bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insulin resistance for glucose uptake and Akt2 phosphorylation in the soleus, but not epitrochlearis, muscles of old vs. adult rats
Authors: Sharma Naveen , Arias Edward B. , Sajan Mini P. , MacKrell James G. , Bhat Abhijit D. , Farese Robert V. , Cartee Gregory D.
Published: March 2010

The slow-twitch soleus, but not fast-twitch muscle, of old vs. adult rats has previously been demonstrated to become insulin resistant for in vivo glucose uptake. We probed cellular mechanisms for the age effect by assessing whether insulin resistance for glucose uptake was an intrinsic characteristic of the muscle ex vivo and by analyzing key insulin signaling steps. We hypothesized that isolated soleus and epitrochlearis (fast-twitch) muscles from old (25 mo) vs. adult (9 mo) male Fisher-344 × Brown Norway rats would have insulin resistance for Akt2 Thr308 phosphorylation (pAkt2Thr308), AS160 phosphorylation Thr642 (pAS160Thr642), and atypical PKC (aPKCζ/λ) activity corresponding in magnitude to the extent of insulin resistance for [3H]-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake. Epitrochlearis insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake above basal values was unaltered by age, and epitrochlearis pAkt2Thr308, pAS160Thr642, and aPKCζ/λ activity were not significantly different in adult vs. old rats. Conversely, insulin-stimulated 2-DG uptake by the soleus of old vs. adult rats was reduced with 1.2 nM (42%) and 30 nM (28%) insulin concomitant with an age-related decline in pAkt2Thr308of the insulin-stimulated soleus. There were no age effects on pAS160Thr642or aPKCζ/λ activity or abundance of Akt2, AS160, GLUT4 or Appl1 protein in either muscle. The results suggest the possibility that an age-related decline in pAkt2Thr308, acting by a mechanism other than reduced pAS160Thr642, may play a role in the insulin resistance in the soleus of old rats. Skeletal muscle insulin resistance in old age is distinctive compared with other insulin-resistant rodent models that are not selective for greater insulin resistance in the soleus vs. the epitrochlearis.
Accounting for Disease Model Uncertainty in Mapping Heterogeneous Traits – A Bayesian Model Averaging Approach
Authors: Biswas Swati , Papachristou Charalampos
Published: March 2010

Background: Locus heterogeneity, wherein a disease can be caused in different individuals by different genes and/or environmental factors, is a ubiquitous feature of complex traits. A Bayesian approach has been proposed to account for variable rates of heterogeneity across families in a parametric linkage analysis setup [Biswas and Lin: J Am Stat Assoc 2006;101:1341–1351]. As with any parametric approach, its application requires specification of the disease model, which limits its practical utility. Methods: We address this limitation by proposing a Bayesian model averaging (BMA) approach. We consider a finite number of disease models and treat the model as an unknown parameter. In practice, we use simple single-locus disease models as various categories for model. Results: Our simulations as well as analysis of Genetic Analysis Workshop 13 simulated data show that BMA retains at least 80% of the power that is obtained by analyzing under the true disease model. The coverage probability of interval for disease gene is maintained around the nominal level. Finally, we apply BMA to a Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease dataset and find evidence for linkage on chromosomes 19, 9, and 21. Conclusion: We conclude that the BMA approach utilizing simple single-locus models for averaging is effective for mapping heterogeneous traits.
Imprinting and Expression Status of Isoforms 1 and 2 of PEG1/MEST Gene in Uterine Leiomyoma
Authors: Moon Yong-Suk , Park Seon-Koo , Kim Hong-Tae , Lee Tae Sung , Kim Ju Hyun , Choi Youn Seok
Published: March 2010

PEG1/MEST gene has been known to be an imprinting gene, which is associated with growth of mesodermal origin cells. Its expression was also reported to be increased in leiomyoma. Several reports showed that loss of imprinting is associated with carcinogenesis in some types of cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether overexpression of PEG1/MEST gene in leiomyoma is associated with loss of imprinting of the gene (biallelic), or whether the overexpression occurs while maintaining the imprinting (monoallelic). We investigated the expression and the imprinting status of PEG1/MEST and its isoforms in samples from 25 patients with uterine leiomyomas as well as in matched normal myometrial tissue. The isoform 1 transcripts were found to be more increased in uterine leiomyomas, compared to myometrium. However, there was no difference in the mRNA levels of isoform 2 between normal myometrium and leiomyoma. All normal myometrial tissues and 19 of 20 leiomyomas showed monoallelic expression of PEG1/MEST. Thus, these data demonstrated that tumorigenesis of leiomyoma is associated with overexpression of isoform 1 of PEG1/MEST gene, but not with loss of imprinting of the gene.
Responses of Endothelial Cells from Different Vessels to Inflammatory Cytokines and Shear Stress: Evidence for the Pliability of Endothelial Phenotype
Authors: Luu N. Thin , Rahman Mahbub , Stone Phil C. , Rainger G. Ed , Nash Gerard B.
Published: March 2010

