bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic Fistula Rate after Pancreatic Resection
Authors: Bassi Claudio , Butturini Giovanni , Molinari Enrico , Mascetta Giuseppe , Salvia Roberto , Falconi Massimo , Gumbs Andrew , Pederzoli Paolo
Published: January 2004

Background: Pancreatic fistula (PF) is still regarded as a serious complication both in terms of frequency and sequelae. The incidence varies greatly in different reports because of the different definitions used. The aim of this study was to compare several definitions of PF encountered in the current literature and to demonstrate that the PF rate in the same group of patients treated in a high volume center is dependent upon the definition applied. Methods: A Medline search of the last 10 years was performed as regards the definition of PF. A score was assigned to the reproducible definitions based upon two basic parameters: daily output (cm3) and duration of the fistula represented by the number of days between the postoperative day of onset and the duration of the complication. Four definitions were formulated and were then applied to a group of 242 patients that underwent pancreatic head or intermediate resections with pancreatico-jejunal anastomosis in our Pancreatic Unit between November 1996 and December 2000. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Yates correct χ2 test with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Among 26 different definitions identified, 14 were found suitable for the applied score. We formulated four final definitions summarizing the current concepts of PF. The incidence of PF ranged between 9.9 and 28.5% according to the different definitions applied with highly statistical differences between them. Conclusions: The PF rate after pancreatic resections is strictly dependent upon the definition used. An overall general agreement for an internationally accepted definition is urgently needed to correctly compare different experiences.
Information Processing in Very-Low-Birth-Weight Children with and without Attention Deficit Disorder
Authors: Potgieter S.T. , de Cock P.
Published: January 2004

Very-low-birth-weight children (16 with and 45 without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) were matched to term-born controls (27 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 30 without) according to age, intelligence, and social class of their parents. The children were screened for motor, visual, and mental disabilities. The general aim of the study was to evaluate information processing stages using the additive factor method of Sternberg. The tasks consisted of computerized visual-motor letter recognition and arrow detection tasks. The tasks elicited similar prolongations of response times, increases in standard deviation of the response times, and increased error rates in the four groups. We conclude that very-low-birth-weight and control children do not differ in their information processing stages.
Acromegaly Induced by Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy
Authors: Karges Beate , Pfäffle Roland , Boehm Bernhard O. , Karges Wolfram
Published: January 2004

Recombinant human growth hormone (GH) has been shown to be efficacious and safe in the treatment of various growth disorders and GH deficiency. We here report a 61-year-old man with idiopathic hypopituitarism in whom clinically active acromegaly developed. Complete GH deficiency had been diagnosed earlier by arginine stimulation testing, and therapy with recombinant human GH (maintenance dose 2 IU/day) was implemented at the age of 54 years. At presentation, the patient’s insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; 439 ng/ml) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (4.3 mg/l) levels were highly elevated. Endogenous GH production and pituitary adenoma were excluded. Retrospectively, IGF-1 levels up to 621 ng/ml had been documented (but not appreciated) in the preceding 7 years. Upon GH dose reduction, the IGF-1 serum levels returned to normal, and the patient’s clinical status stabilized. No GH receptor polymorphisms were identified in the patient’s genomic DNA. This observation demonstrates that the indiscriminate use of recombinant GH bears the risk of active acromegaly, emphasizing the need for long-term patient monitoring programs as integral part of GH therapy.
Changes in Vascular Distensibility during Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition Involve Bradykinin Type 2 Receptors
Authors: Aartsen Wendy M. , Hilgers R.H.P. , Schiffers P.M.H. , Daemen M.J.A.P. , De Mey J.G.R. , Smits J.F.M.
Published: January 2004

Changes in arterial stiffness and structure occur during cardiovascular diseases and can be modified by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. In the present study we investigated the role of membrane-bound ACE (t-ACE) in the regulation of arterial structure and mechanics. Large and small arteries of t-ACE–/– mice were isolated to determine the passive pressure-diameter relationship. We observed that t-ACE–/– mice exhibit a reduced arterial distensibility compared to t-ACE+/+ mice. This reduced arterial distensibility was also observed after 9 weeks of captopril treatment (80 mg/kg/ day). We hypothesized that bradykinin type 2 receptor (BK2) stimulation might be involved in the regulation of arterial stiffness. t-ACE–/– and t-ACE+/+ mice were treated with Hoe 140 (1 mg/kg/day) for 14 days. After Hoe 140 treatment, both the structural and mechanical changes observed in the t-ACE–/– carotid artery were abolished. Although Hoe 140 administration increased blood pressure in both groups by approximately 10 mm Hg, the pressure difference between the two groups did not change. Thus, t-ACE is involved in the regulation of arterial distensibility. The changes observed in t-ACE–/– mice are not caused by an altered fetal development. Moreover, it is likely that the regulation of arterial distensibility by ACE involves stimulation of the BK2 receptor.
ICAM-3 Activation Modulates Cell-Cell Contacts of Human Bone Marrow Endothelial Cells
Authors: van Buul J.D. , Mul F.P.J. , van der Schoot C.E. , Hordijk P.L.
Published: January 2004

