bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is Omeprazole or Misoprostol Superior for Improving Indomethacin-Induced Delayed Maturation of Granulation Tissue in Rat Gastric Ulcers?
Authors: Arisawa Tomiyasu , Harata Masao , Kamiya Yoshio , Shibata Tomoyuki , Nagasaka Mitsuo , Nakamura Masakatsu , Fujita Hiroshi , Hasegawa Shin , Nakamura Masahiko , Mizuno Tamaki , Tahara Tomomitsu , Ohta Yoshiji , Nakano Hiroshi
Published: March 2006

Background and Aims: Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and prostaglandin (PG) preparations are believed to both prevent NSAID-induced gastric ulcers and promote the delayed healing of gastric ulcers by NSAIDs, but it remains unclear which of these drugs is superior. The aim of this study was to clarify which achieved better healing of NSAID-induced gastric ulcers, not only with respect to epithelialization but also repair of the submucosal tissues. Methods: We used acetic acid to induce gastric ulcers in rats, and compared the changes between a control group, NSAID group, NSAID + PPI group and NSAID + PG group. After removing the stomach of each animal, an ulcer index was calculated and the collagen content and type III collagen content of granulation tissue were measured. We also studied fibroblast dynamics, including proliferation, collagen synthesis, differentiation into myofibroblasts, and apoptosis. Results: Indomethacin prevented re-epithelialization of the ulcers, interfered with fibroblast function, and also delayed the replacement of type III collagen. Omeprazole promoted epithelialization, but could not fully reverse the influence of indomethacin on granulation tissue maturation. A concomitant dose with misoprostolreversed it completely. Conclusions: From our point of view in this study in the use of experimental ulcers, it was thought that compensation of PG should have priority to gastric acid inhibition in terms of healing of NSAID-induced gastric ulcer.
Analysis of Risk Factors for Low Bone Mineral Density in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Frei Pascal , Fried Michael , Hungerbühler Vera , Rammert Christina , Rousson Valentin , Kullak-Ublick Gerd A.
Published: March 2006

Background/Aim: Several risk factors have been suggested for osteoporosis which frequently occurs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. We studied prevalence and risk factors for reduced bone mineral density (BMD) in IBD patients at the University Hospital of Zürich, Switzerland. Methods: The BMD was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine and femoral neck in 88 IBD patients (55 with Crohn’s disease, 30 with ulcerative colitis, and 3 with indeterminate colitis). Z scores were obtained by comparison with age- and sex-matched normal values, and T scores by comparison with sex-matched healthy young adults. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were defined according to the WHO guidelines. Predictive factors for BMD were analyzed by group comparison and stepwise regression analysis. Results: Osteopenia was present in 43% of the patients at the lumbar spine and in 42% of them at the femoral neck. Osteoporosis was present in 14% of the patients at the lumbar spine and in 5% of them at the femoral neck. At the lumbar spine, stepwise regression analysis showed that body mass index, age, number of bowel resections, topic steroids, and azathioprine correlated with the Z scores. Cumulative steroid dose, topic steroids, age and bowel resection were found to be predictors for a pathological T score. At the femoral neck, regression analysis showed that body mass index, age, topic steroids, and azathioprine correlated with the Z scores. Only a low body mass index was a significant predictor for pathological femoral T scores. Conclusions: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are commonly found in IBD patients. Steroid treatment and bowel resection were significant risk factors for osteoporosis of the lumbar spine. However, disease-inherent factors also appear to confer a major risk, indicating that the BMD should be determined in all IBD patients, irrespective of steroid treatment.
Telomerase Activity Is Decreased in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Tsirpanlis George , Chatzipanagiotou Stylianos , Boufidou Fotini , Kordinas Vasileios , Alevyzaki Fotini , Zoga Margarita , Kyritsis Ilias , Stamatelou Kyriaki , Triantafyllis George , Nicolaou Chrysoula
Published: March 2006

Background: Telomerase preserves telomere length and structure, preventing cellular senescence, which is associated with alteration of the chromosomal ends. We hypothesized that telomerase activity is altered in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of hemodialysis (HD) patients. To investigate this hypothesis as well as the relationship between telomerase and inflammation, we measured the activity of this reverse transcriptase as well as the level of several inflammatory markers in PBMCs and serum of an end-stage renal failure (ESRF) population and a non-renal-failure group of subjects. Methods: In PBMCs isolated from 42 HD and 39 non-renal-failure subjects of the same age (51.0 ± 12.4 and 51.4 ± 12.1 years, respectively) telomerase activity was measured using PCR-ELISA; the method was based on the telomeric repeat amplification protocol. Results: Telomerase activity in PBMCs was detected in 18 (42.9%) HD and 28 (71.8%) non-renal-failure subjects (p = 0.013). Among positive subjects, percent telomerase activity in PBMCs was significantly higher in non-renal- failure (117 ± 112 %) than in HD (47.6 ± 57.1 %) subjects (p = 0.008). Detectable telomerase activity was lower in long-term than in short-term HD patients (13.3 ± 8.9 vs. 75.0 ± 64.8%, respectively, p = 0.015). Although higher in HD group, inflammatory indexes (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, IL-6, soluble IL-6 and soluble gp130) were not correlated to telomerase activity in PBMCs. Conclusion: Telomerase activity in PBMCs is reduced in HD patients. It seems that, at least in this type of cell in this population, defense from senescence, as assessed by telomerase activity, is altered and associated with the chronicity of uremia/HD procedure.
The Archaeology of Bengal: Trading Networks, Cultural Identities
Authors: Ray Himanshu Prabha
Published: March 2006

