bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Neurofeedback Treatment in ADHD: The Effects on Inattention, Impulsivity and Hyperactivity: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Arns Martijn , de Ridder Sabine , Strehl Ute , Breteler Marinus , Coenen Anton 
Published: February 2012

Since the first reports of neurofeedback treatment in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 1976, many studies have investigated the effects of neurofeedback on different symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. This technique is also used by many practitioners, but the question as to the evidence-based level of this treatment is still unclear. In this study selected research on neurofeedback treatment for ADHD was collected and a meta-analysis was performed. Both prospective controlled studies and studies employing a pre-and post-design found large effect sizes (ES) for neurofeedback on impulsivity and inattention and a medium ES for hyperactivity. Randomized studies demonstrated a lower ES for hyperactivity suggesting that hyperactivity is probably most sensitive to nonspecific treatment factors. Due to the inclusion of some very recent and sound methodological studies in this meta-analysis, potential confounding factors such as small studies, lack of randomization in previous studies and a lack of adequate control groups have been addressed, and the clinical effects of neurofeedback in the treatment of ADHD can be regarded as clinically meaningful. Three randomized studies have employed a semi-active control group which can be regarded as a credible sham control providing an equal level of cognitive training and client-therapist interaction. Therefore, in line with the AAPB and ISNR guidelines for rating clinical efficacy, we conclude that neurofeedback treatment for ADHD can be considered “Efficacious and Specific” (Level 5) with a large ES for inattention and impulsivity and a medium ES for hyperactivity.
Perisaccadic Gamma Modulation in Parkinson Disease Patients and Healthy Subjects
Authors: Javaid M.A. , Weeden J. , Flom P. , Avitable M. , Glazman S. , Bodis-Wollner I. 
Published: February 2012

We quantified the anterior-posterior distribution of the gamma modulation index (GMI), an index of perisaccadic phasic modulation of the gamma (35–45 Hz) range electroencephalogram (EEG), in healthy human subjects and Parkinson disease (PD) patients. The EEG was recorded over the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital sites in 11 idiopathic PD patients (age 50–70 years, four females), 4 age matched healthy volunteers (1 female) and 17 young healthy controls (age 21–30 years, four females) Eye movements were recorded with EOG and ISCAN camera. Subjects executed saccades to a mark at right and back to fixation point and vice versa. The saccades directed away from center/fixation (centrifugal CF) were analyzed. Two minutes of EEG were obtained from each subject for the two possible saccade types (centrifugal rightwards and leftwards at 15 degrees). Each perisaccadic EEG segment was analyzed using continuous wavelet transform for quantifying the power and time course of gamma EEG ranges for each saccade type. A three way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. Perisaccadic GMI (peak intrasaccadic power divided by mean power) in healthy subjects was higher over the contralateral hemisphere to the saccade direction, for both centrifugal saccades at anterior, posterior and occipital recording sites. Contrary to the healthy subject GMI remained near one in PD, i.e., there was no evidence of intrasaccadic gamma power increase in PD patients.
QEEG-Guided Neurofeedback for Recurrent Migraine Headaches
Authors: Walker Jonathan E. 
Published: February 2012

Seventy-one patients with recurrent migraine headaches, aged 17–62, from one neurological practice, completed a quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) procedure. All QEEG results indicated an excess of high-frequency beta activity (21–30 Hz) in 1–4 cortical areas. Forty-six of the 71 patients selected neurofeedback training while the remaining 25 chose to continue on drug therapy. Neurofeedback protocols consisted of reducing 21–30 Hz activity and increasing 10 Hz activity (5 sessions for each affected site). All the patients were classified as migraine without aura. For the neurofeedback group the majority (54%) experienced complete cessation of their migraines, and many others (39%) experienced a reduction in migraine frequency of greater than 50%. Four percent experienced a decrease in headache frequency of <50%. Only one patient did not experience a reduction in headache frequency. The control group of subjects who chose to continue drug therapy as opposed to neurofeedback experienced no change in headache frequency (68%), a reduction of less than 50% (20%), or a reduction greater than 50% (8%). QEEG-guided neurofeedback appears to be dramatically effective in abolishing or significantly reducing headache frequency in patients with recurrent migraine.
Correlation between Cognitive Functions and Nitric Oxide Levels in Patients with Dementia
Authors: Sachdeva Richa , Babbar Rashmi , Puri Vinod , Agarwal Sarita , Krishana Bal 
Published: February 2012

