bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of antiadhesive agents on peritoneal carcinomatosis in an experimental model
Authors: Pucciarelli S , Codello L , Rosato A , Del Bianco P , Vecchiato G , Lise M
Published: January 2003

Background

Auto-crosslinked polysaccharide hyaluronan-based solution (Hyalobarrier®-gel) prevents postoperative adhesions. However, its effect on tumour growth is still unknown. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the impact on survival of intra-abdominally administered Hyalobarrier®-gel, native hyaluronan (HA) and hyaluronan/carboxymethylcellulose (HA/CMC), after intraperitoneal tumour implantation.

Methods

After receiving an intraperitoneal inoculum of the human HT29 colorectal cell line, 615 athymic nude mice were assigned randomly to five groups: groups 1 and 2 received Hyalobarrier®-gel 20 mg/ml (n = 124) and 40 mg/ml (n = 126) respectively; groups 3 and 4 received HA (n = 120) and HA/CMC film (Seprafilm™) (n = 123) respectively. The survival of each treated group was compared with that of group 5, the control, which had no treatment (n = 122).

Results

As 34 of the 615 mice were not eligible, 581 animals were considered for the analysis. At 120 days, 136 animals (23·4 per cent) were still alive. At autopsy there was macroscopic absence of tumour in 75 cases (12·9 per cent). No statistically significant differences were found between the treatment and the control groups with respect to postoperative death and absence of tumour implantation. There was no difference in survival rate between the control group and groups treated with Hyalobarrier®-gel, HA or HA/CMC.

Conclusion

Hyalobarrier®-gel, HA and HA/CMC had no negative impact on the survival rate in mice that received an intraperitoneal implantation of HT29 colorectal human tumour cells.
Lymphoedema and reduced shoulder function as indicators of quality of life after axillary lymph node dissection for invasive breast cancer
Authors: Voogd A C , Ververs J M M A , Vingerhoets A J J M , Roumen R M H , Coebergh J W W , Crommelin M A
Published: January 2003

Background

The aim was to explore measurements of arm circumference and shoulder abduction as indicators of quality of life after axillary lymph node dissection for invasive breast cancer.

Methods

Differences in arm circumference and shoulder abduction were measured in 465 consecutive women who underwent axillary lymph node dissection. These women received a treatment-specific questionnaire on the severity of physical disability and the effects on their daily life and well-being.

Results

The questionnaire was returned by 400 women (86 per cent). Of these 400, only the 332 women who did not receive axillary radiotherapy were included in the analysis. Their mean time since axillary lymph node dissection was 4·2 (range 0·3–28) years. For 86 patients (26 per cent) there was a difference in arm circumference of 2 cm or more, or a difference in abduction of 20° or more. These patients found it more difficult to do household chores, were more likely to have given up hobbies, felt more disabled and were more likely to be treated by a physiotherapist. However, complaints also occurred among the women with smaller differences in arm circumference and shoulder abduction, although the frequency and severity of their complaints were similar to those in women without swelling of the arm or without restricted shoulder abduction.

Conclusion

Measuring arm circumference and shoulder abduction during control visits identifies only some of the women whose daily life and well-being is affected by the side-effects of axillary lymph node dissection.
Combined evaluation of mucin antigen and E-cadherin expression may help select patients with gastric cancer suitable for minimally invasive therapy
Authors: Tanaka M , Kitajima Y , Sato S , Miyazaki K
Published: January 2003

Background

MUC1 mucin is known to be highly expressed in carcinomas that show invasive growth and poor prognosis. Impairment of adhesion molecule E-cadherin expression has been widely accepted as a critical event for cancer invasion and metastasis. The present study evaluated the combination of mucin and E-cadherin status as a possible predictor of patients suitable for minimally invasive therapy for gastric cancer.

Methods

Two hundred and nine paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric carcinoma (141 early, 68 advanced) were examined by immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies against MUC1 mucin (MUC-1-CORE, DF3), MUC2 mucin (Ccp58) and E-cadherin (anti-E-cad).

Results

Gastric carcinoma with MUC1-positive expression demonstrated malignant characteristics. Normal E-cadherin expression showed an inverse correlation with MUC1 expression. Patients with early gastric carcinoma who had a combination of normal E-cadherin and MUC1-negative expression had no recurrence and a favourable prognosis. Moreover, cancers with normal E-cadherin/MUC1-negative expression were not found at an advanced stage in differentiated-type carcinoma.

Conclusion

A normal E-cadherin/MUC1-negative expression pattern in gastric cancer is a favourable marker. Preoperative estimation of the E-cadherin and MUC1 status of an endoscopic biopsy specimen may help select appropriate patients for minimally invasive treatment of gastric cancer.
Prospective randomized study of steroids in the preventionof ischaemic injury during hepatic resection with pedicle clamping
Authors: Muratore A , Ribero D , Ferrero A , Bergero R , Capussotti L
Published: January 2003

Background

The major drawback of hepatic pedicle clamping is ischaemia–reperfusion injury with impairment of liver function. Perioperative steroid administration has been advocated to reduce liver damage. The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to determine whether steroid administration can reduce liver injury and improve short-term outcome.

