bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RASTERSTEREOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE THORACIC SAGITTAL CURVATURE: A RELIABILITY STUDY
Authors: Goh S. , Price R. I. , Leedman P. J. , Singer K. P.
Published: March 2003

Limitations associated with radiological evaluation of spinal curvature have resulted in the increased application of noninvasive optical imaging systems to define various shape parameters of the spine. There is little information describing the reliability of the measurement of the thoracic spine upright posture using these imaging systems. The objective of this study was to examine the reliability of thoracic kyphosis measurement from noninvasive back surface analysis.

Repeated imaging of back shape was performed in 10 volunteers of widely different ages (range 19–64 years), and in a back phantom, utilizing the Jenoptik Formetric video rasterstereography imaging system. Coefficients of variation (CV) for five repeated measurements of the subjects ranged from 2.4% to 3.0% for the kyphosis parameters measured. The reproducible nature of derived angles was further reflected by low standard deviation values (1.2° to 2.0°). Inter-trial CV values for repeated imaging of the back phantom ranged from 0.4% to 1.3%. High intraclass correlation coefficients were noted for all the measurements (0.98 to 0.99). Consistent results were demonstrated across the varying age cohorts.

The reliability of rasterstereographic evaluation of thoracic kyphosis is largely influenced by the variability in subject posture, with minimal errors arising from internal system inaccuracies. These results confirm the utility of rasterstereographic back shape imaging in the detection of relatively small curve changes and hence its potential clinical role in monitoring kyphosis progression.
VITAMIN D RECEPTOR mRNA IS EXPRESSED IN OSTEOCLAST-LIKE CELLS OF HUMAN GIANT CELL TUMOR OF BONE (OSTEOCLASTOMA)
Authors: Huang W. H. , Daniels L. L. , Wood D. J. , Seydel U. , Papadimitriou J. M. , Zheng M. H.
Published: March 2003

The conventional view of the effects of 1,25- (OH)2D3on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption are thought to be mediated by stromal cells or osteoblastic cell. Giant cell tumor of bone (GCT) is characterized by multinuclear giant cells (osteoclast-like cells) distributed among a mass of mononuclear cells. Because it is very difficult to obtain normal human osteoclasts, many investigators, including ourselves, have used GCT as a source of human osteoclasts to enhance the understanding of normal skeletal remodeling and especially the hormone regulation of osteoclast functions. In this report, expression of human vitamin D receptor (VDR) mRNA was examined in the various components of GCT using the fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique. The results showed that VDR gene transcripts were expressed in both multinuclear cells (osteoclast-like cells) and mononuclear macrophage-like cells but not in stromal-like tumor cells in two cases of GCT examined. Measurement of VDR gene transcripts in situ by confocal microscopy showed that the level of VDR mRNA in osteoclast-like giant cells is greater than that in macrophage-like cells (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that 1,25- (OH)2D3mediated osteoclastic bone resorption or osteoclastogenesis could at least, in part, occur by direct action on osteoclasts/their precursor cells.
IN THE INTERIM: CIVIL SOCIETY, THE SHAR'Ī JUDICIARY AND PALESTINIAN PERSONAL STATUS LAW IN THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD
Authors: Welchman Lynn
Published: March 2003

In this article I consider the nature and implications of the positions taken on Muslim personal status law by different institutional and civil society actors in the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip during the period 1994-2000. The article considers positions taken on the sources and methodologies of reform of personal status law, the jurisdiction of the sharī'a courts, and specific areas of substantive law, with a view to identifying the range of opinions within the bounds of which Palestinian family law might be framed. Areas of convergence and divergence emerge not only between but also within the different sectors, while explicit reference to the legislation of other Arab states underlines a strong regional identification and, less explicitly, an emerging 'normative' status attaching to the diverse codified provisions of national laws.
POLITICAL FACTIONS, IDEOLOGICAL FICTIONS: THE CONTROVERSY OVER FAMILY LAW REFORM IN DEMOCRATIC MALI
Authors: Schulz Dorothea
Published: March 2003

The article examines debates surrounding the current family law reform in Mali to account for the way in which broader processes of social change, an international and national context of women's rights activism, as well as various interest groups will shape the ultimate outcome of legislative reform. The article focuses on the five main components of the proposed reform and analyzes the positions of the most important groups participating in the debate: women's rights activists supported by the international women's movement and international donor organizations, protagonists of the two influential wings of the national Muslim organization, and representatives of the state administration. It is argued that although state officials and protagonists of an "Islamic" position hold divergent ideological and normative orientations, they form temporary and shifting alliances around certain issues, often on the basis of pragmatic considerations. Also, while women's rights activists and "Muslim women" claim to represent women tout court, the positions and arguments of the former can be seen as representing particularistic, class-specific interests.
‘Imitation crab’ and the material culture of commodity production
Authors: Mansfield Becky
Published: March 2003

