bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Dimensionality of the Cognitive Test Used in the IEA Civic Education Study: Analyses and Implications
Authors: Nikolova Roumiana , Lehmann Rainer H.
Published: November 2005

The second International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study was designed to measure dimensions of civic knowledge among 14 year-old and upper secondary students across diverse educational systems. One of the major aims of the study on upper secondary students was to attain sufficient commonality with the test instrument for the 14 year-olds in order to facilitate meaningful cross-population references. This requirement could be successfully achieved by including a substantial number of (anchor) items from the test for the younger group, yet leaving room for more difficult items. In addition, the test for the upper secondary students included the newly introduced domain of economic literacy. The quality of the test has been assured through confirmatory factor analysis; analysis of item-by-country interaction and Item Response Theory (IRT) based analyses of item fit within and across countries. Preceded by a short review of previous research on civic knowledge as well as a brief description of the IEA test for the 14 year-olds, this article then focuses more explicitly on some methodological aspects of the test of civic knowledge and economic literacy in the IEA Civic Education Study for upper secondary students. It describes the structure of the test, including three examples of items covering different levels of civic knowledge. Furthermore, the quality of the test is discussed in some detail, referring to the main test analysis procedures. Finally, the test analysis results are briefly discussed, followed by a note of caution, as well as some insights into the relationship of civic knowledge and gender among adolescents.
Civic Knowledge, Civic Skills and Civic Engagement
Authors: Maiello Carmine , Oser Fritz , Biedermann Horst
Published: November 2005

In this article the authors suggest that civic skills and civic knowledge are key components of the political information perception process and try to determine the differential effects of these variables on civic engagement. Starting from a model proposed by Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz, they developed an alternative model to explain the likelihood to vote in the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Civic Education Study Standard Population of 14 year-olds tested in 1999. Results indicate that home environment and school-related factors predict civic knowledge and skills equally well. However, the direct effects of civic knowledge on likelihood to vote appear to be stronger than the corresponding effects of civic skills in 23 out of 28 countries. The evaluation of total effects highlights the meaning of an open classroom climate for discussion with reference to the likelihood to vote.
Cultural Appropriation of Concepts of Democracy
Authors: Kontogiannopoulou-Polydorides G. , Fragoulis G. , Zanni A. , Ntelikou M.
Published: November 2005

This article investigates how 14 year-old students seem to conceptualise democracy in four countries, namely, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Greece. In particular, it will be examined whether adolescents living in different cultural milieus develop different conceptions and different practices regarding democracy. The article indirectly questions the way in which teaching of social and political education in school is related to students' concepts and attitudes. Students' responses in the second phase questionnaires of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) research are the focus of the analysis in this article. A crucial question is whether similarities or homogenisation of students' conceptions regarding democracy are viewed as the result of equal participation in the processes of constructing meaning through education, for example, or as the result of (oppressive?) homogenisation in school and society. However, it will be argued that there is always varying meaning construction and a definite (re)formulation of practices in any conception, and in any practice, a particular cultural appropriation of concepts and practices. From this perspective, the important issue explored in this article is the ways in which independent-contextual construction of meaning for democracy as well as in relation to the dominant in the West model emerges across the four countries reviewed.
Vertical Discourse: The Role of the Teacher in the Transmission and Acquisition of Decontextualised Language
Authors: Bourne Jill
Published: November 2005

This article examines the production of pupils at different levels of ‘ability’ within the school setting. It uses the theoretical work of Basil Bernstein, and particularly the concepts of vertical and horizontal discourse, to critique contemporary forms of ‘progressive’ educational practice and to suggest a reappraisal of the possibilities of more formal pedagogic strategies. The article uses detailed case study material drawn from primary classrooms in England and Russia, the practice in each underpinned by contrasting understandings of human development and learning, to illustrate the way in which teachers construct children's learning either as the development of individual competencies or as a collective social achievement, and thus position children as more or less effective and successful learners. Finally, it examines the way in which a secondary school teacher draws on her own social positioning and life experiences as well as those of her students to develop ways of relating school knowledge to local knowledges, in this way encouraging students both to analyse the world and to understand, and thus potentially work to transform, their own position in society.
The Use and Abuse of International Comparative Research on Student Achievement
Authors: Bos Wilfried , Schwippert Knut
Published: November 2005

In more and more European countries the conditions and the output of education are systematically monitored — often every year. These analyses focus on the question of which educational standards are reached by different age groups, the standard of their grades in different subjects, and which conditions moderate the differences in student achievement. The aim is to establish a basis for the discussion on quantity and quality of the educational system of the corresponding country. This is done by implementing national studies or by participating in international studies on school achievement. This kind of output control seems to be necessary for the autonomy of schools. Furthermore, the feedback about student achievement could be an important aid for schools and their staff to improve their own quality management. External evaluation can be seen as an important means of supporting the process of school development. This article is the keynote held at the European Conference on Educational Research, Germany, Hamburg, 15–19 September 2003.
Ethnographic Studies and Analysis of a Recurrent Theme: Learning by Doing
Authors: Borgnakke Karen
Published: November 2005

