bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Presence of potential allergy‐related linear epitopes in novel proteins from conventional crops and the implication for the safety assessment of these crops with respect to the current testing of genetically modified crops
Authors: Kleter Gijs A. , Peijnenburg Ad A. C. M. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractMitochondria of cytoplasmic male sterile crop plants contain novel, chimeric open reading frames. In addition, a number of crops carry endogenous double‐stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA). In this study, the novel proteins encoded by these genetic components were screened for the presence of potential binding sites (epitopes) of allergy‐associated IgE antibodies, as was previously done with transgenic proteins from genetically modified crops. The procedure entails the identification of stretches of at least six contiguous amino acids that are shared by novel proteins and known allergenic proteins. These stretches are further checked for potential linear IgE‐binding epitopes. Of the 16 novel protein sequences screened in this study, nine contained stretches of six or seven amino acids that were also present in allergenic proteins. Four cases of similarity are of special interest, given the predicted antigenicity of the identical stretch within the allergenic and novel protein, the IgE‐binding by a peptide containing an identical stretch reported in literature, or the multiple incidence of identical stretches of the same allergen within a novel protein. These selected stretches are present in novel proteins derived from oilseed rape and radish (ORF138), rice (dsRNA), and fava bean (dsRNA), and warrant further clinical testing. The frequency of positive outcomes and the sizes of the identical stretches were comparable to those previously found for transgenic proteins in genetically modified crops. It is discussed whether novel proteins from conventional crops should be subject to an assessment of potential allergenicity, a procedure which is currently mandatory for transgenic proteins from genetically modified crops.
‘Mum's the Word!': Maternal Accounts of Dealings with the Professional World
Authors: Todd Stuart , Jones Stephanie 
Published: September 2003

Background  This paper describes a study of one aspect of the lives of mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. It focuses on their perspectives of their dealings with the professional and service worlds. Much attention has been given in recent years to developing and co‐ordinating a multiprofessional and multiagency network of support around families. Although such aims can be seen as beneficial for families, there is also good reason to expect these to present problematic experiences for family carers.Methods  Data are presented and analysed in this paper on mothers' perceptions of their dealings with professionals. The sample consisted of 30 mothers of young people with intellectual disabilities. The data were obtained by qualitative interviews.Results and discussion  Overall, the study confirmed that mothers' dealings with professionals were highly problematic for them. They felt that such encounters could be based upon conflict and that their worth and character as mothers were being continually scrutinized. However, the data show that mothers were willing to challenge professional perspectives of their children and their needs. They embraced advocacy for their sons and daughters as part‐and‐parcel of being a mother. However, in doing so, they were much more hesitant and reluctant to raise any needs and aspirations for their own lives. They fear that in giving these voice, they could be seen and typified as selfish mothers. That is, their struggles to be taken as advocates for their sons and daughters would be undermined. The implications of these findings for research and service development are discussed.
Paying the Piper and Calling the Tune? The Relationship Between Parents and Direct Payments for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Williams Val , Simons Ken , Gramlich Stacey , McBride Gordon , Snelham Natasha , Myers Brian 
Published: September 2003

Background  The aim of this paper is to investigate the role parents are playing in direct payments provision for their son or daughter with intellectual disabilities.Materials and methods  The paper draws on a UK‐wide inclusive research project, carried out by researchers who were members of an organization of people with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of the project as a whole was to explore what support works best for people with intellectual disabilities to access direct payments provision in the UK, and one of the key supports for certain people was found to be parents and families.Results  Drawing on interviews with 29 family carers, the researchers found that parents were often strong advocates of independence for their son or daughter, and only acted as barriers to direct payments when they did not have sufficient information. Parents were found to be playing significant roles as initiators, managers and supporters of direct payments for their son or daughter; however, these roles were matched by important gains in quality of life and relationships within the family.Conclusions  The paper considers the implications of the power balance between persons with intellectual disabilities, their parents and their staff. Direct payments can alter that balance radically, but it is still important to have a good, independent direct payments support scheme to enable the person with intellectual disabilities to be in control.
Just Getting on with it: Exploring the Service Needs of Mothers Who Care for Young Children with Severe/Profound and Life‐Threatening Intellectual Disability
Authors: Redmond Bairbre , Richardson Victoria 
Published: September 2003

