bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Altered expression of connexin43 contributes to the arrhythmogenic substrate during the development of heart failure in cardiomyopathic hamster
Authors: Sato Takashi , Ohkusa Tomoko , Honjo Haruo , Suzuki Shinsuke , Yoshida Masa-aki , Ishiguro Yuko S. , Nakagawa Harumichi , Yamazaki Masatoshi , Yano Masafumi , Kodama Itsuo , Matsuzaki Masunori
Published: December 2007

Heart failure is known to predispose to life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias even before compromising the systemic circulation, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. The aim of this study was to clarify the connexin43 (Cx43) gap junction remodeling and its potential role in the pathogenesis of arrhythmias during the development of heart failure. We investigated stage-dependent changes in Cx43 expression in UM-X7.1 cardiomyopathic hamster hearts and associated alterations in the electrophysiological properties using a high-resolution optical mapping system. UM-X7.1 hamsters developed left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy by ages 6∼10 wk and showed a moderate reduction in LV contractility at age 20 wk. Appreciable interstitial fibrosis was recognized at these stages. LV mRNA and protein levels of Cx43 in UM-X7.1 were unaffected at age 10 wk but significantly reduced at 20 wk. The expression level of Ser255-phosphorylated Cx43 in UM-X7.1 at age 20 wk was significantly greater than that in control golden hamsters at the same age. In UM-X7.1 at age 10 wk, almost normal LV conduction was preserved, whereas the dispersion of action potential duration was significantly increased. UM-X7.1 at age 20 wk showed significant reduction of cardiac space constant, significant decrease in conduction velocity, marked distortion of activation fronts, and pronounced increase in action potential duration dispersion. Programmed stimulation resulted in sustained ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation in UM-X7.1. LV activation during polymorphic ventricular tachycardia was characterized by multiple phase singularities or wavebreaks. During the development of heart failure in the cardiomyopathic hamster, alterations of Cx43 expression and phosphorylation in concert with interstitial fibrosis may create serious arrhythmogenic substrate through an inhibition of cell-to-cell coupling.
Characterization of the phospholemman knockout mouse heart: depressed left ventricular function with increased Na-K-ATPase activity
Authors: Bell James R. , Kennington Erika , Fuller William , Dighe Kushal , Donoghue Pamela , Clark James E. , Jia Li-Guo , Tucker Amy L. , Randall Moorman J. , Marber Michael S. , Eaton Philip , Dunn Michael J. , Shattock Michael J.
Published: December 2007

Phospholemman (PLM, FXYD1), abundantly expressed in the heart, is the primary cardiac sarcolemmal substrate for PKA and PKC. Evidence supports the hypothesis that PLM is part of the cardiac Na-K pump complex and provides the link between kinase activity and pump modulation. PLM has also been proposed to modulate Na/Ca exchanger activity and may be involved in cell volume regulation. This study characterized the phenotype of the PLM knockout (KO) mouse heart to further our understanding of PLM function in the heart. PLM KO mice were bred on a congenic C57/BL6 background. In vivo conductance catheter measurements exhibited a mildly depressed cardiac contractile function in PLM KO mice, which was exacerbated when hearts were isolated and Langendorff perfused. There were no significant differences in action potential morphology in paced Langendorff-perfused hearts. Depressed contractile function was associated with a mild cardiac hypertrophy in PLM KO mice. Biochemical analysis of crude ventricular homogenates showed a significant increase in Na-K-ATPase activity in PLM KO hearts compared with wild-type controls. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis of ventricular homogenates revealed small, nonsignificant changes in Na- K-ATPase subunit expression, with two-dimensional gel (isoelectric focusing, SDS-PAGE) analysis revealing minimal changes in ventricular protein expression, indicating that deletion of PLM was the primary reason for the observed PLM KO phenotype. These studies demonstrate that PLM plays an important role in the contractile function of the normoxic mouse heart. Data are consistent with the hypothesis that PLM modulates Na-K-ATPase activity, indirectly affecting intracellular Ca and hence contractile function.
Endothelin-1 mediates hypoxia-induced inhibition of voltage-gated K+ channel expression in pulmonary arterial myocytes
Authors: Whitman E. Miles , Pisarcik Sarah , Luke Trevor , Fallon Michele , Wang Jian , Sylvester J. T. , Semenza Gregg L. , Shimoda Larissa A.
Published: December 2007

