bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peroxynitrite augments fibroblast-mediated tissue remodeling via myofibroblast differentiation
Authors: Ichikawa Tomohiro , Sugiura Hisatoshi , Koarai Akira , Yanagisawa Satoru , Kanda Masae , Hayata Atsushi , Furukawa Kanako , Akamatsu Keiichiro , Hirano Tsunahiko , Nakanishi Masanori , Matsunaga Kazuto , Minakata Yoshiaki , Ichinose Masakazu
Published: September 2008

Irreversible airflow limitation in asthma is associated with airway remodeling in which the differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts plays a pivotal role. In asthmatic airways, excessive production of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) has been observed. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether peroxynitrite, one of the RNS, can affect the differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Human fetal lung fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of authentic peroxynitrite or a peroxynitrite donor 3-morpholinosydnonimine hydrochloride (SIN-1), and the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and desmin, markers of myofibroblast differentiation, were evaluated. The releases of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and ECM proteins including fibronectin and collagen I were assessed. To clarify the mechanism in this differentiation, the effect of anti-TGF-β antibody or NF-κB inhibitors on the α-SMA expression and ECM production was assessed. Peroxynitrite and SIN-1 significantly augmented the α-SMA expression compared with control in a concentration-dependent manner ( P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Peroxynitrite significantly increased desmin and TGF-β1 production ( P < 0.01). Peroxynitrite enhanced the translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus confirmed by immunocytostaining and immunoblotting. Peroxynitrite-augmented α-SMA expression was blocked by NF-κB inhibitors, MG132 and caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), and anti-TGF-β antibody. CAPE completely inhibited the peroxynitrite-augmented TGF-β1 release. The production of fibronectin and collagen I was significantly increased by peroxynitrite ( P < 0.01) and inhibited by anti-TGF-β antibody. These results suggest that RNS can affect the differentiation to myofibroblasts and excessive ECM production via a NF-κB-TGF-β1-dependent pathway.
Activation of endogenous GABAA channels on airway smooth muscle potentiates isoproterenol-mediated relaxation
Authors: Gallos George , Gleason Neil R. , Zhang Yi , Pak Sang-Woo , Sonett J. R. , Yang Jay , Emala Charles W.
Published: September 2008

Reactive airway disease predisposes patients to episodes of acute smooth muscle mediated bronchoconstriction. We have for the first time recently demonstrated the expression and function of endogenous ionotropic GABAA channels on airway smooth muscle cells. We questioned whether endogenous GABAA channels on airway smooth muscle could augment β-agonist-mediated relaxation. Guinea pig tracheal rings or human bronchial airway smooth muscles were equilibrated in organ baths with continuous digital tension recordings. After pretreatment with or without the selective GABAA antagonist gabazine (100 μM), airway muscle was contracted with acetylcholine or β-ala neurokinin A, followed by relaxation induced by cumulatively increasing concentrations of isoproterenol (1 nM to 1 μM) in the absence or presence of the selective GABAA agonist muscimol (10–100 μM). In separate experiments, guinea pig tracheal rings were pretreated with the large conductance KCa channel blocker iberiotoxin (100 nM) after an EC50 contraction with acetylcholine but before cumulatively increasing concentrations of isoproterenol (1 nM to 1 uM) in the absence or presence of muscimol (100 uM). GABAA activation potentiated the relaxant effects of isoproterenol after an acetylcholine or tachykinin-induced contraction in guinea pig tracheal rings or an acetylcholine-induced contraction in human endobronchial smooth muscle. This muscimol-induced potentiation of relaxation was abolished by gabazine pretreatment but persisted after blockade of the maxi KCa channel. Selective activation of endogenous GABAA receptors significantly augments β-agonist-mediated relaxation of guinea pig and human airway smooth muscle, which may have important therapeutic implications for patients in severe bronchospasm.
cAMP-mediated regulation of cholesterol accumulation in cystic fibrosis and Niemann-Pick type C cells
Authors: Manson Mary E. , Corey Deborah A. , White Nicole M. , Kelley Thomas J.
Published: September 2008

The goal of this study was to identify a mechanism regulating cholesterol accumulation in cystic fibrosis (CF) cells. Both CFTR activation and expression are regulated by the cAMP pathway, and it is hypothesized that a feedback response involving this pathway may be involved in the phenotype of cholesterol accumulation. To examine the role of the cAMP pathway in cholesterol accumulation, we treated two CF model cell lines with the Rp diastereomer of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphorothioate ( Rp-cAMPS) and visualized by filipin staining. Rp-cAMPS treatment eliminated cholesterol accumulation in CF cells, whereas 8-bromo-cAMP treatment led to cholesterol accumulation in wild-type cells. To confirm these findings in an independent model system, we also examined the role of cAMP in modulating cholesterol accumulation in Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) fibroblasts. Expression of the protein related to NPC, NPC1, is also directly regulated by cAMP; therefore, it is postulated that NPC cells exhibit the same cAMP-mediated control of cholesterol accumulation. Cholesterol accumulation in NPC cells also was reduced by the presence of Rp-cAMPS. Expression of β-arrestin-2 (βarr2), a marker of cellular response to cAMP signaling, was significantly elevated in CF model cells, Cftr−/−MNE, primary tissue obtained by nasal scrapes from CF subjects, and in NPC fibroblasts compared with respective controls.
Growing in Antarctica, a challenge for white adipose tissue development in Adélie penguin chicks (Pygoscelis adeliae)
Authors: Raccurt Mireille , Baudimont Fannie , Tirard Julien , Rey Benjamin , Moureaux Elodie , Géloën Alain , Duchamp Claude
Published: September 2008

