bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Bayley and Stanford‐Binet Scores with a group of very low birthweight children
Authors: Dezoete J. A. , MacArthur B. A. , Tuck B.
Published: August 2003

Aim  To study the prediction of cognitive development with a group of very low birthweight infants (<1500 g) at 18 months and at 4 years of age.

Methods  Bayley Scales of Infant Development‐II Mental Development Indexes (MDI), and Stanford‐Binet Intelligence Scale (S‐B) Composite Scores were studied in a population of 334 children with birthweights <1500 g. Independent variables measured were gestational age, birthweight, gender and parental socio‐economic status (SES).

Results  Longer gestation (28 weeks and over) and higher birthweight (1000–1500 g) proved to be advantageous for cognitive ability at both 18 months and 4 years. Other significant advantages were associated with female and higher SES. High correlations were found between MDI and the S‐B Composite Score (r = 0.62), and between birthweight and gestation (r = 0.72). When information available at birth was included in forward stepwise regression analyses to predict the S‐B Composite at 4 years, the best predictors were MDI at 18 months and SES.

Conclusion  With the measures employed and this population, prediction of cognitive development from early childhood to preschool was possible. This may enable reliable identification of those children at risk for delayed cognitive development who require intervention before starting school.
ESSOP – 25 years: personal reflections from one who started the European Society for Social Paediatrics
Authors: Köhler L.
Published: August 2003

ESSOP – the European Society for Social Paediatrics – was initiated in Lund, Sweden in 1977, and at the annual congress in Spetses, Greece, its 25th anniversary was celebrated. At the congress, Professor Lennart Köhler, who started the organization and for 10 years was its first Secretary General, presented his recollections from the life of ESSOP, its people, activities, strategies and ideologies, and the main lines of development over the years. This paper presents an edited version of his speech for the benefit of the readers of Child: Care, Health and Development.
Sequencing, co‐ordination and rhythm ability in young children
Authors: Haines C.
Published: August 2003

Background  Sequencing ability is recognized as a fundamental component in motor co‐ordination, language and reading performance.

Methods  Sequencing relationships are studied in a sample of 1013 children selected from an existing data set of 3750. Associations are analysed between scores for motor co‐ordination tasks and a rhythm repetition task performed in the routine school beginners’ medical examination by 4‐, 5‐ and 6‐year‐old children, and class teachers’ assessment of their co‐ordination activities and language performance when 6, 7 and 8 years old, together with scores for a routine reading test.

Results  Associations are reported between motor tasks and language and reading, and between rhythm repetition and co‐ordination activities, language and reading. Associations between successive motor tasks and language and reading are found to be stronger in boys, and those between hopping and reading stronger in girls. Associations between the rhythm repetition task and co‐ordination activities, language and reading are also all found to be stronger in girls.

Discussion  Discussion finds a place for ball‐catching as a sequencing task, and for sequencing ability as a component of handwriting skills. Discussion also attributes the findings of gender differences to an experiential difference in play activity, and advances a variant of the rhythm repetition task for use in further exploration of sequencing ability in young children.
Wirksamkeit von Hautschutzprodukten im Vergleich zu Hautpflegeprodukten bei Zahntechnikern – eine kontrollierte Feldstudie
Authors: Frosch Peter J. , Peiler Detlef , Grunert Veit , Grunenberg Beate
Published: August 2003

Hintergrund: Die irritative Kontaktdermatitis der Hände ist bei Zahntechnikern infolge der zahlreichen Kontakte mit verschiedenen Irritantien sehr häufig. Hautschutzprodukte (HS) werden oft vermieden, weil ein fester Griff von Werkzeugen und kleinen Objekten notwendig ist; weiterhin dürfen die dentalen Objekte nicht durch Hautschutzprodukte kontaminiert werden. In dieser Studie sollte die Wirksamkeit von Hautschutzprodukten, die während der Arbeit eingesetzt wurden, mit Hautpflegeprodukten (HP) verglichen werden, die nach der Arbeit verwendet wurden.

Methode: Zwei bekannte, kommerzielle HS (HS‐1, HS‐2) und zwei Hautpflegeprodukte mit Harnstoff bzw. Bienenwachs (HP‐1, HP‐2) wurden in fünf Zahntechniklaboren durch insgesamt 192 Zahntechniker evaluiert. Jeder Zahntechniker verwendete ein HS (mehrere Applikationen während der Arbeitsschicht) und ein HP, angewendet mindestens ein Mal täglich zu Hause für vier Wochen, jeweils mit einer „wash‐out‐Periode” von zwei Wochen dazwischen. Die Sequenz HS‐HP bzw. HP‐HS wurde für jedes Labor randomisiert in zwei einfache, blinde Cross‐over‐Designs für beide Kombinationen (HS‐1 + HP‐1, HS‐2 + HP‐2). Die Zahntechniker bewerteten die Produkte auf einer Wirksamkeitsskala (schlechter, keine, gut, sehr gut). Der Hautzustand wurde durch einen Dermatologen zu Beginn der Studie, nach vier, sechs und zehn Wochen unter Bildung eines Summenscores auf einer Skala für Erythem, Infiltration, Bläschen, Fissuren und Schuppung evaluiert. Außerdem wurde der transepidermale Wasserverlust (TEWL) auf dem Handrücken und auf der Beugeseite des Unterarms zu Beginn und am Ende der 4‐wöchigen Produktanwendung gemessen. Der Quotient dieser zwei Parameter wurde für die statistische Auswertung herangezogen (Co‐Varianz‐Analyse).

