bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
American Indian Policy in Committee: Structure, Party, Ideology, and Salience
Authors: Turner Charles C.
Published: November 2008

This research explores the motivations for action on American Indian policy in the committees and subcommittees of both chambers of the U.S. Congress from 1947 to 1998. The goal is to discover which attributes lead committees to report American Indian bills to the full chamber. In order to achieve this goal, I first examine the reigning theories of committee action. Legislative scholars have long recognized that committee motivations are different than those of their parent chambers (Fenno 1973, Deering and Smith 1997). Moreover, varying principals create differences between committees as well (Rohde 1995, Maltzman and Smith 1995). The traditional emphasis on constituency and parent chamber demands, however, leaves committee behavior inadequately explained in American Indian policy—a field where constituency interest remains uniform and small and the parent chambers voice few demands, yet the amount and nature of legislative attention varies greatly. After taking a closer look at the committees which have held jurisdiction over matters relating to American Indians, and from a comparison with the general theories, I develop a set of hypotheses to explain the actions of Indian affairs committees. I argue that salience, party, institutional structure, and ideology play a more significant role in the development of American Indian policy at the committee level than most general theories of committee action would lead us to expect. I use regression analysis to provide empirical tests of these hypotheses and draw some tentative conclusions regarding the relationship between major and minor policy at the committee level. These conclusions contribute to congressional scholarship by offering explanations for committee behavior in a minor policy arena. In addition, they offer the field of American Indian policy a working model of legislative decision making for future exploration and refinement.
State Legislative Leaders' Contacts with National Legislative Organizations: Differences in Cosmopolitanism, Resources, and Political Environments
Authors: Clark Jill , Little Thomas H.
Published: November 2008

This paper examines possible relationships between state legislative leaders' contacts with national professional organizations, such as the Council of State Governments, and indicators of differences in cosmopolitanism, in‐state information resources, and political environments. The findings suggest that leaders in states with unified party control of the executive and legislative institutions are more involved with national organizations than leaders from states with divided party control. However, there are no significant differences in involvement among leaders in terms of other party measures: whether they are Democrats or Republicans, majority or minority leaders, institutional or party leaders, or the degree of inter‐party competition in their legislative chambers. Additionally, leaders from small states with fewer in‐state information resources and those from more cosmopolitan urban or moralistic political culture states are more intensively involved with national organizations.
The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority: A Smart Growth Machine?
Authors: Morçöl Göktug , Zimmermann Ulf , Stich Bethany
Published: November 2008

Molotch, Stone, and others demonstrated that business leaders exercise major influence in American urban politics. Business leaders with local economic interests have long promoted growth in American cities. This article discusses the historical influence of Atlanta's business leaders in the city's economic growth and focuses on their role in the policy shifts in the 1990s, from unfettered growth to “smart growth.” In response to Atlanta's worsened image for attracting business and the restrictions imposed by the EPA in using federal money, Atlanta's business leaders led the political process that created the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority. The implications of this process for the theories of urban politics and the future directions for regional governance are discussed.
Adolf Stoecker: Portrait of a Demagogue
Authors: Green Harold M.
Published: November 2008

A component of the 19thcentury German zeitgeist was a “free floating,” unarticulated anti‐Semitic sentiment which permeated all strata of Wilhelmine society. Nowhere was this malaise better reflected than in the profusion of anti‐Semitic political parties appealing to the lower middle classes and to elitist academics alike. One of the most significant and earliest sources for galvanizing and articulating the frustrations of a disenchanted lower middle class, or “mittelstand,” was the Christian Social Workers party founded in 1878 by Adolf Stoecker the Kaiser's court chaplain. Although not as anti‐Semitic as some of his contemporaries such as Böckel, Ahlwardt, and Henrici, it was nevertheless Stoecker who began a mass movement—a “struggle against the Jews,” according to his biographer von Oertzen—which became rampant not only in Berlin by the mid 1880s, but which also had spread to the German hinterlands, thus laying a foundation for later anti‐Semitic movements. Some scholars, most notably Levy (1975), tend to minimize Stoecker's importance, declaring his party along with others to be colossal failures. Indeed as early as 1885 Stoecker's credibility and influence had waned. Yet the legacy of hate he left during his brief ascendancy is sufficient grounds for a reexamination of some salient aspects of his career, as well as for some brief and tentative observations about his place in the history of German anti‐Semitic movements, the impact of his doctrines on National Socialism, and some reflections on Stoecker's agitation as the symptom of a larger, troubled social dynamic present in Wilhelmine society.
Foreign Labor in the Post‐NAFTA Environment: Policy Responses in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Williams John H.P. , Wright Brian
Published: November 2008

