bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Proposed Mechanism for the Asymmetric Duration of El Niño and La Niña
Authors: Okumura Yuko M. , Ohba Masamichi , Deser Clara , Ueda Hiroaki
Published: June 2011

El Niño and La Niña exhibit significant asymmetry not only in their spatial structure but also in their duration. Most El Niños terminate rapidly after maturing near the end of the calendar year, whereas many La Niñas persist into the following year and often reintensify in boreal winter. Through atmospheric general circulation model experiments, it is shown that the nonlinear response of atmospheric deep convection to the polarity of equatorial Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies causes an asymmetric evolution of surface wind anomalies over the far western Pacific around the mature phase of El Niño and La Niña. Because of the eastward displacement of precipitation anomalies in the equatorial Pacific during El Niño compared to La Niña, surface winds in the western Pacific are more affected by SST forcing outside the equatorial Pacific, which acts to terminate the Pacific event.
Natural Three-Dimensional Predictor Domains for Statistical Precipitation Downscaling
Authors: Sauter Tobias , Venema Victor
Published: June 2011

The paper presents an approach for conditional airmass classification based on local precipitation rate distributions. The method seeks, within the potential region, three-dimensional atmospheric predictor domains with high impact on the local-scale phenomena. These predictor domains are derived by an algorithm consisting of a clustering method, namely, self-organizing maps, and a nonlinear optimization method, simulated annealing. The findings show that the resulting spatial structures can be attributed to well-known atmospheric processes. Since the optimized predictor domains probably contain relevant information for precipitation generation, these grid points may also be potential inputs for nonlinear downscaling methods. Based on this assumption, the potential of these optimized large-scale predictors for downscaling has been investigated by applying an artificial neural network as a nonparametric statistical downscaling model. Compared to preset local predictors, using the optimized predictors improves the accuracy of the downscaled time series, particularly in summer and autumn. However, optimizing predictors by a conditional classification does not guarantee that a predictor increases the explained variance of the downscaling model. To study the contribution of each predictor to the output variance, either individually or by interactions with other parameters, the sources of uncertainty have been estimated by global sensitivity analysis, which provides model-free sensitivity measures. It is shown that predictor interactions play an important part in the modeling process and should be taken into account in the predictor screening.
Kalman Filter–Based CMORPH
Authors: Joyce Robert J. , Xie Pingping
Published: June 2011

A Kalman filter (KF)-based Climate Prediction Center (CPC) morphing technique (CMORPH) algorithm is developed to integrate the passive microwave (PMW) precipitation estimates from low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites and infrared (IR) observations from geostationary (GEO) platforms. With the new algorithm, the precipitation analysis at a grid box of 8 × 8 km2 is defined in three steps. First, PMW estimates of instantaneous rain rates closest to the target analysis time in both the forward and backward directions are propagated from their observation times to the analysis time using the cloud system advection vectors (CSAVs) computed from the GEO–IR images. The “prediction” of the precipitation analysis is then defined by averaging the forward- and backward-propagated PMW estimates with weights inversely proportional to their error variance. The IR-based precipitation estimates are incorporated if the gap between the two PMW observations is longer than 90 min. Validation tests showed substantial improvements of the KF-based CMORPH against the original version in both the pattern correlation and fidelity of probability density function (PDF) of the precipitation intensity. In general, performance of the original CMORPH degrades sharply with poor pattern correlation and substantially elevated (damped) frequency for light (heavy) precipitation events when PMW precipitation estimates are available from fewer LEO satellites. The KF-based CMORPH is capable of producing high-resolution precipitation analysis with much more stable performance with various levels of availability for the PMW observations.
Reimaging the Imagined Community
Authors: Powers Jillian L.
Published: June 2011

This article offers an exploration of the diasporic public sphere in order to understand the processes by which identities are ascribed, resisted, or embraced. The author explores how American diasporans use place to narrate and construct the imagined community, documenting through interviews and observations made on three homeland tours the meanings that shape participants and participation in social collectivities for racial and ethnic minorities. Homeland tours are group travel packages that take individuals to destinations that they believe is their land of origin. The author examines the experiences of two specific cases of homeland tourism: Jewish Americans traveling to Israel and African Americans traveling to Ghana. The author presents two examples for each case that are specific to the homeland tour as well as general sites of tourism, demonstrating how experiences with place can create community. Homeland tourists act as a community, engaging in experiences that come to define the values, beliefs, and practices of the larger imagined diasporic community.
Characteristics of Kawasaki Disease in Older Children
Authors: Cai Zhaohua , Zuo Rihan , Liu Yali
Published: June 2011

