bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Face Perception, Neural Basis of
Authors: Bentin Shlomo
Published: December 2005

There is neurophysiological evidence to support the existence of a specific neural mechanism in the extrastriate cortex, which is tuned to detect physiognomic information in the visual field and form a mental image, capturing those aspects of the face that enable us to distinguish it from other faces, a stage that is considered to precede personal identification.
Decoding Single Neuron Activity
Authors: Knierim James J
Published: December 2005

Neurons communicate with each other by firing trains of action potentials (spikes). Understanding what information is represented by this activity, and how to decipher the code in which the neural messages are encrypted, are the central issues of single neuron physiology.
H
ebbian Cell Assemblies
Authors: Frégnac Yves
Published: December 2005

A Hebbian cell assembly is defined as a collective dynamic activity process reverberating in a closed set of recurrent connections, which are part of a larger association network.
Parietal Cortex
Authors: Culham Jody C
Published: December 2005

Parietal cortex consists of the cortical surface of the parietal lobes. It contains numerous specialized subregions involved in encoding bodily sensations and integrating sensory information to perform motor actions.
Reinforcement Learning: A Biological Perspective
Authors: Montague P Read , Eagleman David M , McClure Samuel M , Berns Gregory S
Published: December 2005

Reinforcement learning is an approach to learning problems that takes account of the interaction of the learner with their reactive environment. Despite its early connections to animal learning, reinforcement learning has been an active field of study in engineering and computer science. New research is now starting to connect reinforcement learning to identifiable biological systems. These connections may well provide direct insights into goal‐directed learning and decision‐making in biological organisms.
Motion Perception, Neural Basis of
Authors: Grzywacz Norberto M , Merwine David K
Published: December 2005

Animals perceive motion by extracting velocity information from their visual inputs. Differing aspects of the information are computed in a hierarchical series of sequential stages from the retina through the temporal cortex.
Audition, Neural Basis of
Authors: Shamma Shihab
Published: December 2005

Sound is translated into neural signals by the organs of the auditory system. Key to this process is the cochlea, which converts sound pressure waves into spatially ordered patterns of membrane vibrations and then transforms these vibrations into neural patterns in the auditory nerve.
Attention, Neural Basis of
Authors: De Weerd Peter
Published: December 2005

Attention, the ability to selectively process sensory information, is generated by the modulation of sensory processes by frontoparietal neural networks.
Spatial Attention, Neural Basis of
Authors: Worden Michael S , Martinez Antigona , Posner Michael I
Published: December 2005

The neural signals responsible for the control of spatial attention are presumed to stem from activity in specific cortical and subcortical networks and are transmitted via feedback projections to sensory cortex where they exert their modulatory effects.
Motor Learning Models
Authors: Wolpert Daniel M , Ghahramani Zoubin
Published: December 2005

Motor learning models are adaptable systems within the central nervous system which are responsible for skilled motor behavior.
Neurotransmitters
Authors: Wenk Gary L
Published: December 2005

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released in tiny amounts by neurons in response to an action potential.
Kindling
Authors: Saucier Deborah M , Corcoran Michael E
Published: December 2005

Kindling is a model of complex partial epilepsy and neuroplastic change within the nervous system.
Sex Differences in the Brain
Authors: Holmes Melissa M , Galea Liisa A M
Published: December 2005

Differences between male and female nervous systems exist in a multitude of species. In the human brain, sexual dimorphism occurs in areas related to sexual and maternal behavior, and also to spatial abilities. Gonadal hormones may affect these differences at the developmental stage.
Stroke
Authors: Gonzales‐Portillo Fernando , Coull Bruce M
Published: December 2005

Stroke is a general term for loss of brain function (persisting for more than 24 h) caused by loss of blood supply to the brain, or by hemorrhage within or around the brain.
Brain Damage, Treatment and Recovery from
Authors: Wilson Barbara A
Published: December 2005

Natural recovery can and does occur in children and adults following brain injury. Rehabilitation can also result in improvements of functioning.
Pain and Analgesia, Neural Basis of
Authors: Craig AD
Published: December 2005

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Analgesia is the alleviation or the absence of pain.
Sleep Reduction, Cognitive Effects of
Authors: Pinel John PJ , Barnes Steven J
Published: December 2005

Even minor sleep loss (e.g., 3 or 4 hours for one night) increases sleepiness, disturbs mood, and reduces vigilance. More complex cognitive and motor disturbances have been reported after sleep loss, but they have been proven to be less sensitive. Remarkably, the few studies of individuals who have adopted long programs of reduced sleep (e.g., 5.5 hours per night) suggest that their sleep gradually becomes more efficient, and their initial deficits diminish.
Episodic Memory, Computational Models of
Authors: Norman Kenneth A
Published: December 2005

Computational models of episodic memory constitute mechanistically explicit theories of how we recall previously experienced events, and how we recognize stimuli as having been encountered previously. Because these models concretely specify the algorithms that govern recall and recognition, researchers can run computer simulations of these models to explore how (according to a particular model) different manipulations will affect recall and recognition performance.
B
loomfield,
L
eonard
Authors: Anderson Stephen R
Published: December 2005