Methods

Fifty-three patients undergoing liver resection were randomized to a steroid group (group 1) or to a control group (group 2); patients in group 1 received methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg 30 min before liver resection whereas those in group 2 did not. Serum levels of interleukin (IL) 6, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and prothrombin time (PT) were measured. Length of stay, and type and number of complications were recorded.

Results

Serum IL-6 levels were significantly lower in the steroid group than in the control group 24 h after surgery. Steroid administration significantly modified AST, ALT and PT levels only in patients with chronic liver disease. Overall and lung-related morbidity were not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusions

Steroid administration suppresses serum IL-6 levels, but has no effect on short-term outcome.
Acute effects of desmin mutations on cytoskeletal and cellular integrity in cardiac myocytes
Authors: Haubold Kurt , Herrmann Harald , Langer Stephen J. , Evans Robert M. , Leinwand Leslie A. , Klymkowsky Michael W.
Published: January 2003

Mutations in desmin have been associated with a subset of human myopathies. Symptoms typically appear in the second to third decades of life, but in the most severe cases can manifest themselves earlier. How desmin mutations lead to aberrant muscle function, however, remains poorly defined. We created a series of four mutations in rat desmin and tested their in vitro filament assembly properties. RDM‐G, a chimera between desmin and green fluorescent protein, formed protofilament‐like structures in vitro. RDM‐1 and RDM‐2 blocked in vitro assembly at the unit‐length filament stage, while RDM‐3 had more subtle effects on assembly. When expressed in cultured rat neonatal cardiac myocytes via adenovirus infection, these mutant proteins disrupted the endogenous desmin filament to an extent that correlated with their defects in in vitro assembly properties. Disruption of the desmin network by RDM‐1 was also associated with disruption of plectin, myosin, and α‐actinin organization in a significant percentage of infected cells. In contrast, expression of RDM‐2, which is similar to previously characterized human mutant desmins, took longer to disrupt desmin and plectin organization and had no significant effect on myosin or α‐actinin organization over the 5‐day time course of our studies. RDM‐3 had the mildest effect on in vitro assembly and no discernable effect on either desmin, plectin, myosin, or α‐actinin organization in vivo. These results indicate that mutations in desmin have both direct and indirect effects on the cytoarchitecture of cardiac myocytes. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 54:105–121, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Centrosome and spindle pole body dynamics: A review of the EMBO/EMBL Conference on Centrosomes and Spindle Pole Bodies, Heidelberg, September 13–17, 2002
Authors: Palazzo Robert E.
Published: January 2003

Five years after the first meeting held on Centrosomes and Spindle Pole Bodies, a second meeting was organized by Tano Gonzalez, Eric Karsenti, Kip Sluder, and Mark Winey in Heidelberg, Germany. Sponsored by the gracious European community (EMBO/EMBL), the meeting was both spectacular and exhausting. The wealth of information delivered, the plethora of model systems and unique approaches described, and the free exchange of information by a cooperative and excited community of scientists overwhelmed all participants. Even the best prepared scholars could not have anticipated the avalanche of data and insights that poured from the presentations from beginning to end. Daily posters by young and senior scientists added dimension to round out the well‐planned series of presentations.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Eric Karsenti and Michel Bornens who reminded participants of the historical questions of the field. Where does the centrosome come from? What are the mechanisms that control centrosome assembly and duplication? How is duplication coordinated with the cell cycle? Why do some cells have centrosomes, while others do not? What are the components of the centrosome? Does the centrosome play an important role in disease?
EROICA: Exploring regions of interest with cluster analysis in large functional magnetic resonance imaging data sets
Authors: Jarmasz M. , Somorjai R.L.
Published: January 2003

We describe a divide and conquer strategy for an exploratory data analysis (EDA) of large functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data sets. The need for an EDA to precede and complement a confirmatory model‐based analysis is now well established. For complex fMRI experiments, where a prior model of the expected response cannot be posited, the sole option is to conduct an initial EDA. An EDA often discovers unanticipated behavior, allowing the experimenter to augment or even change the original hypothesis. In addition, the gross artifact behavior that EDA makes evident may aid the experimenter in deciding whether the data set is even usable, some additional preprocessing step is required, or the one used has introduced spurious effects. The proposed strategy, named EROICA for exploring regions of interest with cluster analysis, evolved from an empirical observation that a typical cluster of activation or artifact time series can be partitioned into three subsets: time series corrupted by significant trends and time series above and below some noise level. Moreover, the sought‐after common temporal behavior among the cluster time series can be extracted in an uncorrupted form from the above noise level time series alone. Thus, the key feature of EROICA is the initial partition of the data set into trendy and below the noise level time series, followed by the fuzzy cluster analysis (FCA) of the above the noise level time series to extract common cluster behavior patterns (centroids). The initial partition is based on a test statistic in the power spectrum domain. This step has significant ramifications: it greatly speeds up the FCA because of the much smaller number of time series to cluster; it makes the clustering results more robust because they are no longer affected by the trendy and noisy time series; the above the noise level time series can be further grouped according to the location of the spectral peak on the frequency axis, and these groups can be used to create a subset of initial centroids that greatly improves the convergence rate of the FCA; and the group of below the noise level time series (referred to as the noise pool) can be used as a data‐driven representation of the underlying noise source. In the final step, each time series is modeled as a linear combination of the closest centroid plus noise. The noise pool is very convenient for obtaining thresholds when testing the significance of the model parameter without having to model or assume the distributional properties of the underlying noise source. To limit the number of false positives in the activation maps, the significance test also tests the time series power spectrum values at the frequency locations determined by the cluster centroid. EROICA is one of the analysis options offered by the general image‐processing package EvIdent®. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson 16A: 50–62, 2003
Activation and deactivation in blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Frankenstein Uta , Wennerberg Anders , Richter Wolfgang , Bernstein Charles , Morden Dara , Rémy Florence , Mcintyre Michael
Published: January 2003