Objectives: To evaluate characteristics of Kawasaki disease(KD) in older children in comparison with younger patients with the disease, and to improve the knowledge of clinicians on KD in older children. Methodology: All children with a discharge diagnosis of KD at Wuhan Union Hospital from January, 2004 to May, 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total of 113 patients were included in this study; 20 patients (17.7%) were ≥5 years old at the time of illness and 93 patients (82.3%) were <5 years old. The older children seemed to have longer total fever duration, pre-IVIG and post-IVIG fever duration than the younger children. The individual clinical criteria appeared later in the course of KD in older children than in the younger ones except cervical lymphadenopathy. The older age group had a higher incidence of cervical lymphadenopathy in comparison with the younger group (85.0% vs 51.6%). ESR was quite different between the older and younger groups (85.92 vs 67.27). Overall the older age group had a higher prevalence of additional IVIG treatment and coronary artery abnormalities (60.0% vs 32.2%) versus the younger age group. Conclusion: For some reasons, KD in older children was difficult in early diagnosis and treatment. Also, older children may have a more marked inflammatory response and those treated with IVIG were more likely to require repeated IVIG treatment. And probably because of all these, older patients with KD had a higher prevalence of coronary artery abnormalities than the younger patients.
Compatibility Relationships With Simple Lever Tools
Authors: Müsseler Jochen , Skottke Eva-Maria
Published: June 2011

Objective: The study focuses on potential compatibility relationships when simple lever tools are used.

Background: Spatial compatibility between stimuli and responses determines performance. However, many tasks require the use of simple tools, such as levers that transform hand movements into tool movements. We explore with such a tool whether and how the correspondence or noncorrespondence between stimulus-side and hand movement (stimulus-response compatibility), between stimulus-side and tool-effect movement (stimulus-effect compatibility), and/or between hand movement and tool-effect movement (response-effect compatibility) affects performance.

Method:U-shaped and inverted-U-shaped levers were used as tools, allowing us to examine the contribution of each compatibility relationship to response times and errors without any confounds and omissions.

Results: Responding was delayed and error prone when the hand movement and the movement of the effect point of the tool did not correspond. Effects of stimulus-response compatibility and stimulus-effect compatibility were observed only when the hand movement direction remained untransformed in the tool-effect movement.

Conclusion: The results point out that the inversion or noninversion of tool-effect movements plays an underlying role when handling a tool.

Application: Potential applications of this research include the prediction and possibly manipulation of unwanted behavioral tendencies in laparoscopic surgery and other lever movements.
Destabilizing and Subverting Patriarchal and Eurocentric Notions of Time
Authors: Musanga Terrence , Mutekwa Anias
Published: June 2011

This article explores the notion of time as conceptualized and articulated in Chenjerai Hove’s Bones and Ancestors. These texts, as this article sets out to demonstrate, are characterized by a deliberate attempt to subvert and transcend the Eurocentric and patriarchal notions of time as premised and predicated on linearity and progression. The authors argue, as is reflected in the texts, that these notions of time are a simplistic model and do not reflect the diversity that characterize and constitute human experience. These notions of time are premised on linearity and progression, and so they repress and stifle the existence of other and alternative narratives of history, time, and experience as demonstrated in the texts.
Toward a Caribbean Psychology
Authors: Sutherland Marcia Elizabeth
Published: June 2011

Although the Americas and Caribbean region are purported to comprise different ethnic groups, this article’s focus is on people of African descent, who represent the largest ethnic group in many countries. The emphasis on people of African descent is related to their family structure, ethnic identity, cultural, psychohistorical, and contemporary psychosocial realities. This article discusses the limitations of Western psychology for theory, research, and applied work on people of African descent in the Americas and Caribbean region. In view of the adaptations that some people of African descent have made to slavery, colonialism, and more contemporary forms of cultural intrusions, it is argued that when necessary, notwithstanding Western psychology’s limitations, Caribbean psychologists should reconstruct mainstream psychology to address the psychological needs of these Caribbean people. The relationship between theory and psychological interventions for the optimal development of people of African descent is emphasized throughout this article. In this regard, the African-centered and constructionist viewpoint is argued to be of utility in addressing the psychological growth and development of people of African descent living in the Americas and Caribbean region.
Venus, Serena, and the Inconspicuous Consumption of Blackness
Authors: Douglas Delia D.
Published: June 2011

As the U.S. population becomes more racially diverse and different groups move in to previously White-dominated spaces, new techniques of exclusion and marginalization are being employed in an effort to regulate the opportunities and progress available to racialized minority groups. In this article, the author argues that mass media’s preoccupation with the Williams sisters’ “on-court” play and “off-court” activities constitutes a form of surveillance that is used by Whites to identify, observe, and ultimately, limit the range of available representations of Venus and Serena Williams. The author also suggests that this kind of public scrutiny produces racialized images and narratives constitutive of “race talk,” a key manifestation of the new racism(s) characteristic of the politics of this sociohistorical moment.
The Reduction in Fatigue Crack Growth Resistance of Dentin with Depth
Authors: Ivancik J. , Neerchal N.K. , Romberg E. , Arola D.
Published: June 2011