Leonard Bloomfield (1887–1949) was an American linguist whose contributions to general linguistics as well as to the study of a number of language families make him one of the central figures in the history of this field of study. His name is virtually synonymous with the American Structuralist approach to language through the 1950s.
G
eschwind,
N
orman
Authors: Schachter Steven C , Devinsky Orrin
Published: December 2005

Norman Geschwind (1926–1984) was a twentieth‐century American neurologist considered to be the father of behavioral neurology because of his research and theories concerning higher cortical functions.
Academic Achievement
Authors: Stevenson Harold W
Published: December 2005

Worldwide studies of academic achievement in children and adolescents strengthen our understanding of the factors underlying differences in performance.
Aging and Cognition
Authors: Rabbitt Pat
Published: December 2005

The study of aging and cognition aims to identify the mental changes that occur in old age and relate them to corresponding neurophysiological processes.
Animal Cognition
Authors: Kuhlmeier Valerie A , Boysen Sarah T
Published: December 2005

The study of how animals learn, behave, and think, often from a comparative perspective, is the crux of animal cognition research. Recent topics explored in this field include understanding of abstract concepts, spatial learning and memory, imitation, representation of social relations, and examining the similarities between nonhuman primates and human children.
Animal Language
Authors: Rumbaugh Duane M , Beran Michael J
Published: December 2005

Animal language references the field in which animals' capabilities for various dimensions and functions of language are researched. Language is here defined as a neurobehavioral system that provides for the construction and use of symbols to enable the conveyance and receipt of information and novel ideas between individuals. The meanings of symbols in this system are basically defined and modulated through social interactions.
Auditory Event‐Related Potentials
Authors: Picton Terence W
Published: December 2005

Auditory event‐related potentials are electrical changes recorded from the brain in association with auditory stimuli.
Choice Selection
Authors: Payne John W , Bettman James R
Published: December 2005

Choice selection involves a set of alternatives, each described by some attributes or consequences for the decision‐maker's goals. Decision‐makers choose among such options using a variety of different psychological strategies.
Conceptual Change
Authors: Thagard Paul
Published: December 2005

Conceptual change is the creation and alteration of mental representations that correspond to words. It is an important part of learning in science and everyday life.
Conceptual Representations in Psychology
Authors: Markman Arthur B
Published: December 2005

Conceptual representation refers to the way that information about categories is stored and organized.
Conditioning
Authors: McSweeney Frances K
Published: December 2005

Classical and operant conditioning are procedures for changing behavior. Behavior changes when a previously neutral stimulus predicts an important stimulus (classical conditioning). Behavior also changes when a response produces a particular consequence (operant conditioning).
Creativity
Authors: Ward Thomas B , Saunders Katherine N
Published: December 2005

Creativity is the result of the convergence of basic cognitive processes, core domain knowledge, and environmental, personal, and motivational factors which allow an individual to produce an object or behavior that is considered both novel and appropriate in a particular context.
Cultural Psychology
Authors: Leu Janxin , Berry Nicole S , Hirschfeld Lawrence A
Published: December 2005

Cultural psychology is an interdisciplinary program of research that explores the relationship between individual minds and the complex environments in which they are deployed. The approach focuses on the contribution that content‐rich, complex environments – ranging from workplaces to cultural traditions to nation states – make in shaping basic cognitive processes.
Cultural Differences in Abstract Thinking
Authors: van de Vijver Fons J R
Published: December 2005

Abstract thinking is a central part of reasoning and the highest cognitive attainment in Piagetian theory. Studies of cross‐cultural differences and similarities in abstract thinking show its relationship with culture.
Depth Perception
Authors: Braunstein Myron L
Published: December 2005

The three‐dimensional world that is immediately and effortlessly perceived is a product of inferential mechanisms that rely on many different types of information. Among these are binocular disparity, motion parallax, texture gradients, linear perspective, shading, interposition, accommodation and convergence.
Intermodal Perception, Development of
Authors: Bahrick Lorraine E
Published: December 2005

Intermodal perception is the perception of unitary objects and events through spatially and temporally coordinated stimulation from multiple sense modalities. Research suggests that the senses are united in early infancy, fostering the rapid development of intermodal perception.
Memory, Development of
Authors: Bauer Patricia J , Abbema Dana L Van
Published: December 2005

Throughout infancy and early childhood there are remarkable changes in the ability to remember everyday and emotional events. More frequent and effective use of memory strategies, increases in speed of processing, and developments in metamemory all contribute to the changes.
Space Perception, Development of
Authors: Yonas Albert
Published: December 2005

The development of space perception refers to the changing processes that take place within an organism that make possible the control of action based on knowledge of the three‐dimensional layout of the environment. Development refers to both the consequences of experience and the maturation of sensory and perceptual mechanisms.
Environmental Psychology
Authors: Kaplan Stephen
Published: December 2005

In the context of evolution and environment, human information processing has many connections with preference and motivation, with far‐reaching implications for the possibilities of enhancing human effectiveness.
Event‐Related Potentials and Mental Chronometry
Authors: Wilding Edward L , Herron Jane E
Published: December 2005

