bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantification of steroid hormones with pheromonal properties in municipal wastewater effluent
Authors: Kolodziej Edward P. , Gray James L. , Sedlak David L. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
Many fish use steroid hormones as pheromones to initiate behavioral and physiological changes during spawning. To assess the occurrence of steroid hormones with pheromonal properties in the aquatic environment and to evaluate the possibility that municipal wastewater discharges contain compounds that could affect fish reproduction by interfering with pheromones, several estrogens, androgens, and progestins were quantified by gas chromatography/tandem mass spectroscopy in effluent samples from 12 municipal wastewater treatment plants. Samples also were analyzed from an engineered treatment wetland, three groundwater wells, and one reservoir. Estrogens (17β-estradiol and estrone) were detected in wastewater effluent at maximum concentrations of 4 and 12 ng/L, respectively. Androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) were detected at concentrations as high as 6.1 and 4.5 ng/L, respectively, whereas the synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone was detected at concentrations up to 15 ng/L. Data from an effluent-receiving engineered treatment wetland and shallow groundwater wells suggested that these compounds were not rapidly attenuated. The measured concentrations of steroids often exceeded olfactory detection thresholds at which fish detect these steroids, and in several cases, the steroid concentrations were comparable to levels at which pheromonal responses have been observed in fish.
Using reproductive endpoints in small forage fish species to evaluate the effects of athabasca oil sands activities
Authors: Tetreault Gerald R. , Mcmaster Mark E. , Dixon D. George , Parrott Joanne L. 
Published: November 2004

Abstract
The main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of naturally occurring oil sands-related compounds (OSRC) on reproductive function in fish in order to assess the impacts of anthropogenic point-source inputs. The health of slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) and pearl dace (Semotilus margarita) collected from the Alberta Athabasca Oil Sands (Canada) watershed were examined. Two rivers were selected for study: the Steepbank and the Ells. These rivers originate outside the oil sands formation, where fish are unexposed (Ref), exposed to naturally occurring oil sands-related compounds (Nat), or exposed to naturally occurring compounds as well as adjacent to surface mining activity (Dev). Assessment endpoints included gonadosomatic indices (GSI), fecundity, and in vitro gonadal steroid production. In vitro gonadal incubations demonstrated lower levels of steroid production at sites along the Steepbank River within the oil sands deposit. Hepatic 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, an indicator of exposure to OSRC, was elevated twofold at the site with natural compounds and up to 10-fold at the site adjacent to development compared to EROD activity in fish from the reference site. Fish collected in the Ells River had a threefold induction in EROD activity but no significant reduction in steroid production when compared to reference fish. No consistent alterations in gonadal development were seen in fish collected from sites within the oil sands deposit. This research in the Athabasca River basin provides baseline information of the health of fish populations within the oil sands deposit prior to further development in the area.
Eight hundred‐year‐old human remains from the Ituri tropical forest, Democratic Republic of Congo: The rock shelter site of Matangai Turu Northwest
Authors: Mercader Julio , Garralda María Dolores , Pearson Osbjorn M. , Bailey Robert C. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractLittle is known about human prehistory in the central African lowland tropical forest due to a paucity of archaeological evidence. Here we report results from our archaeological investigations of a late Holocene site in the northeast Congo Basin, with emphasis on a single skeleton from the rock shelter site of Matangai Turu Northwest, in the Ituri Forest, Democratic Republic of Congo. The skeleton dates from ∼810 BP (1235 calibrated AD) and is associated with Later Stone Age lithics, animal bone and shell remains from wild taxa, fruit endocarps from forest trees, phytoliths from tropical forest plants, Late Iron Age ceramics, and a single iron artifact. Phytolith analysis indicates that the habitat was dense tropical forest, without evidence of domesticated food. Am J Phys Anthropol 115:24–37, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular and clinical diversity in paraneoplastic immunity to Ma proteins
Authors: Rosenfeld Myrna R. , Eichen Joseph G. , Wade Deborly F. , Posner Jerome B. , Dalmau Josep 
Published: November 2004

