her shoulder en face with a video camera. The experimenter and a confederate, both dressed identically, sat in front of and slightly to either side of the infant and the infant could choose to look at either experimenter. To minimize position bias, experimenters switched sides every 30 sec. To maintain a stable level of infant attention, they simultaneously called the baby's name at 10 sec. intervals. When an infant looked at one or the other experimenters, she raised her thumb in camera view. Only crying infants who sucked a sweet pacifier showed a preference for their experimenter. As a group none of the other infants did so. However, there was a wide distribution of sucking times in calm week 6 infants. Choice was linearly related to sucking duration. Infants who sucked for substantial periods of time, showed a strong preference for the experimenter. Those who sucked for minimal periods of time strongly preferred the confederate. Based on these findings and ones from 9‐ and 12‐week‐old infants, a model is presented in which preference in this experimental paradigm is determined by idealized levels of central activation. These levels may be inferred from the normal crying function at a particular age.
Mediating the Economic Pulses: The International Connection in Portuguese Higher Education
Authors: Teixeira Pedro , Amaral Alberto , Rosa Maria João 
Published: November 2003

AbstractPortugal, as a small and increasingly integrated European economy, has been influenced by some of the major trends that defined the agenda of higher education policy in recent decades. Its backwardness – notably in terms of skills, education, and training – has frequently prompted a focus of attention on its international counterparts, particularly those in Europe, in search of affinities, solutions and errors to avoid. The search for guidance has also created an opportunity for the intervention of international organisations. Until Portugal joined the European Union (EU) in 1986, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank were the main agencies playing this role. Henceforth, those institutions lost some influence, and the European dimension gained increasing prominence. This article discusses the role of those international organisations in the definition of priorities for Portuguese higher education policy in recent decades, and provides a general overview of the outside perceptions of the Portuguese situation as understood by these international organisations. In particular, the article focuses on those interventions that promoted the influence of market mechanisms in the Portuguese higher education system by emphasising the need for higher education institutions (HEIs) to strive for increased economic responsiveness.
Reviews
Authors: Fuller Alison , Pritchard Rosalind , Trowler Paul 
Published: November 2003

Books reviewed in this article:L. Archer, M. Hutchings and A. Ross, with C. Leathwood, R. Gilchrist and D. Phillips, Higher Education and Social Class: Issues of Exclusion and InclusionJohn Brennan and Tarla Shah, Managing Quality in Higher Education: An International Perspective on Institutional Assessment and ChangeR. Taylor, J. Barr and T. Steele, For a Radical Higher Education: After Postmodernism
Degradation of Cross-Linked and Non-Cross-Linked Arabinoxylans by the Intestinal Microbiota in Children
Authors: Hopkins Mark J. , Englyst Hans N. , Macfarlane Sandra , Furrie Elizabeth , Macfarlane George T. , McBain Andrew J. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

In humans, nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP), such as arabinoxylans (AX), are not digested in the upper gut and provide fermentable carbon sources for bacteria growing in the large bowel. Despite the ubiquity of AX in nature, the microbiologic and physiologic consequences of AX digestion in the gut are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the breakdown of ferulic acid-cross-linked AX (AXF) and non-cross-linked AX in children's intestinal microbiotas, using starch as a readily fermentable polysaccharide for comparative purposes. The experiments were performed using pH-controlled fermentation vessels under anaerobic conditions. The results demonstrated that there was variation in the metabolism of these polysaccharides by colonic microbiotas. AX was always degraded more slowly than starch, while ferulic acid cross-linking reduced the rate of AX fermentation, as shown by fermentation product measurements. Starch digestion was associated with significant acetate and butyrate production, whereas AX breakdown resulted in increased propionate formation. In general, the presence of fermentable carbohydrate significantly increased the total anaerobe counts and eubacterial rRNA concentrations (
P
< 0.01), while non-cross-linked AX digestion was principally associated with increased viable counts of
Bacteroides fragilis
group organisms, which was supported by increases in
Bacteroides
-
Porphyromonas
-
Prevotella
group rRNA (
P
< 0.01). Starch was considerably more bifidogenic than AX in these fermentations. In conclusion, in this study we found that the effects of AX and AXF on the microbial ecology and metabolism of intestinal microbiotas are similar in children and adults.
MultilocusSequence Typing for Comparison of Veterinary and HumanIsolates of
Campylobacter jejuni
Authors: Manning Georgina , Dowson Christopher G. , Bagnall Mary C. , Ahmed If H. , West Malcolm , Newell Diane G. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

