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Introduction: Postpartum depression is a significant mental health problem that occurs more frequently in the first 4 weeks postpartum and also may occur later during the first postpartum year. Women who receive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment have a particular perinatal experience that may create postpartum mental health concerns. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate factors associated with postpartum depression in women who received IVF treatment., Methods: Sixty of 71 eligible postpartum women who were treated at an infertility treatment center and who conceived by IVF were included in this study, which used a self-administered, structured questionnaire., Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression was 25%, including mild (16.7%), moderate (6.7%), and severe (1.7%). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the frequency of receiving IVF treatment and perceived stress were positively correlated with postpartum depression, whereas family function and social support were negatively correlated with postpartum depression. Multiple regression analysis showed that the frequency of receiving IVF treatment, birth method, and social support were significant predictive factors for postpartum depression when covariates were controlled (R(2) 56.6%)., Discussion: A higher frequency of IVF treatment, cesarean birth, and inadequate social support increase the possibility of postpartum depression, and clinicians should provide appropriate anticipatory education or counseling., (© 2011 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.)

Aims: Vitamin D status has been implicated in the pathophysiology of heart failure (HF). The aims of this study were to determine whether a low vitamin D status is associated with prognosis in HF and whether activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and inflammatory markers could explain this potential association., Methods and Results: We measured 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D), plasma renin activity (PRA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the incidence of death or HF rehospitalization in 548 patients with HF. Median age was 74 (64-80) years, left ventricular ejection fraction was 30% (23-42), and mean follow-up was 18 months. Low 25(OH)D levels were associated with female gender (P< 0.001), higher age (P= 0.002), and higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels (P< 0.001). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that PRA (P= 0.048), and CRP levels (P= 0.006) were independent predictors of 25(OH)D levels. During follow-up, 155 patients died and 142 patients were rehospitalized. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that lower 25(OH)D concentration was associated with an increased risk for the combined endpoint (all-cause mortality and HF rehospitalization; log rank test P= 0.045) and increased risk for all-cause mortality (log rank test P= 0.014). After adjustment in a multivariable Cox regression analysis, low 25(OH)D concentration remained independently associated with an increased risk for the combined endpoint [hazard ratio (HR) 1.09 per 10 nmol/L decrease; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00-1.16; P= 0.040] and all-cause mortality (HR 1.10 per 10 nmol/L decrease; 95% CI 1.00-1.22; P= 0.049)., Conclusion: A low 25(OH)D concentration is associated with a poor prognosis in HF patients. Activation of the RAS and inflammation may confer the adverse effects of low vitamin D levels.

Object: Currently, the effectiveness of minimally invasive evacuation of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) utilizing the endoscopic method is uncertain and the technique is considered investigational. The authors analyzed their experience with this method in terms of case selection, surgical technique, and long-term results., Methods: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of the clinical and radiographic data obtained in 68 patients treated with endoscope-assisted ICH evacuation. Rebleeding, morbidity, and mortality were recorded as primary end points. Hematoma evacuation rate was calculated by comparing the pre- and postoperative CT scans. Glasgow Coma Scale scores and scores on the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOSE) were recorded at the 6-month postoperative follow-up. The technical aspect of this report explains details of the procedure, the instruments that are used, the methods for hemostasis, and the role of hemostatic agents in the management of intraoperative hemorrhage. The pertinent literature was reviewed and summarized., Results: All surgeries were performed within 12 hours of ictus, and 84% of the surgeries were performed within 4 hours. The mortality rate was 5.9%, and surgery-related morbidity occurred in 3 cases (4.4%). The hematoma evacuation rate was 93% overall-96% in the putaminal group, 86% in the thalamic group, and 98% in the subcortical group. The rebleeding rate was 1.5%. The mean operative time was 85 minutes, and the average blood loss was 56 ml. The mean GOSE score was 4.9 at 6-month follow-up. The authors acknowledge the limitations of these preliminary results in a small number of patients., Conclusions: The data suggest that early endoscope-assisted ICH evacuation is safe and effective in the management of supratentorial ICH. The rebleeding, morbidity, and mortality rates are low compared with rates reported in the literature for the traditional craniotomy method. This study also showed that early and complete evacuation of ICH may lead to improved outcomes in selected patients. However, the safety and efficacy of endoscope-assisted ICH evacuation should be further investigated in a large, prospective, randomized trial.

This paper aims at developing electronic business solutions to increase value for the home medical equipment industry. First, an electronic strategic value chain model was developed for the home medical equipment industry. Second, electronic business solutions were mapped from this model. Third, the top 20 dominant companies in the home medical equipment industry were investigated to see the current adoption patterns of these electronic business solutions. The solutions will be beneficial to decision-makers in the information technology adoptions in the home medical equipment industry to increase the business values.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is responsible for a wide range of clinical symptoms. How this bacterium adapts itself to ever-changing host milieu is still a mystery. Recently, small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) have received considerable attention for their functions in fine-tuning gene expression at a post-transcriptional level to promote bacterial adaptation. Here we demonstrate that Hfq, an RNA-binding protein, which facilitates interactions between sRNAs and their mRNA targets, is critical for K. pneumoniae virulence. A K. pneumoniae mutant lacking hfq (Δhfq) failed to disseminate into extra-intestinal organs and was attenuated on induction of a systemic infection in a mouse model. The absence of Hfq was associated with alteration in composition of envelope proteins, increased production of capsular polysaccharides, and decreased resistance to H(2)O(2), heat shock, and UV irradiation. Microarray-based transcriptome analyses revealed that 897 genes involved in numerous cellular processes were deregulated in the Δhfq strain. Interestingly, Hfq appeared to govern expression of many genes indirectly by affecting sigma factor RpoS and RpoE, since 19.5% (175/897) and 17.3% (155/897) of Hfq-dependent genes belong to the RpoE- and RpoS-regulon, respectively. These results indicate that Hfq regulates global gene expression at multiple levels to modulate the physiological fitness and virulence potential of K. pneumoniae.

