bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of memantine on behavioural symptoms in Alzheimer's disease patients: an analysis of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) data of two randomised, controlled studies
Authors: Gauthier S. , Wirth Y. , Möbius H. J.
Published: April 2005

Introduction

Behavioural symptoms are common in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have analysed the databases of two randomised studies with regard to the effects of memantine treatment on behavioural symptoms, measured using the 12‐item version of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI).

Subjects

The monotherapy study (memantine only) reported by Reisberg et al. (2003) involved 252 patients with baseline MMSE total score of between 3 and 14, whereas the combination study (memantine and donepezil) reported by Tariot et al. (2004) comprised 404 patients with MMSE scores of between 5 and 14. In both studies, patients received 10 mg memantine b.i.d. or matching placebo, and lived in the community.

Methods

For both studies NPI total and individual domains scores were analysed in the ITT population. For the monotherapy study a dichotomised analysis was performed separately for patients who had behavioural symptoms at baseline and for those without pre‐existing symptoms. Furthermore, a factor analysis was used to identify any behavioural clusters within the patient population.

Results

In both studies, the change in NPI total scores at endpoint was consistently in favour of memantine treatment, reaching statistical significance in the combination study (p = 0.002). Memantine treatment showed a significant beneficial effect in comparison to placebo treatment in the NPI agitation/aggression domain in both studies (p = 0.008; p = 0.001).

The dichotomised analysis of the monotherapy study showed that there was significantly less agitation/aggression emerging in the memantine‐treated group compared to placebo (p = 0.003). Factor analysis showed that hyperactivity accounted for 27% of the data variance.

Conclusions

Memantine has a beneficial effect on the behavioural symptoms of patients with moderate to severe AD, with the most pronounced effect on agitation/aggression. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymmetry analysis of deformable hippocampal model using the principal component in schizophrenia
Authors: Kim Sun Hyung , Lee Jong‐Min , Kim Hyun‐Pil , Jang Dong Pyo , Shin Yong‐Wook , Ha Tae Hyon , Kim Jae‐Jin , Kim In Young , Kwon Jun Soo , Kim Sun I.
Published: April 2005

The hippocampus is thought to play an important role in learning and memory processing, and impairments in memory, attention, and decision making are found commonly in schizophrenia. Although many studies have reported decreases in hippocampal volume in the left hemisphere in schizophrenia, regionally specific hippocampal volume loss has not been revealed consistently using volume analysis. Recently, many studies have analyzed shape asymmetry using 3‐D models; however, inconsistent results have been reported, mainly due to methodologic differences. We therefore used an active, flexible, deformable shape model for surface parameterization, and compared shape asymmetry based on principal component analysis (PCA) in the hippocampi of schizophrenic patients with those of the normal controls. Although the overall pattern of the statistical results did not change according to the number of principal components, the reconstructed results based on six major components were much more distinguishable. Although the left hemispheric hippocampal volume was larger than the right hemispheric was in this study, the difference was not significant. In shape asymmetry analysis, the right hemisphere hippocampus was bilaterally larger than the left hemisphere hippocampus was in the head of the superior CA1 and smaller in the tail and head of the inferior CA1. The asymmetry in the schizophrenia group was statistically smaller than that in the control group through reduction of the left hemisphere hippocampus volume. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brain mechanisms of involuntary visuospatial attention: An event‐related potential study
Authors: Fu Shimin , Greenwood Pamela M. , Parasuraman Raja
Published: April 2005

The brain mechanisms mediating visuospatial attention were investigated by recording event‐related potentials (ERPs) during a line‐orientation discrimination task. Nonpredictive peripheral cues were used to direct participant's attention involuntarily to a spatial location. The earliest attentional modulation was observed in the P1 component (peak latency about 130 ms), with the valid trials eliciting larger P1 than invalid trials. Moreover, the attentional modulations on both the amplitude and latency of the P1 and N1 components had a different pattern as compared to previous studies with voluntary attention tasks. In contrast, the earliest visual ERP component, C1 (peak latency about 80 ms), was not modulated by attention. Low‐resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) showed that the earliest attentional modulation occurred in extrastriate cortex (middle occipital gyrus, BA 19) but not in the primary visual cortex. Later attention‐related reactivations in the primary visual cortex were found at about 110 ms after stimulus onset. The results suggest that involuntary as well as voluntary attention modulates visual processing at the level of extrastriate cortex; however, at least some different processes are involved by involuntary attention compared to voluntary attention. In addition, the possible feedback from higher visual cortex to the primary visual cortex is faster and occurs earlier in involuntary relative to voluntary attention task. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of long‐term practice and task complexity in musicians and nonmusicians performing simple and complex motor tasks: Implications for cortical motor organization
Authors: Meister Ingo , Krings Timo , Foltys Henrik , Boroojerdi Babak , Müller Mareike , Töpper Rudolf , Thron Armin
Published: April 2005