Addressing the material culture of commodity production, this paper focuses on different and shifting meanings that are developed within and incorporated into the production of consumer goods. Analysis of the geographical production of individual consumer goods provides insight into the ways that social interactions ascribe meanings to things without erasing the material nature of those things. A case study of the Euro-American ‘imitation crab’ industry is used to examine how producers de- and re-contextualize commodities both materially and symbolically throughout production processes. By distancing imitation crab from both its physical origin as a fish and its social origin as a Japanese food product, firms are able to present this inexpensive and mass-produced commodity as a substitute for an expensive food. Instead of taking commodity forms for granted, this paper takes as its central method the analysis of these forms and their material-symbolic transformations. Cultural economic analysis of material production highlights key moments in the social geography of things, and the importance of these things in both daily life and social relations over time and space.
Disaster and decentralization: American cities and the Cold War
Authors: Farish Matthew
Published: March 2003

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also ushered in an era of anxious urbanism in the USA. Despite its status as the inheritor of European modernism, the champion of capitalism and the centre of a rapidly globalizing popular culture, America still struggled with the contradictory results of urbanization and military supremacy. In this essay, I bring political and urban geography together in a study of American cities and their role as strategic environments in the developing geopolitical conflict of the Cold War. New technologies such as the atomic bomb prompted a diverse wave of lurid disaster scenarios, as well as subsequent scientific attempts to contain, control and reduce risk and danger. Whether considered or far-fetched, these schemes were profoundly geographical, and borrowed much from the logic of postwar social science. In subtle yet pervasive ways they contributed to the prominent discourses of urban decline and suburbanization, and thus to the changing material fabric of postwar American cities.
Abalone, rattlesnakes and kilowatt monsters: nature and the atom at Diablo Canyon, California
Authors: Wills John
Published: March 2003

This article argues that a broad cultural fascination with what is deemed to be natural (and, conversely, artificial) has influenced how we relate to nuclear landscapes. In the case of Diablo Canyon, a headland on the California coast set aside for nuclear development in the 1960s, we find that prolonged debates over land use were at first complicated by conflicting ideas over the ‘naturalness’ of an area once used for cattle ranching, then obscured by questions over the unnatural, artificial attributes of atomic energy. Common perceptions of the coastline emerged not from physical interaction with the coastline, but instead from popular debate over the promise and perils of peaceful atomic energy. The article is useful for its exposition of nature as a cultural artefact and for situating nuclear developments within a broader context of shifting environmental sensibilities.
A computational and experimental study of heating and cooling cycles during thermal sterilization of liquid foods in pouches using CFD
Authors: Ghani A G , Farid M M , Chen X D
Published: March 2003

In this study, a theoretical analysis of a heating and cooling cycle during sterilization of a three-dimensional pouch filled with carrot-orange soup was presented and analysed. Transient temperature, the shape of the slowest heating zone (SHZ) during heating and the slowest cooling zone (SCZ) during cooling were presented and studied. The simulation covered the whole heating and cooling cycles of 3600s and 1200s durations, respectively. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code PHOENICS was used for this purpose. Saturated steam at 121°C and water at 20°C were assumed to be the heating and cooling media, respectively. The partial differential equations describing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy were solved numerically using the finite volume method. The liquid food used in the simulation has a temperature-dependent viscosity and density. At the end of heating, the SHZ was found to have settled into a region within 30–40 per cent of the pouch height above the bottom and at a distance approximately 20–30 per cent of the pouch length from its deepest end. In the cooling cycle, the slowest cooling zone (SCZ) was found to develop in the core of the pouch and gradually migrate toward the widest end. The vertical location of this slowest cooling zone was about 60–70 per cent of the pouch height. Experimental validation has been performed by measuring the temperature distribution in the pouch during heating and cooling, using thermocouples fixed at different locations. The predicted results were in good agreement with those obtained from the experiments.
A review of current and developing potable water treatment processes
Authors: Stevenson D G
Published: March 2003

The changes in water treatment technology that have occurred within the United Kingdom over the past 25–30 years, together with the present direction of development, are reviewed. Water treatment for public supply differs from many other process technologies, notably in the large scale of operation, the longevity of the plant, the regulatory environment and the slow rate at which new processes can be introduced. Thus, many developments are initiated as a result of regulatory requirements rather than economic factors. Reliability is paramount, and this leads to mechanical simplicity.
Skewed velocity profile effect on turbine flowmeter performance
Authors: Islam M , Seshadri V , Singh S N , Hasan M M
Published: March 2003