The objective of this paper is to draw on archaeological data from Bengal to address issues relating to the social and cultural milieu of trade from the 5th-4th centuries BC to the 6th-7th centuries AD. Trading activity by its very nature was mobile, cut across political frontiers and as a result created its own networks of communication and information transfer. Within this extensive trading system, diverse communities in Bengal developed distinctive cultural identities as they interacted with their unique environment as well as with the larger Indic cultural sphere. This cultural identity included religious affiliation and it is important to highlight the vibrancy and dynamism of these cultural identities from the prehistoric period to the 8th-9th centuries AD. L'objectif de cet article est de partir des données archéologiques du Bengale pour en extraire les problématiques en relation avec le milieu social et culturel du monde commercial du 5eme-4eme s. av. J.-C. au 6eme-7eme s. de notre ère. L'activité commerciale fut, par sa nature même, mobile, au-delà des frontières politiques et créa en conséquence ses propres réseaux de communication et de transfert de l'information. Dans le cadre de ce système de commerce extensif, diverses communautés au Bengale ont développé des identités culturelles spécifiques en établissant des relations aussi bien avec leur propre environnement qu'avec la sphère culturelle indienne plus générale. Cette identité culturelle inclut les affiliations religieuses et il est important de mettre en valeur la vivacité et le dynamisme de ces identités culturelles de la période préhistorique au 8eme-9eme siècle de notre ère.
Dynamics of the Upper Oceanic Layers in Terms of Surface Quasigeostrophy Theory
Authors: Lapeyre G. , Klein P.
Published: March 2006

In this study, the relation between the interior and the surface dynamics for nonlinear baroclinically unstable flows is examined using the concepts of potential vorticity. First, it is demonstrated that baroclinic unstable flows present the property that the potential vorticity mesoscale and submesoscale anomalies in the ocean interior are strongly correlated to the surface density anomalies. Then, using the invertibility of potential vorticity, the dynamics are decomposed in terms of a solution forced by the three-dimensional (3D) potential vorticity and a solution forced by the surface boundary condition in density. It is found that, in the upper oceanic layers, the balanced flow induced only by potential vorticity is strongly anticorrelated with that induced only by the surface density with a dominance of the latter. The major consequence is that the 3D balanced motions can be determined from only the surface density and the characteristics of the basin-scale stratification by solving an elliptic equation. These properties allow for the possibility to reconstruct the 3D balanced velocity field of the upper layers from just the knowledge of the surface density by using a simpler model, that is, an “effective” surface quasigeostrophic model. All these results are validated through the examination of a primitive equation simulation reproducing the dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
Wind Stress Dependence on Ocean Surface Velocity: Implications for Mechanical Energy Input to Ocean Circulation
Authors: Duhaut Thomas H. A. , Straub David N.
Published: March 2006

It is pointed out that accounting for an ocean surface velocity dependence in the wind stress τ can lead to a significant reduction in the rate at which winds input mechanical energy to the geostrophic circulation. Specifically, the wind stress is taken to be a quadratic function of Ua − uo, where Ua and uo are the 10-m wind and ocean surface velocity, respectively. Because |Ua| is typically large relative to |uo|, accounting for a uo dependence leads only to relatively small changes in τ. The change to the basin-averaged wind power source, however, is considerably larger. Scaling arguments and quasigeostrophic simulations in a basin setting are presented. They suggest that the power source (or rate of energy input) is reduced by roughly 20%–35%.
Wave Force on an Ocean Current
Authors: Kenyon Kern E. , Sheres David
Published: March 2006

Linear momentum of surface gravity waves changes with time during refraction by a horizontally variable current, as is predicted by ray theory; the momentum change per unit time requires a force by the current on the waves. According to Newton’s third law, the waves apply an equal but opposite force back on the current. The wave force of linear waves on the current is calculated for a steady horizontal shear current and it is found to be directly proportional to the wave momentum times the shear in the current. For a current like the Gulf Stream it is theoretically possible for the wave force on the current to be as large as the Coriolis force on the current to the depth of wave influence; the effect on equatorial surface currents is likely to be even more significant. Considering the reasonable conjecture that the orbital angular momentum of the waves cannot be exchanged with the current, the growth or decay of the wave amplitude in the shear current is computed as well. An exponential growth or decay of the amplitude is obtained with the e-folding scale being proportional to the current shear. A comparison between the calculated wave force and the Coriolis force for reported data describing the reflection of waves by the Gulf Stream is presented. The potential effects of the wave force on the surface extent of such currents and their observations by remote sensing, including possible bias in estimation of their transport capacity, are discussed. Instances of potential positive and negative feedback acting during the interaction between the waves and the current are outlined.
Optimal Growth of Antarctic Circumpolar Waves
Authors: Aiken Christopher M. , England Matthew H. , Reason Christopher J. C.
Published: March 2006

