bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new transport phenomenon in nanostructures: a mesoscopic analog of the Braess paradox encountered in road networks
Authors: Pala Marco , Sellier Hermann , Hackens Benoit , Martins Frederico , Bayot Vincent , Huant Serge
Published: August 2012

The Braess paradox, known for traffic and other classical networks, lies in the fact that adding a new route to a congested network in an attempt to relieve congestion can degrade counterintuitively the overall network performance. Recently, we have extended the concept of the Braess paradox to semiconductor mesoscopic networks, whose transport properties are governed by quantum physics. In this paper, we demonstrate theoretically that, alike in classical systems, congestion plays a key role in the occurrence of a Braess paradox in mesoscopic networks.
Elevated levels of circulating IL-18BP and perturbed regulation of IL-18 in schizophrenia
Authors: Palladino Ilaria , Salani Francesca , Ciaramella Antonio , Rubino Ivo Alex , Caltagirone Carlo , Fagioli Sabrina , Spalletta Gianfranco , Bossù Paola
Published: August 2012

Background

The pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine Interleukin (IL)-18 has been proposed to play a role in schizophrenia, since elevated circulating levels of its protein and altered frequencies of genetic variants in its molecular system are reported in schizophrenic patients.

Methods

We analyzed 77 patients with schizophrenia diagnosis (SCZ) and 77 healthy control subjects (HC) for serum concentration of both IL-18 and its natural inhibitor, the IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP).

Results

We confirmed that serum levels of total IL-18 are significantly increased in SCZ, as compared to HC. However, due to a highly significant increase in levels of circulating IL-18BP in SCZ, as compared to HC, the levels of free, bioactive IL-18 are not significantly different between the two groups. In addition, the relationships between the levels of IL-18 and its inhibitor, as well as between the two molecules and age appear dissimilar for SCZ and HC. In particular, the elevated levels of IL-18BP, likely a consequence of the body’s attempt to counteract the early prominent inflammation which characterizes schizophrenia, are maintained in earlier and later stages of the disease. However, the IL-18BP elevation appears ineffective to balance the IL-18 system in younger SCZ patients, while in older patients the levels of circulating bioactive IL-18 are comparable to those of HC, if not lower.

Conclusions

In conclusion, these findings indicate that the IL-18 system is perturbed in schizophrenia, supporting the idea that this pro-inflammatory cytokine might be part of a pathway of genetic and environmental components for vulnerability to the disease.
Analysis of the relationship between end-to-end distance and activity of single-chain antibody against colorectal carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Liu Shanhong , Shang Zhigang , Shi Li , Yun Jun
Published: August 2012

We investigated the relationship of End-to-end distance between VH and VL with different peptide linkers and the activity of single-chain antibodies by computer-aided simulation. First, we developed (G4S)n(where n = 1-9) as the linker to connect VH and VL, and estimated the 3D structure of single-chain Fv antibody (scFv) by homologous modeling. After molecular models were evaluated and optimized, the coordinate system of every protein was built and unified into one coordinate system, and End-to-end distances calculated using 3D space coordinates. After expression and purification of scFv-n with (G4S)n as n = 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9, the immunoreactivity of purified ND-1 scFv-nwas determined by ELISA. A multi-factorial relationship model was employed to analyze the structural factors affecting scFv:rn=ABn−ABO2+CDn−CDO2+BCn−BCst2. The relationship between immunoreactivity andr-values revealed that fusion protein structure approached the desired state when ther-value = 3. The immunoreactivity declined as ther-value increased, but when ther-value exceeded a certain threshold, it stabilized. We used a linear relationship to analyze structural factors affecting scFv immunoreactivity.
Priorities for developing countries in the global response to non-communicable diseases
Authors: Maher Dermot , Ford Nathan , Unwin Nigel
Published: August 2012

The growing global burden of non communicable diseases (NCDs) is now killing 36 million people each year and needs urgent and comprehensive action. This article provides an overview of key critical issues that need to be resolved to ensure that recent political commitments are translated into practical action. These include: (i) categorizing and prioritizing NCDs in order to inform donor funding commitments and priorities for intervention; (ii) finding the right balance between the relative importance of treatment and prevention to ensure that responses cover those at risk, and those who are already sick; (iii) defining the appropriate health systems response to address the needs of patients with diseases characterized by long duration and often slow progression; (iv) research needs, in particular translational research in the delivery of care; and (v) sustained funding to support the global NCD response.
Altered spontaneous activity in young chronic cigarette smokers revealed by regional homogeneity
Authors: Tang Jinsong , Liao Yanhui , Deng Qijian , Liu Tieqiao , Chen Xiaogang , Wang Xuyi , Xiang Xiaojun , Chen Hongxian , Hao Wei
Published: August 2012

Background

Few studies have been previously published about the resting state brain activity in young chronic smokers, although many previous fMRI studies have shown that the task-related activity pattern is altered in chronic smokers.

Methods

In the present study, forty-five healthy smokers (age: 27.9 ± 5.6 year) and forty-four healthy non-smoking control subjects (age: 26.3 ± 5.8 year) have been imaged with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and analyzed with the regional homogeneity (ReHo) approach.