Since NAFTA was ratified, the number of Hispanic workers in the Southeastern United States has increased, creating policy opportunities and concerns. The typical foreign worker is increasingly a skilled or semiskilled person in an urban environment. Social service support is also changing from the basic level of support of the past to support based on acculturation, allowing retention of culture, or a more traditional assimilation. Using North Carolina as the principle focus, we compare demographic distributions and policy parameters across North Carolina and its four neighbors. The performance among the states varies significantly. North Carolina, along with some local governments and NGOs, aggressively encourages foreign workers to come to their state using an acculturation policy model. Other governments are more reactive, using a basic support model or assimilation model to place the workers into an established context.
Rethinking Historical Factors: Military and Political Transitions in South America
Authors: Weeks Gregory
Published: November 2008

As South American dictatorships fade into the past, analyses regarding their military legacies have increasingly diverged and disagreed. The purpose of this article is to introduce a factor that has yet to be fully incorporated into these accounts, one that has usually been viewed as less useful in examining political transitions, namely historical military legacies. The study of the military's role in transitions has been hampered by an overemphasis on short‐term factors, which in turn has resulted in unexpected empirical outcomes and the stalling of theory‐building. Only analyses combining “mode of transition” and historical legacy will adequately explain the persistence of both military autonomy and civilian rule.
Gender Gap in Early Congressional Retirement
Authors: Herrick Rebekah
Published: November 2008

It is well known that the percentage of women in Congress is much lower than that in the general population. While most research examining the shortage of congresswomen focuses on the recruitment and election of women, this research examines another potential cause: early retirement. There is a gender gap in congressional career length caused by women's early retirements. When congresswomen are not replaced by other women, their retirement decreases their numbers. The primary finding of this study is that while many of the common explanations for this gender gap, such as family responsibilities and entering politics late in life, were not supported, the main influence on this gender gap is the widow effect.
Local Television News and Campaign 2000: Assessing Efforts to Increase Substantive Content
Authors: Farnsworth Stephen J. , Lichter S. Robert
Published: November 2008

Content analysis of local newscasts during Campaign 2000 reveals that stations that participated in two civil society efforts to increase the quality of news coverage devoted far more attention to coverage that included more extensive discussion of issues than did stations in the same market that did not participate in either program. Treatment stations as a group provided more information regarding the background of issues, more discussion of the details of policy proposals and more discussion of the possible consequences of those proposals should they be adopted. The differences were greatest between stations in mid‐sized and smaller markets.
Anthropogenic scarring of western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus)
Authors: Bradford Amanda L. , Weller David W. , Ivashchenko Yulia V. , Burdin Alexander M. , Brownell, Jr Robert L.
Published: November 2008

Abstract

Western gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are critically endangered and anthropogenic threats, such as entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels, may be acting to limit recovery of the population. Thus, examining the magnitude of such anthropogenic interactions using a scar‐based approach is warranted. A multi‐year (1995–2005) photo‐identification study of western gray whales on their feeding ground off northeastern Sakhalin Island, Russia, has resulted in a large data set of digital and film images of 150 individuals. These images were reviewed and scored for anthropogenic scarring by recording the presence of visible scars resulting from fishing gear entanglement and vessel collisions in 21 defined body regions. In total, 20.0% (n= 30) of whales identified during the study period had detectable anthropogenic scarring, with 18.7% (n= 28) determined to have been previously entangled in fishing gear at least once and 2.0% (n= 3) to have survived at least one vessel collision. These estimates are likely to be conservative given the nature of the photo‐identification data set, but indicate that male and female western gray whales are subject to anthropogenic interactions. Future studies designed to systematically estimate the frequency and rates of anthropogenic events are needed and would have direct conservation and management implications.
Inhibition of melanoma brain metastasis by targeting melanotransferrin at the cell surface
Authors: Rolland Yannève , Demeule Michel , Fenart Laurence , Béliveau Richard
Published: November 2008

Brain metastases are a common feature of malignant melanoma and are associated with poor prognosis. Melanotransferrin (MTf), one of several antigens associated with the surface of melanoma cells, has been demonstrated to promote cell invasion. In this study, we investigated the role of membrane‐bound MTf in several of the steps leading to the development of melanoma brain metastasis. Our results indicated that MTf‐positive cells were detected in the brains of nude mice injected intravenously with human melanoma SK‐Mel 28 cells. Moreover, administration of a single dose of a monoclonal antibody (L235) directed against human MTf significantly reduced the development of human melanoma brain metastases in nude mice. The ability of melanoma cells to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) in vitro is correlated with their MTf expression levels at the cell surface. Overall, our results indicated that membrane‐bound MTf is a key element in melanoma cell transmigration across the BBB and subsequent brain metastasis. Thus, these data suggest MTf as an attractive target and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of an anti‐MTf mAb for preventing metastatic melanoma.
Caulokaempferiasirirugsae sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from southern Thailand
Authors: Ngamriabsakul Chatchai
Published: November 2008

A new species of Caulokaempferia from southern Thailand, C. sirirugsae Ngamriab. is described and illustrated. The new species is morphologically similar to C. saksuwaniae, from which it differs by having large flying rhombic staminodes, ovate anther crest, obovate labellum and untoothed acuminate calyx tip.
Cerebrospinal fluid findings in cattle with central nervous system disorders: a retrospective study of 102 cases (1990–2008)
Authors: Stokol Tracy , Divers Thomas J. , Arrigan Jessica W. , McDonough Sean P.
Published: November 2008

Background:Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is routinely used to aid in the diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) disease in animals. There is little comprehensive information available on the diagnostic utility of CSF analysis in cattle.

