bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of persistence on behaviour of fractured rock masses
Authors: Kim B. H. , Kaiser P. K. , Grasselli G.
Published: December 2007

Most of the models that simulate fractured rock masses assume fully persistent discontinuities, simplifying the fact that, in nature, fractured rock masses are made of non-continuous sets of joints. A rock bridge gives an effective cohesion to the fracture and a block of rock cannot fall or slide until all the rock bridges fail. This failure involves the failure of the intact rock, which can be orders of magnitude stronger than the shear strength of the rock joint. In this study we focus on how the distribution of rock bridges influences the overall rock mass behaviour, to contribute to the understanding of how the presence of rock bridges influences the ‘scale’ effect that is observed between strength values measured on intact rock in the laboratory and those observed at the rock mass scale. To estimate the influence of spatial fracture, parameters of the rock mass strength and deformation were determined, using the orthogonal arrays method, UDEC and variance analysis. The numerical model was first calibrated on shear tests of samples made of continuous joints, and then used to investigate the shear behaviour of a fractured rock mass with non-persistent joints. The 2D approach was successfully extended to 3D models using 3DEC with the aim of providing a better approach for simulating the stability of an underground cavern in a fractured rockmass.
Fractured rock hydromechanics: from borehole testing to solute transport and CO
2
storage
Authors: Tsang C.-F. , Rutqvist J. , Min K.-B.
Published: December 2007

The interaction between mechanical deformation and fluid flow in fractured rock gives rise to a host of coupled hydromechanical processes, which form the basis of a number of interesting research questions with practical implications. This paper will first discuss these processes in general, describing two numerical models that have been developed to analyse these processes. Then, four very different studies will be presented to illustrate the richness of this field. The first study has to do with borehole injection testing to determine fracture parameters and how hydromechanical effects will modify test results. The second study is on stress changes (caused by stress release) in rock near a tunnel during excavation, which cause significant changes in fluid pressures in the region. The third study is on the relationship between mechanical effects and flow anisotropy and channelling in a rock block with a fracture network. The fourth study pertains to the hydromechanical effects associated with deep CO
2
injection and storage. These examples serve to demonstrate the various interesting research problems in fractured rock hydromechanics. In the coming years, we expect intensified activity and further advances in this exciting field of research.
Characterization of pore-space heterogeneity in sandstone by X-ray computed tomography
Authors: Louis L. , Baud P. , Wong T.-F.
Published: December 2007

In this study we review some of the recent advances in the application of X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) to geomaterials. This non-destructive technique based on density contrasts provides 2D images comparable with micrographs and 3D reconstructions at various resolutions depending on the acquisition setup. Synchrotron images with resolution of a few microns allow for 3D mapping of the pore space and can be used to perform 3D fluid flow simulations. ‘Industrial’ CT systems can provide images of centimetre-sized samples with a resolution of
c
. 50 µm. This resolution is suitable for studying centimetre-scale structural heterogeneities and compaction localization, as illustrated in recent studies. Starting from images taken at both synchrotron and industrial resolutions in intact samples of porous sandstones, we show that important conclusions on pore-space heterogeneity can be drawn from global and local analysis of the distributions of X-ray attenuation values. The global analysis is used in particular to identify relatively homogeneous materials in which compaction bands are likely to develop. Local analysis performed over small clusters of voxels appears to have more potential for the geometric description of the pore space. We show the existence of a resolution at which the local coefficient of variation of the X-ray distributions reaches a maximum. This resolution, which is about an order of magnitude lower than synchrotron resolution, appears to be related to the pore size, and the corresponding coefficient of variation to the porosity.
Understanding tsunamis, potential source regions and tsunami-prone mechanisms in the Eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Yolsal S. , Taymaz T. , Yalçiner A. C.
Published: December 2007

Historical tsunamis and tsunami propagation are synthesized in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea region, with particular attention to the Hellenic and the Cyprus arcs and the Levantine basin, to obtain a better picture of the tsunamigenic zones. Historical data of tsunami manifestation in the region are analysed, and compared with current seismic activity and plate interactions. Numerical simulations of potential and historical tsunamis reported in the Cyprus and Hellenic arcs are performed as case studies in the context of the nonlinear shallow-water theory. Tsunami wave heights as well as their distribution function are calculated for the Paphos earthquake of 11 May 1222 and the Crete earthquake of 8 August 1303 as illustrative examples depicting the characteristics of tsunami propagation, and the effects of coastal topography and near-shore amplification. The simulation studies also revealed that the long-normal distributions are compatible with reported damage. Furthermore, it is necessary to note that high-resolution bathymetry maps are a crucial component in tsunami wave simulations, and this aspect is rather poorly developed in the Eastern Mediterranean. The current study also demonstrates the role of bottom irregularities in determining the wave-height distribution near coastlines. Assuming the probability of occurrence of destructive tsunamigenic earthquakes, these studies will help us to evaluate the tsunami hazard for the coastal plains of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea region. We suggest that future oceanographic and marine geophysical research should aim to improve the resolution of bathymetric maps, particularly for the details of the continental shelf and seamounts.
Late Quaternary sedimentation and tectonics in the submarine Şarköy Canyon, western Marmara Sea (Turkey)
Authors: Ergin M. , Uluadam E. , Sarikavak K. , Keskin Ş. , Gökaşan E. , Tur H.
Published: December 2007

