bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Apoptosis Signal-Regulating Kinase 1/p38 Signaling Pathway Negatively Regulates Physiological Hypertrophy
Authors: Taniike Masayuki , Yamaguchi Osamu , Tsujimoto Ikuko , Hikoso Shungo , Takeda Toshihiro , Nakai Atsuko , Omiya Shigemiki , Mizote Isamu , Nakano Yuko , Higuchi Yoshiharu , Matsumura Yasushi , Nishida Kazuhiko , Ichijo Hidenori , Hori Masatsugu , Otsu Kinya
Published: January 2008

Background—

Mechanical stress on the heart can lead to crucially different outcomes. Physiological stimuli such as exercise cause adaptive cardiac hypertrophy, characterized by a normal cardiac structure and normal or enhanced cardiac function. Pathological stimuli such as hypertension and aortic valvular stenosis cause maladaptive cardiac remodeling and ultimately heart failure. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is known to be involved in pathological cardiac remodeling, but it has not been determined whether ASK1 pathways coordinate the signaling cascade leading to physiological type cardiac growth.

Methods and Results—

To evaluate the role of ASK1 in the physiological form of cardiac growth, mice lacking ASK1 (ASK1
−/−
) were exercised by swimming for 4 weeks. ASK1
−/−
mice showed exaggerated growth of the heart accompanied by typical characteristics of physiological hypertrophy. Their swimming-induced activation of Akt, a key molecule in the signaling cascade of physiological hypertrophy, increased more than that seen in wild-type controls. The activation of p38, a downstream kinase of ASK1, was suppressed selectively in the swimming-exercised ASK1
−/−
mice. Furthermore, the inhibition of ASK1 or p38 activity enhanced insulin-like growth factor 1–induced protein synthesis in rat neonatal ventricular cardiomyocytes, and the treatment with a specific inhibitor of p38 resulted in enhancement of Akt activation and suppression of protein phosphatase 2A activation. The cardiac-specific p38α-deficient mice developed an exacerbated form of cardiac hypertrophy in response to swimming exercise.

Conclusions—

These results indicate that the ASK1/p38 signaling pathway negatively regulates physiological hypertrophy.
Dosing of Clopidogrel for Platelet Inhibition in Infants and Young Children
Authors: Li Jennifer S. , Yow Eric , Berezny Katherine Y. , Bokesch Paula M. , Takahashi Matsato , Graham Thomas P. , Sanders Stephen P. , Sidi Daniel , Bonnet Damien , Ewert Peter , Jennings Lisa K. , Michelson Alan D.
Published: January 2008

Background—

Infants and young children with certain types of heart disease are at increased risk for thromboses. Clopidogrel 75 mg/d is used in adults to prevent thrombotic events. The dose to achieve similar platelet inhibition in children is unknown. The objectives of the present study were (1) to determine the dose of clopidogrel needed in infants and young children to achieve a mean 30% to 50% inhibition of 5-μmol/L ADP–induced platelet aggregation (ie, inhibition similar to that observed with 75 mg in adults) and (2) to assess the safety and tolerability of clopidogrel in infants and young children.

Methods and Results—

We performed a prospective, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel in children (0 to 24 months) with a cardiac condition at risk for arterial thrombosis. Patients were randomized to clopidogrel versus placebo in a 3:1 ratio in 4 sequential groups (0.01, 0.10, 0.20, and 0.15 mg/kg) for ≥7 and ≤28 days. Platelet aggregation was assessed at baseline and steady state by light-transmission aggregometry. Of 116 patients enrolled, 92 (50% neonates, 50% infants/toddlers) were randomized, and 73 completed the study. A total of 79% of the randomized and treated patients were taking aspirin. Compared with placebo, clopidogrel 0.20 mg · kg
−1
· d
−1
resulted in a mean 49.3% (95% confidence interval 25.7% to 72.8%) inhibition of the maximum extent of platelet aggregation and a mean 43.9% (95% confidence interval 18.6% to 69.2%) inhibition of the rate of platelet aggregation. There was marked interpatient variability in the degree of platelet aggregation inhibition within each treatment-dose group and age group. No serious bleeding events occurred.

Conclusions—

Clopidogrel 0.20 mg · kg
−1
· d
−1
in children 0 to 24 months of age achieves a platelet inhibition level similar to that in adults taking 75 mg/d. Clopidogrel is well tolerated in infants and young children at this dose.
Pulmonary Vein Region Ablation in Experimental Vagal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Lemola Kristina , Chartier Denis , Yeh Yung-Hsin , Dubuc Marc , Cartier Raymond , Armour Andrew , Ting Michael , Sakabe Masao , Shiroshita-Takeshita Akiko , Comtois Philippe , Nattel Stanley
Published: January 2008

Background—

Pulmonary vein (PV) –encircling radiofrequency ablation frequently is effective in vagal atrial fibrillation (AF), and there is evidence that PVs may be particularly prone to cholinergically induced arrhythmia mechanisms. However, PV ablation procedures also can affect intracardiac autonomic ganglia. The present study examined the relative role of PVs versus peri-PV autonomic ganglia in an experimental vagal AF model.

