bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitive visualization of peptide presentation in vitro and ex vivo
Authors: Kunkel Désirée , Kirchhoff Dennis , Volkmer‐Engert Rudolf , Radbruch Andreas , Scheffold Alexander
Published: June 2003

Background

The presentation of antigenic peptides to specific T cells is one of the key events for the induction of a T‐cell‐dependent immune response. The nature of the antigen‐presenting cells which present distinct peptides has been difficult to analyze so far due to the low number of peptides presented in vivo by a single antigen‐presenting cell.

Methods

We have used magnetofluorescent liposomes to identify and characterize antigen‐presenting cells according to presentation of a hapten‐labeled antigenic peptide in vitro and ex vivo.

Results

Magnetofluorescent liposomes allowed the identification and isolation of antigen‐presenting cells according to the presentation of less than 100 peptides per cell, the physiological threshold for activation of specific T cells. Ex vivo, we could demonstrate peptide presentation by B lymphocytes and dendritic cells already 1 h after intravenous peptide injection; this rapidly declined to background level after 12–24 h.

Conclusions

The sensitive visualization of peptide presentation allows the phenotypical and functional characterization of those antigen‐presenting cells which present specific peptides at physiological relevant quantities. This technology will help to characterize the antigen‐presenting cells (APC) which are responsible for the induction of distinct immune reactions in vivo, e.g., the generation of tolerance or immunity. Cytometry Part A 54A:19–26, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optical properties of multicomponent oxide glasses and glass fibers
Authors: Tsujikawa Kyozo , Ohashi Masaharu , Tajima Katsusuke
Published: June 2003

We experimentally studied the optical properties of multicomponent oxide glasses that contain metallic components, such as potassium and sodium, and their glass fibers. The Rayleigh scattering coefficients of glasses such as Na2O‐B2O3‐SiO2(NBS), K2O‐MgO‐SiO2(KMS), K2O‐Na2O‐MgO‐SiO2(KNMS) are smaller than that of pure quartz glass. In particular, the Rayleigh scattering coefficient of KNMS glass was significantly lower at 38% of the value for pure quartz glass. This is believed to be the result of suppressing the composition fluctuations of KNMS glass by the mixed alkali effect. Furthermore, we studied the absorption properties of OH group impurities included in multicomponent oxide glasses. In particular, we fabricated NAS glass fibers that substituted the OH group impurity with an OD group (deuterium) by the double crucible method and verified a loss reduction of about 800 dB/km at the 1.55‐µm wavelength. Through these studies, we clearly showed that the absorption losses of the OH group that hydrogen bonds to nonbridging oxygen clearly affected the increase in the 1.55‐µm band loss in multicomponent oxide glass fibers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 86(12): 21–35, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.10128
Multipoint linkage disequilibrium mapping approach: Incorporating evidence of linkage and linkage disequilibrium from unlinked region
Authors: Hsu Fang‐Chi , Liang Kung‐Yee , Beaty Terri H.
Published: June 2003

Gene mapping for complex diseases is still a challenge in genetic studies. For family‐based studies, the single‐locus methods for detecting linkage and linkage disequilibrium (LD) one at a time may not capture the assumed interaction between multiple causal genes efficiently. We propose a multipoint LD approach for assessing the evidence of linkage and LD in a targeted chromosomal region by incorporating evidence from an unlinked region using the case‐parent trio design. The paternal and maternal preferential transmission statistics defined in Liang et al. ([2001] Am. J. Hum. Genet. 68:937–950) are the primary statistics for this approach. Our generalized estimating equation (GEE) method builds on a model using the expected preferential transmission statistic from the targeted region conditional on this same statistic from the unlinked region. The major assumption is that there is no more than one trait locus in both the targeted region and unlinked region. The map position of an unobserved trait locus and its confidence interval can be calculated. Finally, we apply this approach to the African‐American families drawn from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Asthma (CSGA). Previous analysis using this GEE approach developed by Liang et al. ([2001] Am. J. Hum. Genet. 68:937–950) suggested strong evidence of linkage and LD on chromosome 11, but only marginal evidence on chromosome 8. While conditioning on marker D11S937 on chromosome 11, a separate trait locus on chromosome 8 was estimated at $\hat\tau2 = 11.67{\rm cM}$, with a 95% confidence interval of (8.75, 14.59), and the test statistic shows significant evidence of linkage and LD (P‐value=0.0198) in this region of chromosome 8. Genet Epidemiol 25:1–13, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
EVEBAT: A fast strategy for the examination of the empty space in polymer matrices
Authors: Curcó David , Zanuy David , Alemán Carlos
Published: June 2003

A very efficient strategy to evaluate the “free volume” and the “unoccupied volume” in polymer matrices is proposed. The method, which has been denoted EVEBAT (Empty Volume Evaluation Based on Atom‐Types), emerges from the concept of atom type, which is the basis of a force field. Accordingly, the numerical treatment is minimized by analyzing the atom types used to describe the polymer matrix, which are always a few, rather than all the explicit, atoms involved in it. The performance of the new method has been pointed out by a detailed comparison with the classical insertion algorithms. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 1208–1214, 2003
Statistical thermodynamics of internal rotation in a hindering potential of mean force obtained from computer simulations
Authors: Hnizdo Vladimir , Fedorowicz Adam , Singh Harshinder , Demchuk Eugene
Published: June 2003