Results

Compared with healthy controls, decreased ReHo was found in smokers in the right inferior frontal cortex and increased ReHo was found in the left superior parietal lobe (P < 0.01, 35 Voxels,Alphasim corrected).

Conclusions

Our data suggested that, during resting state, neural function is less synchronized in the right inferior frontal cortex and more synchronized in the left superior parietal lobe in chronic smokers compared to non-smokers. The decreased synchronization in the right inferior frontal cortex may reflect lacking of control over reward-related behavior, and the increased synchronization may reflect smoking urges.
Permissive hypotension does not reduce regional organ perfusion compared to normotensive resuscitation: animal study with fluorescent microspheres
Authors: Schmidt Bruno M , Rezende-Neto Joao B , Andrade Marcus V , Winter Philippe C , Carvalho Mario G , Lisboa Thiago A , Rizoli Sandro B , Cunha-Melo Jose Renan
Published: August 2012

Introduction

The objective of this study was to investigate regional organ perfusion acutely following uncontrolled hemorrhage in an animal model that simulates a penetrating vascular injury and accounts for prehospital times in urban trauma. We set forth to determine if hypotensive resuscitation (permissive hypotension) would result in equivalent organ perfusion compared to normotensive resuscitation.

Methods

Twenty four (n=24) male rats randomized to 4 groups: Sham, No Fluid (NF), Permissive Hypotension (PH) (60% of baseline mean arterial pressure - MAP), Normotensive Resuscitation (NBP). Uncontrolled hemorrhage caused by a standardised injury to the abdominal aorta; MAP was monitored continuously and lactated Ringer’s was infused. Fluorimeter readings of regional blood flow of the brain, heart, lung, kidney, liver, and bowel were obtained at baseline and 85 minutes after hemorrhage, as well as, cardiac output, lactic acid, and laboratory tests; intra-abdominal blood loss was assessed. Analysis of variance was used for comparison.

Results

Intra-abdominal blood loss was higher in NBP group, as well as, lower hematocrit and hemoglobin levels. No statistical differences in perfusion of any organ between PH and NBP groups. No statistical difference in cardiac output between PH and NBP groups, as well as, in lactic acid levels between PH and NBP. NF group had significantly higher lactic acidosis and had significantly lower organ perfusion.

Conclusions

Hypotensive resuscitation causes less intra-abdominal bleeding than normotensive resuscitation and concurrently maintains equivalent organ perfusion. No fluid resuscitation reduces intra-abdominal bleeding but also significantly reduces organ perfusion.
Gankyrin gene deletion followed by proteomic analysis: insight into the roles of Gankyrin in Tumorigenesis and Metastasis
Authors: Luo Xue , Chen Liang , Dai Jiang , Gao Yanfei , Wang Hongli , Wang Na , Zhao Yongqiang , Liu Feng , Sang Zhihong , Wang Jie , Li Weihua , He Kun , Jin Baofeng , Man Jianghong , Zhang Wei , Xia Qing
Published: August 2012

Background

Gankyrin was originally purified and characterized as the p28 component of the 26S proteasome, and later identified as an oncogenic protein in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). It has recently been found to be highly expressed in several other malignancies, and compelling evidence show gankyrin plays important roles in tumorigenesis. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear.

Methods

In order to further clarify the functions of gankyrin and better understand its molecular mechanisms, we generated a gankyrin null cell line, HCT116 gankyrin−/− , by targeted homologous recombination in human colon cancer cells, and then employed two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) based proteomic approaches followed by MS identification to investigate alterations in the proteome due to the gankyrin knockout. Western blot and qRT-PCR assays were also used to examine the protein and mRNA levels of some identified proteins.

Results

Compared with wild-type control cells, gankyrin null cells were impaired in terms of their proliferation, migration and anchorage-independent growth. A total of 21 altered proteins were identified, which included 18 proteins that had not previously been reported to be related to gankyrin. Notably, eight metastasis-related proteins were identified. Western blot analyses confirmed that the changes in three examined proteins were consistent with 2-DE gel analysis.

Conclusions

In summary, we have generated a useful cell tool to clarify the functions of gankyrin. Our proteomic data provide novel information to better understand the roles and underlying mechanisms by which gankyrin is involved in tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis.
Acute management and outcome of multiple trauma patients with pelvic disruptions
Authors: Burkhardt Markus , Nienaber Ulrike , Pizanis Antonius , Maegele Marc , Culemann Ulf , Bouillon Bertil , Flohé Sascha , Pohlemann Tim , Paffrath Thomas ,   the TraumaRegister DGU and the German Pelvic Injury Register of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie
Published: August 2012

Introduction

Data on prehospital and trauma-room fluid management of multiple trauma patients with pelvic disruptions are rarely reported. Present trauma algorithms recommend early hemorrhage control and massive fluid resuscitation. By matching the German Pelvic Injury Register (PIR) with the TraumaRegister DGU (TR) for the first time, we attempt to assess the initial fluid management for different Tile/OTA types of pelvic-ring fractures. Special attention was given to the patient's posttraumatic course, particularly intensive care unit (ICU) data and patient outcome.

