bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
(Pro)renin receptor contributes to diabetic nephropathy by enhancing renal inflammation
Authors: Matavelli Luis C , Huang Jiqian , Siragy Helmy M
Published: September 2009

1. (Pro)renin receptor (PRR) binding to renin or prorenin mediates angiotensin (Ang) II‐dependent and ‐independent effects. Expression of the PRR is increased in kidneys of diabetic rats, but its role in diabetic nephropathy is unknown. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of the PRR to the development of diabetic nephropathy through enhancement of renal production of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐1β.

2. Normoglycaemic control and streptozotocin‐diabetic Sprague‐Dawley rats were used in the study. The urine albumin : creatinine ratio (UACR), renal interstitial fluid (RIF) levels of AngII, TNF‐α and IL‐1β and renal expression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β were evaluated in control, untreated diabetic and diabetic rats treated with either a PRR blocker (PRRB; 0.2 mg/kg per day NH3‐RILLKKMPSV‐COOH), the AT1 receptor antagonist valsartan (2 mg/kg per day) or combined therapy, administered directly into the renal cortical interstitium for 14 days via osmotic minipumps.

3. Compared with values in normoglycaemic control rats, UACR and RIF AngII, TNF‐α and IL‐1β were significantly higher in untreated diabetic rats. Treatment of diabetic rats with the PRRB or valsartan alone and in combination significantly reduced UACR and RIF TNF‐α and IL‐1β levels. Renal expression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β was higher in untreated diabetic rats than in control rats, but was reduced significantly following treatment with PRRB or valsartan alone and in combination. Renal PRR expression was increased in untreated and PRRB‐treated diabetic rats and reduced in rats receiving valsartan alone or combination therapy. The PRRB had no effect on RIF AngII levels, whereas valsartan alone and in combination with the PRRB significantly increased AngII levels.

4. In conclusion, the PRR is involved in the development and progression of kidney disease in diabetes by enhancing renal production of the inflammatory cytokines TNF‐α and IL‐1β, independent of renal AngII effects.
Central and baroreflex control of heart period during the wake–sleep cycle in consomic rats with different genetic susceptibility to hypertension
Authors: Silvani Alessandro , Bastianini Stefano , Berteotti Chiara , Franzini Carlo , Lenzi Pierluigi , Martire Viviana Lo , Zoccoli Giovanna
Published: September 2009

1. In spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), the contributions of the baroreflex and central autonomic commands to the control of heart period (HP) vary among wake–sleep states and are impaired during quiet wakefulness and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS), respectively.

2. Dahl salt‐sensitive (SS) rats are genetically susceptible to salt‐sensitive hypertension, the development of which depends on diet. Substitution of chromosome 13 of SS rats with that of Brown Norway rats confers salt‐resistance to consomic SS‐13BN rats.

3. In the present study, we tested whether differences in the central and baroreflex contributions to HP control occur among wake–sleep states in SS and SS‐13BN rats and reflect genetic susceptibility to hypertension. Rats (n = 5 per group) were fed a prohypertensive diet late during development to minimize hypertension in SS rats and were instrumented with an arterial catheter and electrodes for discriminating wake–sleep states.

4. The cross‐correlation function between HP and blood pressure indicated that, in SS and SS‐13BN rats, the contributions of the baroreflex and central commands to the control of HP differed significantly among wake–sleep states, with central commands outweighing the baroreflex in REMS. However, these contributions did not differ significantly between SS and SS‐13BN rats in any wake–sleep state.

5. The data suggest that differences in the central and baroreflex contributions to HP control among wake–sleep states, which have been demonstrated in SHR, can be generalized to other rat models used in hypertension research. Impairments in the baroreflex and central autonomic control of HP during quiet wakefulness and REMS, respectively, cannot be generalized as an index of genetic susceptibility to hypertension.
Proteinase‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR2) and mouse osteoblasts: Regulation of cell function and lack of specificity of PAR2‐activating peptides
Authors: Georgy Smitha R , Pagel Charles N , Wong David M , Sivagurunathan Sutharshani , Loh Lay H , Myers Damian E , Hollenberg Morley D , Pike Robert N , Mackie Eleanor J
Published: September 2009

1. Using synthetic proteinase‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR2)‐activating peptides (PAR2APs) corresponding to the tethered ligand domain of the extracellular N‐terminus of PAR2to mimic the actions of activating proteinases and using primary cultures of calvarial osteoblasts derived from both wild‐type (WT) and PAR2‐null (KO) mice, we investigated the potential role of PAR2in regulating osteoblast function.

2. Primary calvarial osteoblasts from WT and KO mice were evaluated for their growth kinetics and mineralization in the absence of PAR2agonists and for their responses in a variety of functional assays to the PAR2APs Ser‐Leu‐Ile‐Gly‐Arg‐Leu‐amide (SLIGRL‐NH2) and 2‐furoyl‐Leu‐Ile‐Gly‐Arg‐Leu‐Orn‐amide (2‐fLIGRLO‐NH2), as well as to trypsin.