Rapid growth is of crucial importance for Adélie penguin chicks reared during the short Antarctic summer. It partly depends on the rapid ontogenesis of fat stores that are virtually null at hatching but then develop considerably (×40) within a month to constitute both an isolative layer against cold and an energy store to fuel thermogenic and growth processes. The present study was aimed at identifying by RT-PCR the major transcriptional events that chronologically underlie the morphological transformation of adipocyte precursors into mature adipocytes from hatching to 30 days of age. The peak expression of GATA binding protein 3, a marker of preadipocytes, at day 7 posthatch indicates a key proliferation step, possibly in relation to the expression of C/EBPα (C/EBPα). High plasma total 3,5,3′-triiodo-l-thyronine (T3) levels and high levels of growth hormone receptor transcripts at hatching suggested that growth hormone and T3play early activating roles to favor proliferation of preadipocyte precursors. Differentiation and growth of preadipocytes may occur around day 15 in connection with increased abundance of transcripts encoding IGF-1, proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and C/EBPβ, gradually leading to functional maturation of metabolic features of adipocytes including lipid uptake and storage (lipoprotein lipase, fatty-acid synthase) and late endocrine functions (adiponectin) by day 30. Present results show a close correlation between adipose tissue development and chick biology and a difference in the scheduled expression of regulatory factors controlling adipogenesis compared with in vitro studies using cell lines emphasizing the importance of in vivo approaches.
Bradykinin regulates calpain and proinflammatory signaling through TRPM7-sensitive pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Yogi Alvaro , Callera Glaucia E. , Tostes Rita , Touyz Rhian M.
Published: September 2008

Transient receptor potential melastatin-7 (TRPM7) channels have recently been identified to be regulated by vasoactive agents acting through G protein-coupled receptors in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). However, downstream targets and functional responses remain unclear. We investigated the subcellular localization of TRPM7 in VSMCs and questioned the role of TRPM7 in proinflammatory signaling by bradykinin. VSMCs from Wistar-Kyoto rats were studied. Cell fractionation by sucrose gradient and differential centrifugation demonstrated that in bradykinin-stimulated cells, TRPM7 localized in fractions corresponding to caveolae. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy revealed that TRPM7 distributes along the cell membrane, that it has a reticular-type intracellular distribution, and that it colocalizes with flotillin-2, a marker of lipid rafts. Bradykinin increased expression of calpain, a TRPM7 target, and stimulated its cytosol/membrane translocation, an effect blocked by 2-APB (TRPM7 inhibitor) and U-73122 (phospholipase C inhibitor), but not by chelerythrine (PKC inhibitor). Expression of proinflammatory mediators VCAM-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was time-dependently increased by bradykinin. This effect was blocked by Hoe-140 (B2 receptor blocker) and 2-APB. Our data demonstrate that in bradykinin-stimulated VSMCs: 1) TRPM7 is upregulated, 2) TRPM7 associates with cholesterol-rich microdomains, and 3) calpain and proinflammatory mediators VCAM-1 and COX2 are regulated, in part, via TRPM7- and phospholipase C-dependent pathways through B2 receptors. These findings identify a novel signaling pathway for bradykinin, which involves TRPM7. Such phenomena may play a role in bradykinin/B2 receptor-mediated inflammatory responses in vascular cells.
Effects of inspiratory pause on CO2 elimination and arterial Pco2 in acute lung injury
Authors: Devaquet Jérôme , Jonson Björn , Niklason Lisbet , Si Larbi Anne-Gaëlle , Uttman Leif , Aboab Jérôme , Brochard Laurent
Published: September 2008

A high respiratory rate associated with the use of small tidal volumes, recommended for acute lung injury (ALI), shortens time for gas diffusion in the alveoli. This may decrease CO2 elimination. We hypothesized that a postinspiratory pause could enhance CO2 elimination and reduce PaCO2 by reducing dead space in ALI. In 15 mechanically ventilated patients with ALI and hypercapnia, a 20% postinspiratory pause (Tp20) was applied during a period of 30 min between two ventilation periods without postinspiratory pause (Tp0). Other parameters were kept unchanged. The single breath test for CO2 was recorded every 5 min to measure tidal CO2 elimination (VtCO2), airway dead space (VDaw), and slope of the alveolar plateau. PaO2, PaCO2, and physiological and alveolar dead space (VDphys, VDalv) were determined at the end of each 30-min period. The postinspiratory pause, 0.7 ± 0.2 s, induced on average <0.5 cmH2O of intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). During Tp20, VtCO2 increased immediately by 28 ± 10% (14 ± 5 ml per breath compared with 11 ± 4 for Tp0) and then decreased without reaching the initial value within 30 min. The addition of a postinspiratory pause significantly decreased VDaw by 14% and VDphys by 11% with no change in VDalv. During Tp20, the slope of the alveolar plateau initially fell to 65 ± 10% of baseline value and continued to decrease. Tp20 induced a 10 ± 3% decrease in PaCO2 at 30 min (from 55 ± 10 to 49 ± 9 mmHg, P < 0.001) with no significant variation in PaO2. Postinspiratory pause has a significant influence on CO2 elimination when small tidal volumes are used during mechanical ventilation for ALI.
Three‐Dimensional Pseudomanifolds on Eight Vertices
Authors: Datta Basudeb , Nilakantan Nandini
Published: September 2008

