bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interventions and negotiation in the Council of Ministers of the European Union
Authors: Cross James P.
Published: December 2011

Making interventions during negotiations within the Council of Ministers is the primary way in which member states make their policy positions known to one another and attempt to influence negotiations. In spite of this, relatively little scholarly attention has been paid to the factors that influence a member state’s decision to intervene. This paper seeks to address this gap in our understanding by analysing a new data set that specifies which member states are intervening and at what level of negotiation within the Council they are doing so. Significant differences between member state intervention behaviour are observed, and these differences can be explained to some degree by structural characteristics of the policy space within which member states negotiate.
Measuring salience in EU legislative politics
Authors: Warntjen Andreas
Published: December 2011

To describe and explain legislative politics in the European Union and to assess its democratic quality we need to measure the political importance (salience) of legislative proposals. The existing literature uses several indicators to measure salience. This article compares measures of salience based on three types of data source (expert interviews, text analysis and media coverage) using a large number of legislative proposals that cover a variety of policy fields and types of proposal. Different measures of salience often do not yield similar values.
Phenomenological modeling of combustion and emissions for multiple-injection common rail direct injection engines
Authors: Rajkumar S , Mehta Pramod S , Bakshi Shamit
Published: December 2011

The high-pressure multiple injections in common rail direct injection diesel engines offer a possibility of simultaneous reduction of exhaust smoke and oxides of nitrogen. The purpose of the present work is to develop a phenomenological model to enable parametric understanding of the combustion and emission characteristics of multiple-injection common rail direct injection engines. The model is based on a two-zone formulation comprising of fuel–air spray and the surrounding air. The model predictions for combustion and emissions are validated with measured results of different multiple-injection schedules available in the published literature. The effect of parametric variations of multiple-injection scheduling on emission characteristics are predicted using the proposed model. It is observed that the simultaneous reduction of oxides of nitrogen and smoke is possible with an optimized pilot fuel quantity and dwell between the injection pulses.
Global Media Events in India: Contests over Beauty, Gender and Nation
Authors: Parameswaran Radhika
Published: December 2011

This monograph focuses on perceptions of televised global beauty pageants among business and media professionals in India who organized, sponsored, and supported the Miss World beauty contest. The 1996 Miss World pageant, which was held in Bangalore, a cosmopolitan city in South India, proved to be highly controversial due to protests expressed against the pageant by religious leaders, conservative women's groups, feminist activists, and political parties. My analysis of discourses on Miss World that circulated among professionals in the Indian culture industry is based on data gathered from ethnographic fieldwork in Mumbai and Bangalore. Informants' statements about the televised Miss World revealed that categories of nation and gender deeply influenced local producers' interpretations of the benefits that accrue to India through the practice of hosting global media events. In selecting a logo for Miss World, organizers and sponsors had to carefully negotiate local religious and gender politics as well as global fashion and beauty standards. Organizers' motives in holding the pageant in India demonstrated the launching of new configurations of global cultural flows that highlight Third World culture industries' desires to manage and control their own projects of globalization. The study shows that the selection of a venue for Miss World was shaped by struggles to challenge regional hierarchies within India. In conclusion, I consider the implications of this qualitative research on local producers' interpretations of Miss World for studies of media globalization, nationalism, and gender.
The Relevance of Cultural Identity: Relying upon Foundations of Race and Gender as Laypeople Plan a Newscast
Authors: Lind Rebecca Ann
Published: December 2011

This study placed eighteen groups of African-, European-, and Latin-Americans (divided by race and gender) into the role of news producers; each peer group was charged with planning a hypothetical TV newscast from a list of realistic stories. The study investigates the relevance of cultural identity as these groups went about their task, and found clear differences in the extent to which cultural identity was articulated, the type of identity considered (race, gender, religion), whether the focus was on the ingroup or outgroup, and whether the references were affirmatively or negatively valenced. The study also compares the content different cultural groups included in the newscasts. Assuming that a context can function actively to “weave together” (rather than the more passive conceptualization of context as that which surrounds), this research concludes that discourses of separateness, of narrowly defined identity, and of inequality were common; the context enacted by participants revealed a strained, uneven social fabric.
One Step Forward Two Steps Back: A Study of Press Law in Post-Colonial Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Anne S.Y.
Published: December 2011

This monograph is a study of press law in Hong Kong after sovereignty retrocession to the People's Republic of China. It asks why has the unprecedented constitutional commitment for press freedom after the handover failed to translate into practical guarantees in the legal arena? Reasons that may be accounted for are two. First, Hong Kong law is marked by inconsistent legislations. Second, this inconsistency leads to a heavy reliance on executive restraint and judicial enforcement to protect the press. Most disturbing is the constant denial and disregard of the role and value of the press by the judiciary. This monograph further contends that in marking the boundary for the exercise of press freedom, the judiciary is also defining the triadic relationship among the authorities, the press and the citizens. This monograph concludes that unless there is a profound judicial awakening, Hong Kong's press freedom as a legal right will remain illusionary and empty.
The Nigerian Press and June 12: Pressure and Performance During a Political Crisis
Authors: Ibelema Minabere
Published: December 2011