The Ig-like cell adhesion molecule ICAM-3 is mainly expressed on human leukocytes and is involved in cell-cell interactions. Its expression on endothelium is observed during disorders such as Crohn’s disease and in solid tumors. We found low but detectable expression of ICAM-3 on VE-cadherin-expressing cells from primary human bone marrow aspirates, i.e. endothelial cells, and on primary human endothelial cells from cord blood. Also, immortalized human umbilical cord endothelial cells and human bone marrow endothelial cells showed ICAM-3 expression. However, its function on human endothelium is not known. Surprisingly, activation of endothelial ICAM-3 by crosslinking with specific antibodies resulted in a drop in the electrical resistance of bone marrow endothelial monolayers. In line with this, immunocytochemical analysis showed a loss of endothelial cell-cell contacts after ICAM-3 crosslinking in HBMEC. Detailed biochemical analysis showed an association of moesin and in a later stage ezrin with ICAM-3 upon crosslinking in HBMEC. Moreover, ICAM-3 crosslinking induced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are known to be involved in the control of endothelial cell-cell contacts. In conclusion, we showed that ICAM-3 is expressed on human bone marrow endothelial cells and controls endothelial integrity via ROS-dependent signaling.
Neointimal Hyperplasia after Stenting in a Human Mammary Artery Organ Culture
Authors: Guérin P. , Rondeau F. , Grimandi G. , Heymann M.F. , Heymann D. , Pillet P. , Al Habash O. , Loirand G. , Pacaud P. , Crochet D.
Published: January 2004

Although the use of stents has limited the incidence of restenosis, in-stent restenosis remains an important problem. In-stent restenosis is the result of a healing process that induced neointimal hyperplasia through mechanisms that are still not understood. The aim of this study was to analyze the histological consequences of the healing process following stent implantation. Internal mammary arteries from atheroslerotic patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were stented and maintained in culture for 0–28 days. Stent implantation after predilatation induced an extensive loss of endothelial cells whereas direct stenting preserved endothelium between the struts. Morphometric analysis shows that stent placement induced neointimal thickening. Smooth muscle α-actin labeling indicates that neo-intimal formation was mainly due to proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells. Smooth muscle cell proliferation, assessed by MIB-1 staining, was maximal at day 14 after stent insertion. Human mammary artery organ culture thus provides valuable information on histological consequences of stent implantation with or without predilatation regarding endothelial cell disappearance and neointimal hyperplasia. These data also demonstrate that neointimal thickening induced by stent implantation comprises an intrinsic component resulting from the vessel wall response to stent insertion and suggest that blood factors could play an amplifying but not necessary role.
Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease May Be Particularly Susceptible to Adverse Effects of Statins
Authors: Algotsson Annica , Winblad Bengt
Published: January 2004

In epidemiological, cross-sectional studies, treatment with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) prevented to a large extent the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the results of randomized, placebo-controlled studies, focused on statin therapy in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), are at variance. Nonetheless, data from epidemiological, longitudinal studies in humans as well as studies on transgenic mouse models and cultured neuronal cell lines indicate that cholesterol may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. Statins have proven therapeutic and preventive effects in IHD and other vascular diseases in man. They generally are well tolerated, but some adverse effects, probably due to antiproliferative and proapoptotic properties of the statins, are matters of concern. AD patients may be extrasusceptible to adverse effects of statins due to preexisting aberrations in signal transduction and energy metabolism in the neurons and a perturbed cholesterol metabolism in the brain. This problem might be addressed in randomized, double-blind studies with statins in AD. The statins differ from each other in several aspects, and they are not considered to be therapeutically interchangeable. It could be fruitful to use both a placebo and two different types of statins, i.e. an essentially hydrophilic statin and a lipophilic statin, in a double-blinded fashion, and to compare the effects on the cognitive decline in AD.
The Course of Cognitive Decline in Older Persons: Results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam
Authors: Comijs Hannie C. , Dik Miranda G. , Deeg Dorly J.H. , Jonker Cees
Published: January 2004

The course of cognitive functioning in older persons was studied over a period of 6 years. The first aim was to distinguish cognitive decline as a temporary state from progressive cognitive decline. The second aim was to identify predictors which may be useful in discriminating persons with temporary cognitive decline from persons with progressive cognitive decline at an early stage. Data were derived from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), a population-based study in the Netherlands. The results show that 18.2% of the sample of older persons showed cognitive decline over a period of 3 years. Of this group, 44% recovered from cognitive decline or stayed stable in the next 3 years. Especially older age, memory complaints and an increase of cardiovascular diseases at follow-up predict further deterioration.
Naringenin from Citrus junos Has an Inhibitory Effect on Acetylcholinesterase and a Mitigating Effect on Amnesia
Authors: Heo Ho Jin , Kim Mi-Jeong , Lee Jung-Min , Choi Soo Jung , Cho Hong-Yon , Hong Bumshik , Kim Hye-Kyung , Kim Eunki , Shin Dong-Hoon
Published: January 2004