Background  This study interviewed mothers (n= 17) of children aged 4 years and under with severe/profound intellectual disability, some with attendant complex medical, life‐limiting conditions.Methods  The study explored the mothers' views of the usefulness of the financial, practical and emotional supports being offered to them and their suggestions for service improvements.Results  The study reveals these mothers to be engaged in stressful but skilled care of their children with a clear wish to continue caring for their child in the family home. Mothers frequently referred to the process of gaining useful information on services as ‘haphazard’ and most of the services offered to them as uncoordinated, unreliable and difficult to access. The study reveals that many of these children's needs are not being adequately met by either the intellectual disability services or the acute medical services, and some families are forced to privately finance services such as physiotherapy and speech therapy.Conclusions  The data reveal that mothers want services offered to them in their own home, particularly short home‐based respite, which would offer them short breaks to rest or engage in part‐time employment. The study concludes that a reliable and flexible service response, including a comprehensive information and advocacy support is indicated for these families.
Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities: Their Expectations and Experience of Genetic Counselling
Authors: Barr Owen , Millar Rob 
Published: September 2003

Background  Following the birth of a child, parents and other family members have to adapt to their new circumstances. This process takes time and can become more complex when the child is suspected or diagnosed as having intellectual disabilities. When a child has a disability, parents often seek answers as to the origin and nature of the condition as part of the adaptation process. For some parents, this will result in genetic investigations and could lead to the provision of personal genetics about the child and parents.Materials and methods  This paper reports a mixed‐method project that combined questionnaires prior to and interviews after an appointment with a geneticist. The project sought to identify the expectations and experience of parents who had a child referred to specialist genetics services.Results and conclusions  The findings identify that parents felt largely unprepared for their appointment and reported feelings of failing to maximize the opportunity present. The need for more effective liaison between specialist regional and local primary care and learning disability services is also highlighted. Parents made practical suggestions relevant to all the above services about how they could be better supported at this difficult stage in the adaptation process.
The Disclosure Process and its Impact on South Asian Families with a Child with Severe Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Hatton Chris , Akram Yasmeen , Robertson Janet , Shah Robina , Emerson Eric 
Published: September 2003

Background  Although several research studies have investigated parental experiences of the disclosure process in White families with a child with severe disabilities, little work has focused on the experiences of South Asian families.Materials and methods  This study aimed to provide a rich picture of the disclosure experiences of South Asian parents of a child with severe intellectual disabilities, using semi‐structured qualitative interviews with 26 parents over two time points, and structured quantitative interviews with 136 parents.Results  Parents reported variable experiences of the disclosure process, with many parents experiencing disclosure in the wrong language for them and most parents reporting little post‐disclosure support. Parents identified good practice in disclosure as prompt disclosure in the appropriate language, with the partner present (where possible), with emotional support as part of the process, with clear and practical information, and linked to post‐disclosure support from a keyworker.Conclusions  Good practice in disclosure was also associated with parental understanding of their child, and parents being more likely to mobilize informal and formal supports. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Ultrastructural correlates of synapse withdrawal at axotomized neuromuscular junctions in mutant and transgenic mice expressing the Wld gene
Authors: Gillingwater Thomas H. , Ingham Cali A. , Coleman Michael P. , Ribchester Richard R. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractWe carried out an ultrastructural analysis of axotomized synaptic terminals in Wlds and Ube4b/Nmnat (Wld) transgenic mice, in which severed distal axons are protected from Wallerian degeneration. Previous studies have suggested that axotomy in juvenile (< 2 months) Wld mice induced a progressive nerve terminal withdrawal from motor endplates. In this study we confirm that axotomy‐induced terminal withdrawal occurs in the absence of all major ultrastructural characteristics of Wallerian degeneration. Pre‐ and post‐synaptic membranes showed no signs of disruption or fragmentation, synaptic vesicle densities remained at pre‐axotomy levels, the numbers of synaptic vesicles clustered towards presynaptic active zones did not diminish, and mitochondria retained their membranes and cristae. However, motor nerve terminal ultrastructure was measurably different following axotomy in Wld transgenic 4836 line mice, which strongly express Wld protein: axotomized presynaptic terminals were retained, but many were significantly depleted of synaptic vesicles. These findings suggest that the Wld gene interacts with the mechanisms regulating transmitter release and vesicle recycling.
Estimation of nuclear volume as an indicator of maturation of glial precursor cells in the developing rat spinal cord: a stereological approach
Authors: McMahon S. S. , Dockery P. , McDermott K. W. 
Published: September 2003