Motor practice induces plastic changes within the cortical motor system. Whereas rapidly evolving changes of cortical motor representations were the subject of a number of recent studies, effects of long‐term practice on the motor system are so far poorly understood. In the present study pianists and nonmusicians were investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Both groups performed simple and complex movement sequences on a keyboard with the right hand, the tasks requiring different levels of ordinal complexity. The aim of this study was to characterize motor representations related to sequence complexity and to long‐term motor practice. In nonmusicians, complex motor sequences showed higher fMRI activations of the presupplementary motor area (pre‐SMA) and the rostral part of the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) compared to simple motor sequences, whereas musicians showed no differential activations. These results may reflect the higher level of visuomotor integration required in the complex task in nonmusicians, whereas in musicians this rostral premotor network was employed during both tasks. Comparison of subject groups revealed increased activation of a more caudal premotor network in nonmusicians comprising the caudal part of the PMd and the supplementary motor area. This supports recent results suggesting a specialization within PMd. Furthermore, we conclude that plasticity due to long‐term practice mainly occurs in caudal motor areas directly related to motor execution. The slowly evolving changes in M1 during motor skill learning may extend to adjacent areas, leading to more effective motor representations in pianists. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spontaneous low‐frequency BOLD signal fluctuations: An fMRI investigation of the resting‐state default mode of brain function hypothesis
Authors: Fransson Peter
Published: April 2005

Recent neuroimaging studies have lead to the proposal that rest is characterized by an organized, baseline level of activity, a default mode of brain function that is suspended during specific goal‐oriented mental activity. Previous studies have shown that the primary function subserved by the default mode is that of an introspectively oriented, self‐referential mode of mental activity. The default mode of brain function hypothesis is readdressed from the perspective of the presence of low‐frequency blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal changes (0.012–0.1 Hz) in the resting brain. The results show that the brain during rest is not tonically active in a single mode of brain function. Rather, the findings presented here suggest that the brain recurrently toggles between an introspectively oriented mode (default mode) and a state‐of‐mind that tentatively might be interpreted as an extrospectively oriented mode that involves a readiness and alertness to changes in the external and internal environment. Hum. Brain Mapping, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preservation of limbic and paralimbic structures in aging
Authors: Grieve Stuart M. , Clark C. Richard , Williams Leanne M. , Peduto Anthony J. , Gordon Evian
Published: April 2005

Patterns of gray matter (GM) loss were measured in 223 healthy subjects spanning eight decades. We observed significant clusters of accelerated loss in focal regions of the frontal and parietal cortices, including the dorsolateral frontal cortex, pre‐ and postcentral gyrus, and the inferior and superior parietal lobes. The rate of loss in these clusters was approximately twice that of the global average. By contrast, clusters of significant GM preservation were found in limbic and paralimbic structures, including the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and the cingulate gyrus. In these clusters, GM loss was attenuated significantly relative to the global rate. The preservation of these structures is consistent with the functional importance of the thalamo‐limbic circuits in sensory integration, arousal, emotion, and memory, and lends credence to the idea that later‐maturing cortical regions are more vulnerable to age‐related morphologic changes. Moreover, the limbic findings act as a frame of reference to explore further the effects of stress and learning on these structures in an evidence‐based manner across age. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Within‐subject reproducibility of category‐specific visual activation with functional MRI
Authors: Peelen Marius V. , Downing Paul E.
Published: April 2005

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate within‐subject reproducibility of activation in higher level, category‐specific visual areas to validate the functional localization approach widely used for these areas. The brain areas investigated included the extrastriate body area (EBA), which responds selectively to human bodies, the fusiform face area (FFA) and the occipital face area (OFA), which respond selectively to faces, and the parahippocampal place area (PPA), which responds selectively to places and scenes. All six subjects showed significant bilateral activation in the four areas. Reproducibility was very high for all areas, both within a scanning session and between scanning sessions separated by 3 weeks. Within sessions, the mean distance between peak voxels of the same area localized by using different functional runs was 1.5 mm. The mean distance between peak voxels of areas localized in different sessions was 2.9 mm. Functional reproducibility, as expressed by the stability of T‐values across sessions, was high for both within‐session and between‐session comparisons. We conclude that within subjects, high‐level category‐specific visual areas can be localized robustly across scanning sessions. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Visualization of thalamic nuclei on high resolution, multi‐averaged T1 and T2 maps acquired at 1.5 T
Authors: Deoni Sean C.L. , Josseau Melanie J.C. , Rutt Brian K. , Peters Terry M.
Published: April 2005

The ability to differentiate noninvasively between the primary nuclear divisions of the thalamus has immediate clinical applicability for surgical planning and guidance of functional stereotactic procedures. Comparison of prior qualitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies carried out at field strengths of 1.5 and 4 Tesla have revealed contrast within the thalamus that varies with field strength, suggesting possible differences in the inherent T1 and T2 relaxation times of the constituent nuclei. We investigate this hypothesis through acquisition of high‐resolution, multi‐averaged deep‐brain T1 and T2 maps of a healthy volunteer. Fourteen nuclei were identified using their center‐of‐mass coordinates (in Talairach space) and average T1 and T2 values obtained from regions of interest placed within each. Results from this analysis revealed significant differences in T1 and T2 between the nuclei with a T1 range from 700 to 1,400 ms and a T2 range from 89 to 122 ms, allowing visual discrimination between the major nuclei groups. Furthermore, the high‐resolution images showed distinct borders of T1 and T2 hypointensity surrounding each nucleus, revealing structure not reported previously. These results confirm our hypothesis and demonstrate the potential high‐resolution quantitative imaging for nucleus visualization and surgical planning. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Attentional modulation of perceptual grouping in human visual cortex: Functional MRI studies
Authors: Han Shihui , Jiang Yi , Mao Lihua , Humphreys Glyn W. , Gu Hua
Published: April 2005

