bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Rise of an Ideal: Tracing Changing Discourses of Wellbeing
Authors: Sointu Eeva
Published: June 2005

Wellbeing is a quality in demand in today's society. Wellbeing is virtue that is much desired, much promoted, and much debated. Yet, as an ideal, wellbeing is not a concept set in stone. Rather, conceptualisations and experiences of wellbeing are produced in and through wider social perceptions and practices. This article outlines and analyses contemporary conceptualisations of wellbeing and suggests that ideas of wellbeing capture and reproduce important social norms. Indeed, the increasing popularity of the ideal of wellbeing appears to reflect shifts in perceptions and experiences of individual agency and responsibility. In particular, dominant discourses of wellbeing relate to changes in subjectivity; they manifest a move from subjects as citizens to subjects as consumers. In a consumer society, wellbeing emerges as a normative obligation chosen and sought after by individual agents. This article is informed by social theories of subjectivity and critical analyses of selected newspaper reports from 1985 to 2003.
Is Adult Education a Calling? Shaping Identity and Practice in Steel Mill Learning Centers
Authors: Rose Amy D. , Jeris Laurel , Smith Robert
Published: June 2005

Adult educators employed in steel mill career development programs offer the field a unique glimpse into the relationship between context and career trajectories. This article explores the lives of these adult educators against the backdrop of contemporary theories of career development, situated learning, and continuing professional development as a function of career identity. In particular, this article reports on a study that examined how teachers reflected on their practice and the implications this may have for the development of their professional identity. The specific questions this research addressed included: How did the teachers acquire the knowledge they feel they need to teach in the classroom or work in an adult education setting? How do they come to see themselves as adult educators'? What does this mean to them? To what extent does reflection on practice lead to the development of identity as adult educators ? Evidence suggests that although the field of adult education has explored career paths of its members in numerous contexts and theorized about how these elements come together, it has yet to describe, much less theorize, the path of those who locate themselves within and contribute to the practice of adult education outside of the mainstream.
Back to the Future: Implications of the Neopositivist Research Agenda for Adult Basic Education
Authors: Belzer Alisa , Clair Ralf St.
Published: June 2005

Federal educational policy, funding, and legislation are currently forwarding a research agenda described by the current administration as “scientifically based.” We characterize this agenda, described in multiple official documents as “the gold standard, “ as neopositivist. We consider the ways in which this research paradigm and the methods that accompany it (i.e., randomized field trials) are particularly problematic for knowledge generation in adult basic education, an important subfield of adult education. We focus on three areas of concern that exemplify in significant ways the limitations of scientifically based research: the contexts of adult basic education, the ways in which practitioners use research, and the state of the knowledge base.
Age‐Dependent Changes in the Calcium Sensitivity of Striatal Mitochondria in Mouse Models of Huntington's Disease
Authors: Brustovetsky N. , LaFrance R. , Purl K. J. , Brustovetsky T. , Keene C. D. , Low W. C. , Dubinsky J. M.
Published: June 2005

Striatal and cortical mitochondria from knock‐in and transgenic mutant huntingtin mice were examined for their sensitivity to calcium induction of the permeability transition, a cause of mitochondrial depolarization and ATP loss. The permeability transition has been suggested to contribute to cell death in Huntington's Disease. Mitochondria were examined from slowly progressing knock‐in mouse models with different length polyglutarnine expansions (Q20, Q50, Q92, Q111) and from the rapidly progressing transgenic R6/2 mice overexpressing exon I of human huntingtin with more than 110 polyglutamines. As previously observed in rats, striatal mitochondria from background strain CD1 and C57BL/6 control mice were more sensitive to calcium than cortical mitochondria. Between 5 and 12 months in knock‐in Q92 mice and between 8 and 12 weeks in knock‐in Q111 mice, striatal mitochondria developed resistance, becoming equally sensitive to calcium as cortical mitochondria, while those from Q50 mice were unchanged. Cortical mitochondrial calcium sensitivity did not change. In R6/2 mice striatal and cortical mitochondria were equally resistant to Ca2+while striatal mitochondria from littermate controls were more susceptible. No increases in calcium sensitivity were observed in the mitochondria from Huntington's Disease (HD) mice compared to controls. Neither motor abnormalities, nor expression of cyclophilin D corresponded to the changes in mitochondrial sensitivity. Polyglutamine expansions in huntingtin produced an early increased resistance to calcium in striatal mitochondria suggesting mitochondria undergo compensatory changes in calcium sensitivity in response to the many cellular changes wrought by polyglutamine expansion.
Myt1 family recruits histone deacetylase to regulate neural transcription
Authors: Romm Elena , Nielsen Joseph A. , Kim Jin G. , Hudson Lynn D.
Published: June 2005