Decreases in the blood oxygenation level dependent signal are somewhat puzzling for several reasons. The first is the synaptic complexity in interactive networks, and the second involves the interplay between oxidative demand and perfusion in producing signal change. The third reason involves the relativity of both activation and deactivation to the choice of the baseline condition. The fourth is that deactivations could reflect passive shunting of blood to activating areas as easily as they reflect active inhibition. However, understanding deactivations is necessary to fully understand how excitation and inhibition affect functional images. We propose strategies using convergent experiments as a means of elucidating the nature of deactivations. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson 16A: 63–70, 2003
Synaptic connections of distinct interneuronal subpopulations in the rat basolateral amygdalar nucleus
Authors: Muller Jay F. , Mascagni Franco , Mcdonald Alexander J.
Published: January 2003

Although it is well established that the activity of pyramidal projection neurons in the basolateral amygdala (ABL) is controlled by γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory interneurons, very little is known about the connections of specific interneuronal subpopulations in this region. In the present study, immunohistochemical techniques were used at the light and electron microscopic levels to identify specific populations of interneurons and to analyze their connections with each other and with unlabeled presumptive pyramidal neurons. Double‐labeling immunofluorescence experiments revealed that antibodies to vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and calbindin‐D28K (CB) labeled two separate interneuronal subpopulations in the ABL. Light microscopic double‐labeling immunoperoxidase experiments demonstrated that many VIP‐positive (VIP+) axon terminals formed intimate synaptic‐like contacts with the CB‐positive (CB+) neurons and that both CB+ and VIP+ terminals often contributed to the formation of pericellular baskets that surrounded unlabeled perikarya of pyramidal neurons. By using a dual immunoperoxidase/immunogold‐silver procedure at the ultrastructural level, it was found that 30% of VIP+ terminals in the anterior subdivision of the basolateral nucleus innervated interneurons that were either CB+ (25%) or VIP+ (5%). A smaller percentage (15%) of CB+ terminals formed synapses with labeled interneurons. Both VIP+ and CB+ terminals also innervated unlabeled perikarya, dendrites, and spines, most of which probably belonged to pyramidal neurons. The interconnections between interneurons may be important for disinhibitory mechanisms and the mediation of rhythmic oscillations in the ABL. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:217–236, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transient cochlear ischemia causes delayed cell death in the organ of Corti: An experimental study in gerbils
Authors: Koga Kenichiro , Hakuba Nobuhiro , Watanabe Futoshi , Shudou Masachika , Nakagawa Takayuki , Gyo Kiyofumi
Published: January 2003

To elucidate whether ischemia–reperfusion can cause delayed cell death in the cochlea, the effects of transient cochlear ischemia on hearing and on neuronal structures in the cochlea were studied in Mongolian gerbils. Ischemia was induced by bilaterally occluding the vertebral arteries for 5 minutes in gerbils, which lack posterior cerebral communicating arteries. In gerbils, the labyrinthine arteries are fed solely by the vertebral arteries. Occlusion of the vertebral arteries caused a remarkable increase in the threshold of compound action potentials (CAPs), which recovered over the following day. However, 7 days after the onset of reperfusion, the threshold began to increase again. Morphologic changes in the hair cell stereocilia were revealed by electron microscopy. The number of nuclear collapses was counted in cells stained for DNA and F‐actin to evaluate the degree of cell death in the organ of Corti. Changes in spiral ganglion cell (SGC) neuron number were detected, whether or not progressive neuronal death occurred in the SGC. These studies showed that sporadic fusion of hair cells and the disappearance of hair cell stereocilia did not begin until 4 days after ischemia. On subsequent days, the loss of hair cells, especially inner hair cells (IHCs), and the degeneration of SGC neurons became apparent. Ten days after ischemia, the mean percentage cell loss of IHCs was 6.4% in the basal turn, 6.4% in the second turn, and 0.8% in the apical turn, respectively, and the number of SGC neurons had decreased to 89% of preischemic status. These results indicate that transient ischemia causes delayed hearing loss and cell death in the cochlea by day 7 after ischemia. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:105–111, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular mapping of the origin of postnatal spinal cord ependymal cells: Evidence that adult ependymal cells are derived from Nkx6.1+ ventral neural progenitor cells
Authors: Fu Hui , Qi Yingchuan , Tan Min , Cai Jun , Hu Xuemei , Liu Zijing , Jensen Jan , Qiu Mengsheng
Published: January 2003

