bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of High Altitude Exposure on Cerebral Hemodynamics in Normal Subjects
Authors: Van Osta Aurélie , Moraine Jean-Jacques , Mélot Christian , Mairbäurl Heimo , Maggiorini Marco , Naeije Robert
Published: February 2005

Background and Purpose—

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) may be an early stage of high altitude cerebral edema. If so, AMS could result from an alteration of dynamic autoregulation of cerebral blood flow resulting in overperfusion of capillaries and vasogenic cerebral edema.

Methods—

We measured middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (
V
mca) by transcranial Doppler and arterial blood pressure by finger plethysmography at 490 m and 20 hours after arrival at 4559 m in 35 volunteers who had been randomized to tadalafil, dexamethasone, or placebo in a study on the pharmacological prevention of high altitude pulmonary edema. A dynamic cerebral autoregulation index (ARI) was calculated from continuous recordings of
V
mca and blood pressure during transiently induced hypotension.

Results—

Altitude was associated with an increase in a cerebral-sensible AMS (AMS-C) score (
P
<0.001) and with a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation (Sa
o
2
), whereas average
V
mca or ARI did not change. However, at altitude, the subjects with the lowest ARI combined with the lowest Sa
o
2
presented with the highest AMS-C score (
P
<0.03). In addition, a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis on arterial P
co
2
, Sa
o
2
, and baseline or altitude ARI identified altitude ARI as the only significant predictor of the AMS-C score (
P
=0.01). The AMS-C score was lower in dexamethasone-treated subjects compared with high altitude pulmonary edema-susceptible untreated subjects. Neither tadalafil nor dexamethasone had any significant effect on
V
mca or ARI.

Conclusions—

High altitude hypoxia is associated with impairment in the regulation of the cerebral circulation that might play a role in AMS pathogenesis.
Cumulative Effect of Predisposing Genotypes and Their Interaction With Modifiable Factors on the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Young Adults
Authors: Pezzini Alessandro , Grassi Mario , Zotto Elisabetta Del , Archetti Silvana , Spezi Raffaella , Vergani Veronica , Assanelli Deodato , Caimi Luigi , Padovani Alessandro
Published: February 2005

Background and Purpose—

Combinations of multiple predisposing polymorphisms and their interactions with modifiable factors may result in synergistic effects on the risk of ischemic stroke. These mechanisms are more likely to play a relevant role in younger individuals.

Methods—

The cumulative effect of the 20210A variant of prothrombin gene, the 1691A variant of factor V gene, the TT677 genotype of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (
MTHFR
) gene, and the ε4-carriership of the apolipoprotein (
APOE
) gene, as well as their interactions with modifiable predisposing factors, were determined in a series of 163 stroke patients aged younger than 45 years and 158 controls.

Results—

Odds ratios (ORs) for stroke were 1.73 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.51) in subjects with 1 polymorphism and 3.00 (95% CI, 1.43 to 6.30) in those with ≥2. Compared with nonsmokers with none of the studied polymorphisms, ORs for stroke were 1.88 (95% CI, 1.18 to 3.00) and 3.55 (95% CI, 1.40 to 8.98) for nonsmokers with 1 and 2 polymorphisms, respectively, and 3.99 (95% CI, 2.00 to 7.96) and 15.99 (95% CI, 4.01 to 63.3) for smokers. Compared with nonhypertensive subjects bearing no polymorphisms, ORs were 1.91 (95% CI, 1.28 to 2.87) and 3.68 (95% CI, 1.64 to 8.26) for nonhypertensive subjects with 1 and 2 polymorphisms, 3.28 (95% CI, 1.01 to 10.7) and 10.79 (95% CI, 1.01 to 115.4) for hypertensive.

Conclusions—

These data suggest a gene–dose effect of the examined prothrombotic and proatherogenic gene variants and a synergistic effect of these polymorphisms and modifiable risk factors in the pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia in young adults.
Magnetic Resonance Perfusion Tracks
133
Xe Cerebral Blood Flow Changes After Carotid Stenting
Authors: Ko Nerissa U. , Achrol Achal S. , Martin Alastair J. , Chopra Manju , Saloner David A. , Higashida Randall T. , Young William L.
Published: February 2005

Background and Purpose—

To compare magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion to gold-standard cerebral blood flow (CBF) determined by intra-arterial
133
Xe washout method.

Methods—

Eight patients with high-grade carotid stenoses underwent bolus-tracking MR perfusion and intra-arterial
133
Xe washout before and after carotid stenting. MR perfusion was compared with
133
Xe-CBF values using Pearson linear correlation analysis.

Results—

We observed a mean 37±38% increase in
133
Xe-CBF and a mean 19±27% increase in relative CBF (rCBF) by MR perfusion immediately after stent placement. Relative (percent) changes in MR-rCBF showed a close and linear correlation to those seen in
133
Xe-CBF (
r
=0.91;
R
2
=0.84;
P
=0.002). There was a trend for MR perfusion to underestimate change in CBF at higher relative changes in flow.