The fatigue crack growth resistance of dentin was characterized as a function of depth from the dentino-enamel junction. Compact tension (CT) specimens were prepared from the crowns of third molars in the deep, middle, and peripheral dentin. The microstructure was quantified in terms of the average tubule dimensions and density. Fatigue cracks were grown in-plane with the tubules and characterized in terms of the initiation and growth responses. Deep dentin exhibited the lowest resistance to the initiation of fatigue crack growth, as indicated by the stress intensity threshold (ΔKth ≈ 0.8 MPa•m0.5) and the highest incremental fatigue crack growth rate (over 1000 times that in peripheral dentin). Cracks in deep dentin underwent incremental extension under cyclic stresses that were 40% lower than those required in peripheral dentin. The average fatigue crack growth rates increased significantly with tubule density, indicating the importance of microstructure on the potential for tooth fracture. Molars with deep restorations are more likely to suffer from the cracked-tooth syndrome, because of the lower fatigue crack growth resistance of deep dentin.
Valproate Reduces the Glucuronidation of Asenapine Without Affecting Asenapine Plasma Concentrations
Authors: Gerrits Mireille G.F. , de Greef Rik , Dogterom Peter , Peeters Pierre A.M.
Published: June 2011

Asenapine is indicated for treatment of schizophrenia in the United States and acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes, as monotherapy (United States and European Union) or adjunct therapy (United States only), associated with bipolar I disorder. It is extensively metabolized; the 2 main metabolites are asenapine N‐glucuronide and N‐desmethyl‐asenapine. The authors investigated the pharmacokinetic interactions between asenapine and valproate in an open‐label, randomized, 2‐way crossover study. Twenty‐four healthy male volunteers received sublingual doses of asenapine 5 mg alone or under steady‐state valproate (500 mg bid for 9 days). Blood samples collected until 72 hours postdosing were analyzed for asenapine, N‐desmethyl‐asenapine, and asenapine N‐glucuronide. Compared with asenapine alone, valproate substantially reduced N‐glucuronide formation (area under the curve from 0 to infinity [AUC0‐∞] reduced 7.4‐fold, maximum concentration [Cmax] reduced 6.6‐fold) and moderately reduced N‐desmethyl‐asenapine formation (AUC0‐∞ reduced 30%, Cmax unchanged). Coadministration of valproate did not affect asenapine AUC0‐∞ and Cmax (confidence intervals for the ratios of asenapine AUC0‐∞ and Cmax were contained within the predefined 0.80–1.25 acceptance range). Low‐dose valproate, although almost completely inhibiting glucuronidation of asenapine, did not affect the pharmacokinetics of asenapine itself, the entity primarily responsible for the pharmacologic effects of the drug.
New Insights: Dose‐Response Relationship Between Psychotropic Drugs and Falls: A Study in Nursing Home Residents With Dementia
Authors: Sterke Carolyn S. , van Beeck Ed F. , van der Velde Nathalie , Ziere Gijsbertus , Petrovic Mirko , Looman Caspar W. N. , van der Cammen Tischa J. M.
Published: June 2011

The contribution of specific psychotropic drugs to fall risk in patients with dementia has not been quantified precisely until now. The authors evaluated the dose‐response relationship between psychotropic drugs and falls in nursing home residents with dementia. Daily drug use and daily falls were recorded in 248 nursing home residents with dementia from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2008. For each day of the study period, data on drug use were abstracted from the prescription database, and falls were retrieved from a standardized incident report system, resulting in a data set of 85 074 person‐days. The authors found significant dose‐response relationships for the use of antipsychotics (hazard ratio [HR], 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49–5.17), anxiolytics (1.60; 1.20–2.14), hypnotics and sedatives (2.58; 1.42–4.68), and antidepressants (2.84; 1.93–4.16). Fall risk increased significantly with 28% at 0.25 of the defined daily dose (DDD) of an antipsychotic or antidepressant, with 8% at 0.2 of the DDD of an anxiolytic, and with 56% at 0.5 of the DDD of a hypnotic or sedative; it increased further with dose increments and with combinations of psychotropics. Even at low dosages, psychotropic drugs are associated with increased fall risk in nursing home residents with dementia.
Safety and Tolerability of Aclidinium Administered Intravenously and Absolute Bioavailability of Inhaled Aclidinium in Healthy Male Participants
Authors: Ortiz Stephan , Flach Stephen , Caracta Cynthia , Gil Esther Garcia , Jansat Josep M.
Published: June 2011

Aclidinium bromide is a long‐acting muscarinic antagonist in development for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment. This 2‐part, phase I study evaluated the safety and tolerability of single ascending intravenous (IV) doses of aclidinium to determine its maximum tolerated dose (MTD; part I) and its absolute bioavailability (part II). Healthy male participants (N = 24) were randomized (1:1) in each part: 3‐period crossover, placebo‐controlled, single‐ascending, alternating IV doses of aclidinium (25–400 μg) in part I and 2‐period crossover, single‐alternating IV and inhaled doses of aclidinium (200 μg) in part II. A ≥7‐day washout separated treatment periods. Pharmacokinetic data were collected in both parts. Following IV or inhaled aclidinium, time to reach maximum plasma concentration following drug administration (tmax) was 5 to 7 minutes for all doses. After maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax), aclidinium was rapidly cleared from plasma. Aclidinium absolute bioavailability was <5% following a single inhaled 200‐μg dose. Urinary excretion of unchanged aclidinium was very low, with a greater amount of inactive metabolites excreted compared with aclidinium, all of which were recovered within 12 hours postdose. The MTD following IV administration was not reached; all single IV (25–400 μg) and inhaled doses (200 μg) were well tolerated. In conclusion, the low and short‐lived bioavailability of aclidinium and the low incidence of systemic side effects contribute to its positive safety and tolerability profile.
Changing Students’ Perceptions of Inequality?
Authors: Garoutte Lisa , Bobbitt-Zeher Donna
Published: June 2011

