bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased left ventricular twist, untwisting rates, and suction maintain global diastolic function during passive heat stress in humans
Authors: Nelson Michael D. , Haykowsky Mark J. , Petersen Stewart R. , DeLorey Darren S. , Cheng-Baron June , Thompson Richard B.
Published: January 2010

Left ventricular (LV) systolic function increases with passive heat stress (HS); however, less is known about diastolic function. Eight healthy subjects (24.0 ± 2.0 yr of age) underwent whole body passive heating ∼1°C above baseline (BL). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure biventricular volumes, function, filling velocities, volumetric flow rates, and LV twist and strain at BL and after 45 min of HS. Passive heating reduced left atrial volume (−17.6 ± 11.7 ml, P < 0.05), right and LV end-diastolic volumes (−22.7 ± 11.0 and −25.7 ± 24.9 ml, respectively; P < 0.05), and LV stroke volume (−6.7 ± 6.8 ml, P < 0.05) from BL. LV ejection fraction (EF), end-systolic elastance, septal and lateral mitral annular systolic velocities, circumferential strain, and peak LV twist increased with HS ( P < 0.05). Right ventricular stroke volume, EF, and systolic tissue velocities were unchanged with HS ( P > 0.05). Early LV diastolic tissue and blood velocities and strain rates were maintained with HS, whereas untwisting rate increased significantly from 166.4 ± 46.9 to 268.7 ± 76.8°/s ( P < 0.05). The major novel finding of this study was that, secondary to an increase in peak LV twist and untwisting rate, early diastolic blood and tissue velocities and strain rates are maintained despite a reduction in filling pressure.
Tissue oxygenation after exchange transfusion with ultrahigh-molecular-weight tense- and relaxed-state polymerized bovine hemoglobins
Authors: Cabrales Pedro , Zhou Yipin , Harris David R. , Palmer Andre F.
Published: January 2010

Hemoglobin (Hb)-based O2carriers (HBOCs) constitute a class of therapeutic agents designed to correct the O2deficit under conditions of anemia and traumatic blood loss. The O2transport capacity of ultrahigh-molecular-weight bovine Hb polymers (PolybHb), polymerized in the tense (T) state and relaxed (R) state, were investigated in the hamster chamber window model using microvascular measurements to determine O2delivery during extreme anemia. The anemic state was induced by hemodilution with a plasma expander (70-kDa dextran). After an initial moderate hemodilution to 18% hematocrit, animals were randomly assigned to exchange transfusion groups based on the type of PolybHb solution used (namely, T-state PolybHb and R-state PolybHb groups). Measurements of systemic parameters, microvascular hemodynamics, capillary perfusion, and intravascular and tissue O2levels were performed at 11% hematocrit. Both PolybHbs were infused at 10 g/dl, and their viscosities were higher than nondiluted blood. Restitution of the O2carrying capacity with T-state PolybHb exhibited lower arterial pressure and higher functional capillary density compared with R-state PolybHb. Central arterial O2tensions increased significantly for R-state PolybHb compared with T-state PolybHb; conversely, microvascular O2tensions were higher for T-state PolybHb compared with R-state PolybHb. The increased tissue Po2attained with T-state PolybHb results from the larger amount of O2released from the PolybHb and maintenance of macrovascular and microvascular hemodynamics compared with R-state PolybHb. These results suggest that the extreme high O2affinity of R-state PolybHb prevented O2bound to PolybHb from been used by the tissues. The results presented here show that T-state PolybHb, a high-viscosity O2carrier, is a quintessential example of an appropriately engineered O2carrying solution, which preserves vascular mechanical stimuli (shear stress) lost during anemic conditions and reinstates oxygenation, without the hypertensive or vasoconstriction responses observed in previous generations of HBOCs.
Agonist monoclonal antibodies against HGF receptor protect cardiac muscle cells from apoptosis
Authors: Pietronave Stefano , Forte Giancarlo , Locarno Deborah , Merlin Simone , Zamperone Andrea , Nicotra Giuseppina , Isidoro Ciro , Nardo Paolo Di , Prat Maria
Published: January 2010

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a pleiotropic cytokine with mitogenic, motogenic, morphogenic, and antiapoptotic effects in various cell types, is a cardioprotective growth factor that can counteract the loss of cardiomyocytes usually observed in cardiac diseases. HGF is a quite unstable molecule in its biologically active heterodimeric form. Since all HGF-induced biological responses are mediated by its high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptor (Met/HGF-R) encoded by the Met gene, we asked whether a monoclonal antibody (MAb) that displays receptor full agonist activity could protect cardiac muscle cell lines from hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis. We report that the MAb efficiently inhibited hydrogen peroxide-induced cell shrinkage, DNA fragmentation, annexin V positivity, mitochondrial translocation of bax, and caspase activation. The MAb was thus able to counteract apoptosis evaluated by both morphological and biochemical criteria. The agonist activity of the MAb was mediated by Met/HGF-R, since a Met/HGF-R-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA) inhibited both activation of transduction pathways and motility triggered by MAb DO-24. The protective antiapoptotic effect of MAb DO-24 was dependent on activation of the ras-MAPK Erk1/2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)-Akt transduction pathways, since it was abrogated by treatments with their specific pharmacological inhibitors, PD-98059 and wortmannin. Moreover, the MAb induced a motogenic, but not mitogenic, response in these cells, mimicking in all aspects the natural ligand HGF but displaying a significant higher stability than HGF in culture. This MAb may thus be a valuable substitute for HGF, being more easily available in a biologically active, highly stable, and purified form.
Fatty diabetic lung: altered alveolar structure and surfactant protein expression
Authors: Foster David J. , Ravikumar Priya , Bellotto Dennis J. , Unger Roger H. , Hsia Connie C. W.
Published: January 2010

