bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Randomized Study for Comparing Bipolar Plasmakinetic Resection of the Prostate with Standard TURP
Authors: Seckiner Ilker , Yesilli Cetin , Akduman Bulent , Altan Korhan , Mungan N. Aydin
Published: February 2006

Objectives: To compare clinical results of plasmakinetic (PK) resection vs. standard monopolar resection of the prostate, i.e. transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Materials and Methods: 48 patients were included in this study between January 2003 and October 2003. They were randomized into two groups (TURP:PK) with a ratio of 1:1. PK resections (n = 24) were carried out by using PlasmaKinetic Tissue Management System (Gyrus Medical Ltd, Cardiff, UK) and PlasmaSect electrodes. TURPs (n = 24) were done by using a 26-Fr continuous-flow resectoscope and Karl Storz 27040 electrodes. Patients were assessed for safety and efficacy by measuring the IPSS and maximum flow rates at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months and residual urine measurement at 3, 6 and 12 months and transrectal ultrasonography at 6 months. Results: The patients’ ages ranged from 50 to 82 (mean 64 ± 10) years. Groups were similar for operation time, bleeding score, resected tissue, catheterization time and irrigated volume. Mean serum Na levels at the end of the operation were 141.7 ± 5.1 in the TURP group and 145.2 ± 4.4 in the PK group (p = 0.013). The IPSS, QOL score and Qmax had improved significantly in the postoperative period without any differences in either group. Conclusions: The main advantage of PK resection seems to be decreasing the risk of TUR syndrome, thus, larger prostates could be treated without a time limitation, theoretically. However, this technique brings no advantages in terms of intra- and postoperative bleeding, hospital stay, operation time and late complications.
Surgical Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma during the Second Trimester of Pregnancy
Authors: Casella R. , Ferrier C. , Giudici G. , Dickenmann M. , Giannini O. , Hösli I. , Bachmann A. , Sulser T.
Published: February 2006

Renal cell carcinoma is rarely diagnosed during pregnancy and its management represents a real challenge. Pregnancy demands special consideration in terms of diagnostic evaluation and management, particularly during the second trimester. We report a patient undergoing left radical nephrectomy using a thoracoretroperitoneal approach at 22 weeks’ gestation. Histological analysis revealed a pT2R0G2 chromophobic renal cell carcinoma. Furthermore, we review the sparse literature available.
Cowper’s Syringocele – A Rare Malformation of the Male Urethra
Authors: Zugor Vahudin , Schrott Karl-Michael , Schott Günter Eugen
Published: February 2006

Cowper’s syringocele is a cystic dilation of the male urethra which should be surgically treated when symptomatic. Two cases of syringocele, 1 adult and 1 juvenile, with obstructive micturition and microhematuria are reported. Both patients were treated using the transurethral surgical technique. The results are discussed with reference to the relevant literature.
Differences in Maturation of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Mammalian and Tick Cell Line
Authors: Šenigl Filip , Grubhoffer Libor , Kopecky Jan
Published: February 2006

Objective: The maturation process of tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in the tick RA-257 and porcine PS cells was studied by transmission electron microscopy and the E and NS1 proteins were localized in the infected cells. Methods: The porcine PS and tick RA-257 cell lines were infected with TBEV and examined at different time points post infection under an electron microscope. The E and NS1 proteins were localized with monoclonal antibodies on ultrathin cryosections. Results: The first virus particles and virus-induced vesicles appeared inside hypertrophied and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) cisternae in PS cells 15 h p.i. In the course of progressing maturation, the virus particles came up inside the Golgi apparatus and then probably left the cell by the exocytic pathway. Free nucleocapsids did not appear. The observed pattern corresponded to a trans-type maturation. The maximum of the infected PS cell survival was about 50 h p.i. Immunolocalization of some viral proteins (the envelope protein E and the nonstructural protein NS1) revealed the proteins in the cytosol and on the membrane of hypertrophied RER cisternae. On the other hand, the maturation process exhibited different features in the case of the tick RA-257 cells. The nucleocapsids appeared in the cytosol 24 h p.i. and enveloped viral particles were observed in the lumen of vacuoles. Infection of RA-257 cells caused only minor ultrastructural changes and resulted in persistent infection. Immunolocalization of viral proteins in the tick cell line also differed. Proteins E and NS1 were localized in the cytosol and on the vacuolar and plasma membranes. Conclusion: The TBEV maturation pathway in the mammalian host cell line differs from the pathway that the virus undergoes in the tick vector cell line.
Central Periodic Breathing Observed on Hospital Admission Is Associated with an Adverse Prognosis in Conscious Acute Stroke Patients
Authors: Rowat Anne M. , Dennis Martin S. , Wardlaw Joanna M.
Published: February 2006