The present learning discourse and terms such as ‘learning in practice’, ‘situated learning’, ‘project and problem based learning’ are like variations on a recurrent theme: learning by doing — the striking maxims of progressivism. The newest reforms confirm that the maxim is still alive as a standpoint with consequences for institutional and educational development. The article follows the tracks by analysing significant variations, project work and practice learning, firstly by analysing the practical variations seen from an organisational perspective, and secondly, by analysing a case of business-practice oriented project work seen from the learner's perspective. The analysis shows how the teachers and learners in practice are doing learning. The analyses also show how the learners in action and in words provide the practical confirmation: one learns by doing.
Revisiting Teaching Archetypes: Identifying Dominant Shaping Influences on Student Teacher's Identities
Authors: Sugrue Ciaran
Published: November 2005

The primary aim of this article is to identify and interrogate the lay theories of contemporary student teachers and to indicate and illustrate the manner in which these ‘theories' manifest both continuity and change when contrasted with teaching archetypes and previously articulated lay theories of student teachers in the setting. It is in five parts. First, a theoretical lens of teaching archetypes and lay theories is provided. Second, a succinct account of the changing educational and policy context is provided. Third, data generation and analysis are described. Fourth, emergent cultural themes are critically analysed. Fifth, some tentative implications are drawn for initial teacher education and further research.
Adult Education Goes to Market: An Ethnographic Case Study of the Restructuring and Reculturing of Adult Education
Authors: Beach Dennis , Carlson Marie
Published: November 2005

The restructuring of adult education in Göteborg was first initiated experimentally with respect only to SFI education (an education in beginning Swedish for ethnic minorities living in Sweden). This was done on the basis of decisions in the Göteborg Municipal Council in 1999. But restructuring came into full force for all municipal adult education in the Göteborg municipality later in 2002, after the completion of the National Adult Education Initiative (AEI). The restructuring processes followed guidelines for franchise in the public sector as per the 1992 Purchasing Act and had consequences for all education suppliers, but in particular one of them, Studium AB. This was a company created and owned by the Göteborg Metropolitan Council that had been established in order to safeguard the provision of the municipally owned adult education public service previously known as Komvux. This ‘humanist’ form of comprehensive adult education has a strong history in Sweden, within the provision of adult education on a ‘folk-home’ basis. Studium AB had been the single largest provider of adult education in Göteborg up until the franchise but lost its mandate in the tendering processes. Although it concentrates mainly on ‘talkdata’ the present article has been developed from an ongoing ethnographic case study of the effects of restructuring in Göteborg.
Education Research as a Contested Enterprise: The Deliberations of the SSRC—NAE Joint Committee on Education Research
Authors: Ranis Sheri H. , Walters Pamela Barnhouse
Published: November 2005

The SSRC—NAE Joint Committee on Education Research, a multidisciplinary group formed in 2001, initiated an investigation of the complex and sprawling field of American education research organized into three general domains of inquiry: the social organization of education research, an assessment of the quality of education research, and a consideration of the politics and policy implications of education research. This article describes the organization of this effort, summarizes the major themes discussed, and describes the resources gathered and research projects suggested by these deliberations.
Ownership of Education Reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic: Kto V Dome Hozyain?
Authors: Deyoung Alan J.
Published: November 2005

An important subset of issues involved in describing the process of educational globalization emerges when considering the reception, response and/or rejection of international proposals, ideologies and agents by indigenous national and regional educators. This case study describes and discusses how foreign/Western education proposals and policies were solicited and then responded to by educators in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, now an independent country, between 2001 and 2004. It also discusses the pivotal role of one key figure in the process, the former minister of education in Kyrgyzstan, now responsible for a large World Bank project to improve rural education in that country. A powerful figure both in her own nation and in the eyes of foreign sponsors, both American and European, her biography continues to illustrate both possibilities and tensions between the former education system and international hopes and designs for school reform in the Kyrgyz Republic.
Of Credits, Kontrakty and Critical Thinking: Encountering ‘market reforms' in Kyrgyzstani higher education
Authors: Reeves Madeleine
Published: November 2005

This article explores the impact of market metaphors and mechanisms on higher education in Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon recent anthropological literature on the local meanings of market reforms in post-socialist contexts, as well as work in the field of educational policy that has focused attention on the ‘local spaces' in which curricular and administrative reforms are encountered, this study will explore the ways in which languages of market have been received and appropriated by the students, teachers and administrators who have to negotiate what Kyrgyzstani higher education reform means in practice. Specifically, the article examines how practices and valuations of higher education have been affected by the opening of commercial ( kontraktnyie) departments in nominally state universities, by the transformation of curricular content and teaching practice in the social sciences, and by the severing of the Soviet-era link between higher education and guaranteed professional employment. Drawing upon interviews and participant observation, it will suggest that we need to move beyond the overdrawn dichotomies in which contestations over the post-Soviet educational space are generally cast (‘East’ vs. ‘West’; ‘Tradition’ vs. ‘Innovation’) to focus on the complex ways in which educational ‘reform’ is practised and interpreted in specific institutional settings.
Lingual incisor traits in modern hominoids and an assessment of their utility for fossil hominoid taxonomy
Authors: Pilbrow Varsha
Published: December 2005