Prolonged exposure to decreased oxygen tension causes contraction and proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) and pulmonary hypertension. Hypoxia-induced inhibition of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels may contribute to the development of pulmonary hypertension by increasing intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). The peptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been implicated in the development of pulmonary hypertension and acutely decreases Kv channel activity. ET-1 also activates several transcription factors, although whether ET-1 alters KV channel expression is unclear. The hypoxic induction of ET-1 is regulated by the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which we demonstrated to regulate hypoxia-induced decreases in KV channel activity. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that HIF-1-dependent increases in ET-1 lead to decreased Kv channel expression and subsequent elevation in [Ca2+]i. Resting [Ca2+]i and Kv channel expression were measured in cells exposed to control (18% O2, 5% CO2) and hypoxic (4% O2, 5% CO2) conditions. Hypoxia caused a decrease in expression of Kv1.5 and Kv2.1 and a significant increase in resting [Ca2+]i. The increase in [Ca2+]i was reduced by nifedipine, an inhibitor of voltage-dependent calcium channels, and removal of extracellular calcium. Treatment with BQ-123, an ET-1 receptor inhibitor, prevented the hypoxia-induced decrease in Kv channel expression and blunted the hypoxia-induced increase in [Ca2+]i in PASMCs, whereas ET-1 mimicked the effects of hypoxia. Both hypoxia and overexpression of HIF-1 under normoxic conditions increased ET-1 expression. These results suggest that the inhibition of Kv channel expression and rise in [Ca2+]i during chronic hypoxia may be the result of HIF-1-dependent induction of ET-1.
Lung microvascular endothelium is enriched with progenitor cells that exhibit vasculogenic capacity
Authors: Alvarez Diego F. , Huang Lan , King Judy A. , ElZarrad M. Khair , Yoder Mervin C. , Stevens Troy
Published: December 2007

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) have been isolated postnatally from bone marrow, blood, and both the intima and adventitia of conduit vessels. However, it is unknown whether EPCs can be isolated from the lung microcirculation. Thus we sought to determine whether the microvasculature possesses EPCs capable of de novo vasculogenesis. Rat pulmonary artery (PAEC) and microvascular (PMVEC) endothelial cells were isolated and selected by using a single-cell clonogenic assay. Whereas the majority of PAECs (∼60%) were fully differentiated, the majority of PMVECs (∼75%) divided, with ∼50% of the single cells giving rise to large colonies (>2,000 cells/colony). These highly proliferative cells exhibited the capacity to reconstitute the entire proliferative hierarchy of PMVECs, unveiling the existence of resident microvascular endothelial progenitor cells (RMEPCs). RMEPCs expressed endothelial cell markers (CD31, CD144, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and von Willenbrand factor) and progenitor cell antigens (CD34 and CD309) but did not express the leukocyte marker CD45. Consistent with their origin, RMEPCs interacted with Griffonia simplicifolia and displayed restrictive barrier properties. In vitro and in vivo Matrigel assays revealed that RMEPCs possess vasculogenic capacity, forming ultrastructurally normal de novo vessels. Thus the pulmonary microcirculation is enriched with EPCs that display vasculogenic competence while maintaining functional endothelial microvascular specificity.
Interleukin-10 protects cultured fetal rat type II epithelial cells from injury induced by mechanical stretch
Authors: Lee Hyeon-Soo , Wang Yulian , Maciejewski Benjamin S. , Esho Kenny , Fulton Christiaan , Sharma Surendra , Sanchez-Esteban Juan
Published: December 2007

Mechanical ventilation plays a central role in the pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. However, the mechanisms by which excessive stretch of fetal or neonatal type II epithelial cells contributes to lung injury are not well defined. In these investigations, isolated embryonic day 19 fetal rat type II epithelial cells were cultured on substrates coated with fibronectin and exposed to 5% or 20% cyclic stretch to simulate mechanical forces during lung development or lung injury, respectively. Twenty percent stretch of fetal type II epithelial cells increased necrosis, apoptosis, and proliferation compared with control, unstretched samples. By ELISA and real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), 20% stretch increased secretion of IL-8 into the media and IL-8 gene expression and inhibited IL-10 release. Interestingly, administration of recombinant IL-10 before 20% stretch did not affect cell lysis but significantly reduced apoptosis and IL-8 release compared with stretched samples without IL-10. Collectively, our studies suggest that IL-10 may play an important role in protection of fetal type II epithelial cells from injury secondary to stretch.
In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Neural Network Function
Authors: Göbel Werner , Helmchen Fritjof
Published: December 2007

Spatiotemporal activity patterns in local neural networks are fundamental to brain function. Network activity can now be measured in vivo using two-photon imaging of cell populations that are labeled with fluorescent calcium indicators. In this review, we discuss basic aspects of in vivo calcium imaging and highlight recent developments that will help to uncover operating principles of neural circuits.
Inhibition of Src family kinases enhances retinoic acid–induced gene expression and myeloid differentiation
Authors: Miranda Michelle B. , Redner Robert L. , Johnson Daniel E.
Published: December 2007

Treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia with retinoic acid (RA) results in differentiation of the leukemic cells and clinical remission. However, the cellular factors that regulate RA-induced myeloid differentiation are largely unknown, and other forms of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) do not respond to this differentiation therapy. A greater understanding of the molecules that positively or negatively regulate RA-induced differentiation should facilitate the development of more effective differentiation therapies. In this study, we investigated the potential role of Src family kinases (SFK) in the regulation of RA-induced gene expression and myeloid differentiation. We report that inhibition of SFKs markedly enhanced RA-induced differentiation in myeloid cell lines and primary AML cells, as assessed by flow-cytometric analysis of cell surface markers, morphologic analysis, and nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. In addition, inhibition of SFKs enhanced expression from retinoic acid receptor (RAR) target genes encoding CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ε (C/EBPε), PU.1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and cathepsin D. Moreover, a constitutively active Src inhibited RAR-dependent transcription, whereas a kinase-dead Src exerted little effect. These studies provide the first demonstration that SFKs act to negatively regulate RA-induced gene expression and myeloid differentiation and suggest that the combination of SFK inhibition and RA treatment may be therapeutically beneficial in AML. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(12):3081–90]
Extrinsic pathway- and cathepsin-dependent induction of mitochondrial dysfunction are essential for synergistic flavopiridol and vorinostat lethality in breast cancer cells
Authors: Mitchell Clint , Park Maragret A. , Zhang Guo , Yacoub Adly , Curiel David T. , Fisher Paul B. , Roberts John D. , Grant Steven , Dent Paul
Published: December 2007

The present studies have determined whether interactions between the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol and the histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA; vorinostat; Zolinza) occur in breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 and MCF7 cells were treated with flavopiridol (25–100 nmol/L) and vorinostat (125–500 nmol/L) in vitro, and mechanisms of cell killing were determined. Concurrent treatment of cells with flavopiridol and vorinostat or treatment of cells with flavopiridol followed by vorinostat promoted cell killing in a greater than additive fashion. Similar data were obtained with the CDK inhibitor roscovitine. Flavopiridol suppressed c-FLIP-l/s and BCL-xL expression, whereas vorinostat reduced expression of BCL-xL, and combined exposure to flavopiridol and vorinostat reduced MCL-1 and X-chromosome–linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) levels. Pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of caspase-8 reduced flavopiridol toxicity, but abolished killing by vorinostat and cell death caused by the vorinostat/flavopiridol regimen. Loss of BAX/BAK function or loss of BID function modestly reduced flavopiridol toxicity, but abolished vorinostat-mediated potentiation of flavopiridol toxicity, as did inhibition of caspase-9. Inhibition and/or deletion of cathepsin B function significantly attenuated vorinostat/flavopiridol lethality. Flavopiridol suppressed extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and AKT activity and expression of activated forms of AKT and mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase 1 maintained c-FLIP-l/s, BCL-xL, and XIAP expression and protected cells against flavopiridol/vorinostat lethality. Overexpression of c-FLIP-s and BCL-xL abolished the lethality of flavopiridol/vorinostat. Collectively, these data argue that flavopiridol enhances the lethality of vorinostat in breast cancer cells in part through the inhibition of AKT and ERK1/2 function, leading to reduced expression of multiple inhibitors of the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis pathways, as well as activation of cathepsin protease-dependent pathways. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(12):3101–12]
Islamic Groups and their World-views and Identities: Neo-Traditional Salafis and Progressive Muslims
Authors: Duderija Adis
Published: December 2007

This paper presents a snap-shot discussion on the origins and the world-views behind two global contemporary movements among Muslims, namely Neo-Traditional Salafis and Progressive Muslims. It endeavours to historically situate and position them in relation to the cumulative Islamic historical harvest and delineate their approach to modernity. Additionally the paper briefly examines the concept of the role and the function of women within these respective world-views. Finally, it analyses the implications of the underlying ideology of these movements on the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in both Islamicate and non-Islamicate societies.
Stipulation of Excess in Understanding and Misunderstanding Riba: The Al-Jassas Link
Authors: Farooq Mohammad Omar
Published: December 2007

An essential condition in the orthodox definition of riba is stipulated excess in a loan or debt. This essential condition is traced to al-Jassas. Understanding this issue of stipulated excess is critical to understanding riba. In this paper the stipulated excess in connection with al-Jassas as well as its implication for defining riba and prohibition of interest is examined. A critical examination of the subject shows that pre-Jassas discourse about riba did not include stipulated excess as an essential condition and al-Jassas' changing of the conditions in defining riba is not corroborated by the textual evidences he used.
Law in Jordan Gets Wired: Developing and Teaching Law Courses Online
Authors: Malkawi Bashar
Published: December 2007

The landscape of education in Jordan is changing. Teaching began using chalkboards and soon graduated to transparencies and overhead projectors. Then PowerPoint took root in colleges with slides projected from a computer onto a classroom screen. For some in Jordan, imagining offering online law courses is difficult. But other Jordanian graduate and undergraduate institutions have been offering online education for several years. Those years of experience in online education in the non-law college context puts colleges of law at a significant disadvantage.The article addresses legal education in Jordan and the challenges colleges of law face by introducing online courses. I argue that Jordanian colleges of law must adopt an online model for some courses to meet the expectations of students. There is no 'if' about online law courses, only a 'when'. Colleges of law in Jordan should be re-tooling to be relevant in the Age of Information.
Islamic Contracts in a Secular Court Setting? Lessons From Malaysia
Authors: Buang Ahmad Hidayat
Published: December 2007

