bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aplastic Crisis as a Complication of Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia Type II
Authors: Heimpel H. , Wilts H. , Hirschmann W.D. , Hofmann W.K. , Siciliano R.D. , Steinke B. , Wechsler J.G.
Published: November 2006

A transient aplastic crisis (TAC) is a well-known complication in all types of chronic hemolytic anemia but only 2 cases of such an event were described in congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs). Here, we report a third case, and by retrospective chart review of 78 cases we found evidence of TAC in 8 further patients with CDA II, with serological evidence of previous human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection in all but one. Although B19V infection results in TAC in only a minority of patients with CDA, physicians responsible for these patients should be aware of such a potentially life-threatening complication. Testing for B19V-specific IgG is recommended in patients with CDA to estimate the risk of a possible future aplastic crisis.
A Downloadable Three-Dimensional Virtual Model of the Visible Ear
Authors: Wang Haobing , Merchant Saumil N. , Sorensen Mads S.
Published: November 2006

Purpose: To develop a three-dimensional (3-D) virtual model of a human temporal bone and surrounding structures. Methods: A fresh-frozen human temporal bone was serially sectioned and digital images of the surface of the tissue block were recorded (the ‘Visible Ear’). The image stack was resampled at a final resolution of 50 × 50 × 50/100 µm/voxel, registered in custom software and segmented in PhotoShop® 7.0. The segmented image layers were imported into Amira® 3.1 to generate smooth polygonal surface models. Results: The 3-D virtual model presents the structures of the middle, inner and outer ears in their surgically relevant surroundings. It is packaged within a cross-platform freeware, which allows for full rotation, visibility and transparency control, as well as the ability to slice the 3-D model open at any section. The appropriate raw image can be superimposed on the cleavage plane. The model can be downloaded at https://research.meei.harvard.edu/Otopathology/3dmodels/
Pyomyoma in a Perimenopausal Woman with Intrauterine Device
Authors: Manchana Tarinee , Sirisabya Nakarin , Triratanachat Surang , Niruthisard Somchai , Tannirandorn Yuen
Published: November 2006

Pyomyoma (suppurative leiomyoma) is a rare disease, which is considered to be a serious complication of uterine leiomyoma. Since 1945, only 18 patients have been reported and ours is the 19th. Although it is frequently reported in pregnant women or postmenopausal women who have vascular disease, our case is a 42-year-old woman in the perimenopausal period who presented with fever and a tender lower abdominal mass. She used the intrauterine device as a contraceptive method but leiomyoma had never been found before. Ultrasonographic findings suggested an ovarian tumor. She was diagnosed as having infected malignant ovarian cancer with an elevated CA 125 level that was initially treated with broad spectrum antibiotics; then she underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Pathological findings showed acute and chronic inflammation of the endometrium with abscess formation in an intramural leiomyoma. The intrauterine device might be the origin of pyomyoma due to a direct spread of the infection from the uterine cavity. Pyomyoma may be difficult to diagnose especially in those with a nonspecific clinical presentation without any history of leiomyoma. Delayed diagnosis may result in serious complications, whereas adequate surgery and broad spectrum antibiotics may decrease serious morbidity and mortality.
Serum Levels of Vitamin D and Haemostatic Factors in Healthy Subjects: The Tromsø Study
Authors: Jorde Rolf , Haug Egil , Figenschau Yngve , Hansen John-Bjarne
Published: November 2006

Background: Receptors for vitamin D have been found in various tissues, including the vascular endothelium. The role of vitamin D in the haemostatic process is uncertain, but in vitro studies may indicate a pro-fibrinolytic effect. Methods: Two hundred and six subjects (105 males) were included in the study. The relations between indices of calcium metabolism and haemostatic factors [tissue plasminogen activator antigen (tPA Ag), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), prothrombin fragment 1+2, activated factor VII and total factor VII coagulant activity] and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) were examined. Results: There were significant and negative correlations between serum 25(OH) vitamin D and PAI-1 and tPA Ag, and between serum 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D and tPA Ag and HS-CRP. In a multiple linear regression model with age, gender, body mass index and smoking status as covariables, only the relation between 25(OH) vitamin D and tPA Ag was significant. There were no significant relations between any of the haemostatic factors tested and serum parathyroid hormone. Conclusion: It appears that the serum level of vitamin D is related to fibrinolytic activity and to the integrity of the vascular endothelium, but the clinical importance of this observation remains to be determined.
Proteomic Signatures in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Sewell Duane A. , Yuan Chao-Xing , Robertson Erle
Published: November 2006

Laryngeal cancer remains a worldwide health problem. The identification of biomarkers unique to laryngeal cancer may provide new insights into its pathogenesis, as well as provide potential targets for novel therapies and early detection. In order to identify potential biomarkers, we performed a proteomic analysis of laryngeal cancer specimens. Using two-dimensional differential in-gel electrophoresis and mass spectroscopy, protein expression profiles from two laryngeal carcinoma specimens and corresponding adjacent normal tissue were analyzed. The results of our analysis showed that the expression of a number of proteins was significantly altered in the tumor specimens when compared to matched normal controls. The differentially expressed proteins were identified, and they included stratifin, S100 calcium-binding protein A9, p21-ARC, stathmin, and enolase. With these findings, we have identified potential biomarkers which may contribute to the pathogenesis of laryngeal carcinoma, and which may be suitable as targets for novel therapeutic and/or diagnostic modalities.
Bacterial Cultures of the Middle Meatus and Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Ragab Ahmed , Clement Peter , Vincken Walter
Published: November 2006