Methods

A specific match code was applied to identify certain patients with pelvic disruptions from both PIR and TR anonymous trauma databases, admitted between 2004 and 2009. From the resulting intersection set, a retrospective analysis was done of prehospital and trauma-room data, length of ICU stay, days of ventilation, incidence of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), sepsis, and mortality.

Results

In total, 402 patients were identified. Mean ISS was 25.9 points, and the mean of patients with ISS ≥16 was 85.6%. The fracture distribution was as follows: 19.7% type A, 29.4% type B, 36.6% type C, and 14.3% isolated acetabular and/or sacrum fractures. The type B/C, compared with type A fractures, were related to constantly worse vital signs that necessitated a higher volume of fluid and blood administration in the prehospital and/or the trauma-room setting. This group of B/C fractures were also related to a significantly higher presence of concomitant injuries and related to increased ISS. This was related to increased ventilation and ICU stay, increased rate of MODS, sepsis, and increased rate of mortality, at least for the type C fractures. Approximately 80% of the dead had sustained type B/C fractures.

Conclusions

The present study confirms the actuality of traditional trauma algorithms with initial massive fluid resuscitation in the recent therapy of multiple trauma patients with pelvic disruptions. Low-volume resuscitation seems not yet to be accepted in practice in managing this special patient entity. Mechanically unstable pelvic-ring fractures type B/C (according to the Tile/OTA classification) form a distinct entity that must be considered notably in future trauma algorithms.
The evolution of human adiposity and obesity: where did it all go wrong?
Authors: Wells Jonathan C. K.
Published: August 2012

Because obesity is associated with diverse chronic diseases, little attention has been directed to the multiple beneficial functions of adipose tissue. Adipose tissue not only provides energy for growth, reproduction and immune function, but also secretes and receives diverse signaling molecules that coordinate energy allocation between these functions in response to ecological conditions. Importantly, many relevant ecological cues act on growth and physique, with adiposity responding as a counterbalancing risk management strategy. The large number of individual alleles associated with adipose tissue illustrates its integration with diverse metabolic pathways. However, phenotypic variation in age, sex, ethnicity and social status is further associated with different strategies for storing and using energy. Adiposity therefore represents a key means of phenotypic flexibility within and across generations, enabling a coherent life-history strategy in the face of ecological stochasticity. The sensitivity of numerous metabolic pathways to ecological cues makes our species vulnerable to manipulative globalized economic forces. The aim of this article is to understand how human adipose tissue biology interacts with modern environmental pressures to generate excess weight gain and obesity. The disease component of obesity might lie not in adipose tissue itself, but in its perturbation by our modern industrialized niche. Efforts to combat obesity could be more effective if they prioritized ‘external’ environmental change rather than attempting to manipulate ‘internal’ biology through pharmaceutical or behavioral means.
Anti-obesity drugs: past, present and future
Authors: Rodgers R. John , Tschöp Matthias H. , Wilding John P. H.
Published: August 2012

The ideal anti-obesity drug would produce sustained weight loss with minimal side effects. The mechanisms that regulate energy balance have substantial built-in redundancy, overlap considerably with other physiological functions, and are influenced by social, hedonic and psychological factors that limit the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions. It is therefore unsurprising that anti-obesity drug discovery programmes have been littered with false starts, failures in clinical development, and withdrawals due to adverse effects that were not fully appreciated at the time of launch. Drugs that target pathways in metabolic tissues, such as adipocytes, liver and skeletal muscle, have shown potential in preclinical studies but none has yet reached clinical development. Recent improvements in the understanding of peptidergic signalling of hunger and satiety from the gastrointestinal tract mediated by ghrelin, cholecystokinin (CCK), peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and of homeostatic mechanisms related to leptin and its upstream pathways in the hypothalamus, have opened up new possibilities. Although some have now reached clinical development, it is uncertain whether they will meet the strict regulatory hurdles required for licensing of an anti-obesity drug. However, GLP-1 receptor agonists have already succeeded in diabetes treatment and, owing to their attractive body-weight-lowering effects in humans, will perhaps also pave the way for other anti-obesity agents. To succeed in developing drugs that control body weight to the extent seen following surgical intervention, it seems obvious that a new paradigm is needed. In other therapeutic arenas, such as diabetes and hypertension, lower doses of multiple agents targeting different pathways often yield better results than strategies that modify one pathway alone. Some combination approaches using peptides and small molecules have now reached clinical trials, although recent regulatory experience suggests that large challenges lie ahead. In future, this polytherapeutic strategy could possibly rival surgery in terms of efficacy, safety and sustainability of weight loss.
The adipose organ at a glance
Authors: Cinti Saverio
Published: August 2012

The main parenchymal cells of the adipose organ are adipocytes. White adipocytes store energy, whereas brown adipocytes dissipate energy for thermogenesis. These two cell types with opposing functions can both originate from endothelial cells, and co-exist in the multiple fat depots of the adipose organ – a feature that I propose is crucial for this organ’s plasticity. This poster review provides an overview of the adipose organ, describing its anatomy, cytology, physiological function and histopathology in obesity. It also highlights the remarkable plasticity of the adipose organ, explaining theories of adipocyte transdifferentiation during chronic cold exposure, physical exercise or lactation, as well as in obesity. White-to-brown adipocyte transdifferentiation is of particular medical relevance, because animal data indicate that higher amounts of brown adipose tissue are positively associated with resistance to obesity and its co-morbidities, and that ‘browning’ of the adipose organ curbs these disorders.
Role of resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure in hunger and appetite control: a new formulation
Authors: Blundell John E. , Caudwell Phillipa , Gibbons Catherine , Hopkins Mark , Naslund Erik , King Neil , Finlayson Graham
Published: August 2012

