Highlights of the Fourteenth Annual Summer Meeting of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, Boston, Massachusetts, July 24-26, 1998

Immunohistochemical-labeling for the neurochemicals gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and enkephalin are abundant in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN). In VMN, both GABA and enkephalin may function to regulate feeding behavior, as well as other hormone-controlled behaviors. Importantly, in several brain areas, enkephalin is often thought to modulate GABAergic neurotransmission. Therefore, we used dual-labeling immunohistochemistry with electron microscopic analysis to study the circuitry of neurons containing GABA- and/or enkephalin-labeling within the VMN. Somato-dendritic profiles containing GABA-labeling were three fold more abundant than GABA-labeled axon terminals (117 soma or dendrites vs. 34 axons). In addition, axon terminals containing GABA-labeling sometimes synapsed onto GABA-labeled somata or dendrites (25% or 9/34). In contrast, under these conditions labeling for enkephalin was primarily restricted to axon terminals, which were very abundant throughout VMN. Enkephalin-containing terminals accounted for a large fraction (25% 23/92) of the axons in contact with GABA-labeled dendrites, although they also contacted unlabeled dendrites. These observations suggest that a population of VMN neurons are GABAergic. These may be either local circuit 'interneurons' or projection neurons. In addition, GABA-labeled VMN neurons may be regulated by either enkephalin or GABA. These morphologic observations provide the basis for disinhibitory mechanisms to function within the VMN.     

Abstracts: Selected paper/poster presentations: APA Annual Convention: August 20-24, 1993, Toronto, Ontario.

Presents a collection of abstracts from selected paper/poster presentations from the APA annual convention in 1993. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mucoviscidosis quality assurance. Problems, success and prospects 1995-1998

The German project "quality assurance in cystic fibrosis" collects data from 97 CF centres with 4,306 patients. Project goals are improvement of quality of life and life expectancy catching up with international standards. Collection of data and evaluation are done anonymously. In Germany, most patients including adults are under care of paediatric institutions. Nutrition and lung function data with decisive prognostic significance (weight for height, one-second-capacity) exhibited less favourable results for patients treated by very small institutions (less than 20 patients). Between 1995 and 1997 some parameters could be improved particularly in pupils children and young adults. In Germany, mean cumulative survival was 29.3 years for 1997. This figure is comparable to other European countries. However, further improvement with respect to quality of structure has to be made.     

Comments on Gould, PAIN, 74 (1998) 341-343

Journal policies and requirements of funding agencies on financial disclosure of authors and grant applicants have divided editors and scientists who disagree on whether such policies can improve the integrity of science or manage conflicts of interest. Those opposed to such disclosure policies argue that financial interest is one of many interests held by scientists, is the least scientifically dangerous, and should not be singled out. Those who favor open reporting of financial interests argue that full disclosure removes the suspicion that something of relevance to objectivity is being hidden and allows readers to form their own opinions on whether a conflict of interest exists and what relevance that has to the study. The authors believe that the scientific community and the public will be best served by open publication of financial disclosures for readers and reviewers to evaluate.     

Distribution of important and word-cued autobiographical memories in 20-, 35-, and 70-year-old adults

For word-cued autobiographical memories, older adults had an increase, or bump, from the ages 10 to 30. All age groups had fewer memories from childhood than from other years and a power-function retention for memories from the most recent 10 years. There were no consistent differences in reaction times and rating scale responses across decades. Concrete words cued older memories, but no property of the cues predicted which memories would come from the bump. The 5 most important memories given by 20- and 35-year-old participants were distributed similarly to their word-cued memories, but those given by 70-year-old participants came mostly from the single 20-to-30 decade. No theory fully accounts for the bump.