When presented with a complex visual scene, our visual system has to organize the discrete entities present into useful perceptual units. The current work investigated the neural substrates of perceptual grouping defined by Gestalt laws of proximity and similarity of shape, and whether the neural substrates underlying perceptual grouping are modulated by task relevance and spatial attention. In visual discrimination tasks, subjects identified the orientations of perceptual groups formed by proximity or similarity of local elements or alternatively identified colors of either dots around the grouped stimuli or the fixation cross. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we identified that the calcarine cortex was involved in proximity grouping but not in the grouping process defined by similarity of shape. Moreover, we showed evidence that the neural correlates of proximity grouping in the calcarine cortex were weakened when the elements were of low task relevance and fell outside an attended area of field. The findings reveal the neural basis for basic grouping operations, as well as illustrating how attention and proximity grouping interact in human visual cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Modulation of auditory cortex activation by sound presentation rate and attention
Authors: Rinne Teemu , Pekkola Johanna , Degerman Alexander , Autti Taina , Jääskeläinen Iiro P. , Sams Mikko , Alho Kimmo
Published: April 2005

We studied the effects of sound presentation rate and attention on auditory supratemporal cortex (STC) activation in 12 healthy adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3 T. The sounds (200 ms in duration) were presented at steady rates of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.5, or 4 Hz while subjects either had to focus their attention to the sounds or ignore the sounds and attend to visual stimuli presented with a mean rate of 1 Hz. Consistent with previous observations, we found that both increase in stimulation rate and attention to sounds enhanced activity in STC bilaterally. Further, we observed larger attention effects with higher stimulation rates. This interaction of attention and presentation rate has not been reported previously. In conclusion, our results show both rate‐dependent and attention‐related modulations of STC indicating that both factors should be controlled, or at least addressed, in fMRI studies of auditory processing. Hum Brain Mapping, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Neural network involved in time perception: An fMRI study comparing long and short interval estimation
Authors: Pouthas Viviane , George Nathalie , Poline Jean‐Baptiste , Pfeuty Micha , VandeMoorteele Pierre‐François , Hugueville Laurent , Ferrandez Anne‐Marie , Lehéricy S. , LeBihan Denis , Renault Bernard
Published: April 2005

In this study, long (∼1,300 ms) and short duration (∼450 ms) estimation trials in an event‐related functional MRI (fMRI) study were contrasted in order to reveal the regions within a time estimation network yielding increased activation with the increase of the duration to be estimated. In accordance with numerous imaging studies, our results showed that the presupplementary motor area (preSMA), the anterior cingulate, the prefrontal and parietal cortices, and the basal ganglia were involved in the estimation trials whatever the duration to be estimated. Moreover, only a subset of the regions within this distributed cortical and subcortical network yielded increased activation with increasing time, namely, the preSMA, the anterior cingulate cortex, the right inferior frontal gyrus (homolog to Broca's area), the bilateral premotor cortex, and the right caudate nucleus. This suggests that these regions are directly involved in duration estimation. We propose that the caudate‐preSMA circuit, the anterior cingulate, and the premotor‐inferior frontal regions may support a clock mechanism, decision and response‐related processes, and active maintenance of temporal information, respectively. Hum. Brain Mapping, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of caffeine on prospective duration judgements of various intervals depend on task difficulty
Authors: Gruber Ronald P. , Block Richard A.
Published: April 2005

The effects of caffeine on prospective duration judgements were investigated in two double‐blind placebo‐controlled experiments. After taking either 200 mg of caffeine or a placebo, participants performed a task that demanded considerable attention, driving a car in a simulator (Experiment 1) or a task that demanded relatively little attention, watching a videotaped scene from a driven car (Experiment 2). Each participant made duration judgements of three target intervals: 15 s, 60 s and 300 s. Actively driving participants in the caffeine condition judged it as shorter than did those in the placebo condition. Caffeine had no effect on duration judgements following passive viewing. When people must perform a relatively difficult task, caffeine causes participants to allocate relatively more of their attentional resources to the task and relatively less to duration timing. Although caffeine may increase the pacemaker rate of an internal clock (via dopamine D1 agonism), when external events are attention‐demanding, caffeine mainly influences the relative allocation of attention to external events or to time (via dopamine D2 agonism) in cerebral areas subserving the executive control of attention. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Foregut glands of Solenogastres (Mollusca): Anatomy and revised terminology
Authors: Handl Claudia H. , Todt Christiane
Published: April 2005