Recent studies have suggested that the ependymal cells lining the central canal of postnatal spinal cord possess certain properties of neural stem cells. However, the embryonic origin and developmental potential of the postnatal spinal cord ependymal cells remain to be defined. In this report, we investigated the developmental origin of postnatal spinal ependymal cells by studying the dynamic expression of several neural progenitor genes that are initially expressed in distinct domains of neuroepithelium in young embryos. At later stages of development, as the ventricular zone of the embryonic spinal cord is reduced, expression of Nkx6.1 progenitor gene is constantly detected in ependymal cells throughout chick and mouse development. Expression of other neural progenitor genes that lie either dorsal or ventral to the Nkx6.1+ domain is gradually decreased and eventually disappeared. These results suggest that the remaining neuroepithelial cells at later stages of animal life are derived from the Nkx6.1+ ventral neuroepithelial cells. Expression of Nkx6.1 in the remaining neuroepithelium is closely associated with, and regulated by, Shh expression in the floor plate. In addition, we suggested that the Nkx6.1+ ependymal cells in adult mouse spinal cords may retain the proliferative property of neural stem cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:237–244, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EphA family gene expression in the developing mouse neocortex: Regional patterns reveal intrinsic programs and extrinsic influence
Authors: Yun Mihae E. , Johnson Randall R. , Antic Anica , Donoghue Maria J.
Published: January 2003

Parcellation of the mammalian cerebral cortex into distinct areas is essential for proper cortical function; however, the developmental program that results in the genesis of distinct areas is not fully understood. We examined the expression of members of the EphA family—the EphA receptor tyrosine kinases and the ephrin‐A ligands—within the developing mouse cerebral cortex, with the aim of characterizing this component of the molecular landscape during cortical parcellation. We found that specific embryonic zones, such as the ventricular, subventricular, intermediate, subplate, and marginal zones, as well as the cortical plate, were positive for particular EphA genes early in corticogenesis (E12–E15). Along with this zone‐selective expression, several genes (EphA3, EphA4, EphA5) were evenly expressed along the axes of the developing cortex, whereas one family member (EphA7) was expressed in a distinct anteroposterior pattern. Later in corticogenesis (E16–E18), other EphA family members became selectively expressed, but only within the cortical plate: EphA6 was present posteriorly, and ephrin‐A5 was expressed within a middle region. At birth, patterning of EphA gene expression was striking. Thus, we found that the expression of a single EphA gene or a combination of family members can define distinct embryonic zones and anteroposterior regions of the neocortex during development. To examine whether cellular context affects the patterning of EphA expression, we examined gene expression in embryonic cortical cells grown in vitro, such that all cellular contacts are lacking, and in Mash‐1 mutant mice, in which thalamocortical connections do not form. We found that the expression patterns of most EphA family members remained stable in these scenarios, whereas the pattern of ephrin‐A5 was altered. Taken together, this work provides a comprehensive picture of EphA family expression during mouse corticogenesis and demonstrates that most EphA expression profiles are cell intrinsically based, whereas ephrin‐A5 is plastically regulated. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:203–216, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Zonal organization of the vestibulocerebellum in pigeons (Columba livia): I. Climbing fiber input to the flocculus
Authors: Winship Ian R. , Wylie Douglas R.W.
Published: January 2003

Previous studies in pigeons have shown that the neurons in the medial column of the inferior olive respond best to patterns of optic flow resulting from self‐rotation. With respect to the axis of rotation, there are two functional groups: rVA neurons prefer rotation about the vertical axis, whereas rH45 neurons respond best to rotation about an horizontal axis oriented at 45 degrees ipsilateral azimuth. The rVA and rH45 neurons are located in the caudal and rostral margins of the medial column, respectively. These olivary neurons project as climbing fibers to the contralateral flocculus. In this study, injections of anterograde tracers into the medial column were used to investigate the zonal organization of the climbing fiber input to the flocculus of pigeons. Iontophoretic injections of either cholera toxin subunit‐B or biotinylated dextrin amine were made into the medial column of the inferior olive at locations responsive to rVA or rH45 rotational optic flow. Anterogradely labeled climbing fibers in the flocculus showed a clear zonal organization. There were four parasagittal bands spanning both folia IXcd and X consisting of two rVA zones interdigitated with two rH45 zones. These findings are compared with the zonal organization of the flocculus in mammalian species. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:127–139, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Zonal organization of the vestibulocerebellum in pigeons (Columba livia): II. Projections of the rotation zones of the flocculus
Authors: Wylie Douglas R.W. , Brown Matthew R. , Barkley Ryan R. , Winship Ian R. , Crowder Nathan A. , Todd Kathryn G.
Published: January 2003

