Imagery, encoding, and retrieval of information from memory: Some specific encoding-retrieval changes in Huntington's disease.

Used mixed lists of 10 high-imagery and 10 low-imagery words as stimuli in a prompted, free-recall experiment. On each trial, only words not recalled on the previous trial were presented again as stimuli. Normal controls recalled more words on each test of recall than did 8 41–53 yr old patients with Huntington's disease. Controls remembered more high-imagery words after fewer presentation trials and could recall them with greater consistency than low-imagery words. Patients with Huntington's disease required far more trials to remember words, never recalled all 20 words, and did not differentiate high- and low-imagery words with respect to their recall probability. Results indicate that these patients, unlike controls, cannot consistently retrieve responses that were recalled previously. Findings are discussed in terms of the relationship between encoding and retrieval processes. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response of nutrient digestibilities to feeding diets with low and high levels of soybean trypsin inhibitors in growing pigs

Studies were carried out to determine the effect of dietary soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) content on nutrient and energy digestibilities in growing pigs. Six barrows, average initial body weight (BW) 47·8±4·0 kg, were fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum and fed two diets according to a crossover design. Two maize starch-based diets were formulated to contain 200 g crude protein (CP) kg⁻¹ from either Nutrisoy (a food-grade defatted soy flour) or autoclaved Nutrisoy. The contents of SBTI in the Nutrisoy and autoclaved Nutrisoy diets were 13·4 and 3·0 g kg⁻¹, respectively. The experiment consisted of two periods of 12 days each. The average BW at the start of the first and second experimental periods were 53·3±3·7 and 61·0±5·1 kg, respectively. The average BW at the conclusion of the experiment was 71·8±7·6 kg. The ileal digestibilities of dry matter (DM), organic (OM), energy, CP and all amino acids measured were higher (P<0·01) in pigs fed the autoclaved Nutrisoy diet. The energy digestibility increased from 66·0 to 77·9%, and the CP digestibility increased from 37·4 to 77·1%. The increases in ileal digestibilities of the indispensable amino acids ranged from 27·0 (methionine) to 49·2 (leucine) percentage units. The increases in ileal digestibilities of the dispensable amino acids ranged from 30·2 (aspartic acid) to 50·8 (tyrosine) percentage units. The faecal digestibilities of all criteria measured were also higher (P<0·01) in pigs fed the autoclaved Nutrisoy diet. Furthermore, there was a greater (P<0·01) net disappearance (g kg⁻¹ DM intake) of DM, OM, CP, energy and all amino acids in the large intestine of pigs fed the Nutrisoy diet. In conclusion, feeding diets containing high levels of SBTI decreased both ileal and faecal digestibilities of all criteria measured. The formation of SBTI-enzyme complexes is likely to be responsible for the reduction in protein digestion and amino acid absorption. © 1998 SCI.     

Effects of dopamine D?-like and D?-like agonists in rats trained to discriminate cocaine from saline: Influence of experimental history.

Effects of D?-like and D?-like agonists were compared in rats (Rattus norvegicus) with differing levels of experience (24 or 9 mo) in a cocaine discrimination procedure (5.6 mg/kg cocaine; fixed-ratio 20 schedule of food presentation). Cocaine d-amphetamine, and D?-like agonists (quinelorane, 7-OH-DPAT) dose-dependently substituted cocaine in both groups of rats. In contrast D?-like agonists (SKF 82958, SKF 7734) substituted for cocaine only in rats with less discrimination experience. Pretreatment with D?-like agonists increased the stimulus effects of low cocaine-doses in both groups, whereas D?-like agonists produced these effects only in rats with less discrimination experience. The data suggest that the stimulus effects of cocaine overlap with those of D?-like agonists across a broader range of conditions than with those of D?-like agonists. Thus, D?-like receptors may play an especially important role in cocaine's behavioral effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychomotor stimulation by dopamine D?-like but not D?-like agonists in most mouse strains.

Many neurological and psychiatric disorders are treated with dopamine modulators. Studies in mice may reveal genetic factors underlying those disorders or responsiveness to various treatments, and species and strain differences both complicate the use of mice and provide valuable tools. We evaluated psychomotor effects of the dopamine D?-like agonist R-6-Br-APB and the dopamine D?-like agonist quinelorane using a locomotor activity procedure in 15 mouse strains (inbred 129S1/SvImJ, 129S6/SvEvTac, 129X1/SvJ, A/J, BALB/cByJ, BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, CAST/EiJ, DBA/2J, FVB/NJ, SJL/J, SPRET/EiJ, outbred Swiss Webster, and CD-1) and Sprague–Dawley rats, using groups of both females and males. Both D? and D? stimulation produced hyperactivity in the rats, and surprisingly, only two mouse strains were similar in that regard (C3H/HeJ, SPRET/EiJ). In contrast, the majority of mouse strains exhibited hyperactivity only with D? stimulation, whereas D? stimulation had no effect or decreased activity. BALB substrains, A/J and FVB/NJ mice showed only decreased activity after either D? or D? stimulation. CAST/EiJ mice exhibited hyperactivity exclusively with D? stimulation. Sex differences were observed but no systematic trend emerged: For example, of the five strains in which a main factor of sex was identified for the stimulant effects of the D? agonist, responsiveness was greatest in females in three of those strains and in males in two of those strains. These results should aid in the selection of mouse strains for future studies in which D? or D? responsiveness is a necessary consideration in the experimental design. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality is associated with perceived health and functional status in older primary care patients.