Ergebnisse: Die Bewertung von „gut” und „sehr gut” war für HS‐1 58 %, HS‐2 67 %, HP‐1 77 %, HP‐2 98 %. Beide HP wurden besser als die HS bewertet, insbesondere HP‐2. Dies wurde bestätigt durch die Verbesserung des Hautzustandes (HS‐1 35 %, HS‐2 44 %, HP‐1 55 %, HP‐2 56 %). Statistisch signifikante Unterschiede beim TEWL wurden gefunden für: HP‐1 besser als HS‐1 (p = 0,007); HP‐2 besser als HS‐2 (p = 0,03). Die Akzeptanz der Produkte war hoch. Die Mehrheit der Zahntechniker war bereit, die Behandlung so fortzuführen (68 – 89 %).

Schlußfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die Anwendung von Hautpflegeprodukten nach der Arbeit sehr wirksam ist und unter den gewählten Studienbedingungen den während der Arbeit eingesetzten Schutzprodukten überlegen war. Die intensive Anwendung von Hautpflegeprodukten nach der Arbeit wäre für viele Berufe praktikabel und könnte zu einer deutlichen Reduktion der Häufigkeit von irritativer Kontaktdermatitis führen.
Retinoblastoma: Review of 30 years’ experience with external beam radiotherapy
Authors: Phillips Claire , Sexton Maree , Wheeler Greg , McKenzie John
Published: August 2003

A review of the experience at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac), Melbourne, Australia in treating retinoblastoma with external beam radiotherapy was conducted. Outcomes of particular interest were tumour control, vision preservation and treatment late effects. The review was restricted to patients that had intact eyes treated at Peter Mac from 1965 until 1997 with at least 2 years of follow up. Histories were reviewed regarding patient and tumour characteristics and treatment details. Thirty‐five patients were identified in whom 47 eyes were treated. Of the tumours, 47% were Reese−Ellsworth stage IV or V and the majority of others were at high risk for vision loss because of tumour location. The radiation treatment technique became increasingly sophisticated during the study period. Radiation dose and fraction size have similarly evolved but most patients received 30−50 Gy. Since 1989, a highly accurate contact lens immobilization technique has been used to deliver 40 Gy in 20 fractions. Thirteen eyes required additional local therapy. Of the treated eyes, 34 (72%) remain intact and 74% of these have useful vision. One patient died from retinoblastoma and three from second malignant neoplasms. With modern radiotherapy, late toxicities other than growth arrest and non‐progressive cataract did not occur during the study period. Tumour control was high and a very acceptable rate of organ and vision preservation was achieved in a relatively high‐risk population. Modern radiotherapy continues to develop in an attempt to improve treatment accuracy and minimize late radiation toxicity.
Development of an evidence‐based guideline for imaging in cervical spine trauma
Authors: Goergen Stacy K , Fong Christina , Dalziel Kim , Fennessy Gabby
Published: August 2003

Cervical spine trauma is a common reason for presentation to an emergency department. However, less than 5% of patients who have suffered possible neck injury actually have an injury requiring medical treatment. Nevertheless, the consequences, both for the patient and the doctor, of a missed injury are well recognized by emergency department medical staff. This results in the vast majority of these patients receiving some form of diagnostic imaging. We describe the development of an evidence‐based imaging guideline for use in the patient who has suffered cervical spine trauma. The guideline aims to help clinicians determine, at the bedside, when it is appropriate to use imaging and which imaging modality should be used first. Correct utilization of the guideline should lead to a reduction in the number of imaging tests required to reach a diagnosis without adverse patient outcomes.
Spoke‐wheel pattern in renal oncocytoma seen on double‐phase helical CT
Authors: Bandhu Suman , Mukhopadhyaya Sima , Aggarwal Sandeep
Published: August 2003

Renal oncocytomas are benign, solid tumours of the kidney. An angiographic spoke‐wheel pattern is known to be associated with oncocytomas, although it is not pathognomonic. On review of the literature, we found two reports of sonographic spoke‐wheel appearance in oncocytomas. These were suf­ficiently characteristic to enable a confident preoperative diagnosis of oncocytoma. We present a case of a surgically proven oncocytoma with a distinct helical CT appearance, ­commensurate with the angiographic and sonographic spoke‐wheel appearance from which the diagnosis was suspected preoperatively.
‘Benign’ hepatic portal venous gas
Authors: Little Andrew F , Ellis Samantha J
Published: August 2003

The presence of portal venous gas within the hepatic parenchyma is usually associated with a guarded prognosis and a mortality rate approaching 75%. However, there are infrequent causes of portal venous gas not associated with dire clinical outcomes. We describe three patients who made uneventful clinical recoveries after presenting with clinical and imaging manifestations of ischaemic bowel and hepatic portal venous gas, two of which had distended but non‐necrotic bowel at laparotomy.
Gorlin's syndrome: Diffuse appendicular skeletal involvement with scintigraphic correlation
Authors: Ly Justin Q , Beall Douglas P
Published: August 2003