Background/Aims: Local haemodynamic and stromal microenvironments may determine the phenotype of endothelial cells (EC) and regulate their inflammatory responses. Methods: We compared neutrophil recruitment by EC from human umbilical veins (HUVEC) or arteries (HUAEC) or from human coronary arteries (HCAEC) after ‘static’ culture or exposure to shear stress (2 Pa for 24 h) and treatment with tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Results: Static cultures of each type of EC recruited flowing neutrophils efficiently after treatment with TNF-α or IL-1β; differences in culture media caused minor variations. After shear conditioning, the response of HUVEC to TNF-α (but not IL-1β) was much reduced, while the responses of HUAEC and HCAEC to both cytokines were reduced. However, swapping the culture media suggested that the differences in the shear response arose largely from medium constituents, particularly basic fibroblast growth factor. When gene expression profiles for HUVEC were examined immediately after isolation, after 5 days in static culture and after re-exposure to shear, variations in gene expression were only partially attributable to the effects of changes in shear stress. Conclusions: The behaviour of cultured EC may depend as much on the physico-chemical culture conditions as on their origins. The EC phenotype appears to be highly pliable, with environmental factors, such as shear stress and growth factors, modifying responses in an inter-linked manner.
Basic Knowledge of the Medication Regimen Correlates with Performance on Cognitive Function Tests and Diagnosis of Dementia in Elderly Patients Referred to a Geriatric Assessment Unit
Authors: Sela-Katz P. , Rabinowitz I. , Shugaev I. , Shigorina G.
Published: March 2010

Background: Cognitive decline and dementia are highly prevalent amongst the elderly. Medication management problems are also prevalent in this population. Although both problems coexist, the quantitative association between them has not been comprehensively analyzed. Method: A prospective cross-sectional study of a successive cohort of 425 patients was performed in a community-based geriatric assessment unit. Personal information, results of cognitive function tests, a diagnosis of dementia and an examination of basic knowledge of the medication regimen were recorded and entered into a patient register at the end of each patient’s assessment. Results: Performance in cognitive function tests was significantly poorer in patients demonstrating lack of basic knowledge of the medication regimen. Mean Mini-Mental State Examination score: 19.1 versus 25.5 (p < 0.001); mean number of words recalled on a 3-word recall test: 1.0 versus 1.84 (p < 0.001); abnormal clock drawing test: 82 versus 57.7%, respectively (p < 0.001). The number of patients diagnosed with dementia was greater among patients who demonstrated lack of basic knowledge of the medication regimen (46.8 vs. 6.9%, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion: A strong association between lack of basic knowledge of the medication regimen and cognitive dysfunction was demonstrated in elderly patients referred to a geriatric assessment unit, suggesting that lack of basic knowledge of the medication regimen is indicative of cognitive dysfunction and vice versa.
C-Reactive Protein-Mediated Vascular Injury Requires Complement
Authors: Hage Fadi G. , Oparil Suzanne , Xing Dongqi , Chen Yiu-Fai , McCrory Mark A. , Szalai Alexander J.
Published: March 2010

Background—

We previously demonstrated that vascular injury-induced neointima formation is exaggerated in human C-reactive protein (CRP) transgenic (CRPtg) compared to nontransgenic (NTG) mice. We now test the hypothesis that complement is required for this effect.

Methods and Results—

CRPtg and NTG with a normal complement system versus their counterparts lacking expression of complement component 3 (C3) protein (CRPtg/C3
−/−
and NTG/C3
−/−
) underwent carotid artery ligation. Twenty-eight days later, the injured vessels in CRPtg had thicker neointimas and more immunoreactive C3 in the surrounding adventitia compared with NTG. In CRPtg/C3
−/−
, there was no increase in neointimal thickness compared with NTG or NTG/C3
−/−
. Decreasing human CRP blood levels through administration of a selective antisense oligonucleotide eliminated the depletion of serum C3 associated with vascular injury and reduced immunoreactive C3 in the resultant lesions. In injured vessels, C3 colocalized with F4/80 (macrophage marker), and in vitro, human CRP elicited increased expression of C3 by bone marrow-derived macrophages.

Conclusion—

Human CRP exaggeration of neointima formation in injured mouse carotid arteries associates with decreased circulating C3 and increased tissue-localized C3. C3 elimination or pharmacological reduction of human CRP prevents CRP-driven exacerbation of the injury response. In the CRPtg model system, mouse C3 is essential for the effect of human CRP.
Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Ablation With Additional Linear Ablation Results in an Increased Incidence of Left Atrial Flutter Compared With Segmental Pulmonary Vein Isolation as an Initial Approach to Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Sawhney Navinder , Anousheh Ramtin , Chen Wei , Feld Gregory K.
Published: March 2010

Background—

There has been growing concern that linear ablation is associated with an increased risk of iatrogenic arrhythmias in patients undergoing ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Therefore, we compared circumferential pulmonary vein ablation plus left atrial linear ablation (CPVA+LALA) with segmental pulmonary vein isolation (PVI)in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Methods and Results—

