bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between indicators of livestock farming intensity and hospitalization rate for acute gastroenteritis
Authors: FEBRIANI Y. , LEVALLOIS P. , LEBEL G. , GINGRAS S.
Published: February 2009

To evaluate associations between indicators of livestock farming intensity (manure surplus and livestock density) and acute gastroenteritis hospitalization (AGH) rate, we conducted an ecological study on 306 selected agricultural municipalities of Quebec. We estimated the AGH rate for the period 2000–2004 from the Quebec hospital database. Multivariate Poisson regression was used to estimate the strength of association between the farming indicators and AGH with adjustment for confounders. The modifying effect of age and water source was also evaluated. Association between manure and AGH was observed in children, especially those aged 0–4 years for selected zoonotic infections [adjusted hospitalization rate ratio (aHRR) 1·93, 95% CI 1·21–3·09]. The risk ratio was higher for subjects using ground-water source. An increasing HRR trend with each additional level of poultry density was observed in children aged 0–4 years, especially forSalmonellainfections. We conclude that livestock farming intensity may be linked to bacterial acute gastroenteritis in children.
Characterization ofemmtypes and superantigens ofStreptococcus pyogenesisolates from children during two sampling periods
Authors: MA Y. , YANG Y. , HUANG M. , WANG Y. , CHEN Y. , DENG L. , YU S. , DENG Q. , ZHANG H. , WANG C. , LIU L. , SHEN X.
Published: February 2009

The characteristics of 359 group A streptococcal (GAS) isolates collected from Chinese paediatric patients in two periods (1993–1994, 2005–2006) were studied. Isolates were assigned toemmtypes and assayed for eight superantigen (SAg) genes (speA,speC,speH,speI,speG,speJ,ssa,SMEZ). Typesemm1 andemm12 were consistently the most prevalent during the two periods, while others varied in frequency. GAS isolates carrying six or more SAg genes increased from 46·53% (1993–1994) to 78·39% (2005–2006);ssa,speHandspeJgenes (P<0·05) increased butspeAdeclined (P<0·05). SAg gene profiles were closely associated with theemmtype, but strains of the sameemmtype sometimes carried different SAg genes in the two periods. No significant difference inemm-type distribution and SAg gene profile was noted between isolates from different diseases. These data may contribute towards the development of a GAS vaccine in China.
Methodological considerations in estimating speed of cognitive operations
Authors: Becker James T. , Caldararo Rocco , Baddeley Alan D. , Dew Mary Amanda , Heindel William C. , Banks Gordon , Dorst Stanley K. , Lopez Oscar L.
Published: February 2009

Individuals infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and having cognitive impairment have been described as having slow mentation. Data supporting this proposition come from a variety of sources, including Sternberg's (1966) item recognition memory task. The procedure nominally provides an index of speed of mental operations, independent from input/output demands. However, since the original use of this procedure in the 1960s, advances in cognitive psychology have revealed many of its limitations. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of this task. Each participant performed the Sternberg item recognition task twice, 6 mo apart. The stability of the estimate of the slope of regression equations and for zero intercept ranged from excellent (r = .87) to poor (r = .30), and the data from many individual subjects could not be reliably modelled using multiple linear regression techniques. These data, as well as those from previous research, demonstrate the limited practical use of this task in clinical samples. Furthermore, as cognitive psychological theory has advanced in the past 30 yr, the conceptual underpinnings of the procedure have essentially evaporated. (JINS, 1995, 1, 3–9).
Nonspecific white matter degeneration following traumatic brain injury
Authors: Gale Shawn D. , Johnson Sterling C. , Bigler Erin D. , Blatter Duane D.
Published: February 2009

Morphometric analysis of magnetic resonance (MR) scans in 88 traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients demonstrated significantly larger ventricle-to-brain ratios (VBR) and temporal horn volumes, and significantly smaller fornix-to-brain ratios (FBR) and corpus callosum (CC) area measurements, compared to 73 controls. Additionally, TBI patients were grouped according to Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) for a within-TBI sample comparison so that severity of injury on brain morphology could be examined. The severe TBI group (GCS = 3–6) differed from the mild and moderate injury groups on measures of the internal capsule, VBR, temporal horn volume, and CC. In a separate analysis wherein the TBI subjects were grouped by degree of fornix atrophy, the group with the smallest fornix size demonstrated the lowest memory performance. Furthermore, anatomic measures correlated with severity of injury, and tests of memory and motor function. Results demonstrate the diffuse nature of degeneration in TBI with more severe injury, and that quantified MR identified morphologic changes relate to neuropsychological outcome. (JINS, 1995, 1, 17–28.)
Learning of name–face associations in memory impaired patients: A comparison of different training procedures
Authors: Thoene Angelika I. T. , Glisky Elizabeth L.
Published: February 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare a mnemonic strategy based on concept-driven processing and explicit memory (i.e., verbal elaboration and imagery) to one based on data-driven processing and implicit memory (the method of vanishing cues) in a names and faces learning task. A third training condition that used video presentation was also included. Six American and six German patients with memory impairment attributable to brain injuries of different etiologies attempted to learn the associations between names and faces in each of the three conditions. The mnemonic strategy proved to be the most effective. Discussion focuses on the characteristics of the training procedures and on the nature of the to-be-learned materials as critical determinants of the effectiveness of different training techniques. (JINS, 1995, 1, 29–38.)
Working memory following improvements in articulation rate in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: White Desirée A. , Craft Suzanne , Hale Sandra , Schatz Jeffrey , Park T.S.
Published: February 2009