The role of bacteria in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is still debated and their effect on the lower airways is less known. The aim of this study was to identify the individual bacterial species in CRS and to correlate these microbiological data with the clinical findings and associated bacterial cultures of the lower airways. This prospective study included 25 CRS patients scheduled for functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Preoperatively, pulmonary function and CT examinations were performed together with endoscopic and clinical assessment. Under aseptic conditions, with the patient under general anesthesia, 25 bronchoalveolar lavages (BALs) via the endotracheal tube and 50 endoscopically guided middle meatal specimens were obtained. All the specimens were examined for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and correlated to the associated neutrophilic cellular changes. Positive bacterial cultures were obtained in 71% of the middle meatal specimens and 8% of the BAL specimens. Three subgroups of lower airway involvement were identified, i.e. asthma, small airway disease (SAD) and normal lower airways. In SAD only, there was a significant correlation between the cultured bacteria of the left (p = 0.04) and the right (p = 0.04) middle meatus and the presence of local neutrophilia. In asthma, middle meatal bacterial cultures correlated with nasal blockage (p = 0.04) and CT Lund-Mackay score (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Middle meatal cultures were frequently positive, mainly aerobic Gram-positive bacteria. In SAD, a mixed flora of Gram-positive aerobic bacteria and anaerobic bacteria was observed that correlated with neutrophilic inflammation. BAL cultures do not show infection or colonization of the lower airways, despite functional abnormalities in 60% of the patients.
The Relationship of Target Organ Damage and 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring with Vitamin D Receptor Gene Fok-I Polymorphism in Essential Hypertension
Authors: Kulah Eyup , Dursun Ahmet , Acikgoz Serefden , Can Murat , Kargi Sebnem , Ilikhan Sevil , Bozdogan Sevcan
Published: November 2006

Background: The contribution of genetic factors in hypertension cannot be denied. Methods: In this study we evaluated the relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms (Bsm-I, Apa-I and Fok-I), and target organ damage in 74 patients (female/male 49/25, mean age 49.2 ± 8 years) with essential hypertension. The VDR genotypes were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and digestion of the amplified products by related enzymes. Patients with diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance and severe obesity were excluded. All patients underwent a complete physical examination, full biochemistry and urinalysis; in addition, all of them were assessed for target organ damage. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed in all patients. Results: No significant difference was detected in biochemistry results and physical examination between groups for Bsm-I and Apa-I VDR gene polymorphisms. Patients were distributed as FF (n = 39) and non-FF (Ff/ff, n = 35) for Fok-I polymorphism. A negative correlation was present between vitamin D levels and day-time interval and early morning average by the measurement of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in the non-FF group. Serum cystatin-C was higher in the non-FF group (p = 0.012). In addition on retinal examination, the degree and presence of retinopathy were significantly higher in the non-FF group when compared to the FF group (p = 0.025, p = 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: Knowing the VDR gene polymorphisms status may be helpful in preventing target organ damage in hypertensive patients.
Is TW3 Height Prediction More Accurate than TW2? Preliminary Data
Authors: Bertaina C. , Stasiowska B. , Benso A. , Vannelli S.
Published: November 2006

Background/Aims: Skeletal maturation is considered a reliable variable in evaluating the ‘tempo’ of growth. It is important in the diagnosis of endocrinological diseases, in chronic diseases, in hormonal therapy follow-up and in computing height prediction for prognostic and therapeutic purposes. It is also used when chronological age is not available for minors without known birth dates. There are different methods to evaluate skeletal maturation and height prediction. The Tanner-Whitehouse (TW) method 2 (TW2) has been considered to be the most useful method so far, and has recently been updated with modified height prediction equations (TW2-Mark II). TW3 is the newest method. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether TW3 is more accurate in the assessment of height prediction than TW2-Mark II in a sample of healthy north Italian subjects. Methods: Anthropometrical data were collected as part of a survey in 1977–1978 in Turin. The sample involved 1,384 healthy children. The children, now adults, have been traced and recalled to measure their final height in order to test height prediction reliability. At present, we have collected 118 adult heights. Results: According to the TW2 method 40% of the males had a height prediction error larger than ± residual SD (4.1 cm), and with TW3 this was 32.9%. The female height prediction error with TW2 was larger than ± residual SD (3.6 cm) in 29.2% of girls, and the same value was found with TW3. Conclusion: According to our preliminary data, TW3 does not represent any real progress.
Use of Sedation for Routine Diagnostic Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Survey of National Endoscopy Society Members
Authors: Ladas S.D. , Aabakken L. , Rey J.-F. , Nowak A. , Zakaria S. , Adamonis K. , Amrani N. , Bergman J.J.G.H.M. , Boix Valverde J. , Boyacioglu S. , Cremers I. , Crowe J. , Deprez P. , Dítě P. , Eisen M. , Eliakim R. , Fedorov E.D. , Galkova Z. , Gyokeres T. , Heuss L.T. , Husic-Selimovic A. , Khediri F. , Kuznetsov K. , Marek T. , Munoz-Navas M. , Napoleon B. , Niemela S. , Pascu O. , Perisic N. , Pulanic R. , Ricci E. , Schreiber F. , Svendsen L.B. , Sweidan W. , Sylvan A. , Teague R. , Tryfonos M. , Urbain D. , Weber J. , Zavoral M.
Published: November 2006