Gorlin's syndrome (also known as basal cell nevus syndrome, Gorlin−Goltz syndrome, and nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome) is a rare, inherited disorder characterized by multiple basal‐cell epitheliomas, intracranial calcification, keratocysts of the mandible, and unusual and striking skeletal abnormalities. We present the interesting case of a 45‐year‐old woman who was informed that she had fibrous dysplasia of the extremity at another institution before extensive radiological work‐up showed a diffuse skeletal process. The skeletal abnormalities, in conjunction with the patient's history of multiple basal cell carcinomas, is consistent with the diagnosis of Gorlin's syndrome. We describe this unusual case of striking radiological and scintigraphic findings in a patient with Gorlin's syndrome.
Analysis of major histocompatibility complex and CTLA‐4 alleles in Brazilian patients with primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: BITTENCOURT PAULO LISBOA , PALÁCIOS SELMA ALIOTTI , FARIAS ALBERTO QUEIROZ , ABRANTES‐LEMOS CLARICE PIRES , CANÇADO EDUARDO LUIZ RACHID , CARRILHO FLAIR JOSÉ , LAUDANNA ANTONIO ATÍLIO , KALIL JORGE , GOLDBERG ANNA C
Published: August 2003

Background and Aims:  Predisposition to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has been classically linked to HLA‐DRB1 locus. However, the presence of the HLA‐DRB1*08 antigen has been reported in less than one‐third of PBC patients from Northern Europe and Japan. Recently, polymorphisms in the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFA) gene promoter at position −308 and in exon 1 of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) gene at position 49 have been associated with susceptibility to PBC in Caucasians. In addition, the presence of HLA‐DRB1*08 and the TNFA*1 allele was also linked to progression to end‐stage liver disease. The aims of the present study were to investigate the frequencies of HLA‐DR and DQ antigens and TNFA and CTLA‐4 alleles in PBC patients from a different genetic background, as well as to assess the role of TNFA alleles and HLA‐DR antigens in disease progression.

Methods:  Determination of HLA‐DRB1, DQB1, TNFA and CTLA‐4 alleles was performed in patients with PBC and healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction‐based techniques.

Results:  Frequencies of HLA‐DR and DQ antigens were similar in PBC patients and healthy controls. Accordingly, no association between TNFA and CTLA‐4 alleles was observed in PBC patients. The histological stage at admission of patients with PBC also showed no correlation with HLA antigens and TNFA and CTLA‐4 alleles.

Conclusions:  Susceptibility to PBC in Brazil is not associated with HLA‐DR and DQ antigens and CTLA‐4 genotypes. TNFA alleles were not shown to influence disease progression.
Combination therapy of ecabet sodium and cimetidine compared with cimetidine alone for gastric ulcer: Prospective randomized multicenter study
Authors: MURATA HIROAKI , KAWANO SUNAO , TSUJI SHINGO , KAMADA TAKENOBU , MATSUZAWA YUUJI , KATSU KENICHI , INOUE KYOUICHI , KOBAYASHI KENICHI , MITSUFUJI SYOUJI , BAMBA TADAO , KAWASAKI HIRONAKA , KAJIYAMA GOROU , UMEGAKI EIJI , INOUE MASANORI , SAITO ICHIMONJI
Published: August 2003

Background and Aim:  Little is known about the clinical efficacy of cotherapy of ecabet sodium, a mucoprotective agent, and a histamine H2‐receptor antagonist. The aim of the present study was to assess its additive benefit in combination with cimetidine for gastric ulcer.

Methods:  In this prospective randomized study, after gastric ulcer was confirmed by endoscopy, 200 patients in 47 hospitals received either ecabet sodium 1 g b.i.d and cimetidine 400 mg b.i.d. (EC), or cimetidine 400 mg b.i.d. alone (C) for 8 weeks. Healing was examined by endoscopy at 4 and 8 weeks.

Results:  Of the intention‐to‐treat (ITT) population (EC, 103; C, 97), 181 patients comprised the per protocol (PP) analysis (EC, 93; C, 88). At 4 weeks, healing rates were significantly higher in the EC group (60%) than in the C group (36%) ( p < 0.01). At 8 weeks, those by the ITT and PP analyses were 82% (EC) versus 58% (C), and 90% (EC) versus 64% (C), respectively ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). Symptom relief rates (EC vs C) at 2, 4 and 8 weeks were 73%versus 47% ( p < 0.01), 89%versus 66% ( p < 0.001), and 97%versus 73% ( p < 0.001), respectively. Significant additive effects of ecabet sodium were observed in patients aged 60 years or older, with solitary and medium to large ulcer, and without smoking or drinking habits. No adverse effects were critical.

Conclusion:  Ecabet sodium significantly augmented gastric ulcer healing and symptom relief by cimetidine, especially in the elderly.
Genotypes of Helicobacter pylori in children with upper abdominal pain
Authors: SINGH MANISHA , PRASAD KASHI NATH , YACHHA SURENDER KUMAR , KRISHNANI NARENDRA
Published: August 2003

Background:  Studies related to genotypes of Helicobacter pylori infection and upper abdominal pain (UAP) in children are scarce all over the world. We prospectively analyzed the association between H. pylori infection and UAP in our study group of children and evaluated the vacA genotypes associated with this disorder.

Methods:  We investigated 34 children with UAP (group I) and another 110 children as controls without UAP (group II) for H. pylori infection, using antral biopsies by culture, rapid urease tests, histopathology and ureA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genotyping was performed using specific cagA and vacA primers on 52 H. pylori strains (group I = 21; 18 boys, mean age 10.33 ± 2.47 years; group II = 31; boys 21, mean age 9.63 ± 2.51 years).

