bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
H+-ATPase Activity in Collecting Duct Segments in Protein-Deprived Rats – Role of Angiotensin II on Its Regulation
Authors: Vallés Patricia G. , Carrizo Liliana , Seltzer Alicia , Manucha Walter
Published: February 2005

Background: Enhanced expression of the genes that encode for components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been exhibited in low-protein-fed (LP) rats. We examined distal proton secretion in LP rats through the activity of H+-ATPase on microdissected CCD, OMCD and IMCD segments. The effect of angiotensin II AT1 receptor inhibition and protein recovery (24% protein) on H+-ATPase activity was studied. Methods: Bafilomycin-sensitive H+-ATPase activity on CCD, OMCD and IMCD segments of LP (protein 8%) and control rats CP (protein 24%) was evaluated. We examined the levels of mRNA expression of RAS components: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensinogen and angiotensin II AT1 expression; AT1 receptor binding and distribution were determined by quantitative autoradiography. Results: Increased ACE and AT1 mRNA expression was found in cortex and medulla of LP compared to NP rats. AT1 receptor binding density was significantly reduced in renal cortex and inner stripe of the outer medulla of LP compared to NP rats. Minimal radioligand binding was shown in inner medulla of LP. Whole kidney expression of angiotensinogen was unaltered in LP. H+-ATPase activity significantly decreased in IMCDs and OMCDs of LP. The inhibitory effect of LP was abolished when OMCD segments were incubated for 60 min in the presence of losartan 10–6 to 10–8M. There was no effect of losartan concentrations from 10–6 to 10–8 M on IMCDs. Similar results were observed on H+-ATPase activity in OMCD and IMCD segments after readministration of 24% protein in the diet. Conclusion: Both the recovery of H+-ATPase activity in OMCD segments induced by losartan and the increased expression of AT1 receptor suggest angiotensin II modulation of proton ATPase activity on this duct segments in LP rats. Intense compromise of proton secretion through the continued H+-ATPase inhibition in IMCDs from LP was shown.
Clinical Presentation, Investigation, and Management of Pulmonary Vein Stenosis Complicating Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Packer Douglas L. , Keelan Paul , Munger Thomas M. , Breen Jerome F. , Asirvatham Sam , Peterson Laura A. , Monahan Kristi H. , Hauser Mary F. , Chandrasekaran K. , Sinak Lawrence J. , Holmes David R.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Although segmental or circumferential ablation is effective in eliminating pulmonary vein (PV)–mediated atrial fibrillation (AF), this procedure may be complicated by the occurrence of PV stenosis.

Methods and Results—

To establish the clinical presentation, diagnostic manifestations, and interventional management of PV stenosis, 23 patients with stenosis of 34 veins complicating ablation of AF were evaluated. Each patient became symptomatic 103±100 days after undergoing ablation. In 8 veins, the ablation producing the PV stenosis was a repeated procedure for continued AF. Nineteen patients presented with dyspnea on exertion, 7 with dyspnea at rest, 9 with cough, and 6 with chest pain. On multirow spiral computed tomography examination, the narrowest lumen of the affected PVs measured 3±2 mm compared with 13±3 mm at baseline (
P
≤0.001). The relative perfusion of affected lung segments on isotope scans was reduced to 4±3% of total perfusion compared with 22±10% in unaffected segments. At percutaneous intervention, these veins showed 80±13% stenosis, with a mean gradient of 12±5 mm Hg. This was significantly reduced to a residual stenosis of 9±8% (
P
≤0.001) and a residual gradient of 3±4 mm Hg (
P
≤0.001). Twenty veins were treated with balloon dilatation alone, whereas 14 veins were stented with standard 10-mm-diameter bare-metal stents. Although the symptomatic response was nearly immediate and impressive, 14 patients developed in-stent or in-segment restenosis, requiring repeated interventions in 13.

Conclusions—

Percutaneous intervention produces rapid and dramatic symptom relief in patients with highly symptomatic PV stenosis after radiofrequency ablation for AF. Nevertheless, alternative treatment methods will be required to decrease recurrent in-stent or in-segment restenosis.
Thiazolidinediones, Metformin, and Outcomes in Older Patients With Diabetes and Heart Failure
Authors: Masoudi Frederick A. , Inzucchi Silvio E. , Wang Yongfei , Havranek Edward P. , Foody JoAnne M. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Insulin-sensitizing drugs of the thiazolidinedione class and metformin are commonly prescribed to treat diabetes in patients with heart failure despite strong warnings from the Food and Drug Administration against this practice. Whether this results in adverse outcomes is unknown.

