A pilot study of brain activation in children with trichotillomania during a visual-tactile symptom provocation task: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVES

In order to reveal the etiology and pathophysiology of trichotillomania (TTM), it is necessary to investigate which brain regions are involved in TTM, but limited knowledge exists regarding the neurobiology of TTM and the available functional neuroimaging studies of TTM are little. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the specific brain regions involved in the pathophysiology of TTM with symptom provocation task using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for children and adolescents with TTM.

METHODS

Pediatric subjects who met the DSM-IV TR criteria for TTM (n=9) and age-, sex-, handedness-, IQ matched healthy controls (HC) (n=10), ages 9 to 17 years, were recruited for two fMRI experiments; symptom provocation of Visual Only (VO) and Visual and Tactile (VT). They were scanned while viewing two alternating blocks of symptom provocation (S) and neutral (N) movies.

RESULTS

Random effects between-group analysis revealed significant activation in left temporal cortex(including middle and superior temporal gyrus), dorsal posterior cingulate gyrus, and putamen for the contrast S>N in TTM subjects versus HC subjects during the VO session. And TTM subjects demonstrated higher activity in the precuneus and dorsal posterior cingulate gyrus to the contrast S>N during the VT session.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided an objective whole-brain-based analysis that directed researchers to areas that were abnormal in TTM. Using the symptom provocation tasks, we found significant differences in regional brain function between pediatric TTM and HC subjects. However, in the face of modest statistical power, our preliminary findings in TTM need to be replicated in a larger sample. As the functional neuroanatomic circuits involved in TTM remain largely unexplored, future functional neuroimaging studies using other various paradigms may help investigate the neuroanatomic abnormalities of TTM.

3-D diffusion tensor MRI anisotropy content-adaptive finite element head model generation for bioelectromagnetic imaging

Realistic finite element (FE) head models have been successfully applied to bioelectromagnetic problems due to a realistic representation of arbitrary head geometry with inclusion of anisotropic material properties. In this paper, we propose a new automatic FE mesh generation scheme to generate a diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) white matter anisotropy content-adaptive FE head model. We term this kind of mesh as wMesh. With this meshing technique, the anisotropic electrical conductivities derived from DT-MRIs can be best incorporated into the model. The influence of the white matter anisotropy on the EEG forward solutions has been studied via our wMesh head models. The scalp potentials computed from the anisotropic wMesh models against those of the isotropic models have been compared. The results describe that there are substantial changes in the scalp electrical potentials between the isotropic and anisotropic models, indicating that the inclusion of the white matter anisotropy is critical for accurate computation of E/MEG forward and inverse solutions. This fully automatic anisotropy-adaptive wMesh meshing scheme could be useful for modeling of individual-specific FE head models with better incorporation of the white matter anisotropic property towards bioelectromagnetic imaging.

A new Kondo antiferromagnet Ce(Ni(0.25)In(1.75))

We find that Ce(Ni(0.25)In(1.75)) crystallizes in the hexagonal AlB(2)-type structure with lattice parameters a = 0.4850(5) nm and c = 0.3908(5) nm. Magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and low-temperature specific heat data reveal that the bulk phase transition at 3.7 ± 0.2 K in Ce(Ni(0.25)In(1.75)) is to an antiferromagnetic state. The magnetic contribution to the resistivity ρ(mag) of Ce(Ni(0.25)In(1.75)) increases as ln(T) when temperature is lowered from room temperature and reaches a plateau at 9 K, followed by a rapid decrease around 4 K. These results associated with a reduction of the Ce magnetic moment and of the magnetic entropy at T(N) suggest that Ce(Ni(0.25)In(1.75)) could be a Kondo antiferromagnet. The Kondo temperature is estimated to be of order 6 K.

Extraordinary transmittance in three dimensional crater, pyramid, and hole-array structures prepared through reversal imprinting of metal films

We used a reversal imprinting-in-metal (RIM) process to fabricate various three-dimensional (3D) metal structures under low pressure. Molds featuring different shapes were used to pattern various subwavelength metal structures, including pyramidal, hole-array, and crater-like structures. Refractive index matching and cavity effects both enhanced the degree of transmission of these structured metal films. The crater-like structure appears to be a promising material because of the unique properties imparted by the elongated and gradually tapering spacing of its cavities. From both near-field simulations and experimentally obtained optical spectra, we found that the cavity effect in the crater-like structure led to significantly enhanced transmission of the optical intensity. Thus, this RIM process allows the ready fabrication of various two- and three-dimensional metallic structures for use in surface plasmon-based devices.

