bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Corneal Collagen Crosslinking with Riboflavin in Patients of Progressive Keratoconus: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Sasidharan Sabna , Unnikrishnan Laly Thekkemeppilly , Ibrahim Faiza
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Keratoconus is a non inflammatory disease characterised by progressive corneal thinning that results in a cone-like ectasia, irregular astigmatism, and decreased vision. Advanced disease can result in corneal scarring and blindness, necessitating penetrating keratoplasty. The only treatment believed to have the ability to stop or decrease the progression of keratoconus is Collagen Cross-Linking (CXL). Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin (C3R) in patients with keratoconus by studying the outcomes in terms of Uncorrected Visual Acuity (UCVA), Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), manifest refraction, and corneal topography. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based prospective cohort study was conducted at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India from June 2017 to June 2018. Fifteen eyes of 12 patients who underwent corneal collagen cross-linking for progressive keratoconus were included. Routine ophthalmological examinations was done for all patients. Patients under the age of 35 years with progressive keratoconus, an average K value not exceeding 60 D, and who had not undergone any other surgical modalities of treatment were included in the study. Patients with scarred cornea or hydrops, active ocular infection, or pachymetry <400 µm were excluded. Detailed informed consent was obtained from all patients before surgery. Preoperative UCVA, BCVA cylinder, Spherical Equivalent (SE), and topography values were obtained. All patients were followed-up at three and six months postoperative period to look for changes in UCVA, BCVA, manifest refraction, and corneal topography. Data were expressed as the mean±Standard Deviation (SD) pre- and postoperatively and analysed statistically using the paired t-test, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. Results: On follow-up at six months post-treatment, UCVA (log MAR) improved from 0.87±0.40 to 0.65±0.35 (p-value=0.001), and BCVA (log MAR) changed from 0.37±0.21 to 0.17±0.22 (p-value=0.001). K max decreased from 54.90±6.05 to 52.67±5.02 (p-value=0.001), and K min decreased from 48.14±4.24 to 45.93±4.07 (p-value=0.001). Astigmatism and SE also showed statistically significant improvement post-procedure (p-value 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). Astigmatism reduced from -3.50±1.58 to -2.90±1.37. SE reduced from -4.93±3.92 to -4.28±3.48. No significant complications were noted in any of the patients. Conclusion: The CXL is an effective procedure for stabilising the progression of keratoconus, thus reducing the burden of preventable blindness and the need for keratoplasty.
Volumetric Analysis of Sphenoid Sinus in Patients with Symptomatic Nasal Septal Deviation: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Rai Sheetal , Kunnath Rahul , Madhukeshwar Adarsh Kibballi
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Nasal Septal Deviation (NSD) is known to influence the anatomy of the paraseptal structures, such as the lateral nasal wall and middle turbinate, thereby causing changes in ethmoid cell volume and maxillary sinus. However, there is not much literature on the influence of NSD on sphenoid sinus volume. Aim: To evaluate the effect of NSD on the volume of sphenoid sinus. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of one year at a tertiary care hospital in Karnataka, India on 45 patients with symptomatic NSD. Diagnostic Nasal Endoscopy (DNE) and Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the nose and Paranasal Sinuses (PNS) were performed on all patients. NSD was classified into three types based on the degree of septal deviation on CT scan. Sphenoid sinus volumes were measured, and the relationship between NSD and sphenoid sinus volume was analysed using OSIRIX software on the MAC system. Statistical analysis was done using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The mean age of the patients included in the study was 30.89±10.19 years. The male-to-female ratio was 2.75:1. The majority of the patients had NSD to the right (57%). NSD was found to be 1.3 times more frequent on the right-side compared to the left. The angle of NSD ranged between 2.10° and 18°. The majority of the patients were in group I (n=35), while group II and III had seven and three patients, respectively. The total ipsilateral volume was found to be 7.43±3.46 cm3 and the contralateral volume was 7.98±4.19 cm3 . There was no statistically significant difference between ipsilateral and contralateral sphenoid sinus volumes in the population (p-value=0.781). When each group was compared, no significant difference between the total sphenoid cell volumes on the ipsilateral (p-value=0.557) and contralateral (p-value=0.405) sides of the NSD was seen. Conclusion: NSD does not affect the volume of the sphenoid sinus, irrespective of the degree of septal deviation.
Energy Recovery from Agri-Food Processing Waste Using a Thermal Process: Formulation and Characterization of Biofuels from Citrus sinensis and Manihot esculenta Peelings
Authors: Kayaba Haro , Abdoulaye Compaore , Lucmane Koala , Edwige Sawadogo,Ouedraogo B. , Ilboudo Hilary Khatya Pengd-Wende , Souleymane Sinon , Sanogo Oumar
Published: February 2024