Previous neurophysiologic research in birds and mammals has shown that there are two types of Purkinje cells in the flocculus. The first type shows maximal modulation in response to rotational optokinetic stimulation about the vertical axis (rVA neurons). The second type shows maximal modulation in response to rotational optokinetic stimulation about a horizontal axis oriented 45 degrees to contralateral azimuth (rH45c neurons). In pigeons, the rVA and rH45c are organized into four alternating parasagittal zones. In this study we investigated the projections of Purkinje cells in the rVA and rH45c zones by using the anterograde tracers biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin subunit B. After iontophoretic injections of tracers into the rH45c zones, heavy anterograde labeling was found in the infracerebellar nucleus and the medial margin of the superior vestibular nucleus. Some labeling was also consistently observed in the lateral cerebellar nucleus and the dorsolateral vestibular nucleus. After injections into the rVA zones, heavy anterograde labeling was found in the medial and descending vestibular nuclei, the nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, and the central region of the superior vestibular nucleus. Less labeling was seen in the tangential nucleus, the dorsolateral vestibular nucleus, and the lateral vestibular nucleus, pars ventralis. These results are compared and contrasted with findings in mammalian species. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:140–153, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developmental relationship between cholinergic amacrine cell processes and ganglion cell dendrites of the mouse retina
Authors: Stacy Rebecca Colleen , Oi Lun Wong Rachel
Published: January 2003

Ganglion cells of the mammalian retina undergo structural remodeling before their dendrites are confined to functionally distinct laminas within the inner plexiform layer. It has been proposed that cholinergic amacrine cells provide laminar cues that remodel ganglion cell dendrites, because their processes stratify before those of the ganglion cells. To address this possibility, it is necessary to know whether cholinergic cells contact all or only some classes of ganglion cells during development. We, therefore, used two‐photon microscopy to simultaneously reconstruct the dendritic arbors of different classes of ganglion cells and terminal processes of cholinergic cells in neonatal mouse retina. We determined that, after birth, cholinergic cells contacted only a subset of ganglion cells. Large bistratified cells (LBCs), resembling direction selective ganglion cells in other species, had dendrites that fasciculated with the cholinergic plexuses. The LBCs received numerous presynaptic cholinergic contacts shortly after birth. In contrast, large monostratified cells (LMCs), ramifying outside the cholinergic plexuses at maturity, received few, if any, cholinergic contacts even at early stages when their dendrites overlapped with the cholinergic processes. These observations suggest that cholinergic cells provide laminar cues for only subsets of ganglion cells. They also indicate that the synaptic organization between amacrine and ganglion cells may be specified early in development. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:154–166, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Unique developmental patterns of GABAergic neurons in rat spinal cord
Authors: Tran Tracy S. , Alijani Ata , Phelps Patricia E.
Published: January 2003

γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons have been postulated to compose an important component of local circuits in the adult spinal cord, yet their identity and axonal projections have not been well defined. We have found that, during early embryonic ages (E12–E16), both glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) and GABA were expressed in cell bodies and growing axons, whereas at older ages (E17–P28), they were localized primarily in terminal‐like structures. To determine whether these developmental changes in GAD65 and GABA were due to an intracellular shift in the distribution pattern of GAD proteins, we used a spinal cord slice model. Initial experiments demonstrated that the pattern of GABAergic neurons within organotypic cultures mimicked the expression pattern seen in embryos. Sixteen‐day‐old embryonic slices grown 1 day in vitro contained many GAD65‐ and GAD67‐labeled somata, whereas those grown 4 days in vitro contained primarily terminal‐like varicosities. When isolated E14–E16 slices were grown for 4 days in vitro, the width of the GAD65‐labeled ventral marginal zone decreased by 40–50%, a finding that suggests these GABAergic axons originated from sources both intrinsic and extrinsic to the slices. Finally, when axonal transport was blocked in vitro, the developmental subcellular localization of GAD65 and GAD67 was reversed, so that GABAergic cell bodies were detected at all ages examined. These data indicate that an intracellular redistribution of both forms of GAD underlie the developmental changes observed in GABAergic spinal cord neurons. Taken together, our findings suggest a rapid translocation of GAD proteins from cell bodies to synaptic terminals following axonal outgrowth and synaptogenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:112–126, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Topography, cytoarchitecture, and cellular phenotypes of cortical areas that form the cingulo‐parahippocampal isthmus and adjoining retrocalcarine areas in the monkey
Authors: Ding Song‐Lin , Morecraft Robert J. , Van Hoesen Gary W.
Published: January 2003