In the molluscan class Solenogastres, different types of foregut glands vary in number, structure, and location within the foregut. The present article describes their anatomy and cytology and intends to clarify their confused terminology. Pharyngeal glands, esophageal glands, and the more complex dorsal and ventrolateral foregut glands can be distinguished. The ventrolateral foregut glands (ventral foregut glandular organs, ventral salivary glands of auct.), in the literature subdivided previously into four types, are revisited here in the context of current vertebrate gland terminology. The results of recent investigations are added to earlier ones, and a classification system for these multicellular glands is proposed. This system is based on cytological characters of glandular cells (intra‐ or extraepithelial), characters of the associated musculature (inner or outer musculature), location of the gland relative to the pharynx epithelium (endoepithelial or exoepithelial), characters of the gland openings (paired or unpaired), morphology of the gland duct (simple or branched), and some additional features like the arrangement of glandular cells along the gland ducts. Gross morphology and anatomy of ventrolateral foregut glands constitute useful taxonomic characters in determining higher taxa (family level), and finer details of the anatomy and cytology are useful in determining lower levels (genus and species). Possible pathways for the evolution of the different gland types of Solenogastres in relation to foregut glands present in the other molluscan clades are presented. The importance of ventrolateral foregut gland characters for phylogenetic considerations within the Solenogastres is discussed. J. Morphol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Apolipoprotein E ϵ4 and catechol‐O‐methyltransferase alleles in autopsy‐proven Parkinson's disease: Relationship to dementia and hallucinations
Authors: Camicioli Richard , Rajput Ali , Rajput Michelle , Reece Christian , Payami Haydeh , Hao Chunhai , Rajput Alex
Published: April 2005

We determined whether apolipoprotein E ϵ4 (ApoE4) or catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) genotypes were associated with dementia, hallucinations, Alzheimer's disease pathological findings (AP), or cortical Lewy bodies (CLBs) in autopsy‐confirmed cases of Parkinson's disease (PD). Outcomes were obtained from medical records. Pathology reports identified AP and CLBs. Brain tissue was genotyped. A total of 47 subjects (33 men, 14 women) had PD onset at 62.4 ± 8.7 years of age and died at 77.8 ± 5.6 years of age. Demented and hallucinating patients did not differ in age at onset (AO) of PD or age at death, or the proportion ApoE4+, AP+, or CLB+ compared to nondemented patients or nonhallucinating patients. ApoE4 and COMT (low metabolizer [LH], intermediate metabolizer [HL], or high metabolizer [HH]) did not influence AO, death, or dementia‐ or hallucination‐free survival, based on age or duration of treatment. All seven subjects with AP were demented and had hallucinations. CLBs were associated with dementia but not hallucinations. In Cox regression models adjusting for AO and duration of treatment, increased risk of dementia was associated with male sex but not significantly with ApoE4; inclusion of AP in the model did not affect the results; COMT was not a risk factor for dementia. Psychosis risk was not associated with ApoE4, COMT, or sex. The observation that males have increased dementia risk and the trend for ApoE4 requires confirmation in larger prospective autopsy studies. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Electrophysiologic transition from physiologic tremor to essential tremor
Authors: Elble Rodger J. , Higgins Connie , Elble Suzanne
Published: April 2005

We electrophysiologically examined the transition from physiologic tremor to essential tremor in people at risk for familial essential tremor. Two healthy people from different families with hereditary essential tremor were studied on multiple occasions. A 23‐year‐old man was studied in 1995, 1997, and 2004, and a 44‐year‐old woman was studied in 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2003. Hand acceleration and forearm electromyographic readings were measured with and without 300‐g loading to determine the characteristic frequency‐invariant motor unit entrainment of essential tremor. Clinically and electrophysiologically, the man and woman had normal tremor until the last examination, when both exhibited a fine tremulousness in the outstretched hands and frequency‐invariant motor unit entrainment at 7.5 and 6.5 Hz, respectively. At no time did either patient exhibit a prominent 8–12 Hz component of physiologic tremor. Essential tremor in young adults may begin at frequencies less than 8–12 Hz, and this electrophysiologic abnormality is detectable when clinical examinations reveal only questionably abnormal tremor. More young adults at risk for essential tremor must be studied to determine whether initial frequencies less than 8 Hz are the rule or the exception. Nevertheless, the data from our 2 patients demonstrate that a prominent 8–12 Hz component of physiologic tremor does not always precede the development of essential tremor; therefore, the origins of essential tremor and the 8–12 Hz component of physiologic tremor may be different. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Can chronic subthalamic nucleus stimulation induce de novo tremor in Parkinson's disease?
Authors: Thobois Stephane , Tisch Stephen , Xie‐Brustolin Jing , Mertens Patrick , Hariz Marwan I. , Benatru Isabelle , Broussolle Emmanuel , Limousin‐Dowsey Patricia
Published: April 2005

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation dramatically improves parkinsonian symptoms, notably the tremor. The occurrence of a tremor in the first 6 months after the surgical procedure in patients without tremor preoperatively is much less common. We report on the cases of 3 patients who developed such modification of their parkinsonian symptomatology. Physiopathological hypotheses are discussed. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society
Modellierung und Vergleich von Nanoindentationsversuchen an bleifreien Lotverbindungen durch numerische Verfahren
Authors: Juritza A. , Müller W. H. , Sterthaus J. , Vogliano A. , Weinberg K.
Published: April 2005