It has been postulated that rehearsal rate is the primary determinant of working memory capacity for verbal material (Baddeley et al., 1975). A previous study of normal control children and children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy (SDCP) suggested that covert rather than overt rehearsal rate determines working memory capacity (White et al., 1994). In the current study, a subset of SDCP children who received a surgical treatment to relieve spasticity were retested on measures of articulation rate and memory span. A subset of control children from the original study were also retested. The SDCP group showed improvements in articulation rate at follow-up, though memory span did not change and was again equivalent to that of controls. These findings indicate that increases in articulation rate are not necessarily accompanied by improvements in memory span, and provide additional evidence that working memory capacity may be determined by covert rather than overt articulatory rehearsal. (JINS, 1995, I, 49–55.)
Episodic memory function in advanced aging and early Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Cullum C. Munro , Filley C. M. , Kozora E.
Published: February 2009

Despite some well-documented differences, normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) share a number of common neuropathological and neuropsychological features. Many of the reported differences are largely quantitative in nature and there is often overlap between the respective distributions of these populations. To assess the issue of overlap and distinguishing features in memory functions between these groups, and to minimize aging effects per se, samples of older individuals in good health (ages 75–95 yr) and younger patients in the early stages of AD (age < 75 yr) were selected to be similar in global cognitive functioning. Despite comparable language and visuospatial scores, these preliminary results suggest important qualitative differences in episodic memory functions between these conditions, even when “low-functioning” or “at-risk” controls are compared with early AD patients. These findings furthermore highlight some of the challenges in defining “normality” among the oldest segment of our population. (JINS, 1995, I, 100–103.)
Semantic memory and reading abilities: A case report
Authors: Cipolotti Lisa , Warrington Elizabeth K.
Published: February 2009

We document the unexpected dissociation of preserved reading skills in a patient with severely impaired semantic memory. The common co-occurrence between impairment of word meaning and surface dyslexia has not been observed. The patient (hereafter called DRN) had marked naming and word comprehension difficulties. A strong word frequency effect was observed on tests of word comprehension but was absent in a test of word reading. DRN's ability to read both regular and exception words that he failed to comprehend was remarkably well preserved. We will argue that these findings provide further support for the independence of semantic and phonological processing. (JINS, 1995,I, 104–110.)
The HNRC 500-Neuropsychology of Hiv infection at different disease stages
Authors: Heaton Robert K. , Grant Igor , Butters Nelson , White Desireé A. , Kirson Donald , Atkinson J. Hampton , McCutchan J. Allen , Taylor Michael J. , Kelly Mark D. , Ellis Ronald J. , Wolfson Tanya , Velin Robert , Marcotte Thomas D. , Hesselink John R. , Jernigan Terry L. , Chandler James , Wallace Mark , Abramson Ian ,   THE HNRC GROUP
Published: February 2009

The present study examined neuropsychological (NP) functioning and associated medical, neurological, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and psychiatric findings in 389 nondemented males infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Type 1 (HIV-1), and in 111 uninfected controls. Using a comprehensive NP test battery, we found increased rates of impairment at each successive stage of HIV infection. HIV-related NP impairment was generally mild, especially in the medically asymptomatic stage of infection, and most often affected attention, speed of information processing, and learning efficiency; this pattern is consistent with earliest involvement of subcortical or frontostriatal brain systems. NP impairment could not be explained on the bases of mood disturbance, recreational drug or alcohol use, or constitutional symptoms; by contrast, impairment in HIV-infected subjects was related to central brain atrophy on MRI, as well as to evidence of cellular immune activation and neurological abnormalities linked to the central nervous system. (JINS, 1995, 1, 231–251.)
Evidence of altered dominance in children with congenital spastic hemiplegia
Authors: Korkman Marit , von Wendt Lennart
Published: February 2009