The Nigerian press faced its most turbulent years to date between 1993 and 1998, a span that has been described as the “darkest period of its 140-year history.” This was the period during which the military annulled a national election and sought to perpetuate itself, a development that precipitated a political crisis that brought Nigeria close to another civil war. This study examines the fate of the Nigerian press during the crisis, which Nigerians refer to simply as June 12 in reference to the date of the annulled election in 1993. Specifically, the study examines the dynamics of a press system in which the forces of repression and the forces of freedom manifest strong oppositional trends. In this case, an illegitimate (and therefore insecure) military government sought to repress a press that was growing in size and independence in a volatile political context and difficult economic circumstances. The paper analyzes the interplay of the various factors and trends in engendering repression while also facilitating press resistance. The paper notes the implications for press systems analysis.
Pointing the Finger of Blame: News Media Coverage of Popular-Culture Culpability
Authors: Scharrer Erica , Weidman Lisa M. , Bissell Kimberly L.
Published: December 2011

In the 1990s, three relatively high-profile tragedies occurred in which popular media products (including movies, recorded music, television talk shows, the Internet, tabloid newspapers, and video games) were argued to be the primary cause. This study analyzes the discourse surrounding the culpability that was placed on popular culture in major newspaper coverage of the car crash that killed Princess Diana, the murder associated with the “Jenny Jones” show, and the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. The analysis reveals patterns in the assignment of blame—and relatively more rarely of exoneration—of popular culture, interpreting why and how popular culture was targeted as a cause of the tragedies.
“Her Say” in the Media Mainstream: A Cultural Feminist Manifesto
Authors: Lueck Therese L.
Published: December 2011

The “Her Say” column of the “Womanews” section in the Chicago Tribune functioned as an editorial to position the new women's section and provide women-centered perspectives on issues. Written by women from outside the Tribune staff during its 1991 launch, “Her Say” spoke in voices drawn from the larger women's community, often harkening back to earlier notions of gender to bring forward concepts and rework them to fit American women in the 1990s. Using sex difference and privileging sisterhood, “Her Say” articulated the terms of a separate women's culture, the bounds of which continued to be defined by newspapers across the nation as they introduced their own women's sections. Through “Her Say” this section signaled a shift in the media paradigm from liberal feminism to a cultural feminist approach, which called for a reconnection among women through women's media in the media mainstream. The myth for the 1990s that emerged from “Her Say” was that of a world-weary prodigal daughter returning to the hearth. As the mouthpiece for the “Womanews” section, “Her Say” heralded a revaluing of “woman,” and challenged the industry to hasten its redefinition of “news” for 21st -century relevancy.
First Amendment Guerillas: Formative Years of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Authors: McKay Floyd J.
Published: December 2011

Fueled by bitter disputes over the issuance of subpoenas to reporters and operating in the contentious climate of the Watergate Era, an innovative effort in 1970 to aggressively defend the interests of working journalists gave rise to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Governed by working reporters in Washington, the Committee confronted former President Richard Nixon when he attempted to remove documents from the public domain. Shifts in the political climate, deep divisions over a media response to Grenada, and a change in leadership style brought a retreat from “guerilla” tactics in the mid-1980s. The Committee remains a reliable defender of journalists' rights and a bridge between the working press and a First Amendment Bar created during this period. Feverish activity, inner tensions, and confrontations with both publishers and public officials mark the early years of the RCFP as a significant time in the history of the American press, and also reflect a time of high drama, high stakes, and zealous actors in American political and media history. “Basically, the idea was to fight back, and if you couldn't do it nicely, you did it through warfare. I'm the guerilla, and if you can't get it one way you can get it another. And that's what we did.” Jack C. Landau, executive director 1974–85, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
The Party Line Online: An Oligarchy of Opinion on a Public Affairs Listserve
Authors: Schild Steven , Oren Kim
Published: December 2011

During a 6-month period analyzed in this study, a small number of ideologically like-minded participants dominated a listserve created in a small Midwestern city for discussion of public-policy issues. That dominant group exerted an oligarchy of opinion that led to online discussions about, and raises larger questions about, whether the listserve was achieving its goal of “creating a community-wide discussion.” This study examines two controversial issues about which the preponderance of opinion expressed online did not reflect the preponderance of opinion expressed in letters to the editor in two newspapers in the same city and, in one case, at the ballot box. Also examined are online conversations about how the dominant opinion on the listerve may have caused some subscribers to participate as “lurkers” rather than as writers who expressed their opinions online.
A New Song or the Same Old Tune? Press Constructions of Scotland's Emerging Political Identity in Britain and Europe
Authors: Bicket Douglas
Published: December 2011