Methods and Results—

Cholinergic AF was studied under carbachol infusion in coronary perfused canine left atrial PV preparations in vitro and with cervical vagal stimulation in vivo. Carbachol caused dose-dependent AF promotion in vitro, which was not affected by excision of all PVs. Sustained AF could be induced easily in all dogs during vagal nerve stimulation in vivo both before and after isolation of all PVs with encircling lesions created by a bipolar radiofrequency ablation clamp device. PV elimination had no effect on atrial effective refractory period or its responses to cholinergic stimulation. Autonomic ganglia were identified by bradycardic and/or tachycardic responses to high-frequency subthreshold local stimulation. Ablation of the autonomic ganglia overlying all PV ostia suppressed the effective refractory period–abbreviating and AF-promoting effects of cervical vagal stimulation, whereas ablation of only left- or right-sided PV ostial ganglia failed to suppress AF. Dominant-frequency analysis suggested that the success of ablation in suppressing vagal AF depended on the elimination of high-frequency driver regions.

Conclusions—

Intact PVs are not needed for maintenance of experimental cholinergic AF. Ablation of the autonomic ganglia at the base of the PVs suppresses vagal responses and may contribute to the effectiveness of PV-directed ablation procedures in vagal AF.
Angiotensin II-Induced Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2 Activation Is Mediated by Protein Kinase Cδ and Intracellular Calcium in Adult Rat Cardiac Fibroblasts
Authors: Olson Erik R. , Shamhart Patricia E. , Naugle Jennifer E. , Meszaros J. Gary
Published: January 2008

Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts is a major contributing factor to the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis. Ang II activates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 to induce cardiac fibroblast proliferation, but the signaling pathways leading to ERK 1/2 activation have not been elucidated in these cells. The goal of the current study was to identify the intracellular mediators of Ang II-induced ERK 1/2 activation in adult rat cardiac fibroblasts. We determined that 100 nmol/L of Ang II-induced ERK 1/2 phosphorylation is inhibited by simultaneous chelation of cytosolic calcium and downregulation of protein kinase C (PKC) by phorbol ester or by the specific PKCδ inhibitor rottlerin, as well as PKCδ small interfering RNA, but not by inhibition of 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetate, phorbol ester, rottlerin, or PKCδ small interfering RNA alone. We also found that Ang II does not transactivate the epidermal growth factor receptor in adult cardiac fibroblasts, because pretreatment with 1 μmol/L of AG 1478 did not significantly inhibit [
3
H]-thymidine incorporation or ERK 1/2 activation. In addition, immunoprecipitation of the epidermal growth factor receptor demonstrated no significant Ang II-induced phosphorylation of tyrosine residues. Inhibition of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase, PKCζ, and src tyrosine kinase had no effect on Ang II-induced ERK 1/2 activation. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Ang II does not transactivate the epidermal growth factor receptor in adult rat cardiac fibroblasts to activate ERK 1/2, a common pathway described in vascular smooth muscle and other cell types, but rather occurs via activation of distinct parallel signaling pathways mechanistically controlled by intracellular Ca
2+
and PKCδ.
Diabetes-Associated Cognitive Impairment Is Improved by a Calcium Channel Blocker, Nifedipine
Authors: Tsukuda Kana , Mogi Masaki , Li Jian-Mei , Iwanami Jun , Min Li-Juan , Sakata Akiko , Fujita Teppei , Iwai Masaru , Horiuchi Masatsugu
Published: January 2008

Nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker, has been reported to exert pleiotropic effects on atherosclerosis, mainly through its antioxidative properties. However, the effect of the calcium channel blocker on cognitive impairment associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus is not well known. Here, we examined the possibility that a calcium channel blocker could improve cognitive function in a type 2 diabetic mouse model, KK-A
y
. KK-A
y
mice subjected to 20 trials of a passive avoidance task every week from 7 weeks of age exhibited impairment of the increase in avoidance rate and, moreover, exaggeration of its age-dependent decline, especially after 12 weeks of age. Oral administration of nifedipine at a nonhypotensive dose (0.001% in laboratory chow) to KK-A
y
mice from 10 weeks of age improved cognitive function. Nifedipine treatment decreased serum insulin level to one fifth of that in KK-A
y
mice without nifedipine. Moreover, nifedipine treatment significantly reduced superoxide anion production in the brain. Furthermore, treatment with nifedipine markedly reduced the mRNA level of Id-1, inhibitor of neural differentiation, in the brain hippocampus. We also observed the increase in blood flow in the brain in KK-A
y
mice with nifedipine treatment compared with nontreated mice. Taken together, our findings suggest that nifedipine ameliorates impaired cognitive function in type 2 diabetic mice, at least because of attenuation of hyperinsulinemia and superoxide production in the brain and possible upregulation of the neural differentiation-controlling gene, Id-1.
Uterine Vascular Function in a Transgenic Preeclampsia Rat Model
Authors: Verlohren Stefan , Niehoff Manuela , Hering Lydia , Geusens Nele , Herse Florian , Tintu Andrei N. , Plagemann Andreas , LeNoble Ferdinand , Pijnenborg Robert , Muller Dominik N. , Luft Friedrich C. , Dudenhausen Joachim W. , Gollasch Maik , Dechend Ralf
Published: January 2008