Sixty-six consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF were prospectively randomly assigned to receive PVI versus CPVA+LALA (consisting of encircling lesions around the pulmonary veins), a roof line, and a mitral isthmus line with documentation of bidirectional mitral isthmus block. All patients were seen at 1, 3, 6, and every 12 months after ablation, with 14-day continuous ECG monitoring every 6 months. At 16.4±6.3 months after 1 ablation procedure, 19 patients (58%) remained free of atrial arrhythmias after PVI versus 17 patients (51%) after CPVA+LALA (
P
=0.62). After PVI, 14 patients had recurrent paroxysmal AF, whereas after CPVA+LALA, 8 patients had recurrent AF, 6 had atypical left atrial flutter (LAFL), and 2 had both AF and LAFL (
P
=0.32 between PVI versus CPVA+LALA for AF but
P
=0.002 for LAFL). Twenty-eight patients (85%) remained arrhythmia-free after 1.3±0.5 PVI procedures versus 28 patients (85%) after 1.4±0.6 CPVA+LALA procedures (
P
=NS). Fluoroscopy time was longer after CPVA+LALA versus PVI (91 versus 73 minutes,
P
=0.04).

Conclusions—

As an initial ablation approach in patients with paroxysmal AF, more LAFL occurred after CPVA+LALA and fluoroscopy times were longer compared with segmental PVI.
Defective DNA Replication Impairs Mitochondrial Biogenesis In Human Failing Hearts
Authors: Karamanlidis Georgios , Nascimben Luigino , Couper Gregory S. , Shekar Prem S. , del Monte Federica , Tian Rong
Published: March 2010

Rationale
:

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the development of heart failure. Animal studies suggest that impaired mitochondrial biogenesis attributable to downregulation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator (PGC)-1 transcriptional pathway is integral of mitochondrial dysfunction in heart failure.

Objective
:

The study sought to define mechanisms underlying the impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and function in human heart failure.

Methods and Results
:

We collected left ventricular tissue from end-stage heart failure patients and from nonfailing hearts (n=23, and 19, respectively). The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content was decreased by >40% in the failing hearts, after normalization for a moderate decrease in citrate synthase activity (
P
<0.05). This was accompanied by reductions in mtDNA-encoded proteins (by 25% to 80%) at both mRNA and protein level (
P
<0.05). The mRNA levels of PGC-1α/β and PRC (PGC-1–related coactivator) were unchanged, whereas PGC-1α protein increased by 58% in the failing hearts. Among the PGC-1 coactivating targets, the expression of estrogen-related receptor α and its downstream genes decreased by up to 50% (
P
<0.05), whereas peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α and its downstream gene expression were unchanged in the failing hearts. The formation of D-loop in the mtDNA was normal but D-loop extension, which dictates the replication process of mtDNA, was decreased by 75% in the failing hearts. Furthermore, DNA oxidative damage was increased by 50% in the failing hearts.

Conclusions
:

Mitochondrial biogenesis is severely impaired as evidenced by reduced mtDNA replication and depletion of mtDNA in the human failing heart. These defects are independent of the downregulation of the PGC-1 expression suggesting novel mechanisms for mitochondrial dysfunction in heart failure.
The Role of Ethnicity, Sex, and Language on Delay to Hospital Arrival for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Smith Melinda A. , Lisabeth Lynda D. , Bonikowski Frank , Morgenstern Lewis B.
Published: March 2010

Background and Purpose—

Use of emergency medical services has been shown to decrease transport and triage times for stroke. Mexican Americans and women experience a large stroke burden. The objective of this study was to compare time to hospital arrival and emergency medical services use for stroke care by ethnicity, sex, and language preference among Mexican American and non-Hispanic white ischemic stroke patients.

Methods—

The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project is a population-based study in south Texas. All stroke cases were identified by active or passive surveillance and validated by neurologists. Logistic regression models assessing time to hospital arrival and emergency medical services use were analyzed.

Results—

There were 1134 ischemic stroke cases ascertained between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2006. Mexican Americans were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to arrive by emergency medical services (odds ratio, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4, 0.8). Men were more likely than women to present to the hospital within 3 hours (odds ratio, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5, 0.9); language was not associated with study outcomes.

Conclusions—

Sex and ethnic differences in hospital presentation were found in this community. There is a need to promote an urgent response to stroke symptoms, especially in groups that experience the greatest stroke burden.
Contemporary Results of Carotid Endarterectomy for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis
Authors: Woo Karen , Garg Joy , Hye Robert J. , Dilley Ralph B.
Published: March 2010

Background and Purpose—

The validity of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for asymptomatic carotid stenosis has been questioned recently due to the increasing effectiveness of medical management. In this study, we evaluated how contemporary outcomes of CEA for asymptomatic carotid stenosis compare with published stroke rates for best medical management.

Methods—

We identified all patients who underwent CEA for asymptomatic carotid stenosis from the 2005, 2006, and 2007 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Pre- and postoperative variables, including 30-day stroke, death, and myocardial infarction, were analyzed.