Dementia is defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by acquired loss of cognitive and emotional abilities, severe enough to interfere with daily functioning and quality of life. Event related potentials (ERP) are sensitive to task variables that relate to cognitive behavior. They might be altered in patients with disorders of cognition such as dementia. Application of the P300 ERP component to the study of cognitive disorders provides a means of quantifying the level of mental impairment. At high levels, nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by microglia due to induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), is neurotoxic and may play a role in neurodegeneration. In our study an attempt has been made to record ERP in patients of mild and moderate dementia and to correlate their findings with nitric oxide levels in CSF and serum. Twenty patients with dementia were selected as cases and 20 subjects as controls, which were further subdivided according to the age groups. Both dementia cases and controls were assessed by minimental state examination (MMSE) and clinical dementia rating scale (CDRS) for evaluating the degree of dementia. It was observed that the MMSE score was reduced in demented cases. P300 latency was significantly delayed in mild and moderate cases of dementia. However, no change was seen in NO levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in dementia cases and controls. A negative correlation was found between MMSE and P300 latency. Hence we conclude that cognitive impairment in demented patients is reflected in P300 latency but not in NO levels in CSF and serum.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the Efficacy of qEEG-Guided Neurofeedback Treatment: A Case Series
Authors: Sürmeli Tanju , Ertem Ayben 
Published: February 2012

While neurofeedback (NF) has been extensively studied in the treatment of many disorders, there have been only three published reports, by D.C. Hammond, on its clinical effects in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In this paper the efficacy of qEEG-guided NF for subjects with OCD was studied as a case series. The goal was to examine the clinical course of the OCD symptoms and assess the efficacy of qEEG guided NF training on clinical outcome measures. Thirty-six drug resistant subjects with OCD were assigned to 9–84 sessions of QEEG-guided NF treatment. Daily sessions lasted 60 minutes where 2 sessions with half-hour applications with a 30 minute rest given between sessions were conducted per day. Thirty-three out of 36 subjects who received NF training showed clinical improvement according to the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS). The Minnesota multiphasic inventory (MMPI) was administered before and after treatment to 17 of the subjects. The MMPI results showed significant improvements not only in OCD measures, but all of the MMPI scores showed a general decrease. Finally, according to the physicians' evaluation of the subjects using the clinical global impression scale (CGI), 33 of the 36 subjects were rated as improved. Thirty-six of the subjects were followed for an average of 26 months after completing the study. According to follow-up interviews conducted with them and/or their family members 19 of the subjects maintained the improvements in their OCD symptoms. This study provides good evidence for the efficacy of NF treatment in OCD. The results of this study encourage further controlled research in this area.
A Large Clinical Study on the Ability of Stroke Patients to Use an EEG-Based Motor Imagery Brain-Computer Interface
Authors: Ang Kai Keng , Guan Cuntai , Chua Karen Sui Geok , Ang Beng Ti , Kuah Christopher Wee Keong , Wang Chuanchu , Phua Kok Soon , Chin Zheng Yang , Zhang Haihong 
Published: February 2012