Influences of tectonics and late Quaternary sea-level changes on sedimentation in the submarine Şarköy Canyon, western Marmara Sea (Turkey) were investigated using a total of 37 seismic reflection profiles and 12 gravity sediment cores (with 63–435 cm thicknesses), which were collected at water depths ranging from 62 to 245 m.
14
C ages of base sections in three cores (11.585, 11.845 and 24.915 ka
bp
) and upward fining of grain size in the cores suggest that these sediments must have been deposited since the sea-level lowstand at about 12 ka
bp,
when the conditions in the Marmara Sea began to change from lacustrine to the present marine phase. With some exceptions, siliciclastic mud (silt+clay >90%) with low carbonate contents (<15% CaCO
3
) is the dominant sediment type covering the floor of the canyon. The high organic carbon contents (1–2%) with slight downcore-increasing tendencies reflect higher primary organic productivities towards the early Holocene. Faults, sedimentation deformation structures, and submarine slides or slumps observed on seismic profiles, varying elevations of dated lowstand palaeoshores and low water contents (19–25%) of sediments at some sites together strongly indicate the important effect of neotectonics on sedimentation in this canyon. On the seismic profiles at least four stratigraphic units were recognized overlying the pre-Miocene basement, which indicate not only the effects of faulting and folding but also changing conditions and related depositional environments in and around the canyon. Geological evolution and thus the sea-floor morphology of the Şarköy Canyon is controlled by both regional Plio-Quaternary tectonics and global Quaternary sea-level changes.
The magnetism in tectonically controlled travertine as a palaeoseismological tool: examples from the Sıcak Çermik geothermal field, central Turkey
Authors: Gürsoy H. , Mesci B. L. , Piper J. D. A. , Tatar O. , Davies C. J.
Published: December 2007

In regions of neotectonic activity geothermal waters flow into extensional fissures and deposit successive layers of carbonate as fissure travertine incorporating small amounts of ferromagnetic grains. The same waters spill out onto the surface to deposit bedded travertine, which may also incorporate wind-blown dust with a ferromagnetic component. Travertine deposits are linked to earthquake activity because geothermal reservoirs are reset and activated by earthquake fracturing but tend to become sealed by deposition of carbonate between events. A weak ferromagnetism records the ambient field at the time of deposition and sequential deposition can identify cycles of secular variation of the geomagnetic field to provide a means of estimating the rate of travertine growth. The palaeomagnetic record in three travertine fissures from the Sıcak Çermik geothermal field in central Anatolia dated to between 100 and 360 ka by U–Th determinations has been examined to relate the geomagnetic signature to earthquake-induced layering. Sequential sampling from the margins (earliest deposition) to the centres (last deposition) identifies directional migrations reminiscent of geomagnetic secular variation. On the assumption that these cycles record time periods of 1–2 ka, the number of travertine layers identifies resetting of the geothermal system by earthquakes every 50–100 years. Travertine precipitation occurs at rates of 0.1–0.3 mm a
−1
on each side of the extensional fissures and at a rate an order higher than for bedded travertine on the surface. Earthquakes of magnitude M≤4 occur too frequently in the Sivas Basin to have any apparent influence on travertine deposition but earthquakes with M in the range 4.5–5.5 occur with a frequency compatible with the travertine layering, and it appears to be events of this order that are recorded by sequential travertine deposition. Two signatures of much larger earthquakes on a 1–10 ka time scale are also present in the travertine deposition: (1) the incidental emplacement of massive travertine or fracturing of earlier travertine without destruction of the fissure as a site of travertine emplacement; (2) termination of the fissure as a site of deposition with transfer of the geothermal activity to a new fracture. The presence of some 25 fractures in the
c
. 300 ka Sıcak Çermik field growing at rates of 0.1–0.6 mm a
−1
suggests that the type (2) signature may be achieved by an M
c
. 7.5 event approximately every 10 ka.
Distribution and chronology of submarine volcanic rocks around Santorini and their relationship to faulting
Authors: Piper D. J. W. , Pe-Piper G. , Perissoratis C. , Anastasakis G.
Published: December 2007