The myelin transcription factor 1 (Myt1) gene family is comprised of three zinc finger genes [Myt1, Myt1L (Myt1‐Like) and NZF3] of the structurally unique CCHHC class that are expressed predominantly in the developing CNS. To understand the mechanism by which this family regulates neural differentiation, we searched for interaction partners. In both yeast and a mammalian two‐hybrid system, Myt1 and Myt1L interacted with Sin3B, a protein that mediates transcriptional repression by binding to histone deacetylases (HDACs). Myt1–Sin3B complexes were co‐immunoprecipitated from transfected mammalian cells and included HDAC1 and HDAC2. Myt1 and Myt1L could partner with all three Sin3B isoforms, the long form (Sin3BLF) that includes the HDAC‐binding domain, and the two short forms (Sin3BSF293 and Sin3BSF302) that lack this domain and may consequently antagonize Sin3BLF/HDAC‐mediated co‐repression. Myt1 or Myt1L interactions with the HDAC‐binding form of Sin3B conferred repression on a heterologous promoter. Oligodendrocytes were shown to express transcripts encoding each of the Sin3B isoforms. We present a model in which the Myt1 family of zinc finger proteins, when bound to a neural promoter, can recruit Sin3B. Depending on the relative availability of Sin3B isoforms, the Myt1 gene family may favor the silencing of genes during neural development.
Implication of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 in the development of psychological dependence on and behavioral sensitization to morphine
Authors: Narita Minoru , Shibasaki Masahiro , Nagumo Yasuyuki , Narita Michiko , Yajima Yoshinori , Suzuki Tsutomu
Published: June 2005

In the present study, we investigated the role of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (cdk5) in the brain dynamics changed by repeated in vivo treatment with morphine. The level of phosphorylated‐cdk5 was significantly increased in the cingulate cortex of mice showing the morphine‐induced rewarding effect. Under these conditions, roscovitine, a cdk5 inhibitor, given intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) caused a dose‐dependent and significant inhibition of the morphine‐induced rewarding effect. In addition, the dose–response effect of the morphine‐induced rewarding effect was dramatically attenuated in cdk5 heterozygous (+/–) knockout mice. Furthermore, the development of behavioral sensitization by intermittent administration of morphine was virtually abolished in cdk5 (+/–) mice. These findings suggest that the induction and/or activation of cdk5 are implicated in the development of psychological dependence on morphine.
Transcriptional regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase by estrogen: opposite effects with estrogen receptors α and β and interactions with cyclic AMP
Authors: Maharjan Shreekrishna , Serova Lidia , Sabban Esther L.
Published: June 2005

Reported effects of estrogen administration on tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression are confusing. Therefore, we studied the mechanism of regulation of TH transcription by estrogen with different estradiol receptor (ER) subtypes. PC12 cells, transiently co‐transfected with expression vector for ERα or ERβ, and luciferase gene under control of the TH promoter, were treated with 17 β‐estradiol (E2). E2 doubled luciferase activity with ERα; however, it was decreased with ERβ. Mapping the TH promoter showed that the putative half estrogen response element (ERE) motif at − 675, as well as the activation protein 1 motif at − 205, were not required for response to E2 with either ER. The specificity protein 1/early growth response gene 1 (Egr 1) motif was required for the E2‐elicited response with ERβ, but not with ERα. Deletion of the cyclic AMP/Ca2+ response element (CRE/CaRE) nearly abolished E2‐triggered responses with either ER. Further analysis revealed an imperfect canonical putative ERE overlapping with CRE/CaRE and Nurr1 response element. Oligonucleotides spanning this ERE displayed binding to ER, Cyclic AMP Response Element Binding Protein (CREB) and other proteins. Moreover, E2 attenuated the increase in TH transcription seen with cyclic AMP analogs. Thus, TH is transcriptionally regulated by estradiol in opposite directions depending on ER subtype. The overlapping ERE and CRE/CaRE may integrate interactions elicited by various regulators of TH transcription including cAMP and estrogens.
Novel regulation of Na+, K+‐ATPase by Src tyrosine kinases in cortical neurons
Authors: Wang Xue Qing , Yu Shan Ping
Published: June 2005

The Na+, K+‐ATPase or Na+, K+‐pump plays a critical role in ion homeostasis and many cellular events. The Na+, K+‐pump activity is regulated by serine/threonine phosphorylation, the role of tyrosine kinases in the regulation, however, is obscure. We now present novel evidence showing that tyrosine phosphorylation activates the Na+, K+‐pump in cortical neurons. The electrogenic activity of the Na+, K+‐pump was measured using whole‐cell voltage clamp. A tonic activity was revealed by an inward current induced by the specific inhibitor ouabain or strophanthidin; an outward current due to activation of the pump was triggered by raising extracellular K+. The inward and outward currents were attenuated by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein, herbimycin A, or lavendustin A, while blocking tyrosine phosphatases increased the pump current. Down‐regulation of the pump current was also seen with the Src inhibitor PP1 and intracellularly applied anti‐Lyn or anti‐Yes antibody. Consistently, intracellular application of Lyn kinase up‐regulated the pump current. Immunoprecipitation and western blotting showed tyrosine phosphorylation and a direct interaction between Lyn and the α3 subunit of the Na+, K+‐pump. The tyrosine phosphorylation of the α3 subunit was reduced by serum deprivation. These data suggest that the Na+, K+‐ATPase activity in central neurons is regulated by specific Src tyrosine kinases via a protein‐protein mechanism and may play a role in apoptosis.
Activation of the IκB kinase complex is sufficient for neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells
Authors: Azoitei Ninel , Wirth Thomas , Baumann Bernd
Published: June 2005