Ziel der Nanoindentation ist die Ermittlung lokaler mechanischer Eigenschaften von Festkörpermischungen bzw. ‐legierungen, etwa mikrelektronischer Lote. Konventionelle Methoden, wie etwa der einachsige Zugversuch, führen nicht zu brauchbaren Ergebnissen, da sie die Eigenschaften des Werkstoffs für Makroproben wiedergeben. Aufgrund der Kleinheit mikroelektronischer Lotverbindungen sind solche Daten offensichtlich nur bedingt relevant. Bei der Indentation kann zum einen der Durchmesser des bleibenden Eindrucks gemessen werden, um hieraus nach der Methode von Oliver und Pharr Härte und E‐Modul zu bestimmen. Zum anderen kann die vollständige Last‐Weg‐Beziehung aufgenommen und per FE‐Modellierung analysiert werden, um darüber hinaus gehende Materialkenndaten zu extrahieren. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Adenomas and follicular carcinomas of the thyroid display two major patterns of chromosomal changes
Authors: Castro Patrícia , Eknæs Mette , Teixeira Manuel R , Danielsen Håvard E , Soares Paula , Lothe Ragnhild A , Sobrinho‐Simões Manuel
Published: April 2005

It was recently shown by flow and static cytometry that a large sub‐group of follicular adenomas of the thyroid—fetal/embryonal adenomas—display an aneuploid phenotype. It was also shown that thyroid lesions with a DNA content within the triploid range were either fetal adenomas or follicular carcinomas with a fetal adenoma growth pattern. Follicular tumours with growth patterns other than the so‐called fetal adenoma‐like pattern were usually diploid or near‐diploid. In an attempt to clarify the pattern of chromosomal imbalances in follicular tumours, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) analysis was performed in a series of 18 follicular neoplasms (ten fetal/embryonal and four common follicular adenomas and four minimally invasive follicular carcinomas). For each tumour, the DNA content was determined by flow cytometry and, in some cases, also by static cytometry. Finally, the copy number of selected chromosomes was determined by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using centromere probes. With the exception of the single diploid fetal adenoma, all fetal adenomas displayed several DNA copy number changes, with frequent gains of several chromosomes, which were found to be either tetrasomic or trisomic by FISH. This genetic pattern was also present in the single case of follicular carcinoma with aneuploidy and fetal adenoma‐like growth pattern. Follicular adenomas other than fetal adenomas, and the remaining follicular carcinomas, showed more losses than gains of chromosomes. These results suggest that follicular tumourigenesis may follow at least two pathways: one characterized by prominent aneuploidy and numerous gains, in which the tumours display a fetal adenoma‐like growth pattern; and another accompanied by less obvious aneuploidy or even quasi‐diploidy and dominant chromosome losses, in which the tumours display a common follicular architecture. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transfusion related acute lung injury: A pediatric perspective
Authors: Sanchez Rosa , Toy Pearl
Published: April 2005

Transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is the leading cause of transfusion‐associated mortality. TRALI occurs in children and adults, but the syndrome has not been reviewed from a pediatric perspective. We reviewed the literature on TRALI from a pediatric perspective. TRALI has been documented in pediatric patients, especially in the setting of hematologic malignancy. Additional TRALI cases have been reported in pediatric patients with a variety of diagnoses. TRALI is likely to be much more common than previously appreciated in the pediatric patient population. TRALI should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all pediatric patients who develop new acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) during or within six hours of a blood product transfusion. When a case of TRALI is suspected, a transfusion reaction report to the blood bank is important to initiate the investigation and identify the implicated donor. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ALK‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Bubała Halina , Małdyk Jadwiga , Włodarska Iwona , Sońta‐Jakimczyk Danuta , Szczepański Tomasz
Published: April 2005

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a rare subtype of non‐Hodgkins lymphoma. Five such cases have been described in children. We present a 9‐year‐old boy, in whom diagnosis of DLBCL has been established in addition to congenital multiple enchondromatosis. Immunohistopathological evaluation of tumor biopsy established the final diagnosis of ALK + DLBCL. The clathrin gene (CLTC)‐ALK fusion underlying aberrant expression of ALK in the present case was demonstrated by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using break‐apart rearrangement probes for ALK and CLTC. The disease in this patient was highly resistant to applied chemotherapy regimens and to radiotherapy. Analysis of the disease course in our patient and review of other cases reported previously show that ALK + DLBCL can be an aggressive malignancy that can be cured with conventional chemotherapy protocols only at stage of localized disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nanocomposites based on liquid‐crystalline epoxy–clay: synthesis and morphology
Authors: Shen Min‐Min , Lu Man‐Geng , Chen Yong‐Lie , Ha Cheng‐Yong
Published: April 2005