Multilocus
sequence typing (MLST) has been applied to 266
Campylobacter
jejuni
isolates, mainly from veterinary sources, including cattle,
sheep, poultry, pigs, pets, and the environment, as well as isolates
from human cases of campylobacteriosis. The populations of veterinary
and human isolates overlap, suggesting that most veterinary sources
should be considered reservoirs of pathogenic campylobacters. There
were some associations between source and sequence type complex,
indicating that host or source adaptation may exist. The pig isolates
formed a distinct group by MLST and may well represent a potential
pig-adapted clone of
C. jejuni
. A subset
(
n
= 82) of isolates was reanalyzed with a second MLST
scheme which provided a unique set of isolates that had been analyzed
at a total of 12 loci. The distribution of isolates among the complexes
in each of the two schemes was similar but not identical. In addition
to isolates from human outbreaks, one group of isolates that were not
epidemiologically linked was also identical at all 12 loci. This group
of isolates is believed to represent another stable strain of
C.
jejuni
.
Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve Analysis of Beach Water Quality Indicator Variables
Authors: Morrison Ann Michelle , Coughlin Kelly , Shine James P. , Coull Brent A. , Rex Andrea C. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis is a simple and effective means to compare the accuracies of indicator variables of bacterial beach water quality. The indicator variables examined in this study were previous day's
Enterococcus
density and antecedent rainfall at 24, 48, and 96 h. Daily
Enterococcus
densities and 15-min rainfall values were collected during a 5-year (1996 to 2000) study of four Boston Harbor beaches. The indicator variables were assessed for their ability to correctly classify water as suitable or unsuitable for swimming at a maximum threshold
Enterococcus
density of 104 CFU/100 ml. Sensitivity and specificity values were determined for each unique previous day's
Enterococcus
density and antecedent rainfall volume and used to construct ROC curves. The area under the ROC curve was used to compare the accuracies of the indicator variables. Twenty-four-hour antecedent rainfall classified elevated
Enterococcus
densities more accurately than previous day's
Enterococcus
density (
P
= 0.079). An empirically derived threshold for 48-h antecedent rainfall, corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.75, was determined from the 1996 to 2000 data and evaluated to ascertain if the threshold would produce a 0.75 sensitivity with independent water quality data collected in 2001 from the same beaches.
Bioaccumulation of Copper Ions by
Escherichia coli
Expressing Vanabin Genes from the Vanadium-Rich Ascidian
Ascidia sydneiensis samea
Authors: Ueki Tatsuya , Sakamoto Yasuhisa , Yamaguchi Nobuo , Michibata Hitoshi 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

The genes encoding two vanadium-binding proteins, vanabin1 and vanabin2, from a vanadium-rich ascidian,
Ascidia sydneiensis samea
, were recently identified and cloned (T. Ueki, T. Adachi, S. Kawano, M. Aoshima, N. Yamaguchi, K. Kanamori, and H. Michibata, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1626:43-50, 2003). The vanabins were found to bind vanadium(IV), and an excess of copper(II) ions inhibited the binding of vanadium(IV) to the vanabins in vitro. In this study, we constructed
Escherichia coli
strains that expressed vanabin1 or vanabin2 fused to maltose-binding protein (MBP) in the periplasmic space. We found that both strains accumulated about twenty times more copper(II) ions than the control BL21 strain, while no significant accumulation of vanadium was observed. The strains expressing either MBP-vanabin1 or MBP-vanabin2 absorbed approximately 70% of the copper ions in the medium to which 10 μM copper (II) ions were initially added. The MBP-vanabin1 and MBP-vanabin2 protein expressed in the periplasm bound to copper ions at a copper:protein molar ratio of 8:1 and 5:1, respectively, but MBP did not bind to copper ions. These data showed that the metal-binding proteins vanabin1 and vanabin2 bound copper ions directly and enhanced the bioaccumulation of copper ions by
E. coli
.
Effect of the Environment on Genotypic Diversity of
Actinomyces naeslundii
and
Streptococcus oralis
in the Oral Biofilm
Authors: Paddick James S. , Brailsford Susan R. , Kidd Edwina A. M. , Gilbert Steven C. , Clark Douglas T. , Alam Sharmin , Killick Zoe J. , Beighton David 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