Background: Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease characterized by hardened or scaly skin and widespread abnormalities of the viscera, which is rare in the pediatric age group., Objective: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 23 pediatric patients suffering systemic (SSc) and localized (LS) scleroderma., Methods: Twenty-three patients were enrolled and were diagnosed with SSc or LS from March 1993 to September 2009 in the Department of Pediatrics at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. These diagnoses were based on the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and the clinical manifestations of hard skin. Data recorded included sex, age-at-onset, age-at-diagnosis, laboratory data, family history, trauma history, treatment, and outcomes., Results: Three patients suffered SSc and 20 patients had LS, including 16 girls and 7 boys. Mean age-at-onset was 6.55 +/- 3.28 years old. Antinuclear antibodies were positive in 15 patients. Tests for anti-Scl-70 antibodies were positive in 1 patient with SSc. One boy had en coup de sabre combined with a posterior fossa tumor. Twenty-two patients were treated with D-penicillamine. Oral prednisolone and methotrexate were added, if indicated. One girl with LS developed proteinuria after D-penicillamine treatment. All patients with localized disease ultimately documented a softening of their skin lesions., Conclusions: While scleroderma is rare in children, the prognosis of SSc is poor but better than for adults. The prognosis for LS is usually benign, however, the skin may become progressively indurated and it may not only be a skin disease. No progression from LS to SSc was observed in our study.

Background: Asthma is one of the major causes of death in otherwise healthy young individuals. However, many of these deaths may have been prevented by more aggressive treatment. To determine factors correlated with a high risk of death in Taiwanese children with atopic asthma., Methods: Taiwanese children aged 5-18 years, diagnosed with atopic asthma were enrolled in the study. Atopic asthma was diagnosed and immunoglobulin E (IgE) specific to antigens from any 1 of 8 allergens was measured (i.e. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, cat and dog dander, cockroach, egg white, milk and fish). High-risk asthma was defined as asthma requiring admission to a hospital or a visit to an emergency department. The study tried to determine the association of high-risk asthma with allergy-related parameters (e.g. asthma severity, asthma score, total serum IgE levels, serum levels of allergen-specific IgE, eosinophil count) and pulmonary function in Taiwanese children., Results: One thousand one hundred and twenty-two Taiwanese children were evaluated. Those with higher asthma severity, asthma symptom score, serum levels of IgE specific to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, higher total serum IgE levels, and lower FEF25-75% (forced expiratory flow, 25-75%) values were considered to be members of the high-risk asthma group., Conclusions: The characterization of risk factors has enabled us to identify high-risk asthma in Taiwanese children, which will facilitate the treatment of these children in the future.

Aim: Several epidemiological studies have investigated the association between ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene polymorphisms and breast cancer risk. However, published data are still inconclusive and there are no such studies for Taiwan. Thus, the polymorphic variants of ATM were investigated for their association with breast cancer in Taiwan for the first time here., Patients and Methods: In this hospital-based matched case-control study, associations of seven ATM single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs600931, rs652311, rs227060, rs227292, rs624366 and rs189037) with breast cancer risk in a Taiwanese population were investigated. One thousand two hundred and thirty-two patients with breast cancer and the same number of age-matched healthy controls recruited were genotyped and analyzed., Results: There was a slight difference between breast cancer and control groups in the distributions of their genotypic (p = 0.0774) and allelic frequencies (p = 0.0217) in the rs189037 polymorphism. As for the other six polymorphisms there was no differential distribution., Conclusion: Our data indicate that ATM polymorphism is associated with breast cancer, and the A allele of ATM rs189037 is a minor risky biomarker of breast cancer in Taiwan. The gene-gene and gene-environment interactions of ATM with other factors is worthy of further investigation.

Objective: To study the clinical effects of percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in the treatment of fresh thoracolumbar fractures in the elderly., Methods: From May 2004 to March 2009, among 29 patients (32 vertebras) with thoracolumbar fractures, 18 patients (21 vertebras) were treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and 11 patients (11 vertebras) were treated with percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP). The visual analogue scale (VAS) and mobility were evaluated 3 days before and after operation. During follow-up period, patients were observed and evaluated in terms of relief of back pain and regaining of living ability. Complications such as bone cement leakage were analyzed., Results: All the patients got successful operation. The average operation time was 38.6 minutes for the 18 patients (21 vertebras) with PVP performed, and 3.2 ml (2-5 ml) bone cement was injected. For the 11 patients (11 vertebras) with PKP performed, the average operation time was 43 minutes, and an average of 3.8 ml (2-6 ml) bone cement was injected. The VAS decreased from preoperative (7.5 +/- 0.7) to (2.2 +/- 0.5) at the 3rd day after operation; the mobility scores of the patients decreased from preoperative (2.4 +/- 0.6) to (1.2 +/- 0.3) at the 3rd day after operation; the vertebral height increased from an average of (52.4 +/- 9.7)% pre-operation to (85.2 +/- 10.6)% after operation; and the average kyphosis correction of Cobb angle was 11.2 degrees. During an average of 12.6 months follow-up, no patients reported vertebral pain. Review of X-ray films showed no significant loss of vertebral height. One patient died from complications of heart disease 5 months being discharged from hospital. Another patient died from the same cause at 6 months after opertaion. Paravertebral leakage of bone cement was also found in 2 patients. No serious complications occurred and patients were satisfied with the treatment., Conclusion: PVP, PKP can be used to instantly reinforce vertebral injury, relieve pain, and improve the patient's mobility. For elder people with fresh thoracolumbar fractures, when health conditions are allowed, PVP or PKP surgery is the right treatment.

A total of 30 samples of total suspended particles were collected at an urban site in western of Lhasa city, Tibet from August 2006 to July 2007 for investigating carbonaceous aerosol features. 14C was taken as a reference to quantitatively distinguish the fossil and biogenic-derived origins along with the characteristics of seasonal variations of all carbonaceous materials in Lhasa are discussed. The results showed that the f(c) values in Lhasa ranged from 0.357 to 0.702, with an average of 0.493, which is higher than Beijing and Tokyo, but are far lower than that of remote/rural regions such as Launceston, indicating a major biogenic influence in Lhasa. Values of f(c) displayed clear seasonal variations with higher mean value in winter, a decreasing trend in spring, while relatively lower values in summer and autumn. Higher f(C) values in winter demonstrate that carbonaceous aerosol is mainly dominated by wood burning and incineration of agricultural wastes during the winter. The lower f(c) values in summer and autumn might be caused by increased diesel engines, motor vehicles emissions, which are related to the tourism in Lhasa. delta13C values ranged from -26.40% per hundred to approximately -25.10% per hundred, with an average of -25.8% per hundred, and showed no clear seasonal variation. The relative higher values in summer reflected the increment of fossil carbon emissions. 13C(TC) values are relatively homogeneous at -25.8% per hundred, considering the characteristics of seasonal variations of f(c) values, it can be concluded that carbonaceous aerosol of Lhasa was mainly influenced by a constant mixing of several pollution sources such as motor vehicles and wood burning emissions.