Liquid‐crystalline epoxy–organoclay nanocomposites were synthesized based on two different liquid‐crystalline epoxy monomers, 4, 4′‐diglycidyloxybiphenyl (BP) and hydroquinone bis(4‐epoxypropylbenzoate) (HB). The X‐ray diffraction patterns of BP–organoclay (93A) hybrids indicate that BP diffuses into the organoclay layers and increases d‐spacing from 2.3 to 3.7 nm either in a solvent or in the melting state. The dynamic differential scanning calorimetry results indicate that the alkylammonium ion in the clay gallery catalyzes the epoxy ring‐opening reaction with a diamine curing agent. The fast intergallery polymerization forms the exfoliated nanocomposite if the content of organoclay is below 2 %. But an intercalated nanocomposite is obtained with an increase of organoclay to 10 %. The nanocomposite with 5 % of organoclay is a mixture of the two types. Polarizing optical microscopy photographs of the cured products showed that the liquid‐crystalline phase is formed with or without organoclay. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Oxazoline‐terminated macromonomers by the alkylation of 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline
Authors: Glaied Olfa , Delaite Christelle , Hurtrez Guy , Joubert Mathieu , Dumas Philippe
Published: April 2005

Well‐defined macromonomers of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate) were obtained by anionic polymerization induced directly by the carbanion issued from 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline. When ethylene oxide was added to this carbanion with lithium as the counterion, a new compound able to initiate the polymerization of ε‐caprolactone in an anionically coordinated way was synthesized, and this led to well‐defined poly(ε‐caprolactone) macromonomers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2440–2447, 2005
Effect of water sorption on oxygen‐barrier properties of aromatic polyamides
Authors: Hu Y. S. , Mehta S. , Schiraldi D. A. , Hiltner A. , Baer E.
Published: April 2005

Aromatic polyamides based on poly(m‐xylylene adipamide) (MXD‐based polyamides) and poly(hexamethylene isophthalamide) (HMD‐based polyamides) were examined. Insight into the excellent gas‐barrier properties was obtained by the characterization of the effect of water sorption on the thermal transitions, density, refractive index, free‐volume hole size, and oxygen‐transport properties. Reversing the carbonyl position with respect to the amide nitrogen substantially lowered the oxygen permeability of MXD‐based polyamides in comparison with that of HMD‐based polyamides by facilitating hydrogen‐bond formation. The resulting restriction of conformational changes and segmental motions reduced diffusivity. The primary effect of water sorption was a decrease in the glass‐transition temperature (Tg) attributed to plasticization by bound water. No evidence was found to support the idea that sorbed water filled holes of free volume. When the polymer was in the glassy state, the drop in Tg accounted for hydration‐dependent changes in the density, refractive index, and free‐volume hole size. The correlation of the oxygen solubility with Tg and density confirmed the concept of oxygen sorption as filling holes of excess free volume. In some cases, water sorption produced a glass‐to‐rubber transition. The onset of rubbery behavior was associated with a minimum in the oxygen permeability. The glass‐to‐rubber transition also facilitated the crystallization of MXD‐based polymers, which complicated the interpretation of oxygen‐transport behavior at higher relative humidity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1365–1381, 2005
Prediction and phase segregation in thin‐film of conjugated polymer blends
Authors: Yan Lifeng , Yang Fan
Published: April 2005

Blending conjugated polymers is an efficient method to improve the properties of the films. The phase diagram of poly(9,9‐dihexylfluorene) (PF) and poly(2‐methoxy‐5‐(2′‐ethyl‐hexyloxyl)‐p‐phenylene vinylene) (MEHPPV) was predicted by a modified Flory–Huggins theory based on the topological method (graph theory) for the structure‐property correlations. It shows that the two polymers have a strong trend to separate. Atomic/friction force microscopy (AFM/FFM) measurements show there exist microphase separations in film prepared at room temperature. After annealing at 160 °C, serious phase segregations took place in both the lateral and vertical direction. The photoluminescence of the thin films was also measured by a fluorophotometer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1382–1391, 2005
Relationship between enzyme activity and dimeric structure of recombinant HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase
Authors: Tachedjian G. , Radzio J. , Sluis‐Cremer N.
Published: April 2005

The multifunctional enzyme human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) reverse transcriptase (RT) is a heterodimer composed of a 66‐kDa (p66) subunit and a p66‐derived 51‐kDa (p51) subunit. p66/p51 HIV‐1 RT contains 1 functional DNA polymerase and 1 ribonuclease H (RNase H) active site, which both reside in the p66 subunit at spatially distinct regions. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between the heterodimeric structure of HIV‐1 RT and its enzymatic properties by introducing mutations at RT codon W401 that inhibit the formation of p66/p51 heterodimers. We demonstrate a striking correlation between abrogation of both HIV‐1 RT dimerization and DNA polymerase activity. In contrast, the p66 monomers exhibited only moderately slowed catalytic rates of DNA polymerase‐dependent and DNA polymerase‐independent RNase H cleavage activity compared with the wild‐type (WT) enzyme. Furthermore, no major changes in the unique cleavage patterns were observed between the WT and mutant enzymes for the different substrates used in the RNase H cleavage assays. Based on these results, and on our current understanding of HIV‐1 RT structure, we propose that the p66 monomer can adopt an open tertiary conformation that is similar to that observed for the subunit in the heterodimeric enzyme. We also propose that the formation of intersubunit interactions in HIV‐1 RT regulates the establishment of a functional DNA polymerase active site. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A consistent set of statistical potentials for quantifying local side‐chain and backbone interactions
Authors: Fang Qiaojun , Shortle David
Published: April 2005