Mental chronometry is the label that has been given to the use of reaction times to identify and characterize the stages of human information processing that occur between a stimulus and a response. Event‐related potentials (ERPs) are also suited to this, since they index in real time the brain processes that reflect successive stages of human information processing.
Evolutionary Psychology: Theoretical Foundations
Authors: Cosmides Leda , Tooby John
Published: December 2005

Evolutionary psychology is an approach to the cognitive sciences whose goal is to map the evolved, species‐typical cognitive and neural architecture of humans (and other species). Its focus is on integrating what is known about evolution into the research process, allowing evolutionary psychologists to derive hypotheses about the design of human information‐processing mechanisms from the large pre‐ existing body of theories already developed and empirically tested within modern evolutionary biology.
Gesture
Authors: Goldin‐Meadow Susan
Published: December 2005

The hand movements that people of all ages and all cultures produce while talking are called gestures. These gestures can reflect thoughts that are not expressed in the speech they accompany and, as a result, can play a role in problem‐solving and language acquisition.
Language and Cognition
Authors: Harris Catherine L
Published: December 2005

Cognitive scientists have long debated whether language and cognition are separate mental faculties, or whether language emerges from general cognitive abilities.
Latent Semantic Analysis
Authors: Landauer Thomas K
Published: December 2005

Latent semantic analysis (LSA) approximates human understanding of relations between word and passage meanings in a wide variety of ways.
Education, Learning in
Authors: Wortham Stanton
Published: December 2005

Learning takes place in many settings, but educational institutions foster both breadth and depth of learning. Different types of teaching make very different assumptions about what learning is.
Lexical Acquisition
Authors: Smith Linda McCabe , Bland‐Stewart Linda , Carter Lewis Annette , Hyter Yvette , Champion Tempi , Campbell Linda
Published: December 2005

Lexical development refers to the rules that children use to understand, produce, and create the meaning of individual words and their combined relationship to one another.
Mathematical Psychology
Authors: Chechile Richard A
Published: December 2005

Mathematical psychology is broadly defined as the utilization of mathematical and computational modeling methods to measure, describe, and explain psychological processes.
Memory Distortions and Forgetting
Authors: Koriat Asher , Goldsmith Morris , Pansky Ainat
Published: December 2005

Forgetting refers to the failure to remember specific facts or events that took place in the past. In contrast, memory distortion includes many ways in which what a person does remember can deviate from what actually happened.
Mental Rotation
Authors: Takano Yohtaro , Okubo Matia
Published: December 2005

Mental rotation refers to rotational transformation of an object's visual mental image. Mental rotation may indicate that, unlike the object's verbal description, the image shares some spatial and visual properties with the object itself.
Metaphor Processing, Psychology of
Authors: Gentner Dedre , Bowdle Brian
Published: December 2005

A metaphor is a statement that characterizes one thing in terms of another thing, juxtaposing concepts from separate domains of experience. Metaphor can be used to describe abstract or unfamiliar topics, and to express ideas difficult to convey with literal language.
Motion Perception, Psychology of
Authors: Mather George W
Published: December 2005

Motion perception is important for figure–ground segregation, three‐dimensional vision, and visual guidance of action. Specialized brain cells detect image motion. Adaptation in these cells leads to illusory motion, such as the motion after‐effect.
Motor Development
Authors: Adolph Karen E , Weise Idell , Marin Ludovic
Published: December 2005

Motor development refers to changes in children's ability to control their body's movements, from infants' first spontaneous waving and kicking movements to the adaptive control of reaching, locomotion, and complex sport skills.
Natural Kinds and Artifacts
Authors: Gelman Susan A
Published: December 2005

Natural kinds are categories of things found in nature (e.g. living things, natural substances); artifacts are categories of things created by humans (e.g. furniture, clothing). These two distinct sorts of concepts differ in their implications for human reasoning.
Performance
Authors: Kerzel Dirk , Prinz Wolfgang
Published: December 2005

Human performance is a field of research focusing on the study of elementary sensorimotor skills in well‐defined task environments that require fast and accurate responses. Among other things, processes related to the initiation and interruption of responses in single and dual tasks, such as motor planning, response selection, response execution, and response inhibition are investigated.
Piagetian Theory, Development of Conceptual Structure
Authors: Fischer Kurt , Kaplan Ulas
Published: December 2005

Jean Piaget established an important approach to the study of mental development. He distinguished a series of stages of cognitive development and outlined a process of change through which children actively create a new type of intelligence at each stage. New tools, in contextual and cultural analysis, dynamical systems theory, and neuroscience, are helping to realize his goal of connecting developmental stages with processes of growth.
Psychophysics
Authors: Algom Daniel
Published: December 2005

Psychophysics is the scientific study of the relation between stimulus and sensation, and therefore its study concerns fundamental questions of psychology and cognitive science.
Psycholinguistics
Authors: Gernsbacher Morton Ann , Kaschak Michael P
Published: December 2005

Psycholinguistics is the scientific study of the production and comprehension of language.
Reaction Time
Authors: Townsend James T
Published: December 2005

