bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Norepinephrine and Its Metabolites in the Plasma of Renal Failure Models
Authors: Iijima Hiroshi , Okada Yuji , Tsunoda Makoto , Takamiya Tomoko , Imai Kazuhiro
Published: July 2010

Background/Aims: The plasma concentration of catecholamines and their metabolites generated by catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) were measured and their correlation with the progress of renal dysfunction was investigated in two distinctive animal models: a 5/6 nephrectomized Sprague-Dawley rat model and a 1/2 nephrectomized diabetic fatty Zucker rat model. Methods: A highly sensitive, high-performance liquid chromatography-peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence reaction detection was employed to obtain values for the ratio [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]), where [NE] represents the plasma concentration of norepinephrine and [NMN] represents the plasma concentration of normetanephrine. Results: The [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]) ratio correlated with both the increase in blood urea nitrogen concentration and the decrease in creatinine clearance. Conclusion: The [NMN]/([NE] + [NMN]) ratio represents a quantitative indicator of the progress of renal dysfunction in the animal models. Regulation of COMT activity seemed to relate with the progress of renal dysfunction.
Clinical Assessment of Allostatic Load and Clinimetric Criteria
Authors: Fava Giovanni A. , Guidi Jenny , Semprini Federica , Tomba Elena , Sonino Nicoletta
Published: July 2010

The concept of allostasis emphasizes that healthy functioning requires continual adjustments to the internal physiological milieu. Allostatic load reflects the cumulative effects of stressful experiences in daily life. When the cost of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened neural or neuroendocrine responses exceeds the coping resources of an individual, allostatic overload ensues. So far these issues have been addressed only on pathophysiological terms that do not find application in clinical settings. However, several features that have been described in psychosomatic research may allow the assessment of allostatic load on clinical grounds. Clinimetric criteria for the determination of allostatic overload are suggested. They are based on: (a) the presence of a stressor exceeding individual coping skills, and (b) clinical manifestations of distress. They may provide specification to the fourth axis of DSM, may supplement the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research, and may help discriminate neuroendocrine patterns with important clinical and research implications. A state of allostatic overload is frequently associated with alterations in biological markers and calls for a close medical evaluation of the patient’s condition. The ultimate goal is to be able to prevent or decrease the negative impact of excessive stress on health.
Do Primary Care Physicians Have Particular Difficulty Identifying Late-Life Depression? A Meta-Analysis Stratified by Age
Authors: Mitchell Alex J. , Rao Sanjay , Vaze Amol
Published: July 2010

Background: There is long-standing concern regarding poor recognition of depression in primary care, especially in older people. Methods: Studies that examined the unassisted (clinical) ability of general practitioners (GPs; primary care physicians) to identify depression were divided into those of older adults, younger adults and mixed populations. Data were extracted by 3 reviewers independently and pooled using a Bayesian meta-analysis. Results: We identified 31 valid studies that examined both sensitivity and specificity (or rule-in and rule-out accuracy), involving 52,513 individuals. Twelve studies recruited older individuals, 12 recruited younger adults and 7 recruited both younger and older adults (mixed populations). In the most robust studies the point prevalence of depression in late life was 13.2% (95% CI = 7.9–19.6). GPs were able to correctly identify 47.3% of the late-life depressions and 78.6% of the non-cases (71.0% overall accuracy). In younger adults GPs were able to identify 39.7% of the mid-life depressions and 85.1% of the non-depressed (77.8% overall accuracy). In mixed aged groups GPs we able to correctly identify 46.6% of the depressed individuals and 86.2% of the non-depressed (79.6% overall accuracy). The overall fraction correctly identified was significantly lower in older compared with younger adults. Correcting for differences in prevalence showed a statistically lower rule-in performance for older compared with younger adults. There was no difference in ability to identify non-depressed (healthy) individuals by age. Conclusions: In clinical practice GPs appear to be less successful in identifying depression in older people than in younger adults, however there have been few head-to-head studies stratified by age from one centre.
Molecular Mechanisms, and Selective Pharmacological Rescue, of Rem-Inhibited Ca
V
1.2 Channels in Heart
Authors: Xu Xianghua , Marx Steven O. , Colecraft Henry M.
Published: July 2010

Rationale:

In heart, Ca
2+
entering myocytes via Ca
V
1.2 channels controls essential functions, including excitation–contraction coupling, action potential duration, and gene expression. RGK GTPases (Rad/Rem/Rem2/Gem/Kir sub-family of Ras-like GTPases) potently inhibit Ca
V
1.2 channels, an effect that may figure prominently in cardiac Ca
2+
homeostasis under physiological and disease conditions.

Objective:

To define the mechanisms and molecular determinants underlying Rem GTPase inhibition of Ca
V
1.2 channels in heart and to determine whether such inhibited channels can be pharmacologically rescued.