The monkey cingulo‐parahippocampal isthmus was identified recently in the depths and lateral bank of the anterior calcarine fissure but was not characterized fully. Cytoarchitectonic and immunohistochemical results presented here reveal that the isthmus is composed of four cortical areas. These include the presubiculum of the isthmus (PrSi), parasubiculum of the isthmus (PaSi), area 29 of the isthmus (area 29i) and area prostriata (Pro), which has anterior (Pro‐a) and posterior (Pro‐p) divisions. The PrSi, characterized by dense calbindin+ (CB+) neuropil in layer III, merges with area 29i at approximately the middle portion of the isthmus; the latter lacking the CB+ neuropil. The PaSi, characterized by a cell‐free lamina dissecans and light parvalbumin+ labeling, is observed in the ventral isthmus. The Pro, located posterior to area 29i and PaSi, and anterior to area 17, has an incipient layer IV, but the density of granule cells gradually increase toward area 17. Pro‐a has an incipient layer IV, contains few SMI‐32+ neurons, and adjoins area 30 dorsally. The latter also has an incipient layer IV but contains, in contrast, more SMI‐32+ neurons. Pro‐p has a clear but thin layer IV, contains a small number of SMI‐32+ neurons, and adjoins both area 23 and area 18 dorsally and area 18 ventrally. Compared with Pro‐p, area 23 contains many more SMI‐32+ neurons, whereas area 18 contains far more SMI‐32+ neurons. These findings reveal that the isthmus is a key cortical zone connecting both the cingulate and parahippocampal gyri, but also the limbic and visual cortices. Emphasizing the former only, which has been the tendency historically, underestimates the anatomic complexity of the isthmus, and likely, its functional correlates. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:184–201, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Paucity of presumptive ruffini corpuscles in the index finger pad of humans
Authors: Paré Michel , Behets Catherine , Cornu Olivier
Published: January 2003

Classically recognized as the cutaneous stretch receptors associated with the slowly adapting type II (SAII) primary afferents, Ruffini corpuscles have rarely been reported in the skin, despite numerous histologic investigations. Electrophysiological recordings of the primary afferents in humans suggest that SAII fibers represent approximately 15% of the myelinated mechanosensitive axons in the peripheral nerves innervating the volar surface of the hand. In the present study, an analysis of glabrous skin was conducted in human donors to assess the distribution of Ruffini and Ruffini‐like corpuscles in the distal phalanx of the index finger. Only one presumptive Ruffini corpuscle was found in the skin processed for double immunofluorescence labeling with antibodies against protein gene product 9.5 and neurofilament 200‐kDa subunit. Based on their relatively scattered distributions, we conclude that very few SAII primary afferents are likely to terminate as Ruffini corpuscles in human glabrous skin. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:260–266, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of cholinoceptive glycinergic neurons in the mammalian retina
Authors: Dmitrieva Nina A. , Pow David V. , Lindstrom Jon M. , Keyser Kent T.
Published: January 2003

The light‐evoked release of acetylcholine (ACh) affects the responses of many retinal ganglion cells, in part via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). nAChRs that contain β2α3 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors have been identified and localized in the rabbit retina; these nAChRs are recognized by the monoclonal antibody mAb210. We have examined the expression of β2α3 nAChRs by glycinergic amacrine cells in the rabbit retina and have identified different subpopulations of nicotinic cholinoceptive glycinergic cells using double and triple immunohistochemistry with quantitative analysis. Here we demonstrate that about 70% of the cholinoceptive amacrine cells in rabbit retina are glycinergic cells. At least three nonoverlapping subpopulations of mAb210 glycine‐immunoreactive cells can be distinguished with antibodies against calretinin, calbindin, and γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors. The cholinergic cells in rabbit retina are thought to synapse only on other cholinergic cells and ganglion cells. Thus, the expression of β2α3 nAChRs on diverse populations of glycinergic cells is puzzling. To explore this finding, the subcellular localization of β2α3 was studied at the electron microscopic level. mAb210 immunoreactivity was localized on the dendrites of amacrines and ganglion cells throughout the inner plexiform layer, and much of the labeling was not associated with recognizable synapses. Thus, our findings indicate that ACh in the mammalian retina may modulate glycinergic circuits via extrasynaptic β2α3 nAChRs. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:167–175, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synaptic input to the on–off directionally selective ganglion cell in the rabbit retina
Authors: Dacheux Ramon F. , Chimento Melissa F. , Amthor Franklin R.
Published: January 2003

A physiologically identified on–off directionally selective (DS) ganglion cell with its preferred‐null axis defined was stained with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and prepared for electron microscopy. A continuous series of thin sections were used to examine the cell's synaptology. Although the DS cell dendrite received the majority of its synaptic input from a heterogeneous population of amacrine cell processes, a frequently observed synaptic profile consisted of a DS cell dendrite receiving synapses from a cluster of several amacrine cell processes. These clusters of processes were assumed to be from a fascicle of amacrine cells, most of which probably belonged to several different cholinergic starburst amacrine cells. The most frequently observed presynaptic profile within the clusters consisted of a synaptic couplet in which two processes synapsed with each other before one of them finally synapsed with the DS ganglion cell dendrite; occasionally, a chain of three serial synapses was seen. In addition, a specific microcircuit that has the potential to exert lateral feedforward inhibition was also observed. This microcircuit consisted of two cone bipolar cell terminal dyad synapses where one dyad contained an amacrine cell process making a reciprocal synapse and a DS ganglion cell dendrite receiving direct excitation; the other dyad synapse, found lateral to the first dyad, contained two amacrine cell processes that both made reciprocal synapses, but one fed forward to make a putative inhibitory synapse with the DS cell dendrite. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:267–278, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Patterned Purkinje cell degeneration in mouse models of Niemann‐Pick type C disease
Authors: Sarna Justyna R. , Larouche Matt , Marzban Hassan , Sillitoe Roy V. , Rancourt Derrick E. , Hawkes Richard
Published: January 2003