A method of statistical estimation is applied to the problem of one‐dimensional internal rotation in a hindering potential of mean force. The hindering potential, which may have a completely general shape, is expanded in a Fourier series, the coefficients of which are estimated by fitting an appropriate statistical–mechanical distribution to the random variable of internal rotation angle. The function of reduced moment of inertia of an internal rotation is averaged over the thermodynamic ensemble of atomic configurations of the molecule obtained in stochastic simulations. When quantum effects are not important, an accurate estimate of the absolute internal rotation entropy of a molecule with a single rotatable bond is obtained. When there is more than one rotatable bond, the “marginal” statistical–mechanical properties corresponding to a given internal rotational degree of freedom are educed. The method is illustrated using Monte Carlo simulations of two public health relevant halocarbon molecules, each having a single internal‐rotation degree of freedom, and a molecular dynamics simulation of an immunologically relevant polypeptide, in which several dihedral angles are analyzed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 1172–1183, 2003
The trouble with teamwork
Authors: Lencioni Patrick M.
Published: June 2003

Building a team is hard work—if you are not willing to do the work, don't try to be a team.
The little things that develop great leadership
Authors: Cantlon Lauren A. , Gandossy Robert P.
Published: June 2003

Five factors that make a big difference.
Early vaginal bleeding and first‐trimester markers for Down syndrome
Authors: De Biasio Pierangela , Canini Silvana , Crovo Angela , Prefumo Federico , Venturini Pier Luigi
Published: June 2003

Objectives

To assess the effect of early vaginal bleeding on first‐trimester markers for Down syndrome.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 2330 normal singleton fetuses who underwent first‐trimester combined screening for Down syndrome based on ultrasound and maternal serum markers. Fetal nuchal translucency (NT), maternal serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPP‐A), free β‐hCG and the false‐positive rate of the test were compared between pregnancies with (n = 253) and without (n = 2077) a history of early vaginal bleeding.

Results

The mean ± SD log10 MoM for NT, PAPP‐A and free β‐hCG was −0.024 ± 0.101, 0.007 ± 0.244, 0.047 ± 0.273 and −0.011 ± 0.108, −0.006 ± 0.223, 0.008 ± 0.264 in pregnancies with and without a history of early vaginal bleeding, with a p value of 0.07, 0.40 and 0.03 respectively. The false‐positive rate was 2.4% and 3.6% (p = 0.33).

Conclusions

An earlier episode of vaginal bleeding is associated with an increase in maternal serum free β‐hCG levels at first‐trimester combined screening for Down syndrome. However, this phenomenon is unlikely to significantly affect the false‐positive rate of the test. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of factor X deficiency using a combination of direct mutation detection and linkage analysis with an intragenic single nucleotide polymorphism
Authors: Camire Rodney , Ann Denchy Ruth , Day George A. , Lanzano Patricia , Sheth Sujit , Brown Stephen
Published: June 2003

Objective

To present a family in which it was possible to perform prenatal diagnosis for recessively inherited factor X deficiency using both direct mutation detection as well as linkage analysis.

Methods

In a family where both parents were known to be carriers of factor X deficiency, fetal DNA was obtained from an ongoing pregnancy by CVS in the first trimester. Direct DNA sequencing was used to detect a previously identified factor X mutation, and linkage analysis using a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was used to follow the segregation of the other parent's factor X alleles.

Results

Our studies predicted the fetus in question to be a heterozygote carrier of factor X deficiency, and this was demonstrated to be correct at birth.

Conclusions

This is the first reported case of prenatal diagnosis of factor X deficiency. In addition, this case demonstrates the remarkable utility of SNPs in linkage analysis of rare genetic disorders. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cystic fibrosis: selecting the prenatal screening strategy of choice
Authors: Wald N. J. , Morris J. K. , Rodeck C. H. , Haddow J. E. , Palomaki G. E.
Published: June 2003

Cystic fibrosis is a serious disorder. Research into the treatment of affected individuals is in progress, but a cure is not expected in the near future. In this review, we demonstrate that prenatal screening for cystic fibrosis meets the requirements for a worthwhile screening programme. We explain the reasons that have led us to conclude that one approach (‘couple screening’) is the method of choice. The couple‐based approach calls for reporting results to the couple as a unit. Only if both parents are found to be carriers is the result designated screen‐positive and an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling offered. This offers a substantial reduction in the proportion of women with unaffected pregnancies with positive results (the false‐positive rate) compared with other methods without reducing the detection of affected pregnancies. It also avoids creating a screen‐positive group for which no definitive diagnosis is available. This is a problem with other screening methods. The couple method can achieve a 72% detection rate for a 0.1% false‐positive rate. The screening method is simple, non‐invasive, reliable, safe and reasonably cost effective. Existing programmes have shown that screening using this method is acceptable to health care professionals and patients. Setting up a national prenatal screening programme for cystic fibrosis is timely and should be implemented using the couple screening method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Absence of fetal nasal bone and aneuploidies at first‐trimester nuchal translucency screening in unselected pregnancies
Authors: Zoppi Maria Angelica , Ibba Rosa Maria , Axiana Carolina , Floris Marcella , Manca Fabiola , Monni Giovanni
Published: June 2003

Objectives

The absence of nasal bone (NB) has been noted in trisomy 21 fetuses at first‐trimester ultrasound, in high‐risk pregnancies. In this study, the nasal bone was evaluated in relation to fetal karyotype, in unselected pregnancies.