The judgement in the Kuala Lumpur High Court in the case of Affin Bank Berhad v. Zulkifli Abdullah ([2006] 1 CLJ 438) illustrates the difficulty in cases where Islamic principles such as Bay' Bithaman Ajil or BBA are litigated in a court of law where Islamic Shariah is little understood. From the traditional Islamic law perspective the legal basis arrived at in the judgement is questionable. In the light of this complexity, this article attempts to analyse the effect of the judgement to the principles of Islamic contracts used in banking products and services in Malaysia with reference to the sources used in the creation of the contracts and forum to settle disputes between Islamic Banks and their customers. In conclusion, this article would argue for the appropriate application of the Shariah in the above matters through the promulgation of a specific law in relation to Islamic contracts in banking and finance or alternatively a special procedure to be introduced enabling all matters relating to the question of Shariah be referred to the Shariah Courts for decision.
The "New Regionalism" and the Negotiation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas
Authors: Bouzas Roberto
Published: December 2007

This article examines the pros and cons of the "new regionalism," with the negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) taken as a landmark. It summarizes the main features of the "new regionalism" and reviews some of the challenges and opportunities opened by North-South preferential trade agreements (a category that includes many of the new vintage of such agreements). The article also evaluates the record of the FTAA negotiations, emphasizing recent trends and prospects, especially the foundations of the current stalemate.
Law as an Implicit Third Party in International Negotiation
Authors: Beltramino Juan Carlos
Published: December 2007

This essay seeks to clarify the important role that law plays in all types of international negotiation. Law is examined as part of the legal referential frame within negotiation, when dealing with substantive matters and procedural questions, as a conditioner of negotiator behavior, in the implementation of the resulting agreement, in the obligations to negotiate by the parties, and as part of the embryonic element of a new autonomous branch of international negotiation law.
Gain Claiming and Inefficiency in WTO Negotiations
Authors: Zahrnt Valentin
Published: December 2007

The present article argues that bargaining over how the gains from cooperation in the WTO should be shared between governments constitutes a major obstacle to multilateral liberalization. Since each government is uncertain about how other governments evaluate possible WTO agreements and their best alternatives to a negotiated agreement, it has an incentive to engage in aggressive gain claiming, hoping to shape the resulting agreement in its own favor. However, aggressive gain claiming may result in delay and reduced ambition of an agreement, it may damage states' systemic interest in the effective and stable functioning of the WTO, and it may provoke peer pressure. How governments frame these benefits and costs and how they coordinate their negotiating positions in bargaining coalitions also shapes their gain claiming strategies. The hypotheses about the determinants of gain claiming submitted in this article are based on a series of interviews conducted with members of national delegations and WTO employees, as well as on a survey of national delegations.
Zimbabwe in Ruins: Mediation Prospects in a Conflict Not Yet Ripe for Resolution
Authors: Anstey Mark
Published: December 2007

A confluence of conditions made the Rhodesian civil war ripe for resolution in 1979. However a 'despotic democracy' took early root in the new Zimbabwe, largely accepted by the international community in its first phase, but now condemned by many for its human rights abuses and political repression. Zimbabwe is a failed state with a massive humanitarian crisis. In the face of pressures to adopt a more robust approach, South Africa has stuck to an approach of 'quiet diplomacy' in relations with its neighbor. In March 2007, SADC states appointed South Africa's President Mbeki to mediate between parties to Zimbabwe's conflict. This article analyzes the prospects for this mediation in terms of 'ripeness' theory. It concludes that complex internal conditions and a divided international community do not yet make the crisis ripe for resolution. However, a shift from quiet diplomacy to an approach of principled mediation might assist in inducing the necessary conditions in a manner which limits continuation of the crisis.
'I sought him but I did not find him': The Elusive Lover in the Song of Songs
Authors: Harding Kathryn
Published: December 2007

Despite the tendency in much Song of Songs scholarship to view the relationship of the lovers in the poem as harmonious, egalitarian and unproblematic, the repeated absence of the male protagonist in parts of the woman's speeches (most notably in chapters 3 and 5 of the Song) might be seen as a challenge to such interpretations. This article foregrounds the theme of absence in the woman's speeches in the Song of Songs, exploring the implications of this theme for the characterization of the female protagonist, and for the relationship of the lovers in the poem.
Sentiments as Culturally Constructed Emotions: Anger and Love in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: van Wolde Ellen
Published: December 2007