3. In contrast with WT cells, PAR2‐KO osteoblasts did not exhibit increased collagen Type I mRNA expression in response to SLIGRL‐NH2. When grown in serum‐containing medium, KO cells increased in number more rapidly than WT cells, an effect that could be attributed to decreased apoptosis rather than increased proliferation. Surprisingly, in both WT and KO osteoblasts, the two PAR2APs induced mobilization of intracellular calcium stores. Similarly, the PAR2APs inhibited serum deprivation‐induced apoptosis and parathyroid hormone‐, 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3‐ or interleukin‐11‐induced mineralization in WT and KO cells.

4. We conclude that PAR2plays a role in osteoblast survival and collagen Type I mRNA induction and that osteoblasts can respond to the PAR2APs via both PAR2‐dependent and ‐independent mechanisms.
Effect of antihypertensive drug therapy on short‐term heart rate variability in newly diagnosed essential hypertension
Authors: Pavithran Purushothaman , Prakash E Sankaranarayanan , Dutta Tarun K , Madanmohan Trakroo
Published: September 2009

1. Abnormalities of cardiac autonomic regulation are a potential mechanism for morbidity despite blood pressure (BP) lowering in hypertension. Analysis of short‐term (5 min) heart rate variability (HRV) provides a non‐invasive probe of autonomic regulation of sino‐atrial (SA) node automaticity.

2. We hypothesized that antihypertensive drug therapy would be associated with an increase in 5 min overall HRV, along with a decrease in blood pressure (BP), at 8 weeks follow up in subjects with newly diagnosed, never‐treated essential hypertension.

3. One hundred and fifty patients (84 men and 66 women; mean (±SD) age 48 ± 10 years) with newly diagnosed essential hypertension were divided to five groups of 30 patients each to receive one of the following antihypertensive drugs (or drug combinations): 5 mg/day amlodipine; 50 mg/day atenolol; 5 mg/day enalapril; 25 mg/day hydrochlorothiazide; or a combination of 5 mg/day amlodipine and 50 mg/day atenolol.

4. The only significant change in HRV indices was an increase in total variability of RR intervals and an increase in high‐frequency (HF) RR interval spectral power in the amlodipine + atenolol‐treated group (P < 0.05).

5. The results indicate that there is a dissociation between changes in short‐term HRV and mean RR interval and BP lowering in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

6. We interpret the increase in HF RR interval spectral power in the amlodipine + atenolol‐treated group as being due to an increase in vagal modulation of RR intervals and/or diminution in sympathetic restraint of respiratory sinus arrhythmia.
Secretory control: Evidence for agonist regulation of post‐fusion vesicle behaviour
Authors: Soekmadji Carolina , Thorn Peter
Published: September 2009

1. Here, we review recent work on vesicular secretion, with a focus on the control of post‐fusion events as a means of regulating secretory output.

2. In the classical model of secretion, each fused vesicle releases the entirety of its content in an all‐or‐none manner. In this way, the secretory output of a cell is controlled by regulating the numbers of fused vesicles. The realisation that post‐fusion events can control secretory output leads to a distinct model of partial release of vesicle content.

3. Recent work shows that post‐fusion events are under cellular control. Further, new data from our laboratory demonstrates agonist‐dependent regulation of fusion pore behaviour.

4. We conclude that post‐fusion events are not epiphenomena, but are likely an important mechanism of secretory control.
Involvement of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex in drug context‐induced reinstatement of cocaine‐seeking behavior in rats
Authors: Lasseter Heather C. , Ramirez Donna R. , Xie Xiaohu , Fuchs Rita A.
Published: September 2009

Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) damage produces impaired decision‐making, impulsivity and perseveration and potentially contributes to compulsive drug seeking in cocaine users. To further explore this phenomenon, we assessed the role of the lateral OFC (lOFC) in drug context‐induced cocaine‐seeking behavior in the reinstatement model of drug relapse. Rats were trained to lever press for intravenous cocaine infusions in a distinct environmental context (cocaine‐paired context) followed by extinction training in a different context (extinction‐paired context). Reinstatement of cocaine seeking (non‐reinforced lever presses) was assessed in the cocaine context in the absence of response‐contingent stimuli. In Experiment 1, we evaluated whether acute inhibition of lOFC output alters context‐induced cocaine‐seeking behavior by infusing the GABAB + A agonists (baclofen + muscimol) or vehicle into the lOFC immediately before exposure to the cocaine‐paired context. In Experiments 2 and 3, we assessed how prolonged loss of lOFC output affects drug context‐induced cocaine seeking by administering bilateral N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid or sham lesions of the lOFC either before or after self‐administration and extinction training. Remarkably, IOFC functional inactivation attenuated, post‐training lesions failed to alter and pre‐training lesions potentiated drug context‐induced cocaine seeking without altering responding in the extinction context. These results suggest that neural activity in the lOFC promotes context‐induced cocaine‐seeking behavior. However, prolonged loss of lOFC output enhances the motivational salience of cocaine‐paired contextual stimuli probably by eliciting compensatory neuroadaptations, with the effects of post‐training lOFC lesions reflecting an intermediate state of compensatory neuroplasticity. Overall, these findings support the idea that OFC dysfunction may promote cue reactivity and enhance relapse propensity in cocaine users.
Cocaine‐induced stereotypy is linked to an imbalance between the medial prefrontal and sensorimotor circuits of the basal ganglia
Authors: Aliane Verena , Pérez Sylvie , Nieoullon André , Deniau Jean‐Michel , Kemel Marie‐Louise
Published: September 2009

