bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-fat diet postinfarction enhances mitochondrial function and does not exacerbate left ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Rennison Julie H. , McElfresh Tracy A. , Okere Isidore C. , Vazquez Edwin J. , Patel Hiral V. , Foster Amy B. , Patel Kalpana K. , Chen Qun , Hoit Brian D. , Tserng Kou-Yi , Hassan Medhat O. , Hoppel Charles L. , Chandler Margaret P.
Published: November 2006

Lipid accumulation in nonadipose tissue due to enhanced circulating fatty acids may play a role in the pathophysiology of heart failure, obesity, and diabetes. Accumulation of myocardial lipids and related intermediates, e.g., ceramide, is associated with decreased contractile function, mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and electron transport chain (ETC) complex activities. We tested the hypothesis that the progression of heart failure would be exacerbated by elevated myocardial lipids and an associated ceramide-induced inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and ETC complex activities. Heart failure (HF) was induced by coronary artery ligation. Rats were then randomly assigned to either a normal (10% kcal from fat; HF, n = 8) or high saturated fat diet (60% kcal from saturated fat; HF + Sat, n = 7). Sham-operated animals (sham; n = 8) were fed a normal diet. Eight weeks postligation, left ventricular (LV) function was assessed by echocardiography and catheterization. Subsarcolemmal and interfibrillar mitochondria were isolated from the LV. Heart failure resulted in impaired LV contractile function [decreased percent fractional shortening and peak rate of LV pressure rise and fall (±dP/d t)] and remodeling (increased end-diastolic and end-systolic dimensions) in HF compared with sham. No further progression of LV dysfunction was evident in HF + Sat. Mitochondrial state 3 respiration was increased in HF + Sat compared with HF despite elevated myocardial ceramide. Activities of ETC complexes II and IV were elevated in HF + Sat compared with HF and sham. High saturated fat feeding following coronary artery ligation was associated with increased oxidative phosphorylation and ETC complex activities and did not adversely affect LV contractile function or remodeling, despite elevations in myocardial ceramide.
Mesenchymal maintenance of distal epithelial cell phenotype during late fetal lung development
Authors: Deimling Julie , Thompson Kate , Tseu Irene , Wang Jinxia , Keijzer Richard , Tanswell A. Keith , Post Martin
Published: November 2006

Classical tissue recombination experiments have reported that at early gestation both tracheal and distal lung epithelium have the plasticity to respond to mesenchymal signals. Herein we examined the role of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in maintaining epithelial differentiation at late (E19–E21, term = 22 days) fetal gestation in the rat. Isolated distal lung epithelial cells were recombined with mesenchymal cells from lung, skin, and intestine, and the homotypic or heterotypic recombinant cell aggregates were cultured for up to 5 days. Recombining lung epithelial cells with mesenchyme from various sources induced a morphological pattern that was specific to the type of inducing mesenchyme. In situ analysis of surfactant protein (SP)-C, SP-B, and Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) expression, as well as SP-C and CCSP promoter transactivation experiments, revealed that distal lung epithelium requires lung mesenchyme to maintain the alveolar, but not bronchiolar, phenotype. Incubation of lung recombinants with an anti-FGF7 antibody resulted in a partial inhibition of mesenchyme-induced SP-C promoter transactivation. Immunoreactivity for Delta and Lunatic fringe, components of the Notch pathway that regulates cell differentiation, was downregulated in the heterotypic recombinants. In contrast, Hes1 mRNA expression was increased in these recombinants. Cumulatively, these results suggest that at late fetal gestation, distal lung epithelial cells are not fully committed to a specific phenotype and still have the plasticity to respond to various signals. Their alveolar phenotype is likely maintained by Notch/Notch ligand interactions and mesenchymal factors, including FGF7.
Rate of tension redevelopment is not modulated by sarcomere length in permeabilized human, murine, and porcine cardiomyocytes
Authors: Édes István Ferenc , Czuriga Dániel , Csányi Gábor , Chłopicki Stefan , Recchia Fabio A. , Borbély Attila , Galajda Zoltán , Édes István , van der Velden Jolanda , Stienen Ger J. M. , Papp Zoltán
Published: November 2006

The increase in Ca2+ sensitivity of isometric force development along with sarcomere length (SL) is considered as the basis of the Frank-Starling law of the heart, possibly involving the regulation of cross-bridge turnover kinetics. Therefore, the Ca2+ dependencies of isometric force production and of the cross-bridge-sensitive rate constant of force redevelopment ( ktr) were determined at different SLs (1.9 and 2.3 μm) in isolated human, murine, and porcine permeabilized cardiomyocytes. ktr was also determined in the presence of 10 mM inorganic phosphate (Pi), which interfered with the force-generating cross-bridge transitions. The increases in Ca2+ sensitivities of force with SL were very similar in human, murine, and porcine cardiomyocytes (ΔpCa50: ∼0.11). ktr was higher ( P < 0.05) in mice than in humans or pigs at all Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]) [maximum ktr ( ktr,max) at a SL of 1.9 μm and pCa 4.75: 1.33 ± 0.11, 7.44 ± 0.15, and 1.02 ± 0.05 s−1, in humans, mice, and pigs, respectively] but ktr did not depend on SL in any species. Moreover, when the ktr values for each species were expressed relative to their respective maxima, similar Ca2+ dependencies were obtained. Ten millimolar Pi decreased force to ∼60–65% and left ΔpCa50 unaltered in all three species. Pi increased ktr,max by a factor of ∼1.6 in humans and pigs and by a factor of ∼3 in mice, independent of SL. In conclusion, species differences exert a major influence on ktr, but SL does not appear to modulate the cross-bridge turnover rates in human, murine, and porcine hearts.
Region-specific changes in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and ERK5 in rat micturition pathways following cyclophosphamide-induced cystitis
Authors: Qiao Li-Ya , Gulick Melisa A.
Published: November 2006