Results—

Of 10 423 carotid endarterectomies identified, 5009 were for asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The stroke, death, and myocardial infarction rates of this group were 0.96%, 0.56%, and 0.22%, respectively. If the 0.96% perioperative stroke rate from our contemporary NSQIP analysis is combined with the 5-year stroke risk after CEA of 3.8% from the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial, the average annual stroke rate is 1%, comparable to the stroke rate of 0.8% for best medical management from the Second Manifestations of Arterial Disease Study trial.

Conclusions—

These contemporary results show that stroke rates with CEA and best medical management for asymptomatic stenosis are similar. Despite limitations, our results emphasize the importance of continuing randomized prospective trials comparing CEA and best medical management for asymptomatic carotid stenosis.
Understanding the Multinational Game: Toward a Theory of Asymmetrical Federalism
Authors: Zuber Christina Isabel
Published: March 2010

This article presents a baseline theory of asymmetrical federalism in multinational states. Two arguments building on a game-theoretic foundation link central and regional elites’ strategic choices to questions of federal stability. The first argument concerns the creation of asymmetrical institutions. In a confrontation game between the center and national minorities credibly threatening to exit the framework, the center’s decision to grant asymmetrical autonomy ensures mutual cooperation. Yet by extending the level of autonomy for minority regions, federal asymmetry creates a third player, the nonadvantaged regions. Consequently, the second argument models asymmetrical federalism as a “nested game” where events in the ethnonational arena determine the payoffs in the federal arena. Asymmetrical federal rules turn out to be inherently unstable from a perspective that takes all actors in all arenas into account. A narrative of the development of Russian federalism exemplifies the theory.
The complexities of interprofessional learning/working: Has the agenda lost its way?
Authors: Lewy Lisa
Published: March 2010

Objective: The increasing emphasis of interprofessional working (IPW) and learning (IPL) encourages healthcare professionals to be educated together. However, is the language and understanding clear and consistent across health care?

Research Questions: Is there a sound evidence base underpinning IPL/IPW? Do healthcare professionals and workforce arrangements support across professional working?

Methodology: To answer these questions a detailed review was carried out investigating UK policy and educational developments in relation to international interprofessional research.

Data Sources: Healthcare documents in relation to IPL from the UK Department of Health; World Health Organization; themes from international and European IPL networks/conferences, international healthcare journal article search (Metalib); UK Healthcare Commission documents; and UK healthcare statistics and data.

Results: The definition of IPL and the associated IPL agenda within health is broad, which enables flexibility and creativity. However, this may also contribute to the weak evidence base which demonstrates the effectiveness of IPL.

Conclusion: To focus the agenda on developing effective healthcare teams within an IPL framework would enable common understanding, language and evaluation processes.
An evaluation of an occupational health advice service
Authors: Shearn P , Ford Norma J , Murphy R G
Published: March 2010

Objective: The objective of this article is to identify the profile of service users of an occupational health (OH) support service and establish areas of need, and to gather client feedback on the experience of participating in the support service and perceived outcomes and the impact of the advice received.

Design and Setting: We carried out quantitative analyses of the characteristics of the service users and a quantitative survey of service users of GP surgeries and public events.

Method: During 717 contacts with workers via opportunistic consultations, OH advisers collected participant information and details of occupational histories. To establish the outcomes and impact of the service, a telephone survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 165 participants 3 months after the initial consultation.

Results: Contacting clients through opportunistic meetings was a useful way of reaching a cross section of workers and delivering OH support and advice. Overall, there was apparent need for OH support amongst employees from all sectors and sizes of workplace. The research identified that more than a third of clients reported work-related health conditions and more than 10 per cent had taken work-related sickness absence over the previous 12 months. More than 70 per cent of those that provided feedback rated the discussion as useful or very useful. The reported benefits were that the consultations led to perceived improvements in knowledge and confidence for tackling OH issues for the majority of respondents. More than a quarter of respondents reported taking actions to improve their work situation after consultation with the adviser.

Conclusion: Work-related illnesses can be addressed through support services that provide employees with independent OH advice and guidance. Furthermore, there is an apparent need for employee OH support that is based outside of the workplace.
Food safety knowledge and behaviours of children (5-7 years)
Authors: Eves Anita , Bielby Gill , Egan Bernadette , Lumbers Margaret , Raats Monique , Adams Martin
Published: March 2010

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine knowledge of food hygiene amongst young children (5—7 years), and facilitators and barriers to application of knowledge. Few studies exist that explore the knowledge and attitudes of young children towards food hygiene. This is an important age group, as it is a time when attitudes and behaviours are developing, which may then be carried through to adulthood.

Design: To determine knowledge, age-appropriate activities were designed, with teachers, based on expected learning outcomes for this age group. In-depth interviews were carried out to determine attitudes towards and barriers to observing hygienic practices.

Setting: Infant schools were selected across the United Kingdom, differing in number of children registered, level of deprivation of location, attainment and proportion of children from ethnic minorities.