The Severe Cognitive Impairment Rating Scale--an instrument for the assessment of cognition in moderate to severe dementia patients

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aimed to develop a brief, reliable and valid test for cognitive function of severely demented patients.

METHODS

We constructed the Severe Cognitive Impairment Rating Scale, which consisted of 11 items covering memory, language, visuospatial function, frontal function and orientation, and investigated its reliability and validity on 267 subjects [normal: 65, very mild Alzheimer's disease (AD): 42, mild AD: 58, moderate AD: 36, severe AD: 44, profound AD: 22].

RESULTS

The internal consistency obtained by Cronbach's coefficient alpha was 0.93. The interrater reliability and test-retest reliability in the moderately to severely impaired subjects with an MMSE score of <or=14 was 0.99 (p < 0.001) and 0.90 (p < 0.001), respectively. It showed significant correlation with Severe MMSE (r = 0.96, p < 0.01), MMSE (r = 0.86, p < 0.01) and Clinical Dementia Rating (r = -0.83, p < 0.01). It was robust to both the floor effect in the severe/profound stage of AD and the ceiling effect in the mild/moderate stage of AD. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 2 factors (automatic informational processing and controlled informational processing) accounting for 73.5% of the total variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The Severe Cognitive Impairment Rating Scale is a valid and reliable test for evaluating the cognitive function of advanced AD patients.

Continuous and discrete stable processes

The one-sided Lévy-stable probability densities and the discrete-stable distributions form a doubly stochastic Poisson transform pair. This relationship facilitates the formulation of a class of continuous-stable stochastic processes.

Extraction and localization of alpha activity of the brain in EEG and fMRI using constrained ICA

In order to extract only the alpha activity related EEG signals of the brain, we have applied constrained Independent Component Analysis (cICA), a new extension of ICA in which some a priori knowledge of alpha activity is utilized to extract desired components. Its performance has been compared to that of conventional band-pass filtering via the scalp power maps of alpha activity. The preliminary results show that cICA-extracted alpha signals produce the alpha power maps which spatially match the activated regions of the brain mapped using fMRI more closely than those from the band-pass filtered alpha EEG signals. The use of cICA might provide a more effective means of extracting EEG alpha activity of the brain.

Methods and evaluations of MRI content-adaptive finite element mesh generation for bioelectromagnetic problems

In studying bioelectromagnetic problems, finite element analysis (FEA) offers several advantages over conventional methods such as the boundary element method. It allows truly volumetric analysis and incorporation of material properties such as anisotropic conductivity. For FEA, mesh generation is the first critical requirement and there exist many different approaches. However, conventional approaches offered by commercial packages and various algorithms do not generate content-adaptive meshes (cMeshes), resulting in numerous nodes and elements in modelling the conducting domain, and thereby increasing computational load and demand. In this work, we present efficient content-adaptive mesh generation schemes for complex biological volumes of MR images. The presented methodology is fully automatic and generates FE meshes that are adaptive to the geometrical contents of MR images, allowing optimal representation of conducting domain for FEA. We have also evaluated the effect of cMeshes on FEA in three dimensions by comparing the forward solutions from various cMesh head models to the solutions from the reference FE head model in which fine and equidistant FEs constitute the model. The results show that there is a significant gain in computation time with minor loss in numerical accuracy. We believe that cMeshes should be useful in the FEA of bioelectromagnetic problems.