This work proposes an energy recovery from agri-food waste through its transformation into biofuel. The agri-food wastes concerned in this work are Manihot esculenta and Citrus sinensis peels and cassava wastewater, which served as a binder. The carbonization phase made it possible to obtain 34.68% dust for the Citrus sinensis peels and 29.06% for the cassava residues. These dusts made it possible to propose two biofuel formulas : L8M92, composed of 8% dry matter powder of the binder and 92% cassava peeling powder ; and L8O92, composed of 8% dry matter powder of the binder and 92% orange peel powder. The characterization of the formulated biofuels made it possible to note that biofuels based on orange peel contain 8.88% ash, a fixed carbon rate of 36.07%, and a Lower heating value (LHV) of 21.54 MJ/kg. Biofuels based on cassava peels contain 19.65% ash and 36.59% fixed carbon, with an LHV of 21.13 MJ/kg. The controlled combustion test (CCT) tests using the formulated biofuels showed that the CO and PM2.5 emission factors are, respectively, 22.38 g/kg and 1.38 g/kg for the biofuel from peelings. Orange, 22.05 g/kg, and 1.45 g/kg for biofuel from cassava peelings. From these results, it is concluded that biofuels formulated from cassava and orange are recoverable, and they have CO and PM2.5 emission factors close to those of charcoal. These biofuels have an interesting energy content with fairly modest CO and PM2.5 emission factors, close to those obtained from charcoal. Also, the characteristics of the formulated biofuels are in the same order of magnitude as those in the literature. These results indicate that cassava and orange waste can be used to contribute to the diversification of the energy supply through biofuel production. However, further work is needed to improve these results.
Study on Different Nectar Rich Flowering Plants of Few Butterfly Species at Different Habitats in Pjtsau Campus Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, India
Authors: Shirisha, V.  , Sunitha, V.  , Ravinder Reddy, V.  , Srinivasa Chary, D.
Published: February 2024

The present study was conducted to investigate the different nectar rich flowering plants of few butterfly species at various habitats in PJTSAU campus, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during the period from October 2022 to March 2023. The study was conducted in agricultural fields (college farm, student farm and Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)), open scrub areas, Agri biodiversity park (ABP) and botanical garden. To record the nectar plants of few butterfly species, systematic field survey through transact walk was conducted by employing visual count method (VCM) in various habitats. A total of 37 flowering plant species belongs to 20 families were visited by butterflies during the study period. Interestingly, flowering trees found to have contributed more (27.03%) followed by weeds (24.32%), cultivable crops (16.22%), herbs and shrubs with same contribution (13.51%) and the least contribution was found to have recorded with climbers (5.41%). Among the 20 families, Asteraceae (6 plant species) and Fabaceae (6 plant species) families with Yellow, white and pink colored flowers were visited more often for nectar collection. It could help to understand the locally available flora with different flower colors as source of food for few butterfly species and emphasized the need of herbaceous flora conservation to restore native butterfly species in various habitats.
Cultivating Tomorrow: Harnessing Gene Editing and Silencing for Precision Horticulture
Authors: Jain Shubham , Ranganna G. , Jadhav Priyanka Shivaji , Shrivastava Ujjwal , Sood Ankita , Prasad Lalu , Luthra Suraj , Anushi
Published: February 2024

Precision Horticulture, propelled by gene editing and silencing technologies, emerges as a transformative approach to address the demands of sustainable and efficient crop production. Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference, horticulturists can precisely modify and regulate plant genomes, ushering in a new era of tailored crops. Gene editing enables the development of crops with heightened resistance to pests, diseases, and improved adaptability. This targeted enhancement, coupled with accelerated breeding processes, results in resilient varieties that meet the challenges of evolving agricultural landscapes. Concurrently, gene silencing technologies allow for the suppression of undesirable traits, extending the shelf life of produce and minimizing post-harvest losses. Integration of these technologies into Precision Horticulture not only optimizes crop traits but also promotes sustainability by reducing reliance on chemical inputs. The approach aligns with environmental conservation, ensuring a more ecologically balanced and resource-efficient cultivation. However, responsible deployment and ethical considerations are paramount for widespread acceptance, highlighting the need for a harmonious balance between technological innovation and ethical utilization in shaping the future of horticulture.
Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Nitrogen Levels on Phenology, Quality, Nutrient Content and Uptake of Coarse Rice
Authors: Ravi  , Lathwal O. P. , Dhaka A. K. , Sutaliya J. M. , Garhwal R. S. , Kamal  , Kumar Pradeep , Phogat Pardeep
Published: February 2024

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2020 at the farm of College of Agriculture, Kaul (Kaithal) of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The objective of the experiment was to study the response of a short-duration non-scented rice variety called HKR-48 to nitrogen fertilization under two different methods of crop establishment. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RBD) factorial design with the two establishment methods (direct seeding and transplanting) as main plot treatments and six levels of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 kg/ha) as sub-plot treatments, with three replications. The results of the experiment showed that the transplanted crop took longer to initiate tillering, anthesis (flowering), and reached maturity slightly earlier compared to the direct-seeded crop. However, both establishment methods showed similar timing for panicle emergence. The methods of crop establishment did not have a significant effect on kernel length, kernel breadth, NPK content, and protein content of the grains. However, the transplanted crop had improved hulling, milling, and head rice recovery compared to the direct-seeded crop. With increasing nitrogen levels, there was a delay in the days taken to attain tillering, panicle emergence, anthesis, and physiological maturity, following a graded response. The kernel length and breadth were not influenced by the graded doses of nitrogen. However, the quality parameters such as hulling, milling, head rice recovery, and protein content of the grains improved significantly with increasing nitrogen levels. The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content in the grain and straw remained unaffected by the different nitrogen doses, except for nitrogen content. The uptake of NPK by the crop (grain and straw) showed an increasing trend with higher nitrogen application
Double‐Step nerve stimulation test for myasthenic block: Sensitization of postactivation exhaustion by ischemia
Authors: Desmedt John E. , Borenstein Samuel
Published: January 2005

