bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Receptor 1 Is a Major Predictor of Mortality and New-Onset Heart Failure in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Valgimigli Marco , Ceconi Claudio , Malagutti Patrizia , Merli Elisa , Soukhomovskaia Olga , Francolini Gloria , Cicchitelli Giordano , Olivares Adriana , Parrinello Giovanni , Percoco Gianfranco , Guardigli Gabriele , Mele Donato , Pirani Roberto , Ferrari Roberto
Published: February 2005

Background—

Tumor necrosis factor alpha-α (TNF-α) activation is an independent prognostic indicator of mortality in patients with heart failure (HF). Despite the recognition that several TNF family cytokines are elevated during myocardial infarction, their role in predicting subsequent prognosis in these setting remains poorly understood.

Methods and Results—

We performed a systematic evaluation of TNF-α and its type 1 and 2 soluble receptors, together with interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 receptor antagonist, and IL-10, in 184 patients (132 men; mean age, 64±12) consecutively admitted for myocardial infarction. We correlated their values to short- and long-term incidence of death and HF (primary outcome). In 10 patients, we also studied the presence of transcardiac gradients for TNF-α and its soluble receptors. The control group comprised 45 healthy subjects who were sex and age matched (33 men; mean age, 65±6 years) to the patients. All tested cytokines were increased in patients, and no transcardiac or systemic AV difference was found. After a median follow-up of 406 days (range, 346 to 696 days), 24 patients died and 32 developed HF. Univariate analysis showed that all cytokines were related to outcome, whereas after adjustment for baseline and clinical characteristics, sTNFR-1 remained the only independent predictor of death and HF (hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.9 to 3.8, tertile 1 versus 3), together with left ventricular ejection fraction, Killip class, and creatine kinase-MB at peak.

Conclusions—

sTNFR-1 is a major short- and long-term predictor of mortality and HF in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Role of Rho-Kinase and p27 in Angiotensin II–Induced Vascular Injury
Authors: Kanda Takeshi , Hayashi Koichi , Wakino Shu , Homma Koichiro , Yoshioka Kyoko , Hasegawa Kazuhiro , Sugano Naoki , Tatematsu Satoru , Takamatsu Ichiro , Mitsuhashi Takayuki , Saruta Takao
Published: February 2005

Angiotensin II enhances the development of atherosclerotic lesion in which cellular proliferation and/or migration are critical steps. Although cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27, and Rho/Rho-kinase pathway have recently been implicated as factors regulating these events cooperatively, their role in vivo has not been fully elucidated. We evaluated the contribution of p27 and Rho-kinase to angiotensin II-induced vascular injury using p27-deficient mice. Two-week angiotensin II (1500 ng/kg per minute SC) infusion elicited similar degrees of elevation in systolic blood pressure in wild-type mice (159±5 mm Hg) and p27-deficient mice (157±5 mm Hg;
P
>0.05). Angiotensin II infusion to wild-type mice resulted in increases in the medial thickness of aorta, proliferating cell number, and monocyte/macrophage infiltration within the vasculature. In p27-deficient mice, however, these changes were more prominent than those in wild-type mice. Treatment of wild-type mice with fasudil, a selective Rho-kinase inhibitor, did not alter blood pressure but significantly upregulated p27 expression, decreased medial thickness of aorta, reduced proliferating cell number, and prevented monocyte/macrophage infiltration. These protective effects of fasudil were attenuated in p27-deficient mice. In conclusion, p27 constitutes an important modulator of angiotensin II–induced monocyte/macrophage infiltration and vascular remodeling, which is mediated in part by Rho-kinase stimulation. Inhibition of Rho-kinase activity improves angiotensin II–induced vascular injury through p27-dependent and p27-independent mechanisms.
Role of the B
1
Kinin Receptor in the Regulation of Cardiac Function and Remodeling After Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Xu Jiang , Carretero Oscar A. , Sun Ying , Shesely Edward G. , Rhaleb Nour-Eddine , Liu Yun-He , Liao Tang-Dong , Yang James J. , Bader Michael , Yang Xiao-Ping
Published: February 2005