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology has the prospects of helping stroke survivors by enabling the interaction with their environment through brain signals rather than through muscles, and restoring motor function by inducing activity-dependent brain plasticity. This paper presents a clinical study on the extent of detectable brain signals from a large population of stroke patients in using EEG-based motor imagery BCI. EEG data were collected from 54 stroke patients whereby finger tapping and motor imagery of the stroke-affected hand were performed by 8 and 46 patients, respectively. EEG data from 11 patients who gave further consent to perform motor imagery were also collected for second calibration and third independent test sessions conducted on separate days. Off-line accuracies of classifying the two classes of EEG from finger tapping or motor imagery of the stroke-affected hand versus the EEG from background rest were then assessed and compared to 16 healthy subjects. The mean off-line accuracy of detecting motor imagery by the 46 patients ( μ=0.74) was significantly lower than finger tapping by 8 patients ( μ=0.87, p=0.008), but not significantly lower than motor imagery by healthy subjects ( μ=0.78, p=0.23). Six stroke patients performed motor imagery at chance level, and no correlation was found between the accuracies of detecting motor imagery and their motor impairment in terms of Fugl-Meyer Assessment ( p=0.29). The off-line accuracies of the 11 patients in the second session ( μ=0.76) were not significantly different from the first session ( μ=0.72, p=0.16), or from the on-line accuracies of the third independent test session ( μ=0.82, p=0.14). Hence this study showed that the majority of stroke patients could use EEG-based motor imagery BCI.
Effect of the consumption of a new symbiotic shake on glycemia and cholesterol levels in elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Moroti Camila , Souza Magri Loyanne Francine , de Rezende Costa Marcela , Cavallini Daniela CU , Sivieri Katia 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
The consumption of foods containing probiotic and prebiotic ingredients is growing consistently every year, and in view of the limited number of studies investigating their effect in the elderly.

Objective
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the consumption of a symbiotic shake containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and fructooligosaccharides on glycemia and cholesterol levels in elderly people.

Methods
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on twenty volunteers (ten for placebo group and ten for symbiotic group), aged 50 to 60 years. The criteria for inclusion in the study were: total cholesterol > 200 mg/dL; triglycerides > 200 mg/dL and glycemia > 110 mg/dL. Over a total test period of 30 days, 10 individuals (the symbiotic group) consumed a daily dose of 200 mL of a symbiotic shake containing 108 UFC/mL Lactobacillus acidophilus, 108 UFC/mL Bifidobacterium bifidum and 2 g oligofructose, while 10 other volunteers (the placebo group) drank daily the same amount of a shake that did not contain any symbiotic bacteria. Blood samples were collected 15 days prior to the start of the experiment and at 10-day intervals after the beginning of the shake intake. The standard lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol) and glycemia, or blood sugar levels, were evaluated by an enzyme colorimetric assay.

Results
The results of the symbiotic group showed a non-significant reduction (P > 0.05) in total cholesterol and triglycerides, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in HDL cholesterol and a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in fasting glycemia. No significant changes were observed in the placebo group.

Conclusion
The consumption of symbiotic shake resulted in a significant increase in HDL and a significant decrease of glycemia.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00123456
Reversal of SSRI-Associated Apathy Syndrome by Discontinuation of Therapy
Authors: Padala Prasad R , Padala Kalpana P , Monga Varun , Ramirez Daniel A , Sullivan Dennis H 
Published: February 2012

