Improved Assessment of Significant Activation in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): Use of a Cluster-Size Threshold

The typical functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) study presents a formidable problem of multiple statistical comparisons (i.e, > 10,000 in a 128 x 128 image). To protect against false positives, investigators have typically relied on decreasing the per pixel false positive probability. This approach incurs an inevitable loss of power to detect statistically significant activity. An alternative approach, which relies on the assumption that areas of true neural activity will tend to stimulate signal changes over contiguous pixels, is presented. If one knows the probability distribution of such cluster sizes as a function of per pixel false positive probability, one can use cluster-size thresholds independently to reject false positives. Both Monte Carlo simulations and fMRI studies of human subjects have been used to verify that this approach can improve statistical power by as much as fivefold over techniques that rely solely on adjusting per pixel false positive probabilities.     

Some behavioral effects of repeated d-amphetamine administrations

Effects of daily administrations of d-amphetamine were studied on key peck responses of pigeons maintained under a multiple fixed-interval 2-min, fixed-ratio 30-responseschedule. Under the fixed-interval schedule, a pause was followed by a transition to increasing rates of responding until food presentation. Under the fixed-ratio schedule, higher sustained rates of responding were maintained. Low to intermediate doses (0.3-1.0 mg/kg) of d-amphetamine changed the temporal patterns and occasionally increased rates of responding under the fixed-interval schedule. Higher doses decreased rates of responding under bothschedules. With daily injections of 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine prior to experimental sessions, the effects of this dose on rates and patterns of responding were attenuated, and d-anphetamine dose-effect curves were shifted to the right, primarily under the fixed-ratio schedule. Similar results were obtained with daily presession injections of 5.6 mg/kg d-amphetamine in a second group of pigeons, except that rates of responding under both schedules were decreased by this daily dose, and did not return completely to control values with repeated injections. In a third group of pigeons, 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine administered daily, after experimental sessions, did not alter dose-effect functions for d-amphetamine. In a second experiment, pigeons were trained to peck one response key when given 1.0 mg/kg d-amphetamine and a different key when given presession water injections. Increasing doses of d-amphetamine produced incresing percentages of d-amphetamine-key responses. Repeated administration of 5.6 mg/kg d-amphetamine shifted these dose-effect functions to the right one-half log unit. Results suggested that decreases in reinforcement frequency are not a necessary condition for the development of behavioral tolerance to d-amphetamine.     

New approaches to QSAR: Neural networks and machine learning

Summary Neural networks and machine learning are two methods that are increasingly being used to model QSARs. They make few statistical assumptions and are nonlinear and nonparametric. We describe back-propagation from the field of neural networks, and GOLEM from machine learning, and illustrate their learning mechanisms using a simple expository problem. Back-propagation and GOLEM are then compared with multiple linear regression (using the parameters and their squares) on two real drug design problems: the inhibition ofEscherichia coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) by pyrimidines and the inhibition of rat/mouse tumour DHFR by triazines.     

Promoting repeat mammography use: insights from a systematic needs assessment.

This article describes the process and outcome of a needs assessment conducted to guide the development of interventions to increase repeat mammography use among participants in a federally funded cancer screening program. Health behavior theory and data from a phone survey are used to uncover key barriers to repeat mammography use and to identify fruitful intervention approaches for modifying them. Estimates of (a) compliance with mammography guidelines, (b) readiness to adopt regular mammography use, (c) the most common reasons for not being rescreened, and (d) population attributable risks associated with various predictors of repeat mammography use are presented and, with guidance from the transtheoretical model of behavior change, used to make inferences about the type of intervention strategies most appropriate for promoting repeat mammography use in this population.     

Variation in the diagnosis of vesicoureteric reflux using micturating cystourethrography