Kinins exert cardioprotective effects via 2 G-protein-coupled receptors, B
1
and B
2.
Using B
1
kinin receptor gene knockout mice (B
1
−/−
), we tested the hypotheses that the B
1
receptor plays an important role in preservation of cardiac function, whereas lack of B
1
may accelerate cardiac remodeling and dysfunction after myocardial infarction, and that B
2
receptors may compensate for lack of B
1
, whereas blockade of B
2
receptors in B
1
−/−
mice may cause further deterioration of cardiac function and remodeling. Female B
1
−/−
mice and wild-type controls (C57BL/6J, B
1
+/+
) underwent sham surgery or myocardial infarction and were treated with either vehicle or B
2
-antagonist (icatibant, 500 μg/kg per day, subcutaneous) for 8 weeks. We found that in sham myocardial infarction, B
1
−/−
mice had a larger left ventricular diastolic chamber dimension both initially and at 4 to 8 weeks compared with B
1
+/+
. Left ventricular mass and myocyte size were also larger in B
1
−/−
with sham operation than in B
1
+/+
, although cardiac function did not differ between strains. After myocardial infarction, cardiac remodeling and function were similar in both strains, although B
1
−/−
mice tended to have lower blood pressure. Blockade of B
2
receptors tended to worsen cardiac remodeling and dysfunction in B
1
−/−
but not in B
1
+/+
. These results may suggest that B
2
receptors play an important role in compensating for lack of B
1
receptors in mice with myocardial infarction. Dual blockade of both B
1
and B
2
eliminates this compensation, leading to further deterioration of cardiac dysfunction and remodeling after myocardial infarction.
Aldosterone Activates Vascular p38MAP Kinase and NADPH Oxidase Via c-Src
Authors: Callera Glaucia E. , Touyz Rhian M. , Tostes Rita C. , Yogi Alvaro , He Ying , Malkinson Sam , Schiffrin Ernesto L.
Published: February 2005

Increasing evidence indicates that aldosterone elicits vascular effects through nongenomic signaling pathways. We tested the hypothesis that aldosterone induces activation of vascular mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and NADPH oxidase via c-Src–dependent mechanisms in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Aldosterone effects on activation of c-Src, p38MAP kinase, and NADPH oxidase, and incorporation of [
3
H]proline, an index of collagen synthesis, were assessed in cultured rat VSMCs. Studies were performed in the absence and presence of eplerenone, a selective mineralocorticoid receptor blocker, PP2, a selective Src inhibitor, and SB212190, a selective p38MAPK inhibitor. Phosphorylation of c-Src was dose-dependently increased by aldosterone, with maximal responses obtained at 10
−7
mol/L. Aldosterone increased p38MAP kinase phosphorylation, NAD(P)H oxidase activation, and [
3
H]proline incorporation. These responses were abrogated by eplerenone and almost abolished by PP2. Aldosterone-stimulated incorporation of [
3
H]proline was significantly reduced by SB212190, indicating that p38MAP kinase plays a role in profibrotic actions of aldosterone. To unambiguously demonstrate the importance of aldosterone in c-Src signaling, VSMCs from c-Src
+/+
and c-Src
+/−
mice were also studied. Aldosterone increased phosphorylation of c-Src, p38MAP kinase, and cortactin, a Src-specific substrate, in c-Src
+/+
VSMCs, but not in c-Src-deficient cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that nongenomic signaling by aldosterone occurs through c-Src–dependent pathways. These processes may play an important role in profibrotic actions of aldosterone.
Agonistic Autoantibodies to the AT1 Receptor in a Transgenic Rat Model of Preeclampsia
Authors: Dechend Ralf , Gratze Petra , Wallukat Gerd , Shagdarsuren Erdenechimeg , Plehm Ralf , Bräsen Jan-Hinrich , Fiebeler Anette , Schneider Wolfgang , Caluwaerts Silvia , Vercruysse Lisbeth , Pijnenborg Robert , Luft Friedrich C. , Müller Dominik N.
Published: February 2005

We used rats transgenic for the human angiotensinogen (hAogen) gene and the human renin (hRen) gene and crossed the strains to produce a model of preeclampsia in the dams. The female (n=9) hAogen × male hRen cross had severe (telemetry-measured) hypertension and albuminuria, which developed during the last trimester of pregnancy and subsided after delivery. The converse cross (n=9) and control (n=9) SD rats did not. We demonstrated that the female hAogen × male hRen cross had agonistic antibodies capable of activating the angiotensin (Ang) II AT1 receptor (AT1R-AA) and defined the epitope on the receptor’s second extracellular loop. The phenomenon also occurs in humans with preeclampsia. The rats displayed renal histology reminiscent of preeclampsia, including fibrin deposition confined to the glomeruli. The complement system was activated in glomeruli and IgG deposits were present that may represent AT1R-AA. Finally, we observed an atherosis-like lesion in the spiral arteries of the placental bed, which we called placental-bed arteriolosclerosis. Our model may be relevant to preeclampsia in humans.
Reduction of
Gstm1
Expression in the Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertension Rat Contributes to Increased Oxidative Stress
Authors: McBride Martin W. , Brosnan M. Julia , Mathers Joanne , McLellan Lesley I. , Miller William H. , Graham Delyth , Hanlon Neil , Hamilton Carlene A. , Polke James M. , Lee Wai K. , Dominiczak Anna F.
Published: February 2005