AbstractAntibodies to Ma1 and Ma2 proteins identify a paraneoplastic disorder that affects the limbic system, brain stem, and cerebellum. Preliminary studies suggested the existence of other Ma proteins and different patterns of immune response associated with distinct neurologic symptoms and cancers. In this study, our aim was to isolate the full‐length sequence of Ma2 and new family members, identify the major autoantigen of the disorder, and extend the clinical–immunological analysis to 29 patients. Sera from selected patients were used to probe a brainstem cDNA library and isolate the entire Ma2 gene and a new family member, Ma3. Ma3 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in brain, testis, and several systemic tissues. The variable cellular expression of Ma proteins and analysis of protein motifs suggest that these proteins play roles in the biogenesis of mRNA. Immunoblot studies identify Ma2 as the major autoantigen with unique epitopes recognized by all patients' sera. Eighteen patients had antibodies limited to Ma2: they developed limbic, hypothalamic, and brainstem encephalitis, and 78% had germ‐cell tumors of the testis. Eleven patients had antibodies to Ma2 and additional antibodies to Ma1 and/or Ma3; they usually developed additional cerebellar symptoms and more intense brainstem dysfunction, and 82% of these patients had tumors other than germ‐cell neoplasms. Overall, 17 of 24 patients (71%) with brain magnetic resonance imaging studies had abnormalities within or outside the temporal lobes, some as contrast‐enhancing nodular lesions. A remarkable finding of immunity to Ma proteins is that neurologic symptoms may improve or resolve. This improvement segregated to a group of patients with antibodies limited to Ma2.
Orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex neurofibrillary tangle burden is associated with agitation in Alzheimer disease
Authors: Tekin Sibel , Mega Michael S. , Masterman Donna M. , Chow Tiffany , Garakian Justine , Vinters Harry V. , Cummings Jeffrey L. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractFew studies evaluate neuropathological correlates of behavioral changes in Alzheimer disease (AD). We identified 31 autopsy patients with a diagnosis of definite AD. Behavioral changes were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Brain sections were collected from bilateral orbitofrontal and left anterior cingulate, superior temporal, inferior parietal, occipital, and hippocampal cortices for quantification of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and diffuse and neuritic plaques. Sections from frontal, cingulate, and hippocampal cortices were reviewed for the presence of Lewy bodies (LBs). Hypothesis‐driven correlational analyses were performed by the bootstrap method. Subgroup analyses contrasted a group with high scores of one specific behavior to a group with low scores after equating groups for other behaviors. NFT burden in the left orbitofrontal cortex across all 31 patients significantly correlated with agitation scores (r = 0.41, p < 0.015) and NFTs correlated significantly (r = 0.66, p = 0.004) with higher agitation scores in the subgroup analysis. Left anterior cingulate NFTs, although not within our hypotheses, also showed a significant relationship to agitation within the subgroups (r = 0.76, p = 0.0003; Bonferroni p = 0.02). Seven patients, including three in the agitation subgroup, had cortical LBs. Aberrant motor behavior and NFT density in the left orbitofrontal cortex showed a significant relationship for the entire group (r = 0.38, p < 0.03) and for subgroups (r = 0.49, p = 0.04), whereas apathy and left anterior cingulate NFTs showed a significant relationship only for the entire group (r = 0.25, p ≤ 0.01). These observations suggest that agitation and aberrant motor behavior are correlates of greater NFT pathology in the orbitofrontal cortex in AD, whereas increasing apathy may relate to greater NFT burden in the anterior cingulate. Ann Neurol 2001;49:355–361
Mcleod syndrome: A novel mutation, predominant psychiatric manifestations, and distinct striatal imaging findings
Authors: Jung Hans H. , Hergersberg Martin , Kneifel Stefan , Alkadhi Hatem , Schiess Regula , Weigell‐Weber Maike , Daniels Geoff , Kollias Spyros , Hess Klaus 
Published: November 2004