Using data collected on 265 primary care medical patients 60 years of age and older, the authors examined the personality bases of subjective health (perceived health, functional status) after controlling for observer-rated depression and medical burden. Four hypotheses were tested: High Neuroticism is associated with poorer perceived health, low Extraversion is associated with poorer perceived health, low Openness to Experience is associated with worse functional status, and age moderates the relationships between personality and subjective health. Findings supported the notion that personality is associated with subjective health, moreover, this effect appeared to grow more pronounced with increasing age. This study underscores the conceptual and heuristic value of examining moderators of the links between personality variables and health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advanced tubular solid oxide fuel cells with high efficiency for internal reforming of hydrocarbon fuels

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) constitute an attractive power-generation technology that converts chemical energy directly into electricity while causing little pollution. NanoDynamics Energy (NDE) Inc. has developed micro-tubular SOFC-based portable power generation systems that run on both gaseous and liquid fuels. In this paper, we present our next generation solid oxide fuel cells that exhibit total efficiencies in excess of 60% running on hydrogen fuel and 40+% running on readily available gaseous hydrocarbon fuels such as propane, butane etc. The advanced fuel cell design enables power generation at very high power densities and efficiencies (lower heating value-based) while reforming different hydrocarbon fuels directly inside the tubular SOFC without the aid of fuel pre-processing/reforming. The integrated catalytic layered SOFC demonstrated stable performance for >1000 h at high efficiency while running on propane fuel at sub-stoichiometric oxygen-to-fuel ratios. This technology will facilitate the introduction of highly efficient, reliable, fuel flexible, and lightweight portable power generation systems.     

The murine IL-13 receptor alpha 2: molecular cloning, characterization, and comparison with murine IL-13 receptor alpha 1

Two components of a receptor complex for IL-13, the IL-4R and a low affinity IL-13-binding chain, IL-13R alpha 1, have been cloned in mice and humans. An additional high affinity binding chain for IL-13, IL-13R alpha 2, has been described in humans. We isolated a cDNA from the thymus that encodes the murine orthologue of the human IL-13R alpha 2. The predicted protein sequence of murine IL-13R alpha 2 (mIL-13R alpha 2) has 59% overall identity to human IL-13R alpha 2 and is closely related to the murine low affinity IL-13-binding subunit, IL-13R alpha 1. The genes for both mIL-13-binding chains map to the X chromosome. A specific interaction between mIL-13R alpha 2.Fc protein and IL-13 was demonstrated by surface plasmon resonance using a BIACORE instrument. Ba/F3 cells that were transfected with mIL-13R alpha 2 expressed 5000 molecules per cell and bound IL-13 with a single Kd of 0.5 to 1.2 nM. However, these cells did not proliferate in response to IL-13, and the IL-4 dose response was unaffected by high concentrations of IL-13. In contrast, the expression of mIL-13R alpha 1 by Ba/F3 cells resulted in a sensitive proliferative response to IL-13. Consistent with its lower affinity for IL-13, IL-13R alpha 1.Fc was 100-fold less effective than IL-13R alpha 2.Fc in neutralizing IL-13 in vitro. These results show that mIL-13R alpha 2 and mIL-13R alpha 1 are not functionally equivalent and predict distinct roles for each polypeptide in IL-13R complex formation and in the modulation of IL-13 signal transduction.     

The fetal-pelvic index has minimal utility in predicting fetal-pelvic disproportion

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the fetal-pelvic index in our patient population and to determine whether it would be predictive of route of delivery. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred seventy-six patients with a previous history or clinical findings in the current pregnancy suggestive of fetal-pelvic disproportion participated in this Human Investigation Committee-approved study. All underwent fetal ultrasonographic examinations and modified digital radiography before labor. Fetal head and abdominal circumferences and maternal inlet and midpelvic circumferences were determined, and the fetal-pelvic index was calculated. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients fulfilled all aspects of the study, including rigorous criteria pertaining to labor management. Thirty of these patients underwent cesarean delivery and 61 were delivered vaginally. The fetal-pelvic index value for the vaginal delivery group was -5.4 +/- 5.3, as opposed to -2.4 +/- 5.8 in the cesarean delivery group (P <.02). Notwithstanding this difference, the fetal-pelvic index had a low overall ability to predict fetal-pelvic disproportion (0.65) and had associated sensitivity and specificity of 0.27 and 0.84, respectively. Predictive thresholds other than zero were tested, but optimal predictive ability, at a fetal-pelvic index cutoff of 2, was only 70% (sensitivity 0.20, specificity 0.95). CONCLUSION: In our patient population the fetal-pelvic index was only moderately predictive of fetal-pelvic disproportion. Factors other than those assessed by the fetal-pelvic index are probably important in determining the route of delivery. Further studies are indicated.     

Mental-rotation deficits following damage to the right basal ganglia.

The authors report the case of a woman with a right basal ganglia lesion and severe mental-rotation impairments. She had no difficulty recognizing rotated objects and had intact left-right orientation in egocentric space but was unable to map the left and right sides of external objects to her egocentric reference frame. This study indicates that the right basal ganglia may be critical components in a cortico-subcortical network involved in mental rotation. We speculate that the role of these structures is to select and maintain an appropriate motor program for performing smooth and accurate rotation. The results also have important implications for theories of object recognition by demonstrating that recognition of rotated objects can be achieved without mental rotation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)