Human essential hypertension is a classic example of a complex, multifactorial, polygenic disease with a substantial genetic influence in which the underlying genetic components remain unknown. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertension rat (SHRSP) is a well-characterized experimental model for essential hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Previous work, identified glutathione
S
-transferase μ type 1, a protein involved in detoxification of reactive oxygen species, as a positional and functional candidate gene. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed a highly significant, 4-fold reduction of glutathione
S
-transferase μ type 1 mRNA expression in 5- and 16-week-old SHRSP compared with the congenic and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats. This suggests that differential expression is not attributable to long-term changes in blood pressure. DNA sequencing identified one coding single nucleotide polymorphism (R202H) and multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region. mRNA expression changes were reflected at the protein level, with significant reductions in the SHRSP glutathione
S
-transferase μ type 1. Protein was colocalized with aquaporin 2 to the principle cells of the renal collecting ducts. Coupled to significant increases in nitrotyrosine levels in the kidney, this suggests a pathophysiological role of this protein in hypertension and oxidative stress. Similar processes may underlie oxidative stress in the vasculature.
Sexual Dimorphism in Renal Production of Prostanoids in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Sullivan Jennifer C. , Sasser Jennifer M. , Pollock David M. , Pollock Jennifer S.
Published: February 2005

Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have higher blood pressure, blunted pressure–natriuresis relationship, and accelerated progression of renal injury compared with female SHR. Renal medullary prostanoids mediate vascular tone, salt and water balance, and renin release and, as a result, are involved in the maintenance of renal blood flow and the pathogenesis of hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine whether a gender difference exists in prostanoid production in SHR and whether sex steroids influence prostaglandin (PG) production. Thirteen-week-old intact and gonadectomized male and female SHR rats were placed in metabolic cages for 24-hour urine collection. Prostanoid excretion was determined using enzyme immunoassay. Kidneys were isolated and separated into outer and inner medulla for Western blot analysis. Female SHR had enhanced urinary excretion of PG E
2
(PGE
2
) metabolites and thromboxane B
2
, an indicator of renal thromboxane production, compared with male SHR. There were no gender differences in excretion of systemic thromboxane or prostacyclin. Correspondingly, female SHR had enhanced microsomal PGE
2
synthase protein expression in the renal inner medulla and greater cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in the outer medulla. Orchidectomy was associated with increased PGE
2
metabolite excretion and microsomal PGE synthase protein expression. Thromboxane B
2
excretion was not affected by gonadectomy in either male or female SHR. Protein expressions of COX and cytoplasmic PGE
2
synthase in the renal medulla were unchanged by gonadectomy in both sexes. These results demonstrate a sexual dimorphism in renal production of prostanoids in SHR and that PGE production is testosterone sensitive and estrogen insensitive.
Estradiol Induces Discordant Angiotensin and Blood Pressure Responses to Orthostasis in Healthy Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Harvey Paula J. , Morris Beverley L. , Miller Judith A. , Floras John S.
Published: February 2005

Postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is reported to increase angiotensin II under resting conditions. To determine the implications of this increase for cardiovascular regulation during simulated orthostasis, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin II, and aldosterone were measured at rest and during lower body negative pressure (LBNP; −10, −20, and −40 mm Hg). We studied 13 normotensive postmenopausal women (54±2 [mean±SE] years) before and after 1 month of oral estradiol 2 mg daily, and 14 premenopausal women. LBNP activated the renin-angiotensin system acutely in premenopausal but not postmenopausal women. Resting renin and aldosterone were unaffected by estradiol, whereas angiotensinogen (
P
<0.001) and angiotensin II (
P
<0.01) increased. Renin, aldosterone, and HR responses to LBNP (which tended to be less in postmenopausal women [
P
=0.06]) were not affected by estradiol. Importantly, angiotensin II was higher on estradiol during all stages of LBNP, and increased 70% above resting values at the end of this stimulus (
P
<0.05), yet BP was significantly lower, both at rest (
P
<0.05) and during LBNP (
P
<0.01). In summary, in normotensive postmenopausal women, estradiol increases angiotensin II, but not aldosterone, at rest and during orthostatic stress, yet lowers, rather than raises, BP under both conditions. Downregulation of vascular and adrenal responsiveness to angiotensin II may protect healthy women against this activation. Loss of such protection may elevate BP and have adverse implications for women with conditions that impair their capacity to counteract the pathological actions of angiotensin II. This may contribute to higher cardiovascular event rates reported in recent ERT trials.
Arterial Stiffening Influence of Sympathetic Nerve Activity
Authors: Giannattasio Cristina , Failla Monica , Lucchina Stefano , Zazzeron Chiara , Scotti Valentina , Capra Anna , Viscardi Luigina , Bianchi Francesca , Vitale Giovanni , Lanzetta Marco , Mancia Giuseppe
Published: February 2005

Studies in animals and humans suggest that sympathetic activity exerts a stiffening influence on large and middle-sized artery walls. We sought to obtain further evidence on this issue by measuring radial artery distensibility in an allotransplanted and thus denervated hand using the contralateral artery as control. In 2 men, blood pressure was measured by a semiautomatic device (Dinamap). Diastolic diameter, systo-diastolic diameter excursion (ultrasound Wall Track system), and distensibility (Reneman formula) of both radial arteries were measured at a level corresponding to 4 cm below the suture of the transplanted hand 40 days after surgery and every 4 weeks for the next 6 months. After surgery, systo-diastolic diameter excursion and distensibility were much greater in the transplanted radial artery than in the contralateral vessel, reaching values similar to the contralateral ones after 4 months, when signs of reinnervation of the transplanted hands had appeared. Radial deinnervation was accompanied by an increased arterial distensibility, which provides further evidence of the sympathetic stiffening effect on arterial wall in humans.
Association of Blood Pressure With Blood Viscosity in American Indians
Authors: de Simone Giovanni , Devereux Richard B. , Chinali Marcello , Best Lyle G. , Lee Elisa T. , Welty Thomas K.
Published: February 2005