Turbine flowmeters (TFMs) are mechanical flow metering devices and are being used extensively in various industries to measure the flowrate of a wide variety of fluids. The TFMs are known for their excellent repeatability, higher accuracy, wide operating range, high shock capability, low pressure loss and wide temperature and pressure limits. The performance characteristics of TFMs depend greatly on the upstream flow condition, the fluid properties and the geometrical parameters of the rotor. Hence, a systematic study has been carried out to establish the effect of a skewed velocity profile on the lower limit of the linear range, usable range, meter factor and pressure drop across the meter. Alteration of the velocity profile has been achieved by providing a gate valve about four pipe diameters upstream of the meter. From the result, it can be seen that the average meter factor does not change for a slightly skewed velocity profile but increases drastically for a highly skewed velocity profile. To overcome the skewed velocity profile effect, three types of flow straightener have been provided upstream of the rotor. It is found that a ten-bladed flat plate straightener is most effective in killing the skewness in the upstream velocity profile and keeping the variation in meter factor within ±1.25 per cent of the standard values.
Measuring the tensile strength of caked sugar produced from humidity cycling
Authors: Leaper M C , Berry R J , Bradley M S A , Bridle I , Reed A R , Abou-Chakra H , Tüzün U
Published: March 2003

The aim of this study was to develop moisture migration modelling in stored sugar due to the temperature cycling of the storage environment. This was done by forming cake of sugar in a gas-bearing tensile tester. The sugar and tester were enclosed in a controlled humidity system and the relative humidity was cycled between four hours at 70 per cent relative humidity and four hours at 20 per cent relative humidity. Liquid bridges formed between the sugar particles at high relative humidity, with the bridges hardening subsequently when the humidity was reduced. It was found that the relationship between the tensile strength and number of cycles could be approximated by the relationship σT = K √ N and the agglomerate tensile strength was in the order of 150Pa after 32 cycles. This suggests a soft cake rather than hard cakes with a tensile strength of twice this order of magnitude, which are formed, for example, in salt. A value of 1300kPa was obtained for the parameter representing the average strength of the bridge material in a simplified model of monosized spheres linked by pendular bridges in a system of uniform packing.
Performance of a rotating drum skimmer in oil spill recovery
Authors: Hammoud A H , Khalil M F
Published: March 2003

Oil spill recovery by means of a rotating drum skimmer was investigated experimentally for a wide range of design and operating conditions. The effect of drum diameter, drum length, rotating speed, oil film thickness, oil properties, and drum centre height above the oil/water interface surface were analyzed with respect to oil recovery rate of the drum skimmer. Crude, diesel, SAE 10W and SAE 140W oils were used during this investigation. It was found that oil recovery rate increases with increasing drum diameter, drum length, drum centre height above the oil/water interface, and oil slick thickness oil viscosity, and increases as oil density and surface tension decreases. The results revealed that the drum skimmer is an effective device for recovering spills of low viscosity oil, such as light crude oil, which is the type of oil involved in most serious spills and pollutions of the sea. Furthermore, an empirical equation is proposed for predicting the oil recovery rate of the device. The equation can be applied to different oils, and gives good agreement with observed data.
The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in malignant and premalignant conditions of the head and neck
Authors: Rubin J. S. , Benjamin E. , Prior A. , Lavy J.
Published: March 2003

Helicobacter pylori is an accepted cause of chronic active gastritis and has a major causative role in peptic ulceration. It is a gastric carcinogen. Its role in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is less clear; yet 50 per cent of patients with NUD are infected with H pylori. H pylori has been investigated in several other organ systems, but has not been investigated extensively in squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract, a region which could be directly exposed to the bacterium by gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR).

In this study 61 patients with severe laryngeal dysplasia or frank carcinoma of the head and neck are striated by age, investigated for the presence of antibodies to H pylori and compared to age and sex matched controls.

In the age group of 46–61 years, the presence of H pylori antibodies was marginally greater in the experimental (63.0 per cent) than the control group (40.7 per cent) (Pearson Chi square p = 0.055, Fisher 2-sided exact test p= 0.066). When combining this age group with the younger age group and thereby creating two roughly equal groups (n = 31 and n = 30) there was also a statistical trend towards increased positivity in the experimental group. These findings are discussed in the light of other studies with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD).
Does receiving a copy of correspondence improve patients’ satisfaction with their out-patient consultation?
Authors: Saunders N. C. , Georgalas C. , Blaney S. P. A. , Dixon H. , Topham J. H.
Published: March 2003

It is standard practice to write to a patient’s general practitioner (GP) following an out-patients consultation. This study set out to assess whether sending a copy of this letter to the patient improves their satisfaction with the consultation. Two hundred patients were randomly assigned to receive or not to receive a copy of their GP letter. Their satisfaction was then assessed by means of a postal questionnaire. The two groups were compared to ensure that there was no significant difference between them with regard to any other aspect of their consultation. Those who did not receive a copy letter had a median overall satisfaction score of 7.75 whilst those who did had a median score of 9.0 (p = 0.014). The only other factors predictive of overall satisfaction were receiving an explanation of the problem and spending sufficient time with the doctor. Sending patients a copy of correspondence to their GP is one means of aiding communication and improving overall satisfaction.
Ipswich lacrimal tube: pedicle nasal septal tube for the reconstruction of lacrimal drainage passage
Authors: Yung M. W. , Hardman-Lea S.
Published: March 2003