Results:  A significant association between H. pylori infection and UAP was observed when compared to controls (21/34; 61.8%vs 31/110; 28.2%; P = 0.0004). cagA positive H. pylori strains were detected in 20 (95.2%) children with UAP and in 28 (90.3%) controls. Mixed infection was detected in 25% of children with no significant difference between the groups. On univariate regression analysis, s1a, m1 alleles and s1a/m1 genotype of vacA had significant associations with UAP (P = 0.018, 0.015 and 0.007, respectively), while s2 and m2 alleles and the s2/m2 genotype were significantly more frequent in controls (P = 0.034, 0.001 and 0.034, respectively).

Conclusions:  H. pylori infection is strongly associated with UAP in children and a significantly higher proportion have s1a, m1 alleles and s1a/m1 genotype. The negative associations of vacA s2, m2 alleles and s2/m2 genotype with UAP indicate that they are unlikely to have an important role in this disorder.
Predicting mortality in patients with cirrhosis of liver with application of neural network technology
Authors: BANERJEE RUPA , DAS ANANYA , GHOSHAL UDAY C , SINHA MADHUMITA
Published: August 2003

Background:  Prediction of mortality from cirrhosis is important in planning optimal timing of liver transplantation and other interventions. We evaluated the role of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which uses non‐linear statistics for pattern recognition in predicting one‐year liver disease‐related mortality using information available during initial clinical evaluation.

Methods:  The ANN was constructed using software with data from a training set (n = 46) selected at random from a cohort of adult cirrhotics (n = 92). After training, validation was performed in the remaining patients (n = 46) whose outcome in terms of one‐year mortality was unknown to the network. The performance of ANN was compared to those of a logistic regression model (LRM) and Child‐Pugh's score (CPS). Death (related to cirrhosis/its complications) within one year of inclusion was the outcome variable. The ANN was also tested in an external validation sample (EVS, n = 62) from another hospital.

Results:  Patients in the EVS were younger (mean age, 41 vs 45 years), infrequently of alcoholic etiology (5% vs 49%), had less severe disease (mean CPS 6.6 vs 10.8), and had lower one‐year mortality (13 vs 46%). In the internal validation sample, ANN's accuracy was 91%, sensitivity 90% and specificity 92% in prediction of one‐year mortality; area under the receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.94. The performance of the LRM (accuracy 74%) and the CPS (accuracy 55%) was significantly worse than ANN (P < 0.05, McNemar's test). Despite differences in the characteristics of the two groups, the ANN performed fairly well in the EVS (accuracy of 90%, area under curve 0.85).

Conclusions:  ANN can accurately predict one‐year mortality in cirrhosis and is superior to CPS and LRM.
Computed tomography angiographic findings in hepatocellular carcinoma less than 2 cm detected during follow‐up in 29 patients
Authors: IWAMOTO SHOZO , SANEFUJI HAYATO , OKUDA KUNIO
Published: August 2003

Aims:  The early stage of hepatocarcinogenesis is not well understood pathologically and clinically. The present study was designed to define small (early) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) angiographically using the angio‐helical computed tomography (CT) system.

Methods:  Arterial portography CT and hepatic arteriography CT were carried out in 29 patients in whom small HCC ≤ 20 mm was detected during follow‐up.

Results:  There were 17 males and 12 females, aged 47 to 85 years. The offending virus was hepatitis B in four, hepatitis C in 24 and no virus marker in one case. The follow‐up period varied from less than a year to 17 years, averaging 6.4 years. The underlying disease was cirrhosis in 12 and chronic hepatitis in 17 cases. The mass was solitary in 16 and multiple in 13 cases, while the size of the mass ranged from 8‐20 mm. All lesions were low in attenuation on arterial portography CT, and in 23 of 30 lesions hepatic arteriography CT showed high attenuation, suggesting arterial blood supply. In the remaining 7 cases, lesions were perhaps in the transition from portal to arterial.

Conclusions:  It was concluded that HCC develops frequently in a liver with chronic hepatitis, often muticentrically, and that early HCC lesions are more often overt HCC already with arterial blood supply, rather than extremely well‐differentiated supplied by the portal vein as generally believed.
γ‐Amino‐butyric acid immunoreactivity in intramucosal colonic tumors
Authors: MAEMURA KENTARO , YAMAUCHI HIROAKI , HAYASAKI HANA , KANBARA KIYOTO , TAMAYAMA TAKUMI , HIRATA ICHIRO , WATANABE MASAHITO
Published: August 2003

Background and Aim:  The level of γ‐amino‐butyric acid (GABA) is reported to be increased in colon cancer. Moreover, data suggests that GABA plays a role in the proliferation or maturation of some types of cells. We examined the expression of GABA in intramucosal colonic tumors to clarify the relation between GABA and the degree of atypia.

Methods:  Paraffin sections were prepared from 56 protruded‐type colonic neoplasms, which were classified as intramucosal adenocarcinoma (AC), adenoma with severe atypia (ASA), or adenoma with mild to moderate atypia (AMA). Expression of GABA was investigated immunohistochemically, and GABA immunoreactivity was compared to the staining patterns of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer‐associated antigen (CA19‐9) which were classified into three categories.

Results:  Intense GABA immunoreactivity was observed in 73.7%, 54.6%, 13.3%, and 5.4% of AC, ASA, AMA, and normal mucosa specimens, respectively. Kendall's correlation coefficient between GABA immunoreactivity and the degree of atypia was 0.447. Strong, positive CEA staining (pattern 3) was observed in 57.9%, 36.3%, and 13.3% of AC, ASA, and AMA specimens, respectively. Strong, positive CA19‐9 staining was observed: 26.3%, 9.1% and 0%, respectively. In AC and ASA, the proportion of glands with strong GABA immunoreactivity was greater than the proportion of glands that were strongly positive for CA19‐9.