A long-running issue in appetite research concerns the influence of energy expenditure on energy intake. More than 50 years ago, Otto G. Edholm proposed that “the differences between the intakes of food [of individuals] must originate in differences in the expenditure of energy”. However, a relationship between energy expenditure and energy intake within any one day could not be found, although there was a correlation over 2 weeks. This issue was never resolved before interest in integrative biology was replaced by molecular biochemistry. Using a psychobiological approach, we have studied appetite control in an energy balance framework using a multi-level experimental system on a single cohort of overweight and obese human subjects. This has disclosed relationships between variables in the domains of body composition [fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM)], metabolism, gastrointestinal hormones, hunger and energy intake. In this Commentary, we review our own and other data, and discuss a new formulation whereby appetite control and energy intake are regulated by energy expenditure. Specifically, we propose that FFM (the largest contributor to resting metabolic rate), but not body mass index or FM, is closely associated with self-determined meal size and daily energy intake. This formulation has implications for understanding weight regulation and the management of obesity.
Fat: an evolving issue
Authors: Speakman John R. , O’Rahilly Stephen
Published: August 2012

Work on obesity is evolving, and obesity is a consequence of our evolutionary history. In the space of 50 years, we have become an obese species. The reasons why can be addressed at a number of different levels. These include separating between whether the primary cause lies on the food intake or energy expenditure side of the energy balance equation, and determining how genetic and environmental effects contribute to weight variation between individuals. Opinion on whether increased food intake or decreased energy expenditure drives the obesity epidemic is still divided, but recent evidence favours the idea that food intake, rather than altered expenditure, is most important. There is more of a consensus that genetics explains most (probably around 65%) of weight variation between individuals. Recent advances in genome-wide association studies have identified many polymorphisms that are linked to obesity, yet much of the genetic variance remains unexplained. Finding the causes of this unexplained variation will be an impetus of genetic and epigenetic research on obesity over the next decade. Many environmental factors – including gut microbiota, stress and endocrine disruptors – have been linked to the risk of developing obesity. A better understanding of gene-by-environment interactions will also be key to understanding obesity in the years to come.
Locomotion and behavior of Humboldt squid,Dosidicus gigas, in relation to natural hypoxia in the Gulf of California, Mexico
Authors: Gilly William F. , Zeidberg Louis D. , Booth J. Ashley T. , Stewart Julia S. , Marshall Greg , Abernathy Kyler , Bell Lauren E.
Published: August 2012

We studied the locomotion and behavior of Dosidicus gigas using pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags to record environmental parameters (depth, temperature and light) and an animal-borne video package (AVP) to log these parameters plus acceleration along three axes and record forward-directed video under natural lighting. A basic cycle of locomotor behavior in D. gigas involves an active climb of a few meters followed by a passive (with respect to jetting) downward glide carried out in a fins-first direction. Temporal summation of such climb-and-glide events underlies a rich assortment of vertical movements that can reach vertical velocities of 3 m s−1. In contrast to such rapid movements, D. gigas spends more than 80% of total time gliding at a vertical velocity of essentially zero (53% at 0±0.05 m s−1) or sinking very slowly (28% at −0.05 to −0.15 m s−1). The vertical distribution of squid was compared with physical features of the local water column (temperature, oxygen and light). Oxygen concentrations of ≤20 μmol kg−1, characteristic of the midwater oxygen minimum zone (OMZ), can influence the daytime depth of squid, but this depends on location and season, and squid can ‘decouple’ from this environmental feature. Light is also an important factor in determining daytime depth, and temperature can limit nighttime depth. Vertical velocities were compared over specific depth ranges characterized by large differences in dissolved oxygen. Velocities were generally reduced under OMZ conditions, with faster jetting being most strongly affected. These data are discussed in terms of increased efficiency of climb-and-glide swimming and the potential for foraging at hypoxic depths.
Increased Expression and Aberrant Localization of Mucin 13 in Metastatic Colon Cancer
Authors: Gupta Brij K. , Maher Diane M. , Ebeling Mara C. , Sundram Vasudha , Koch Michael D. , Lynch Douglas W. , Bohlmeyer Teresa , Watanabe Akira , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Puumala Susan E. , Jaggi Meena , Chauhan Subhash C.
Published: August 2012