This study was performed to identify safe and more effective acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The total methanol extract of Citrus junos had a significant inhibitory effect on AChE in vitro. By sequential fractionation of C. junos, the active component was finally identified as naringenin. Naringenin inhibited AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner. In this study, we also evaluated the anti-amnesic activity of naringenin, a major flavanone constituent isolated from C. junos, in vivo using ICR mice with amnesia induced by scopolamine (1 mg/kg body weight). Naringenin, when administered to mice at 4.5 mg/kg body weight, significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced amnesia as measured in both the passive avoidance and the Y-maze test. These results suggest that naringenin may be a useful chemopreventive agent against Alzheimer’s disease.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Population-Based Three-Year Follow-Up Study of Cognitively Healthy Elderly Subjects
Authors: Tervo Susanna , Kivipelto Miia , Hänninen Tuomo , Vanhanen Matti , Hallikainen Merja , Mannermaa Arto , Soininen Hilkka
Published: January 2004

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has attracted considerable interest as a potential predictor of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Both the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Ε4 allele and vascular factors have been associated with a higher risk for AD, recently they have also been linked to the risk of MCI. Objectives: To estimate the incidence of MCI among cognitively healthy elderly subjects during a 3-year follow-up, and to evaluate the impact of demographic and vascular factors as well as the ApoE Ε4 allele on the conversion to MCI. Methods: At baseline, the cognitive abilities of 806 out of 1,150 eligible subjects (aged 60–76 years) from a population-based sample were examined. Cognitively intact subjects (n = 747) were followed for an average of 3 years. Results: 66 subjects (8.8%) had converted to MCI. The global incidence rate of MCI was 25.94/1,000 person-years. Persons with higher age (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01–1.16), ApoE Ε4 allele carriers (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.15–3.64) and persons with medicated hypertension (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.05–3.29) were more likely to convert to MCI than those individuals of lower age and without an ApoE Ε4 allele or medicated hypertension. Persons with high education (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70–0.89) were less likely to convert to MCI than persons with low or no education. In subjects with both the ApoE Ε4 allele and medicated hypertension, the crude OR for conversion was 3.92 (95% CI 1.81–8.49). In subjects with cardiovascular disease, the crude OR for conversion was 2.13 (95% CI 1.26–3.60). Gender, elevated blood pressure, diabetes or cerebrovascular disease had no significant effect on the conversion to MCI. Conclusion: Higher age, the presence of at least one ApoE Ε4 allele and medicated hypertension are independent risk factors, but high education is a protective factor for MCI. The results suggest that vascular factors may have an important role in the pathogenesis of MCI.
Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Alzheimer’s Disease: Classification and Analysis of Heterogeneity
Authors: Warkentin Siegbert , Ohlsson Mattias , Wollmer Per , Edenbrandt Lars , Minthon Lennart
Published: January 2004

Neural networks have been successfully applied to brain perfusion images to classify patients with Alzheimer’s disease from normal or other patient populations. Given the recognition that Alzheimer’s disease constitutes a heterogeneous disorder, the identification of subgroups sharing common functional brain deficits would constitute a further improvement in the utility of such methods. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether neural networks could discriminate cortical perfusion deficits of patients with Alzheimer’s disease from normal brain perfusion. A second step was to identify subgroups of patients sharing similar perfusion deficits. The study population consisted of one group of 92 normal healthy subjects and one group of 132 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. The patients were diagnosed according to established criteria (DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA). Regional cerebral blood flow was assessed by the non-invasive 133Xe inhalation method, using a 64-detector system for measurements of blood flow in superficial cortical areas. The regional blood flow values were used as the only input to artificial neural networks with multilayer Perceptron architecture. The networks were trained using the back-propagation updating algorithm. A fourfold cross validation procedure was used in order to obtain the most reliable performance of the networks. The performance of the neural network, measured as the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve, was 0.94, with a sensitivity for Alzheimer’s disease of 86% at a specificity of 90%. An analysis of the relative importance of cortical areas in the discrimination showed that left parietal areas were more important than the right homologous ones. A clustering analysis of the Alzheimer patients identified three or four subgroups of patients with clearly different combinations of blood flow pathology. A consistent finding in all subgroups was a significant deficit in temporoparietal blood flow of both hemispheres. Distinct group differences were seen in frontal, central and occipital areas with different combinations of involvement. This is the first study in which neural networks have been applied to brain perfusion images obtained with the 133Xe inhalation method. The results demonstrate that a classification of patients with Alzheimer’s disease obtained with this method is compatible with the best results obtained with other brain imaging methods. The identification of clearly distinguishable patterns of blood flow pathology in subgroups of patients lends further support to the notion that Alzheimer’s disease is a heterogeneous disorder.
The Interrelatedness of Wandering and Wayfinding in a Community Sample of Persons with Dementia
Authors: Algase Donna L. , Son Gwi-Ryung , Beattie Elizabeth , Song Jun-Ah , Leitsch Sara , Yao Lan
Published: January 2004