Methods

From September 2001 to September 2002, the fetal facial profile was examined at the 11 to 14 weeks' scan for screening by nuchal translucency (NT). Risks for trisomy 21 were calculated using the Fetal Medicine Foundation's software, and the presence or absence of NB was noted. Prenatal karyotype and pregnancy outcomes were recorded.

Results

NT screening was performed in 5532 fetuses from 5425 pregnancies (85 twins, 8 triplets, 2 quadruplets). The visualization of fetal profile was obtained in 5525 fetuses (99.8%), and in 5491 fetuses (99.4%) the NB was present and in 34 cases (0.6%) it was absent. Fetal karyotype and pregnancy outcome were available in 3503 pregnancies, and 40 chromosomal abnormalities were diagnosed (27 trisomies 21, 5 trisomies 18, 2 trisomies 13, 3 Turner syndromes, 1 partial trisomy 9 and 2 others). The NB was absent in 19 (70%) trisomies 21, 4 trisomies 18 (80%), 2 Turner syndromes (66%), in the partial trisomy 9, in 7 normal karyotype fetuses (0.2%), and in a case with spontaneous first‐trimester abortion before prenatal diagnosis. A significant difference was found between NT thickness, expressed as a multiple of the median, in trisomy 21 fetuses with present and absent nasal bone.

Conclusions

The absence of NB at 11 to 14 weeks is more frequent in fetuses with trisomy 21 and other aneuploidies than in normal karyotype fetuses. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of congenital rubella infection in the second trimester of pregnancy
Authors: Tang Julian W. , Aarons Emma , Hesketh Louise M. , Strobel S. , Schalasta Gunnar , Jauniaux Eric , Brink Nicola S. , Enders Gisela
Published: June 2003

Objectives

This case report describes the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of a case of acute rubella infection in the second trimester. The complex issues of prenatal diagnosis of a congenital rubella infection are discussed.

Methods

A 30‐year‐old woman presented with a fine macular rash at 15 weeks' gestation. Laboratory testing included maternal rubella‐specific IgG and IgM detection (booking blood and acute‐phase sample) together with measurement of IgG avidity. Prenatal diagnosis at 19 weeks (amniocentesis) and 23 weeks (amniocentesis and fetal blood) was done using a reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction to detect rubella‐specific RNA. The fetal blood sample was also tested for rubella‐specific IgM.

Results

Maternal serological results confirmed an acute rubella infection at 15 weeks' gestation. Rubella‐specific RNA and IgM were detected in the fetal blood taken at 23 weeks' gestation. However, no rubella RNA was detected in either of the amniotic fluid samples collected at 19 and 23 weeks.

Conclusion

In second‐trimester rubella where risk of fetal damage is low, prenatal diagnosis can identify the rubella‐infected fetus, allowing the parents to make a more informed decision about their options. The optimal sample for prenatal diagnosis is fetal blood as no rubella‐specific RNA was detected in the amniotic fluid. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Visualization of AS paths on the Internet
Authors: Kimura Takumi
Published: June 2003

Content distribution via Internet applications such as the World Wide Web or streaming applications has become very common. The quality of such content distribution greatly depends on the performance of the distribution paths which are constructed from one or more autonomous systems (ASs). We focus on understanding the content distribution path topology, by which a content service provider (CSP) can improve the content distribution quality in a network environment using one or more ASs. This paper proposes a measurement and visualization procedure for the content distribution path topology in terms of ASs. We show that this procedure is scalable for various numbers of destination users, and that it converges faster than previous methods. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 34(9): 20–26, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.10426
Planning Programs for Adults
Authors: Kilgore Deborah
Published: June 2003

This chapter outlines a holistic approach to higher education program planning for adults in which the potential and limitations of conventional universities to serve adults are considered.
Advancing systems engineering for systems‐of‐systems challenges
Authors: Chen Pin , Clothier Jennie
Published: June 2003

Engineering activities in future organization development, including various information‐based systems, vary, but all result in evolutions of an organization, its capabilities and systems. These evolutions occur in a context of Systems‐of‐Systems (SoS) where the organization must maintain a sustained, sustainable, and controlled SoS evolution as a whole. This paper presents an understanding of SoS challenges to the application of Systems Engineering (SE) in organizational evolutionary development and discusses the difference between “developing a SoS” and “developing systems in a SoS context” from an SE management perspective. A new approach to SE process organization and management is presented in order to help an organization cope with the high complexity of SoS evolutions and improve its architecture practice. Philosophically different from many SoS SE studies that consider mainly how to develop a SoS, the new approach is to add a dimension or components of SE practice at the organization level that is aimed at creating a better engineering environment to enable effective applications of traditional SE practice in implementing SoS evolutions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 6: 170–183, 2003
Organizational architectures and mission requirements: A model to determine congruence
Authors: Handley Holly A. H. , Levis Alexander H.
Published: June 2003