The dysfunction of basal ganglia circuits related to stereotyped motor activity was analysed using the well‐established model of cocaine‐induced stereotypy in the rat. We examined and compared the neurochemical and electrophysiological effects occurring in medial prefrontal and sensorimotor basal ganglia circuits of the dorsal striatum after cocaine injection in sensitized and non‐sensitized rats. Acute injections of cocaine (25 mg/kg), not inducing stereotyped behaviour, affected both medial prefrontal and sensorimotor circuits in a similar way: (i) a mild and delayed increase and decrease of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate‐evoked dopamine and acetylcholine release, respectively and (ii) a marked decrease of cortically evoked inhibition of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons revealing an imbalance of information transmission between the direct and indirect trans‐striatal pathways. In contrast, following sensitization to cocaine, a challenge injection of the same dose of cocaine, generating strong stereotyped behaviour, provoked neurochemical and electrophysiological effects only in the medial prefrontal but not in the sensorimotor circuits: (i) a strong increase of dopamine and decrease of acetylcholine release in the medial prefrontal territory of the dorsal striatum and (ii) a reduction of all inhibitory and excitatory components of the responses evoked in substantia nigra pars reticulata by medial prefrontal stimulation. Therefore, these data disclose distinct reactivity of the medial prefrontal and sensorimotor circuits of the basal ganglia to repeated cocaine administration leading to stereotyped behaviour induced by subsequent cocaine challenge. Thus, we suggest that stereotyped behaviour is correlated to an imbalance between the medial prefrontal and sensorimotor circuits of the basal ganglia resulting in a loss of control of motor behaviour.
Oxytocin injected into the ventral subiculum or the posteromedial cortical nucleus of the amygdala induces penile erection and increases extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens of male rats
Authors: Melis Maria Rosaria , Succu Salvatora , Sanna Fabrizio , Boi Antonio , Argiolas Antonio
Published: September 2009

Oxytocin (20–100 ng) was found to be able to induce penile erection when injected unilaterally into the ventral subiculum or the posteromedial cortical nucleus of the amygdala of male rats. The pro‐erectile effect started mostly 30 min after treatment and was abolished by the prior injection of d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2‐Orn8‐vasotocin (1–2 μg), an oxytocin receptor antagonist, into the ventral subiculum or posteromedial cortical nucleus. Oxytocin‐induced penile erection occurred 15 min after the increase in the concentration of extracellular dopamine and its metabolite 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid in the dialysate obtained from the nucleus accumbens, which was also abolished by d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)2‐Orn8‐vasotocin. The pro‐erectile effect of oxytocin was also reduced bycis‐flupentixol (2 and 5 μg), a dopamine receptor antagonist, injected into the nucleus accumbens, and by (+)MK‐801 (5 μg), a noncompetitiveN‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antagonist, injected into the ventral tegmental area, but not into the nucleus accumbens. Together with studies showing that glutamatergic efferents from the ventral subiculum/posteromedial cortical nucleus of the amygdala to other areas of the limbic system modulate the activity of mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, these findings suggest that oxytocin injected into these areas increases glutamatergic neurotransmission in the ventral tegmental area. This, in turn, activates mesolimbic dopaminergic neurons, leading to penile erection. These results provide evidence that the ventral subiculum and the posteromedial cortical nucleus of the amygdala participate in a neural circuit that controls not only the consummatory aspects of sexual behaviour (e.g. penile erection and copulatory performance), but also its motivational/reward aspects, confirming a key role of oxytocin and dopamine in these processes.
Depolarization amplitude and Ca2+‐inflow control the time course of quantal releases at murine motor nerve terminals
Authors: Dudel Josef
Published: September 2009

In order to test whether the time courses of quantal releases after a depolarization pulse are affected by the depolarization amplitude, time courses were measured for small depolarization pulses that elicited close to threshold releases and for large depolarizations that elicited releases approaching saturation level. Diaphragms of young mice were excised and superfused with Bretag’s solution at 18°C. Synaptic currents were elicited and recorded through a perfused macropatch pipette. Releases elicited by threshold depolarizations rose earlier than releases elicited by saturation depolarizations. The short delays in the rising phases of release after large depolarizations may be due to the shift of Ca2+ currents flowing during the pulse to tail currents. After its peak, release decayed with a time constant τ. For saturation depolarizations τ was about 0.3 ms, and for threshold depolarizations τ increased up to 0.8 ms. In order to differentiate between the effects of variations in Ca2+ inflow and in depolarization, the amplitudes of large depolarization pulses were held constant while the amount of release was depressed by halving the Ca2+ concentration at the terminal. The time course of the lowered releases was slightly delayed while τ remained at 0.3 ms as typical for saturation depolarizations. Double pulse facilitation unexpectedly revealed a short phase of depression of release after the pulse. This depression may contribute to the rapid decay (τ) of release after large depolarizations. The dependence of τ on depolarization amplitude indicates that the final phase of the time course of release is largely controlled by the amplitude of the preceding depolarization.
Political Skill, Supervisor–Subordinate Guanxi and Career Prospects in Chinese Firms
Authors: Wei Li‐Qun , Liu Jun , Chen Yuan‐Yi , Wu Long‐Zeng
Published: September 2009