The shape control of ZnO based nanostructures

Tetrapod-shape ZnO nanostructures are formed on Si substrates by vapor phase transportation method. The effects of two important growth parameters, growth temperature and VI/II ratio, are investigated. The growth temperature is varied in the range from 600 degrees C to 900 degrees C to control the vapor pressure of group II-element and the formation process of nanostructures. VI/II ratio was changed by adjusting the flux of carrier gas which affects indirectly the supplying rate of group VI-element. From the scanning electron microscopy (SEM), systematic variation of shape including cluster, rod, wire and tetrapod was observed. ZnO tetrapods, formed at 800 degrees C under the carrier gas flux of 0.5 cc/mm2 min, show considerably uniform shape with 100 nm thick and 1-1.5 microm long legs. Also stoichiometric composition (O/Zn - 1) was observed without any second phase structures. While, the decrease of growth temperature and the increase of carrier gas flux, results in the irregular shaped nanostructures with non-stoichiometric composition. The excellent luminescence properties, strong excitonic UV emission at 3.25 eV without deep level emission, indicate that the high crystalline quality tetrapod structures can be formed at the optimized growth conditions.

REVERSIBLE ACTIVATION FOR GERMINATION AND SUBSEQUENT CHANGES IN BACTERIAL SPORES

Lee, W. H. (University of Illinois, Urbana) and Z. John Ordal. Reversible activation for germination and subsequent changes in bacterial spores. J. Bacteriol. 85:207-217. 1963.-It was possible to isolate refractile spores of Bacillus megaterium, from a calcium dipicolinate germination solution, that were activated and would germinate spontaneously in distilled water. Some of the characteristics of the initial phases of bacterial spore germination were determined by studying these unstable activated spores. Activated spores of B. megaterium were resistant to stains and possessed a heat resistance intermediate between that of dormant and of germinated spores. The spontaneous germination of activated spores was inhibited by copper, iron, silver, or mercury salts, saturated o-phenanthroline, or solutions having a low pH value, but not by many common inhibitors. These inhibitions could be partially or completely reversed by the addition of sodium dipicolinate. The activated spores could be deactivated and made similar to dormant spores by treatment with acid. Analyses of the exudates from the variously treated spore suspensions revealed that whatever inhibited the germination of activated spores also inhibited the release of spore material. The composition of the germination exudates was different than that of extracts of dormant spores. Although heavy suspensions of activated spores gradually became swollen and dark when suspended in solutions of o-phenanthroline or at pH 4, the materials released resembled those found in extracts of dormant spores rather than those of normal germination exudates.

Limbs Anthropometry of Singleton Chinese Newborns of 28–42 Weeks’ Gestation

Abnormalities of limbs are important features of some syndromes recognizable at birth. The purpose of this study was to establish normal standards of limbs including arm length, arm circumference, upper arm length, lower arm length, leg length, thigh circumference, upper leg length, and lower leg length. 10,226 infants (5,422 males, 4,804 females) with gestation 28-42 weeks from 12 hospitals were included. The LMS method using maximum penalized likelihood was used to perform model fitting of the anthropometric centiles for these parameters. This study provided the first set of references for the limbs of the infants by gestation and gender. Racial differences were found when comparing with other populations. The parameters are useful for evaluation of morphologic disorders involving the limbs.

Analysis of calcium-inducible genes in keratinocytes using suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray

Terminal differentiation of skin keratinocytes is a vertically directed multistep process that is tightly controlled by the sequential expression of a variety of genes. To gain further insight into the molecular events involved in this process, we used suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) and cDNA microarray analysis. Messenger RNAs were isolated from primary skin keratinocytes cultured in vitro after treatment with calcium and then SSH was performed. A total of 840 cDNA clones were obtained from subtracted libraries, and these cDNA clones were used to make the microarray slides. Time-course cDNA microarray analysis (1, 3, 7, and 14 days after calcium treatment) revealed the global gene expression profile during keratinocyte differentiation. Of the 840 genes tested, 290 showed a greater than twofold change in expression level at least once over four time points. The genes were clustered into six groups according to their expression pattern using self-organizing map analysis and showed the global feature of function-related regulation. The genes related to keratinocyte differentiation were markedly up-regulated by calcium treatment. In addition, a unique pattern of increase was seen in the expression of genes related to ribosomal proteins. On the other hand, transcripts involved in metabolism, DNA repair, transcription, and translation were generally down-regulated. These results demonstrate the complexity of the gene expression profile that contributes to the spatiotemporal regulation of keratinocyte differentiation.