Background: Acetaminophen (AAP)-induced oxidative stress can cause cell death to induce liver damage. The antioxidant effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (HS) was shown in previous studies. In this study the effect of HS extract (HSE) on AAP-induced liver injury in BALB/c mice was investigated., Results: In vivo, BALB/c mice were fed orally with 200, 400 or 600 mg kg(-1) HSE for 2 weeks and then injected with 1000 mg kg(-1) AAP. Pretreatment with HSE decreased lipid peroxidation and increased catalase activity and glutathione level. It also decreased AAP-induced liver injury, accompanied by decreased expression of pJNK, Bax and tBid in the liver. Additionally, HSE protected BALB/c normal liver cells from AAP-induced damage in vitro., Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that HSE can protect the mouse liver from AAP-induced injury and that the protective mechanism might involve decreasing oxidative stress and reducing cell death., ((c) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cerebral ischemia-induced accumulation of unfolded proteins in vulnerable neurons triggers endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Arginine-rich, mutated in early stage tumors (ARMET) is an ER stress-inducible protein and upregulated in the early stage of cerebral ischemia. The purposes of this study were to investigate the characteristics and implications of ARMET expression induced by focal cerebral ischemia. Focal cerebral ischemia in rats was induced by right middle cerebral artery occlusion with a suture; ischemic lesions were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and histology; neuronal apoptosis was determined by TUNEL staining; the expressions of proteins were measured by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescent labeling, and Western blotting. ARMET was found to be extensively upregulated in ischemic regions in a time-dependent manner. The expression of ARMET was neuronal in all examined structures in response to the ischemic insult. We also found that ARMET expression is earlier and more sensitive to ischemic stimulation than C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). ER stress agent tunicamycin induced ARMET and CHOP expressions in the primary cultured neurons. Treatment with recombinant human ARMET promoted neuron proliferation and prevented from neuron apoptosis induced by tunicamycin. These results suggest that cerebral ischemia-induced ARMET expression may be protective to the neurons.

Tissue engineering combines the principles of cell biology, engineering and materials science to develop three-dimensional tissues to replace or restore tissue function. Tissue engineered skin (TE-skin) is one of most advanced tissue constructs. However, much clinical providence demonstrates the TE-skin may not be viewed as the equal of skin grafts, the contributions to accelerate the closure of wound were come mainly from various growth factor. These growth factors respond to its environment to bring about the desired effect. In our hypothesis, this three-dimensional skin substitute could be genetically modified with various growth factor and transplanted in order to deliver therapeutic proteins locally and systemically for the treatment of trauma. The likelihood of transgened TE-skin plays function as a pharmacological agent suggests a wide range of therapeutic applications. In future, the TE-skin could be design as gene delivery to enhance potential capacity for treatment of burns, chronic wounds and even systemic diseases.

This study illustrates a method to evaluate mediational mechanisms in a longitudinal prevention trial, the Aban Aya Youth Project (AAYP). In previous studies, interventions of AAYP were found to be effective in reducing the growth of violence, substance use and unsafe sex among African American adolescents. In this article, we hypothesized that the effects of the interventions in reducing the growth of substance use behavior were achieved through their effects in changing intermediate processes such as behavioral intentions, attitudes toward the behavior, estimates of peers' behaviors, best friends' behaviors, and peer group pressure. In evaluating these mediational mechanisms, difficulties arise because the growth trajectories of the substance use outcome variable and some of the mediating variables were curvilinear. In addition, all of the multivariate mediational measures had planned missing data so that a score from the multiple items for a mediator could not be formed easily. In this article, we introduce a latent growth modeling (LGM) approach; namely, a two-domain LGM mediation model, in which the growth curves of the outcome and the mediator are simultaneously modeled and the mediation effects are evaluated. Results showed that the AAYP intervention effects on adolescent drug use were mediated by normative beliefs of prevalence estimates, friends' drug use behavior, perceived friends' encouragement to use, and attitudes toward the behavior.

Nonsentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are commonly removed at the time of selective sentinel lymphadenectomy (SSL). Their predictive value for the rest of the nodal basin is unknown. A retrospective review of 436 breast cancer patients who underwent SSL between 12/97 and 04/03 at a single institution. One-hundred nineteen patients had non-SLNs removed at SSL; eight were positive (6.7%). Positive non-SLNs predicted that SLNs would also be positive (p = 0.008). There was no difference in rates of additional positive nodes found on completion axillary node dissection between the non-SLN and SLN positive patients (p = 0.62). After adjustment for covariates, the presence of positive non-SLNs was not associated with poorer disease free survival (p = 0.24), time to systemic recurrence (p = 0.57), or overall survival (p = 0.70). Positive non-SLNs removed during SSL are not a significant risk factor for additional positive nodes on completion axillary nodal dissection (CALND) or for worse survival than positive SLNs.

Prostate carcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death of men in the United States. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) generated from bone tissue contributes to prostate cancer metastasis through stimulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretions from prostate cancer cells. In this study, in vitro invasion assay was performed by incubating penta-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose (5GG) at various concentrations with 2 x 10(4) PC-3 cells for 48 h. The anti-invasive and cytotoxic effects of 5GG were found and evaluated on the human androgen-independent prostate cancer PC-3 cell line by MTT assays and Western blot analyses. 5GG inhibited the EGF-induced cell invasiveness and MMP-9 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner by reducing the MMP-9 transcriptional activity. To explore the mechanisms for the 5GG-mediated regulation of MMP-9, we further examined the effects of 5GG on transcription factors, including NF-kappaB, AP-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities. The results showed that 5GG suppressed the EGF-induced NF-kappaB nuclear translocation and also abrogated the EGF-induced activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), an upstream modulator of NF-kappaB. Moreover, we showed that 5GG reduced EGFR expression through the proteasome pathway. These results suggest that 5GG may exert at least part of its anti-invasive effect in androgen-independent prostate cancer by controlling MMP-9 expression through the suppression of the EGFR/JNK pathway. Finally, 5GG suppresses invasion and tumorigenesis in nude mice treatment with intratibia injection of PC-3 cells. These in vitro and in vivo results suggest that 5GG may be a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

The main purpose of this study was to prepare a novel in situ gel system for nasal delivery of MF and study its efficacy on allergic rhinitis model. An ion-activated in situ gel was developed and characterized with gellan gum as a carrier. The system was stable kept at 40+/-2 degrees C for 6 months, and the micrographic results showed that in situ gel was safety without mucosa irritation when given at 20 microg once daily for 1 month to rats with allergic rhinitis. MF in gellan gum produced obviously effect on allergic rhinitis at the doses of 20 microg/body following intranasal administration, and the efficacy was significantly superior to that of the common suspension (P<0.01). The in situ gel system is a promising approach for the intranasal delivery of MF for the therapeutic effects improvement.