Abnormalities in whole blood viscosity (WBV) have been implicated in hypertension. This study analyzes relations between WBV and blood pressure in the Strong Heart Study population of American Indians. We examined 676 participants (489 women, age 62±7 years) without prevalent cardiovascular disease or use of antihypertensive medications, digoxin, or aspirin. WBV was calculated from hematocrit and plasma protein concentration, at a shear rate of 208 seconds
−1
, by a validated equation. Forty eight percent of participants were obese, 43% had diabetes, 19% had hypertension, and 30% were current smokers. WBV was higher in men, smokers, and participants with central obesity, but it was not associated with hypertension or diabetes, even accounting for confounders. After adjusting for gender, age, center, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and plasma creatinine, WBV was negatively related to pulse pressure (β=−0.13;
P
<0.001) and systolic pressure (β=−0.09;
P
<0.02), mainly because of negative relations with hematocrit (β=−0.11 and −0.10). Among hypertensive individuals, pulse pressure was positively related to age, diabetes, and female gender but not to WBV (multiple
R
=0.63;
P
<0.0001); in contrast, in normotensive individuals, pulse pressure was related negatively to WBV or hematocrit, independent of body mass index, without relation to diabetes (
R
=0.42;
P
<0.0001). Thus, under normal physiological conditions, in vivo WBV is negatively related pulse pressure. In contrast, the presence of arterial hypertension makes this relation less evident.
A House Divided
Authors: Thames Frank C.
Published: February 2005

Mixed-member electoral systems embrace two views of representation by electing some legislators in single-member district elections and others in a proportional representation election. This can potentially create a “mandate divide” in legislatures, because single-member district legislators have an incentive to embrace parochial issues and proportional representation legislators have an incentive to center on national issues. Previous studies of this question have only found limited evidence of its existence. The author argues that the level of party system institutionalization will fundamentally determine whether a mandate divide will exist in a mixed-member legislature. Using roll-call voting data from the Hungarian National Assembly, the Russian Duma, and the Ukrainian Rada, the author analyzes patterns of party discipline in each legislature. The empirical results show that a mandate divide only existed in the legislature with the most weakly institutionalized party system, the Russian Duma.
Popular Contention and its Impact in Rural China
Authors: O’Brien Kevin J. , Li Lianjiang
Published: February 2005

Protest outcomes in rural China are typically an outgrowth of interaction between activists, sympathetic elites, targets, and the public. Popular agitation first alerts concerned officials to poor policy implementation and may prompt them to take corrective steps. As a result of participating in contention, certain activists feel empowered and become more likely to take part in future challenges, whereas others feel disillusioned and lapse into passivity. In the course of observing collective action, some onlookers are sensitized to protesters’ concerns and public opinion is affected. Without popular action, better implementation, biographical change, and effects on the public would not emerge, but nor would they without involvement from above. Studying the impact of this protest thus sheds light on two issues that have long troubled students of contentious politics: (a) how to get a grip on indirect, mediated consequences; and (b) how to think about causality when change is a result of popular action as well as openings provided by sympathetic elites.
The Cross-Sectional Determinants of Secessionism in Advanced Democracies
Authors: Sorens Jason
Published: February 2005

This article analyzes the “risk factors” of secessionism at the substate, regional level. It seeks to answer the question, What regions are more likely to support more successful secessionist parties? Using new data in cross-sectional regression analysis, the author finds that secessionism involves unique factors not common to other kinds of ethnic conflict. Specifically, in addition to “identity” variables such as regional language and history of independence, the following variables explain secessionist strength: lack of irredentist potential, relative affluence, geographical noncontiguity, population, and multiparty political system. These factors generally serve as activators of ethnic identity rather than a substitute for the same, although there are important cases of nonethnic secessionism.
The Impact of Age, Generation and Sex Variables on Religious Beliefs and Practices in Morocco
Authors: Ababou Mohammed
Published: February 2005

English

Many sociologists have confirmed the effect of 'age' and 'generation' variables on the religious phenomenon, particularly in Europe. On this continent, many longitudinal surveys show, on the one hand, a disaffection with religion depending on generation and age and, on the other hand, a slowdown of institutional religion. This disaffection with institutional religion has favoured the birth of new religious movements and a consolidation of beliefs in paranormal "phenomena and esoteric sciences. In Morocco, measurement by generational parameters is a difficult business because there are few statistics quantifying long-term religious beliefs and practices among Moroccans. The few figures available come from Moroccan surveys which offer few possibilities of interpretation because the questionnaire model used varies from one survey to another and the sample sizes differ. To try and make up for these lacunae, our survey (based on a sample of 300 Moroccans residing in Fez and the surrounding region) sought to measure the impact of age, generation and sex variables on'religious beliefs and practices. Early results show that there is indeed a "revitalization of religion depending on age and generation.