We examined the role of the IκB kinase complex in nerve growth factor (NGF)‐induced neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. We showed that neurite outgrowth is accompanied by an activation of the IKK complex and a delayed elevation of NF‐κB‐dependent transcription. Ectopic expression of a constitutively active form of IKK2 but not of IKK1 promoted neurite outgrowth in the absence of NGF. In addition, increased expression of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL and resistance to apoptosis upon serum withdrawal were found. The IKK2‐driven neurite outgrowth was not blocked by MEK1/2 and PI3K inhibitors but was repressed by the SN50 peptide suggesting that NF‐κB activation is critical for this differentiation process. Transdominant mutants of IκBα (32/36‐SS/AA) and IKK1 only marginally reduced NGF‐driven neuritogenesis. However, a dominant negative mutant of IKK2 or an IκBα protein lacking the complete N‐terminus was able to repress neuritogenesis. We also detected tyrosine phosphorylation of IκBα during differentiation. Consequently, PC12 cells expressing mutant IκBα (Y42F) show an impaired neuritogenesis. Furthermore, PC12 cells ectopically expressing p65 show almost no signs of neurite outgrowth which is, however, found to some extent in c‐Rel‐expressing cells. Our data suggest that NGF‐induced PC12 differentiation includes activation of IKK2 which may promote the release of c‐Rel‐containing dimers.
Cyclo‐oxygenase‐1 and ‐2 differently contribute to prostaglandin E2 synthesis and lipid peroxidation after in vivo activation of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors in rat hippocampus
Authors: Pepicelli Olimpia , Fedele Ernesto , Berardi Maria , Raiteri Maurizio , Levi Giulio , Greco Anita , Ajmone‐Cat Maria Antonietta , Minghetti Luisa
Published: June 2005

Using intracerebral microdialysis, we reported previously that acute in vivo activation of NMDA glutamate receptors triggers rapid and transient releases of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and F2‐isoprostane 15‐F2t‐IsoP in the hippocampus of freely moving rats. The formation of the two metabolites – produced through cyclo‐oxygenase (COX) enzymatic activity and free radical‐mediated peroxidation of arachidonic acid (AA), respectively, – was prevented by the specific NMDA antagonist MK‐801, and was largely dependent on COX‐2 activity. Here, we demonstrate that besides COX‐2, which is the prominent COX isoform in the brain and particularly in the hippocampus, the constitutive isoform, COX‐1 also contributes to prostaglandin (PG) synthesis and oxidative damage following in vivo acute activation of hippocampal NMDA glutamate receptors. The relative contribution of the two isoforms is dynamically regulated, as the COX‐2 selective inhibitor NS398 immediately prevented PGE2 and 15‐F2t‐IsoP formation during the application of NMDA, whereas the COX‐1 selective inhibitor SC560 was effective only 1 h after agonist infusion. Our data suggest that, although COX‐2 is the prominent isoform, COX‐1 activity may significantly contribute to excitotoxicity, particularly when considering the amount of lipid peroxidation associated with its catalytic cycle. We suggest that both isoforms should be considered as possible therapeutic targets to prevent brain damage caused by excitotoxicity.
Altered membrane NTPase activity in Lesch–Nyhan disease fibroblasts: comparison with HPRT knockout mice and HPRT‐deficient cell lines
Authors: Pinto Cibele S. , Jinnah Hyder A. , Shirley Thomas L. , Nyhan William L. , Seifert Roland
Published: June 2005

Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND) is a rare disorder caused by a defect of an enzyme in the purine salvage pathway, hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT). It is still unknown how the metabolic defect translates into the complex neuropsychiatric phenotype characterized by self‐injurious behavior, dystonia and mental retardation. There are abnormalities in purine and pyrimidine nucleotide content in HPRT‐deficient cells. We hypothesized that altered nucleotide concentrations in HPRT deficiency change G‐protein‐mediated signal transduction. Therefore, our original study aim was to examine the high‐affinity GTPase activity of G‐proteins in membranes from primary human skin and immortalized mouse skin fibroblasts, rat B103 neuroblastoma cells and mouse Neuro‐2a neuroblastoma cells. Unexpectedly, in membranes from human fibroblasts, B103‐ and Neuro‐2a cells, Vmax of low‐affinity nucleoside 5′‐triphosphatase (NTPase) activities was decreased up to 7‐fold in HPRT deficiency. In contrast, in membranes from mouse fibroblasts, HPRT deficiency increased NTPase activity up to 4‐fold. The various systems analyzed differed from each other in terms of Km values for NTPs, absolute Vmax values and Ki values for nucleoside 5′‐[β,γ‐imido]triphosphates. Our data show that altered membrane NTPase activity is a biochemical hallmark of HPRT deficiency, but species and cell‐type differences have to be considered. Thus, future studies on biochemical changes in LND should be conducted in parallel in several HPRT‐deficient systems.
Aspirin prevention of NMDA‐induced neuronal death by direct protein kinase Cζ inhibition
Authors: Crisanti P. , Leon A. , Lim D. M. , Omri B.
Published: June 2005