In order to determine congruence between proposed organizational architectures and evolving mission requirements, an executable model was developed in support of a subject experiment testing the hypothesis that an organization congruent with an expected mission results in better performance than a noncongruent organization. The model is based on the task process, the sequence of stages that occur in order to complete a task, where the delays of each stage are based on the interactions of the task with decision‐makers and resources; in this case, tasks are limited to simple tasks completed by a single decision‐maker with a single resource. The model is configured to a particular organizational design and simulated with a scenario, a list of tasks and their parameters that characterize the mission. Congruence is determined by using regression analysis to fit a linear equation to the output of the simulation and computing the coefficient of determination to evaluate the fit. The model was developed with trial experiment data and validated with post‐experimental results. This model provides the foundation for a future, second order model that will include multiple decision‐makers interacting with multiple resources to complete complex tasks. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sys Eng 6: 184–194, 2003
DYNAMIC VISIT-ORDER RULES FOR BATCH-SERVICE POLLING
Authors: van der Wal Jan , Yechiali Uri
Published: June 2003

We explore visit-order policies in nonsymmetric polling systems
with switch-in and switch-out times, where service is in batches
of unlimited size. We concentrate on so-called “Hamiltonian
tour” policies in which, in order to give a fair
treatment to the various users, the server attends every nonempty
queue exactly once during each round of visits (cycle). The
server dynamically generates a new visit schedule at the start
of each round, depending on the current state of the system
(number of jobs in each queue) and on the various nonhomogeneous
system parameters. We consider three service regimes, globally
gated, (locally) gated, and exhaustive, and study three different
performance measures: (1) minimizing the expected weighted sum
of all sojourn times of jobs within a cycle; (2)
minimizing the expected length of the next cycle, and
(3) maximizing the expected weighted throughput in
a cycle. For each combination of performance measure and service
regime, we derive characteristics of the optimal Hamiltonian
tour. Some of the resulting optimal policies are shown to be
elegant index-type rules. Others are the solutions of deterministic
NP-hard problems. Special cases are reduced to assignment problems
with specific cost matrices. The index-type rules can further
be used to construct fixed-order, cyclic-type polling tables
in cases where dynamic control is not applicable.
Emotion regulation behavior during a separation procedure in 18-month-old children of mothers using cocaine and other drugs
Authors: MOLITOR ADRIANA , MAYES LINDA C. , WARD ANNA
Published: June 2003

This study examined the association between maternal cocaine use and children's emotional regulation. Using a brief separation procedure, we observed 78 18-month-old at-risk children and their mothers from three defined maternal groups: no drug use; no cocaine use but a positive history for alcohol, tobacco, and/or marijuana; and cocaine use with or without alcohol, tobacco, and/or marijuana. Coded videotaped behavior identified three maternal constructs (separation style, physical engagement, and emotional engagement) and three child constructs (negative reactivity to separation, initial regulatory activity, and follow-up positive emotional engagement). Cocaine-using mothers displayed less emotional engagement than other mothers. Children with cocaine-using mothers displayed less negative reactivity and follow-up positive emotional engagement than their counterparts. Child reactivity was connected to maternal drug use, whereas emotional engagement during reunion was linked to birthweight and maternal behavior. Results suggest a possible impairment or restriction of emotional expression and regulation in the face of stress and/or maternal disengagement that is more common among cocaine-exposed children with their mothers.
A sense of containment: Potential moderator of the relation between parenting practices and children's externalizing behaviors
Authors: SCHNEIDER WILLIAM JOEL , CAVELL TIMOTHY A. , HUGHES JAN N.
Published: June 2003

We introduce the construct of perceived containment, defined as children's beliefs about adults' capacity to impose firm limits and to prevail if there is a conflict in goals. We propose that children's containment beliefs represent an important but understudied factor in the development and maintenance of childhood aggression. Children's ratings on the Perceived Containment Questionnaire (PCQ) were inversely related to parent and teacher ratings of externalizing problems. Moreover, this relation was found to be independent of the quality of parental discipline. We also found evidence that perceived containment moderated the relation between overly harsh, inept discipline and children's externalizing behaviors: ineffective discipline was directly related to externalizing problems in children with relatively high PCQ scores but was unrelated to externalizing problems in children with relatively low PCQ scores. For the latter group of children, the affective quality of the mother–child relationship was a better predictor of problem behavior. These findings provide additional support for Kochanska's (1993) model of differential socialization and for Frick's (1998) assertions concerning meaningful subgroups of aggressive children.
Developmental trajectories of boys' delinquent group membership and facilitation of violent behaviors during adolescence
Authors: LACOURSE ERIC , NAGIN DANIEL , TREMBLAY RICHARD E. , VITARO FRANK , CLAES MICHEL
Published: June 2003