Methods and Results:

Overexpressing Rem in adult guinea pig heart cells dramatically depresses L-type calcium current (
I
Ca,L
) (≈90% inhibition) and moderately reduces maximum gating charge (
Q
max
) (33%), without appreciably diminishing the physical number of channels in the membrane. Rem-inhibited Ca
V
1.2 channels were supramodulated by BAY K 8644 (10-fold increase) compared to control channels (3-fold increase). However, Rem prevented protein kinase A–mediated upregulation of
I
Ca,L
, an effect achieved without disrupting the sympathetic signaling cascade because protein kinase A modulation of
I
KS
(slow component of the delayed rectifier potassium current) remained intact. In accord with its functional impact on
I
Ca,L
, Rem selectively prevented protein kinase A– but not BAY K 8644–induced prolongation of the cardiac action potential duration. A GTP-binding-deficient Rem[T94N] mutant was functionally inert with respect to
I
Ca,L
inhibition. A chimeric construct, Rem
265
-H, featuring a swap of the Rem C-terminal tail for the analogous domain from H-Ras, inhibited
I
Ca,L
and
Q
max
to the same extent as wild-type Rem, despite lacking the capacity to autonomously localize to the sarcolemma.

Conclusions:

Rem predominantly inhibits
I
Ca,L
in heart by arresting surface Ca
V
1.2 channels in a low open probability gating mode, rather than by interfering with channel trafficking. Moreover, Rem-inhibited Ca
V
1.2 channels can be selectively rescued by BAY K 8644 but not protein kinase A–dependent phosphorylation. Contrary to findings in reconstituted systems, Rem-induced ablation of cardiac
I
Ca,L
requires GTP-binding, but not membrane-targeting of the nucleotide binding domain. These findings provide a different perspective on the molecular mechanisms and structural determinants underlying RGK GTPase inhibition of Ca
V
1.2 channels in heart, and suggest new (patho)physiological dimensions of this crosstalk.
What Works in Falls Prevention After Stroke?
Authors: Batchelor Frances , Hill Keith , Mackintosh Shylie , Said Catherine
Published: July 2010

Background and Purpose—

Falls are common after stroke. Despite evidence that single and multifactorial interventions can reduce falls in older people, this issue remains relatively underexplored in stroke survivors. Effective fall prevention in this population has the potential to prevent injury, improve quality of life, and decrease the likelihood of subsequent fear of falling and activity restriction. The aim of this article was to review and integrate the research evidence relating to interventions that reduce falls after stroke.

Methods—

Published studies evaluating interventions to reduce falls in stroke survivors were retrieved and screened according to predetermined criteria. Included studies were independently assessed. Quality of trials was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database score. Pooling of results was undertaken for similar interventions with comparable outcomes using the inverse variance method.

Results—

Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, with pooling of results possible for only 2 types of intervention. Methodological quality of the included studies was variable with the main bias because of lack of blinding of participants and those administering the intervention. Variability in falls data reporting was seen across the studies. The only intervention shown to be effective in reducing falls was vitamin D for female stroke survivors in an institutional setting. Other interventions were no more effective than usual care.

Conclusions—

Fall risk is high in stroke survivors; however, the only intervention shown to be effective in reducing falls in this review was vitamin D supplementation. Consistency in outcome measurement would enable comparisons across studies. Additionally, further research evaluating a range of single and multifactorial interventions for fall prevention in the stroke population is required.
Biodistribution of Neural Stem Cells After Intravascular Therapy for Hypoxic–Ischemia
Authors: Pendharkar Arjun V. , Chua Josh Y. , Andres Robert H. , Wang Nancy , Gaeta Xavier , Wang Hui , De Abhijit , Choi Raymond , Chen Shawn , Rutt Brian K. , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Guzman Raphael
Published: July 2010

Background and Purpose—

Intravascular transplantation of neural stem cells represents a minimally invasive therapeutic approach for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. The cellular biodistribution after intravascular injection needs to be analyzed to determine the ideal delivery modality. We studied the biodistribution and efficiency of targeted central nervous system delivery comparing intravenous and intra-arterial (IA) administration of neural stem cells after brain ischemia.

Methods—

Mouse neural stem cells were transduced with a firefly luciferase reporter gene for bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Hypoxic–ischemia was induced in adult mice and reporter neural stem cells were transplanted IA or intravenous at 24 hours after brain ischemia. In vivo BLI was used to track transplanted cells up to 2 weeks after transplantation and ex vivo BLI was used to determine single organ biodistribution.

Results—

Immediately after transplantation, BLI signal from the brain was 12 times higher in IA versus intravenous injected animals (
P
<0.0001). After IA injection, 69% of the total luciferase activity arose from the brain early after transplantation and 93% at 1 week. After intravenous injection, 94% of the BLI signal was detected in the lungs (
P
=0.004) followed by an overall 94% signal loss at 1 week, indicating lack of cell survival outside the brain. Ex vivo single organ analysis showed a significantly higher BLI signal in the brain than in the lungs, liver, and kidneys at 1 week (
P
<0.0001) and 2 weeks in IA (
P
=0.007).