A new, double‐step test is described that increases the yield of diagnostically useful data in patients with localized ocular or bulbar paresis who may have myasthenia gravis. The first step involves a program of supramaximal stimulation of the ulnar nerve at a rate of 3 per second for four minutes while electrical responses are recorded in four muscles of the hand and forearm to detect decrements and postactivation exhaustion. The second step delivers the same program under ischemia and elicits decrements from the subclinically involved muscles that reacted normally to the first step. Control tests in a large number of normal subjects established the conditions that efficiently challenge the muscles with a reduced safety factor for neuromuscular transmission while avoiding false‐positive results. The test involves the hypoxic failure of neurochemical processes. The ulnar flexor muscle of the wrist in athletic normal men was surprisingly more susceptible to ischemic exercise than the other normal muscles.

The diagnostic uses of the double‐step test are documented in patients in whom the orbicular muscle of the eye and the proximal limb muscles reacted normally, and the concept of occult myasthenia gravis is discussed.
Eosinophilic polymyositis
Authors: Layzer Robert B. , Shearn Martin A. , Satya‐Murti Saty
Published: January 2005

In 3 patients with subacute polymyositis, muscle biopsies were remarkable for showing abundant infiltration by eosinophils. In each case the inflammatory myopathy was part of a systemic illness known as the hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). The systemic manifestations included eosinophilia, anemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, vascular involvement (subungual petechiae, livedo reticularis, Raynaud's phenomenon), skin rash and subcutaneous edema, pulmonary infiltrates and pleuritis, cardiac involvement (congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, heart block, pericarditis, myocardial and endocardial fibrosis), and peripheral neuropathy. Myopathy has received scant mention in previous reports of HES, but 30% of the patients had neurological symptoms such as encephalopathy, multiple cerebral infarcts (possibly embolic in origin), peripheral neuropathy, and mononeuropathy multiplex. The prognosis is poor, average survival being only nine months after the onset of symptoms; but 2 of our patients, and a few reported by others, have responded well to corticosteroid treatment.
Spinal cord sarcoidosis
Authors: Day Arthur L. , Sypert George W.
Published: January 2005

Three patients with spinal cord involvement by sarcoid are described and the literature is reviewed. Fifteen patients with histologically verified sarcoidosis involving the spinal cord presented with progressive myelopathy due to tumor. Myelography variously showed an extramedullary intradural mass; an intramedullary mass; a thinned, atrophic cord; or normal configuration.

Although laminectomy and biopsy are often required to establish the diagnosis, treatment is medical, using corticosteroid drugs. Treatment seldom leads to complete recovery, but neurological deficits may stabilize or improve.
Developments in the pharmacology and therapeutics of parkinsonism
Authors: Calne D. B.
Published: January 2005

Advances in synaptic pharmacology have led to new approaches to understanding and attempting to alleviate the disturbances in neurotransmission that occur in parkinsonism. Techniques which were initially developed to elucidate normal synaptic phenomena are being employed to screen potential therapeutic agents for efficacy, relative potency, and neurotoxicity and to analyze the mechanism of action of antiparkinsonian drugs. In vitro methods utilizing striatal tissue include the assay of dopamine release, the determination of active dopamine reuptake, the displacement of ligands from dopamine receptors, and the stimulation of dopamine‐sensitive adenylate cyclase. In vivo test systems in rats comprise alleviation of the reserpine syndrome, induction of stereotypic behavior, measurement of turning after unilateral nigrostriatal lesions, evaluation of regional changes in the concentration of dopamine and its metabolites, and recording of single‐unit responses in the brain. With these tools, it is proving possible to sustain progress in the search for improved treatment, exemplified by current experimental studies with dopaminergic agonists and selective inhibitors of monoamine oxidase isoenzymes. The pursuit of practical applications has been accompanied by conceptual advances, such as the proposal that cyclic nucleotides are “second messengers” in the nigrostriatal pathway and the recognition of certain amino acids and peptides as synaptic transmitters or modulators in the basal ganglia.
Suppression of essential tremor by propranolol: Correlation of effect with drug plasma levels and intensity of beta‐adrenergic blockade
Authors: McAllister R. G. , Markesbery William R. , Ware Ray W. , Howell Shirley M.
Published: January 2005

Propranolol was given intravenously to 6 adult patients with essential tremor, using a bolus‐infusion regimen for rapid production and maintenance of predicted drug plasma levels. Tremor in the outstretched hand was quantitated by integration of the waveform signal recorded from a miniature accelerometer. Propranolol had no effect on tremor frequency (6 to 8 cps), but it suppressed tremor amplitude in all patients in direct proportion to the drug's plasma concentration and to the intensity of beta‐adrenergic blockade produced. Among this group of patients the maximal tremor decrease occurred at plasma levels of about 100 ng per milliliter and varied widely between individuals (18 to 85%), implying that the efficacy of propranolol therapy in essential tremor depends on both the plasma drug level and the innate sensitivity of the disorder in the individual patient.
Prolonged focal epilepsy and hypoxemia as a cause of focal brain damage: A case study
Authors: Knopman David , Margolis George , Reeves Alexander G.
Published: January 2005