Conclusion—

Bolus-tracking MR perfusion correlates with
133
Xe-CBF in estimating postprocedural increases in blood flow but may underestimate the magnitude of the change with higher relative changes.
A Genome-Wide Scan for Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness
Authors: Wang Dai , Yang Huiying , Quiñones Manuel J. , Bulnes-Enriquez Isabel , Jimenez Xochitl , Rosa Roxana De La , Modilevsky Tamara , Yu Katherine , Li Yanjie , Taylor Kent D. , Hsueh Willa A. , Hodis Howard N. , Rotter Jerome I.
Published: February 2005

Background and Purpose—

Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT), a subclinical measure of atherosclerosis, is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke. CIMT is also an important predictor of clinical cardiovascular events. To systematically identify the genetic determinants of CIMT, we performed a genome-wide scan using data from 91 2-generation Mexican American families ascertained via a parent with CAD diagnosed.

Methods—

CIMT was measured in 274 adult offspring (mean age, 34.6 years) using high-resolution B-mode ultrasound; 413 subjects, including adult offspring and their parents, were genotyped using Marshfield screen set 12 (380 microsatellite markers at ≈10-cM interval). Heritability was estimated using the variance component approach implemented in SOLAR. Linkage analyses were performed using both the sib-pair regression approach and the variance component approach.

Results—

The estimated heritability was 0.68, 0.45, and 0.40 for unadjusted, gender- and age-adjusted, and multivariate-adjusted CIMT, respectively. The strongest evidence of linkage was found on chromosome 2 at D2S2944 (logarithm of the odds [LOD]=3.08). Other suggestive linkages were also found on chromosome 6 at D6S1022 to D6S2410 (LOD=2.21) and chromosome 13 at D13S796 to D13S895 (LOD=1.34).

Conclusions—

These results show that there is a strong genetic effect on CIMT in these Mexican American CAD families. The linkage peak on chromosome 2 suggests that there is a gene (or genes) at this chromosome location influencing CIMT.
A Further Result on the ICA One-Bit-Matching Conjecture
Authors: Ma Jinwen , Liu Zhiyong , Xu Lei
Published: February 2005

The one-bit-matching conjecture for independent component analysis (ICA) has been widely believed in the ICA community. Theoretically, it has been proved that under the assumption of zero skewness for the model probability density functions, the global maximum of a cost function derived from the typical objective function on the ICA problem with the one-bit-matching condition corresponds to a feasible solution of the ICA problem. In this note, we further prove that all the local maximums of the cost function correspond to the feasible solutions of the ICA problem in the two-source case under the same assumption. That is, as long as the one-bit-matching condition is satisfied, the two-source ICA problem can be successfully solved using any local descent algorithm of the typical objective function with the assumption of zero skewness for all the model probability density functions.
A Note on Stone's Conjecture of Blind Signal Separation
Authors: Xie Shengli , He Zhaoshui , Fu Yuli
Published: February 2005

Stone's method is one of the novel approaches to the blind source separation (BSS) problem and is based on Stone's conjecture. However, this conjecture has not been proved. We present a simple simulation to demonstrate that Stone's conjecture is incorrect. We then modify Stone's conjecture and prove this modified conjecture as a theorem, which can be used a basis for BSS algorithms.
Robust Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Morimoto Jun , Doya Kenji
Published: February 2005

This letter proposes a new reinforcement learning (RL) paradigm that explicitly takes into account input disturbance as well as modeling errors. The use of environmental models in RL is quite popular for both off-line learning using simulations and for online action planning. However, the difference between the model and the real environment can lead to unpredictable, and often unwanted, results. Based on the theory of H∞ control, we consider a differential game in which a “disturbing” agent tries to make the worst possible disturbance while a “control” agent tries to make the best control input. The problem is formulated as finding a min-max solution of a value function that takes into account the amount of the reward and the norm of the disturbance. We derive online learning algorithms for estimating the value function and for calculating the worst disturbance and the best control in reference to the value function. We tested the paradigm, which we call robust reinforcement learning (RRL), on the control task of an inverted pendulum. In the linear domain, the policy and the value function learned by online algorithms coincided with those derived analytically by the linear H∞ control theory. For a fully nonlinear swing-up task, RRL achieved robust performance with changes in the pendulum weight and friction, while a standard reinforcement learning algorithm could not deal with these changes. We also applied RRL to the cart-pole swing-up task, and a robust swing-up policy was acquired.
A Computational Model of the Functional Role of the Ventral-Striatal D2 Receptor in the Expression of Previously Acquired Behaviors
Authors: Smith Andrew James , Becker Suzanna , Kapur Shitij
Published: February 2005