Methods and Results—

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 16 417 Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes discharged after hospitalization with the principal discharge diagnosis of heart failure. The association between antidiabetic drug prescriptions and outcomes was assessed in multivariable hierarchical Cox proportional hazards models, with adjustment for patient, physician, and hospital variables and accounting for the clustering of patients within hospitals. The primary outcome of the study was time to death due to all causes. Secondary outcomes included time to readmission for all causes or for heart failure. Crude 1-year mortality rates were lower among the 2226 patients treated with a thiazolidinedione (30.1%) or the 1861 treated with metformin (24.7%) compared with that among the 12 069 treated with neither insulin-sensitizing drug (36.0%,
P
=<0.0001 for both comparisons). In multivariable models, treatment with the thiazolidinediones (hazard ratio [HR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.94) or metformin (HR=0.87, 95% CI 0.78 to 0.97) was associated with significantly lower risks of death. There was no association with treatment with sulfonylureas (HR=0.99, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.08) or insulin (HR=0.96, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.05) and mortality. Admissions for all causes did not differ with either insulin sensitizer. There was a higher risk of readmission for heart failure with thiazolidinedione treatment (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.09) and a lower risk with metformin treatment (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99).

Conclusions—

This observational study suggests that thiazolidinediones and metformin are not associated with increased mortality and may improve outcomes in older patients with diabetes and heart failure. Randomized trials are warranted to corroborate these findings.
Effect of Tamoxifen on Venous Thromboembolic Events in a Breast Cancer Prevention Trial
Authors: Decensi Andrea , Maisonneuve Patrick , Rotmensz Nicole , Bettega Donato , Costa Alberto , Sacchini Virgilio , Salvioni Alessandro , Travaglini Roberto , Oliviero Pasquale , D’Aiuto Giuseppe , Gulisano Marcella , Gucciardo Giacomo , del Turco Marco Rosselli , Pizzichetta Maria Antonietta , Conforti Serafino , Bonanni Bernardo , Boyle Peter , Veronesi Umberto
Published: February 2005

Background—

Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, increases venous thromboembolic events (VTE), but the factors explaining this risk are unclear. Atherosclerosis may induce VTE, or the 2 conditions may share common risk factors. We assessed the effect of tamoxifen on VTE in a breast cancer prevention trial and studied its association with risk factors for VTE.

Methods and Results—

The incidence of VTE was studied in 5408 hysterectomized women randomly assigned to tamoxifen 20 mg/d or placebo for 5 years. There were 28 VTEs on placebo and 44 on tamoxifen therapy (hazard ratio [HR]=1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 2.63), 80% of which were superficial phlebitis, accounting for all of the excess due to tamoxifen within 18 months from randomization. Compared with placebo, the risk of VTE on tamoxifen was higher in women aged 55 years or older, women with a body mass index ≥25 kg/m
2
, elevated blood pressure, total cholesterol ≥250 mg/dL, current smoking, and a family history of coronary heart disease (CHD). Of the 685 women with a CHD risk score ≥5 who entered the trial, 1 in the placebo arm and 13 in the tamoxifen arm developed VTE (log-rank
P
=0.0013). In multivariate regression analysis, age ≥60 years, height ≥165 cm, and diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg had independent detrimental effects on VTE risk during tamoxifen therapy, whereas transdermal estrogen therapy concomitant with tamoxifen was not associated with any excess of VTE (HR=0.64; 95% CI, 0.23 to 1.82).

Conclusions—

Women with conventional risk factors for atherosclerosis have a higher risk of VTE during tamoxifen therapy. This information should be incorporated into counseling women on its risk-benefit ratio, particularly in the prevention setting.
Ozone Air Pollution Is Associated With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Ruidavets Jean-Bernard , Cournot Maxime , Cassadou Sylvie , Giroux Michel , Meybeck Mariam , Ferrières Jean
Published: February 2005

Background—

Despite the diversity of the studied health outcomes, types and levels of pollution, and various environmental settings, there is substantial evidence for a positive link between urban air pollution and cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this study was to test the associations between air pollutants and the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods and Results—

Pollutant concentrations (SO
2
, NO
2
, and O
3
) were measured hourly as part of the automated air quality network. Since 1985, an AMI registry (the Toulouse MONICA Project) has been collecting data in the southwest of France. All cases of AMI and sudden and probable cardiac deaths are recorded for subjects 35 to 64 years of age. We studied the short-term exposure effect of pollution on the risk of AMI (from January 1, 1997, to June 30, 1999) using a case-crossover design method. We performed a conditional logistic regression analysis to calculate relative risks (RRs) and their 95% CIs. After adjustment for temperature, relative humidity, and influenza epidemics, the RRs (for an increase of 5 μg/m
3
of O
3
concentration) for AMI occurrence were significant for the current-day and 1-day-lag measurements (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.08;
P
=0.009; and RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.09;
P
=0.007, respectively). Subjects 55 to 64 years of age with no personal history of ischemic heart disease were the most susceptible to develop an AMI (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.23). NO
2
and SO
2
exposures were not significantly associated with the occurrence of AMI.

Conclusions—

Observational data confirm that short-term O
3
exposure within a period of 1 to 2 days is related to acute coronary events in middle-aged adults without heart disease, whereas NO
2
and SO
2
are not.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predictors of Coarctation Severity
Authors: Nielsen James C. , Powell Andrew J. , Gauvreau Kimberlee , Marcus Edward N. , Prakash Ashwin , Geva Tal
Published: February 2005

Background—

MRI is increasingly used for anatomic assessment of aortic coarctation (CoA), but its ability to predict the transcatheter pressure gradient, considered the reference standard for hemodynamic severity, has not been studied in detail. This study evaluated the ability of MRI to distinguish between mild versus moderate and severe CoA as determined by cardiac catheterization.