A 48‐year‐old woman developed epilepsia partialis continue (EPC) involving the right arm and leg, which lasted for four weeks until she died. Systemic hypoxia associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute pneumonia complicated her hospital course. At autopsy, diffuse cortical changes resembling the sequelae of ischemic anoxia were observed in the left cerebral hemisphere. The right cerebral hemisp here and cerebellum were minimally involved. No other significant pathological processes could be identified in the central nervous system, and the cerebrovascular system was free of obstructive lesions. It is proposed that the left‐sided damage was precipitated by the increased metabolic demand of the cerebral cortex associated with the EPC, with which autoregulatory circulatory responses were unable to cope in a patient with underlying hypoxia.
Basilar artery occlusion in a 10–year–old boy
Authors: Ackerman Edward S. , Levinsoh Morris W. , Richards David , Bonstelle Charles , Mitchell Mark
Published: January 2005

A 10‐year‐old boy developed vertigo and signs of brainstem dysfunction. Arteriography demonstrated complete occlusion of the basilar artery. No cause of the occlusion could be determined. This case emphasizes the rarity of basilar artery occlusion during childhood. Its differential diagnosis is discussed.
Cerebral vasculitis in coccidioidal meningitis
Authors: Kobayashi Ronald M. , Coel Marc , Niwayama Gen , Trauner Doris
Published: January 2005

Cerebral vasculitis producing focal central nervous system manifestations was observed in 2 patients with meningitis due to Coccidioides immitis. Cerebral angiography demonstrated the characteristic changes of arteritis, including irregular narrowing of arteries at the base of the brain in 1 patient and occlusion of a middle cerebral artery branch in the other. Pathological examination of the brain in the latter patient revealed extensive basilar meningitis along with prominent vasculitis and organisms. One patient responENd to intrathecal and intravenous amphotericin B treatment combined with a ventriculopleural shunt, the other died despite amphotericin B therapy.
Cerebral‐cerebellar paroxysmal activity in experimental focal seizures
Authors: Caveness William F. , Kosaka Kenji , Hosokawa Shinichi , O'Neill Raymond R.
Published: January 2005

Focal seizures were induced in 14 monkeys by injection of 25,000 units of penicillin into area 4 of the right cerebral motor cortex. Prior to and throughout the development and propagation of the seizures, bipolar recording of the surface electrical activity was obtained from an array of four pairs of platinum electrodes over the right precentral gyrus of the cerebral cortex and a similar array over the paravermal area of the lobulus simplex and the anterior lobe of the left cerebellar cortex.

There was a very close correlation between the initial and subsequent rhythmic spike activity from the right cerebral to the left cerebellar cortices, as evidenced by: (1) an identical time of onset of spike activity in 11 of 14 monkeys, as recorded by the ink‐writing equipment; (2) a comparable increase in frequency and complexity of waveform with progression of paroxysmal activity; and (3) an appropriate and simultaneous somatotopic representation of initiation and progression of the paroxysmal activity along the motor strip of the right motor cortex and the left paravermal area of the cerebellar cortex. The activity in both was consonant with that from electromyograms of the left face, arm, and leg.
Huntington's disease—growth of fibroblast cultures in lipid‐deficient medium: A preliminary report
Authors: Menkes John H. , Hanoch Amalia
Published: January 2005

When skin fibroblast cultures derived from subjects with Huntington's disease (HD) were grown in medium supplemented with lipid‐deficient serum (LDS), growth rates were less than those of control cultures. The mean percentage increase in generation time for nine control cultures incurred by using LDS rather than fetal calf serum (FCS) was 8.0%. Four cultures from 2 patients with HD failed to grow in LDS but grew well in medium supplemented with FCS. In nine other cultures derived from 7 patients with HD the mean percentage increase in generation time incurred by using LDS was 88.1%. Returning cultures to FCS or adding a mixture of linoleic and linolenic acids restored the growth rate of HD cultures to normal.
Botulism: Electrophysiological studies
Authors: Oh Shin Joong
Published: January 2005

In a patient with botulism type B, electrophysiological studies showed: (1) a pattern in the repetitive nerve stimulation test resembling that found in the Eaton‐Lambert syndrome but without any significant increment at high rates of stimulation or posttetanic exhaustion phenomenon; (2) a prominent response to guanidine hydrochloride; (3) a short mean duration of motor unit potentials that reversed with recovery; (4) a mild, prolonged latency and low amplitude of the H‐reflex; (5) mild peripheral nerve dysfunction; and (6) a long‐lasting persistence of abnormalities beyond the time of clinical recovery. The literature reports two types of responses in the repetitive nerve stimulation test in botulism: in the severe form one obtains a low‐amplitude muscle potential, a decremental response at low rates of stimulation, and an insignificant incremental response at high rates of stimulation; in the mild form a normal amplitude of muscle potential occurs together with a normal response to low rates of stimulation and a significant incremental response at high rates of stimulation.
Speech disorders in cerebellar disease
Authors: Lechtenberg Richard , Gilman Sid
Published: January 2005