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of wandering and wayfinding and validate the Revised Algase Wandering Scale – Community Version (RAWS-CV) using a community sample of persons with dementia. Adult caregivers (n = 266) completed the RAWS-CV and the Wayfinding Effectiveness Scale (WES). Four aspects of wandering were confirmed (persistent walking, repetitive walking, spatial disorientation, eloping behavior), and two new aspects were also validated (negative outcomes, mealtime impulsivity). The spatial disorientation subscale of the RAWS-CV had significant (p < 0.01) negative correlations with all WES subscales. The global strategies and simple wayfinding goals subscales of the WES correlated significantly with all RAWS-CV subscales except repetitive walking and mealtime impulsivity. ANOVAs comparing wayfinding at 4 levels of wandering revealed differences only for the simple wayfinding goals subscale. Studies examining the relationship of wandering and wayfinding at various levels of cognitive impairment are suggested to further understand these phenomena.
A Machine Learning Method for Extracting Symbolic Knowledge from Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Vahed A. , Omlin C. W.
Published: January 2004

Neural networks do not readily provide an explanation of the knowledge stored in their weights as part of their information processing. Until recently, neural networks were considered to be black boxes, with the knowledge stored in their weights not readily accessible. Since then, research has resulted in a number of algorithms for extracting knowledge in symbolic form from trained neural networks. This article addresses the extraction of knowledge in symbolic form from recurrent neural networks trained to behave like deterministic finite-state automata (DFAs). To date, methods used to extract knowledge from such networks have relied on the hypothesis that networks' states tend to cluster and that clusters of network states correspond to DFA states. The computational complexity of such a cluster analysis has led to heuristics that either limit the number of clusters that may form during training or limit the exploration of the space of hidden recurrent state neurons. These limitations, while necessary, may lead to decreased fidelity, in which the extracted knowledge may not model the true behavior of a trained network, perhaps not even for the training set. The method proposed here uses a polynomial time, symbolic learning algorithm to infer DFAs solely from the observation of a trained network's input-output behavior. Thus, this method has the potential to increase the fidelity of the extracted knowledge.
Linear Response Algorithms for Approximate Inference in Graphical Models
Authors: Welling Max , Teh Yee Whye
Published: January 2004

Belief propagation (BP) on cyclic graphs is an efficient algorithm for computing approximate marginal probability distributions over single nodes and neighboring nodes in the graph. However, it does not prescribe a way to compute joint distributions over pairs of distant nodes in the graph. In this article, we propose two new algorithms for approximating these pairwise probabilities, based on the linear response theorem. The first is a propagation algorithm that is shown to converge if BP converges to a stable fixed point. The second algorithm is based on matrix inversion. Applying these ideas to gaussian random fields, we derive a propagation algorithm for computing the inverse of a matrix.
FAITH-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES IN APPALACHIA: CONNECTING FAITH, ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AND REFORM
Authors: Moseley Lyndsay , Feldman David Lewis
Published: January 2004

Christian faith-based environmental reform efforts in Appalachia advance a framework for policy change based on the view that the roots of the contemporary environmental crisis are moral and spiritual in nature. We examine how this framework is advanced among twenty faith-based organizations in Appalachia—a region with a legacy of serious environmental problems and a strong Christian tradition. We argue that these groups call for a new paradigm for assessing the causes of environmental problems—and for alleviating them. Unlike the traditional paradigm for change, which emphasizes political alterations, faith-based initiatives in Appalachia seek to advance environmental reform by promoting a transformation of personal values, attitudes, and conduct in support of an environmental ethic of care. Furthermore, these initiatives' strategies focus on educational and other strategies that can bring about this personal transformation—and, eventually, societal change. The major assumptions promoted by the traditional paradigm are seen by these Appalachian initiatives as key reasons for continued environmental degradation, while the underlying values of the new paradigm constitute a vision for an earth-keeping community having individual and global dimensions.
THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE AND THE BOOK OF PROVERBS: TOWARD AN ETHIC OF ECOLOGICAL PRUDENCE IN OCEAN MANAGEMENT
Authors: Bratton Susan Power
Published: January 2004

Recent catastrophes in environmental management, such as population collapses in oceanic fisheries, have led environmental activists and scholars to invoke the precautionary principle (PP). In its strong form, PP demands that no human-initiated change in an ecosystem be permitted unless it is certain it will do no harm; while, in its weak form, PP holds that if an action might be environmentally harmful, regulators may, on best evidence, limit human activities to avoid damaging ecosystem perturbations. Implementing PP, however, presents epistemological, logical and practical difficulties. This paper compares the function of PP to that of the Biblical Wisdom literature in encouraging ecological prudence, and argues that PP should be replaced by a series of guiding concepts, dealing with the limitations of ecological knowledge and the flaws in human character most likely to result in environmental disaster. The environmental cases analysed are from oceanic fisheries management.
THE ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ANCESTRAL RELIGION AND RECIPROCAL EXCHANGE IN A SACRED FOREST IN KARENDI (SUMBA, INDONESIA)
Authors: Fowler Cynthia
Published: January 2004