Methods: Activities were completed in 21 schools by 732 children (5—7 years). Interviews were conducted with 30 children.

Findings: Children were generally well informed about handwashing occasions and good practice when preparing foods. They did not, however, always wash their hands when they knew they should, and some misconceptions were established at a young age. Children who understood the reasons for good practices, and who benefited from good facilities, were more likely to perform desired hygiene-related behaviours. The need for a collaborative approach between educators, health promotion professionals and parents was emphasized.
Parents’ and children’s self-report of parenting factors: How much do they agree and which is more strongly associated with early adolescent alcohol use?
Authors: Pasch Keryn E , Stigler Melissa H , Perry Cheryl L , Komro Kelli A
Published: March 2010

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether parents’ and children’s reports of parenting practices were correlated, whether the reports were differentially associated with alcohol use, and which report had the strongest association with alcohol use.

Method: We carried out a cross-sectional and longitudinal study in public schools in Chicago, IL. Participants included 1373 ethnically diverse students and parents involved in an alcohol use prevention intervention. Surveys were conducted with sixth-grade and eighth-grade students. Mixed-effects regression analyses were used to model relationships cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Results: Parents’ and children’s perceptions of parenting practices, while significantly correlated, were not strongly associated. Analyses within each parenting domain found parents’ report of parental monitoring and children’s reports of alcohol-specific communication, general communication and relationship satisfaction were associated with alcohol use behaviours and intentions. After adjusting for all other parenting practices, parents’ report of parental monitoring and children’s report of alcohol-specific communication were most strongly related to alcohol use behaviours and intentions both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Conclusions: When comparing results across studies, it is important to identify whose report was used, parent or child, as the results may differ based on the reporter. Studies with limited resources may consider using parents’ reports about parental monitoring and using children’s reports for alcohol-specific communication, general communication and relationship satisfaction.
Perceived health status and utilization of specialty care: Racial and ethnic disparities in patients with chronic diseases
Authors: Glover Saundra , Bellinger Jessica D , Bae Sejong , Rivers Patrick A , Singh Karan P
Published: March 2010

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine racial and ethnic variations in specialty care utilization based on (a) perceived health status and (b) chronic disease status.

Methods: Variations in specialty care utilization, by perceived health and chronic disease status, were examined using the Commonwealth Fund Health Care Quality Survey ( n = 6722). Multivariate logistic regression and chi-squared analyses were used.

Results: Hypertension was the most common chronic disease (25 per cent). Respondents with negative perceived health and minorities were less likely to report specialty care. Non-English language and foreign-born status were predictors of low specialty care use.

Conclusions: Efforts to improve outcomes should be tailored and provided in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. Bilingual efforts to promote specialty care and methods to eliminate patient and system level barriers are needed.
Comparison of health locus of control between physicians and the general public
Authors: Tokuda Y , Okubo T , Yanai H , Jacobs J , Ohde S , Takahashi O , Omata F , Hinohara S , Fukui T
Published: March 2010

Objective: Health locus of control (HLC) is associated with health behaviours. We aimed to investigate the difference of HLC to understand the potential gap in health beliefs between physicians and the general public.

Design and setting: Physicians and the general public were surveyed in Japan using a cross-sectional survey. Data on the Japanese version of the HLC scale (HLCS-J) from 2194 members of the general public and 895 physicians were available.

Method: Multi-group structural equation modelling analysis was used for examining differential item functioning (DIF) in the HLCS-J between the groups.

Results: Uniform DIF was identified for the dimensions of internal, professional control and control by spiritual powers. Mean score for chance control (17.2) among physicians was greater than that (14.9) among the general public (adjusted p<0.001), while mean score for family control (21.7) among physicians was lower than that (22.1) among the general public (adjusted p<0.001).

Conclusion: Physicians are more likely to have a higher chance control but lower family control than the general public. Further studies are needed to evaluate the relationships between individual physicians’ HLC and their health behaviours.
Hedging Against Oil Dependency: New Perspectives on China’s Energy Security Policy
Authors: Tunsjø Øystein
Published: March 2010

Analysts debate if China will address its increasing reliance on overseas oil supplies and associated vulnerabilities through strategic steps that could lead to conflict or through accommodating market mechanisms. This article utilises on traditional ‘market’ and ‘strategic’ approaches, but adds to this analysis the concept of hedging, and links hedging to risk management. It is argued that such an alternative approach provides a better explanation and a more comprehensive understanding of China’s energy security behaviour. By drawing on hedging and risk management, new perspectives on China’s strategies to access energy resources in Sudan and Iran, and the importance of a Chinese state-owned tanker fleet in China’s energy security policy are presented. Hedging strategies also incorporate more scope for limiting and managing risk than traditional strategies of diversification and a comprehensive approach that loosely mixes strategic and market approaches.
The ‘Double Law’ of Hospitality: Rethinking Cosmopolitan Ethics in Humanitarian Intervention
Authors: Baker Gideon
Published: March 2010