French

Plusieurs sociologues ont confirmé l'effet des variables 'âge' et 'génération' sur le phénomène religieux, notamment en Europe. Dans ce continent, plusieurs enquêtes longitudinales montrent, d'une part, une désaffection du religieux en fonction des générations et de l'âge et, d'autre part, une perte de vitesse des "religions institutionnelles. La désaffection vis-à-vis de ces religions instituées a facilité l'émergence de nouveaux mouvements religieux et le renforcement de la croyance dans les phénomènes paranormaux et les sciences ésotériques. Au Maroc, la mesure par le paramètre générationnel est difficile à réaliser car il existe peu de statistiques quantifiant les croyances et les pratiques religieuses des marocains dans la durée. Les quelques chiffres disponibles sont issus "d'enquêtes marocaines qui offrent peu de possibilités d'interprétation eu égard aux différents modèles de questionnaires utilisés dans ces enquêtes et aux tailles différentes des échantillons. Pour tenter de combler cette lacune, une enquête a été menée (échantillon de 300 marocains résidant à Fès et sa région) pour mesurer l'impact des variables âge, génération et sexe sur les croyances et les pratiques religieuses. Les premiers résultats montrent qu'il existe bien une revitalisation du religieux en fonction de l'avancement de l'âge et de la génération.
The Role of the Roman Catholic Church in the Service Provision of Education in Slovenia and Hungary
Authors: Rakar Tatjana
Published: February 2005

English

The author presents a comparative analysis of the development of the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the service provision of education in the post-socialist countries, Slovenia and Hungary. The analysis shows that there are important differences between the countries in the education policies as they relate to denominational educational institutions, and how these institutions are embedded in the education system. This is manifested in different models of the relations between government and denominational educational institutions. In Slovenia the relationship is characterized by the model of 'separated dependence' while Hungary follows the model of 'integrated dependence'. These differences have resulted in a more extensive growth of denominational educational institutions in Hungary than in Slovenia.

French

L'auteure compare le développement du rôle de l'Eglise catholique romaine dans l'enseignement en Slovénie et en Hongrie post-communistes. Elle montre qu'il y a d'importantes variantes entre les politiques d'enseignement de ces régions et fait le lien entre ces politiques et les institutions confessionnelles qui sont en charge de l'enseignement ainsi qu'à la façon dont ces dernières s'intègrent dans le système général d'enseignement. Cela se voit dans les divers modes de relations entre le gouvernement et les institutions confessionnelles d'enseignement. En Slovénie, les relations entre ces institutions et l'Etat peuvent être qualifiées en termes de 'dépendance autonome' tandis qu'en Hongrie, il faudrait plutôt parler de 'dépendance intégrée'. Ces différences ont comme résultat un accroissement plus extensif des institutions confessionnelles en charge de l'enseignement en Hongrie qu'en Slovénie.
Religion in Britain: Neither Believing nor Belonging
Authors: Voas David , Crockett Alasdair
Published: February 2005

‘Believing without belonging’ has become the catchphrase of much European work on religion in the past decade. The thesis that religious belief is fairly robust even if churchgoing is declining is examined using data from the British Household Panel Survey and the British Social Attitudes surveys. The evidence suggests that belief has in fact eroded in Britain at the same rate as two key aspects of belonging: religious affiliation and attendance. Levels of belief are lower than those of nominal belonging. The roles of period, cohort and age effects on religious change are considered; the conclusion is that decline is generational. In relation to the rates at which religion is transmitted from parents to children, the results suggest that only about half of parental religiosity is successfully transmitted, while absence of religion is almost always passed on. Transmission is just as weak for believing as for belonging.
Timespans and Plans Among Young Adults
Authors: Anderson Michael , Bechhofer Frank , McCrone David , Jamieson Lynn , Li Yaojun , Stewart Robert
Published: February 2005

This article uses data from a survey of young adults in Kirkcaldy, Fife, together with associated qualitative interviews, to throw empirical light on their sense of control over their lives and their perceived willingness and ability to plan their lives. Its principal conclusion, contrary to the suggestions of much previous literature, is that a majority of young adults of both genders do, by their early twenties at least, feel in control of their lives and able to exercise forethought over quite long periods of time with respect to many aspects of their futures. Far from seeing the future as simply ‘an extended present’, they see active opportunities for choice and for formulating their own lives in the years ahead. Only a minority, predominantly those who feel themselves in particularly insecure circumstances, live primarily for the present or think ahead only or principally for the very short term.
The Murray scheme: advertising and editorial independence in Canada, 1920
Authors: Johnston Russell
Published: February 2005

