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PubMed1993

Location and axonal projection of early-onset decrementing expiratory neurons in the cat.

The location and axonal projection of early-onset decrementing expiratory (eE-DEC) neurons were studied in Nembutal-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated cats. The eE-DEC neurons started firing around the peak of phrenic activity and attained maximum firing at the transition from inspiration to expiration. The eE-DEC neurons were distributed in the dorsomedial border of the dense assembly of respiratory neurons of the ventral respiratory group and the Bötzinger complex. Antidromic microstimulation showed that the eE-DEC neurons projected mainly to the ipsilateral reticular formation medial and dorsal to the nucleus ambiguus at the level of the obex but rarely to the medullary respiration-related areas. Participation of these eE-DEC neurons in the inspiratory off-switch may not be possible.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The Ai project: historical and ecological contexts.

This paper aims to review a long-term research project exploring the chimpanzee mind within historical and ecological contexts. The Ai project began in 1978 and was directly inspired by preceding ape-language studies conducted in Western countries. However, in contrast with the latter, it has focused on the perceptual and cognitive capabilities of chimpanzees rather than communicative skills between humans and chimpanzees. In the original setting, a single chimpanzee faced a computer-controlled apparatus and performed various kinds of matching-to-sample discrimination tasks. Questions regarding the chimpanzee mind can be traced back to Wolfgang Koehler's work in the early part of the 20th century. Yet, Japan has its unique natural and cultural background: it is home to an indigenous primate species, the Japanese snow monkey. This fact has contributed to the emergence of two previous projects in the wild led by the late Kinji Imanishi and his students. First, the Koshima monkey project began in 1948 and became famous for its discovery of the cultural propagation of sweet-potato washing behavior. Second, pioneering work in Africa, starting in 1958, aimed to study great apes in their natural habitat. Thanks to the influence of these intellectual ancestors, the present author also undertook the field study of chimpanzees in the wild, focusing on tool manufacture and use. This work has demonstrated the importance of social and ecological perspectives even for the study of the mind. Combining experimental approaches with a field setting, the Ai project continues to explore cognition and behavior in chimpanzees, while its focus has shifted from the study of a single subject toward that of the community as a whole.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1998

Establishing the feasibility of cross-mapping independent child health data sets as a means of comparing health status and service quality.

Benefits of comparative data analysis for quality assurance and policy development are clear, but are difficult to establish through traditional means of prospective projects. This paper describes a pilot project to test an alternative method, namely seeking to identify areas of commonality amongst very different pre-existing data sets to provide a starting point. Advantages and disadvantages of this method, together with the critical factors identified in the pilot study, are described. Whilst developed in child health, the lessons learned are relevant for any other client groups.

Austria↗
PubMed1989

Research in physical medicine and rehabilitation. III. The chart review or how to use clinical data for exploratory retrospective studies.

This article guides the design and execution of a small research project using existing clinical data. The most important point in experimental design is to identify potential difficulties and limitations before you start by 1) review of published studies, 2) use of your clinical experience and 3) review of individual case records. Some of these can be addressed by changes in the study design, but some are inherent in the data and methods we are forced to use. The choice of study design may be based primarily on the quality of the clinical data and available resources for additional data collection. The level of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio) of your data must first be determined as it limits the descriptive and statistical techniques you can use. After you decide how many variables to include, a rough guess of sample size will help you select your charts for review. Actual review of three charts will further pinpoint any difficulties and will allow you to revise your study and make an accurate estimate of time to completion. Given the long time span of most projects, accurate record keeping is essential.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2005

DPP signaling controls development of the lamina glia required for retinal axon targeting in the visual system of Drosophila.