The morphology of the anterior dentition has received scant attention for purposes of taxonomic discrimination. Recently, however, lingual incisor morphology was used in differentiating several Miocene ape species and genera. This paper assesses the utility of this morphology for taxonomic discrimination by examining the nature and patterns of variation in lingual incisor morphology in extensive samples of modern chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons. This paper documents discrete morphological traits on the lingual side of incisors. Trait frequencies are used in univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the apportionment of variation in species, subspecies, and populations. A correlation between lingual incisor traits, tooth dimensions, and sex attempts to determine if such factors affect the manifestation of traits. Finally, the findings are applied to understanding patterns of variation in the Miocene hominids. The study demonstrates that: 1) lingual incisor morphology differs substantially between the hylobatids and great apes; 2) variation in incisor traits is high within species, and most of it is found within local populations; and 3) incisor traits do not correlate significantly with incisor dimensions or sex. Species and to some extent subspecies of extant hominoids can be differentiated statistically using lingual incisor traits, but the frequency of traits such as continuous or discontinuous cingulum, or the presence or absence of pillars, differentiates them. Given this pattern of variation, I argue that it is necessary to assume and document similar patterns of variation in Miocene apes before incisor morphology is used for differentiating taxa. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Population affinities of Neolithic Siberians: A snapshot from prehistoric Lake Baikal
Authors: Mooder K.P. , Schurr T.G. , Bamforth F.J. , Bazaliiski V.I. , Savel'ev N.A.
Published: December 2005

Archaeological evidence supports the inhabitation of the Lake Baikal region since the Paleolithic. Both metric and nonmetric osteological studies suggest that Neolithic Cis‐Baikal populations are the ancestors of contemporary inhabitants of the region. To date, ancient DNA data have not been used to corroborate this biological continuity hypothesis. This study presents a temporal snapshot of the Cis‐Baikal Neolithic by examining mtDNA diversity in two cemetery populations situated on the Angara River downstream of Lake Baikal. The 800 years separating the use of the two cemeteries is thought to represent a biocultural hiatus in the Cis‐Baikal region, one that ended when a new group migrated into the area. To assess the likelihood that genetic continuity exists between these two Neolithic groups, we examined both mtDNA coding region and hypervariable region I (HVI) polymorphisms from skeletal remains excavated from both cemeteries (Lokomotiv and Ust'‐Ida). The mtDNA haplogroup distributions of the two cemetery populations differ significantly, suggesting that they were biologically distinct groups. When the biological distance between these Neolithic groups is compared with modern Siberian and other East Eurasian groups, the posthiatus group (Serovo‐Glazkovo) generally aligns with contemporary Siberians, while the prehiatus (Kitoi) individuals are significantly different from all but modern Kets and Shorians living in the Yenisey and Ob River basins to the west of Lake Baikal. These results suggest that the Lake Baikal region experienced a significant depopulation event during the sixth millennium BP, and was reoccupied by a new immigrant population some 800 years later. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human osseous intervertebral foramen width
Authors: Rühli F.J. , Müntener M. , Henneberg M.
Published: December 2005

Alterations of the width of the human intervertebral foramen can play a pathophysiological role in low back pain. Osseous dimensions of the human intervertebral foramen are rarely recorded. Therefore, we present reference data obtained from skeletal samples of known lifestyle, population affinity, sex, and age at death. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae of functional transition zones of 71 macroscopically normal spines from early 19th century AD Swiss burial sites were selected. The intervertebral foramen widths (IFW) were analyzed with respect to possible lateralization and the impact of sex, individual age, and stature. Neither a significant side difference nor a correlation of IFW with individual age or stature could be found. Females show somewhat larger IFW than males, especially in the lumbar region. Data comparisons with earlier studies are limited due to methodological differences and possible interpopulational variations. Furthermore, the osseous intervertebral foramen only reveals a glimpse of the clinically relevant in vivo structure. Nevertheless, more focus on the osseous dimensions of the intervertebral foramen will provide baseline data of this important anatomical landmark. These data could also explore the peculiarities of the intervertebral foramen, such as its reverse sex dimorphism. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Urban and rural differences in mortality and causes of death in historical Poland
Authors: Budnik Alicja , Liczbińska Grażyna
Published: December 2005