Budget exercises are frequently used in introductory and social problems courses to facilitate student understanding of income inequality. But do these exercises actually lead to greater sociological understanding? To explore this issue, the authors studied undergraduate students enrolled in introductory sociology courses during the 2008-2009 academic year. Using a unique pretest-pretest-posttest design, the authors captured student perceptions of issues of socioeconomic inequality at the beginning of the course, after completion of a traditional unit on stratification, and after participation in a budget exercise. The unique study design allows the authors to examine if and how students make gains in understanding inequality sociologically. They also consider other learning objectives, including fostering an appreciation of obstacles to social mobility and increasing general knowledge about inequality. The results suggest that both budget exercises and a traditional pedagogical unit of lecture, reading, and discussion play limited roles in fostering at least short-term sociological understanding as related to these goals.
Decline in Unionism?
Authors: Boito Armando , Marcelino Paula
Published: June 2011

There was much discussion in the 1980s and 1990s about the crisis in the union movement in Brazil, and some writers even began to talk of its historic decline. An analysis of union activity in Brazil from 2000 to 2009—how many strikes took place, how many strikers were involved, whether their objectives were defensive or offensive, how such conflicts were conducted, the extent of each, and, perhaps most important, what the workers thought they were achieving—suggests that, on the contrary, we are witnessing a definite recovery in union effectiveness.
Once We Put Our Helmets On, There are No More Friends: The ‘‘Fights’’ Session in the Israeli Army Course for Close-Combat Instructors
Authors: Cohen Einat Bar-On
Published: June 2011

At their final training session, soldiers at the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) close-combat instructors’ course are faced with an extreme situation. Clad in full protection gear, they must face consecutive opponent and fight until they can fight no more. The training setting presents to the soldiers a dilemma epitomized in the instructor’s question ‘‘Do you want to quit?’’ The author argues that the question, as well as, the situation as a whole presents the trainees with a paradox that seems at first to be a moral dilemma. However, since the training setting simulates real battle, the question which also has an existential facet, is in fact a pseudo moral dilemma, reversing the order of self-interest and self-regard.
Racial Identification, Racial Discrimination, and Substance Use Vulnerability Among African American Young Adults
Authors: Stock Michelle L. , Gibbons Frederick X. , Walsh Laura A. , Gerrard Meg
Published: June 2011

Two studies examined racial identity (RI) as a protective factor against substance use cognitions among African American young adults who either envisioned or experienced racial discrimination. In Study 1, participants envisioned a discrimination or nondiscrimination scenario, and then their willingness to use drugs and an indirect measure of substance use were assessed. Discrimination was associated with higher levels of use cognitions among participants with low levels of RI. In Study 2, participants were excluded or included in an online game (Cyberball) by White peers and then engaged in an RI-affirmation or control writing task. Participants attributed this exclusion to racial discrimination. Excluded participants who did not affirm their RI reported the highest levels of substance use cognitions, especially if they had engaged in higher levels of previous substance use. These findings highlight the importance of RI among Black young adults and the impact of discrimination on health behaviors.
An Evidence‐Based Review of a Lentinula edodes Mushroom Extract as Complementary Therapy in the Surgical Oncology Patient
Authors: Shah Shinil K. , Walker Peter A. , Moore‐Olufemi Stacey D. , Sundaresan Alamelu , Kulkarni Anil D. , Andrassy Richard J.
Published: June 2011

The purpose of this review is to present the currently published evidence regarding the use, efficacy, potential mechanisms of action, and results of published clinical trials regarding the use of a Lentinula edodes mushroom–derived extract (active hexose correlated compound) as complementary therapy in patients with cancer. The authors explore the current preclinical and clinical evidence as it relates to this topic and its potential use in the surgical oncology patient. There has been a growing interest in stimulation of the immune system in trauma, cancer, and surgical patients in general. Little, however, has been written about some‐of the supplements in widely used in Japan and China, but relatively unheard of in the United States.
Serum Vitamins in Adult Patients With Short Bowel Syndrome Receiving Intermittent Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Braga Camila Bitu Moreno , Vannucchi Helio , Freire Cristiana Maria Murbach , Marchini Júlio Sérgio , Júnior Alceu Afonso Jordão , de Carvalho da Cunha Selma Freire
Published: June 2011