This article tells the story of the sacred place named Mata Loko ("River's Source") in Karendi on the western end of the island of Sumba. This ethnographic case of an eastern Indonesian society where the traditional religion of Marapu persists sheds light on questions of how local belief systems are part of environmental adaptations. The use of sacred resources is restricted by the belief that marapu, the ancestors, are guardians of the forest and is enforced by supernatural sanctions. The ecological and religious processes that are described in this article illustrate that interactions between indigenous and world religions impact local cultural ecologies. In experimenting with their indigenous religion, Karendi people are simultaneously experimenting with traditional resource management. The Mata Loko case illustrates that the ritual management of scarce resources such as water and culturally/historically valuable resources such as bamboo is a form of conservation planning. Together cultural history, reciprocal exchange, and ancestral religion provide a framework for protecting valuable natural resources.
"Hinduism" and the History of "Religion": Protestant Presuppositions in the Critique of the Concept of Hinduism
Authors: Sweetman Will
Published: January 2004

The claim that Hinduism is not a religion, or not a single religion, is so often repeated that it might be considered an axiom of research into the religious beliefs and practices of the Hindus, were it not typically ignored immediately after having been stated. The arguments for this claim in the work of several representative scholars are examined in order to show that they depend, implicitly or explicitly, upon a notion of religion which is too much influenced by Christian conceptions of what a religion is, a conception which, if it has not already been discarded by scholars of religion, certainly ought to be. Even where such Christian models are explicitly disavowed, the claim that Hinduism is not a religion can be shown to depend upon a particular religious conception of the nature of the world and our possible knowledge of it, which scholars of religion cannot share.
On Self-regulating Systems, Cannibals, and Cogs That Turn No Wheels: A Response to Joel Sweek
Authors: Penner Hans
Published: January 2004

It's nice to be quoted. It's not nice to be misrepresented. Joel Sweek does both in "Biology of religion" in a recent issue of this journal (Sweek 2002). At the risk of repeating myself one more time, I offer the following remarks on functionalism and cannibalism to correct the record. One hates to keep reinventing the wheel every generation or so, but it seems that the study of religion regularly produces "explanations" that resemble Wittgenstein's "cogs that turn no wheels".
A custom will not prevail over a statute, A teleological interpretation of an ancient statute by the Great Council of Malines Gewoonte breekt geen wet, Een teleologische interpretatie van een oude ordonnantie door de Grote Raad van Mechelen in 1587
Authors:   Monballyu
Published: January 2004

Since the mid-twelfth century, the Lords of Pamele-Oudenaarde had been in possession of the toll on goods shipped over the 'Spei' at Pamele, a sluice on the river Scheldt near Oudenaarde. The toll was levied by appointed collectors whose task included the assessment of the type and quantity of the goods in transit. In 1562, Jacob van Joigny, who held at the time the lordship of Pamele-Oudenaarde, farmed out the tolls. At the same time, he published a list of toll-tariffs on a poster put up at the 'Spei' of Pamele. The publication provoked protestations from the franchised shipmasters of Ghent, later joined by those of Douai, Tournai and Mons, who all complained that the published tariffs contained new and higher tolls. They sued the Lord of Pamele-Oudenaarde, first before the Council of Flanders, then (as respondents in appeal) before the Great Council of Malines, demanding that the defendant should only levy the tolls which had been established in an ordinance of Margaret of Constantinople on 3 May 1271. The Lord of Pamele-Oudenaarde refused, claiming that the 1271 ordinance, supposing it had ever been implemented, had become obsolete by an immemorial custom which had caused the statute to fall into disuse. He also claimed that the wording of 1271 had become unintelligible and could no longer be applied to the sixteenth-century navigation on the Scheldt. However, both the Council of Flanders and the Great Council decided that the ordinance of 1271 was to be fully enforced. The judges of the Great Council (in their final judgement dated 23 March 1587) went as far as to apply a teleological construction to the original ordinance, interpreting the outdated thirteenth-century French phrases so as to ensure their application in the context of sixteenth-century commercial navigation.
Prize, procedure and costs, Determination of a prize case according to romano-canonical procedure by the Admiralty Court and the Great Council of Malines during the English-Scottish War of 1547 Prijs, procedure en proceskosten De afhandeling van een prijszaak volgens de Romano-canonieke procedure voor de Admiraliteit en de Grote Raad van Mechelen tijdens de Engels-Schotse oorlog van 1547
Authors:   van Rhee,   Sicking
Published: January 2004