A normal pseudomanifold is a pseudomanifold in which the links of simplices are also
pseudomanifolds. So, a normal 2‐pseudomanifold triangulates a connected closed 2‐manifold. But,
normal d‐pseudomanifolds form a broader class than triangulations of connected closed d‐manifolds
for d ≥ 3. Here, we classify all the 8‐vertex neighbourly normal 3‐pseudomanifolds. This gives a
classification of all the 8‐vertex normal 3‐pseudomanifolds. There are 74 such 3‐pseudomanifolds,
39 of which triangulate the 3‐sphere and other 35 are not combinatorial 3‐manifolds. These 35
triangulate six distinct topological spaces. As a preliminary result, we show that any 8‐vertex 3‐pseudomanifold is equivalent by proper bistellar moves to an 8‐vertex neighbourly 3‐pseudomanifold.
This result is the best possible since there exists a 9‐vertex nonneighbourly 3‐pseudomanifold which
does not allow any proper bistellar moves.
Analysis of the Optical Properties of Screen‐Printed and Aerosol‐Printed and Plated Fingers of Silicon Solar Cells
Authors: Woehl R. , Hörteis M. , Glunz S. W.
Published: September 2008

One main efficiency loss in industrial solar cells is the shading of the cell caused by the metal front side contacts. With the aerosol‐printing technique plus an additional light‐induced plating (LIP) step, not only is the geometrical contact width narrowed compared to screen‐printed contacts but also the shape of the finger changes. In this work, the effective shading of different finger types is analysed with two different measurement methods. The essential parameter for characterising the finger is the effective width which can be reduced drastically compared to the geometrical width due to total internal reflection at the glass‐air layer and the reflection from the roundish edges of the contact fingers into the cell. This parameter was determined with different methods. It could be shown that for aerosol‐printed fingers the effective (optical) width is only 38% of its geometrical width, while for standard screen‐printed fingers it is 47%. The measured values are compared to a theoretical model for an aerosol‐printed and plated finger and are in good agreement.
Nodoventricular Accessory Pathways in
PRKAG2
-Dependent Familial Preexcitation Syndrome Reveal a Disorder in Cardiac Development
Authors: Tan Hanno L. , van der Wal Allard C. , Campian Maria E. , Kruyswijk Hittjo H. , ten Hove Jansen Bram , van Doorn Dirk-Jan , Oskam Henk J. , Becker Anton E. , Wilde Arthur A.M.
Published: September 2008

Background—

Familial preexcitation syndrome is linked to mutations in
PRKAG2
. Previous studies on the R302Q mutation have provided evidence for a remarkably high proportion of otherwise rare accessory pathways with atrioventricular (AV) node-like conduction properties (Mahaim fibers). Yet, histopathologic proof is still lacking. We aimed to provide such proof.

Methods and Results—

We retrospectively studied the medical records of 17 members of a 5-generation family. Five subjects died prematurely. The R302Q mutation was found in 8 living subjects and 2 deceased subjects (obligate carriers). Cardiac hypertrophy was found in 7 mutation carriers. ECGs compatible with preexcitation were found in 13 subjects and AV block at varying degrees in 5 subjects. All mutation carriers had electrocardiographic evidence of preexcitation, AV block, or both. Three individuals had high-grade AV block with preexcited conducted beats. Electrophysiological studies in 3 individuals revealed bypasses with AV node–like properties. Histopathologic studies of 1 suddenly deceased mutation carrier revealed concentric hypertrophy of the left ventricle with extensive myocardial disarray associated with slight interstitial fibrosis but no lysosomal-bound glycogen. Moreover, there were 3 small nodoventricular tracts (Mahaim fibers) passing through the central fibrous body and connecting the AV node with the working myocardium of the interventricular septum.

Conclusions—

Preexcitation associated with the R302Q mutation in
PRKAG2
is associated with Mahaim fibers. These findings support the novel insight that
PRKAG2
may be involved in the development of the cardiac conduction system.
Elevated Afterload, Neuroendocrine Stimulation, and Human Heart Failure Increase BNP Levels and Inhibit Preload-Dependent SERCA Upregulation
Authors: Toischer Karl , Kögler Harald , Tenderich Gero , Grebe Cornelia , Seidler Tim , Van Phuc Nguyen , Jung Klaus , Knöll Ralph , Körfer Reiner , Hasenfuss Gerd
Published: September 2008

Background—

In heart failure, brain-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is elevated and the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
-ATPase (SERCA) downregulated. We previously showed that preload-induced SERCA-upregulation is suppressed by exogenous BNP.