The purpose of this paper is to document and interpret urban‐rural differences in mortality in the past. To this end, we used data on mortality in Wielkopolska, Poland, in the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century. The data on mortality in rural areas (N = 1,173,910 deceased), small towns (N = 573,903 deceased), and Poznań, the capital of the Wielkopolska region (N = 86,352 deceased), were gathered from original Prussian statistical yearbooks (Preussische Statistik). Causes of death were also analyzed (rural areas, N = 449,576 deceased; small towns, N = 238,365 deceased; Poznań, N = 61,512 deceased). Mortality measures such as crude death rate (CDR), infant death rate (IDR), and neonatal and postneonatal death rates were calculated. Life tables were constructed for both stationary and stable population models and measures of the opportunity for natural selection calculated (Crow's index Im, potential gross reproduction rate Rpot, and biological state index Ibs). Relative frequencies of leading causes of death were computed. Stratification depending on the place of residence was evident in all mortality measures as well as in the values of the life tables and the measures of the opportunity for natural selection, but it was reverse of what is observed today in developed countries. In Poznań (a large industrial city), the mortality situation was the least favorable. It was caused by large population density, lack of water supply and sewage systems (up to 1896), and bad working conditions. The values of CDR ranged between 26.89–31.46, and IDR between 190.6–280.5. Newborn life expectancy (for a stable population model) was 31.6 years, Im = 0.79, Rpot = 0.85, and Ibs = 0.47. The most common causes of death were tuberculosis, other diseases of the respiratory and circulatory systems, dysentery and diarrhea, and cancer. These diseases were less common in rural areas, so they had the most favorable values of mortality measures (CDR between 22.87–27.32, IDR between 181.8–219.4, life expectancy of newborn e0 = 42.12, Im = 0.55, Rpot = 0.93, Ibs = 0.60). Infectious diseases (other than tuberculosis), frailty at birth, and frailty in old age were the most frequent causes of death in rural areas. Small towns (population <20,000) had a mortality intermediate between city and rural areas. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Skeletal manifestations of rickets in infants and young children in a historic population from England
Authors: Mays S. , Brickley M. , Ives R.
Published: December 2005

Gross and radiographic changes characteristic of inadequate bone mineralization due to rickets are described in 21 immature skeletons from a 19th century urban population from Birmingham, England. The aims of the study are as follows: to evaluate and if possible augment existing dry‐bone criteria for the recognition of rickets in immature skeletal remains; to investigate the value of radiography for the paleopathological diagnosis of rickets; and to compare and contrast the expression of rickets in this group with that previously documented for a rural agrarian population from Wharram Percy, England. Some gross skeletal signs of rickets which were not previously well‐documented in paleopathological studies are noted. The worth of radiography for evaluating structural changes to both cortical and trabecular bone in the disease is demonstrated, and features useful for the interpretation of vitamin D deficiency are discussed. The pattern of skeletal elements affected and the severity of changes differs in the Birmingham group from that seen in the comparative rural population. It is emphasized that a variety of factors may influence the expression of rickets in paleopathological material, including rate of skeletal growth, age cohort affected, and intensity of vitamin D deficiency. Nevertheless, careful analysis, not only of the frequency of rickets but also of the degree of severity of lesions and the patterning with respect to skeletal elements affected, may enable more nuanced understanding of the biocultural context of the disease in earlier populations. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chemokine receptor CCR2 expression by systemic sclerosis fibroblasts: Evidence for autocrine regulation of myofibroblast differentiation
Authors: Carulli Maria Teresa , Ong Voon Hong , Ponticos Markella , Shiwen Xu , Abraham David John , Black Carol Mary , Denton Christopher Paul
Published: December 2005

Objective

To investigate expression of the chemokine receptor CCR2 on key cell types involved in the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and to assess the potential for autocrine activation of SSc dermal fibroblasts via CCL2/CCR2.

Methods

Chemokine receptor expression in skin biopsy tissues and explanted dermal fibroblasts from a well‐characterized cohort of SSc patients was examined using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry techniques. Autocrine regulation of the expression of fibrotic markers in CCR2+ SSc fibroblast cell lines was assessed using specific ligand or receptor antagonists.

Results

We identified strong CCR2 expression in skin biopsy samples of early‐stage diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc), but not late‐stage dcSSc or limited cutaneous SSc. Double labeling confirmed up‐regulation of CCL2/CCR2 on myofibroblasts, pericytes, lymphocytes, macrophages, and endothelial cells. Explanted dermal fibroblasts from early dcSSc tissues expressed CCR2 and CXCR2 in 55% and 66% of cell strains, respectively. There was no expression in control fibroblasts. CCR2+ fibroblasts demonstrated a profibrotic phenotype, with overexpression of α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and CCL2. Flow cytometric analysis identified a subset of CCR2+ SSc fibroblasts expressing the myofibroblast marker α‐SMA. In these cultures, specific inhibition of CCL2 or CCR2 attenuated the overexpression of α‐SMA, but not CTGF or plasminogen activator inhibitor 1.