Conclusion—

IA transplantation results in superior delivery and sustained presence of neural stem cells in the ischemic brain in comparison to intravenous infusion.
Effect of Prenatal Glucocorticoids on Cerebral Vasculature of the Developing Brain
Authors: Vinukonda Govindaiah , Dummula Krishna , Malik Sabrina , Hu Furong , Thompson Carl I. , Csiszar Anna , Ungvari Zoltan , Ballabh Praveen
Published: July 2010

Background and Purpose—

Prenatal glucocorticoids prevent germinal matrix hemorrhage in premature infants. The underlying mechanism, however, is elusive. Germinal matrix is enriched with angiogenic vessels exhibiting paucity of pericytes and glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocyte end feet. Therefore, we asked whether glucocorticoid treatment would suppress angiogenesis and enhance periendothelial coverage by pericytes and glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive end feet in the germinal matrix microvasculature.

Methods—

We treated pregnant rabbits with intramuscular betamethasone and delivered pups prematurely by cesarean section at E29 (term=32 days). Endothelial turnover, vascular density, pericyte coverage, glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive end feet, cell death, and growth factors orchestrating angiogenesis, including vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietins, transforming growth factor-β, and platelet-derived growth factor-B, were compared between betamethasone-treated and untreated pups. Similar comparisons were done between autopsy materials from premature infants exposed and unexposed to prenatal glucocorticoids.

Results—

Antenatal glucocorticoid treatment reduced endothelial proliferation, vascular density, and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in the germinal matrix of both rabbits and humans. The pericyte coverage was greater in glucocorticoid-treated rabbit pups and human infants than in controls, but not the glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive end feet coverage. Transforming growth factor-β, but not angiopoietins and platelet-derived growth factor-B, were elevated in glucocorticoid-treated rabbit pups compared with controls. Betamethasone treatment induced apoptosis, neuronal degeneration, and gliosis in rabbit pups. However, there was no evidence of increased cell death in glucocorticoid-exposed human infants.

Conclusions—

Prenatal glucocorticoid suppresses vascular endothelial growth factor and elevates transforming growth factor-β levels, which results in angiogenic inhibition, trimming of neovasculature, and enhanced pericyte coverage. These changes contribute to stabilizing the germinal matrix vasculature, thereby reducing its propensity to hemorrhage. Prenatal glucocorticoid exposure does not induce neural cell death in humans, unlike rabbits.
A Common Neural Substrate for Language Production and Verbal Working Memory
Authors: Acheson Daniel J. , Hamidi Massihullah , Binder Jeffrey R. , Postle Bradley R.
Published: July 2010

Verbal working memory (VWM), the ability to maintain and manipulate representations of speech sounds over short periods, is held by some influential models to be independent from the systems responsible for language production and comprehension [e.g., Baddeley, A. D. Working memory, thought, and action. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007]. We explore the alternative hypothesis that maintenance in VWM is subserved by temporary activation of the language production system [Acheson, D. J., & MacDonald, M. C. Verbal working memory and language production: Common approaches to the serial ordering of verbal information. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 50–68, 2009b]. Specifically, we hypothesized that for stimuli lacking a semantic representation (e.g., nonwords such as mun), maintenance in VWM can be achieved by cycling information back and forth between the stages of phonological encoding and articulatory planning. First, fMRI was used to identify regions associated with two different stages of language production planning: the posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) for phonological encoding (critical for VWM of nonwords) and the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) for lexical–semantic retrieval (not critical for VWM of nonwords). Next, in the same subjects, these regions were targeted with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) during language production and VWM task performance. Results showed that rTMS to the pSTG, but not the MTG, increased error rates on paced reading (a language production task) and on delayed serial recall of nonwords (a test of VWM). Performance on a lexical–semantic retrieval task (picture naming), in contrast, was significantly sensitive to rTMS of the MTG. Because rTMS was guided by language production-related activity, these results provide the first causal evidence that maintenance in VWM directly depends on the long-term representations and processes used in speech production.
Implied Motion Activation in Cortical Area MT Can Be Explained by Visual Low-level Features
Authors: Lorteije Jeannette A. M. , Barraclough Nick E. , Jellema Tjeerd , Raemaekers Mathijs , Duijnhouwer Jacob , Xiao Dengke , Oram Mike W. , Lankheet Martin J. M. , Perrett David I. , van Wezel Richard J. A.
Published: July 2010