A field experiment was conducted to investigate root distribution, biomass, and seasonal dynamics in a revegetated stand of Caragana korshinskii Kom. in the Tengger Desert. We used soil profile trenches, soil core sampling, and minirhizotron measurements to measure root dynamics. Results showed that the roots of C. korshinskii were distributed vertically in the uppermost portion of the soil profile, especially the coarse roots, which were concentrated in the upper 0.4 m. The horizontal distribution of the root length and weight of C. korshinskii coarse roots was concentrated within 0.6 and 0.4 m of the trunk, respectively. The lateral distribution of fine roots was more uniform than coarse roots. Total-root and fine-root biomasses were 662.4 +/- 45.8 and 361.1 +/- 10.3 g m(-2), accounting for about two-thirds and one-third of the total plant biomass, respectively. Fine-root turnover is closely affected by soil water, and both of these parameters showed synchronously seasonal trends during the growing season in 2004 and 2005. The interaction between fine-root turnover and soil water resulted in the fine-root length densities and soil water content in the 0- to 1.0-m soil layer having similar trends, but the soil water peaks occurred before those of the fine-root length densities.

In studies where multiple outcome items are repeatedly measured over time, missing data often occur. A longitudinal item response theory model is proposed for analysis of multivariate ordinal outcomes that are repeatedly measured. Under the MAR assumption, this model accommodates missing data at any level (missing item at any time point and/or missing time point). It allows for multiple random subject effects and the estimation of item discrimination parameters for the multiple outcome items. The covariates in the model can be at any level. Assuming either a probit or logistic response function, maximum marginal likelihood estimation is described utilizing multidimensional Gauss-Hermite quadrature for integration of the random effects. An iterative Fisher-scoring solution, which provides standard errors for all model parameters, is used. A data set from a longitudinal prevention study is used to motivate the application of the proposed model. In this study, multiple ordinal items of health behavior are repeatedly measured over time. Because of a planned missing design, subjects answered only two-third of all items at a given point., (Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: No consensus exists about the number of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) that should be removed based on radioactivity counts in breast cancer, although the "10% rule" is often used. We hypothesized that the node with the highest radioactivity would have the strongest probability of being a positive SLN, and we sought to determine the lowest radioactive count of a node harboring cancer., Study Design: We retrospectively studied 332 breast cancer patients who underwent lymphoscintigraphy by injection of technetium 99m-labeled thiosulfate colloid and sentinel lymphadenectomy (SL) between 1997 and 2006, with intraoperative determination of radioactive counts of nodes by a gamma probe. All SLNs were examined by permanent sections consisting of at least 3 levels of 40- to 100-mum intervals for hematoxylin and eosin evaluation, with or without immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratins., Results: Seventy-four percent of patients had more than 1 SLN removed (mean 2.8 per patient); 23.5% had SLN metastasis. Of the node-positive patients, the hottest SLN was positive in 85.9% (67 of 78). Five of the 78 patients (6.4%) with positive nodes had counts less than 10% of those of the hottest node. The lowest radioactive count of a positive SLN was 4.2% of that of the hottest node. Lymphatic mapping based on the 10% rule could greatly improve the false-negative rates compared with removing only the hottest SLN (14.1% versus 6.4%)., Conclusions: Most positive SLNs had the highest radioactivity. Our institutional experience indicates that to obtain an acceptable false-negative rate, nodes should be removed until the 10% rule is met.

Objective: To study the effect of co-blockage of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor (KDR) on growth of bladder carcinoma T24 cells and nude mice xenograft., Methods: T24 cell line co-transfected with VEGF siRNA and sKDR expression plasmids was developed and its proliferation was assayed by MTT and apoptosis by FCM. The nude mice model bearing bladder carcinoma xenograft was established. The tumor cell VEGF expression, stroma microvessel density (MVD) and tumor cell topoisomerase II alpha (Topo II alpha) expression were detected by immunohistochemistry. Cell apoptosis was estimated by TUNEL assay., Results: MTT assay showed that cell proliferation in VEGF siRNA, sKDR and combination groups was 56.3% +/- 8.3%, 42.6% +/- 13.8% and 32.5% +/- 4.3%, respectively, significantly lower than that in the scramble control (97.3% +/- 11.6%, P < 0.0001). FCM showed there were sub-diploid apoptotic peaks before G1 phase in VEGF siRNA, sKDR and combination groups, and apoptosis ratio was 5.1% +/- 0.9%, 4.2% +/- 0.5% and 8.8% +/- 0.7%, respectively, all of which were higher than that in the scramble control (0.9% +/- 0.4%, P < 0.05), and the combination group had even more higher apoptosis than the two singlely treated groups (P < 0.01). In vivo test showed that tumor growth was inhibited in VEGF siRNA, sKDR and combination groups, and from day 16 the tumor volume in combination group was significantly smaller than that in scramble control (P < 0.05), and from day 28 the tumor almost lost the ability to further growth. Immunohistochemistry revealed VEGF expression in combination group was 54.37 +/- 5.28, significantly lower than that in the scramble control (141.66 +/- 8.59, P < 0.0001). MVD number was only 8.22 +/- 3.79, much less compared with that in the scramble control (61.76 +/- 5.28, P < 0.0001) or sKDR group (19.46 +/- 4.16, P = 0.0089). Tumor cell proliferation index in the combination group (1.5% +/- 0.7%) was significantly decreased compared with that in the scramble control (11.8% +/- 5.2%, P < 0.0001), and apoptosis index (67.2% +/- 8.5%) was much higher than that in the scramble control (8.7% +/- 2.7%, P < 0.0001), VEGF siRNA group (54.3% +/- 4.8%, P = 0.0492) or sKDR group (52.3% +/- 6.4%, P = 0.0293)., Conclusion: VEGF siRNA or sKDR alone can inhibit tumor cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis, but co-blockage of VEGF and KDR by their combination shows more significant therapeutic efficacy.