Canalicular blockage of the lacrimal system still remains a major challenge for oculoplastic surgeons. The conventional treatment of conjunctival dacryocystorhinostomy using the Lester Jones bypass tube is often associated with tube migration and foreign body reaction. The authors report a new technique to reconstruct the lacrimal passage on a single patient with severe canalicular obstruction following repeated failures from previous Lester Jones tube operations. An epithelial-lined tube was recreated between the nasal cavity and the conjunctiva using a superiorly based mucoperichondrial flap from the nasal septum (Ipswich lacrimal tube). The pedicle of the flap was divided six weeks following the operation. The patient was still symptom free two years following the operation together with a positive dye test confirming the patency of the new lacrimal tube.
Endoscopic assisted external approach anterior ethmoidal artery ligation for the management of epistaxis
Authors: Douglas S. A. , Gupta D.
Published: March 2003

Anterior ethmoidal artery ligation is a well-established surgical procedure in the management of epistaxis. We describe a procedure of anterior ethmoidal artery ligation via minimal access external surgery with the use of a rigid endoscope. This is, as far as we are aware, the first description of an external approach endoscopic anterior ethmoidal artery ligation.
Carbon monoxide poisoning and sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Shahbaz Hassan M. , Ray J. , Wilson F.
Published: March 2003

Exposure to carbon monoxide is a well-recognized cause of morbidity and mortality. Both acute accidental poisoning and chronic exposure are associated with a range of adverse health effects. We report two cases of carbon monoxide poisoning with the associated phenomenon of sensorineural hearing loss. Although hearing loss as a result of acute carbon monoxide exposure has previously been described, here we emphasize the need to consider chronic exposure to carbon monoxide as a potentially reversible cause of sensorineural hearing loss if diagnosed and treated early.
An unusual pattern of intubation injury?
Authors: Jesudason W. V. , Rothera M. P.
Published: March 2003

Post-intubation laryngeal dysfunction is well documented. Both common and rare patterns of injury have been described in the literature. An unusual pattern of intubation injury is described in this case report. The different patterns of post-intubation laryngeal injury are discussed as well as the possible aetiology in the case described.
A rare case of Crohn’s disease in head and neck surgery
Authors: Clark M. P. A. , Benjamin E. , Alusi G.
Published: March 2003

Oral manifestations of Crohn’s disease may present to the Otolaryngologist in the form of ulceration, glossitis and odynophagia, but rarer examples of presentation are also recognized. In this case a 24-year-old lady presented with cervical lymphadenopathy, the subsequent investigation of which resulted in the identification of the disease both in this node and in the tonsils. It is noted that these lesions may precede the classical intestinal manifestations and so the Otolaryngologist could aid in the initial diagnosis of the disease. The pathogenic possibilities of how Crohn’s disease might have arisen in these and other extra-intestinal regions, are discussed.
Bilateral parotid and submandibular gland enlargement: rare features of Wegener’s granulomatosis
Authors: Liu S. Y. , Vlantis A. C. , Lee W. C.
Published: March 2003

Wegener’s granulomatosis is a potentially fatal disease of unknown origin affecting mainly the upper and lower respiratory tracts and kidneys. Prompt recognition of the more unusual presentations of the disease is necessary to ensure early treatment. We present a case of a 46-year-old female with bilateral submandibular and parotid gland enlargement.

Parotid or submandibular salivary gland enlargement is a rare presenting feature of Wegener’s granulomatosis. Common to 80 per cent of these cases is nasal involvement, while ear pathology or lung lesions may occur in the remaining cases. The diagnosis is both clinical and pathological, biopsy of suspicious tissue, serum c-ANCA levels and a chest X-ray are valuable investigations. Treatment with immunosuppressive therapy is essential, and usually ensures a long-term remission.
'Best practice' development and transfer in the NHS: the importance of process as well as product knowledge
Authors: Newell Sue , Edelman Linda , Scarbrough Harry , Swan Jacky , Bresnen Mike
Published: March 2003

A core prescription from the knowledge management movement is that the successful management of organizational knowledge will prevent firms from 'reinventing the wheel', in particular through the transfer of 'best practices'. Our findings challenge this logic. They suggest instead that knowledge is emergent and enacted in practice, and that normally those involved in a given practice have only a partial understanding of the overall practice. Generating knowledge about current practice is therefore a precursor to changing that practice. In this sense, knowledge transfer does not occur independently of or in sequence to knowledge generation, but instead the process of knowledge generation and its transfer are inexorably intertwined. Thus, rather than transferring 'product' knowledge about the new 'best practice' per se, our analysis suggests that it is more useful to transfer 'process' knowledge about effective ways to generate the knowledge of existing practice, which is the essential starting point for attempts to change that practice.
Hospital downsizing and workforce reduction strategies: some inner workings
Authors: Weil Thomas P.
Published: March 2003