Background: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) occurs after massive intestinal resection, and parenteral nutrition (PN) therapy may be necessary even after a period of adaptation. The purpose of this study was to determine the vitamin status in adults with SBS receiving intermittent PN. Methods: The study was conducted on hospitalized adults with SBS who were receiving intermittent PN therapy (n = 8). Nine healthy volunteers, paired by age and sex, served as controls. Food ingestion, anthropometry, plasma folic acid, and vitamins B12, C, A, D, E, and K were evaluated. Results: The levels of vitamins A, D, and B12 in both groups were similar. SBS patients presented higher values of folic acid (21.3 ± 4.4 vs 14.4 ± 5.2, P = .01) and lower values of vitamin C (0.9 ± 0.4 vs 1.2 ± 0.3 mg/dL, P = .03), α‐tocopherol (16.3 ± 3.4 vs 24.1 ± 2.7 µmol/L, P < .001), and phylloquinone (0.6 ± 0.2 vs 1.0 ± 0.5 nmol/L, P < .03). Eight‐seven percent of patients had vitamin D deficiency, and all patients presented with serum vitamin E levels below reference values. Conclusions: Despite all efforts to offer all the nutrients mentioned above, SBS patients had lower serum levels of vitamins C, E, and K, similar to those observed in patients on home PN. These findings suggest that the administered vitamins were not sufficient for the intermittent PN scheme and that individual adjustments are needed depending on the patient's vitamin status.
Prospective Study of Clinical and Histological Safety of Pure and Uncontaminated Canadian Oats in the Management of Celiac Disease
Authors: Sey Michael Sai Lai , Parfitt Jeremy , Gregor Jamie
Published: June 2011

Background: Pure oats are safe for most patients with celiac disease, but concerns regarding contamination by other grains limit their consumption. The Canadian Celiac Association recently released guidelines governing the production of pure oats. The objective was to test the safety of a product manufactured under these guidelines. Methods: Fifteen adults with established, biopsy‐confirmed celiac disease of ≥1 year duration were challenged with 350 g/wk of pure oats for 12 weeks. Symptom scores, weight, hemoglobin, ferritin, albumin, and tissue transglutaminase (tTG) were assessed at weeks 0, 6, and 12. Duodenal biopsies were obtained before and after oat challenge and assessed based on the modified Marsh–Oberhuber score. Compliance with a gluten‐free diet was monitored with random food diaries. Results: Fifteen patients completed the study and were analyzed in intention‐to‐treat and per‐protocol analyses. There were no significant changes in symptom scores, weight, hemoglobin, ferritin, or albumin during oat consumption. The tTG remained negative in all patients, and the histology scores did not significantly change during oat challenge. The only relapse occurred in a patient who became noncompliant with her gluten‐free diet. Conclusion: The findings support the safety of pure, uncontaminated oats manufactured under Canadian Celiac Association guidelines for patients with celiac disease.
Spontaneous Glomerulonephritis in Göttingen Minipigs
Authors: Vezzali Enrico , Manno Rosa Anna , Salerno Dario , Oberto Germano , Nyska Abraham , Ramot Yuval
Published: June 2011

The Göttingen minipig is one of the nonrodent species recommended by various regulatory authorities for safety assessment of drugs in preclinical studies. In such studies, knowledge of background pathology is critical in order to evaluate the potential renal toxicity. In the present study, the authors report 4 cases of glomerulonephritis out of 154 microbiologically defined Göttingen minipigs microscopically evaluated in preclinical studies. One animal required early sacrifice because of general poor health, and an additional animal died spontaneously. Histopathological evaluation revealed renal lesions in all 4 animals, exhibiting membranous or membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis at different stages, accompanied by secondary tubulo-interstitial damage. The renal changes observed were considered spontaneous in origin and of unknown etiology. Development of this condition in this strain should be considered in future studies.
Safety Evaluation of Chronic Intrathecal Administration of Idursulfase-IT in Cynomolgus Monkeys
Authors: Felice Brian R. , Wright Teresa L. , Boyd Robert B. , Butt Mark T. , Pfeifer Richard W. , Pan Jing , Ruiz Juan A. , Heartlein Michael W. , Calias Pericles
Published: June 2011

Recombinant human idursulfase, an intravenous enzyme replacement therapy indicated for treatment of somatic symptoms of mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter syndrome), is anticipated to have minimal benefit for the cognitive impairment associated with the severe phenotype. Because intrathecal (IT) administration of enzyme replacement therapy for other lysosomal enzyme disorders has shown efficacy in animal models, an IT formulation of idursulfase (idursulfase-IT) and a drug-delivery device (subcutaneous port connected to a lumbar IT catheter) were developed for treating central nervous system (CNS) involvement. In this chronic safety study, cynomolgus monkeys were dosed weekly with IV idursulfase (0.5 mg/kg) and every four weeks with idursulfase-IT (3, 30, and 100 mg) for six months, with device and vehicle controls treated similarly ( n = 6, all groups). Necropsies were performed twenty-four hours post–final IT dose or after a recovery period (four weeks post–final dose in vehicle-control, 3 mg, and 100 mg IT groups: n = 6). No clinical signs or gross central nervous system lesions were observed. Compared to controls, more pronounced cellular infiltrates in brain and spinal cord meninges were noted, which largely resolved after the recovery period. Central nervous sytem levels of idursulfase-IT were dose dependent, as determined by enzyme activity and immunohistochemistry. The no–observed-adverse-effect level of idursulfase-IT was 100 mg.
D1 and D2 dopaminergic systems in the rat basolateral amygdala are involved in anxiogenic-like effects induced by histamine
Authors: Bananej Maryam , Karimi-Sori Ahmad , Zarrindast Mohammad Reza , Ahmadi Shamseddin
Published: June 2011