This case study, focusing on the Scottish press, analyzes emerging media constructions of Scottish identity as articulated through the prism of the new Scottish parliament, with the focus on that institution's preliminary relationships with the United Kingdom and the European Union. The study covers a six-month period leading up to the historic opening of the new parliament in July of 1999. It provides a clearer picture of how Scotland's political relations with the UK and the EU were being framed and presented at that time, as the Scottish nation and its new polity began the process of redefining themselves within these larger entities. Four dominant media packages are identified, each of which articulates a different vision for Scotland's future in relation to the UK and the EU. Three of the four packages emphasize versions of the Scottish-UK relationship that place Scotland in a subservient or regressive position vis-à-vis the UK. However, one of the identified packages represents a genuinely original framework for Scotland's external relations, and provides a progressive model for medium-and long-term media coverage of these relations. However, in order for this package to predominate, a number of institutional and cultural factors reinforcing the status quo must be overcome.
The Liberty to Argue Freely: Nineteenth-Century Obscenity Prosecutions and the Emergence of Modern Libertarian Free Speech Discourse
Authors: Cronin Mary M.
Published: December 2011

This research examines the prosecutions of four noted libertarians: free love advocate Ezra Heywood; Dr. Edward Bond Foote, a well-known New York physician and medical publisher; two prominent free thought publishers, DeRobigne M. Bennett and Moses Harman; and the subsequent libertarian campaign for broad First Amendment protection for all citizens which ensued from their arrests and prosecutions. That individuals were putting forth a libertarian philosophy of free expression in the 1870s (albeit largely under the auspices of individual rights rather than the later interpretation of social benefits), demonstrates the formative period of modern First Amendment development occurred decades earlier than is often acknowledged. The research argues that these liberal thinkers, all too cognizant of the suppression power of obscenity statutes, sought, and eventually helped to create, an expansive interpretation of the First Amendment. As will be demonstrated, these libertarians brought the related issues of the social and legal boundaries of freedom of expression and federal First Amendment protection for ideas, which heretofore were not part of common social discourse, into the public arena. By emphasizing the necessity of free expression rights in a democratic society, the libertarians hoped to spur broad public, legal, and legislative discourse about the First Amendment, its applications, and the limits of state legal controls over individuals and society.
Bridging Newsrooms and Classrooms: Preparing the Next Generation of Journalists for Converged Media
Authors: Huang Edgar , Davison Karen , Shreve Stephanie , Davis Twila , Bettendorf Elizabeth , Nair Anita
Published: December 2011

This study has provided empirical evidence that will help journalism educators make informed decisions about how to teach media convergence in their curricula and courses. A national survey was conducted among college professors, news professionals, and news editors. The study found strong support for training generalists and teaching new technology while continuing to emphasize critical thinking in journalism schools. It concludes that dealing with media convergence in college journalism education is an urgent necessity.
Beyond the Four Theories of the Press: A New Model for the Asian & the World Press
Authors: Yin Jiafei
Published: December 2011

The four theories of the press have long dominated in journalism education and research and arguably do a good job of describing media systems in the West. However, it is hard to fit Asian media systems into the existing theories. This paper re-examines the four press theories and identifies the difficulties in using the theories as a guide to understand media systems in Asia. The purpose of this paper is to raise issues with the applicability of the theories in an Asian media context and explore a new paradigm, which would bring in cultural values from both the East and the West.
American Newspapers and the Great Meteor Storm of 1833: A Case Study in Science Journalism
Authors: Littmann Mark
Published: December 2011

American newspaper coverage of the great meteor storm of 1833 provides an opportunity to observe that era's science journalism in action. The results are surprising. Newspapers in this period from the Revolution to the Civil War focused almost entirely on politics and were highly partisan, with little concern for local happenings and even less for science. Yet confronted with a completely unexpected celestial spectacle that had substantial scientific implications, most newspaper editors rose to the occasion by adopting uncharacteristic practices. They sought out observers and got interviews. They published letters from witnesses. They consulted scientific texts and printed explanations from scientists. Most editors tried to keep their articles factual, although their political stories had no such scruples. Almost all tried to assuage the fear that many witnesses felt as they watched a sight utterly unlike any they had seen before or could have imagined. Newspapers assured readers that what they saw was natural and that science would provide an explanation - even though the true cause and nature of meteors was not known at the time. The public also benefited from the news pooling practice of that period, prior to the creation of the Associated Press in 1849. Because newspapers reprinted one another's stories, the public quickly realized how widespread the meteor storm was - the entire eastern half of North America. American newspaper coverage of the great Leonid meteor storm of 1833 was so significant in extent and quality that it contributed to the founding of a new branch of astronomy, meteor science.
Two Visions of Responsibility: How National Commissions Contributed to Jornalism Ethics, 1963–1975
Authors: Feighery Glen
Published: December 2011