AbstractThe McLeod syndrome is an X‐linked disorder caused by mutations of the XK gene encoding the XK protein. The syndrome is characterized by absent Kx erythrocyte antigen, weak expression of Kell blood group system antigens, and acanthocytosis. In some allelic variants, elevated creatine kinase, myopathy, neurogenic muscle atrophy, and progressive chorea are found. We describe a family with a novel point mutation in the XK gene consisting of a C to T base transition at nucleotide position 977, introducing a stop codon. Among seven affected males, five manifested with psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, or personality disorder, but only two presented with chorea. Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance volumetry revealed reduced striatal 2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐glucose (FDG) uptake and diminished volumes of the caudate nucleus and putamen that correlated with disease duration. In contrast, none of 12 female mutation carriers showed psychiatric or movement disorders. However, a semidominant effect of the mutation was suggested by erythrocyte and blood group mosaicism and reduced striatal FDG uptake without structural abnormalities. Therefore, patients with psychiatric signs or symptoms segregating in an X‐linked trait should be examined for acanthocytosis and Kell/Kx blood group serology. Ann Neurol 2001;49:384–392
Low cerebral blood flow velocity and risk of white matter hyperintensities
Authors: Tzourio Christophe , Lévy Claude , Dufouil Carole , Touboul Pierre‐Jean , Ducimetière Pierre , Alpérovitch Annick 
Published: November 2004

AbstractCerebral blood flow velocity (CBF‐V) measured by transcranial doppler was assessed in 628 elderly individuals who had cerebral magnetic resonance imaging performed as part of a population‐based study on vascular aging. Cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were associated with low CBF‐V, such as the adjusted odds ratios of severe WMHs from highest (referent) to lowest quartile of mean CBF‐V were 1.0, 1.7, 3.7, and 4.3 (p = 0.001). Further, CBF‐V was found to be a stronger risk factor for WMHs than high blood pressure. These findings suggest that the assessment of CBF‐V might be a powerful tool in future studies on WMHs. Ann Neurol 2001;49:411–414
Perfusion magnetic resonance abnormalities in patients with sickle cell disease
Authors: Kirkham Fenella J. , Calamante Fernando , Bynevelt Michael , Gadian David G. , Evans Jane P. M. , Cox Timothy C. , Connelly Alan 
Published: November 2004

AbstractNeurological complications are common in sickle cell disease (SCD). However, it is often difficult to relate the clinical presentation to conventional neuroimaging, because subclinical infarction is common and stroke has been described in the absence of large‐vessel disease. We studied 48 patients with SCD aged 4–34 (median 13) years with T2‐weighted, diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and with MR angiography. Forty‐four underwent transcranial Doppler (TCD). Abnormalities on perfusion imaging were seen in 25 cases, 24 of whom had been symptomatic. The remaining patient had evidence of executive dysfunction and reduced perfusion in the frontal lobes. The perfusion abnormality was larger than the area of infarction in 9 patients and was seen in an arterial distribution with no infarction in a further 9. In 3 patients with transient ischemic attacks, perfusion abnormalities were demonstrated in the absence of any other neuroimaging abnormalities, and perfusion changes were seen in 3 others despite normal MR angiography and TCD. Perfusion abnormalities are associated with neurological symptoms in patients with SCD, whether or not MRI, MR angiography, and TCD are abnormal. It is likely that this technique will guide management in individual patients. Ann Neurol 2001;49:477–485
Five-year follow-up of a randomized trial to assess pain and numbness after laparoscopic or open repair of groin hernia
Authors: Grant A M , Scott N W , O'Dwyer P J 
Published: November 2004

Abstract

Background
Claims that laparoscopic groin hernia repair is followed by less persisting pain and numbness than open mesh repair were tested by follow-up within a multicentre randomized clinical trial.

Methods
Participants in the UK Medical Research Council Laparoscopic Groin Hernia Trial were followed up by means of self-completed postal questionnaires from 2 to 5 years after trial entry. The principal measures were pain (groin and testicular) and numbness (groin and thigh).

Results
Seven hundred and fifty (80·8 per cent) of the original 928 participants returned at least one questionnaire between 2 and 5 years; respondents were similar to the baseline randomized groups. Fewer respondents in the laparoscopic group had groin pain (absolute differences varied between 7·9 and 2·0 per cent, but were of marginal statistical significance); rates of testicular pain were similar in the two groups. Groin numbness was reported about half as commonly at all time points in the laparoscopic group (P &lt; 0·001); there were no significant differences in thigh numbness.