To investigate form-related activity in motion-sensitive cortical areas, we recorded cell responses to animate implied motion in macaque middle temporal (MT) and medial superior temporal (MST) cortex and investigated these areas using fMRI in humans. In the single-cell studies, we compared responses with static images of human or monkey figures walking or running left or right with responses to the same human and monkey figures standing or sitting still. We also investigated whether the view of the animate figure (facing left or right) that elicited the highest response was correlated with the preferred direction for moving random dot patterns. First, figures were presented inside the cell's receptive field. Subsequently, figures were presented at the fovea while a dynamic noise pattern was presented at the cell's receptive field location. The results show that MT neurons did not discriminate between figures on the basis of the implied motion content. Instead, response preferences for implied motion correlated with preferences for low-level visual features such as orientation and size. No correlation was found between the preferred view of figures implying motion and the preferred direction for moving random dot patterns. Similar findings were obtained in a smaller population of MST cortical neurons. Testing human MT+ responses with fMRI further corroborated the notion that low-level stimulus features might explain implied motion activation in human MT+. Together, these results suggest that prior human imaging studies demonstrating animate implied motion processing in area MT+ can be best explained by sensitivity for low-level features rather than sensitivity for the motion implied by animate figures.
Tracking the Time Course of Action Priming on Object Recognition: Evidence for Fast and Slow Influences of Action on Perception
Authors: Kiefer Markus , Sim Eun-Jin , Helbig Hannah , Graf Markus
Published: July 2010

Perception and action are classically thought to be supported by functionally and neuroanatomically distinct mechanisms. However, recent behavioral studies using an action priming paradigm challenged this view and showed that action representations can facilitate object recognition. This study determined whether action representations influence object recognition during early visual processing stages, that is, within the first 150 msec. To this end, the time course of brain activation underlying such action priming effects was examined by recording ERPs. Subjects were sequentially presented with two manipulable objects (e.g., tools), which had to be named. In the congruent condition, both objects afforded similar actions, whereas dissimilar actions were afforded in the incongruent condition. In order to test the influence of the prime modality on action priming, the first object (prime) was presented either as picture or as word. We found an ERP effect of action priming over the central scalp as early as 100 msec after target onset for pictorial, but not for verbal primes. A later action priming effect on the N400 ERP component known to index semantic integration processes was obtained for both picture and word primes. The early effect was generated in a fronto-parietal motor network, whereas the late effect reflected activity in anterior temporal areas. The present results indicate that action priming influences object recognition through both fast and slow pathways: Action priming affects rapid visuomotor processes only when elicited by pictorial prime stimuli. However, it also modulates comparably slow conceptual integration processes independent of the prime modality.
Fusiform Gyrus Face Selectivity Relates to Individual Differences in Facial Recognition Ability
Authors: Furl Nicholas , Garrido Lúcia , Dolan Raymond J. , Driver Jon , Duchaine Bradley
Published: July 2010

Regions of the occipital and temporal lobes, including a region in the fusiform gyrus (FG), have been proposed to constitute a “core” visual representation system for faces, in part because they show face selectivity and face repetition suppression. But recent fMRI studies of developmental prosopagnosics (DPs) raise questions about whether these measures relate to face processing skills. Although DPs manifest deficient face processing, most studies to date have not shown unequivocal reductions of functional responses in the proposed core regions. We scanned 15 DPs and 15 non-DP control participants with fMRI while employing factor analysis to derive behavioral components related to face identification or other processes. Repetition suppression specific to facial identities in FG or to expression in FG and STS did not show compelling relationships with face identification ability. However, we identified robust relationships between face selectivity and face identification ability in FG across our sample for several convergent measures, including voxel-wise statistical parametric mapping, peak face selectivity in individually defined “fusiform face areas” (FFAs), and anatomical extents (cluster sizes) of those FFAs. None of these measures showed associations with behavioral expression or object recognition ability. As a group, DPs had reduced face-selective responses in bilateral FFA when compared with non-DPs. Individual DPs were also more likely than non-DPs to lack expected face-selective activity in core regions. These findings associate individual differences in face processing ability with selectivity in core face processing regions. This confirms that face selectivity can provide a valid marker for neural mechanisms that contribute to face identification ability.
Land Use and Reactive Nitrogen Discharge: Effects of Dietary Choices
Authors: Eshel Gidon , Martin Pamela A. , Bowen Esther E.
Published: July 2010

Modern agriculture alters natural biological and geophysical processes, with magnitudes proportional to its spatial extent. Cultivation is also the main cause of artificially enhanced reactive nitrogen (Nr) availability in natural ecosystems. Sustainable food production should thus minimize Nr use while maximizing human-destined caloric output per acre. The authors demonstrate that it is possible to design realistic, nutritionally sound plant-based diets that require a quarter to a half of the Nr and a quarter to a third of the land the mean American diet’s animal-based portion does. Broad application of these findings (e.g., by incorporating environmental considerations into official dietary recommendations) would reduce food production’s environmental impacts dramatically.
The THORPEX Observation Impact Intercomparison Experiment
Authors: Gelaro Ronald , Langland Rolf H. , Pellerin Simon , Todling Ricardo
Published: July 2010