MUC13 is a newly identified transmembrane mucin. Although MUC13 is known to be overexpressed in ovarian and gastric cancers, limited information is available regarding the expression of MUC13 in metastatic colon cancer. Herein, we investigated the expression profile of MUC13 in colon cancer using a novel anti-MUC13 monoclonal antibody (MAb, clone ppz0020) by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. A cohort of colon cancer samples and tissue microarrays containing adjacent normal, non-metastatic colon cancer, metastatic colon cancer, and liver metastasis tissues was used in this study to investigate the expression pattern of MUC13. IHC analysis revealed significantly higher ( p<0.001) MUC13 expression in non-metastatic colon cancer samples compared with faint or very low expression in adjacent normal tissues. Interestingly, metastatic colon cancer and liver metastasis tissue samples demonstrated significantly ( p<0.05) higher cytoplasmic and nuclear MUC13 expression compared with non-metastatic colon cancer and adjacent normal colon samples. Moreover, cytoplasmic and nuclear MUC13 expression correlated with larger and poorly differentiated tumors. Four of six tested colon cancer cell lines also expressed MUC13 at RNA and protein levels. These studies demonstrate a significant increase in MUC13 expression in metastatic colon cancer and suggest a correlation between aberrant MUC13 localization (cytoplasmic and nuclear expression) and metastatic colon cancer.
Time with Terence Chang
Authors: Stokes Lisa Odham
Published: August 2012

Born in Hong Kong, producer Terence Chang is known in film circles for his business savvy and artistic acumen. After studying architecture at the University of Oregon and film at New York University, he returned to Hong Kong and worked as a production manager on two films before joining Rediffusion Television (RTV, now ATV). By the mid-1980s, he was in charge of distribution at D&B Films, successfully launching the careers of Michelle Yeoh (he later became her manager) and Brandon Lee. As general manager at Film Workshop, he was in charge of The Killer, Swordsman, Spy Games, Love and Death in Saigon, A Chinese Ghost Story 2, and Gunmen. During this time, he and John Woo became business partners, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Psychological, Cultural, and Social Perspectives for Understanding the Representation of Women in Miike Takashi's Box
Authors: Yau Shuk-ting Kinnia
Published: August 2012

Miike Takashi's Box is the most surreal compared to Fruit Chan's Dumplings and Park Chan-wook's Cut in Three…Extremes. The ambiguous narrative structure and dreamlike elements in Box enable different possible interpretations of the film. Due to the film's dreamlike qualities, it is easily tempted to decipher the film by applying Western psychoanalytical theories. Nevertheless, there are many underlying elements in the film that actually display Japanese tradition, especially the performing arts, i.e. noh which existed since the 14th Century, about five hundred years before Sigmund Freud was born.
Trans-regional Circulation of Jackie Chan's Image in the Late Cold War Years' East Asia
Authors: Hong Jeeson
Published: August 2012

How to view the historically and institutionally constructed concept,"East Asia" is a highly political question: is it a troublesome reminder of a "co-prosperity" sphere as coined by Japanese Imperialists? Does it signify a security bloc consolidated by cold war geopolitics? Does it denote a cultural locality based on the essentialized Confucianism? Is it a model region of "modernization," or on the contrary, an imaginary space for an alternative? Acknowledging the fact that the concept carries a complex history, this essay introduces another way of approaching the concept. It describes a cultural geography shaped by the circulation of one popular image. Through this phenomenological cartography, I hope to trace the sociopolitical transformations of the region in the 1980s. The horizontal cut of 1980s' East Asia can reveal the complex historical layers and "archaeologies of the future," borrowing Fredric Jameson's expression (Jameson, 2002: 215; Jameson, 2005).
Prevalence of Selectivity for Mirror-Symmetric Views of Faces in the Ventral and Dorsal Visual Pathways
Authors: Kietzmann Tim C. , Swisher Jascha D. , König Peter , Tong Frank
Published: August 2012

Although the ability to recognize faces and objects from a variety of viewpoints is crucial to our everyday behavior, the underlying cortical mechanisms are not well understood. Recently, neurons in a face-selective region of the monkey temporal cortex were reported to be selective for mirror-symmetric viewing angles of faces as they were rotated in depth (Freiwald and Tsao, 2010). This property has been suggested to constitute a key computational step in achieving full view-invariance. Here, we measured functional magnetic resonance imaging activity in nine observers as they viewed upright or inverted faces presented at five different angles (−60, −30, 0, 30, and 60°). Using multivariate pattern analysis, we show that sensitivity to viewpoint mirror symmetry is widespread in the human visual system. The effect was observed in a large band of higher order visual areas, including the occipital face area, fusiform face area, lateral occipital cortex, mid fusiform, parahippocampal place area, and extending superiorly to encompass dorsal regions V3A/B and the posterior intraparietal sulcus. In contrast, early retinotopic regions V1–hV4 failed to exhibit sensitivity to viewpoint symmetry, as their responses could be largely explained by a computational model of low-level visual similarity. Our findings suggest that selectivity for mirror-symmetric viewing angles may constitute an intermediate-level processing step shared across multiple higher order areas of the ventral and dorsal streams, setting the stage for complete viewpoint-invariant representations at subsequent levels of visual processing.
Ca2+-Dependent Regulation of Ca2+Currents in Rat Primary Afferent Neurons: Role of CaMKII and the Effect of Injury
Authors: Tang Qingbo , Bangaru Madhavi Latha Yadav , Kostic Sandra , Pan Bin , Wu Hsiang-En , Koopmeiners Andrew S. , Yu Hongwei , Fischer Gregory J. , McCallum J. Bruce , Kwok Wai-Meng , Hudmon Andy , Hogan Quinn H.
Published: August 2012

