bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous Mitral Annuloplasty for Functional Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Schofer Joachim , Siminiak Tomasz , Haude Michael , Herrman Jean P. , Vainer Jindra , Wu Justina C. , Levy Wayne C. , Mauri Laura , Feldman Ted , Kwong Raymond Y. , Kaye David M. , Duffy Stephen J. , Tübler Thilo , Degen Hubertus , Brandt Mathias C. , Van Bibber Rich , Goldberg Steve , Reuter David G. , Hoppe Uta C.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), a well-recognized component of left ventricular remodeling, is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in heart failure patients. Percutaneous mitral annuloplasty has the potential to serve as a therapeutic adjunct to standard medical care.

Methods and Results—

Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, moderate to severe FMR, an ejection fraction <40%, and a 6-minute walk distance between 150 and 450 m were enrolled in the CARILLON Mitral Annuloplasty Device European Union Study (AMADEUS). Percutaneous mitral annuloplasty was achieved through the coronary sinus with the CARILLON Mitral Contour System. Echocardiographic FMR grade, exercise tolerance, New York Heart Association class, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and 1 and 6 months. Of the 48 patients enrolled in the trial, 30 received the CARILLON device. Eighteen patients did not receive a device because of access issues, insufficient acute FMR reduction, or coronary artery compromise. The major adverse event rate was 13% at 30 days. At 6 months, the degree of FMR reduction among 5 different quantitative echocardiographic measures ranged from 22% to 32%. Six-minute walk distance improved from 307±87 m at baseline to 403±137 m at 6 months (
P
<0.001). Quality of life, measured by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, improved from 47±16 points at baseline to 69±15 points at 6 months (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Percutaneous reduction in FMR with a novel coronary sinus–based mitral annuloplasty device is feasible in patients with heart failure, is associated with a low rate of major adverse events, and is associated with improvement in quality of life and exercise tolerance.
Systematic Assessment of Patients With Unexplained Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Krahn Andrew D. , Healey Jeffrey S. , Chauhan Vijay , Birnie David H. , Simpson Christopher S. , Champagne Jean , Gardner Martin , Sanatani Shubhayan , Exner Derek V. , Klein George J. , Yee Raymond , Skanes Allan C. , Gula Lorne J. , Gollob Michael H.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Cardiac arrest without evident cardiac disease may be caused by subclinical genetic conditions. Provocative testing to unmask a phenotype is often necessary to detect primary electrical disease, direct genetic testing, and perform family screening.

Methods and Results—

Patients with apparently unexplained cardiac arrest and no evident cardiac disease (normal cardiac function on echocardiogram, no evidence of coronary artery disease, and a normal ECG) underwent systematic evaluation that included cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, signal-averaged ECG, exercise testing, drug challenge, and selective electrophysiological testing. Diagnostic criteria were based on accepted criteria or provocation of the characteristic clinical features for long-QT syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Brugada syndrome, early repolarization, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, coronary spasm, and myocarditis. Sixty-three patients in 9 centers were enrolled (age 43.0±13.4 years, 29 women). A diagnosis was obtained in 35 patients (56%): Long-QT syndrome in 8, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 8, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy in 6, early repolarization in 5, coronary spasm in 4, Brugada syndrome in 3, and myocarditis in 1. Targeted genetic testing demonstrated evidence of causative mutations in 9 (47%) of 19 patients. Screening of 64 family members of these patients identified 15 affected individuals who were treated (24%). The remaining 28 patients (44%) were considered to have idiopathic ventricular fibrillation.

Conclusions—

Systematic clinical testing, including drug provocation and advanced imaging, results in unmasking of the cause of apparently unexplained cardiac arrest in >50% of patients. This approach assists in directing genetic testing to diagnose genetically mediated arrhythmia syndromes, which results in successful family screening.
Neuregulin-1β Is Associated With Disease Severity and Adverse Outcomes in Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Ky Bonnie , Kimmel Stephen E. , Safa Radwan N. , Putt Mary E. , Sweitzer Nancy K. , Fang James C. , Sawyer Douglas B. , Cappola Thomas P.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is a paracrine factor released by microvascular endothelial cells that has cardioprotective effects in animal models of heart failure. However, circulating NRG-1 has not been studied in human heart disease. We used a novel immunoassay to test whether circulating NRG-1β is associated with disease severity and clinical outcomes in chronic heart failure.

Methods and Results—

Serum NRG-1β was quantified in 899 outpatients in the Penn Heart Failure Study, a referral cohort representing a broad spectrum of systolic heart failure. Circulating NRG-1β was significantly elevated in patients with worse disease severity (median, 6.2 ng/mL for New York Heart Association class IV versus 4.4 ng/mL for class I;
P
=0.002). In adjusted models, NRG-1β was independently associated with an increased risk of death or cardiac transplantation over a median follow-up of 2.4 years (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 2.39;
P
=0.03 comparing fourth versus first NRG-1β quartile). Associations with outcome differed by heart failure cause and symptom severity, with the strongest associations observed in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (interaction
P
=0.008) and New York Heart Association class III/IV symptoms (interaction
P
=0.01). These findings were all independent of brain natriuretic peptide, and assessment of NRG-1β and brain natriuretic peptide jointly provided better risk stratification than each biomarker individually in patients with ischemic or New York Heart Association class III/IV heart failure.