We investigated intrauterine growth restriction, endothelial function, and uterine artery blood flow characteristics in a transgenic preeclampsia rat model with an activated renin-angiotensin system. We compared preeclamptic Sprague-Dawley (SD-PE) rats with normal pregnant Sprague-Dawley and nonpregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. We used transabdominal ultrasound and found that SD-PE rat embryos developed intrauterine growth restriction. Isolated uterine arteries from SD-PE rats incubated with phenylephrine exhibited an increased contractile response, whereas a single high dose of acetylcholine resulted in an impaired vasorelaxation compared with controls. Incremental acetylcholine doses increased relaxation of SD-PE vessels at low acetylcholine doses but caused a paradoxical contraction at higher acetylcholine doses. Indomethacin and a thromboxane-receptor antagonist (SQ 29,548) blocked this effect, suggesting maternal prostanoid-dependent endothelial dysfunction. SD-PE rats had a decreased prostacyclin (6-keto-prostaglandin F1α):thromboxane ratio in the serum compared with normal pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats or nonpregnant Sprague-Dawley. Surprisingly, the Doppler resistance index decreased during pregnancy in SD-PE compared with normal pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats, suggesting unimpaired uteroplacental flow in the uterine artery. Umbilical flow was unchanged with absent end-diastolic flow in all of the groups. Renin-angiotensin system activation–induced preeclampsia is associated with altered placentation, modified resistance index, and endothelial dysfunction. A disturbed prostacyclin:thromboxane ratio could be an important mediator.
Selective Mineralocorticoid Receptor Blocker Eplerenone Reduces Resistance Artery Stiffness in Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Savoia Carmine , Touyz Rhian M. , Amiri Farhad , Schiffrin Ernesto L.
Published: January 2008

Some antihypertensive agents may improve resistance artery remodeling in hypertensive patients whereas other agents may not, for similar blood pressure reduction. We questioned whether the selective mineralocorticoid receptor blocker eplerenone improves resistance artery remodeling in hypertensive patients versus the β-blocker atenolol. Sixteen hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to double-blind daily treatment with eplerenone or atenolol. Resistance arteries from gluteal subcutaneous tissue were assessed on a pressurized myograph. After 1 year of treatment, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were similarly well controlled in both groups. Endothelial function did not change with treatment in either group. Media/lumen ratio and cross-sectional area were unchanged in either the atenolol or the eplerenone group. In atenolol-treated patients, the arterial wall became stiffer, whereas in the eplerenone-treated patients, it became less stiff and similar to that of a normotensive control group. The media collagen/elastin ratio was reduced only after eplerenone treatment. Circulating concentrations of osteopontin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, basic fibroblast growth factor, interleukin-8, and interleukin-10 were significantly reduced only by eplerenone. However, plasma interleukin-1 receptor a concentration was significantly reduced by both drugs. In conclusion, in hypertensive patients, blood pressure control for 1 year with atenolol was associated with increased wall stiffness of resistance arteries, whereas eplerenone treatment was associated with reduced stiffness, decreased collagen/elastin ratio, and a reduction in circulating inflammatory mediators. These data raise the possibility that eplerenone treatment of hypertensive patients when normalizing blood pressure could potentially be associated with better vascular protection and outcomes than the β-blocker atenolol, which remains to be demonstrated.
Lipid Rafts Keep NADPH Oxidase in the Inactive State in Human Renal Proximal Tubule Cells
Authors: Han Weixing , Li Hewang , Villar Van Anthony M. , Pascua Annabelle M. , Dajani Mustafa I. , Wang Xiaoyang , Natarajan Aruna , Quinn Mark T. , Felder Robin A. , Jose Pedro A. , Yu Peiying
Published: January 2008

Recent studies have indicated the importance of cholesterol-rich membrane lipid rafts (LRs) in oxidative stress-induced signal transduction. Reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases, the major sources of reactive oxygen species, are implicated in cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that NADPH oxidase subunits and activity are regulated by LRs in human renal proximal tubule cells. We report that a high proportion of p22
phox
and the small GTPase Rac1 are expressed in LRs in human renal proximal tubule cells. The D
1
-like receptor agonist, fenoldopam (1 μmol/L per 20 minutes) dispersed Nox subunits within LRs and non-LRs and decreased oxidase activity (30.7±3.3%). In contrast, cholesterol depletion (2% methyl-β-cyclodextrin [βCD]) translocated NADPH oxidase subunits out of LRs and increased oxidase activity (154.0±10.5% versus control, 103.1±3.4%), which was reversed by cholesterol repletion (118.9±9.9%). Moreover, NADPH oxidase activation by βCD (145.5±9.0%; control: 98.6±1.6%) was also abrogated by the NADPH oxidase inhibitors apocynin (100.4±3.2%) and diphenylene iodonium (9.5±3.3%). Furthermore, βCD-induced reactive oxygen species production was reversed by knocking down either Nox2 (81.0±5.1% versus βCD: 162.0±2.0%) or Nox4 (108.0±10.8% versus βCD: 152.0±9.8%). We have demonstrated for the first time that disruption of LRs results in NADPH oxidase activation that is abolished by antioxidants and silencing of Nox2 or Nox4. Therefore, in human renal proximal tubule cells, LRs maintain NADPH oxidase in an inactive state.
The Gender Role Conflict Literature: Fruits of Sustained Commitment
Authors: Heppner P. Paul , Heppner Mary J.
Published: January 2008