Reaction time is, along with accuracy, the most important dependent variable employed in experimental cognitive psychology and perhaps in all of experimental psychology.
Representation Formats in Psychology
Authors: Markman Arthur B
Published: December 2005

Representation formats are specific methods used by the mind/brain to store information for later use.
Scientific Thought
Authors: Dunbar Kevin
Published: December 2005

‘Scientific thought’ refers to the thought processes involved in the wide field of scientific activity, and in the process of radical or mundane revision of scientific concepts through a variety of reasoning techniques and problem‐solving heuristics.
Sentence Processing
Authors: Tanenhaus Michael K
Published: December 2005

Sentence processing is the study of the representations people form as they understand a sentence or utterance and the mechanisms underlying the component processes. These include recognizing the words in a sentence, determining the syntactic and semantic relationships among these words, and interpreting the sentence with respect to the relevant linguistic and non‐linguistic context.
Sexual Arousal
Authors: Bancroft John
Published: December 2005

Sexual arousal is described as an emotional and motivational state involving complex interaction between information processing of sexual stimuli, central arousal, genital response, and behavior. The state motivates the individual to increase sexual stimulation and pleasure.
Similarity
Authors: Hahn Ulrike
Published: December 2005

Similarity can be viewed as the degree of resemblance between two objects or events. This is thought to influence a wide variety of cognitive processes.
Word Learning
Authors: Bloom Paul , Nurmsoo Erika
Published: December 2005

The ability to learn the meanings of words is central to the development of language, and requires rich mental capacities – linguistic, conceptual, and social – that interact in complicated ways.
Social Processes, Computational Models of
Authors: Nowak Andrzej , Vallacher Robin R
Published: December 2005

Computational models of social processes formalize social processes in terms of computer algorithms. Such models, commonly investigated by means of computer simulations, provide a means by which theories of social processes can be precisely expressed, and they enable investigators to study non‐obvious consequences of the assumptions underlying social theories.
Evolutionary Psychology: Applications and Criticisms
Authors: Sell Aaron , Hagen Edward H , Cosmides Leda , Tooby John
Published: December 2005

Theories from evolutionary biology have many implications for research in the cognitive sciences. Evolutionary psychologists have been using these theories to guide their research, the goal of which is to map the evolved, species‐typical cognitive and neural architecture of humans (and other species).
Information Theory
Authors: Ghahramani Zoubin
Published: December 2005

Information theory is a mathematical theory defining the limits and possibilities of communication. It provides a quantitative measure of the information content of a message, which is independent of the meaning of the message, in terms of the reduction of uncertainty resulting from receiving the message.
Self‐Organizing Systems
Authors: Camazine Scott
Published: December 2005

Self‐organizing systems are physical and biological systems in which pattern and structure at the global level arises solely from interactions among the lower‐level components of the system. The rules specifying interactions among the system's components are executed using only local information, without reference to the global pattern.
Topology and Cognition
Authors: Casati Roberto
Published: December 2005

Spatial representation as registered in vision and language appears to be sensitive to topological properties, which are among the most general spatial properties.
Vygotsky,Lev
Authors: Berk Laura E , Harris Sara
Published: December 2005

Russian psychologist Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (1896–1934) originated sociocultural theory, which regards social interaction between children and more expert members of their culture as the wellspring of cognitive development. Vygotsky's theory and especially his most influential concept – the zone of proximal development – inspired research into many aspects of teaching and learning.
B
artlett,
F
rederic
C
harles
Authors: Roediger Henry L
Published: December 2005

Frederic C. Bartlett (1886–1969) was a distinguished British psychologist who spent most of his career at Cambridge University. He is chiefly known today for his book Remembering: A Study in Experimental and Social Psychology, which laid the foundation for schema theory.
Cognitive Assessment
Authors: Kulikowich Jonna M , Alexander Patricia A
Published: December 2005

Cognitive assessment encompasses a wide variety of tests, tasks, and methods used to monitor and evaluate knowledge acquisition, strategic processing, and development of complex thinking.
Literacy: Writing
Authors: Graham Steve , Harris Karen R
Published: December 2005

Writing is a self‐initiated, self‐directed, and self‐sustaining activity of composition and inscription that requires the orchestration of a wide array of cognitive processes. Since the mid‐1970s the cognitive science framework has dominated the psychological study of these mental operations.
Scientific Thinking
Authors: Rosser Rosemary A
Published: December 2005

Scientific thinking – both domain‐general and domain‐specific aspects of it – is a model of rationality, everyday thinking, and cognitive development.
Games: Ultimatum
Authors: Burnham Terence C
Published: December 2005

The ultimatum game is a simple, two‐person strategic situation. Human behavior in the ultimatum game and the economic prediction of behavior diverge in a robust manner with profound significance for economics.
Games: Voluntary Contributions
Authors: Isaac R Mark
Published: December 2005

Voluntary contributions are a common mechanism for individuals to provide public goods to an economy. Standard economic theories suggest problems with the use of voluntary contributions. However, both field data and data collected from controlled laboratory experiments suggest that this pessimism is only partially justified.
Games: Sequential Bargaining
Authors: Harrison Glenn W , Rutström E Elisabet
Published: December 2005