Involvement of the dopamine receptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in the effects of histamine on anxiety-like behaviors of the elevated plus maze in male Wistar rats was investigated. The results showed that bilateral intra-BLA injections of histamine (2.5, 5 and 7.5 µg/rat) induced an anxiogenic-like effect, revealed by decreases in percentage of open arm time (%OAT) and open arm entries (%OAE). Intra-BLA administration of dopamine D1 receptor agonist, SKF38393 (0.25 µg/rat), and dopamine D2 receptor agonist, quinpirole (0.03 and 0.05 µg/rat), decreased %OAT but not %OAE. Conversely, intra-BLA administration of dopamine D1 receptor antagonist, SCH23390 (0.5 and 1 µg/rat), and dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, sulpiride (0.3 and 0.5 µg/rat), increased %OAT and %OAE, suggesting an anxiolytic-like effect for both drugs. Interestingly, co-administration of a silent dose of SCH23390 or sulpiride prevented anxiogenic-like effects of SKF38393 and quinpirole, respectively. Conjoint administration of a sub-effective dose of SKF38393 (0.125 µg/rat) or quinpirole (0.01 µg/rat) along with lower doses of histamine (1 and 2.5 µg/rat) induced anxiolytic-like effects. On the other hand, intra-BLA pretreatment with a silent dose of SCH23390 (0.25 µg/rat) or sulpiride (0.1 µg/rat) prevented the anxiogenic-like effect of higher doses of histamine (5 and 7.5 µg/rat). No significant change was observed in total closed arm entries, as an index for motor activity of the animals. It can be concluded that the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors in the BLA may be involved in the anxiogenic-like effects induced by histamine.
A subjective cognitive impairment scale for migraine attacks. The MIG-SCOG: Development and validation
Authors: Gil-Gouveia Raquel , Oliveira António G , Martins Isabel Pavão
Published: June 2011

Background: The burden of migraine is determined by impairment during attacks due to pain or non-painful symptoms such as cognitive symptoms.

Objective: Development of a questionnaire to measure self-reported subjective cognitive symptoms during migraine attacks.

Methods: Item generation was accomplished through structured patient interviews analysed by a panel of experts. A set of 43 candidate items was applied to consecutive migraine patients. Test construction with factor analysis retained nine items. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and Spearman’s rho, and convergent and construct validity by correlation to spontaneous cognitive complaints, and the 43-item and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaires.

Results: The nine-item Mig-SCog covers two domains, executive functions and language. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.82. It correlates with spontaneous cognitive complaints ( p < 0.001), the 43-item (rho = 0.69) and the Cognitive Failures Questionnaires (rho = 0.61). Test–retest reliability (Cohen’s kappa) was 0.55.

Conclusions: Mig-SCog is a valid, reliable, consistent working instrument of fast self-administration that quantifies subjective cognitive symptoms during migraine attacks.
Deep brain stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic area in intractable short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT)
Authors: Bartsch T , Falk D , Knudsen K , Reese R , Raethjen J , Mehdorn HM , Volkmann J , Deuschl G
Published: June 2011

Background: SUNCT (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing) is a rare syndrome characterized by the sudden onset of excruciating unilateral periorbital pain that is accompanied by conjunctival injection and lacrimation or further autonomic signs. Similar to patients with chronic cluster headache, Leone and Lyons showed a beneficial effect of deep brain stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic region in two patients with a chronic SUNCT.

Case: Here, we present the case of a man with a chronic SUNCT responding to deep brain stimulation of the posterior hypothalamic area.

Conclusion: This case supports the idea of a central origin of SUNCT and shows that deep brain stimulation of the hypothalamic region can be effective in the treatment of the chronic form of this rare disorder.
Sun-induced migraine attacks in an Arctic population
Authors: Ivar Bekkelund Svein , Hindberg Kristian , Bashari Hiba , Godtliebsen Fred , Bjørnar Alstadhaug Karl
Published: June 2011

Aims: The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of weather, and especially sun exposure, on migraine.

Methods: Data from a previous prospective 12-month diary study was compared with meteorological data. We retrospectively evaluated 1250 migraine attacks recorded by a group of 40 women with a mean age of 37.1 years who fulfilled the IHS criteria for migraine with and without aura.

Results: The patients reported more sun-induced migraine attacks on sunny days, but the total distribution of migraine attacks was constant throughout the year. Also, no seasonal variation of migraine, nor any relationships between weather parameters and onset of migraine attacks, were found. An analysis of a subgroup of patients with ‘sun-induced’ migraine showed a significant increase in frequency of migraine attacks in the summer compared to the winter ( p = 0.04).

Conclusion: This study confirms that sunlight might be a trigger for migraine, but a risk for increased impact of light on the total ailment of migraine headache should be searched for in a subgroup of sensitive migraineurs.
Saccade behaviour in migraine patients
Authors: Cambron M , Anseeuw S , Paemeleire K , Crevits L
Published: June 2011

Background: Voxel-based morphometry studies in migraine patients showed significant grey matter volume reduction in regions involved in the control of saccadic eye movements. We hypothesized that these changes would be reflected in dysfunctional saccadic behaviour.