The functional role of dopamine has attracted a great deal of interest ever since it was empirically discovered that dopamine-blocking drugs could be used to treat psychosis. Specifically, the D2 receptor and its expression in the ventral striatum have emerged as pivotal in our understanding of the complex role of the neuromodulator in schizophrenia, reward, and motivation. Our departure from the ubiquitous temporal difference (TD) model of dopamine neuron firing allows us to account for a range of experimental evidence suggesting that ventral striatal dopamine D2 receptor manipulation selectively modulates motivated behavior for distal versus proximal outcomes. Whether an internal model or the TD approach (or a mixture) is better suited to a comprehensive exposition of tonic and phasic dopamine will have important implications for our understanding of reward, motivation, schizophrenia, and impulsivity. We also use the model to help unite some of the leading cognitive hypotheses of dopamine function under a computational umbrella. We have used the model ourselves to stimulate and focus new rounds of experimental research.
Temporal Sequence Learning, Prediction, and Control: A Review of Different Models and Their Relation to Biological Mechanisms
Authors: Wörgötter Florentin , Porr Bernd
Published: February 2005

In this review, we compare methods for temporal sequence learning (TSL) across the disciplines machine-control, classical conditioning, neuronal models for TSL as well as spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). This review introduces the most influential models and focuses on two questions: To what degree are reward-based (e.g., TD learning) and correlation-based (Hebbian) learning related? and How do the different models correspond to possibly underlying biological mechanisms of synaptic plasticity? We first compare the different models in an open-loop condition, where behavioral feedback does not alter the learning. Here we observe that reward-based and correlation-based learning are indeed very similar. Machine control is then used to introduce the problem of closed-loop control (e.g., actor-critic architectures). Here the problem of evaluative (rewards) versus nonevaluative (correlations) feedback from the environment will be discussed, showing that both learning approaches are fundamentally different in the closed-loop condition. In trying to answer the second question, we compare neuronal versions of the different learning architectures to the anatomy of the involved brain structures (basal-ganglia, thalamus, and cortex) and the molecular biophysics of glutamatergic and dopaminergic synapses. Finally, we discuss the different algorithms used to model STDP and compare them to reward-based learning rules. Certain similarities are found in spite of the strongly different timescales. Here we focus on the biophysics of the different calcium-release mechanisms known to be involved in STDP.
Varieties in Capitalism, Varieties of Association: Collaborative Learning in American Industry, 1900 to 1925
Authors: Berk Gerald , Schneiberg Marc
Published: February 2005

Between 1900 and 1925, the American economy witnessed a remarkably successful effort to upgrade competition through associations. Unlike the prevailing interpretation of American industrialization, in which associations fell prey to antitrust and collective action problems, we find many associations that reinvented themselves from cartels to developmental associations. This transition marked two previously unrecognized varieties in economic institutions. In the first, associations joined markets and corporate hierarchies to create variety in American capitalism. In the second, associations used deliberation, cost accounting, and benchmarking to enhance productivity and create varieties of collective governance. This article explains the origins of developmental associations, outlines their principles, traces their implementation in the commercial printing industry, and surveys their distribution and performance effects across 344 industries. Based on these findings, we revise conventional institutionalist assumptions about order and agency to make room for institutional diversity and actors’ capacities for reflexivity and learning.
It Takes a Village to Win a Union: A Case Study of Organizing among Florida’s Nursing Home Workers
Authors: Benz Dorothee E.
Published: February 2005

Innovative organizing strategies in the labor movement are being driven by the realization that labor law is of virtually no help in helping workers exercise their rights. Unions are increasingly designing strategies that go beyond traditional workplace tactics and draw on a wide range of social actors and relationships in an effort to find and harness new leverage sources. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199 Florida provides one such example. 1199 Florida has a multilayered, multifaceted organizing strategy that attempts to surmount the obstacles of employer resistance and weak labor laws by mobilizing a range of allies and engaging political and regulatory actors.
Anti-Americanism and Americanization in Germany
Authors: Nolan Mary
Published: February 2005

Contemporary German anti-Americanism is not a continuation of earlier anticapitalist, antimodern, and often anti-Semitic anti-Americanism. Rather, since the late 1960s a political anti-Americanism, which accepts capitalism and the extensive Americanization of German society, has emerged. It is a response to specific American foreign policies, but its roots lie in the uneven Americanization of twentieth-century Germany. Anti-Americanism has been fostered by Germany’s nonliberal variety of capitalism, by its more egalitarian social policies, by its greater secularism, by its more influential environmental movements, and by memories of World War II. Political anti-Americanism is likely to last beyond the current Iraq War crisis.
Community Unions and the Revival of the American Labor Movement
Authors: Fine Janice
Published: February 2005

Today’s low-wage workforce is mostly ignored by the national political parties and largely untouched by organized labor. Over the last twenty years, “community unions” have emerged to try to fill the void. They are modest-sized community-based organizations of low-wage workers that, through a combination of service, advocacy, and organizing, focus on issues of work and wages. Community unions have so far had greater success at raising wages and improving working conditions via public policy rather than direct labor market intervention. This is because low-wage workers in America today have greater political than economic power.
Women’s Postpartum Stress, Social Support, and Health Status
Authors: Hung Chich-Hsiu
Published: February 2005