By way of a discussion of the deliberately hard case of humanitarian intervention, this article considers the merits of an alternative cosmopolitan ethics to that of liberal cosmopolitanism, one which founds its universalism on an ethics of hospitality rather than the rights of man. Jacques Derrida describes the ethics of hospitality as defined by an unconditional welcome which nonetheless must become conditional in order to function. This leads to a profound paradox — an ‘undecidability’ — in the practice of the ethics of hospitality, the implications of which need to be better understood if the ambition of ‘another cosmopolitanism’ is to be realised. Interrogating the ethics of hospitality and the undecidability to which it gives rise in relation to humanitarian intervention, it is argued that responsibilities to others, which sometimes imply intervention, must always be kept in tension with openness to the coming of the Other, which limits intervention. Far from being blind or paralysing action, such ‘bounded undecidability’, it is suggested, actually defines the site of responsible, just decisions in humanitarian intervention.
Trauma and the Politics of Emotions: Constituting Identity, Security and Community after the Bali Bombing
Authors: Hutchison Emma
Published: March 2010

This essay examines how traumatic events can influence the constitution of community in international relations. Trauma is often perceived as isolating individuals and fragmenting communities. This essay argues, in contrast, that practices of representation can make traumatic events meaningful in ways that give them a collective and often international dimension. Central to this process is the role played by emotions. Often neglected in scholarly analysis of international relations, emotions play a crucial political role during times of crisis and can become pivotal sites for the renewal of political stability and social control. The essay illustrates the ensuing dynamics by examining media portrayals of the Bali bombing of 12 October 2002. Focusing on photographs and the stories that accompany them, the essay shows how representations of trauma can provide a sense of collective feeling that is capable of underpinning political community. It concludes by suggesting that international relations scholars can learn much about the politics of community and security by examining prominent representations of trauma and the emotional discourses they mobilise.
What Activates an Identity? The Case of Norden
Authors: Andersson Hans E.
Published: March 2010

Despite a general acknowledgement that knowledge about identities is essential for understanding international relations, surprisingly little has been written about what actually activates one of a state’s many identities and not another. More generally, the article suggests that situational relevance and commitment are of importance. More specifically, it is suggested that a policy area’s legitimisation is a factor that may affect the commitment to a collective identity. The argument is illustrated by the case of ‘Norden’, as the inhabitants of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden call their territory. The end of the Cold War and Sweden and Finland joining Denmark in the European Union (EU) put Nordic identity under severe stress in the beginning of the 1990s. As shown, this collective identity was intensely active in the case of the Nordic Passport Union, but less so in the case of environmental negotiations.
Ontological (In)security and State Denial of Historical Crimes: Turkey and Japan
Authors: Zarakol Ayşe
Published: March 2010

This article joins the growing scholarship on the ontological security needs of states. By focusing on state denial of historical crimes, the article will address the main point of contention among scholars who study ontological security, i.e. the question of whether identity pressures on states are mostly endogenously or exogenously generated. Through a study of the Turkish state’s reluctance to apologize for the Armenian genocide, and the Japanese discomfort over the WWII atrocities, I argue that we can avoid tautology in our generalizations by introducing temporal and spatial dimensions to the argument. Inter-subjective pressures matter more at times when traditional routines defining the self are broken and are more likely to create ontological insecurity outside the West. The review of the Turkish and Japanese cases demonstrate that both social and individualistic approaches to ontological security are partly right, but also incomplete because neither takes into account the uneven expansion of international society or the effect this expansion has had on the identity of outsider states who were incorporated into the system at a later date.
Attachment in adolescence: A move to the level of emotion regulation
Authors: Allen Joseph P. , Miga Erin M.
Published: March 2010

The early adolescent’s state of mind in the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is more closely linked to social interactions with peers, who are unlikely to serve as attachment figures, than it is to (i) qualities of the adolescent’s interactions with parents, (ii) the AAI of the adolescent’s mother, or (iii) the adolescent’s prior Strange Situation behavior. This unexpected finding suggests the value of reconceptualizing AAI autonomy/ security as a marker of the adolescent’s capacity for emotion regulation in social interactions. Supporting this, we note that the AAI was originally validated not as a marker of attachment experiences or expectations with one’s caregivers, but as a predictor of caregiving capacity sufficient to produce secure offspring. As such, the AAI may be fruitfully viewed as primarily assessing social emotion regulation capacities that support both strong caregiving skills and strong skills relating with peers.
Adult attachment and the brain
Authors: Coan James A.
Published: March 2010

Individuals in adult attachment relationships regulate one another via overt emotional and social behavior. Attachment-related styles of utilizing social support moderate these regulatory effects. In recent years, the social and affective neurosciences have begun to clarify how these processes are instantiated in the brain, including the likely neural mechanisms of long-term felt security following past attachment experiences and the neural circuitry supporting the regulation of emotion by relational partners. In this brief review, I describe the neural systems involved in the formation and maintenance of adult attachment relationships and review the small amount of work to date on the neuroscience of adult attachment style. I then offer my own speculations about how adult attachment relationships conserve the brain’s metabolic resources, especially those of the prefrontal cortex.
Growing through attachment: The interplay of attachment and exploration in adulthood
Authors: Feeney Brooke C. , Van Vleet Meredith
Published: March 2010