Background/Aims: Sedation rates may vary among countries, depending on patients’ and endoscopists’ preferences. The aim of this survey was to investigate the rate of using premedication for routine diagnostic upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy in endoscopy societies, members of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE). Methods: We evaluated a multiple-choice questionnaire which was e-mailed to representatives of national endoscopy societies, which are members of the ESGE. The questionnaire had 14 items referring to endoscopy practices in each country and the representatives’ endoscopy units. Results: The response rate was 76% (34/45). In 47% of the countries, less than 25% of patients undergo routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy with conscious sedation. In 62% of the responders’ endoscopy units, patients are not asked their preference for sedation and do not sign a consent form (59%). Common sedatives in use are midazolam (82%), diazepam (38%) or propofol (47%). Monitoring equipment is not available ‘in most of the endoscopy units’ in 46% (13/28) of the countries. Though they were available in 91% of the national representatives’ endoscopy units, they are rarely (21%) used to monitor unsedated routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy. Conclusions: In about 50% of ESGE-related countries, less than 25% of patients are sedated for routine diagnostic UGI endoscopy. Major issues to improve include availability of monitoring equipment and the use of a consent form.
Changes in the Levels of Interferon-γ and Transforming Growth Factor-β Influence Bronchial Stenosis during the Treatment of Endobronchial Tuberculosis
Authors: Kim Y. , Kim K. , Joe J. , Park H. , Lee M. , Kim Y. , Choi Y. , Park S.
Published: November 2006

Background: Endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB) has been shown to frequently complicate bronchial stenosis, a condition which can induce dyspnea as a result of airway obstruction, and is also frequently misdiagnosed as either bronchial asthma or lung cancer. Objectives: This study attempted to determine whether there was a correlation between interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels in the serum and bronchial washing fluid (BWF), and the results of the treatment of EBTB patients. Methods: Thirty patients, all of whom were diagnosed as EBTB, were enrolled, as were 10 healthy control subjects. IFN-γ and TGF-β levels were measured by the ELISA method in the serum and BWF of these 30 EBTB patients before and after treatment. The EBTB patients were divided into two groups: those who exhibited bronchial stenosis after treatment and those who did not. Chest computed tomography (CT) and pulmonary function test (PFT) were performed in 16 and 25 patients, respectively, at initial bronchoscopy. Results: IFN-γ and TGF-β levels in the BWF of the EBTB patients were elevated compared to the controls (p < 0.05). After 2 months of treatment, 13 of the 30 EBTB patients exhibited bronchial fibrostenosis and the other 17 cases had recovered without sequelae. In the bronchial stenosis group, the initial serum TGF-β levels were lower than in the patients without bronchial stenosis (p < 0.05). Moreover, the levels of serum TGF-β after treatment were shown to have decreased more than in the patients without bronchial stenosis (p < 0.05). On chest CT findings of 16 EBTB patients, bronchial narrowing was suspected except in 2 cases (1 edematous-hyperemic type, 1 actively caseating type of segmental bronchus). The common features of PFT in EBTB at the initial diagnosis were a restrictive pattern and normal ventilatory function. Conclusions: Elevated IFN-γ and TGF-β levels in the BWF of the EBTB patients may be related to EBTB pathogenesis. Lowered initial serum TGF-β levels as well as the observed changes in the levels of TGF-β in the serum after treatment have been implicated in bronchial fibrostenosis during the course of the disease.
Absence of Human Herpesvirus 8 DNA Sequences in Lung Biopsies from Israeli Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Bendayan D. , Sarid R. , Cohen A. , Shitrit D. , Shechtman I. , Kramer M.R.
Published: November 2006

Background:Pulmonary hypertension is a severe pulmonary vascular disease leading to rapid deterioration and death. Histological and clinical evidence suggests that smooth muscle proliferation is part of the pathogenesis of the disease. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is a γ-herpesvirus that is implicated in malignancies and in Kaposi’s sarcoma. Recently, the association of HHV-8 with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been found. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of HHV-8 in the lung tissue of Israeli patients with PAH. Method: The presence of HHV-8 sequences was investigated by polymerase chain reaction examination in 6 biopsies of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Three patients had idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, 2 patients pulmonary venoocclusive disease, and 1 patient pulmonary hypertension associated with mixed connective tissue disease. Result: We did not find any association between HHV-8 and PAH in these Israeli patients, as all the samples were negative for polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion: Our findings, together with the epidemiological data of HHV-8 prevalence and incidence rates of Kaposi’s sarcoma and PAH in Israel, provide further evidence which argues against an association between HHV-8 infection and PAH.
Genotypes and Haplotypes of CCR2 and CCR3 Genes in Japanese Cedar Pollinosis
Authors: Nakamura Hiroyuki , Higashikawa Fumiko , Nobukuni Yoshitaka , Miyagawa Kiyoshi , Endo Tomohiko , Imai Toru , Hatta Kotaro , Ozasa Kotaro , Motohashi Yutaka , Matsuzaki Ichiyo , Sasahara Shinichiro , Ogino Keiki , Akimaru Kunihiro , Eboshida Akira
Published: November 2006