Molecular Cloning and Expression of Human Keratinocyte Proline-Rich Protein (hKPRP), an Epidermal Marker Isolated from Calcium-Induced Differentiating Keratinocytes

We isolated a human gene encoding keratinocyte proline-rich protein (hKPRP). hKPRP gene is located in the region of epidermal differentiation complex on chromosome 1q21, and its approximately 2.5 kb mRNA encodes 579 amino acid protein with high proline content (18%). The mRNA level of hKPRP was markedly increased at both 7 and 14 d after treatment with 1.2 mM calcium in cultured normal human epidermal keratinocytes. In situ hybridization demonstrated that hKPRP was expressed in upper granular layer of normal epidermis with characteristic intermittent pattern. In psoriatic lesion, hKPRP expression was increased as compared with normal skin and showed continuous pattern. Immunohistochemical analysis also confirmed the expression of hKPRP at the protein level. Western blot analysis showed that hKPRP protein of approximately 70 kDa size was significantly increased by calcium in a time-dependent manner. In mouse tissue blot assays, the expression of KPRP was detected in stomach and skin tissues, and began at 17.5 embryonic days. Additionally, hKPRP expression was detected in the periderm of human fetal skin from 16 wk estimated gestational age. Together, these results suggest that hKPRP is an epidermal marker expressed in stratified squamous epithelia and has a potential role in keratinocytes differentiation.

Trunk anthropometry of Hong Kong Chinese infants

BACKGROUND

Disturbed growth of the trunk may result in abnormal sternocostal relationship and a variety of pectus deformities.

AIMS

The purposes of this study were to establish norms of trunk anthropometry for dysmorphology identification in the newborns and to evaluate chest circumference as a predictor for low birth weight for outborn infants where weighing scales were unavailable.

STUDY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS

A total of 10,339 Chinese infants (5478 males, 4861 females) with gestation 24-42 weeks from 12 hospitals were included. The anthropometric measurements analyzed included chest circumference, inter-nipple distance, sternal length and abdominal circumference.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The LMS method using maximum penalized likelihood was used to perform model fitting of the anthropometric centiles for these physical parameters.

RESULTS

References tables of the four physical parameters for newborns were constructed. Chest circumference showed the highest correlation with birth weight (male: r = 0.866, female: r = 0.883). The cut-off points for chest circumference of 295 (male) and 299 mm (female) were the best predictor for low birth weight. There were also racial differences in these parameters. When compared with French infants, Chinese newborns had smaller chest circumference.

CONCLUSION

These physical parameters provide useful references and aid dysmorphology diagnosis in newborns of ethnic Chinese origin.

Molecular models of the procoagulant factor VIIIa-factor IXa complex

BACKGROUND

Formation of the intrinsic tenase complex is an essential event in the procoagulant reactions that lead to clot formation. The tenase complex is formed when the activated serine protease, Factor IXa (FIXa), and its cofactor Factor VIIIa (FVIIIa) assemble on a phospholipid surface to proteolytically convert the zymogen Factor X (FX) into its active form FXa. The physiological relevance of the tenase complex is evident in hemophilia A or B patients who present with bleeding disorders.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to establish three-dimensional (3D) models of the FVIIIa-FIXa complex.

METHODS

First, we built two new theoretical models of FVIIIa via homology modeling, inter-domain docking and loop simulation algorithms as well as a model for FIXa. This was followed by pseudo-Brownian protein-protein docking in internal coordinates with the ICM (Internal Coordinates Mechanics) program between the two FVIIIa and the FIXa structures.

RESULTS

Ten representative models of this complex are presented based on agreements with known experimental data and according to structural criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

These novel 3D models will help guide future site directed mutagenesis aimed at improving the functionality of FVIIIa and/or FIXa and will contribute to a better understanding of the role of this macromolecular complex in the blood coagulation cascade.

Induction of connective tissue growth factor expression by sphingosylphosphorylcholine in cultured human skin fibroblasts

Sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) is a bioactive sphingolipid metabolite that can enhance wound healing. In an effort to find downstream effectors of SPC, we performed microarray analysis and found that the expression of the gene for connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was significantly affected in human skin fibroblasts cultured in vitro. Northern blot analysis showed that SPC markedly induced CTGF mRNA expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Consistent with this result, Western blot analysis also showed that SPC significantly induced the CTGF production. Pretreatment with cycloheximide did not prevent the CTGF induction by SPC, indicating that SPC stimulates CTGF mRNA expression without the increased synthesis of a regulatory protein. Inhibition by pretreatment with Y27632, but not by PD98059 (a mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 inhibitor) and LY294002 (a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor), indicated that rho-kinase pathway was involved in SPC-induced CTGF expression. Together, these results reveal the potential importance of CTGF induction as a downstream event in SPC-induced cellular responses.