Objectives:The purpose of this retrospective study was to review the characteristic CSF findings of specific CNS diseases in cattle.

Methods:Medical records of cattle in which CSF analysis had been performed between 1990 and 2008 were reviewed. Cattle were included in the study if they had a confirmed diagnosis of CNS disease (based on clinical signs, laboratory testing, and/or histopathologic results). Cattle were categorized as having infectious or noninfectious causes of CNS disease and subgrouped based on specific disease diagnosis. CSF results were summarized and compared using nonparametric statistical tests.

Results:Data from 102 cattle, mostly female Holsteins, were included in the study. Bacterial infections, particularly listeriosis and neonatal meningitis, were the most common cause of CNS disease. Neonatal meningitis was characterized by a marked, predominantly neutrophilic, pleocytosis. Mild mononuclear pleocytosis was typical of listeriosis, but was also seen with abscesses, viral infections, salt poisoning, and trauma. Variable CSF results were seen in cattle with otitis‐related meningitis and thromboembolic meningoencephalitis. CSF results were usually normal with toxic, metabolic, degenerative, and neoplastic disorders.

Conclusions:CSF analysis is a useful adjunctive test for the diagnosis of CNS diseases in cattle. When interpreted together with signalment and clinical signs, CSF results can assist clinicians in the antemortem diagnosis of specific bovine CNS disorders.
Quadrilateral Subcell Based Finite Volume Micromechanics Theory for Multiscale Analysis of Elastic Periodic Materials
Authors: Gao Xiguang , Song Yingdong , Sun Zhigang
Published: November 2008

In this paper, we extend the finite volume direct average micromechanics to enable the use of quadrilateral subcells. To do this work, the quadrilateral subcells are used to discretize the repeating unit cells first. Then the average displacement and traction defined on the boundary of the subcell are evaluated by direct integral method. This contrasts with the original formulation in which all of the subcells are rectangular. Following the discretization, the cell problem is defined by combining the directly volume-average of the subcell stress equilibrium equations with the displacement and traction continuity in a surface-average sense across the adjacent subcell faces. In order to assemble the above equations and conditions into a global equation system, the global and local number systems, which index the boundary of subcell in different manners, are employed by the extended method. Finally, the global equation system is solved and the solutions give the formulations of the microstress field and the global elastic moduli of material. The introduction of quadrilateral subcells increases the efficiency of modeling the material’s microstructure and eliminates the stress concentrations at the curvilinear bimaterial corners. Herein, the advantage of the extension is presented by comparing the global moduli and local stress fields predicted by the present method with the corresponding results obtained from the original version.
Thermodynamics of Infinitesimally Constrained Equilibrium States
Authors: Yang Q. , Xue L. J. , Liu Y. R.
Published: November 2008

This paper is concerned with infinitesimally constrained equilibrium states, which are nonequilibrium states and infinitesimally close to equilibrium states. The corresponding thermodynamics is established in this paper within the thermodynamic framework of Rice (1971, “Inelastic Constitutive Relations for Solids: An Internal Variable Theory and Its Application to Metal Plasticity,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 19, pp. 433–455). It is shown that the thermodynamics of infinitesimally constrained equilibrium states belongs to linear irreversible thermodynamics. The coefficient matrix is the Hessian matrix of the flow potential function at the equilibrium state. The process of a state change induced by an infinitesimal stress increment in time-independent plasticity can be viewed as a sequence of infinitesimally constrained equilibrium states. The thermodynamic counterpart of yield functions are flow potential functions, and their convexity is required by intrinsic dissipation inequality. Drucker and Il’yushin’s inequalities are not essential thermodynamic requirements.
M

-Integral for Calculating Intensity Factors of Cracked Piezoelectric Materials Using the Exact Boundary Conditions
Authors: Motola Yael , Banks-Sills Leslie
Published: November 2008

In this paper, the M-integral is extended for calculating intensity factors for cracked piezoelectric ceramics using the exact boundary conditions on the crack faces. The poling direction is taken at an angle to the crack faces within the plane. Since an analytical solution exists, the problem of a finite length crack in an infinite body subjected to crack face traction and electric flux density is examined. In this case, poling is taken parallel to the crack faces. Numerical difficulties resulting from multiplication of large and small numbers were treated by normalizing the variables. This problem was solved with the M-integral and displacement-potential extrapolation methods. With this example, the superiority of the conservative integral is observed. The values for the intensity factor obtained with the M-integral are found to be more accurate than those found by means of the extrapolation method. In addition, a crack parallel to the poling direction in a four-point bend specimen subjected to both an applied load and an electric field was analyzed and different electric permittivity values in the crack gap were assumed. It is seen that the electric permittivity greatly influences the stress intensity factor KII and the electric flux density intensity factor KIV. The absolute value of these intensity factors increases with an increase in the value of the electric permittivity in the crack. The influence of the permittivity on KI is rather small.
Analytical Modeling and Vibration Analysis of Partially Cracked Rectangular Plates With Different Boundary Conditions and Loading
Authors: Israr Asif , Cartmell Matthew P. , Manoach Emil , Trendafilova Irina , Ostachowicz Wiesław , Krawczuk Marek , Żak Arkadiusz
Published: November 2008