Aspirin has been shown to protect against glutamate neurotoxicity via the nuclear factor κB pathway. Some studies have implicated the atypical protein kinase C (PKC) zeta (ζ) isoform in cell protection, but the mechanism involved remains unclear. We show here that aspirin exerts at least some of its effects through PKCζ, decreasing the NMDA‐induced activation, cleavage and nuclear translocation of this molecule. Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) directly inhibited the protein kinase activity of PKCζ, whereas salicylic acid did not. This direct effect of aspirin on purified human PKCζ is consistent with PKCζ inhibition preventing the NMDA‐induced death of cortical neurones. Caspase‐3 inhibition blocked the cleavage and nuclear translocation of PKCζ, whereas caspase‐1‐inhibition did not. Thus, PKCζ (protein kinase Mζ) regulates nuclear events essential for the initiation of the apoptotic pathway. Aspirin protects cells against NMDA‐induced apoptosis by means of a novel mechanism targeting PKCζ, a key molecule in inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration.
Characterization of serotonin 5‐HT2Creceptor signaling to extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1 and 2
Authors: Werry Tim D. , Gregory Karen J. , Sexton Patrick M. , Christopoulos Arthur
Published: June 2005

Serotonin 5‐HT2Creceptors (5‐HT2CRs) are almost exclusively expressed in the CNS, and implicated in disorders such as obesity, depression, and schizophrenia. The present study investigated the mechanisms governing the coupling of the 5‐HT2CR to the extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs) 1/2, using a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line stably expressing the receptor at levels comparable to those found in the brain. Using the non‐RNA‐edited isoform of the 5‐HT2CR, constitutive ERK1/2 phosphorylation was observed and found to be modulated by full, partial and inverse agonists. Interestingly, agonist‐directed trafficking of receptor stimulus was also observed when comparing effects on phosphoinositide accumulation and intracellular Ca2+elevation to ERK1/2 phosphorylation, whereby the agonists, [±]‐2,5‐dimethoxy‐4‐iodoamphetamine (DOI) and quipazine, showed reversal of efficacy between the phosphoinositide/Ca2+pathways, on the one hand, and the ERK1/2 pathway on the other. Subsequent molecular characterization found that 5‐HT‐stimulated ERK1/2 phosphorylation in this cellular background requires phospholipase D, protein kinase C, and activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK module, but is independent of both receptor‐ and non‐receptor tyrosine kinases, phospholipase C, phosphoinositide 3‐kinase, and endocytosis. Our findings underscore the potential for exploiting pathway‐selective receptor states in the differential modulation of signaling pathways that play prominent roles in normal and abnormal neuronal signaling.
Increases in tumor necrosis factor‐α following transient global cerebral ischemia do not contribute to neuron death in mouse hippocampus
Authors: Murakami Yuki , Saito Kuniaki , Hara Akira , Zhu Yuyan , Sudo Kaori , Niwa Masayuki , Fujii Hidehiko , Wada Hisayasu , Ishiguro Hiroshi , Mori Hideki , Seishima Mitsuru
Published: June 2005

The actions of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) produced by resident brain cells and bone marrow‐derived cells in brain following a transient global ischemia were evaluated. In wild‐type mice (C57Bl/6J) following 20 min ischemia with bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAo), TNF‐α mRNA expression levels in the hippocampus were significantly increased at 3 h and 36 h and exhibited a biphasic expression pattern. There were no hippocampal TNF‐α mRNA expression levels at early time points in either wild‐type mice bone marrow transplanted (BMT)‐chimeric‐TNF‐α gene‐deficient (T/W) or TNF‐α gene‐deficient mice BMT‐TNF‐α gene‐deficient mice (T/T), although TNF‐α mRNA levels were detectable in T/W BMT mice at 36 h. Histopathological findings showed no intergroup differences between wild‐type and TNF‐α gene‐deficient mice at 4 and 7 days after transient ischemia. In addition, nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) was activated within 12 h after global cerebral ischemia, but electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed no intergroup differences between wild type and TNF‐α gene‐deficient mice. In summary, early hippocampal TNF‐α mRNA expression may not be related to bone marrow‐derived cells, and secondary TNF‐α expression as early as 36 h after ischemia probably resulted mainly from endogenous brain cells and possibly a few bone marrow‐derived cells. Although we cannot exclude the possibility of the TNF‐α contribution to the physiologic changes of hippocampus after transient global ischemia, these results indicate that TNF‐α does not influence the morphological changes of the hippocampal neurons under our study condition.
Chloramphenicol decreases brain glucose utilization and modifies the sleep–wake cycle architecture in rats
Authors: Moulin‐Sallanon Marcelle , Millet Philippe , Rousset Colette , Zimmer Luc , Debilly Gabriel , Petit Jean‐Marie , Cespuglio Raymond , Magistretti Pierre , Ibáñez Vicente
Published: June 2005

We studied the effects of chloramphenicol on brain glucose utilization and sleep–wake cycles in rat. After slightly anaesthetized animals were injected with [18F]fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose, we acquired time–concentration curves from three radiosensitive β microprobes inserted into the right and left frontal cortices and the cerebellum, and applied a three‐compartment model to calculate the cerebral metabolic rates for glucose. The sleep–wake cycle architecture was analysed in anaesthetic‐free rats by recording electroencephalographic and electromyographic signals. Although chloramphenicol is a well‐established inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, no compensatory increase in glucose utilization was detected in frontal cortex. Instead, chloramphenicol induced a significant 23% decrease in the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose. Such a metabolic response indicates a potential mismatch between energy supply and neuronal activity induced by chloramphenicol administration. Regarding sleep–wake states, chloramphenicol treatment was followed by a 64% increase in waking, a 20% decrease in slow‐wave sleep, and a marked 59% loss in paradoxical sleep. Spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram indicates that chloramphenicol induces long‐lasting modifications of delta‐band power during slow‐wave sleep.
Trade Unionism in 2004
Authors: Cooper Rae
Published: June 2005