Twenty-five years ago, when the men's movement was in its beginning stages, O'Neil recognized the importance of understanding more about the impact of men's gender role conflict. This ensuing quarter century of research has produced a much more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of gender role conflict than we had then. In his integrative review, O'Neil provides an excellent illustration of programmatic research and the power of sustained commitment to a construct. Clearly we continue to have a great societal need to understand more about men's roles and how conflicts in this important arena affect our society as well as cultures around the world. The breadth and depth of the accumulated knowledge that addresses these important societal needs is remarkable. The lack of research on gender role conflict in the workplace is striking and merits additional attention. Additional methodological and theoretical complexity holds much promise to stimulate future research directions to enhance understanding of gender role conflict within the many complexities of men's lives.
Examining the Relationship Between Race-Based Differential Item Functioning and Item Difficulty
Authors: Scherbaum Charles A. , Goldstein Harold W.
Published: January 2008

Recent research examining racial differences on standardized cognitive tests has focused on the impact of test item difficulty. Studies using data from the SAT and GRE have reported a correlation between item difficulty and differential item functioning (DIF) such that minority test takers are less likely than majority test takers to respond correctly to easy test items. The statistical techniques used and the effect sizes reported in these studies have been heavily criticized. This study addresses these criticisms by examining the relationship between item difficulty and DIF by using alternative statistical techniques based on item response theory and a different standardized test. The results replicate previous research and provide support for the generalizability of the findings.
The Nature of Epiphanic Experience
Authors: McDonald Matthew G.
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this inquiry is to investigate positive change and transformation that is sudden and abrupt, as defined by the term epiphany. Due to the disparate nature of the epiphanic literature, a thorough and wide-ranging review was undertaken, producing a set of six core characteristics, which were tested and interpreted from a self-identity existential perspective. A narrative inquiry approach to methodology was employed to collect and analyze participants' epiphanies, from which three main interpretations were drawn. Firstly, the participants' life-stories illustrate that an epiphany is a valid experience as indicated by support for the set of six core characteristics developed from the literature. Secondly, an epiphany is a profound illumination of the inauthentic and authentic modes of self-identity, which provide the impetus for a more honest and courageous encounter with the conditions of existence. Lastly, an epiphany is an intentional experience made significant and enduring by the ascription of personal meaning.
Residents' Attitudes Toward Tourism and Perceived Personal Benefits in a Rural Community
Authors: Wang Yasong (Alex) , Pfister Robert E.
Published: January 2008

This research focuses on residents' perceptions of personal benefits from tourism, identifying not only the relationships between personal benefits from tourism and residents' attitudes toward tourism but also the nature of benefits associated with tourism. The study was conducted in a small rural community where tourism is still at its emerging stage. It was found that residents' perceptions of personal benefits from tourism were closely associated with their attitudes toward tourism in a positive direction. The significant contribution of this study falls on the recognition of noneconomic perspective of tourism benefits for residents in a community where tourism has not yet explicitly emerged. In particular, the data lend support for social exchange theory and improve its understanding in tourism investigations.
Persuasive Design of Destination Web Sites: An Analysis of First Impression
Authors: Kim Heejun , Fesenmaier Daniel R.
Published: January 2008

This research examines the persuasiveness of destination Web sites through an investigation of users' first impression. To achieve this goal, it builds on research by Fogg (2003) and by Kim and Fesenmaier (2007) to assess the effect of the design factors of destination Web sites on first impression formation. The results of this study indicate that the participants were able to make quick judgments on tourism Web sites and that inspiration and usability were the primary drivers evoking a favorable first impression. This research concludes by discussing the implications of these findings and possible directions for future study.
Effects of Winery Visitor Group Size on Gratitude and Obligation
Authors: Kolyesnikova Natalia , Dodd Tim H.
Published: January 2008

Building on reciprocity theory, the current study explores whether wine tourists feel a need to buy wine at tasting rooms due to a perceived need to reciprocate for services received. In this research, wine and souvenirs bought fully or partly out of the desire to repay hospitality and services received are identified as gratuity purchasing . Specifically, the study investigates the role of gratitude and obligation in wine tourist purchasing behavior. The results indicate that the higher visitor feelings of gratitude and obligation while at a winery, the bigger the expenditures. In addition, the research examines the effect of visitor group size on purchasing. It appears that visitors who travel to wineries in smaller groups experience higher levels of gratitude and obligation than visitors of larger groups. Consequently, visitors who come to wineries in smaller groups tend to spend more money on wine and/or souvenirs than larger groups. Managerial implications are discussed.
Timing Matters: Travelers' Advanced-Booking Expectations and Decisions
Authors: Chen Chih-Chien , Schwartz Zvi
Published: January 2008