Methods and Results—

Here we tested the hypothesis that afterload and neurohumoral activation would counterregulate preload-dependent SERCA upregulation through BNP, which finally results in decreased SERCA levels. We studied the effects of 6 hours preload, afterload, and isoproterenol stimulation on BNP and SERCA mRNA expression in rabbit and human failing muscles strips. Preload resulted in a pronounced upregulation of SERCA by 149% (isotonic versus slack,
P
<0.01). This upregulation was largely suppressed in afterloaded muscles (isometric versus slack: +32%;
P
<0.05). Similarly, presence of isoproterenol prevented SERCA upregulation in isotonic muscles. Afterload and isoproterenol resulted in a pronounced increase in BNP expression compared with slack by 225% (
P
<0.05) and 198% (
P
<0.01), respectively. Isoproterenol also increased expression of phospholamban by 84% (
P
<0.01). SERCA upregulation in preloaded muscles is associated with frequency-dependent potentiation of contractile force, which is absent in afterloaded muscles. In failing human myocardium, BNP expression was upregulated compared with nonfailing (+631%;
P
<0.05). Neither unloading nor preload or afterload induced a change in SERCA or BNP expression after 6 hours.

Conclusions—

Afterload and neuroendocrine stimulation increase BNP expression thereby causing inhibition of preload-dependent SERCA upregulation. In failing human myocardium, high BNP expression may underlie the loss of preload-dependent upregulation of SERCA. BNP may thus contribute to adverse myocardial remodelling in heart failure.
Myocardial Alterations in Senescent Mice and Effect of Exercise Training
Authors: Derumeaux Geneviève , Ichinose Fumito , Raher Michael J. , Morgan John G. , Coman Tereza , Lee Candace , Cuesta Jose Maria , Thibault Hélène , Bloch Kenneth D. , Picard Michael H. , Scherrer-Crosbie Marielle
Published: September 2008

Background—

Aging is accompanied by an alteration in myocardial contractility. However, its noninvasive detection is difficult. The effect of chronic exercise on this decrease is unknown. Murine models of senescence are increasingly used to test therapies in aging. We tested whether strain rate imaging detected left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction in aging mice and was able to assess a potential improvement after exercise.

Methods and Results—

Young (3 weeks), adult (2 to 3 months), and old (6 to 18 months) C57BL6 male mice underwent echocardiograms with strain rate imaging, either in sedentary conditions or before, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after chronic swimming. Hemodynamic parameters of LV function including maximal and end-systolic elastance were obtained before euthanizing. LV fibrosis was measured using Sirius red staining. Conventional echocardiography was unable to detect LV systolic dysfunction in old mice, whereas both systolic strain rate and load-independent hemodynamic parameters such as preload recruitable stroke work and end-systolic elastance were significantly decreased. Both strain rate and load-independent hemodynamic parameters normalized after 4 weeks of exercise. Both endocardial and epicardial fibrosis were increased in the LV of aging mice. Endocardial fibrosis decreased in exercised aged mice.

Conclusions—

Strain rate noninvasively detects LV systolic dysfunction associated with aging in mice, whereas conventional echocardiography does not. Chronic exercise normalizes LV systolic function and decreases fibrosis in old mice. Strain rate imaging in mice may be a useful tool to monitor the effect of new therapeutic strategies preventing the myocardial dysfunction associated with aging.
In Vivo Serial Assessment of Aortic Aneurysm Formation in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice via MRI
Authors: Turner Gregory H. , Olzinski Alan R. , Bernard Roberta E. , Aravindhan Karpagam , Karr Heather W. , Mirabile Rosanna C. , Willette Robert N. , Gough Peter J. , Jucker Beat M.
Published: September 2008

Background—

Hyperlipidimic mice administered angiotensin II have been used for the study of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The purpose of this study was to examine the use of MRI for studying AAA development and for examining the effects of pharmacological intervention on AAA development in the apolipoprotein E–deficient mouse.

Methods and Results—

Suprarenal aortic aneurysms were generated in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice administered angiotensin II (1000 ng/kg per min) for up to 28 days. In vivo MRI was performed serially (once weekly) to assess AAA development and rupture. Comparison of AAA size as measured by in vivo and ex vivo MRI resulted in excellent agreement (
r
=0.96,
P
<0.0001). In addition, MRI correlated with histology-derived AAA area assessment (in vivo versus histology:
r
=0.84,
P
<0.0001; ex vivo versus histology:
r
=0.89,
P
<0.0001). In a separate study, angiotensin II–administered apolipoprotein E–deficient mice were treated with doxycycline (broad-based matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor; 30 mg/kg per day for 28 days). MRI was able to noninvasively assess a reduced rate of AAA development (46% versus 71%,
P
<0.05), a decreased AAA area (2.56 versus 4.02 mm
2
,
P
<0.01), and decreased incidence of rupture (43% versus 100%) in treated versus control animals. Inhibition of aorta matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 activity was observed in the treated animals.