Whole genome scan analyses have revealed that the chromosomal region 3p21.3, which contains a gene cluster of the CC chemokine receptor, is possibly critical for the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation. Japanese cedar pollinosis is mediated by a type I allergy and induces seasonal rhinitis and conjunctivitis in humans as the most common form of hay fever in spring in Japan, although the candidate genes for cedar pollinosis remain to be elucidated. We sequenced CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, CCR5, and CCXCR1 using the PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism method in subjects with cedar pollinosis and controls. We found 8 polymorphisms of A111G, Arg127Cys and Arg252Gln in CCXCR1, T885C in CCR1, Val64Ile and T780C in CCR2, T51C in CCR3 and Arg223Gln in CCR5. The transmission disequilibrium test using 60 children with pollinosis and their parents and an association study using unrelated adult subjects (151 patients and 157 controls) showed a significant association of 64Ile in CCR2 and 51C in CCR3 with cedar pollinosis. The frequency of haplotype 64Ile/780C/51C in pollinosis was significantly higher than in controls. Our results suggest that CCR2 and CCR3 genes are candidate genes for Japanese cedar pollinosis.
Neuroprotective Effects of Resveratrol against Intracerebroventricular Colchicine-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Oxidative Stress in Rats
Authors: Kumar A. , Naidu P.S. , Seghal N. , Padi S.S.V.
Published: November 2006

Alzheimer’s disease is a complex and multifactorial neurodegenerative disease. Central administration of colchicine, a microtubule-disrupting agent, causes loss of cholinergic neurons and cognitive dysfunction that is associated with excessive free radical generation. The present study was aimed at evaluating the effects of trans-resveratrol in the prevention of colchicine-induced cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in rats. Intracerebroventricular administration of colchicine (15 µg/5 µl) induced impaired cognitive functions in both the Morris water maze task and the elevated plus-maze task. Chronic treatment with resveratrol (10 and 20 mg/kg, p.o.) for a period of 25 days, beginning 4 days prior to colchicine injection, significantly improved the colchicine-induced cognitive impairment. Intracerebroventricular colchicine injection resulted in free radical generation characterized by alterations in oxidative stress markers with a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite levels and depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH) activity in the rat brains. It also showed a significant decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity. Besides improving cognitive dysfunction, chronic administration of resveratrol significantly reduced the elevated MDA and nitrite levels and restored the depleted GSH and acetylcholinesterase activity. Results of the present study indicated that trans-resveratrol has a neuroprotective role against colchicine-induced cognitive impairment and associated oxidative stress.
Final Height in Patients with Idiopathic Short Stature and High Growth Hormone Responses to Stimulation Tests
Authors: Martinelli Carlos Eduardo , Sader Milani Soraya , Previato Joana Karin , Figueira Marcos , Rangel Montenegro Ana Paula , Miraki-Moud Farideh , Betancourth Sandra , Moreira Ayrton Custódio , Savage Martin O. , Camacho-Hübner Cecilia
Published: November 2006

Children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) may have normal or increased growth hormone (GH) responses to provocation tests and achieve a final height (FH) below –2.0 standard deviation score (SDS) if untreated. FH of subjects with high stimulated GH levels has not been studied in detail. Aim: It was the aim of this study to analyse FH in ISS patients with high GH peak responses to the provocation test. Patients andMethods: We studied 16 patients (9 pre-pubertal) with ISS and a GH peak ≧40 mU/l to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. The patients were recalled at age 19.7 ± 2.5 years for measurement of FH when blood samples were obtained for serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF binding protein 3, acid-labile subunit and GH binding protein measurements. GH bioactivity was determined using the Nb2 bioassay. Results: FH was –3.1 ± 1.0 SDS, being significantly lower than target height (TH). At FH, IGF-I levels were within –1.5 and +1.5 SDS for age and sex in 10 patients and higher than +1.5 SDS in 6 patients. IGF binding protein 3, acid-labile subunit, GH binding protein levels and GH bioactivity values were normal. Summary: These data suggest that patients with ISS and high GH levels during a GH stimulation test may have a more compromised FH. The association of severe ISS with a peak GH >40 mU/l might suggest a degree of insensitivity for the GH-IGF-I axis.
Angiotensin II-Induced MAPK Phosphorylation Mediated by Ras and/or Phospholipase C-Dependent Phosphorylations but Not by Protein Kinase C Phosphorylation in Cultured Rat Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Çetin Arzu , Öztürk O. Hasan , Tokay Alper , Akçit Ferhat , Çağlar Serkan , Yeşilkaya Akın
Published: November 2006