Chronic inflammation of the urinary bladder generates hyperalgesia and allodynia. Growing evidence suggests a role of ERK in mediating somatic and visceral pain processing. In the present studies, we characterized and compared the activation of two ERK isoforms, ERK1/2 and ERK5, in micturition pathways, including the urinary bladder, lumbosacral dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and spinal cord in adult female and male rats before and after cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced bladder inflammation. Results showed differential activation of ERK1/2 and ERK5 in these regions following cystitis. The level of phospho-ERK1/2 but not phospho-ERK5 was increased in the urinary bladder; the level of phospho-ERK5 but not phospho-ERK1/2 was increased in DRG; and the level of phospho-ERK1/2 but not phospho-ERK5 was increased in lumbar spinal cord following cystitis compared with control. Cystitis-induced upregulation of phospho-ERK1/2 and phospho-ERK5 was time dependent and showed similar patterns in female and male rats. The level of phospho-ERK1/2 in bladder was increased at 2 and 8 h after CYP injection; the level of phospho-ERK5 in DRG was increased at 8 and 48 h after CYP injection; and the level of phospho-ERK1/2 in lumbar spinal cord was increased at 48 h after CYP injection. The result that phospho-ERK5 was exclusively increased in DRG neurons, while phospho-ERK1/2 was increased in the spinal cord and the urinary bladder after cystitis, suggests a region-specific effect of neurotrophins on micturition pathways following bladder inflammation.
Respiratory impairment in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Tankersley Clarke G. , Haenggeli Christine , Rothstein Jeffery D.
Published: November 2006

Amyothrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, lethal neuromuscular disease that is associated with the degeneration of cortical and spinal motoneurons, leading to atrophy of limb, axial, and respiratory muscles. Patients with ALS invariably develop respiratory muscle weakness and most die from pulmonary complications. Overexpression of superoxide dismutase 1 ( SOD1) gene mutations in mice recapitulates several of the clinical and pathological characteristics of ALS and is therefore a valuable tool to study this disease. The present study is intended to evaluate an age-dependent progression of respiratory complications in SOD1G93A mutant mice. In each animal, baseline measurements of breathing pattern [i.e., breathing frequency and tidal volume (Vt)], minute ventilation (Ve), and metabolism (i.e., oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production) were repeatedly sampled at variable time points between 10 and 20 wk of age with the use of whole-body plethysmographic chambers. To further characterize the neurodegeneration of breathing, Ve was also measured during 5-min challenges of hypercapnia (5% CO2) and hypoxia (10% O2). At baseline, breathing characteristics and metabolism remained relatively unchanged from 10 to 14 wk of age. From 14 to 18 wk of age, there were significant ( P < 0.05) increases in baseline Vt, Ve, and the ventilatory equivalent (Ve/oxygen consumption). After 18 wk of age, there was a rapid decline in Ve due to significant ( P < 0.05) reductions in both breathing frequency and Vt. Whereas little change in hypoxic Ve responses occurred between 10 and 18 wk, hypercapnic Ve responses were significantly ( P < 0.05) elevated at 18 wk due to an augmented Vt response. Like baseline breathing characteristics, hypercapnic Ve responses also declined rapidly after 18 wk of age. The phenotypic profile of SOD1G93A mutant mice was apparently unique because similar changes in respiration and metabolism were not observed in SOD1 controls. The present results outline the magnitude and time course of respiratory complications in SOD1G93A mutant mice as the progression of disease occurs in this mouse model of ALS.
Androstenediol inhibits the trauma-hemorrhage-induced increase in caspase-3 by downregulating the inducible nitric oxide synthase pathway
Authors: Kiang Juliann G. , Peckham Russell M. , Duke Leah E. , Shimizu Tomoharu , Chaudry Irshad H. , Tsokos George C.
Published: November 2006

Soft tissue trauma and hemorrhage (T-H) diminishes various aspects of liver function, while it increases hepatic nitrate/nitrite, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and endothelin-1 levels. Treatment with androstenediol (AED) inhibits the T-H-induced alterations of the above parameters. We sought to identify the molecular events underlying the beneficial effect of AED. Exposure of rats to T-H significantly increased the caspase-3 activity and protein, whereas treatment with AED significantly limited these increases. AED treatment also suppressed the T-H-induced increase in iNOS by effectively altering the levels of key transcription factors involved in the regulation of iNOS expression. Immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting analyses indicate that T-H increased apoptosome formation, and AED treatment significantly decreased it. Modulating the iNOS protein by transfecting cells with iNOS gene or small interfering RNA further confirmed the correlation between iNOS and caspase-3. Our data indicate that AED limits caspase-3 expression by suppressing the expression of transcription factors involved in the production of iNOS, resulting in decreased apoptosome. AED can potentially be a useful adjuvant for limiting liver apoptosis following T-H shock.
Airway nitric oxide release is reduced after PBS inhalation in asthma
Authors: Shin Hye-Won , Shelley David A. , Henderson Edward M. , Fitzpatrick Anne , Gaston Benjamin , George Steven C.
Published: November 2006

Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) is elevated in asthma, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recent results in subjects with asthma have reported a decrease in exhaled breath pH and ammonia, as well as altered expression and activity of glutaminase in both alveolar and airway epithelial cells. This suggests that pH-dependent nitrite conversion to NO may be a source of exhaled NO in the asthmatic airway epithelium. However, the anatomic location (i.e., airway or alveolar region) of this pH-dependent NO release has not been investigated and could impact potential therapeutic strategies. We quantified airway (proximal) and alveolar (peripheral) contributions to exhaled NO at baseline and then after PBS inhalation in stable (mild-intermittent to severe) asthmatic subjects (20–44 yr old; n = 9) and healthy controls (22–41 yr old; n = 6). The mean (SD) maximum airway wall flux (pl/s) and alveolar concentration (ppb) at baseline in asthma subjects and healthy controls was 2,530 (2,572) and 5.42 (7.31) and 1,703 (1,567) and 1.88 (1.29), respectively. Compared with baseline, there is a significant decrease in the airway wall flux of NO in asthma as early as 15 min and continuing for up to 60 min (maximum −28% at 45 min) after PBS inhalation without alteration of alveolar concentration. Healthy control subjects did not display any changes in exhaled NO. We conclude that elevated airway NO at baseline in asthma is reduced by inhaled PBS. Thus airway NO may be, in part, due to nitrite conversion to NO and is consistent with airway pH dysregulation in asthma.
Characteristics of airflow in a CT-based ovine lung: a numerical study
Authors: Kabilan Senthil , Lin Ching-Long , Hoffman Eric A.
Published: November 2006

The transient airflow in a rigid, asymmetric monopodial sheep (ovine) tracheobronchial tree of up to 13 generations was investigated numerically. The lung geometry was segmented and reconstructed from computed-tomographic (CT) images. The flow characteristics in the image-based sheep airway were compared with the flow patterns produced by a Weibel-based model at prime locations. Boundary conditions were prescribed 1) a velocity profile from experimental data at the inlet and 2) zero pressure at the bronchial outlets. A mesh convergence study was carried out to establish confidence in the model predictions, and gross left-right ventilation was validated against experimental xenon wash-in-washout data. Detailed flow characteristics were investigated at three points in the breathing cycle: 1) peak inhalation, 2) peak exhalation, and 3) transition. Simulation results revealed fundamental differences between airflow in monopodial and bipodial branching airways. Compared with idealized bipodial flow, the flow in the sheep airway was asymmetric and highly vortical, especially during exhalation and transition. The streak lines during the inhalation phase suggest that the left and right upper lobes are ventilated by airflow in the peripheral region of the trachea. This work may contribute to understanding the interplay between structure and function in the lung.
Tuberin Nuclear Localization Can Be Regulated by Phosphorylation of Its Carboxyl Terminus
Authors: York Brian , Lou Dingyuan , Noonan Daniel J.
Published: November 2006

Tuberin, the tuberous sclerosis 2 (TSC2) gene product, has been identified as a tumor suppressor protein genetically implicated in the pathology of tuberous sclerosis and the female-specific lung disease lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Tuberin and its predominant cytoplasmic binding partner hamartin have been shown to complex with a variety of intracellular signaling regulators and affect the processes of protein translation, cellular proliferation, cellular migration, and cellular transcription. In previous studies, we have presented evidence for tuberin binding to the calcium-dependent intracellular signaling protein calmodulin (CaM), overlap of tuberin CaM binding domain with a binding domain for estrogen receptor α, and the phosphorylation-associated nuclear localization of tuberin. In the study presented here, we expand our findings on the mechanism of tuberin nuclear localization to show that the CaM-estrogen receptor-α binding domain of tuberin can also serve as a tuberin nuclear localization sequence. Furthermore, we identify an Akt/p90 ribosomal S6 kinase-1 phosphorylation site within the carboxyl terminus of tuberin that can regulate tuberin nuclear localization and significantly affect the ability of tuberin to modulate estrogen genomic signaling events. These findings suggest a link between tuberin nuclear localization and a variety of intracellular signaling events that have direct implications with respect to the role of tuberin in the pathology of tuberous sclerosis and lymphangioleiomyomatosis. (Mol Cancer Res 2006;4(11):885–97)
Association Between A Leukotriene C
4
Synthase Gene Promoter Polymorphism and Coronary Artery Calcium in Young Women
Authors: Iovannisci David M. , Lammer Edward J. , Steiner Lori , Cheng Suzanne , Mahoney Larry T. , Davis Patricia H. , Lauer Ronald M. , Burns Trudy L.
Published: November 2006

Objective—

A majority of the recognized risk factors for atherosclerosis and the development of cardiovascular disease have been derived from the study of older populations who have already manifested clinical symptoms. If risk factors can be identified earlier in life, such as genetic variation, preventive measures may be taken before overt symptoms of pathology have manifested, and when treatments may be most effective.