The early 1970s witnessed significant developments in journalism ethics as news organizations revised or adopted codes of conduct, appointed ombudsmen, formed news councils, and took the first steps toward integrating newsrooms. Although some scholars have argued that this emphasis on ethics was a result of the Hutchins Commission or Watergate, this monograph suggests an additional factor: three national commissions that criticized the news media between 1964 and 1970. The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, and the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence accused journalists of prejudice, sensationalism, and even inciting violence. The commissions have been mostly ignored in regard to journalism ethics, and few scholars if any have attempted to tie together the impact of all three. This monograph presents a history of ideas — notions about journalists' responsibilities — to shed new light on how journalism ethics developed in the twentieth century. Watergate highlighted issues like the use of anonymous sources, but it did not specifically suggest what journalists should do. The three commissions did. They challenged journalists to fundamentally rethink their work and the purpose of it. From a process of challenge and response, an expanded sense of media responsibility arose. This monograph offers an analytical framework of freedom and responsibility to help explain the impact these commissions had on the practice and standards of journalism in the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond.
Splenic Lacerations and Return to Play
Authors: Silvis Matthew L. , Plakke Michael J. , Tice Joshua G. , Black Kevin P.
Published: December 2011

Background: Several sports medicine reviews have highlighted a 3- to 6-month time frame for return to play after splenic lacerations. These reviews are based on several well-defined grading scales for splenic injury based on computed tomography (CT). None of the articles suggest that serial CT scanning is necessary for follow-up; some even indicate that it has no role in the management of these injuries.

Hypothesis: With proper follow-up and possibly the use of serial CT scanning or other imaging modalities, it may be possible for athletes to safely return to play sooner than what current guidelines recommend.

Study Design: The authors present 2 cases of professional hockey players who both suffered grade III splenic lacerations while playing.

Methods: Both players were treated conservatively and monitored with serial CT scanning until radiographic and clinical findings suggested complete healing.

Results: Both players were able to return to full-contact professional hockey within 2 months after suffering grade III splenic lacerations. Neither athlete suffered any complications after his return.

Conclusions: With CT scanning, 2 athletes were able to return to play earlier (2 months) than previously recommended (3-6 months) without compromising their safety.

Clinical relevance: Additional cases must be examined before outlining more definitive recommendations regarding splenic lacerations in sports, but it is possible that elite athletes may return to play sooner than what the current literature recommends.
A novel role of sesamol in inhibiting NF-κB-mediated signaling in platelet activation
Authors: Chang Chao-Chien , Lu Wan-Jung , Ong Eng-Thiam , Chiang Cheng-Wen , Lin Song-Chow , Huang Shih-Yi , Sheu Joen-Rong
Published: December 2011

Background

Platelet activation is relevant to a variety of coronary heart diseases. Our previous studies revealed that sesamol possesses potent antiplatelet activity through increasing cyclic AMP formation. Although platelets are anucleated cells, they also express the transcription factor, NF-κB, that may exert non-genomic functions in platelet activation. Therefore, we further investigated the inhibitory roles of sesamol in NF-κB-mediated platelet function.

Methods

Platelet aggregation, Fura 2-AM fluorescence, and immunoblotting analysis were used in this study.

Results

NF-κB signaling events, including IKKβ phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, and p65 phosphorylation, were markedly activated by collagen (1 μg/ml) in washed human platelets, and these signaling events were attenuated by sesamol (2.5~25 μM). Furthermore, SQ22536 and ODQ, inhibitors of adenylate cyclase and guanylate cyclase, respectively, strongly reversed the sesamol (25 μM)-mediated inhibitory effects of IKKβ phosphorylation, IκBα degradation, and p65 phosphorylation stimulated by collagen. The protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, H89, also reversed sesamol-mediated inhibition of IκBα degradation. Moreover, BAY11-7082, an NF-κB inhibitor, abolished IκBα degradation, phospholipase C (PLC)γ2 phosphorylation, protein kinase C (PKC) activation, [Ca2+]i mobilization, and platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen. Preincubation of platelets with the inhibitors, SQ22536 and H89, both strongly reversed sesamol-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation and [Ca2+]i mobilization.