Background: Central periodic breathing (CPB) is common following acute stroke, but its prognostic significance is uncertain. We determined the frequency of CPB on admission with stroke and assessed whether it was related to outcome. Methods: We measured arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), chest wall movements and nasal airflow continually with portable monitoring equipment in a large cohort of acute stroke patients, from arrival at hospital through acute assessment to reaching the ward. Baseline neurological examination and 3-month outcome (modified Rankin scale, MRS) were assessed blind to recordings. CPB was defined as cyclical rises and falls in ventilation, with intermittent reduced respiratory airflow or total apnoea. Results: CPB was common in acute stroke (33/138, 24%), but was poorly recognised by clinical staff. Patients with CPB were more likely to have a total anterior circulation syndrome and higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores than those without (both p < 0.01). Patients with CPB had significantly higher median SaO2 than those without (p < 0.01), unrelated to whether they received oxygen or not. At 3-month follow-up: 91% of patients with CPB were dead or dependent (MRS ≧3) compared with 53% of those without (OR 8.8; 95% CI 2.5–30.5); the association remained statistically significant after adjusting for covariates (OR 5.9; 95% CI 1.4–25.4). Conclusion: CPB is independently associated with poor outcome after stroke, but is not by association with hypoxia. Further work is required to identify causes, effects and interventions that might improve effects of CPB.
Histamine H1 Receptor-Stimulated Interleukin 8 and Granulocyte Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Production by Bronchial Epithelial Cells Requires Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling via Protein Kinase C
Authors: Matsubara Masahiro , Ohmori Kenji , Hasegawa Kazuhide
Published: February 2006

Background: Histamine stimulates the release of several cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-8 and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, from bronchial epithelial cells. However, the functional individual histamine receptor subtype and intracellular signaling in bronchial epithelial cells are poorly defined. Methods: Using human primary epithelial cells and the NCI-H292 cell line, we examined the expression of histamine receptor subtypes and histamine-induced second messenger. We also evaluated the involvements of mitogen-activated protein kinase, protein kinase C (PKC) and epidermal growth factor receptor in cytokine expression caused by histamine. Results: Histamine H1 receptor (H1R) was the only subtype expressed in both types of cells. Histamine elevated intracellular calcium ion without affecting cAMP levels. Histamine induced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. Histamine also phosphorylated PKC and myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate. Ro-31-8220, a PKC inhibitor, and PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase inhibitor, suppressed the histamine-induced ERK activation and the production of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and IL-8. On the contrary, histamine had no effect on the phosphorylation of epidermal growth factor receptor, and its specific inhibitor AG1478 failed to inhibit the histamine-induced ERK activation. Olopatadine, an H1 antagonist, completely blocked the histamine-related responses, whereas H2 and H3 antagonists did not. Histamine also augmented the IL-8 production caused by IL-4 or tumor necrosis factor-α. Conclusions: The H1R-PKC-ERK pathway may play crucial roles in eliciting cytokine production from bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by histamine, leading to airway inflammation.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension after Childhood Cancer Therapy and Bone Marrow Transplantation
Authors: Limsuwan Alisa , Pakakasama Samart , Rochanawutanon Mana , Hong-eng Suradej
Published: February 2006

According to the Third World Symposium on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), chemotherapy is considered to be one of the possible risk factors for patients developing PAH. However, to date, no literature has sufficiently addressed the risk, natural history, and effective treatment of this condition. We report our experience on how early diagnosis, detailed monitoring of disease course, and appropriate treatment application have led to a successful outcome of PAH management in childhood after cancer therapy. Our report reaffirmed the fact that PAH is now a recognized complication of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation for leukemia. Combined pulmonary vasodilator treatment has a beneficial effect in improving the patient’s condition and functional status as suggested by initial acute pulmonary vasodilator testing.
Functional Evidence for Visuospatial Coding in the Mauthner Neuron
Authors: Canfield James G.
Published: February 2006

When startled by sound, goldfish make large turns away from a rostral stimulus and small responses away from caudal stimuli, suggesting that rostral startling stimuli recruit larger pools of reticulospinal neurons in the Brainstem Escape Network (BEN) than do caudal stimuli. Consistent with this idea, the zebrafish Mauthner (M-) cell fires when the fish is startled by tail-directed stimuli, but the M-cell homologues (MiD2cm and MiD3cm) are also recruited when the fish is startled by displacing the head. Because vision is known to modulate M-cell activity, a nonstartling, modulatory sensory ‘signal’ conveyed to the reticular formation may be stronger if the visual sensory image is from a rostral vs. caudal spatial location and could account for a differential neuron pool recruitment and response magnitude. In this study, electrophysiological recordings from cichlid Mauthner neurons showed that visual stimulation of the caudal retina (by a rostral cue) generates a depolarization that is about 1.5 times the amplitude of that generated by stimulation of the rostral retina (by a caudal cue). In behavioral testing, where fish were stimulated visually for 30 ms and then startled by sound, fish startled in the presence of a rostral visual stimulus performed larger amplitude and faster turns than when startled in the presence of a caudal visual stimulus. Thus, M-cell potentials might reflect the strength of visual input to the BEN in general. For a particular visual spatial location, the relative strength of descending visual input appears to contribute to a recruitment of a reticulospinal neuron population that generates a turn magnitude appropriate to the visual cue, and suggests that a retinotopic representation is preserved in the BEN.
The Anterior Olfactory Nucleus and Piriform Cortex of the Echidna and Platypus
Authors: Ashwell Ken W.S. , Phillips Jennifer M.
Published: February 2006

The cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the anterior olfactory nucleus and piriform cortex of the short-beaked echidna and platypus were studied to determine: (1) if these areas contain chemically distinct subdivisions, and (2) if the chemoarchitecture of those cortical olfactory regions differs from therians. Nissl and myelin staining were applied in conjunction with enzyme reactivity for NADPH diaphorase and acetylcholinesterase, and immunoreactivity for calcium-binding proteins (parvalbumin, calbindin and calretinin) and tyrosine hydroxylase. Golgi impregnations were also available for the echidna. In the echidna, the anterior olfactory nucleus is negligible in extent and merges at very rostral levels with a four-layered piriform cortex. Several rostrocaudally running subregions of the echidna piriform lobe could be identified on the basis of Nissl staining and calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity. Laminar-specific differences in calcium-binding protein immunoreactivity and NADPH-d-reactive neuron distribution were also noted. Neuron types identified in echidna piriform cortex included pyramidal neurons predominating in layers II and III and non-pyramidal neurons (e.g., multipolar profusely spiny and neurogliaform cells) in deeper layers. Horizontal cells were identified in both superficial and deep layers. By contrast, the platypus had a distinct anterior olfactory nucleus and a three-layered piriform cortex with no evidence of chemically distinct subregions within the piriform cortex. Volume of the paleocortex of the echidna was comparable to prosimians of similar body weight and, in absolute volume, exceeded that for eutherian insectivores such as T. ecaudatus and E. europaeus. The piriform cortex of the echidna shows evidence of regional differentiation, which in turn suggests highly specialized olfactory function.
The Relation of Cigarette Smoking to Incident Alzheimer’s Disease in a Biracial Urban Community Population
Authors: Aggarwal Neelum T. , Bienias Julia L. , Bennett David A. , Wilson Robert S. , Morris Martha Clare , Schneider Julie A. , Shah Raj C. , Evans Denis A.
Published: February 2006

The relationship between smoking status and incident Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was investigated in a random stratified sample of a biracial community in Chicago. Analyses are based on 1,064 persons (of 1,134 evaluated) who had data on smoking status, disease incidence, and key covariates such as apolipoprotein allele status. During a mean of about 4 years of follow-up, 170 persons met criteria for incident AD. Current smoking was associated with increased risk of incident AD (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 1.4–8.0) compared to persons who never smoked. There was no apparent increase in risk of AD for former smokers compared to persons who never smoked (OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.5–1.7). Apolipoprotein E allele status modified this association in that former smokers with a υ4 allele were less likely to develop AD (p = 0.04) than those who never smoked. Former smokers also appeared to have a reduced risk of developing AD as their pack-years of smoking increased (p = 0.02)such that the odds of developing AD increased by 50% for every 10 years of smoking cessation (OR = 1.3, CI = 0.9–1.7). The results suggest that older people who currently smoke are more likely to develop AD compared to those who never smoked; the relation between those who used to smoke but quit and the risk of AD is complex and requires further research.
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Incidence among Whites, Blacks and Caribbean Hispanics: The Northern Manhattan Study
Authors: Labovitz D.L. , Halim A.X. , Brent B. , Boden-Albala B. , Hauser W.A. , Sacco R.L.
Published: February 2006

American blacks and Hispanics may have a greater incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) than whites, but incidence data are scant. We used an active hospital and community surveillance program and autopsy reports to identify incident SAH cases among white, black and Hispanic adults living in Northern Manhattan between July 1993 and June 1997. The annual incidence adjusted for age and sex to the 1990 US Census was 9.7 per 100,000 (95% CI 7.5–12.0). Compared with whites (9 cases, age- and sex-adjusted annual incidence 8.2 per 100,000), the rate ratio of SAH was 1.3 (95% CI 0.7–2.4) for Hispanics (34 cases, incidence 10.9), and 1.6 (95% CI 0.8–2.8) for blacks (9 cases, incidence 12.8). The 30-day case fatality rate was 26%. Risk of death increased significantly with age and severity at onset but was not influenced by gender or race-ethnicity.
Patient Recognition of and Response to Symptoms of TIA or Stroke
Authors: Barr Jeanne , McKinley Sharon , O’Brien Elizabeth , Herkes Geoffrey
Published: February 2006