Methods and Results—

In an effort to identify individuals at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, we genotyped 732 members of the Muscatine Study Longitudinal Adult Cohort for candidate genetic markers associated with several pathogenetic processes. We identified age-adjusted increased risks for coronary artery calcium (OR 4.29; 95% CI 1.78, 10.31) and increased mean carotid artery intimal-medial thickness associated with the (−444)A>C promoter polymorphism of Leukotriene C
4
Synthase (

LTC
4
S

) in women. There were no similar associations in men.

Conclusions—

LTC
4
S plays a key role in the process of inflammation as the rate limiting enzyme in the conversion of arachidonic acid to cysteinyl-leukotrienes, important mediators of inflammatory responses. The (−444)C variant upregulates

LTC
4
S

mRNA expression, increasing the synthesis of proinflammatory leukotrienes. Our results support genetic variation modifying inflammatory pathways as an important mechanism in the development of atherosclerosis.
Increasing Ryanodine Receptor Open Probability Alone Does Not Produce Arrhythmogenic Calcium Waves
Authors: Venetucci Luigi A. , Trafford Andrew W. , Eisner David A.
Published: November 2006

Diastolic waves of Ca
2+
release have been shown to activate delayed afterdepolarizations as well as some cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of this study was to investigate whether increasing ryanodine receptor open probability alone or in the presence of β-adrenergic stimulation produces diastolic Ca release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). When voltage-clamped rat ventricular myocytes were exposed to caffeine (0.5 to 1.0 mmol), diastolic Ca
2+
release was seen to accompany the first few stimuli but was never observed in the steady state. We attribute the initial phase of diastolic Ca
2+
release to a decrease in the threshold SR Ca
2+
content required to activate Ca
2+
waves and its subsequent disappearance to a decrease of SR content below this threshold. Application of isoproterenol (1 μmol/L) increased the amplitude of the systolic Ca
2+
transient and also the SR Ca
2+
content but did not usually produce diastolic Ca
2+
release. Subsequent addition of caffeine, however, resulted in diastolic Ca
2+
release. We estimated the time course of recovery of SR Ca
2+
content following recovery from emptying with a high (10 mmol/L) concentration of caffeine. Diastolic Ca
2+
release recommenced only when SR content had increased back to its final level. We conclude that increasing ryanodine receptor open probability alone does not produce arrhythmogenic diastolic Ca
2+
release because of the accompanying decrease of SR Ca
2+
content. β-Adrenergic stimulation increases SR content and thereby allows the increased ryanodine receptor open probability to produce diastolic Ca
2+
release. The implications of these results for arrhythmias associated with abnormal ryanodine receptors are discussed.
α
1
-Adrenergic Receptors Activate AKT via a Pyk2/PDK-1 Pathway That Is Tonically Inhibited by Novel Protein Kinase C Isoforms in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Guo Jianfen , Sabri Abdelkarim , Elouardighi Hasnae , Rybin Vitalyi , Steinberg Susan F.
Published: November 2006

AKT is a potent antiapoptotic kinase, but its role in the cardioprotective actions of α
1
-adrenergic receptors (ARs) remains uncertain, because α
1
-ARs typically induce little-to-no AKT activation in most cardiomyocyte models. This study identifies a prominent α
1
-AR–dependent AKT activation pathway that is under tonic inhibitory control by novel protein kinase Cs (nPKCs) in neonatal rat cardiomyocyte cultures. We also implicate Pyk2, Pyk2 complex formation with PDK-1 and paxillin, and increased PDK-1–Y373/376 phosphorylation as the mechanism that links α
1
-AR activation to increased AKT phosphorylation. nPKCs (which are prominent α
1
-AR effectors) interfere with this α
1
-AR–dependent AKT activation by blocking Pyk2/PDK-1/paxillin complex formation and PDK-1–Y373/376 phosphorylation. Additional studies used an adenoviral-mediated overexpression strategy to show that Pyk2 exerts dual controls on antiapoptotic PDK-1/AKT and proapoptotic c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways. Although the high nPKC activity of most cardiomyocyte models favors Pyk2 signaling to JNK (and cardiac apoptosis), the cardioprotective actions of Pyk2 through the PDK-1/AKT pathway are exposed when PKC or JNK activation is prevented. Collectively, these studies identify JNK and AKT as functionally distinct downstream components of the α
1
-AR/Pyk2 signaling pathway. We also implicate nPKCs as molecular switches that control the balance of signaling via proapoptotic JNK and antiapoptotic PDK-1/AKT pathways, exposing a novel mechanism for nPKC-dependent regulation of cardiac hypertrophy and failure.
Early Recanalization After Intravenous Administration of Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator as Assessed by Pre- and Post-Thrombolytic Angiography in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients
Authors: Lee Kyung-Yul , Han Sang Won , Kim Seo Hyun , Nam Hyo Seok , Ahn Sung Whan , Kim Dong Joon , Seo Sang Hyun , Kim Dong Ik , Heo Ji Hoe
Published: November 2006

Background and Purpose—

Recanalization rates after the intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) treatment have been poorly studied in acute stroke.

