bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth Hormone Treatment in Short Japanese Children Born Small for Gestational Age
Authors: Horikawa Reiko , Tanaka Toshiaki
Published: November 2004

Recent reports have shown that high-dose growth hormone (GH) treatment in short children born with small for gestational age (SGA) resulted in a pronounced acceleration of linear growth. We describe the results of multicenter trials of recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment in short SGA children in Japan. Two clinical studies were performed and the results were combined. Study 1 comprised 104 SGA children and study 2 comprised 61 SGA children. The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 consisted of 20 patients (13 boys and 7 girls) who received rhGH 25 µg/kg per day six or seven times per week in the first year and 50 µg/kg per day in the second year and thereafter; group 2 consisted of 48 patients (28 boys, 20 girls) who received rhGH 45/50 µg/kg per day; group 3 consisted of 44 patients (28 boys, 16 girls) who received 90/100 µg/kg per day. The mean increments in height SDS were 0.46, 0.67 and 0.94 SD in boys and 0.49, 0.79 and 0.93 SD in girls in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The mean increment in height SDS at 2 years in group 3 was significantly greater than that in group 1, but it was not significantly different from that in group 2 in boys and girls. Our data demonstrated that high-dose GH administration significantly improved height velocity and height SDS in short SGA children. Additional studies are necessary to optimize a long-term GH treatment regimen and combined luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog treatment for final height. Careful observation is also necessary to assess the metabolic effects of high-dose GH, especially on carbohydrate metabolism.
Adipose Tissue Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Newborn
Authors: Uthaya Sabita , Bell Jimmy , Modi Neena
Published: November 2004

Infancy is a period of rapid adipose tissue accumulation, and influences during early development are plausible determinants of altered adiposity. The distribution, as well as the quantity of adipose tissue, is a marker of health and disease. Previous methods for the assessment of body composition in infants have been indirect and thus unable to determine adipose quantity reliably, nor assess adipose tissue distribution. Adipose tissue magnetic resonance imaging is direct, non-invasive, radiation free and suitable for serial examinations in infancy. Adipose tissue depots are quantified individually and summated to provide an accurate measure of depot-specific and total adiposity. We have adapted this technique for application to newborns and, to date, have imaged over 100 term and preterm infants.
Genetic Services in Latin America
Authors: Penchaszadeh Victor B.
Published: November 2004

This special issue of Community Genetics reviews some of the most important developments in medical genetics in key countries of Latin America. Contributions to this issue were prepared for a special consultation of the World Health Organization held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 19, 2003. Latin America is a region of medium- to low-income countries characterized by socioeconomic problems, with large segments of the population living in poverty and extreme disparities in the distribution of wealth. A rise in chronic diseases typical of the processes of industrialization and urbanization coexists with the persistence of nutritional and infectious diseases characteristic of poverty and underdevelopment. Over the last 2 decades of the 20th century, birth defects and genetic disorders have increased their share of morbidity and mortality, and tertiary-care-based genetic services have developed in urban areas. Although privatization of health care is eroding the public sector, the public institutions continue to be the main providers of genetic services for the bulk of the population and the leaders in research. The development of clinical genetics in the region is concentrated in tertiary-care centers in large cities, although a recent trend began extending genetic services to the community.
Relation between Serum Anti-p53 Antibodies and Microvessel Density in Bladder Cancer Patients
Authors: Gumus Eyup , Erdamar Sibel , Demirel Gulderen , Horasanli Kaya , Özmen Gökhan , Miroglu Cengiz
Published: November 2004

Introduction: Etiology of serum anti-p53 antibodies in bladder cancer patients is still unknown. In this study we evaluated the relationship between serum anti-p53 antibodies and microvessel density in bladder cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Seventy-six patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder were assessed prospectively (18 Ta, 30 T1, 28 T2 ≧). Serum anti-p53 antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Tumor p53 overexpression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Vessels were stained immunohistochemically using an antibody against platelet endothelial cell-adhesion molecule CD31. Spearman correlation test and t test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Serum anti-p53 antibodies were positive in 25 (60%) of 41 tumor p53-positive patients. While the mean (SD, range) microvessel density was found to be 43 (7.59, 8–99) in patients who had positive serum anti-p53 antibodies, it was found to be 23 (4.53, 6–98) in patients who had negative serum anti-p53 antibodies. There was a good correlation between serum anti-p53 antibodies and microvessel density (p < 0.05). No correlation was found between tumor p53 expression and microvessel density (p > 0.05). Conclusions: We found that there is a significant correlation between the microvessel density and serum anti-p53 antibodies. This result may show the role of angiogenesis in the etiology of serum anti-p53 antibodies in bladder cancer patients.
The Smooth Muscle Ratio at the Renal Pelvis in Adults: Does It Predict Surgical Outcome?
Authors: Senkul Temucin , Kucukodaci Zafer , Iseri Cuneyt , Karademir Kenan , Erden Dogan , Baloglu Huseyin , Narin Yavuz
Published: November 2004