Methods and Results—

The clinical, MRI, and catheterization data of 31 subjects referred for assessment of native or recurrent CoA were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of peak coarctation gradient by catheterization: <20 mm Hg (n=12) and ≥20 mm Hg (n=19). Patients with cardiac index <2.2 L · min
−1
· m
−2
by catheterization were excluded. By logistic regression analysis, the following variables simultaneously predicted coarctation gradient ≥20 mm Hg: (1) smallest aortic cross-sectional area (adjusted for body surface area) measured by planimetry from gadolinium-enhanced 3D magnetic resonance angiography (OR 1.71 for 10 mm
2
/m
2
decrease,
P
=0.005) and (2) heart rate–corrected mean flow deceleration in the descending aorta measured by phase-velocity cine MRI (OR 1.68 for 100 mL/s
1.5
increase,
P
=0.018). For the combination of these variables, a predicted probability >0.38 had 95% sensitivity, 82% specificity, 90% positive and negative predictive values, and an area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve of 0.938. In a subsequent validation study, the prediction model correctly classified 9 of 10 patients, with no false-negatives.

Conclusions—

The combination of anatomic and flow data obtained by MRI provides a sensitive and specific test for predicting catheterization gradient ≥20 mm Hg.
Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Activity Is Associated With Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Oei Hok-Hay S. , van der Meer Irene M. , Hofman Albert , Koudstaal Peter J. , Stijnen Theo , Breteler Monique M.B. , Witteman Jacqueline C.M.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has been proposed as an inflammatory marker of cardiovascular disease. In the present study, we investigated whether Lp-PLA2 is an independent predictor of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke.

Methods and Results—

The Rotterdam Study is a population-based follow-up study in 7983 subjects ≥55 years of age. We performed a case-cohort study, including 308 coronary heart disease cases, 110 ischemic stroke cases, and a random sample of 1820 subjects. We used Cox proportional-hazard models with modification of the standard errors based on robust variance estimates to compute hazard ratios adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, non-HDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, cholesterol-lowering medication, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein. Compared with the first quartile of Lp-PLA2 activity, multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for coronary heart disease for the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 1.39 (95% CI, 0.92 to 2.10), 1.99 (95% CI, 1.32 to 3.00), and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.28 to 3.02), respectively (
P
for trend=0.01). Corresponding multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for ischemic stroke were 1.08 (95% CI, 0.55 to 2.11), 1.58 (95% CI, 0.82 to 3.04), and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.03 to 3.79) (
P
for trend=0.03). The relation between Lp-PLA2 and coronary heart disease was present in both subjects with non-HDL cholesterol levels below the median and those with non-HDL cholesterol levels above the median.

Conclusions—

This study shows that Lp-PLA2 activity is an independent predictor of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke in the general population.
S100B Expression Modulates Left Ventricular Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction in Mice
Authors: Tsoporis James N. , Marks Alexander , Haddad Abraham , Dawood Fayez , Liu Peter P. , Parker Thomas G.
Published: February 2005

Background—

S100B, a 20-kDa, Ca
2+
-binding dimer, is a putative intrinsic negative regulator of myocardial hypertrophy expressed after myocardial infarction. S100B-overexpressing transgenic (TG) and S100B-knockout (KO) mice have been generated to assess the consequences of S100B expression and altered hypertrophy after infarction.

Methods and Results—

We compared 21 wild-type (WT), 20 TG, and 24 KO mice over 35 days after experimental myocardial infarction with sham-operated controls (n=56). Of those, 4 WT-infarcted mice, 7 TG-infarcted mice, and 1 KO-infarcted mouse and no sham-operated mice died during the observation period. Among survivors, echocardiography, hemodynamic studies, and postmortem examination indicated that the WT and KO groups of infarcted mice mounted a hypertrophic response that was augmented in KO mice. The S100B-overexpressing TG group did not develop hypertrophy but demonstrated increased apoptosis. The postinfarct end-diastolic pressure was lower in KO mice than in WT mice, in accordance with other structural, hemodynamic, and functional parameters, which suggests that abrogation of S100B expression augmented hypertrophy, decreased apoptosis, and was beneficial to preservation of cardiac function within this time frame.