In this paper we discuss the advancement of theory and research regarding relationship influences on exploration in adulthood. First, we describe and extend attachment theory’s concept of a secure base and discuss the need for continued theoretical development in this area. Second, we describe an innovative program of research (involving the use of a variety of research methods) that tests some of these theoretical extensions in the context of adult close relationships. In doing so, we show that attachment relationships are important contributors to exploration and growth in adulthood and across the lifespan. Third, we discuss directions for future work and implications of the idea that individuals of all ages grow through attachment.
The psychotherapy relationship as attachment: Evidence and implications
Authors: Mallinckrodt Brent
Published: March 2010

Research suggests that psychotherapy relationships formed by adult clients can exhibit all the essential elements of attachment bonds identified by Mikulincer and Shaver. Specifically, some clients: (i) regard their therapist as stronger and wiser; (ii) seek proximity through emotional connection and regular meetings; (iii) rely upon their therapist as a safe haven when they feel threatened; (iv) derive a sense of felt security from their therapist, who serves as a secure base for psychological exploration; and (v) experience separation anxiety when anticipating loss of their therapist. This paper presents a conceptual model describing how therapists can regulate therapeutic distance to create the relationship conditions best suited for clients with a hyperactivating versus deactivating attachment pattern. These therapists create a corrective emotional experience by offering the same client not one static attachment relationship, but rather a progressively changing series of relationships that promote more adaptive functioning.
Psychobiological research on attachment
Authors: Diamond Lisa M. , Fagundes Christopher P.
Published: March 2010

Over the past decade, psychobiological research on adult attachment has increased dramatically. We review recent findings regarding associations between attachment style and patterns of reactivity in the hypothalamic—pituitary—adrenocortical axis and the autonomic nervous system. The overall pattern of results suggests that both anxiety and avoidance are associated with heightened hypothalamic—pituitary—adrenocortical and autonomic nervous system reactivity to stress, consistent with the notion that attachment insecurity is associated with deficits in emotion regulation. The finding of heightened physiological reactivity among avoidant individuals is particularly notable, given that avoidant individuals typically report dampened levels of subjective distress. Key directions for future study include greater investigation into profiles of physiological functioning across multiple systems and contexts and greater consideration of the relative importance of childhood versus adult patterns of attachment insecurity for adult physiological functioning.
Responding to the needs of others: The caregiving behavioral system in intimate relationships
Authors: Collins Nancy L. , Ford Máire B.
Published: March 2010

The caregiving behavioral system has been identified as a vital component of adult attachment bonds, but until recently it has received relatively little attention in the adult attachment literature. In this article, we review recent theoretical and empirical developments on caregiving dynamics in adult intimate relationships, focusing on normative processes and individual differences. In doing so, we discuss the factors that facilitate or impede responsiveness in couples, and the importance of responsiveness for the development and maintenance of secure relationships. We conclude by discussing some key directions for future research.
Invariance of adult attachment across gender, age, culture, and socioeconomic status?
Authors: van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J.
Published: March 2010

Is attachment in adulthood associated with gender, age, culture, or socioeconomic context? There is a widely held belief that males and younger individuals exhibit a more avoidant or dismissive stance toward attachment experiences, as would subjects from individualized, Western societies and from poorer socio-economic environments. Distributions of Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) classifications in various gender, cultural, socioeconomic, and age groups were compared with the normative distribution of North American non-clinical Caucasian mothers (23% dismissing, 58% secure, 19% preoccupied) through analysis of correspondence. Indeed, adolescent and student samples contained a higher proportion of dismissing attachment classifications than the normative group. No gender differences were found in the use of dismissing versus preoccupied attachment strategies in relatively affluent social environments, and the AAI distributions were largely independent of language and country of origin. Most strikingly, low SES adolescent mothers showed the strongest over-representation of dismissing attachments, which supports the life history theory prediction that in harsh environments individuals adopt a quantity-oriented reproductive strategy in tandem with a dismissing view of attachment.
Attachment and relationships: Milestones and future directions
Authors: Simpson Jeffry A. , Rholes W. Steven
Published: March 2010

Adult attachment researchers have made important strides during the past 25 years in testing and applying attachment theory to multiple personal and interpersonal domains. We highlight some of the major milestones and then propose several directions for future research. Some of the most important and promising directions include testing additional normative processes implied by attachment theory, developing and testing critical connections between attachment theory and other major interpersonal theories, and identifying pathways between attachment processes and long-term health outcomes.
Attachment relationships in old age
Authors: Cicirelli Victor G.
Published: March 2010