This study proposes an analytical model for vibrations in a cracked rectangular plate as one of the results from a program of research on vibration based damage detection in aircraft panel structures. This particular work considers an isotropic plate, typically made of aluminum, and containing a crack in the form of a continuous line with its center located at the center of the plate and parallel to one edge of the plate. The plate is subjected to a point load on its surface for three different possible boundary conditions, and one examined in detail. Galerkin’s method is applied to reformulate the governing equation of the cracked plate into time dependent modal coordinates. Nonlinearity is introduced by appropriate formulations introduced by applying Berger’s method. An approximate solution technique—the method of multiple scales—is applied to solve the nonlinear equation of the cracked plate. The results are presented in terms of natural frequency versus crack length and plate thickness, and the nonlinear amplitude response of the plate is calculated for one set of boundary conditions and three different load locations, over a practical range of external excitation frequencies.
Unsteady Free-Convection Flow on a Vertical Oscillating Porous Plate With Constant Heating
Authors: Toki C. J.
Published: November 2008

In this paper, we consider the unsteady free-convection flows of a viscous and incompressible fluid near an oscillating porous infinite vertical plate (or wall) during the heating of the plate. The governing equations are solved in closed form by the Laplace transform technique, when the Prandtl number (Pr) of the fluid is arbitrary and the suction (or injection) is constant. This solution is applied for a special case of the constant heating effects from the harmonically oscillating plate. The resulting velocity and temperature are shown graphically and are also discussed for the case of air (Pr=0.71) or water (Pr=7.0) flows.
Effects of Different Exercise Conditioning Velocities on the Energy Reserves and Swimming Stress Responses in Young-of-the-Year Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)
Authors: Young Paciencia S. , Cech Jr. Joseph J.
Published: November 2008

Young-of-the-year striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were exercise conditioned for 60 d at four different water velocities: <0.02 (control), 0.5–1.2 (slow), 1.5–2.4 (moderate), and 2.4–3.6 body lengths∙s−1(fast). Exercise conditioning at the moderate velocity increased body weight and standard length. Lipid contents and wet weight lipid percentages in the carcass were higher in the moderate- and fast-velocity fish than in the controls, and dry weight lipid percentages in the carcass and whole fish at the moderate velocity were higher than in those conditioned at the fast velocity. Moderate-velocity fish had resting (nonstressed) cortisol levels lower than those in the controls. After swimming stress, plasma cortisol, lactate, osmolality, and hematocrit levels in all fish were very high with no significant differences among treatments, while muscle pH values in all fish were lower than those in resting fish. Within the post-swimming stressed fish, muscle pH was lower in the controls than in those conditioned at the fast velocity. Overall, exercise conditioning in the moderate to fast velocity range increased body lipids and decreased post-swimming stress acidosis in young-of-the-year striped bass.
Effects of Intermediate and Low Salinity Conditions on Growth Rate and Food Conversion of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua)
Authors: Lambert Yvan , Dutil Jean-Denis , Munro Jean
Published: November 2008

Growth rates of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were measured under different salinity conditions to test the hypothesis that growth would be best in an isosmotic environment. The results of two experiments (spring and autumn 1991) conducted at three different salinities (7, 14, and 28‰) and two feeding regimes indicate a significant effect of salinity and ration on growth rate. Within each experiment, growth rates were highest for cod maintained in intermediate salinity conditions (14‰). Growth rates in low salinity conditions (7‰) were higher than in seawater (28‰) during the spring, but during the autumn, growth rates of cod held under low salinity conditions and in seawater were similar. Higher growth rates at lower salinities resulted from an increase in food conversion efficiency. They were not associated with an increase in food intake, changes in composition (proteins, lipids, or water), or relative allocation of energy to the tissues (muscle, liver, and gonads) of cod. The results indicate that rearing cod at intermediate salinities, such as would occur in estuaries or coastal regions, could confer an advantage for cod aquaculture.
von Bertalanffy Growth Models with Variability in, and Correlation between, K and L∞
Authors: Xiao Yongshun
Published: November 2008