Conclusions—

S100B regulates the hypertrophic response and remodeling in the early postinfarct period and represents a potential novel therapeutic target.
Periodontal Microbiota and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
Authors: Desvarieux Moïse , Demmer Ryan T. , Rundek Tatjana , Boden-Albala Bernadette , Jacobs David R. , Sacco Ralph L. , Papapanou Panos N.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Chronic infections, including periodontal infections, may predispose to cardiovascular disease. We investigated the relationship between periodontal microbiota and subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—

Of 1056 persons (age 69±9 years) with no history of stroke or myocardial infarction enrolled in the Oral Infections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology Study (INVEST), we analyzed 657 dentate subjects. Among these subjects, 4561 subgingival plaque samples were collected (average of 7 samples/subject) and quantitatively assessed for 11 known periodontal bacteria by DNA-DNA checkerboard hybridization. Extensive in-person cardiovascular risk factor measurements, a carotid scan with high-resolution B-mode ultrasound, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein values were obtained. In 3 separate analyses, mean carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) was regressed on tertiles of (1) burden of all bacteria assessed, (2) burden of bacteria causative of periodontal disease (etiologic bacterial burden), and (3) the relative predominance of causative/over other bacteria in the subgingival plaque. All analyses were adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, gender, education, body mass index, smoking, diabetes, systolic blood pressure, and LDL and HDL cholesterol. Overall periodontal bacterial burden was related to carotid IMT. This relationship was specific to causative bacterial burden and the dominance of etiologic bacteria in the observed microbiological niche. Adjusted mean IMT values across tertiles of etiologic bacterial dominance were 0.84, 0.85, and 0.88 (
P
=0.002). Similarly, white blood cell values increased across tertiles of etiologic bacterial burden from 5.57 to 6.09 and 6.03 cells ×10
9
/L (
P
=0.01). C-reactive protein values were unrelated to periodontal microbial status (
P
=0.82).

Conclusions—

Our data provide evidence of a direct relationship between periodontal microbiology and subclinical atherosclerosis. This relationship exists independent of C-reactive protein.
Recommendations for Blood Pressure Measurement in Humans and Experimental Animals
Authors: Pickering Thomas G. , Hall John E. , Appel Lawrence J. , Falkner Bonita E. , Graves John , Hill Martha N. , Jones Daniel W. , Kurtz Theodore , Sheps Sheldon G. , Roccella Edward J.
Published: February 2005

Accurate measurement of blood pressure is essential to classify individuals, to ascertain blood pressure–related risk, and to guide management. The auscultatory technique with a trained observer and mercury sphygmomanometer continues to be the method of choice for measurement in the office, using the first and fifth phases of the Korotkoff sounds, including in pregnant women. The use of mercury is declining, and alternatives are needed. Aneroid devices are suitable, but they require frequent calibration. Hybrid devices that use electronic transducers instead of mercury have promise. The oscillometric method can be used for office measurement, but only devices independently validated according to standard protocols should be used, and individual calibration is recommended. They have the advantage of being able to take multiple measurements. Proper training of observers, positioning of the patient, and selection of cuff size are all essential. It is increasingly recognized that office measurements correlate poorly with blood pressure measured in other settings, and that they can be supplemented by self-measured readings taken with validated devices at home. There is increasing evidence that home readings predict cardiovascular events and are particularly useful for monitoring the effects of treatment. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory monitoring gives a better prediction of risk than office measurements and is useful for diagnosing white-coat hypertension. There is increasing evidence that a failure of blood pressure to fall during the night may be associated with increased risk. In obese patients and children, the use of an appropriate cuff size is of paramount importance.
Performance of Quality Assurance Procedures for an Applied Climate Information System
Authors: Hubbard K. G. , Goddard S. , Sorensen W. D. , Wells N. , Osugi T. T.
Published: February 2005

Valid data are required to make climate assessments and to make climate-related decisions. The objective of this paper is threefold: to introduce an explicit treatment of Type I and Type II errors in evaluating the performance of quality assurance procedures, to illustrate a quality control approach that allows tailoring to regions and subregions, and to introduce a new spatial regression test. Threshold testing, step change, persistence, and spatial regression were included in a test of three decades of temperature and precipitation data at six weather stations representing different climate regimes. The magnitude of thresholds was addressed in terms of the climatic variability, and multiple thresholds were tested to determine the number of Type I errors generated. In a separate test, random errors were seeded into the data and the performance of the tests was such that most Type II errors were made in the range of ±1°C for temperature, not too different from the sensor field accuracy. The study underscores the fact that precipitation is more difficult to quality control than temperature. The new spatial regression test presented in this document outperformed all the other tests, which together identified only a few errors beyond those identified by the spatial regression test.
Retrieval of Cloud Properties for Partly Cloudy Imager Pixels
Authors: Coakley James A. , Friedman Michael A. , Tahnk William R.
Published: February 2005