AbstractStudies on nuclear volume have shown that it is an indication of the state of differentiation of cells. This study provides evidence indicating increasing nuclear volume during cell maturation. Using unbiased stereological techniques, nuclear volume of both proliferating and non‐proliferating glial cells was analysed in the developing spinal cord. Proliferating glial precursor cells were identified using a 5‐bromo‐21‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. The nuclear volume of BrdU‐labelled cells and unlabelled cells was determined in both periventricular regions and the white matter of the cord at different embryonic ages. In the periventricular region BrdU‐labelled nuclei were smaller than unlabelled nuclei at all ages examined. These labelled cells represent dividing undifferentiated progenitors. The unlabelled neighbouring cells with larger nuclei represent a more differentiated population. In the white matter BrdU‐labelled nuclei were of similar volume to the unlabelled nuclei. Both of these groups represent glial precursor cells that have migrated from deeper regions and are at similar stages of differentiation, perhaps with different proliferative potential. These findings indicate that the nuclear volume of early glial cells increases as these cells migrate and differentiate.
Zebrin II compartmentation of the cerebellum in a basal insectivore, the Madagascan hedgehog tenrec Echinops telfairi
Authors: Sillitoe Roy V. , Künzle Heinz , Hawkes Richard 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThe mammalian cerebellum is histologically uniform. However, underlying the simple laminar architecture is a complex arrangement of parasagittal stripes and transverse zones that can be revealed by the expression of zebrin II/aldolase C. The cerebellar cortex of rodents, for example, is organized into four transverse zones: anterior, central, posterior and nodular. Within the anterior and posterior zones, parasagittal stripes of Purkinje cells expressing zebrin II alternate with those that do not. Zonal boundaries appear to be independent of cerebellar lobulation. To explore this model further, and to broaden our understanding of the evolution of cerebellar patterning, zebrin II expression has been studied in the cerebellum of the Madagascan hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi), a basal insectivore with a lissiform cerebellum with only five lobules. Zebrin II expression in the tenrec reveals an array of four transverse zones as in rodents, two with homogeneous zebrin II expression, two further subdivided into stripes, that closely resembles the expression pattern described in other mammals. We conclude that a zone‐and‐stripe organization may be a common feature of the mammalian cerebellar vermis and hemispheres, and that zonal boundaries and cerebellar lobules and fissures form independently.
Age‐associated plasticity in the intrinsic innervation of the ovine rumen
Authors: Pfannkuche Helga , Schellhorn Corinna , Schemann Michael , Aschenbach Jörg R. , Gäbel Gotthold 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThe rumen of adult sheep functions as a large fermentation chamber. In the newborn suckling ruminant, the rumen is bypassed and milk enters the abomasum directly. It was the aim of our study to investigate whether the transmitter content of intrinsic nerves changes with the developmental stage. The neurochemical code of myenteric neurons in the rumen from suckling lambs, fattened lambs and adult sheep was determined by using quadruple immunohistochemistry against choline‐acetyltransferase (ChAT), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). Three neurochemically distinct subpopulations were identified within the rumen. They expressed the code ChAT/–, ChAT/SP and NOS/VIP. The number of ChAT/SP neurons did not change during development. It was 62% in the newborn lamb and remained stable in fattened lambs (63%) and adult sheep (63%). By contrast, the number of ChAT/– neurons decreased significantly from 20% in suckling lambs to 11% and 7% in fattened lambs and adult sheep, respectively. Simultaneously, the proportion of NOS/VIP neurons increased from 16% in suckling lambs to 29% in adult sheep. The increase in the proportion of NOS/VIP immunoreactive neurons indicates an adaptation to large volumes of ingesta at the beginning of roughage intake and rumination. We conclude that the age‐associated changes in neurochemical code of myenteric neurons in the forestomach are related to the adaption of the rumen to different functional properties during development.
Segmentation in staged human embryos: the occipitocervical region revisited
Authors: Müller Fabiola , O'Rahilly Ronan 
Published: September 2003

AbstractThe first seven somites, the rhombomeres, and the pharyngeal arches were reassessed in 145 serially sectioned human embryos of stages 9–23, 22 of which were controlled by precise graphic reconstructions. Segmentation begins in the neuromeres, somites and aortic arches at stage 9. The following new observations are presented. (1) The first somite in the human, unlike that of the chick, is neither reduced in size nor different in structure, and it possesses sclerotome, somitocoel and dermatomyotome. (2) Somites 1–4, unlike those of the chick, are related to rhombomere 8 (rather than 7 and 8) and are caudal to pharyngeal arch 4 (rather than in line with 3 and 4). (3) Occipital segment 4 resembles a developing vertebra more than do segments 1–3. (4) The development of the basioccipital resembles that of the first two cervical vertebrae in that medial and lateral components arise in a manner that differs from that in the rest of the vertebral column. (5) The two groups of somites, occipital 1–4 and cervical 5–7, each form a median skeletal mass. (6) An ‘S‐shaped head/trunk interface’, described for the chick and unjustifiably for the mouse, was not found because it is not compatible with the topographical development of the otic primordium and somite 1, between which neural crest migrates without hindrance in mammals. (7) Occipital segmentation and related features are documented by photomicrographs and graphic interpretations for the first time in the human. It is confirmed that the first somite, unlike that of the chick, is separated from the otic primordium by a distance, although the otic anlage undergoes a relative shift caudally. The important, although frequently neglected, distinction between lateral and medial components is emphasized. Laterally, sclerotomes 3 and 4 delineate the hypoglossal foramen, 4 gives rise to the exoccipital and participates in the occipital condyle, 5 forms the posterior arch of the atlas and 6 provides the neural arch of the axis, which is greater in height than the arches of the other cervical vertebrae. Medially, the perinotochord and migrated sclerotomic cells give rise to the basioccipital as well as to the vertebral centra, including the tripartite column of the axis. Registration between (1) the somites and (2) the occipital and cervical medial segments becomes interrupted by the special development of the axis, the three components of which come to occupy the height of only 2½ segments.
In vivo time‐course of the angiogenic response induced by multiple myeloma plasma cells in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane
Authors: Ribatti Domenico , De Falco Giuseppe , Nico Beatrice , Ria Roberto , Crivellato Enrico , Vacca Angelo 
Published: September 2003