This article explores the language of the sentiments of anger and love in biblical Hebrew, English and Japanese, where sentiments are defined as emotions that are culturally defined and organized. Its leading questions are: To what extent do people in different societies experience the same and different emotions because of their cultural backgrounds? And what does language reveal about emotional thought and its cultural construction in the Hebrew Bible? It is argued that anger in biblical texts is related to the mouth, nose or face and expresses an uncontrollable fury in someone's head that leads prototypically to retributive actions. It is also argued that the love between a man and a woman in the Hebrew Bible is conceptualized as love of a man for a woman. The semantic values of both sentiments seem to materialize in a hierarchical framework of thinking. Emotions may break in into generally accepted hierarchical structures: anger may get hold of someone and love can defy determined positions. Nonetheless, cultural conventions are developed and used to defend the hierarchical order as a natural order. This explains why women are never said to be angry in the Hebrew Bible, and why it is only rarely expressed that a woman loves a man.
The Classification of Smells and the Order of the Senses in Indian Religious Traditions
Authors: McHugh James
Published: December 2007

In the course of producing complex analyses of sensory experience, traditional Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist scholars in South Asia examined the nature of smell. These scholars were most often interested in the fundamental qualities of smells, i.e. how many types of odor there are. Faced with this difficult task, the three sectarian groups initially produced three different accounts, though in later works most scholars adopted very similar classifications of smell. In part, this may be because of the difficulties involved in classifying smells, but the article also suggests that it was mutually beneficial to abandon contentious material in less significant parts of a system in order to focus discussion on more central issues. Amongst all the sense-objects, odors were most consistently defined by terms implying an aesthetic value. The article also examines the place of the sense of smell within the three different orders of the senses that these three schools of thought used. These sense-orders reflect divergent classificatory principles, and the place of smell in relation to the other senses highlights different aspects of the sense of smell. Unlike their stance on the classification of odors, the three schools of thought always maintained distinct orders of the senses, which must have been a regular reminder of difference in philosophical priorities.
The Talmud in the Mind of Emmanuel Levinas
Authors: Levine Étan
Published: December 2007

Levinas modestly admits that the title of his collection of lectures From the Sacred to the Holy reflects the fact that his Talmud studies are guided neither by the certainty of religious piety nor the "certainties" of historical, text-critical scholarship. Rather, his readings continue the tradition of the Talmud, the "oral Torah" that extracts from the "written Torah" ethical meaning as the ultimate intelligibility of the human and even of the cosmic.59 Taking "philosophy" in this practical sense as a contribution to the reflective resolution of existential quandaries, Albert Einstein would surely think again about
Tacitus' Fragment 2: the Anti-Roman Movement of the Christiani and the Nazoreans
Authors: Laupot Eric
Published: December 2007

There is little consensus as to the historical nature of the sect identified by Tacitus in Annales 15.44 as the Christiani. Nor is there any firm consensus on the authenticity and historicity of all of that fragment known as Tacitus' fragment 2 (= Sulpicius Severus (Chronica 2.30.6-7), whose references to "Christiani" are widely suspected of being later Christian interpolations. Much of this fragment is thought, nevertheless, to be from the lost portion of the fifth book of Tacitus' Historiae. A solution can be found to both of these problems by adducing from fragment 2 new evidence indicating that this fragment indeed represents a primary historical source. This new evidence takes the form of the discovery of a significant statistical relationship among the following three words: (1) The metaphor stirps (branch, descendants) used to describe the Christiani in fragment 2, (2) and (3) Nαζωραîoζ and Nαζαρηνoζ (Nazorean), describing the New Testament sect associated with the of Acts 11.26. The connecting link among, as well as the common source for, the three words listed above appears to be the Hebrew netser (branch, descendants-apparently influenced by Isa 11.1), which both translates into stirps and translitcrates into N It is mathematically extremely unlikely that this link with netser represents a random coincidence. Also, it appears that a later Christian redactor of fragment 2 or his target audience would not have known of this connection. Because of this and other contextual explanations, the possibility is largely eliminated that fragment 2 could have been significantly redacted by a later Christian. We are thus left with the substantial probability that this fragment constitutes a primary historical source, most likely via Tacitus. In turn this source supplies us with a probable solution to the problem of the Christiani's identity by depicting them in fragment 2 as being major participants in the first Jewish revolt against Rome in 66-73 CE.
Theological Influences on the Teachings and Practices of John Alexander Dowie
Authors: Faupel William
Published: December 2007

John Alexander Dowie has long been known as a theological forebear of the Pentecostal Movement. What has been less known is the extent to which he was influenced by the theology and practices of the Mormon tradition. This article seeks to identify these influences and place them in the historical/theological context of Dowie's life and ministry. The article goes on to show that Dowie operated within the broad theological context of the Calvinistic wing of 19th Century Perfectionism known as the Keswick Movement. His theological understanding was modified by insights drawn from Edward Irving and the Catholic Apostolic Church. Within this theological framework, parallels with Mormon teaching can be detected in his utopian vision, evangelistic strategy, and proposed ecclesiastical structures.
A. S. Worrell's New Testament: A Landmark Baptist-Pentecostal Bible Translation from the Early Twentieth Century
Authors: Kuykendall Michael
Published: December 2007