Methods—

CT angiography was performed before IV rt-PA in all patients and digital subtraction angiography was undertaken for intra-arterial thrombolysis in cases of no improvement after rt-PA infusion.

Results—

Forty-five patients were treated with IV rt-PA. Initial CT angiography showed relevant arterial occlusions in 35 patients. Recanalization after rt-PA therapy was demonstrated by digital subtraction angiography in 7 of the 31 patients with the occlusion on initial CT angiography: 2/16 in the internal carotid or proximal middle cerebral artery, 3/11 in the distal middle cerebral artery and 2/4 in the basilar artery occlusion.

Conclusions—

The early recanalization rate after IV rt-PA use was very low in cases with large proximal arterial occlusions. CT angiography before IV rt-PA may be useful for the prediction of its efficacy.
Pseudo-Justin's De Resurrectione: Athenagoras or Hippolytus?
Authors:   Whealey
Published: November 2006

Against the opinion of Martin Heimgartner, who ascribes the Pseudo-Justin de resurrectione to Athenagoras, Dr. Wealey argues that Hippolytus is more likely to be its author.
Monthly Climatologies of Oceanic Friction Velocity Cubed
Authors: Klinger Barry A. , Huang Bohua , Kirtman Ben , Schopf Paul , Wang Jiande
Published: November 2006

Different measures of wind influence the ocean in different ways. In particular, the time-averaged mixed layer turbulent energy production rate is proportional to 〈u3*〉, where u* is the “oceanic friction velocity” that is based on wind stress. Estimating 〈u3*〉 from monthly averages of wind stress or wind speed may introduce large biases due to the day-to-day variability of the direction and magnitude of the wind. The authors create monthly climatologies of 〈u3*〉 from daily wind stress measurements obtained from the Goddard Satellite-based Surface Turbulent Fluxes version 2 (GSSTF2; based on satellite microwave measurements), the Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT; based on satellite scatterometry measurements), and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis wind. The differences among zonal averages of these climatologies and of a similar climatology based on the da Silva version of the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) have a complex dependence on latitude. These differences are typically 10%–30% of the climatological values. The GSSTF2 data confirm that 〈u3*〉 is much larger than estimates from monthly averaged wind stress or wind speed, especially outside the Tropics.
Stratosphere–Troposphere Coupling in a Relatively Simple AGCM: Impact of the Seasonal Cycle
Authors: Kushner Paul J. , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: November 2006

The seasonal time dependence of the tropospheric circulation response to polar stratospheric cooling in a simple atmospheric general circulation model is investigated. When the model is run without a seasonal cycle, polar stratospheric cooling induces a positive annular-mode response in the troposphere that takes a remarkably long time—several hundred days—to fully equilibrate. One is thus led to ask whether the tropospheric response would survive in the presence of a seasonal cycle. When a seasonal cycle is introduced into the model stratosphere, the tropospheric response appears with a distinct time lag with respect to the stratospheric cooling, but, in the long-term mean, the pattern of the wind response is very similar to the one that results from stratospheric forcing in the absence of a seasonal cycle.
A History of Contemporary Political Economy and Postmodernism
Authors: Mavroudeas Stavros D.
Published: November 2006

The study of the history of economic theory is entwined with nonneoclassical and especially Marxist political economic analyses, which relate the creation of an autonomous science of economic relations to the establishment of capitalism. Usually, the main agents in this interaction are social groups and especially social classes. Contrarily, neoclassical orthodoxy understands the history of economic theory as mere history of economic thought, a succession of personal contributions with limited relation to socioeconomic conditions. The relation between economy and economic theory is theorized through an asocial perspective, because social classes and politics are excluded and methodological individualism reigns. Recent postmodernist interpretations advance a historicist, relativist, politicist view. The reasons for creating an autonomous science of economic relations are to be found not in socioeconomic relations but mainly in the field of the political. This article criticizes postmodernist interpretations from a Marxist perspective, rejecting them as historically unfounded and analytically infertile.
The Struggle for Political Economy at the University of Sydney
Authors: Stilwell Frank
Published: November 2006

There has been a long struggle to establish political economy courses at the University of Sydney. It began more than three decades ago as a student-staff movement challenging the dominance of neoclassical economics in the undergraduate curriculum. It has matured into an established program of undergraduate and postgraduate studies, based on Marxian, institutionalist post-Keynesian, feminist, and environmentalist analyses. During the struggle, key concerns have included the nature of economics as a discipline, progressive pedagogy, and challenges to university power structures.
A Brief History, Scope, and Peculiarities of “Analytical Marxism”
Authors: Tarrit Fabien
Published: November 2006

