bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of endothelin-1-induced increases in blood pressure: role of endogenous CGRP
Authors: Wang Youping , Wang Donna H.
Published: June 2004

To determine the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and its receptors in the regulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release, male Wistar rats were divided into six groups and subjected to the following treatments for 1 wk with or without ABT-627 (an ETAreceptor antagonist, 5 mg·kg−1·day−1in drinking water) or A-192621 (an ETB-receptor antagonist, 30 mg·kg−1·day−1by oral gavage): control (Con), ET-1 (5 ng·kg−1·min−1iv), Con + ABT-627, Con + A-192621, ET-1 + ABT-627, and ET-1 + A-192621. Baseline mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg) was higher ( P < 0.05) in Con + A-192621 (122 ± 4) and ET-1 + A-192621 (119 ± 4) groups compared with Con (104 ± 6), ET1 (106 ± 3), Con + ABT-627 (104 ± 3), and ET1 + ABT-627 (100 ± 3) groups. Intravenous administration of CGRP8–37(a CGRP receptor antagonist, 1 mg/kg) increased MAP ( P < 0.05) in ET-1 (13 ± 1), Con + A-192621 (12 ± 1), and ET-1 + A-192621 (15 ± 3) groups compared with Con (4 ± 1), Con-ABT-627 (4 ± 1), and ET-1 + ABT-627 (5 ± 1) groups. Plasma CGRP levels (in pg/ml) were increased ( P < 0.05) in ET-1 (57.5 ± 6.1), Con + A-192621 (53.9 ± 3.4), and ET-1 + A-192621 (60.4 ± 3.0) groups compared with Con (40.4 ± 1.6), Con + ABT-627 (40.0 ± 2.9), and ET-1 + ABT-627 (42.6 ± 1.9) groups. Plasma ET-1 levels (in pg/ml) were higher ( P < 0.05) in ET-1 (2.8 ± 0.2), ET-1 + ABT-627 (3.2 ± 0.4), Con + A-192621 (3.3 ± 0.4), and ET-1 + A-192621 (4.6 ± 0.3) groups compared with Con (1.1 ± 0.2) and Con-ABT-627 (1.3 ± 0.2) groups. Therefore, our data show that ET-1 infusion leads to increased CGRP release via activation of the ETAreceptor, which plays a compensatory role in preventing ET-1-induced elevation in blood pressure.
Altered connexin43 expression produces arrhythmia substrate in heart failure
Authors: Poelzing Steven , Rosenbaum David S.
Published: June 2004

Recently, we found that repolarization heterogeneities between subepicardial and midmyocardial cells can form a substrate for reentrant ventricular arrhythmias in failing myocardium. We hypothesized that the mechanism responsible for maintaining transmural action potential duration heterogeneities in heart failure is related to intercellular uncoupling from downregulation of cardiac gap junction protein connexin43 (Cx43). With the use of the canine model of pacing-induced heart failure, left ventricles were sectioned to expose the transmural surface ( n = 5). To determine whether heterogeneous Cx43 expression influenced electrophysiological function, high-resolution transmural optical mapping of the arterially perfused canine wedge preparation was used to measure conduction velocity (θTM), effective transmural space constant (λTM), and transmural gradients of action potential duration (APD). Absolute Cx43 expression in failing myocardium, quantified by confocal immunofluorescence, was uniformly reduced (by 40 ± 3%, P < 0.01) compared with control. Relative Cx43 expression was heterogeneously distributed and lower (by 32 ± 18%, P < 0.05) in the subepicardium compared with deeper layers. Reduced Cx43 expression in heart failure was associated with significant reductions in intercellular coupling between transmural muscle layers, as evidenced by reduced θTM(by 18.9 ± 4.9%) and λTM(by 17.2 ± 1.4%; P < 0.01) compared with control. Heterogeneous transmural distribution of Cx43 in failing myocardium was associated with lower subepicardial θTM(by 12 ± 10%) and λTM(by 13 ± 7%), compared with deeper transmural layers ( P < 0.05). APD dispersion was greatest in failing myocardium, and the largest transmural APD gradients were consistently found in regions exhibiting lowest relative Cx43 expression. These data demonstrate that reduced Cx43 expression produces uncoupling between transmural muscle layers leading to slowed conduction and marked dispersion of repolarization between epicardial and deeper myocardial layers. Therefore, Cx43 expression patterns can potentially contribute to an arrhythmic substrate in failing myocardium.
Reoxygenation after hypoxia and glucose depletion causes reactive oxygen species production by mitochondria in HUVEC
Authors: Therade-Matharan S. , Laemmel E. , Duranteau J. , Vicaut E.
Published: June 2004