An experiment is being conducted to directly compare the impact of all assimilated observations on short-range forecast errors in different forecast systems using an adjoint-based technique. The technique allows detailed comparison of observation impacts in terms of data type, location, satellite sounding channel, or other relevant attributes. This paper describes results for a “baseline” set of observations assimilated by three forecast systems for the month of January 2007. Despite differences in the assimilation algorithms and forecast models, the impacts of the major observation types are similar in each forecast system in a global sense. However, regional details and other aspects of the results can differ substantially. Large forecast error reductions are provided by satellite radiances, geostationary satellite winds, radiosondes, and commercial aircraft. Other observation types provide smaller impacts individually, but their combined impact is significant. Only a small majority of the total number of observations assimilated actually improves the forecast, and most of the improvement comes from a large number of observations that have relatively small individual impacts. Accounting for this behavior may be especially important when considering strategies for deploying adaptive (or “targeted”) components of the observing system.
GPCE-AX: An Anisotropic Extension to the Goerss Predicted Consensus Error in Tropical Cyclone Track Forecasts
Authors: Hansen James A. , Goerss James S. , Sampson Charles
Published: July 2010

A method to predict an anisotropic expected forecast error distribution for consensus forecasts of tropical cyclone (TC) tracks is presented. The method builds upon the Goerss predicted consensus error (GPCE), which predicts the isotropic radius of the 70% isopleth of expected TC track error. Consensus TC track forecasts are computed as the mean of a collection of TC track forecasts from different models and are basin dependent. A novel aspect of GPCE is that it uses not only the uncertainty in the collection of constituent models to predict expected error, but also other features of the predicted storm, including initial intensity, forecast intensity, and storm speed. The new method, called GPCE along–across (GPCE-AX), takes a similar approach but separates the predicted error into across-track and along-track components. GPCE-AX has been applied to consensus TC track forecasts in the Atlantic (CONU/TVCN, where CONU is consensus version U and TVCN is the track variable consensus) and in the western North Pacific (consensus version W, CONW). The results for both basins indicate that GPCE-AX either outperforms or is equal in quality to GPCE in terms of reliability (the fraction of time verification is bound by the 70% uncertainty isopleths) and sharpness (the area bound by the 70% isopleths). GPCE-AX has been implemented at both the National Hurricane Center and at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center for real-time testing and evaluation.
For the Longest Time: The Adjustment of Inmates to a Sentence of Life Without Parole
Authors: Leigey Margaret E.
Published: July 2010

Using a triangulated research design, this research examines the mental health of life without parole (LWOP) inmates. A bivariate analysis of the mental health of two groups of LWOP inmates was conducted, new ( n = 72) and veteran ( n = 46). New LWOP inmates were defined as those who had served less than the mean number of years of the sample (10.5 years) while veteran LWOP inmates had served greater than the mean time served. Results indicate that the initial stages of incarceration are particularly stressful as a higher prevalence of new LWOP inmates reported mental health disorder than veteran LWOP inmates. Significant differences exist between the two groups in several areas. In-depth interviews with veteran LWOP inmates ( n = 25) are further indicative of an inverse relationship between mental disorder and length of incarceration.
The Past Is Prologue: Prior Adjustment to Prison and Institutional Misconduct
Authors: Drury Alan J. , DeLisi Matt
Published: July 2010

In the United States, inmates maintain high rates of recidivism when released from correctional institutions. Although a large body of research addresses indicators of risk for recidivism after release, less is known about the stability of institutional misconduct across periods of incarceration. A limited amount of research has explored the relationship between inmate disciplinary reports incurred during prior terms of incarceration and subsequent institutional misconduct. Based on official infraction data from 1,005 inmates selected from the Arizona Department of Corrections, the current study found that both male and female inmates who have incurred disciplinary reports during prior terms of incarceration participated in violent and nonviolent institutional misconduct during subsequent terms of incarceration. Implications for theory and research are explored.
Contested Visions of American Democracy: Citizenship, Public Housing, and the International Arena
Authors: Argersinger Jo Ann E.
Published: July 2010

This essay reexamines the history of public housing and the controversy it generated from the Great Depression to the Cold War. By recasting that history in the global arena, it demonstrates that the debate over public housing versus homeownership was also a debate over the meaning of American citizenship and democracy, pointing up starkly divergent notions about what was and was not American. Through an examination of national conflicts and neglected local struggles, this article further shows that the fight over public housing was far more meaningful and volatile than traditionally assumed. Both critics and advocates of public housing drew from international experiences and imagery in positioning the home as a constitutive feature of citizenship in American democracy. Fears of Bolshevism, fascism, and communism served to internationalize issues of race, space, and housing and together shaped the decision of whether a decent home was an American right or privilege.
Acute ANIT Toxicity in Male IL-10 Knockout and Wild-type Mice
Authors: Faiola Brenda , Peterson Richard A. , Kimbrough Carrie L. , Jordan Holly L. , Cullen John M.
Published: July 2010