The study aimed at investigating lateralization effects and signs of transfer and crowding in children with congenital lateralized brain damage with the aid of a dichotic listening test, a chimeric test, and verbal and nonverbal neuropsychological tests. Thirty-three children with spastic hemiplegia and 86 control children (age 5.0–12.0 yr) were assessed. Children with left-hemisphere damage (n = 17) were found to have a pathological left-ear advantage for verbal material, and children with right-hemisphere damage (n = 16) were found to have a pathological right visual half-field advantage for visual material. Children with left-hemisphere damage and a left-ear advantage on the dichotic test were also found to have a right visual half-field advantage on the chimeric test, which was regarded as a sign of reversed dominance. No verbal or nonverbal differences emerged between the left-hemisphere and the right-hemisphere damage groups, nor did differences emerge when the children were reclassified by considering children with left-hemisphere damage and signs of reversed dominance as having damage to the nondominant hemisphere. It was concluded that although lateralized brain damage may alter the dominance for verbal and visual functions, there is still considerable inter-individual variability with respect to inter- and intrahemispheric neural adjustment to damage. The dichotic and the chimeric tests did not indicate the presence of brain damage accurately, but they indicated the lateralization of damage in children with stated abnormality with a high degree (91.3%) of accuracy. (JINS, 1995, I, 261–270.)
Mood disturbance versus other symptoms of depression in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Nyenhuis David L. , Rao Stephen M. , Zajecka John M. , Luchetta Tracy , Bernardin Linda , Garron David C.
Published: February 2009

We administered the Multiscale Depression Inventory (MDI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to 84 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 101 patients diagnosed with major depression and 87 nonmedical, nonpsychiatric controls. The MDI consists of three separate depression scales measuring mood, vegetative, and evaluative symptoms. We found that: (a) MS patients did not significantly differ from the controls in mood symptoms, (b) the depression prevalence rate in MS patients was significantly lower when measured by the mood scale (17·7%) than by the BDI (30·5%) or MDI total score (26·6%), and (c) MS patients showed significantly less mood disturbance than a non-MS comparison group matched on BDI measured depression severity. We suggest that the inclusion of nonmood symptoms in self-report depression scales may artificially raise both prevalence rates and severity ratings of MS related depression and that the most valid measure of depression in MS is mood disturbance. (JINS, 1995, I, 291–296.)
Neuropsychological studies of asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Type-1 infected individuals
Authors: White Desirée A. , Heaton Robert K. , Monsch Andreas U. ,   The HNRC
Published: February 2009

The current review was conducted to address the ongoing debate regarding the presence or absence of neuropsychological impairment in asymptomatic HIV-Type 1 (HIV-1) seropositive individuals. Results were summarized from 57 studies that compared the performances of seropositive asymptomatic and seronegative individuals. Overall, the differences observed between median rates of impairment for asymptomatic (35%) and seronegative (12%) groups provided the clearest indication of deficits in asymptomatics. In addition, five variables were examined as possible contributors to inconsistencies found in the literature: mode of infection, test battery type, test battery size, sample size, and method of data analysis. Of these variables, only mode of infection and test battery size appeared to substantially influence the outcome of the studies reviewed with regard to identifying neuropsychological impairment in asymptomatics. (JINS, 1995, I, 304–315.)
Knowledge of New English vocabulary in amnesia: An examination of premorbidly acquired semantic memory
Authors: Verfaellie Mieke , Reiss Lisa , Roth Heidi L.
Published: February 2009

To assess if amnesics have intact remote memory for general semantic information, we examined memory for vocabulary words with known dates of entry into the language between 1955 and 1989. Amnesics of mixed etiology with acute onset performed normally on both a recall and a recognition task. Korsakoff patients, in contrast, were impaired on both tasks and demonstrated a gradient such that their knowledge of words acquired during more recent time periods was worse than that of words acquired during more remote time periods. The improvement in performance associated with recognition testing was larger for Korsakoff patients than for control subjects and correlated significantly with a composite measure of frontal dysfunction. These findings suggest a deficit in the controlled search and retrieval of semantic information in Korsakoff patients. The implications of the differential performance of Korsakoff and mixed etiology amnesics for explanations of temporally graded retrograde amnesia are discussed. (JINS, 1995, I, 443–453.)
Bilingual effects of unilingual neuropsychological treatment of dyslexic adolescents: A pilot study
Authors: Kappers E. Jan , Dekker Marjolein
Published: February 2009

Fourteen young adolescents with specific reading disabilities received short term neuropsychological treatment–specifically left hemisphere (LH) or right hemisphere (RH) stimulation–in a clinical pilot project. The effects on single-word and passage reading were evaluated when the language of treatment was either Dutch (mother tongue) or English (foreign language). Transfer effects across the two languages were also studied. In general, the results indicate that these short term interventions may prove successful for the treated language and with the additional transfer to a second (not treated) language. (JINS, 1995, I, 494–500.)
A longitudinal study of reading ability in patients suffering from dementia
Authors: Paque Louise , Warrington Elizabeth K.
Published: February 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate whether reading is a preserved ability in patients suffering from dementia, as was first suggested by Nelson and McKenna (1975). The 57 patients included in the study had possible or probable Alzheimer's disease or similar degenerative conditions and were assessed longitudinally. Their performance on the National Adult Reading Test [(NART); Nelson, 1982, 1991] is compared to that on a shortened version of the WAIS-R. It is found that although performance on the NART does decline gradually over time, the deterioration on formal tests of IQ is more rapid and more severe. It seems that the decline in reading across the group is due to those patients who have a lower verbal IQ (VIQ) than performance IQ (PIQ). It is concluded that generally the NART can be used as a predictor of the premorbid intellectual functioning of a patient with dementia, given that the VIQ is greater than PIQ. (JINS, 1995, 1, 517–524.)
Frontal lobe damage produces episodic memory impairment
Authors: Wheeler Mark A. , Stuss Donald T. , Tulving Endel
Published: February 2009