  Variability in the interpretation of micturating cystourethrography by paediatric radiologists for the diagnosis of vesicoureteric reflux in children was evaluated. All 265 micturating cystourethrograms (MCUs) that were available from 304 consecutive children aged 0.5 – 61 months  –  who were investigated after their first urine infection between 1993 and 1995 as part of a prospective cohort study  –  were selected for interpretation. Three experienced paediatric radiologists from the same department independently interpreted the MCUs according to the grading system of the International Reflux Study in Children, from grades 0 to V, with the presence of intrarenal reflux also noted. Apart from being informed that urine infection was the indication for the MCU, no other clinical information was given to the radiologists. The indices of variability used were the percentage of agreement and the kappa statistic, expressed as a percentage. Both measures were weighted with integers representing the number of categories from perfect agreement. Disagreement was analysed for children and kidneys. For the diagnosis of vesicoureteric reflux in individual patients, including grade, the percentage of agreement was 96% – 97% (kappa 90% – 91%) and the weighted percentage of agreement was 96% – 98% (weighted kappa 93% – 94%). The same high level of agreement was present for individual kidneys, with a percentage of agreement of 97% – 98% (kappa 89% – 92%) and a weighted percentage of agreement of 98% – 99% (kappa 94% – 95%). There was near perfect agreement in the interpretation of radiological micturating cystourethrography among three experienced paediatric radiologists for the diagnosis and grade of vesicoureteric reflux. Any variations in the medical care of children suspected of having vesicoureteric reflux are not explained by differences in the reporting of this diagnostic test. Received June 19, 1996; received in revised form November 1, 1996; accepted December 6, 1996     

Splenic abscess and peritonitis in a continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patient

A 26-year-old female was on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) because of diabetic end-stage renal failure. She developed an acute peritonitis that relapsed repeatedly despite appropriate antibiotic treatment. Investigations showed the presence of a splenic abscess, and splenectomy and peritoneal cannula removal were required. The patient died of myocardial infarction two weeks postoperatively. This is the first recorded case of peritonitis secondary to splenic abscess in a CAPD patient. Autopsy findings suggest that the abscess developed from infection of a splenic infarct.     

Solitary necrotic nodule of the liver: A riddle that is difficult to answer

Solitary necrotic nodule of the liver is an unusual lesion that is often an incidental finding on abdominal imaging, intraoperative examination, or post mortem. Most reported cases of solitary necrotic nodule have been in males, and over three quarters of these lesions have occurred in the right lobe of the liver. Pathologically, solitary necrotic nodule is a benign lesion characterized by a completely necrotic core that is often partly calcified, surrounded by a dense hyalinized fibrous capsule containing elastin fibres. The ultrasound appearance of solitary necrotic nodule is usually of a “target” lesion with a hyperechoic center, while on CT scan they appear as non-enhancing hypodense lesions that are typical of metastatic adenocarcinoma or peripheral cholangiocarcinoma. The impression of malignancy is further enforced with the finding of necrotic cellular material on biopsy and the macroscopically hard and “gritty” nature of the nodules. Currently, permanent histopathology of solitary necrotic nodules is the only accurate method of diagnosis. However, solitary necrotic nodules are usually of a bilobed or lobulated shape that is unusual for malignant liver lesions, and they often lie in close proximity to hepatic inflow structures. Solitary necrotic nodule should be suspected in liver lesions with this configuration, location, and on a biopsy showing a large amount of necrosis.     

Fipamezole (JP-1730) is a potent alpha2 adrenergic receptor antagonist that reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesia in the MPTP-lesioned primate model of Parkinson's disease.

Previous studies in the MPTP-lesioned primate model of Parkinson's disease have demonstrated that alpha(2) adrenergic receptor antagonists such as idazoxan, rauwolscine, and yohimbine can alleviate L-dopa-induced dyskinesia and, in the case of idazoxan, enhance the duration of anti-parkinsonian action of L-dopa. Here we describe a novel alpha(2) antagonist, fipamezole (JP-1730), which has high affinity at human alpha(2A) (K(i), 9.2 nM), alpha(2B) (17 nM), and alpha(2C) (55 nM) receptors. In functional assays, the potent antagonist properties of JP-1730 were demonstrated by its ability to reduce adrenaline-induced (35)S-GTPgammaS binding with K(B) values of 8.4 nM, 16 nM, 4.7 nM at human alpha(2A), alpha(2B), and alpha(2C) receptors, respectively. Assessment of the ability of JP-1730 to bind to a range of 30 other binding sites showed that JP-1730 also had moderate affinity at histamine H1 and H3 receptors and the serotonin (5-HT) transporter (IC(50) 100 nM to 1 microM). In the MPTP-lesioned marmoset, JP-1730 (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced L-dopa-induced dyskinesia without compromising the anti-parkinsonian action of L-dopa. The duration of action of the combination of L-dopa and JP-1730 (10 mg/kg) was 66% greater than that of L-dopa alone. These data suggest that JP-1730 is a potent alpha(2) adrenergic receptor antagonist with potential as an anti-dyskinetic agent in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.