Sequential bargaining games involve one player responding to the offers from another player. They provide a structured opportunity to test game‐theoretic hypotheses about subject motivation and cognitive processes.
Games: Principal–Agent
Authors: Alexander Corinne
Published: December 2005

Principal–agent games address the situation where one party (the agent) can take an action unobserved by the other party (the principal), who bears the full consequences for that action. Anticipating that the agent may not act in the principal's best interest, the principal offers the agent incentives to influence the agent's actions.
Choice under Uncertainty
Authors: Machina Mark J
Published: December 2005

The standard theory of individual choice under uncertainty consists of the joint hypothesis of expected utility risk preferences and probabilistic beliefs. Experimental work by both psychologists and economists has uncovered systematic departures from both hypotheses, and has led to the development of alternative, usually more general, models.
Information Cascades and Rational Conformity
Authors: Anderson Lisa R , Holt Charles A
Published: December 2005

An information cascade is a pattern of matching decisions. A cascade can occur when people observe and follow ‘the crowd’, which can be rational if the information revealed in others' earlier decisions outweighs one's own private information.
Dynamic Decision Makers, Classification of Types of
Authors: Houser Daniel
Published: December 2005

A dynamic decision problem is one that requires a sequence of decisions in a setting where pay‐offs and alternatives available for later decisions depend on earlier choices. Analysis of data from dynamic behavioral experiments can shed light on the nature of the different types of dynamic decision makers in the population.
Mixture Models of Individual Heterogeneity
Authors: Stahl DO
Published: December 2005

Mixture models of individual heterogeneity are models of a population consisting of heterogeneous types of individuals, each type exhibiting a distinct probabilistic behavior, with the probability of each type equal to that type's proportion in the population.
Cultural Processes: The Latest Major Transition in Evolution
Authors: Szathmáry Eörs
Published: December 2005

The origin of humans and human society is linked to the appearance of a unique mechanism for cultural inheritance, namely language. Earlier major evolutionary transitions can shed light on the latest transition.
Social Learning in Animals
Authors: Galef Bennett G
Published: December 2005

‘Social learning’ is a general term referring to several behavioral processes that allow social interactions to bias what individuals learn. Processes involved in social learning include ‘local enhancement’, when the normal activities of one individual simply focus attention of others on a particular part of the environment with which they then interact, and ‘teaching’, when a model changes its own behavior to facilitate learning by naive individuals.
Human Cognition
Authors: Plotkin H
Published: December 2005

Human cognition is the set of processes and mechanisms by which we come to know the world, whether it be through learning, perception, or thinking and problem solving. Studies of cognition as an evolved set of traits which must be understood within a developmental framework are beginning to resolve some of the oldest philosophical problems of how we come to have knowledge.
Development
Authors: Newcombe Nora S
Published: December 2005

Development refers to the acquisition of mature knowledge states and cognitive capabilities. Cognitive scientists seek to characterize initial knowledge states and cognitive capabilities, and the processes involved in their transformation into adult competence.
Isolated extramedullary relapse after autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia: Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Potenza Leonardo , Luppi Mario , Riva Giovanni , Morselli Monica , Ferrari Angela , Imovilli Annalisa , Giacobbi Francesca , Temperani Paola , Donelli Amedea , Narni Franco , Torelli Giuseppe
Published: December 2005

Isolated extramedullary relapse (IEMR) is a pattern of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapse post‐allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (alloBMT). Less is known about IEMR post‐autologous BMT (autoBMT) and about factors associated with IEMR. We report a case of a woman with M4 AML who experienced IEMR post‐autoBMT and review the related literature. Seventy‐two alloBMT and 3 autoBMT patients, including ours, were identified. The review suggests that an M2 or M4 French‐American‐British (FAB) phenotype, intermediate cytogenetic risk group, and chromosome 8 abnormalities are more frequently associated with the occurrence of IEMR. IEMR occurs earlier in autoBMT than in alloBMT. Combined treatment with radiation and high‐dose chemotherapy may be effective. When we searched the European Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (EBMTR) database, we found the incidence of IEMR to be statistically greater in alloBMT than in autoBMT (11% vs. 6%; P = 0.02), but no correlations have been found with the conditioning transplant regimen used. A closer follow‐up, including body and central nervous system scan, should be considered in patients who are undergoing BMT presenting with several IEMR‐associated factors. Am. J. Hematol. 81:45–50, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Peripheral monocytes and CD4+ cells are potential Sources for increased circulating levels of TGF‐β and substance P in autoimmune myelofibrosis
Authors: Harrison Jonathan S. , Corcoran Kelly E. , Joshi Deval , Sophacleus Constantin , Rameshwar Pranela
Published: December 2005