abstract

The role of political skill was examined in the dynamics of supervisor–subordinate relationship in Chinese firms. Data from a survey of 343 employees, their 343 direct supervisors, and 662 of their peers were applied to test a model proposing that Chinese subordinates employ political skill to influence their guanxi with their supervisors, and so promote their career development. We found that supervisor–subordinate guanxi mediated the relationship between political skill and career development of the subordinates. Implications of the findings were discussed.
A Study of the Association between Level of Slack Reduction Following Downsizing and Innovation Output
Authors: Mellahi Kamel , Wilkinson Adrian
Published: September 2009

abstract

Over the years scholars put forward a number of theories to explain the association between slack and innovation. This study extends this body of research by focusing on the effects of reduction in slack level following downsizing on innovation output. We developed two hypotheses to examine the total effects and varied yearly effects. We tested the hypotheses with data from a panel of UK firms that downsized between 1997 and 2003. The results show that the level of downsizing has only temporary effects on innovation output. We discuss the implications of these findings and avenues for future research.
Adopting Proactive Environmental Strategy: The Influence of Stakeholders and Firm Size
Authors: Darnall Nicole , Henriques Irene , Sadorsky Perry
Published: September 2009

abstract  While smaller firms are less likely to undertake as many environmental practices as larger firms, extant literature suggests that smaller firms may be more responsive to stakeholder pressures. This paper contributes to the development of stakeholder theory by deriving a size moderated stakeholder model and applying it to a firm's adoption of proactive environmental practices. The empirical results show that smaller firms are more responsive to value‐chain, internal, and regulatory stakeholder pressures. These findings suggest that researchers evaluating organizations and the natural environment should be cautious about associating stakeholder pressures directly with firms' environmental strategies. Rather, the relationship between stakeholder pressures and environmental strategy tends to vary with size.
At‐home meat consumption in China: an empirical study*
Authors: Liu Hongbo , Parton Kevin A. , Zhou Zhang‐Yue , Cox Rod
Published: September 2009

The remarkable economic changes occurring within China since 1978 have resulted in a striking alteration in food consumption patterns, and one marked change is the increasing consumption of meat. Given China’s large population, a small percentage change in per capita meat consumption could lead to a dramatic impact on the production and trade of agricultural products. Such changes have major implications for policy makers and food marketers. This paper concentrates on meat consumption patterns in the home in China. A censored linear approximate almost ideal demand system model was employed in the study, and major economic parameters were estimated for different meat items. Data used in this study were collected from two separate consumer surveys – one urban and one rural in 2005.
Modelling hydroclimatic uncertainty and short‐run irrigator decision making: the Goulburn system*
Authors: Griffith Marnie , Codner Gary , Weinmann Erwin , Schreider Sergei
Published: September 2009

Australia has an incredibly variable and unpredictable hydroclimate, and while irrigation is designed to reduce risk, significant uncertainty remains in both seasonal water availability (‘allocations’) and irrigation crop water requirements. This paper explores the nature and impacts of seasonal hydroclimatic uncertainty on irrigator decision making and temporary water markets in the Goulburn system in northern Victoria. Irrigation and water trading plans are modelled for the three seasons of the irrigation year (spring, summer and autumn) via discrete stochastic programming, and contrasted against a perfect information base case. In water‐scarce environments, hydroclimatic uncertainty is found to be costly, in terms of both the efficiency of irrigation decisions and the allocation of water via the water market.
Complexity in choice experiments: choice of the status quo alternative and implications for welfare measurement*
Authors: Boxall Peter , Adamowicz W. L. (Vic) , Moon Amanda
Published: September 2009

We examine the propensity of respondents to choose the status quo (SQ) or current situation alternative as a function of complexity in two separate state‐of‐the‐world choice experiments. Complexity in each choice set was characterized as the number of single and multiple changes in levels of attributes from the current situation and the order of the choice task in the sequence of multiple tasks provided to respondents. We show that increasing complexity leads to increased choice of the SQ and that a respondent’s age and level of education also influenced this choice. We outline the effects of the alternate approaches for incorporating the SQ into welfare measurement. These findings have implications for the design of stated preference experiments, examining passive use values and for empirical analysis leading to welfare measurement.
Economic management of anthelmintic resistance: model and application*
Authors: Pech Caris L. , Doole Graeme J. , Pluske Johanna M.
Published: September 2009

The increasing prevalence of anthelmintic (drench) resistance in gastrointestinal parasite populations is decreasing the profitability of the Australian sheep industry. Refugia management can delay its development by not exposing a proportion of the worm population to chemical control. A dynamic‐optimisation model is used to assess the economic value of refugia for management of the worm speciesTeladorsagia circumcinctaand macrocyclic lactone drenches in an application to Western Australian sheep flocks. A low rate of refugia (2 per cent) is most profitable under standard circumstances because it slows the development of resistance, but also reduces the proportion of the flock not exposed to chemical control. Frequent drench application should remain the primary method of control. However, its efficacy should be preserved through refugia management, rather than greatly reducing treatment frequency.
Stochastic efficiency analysis with risk aversion bounds: a correction
Authors: Meyer Jack , Richardson James W. , Schumann Keith D.
Published: September 2009