Conclusion:  GABA may be useful as a tumor marker in combination with other tumor markers such as CEA and CA19‐9.
Marked diffuse dilations of the biliary tree associated with intrahepatic calculi, biliary sludges and a mucinous cyst of the pancreatic head in a 99‐year‐old woman
Authors: Terada Tadashi , Terai Tadashi , Yamawaki Takemori
Published: August 2003

A 99‐year‐old woman was admitted to Shizuoka Shimizu Municipal Hospital because of fever and anasarca. Imaging and laboratory tests showed pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and cardiac failure. The patient died 20 days after admission. An autopsy revealed marked diffuse dilations of the biliary tree ranging from the lower common bile duct to intrahepatic bile ducts. Intrahepatic calcium bilirubinate stones and biliary sludges were recognized within the dilated bile ducts. A unilocular cyst (2 cm in diameter) was present in the pancreatic head adjacent to the lower common bile duct, and it appeared to compress the common bile duct. Histologically, the walls of the dilated biliary tree showed proliferation of peribiliary glands, fibrosis, and infiltration of lymphocytes and neutrophils (cholangitis). The lumens of the dilated biliary ducts contained neutral and acidic mucins, fibrinous materials, bacteria, neutrophils, and Aspergillus fungi, in addition to the calculi and sludges. The background liver showed atrophy (400 g). The pancreatic unilocular cyst was composed of mucous columnar cells with a few infoldings, and the pancreas also showed foci of mucinous duct hyperplasia and ectasia; the pathological diagnosis of the cyst was cystic dilations of a pancreatic duct branch (mucinous ductal ectasia or mucinous cyst). Other lesions included aspiration pneumonia, emaciation, atrophy of systemic organs, gastric leiomyoma, serous cystadenoma of the right ovary, and arteriosclerotic nephrosclerosis. The present case suggests that a mucinous cyst of the pancreas may compress the biliary tree and lead to marked diffuse dilations of the biliary tree. Alternatively, the dilations of the bile ducts may be associated with aging or may be of congenital origin. The dilated bile ducts may, in turn, give rise to bacterial and fungal cholangitis and formation of biliary sludges and intrahepatic calcium bilirubinate stones.
Carcinosarcoma (pure endocrine cell carcinoma with sarcoma components) of the stomach
Authors: Teramachi Kazuki , Kanomata Naoki , Hasebe Takahiro , Ishii Genichiro , Sugito Masanori , Ochiai Atsushi
Published: August 2003

A case of gastric carcinosarcoma with a rare histology is reported. Grossly, a huge ulcerative tumor (Borrmann type 3 tumor, measuring 10 × 6 cm) was observed on the lesser curvature side of the stomach. Microscopically, the tumor consisted of carcinoma and sarcoma components. The main tumor component consisted of an endocrine cell carcinoma exhibiting positive reactions for cytokeratins, chromogranin A, synaptophysin, and CD56. The sarcoma component occupied less than 10% of the entire tumor area and consisted of spindle cells, some of which showed a rhabdomyosarcoma differentiation. Some of the spindle cells also showed an atypical cartilage or osseous differentiation. This sarcoma component exhibited positive staining not only for vimentin and desmin, but also for cytokeratins. Transitions between these two components were occasionally observed. These findings suggest that the sarcoma component in our case most likely originates from the endocrine cell carcinoma component.
Cross‐reactive antigenicity of nucleoproteins of lyssaviruses recognized by a monospecific antirabies virus nucleoprotein antiserum on paraffin sections of formalin‐fixed tissues
Authors: Inoue Satoshi , Sato Yuko , Hasegawa Hideki , Noguchi Akira , Yamada Akio , Kurata Takeshi , Iwasaki Takuya
Published: August 2003

Diagnosis of rabies is routinely confirmed by detection of rabies virus antigens in acetone‐fixed frozen brain tissues or imprint smears using an immunofluorescence method with commercial antirabies virus antibodies. Since recent molecular analyses disclosed wide heterogeneity in the genome sequences of rabies virus strains and related lyssaviruses, it is necessary to confirm the presence of common epitopes in these lyssaviruses. In this study we confirmed the presence of cross‐reactive antigens of various lyssaviruses in paraffin sections of formalin‐fixed tissue using a monospecific rabbit antiserum prepared by immunization with a recombinant nucleoprotein of rabies virus. By immunohistochemical application, the antigen was detected predominantly in the cytoplasm of neurons in the brains of mice infected with rabies virus, Duvenhage virus, Mokola virus and European bat lyssavirus‐1, while no cross‐reaction was observed in uninfected humans and animals including dogs, bats, and raccoons. In addition, we examined one autopsy case that was infected in a rabies‐endemic nation and developed the clinical manifestation of rabies after returning to Japan in 1970, and found that the antigen was well preserved in paraffin sections of formalin‐fixed tissues. Thus, this suggests that the lyssavirus‐specific antigen is recognized by the monospecific antibody against rabies virus nucleoprotein, and that this cross‐reactive antigen is detectable on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissues by immunohistochemical analysis.
Functional localization of cannabinoid receptors and endogenous cannabinoid production in distinct neuron populations of the hippocampus
Authors: Hoffman Alexander F. , Riegel Arthur C. , Lupica Carl R.
Published: August 2003