The areas of cerebellar damage most commonly associated with dysarthria were sought by reviewing the clinical, radiographic, surgical, and autopsy findings in patients with nondegenerative cerebellar disease. Case histories on 162 patients with focal cerebellar lesions were reviewed. All but 15 of the patients underwent surgery, and 28 had autopsies. Thirty‐one of the 122 patients with adequate descriptions of speech had dysarthria. Twenty‐two of these 31 dysarthric patients had exclusively or predominantly left cerebellar hemisphere disease; 7 had right hemisphere disease; and 2 had vermal disease. Only 19 of 41 patients with exclusively or predominantly left hemisphere disease had had normal speech before surgery. Dysarthria developed in isolated cases following cerebellar resections extending into the paravermal segments of the left hemisphere. There was no correlation between the extent of vermal damage and development of abnormal speech. Cerebellar speech function was most commonly affected with damage to the superior portion of the left cerebellar hemisphere.
The distribution of myelin basic protein in central nervous system lesions of multiple sclerosis and acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis
Authors: Whitaker John N.
Published: January 2005

To obtain more information about early events in central nervous system myelin injury in multiple sclerosis (MS), a comparative study was conducted of the distribution of myelin basic protein (BP) in tissue lesions of both MS and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Sixteen postmortem specimens containing lesions from 4 persons with MS and the brains of 14 guinea pigs with acute EAE induced with BP were studied. Cryostat sections of quick‐frozen material were fixed, treated with rabbit antibody to BP, and processed by immunoperoxidase techniques. The reaction of antibody to BP was reduced or absent in MS lesions but normal in uninvolved surrounding tissue. Alterations in BP generally paralleled changes in staining of myelin by histological methods. Marked diminution of reactivity with anti‐BP occurred in early lesions of MS and extended far beyond any identifiable inflammatory elements. In both parenchyma and perivascular areas, lipid‐laden macrophages in MS plaques frequently contained BP material in addition to a variable amount of endogenous peroxidatic activity. Compared with MS, BP was relatively well preserved in brains of guinea pigs with EAE. At the light microscopy level, normalappearing patterns of BP existed adjacent to the perivascular cellular infiltrates, and macrophages containing BP material were rare. The results of this study suggest differences between MS and acute EAE in both removal of BP from the central nervous system and its subsequent disposal.
Comparison between lergotrile and bromocriptine in parkinsonism
Authors: Teychenne P. F. , Pfeiffer R. F. , Bern S. M. , McInturff D. , Calne D. B.
Published: January 2005

The therapeutic and adverse effects of two ergot derivatives, bromocriptine and lergotrile, were compared in idiopathic parkinsonism. At both low (50 mg daily) and high (150 mg daily) dosage there was a similar but not identical profile of response. Initially, lergotrile tended to induce more severe but always transient hypotension. At higher doses, bromocriptine caused more dyskinesia.

Neurological deficits improved with increasing doses up to an average daily level of 80 to 150 mg of ergot derivatives combined with levodopa, 450 to 1,150 mg, and carbidopa, 45 to 115 mg. However, efficacy often declined at the highest doses of antiparkinsonian agents.

Adverse effects caused by ergot derivatives are more common with dosages greater than 100 mg per day. In general, the best overall therapeutic results with bromocriptine and lergotrile were obtained in the dose range of 50 to 100 mg daily for each.

It is concluded that bromocriptine and lergotrile are similar in their therapeutic properties and that both are comparable in efficacy to levodopa plus carbidopa (though optimal results are commonly obtained by combining submaximal doses of levodopa with ergot derivatives). The role for each drug in the treatment of parkinsonism is likely to be determined by factors such as cost (bromocriptine) and hepatotoxicity (lergotrile).
Ectopic generation of impulses and cross‐talk in spinal nerve roots of “dystrophic” mice
Authors: Rasminsky Michael
Published: January 2005

In “dystrophic” mice, many spinal root axons are bare and closely apposed to one another in midroot. The direction of nerve impulse traffic in lumbosacral spinal nerve roots was determined by biphasic recording of spontaneous activity. In normal mice, impulse traffic in dorsal and ventral roots is directed toward and away from the spinal cord, respectively. However, in spinal root fibers of dystrophic mice, impulses also originate in midroot and are propagated toward both the spinal cord and the periphery. Impulses originate in midroot as single isolated events, in bursts at frequencies of up to 100 Hz, or as continuous activity persisting for several minutes in single fibers. Ectopically arising activity in some single fibers is consistently associated with transmission of an impulse in another fiber past the site of origin of the ectopically arising impulse. Thus impulses arise in the spinal root axons of dystrophic mice both spontaneously and as a result of cross‐talk between single fibers.
Papulosis atrophicans maligna (Köhlmeier‐Degos disease): A disseminated occlusive vasculopathy
Authors: McFarland H. Richard , Wood William G. , Drowns Bruce V. , Meneses Antonio C. O.
Published: January 2005