Introduction: Patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction occasionally remain undiagnosed until adulthood. There are no objective criteria to predict the results of pyeloplasty in adult patients. We have evaluated the results of pyeloplasty in adult patients and investigated whether these results are correlated with the histopathology of the surgical specimen. Materials and Methods: Histological sections from 26 patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction were analyzed. Their mean age was 25.1 years. Diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid scans were used to determine the degree of renal obstruction and postoperative healing. Improvement in diuretic renography was defined as a greater than 20% decrease in the half-time of the preoperative value. To examine smooth muscle and collagen tissue, sections were stained using Masson’s trichrome. Smooth muscle ratio was identified by color image analysis. Results: 18 patients (69.2%) fulfilled the criteria of healing. Patients with an improved scan had a mean smooth muscle percent (SMP) of 1.85 ± 0.87 while subjects with no significant change in their diuretic scans had a mean SMP of 0.36 ± 0.03 (p = 0.001). There was a strong correlation between the SMP and the improvement. Conclusions: Adult pyeloplasty was found successful in about 70% of the cases. The SMP of the renal pelvis seems to be helpful in predicting the surgical outcome.
Bilateral Renal Artery Stenting in a Patient with Leriche Syndrome
Authors: Dimitrios Mourikis , Achilles Chatziioannou , Andrew Koureas , Charalampos Ladopoulos , Katsenis K. , Vlachos L.
Published: November 2004

Stenting for renal artery stenosis is well described in the literature. Bilateral renal artery stenting is not such a common procedure, however it is quite rare in patients with Leriche syndrome, as is the case we present.
Vesicoureteral Reflux after Intravesical Instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin against Carcinoma in situ of the Bladder
Authors: Morita Tatsuo , Tokue Akihiko
Published: November 2004

We report a case of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) 3 years after intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG, Tokyo 172 strain) against carcinoma in situ of the bladder. The present case suggests that a long-term careful follow-up is needed to detect not only tumor recurrences but also VUR as a late complication after intravesical BCG instillation.
Noradrenergic Mechanisms in the Pathophysiology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: O’Donnell T. , Hegadoren K.M. , Coupland N.C.
Published: November 2004

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychiatric illness that may develop in individuals after exposure to a traumatic event. Recent data suggest that trauma and/or long-term stressors can cause alterations in the functioning of neuroanatomical structures and neural networks throughout the central nervous system. Specifically, dysregulation in central and perhaps, peripheral noradrenergic neural networks has been implicated as the cause of specific symptom clusters in the pathophysiology of PTSD. In this review, both clinical and preclinical data are presented to highlight types of noradrenergic dysfunction observed in individuals with PTSD. Additionally, the role of noradrenaline dysregulation in the acquisition/initiation, and maintenance of hyperarousal and reexperiencing symptom clusters in PTSD will be addressed.
Serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Levels and Insulin Resistance in Non-Obese Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and Effect of Bicalutamide on Hirsutism, CRP Levels and Insulin Resistance
Authors: Bahceci Mithat , Tuzcu Alpaslan , Canoruc Naime , Tuzun Yekta , Kidir Veysel , Aslan Cetin
Published: November 2004

Background/Aims: Insulin resistance is associated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. We aimed to evaluate the effect of bicalutamide on insulin resistance and serum CRP levels in non-obese polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) patients. Methods: 40 non-obese patients (BMI ≤25 kg/m2) with PCOS and, 40 age- and BMI-matched healthy women were studied. Patients received bicalutamide orally at the dose of 25 mg/day. Serum CRP levels were measured with immunometric assay. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) index was used for insulin resistance. Results: Mean Ferriman-Gallwey score (FGS) (p = 0.001), insulin (p = 0.001), serum glucose (p = 0.001), prolactin (p < 0.003), total (p < 0.04) and free testosterone (p = 0.001) and free androgen index (FAI) levels (p = 0.001) of PCOS subjects were higher than in the control group. Mean HOMA-IR of PCOS patients was higher than in control subjects (2.43 ± 1.2 and 0.94 ± 0.37, p = 0.001). CRP levels in subjects with PCOS was also higher than in control subjects (4.27 ± 1.33 and 0.98 ± 0.19, p = 0.001). After bicalutamide treatment, FGS, free and total testosterone and FAI decreased (p = 0.001). HOMA-IR, prolactin and CRP levels did not show any statistical difference with bicalutamide treatment. Conclusions: PCOS patients had insulin resistance and a high CRP level. Bicalutamide treatment did not influence insulin resistance and CRP level in PCOS, and this ineffectiveness of bicalutamide on CRP levels may be the result of insulin resistance and/or high prolactin levels at this time.
Clinical-Biochemical Correlations in Acromegaly at Diagnosis and the Real Prevalence of Biochemically Discordant Disease
Authors: Mercado Moisés , Espinosa de los Monteros Ana Laura , Sosa Ernesto , Cheng Sonia , Mendoza Victoria , Hernández Irma , Sandoval Carolina , Guinto Gerardo , Molina Mario
Published: November 2004