Seismic reflection profiles from the marine areas around Santorini in the south Aegean arc show the distribution of active faults and the occurrence of submarine volcanic rocks interfingering with stratified basinal sediment. Santorini is located at the intersection of fault sets of different ages. To the west, active faults trend east–west, whereas to the east, active faults trend ENE–WSW and a slightly older set of faults trends NE–SW. Subsurface submarine volcanic rocks can be dated using ages estimated for the stratified basin sediments elsewhere in the Milos–Christiani Basin. Volcanic horizons off Santorini correlate with the main (young) Akrotiri (0.65–0.55 Ma) and old Akrotiri (1.6 ka) volcanic episodes, respectively. Off Christiani, the upper unit of volcanic rocks is of similar age to the young Akrotiri episode and the lower volcanic unit is likely to be of latest Pliocene age. Late Neogene basin subsidence and volcanism are a consequence of changing patterns of faulting resulting from the collision of the African and Aegean–Anatolian plates.
Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibition in Low-Risk Patients Early After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Authors: Rouleau Jean L. , Warnica Wayne J. , Baillot Richard , Block Pierre J. , Chocron Sidney , Johnstone David , Myers Martin G. , Calciu Cristina-Dana , Dalle-Ave Sonia , Martineau Pierre , Mormont Christine , van Gilst Wiek H.
Published: December 2007

Background—

Early after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), activation of numerous neurohumoral and endogenous vasodilator systems occurs that could be influenced favorably by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors.

Methods and Results—

The Ischemia Management with Accupril post–bypass Graft via Inhibition of the coNverting Enzyme (IMAGINE) trial tested whether early initiation (≤7 days) of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor after CABG reduced cardiovascular events in stable patients with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥40%. The trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 2553 patients randomly assigned to quinapril, target dose 40 mg/d, or placebo, who were followed up to a maximum of 43 months. The mean (SD) age was 61 (10) years. The incidence of the primary composite end point (cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, unstable angina or heart failure requiring hospitalization, documented angina, and stroke) was 13.7% in the quinapril group and 12.2% in the placebo group (hazard ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 0.92 to 1.42,
P
=0.212) over a median follow-up of 2.95 years. The incidence of the primary composite end point increased significantly in the first 3 months after CABG in the quinapril group (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.03 to 2.26,
P
=0.0356). Adverse events also increased in the quinapril group, particularly during the first 3 months after CABG.

Conclusions—

In patients at low risk of cardiovascular events after CABG, routine early initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy does not appear to improve clinical outcome up to 3 years after CABG; however, it increases the incidence of adverse events, particularly early after CABG. Thus, early after CABG, initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy should be individualized and continually reassessed over time according to risk.
Effectiveness of Bystander-Initiated Cardiac-Only Resuscitation for Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Iwami Taku , Kawamura Takashi , Hiraide Atsushi , Berg Robert A. , Hayashi Yasuyuki , Nishiuchi Tatsuya , Kajino Kentaro , Yonemoto Naohiro , Yukioka Hidekazu , Sugimoto Hisashi , Kakuchi Hiroyuki , Sase Kazuhiro , Yokoyama Hiroyuki , Nonogi Hiroshi
Published: December 2007

Background—

Previous animal and clinical studies suggest that bystander-initiated cardiac-only resuscitation may be superior to conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Our hypothesis was that both cardiac-only bystander resuscitation and conventional bystander CPR would improve outcomes from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of ≤15 minutes’ duration, whereas the addition of rescue breathing would improve outcomes for cardiac arrests lasting >15 minutes.

Methods and Results—

We carried out a prospective, population-based, observational study involving consecutive patients with emergency responder resuscitation attempts from May 1, 1998, through April 30, 2003. The primary outcome measure was 1-year survival with favorable neurological outcome. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between type of CPR and outcomes. Among the 4902 witnessed cardiac arrests, 783 received conventional CPR, and 544 received cardiac-only resuscitation. Excluding very-long-duration cardiac arrests (>15 minutes), the cardiac-only resuscitation yielded a higher rate of 1-year survival with favorable neurological outcome than no bystander CPR (4.3% versus 2.5%; odds ratio, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.95), and conventional CPR showed similar effectiveness (4.1%; odds ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 0.95 to 2.60). For the very-long-duration arrests, neurologically favorable 1-year survival was greater in the conventional CPR group, but there were few survivors regardless of the type of bystander CPR (0.3% [2 of 624], 0% [0 of 92], and 2.2% [3 of 139] in the no bystander CPR, cardiac-only CPR, and conventional CPR groups, respectively;
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Bystander-initiated cardiac-only resuscitation and conventional CPR are similarly effective for most adult out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. For very prolonged cardiac arrests, the addition of rescue breathing may be of some help.
Cardiac Sodium Channel Gene Variants and Sudden Cardiac Death in Women
Authors: Albert Christine M. , Nam Edwin G. , Rimm Eric B. , Jin Hong Wei , Hajjar Roger J. , Hunter David J. , MacRae Calum A. , Ellinor Patrick T.
Published: December 2007

Background—

Several cardiac ion channel genes have been implicated in monogenic traits with a high risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Mutations or rare variants in these genes have been proposed as potential contributors to more common forms of SCD, but this hypothesis has not been assessed systematically.