English Bible translation has always been ideological, exposing the religious traditions of the translators. But A. S. Worrell's New Testament, published in 1904, is a rarity. Worrell was a Landmark Southern Baptist who converted to Pentecostalism late in life, and his Bible version reflects this unique combination of Landmark and Pentecostal sympathies. This article identifies the marks of both theologies and the ways in which Worrell integrated them into his singular Bible translation.
Contending For Tongues: W. W. Simpson's Pentecostal Experience in Northwest China
Authors: Wilson Michael
Published: December 2007

The Pentecostal Movement spread over China in the early twentieth century and with it came the usual controversies, as is evident in the life of W. W. Simpson. Simpson experienced Spirit baptism, with glossolalia, in 1907, after 15 years in China. His insistence thereafter that tongues-speaking was the initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism cost him dearly and caused a great deal of strife among missionaries and their sponsoring agencies. Nevertheless, even while it spawned conflicts, the Pentecostal Movement seems to have influenced the development of the Chinese Church.
Wholesaling Social Change: Philanthropy's Strategic Inflection Point
Authors: Hecht Ben
Published: December 2007

There are times in almost every sector that forces of change come together to fundamentally disrupt the way that sector works. Former Intel Chairman Andy Grove calls this a strategic inflection point. Philanthropy is on the brink of its own strategic inflection point. Just as the internet changed the face of commerce, so it can change fundamentally the way that social change can happen. Today, organizations can wholesale social change or develop programs that almost overnight touch millions of people. These `wholesaling' organizations share many common characteristics such as: (1) intent to impact the masses; (2) marginal, incremental cost to serve the next customer; (3) borderless service delivery; (4) grants plus' business model; (5) redefining fundamental power relationships; (6) engage markets and market-driven solutions; (7) redirect ongoing flows of public or private sector funds to institutionalize desired change; and (8) use technology itself to provide innovative solutions. Philanthropy should define what `wholesaling activity' is, recognize it, and create mechanisms that will support acceleration of wholesale social change.
“Looking for a Few Good Women”: Volunteerism as an Interaction in Two Organizations
Authors: Taylor Tiffany , Mallinson Christine , Bloch Katrina
Published: December 2007

A substantial body of research examines volunteerism via surveys of individual volunteers or volunteer organizations. The authors argue that researchers must expand this conceptualization of volunteering to include the interactive process between the volunteer and the organization. Using structuration theory as a guiding framework, the authors examine how volunteers' behavior is both shaped by and also affects the way in which two organizations are structured. In this comparative case study, the authors utilize participant observation, interviews, and archival analysis to illustrate this interaction in two organizations, a no-kill cat shelter and a resource organization for women who partner with women. They find that the character of the labor process, and specifically whether it entails the expenditure of emotional labor, leads to either burdensome or rewarding volunteer experiences. The authors further underscore the importance of examining emerging trends in “episodic volunteering” and shifts in nonprofit organizations toward more bureaucratized business forms.
Neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 act as coreceptors, potentiating proangiogenic activity
Authors: Sulpice Eric , Plouët Jean , Bergé Mathieu , Allanic David , Tobelem Gérard , Merkulova-Rainon Tatyana
Published: December 2007

Neuropilin-1 and -2 (NRP1 and NRP2) are the transmembrane glycoproteins interacting with 2 types of ligands: class III semaphorins and several members of the VEGF family, the main regulators of blood and lymphatic vessel growth. We show here that both NRP1 and NRP2 can also bind hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). HGF is a pleiotropic cytokine and potent proangiogenic molecule that acts on its target cells by binding to the c-met receptor. We found that the N-terminal domain of HGF is involved in the interaction with neuropilins. We demonstrated that invalidation of NRP1 or NRP2 by RNA interference in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) decreased HGF-induced c-met phosphorylation and VEGF-A165– and HGF-mediated intracellular signaling. Accordingly, the disruption of NRP1 or NRP2 binding to VEGF-A165 or HGF with a blocking antibody, decreased the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. This effect may be further enhanced if VEGF-A165 or HGF binding to both NRP1 and NRP2 was disrupted. Using a mouse Matrigel model, we demonstrated that NRP1 is essential for HGF-mediated angiogenesis in vivo. Our results suggest that, in endothelial cells, both NRP1 and NRP2 function as proangiogenic coreceptors, potentiating the activity of at least 2 major proangiogenic cytokines, VEGF-A165 and HGF.
Microsatellite based genetic diversity and relationships among ten Creole and commercial cattle breeds raised in Brazil
Authors: Egito Andréa A , Paiva Samuel R , Albuquerque Maria do Socorro M , Mariante Arthur S , Almeida Leonardo D , Castro Silvia R , Grattapaglia Dario
Published: December 2007

Background

Brazil holds the largest commercial cattle populations worldwide. Local cattle breeds can be classified according to their origin, as exotic or Creole. Exotic breeds imported in the last 100 years, both zebuine and taurine, currently make up the bulk of the intensively managed populations. Locally adapted Creole breeds, originated from cattle introduced by the European conquerors derive from natural selection and events of breed admixture. While historical knowledge exists on the Brazilian Creole breeds very little is known on their genetic composition. The objective of this study was to assess the levels of genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and patterns of taurine/zebuine admixture among ten cattle breeds raised in Brazil.