Pulmonary dysfunction develops in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in direct correlation with glycemia and is exacerbated by obesity; however, the associated structural derangement has not been quantified. We studied lungs from obese diabetic ( fa/fa) male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats at 4, 12, and 36 wk of age, before and after onset of T2DM, compared with lean nondiabetic ( +/+) rats. Surfactant proteins A and C (SP-A and SP-C) immunoexpression in lung tissue was quantified at ages 14 and 18 wk, after the onset of T2DM. In fa/fa animals, lung volume was normal despite obesity. Numerous lipid droplets were visible within alveolar interstitium, lipofibroblasts, and macrophages, particularly in subpleural regions. Total triglyceride content was 136% higher. By 12 wk, septum volume was 21% higher, and alveolar duct volume was 36% lower. Capillary basement membrane was 29% thicker. Volume of lamellar bodies was 45% higher. By age 36 wk, volumes of interstitial collagen fibers, cells, and matrix were respectively 32, 25, and 80% higher, and capillary blood volume was 18% lower. ZDF rats exhibited a strain-specific increase in resistance of the air-blood diffusion barrier with age, which was exaggerated in fa/fa lungs compared with +/+ lungs. In fa/fa lungs, SP-A and SP-C expression were elevated at age 14–18 wk; the normal age-related increase in SP-A expression was accelerated, whereas SP-C expression declined with age. Thus lungs from obese T2DM animals develop many qualitatively similar changes as in type 1 diabetes mellitus but with extensive lipid deposition, altered alveolar type 2 cell ultrastructure, and surfactant protein expression patterns that suggest additive effects of hyperglycemia and lipotoxicity.
Innervation of tracheal parasympathetic ganglia by esophageal cholinergic neurons: evidence from anatomic and functional studies in guinea pigs
Authors: Mazzone Stuart B. , McGovern Alice E.
Published: January 2010

In the present study, we describe a subset of nerve fibers, characterized by their immunoreactivity for the calcium-binding protein calretinin, that are densely and selectively associated with cholinergic postganglionic neurons in the guinea pig tracheal ganglia. Retrograde neuronal tracing with cholera toxin B, combined with immunohistochemical analyses, showed that these nerve fibers do not originate from sensory neurons in the nodose, jugular, or dorsal root ganglia or from motor neurons in the nucleus ambiguus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, spinal cord, stellate ganglia, or superior cervical ganglia. Calretinin-immunoreactive nerve fibers disappeared from tracheal segments after 48 h in organotypic culture, indicating that the fibers were of extrinsic origin. However, calretinin-positive nerve fibers persisted in tracheal ganglia when tracheae were cocultured with the adjacent esophagus intact. Immunohistochemical analysis of the esophagus revealed a population of cholinergic neurons in the esophageal myenteric plexus that coexpressed calretinin. In functional studies, electrical stimulation of the esophagus in vitro evoked measurable contractions of the trachea. These contractions were not altered by prior organotypic culture of the trachea and esophagus to remove the extrinsic innervation to the airways but were significantly ( P < 0.05) inhibited by the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium or by physical disruption of the tissue connecting the trachea and esophagus. These data suggest that a subset of esophageal neurons, characterized by the expression of calretinin and acetylcholine, provide a previously unrecognized excitatory input to tracheal cholinergic ganglia in guinea pigs.
Chemokine homeostasis vs. chemokine presentation during severe acute lung injury: the other side of the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines
Authors: Zarbock Alexander , Bishop Jeffrey , Müller Helena , Schmolke Mirco , Buschmann Kirsten , Van Aken Hugo , Singbartl Kai
Published: January 2010