In hemorrhagic shock, local hypoxia is present and followed by reoxygenation during the therapeutic process. In endothelium, reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been identified as a cause of inflammatory reactions and tissular lesions in ischemic territory during reoxygenation. This study was designed to identify the enzymatic mechanisms of ROS formation during reoxygenation after hypoxia. Because severe shock, in vivo, can affect both O2and nutriments, we combined hypoxia at a level close to that found in terminal vessels during shock, with glucose depletion, which induces a relevant additional stress. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) underwent 2 h of hypoxia (Po2∼20 mmHg) without glucose and 1 h of reoxygenation (Po2∼120 mmHg) with glucose. ROS production was measured by the fluorescent marker 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, and cell death by propidium iodide. After 1 h of reoxygenation, fluorescence had risen by 143 ± 17%. Cell death was equal to 8.6 ± 2.4%. Antimycin A and stigmatellin, which inhibits the type III mitochondrial respiratory chain complex, reduced ROS production to values of 61 ± 10 and 59 ± 7%, respectively, but inhibitors of other chain complexes did not affect it. In addition, the increase in fluorescence was not affected by inhibition of NADPH oxidase, xanthine oxidase, NOS, cyclooxygenase, cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase, or monoamine oxidase. We did not observe any increase in cell death. These results show that, in HUVEC, mitochondria are responsible for ROS production after hypoxia and reoxygenation and suggest that a ROS release site is activated in the cytochrome b of the type III respiratory chain complex.
Molecular and functional characterization of a vasotocin-sensitive aquaporin water channel in quail kidney
Authors: Yang Y. , Cui Y. , Wang W. , Zhang L. , Bufford L. , Sasaki S. , Fan Z. , Nishimura H.
Published: June 2004

Both mammals and birds can concentrate urine hyperosmotic to plasma via a countercurrent multiplier mechanism, although evolutionary lines leading to mammals and birds diverged at an early stage of tetrapod evolution. We reported earlier (Nishimura H, Koseki C, and Patel TB. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 271: R1535–R1543, 1996) that arginine vasotocin (AVT; avian antidiuretic hormone) increases diffusional water permeability in the isolated, perfused medullary collecting duct (CD) of the quail kidney. In the present study, we have identified an aquaporin (AQP) 2 homolog water channel in the medullary cones of Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix (qAQP2), by RT-PCR-based cloning techniques. A full-length cDNA contains an 822-bp open reading frame that encodes a 274-amino acid sequence with 75.5% identity to rat AQP2. The qAQP2 has six transmembrane domains, two asparagine-proline-alanine (NPA) sequences, and putative N-glycosylation (asparagine-124) and phosphorylation sites (serine-257) for cAMP-dependent protein kinase. qAQP2 is expressed in the membrane of Xenopus laevis oocytes and significantly increased its osmotic water permeability (Pf), inhibitable ( P < 0.01) by mercury chloride. qAQP2 mRNA (RT-PCR) was detected in the kidney; medullary mRNA levels were higher than cortical levels. qAQP2 protein that binds to rabbit anti-rat AQP2 antibody is present in the apical/subapical regions of both cortical and medullary CDs from normally hydrated quail, and the intensity of staining increased only in the medullary CDs after water deprivation or AVT treatment. The relative density of the ∼29-kDa protein band detected by immunoblot from the medullary cones was modestly higher in water-deprived/AVT-treated quail. The results suggest that 1) medullary CDs of quail kidneys express a mercury-sensitive functioning qAQP2 water channel, and 2) qAQP2 is at least partly regulated by an AVT-dependent mechanism. This is the first clear identification of AQP2 homolog in nonmammalian vertebrates.
Oxygen limitation of thermal tolerance in cod,Gadus morhuaL., studied by magnetic resonance imaging and on-line venous oxygen monitoring
Authors: Lannig Gisela , Bock Christian , Sartoris Franz J. , Pörtner Hans O.
Published: June 2004

The hypothesis of an oxygen-limited thermal tolerance due to restrictions in cardiovascular performance at extreme temperatures was tested in Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua (North Sea). Heart rate, changes in arterial and venous blood flow, and venous oxygen tensions were determined during an acute temperature change to define pejus (“getting worse”) temperatures that border the thermal optimum range. An exponential increase in heart rate occurred between 2 and 16°C (Q10= 2.38 ± 0.35). Thermal sensitivity was reduced beyond 16°C when cardiac arrhythmia became visible. Flow-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of temperature-dependent blood flow revealed no exponential but a hyperbolic increase of blood flow with a moderate linear increase at temperatures >4°C. Therefore, temperature-dependent heart rate increments are not mirrored by similar increments in blood flow. Venous Po2(PvO2), which reflects the quality of oxygen supply to the heart of cod (no coronary circulation present), followed an inverse U-shaped curve with highest PvO2levels at 5.0 ± 0.2°C. Thermal limitation of circulatory performance in cod set in below 2°C and beyond 7°C, respectively, characterized by decreased PvO2. Further warming led to a sharp drop in PvO2beyond 16.1 ± 1.2°C in accordance with the onset of cardiac arrhythmia and, likely, the critical temperature. In conclusion, progressive cooling or warming brings cod from a temperature range of optimum cardiac performance into a pejus range, when aerobic scope falls before critical temperatures are reached. These patterns might cause a shift in the geographical distribution of cod with global warming.
Effect of sighs on breathing memory and dynamics in healthy infants
Authors: Baldwin D. N. , Suki B. , Pillow J. J. , Roiha H. L. , Minocchieri S. , Frey U.
Published: June 2004

