bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The needs of people with HIV in the UK: findings from a national survey
Authors: Anderson W J , Weatherburn P
Published: November 2004

The aim of this study was to describe the needs of people living with HIV in the UK. A questionnaire addressing 17 areas of need was completed by 1821 people living with HIV in the UK. The core need indicator was a personal assessment of happiness with current state. A quarter of all respondents were happy with their current state across all needs. For each need, the following proportions were unhappy with their current state: sex, 40%; anxiety/depression, 33%; sleep, 32%; self-confidence, 32%; money, 28%; household chores and self-care, 18%; housing, 18%; appetite, eating and drinking, 17%; friendships, 17%; discrimination, 16%; mobility, 15%; dealing with health professionals, 15%; relationships, 14%; drugs and alcohol, 9%; taking treatments regularly, 5%; HIV treatment knowledge, 4%; looking after children, 2%. Although some people with HIV are coping well with minimal unmet need, the overall picture of need is dominated by personal, social and economic issues.
Disseminated nocardiosis presenting with cardiac tamponade in an HIV patient
Authors: Leang Bunse , Lynen Lut , Lim Kruy , Jacques Gary , Van Esbroeck Marjan , Zolfo Maria
Published: November 2004

The incidence of nocardial infection in HIV-positive patients is increasing. In immune suppression the infection is often disseminated and can present as cardiac tamponade.
Diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis in North Thames Region 2003
Authors: Sethi G , Forster G E , Brook M G , Jones K , Daniels D , Horner P J ,   North Thames GUM/HIV Audit Group
Published: November 2004

A multi-centre re-audit of tests used for chlamydia diagnosis in GU medicine clinic attendees from February 2003 to March 2003 in the North Thames region showed improvements since our previous audit in 1999, with a significant increase in the proportion of clinics using nucleic acid amplification tests and non-invasive testing.
Bilateral psoas abscesses in an HIV-positive patient
Authors: Kozakis L , Ballachandran T
Published: November 2004

Patients with HIV can often present a diagnostic challenge and may have atypical presentations of more common diseases. This case demonstrates such a scenario; we describe a 35-year-old man with a recent diagnosis of HIV infection complaining of backache, anorexia and weight loss. On investigation he was found to have bilateral tuberculous psoas abscesses. A review of the literature shows that this is a rare presentation of an already unusual problem, with subtle signs requiring a high index of clinical suspicion. However, with HIV-positive patients more likely to present with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, there is need for increased awareness of this diagnosis.
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a pharmacy-based screening programme for Chlamydia trachomatis in a high-risk health centre population in Amsterdam using mailed home-collected urine samples
Authors: van Bergen Jan E A M , Postma Maarten J , Peerbooms Paul G H , Spangenberg Arie C , Tjen-A-Tak Jessica , Bindels Patrick J E
Published: November 2004

In order to increase case-detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in a multicultural, low-income and high-CT-prevalence neighbourhood, a novel approach was piloted in collaboration with the pharmacy of the health centre. During a two-year period, women aged 15–29 years who collected their contraceptives at the pharmacy were offered CT-test materials. Home-collected urine could be mailed to the laboratory and the general practitioner received the results. Nine percent of respondents were CT-positive (14% among 15–24 year-olds). There was a strong association with Surinamese/Antillean background. Uptake of the programme was low (27%). Net cost per pelvic inflammatory disease prevented ranged from cost-saving up to €3872 in a low complication rate/high testing cost scenario. Faced with higher risk, but low participation rates, active case-detection of CT-infections in 'high-prevalence-areas' needs a concerted approach by different providers and community organizations, both in secondary and primary prevention. Pharmacists can contribute if proper liaison is made with primary care providers and/or public health services for (partner-)treatment, counselling and comprehensive sexual health care.
HPV 16/18-associated condyloma acuminatum of the urinary bladder: first international report and review of literature
Authors: Chrisofos M , Skolarikos A , Lazaris A , Bogris S , Deliveliotis Ch
Published: November 2004

Condyloma acuminatum is an anogenital lesion caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a common sexually transmitted disease. It usually affects the external genitalia while urethral and/or bladder involvement is rare. HPV types are classified into three categories depending on their oncogenic potential: low risk (type 6, 11, 42, 43, 44, 59, 66, 68, 70), intermediate risk (type 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 39, 40, 49, 51, 52, 53, 57, 58, 63, 64) and high risk (type 16, 18, 45, 56). High-risk and intermediate-risk HPV-DNA types, together with other co-factors still to be defined, are responsible for over 90% of the cases of anogenital pre-malignant and malignant tumours. We report a unique case of a urinary bladder condyloma acuminatum positive for HPV 16/18 DNA, presented as the primary and only site of the disease in an immunocompetent patient. We review the treatment and follow-up strategies of this rare lesion.
Right about others, wrong about ourselves? Actual and perceived self‐other differences in resistance to persuasion
Authors: Douglas Karen M. , Sutton Robbie M.
Published: November 2004