Conclusion

Our results show that CCR2 is up‐regulated in early dcSSc on cell types known to be activated in the disease, which is consistent with a key role in SSc pathogenesis. CCR2 expression on SSc fibroblasts appears to regulate the expression of CCL2 and α‐SMA. Our findings suggest potential autocrine regulation of key profibrotic properties via a CCL2/CCR2 loop in early‐stage dcSSc.
Induction of endothelial cell apoptosis by the binding of anti–endothelial cell antibodies to Hsp60 in vasculitis‐associated systemic autoimmune diseases
Authors: Jamin Christophe , Dugué Christophe , Alard Jean‐Éric , Jousse Sandrine , Saraux Alain , Guillevin Loïc , Piette Jean‐Charles , Youinou Pierre
Published: December 2005

Objective

Anti–endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs), which recognize a number of endothelial antigens, are seen in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases, more often in the presence of vasculitis than in its absence. Some AECAs induce apoptosis of endothelial cells (ECs), but their target antigens remain unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether Hsp60 is a target antigen and whether AECAs induce apoptosis in ECs.

Methods

Two‐dimensional electrophoresis and conventional Western blotting techniques were used to characterize AECA targets. Hsp60 reactivity was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Hsp60 was shown to be targeted by a proportion of AECAs. The level of reactivity was higher in patients with systemic autoimmune disease and vasculitis than in those without vasculitis and in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than in patients with other systemic autoimmune diseases. Hsp60 was expressed on the plasma membrane of heat‐stressed ECs, and this followed Hsp60 messenger RNA transcription, confinement of the protein to the cytoplasm, and translocation of the protein to the surface. Shedding of Hsp60 from ECs was induced by stress and resulted in the binding of soluble Hsp60 to the surface of ECs, particularly stressed ECs. Apoptosis of ECs was triggered by anti‐Hsp60–containing AECA‐positive sera and was inhibited by preincubation of the ECs with recombinant Hsp60.

Conclusion

Our data support the notion that Hsp60 is an important target for AECAs and that such an interaction contributes to pathogenic effects, especially in vasculitis‐associated systemic autoimmune disease.
Basic fibroblast growth factor inhibits the anabolic activity of insulin‐like growth factor 1 and osteogenic protein 1 in adult human articular chondrocytes
Authors: Loeser Richard F. , Chubinskaya Susan , Pacione Carol , Im Hee‐Jeong
Published: December 2005

Objective

To determine the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the chondrocyte anabolic activity promoted by insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) and osteogenic protein 1 (OP‐1).

Methods

Human articular chondrocytes were cultured in alginate beads or as cartilage explants in serum‐free medium with or without IGF‐1 (100 ng/ml), OP‐1 (100 ng/ml), or bFGF (0–100 ng/ml). Cell survival, proliferation, proteoglycan synthesis, and total proteoglycan accumulation were measured after 21 days of culture in alginate beads, and proteoglycan synthesis was measured in explants.

Results

Cell survival was not altered by bFGF at any dose, and chondrocyte proliferation was stimulated only at doses above 1 ng/ml. When combined with IGF‐1, 1 ng/ml of bFGF stimulated proliferation to 170% of control, but when combined with IGF‐1 and OP‐1, proliferation increased to 373% of control. Doses of bFGF of 100 ng/ml decreased total proteoglycan levels accumulated per cell by 60% compared with control and also inhibited the ability of IGF‐1 or OP‐1 to increase proteoglycan production. Likewise, sulfate incorporation in response to IGF‐1 and OP‐1 alone or together was completely inhibited by 50 ng/ml bFGF in both alginate and explant cultures.

Conclusion

The anabolic activity of IGF‐1 and OP‐1, alone and in combination, is significantly inhibited by bFGF. The results suggest that excessive release of bFGF from the cartilage matrix during injury, with loading, or in arthritis could contribute to increased proliferation and reduced anabolic activity in articular cartilage.
Association of prevalent and incident knee cartilage defects with loss of tibial and patellar cartilage: A longitudinal study
Authors: Ding Changhai , Cicuttini Flavia , Scott Fiona , Boon Catrina , Jones Graeme
Published: December 2005

Objective

To describe the association between prevalent and incident knee cartilage defects and loss of knee cartilage in male and female adults.

Methods

A convenience sample of 325 subjects (mean age 45 years; age range 26–61 years) was evaluated at baseline and ∼2 years later. Knee cartilage volume, cartilage defect scores (0–4 scale), and joint surface area were determined using T1‐weighted fat‐suppression magnetic resonance imaging techniques. Height, weight, and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis were measured by standard protocols.

Results

Multivariable analysis revealed that baseline cartilage defect scores at the medial tibia, lateral tibia, and patella had a dose‐response association with the annual rate of change in knee cartilage volume at the corresponding site (β = –1.3% to –1.2% per grade; P < 0.05 for all comparisons). In addition, an increase in knee cartilage defect score (change of ≥1) was associated with higher rates of knee cartilage volume loss at all sites (β = –1.9% to –1.7% per year; P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Furthermore, a decrease in the knee cartilage defect score (change of less than or equal to −1) was associated with an increase in knee cartilage volume at all sites (β = 1.0% to 2.7% per year; P < 0.05 for all comparisons).