Angiotensin II (Ang II) induces a rapid increase in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity through the Ang II type 1 receptor in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In the present study, we examined the effects of the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X, and the Ras inhibitor farnesylthiosalicylic acid (FTS) on Ang II-induced activation of p42/p44 MAPKs in cultured VSMCs. Phosphorylation was shown using the Western blot technique with specific phospho-antibodies against MAPK proteins. The PLC inhibitor U73122 abolished the Ang II-induced MAPK activity, while the PKC inhibitor GF109203X only decreased it. There was also an inhibition observed with the Ras inhibitor, FTS on Ang II-induced MAPK activity. These data suggest that Ang II-induced MAPK phosphorylation through the Ang II type 1 receptor could be mediated by Ras and/or PLC-dependent phosphorylations but not by PKC phosphorylation.
Effects of a Preload on Reduction of Food Intake by GLP-1 in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Degen Lukas , Oesch Sibylle , Matzinger Daniel , Drewe Jürgen , Knupp Markus , Zimmerli Franziska , Beglinger Christoph
Published: November 2006

Background/Aims: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) inhibits food intake in animals and humans. Whether GLP-1 interacts with other satiety signals to modulate food intake is unknown. We investigated therefore in healthy volunteers the potential interactions of GLP-1 with signals from the stomach in regulating food intake. Methods: Three sequential, double-blind, crossover studies were performed in male subjects: (1) 12 subjects underwent four experiments (preloads) 20 min before meal intake; (2) 12 volunteers received intravenous (i.v.) GLP-1 (0.9 pmol/kg/min) or saline; (3) subjects received i.v. GLP-1 or saline (control) together with a preload of either 400 ml water or 400 ml protein shake. The effect of these treatments on food intake and feelings of hunger was quantified. Subjects were free to eat and drink as much as they wished. Results: GLP-1 induced a reduction in food and calorie intake (p < 0.005) compared to controls. If combined with a protein preload, the inhibitory effect of GLP-1 on food intake was markedly increased (p < 0.001). Furthermore, a decrease in hunger feelings and an increase in satiety feelings was documented. Conclusion: GLP-1 interacts with signals from the stomach to modulate energy intake in humans. The signal is only initiated by nutrient-based distension, but not with gastric distension of the fundus alone.
Reliability Study on the Japanese Version of the Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change
Authors: Nakamura Yu , Homma Akira , Kobune Shinichi , Tachibana Yosuke , Satoh Keizo , Takami Isao , Nagai Shinji , Sakai Masanao , Fukuta Hiroshi , Matsuda Hiroaki , Hashimoto Hideaki , Kusunoki Tadashi
Published: November 2006

Background/Aims: The Japanese version of the Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-plus J) consists of 3 subscales: Disability Assessment of Dementia Scale (DAD), Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale (Behave-AD), and Mental Function Impairment Scale (MENFIS), as well as the Clinician’s Global Impression of Change (CGIC). While the interrater reliability of CGIC has already been reported, that of the 3 subscales has not. The aim of the present report was to examine the reliabilities of the subscale items and investigate their relationships with CGIC. Methods: Eleven raters who were clinical physicians watched videotapes of 20 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, completed the CIBIC-plus J assessment form, and assigned a CGIC score to the patients. Reliability was assessed using the kappa coefficient. Results: The kappa coefficient of the subscale items was in most instances higher than that of CGIC (0.453) and substantial reliability was observed. The Spearman rank correlation that was calculated between CGIC and the total score change of items was very high for MENFIS (0.990) and DAD (0.910), and moderate for Behave-AD items (0.576). The incidence of comments by the raters was highest for MENFIS (89%), followed by DAD (70%). The incidence was low for Behave-AD items (48%). Conclusion:Based on the results, it is concluded that DAD, Behave-AD, and MENFIS are necessary constituents of CIBIC-plus J, and indispensable for the reliability of CGIC.
Mean-Driven and Fluctuation-Driven Persistent Activity in Recurrent Networks
Authors: Renart Alfonso , Moreno-Bote Rubén , Wang Xiao-Jing , Parga Néstor
Published: November 2006