Objective: To report 6 cases of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)– associated apathy syndrome. Case Summaries: In all 6 cases, the patient reported loss of motivation while being treated with an SSRI. Loss of motivation was of new onset and temporally associated with the use of the SSRI. A trial of discontinuation of the SSRI was performed in all 6 patients and 2 I were started on bupropion while cross-tapering from the SSRI. During the treatment trials, depression and apathy were monitored in all patients. Each case was assessed using the Apathy Evaluation Scale, Clinician version (AES-C), and by evaluating how the patient responded to discontinuation of the SSRI. Discussion: Scores on the AES-C improved significantly in all 6 cases after the SSRI was discontinued. Improvement was also seen in the motivation, novelty, and persistence subdomain scores of the AES-C. A pretreatment AES-C score was available only in the first case. Based on the Naranjo probability scale, there was a probable cause of apathy syndrome with SSRI therapy in the first case and a possible association in the rest of the cases. Conclusions: In some patients SSRIs may cause an apathy syndrome that can be reversed through discontinuation of the agent. When evaluating patients being treated with an SSRI, clinicians should have a high degree of suspicion and specifically inquire for this iatrogenic form of apathy syndrome.
From Developmentalist to Conservationist Criticism: The New Narrative of South Korea in North Korean Propaganda
Authors: Gabroussenko Tatiana 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
During the sixty years of the separate existence of two Koreas, North Korean propagandists have managed to continually readjust the image of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the challenges of reality by employing different methods and techniques. This article outlines the changing perspectives on South Korea in North Korean propaganda in 1945–2010 and correlates them with Korean cultural traditions, as well as old and new foreign influences and tendencies in the world’s intellectual trends. In so doing, I propose a new model, timing, and interpretation of the major changes in the South Korean paradigm of North Korean propaganda in 1945–2010 and base my conclusions on the investigation of various textual and visual materials published in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), related Internet resources, as well as North Korean films.
Behind the Scenes: Penn & Teller, Taymor and the Tempest Divide Shakespeare's Globe, London
Authors: Quarmby Kevin A. 
Published: February 2012

In 2010, Julie Taymor's film The Tempest was given limited art-house release. Starring Helen Mirren as the re-gendered Prospera, this version relied heavily on computer generated imagery to imagine Shakespeare's complex narrative. The resulting hyperrealism juxtaposed seamlessly with the expressionistic reality of the film's Hawaiian island locations. For its audience, Taymor's Tempest was decidedly twenty-first century in technical and visual appeal. In the film's accompanying glossy book, Taymor references her earliest foray into Tempest direction, her New York City production of 1986. No visual record of this production remains. In 1992, however, a children's television program, fronted by the comedy magicians Penn and Teller, records a one-off reworking of this New York production. Evident in a selection of key scenes, Taymor's artistic vision, with her regular use of masks, magic, and international puppetry techniques, is revealed. Significant for our appreciation of Taymor's development as a Tempest director is that this low-quality, low-budget video demonstrates how many 2010 filmic innovations already manifested in her original theatrical staging. The storm-tossed shipwreck, now computer generated, mirrored its New York counterpart. Most noticeable, however, is Taymor's 1980s decision to represent Caliban as an oppressed African slave, emerging from the physical structure of the island. Taymor's overtly postcolonial reading of Caliban, strikingly imagined in her 2010 film, reproduces in surprising detail her earliest creative choices. Prospero becomes Prospera, who transitions into a pseudo-bondage dominatrix, but the film still reproduces Taymor's earlier envisioning of the play's racial tensions, as evidenced by an obscure 1980s televisual experience.
Jarman's Renaissance Cinema
Authors: Maccabe Colin 
Published: February 2012

This article traces the development of Derek Jarman's interest in the Renaissance and its articulation in five of his films: Jubilee (1977), The Tempest (1980), The Angelic Conversation (1985), Caravaggio (1986), and Edward II (1991). It considers the impact of his formative education at King's College, London, on his later cinematic work, emphasising his long-held contemporary, rather than antiquarian, fascination with the Renaissance and its relation to art and sexuality in the modern world. The article's analysis of the continuous and complex links between past and present in Jarman's oeuvre focuses largely on his overriding concerns with the treatment of homosexuality, and the extent to which these are centralised in Edward II in particular, where Marlowe's text is significantly distorted to further the director's political agenda. In his continued interest in the transition from the medieval to the modern, Jarman, the article argues, remains central to the project of screening Elizabethan drama, even twenty years after his death.
Monstrous Births and Creole Patriotism in Late Colonial Mexico
Authors: Jaffary Nora E. 
Published: February 2012