The Drosophila visual system consists of the compound eyes and the optic ganglia in the brain. Among the eight photoreceptor (R) neurons, axons from the R1-R6 neurons stop between two layers of glial cells in the lamina, the most superficial ganglion in the optic lobe. Although it has been suggested that the lamina glia serve as intermediate targets of R axons, little is known about the mechanisms by which these cells develop. We show that DPP signaling plays a key role in this process. dpp is expressed at the margin of the lamina target region, where glial precursors reside. The generation of clones mutant for Medea, the DPP signal transducer, or inhibition of DPP signaling in this region resulted in defects in R neuron projection patterns and in the lamina morphology, which was caused by defects in the differentiation of the lamina glial cells. glial cells missing/glial cells deficient (gcm; also known as glide) is expressed shortly after glia precursors start to differentiate and migrate. Its expression depends on DPP; gcm is reduced or absent in dpp mutants or Medea clones, and ectopic activation of DPP signaling induces ectopic expression of gcm and REPO. In addition, R axon projections and lamina glia development were impaired by the expression of a dominant-negative form of gcm, suggesting that gcm indeed controls the differentiation of lamina glial cells. These results suggest that DPP signaling mediates the maturation of the lamina glia required for the correct R axon projection pattern by controlling the expression of gcm.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Population-based monitoring of an urban HIV/AIDS epidemic. Magnitude and trends in the District of Columbia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the District of Columbia and demonstrate an approach to monitoring HIV infection and projecting AIDS incidence at a community level. DESIGN: Backcalculation methods to reconstruct HIV incidence from AIDS incidence in subgroups. Results were compared with directly measured HIV seroprevalence in selected sentinel populations: childbearing women, civilian applicants for military service, and hospital patients admitted for conditions unrelated to HIV infection. RESULTS: Between the start of the epidemic in 1980 and January 1, 1991, one in 57 District of Columbia men aged 20 to 64 years was diagnosed with AIDS. Unlike the plateau projected for the nation, AIDS incidence for the District of Columbia was projected to increase by 34% between 1990 and 1994. Models of HIV infection incidence suggested two broad epidemic waves of approximately equal size. The first occurred in men who have sex with men and peaked during the period from 1982 through 1983. The second began in the mid-1980s in injecting drug users and heterosexuals. We estimated that among District of Columbia residents aged 20 to 64 years, 0.3% of white women, 2.9% of white men, 1.6% of black women, and 4.9% of black men were living with HIV infection as of January 1, 1991. These estimates are broadly consistent with survey data: among black childbearing women in their 20s, HIV prevalence doubled to 2% between the fall of 1989 and the spring of 1991; from military applicant data, we estimated that over 5% of black men born from 1951 through 1967 were HIV-positive; in the sentinel hospital, HIV prevalence rates among male patients aged 25 to 34 years were 11.3% in white men and 16.9% in black men. CONCLUSION: Backcalculation and surveys yielded quantitatively consistent estimates of HIV prevalence. Many injecting drug users and heterosexuals in the District of Columbia were infected after January 1, 1986. Similar monitoring of the epidemic in other localities is needed to focus efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV transmission.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Team Nutrition pilot study: lessons learned from implementing a comprehensive school-based intervention.

Team Nutrition (TN) is an educational and promotional initiative developed by the US Department of Agriculture to change children's eating behaviors through social marketing techniques. This article reports on the process evaluation of a TN pilot project targeting students in kindergarten to grade 4 and systematically documents the implementation experience. Even with a very short start-up period, schools implemented most components of this multichannel nutrition intervention and formed new, supportive relationships with local media and community partners. School teachers and administrators, along with foodservice professionals, generally expressed support for and satisfaction with TN, citing the positive experience and gains for students. The lessons learned from this study highlight the management and organizational issues involved in a comprehensive intervention. These include the importance of local coordinators to support and create a bridge between teachers and cafeteria staff and to forge links with key external partners. To function effectively, coordinators themselves may need training in coalition building and working with media. Relationships formed with parents, local businesses, other educational institutions, health organizations, and the media offer promise for helping to sustain nutrition education efforts. The TN process evaluation identified multiple ideas for pursuing these partnerships more successfully.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The tooty fruity vegie project: changing knowledge and attitudes about fruits and vegetables.

OBJECTIVES: The Tooty Fruity Vegie (TFV) project was a multi-strategic, school-based intervention aimed at preventing the large decline in fruit and vegetable intake that typically starts during primary school. METHODS: During 1999 and 2000, TFV was implemented in 10 volunteer primary schools across the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales. Surveys were conducted, in late 2000, with children, parents, teachers and principals across nine intervention and three matched control schools. Intervention schools' management teams also completed strategy implementation indexes indicating how often, how well and with how many people each major strategy was implemented. RESULTS: Completed surveys from 613 parents (59%), 392 older children (65%), 50 teachers (81%) and all 10 intervention principals and school management teams showed the project was well implemented, achieved high reach and was very positively received. The project enhanced the quality, diversity and frequency of classroom fruit and vegetable-promoting activities, substantially increasing children's involvement and enjoyment levels. It significantly improved children's fruit and vegetable knowledge, attitudes, access and preparation skills; parents' knowledge and involvement in fruit and vegetable-promoting activities in schools and beyond; and teachers' perceived support for doing fruit and vegetable promotions. CONCLUSION: Despite some methodological limitations, which may limit confidence in our findings, survey results across all target groups consistently indicated that primary schools can be supported to establish, implement and sustain highly acceptable and effective fruit and vegetable-promoting programs.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Neurogenesis and development of callosal and intracortical connections in the hamster.