The third‐person effect (TPE) is the tendency for people to perceive the media as more influential on others than on themselves. This study introduced a new methodological paradigm for measuring the TPE and examined whether the effect stems from an overestimation of the persuasibility of others, an underestimation of the persuasibility of the self, both, or neither. In three studies, we compared ratings of: (a) current self attitudes (both baseline and post‐persuasion), (b) current others' attitudes (both baseline and post‐persuasion), (c) retrospective self attitudes, and (d) retrospective others' attitudes. We also measured traditional third‐person perception ratings of perceived influence. Rather than overestimating others' attitude change, we found evidence that people underestimated the extent to which their own attitudes had, or would have, changed.
A Mechanistic Approach to Conductivity Relaxation in Ionic Glasses
Authors: Ingram Malcolm D. , Banhatti R. D. , Konidakis Ioannis
Published: November 2004

A mechanism is proposed for conductivity relaxation in ionic glasses, based on the operation of a memory effect (as postulated in the dynamic structure model) that provides the necessary synergy for ‘pair-wise’ coupling of ionic motions in single cation glasses. It is suggested that this mechanism (which resembles in some respects the older ‘interstitialcy’ process) constitutes an essential component of the single and many-particle reaction route’ in Funke’s concept of mismatch and relaxation (CMR). This coupling is also present in mixed cation glasses, but the appearance of a site mismatch effect and the consequent disappearance of synergy leads to anomalous behaviours typical of the mixed cation effect, including recently reported increases in activation volume.
How Relevant is the Network Dynamics for the Alkali Diffusion in Alkali Silicate Glasses?
Authors: Heuer Andreas , Lammert Heiko , Kunow Magnus
Published: November 2004

The relevance of network dynamics in a disordered alkali silicate ion conductor is studied via computer simulations. It is shown that the network dynamics below the glass transition is very localized and does not give rise to major fluctuations of ionic sites. These local network fluctuations are, however, very important to understand the alkali dynamics. After immobilising the network the activation energy roughly doubles. Furthermore dynamic heterogeneities as well as backdragging forces are much stronger. Qualitatively, these observations can be rationalized by a scenario similar to the Anderson-Stuart model of ion dynamics.
On the Early Stages of the Formation Reaction of Cementite, Fe3C
Authors: Constantinescu A. , Buryy O. A. , Kipp S. , Becker K. D.
Published: November 2004

The formation of cementite, Fe3C, in thin iron foils has been studied under in-situ conditions in the temperature range from 500 °C to 600 °C by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy in time-resolved experiments at different carbon activities. Overall, the reaction shows a two-step process exhibiting two different kinetic regimes, which can be well described on the basis of a modified Johnson–Mehl–Avrami kinetics with a characteristic parameter n = 3/2. Deviations from this behaviour, occurring in the early stages of the reaction, are discussed.
Pharmacogenomics in Cardiovascular Medicine
Authors: Carlquist John F. , Anderson Jeffrey L.
Published: November 2004

The completion of the Human Genome Project (HGP) holds promise for further insight into how genetic differences contribute to an individual's response to a medicine(s). Even before the completion of the HGP, cardiovascular medicine was thrust into the arena of pharmacogenomics by the observation that many drugs, cardiovascular and noncardiovascular, promote cardiac arrhythmias. It is now recognized that these adverse responses as well as beneficial responses to cardiovascular medicines can be influenced by alterations in the genes for metabolizing enzymes, drug transporters, and drug targets. To the present, much basic information regarding gene–drug interactions has accumulated, but translation to clinical care has been slow. It is anticipated that the pace of clinical cardiovascular pharmacogenomics will increase as the result of better‐designed studies and technological advances. The final adoption of this area of investigation into clinical practice will also be influenced by financial, psychosocial, and legal factors. Drug Dev. Res. 62:180–190, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New insights on attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder pharmacogenomics
Authors: Rohde Luis Augusto , Zeni Cristian , Polanczyk Guilherme , Hutz Mara H.
Published: November 2004

Although there is an impressive literature documenting both a strong participation of genetics in the etiology of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a high rate of response to stimulants and atomoxetine, surprisingly few studies on the pharmacogenomics of ADHD were conducted. This review aims to present a critical discussion of findings from recent investigations on this emerging new area of research. We performed a systematic computer review of the literature on ADHD pharmacogenomics. In addition, we contacted some research centers involved in research on ADHD genetics, asking for any kind of nonpublished data relevant for the topic of this revision. This review strategy identified only seven papers presenting nonduplicated research findings on ADHD pharmacogenomics. Contact with other investigators resulted in five more studies presented in medical meetings or still nonpublished. The majority of investigations are on dopaminergic genes, especially on polymorphisms at the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1). Although there were some instigating preliminary results suggesting the association between the homozygosity for the 10‐repeat allele at DAT1 gene and response to methylphenidate, recent studies were not able to replicate these previous findings. Very few investigations addressed the role of nondopaminergic genes, or gene‐to‐gene interactions in ADHD pharmacogenomics. Pharmacogenomic studies of ADHD are in their infancy. We presented a discussion on the limitations and possible future directions of the research in the field. Drug Dev. Res. 62:172–179, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Brokerless trust and reputation implementation for intelligent community spaces
Authors: Yamada Masashi , Hoshiai Takashige , Kimura Shoji
Published: November 2004

