bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Does Reward Expectation Influence Cognition in the Human Brain?
Authors: Rowe James B. , Eckstein Doris , Braver Todd , Owen Adrian M.
Published: April 2008

The prospect of reward changes how we think and behave. We investigated how this occurs in the brain using a novel continuous performance task in which fluctuating reward expectations biased cognitive processes between competing spatial and verbal tasks. Critically, effects of reward expectancy could be distinguished from induced changes in task-related networks. Behavioral data confirm specific bias toward a reward-relevant modality. Increased reward expectation improves reaction time and accuracy in the relevant dimension while reducing sensitivity to modulations of stimuli characteristics in the irrelevant dimension. Analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data shows that the proximity to reward over successive trials is associated with increased activity of the medial frontal cortex regardless of the modality. However, there are modality-specific changes in brain activity in the lateral frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex. Analysis of effective connectivity suggests that reward expectancy enhances coupling in both early visual pathways and within the prefrontal cortex. These distributed changes in task-related cortical networks arise from subjects' representations of future events and likelihood of reward.
Neural Indicators of Inference Processes in Text Comprehension: An Event-related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Friese Uwe , Rutschmann Roland , Raabe Markus , Schmalhofer Franz
Published: April 2008

During language comprehension, readers or listeners routinely infer information that has not been stated literally in a given text or utterance in order to construct a coherent mental representation (situation model). We used a verification task in a behavioral study and in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment to investigate the inference construction process. After having read sentences that mention the outcome of an event explicitly, implicitly, or not at all, participants verified the plausibility of short statements with respect to the context of the just read sentence. The results of the behavioral study established the verification task as a valid method for studying inferences. In the fMRI study, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex was the most prominent area that was involved in the processing of inference statements. Regions in the left and right temporal lobes were associated with comparison processes that are based on the propositional representations of context sentence and test statements. The results are discussed with respect to levels of representations and the memory systems that underlie the verification process in the different sentence conditions.
The Neural and Computational Basis of Controlled Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff during Task Performance
Authors: van Veen Vincent , Krug Marie K. , Carter Cameron S.
Published: April 2008

People are capable, at will, of trading speed for accuracy when performing a task; they can focus on performing accurately at the cost of being slow, or emphasize speed at the cost of decreased accuracy. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural correlates of this ability. We show increased baseline activity during speed emphasis in a network of areas related to response preparation and execution, including the premotor areas of the frontal lobe, the basal ganglia, the thalamus, and the dorsolateral prefrontal and left parietal cortices. Furthermore, speed emphasis was associated with reduced transient response-related activation in several of these structures, suggesting that because of the greater baseline activity under speed emphasis, less activation is needed in these structures to reach response threshold, consistent with the assumptions of several computational theories. Moreover, we identify the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as providing the top-down control signal that increases this baseline activity.
Sustained Activities and Retrieval in a Computational Model of the Perirhinal Cortex
Authors: Vitay Julien , Hamker Fred H.
Published: April 2008

The perirhinal cortex is involved not only in object recognition and novelty detection but also in multimodal integration, reward association, and visual working memory. We propose a computational model that focuses on the role of the perirhinal cortex in working memory, particularly with respect to sustained activities and memory retrieval. This model describes how different partial informations are integrated into assemblies of neurons that represent the identity of an object. Through dopaminergic modulation, the resulting clusters can retrieve the global information with recurrent interactions between neurons. Dopamine leads to sustained activities after stimulus disappearance that form the basis of the involvement of the perirhinal cortex in visual working memory processes. The information carried by a cluster can also be retrieved by a partial thalamic or prefrontal stimulation. Thus, we suggest that areas involved in planning and memory coordination encode a pointer to access the detailed information encoded in the associative cortex such as the perirhinal cortex.
Reproduction and sexual dimorphism of Lepidophyma sylvaticum (Squamata: Xantusiidae), a tropical night lizard from Tlanchinol, Hidalgo, Mexico
Authors: Ramírez-Bautista Aurelio , Vitt Laurie , Ramírez-Hernández Alejandra , Mendoza Quijano Fernando , Smith Geoffrey
Published: April 2008

We studied reproductive characteristics of the night lizard, Lepidophyma sylvaticum (Xantusiidae) from cloud forest in Tlanchinol, Hidalgo, Mexico. Males reached sexual maturity at a snout-vent length (SVL) of 55 mm, and females reached sexual maturity at a SVL of 56 mm. Males and females were not sexually dimorphic in SVL, but males had significantly larger heads and limbs than females. Reproduction in males and females was seasonal. Testicular mass increased in July and August, reaching maximum size in September. Minimum testes size occurred in March. Follicles of females began to increase in size in September when vitellogenesis was observed. Follicles in some females increased in mass during January-March, whereas other females ovulated during that period. Late embryonic stages (35-40) were observed in July with parturition likely occurring in July and August, coincident with maximum rainfall. Litter size averaged 4.7 ± 0 .4 neonates, and was not correlated with female size. Similarities in reproductive characteristics between L. sylvaticum and other xantusiids (viviparity, long gestation period) suggest that some reproductive characteristics have a historical origin.
A new species of the diurnal gekkonid genus Pristurus Rüppell, 1835 from the Red Sea island Hanish al-Kabir, Yemen
Authors: Rösler Herbert , Böhme Wolfgang , Köhler Jörn
Published: April 2008