The developmental time-course of callosal and ipsilateral corticocortical projections was studied in embryonic and postnatal hamsters, from the time of neurogenesis until the appearance of adult patterns. Callosal neurogenesis was determined by combining the incorporation of [3H]thymidine injected on specific embryonic days with retrograde labelling of callosal neurons in the adult animal. The development of both callosal and corticocortical projections was studied by the transport of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Despite a significant radial disperson of postmigratory neurons born on the same day, it was found that the birthdates of callosally-projecting neurons in the frontal cortex were not restricted to a short period of time, but extended between embryonic days 13 and 15. This period covers the neurogenesis of cells in cortical layers III-V. Elongation of callosal axons (and possibly also of corticocortical fibres) started a couple of days before birth in the frontal cortex, and continued through the first postnatal days. After a "waiting period" of a few days, axons from both sets of projections were seen innervating restricted target sectors of the cortex. The zones of origin of these projections were initially exuberant, but were subsequently trimmed to overlap completely with the corresponding terminal fields. It is concluded that callosal and ipsilateral corticocortical projections undergo similar sequences of ontogenetic stages, suggesting that the development of neocortical connectivity as a whole may be governed by one and the same set of rules.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ethical, legal, and social issues of the Human Genome Project: what to do with what we know.

Since fiscal year 1991, the U.S. Human Genome Project has spent $170.6 million in federal funds to help isolate genes associated with Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, neurofibromatosis types 1 and 2, myotonic dystrophy, and fragile X syndrome and to localize genes that predispose people to breast cancer, colon cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Now comes the hard part. Biology's 21st century megaproject starts to look relatively manageable compared to another challenge facing the enterprise: sorting out ethical, legal, and social issues associated with using this information. "The Human Genome Project," wrote Senior Editor Barbara Jasny in the October 1 Science editorial, stretches "the limits of the technology and the limits of our ability to ethically and rationally apply genetic information to our lives."

Genetic Predisposition to Disease↗
PubMed1998

Role of gravity in the development of posture and locomotion in the neonatal rat.

This report describes the early motor behaviour in the neonatal rat in relation with the maturation of sensory and motor elements of the central nervous system (CNS). The role of vestibular information during the week before (E14-21) and the 2 weeks after (P0-15) birth will be considered. There is a rostro-caudal gradient in the maturation of posture and locomotion with a control of the head and forelimbs during the first postnatal week and then a sudden acceleration in the functional maturation of the hindlimb. At birth, the neonatal rat is blinded and deaf; despite the immaturity of the other sensory systems, the animal uses its olfactory system to find the mother nipple. Vestibular development takes place between E8 and P15. Most descending pathways from the brainstem start to reach the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord a few days before birth (reticulo-, vestibulospinal pathways as well as the serotonergic and noradrenergic projections); their development is not completed until the end of the second postnatal week. At birth, in an in vitro preparation, a locomotor activity can be evoked by perfusing excitatory amino acids and serotonin over the lumbar region. The descending pathways which trigger the activity of the CPG are also partly functional. At the same age both air stepping and swimming can be induced. Complex locomotion such as walking, trotting and galloping start later because it requires the maturation of the vestibular system, descending pathways and postural reflex regulation. The period around birth is critical to properly define how the vestibular information is essential for the structuring of the motor behaviour. Different types of experiments (hypergravity, microgravity) are planned to test this hypothesis.

Aging↗
PubMed2003

Opisthorchiasis control in Thailand.