Conclusion

Prevalent knee cartilage defects are predictive of compartment‐specific cartilage loss over 2 years. Both increases and decreases in knee cartilage defects are associated with changes in knee cartilage volume, which implies a potential for reversal of knee cartilage loss.
Precocious intima‐media thickening in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Vaudo Gaetano , Bocci Elena Bartoloni , Shoenfeld Yehuda , Schillaci Giuseppe , Wu Ruihua , Del Papa Nicoletta , Vitali Claudio , Monache Francesco Delle , Marchesi Simona , Mannarino Elmo , Gerli Roberto
Published: December 2005

Objective

Systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis represent independent risk factors for atherosclerosis (ATS), although this may be confounded by continuous pharmacologic treatment. Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) shares several features of these diseases and may therefore represent an interesting model for verifying the presence of accelerated ATS in the absence of pharmacologic interference. The present study therefore used this model to describe the presence of accelerated ATS in a group of young women.

Methods

Thirty‐seven untreated white women with primary SS were evaluated clinically and serologically. Carotid and femoral artery intima‐media thickness (IMT) was evaluated in the patients and in 35 age‐matched healthy women who served as controls.

Results

The patients had a higher IMT than did the controls at both the carotid (mean ± SD 0.82 ± 0.24 mm versus 0.63 ± 0.20 mm; P ≤ 0.001) and the femoral (0.81 ± 0.26 mm versus 0.67 ± 0.23 mm; P ≤ 0.019) levels, and had a higher prevalence of carotid intima‐media thickening (49% versus 11% of controls; P ≤ 0.001). The patient subset with high carotid IMT showed an increased prevalence of leukopenia and circulating anti‐SSA antibodies; interestingly, the number of leukocytes was inversely correlated with the level of arterial IMT in patients with SS. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that anti‐SSA antibodies were independent predictors of carotid artery thickening, while leukopenia was a predictor of both carotid and femoral artery thickening.

Conclusion

Subclinical ATS was evident in about one‐half of the patients with SS. Its association with some features typical of connective tissue diseases, such as the presence of anti‐SSA and leukopenia, suggests that the immune dysregulation characterizing this autoimmune disorder may play a key role in inducing early ATS.
Raloxifene for postmenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus: A pilot randomized controlled study
Authors: Mok Chi Chiu , To Chi Hung , Mak Anselm , Ma Kwok Man
Published: December 2005

Objective

To study the effects of raloxifene on disease activity and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Postmenopausal women with osteopenia and inactive SLE were randomly assigned to receive either raloxifene (60 mg/day) plus elemental calcium (1,200 mg/day) or elemental calcium alone (control). Patients with a history of thromboembolism or antiphospholipid antibody positivity were excluded. BMD at various sites was serially measured, and lupus activity was serially assessed using the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus: National Assessment–Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SELENA–SLEDAI).

Results

The study group comprised 33 patients (16 assigned to receive raloxifene and 17 controls, mean ± SD age 53.8 ± 5.3 years). Age, body mass index, and baseline BMD values did not differ significantly between the 2 groups of patients. All patients were receiving low‐dose prednisolone. After 12 months, femoral neck BMD (mean ± SD −2.6 ± 1.0%; P = 0.02) and lumbar spine BMD (−3.3 ± 0.8%; P = 0.001) decreased significantly in the controls but not in the raloxifene group. No patient had a major flare of lupus, but mild/moderate flares occurred in 4 raloxifene‐treated and 6 control patients (P = 0.79). The total area under the curve of SELENA–SLEDAI scores was not significantly different between the 2 groups. A significant increase in the high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level and a reduction in the low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level were observed in the raloxifene group but not in controls. One patient in the raloxifene group (6%) withdrew from the study because of hot flushes. No thromboembolic events were reported.

Conclusion

Raloxifene was well tolerated in Chinese patients with SLE who had inactive disease and in whom hypercoagulability was not identified. Raloxifene maintained femoral neck and spinal BMD in patients receiving corticosteroids.
Identification of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against tissue plasminogen activator in the antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Lu Cai‐Sheng , Horizon Arash A. , Hwang Kwan‐Ki , FitzGerald John , Lin Wei‐Shiang , Hahn Bevra H. , Wallace Daniel J. , Metzger Allan L. , Weisman Michael H. , Chen Pojen P.
Published: December 2005

Objective

To test the hypotheses that some plasmin‐reactive anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) may bind to tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and that some of the tPA‐reactive aCL may inhibit tPA activity.

Methods

We studied the reactivity of 8 patient‐derived monoclonal aCL with tPA and examined the presence of IgG anti‐tPA antibodies in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The effects of the reactive monoclonal aCL on the activity of tPA were also examined.

Results

Six patient‐derived plasmin‐reactive monoclonal aCL bound to tPA. Analysis of plasma samples revealed that 10 of 80 APS patients (12.5%) and 1 of 81 systemic lupus erythematosus patients (1.2%) had antibodies against fibrin‐associated tPA, based on a cutoff value equal to the mean + 2SD of the level in 28 normal subjects. Of the 6 tPA‐reactive monoclonal aCL, 2 of them (CL1 and CL15) inhibited tPA activity.