Canada’s capitalist economy faced several challenges in 1919. These threatened the ruling Conservative Party and its ideological ally, the Canadian Manufacturers’ Association. At stake was control over national tariff policies designed to protect Canadian industry. Gilbert Murray, late of the CMA, believed the press ‘poisoned the hearts and minds’ of Canadians against capital. He organized an advertisers’ boycott of all newspapers opposing the tariff and simultaneously acquired editorial control over several hundred weekly newspapers. He meant to silence ‘anti-business’ papers and thereby blanket Canada with Conservative news outlets in time for a general election due in 1921. Liberal and Conservative editors decried the scheme and its implications for a free press. More interesting, however, was the opposition of the business press, which argued that the scheme would undermine the emerging credibility of advertising itself. The scheme represents that moment in time when the media, advertisers and politicians recognized the social power of modern advertising.
Angels, bells, television and Ireland: the place of the Angelus broadcast in the Republic
Authors: Cormack Patricia
Published: February 2005

This article examines Ireland’s Radio Telefís Éireann (RTE) Angelus broadcast - a one-minute, televised observance of prayer. Two critical tensions are identified in the broadcast. First, while the RTE Angelus apparently portrays modern, everyday people in the Irish Republic pausing to attend to the sound of the Angelus bell, in fact it relies on pre-modern, mythic versions of community and association, themes generated earlier in the 20th century to legitimize the new Republic. Second, the medium of television structures time and space in a way that does not support such traditional and romantic themes. This contradiction between televised content and form is a typical problem faced by nation-states in that the electronic media used to promote nationalistic sentiment often undermine the traditional themes offered up.
Whose Internet is it Anyway?
Authors: Selwyn Neil , Gorard Stephen , Furlong John
Published: February 2005

It is acknowledged that communication researchers need to develop more sophisticated and nuanced accounts of the social and individual dynamics of the internet in everyday life. Based on a household survey of 1001 adults with 100 in-depth follow-up interviews, the present article explores people’s (non)use of the internet by asking: (1) who is (and who is not) using the internet in everyday life; (2) for what purposes people are using the internet and how are they developing their own constructions of the internet; and (3) how these understandings and uses of the internet are shaped by existing socioeconomic factors and circumstances. From this basis the article goes on to identify the key issues underlying adults’ (non)use of the internet in terms of interest, relevance, mediation of significant others and the role of household dynamics. It also considers, from this basis, how non-users may be encouraged to make use of the internet.
Two Generations of Contemporary Russian Journalists
Authors: Pasti Svetlana
Published: February 2005

This study explores the professional roles of Russian journalists, from the perspective of 30 practitioners working in St Petersburg at the end of the 1990s. The aim is to describe how journalism has developed, what attitudes and work values professionals hold and what the prospects for the future of journalism are. A central finding is that there are two types of professional roles within contemporary journalism, representing two types of professional subculture: the old generation (practitioners of the Soviet era) and the new generation (who have joined the profession since 1990). Whereas the old generation continues to hold a cultivated view of journalism as an important societal task in natural collaboration with those in authority, the new generation is orientated towards the contemporary role of providing entertainment and perceives journalism rather as a PR role for the benefit of influential groups and people in politics and business. Despite their polarities, both generations of journalism accept the political function of journalism as a propaganda machine for the power elite during elections and other important events
Dialoguing with the Ghost of Marx
Authors: Saitta Dean J.
Published: February 2005

Eric Wolf’s ‘Modes of Production’ chapter in Europe and the People without History is a masterful reconceptualization of a key interpretive and tactical concept in the Marxian storehouse of ideas. The concepts of kin-ordered, tributary and capitalist mode of production capture important differences in the ways that human groups produce and distribute social surplus across space and time. Wolf’s formulation thus sends an important message about the specific kinds of social processes that are of analytical interest. It also supports the more activist goal of clarifying exactly how the present is different from the past so as to stimulate critical reflection and debate. This article considers how Wolf’s work has been engaged by archaeologists and how we might more fully redeem and extend his insights for an explanatory and emancipatory archaeology.
A Crisis in Identity
Authors: Morris Barry
Published: February 2005

This article considers the interpretations of a ‘riot’ that took place between Aborigines and police in a small rural town, Brewarrina, in New South Wales in 1986. The ‘riot’ achieved widespread national coverage. My concern here will be to analyse the representations of the ‘riot’ in the newspapers, television and in the trial of the ‘rioters’ that followed. The analysis of the ‘riot’ seeks to consider the shifts and changes of social and political processes of the Australian state that perform such a critical part in the continual defining and redefining of Aboriginal identity. The Brewarrina ‘riot’ acted as a switch point, where both conservative and liberal polity contested the changing nature of Aboriginal autonomy and polity within the Australian state. The images from the ‘riot’ provided fertile grounds for the reworking and reassertion of a conservative polity in a period that had seen marked liberal political change within the limitations of legal-bureaucratic reforms of the welfare state.
Study of SiO2 Nanoparticles on the Improved Performance of Epoxy and Fiber Composites
Authors: Zheng Yaping , Ning Rongchang , Zheng Ying
Published: February 2005