Acute lung injury (ALI) still poses a major challenge in critical care medicine. Neutrophils, platelets, and chemokines are all considered key components in the development of ALI. The Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC ) is thought to be involved in scavenging, transendothelial transport, and presentation of neutrophil-specific chemokines. DARC is expressed on endothelial cells and erythrocytes but not on leukocytes. Here, we show that DARC is crucial for chemokine-mediated leukocyte recruitment in vivo. However, we also demonstrate that changes in chemokine and chemokine receptor homeostasis, associated with Darc gene deficiency, exert strong anti-inflammatory effects. Neutrophils from Darc gene-deficient ( Darc−/ −) mice display a more prolonged downregulation of CXCR2 during severe inflammation than neutrophils from wild-type mice. In a CXCR2-dependent model of acid-induced ALI, Darc gene deficiency prevents ALI. Darc−/ −mice demonstrate fully preserved oxygenation, only a small increase in vascular permeability, and a complete lack of pulmonary neutrophil recruitment. Further analysis reveals that only neutrophils but neither endothelial cells nor erythrocytes from Darc−/ −mice confer protection from ALI. The protection appears to be due to abolished pulmonary recruitment of neutrophils from Darc−/ −mice. The generation of neutrophil-platelet aggregates, a key mechanism in both pulmonary neutrophil recruitment and thrombus formation, is also affected by altered CXCR2 homeostasis in Darc−/ −mice. CXCR2 blockade enhances the formation of platelet-neutrophil aggregates and thereby corrects a formerly unknown bleeding defect in Darc−/ −mice. In summary, our study suggests that chemokine/chemokine receptor homeostasis plays a previously unrecognized and crucial role in severe ALI.
20-HETE-induced nitric oxide production in pulmonary artery endothelial cells is mediated by NADPH oxidase, H2O2, and PI3-kinase/Akt
Authors: Bodiga Sreedhar , Gruenloh Stephanie K. , Gao Ying , Manthati Vijay L. , Dubasi Narsimhaswamy , Falck John R. , Medhora Meetha , Jacobs Elizabeth R.
Published: January 2010

We have shown that 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) increases both superoxide and nitric oxide (NO) production in bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells (BPAECs). The current study was designed to determine mechanisms underlying 20-HETE-stimulated NO release, and particularly the role of NADPH oxidase, reactive oxygen species, and PI3-kinase in stimulated NO release. Intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and NO production were detected by dichlorofluorescein or dihydrorhodamine and diaminofluorescein fluorescence, respectively. Activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) (Ser1179) and Akt (Ser473) was assessed by comparing the ratio of phosphorylated to total protein expression by Western blotting. Addition of 20-HETE to BPAECs caused an increase in superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, but not peroxynitrite. 20-HETE-evoked activation of Akt and eNOS, as well as enhanced NO release, are dependent on H2O2 as opposed to superoxide in that these endpoints are blocked by PEG-catalase and not PEG-superoxide dismutase. Similarly, 20-HETE-stimulated NO production in BPAECs is blocked by NADPH oxidase inhibitors apocynin or gp91 blocking peptide, and by PI3-kinase/Akt blockers wortmannin, LY-294002, or Akt inhibitor, implicating NADPH oxidase, PI3-kinase, and Akt signaling pathways, respectively, in this process. Together, these data suggest the following scheme: 20-HETE stimulates NADPH oxidase-dependent formation of superoxide. Superoxide is rapidly dismutated to hydrogen peroxide, which then mediates activation of PI3-kinase/Akt, phosphorylation of eNOS, and enhanced release of NO from eNOS in response to 20-HETE in BPAECs.
Potential Role of Thymosin-α1 Adjuvant Therapy for Glioblastoma
Authors: Sungarian Arno , Cielo Deus , Sampath Prakash , Bowling Nathaniel , Moskal Peter , Wands Jack R. , de la Monte Suzanne M.
Published: January 2010

Glioblastomas are high-grade, malignant CNS neoplasms that are nearly always fatal within 12 months of diagnosis. Immunotherapy using proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-2 or IL-12 may prolong survival with glioblastoma. Thymosin-α1 (Talpha1) is a thymic hormone and immunemodulator that increase IL-2 production and T-cell proliferation. We examined potential therapeutic effects of Talpha1 in experimental in vivo glioblastoma, and characterized Talpha1's anti-tumor effects in vitro. Rar 9L cells (104) were implanted into the right frontal lobe of adult Long Evans rats that were subsequently treated with vehicle, BCNU, Talpha1, or Talpha1+BCNU from postoperative day 6. Talpha1+BCNU significantly lowered tumor burdens, and increased cure rates. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Talpha1 had no direct effect on viability or mitochondrial function, and instead, it increased expression of pro-apoptosis genes, including FasL, FasR and TNFα-R1 (65.89%, 44.08%, and 22.18%, resp.), and increased 9L cell sensitivity to oxidative stress. Moreover, Talpha1 enhanced 9L cell sensitivity to both Granzyme B- and BCNU-mediated killing. The findings suggest that Talpha1 enhances BCNUmediated eradication of glioblastoma in vivo, and that Talpha1 mediates its effects by activating pro-apoptosis mechanisms, rendering neoplastic cells more sensitive to oxidative stress and immune-mediated killing by Granzyme B and chemotherapeutic agents.
Solving Nonlinear Boundary Value Problems Using He′s Polynomials and Padé Approximants
Authors: Mohyud-Din Syed Tauseef , Yildirim Ahmet
Published: January 2010

We apply He′s polynomials coupled with the diagonal Padé approximants for solving various singular and nonsingular boundary value problems which arise in engineering and applied sciences. The diagonal Padé approximants prove to be very useful for the understanding of physical behavior of the solution. Numerical results reveal the complete reliability of the proposed combination.
Influence of Locomotor Muscle Metaboreceptor Stimulation on the Ventilatory Response to Exercise in Heart Failure
Authors: Olson Thomas P. , Joyner Michael J. , Johnson Bruce D.
Published: January 2010

Background—

Whether locomotor muscle afferent neural activity contributes to exercise hyperpnea and symptoms of dyspnea in heart failure (HF) is controversial. We examined the influence of metaboreceptor stimulation on ventilation with and without maintaining end-exercise end-tidal CO
2
levels.