The genotypic diversity of
Actinomyces naeslundii
genospecies 2 (424 isolates) and
Streptococcus oralis
(446 isolates) strains isolated from two sound approximal sites in all subjects who were either caries active (seven subjects) or caries free (seven subjects) was investigated by using the repetitive extragenic palindromic PCR. The plaque from the caries-active subjects harbored significantly greater proportions of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli and a smaller proportion of
A. naeslundii
organisms than the plaque sampled from the caries-free subjects. These data confirmed that the sites of the two groups of subjects were subjected to different environmental stresses, probably determined by the prevailing or fluctuating acidic pH values. We tested the hypothesis that the microfloras of the sites subjected to greater stresses (the plaque samples from the caries-active subjects) would exhibit reduced genotypic diversity since the sites would be less favorable. We found that the diversity of
A. naeslundii
strains did not change (χ2 = 0.68;
P
= 0.41) although the proportional representation of
A. naeslundii
was significantly reduced (
P
< 0.05). Conversely, the diversity of the
S. oralis
strains increased (χ2 = 11.71;
P
= 0.0006) and the proportional representation of
S. oralis
did not change. We propose that under these environmental conditions the diversity and number of niches within the oral biofilm that could be exploited by
S. oralis
increased, resulting in the increased genotypic diversity of this species. Apparently,
A. naeslundii
was not able to exploit the new niches since the prevailing conditions within the niches may have been deleterious and not supportive of its proliferation. These results suggest that environmental stress may modify a biofilm such that the diversity of the niches is increased and that these niches may be successfully exploited by some, but not necessarily all, members of the microbial community.
Fingerprinting Microbial Assemblages from the Oxic/Anoxic Chemocline of the Black Sea
Authors: Vetriani Costantino , Tran Hiep V. , Kerkhof Lee J. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT

Biomass samples from the Black Sea collected in 1988 were analyzed for SSU genes from
Bacteria
and
Archaea
after 10 years of storage at −80°C. Both clonal libraries and direct fingerprinting by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses were used to assess the microbial community. Uniform and discrete depth distributions of different SSU phylotypes were observed. However, most recombinant clones were not restricted to a specific depth in the water column, and many of the major T-RFLP peaks remain uncharacterized. Of the clones obtained, an ε-
Proteobacteria
and a
Pseudoalteromonas
-like clone accounted for major peaks in the fingerprint, while deeply branching lineages of α- and γ-
Proteobacteria
were associated with smaller peaks. Additionally, members were found among both the δ-
Proteobacteria
related to sulfate reducers and the
Archaea
related to phylotypes from the ANME groups that anaerobically oxidize methane.
Evaluation of F+ RNA and DNA Coliphages as Source-Specific Indicators of Fecal Contamination in Surface Waters
Authors: Cole Dana , Long Sharon C. , Sobsey Mark D. 
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT
Male-specific (F+) coliphages have been investigated as viral indicators of fecal contamination that may provide source-specific information for impacted environmental waters. This study examined the presence and proportions of the different subgroups of F+ coliphages in a variety of fecal wastes and surface waters with well-defined potential waste impacts. Municipal wastewater samples had high proportions of F+ DNA and group II and III F+ RNA coliphages. Bovine wastewaters also contained a high proportion of F+ DNA coliphages, but group I and IV F+ RNA coliphages predominated. Swine wastewaters contained approximately equal proportions of F+ DNA and RNA coliphages, and group I and III F+ RNA coliphages were most common. Waterfowl (gull and goose) feces contained almost exclusively F+ RNA coliphages of groups I and IV. No F+ coliphages were isolated from the feces of the other species examined. F+ coliphage recovery from surface waters was influenced by precipitation events and animal or human land use. There were no significant differences in coliphage density among land use categories. Significant seasonal variation was observed in the proportions of F+ DNA and RNA coliphages. Group I F+ RNA coliphages were the vast majority (90%) of those recovered from surface waters. The percentage of group I F+ RNA coliphages detected was greatest at background sites, and the percentage of group II F+ RNA coliphages was highest at human-impacted sites. Monitoring of F+ coliphage groups can indicate the presence and major sources of microbial inputs to surface waters, but environmental effects on the relative occurrence of different groups need to be considered.