Objective: To analyze clinical-biochemical correlations in newly diagnosed acromegaly, focusing in particular on patients with discrepant parameters. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Data from 164 patients with acromegaly seen between 1995 and 2003. Patients were reviewed for the presence of headaches, arthralgias, hypertension, menstrual abnormalities, impotence, glucose intolerance or diabetes. Biochemical evaluation consisted of age- and gender-adjusted IGF-I levels and glucose-suppressed GH. Results: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed macroadenoma in 127 patients and microadenoma in 37. Patients with macroadenomas were younger than those with microadenomas and the disease was more frequent in females. Excluding acral enlargement, which was present in all the patients, the most commonly reported complaints were headaches (66%) and arthralgias (52%). Hypertension was present in 37% of patients, whereas the prevalence of glucose intolerance and diabetes was 27 and 32%, respectively. Hyperprolactinemia was present in 20% of patients with microadenomas and in 40% of patients with macroadenomas. Hypogonadism was demonstrated in more than half of the patients and was not related to tumor size or prolactin level. Of all the clinical and metabolic abnormalities of acromegaly, only the presence of diabetes correlated with both basal and nadir post-glucose GH levels. Only 4 patients (2.4%) had glucose-suppressed GH values of <1 ng/ml in the presence of clinical evidence of acromegaly, an elevated IGF-I level and a pituitary adenoma on MRI. Conclusions: Clinical features of acromegaly correlate poorly with indices of biochemical activity. The prevalence of biochemically discordant acromegaly is considerably lower than recently reported.
Vitamin E-Coated Dialyzer Membranes Downregulate Expression of Monocyte Adhesion and Co-Stimulatory Molecules
Authors: Betjes Michiel G.H. , Hoekstra Franciska M.E. , Klepper M. , Postma Saskia M. , Vaessen Leonard M.B.
Published: November 2004

Background: In patients on chronic hemodialysis leukocyte activation has been related to the impaired function of the immune system. In this study we investigated if the vitamin E-coated dialyzer membrane could reduce monocyte activation thereby improving cellular immunity. Methods: This hypothesis was tested in a prospective crossover trial in which 14 stable hemodialysis patients were switched from the baseline hemophane dialyzer to a vitamin E-coated and thereafter a polysulphone dialyzer membrane or vice versa. Results: Monocyte MHC class I, CD54 and ICAM-1 expression was significantly downregulated when a vitamin E-coated or polysulphone dialyzer was used. The use of a vitamin E membrane specifically decreased monocyte CD40 and CD86 expression. Lectin induced T cell proliferation increased with the use of the vitamin E-coated membrane as compared to polysulphone and hemophane dialyzers. Conclusion: Vitamin E-coated dialyzers induced a less-activated phenotype of monocytes and may improve cellular immunity.
Relationship of Serum Cardiac Markers following Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Subsequent Exercise Capacity in Patients with Chronic Stable Angina: A Pilot Study
Authors: Williams Simon G. , Stables Rod H. , Wright David J. , Taylor Steve , Thompson Douglas , Tan Lip-Bun
Published: November 2004

We performed a pilot study to assess the significance of modest, asymptomatic, elevated serum cardiac markers – troponin T (TnT) and creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB) – 18–24 h following successful elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to explore their relationship with changes in aerobic exercise capacity, as measured by peak oxygen consumption (VO2), 6 weeks following the procedure. Twenty-three patients with single-vessel disease and chronic angina performed an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test before and 6 weeks after successful uncomplicated PCI. A venous blood sample was taken at rest before PCI and 18–24 h after the procedure. Successful PCI resulted in a trend towards an increased peak VO2 [21.62 ± 0.64 (pre) vs. 23.03 ± 0.75 ml/ kg/min (post), p = 0.07; mean ± SEM]. There was a significant increase [median (IQR)] in TnT, from 0.00 (0.00) µg/l at baseline increasing to 0.02 (0.03) µg/l at 18–24 h, p = 0.002. CK-MB levels showed no significant difference. In the group of 15/23 (65%) patients with an elevation in serum TnT (≧0.01 µg/l), 18–24 h after successful PCI, there was no significant increase in peak VO2 [23.31 ± 0.96 (pre) vs. 23.89 ± 1.09 ml/kg/min (post), p = 0.57]. In 8 (35%) patients with no rise in TnT at 18–24 h, a significant increase in peak VO2 was observed following successful PCI [23.10 ± 0.91 (pre) vs. 25.09 ± 0.75 ml/kg/min (post), p = 0.02]. Although 7 of these 8 patients increased their peak VO2, the absence of a TnT rise at 18–24 h was not significantly associated with an increase in peak VO2 following successful PCI (p = 0.18). To confirm these interesting initial results and investigate the relationship of serum cardiac markers following successful PCI and subsequent exercise capacity, further studies are required.
Plasma Leptin Concentration in Tamoxifen-Treated Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Hozumi Yasuo , Hakamata Yoji , Nagai Hideo
Published: November 2004

Leptin, the ob gene product, has an important role in the regulation of body weight. Although tamoxifen, a nonsteroidal antiestrogenic agent, is known to have estrogenic effects on fat metabolism, its influence on adipose tissue remains unknown. In the present study, the effect of tamoxifen on the concentration of leptin was investigated in ovariectomized rats treated with tamoxifen or vehicle. The dosage of tamoxifen was extrapolated from the human dosage. Food intake, adipose tissue weight, and plasma insulin were assessed at the end of the experiment. Results: Tamoxifen-treated rats showed a significant reduction of body weight gain, food intake, adipose tissue weight and leptin concentration (p < 0.001). The plasma insulin level was significantly higher after tamoxifen treatment (p = 0.01) in tamoxifen-treated rats than in control rats. We concluded that tamoxifen reduces food intake in the acute phase and a reduction of adipose tissue gain may result in reduced levels of plasma leptin in ovariectomized rats. Furthermore, rats treated with tamoxifen may be resistant to insulin action.
Cardiac Involvement in Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Stöllberger Claudia , Meng Gerhard
Published: November 2004