Malignant atrophic papulosis usually presents as pathognomonic skin lesions followed by acute abdominal pain, bowel perforation, peritonitis, and death. Rare patients who may lack gastrointestinal symptoms present with central nervous system manifestations, including headache, paresthesias, weakness, and rapid deterioration to death. The patient reported here was a 47‐year‐old man whose neurological symptoms apparently preceded his cutaneous lesions. His course consisted of a disseminated neurological disease and exacerbated following a herpes zoster infection. His condition rapidly deteriorated despite corticotropin, glucocorticoids, and low‐molecular‐weight dextran. Necropsy revealed a disseminated occlusive vasculopathy and diffuse encephalomyelomalacia of the brain and spinal cord. A review of autopsied patients with central nervous system involvement is provided.
A technique for the elution of cell‐surface antibody from human brain tissue
Authors: Gilden Donald , Devlin Mary , Wroblewska Zofia
Published: January 2005

An artifical system is described in which anti‐dinitrophenyl (DNP) antibody attaches to hapten‐conjugated human brain tissue. Treatment of this material with acetic acid at pH 2.5 to 3.0 for 90 seconds followed by immediate neutralization results in dissociation of antibody from the hapten‐conjugated brain. Less than 1 ng of specific antibody can be detected, as determined by the ability of eluted material to combine with DNP in an established radioimmunoassay system. Similar methods may be applied to neurological disorders in which immunoglobulins are thought to be produced in the central nervous system.
Infantile spasms in down syndrome: A report of 5 cases and review of the literature
Authors: Pollack Michael A. , Golden Gerald S. , Schmidt Rina , Davis Jessica A. , Leeds Norman
Published: January 2005

Five patients with Down syndrome (DS) and infantile spasms were examined in a four‐year interval. Previous reports of this association have been infrequent except during experimental treatment with 5‐hydroxytryptophan, a precursor of serotonin. Malformations of the brain in DS are associated with an increased incidence of epilepsy, and both gross and cytoarchitectural anomalies have been described. The severity and distribution of these central nervous system anomalies presumably predispose to the infantile spasms. The contribution of altered serotonin metabolism is uncertain.
Diffuse cerebral ischemia in the cat: I. Local blood flow during severe ischemia and recirculation
Authors: Ginsberg Myron D. , Budd William W. , Welsh Frank A.
Published: January 2005

The effects of severe cerebral ischemia on postischemic brain perfusion were examined in a series of pentobarbital‐anesthetized cats. Ischemia of 15 or 30 minutes' duration was produced by occlusion of both common carotid arteries and the basilar artery and was coupled with mild systemic hypotension. A 90‐minute period of normotensive postischemic recirculation was permitted in some animals. In 9 of 10 animals studied at the end of the ischemic insult and not allowed to recover, blood flow in the cerebral hemispheres was greatly reduced, with minimal flow (0.01 to 0.11 ml gm−1 min−1) persisting only in scattered perisulcal regions in 4 animals. Following 15 minutes of ischemia, blood flow was restored uniformly during recirculation, though at subnormal levels (31 to 35% of control). In contrast, 30 minutes of prior ischemia led to marked heterogeneities of local cerebral perfusion during recirculation, with multiple zones of persistent severe ischemia. Thus, while recirculation was suboptimal following both 15 and 30 minutes of ischemia, the 30‐minute insult led to focal postischemic perfusion abnormalities that were sufficiently severe to make the possibility of functional recovery appear unlikely.
Diffuse cerebral ischemia in the cat: II. Regional metabolites during severe ischemia and recirculation
Authors: Welsh Frank A. , Ginsberg Myron D. , Rieder Wendy , Budd William W.
Published: January 2005

Metabolite levels were measured in seven brain regions in cats after 15 or 30 minutes of a severe ischemic insult and after a 90‐minute period of recirculation following 15 or 30 minutes of ischemia. Brain levels of phosphocreatine were depleted after a 15‐ or 30‐minute insult, and lactate levels were extremely high at both times. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in many brain areas and the presence of microregions of low reduced nicotinamineadenine dinucleotide in the brains of the animals that had 15 minutes of ischemia suggested that the ischemia, though severe, was not complete.

Recirculation following a 15‐minute insult restored brain levels of ATP and phosphocreatine to 70 to 100% of control values in all regions analyzed. In contrast, metabolic recovery from a 30‐minute insult was regionally heterogeneous. Thus, there was persistent depression of ATP and phosphocreatine and elevation of lactate, which was localized in discrete cortical foci near the longitudinal midline. The factors governing the localization of metabolic failure must have become manifest during the recirculation period since the ischemic insult itself caused similar metabolic perturbations in all cortical regions.
Differences in reaction times and average evoked potentials as a function of direct and indirect neural pathways
Authors: Ledlow Alexa , Swanson James M. , Kinsbourne Marcel
Published: January 2005

Average evoked potentials and manual response latencies were collected during a simple detection task in which brief visual stimuli were presented to the left and right visual fields. Latencies generated by the ipsilateral stimulushand combinations were shorter than contralateral combinations only under certain conditions, impugning the hypothesis that the reaction time difference reflects interhemispheric transfer time. Certain evoked potential components recorded contralateral to the stimulus occurred earlier than their ipsilateral counterparts, but whether this difference can be interpreted as representing interhemispheric transfer time is also questioned.
Cerebral carbohydrate metabolism during hypoglycemia and anoxia in newborn rats
Authors: Vannucci Robert C. , Vannucci Susan J.
Published: January 2005