The purpose of this study was to examine women’s postpartum stress, social support, and health status at different places of residence during their postpartum periods. Using proportional stratified quota sampling of hospitals by birth rate from clinics and hospitals in Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan, postpartum married women were recruited for the study. The results show that the home of the women’s parents (25.7%), her own home (with parents-in-law; 23.8%), and her own home (without parents or parents-in-law; 23.1%) were the main places of residence for women during the postpartum period. In addition, postpartum women’s mean scores for postpartum stress were low. In contrast, the mean scores for social support were high, although they did not differ significantly for the respective places of postpartum residence. Furthermore, significant differences were not found in these women’s postpartum health status at each of the places of postpartum residence.
Clinical Trials With Complementary Therapies
Authors: Oberle Kathleen , Allen Marion N.
Published: February 2005

As interest in complementary and alternative therapies grows, nurses can expect to be asked for advice regarding their use, but there are few clinical studies on which nurses can base their responses. Conducting research with complementary therapies is therefore important for nursing, but there are some pitfalls in doing research with these products, particularly if one is using standard clinical-trials methods. In this article, the authors outline some of those pitfalls based on their experience conducting a clinical trial to examine the effects of elk velvet antler on symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. They discuss design issues related to justification, method, and ethics and explore some important regulatory issues of which nurses should be aware. Some recommendations are presented to help nurses engaging in such research to avoid problems that could interfere with the smooth conduct of their studies.
Predictors of Use of Services Among Dementia Caregivers
Authors: Robinson Karen M. , Buckwalter Kathleen C. , Reed David
Published: February 2005

Caregivers of persons with dementia do not use community resources until late in the disease process, despite the fact that judicious use of community resources can delay nursing home admission. Data from the National Caregiver Training Project, based on Hall and Buckwalter’s (1987) progressively lowered stress threshold (PLST) model, were used to examine variables related to use of community resources. Spouse and adult child caregivers were divided into two groups based on amount of community resources used per week. Within this geographically diverse sample of caregivers, 64% did not use professional services, 79% did not use respite services, and 65% did not use other services. Being a spouse decreased the odds that the caregiver would use community resources. Resource use was also related to the care recipient’s problems with activities of daily living and the increase in frequency of memory and behavioral problems.
Public Student Drug Testing and the Special Needs Doctrine in Board of Education v. Earls: “Just Getting Tougher”
Authors: Hughes Tom “Tad”
Published: February 2005

The Supreme Court recently decided the case of Board of Education v. Earls (2002). The case affirmed the constitutionality of drug testing for public school students who participate in extracurricular activities. The case represents an expansion of the use of drug testing in public schools and may prove to be the impetus for increased drug testing in public school systems around the United States. Moreover, the constitutional basis for the case outcome represents a protean doctrine applicable to a variety of quasi-law enforcement situations. This article examines the current nature of drug testing in the United States. Next, the legal doctrines and precedents that led to the Earls case are explored. Finally, the case opinion and its policy implications are discussed.
The Impact of Managing for Results Mandates in Corrections: Lessons From Three States
Authors: Moynihan Donald P.
Published: February 2005

Almost all state governments have adopted legislative or administrative mandates to manage for results. These mandates require agencies to engage in strategic planning and performance measurement, with the hope that performance information will be used to change decision-making behavior and improve performance. This article examines case studies of Alabama, Virginia, and Vermont to understand how corrections managers react to and use these mandates. The findings indicate a high degree of variation in case outcomes, ranging from compliance, to performance improvement efforts, to a questioning of the basic goals of corrections. There is a common logic that explains how managing for results is used however, based on organization’s leadership agenda, and informed by knowledge of environmental challenges and opportunities.
Conventional Risk Discourse and the Proliferation of Fear
Authors: Schehr Robert Carl
Published: February 2005

The academic and service provider literatures addressing risk, especially youth risk, have produced an array of theoretical and conceptual interpretations consistent with the perpetuation of fear. It is the author’s contention that conventional risk discourse serves the ideological purpose of marginalizing undesirable groups, which leads to the creation and proliferation of technological and behavioral modes of social control. The author also contends that dominant cultural interests perpetuate a discourse of fear that neglects contemporary insight into structural causes of nonnormative violent behavior. Structural precursors to violence are combined with the complex and multifaceted matrix of subjective life-world experiences and institutional arrangements that together constitute the context responsible for generating family and youth trauma, and later, risky behavior.
Juvenile Diversion: Results of a 3-Year Experimental Study
Authors: Patrick Steven , Marsh Robert
Published: February 2005

In a 3-year longitudinal study of first-time juvenile status offenders assigned at random to three treatment groups and a control group, no significant differences were found in recidivism rates among the groups. A total of 398 juveniles in this study were cited for offenses of tobacco or alcohol in a medium-sized metropolitan northwest city. The offenders were assigned at random to four groups: a traditional magistrate court, a traditional youth court diversion program, a new nonjudicial-diversion program, and a control group. None of the groups, including the control group, showed a significant difference in recidivism rates. It was determined from the evaluation of all groups that the diversion program offered the most cost-effective program intervention to provide more services to potentially troubled teens.
An Analysis of Civil Suits Filed Against Private and Public Prisons: A Comparison of Title 42: Section 1983 Litigation
Authors: Blakely Curtis R. , Bumphus Vic W.
Published: February 2005