Cardiac involvement (CI) in form of myocardial thickening in a patient with genetically confirmed facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHMD) has not been reported. The patient is a 50-year-old male with a tandem repeat size of 17 and 14 kb in the D4Z4 locus on chromosome 4q35. The clinical cardiologic investigation was normal. Blood pressure was 150/90 mm Hg. Funduscopy, 24-hour ambulatory ECG, and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring were normal. ECG showed incomplete right bundle branch block, ST elevation in V2–V4, tall T waves in V3–V5, and hypertrophy signs. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular myocardial thickening of the posterior wall (11.7 mm) and the septum (15.5 mm). In conclusion, CI in genetically confirmed FSHMD may manifest not only as ECG abnormalities but also as left ventricular myocardial thickening.
Differential Additive Effects of Endothelial Lipase and Scavenger Receptor-Class B Type I on High-Density Lipoprotein Metabolism in Knockout Mouse Models
Authors: Ma Ke , Forte Trudy , Otvos James D. , Chan Lawrence
Published: November 2004

Objective—

Endothelial lipase (EL) is a vascular phospholipase that hydrolyzes high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as its preferred substrate. Scavenger receptor-class B type I (SR-BI) is an HDL receptor that mediates the selective uptake of cholesteryl ester. This study investigates the role of EL and SR-BI in the regulation of HDL metabolism in gene knockout mouse models.

Methods and Results—

We cross-bred EL
−/−
and SR-BI
−/−
mice and generated single- and double-null mice. We used biochemical, molecular biology, and nuclear magnetic resonance methods to analyze HDL concentration, composition, and structure. We found that EL and SR-BI display additive effects on HDL with evident gene dosage effects, but their mechanisms to regulate HDL concentration and composition are different. Whereas the elevated HDL cholesterol level in EL
−/−
mice is associated with increased phospholipid content in HDL particles, SR-BI
−/−
mice display markedly enlarged HDL particles shifted to larger subclasses with a phospholipid content similar to that of wild-type mice. Furthermore, absence of EL is associated with a 40% to 50% inhibition and absence of SR-BI, a ≈90% inhibition of endogenous lecithin cholesterol:acyltransferase rate.

Conclusions—

EL and SR-BI are major genetic determinants of HDL metabolism in vivo, each exercising independent and additive effects on HDL structure and function.
Liver X Receptor Agonists Suppress Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Inhibit Neointima Formation in Balloon-Injured Rat Carotid Arteries
Authors: Blaschke Florian , Leppanen Olli , Takata Yasunori , Caglayan Evren , Liu Joey , Fishbein Michael C. , Kappert Kai , Nakayama Keiichi I. , Collins Alan R. , Fleck Eckart , Hsueh Willa A. , Law Ronald E. , Bruemmer Dennis
Published: November 2004

The liver X receptors α and β (LXRα and LXRβ) are important regulators of cholesterol homeostasis in liver and macrophages. Synthetic LXR ligands prevent the development of atherosclerosis in murine models; however, the potential functional relevance of LXRs in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has not been investigated. In the present study, we demonstrate that LXRs are expressed and functional in primary human coronary artery VSMCs (CASMCs). LXR ligands inhibited mitogen-induced VSMC proliferation and G
1
→S phase progression of the cell cycle. Inhibition of G
1
exit by LXR ligands was accompanied by a dose-dependent inhibition of retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation, which functions as the key switch for G
1
→S cell cycle progression. LXR ligands suppressed mitogen-induced degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27
Kip1
, attenuated cyclin D1 and cyclin A expression, and inhibited the expression of S phase-regulatory minichromosome maintenance protein 6. Stabilization of p27
kip1
by LXR ligands was mediated by supressing the transcriptional activation of the S phase kinase–associated protein 2 (Skp2), an F-box protein that targets p27
Kip1
for degradation. Inhibition of Rb phosphorylation and G
1
→S cell cycle progression by LXR ligands was reversed in VSMCs overexpressing Skp2, indicating that Skp2 as an upstream regulator of p27
Kip1
degradation plays a central role in LXR ligand–mediated inhibition of VSMC proliferation. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of the S phase transcription factor E2F, which is released after Rb phosphorylation, reversed the inhibitory effect of LXR ligands on VSMC proliferation and S phase gene expression, suggesting that the primary mechanisms by which LXR ligands inhibit VSMC proliferation occur upstream of Rb phosphorylation. Finally, neointima formation in a model of rat carotid artery balloon injury was significantly attenuated after treatment with the LXR ligand T1317 compared with vehicle-treated animals. These data demonstrate that LXR ligands inhibit VSMC proliferation and neointima formation after balloon injury and suggest that LXR ligands may constitute a novel therapy for proliferative vascular diseases. The full text of this article is available online at http://circres.ahajournals.org.
Multidataset Study of Optimal Parameter and Uncertainty Estimation of a Land Surface Model with Bayesian Stochastic Inversion and Multicriteria Method
Authors: Xia Youlong , Sen Mrinal K. , Jackson Charles S. , Stoffa Paul L.
Published: November 2004