It was a disappointing year for Australian trade unions. The Howard government was returned in the 2004 federal election with an increased majority in the House of Representatives and an outright majority in the Senate. In July 2005, the government will use this mandate to push through a raft of legislative changes, which will make for a bleak union future. A controversial High Court decision in 2004 threatened to limit the range of issues which could be included in enterprise agreements and the circumstances in which unions could take legal industrial action. Nevertheless, unions could claim victory in the most high-profile campaign of the year, which forced the James Hardie corporation to meet its financial obligations to victims of its asbestos products.
Major Tribunal Decisions in 2004
Authors: Catanzariti Joseph , Shariff Yaseen
Published: June 2005

In their review of the major decisions of the past 12 months, the authors focus on cases which they consider had a significant impact on the business of unions. These decisions include the High Court’s rulings in Electrolux, Gribbles and Amcor. These decisions have had an impact on matters which unions can seek to include in certified agreements, matters in which unions can take protected action, the extent to which unions can seek to assert the operation of previously negotiated awards on new employers and finally the meaning of redundancy in the context of company restructures. The authors also analyse decisions relating to union right of entry and approval requirements for non-union certified agreements. The authors observe that significant industrial reforms can be expected after the re-election of the Coalition government, and that these reforms are likely to have a further impact on the business of unions.
ST‐segment deviations during pacing‐induced increased heart rate in patients without coronary artery disease
Authors: Häggmark Sören , Haney Michael F. , Jensen Steen M. , Johansson Göran , Näslund Ulf
Published: June 2005

Introduction:  In order to interpret ST‐segment changes as an indicator of ischemia in patients with higher heart rates (HRs), the relation between ST‐segment levels and HR needs to be well defined in subjects without coronary artery disease.

Methods:  Eighteen patients with normal ECGs in the catheterization laboratory, after radiofrequency ablation of AV nodal re‐entry tachycardia or an accessory pathway were included. Computerized online vectorcardiography (VCG) was performed during step‐wise atrial pacing‐induced increases in HR up to 150 beats min−1 (bpm). The ST‐vector magnitude (ST‐VM) and the relative ST change vector magnitude (STC‐VM) were analysed at the J point, J + 20 and J + 60 ms.

Results:  There was no divergence in the course of ST‐VM or STC‐VM based on J point + 0, 20, or 60 ms during increasing HR. The STC‐VM mean values increased progressively during increases in HR above 100 bpm, with an average increase in STC‐VM of 15–20 μV per 10 bpm increases in HR. The ST‐VM response during HR increases showed a heterogeneous and unpredictable pattern.

Conclusion:  The STC‐VM increases linearly with rising HRs above 100 bpm. The STC‐VM can exceed widely recognized ischemic thresholds during higher HRs in the absence of ischemia. The choice of J point time to ST‐VM measurements as tested here is not important for the STC‐VM relation to HR at these HR levels. Further clinical testing is needed to improve the diagnostic specificity of STC‐VM measurements during increased HRs.
Challenge‐induced plasma exudation and mucinous secretion in human airways
Authors: Greiff Lennart , Andersson Morgan , Coman William B. , Lindberg Henrik , Marko‐Varga Gyorgy , Wallwork Ben , Persson Carl G. A.
Published: June 2005

Secretion of mucins and exudation of plasma are distinct processes of importance to innate immunity and inflammatory disease. Yet, little is known about their relation in human airways. The objective of the present study was to use the human nasal airway to determine mucinous secretion and plasma exudation in response to common challenge agents and mediators. Ten healthy volunteers were subjected to nasal challenge‐lavage procedures. Thus, the nasal mucosa was exposed to increasing doses of histamine (40 and 400 μg ml−1), methacholine (12·5 and 25 mg) and capsaicin (30 and 300 ng ml−1). Fucose was selected as a global marker of mucinous secretion and α2‐macroglobulin as an index of exudation of bulk plasma. All challenge agents increased the mucosal output of fucose to about the same level (P<0·01–0·05). Once significant secretion had been induced the subsequently increased dose of the challenge agent, in the case of histamine and methacholine, failed to further increase the response. Only histamine increased the mucosal output of α2‐macroglobulin (P<0·01). We conclude that prompt but potentially rapidly depleted mucinous secretion is common to different kinds of airway challenges, whereas inflammatory histamine‐type mediators are required to produce plasma exudation. Along with the acknowledged secretion of mucins, a practically non‐depletable, pluripotent mucosal output of plasma emerges as an important component of the innate immunity of human airways.
Quantitative polar representation of left ventricular myocardial perfusion, function and viability using SPECT and cardiac magnetic resonance: initial results
Authors: Cain Peter A. , Ugander Martin , Palmer John , Carlsson Marcus , Heiberg Einar , Arheden Håkan
Published: June 2005

Background:  The clinical management of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) often involves a complex assessment of the extent and severity of changes in left ventricular (LV) myocardial perfusion, function and viability. We aimed to explore the feasibility of integrative quantitative representation of LV perfusion, function and viability in adjacent polar plots. In order to assess the clinical usefulness of the quantitative methods, we also explored the relationship and determined the agreement between visual scoring and quantitative measurement of regional perfusion and function.