Methods and Results—

We directly sequenced the entire coding region and splice junctions of 5 cardiac ion channel genes, SCN5A, KCNQ1, KCNH2, KCNE1, and KCNE2, in 113 SCD cases from 2 large prospective cohorts of women (Nurses’ Health Study) and men (Health Professional Follow-Up Study). Controls from the same population were then screened for the presence of mutations or rare variants identified in cases, and sequence variants without prior functional data were expressed in
Xenopus
oocytes to assess their biophysical consequences. No mutations or rare variants were identified in any of the 53 subjects who were men. In contrast, in 6 of 60 women (10%), we identified 5 rare missense variants in SCN5A that either had been associated previously with long-QT syndrome (A572D and G615E), had been reported to alter sodium channel function (F2004L), or had not been reported previously in control populations (A572F and W1205C). Of the 4 variants without prior functional data, 3 variants were located in the I-II linker (A572D, A572F, and G615E), and all resulted in significantly shorter recovery times from inactivation. When compared with 733 control samples from the same population, the overall frequency of these rare variants in SCN5A was significantly higher in the SCD cases (6/60, 10.0%) than in controls (12/733, 1.6%;
P
=0.001).

Conclusion—

Functionally significant mutations and rare variants in SCN5A may contribute to SCD risk among women.
Physical Activity and Blood Pressure in Childhood
Authors: Leary Sam D. , Ness Andy R. , Smith George Davey , Mattocks Calum , Deere Kevin , Blair Steven N. , Riddoch Chris
Published: December 2007

The pathological processes associated with development of cardiovascular disease begin early in life. For example, elevated blood pressure (BP) can be seen in childhood and tracks into adulthood. The relationship between physical activity (PA) and BP in adults is well-established, but findings in children have been inconsistent, with few studies measuring PA mechanically. Children aged 11 to 12 years were recruited from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. 5505 had systolic and diastolic BP measurements, plus valid (at least 10 hours for at least 3 days) accelerometer measures of PA; total PA recorded as average counts per minute (cpm) over the period of valid recording, and minutes per day spent in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). Data on a number of possible confounders were also available. Small inverse associations were observed; for systolic BP, β=−0.44 (95% confidence interval −0.59, −0.28) mm Hg per 100 cpm, and β=−0.66 (95% CI −0.92, −0.39) mm Hg per 15 minutes/d MVPA, adjusting for child’s age and gender. After adjustment for potential confounders, associations were weakened but remained. When PA variables were modeled together, associations with total PA were only a little weaker, whereas those with MVPA were substantially reduced; for systolic BP, β=−0.42 (95% CI −0.71, −0.13) mm Hg per 100 cpm, and β=−0.03 (95% CI −0.54, 0.48) mm Hg per 15 minutes/d MVPA. In conclusion, higher levels of PA were associated with lower BP, and results suggested that the volume of activity may be more important than the intensity.
Aortic Diameter, Wall Stiffness, and Wave Reflection in Systolic Hypertension
Authors: Mitchell Gary F. , Conlin Paul R. , Dunlap Mark E. , Lacourcière Yves , Arnold J. Malcolm O. , Ogilvie Richard I. , Neutel Joel , Izzo Joseph L. , Pfeffer Marc A.
Published: December 2007

Systolic hypertension is associated with increased pulse pressure (PP) and increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However the pathogenesis of increased PP remains controversial. One hypothesis suggests that aortic dilatation, wall stiffening and increased pulse wave velocity result from elastin fragmentation, leading to a premature reflected pressure wave that contributes to elevated PP. An alternative hypothesis suggests that increased proximal aortic stiffness and reduced aortic diameter leads to mismatch between pressure and flow, giving rise to an increased forward pressure wave and increased PP. To evaluate these two hypotheses, we measured pulsatile hemodynamics and proximal aortic diameter directly using tonometry, ultrasound imaging, and Doppler in 167 individuals with systolic hypertension. Antihypertensive medications were withdrawn for at least 1 week before study. Patients with PP above the median (75 mm Hg) had lower aortic diameter (2.94±0.36 versus 3.13±0.28 cm,
P
<0.001) and higher aortic wall stiffness (elastance-wall stiffness product: 16.1±0.7 versus 15.7±0.7 ln[dyne/cm],
P
<0.001) with no difference in augmentation index (19.9±10.4 versus 17.5±10.0%,
P
=0.12). Aortic diameter and wall stiffness both increased with advancing age (
P
<0.001). However, an inverse relation between PP and aortic diameter remained significant (
P
<0.001) in models that adjusted for age, sex, height, and weight and then further adjusted for aortic wall stiffness, augmentation index, and mean arterial pressure. Among individuals with systolic hypertension, increased PP is primarily attributable to increased wall stiffness and reduced aortic diameter rather than premature wave reflection.
Activity-Adjusted 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Cardiac Remodeling in Children with Sleep Disordered Breathing
Authors: Amin Raouf , Somers Virend K. , McConnell Keith , Willging Paul , Myer Charles , Sherman Marc , McPhail Gary , Morgenthal Ashley , Fenchel Matthew , Bean Judy , Kimball Thomas , Daniels Stephen
Published: December 2007