Generalized stability theory is applied to a simple dynamical model of interannual ocean–atmosphere variability in the southern midlatitudes to determine the perturbations that create the most rapid growth of energy in the system. The model is composed of a barotropic quasigeostrophic atmosphere coupled to a 1.5-layer quasigeostrophic ocean, each linearized about a zonally invariant mean state, and with atmospheric and ocean surface temperature obeying a simple heat balance. Eigenanalysis of the system reveals modes of interannual variability that resemble the so-called Antarctic Circumpolar Wave (ACW), consistent with an earlier analytical study of the system. The optimal excitation of these modes relative to an energy norm is found to be a perturbation almost entirely restricted to the ocean momentum field and is shown to resemble strongly the optimal perturbations in energy for the system. Over interannual time scales most rapid growth is seen in zonal wavenumbers 4–6, despite the fact that the least-damped eigenmodes of the system are of a lower zonal wavenumber. The rapid transient growth in energy occurs by extracting perturbation energy from the mean state through advection of the mean meridional oceanic temperature gradient. This transient growth of high-zonal-wavenumber modes dominates the model’s variability when it is forced by noise that is white in space or time. A dominant low-zonal-wavenumber response, consistent with the observed and modeled ACW, occurs only when the forcing is red in space or time, with decorrelation scales greater than 3 yr or 10 000 km. It is concluded that, if the ACW is a coupled mode analogous to that supported in this simple model, then it is excited by other large-scale phenomena such as ENSO rather than by sources of higher-frequency forcing.
Proteasome inhibitor bortezomib modulates TLR4-induced dendritic cell activation
Authors: Nencioni Alessio , Schwarzenberg Karin , Brauer Katharina M. , Schmidt Susanne M. , Ballestrero Alberto , Grünebach Frank , Brossart Peter
Published: March 2006

Evidence from the animal model suggests that proteasome inhibitors may have immunosuppressive properties; however, their effects on the human immune system remain poorly investigated. Here, we show that bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor with anticancer activity, impairs several immune properties of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Namely, exposure of DCs to bortezomib reduces their phagocytic capacity, as shown by FITC-labeled dextran internalization and mannose-receptor CD206 down-regulation. DCs treated with bortezomib show skewed phenotypic maturation in response to stimuli of bacterial (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and endogenous sources (including TNF-α and CD40L), as well as reduced cytokine production and immunostimulatory capacity. LPS-induced CCL-2/MCP-1 and CCL5/RANTES secretions by DCs were prevented by DC treatment with bortezomib. Finally, CCR7 up-regulation in DCs exposed to LPS as well as migration toward CCL19/MIP-3β were strongly impaired. As a suitable mechanism for these effects, bortezomib was found to down-regulate MyD88, an essential adaptor for TLR signaling, and to relieve LPS-induced activation of NF-κB, IRF-3, and IRF-8 and of the MAP kinase pathway. In summary, inhibition of DC function may represent a novel mechanism by which proteasome inhibitors exert immunomodulatory effects. These compounds could prove useful for tuning TLR signaling and for the treatment of inflammatory and immune-mediated disorders.
Real-time monitoring of stress erythropoiesis in vivo using Gata1 and β-globin LCR luciferase transgenic mice
Authors: Suzuki Mikiko , Ohneda Kinuko , Hosoya-Ohmura Sakie , Tsukamoto Saho , Ohneda Osamu , Philipsen Sjaak , Yamamoto Masayuki
Published: March 2006

Erythroid progenitors have the potential to proliferate rapidly in response to environmental stimuli. This process is referred to as stress erythropoiesis, with erythropoietin (EPO) playing central roles in its promotion. In this study, we wanted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing the regulation of stress erythropoiesis and the maintenance of red-cell homeostasis. This was achieved by our development of a noninvasive real-time monitoring system for erythropoiesis using transgenic mouse lines expressing luciferase under the control of the mouse Gata1 hematopoietic regulatory domain (G1-HRD-luc) or human β-globin locus control region (Hbb-LCR-luc). Optical bioluminescence images revealed that the luciferase was specifically expressed in spleen and bone marrow and was induced rapidly in response to anemia and hypoxia stimuli. The G1-HRD-luc activity tracked the emergence and disappearance of proerythroblast-stage progenitors, whereas the Hbb-LCR-luc activity tracked erythroblasts and later stage erythroid cells. Increased plasma EPO concentration preceded an increase in G1-HRD-luc, supporting our contention that EPO acts as the key upstream signal in stress erythropoiesis. Hence, we conclude that G1-HRD-luc and Hbb-LCR-luc reporters are differentially activated during stress erythropoiesis and that the transgenic mouse lines used serve as an important means for understanding the homeostatic regulation of erythropoiesis.
Regulatory T-cell compartmentalization and trafficking
Authors: Wei Shuang , Kryczek Ilona , Zou Weiping
Published: March 2006

CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells (CD4+ Treg cells) are thought to differentiate in the thymus and immigrate from the thymus to the periphery. Treg cells can regulate both acquired and innate immunity through multiple modes of suppression. The cross-talk between Treg cells and targeted cells, such as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cells, is crucial for ensuring suppression by Treg cells in the appropriate microenvironment. Emerging evidence suggests that Treg compartmentalization and trafficking may be tissue or/and organ specific and that distinct chemokine receptor and integrin expression may contribute to selective retention and trafficking of Treg cells at sites where regulation is required. In this review, the cellular and molecular signals that control specialized migration and retention of Treg cells are discussed.
Effects of Fat on Gastric Emptying of and the Glycemic, Insulin, and Incretin Responses to a Carbohydrate Meal in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Gentilcore Diana , Chaikomin Reawika , Jones Karen L. , Russo Antonietta , Feinle-Bisset Christine , Wishart Judith M. , Rayner Christopher K. , Horowitz Michael
Published: March 2006

Context: Gastric emptying (GE) is a major determinant of postprandial glycemia. Because the presence of fat in the small intestine inhibits GE, ingestion of fat may attenuate the glycemic response to carbohydrate.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of patterns of fat consumption on GE and glucose, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) concentrations after a carbohydrate meal in type 2 diabetes.

Design: This was a randomized, cross-over study in which GE of a radioisotopically labeled potato meal was measured on 3 d.

Setting: The study was performed at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Patients: Six males with type 2 diabetes were studied.

Intervention: Subjects ingested 1) 30 ml water 30 min before the mashed potato (water), 2) 30 ml olive oil 30 min before the mashed potato (oil), or 3) 30 ml water 30 min before the mashed potato meal that contained 30 ml olive oil (water and oil).

Main Outcome Measures: GE, blood glucose, plasma insulin, GLP-1, and GIP concentrations were the main outcome measures.

Results: GE was much slower with oil compared with both water (P < 0.0001) and water and oil (P < 0.05) and was slower after water and oil compared with water (P < 0.01). The postprandial rise in blood glucose was markedly delayed (P = 0.03), and peak glucose occurred later (P = 0.04) with oil compared with the two other meals. The rises in insulin and GIP were attenuated (P < 0.0001), whereas the GLP-1 response was greater (P = 0.0001), after oil.

Conclusions: Ingestion of fat before a carbohydrate meal markedly slows GE and attenuates the postprandial rises in glucose, insulin, and GIP, but stimulates GLP-1, in type 2 diabetes.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEXICAL ITEMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ETHNOLINGUISTIC IDENTITY: A CASE STUDY OF ADOLESCENT SPOKEN AND ONLINE LANGUAGE
Authors: CHILDS BECKY , MALLINSON CHRISTINE
Published: March 2006

Sociolinguistic studies of ethnically contrastive communities have typically focused on the analysis of phonological and morphosyntactic processes as a basis for delimiting the linguistic boundaries speakers mark between themselves and other groups. However, regionally influenced ethnic varieties may not always manifest differences in traditional variationist-based studies of diagnostic phonological and morphosyntactic variables. This study examines how members of an adolescent friendship group in the small black Appalachian community of Texana, North Carolina, use lexical items and meta-commentary on the use of these items when their phonological and morphological variables converge. Since most Texana residents maintain regional speech patterns, we argue that lexical items may serve a significant indexical function in the social construction of ethnicity in this community. Our data suggest that lexical items may take on marked significance as symbolic vehicles through which speakers assert and negotiate their ethnic identity.
HEARING “GAY”: PROSODY, INTERPRETATION, AND THE AFFECTIVE JUDGMENTS OF MEN'S SPEECH
Authors: LEVON EREZ
Published: March 2006

This article describes a controlled experiment designed to determine what people listen to specifically when judging a speaker's sexuality. Four experimental stimuli were produced by digitally shortening the syllable duration and narrowing the pitch of one male speaker reading a passage. Listeners rated various combinations of the four stimuli on 10 affective scales, including straight/gay and effeminate/masculine. Altering the two variables was insufficient to alter listeners' perceptions of the speaker's sexuality to a level of significance. However, significant correlations between the different attitudinal scales illustrated that perceptions of sexuality are ideologically linked to other perceptions of personality and personhood.
Polycystin-2 traffics to cilia independently of polycystin-1 by using an N-terminal RVxP motif
Authors: Geng Lin , Okuhara Dayne , Yu Zhiheng , Tian Xin , Cai Yiqiang , Shibazaki Sekiya , Somlo Stefan
Published: March 2006

Primary cilia play a key role in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The affected proteins, polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), interact with each other and are expressed in cilia. We found that COOH-terminal truncated PC2 (PC2-L703X), lacking the PC1 interaction region, still traffics to cilia. We examined PC2 expression in several tissues and cells lacking PC1 and found that PC2 is expressed in cilia independently of PC1. We used N-terminal deletion constructs to narrow the domain necessary for cilia trafficking to the first 15 amino acids of PC2 and identified a conserved motif, R6VxP, that is required for cilial localization. The N-terminal 15 amino acids are also sufficient to localize heterologous proteins in cilia. PC2 has endogenous cilia trafficking information and is present in cilia of cells lining cysts that result from mutations in PKD1.
Role of neuropsin in formation and maturation of Schaffer-collateral L1cam-immunoreactive synaptic boutons
Authors: Nakamura Yukiko , Tamura Hideki , Horinouchi Kazuhiro , Shiosaka Sadao
Published: March 2006