Methods:  Ten patients with CAD underwent rest and stress 99mTc‐tetrofosmin single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Software was developed in‐house for generating polar plots from semi‐automatic quantification of rest and stress perfusion from SPECT, function from cine CMR and viability from delayed contrast enhancement (DE) CMR. The agreement between visual assessment and quantification of both perfusion and function was tested by Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W).

Results:  Polar plots were created using quantitative data from the semi‐automatic analysis of perfusion, function and viability. Kendall's W for agreement between quantitative measurement and visual scoring was 1·0 (P<0·001) for perfusion and 0·85 (P<0·001) for function.

Conclusions:  Side‐by‐side quantitative polar representation of LV perfusion, function and viability is feasible and may aid in the complex assessment of these parameters. The agreement between quantitative measurement and visual scoring was very good for both perfusion and function.
Economics, ideology and vote: Southern Europe, 1985–2000
Authors: FREIRE ANDRÉ , LOBO MARINA COSTA
Published: June 2005

Abstract.  This article analyses the role of economics in voting behaviour in Greece, Portugal and Spain. First, it describes the objective economic conditions in these countries and investigates the degree to which they reflect the electorates’ economic perceptions. Second, a multilevel model of voting behaviour for Greece, Portugal and Spain is tested to determine if, as expected, economics is more important than social and political cleavages. This approach allows one to assess the effects of both individual voters’ economic perceptions and objective economic conditions to determine which are more important, and to compare their effects with social and political cleavages. With the exception of Greece, the economic voting model will also be tested under different political conditions (i.e., type of government in each country).
Policy networks and market opening: Telecommunications liberalization in Spain
Authors: JORDANA JACINT , SANCHO DAVID
Published: June 2005

Abstract. For a broad range of policy sectors, liberalization was the predominant goal during the 1990s, and the policy change involved gave rise to a wide range of academic debates. In this article we analyze the consequences of these far‐reaching policies for the policy process itself. We ask whether the policy changes significantly altered the characteristics of policy processes by considering the timing and extent of the changes in policy networks during those years. More concretely, we discuss the extent to which policy networks changed as a result of market opening, considering the case of the telecommunications policy network in Spain. Using data from two successive surveys, we compare the network structure before and after market opening. Our findings show that only slight changes occurred during this period, making the network denser but not more open. Thus, we suggest that a more successful liberalization probably would have required a network that was more open to new entrants and in which power was less centralized and so able to guarantee a competitive environment.
The impact of sector employment on party choice: A comparative study of eight West European countries
Authors: KNUTSEN ODDBJØRN
Published: June 2005

Abstract.  In this article, the impact of sector employment on party choice in eight West European countries is examined. The empirical analysis is organised into three parts. First, the impact of sector on party choice treated as a nominal‐level variable is analysed. Then the impact of sector within various social classes is focused upon, and finally sector employment is considered in relation to the division between socialist and non‐socialist parties. The impact of sector employment is large in Denmark; moderate in Britain, France and Italy; small in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands; and insignificant in Ireland. The impact of sector employment is much greater within the service class than any of the other social classes. The party families of the left, and also the greens, get stronger support from the public employees, while the main party families among the non‐socialist parties, apart from the Christian Democrats, get strongest support from private‐sector employees. Sector employment is most strongly correlated with socialist/non‐socialist party division in Denmark followed by France and Britain, with only minor or insignificant correlation in the other countries.
In Vivo Assessment of Conduction Velocity and Refractory Period of Denervated Muscle Fibers
Authors: Hofer Christian , Forstner Claudia , Mödlin Michaela , Jäger Heidrun , Mayr Winfried , Kern Helmut
Published: June 2005

Abstract:  Stimulation needle electromyography was used to study the muscle fiber conduction velocity and refractory period in 4 patients with long‐term denervation of the lower limb muscles due to lesion of the conus cauda or cauda equina (2 untrained and 2 trained by functional electrical stimulation). In untrained patients, the results demonstrated that propagation velocity is reduced and refractory period of the muscle fiber is increased with time of denervation. The patients performing electrical stimulation training showed higher conduction velocities and reduced refractory period despite longer lasting denervation. This suggests that electrical stimulation training is effective to improve the electrical properties of the muscle fiber. Since the obtained data show a good correlation to other clinical tests and biopsy investigations, this method could serve as an additional measurement technique to specify the status of the denervated muscle. Further animal experiments and clinical studies are necessary to proof the results in comparison to more invasive established techniques.
Analysis of Calculated Electrical Activation of Denervated Muscle Fibers in the Human Thigh
Authors: Martinek Johannes , Reichel Martin , Rattay Frank , Mayr Winfried
Published: June 2005