Questions remain as to whether pediatric sleep disordered breathing increases the risk for elevated blood pressure and blood pressure–dependent cardiac remodeling. We tested the hypothesis that activity-adjusted morning blood pressure surge, blood pressure load, and diurnal and nocturnal blood pressure are significantly higher in children with sleep disordered breathing than in healthy controls and that these blood pressure parameters relate to left ventricular remodeling. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure parameters were compared between groups. The associations between blood pressure and left ventricular relative wall thickness and mass were measured. 140 children met the inclusion criteria. In children with apnea hypopnea index <5 per hour, a significant difference from controls was the morning blood surge. Significant increases in blood pressure surge, blood pressure load, and in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure were evident in those whom the apnea hypopnea index exceeded 5 per hour. Sleep disordered breathing and body mass index had similar effect on blood pressure parameters except for nocturnal diastolic blood pressure, where sleep disordered breathing had a significantly greater effect than body mass index. Diurnal and nocturnal systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial blood pressure predicted the changes in left ventricular relative wall thickness. Therefore, sleep disordered breathing in children who are otherwise healthy is independently associated with an increase in morning blood pressure surge, blood pressure load, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. The association between left ventricular remodeling and 24-hour blood pressure highlights the role of sleep disordered breathing in increasing cardiovascular morbidity.
Brain Microbleeds Are Associated With Ambulatory Blood Pressure Levels in a Hypertensive Population
Authors: Henskens Léon H.G. , van Oostenbrugge Robert J. , Kroon Abraham A. , de Leeuw Peter W. , Lodder Jan
Published: December 2007

Brain microbleeds, indicative of cerebral small-vessel disease, may occur with increased frequency in patients with hypertension. However, little is known about the relation of these abnormalities with blood pressure levels. We assessed the relation between ambulatory measured blood pressure and the presence of microbleeds in a cohort of hypertensive patients without a history of cerebrovascular disease. A total of 218 participants (110 males, age 52.5±12.6 years) underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring twice (off-medication) and brain MRI to detect microbleeds and coexisting white matter hyperintensities. We performed logistic regression analyses to relate the following blood pressure components (based on both recordings) to microbleeds: the mean 24-hour, awake, and asleep blood pressures; nocturnal hypertension (asleep pressure ≥120/70 mm Hg); nocturnal blood pressure dipping. Models were adjusted for age and sex, and additionally for cardiovascular risk factors and white matter hyperintensities. We detected microbleeds in 35 participants (16.1%; 95% confidence interval, 11.1% to 21.0%). On average, each standard deviation increment in blood pressure, whether 24-hour, awake, or asleep, was significantly and independently associated with a 1.8- to 1.9-fold higher likelihood for microbleeds (all models
P
<0.05). Similarly, the adjusted odds ratio for microbleeds was 5- to 6-fold higher in subjects diagnosed with nocturnal hypertension (all models
P
<0.05). Microbleeds were not associated with nocturnal dipping. In conclusion, brain microbleeds are frequently found in hypertensive patients without a history of cerebrovascular disease, and are independently associated with higher daytime as well as night-time blood pressure levels.
Identification of Mutated
Srebf1
as a QTL Influencing Risk for Hepatic Steatosis in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
Authors: Pravenec Michal , Kazdova Ludmila , Landa Vladimir , Zidek Vaclav , Mlejnek Petr , Simakova Miroslava , Jansa Petr , Forejt Jiri , Kren Vladimir , Krenova Drahomira , Qi Nathan , Wang Jia-Ming , Chan Derrick , Aitman Timothy J. , Kurtz Theodore W.
Published: December 2007

Approximately 30% of patients with hypertension have hepatic steatosis, and it has recently been proposed that fatty liver be considered a feature of the metabolic syndrome. Obesity, diet, and level of physical activity are likely factors modulating risk for hepatic steatosis, however genetic factors could also influence susceptibility or resistance to fatty liver in hypertensive or normotensive subjects. In genetic studies in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Brown Norway (BN) rats, we discovered that a variant form of sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (S
rebf1
gene, SREBP-1 protein) underlies a quantitative trait locus (QTL) influencing hepatic cholesterol levels in response to a high cholesterol diet. Compared with the BN allele of
Srebf1
, the SHR allele of
Srebf1
includes variants in the promoter and coding regions that are linked to hepatic deficiency of SREBP-1 mRNA and protein, reduced expression of the SREBP-1 target gene stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, reduced promoter activity for SREBP-1c, and relative protection from dietary induced accumulation of liver cholesterol. Genetic correction of reduced SREBP-1 activity by derivation of congenic and transgenic strains of SHR increased hepatic cholesterol levels, thereby confirming
Srebf1
as a QTL influencing hepatic lipid metabolism in the rat. The
Srebf1
variant regulating hepatic cholesterol did not appear to affect blood pressure. These findings (1) are consistent with the results of association studies indicating that common polymorphisms affecting SREBP-1 may influence cholesterol synthesis in humans and (2) indicate that variation in
Srebf1
may influence risk for hepatic steatosis.
St. Benedict Sees the Light: Asam's Solar Eclipses as Metaphor
Authors: Pasachoff Jay , Olson Roberta
Published: December 2007