History of opisthorchiasis control started in 1950 as a small scale helminthiasis control program in some high risk areas. Following a number of studies and trial projects of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, the national liver fluke control program has been developed and operated under several National Public Health Development Plans. Presently, the program is being operated in some provinces of the Central, and all provinces of the Northeast and North of Thailand. The main strategies for liver fluke control comprise of three interrelated approaches, namely stool examinations and treatment of positive cases with praziquantel for eliminating human host reservoir; health education for a promotion of cooked fish consumption to prevent infection, and the improvement of hygienic defecation for the interruption of disease transmission. Between 1984 and 1987, the positive rate of liver fluke infection was 63.6%. In 1988, the positive rate went down to 35.6%. Following the region wide control program started in 1989, the annual positive rates had subsequently decreased to 9.4% in the year 2001. The prevalence rate was remarkably high in the North and moderately high in the Northeast, while the prevalence in the Central region was considerably low and there was no evidence of disease transmission in the South.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Development of chemosensitivity in serotonin-deficient spinal cords of rat embryos.

The characteristics of serotonin-induced potentials change during normal development of spinal cords of rat embryos. These changes are temporally correlated with the growth of serotonin projections into the spinal cord. To determine whether serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) in the growing projections is responsible for modulating the changes in neuronal responses to 5-HT, 5-HT synthesis was blocked, and motoneuron responses to exogenous 5-HT were studied 1-2 weeks later. Starting at Day 9 of gestation, prior to the generation of 5-HT neurons in the medulla, pregnant rats were injected daily with p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) which suppressed 5-HT synthesis. p-CPA was effective in reducing 5-HT concentrations because immunoreactive 5-HT projections were absent in embryonic spinal cords of p-CPA-treated rats. However, suppression of 5-HT synthesis did not affect the onset and time course of development of 5-HT-induced potentials. Furthermore, in the absence of 5-HT, the potentials generated by 5-HT were significantly larger than those produced in motoneurons of control rats. These findings indicated that the number of receptors or their binding affinity increased in the absence of 5-HT. The increased responses in p-CPA-treated rats were mediated via 5-HT2/5-HT1C receptors, while activation of other 5-HT1 receptor subtypes and 5-HT3 receptors induced similar depolarizations in p-CPA-treated and untreated rats. Our study suggested that 5-HT was not required for the onset of receptor expression in developing spinal neurons, but it may be responsible for receptor down-regulation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Service learning: head start and a baccalaureate nursing curriculum working together.

Service learning experiences for pediatric nursing students in Head Start programs allow students to achieve the objectives of the pediatric nursing curriculum, model the values of the profession, meet the goals of a community agency, and contribute to the good of society. Students conduct screening tests, present health promotion or safety education projects, develop pediatric-related handouts for the parents and staff, perform assessments of growth and development, identify and research pediatric health issues, and learn the fine art of communicating with preschool children. Head Start schools as clinical sites provide students with ample opportunities to blend nursing theory with application while introducing them to another area of the population. Students, faculty, and Head Start staff agree that this collaboration accomplishes the goals of both organizations.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1993

[A three-year aid program for plastic surgery in Peshawar (Pakistan). Ongoing management of severely injured patients of the Afghanistan war: 1,528 large operations, 5,171 smaller interventions, 15,932 patients examined].

Since 1980 Interplast Germany has sent many plastic surgeons to developing countries. In 1989 a new Interplast Germany program for helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan's Peshawar was started. The Federal Republic of Germany financed the first two years; thereafter, the European Community and Help supported the project. Twenty-four teams with 123 nurses, surgeons and anesthesiologists operated on 1,528 patients in two hospitals. In the same period 5,171 smaller operations have been performed and 15,932 patients have been examined. Low expense for the teams, good support by officials, and professional administration have made this project highly effective for 3 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Ultrastructure of differentiating preameloblasts from tooth germs of the permanent dentition of Macaca mulatta and Macaca arctoides.

Cytodifferentiation of inner enamel epithelium and the adjacent connective tissue from the tip of the cervical loop to the initiation of enamel elaboration in two Macaca species was examined. Ten- to twelve-month-old specimens were fixed by perfusion and the permanent tooth buds were prepared for transmission electron microscopy. At the cervical loop proper, inner enamel epithelium cells have lobed nuclei, a paucity of cytoplasm, and wide extracellular spaces; the basal lamina facing the dental papilla is straight. With increasing distance from the tip of the cervical loop, the following changes occur gradually: (a) preameloblasts elongate from 15 to 45 micrometers, and their organelles, particularly mitochondria and profiles of rough endoplasmic reticulum, become more numerous; (b) extracellular spaces decrease between preameloblasts starting at the basal (infranuclear) end; (c) the basement membrane becomes convoluted and associated with aperiodic fibers; (d) preodontoblast projections penetrate the aperiodic fibers; (e) collagen fibers subjacent to the basement membrane increase in density, with particularly thick fibers paralleling the aperiodic fibers. These modifications occur within three-fourths of the distance from the tip of the cervical loop to the mineralization front. The condensation of preodontoblasts is followed immediately by predentin synthesis. Concomitantly, the basement membrane breaks down and the aperiodic fibers are engulfed by preameloblasts. Preameloblast projections penetrate junctional predentin, contact mineralized dentin, and enamel synthesis ensues. At this stage the ameloblast is 45 micrometers long, the nucleus is central or basal, the Golgi apparatus has migrated apically, but the Tomes' process has not yet formed. The results indicate that odontogenesis in Macaca monkeys more closely resembles human odontogenesis than does that in the murine rodents.