We describe a new species of gecko of the genus Pristurus from the Yemenite Red Sea Island Hanish al-Kabir. It is a small species (snout-vent length less than 30 mm) of the genus, distinguished from its congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters. Superficially, it is most similar to P. rupestris, but differs mainly by a longer and narrower snout, by its strongly compressed tail, presence of a lateral caudal groove, by a tail crest present in both sexes, by a higher number of scales bordering infralabials and a higher midbody scale count. The new species is tentatively considered to represent an island endemic. Its possible origin is briefly discussed.
Basking in the Australian water dragon Physignathus lesueurii; why do alpha males not respond to operative temperatures in the same way as adults and sub-adults?
Authors: Avery Roger , Meek Roger
Published: April 2008

Observations have been made on the behaviour of the Australian water dragon Physignathus lesueurii in southeast Australia. Physical models that explore the thermal environment at a similar spatial level as real lizards were related to ontogenetic changes in lizard behaviour. Current theory predicts that a heliotherm will bask in open locations to optimise heating rates in order to attain target body temperatures as quickly as possible. Movement to shaded or partially shaded areas then maintains thermal stability. Regression equations of basking intensity in relation to operative temperatures were employed to test this theory. The behaviour of adults, which were not alpha males, and sub adults was in agreement with the prediction, but the behaviour of alpha males was not: the regression coefficient did not differ significantly from 0. In general, sub adult lizards were more active and fed more often than larger lizards although this relationship changed with different times of the day. The results suggest differing costs for thermoregulation for different size classes, particularly in alpha males where territory defence has a key role.
Interspecific and intersexual variation in presacral vertebrae number in Podarcis bocagei and P. carbonelli
Authors: Carretero Miguel , Llorente Gustavo , Kaliontzopoulou Antigoni
Published: April 2008

Podarcis bocagei and P. carbonelli are two closely related lizard species, endemic to the western Iberian Peninsula. Although genetic and morphological distinction between them is now well established, information on anatomical features is still very restricted. We studied presacral vertebrae number in both species, separately examining cervical and trunk vertebrae counts, in order to assess the interspecific and intersexual variation in these characters. There was no significant interspecific variation among lizards of the same sex for any of the vertebrae counts studied. However, important sexual variation existed, females presenting higher counts than males for both trunk and total presacral vertebrae, while males showed higher values of cervical vertebrae. Although our results lie within the known limits for other closely related species, they reveal that vertebrae number might present higher intraspecific variation than previously thought.
A multi-year and multi-site population study on the life history of Salamandrina perspicillata (Savi, 1821) (Amphibia, Urodela)
Authors: Utzeri Carlo , Angelini Claudio , Antonelli Damiano
Published: April 2008

We studied nine populations of Salamandrina perspicillata for two to nine years and described the life history variation among these population. Despite experiencing similar climatic conditions, populations differed in mean body size: populations using still water bodies for oviposition were larger body-sized than those using brooks. One semi-natural pond was used by particularly small individuals and was probably recently colonised. The mean body size of ovipositing females varied from year to year. Measurements of individuals in successive years showed that the tail grew more than the trunk and this differential growth increased with age. Females did not oviposit every year and, within a given population, the number of ovipositing females varied widely from year to year.
Negotiating 'Plainness' and Gender: Dancing and Apparel at Christian Weddings in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, 1913-1944
Authors: Urban-Mead Wendy
Published: April 2008

This article analyzes the phenomena of dancing and wedding apparel in weddings of rural members of an unusual Protestant denomination of Anabaptist origins in Matabeleland, colonial Zimbabwe. The focus is on gendered aspects of African Christian adaptation of mission teaching amongst Ndebele members of the Brethren in Christ Church. The church in North America was firm at home on the matter of dancing (it was forbidden), and internally conflicted regarding men's garb. In the decades preceding World War II, African members of the church embraced fashionable dress for grooms and dancing at wedding feasts as common practice at BICC weddings. However, in a gendered pattern reflecting Ndebele, colonial and mission ideas of women's subjection, African women's bridal wear adhered to church teaching on Plainness, while African men's did not.
Inside the Camera Obscura: Kepler's Experiment and Theory of Optical Imagery
Authors: Dupré Sven
Published: April 2008

In his Paralipomena (1604) Johannes Kepler reported an experimentum that he had seen in the Dresden Kunstkammer. In one of the rooms there, which had been turned in its entirety into a camera obscura, he had witnessed the images formed by a lens. I discuss the role of this experiment in the development and foundation of his new theory of optical imagery, which made a distinction between two concepts of image, pictura and imago. My focus is on how Kepler used his report of the experiment inside the camera obscura to criticize the account of image formation given in Giovanbattista Della Porta's Magia naturalis (1589). I argue that this experiment allowed Kepler to sort out the confusion between images 'in the air'—referring to the geometrical locus of images in the perspectivist tradition of optics—and the experimentally produced 'projected images', which were empirically familiar but conceptually alien to perspectivist optics.
Kolkata and China
Authors: Sen Tansen
Published: April 2008