Normative Data of Penile Length for Term Chinese Newborns

Careful examination and assessment of penile length in the newborn is important because micropenis is associated with hypothalamic disorders. This prospective cross-sectional study was designed to establish the norm of penile length for term Hong Kong Chinese newborns. 4,628 full-term healthy male newborns were enrolled in the study. Penile length was measured from pubic ramus to the tip of the glans penis by placing the end of a straight edge ruler against the pubic ramus. A gestation-associated graph of 3rd, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th and 97th centiles for the penile length was created. The penile length was significantly correlated with gestational age, birth weight and body length. When compared with published data for other populations, Hong Kong newborns have significantly shorter penile length. The norm of the penile length is useful in diagnostic and therapeutics for the ethnic Chinese male newborns.

Antitumor immunity induced by tumor cells engineered to express a membrane-bound form of IL-2

Transduction of cytokine gene into tumor cells is a promising method of tumor therapy, but the value is limited by accompanying side effects. To focus antitumor immune response to tumor antigen-specific CTL, we developed an antitumor vaccine by transfecting modified IL-2 gene in a membrane-bound form (mbIL-2) into B16F10 melanoma cells. The mbIL-2 clone showed reduced tumorigenicity and metastatic ability, and inhibited metastasis and prolonged the survival of mice against B16F10 cells. The inhibition of B16F10 metastasis by mbIL-2 was accompanied by the increment of CD8(+) T cells. The metastasis of mbIL-2 clone was significantly increased in the CD8(+) T cell-depleted mice, but not in CD4(+) T cell depleted mice. Spleen cells immunized with the mbIL-2 clone showed higher CTL activity towards B16F10 cells than those immunized with control cells. The size of CD8(+) T cell population in the lung of mice injected with the mbIL-2 clone was markedly greater than that of mice injected with B16F10 cells, but there was no detectible change in CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell populations of lymph nodes and spleen. These results suggest that when the mbIL-2 clone is introduced into the blood stream, it migrates mainly to lung and activates CD8(+) T cells in situ, possibly by direct priming. Such a tumor vaccine may ameliorate the toxic side effects encountered with conventional cytokine gene therapy.

Upregulation of class II beta-tubulin expression in differentiating keratinocytes

The diverse functions of microtubules (MT) in different cells and tissues may be facilitated by compositional changes in tubulin isotypes. We obtained partial cDNA clones of class II beta-tubulin from a library of differentiating normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) cells, whereas screening via subtractive hybridization for genes involved in calcium-induced keratinocyte differentiation. Analysis of the isotypic composition of beta-tubulin from NHEK cells revealed elevations in class II beta-tubulin concentrations at both protein and message levels during cell differentiation, resulting in increased rates of incorporation of class II beta-tubulin into MT. Immunohistochemistry of normal and pathologic skin tissues showed that class II beta-tubulin occurred in the granular layer of the epidermis and in differentiated areas of carcinomas. Class II beta-tubulin was, however, not observed in the uppermost granular and cornified layers of normal epidermis. Further experiments showed that MT were likely to decay in the final stage of terminal differentiation during formation of the cornified envelope. Our results suggest that there is differential modulation of MT composition and stability during keratinocyte differentiation.

Fetal growth velocities in Hong Kong Chinese infants

Few studies have investigated the velocities of fetal growth. The aim of the present study was to determine the pattern of 'fetal' growth velocities in a Chinese population. The gestation-specific measurements of the body weight, body length and head circumference in a representative sample of 5,045 male and 4,484 female newborns delivered between 26 and 42 weeks of gestation at 12 hospitals in Hong Kong were obtained. Peak growth velocity occurred before 30 weeks of gestation for head circumference, at week 30 for length and at week 30 for weight. When compared with data obtained from a French population, a significant difference in the growth velocity for body weight was observed below 32 weeks between French and Chinese infants, suggesting an ethnic difference in fetal growth of this parameter.