We report that neuropsin is involved in the synaptogenesis/maturation of orphan and small synaptic boutons in the Schaffer-collateral pathway. Most non-synaptic orphan boutons and a number of immature small synaptic boutons expressed the cell adhesion molecule L1 in presynaptic Schaffer-collateral terminals, whereas mature large boutons on mushroom spines were devoid of L1. The number of L1-immunoreactive boutons was markedly higher in neuropsin-deficient mice than in wild-type mice, whereas there were far fewer mature large boutons. L1-immunoreactive boutons were hypertrophied in the mutant mice. When a recombinant active neuropsin was microinjected into the mutant hippocampus, the number of immunoreactive synaptic boutons reverted to wild-type levels after one day. These results strongly suggest that enzymatically active neuropsin allows a maturational change of L1-immunoreactive small boutons, both orphan and synaptic, and this step may be important in synaptic plasticity based on activity-dependent structural change.
Fetal Exposure to 3,4-Diaminopyridine in a Pregnant Woman with Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome
Authors: Pelufo-Pellicer Ana , Monte-Boquet Emilio , Romá-Sánchez Eva , Casanova-Sorní Carlos , Poveda-Andrés Jose L
Published: March 2006

Objective:

To report a case of fetal exposure to pyridostigmine and 3,4-diaminopyridine (3,4-DAP) in a pregnant woman with congenital myasthenia syndrome (CMS).

Case Summary:

A 31-year-old woman with postsynaptic CMS, not genetically characterized, was being treated with pyridostigmine and 3,4-DAP. She decided to become pregnant, despite having been informed about the paucity of available information on the possible risks of these drugs for the fetus. The dose of pyridostigmine remained stable throughout the pregnancy (60 mg every 8 h), and the 3,4-DAP dose was adjusted according to the patient's level of fatigue (20 mg/day, with occasional additional doses of 5 mg). At 25 weeks' gestation, ultrasonography confirmed the presence of only one umbilical artery. The results of other tests were normal. At 38 weeks' gestation, a healthy male neonate was born. His APGAR scores were 9 and 10 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. Five months later, the infant was healthy and his pediatric progress had been uneventful.

Discussion:

It was difficult to find information about the possible congenital defects related to the use of 3,4-DAP because it is a rarely used drug. This case attracted our interest because it is an uncommon disease, and we found no reports on the use of 3,4-DAP during pregnancy. To our knowledge, as of this writing, this is the first published report of the use of 3,4-DAP during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

A successful pregnancy with a healthy infant was achieved after fetal exposure to 3,4-DAP and pyridostigmine.
Drug-Induced Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis
Authors: Kane Michael P , Busch Robert S
Published: March 2006

Objective:

To report a case of iodine-induced (Jod–Basedow) hyperthyroidism leading to thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP).

Case Summary:

A 64-year-old white male, one day status-post-cardiac catheterization, presented to the local emergency department with profound weakness of his extremities and an inability to stand on his own. Pertinent laboratory test results included a potassium level of 3.0 mEq/L Treatments of oral and intravenous potassium supplementation resulted in his complete recovery. Two days later he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and subsequently treated with nadolol 40 mg daily and methimazole 20 mg daily. At time of writing, the patient remained euthyroid, receiving no antithyroid medications. There had been no further reports of paralysis in the 6 years since his original presentation. The Naranjo probability scale indicated a probable relationship between the patient's episode of TPP and his exposure to the iodinated contrast dye.

Discussion:

TPP is an uncommon manifestation in white patients with hyperthyroidism. Iodine-induced TPP is even more rare, with only 2 such cases reported as of November 2, 2005. In this case, Jod–Basedow hyperthyroidism was induced by the iodine-containing dye that the patient received during cardiac catheterization. Soon after the dye was administered, he developed TPP.

Conclusions:

Clinicians should be aware not only of potential causes of drug-induced thyroid disease, but also of the potential for drug-induced hyperthyroidism leading to TPP. The diagnosis of TPP should be considered in patients presenting with acute onset of extremity weakness or paralysis and hypokalemia. Quick diagnosis and prompt treatment of TPP can prevent life-threatening complications of this treatable and curable disorder.
Prefrontal Cortex Lesions Disrupt the Contextual Control of Response Conflict
Authors: Haddon Josephine E. , Killcross Simon
Published: March 2006