This study examines civil litigation filed against private and public prisons. Suits alleging violation of Title 42: Section 1983 were considered. Findings reveal that judicial statements made in response to private sector litigation carried greater amounts of admonishment than did judicial statements made in response to litigation filed against the public sector. Furthermore, it is evident that a portion of the federal judiciary views privatization as potentially having negative effects on inmates and staff.
Intimate Partner Violence Incidence and Characteristics: Idaho NIBRS 1995 to 2001 Data
Authors: Vazquez Salvador P. , Stohr Mary K. , Purkiss Marcus
Published: February 2005

Aggregate research on intimate partner violence (IPV) and its context presents special challenges. It was not until the development of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) that it was possible to efficiently cull out the IPV incidents from other crimes in police reports. In this research, we use 7 years of NIBRS data from one rural mountain state to identify the situational descriptors that serve as the ingredients in the “chemistry of crime.” We found that there is a tendency for IPV incidents to occur late at night, on the weekends, and on certain distinctive holidays. Such information may confirm what many have known anecdotally and help policy makers to best direct scarce prevention-related resources.
Test-Retest Reliability of Component Process Variables Within the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised
Authors: Woods Steven Paul , Scott J. Cobb , Conover Emily , Marcotte Thomas D. , Heaton Robert K. , Grant Igor ,   HIV Neurobehavioral Research Center (HNRC) Group
Published: February 2005

Emerging data support the construct validity of component process variables of learning and memory within the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R; Brandt & Benedict, 2001); however, the test-retest reliabilities of such measures are heretofore largely unknown. This study reveals generally modest-to-low 1-year test-retest stability for several key HVLT-R component process variables (e.g., semantic clustering) in 41 healthy, younger adults. These findings are discussed in relation to issues of clinical practice and research design in neuropsychological assessment.
Incremental Validity of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles as a Predictor of Continuous and Dichotomous Measures of Recidivism
Authors: Walters Glenn D.
Published: February 2005

Postrelease recidivism data were collected on 137 male inmates released 1 to 72 months after completing the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) in follow-ups lasting 6 to 55 months. When a dichotomous measure of recidivism (0, 1+ arrests) was employed, Entitlement (En) was the only PICTS thinking-style scale to achieve significance after age, prior arrests, time at risk in the community, and the PICTS Superoptimism (So) scale were controlled in a binary logistic regression analysis. Both the Cutoff (Co) and En scales proved significant in predicting a continuous measure of recidivism (range = 0 to 6) after age, prior arrests, time at risk, and the So scale were controlled in a sequential linear regression analysis. Whereas the En scale displayed mixed incremental validity results relative to the Co scale, the Co scale failed to achieve incremental validity relative to the En scale.
Reliable Digit Span is Unaffected by Laboratory-Induced Pain
Authors: Etherton Joseph L. , Bianchini Kevin J. , Ciota Megan A. , Greve Kevin W.
Published: February 2005

Reliable Digit Span (RDS) is an indicator used to assess the validity of cognitive test performance. Scores of 7 or lower suggest poor effort or negative response bias. The possibility that RDS scores are also affected by pain has not been addressed thus potentially threatening RDS specificity. The current study used cold pressor-induced pain to investigate the effect of pain on RDS scores. Sixty undergraduate volunteers randomly assigned to one of three conditions (control, simulator, pain) completed the Digit Span subtest from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III from which the RDS is derived. No differences in RDS scores were found between the control and pain groups, and neither group scored below 8. Sixty-five percent of the simulator group scored 7 or below. These results suggest that RDS is not affected by pain, and scores of 7 or less in persons with pain can be more confidently attributed to negative response bias.
The Portland Neurotoxicity Scale
Authors: Salinsky Martin C. , Storzbach Daniel
Published: February 2005

The Portland Neurotoxicity Scale (PNS) is a brief patient-based survey of neurotoxicity complaints commonly encountered with the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The authors present data on the validity of this scale, particularly when used in longitudinal studies. Participants included 55 healthy controls, 23 epilepsy patient controls, and 86 healthy volunteers who took various AEDs or placebos for 12 weeks as part of randomized, double-blind studies of AED effects on cognitive abilities. Test-retest reliability in the control groups averaged .80 (total score). Test-retest changes in the PNS were sensitive to AED usage in general (p < .001) and to each of the five AEDs tested but not to placebo. Test-retest changes in the PNS were strongly correlated with several scales of the Profile of Mood States but only weakly correlated with objective cognitive test measures. The PNS has satisfactory psychometric properties and is sensitive to AED usage in test-retest studies.
MMPI-2 Personality Profiles of High-Functioning Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Ozonoff Sally , Garcia Nicanor , Clark Elaine , Lainhart Janet E.
Published: February 2005