The articles and book reviews included in this issue of China Report resulted from symposiums held in New York and Kolkata in 2006–07.1 The theme of these symposiums was the Chinese Indian community in Kolkata and featured Rafeeq Ellias's moving documentary on the Chinese Indians called The Legend of Fat Mama. Two issues were evident to the participants and audiences of these symposiums. First, very few people knew about the history and experiences of the Chinese community in India. Second, although exchanges between Kolkata, which was named the capital of British India in 1772, and China seem to have started in the last quarter of the eighteenth century and flourished during nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, little attempt has been made to study these interactions. This issue is the first step in redressing some of these deficiencies. Only two aspects related to the ‘unexplored’ links between Kolkata and China are highlighted in this collection. The first three articles and the two book reviews focus on the Chinese Indian community in Kolkata. The fourth and fifth articles examine the travelogues of Bengalis who visited China during the first half of the twentieth century.
A Qualitative Investigation of Graduate-Student Changes Associated With Multicultural Counseling Courses
Authors: Sammons Cynthia C. , Speight Suzette L.
Published: April 2008

The critical incidents technique was used to gather information from graduate students about the changes they experienced connected to their participation in multicultural counseling courses. Trainees were also asked what course elements were linked to their personal changes. Racial and ethnic differences in response frequencies were analyzed. A diverse sample of 124 trainees from a variety of graduate programs participated in this Web-based qualitative survey. Trainees reported changes in terms of increased knowledge, increased self-understanding, attitude, and behavior and attributed these changes to didactic, interactive, and reflective activities, the influence of the instructor, and the course as a whole. The identified themes are illustrated through the use of the trainees' own words. Chi-square analyses found no differences between students of color and White students in types of changes reported or elements reported as catalysts for changes. The implications of these findings for the future of multicultural counseling training are discussed.
The Uses and Abuses of Nietzsche in the Third Reich: Alfred Baeumler's 'Heroic Realism'
Authors: Whyte Max
Published: April 2008

The role of Nietzsche's philosophy in the National Socialist ideological nexus remains to be fully understood. Postwar attempts to 'de-nazify' Nietzsche have obscured the historical and intellectual links between Nietzschean philosophy and National Socialist politics behind generic claims of misinterpretation. Using the prominent National Socialist philosopher Alfred Baeumler as a prism, this article is an attempt to shed a more nuanced light on the Nietzsche/National Socialist synthesis. Baeumler's portrait of Nietzsche as the envoy of a new spirit of 'heroic realism' served as a crucial counterpoint for the Nietzsche reception in the Third Reich. An analysis of its origins, impact and reception affords a particularly illuminating perspective on the darker side of Nietzsche's historical legacy.
Out of New Orleans
Authors: Morris Jerome E.
Published: April 2008

The torrential rains from Hurricane Katrina, the breaking of the levees, and the subsequent flooding of New Orleans resulted in another Black Diaspora. This article focuses on Black children and families who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina but now reside in cities, towns, and suburbs outside of the Crescent City. Informed by the author's ongoing investigation in a predominantly Black suburb in the U.S. South, this article puts forth the need for the scholarly community to develop more robust conceptual frameworks that interrogate the interconnectedness of race, social class, and place in researching and understanding the Katrina Diaspora.
Assessing Experts' Views of the Future of Long-Term Care
Authors: Miller Edward Alan , Booth Mark , Mor Vincent
Published: April 2008

Consensus is growing that long-term care delivery, regulation, and financing are no longer viable, a concern that will grow more salient as the population ages. To better understand these prevailing challenges, the authors interviewed experts regarding the current state of long-term care in the United States, the attributes of an ideal long-term care system, and potential areas for reform. The findings highlight the problem of maintaining an adequate workforce despite changing demographics. They also identify commonly agreed upon attributes of an ideal system—person centered, professionally rewarding, integrated, affordable, accountable, community based, and consumer directed—in addition to less commonly identified attributes—supportive, comprehensive, dignified, culturally appropriate, innovative, responsible, and safe and secure. Areas for reform include workforce recruitment and retention, financing and insurance, quality improvement and regulation, health information technology, and organizational change and innovation. The challenges facing long-term care must be addressed by both government and private citizens alike if long-term care recipients' lives are to improve and the increased demand for services is to be met.
Evidence-based guidelines for treating depressive disorders with antidepressants: A revision of the 2000 British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines
Authors: Anderson IM , Ferrier IN , Baldwin RC , Cowen PJ , Howard L , Lewis G , Matthews K , McAllister-Williams RH , Peveler RC , Scott J , Tylee A
Published: April 2008