Dynamic revenue management models often price discriminate based on time. The literature concerning changes in travelers' propensity to book a room over time, however, is scant, and industry practices provide few and somewhat contradictory hints about the phenomenon. To facilitate efficient and dynamic revenue management polices, this study further explores how and why customers' propensity to book changes over time. Specifically, this study empirically tests how the expectations of advanced-booking customers change in connection with the likelihood of being offered a better deal and the sellout risk as the date of stay nears. The results indicate that timing matters and that the expectations' change pattern is more complex than anticipated. These findings underscore the importance of the timing element and call attention to the need for more empirical research on the role of timing in travelers' advanced-booking decisions.
Characterizing Tourist Sensitivity to Distance
Authors: Nicolau Juan L.
Published: January 2008

Literature suggests that the effect of distance on destination choice can be positive or negative, contingent on individual characteristics. The aim of this study was to objectively measure, identify, and characterize tourist sensitivities to distance—individual by individual—in a real context where real choices made by tourists are observed. The empirical application is carried out on a sample of 2,127 individuals, and the operative formalization used to estimate the individual sensitivities to distance follows a random-coefficient logit model; to detect the determinant factors, a regression analysis is used. After obtaining the sensitivity to distance of each sampled individual, the dimensions that appear to have an effect on it are income, number of children, size of the city of residence, use of intermediaries, transport mode, interest in discovering new places, variety-seeking behavior, and motivations.
Information Value Structure for Vacation Travel
Authors: Cho Mi-Hea , Jang SooCheong (Shawn)
Published: January 2008

This study explores vacation information value structure relating to resort guests. To delineate structures for the pretrip information value, five information value dimensions (utilitarian, risk avoidance, hedonic, sensation seeking, and social) are identified through an extensive review of the literature. Using the five value dimensions, the authors propose four models for pretrip information value structure and test them with confirmatory factor analyses. The first-order correlated factor model appears as the most valid framework for vacation travel-related information value structure, suggesting that the five dimensions of information value coexist and influence each other. The results indicate that a multidimensional vacation information value also exists.
Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Study of the Concomitant Administration of Methadone and TMC125 in HIV‐Negative Volunteers
Authors: Schöller‐Gyüre Monika , van den Brink Wim , Kakuda Thomas N. , Woodfall Brian , Smedt Goedel D. , Vanaken Hilde , Stevens Tanja , Peeters Monika , Vandermeulen Kati , Hoetelmans Richard M. W.
Published: January 2008

TMC125 is a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with potent in vitro activity against wild–type and NNRTI‐resistant HIV‐1. TMC125 is an inducer of CYP3A and an inhibitor of CYP2C. This trial evaluated the effect of TMC125 on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methadone. In an open‐label, add‐on, 1‐way interaction trial, 16 male HIV‐negative volunteers on stable methadone maintenance therapy received 100 mg TMC125 bid for 14 days. Plasma concentrations and pharmacokinetic parameters of R‐ and S‐methadone isomers were determined on days −1, 7, and 14 and of TMC125 on days 7 and 14. Safety and tolerability were assessed. The LSmeans ratios (90% confidence interval) for AUC24h, Cmax, and Cmin of the pharmacologically active R‐methadone were 1.08 (1.02–1.13), 1.03 (0.97–1.09), and 1.12 (1.05–1.19), respectively, on day 7 and 1.06 (0.99–1.13), 1.02 (0.96–1.09), and 1.10 (1.02–1.19), respectively, on day 14 compared with methadone alone. No withdrawal symptoms were observed; dose adjustment of methadone was not required. The concomitant administration of TMC125 and methadone was generally safe and well tolerated. TMC125 has no clinically relevant effect on the pharmacokinetics or pharmacodynamics of methadone. No dose adjustment for methadone is anticipated when coadministered with TMC125.
Gender Norms and Retaliatory Violence Against Spouses and Acquaintances
Authors: Feld Scott L. , Felson Richard B.
Published: January 2008

This article examines an experiment embedded within a nationally representative survey of adult Americans to investigate gender norms regarding retaliatory violence between spouses and acquaintances. Contrary to claims that societal norms permit violence within marriage, respondents disapproved of retaliatory violence against spouses more than they did against acquaintances. Contrary to claims that gender roles encourage violence by males more than females, respondents were just as likely to approve of female retaliation against males as they were male retaliation against males, and they were more approving of females' retaliating against females than of males' retaliating against females. Male and female respondents had similar, strongly disapproving attitudes toward men's retaliating against women, even though male respondents were more accepting of retaliation in all other conditions. Evidence clearly shows that societal norms discourage retaliation between spouses and men's retaliating against women. Consequently, violent wife abuse continues despite (not because of) societal norms.
Parental Decision Making About Child Care
Authors: Kensinger Rose Katherine , Elicker James
Published: January 2008

In an effort to address how to best assess the importance of various characteristics of child care to parents, 355 employed mothers of children under 6 years of age completed a questionnaire exploring the importance of child care characteristics to their choice of arrangement, through ratings, rankings, and conjoint analysis. Results indicate that when rated, warmth of caregivers, educational level of caregivers, and utilization of a play-based curriculum emerge as the most important factors for mothers in this sample. When rank ordered, warmth, a play-based curriculum, and the educational level of caregivers emerge as the first-, second-, and third-most important factors. When examined using conjoint analysis of child care scenarios, warmth, flexibility of hours of operation, and education level of caregivers emerge as the most influential variables in the child care decision. Demographic differences in parental child care preferences and potential future uses for conjoint analysis are identified.
Longitudinal HIV Risk Behavior Among the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies (DATOS) Adult Sample
Authors: Murphy Debra A. , Brecht Mary-Lynn , Herbeck Diane , Evans Elizabeth , Huang David , Hser Yih-Ing
Published: January 2008