During the Baroque period, artists worked in a style—encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church and the Council of Trent—that revealed the divine in natural forms and made religious experiences more accessible. Cosmas Damian Asam, painter and architect, and his brother Egid (Aegid) Quirin Asam, sculptor and stuccatore, were the principal exponents of eighteenth-century, southern-German religious decoration and architecture in the grand manner, the Gesamtkunstwerk. Cosmas Damian's visionary and ecstatic art utilized light, both physical and illusionistic, together with images of meteorological and astronomical phenomena, such as solar and lunar eclipses. This paper focuses on his representations of eclipses and demonstrates how Asam was galvanized by their visual, as well as metaphorical, power and that he studied a number of them. He subsequently applied his observations in a series of paintings for the Benedictine order that become increasingly astronomically accurate and spiritually profound. From the evidence presented, especially in three depictions of St. Benedict's vision, the artist harnessed his observations to visualize the literary description of the miraculous event in the Dialogues of St. Gregory the Great, traditionally a difficult scene to illustrate, even for Albrecht Dürer. Asam painted the trio at Einsiedeln, Switzerland (1724–27); Kladruby, the Czech Republic (1725–27), where he captured the solar corona and the "diamond-ring effect"; and Weltenburg, Germany (1735), where he also depicted the diamond-ring effect at a total solar eclipse. We conclude that his visualizations were informed by his personal observations of the solar eclipses on 12 May 1706, 22 May 1724, and 13 May 1733. Asam may have also known the eclipse maps of Edmond Halley and William Whiston that were issued in advance. Astronomers did not start studying eclipses scientifically until the nineteenth century, making Asam's depictions all the more fascinating. So powerful was the image that Asam invented to visualize St. Benedict's vision that it found reflection in the subsequent Bavarian Benedictine visual tradition. Total solar eclipses are among the most spectacular sights in Nature. Therefore, in an age obsessed with revealing the divine through natural idioms and making religious experiences direct—not to mention that light had long functioned as a symbol of divinity in the Christian tradition—it seems fitting that solar eclipses would be interpreted as a metaphor of a divine presence or a miracle.
Light Falling on England: History and Landscape in the Poetry of C. H. Sisson
Authors: Gardner Kevin
Published: December 2007

The defining characteristic of the poetry of C. H. Sisson (1914–2003) may be its complex understanding of time. Pervading his work is an incessant fascination with the history and landscape of England that hinges on a non-linear theory of time. Sisson imagines events past and present swirling together in eddies of dislocated English history. He associates the English landscape not only with a past still vibrantly alive but with moral virtue as well. A profound commitment to Anglicanism and monarchism also notably marks his poetry. Sisson's attention to the history and landscape of England substantiates and justifies his commitments to church and crown. This Drydenesque Toryism, rooted in the landscape of his poetic imagination, enables him to conceptualize time as an undisrupted flow in which history and the present merge seamlessly and offer comfort against an uncertain future. The poetry of C. H. Sisson is the poetry of hope, amid the desolation of the present, located in the living history of the past.
Zionism and Politics in Swaziland
Authors: Cummergen Paul
Published: December 2007

This paper gives an account of the place of Zionism in Swazi society. It does so by examining the available literature on Zionism in Swaziland, looking at the origins and development of Swazi Zionism and at its contemporary social and political context. In this way, Swazi Zionism is shown to be a distinctive and significant social and religious phenomenon.
The Role of Corporate Reputation in the Stakeholder Decision-Making Process
Authors: Puncheva Petya
Published: December 2007

Although it is widely accepted that corporate reputation influences organization-stakeholder interactions, there is no theoretical framework that conceptualizes this aspect in stakeholders' decision-making processes for establishing various forms of relationships with a firm. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this article provides a theoretical model that explains the role corporate reputation has in the process through which stakeholders decide to establish relationships with a firm. It is argued that the stakeholder decision-making process for exchange with a company is based on several exchange rules: corporate reputation, social legitimacy, pragmatic legitimacy, and exchange benefits. The article concludes with a case study of James Hardie Industries in Australia, which illustrates the function of the proposed conceptual model.
Factors Shaping Local Land Use Decisions
Authors: Kaplan Rachel , Kaplan Stephen , Austin Maureen E.
Published: December 2007

Local land use decisions are in the hands of thousands of individuals who lack formal training in planning. The study focuses on three domains of experience that might affect how township planning officials view their tasks and perceive the impacts of planning decisions. Interviews and surveys were conducted in two adjacent Michigan counties, which have had substantially different growth patterns. The perception of environmental impacts was found to be strongly related to these county-level experiences. By contrast, the population density of the respondents' township was related to the use of different forms of information and visualization approaches. Experience gained through years of service was related to confidence and clarity with the planning process, though not with the other issues examined. Reliance on these forms of experience, unfortunately, is far too slow and unreliable to address the long-term consequences of land use decisions. We discuss the need for tools that enhance gaining such a bigger picture.
Sanskrit and the morning after
Authors: Hatcher Brian A.
Published: December 2007