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition was administered to 20 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who fell in the average to above average range of intelligence and 24 age-, intelligence-, and gender-matched college students. Large group differences, with the ASD group scoring higher, were found on the L validity scale, Clinical Scales 2 (D) and 0 (Si), Content scale Social Discomfort (SOD), Supplementary scale Repression (R), and Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) scale INTR (Introversion). The proportion of ASD adults scoring in the clinical range on these scales was between 25% and 35%. High scores on these scales are consistent with the clinical picture of Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism in adulthood. Future directions and implications for identifying adults in need of a specialized autism assessment are discussed.
Susceptibility of the MMPI-2 Clinical, Restructured Clinical (RC), and Content Scales to Overreporting and Underreporting
Authors: Sellbom Martin , Ben-Porath Yossef S. , Graham John R. , Arbisi Paul A. , Bagby R. Michael
Published: February 2005

The authors examined and compared the susceptibility of three Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scale sets (Clinical, Restructured Clinical [RC], and Content) to over- and underreporting using five analog samples. Two samples of 85 and 191 undergraduate students, respectively, took the MMPI-2 under underreporting versus standard instructions. Three samples consisting of 42 undergraduates, 73 psychiatric inpatients, and 84 medical patients took the MMPI-2 under overreporting versus standard instructions. A comparison of the effect sizes across the three sets of scales indicated that Clinical Scale scores are not less susceptible to distortion than the Content or RC Scales. An apparent lesser susceptibility to underreporting for the Clinical Scales was an artifact of the subtle items’ effect on these scales.
Popular Science Publishing and Contributions to Public Discourse among University Faculty
Authors: Kyvik Svein
Published: February 2005

This article explores the roles of university faculty as popularizers of research and as public intellectuals contributing to public discourse through publishing articles for a lay public. Mail surveys undertaken in 1992 and 2001 among faculty members at Norwegian universities show that academic staff in the humanities and social sciences published more popular scientific articles and contributed more to public debate than their fellow colleagues in the natural and medical sciences and technology. Prolific scientists were more active in publishing for a lay public than less productive faculty members, and a small number of academic staff accounted for a disproportionate number of articles.
Method Matters
Authors: Schmierbach Mike
Published: February 2005

Journalistsmake frequentuse of social science research in news stories, andthis informationcan help shape public opinion and policy. Despite this, few scholars have examined how this coverage is assembled. In particular, researchers have rarely considered how the methodology of social science influences journalists’ judgments. This article uses an experimental design embedded within an e-mail survey of working journalists to compare judgments of a qualitative and quantitative study. Results show journalists consider the quantitative study more accurate and newsworthy. The article considers how focusing on N and other basic aspects of methodology might influence coverage patterns and distort representations of social science research.
Report: UK GM Dialogue
Authors: Barbagallo Fiona , Nelson Jill
Published: February 2005

Responding to growing concerns about genetically modified (GM) foods, the United Kingdom (UK) government launched a broad national dialogue to help determine whether GM crops should be commercially grown in the UK. This report describes the initiative, said to be the largest public consultation to date in the UK on a science issue.
Report: EuroScience Open Forum 2004
Authors: Norlin Gabriella
Published: February 2005

An innovative pan-European interdisciplinary science meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden, August 25 to 28, 2004. The EuroScience Open Forum 2004 attracted more than 1,800 participants from 68 countries, with more than 11,000people participatingin the public events. The following report describes this unique conference, planned as a biennial event.
Demographic Change in Small Cities, 1990 to 2000
Authors: Brennan Christiana , Hackler Darrene , Hoene Christopher
Published: February 2005

Census 2000 figures reveal broad demographic changes in America's cities during the 1990 to 2000 period. Although considerable analysis has been devoted to trends in the largest cities, there has been less attention to what is happening in smaller cities, which comprise 97% of cities nationwide. Data for 100 small cities (population less than 50,000) are drawn from the 1990 and 2000 Census Summary Files. The analysis reveals that growth is occurring faster in these smaller cities than in any of their larger cohorts. Other findings are that small-city growth is fastest in the West and Midwest, is occurring more rapidly in small cities within metropolitan areas, and is spurred by increases in Hispanic, Black, and Asian populations.
Looking Back to Look Forward
Authors: Stone Clarence N.
Published: February 2005

In differentiating urban regime analysis from pluralism, this article argues that the politics of bringing together governing arrangements poses challenges that are much greater than the “retail” politics of pressuring government officials regarding particular decisions. Agenda setting, coalition building, resource mobilization, and devising schemes of cooperation are central elements in a model of governing. Seen in structural context, particularly of the system of social stratification, these elements in combination can explain why it is so difficult to give priority to policies to overcome social exclusion. Furthermore, because the impact of social-reform initiatives depends greatly on how governmental actions mesh with nongovernmental actions, sustained efforts depend on contributions from nonelites as well as strategic supports from elites.
Value of Sonography in Determining the Nature of Thyroid Nodules
Authors: Sajjadieh Hamid Reza , Sajjadieh Vahab , Aminorroaya Ashraf , Amini Masoud , Oveisgharan Shahram , Reisifar Malek , Adibi Atoosa , Siavash Mansoor , Nazem Masoud , Peyman Mohammadreza
Published: February 2005