Longitudinal trajectories for HIV risk were examined over 5 years following treatment among 1,393 patients who participated in the nationwide Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies. Both injection drug use and sexual risk behavior declined over time, with most of the decline occurring between intake and the first-year follow-up. However, results of the application of growth mixture models for both sets of trajectories indicated that a subgroup of individuals reverted to a high-risk behavior over time, with a higher level of risk at the 5-year follow-up than their original risk level at intake. Of clients who were engaged in regular injection drug use at intake, 76% continued to inject drug at a moderate—stable or increased rate during the 5-year follow-up.
Structures and Practices Enabling Staff Nurses to Control Their Practice
Authors: Kramer Marlene , Schmalenberg Claudia , Maguire Patricia , Brewer Barbara B. , Burke Rebecca , Chmielewski Linda , Cox Karen , Kishner Janice , Krugman Mary , Meeks-Sjostrom Diana , Waldo Mary
Published: January 2008

This mixed-methods study uses interviews, participant observations, and the CWEQII empowerment tool to identify structures and attributes of structures that promote control over nursing practice (CNP). Nearly 3,000 staff nurses completed the Essentials of Magnetism (EOM), an instrument that measures CNP, one of the eight staff nurse-identified essential attributes of a productive work environment. Strategic sampling is used to identify 101 high CNP-scoring clinical units in 8 high-EOM scoring magnet hospitals. In addition to 446 staff nurses, managers, and physicians on these high-scoring units, chief nursing officers, chief operating officers, and representatives from other professional departments are interviewed; participant observations are made of all unit/departmental/hospital council and interdisciplinary meetings held during a 4 to 6 day site visit. Structures and components of viable shared governance structures that enabled CNP are identified through constant comparative analysis of interviews and observations, and through analysis of quantitative measures.
Chemical Durability and Mechanical Properties of Alkali-proof Basalt Fiber and its Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Authors: Wang Mingchao  , Zhang Zuoguang  , Li Yubin  , Li Min  , Sun Zhijie
Published: January 2008

The chemical durability and mechanical properties of a kind of alkali-proof basalt fiber BF-CMD-01 and its reinforced F46 epoxy resin matrix composites are presented. The basalt fiber was boiled in distilled water, sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid, respectively. Then the mass loss and strength change of the fibers were studied showing that the alkali resistance of the basalt fiber is better than acid resistance. The flexural properties and surface morphologies of the composites were investigated after being immersed in 8 kinds of chemical mediums for 15, 30 and 90 days. Due to the difference of basalt fiber resistance in two kinds of mediums, the composites corrosion behaviors differ greatly in acid and alkaline reactions. In acid mediums, the flexural strength and flexural modulus change in the same way. In alkaline mediums, the flexural modulus keeps close to the original value while the flexural strength declines gradually. Additionally, the mechanical properties of basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) and S-2 glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) have been tested, and analyzed contrastively. The results show that the interface formed between basalt fiber and epoxy resin is better than that of glass fiber and epoxy resin.
Large Amplitude Free Vibration Analysis of Composite Plates with Rotationally Restrained Edges using DQM
Authors: Malekzadeh P. , Vosoughi A.R.
Published: January 2008

Large amplitude free vibration analyses of thin-to-moderately thick angle-ply laminated rectangular plates with edges rotationally restrained against rotation are investigated using the differential quadrature method (DQM). The governing equations are based on two different theories: thin or classical plate theory and the first order shear deformation plate theory. In both theories, Green's strain in conjunction with the von Karman assumption is employed. The boundary conditions are implemented precisely at boundary grid points and are built into the equations of motion without any extra efforts. After transforming the governing equations from temporal to frequency domain, a direct iterative method is used to solve the nonlinear eigenvalue system of equations. The convergence of the method is shown and its accuracy is demonstrated by comparing the results with those for limit cases, i.e., laminated plates with classical boundary conditions and also for linear free vibration analysis of laminated plates with restrained edges. Finally, the effects of different parameters on the ratio of nonlinear to linear natural frequency of plates are studied.
Preparation and Properties of PVC/EVA/ Organomodified Montmorillonite Nanocomposites
Authors: Chuayjuljit S. , Thongraar R. , Saravari O.
Published: January 2008

