Shorter duration of depressive episode may predict response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

We investigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a treatment for major depression. The experimental design comprised 15 medication-free subjects with major depressive disorder who were randomly assigned to receive 10 sessions of active or sham 10-Hz rTMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 110% motor threshold. Depression severity was measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Antigen-selected, immunoglobulin-secreting cells persist in human spleen and bone marrow.

Plasma cells (PCs) represent the final stage of B-cell differentiation and are devoted to the production of immunoglobulin (Ig). Perturbations to their development can result in human disorders characterized by PC expansion and hypergammaglobulinemia. Ig-secreting cells (ISCs) have been identified in secondary lymphoid tissues and bone marrow (BM).

Personality as a predictor of the value of voice.

The opportunity for workers to provide input, also known as voice, has received extensive study. The contrasting relational and instrumental theories of voice have stimulated research investigating why people value voice. However, researchers have yet to assess individual differences in the actual value that people place on voice.

Reactions to diversity in recruitment advertising--are differences black and white?

The portrayal of racial diversity in corporate recruitment advertisements has become increasingly common. Despite widespread sentiment that ad diversity attracts a broader scope of applicants, empirical research on this topic is sparse. Consequently, the present study manipulated ad diversity at 2 hierarchical levels to assess its impact on organizational attractiveness for 273 Black and White university students.

BAFF selectively enhances the survival of plasmablasts generated from human memory B cells.

The generation of Ig-secreting cells (ISCs) from memory B cells requires interactions between antigen-specific (Ag-specific) B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells. This process must be strictly regulated to ensure sufficient humoral immunity while avoiding production of pathogenic autoantibodies. BAFF, a member of the TNF family, is a key regulator of B cell homeostasis.

Intrinsic differences in the proliferation of naive and memory human B cells as a mechanism for enhanced secondary immune responses.

Humoral immune responses elicited after secondary exposure to immunizing Ag are characterized by robust and elevated reactivity of memory B cells that exceed those of naive B cells during the primary response. The mechanism underlying this difference in responsiveness of naive vs memory B cells remains unclear. We have quantitated the response of naive and memory human B cells after in vitro stimulation with T cell-derived stimuli.

A division-linked mechanism for the rapid generation of Ig-secreting cells from human memory B cells.

Memory B cells, when re-exposed to Ag and T cell help, differentiate into Ig-secreting cells (ISC) at the same time as maintaining a residual pool of non-Ig-secreting cells with memory capabilities. To investigate the mechanism underlying this dual process, we followed the fate of human B cells activated in vitro with the T cell-derived signals CD40 ligand (CD40L), IL-2, and IL-10 using CFSE to monitor cell division. A substantial number of ISCs detected by ELISPOT, intracellular Ig staining, and Ig secretion could be generated from memory but not naive B cells.

Group and individual cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety disorders: a randomized trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of group and individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in children with Axis I anxiety disorders. It was hypothesized that certain subgroups would respond preferentially to one modality.

Method: Seventy-eight children aged 8-12 years with diagnosed anxiety disorders were randomly assigned to a 12-week, manual-based program of group or individual CBT, both with parental involvement.

A meta-analysis of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of depression.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an emerging potential treatment for depression, but the data supporting its efficacy have not been systematically reviewed. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of rTMS trials in the treatment of depression. A search for all published and unpublished sham-controlled studies of left or right prefrontal cortical rTMS in the treatment of depression evaluated by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) was conducted using no language restrictions.

Isotype switching by human B cells is division-associated and regulated by cytokines.

Isotype switching by murine B cells follows a pattern whereby the proportion of cells undergoing switching increases with division number and is regulated by cytokines. Here we explored whether human B cells behaved in a similar manner. The effect of IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13, alone or in combination, on Ig isotype switching by highly purified naive human CD40 ligand (CD40L)-activated B cells was measured against division number over various harvest times.

CD84 is up-regulated on a major population of human memory B cells and recruits the SH2 domain containing proteins SAP and EAT-2.

CD84 is a member of the CD2 subset of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface receptors. Several members of this family are involved in the activation of T cells and NK cells. Although CD84 was originally cloned from a human B cell line cDNA library, very little is known regarding its biology on primary human leukocytes.

Is dawn simulation effective in ameliorating the difficulty awakening in seasonal affective disorder associated with hypersomnia?

Background: Patients with winter depression, (seasonal affective disorder, SAD) frequently complain of difficulty awakening in the morning. Dawn simulation has been found effective in treating SAD, but its effect on difficulty awakening has not been assessed.

Methods: Fifty medication-free patients with SAD associated with hypersomnia were randomized to receive either 1 week of dawn simulation (250 lux) or a dim (0.

Antibacterial and physical properties of resin modified glass-ionomers combined with chlorhexidine.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on mechanical properties and antimicrobial activity of the addition of chlorhexidine (CHX) to a resin modified glass-ionomer (Photac-fil, ESPE, Norristown, PA, USA). Chlorhexidine diacetate was combined with a resin modified glass-ionomer material at a concentration of 5%. The samples were tested for hardness, tensile strength and erosion at 24 h and 6-week intervals and for elution of CHX and antimicrobial activity weekly for 6 weeks.

Disentangling the effects of voice: the incremental roles of opportunity, behavior, and instrumentality in predicting procedural fairness.

Many voice studies have failed to distinguish among voice opportunity, perceived voice opportunity, voice behavior, and voice instrumentality. Thus, the authors sought to clarify the roles of each in determining procedural fairness perceptions. Controlling for the effect of voice opportunity, each of the 3 remaining constructs was hypothesized to predict fairness.

Dawn simulation and bright light in the treatment of SAD: a controlled study.

Background: Some small controlled studies have found that dawn simulation is effective in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD). With a larger sample size and a longer duration of treatment, we compared dawn simulation with bright light therapy and a placebo condition in patients with SAD.

Method: Medication-free patients with SAD were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: bright light therapy (10,000 lux for 30 min, from 6:00 AM to 6:30 AM), dawn simulation (1.

The Plio-Pleistocene vegetation and climate of Sterkfontein and Swartkrans, South Africa, based on micromammals.

Micromammalian remains from Oldowan and Acheulean horizons in Sterkfontein Member 5E (M5E-O and M5E-A) and Swartkrans Members 1-3 (SKX1-3) provide information for the period between about 2 and 1 Ma. Another small sample from Sterkfontein Member 4 (M4) refers to a short period around 2.8-2.

A note on hair whorl position and cattle temperament in the auction ring.

The objective of this study was to further describe the relationships between facial hair whorls and temperament in cattle. Cattle (n=1636) from six commercial cattle auctions in Colorado and Texas were observed. Whorl location was classified according to lateral position (left, right, or middle) and height (high: above the top of the eye, middle: at eye level, low: below the bottom of the eye).

Bright light therapy of subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder in the workplace: morning vs. afternoon exposure.

Objective: Bright light therapy in seasonal affective disorder (SAD) has been studied extensively. However, little attention has been given to subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (SSAD) or the use of bright light in the workplace. Many patients using bright light boxes complain of the inconvenience of use.

Subchronic cocaine produces training paradigm-dependent learning deficits in laboratory rats.

The effect of cocaine on spatial learning was investigated by exposing male Sprague-Dawley rats to 0, 20, or 40 mg/kg cocaine prior to and during training on a water maze task. Half the animals were pretrained on cued trials prior to hidden platform trials, while the remaining animals completed hidden platform trials immediately. Escape latencies for all animals improved with training, but pretrained animals located the hidden platform faster than untrained animals (P<.