Background and Purpose: Campaigns within Australia and internationally have sought to increase awareness of the emergent nature of stroke. For these initiatives to be effective it is important to gather information about delay in seeking treatment and the reasons given for the delay by people with stroke. The purpose of this study was to examine delay in seeking treatment in people with an evolving stroke or TIA and identify clinical, behavioral and demographic factors that contributed to the delay. Subjects and Methods: During a 1-year period 150 participants were given the Response to Stroke Symptoms Questionnaire. The six domains included in the questionnaire were: (1) context in which the stroke occurred; (2) antecedents to symptoms; (3) affective response to symptoms; (4) behavioral response to symptoms; (5) cognitive response to symptoms; (6) the response of others to patient symptoms. Results: The median delay time from symptom onset to admission to hospital was 4.5 h. While 41% of participants delayed less than 3 h, more than 45% delayed greater than 6 h. Independent predictors of delay time included mode of arrival at hospital with those taking an ambulance having a median delay time of 2.7 h vs. 15.4 h for those arriving by private car (p = 0.04). Gender also predicted delay with women delaying longer (p = 0.001). The first response of others was also an independent predictor of delay time (p = 0.003) with those who called the emergency services number or took the patient to hospital resulting in the shortest patient delays. Finally, if the patient appraised their symptoms as serious they had a shorter delay time (p = 0.02). Conclusions: The message about the emergent nature of stroke may be helping to improve delay times. However, there are still many people who delay greater than 3 h after symptom onset. It is important to direct education programs to those with known risk factors for stroke and their families, who often make the decision to call an ambulance.
Simultaneous Diagnosis of Ulcerative Jejunoileitis and Coeliac Disease in an Elderly Man
Authors: Koutroutsos Konstantinos , Tsiachris Dimitrios , Papatheodoridis George V. , Tiniakos Dina G. , Zafiropoulou Rodessa , Archimandritis Athanasios J.
Published: February 2006

Ulcerative jejunoileitis (UJI) is a rare condition which usually develops in patients with established or simultaneously diagnosed coeliac disease (CD) and has been suggested to represent cryptic low-grade enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL). We report a case of a 78-year-old male patient with UJI and CD diagnosed at the same time. He presented with abdominal pain, diarrhoea and weight loss and had serological, endoscopical, radiological and histological findings compatible with the diagnoses of both UJI and CD. The possibility of EATL was carefully excluded. The patient exhibited significant symptomatic improvement with a gluten-free diet, probably indicating an early stage of disease despite his old age. In conclusion, this rather unusual case of an elderly patient presenting with UJI and CD without evidence of EATL supports the great heterogeneity of these diseases not only in their clinical presentation but even in their course and complications.
6-Thioguanine Treatment in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Critical Appraisal by a European 6-TG Working Party
Authors: de Boer N.K.H. , Reinisch W. , Teml A. , van Bodegraven A.A. , Schwab M. , Lukas M. , Ochsenkühn T. , Petritsch W. , Knoflach P. , Almer S. , van der Merwe S.W. , Herrlinger K.R. , Seiderer J. , Vogelsang H. , Mulder C.J.J.
Published: February 2006

Recently, the suggestion to use 6-thioguanine (6-TG) as an alternative thiopurine in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been discarded due to reports about possible (hepato) toxicity. During meetings arranged in Vienna and Prague in 2004, European experts applying 6-TG further on in IBD patients presented data on safety and efficacy of 6-TG. After thorough evaluation of its risk-benefit ratio, the group consented that 6-TG may still be considered as a rescue drug in stringently defined indications in IBD, albeit restricted to a clinical research setting. As a potential indication for administering 6-TG, we delineated the requirement for maintenance therapy as well as intolerance and/or resistance to aminosalicylates, azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate and infliximab. Furthermore, indications are preferred in which surgery is thought to be inappropriate. The standard 6-TG dosage should not exceed 25 mg daily. Routine laboratory controls are mandatory in short intervals. Liver biopsies should be performed after 6–12 months, three years and then three-yearly accompanied by gastroduodenoscopy, to monitor for potential hepatotoxicity, including nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) and veno-occlusive disease (VOD). Treatment with 6-TG must be discontinued in case of overt or histologically proven hepatotoxicity.
Independent Risk Factors for Anemia in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Results from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey
Authors: Barrett-Lee Peter J. , Ludwig Heinz , Birgegård Gunnar , Bokemeyer Carsten , Gascón Pere , Kosmidis Paris A. , Krzakowski Maciej , Nortier Johan W.R. , Kongable Gail , Schneider Maurice , Schrijvers Dirk , van Belle Simon J.
Published: February 2006

Objectives: To develop a hitherto unavailable risk factor model for accurately predicting anemia development in cancer patients before chemotherapy (CT) administration. Methods: 2,070 nonanemic patients from the European Cancer Anaemia Survey (ECAS) with hemoglobin (Hb) ≧12 g/dl at enrollment who received their first CT during ECAS and underwent at least two CT cycles were divided randomly into split half (SH) 1 and SH2 (n = 1,035 each). The model was developed on SH1 using logistic regression to simultaneously evaluate predictive factors, and was validated using SH2 and an additional similar subpopulation of 5,901 ECAS patients. Anemia risk values were assigned to the predictive factors and the sum of the predictive factors gave the total anemia risk score; lower-, higher-, and highest-risk cutoff points of the total anemia risk score were determined. Results: Variables ultimately identified as significant predictive factors for anemia were: lower initial Hb (≤12.9 g/dl in females, and ≤13.4 g/dl in males); having lung or gynecologic cancer versus gastrointestinal (GI)/colorectal cancer; cancer at any other site versus GI/colorectal cancer; treatment with platinum CT, and female gender. Conclusion: Using this evidence-based risk model, nonanemic patients who are at the highest risk of develop ing anemia prior to receiving CT can be identified clinically, allowing appropriate anemia management to be planned.
Cardioprotective Effects of Eplerenone in the Rat Heart
Authors: Chai Wenxia , Garrelds Ingrid M. , de Vries René , Jan Danser A.H.
Published: February 2006