Deep inspirations (sighs) play a significant role in altering lung mechanical and airway wall function; however, their role in respiratory control remains unclear. We examined whether sighs act via a resetting mechanism to improve control of the respiratory regulatory system. Effects of sighs on system variability, short- and long-range memory, and stability were assessed in 25 healthy full-term infants at 1 mo of age [mean 36 (range 28–57) days] during quiet sleep. Variability was examined using moving-window coefficient of variation, short-range memory using autocorrelation function, and long-range memory using detrended fluctuation analysis. Stability was examined by studying the behavior of the attractor with use of phase-space plots. Variability of tidal volume (Vt) and minute ventilation (V̇e) increased during the initial 15 breaths after a sigh. Short-range memory of Vt decreased during the 50 breaths preceding a sigh, becoming uncorrelated (random) during the 10-breath presigh window. Short-range memory increased after a sigh for the entire 50 breaths compared with the randomized data set and for 20 breaths compared with the presigh window. Similar, but shorter duration, changes were noted in V̇e. No change in long-range memory was seen after a sigh. Coefficient of variation and range of points located within a defined attractor segment increased after a sigh. Thus control of breathing in healthy infants shows long-range stability and improvement in short-range memory and variability after a sigh. These results add new evidence that the role of sighs is not purely mechanical.
Influence of aging on sex differences in muscle fatigability
Authors: Hunter Sandra K. , Critchlow Ashley , Enoka Roger M.
Published: June 2004

The purpose of this study was to compare time to task failure for a sustained isometric contraction performed at a submaximal intensity with elbow flexor muscles by young and old men and women. Twenty-seven young (14 men and 13 women, 18–35 yr) and 18 old (10 men and 8 women, 65–80 yr) adults sustained an isometric contraction at 20% of maximal voluntary contraction torque until target torque could no longer be achieved for ≥5 s. Young adults were stronger than old adults (66.8 ± 17.9 vs. 47.7 ± 18.1 N·m, P < 0.05), and men were stronger than women (69.8 ± 17.9 vs. 47.1 ± 15.3 N·m, P < 0.05), with no interaction between age and sex ( P > 0.05). Time to task failure was longer for old than for young adults (22.8 ± 9.1 vs. 14.4 ± 7.6 min, P < 0.05) and for young women than for young men (18.3 ± 8.0 vs. 10.8 ± 5.2, P < 0.05), but there was no difference between old women and men (21.3 ± 10.7 and 24.1 ± 8.0 min, respectively, P > 0.05) or between young women and old adults ( P > 0.05). Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, average electromyographic (EMG) activity, and torque fluctuations of elbow flexor muscles increased during the fatiguing contraction ( P < 0.05) for all subjects. Rates of increase in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and torque fluctuations were greater for young men and old adults, with no differences between old men and women ( P > 0.05). Similarly, the rate of increase in EMG activity was greater for young men than for the other three groups. EMG bursts were less frequent for old adults ( P < 0.05) at the end of the fatiguing contraction, and this was accompanied by reduced fluctuations in torque. Consequently, time to task failure was related to target torque for young, but not old, adults, and differences in task duration were accompanied by parallel changes in the pressor response.
C-Reactive Protein as a Screening Test for Cardiovascular Risk in a Multiethnic Population
Authors: Anand Sonia S. , Razak Fahad , Yi Qilong , Davis Bonnie , Jacobs Ruby , Vuksan Vlad , Lonn Eva , Teo Koon , McQueen Matthew , Yusuf Salim
Published: June 2004

Background—

Small increases in the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) are predictive of vascular events among asymptomatic individuals. There are few data supporting the use of CRP as a risk marker among nonwhite individuals.

Methods and Results—

1250 adults of South Asian, Chinese, European, and Aboriginal ancestry were randomly sampled from 4 communities in Canada. Participants provided fasting blood samples for CRP, glucose, lipids, and coagulation factors, and they had undergone a carotid B-mode ultrasound. Cardiovascular disease was determined by history and electrocardiogram. The age- and sex-adjusted mean CRP was 3.74 mg/L (standard error, 0.14) among Aboriginals, 2.59 mg/L (0.12) among South Asians, and 1.18 mg/L (0.13) among Chinese compared with 2.06 mg/L (0.12) among Europeans (overall
P
<0.0001). Differences in the CRP concentration between ethnic groups were substantially diminished, but not abolished, after adjustment for metabolic factors. CRP was independently associated with CVD after adjusting for the Framingham risk factors, atherosclerosis, anthropometric measurements, and ethnicity (OR=1.03 for a 0.1-increase in CRP;
P
=0.02).

Conclusions—

CRP varies substantially between people of different ethnic origin and is influenced by their differences in metabolic factors. Prospective validation of CRP as a risk predictor for cardiovascular disease among nonwhite ethnic groups is required.
Circulating Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein and Its Association With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Asymptomatic Members of Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia Families
Authors: Liu Ming-Lin , Ylitalo Kati , Salonen Riitta , Salonen Jukka T. , Taskinen Marja-Riitta
Published: June 2004

Objective—

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL)is implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Circulating oxidation-specific epitopes on plasma Ox-LDL has been linked with coronary artery disease, but its determinants and its association with early development of atherosclerosis in familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) has not been very well studied. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of the circulating Ox-LDL and the association between Ox-LDL and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in asymptomatic members of FCHL families.