Methods and Results—

Eleven patients with HF aged 51±5 years (ejection fraction, 32±3%; New York Heart Association class, 1.6±0.2) and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy control participants aged 43±3 years were studied. Participants underwent 3 steady-state cycling sessions at 60% of peak oxygen consumption for 4 minutes. The first exercise session was a baseline control trial. Bilateral thigh tourniquets were inflated to suprasystolic pressure at end exercise for 2 minutes during 2 of the trials (regional circulatory occlusion) with the addition of inspired CO
2
to maintain end-exercise partial pressure of end-tidal CO
2
during 1 trial (regional circulatory occlusion+CO
2
). Minute ventilation was measured continuously throughout each trial. At 2 minutes postexercise during the baseline control trial in patients with HF, minute ventilation was 54% of end exercise, whereas the control group averaged 41% (
P
=0.11). During regional circulatory occlusion in patients with HF, minute ventilation was 60% of end exercise; however, the control group averaged 35% (
P
<0.001). During regional circulatory occlusion+CO
2
, the minute ventilation of patients with HF averaged 67% of end exercise, whereas the control group averaged 44% (
P
<0.001).

Conclusion—

These data suggest that increased afferent neural activity from the large locomotor muscles associated with metabolites generated during exercise contribute to the augmented ventilatory response to exercise in patients with HF.
Thirty-Day Outcomes in Medicare Patients With Heart Failure at Heart Transplant Centers
Authors: Hummel Scott L. , Pauli Natalie P. , Krumholz Harlan M. , Wang Yun , Chen Jersey , Normand Sharon-Lise T. , Nallamothu Brahmajee K.
Published: January 2010

Background—

Heart transplant centers are generally considered “centers of excellence” for heart failure care. However, their overall performance has not previously been evaluated in a broad population of elderly patients with heart failure, many of whom are not transplant candidates.

Methods and Results—

We identified >1 million elderly Medicare beneficiaries who were hospitalized for heart failure between 2004 and 2006 at >4500 hospitals. We calculated 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios as well as 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates and standardized readmission ratios at heart transplant centers and non–heart transplant hospitals using risk-standardization models that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services uses for public reporting. The 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates were lower at heart transplant centers than non–heart transplant hospitals nationally (10.6% versus 11.5%,
P
<0.001) but were similar at peer institutions offering coronary artery bypass grafting within the same geographical region (10.6% versus 10.6%,
P
=0.96). The mean standardized mortality ratio for heart transplant centers was 0.9 (SD, 0.1; range, 0.7 to 1.3). No differences were noted in 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates between heart transplant centers and non–heart transplant hospitals nationally (23.6% versus 23.8%,
P
=0.55). The mean standardized readmission ratio for heart transplant centers was 1.0 (SD, 0.1; range, 0.8 to 1.2).

Conclusions—

In elderly Medicare patients with heart failure, heart transplant centers have lower 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates than non–heart transplant hospitals nationally; however, this difference is not present in comparison with peer institutions or for 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates.
Plasma Soluble Corin in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Dong Ningzheng , Chen Shenghan , Yang Junhua , He Lizhen , Liu Peng , Zheng Dongdong , Li Lin , Zhou Yiqing , Ruan Changgeng , Plow Edward , Wu Qingyu
Published: January 2010

Background—

Corin is a transmembrane protease that processes natriuretic peptides in the heart. Like many membrane proteins, corin is shed from the cell surface.

Methods and Results—

In this study, we obtained plasma samples from healthy controls and patients with heart failure (HF) and acute myocardial infarction. Soluble corin levels in plasma were measured by an ELISA method. In healthy adults (n=198), plasma corin levels were 690 pg/mL (SD, 260 pg/mL). The corin levels did not differ significantly among different age groups. In patients with HF (n=291), plasma corin levels were significantly lower compared with that of healthy controls (365 pg/mL [SD, 259];
P
<0.001). The reduction in plasma corin levels seemed to correlate with the severity of HF. In patients of New York Heart Association classes II, III, and IV, plasma corin levels were 450 pg/mL (SD, 281 pg/mL; n=69), 377 pg/mL (SD, 270 pg/mL; n=132), and 282 pg/mL (SD, 194 pg/mL; n=90), respectively (
P
<0.001 class II vs class IV;
P
<0.05 class III vs class IV). In contrast, plasma corin levels in patients with acute myocardial infarction (n=73) were similar to that of healthy controls (678 pg/mL [SD, 285 pg/mL];
P
>0.05).

Conclusions—

Soluble corin was detected in human plasma. Plasma corin levels were reduced significantly in patients with HF but not in those with acute myocardial infarction. Our results indicate that corin deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of HF and that plasma corin may be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of HF.
A 4-Tiered Classification of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Based on Left Ventricular Geometry
Authors: Khouri Michel G. , Peshock Ronald M. , Ayers Colby R. , de Lemos James A. , Drazner Mark H.
Published: January 2010

Background—

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is traditionally classified as concentric or eccentric, based on the ratio of LV wall thickness to chamber dimension. We propose a 4-tiered LVH classification based on LV concentricity
0.67
(mass/end-diastolic volume
0.67
) and indexed LV end-diastolic volume (EDV).