The issue of the article is to describe and evaluate analytical Marxism, a school of thought that occupies a particular position in radical theory. It has presented itself as an attempt to renew Marxism with the tools of non-Marxist philosophy (analytical philosophy), epistemology (logical positivism), and social science (methodological individualism). The main authors are Gerald A. Cohen, who defended historical materialism on the basis of analytical philosophy; John Roemer, who reconstructed Marxian economics with neoclassical tools; and Jon Elster, who interpreted Marxism with methodological individualism. Rational choice theory plays an important role in analytical Marxism. This article deals with the idea that analytical Marxism seems to have turned Marxism into its opposite.
Building the Future by Looking to the Past
Authors: Bansal Pratima , Gao Jijun
Published: November 2006

Organizations and environment (O&E) researchers focus on either organizational outcomes or environmental outcomes. In this article, the authors argue that these are significantly different approaches to O&E research. The first aims to contribute to organization theory and performance; the latter aims to improve environmental performance. With a starting position that most research published in influential general management journals is of the organizational outcomes variety, the authors reviewed O&E research published from 1995 to 2005 to test this theory. The authors found, in fact, that most research is directed at environmental outcomes. This finding suggests that the most influential general management journals are receptive to environmental research that does not fit neatly into the organizational boxes. Yet, the authors also find that there is room for O&E research to have considerably more impact than there has been so far. This is a call for more high-quality O&E research in general management journals.
Coevolution as a Research Framework for Organizations and the Natural Environment
Authors: Porter Terry B.
Published: November 2006

Coevolution is an established research framework in the biological and evolutionary sciences, and though a new entrant to organization studies, it holds potential to transform the field (Lewin et al., 2003). Its fundamental premise is that entities or organizations evolve in relation to their environments while at the same time these environments evolve in relation to them. This paper argues that a coevolutionary approach is particularly well suited for research on organizations and the natural environment (O&NE), and that O&NE scholars may make significant contributions to organization theory from this perspective. However, this potential depends upon developing and maintaining a clear distinction between coevolution as a verb, or broad logic (a.k.a. macro coevolution), and coevolution as a noun, or specific mechanism (a.k.a. micro coevolution). In building these arguments the paper develops a definition and research framework for coevolutionary research and discusses theoretical and practical implications for O&NE.
Voluntary Environmental Programs in the United States
Authors: Steelman Toddi A. , Rivera Jorge
Published: November 2006

The appeal of voluntary environmental programs (VEPs) lies in their promise to mutually serve government, industry, and environmental interests because they can reduce administrative burdens, provide flexibility to decide how to implement environmental improvements, and work toward superior environmental performance. In practice, however, one interest may be served to the exclusion of others, and this is a charge that often has been leveled at VEPs in the United States. If VEPs are used to serve some interests at the expense of others, they are likely to lose their value as alternative policy instruments. This article details a framework involving procedural, substantive, and practical tests to determine whether the common interest has been served. This assessment framework is applied to two different VEPs in the United States: the Forest Stewardship Council Certification and the Sustainable Slopes Program.
Police and Victim Perspectives on Empowerment of Domestic Violence Victims
Authors: Russell Mary , Light Linda
Published: November 2006

Police have increasingly regarded intervention for and offering assistance to domestic violence victims as an appropriate criminal justice intervention. However, variability in police responding as demonstrated by victim satisfaction surveys has been evident. Using Stark's (1996) suggested standard of victim empowerment to determine the efficacy of police interventions, this study sought to determine from both police and victim perspectives, what dimensions of police interventions were central to victim empowerment. A total of 63 victims and 28 police were interviewed. Results yielded three dimensions of empowerment along which police responses varied: integrated team versus isolated unit functioning, deserving versus undeserving victim perspective, and proactive versus pro–forma responses. Police attitudes, situational factors, and victim characteristics influenced the extent to which responses were experienced as empowering or disempowering by victims.
Assessing the Need for Domestic Violence Victim Services in One Rural County
Authors: Hochstein Lucy Edwards , Thurman Quint C.
Published: November 2006

Domestic violence in rural areas presents special problems for law enforcement. In 1997, the Latah County, Idaho sheriff's office, police department, prosecutor's office, and the local Violence Against Women agency received a STOP Violence Against Women Act of 19941 grant from the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement to improve services to domestic violence victims. As an important first step, a needs assessment of county services available to victims was necessary. A standardized, close-ended questionnaire was developed and administered to the entire population of domestic violence service providers in Latah County—law enforcement, and legal, social, and medical service providers. Results revealed that service providers had the most knowledge about their own professions and were more critical of other local service provider agencies than of their own. A description of the needs assessment process, the survey instrument, the data collected, data analyses, and implications are discussed.
Organizational Values and Police Officer Evaluation: A Content Comparison Between Traditional and Community Policing Agencies
Authors: Lilley David , Hinduja Sameer
Published: November 2006

Although criminal justice literature has suggested that the values and objectives of the community policing philosophy differ from traditional law enforcement, little is known about the specifics of how this approach may have changed formal performance expectations for individual officers. This study incorporates a content analysis of 1,474 individual rating items on 150 officer evaluation instruments from agencies across the United States to determine whether organizational values and performance criteria differ between traditional and community policing agencies. Evaluation content was compared according to five key officer appraisal elements: (a) stakeholder focus, (b) police officer role emphasis, (c) level of service expectation, (d) employee traits encouraged, and (e) type of reinforcement (motivation) utilized. Results indicate that most evaluation content remains focused on the organization, emphasizes internal process aspects of performance, and has little to do with investigation, enforcement, patrol, community service, or other forms of activities that are specific to police work.
Fixation de toluène dans une montmorillonite-Cu(II)
Authors: Saehr D. , Walter D. , Wey R.
Published: November 2006