This article offers critical reflection on the work of Sheldon Pollock and Sudipto Kaviraj in connection with the project, ‘Sanskrit Knowledge-Systems on the Eve of Colonialism’. While both Pollock and Kaviraj have written of the ‘death’ of Sanskrit, this article advises against metaphors of historical rupture. If we wish to make sense of the fate of Sanskrit intellectuals under colonial modernity, we should attend to processes of cultural convergence and the concrete choices made by Sanskrit scholars. A selection from the reformist writings of Isvaracandra Vidydsdgara is examined to demonstrate one pandit's ongoing engagement with Sanskrit intellectual tradition.
Future and Furniture
Authors: Jensen Torben Elgaard
Published: December 2007

This article explores the differences between two strategies of persuasion. The first strategy, called drawing things together, is Actor-Network Theory's classic analysis of how modern science has gained tremendous persuasive powers through systematic inscription and centralized accumulation of information traces. The second strategy, called drawing contrasts together, is derived from the author's empirical analysis of the rhetorics and materialities of a Scandinavian New Economy firm. The persuasive powers of this firm, it is argued, are based on its ability to evoke and articulate a series of pointed contrasts between the attractive working life within the firm and the ordinary and problematic work life elsewhere. The article argues that both persuasive strategies work in a pragmatic sense. But where “drawing things together” enacts a relatively stable and knowable world, the persuasive strategy of “drawing contrasts together” depends on, and enacts, a world of dramatic epochal changes.
International Collaboration in Multilayered Center-Periphery in the Globalization of Science and Technology
Authors: Hwang Kumju
Published: December 2007

This article analyzes international scientific collaboration in the context of the globalization of science and technology as a crossing point not only between local and global identities but also between scientific and sociocultural identities. It also elucidates how international collaboration—where middle scientific actors in the hierarchical multilayered center-periphery in the globalization of science and technology obtain advanced knowledge from core science and technology—takes place and structures the global division of research labor. This article emphasizes that we should develop the context of the globalization of science and technology with dynamic and interdependent interactions between multistructured, core-periphery scientific actors. Dichotomous colonialist discourse is not a useful analytical tool in this context. The author found that sociocultural factors, including economic, cultural, organizational, and political ones, as well as the multilayered center-periphery in the globalization of science and technology, operate as forces that encourage international collaboration.
The writing of braille: hand, finger, and frequency effects on error and accuracy patterns
Authors: Wells-Jensen Sheri , Gosche Bradley , Burke Sean M.
Published: December 2007

This article analyzes a corpus of 1,600 naturally occurring brailling errors made by one expert braillist to discover patterns of error and accuracy. It was found that, for this braillist, more errors were made with more frequently-occurring characters, the right (dominant) hand was more accurate than the left and that individual fingers contributed in different ways to error patterns. For this braillist, additions and deletions of dots tended to result in more symmetrical patterns of dots within cells. As more data are gathered from a wider range of subjects, it might be possible to determine what kinds of error and accuracy patterns are idiosyncratic to particular braillists and which are generally predictable given the cognitive and motor tasks inherent in brailling.
Review Essay: The ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism' 50 Years On
Authors: Parrini Paolo
Published: December 2007

This chronicle is a review of a collective publication commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of W. V. O. Quine’s most influential paper. The author, a prominent epistemologist, discusses these contributions in a way that sheds a particular light on the importance of Quine’s work for the ongoing epistemological debate.
Ebselen protects brain, skin, lung and blood cells from mechlorethamine toxicity
Authors: Hardej Diane , Billack Blase
Published: December 2007

Nitrogen mustards are vesicants capable of burning the skin, eyes and respiratory tract of exposed individuals. While generally less toxic than sulfur mustards, these compounds have the potential for use as chemical warfare agents. Presently, no antidote exists for treatment against nitrogen mustard toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vitro toxicity of the nitrogen mustard mechlorethamine (HN2) in four cell models: CEM-SS human T cells, A431 human skin epithelial cells, rat hippocampal astrocytes and rat pleural mesothelial cells. Furthermore, the efficacy of the synthetic seleno-organic compound ebselen (Eb) (2-phenyl-1,2- benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) as a cytoprotective agent against such toxicity was evaluated. Significant increases in cell viability, as assessed using an MTT assay for viability, was demonstrated when 30μM Eb was used as a cotreatment with HN2 in all cell models tested at the following doses of HN2: A431 skin cells,10—40μM; rat astrocytes, 20 and 40μM; rat mesothelia, 10—40 μM; and human T cells 4—16 μM. Decreases in cell viability and toxicity to HN2 were confirmed using light and scanning electron microscopy. Membrane damage, observed with HN2 exposure, such as blebbing and loss of cell projections, was ameliorated with Eb cotreatment. Our results demonstrate a generalized protective effect observed with Eb cotreatment that suggests that this agent may have potential as an antidote for HN2 exposure and toxicity.
The Length of Responses to Open-Ended Questions
Authors: Denscombe Martyn
Published: December 2007