An intelligent community spaces architecture (COMNet), which supports the activation of communities through the application of P2P network technology, is proposed. COMNet can form network communities without requiring a broker. We call this a broker‐less model. In this paper, we propose a distributed trust‐control technology as one of the component groups of COMNet. This technology is important to the formation of reliable network communities. We propose a few trust algorithms and two types of reputation algorithm using information from other entities as elements of distributed trust‐control technology. Copyright © 2004 AEI
Implied correlation index: A new measure of diversification
Authors: Skintzi Vasiliki D. , Refenes Apostolos‐Paul N.
Published: November 2004

Most approaches in forecasting future correlation depend on the use of historical information as their basic information set. Recently, there have been some attempts to use the notion of “implied” correlation as a more accurate measure of future correlation. This study proposes an innovative methodology for backing‐out implied correlation measures from index options. This new measure called implied correlation index reflects the market view of the future level of the diversification in the market portfolio represented by the index. The methodology is applied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average index, and the statistical properties and the dynamics of the proposed implied correlation measure are examined. The evidence of this study indicates that the implied correlation index fluctuates substantially over time and displays strong dynamic dependence. Moreover, there is a systematic tendency for the implied correlation index to increase when the market index returns decrease and/or the market volatility increases, indicating limited diversification when it is needed most. Finally, the forecast performance of the implied correlation index is assessed. Although the implied correlation index is a biased forecast of realized correlation, it has a high explanatory power, and it is orthogonal to the information set compared to a historical forecast. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 25:171–197, 2005
Evapotranspiration of Caragana korshinskii communities in a revegetated desert area: Tengger Desert, China
Authors: Wang Xin‐Ping , Brown‐Mitic Constance M. , Kang Er‐Si , Zhang Jing‐Guang , Li Xin‐Rong
Published: November 2004

More than 40 years of revegetation using mainly Caragana korshinskii at Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station in China has established a dwarf‐shrub and herbaceous cover on the stabilized sand dunes. The evapotranspiration (ET) of the dwarf‐shrub C. korshinskii community and the evaporation (E) of the bare soil were measured by the auto‐weighing lysimeter method during the growing seasons from 1990 to 1995. The average ET rate was 0·83 mm d−1, which varied from 0·71 to 1·06 mm d−1 during the 6‐year period. Monthly ET ranged from 0·14 to 2·35 mm d−1, with a monthly precipitation (P) range of 0 to 3·12 mm d−1. Monthly ET/P ratios varied from 0·94 to 1·28 and averaged 97·4% overall. Most of the precipitation in this area usually falls between June and September. The lowest precipitation was recorded in 1991, with most of it falling during April and May. This temporal anomaly in the precipitation resulted in the highest ET/P ratio (by 0·33) and soil moisture depletion (ΔS = −31·5 mm) for the 6‐year period. ET from the revegetated sand dunes around Shapotou under natural precipitation may account for 12·2% of the potential evaporation. Cumulative P and cumulative ET and E were highly correlated, with a well‐defined linear relationship of ET = 0·80P + 10·0 and E = 0·55P + 5·89, with regression R2 ranging from 0·953 to 0·985. In 1991, however, the regression equations for both ET and E were considerably different than the other years, with a steeper slope and a negative intercept resulting from the anomaly in the precipitation pattern. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forgiving our debtors: a Scottish perspective on a fresh start for debtors
Authors: McKenzie Skene Donna W.
Published: November 2004

Against a background of rising debt levels, this article examines the range of solutions available to a debtor in financial difficulty in Scots law and the recent proposals for reform of bankruptcy law in Scotland brought forward by the Scottish Executive as part of its new approach to debt management and enforcement in Scotland and considers the extent to which they may accord an over‐burdened debtor the opportunity for a fresh start. It concludes that while the emphasis on providing appropriate solutions for over‐burdened debtors with a view to enabling them to make a fresh start evidenced by these proposals is to be welcomed, they may not yet have struck quite the right balance in this respect. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of bovine and novel interferon‐τ alleles in the American plains bison (bison bison) by analysis of hybrid cattle x bison blastocysts
Authors: Rasmussen Terri A. , Ealy Alan D. , Kubisch H. Michael
Published: November 2004