Retrievals of cloud properties from satellite imagery often invoke the assumption that the fields of view are overcast when cloud-contaminated, even though a significant fraction are only partially cloud-covered. The overcast assumption leads to biases in the retrieved cloud properties: cloud amounts and droplet effective radii are typically overestimated, while visible optical depths, cloud altitudes, cloud liquid water amounts, and column droplet number concentrations are typically underestimated. In order to estimate these biases, a retrieval scheme was developed to obtain the properties of clouds for partially covered imager fields of view. The partly cloudy pixel retrieval scheme is applicable to single-layered cloud systems and invokes the assumption that clouds that only partially cover a field of view are at the same altitude as nearby clouds from the same layer that completely cover imager pixels. The properties of the retrieval are illustrated through its application to 2-km Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) for a marine stratocumulus scene. The scene was chosen because the cloud properties are typical of such systems based on an analysis of VIRS data for February and March 1998. Comparisons of properties for clouds in partly cloudy pixels and those for clouds in nearby overcast pixels reveal that the optical depths and droplet effective radii are generally smaller for the clouds in the partly cloudy pixels. In addition, for pixel-scale cloud fractions between 0.2 and 0.8, optical depth, droplet effective radius, and column droplet number concentration decrease slowly with decreasing cloud cover fraction. The changes are only about 20%–30%, while cloud cover fraction changes by 80%. For comparison, changes in optical depth and column number concentration retrieved using a threshold method decrease by 80%–90%. As long as the cloud cover in partly cloudy pixels is greater than about 0.1, uncertainties in the estimates of the cloud altitudes and of the radiances for the cloud-free portions of the fields of view give rise to uncertainties in the retrieved cloud properties that are comparable to the uncertainties in the properties retrieved for overcast pixels.
Constructing Three-Dimensional Multiple-Radar Reflectivity Mosaics: Examples of Convective Storms and Stratiform Rain Echoes
Authors: Zhang Jian , Howard Kenneth , Gourley J. J.
Published: February 2005

The advent of Internet-2 and effective data compression techniques facilitates the economic transmission of base-level radar data from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) network to users in real time. The native radar spherical coordinate system and large volume of data make the radar data processing a nontrivial task, especially when data from several radars are required to produce composite radar products. This paper investigates several approaches to remapping and combining multiple-radar reflectivity fields onto a unified 3D Cartesian grid with high spatial (≤1 km) and temporal (≤5 min) resolutions. The purpose of the study is to find an analysis approach that retains physical characteristics of the raw reflectivity data with minimum smoothing or introduction of analysis artifacts. Moreover, the approach needs to be highly efficient computationally for potential operational applications. The appropriate analysis can provide users with high-resolution reflectivity data that preserve the important features of the raw data, but in a manageable size with the advantage of a Cartesian coordinate system.

Various interpolation schemes were evaluated and the results are presented here. It was found that a scheme combining a nearest-neighbor mapping on the range and azimuth plane and a linear interpolation in the elevation direction provides an efficient analysis scheme that retains high-resolution structure comparable to the raw data. A vertical interpolation is suited for analyses of convective-type echoes, while vertical and horizontal interpolations are needed for analyses of stratiform echoes, especially when large vertical reflectivity gradients exist. An automated brightband identification scheme is used to recognize stratiform echoes. When mosaicking multiple radars onto a common grid, a distance-weighted mean scheme can smooth possible discontinuities among radars due to calibration differences and can provide spatially consistent reflectivity mosaics. These schemes are computationally efficient due to their mathematical simplicity. Therefore, the 3D multiradar mosaic scheme can serve as a good candidate for providing high-spatial- and high-temporal-resolution base-level radar data in a Cartesian framework in real time.
On the Positive Bias of Peak Horizontal Velocity from an Idealized Doppler Profiler
Authors: Short David A. , Merceret Francis J.
Published: February 2005

In the presence of 3D turbulence, peak horizontal velocity estimates from an idealized Doppler profiler are found to be positively biased due to an incomplete specification of the vertical velocity field. The magnitude of the bias was estimated by assuming that the vertical and horizontal velocities can be separated into average and perturbation values and that the vertical and horizontal velocity perturbations are normally distributed. Under these assumptions, properties of the type-I extreme value distribution for maxima, known as the Gumbel distribution, can be used to obtain an analytical solution of the bias. The bias depends on geometric properties of the profiler configuration, the variance in the horizontal velocity, and the unresolved variance in the vertical velocity. When these variances are normalized by the average horizontal velocity, the bias can be mapped as a simple function of the normalized variances.
Grand Strategy, Strategic Culture, Practice
Authors: Neumann Iver B. , Heikka Henrikki
Published: February 2005

The article produces a model for empirical study of the security and defence policies of states, with a starting point in the literature on strategic culture (e.g. Gray, Klein, Johnston) and grand strategy (e.g. Kennedy, Posen, Kier). We identify two key problems with the literature. First, it only superficially touches base with the social sciences grouped around the concept of culture for a century, namely cultural anthropology and, to a lesser degree, sociology. The literature on strategic culture consequently operates with a reified concept of culture that is outdated elsewhere in the social sciences. Second, in sticking to a reified concept of culture, the literature has not (yet) come up with the kind of dynamic and specific framework for empirical analysis that we are looking for. Instead, it is bogged down in the debate begun in the 1950s on whether behaviour should or should not be treated as part of culture. In order to rectify this, we refashion the concept of strategic culture as a dynamic interplay of potential grand strategy, on the one hand, and specific practices such as doctrines, civil–military relations and procurement on the other. The key source of inspiration for this reconceptualization is the so-called ‘practice turn’ in anthropology and sociology (e.g. Bourdieu, Swidler, Schatzki).
Swedish Strategic Culture after 1945
Authors: Åselius Gunnar
Published: February 2005