A recent paper by Hardaker et al. (The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 48, 2004a, 253) and book by Hardaker et al. (Coping with Risk in Agriculture, 2004b) describe a procedure for determining an efficient set from among a set of random alternatives. This procedure, called stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF), is claimed to make the same assumption concerning the risk aversion measures as does stochastic dominance with respect to a function (SDRF). This is claim is incorrect. SERF imposes an additional requirement on the risk aversion measures of the decision makers. Both procedures assume a lower and an upper bound on risk aversion, but SERF also assumes that all risk aversion measures are of the same functional form as these lower and upper bound functions. This additional strong requirement on risk preferences implies that the efficient set identified under SERF is usually smaller than that identified using SDRF.
Migrant Rights: International Law and National Action
Authors: Martin Susan , Abimourched Rola
Published: September 2009

Migrant rights were put squarely on the agenda of the Global Forum on Migration and Development when it met in Manila in 2008, as the principal theme of the governmental and civil society discussions. The Forum proceeded with the assumption that migrant rights are a development issue, as well as a fundamental human rights issue. This article begins with a review of the normative framework for protecting migrant rights. While norms by themselves will not prevent abuses, they can serve as a basis for advocating implementation of policies and programs to achieve these goals. We argue that there is ample international law setting out the basic rights of migrants even though the principal migrant‐centric instruments are not widely ratified. Failures in protecting migrant rights arise from the lack of implementation of these standards at the national level. The article then discusses a range of programs, mostly implemented by or in destination countries, which hold potential for overcoming barriers to the protection of the rights of migrants. These practical steps can be found in a wide array of countries, most of which have not become party to the Migrant Workers Convention. The article concludes that these initiatives have been implemented in an ad hoc manner, necessitating a more systematic approach at the national level to the protection of migrant rights.
The influence of sex on the course and psychiatric correlates of ADHD from childhood to adolescence: A longitudinal study
Authors: Monuteaux Michael C. , Mick Eric , Faraone Stephen V. , Biederman Joseph
Published: September 2009

Background:  Little is known about the influence of sex on the course of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its comorbid psychiatric conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sex on the course and psychiatric correlates of ADHD from childhood into adolescence.

Methods:  Two identically designed, longitudinal, case–control family studies of male and female probands with and without ADHD and their siblings were combined. All subjects were blindly assessed with structured diagnostic interviews. Among subjects with a lifetime history of ADHD (n = 471, mean age 11.5 ± 4.3 years at baseline), we used linear growth curve models to estimate the effect of time on the change in ADHD symptoms, and whether this effect differed by sex. We also we examined the effect of sex on the association between ADHD and the longitudinal progression of comorbid psychopathology using structural equation models.

Results:  We found no evidence that sex moderated the effect of age on ADHD symptoms; in both genders, age exhibited a similar effect on the decline of ADHD symptoms. However, the female sample demonstrated greater stability in comorbid psychopathology from childhood into adolescence. Furthermore, we found that the stability of comorbid psychopathology in females remained significant after accounting for the correlation between adolescent psychopathology and adolescent ADHD. In males, childhood and adolescent comorbid psychopathology were no longer correlated when adolescent ADHD was taken into account.