Spike trains from cortical neurons show a high degree of irregularity, with coefficients of variation (CV) of their interspike interval (ISI) distribution close to or higher than one. It has been suggested that this irregularity might be a reflection of a particular dynamical state of the local cortical circuit in which excitation and inhibition balance each other. In this “balanced” state, the mean current to the neurons is below threshold, and firing is driven by current fluctuations, resulting in irregular Poisson-like spike trains. Recent data show that the degree of irregularity in neuronal spike trains recorded during the delay period of working memory experiments is the same for both low-activity states of a few Hz and for elevated, persistent activity states of a few tens of Hz. Since the difference between these persistent activity states cannot be due to external factors coming from sensory inputs, this suggests that the underlying network dynamics might support coexisting balanced states at different firing rates. We use mean field techniques to study the possible existence of multiple balanced steady states in recurrent networks of current-based leaky integrate-and-fire (LIF) neurons. To assess the degree of balance of a steady state, we extend existing mean-field theories so that not only the firing rate, but also the coefficient of variation of the interspike interval distribution of the neurons, are determined self-consistently. Depending on the connectivity parameters of the network, we find bistable solutions of different types. If the local recurrent connectivity is mainly excitatory, the two stable steady states differ mainly in the mean current to the neurons. In this case, the mean drive in the elevated persistent activity state is suprathreshold and typically characterized by low spiking irregularity. If the local recurrent excitatory and inhibitory drives are both large and nearly balanced, or even dominated by inhibition, two stable states coexist, both with subthreshold current drive. In this case, the spiking variability in both the resting state and the mnemonic persistent state is large, but the balance condition implies parameter fine-tuning. Since the degree of required fine-tuning increases with network size and, on the other hand, the size of the fluctuations in the afferent current to the cells increases for small networks, overall we find that fluctuation-driven persistent activity in the very simplified type of models we analyze is not a robust phenomenon. Possible implications of considering more realistic models are discussed.
Invariant Global Motion Recognition in the Dorsal Visual System: A Unifying Theory
Authors: Rolls Edmund T. , Stringer Simon M.
Published: November 2006

The motion of an object (such as a wheel rotating) is seen as consistent independent of its position and size on the retina. Neurons in higher cortical visual areas respond to these global motion stimuli invariantly, but neurons in early cortical areas with small receptive fields cannot represent this motion, not only because of the aperture problem but also because they do not have invariant representations. In a unifying hypothesis with the design of the ventral cortical visual system, we propose that the dorsal visual system uses a hierarchical feedforward network architecture (V1, V2, MT, MSTd, parietal cortex) with training of the connections with a short-term memory trace associative synaptic modification rule to capture what is invariant at each stage. Simulations show that the proposal is computationally feasible, in that invariant representations of the motion flow fields produced by objects self-organize in the later layers of the architecture. The model produces invariant representations of the motion flow fields produced by global in-plane motion of an object, in-plane rotational motion, looming versus receding of the object, and object-based rotation about a principal axis. Thus, the dorsal and ventral visual systems may share some similar computational principles.
Recurrent Cerebellar Loops Simplify Adaptive Control of Redundant and Nonlinear Motor Systems
Authors: Porrill John , Dean Paul
Published: November 2006

We have described elsewhere an adaptive filter model of cerebellar learning in which the cerebellar microcircuit acts to decorrelate motor commands from their sensory consequences (Dean, Porrill, & Stone, 2002). Learning stability required the cerebellar microcircuit to be embedded in a recurrent loop, and this has been shown to lead to a simple and modular adaptive control architecture when applied to the linearized 3D vestibular ocular reflex (Porrill, Dean, & Stone, 2004). Here we investigate the properties of recurrent loop connectivity in the case of redundant and nonlinear motor systems and illustrate them using the example of kinematic control of a simulated two-joint robot arm. We demonstrate that (1) the learning rule does not require unavailable motor error signals or complex neural reference structures to estimate such signals (i.e., it solves the motor error problem) and (2) control of redundant systems is not subject to the nonconvexity problem in which incorrect average motor commands are learned for end-effector positions that can be accessed in more than one arm configuration. These properties suggest a central functional role for the closed cerebellar loops, which have been shown to be ubiquitous in motor systems (e.g., Kelly & Strick, 2003).
Free-Lunch Learning: Modeling Spontaneous Recovery of Memory
Authors: Stone J. V. , Jupp P. E.
Published: November 2006

After a language has been learned and then forgotten, relearning some words appears to facilitate spontaneous recovery of other words. More generally, relearning partially forgotten associations induces recovery of other associations in humans, an effect we call free-lunch learning (FLL). Using neural network models, we prove that FLL is a necessary consequence of storing associations as distributed representations. Specifically, we prove that (1) FLL becomes increasingly likely as the number of synapses (connection weights) increases, suggesting that FLL contributes to memory in neurophysiological systems, and (2) the magnitude of FLL is greatest if inactive synapses are removed, suggesting a computational role for synaptic pruning in physiological systems. We also demonstrate that FLL is different from generalization effects conventionally associated with neural network models. As FLL is a generic property of distributed representations, it may constitute an important factor in human memory.
The Road to Chaos by Time-Asymmetric Hebbian Learning in Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Molter Colin , Salihoglu Utku , Bersini Hugues
Published: November 2006

This letter aims at studying the impact of iterative Hebbian learning algorithms on the recurrent neural network's underlying dynamics. First, an iterative supervised learning algorithm is discussed. An essential improvement of this algorithm consists of indexing the attractor information items by means of external stimuli rather than by using only initial conditions, as Hopfield originally proposed. Modifying the stimuli mainly results in a change of the entire internal dynamics, leading to an enlargement of the set of attractors and potential memory bags. The impact of the learning on the network's dynamics is the following: the more information to be stored as limit cycle attractors of the neural network, the more chaos prevails as the background dynamical regime of the network. In fact, the background chaos spreads widely and adopts a very unstructured shape similar to white noise.