Downsizing, manpower reductions, re-engineering, and resizing are used extensively in the United States to reduce cost and to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of various functions and processes. Published studies report that these managerial strategies result in a minimal impact on access to services, quality of care, and the ability to reduce costs. But, these approaches certainly alienate employees. These findings are usually explained by the significant difficulties experienced in eliminating nursing and other similar direct patient care-oriented positions and in terminating white-collar employees. Possibly an equally plausible reason why hospitals and physician practices react so poorly to these management strategies is their cost structure-high fixed (85%) and low variable (15%)-and that simply generating greater volume does not necessarily achieve economies of scale. More workable alternatives for health executives to effectuate cost reductions consist of simplifying prepayment, decreasing the overall availability and centralizing tertiary services at academic health centres, and closing superfluous hospitals and other health facilities. America's pluralistic values and these proposals having serious political repercussions for health executives and elected officials often present serious barriers in their implementation.
Hospital efficiency and patient satisfaction
Authors: Pink G. H. , Murray M. A. , McKillop I.
Published: March 2003

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between efficiency and patient satisfaction for a sample of general, acute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada. A measure of patient satisfaction at the hospital level was constructed using data from a province-wide survey of patients in mid-1999. A measure of efficiency was constructed using data from a cost model used by the Ontario Ministry of Health, the primary funder of hospitals in Ontario. In accordance with previous studies, the model also included measures of hospital size, teaching status and rural location. Based on the results of this study, at a 95% confidence level, there does appear to be evidence to suggest that an inverse relationship between hospital efficiency and patient satisfaction exists. However, the magnitude of the effect appears to be small. Hospital size and teaching status also appear to affect satisfaction, with lower satisfaction scores reported among non-teaching and larger hospitals. This study did not find any evidence to suggest that hospital location (rural versus urban) or religious affiliation contributed to reports of patient satisfaction in any way not explained by the other measures included in the study. The findings imply that low patient satisfaction cannot be explained by excessive management concentration on efficiency. Managers should analyse some of the underlying causes of patient dissatisfaction before reconfiguring resources. It may be beneficial in larger hospitals to study the aspects of care that patients have reported they prefer in small hospitals.
A theoretical model for the optimal allocation of health resources in Greece
Authors: Dritsakis Nikolaos
Published: March 2003

This paper presents a theoretical model that enables us to rate the efficiency of health resources in different regions. The model is based on the theory of production and refers to two specific regions. The hypotheses that determine the relationship between health care resources and their indicators are examined as well as the necessary conditions for the optimal regional allocation of these resources.
Utilization of general practitioner services in New Zealand and its relationship with income, ethnicity and government subsidy
Authors: Scott Kate M. , Marwick John C. , Crampton Peter R.
Published: March 2003

The New Zealand primary care system involves user part-charges for general practitioner (GP) care. This study explores the relationship between the use of GP services in New Zealand and government subsidies, income and ethnicity. The study used the 1996/97 New Zealand Health Survey dataset, a nationally representative household survey of health status and health service utilization. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the likelihood of visiting the GP at least once in 12 months, and the likelihood of frequent visits (at least six visits in 12 months). Adjustment was made for health need (as indicated by global self-reported health status and a number of specific disease and health-related behaviour measures), together with a range of other relevant demographic and socio-economic variables. Following these adjustments, low-income groups and Mäori were found to be significantly less likely to visit the GP at least once in the year, but there were no significant differences across income or ethnic groups in the likelihood of frequent visits. These results suggest that the system of low-income targeted government subsidies reduces, but does not fully compensate for the barrier posed by doctors' fees. Moreover, there appear to be barriers for indigenous groups, in addition to income.
The role of regional planning and management strategies in the transformation of the healthcare system
Authors: Fleury Marie-Josée , Denis Jean-Louis , Sicotte Claude
Published: March 2003

Drawing on a case study, this article questions the role of planning and management strategies in the process of transforming a regional public healthcare system that involves a number of organizations and is characterized by fluidity in its functions and division of power. It examines the efficacy of the Regional Plan for the Organization of Health Services (PROS) in reforming the mental health sector in a health and social service district in Quebec, in terms of integrated regional management of mental healthcare and activities at the local level. The regional planning procedure involves a major transformation in management of the mental health system, organizational roles and clinical and professional practices. Our assessment of PROS highlights the importance of taking into account the context of implementation and the instrumental value of planning, before judging its efficacy. To transform a complex healthcare system at the regional and local level, the study suggests a revised conception of the main roles played by planning and of the process shaping its implementation. Our study concludes in favour of developing management strategies at the operational, clinical and professional levels, and integrating them as a planning aid that allows a more corporate and matrix-based system to be set up.
Acoustic startle and fear‐potentiated startle in rats selectively bred for fast and slow kindling rates: relation to monoamine activity
Authors: Anisman Hymie , Kelly Owen , Hayley Shawn , Borowski Thomas , Merali Zul , McIntyre Dan C.
Published: March 2003