The prefrontal cortex has been implicated in multiple forms of goal-directed behavior. Rats with pretraining lesions to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) or specific lesions to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were trained and tested on a novel behavioral procedure measuring aspects of cue and response competition typical of tests of prefrontal function in humans. Rats were trained on two biconditional discrimination tasks, one auditory and one visual, in two discriminably different contexts. At test, they received presentations of audiovisual compounds of these training stimuli in both contexts, in extinction. These compounds were formed in such way that the individual elements had dictated either the same (congruent trials) or different (incongruent trials) responses during training. Sham-operated rats used the contextual cues to disambiguate the conflicting response information provided by incongruent stimulus compounds. ACC lesions impaired the contextual control of instrumental responding during incongruent cues during only the initial period of cue presentation, whereas larger PFC lesions abolished incongruent cue performance completely. Neither biconditional discrimination acquisition, nor test performance during congruent stimulus compounds, were affected by the lesions. These findings are consistent with human and nonhuman primate studies, indicating a role for the PFC in the processes by which cues come to control behavior in the face of conflicting information and the ACC specifically in processes such as detection of response conflict. This procedure provides a good foundation for an improved understanding of the disruption to goal-directed behavior seen with frontal dysfunction in a number of neuropsychological disorders including schizophrenia.
Glial Cells Dilate and Constrict Blood Vessels: A Mechanism of Neurovascular Coupling
Authors: Metea Monica R. , Newman Eric A.
Published: March 2006

Neuronal activity evokes localized changes in blood flow. Although this response, termed neurovascular coupling, is widely used to monitor human brain function and diagnose pathology, the cellular mechanisms that mediate the response remain unclear. We investigated the contribution of glial cells to neurovascular coupling in the acutely isolated mammalian retina. We found that light stimulation and glial cell stimulation can both evoke dilation or constriction of arterioles. Light-evoked and glial-evoked vasodilations were blocked by inhibitors of cytochrome P450 epoxygenase, the synthetic enzyme for epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Vasoconstrictions, in contrast, were blocked by an inhibitor of ω-hydroxylase, which synthesizes 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid. Nitric oxide influenced whether vasodilations or vasoconstrictions were produced in response to light and glial stimulation. Light-evoked vasoactivity was blocked when neuron-to-glia signaling was interrupted by a purinergic antagonist. These results indicate that glial cells contribute to neurovascular coupling and suggest that regulation of blood flow may involve both vasodilating and vasoconstricting components.
Genetic Manipulation of Intraspinal Plasticity after Spinal Cord Injury Alters the Severity of Autonomic Dysreflexia
Authors: Cameron Adrian A. , Smith George M. , Randall David C. , Brown David R. , Rabchevsky Alexander G.
Published: March 2006

Severe spinal cord injuries above mid-thoracic levels can lead to a potentially life-threatening hypertensive condition termed autonomic dysreflexia, which is often triggered by painful distension of pelvic viscera (bladder or bowel) and consequent sensory fiber activation, including nociceptive C-fibers. Interruption of tonically active medullo-spinal pathways after injury causes disinhibition of thoracolumbar sympathetic preganglionic neurons, and intraspinal sprouting of nerve growth factor (NGF)-responsive primary afferent fibers is thought to contribute to their hyperactivity. We investigated spinal levels that are critical for eliciting autonomic dysreflexia using a model of noxious colorectal distension (CRD) after complete spinal transection at the fourth thoracic segment in rats. Post-traumatic sprouting of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive primary afferent fibers was selectively altered at specific spinal levels caudal to the injury with bilateral microinjections of adenovirus encoding the growth-promoting NGF or growth-inhibitory semaphorin 3A (Sema3a) compared with control green fluorescent protein (GFP). Two weeks later, cardio-physiological responses to CRD were assessed among treatment groups before histological analysis of afferent fiber density at the injection sites. Dysreflexic hypertension was significantly higher with NGF overexpression in lumbosacral segments compared with GFP, whereas similar overexpression of Sema3a significantly reduced noxious CRD-evoked hypertension. Quantitative analysis of CGRP immunostaining in the spinal dorsal horns showed a significant correlation between the extent of fiber sprouting into the spinal segments injected and the severity of autonomic dysreflexia. These results demonstrate that site-directed genetic manipulation of axon guidance molecules after complete spinal cord injury can alter endogenous circuitry to modulate plasticity-induced autonomic pathophysiology.
Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in Skin Alters the Mechanical Sensitivity of Cutaneous Nociceptors
Authors: Albers Kathryn M. , Woodbury C. Jeffrey , Ritter Amy M. , Davis Brian M. , Koerber H. Richard
Published: March 2006

Neurons classified as nociceptors are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) during embryonic development, but a large subpopulation lose this dependence during embryonic and postnatal times and become responsive to the transforming growth factor β family member, glial cell line-derived growth factor (GDNF). To elucidate the functional properties of GDNF-dependent nociceptors and distinguish them from nociceptors that retain NGF dependence, the cellular and physiologic properties of sensory neurons of wild-type and transgenic mice that overexpress GDNF in the skin (GDNF-OE) were analyzed using a skin, nerve, dorsal root ganglion, and spinal cord preparation, immunolabeling, and reverse transcriptase-PCR assays. Although an increase in peripheral conduction velocity of C-fibers in GDNF-OE mice was measured, other electrophysiological properties, including resting membrane potential and somal action potentials, were unchanged. We also show that isolectin B4 (IB4)-positive neurons, many of which are responsive to GDNF, exhibited significantly lower thresholds to mechanical stimulation relative to wild-type neurons. However, no change was observed in heat thresholds for the same population of cells. The increase in mechanical sensitivity was found to correlate with significant increases in acid-sensing ion channels 2A and 2B and transient receptor potential channel A1, which are thought to contribute to detection of mechanical stimuli. These data indicate that enhanced expression of GDNF in the skin can change mechanical sensitivity of IB4-positive nociceptive afferents and that this may occur through enhanced expression of specific types of channel proteins.
Development of the Deep Cerebellar Nuclei: Transcription Factors and Cell Migration from the Rhombic Lip
Authors: Fink Andrew J. , Englund Chris , Daza Ray A. M. , Pham Diane , Lau Charmaine , Nivison Mary , Kowalczyk Tom , Hevner Robert F.
Published: March 2006

The deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) are the main output centers of the cerebellum, but little is known about their development. Using transcription factors as cell type-specific markers, we found that DCN neurons in mice are produced in the rhombic lip and migrate rostrally in a subpial stream to the nuclear transitory zone (NTZ). The rhombic lip-derived cells express transcription factors Pax6, Tbr2, and Tbr1 sequentially as they enter the NTZ. A subset of rhombic lip-derived cells also express reelin, a key regulator of Purkinje cell migrations. In organotypic slice cultures, the rhombic lip was necessary and sufficient to produce cells that migrate in the subpial stream, enter the NTZ, and express Pax6, Tbr2, Tbr1, and reelin. In later stages of development, the subpial stream is replaced by the external granular layer, and the NTZ organizes into distinct DCN nuclei. Tbr1 expression persists to adulthood in a subset of medial DCN projection neurons. Inreelermutant mice, which have a severe cerebellar malformation, rhombic lip-derived cells migrated to the NTZ, despite reelin deficiency. Studies inTbr1mutant mice suggested that Tbr1 plays a role in DCN morphogenesis but is not required for reelin expression, glutamatergic differentiation, or the initial formation of efferent axon pathways. Our findings reveal underlying similarities in the transcriptional programs for glutamatergic neuron production in the DCN and the cerebral cortex, and they support a model of cerebellar neurogenesis in which glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons are produced from separate progenitor compartments.
Double Patch Clamp Reveals That Transient Fusion (Kiss-and-Run) Is a Major Mechanism of Secretion in Calf Adrenal Chromaffin Cells: High Calcium Shifts the Mechanism from Kiss-and-Run to Complete Fusion
Authors: Elhamdani Abdeladim , Azizi Fouad , Artalejo Cristina R.
Published: March 2006

Transient fusion (“kiss-and-run”) is accepted as a mode of transmitter release both in central neurons and neuroendocrine cells, but the prevalence of this mechanism compared with full fusion is still in doubt. Using a novel double patch-clamp method (whole cell/cell attached), permitting the recording of unitary capacitance events while stimulating under a variety of conditions including action potentials, we show that transient fusion is the predominant (>90%) mode of secretion in calf adrenal chromaffin cells. Raising intracellular Ca2+concentration ([Ca]i) from 10 to 200 μmincreases the incidence of full fusion events at the expense of transient fusion. Blocking rapid endocytosis that normally terminates transient fusion events also promotes full fusion events. Thus, [Ca]icontrols the transition between transient and full fusion, each of which is coupled to different modes of endocytosis.
Beyond Spatial Memory: The Anterior Thalamus and Memory for the Temporal Order of a Sequence of Odor Cues
Authors: Wolff Mathieu , Gibb Sheree J. , Dalrymple-Alford John C.
Published: March 2006

Influential recent proposals state that the anterior thalamic (AT) nuclei constitute key components of an “extended hippocampal system.” This idea is, however, based on lesion studies that used spatial memory tasks and there has been no evidence that AT lesions cause deficits in any hippocampal-dependent nonspatial tasks. The present study investigated the role of the AT nuclei in nonspatial memory for a sequence of events based on the temporal order of a list of odors, because this task has recently been shown to depend on the integrity of the hippocampal formation. After preoperative training, rats with excitotoxic lesions of the AT nuclei showed a severe and selective postoperative impairment when required to remember the order of pseudorandom sequences of six odors. The rats with AT lesions were able instead to learn two new tasks that required recognition memory and the identification of the prior occurrence of events independent of their order. These results strongly matched those described after hippocampal lesions and provide the first unequivocal evidence of a detrimental effect of an AT lesion on a nonspatial hippocampal-dependent memory task.
Obesity and Risk for Death Due to Motor Vehicle Crashes
Authors: Zhu Shankuan , Layde Peter M. , Guse Clare E. , Laud Purushottam W. , Pintar Frank , Nirula Raminder , Hargarten Stephen
Published: March 2006

Objectives. We examined the role of body mass index (BMI) and other factors in driver deaths within 30 days after motor vehicle crashes.

Methods. We collected data for 22 107 drivers aged 16 years and older who were involved in motor vehicle crashes from the Crashworthiness Data System of the National Automotive Sampling System (1997–2001). We used logistic regression and adjusted for confounding factors to analyze associations between BMI and driver fatality and the associations between BMI and gender, age, seatbelt use, type of collision, airbag deployment, and change in velocity during a crash.