Conclusions

Sesamol activates cAMP-PKA signaling, followed by inhibition of the NF-κB-PLC-PKC cascade, thereby leading to inhibition of [Ca2+]i mobilization and platelet aggregation. Because platelet activation is not only linked to hemostasis, but also has a relevant role in inflammation and metastasis, our data demonstrating that inhibition of NF-κB interferes with platelet function may have a great impact when these types of drugs are considered for the treatment of cancer and various inflammatory diseases.
Impact of stirred suspension bioreactor culture on the differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells into cardiomyocytes
Authors: Shafa Mehdi , Krawetz Roman , Zhang Yuan , Rattner Jerome B , Godollei Anna , Duff Henry J , Rancourt Derrick E
Published: December 2011

Background

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can proliferate endlessly and are able to differentiate into all cell lineages that make up the adult organism. Under particular in vitro culture conditions, ESCs can be expanded and induced to differentiate into cardiomyocytes in stirred suspension bioreactors (SSBs). However, in using these systems we must be cognizant of the mechanical forces acting upon the cells. The effect of mechanical forces and shear stress on ESC pluripotency and differentiation has yet to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the suspension culture environment on ESC pluripotency during cardiomyocyte differentiation.

Results

Murine D3-MHC-neor ESCs formed embyroid bodies (EBs) and differentiated into cardiomyocytes over 25 days in static culture and suspension bioreactors. G418 (Geneticin) was used in both systems from day 10 to enrich for cardiomyocytes by eliminating non-resistant, undifferentiated cells. Treatment of EBs with 1 mM ascorbic acid and 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide from day 3 markedly increased the number of beating EBs, which displayed spontaneous and cadenced contractile beating on day 11 in the bioreactor. Our results showed that the bioreactor differentiated cells displayed the characteristics of fully functional cardiomyocytes. Remarkably, however, our results demonstrated that the bioreactor differentiated ESCs retained their ability to express pluripotency markers, to form ESC-like colonies, and to generate teratomas upon transplantation, whereas the cells differentiated in adherent culture lost these characteristics.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that although cardiomyocyte differentiation can be achieved in stirred suspension bioreactors, the addition of medium enhancers is not adequate to force complete differentiation as fluid shear forces appear to maintain a subpopulation of cells in a transient pluripotent state. The development of successful ESC differentiation protocols within suspension bioreactors demands a more complete understanding of the impacts of shear forces on the regulation of pluripotency and differentiation in pluripotent stem cells.
MicroRNA-mediated gene regulation plays a minor role in the transcriptomic plasticity of cold-acclimated Zebrafish brain tissue
Authors: Yang Ruolin , Dai Zhonghua , Chen Shue , Chen Liangbiao
Published: December 2011

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulating the expression of protein-coding genes by directing the degradation and/or repression of the translation of gene transcripts. Growing evidence shows that miRNAs are indispensable player in organismal development with its regulatory role in the growth and differentiation of cell lineages. However, the roles of miRNA-mediated regulation in environmental adaptation of organisms are largely unknown. To examine this potential regulatory capability, we characterized microRNAomes from the brain of zebrafish raised under normal (28°C) and cold-acclimated (10°C, 10 days) conditions using Solexa sequencing. We then examined the expression pattern of the protein-coding genes under these two conditions with Affymetrix Zebrafish Genome Array profiling. The potential roles of the microRNAome in the transcriptomic cold regulation in the zebrafish brain were investigated by various statistical analyses.

Results

Among the total 214 unique, mature zebrafish miRNAs deposited on the miRBase website (release 16), 175 were recovered in this study. In addition, we identified 399 novel, mature miRNAs using multiple miRNA prediction methods. We defined a set of 25 miRNAs differentially expressed under the cold and normal conditions and predicted the molecular functions and biological processes that they involve through Gene Ontology (GO) annotation of their target genes. On the other hand, microarray analysis showed that genes related to mRNA processing and response to stress were overrepresented among the up-regulated genes in cold-stress, but are not directly corresponding to any of the GO molecular functions and biological processes predicted from the differential miRNAs. Using several statistical models including a novel, network-based approach, we found that miRNAs identified in this study, either individually or together, and either directly or indirectly (i.e., mediated by transcription factors), only make minor contribution to the change in gene expression patterns under the low-temperature condition.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the cold-stress response of mRNA expression may be governed mainly through regulatory modes other than miRNA-mediated regulation. MiRNAs in animal brains might act more as developmental regulators than thermal adaptability regulators.
Dietary patterns and hypertension among Chinese adults: a nationally representative cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Dong , He Yuna , Li Yanping , Luan Dechun , Yang Xiaoguang , Zhai Fengying , Ma Guansheng
Published: December 2011

Background

Several healthful dietary patterns appear to be effective at lowering blood pressure and preventing hypertension. However, the relationship between dietary patterns and hypertension among a representative Chinese population sample is unclear.

Methods

A nationally representative sample of 23 671 participants aged 18-59 years were recruited by the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey. All participants had their blood pressure measured with standardized mercury sphygmomanometers. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg. We conducted factor analysis using dietary information from a validated food frequency questionnaire to derive dietary patterns. Information of participants on physical activities, education level, annual household income, smoking status and family history of hypertension was collected by interviewer-administrated questionnaires.