Conclusions—

These results demonstrate the use of MRI to noninvasively and temporally assess AAA development on pharmacological intervention in this preclinical cardiovascular disease model.
Tod und Bestattung im Kontext religiöser Pluralität. Probleme und Möglichkeiten bei der Umsetzung buddhistischer Bestattungen in Deutschland
Authors: Grünhagen Céline
Published: September 2008

Although Germany's population is largely Christian, there are many German nationals as well as various immigrants who belong to non-Christian religious communities. When different religions and cultures with their particular rites and precepts meet, they can come into conflict with one another, hindering a peaceful coexistence. Cultural and religious discrepancies occur in various situations of everyday life, especially when it comes to the issue of funerals conducted in unfamiliar conditions. The rites and customs that relate to death and dying are usually basic elements of a religious tradition. They mark the end of a lifetime and often have a big impact on afterlife or rebirth respectively. Looking at the example of Buddhists in Germany, the article points to the difficulties and limitations that arise from non-Christian funerals in the Federal Republic. It also demonstrates the consequences of these conflicts for citizens of a different faith in German society and offers possible solutions for this problem.
Internationaler Wissenschaftsaustausch um 1830. Ein Beispiel: der Heidelberger Theologe und Pädagoge F. H. C. Schwarz und die Niederlande
Authors: Schwinge Gerhard
Published: September 2008

Using the example of the contacts between The Netherlands and the university theologian and educationalist from Heidelberg, F. H. C. Schwarz (1766-1837), this article demonstrates that intensive personal academic exchange existed already in the early 19th century: It included the reading of scientific literature in foreign languages, book reviews in special periodicals, translation projects, visits across borders, membership of academic societies, scholarships for foreign students and sometimes even offers of chairmanships to scientists of other nations. Even though international research projects were not known at the time, academic contacts did exist and were mostly achieved through correspondence – despite the limitations – as well as travel.
Petrus Martyr d'Anghiera über die Freiheit der Indios (Epist. 806 und Dec. 7,4)
Authors: Tischer Ute
Published: September 2008

Petrus Martyr d'Anghiera dealt twice with the ethical discussions concerning the Spanish colonization in America around 1524. A straight reading shows how this sensitive topic was presented with caution and literary skill, thereby mitigating the charge of opportunism that several authors have made.
Vom Sieg der Vernunft über das Vorurteil. Gotthold Ephraim Lessings Frühwerk ,,Die Juden"
Authors: Surall Frank
Published: September 2008

C. F. Gellert's 1748 novel "Leben der schwedischen Gräfin von G***" portrays the moral actions of Jews as a result of good Christian conduct. In reaction, G. E. Lessing disputes this depiction in his one-act-play "Die Juden" from 1749. The recognition that a Jew could fulfill the ideals of the Enlightenment helped overcome the prejudices of Christian stage characters and of the audience, but it failed in the social circumstances of the time. Christian reception (J. D. Michaelis) understood a "noble Jew" to be a violation of the poetic principle of probability - and even for Lessing such a figure was the exception. Moses Mendelssohn, however, believed that Judaism was especially well-suited for fostering the development of certain virtues. In light of far-reaching interreligious concepts on the one hand and religiously motivated conflicts on the other, Lessing's early works reveal today the persistent value of self-critical examination concerning hidden prejudices towards religious and cultural minorities.
Linking a Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Model with Three-Dimensional Eulerian Wind Field Models
Authors: Weil Jeffrey C.
Published: September 2008

A slightly simplified form of Thomson’s Lagrangian stochastic model (LSM) is presented for dispersion applications in three-dimensional (3D) flow fields. It is found that the Lagrangian velocity of a particle in 3D inhomogeneous Gaussian turbulence can be decomposed into the local Eulerian mean velocity UEi at the particle position and a velocity perturbation u′i. The Eulerian mean wind can be predicted by 3D wind field models, whereas the u′i is obtained from Thomson’s model and depends on the turbulence field. The UEi, u′i decomposition was used earlier in a two-dimensional particle model for a canopy (by Flesch and Wilson) and in models with 3D mean winds but with u′i based on LSM forms differing from that of Thomson. This note shows that the UEi, u′i decomposition is consistent with Thomson’s LSM for general 3D flow fields and is a simpler solution that should lead to improved computational efficiency for dispersion applications.
The Language of Empathy: An Analysis of Its Constitution, Development, and Role in Psychoanalytic Listening
Authors: Aragno Anna
Published: September 2008

Viewed from an epistemological perspective, empathy in psychoanalytic practice is described as that aspect of a specialized attentional stance that opens channels of interaction facilitating the formation of a trusting bond and enabling one to gain access to the emotional qualities of another's experience. A literature overview traces the origins of the concept in Freud and its role in psychoanalytic listening (including its controversial, divisive evolution in our field). Empathy is then examined from a semiotic-developmental framework. Its constitutional origins, differentiated forms, and distinctive purpose in clinical discourse are discussed. A developmental line is proposed, and clear distinctions are drawn between empathy in everyday life and its specialized technical application in clinical work.
Some Thoughts on Empathy and Countertransference
Authors: Zepf Siegfried , Hartmann Sebastian
Published: September 2008