This article examines the evolution of Swedish strategic culture during the twentieth century and up to the present.Although Sweden is the only Scandinavian country that has stayed out of war since the age of Napoleon, it still has proud military traditions stemming from Sweden's age of empire (1561–1721) and from the Cold War period, when this nonaligned country became partly self-sufficient in modern military technology, producing its own fighter-jets, tanks and submarines, even planning to acquire nuclear weapons in the 1950s. On paper, Sweden maintained an impressive number of armed forces (850,000 men after mobilization), although at the end of the Cold War their equipment and training left much to be desired. Only around the year 2000 did this huge Cold War defence complex begin to be dismantled. In line with the Swedish administrative-political culture (which is often traced back to the seventeenth-century statesman Axel Oxenstierna), the military enjoyed a high degree of autonomy compared with most other Western countries. This made it possible for the Army, the most influential of the services, to preserve its size rather than modernize gradually. Also, like other sectors of Swedish society, national defence was adopted by wellorganized popular movements with corporatist traits, movements such as voluntary defence organizations with hundreds of thousands of members and by defence industry. Sweden was the first country in the world to abolish the system of professional NCOs in the 1980s, creating a unified corps of enlisted officers. The tension between the ideals of popular defence and broad democratic participation – hailed in Swedish society at large – and the demands of military professionalism, and Sweden's national self-image as an advanced industrial country, increased towards the end of the Cold War. Only after the end of the Cold War did academization of officers’ training, the adoption of an official military doctrine and advanced thinking about network-centric warfare bring about much-needed modernization of the Swedish armed forces. Today, however, the mental gap is wide between the military elite on the one hand — which sees international operations as the primary mission in the future — and public opinion and large segments of the officers’ corps, on the other, which still consider defence as defending national territory.
Norwegian Strategic Culture after World War II
Authors: Græger Nina , Leira Halvard
Published: February 2005

This article details the changes in Norwegian strategic culture, comprising grand strategy and practice, following the end of the Cold War. Throughout the Cold War, Norwegian security and defence policy was characterized by broad, non-politicized consensus. Basic elements of this grand strategic perspective were the smallness of Norway, the people defence and allegiance to the UN. Doctrines focused on survival, with the army as the lead service. Close ties were maintained between the military and societal elites, and the military was seen just as much in societal terms, namely as an employer in scarcely populated areas, as it was in defensive terms. The changes in strategic culture over the past 10–15 years have been uneven, partly driven by internal and external changes in discourse, but over recent years probably as much by changes in practice. The first post-Cold War years witnessed the emergence of an alternative grand strategic representation, focusing on international operations rather than on invasion defence. Mindful of the impact on local communities of a reduced military presence, politicians long resisted any change, but after years of resistance the alternative grand strategy was embraced by the armed forces, leading to the creation of a rapid reaction force and increased emphasis on special task forces. International experience is now considered positive, even necessary, for a military career. Furthermore, whereas general conscription was gradually undermined because of the way in which it is practised, new civil–military ties were forged through the practice of providing military personnel training that was interchangeable with regular education. It now seems that military practice, as well as the specialized military discourse, has outpaced the broader Norwegian discourse on the use of military means. Nevertheless, the tension between global and local concerns remains unresolved.
‘What's the Use of It?’: Danish Strategic Culture and the Utility of Armed Force
Authors: Rasmussen Mikkel Vedby
Published: February 2005

The article uses theories of strategic culture to show why Denmark has come to regard the use of armed force in new ways following the end of the Cold War. It is argued that Danish strategic culture is constituted by a debate between ‘cosmopolitans’ and ‘defencists’ about the utility of armed force. The debate shows that a minor power possesses a certain ability to choose how to act on the world stage, and what means to use in doing so, and illustrates that the prevalent structural explanations of why Danish foreign policy has been ‘militarized’ since the end of the Cold War are insufficient. In Denmark, a new focus on European integration and globalization has meant that military power is being understood in a new way. A practice of ‘activism’ has transcended the cosmopolitan–defencist debate that paralysed Danish security discourse in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Women and leadership – 20 years later: a semantic connotation study
Authors: Koch Sabine C. , Luft Rebecca , Kruse Lenelis
Published: February 2005

English

We investigated the semantic connotations of the concepts woman, man, leadership, manager and businesswoman (N = 101) on 25-item semantic differentials. Our study was a replication of Kruse and Wintermantel (1986), who had found that the concepts man, leadership and manager formed one cluster, whereas businesswoman and woman each remained separate (woman being particularly far off the main cluster). The authors concluded that leadership was still male. We were now interested in the changes in semantic connotations of those concepts over the last 20 years. In addition to influence of participants' sex, we were also interested in how professionals differed from students in their representations of these concepts. Results suggest that (a) clusters have changed, with manager, leadership and businesswoman now forming the main cluster, and (b) influence of professional status was more pronounced than influence of participants' sex. The observed changes in concepts lead us to the carefully optimistic statement that societal gender roles seem to be changing in the direction of more representational and also more factual gender equality.