The innate immune response is known to modify hepatocellular injury induced by toxicants. To assess the role of IL-10, a component of the innate immune response, in toxicant-induced injury of biliary epithelium, wild-type (WT) and IL-10 knockout mice (KO) were given a single toxic dose (50 mg/kg) of α-napthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) and assessed at twenty-four–hour intervals for four days following treatment. Clinical signs of toxicity were greater in WT mice. Unexpectedly, over the course of the study, there was a consistent tendency for ANIT-treated IL-10 KO mice to have less hepatocellular injury than WT mice. However, changes in the biliary epithelium differed in that there was more histologic evidence of inflammation and necrosis on days 2 and 3, respectively, in ANIT-treated IL-10 KO mice compared with WT mice. Proliferation of biliary epithelium and hepatocytes was greater and/or occurred earlier in the ANIT-treated IL-10 KO mice compared with the ANIT-treated WT mice, suggesting a greater reparative response was needed for recovery after toxicant injury in the IL-10 KO mice. Overall, our data suggest that IL-10 KO mice have less hepatocellular injury than WT mice following a toxic dose of ANIT and that biliary epithelial injury is accentuated in the KO mice.
Young people with specific language impairment: A review of social and emotional functioning in adolescence
Authors: Durkin Kevin , Conti-Ramsden Gina
Published: July 2010

This article provides a review of research into the social and emotional functioning of adolescents with specific language impairment (SLI). In particular, we focus on peer relations, peer friendships, bullying, emotional difficulties and psychiatric difficulties. As a group, adolescents with SLI tend to be more vulnerable to problems in these domains than are typical adolescents. However, there is considerable heterogeneity among those with SLI, and some individuals experience positive outcomes. We stress the need to understand adolescence and SLI in a developmental context. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the research findings for service provision to support the needs of young people with language impairments.
Topiramate augmentation of clozapine in schizophrenia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Muscatello MRA , Bruno A , Pandolfo G , Micò U , Bellinghieri PM , Scimeca G , Cacciola M , Campolo D , Settineri S , Zoccali R
Published: July 2010

The persistence of psychotic, affective, cognitive, and psychosocial symptoms despite medications is commonly observed in schizophrenic patients. The present study was a 24-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial aimed to explore the efficacy of topiramate add-on pharmacotherapy on clinical symptomatology and cognitive functioning in a sample of treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients receiving clozapine. After clinical and cognitive assessments were randomly allocated to receive either up to 200 mg/day of topiramate or a placebo. A final sample of 43 patients completed the study. The results obtained indicate that topiramate appeared to be scarcely effective for reducing clinical symptomatology in schizophrenic patients who have had an incomplete clinical response to clozapine. Regarding cognitive functioning, in our sample a trend to experience cognitive impairment in the examined domains was observed, as the patients included in the topiramate groups expressed cognitive complaints partially confirmed by a mild worsening of performances on certain cognitive tasks. Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder with regard to pathophysiology; therefore, data reflecting the mean response of a sample of patients may fail to reveal therapeutic effects. More research is needed to better identify subgroups of patients with peculiar features which may account for responsivity to experimental medications and augmentation strategies.
Irony, Emotions and Critical Distance
Authors: Steele Brent J.
Published: July 2010

While an emerging group of scholars has made productive inroads investigating emotion’s role in politics, the way in which scholars face these emotions remains an issue in need of updated study. While no article can provide definitive conclusions on such a topic, the current effort posits one narrative device that IR scholars might utilise in order to cope with the realities of politics — irony. Irony is useful in that it allows us a ‘critical distance’ from our subject without requiring us to abandon our emotions. The article briefly reviews several scholarly positions or practices, from objectivism to verstehen, which confront, quarantine or accommodate scholarly emotionality in varied ways, before articulating the benefits of irony. It proposes two forms of ironical study drawn, respectively, from the work of Reinhold Niebuhr and Richard Rorty.
‘Now We Are All Avatars’
Authors: Der Derian James
Published: July 2010

The films Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Human Terrain are presented as critical intertexts for understanding how the cinematic aestheticisation of violence can glorify as well as vilify war, depending on how the spectator identifies with the protagonist and the investigator with the informant. Estrangement from and entanglement with the other become key variables for assessing the anti-war impact of a film.
Geographic Information Science: Visualization, visual methods, and the geoweb
Authors: Elwood Sarah
Published: July 2010

This review considers two recent trajectories of research on the geospatial web: efforts to develop appropriate methodologies for working with the new forms of geographic information that are part of it, and studies of its cultural, social, and political significance. In both arenas, visualization and visual methods are central. I show how methodologies drawn from quantitative and qualitative approaches to geovisualization in GIScience offer productive ways of working with geoweb-based information in research, and examine recent efforts to use critical visual methods to study the geoweb as visual practice.
Virtual reunification as the future of ‘codices dispersi’: Practices and standards developed by e-codices - Virtual Manuscript Library of Switzerland
Authors: Austenfeld Anne Marie
Published: July 2010