A revision of the 2000 British Association for Psychopharmacology evidence-based guidelines for treating depressive disorders with antidepressants was undertaken to incorporate new evidence and to update the recommendations where appropriate. A consensus meeting involving experts in depressive disorders and their management was held in May 2006. Key areas in treating depression were reviewed, and the strength of evidence and clinical implications were considered. The guidelines were drawn up after extensive feedback from participants and interested parties. A literature review is provided, which identifies the quality of evidence to inform the recommendations, the strength of which are based on the level of evidence. These guidelines cover the nature and detection of depressive disorders, acute treatment with antidepressant drugs, choice of drug versus alternative treatment, practical issues in prescribing and management, next-step treatment, relapse prevention, treatment of relapse, and stopping treatment.
Women and Higher Education in Russia
Authors: Hodges Nancy Nelson , Karpova Elena
Published: April 2008

This qualitative study explored the motivations, goals, and experiences of 25 female apparel majors enrolled at two large Russian universities. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and a demographic questionnaire, and interpreted thematically to explore commonalities and differences across student narratives. Substantial reforms resulting from profound socioeconomic and political changes have affected both higher education and industry in Russia. Based on the analysis of student narratives, three topical areas are used to structure the thematic interpretation and to address key issues stemming from the students' perceptions regarding the relationship between Russian apparel programs and the country's apparel industry. The results establish the significance of apparel programs for facilitating Russian women's career aspirations and have implications for understanding the educational and employment goals of women from an international perspective. Further research is needed to understand the roles these Russian women take on within the industry after graduation.
Guilt, Sympathy, and Cooperation: EU—Baltic Relations in the Early 1990s
Authors: Lasas Ainius
Published: April 2008

The period between March 1990 and June 1993 represents the critical window for European Union (EU)—Baltic relations. During this time Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania laid the foundation for future EU membership. For its part, the European community made a commitment to include the three republics in the process of enlargement. This paper traces the beginnings of EU—Baltic cooperation and examines factors that led to growing political and economic convergence. Nordic membership in the EU, ex-Soviet troop withdrawal, and Russian parliamentary elections were instrumental in bringing both sides together on the road to enlargement, but collective guilt provided the underlying rationale. In this paper, the author argues that it is impossible to understand fully this process of convergence without taking into account the connotations and consequences of the “black trinity”: the Munich pact, the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, and the Yalta agreement.
Psychoanalysis
Authors: Malone Kareen Ror
Published: April 2008

This paper examines the decision within Lacanian psychoanalysis to formalize the theory of psychoanalytic praxis. The intrinsic problematics of analysis, the place of authority, unconscious knowledge, the roles of embodiment and representation, and singularity are addressed as challenges that psychoanalytic theory must address. It is argued that psychoanalysis cannot locate its autonomy from or complicity with hegemonic cultural discourses without a clear sense of the specificity of its practice. This is addressed in detail. Part of Lacan's formulation of the four discourses was in fact to situate just such an interface founded in the structure of speaking and its remains and located between a separation from and enmeshment in social and cultural representations and arrangements. In light of this effort, I question the rather chilly reception of Lacan's formalization by North American and anglophone analysts in terms of the role of affect, the place of norms and knowledge, and issues about theory.
When White Buffalo Calf Woman Meets Oedipus on the Road
Authors: Haaken Jan
Published: April 2008

This paper constructs a conversation about male violence between psychoanalytic feminism and Lakota psychology, based on interviews carried out at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in the United States. The paper has four aims. First, it outlines the concepts in feminist psychoanalytic theory that inform this study, and discusses key dilemmas that arise in working across cultural borders established through histories of colonial domination. Second, the paper identifies areas of common ground between feminist psychoanalytic theory and indigenous psychologies, focusing on their shared emphasis on traumatic splits in the human psyche, gender development, and storytelling. Third, the paper describes the Cangleska program developed by Lakota practitioners at Pine Ridge-a systematically conceived set of services that combines psychological, cultural, and political analyses of violence-and explains how Cangleska offers insights that go beyond the borders of indigenous communities. Fourth, the paper draws out lines of convergence between Kleinian psychoanalysis and Lakota principles in their ethical responses to violence and discusses the implications of such convergences for the wider anti-violence movement.
'Between Two Deaths'
Authors: Shingu Kazushige , Funaki Tetsuo
Published: April 2008

In both Western and Eastern traditions, human beings have had a tendency to imagine another death that would come after a physical, somatic death. There is an interval between two deaths, while they await the Last Judgment or the ultimate salvation. However, it must be noted that, aside from this tendency, there have also been particular thoughts that have laid emphasis on the anticipation of this second death from beyond, working its way into our lives. This anticipated nirvana was adumbrated in Beyond the Pleasure Principle by Freud, personified in the figure of Antigone by Lacan, and conceptualized as `the stage of the truly settled in this world' in Japanese Buddhism. We thus point out the structural homology between psychoanalytic thought and Japanese Buddhism. These concepts of anticipated nirvana were created in order to deal with the people's agonizing craving for an afterlife, which may be related to neurotic suffering.
Postcolonial Psychoanalysis
Authors: Hook Derek
Published: April 2008