Niemann Pick disease type C1 (NPC1) is an inherited, autosomal recessive, lipid‐storage disorder with major neurological involvement. Purkinje cell death is a prominent feature of the neuropathology of NPC. We have investigated Purkinje cell death in two murine models of NPC1, BALB/c npcnih and C57BLKS/J spm. In both cases, extensive Purkinje cell death was found in the cerebellum. The pattern of Purkinje cell death is complex. First, zebrin II‐negative Purkinje cells disappear, to leave survivors aligned in stripes that closely resemble the pattern revealed by using zebrin II immunocytochemistry. Subsequently, as the disease progresses, additional Purkinje cells die. At the terminal stages of the disease, the surviving Purkinje cells are concentrated in lobules IX and X of the posterior lobe vermis. Purkinje cell degeneration is accompanied by the ectopic expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and the small heat shock protein HSP25, both associated preferentially with the surviving cells. The pattern of cell death thus reflects the fundamental compartmentation of the cerebellum into zones and stripes. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:279–291, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neuron‐specific age‐related decreases in dopamine receptor subtype mRNAs
Authors: Hemby Scott E. , Trojanowski John Q. , Ginsberg Stephen D.
Published: January 2003

Age‐related decline in dopamine receptor levels has been observed in regional studies of animal and human brains; however, identifying specific cellular substrates and/or alterations in distinct neuronal populations remains elusive. To evaluate whether age‐related decreases in dopamine receptor subtypes are associated with specific cell populations in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, antisense RNA amplification was combined with cDNA array analysis to examine effects of aging on D1–D5 dopamine receptor mRNA expression levels in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons and entorhinal cortex layer II stellate cells from post‐mortem human brains (19–92 years). In CA1 pyramidal neurons, significant age‐related decline was observed for dopamine receptor mRNAs (D1–D4, P < 0.001; D5, P < 0.05) but not for the cytoskeletal elements β‐actin, three‐repeat (3R) tau, and four‐repeat (4R) tau. In contrast, no significant changes were observed in stellate cells across the same cohort. Thus, senescence may be a factor responsible for cell‐specific decrements in dopamine receptor gene expression in one population of neurons within a circuit that is critical for learning and memory. Furthermore, these results support the hypothesis that alterations in dopaminergic function may also be related to behavioral abnormalities, such as psychosis, that occur with aging. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:176–183, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of the human superior olivary complex by calcium binding proteins and neurofilament H (SMI‐32)
Authors: Bazwinsky Ivonne , Hilbig Heidegard , Bidmon Hans‐Jürgen , Rübsamen Rudolf
Published: January 2003

This study provides a morphologic characterization of the human superior olivary complex as revealed by immunohistochemistry by using antibodies against the calcium binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin, and the nonphosphorylated neurofilament H SMI‐32. By combining these markers, it was possible to establish the neuronal architecture and details of the morphologic organization (including axonal terminals) of the different nuclei. The medial superior olivary nucleus is formed by a sheet of parallel‐oriented cells. A clear segregation of axon terminals was noticed on the medially and laterally oriented dendrites of the mostly bipolar neurons. The lateral superior olivary nucleus lacked a distinct nuclear shape but was formed by several patches of rather irregularly arranged neurons. Calretinin or parvalbumin immunoreactive afferent terminals were observed which contacted somata or dendrites of these neurons. The immunolabeling also revealed the boundaries of the dorsal periolivary nucleus and morphologic detail of its neurons. A coherent nuclear structure that could be addressed as the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body was not identified by any single one or by combinations of the markers used. The data were also used to establish a three‐dimensional‐reconstruction of the three major subnuclei of the superior olivary complex. The results are discussed with respect to the possible role of the superior olivary complex in the processing of spatial acoustic information in the azimuthal plane. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:292–303, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Differential expression of the GDNF family receptors RET and GFRα1, 2, and 4 in subsets of motoneurons: A relationship between motoneuron birthdate and receptor expression
Authors: Homma Shunsaku , Yaginuma Hiroyuki , Vinsant Sharon , Seino Miho , Kawata Megumi , Gould Thomas , Shimada Takako , Kobayashi Nobumi , Oppenheim Ronald W.
Published: January 2003