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism with eplerenone reduces mortality in heart failure, possibly because of blockade of the deleterious effects of aldosterone. To investigate these effects, rat Langendorff hearts were exposed to aldosterone and/or eplerenone. Under normal conditions, aldosterone increased left ventricular pressure and decreased coronary flow. Eplerenone did not block these effects. Eplerenone reduced infarct size (from 68±2% to 53±4%;
P
<0.05) and increased left ventricular pressure recovery (from 44±2% to 60±5%;
P
<0.05) after 45 minutes of coronary artery occlusion and 3 hours of reperfusion, whereas aldosterone did not affect these parameters. To verify the origin of cardiac aldosterone, hearts were perfused with 3 to 30 nmol/L aldosterone and either frozen immediately or exposed to washout. Without washout, cardiac aldosterone was 1.5 times aldosterone in coronary effluent (CE), that is, too high to be explained on the basis of its presence in extracellular fluid. The cardiac levels of aldosterone correlated with its CE levels (
r
=0.81;
P
<0.01), and both were unaffected by eplerenone. During washout, tissue aldosterone disappeared monophasically (half life, 9±1 minutes), and CE aldosterone disappeared biphasically (half life 1±0 and 8±1 minutes, respectively). During buffer perfusion, cardiac aldosterone was at or below the detection limit. In conclusion, eplerenone improves the condition of the heart after ischemia and reperfusion. This does not relate to interference with the inotropic and vasoconstrictor effects of aldosterone. The majority of cardiac aldosterone, if not all, is derived from the circulation. The rapid, mineralocorticoid receptor-independent kinetics of aldosterone suggest that its accumulation in the heart involves cell surface binding rather than internalization.
Uptake of Cardiovascular Drugs Into the Human Heart
Authors: Grube Markus , Meyer zu Schwabedissen Henriette E.U. , Präger; Damaris , Haney Jeanette , Möritz Klaus-Uwe , Meissner Konrad , Rosskopf Dieter , Eckel Lothar , Böhm Michael , Jedlitschky Gabriele , Kroemer Heyo K.
Published: February 2006

Background—To date, the uptake of drugs into the human heart by transport proteins is poorly understood. A candidate protein is the organic cation transporter novel type 2 (OCTN2) (SLC22A5), physiologically acting as a sodium-dependent transport protein for carnitine. We investigated expression and localization of OCTN2 in the human heart, uptake of drugs by OCTN2, and functional coupling of OCTN2 with the eliminating ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein).

Methods and Results—Messenger RNA levels of OCTN2 and ABCB1 were analyzed in heart samples by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. OCTN2 was expressed in all auricular samples that showed a pronounced interindividual variability (35 to 1352 copies per 20 ng of RNA). Although a single-nucleotide polymorphism in OCTN2 (G/C at position −207 of the promoter) had no influence on expression, administration of β-blockers resulted in significantly increased expression. Localization of OCTN2 by in situ hybridization, laser microdissection, and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed expression of OCTN2 mainly in endothelial cells. For functional studies, OCTN2 was expressed in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCKII) cells. Using this system, verapamil, spironolactone, and mildronate were characterized both as inhibitors (EC50=25, 26, and 21 μmol/L, respectively) and as substrates. Like OCTN2, ABCB1 was expressed preferentially in endothelial cells. A significant correlation of OCTN2 and ABCB1 expression in the human heart was observed, which suggests functional coupling. Therefore, the interaction of OCTN2 with ABCB1 was tested with double transfectants. This approach resulted in a significantly higher transcellular transport of verapamil, a substrate for both OCTN2 and ABCB1.

Conclusions—OCTN2 is expressed in the human heart and can be modulated by drug administration. Moreover, OCTN2 can contribute to the cardiac uptake of cardiovascular drugs.
Crowds and Pathos
Authors: Borch Christian
Published: February 2006

Theodor Geiger is one of the sociological discipline's unappreciated classics. This article focuses on a particular and often neglected part of his work, the study of revolutionary crowds. The article has two main objectives. First, it presents and discusses Geiger's subtle and thoroughly sociological account of crowds and their revolutionary character. This includes an outlook to his theory of differentiation and to his critique of communitarian pathos in modern society. Second, the article demonstrates that Geiger's theory has much to offer contemporary debates on revolution. This is shown more specifically by contrasting Geiger's theory with Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's recent work. According to Hardt and Negri, the present imperial world order may be radically transformed by a new revolutionary subject, the multitude. The article contends that in many respects Geiger's theory provides a more complex picture of the possibility of revolution.
Dag Østerberg –Determination Through Ruptures
Authors: Otnes Per
Published: February 2006