SiO2-epoxy and SiO2-glass-fiber epoxy nanocomposites were prepared to study the influence of SiO2 nanofiller particles on the mechanical properties. The size and concentration of free volume were tested by positron annihilation spectroscopy. The experimental results demonstrate that uniform dispersion of nanoparticles play an important role in promoting the comprehensive performance of nanocomposites. 115, 13, and 60% increase have been achieved at 3 wt% of nanoparticles for the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and impact strength, respectively. The studies on the effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on the properties of glass-fiber composites show that the SiO2 nanoparticles can generally promote their properties especially the bend strength that ends up with 69.4% enhancement. This is attributed to the promoted bonding forces between glass fibers and matrices owing to the presence of nanoparticles.
Interlaminar Stress Modeling of Composite Laminates with Finite Element Method
Authors: Wu Haipeng , Yan Xiangqiao
Published: February 2005

In the present paper, a finite element method for a quasi-three-dimensional problem is described. A finite element program developed by the authors is used to analyze in detail the interlaminar stress distributions of composite laminates and further to predict the delamination locations of the studied composite laminates. The predicted are in agreement with those measured experimentally.
Modeling of Thermoforming of Low-density Glass Mat Thermoplastic
Authors: Pham Xuan-Tan , Bates Phil , Chesney Amy
Published: February 2005

The glass mat thermoplastic (GMT) is made from random-chopped glass fibers and polypropylene in a sheet form. This low-density compressible material is used extensively in the automotive industry for making panels. The mechanical behavior of this material in large deformation and at thermoforming process temperature is far from being well understood. The objective of this research is to determine a constitutive law of this Azdel thermoplastic composite used for thermoforming process. A series of biaxial tests was performed to study the stress-strain behavior of the low-density thermoplastic sheet reinforced with 55% glass fiber. Different strain rates and temperatures were employed to study their effects on the mechanical behavior. Pressure-thickness model parameters were obtained using a laboratory press. A nonisothermal hyperelastic model was used for modeling this material. The results of the simulation are compared with data from a laboratory thermoforming machine and a small, simple mold.
Computer Evaluation of Weld Lines in Injection-molded Parts
Authors: Zhou Huamin , Li Dequn
Published: February 2005

Computer simulation packages of injection molding have had success in predicting filling behavior in extremely complicated geometries, capable of predicting weld lines’ location exactly. But none of the current packages can predict weld lines’ properties qualitatively. An evaluation model based on artificial neural network method is presented in this paper. Initially, for identifying the input of the network, the affecting factors of weld lines’ properties are discussed in detail, which are orientation coefficient of the material, the meeting angle, and the melt mobility history coefficient. And then a 3-4-1 three-layer back-propagation network is constructed, which is trained using MATLAB. In order to reduce extra-or over-fitting, a value of 0.9 is used for both momentum factor and rate of learning with generalized delta rule method. Comparison with experimental results shows that this presented model is capable of predicting weld lines’ properties quantitatively for engineering design.
Social Pacts Revisited: ‘Competitive Concertation’ and Complex Causality in Negotiated Welfare State Reforms
Authors: Siegel Nico A.
Published: February 2005

This article discusses three major issues related to tripartite social pacts: first, the puzzles they present for classic theories of corporatism; second, the contrasts between the political economies of ‘competitive concertation’ and Keynesian coordination; and third, the problems of assessing their effects in the context of complex causality. The main focus is on one specific policy area: negotiated welfare state reforms. The conclusion is that though such negotiations have dominated the process of welfare state recalibration in Europe during the 1990s, tripartite social pacts are neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for success.
The Future of Undergraduate Librarianship Degrees
Authors: Goulding Anne
Published: February 2005

Reflects on earlier editorials covering the development and condition of professional library education in the UK noting that the prospects for the undergraduate programmes that were discussed in these reviews and which provoked such controversy and anxiety at the time, today look rather depressing. When the debate about the graduate nature of the library and information science (LIS) profession raged through the 1970s, the Library Association was accused of trying to be fashionable and elitist. Those librarians who were ‘mere’ Associates of the Library Association (ALA) feared that they would have few career prospects, restricted salaries and be held in lower regard than graduates. Now that the graduate profession is taken for granted a new issue has arisen focusing on the question of the future of undergraduate programmes in librarianship. Library schools have reported a sharp decline in the numbers and quality of applicants for undergraduate programmes. Loughborough University has been forced to close its undergraduate librarianship programme following several years’ sustained effort to reinvigorate it. One problem identified is the rising burden of student debt, with potential recruits emerging from their undergraduate degrees with over £5000 worth of debt and a reluctance to extend this debt further. This problem is exacerbated by the question of whether graduates will be satisfied by some of the low salaries offered to new professionals (some public and school library salaries starting as low as £12 000 pounds per year). Whilst some surveys suggest that employers do not care about the level of the qualification as long as the individual is right for the job, many will still only employ those with postgraduate level qualifications and by so doing will overlook many enthusiastic and dynamic potential recruits committed to a career in librarianship.
Flexibility in higher education hybrid libraries
Authors: Walton Graham , Edwards Catherine
Published: February 2005