Abstract:  Finite difference models of the human thigh are used to analyze the excitation process in the fibers of denervated skeletal muscles in conjunction with functional electrical stimulation (FES) via surface electrodes. The Matlab tool “FES‐Analyze” was developed to simulate and analyze the super‐threshold regions in a human thigh. Action potential is simulated with a muscle fiber model of the Hodgkin Huxley type and with a generalized form of the activating function. With FES‐Analyze it is possible to compare the stimulation at the end of the muscle fiber and the stimulation at the central part of the muscle fiber, both in cross‐ and longitudinal‐section, as well as to observe the effect of different impulse intensities and lengths during FES. Simulating with “Standard Values” of the pulse duration (20 ms) and the amplitude (80 V) one discovers that the main part of the activation takes place at the end of the muscle fiber. To obtain activation at the central part of the muscle fiber, higher amplitudes and longer pulse durations are needed.
Sensory Supported FES Control in Gait Training of Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Persons
Authors: Cikajlo Imre , Matjačić Zlatko , Bajd Tadej , Futami Ryoko
Published: June 2005

Abstract:  Sensory supported electrical stimulation of the peroneal nerve during treadmill walking is proposed as a gait‐training modality in incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. A multisensor device provides information on the tilt of the shank during gait. The information provided  significantly  improves  the  triggering  instant of the electrical stimulation. Simultaneously, swing‐phase estimation serves as a reference to determine the required motor augmentation support. Both approaches, as well as triggering using intensity control of the functional electrical  stimulation  were  applied  on  a  healthy  person  and  on an  incomplete  C4–5  SCI  patient.
Flunarizine and Propranolol in the Treatment of Migraine
Authors: Ludin Hans‐Peter
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

The clinical efficacy of flunarizine and of propranolol for the prevention of migraine attacks was assessed in a multicenter double‐blind study lasting four months which was preceded by a single‐blind placebo period of one month. For both drugs, more than haft of the patients judged the effect to be good or very good. When considering the patients' daily logs, both drugs produced a significant reduction of the number of attacks. Propranolol furthermore significantly reduced the severity of attacks and the number of analgesics used during the attacks. In both groups no severe side effects were observed.
Headaches in Hospitalized Cocaine Users
Authors: Lipton Richard B. , Choy‐Kwong Maria , Solomon Seymour
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

We reviewed the medical records of 283 cocaine users consecutively admitted to a municipal hospital and identified 37 patients (13.1%) complaining of headaches. These patients were divided into three groups. Three patients had migraine‐like headaches and transient hemiparesis associated with cocaine use. Five patients had headaches associated with cocaine withdrawal. In 29 patients headaches were not clearly associated with cocaine. Twenty‐two of the 29 had chronic daily headaches; nine of these patients were depressed. Three had focal brain lesions with chronic daily headache or acute onset global headache. The four remaining patients had other headaches. Based on these findings, we conclude that: (1) Headache is a common complaint in hospitalized cocaine users; (2) Cocaine may occasionally trigger a syndrome which resembles hemiplegic migraine. The potential mechanisms of this syndrome will be discussed; (3) Hospitalized cocaine users who present with headaches most frequently have depression with suicidal ideation, often associated with cocaine withdrawal; and (4) Structural brain disease in these patients may result from a variety of causes.
Facial Pain, Headache, and Temporomandibular Joint Inflammation
Authors: Schellhas Kurt P. , Wilkes Clyde H. , Camak Baker C.
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

We studied one hundred patients with suspected temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthropathy in whom 64 also complained of headache and/or facial pain, using high field surface coil magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and found that headache and facial pain are commonly observed in association with inflammatory arthropathy of the TMJ. Each patient complained of pain and/or tenderness localized to the immediate vicinity of at least one TMJ. Pathologic joint effusion was demonstrated by MR in 88 of the painful joints studied. Significant meniscus displacement, with or without meniscus deformity and alteration of intrinsic signal intensity was present in 94 of the 100 painful joints examined. Ascial inflammation and atrophy of the ipsilateral muscles of mastication were observed occasionally with painful joints. There were no mechanical TMJ symptoms, such as joint clicking, crepitus or locking in 14 internally deranged and painful joints, 12 of which exhibited joint effusion and local inflammation. At least 80 patients described occlusal changes within 12 months of imaging. 28 of the pathologic joints in the series underwent subsequent meniscectomy, including routine histologic evaluation of surgical material. We conclude that internal derangement and inflammation of the TMJ should be considered in atients with unexplained headache and/or facial pain, even if mechanical TMJ symptoms are absent.
Long‐latency Auditory Event Related Potentials in Migraine
Authors: Drake Miles E. , Pakalnis Ann , Padamadan Hosi
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

The pathophysiology of migraine and its associated perceptual symptoms remains controversial. We recorded long‐latency auditory event related potentials (AEPs) in 30 unmedicated patients with common migraine, and compared them to 20 controls. 1,000 and 3,000 Hz tones were presented in an 80:20 ratio at 75 dB SL. 200 responses were recorded and replicated from Cz‐A1 +A2, with filter band‐pass of I ‐ 100 Hz, analysis time of 1,000 ms., and interstimulus interval of 1.1 second.