In this research, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA)/ organomodified montmorillonite (OMMT) nanocomposites have been prepared and characterized for their structure, properties, and morphology. The blend nanocomposites were prepared through the melt mixing of PVC/EVA at weight ratios of 100/2.5, 100/5, 100/7.5, and 100/10 with various amounts of OMMT (2, 4 and 6 phr) on a two-roll mill followed by compression molding. Before mixing with PVC and EVA, montmorillonite (MMT) was modified with octadecylamine via the cationic exchange reaction. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the nanocomposites formed were intercalated. Scanning electron micrographs of the fractured surface showed a reduction of EVA and OMMT distribution when more was added into the PVC matrix. In the present study, the OMMT of 2 phr dispersed in the 100 PVC/5 EVA matrix showed high potential on improving the impact strength of the nanocomposite. This may be due to the synergistic effect of the EVA and OMMT that enhanced the toughness of the nanocomposite.
In Vitro Study on Different Cell Response to Spherical Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles
Authors: Qiang Fu  , Rahaman Mohamed N. , Nai Zhou  , Wenhai Huang  , Deping Wang  , Liying Zhang  , Haifeng Li
Published: January 2008

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is widely used in filling of bone defects and coating on metal parts of prosthetic implants due to its excellent biocompatibility, bioactivity, and bone-bonding properties. It has been demonstrated that micro-sized HA particles cause inflammatory reaction, especially for the needle shaped particles. However, little effort has been concentrated on the cell responses of the spherical HA nanoparticles. The aim of the present work is to chemically and physically characterize the synthesized HA nanoparticles and to investigate the in vitro cell responses. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the particles consisted of nearly spherical crystallites of carbonate-substituted HA with size of 20—40 nm and specific surface area of 75 m2/g. L929 cell proliferation experiments demonstrate that the spherical HA nanoparticles is more biocompatible than commercially available HA. On the other hand, U2-OS cell test results show that the inhibition rate of the spherical HA nanoparticles increases with time and concentration. The half effective inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the nanoparticles was determined to be 50.8 μg/mL at 72 h. All these data indicated that the synthesized spherical nanocrystalline HA particles can function as an effective biomaterial for bone tumorectomy repair, while having little adverse effect.
In-depth Polymerization of Dual-cured Resin Cement Assessed by Hardness
Authors: Reges Rogério V. , Moraes Rafael R. , Correr Américo B. , Sinhoreti Mário A.C. , Correr-Sobrinho Lourenço , Piva Evandro , Nouer Paulo R.A.
Published: January 2008

This study investigates the in-depth polymerization of dual-cured resin cement (Enforce; Dentsply, shades A2, B1, and opaque). Cylindrical specimens are obtained by photo-activation through ceramic. Control samples are light-cured without using ceramic. Samples are tested after 15 min or 24 h. Knoop hardness readings are made at 100, 300, 500, and 700 μm depth. Hardness is generally dependent on the mode of activation and post-cure time. Shades A2 and B1 show higher hardness values than opaque resin. Hardness at 100 μm is higher than at 700 μm. A linear relationship between hardness and depth is observed.
Cultivating the Creative Class: And What About Nanaimo?
Authors: Sands Gary , Reese Laura A.
Published: January 2008

Despite widespread adoption of creative class economic development strategies, one of its basic tenets—the connection between community tolerance (running through talented individuals and high-tech employment) and economic health and growth—has not been sufficiently tested. This analysis of 40 midsized Canadian urban areas finds a connection between diversity and gay and creative populations and economic health. Neither high-tech employment nor economic growth, however, was found to be linked to the other measures. Although there is some evidence that amenity- and creative class-based economic development strategies can be effective, they do not appear to be sufficient in themselves. Other local policies (e.g., basic marketing to tourists, infrastructure improvements, and traditional business attraction and retention strategies) combined with a measure of “place luck” seem to be important ingredients as well.
Beyond Power and Resistance
Authors: Fleming Peter , Spicer André
Published: January 2008

In this introduction to the special issue, the editors question the still-prevalent dichotomy of power and resistance when studying organizational politics. They begin by tracing the evolution of power and resistance in critical scholarship. Then, they propose that because of changing workplace dynamics, power and resistance are increasingly intertwined. More nuanced concepts are required to describe this. Finally, they argue that power and resistance should be considered as a singular dynamic called struggle.
The Black Sheep of Clinical Ethics: Home Health Ethics Services
Authors: Fry-Revere Sigrid
Published: January 2008

The way health care services are delivered today is dramatically different from how they were delivered just a few decades ago, yet we have done little to rethink how ethics services should accommodate those changes. As hospital systems are growing bigger through mergers and joint ventures, they are absorbing home health agencies in their efforts to provide a wider range of services. The vital function of peer support that home health ethics committees provide will be lost if they are also absorbed by institutional committees. If at all possible, home health agencies should maintain their own ethics committees or at least their own ethics teams.
A Methodology for a Structured Survey of the Healthcare Literature related to Medical Device Users
Authors: Ram Mala Bridgelal , Campling Natasha , Grocott Patricia , Weir Heather
Published: January 2008

This article reports on the structured literature survey methodology, which was used to identify how and at what stage users of medical devices are engaged in the medical device technology cycle, including methods and tools for evaluating device outcomes.This was not a conventional systematic review of the literature.The stated purpose of the survey is broader than synthesizing best evidence to inform an area of practice and policy, as undertaken in a conventional systematic review.The survey was systematic in the sense that an explicit search strategy was used with inclusion and exclusion criteria to minimize sampling bias. An established qualitative methodology, framework analysis, was used to organize and synthesize major findings from a broad range of healthcare literature.The search strategy and thematic analysis are presented, to contribute to the literature on review strategies, together with the major findings concerning users and medical devices.
Classical Sociology and the Nation-State
Authors: Chernilo Daniel
Published: January 2008