Conclusions:  Our findings indicate that while the course of ADHD across childhood and adolescence did not differ between males and females, patterns of psychiatric comorbidity were conditional on sex. Future studies should explicitly test how sex modifies the associations between ADHD and risk factors and ADHD and associated functional outcomes.
Framing multiple others and international norms: the migrant worker advocacy movement and Korean national identity reconstruction
Authors: KIM NORA HUI‐JUNG
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT. This paper analyses the discourse of the migrant worker advocacy movement in South Korea to examine how activists' strategic framing can expedite the mobilisation of international norms despite significant cultural barriers. Korean activists argue on behalf of migrant workers that adopting international norms will help the Korean nation gain more respect from other nation‐states and that international norms are not antithetical to the true nature of the Korean nation. These framing strategies have enabled Korean activists to mobilise international norms despite cultural barriers. However, such a framing strategy does not cultivate a truly inclusive nationhood; Korean activists have circumvented cultural barriers, but have not overcome or transformed them.
Anthropological race psychology 1820–1945: a common European system of ethnic identity narratives
Authors: McMAHON RICHARD
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT.This article examines ethnic stereotypes in biological race classification of Europeans between the 1830s and 1940s as part of political discourse on national identity. Anthropologists linked physical‐psychological types to nations and national character stereotypes through ‘national races’, achieving an often quite enduring international consensus on each race's mentality. The article argues that race mentality narratives were therefore partly dictated by their place within a dynamic interlocking European system. I focus on two key interacting elements that structured this system: the central role of the Germanic‐Nordic blond and the geographically uneven process of modernisation. I consider the spatiality of socio‐cultural and political factors ‘external’ to the stereotype system, such as geopolitics and modernisation, but also emphasise that discursive relationships between national stereotypes helped structure the international stereotype system. My conclusion argues for greater consideration of the influence of both scientific and international systemic factors in research on national identity.
Beyond the sacred language: on the liberal evolution of Hebrew in Jewish nationality
Authors: AMIRAN REVITAL
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT. This paper aims to shed light on the evolution of the Jewish national language and to discuss the ways in which the cultural trends in Zionism constantly left room for the creative imagination of its adherents, and functioned in such a way as to erode its sacred dimension, thereby promoting a discourse focusing on the individual. My claim is that the Hebrew language case study may reflect the importance not only of national revisionist accounts for our understanding of the Zionist movement, but also the need for an approach that saves a place for truly creative aspects of civic engagement, and recognises the Israeli nation as one asserting, besides its ethnic ties also patriotic nexuses. Special attention will be given to the phenomenon of Hebrew poetry written by women in the 1920s as a platform from which to examine the unique meaning and evolution of language within the Jewish national movement.
An interpretation of Finnish religious nationalism: the fourtopoiof theological depoliticisation
Authors: TILLI JOUNI
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT.The topic of this article is the relation between ‘politicality’ and theology in the discourse of Finnish religious nationalism during the Winter War of 1939–40 and the Continuation War of 1941–44. I shall draw on the ideas of Kari Palonen and Anthony D. Smith in attempting to thematisetheological depoliticisationas an intrinsic element of religious nationalism. Also, I will elaborate its political significance in the Finnish context, where the role of traditional religion in the general development of nationalist thought has been particularly important. The specific focus is on how prominent representatives of the Finnish clergy related to war and nationalist claims in general. My interpretation is that their arguments were drawn from what I call thetopoioftheological depoliticisation, which, at the same time, rendered the discourse extremelypolitical.
Consuming icons: nationalism and advertising in Australia*
Authors: PRIDEAUX JILLIAN
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT.In extension ofBillig's (1995)andEdensor's (2002)contribution to the literature, this paper examines an often overlooked element in ‘mundane’ nationalism, company advertising. Through the development of a typology of advertising strategies, it examines the role of companies as nationalist actors, and highlights how advertisements can engage with and impact on wider national discourses. Nationalist company advertising is classified into types, depending on how associated the company is with nationalism in popular discourse, and whether the advertising campaign involves the company's participation in broader nationalistic political projects. The types developed in this typology include (1) ‘ordinary marketing/achieving nationalist credentials’, (2) ‘ordinary marketing/established nationalist credentials’ and (3) ‘activist marketing/achieving nationalist credentials’. Case studies from the Australian context are used to illustrate these types, how the different types use nationalism, and their varying impact on shaping wider nationalistic discourses.
Soviet rule, nation and film: the Kyrgyz ‘Wonder’ years
Authors: CUMMINGS SALLY N.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT. What happens if a community is encouraged to imagine itself visually when its political vessel is a modernising nation‐state within a multinational communist federation? Cinematic works, in their distillation of time and space, contribute to the kinds of imaginings that sustain nation‐states. How this cultural technology reflected and promoted nation‐building in the Soviet era is the subject of this article. It explores how the tensions within the diktat ‘national in form, socialist in content’ played out in practice in the Soviet cultural landscape of 1960s Kyrgyz film, dubbed by Soviet critics as a ‘wonder’.
Historical Changes in Ponderosa Pine Forests Since Euro‐American Settlement
Authors: Rapport David J.
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT

Most ecosystems require periodic disturbances to maintain their integrity, and human modification of natural disturbance regimes (e.g. fire frequency) often leads to deleterious changes. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosaP. & C. Lawson) forests in the western United States are selected as examples. They were maintained in an open, park‐like condition because of frequent low‐intensity disturbances: fires and/or pest outbreaks. Fires enhanced grass cover, helped to reduce the buildup of organic matter, eliminated weak trees, and controlled pests. Euro‐American settlement changed this balance by allowing heavy livestock grazing, which caused damage to the grass cover and contributed to soil erosion and depletion of the nutrient pool. Later, the policy of fire suppression promoted the establishment of a greater density of ponderosa pine and understory thickets at the expense of the grasses and caused excessive accumulation of coarse organic matter. Productivity of the forest subsequently declined and the thickets stagnated. Today, even unlogged ponderosa pine forests exhibit profound signs of stress: slow production and growth, decreased rate of nutrient cycling, simplified vertical and horizontal structure, and increased extent of disease. Some ecosystem services, such as the provision of soil and water quality, high biodiversity, and aesthetic value, are impaired.
Logical Interrelations between Four Sustainability Parameters: Stability, Continuation, Longevity, and Health
Authors: Patten Bernard C. , Costanza Robert
Published: September 2009