The purpose of this study was to evaluate all the sonographic characteristics in determining the nature of thyroid nodules. High-frequency sonograms of the thyroid were performed in 134 patients who were referred by three endocrinologists because of abnormal results on a thyroid physical examination. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and accuracy for individual sonographic characteristics were determined by comparing the results of the sonographic examination and fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). Of 95 patients, 81 had benign FNAB reports that included nodular goiter, Hashimoto thyroiditis, and acute thyroiditis. Fourteen patients had cells that were malignant or suspicious of malignancy. The most accurate diameter for differentiating malignant from benign nodules was 3.9 cm. Considering the high level of negative predictive value of all the sonographic criteria, it is better to observe the patients rather than to apply FNAB when there is no suspicious finding of malignancy in the sonographic examination of a nodule.
Accessory Mitral Valve Tissue Causing Mitral Valve Obstruction and Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in a Young Adult
Authors: Polito Helen
Published: February 2005

Accessory mitral valve (AMV) is a rare cause of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. This case report demonstrates the progression from a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to a mid-cavity obstruction; abnormal mitral valve architecture, including AMV with increasing obstruction; progressive symptoms; and full documentation of details by transesophageal echocardiogram. The patient underwent a successful operation for removal of the AMV at age 21 years.
Ureterocele With Duplicated Collecting System
Authors: Vasey Gana Marie , Michael Kim
Published: February 2005

A ureterocele is a congenital disorder of the terminal ureter. Although ureteroceles may be asymptomatic, there is an associated sequela of hydronephrosis and reflux that can lead to permanent renal damage. This case study involves the sonographic diagnosis of a ureterocele in utero and associated urinary tract abnormalities. These findings are then correlated with postnatal imaging studies.
Sonographers and the Fight Against Nosocomial Infections
Authors: Ridge Christy
Published: February 2005

An investigation was conducted to determine how well sonographers clean transducers and other sonography-related equipment. Previous studies have shown that cross-contamination is possible between patients during a sonogram and may lead to nosocomial infections. The potential for infecting patients is now common knowledge, so research was conducted to establish how well sonographers are sterilizing the equipment. The equipment from the sonography departments of six hospitals and clinics was tested for the presence of bacteria and fungi. Growth was present at every facility. Although only normal skin flora, including yeast, were isolated, sonographers must be more diligent in the prevention of cross-contamination in patients.
Human mesenchymal stem cells inhibit differentiation and function of monocyte-derived dendritic cells
Authors: Jiang Xiao-Xia , Zhang Yi , Liu Bing , Zhang Shuang-Xi , Wu Ying , Yu Xiao-Dan , Mao Ning
Published: February 2005

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), in addition to their multilineage differentiation, have a direct immunosuppressive effect on T-cell proliferation in vitro. However, it is unclear whether they also modulate the immune system by acting on the very first step. In this investigation, we addressed the effects of human MSCs on the differentiation, maturation, and function of dendritic cells (DCs) derived from CD14+ monocytes in vitro. Upon induction with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) plus interleukin-4 (IL-4), MSC coculture could strongly inhibit the initial differentiation of monocytes to DCs, but this effect is reversible. In particular, such suppression could be recapitulated with no intercellular contact at a higher MSC/monocyte ratio (1:10). Furthermore, mature DCs treated with MSCs were significantly reduced in the expression of CD83, suggesting their skew to immature status. Meanwhile, decreased expression of presentation molecules (HLA-DR and CD1a) and costimulatory molecules (CD80 and CD86) and down-regulated IL-12 secretion were also observed. In consistence, the allostimulatory ability of MSC-treated mature DCs on allogeneic T cells was impaired. In conclusion, our data suggested for the first time that human MSCs could suppress monocyte differentiation into DCs, the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs), thus indicating the versatile regulation of MSCs on the ultimate specific immune response.
Protein-4.2 association with band 3 (AE1, SLCA4) in Xenopus oocytes: effects of three natural protein-4.2 mutations associated with hemolytic anemia
Authors: Toye Ashley M. , Ghosh Sandip , Young Mark T. , Jones Graham K. , Sessions Richard B. , Ramaugé Martine , Leclerc Philippe , Basu Joyoti , Delaunay Jean , Tanner Michael J. A.
Published: February 2005