Being part of a delinquent group has been shown to facilitate the expression of an individual's own delinquent propensities. However, this facilitation effect has not been investigated from a developmental perspective within a population heterogeneity model. Using a semiparametric mixture model with data from the Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study, this article addresses important issues in the developmental trends of membership to delinquent groups. We explore how the rate of violent behaviors follows delinquent peer group trajectories and investigate a differential facilitation effect of delinquent peers on violence across multiple developmental pathways. Results suggest that 25% of males followed a childhood or an adolescence delinquent group affiliation trajectory. These two groups account for most of the violent acts assessed during adolescence. In addition, the rate of violent behaviors follows these developmental trajectories. Controlling for these delinquent group trajectories, we also found that being involved in a delinquent group at any specific time during adolescence is associated with an increased rate of violent behaviors, and that leaving these groups results in a decrease in violent behaviors. This facilitation effect appears homogeneous over time and across developmental trajectories. Results are discussed from a social interactional perspective.
Management Mistakes in Healthcare: A Disturbing Silence
Authors: HOFMANN PAUL B.
Published: June 2003

The belated but formal acknowledgment of medical errors and their impact
has been well documented. Curiously, the topic of management or executive
mistakes in healthcare is not raised in professional meetings nor, until
recently, addressed by an article in health administration journals.
Responding to the Call of Professionalism
Authors: KUCZEWSKI MARK G.
Published: June 2003

This special section deals with the new professionalism movement.
The interest in the term “professionalism” has been growing
steadily in medicine, and the word now seems to be everywhere. However,
bioethicists have lagged behind our colleagues in medicine and nursing in
explicitly contributing to this movement. This special section adds to the
effort to catch up.
“Who Am I?”
Authors: Trotter Griffin
Published: June 2003

As medical students we were not discouraged from introducing ourselves
by saying, “Hello, I'm Dr. So-and-so,” as opposed to
identifying ourselves as students. If we happened to be doing rounds with
an intern or resident, the physician would introduce himself or herself as
“Dr. X and over here is Dr. Y”—indicating a student. When
I introduced myself as a medical student, I got the feeling that people
thought it was silly or unnecessary.
Cognitive functioning in patients with a small infarct in the brainstem
Authors: Van Zandvoort Martine , De Haan Edward , Van Gijn Jan , Jaap Kappelle Laurens
Published: June 2003

Earlier findings in patients with a small supratentorial white matter infarct demonstrated subtle impairments of cognition. This is in line with reported difficulties in regaining premorbid level of functioning in daily life activities, even though any physical neurological deficits are no longer present. Either a “bystander effect” of adjoining gray matter or a long distance effect through hypometabolism or other neurochemical changes might underlie these impairments. To find the best explanation, a group of 17 patients with a lacunar infarct in the brainstem was neuropsychologically evaluated and compared with a closely matched control group. The patients demonstrated significantly impaired task performance on a constellation of neuropsychological tasks that was very similar to the findings previously found in patients with a supratentorial lacunar infarct (Boston Naming Test, TEA visual elevator, category fluency, Trailmaking Test). We conclude that a small white-matter infarct may affect cognitive functioning in a nonspecific way independently of its location. (JINS, 2003, 9, 490–494.)
Cognitive Systems and Systemic Disease: Internal Medicine
for the Neuropsychologist: Medical Neuropsychology, 2nd ed. Ralph E. Tarter, M. Butters, and Sue R. Beers (Eds.). 2001. Hingham, MA: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. 346 pp., $75.00 (HB).
Authors: Selnes Ola A.
Published: June 2003

This is the second edition of a book originally published in 1988 as
part of the series Critical Issues in Neuropsychology. The
editors describe it as expanding the content and updating the rapidly
growing literature on the relationship between cognition and systemic
(nonneurological) disease. Although most of the chapter titles remain
the same, some of the authors are new. Some of the chapters from the
first edition, including those on childhood nutritional disorders and
on cancer, have been dropped. New additions include chapters titled
“Autoimmune Disorders,” “Sleep Disorders,” and
“Neurobehavioral Complications of HIV Infection.” While the
contents of the book remain clearly focused on the effects of
systemic illness on cognition, some chapters, such as the one
devoted to neurobehavioral complications of HIV infection, discuss cognitive
impairment secondary to presumed primary central nervous system diseases.
However, with evolving knowledge of the pathophysiology of HIV-related
cognitive impairment, systemic factors are also increasingly being
recognized.
A Treatise on the Neural, Structural, and Psychological Bases
of Declarative and Other Memory Systems: From Conditioning to Conscious
Recollection, by H. Eichenbaum and N.J. Cohen. 2001. New York: Oxford
University Press. 583 pp., $65.00 (HB).
Authors: Sullivan Edith V.
Published: June 2003

This book is a thoughtful treatise, written by two well-respected
memory researchers and theorists, on dissociable processes comprising
the broad concept of memory. To characterize this work, it is truly a
book, not a collection of chapters, not a classroom textbook of facts,
and not simply a monograph of personal research. Rather, it is a worthwhile
read for all levels of students, teachers, and researchers of memory and
offers an interesting perspective on the historical context of the
authors' theoretical position.
Verbal learning in Alzheimer's dementia
Authors: AU ALMA , CHAN AGNES S. , CHIU HELEN
Published: June 2003