Reports on a literature review of the issues surrounding the call for librarians to have greater flexibility in the skills they acquire and in the services they offer. Illustrates these issues with particular reference to the UK Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib) Phase 3 (specifically the HyLiFe project (HYbrid LIbrary of the FuturE)) where flexibility was found to be central. Includes an analysis of the data on flexibility generated by practitioners who attended HyLiFe regional dissemination workshops in 2000 and the application of this data to produce a model which provides insight into the implications of flexibility for higher education libraries. The model is based on two axes, one (vertical) indicating speed of change from low to high and one (horizontal) indicating the level of flexibility in library and information services (LIS) from low to high. The model also identifies four core areas of learning for hybrid LIS providers, and there is a correlation between the speed of change and the demonstrable level of flexibility needed. Concludes that, as the pace and intensity of change accelerates, LIS structures and staff will have to show greater flexibility to serve a user population demanding flexibility.
Use and awareness of electronic information services by academic staff at Leeds Metropolitan University - A qualitative study
Authors: Hewitson Andrew
Published: February 2005

Reports results of an investigation, undertaken at Leeds Metropolitan University, to study the awareness and extent to which university academic staff use and assimilate electronic information services (EISs) into their work. The research was conducted using two methods: a quantitative study involving a questionnaire mailed to a random stratified sample of 200 university staff (of which 101 were returned); and a qualitative study. The present report is based on the findings of the quantitative study, which addressed four specific areas: the characteristics of the respondents (age, gender, faculty); the perceived level of the information technology (IT) literacy of staff; the frequency of use by academic staff of different EISs offered by the university; and academic staff’s perception of student use. The study also investigated a number of further areas, including: how academic staff at the university obtain information for their work; what they do with the information they obtain; how aware are university staff of EISs; how confident are academic staff in using EISs and the barriers that exist to their use; the extent to which academic staff are integrating the use of EISs into students’ educational experience; and what the university can do to support staff better in their use of EISs. It is concluded from the results that the internet is the most popular information source but the factors affecting use at the expense of subscription-based services are complex. University staff, especially those with low level IT skills, frequently use the internet because it is easy to access and provides instant results. However, users who are aware and are confident in using subscription-based services still prefer to use the internet for a variety of reasons. It is clear that for those members of staff who used EISs regularly, the initial impetus had often come from either their own research or after embarking on some form of professional development such as a PhD. Once they have seen the value of these services in their own work, they began to incorporate them into their own teaching.
Book Review: Women and librarianship
Authors: Kerslake Evelyn
Published: February 2005

Reviews the significance of the report: Women and librarianship, produced by Patricia Layzell Ward and published by the Library Association in 1966; as the first major UK academic study of its kind. The importance of this report stems from its timeliness, coinciding both with the emergence of the Women’s Liberation Movement and the long overdue election of the first woman, Lorna Paulin, to the post of Library Association President. Although great pains were taken in the report to stress the unfair treatment suffered by women library workers, the fact that the library profession at that time was still commonly using the marriage bar precluded a more radical tone, calling for social justice for women workers, even though that might have attracted more attention. The report’s genesis is traced to a 1962 series of management lectures arranged by the Association of Assistant Librarians in which staffing problems, notably the position of qualified married women, were raised. Despite an initial muted reception in the professional press, many of the report’s recommendations have since become familiar aspects of the contemporary library employment scene, albeit with different terminology. Two of the report’s major findings are reviewed: the lack of part-time posts which might allow women to pursue paid work; and the difficulties facing women competing for senior posts. Reference is made to selected, recent UK-focused publications in order to explore the ways in which these issues have been developed up to the present.
What Gets Measured, Gets Managed: Statistics and Performance Indicators for Evidence Based Management
Authors: Davies J. Eric
Published: February 2005

The severe financial and supply constraints currently experienced by many libraries has highlighted the need for careful and thorough evaluation of the services provided and the application of evidence based management techniques bolstered by appropriate performance indicators. Evidence is needed to support the work of refining methods, redefining existing services and developing new ones, but what is most important is the intelligent use and interpretation of suitable evidence by those who determine policy, allocate resources and manage. Every organization needs three kinds of performance metrics for measuring: its success in mobilizing its resources; its staff’s effectiveness on the job; and its progress in fulfilling its mission. The three major functions to which statistics can be put include: monitoring operational effectiveness; providing a basis for strategic planning; and demonstrating the value obtained by users. An appropriately constructed evidence base offers the potential to support managers in a range of activity. It can form the solid underpinning for: policies; strategies; tactics; processes/operations; and advocacy. The application of library statistics is discussed with particular reference to the data collected by the Library and Information Statistics Unit, Loughborough University and the use of such data for benchmarking applications. Concludes that the collection and interpretation of evidence can not only lead to significant service quality and improved management, but it can also enhance the level of professional satisfaction and involvement.