This article reports the outcome of a meta-analysis of the relation between the frontal lobes and memory as measured by tests of recognition, cued recall, and free recall. We reviewed experiments in which patients with documented, circumscribed frontal pathology were compared with normal control subjects on these three types of tests. Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is strong evidence that frontal damage disrupts performance on all three types of tests, with the greatest impairment in free recall, and the smallest in recognition.(JINS, 1995, 1, 525–536.)
Cognitive flexibility and complex integration in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and Schizophrenia
Authors: Hanes Karl R. , Andrewes David G. , Pantelis Christos
Published: February 2009

Two new tasks designed to individualize and assess aspects of cognitive flexibility and complex integration were administered to patients with schizophrenia (n = 16), Parkinson's disease (PD; n = 25) and Huntington's disease (HD; n = 12). Findings indicated impaired performance in the schizophrenic and HD groups on components of solution fluency, reactive flexibility and integration. The PD group demonstrated normal performance on all but the solution fluency and reaction time measures. These findings corroborate previous studies suggesting that executive and problem solving disturbances feature in schizophrenia and HD and that these functions may not be as severely affected in medicated PD. Slowed reaction time by both dementia groups is explained with reference to the concept of bradyphrenia. (JINS, 1995, 1, 545–553.)
Comparison of figural intrusion errors in three amnesic subgroups
Authors: Kixmiller Jeffrey S. , Verfaellie Mieke , Chase Kenneth A. , Cermak Laird S.
Published: February 2009

To examine the contribution of memory deficits and executive dysfunction to the production of prior-item intrusion errors, Korsakoff, mesial temporal amnesic, and anterior communicating artery aneurysm (ACoA) patients’ performance on the Visual Reproduction subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) was assessed. The Korsakoff patients were matched to the mesial temporal group in terms of severity of amnesia, while the ACoA group, which was less severely amnesic, was matched to the Korsakoff group in their performance on executive tests. Results indicated that at immediate recall, Korsakoff patients made significantly more intrusions than mesial temporal and ACoA patients. Conversely, after a delay, ACoA patients tended to make more intrusions than the other groups. Findings suggest that intrusions are due to a combination of deficient memory and executive dysfunction. A further comparison of a subgroup of ACoA patients matched to the Korsakoff patients in terms of severity of amnesia, however, revealed differences in the pattern of intrusions of these two groups, suggesting that different mechanisms may underlie Korsakoff and ACoA patients’ susceptibility to interference. (JINS, 1995,1, 561–567.)
CT measurement of suprasellar cistern predicts rate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Aylward Elizabeth H. , Rasmusson D. Xeno , Brandt Jason , Raimundo Lisa , Folstein Marshal , Pearlson Godfrey D.
Published: February 2009

Previous studies reveal significant relationships between some quantitative computed tomography (CT) measures and level of cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study was designed to determine whether measurements from CT scans of AD patients could predictfuture ratesof decline in cognitive function. Subjects were 8 men and 19 women diagnosed with probable AD. CT measures included bifrontal ratio, bicaudate ratio, and areas of lateral ventricles, third ventricle, and suprasellar cistern (SSC). Measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning were obtained at the time of the scan and on follow-up. Of the CT measures, the SSCR (SSC corrected for intracranial area) was the most highly correlated with Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score and other cognitive measures at the time of the scan. Follow-up data were obtained for those 20 individuals who were mildly to moderately demented at the time of the scan (MMSE ≥ 10). Rate of change was calculated for each neuropsychological measure. The SSCR correlated significantly with rate of change for MMSE and other measures of cognitive and adaptive functioning. This study demonstrates that CT measurement of the SSC can predict thesubsequent rateof neurocognitive decline in AD patients. (JINS, 1996,2, 89–95.)
The effects of divided attention on implicit and explicit memory performance
Authors: Schmitter-Edgecombe Maureen
Published: February 2009

This study explored the nature of the relationship between attention available at learning and subsequent implicit and explicit memory performance. One hundred neurologically normal subjects rated their liking of target words on a five-point scale. Half of the subjects completed the word-rating task in a full attention condition and the other half performed the task in a divided attention condition. Following administration of the word-rating task, all subjects completed five memory tests, three implicit (category association, tachistoscopic identification, and perceptual clarification) and two explicit (semantic-cued recall and graphemic-cucd recall), each bearing on a different subset of the list of previously presented target words. The results revealed that subjects in the divided attention condition performed significantly more poorly than subjects in the full attention condition on the explicit memory measures. In contrast, there were no significant group differences in performance on the implicit memory measures. These findings suggest that the attention to an episode that is necessary to produce later explicit memory may differ from that necessary to produce unconscious influences. The relationship between implicit memory, neurologic injury, and automatic processes is discussed. (JINS, 1996, 2, 111–125.)
Calculation and number processing: Neuropsychological assessment and daily life difficulties
Authors: Deloche GÉrard , Dellatolas Georges , Vendrell Josep , Bergego Catherine
Published: February 2009