Methods: Saccades were recorded by infrared oculography using three different paradigms (pro-saccade with gap, pro-saccade overlap and anti-saccade with gap). We compared the results for migraine patients ( n = 80) with those for controls ( n = 87).

Results: No significant differences were found between migraine patients with ( n = 46) and without ( n = 34) aura. Migraine patients showed a saccadic behaviour that differed from controls in three respects. In migraine patients, the latencies in the pro-saccade with gap paradigm were borderline significantly longer. Moreover, in both the pro-saccade with gap and the pro-saccade overlap paradigm we observed a larger intra-individual variation of the latency in migraine patients. However, the biggest difference was that the patients who received migraine prophylactic therapy made significantly more anti-saccade errors in the anti-saccade with gap paradigm, suggesting that inhibitory saccade control is impaired in migraine patients depending on the severity of the migraine.

Conclusion: We suggest a deficient inhibitory control, reflecting an executive dysfunction in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or a dysfunction in the cingulate cortex, is present in migraine patients.
Development of visual contour integration in children with migraine without aura
Authors: Braunitzer Gábor , Rokszin Alice , Kóbor Jenő , Nagy Attila , Sztriha László , Benedek György
Published: June 2011

Introduction: As migraine attacks pose insult to cerebral circulation and ion homeostasis, migraine has the potential to interfere with the development of different brain structures, producing functional deficits. It is known that visual contour integration (CI) is a function with a protracted development. Therefore, we sought to establish whether migraine interferes with its development.

Methods: Forty-eight migraineurs (without aura) and 48 age- and sex-matched controls participated in the study, divided into three cohorts by age. Stimuli were presented on cards with a contour consisting of Gabor patches embedded in random noise. Difficulty was varied by the manipulation of relative noise density. The task was to identify and show the contour.

Results: A significant difference was found between the performance of migraineurs and controls in the 10–14-year-old and 15–18-year-old cohorts ( p < 0.05). Development between all three cohorts was significant in the control group ( p < 0.017), while it was not significant in migraineurs between 6 and 14 years. Correlation between age and CI threshold was stronger in controls than in migraineurs.

Conclusion: Children with paediatric migraine exhibited a less marked development in the Gabor patch-based CI task.
Characterization of Subchondral Bone Repair for Marrow-Stimulated Chondral Defects and Its Relationship to Articular Cartilage Resurfacing
Authors: Chen Hongmei , Chevrier Anik , Hoemann Caroline D. , Sun Jun , Ouyang Wei , Buschmann Michael D.
Published: June 2011

Background

Microfracture and drilling are bone marrow–stimulation techniques that initiate cartilage repair by providing access to cell populations in subchondral bone marrow. This study examined the effect of hole depth and of microfracture versus drilling on subchondral bone repair and cartilage repair in full-thickness chondral defects.

Hypotheses

Repaired subchondral bone does not reconstitute its native structure and exhibits atypical morphologic features. Drilling deeper induces greater bone remodeling and is related to improved cartilage repair.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Trochlear cartilage defects debrided of the calcified layer were prepared bilaterally in 16 skeletally mature rabbits. Drill holes were made to a depth of 2 mm or 6 mm and microfracture holes to 2 mm. Animals were sacrificed 3 months postoperatively, and joints were scanned by micro–computed tomography before histoprocessing. Bone repair was assessed with a novel scoring system and by 3-dimentional micro–computed tomography and compared with intact controls. Correlation of subchon-dral bone features to cartilage repair outcome was performed.

Results

Although surgical holes were partly repaired with mineralized tissue, atypical features such as residual holes, cysts, and bony overgrowth were frequently observed. For all treatment groups, repair led to an average bone volume density similar to that of the controls but the repair bone was more porous and branched as shown by significantly higher bone surface area density and connectivity density. Deeper versus shallower drilling induced a larger region of repairing and remodeling subchondral bone that positively correlated with improved cartilage repair.

Conclusion

Incomplete reconstitution of normal bone structure and continued remodeling occurred in chondral defects 3 months after bone marrow stimulation. Deep drilling induced a larger volume of repairing and remodeling bone, which appeared beneficial for chondral repair.

Clinical Relevance

Bone marrow stimulation does not reconstitute normal bone structure. Strategies that increase subchondral bone involvement in marrow stimulation could further benefit cartilage repair.
Surgical Trends in Bankart Repair
Authors: Owens Brett D. , Harrast John J. , Hurwitz Shepard R. , Thompson Terry L. , Wolf Jennifer Moriatis
Published: June 2011

Background: Arthroscopic Bankart repair emerged in the 1990s as a minimally invasive alternative to open repair. The optimal technique of surgical stabilization of the unstable glenohumeral joint remains controversial.

Hypothesis: A review of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) data would show a trend toward an increasing number of arthroscopic versus open Bankart procedures.

Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: A query of the ABOS database for all cases of open or arthroscopic Bankart repair from 2003 through 2008 was performed, as the CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes for arthroscopic repair were introduced in 2003. All cases coded with CPT codes for arthroscopic Bankart repair (29806) or open Bankart repair (23455) were reviewed. Additional data were obtained on the surgeons (year of procedure, geographic location, fellowship training, subspecialty examination area) as well as the patients (age, gender, follow-up length, complications, objective outcome measures [pain, deformity, function, and satisfaction]).