A simple set of von Bertalanffy growth models was derived for length at age and for length increment at initial length and time at liberty by assuming that L∞ and K have the joint bivariate normal distribution with means [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], variances [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and correlation coefficient ρ, along with two measures of model applicability. Fitting of carapace length increment at initial length and time at liberty of the penaeid Metapenaeus endeavouri into the length increment model gave [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], ρ = −0.44, [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] with a model error [Formula: see text], in contrast with L∞ = 34.03 mm, K = 2.02∙yr−1, and ρ = −0.94 estimated using the conventional Fabens model. Thus, variability in K was large (41.15%); the negative correlation between L∞ and K was moderate as against that given in the correlation matrix. Length at age reconstructions indicate that these models would give a good description of growth of M. endeavouri within its life span. Sensitivity analysis revealed that its mean length at age and mean length increment for initial length and time at liberty are sensitive to changes in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and σK and relatively insensitive to those in [Formula: see text] and ρ.
Obstinate Nature: An Ecology of Individuals. Thoughts on Reproductive Behavior and Biodiversity
Authors: Cury Philippe
Published: November 2008

Marine turtles, salmon, and many other marine and terrestrial animals exhibit similar reproductive strategies in which the adults return to the site of their birth ("natal homing"). For these species, imprinting is the basic mechanism that allows every individual to place its progeny in an environment geographically similar to the one experienced at an early life stage. A tentative generalization of "natal homing" is presented within which homing is viewed as part of a continuum of reproductive strategies, all relying on imprinting. This generalization postulates that a newborn individual memorizes early environmental cues, which later determine the choice of its reproductive environment. Thus, the same mechanism accounts for successive generations reproducing at the same geographic location (philopatry) or aiming at a moving target, i.e., a set of environmental conditions that do not always have the same earth coordinates (dispersal). As a consequence, the adaptability of a population to its environment is ensured because of the diversity and multitude of imprinted individuals and not because of their individual adaptability. Diversity of life is thus perhaps more impressive than usually thought. Some ecological and evolutionary consequences of this generalization are explored and its application to marine fish discussed.
U(1) LATTICE GAUGE MODEL FOR UNCONVENTIONAL SUPERCONDUCTORS: LINK COOPER PAIR AS DUAL GAUGE FIELD
Authors: SAWAMURA KENJI , ICHINOSE IKUO , MORIBE YUKI
Published: November 2008

In this paper we study a new type of lattice gauge model that was proposed in the previous papers for describing unconventional superconductivity (SC). In this model, the Cooper-pair (CP) field is defined on lattice links in order to describe d-wave SC. The CP field can be regarded as a U(1) lattice gauge field dual to the electromagnetic field, and the SC (Higgs) phase transition takes place as a result of the phase coherence of the CP field. Effects of the long-range Coulomb interactions between the CPs and fluctuations of the electromagnetic field are taken into account. We investigate the phase structure of the model and the critical behavior by means of the Monte Carlo simulations. We find that the parameter, which controls the fluxes (vortices) of the CP, strongly influences the phase structure. In three-dimensional case, the model has rich phase structure. In particular, there is a "monopole proliferation" phase transition besides the SC phase transition. Depending on the parameters, this transition exists within the SC phase or takes place simultaneously with the SC transition. This new type of transition is relevant for unconventional SCs with strong spatial three-dimensionality and to be observed by experiments.
ABOUT SOME ISSUES IN THE TETRON MODEL
Authors: LAMPE BODO
Published: November 2008

After a prologue which clarifies some issues left open in my last paper, the main features of the tetron model of elementary particles are discussed in the light of recent developments, in particular the formation of strong and electroweak vector bosons and a microscopic understanding of how the observed tetrahedral symmetry of the fermion spectrum may arise.
Topical Microbicides to Prevent HIV: Clinical Drug Development Challenges
Authors: Hendrix Craig W. , Cao Ying Jun , Fuchs Edward J.
Published: November 2008

Microbicides, substances applied topically to prevent sexual HIV infection, are needed to empower receptive sexual partners with effective prevention methods. Several large microbicide trials, however, failed to demonstrate efficacy, thus motivating a reevaluation of the current microbicide development paradigm, which has been largely empirically based. Microbicide use occurs in a highly complex environment involving multi-level interactions, behavioral and biochemical, among host, virus, and drug, yet many details of these interactions remain unknown. Fundamental information regarding virus and drug distribution over time in sexually receptive body compartments that is necessary to design a microbicide able to outdistance and outlast the virus is largely absent. Recent efforts have been made to establish a simple conceptual framework for obtaining the knowledge that is likely to inform a more mechanistic, model-based development paradigm. These efforts have also advanced the development of numerous methodological approaches to obtain the knowledge needed to improve microbicide development.
Chronic infusion of angiotensin-(1–7) improves insulin resistance and hypertension induced by a high-fructose diet in rats
Authors: Giani Jorge F. , Mayer Marcos A. , Muñoz Marina C. , Silberman Ezequiel A. , Höcht Christian , Taira Carlos A. , Gironacci Mariela M. , Turyn Daniel , Dominici Fernando Pablo
Published: November 2008