A retrospective observational study in Taiwan, 1998-2004, identified 92 patients with group G streptococcal bacteremia; 86 had Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis. The most common diagnosis was cellulitis (48 cases), followed by primary bacteremia (34 cases). Infection recurred in 9 patients. Mortality rate was low (3.3%); resistance to quinupristin-dalfopristin was high.

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3/TR6) is a decoy receptor for the Fas ligand (FasL) and can inhibit FasL-induced apoptosis. It has been reported recently that DcR3 can induce T cell activation via co-stimulation of T cells, suggesting that DcR3 may be involved in the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases. This study aims to analyse the serum DcR3 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to investigate the role of DcR3 in the pathogenesis of SLE. Significantly elevated serum DcR3 was observed in SLE patients, and the mean serum DcR3 level was significantly higher for those with active disease [SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) >/= 10] compared with that in patients with inactive disease (SLEDAI < 10). In addition to reducing activation-induced cell death in activated T cells via neutralization of the FasL, soluble DcR3-Fc enhanced T cell proliferation and increased interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma production via co-stimulation of T cells. Moreover, enhanced T cell reactivity to DcR3-induced co-stimulation was demonstrated in lymphocytes from patients with SLE, suggesting the elevated serum DcR3 may associate with enhanced T cell activation in vivo. These findings are the first to demonstrate that serum DcR3 concentrations are increased in SLE patients, and this may imply a possible role of DcR3 in the pathogenesis of SLE via enhanced T cell hyperreactivity and reduced apoptosis in activated T cells.

Background: Patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) frequently have symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Some patients with DM1 show sleep-onset REM, similar to that observed in narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is characterized by impaired hypocretin (Hcrt) neurotransmission., Objective: To test for dysregulation of Hcrt neurotransmission in a prospective cohort of patients with DM1., Methods: Hcrt levels in CSF were measured by radioimmunoassay. Sleep physiology was assessed by overnight polysomnography (PSG) and a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Splicing of Hcrt receptor 1 and 2 (HcrtR1 and HcrtR2) mRNA was examined in postmortem samples of temporal cortex., Results: Seventeen of 38 patients with DM1 reported symptoms of EDS. Among patients with DM1 with EDS who underwent PSG/MSLT, 7 of 13 showed reduced sleep latency, sleep-onset REM, or both. However, CSF Hcrt levels in DM1 (mean 277 pg/mL, n = 38) were not different from controls (mean 277 pg/mL, n = 33). Also, splicing of HcrtR1 and HcrtR2 mRNA in patients with DM1 was similar to controls., Conclusions: Excessive daytime sleepiness and dysregulation of REM sleep occur frequently in patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). However, the pathophysiologic basis is distinct from narcolepsy, as patients with DM1 do not have a consistent defect of Hcrt release or receptor splicing.

The sequence TAVSPTTLR is a conserved and linear neutralizing epitope on the glycoprotein E2 of classical swine fever virus. In this study, TAVSPTTLR-directed antibodies, induced either by virions or by an epitope-focused immunogen, were characterized. The results revealed that despite the same epitope specificity, the antibodies induced by different immunogens varied significantly both in the neutralizing test and in binding inhibition assays. This suggests that the protective immunity induced by this epitope is due to more than simply the epitope specificity and that this epitope might need essential contributions from its flanking context to induce functional epitope-specific antibodies.

Cerebral Palsy is mean damage to the brain, causing non-progressive brain injury, such as hemiplegia, limbs palsy, epilepsy, involuntary movements, poor coordination. This paper proposes a movement evaluation and classification system, in view Cerebral Palsy children hand movement smoothness evaluation. In addition, the application of the movement classification system in the diagnosis of children with cerebral palsy is also discussed. The system contains: image capture, image segmentation, and information classification processing. Momentum analysis parameters and coordination neural network are used to conduct the data classification. The experimental results are shown that the proposed system has the higher accurate diagnostic rate of children are divided into cerebral palsy groups or normal groups.

Objectives: Several Asian-American groups are at a higher risk of dying of liver diseases attributable to hepatitis-B infection. This culturally diverse community should be well informed of and protected against liver diseases. The present study assesses the knowledge of hepatitis B before and after a hepatitis-B educational program and determines the infection status of an Asian community., Methods: Nine Asian communities of Montgomery County, MD, enrolled in the hepatitis-B prevention program between 2005 and 2006. They attended culturally tailored lectures on prevention, completed self-administered pre- and posttests, and received blood screening for the disease., Results: More than 800 Asian Americans participated in the study. Knowledge of prevention was improved after educational delivery. The average infection rate was 4.5%, with Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean groups having higher infection rates. The age group of 36-45 had the highest percentage of carriers (9.1%)., Conclusion: Many Asian groups, particularly those of a southeast Asian decent, were subject to a higher probability of hepatitis-B infection. At an increased risk are first-generation Asian immigrants, groups with low immunization rates and those aged 36-45. The findings provide potential directions for focusing preventive interventions on at-risk Asian communities to reduce liver cancer disparities.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a telephone call service (TCS) for ambulatory surgery patients. Three outcomes were evaluated: patient satisfaction, patients' perceptions of the value of a TCS intervention, and nurses' perceptions of difficulties in implementing it. The results indicated that patients were satisfied with the TCS intervention and were positive about its value. Nurses indicated that the main difficulties in implementing the TCS were their lack of knowledge in answering patients' questions and time limitations.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of fluorid on morphology change in enamel and dentin during tooth bleaching., Methods: The study population consisted of twelve patients who required the extraction of first premolars for orthodontic reasons. Twelve participants were divided into three groups: bleaching with NaF-treated group, bleaching-treated group and control group. Immediately after bleaching treatment, all teeth were extracted and prepared for scanning electron microscope (SEM). Morphologic observations were carried out with SEM., Results: In the bleaching-treated group, mild demineralization was observed on the surface of enamel and collapse of collagen scaffold was also observed on the longitudinal section of dentine. The diameter of dentinal tubule was not uniform due to peritubular dentine was demineralized. In the bleaching with NaF-treated group, the demineralization of enamel and dentin were reduced and some diameter of dentinal tubule were smaller than bleaching-treated group., Conclusion: Fluoride can reduced the demineralization of enamel and dentine obviously, which may be applied as a therapeutic tool for sensitivity induced by tooth bleaching.