This study evaluates the ability of Bayesian stochastic inversion (BSI) and multicriteria (MC) methods to search for the optimal parameter sets of the Chameleon Surface Model (CHASM) using prescribed forcing to simulate observed sensible and latent heat fluxes from seven measurement sites representative of six biomes including temperate coniferous forests, tropical forests, temperate and tropical grasslands, temperate crops, and semiarid grasslands. Calibration results with the BSI and MC show that estimated optimal values are very similar for the important parameters that are specific to the CHASM model. The model simulations based on estimated optimal parameter sets perform much better than the default parameter sets. Cross-validations for two tropical forest sites show that the calibrated parameters for one site can be transferred to another site within the same biome. The uncertainties of optimal parameters are obtained through BSI, which estimates a multidimensional posterior probability density function (PPD). Marginal PPD analyses show that nonoptimal choices of stomatal resistance would contribute most to model simulation errors at all sites, followed by ground and vegetation roughness length at six of seven sites. The impact of initial root-zone soil moisture and nonmosaic approach on estimation of optimal parameters and their uncertainties is discussed.
Quasi-Periodic Variations of the Polar Vortex in the Southern Hemisphere Stratosphere Due to Wave–Wave Interaction
Authors: Hio Yasuko , Yoden Shigeo
Published: November 2004

The winter polar vortex in the Southern Hemisphere stratosphere is characterized by prominent quasi-stationary planetary waves: zonal wavenumber 1 (wave 1) and the eastward-traveling wave (wave 2). Quasi-periodic variations of the polar vortex are investigated in terms of the wave–wave interaction between wave 1 and wave 2 with both the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis dataset from 1979 to 2002 and a spherical barotropic model.

A typical case shows that the transient wave 1 generated by the wave–wave interaction has comparable amplitude to those of the stationary wave 1 and the traveling wave 2, and has a node around 60°S, where these primary waves have large amplitude. The transient wave 1 travels eastward with the same angular frequency as that of the traveling wave 2. The polar night jet also vacillates with the same frequency such that it has its minimum when the stationary wave 1 and the transient wave 1 are in phase at the polar side of the node. The vacillation is basically due to quasi-periodic variations of the wave driven by the interference between the stationary and traveling wave 1s.

Similar periodic variations of the polar vortex are obtained in the model experiment here, in the circumstance that stationary wave 1 generated by surface topography has comparable amplitude to the eastward-traveling wave 2 that is generated by the barotropic instability of a forced mean zonal wind.

The winter polar vortex shows large interannual variability. Similar quasi-periodic variations due to wave– wave interaction often occurred for the 24 yr in late winter when the transient wave 2 was vigorous.
Tropical Cyclone Formation in a Sheared Environment: A Case Study
Authors: Molinari John , Vollaro David , Corbosiero Kristen L.
Published: November 2004

The development of Hurricane Danny (1997) from depression to hurricane was examined using cloud-to-ground lightning data, reconnaissance aircraft data, and satellite imagery. Vertical wind shear between 850 and 200 hPa of 5–11 m s−1 produced persistent downshear convective outbreaks that became progressively more intense and closer to the center during the development. Early in the period the storm intensified steadily in the presence of this downshear convection. During the last and most intense outbreak, a second vortex appeared to develop within the convection. Evidence is presented that the new downshear vortex became the dominant vortex and absorbed the original. Based on these events, it is hypothesized that the presence of moderate vertical wind shear accelerated the early development process.

Equivalent potential temperature fields within 500 m of the surface were examined. Only well after the period of vortex interaction did the characteristic mature tropical cyclone radial profile of equivalent potential temperature appear. This came about by the virtual elimination of both low θe values in the core and high θe values outside the core that had been present at previous hours.

The growth of Hurricane Danny is viewed in terms of the wind-induced surface heat exchange (WISHE) theory. During the tropical depression and early tropical storm (“pre-WISHE”) periods, few if any of the assumptions of WISHE were met: vertical wind shear exceeded 5 m s−1, considerable azimuthal asymmetry was present, transient highly buoyant convection occurred, and low values of θe in the storm core suggested the presence of convective downdrafts. It is proposed that 1) vortex interactions and subsequent axisymmetrization produced a single dominant vortex at the surface, and 2) vertical mixing of moist entropy by strong convection moved the sounding toward moist neutrality. By this reasoning, the disturbance then met the key tenets of the known finite-amplitude WISHE instability, and the storm intensified to hurricane strength.
Analyzing the Potential Impacts of Soil Moisture on the Observed and Model-Simulated Australian Surface Temperature Variations
Authors: Zhang Huqiang
Published: November 2004

Based on observational and modeling analyses, this study aims to assess the potential influence of land surface conditions (soil moisture, in particular) on the Australian surface temperature variations. At first, a simple linear regression method is used to largely remove the ENSO influence from 50-yr observational surface temperature and precipitation datasets. Then, lag and partial correlations of the residuals are analyzed. The impacts of precipitation on the forthcoming surface temperature variations are largely attributed to the soil storage of precipitation water and the slow-varying soil moisture process. Results from partial correlations between precipitation and temperature variations suggest that when responding to anomalous atmospheric forcing, the land surface can introduce some slow-varying processes that can in turn affect the mean state of the atmosphere at monthly or longer scales and increase the predictability of the climate system.