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the logical interrelations between four properties that may be useful in understanding different aspects of sustainability and making it a more operational and useful concept. These properties are system stability, continuation, longevity, and health (integrity). The principal findings are as follows: (1) Stability is necessary but not sufficient for sustainability, continuation, longevity, and health. (2) Continuation is (a) sufficient but not necessary for sustainability, stability, and health and (b) both sufficient and necessary for longevity. (3) Longevity is (a) sufficient and necessary for sustainability and continuation and (b) sufficient but not necessary for stability and health. (4) Health is (a) necessary but not sufficient for sustainability, continuation, and longevity and (b) sufficient but not necessary for stability. (5) Sustainability itself is (a) sufficient but not necessary for stability and health; (b) necessary but not sufficient for continuation; and (c) both sufficient and necessary for longevity. These logical interrelations indicate that sustainability is not a simple concept but is related to others, some of which may provide useful measures for different applications. It seems important to explore formally the many dimensions of sustainability to build a precise concept for scientific use. The four attributes investigated here do not exhaust the possibilities.
Initial Experience of Pacing with a Lumenless Lead System in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: CHAKRABARTI SANTABHANU , MORGAN GARETH J. , KENNY DAMIEN , WALSH KEVIN P. , OSLIZLOK PAUL , MARTIN ROBIN P. , TURNER MARK S. , STUART A. GRAHAM
Published: September 2009

Background: Long‐term pacing is frequently necessary in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). Preservation of ventricular function and avoidance of venous occlusion is important in these patients. Site‐selective pacing with a smaller diameter lead is achievable with the model 3830 lead (SelectSecure®, Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA), which was specifically designed to target these complications. We describe our initial experience with the Model 3830 lead in patients with CHD.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing site‐selective implantation of a Model 3830 lead(s) from two congenital heart centers (Bristol, UK, and Dublin, Ireland) from October 2004 until February 2008.

Results: We implanted 139 SelectSecure® leads (atrial n = 70; ventricular n = 69) in 90 patients (57 male) with CHD. Median age at implantation: 13.4 years (1.1–59.2 years), median weight: 43 kg. Sixty‐nine patients (76%) were children (<18 years). Indications for lead implantation included atrioventricular block (n = 55), sinus node disease (n = 18), implantable cardiac defibrillator (n = 12), antitachycardia pacing (n = 4), and cardiac resynchronization (n = 1). Twenty‐two patients underwent pre‐existing lead extraction during the same procedure. All the attempted procedures resulted in successful pacing. One patient had a significantly raised threshold at implantation. There was no procedural mortality. There were two procedural complications. Three patients required lead repositioning for increasing thresholds early postprocedure (<6 weeks). Four leads (2.9%) had displaced on median follow‐up of 21.8 months (0.5–42 months).

Conclusions: The Model 3830 lead is safe and effective in patients with CHD. This is a technically challenging patient group yet procedural complication and lead displacement rates are acceptable.
The decrease in electrically evoked force production is delayed by a previous bout of stretch–shortening cycle exercise
Authors: Kamandulis S. , Skurvydas A. , Masiulis N. , Mamkus G. , Westerblad H.
Published: September 2009

Aim:  Unaccustomed physical exercise with a large eccentric component is accompanied by muscle damage and impaired contractile function, especially at low stimulation frequencies. A repeated bout of eccentric exercise results in less damage and improved recovery of contractile function. Here we test the hypotheses that (1) a prior stretch–shortening cycle (SSC) exercise protects against impaired muscle function during a subsequent bout of SSC exercise and (2) the protection during exercise is transient and becomes less effective as the exercise progresses.

Methods:  Healthy untrained men (n = 7) performed SSC exercise consisting of 100 maximal drop jumps at 30 s intervals. The same exercise was repeated 4 weeks later. Peak quadriceps muscle force evoked by electrical stimulation at 15 (P15) and 50 (P50) Hz was measured before exercise, after 10, 25, 50 and 100 jumps as well as 1 and 24 h after exercise.

Results:  P15 and P50 were higher during the initial phase of the repeated bout compared with the first exercise bout, but there was no difference between the bouts at the end of the exercise periods. P15 and P50 were again larger 24 h after the repeated bout. The P15/P50 ratio during exercise was not different between the two bouts, but it was higher after the repeated bout.

Conclusion:  A prior bout of SSC exercise temporarily protects against impaired contractile function during a repeated exercise bout. The protection can again be seen after exercise, but the underlying mechanism then seems to be different.
Potassium‐transporting proteins in skeletal muscle: cellular location and fibre‐type differences
Authors: Kristensen M. , Juel C.
Published: September 2009

Potassium (K+) displacement in skeletal muscle may be an important factor in the development of muscle fatigue during intense exercise. It has been shownin vitrothat an increase in the extracellular K+concentration ([K+]e) to values higher than approx. 10 mmsignificantly reduce force development in unfatigued skeletal muscle. Severalin vivostudies have shown that [K+]eincreases progressively with increasing work intensity, reaching values higher than 10 mm. This increase in [K+]eis expected to be even higher in the transverse (T)‐tubules than the concentration reached in the interstitium. Besides the voltage‐sensitive K+(Kv) channels that generate the action potential (AP) it is suggested that the big‐conductance Ca2+‐dependent K+(KCa1.1) channel contributes significantly to the K+release into the T‐tubules. Also the ATP‐dependent K+(KATP) channel participates, but is suggested primarily to participate in K+release to the interstitium. Because there is restricted diffusion of K+to the interstitium, K+released to the T‐tubules during AP propagation will be removed primarily by reuptake mediated by transport proteins located in the T‐tubule membrane. The most important protein that mediates K+reuptake in the T‐tubules is the Na+,K+‐ATPase α2dimers, but a significant contribution of the strong inward rectifier K+(Kir2.1) channel is also suggested. The Na+, K+, 2Cl−1 (NKCC1) cotransporter also participates in K+reuptake but probably mainly from the interstitium. The relative content of the different K+‐transporting proteins differs in oxidative and glycolytic muscles, and might explain the different [K+]etolerance observed.
Demons in Ancient Egypt
Authors: Szpakowska Kasia
Published: September 2009