Next, we introduce a new form of supervised learning that is more plausible from a biological point of view: the network has to learn to react to an external stimulus by cycling through a sequence that is no longer specified a priori. Based on its spontaneous dynamics, the network decides “on its own” the dynamical patterns to be associated with the stimuli. Compared with classical supervised learning, huge enhancements in storing capacity and computational cost have been observed. Moreover, this new form of supervised learning, by being more “respectful” of the network intrinsic dynamics, maintains much more structure in the obtained chaos. It is still possible to observe the traces of the learned attractors in the chaotic regime. This complex but still very informative regime is referred to as “frustrated chaos.”
Walkable Route Perceptions and Physical Features
Authors: Brown Barbara B. , Werner Carol M. , Amburgey Jonathan W. , Szalay Caitlin
Published: November 2006

Guided walks near a light rail stop in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, were examined using a 2 (gender) × 3 (route walkability: low-mixed-, or high-walkability features) design. Trained raters confirmed that more walkable segments had more traffic, environmental, and social safety; pleasing aesthetics; natural features; pedestrian amenities; and land use diversity (using the Irvine-Minnesota physical environment audit) and a superior social milieu rating. According to tape-recorded open-ended descriptions, university student participants experienced walkable route segments as noticeably safer, with a more positive social environment, fewer social and physical incivilities, and more attractive natural and built environment features. According to closed-ended scales, walkable route segments had more pleasant social and/or environmental atmosphere and better traffic safety. Few gender differences were found. Results highlight the importance of understanding subjective experiences of walkability and suggest that these experiences should be an additional focus of urban design.
Environment, Design, and Obesity
Authors: Wells Nancy M. , Ashdown Susan P. , Davies Elizabeth H. S. , Cowett F. D. , Yang Yizhao
Published: November 2006

This article presents a framework for considering the relevance of the physical environment to obesity. The authors adopt the notion that the “environment” constitutes the space outside the person and therefore broaden the common conceptualization of the “environment” to encompass a full spectrum from small-scale design elements to large-scale community infrastructure. An energy balance approach is also adopted. The energy balance perspective recognizes the equilibrium of food consumption and energy expenditure, rather than focusing solely on one or the other side of the equation. The authors consider how environmental characteristics present either barriers (that hinder), or supports (that promote) healthy habits. Thus, they describe a range of obesity-related environmental themes that provide opportunities for innovative collaborative research between environmental psychologists and colleagues in fields ranging from apparel design to landscape architecture. Last, conceptual and methodological considerations are briefly presented.
Where Active Older Adults Walk
Authors: Joseph Anjali , Zimring Craig
Published: November 2006

There is little evidence about how path-design characteristics at site and building scale may be related to where active older adults choose to walk. This article describes the findings from an empirical study examining the relationship between physical environmental characteristics of path segments and their use for walking for recreation or instrumental reasons by 114 active residents on three retirement community campuses. The study uses a combination of methods—resident questionnaires, path assessment, and morphological analysis of building and campus plans. Path use for instrumental walking was related to path segments being well-connected in the path network and having specific destinations along them. Path segments that were likely to be selected for recreational walking at the three case study sites were longer, were well connected, did not have steps, and had attractive views of campus.
Mindless Eating
Authors: Wansink Brian , Sobal Jeffery
Published: November 2006

How aware are people of food-related decisions they make and how the environment influences these decisions? Study 1 shows that 139 people underestimated the number of food-related decisions they made—by an average of more than 221 decisions. Study 2 examined 192 people who overserved and overate 31% more food as a result of having been given an exaggerated environmental cue (such as a large bowl). Of those studied, 21% denied having eaten more, 75% attributed it to other reasons (such as hunger), and only 4% attributed it to the cue. These studies underscore two key points: First, we are aware of only a fraction of the food decisions we make. Second, we are either unaware of how our environment influences these decisions or we are unwilling to acknowledge it.
Shortcomings in Wilson’s Chronicle of Higher Education Article on the State of Black Studies Programs
Authors: Okafor Victor Oguejiofor
Published: November 2006

This article criticizes Robin Wilson’s Chronicle of Higher Education article of April 22, 2005, on Black studies titled, “After 35 Years on Campuses, Black-Studies Programs Struggle to Survive.” It contends that Wilson’s article presents a blend of truths, half-truths, and outright distortions. Contrary to Wilson’s insinuations, Black studies is a liberal arts degree program open to and meant for any interested student of whatever background. The creation of Black studies was not meant to preclude Black students from pursuing degrees in scientific areas. A Black studies major tends to “jell” with and also serves as an important background for a variety of other careers. The fact that some traditional disciplines have now found it worthwhile to introduce peripheral courses on the Black experience, in their quest to be inclusive, cannot serve as a substitute for a holistic, systematic, and coherent approach to the study of that experience.
The Concept of Black Power: Its Continued Relevance
Authors: Van Horne Winston A.
Published: November 2006