Ameloblasts↗
PubMed1998

Cardiofocal collimators for gated single-photon emission tomographic myocardial perfusion imaging.

Cardiofocal collimators (CFCs) are more sensitive than parallel-hole collimators (PHCs) of the same resolution because the rays converge in the centre of the field of view. After reconstruction a useful field of view with a 10 cm radius in which both sensitivity and resolution are homogeneous is obtained. In this article the feasibility and accuracy of gated single-photon emission tomographic (gated SPET) myocardial perfusion imaging using a triple-head camera equipped with CFC, is evaluated. Twenty patients with a history of myocardial infarction were studied. SPET myocardial perfusion images, gated in eight time bins, were acquired in a random sequence with a PHC and a CFC for each patient. Imaging was started 60 min after the injection of 925 MBq of technetium-99m tetrofosmin at rest. Ninety-six projections over 360 degrees were acquired, with 32 stops of 40 s for the PHC and 20 s for the CFC in order to obtain similar count densities. The extent (EXT) and severity (SEV) of perfusion defects were quantified on polar maps using the non-gated data. Left ventricular volumes [end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV)] and ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated from gated data using the Cedars-Sinai program. In 17 of 20 patients the complete left ventricle was positioned within the useful field of view of the CFC. The results in respect of perfusion, volumes and ejection fraction were almost identical to those obtained with the PHC. The mean difference+/-SD between the CFC and the PHC was -2.30+/-7.16 (% of LV area) for EXT, -0.48+/-2.90 for SEV (arbitrary units), -1,50+/-5.25 (ml) for EDV and 0.53+/-4.10 (%) for LVEF. The largest differences in EXT and LV volumes were observed in patients in whom a part of the LV was not positioned within the useful field of view. We conclude that, for the majority of patients, identical information with regard to both perfusion and function can be derived from gated SPET myocardial perfusion studies obtained with PHCs or with CFCs. Because of the greater sensitivity, however, a much shorter acquisition time is required with CFCs.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

RTOG #89-06: a phase I study to evaluate intraoperative radiation therapy and the hypoxic cell sensitizer etanidazole in locally advanced malignancies.

PURPOSE: To identify the maximum tolerated dose of the oxygen mimetic radiation sensitizer Etanidazole in the setting of surgery and intraoperative radiation therapy. 12 grams/meter2 was the maximum chosen target dose based on tolerance from other trials. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 42 patients were entered in an escalating dose scheme, 5.5, 7.5, 9, 10.5, and 12.0 grams/meter2. Etanidazole was given via intravenous infusion over 15 minutes, followed within 20 to 30 minutes by intraoperative radiation therapy. Multiple tissue samples from tumor, tumor bed, and/or normal tissue were obtained with simultaneous plasma samples. Etanidazole concentrations in tissue and serum were determined in 33 of the 42 patients. RESULTS: The median time to maximum serum concentration was 25 minutes. Median time to maximum tissue concentration was 40 minutes. Tissue concentrations began falling approximately one hour after infusion. Acute drug toxicities were minimal. Toxicities reported during follow-up related to surgery and/or radiation, not to drug. The concentration of sensitizer in tumor/tumor bed tissues was ten-fold greater than in previous trials. A sensitizer enhancement ratio for the hypoxic cells of 2 to 2.5 is projected. CONCLUSION: On the basis of tissue biopsy information, intraoperative radiation therapy will be given 40 minutes after the start of the 15 minute infusion allowing time for maximum intracellular uptake into tumor cells. In view of these findings, a Phase III trial testing etanidazole with intraoperative radiation therapy will be conducted. The tolerable single dose level of 12 grams/meter2 has potential with other high-dose radiation settings such as brachytherapy or stereotactic radiosurgery.

Adolescent↗