La fixation du toluène et sa polymérisation dans les espaces interfoliaires d'une montmorillonite-Cu(II) au cours de cycles de déshydratation, adsorption, désorption de l'excès de réactif et réhydratation, ont été étudiées. Elles ont été suivies au moyen de diverses méthodes d'analyse (thermogravimétrie, radiocristallographie et spectrophotométrie d'absorption infrarouge). Les résultats rappellent ceux obtenus lors de l'étude du système montmorillonite-Cu(II)-benzène. Ainsi, la fixation du toluène s'effectue selon deux réactions, correspondant l'une à l'adsorption d'une molécule de toluène, l-autre à celle de trois molécules de toluène par ion Cu2+. Toutefois, l'affinité du toluène pour la montmorillonite est supérieure à celle du benzène.
Genesis of the Tirschenreuth kaolin deposit in Germany compared with the Kohdachi kaolin deposit in Japan
Authors: Kitagawa R. , Köster H. M.
Published: November 2006

The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the Tirschenreuth and Kohdachi kaolin deposits, which both occur in granite, are compared and the genesis of the deposits discussed. The Tirschenreuth deposit (Rappauf pit) is considered to have formed by weathering because: (i) the kaolinite has formed by the alteration of plagioclase and biotite, whereas microcline and muscovite are unaltered; (ii) the kaolin body has a very homogeneous composition and alteration zones cannot be recognized; (iii) there has been no addition of trace elements from sources other than plagioclase and biotite in the parent rock; (iv) particle-size distribution shows that the kaolinite crystals grew under uniform physical conditions; (v) quartz grains have smooth surfaces.

The Kohdachi deposit contains many clay veins and three alteration zones: (i) halloysite with weak silicification; (ii) halloysite-kaolinite; (iii) kaolinite. Many large dissolution pits were observed by SEM on the surface of quartz crystals from the kaolin zone. Silicification, precipitation of goethite at the border of zones (ii) and (iii), and dissolution of quartz in different areas of the deposit indicate a variable pH within a distance of <100 m. The Cu and Li contents in the <2 µm fractions of the Kohdachi kaolin samples are markedly higher than those at Tirschenreuth. From hydrogen isotopic analysis, the formation temperature of the Kohdachi kaolinite may be roughly estimated at 70–150°C. It is suggested that the Kohdachi deposit formed by hydrothermal alteration.
Practical determination of allophane and synthetic alumina and iron oxide gels by X-ray diffraction
Authors: Ruiz Cruz M. D. , Moreno Real L.
Published: November 2006

X-ray diffraction methods are effective and practical for the quantitative analysis of the often forgotten amorphous material phase in sediments. The method reported is simple, employing normal oriented samples, and quartz or fluorite as a diluent. However, special care must be taken to prepare the samples properly, to ensure optimum conditions for diffraction, and to measure accurately the scattering bands.
A coding VKORC1 Asp36Tyr polymorphism predisposes to warfarin resistance
Authors: Loebstein Ronen , Dvoskin Ilana , Halkin Hillel , Vecsler Manuela , Lubetsky Aharon , Rechavi Gideon , Amariglio Ninette , Cohen Yoram , Ken-Dror Gie , Almog Shlomo , Gak Eva
Published: November 2006

CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genetic variants are associated with low and intermediate warfarin dose requirements, but markers of high doses are less well characterized. We analyzed the VKORC1 coding sequence and known CYP2C9 and VKORC1 polymorphisms in 15 selected warfarin-resistant (dose, 80 to 185 mg/wk) and 8 warfarin-sensitive patients (7 to 13 mg/wk) and 99 unselected controls (8 to 105 mg/wk). We identified a coding VKORC1 Asp36Tyr polymorphism in 7 of 15 resistant compared with 0 of 8 sensitive patients (P = .026) Carriers of Asp36Tyr in the control group (8 of 99) required significantly higher warfarin doses of 80.9 ± 10.1 mg/wk compared with 42.7 ± 7.5 mg/wk in noncarriers (F = 9.79, P = .002). Asp36Tyr was significantly associated with doses of more than 70 mg/wk (odds ratio, 13.0; 95% confidence limit, 1.3 to 124.2), while doses of 20 to 70 mg/wk were associated with Asp36Tyr (partial r2 = .11; P = .004), CYP2C9*2 and *3 (r2 = .08; P = .01), and VKORC1*2 and *3 markers (r2 = .05; P = .05). All Asp36Tyr carriers also had VKORC1*1 tag–single nucleotide polymorphisms (tag-SNPs) indicating a new haplotype. Asp36Tyr was common in Jewish ethnic groups of Ethiopian (15%) and Ashkenazi (4%) origin. We suggest that Asp36Tyr is a new marker of the high end of the warfarin dosing range.
mTOR-dependent synthesis of Bcl-3 controls the retraction of fibrin clots by activated human platelets
Authors: Weyrich Andrew S. , Denis Melvin M. , Schwertz Hansjorg , Tolley Neal D. , Foulks Jason , Spencer Eliott , Kraiss Larry W. , Albertine Kurt H. , McIntyre Thomas M. , Zimmerman Guy A.
Published: November 2006