Currents through voltage-gated Ca2+channels (ICa) may be regulated by cytoplasmic Ca2+levels ([Ca2+]c), producing Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) or facilitation (CDF). SinceICaregulates sensory neuron excitability, altered CDI or CDF could contribute to pain generation after peripheral nerve injury. We explored this by manipulating [Ca2+]cwhile recordingICain rat sensory neurons. In uninjured neurons, elevating [Ca2+]cwith a conditioning prepulse (−15 mV, 2 s) inactivatedICameasured during subsequent test pulses (−15 mV, 5 ms). This inactivation was Ca2+-dependent (CDI), since it was decreased with elimination of Ca2+influx by depolarization to above theICareversal potential, with high intracellular Ca2+buffering (EGTA 10 mmor BAPTA 20 mm), and with substitution of Ba2+for extracellular Ca2+, revealing a residual voltage-dependent inactivation. At longer latencies after conditioning (>6 s),ICarecovered beyond baseline. This facilitation also proved to be Ca2+-dependent (CDF) using the protocols limiting cytoplasmic Ca2+elevation. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) blockers applied by bath (KN-93, myristoyl-AIP) or expressed selectively in the sensory neurons (AIP) reduced CDF, unlike their inactive analogues. Protein kinase C inhibition (chelerythrine) had no effect. Selective blockade of N-type Ca2+channels eliminated CDF, whereas L-type channel blockade had no effect. Following nerve injury, CDI was unaffected, but CDF was eliminated in axotomized neurons. Excitability of sensory neurons in intact ganglia from control animals was diminished after a similar conditioning pulse, but this regulation was eliminated by injury. These findings indicate thatICain sensory neurons is subject to both CDI and CDF, and that hyperexcitability following injury-induced loss of CDF may result from diminished CaMKII activity.
Neural Evidence for Distracter Suppression during Visual Search in Real-World Scenes
Authors: Seidl Katharina N. , Peelen Marius V. , Kastner Sabine
Published: August 2012

Selecting visual information from cluttered real-world scenes involves the matching of visual input to the observer's attentional set—an internal representation of objects that are relevant for current behavioral goals. When goals change, a new attentional set needs to be instantiated, requiring the suppression of the previous set to prevent distraction by objects that are no longer relevant. In the present fMRI study, we investigated how such suppression is implemented at the neural level. We measured human brain activity in response to natural scene photographs that could contain objects from (1) a currently relevant (target) category, (2) a previously but not presently relevant (distracter) category, and/or (3) a never relevant (neutral) category. Across conditions, multivoxel response patterns in object-selective cortex carried information about objects present in the scenes. However, this information strongly depended on the task relevance of the objects. As expected, information about the target category was significantly increased relative to the neutral category, indicating top-down enhancement of task-relevant information. Importantly, information about the distracter category was significantly reduced relative to the neutral category, indicating that the processing of previously relevant objects was suppressed. Such active suppression at the level of high-order visual cortex may serve to prevent the erroneous selection of, or interference from, objects that are no longer relevant to ongoing behavior. We conclude that the enhancement of relevant information and the suppression of distracting information both contribute to the efficient selection of visual information from cluttered real-world scenes.
A Little Goes a Long Way: How the Adult Brain Is Shaped by Musical Training in Childhood
Authors: Skoe Erika , Kraus Nina
Published: August 2012

Playing a musical instrument changes the anatomy and function of the brain. But do these changes persist after music training stops? We probed this question by measuring auditory brainstem responses in a cohort of healthy young human adults with varying amounts of past musical training. We show that adults who received formal music instruction as children have more robust brainstem responses to sound than peers who never participated in music lessons and that the magnitude of the response correlates with how recently training ceased. Our results suggest that neural changes accompanying musical training during childhood are retained in adulthood. These findings advance our understanding of long-term neuroplasticity and have general implications for the development of effective auditory training programs.
A Calorie-Restricted Diet Decreases Brain Iron Accumulation and Preserves Motor Performance in Old Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Kastman Erik K. , Willette Auriel A. , Coe Christopher L. , Bendlin Barbara B. , Kosmatka Kris J. , McLaren Donald G. , Xu Guofan , Canu Elisa , Field Aaron S. , Alexander Andrew L. , Voytko Mary Lou , Beasley T. Mark , Colman Ricki J. , Weindruch Richard H. , Johnson Sterling C.
Published: August 2012

Caloric restriction (CR) reduces the pathological effects of aging and extends the lifespan in many species, including nonhuman primates, although the effect on the brain is less well characterized. We used two common indicators of aging, motor performance speed and brain iron deposition measuredin vivousing magnetic resonance imaging, to determine the potential effect of CR on elderly rhesus macaques eating restricted (n= 24, 13 males, 11 females) and standard (n= 17, 8 males, 9 females) diets. Both the CR and control monkeys showed age-related increases in iron concentrations in globus pallidus (GP) and substantia nigra (SN), although the CR group had significantly less iron deposition in the GP, SN, red nucleus, and temporal cortex. A Diet × Age interaction revealed that CR modified age-related brain changes, evidenced as attenuation in the rate of iron accumulation in basal ganglia and parietal, temporal, and perirhinal cortex. Additionally, control monkeys had significantly slower fine motor performance on the Movement Assessment Panel, which was negatively correlated with iron accumulation in left SN and parietal lobe, although CR animals did not show this relationship. Our observations suggest that the CR-induced benefit of reduced iron deposition and preserved motor function may indicate neural protection similar to effects described previously in aging rodent and primate species.
Spatial Information Outflow from the Hippocampal Circuit: Distributed Spatial Coding and Phase Precession in the Subiculum
Authors: Kim Steve M. , Ganguli Surya , Frank Loren M.
Published: August 2012