French

Sur un différentiel sémantique de 25 termes les auteurs ont étudié les connotations sémantiques des concepts femme, homme, leadership, manager et femme d'affaires (N = 101). Cette étude est une réplication de celle de Kruse et Wintermantel (1986), qui avait montré que les concepts homme, leadership et manager constituaient un seul groupe, alors que ceux de femme d'affaire et femme restaient isolés (femme se situant particulièrement à l'écart du groupe principal). Kruse et Wintermantel en avaient conclu que leadership restait un concept masculin. Dans cette étude, les auteurs s'intéressent aux changements des connotations sémantiques survenus pendant les 20 dernières années. Au delà de l'influence du facteur 'sexe du participant', ils s'intéressent également aux différentes représentations de ces concepts pour des personnes en activité et des étudiants. Les résultats obtenus suggèrent que (a) les groupes ont changé, le groupe principal comprenant maintenant manager, leadership et femme d'affaire et (b) l'influence du facteur 'statut professionnel' est plus forte que celle du facteur 'sexe des participants'. Les changements observés au niveau des concepts conduisent les auteurs à affirmer, avec un optimisme prudent, que les rôles par genre dans la société actuelle semblent changer et que la tendance est à une égalité de genre au niveau des représentations et donc aussi au niveau des faits.
Women inside and outside Academia: a struggle to access knowledge, legitimacy and influence
Authors: Romito Patrizia , Volpato Chiara
Published: February 2005

English

Starting from the observation that women still represent a minority in the higher echelons of universities and scientific institutions, the article discusses a number of strategies used to 'keep them out'. Historically the main strategy was to refuse to admit women. This refusal was accompanied by discourses devaluing women's intellectual capacities, while stressing their domestic and motherly duties, and by the actual burdening of women with these duties. When women succeeded in entering universities, subsequent strategies have been the appropriation by men of women's scientific production, sexual harassment (going as far as physical elimination) and anti-feminist intellectual harassment. Notwithstanding this strong opposition, during the last 30 years scientific production by women and feminists has been extensive, of high quality and innovative. This knowledge has advanced our understanding of important scientific and social problems, benefited both men and women, and contributed in some cases to a limitation of traditional male privileges.

French

Partant du constat que les femmes sont encore minoritaires dans les positions de pouvoir à l'Université et dans les institutions scientifiques, cet article présente certaines des stratégies utilisées pour garder les femmes à l'écart. Traditionnellement, la principale stratégie a été de leur refuser l'accès à l'Université. Ce refus a été accompagné de discours dévaluant leur capacités intellectuelles et mettant en avant leurs devoirs domestiques et maternels, et de leur maintien dans des conditions sociales oË elles étaient effectivement restreintes par ces devoirs. Dès lors que les femmes ont réussi à accéder à l'Université, d'autres stratégies ont été utilisées, telles que l'appropriation de leur production scientifique par les hommes, le harcèlement sexuel (poussé jusqu'à l'élimination physique) et le harcèlement intellectuel anti-féministe. Malgré cette opposition tenace, dans les 30 dernières années la production scientifique des femmes et des féministes s'est révélée large, brillante et innovatrice. Cette connaissance a permis d'avancer dans la compréhension de questions importantes sur les plans scientifique et social, a profité aux hommes et aux femmes, et a contribué à limiter certains privilèges masculins traditionnels.
Gender literacy: enhancing female self-concept and contributing to the prevention of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders
Authors: Sigall Brenda Alpert , Pabst Mary Strouse
Published: February 2005

English

This article examines the effect of gender inequity in education and gender identity development on self-concept, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders in females and considers the potential impact of the limited access to information about women's lives, history and contributions, and the concomitant focus on culturally defined attractiveness as a basis for self-worth for females. The authors propose a Corrective Education Model to facilitate the achievement of 'gender literacy': an awareness and understanding of those gender-related issues that affect the context and possibilities of girls' and women's lives. The object of this work is to help women and girls feel more powerful and enhance their sense of self beyond the limits of their body size and shape.

French

Cette étude examine l'impact de l'inégalité des sexes dans l'éducation, de même que l'incidence du développement de l'identité sexuelle sur l'idée de soi, le rejet de son propre corps, et les troubles alimentaires. Elle analyse aussi les conséquences éventuelles de l'accès limité à l'information sur la vie, l'histoire et l'apport des femmes, ainsi que l'importance accordée à l'étalon culturel de la beauté, étalon à l'aune duquel la femme mesure sa propre valeur. Les auteurs proposent un modèle orthopédagogique pour faciliter l'éveil des femmes à leur identité sexuelle: une prise de conscience et une compréhension de la dynamique sexuelle qui influe sur le milieu de vie des femmes et des filles et sur les possibilités qui leur sont offertes. L'objectif de ce travail est d'amener femmes et filles à prendre conscience de leur capacité accrue d'améliorer l'idée qu'elles ont d'elles-mêmes, indépendamment des contraintes de corps, de taille et de forme.
Egalité formelle et obstacles informels á l'ascension professionnelle: les femmes et l'effet ‘plafond de verre’
Authors: Sanchez-Mazas Margarita , Casini Annalisa
Published: February 2005