Methods and Results—

Cardiac MRI was performed in 2803 subjects and LVH (n=895) was defined by increased LV mass/height
2.7
. Increased concentricity
0.67
and indexed EDV were defined at the 97.5th percentile of a healthy subpopulation. Four geometric patterns resulted: increased concentricity without increased EDV (“thick hypertrophy,” n=361); increased EDV without increased concentricity (“dilated hypertrophy,” n=53); increased concentricity with increased EDV (“both thick and dilated hypertrophy,” n=13); and neither increased concentricity nor increased EDV (“indeterminate hypertrophy,” n=468). Compared with subjects with isolated thick hypertrophy, those with both thick and dilated hypertrophy had a lower LV ejection fraction and higher NT-pro-BNP and BNP levels (
P
≤0.001 for all). Subjects with dilated hypertrophy had a lower LV ejection fraction and higher troponin T, NT-pro-BNP, and BNP levels versus those with indeterminate hypertrophy (
P
<0.001 for all). Subjects with indeterminate LVH versus those without LVH had increased LV mass (by definition) but also a higher LV ejection fraction and no increase in troponin or natriuretic peptide levels.

Conclusions—

Concentric or eccentric LVH can each be subclassified into 2 subgroups, yielding 4 distinct geometric patterns. Many subjects currently classified with eccentric LVH can be reclassified into an indeterminate subgroup that has better LV function and comparable levels of biomarkers reflecting cardiac stress as compared with those without LVH.
Preoperative Systolic Strain Rate Predicts Postoperative Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients With Chronic Aortic Regurgitation
Authors: Onishi Tetsuari , Kawai Hiroya , Tatsumi Kazuhiro , Kataoka Toshiya , Sugiyama Daisuke , Tanaka Hidekazu , Okita Yutaka , Hirata Ken-ichi
Published: January 2010

Background—

The best predictor for postoperative left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical significance of preoperative systolic radial strain rate (Ssr) derived from tissue Doppler echocardiography as a predictor of postoperative LV systolic dysfunction in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation.

Methods and Results—

In 52 patients (mean age, 58 years; 13 women) with isolated chronic aortic regurgitation, we performed standard and tissue Doppler echocardiography before and after operation, obtained echocardiographic parameters such as LV dimensions and LV ejection fraction, and measured Ssr in 4 walls of the LV. Linear regression analysis determined correlations between preoperative parameters and postoperative LV ejection fraction. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis assessed the optimal cutoff values of parameters that predicted postoperative LV systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <50%). The operation caused significant decreases in LV dimensions and volumes and significant increases in Ssr (1.94�0.64 to 2.39�0.83 per second;
P
<0.001) and ejection fraction (53.0�8.7 to 59.0�8.8%;
P
<0.001). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that averaged Ssr was the only independent predictor of postoperative LV systolic dysfunction among the covariates examined (
P
<0.001). Using receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, averaged Ssr yielded the greatest area under the curve among preoperative parameters (0.80) and was indicated to be a good predictor of postoperative LV dysfunction, with 90.9% sensitivity and 73.2% specificity (cutoff value, 1.82 per second).

Conclusions—

Measurement of preoperative averaged Ssr is useful in predicting postoperative LV systolic dysfunction and optimizing surgical timing in patients with isolated chronic aortic regurgitation.
Vascular Inflammation in Patients With Impaired Glucose Tolerance and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Kim Tae Nyun , Kim Sungeun , Yang Sae Jeong , Yoo Hye Jin , Seo Ji A , Kim Sin Gon , Kim Nan Hee , Baik Sei Hyun , Choi Dong Seop , Choi Kyung Mook
Published: January 2010

Background—

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Vascular inflammation is a key factor in both the pathogenesis and outcome of atherosclerosis.
18
F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising tool for indentifying and quantifying vascular inflammation within atherosclerotic plaques. This study was designed to examine the vascular inflammation measured using FDG-PET in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and T2DM, in comparison with age- and sex-matched control subjects with normal glucose tolerance.

Methods and Results—

We investigated vascular inflammation using FDG-PET in 90 age- and sex-matched subjects with different glucose tolerance (30 normal glucose tolerance subjects, 30 impaired glucose tolerance subjects, and 30 T2DM subjects). Vascular 18F-FDG uptake was measured as both the mean and maximum blood-normalized standardized uptake value, known as the target-to-background ratio (TBR). Both mean and maximum TBR measurements were significantly different, based on glucose tolerance, although the carotid intima-media thickness measurements were not significantly different. The maximum TBR values in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and T2DM were significantly increased compared with the normal subjects. In addition, subjects with metabolic syndrome had increased maximum TBR values compared with those without metabolic syndrome. Age-, sex-, and body mass index–adjusted maximum TBR levels were positively correlated with triglyceride, hemoglobin A1c, insulin resistance, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and Framingham risk score and were negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adiponectin levels.