One hundred unselected brain-damaged outpatients received a standardized battery of numerical tests (EC301) and, independently, a questionnaire on numerical activities in daily life (ADL). Comparisons between the two types of measurement were drawn from the scorings for different functional components of the calculation and number processing system. Results indicated high ranking correlations between the two instruments. The EC301 battery generally proved more powerful than the questionnaire in detecting the presence of mild-todiscrete impairments, but some aspects of numerical difficulties in nonaphasic patients were scored higher on the ADL questionnaire. (JINS, 1996, 2, 177–180.)
Mood and global-local visual processing
Authors: Basso Michael R. , Schefft Bruce K. , Ris M. Douglas , Dember William N.
Published: February 2009

Testing hypotheses derived from neuropsychological models of mood, as well as the association of mood states and personality characteristics with global-local visual processing, were examined. Fifty-nine men completed measures associated with depression and positive mood, and were administered a brief perceptual judgment task that assessed global-local visual processing biases. Additionally, 19 of these 59 subjects were administered measures of anxiety and optimism-pessimism and completed an expanded judgment task. Affective and personality variables were then correlated with judgment task performances. Consistent with predictions, positive mood and optimism were directly associated with a global bias and inversely related to a local bias. A converse pattern of findings was obtained with depression and trait anxiety. Implications for research concerning other aspects of visual processing are discussed. (JINS, 1996, 2, 249–255.)
Inattentive behavior after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Whyte John , Polansky Marcia , Cavallucci Christopher , Fleming Megan , Lhulier Joanna , Coslett H. Branch
Published: February 2009

Clinicians and families report that traumatic brain injury results in a variety of attention deficits. Numerous laboratory studies have documented slowing of information processing, alteration in event-related potentials, or difficulty attending to specific relevant task dimensions in the presence of redundant information. However, little is known about how these information processing abnormalities relate to observable behaviors in daily living or work environments, which presumably form the basis for clinicians’ and families’ reports. We developed a quantitative assessment of behavioral inattentiveness in both quiet and distracting environments, and demonstrated excellent interrater reliability. Using this assessment, we have studied 20 patients with recent traumatic brain injury and 20 demographically comparable control subjects. We have confirmed marked differences in behavioral attentivencss between patients and controls in both distracting and nondistracting environments. (JINS, 1996, 2, 274–281.)
Feeling-of-knowing in fact retrieval: Further evidence for preservation in early Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Lipinska Beata , Bäckman Lars
Published: February 2009

The ability to retrieve and monitor factual information varying in datedness (i.e., datedvs. contemporary) was examined in healthy older adults and patients in an early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subjects were given free recall and multiple-choice recognition tests of 48 general knowledge questions. For all questions not responded to in recall, subjects made fecling-of-knowing (FOK) judgments. Results indicated dementia-related deficits in both recall and recognition, although both groups showed better recall and recognition with the dated compared with the contemporary questions. Importantly, despite deficits in fact retrieval, the AD patients showed intact monitoring of stored knowledge, as indicated by equivalent FOK accuracy for both groups. In addition, FOK accuracy was similar for the dated and the contemporary information in both groups, suggesting independence between level of general knowledge and the ability to supervise information stored in memory. (JINS, 1996, 2, 350–358.)
Dementia associated with dorsal midbrain lesion
Authors: Meador K.J. , Loring D.W. , Sethi K.D. , Yaghmai F. , Styren S.D. , DeKosky S.T.
Published: February 2009

Although the dorsal midbrain has been implicated in cognitive processes in animals, its role in humans is unclear. We report the neuropsychological and postmortem neuropathological findings of a 52-yr-old university professor who developed a profound dementia in association with a focal dorsal midbrain lesion. The patient's disorder appeared to result from a tuberculous granuloma based on the clinical course and autopsy results. Neuropsychologically, he exhibited a generalized impairment across most of the cognitive domains assessed. His deficits were not explained by impaired arousal, specific sensory or motor defects, depression, or hydrocephalus. Although there are inherent limitations to a single-case investigation, our observations are consistent with animal studies that have demonstrated that focal dorsal midbrain lesions may result in cognitive impairment. We propose that the dorsal midbrain is involved in cognitive processing via modulation of thalamocortical networks. (JINS, 1996, 2, 359–367.)
Neuropsychological correlates of learning disability subtypes in children with Tourette's syndrome
Authors: Yeates Keith Owen , Bornstein Robert A.
Published: February 2009