Black studies as an institutional discipline emerged out of the many sacrifices of passionate, youthful advocates of Black power in the mid- to late 1960s. Today, the term Black power seems almost quaint, although such was assuredly not the case in the 1960s. Black power reverberated in a context of societal tremors as Black people assaulted the ramparts of de jure Jim Crow. De jure Jim Crow did crumble, and over the next two generations, Blacks made considerable societal gains. Still, the scope of Black people’s empowerment that Black power envisaged remains unrealized. It is thus well to look again at the principles, objectives, resources, and strategies of Black power to call out its continued germaneness, and by extension Black studies, to the lives of Black people and others, as a disproportionately large Black underclass blurs a small but continually expanding Black middle class.
Cultural Wars and the Attack on Multiculturalism: An Afrocentric Critique
Authors: Teasley Martell , Tyson Edgar
Published: November 2006

The need to maintain power relationships has caused many social conservatives and the American anti-multicultural movement to engage in cultural wars. This article offers an Afrocentric critique of cultural wars and multicultural discourse in some of their contemporary manifestations. The authors make the claim that Black studies and the Afrocentric paradigm should be concerned with the connection between anti-multiculturalism, the cultural wars debate, and attempts aimed at derailing the Black studies project both inside and outside of the academy. Some contemporary challenges for the Afrocentric paradigm and its place in the multi-cultural project are discussed. The authors conclude that the burden of Afrocentricity is to define and develop African agency in the midst of the cultural wars debate.
Defending the Paradigm
Authors: Alkebulan Adisa A.
Published: November 2006

Recent attacks on Africana studies follow a historic path of institutionalized racism in the academy and its custodians questioning the discipline’s relevance. These ongoing attacks demonstrate this society’s refusal to allow African people’s full participation within it. Therefore, the assault on Africana studies is really an assault on African people. This article seeks to remind scholars in African studies that the Afrocentric idea has been the guiding paradigm of the discipline and it not only needs to be defended, but Afrocentric scholarship needs to be vigorously pursued. The paradigm distinguishes this discipline from all others. This article also confronts the false notion of Afrocentrism and critics’ use of the claims of a few non-Afrocentrists as an indictment against the Afrocentric movement. In defending and reasserting the Afrocentric paradigm, this article sets out to further define Afrocentricity. Finally, it addresses the false claims attributed to it by its critics.
Toward the New Black Studies: Or Beyond the Old Race Man
Authors: McBride Dwight A.
Published: November 2006

A meditation on the present and future of Black studies, this article uses several examples to chart the institutional rise of the discipline of this subject. It is an investigation into the central hetero-normative assumptions about “the Black community.” As such, the article challenges negative perceptions about Black scholars and Black studies in the academy. Finally, it provides a genealogy of Black studies in which Black queer studies is viewed as a predictable part of the discipline's progression.
The Ancient African Past and the Field of Africana Studies
Authors: Bekerie Ayele
Published: November 2006

The ancient African past refers to deeds and events of African peoples documented or narrated through oral or written traditions or other means from the time of human beginnings until the modern period. Africana studies is a transdisciplinary field of study pertaining to intellectual traditions and practices of African and African-descended peoples. The ancient African past is valued in the field of Africana studies. The value given to ancient Africa within the field may serve as a critical conceptual challenge to the colonial history of Africa. This article calls for an Africana philosophy of history, that is, a vision and interpretive scheme to critically reflect on the historical field of concerns. It seeks an intellectual endeavor to recapture historical spaces, thereby leading not only to autonomous readings of ancient African history but also to engaging in the development of explanatory paradigms for the field.
Girls in Crisis: Newspaper Coverage of Adolescent Girls
Authors: Mazzarella Sharon R. , Pecora Norma O.
Published: November 2006

Within the past several years, a growing body of scholars have exposed the media-generated crisis discourse surrounding youth — a discourse resulting in the construction/ definition of youth as a problem. Informed, in part, by this scholarship and grounded in frame theory, this study analyzes how U.S. newspapers covered the lives of adolescent girls during a particularly noteworthy period — the mid- to late 1990s, a time when a number of high-profile studies of girls' lives were published. During this time, the press, through the choice of topics covered, sources quoted, and overall organizing themes employed, perpetuated a discourse that constructed girls as a social problem in need of a solution. The authors argue that this construction of girls as weak and vulnerable denied them any form of agency and presented to the reader a dire situation in which adult intervention was needed to save these girls in crisis.
Taking Cover From Progress: Michael Winterbottom's Code 46
Authors: Goss Brian Michael
Published: November 2006

This article examines director Michael Winterbottom's film Code 46 within a tradition of social-political interpretation of film. Code 46 fits uneasily within the science-fiction genre as it is set in a near future of global integration and environmental catastrophe. The ferociously classist social order is governed by a panoptic corporation, The Sphinx, that also regulates gene-environment interactions. The author argues that Winterbottom's film engages with a cross-examination of the widely circulating “Narrative of Progress” as it intersects with globalization. In particular, the narrative and mise-en-scène presents some of the enabling and — with greater emphasis — the dystopic features implicit within liberalism that are channeled through capitalism with its concomitant class striation. Code 46 also engages with the Oedipal narrative that informs the critical gaze that film directs at the future/present and its implications for gender and the internalization of bureaucratic authority.