Results

Three major dietary patterns, defined as 'Western', 'traditional northern', and 'traditional southern', were identified. Participants with the highest quartile for the score of the Western pattern had significantly higher blood pressure comparing with counterparts in the lowest quartile. In contrast, participants in the top quartile for the score of the traditional southern pattern presented significantly lower blood pressure comparing with counterparts in the lowest quartile. In multivariate analyses the traditional northern pattern score was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.30 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.53, P for trend = 0.0001) comparing with the lowest quartile. The OR for the top quartile of score for the traditional southern pattern was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.59-0.89, P for trend = 0.0040) compared with the lowest quartile of traditional southern pattern score. However, the significant association between the traditional northern pattern and prevalence of hypertension disappeared after further adjusting for body mass index (BMI) (P for trend = 0.3), whereas the association between the traditional southern pattern and prevalence of hypertension persisted after further adjusting for BMI (P for trend = 0.01).

Conclusions

We observed a positive relationship between the traditional northern pattern and hypertension that was mediated through differences in BMI. In addition, the traditional southern pattern was significantly associated with lower odds of presenting with hypertension.
Challenges and opportunities for policy decisions to address health equity in developing health systems: case study of the policy processes in the Indian state of Orissa
Authors: Gopalan Saji S , Mohanty Satyanarayan , Das Ashis
Published: December 2011

Introduction

Achieving health equity is a pertinent need of the developing health systems. Though policy process is crucial for planning and attaining health equity, the existing evidences on policy processes are scanty in this regard. This article explores the magnitude, determinants, challenges and prospects of 'health equity approach' in various health policy processes in the Indian State of Orissa - a setting comparable with many other developing health systems.

Methods

A case-study involving 'Walt-Gilson Policy Triangle' employed key-informant interviews and documentary reviews. Key informants (n = 34) were selected from the departments of Health and Family Welfare, Rural Development, and Women and Child Welfare, and civil societies. The documentary reviews involved various published and unpublished reports, policy pronouncements and articles on health equity in Orissa and similar settings.

Results

The 'health policy agenda' of Orissa was centered on 'health equity' envisaging affordable and equitable healthcare to all, integrated with public health interventions. However, the subsequent stages of policy process such as 'development, implementation and evaluation' experienced leakage in the equity approach. The impediment for a comprehensive approach towards health equity was the nexus among the national and state health priorities; role, agenda and capacity of actors involved; and existing constraints of the healthcare delivery system.

Conclusion

The health equity approach of policy processes was incomprehensive, often inadequately coordinated, and largely ignored the right blend of socio-medical determinants. A multi-sectoral, unified and integrated approach is required with technical, financial and managerial resources from different actors for a comprehensive 'health equity approach'. If carefully geared, the ongoing health sector reforms centered on sector-wide approaches, decentralization, communitization and involvement of non-state actors can substantially control existing inequalities through an optimally packaged equitable policy. The stakeholders involved in the policy processes need to be given orientation on the concept of health equity and its linkage with socio-economic development.
Nanoscale chemical and structural study of Co-based FEBID structures by STEM-EELS and HRTEM
Authors: Córdoba Rosa , Fernández-Pacheco Rodrigo , Fernández-Pacheco Amalio , Gloter Alexandre , Magén César , Stéphan Odile , Ibarra Manuel Ricardo , De Teresa José María
Published: December 2011

Nanolithography techniques in a scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam are very attractive tools for a number of synthetic processes, including the fabrication of ferromagnetic nano-objects, with potential applications in magnetic storage or magnetic sensing. One of the most versatile techniques is the focused electron beam induced deposition, an efficient method for the production of magnetic structures highly resolved at the nanometric scale. In this work, this method has been applied to the controlled growth of magnetic nanostructures using Co2(CO)8. The chemical and structural properties of these deposits have been studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy at the nanometric scale. The obtained results allow us to correlate the chemical and structural properties with the functionality of these magnetic nanostructures.
Microglia use multiple mechanisms to mediate interactions with vitronectin; non-essential roles for the highly-expressed αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins
Authors: Welser-Alves Jennifer V , Boroujerdi Amin , Tigges Ulrich , Milner Richard
Published: December 2011

Background

As the primary resident immune cells, microglia play a central role in regulating inflammatory processes in the CNS. The extracellular matrix (ECM) protein vitronectin promotes microglial activation, switching microglia into an activated phenotype. We have shown previously that microglia express two vitronectin receptors, αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins. As these integrins have well-defined roles in activation and phagocytic processes in other cell types, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the contribution of these two integrins in microglial activation.