The cerebral metabolic responses to perinatal hypoglycemia and anoxia were studied in newborn rats given regular insulin (30 units per kilogram of body weight). Animals were observed for up to 2 hours with no apparent ill effects in spite of blood glucose concentrations of 0.75 mmol per liter. When exposed to 100% nitrogen at 37°C, hypoglycemic animal survived only one‐tenth as long as littermate controls with normal blood glucose levels (4.7 mmol/L). Pretreatment of hypoglycemic rats with glucose (10 mmol/kg) 10 and 30 minutes prior to nitrogen exposure nearly completely reversed the anoxic vulnerability. Hypoglycemia led to progressive reductions in crebral glycogen and glucose; however, only glucose reverted to normal levels 20 minutes after systemic glucose administration. The glycolytic intermediates glucose 6‐phosphate and lactate were also lower during hypoglycemia. Brain glucose levels below 0.1 mmol per kilogram were associated with a disrupted cerebral energy state, reflected by declines in phosphocreatine (33%) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (10%). Cerebral energy utilization (metabolic rate) was minimally reduced (−7.2%) by hypoglycemia and returned to the control value (2.36 mmol ∼ P/kg/min) with glucose treatment. The cerebral energy reserves ATP, adenosine diphosphate, and phosphocreatine delined more rapidly and to a lower level in hypoglycemic rats subjected to 2 1/2 minutes of anoxia than in normoglycemic animals rendered similarly hypoxic. The findings suggest that decreased anoxic resistance of hypoglycemic newborn rats is not primarily a function of reduced brain glycogen or altered cerebral metabolic rate. The presence of endogenous cerebral glucose stores combined with continued circulating glucose (cerebrovascular perfusion) appear to be critical factors for maintaining perinatal hypoxic survival.
Hemifacial spasm and the facial nucleus
Authors: Ferguson John H.
Published: January 2005

Spontaneous and associated hyperkinetic facial movements and contracture which follow injury to the seventh cranial nerve (postparalytic hemifacial spasm) or arise without known previous injury (cryptogenic hemifacial spasm) are pathological motor phenomena not found in the distribution of other cranial or somatic motor nerves. The commonly expressed hypotheses of pathogenesis—aberrant regeneration and fiber excitation by false synapse formation (ephapses) at the site of injury—cannot account for all aspects of these phenomena or for the uniqueness of such movements to the distribution of the seventh nerve.

The suggestion is made that the existing diversity of facial motor behavior, which encompasses voluntary, emotional, and especially automatic, associated, and reflexive movements, is based on a unique central organization that sets it apart from other motor groups. I hypothesize that because of this organization, the changes following axonal injury—which include selective deafferentation, glial response, axonal sprouting, functional reconnection, and hyperexcitability from dendritic spike generation—can unmask and augment automatic, associated, and reflexive movements already present in the facial neuronal network to result in facial hyperkinesia.
Paroxysmal beta activity in the pediatric electroencephalogram
Authors: Nealis James G. T. , Duffy Frank Hopkins
Published: January 2005

A total of 5,401 electroencephalograms performed in the Seizure Unit at Children's Hospital Medical Center over a 12‐month period were analyzed for the presence of paroxysmal beta activity. Nine examples were found in patients under the age of 10 years, each of whom had a clinical seizure disorder. Seven patients showed abnormalities such as tumor, cerebral dysgenesis, or hydrocephalus on CAT scans or skull roentgenograms. Paroxysmal beta activity should be considered a manifestation of a seizure disorder. Furthermore, the finding of paroxysmal beta activity on an electroencephalogram in the young child should lead to further evaluation for a possible structural lesion.
Alteration in erythrocyte membrane structure in duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Wakayama Y. , Hodson A. , Pleasure D. , Bonilla E. , Schotland D. L.
Published: January 2005

Freeze‐fracture studies of erythrocytes from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy revealed depletion of particles on both fracture faces of the plasma membrane. This study indicates that the structure of the erythrocyte plasma membrane is abnormal in Duchenne dystrophy and supports the concept that a generalized membrane abnormality is present in this disease.
Paired helical filaments in neurovisceral lipidosis (juvenile dystonic lipidosis)
Authors: Horoupian Dikran S. , Yang S. Samuel
Published: January 2005

Paired helical filaments, the ultrastructural substrate of Alzheimer neurofibrillary change, were found in great number in a 29‐year‐old patient with neurovisceral lipidosis. The abnormal filaments were frequently present in the distended neurons and axons. The clinical, pathological, and ultrastructural findings were consistent with juvenile dystonic lipidosis, which is considered to be a variant of type C Niemann‐Pick disease. The association of Alzheimer neurofibrillary change and central nervous system lipidosis is reviewed.
Characterization of antioligodendrocyte serum
Authors: Traugott Ute , Snyder D. Stephen , Norton William T. , Raine Cedric S.
Published: January 2005