Conclusion
Laparoscopic surgery was associated with less long-term numbness and probably less pain in the groin.
From discretion to disagreement: explaining disparities in judges' pretrial decisions
Authors: Dhami Mandeep K. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractJudges are afforded considerable discretion in decision‐making. Through their exercise of discretion, judges construct society's notion of crime and justice. This study examined 61 lay judges' bail decision‐making in the English criminal justice system. The law states that in particular cases decisions to grant bail or remand in custody should be based on the risk of a defendant absconding, offending, or obstructing justice while on bail. However, there is little guidance on how these judgments should be made and how they should affect decisions. It was found that judges varied (disagreed) in their risk judgments and decisions on the same set of simulated cases. The extent of judicial disagreement differed across cases, and the source of disagreement in decisions lay in the variability of judges' earlier risk judgments. The paper discusses how judicial disagreement may be reduced. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Formation of Organolithium Hetero‐Aggregates [Li4Ar2(nBu)2] (Ar=C6H4CH(Me)NMe2‐2) during the Directed ortho‐Lithiation of [1‐(Dimethylamino)ethyl]benzene
Authors: Kronenburg Claudia M. P. , Rijnberg Evelien , Jastrzebski Johann T. B. H. , Kooijman Huub , Lutz Martin , Spek Anthony L. , Gossage Robert A. , van Koten Gerard 
Published: November 2004

Abstract(R)‐[1‐(Dimethylamino)ethyl]benzene reacts with nBuLi in a 1:1 molar ratio in pentane to quantitatively yield a unique hetero‐aggregate (2 a) containing the lithiated arene, unreacted nBuLi, and the complexed parent arene in a 1:1:1 ratio. As a model compound, [Li4(C6H4CH(Me)NMe2‐2)2(nBu)2] (2 b) was prepared from the quantitative redistribution reaction of the parent lithiated arene Li(C6H4CH(Me)NMe2‐2) with nBuLi in a 1:1 molar ratio. The mono‐Et2O adduct [Li4(C6H4CH(Me)NMe2‐2)2(nBu)2(OEt2)] (2 c) and the bis‐Et2O adduct [Li4(C6H4CH(Me)NMe2‐2)2(nBu)2(OEt2)2] (2 d) were obtained by re‐crystallization of 2 b from pentane/Et2O and pure Et2O, respectively. The single‐crystal X‐ray structure determinations of 2 b–d show that the overall structural motifs of all three derivatives are closely related. They are all tetranuclear Li aggregates in which the four Li atoms are arranged in an almost regular tetrahedron. These structures can be described as consisting of two linked dimeric units: one Li2Ar2 dimer and a hypothetical Li2nBu2 dimer. The stereochemical aspects of the chiral Li2Ar2 fragment are discussed. The structures as observed in the solid state are apparently retained in solution as revealed by a combination of cryoscopy and 1H, 13C, and 6Li NMR spectroscopy.
Postnatal growth of intrinsic connections in mouse barrel cortex
Authors: Miller Brad , Blake Nicquet M.J. , Erinjeri Joseph P. , Reistad Chet E. , Sexton Tesa , Admire Phillip , Woolsey Thomas A. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractSurprisingly little is known about the development of connections within a functional area of the cerebral cortex. We examined the postnatal growth of connections in mouse barrel cortex during the second and third weeks after birth, coinciding with the period of rapid synaptogenesis that occurs just after the barrels first form. A barrel is a group of neurons in layer 4 of somatosensory cortex that is part of a cortical column. Each whisker/barrel column is linked anatomically and functionally to a homotopic whisker on the contralateral face. Radial groups of cortical neurons were labeled with the neuronal tracer biotinylated dextran amine in mice ranging in age from postnatal day 8 (P8; P0 is the date of birth) to adulthood. The spatial distributions of retrogradely labeled neurons in different laminae were analyzed. The barrel map in layer 4 was used as a template to compare quantitative data from different animals and to account for substantial changes in barrel and barrel field size during development. Intrinsic projections 1) innervate increasingly more distant targets within barrel cortex up to 3 weeks of age; 2) continue to form in targets after 3 weeks, effectively strengthening existing connections; 3) follow a timetable for growth that is layer‐specific; 4) link more distant barrel columns in layer 4 from neurons that are found preferentially in the barrel side and the septa between barrels; and 5) form over the shortest distances between the barrel columns. These data indicate that intrinsic connections in mouse barrel cortex develop by the progressive addition of neuronal connections rather than by sculpting preliminary connections. We describe statistically significant changes in connectivity during development that may be applied to model and assess the development of connections after a variety of experimental perturbations, such as to the environment and/or the genome. J. Comp. Neurol. 436:17–31, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cell death in the development of the posterior cortex in male and female rats
Authors: Nuñez Joseph L. , Lauschke David M. , Juraska Janice M. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractWork from our laboratory has shown that adult male rats have 19% more neurons than female rats in the binocular region and 18% more in the monocular region of the primary visual cortex (Reid and Juraska [1992] J Comp Neurol 321:448–455; Nuñez et al., [1999] Soc Neurosci Abstr 25:229). In the current experiment, we investigated whether cell death in male and female rats (postnatal days 2–35) contributes to the formation of these differences. Using stereological techniques, we investigated neuron density along with pyknotic and apoptotic (TdT‐mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end‐labeled) cell density in the developing posterior cortex (future primary visual cortex). Although no sex differences in neuronal density were found in early development, we observed a differential time course of cell death between the sexes. Consistent with earlier reports, males displayed a rapid rise in cell death, with a peak on day 7 followed by a sharp decline to negligible levels by day 15. Females, however, displayed moderate peaks of cell death on days 7 and 11, with the persistence of low‐to‐modest levels until day 25. Similar patterns were obtained from both pyknotic and apoptotic cell quantification. Also, a formula was developed to estimate the percentage of cells that die during development and the amount of time a dying cell is visible. This study demonstrates that there is a prolonged period of cell death in the posterior cortex of developing female rats that appears to result in more cell death in females than males. This may be an important mechanism by which the sex difference in adult neuron number is created. J. Comp. Neurol. 436:32–41, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Presynaptic kainate receptors in primary afferents to the superficial laminae of the rat spinal cord
Authors: Hwang Se Jin , Pagliardini Silvia , Rustioni Aldo , Valtschanoff Juli G. 
Published: November 2004