The acoustic startle response, prepulse inhibition, fear‐potentiated startle and monoamine activity induced by either, a novel stimulus or a cue previously paired with foot‐shock (fear‐conditioning), were assessed in rats selectively bred for differences in amygdala excitability (Fast vs. Slow kindling epileptogenesis). Comorbid differences of anxiety, which were dependent both on the rats' behavioural style and the kind of stressor, also characterized these strains. In the present investigation, Slow rats exhibited a greater startle reflex to noise relative to Fast rats, suggesting differences in generalized anxiety, but similar rates of startle habituation and prepulse inhibition. The fear‐potentiated startle, however, was greater in Fast rats. When movement of the rat was restricted in a new environment, presentation of a novel stimulus (light) increased norepinephrine, dopamine and/or serotonin activity in brain regions typically associated with stressors (e.g. locus coeruleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus). Generally, these effects were more pronounced in Fast rats, and norepinephrine utilization in the central amygdala was particularly highlighted in response to a conditioned fear stimulus. Thus, while generalized anxiety appeared greater in Slow rats, behavioural and central neurochemical reactivity in response to novel stimuli and to fear‐eliciting stimuli, was greater in Fast rats. Similarly, basal dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex was greater in Fast rats, but dopamine utilization elicited by a novel stimulus was more pronounced in Slow rats. This suggested that relative to Slow rats, dopamine neurons in prefrontal cortex of Fast rats do not react normally to environmental stimuli, and this phenomenon could lead to disturbances of attention or impulsivity.
Control of neurotransmission, behaviour and development, by photo‐dynamic manipulation of tissue redox state of brain targets
Authors: Kataoka Yosky , Morii Hiroshi , Imamura Kazuyuki , Cui Yilong , Kobayashi Masayuki , Watanabe Yasuyoshi
Published: March 2003

Reversible manipulation of local neurotransmission in brain areas, using controlled spatial and temporal resolution, is one of the powerful techniques used to investigate integrative aspects of brain function. We have developed a novel technique for rapidly inactivating local synaptic transmission, from outside the brain, within seconds or minutes via oxidation of target tissue using a photosensitive dye followed by photoirradiation (photo‐dynamic tissue oxidation; PDTO). PDTO applied through a defined slit, sharply suppressed excitatory synaptic transmission in rat hippocampal slices and also suppressed in vivo hippocampal neurotransmission reversibly. Furthermore, we manipulated the voluntary movement of gerbils in free‐field activity by application of PDTO to the striatum. Also, in freely moving kittens, the development of the visual cortex was manipulated by long‐lasting application of PDTO to the eye. Thus, PDTO enables external manipulation of in vivo or in vitro neurotransmission in various clearly defined regions on the submillimeter scale. Suppression of neurotransmission occurred only within the photo‐oxidized area which can be histochemically visualized.
The vagus nerve mediates behavioural depression, but not fever, in response to peripheral immune signals; a functional anatomical analysis
Authors: Konsman Jan Pieter , Luheshi Giamal N. , Bluthé Rose‐Marie , Dantzer Robert
Published: March 2003

Cytokines act on the brain to induce fever and behavioural depression after infection. Although several mechanisms of cytokine‐to‐brain communication have been proposed, their physiological significance is unclear. We propose that behavioural depression is mediated by the vagus nerve activating limbic structures, while fever would primarily be due to humoral mechanisms affecting the preoptic area, including interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) action on the organum vasculosum of the laminae terminalis (OVLT) and induction of prostaglandins. This study assessed the effects of subdiaphragmatic vagotomy in rats on fever, behavioural depression, as measured by the social interaction test, and Fos expression in the brain. These responses were compared with induction of the prostaglandin‐producing enzyme cyclooxygenase‐2 and the transcription factor Stat3 that translocates after binding of IL‐6. Vagotomy blocked behavioural depression after intraperitoneal injection of recombinant rat IL‐1β (25 µg/kg) or lipopolysaccharide (250 µg/kg; LPS) and prevented Fos expression in limbic structures and ventromedial preoptic area, but not in the OVLT. Fever was not affected by vagotomy, but associated with translocation of Stat3 in the OVLT and cyclooxygenase‐2 induction around blood vessels. These results indicate that the recently proposed vagal link between the immune system and the brain activates limbic structures to induce behavioural depression after abdominal inflammation. Although the vagus might play a role in fever in response to low doses of LPS by activating the ventromedial preoptic area, it is likely to be overridden during more severe infection by action of circulating IL‐6 on the OVLT or prostaglandins induced along blood vessels of the preoptic area.
Differential DNA damage in response to the neonatal and adult excitotoxic hippocampal lesion in rats
Authors: Khaing Zin Z. , Weickert Cynthia Shannon , Weinberger Daniel R. , Lipska Barbara K.
Published: March 2003