An antioligodendrocyte serum (AOS) has been raised in rabbits against preparations of isolated bovine oligodendrocytes. The antibody was assayed by two techniques. By complement fixation with isolated oligodendrocytes, the titer of the antibody was 1:64 to 1 : 128. By indirect immunofluorescence testing of oligodendrocyte suspensions and frozen brain sections, the titer of the AOS was 1 : 256 to 1 : 512. When unabsorbed AOS was used, immunofluorescent staining proved it specific for bovine oligodendrocytes in suspension and in sections, and for human oligodendrocytes in sections. In cell suspensions, the staining was membrane related and in sections, cytoplasmic. The oligodendrocyte staining could be totally removed by absorption of AOS against oligodendrocyte suspensions, whereas absorption against bovine myelin, bovine myelin basic protein, and bovine neurons did not affect the staining reaction. AOS also stained Schwann cells, a property possibly related to antigens shared with oligodendrocytes. It is concluded that AOS is specific for oligodendrocytes and can now be applied to fundamental and disease‐related problems in the central nervous system.
Remyelination in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Prineas J. W. , Connell F.
Published: January 2005

Chronic plaques in central nervous system tissue fixed by in situe perfusion for electron microscopy were examined for evidence of remyelination in 2 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Fibers with abnormal central myelin sheaths of several types were found at the margins of most of the plaques studied. The most common of these were: (1) the presence of bare stretches of axon between contiguous internodes, (2) the presence of thin paranodes, (3) internodes which changed markedly in thickness along their length due to premature termination of superficial or deep myelin lamellae that ended as hypertrophic lateral loops, and (4) abnormally thin internodes which were of uniform thickness along their length, which were shorter than normal, and which terminated in the form of normal nodal complexes. The finding of internodes of the last type at the edges of many plaques indicates that remyelination by oligodendrocytes can occur in the adult human CNS and that it is common in some cases of MS, although limited in its extent.
Computerized tomography in the diagnostic evaluation of multiple sclerosis
Authors: Hershey Linda A. , Gado Mokhtar H. , Trotter John L.
Published: January 2005

Sixty‐six patients with a tentative or certain diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) were examined with cranial computerized tomography (CT). Abnormalities found in 19 (29%) included discrete areas of decreased white matter density, enlarged ventricles, cortical atrophy, and focal areas of contrast enhancement. The presence of white matter lucencies and ventricular dilatation correlated with an increased incidence of diffuse hyperreflexia and mental impairment. Since half the patients with contrast‐enhancing lesions were clinically stable, their lesions may represent acute asymptomatic plaques. Abnormalities on CT scan were observed more often in older patients whose disease had lasted longer and was clinically more definite. Since findings were sparse in early, less definite disease, the use of CT as a purely diagnostic tool is limited.
Visual evoked potentials and the visuogram in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Bodis‐Wollner Ivan , Hendley Charles D. , Mylin Leland H. , Thornton John
Published: January 2005

Visual evoked potential (VEP) latency to a sinusoidal grating pattern was measured in each eye of 103 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and compared with results in a control group of 56 patients hospitalized for other neurological conditions. Of the 50 patients classified as having definite MS, 90% showed prolonged latency (over 131 msec) in one or both eyes. In each eye of 24 of the MS patients, psychophysical measurement of the detectability of grating patterns was obtained. This test was abnormal in 11 of 13 patients with definite MS, 3 of 4 with probable MS, and 5 of 7 with possible MS. There was no concordance between prolonged VEP latency and visual impairment as revealed by the psychophysical test. Apparently pathways determining VEP latency and spatial contrast detection may be unequally affected in MS.
Central vestibular involvement in peroneal muscle atrophy: A preliminary report
Authors: Melgaard B. , Zilstorff K.
Published: January 2005

A family is presented in which 6 out of 8 members were found to have peroneal muscle atrophy. Neurophysiological and histopathological evidence for the hypertrophic form of this disease was obtained in 3 patients. Three patients with peroneal muscle atrophy and 1 unaffected family member had abnormal differential caloric tests. This is the first report of an apparently hereditary dysfunction of the central vestibular system associated with a hereditary neuropathy.
Selective chromatolysis of neurons in the gerbil brain: A possible consequence of “epileptic” activity produced by common carotid artery occlusion
Authors: Brown A. W. , Levy D. E. , Kublik M. , Harrow J. , Plum F. , Brierley J. B.
Published: January 2005

Unilateral (50 to 118 minutes) and bilateral (2 to 33 minutes) carotid artery occlusion in gerbils resulted in two distinct types of neuronal alteration: ischemic cell change (ICC) in selectively vulnerable brain regions, and selective chromatolysis (SC) confined to the deeper layers of the cortex, the Sommer sector of zone h1, and the paramedian region (PM) of the hippocampus.

In typical SC the nucleus was eccentric and the Nissl Substance was lost in the central eosinophilic cytoplasm. In electron micrographs this area of cytoplasm showed disruption of smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum with disaggregation of polyribosomes and accumulation of mitochrondria and various dense bodies. SC was identified at 2 to 3 hours and was still recognizable at five days. When bilateral carotid artery occlusion lasted 5 to 6 minutes, SC was seen in the hippocampal Sommer sector and cerebral cortex, while ICC was restricted to the endfolium (h3–5). Unlike ICC, the frequency of SC was not related to the duration of ischemia but probably to the epileptic seizures (overt and subclinical) initiated by ischemia in the gerbil. These changes must be considered when the gerbil is employed as a model of experimental stroke.