Methods

Microglial cells were prepared from wild-type, β3 integrin knockout (KO), β5 integrin KO or β3/β5 integrin DKO mice, and their interactions and activation responses to vitronectin examined in a battery of assays, including adhesion, expression of activation markers, MMP-9 expression, and phagocytosis. Expression of other αv integrins was examined by flow cytometry and immunoprecipitation.

Results

Surprisingly, when cultured on vitronectin, microglia from the different knockout strains showed no obvious defects in adhesion, activation marker expression, MMP-9 induction, or phagocytosis of vitronectin-coated beads. To investigate the reason for this lack of effect, we examined the expression of other αv integrins. Flow cytometry showed that β3/β5 integrin DKO microglia expressed residual αv integrin at the cell surface, and immunoprecipitation confirmed this finding by revealing the presence of low levels of the αvβ1 and αvβ8 integrins. β1 integrin blockade had no impact on adhesion of β3/β5 integrin DKO microglia to vitronectin, suggesting that in addition to αvβ1, αvβ3, and αvβ5, αvβ8 also serves as a functional vitronectin receptor on microglia.

Conclusions

Taken together, this demonstrates that the αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins are not essential for mediating microglial activation responses to vitronectin, but that microglia use multiple redundant receptors to mediate interactions with this ECM protein.
The utility of Aspirin in dukes C and high risk dukes B colorectal cancer - The ASCOLT study: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ali Raghib , Toh Han-Chong , Chia Whay-Kuang ,   The ASCOLT trial investigators
Published: December 2011

Background

High quality evidence indicates that aspirin is effective in reducing colorectal polyps; and numerous epidemiological studies point towards an ability to prevent colorectal cancer. However the role of Aspirin as an adjuvant agent in patients with established cancers remains to be defined. Recently a nested case-control study within the Nurses Health cohort suggested that the initiation of Aspirin after the diagnosis of colon cancer reduced overall colorectal cancer specific mortality. Although this data is supportive of Aspirin's biological activity in this disease and possible role in adjuvant therapy, it needs to be confirmed in a randomized prospective trial.

Methods/Design

We hypothesize through this randomized, placebo-controlled adjuvant study, that Aspirin in patients with dukes C or high risk dukes B colorectal cancer (ASCOLT) can improve survival in this patient population over placebo control. The primary endpoint of this study is Disease Free Survival and the secondary Endpoint is 5 yr Overall Survival. This study will randomize eligible patients with Dukes C or high risk Dukes B colorectal cancer, after completion of surgery and standard adjuvant chemotherapy (+/- radiation therapy for rectal cancer patients) to 200 mg Aspirin or Placebo for 3 years. Stratification factors include study centre, rectal or colon cancer stage, and type of adjuvant chemotherapy (exposed/not exposed to oxaliplatin). After randomization, patient will be followed up with 3 monthly assessments whilst on study drug and for a total of 5 years. Patients with active peptic ulcer disease, bleeding diathesis or on treatment with aspirin or anti-platelet agents will be excluded from the study.

Discussion

This study aims to evaluate Aspirin's role as an adjuvant treatment in colorectal cancer. If indeed found to be beneficial, because aspirin is cheap, accessible and easy to administer, it will positively impact the lives of many individuals in Asia and globally.

Trials Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00565708
Galectin-1 and -3 gene silencing in immature and mature dendritic cells enhances T cell activation and interferon-γ production
Authors: Mobergslien Anne , Sioud Mouldy
Published: December 2011

DCs are specialized APCs capable of inducing T cell activation as well as promoting tolerance. Although Gal, a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins, were found to affect immunity, little is known about the contribution of DC-expressed Gal on T cell activation. Here, we show that human imDCs and mDCs constitutively express Gal-1, Gal-3, Gal-8, and Gal-9 at mRNA and protein levels. Two of the most abundant Gal—Gal-1 and Gal-3—were highly expressed and detected on the cell surface of DCs. In contrast to Gal-8, knockdown of Gal-1 or Gal-3 in DCs enhanced allogeneic T cell responses. This was observed with imDCs and mDCs, but the effects were more pronounced with imDCs. Furthermore, allogeneic CD4+ T cells incubated with Gal-1 or Gal-3 knockdown DCs produced more IFN-γ and less IL-10 than did control cells. The percentage of apoptotic T cells was significantly higher in cultures with control DCs than that with Gal-1 or Gal-3 knockdown DCs. Collectively, the data indicate that DC-expressed Gal-1 and Gal-3 are regulatory molecules that favor the inhibition of T cell activation. Furthermore, the data provide a new mechanism for the poor capacity of imDCs to stimulate T cells.
Comparison of Serum Creatinine and Cystatin C for Early Diagnosis of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy after Coronary Angiography and Interventions
Authors: Ribichini Flavio , Gambaro Giovanni , Graziani Maria Stella , Pighi Michele , Pesarini Gabriele , Pasoli Paolo , Anselmi Maurizio , Ferrero Valeria , Yabarek Tewoldemedhn , Sorio Alessandro , Rizzotti Paolo , Lupo Antonio , Vassanelli Corrado
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND

The diagnostic accuracy of serum creatinine and cystatin C (Cys) as early predictors of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has been debated. We investigated the diagnostic sensitivities, diagnostic specificities, and variations from baseline for serum creatinine and Cys in CIN.