New activities of human platelets continue to emerge. One unexpected response is new synthesis of proteins from previously transcribed RNAs in response to activating signals. We previously reported that activated human platelets synthesize B-cell lymphoma-3 (Bcl-3) under translational control by mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Characterization of the ontogeny and distribution of the mTOR signaling pathway in CD34+ stem cell–derived megakaryocytes now demonstrates that they transfer this regulatory system to developing proplatelets. We also found that Bcl-3 is required for condensation of fibrin by activated platelets, demonstrating functional significance for mTOR-regulated synthesis of the protein. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin blocks clot retraction by human platelets. Platelets from wild-type mice synthesize Bcl-3 in response to activation, as do human platelets, and platelets from mice with targeted deletion of Bcl-3 have defective retraction of fibrin in platelet-fibrin clots mimicking treatment of human platelets with rapamycin. In contrast, overexpression of Bcl-3 in a surrogate cell line enhanced clot retraction. These studies identify new features of post-transcriptional gene regulation and signal-dependant protein synthesis in activated platelets that may contribute to thrombus and wound remodeling and suggest that posttranscriptional pathways are targets for molecular intervention in thrombotic disorders.
Using local gene expression similarities to discover regulatory binding site modules
Authors: Wilczyński Bartek , Hvidsten Torgeir R , Kryshtafovych Andriy , Tiuryn Jerzy , Komorowski Jan , Fidelis Krzysztof
Published: November 2006

Background

We present an approach designed to identify gene regulation patterns using sequence and expression data collected for Saccharomyces cerevisae. Our main goal is to relate the combinations of transcription factor binding sites (also referred to as binding site modules) identified in gene promoters to the expression of these genes. The novel aspects include local expression similarity clustering and an exact IF-THEN rule inference algorithm. We also provide a method of rule generalization to include genes with unknown expression profiles.

Results

We have implemented the proposed framework and tested it on publicly available datasets from yeast S. cerevisae. The testing procedure consists of thorough statistical analyses of the groups of genes matching the rules we infer from expression data against known sets of co-regulated genes. For this purpose we have used published ChIP-Chip data and Gene Ontology annotations. In order to make these tests more objective we compare our results with recently published similar studies.

Conclusion

Results we obtain show that local expression similarity clustering greatly enhances overall quality of the derived rules, both in terms of enrichment of Gene Ontology functional annotation and coherence with ChIP-Chip binding data. Our approach thus provides reliable hypotheses on co-regulation that can be experimentally verified. An important feature of the method is its reliance only on widely accessible sequence and expression data. The same procedure can be easily applied to other microbial organisms.
Volume measures for linkage disequilibrium
Authors: Chen Yuguo , Lin Chia-Ho , Sabatti Chiara
Published: November 2006

Background

Defining measures of linkage disequilibrium (LD) that have good small sample properties and are applicable to multiallelic markers poses some challenges. The potential of volume measures in this context has been noted before, but their use has been hampered by computational challenges.

Results

We design a sequential importance sampling algorithm to evaluate volume measures on I × J tables. The algorithm is implemented in a C routine as a complement to exhaustive enumeration. We make the C code available as open source. We achieve fast and accurate evaluation of volume measures in two dimensional tables.

Conclusion

Applying our code to simulated and real datasets reinforces the belief that volume measures are a very useful tool for LD evaluation: they are not inflated in small samples, their definition encompasses multiallelic markers, and they can be computed with appreciable speed.
Integration and mining of malaria molecular, functional and pharmacological data: how far are we from a chemogenomic knowledge space?
Authors: Birkholtz Lyn-Marie , Bastien Olivier , Wells Gordon , Grando Delphine , Joubert Fourie , Kasam Vinod , Zimmermann Marc , Ortet Philippe , Jacq Nicolas , Saïdani Nadia , Roy Sylvaine , Hofmann-Apitius Martin , Breton Vincent , Louw Abraham I , Maréchal Eric
Published: November 2006

The organization and mining of malaria genomic and post-genomic data is important to significantly increase the knowledge of the biology of its causative agents, and is motivated, on a longer term, by the necessity to predict and characterize new biological targets and new drugs. Biological targets are sought in a biological space designed from the genomic data from Plasmodium falciparum, but using also the millions of genomic data from other species. Drug candidates are sought in a chemical space containing the millions of small molecules stored in public and private chemolibraries. Data management should, therefore, be as reliable and versatile as possible. In this context, five aspects of the organization and mining of malaria genomic and post-genomic data were examined: 1) the comparison of protein sequences including compositionally atypical malaria sequences, 2) the high throughput reconstruction of molecular phylogenies, 3) the representation of biological processes, particularly metabolic pathways, 4) the versatile methods to integrate genomic data, biological representations and functional profiling obtained from X-omic experiments after drug treatments and 5) the determination and prediction of protein structures and their molecular docking with drug candidate structures. Recent progress towards a grid-enabled chemogenomic knowledge space is discussed.