While much has been written on the topic of deities and the dead in Ancient Egypt, the systematic study of demons has only recently come to the fore of scholarly studies. Preliminary typologies based on surviving spells, prescriptions, and apotropaic devices suggests the theory that these hostile entities were divided into sub‐types in the Egyptian worldview, distinguished from each other by the specific illnesses and conditions they caused, and as well as by the prescribed means of repulsion and protection. Along with hostile demons, a related category of benevolent genii can be discerned. This paper presents an overview of demons and genii in Pharaonic Egypt based primarily on sources from the Middle Kingdom through the New Kingdom.
Introduction to Political Islam1
Authors: Soage Ana Belén
Published: September 2009

This paper explores how and why Islamism (i.e. political Islam) emerged in the last decades of the 19th century. It resorts to original sources to illustrate Muslim responses to the perceived threat of Westernisation and, notably, the development of Islamism as a reaction to the evolving socio‐political conditions in the Middle East. In addition, it demonstrates that, despite claims to religious purity, Islamists have incorporated elements of the foreign ideologies they profess to oppose. The article ends by providing a tentative classification of modern‐day Islamists.
Using Film in Theology and Religious Studies
Authors: Deacy Christopher
Published: September 2009

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of work that has been carried out by scholars working in religion/theology and film over recent years. For a field that has only come to prominence in the last two decades, I outline a number of perspectives on the ways in which religion/theology and film may be seen to interact, including a discussion of some of the criticisms that have emerged both from within existing religious studies and theology scholarship and from film studies. The discussion focuses on whether or not research and teaching in this area is more than a fad and whether it offers creative new possibilities for interdisciplinary study.
Photosensitized Oxidation of Tetrabromobisphenol A by Humic Acid in Aqueous Solution†
Authors: Han Sang‐Kuk , Sik Robert H. , Motten Ann G. , Chignell Colin F. , Bilski Piotr J.
Published: September 2009

The brominated flame retardant 3,3′,5,5′‐tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) may accumulate in the environment, including surface waters, and degrade there to potentially toxic products. We have previously shown that singlet oxygen (1O2), produced by irradiation of rose bengal with visible light, oxidizes Triton X‐100‐solubilized TBBPA to yield the 2,6‐dibromo‐p‐benzosemiquinone anion radical while consuming oxygen (Environ. Sci. Technol.42, 166, 2008). Here, we report that a similar 1O2‐induced oxidation can be initiated in aqueous solutions by the irradiation of TBBPA dissolved in a humic acid (HA) solution. HA is a known weak 1O2 photosensitizer and we indeed detected the infrared 1O2 phosphorescence from HA preparations in D2O. When an aqueous preparation of HA was irradiated (λ > 400 nm) in the presence of TBBPA, oxygen was consumed, and the 2,6‐dibromo‐p‐benzosemiquinone anion radical was generated and detected using electron paramagnetic resonance. Radical formation and oxygen consumption were inhibited by sodium azide, a singlet oxygen quencher. Our results suggest that solar radiation, in the presence of HA, may play an important role in the photodegradation of TBBPA in the aquatic environment.
Epidermal Platelet‐activating Factor Receptor Activation and Ultraviolet B Radiation Result in Synergistic Tumor Necrosis Factor‐alpha Production
Authors: Wolverton Jay E. , Al‐Hassani Mohammed , Yao Yongxue , Zhang Qiwei , Travers Jeffrey B.
Published: September 2009

Ultraviolet B radiation (UVB) is a potent stimulator of epidermal cytokine production which has been implicated in photoaggravated dermatoses. In addition to cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), UVB generates bioactive lipids including platelet‐activating factor (PAF). Our previous studies have demonstrated that UVB‐mediated production of keratinocyte TNF‐α is in part due to PAF. The current studies use a human PAF‐receptor (PAF‐R) negative epithelial cell line transduced with PAF‐Rs and PAF–R‐deficient mice to demonstrate that activation of the epidermal PAF‐R along with UVB irradiation results in a synergistic production of TNF‐α. It should be noted that PAF‐R effects are mimicked by the protein kinase C (PKC) agonist phorbol myristic acetate, and are inhibited by pharmacological antagonists of the PKC gamma isoenzyme. These studies suggest that concomitant PAF‐R activation and UVB irradiation results in a synergistic production of the cytokine TNF‐α which is mediated in part via PKC. These studies provide a novel potential mechanism for photosensitivity responses.