Methods and Results—

Ox-LDL, susceptibility of LDL to oxidation in vitro, plasma 8-isoprostane and antioxidants, lipids and lipoproteins, LDL particle size, and carotid IMT were measured in 150 asymptomatic FCHL family members. Affected FCHL family members had reduced LDL particle size and lag time for LDL oxidation, increased plasma levels of Ox-LDL, increased plasma urate and α-tocopherol, and a trend for the increase of 8-isoprostane as compared with nonaffected FCHL. Ox-LDL was independently associated with serum LDL cholesterol, apoB, and 8-isoprostane in multivariate analysis but only univariately correlated with LDL particle size and lag time for LDL oxidation. In addition, Ox-LDL was significantly associated with carotid mean IMT independently of other clinical and biochemical variables in a multivariate model.

Conclusion—

Serum LDL cholesterol, apoB levels, and 8-isoprostane were the most important determinants of Ox-LDL. Ox-LDL is independently associated with carotid IMT in asymptomatic FCHL family members and can be used as a marker of early atherosclerosis in FCHL.
Variation in the Lamin A/C Gene
Authors: Steinle Nanette I. , Kazlauskaite Rasa , Imumorin Ikhide G. , Hsueh Wen-Chi , Pollin Toni I. , O’Connell Jeffrey R. , Mitchell Braxton D. , Shuldiner Alan R.
Published: June 2004

Objective—

Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The lamin A/C (
LMNA
) gene, mutations of which cause rare syndromes of severe insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, is located on chromosome 1q21-q24, a region linked to T2DM in several genome wide scans, including in the Old Order Amish. To determine whether polymorphisms in
LMNA
influence susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and its constituent components.

Methods and Results—

We performed DNA sequence analysis of
LMNA
. Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified: c.141889C>T (intron 3), c.141906G>T (intron 3), A287A (c.141253T>C; exon 5), c.140353G>A (intron 6), c.139418C>T (intron 8), and H566H (c. 138747C>T; exon 10). In 971 participants from the Amish Family Diabetes Study, the H566H polymorphism of
LMNA
was associated with metabolic syndrome diagnosed according to National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III criteria and also higher mean fasting triglyceride and lower mean high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol concentrations. However, no differences in allele frequencies were observed for any SNP among participants with T2DM or impaired glucose homeostasis (IGH) and normoglycemic controls. Haplotype analysis showed that >87% of individuals carried 1 of 2 common
LMNA
haplotypes. There were no significant differences in haplotype frequencies among subjects with metabolic syndrome T2DM, IGH, and controls.

Conclusion—

Sequence variation in
LMNA
may confer modest susceptibility for development of metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia in the Amish.
Laminopathies and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Al-Shali Khalid Z. , Hegele Robert A.
Published: June 2004

Laminopathies are genetic diseases that encompass a wide spectrum of phenotypes with diverse tissue pathologies and result mainly from mutations in the
LMNA
gene encoding nuclear lamin A/C. Some laminopathies affect the cardiovascular system, and a few (namely, Dunnigan-type familial partial lipodystrophy [FPLD2] and Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome [HGPS]) feature atherosclerosis as a key component. The premature atherosclerosis of FPLD2 is probably related to characteristic proatherogenic metabolic disturbances such as dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertension, and diabetes. In contrast, the premature atherosclerosis of HGPS occurs with less exposure to metabolic proatherogenic traits and probably reflects the generalized process of accelerated aging in HGPS. Although some common polymorphisms of
LMNA
have been associated with traits related to atherosclerosis, the monogenic diseases FPLD2 and HGPS are more likely to provide clues about new pathways for the general process of atherosclerosis.
Silent and Symptomatic Infarcts on Cranial Computerized Tomography in Relation to Dementia and Mortality
Authors: Liebetrau Martin , Steen Bertil , Hamann Gerhard F. , Skoog Ingmar
Published: June 2004

Background and Purpose—

Incidental findings of infarcts on brain imaging are common, but their clinical significance is not clear. We examined the prevalence of symptomatic and silent infarcts on cranial computerized tomography (cCT) and their relation to dementia and mortality in a representative sample of 239 85-year-olds living in Gothenburg Sweden.

Methods—

Information on stroke was obtained from an inpatient hospital linkage system, self-reports, and key informants. Dementia was defined according to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
, 3rd revision. Cortical and lacunar infarcts were diagnosed on cCT.

Results—

The prevalence of cerebral infarcts was 17.1%, and half of those were clinically silent (8.6%). The frequency of dementia was increased in those with symptomatic (OR, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.1 to 14.1) and silent infarcts (OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 6.7). Infarcts increased the risk for dementia and its severity in women but not in men. The 3-year mortality rate was increased in those with symptomatic (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.6 to 9.6) and silent infarcts (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.4 to 8.5).