The objective of this study was to generate bison x cattle hybrid embryos by in vitro fertilization, to assess their developmental potential, to determine the pattern of secretion of the embryonic signaling molecule interferon‐τ (IFN‐τ), and to identify novel IFN‐τ mRNA polymorphism in the American plains bison. A total of 600 bovine oocytes were inseminated with frozen‐thawed bison semen. Of these, 40.7% cleaved and 14.8% proceeded to the blastocyst stage. Individual blastocysts were cultured on a basement membrane (Matrigel) and their ability to attach and form outgrowths was monitored. A total of 36 blastocysts were cultured of which 22 formed outgrowths. During individual culture, medium samples were collected and their IFN‐τ concentration was measured. On day 6 after onset of individual culture, attached outgrowths produced significantly more IFN‐τ than unattached viable or degenerate blastocysts. At this time, female conceptuses also produced significantly more IFN‐τ than their male cohorts. However, by day 12 this difference had disappeared. Total mRNA was extracted from three individual outgrowths and analyzed by RT‐PCR. Subsequent sequencing of 28 clones showed several known bovine IFN‐τ sequences as well as two novel sequences termed bisIFN‐τ1 and 2. To determine the origin of these, DNA was extracted from bison semen and analyzed by PCR. One bovine IFN‐τ sequence (bovIFN‐τ1d) as well as bisIFN‐τ2 and a third novel sequence bisIFN‐τ3 were detected. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using hybrid embryos for the analysis of developmentally regulated gene expression in species where embryos may not be available. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 70: 228–234, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Studies of the oxidation of iron by air after being exposed to water vapour using angle‐resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and QUASES™
Authors: Grosvenor A. P. , Kobe B. A. , McIntyre N. S.
Published: November 2004

Air oxidation of Fe was compared with and without a pre‐exposure to water vapour. Angle‐resolved x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS) and QUASES™ were used to determine the thickness of the oxide layer formed and its composition. The extent of oxidation was found to be much less if the surface was pre‐exposed to water rather than air alone. Studies performed using ARXPS were able to show that the hydroxyl‐containing layer located at the surface after Fe was exposed to water vapour was located below the surface after exposure to air. This observation suggested that the oxidation of Fe in air is mediated by cation diffusion. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ANTI-EPISCOPACY AND GRAPHIC SATIRE IN ENGLAND, 1640–1645
Authors: PIERCE HELEN
Published: November 2004

This article examines the role of graphic satire as a tool of agitation and criticism during the early 1640s, taking as its case study the treatment of the archbishop of Canterbury and his episcopal associates at the hands of engravers, etchers, and pamphlet illustrators. Previous research into the political ephemera of early modern England has been inclined to sideline its pictorial aspects in favour of predominantly textual material, employing engravings and woodcuts in a merely illustrative capacity. Similarly, studies into the contemporary relationship between art, politics, and power have marginalized certain forms of visual media, in particular the engravings and woodcuts which commonly constitute graphic satire, focusing instead on elite displays of authority and promoting the concept of a distinct dichotomy between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture and their consumers. It is argued here that the pictorial, and in particular graphic, arts formed an integral part of a wider culture of propaganda and critique during this period, incorporating drama, satire, reportage, and verse, manipulating and appropriating ideas and imagery familiar to a diverse audience. It is further proposed that such a culture was both in its own time and at present only fully understood and appreciated when consumed and considered in these interdisciplinary terms.
PROFESSIONS, ELITES, AND UNIVERSITIES IN ENGLAND, 1870–1970
Authors: SCHWARZ LEONARD
Published: November 2004

The relationship between the ‘growth of professional society’ and the growth of new universities in England from the later nineteenth century is more often asserted than examined in detail. This article examines the policies towards graduates of three large professions, those of schoolteachers, solicitors, and accountants. The crucial first stage was the growth of an examining society during the second half of the nineteenth century; exams were necessary for almost everything and middle-class children, girls as well as boys, stayed at school longer to take them. This process provided the students both for women's colleges and for the new universities. However, graduate employment remained a problem: solicitors resisted large-scale graduate entry until well into the 1950s, accountants for a decade longer. Teaching was exceptional as a large profession that accepted graduates in large numbers. As a result, the secondary school system produced teachers, who produced university students, many of whom had little option but to return to teaching. This applied to Science as well as Arts students, male as well as female. Secondary school teaching rapidly became a graduate profession, while interwar elementary school teaching moved quite rapidly in that direction. The restricted occupations available for graduates created a vicious circle that significantly restrained the Redbrick universities' opportunities for expansion from their foundation until after 1945. Thereafter, with their traditional intake now going to university, solicitors and accountants were increasingly compelled to accept graduates in large numbers. The post-war growth in student numbers was bound up with a widening of social access to universities, particularly within the middle classes.
HARRY TRUMAN'S RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL
Authors: OTTOLENGHI MICHAEL
Published: November 2004

Historiographical accounts of Harry Truman's recognition of Israel have placed undue importance on this apparently sudden act on 14 May 1948. US Palestine policy has not been placed in the correct historical context of the Cold War. As a ‘Cold War consensus’ developed in Washington in the early post-war period, Palestine emerged as a secondary issue to the major concern that was the ‘Northern Tier’ of Greece, Turkey, and Iran. The US was guided by broad but clear objectives in Palestine: the attainment of a peaceful solution, a desire not to implicate US troops, and the denial of the region to the Soviets. Disagreements between the White House and the State Department were all expressed within these broad policy objectives. Israeli sources have been significant by their absence in the existing historiography of recognition. These sources reveal that for the Jewish community in Palestine, diplomatic victories were of secondary importance to the practical achievement of statehood. From both a Washington perspective, and the perspective from Palestine, US recognition was not regarded as a crucial issue at the time. It was a decision taken within the context of broad US objectives in Palestine, and it did not influence the decision of the Yishuv to declare statehood.
Scripting the Revolutionary Worker Autobiography: Archetypes, Models, Inventions, and Markets
Authors: Koenker Diane P.
Published: November 2004