Myelofibrosis is an uncommon phenomenon associated with a variety of neoplastic and inflammatory processes. Although there is evidence that cytokines elaborated by clonal malignant hematopoietic cells are implicated in myelofibrosis in primary hematologic disorders, there has been little data to date on the pathophysiology of myelofibrosis in autoimmune disorders. Here we report a case of autoimmune myelofibrosis with pancytopenia. Peripheral blood monocytes and CD4‐positive lymphocytes produced significantly elevated levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) compared to similar cells from healthy volunteer controls. TGF‐β has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myelofibrosis associated with primary hematological malignancies. Furthermore, substance P, previously linked to myelofibrosis, was also detected in elevated levels in the patient's serum and correlated negatively with the levels of the patient's blood counts. These findings suggest a role for both TGF‐β and substance P in the pathophysiology of autoimmune myelofibrosis. This is the first report of deregulated production of TGF‐β by monocytes in the pathobiology of autoimmune myelofibrosis. Am. J. Hematol. 81:51–58, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Success with infliximab in treating refractory hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Henzan Tomoko , Nagafuji Koji , Tsukamoto Hiroshi , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Gondo Hisashi , Imashuku Shinsaku , Harada Mine
Published: December 2005

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare disorder characterized by fever, pancytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly, liver dysfunction, and hemophagocytosis. A 29‐year‐old woman, diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus in 1996, developed HLH in early June 2002. HLH remained refractory during 1.5 months of treatment including corticosteroid, cyclosporine, plasma exchange, vincristine, and etoposide. Infliximab (5 mg/kg/day) was then administered twice. After the second administration, the patient attained remission. Because HLH itself is not a neoplasm but an uncontrolled immune reaction, blocking cytokines involved in the reaction should have therapeutic potentials. For HLH patients not responding to conventional therapy, anticytokine treatment with infliximab may represent one of promising options. Am. J. Hematol. 81:59–61, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Therapeutic decision‐making in inhibitor patients
Authors: Allen Geoffrey , Aledort Louis
Published: December 2005

A panel of hematologists met to discuss treatment choices in patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors. The group agreed that the management of bleeding episodes is complicated by a variable response to bypassing therapy, uncertainties regarding optimal dosing of NovoSeven, and concerns about the combined use of NovoSeven and FEIBA. Thrombotic risk was rated very low for both agents, and there was consensus that product selection should not be restricted to recombinant products. Cost considerations in therapeutic decision‐making were also discussed. Am. J. Hematol. 81:71–72, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with pamidronate therapy
Authors: Zarychanski Ryan , Elphee Erin , Walton Paul , Johnston James
Published: December 2005

Bisphosphonates are commonly used in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, and they are also an important therapeutic adjunct in multiple myeloma and other cancers metastatic to bone. Bisphosphonates are generally well tolerated and associated with minimal adverse effects; however, there exists a growing concern that intravenous bisphosphonate use is associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ). We report the occurrence of osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with pamidronate therapy in 12 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma, breast carcinoma, or renal cell carcinoma, all involving bone. At the onset of jaw osteonecrosis, pamidronate therapy was the single medication common to all 12 patients. The duration of therapy varied from 12 to 77 months before osteonecrosis was observed; 92% (11/12) of cases involved the posterior mandible and all cases have been refractory to a variety of medical therapies, including surgical debridement and systemic antibiotics. Available tissue biopsies revealed inflammation consistent with osteomyelitis. In one biopsy, Actinomyces spp. were recovered from culture, but treatment with an extended course of clindamycin conferred no clinical benefit. The persistence of exposed bone remains a significant source of morbidity and pain for each surviving patient. Discontinuation of pamidronate therapy has not helped reverse the presence of osteonecrosis, and surgical manipulation of the involved site appears to worsen the underlying bone pathology. ONJ is an important adverse outcome associated with bisphosphonate therapy, and physicians prescribing pamidronate or zoledronate must be aware of the association between these drugs and this serious clinical entity. Failure to recognize the signs of ONJ can lead to unnecessary surgical procedures, which ultimately exacerbate the condition and impact quality of life. The unremitting nature of this clinical development, and the long‐lasting morbidity associated with it suggests that patients should be counseled regarding the possible occurrence of ONJ prior to initiating therapy with pamidronate. Am. J. Hematol. 81:73–75, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reticulocyte evaluation in α+‐thalassemia
Authors: Krügner F. , Zaccariotto T.R. , Rosim E.T. , Costa F.F. , Grotto H.Z.W. , Sonati M.F.
Published: December 2005

Although it is almost certain that α+‐thalassemia protects against malaria, the mechanisms for that are still unknown. It has been suggested that an increased number of young circulating red blood cells in α+‐thalassemic children, as a result of some degree of ineffective erythropoiesis, could be related to the high frequencies of the α+‐thalassemic allele in malaria endemic areas. Reticulocyte evaluation in this condition, however, has been poorly performed so far. Our objective was to determine the reticulocyte number and maturation degree, in addition to the soluble transferrin receptor and serum erythropoietin levels, in α+‐thalassemia heterozygotes, comparing them with normal α‐genotype controls. One hundred twenty‐one α+‐thalassemia carriers (−α3.7/αα) and 249 controls (αα/αα), all of them with normal serum ferritin levels, were subclassified according to age (1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–20, and over 20 years old). Reticulocyte analyzes were carried out by flow cytometry and sTfR and s‐Epo levels determined by immunonephelometry and chemiluminescence, respectively. The comparisons did not show any significant difference between thalassemics and controls regarding the reticulocyte parameters [percentages and absolute values, P = 0.2643 and 0.5421; high, medium, and low maturation degree, P = 0.2579, 0.2196, and 0.4192; RET maturity index (RMI), P = 0.2471, respectively], as well as the s‐Epo levels (P = 0.5711). The sTfR concentrations were higher in the thalassemic group (P = 0.0001), but statistical significance was due only to the 1–5 and over 20 subgroups (P = 0.0082 and 0.0436, respectively). The results found here are compatible with a compensated erythropoiesis and do not confirm the hypothesis mentioned above. Am. J. Hematol. 81:68–70, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis
Authors: Davoren A. , Aster R.H.
Published: December 2005