The frequencies of occurrence of atom arrangements in high‐resolution protein structures provide some of the most accurate quantitative measures of interaction energies in proteins. In this report we extend our development of a consistent set of statistical potentials for quantifying local interactions between side‐chains and the polypeptide backbone, as well as nearby side‐chains. Starting with ϕ/ψ/χ1 propensities that select for optimal interactions of the 20 amino acid side‐chains with the 2 flanking peptide bonds, the following 3 new terms are added: (1) a distance‐dependent interaction between the side‐chain at i and the carbonyl oxygens and amide protons of the peptide units at i ± 2, i ± 3, and i ± 4; (2) a distance‐dependent interaction between the side‐chain at position i and side‐chains at positions i + 1 through i + 4; and (3) an orientation‐dependent interaction between the side‐chain at position i and side‐chains at i + 1 through i + 4. The relative strengths of these 4 pseudo free energy terms are estimated by the average information content of each scoring matrix and by assessing their performance in a simple fragment threading test. They vary from −0.4–−0.5 kcal/mole per residue for ϕ/ψ/χ1 propensities to a range of −0.15–−0.6 kcal/mole per residue for each of the other 3 terms. The combined energy function, containing no interactions between atoms more than 4 residues apart, identifies the correct structural fragment for randomly selected 15 mers over 40% of the time, after searching through 232,000 alternative conformations. For 14 out of 20 sets of all‐atom Rosetta decoys analyzed, the native structure has a combined score lower than any of the 1700–1900 decoy conformations. The ability of this energy function to detect energetically important details of local structure is demonstrated by its power to distinguish high‐resolution crystal structures from NMR solution structures. Proteins 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Insights into OLED functioning through coordinated experimental measurement and numerical model simulations [phys. stat. sol. (a) Vol. 202, No. 1, pp. 9–36 (2005)]
Authors: Berner D. , Houili H. , Leo W. , Zuppiroli L.
Published: April 2005

See original physica status solidi (a) Vol. 202, No. 1, pp. 9–36 (2005)
Lignans from Acanthopanax chiisanensis having an inhibitory activity on prostaglandin E2 production
Authors: Lee Sanghyun , Ban Hyun Seung , Kim Yong Pil , Kim Bak‐Kwang , Cho Seon Haeng , Ohuchi Kazuo , Shin Kuk Hyun
Published: April 2005

The chloroform and the ethyl acetate fractions from the roots of Acanthopanax chiisanensis exhibited the significant inhibition of TPA‐induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in rat peritoneal macrophages. Five lignans were isolated from the chloroform fraction and their structures were elucidated as l‐sesamin, helioxanthin, savinin, taiwanin C, and 3‐(3,4‐dimethoxybenzyl)‐2‐(3,4‐methylenedioxybenzyl)butyrolactone. Among the lignans tested, taiwanin C showed the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.12 µM) on PGE2 production with the relative order of potency, taiwanin C ≫ 3‐(3,4‐dimethoxybenzyl)‐2‐(3,4‐methylenedioxybenzyl)butyrolactone > savinin = helioxanthin. l‐Sesamin showed no inhibitory activity at 30 µM. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antiproliferative effects of daucane esters from Ferula communis and F. arrigonii on human colon cancer cell lines
Authors: Poli F. , Appendino G. , Sacchetti G. , Ballero M. , Maggiano N. , Ranelletti F. O.
Published: April 2005

Certain jaesekanadiol p‐hydroxy‐ and p‐methoxybenzoates – typical of Ferula communis and Ferula arrigonii sardinian plants – show antiproliferative activity on human colon cancer less. The inhibitory doses 50%, calculated after 72 h of treatment, revealed that the antiproliferative capacity of the compounds was in the following descending order: ferutinin > 2α‐OH‐ferutidin > ferutidin > siol anisate > lapiferin > jaeskeanadiol. Evidence is presented that interaction with type II estrogen‐binding sites (EBS) underlies this activity. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protective effect of Sargassum polycystum (brown alga) against acetaminophen‐induced lipid peroxidation in rats
Authors: Raghavendran Hanumantha Rao Balaji , Sathivel Arumugam , Devaki Thiruvengadam
Published: April 2005

Lipid peroxidation is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as cancer, diabetic mellitus and liver injury. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh (Phaeophyta) were screened for their protective effects against acetaminophen (ACP; Paracetamol)‐induced lipid peroxidation in rats. A single dose of acetaminophen significantly elevated the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO) with decreased levels of free radical scavenger enzymes (SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx, GST) in liver homogenate. The oral pretreatment of rats with ethanol and aqueous extracts of Sargassum polycystum C. Agardh (100 mg, 200 mg[sol ]kg body wt[sol ]day respectively, for a period of 15 days) significantly reduced the acetaminophen‐induced oxidative stress in rats. The animals treated with the ethanol and aqueous extracts alone did not show any toxicity on liver tissue. This observation shows that the seaweed crude extracts probably acted to protect against acetaminophen‐induced lipid peroxidation through their free radical scavenging property. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hepatoprotective activity of aqueous–methanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris
Authors: Gilani Anwarul Hassan , Yaeesh Sheikh , Jamal Qamar , Ghayur M. Nabeel
Published: April 2005