J.M. Coetzee's undervalued paper `The Mind of Apartheid' provides a novel means of identifying the preoccupations of a `postcolonial psychoanalysis'. Such an approach to critique offers a tentative psychical-political diagnostics which pertains not only to the affective and discursive dynamics of the colonial sphere as a whole, but also to the subject-/desire-positioning enforced by the pathological colonial relation. Not reducible to the level of textual reading practices, this style of critique makes reference to a series of psychoanalytic concepts (anxiety, fantasy, ambivalence, disavowal) which are never merely figurative and which remain necessarily related to the frame of individual psychical functioning. Ultimately a postcolonial psychoanalysis offers a political analytics of desire that proves useful in engaging both the contents (racial/sexual fantasy) and the dynamics (affective economies, relational subject-positioning) of the psychic life of colonial power. It allows us to identify potential subversions (slippages of colonial authority and identity, the `return effect' of colonial desire) and to bring into focus those process elements (metaphoric condensation, metonymic displacement) that spread and sustain racist ideology and thereby much of the underlying rationality of (post)colonial power.
Establishing Literature-Based Items for an Oral Mucositis Assessment Tool in Children
Authors: Tomlinson Deborah , Judd Peter , Hendershot Eleanor , Maloney Anne-Marie , Sung Lillian
Published: April 2008

Although there are numerous instruments for oral mucositis (OM) assessment in adults, there is a lack of validated instruments for use in children. The objectives of this systematic review were to describe literature-based items that should be considered for a pediatric mucositis scale and other issues that should be considered when assessing mucositis in children. Literature search of PubMed and bibliography searches identified articles relevant to the assessment of mucositis and mucositis assessment studies in children. The elements established from the literature were grouped under objective, subjective, and functional items. Other issues that require consideration include the conditions for the assessment of the oral cavity and the etiology of OM. The resultant list included 23 items that have been used in mucositis assessment scales. This list of items may be used as an initial step in developing a new pediatric OM scale that particularly focuses on the unique issues in children.
Basaloid Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising of the Renal Pelvis
Authors: Hagemann I.S. , Lu J. , Lewis J.S.
Published: April 2008

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma is an uncommon and highly aggressive variant that can occur anywhere squamous cancers occur. It is most often seen in the head and neck, the perianal region, and the female genital tract. It is extremely rare in the urinary system. In this article, we report the first known case of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma arising in the renal pelvis. Given the aggressive nature of this neoplasm, it should not be omitted from the differential diagnosis of neoplasms arising from the urothelium.
Acinic Cell Carcinoma of Salivary Gland With Massive Deposits of Globular Amyloid
Authors: Drut Ricardo , Giménez Pedro Osvaldo
Published: April 2008

We present the case of a 23-year-old woman with a parotid gland tumor, the fine-needle aspiration biopsy smears of which showed epithelial cells with wide cytoplasm, isolated or arranged in micropapillary groups together with psammoma bodies. The surgical specimen contained a 5-cm tumor with the histologic features of an acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) with papillary areas. Notably, the cells of the tumor seemed to follow a sequence from large cells with rounded nuclei with open chromatin and prominent nucleoli to vacuolated cells with granular material, and finally to cells undergoing apoptosis. This finding was followed by the appearance of concentrically laminated, round to polygonal, Congo red—positive, birefringent bodies that in areas accumulated and formed extensive areas with massive deposits. The picture suggested that those amyloid bodies (psammoma bodies) resulted from the accumulation of residual masses of apoptotic cells. Huge globular amyloid deposits, the suggested name for this material irrespective of the type of amyloid, have not been previously reported in ACC of salivary gland.
Cystic Hypersecretory Carcinoma of the Breast With Paget Disease of the Nipple: A Diagnostic Challenge
Authors: Sahoo Sunati , Gopal Purva , Roland Lane , Pile Nancy
Published: April 2008

A unique case of cystic hypersecretory carcinoma in a 48-year-old woman who presented with a tender, palpable abnormality of the lower outer quadrant of her left breast in 2002 is described. Mammographic and ultrasound examinations showed heterogeneous, dense breast tissue with a focal asymmetric density and an ill-defined heterogenous hypoechoic area with anechoic spaces, respectively, that corresponded to the area of palpable abnormality. Although the imaging findings did not change significantly over 4 years, the patient complained of intermittent, spontaneous serous discharge from the left nipple and persistent induration and tenderness in the same area of the left breast. An ultrasound-guided core-needle biopsy of the lesion was performed at the last visit to rule out a malignant process. A left simple mastectomy showed a large multicystic lesion occupying most of the lower quadrants by a cystic hypersecretory carcinoma and Paget disease of the nipple.
OLGA Gastritis Staging in Young Adults and Country-Specific Gastric Cancer Risk
Authors: Rugge Massimo , Kim Jong G. , Mahachai Varocha , Miehlke Stephan , Pennelli Gianmaria , Russo Valentina M. , Perng Chin-Lin , Chang Full-Young , Tandon Rakesh K. , Singal Dinesh K. , Sung Joseph J.Y. , Valenzuela Jorge E. , Realdi Giuseppe , Dore Maria P. , Graham David Y
Published: April 2008