Hippocampal place cells convey spatial information through a combination of spatially selective firing and theta phase precession. The way in which this information influences regions like the subiculum that receive input from the hippocampus remains unclear. The subiculum receives direct inputs from area CA1 of the hippocampus and sends divergent output projections to many other parts of the brain, so we examined the firing patterns of rat subicular neurons. We found a substantial transformation in the subicular code for space from sparse to dense firing rate representations along a proximal-distal anatomical gradient: neurons in the proximal subiculum are more similar to canonical, sparsely firing hippocampal place cells, whereas neurons in the distal subiculum have higher firing rates and more distributed spatial firing patterns. Using information theory, we found that the more distributed spatial representation in the subiculum carries, on average, more information about spatial location and context than the sparse spatial representation in CA1. Remarkably, despite the disparate firing rate properties of subicular neurons, we found that neurons at all proximal-distal locations exhibit robust theta phase precession, with similar spiking oscillation frequencies as neurons in area CA1. Our findings suggest that the subiculum is specialized to compress sparse hippocampal spatial codes into highly informative distributed codes suitable for efficient communication to other brain regions. Moreover, despite this substantial compression, the subiculum maintains finer scale temporal properties that may allow it to participate in oscillatory phase coding and spike timing-dependent plasticity in coordination with other regions of the hippocampal circuit.
China’s Strategic Futures
Authors: Callahan William A.
Published: August 2012

This essay examines how China’s “harmonious world” foreign policy has unintentionally created opportunities for citizens to challenge elite discussions of foreign policy. Although they are relative outsiders, the essay argues that citizen intellectuals are a growing influence as a source of ideas about China’s future—and the world’s.
East Asian Regional Security
Authors: Friedrichs Jörg
Published: August 2012

The “ASEAN family” of regional security institutions has a mixed record: it has proved very helpful in improving interstate trust, fairly helpful in managing peaceful change, somewhat helpful in enhancing regime stability, but virtually useless in resolving interstate conflict. Overall, East Asia remains dominated by conventional forms of international relations.
Cardinals' Patronage and the Era of Tridentine Reforms: Giulio Feltro della Rovere as Protector of Sacred Music
Authors: Morucci Valerio
Published: August 2012

In the history of the Catholic Church, cardinals have exercised a degree of influence almost as vital as that of the pope himself. Standing at the summit of the pontifical administrative system, they typically held a dual role as papal and courtly sovereigns and also served as the pope's electors and main counselors. To date, however, their substantive role in the patronage of sacred music in sixteenth-century Italy has attracted comparatively little musicological attention, largely because the familial archives of cardinals are more difficult to locate and less likely to be catalogued than those of kings, dukes, and popes. Newly discovered correspondence and musical sources serve to establish the significance of Cardinal Giulio Feltro della Rovere as a patron of sacred music. The letters addressed to Giulio Feltro provide new information on the musical careers of Costanzo Porta and other composers working under the cardinal's ecclesiastical sway. These letters also contribute to our understanding of mid-sixteenth-century printing practices and provide concrete evidence of the influence of the Council of Trent on sacred music.
Infecções em neurocirurgia
Authors: Mello L. Renato , Boer V. H.
Published: August 2012

Baseado em 733 cirurgias neurológicas realizadas em um período de 50 meses, o autor expõe as providências tomadas para conter o surto infeccioso. Alterações de técnica de antissepsia e tática cirúrgica foram levadas a efeito durante os três períodos de duração do estudo. Nas duas primeiras etapas, de 17 meses cada uma, a incidência de infecção em cirurgias limpas foi de 10,3 e 6,7%. Na última etapa de 15 meses, quando se associou o uso de antibiótico tópico (oxacilina em pó), este índice caiu para 0,6%. As taxas gerais de infecção para os três períodos, somando-se as cirurgias limpas, limpas com implantes, limpas contaminadas e contaminadas foi de 7,08%, 6,8 e 3,4%, respectivamente. Uma revisão sumária dos dados de literatura referentes a antibioticoterapia profilática sistêmica e tópica antecedem os comentários sobre as bases da mudança de técnica efetuadas durante o estudo. Tricotomia próxima a operação, adoção de técnica seca para a preparação do retalho de pele e musculatura, uso exclusivo do coagulador bipolar, uso restrito de sôro epidural, e uso de oxacilina em pó antes do fechamento foram os itens principais das modificações realizadas.
Tuberculomas intracranianos: estudo clínico e patológico
Authors: Lana-Peixoto Marco Aurélio , Pitella Jose Eymard Homem , Bambirra Eduardo Alves , Arouca Eustaquio Martins Gomes
Published: August 2012