AbstractSubunits of glutamate receptors participate in the regulation of sensory transmission at primary afferent synapses in the superficial laminae of dorsal horn (DH). We report here on the distribution of kainate receptors (GluR5/6/7) in these laminae by using light microscope (LM) and electron microscope (EM) immunocytochemistry. Standard (4%) paraformaldehyde fixation resulted in immunostaining for GluR5/6/7 in perikarya and fine processes in lamina II, especially its inner part (IIi). Preembedding EM revealed immunostaining of dendrites, perikarya, and occasional terminals, presumed to be from primary afferent fibers, at the center of glomerular arrangements. In rats perfused with 0.5% paraformaldehyde, LM showed a more punctate staining, mainly in the ventral part of lamina IIi and lamina III, than in material fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Approximately two‐thirds of GluR5/6/7 puncta were also immunostained with synaptophysin, suggesting that in material fixed with 0.5% paraformaldehyde, a large fraction of these are synaptic terminals. Double immunostained puncta disappear 4 days after dorsal rhizotomy, suggesting that most of GluR5/6/7‐immunopositive terminals are from primary afferent fibers. EM material fixed with 0.5% paraformaldehyde confirmed the expression of GluR5/6/7 in numerous synaptic endings with morphology of primary afferents. To determine the type of primary afferent terminals that express GluR5/6/7, two neuroanatomic tracers were injected in the sciatic nerves. The lectin from Bandeiraea simplicifolia (IB4) is selectively taken up by unmyelinated primary afferent fibers that terminate in the outer part of lamina II (IIo) and dorsal part of lamina IIi, whereas the B subunit of the cholera toxin (CTB) is selectively taken up by a broader class of primary afferents which, in superficial DH, terminate mainly in laminae I, ventral part of IIi, and III. Approximately 20% of GluR5/6/7‐immunoreactive puncta colocalized with IB4, whereas approximately 40% of GluR5/6/7‐immunoreactive puncta colocalized with CTB. The present study shows that (1) GluR5/6/7 does not have a clear and consistent spatial relation with postsynaptic sites, (2) a large number of primary afferents express GluR5/6/7, and (3) these are not limited to one functional class. Thus, modulation by glutamate of primary afferent terminals by means of kainate receptors in the superficial laminae of DH may predominantly involve presynaptic mechanisms. J. Comp. Neurol. 436:275–289, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.