Many recent findings in Western countries suggest that episodic
recall is the most sensitive discriminator between patients
with mild Alzheimer disease (AD) and the normal elderly, while
semantic memory tends best to differentiate between moderate
and severe AD patients. The present study is the first to examine
in detail the episodic memory of Chinese AD patients in Hong
Kong with a locally developed list learning test, comparing
procedures that do or do not encourage the use of semantic
organization. The performance of 28 AD patients was compared
to that of 30 normal controls. AD patients did significantly
worse in terms of acquisition and retention and also benefited
significantly less from external organization cues. In the
discriminant function analysis, the rate of forgetting in the
random condition and the total retention score in the blocked
condition were found to be the best predictors for differentiating
between AD patients and controls. On the other hand, in the
differentiation between mild and moderate AD, semantic clustering
in the blocked condition was found to be the best predictor.
Results of the present study were discussed in the light of
the previous findings reported in the Western countries and
the neuropathological changes of AD patients. (JINS,
2003, 9, 363–375.)
Ischemic stroke and depression
Authors: DESMOND DAVID W. , REMIEN ROBERT H. , MORONEY JOAN T. , STERN YAAKOV , SANO MARY , WILLIAMS JANET B.W.
Published: June 2003

Previous studies of depression after stroke have reported widely
variable findings, possibly due to differences between studies
in patient characteristics and methods for the assessment of
depression, small sample sizes, and the failure to examine
stroke-free reference groups to determine the base rate of
depression in the general population. In an effort to address
certain of those methodologic issues and further investigate
the frequency and clinical determinants of depression after
stroke, we administered the Structured Interview Guide for the
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (SIGH–D) and neurological,
neuropsychological, and functional assessments to 421 patients
(age = 71.5 ± 8.0 years) 3 months after ischemic stroke
and 249 stroke-free control subjects (age = 70.8 ± 6.7
years). We required a SIGH–D total score > 11 for the
identification of depression. We found that depression was less
frequent (47/421 patients, or 11.2%, and 13/249 control
subjects, or 5.2%), less severe, and less persistent in our
stroke cohort than previously reported, possibly due to the
underrepresentation of patients with a premorbid history of
affective illness. Depression was associated with more severe
stroke, particularly in vascular territories that supply limbic
structures; dementia; and female sex. SIGH–D item analyses
suggested that a reliance on nonsomatic rather than somatic
symptoms would result in the most accurate diagnoses of depression
after ischemic stroke. (JINS, 2003, 9,
429–439.)
Neuropsychological assessment and telemedicine: A preliminary
study examining the reliability of neuropsychology services
performed via telecommunication
Authors: JACOBSEN SVENN E. , SPRENGER TERJE , ANDERSSON STEIN , KROGSTAD JAN-MAGNE
Published: June 2003

Within the last decade, various applications of two-way
audio-visual telecommunication have been implemented in the
Norwegian health care system to facilitate the delivery of medical
services to patients located in rural areas away from the
hospitals. This technology may also be useful to extend
neuropsychological services to underserved areas and thereby
reduce the patients' travel time and costs. In the current
study, a total of 12 visual, verbal and performance tests were
administered face-to-face and via videophones to 32 volunteer
participants to examine the consistency and stability of
test-scores when delivered via different formats. The obtained
reliability coefficients ranged from .37 to .86 with a median
value of .74. When testing for mean differences, the measures
on verbal learning (WMS–Logical Memory I) and auditory
attention (Seashore Rhythm Test) differed significantly due
to administration format (t = 2.34, p = .024
and t = 2.37, p = .025, respectively). The
findings imply that administration format does not appear to
affect the reliability of measurement but neuropsychological
test performance is significantly higher for the measures of
attention and memory when delivered via videophone. Additional
research on these cognitive domains is required, and if the
observed differences due to testing format persist, separate
normative data via telecommunication will be required before
assessments are carried out. Also, since only normal participants
were included in this study, the findings may have external
validity for normal populations, but similar controlled trials
with patients need to be completed before remote assessments
can be implemented in regular clinical practice. (JINS,
2003, 9, 472–478.)
Coexistence of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury: Towards a resolution of the paradox
Authors: HARVEY ALLISON G. , BREWIN CHRIS R. , JONES CHARLIE , KOPELMAN MICHAEL D.
Published: June 2003

The coexistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
traumatic head or brain injury (TBI) in the same individual
has been proposed to be paradoxical. It has been argued that
individuals who sustain a TBI and have no conscious memory of
their trauma will not experience fear, helplessness and horror
during the trauma, nor will they develop reexperiencing symptoms
or establish the negative associations that underlie avoidance
symptoms. However, single case reports and incidence studies
suggest that PTSD can be diagnosed following TBI. We highlight
critical issues in assessment, definitions, and research methods,
and propose two possible resolutions of the paradox. One resolution
focuses on ambiguity in the criteria for diagnosing PTSD. The
other involves accepting that TBI patients do experience similar
symptoms to other PTSD patients, but that there are crucial
differences in symptom content. (JINS, 2003, 9,
663–676.)
Imaging Mitochondrial Organization in Living Primate Oocytes and
Embryos using Multiphoton Microscopy
Authors: Squirrell J.M. , Schramm R.D. , Paprocki A.M. , Wokosin D.L. , Bavister B.D.
Published: June 2003