Geographical differences have been shown in the clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori—associated gastritis phenotypes and in gastric cancer risk. This study tested whether the Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) staging correlated with gastric cancer risk in populations from 3 continents. Mapped gastric biopsies were obtained from 316 dyspeptic adults aged less than 41 years from 8 geographic areas that differed in gastric cancer risk. Gastric atrophy was assessed according to internationally validated criteria. Gastritis stage was established according to the OLGA staging system. The most prevalent gastritis stages were 0 to II, which included all subjects entered from Chile, Germany, India, Italy, and Thailand. Gastritis Stages III and IV were limited to the Chinese and Korean populations. Indians had a high prevalence of H pylori infection without high-stage gastritis. In populations at different cancer risk, the gastritis OLGA stage mirrored the gastric cancer incidence. Gastritis staging identifies a subgroup of higher-risk patients.
The Protective Effect of Bergamot Oil Extract on Lecitine-like OxyLDL Receptor-1 Expression in Balloon Injury-related Neointima Formation
Authors: Mollace Vincenzo , Ragusa Salvatore , Sacco Iolanda , Muscoli Carolina , Sculco Francesca , Visalli Valeria , Palma Ernesto , Muscoli Saverio , Mondello Luigi , Dugo Paola , Rotiroti Domenicantonio , Romeo Francesco
Published: April 2008

Lectin-like oxyLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) has recently been suggested to be involved in smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation and neointima formation in injured blood vessels. This study evaluates the effect of the nonvolatile fraction (NVF), the antioxidant component of bergamot essential oil (BEO), on LOX-1 expression and free radical generation in a model of rat angioplasty. Common carotid arteries injured by balloon angioplasty were removed after 14 days for histopathological, biochemical, and immunohistochemical studies. Balloon injury led to a significant restenosis with SMC proliferation and neointima formation, accompanied by increased expression of LOX-1 receptor, malondialdehyde and superoxide formation, and nitrotyrosine staining. Pretreatment of rats with BEO-NVF reduced the neointima proliferation together with free radical formation and LOX-1 expression in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that natural antioxidants may be relevant in the treatment of vascular disorders in which proliferation of SMCs and oxyLDL-related endothelial cell dysfunction are involved.
Patient—Provider Communication
Authors: Cortes Dharma E. , Mulvaney-Day Norah , Fortuna Lisa , Reinfeld Sarah , Alegría Margarita
Published: April 2008

This article highlights results from the Right Question Project—Mental Health (RQP-MH), an intervention designed to teach skills in question formulation and to increase patients' participation in decisions about mental health treatment. Of participants in the RQP-MH intervention, 83% were from a Latino background, and 75% of the interviews were conducted in Spanish. The authors present the steps participants undertook in the process of becoming “activated” to formulate effective questions and develop decision-making skills in relation to their care. Findings suggest that patient activation and empowerment are interdependent because many of the skills (i.e., question formulation, direct patient—provider communication) required to become an “activated patient” are essential to achieve empowerment. Also, findings suggest that cultural and contextual factors can influence the experience of Latinos regarding participation in health care interactions. The authors provide recommendations for continued research on the patient activation process and further application of this strategy in the mental health field, especially with Latinos.
Glatiramer acetate after induction therapy with mitoxantrone in relapsing multiple sclerosis
Authors: Vollmer T , Panitch H , Bar-Or A , Dunn J , Freedman MS , Gazda SK , Campagnolo D , Deutsch F , Arnold DL
Published: April 2008

Forty relapsing multiple sclerosis patients with 1–15 gadolinium (Gd)-enhancing lesions on screening brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores 0–6.5 were randomized to receive short-term induction therapy with mitoxantrone (three monthly 12 mg/m2 infusions) followed by 12 months of daily glatiramer acetate (GA) therapy 20 mg/day subcutaneously for a total of 15 months (M-GA, n = 21) or daily GA 20 mg/day for 15 months (GA, n = 19). MRI scans were performed at months 6, 9, 12 and 15. The primary measure of outcome was the incidence of adverse events; secondary measures included number of Gd-enhanced lesions, confirmed relapses and EDSS changes. Except age, baseline demographic characteristics were well matched in both treatment arms. Both treatments were safe and well tolerated. M-GA induction produced an 89% greater reduction (relative risk (RR) = 0.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04–0.36, p = 0.0001) in the number of Gd-enhancing lesions at months 6 and 9 and a 70% reduction (RR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.11–0.86, p = 0.0147) at months 12 and 15 versus GA alone. Mean relapse rates were 0.16 and 0.32 in the M-GA and GA groups, respectively. Short-term immunosuppression with mitoxantrone followed by daily GA for up to 15 months was found to be safe and effective, with an early and sustained decrease in MRI disease activity.
Apneusis responding to buspirone in multiple sclerosis
Authors: O’Sullivan RJ , Brown IG , Pender MP
Published: April 2008