We examined the developmental profile of excitotoxin‐induced nuclear DNA fragmentation using the transferase dUTP nick‐end labelling (TUNEL) technique, as a marker of DNA damage and cell death in rats with neonatal and adult excitotoxic lesions of the ventral hippocampus. We hypothesized that infusion of neurotoxin may result in a differential pattern of cell death in neonatally and adult lesioned rats, both in the infusion site and in remote brain regions presumably involved in mediating behavioural changes observed in these animals. Brains of rats lesioned at 7 days of age and in adulthood were collected at several survival times 1–21 days after the lesion. In the lesioned neonates 1–3 days postlesion, marked increases in TUNEL‐positive cells occurred in the ventral hippocampus, the site of neurotoxin infusion, and in a wide surrounding area. Adult lesioned brains showed more positive cells than controls only at the infusion site. In the lesioned neonates, TUNEL‐labelled cells were also present in the striatum and nucleus accumbens 1 day postlesion but not at later survival times. Our findings indicate that cell death in remote regions is more prominent in immature than adult brains, that it may lead to distinct alterations in development of these brain regions, and thus may be responsible for functional differences between neonatally and adult lesioned rats.
Differential maturation of motoneurons innervating ankle flexor and extensor muscles in the neonatal rat
Authors: Vinay L , Brocard F. , Clarac F.
Published: March 2003

The first postnatal week is a critical period for the development of posture in the rat. The use of ankle extensor muscles in postural reactions increases during this period. Changes in excitability of motoneurons are probably an important factor underlying this maturation. The aim of this study was to identify whether variations in the maturation exist between motor pools innervating antagonistic muscles. Intracellular recordings in the in vitro brain stem–spinal cord preparation of neonatal rats (from postnatal day 0–5) were used to examine the developmental changes in excitability of motoneurons innervating the ankle flexors (F‐MNs) and the antigravity ankle extensors (E‐MNs). No significant difference in resting potential, action potential threshold, input resistance or rheobase was observed at birth. The age‐related increase in rheobase was more pronounced for F‐MNs than for E‐MNs. The development of discharge properties of E‐MNs lagged behind that of F‐MNs. More F‐MNs than E‐MNs were able to fire repetitively in response to current injection at birth. F‐MNs discharged at a higher frequency than E‐MNs at all ages. Differences in the duration of action potential afterhyperpolarization accounted, at least partly, for the differences in discharge frequency between E‐MNs and F‐MNs at birth, and for the age‐related increase in firing rate. These results suggest that E‐MNs are more immature at birth than F‐MNs and that there is a differential development of motoneurons innervating antagonistic muscles. This may be a critical factor in the development of posture and locomotion.
Retrograde signalling with nitric oxide at neocortical synapses
Authors: Volgushev Maxim , Balaban Pavel , Chistiakova Marina , Eysel Ulf T.
Published: March 2003

Long‐term changes of synaptic transmission in slices of rat visual cortex were induced by intracellular tetanization: bursts of short depolarizing pulses applied through the intracellular electrode without concomitant presynaptic stimulation. Long‐term synaptic changes after this purely postsynaptic induction were associated with alterations of release indices, thus providing a case for retrograde signalling at neocortical synapses. Both long‐term potentiation and long‐term depression were accompanied by presynaptic changes, indicating that retrograde signalling can achieve both up‐ and down‐regulation of transmitter release. The direction and the magnitude of the amplitude changes induced by a prolonged intracellular tetanization depended on the initial properties of the input. The inputs with initially high paired‐pulse facilitation (PPF) ratio, indicative of low release probability, were most often potentiated. The inputs with initially low PPF ratio, indicative of high release probability, were usually depressed or did not change. Thus, prolonged postsynaptic activity can lead to normalization of the weights of nonactivated synapses. The dependence of polarity of synaptic modifications on initial PPF disappeared when plastic changes were induced with a shorter intracellular tetanization, or when the NO signalling pathway was interrupted by inhibition of NO synthase activity or by application of NO scavengers. This indicates that the NO‐dependent retrograde signalling system has a relatively high activation threshold. Long‐term synaptic modifications, induced by a weak postsynaptic challenge or under blockade of NO signalling, were nevertheless associated with presynaptic changes. This suggests the existence of another retrograde signalling system, additional to the high threshold, NO‐dependent system. Therefore, our data provide a clear case for retrograde signalling at neocortical synapses and indicate that multiple retrograde signalling systems, part of which are NO‐dependent, are involved.
Effects of selective excitotoxic prefrontal lesions on acquisition of nonmatching‐ and matching‐to‐place in the T‐maze in the rat: differential involvement of the prelimbic–infralimbic and anterior cingulate cortices in providing behavioural flexibility
Authors: Dias R. , Aggleton J. P.
Published: March 2003