Neuropsychological deficits in Tourette's syndrome (TS) may be associated with learning disabilities. We examined the neuropsychological performance of 70 children with TS between the ages of 6 and 18 years who were classified into four groups based on their pattern of performance on the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised. The groups included three learning disability subtypes and a nonlearning disabled comparison group. The groups differed significantly on several measures in a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery. The pattern of differences was not entirely consistent with previous research, however, suggesting that the neuropsychological correlates of learning disabilities may be influenced by the specific pathophysiology associated with TS. Thus, previous research on the neuropsychology of learning disability subtypes might not be generalizable to children with discrete neuropsychiatric disorders such as TS. (JINS, 1996, 2, 375–382.)
Effects of left-sided movements on line bisection in unilateral neglect
Authors: Lin Keh-Chung , Cermak Sharon A. , Kinsbourne Marcel , Trombly Catherine A.
Published: February 2009

Thirteen patients with left neglect performed line bisection under four conditions: no cue, visual cueing involving the report of a digit placed at the left end of the line, circling the left-end digit, and digit circling plus tracing of the line with the right index finger from its left end to its midpoint before bisection. Digit circling plus finger tracing was unequivocally more effective in reducing left neglect than digit circling alone, which was in turn more effective than visual cueing; indeed, digit circling with tracing completely abolished the rightward bisection bias. Thus continuously directing visuomotor control to the left side of the line (even with the right hand) until bisection is performed reduces neglect more than only requiring patients to attend to left-sided visual cues. The facilitatory effects of the cueing procedures may reflect their differential efficacy in constraining as well as attracting attention and action to the left part of the target line. These findings have implications for neglect rehabilitation. (JINS, 1996, 2, 404–411.)
Anosognosia for hemiplegia, neglect dyslexia, and drawing neglect: Clinical findings and theoretical considerations
Authors: Berti Anna , Làdavas Elisabetta , Corte Monica Della
Published: February 2009

In this paper different models of anosognosia are confronted and data concerning denial behaviors are presented that were collected on a selected population of right brain-damaged patients affected by motor and neglect disorders. Anosognosia for motor impairment and anosognosia for cognitive impairments were found to be dissociated, as well as anosognosia for the upper and lower limb motor impairments. These findings are then discussed in an attempt to choose the more suitable theoretical framework for interpreting the various disorders related to denial of illness. (JINS, 1996, 2, 426–440.)
Effects of temporal lobe epilepsy on spatial and figural aspects of memory for a complex geometric figure
Authors: Breier Joshua I. , Plenger Patrick M. , Castillo Rosario , Fuchs Kathleen , Wheless James W. , Thomas Azreena B. , Brookshire Bonnie L. , Willmore L. James , Papanicolaou Andrew
Published: February 2009

The preoperative delayed memory performance on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (Lezak, 1983) of 54 patients with complex partial seizures of temporal lobe origin was analyzed using 3 different indices. One index (composite) was derived using a common scoring method that included both spatial and figural aspects of memory in its score. The other two indices were derived emphasizing either spatial or figural aspects of memory for the elements of the figure separately. All 3 indices distinguished between individuals with right-sided (RTLE) and left-sided (LTLE) seizure onset. However, spatial memory was significantly lower than figural memory in individuals with RTLE as compared to those with LTLE. Both the spatial and figural memory indices were significantly lower in the presence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence for hippocampal selerosis in individuals with RTLE. Results suggest that while both the spatial and figural aspects of nonverbal memory are sensitive to right hippocampal dysfunction, figural memory may be less vulnerable to the effects of RTLE. (JINS, 1996,2, 535–540.)
Visual attention abnormalities in autism: Delayed orienting to location
Authors: Townsend Jeanne , Harris Naomi Singer , Courchesne Eric
Published: February 2009

These studies provide evidence for slowed spatial orienting of attention in autism. A group of well-defined adult autistic subjects and age-matched normal controls performed a traditional spatial cueing task in which attention-related response facilitation is indexed by speed of target detection. To address the concern that motor impairment may interfere with interpretation of response time measures in those with neurologic abnormality, we also used a new adaptation of the traditional task that depended on accuracy of response (target discrimination) rather than speed of response. This design allowed separation of time to process and respond to target information from the time to move and engage (orient) attention. Results from both tasks were strikingly similar. Normal subjects oriented attention very quickly, and showed maximal performance facilitation at a cued location within 100 ms. Autistic subjects oriented attention much more slowly and showed increasing benefits of a spatial cue with increasing cue-to-target delays. These results are consistent with previous reports that patients with autism, the majority of whom have developmental abnormalities of the cerebellum, as well as those with acquired damage to the cerebellum, are slow to shift attention between and within modalities. This paper also addresses the variability in behavioral findings in autism, and suggests that many of the apparently contradictory findings may actually reflect sampling differences in patterns of brain pathology. (JINS, 1996,2, 541–550.)
Recovery of memory and executive function following anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture
Authors: D'Esposito Mark , Alexander Michael P. , Fischer Richard , Mcglinchey-Berroth Regina , O'connor Margaret
Published: February 2009