Conclusions—

Almost one fifth of 85-year-olds have infarcts on cCT, and half of those are clinically silent. These infarcts are related to an increased rate of dementia and 3-year mortality. Cerebrovascular disease as a cause of dementia may be underrated because of silent infarcts. It has to be elucidated whether treatment of risk factors for stroke may reduce the consequences of silent infarcts.
Assessment of Cerebrovascular Autoregulation
Authors: Daley Michael L. , Pourcyrous Massroor , Timmons Shelly D. , Leffler Charles W.
Published: June 2004

Background and Purpose—

Development of a method to continuously assess cerebrovascular autoregulation of patients with traumatic brain injury would facilitate therapeutic intervention and thus reduce secondary complications.

Methods—

Changes in arterial blood pressure (ABP), intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV), and pial arteriolar diameter (PAD) induced by acute pressor challenge (norepinephrine; 1 μg/[kg · min]) were evaluated in both uninjured and fluid percussion injured piglets equipped with cranial windows. The linear correlation coefficient and corresponding slope of the regression line of the relationship between highest modal frequency (HMF) of cerebrovascular pressure transmission of ABP to ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) were determined for each challenge.

Results—

For all uninjured piglets, pressor challenge resulted in an inverse relationship between HMF and CPP characterized by significant negative correlation values and negative corresponding regression line slopes with respective group mean values (±SD) of −0.50 (±0.14) and −0.6 (±0.44) Hz/mm Hg, respectively. Consistent with functional autoregulation of the uninjured preparations, pressor challenge resulted in a decrease of PAD, and CBFV remained relatively constant. For all injured piglets, pressor challenge resulted in direct relationship between HMF and CPP, characterized by positive correlation values and corresponding regression line slopes with group mean values of 0.48 (±0.21) and 1.13 (±2.08) Hz/mm Hg, respectively. Consistent with impaired autoregulation, PAD and CBFV increased during pressor challenge after brain injury.

Conclusions—

Evaluation of changes of the HMF of cerebrovascular pressure transmission with respect to CPP changes permits continuous monitoring of cerebral autoregulation.
Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Influence on Systemic Oxygen Homeostasis and Erythropoiesis in Wistar Rats
Authors: Gendron Alain , Kouassi Edouard , Nuara Stephen , Cossette Chantal , D’Angelo Giovanni , Geadah David , du Souich Patrick , Teitelbaum Jeanne
Published: June 2004

Background and Purpose—

Systemic hypoxia is a common complication in stroke patients and may exacerbate ischemic brain damage. Expression of the hypoxia-inducible cytokine erythropoietin (Epo) is upregulated in the brain in both stroke patients and in animal stroke models and exerts local neuroprotective effects in the ischemic brain. Epo is also well known to stimulate red blood cell (RBC) production. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether poststroke systemic hypoxia is present in the rat model and whether it is associated with increased peripheral Epo and RBC production.

Methods—

Wistar rats underwent 1-hour transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) under mechanical ventilation, followed by reperfusion without further ventilation. Groups of MCAO and sham-operated animals were evaluated at extended times after reperfusion for assessment of arterial blood gases, plasma Epo, and complete blood count.

Results—

Arterial oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the infarct group between 6 and 24 hours after reperfusion (
P
=0.0005), and plasma Epo levels were increased 6 hours after reperfusion (
P
<0.05). RBC counts and hematocrit were transiently increased 2 to 7 days after reperfusion in animals with MCAO compared with sham. Maximal increases were seen at day 7 (22% and 16% increases of RBC count and hematocrit, respectively;
P
<0.001). In contrast, the white blood cell counts in animals with MCAO decreased by >30% in the same time period.

Conclusions—

Plasma Epo levels, RBC counts, and hematocrit are all increased in response to systemic hypoxia after cerebral ischemia in rats.
Impaired Novelty Processing in Apathy After Subcortical Stroke
Authors: Yamagata Shingo , Yamaguchi Shuhei , Kobayashi Shotai
Published: June 2004

Background and Purpose—

Apathy is associated with decreased novelty-seeking behaviors and is a prevailing behavioral symptom after stroke affecting cortical and subcortical regions. We studied the relationship between apathetic state after subcortical stroke and neural orienting response to novel events using an event-related evoked potential (ERP) technique.

Methods—

Twenty-nine patients with subcortical ischemic stroke were grouped according to whether they showed apathy or not. We analyzed apathy state scaled by the modified Starkstein apathy score and auditory P3 ERP components evoked by task-relevant target stimuli (target P3) and task-irrelevant novel stimuli (novelty P3).

Results—

The apathetic group showed a significantly lower score of verbal fluency test and global cognitive function test compared with the nonapathetic group. The novelty P3 latency was significantly prolonged, and its amplitude was reduced over the frontal site in the apathy group. The apathy scale was correlated with the novelty P3 latency and amplitude at the frontal site. The target P3 measures were related to global cognitive function.