This short biography sketches the professional itinerary of Professor Dag Østerberg (1938–), a colleague very well known, respected and much quoted in his native Norway, as well as on the Nordic scene and beyond, as a sociologist, philosopher and musicologist. Østerberg's academic career spans the years as a student from 1957, magister 1961, doctorate 1973, and employment as assistant, associate and professor (in 1981). During several decades of not being employed he devoted his time to free study and writing. In practising a ‘frugal freedom’, he maintained his independence as an intellectual, upholding his original programme as a ‘critic of society’ and of sociology as a whole. The biography is written along Bourdieuvian lines, in seeking to understand his career through the various fields he has passed through. Unlike many others, he has had the boldness of spirit to withdraw, time and again, from situations and fields that did not fit with his programme. A critical spirit, he was one of the initiators of the local Norwegian Positivismusstreit, and, although in changing form, has maintained like stands ever since a critical, interpretive sociology, ‘post-positivism’. The best known of his English books is Metasociology(1987).
In the Name of The Father, The Child and The Holy Genes
Authors: Ottosen Mai Heide
Published: February 2006

The enforcement of family law is a significant actor in the welfare state's regulation of the domestic sphere. This article analyses how the child and different conceptions about children's welfare become constructed through the legal proceedings and decisions when divorced or separated parents have disputes over contact with their children: who is allowed to speak during the proceedings and which arguments about what is best for the child are considered as valid? The empirical basis for the analysis consists of 75 complicated disputes over child contact which were handled by the judicial authority in Denmark. The analysis deals with the key actors in the field and identifies several constructions about the child and ‘the child's best interest’. The dominant rationale was elaborated on the basis of the judicial discourse and its professionals: this discourse is based on a limited-content definition of ‘what is best for the child’ and has the purpose of maintaining the idea of a normalized parenthood. The consequences of this construction for the involved children are discussed.
Leaving the Countryside
Authors: Rye Johan Fredrik
Published: February 2006

Depopulation is considered a problem for rural societies because it depletes the countryside of human capital and symbolizes the decay of the rural. In this article, however, rural-to-urban migration is analysed from the perspective of the rural migrants rather than from that of the rural societies: Does rural-to-urban migration represent a problem for the individual migrants in terms of the long-term effects of migration? This research question is addressed by assessing rural migrants’ long-term achievement in terms of economic and cultural capital compared to rural non-migrants. The longitudinal approach is made possible by analysis of microlevel data from Norwegian censuses and the National Migration Register. The links between geographical and social mobility for the entire Norwegian rural birth cohort of 1965 ( n= 9081) during a time-span of 30 years are then traced. Previous research has produced mixed results regarding the long-term effects of migration, which seemingly depend on data sources, methods and the national context of the respective studies. This article suggests that migrants from rural areas in Norway on average gain higher economic and cultural capital resources than non-migrants. However, these rewards of rural-to-urban migration differ substantially between migrants from different factions in the rural class structure.
Despair is Not Enough
Authors: Dowty Alan
Published: February 2006

In what ways does intensified violence change attitudes in protracted conflicts? When does it harden attitudes and when does it moderate them? This question is tested for the post-1967 period in Israeli–Palestinian relations, with emphasis on the two intifadaperiods (1987–93 and 2000 to the present). A clear distinction emerges between ‘expressive’ issues, those with a short-term focus and a high emotive content, and the ‘primary’ issues in the conflict. Violence produced a hardening of positions on expressive issues in both intifadaperiods, as would be predicted in escalation theories. On primary issues, however, violence engendered moderation in the search for an overall solution, in line with ‘ripeness’ theory, when the two major conditions of ‘ripeness’ — perceptions of a mutually hurting stalemate and a ‘way out’ — were met. Thus the first intifadaaccelerated moderating trends on primary issues, while in the second intifada,where perception of a ‘way out’ was much weaker, attitudes on basic issues did not moderate until a basic structural change occurred in late 2004.
What Kind of Border Regime is in the Making?
Authors: Berg Eiki , Ehin Piret
Published: February 2006

The recent round of enlargement has provided new impetus for the study of European Union (EU) external borders. This article conceptualizes the emerging European border regime as a composite policy, arguing that the regime is shaped by policy-making across such diverse areas as Regional Policy, Justice and Home Affairs, Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement. It shows that different policy paradigms attribute diverging functions to the EU external border and prescribe different modes of governance and diverse patterns of openness and control. The policy process producing the border regime is therefore both vertically and horizontally fragmented, reflecting interests, perceptions, norms, structures and procedures at various levels of authority (supranational, national, local) and in different policy sectors. This fragmentation results in a differentiated and uneven border strategy marked by diverse patterns of inclusion and exclusion, as illustrated by three case studies representing variations from the common European standard.
Adjacent Internationalism
Authors: Bergman Annika
Published: February 2006