The possible localization of cannabinoid (CB) receptors to glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic terminals impinging upon GABAergic interneurons in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus was examined using the electrophysiological measurement of neurotransmitter release in brain slices. Whereas activation of cannabinoid receptors via the application of the cannabinoid agonist WIN55,212‐2 significantly and dose‐dependently reduced evoked IPSCs recorded from interneurons possessing somata located in the stratum radiatum (S.R.) and stratum oriens (S.O.) lamellae, evoked glutamatergic EPSCs were unaffected in both neuronal populations. However, in agreement with previous reports, WIN55,212‐2 significantly reduced EPSCs recorded from CA1 pyramidal neurons. Additional experiments confirmed that the effects of WIN55,212‐2 on IPSCs were presynaptic and that they could be blocked by the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A. The involvement of endogenous cannabinoids in the presynaptic inhibition of GABA release was also examined in the interneurons and pyramidal cells using a depolarization‐induced suppression of inhibition (DSI) paradigm. DSI was observed in CA1 pyramidal neurons under control conditions, and its incidence was greatly increased by the cholinergic agonist carbachol. However, DSI was not observed in the S.R. or S.O. interneuron populations, in either the presence or absence of carbachol. Whereas DSI was not present in these interneurons, the inhibitory inputs to these cells were modulated by the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212‐2. These data support the hypothesis that cannabinoid receptors are located on inhibitory, but not excitatory, axon terminals impinging upon hippocampal interneurons, and that CA1 pyramidal neurons, and not interneurons, are capable of generating endogenous cannabinoids during prolonged states of depolarization.
Language perception activates the hand motor cortex: implications for motor theories of speech perception
Authors: Flöel Agnes , Ellger Tanja , Breitenstein Caterina , Knecht Stefan
Published: August 2003

The precise mechanisms of how speech may have developed are still unknown to a large extent. Gestures have proven a powerful concept for explaining how planning and analysing of motor acts could have evolved into verbal communication. According to this concept, development of an action‐perception network allowed for coding and decoding of communicative gestures. These were manual or manual/articulatory in the beginning and then became increasingly elaborate in the articulatory mode. The theory predicts that listening to the ‘gestures’ that compose spoken language should activate an extended articulatory and manual action‐perception network. To examine this hypothesis, we assessed the effects of language on cortical excitability of the hand muscle representation by transcranial magnetic stimulation. We found the hand motor system to be activated by linguistic tasks, most notably pure linguistic perception, but not by auditory or visuospatial processing. The amount of motor system activation was comparable in both hemispheres. Our data support the theory that language may have evolved within a general and bilateral action‐perception network.
Changes of effective connectivity between the lateral and medial parts of the prefrontal cortex during a visual task
Authors: Chaminade Thierry , Fonlupt Pierre
Published: August 2003

Structural equation modelling was used to study the change of connectivity during a visual task with continuous variation of the attention load. The model was based on areas defined by the haemodynamic responses described elsewhere [Mazoyer, P., Wicker, B. & Fonlupt, P. (2002) A neural network elicited by parametric manipulation of the attention load. Neuroreport, 13, 2331–2334], including occipitotemporal, parietal, temporal and prefrontal (lateral and medial areas) cortices. We have studied stationary‐ (which does not depend on the attentional load) and attention‐related coupling between areas. This allowed the segregation of two subsystems. The first could reflect a system performing the integration step of the visual signal and the second a system participating in response selection. The major finding is the mutual negative influence between the lateral and medial parts of the prefrontal cortex. This negative influence between these two brain regions increased with the attention load. This is interpreted as a modification of the balance between integration and decision processes that are needed for the task to be efficiently completed.
Evolution equations for strongly nonlinear internal waves
Authors: Ostrovsky Lev A. , Grue John
Published: September 2003

This paper is concerned with shallow-water equations for strongly nonlinear internal waves in a two-layer fluid, and comparison of their solitary solutions with the results of fully nonlinear computations and with experimental data. This comparison is necessary due to a contradictory nature of these equations which combine strong nonlinearity and weak dispersion. First, the Lagrangian (Whitham’s) method for dispersive shallow-water waves is applied to derivation of equations equivalent to the Choi–Camassa (CC) equations. Then, using the Riemann invariants for strongly nonlinear, nondispersive waves, we obtain unidirectional, evolution equations with nonlinear dispersive terms. The latter are first derived from the CC equations and then introduced semiphenomenologically as quasistationary generalizations of weakly nonlinear Korteweg–de Vries and Benjamin–Ono models. Solitary solutions for these equations are obtained and verified against fully nonlinear computations. Comparisons are also made with available observational data for extremely strong solitons in coastal zones with well expressed pycnoclines.
Instability of creeping Couette flow past a neo-Hookean solid
Authors: Gkanis Vasileios , Kumar Satish
Published: September 2003