The present article, dedicated to Prof. J.Th. De Smidt on the occasion of his 80th birthday, discusses the case of Jacques du Gal, a French merchant, and the Netherlands privateers Claes de Doot and Meeus Pietersz from Flushing. The former departed from the harbour of Dieppe in France with one vessel, headed for Scotland. During this journey, on the open seas, Du Gal bought an English ship, denoted in the records as the Mary Dertenny. This ship had been taken by the Scottish privateers Jehan Edinestone and Jehan Gourlat. Near the Scottish coast, the ships of Du Gal were boarded by De Doot and Pietersz. After the latter had returned with their prizes to their harbour of origin, Flushing in the Low Countries, the Admiralty Court of Veere took jurisdiction of the case. It decided that Du Gal's own ship should be returned to him, but it declared that the Mary Dertenny was good prize. On appeal, however, the Great Council of Malines, the then supreme court of the Low Countries, ruled that De Doot and Pietersz should also return the Mary Dertenny to Du Gal. The case of Du Gal v. De Doot and Pietersz is of interest, not only because it contains detailed information on the costs and the procedural steps to be taken before the Admiralty Court in a prize case, but also because it proves that, apart from legal arguments, diplomatic considerations may have been of importance when deciding prize cases before courts of law.
Strategy and model building in the fourth dimension: a null model for genotype × age interaction as a Gaussian stationary stochastic process
Authors: Diego Vincent P , Almasy Laura , Dyer Thomas D , Soler Júlia MP , Blangero John
Published: January 2004

Background

Using univariate and multivariate variance components linkage analysis methods, we studied possible genotype × age interaction in cardiovascular phenotypes related to the aging process from the Framingham Heart Study.

Results

We found evidence for genotype × age interaction for fasting glucose and systolic blood pressure.

Conclusions

There is polygenic genotype × age interaction for fasting glucose and systolic blood pressure and quantitative trait locus × age interaction for a linkage signal for systolic blood pressure phenotypes located on chromosome 17 at 67 cM.
The Development of Mother-Infant Interactions after Neonatal Amygdala Lesions in Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Bauman M. D. , Lavenex P. , Mason W. A. , Capitanio J. P. , Amaral D. G.
Published: January 2004

As part of ongoing studies on the neurobiology of socioemotional behavior in the nonhuman primate, we examined the development of mother-infant interactions in 24 macaque monkeys who received either bilateral amygdala or hippocampus ibotenic acid lesions, or a sham surgical procedure at 2 weeks of age. After surgery, the infants were returned to their mothers and reared with daily access to small social groups. Behavioral observations of the infants in dyads (mother-infant pairs alone), tetrads (two mother-infant pairs), and social groups (six mother-infant pairs and one adult male) revealed species-typical mother-infant interactions for all lesion conditions, with the exception of increased physical contact time between the amygdala-lesioned infants and their mothers. Immediately after permanent separation from their mothers at 6 months of age, the infants were tested in a mother preference test that allowed the infants to choose between their mother and another familiar adult female. Unlike control and hippocampus-lesioned infants, the amygdala-lesioned infants did not preferentially seek proximity to their mother, nor did they produce distress vocalizations. Given the normal development of mother-infant interactions observed before weaning, we attribute the behavior of the amygdala-lesioned infants during the preference test to an impaired ability to perceive potential danger (i.e., separation from their mother in a novel environment), rather than to a disruption of the mother-infant relationship. These results are consistent with the view that the amygdala is not essential for fundamental aspects of social behavior but is necessary to evaluate potentially dangerous situations and to coordinate appropriate behavioral responses.
Posterior Triangular Thalamic Neurons Convey Nociceptive Messages to the Secondary Somatosensory and Insular Cortices in the Rat
Authors: Gauriau Caroline , Bernard Jean-François
Published: January 2004

This study investigated the responses of posterior triangular (PoT) thalamic neurons to tactile and noxious calibrated stimuli in anesthetized rats. We report here that 41% of PoT units responded to cutaneous stimulation, in most cases, by increasing strongly their firing. Forty-five percent of the responding units were nociceptive specific (NS), 19% were nociceptive nonspecific (NNS), and 36% were tactile. The NS units responded only to frankly noxious stimuli applied to relatively large receptive fields (several parts of the body). They encoded nociceptive temperatures chiefly in 46-50°C ranges. The NNS units resembled NS units but also responded to innocuous stimuli. Tactile units responded chiefly to repeated innocuous stimuli applied to very small receptive fields (one to two fingers or vibrissae).

A representative sample of PoT somatosensory neurons, characterized first by their response to innocuous and noxious cutaneous stimuli, were filled with juxtacellular injection of biotin-dextran that made it possible to label adequately the soma, the dendrites, and the entire axon of PoT neurons. We observed that the axons of NS neurons terminated only in secondary somatosensory (S2) cortex, whereas the axons of NNS and tactile neurons projected chiefly to the insular cortex and the amygdala.

In conclusion, our results demonstrate a spinal-PoT-S2/insular cortices nociceptive pathway that conveys nociceptive messages arising from lamina I and spinal neurons of deep laminas. Furthermore, our results demonstrate for the first time that projections of PoT neurons are correlated to their physiological properties.
Cortical Synaptogenesis and Motor Map Reorganization Occur during Late, But Not Early, Phase of Motor Skill Learning
Authors: Kleim Jeffrey A. , Hogg Theresa M. , VandenBerg Penny M. , Cooper Natalie R. , Bruneau Rochelle , Remple Michael
Published: January 2004