This essay offers approaches to reading worker autobiographies as a genre as well as source of historical “data”. It focuses primarily on one example of worker narrative, the autobiographical notes of Eduard M. Dune, recounting his experiences in the Russian Revolution and civil war, and argues that such texts cannot be utilized even as “data” without also appreciating the ways in which they were shaped and constructed. The article proposes some ways to examine the cultural constructions of such documents, to offer a preliminary typology of lower-class autobiographical statements for Russia and the Soviet Union, and to offer some suggestions for bringing together the skills of literary scholars and historians to the task of reading workers' autobiographies.
Marginal distributions in (2N)-dimensional phase space and the quantum (N+1) marginal theorem
Authors: Auberson G. , Mahoux G. , Roy S. M. , Singh Virendra
Published: November 2004

We study the problem of constructing a probability density in 2N-dimensional phase space which reproduces a given collection of n joint probability distributions as marginals. Only distributions authorized by quantum mechanics, i.e., depending on a (complete) commuting set of N variables, are considered. A diagrammatic or graph theoretic formulation of the problem is developed. We then exactly determine the set of “admissible” data, i.e., those types of data for which the problem always admits solutions. This is done in the case where the joint distributions originate from quantum mechanics as well as in the case where this constraint is not imposed. In particular, it is shown that a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for the existence of solutions is n⩽N+1. When the data are admissible and the quantum constraint is not imposed, the general solution for the phase space density is determined explicitly. For admissible data of a quantum origin, the general solution is given in certain (but not all) cases. In the remaining cases, only a subset of solutions is obtained.
Multi-mode combustion facility for thermal treatment studies of wastes and biomass
Authors: Eldabbagh Fadi , Kozinski Janusz A. , Bourassa Michael , Farant Jean-Pierre , Gangli Peter , Groves Michael , Rosen Eric , Uloth Vic , Hawari Jalal , Hutny Wes
Published: November 2004

This article describes newly built Multi-Mode Combustion Facility (MCF) used for investigating thermal destruction of industrial wastes and combustion of biomass. A flexible, refractory-lined combustion chamber consists of individual sections of various heights and diameter of 0.5 m. The MCF can be used either as a fluidized bed combustor (FBC) to study the combustion of solid residues or as a single-burner furnace (SBF) to study cofiring of biomass and natural gas. The facility is designed such that the outer wall temperature should not exceed 327 K with the use of water-cooling system and refractory materials. The inner temperature of each section is independent of the rest of the sections and controlled individually. This arrangement allows for the combustion process to be carried out in a multizone manner called low–high–low (LHL) temperature approach. The LHL approach means that the waste/biomass is initially fed into a low temperature zone (<1060 K) and then subjected to the high temperature treatment (∼1500 K) that is followed by another low temperature zone (<1160 K). The LHL setup allows for heavy metals encapsulation and immobilization within the fly ash particles. The facility has 25 openings for sampling of solids and gases at different stages of the combustion process, as well as in situ observation. Experiments reported in this article were performed in the bubbling FBC mode with the purpose of testing the leachability of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Pb) from fly ash generated during two different combustion approaches: (1) multi-zone LHL treatment, and (2) no-LHL. Baseline fluidization properties of different bed materials were tested. Axial profiles of temperature and gas concentration (CO2, NO, and NOx) were compared. The results show that the leachability of the heavy metals (Cd, Cr, and Pb) contained in the LHL-generated ash particles was negligible (0.14, 0.061, and 1.55 ppm, respectively), while the leachability data from the no-LHL technique were 30.7, 14.3, and 0.647 ppm, respectively. It was concluded that the MCF facility is easy to operate, flexible, and useful for studies of various waste-to-energy options. Our results also show an improvement in heavy metals leachability when using the LHL combustion technique.
The Mechanism of Neuroprotection by Topiramate in an Animal Model of Epilepsy
Authors: Kudin Alexei P. , Debska‐Vielhaber Grazyna , Vielhaber Stefan , Elger Christian E. , Kunz Wolfram S.
Published: November 2004

Summary:  Purpose: For the antiepileptic drug (AED) topiramate (TPM), neuroprotective effects have been reported in models of focal cerebral ischemia and experimental status epilepticus, but the putative mechanism of action has remained elusive.

Methods: We studied the effects of TPM on mitochondrial function in the pilocarpine rat model of chronic epilepsy and in isolated mitochondria from rat brain.

Results: TPM treatment in status epilepticus at doses ranging from 20 to 100 mg/kg considerably improved the survival of rats and improved CA1 and CA3 pyramidal cell survival in a dose‐dependent manner. This treatment increased the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I in the CA1 and CA3 pyramidal subfields and resulted in lower seizure frequencies in chronic epileptic rats. In vitro investigations of the action of TPM on isolated rat brain mitochondria ruled out any direct effects of the drug on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation but revealed a protective effect on hippocampal mitochondria against an external calcium challenge. This can explain its observed neuroprotective action in the concentration range tested. The in vitro effects of TPM on the calcium handling of isolated brain mitochondria was found to be comparable to the action of cyclosporin A.