The BcMF4 (Brassica campestris Male Fertility 4) gene was previously isolated from the fertile B line of Chinese cabbage-pak-choi (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis var. communis, syn. B. rapa ssp. chinensis var. communis). In the present paper, based on the cDNA sequence of BcMF4, primers were designed and used to amplify two fragments from the cDNA of flower buds of Chinese cabbage-pak-choi. Two produced fragments were introduced separately into binary vector pBI121 in antisense and sense orientations. The generated RNA interference (RNAi) vector was then mobilized into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404. The A. tumefaciens harboring the BcMF4 fragments was transformed to flowering Chinese cabbage (B. campestris ssp. chinensis var. parachinensis) via tissue culture. Approximately 45.8% of the pollen grains from 72.2% of RNAi plants exhibited abnormal in their shapes, and only 23.7% of the pollen grains from these plants germinated normally. Northern blotting demonstrated that the phenotypic change of pollen grains resulted from the inhibition of expression of the BcMF4 due to the insertion of the transgene. This indicates that functional interrupting of BcMF4 by RNAi resulted in partial pollen abortion in flowering Chinese cabbage, suggesting that the product of BcMF4 gene plays an important role during pollen development of Chinese cabbage such as Chinese cabbage-pak-choi and flowering Chinese cabbage.

The visual system rapidly completes a partially occluded figure. We probed the completion process by using priming in combination with neuroimaging techniques. Priming leads to more efficient visual processing and thus a reduction in neural activity in relevant brain areas. These areas were studied with high spatial resolution and temporal accuracy with focus on early perceptual processing. We recorded magnetoencephalographic responses from 10 human volunteers in a primed same-different task for test figures. The test figures were preceded by a sequence of two figures, a prime or control figure followed by an occluded figure. The prime figures were one of three possible interpretations of the occluded figures: global and local completions and mosaic interpretation. A significant priming effect was evident: in primed trials as compared with control trials, subjects responded faster and the latency was shorter in the magnetoencephalographic signal for the largest peak between 50 and 300 ms after the occluded figure onset. Tomographic and statistical parametric mapping analyses revealed stages of activation in occipitotemporal areas during occluded figure processing. Notably, we found significantly reduced activation in the right fusiform cortex between 120 and 200 ms after occluded figure onset for primed trials as compared with control trials. We also found significant spatiotemporal differences of local, global and mosaic interpretations for individual subjects but not across subjects. We conclude that modulation of activity in the right fusiform cortex may be a neural correlate of priming in the interpretation of an occluded figure, and that this area acts as a hub for different occluded figure interpretations in this early stage of perception.

Based on a pair of primers developed initially for differentiating the anginosus group from other viridans streptococci, the PCR reported here can also differentiate between members of the anginosus group and Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis among beta-hemolytic group C and G streptococci. The resulting 742-bp PCR product was specific for members of the anginosus group, although a smaller, nonspecific product (361 bp) was generated from S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. Restriction digestion of the amplicon with XbaI and BsmI further differentiated Streptococcus anginosus from Streptococcus constellatus within the anginosus group.

A mixed-effects item response theory model that allows for three-level multivariate ordinal outcomes and accommodates multiple random subject effects is proposed for analysis of multivariate ordinal outcomes in longitudinal studies. This model allows for the estimation of different item factor loadings (item discrimination parameters) for the multiple outcomes. The covariates in the model do not have to follow the proportional odds assumption and can be at any level. Assuming either a probit or logistic response function, maximum marginal likelihood estimation is proposed utilizing multidimensional Gauss-Hermite quadrature for integration of the random effects. An iterative Fisher scoring solution, which provides standard errors for all model parameters, is used. An analysis of a longitudinal substance use data set, where four items of substance use behavior (cigarette use, alcohol use, marijuana use, and getting drunk or high) are repeatedly measured over time, is used to illustrate application of the proposed model.

Two major dimensions are commonly used for assessing the breadth and depth of the information content in medical websites. The first dimension deals with quality characteristics consisting of authorship, attribution, confidentiality, currency, disclosure, legitimacy and purpose. Functional variables such as access to medical libraries, reference books, health organisations, information sites, guidelines and reviews, clinical trial sites, drug questions, locating an expert and alternative medicine make up the second dimension. The trend is toward the use of both dimensions for evaluating medical websites. This study examines the breadth and depth of the medical information in the websites of the top 51 medical schools in the USA. The results of this study indicate that there are certain quality-standard measures that are present in all medical websites. However, there are also clear distinctions in quality as well as functional attributes that separate the higher-ranked medical schools from the lower ones. Medical professionals, computer system developers, and end-users of medical information will find the results of this study useful.

The primary goal of the present study was to differentiate variants of each class of hypothetical models of task switching. Two event-related potentials, the lateralized readiness potential (LRP) and P300 were analyzed to infer the roles of advance reconfiguration and carry-over effect upon task switching. Participants performed two tasks in a random order, so that on each trial, they either repeated the task from the previous trial or switched to another task. Pre-cues that preceded each stimulus were either informative (task-cueing conditions), specifying which of the two tasks to perform, or uninformative (no task-cueing conditions). The results showed that the mean reaction time (RT) and the interval between stimulus onset and LRP onset were longer for switch than for repeat trials. This suggested that task switching affected processes before LRP onset (including stimulus identification and response selection). A further analysis of P300 confined task switching to the process after the stimulus identification stage. Task cueing, meanwhile, influenced both the latency and peak amplitude of P300, suggesting that the cueing effect occurred prior to the response selection stage. The model of configuration-execution with moderate modifications is a candidate to explain the present results.

A semi-automatic multiple-stage segmentation scheme of brainstem and cerebellum is proposed in this paper. This proposed scheme contains a modified Scale-based Fuzzy Connectedness (FC) algorithm, a morphology operator, Chain code, and Active Contour Mode (ACM). A modified Scale-based FC is utilized to delivery a rough segmentation, a morphology operator and Chain code are used to compensate the uncompleted small regions and derive an initial contour, and ACM is employed to obtain the final object boundary with the aid of the initial contour from the previous stages. The experimental results verify that the segmentation results using the proposed scheme are more accurate than using a single algorithm based on a Scale-Based FC method.