Heparin, employed clinically for more than 50 years, is still a widely used anticoagulant. Unfortunately, some patients given this agent develop thrombocytopenia and thrombosis. Because this side effect can have catastrophic consequences, it is imperative that all clinicians caring for patients who receive heparin have at least a basic understanding of its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. Am. J. Hematol. 81:36–44, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ikaros increases normal apoptosis in adult erythroid cells
Authors: Pulte Dianne , Lopez Rocio A. , Baker Shane T. , Ward Maureen , Ritchie Ellen , Richardson Christine A. , O'Neill David W. , Bank Arthur
Published: December 2005

Ikaros is a critical transcriptional regulator of hematopoietic cell differentiation. In addition to its effects on the lymphoid system and hematopoietic stem‐cell compartment, we have previously shown that Ikaros is also required for normal erythroid development. In this report, we compare Ikaros‐dependent gene expression in erythroid cells of mice lacking the Ikaros protein with that of normal mice in purified adult bone‐marrow erythroid cells (BMRC). Gene expression, measured by Affymetrix microarray analysis, indicates that in the BMRC of Ikaros‐null mice, there is significant up‐regulation of SMADs 6 and 7, serine protease inhibitor 3, and immediate–early protein 3 (IER3), all proteins that play a modulating role in apoptosis. We investigate the role of Ikaros in oxidative stress‐induced apoptosis using Annexin‐V staining and FACS analysis. We find a decrease in apoptosis in the BMRC of Ikaros‐null mice compared to normal mice. This effect is also seen in nonerythroid cells but is stronger in BMRC. We conclude that normal Ikaros function increases normal apoptosis in erythroid cells. The data also suggest that Ikaros plays a role in apoptosis‐mediated events in other normal hematopoietic cell lineages. Am. J. Hematol. 81:12–18, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Therapy‐related lymphomas in patients with autoimmune diseases after treatment with disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs
Authors: Au Wing‐Yan , Ma Edmond S.K. , Choy Carolyn , Chung Lap‐Ping , Fung Tsz‐Kin , Liang Raymond , Kwong Yok‐Lam
Published: December 2005

Ten patients developing lymphomas after disease modifying anti‐rheumatic drugs (DMARD) (methotrexate, n = 3, mean cumulative dose = 3.4 g; cyclophosphamide, n = 2, mean dose = 70 g; azathioprine, n = 6, mean dose = 243 g) were investigated. Methotrexate‐related lymphomas were Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐positive, had infrequent aberrant methylation of p15 and p16, and responded well to methotrexate withdrawal or anti‐CD20 antibody (rituximab) alone without concomitant chemotherapy, implying that defective immunosurveillance was important in lymphomagenesis. However, 75% of cyclophosphamide/azathioprine‐related lymphomas were EBV‐negative, had frequent p15 and p16 methylation, and responded poorly to drug withdrawal and chemotherapy, implying that direct drug‐induced mutagenesis might be involved in lymphomagenesis. Am. J. Hematol. 81:5–11, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prophylaxis of central venous catheter‐related thrombosis with minidose warfarin in patients treated with high‐dose chemotherapy and peripheral‐blood stem‐cell transplantation: Retrospective analysis of 228 cancer patients
Authors: Magagnoli Massimo , Masci Giovanna , Castagna Luca , Pedicini Vittorio , Poretti Dario , Morenghi Emanuela , Brambilla Giorgio , Santoro Armando
Published: December 2005

Patients with a central venous catheter (CVC) undergoing high‐dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by peripheral‐blood stem‐cell transplantation (PBSCT) for malignancies are at high risk of thrombosis, but the use of anti‐coagulant prophylaxis remains debatable in this setting of patients. We analyzed the efficacy and the safety of minidose warfarin in 228 patients in whom CVCs had been placed and who had received 292 HDC courses of therapy. The catheters remained in place for a mean of 173 (range 40–298) days. All patients received prophylactic oral warfarin in the fixed dose of 1 mg/day starting on the day of CVC insertion. Prophylaxis was interrupted during aplasia when platelet counts fell below 50,000/dL. There were no toxic deaths related to the prophylaxis. Overall there were 4 thrombotic events. Three occurrences were directly related to the catheter, while the remaining event was a deep saphenous‐vein thrombosis. A number of potential predictive factors were analyzed for their impact on thrombotic events without finding any significant correlation. Four episodes of bleeding occurred, with each of these individuals having a normal INR but a platelet count below 50,000/dL. Minidose warfarin is effective and safe to use for preventing thrombotic events in this setting of patients. Am. J. Hematol. 81:1–4, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Exposure of blood from patients with sickle cell disease to air changes the morphological, oxygen‐binding, and sickling properties of sickled erythrocytes
Authors: Obata Kazuo , Mattiello Julian , Asakura Kenji , Ohene‐Frempong Kwaku , Asakura Toshio
Published: December 2005