We studied the recovery of memory and executive function in 10 patients following anterior communicating artery aneurysm (ACoA) rupture and repair. Patients were tested at 2 consecutive points in time following surgery (approximately at 2 and 3 months). At the first testing, the patients divided into 2 groups based on the severity of impairment on executive measures. Both groups had severe anterograde amnesia, but only patients with severe executive impairments had retrograde amnesia with a temporal gradient. At second testing, both groups had persistent severe anterograde amnesia. The dysexecutive group showed significant improvement in executive deficits and in retrograde amnesia, with attenuation of the temporal gradient. Patients with more severe executive impairments had more extensive bilateral frontal lesions than other patients. These results suggest that the cognitive profile following ACoA rupture changes with time. Time postonset following aneurysm rupture and lesion site are both critical for defining the neuropsychological profile, and determining the underlying cognitive mechanisms in this neurological disorder. (JINS, 1996, 2, 565–570.)
Gender differences in determinants of weight-control behaviours among adolescents in Beirut
Authors: Kanaan Mona N , Afifi Rema A
Published: February 2009

Objective

To investigate the association between self-esteem, physical activity, engaging in risky behaviours, social and cultural capital, attitudes towards thinness, parental and personal characteristics with weight-control behaviours among adolescents in Beirut, Lebanon.

Design

A community-based cross-sectional study. A stratified cluster sampling design was used and information gathered by means of a questionnaire. Associations were investigated using multinomial logistic regression, accounting for the survey design. Odds ratios were calculated for trying to lose weight, or trying to gain weight, compared with no weight-control behaviour.

Setting

The study was conducted in three underprivileged urban areas of Beirut in 2003.

Subjects

The sample size was 1294 adolescents aged 13–19 years.

Results

Determinants of weight-control behaviour among girls included their attitudes towards thinness (ORloss= 4·29, ORgain= 0·38), dissatisfaction with weight (ORloss= 10·9, ORgain= 9·63), engaging in physical activity (ORloss= 2·22), smoking (ORloss≈3) and the mother working (ORloss= 2·77). Determinants of weight-control behaviour in boys included their attitudes towards thinness (ORloss= 14·7, ORgain= 0·35), dissatisfaction with weight (ORloss= 15·6, ORgain= 17·7), being involved in a cultural activity (ORgain= 2·51), engaging in a fight (ORloss= 5·25, ORgain= 1·64) and engaging in physical activity (ORloss= 2·56, ORgain= 2·17).

Conclusions

Attitudes towards thinness, weight dissatisfaction and physical activity are common determinants for weight-control among boys and girls, although to varying degrees of influence. Self-esteem, social capital, cultural capital and parental characteristics were not significant predictors when accounting for the other variables.
The Earth as an extrasolar planet: the vegetation spectral signature today and during the last Quaternary climatic extrema
Authors: Arnold Luc , Bréon François-Marie , Brewer Simon
Published: February 2009

The so-called vegetation red-edge (VRE), a sharp increase in the reflectance around 700 nm, is a characteristic of vegetation spectra, and can therefore be used as a biomarker if it can be detected in an unresolved extrasolar Earth-like planet integrated reflectance spectrum. Here, we investigate the potential for the detection of vegetation spectra during the last Quaternary climatic extrema, the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the Holocene optimum, for which past climatic simulations have been made. By testing the VRE detectability during these extrema, when Earth's climate and biomes maps were different from today, we are able to test the vegetation detectability on a terrestrial planet different from our modern Earth. Data from the Biome3.5 model have been associated to visible Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) spectra for each biome and cloud cover to derive Earth's integrated spectra for given Earth phases and observer positions. The VRE is then measured. Results show that the vegetation remains detectable during the last climatic extrema. Compared to the current Earth, the Holocene optimum, with a greener Sahara, slightly increases the mean VRE on one hand, while on the other hand, the large ice cap over the northern hemisphere during the LGM decreases vegetation detectability. We finally discuss the detectability of the VRE in the context of recently proposed space missions.
Organic broccoli production on transition soils: Comparing cover crops, tillage and sidedress N
Authors: Schellenberg Daniel L. , Morse Ronald D. , Welbaum Gregory E.
Published: February 2009