This article revisits the claim, largely accepted within the sociological community for over thirty years now, that classical sociologists had no clear concept of the nation-state and thus were unable to conceptualize its rise, main features and further development in modernity. In contradistinction to this standard view, which in current debates receives the name of methodological nationalism, I advance a re-interpretation of classical sociology's conceptualization of the nation-state that points towards what can be called the opacity of its position in modernity. Marx understood the historical elusiveness of the nation-state as he believed that it had already passed its heyday as political struggles were fought between Empires and the Commune. Weber captured the sociological equivocations that arose from the historical disjuncture between the nation and the state. And Durkheim, finally, tried to come to terms with the nation-state's normative ambiguity via the immanent tension between nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The conclusion is that, even if not thoroughly unproblematic, classical sociologists were able to avoid the reification of the nation-state's position in modernity precisely because they were not obsessed with conceptualizing modernity as such from the viewpoint of the nation-state.
The Modernity of Women
Authors: Arni Caroline , Honegger Claudia
Published: January 2008

The article examines the work of the French social philosopher and feminist Jenny P. d'Héricourt, who, in the mid-nineteenth century, debated the writings of contemporary `master-thinkers' such as Auguste Comte, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon and Jules Michelet. Usually ranged exclusively as a contribution to feminist thought, d'Héricourt's writing has also to be understood as a contribution to the conceptual outlines and defining questions of emerging sociology. The stated objective of her main work, La femme affranchie , was not to explain society but to claim equality for women. However, it was precisely her critique of contemporary theories of sexual difference and gender inequality that led d'Héricourt into the territory of sociological thinking — the very same territory her opponents had left by devoting themselves to the creation of a dualistic and asymmetrical concept of gender relations which relied upon women's supposed adversity towards modernity. In her effort to render women's role as agents of modernization visible, d'Héricourt developed, albeit in fragments, a theorem of social integration in modern society that anticipates Émile Durkheim's concept of organic solidarity.
From Pan-Arabism to Saddam Hussein's cult of personality
Authors: Abdi Kamyar
Published: January 2008

This article explores the nationalist ideologies in Iraq from the end of the Ottoman era to the fall of the Ba'ath regime in 2003, with emphasis on how Iraq's past, especially ancient Mesopotamia, was used by various Iraqi regimes to promote their political agendas. The article particularly focuses on the developments of Pan-Arabism in Iraq and the formation of an Iraqi nationalist ideology under the Republic and the Ba'ath regime. It also considers the cult of personality that developed around Saddam Hussein by selecting elements from the ancient past and projecting a whimsical image of Saddam Hussein as the latest manifestation of a great line of Mesopotamian leader-heroes. The article explores how archaeology and archaeological discoveries fit into these broader social, cultural, political, and ideological developments.
‘The relic and the work of mourning’
Authors: Fédida Pierre
Published: January 2008

Following chapter 2 of Freud’s Totem and Taboo, Fédida considers the function of the relic - and remnant - in the work of mourning in terms of the psychic mechanism of disavowal ( Verleugnung) which underlies the capacity for living a paradoxal state: acceptance of something no longer possible, no longer present, precisely because it is neither possible nor present. Above all, Fédida is concerned with the autonomy of the relic in the psychic life of mourning, the function of which is to prevent the representation of one’s own death to oneself and thereby to permit continuance in time. Underwriting the relic in the work of mourning is the relation knowledge-belief and the meaning of separation, since the freezing of the process of separation can lead to a greater role of unanalyzable, potentially psychotic elements, hence the relic can enter into an economy of the psychoses.
The mote in God’s eye: 9/11, then and now
Authors: Bird Jon
Published: January 2008

This article considers the narrativization of September 11th 2001 in relation to personal experience and history, political rhetoric and public commemoration. Starting from the visual and textual documentation of the day’s events and the competing interpretations of its meaning and significance, the author examines the role of the image in defining the place of New York in cultural memory, something of the history of the Twin Towers, and the media representations of their implosion. In this, the author argues that ‘dust’ became the dominant visual trope, casting a cloud - both actual and symbolic - over our capacity to comprehend this complex and traumatic moment in history. The article concludes with a discussion of the issue of 9/11’s memorialization.
Worm plot to diagnose fit in quantile regression
Authors: Buuren Stef van
Published: January 2008

The worm plot is a series of detrended Q-Q plots, split by covariate levels. The worm plot is a diagnostic tool for visualizing how well a statistical model fits the data, for finding locations at which the fit can be improved, and for comparing the fit of different models. This paper shows how the worm plot can be used in conjunction with quantile regression. No parametric distributional assumptions are needed to create the worm plot. We fitted both an LMS and a quantile regression model on Dutch height data. The worm plot shows that the quantile regression model is superior to the LMS model in terms of fit. At the same time, it also contains a warning that the particular quantile model used may actually overfit the data. The resulting quantile curves are wiggly at the extremes, and appear less well suited for drawing growth diagrams. The paper concludes that the worm plot is a natural diagnostic tool for quantile regression.