An adaptive-tabu GA (Genetic Algorithm) method is proposed to improve some traditional GA methods in the registration of computer tomography (CT) and surface laser scan. In this method, the adaptive memory structure and search strategy of Tabu Search (TS) with the modified chromosome crossover and adaptive mutation are proposed to increase the convergence speed and accuracy of the fitness function. This registration method can be used on non-fiducial stereo-tactic brain surgeries to assist surgeons to diagnose and treat brain diseases.

Background: Although fecal occult blood test and invasive endoscopic examination are common used to detect colorectal adenomas and cancers, non-invasive and specific biomarkers are still under investigation. The objective is to evaluate the biomarker CYP1B1 alone or in combination with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), nuclear beta-catenin, p53 or bcl-2 for early diagnosis and prevention of colorectal cancer., Methods: These biomarkers were analyzed semi-quantified across 231 colonic tissues including 97 adenocarcinomas, 85 adenomas and 49 non-neoplastic colons using immunohistochemistry. In order to differentiate non-neoplastic colons from colorectal neoplasms (adenoma and carcinoma), the values for CYP1B1, AhR, nuclear beta-catenin, p53 and bcl-2 expressions were subjected to discrimination analysis, then the cross-validation, sensitivity and specificity of these models were calculated., Results: Expressions of CYP1B1, p53, nuclear beta-catenin and bcl-2 were significantly associated with colorectal carcinogenesis (p<0.01 for the trend test). The overexpression rates for CYP1B1, p53, nuclear beta-catenin and bcl-2 were significantly higher in the adenoma and carcinoma groups than in the non-neoplastic colon group (p<0.05). The discrimination models showed that a combination of two biomarkers was better than a single biomarker, and provided specificity ranging from 39% to 100% and sensitivity ranging from 43% to 82% for colorectal carcinoma., Conclusions: The increase in expression of CYP1B1 occurred not only in colorectal carcinoma and but also in adenoma. Moreover, a screening panel of CYP1B1 in combination with nuclear beta-catenin was the most suitable marker pair to screen for colorectal carcinoma based on this study.

The developmental version of MCNP5 has recently been extended to provide for continuous-energy transport of high-energy protons. This enhancement involves the incorporation of several significant new physics models into the code. Multiple Coulomb scattering is treated with an advanced model that takes account of projectile and nuclear target form factors. In the next version, this model will provide a coupled sampling of both angular deflection and collisional energy loss, including straggling. The proton elastic scattering model is also new, based on recent theoretical work. Charged particle transport in the presence of magnetic fields is accomplished either by using transfer maps from the COSY INFINITY code (in void regions) or by using an algorithm adapted from the MARS code (in void regions or in scattering materials). Work is underway to validate and implement the latest versions of the Cascade-Exciton Model and the Los Alamos Quark-Gluon String Model, which will process inelastic nuclear interactions and generate secondary particles.

The researches about upper limb palsy patients are the minority areas among the researches about cerebral palsy (CP) patients. This paper presents an upper-limb-movement classification system of cerebral palsy children based on their arm motion information to judge their impairment degree. The system contains three parts: image capture, image segmentation, and information classification processing. Momentum analysis parameters and coordination neural network are used to conduct the data classification. The experimental results are shown that the proposed system has the higher accurate rate of tracking compared with Normalized Cross Correlation and Otsu methods, and the patients are divided into the slight impairment grade or the serious impairment grade.

According to the literature, prescription cost and convenience are generally regarded as the most important reasons for buying online. This study examines the availability of selected prescription drugs at some of the online pharmacies in the USA. Specifically, the drugs examined are among the ten most often prescribed by physicians.

Objective: To investigate the effect of pulse Nd: YAG laser combined with NaF on caries resistance of human enamel in vitro., Methods: 24 caries-free, constant premolares were cut into enamel mass. Surface ultrastructure and fluoride distribution of enamel in laser-NaF treated group, laser treated group, NaF treated group and control group were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron probe microanalyzer., Results: (1) SEM observation: In laser-NaF treated group, the smear layer was almost removed, the enamel surface showed partially melted-like and bubble-like appearance, diffuse white-small particles distributed on enamel surface, and melted position, microcrack and microhole appeared whitely blocking-reflection. (2) Electron probe microanalyzer analysis: In enamel samples, the highest average Ci of F- and the hightest depth which F- entered in enamel were recorded in the laser-NaF treated group. The average Ci of F- in laser-NaF treated group was significantly increased compared with that in NaF-treated group or laser-treated group or control group (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The pulsed Nd:YAG laser combined with sodium fluoride could make the enamel surface partially melt, change the structure of the crystal, enhance the absorption of fluoride, and clear smear layer. This technology may resist the caries.

Objective: To test psychosocial mediators of the effects of an intervention in reducing the rate of growth of violence among adolescents., Method: Five hundred and seventy-one African American adolescent males participated in this randomized trial. Multilevel modeling techniques were used to ascertain both intervention and mediated effects., Results: Intervention significantly reduced rate of growth of violence and 5 social and psychological factors in the treatment group relative to the control group. Four of these social and psychological factors were found to be complete mediators between the intervention and its preventive effects., Conclusion: Changing psychological mediating variables is central to reducing youth violence.

Cortical activity evoked by repeated identical sensory stimulation is extremely variable. The source of this variability is often assigned to "random ongoing background activity" which is considered to be irrelevant to the processing of the stimuli and can therefore be eliminated by ensemble averaging. In this work, we studied the single-trial variability in neuromagnetic responses elicited by circular checkerboard pattern stimuli with radii of 1.8 degrees, 3.7 degrees, and 4.5 degrees. For most of the MEG sensors over the occipital areas, the averaged signal showed a clear early (N70m) response following the stimulus onset and this response was modulated by the checkerboard size. A data-driven spatial filter was used to extract one of the many possible composite time courses of single-trial activity corresponding to the complex of N70m generators. Pattern analysis principles were then employed to analyze, classify, and handle the extracted temporal patterns. We explored whether these patterns correspond to distinct response modes, which could characterize the evoked response better than the averaged signal and over an extended range of latencies around N70m. A novel scheme for detecting and organizing the structure in single-trial recordings was utilized. This served as a basis for comparisons between runs with different checkerboard sizes and provided a causal interpretation of variability in terms of regional dynamics, including the relatively weak activation in primary visual cortex. At the level of single trial activity, the polymorphic response to a simple stimulus is generated by a coupling of polymodal areas and cooperative activity in striate and extrastriate areas. Our results suggest a state-dependent response with a wide range of characteristic time scales and indicate the ongoing activity as a marker of the responsiveness state.

