This study assessed the utility of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) perseverative response score in detecting and localizing frontal lobe brain lesions, A normal comparison group and groups of patients with focal and diffuse cerebral lesions were administered the WCST and the Halstead-Reitan Battery. Significant differences were found between the neurologically normal group and the total brain-damaged sample on WCST perseverative responses. Among brain-damaged groups, frontal groups were significantly more impaired than nonfrontal groups on perseverative responses but were not more impaired than a diffuse group, even when generalized neuropsychological impairment was controlled. Two discriminant functions were developed to assess the utility of the perseverative response measure in classifying individual frontal and nonfrontal cases in conjunction with demographic and Halstead-Reitan Battery variables. The results suggest that the WCST is a clinically useful tool for discriminating frontal from nonfrontal lesions, and a better single discriminant than any test currently in the Halstead-Reitan Battery.Historically, a relatively unmet challenge in clinical neuropsychology has been the identification of tests that measure deficits specific to the frontal lobes and that have the power to discriminate frontal from nonfrontal brain lesions. For example, in attempting to localize cases of focal and diffuse brain lesions using results from the Halstead-Reitan Battery, Reitan (1964) found the highest misclassification rate with the patients having focal frontal damage. Although most patients with frontal damage do show impairment on the Halstead-Reitan Battery (Halstead, 1947) as well as on other neuropsychological tests, the deficits that This article is based on a paper submitted by the first author to the University of Denver in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Psychology degree. The authors thank Frederick J. Todd and Paul E. Jarvis for their helpful suggestions about the manuscript.

Abstract:Purpose: To examine the influence of an acute dose of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) on buffering capacity and performance during a repeated sprint ability (RSA) protocol. Methods: Eleven (mean ± SD: age 24.6 ± 6.1y; mass 74.9 ± 5.7kg; height 177.2 ± 6.7cm) participated in the study, undertaking four test sessions. On the first visit to the laboratory, each participant ingested 300 mg.kg-1 of NaHCO3 (in 450ml of flavoured water) and blood samples were obtained at regular intervals to determine the individual times peak pH and HCO3-response time. During the subsequent visits, participants ingested either 300mg.kg-1 of NaHCO3, or 270 mg.kg-1 BM of NaCI or no drink followed by a RSA cycling protocol (10 x 6s sprints with 60s recovery), which commenced at each individuals pre-determined ingestion peak pH response time. Blood samples were obtained pre-exercise, and after the 1st, 5th and 10th sprint to determine the blood pH, HCO3-and lactate (La-) responses. Results: The total work completed during the repeated sprint protocol was higher (P < 0.05) in the NaHCO3 condition (69.8 ± 11.7kJ) compared with both the control (59.6±12.2 kJ) and placebo (63.0±8.3 kJ) conditions. Peak power output (PPO) was similar (P > 0.05) between the three conditions. Relative to the control and placebo conditions, NaHCO3 ingestion induced higher (P < 0.05) blood pH and HCO3-concentrations pre-exercise and during the bouts, and higher lactate concentrations (P < 0.05) following the final sprint. Conclusion: The results from the present study suggest that NaHCO3-improves the total amount of work completed during RSA through enhanced buffering capacity. Results:The total work completed during the repeated sprint protocol was higher (P < 0.05) in the NaHCO 3 condition (69.8 ± 11.7kJ) compared with both the control (59.6±12.2 kJ) and placebo (63.0±8.3 kJ) conditions. Peak power output (PPO) was similar (P > 0.05) between the three conditions. Relative to the control and placebo conditions, NaHCO 3 ingestion induced higher (P < 0.05) blood pH and HCO 3 -concentrations pre-exercise and during the bouts, and higher lactate concentrations (P < 0.05) following the final sprint. Conclusion: The results from the present study suggest that NaHCO 3 -improves the total amount of work completed during RSA through enhanced buffering capacity.

SummaryHematopoiesis is a multistage process involving the differentiation of stem and progenitor cells into distinct mature cell lineages. Here we present Haemopedia, an atlas of murine gene-expression data containing 54 hematopoietic cell types, covering all the mature lineages in hematopoiesis. We include rare cell populations such as eosinophils, mast cells, basophils, and megakaryocytes, and a broad collection of progenitor and stem cells. We show that lineage branching and maturation during hematopoiesis can be reconstructed using the expression patterns of small sets of genes. We also have identified genes with enriched expression in each of the mature blood cell lineages, many of which show conserved lineage-enriched expression in human hematopoiesis. We have created an online web portal called Haemosphere to make analyses of Haemopedia and other blood cell transcriptional datasets easier. This resource provides simple tools to interrogate gene-expression-based relationships between hematopoietic cell types and genes of interest.

Given that the enhanced oxidative adaptations observed when training in carbohydrate (CHO)-restricted states is potentially regulated through free fatty acid (FFA)-mediated signalling and that leucine-rich protein elevates muscle protein synthesis, the present study aimed to test the hypothesis that leucine-enriched protein feeding enhances circulating leucine concentration but does not impair FFA availability or whole body lipid oxidation during exercise. Nine males cycled for 2 h at 70% VO2peak when fasted (PLACEBO) or having consumed a whey protein solution (WHEY) or a leucine-enriched whey protein gel (GEL), administered as 22 g 1 h pre-exercise, 11 g/h during and 22 g 30 min post-exercise. Total leucine administration was 14.4 g and 6.3 in GEL and WHEY, respectively. Mean plasma leucine concentrations were elevated in GEL (P = 0.001) compared with WHEY and PLACEBO (375 ± 100, 272 ± 51, 146 ± 14 µmol L(-1), respectively). No differences (P = 0.153) in plasma FFA (WHEY 0.53 ± 0.30, GEL 0.45 ± 0.25, PLACEBO 0.65 ± 0.30, mmol L(-1)) or whole body lipid oxidation during exercise (WHEY 0.37 ± 0.26, GEL 0.36 ± 0.24, PLACEBO 0.34 ± 0.24 g/min) were apparent between trials, despite elevated (P = 0.001) insulin in WHEY and GEL compared with PLACEBO (38 ± 16, 35 ± 16, 22 ± 11 pmol L(-1), respectively). We conclude that leucine-enriched protein feeding does not impair FFA availability or whole body lipid oxidation during exercise, thus having practical applications for athletes who deliberately train in CHO-restricted states to promote skeletal muscle adaptations