Following the observational analysis, results from 16 Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project Phase 2 (AMIP2) AGCM simulations are analyzed to assess whether land surface modeling can affect the model-simulated climate variability. Lag-correlation analysis reveals that “climatic memory” of soil moisture has different features in the 16 models. Models with simple bucket-type schemes tend to have a rapid decay rate in the retention of soil moisture anomalies and show rapid feedback between land surface and the overlying atmosphere, with a much weaker influence of soil moisture conditions on surface climate variations. In contrast, most models using nonbucket schemes in which more physical processes are introduced in simulating soil water evaporation and soil water movement tend to show slow-varying soil moisture processes, affecting the model integrations at longer time scales. Different characteristics for translating soil moisture memory into climate variability and predictability are seen across the models, and more detailed studies are needed to further explore how land surface processes affect climate variability and predictability.
Upstream Subtropical Signals Preceding the Asian Summer Monsoon Circulation
Authors: Yang Song , Lau K-M. , Yoo S-H. , Kinter J. L. , Miyakoda K. , Ho C-H.
Published: November 2004

In this study, the authors address several issues with respect to the antecedent signals of the large-scale Asian summer monsoon that were earlier identified by Webster and Yang. In particular, they revisit the changes in the subtropical upper-tropospheric westerlies preceding the monsoon, depict the detailed structure of the monsoon's antecedent signals, and investigate the physical processes from the signals to the monsoon. They also explore the teleconnection of these signals to various large-scale climate phenomena and emphasize the importance of the upstream location of the signals relative to the Tibetan Plateau and the monsoon.

Before a strong (weak) Asian summer monsoon, the 200-mb westerlies over subtropical Asia are weak (strong) during the previous winter and spring. A significant feature of these signals is represented by the variability of the Middle East jet stream whose changes are linked to the Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño–Southern Oscillation, and other climate phenomena. When this jet stream intensifies and shifts southeastward, cold air intrudes frequently from eastern Europe into the Middle East and southwestern Asia. As a result, in subtropical Asia, snow and precipitation increase, the ground wetness increases, and surface temperature decreases. A strengthening Middle East jet stream is also accompanied by increases in both stationary wave activity flux and higher-frequency eddy activities. The Tibetan Plateau acts to block these westerly activities propagating eastward and increase the persistence of the low-temperature anomalies, which in turn prolongs the atmospheric signals from winter to spring.

A strong link is found between the persistent low-temperature anomalies and the decrease in geopotential height over southern Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau, in spring. The latter indicates a late establishment of the South Asian high, and implies a delay in the atmospheric transition from winter to summer conditions and in the development of the summer monsoon. The preceding scenario for a strong Middle East jet stream and a weaker Asian monsoon can be applied accordingly for the discussion of the physical processes from a weak jet stream to a strong monsoon.

The current results of the relationship between the extratropical process and Asian monsoon resemble several features of the tropical–extratropical interaction mechanism for the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO). While the role of tropical heating is emphasized in the TBO mechanism, compared to the variability of the sea surface temperature related to El Niño–Southern Oscillation, the extratropical process examined in this study is more strongly linked to the Asian summer monsoon.
Analogous Pacific and Atlantic Meridional Modes of Tropical Atmosphere–Ocean Variability*
Authors: Chiang John C. H. , Vimont Daniel J.
Published: November 2004

From observational analysis a Pacific mode of variability in the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)/cold tongue region is identified that possesses characteristics and interpretation similar to the dominant “meridional” mode of interannual–decadal variability in the tropical Atlantic. The Pacific and Atlantic meridional modes are characterized by an anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) gradient across the mean latitude of the ITCZ coupled to an anomalous displacement of the ITCZ toward the warmer hemisphere. Both are forced by trade wind variations in their respective northern subtropical oceans. The Pacific meridional mode exists independently of ENSO, although ENSO nonlinearity projects strongly on it during the peak anomaly season of boreal spring. It is suggested that the Pacific and Atlantic modes are analogous, governed by physics intrinsic to the ITCZ/ cold tongue complex.
What’s a Mentor, Anyway?
Authors: Mertz Norma T.
Published: November 2004

The article presents a conceptual model of mentoring designed to distinguish mentoring from other kinds of supportive relationships. Built on the existing literature and a modification of Kram’s (1983) distinctions of the functions of mentoring, the model uses the concepts of intent and involvement as variables for distinguishing and categorizing the bewildering array of relationships and roles referred to as mentoring in the literature.
Leadership Mentoring in Clinical Practice: Role Socialization, Professional Development, and Capacity Building
Authors: Browne-Ferrigno Tricia , Muth Rodney
Published: November 2004