METHODS

We prospectively evaluated 166 patients at risk for CIN at baseline, and at 12, 24, and 48 h after exposure to contrast media. CIN occurred in 30 patients (18%). Changes (Δ) compared to baseline in serum creatinine and Cys were evaluated at the predefined time points. ROC curve analysis was performed for the Δ 12-h basal serum creatinine and Cys.

RESULTS

The Δ serum creatinine at 12 h from baseline was the earliest predictor of CIN [area under the ROC curve (AUC) = 0.80; P < 0.001]. The Δ serum creatinine 15% variation [0.15 mg/dL (13.2 μmol/L)] yielded 43% diagnostic sensitivity and 93% diagnostic specificity. The ΔCys at 12 h from baseline performed significantly worse than serum creatinine (AUC = 0.48; P = 0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

Variations from the serum creatinine baseline offer better diagnostic accuracy for predicting CIN at an earlier stage than similar variations in Cys. An additional diagnostic value of Cys over the determination of serum creatinine in the setting of CIN was not observed.
Serotonin-Mediated Synapsin Expression Is Necessary for Long-Term Facilitation of theAplysiaSensorimotor Synapse
Authors: Hart Anne K. , Fioravante Diasinou , Liu Rong-Yu , Phares Gregg A. , Cleary Leonard J. , Byrne John H.
Published: December 2011

Serotonin (5-HT)-induced long-term facilitation (LTF) of theAplysiasensorimotor synapse depends on enhanced gene expression and protein synthesis, but identification of the genes whose expression and regulation are necessary for LTF remains incomplete. In this study, we found that one such gene issynapsin, which encodes a synaptic vesicle-associated protein known to regulate short-term synaptic plasticity. Both synapsin mRNA and protein levels were increased by 5-HT. Upregulation of synapsin protein occurred in presynaptic sensory neurons at neurotransmitter release sites. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying synapsin regulation, we cloned the promoter region ofAplysia synapsin, and found that thesynapsinpromoter contained a cAMP response element (CRE), raising the possibility that the transcriptional activator CRE-binding protein 1 (CREB1) mediates 5-HT-induced regulation of synapsin. Indeed, binding of CREB1 to thesynapsinpromoter was increased following treatment with 5-HT. Furthermore, increased acetylation of histones H3 and H4 and decreased association of histone deacetylase 5 near the CRE site are consistent with transcriptional activation by CREB1. RNA interference (RNAi) targeting synapsin mRNA blocked the 5-HT-induced increase in synapsin protein levels and LTF; in the absence of 5-HT treatment, basal synapsin levels were unaffected. These results indicate that the 5-HT-induced regulation of synapsin levels is necessary for LTF and that this regulation is part of the cascade of synaptic events involved in the consolidation of memory.
Local Diversity and Fine-Scale Organization of Receptive Fields in Mouse Visual Cortex
Authors: Bonin Vincent , Histed Mark H. , Yurgenson Sergey , Reid R. Clay
Published: December 2011

Many thousands of cortical neurons are activated by any single sensory stimulus, but the organization of these populations is poorly understood. For example, are neurons in mouse visual cortex—whose preferred orientations are arranged randomly—organized with respect to other response properties? Using high-speedin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging, we characterized the receptive fields of up to 100 excitatory and inhibitory neurons in a 200 μm imaged plane. Inhibitory neurons had nonlinearly summating, complex-like receptive fields and were weakly tuned for orientation. Excitatory neurons had linear, simple receptive fields that can be studied with noise stimuli and system identification methods. We developed a wavelet stimulus that evoked rich population responses and yielded the detailed spatial receptive fields of most excitatory neurons in a plane. Receptive fields and visual responses were locally highly diverse, with nearby neurons having largely dissimilar receptive fields and response time courses. Receptive-field diversity was consistent with a nearly random sampling of orientation, spatial phase, and retinotopic position. Retinotopic positions varied locally on average by approximately half the receptive-field size. Nonetheless, the retinotopic progression across the cortex could be demonstrated at the scale of 100 μm, with a magnification of ∼10 μm/°. Receptive-field and response similarity were in register, decreasing by 50% over a distance of 200 μm. Together, the results indicate considerable randomness in local populations of mouse visual cortical neurons, with retinotopy as the principal source of organization at the scale of hundreds of micrometers.