Two aspects of countertransference—namely, the countertransference reaction and empathic understanding—must be distinguished. The term countertransference should be reserved exclusively for the conscious reactions of the analyst emerging from the preconscious by virtue of the patient's current transferences; the term empathy should be used to denote a perspective whereby the analyst employs current countertransference reactions for an understanding of the patient's inner life.
Psychoanalytic Developmental Theory: A Contemporary Reconsideration
Authors: Gilmore Karen
Published: September 2008

Psychoanalytic developmental theory has never enjoyed a broad consensus among psychoanalytic thinkers. In today's postmodern era, its relevance and basic premises are even more in question as a legitimate part of psychoanalytic theorizing. Part of the problem has been (1) the serious errors perpetrated historically in the name of psychoanalytic developmental theory and (2) its current state of disarray in the wake of piecemeal efforts to rectify these errors. Nonetheless, its presence is discernible in every psychoanalyst's theory and clinical work, whether or not it is acknowledged or brought into a cohesive theoretical frame. The point of view of “intersubjective ego psychology” (Chodorow 2004), embraced by a growing number of analysts interested in development, offers a more flexible and inclusive paradigm for psychoanalytic developmental thinking in order to preserve its rightful place in contemporary psychoanalysis.
Empathy and Identification in Von Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others
Authors: Diamond Diana
Published: September 2008

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others, set in the German Democratic Republic in 1984, five years before the fall of the Berlin Wall, has been called the first accurate depiction of the psychological terror wielded by the Stasi, the East German secret police, who safeguarded the dictatorship of the proletariat. The film is about the psychological and political transformation of a Stasi officer, Wiesler, who undertakes the surveillance of a prominent playwright and his actress lover. The mechanisms through which Wiesler comes to empathize and identify with the subjects of his investigation, as he observes and listens in on the rich blend of passion, poetry, and politics that characterizes their lives, are explored in depth. Wiesler's transformation is based in part on the capacity to form implicit models of the behavior and experiences of others, based on the mirror neuron system, that Gallese and his colleagues call “embodied simulation.” Underpinning the processes of empathy and identification so central to this film, embodied simulation is an unconscious and prereflexive mechanism through which the actions, emotions, and sensations we observe activate internal representations of the bodily and mental states of the other. Embodied simulation also expands our understanding of the power of the primal scene, which has long been identified as a major organizer of unconscious fantasies and conflicts throughout life, and which forms the central metaphor of the film. Embodied simulation scaffolds our aesthetic response to art, music, and literature, underlies the dynamics of spectatorship, and potentially catalyzes resistance to totalitarian mass movements.
Temple land in Chola and Pandyan inscriptions
Authors: Karashima Noboru
Published: September 2008

The purpose of this dēvadāna study1 is twofold. In Chola and Pandyan inscriptions (tenth to thirteenth centuries) dēvadānas granted to Hindu temples are often designated as kudinīkki or kudinīngā in relation to the mode of their utilisation by the temple. In past studies, however, these two terms have been variously and wrongly interpreted by scholars. The first and main purpose of this study, therefore, is to ascertain the correct legal meaning of these terms, which stipulate the position of the new kudis and not that of the old kudis, as most past studies have assumed. Having done so, we shall be able to understand the historical implications of dēvadāna, especially kudinīngā-dēvadāna, appearing in inscriptions. As a second and subsidiary purpose, therefore, I shall try to relate this dēvadāna analysis to the broader issue of the social change which occurred during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries caused by changes in the landholding system and land revenue policy of the state. For this purpose I shall examine the pattern of dēvadāna appearing in Chola and Pandyan inscriptions. This pattern seems to reflect these changes.
The colonial state, zamindars and the politics of flood control in north Bihar (1850–1945)
Authors: Singh Praveen
Published: September 2008

The colonial dispensation in north Bihar believed that the rivers of the flood plains needed to be controlled. The zamindar became the pivot around which the implementation of these flood control efforts revolved. Along with the railways and roads, the uncontrolled manner in which many zamindary embankments were built led to a deterioration in the flood situation. By the 1930s, there was a strong view among engineers that rivers should not be controlled and embankments should be removed wherever possible. However, in contrast to the new official technical doctrine on flood control, a slew of powerful social and economic interests argued for retaining the ‘protected areas’ through embankments. Exploring the tensions that played out between the colonial engineering establishment, the revenue administrators and the zamindars over the question of river control in north Bihar, this article argues for an emphasis on environmental change as a critical dimension for understanding the colonial rule in the region.
Partner-Related Rehabilitation Experiences of Lesbians with Physical Disabilities
Authors: Hunt Brandon , Milsom Amy , Matthews Connie R.
Published: September 2008

The authors interviewed 25 lesbians with physical disabilities about their perspectives on their partner-related experiences. Using phenomenological inquiry, they identified two themes: one, how the disability affected the partnership and, two, treatment as a lesbian couple by rehabilitation professionals. The themes and subthemes are described in detail, and implications for rehabilitation counselors are presented.
Effecting Discrimination
Authors: Basham Victoria
Published: September 2008