Extensive motor skill training induces reorganization of movement representations and synaptogenesis within adult motor cortex. Motor skill does not, however, develop uniformly across training sessions. It is characterized by an initial fast phase, followed by a later slow phase of learning. How cortical plasticity emerges during these phases is unknown. Here, we examine motor map topography and synapse number within rat motor cortex during the early and late phases of motor learning. Adult rats were placed in either a skilled or unskilled reaching condition (SRC and URC, respectively) for 3, 7, or 10 d. Intracortical microstimulation of layer V was used to determine the topography of forelimb movement representations within caudal forelimb area of motor cortex contralateral to the trained paw. Quantitative electron microscopy was used to measure the number of synapses per neuron within layer V. SRC animals showed significant increases in reaching accuracy after 3, 7, and 10 d of training. In comparison with URC animals, SRC animals had significantly larger distal forelimb representations after 10 d of training only. Furthermore, SRC animals had significantly more synapses per neuron than URC animals after 7 and 10 d of training. These results show that both motor map reorganization and synapse formation occur during the late phase of skill learning. Furthermore, synaptogenesis precedes map reorganization. We propose that motor map reorganization and synapse formation do not contribute to the initial acquisition of motor skills but represent the consolidation of motor skill that occurs during late stages of training.
Firing Patterns of Type II Spiral Ganglion NeuronsIn Vitro
Authors: Reid Michael A. , Flores-Otero Jacqueline , Davis Robin L.
Published: January 2004

Type I and type II spiral ganglion neurons convey auditory information from the sensory receptors in the cochlea to the CNS. The numerous type I neurons have been extensively characterized, but the small population of type II neurons with their unmyelinated axons are undetectable with most recording methods. Despite the paucity of information about the type II neurons, it is clear that they must have a significant role in sound processing because they innervate the large number of outer hair cells that are critical for maintaining normal responses to stimuli. To elucidate the function of type II neurons, we have developed an approach for studying their electrophysiological featuresin vitro.

Type II neurons obtained from postnatal day 6-7 mice displayed distinctly different firing properties than type I neurons. They showed slower accommodation, lower action potential thresholds, and more prolonged responses to depolarizing current injection than the type I neurons. These differences were most evident in neurons from the basal, high-frequency region of the cochlea. The basal type I neurons displayed uniformly fast firing features, whereas the basal type II neurons showed particularly slow accommodation and responses to depolarization. Interestingly, neurons from the apical, low-frequency region of the cochlea showed the opposite trend. These data suggest that the type I and type II neurons have specialized electrophysiological characteristics tailored to their different roles in auditory signal processing. In particular, the type II neuron properties are consistent with cells in other sensory systems that receive convergent synaptic input for high-sensitivity stimulus detection.
Coordinate Synaptic Mechanisms Contributing to Olfactory Cortical Adaptation
Authors: Best Aaron R. , Wilson Donald A.
Published: January 2004

Anterior piriform cortex (aPCX) neurons rapidly filter repetitive odor stimuli despite relatively maintained input from mitral cells. This cortical adaptation is correlated with short-term depression of afferent synapses,in vivo. The purpose of this study was to elucidate mechanisms underlying this nonassociative neural plasticity usingin vivoandin vitropreparations and to determine its role in cortical odor adaptation. Lateral olfactory tract (LOT)-evoked responses were recorded in rat aPCX coronal slices. Extracellular and intracellular potentials were recorded before and after simulated odor stimulation of the LOT. Results were compared within vivointracellular recordings from aPCX layer II/III neurons and field recordings in urethane-anesthetized rats stimulated with odorants. The onset, time course, and extent of LOT synaptic depression during bothin vitroelectrical andin vivoodorant stimulation methods were similar. Similar to the odor specificity of cortical odor adaptationin vivo, there was no evidence of heterosynaptic depression between independent inputsin vitro.In vitroevidence suggests at least two mechanisms contribute to this activity-dependent synaptic depression: a rapidly recovering presynaptic depression during the initial 10-20 sec of the post-train recovery period and a longer lasting (∼120 sec) depression that can be blocked by the metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) II/III antagonist (RS)-α-cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG) and by the β-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol. Importantly, in line with thein vitrofindings, both adaptation of odor responses in the β (15-35 Hz) spectral range and the associated synaptic depression can also be blocked by intracortical infusion of CPPGin vivo.
Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Delayed Neuronal Damage after Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Lee Seong-Ryong , Tsuji Kiyoshi , Lee Sun-Ryung , Lo Eng H.
Published: January 2004

Mechanisms of selective neuronal death in the hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia remain to be clarified. Here, we explored a possible role for matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in this phenomenon. Although many studies have demonstrated detrimental roles for the gelatinase MMP-9 in focal cerebral ischemia, how dysregulated MMP proteolysis influences global cerebral ischemia is less well understood. In this study, CD-1 mice were subjected to transient global ischemia. Transient occlusions of common carotid arteries for periods between 20 and 40 min led to increasing hippocampal neuronal death after 3 d. Gel zymography showed elevations in gelatinase (MMP-2 and MMP-9) activity.In situzymography showed that gelatinase activity was mostly colocalized with neuron-specific nuclear protein-stained pyramidal neurons. Mice treated with the broad-spectrum metalloproteinase inhibitor BB-94 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) showed reduced hippocampal gelatinase activity after transient global cerebral ischemia and suffered significantly reduced hippocampal neuronal damage compared with vehicle-treated controls (p< 0.01). Additionally, hippocampal gelatinase activity and neuronal damage after transient global ischemia were also significantly reduced in MMP-9 knock-out mice compared with wild-type mice (p< 0.05). These data indicate a potential deleterious role for MMP-9 in the pathogenesis of delayed neuronal damage in the hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia.
Neurons and Astrocytes Respond to Prion Infection by Inducing Microglia Recruitment
Authors: Marella Mathieu , Chabry Joëlle
Published: January 2004