The effect of a crude extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris (Av.Cr) was investigated against D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced hepatitis in mice. Co‐administration of D‐GalN (700 mg[sol ]kg) and LPS (1 µg[sol ]kg) significantly (p < 0.05) raised the plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in mice in the toxin group compared with the values in the control group. Pre‐treatment of mice with different doses of Av.Cr (150–600 mg[sol ]kg) significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the toxin‐induced rise in plasma ALT and AST. The hepatoprotective effect was further verified by histopathology of the liver, which showed improved architecture, absence of parenchyma congestion, decreased cellular swelling and apoptotic cells, compared with the findings in the toxin group of animals. These findings scientifically validated the traditional use of Artemisia vulgaris for various liver disorders. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ritual use of plants with possible action on the central nervous system by the Krahô Indians, Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Eliana , Carlini E. A.
Published: April 2005

The aim of the present study was to document the use of plants, probably acting on the central nervous system (CNS), in rituals carried out by the Krahô Indians, who occupy the cerrado biome in the central region of Brazil. The 2 years of fieldwork were guided by methods of anthropology and botany. The local shamans have indicated 286 formulas, consisting of 138 plant species in 50 uses that could be associated with some type of action on the CNS; of which 98 formulas, 87 plants and 25 uses, appear to involve psychoactive properties, such as: ‘to get slow’, ‘stimulant effect’, ‘to calm down’, ‘to enhance memory’, ‘to reduce anxiety’ and ‘to induce sleep’. Phytochemical and pharmacological literature data were queried to establish any correlation between indigenous knowledge and scientific indications, for each one of the 138 plant species. Studies were available for 11 of these plants; and for two of them, scientific data coincided with indigenous information. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cytotoxic constituents of the twigs of Simarouba glauca collected from a plot in Southern Florida
Authors: Rivero‐Cruz J. Fausto , Lezutekong Raphael , Lobo‐Echeverri Tatiana , Ito Aiko , Mi Qiuwen , Chai Hee‐Byung , Soejarto Djaja D. , Cordell Geoffrey A. , Pezzuto John M. , Swanson Steven M. , Morelli Ivano , Kinghorn A. Douglas
Published: April 2005

Activity‐guided fractionation of a chloroform‐soluble extract of Simarouba glauca twigs collected from a plot in southern Florida, and monitored with a human epidermoid (KB) tumor cell line, afforded six canthin‐6‐one type alkaloid derivatives, canthin‐6‐one (1), 2‐methoxycanthin‐6‐one (2), 9‐methoxycanthin‐6‐one (3), 2‐hydroxycanthin‐6‐one (4), 4,5‐dimethoxycanthin‐6‐one (5) and 4,5‐dihydroxycanthin‐6‐one (6), a limonoid, melianodiol (7), an acyclic squalene‐type triterpenoid, 14‐deacetyleurylene (8), two coumarins, scopoletin (9) and fraxidin (10), and two triglycerides, triolein (11) and trilinolein (12). Among these isolates, compounds 1–4, 7 and 8 exhibited cytotoxic activity against several human cancer cell lines. 14‐Deacetyleurylene (8) was selectively active against the Lu1 human lung cancer cell line, but was inactive in an in vivo hollow fiber assay using this same cell type. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antifungal activity of steroidal glycosides from Yucca gloriosa L.
Authors: Favel A. , Kemertelidze E. , Benidze M. , Fallague K. , Regli P.
Published: April 2005

The antifungal activity of a crude steroidal glycoside extract from Yucca gloriosa flowers, named alexin, was investigated in vitro against a panel of human pathogenic fungi, yeasts as well as dermatophytes and filamentous species. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by an agar dilution method. Alexin had a broad spectrum of antifungal activity, found to reside entirely in the spirostanoid fraction. The major tigogenyl glycosides, yuccaloeside B and yuccaloeside C, exhibited MICs between 0.39 and 6.25 µg[sol ]mL for all the tested yeast strains except for two (C. lusitaniae and C. kefyr). They were also active against several clinical Candida isolates known to be resistant to the usual antifungal agents. The MICs for the dermatophytes were between 0.78 and 12.5 µg[sol ]mL. The most sensitive filamentous species was A. fumigatus (MIC = 1.56 µg[sol ]mL). For most of the strains, the MICs of both glycosides were similar to those of the reference antifungal agent. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multireference configuration interaction and coupled‐cluster calculations on the X3Σ−, a1Δ, and b1Σ+ states of the NF molecule
Authors: Kardahakis Stavros , Pittner Jiří , Čársky Petr , Mavridis Aristides
Published: April 2005

The X3Σ−, a1Δ, and b1Σ+ states of the NF molecule were examined by a variety of ab initio methods, including the newly developed multireference Brillouin‐Wigner coupled‐cluster technique. Using correlation consistent sets of triple‐ and augmented quadruple‐quality, we constructed full potential energy curves obtaining dissociation energies and spectroscopic constants. It was reconfirmed that the X3Σ− binding energy is 77.0 kcal/mol, in contrast to recent experimental results claiming a value of about 61 kcal/mol. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2005