In recent years, the British military has introduced a number of policies aimed at recruiting and sustaining demographically diverse armed forces. Central to these is a “zero-tolerance” approach to discrimination and harassment. However, by undertaking an “effective” reading of policies aimed at managing sexual orientation and gender diversity, and by drawing on qualitative research with members of the British forces, this article demonstrates how the military's own implementation strategies facilitate discrimination against some recruits. It concludes that although the British military is understandably keen to protect its operational effectiveness, by clinging to unreflexive claims about the nature of social cohesion, and in failing to respond to societal demands for inclusion, military officials are undermining the social legitimacy of the armed forces. By extension, they are destabilizing, rather than protecting, their capabilities.
Differences Between Persistent and Desistent Middle School Bullies
Authors: Wrenn Carlson L. , Cornell Dewey G.
Published: September 2008

This study investigated differences in aggressive attitudes, academic achievement and discipline referrals between bullies and non-bullies in a sample of 261 6th and 7th grade students over a two-year period. Through the use of a peer nomination survey, 16 students were identified as bullies both years (persistent) and 21 were identified only in the first year (desistent). Across all students, aggressive attitudes were associated with poorer grades and more discipline infractions, but persistent bullies had the most aggressive attitudes and were more likely to get into trouble in school than desistent bullies or control students. Desistent bullies were more similar to control students than persistent bullies. These findings support the need to differentiate among middle school bullies and to focus attention on the aggressive attitudes of persistent bullies.
Self-Concept, Early Childhood Depression and School Retention as Predictors of Adolescent Depression in Urban Hispanic Adolescents
Authors: Robles-Piña Rebecca A. , Defrance Emily , Cox Deborah L.
Published: September 2008

The role that early school retention, early childhood depression and self-concept had on levels of depression in 191 urban Hispanic adolescents was investigated. This exploratory study used a purposeful sample to study relationships and thus causality cannot be inferred. Statistically significant gender differences were found for depression with females reporting more depressive symptoms and both Hispanic males and females reporting higher rates of depression than the national average. Overall retention rates were 42 percent, with the majority of students retained in kindergarten and 1st grade with a second peak in retention rates in the 8th and 9th grades. Retained students versus non-retained students had statistically significant differences in: (a) lower self-concept; (b) past feelings of depression; (c) GPA and (d) depression. Predictors of depression in order of contribution were: (a) self-concept; (b) early childhood depression; (c) retention and (d) gender. The findings in this study are generalizable only to the sample in this study and may not apply to adolescents in other ethnic groups. Implications for schools and school psychologists are noted.
Understanding Diversity in Educational Psychology Teams
Authors: Annan Jean , Bowler Jo , Mentis Mandia , Phillipson Roger
Published: September 2008

Educational psychologists' work routinely involves facilitation of teams in which participants hold diverse points of view. In this article, the authors discuss diversity in team work and its place in the development of shared goals. They describe, as an example of educational psychologists' work team interaction, the structure and functioning of communities of practice. Particular attention is paid to the tension between commonality and diversity of team-member knowledge in determining the course of professional practice. The authors consider a particular aspect of diversity regularly encountered by educational psychologists: differing beliefs regarding the reasons for, and origins of, child behaviour. They suggest that educational psychologists can support effective interventions by recognizing, understanding and utilizing the diverse views of the people involved in their consultation work. A matrix of common perspectives of human development illustrates a range of diverse views and shows how fluid beliefs about the contexts of learning and behaviour problems influence interpretations of events and the nature of interventions. The authors illustrate, with reference to case examples, how the matrix can illuminate the nature of diverse viewpoints and support educational psychology teams to utilize difference to construct applicable interventions.
Elevators, social spaces and racism
Authors: Yancy George
Published: September 2008

There has been a great deal of philosophical analysis supporting the position that race is semantically empty, ontologically bankrupt and scientifically meaningless. The conclusion often reached is that race is a social construction. While this position is certainly accepted by the majority of philosophers working within the area of critical race theory, the existentially lived and socially embodied impact of `race' is often left either unexplored or under-theorized. In this article, I provide a philosophical analysis of how `race' operates at the level of the embodied within the context of the quotidian, and how the recognition of instances of racism is grounded within an epistemological community. I demonstrate that race as lived is a powerful experience that emerges within an interstitial space of enduring myths and habituated bodily postures. My elevator example demonstrates that, as a lived reality, race is insidious and negatively impacts the integrity of, in this example, the black body and the white body. The black body is shown to undergo a process of `confiscation' through the phenomenon of the white gaze, which is a form of learned embodied seeing, while the white body elides any responsibility for holding the black body captive. The white gaze is theorized as a cultural achievement, which is productive of a form of ignorance. Instances of anti-racism, then, are not restricted to mere cognitive shifts in one's perspective, but must involve performing the body's racialized interactions with the world differently.
Covenant Marriage and the Sanctification of Gendered Marital Roles
Authors: Baker Elizabeth H. , Sanchez Laura A. , Nock Steven L. , Wright James D.
Published: September 2008