The current study was undertaken to determine whether Ang-(1–7) is effective in improving metabolic parameters in fructose-fed rats (FFR), a model of metabolic syndrome. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either normal rat chow (control) or the same diet plus 10% fructose in drinking water. For the last 2 wk of a 6-wk period of either diet, control and FFR were implanted with subcutaneous osmotic pumps that delivered Ang-(1–7) (100 ng·kg−1·min−1). A subgroup of each group of animals (control or FFR) underwent a sham surgery. We measured systolic blood pressure (SBP) together with plasma levels of insulin, triglycerides, and glucose. A glucose tolerance test (GTT) was performed, with plasma insulin levels determined before and 15 and 120 min after glucose administration. In addition, we evaluated insulin signaling through the IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway as well as the phosphorylation levels of IRS-1 at inhibitory site Ser307 in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. FFR displayed hypertriglyceridemia, hyperinsulinemia, increased SBP, and an exaggerated release of insulin during a GTT, together with decreased activation of insulin signaling through the IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathway in skeletal muscle, liver, and adipose tissue, as well as increased levels of IRS-1 phospho-Ser307 in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, alterations that correlated with increased activation of the kinases mTOR and JNK. Chronic Ang-(1–7) treatment resulted in normalization of all alterations. These results show that Ang-(1–7) ameliorates insulin resistance in a model of metabolic syndrome via a mechanism that could involve the modulation of insulin signaling.
Head-Unrestrained Gaze Adaptation in the Rhesus Macaque
Authors: Cecala Aaron L. , Freedman Edward G.
Published: November 2008

The ability to adjust the amplitude of gaze shifts in response to persistent visual errors (“gaze adaptation”) has been investigated primarily by introducing visual errors at the end of saccades produced by head-restrained primates. Very little is known about the behavior and neural mechanisms underlying gaze adaptation when the head is free to move. We tested alternative hypotheses about the signals that are altered during gaze adaptation by increasing (25° → 50°; “forward adaptation”) or decreasing (50° → 25°; “backward adaptation”) the size of large, head-unrestrained gaze shifts. In our three rhesus monkey subjects, changes to primary gaze shift amplitude occurred regardless of the particular combinations of eye and head movements that made up the amplitude-altered gaze shifts. The relative changes to eye and head movements that occurred during adaptation could be predicted based on the magnitude of gaze adaptation and the positions of the eyes in the orbits at gaze onset. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that gaze adaptation occurs at the level of a gaze shift command and inconsistent with hypotheses based on the assumption that gaze adaptation results from alterations to eye- and/or head-specific signals.
Revealing the dynamics of gene expression during embryonic genome activation and first differentiation in the rabbit embryo with a dedicated array screening
Authors: Léandri R. D. , Archilla C. , Bui L. C. , Peynot N. , Liu Z. , Cabau C. , Chastellier A. , Renard J. P. , Duranthon V.
Published: November 2008

Early mammalian development is characterized by extensive changes in nuclear functions that result from epigenetic modifications of the newly formed embryonic genome. While the first embryonic cells are totipotent, this status spans only a few cell cycles. At the blastocyst stage, the embryo already contains differentiated trophectoderm cells and pluripotent inner cell mass cells. Concomitantly, the embryonic genome becomes progressively transcriptionally active. During this unique period of development, the gene expression pattern has been mainly characterized in the mouse, in which embryonic genome activation (EGA) spans a single cell cycle after abrupt epigenetic modifications. To further characterize this period, we chose to analyze it in the rabbit, in which, as in most mammals, EGA is more progressive and occurs closer to the first cell differentiation events. In this species, for which no transcriptomic arrays were available, we focused on genes expressed at EGA and first differentiation and established a 2,000-gene dedicated cDNA array. Screening this with pre-EGA, early post-EGA, and blastocyst embryos divided genes into seven clusters of expression according to their regulation during this period and revealed their dynamics of expression during EGA and first differentiation. Our results point to transient properties of embryo transcriptome at EGA, due not only to the transition between maternal and embryonic transcripts but also to the transient expression of a subset of embryonic genes whose functions remained largely uncharacterized. They also provide a first view of the functional consequences of the changes in gene expression program.
Stage Fright in Singers: Three Reaction Types
Authors: Berghs Geert
Published: November 2008

Drawing on both my own personal experience and that of many colleagues and pupils, I shall describe three kinds of reactions to stage fright. The first is the primarily mental reaction of derealization, which involves feeling cut off from fear and decreasing body awareness. The second and third reactions to stage fright involve (a) increased and (b) decreased muscle tonus and their associated breathing patterns. Furthermore, I shall indicate how singers manage to pull themselves together through the very act of producing their first tones.
Modification of the Picryl Chloride-Induced Allergic Dermatitis Model in Mouse Ear Lobes by 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-Acetate, and Analysis of the Role of Histamine in the Modified Model
Authors: Hirasawa Noriyasu , Ohsawa Yuhsuke , Katoh Goh , Shibata Kazue , Ishihara Kenji , Seyama Toshio , Tamura Soichiro , Hong JangJa , Ohuchi Kazuo
Published: November 2008