Results

Significant reduction of heterozygosity exists due both to within-population inbreeding and to breed differentiation in both subspecies (taurine and zebuine). For taurine breeds the number of markers that contribute to breed differentiation is larger than for zebuine. A consistently similar number of alleles was seen in both subspecies for all microsatellites. Four Creole breeds were the most genetically diverse followed by the zebuine breeds, the two specialized taurine breeds and the Creole Caracu. Pairwise genetic differentiation were all significant indicating that all breeds can be considered as genetically independent entities. A STRUCTURE based diagram indicated introgression of indicine genes in the local Creole breeds and suggested that occasional Creole introgression can be detected in some Zebuine animals.

Conclusion

This study reports on a comprehensive study of the genetic structure and diversity of cattle breeds in Brazil. A significant amount of genetic variation is maintained in the local cattle populations. The genetic data show that Brazilian Creole breeds constitute an important and diverse reservoir of genetic diversity for bovine breeding and conservation. The genetic data was able to shed light on a number of issues related to the local breeds origin and structure. The Brazilian Creole breeds are all important and viable targets for conservation for they display peculiar traits both phenotypic and of cultural and historical nature that deserve conservation efforts.
Echocardiographic assessment of mitral valve morphology after Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy (PTMC)
Authors: Hasan-Ali Hosam , Shams-Eddin Hamdy , Abd-Elsayed Alaa A , Maghraby Muhammad H
Published: December 2007

Aims

PTMC produces significant changes in mitral valve morphology as improvement in leaflets mobility. The determinants of such improvement have not been assessed before.

Methods and results

The study included 291 symptomatic patients with mitral stenosis undergoing PTMC. Post-PTMC subvalvular splitting area was a determinant of post-PTMC excursion in both the anterior (B 0.16, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.30, p < 0.05) and the posterior (B 0.12, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.24, p < 0.05) leaflets. Another determinant was the post-PTMC transmitral pressure gradient for anterior (B -0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.005, p < 0.01) and posterior (B -0.01, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.005, p < 0.05) leaflets excursion. The relationship between post-PTMC MVA and leaflet excursion was non-linear "S curve". There was a steep increase of both anterior (p, 0.02) and posterior (p, 0.03) leaflets excursion with increased MVA till the MVA reached a value of about 1.5 cm2; after which both linear and S curves became nearly parallel.

Conclusion

The improvement in leaflets excursion after PTMC is determined by several morphologic and hemodynamic changes produced in the valve. The increase in MVA improves mobility within limit; after which any further increase in MVA is not associated by a significant improvement in mobility in both leaflets.
Complicated Crohn's-like colitis, associated with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, treated with Infliximab: a case report and brief review of the literature
Authors: Kouklakis George , Efremidou Eleni I , Papageorgiou Michael S , Pavlidou Evdoxia , Manolas Konstantinos J , Liratzopoulos Nikolaos
Published: December 2007

Introduction

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a rare autosomal recessive inherited disorder consisting of a triad of albinism, increased bleeding tendency secondary to platelet dysfunction, and systemic complications associated with ceroid depositions within the reticuloendothelial system. HPS has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) complications related to chronic granulomatous colitis with pathologic features suggestive of Crohn's disease. This colitis can be severe and has been reported to be poorly responsive to medical therapies including antibiotics, corticosteroids, sulfasalazine, mesalamine and azathioprine.

Case presentation

We report a patient with HPS which was complicated by inflammatory bowel disease with clinical and pathologic features of Crohn's disease, refractory to antibiotics, corticosteroids and azathioprine. A trial of infliximab was attempted and repeated infusions produced a complete response.

Conclusion

The occurrence of ileitis and perianal lesions and also the histopathological findings in our case suggest that HPS and Crohn's disease may truly be associated. Given this similarity and the failure of the standard medical therapy of corticosteroids and azathioprine, our patient received infliximab with marked clinical improvement.
Sound Absorption at Low Frequencies: Room Contents as Absorbers
Authors: de Melo Gustavo da S. V. , Gibbs Barry M. , Gerges Samir N. Y.
Published: December 2007

A description is given of sound absorption in small-furnished rooms at low frequencies. The objective of the work was to characterise room absorption due to contents such as furniture and to develop a model of absorption appropriate for a modal description of contained sound fields at low frequencies. In this paper, a study of the influence of furniture on low frequency room response was performed by introducing idealised contents into an enclosure which previously had been numerically modelled. The contents were solid objects with absorbent coverings and wholly absorbing objects. A real item of furniture also was measured and modelled for inclusion in the room model. Eigenfrequency shifts and selective modal damping were observed throughout the frequency range of interest, 20–200 Hz, and the numerical model was able to take these effects into account, showing overall good agreement with measurements. It is shown that when a solid or absorbing item is introduced into a room there is little effect on the room frequency response for frequencies below 50 Hz. Between 50 Hz and 200 Hz the effect is more pronounced and the influence of location becomes apparent. Contents placed along a wall or in room corners will produce a greater change in room response, when compared with a central location.
Miniaturising a Wall Test Facility
Authors: Kling Christoph
Published: December 2007