Unlabelled: The soluble and membrane-bound forms of CSF-1 are synthesized by osteoblasts and stromal cells in the bone microenvironment. Transgenic mice, generated to selectively express sCSF-1 in bone, showed increased cortical thickness in the femoral diaphysis caused by new bone formation along the endosteal surface. The ability of sCSF-1 to enhance bone cell activity in vivo is potentially relevant for increasing cortical bone in a variety of disorders., Introduction: The soluble form of colony-stimulating factor-1 (sCSF-1) and the membrane-bound form of CSF-1 (mCSF-1) have been shown to support osteoclastogenesis in vitro; however, the effect of each peptide on bone remodeling in vivo is unclear. To determine the effect of sCSF-1, selectively expressed in bone, the skeletal phenotype of transgenic mice harboring the human sCSF-1 cDNA under the control of the osteocalcin promoter was assessed., Methods: At 5 and 14 weeks, mice were analyzed for CSF-1 protein levels, weighed, and X-rayed, and femurs were removed for peripheral quantitative computed tomography, histology, and histomorphometry., Results: High levels of human sCSF-1 were detected in bone extracts and, to a lesser extent, in plasma. Adult transgenic mice showed normal body weight and increased circulating monocytic cells. At 5 weeks, the femoral diaphysis was similar in CSF-1T and wt/wt littermates. However, by 14 weeks, the femoral diaphysis in CSF-1T mice showed increased cortical thickness and bone mineral density. In contrast to the diaphysis, the femoral metaphysis of CSF-1T mice showed normal cancellous bone comparable with wt/wt littermates at each time point. Histological sections demonstrated increased woven bone along the endosteal surface of the diaphysis and intracortical remodeling. Fluorochrome-labeling analysis confirmed endocortical bone formation in CSF-1T, with a 3.1-fold increase in the percentage of double-labeled surfaces and a 3.6-fold increase in the bone formation rate compared with wt/wt mice. Although remodeling resulted in a slightly porous cortex, sCSF-1 preferentially stimulated endocortical bone formation, leading to increased cortical thickness., Conclusions: These findings indicate that sCSF-1 is a key determinant of bone cell activity in the corticoendosteal envelope.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) among adults aged over 30 yr in Chengde city of Hebei province., Methods: 1 168 subjects (over 30 yr) were derived from a random sample of the population among the Shuangqiao district in Chengde city. All subjects were asked at home to answer questions about their snoring, daytime sleepiness, and habits of smoking and drinking. According to the degree of snoring, 127 moderate and severe snorers were measured by portable PSG for a whole night and the prevalence of SAHS was estimated according to AHI and ESS scores., Results: 1 168 subjects (95.42%) answered the questions. The prevalence of snoring was 53.76%. The prevalence of moderate and severe snoring (>or= second degree) was 28.25%. The prevalence of snoring increased with age before the age of 70. The prevalence of snoring in males was significantly higher than that in females. Smoking and drinking groups were associated with a higher prevalence of snoring. The prevalence of snoring was higher in drivers (42.00%) than that in other populations. The estimated prevalence of SAHS according to both the AHI > 5 and the ESS >or= 9 was 4.63%., Conclusions: The estimated prevalence of SAHS among adults aged over 30 yr in Chengde city was 4.63%. It means that SAHS needs better understanding and more study.

The tomographic localization of activity within human primary visual cortex (striate cortex or V1) was examined using whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) and 4-T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in four subjects. Circular checkerboard pattern stimuli with radii from 1.8 to 5.2 degrees were presented at eccentricity of 8 degrees and angular position of 45 degrees in the lower quadrant of the visual field to excite the dorsal part of V1 which is distant from the V1/V2 border and from the fundus of the calcarine sulcus. Both fMRI and MEG identified spatially well-overlapped activity within the targeted area in each subject. For MEG, in three subjects a very precise activation in V1 was identified at 42 ms for at least one of the two larger stimulus sizes (radii 4.5 and 5.2 degrees ). When this V1 activity was present, it marked the beginning of a weak wave of excitations in striate and extrastriate areas which ended at 50 ms (M50). The beginning of the next wave of activations (M70) was also marked by a brief V1 activation, mainly between 50 and 60 ms. The mean separation between V1 activation centers identified by fMRI and the earliest MEG activation was 3-5 mm.

Somatosensory stimulation of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) using frequency discrimination offers a direct, well-defined and accessible way of studying cortical decisions at the locus of early input processing. Animal studies have identified and classified the neuronal responses in SI but they have not yet resolved whether during prolonged stimulation the collective SI response just passively reflects the input or actively participates in the comparison and decision processes. This question was investigated using tomographic analysis of single trial magnetoencephalographic data. Four right-handed males participated in a frequency discrimination task to detect changes in the frequency of an electrical stimulus applied to the right-hand digits 2+3+4. The subjects received approximately 600 pairs of stimuli with Stim1 always at 21 Hz, while Stim2 was either 21 Hz (50%) or varied from 22 to 29 Hz in steps of 1 Hz. Both stimuli were 1 s duration, separated by a 1 s interval of no stimulation. The left-SI was the most consistently activated area and showed the first activation peak at 35-48 ms after Stim1 onset and sustained activity during both stimulus periods. During the Stim2 period, we found that the left-SI activation started to differ significantly between two groups of trials (21 versus 26-29 Hz) within the first 100 ms and this difference was sustained and enhanced thereafter (approximately 600 ms). When only correct responses from the above two groups were used, the difference was even higher at later latencies (approximately 650 ms). For one subject who had enough trials of same perception to different input frequencies, e.g. responded 21 Hz to Stim2 at 21 Hz (correct) and 26-29 Hz (error), we found the sustained difference only before 650 ms. Our results suggest that SI is involved with the analysis of an input frequency and related to perception and decision at different latencies.