Conclusions—

The results of the present study suggest that impaired glucose tolerance and T2DM are associated with vascular inflammation in carotid atherosclerosis detected by FDG-PET.
Early Assessment of Pulmonary Inflammation by
19
F MRI In Vivo
Authors: Ebner Bernd , Behm Patrick , Jacoby Christoph , Burghoff Sandra , French Brent A. , Schrader Jürgen , Flögel Ulrich
Published: January 2010

Background—

Emulsified perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are preferentially phagocytized by monocytes/macrophages and are readily detected by
19
F MRI. This study tests the hypothesis that
19
F MRI can be used to quantitate pulmonary inflammation by tracking of infiltrating PFC-loaded monocytes.

Methods and Results—

Pneumonia was induced in mice by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) followed by intravenous injection of PFCs. Whereas regular
1
H MRI provided no evidence of lung injury 24 hours after LPS, the concurrent
19
F images clearly show PFC accumulation in both pulmonary lobes. Imaging at 48 hours after LPS revealed signals in
1
H images at the same location as the 24-hour
19
F signals. Thus, progressive pneumonia was first predicted by
19
F MRI early after PFC administration. Without LPS, at no time were
19
F signals observed within the lung. Histology and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) combined with
19
F MRI confirmed the presence of infiltrating PFC-loaded monocytes/macrophages after LPS challenge. Additional experiments with graded doses of LPS demonstrated that
19
F signal intensity strongly correlated with both LPS dose and pathological markers of lung inflammation. In separate studies, dexamethasone and CGS21680 (adenosine 2A receptor agonist) were used to demonstrate the ability of
19
F MRI to monitor anti-inflammatory therapies.

Conclusions—

PFCs serve as a contrast agent for the prognostic and quantitative assessment of pulmonary inflammation by in vivo
19
F MRI, which is characterized by a high degree of specificity due to the lack of any
19
F background. Because PFCs are biochemically inert, this approach may also be suitable for human applications.
Automatically Identifying the Source Words of Lexical Blends in English
Authors: Cook Paul , Stevenson Suzanne
Published: January 2010

Newly coined words pose problems for natural language processing systems because they are not in a system's lexicon, and therefore no lexical information is available for such words. A common way to form new words is lexical blending, as in cosmeceutical, a blend of cosmetic and pharmaceutical. We propose a statistical model for inferring a blend's source words drawing on observed linguistic properties of blends; these properties are largely based on the recognizability of the source words in a blend. We annotate a set of 1,186 recently coined expressions which includes 515 blends, and evaluate our methods on a 324-item subset. In this first study of novel blends we achieve an accuracy of 40% on the task of inferring a blend's source words, which corresponds to a reduction in error rate of 39% over an informed baseline. We also give preliminary results showing that our features for source word identification can be used to distinguish blends from other kinds of novel words.
Identity, Stress, and Resilience in Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals of Color
Authors: Meyer Ilan H.
Published: January 2010

The author addresses two issues raised in Moradi, DeBlaere, and Huang’s Major Contribution to this issue: the intersection of racial/ethnic and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identities and the question of stress and resilience. The author expands on Moradi et al.’s work, hoping to encourage further research. On the intersection of identities, the author notes that LGB identities among people of color have been construed as different from the identities of White LGB persons, purportedly because of an inherent conflict between racial/ethnic and gay identities.The author suggests that contrary to this, LGB people of color can have positive racial/ethnic and LGB identities. On the question of stress and resilience, hypotheses have suggested that compared with White LGB individuals, LGB people of color have both more stress and more resilience. The author addresses the competing hypotheses within the larger perspective of minority stress theory, noting that the study of stress and resilience among LGB people of color is relevant to core questions about social stress as a cause of mental disorders.
Transnational learning structures in multinational firms: Organizational context and national embeddedness
Authors: Tregaskis Olga , Edwards Tony , Edwards Paul , Ferner Anthony , Marginson Paul
Published: January 2010

The role of national institutional context is often overlooked in analyses of learning behaviour in multinational organizations. Drawing on arguments from institutional theory and learning theory we consider the organizational contingencies, and the institutional context in which these are embedded, in explaining the use of structures to support learning across national borders. It is hypothesized that country of origin effects on subsidiary learning structures are mediated by two organizational contingencies, namely transnational human resource management governance structures and subsidiary global research and development expertise. To test this, structural equation modelling is used on a dataset of 292 foreign (including Japanese, US, French, German, Nordic) and home-owned subsidiaries operating in the UK. The results confirmed the hypothesized institutional effects. The evidence suggests that understanding the interaction between institutional and firm-level context is important in providing a fuller explanation of the types of learning structures subsidiaries are likely to engage with.
‘Invisible walls’ and ‘silent hierarchies’: A case study of power relations in an architecture firm
Authors: Brown Andrew D , Kornberger Martin , Clegg Stewart R , Carter Chris
Published: January 2010

In this article we investigate how power relates to the production of creative identities and outcomes. We report on an in-depth case study of an award-winning creative architecture firm. Our data show how talk about creativity and the creative identities of architects can be analysed as effects of power. Theoretically, our study represents an investigation into the disciplining of professional architects’ discourse about their selves, their organization, and their work. This article adds to debates on creative industries, demonstrating that creativity is deeply embedded in organizationally based relations of power.
Mechanical Properties and Sound Insulation Effect of ABS/Carbon-black Composites
Authors: Lee Jae-Wook , Lee Jae-Chul , Pandey J. , Ahn Sung-Hoon , Yeon June Kang
Published: January 2010