The Nordic states have long been known for their commitment to a distinctly social-democratic set of internationalist values, and the demise of communism in the Nordic states’ adjacent region provided an excellent opportunity to seek new forms of cooperation with their Baltic neighbours informed by the tradition of Nordic internationalism. Nordic internationalism has thus recently acquired a visible Baltic dimension, which is here defined as ‘adjacent internationalism’. The purpose of this article is to analyse this new branch of Nordic foreign policy against the backdrop of Nordic internationalism more generally through an examination of the Nordic states’ joint efforts to prepare the Baltic States for European Union (EU) membership. The main argument developed here is that adjacent internationalism has not only concretely facilitated Baltic EU membership, but has also given rise to an emergent Nordic–Baltic sphere of community. In so doing, it has contributed to the re-invigoration of the normative dimensions of inter-Nordic cooperation as well as Nordic internationalism more generally. In examining this issue, the article explores the key premises of Nordic international relations and offers a normatively informed reading of relations between states in a dynamic regional environment.
Intergenerational Support
Authors: Schwarz Beate , Trommsdorff Gisela , Kim Uichol , Park Young-shin
Published: February 2006

In this study, adult daughters from an East Asian culture (South Korea: N = 398) and a western culture (Germany: N = 313) were compared with respect to the extent and the direction of intergenerational support, the associations between value orientations, relationship quality and intergenerational support, and with respect to the meaning of perceived reciprocity within these processes. Results showed a more extensive exchange of support in the Korean as compared to the German sample and very similar associations between values and relationship quality with support to parents in both cultures. However, in the German sample a negative association between adult daughters’ perception of giving more than receiving and the quality of the relationship was indicated. The results are discussed in light of the Confucian concept of filial piety and the western theoretical model of intergenerational solidarity.
Conflict, ambivalence, and the contested purpose of public organizations
Authors: Hoggett Paul
Published: February 2006

This article argues that public organizations are inherently more complex than private ones. Their complexity derives from two sources. The public sphere is the site for the continuous contestation of public purposes and this means that questions regarding values and policies saturate all public organizations, particularly at the point of delivery. Second, because government partly acts as the receptacle for the alienated subjectivity of citizens, public organizations have to contain much of what is disowned by the society in which they are situated. It follows that the fate of the public official, sometimes referred to as the ‘street-level bureaucrat’, is to have to contain the unresolved (and often partially suppressed) value conflicts and moral ambivalence of society. Such a perspective has implications for all of those who, in their different roles, seek to bring about change or development in public organizations. Psychoanalytic approaches to organizational consultation have not adequately understood the contested nature of public organizations and some key aspects of this approach, such as the concept of the organization's primary task, need to be reconsidered.
Leadership, betrayal and adaptation
Authors: Krantz James
Published: February 2006

Change stimulates complex cross-currents between institutional requirements and the psycho-social arrangements that have formed around existing configurations. In navigating these complex forces leaders are sometimes confronted with the need to betray, even if in the service of higher purposes. This article explores the links between leadership, betrayal and adaptation. It focuses primarily on the social and psychological reverberations of betrayal, with particular attention drawn to the impact of betrayal on the leaders themselves.
Influence costs and the reporting of skill deficiencies
Authors: Watson Duncan , Webb Robert , Johnson Steven
Published: February 2006

There remains a conventional wisdom amongst economists that the UK suffers from a seriously under-skilled workforce and that an effective increase in the provision of training is key to economic regeneration. This article, while accepting the link between an underskilled workforce and economic performance, questions the reporting of skill shortages by personnel departments. This is based upon the notion that employees can spend considerable time attempting to influence decision-makers over and above their actual worth. We investigate whether personnel departments use concerns, and the ambiguous nature of, skill shortages to manipulate the reporting of skills at the organizational level.
Quality of life: Obstacles, advice, and employer assistance
Authors: Dallimore Elise , Mickel Amy
Published: February 2006

This exploratory study examines obstacles working professionals face in their efforts to enhance quality of life including a discussion of the advice and employer assistance they desire. Based on a discursive formations’ framework, research findings emerged with implications for organizations including the importance of: a) clarifying expectations for employees, b) addressing employees’ desire for various types of advice, c) acknowledging obstacles that are internallybased, and d) understanding employees’ perceptions of work environments. A category of general-life issues (which bridge work and non-work domains) also emerged from the data.
Beyond dependence: An identity approach to social power and domination
Authors: Simon Bernd , Oakes Penelope
Published: February 2006

This article outlines a new approach to the social psychology of power. Specifically, it challenges the currently influential conflictoriented dependence analysis, in which power operates as an almost exclusively repressive force. Drawing on relevant work from other social science disciplines, the article presents an identity model of power, in which both consensus and conflict play important roles. The model theorizes power as a productive as well as repressive force, and differentiates between social power toachieve desired outcomes and social power overothers (domination). The implications of the model for two classic issues in the power literature are considered: the relationship between power and status, and challenges to power (resistance and social change). The model's empirical potential is also discussed.
Foaming Polystyrene with a Mixture of CO2 and Ethanol
Authors: Gendron Richard , Champagne Michel F. , Delaviz Yadi , Polasky Mark E.
Published: February 2006