Conclusions: The neuroprotective action of TPM seems to be directly related to its inhibitory effect on the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.
Neurotoxicity Induced by Antiepileptic Drugs in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons: A Comparative Study between Carbamazepine, Oxcarbazepine, and Two New Putative Antiepileptic Drugs, BIA 2‐024 and BIA 2‐093
Authors: Araújo Inês M. , Ambrósio António Francisco , Leal Ermelindo C. , Verdasca Maria João , Malva João Oliveira , Soares‐da‐Silva Patrício , Carvalho Arsélio Pato , Carvalho Caetana Monteiro
Published: November 2004

Summary:  Purpose: Newly designed antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are being evaluated for their efficacy in preventing seizures and for their toxic profiles. We investigated and compared the toxic effects of two dibenz[b,f]azepine derivatives with anticonvulsant activity, 10,11‐dihydro‐10‐hydroxyimino‐5H‐dibenz[b,f]azepine‐5‐carboxamide (BIA2‐024) and (S)‐(‐)‐10‐acetoxy‐10,11‐dihydro‐5H‐dibenz[b,f] azepine‐5‐carboxamide (BIA2‐093), with the structurally related compounds carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC), both in current use for the treatment of epilepsy.

Methods: Primary rat hippocampal neurons were used to evaluate neuronal morphology and biochemical changes induced by the AEDs used in this study. Immunocytochemical staining against MAP‐2 was used to evaluate neuronal morphology. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (Ψm) were measured by fluorescence techniques. Intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Results: Hippocampal neurons treated for 24 h with CBZ or OXC (300 μM) showed degeneration and swelling of neurites, but this effect was not observed in neurons treated with BIA 2‐024 or BIA 2‐093 (300 μM). ROS production also was increased in neurons treated with OXC, but not in neurons treated with the other AEDs. ATP levels were significantly decreased only in neurons treated with OXC, although the energy charge was not altered. Furthermore, OXC led to a decrease of Ψm.

Conclusions: In all parameters assayed, OXC was more toxic than the other AEDs used. Because the new putative AEDs have previously been shown to have an efficacy in preventing seizures similar to that of CBZ and OXC, and are less toxic to neuronal cells, they may be considered as alternatives to the current available therapies for the treatment of epilepsy.
Effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation on growth and phenology of stream insects
Authors: Briers Robert A. , Gee John H. R. , Geoghegan Rory
Published: November 2004

Climatic variation associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) influences terrestrial and marine ecosystems, but its effects on river and stream ecosystems are less well known. The influence of the NAO on the growth of stream insects was examined using long‐term empirical data on the sizes of mayfly and stonefly nymphs and on water temperature data. Models of egg development and nymphal growth in relation to temperature were used to predict the effect of the NAO on phenology. The study was based in two upland streams in mid‐Wales UK that varied in the extent of plantation forestry in their catchments. Winter stream temperatures at both sites were positively related to the winter NAO index, being warmer in positive phases and colder in negative phases. The observed mean size and the simulated developmental period of mayfly nymphs were significantly related to the winter NAO index, with nymphs growing faster in positive phases of the NAO, but the growth of stonefly nymphs was not related to the NAO. This may have been due to the semivoltine stonefly lifecycle, but stonefly nymph growth is also generally less dependent on temperature. There were significant differences in growth rates of both species between streams, with nymphs growing more slowly in the forested stream that was consistently cooler than the open stream. Predicted emergence dates for adult mayflies varied by nearly two months between years, depending on the phase of the NAO. Variation in growth and phenology of stream insects associated with the NAO may influence temporal fluctuations in the composition and dynamics of stream communities.
Reduced sympathetic responsiveness as well as plasma and tissue noradrenaline concentration in growth hormone transgenic mice
Authors: Andersson I. J. , Barlind A. , Nyström H. C. , Olsson B. , Skøtt O. , Mobini R. , Johansson M. , Bergström G.
Published: November 2004

Aims:  Acromegaly [overproduction of growth hormone (GH)] and GH deficiency have both been associated with alterations in autonomic nervous system function. The aim of this study was to investigate autonomic nervous system influence on heart rate (HR) in transgenic mice overexpressing bovine GH (bGH).

Methods:  HR and HR variability (HRV) were measured in conscious young (8–13 weeks) and old (5–6 months) female bGH and control mice using telemetry. HR control was studied using antagonists and an agonist of adrenergic and muscarinic receptors. Noradrenaline was measured in plasma, heart and kidney using high performance liquid chromatography.