The present study investigated the contributions of the medial prefrontal cortex and its major subdivisions, the dorsal anterior cingulate (ACd) and prelimbic–infralimbic (PL) cortices, to spatial working memory and inhibitory control processes. In experiment 1, excitotoxic lesions centred in the ACd or PL cortex did not affect acquisition of a nonmatching‐to‐place task in the T‐maze with a retention interval of 10 s. However, the same reinforced alternation task was impaired by larger prefrontal lesions that combined ACd and PL cortices. In experiment 2, new animals were trained on a matching‐to‐place task in the T‐maze that uses a rule counter to the animals' innate bias to alternate spontaneously. Now, discrete lesions of both the ACd and PL cortices impaired acquisition, but in different ways. Both animals with PL and with ACd lesions perseverated by nonmatching for more sessions than the controls, but only the PL animals also showed a more general increase in perseveration reflected in a further, extended period of applying an inefficient response rule (e.g. always turn right) and a deficit at reversing from matching to nonmatching. Acquisition of the matching‐to‐place task was also impaired by combined lesions of ACd and PL cortices. Overall, whilst spatial working memory processes appear to remain intact in those animals with discrete prefrontal lesions, the present findings provide strong evidence for the differential involvement of the prelimbic–infralimbic and anterior cingulate regions in providing behavioural flexibility.
Differential adrenergic regulation of the circadian expression of the clock genes Period1 and Period2 in the rat pineal gland
Authors: Takekida Seiichi , Yan Lily , Maywood Elizabeth S. , Hastings Michael H. , Okamura Hitoshi
Published: March 2003

Precise temporal regulation of transcription is pivotal to the role of the mammalian pineal gland as a transducer of circadian and seasonal information. The circadian clock genes Per1 and Per2 encode factors implicated in temporally gated transcriptional programmes in brain and pituitary. Here we show that the nocturnal circadian expression of Per1 and Per2 in the rat pineal gland parallels that of serotonin N‐acetyltransferase (NAT) mRNA, which encodes the rate‐limiting enzyme of melatonin biosynthesis. This rhythm is dependent upon an intact sympathetic innervation. Increases in rPer1 (r indicates rat) and rPer2, as well as rNAT, expression during subjective night were blocked completely by superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGX). In SCGX rats, the β‐adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol rapidly induced the rPer1 mRNA with dynamics very similar to its effect on rNAT mRNA. In contrast, isoproterenol was without effect on expression of rPer2 mRNA. These findings demonstrate that circadian pineal expression of both rPer1 and rPer2 is controlled by sympathetic afferent innervation, but whereas β‐adrenergic signalling regulates rPer1 and rNAT, an alternative route mediates sympathetic regulation over rPer2 expression.
Increased expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNA in the accessory olfactory bulb during the formation of olfactory recognition memory in mice
Authors: Okere Chuma O. , Kaba Hideto
Published: March 2003

The mouse accessory olfactory bulb contains a high density of nitric oxide synthase and, in females, is involved in the formation of a mating and pheromone‐specific recognition memory. The exact role of nitric oxide in this memory model is not yet clearly understood. In this study, in situ hybridization was used to assess neuronal nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression during the critical interval associated with synaptic plasticity in the accessory olfactory bulb of female mice leading to the formation of a recognition memory for the stud male pheromones present following mating. Nitric oxide synthase mRNA was significantly increased following mating and 120‐min stud male exposure compared with oestrus mice. The mRNA expression was more predominant in the anterior than the posterior regions of the bulb. These observations indicate a stimulus‐specific activation of nitric oxide gene expression in the female mouse accessory olfactory bulb and support the hypothesis that nitric oxide may modulate intermediate synaptic pathways during the formation of a pheromone‐dependent olfactory recognition for stud males.
Vascular endothelial growth factor is a neurotrophic factor which stimulates axonal outgrowth through the flk‐1 receptor
Authors: Sondell Mariann , Sundler Frank , Kanje Martin
Published: March 2003

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an angiogenic factor that stimulates axonal outgrowth. Here we used in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry to study the VEGF receptor flk‐1 in cultured superior cervical ganglia (SCG) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from adult mice, and also the effects of VEGF on regeneration in vitro. Neurons in both ganglia contained the flk‐1 receptor and showed an increased mRNA expression and immunoreactivity for flk‐1 after 48 h in culture. In SCG, but not in DRG, double immunostaining for flk‐1 and VEGF revealed coexpression in many neurons, implying that VEGF may exert both autocrine and paracrine actions. One proportion of the flk‐1‐positive neurons in DRG stained positive for the large neuron marker RT97 and another proportion expressed calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP). Small IB4‐positive neurons were devoid of flk‐1 immunoreactivity. Most flk‐1‐positive neurons in the DRG, but not in the SCG, were also immunoreactive to neuropilin‐1. VEGF was found to stimulate axonal outgrowth from DRG, both by an action on the growing axons and the nerve cell bodies. The latter effect could be mediated by retrograde axonal transport as revealed by the use of a two compartment system to assay axonal outgrowth. We also found that the VEGF‐induced axonal outgrowth was blocked by the flk‐1 inhibitor SU5416. The results strongly suggest that VEGF acts as a neurotrophic factor and plays an important role during the regeneration of peripheral nerves.