Research on multiple cohorts of aspiring and practicing principals engaged in professional development provides perspectives on the benefits of mentoring through clinical practice by clarifying issues related to role socialization, professional development, and leadership capacity building. Based on data from participants in several cohorts and reviews of research on clinical practice, leadership preparation, and mentoring, the authors make recommendations for improving university-based preparation programs through models and programs in which aspiring principals can gain authentic administrative work experience guided by mentors. The authors close with a reflection about the critical importance of practice and administrative mentoring in the initial and continuing preparation of principals.
Charismatic Leadership in Crisis Situations
Authors: Halverson Stefanie K. , Murphy Susan Elaine , Riggio Ronald E.
Published: November 2004

Charismatic leaders are often thought to emerge in times of crisis. This study examined the effects of evaluation stress and situational crisis on task performance and ratings of charismatic behavior, as assessed by outside coders on Conger and Kanungo’s C-K Scale. Fiftyfive three-member groups were randomly assigned a leader and asked to complete a projectplanning task. Half of the groups were randomly assigned to a stress condition, and all groups underwent a midsession crisis intervention. Results showed that leaders in the stress condition were perceived as significantly more charismatic than leaders in the no-stress condition, although ratings converged after the crisis manipulation.
Group Work and Cognitive Style
Authors: Priola Vincenza , Smith John L. , Armstrong Steven J.
Published: November 2004

This article investigates the relationship between work-group members’ cognitive style (as measured by Allinson and Hayes’s Cognitive Style Index), the group’s task and setting, and the way in which group members behave in the group. Behavior of a homogeneous analytic, a homogeneous intuitive, and a heterogeneous group was observed in a mechanistic setting and analyzed using discourse analysis. This study is discussed in light of a previous study in which homogeneous analytic and homogeneous intuitive groups worked in an organic setting. These two studies use different methodologies (quantitative approach versus qualitativediscursive). The benefits of methodological eclecticism are discussed.
Healing in the Heartland: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Innovative Health Practices in the Midwest
Authors: DeAngelo LeAnna
Published: November 2004

Many important and diverse health and healing ideas originated in the Midwest. The focus of this article is on osteopathic and chiropractic medicine, the Unity Church, the Menninger Clinic, Masters and Johnson’s sex therapy, and the Shealy Institute. The Mayo Clinic is also discussed due to its prominence and excellence in medical care. The article explores the following: (a) the founders behind each healing or health practice and the beliefs they contributed to the world, (b) the major principles or beliefs of each modality, and (c) theories about why the Midwest was the place of origin for each discipline or organization.
The Garden and the Scene of Power
Authors: Verdi Laura
Published: November 2004

Here, the author is dealing with the dual valence of social and aesthetic representations of a symbolic place, the garden, and of its links with collective memory. She will approach the argument from a variety of perspectives that can be summarized as follows: (a) the social and aesthetic representation of the sacred (paradise) in the hortus conclusus —the “geometrization” of space begins with the stability of the Italic pagus; (b) the labyrinth, the social and aesthetic representation of the garden as exorcism, which opposes the hybris of power; (c) the social and aesthetic representation of power in royal gardens (profane); (d) the social and aesthetic representation of collective memory in cemeteries—these are a specific model of hortus conclusus, entrusted with collective memories; and (e) the new stimulus to collective memory by the restoration of former industrial areas (creation of garden-paradises). Today, these areas are the new horti conclusi of collective memory.
Adventuring and Belonging
Authors: Duruz Jean
Published: November 2004

This article focuses on a particular genre of travel writing—the “villa book”—and, within its narratives, a particular site of spatial and cultural resonances—the food market. Through intimations of edible escapes to “other” places, “villa books” trace complex connections of people, food, migration, and tourism in sensual landscapes of 21st-century Western cultural imaginaries. Primarily, the article examines some of those comforting assumptions of what “one does” as a gourmet traveler and “worries” at their textual inscriptions, mapping contradictory moments in the writing of Frances Mayes (Under the Tuscan Sun) and Tony Cohan (On Mexico Time). The final destination of these guided tours of the marketplace is some speculations on the politics of culinary adventuring and belonging in a globalized world, inscribed with cultures of cosmopolitan consumption.
The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices Among Australian University Students
Authors: Feldman Robert H. , Laura Ronald
Published: November 2004

A survey of 518 university students in Australia was conducted to gain a better understanding of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use. Results indicated that 81.1% of the students used at least 1 of 24 CAM practices. Top practices were relaxation, massage, herbs, art therapy, and prayer. The most common health reasons for using CAM were stress or psychosomatic issues (i.e., anxiety, allergies, stress, and headaches). Other reasons reflected a positive perspective: lifestyle, availability, and holistic health. Students who did not use CAM cited economic factors as the chief reason. Thus, these results offer further insights into the growing worldwide use of CAM.
Molecular Genetics of Substance Abuse Vulnerability: Remarkable Recent Convergence of Genome Scan Results
Authors: UHL GEORGE R.
Published: November 2004