Results:  Average 24 h resting HR did not differ between bGH and control mice. After saline injection and after muscarinic blockade with methylscopolamine HR increase was blunted (in old) or absent (in young) bGH mice compared with control mice (P < 0.05). Phenylephrine caused a baroreflex mediated decrease in HR from around 550 to 300–350 beats min−1, not different between bGH and control mice. Time‐ and frequency‐domain measures of HRV were reduced in old bGH compared with control mice (P < 0.05). Noradrenaline concentrations were reduced by 25–49% in plasma and tissue of bGH compared with control mice (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  The current study suggests reduced autonomic modulation of HR in bGH transgenic mice. Thus, GH appears to have marked effects on autonomic tone, reducing sympathetic nervous system function possibly via reduced noradrenaline stores.
‘You can't not go with the technological flow, can you?’ Constructing ‘ICT’ and ‘teaching and learning’
Authors: Dale R. , Robertson S. , Shortis T.
Published: November 2004

This paper seeks to show how ‘policy’, ‘management’ and ‘information and communications technology’ (ICT) were constructed for schools in England between 2000 and 2003 and to discuss some effects of these constructions on teaching and learning in the institutions involved in the InterActive Education Project. It argues that their contribution collectively constituted ‘ICT’ as a particular kind and form of challenge for schools, and that recognising the nature of this constitution is crucial to understanding the relationship between ICT and teaching and learning. Informed by an abductive methodology, this paper draws on analyses of policy documents and interviews with the head teachers of the educational institutions taking part in the InterActive Education Project to show how the possibilities and opportunities of using ICT were shaped by those constructions. It suggests that the main policy framing ICT in education over the period in question, the National Grid for Learning, had the provision of hardware and infrastructure as its main target, but offered little advice on how they might be used. This constituted the core of the management problem of ICT for schools. The final section of the paper outlines some of the mechanisms through which schools addressed these issues and discusses some possible implications for what counts as ‘teaching and learning’ with ‘ICT’.
Influence of lake chemistry and fish age on cadmium, copper, and zinc concentrations in various organs of indigenous yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Authors: Giguère Anik , Campbell Peter GC , Hare Landis , McDonald D Gordon , Rasmussen Joseph B
Published: November 2004

Concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn were determined in various organs of juvenile yellow perch (Perca flavescens) collected from eight lakes located along a metal concentration gradient. Metal exposure was evaluated on the basis of the free ambient Cd2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ca2+ concentrations, as estimated from chemical equilibrium simulations using the ambient water chemistry data. Based on regression analyses, lake water Ca2+ and H+ did not significantly influence the steady-state metal concentrations in various body parts of yellow perch. Cadmium concentrations were significantly higher in the gastrointestinal tract than in the gills, suggesting that uptake of this metal from food is more important than uptake from water. Variations in the contribution of each organ to the total Cd and Cu burdens revealed a possible dysfunction in liver excreting capacities in the fish from the most highly contaminated lakes. Additionally, measurements on yellow perch from 0 to 10 years old (N = 81) collected from a single lake suggest that Cd concentrations in some organs increase with fish age, which we interpret to be linked to changes in fish growth rate with age.
APPLICATIONS OF LYNDON HOMOMORPHISM THEOREMS TO THE THEORY OF MINIMAL MODELS
Authors: SUCHENEK MAREK A.
Published: November 2004

This paper contains, among others, a concise proof (proof 6.2) of the following fact (theorem 2.7):

For every ∀∪Neg-theory Σ and every positive sentence φ, [Formula: see text] It is demonstrated in this paper (corollary 5.2) that the necessary and sufficient condition for φ, guaranteeing the truthfulness of the above equivalence for every Σ⊆∀, is that φ is equivalent to a sentence which does not contain in a scope of negation an occurrence of a relation symbol other than the equality symbol. The proofs have been constructed using classical model-theoretic tools, thus supporting the thesis that classical logic is adequate for expressing and investigating non-monotonic reasoning patterns.
DYNAMICS OF COMPENSATORY EYE MOVEMENT CONTROL: AN OPTIMAL ESTIMATION ANALYSIS OF THE VESTIBULO-OCULAR REFLEX
Authors: Paulin Michael G. , Nelson Mark E. , Bower James M.
Published: November 2004

Head movements in vertebrates give rise to involuntary eye movements that stabilize visual images on the retina. Previous models of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), one of the neural mechanisms responsible for stabilizing the eyes during head movements, have assumed that the VOR transfer function should have unity gain and 180° phase shift. Experimental measurements of VOR gain and phase, however, exhibit frequency dependencies that are not easily interpreted within the framework of existing models. We reanalyze the problem of VOR control using stochastic optimal estimation theory and show that VOR dynamics, in general, should differ from the "ideal" unity-gain, 180° phase shift transfer function. We illustrate this approach by computing the optimal VOR transfer function for a simple, second-order dynamical model of a head–neck system. Despite its simplicity, this model is able to give some insight into the dynamical properties of the VOR. In particular, it qualitatively reproduces an experimentally observed gain peak in monkey VOR at high frequencies. The model also predicts that the gain and phase characteristics of the optimal VOR transfer function should depend on the spectrum of natural head movements, possibly giving rise to species-dependent and gait-dependent differences in the VOR transfer function. We suggest that the applicability of optimal estimation extends beyond the control of compensatory eye movements and that it is probably a universal component of movement control in the nervous system.
LEARNING LEARNING SETS IN NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: Peretto Pierre
Published: November 2004