Conclusions—

The present study suggests that apathy after subcortical stroke is associated with impaired neural processing of novel events within the frontal–subcortical system and that the novelty P3 is a useful physiological measure for assessing apathy after stroke.
Constructing Credible Images
Authors: Wagner Jon
Published: June 2004

Documentary photographers and visual social researchers both rely on visual, real-world data but differ in how they address three key challenges: creating empirically credible images of culture and social life, framing empirical observations to highlight new knowledge, and challenging existing social theory. A close look at these shared challenges and contrasting conventions recommends exemplary documentary studies as an empirically viable alternative to traditional social research. Three recent projects illustrate the value of such alternatives to informing public discourse. They also embody strategies that could enhance the value of empirical, visual inquiry to education and other community-based fields of practice.
Using Photography in Studies of Immigrant Communities
Authors: Gold Steven J.
Published: June 2004

Drawing on the author’s research with three migrant populations—Jews from the former Soviet Union, Vietnamese, and Israelis—this article offers several suggestions for integrating photography into fieldwork studies. Visual methods are shown to be useful for learning about the research context, generating rapport with respondents, analyzing findings, and sharing research with students and colleagues. Examples show how photography contributed to the understanding of migrant communities, entrepreneurs’ use of coethnic and outgroup labor, and gender patterns.
Breaking the Ethnographer’s Frames
Authors: Samuels Jeffrey
Published: June 2004

This article assesses the use of auto-driven photo elicitation among children Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka. Comparing the data previously collected from word-only interviews with the data collected from auto-driven photo-elicited interviews, the author discusses how the latter field method tended to evoke greater descriptions from the research participants, how the descriptions were more emotionally charged than word-only descriptions, and how the autodriven approach was an effective means of bridging the culturally distinct worlds of the researcher and the researched.
Filming “The Closet”
Authors: Holliday Ruth
Published: June 2004

This article explores the potential of video diaries in capturing identity performances. Through selected excerpts of video diaries by “queer” subjects, the methodological issues that the video diaries raise and the kinds of data made available through them are explored. This article argues that identities are constructed as a “text” on the surface of bodies and that the participant’s experience of “comfort” or “discomfort” relates to the extent to which they are read with or against authorial intention. Identity reading is complicated in a heterosexist culture structured by “the closet” in which “misreading” has been developed into a powerful normalizing mechanism.
Visual Religious Symbols and the Law
Authors: Renteln Alison Dundes
Published: June 2004

Religious symbols evoke strong emotional responses, particularly those that are visual. This article considers a set of cases in which members of ethnic minority groups challenge policies denying them the right to wear symbols important for the maintenance of their social identities. Among the controversies considered are those concerning religious headgear and hair as well as the kirpan, the Sikh ceremonial dagger. The number of disputes involving religious garb and hairstyles demonstrates how visual religious symbols are often perceived as threatening. By analyzing selected cases in which religious minorities experience discrimination, this study reveals the precarious nature of religious liberty in democratic systems. Careful consideration of the religious symbols of minority groups may help avoid ethnocentric assessments and cross-cultural misunderstandings.
Web Site Design
Authors: Papson Stephen , Goldman Robert , Kersey Noah
Published: June 2004

This article reflects on the construction of theWeb site Landscapes of Capital: Representing Time, Space, and Globalization in Corporate Advertising (http://it.stlawu.edu/global/), which maps the relationship of corporate advertising to the political economy. Using a data set of more than 900 commercials, the site maps how Capital represents itself unfolding across emergent economic, social, and cultural formations. This article focuses on the relationship of the formal elements of the site to the epistemology of hypertext. First, the theoretical claim that the medium of hypertext shifts the power from author to reader because of its nonlinear design is reflected on. Second, the limits of hypertext/hypermedia as a spatial map to theorize the relationship of corporate representations to changing social and economic formations are explored. Third, the process ofWeb site design as a form of bricolage is investigated. Finally, the relationship of hypertext/hypermedia to academic scholarship is commented on.
The Influence of Party Systems on Citizens’ Perceptions of Corruption and Electoral Response in Latin America
Authors: Davis Charles L. , Camp Roderic Ai , Coleman Kenneth M.
Published: June 2004

This study examines how different party systems in Latin America affect the capability of opposition parties to use public concerns about political corruption for electoral mobilization. Opposition partisanship is more strongly linked to perceptions of corruption in the ideologically polarized party system of Chile than in the hegemonic party system then in decline in Mexico or in the centrist two-party system of Costa Rica. However, the capability of opposition parties in all three party systems to mobilize electoral support among voters dissatisfied with corruption is weakened by the tendency of these politically alienated citizens to withdrawfrom all types of political involvement. Implications of the findings for redressing problems of political corruption through the electoral process and for a deepening of democracy in Latin America are discussed.
Revamping the Weak, Protecting the Strong, and Managing Privatization
Authors: Etchemendy Sebastián
Published: June 2004

Conventional wisdom holds that liberal economic policy and a hasty integration into the European Union is the central feature of Spain’s successful adaptation to the globalizationwave. This study argues that a set of illiberal and protectionist policies are crucial to understanding the Spanish transformation. Spain’s reorganization of its economy displayed three broad components: the revamping of industrial sectors from above; the targeted protection granted to the energy, banking, and telecommunications sectors; and a defined strategy of privatization that prevented any major international player from taking part in a given business. The author argues that this statist model of market transition in Spain was decisively shaped by two concrete features of the Spanish political economy as it unfolded under the import substitution industrialization model: the organizational and economic weakness of the domestic industrial bourgeoisie and the comparatively entrenched position of financial capital and its energy-controlled companies.
Effective Quotas, Relative Party Magnitude, and the Success of Female Candidates
Authors: Schmidt Gregory D. , Saunders Kyle L.
Published: June 2004