Results: From 2003 to 2008, a total of 4562 Bankart repair cases were reported, composing 8.6% of the total number of shoulder surgery cases in the ABOS database. From 2003 to 2005, 71.2% of Bankart repairs were arthroscopic, compared with 87.7% between 2006 and 2008 ( P < .0001). Surgeons having obtained subspecialty training in sports medicine performed the majority (65.3%) of Bankart repairs. Over the entire period, sports-trained surgeons also performed a higher proportion of arthroscopic repairs (84.1%) compared with surgeons without this training (71.9%) ( P < .0001). However, by 2008 both non-fellowship–trained and sports medicine fellowship–trained surgeons performed arthroscopic repair in 90% of cases. Surgeons in the Northeast region performed a significantly greater proportion of arthroscopic Bankart repairs (84.7%) than did surgeons in other regions (78.6%) ( P < .0001) from 2003 to 2008. The most commonly reported complications were nerve palsy/injury and dislocation, with a rate of nerve injury of 2.2% in the open group compared to 0.3% in the arthroscopic group ( P < .0001), and dislocation rate of 1.2% with open stabilization compared with 0.4% arthroscopically ( P = .0039).

Conclusion: Review of the ABOS data shows a trend toward arthroscopic shoulder stabilization over time, with the use of open repair declining. Reported complications were lower overall in the arthroscopic stabilization group when compared with open surgeries.
On site domestic organic waste treatment through vermitechnology using indigenous earthworm species
Authors: Rajpal Ankur , Bhargava Renu , Sasi Salin Kumar , Chopra AK
Published: June 2011

In India the exotic epigeic species, Eisenia fetida is mostly used for vermicomposting. The introduction of exotic species into local bio system may affect the indigenous earthworm species population. A comparative study between exotic species ( Eisenia fetida) and indigenous species Perionyx sansibaricus and Perionyx excavates was performed to determine the potential of indigenous species of the area vis-à-vis the exotic species for composting of domestic organic waste blended with cattle manure. The results of the study show a significant reduction in initial C/N ratio from 55 to 13 for P. excavates and 15 for P. sansibaricus of the ready product which was within the agronomic acceptable limit ( < 20). The total organic matter reduced by 50% and pH also reduced to be nearer to neutral, but there was an increase in total nitrogen to 102% and total phosphorus increased from the initial concentration of 7.62 g kg−1 up to 13.2 g kg−1. Overall, by employing above indigenous species, domestic organic waste can be directly converted into high-quality hygienic stable fertilizer (vermicompost) which is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and free from pathogens.
The Role of Aspirin in Childhood Tuberculous Meningitis
Authors: Schoeman Johan F. , Janse van Rensburg Anita , Laubscher Jacoba A. , Springer Priscilla
Published: June 2011

Arterial stroke is the main cause of poor outcome in childhood tuberculous meningitis. Aspirin has an antithrombotic action at low dose and anti-ischemic and anti-inflammatory properties, which are dose-related. The aim of the study was to explore the possible benefits of aspirin in children with tuberculous meningitis. A total of 146 consecutive children with a diagnosis of probable tuberculous meningitis were studied. Patients were randomized into 3 groups: (1) placebo group, (2) low-dose aspirin group, and (3) high-dose aspirin group. Twenty-nine additional patients who received aspirin before admission were excluded from the randomized study, but continued on low-dose aspirin. Aspirin, irrespective of dose, did not show any significant benefit regarding morbidity (hemiparesis and developmental outcome) and mortality. Aspirin was well tolerated, but 1 death was probably related to aspirin. The fact that the outcome of the high-dose aspirin group compared favorably with the other treatment groups despite younger age and more severe neurological involvement at baseline needs further investigation.
Increased Regional Fractional Anisotropy in Highly Screened Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Authors: Peterson Daniel J. , Ryan Matthew , Rimrodt Sheryl L. , Cutting Laurie E. , Denckla Martha B. , Kaufmann Walter E. , Mahone E. Mark
Published: June 2011

Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected at 3.0 Tesla from 16 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 16 typically developing controls, ages 9 to 14 years. Fractional anisotropy images were calculated and normalized by linear transformation. Voxel-wise and atlas-based region-of-interest analyses were performed. Using voxel-wise analysis, fractional anisotropy was found to be significantly increased in the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder group in the right superior frontal gyrus and posterior thalamic radiation, and left dorsal posterior cingulate gyrus, lingual gyrus, and parahippocampal gyrus. No regions showed significantly decreased fractional anisotropy in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Region-of-interest analysis revealed increased fractional anisotropy in the left sagittal stratum, that is, white matter that connects the temporal lobe to distant cortical regions. Only fractional anisotropy in the left sagittal stratum was significantly associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptom severity. Several recent studies have reported pathological increases in fractional anisotropy in other conditions, highlighting the relevance of diffusion tensor imaging in identifying atypical white matter structure associated with neurodevelopmental processes.