Learning sets are experiments in which animals use their past practical experience to improve their behaviors, in particular to yield convenient responses to unknown situations. We propose a neural network architecture which reproduces this generalization process. The model rests on three main ideas:

— the same motor coding networks are used as input networks in the learning stage and as output networks in the retrieving phase;

— the core of the system is made up of a number of randomly generated feedforward pathways,

— a simple Hebbian learning rule selects among the pathways those which fit the environment. According to this mechanism, learning can be considered as a Darwinian selection process.
STUDY OF A GROWTH ALGORITHM FOR A FEEDFORWARD NETWORK
Authors: Nadal Jean-Pierre
Published: November 2004

We study an algorithm for a feedforward network which is similar in spirit to the Tiling algorithm recently introduced: the hidden units are added one by one until the network performs the desired task, and convergence is guaranteed. The difference is in the architecture of the network, which is more constrained here. Numerical tests show performances similar to that of the Tiling algorithm, although the total number of couplings in general grows faster.
A ONE-LAYER FEEDBACK ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK WITH A BAYESIAN LEARNING RULE
Authors: Lansner Anders , Ekeberg Örjan
Published: November 2004

A probabilistic artificial neural network is presented. It is of a one-layer, feedback-coupled type with graded units. The learning rule is derived from Bayes's rule. Learning is regarded as collecting statistics and recall as a statistical inference process. Units correspond to events and connections come out as compatibility coefficients in a logarithmic combination rule. The input to a unit via connections from other active units affects the a posteriori belief in the event in question.

The new model is compared to an earlier binary model with respect to storage capacity, noise tolerance, etc. in a content addressable memory (CAM) task. The new model is a real time network and some results on the reaction time for associative recall are given. The scaling of learning and relaxation operations is considered together with issues related to representation of information in one-layer artificial neural networks. An extension with complex units is discussed.
ON COMPUTATIONAL VISION: A NEURAL PROCESSING APPROACH
Authors: Chen Su-shing
Published: November 2004

A spherical visual model and its computational aspects are discussed in this paper. This unified approach to computer vision and computational theory of human perception is implementable in current technology of neural network processors.
DYSLEXIC BEHAVIOUR OF FEEDFORWARD NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: Ferrán Edgardo A. , Perazzo Roberto P. J.
Published: November 2004

A model is proposed in which the synaptic efficacies of a feedforward neural network are adapted with a cost function that vanishes if the boolean function that is represented has the same symmetry properties as the target one. The function chosen according to this procedure is thus taken as an archetype of the whole symmetry class. Several examples are presented showing how this type of partial learning can produce a behaviour of the net that is reminiscent of that of dyslexic persons.
LEARNING WITH DELAYED REINFORCEMENT THROUGH ATTENTION-DRIVEN BUFFERING
Authors: Myers Catherine
Published: November 2004

Learning with delayed reinforcement refers to situations where the reinforcement to a learning system occurs only at the end of a string of actions or outputs, and it must then be assigned back to the relevant actions. A method for accomplishing this is presented which buffers a small number of past actions based on the unpredictability of or attention to each as it occurs. This approach allows for the buffer size to be small, and yet learning can reach indefinitely far back into the past; it also allows the system to learn when reinforcement is not only delayed but also reinforcements from other unrelated actions may arrive during this delay. An example of a simulated food-finding creature is used to show the system at work in a predictive application where reinforcements show this interleaving behaviour.
HIGH PERFORMANCE MICROPROCESSOR ARCHITECTURES
Authors: KATZ RANDY H. , HENNESSY JOHN L.
Published: November 2004

Single chip processor performance has improved dramatically since the inception of the four-bit microprocessor in 1971. This is due in part to technological advances, (i.e., faster devices and greater device density), but also because of the adoption of architectural approaches well suited to the opportunities and limitations of VLSI. The most appropriate are those that effectively reduce off-chip memory accesses and admit to a regular pipelined implementation. The over-riding goal of pipelining is to achieve “single cycle execution”, i.e., instructions appear to execute in a single processor cycle. Today’s RISC processors are close to realizing this goal, and the next generation will reduce the cycles per instruction even further. In this paper, we will review the design issues and the proposed architectures for high performance VLSI processors.
ULTRA-HIGH SPEED MULTIPLEXER/DEMULTIPLEXER ARCHITECTURES
Authors: SWARTZ ROBERT G.
Published: November 2004

This paper describes two circuit architectures for ultra-high speed digital multiplexers and demultiplexers. The first, Type-I, is fully synchronous and uses a system clock that matches the maximum data rate. Circuits of this type can operate at a data rate equal to the maximum operating speed of a simple digital divider. A simpler and much more powerful architecture is proposed, Type-II, that operates using a half-frequency system clock at data rates up to twice the maximum clock speed of a simple digital divider. Basic building blocks and high speed design techniques are reviewed.