The accumulation and activation of microglial cells at sites of amyloid prion deposits or plaques have been documented extensively. Here, we investigate thein vivorecruitment of microglial cells soon after intraocular injection of scrapie-infected cell homogenate (hgtsc+) using immunohistochemistry on retinal sections. A population of CD11b/CD45-positive microglia was specifically detected within the ganglion and internal plexiform retinal cell layers by 2 d after intravitreal injection of hgtsc+. Whereas no chemotactism properties were ascribed to hgtsc+alone, a massive migration of microglial cells was observed by incubating primary cultured neurons and astrocytes with hgtsc+in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. hgtsc+triggered the recruitment of microglial cells by interacting with both neurons and astrocytes by upregulation of the expression levels of a broad spectrum of neuronal and glial chemokines. We show that,in vitroandin vivo, the microglia migration is at least partly under the control of chemokine receptor-5 (CCR-5) activation, because highly specific CCR-5 antagonist TAK-779 significantly reduced the migration rate of microglia. Activated microglia recruited in the vicinity of prion may, in turn, cause neuronal cell damage by inducing apoptosis. These findings provide insight into the understanding of the cell-cell communication that takes place during the development of prion diseases.
Locus Ceruleus Activation Initiates Delayed Synaptic Potentiation of Perforant Path Input to the Dentate Gyrus in Awake Rats: A Novel β-Adrenergic- and Protein Synthesis-Dependent Mammalian Plasticity Mechanism
Authors: Walling Susan G. , Harley Carolyn W.
Published: January 2004

Norepinephrine, acting through β-adrenergic receptors, is implicated in mammalian memory. Inin vitroandin vivostudies, norepinephrine produces potentiation of the perforant path-dentate gyrus evoked potential; however, the duration and dynamics of norepinephrine-induced potentiation have not been explored over extended time periods. To characterize the long-term effects of norepinephrine on granule cell plasticity, the present study uses glutamatergic activation of the locus ceruleus (LC) to induce release of norepinephrine in the hippocampus of the awake rat and examines the subsequent modulation of the dentate gyrus evoked potential for 3 hr (short term) and 24 hr (long term) after LC activation. LC activation initiates a potentiation of the field EPSP slope observed 24 hr later. This late-phase potentiation of the synaptic potential is not preceded by early phase potentiation, although spike potentiation can be seen both immediately after, and 24 hr after, LC activation. Intracerebroventricular infusion of the β-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol, or the protein synthesis inhibitor, anisomycin, before LC activation blocks the potentiation of perforant path input observed at 24 hr. The initiation of late-phase synaptic potentiation observed at 24 hr but not at the 3 hr after LC activation parallels the observation of a cAMP- and protein synthesis-dependent long-lasting synaptic facilitation inAplysiathat is not preceded by short-term synaptic facilitation. Locus ceruleus-initiated synaptic potentiation may selectively support long-term, rather than short-term, memory. The observation of selective initiation of long-term synaptic facilitation in a mammalian brain, as in invertebrates, is additional evidence that these two forms of memory depend on separable biological mechanisms.
Heterogeneous Requirement of NGF for Sympathetic Target InnervationIn Vivo
Authors: Glebova Natalia O. , Ginty David D.
Published: January 2004

The neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a crucial role in the development of the sympathetic nervous system. In addition to being required for sympathetic neuron survivalin vivoandin vitro, NGF has been shown to mediate axon growthin vitro. The role of NGF in sympathetic axon growthin vivo, however, is not clear because of its requirement for survival. This requirement can be circumvented by a concomitant deletion ofBax, a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, thus allowing an examination of the role of neurotrophins in axon growth independently of their function in cell survival. Here, we analyzed peripheral sympathetic target organ innervation in mice deficient for bothNGFandBax. In neonatalNGF-/-; Bax-/-mice, sympathetic target innervation was absent in certain organs (such as salivary glands), greatly reduced in others (such as heart), somewhat diminished in a few (such as stomach and kidneys), but not significantly different from control in some (such as trachea). At embryonic day 16.5, peripheral target sympathetic innervation was also reducedin NGF-/-; Bax-/-mice, with analogous variability for different organs. Interestingly, in some organs such as the spleen the precise location at which sympathetic axons become NGF-dependent for growth was evident. We thus show that NGF is required for complete peripheral innervation of both paravertebral and prevertebral sympathetic ganglia targetsin vivoindependently of its requirement for cell survival. Remarkably, target organs vary widely in their individual NGF requirements for sympathetic innervation.