Use of mixtures of blowing agents in thermoplastic foam extrusion has been an industrial practice for a long time. However, it has gained renewed interest in the past few years due to the introduction of difficult-to-process alternative gases, targeted as potential replacement for the banned ozone-depleting blowing agents. Reasons for blending physical foaming agents (PFA) are numerous. The incentives may be economical, environmental, or technical. With respect to that latter factor, blending suitable PFAs is often regarded as providing a better control of processing conditions. For example, a specific PFA could be selected for its inflation performance and blended with other co-blowing agents chosen for their stabilizing role. Although a considerable amount of work has been done in that area, very little information has been disclosed in open literature.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been reported as an interesting candidate for low-density polystyrene (PS) foaming, although the required concentrations are associated with high processing pressures due to the low solubility of the gas. Thus, stable processing conditions are difficult to achieve. This work studies the effect of blending CO2 with ethanol (EtOH) as a co-blowing agent for PS foaming. Extrusion foaming performance of this mixture is discussed, with respect to its solubility (i.e., degassing conditions) and rheological behavior. The function of each blowing agent during the process is analyzed with respect to the plasticization, nucleation, expansion, and stabilization phases. Attention is also paid to the interaction involving the two PFA components.
Manufacture of Integral Skin PP Foam Composites in Rotational Molding
Authors: Pop-Iliev Remon , Lee Kyoung-Ho , Park Chul B.
Published: February 2006

The feasibility of applying the single-charge rotational foam molding processing principle to the fabrication of integral skin polypropylene (PP) foams comprising a PP solid skin and a PP foamed core is investigated in this study. A systematic process interruption and sample evaluation approach was used to quantify the experimental results and explore possibilities for improving the process control strategies to ultimately achieve a desired homogeneity and thickness uniformity of the solid PP skin layer that would be fully encapsulating the PP foamed core of a desired cell population density and average cell size. The experimental results revealed that this is quite a challenging task, not only because of the well-known intrinsically poor foaming nature of PP due to its low melt strength at elevated temperatures, but also because, in single-charge rotational molding, the processing parameters are often conflicting with each other and therefore, have to be optimized within a very narrow processing window. However, simultaneous, single-charge, quality PP integral skin and foamed PP core formation in rotational foam molding is feasible. Optimizing the heating profile, heating rate, heating time, and the mold rotational speed as well as careful selection of PP resins (or resin blends), chemical blowing agents (CBA), and their composition formulations is strongly recommended.
Effect of Low Density Polyethylene on Polystyrene Foam
Authors: Wong Chang-Ming , Tsai Shih-Jung , Ying Chih-Hung , Hung Ming-Lang
Published: February 2006

This work examines the foam density of polystyrene (PS) blended with low density polyethylene (LDPE) at various ratios, and the thermal conductivity of vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) using PS/PE with filler foam as core materials. The experimental results indicate that LDPE strongly influences the foam density of PS/PE foam and the content of open-cells in PS/PE with filler foam. A higher content of open-cells in PS/PE with filler foam can lead to a lower thermal conductivity of VIP.
Salvation Goods and Religious Markets: Integrating Rational Choice and Weberian Perspectives
Authors: Stolz Jörg
Published: February 2006

English

In spite of the tremendous success of the concept of “religious markets”, it has remained unclear just what “religious goods” are and if, and under what conditions, a “religious market” actually exists in a given society. The author integrates different concepts from rational choice theorists and Max Weber into a new typology of individual and social religious goods. The typology shows that markets are only one possibility among others of producing, exchanging and allocating religious goods. It also helps an understanding of the kind of conditions in which markets may or may not be important theoretical tools.

French

En dépit du succès fulgurant que connaît le concept de "marché religieux'', la signification de ce que l'on entend par "bien religieux'' n'en est pas clarifiée pour autant, de même que les conditions qui permettraient de parler de "marché religieux'' dans une société donnée. L'auteur revisite différents concepts des théoriciens du choix rationnel ainsi que de Max Weber et les intègre dans une nouvelle typologie des biens religieux individuels et sociaux. Celle-ci montre que les marchés n'offrent qu'une manière parmi d'autres de produire, d'échanger et de distribuer les biens religieux. Elle permet également de mieux comprendre à quelles conditions le marché peut être considéré comme un outil théorique pertinent.
Les limites du “marché religieux”
Authors: Bruce Steve
Published: February 2006

English

The author considers in some detail two particular facets of the rational choice approach to religion associated with Rodney Stark and his followers and then discusses the extent to which the general principles of economic rationality can be applied to religion. He argues that an interest in “religious markets” is largely pointless because the characteristics necessary for rational choice (in the economistic sense) are absent when the goods in question are religious.

French

L'auteur se propose d'analyser de façon assez détaillée deux facettes particuliè res de l'approche de la religion selon la théorie du choix rationnel telle qu'elle est traitée par Rodney Stark et ses émules, et de discuter ensuite dans quelle mesure les principes généraux de la rationalité économique peuvent s'appliquer à la religion. Il soutient qu'un intérêt pour les "marches de la religion'' est largement dépourvu de sens dans la mesure où les caractéristiques nécessaires à la rationalité des choix (au sens économiciste du terme) sont absentes lorsque les biens en question sont de l'ordre du religieux.