We employed multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM) to image
changes in mitochondrial distribution in living rhesus monkey embryos.
This method of imaging does not impair development; thus, the same
specimen can be visualized multiple times at various developmental
stages. Not only does this increase the amount of information that can
be gathered on a single specimen but it permits the correlation of
early events with subsequent development in the same specimen. Here we
demonstrate the utility of MPLSM for determining changes in
mitochondrial organization at various developmental stages and show
that rhesus zygotes possess a distinct accumulation of mitochondria
between the pronuclei prior to syngamy. We present evidence that
suggests that this pronuclear accumulation may be positively correlated
with development to the blastocyst stage—in the same
embryo—thereby illustrating how MPLSM can be used to correlate
cellular dynamics of primate oocytes and early embryos with their
developmental potential. Understanding the relationship between
mitochondrial distribution and the subsequent development of mammalian
embryos, particularly primates, will increase our ability to improve
embryo culture technologies, including those used for human assisted
reproduction.
Intraspinal Endodermal Cyst: Ultrastructural Study of Abnormal
Cilia
Authors: Ho Khang L. , Chitale Dhananjay A. , Salama Mohamed E.
Published: June 2003

Abnormal cilia were demonstrated in the lining epithelial cells of
three cases of intraspinal endodermal (bronchogenic) cyst. The changes
comprised a wide spectrum of ultrastructural abnormalities, including
(a) cilia with abnormal axonemal microtubules, (b) swollen cilia, (c)
compound cilia with or without excessive ciliary matrix, (d) naked
cilia without limiting membrane, and (e) intracytoplasmic cilia and
aggregates of microtubules. Of these, compound cilia and swollen cilia
were most common. Cilia with dynein arm deficiency were not observed.
Ciliary abnormalities found in the present study were very similar to
those described in the bronchial epithelium of various diseases. The
present findings suggest that the lining epithelium of intraspinal
endodermal cyst shares similar ciliogenesis and susceptibility to
abnormal ciliary formation as that of the bronchial epithelium.
Lidar measurements of stratosphere‐mesosphere thermal structure at a low latitude: Comparison with satellite data and models
Authors: Siva Kumar V. , Rao P. B. , Krishnaiah M.
Published: June 2003

Making use of 240 nights of Rayleigh lidar data collected over March 1998 to July 2001, we present the general characteristics of low‐latitude middle atmospheric temperature structure over Gadanki (13.5°N, 79.2°E). The height‐monthly mean temperature contour plot shows two distinct maxima in the stratopause region (∼45–55 km), occurring over February–March and September–October, a seasonal dependence quite different from that reported for midlatitudes and high latitudes. The statistical distributions of stratopause and its temperature show the most probable values to be 47–48 km and 262–264 K, respectively. A comparison with the satellite (UARS Halogen Occultation Experiment) data shows a fairly good agreement, but for the mesospheric inversion region of 70–80 km, where the lidar measurements are about 5–10 K warmer than those of the satellite. A comparison with the models, CIRA‐86 and Mass Spectrometer Incoherent Scatter Extended‐1990 (MSISE‐90), showed that the agreement with differences less than 3 K is the best for CIRA‐86 over ∼40–55 km and MSISE‐90 over 55–65 km. Below 40 km, both models overestimate by 3–9 K, with deviations somewhat larger for MSISE‐90. For 70–80 km both models deviate significantly, with differences exceeding 10 K, particularly during equinoctial periods when the mesospheric inversion occurs most frequently.
Millennial‐ to century‐scale variability in Gulf of Mexico Holocene climate records
Authors: Poore R. Z. , Dowsett H. J. , Verardo S. , Quinn T. M.
Published: June 2003

Proxy records from two piston cores in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) provide a detailed (50–100 year resolution) record of climate variability over the last 14,000 years. Long‐term (millennial‐scale) trends and changes are related to the transition from glacial to interglacial conditions and movement of the average position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) related to orbital forcing. The δ18O of the surface‐dwelling planktic foraminifer Globigerinoides ruber show negative excursions between 14 and 10.2 ka (radiocarbon years) that reflect influx of meltwater into the western GOM during melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The relative abundance of the planktic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer is related to transport of Caribbean water into the GOM. Maximum transport of Caribbean surface waters and moisture into the GOM associated with a northward migration of the average position of the ITCZ occurs between about 6.5 and 4.5 ka. In addition, abundance variations of G. sacculifer show century‐scale variability throughout most of the Holocene. The GOM record is consistent with records from other areas, suggesting that century‐scale variability is a pervasive feature of Holocene climate. The frequency of several cycles in the climate records is similar to cycles identified in proxy records of solar variability, indicating that at least some of the century‐scale climate variability during the Holocene is due to external (solar) forcing.
Senescence‐associated mRNAs that may participate in signal transduction and protein trafficking
Authors: Guterman Adi , Hajouj Taleb , Gepstein Shimon
Published: June 2003