AbstractIn this study, we set out to make a fine characterization of the angiogenic response induced by plasma cells obtained from patients with active‐multiple myeloma (MM), in comparison with cells obtained from patients with non‐active MM and benign lesions such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. To achieve this we investigated the time‐course of the angiogenic response induced by gelatin sponges soaked in the cell suspensions and implanted on the CAM surface from day 8 to day 12 of incubation by evaluating the number of vessels, of the vessel bifurcation and the intervascular distance at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after the implants. The results show that plasma cell suspensions obtained from patients with active MM induce a vasoproliferative response that was significantly higher than that induced by cell suspensions obtained from patients with non‐active MM or with MGUS, which is also a function of the day of implantation. In fact, implants made from day 8 to day 10 induce a strong angiogenic response, whereas those made from day 11 to day 12 do not. This finding might depend on the fact that CAM endothelium exhibits an intrinsically high mitotic rate until day 10. Thereafter, the endothelial mitotic index declines rapidly, and consequently cell suspensions implanted on the CAM of successively older embryos are not able to induce a vasoproliferative response in parallel with the reduced rates of growth of the CAM's endothelial cells.
Pectoral fin development in the Baikalian viviparous golomyankas (Comephoridae; Cottoidei), with a remark on eggs and embryos of Comephorus baicalensis (Pallas)
Authors: Jakubowski Michał , Tugarina Polina Y. , Żuwała Krystyna 
Published: September 2003

AbstractMeasurements of pectoral fin (PF) growth in relation to standard body length (SL) for Comephorus dybowskii (SL: 14–126 mm) and C. baicalensis (SL: 22–173 mm) were made and compared with corresponding data obtained for 13 other Baikalian cottoid species (sculpins). The allometry for the PF/SL relationships (Y = a + bX) is clearly biphasic. Expressed in percentages, these values for the larval period of C. dybowskii[Yp = −28.886 + (2.419X)] are much higher than for C. baicalensis[Yp = −11.904 + (1.233X)]. The postnatal period of development of the golomyanka up to 30–35 mm SL is considered to be the larval stage. In the postlarval period, growth of pectoral fin and the body in C. dybowskii are directly proportional [Yp′ = 48.92 + (−0.009X)] whereas in C. baicalensis they rise slightly [Yp′ = 30.966 + (0.0505X)]. Absence of the air bladder characterizes all Baikalian cottoid species, including the golomyankas. Various species of the golomyanka differ in the ways of obtaining neutral buoyancy. It is supposed that large pectoral fins guarantee behavioural buoyancy in small species such as C. dybowskii, whereas in C. baicalensis, obtaining much larger body size but lower PFp/SL index, the buoyancy is gained mainly due to the accumulation of large amount of lipids. This paper also documents the ovary and advanced embryos of C. baicalensis.
Changes in GAD67 mRNA expression evidenced by in situ hybridization in the brain of R6/2 transgenic mice
Authors: Gourfinkel‐An I. , Parain K. , Hartmann A. , Mangiarini L. , Brice A. , Bates G. , Hirsch E. C. 
Published: August 2003

AbstractHuntington's disease is an autosomal dominant disorder with degeneration of medium size striatal neurones. As the disease evolves, other neuronal populations are also progressively affected. A transgenic mouse model of the disease (R6/2) that expresses exon 1 of the human Huntington gene with approximately 150 CAG repeats has been developed, but GABA concentrations are reported to be normal in the striatum of these animals. In the present study, we analysed the status of GABAergic systems by means of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)67 mRNA in situ hybridization in the brain of R6/2 transgenic mice and wild‐type littermates. We show that GAD67 expression is normal in the striatum, cerebellum and septum but decreased in the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, globus pallidus, entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata of R6/2 mice. These data, which may, in part, account for the behavioural changes seen in these animals, indicate that at 12.5 weeks of age the pathological features seen in the mice differ from those seen in humans with Huntington's disease.