Fluid flow over a deformable solid can become unstable due to the fact that waves may propagate along the solid–fluid interface. In order to understand the role that nonlinear rheological properties of the solid play in these elastohydrodynamic instabilities, we apply linear stability analysis to investigate creeping Couette flow of a Newtonian fluid past an incompressible and impermeable neo-Hookean solid of finite thickness. As inertial effects are assumed to be negligible, the problem is governed by three dimensionless parameters: an imposed strain, a thickness ratio, and an interfacial tension. In the base state, there is a first normal stress difference in the neo-Hookean solid, and this leads to instability behavior that is significantly different from what is observed with a linear constitutive equation. In the absence of interfacial tension, the first normal stress difference gives rise to a shortwave instability. For sufficiently thin solids, a large range of high-wavenumber modes becomes unstable first as the strain that is imposed on the system increases, while for sufficiently thick solids, a small band of O(1) wavenumbers first becomes unstable. The presence of interfacial tension removes the shortwave instability and leads to larger critical imposed strains and smaller critical wavenumbers. In comparison to the linear elastic constitutive equation, the neo-Hookean model leads to smaller values of the critical imposed strain and larger values of the critical wavenumber, but the difference rapidly diminishes as the solid thickness increases. Analysis of the continuity of velocity boundary condition at the interface reveals that at the critical conditions, the mean flow tends to amplify horizontal interface perturbations, while horizontal velocity perturbations tend to suppress them. The results of this work highlight the importance of properly accounting for large displacement gradients when modeling elastohydrodynamic instabilities.
Planar thermocapillary migration of two bubbles in microgravity environment
Authors: Sun R. , Hu W. R.
Published: September 2003

A theoretical investigation is performed on the thermocapillary motion of two bubbles in arbitrary configuration in microgravity environment under the assumption that the surface tension is high enough to keep the bubbles spherical. The two bubbles are driven by the surface tension gradient due to temperature nonuniformity on the surfaces. The bubble interaction is considered for the limit of small Marangoni and Reynolds numbers in the present paper. In order to solve the problem analytically, the method of successive reflections is employed, and then accurate migration velocities of two arbitrarily oriented bubbles in the planar thermocapillary motions are derived. The results demonstrate that two equal-size bubbles exert no influence on the thermocapillary migration of each other at any separation because of the thorough cancellation of the thermal and fluid mechanical interaction effects, and the effect of the large bubble on the motion of the smaller one becomes significant with the two bubbles approaching each other, while the effect of the smaller one on the large remains weak. Moreover, three typical kinds of trajectories of the smaller bubble are identified.
Selective gas detection using a carbon nanotube sensor
Authors: Chopra S. , McGuire K. , Gothard N. , Rao A. M. , Pham A.
Published: September 2003

A circular disk resonator is used to study the gas sensing properties of carbon nanotubes. It detects the presence of gases based on the change in the dielectric constant rather than electrical conductivity of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) upon gas exposure. A conducting circular disk is coated with electric arc prepared SWNTs and degassed by heating under a high vacuum. It exhibits noticeable shifts in resonant frequency to both polar (NH3 and CO) and nonpolar gases (He, Ar, N2, and O2). Gas concentrations as low as 100 ppm can be detected using this sensor configuration.
Enhanced blue emission from Tm-doped AlxGa1−xN electroluminescent thin films
Authors: Lee D. S. , Steckl A. J.
Published: September 2003

Electroluminescent (EL) emission from Tm-doped AlxGa1−xN (AlxGa1−xN:Tm) has been observed with various Al compositions (0⩽x⩽1). AlxGa1−xN:Tm thin films were grown by molecular beam epitaxy with in situ doping of Tm. At lower Al composition (x<0.15), blue emission at 478 nm dominates, corresponding to the Tm G41→H63 transition. For x>0.15, however, a second blue emission peak was observed at 465 nm, becoming dominant with increasing Al composition. The 465 nm emission is attributed to the higher level Tm transition D21→F43, which was not observed in GaN:Tm. Blue EL emission from Tm was enhanced with Al content in the films. The ratio of EL intensity at blue (465 nm plus 478 nm) to infrared (801 nm) wavelengths increased monotonically with Al composition, from ∼2 for GaN:Tm to ∼30 for AlN:Tm.
Carbon storage in cotton soils of northern New South Wales
Authors: Knowles T. A. , Singh B.
Published: September 2003

Soil carbon is an important component of the global carbon cycle with an estimated pool of soil organic carbon of about 1500 Gt. There are few estimates of the pool of inorganic carbon, but it is thought to be approximately 50% of the organic carbon pool. There is no detailed study on the estimation of the soil carbon pool for Australian soils.In order to quantify the carbon pools and to determine the extent of spatial variability in the organic and inorganic carbon pools, 120 soil cores were taken down to a depth of 0.90 m from a typical cotton field in northern NSW. Three cores were also taken from nearby virgin bushland and these samples were used as paired samples. Each soil core was separated into 4 samples, i.e. 0–0.15, 0.15–0.30, 0.30–0.60, and 0.60–0.90 m. Soil organic carbon was determined by wet oxidation and inorganic carbon content was determined using the difference between total carbon and organic carbon, and confirmed by the acid dissolution method. Total carbon was measured using a LECO CHN analyser. Soil organic carbon of the field constituted 62% (0–0.15 m), 58% (0.15–0.30 m), 60% (0.30–0.60 m), and 67% (0.60–0.90 m) of the total soil carbon. The proportion of inorganic carbon in total carbon is higher than the global average of 32%. Organic carbon content was relatively higher in the deeper layers (>0.30�m) of the studied soils (Vertosols) compared with other soil types of Australia. The carbon content varied across the field, however, there was little correlation between the soil types (grey, red, or intergrade colour) and carbon content. The total soil carbon pool of the studied field was estimated to be about 78 t/ha for 0–0.90 m layer, which was approximately 58% of the total soil carbon in the soil under nearby remnant bushland (136 t/ha). The total pool of carbon in the cotton soils of NSW was estimated to be 44.8 Mt C, where organic carbon and inorganic carbon constitute 34.9 Mt C and 9.9 Mt C, respectively. Based on the results of a limited number of paired sites under remnant vegetation, it was estimated that about 18.9 Mt of C has been lost from Vertosols by cotton cropping in NSW. With more sustainable management practices such as conservation tillage and green manuring, some of the lost carbon can be resequestered, which will help to mitigate the greenhouse effect, improve soil quality and may increase crop yield.
Diacylglycerol Kinase-ζ Localization in Skeletal Muscle Is Regulated by Phosphorylation and Interaction with Syntrophins
Authors: Abramovici Hanan , Hogan Angela B. , Obagi Christopher , Topham Matthew K. , Gee Stephen H.
Published: August 2003