Although the libraries and collections of Switzerland were spared the ravages of war during the 20th century, earlier wars and religious reforms often resulted in the dispersal of valuable medieval and early modern manuscripts from library collections. The advent of the online digital library has made the virtual reunification of some of these ‘codices dispersi’ on the e-codices website (www.e-codices.unifr.ch) possible. To be useful to scholars, a virtual re-unification project should make complete digital images of dispersed materials accessible to scholars as an identifiable collection or unit, provide a context for serious study, and offer participating owner libraries the opportunity to collaborate. The e-codices project team has developed tools and procedures which are used in its re-unification sub-projects, and we are alert to the opportunities offered by virtual reunification.
Content analysis-based studies of Iranian literature for children and young adults, 1974-2007: A review
Authors: Mohammadi Mahdi , Azadeh Fereydoon , Babalhavaeji Fahimeh
Published: July 2010

Content analysis-based studies of Iranian literature for children and young adults began 33 years ago in Iran, pioneered by Tehran University. Since then, 36 such studies have been done, including 9 articles and 27 master’s theses. The present paper attempts to review these studies and categorize them in three groups: content analysis studies of written stories, content analysis studies of translated stories, and content analysis studies of poems. Finally, some suggestions are proposed to improve the current status of children and young adult’s literature in Iran.
Increasing load-bearing capacity of wood-plastic composites by sandwiching natural and glass fabrics
Authors: Shiqiang Deng  , Youhong Tang
Published: July 2010

Aimed to increase the load-bearing capacity of wood-plastic composites (WPC), sisal and glass fiber fabrics were incorporated into wood—high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites by sandwiching them inside the composites during the compression molding of extruded WPC pellets. Experimental results showed that the inclusion of long fibers in less than 20 wt% in the form of fabrics, particularly glass fabrics (13—20 wt%), could effectively enhance the mechanical performance of the wood—HDPE composites with significantly increased strength and modulus as well as the improved creep resistance, compared with their unreinforced counterparts. The reinforced WPC preserved their wood-like appearances, but they have much higher strength and creep resistance. Particularly, the WPC samples reinforced by two layers of glass fabrics could have strengths that were comparable to that of solid wood in the parallel-to-grain direction but much better mechanical performance than that of wood in the perpendicular-to-grain direction. Surface treatments to the fiber fabrics using a silane coupling agent and the incorporation of maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene into the WPC pellets during the compounding process could improve the interfacial compatibility between the reinforcing fabrics and the HDPE matrix and, thus, resulted in additional increases in the mechanical performance of the composites. On the basis of the experimental results and the simplicity of the processing methods adopted in this study, the approach, which sandwiched natural or inorganic fiber fabrics into WPC, provided a feasible method to effectively improve the load-bearing capability of WPC products, which may allow the reinforced WPC to be potentially used in certain structural applications to replace solid wood.
Correlates of Physical Activity Among Low-Income Older Adults
Authors: Plow Matthew A. , Allen Susan M. , Resnik Linda
Published: July 2010

Little is known about physical activity (PA) behavior in low-income older adults, a population characterized by high levels of disease and impairments. The objective of this study is to identify health-related barriers associated with moderate PA in older adults covered by Medicaid. Data are from a survey of 490 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65. Ordinal regression was used to determine factors associated with PA. Results indicate that limitations in activities of daily living (OR = 0.11; CI = 0.03, 0.49), using mobility equipment (OR = 0.50; CI = 0.28, 0.88), hopelessness (OR = 0.39; CI = 0.17, 0.88), and low participation in social activities (OR = 0.50; CI = 0.28, 0.89) decreased the odds of engaging in PA. Health indicators related to PA in samples of older adults from the general population, including obesity, pain, and depression were not related to PA in this sample, suggesting that it is the impact of these conditions on functioning that poses the greatest risk to inactivity in older adults on Medicaid, rather than the conditions themselves.
The Use and Valuation of Journals in Planning Scholarship: Peer Assessment versus Impact Factors
Authors: Goldstein Harvey , Maier Gunther
Published: July 2010

A Web-based survey of faculty at all ACSP schools is used to assess the value peers place on various journals. The results of the survey show that two journals—the Journal of the American Planning Association and the Journal of Planning Education and Research—dominate all others in importance. The authors analyze the survey data to identify how the relative valuation of journals differs by individual faculty or institutional characteristics. The authors then test whether the journals’ importance by peer judgment is related to journal impact factors. The results demonstrate clearly there is no correlation between the two.
Heroes, villains and ‘honourable merchants’: narrative change in the German media discourse on corporate governance
Authors: Hartz Ronald , Steger Thomas
Published: July 2010

Drawing on data from recent media discourse about corporate governance in Germany, this article primarily seeks to explore the changing nature of narratives in the mass media about both organizations and their managers. Based on Greimas’ narrative approach and his adaptation of Propp’s morphology of the folktale, the article reconstructs two different narratives of corporate governance and the transformation process between them. To improve our understanding of narrative change, we extend the Greimasian approach in two respects. First, we highlight the two-way relationship between narrative change and the wider economic context. Second, we point to structural conditions of the narrative(s) in relation to narrative change and identify typical semantic figures as indicators of change.
From spectator to critic and participant
Authors: Berggren Åsa , Stutz Liv Nilsson
Published: July 2010