Previous studies have demonstrated the expression of specific members of the glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) receptor family α (GFRα) in subsets of motoneurons (MNs) in the developing mouse spinal cord. We examined the expression pattern of GFRα and RET in the avian lumbar spinal cord during the period of programmed cell death (PCD) of MNs by using double labeling in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. In the lateral motor column (LMC) of the lumbar spinal cord, a laminar organization of GFRα expression was observed: GFRα1‐positive MNs were located in the medial LMC; GFRα1‐, 2‐, and 4‐positive MNs were situated in the lateral LMC; and GFRα4‐positive MNs were located in the intermediate LMC. The species of GFRα receptor that was expressed in MNs was found to be related to their birthdates. The expression of subpopulation‐specific transcriptional factors was also used to define MNs that express a specific pattern of GFRα. This analysis suggests that motor pools as defined by these transcriptional factors have unique expression patterns of GFRα receptor. Early limb bud ablation did not affect the expression of GFRα in the spinal cord, indicating that regulation of receptor expression is independent of target‐derived signals. Finally, GDNF mRNA expression was found in the limb during the PCD period of MNs. In conclusion, these results indicate that time of withdrawal from the mitotic cycle may specify the expression pattern of GFRα in subsets of MNs and that GDNF may function as a target‐derived neurotrophic factor for specific subpopulations of MNs. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:245–259, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Small‐scale pattern formation in a cortical area of the embryonic chicken telencephalon
Authors: Kovjanic Dragica , Redies Christoph
Published: January 2003

The parahippocampal area is a cortical region of the avian dorsomedial telencephalon. In the chicken embryo, it contains discrete clusters of cadherin‐7–positive cells, which are embedded in a cadherin‐7–negative matrix. In the present work, the development and spatial distribution of these clusters is studied in whole‐mount specimens. The clusters form a complex, coherent pattern of patches of variable size, spacing, and staining intensity. The pattern is especially prominent and regularly spaced in the rostral part of the caudolateral parahippocampal area. Here, it consists of stripes and connecting bridges with an average periodicity of approximately 0.3 mm. This pattern vaguely resembles some animal fur patterns and the ocular dominance domain of the mammalian visual cortex. The cadherin‐7–positive patches also differ from their surrounding area by their cytoarchitecture and their increased acetylcholinesterase activity, suggesting that they represent functionally specialized subregions within the parahippocampal area. During development, the patchiness is first observed between 9 and 10 days of incubation and gradually becomes more prominent until 15 days of incubation. Our results indicate that the patchy organization of cortical gray matter on a small scale of periodicity (below 1 mm), which is well studied in the mammalian neocortex, is also found in the avian telencephalon. J. Comp. Neurol. 456:95–104, 2003. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
False dichotomies and asking the right questions
Authors: Wade John
Published: January 2003

This is a comment on a recent article entitled “Enacting and Reproducing Social and Individual Identity Through Mediation” by Ho‐Beng Chia, Chee‐Leong Chong, Joo‐Eng Lee‐Partridge, Chantel Chu Shi Hwee, and Sharon Francesca Koh Wei‐Fei, in Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 2000, 19(1).
Modelling conditions for nanoelectronics, and elaboration for set circuits
Authors: van Roermund Arthur H. M.
Published: January 2003

This paper addresses in a conceptual way the criteria for modelling nanoelectronics. Model domains and property domains are introduced and discussed, and their interdependences are addressed and put into a framework. The validity of a model domain is coupled to inter‐property domain and intra‐property domain scale conditions. These in turn depend on the chosen physical phenomena for information processing. The relations are visualized in the figures. The generalized concepts, global and local, play an important role in this discussion. The situation for nanoelectronics and SET circuits, in particular, is further elaborated. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eye openings in WDM transmission systems with optical SSB modulation using a Hilbert transformer and with electrical low‐frequency band equalization
Authors: Tanaka Kikuji , Takano Katsumi , Kondo Kazuhiro , Nakagawa Kiyoshi
Published: January 2003

A narrowband optical modulation model was devised based on an optical single sideband (SSB) modulator using a finite‐order Hilbert transformer. The model's wavelength multiplexing transmission characteristics were analyzed by evaluating the eye openings obtained by computer simulation. First, we evaluated a transmission model with no adjacent channels and found that the transmission eye openings after demodulation were degraded by the characteristics of the optical SSB modulation and the frequency response of a channel separation filter. The degradation of the eye openings could clearly be corrected by applying electrical attenuation equalization in the low‐frequency band after baseband demodulation. Next, we evaluated the eye openings obtained by the optimum channel separation filter determined as a function of the order of the Hilbert transformer by evaluating the transmission model extended to three‐channel multiplexing that includes adjacent channels. It was found that applying electrical attenuation equalization improved the received signal characteristics as the order of the Hilbert transformer increased. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 86(5): 1–11, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.10058
Radio channel assignment system for cellular mobile communications
Authors: Fujii Teruya , Nakazima Nobuo
Published: January 2003

To use finite spectral resources more efficiently, the cellular mobile communications method reuses frequencies (radio channels) repeatedly. With the cellular method, channel assignment that efficiently allocates radio channels to each base station while guaranteeing fixed communication quality becomes harder as the number of base stations grows, making it difficult to achieve optimization in a short time. This paper looks at the autonomous function for learning the channel used by each base station in autonomous distributed channel assignment and proposes a new channel assignment algorithm for determining channel assignments from the results that are obtained. It also clarifies the application results in a channel assignment system that incorporates the proposed algorithm. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 86(5): 59–71, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.1162