Results. The fatality rate was 0.87% (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.50, 1.24) among men and 0.43% (95% CI=0.31, 0.56) among women involved as drivers in motor vehicle crashes. Risk for death increased significantly at both ends of the BMI continuum among men but not among women (P<.05). The association between BMI and male fatality increased significantly with a change in velocity and was modified by the type of collision, but it did not differ by age, seatbelt use, or airbag deployment.

Conclusions. The increased risk for death due to motor vehicle crashes among obese men may have important implications for traffic safety and motor vehicle design.
Tests of Structural Hypotheses in Free Recall of Bizarre and Common Dream Reports: Implications for Sleep Research
Authors: Worthen James B. , Eisenstein Sarah A. , Budwey Siobhan C. , Varnado-Sullivan Paula
Published: March 2006

Interpretation of research investigating the content of dreams within the context of sleep studies is complicated by memory-related factors. The present study offers a controlled experiment using wakeful participants to test two main hypotheses that have implications for sleep studies: 1) that the bizarre content of dream reports is more memorable than the common content and 2) that dream structure influences dream recall. Regarding the latter hypothesis, the memorability of three different types of dream reports (Discontinuous, Improbable Combinations, and Improbable Identities) was tested. The results indicated that bizarre content was recalled better than common content across all dream types. Although the three dream types did not differ in terms of correct recall, there was more misplacement in the recall of bizarre than common target content for Discontinuous dream reports only. Implications of the results for the interpretation of sleep studies investigating dream content is discussed.
The Fine Line between Fantasizing Torture and Countenancing Abu Ghraib
Authors: Kunzendorf Robert G. , Acevedo Joselyn , Barrasso Danielle , Leger Scarlen , Lima Diamantina , Lynn Cortney , Williams Sara
Published: March 2006

Over two-thirds of the 110 college students in this study reportedly have entertained at least one fantasy of an offending person being tortured, and 58% of the students reportedly have entertained at least one fantasy of a terrorist being tortured—physically, psychologically, or sexually—by themselves, by other persons, or by divine or demonic beings in an afterlife. The 58% with one or more fantasies of torturing a terrorist felt significantly more ashamed of the real torture perpetrated by American military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison. The students who felt significantly more avenged by the actual torture at Abu Ghraib turned out to be the 34 who had torture fantasies and, at the same time, had higher psychoticism scores. Higher psychoticism—measured not as an all-or-none abnormality, but along an abnormal-to-normal continuum—was also associated with fantasizing the sexual torture of terrorists and fantasizing the torture of terrorists in an afterlife.
Rumination, Dysphoria, and Subjective Experience
Authors: Smallwood Jonathan , O'Connor Rory C. , Heim Derek
Published: March 2006

An experiment is presented which investigated the relationship between rumination, dysphoria, and subjective experience during a short word-fragment completion task. Consistent with previous work off-task thinking, operationalized as task unrelated thought, was associated with dysphoria. By contrast, rumination was a significant predictor of task appraisal defined as task-related interference (TRI). While rumination did not directly contribute to the experience of task unrelated thinking (TUT), evidence was presented which suggests that when combined with a negative mood a ruminative style may amplify the association between this style of thinking and dysphoria. These findings suggest that we can distinguish between the phenomenological experience associated with rumination as distinct from dysphoria and this dissociation may be important in our ability to explain how self-focused attention contributes to enhanced psychological vulnerability.
Suggestive evidence for association of the circadian genes PERIOD3 and ARNTL with bipolar disorder
Authors: Nievergelt Caroline M. , Kripke Daniel F. , Barrett Thomas B. , Burg Elyssa , Remick Ronald A. , Sadovnick A. Dessa , McElroy Susan L. , Keck Paul E. , Schork Nicholas J. , Kelsoe John R.
Published: March 2006

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is suspected to arise in part from malfunctions of the circadian system, a system that enables adaptation to a daily and seasonally cycling environment. Genetic variations altering functions of genes involved with the input to the circadian clock, in the molecular feedback loops constituting the circadian oscillatory mechanism itself, or in the regulatory output systems could influence BPAD as a result. Several human circadian system genes have been identified and localized recently, and a comparison with linkage hotspots for BPAD has revealed some correspondences. We have assessed evidence for linkage and association involving polymorphisms in 10 circadian clock genes (ARNTL, CLOCK, CRY2, CSNK1ε, DBP, GSK3β, NPAS2, PER1, PER2, and PER3) to BPAD. Linkage analysis in 52 affected families showed suggestive evidence for linkage to CSNK1ε. This finding was not substantiated in the association study. Fifty‐two SNPs in 10 clock genes were genotyped in 185 parent proband triads. Single SNP TDT analyses showed no evidence for association to BPAD. However, more powerful haplotype analyses suggest two candidates deserving further studies. Haplotypes in ARNTL and PER3 were found to be significantly associated with BPAD via single‐gene permutation tests (PG = 0.025 and 0.008, respectively). The most suggestive haplotypes in PER3 showed a Bonferroni‐corrected P‐value of PGC = 0.07. These two genes have previously been implicated in circadian rhythm sleep disorders and affective disorders. With correction for the number of genes considered and tests conducted, these data do not provide statistically significant evidence for association. However, the trends for ARNTL and PER3 are suggestive of their involvement in bipolar disorder and warrant further study in a larger sample. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.