Background: In atopic dermatitis, inflammation induced by antigen-nonspecific stimuli further enhances the allergic inflammation. However, there is no experimental model in which allergic dermatitis is evoked where the inflammation has been induced by antigen-nonspecific stimuli. Here, we established a novel dermatitis model in mice and analyzed the role of histamine. Methods: After sensitization with picryl chloride (PiCl) by painting on ear lobes of cyclophosphamide-treated mice, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) was painted twice at the same site, and then allergic inflammation was induced by painting PiCl. Histamine antagonists and cyclosporine A (CsA) were administered intravenously. Results: The application of TPA shifted the PiCl-induced allergic inflammation from a delayed-type response to a biphasic response, increased the infiltration of eosinophils and mast cells at the inflammatory site, shifted the cytokine milieu from Th1 to Th2 and induced the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin in the ear lobes. The PiCl-induced increase in the thickness of the ear lobe in the immediate phase was suppressed by the H1 antagonist pyrilamine. In contrast, the increase in the swelling in the late phase and the infiltration of eosinophils were suppressed by the H3/H4 antagonist thioperamide. The inhibitory effect of the combined treatment with pyrilamine and thioperamide on the TPA-modified contact dermatitis was as potent as that of CsA. Conclusion: Induction of the antigen-nonspecific inflammation by TPA enhanced the PiCl-induced allergic inflammation. Histamine plays significant roles in the early-phase swelling via H1 receptors, and the late-phase swelling via H3/H4 receptors in this TPA-modified allergic dermatitis model.
Contact Sensitivity in Patients with Psoriasis in Vojvodina
Authors: Jovanović Marina , Boża Pal , Karadaglić Djordjije , Brkić Silvija , Petrović Aleksandra , Mimica-Dukić Neda , Anačkov Goran , Poljački Mirjana
Published: November 2008

Background: Immunologic studies indicate that psoriasis may represent an organ-integrated response. Objective: We assessed contact hypersensitivity in plaque-type psoriasis, its frequency, etiology and association with severity of psoriasis. Methods: Contact hypersensitivity was defined as a positive patch test (PT) to at least one of 44 ubiquitous contact allergens. Patients with exclusively plaque psoriasis and control groups (patients with allergic contact or extrinsic atopic dermatitis and healthy persons) were tested with the European standard series; plant-related standard allergens; Compositae allergens, and our own extracts from Compositae plants ubiquitous in Vojvodina. Sensitization rates to allergens were standardized for age and sex, and rates in women and in men were both standardized for age. Disease severity was evaluated using the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score. Results: 15,123 PTs were performed. Among psoriatic patients in Vojvodina, the overall rate of sensitivity, standardized for age and sex, was 18.9%. Rates in women (27.7%) and men (5.8%), both standardized for age, were significantly different. Male psoriatic patients reacted less than healthy males, the difference being on the margin of significance. There was no relationship between severity of disease and PT reactivity. Yarrow extract, nickel and a Compositae mix were the most common allergens that produced positive reactions. Conclusion: Although patch testing in psoriatic patients can be quite challenging, time-consuming and difficult, it will provide further insight into the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Factors other than different exposure to allergens may also be responsible for a sex-related difference in contact sensitivity. Future studies should focus on this field.
Natural Host Relationships and Genetic Diversity of Rodent-Associated Hantaviruses in Southeastern Brazil
Authors: de Sousa Ricardo Luiz Moro , Moreli Marcos Lázaro , Borges Alessandra Abel , Campos Gelse Mazzoni , Livonesi Márcia Cristina , Figueiredo Luiz Tadeu Moraes , Pinto Aramis Augusto
Published: November 2008

Objective: Hantaviruses are rodent-borne RNA viruses that have caused hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in several Brazilian regions. In the present study, geographical distribution, seroprevalence, natural host range, and phylogenetic relations of rodent-associated hantaviruses collected from seven counties of Southeastern Brazil were evaluated. Methods: ELISA, RT-PCR and phylogenetic analysis were used in this study. Results: Antibodies to hantavirus were detected in Bolomys lasiurus, Akodon sp. and Oligoryzomys sp., performing an overall seroprevalence of 5.17%. All seropositive rodents were associated with grasslands or woods surrounded by sugar cane fields. Phylogenetic analysis of partial S- and M-segment sequences showed that viral sequences isolated from B. lasiurus specimens clustered with Araraquara virus. However, a sequence from Akodon sp. shared 100% similarity with Argentinian/Chilean viruses based on the partial S-segment amino acid sequence. Conclusion: These results indicate that there are associations between rodent reservoirs and hantaviruses in some regions of Southeastern Brazil, and suggest the existence of additional hantavirus genetic diversity and host ecology in these areas.
Clinical Value of Automatic Reporting of Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate in Geriatrics
Authors: Kurtal Hanife , Schwenger Vedat , Azzaro Marina , Abdollahnia Nadja , Steinhagen-Thiessen Elisabeth , Nieczaj Rolf , Schulz Ralf-Joachim
Published: November 2008