In order to understand ritual in the past, archaeology has long relied on theories developed in other disciplines. While these theories, which often rely on written or oral information, have added many important dimensions to our interpretation of the archaeological record, they have often proven difficult to successfully articulate with the archaeological sources. Moreover, archaeology has tended to remain on the receiving end of the formulation of social theory, and has only rarely participated in the theoretical development and critique. In this article we argue that we see a central role for archaeology to contribute to the development of ritual theory. Through two case studies from Scandinavian prehistory we illustrate how the application of a practice-based ritual theory allows us to more firmly connect the theoretical framework to our archaeological sources. This connection not only leads us toward a synchronization of materials, methods and theories, but it also allows us to engage in the broader interdisciplinary theoretical discussion about ritual. The specific challenges posed by the archaeological sources and the archaeological process of interpretation point to new questions relating to the application of theoretical frameworks, and may even suggest some solutions.
Law without a Lawgiver: Legal Authority after Sovereignty
Authors: Swiffen Amy
Published: July 2010

This paper defines a ‘crisis of sovereignty’ in relation to the status of legal authority without the nationstate as an ultimate referent. Based on an analysis of a debate between two influential strands of legal theory known as legal positivism and natural law, it suggests one current form of response is a renewal in natural law theory, which de-emphasises theological concepts in favour of the idea of the common good of a political community. Through reference to the Aristotelian concepts of politics and nature that are often invoked in these theories, the paper argues that the concept of law in new natural accounts, while manifestly founded on rational principles, still retains a theological core.
Empathy, Democratic Politics, and the Impartial Juror
Authors: Krause Sharon R.
Published: July 2010

Prevailing views of impartiality in law fail to see the important contributions that properly structured sentiments can make to the impartial deliberation of jurors. This article suggests a new approach to impartial judgment and new criteria for the impartial juror. Central to this account is a normative theory of empathy as the legally appropriate communication of sentiments that are democratically endorsable. The cultivation of the requisite empathy calls not only for revisions to the jury system but also for the right political institutions and for a public culture of civic engagement and democratic contestation.
Law’s Spatial Turn: Geography, Justice and a Certain Fear of Space
Authors: Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos Andreas
Published: July 2010

This is a critical reading of the current literature on law and geography. The article argues that the literature is characterized by an undertheorization of the concept of space. The focus is either on the specific geography of law in the form of jurisdiction, or as a simple terminological innovation. Instead, the article suggests that law’s spatial turn ought to consider space as a singular parameter to the hitherto legal preoccupation with time, history and waiting. This forces law into dealing with a new, peculiarly spatial kind of uncertainty in terms of simultaneity, disorientation, materiality and exclusionary corporeal emplacement. The main area in which this undertheorization forcefully manifests itself is that of spatial justice. Despite its critical potential, the concept has been reduced by the majority of the relevant literature into another version of social, distributive or regional justice. On the contrary, if the peculiar characteristics of space are to be taken into account, a concept of justice will have to be rethought on a much more fundamental level than that.
Symbolic Constitutionalism: On Sacred Cows and Abominable Pigs
Authors: Barak-Erez Daphne
Published: July 2010

The article discusses the significance of symbols within constitutional law by analyzing the role of laws introducing traditional national symbols into two legal systems characterized by a mixture of secular and traditional traits—India and Israel. Specifically, it focuses on the legal prohibitions on cattle slaughter in India and on pig growing and pork trading in Israel, animals considered “key symbols” in their respective cultures. Changes in the social and political context emerged as crucial for the legal regulation of these symbols as well as for its durability. Despite the similarities in their starting points, the Indian and the Israeli systems have ultimately taken divergent courses, reflecting differences in their respective contexts and underlying tensions. Whereas Indian cattle slaughter prohibitions are expanding with the constitutional backing of the Indian Supreme Court, pig-related prohibitions in Israel are declining, again with the constitutional backing of the Israeli Supreme Court. The article explains this difference by placing these symbols in a wider social context. Cattle slaughter in India has long been a consistent source of tension with the Muslim community. The basic strain that led to the original legislation, then, remains just as powerful, encouraging the preservation and expansion of laws forbidding cattle slaughter. By contrast, pig prohibitions in Jewish culture developed in the context of persecutions by Greco-Roman rulers and later on in Christian Europe. The “other” against whom this prohibition developed, however, is no longer part of public life in Israel. In addition, the Muslim community in Israel is equally averse to pigs. As time passed, then, the importance of pig prohibitions for Israeli secular Jews within the context of their national identity has declined, and they are currently perceived as a source of tension between secular and religious Jews. Many secular Israelis indeed view the pressure for pig-related legal prohibitions more as a symbol of religious coercion than as a national symbol of identification.