Many problems in building acoustics are expensive and time-consuming to study because of the construction costs. To avoid such costs, physical models can be used. In room acoustics, where mainly airborne sound fields are examined, this is a common method. Scaling down a building acoustics problem is, however, more complex because structure-borne sound and sound transmission to other elements or rooms must be taken into account. This paper deals with scaling down a building acoustics measurement object by reference to full scale performance. Basic scaling rules are derived and the scaling of the acoustics quantities is analysed. The requirements of measurement devices and methods are discussed. As an example, the design of a scaled version of a wall test facility is described. Construction details and measurements on model scale are presented. Validation with full scale test facilities confirms the results. It is shown that scale models are suitable for studying fundamental problems in building acoustics.
Modulating alternative splicing by cotranscriptional cleavage of nascent intronic RNA
Authors: Gromak Natalia , Talotti Gabriele , Proudfoot Nicholas J. , Pagani Franco
Published: December 2007

Cotranscriptional cleavage mediated by a hammerhead ribozyme can affect alternative splicing if interposed between an exon and its intronic regulatory elements. This has been demonstrated using two different alternative splicing systems based on α-tropomyosin and fibronectin genes. We suggest that there is a requirement for intronic regulatory elements to be covalently attached to exons that are in turn tethered to the elongating polymerase. In the case of the alternatively spliced EDA exon of the fibronectin gene, we demonstrate that the newly identified intronic downstream regulatory element is associated with the splicing regulatory protein SRp20. Our results suggest that targeted hammerhead ribozyme cleavage within introns can be used as a tool to define splicing regulatory elements.
Yeast as a model of human mitochondrial tRNA base substitutions: Investigation of the molecular basis of respiratory defects
Authors: Montanari Arianna , Besagni Céline , De Luca Cristina , Morea Veronica , Oliva Romina , Tramontano Anna , Bolotin-Fukuhara Monique , Frontali Laura , Francisci Silvia
Published: December 2007

We investigate the relationships between acylation defects and structure alterations due to base substitutions in yeast mitochondrial (mt) tRNAUURLeu. The studied substitutions are equivalent to the A3243G and T3250C human pathogenetic tRNA mutations. Our data show that both mutations can produce tRNAUURLeu acylation defects, although to a different extent. For mutant A14G (equivalent to MELAS A3243G base substitution), the presence of the tRNA and its defective aminoacylation could be observed only in the nuclear context of W303, a strain where the protein synthesis defects caused by tRNA base substitutions are far less severe than in previously studied strains. For mutant T20C (equivalent to the MM/CPEO human T3250C mutation), the acylation defect was less severe, and a thermosensitive acylation could be detected also in the MCC123 strain. The correlation between the severity of the in vivo phenotypes of yeast tRNA mutants and those obtained in in vitro studies of human tRNA mutants supports the view that yeast is a suitable model to study the cellular and molecular effects of tRNA mutations involved in human pathologies. Furthermore, the yeast model offers the possibility of modulating the severity of yeast respiratory phenotypes by studying the tRNA mutants in different nuclear contexts. The nucleotides at positions 14 and 20 are both highly conserved in yeast and human mt tRNAs; however, the different effect of their mutations can be explained by structure analyses and quantum mechanics calculations that can shed light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for the experimentally determined defects of the mutants.
Faithful editing of a tomato-specific mRNA editing site in transgenic tobacco chloroplasts
Authors: Karcher Daniel , Kahlau Sabine , Bock Ralph
Published: December 2007

RNA editing sites and their site-specifictrans-acting recognition factors are thought to have coevolved. Hence, evolutionary loss of an editing site by a genomic mutation is normally followed by the loss of the specific recognition factor for this site, due to the absence of selective pressure for its maintenance. Here, we have tested this scenario for the only tomato-specific plastid RNA editing site. A single C-to-U editing site in the tomatorps12gene is absent from the tobacco and nightshade plastid genomes, where the presence of a genomic T nucleotide obviates the need for editing of therps12mRNA. We have introduced the tomato editing site into the tobaccorps12gene by plastid transformation and find that, surprisingly, this heterologous site is efficiently edited in the transplastomic plants. This suggests that thetrans-acting recognition factor for therps12editing site has been maintained, presumably because it serves another function in tobacco plastids. Bioinformatics analyses identified an editing site in therpoBgene of tobacco and tomato whose sequence context exhibits striking similarity to that of the tomatorps12editing site. This may suggest that requirement forrpoBediting resulted in maintenance of therps12editing activity or, alternatively, the pre-existingrpoBediting activity facilitated the evolution of a novel editing site inrps12.