Conclusion

Some of the plasmin‐reactive aCL in APS patients may bind to tPA. Of the tPA‐reactive aCL, some (such as CL1 and CL15) may inhibit tPA activity and, thus, may be prothrombotic in the host.
Intraarticular glucocorticoid treatment reduces inflammation in synovial cell infiltrations more efficiently than in synovial blood vessels
Authors: Klint Erik af , Grundtman Cecilia , Engström Marianne , Catrina Anca Irinel , Makrygiannakis Dimitrios , Klareskog Lars , Andersson Ulf , Ulfgren Ann‐Kristin
Published: December 2005

Objective

To investigate whether intraarticular (IA) glucocorticoid (GC) therapy diminishes synovial cell infiltration, vascularity, expression of proinflammatory cytokines, and adhesion molecule levels in patients with chronic arthritides.

Methods

Thirty‐one patients with chronic arthritides received a single IA injection of triamcinolone hexacetonide to treat active large‐joint inflammation. Synovial biopsy specimens were obtained with arthroscopic guidance before and 9–15 days after injection. The presence of T lymphocytes, macrophages, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the pan‐endothelial marker CD31, and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α), IL‐1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and high mobility group box chromosomal protein 1 (HMGB‐1) was studied by immunohistochemistry and real‐time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction.

Results

IA GC treatment resulted in good clinical response in 29 of 31 joints. After therapeutic intervention, the number of synovial T lymphocytes declined, whereas the number of macrophages remained unchanged. Overall synovial protein expression of TNF, IL‐1β, extranuclear HMGB‐1, VEGF, and ICAM‐1 was reduced at followup tissue sampling, while no significant effects were observed regarding vascularity. In contrast, expression of IL‐1α, VEGF, and cytoplasmic HMGB‐1 protein in vascular endothelial cells was not affected. GC therapy down‐regulated levels of messenger RNA encoding IL‐1α and IL‐1β, but not TNF or HMGB‐1.

Conclusion

Synovial cell infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine expression were affected in a multifaceted manner by IA GC treatment. Marked reduction of synovial T lymphocytes, TNF, IL‐1β, extranuclear HMGB‐1, ICAM‐1, and VEGF occurred in association with beneficial clinical effects. Unexpectedly, macrophage infiltration and proinflammatory endothelial cytokine expression remained unchanged. These findings may reflect mechanisms controlling the transiency of clinical improvement frequently observed after IA GC injection.
Expression and occupancy of BAFF‐R on B cells in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Carter Robert H. , Zhao Hong , Liu Ximeng , Pelletier Marc , Chatham Winn , Kimberly Robert , Zhou Tong
Published: December 2005

Objective

To determine whether receptors for B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) are altered on B cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Total available receptors for BLyS were measured by analysis of binding of recombinant soluble BLyS to peripheral blood B cells in 36 SLE patients, 29 healthy controls, and 10 disease controls. Antibodies to the receptors BAFF‐R, BCMA, and TACI were used to define expression of the individual BLyS receptors on subsets of B cells in blood, spleen, and tonsils. Two different antibodies to BAFF‐R, which were differentially sensitive to BAFF‐R occupancy, were used to compare BAFF‐R on B cells in an additional 20 healthy subjects and 25 SLE patients. Assays of B cell survival after stimulation in vitro were used to determine the sensitivity of B cells to exogenous BLyS.

Results

Total available receptors for BLyS were decreased in patients with SLE, independent of changes of subsets in the blood in these patients. The decrease correlated with changes in disease activity. Although total surface BAFF‐R was not significantly different between healthy controls and SLE patients, BAFF‐R was occupied in SLE patients. B cells from these patients were less responsive to exogenous BLyS.

Conclusion

BAFF‐R is consistently occupied on blood B cells in SLE. Occupancy of BAFF‐R on blood B cells is likely to contribute to disease mechanisms in SLE and could serve as a biomarker of disease activity. Targeting BLyS as a therapeutic strategy will require overcoming the persistent binding of BLyS to BAFF‐R.
Reliability and sensitivity to change of the OMERACT rheumatoid arthritis magnetic resonance imaging score in a multireader, longitudinal setting
Authors: Haavardsholm Espen A. , Østergaard Mikkel , Ejbjerg Bo J. , Kvan Nils P. , Uhlig Till A. , Lilleås Finn G. , Kvien Tore K.
Published: December 2005

Objective

To assess the intra‐ and interreader reliability and the sensitivity to change of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) Rheumatoid Arthritis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (RAMRIS) system on digital images of the wrist joints of patients with early or established rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Ten sets of baseline and 1‐year followup MR images of the wrists of patients with progressive changes on conventional hand radiographs were scored independently by 4 readers on 2 consecutive days, preceded by reader training and calibration. The MR images were acquired and scored according to the recommendations from the OMERACT MRI group. The intra‐ and interreader agreement (evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficients [ICCs]) and the sensitivity to change (evaluated by the smallest detectable difference [SDD]) were determined for scores of synovitis, erosion, and bone marrow edema status and for change scores.