Little information is available about how farmers in transition to organic practices should manage short- and long-term N fertility. The objectives of this research were (1) to evaluate the leguminous cover crops lablab (Dolichos lablabL.), soybean (Glycine maxL.), sunn hemp (Crotalaria junceaL.) and a mixture of sunn hemp and cowpea (Vigna sinensisEndl.) as N sources; (2) to compare N availability and broccoli yield when cover crops were incorporated with conventional tillage (CT) or retained as a surface mulch using no-tillage (NT) practices; and (3) to quantify the amount of supplemental sidedress nitrogen required to maximize the yield of organic broccoli (Brassica oleraceaGroup Italica) on transition soils. Broccoli was grown during the first year after organic transition in the spring and fall of 2006 at the Kentland Agricultural Research Farm near Blacksburg, VA. Spring (P<0.001) and fall (P<0.001) broccoli yield increased as the rate of sidedress N was increased up to 112 kg N ha−1, and showed a quadratic correlation with leaf N (P=<0.001,R2=0.80 andP=<0.001,R2=0.38, respectively). There was no difference in spring broccoli yield between CT and NT; however, CT produced the highest yield in the fall crop. At low sidedress N rates, leaf N was highest in CT plots, but tillage had no effect on N uptake at high N rates. This indicates that early season and perhaps total plant-available mineralized N was greater in CT than NT; however, potential N deficiency in NT soil may be compensated by sidedress N. Broccoli yield was not affected by leguminous cover crop, even though the quantity of cover crop biomass and N contribution was different among species. This suggests that N availability from leguminous cover crops may be impacted by other ecological processes such as soil microbial activity. This study shows that organic CT and NT growers can maximize broccoli yield in transition soils low in N availability, by using leguminous cover crops in combination with moderate amounts of sidedress N.
Contemporary stress orientations from borehole breakout analysis in the southernmost flat‐slab boundary Andean retroarc (32°44′ and 33°40′S)
Authors: Guzmán Cecilia G. , Cristallini Ernesto O.
Published: February 2009

Horizontal stress directions have been determined in the southernmost flat‐slab boundary Andean retroarc between 32°44′ and 33°40′S within Cuyo Basin, Argentina. These directions were obtained from the borehole breakout analysis of 42 wells using four‐arm caliper data. The mean maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) direction for the whole region is 104.1° with a 95% confidence interval of 8.1°. The present‐day stress field has an approximately preferred E–W trend maximum horizontal stress direction, consistent with the plate boundary forces (80°) and the topographic forces (near E–W). The calculated SHmax directions are near the expected values, but some local deviations were observed. The SHmax rotates from an E–W orientation in the south to a NW–SE orientation to the north of this sector of the Andean retroarc. A regional variation in the stress field can be observed when these results for the Cuyo Basin are analyzed together with those presented in a previous study in the Neuquén Basin to the south. The maximum horizontal stress varies from ∼NW–NE along this combined section of the Andean retroarc, with the ∼E–W SHmax directions in the northern Neuquén Basin consistent with those observed in the southern sector of Cuyo Basin. These variations in the stress field orientation appear related with the topography geometry. From the analysis between the mean SHmax obtained and the acting forces, it can be concluded that the topographic control on the horizontal stress field seems to be dominant in the Cuyo Basin and in the north of Neuquén Basin. To the south of Neuquén Basin the horizontal stress field should be mainly controlled by the plate boundary forces.
Analysis of long‐term dispersion in a river‐recharged aquifer using tritium/helium data
Authors: Massmann Gudrun , Sültenfuß Jürgen , Pekdeger Asaf
Published: February 2009

Large‐scale dispersion was studied in an unconsolidated, sandy, glaciofluvial, river‐recharged, and confined aquifer in Germany. Groundwater observation wells from a 3.5‐km‐long transect located in flow direction from the river Oder into a large lowland area (Oderbruch polder) were sampled for noble gases in order to date the groundwater with the tritium and helium (3H‐3He) technique. The apparent 3H‐3He ages of the groundwater increased from only a few months to >40 years along the flow path. Highest values for initial 3H (sum of 3H and its decay product tritiogenic helium, 3Hetri) were encountered in 2.6‐km river distance. Concentrations of 4He in the water increased to 1.1 × 10−7 cm3 STP/g with distance from the river. The initial 3H data enabled an estimation of the longitudinal dispersivity with a simplified one‐dimensional transport model. The best fit of modeled and measured initial 3H data was obtained using a dispersivity of 120 m. Deviations of modeled hydraulic ages and measured apparent 3H‐3He ages for older samples can be explained by dispersive mixing.
Direct linkage between tidally driven coastal ozone deposition fluxes, particle emission fluxes, and subsequent CCN formation
Authors: Whitehead J. D. , McFiggans G. B. , Gallagher M. W. , Flynn M. J.
Published: February 2009

We present the first direct measurements of coastal ozone deposition and ultrafine particle emission fluxes alongside observation of particle growth to sizes where they will be active as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Simultaneous ozone deposition and particle emission from exposed macroalgae were observed during daytime low tide. Ozone deposition to seawater at high tide was significantly slower (vd[O3] = 0.302 ± 0.095 mm s−1) than low tidal deposition. Low tide deposition was slower at night (1.00 ± 0.10 mm s−1) than during daytime (2.05 ± 0.16 mm s−1) when ultrafine particle formation results in apparent particle emission. Particle emission fluxes greater than 200,000 cm−2 s−1 were observed during some of the lowest daytime tides and these particles grew large enough to act as CCN. These results provide the first direct evidence of both direct depositional loss and photochemical destruction of ozone in the formation of particles from macroalgal emissions at a coastal location.