We collected venous blood samples from 7 steady‐state patients with homozygous sickle cell disease under venous oxygen pressure without exposure to air (UnExp‐blood) and compared the morphological, oxygen‐binding, and sickling properties with those of SS cells in aliquots of the same venous blood samples that were oxygenated in room air or at a PO2 near 180 mmHg (Exp‐blood). Results showed that (1) upon deoxygenation under nitrogen, UnExp‐blood generated a significantly higher percentage of elongated reversibly sickled cells (RSCs) than did Exp‐blood; (2) upon gradual oxygenation of completely deoxygenated sickled cells, RSCs in UnExp‐blood converted to discocytes at a higher oxygen pressure than did those in Exp‐blood; (3) the degree of hysteresis between the sickling/desickling curves of UnExp‐blood was greater than that of Exp‐blood; and (4) deoxy‐Hb S in hemolysate prepared from SS cells in UnExp‐blood polymerized without a delay time, while those from Exp‐blood polymerized with a distinct delay time. The in vivo properties of RSCs significantly changed upon oxygenation. We also found that the various properties of blood samples collected from patients with SCD by the ordinary method were similar to those of Exp‐blood, probably because such blood samples are exposed to oxygen through air in the needle, syringe, and Vacutainer. Once SS cells were oxygenated, the in vivo properties of RSCs could not be recovered by partial deoxygenation to venous oxygen pressure. Am. J. Hematol. 81:26–35, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Surface photografting polymerization of vinyl acetate, maleic anhydride, and their charge‐transfer complex. VIII. Charge‐transfer complex (4)
Authors: Jianping Deng , Wantai Yang
Published: December 2005

In view of the complexity of surface photografting polymerization of vinyl acetate/maleic anhydride (VAC/MAH) binary monomer systems, a novel method was adopted in the present article to obtain insight into the relevant grafting copolymerization mechanism. This method includes two steps: semibenzopinacol dormant groups were first introduced onto LDPE film by UV‐irradiation and then thermally reactivated to produce LDPE macromolecular free radicals, which initiated the grafting copolymerization of VAC and MAH. It was demonstrated that, in the first step, the solvent used to introduce benzophenone (BP) to LDPE film largely affected the subsequent grafting copolymerization, which was closely related to the affinity of the solvent toward the substrate. The monomer feed composition had considerable influence on both the grafting and nongrafting copolymerization; however, the maximum copolymerization rates did not appear in the polymerization system with [VAC]/[MAH] being 1 : 1, but, in the system with a bit more VAC than MAH, as the total monomer concentration was raised, the maximum copolymerization rates tended to appear in the system with [VAC] equal to [MAH]. The relationship between the total copolymerization rate (RP) and monomer concentration was determined to be LnRP ∝ [VAC + MAH]1.83. All of these results indicated that both charge transfer (CT) complex formed by VAC and MAH and free monomers took part in grafting copolymerization. This feature differentiated the surface grafting copolymerization of VAC/MAH from the well‐studied thermally induced alternating copolymerization of VAC/MAH. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006
Thermal and mechanical properties of plasticized poly(L‐lactide) nanocomposites with organo‐modified montmorillonites
Authors: Shibata Mitsuhiro , Someya Yoshihiro , Orihara Masato , Miyoshi Masanao
Published: December 2005

Nanocomposites of poly(lactide) (PLA) and the PLA plasticized with diglycerine tetraacetate (PL‐710) and ethylene glycol oligomer containing organo‐modified montmorillonites (ODA‐M and PGS‐M) by the protonated ammonium cations of octadecylamine and poly(ethylene glycol) stearylamine were prepared by melt intercalation method. In the X‐ray diffraction analysis, the PLA/ODA‐M and plasticized PLA/ODA‐M composites showed a clear enlargement of the difference of interlayer spacing between the composite and clay itself, indicating the formation of intercalated nanocomposite. However, a little enlargement of the interlayer spacing was observed for the PLA/PGS‐M and plasticized PLA/PGS‐M composites. From morphological studies using transmission electron microscopy, a finer dispersion of clay was observed for PLA/ODA‐M composite than PLA/PGS‐M composite and all the composites using the plasticized PLA. The PLA and PLA/PL‐710 composites containing ODA‐M showed a higher tensile strength and modulus than the corresponding composites with PGS‐M. The PLA/PL‐710 (10 wt %) composite containing ODA‐M showed considerably higher elongation at break than the pristine plasticized PLA, and had a comparable tensile modulus to pure PLA. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the composites decreased with increasing plasticizer. The addition of the clays did not cause a significant increase of Tg. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2006