The differential display technique was used to generate cDNA probes in order to identify mRNAs that are up‐regulated during senescence of Arabidopsis leaves. Three mRNAs were examined that had not previously been associated with senescence. The steady‐state levels of these mRNAs are detectable in small amounts in mature green leaves, but increase considerably as chlorophyll levels begin to decline. This relationship to senescence occurs under natural circumstances as well as when senescence is accelerated by leaf detachment in the dark or by addition of 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC). Retardation of senescence by benzyladenine slows the increase of the mRNAs. One of these mRNAs appears to code for a protein (Sec 13) that may be involved in vesicle formation at the endoplasmic reticulum. Another mRNA codes for a protein with WD‐repeat motif whose function is as yet unidentified, and the third codes for a putative calcium‐dependent protein kinase. A fourth cDNA has also been cloned by subtractive hybridization from senescing Arabidopsis leaves that encodes vacuolar‐processing enzyme (γVPE). Incubation of detached leaves in darkness also caused an abrupt elevation in the steady‐state levels of the γVPE, similar to that of the senescing attached leaves. The possible functions of the gene products and their involvement in cellular and biochemical processes during senescence are discussed.
Cloning of a plastidic rye (Secale cereale) β‐glucosidase cDNA and its expression in Escherichia coli
Authors: Nikus Jeanette , Esen Asim , Jonsson Lisbeth M. V.
Published: June 2003

The cDNA for a β‐glucosidase (EC3.2.1.21) was isolated from rye (Secale cereale, cv Motto) and the sequence corresponding to the mature protein cloned into pET21a expression vector and used for transformation of Escherichia coli. The recombinant β‐glucosidase expressed in E. coli was recognized by antibodies to maize β‐glucosidase and exhibited the same kinetic properties on the endogenous substrates hydroxamic acid glucosides and artificial substrates as the native enzyme purified from rye. The enzyme monomer had an apparent molecular weight of about 67 kDa. The isolated cDNA was analysed with web‐based chloroplast targeting prediction programs. The programs predicted a chloroplast targeting peptide with a cleavage site between amino acid 49 and 50. Sequence alignment of the plastidic rye β‐glucosidase showed that the putative sites for substrate specificity of maize Glu1, W378 and F198 (F197) are conserved in the rye enzyme, whereas F205, F466 and A467 of maize Glu1 are exchanged for histidine, glycine and serine, respectively, in rye. The plastidic β‐glucosidase is expressed in all plant parts and the highest levels were found in the coleoptile and mesocotyl.
A differential response to nortriptyline and fluoxetine in melancholic depression: the importance of age and gender
Authors: Joyce P. R. , Mulder R. T. , Luty S. E. , McKenzie J. M. , Rae A. M.
Published: June 2003

Objective: To consider the impact of age and gender on the antidepressant response to nortriptyline and fluoxetine in melancholic depression.

Method: Of 191 depressed patients, 113 met study criteria for melancholia. All patients were randomized to receive either fluoxetine or nortriptyline. Response rates, defined as an improvement of 60% or more on the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale over 6 weeks of antidepressant treatment on an intention to treat basis, were examined by age, and by age and gender.

Results: Melancholic depressed patients 40 years or older, especially men, had a markedly superior response to nortriptyline compared with fluoxetine. Conversely, melancholic depressed patients, age18–24 years, especially women, had a markedly superior response to fluoxetine.

Conclusion: Age and gender appear to be critical variables in understanding differential antidepressant responses to tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in melancholic depression.
Reduction of human monocytic cell neurotoxicity and cytokine secretion by ligands of the cannabinoid‐type CB2 receptor
Authors: Klegeris Andis , Bissonnette Christopher J , McGeer Patrick L
Published: June 2003

Two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, have been identified. The CB1 receptor is preferentially expressed in brain, and the CB2 receptor in cells of leukocyte lineage. We identified the mRNA for the CB1 receptor in human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells, and the mRNA and protein for the CB2 receptor in human microglia and THP‐1 cells.

Δ9‐and Δ8‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were toxic when added directly to SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. The toxicity of Δ9‐ THC was inhibited by the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A but not by the CB2 receptor antagonist SR144528. The endogenous ligand anandamide was also toxic, and this toxicity was enhanced by inhibitors of its enzymatic hydrolysis.

The selective CB2 receptor ligands JWH‐015 and indomethacin morpholinylamide (BML‐190), when added to THP‐1 cells before stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and IFN‐γ, reduced the toxicity of their culture supernatants to SH‐SY5Y cells. JWH‐015 was more effective against neurotoxicity of human microglia than THP‐1 cells. The antineurotoxic activity of JWH‐015 was blocked by the selective CB2 receptor antagonist SR144528, but not by the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A. This activity of JWH‐015 was synergistic with that of the 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LOX) inhibitor REV 5901.

Cannabinoids inhibited secretion of IL‐1β and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) by stimulated THP‐1 cells, but these effects could not be directly correlated with their antineurotoxic activity.

Specific CB2 receptor ligands could be useful anti‐inflammatory agents, while avoiding the neurotoxic and psychoactive effects of CB1 receptor ligands such as Δ9‐THC.

British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 139, 775–786. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705304