Abstract: Classical genetic studies document strong complex genetic contributions to abuse of multiple addictive substances. Goals of molecular genetic studies of addiction include: (1) locating chromosomal regions that contain allelic gene variants that contribute to vulnerability to drug dependence and (2) discovering which alleles of which gene markers and which genes provide these enhanced vulnerabilities. Genome scanning provides an approach to these goals. Until recently, data from genome scanning studies did not convincingly identify chromosomal positions for allelic variants predisposing to substance dependence. Nominal results of initial genome scans for alcohol and nicotine dependence failed to display much agreement; no two studies’ results seemed to identify the same chromosomal regions for addiction vulnerability alleles. However, recent data from our association‐based genome scans for illegal addictions, reanalyses of prior linkage‐based results, and data from even newer linkage‐based genome scans now provide a striking body of converging results. Sixteen chromosomal regions are identified by reproducible positive results obtained in multiple populations. These 16 regions are thus good candidates to harbor common allelic variants that confer human vulnerability to addiction to several classes of substances. Genomic markers that identify allelic variants that reproducibly alter addiction vulnerability in studies in several populations provide powerful tools for clinical research in addictions and addiction treatments.
Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Rewarding Effects of Cocaine
Authors: HALL F SCOTT , SORA ICHIRO , DRGONOVA JANA , LI XIAO‐FEI , GOEB MICHELLE , UHL GEORGE R.
Published: November 2004

Abstract: The initially surprising observation that cocaine retains its rewarding effects in dopamine transporter (DAT) knockout (KO) mice led our laboratory to examine the effects of deletion of other monoaminergic genes on cocaine reward. Our initial approach to this problem was to combine DAT KO mice with serotonin transporter (SERT) KO mice to make combined DAT/SERT KO mice. The combination of these knockouts eliminates cocaine reward as assessed in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. We have also identified evidence that, in the absence of DAT, there is greater participation in cocaine reward by serotonin (SERT) and norepinephrine (NET) transporters. Both NET and SERT blockers (nisoxetine and fluoxetine) produced significant CPPs in DAT KO mice, but not in wild‐type (WT) mice. The striking elimination of cocaine CPP in combined DAT/SERT KO mice contrasts with effects that we have identified in combined NET/SERT knockout mice, which display increases in cocaine reward, and with recent reports that suggest that DAT/NET combined KOs retain substantial cocaine CPP. Overall, these studies indicate important requirements for several monoaminergic system genes to fully explain cocaine reward, in particular those expressed by dopamine and serotonin systems.
Psychostimulant Alters Expression of DNA Methyltransferase mRNA in the Rat Brain
Authors: NUMACHI YOHTARO , YOSHIDA SUMIKO , YAMASHITA MOTOYASU , FUJIYAMA KO , NAKA MAKI , MATSUOKA HIROO , SATO MITSUMOTO , SORA ICHIRO
Published: November 2004

Abstract: Methamphetamine (MAP), the most frequently abused substance in Japan, causes severe drug dependence and psychosis, similar to schizophrenia. It is suggested that long‐term alterations in gene expression is related to MAP‐induced brain dysfunction, including dependence and psychosis. DNA (cytosine‐5) methyltransferase (Dnmt), a methylating enzyme of cytosine residues on CpG‐dinucleotides, plays an important role in X chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, and gene expression. Reelin is an extracellular matrix protein secreted by GABAergic interneurons. Heterozygous reeler mice that exhibit a 50% downregulation of reelin expression replicate the dendritic spine and GABAergic defects described in schizophrenia. DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic modification of reelin expression. We previously found that MAP could alter expression of Dnmt1 mRNA in the rat brain. In this study, we examined the brain mRNA for Dnmt2 and reelin in MAP‐treated Wistar rats. Acute MAP (4 mg/kg) treatment significantly decreased Dnmt2 mRNA by 27% to 39% in hippocampus dentate gyrus, CA1, and CA3 24 h after treatment, and significantly decreased reelin mRNA by 28% in frontal cortex 3 h after treatment. These results suggest that (1) MAP can alter DNA methylation as well as expression of genes in these brain regions, and (2) decrease in reelin mRNA in the frontal cortex is similar to heterozygous reeler mice, which might be related to schizophrenia‐like psychotic symptoms of MAP psychosis.
Fos Expression Associated with the Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Methamphetamine in Rats
Authors: ZENG NAN , NAKAJIMA AKIRA , HE JUE , NITTA ATSUMI , YAMADA KIYOFUMI , NABESHIMA TOSHITAKA
Published: November 2004

Abstract: Methamphetamine, a psychostimulant drug, produces both acute psychomotor stimulation and long‐lasting behavioral effects including addiction and psychosis. To identify anatomical substrates for the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine in rats, we examined the drug discrimination‐associated c‐Fos expression in the brains of rats that were trained to discriminate methamphetamine from saline under a two‐lever fixed ratio (FR‐20) schedule of food reinforcement. c‐Fos expression in the brains of rats trained to discriminate methamphetamine from saline was significantly increased in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as compared with the expression in the control rats that were maintained under the FR‐20 schedule, but no alternation was observed in other areas including the cerebral cortex, caudate putamen, substantia nigra, hippocampus, amygdala, and habenulla. Methamphetamine treatment in the trained rats caused a significant increase in c‐Fos expression in the VTA, and a decrease in the NAc core, as compared to saline treatment. However, c‐Fos expression in the NAc and VTA of rats that received chronic intermittent methamphetamine administration without discrimination training, did not differ from the expression in saline‐treatment animals. These results suggest that the VTA and the NAc play an important role in the discriminative stimulus effects of methamphetamine.