Background: Geriatric patients frequently have impaired renal function. Multimorbidity leads to polypharmacy with high risk of adverse drug reactions. Objective: The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of renal impairment and risk of overdosing renally excreted drugs in hospitalized geriatric patients. Methods: In 221 patients aged ≥65 years, GFR was estimated by the MDRD, Cockcroft-Gault (CG) and lean body mass (LBM)-adjusted CG equations. Results: A reduced renal function (<60 ml/min/1.73 m2) was found in 43% by MDRD, 61% by CG, and 71.9% by LBM-CG. The prevalence of severe impairment (<30 ml/min/1.73 m2) was 3.3% based on MDRD, 5.4% on CG, and 13.6% on LBM-CG. At mean 10 medications were applied simultaneously. In patients with reduced eGFR, 52% of medications required dosage adjustment. Unfractionated heparins, ACE inhibitors, antibiotics, diuretics, and potassium were frequently used. Conclusions: For all limitations of formulaic GFR estimation in the elderly, routine assessment of renal function by reporting of eGFR helps to identify patients with chronic kidney disease and supports drug dosing. Implementation of routine reporting of eGFR is mandatory in standardized geriatric assessment.
Inhibition of Dab2 Expression with Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides in Mouse Embryos
Authors: Cheung Kwok Kuen , Mok Samuel C. , Zhao Hui , Rezaie Payam , Chan Wood Yee
Published: November 2008

Background: Dab2, 1 of the 2 mammalian orthologs of the Disabled protein in Drosophila, is a mitogen-responsive phosphoprotein and a cytoplasmic adaptor involved in several signal transduction pathways. Deficiency in Dab2 affects endodermal cell positioning and is embryonically lethal. Aims and Results: In the present study, the Dab2 expression pattern in mouse embryos from embryonic day (E)7.5 to E9.5 was first determined by specific immunohistochemical staining. Dab2 protein was expressed exclusively in the extraembryonic endoderm at E7.5 and was detected within the cranial mesenchyme, heart and foregut epithelium at E8.5. By E9.5, the protein was also localized in the roof plate of the hindbrain neural tube and within the branchial arch mesenchyme and epithelium. Next, to help define the role of Dab2 protein in early embryonic development, antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) were microinjected into mouse embryos to inhibit Dab2 expression. The protein expression within the neural tube and cranial mesenchyme was greatly reduced following microinjection at E8.5 and culturing embryos intact with a whole-embryo culture system for 8 h in vitro. Moreover, 26.7% of the injected embryos exhibited a twisted neural tube or an unturned body axis. Twenty-four hours following microinjection of antisense ODNs, 70% of the injected embryos showed structural abnormalities mainly affecting the body axis, otic placode, forelimb buds, branchial arches and neural tube. Excessive cell death was detected histologically in the ventral part of the neural tube, although the expression of Dab2 protein had resumed by this stage (24 h following microinjection). Conclusion: We conclude that Dab2 plays an important role in mouse embryonic development between E8.5 and E9.5, as a reduction in Dab2 expression during this period was found to disturb normal development.
Regulation of Ion Channels in the Cortical Collecting Duct
Authors: Schlatter Eberhard
Published: November 2008

Properties of ion channels of the cortical collecting duct (CCD) and their relevance for the macroscopic conductances are discussed. Although the regulation of the Na+ conductance by various hormones is widely studied, the relevant Na+ channel appears to be extremely difficult to be detected in the intact preparation. Three different K+ channels with slope conductances of about 30,140 and 80 pS (excised, 145 mmol/l KCL and 145 mmol/l NaCl on both sides of the membrane) have been found in principal cells of the CCD so far. The first two channels are located in the luminal, the latter one in the basolateral membrane. The two luminal channels are highly sensitive to the cytosolic pH and are also inhibited by cytosolic ATP. The small luminal K+ channel, highly active on the cell, is most likely responsible for K+ secretion. The large luminal K+ channel is involved in the volume regulation. The basolateral K+ channel, again highly active on the cell, is probably responsible for the recirculation of K+ across this membrane. The physiological role of the observed Cl- channels is still unknown.
Characteristics of the Luminal Proton Pump in Malpighian Tubules of the Ant
Authors: Dijkstra S. , Lohrmann E. , Van Kerkhove E. , Greger R.
Published: November 2008

The active pump mechanisms involved in K+ secretion of the malpighian tubules of the ant and present in the luminal membrane were investigated on isolated, luminally perfused tubules of Formica. The specific blocker for vacuolar type ATPases, bafilomycin A1, was found to half-maximally inhibit secretion at a concentration of 10-5 mol/l when added to the lumen. N-Ethylmaleimide reduced the calculated short circuit current (Isc) to 78 and 21% of control value when added at 5 · 10-4 mol/l, respectively, to the lumen and the bath. Reducing luminal pH inhibited Isc with a half-maximal inhibition at a luminal pH of 4.5. Acidified omeprazole, Schering compound 28080 and vanadate (both 10-3 and 10-4 mol/l) inhibited Isc only partially. The present data suggest that the luminal membrane of ant malpighian tubules contains a H+ pump. This pump is only poorly bafilomycin-sensitive. Furthermore, additional active transport systems responsible for secretion may be present. Part of these results have been published as abstracts.