The extraordinary success of gender quotas in the 1998 Peruvian municipal elections defies conventional wisdom in electoral studies. This article evaluates several institutional variables that are prominently featured in the literature and several others that were “discovered” in Peru, using pooled ordinary least squares regression models and original data sets. Two of the newly discovered variables—effective quotas and seats guaranteed by the effective quota and the relative magnitude of the largest party—were the most important determinants of female electoral success at the provincial level and in districts outside Lima, whereas collective action stimulated by quota legislation made a difference in the capital. In contrast, district magnitude—widely considered to be the most important variable in party-list systems—had no impact. The article extends its principal findings beyond Peru, argues that quotas can follow diverging logics in different electoral systems, and suggests directions for future research.
Urban Space and Political Consciousness: A Report on Theory
Authors: Goonewardena Kanishka
Published: June 2004

How is space political? This article first highlights Marx and Engels’s contributions to this question, then examines how a later generation of Marxists exemplified by Manuel Castells and his theory of “ collective consumption” returned to it with decidedly structuralist and reductive readings of Marxism. In conclusion, the article outlines how Fredric Jameson’s work on postmodernism and “cognitive mapping” provides a more holistic Marxist approach to urban experience by linking political economy to cultural theory.
Trends in Developing Countries’ Commodity Terms-of-Trade since 1970
Authors: Ram Rati
Published: June 2004

Trends in commodity terms-of-trade since 1970 are estimated for a sizable sample of countries. The predominant pattern for developing countries is that of negative trends, but there is some improvement since 1980, and an increase in the share of manufactures in exports appears helpful. The estimates seem generally supportive of the spirit of Prebisch-Singer hypothesis. Establishment of an international organization to generate and disseminate technology for developing countries might mitigate their disadvantage in international exchange.
The Agrarian Origins of the Industrial Revolution in England
Authors: Patriquin Larry
Published: June 2004

This article will highlight the importance of the common law, enclosure, and the abolition of common rights in changing the ownership of land, all of which helped to transform England into the first capitalist country. This unique social metamorphosis, which included the complete abolition of the peasantry, also accounts for why England, and no other country in Europe, experienced a thorough Industrial Revolution in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Paternalistic Regulation of Women: Exploring Punitive Sanctions in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Authors: Rainford William C.
Published: June 2004

U.S. welfare policy coerces low-income women into low-wage jobs by imposing punitive sanctions for not working, despite the lack of supporting evidence that sanctions are effective. This qualitative study explored whether sanctions compel compliance, whether there are unintended consequences of sanctions, and what causes noncompliance. The findings indicate that noncompliance is not always chosen but results from insurmountable barriers. Furthermore, sanctions may create a communication “disconnect” between clients and the welfare agency, rendering the clients further entrenched in poverty and dependence. Implications for research and policy are discussed.
African American Reformers’ Mission: Caring for Our Girls and Women
Authors: Carlton-LaNey Iris , Hodges Vanessa
Published: June 2004

This article focuses on the mechanisms that African American women used during the Progressive Era to meet the needs of young African American women and girls. It identifies some of the early reform women and describes the girls and women who were the recipients of their beneficence. Attention is also given to specific strategies that were implemented by service organizations and groups, such as women’s clubs, sororities, schools, and settlement houses.
The Effect of NIBRS Reporting on Item Missing Data in Murder Cases
Authors: Addington Lynn A.
Published: June 2004

The Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) is undergoing a large-scale conversion from the traditional summary system and its Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). One goal in designing NIBRS was to improve the quality of crime data. Little is known about the actual effect of the substantial changes in data collection instituted by NIBRS. Gaining this understanding is important for homicide researchers, as more states and law enforcement agencies replace the SHR with NIBRS data collection. This article measures data quality in terms of itemmissing data and compares the amount of missing murder characteristics in NIBRS with the SHR. The findings obtained are inconsistent. Depending on the characteristic, missing data in NIBRS decreased, increased, or remained relatively unchanged. These results reveal that despite the changes in NIBRS, the UCR continues to struggle with capturing information known to police and collecting particular incident details such as victim-offender relationship and circumstance.
A Nonparametric Imputation Approach for Dealing With Missing Variables in SHR Data
Authors: Flewelling Robert L.
Published: June 2004

Despite the considerable percentage of homicides recorded in the Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) that have missing information, there is no standard approach used by researchers to adjust homicide rates to accommodate missing data. Yet, rates that are defined on the basis of offender characteristics or victim-offender relationship will be severely underestimated if no adjustments, or imputations, are made. Several approaches to imputation of SHR data have been described in the literature. This research note describes an imputation strategy that appears to offer a viable alternative approach, although further development and testing of this and other techniques are needed before an optimal strategy can be determined.
Why Didn’t We Get Them All?
Authors: Van Court Jason , Trent Roger B.
Published: June 2004