This article describes an evaluation of the mechanical properties and sound insulation effects of composites made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and carbon-black using the design of experiment (DOE) approach. The solution blending process and method are presented. The effect of the acetone content in ABS during the drying process was studied by conducting tensile tests of injection-molded specimens. ABS was dissolved in acetone, and carbon-black was dispersed in the ABS/acetone mixture with varying conditions according to the orthogonal array table used to reduce similar experiments. The tensile specimens were produced by injection molding in each of the DOE cases, and the elastic modulus and maximum tensile strength of ABS/carbon-black composites were evaluated with a tensile test to determine the main effects of those factors. A sound insulation test was conducted with a modified impedance tube by using the DOE orthogonal array table, and a correlation between carbon-black and the sound insulation was revealed by a main effect analysis. An additional sound insulation test was conducted to verify the sound insulation effect of ABS/carbon-black composites as a function of the carbon-black percentage. The results indicate that the increase of carbon-black affected the mechanical properties as well as the sound insulation effects of ABS/carbon-black composite.
The Relation Between Mathematics and Working Memory in Young Children With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Rasmussen Carmen , Bisanz Jeffrey
Published: January 2010

The goal of this study was to examine the relation between mathematics and working memory in young children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Children with FASD and comparison children (4 to 6 years old) completed standardized tests of mathematics and working memory. Children with FASD showed impairments on mathematics (applied problems and quantitative concepts) as compared to comparison children. The FASD group also performed less well than the comparison group on measures of phonological working memory. Math performance was highly correlated with phonological working memory in both groups and with central executive working memory only in the FASD group. The mathematics deficits in children with FASD appear to be associated with underlying working memory impairments.
In Search of the Lace Curtain: Residential Mobility, Class Transformation, and Everyday Practice among Buffalo’s Irish, 1880—1910
Authors: Jenkins William
Published: January 2010

This article addresses social and spatial aspects of intraethnic identity transitions within an American city between 1880 and 1910. Set within a theoretical framework that views urban spaces as social and cultural creations that in turn affect the construction of identities, it focuses on Irish Catholic immigrants and their descendants in Buffalo, New York. Evidence is initially presented on their intergenerational residential movements within the city at a time of widening social distinctions and occupational mobility. This is then supplemented by material from more qualitative sources, chiefly a diocesan newspaper and an “urban-ethnic novel.” While Irish American popular culture drew broad lines between working-class “shanty” lifestyles and those of a more respectable “lace-curtain” middle class during this era, the Buffalo evidence demonstrates these categories to be overdrawn and of almost caricature quality. In bringing the upwardly mobile portion of the group into focus, however, the article considers not simply the occupational characteristics of moving households and their destinations but also the sources and effects of place-based imaginations within the city and the relatively neglected roles of homes as sites of socialization and identity negotiation within Catholic parishes. Pursuing these latter lines of inquiry also enriches understandings of the place of women in the process of Irish American social mobility.
Beyond the Metropolis: Metropolitan Growth and Regional Transformation in Postwar America
Authors: Needham Andrew , Dieterich-Ward Allen
Published: January 2010

The new suburban scholarship has succeeded in incorporating suburbs into urban historiography, but it has also implicitly reinforced an artificial boundary that obscures far-reaching effects of metropolitan growth. With their singular emphasis on decentralization, such analyses that stop at the political boundaries of the last “exurb” provide incomplete narratives of postwar community development.This article explores recent historiographical trends with an eye toward synthesizing the approaches of urban, suburban, and rural scholars into a more comprehensive model of the “metropolitan region.” Case studies from the Southwest and the Upper Ohio Valley provide examples of the important interconnections between regional communities as well as the role of hinterland actors in shaping metropolitan growth. The essay concludes by offering suggestions on expanding the current urban/suburban history model to include the rural hinterland and the advantages of such an approach in better explaining the evolution of postwar politics, society, and culture.
Divided City, Divided Infrastructures: Securing Energy and Water Services in Postwar Berlin
Authors: Moss Timothy
Published: January 2010

The division of Berlin’s infrastructure systems following the blockade of 1948—1949 posed an enormous challenge to the city’s infrastructure planners on both sides of the political divide.This article is a study of the destabilization of apparently highly durable technical systems precipitated by the Berlin blockade and the subsequent efforts of those responsible to restabilize the systems. It investigates the different experiences of division in the electricity, gas, water, and wastewater sectors with a view to raising scholars’ understanding of the durability and adaptability of urban technical networks in the face of major upheaval. In the immediate aftermath of the blockade, the article argues, the prime concern of network managers in both West and East Berlin was to maintain essential services in the face of interventions and reprisals from the other side. As prospects for reunification diminished, the strategy shifted toward reducing the vulnerability and advancing the territorial cohesion of each side by reordering their technical networks physically, spatially, and organizationally.
From Socialism to Social Justice Feminism: Rose Schneiderman and the Quest for Urban Equity, 1911-1933
Authors: McGuire John Thomas
Published: January 2010