N100, P200, and N200 ERP components did not differ in latency or amplitude between migraine patients and controls. P300 was longer in latency among those with common migraine, and P300 amplitude was significantly reduced (P>0.05). These findings suggest that migraine may have a central mechanism, and that migraineurs may have a difference in task involvement or perception which may influence their clinical course and response to therapy.
Platelet Activation and Analysis of Organelles in Migraineurs
Authors: Riddle J.M. , D'Andrea G. , Welch K.M.A. , Joseph R. , McEIroy H.H. , Grunfeld S. , Christopherson T.G.
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

We used transmission electron microscopy to investigate selected aspects of the platelet response (surface activation as well as aggregation) and quantify cytoplasmic organelles within the cytoplasm of platelets obtained from both healthy control women and women diagnosed as having either common or classic migraine. Comparisons between controls and migraineurs showed no differences for: (1) the number of circulating platelets, (2) degree of surface activation, (3) amount of aggregate formation or (4) percent of hyperactive platelet populations. In contrast, platelets of migraine sufferers uniformly containeda significantly greater number of dense bodies compared to control platelets. Although we did not find functional abnormalities for the platelets obtained from migraineurs, we did demonstrate that they were altered structurally.
Non‐Invasive Treatment of Vascular and Muscle Contraction Headache: A Comparative Longitudinal Clinical Study
Authors: Reich Barry A.
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the long‐term course of non‐invasively treated chronic headache. A total of 1015 adult patients with primary diagnosis of vascular/ migraine or muscle contraction headache participated in the study investigating symptom frequency and severity over a 36 month period after receiving treatment. Treatment consisted of either: relaxation training (stepwise relaxation/hypnosis/ autogenic training/cognitive behavior therapy); biofeedback (thermal/photoplethysmograph/EMG); micro‐electrical therapy (TENS/Neurotransmitter Modulation) or multimodal treatment (combination of any of the above two treatments). Seven hundred and ninety‐three patients returned sufficient data to be included in the analysis. Patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups and received either short term intervention (15 or less treatments) or long term intervention (greater than 15 treatments). Results indicate that all treatment conditions significantly reduced frequency and intensity of cephalalgia. Repeated measure analysis of variance indicated that grouping variables of Biofeedback treatment, symptoms being evidenced less than 2 years and receiving over 15 treatment sessions best predicted successful intervention.
Basophil Histamine Release and Leukotriene (LTB4 ‐ LTC4) Production in Cluster Headache
Authors: Martelletti P. , Adriani E. , Bonini S. , Celestino D. , Lenti L. , Armaleo C. , Di Pastena A. , Misasi R. , Giacovazzo M.
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

Histamine release and leukotrienes (LTB4 and LTC4) production from circulating basophils have been studied in 13 patients with episodic cluster headache (CH) during the remission phase of symptoms, and in 9 normal subjects. Cell suspensions of basophils were stimulated with scalar dilutions of anti‐lgE, f‐met‐peptide and Ca2+ ionophore A23187. Histamine was measured by an automated fluorimetric method; LTB4 and LTC4 with RIA in individual cases, and with Reverse‐Phase HPLC in the two pools obtained from the supernatants of CH patients and controls. Mean values of histamine release in patients with CH were significantly lower when compared to those obtained in control subjects after stimulation with anti IgE at the three dilutions used. LTC4 mean levels measured in CH patients were significantly lower than those of supernatants from controls after stimulation with 0.05 /ml of A23187. A reduction of LTC4 and LTB4 levels in CH patients was also observed in R‐P HPLC, which showed different elution patterns in the two groups. The histamine release in individual cases was related to leukotriene production: LTC 4 levels were significantly (p<.05) higher in “high histamine releasers” than in “low histamine releasers”. Our results indicate that CH patients have complex abnormalities of histamine release and of leukotriene production during the painless phase of the disease.
Migraine‐Like Visual Phenomena Associated With Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Newman Daniel Seth , Levine Steven R. , Curtis Valerie L. , Welch K.M.A.
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

Two adults presented with new‐onset migrainous‐type visual disturbances and had angiographically demonstrated filling defects near the torcular Herophili. Neither patient had a visual field deficit nor cerebral computed tomography evidence of an occipital infarction. The association of migraine‐like visual phenomena with cerebral venous thrombosis may provide insight into the pathogenesis of migraine.
Aspartame as a Dietary Trigger of Headache
Authors: Lipton Richard B. , Newman Lawrence C. , Cohen Joel S. , Solomon Seymour
Published: June 2005

SYNOPSIS

Many dietary factors have been implicated as possible precipitants of headache. There have been recent differences of opinion with regard to the effect of the artificial sweetener aspartame as a precipitant of headache. To assess the importance of aspartame as a dietary factor in headache, 190 consecutive patients of the Montefiore Medical Center Headache Unit were questioned about the effect of alcohol, carbohydrates and aspartame in triggering their headaches. Of the 171 patients who fully completed the survey, 49.7 percent reported alcohol as a precipitating factor, compared to 8.2 percent reporting aspartame and 2.3 percent reporting carbohydrates.Patients with migraine were significantly more likely to report alcohol as a triggering factor and also reported aspartame as a precipitant three times more often than those having other types of headache. The conflicting results of two recent placebo‐control studies of aspartame and headache are discussed.

We conclude that aspartame may be an important dietary trigger of headache in some people.