The existence of a mode effect is assessed using data from two matched groups of 15- to 16-year-olds ( n = 466) who completed a questionnaire either as a Web-based online version or an “optical mark recognition” paper version. This article focuses specifically on the length of answers to four open-ended questions included in the questionnaire. It was found that although the online answers to three of the four questions tended to be slightly longer than those from the paper version, the differences were not statistically significant. Other factors, specifically gender and educational aspirations, appeared to have much more influence on the length of answers to open-ended questions than the mode of delivery per se. The findings do not provide conclusive evidence of any mode effect with respect to the online delivery of questionnaires.
Entrepreneurial Philanthropy and Innovative Medical Research: The Arthur C. Frantzreb Lecture at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy 19th Annual Symposium: “Health and Philanthropy: Leveraging Change”
Authors: Simon Greg
Published: December 2007

Information technology has radically transformed virtually every sphere of human activity through the power of networks. Health care and the search for health cures lag behind, however — as much for cultural reasons as for technical ones — and innovation is suffering as a result. Philanthropy's goal can no longer be to fund pet projects or to build stand-alone organizations. The role of entrepreneurial philanthropists should be to invest in building new networks that will accelerate the development of medical solutions that will improve the quality of our lives. Most philanthropists, however, do not have access to the information that foundations gather on work going on in their areas of interest. FasterCures is creating an information resource that will describe the landscape of nonprofit medical research in order to help entrepreneurial philanthropists make the best-informed decisions about their giving.
Where are the new Carlton Greenes?
Authors: Forman Denis
Published: December 2007

The former chairman of Granada Television believes overall standards of television news journalism have slipped and writes: “With the 24-hour news channels, the volume and accessibility of news has increased enormously but, with just two exceptions, the Channel 4 News and Newsnight, standards have dropped. The main bulletins still cover major stories well – bomb plots, floods, high diplomacy – but for the rest there is too much trivia, too many soft features and little wit, for the whimsical little exchanges between presenters usually embarrass rather than amuse. Too much time is given to the reporting of routine crimes plus murders, rapes and kidnaps complete with the stolid police report and the sobbing parents. Sections of news bulletins sometimes resemble a police gazette. Alongside coverage of the war zones and the Middle East, Africa is given a lot of time, China and Russia little or none. Presenters are efficient, but with the notable exception of Jon Snow and Jeremy Paxman lack the charisma and the status of their predecessors.” And Sir Denis concludes: “When we veterans venture an opinion on contemporary television we are told that our experience of television of the past is not relevant to the television of today. Of course the change is great, but there are principles of broadcasting that endure, and one such principle, and it is not always observed today, is this: the first priority of any broadcasting organisation is to give its programme people the best possible conditions for making programmes. Quick decisions, short lines of communication, proper funding, strong personal relationships, bold leadership. No committees, no bureaucracy, no focus groups and no interference from business management. For it is the directors, writers and producers who are the most important people in television – and if you want good programmes, their interests must come first.”
Foodie? Or not foodie?
Authors: Spencer Charles
Published: December 2007

Following Sunday Times restaurant critic A A Gill’s strident attack on theatre reviewers, Charles Spencer, drama critic of The Daily Telegraph, hits back by examining the work of some of the many restaurant reviewers crowding the pages of the daily and Sunday national newspapers. He writes: “Restaurant reviewers tend to divide into those who might be described as the serious foodies, who fill you up with lots of hard facts and background info, and the ego-trippers, who use their notices largely as an excuse for personal rumination, slabs of autobiography and jokes... By and large restaurant reviewers are a bone-idle bunch. With the exception of Fay Maschler, in the London Evening Standard, who usually goes to three restaurants a week, they confine themselves to just one establishment. In contrast, theatre critics on daily newspapers are usually out four, five and sometimes six times a week, while Sunday reviewers will cover at least three shows and often more. The restaurant reviewers’ far from Stakhanovite approach to the task in hand increases my puritanical suspicion that restaurant writing isn’t an entirely serious form of journalism but just a jammy way of getting paid to eat posh grub for free.”
The media as peacemakers
Authors: Neill Maurice
Published: December 2007

Journalist and academic Neill argues that the media deserves great credit for assisting the peace process in Northern Ireland. During the Troubles, “reporters and analysts did their best to present an accurate account of events and a balance of opinions despite dirty tricks employed by all participants. Most of the journalists recognised they were prisoners of history and verifiable truth was a casualty of conflict. It was broadcasting which brought the truth about life under a Stormont regime to the attention of the world.” The current situation is more problematical, he believes: “When Northern Ireland last had devolved government the Stormont press pack had diversity and hunger. Every major media company on both sides of the border, from the republican Irish Press to the unionist News Letter, employed experienced staff to report and analyse the decision-making. Today’s press pack is much smaller and runs the risk of becoming spoon-fed, greatly outnumbered as it is by Government press officers and party lobbyists. But, he concludes, “that is now and then was then and recognition of the contribution to peace made by the media and their journalists in Northern Ireland is long overdue. The most fitting tribute would be vigorous, daily reporting of the Assembly – if truth is the first casualty of war, proper scrutiny must not become the first casualty of peace.”