This article argues that in her long career of political and labor activism, Rose Schneiderman (1882-1972) embarked on a quest for urban equity that took her from the tenets of socialism, which emphasized trade unionism, to the principles of social justice feminism, which advocated state activism through the passage and promotion of labor legislation. While social justice feminists wanted to both ameliorate the harsh effects of industrialization and urbanization and to change the social conditions of women, they often neglected the issues of class and race. I describe how Schneiderman changed that situation from 1911 through 1933 by lobbying for legislative changes in the Progressive Era, by establishing a partnership between social justice feminism and New York’s Democratic Party, and by assisting African American laundry workers in New York City from 1924 through 1933.
The Relationship Between Adolescents’ Locus of Control and Healthy Dietary Behaviours and its Implications for School Psychologists and Other Health Related Professionals
Authors: Tabak Ruhi Selçuk , Piyal Birgül , Çelen Ümit , Karakoç Şerife , Özen Yelda
Published: January 2010

The Concept of Health Locus of Control (HLOC) indicates the personal belief of an individual about who or what affects his/her health. This approach emphasizes the importance of individual responsibility for health, especially in the school years which represent a ‘critical period’ for students to adopt healthy behaviours and lifestyles. The main aim of this survey is to define relationships between Health Locus of Control and the dietary behaviours of Turkish adolescent students by evaluating their risky health behaviours. Results of this survey are used for prediction of how to modify positive health behaviours of students for the protection and promotion of their health. The study group of this descriptive study consists of primary and secondary school students (831) in Ankara. The results not only clearly indicate the relationship between HLOC and dietary behaviours of adolescent students, but also support the results of earlier research. In particular, the association between the relatively higher Chance-HLOC, which represents low responsibility for health, and risky dietary behaviours of students is striking. The Internal-HLOC of students has been found to be more effective than External-HLOC in maintaining healthy dietary behaviours. School psychologists and health educators need to emphasize HLOC in educational activities for reduction of risky behaviours.
Exploiting Sparsity in Operational-space Dynamics
Authors: Featherstone Roy
Published: January 2010

This paper presents a new method for calculating operational-space inertia matrices, and other related quantities, for branched kinematic trees. It is based on the exploitation of branch-induced sparsity in the joint-space inertia matrix and the task Jacobian. Detailed cost figures are given for the new method, and its efficacy is demonstrated by means of a realistic example based on the ASIMO Next-Generation humanoid robot. In this example, the new method is shown to be 6.7 times faster than the basic matrix method, and 1.6 times faster than the efficient low-order algorithm of Rodriguez et al. Furthermore, cost savings of more than 50,000 arithmetic operations are obtained in the calculation of the inertia-weighted pseudoinverse of the task Jacobian and its null-space projection matrix. Additional examples are considered briefly, in order to further compare the new method with the algorithm of Rodriguez et al.
Animals in the Prophetic World: Literary Reflections on Numbers 22 and 1 Kings 13
Authors: Way Kenneth C.
Published: January 2010

In this article, the stories of Balaam’s donkey (num. 22.22-35) and the man of God from Judah (1 Kgs 13) are analyzed independently and are also compared for similarities. Features that are common to both accounts include: the importance of the word of YHWH, the employment of animals as literary characters, the motif of death, and the portrayal of animals as divine agents. This study argues that the literary function of animals as divine agents is a distinctive characteristic of the so-called preclassical phase of biblical prophecy.
Why the Verb ‭אדב‬ Does Not Mean ‘to Create’ in Genesis 1.1-2.4a
Authors: Van Wolde Ellen
Published: January 2010

The linguistic and textual examination of the seven usages of the verb ‭אדב‬ in Genesis 1 leads to the conclusion that the verb ‭אדב‬ in Genesis 1 does not mean ‘to create’ but ‘to separate’. This hypothesis is subsequently tested against external evidence from cognate literature in Mesopotamia. In these Mesopotamian accounts of creation, the opening lines often describe the (divine) acts of separation of heaven and earth. The Sumerian verb bad and the Akkadian verb parāsu employed in these texts designate clearly ‘to separate’. Textual evidence from the Hebrew Bible appears to support this hypothesis, too, for example, the fact that in the Hebrew Bible the noun ‘creator’ is never expressed with the participle of ‭אדב‬ , but always with the participle of other verbs. Thus, based on internal and external linguistic and textual evidence and on a controlled argumentation, it is highly plausible and very likely that the type of action expressed by the verb ‭אדב‬ in Genesis 1 is of a very concrete, spatial and physical character, and can be rendered by ‘to separate’. Finally, an analysis is made of the differences between ‭לידבה‬ and ‭אדב‬ .
Gender and Discretionary Work Effort
Authors: Kmec Julie A. , Gorman Elizabeth H.
Published: January 2010

Do men and women differ in the extent to which they work beyond the level required by their jobs? Does this gender difference vary across national contexts? The authors answer these questions using survey data from the United States and Britain. Multivariate ordered logistic regression models reveal no gender difference in self-reported discretionary effort in the United States, but greater discretionary effort among women in Britain, net of individual, family, and workplace characteristics. The authors attribute these findings to a greater divergence of women’s and men’s labor force participation and careers, historically weaker regulation of workplace equality, and a sharper differentiation of gender roles in Britain than in the United States. They conclude by discussing the relevance of national context for shaping gender differences in work orientations and behaviors.