On February 8, 1785, the Gazeta de Mxico, one of New Spain's first news periodicals, published an announcement from the city of Guanajuato celebrating the recent birth of a pair of conjoined twins:Doa Rafaela Corts has delivered two children from one birth, joined together at the back of their heads by the skull. They received the holy waters of baptism and were christened Joseph Nepomuceno Guadalupe and Joseph Ignacio Guadalupe Many people, admiring these rare effects of nature, have visited them, and there has been no record in these twins of any deformity or defect in their separate and agile bodies The few doctors and surgeons residing in the city have considered separating them, but have not found it advisable because of the manner in which they are united, and every day more news circulates about their existence and longevity, causing ever more admiration for them given that the first one was born foot-first, and in delivering him, the midwife discovered the knot that joined the two heads.
Structural features in fluorite compounds relevant for nuclear applications
Authors: Baldinozzi Gianguido , Desgranges Lionel , Simeone David , Gosset Dominique , Luneville Laurence 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTOxides with fluorite (or fluorite related) structures form a large class of compounds with a high radiation tolerance, somewhat related to their peculiar ability to accommodate a variety of defects and to form nonstoichiometric compounds with a large homogeneity range. Structural modifications are generally observed when the departure from the ideal composition is large. We discuss these structural features using an approach based on the crystal symmetry analysis based on the phase transition mechanisms in compounds relevant for nuclear applications.
The effect of rapid solidification and grain size on the transformation temperatures of Ni-44,8wt%Ti melt spun alloy
Authors: Anselmo G. C. S. , de Castro W. B. , de Araújo C. J. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTRibbons of the Ni-44.8wt%Ti shape memory alloy are prepared through the melt spinning technique. The study is focused on investigating the effect of the rapid solidification and grain size at characteristic start martensitic (Ms), final martensitic (Mf), start austenite (As) and final austenite (Af) transformation temperatures. Changes on martensitic transformation temperatures in Ti45Ni55 melt spun ribbons are observed as grain size is reduced. Results of optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) are used to associate grain size with transformation temperatures.
A New Era for the Systemic Therapy of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Eads Jennifer R. , Meropol Neal J. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Learning Objectives
After completing this course, the reader will be able to: Describe the underlying biology of neuroendocrine tumors including pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) and carcinoids and the importance of these biologic features in the evolution of new drugs for these diseases.Cite the historical data regarding the use of cytotoxic agents in the treatment of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoids.Explain the significance of recent clinical trials utilizing biologic agents, in particular octreotide, the small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, everolimus, and how these medications have altered the natural history of both pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and carcinoids.
CME This article is available for continuing medical education credit at CME.TheOncologist.com
Carcinoids and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are becoming increasingly common, with the majority of patients presenting with either lymph node involvement or metastatic disease. An improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in these tumors has implicated several pathways that have led to new therapeutic approaches. In this manuscript, we describe the biology of neuroendocrine tumors and approaches to systemic therapy. We review early data regarding the use of cytotoxics and several recent studies employing more targeted approaches that promise to change the standard of care. Specifically, phase III studies indicate that pharmacologic inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor pathway with sunitinib, and of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway with everolimus, appears to have altered the natural history of these diseases. These successes set the stage for further advances in the management of patients with neuroendocrine tumors.
Wax Deposition in Crude Oil Pipelines
Authors: Bern Peter A. , Withers Vincent R. , Cairns Roger J. R. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT
The presence of wax in crude oil can lead to the formation of wax deposits on the walls of pipelines and as a consequence significant increases in pumping pressure caused mainly by an increase in the pipewall roughness. This can be particularly pronounced with the high cooling rates typical of submarine pipelines and is not restricted just to very waxy crudes.
Using an extension of standard molecular diffusion theory the parameters influencing wax deposition rates are identified, and from simple laboratory tests on stabilized crude the rate of deposition in full scale pipelines can be predicted. Further, these principles and test methods can be applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the many available deposit-inhibiting additives under conditions appropriate to pipeline operations.