Results

Intrareader ICCs were generally very high, both for status scores (median baseline and followup 0.89 and 0.90 for synovitis, 0.91 and 0.90 for erosion, and 0.90 and 0.98 for edema) and for change scores (median 0.80 for synovitis, 0.96 for erosion, and 0.97 for edema). The SDDs were generally low, suggesting a high potential to detect changes. Interreader single‐measure ICCs were high for status scores (mean baseline and followup 0.69 and 0.78 for synovitis, 0.83 and 0.73 for erosion, and 0.79 and 0.95 for edema) and for change scores (mean 0.74 for synovitis, 0.67 for erosion, and 0.95 for edema). The average‐measure ICCs were ≥0.94 for all components of both the status scores and change scores.

Conclusion

The RAMRIS showed very good intrareader reliability, good interreader reliability, and a high level of sensitivity to change. The results suggest that the RAMRIS may be a suitable system for use in monitoring joint inflammation and destruction in RA.
Digital x‐ray radiogrammetry combined with semiautomated analysis of joint space widths as a new diagnostic approach in rheumatoid arthritis: A cross‐sectional and longitudinal study
Authors: Böttcher J. , Pfeil A. , Rosholm A. , Petrovitch A. , Seidl B. E. , Malich A. , Schäfer M. L. , Kramer A. , Mentzel H. J. , Lehmann G. , Hein G. , Kaiser W. A.
Published: December 2005

Objective

To evaluate digital x‐ray radiogrammetry (DXR) and the Radiogrammetry Kit program as new diagnostic tools for quantifying disease‐related periarticular osteoporosis and for measuring joint space narrowing according to the severity and duration of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Using DXR, we performed computerized calculations of bone mineral density (BMD) and the metacarpal index (MCI) in 258 patients with active RA. Using the Radiogrammetry Kit program, we also performed semiautomated measurements of joint space width (JSW) at the second through the fifth metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints in these patients.

Results

All correlations between the different parameters of both techniques (BMD and the MCI as measured by DXR and MCP JSW as measured by the Radiogrammetry Kit) were significant (0.36 ≤ R ≤ 0.63; P < 0.01). As expected, a significant negative association was shown between the different MCP JSW results and the results of all scoring methods (−0.67 ≤ R ≤ −0.29). The BMD and the MCI measured by DXR both decreased significantly between Steinbrocker stage I and stage IV (by 32.7% and 36.6%, respectively; both P < 0.01). Reductions in the overall (mean) MCP JSW varied from 35.3% (Larsen score) to 52.9% (Steinbrocker stage). Over a period of 6 years, we observed relative decreases in BMD and the MCI as measured by DXR (32.1% and 33.3%, respectively), as well as in the overall (mean) MCP JSW (23.5%), and these were pronounced in early RA (duration <1 year). In addition, excellent reproducibility of DXR and Radiogrammetry Kit parameters was verified (coefficients of variation <1%).

Conclusion

DXR with the integrated Radiogrammetry Kit program could be a promising, widely available diagnostic tool for supplementing the different RA scoring methods with quantitative data, thus allowing an earlier and improved diagnosis of RA and more precision in determining disease progression.
Discovery of new rheumatoid arthritis biomarkers using the surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry ProteinChip approach
Authors: de Seny Dominique , Fillet Marianne , Meuwis Marie‐Alice , Geurts Pierre , Lutteri Laurence , Ribbens Clio , Bours Vincent , Wehenkel Louis , Piette Jacques , Malaise Michel , Merville Marie‐Paule
Published: December 2005

Objective

To identify serum protein biomarkers specific for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (SELDI‐TOF‐MS) technology.

Methods

A total of 103 serum samples from patients and healthy controls were analyzed. Thirty‐four of the patients had a diagnosis of RA, based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The inflammation control group comprised 20 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), 9 with asthma, and 10 with Crohn's disease. The noninflammation control group comprised 14 patients with knee osteoarthritis and 16 healthy control subjects. Serum protein profiles were obtained by SELDI‐TOF‐MS and compared in order to identify new biomarkers specific for RA. Data were analyzed by a machine learning algorithm called decision tree boosting, according to different preprocessing steps.

Results

The most discriminative mass/charge (m/z) values serving as potential biomarkers for RA were identified on arrays for both patients with RA versus controls and patients with RA versus patients with PsA. From among several candidates, the following peaks were highlighted: m/z values of 2,924 (RA versus controls on H4 arrays), 10,832 and 11,632 (RA versus controls on CM10 arrays), 4,824 (RA versus PsA on H4 arrays), and 4,666 (RA versus PsA on CM10 arrays). Positive results of proteomic analysis were associated with positive results of the anti–cyclic citrullinated peptide test. Our observations suggested that the 10,832 peak could represent myeloid‐related protein 8.

Conclusion

SELDI‐TOF‐MS technology allows rapid analysis of many serum samples, and use of decision tree boosting analysis as the main statistical method allowed us to propose a pattern of protein peaks specific for RA.