There is still relatively little known about attachment relationships late in life. This study investigated changes in number and identities of attachment figures in older adults’ support networks. Participants were 80 married and widowed men and women aged 60—99 (M = 77.8). Each identified attachment figures for proximity seeking, secure base, and safe haven functions, ranked in importance; the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991) assessed attachment styles. Elders had smaller attachment networks than reported for younger adults; women and the married had larger networks (p < .05). The nature and identities of attachment figures changed from those of earlier adult life to adult children, deceased loved ones, and God. Elders had fewer full-blown attachments but a greater variety of attachment figures. The widowed had a greater proportion of dismissive attachment styles. The results suggest that attachment figures are needed for maximum adaptation in old age.
Geographies of education and the significance of children, youth and families
Authors: Holloway Sarah L. , Hubbard Phil , Jöns Heike , Pimlott-Wilson Helena
Published: March 2010

This paper engages with Hanson Thiem’s (2009) critique of geographies of education. Accepting the premise that education warrants fuller attention by geographers, the paper nonetheless argues that engaging with research on children, youth and families reshapes understanding of what has been, and might be, achieved. Foregrounding young people as the subjects rather than objects of education demands that attention be paid to their current and future life-worlds, in both inward and outward looking geographies of education. It also requires a broadening of our spatial lens, in terms of what ‘count’ as educational spaces, and the places where we study these.
Effects of prd Circadian Clock Mutations on FRQ-Less Rhythms in Neurospora
Authors: Li Sanshu , Lakin-Thomas Patricia
Published: March 2010

Rhythmic conidiation (spore formation) in Neurospora crassa provides a model system for investigating the molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythmicity. A feedback loop involving the frq, wc-1, and wc-2 gene products (FRQ/ WCC) is an important component of the mechanism; however, rhythmic conidiation can still be observed when these gene products are absent. The nature of the oscillator(s) that drives this FRQ-less rhythmicity (FLO) is an important question in Neurospora circadian biology. We have looked for interactions between FRQ/WCC and FLO by assaying the effects on FRQ-less rhythms of mutations known to affect the period in the presence of FRQ. We assayed 4 prd mutations ( prd-1, prd-2, prd-3, and prd-4) under 2 conditions in frqnull strains: long-period free-running rhythms in chol-1 strains grown without choline, and heat-entrainable rhythms in choline-sufficient conditions. We found effects of all 4 mutations on both types of FRQ-less rhythms. The greatest effects were seen with prd-1 and prd-2, which abolished free-running rhythms in the chol-1; frq10 backgrounds and significantly affected entrained peak timing under heat-entrainment conditions in frq 10 backgrounds. The prd-3 and prd-4 mutations had more subtle effects on period and stability of free-running rhythms in the chol-1; frq10 backgrounds and had little effect on peak timing under heat-entrainment conditions in frq10 backgrounds. These results, along with previously published evidence for effects of prd mutations on other FRQ-less rhythms, suggest that either there are common components shared between the FRQ/WCC oscillator and several FRQ-less oscillators or that there is a single oscillator driving all conidiation rhythms. We favor a model of the Neurospora circadian system in which a single FRQ-less oscillator drives conidiation and interacts with the FRQ/WCC feedback loop; the output or amplitude of the FRQ-less oscillator can be affected by many gene products and metabolic conditions that reveal FRQ-less rhythmicity. We propose that prd-1 and prd-2 are good candidates for components of the FRQ-less oscillator and that prd-3 and prd-4 act on the system mainly through effects on FRQ/WCC.
Clock Gene Expression during Chronic Inflammation Induced by Infection with Trypanosoma brucei brucei in Rats
Authors: Lundkvist Gabriella B. S. , Sellix Michael T. , Nygård Mikael , Davis Erin , Straume Marty , Kristensson Krister , Block Gene D.
Published: March 2010

African sleeping sickness is characterized by alterations in rhythmic functions. It is not known if the disease affects the expression of clock genes, which are the molecular basis for rhythm generation. We used a chronic rat model of experimental sleeping sickness, caused by the extracellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei brucei (Tb brucei), to study the effects on clock gene expression. In tissue explants of pituitary glands from Period1- luciferase ( Per1-luc) transgenic rats infected with Tb brucei, the period of Per1-luc expression was significantly shorter. In explants containing the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), the Per1-luc rhythms were flat in 21% of the tissues. We also examined the relative expression of Per1, Clock, and Bmal1 mRNA in the SCN, pineal gland, and spleen from control and infected rats using qPCR. Both Clock and Bmal1 mRNA expression was reduced in the pineal gland and spleen following Tb brucei infection. Infected rats were periodic both in core body temperature and in locomotor activity; however, early after infection, we observed a significant decline in the amplitude of the locomotor activity rhythm. In addition, both activity and body temperature rhythms exhibited decreased regularity and “robustness.” In conclusion, although experimental trypanosome infection has previously been shown to cause functional disturbances in SCN neurons, only 21% of the SCN explants had disturbed Per1-luc rhythms. However, our data show that the infection overall alters molecular clock function in peripheral clocks including the pituitary gland, pineal gland, and spleen.