Vinte e quatro tuberculomas intracranianos foram encontrados em 17 pacientes numa análise retrospectiva de 19.760 autópsias e 72.972 biópsias consecutivas, num período de 41 anos e 4 meses. Os 17 pacientes representaram 4,2% dos casos das lesões expansivas intracranianas. A maioria dos tuberculomas se localizava nos hemisférios cerebrais, e um terço deles, no cerebelo. Cerca de 65% dos pacientes tinham idade inferior a 20 anos. O quadro clínico é semelhante ao das outras lesões expansivas intracranianas estando relacionado à hipertensão intracraniana e à localização da lesão. Os dados encontrados são comparados aos das várias séries publicadas em diferentes países.
Ependymal astrocytoma: subependyoma or subependymal glomerate astrocytoma
Authors: Duarte Francisco , Paola Domingos da , Lacerda Paulo Roberto Sampaio , Carvalho Dalila Poli de , Chequer Flavia de Paola
Published: August 2012

The histological study of four cases and one by electron microscopy of subependyomomas allowed us to obtain morphostructural characteristics of ependymocytes and astrocytes. Comparing these findings to those of the present day literature, we propose to name these tumours ependymal astrocytomas.
Siringohidromielografia incidental: registro de um caso
Authors: Teixeira Manoel Jacobsen , Zaclis José , Leitão Filho Hélio A. Pereira , Salles Antonio F. Yunes , Almeida Gilberto Machado de
Published: August 2012

É relatado o caso de doente de 5 anos de idade, com siringomielia no qual a administração de contraste, destinado a exame perimielográfico, foi realizado incidentalmente, no interior da cavidade siringomiélica. São considerados alguns aspectos relativos aos métodos diagnósticos dessa entidade.
Edema agudo de pulmão secundário a tumor de fossa posterior: registro de um caso
Authors: Borges Antonio Cesar G. , Duval-Neto Gastão , Festugato Rodinei R. , Zauk Alfredo D. , Aquini Mauro
Published: August 2012

É relatada a observação de uma paciente de 44 anos de idade com quadro clínico de edema de pulmão secundário a meningioma situado na fossa posterior. São feitos comentários sobre a importância da gasometria arterial realizada no período pré e pós-operatório e especialmente sobre o gradiente alvéolo-arterial de oxigênio que serve de guia na avaliação clínica do paciente neurocirúrgico, particularmente nos casos de edema pulmonar não cardiogênico.
Atrofia hemifacial progressiva (doença de Parry-Romberg): estudo de um caso
Authors: Duro Luiz Antonio Alves , Lima José Mauro Braz de , Reis Messias Mendes dos , Silva Claudio Vieira da
Published: August 2012

É apresentado um exemplar de atrofia hemifacial progressiva com acometimento característico da hemiface direita. Concomitantemente, havia crises epilépticas dimidiadas à esquerda. O EEG mostrou depressão do ritmo à esquerda e lentificação à direita. Na TC havia atrofia à esquerda e hipercaptação frontal direita do contraste. O EMG mostrou lentificação na condução nervosa facial à direita. Comentários são feitos sobre os achados acima, bem como uma revisão da literatura.
Esclerose lateral amiotrófica com surdez: relato de um caso e revisão da literatura
Authors: Amorim Annibal Coelho de , Mattos James Pitagoras de , Lima Jose Mauro Braz de , Aterino Filho Cristovão , Lima Ana Luisa Xavier de
Published: August 2012

É relatado um caso de paralisia bulbo-pontina crônica progressiva com surdez, de início precoce, evoluindo de maneira protraída há 9 anos. Pelos achados histopatológicos e eletromiográficos concluem tratar-se de variante da forma juvenil de esclerose lateral amiotrófica, forma de Van Laere.
Aspectos neuroquimicos do parkinsonismo: revisão da literatura
Authors: Mattos James Pitagoras de , Cechela Claudio , Adams Jonatas Galvarros , Lima José Mauro Braz de
Published: August 2012

Os autores fazem revisão da literatura sobre os dados neuroquímicos até agora encontrados na síndrome parkinsoniana. Analisam as alterações das concentrações da dopamina, da acetilcolina, da serotonina, da noradrenalina, de enzimas, do ácido neuroamínico e de alguns metais e amino-ácidos, concluindo pela provável existência de defeito neuroquimico mais generalizado na condição em apreço.
Sindrome do encarceramento (locked-in syndrome): registro de um caso e revisão de literatura
Authors: Farage Filho Miguel , Gomes Mauro de Paiva
Published: August 2012

É relatado um caso de síndrome do encarceramento (locked-in-syndrome) em paciente que apresentou quadro súbito de tetraplegia, anartria, movimentos oculares verticais e piscar além de preservação do nível de consciência. Explicação para tal quadro clínico é uma lesão na ponte junto ou sobre o núcleo do nervo abducente seccionando os tratos córtico-espinhal e córtico-bulbar, sem atingir a substância reticular do mesencéfalo. Três EEG revelaram distúrbio projetado por provável lesão do tronco cerebral, e que foi confirmada pelo CAT SCAN. Arteriografia vertebral mostrou grau avançado de aterosclerose. Com tratamento clínico conservador o paciente teve ótima evolução.