English

In this article the authors analyze the often 'hidden' impediments which contribute to keep women in the lower positions of the social hierarchy (known as the 'glass ceiling' effect). The asymmetry between men's and women's professional profiles is questioned from an historical and psychosocial perspective. Empirical evidence attesting to the impact of the prevailing organizational norms on the propensity to upward social mobility are presented and discussed on the basis of the notions of 'social identity' (Social Identity Theory, Tajfel et Turner, 1979), 'dominant and dominated groups' (Lorenzi-Cioldi, 1988), and 'normative conflict', as well as the historical analysis of the dichotomies between feminine and masculine (Héritier, 1996, 2002) and public and private spheres of life (Scott, 1998).

French

Cet article propose une réflexion sur les obstacles, souvent 'invisibles', qui contribuent à maintenir les femmes aux niveaux inférieurs de la hiérarchie sociale, un phénomène qui a été baptisé 'plafond de verre'. L'asymétrie des profils professionnels entre hommes et femmes est interrogée à partir d'une approche historique et psychosociale. Des résultats de recherches attestent l'impact qu'exercent les normes en vigueur dans les organisations sur la propension à la mobilité ascendante. Le 'plafond de verre' est discuté à partir des notions d'identité sociale (cf. Théorie de l'Identité Sociale, Tajfel et Turner, 1979), de 'groupes dominants et dominés' (Lorenzi-Cioldi, 1988) et de 'conflit normatif' ainsi que de la division historique entre féminin et masculin (Héritier, 1996, 2002), sphère publique et sphère privée (Scott, 1998).
Women, women's rights and feminist movements
Authors: Vernet Jean-Pierre , Butera Fabrizio
Published: February 2005

English

This article contends that feminist movements are victims of social cryptomnesia: while women's rights are nowadays largely approved, the role of feminist movements in obtaining these rights is not recognized, and feminist groups are still stigmatized. This social cryptomnesia is believed to hinder further progress towards equality between men and women. Indeed, although women's rights are officially protected, men-women differences in status still exist; however, the potential of feminist movements to achieve real equality is blocked by social cryptomnesia, which describes feminists as extremists who do not realize that women's rights have already changed. We review some of the achievements of two waves of feminist movements in obtaining women's rights; the obstacles to a third wave of movements claiming real equality are discussed in relation to the social cryptomnesia phenomenon.

French

L'article soutient que les mouvements féministes sont victimes d'une cryptomnésie sociale. Bien que les droits des femmes soient largement approuvés aujourd'hui, le rôle des féministes dans l'obtention de ces droits n'est pas reconnu, et les groupes féministes sont toujours stigmatisés. Cette cryptomnésie sociale pourrait entraver le progrès ultérieur vers l'égalité homme-femme. En effet, bien que les droits des femmes soient officiellement protégés, il existe encore d'importantes différences de statut entre hommes et femmes; cependant, le potentiel des mouvements féministes pour promouvoir une égalité réelle est bloqué par la cryptomnésie sociale, qui décrit les féministes comme des extrémistes qui ne se rendent pas compte que les droits des femmes ont déjà changé. Nous présentons quelques résultats obtenus par deux vagues de mouvements féministes dans la promotion des droits des femmes, et discutons, sur la base du phénomène de la cryptomnésie sociale, les obstacles qui s'opposent à une troisième vague de mouvements qui se battent pour une égalité dans les faits.
Visible or influential? Language reforms and gender (in)equality
Authors: Mucchi-Faina Angelica
Published: February 2005

English

There is much controversy regarding the use and the effects of politically correct (PC) language and language reforms. This article is focussed on gender-related PC language, that is, non-sexist language. After a short account of the debate on the issue, it is shown that, with regard to gender, language reforms can be based on two main strategies: inclusion and visibility. The preference for one or the other strategy depends not only on the characteristics of the specific language but also on the aim considered as a priority in the context. After an overview of language changes introduced in different (mainly European) countries, studies on the effects of sexist language and language reforms are reviewed. Finally the practical implications of the scientific findings on the issue are discussed.

French

L'emploi et les effets du langage politiquement correct (PC), ainsi que les réformes de la langue, sont actuellement très controversés. Cet article se concentre sur le langage PC à l'égard du genre, à savoir le langage non-sexiste. Après un bref résumé du débat, l'auteure montre que, par rapport au genre, les réformes de la langue peuvent être fondées sur deux stratégies principales: l'inclusion et la visibilité. La préférence pour l'une ou l'autre de ces stratégies ne dépend pas seulement des particularités de la langue en question, mais aussi du but qui est considéré prioritaire dans un contexte donné. Après un compte rendu des changements de la langue introduits dans différents pays (surtout en Europe), une revue des études sur les effets du langage sexiste et des réformes de la langue est présentée. Enfin, les implications pratiques des résultats scientifiques sur le thème sont discutées.