The California Linked Homicide File links two major files containing information on homicides. The basic file includes 34,542 cases from Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR). Using a probabilistic matching program, 32,122 (93.0%) of these cases were linked with information from Vital Statistics (VS) death records. Why weren’t the remaining 7% of cases linked? What makes these 2,420 records different from the cases that were linked? Analysis demonstrated that many of the unlinked cases involved child abuse and that many deaths appearing as child abuse in the SHR were not classified as assault deaths in the VS death records. By broadening the definition of what kinds of deaths in VS death records could be possible links with SHR reports, we were able to marginally improve the overall linkage rate (from 93.0% to 94.2%) and to increase the pool of linked child abuse deaths by 7.1%.
Maximizing the Availability of Cross-National Data on Homicide
Authors: Marshall Ineke Haen , Block Carolyn Rebecca
Published: June 2004

Because the number of countries in the world is relatively small comparedwith other data sets, missing data present a major problem in cross-national homicide research. This article illustrates how missing data problems in comparative homicide research may be addressed by composite measures. Indexes such as the International Homicide Index, which takes advantage of multiple data sources on homicide, not only maximize thenumber of countries represented by the indicator but also produce a more parsimonious and robust measure of lethal violence levels across nations. In addition, the combination of multiple indicators in a single index provides checks and balances on data quality, minimizing the influence of poor-quality data and maximizing the influence of valid and reliable data. This article reviews the history and details the method of creating the International Homicide Index.
Lesbian Health Matters: A Pap Test Education Campaign Nearly Thwarted by Discrimination
Authors: Phillips-Angeles Ellen , Wolfe Paula , Myers Robin , Dawson Patricia , Marrazzo Jeanne , Soltner Sallye , Dzieweczynski Mary
Published: June 2004

The Pap test detects cell changes in the cervix that can be treated, preventing cancer from developing. Regular screening reduced cervical cancer deaths by 70% since 1950. Lesbians may not be adequately screened because of a misperception that they do not need Pap tests. The “Lesbian Health Matters” public and provider education campaign was implemented to address this problem. Paid advertisements were placed on two radio stations and in four newspapers. After 1 week, both radio stations cancelled the ads due to listener complaints about hearing the word “lesbian” on the radio. The community responded to this discriminatory action by demanding the campaign be completed, creating publicity that increased the campaign’s reach to 34% of women in the region. A training program was implemented reaching 219 providers. Thirty-two hundred health providers were surveyed regarding lesbianfriendly practice. A database of 293 providers was created and 120 referrals made.
Collaborative Community Empowerment: An Illustration of a Six-Step Process
Authors: Yoo Seunghyun , Weed Nathan E. , Lempa Michele L. , Mbondo Mwende , Shada Rachel E. , Goodman Robert M.
Published: June 2004

This article illustrates a method used in a community empowerment project where community members and university facilitators collaborated to increase the capacity of the community. The method may have practical uses in collaborations with community groups. The six-step process enabled the community groups to accomplish their short-term community goals: developing effective after-school programs and resolving problems of damaged homes and blighted properties in a relatively short time and continuing on their collaborative work. Having a social ecological model as a conceptual framework was helpful for the community to assess their status and develop action plans. Consistent community meetings, open communication, focused community leadership, community networking, and collaboration of community organizations and a university were the factors that reinforced the empowerment process. Challenges such as maximizing limited resources and generating more participation from the community need to be resolved while the reinforcing factors are cultivated.
Advocacy 101: Getting Started in Health Education Advocacy
Authors: Galer-Unti Regina A. , Tappe Marlene K. , Lachenmayr Sue
Published: June 2004

Advocacy for the public’s health and for the profession are widely recognized as responsibilities of health educators. Increasing emphasis on advocacy by professional organizations has peaked the interest of health educators, yet knowing where to begin as an advocate is, to many, a mystifying process. This article provides basic advocacy terminology, dispels concerns about participating in advocacy activities, and provides a practical and stepped approach to becoming an effective advocate. A tiered approach is used in relation to the advocacy strategies of voting behavior, electioneering, direct lobbying, grassroots lobbying, Internet use, and media advocacy to help individuals in their quest to begin or enhance their engagement in advocacy. A compendium of highly accessible resources is also provided. Finally, this article provides motivation for the beginning advocate.
Building a Community Network for a Cancer Education/Screening Program: The Process and Lessons Learned (or Relearned)
Authors: McKenzie James F. , Butts Becky M. , Cox Barbara A. , Craig Forrest F.
Published: June 2004

Similar to many communities around the United States in the late 1990s,, and the surrounding county created a year 2000 committee, called, “You and Year 2000, Inc.: The Muncie and Delaware County Millennium Project” to sponsor, plan, and conduct activities to celebrate the new millennium and ponder the community’s past, present, and path to the future. Part of the Committee’s planning was to create a legacy of the yearlong celebration that would attack a community problem. Partnering with the local hospital, the Committee decided to attack the problem of cancer through a fund-raising campaign to build a cancer center and cancer education/screening program. The purpose of this article is to describe the application of a community organizing/building model used to create a communitywide cancer education/screening program and share the lessons learned (or relearned). The planning process used to develop the education/screening program is one that could be duplicated elsewhere.