This study contributes to research on the deinstitutionalization of marriage and changing gender ideologies by focusing on a unique group of marriage innovators. With quantitative and qualitative data from the Marriage Matters project (1997-2004), this study used a symbolic interactionist perspective to compare covenant- and standard-married couples. Findings reveal that covenants are more traditional than standards across religious, marital, and gender attitude indices. Qualitative analyses suggest that covenants see their marital status as a powerful symbol to publicly display their beliefs about the benefits and necessity of traditional religious marriage. Covenant-married couples defuse the stigma of gender subordination by casting it as a service to God and by crafting a hybrid form of gender traditionalism that incorporates emotional ethics of egalitarianism. Conversely, standard-married couples view gender, marriage, and religion as diffuse, privatized, individualized matters. Implications are discussed in light of further research on contemporary marriage and shifting gender roles.
Iconic Experience in Art and Life
Authors: Alexander Jeffrey C.
Published: September 2008

This article examines a key question emerging from the strong program in cultural sociology — can art provide a window into social life? An examination of Giacometti's Standing Woman shows that art attempts to express cultural structures via immersion into and through the material surfaces of aesthetic form. Through an analysis of the iconic significance of family photos, furniture and celebrities, the article goes on to suggest that such iconic experience remains at the basis of contemporary social life. It explains how we feel part of our surroundings, how we experience the ties that bind us to the people we know and how we develop a feeling for cultural hierarchy.
The Militarization of US Higher Education after 9/11
Authors: Giroux Henry A.
Published: September 2008

Subject to severe financial constraints while operating within a regime of moral panics driven by the `war on terrorism', higher education in the United States faces both a legitimation crisis and a political crisis. With its increasing reliance on Pentagon and corporate interests, the academy has largely opened its doors to serving private and governmental interests and in doing so has compromised its role as a democratic public sphere. This article situates the development of the university as a militarized knowledge factory within the broader context of what I call the biopolitics of militarization and its increasing influence and power within American society after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Highlighting and critically engaging the specific ways in which the forces of militarization are shaping various aspects of university life, this article focuses on the growth of militarized knowledge and research, the increasing development of academic programs and schools that serve military personnel, and the ongoing production of military values and subject positions on US campuses. It also charts how the alliance between the university and the national security state has undermined the university as a site of criticism, dissent and critical dialogue.
End-of-life care: nurses’ experiences in caring for dying patients with profound learning disabilities—a descriptive case study
Authors: Li S , Ng J
Published: September 2008

This qualitative study identifies areas of expertise and deficits in the specific knowledge and practical skills of nurses in the care of dying patients with profound learning disabilities in one NHS Primary Care Trust in the UK. In response to these findings, we have developed a simple observational checklist applicable to profound learning disability nursing to identify disease-related personality and physiological changes. The method consists of a descriptive case study of five nurses qualified in learning disabilities nursing, using semi-structured interviews. The disease trajectory was used as a framework of reference to guide the data analysis. Themes showed were ‘certainty of knowing’ about disease-related changes in patients’ habits and behaviour and ‘uncertainty and ambiguity’ in the patho-physiology of advanced diseases and disease progression. This study interprets a lack of patho-physiological knowledge in both malignant and non-malignant diseases leading to delayed diagnosis and timely intervention. Timeliness of observation and intervention are emphasised.
Geography, pedagogy and politics
Authors: Castree Noel , Fuller Duncan , Kent Andrew , Kobayashi Audrey , Merrett Christopher D. , Pulido Laura , Barraclough Laura
Published: September 2008

This Forum takes seriously the proposition that everything we do as geographers is potentially `relevant' to the affairs of the wider society. Using expanded conceptions of `pedagogy' and `politics', the Forum suggests why and how we are always engaged in processes of shaping and steering this wider society, wittingly or not, and intentionally or not. In the minds of many of us, this shaping and steering only (or mostly) occurs through activities we assume to be self-evidently `relevant' in intention or effect — like undertaking policy-relevant research. However, this Forum argues that it is misplaced to regard only a select group of our activities as socially consequential. Pulling together recent debates on `participatory', `activist' and `public' geographies, the Forum offers arguments and examples that show readers the potential relevance of the whole range of diverse practices in which we professionally engage. The introduction and five subsequent contributions together suggest that we aim for a `joined-up' conception of ourselves and our activities as professional geographers embedded in a wider society. As such, the Forum aims to make a distinctive contribution to ongoing discussions of how big-G academic geography relates to the plethora of small-g quotidian geographies — imagined and real — that are the stuff of our world.
Understanding watershed suspended sediment transport
Authors: Peng Gao
Published: September 2008

Suspended sediment at the watershed scale has played a critical role in sediment pollution, water-quality degradation, and the impairment of riparian ecosystems, and thus has been widely studied in many disciplines. This paper synthesizes a variety of methods adopted in suspended sediment monitoring, estimation and modelling for understanding sediment transport processes and determining the suspended sediment load. Methods for sediment monitoring are described in terms of direct and indirect approaches. Estimation of suspended sediment load is commonly achieved by establishing a sediment rating curve. Different approaches toward the establishment of a sediment rating curve are examined thoroughly. Techniques of sediment modelling are summarized via depiction of various hydrological and sediment models at the watershed scale. The paper ends with the discussion of future developments in suspended sediment studies at the watershed scale.