Apneusis is a disturbance of respiratory rhythm characterized by severely prolonged inspiratory effort, and is caused by bilateral lesions in the dorsal pons. In humans it is most commonly caused by pontine infarction and has rarely been reported in multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we report on a patient with MS who developed episodic apneusis which responded to treatment with buspirone, a serotonin type 1A receptor agonist.
Guanine exchange factor RalGDS mediates exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies from endothelial cells
Authors: Rondaij Mariska G. , Bierings Ruben , van Agtmaal Ellen L. , Gijzen Karina A. , Sellink Erica , Kragt Astrid , Ferguson Stephen S. G. , Mertens Koen , Hannah Matthew J. , van Mourik Jan A. , Fernandez-Borja Mar , Voorberg Jan
Published: April 2008

The small GTP-binding protein Ral has been implicated in regulated exocytosis via its interaction with the mammalian exocyst complex. We have previously demonstrated that Ral is involved in exocytosis of Weibel-Palade bodies (WPBs). Little is known about intracellular signaling pathways that promote activation of Ral in response to ligand binding of G protein–coupled receptors. Here we show that RNAi-mediated knockdown of RalGDS, an exchange factor for Ral, results in inhibition of thrombin- and epinephrine-induced exocytosis of WPBs, while overexpression of RalGDS promotes exocytosis of WPBs. A RalGDS variant lacking its exchange domain behaves in a dominant negative manner by blocking release of WPBs. We also provide evidence that RalGDS binds calmodulin (CaM) via an amino-terminal CaM-binding domain. RalGDS association to CaM is required for Ral activation because a cell-permeable peptide comprising this RalGDS CaM-binding domain inhibits Ral activation and WPB exocytosis. Together our findings suggest that RalGDS plays a vital role in the regulation of Ral-dependent WPB exocytosis after stimulation with Ca2+- or cAMP-raising agonists.
Human mast cell activation with virus-associated stimuli leads to the selective chemotaxis of natural killer cells by a CXCL8-dependent mechanism
Authors: Burke Sarah M. , Issekutz Thomas B. , Mohan Karkada , Lee Patrick W. K. , Shmulevitz Maya , Marshall Jean S.
Published: April 2008

Human mast cells are found in skin and mucosal surfaces and next to blood vessels. They play a sentinel cell role in immunity, recognizing invading pathogens and producing proinflammatory mediators. Mast cells can recruit granulocytes, and monocytes in allergic disease and bacterial infection, but their ability to recruit antiviral effector cells such as natural killer (NK) cells and T cells has not been fully elucidated. To investigate the role of human mast cells in response to virus-associated stimuli, human cord blood–derived mast cells (CBMCs) were stimulated with polyinosinic·polycytidylic acid, a double-stranded RNA analog, or infected with the double-stranded RNA virus, reovirus serotype 3 Dearing for 24 hours. CBMCs responded to stimulation with polyinosinic·polycytidylic acid by producing a distinct chemokine profile, including CCL4, CXCL8, and CXCL10. CBMCs produced significant amounts of CXCL8 in response to low levels of reovirus infection, while both skin- and lung-derived fibroblasts were unresponsive unless higher doses of reovirus were used. Supernatants from CBMCs infected with reovirus induced substantial NK cell chemotaxis that was highly dependent on CXCL8 and CXCR1. These results suggest a novel role for mast cells in the recruitment of human NK cells to sites of early viral infection via CXCL8.
A new mechanism for the aging of hematopoietic stem cells: aging changes the clonal composition of the stem cell compartment but not individual stem cells
Authors: Cho Rebecca H. , Sieburg Hans B. , Muller-Sieburg Christa E.
Published: April 2008

Whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) change with aging has been controversial. Previously, we showed that the HSC compartment in young mice consists of distinct subsets, each with predetermined self-renewal and differentiation behavior. Three classes of HSCs can be distinguished based on their differentiation programs: lymphoid biased, balanced, and myeloid biased. We now show that aging causes a marked shift in the representation of these HSC subsets. A clonal analysis of repopulating HSCs demonstrates that lymphoid-biased HSCs are lost and long-lived myeloid-biased HSCs accumulate in the aged. Myeloid-biased HSCs from young and aged sources behave similarly in all aspects tested. This indicates that aging does not change individual HSCs. Rather, aging changes the clonal composition of the HSC compartment. We show further that genetic factors contribute to the age-related changes of the HSC subsets. In comparison with B6 mice, aged D2 mice show a more pronounced shift toward myeloid-biased HSCs with a corresponding reduction in the number of both T- and B-cell precursors. This suggests that low levels of lymphocytes in the blood can be a marker for HSC aging. The loss of lymphoid-biased HSCs may contribute to the impaired immune response to infectious diseases and cancers in the aged.
Flk2+ common lymphoid progenitors possess equivalent differentiation potential for the B and T lineages
Authors: Karsunky Holger , Inlay Matthew A. , Serwold Thomas , Bhattacharya Deepta , Weissman Irving L.
Published: April 2008