Syntrophins are scaffolding proteins that link signaling molecules to dystrophin and the cytoskeleton. We previously reported that syntrophins interact with diacylglycerol kinase-ζ (DGK-ζ), which phosphorylates diacylglycerol to yield phosphatidic acid. Here, we show syntrophins and DGK-ζ form a complex in skeletal muscle whose translocation from the cytosol to the plasma membrane is regulated by protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of the DGK-ζ MARCKS domain. DGK-ζ mutants that do not bind syntrophins were mislocalized, and an activated mutant of this sort induced atypical changes in the actin cytoskeleton, indicating syntrophins are important for localizing DGK-ζ and regulating its activity. Consistent with a role in actin organization, DGK-ζ and syntrophins were colocalized with filamentous (F)-actin and Rac in lamellipodia and ruffles. Moreover, extracellular signal-related kinase-dependent phosphorylation of DGK-ζ regulated its association with the cytoskeleton. In adult muscle, DGK-ζ was colocalized with syntrophins on the sarcolemma and was concentrated at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), whereas in type IIB fibers it was found exclusively at NMJs. DGK-ζ was reduced at the sarcolemma of dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse myofibers but was specifically retained at NMJs, indicating that dystrophin is important for the sarcolemmal but not synaptic localization of DGK-ζ. Together, our findings suggest syntrophins localize DGK-ζ signaling complexes at specialized domains of muscle cells, which may be critical for the proper control of lipid-signaling pathways regulating actin organization. In dystrophic muscle, mislocalized DGK-ζ may cause abnormal cytoskeletal changes that contribute to disease pathogenesis.
Class prediction and discovery using gene microarray and
proteomics mass spectroscopy data: curses, caveats, cautions
Authors: Somorjai R.L. , Dolenko B. , Baumgartner R.
Published: August 2003

Motivation: Two practical realities constrain the analysis of microarray data, mass spectra from proteomics, and biomedical infrared or magnetic resonance spectra. One is the ‘curse of dimensionality’: the number of features characterizing these data is in the thousands or tens of thousands. The other is the‘ curse of dataset sparsity’: the number of samples is limited. The consequences of these two curses are far-reaching when such data are used to classify the presence or absence of disease.

Results: Using very simple classifiers, we show for several publicly available microarray and proteomics datasets how these curses influence classification outcomes. In particular, even if the sample per feature ratio is increased to the recommended 5–10 by feature extraction/reduction methods, dataset sparsity can render any classification result statistically suspect. In addition, several ‘optimal’ feature sets are typically identifiable for sparse datasets, all producing perfect classification results, both for the training and independent validation sets. This non-uniqueness leads to interpretational difficulties and casts doubt on the biological relevance of any of these ‘optimal’ feature sets. We suggest an approach to assess the relative quality of apparently equally good classifiers.

Contact: Ray.Somorjai@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Probabilistic scoring measures for profile–profile
comparison yield more accurate short seed alignments
Authors: Mittelman David , Sadreyev Ruslan , Grishin Nick
Published: August 2003

Motivation: The development of powerful automatic methods for the comparison of protein sequences has become increasingly important. Profile-to-profile comparisons allow for the use of broader information about protein families, resulting in more sensitive and accurate comparisons of distantly related sequences. A key part in the comparison of two profiles is the method for the calculation of scores for the position matches. A number of methods based on various theoretical considerations have been proposed. We implemented several previously reported scoring functions as well as our own functions, and compared them on the basis of their ability to produce accurate short ungapped alignments of a given length.

Results: Our results suggest that the family of the probabilistic methods (log-odds based methods and prof_sim) may be the more appropriate choice for the generation of initial ‘seeds’ as the first step to produce local profile–profile alignments. The most effective scoring systems were the closely related modifications of functions previously implemented in the COMPASS and Picasso methods.

Contact: sadreyev@chop.swmed.edu

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Development of a four-body statistical pseudo-potential
to discriminate native from non-native protein conformations
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Bala , Tropsha Alexander
Published: August 2003

Motivation: Most scoring functions used in protein fold recognition employ two-body (pseudo) potential energies. The use of higher-order terms may improve the performance of current algorithms.

Methods: Proteins are represented by the side chain centroids of amino acids. Delaunay tessellation of this representation defines all sets of nearest neighbor quadruplets of amino acids. Four-body contact scoring function (log likelihoods of residue quadruplet compositions) is derived by the analysis of a diverse set of proteins with known structures. A test protein is characterized by the total score calculated as the sum of the individual log likelihoods of composing amino acid quadruplets.

Results: The scoring function distinguishes native from partially unfolded or deliberately misfolded structures. It also discriminates between pre- and post-transition state and native structures in the folding simulations trajectory of Chymotrypsin Inhibitor 2 (CI2).

Availability: All codes are written in C/C++. Programs are available from the authors on request..

Contact: alex_tropsha@unc.edu

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.