We have investigated the effects of coexpression of protein 4.2 and three protein-4.2 variants with band 3 in the Xenopus oocyte expression system. Normal protein 4.2 increased band-3–specific chloride transport in the oocytes. Protein 4.2 also coimmunoprecipitated with band 3 and colocalized with band 3 at the oocyte plasma membrane. The increase in band-3–mediated chloride transport and coimmunoprecipitation of protein 4.2 required the presence of the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of band 3. Protein 4.2 also localized to the oocyte plasma membrane in the absence of band 3. The protein-4.2 variants 4.2 Tozeur (R310Q) and 4.2 Komatsu (D175Y) had impaired ability to bind to band 3 and these variants did not localize to the oocyte plasma membrane when expressed on their own or when coexpressed with band 3. Unexpectedly, 4.2 Nippon (A142T) behaved similarly to normal protein 4.2. In the absence of a crystal structure of protein 4.2, we propose a homology model of protein 4.2 based on the structure of the sequence-related protein transglutaminase. Using our results in oocytes and this homology model we speculate how these mutations affect protein 4.2 and result in hereditary spherocytosis.
A novel CDK inhibitor, CYC202 (R-roscovitine), overcomes the defect in p53-dependent apoptosis in B-CLL by down-regulation of genes involved in transcription regulation and survival
Authors: Alvi Azra J. , Austen Belinda , Weston Victoria J. , Fegan Christopher , MacCallum David , Gianella-Borradori Athos , Lane David P. , Hubank Mike , Powell Judith E. , Wei Wenbin , Taylor A. Malcolm R. , Moss Paul A. H. , Stankovic Tatjana
Published: February 2005

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is a clinically variable disease where mutations in DNA damage response genes ATM or TP53 affect the response to standard therapeutic agents. The in vitro cytotoxicity of a novel cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, CYC202, was evaluated in 26 B-CLLs, 11 with mutations in either the ATM or TP53 genes, and compared with that induced by ionizing radiation and fludarabine. CYC202 induced apoptosis within 24 hours of treatment in all 26 analyzed tumor samples independently of ATM and TP53 gene status, whereas 6 of 26 B-CLLs, mostly ATM mutant, showed marked in vitro resistance to fludarabine-induced apoptosis. Compared with B-CLLs, normal T and B lymphocytes treated with CYC202 displayed reduced and delayed apoptosis. Using global gene expression profiling, we found that CYC202 caused a significant down-regulation of genes involved in regulation of transcription, translation, survival, and DNA repair. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis by CYC202 was preceded by inhibition of RNA polymerase II phosphorylation, leading to down-regulation of several prosurvival proteins. We conclude that CYC202 is a potent inducer of apoptosis in B-CLL regardless of the functional status of the p53 pathway, and may be considered as a therapeutic agent to improve the outcome of resistant B-CLL tumors.
In vitro functional analysis of human ferroportin (FPN) and hemochromatosis-associated FPN mutations
Authors: Schimanski Lisa M. , Drakesmith Hal , Merryweather-Clarke Alison T. , Viprakasit Vip , Edwards Jon P. , Sweetland Emma , Bastin Judy M. , Cowley Diana , Chinthammitr Yingyong , Robson Kathryn J. H. , Townsend Alain R. M.
Published: February 2005

Type IV hemochromatosis is associated with dominant mutations in the SLC40A1 gene encoding ferroportin (FPN). Known as the “ferroportin disease,” this condition is typically characterized by high serum ferritin, reduced transferrin saturation, and macrophage iron loading. Previously FPN expression in vitro has been shown to cause iron deficiency in human cell lines and mediate iron export from Xenopus oocytes. We confirm these findings by showing that expression of human FPN in a human cell line results in an iron deficiency because of a 3-fold increased export of iron. We show that FPN mutations A77D, V162Δ, and G490D that are associated with a typical pattern of disease in vivo cause a loss of iron export function in vitro but do not physically or functionally impede wild-type FPN. These mutants may, therefore, lead to disease by haploinsufficiency. By contrast the variants Y64N, N144D, N144H, Q248H, and C326Y, which can be associated with greater transferrin saturation and more prominent iron deposition in liver parenchyma in vivo, retained iron export function in vitro. Because FPN is a target for negative feedback in iron homeostasis, we postulate that the latter group of mutants may resist inhibition, resulting in a permanently “turned on” iron exporter.
Trafficking of the major virulence factor to the surface of transfected P falciparum–infected erythrocytes
Authors: Knuepfer Ellen , Rug Melanie , Klonis Nectarios , Tilley Leann , Cowman Alan F.
Published: February 2005

After invading human red blood cells (RBCs) the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum remodels the host cell by trafficking proteins to the RBC compartment. The virulence protein P falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) is responsible for cytoadherence of infected cells to host endothelial receptors. This protein is exported across the parasite plasma membrane and parasitophorous vacuole membrane and inserted into the RBC membrane. We have used green fluorescent protein chimeras and fluorescence photobleaching experiments to follow PfEMP1 export through the infected RBC. Our data show that a knob-associated histidine-rich protein (KAHRP) N-terminal protein export element appended to the PfEMP1 transmembrane and C-terminal domains was sufficient for efficient trafficking of protein domains to the outside of the P falciparum–infected RBC. The physical state of the exported proteins suggests trafficking as a complex rather than in vesicles and supports the hypothesis that endogenous PfEMP1 is trafficked in a similar manner. This study identifies the sequences required for expression of proteins to the outside of the P falciparum–infected RBC membrane.