Mature blood cells develop from multipotent hematopoietic stem cells through a series of sequential intermediates in which the developmental potential for particular blood lineages is progressively extinguished. We previously reported the identification of one of these developmental intermediates, the common lymphoid progenitor (CLP), which can give rise to T cells, B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and natural killer cells (NKs), but lacks myeloid and erythroid potential. Recently, several studies have suggested that the T-cell and DC potential of CLP is limited or absent, and/or that CLP contains significant myeloid potential. Here, we show that the originally identified CLP population can be divided into functionally distinct subsets based on the expression of the tyrosine kinase receptor, Flk2. The Flk2+ subset contains robust in vivo and in vitro T-cell, B-cell, DC, and NK potential, but lacks myeloid potential and, therefore, represents an oligopotent, lymphoid-restricted progenitor. This population of cells does not appear to be B cell–biased and robustly reconstitutes both B and T lineages in vivo, consistent with its being a physiologic progenitor of both of these subsets. Thus, Flk2 expression defines a homogeneous, readily obtainable subset of bone marrow CLP that is completely lymphoid-committed and can differentiate equivalently well into both B and T lineages.
Explorative data analysis of MCL reveals gene expression networks implicated in survival and prognosis supported by explorative CGH analysis
Authors: Blenk Steffen , Engelmann Julia C , Pinkert Stefan , Weniger Markus , Schultz Jörg , Rosenwald Andreas , Müller-Hermelink Hans K , Müller Tobias , Dandekar Thomas
Published: April 2008

Background

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an incurable B cell lymphoma and accounts for 6% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. On the genetic level, MCL is characterized by the hallmark translocation t(11;14) that is present in most cases with few exceptions. Both gene expression and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) data vary considerably between patients with implications for their prognosis.

Methods

We compare patients over and below the median of survival. Exploratory principal component analysis of gene expression data showed that the second principal component correlates well with patient survival. Explorative analysis of CGH data shows the same correlation.

Results

On chromosome 7 and 9 specific genes and bands are delineated which improve prognosis prediction independent of the previously described proliferation signature. We identify a compact survival predictor of seven genes for MCL patients. After extensive re-annotation using GEPAT, we established protein networks correlating with prognosis. Well known genes (CDC2, CCND1) and further proliferation markers (WEE1, CDC25, aurora kinases, BUB1, PCNA, E2F1) form a tight interaction network, but also non-proliferative genes (SOCS1, TUBA1B CEBPB) are shown to be associated with prognosis. Furthermore we show that aggressive MCL implicates a gene network shift to higher expressed genes in late cell cycle states and refine the set of non-proliferative genes implicated with bad prognosis in MCL.

Conclusion

The results from explorative data analysis of gene expression and CGH data are complementary to each other. Including further tests such as Wilcoxon rank test we point both to proliferative and non-proliferative gene networks implicated in inferior prognosis of MCL and identify suitable markers both in gene expression and CGH data.
GM-CSF/IL-3/IL-5 receptor common β chain (CD131) expression as a biomarker of antigen-stimulated CD8+ T cells
Authors: Selleri Silvia , Deola Sara , Pos Zoltan , Jin Ping , Worschech Andrea , Slezak Stefanie L , Rumio Cristiano , Panelli Monica C , Maric Dragan , Stroncek David F , Wang Ena , Marincola Francesco M
Published: April 2008

Background

Upon Ag-activation cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) produce IFN-γ GM-CSF and TNF-α, which deliver simultaneously pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory signals to the surrounding microenvironment. Whether this secretion affects in an autocrine loop the CTLs themselves is unknown.

Methods

Here, we compared the transcriptional profile of Ag-activated, Flu-specific CTL stimulated with the FLU M1:58-66 peptide to that of convivial CTLs expandedin vitroin the same culture. PBMCs from 6 HLA-A*0201 expressing donors were expanded for 7 days in culture following Flu M1:58-66 stimulation in the presence of 300 IU/ml of interleukin-2 and than sorted by high speed sorting to high purity CD8+ expressing T cells gated according to FluM1:58-66 tetrameric human leukocyte antigen complexes expression.

Results

Ag-activated CTLs displayed higher levels of IFN-γ, GM-CSF (CSF2) and GM-CSF/IL-3/IL-5 receptor common β- chain (CD131) but lacked completely expression of IFN-γ receptor-II and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). This observation suggested that Ag-activated CTLs in preparation for the release of IFN-γ and GM-CSF shield themselves from the potentially apoptotic effects of the former entrusting their survival to GM-SCF.In vitrophenotyping confirmed the selective surface expression of CD131 by Ag-activated CTLs and their increased proliferation upon exogenous administration of GM-CSF.

Conclusion

The selective responsiveness of Ag-activated CTLs to GM-CSF may provide an alternative explanation to the usefulness of this chemokine as an adjuvant for T cell aimed vaccines. Moreover, the selective expression of CD131 by Ag-activated CTLs proposes CD131 as a novel biomarker of Ag-dependent CTL activation.