Conclusions—

Circulating NRG-1β is independently associated with heart failure severity and risk of death or cardiac transplantation. These findings support a role for NRG-1/ErbB signaling in human heart failure and identify serum NRG-1β as a novel biomarker that may have clinical applications.
Loss of Cardiac Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase p110α Results in Contractile Dysfunction
Authors: Lu Zhongju , Jiang Ya-Ping , Wang Wei , Xu Xin-Hua , Mathias Richard T. , Entcheva Emilia , Ballou Lisa M. , Cohen Ira S. , Lin Richard Z.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) p110α plays a key role in insulin action and tumorigenesis. Myocyte contraction is initiated by an inward Ca
2+
current (I
Ca,L
) through the voltage-dependent L-type Ca
2+
channel (LTCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether p110α also controls cardiac contractility by regulating the LTCC.

Methods and Results—

Genetic ablation of
p110
α (also known as
Pik3ca
), but not
p110
β (also known as
Pik3cb
), in cardiac myocytes of adult mice reduced I
Ca,L
and blocked insulin signaling in the heart. p110α-null myocytes had a reduced number of LTCCs on the cell surface and a contractile defect that decreased cardiac function in vivo. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of p110α decreased I
Ca,L
and contractility in canine myocytes. Inhibition of p110β did not reduce I
Ca,L
.

Conclusions—

PI3K p110α but not p110β regulates the LTCC in cardiac myocytes. Decreased signaling to p110α reduces the number of LTCCs on the cell surface and thus attenuates I
Ca,L
and contractility.
Blood Pressure Is a Major Risk Factor for Renal Death
Authors: O'Seaghdha Conall M. , Perkovic Vlado , Lam Tai Hing , McGinn Stella , Barzi Federica , Gu Dong Feng , Cass Alan , Suh Il , Muntner Paul , Giles Graham G. , Ueshima Hirotsugu , Woodward Mark , Huxley Rachel
Published: July 2009

Chronic kidney disease is a major worldwide public health problem that causes substantial morbidity and mortality. Studies from the Asia-Pacific region have reported some of the highest chronic kidney disease prevalence rates in the world, but access to dialysis is limited in many countries, making it imperative to identify high-risk individuals. We performed a participant-level data overview of prospective studies conducted in the Asia-Pacific region to quantify the magnitude and direction of the associations between putative risk factors and renal death. Age- and sex-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were applied to pooled data from 35 studies to calculate hazard ratios (95% CIs) for renal death associated with a standardized change in risk factors. Among 560 352 participants followed for a median of 6.8 years, a total of 420 renal deaths were observed. Continuous and positive associations among systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol levels with renal death were observed, as well as a continuous but inverse association with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Systolic blood pressure was the strongest risk factor for renal death with each SD increase in systolic blood pressure (19 mm Hg) associated with >80% higher risk (hazard ratio: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.60 to 2.12). Neither cigarette smoking nor excess weight was related to the risk of renal death (
P
>0.10). The results were similar for cohorts in Asia and Australia. These results suggest that primary prevention strategies for renal disease should focus on individuals with elevated blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia.
Validating the Framingham Hypertension Risk Score
Authors: Kivimäki Mika , Batty G. David , Singh-Manoux Archana , Ferrie Jane E. , Tabak Adam G. , Jokela Markus , Marmot Michael G. , Smith George Davey , Shipley Martin J.
Published: July 2009

A promising hypertension risk prediction score using data from the US Framingham Offspring Study has been developed, but this score has not been tested in other cohorts. We examined the predictive performance of the Framingham hypertension risk score in a European population, the Whitehall II Study. Participants were 6704 London-based civil servants aged 35 to 68 years, 31% women, free from prevalent hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease. Standard clinical examinations of blood pressure, weight and height, current cigarette smoking, and parental history of hypertension were undertaken every 5 years for a total of 4 times. We recorded a total of 2043 incident (new-onset) cases of hypertension in three 5-year baseline follow-up data cycles. Both discrimination (C statistic: 0.80) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow χ
2
: 11.5) of the Framingham hypertension risk score were good. Agreement between the predicted and observed hypertension incidences was excellent across the risk score distribution. The overall predicted:observed ratio was 1.08, slightly better among individuals >50 years of age (0.99 in men and 1.02 in women) than in younger participants (1.16 in men and 1.18 in women). Reclassification with a modified score on the basis of our study population did not improve the prediction (net reclassification improvement: −0.5%; 95% CI: −2.5% to 1.5%). These data suggest that the Framingham hypertension risk score provides a valid tool with which to estimate near-term risk of developing hypertension.
[Pyr
1
]Apelin-13 Identified as the Predominant Apelin Isoform in the Human Heart
Authors: Maguire Janet J. , Kleinz Matthias J. , Pitkin Sarah L. , Davenport Anthony P.
Published: July 2009

Apelin receptors, present on vascular smooth muscle cells, endothelium, and cardiomyocytes, are activated by the family of apelin peptides to elicit cardiovascular effects in experimental animals, but functional activity in humans has not been studied in detail. We detected low levels of apelin immunoreactivity in plasma of volunteers consistent with an autocrine/paracrine action and detected apelin immunoreactivity in the supernatant from human cultured endothelial cells. We found that [Pyr
1
]apelin-13 was the predominant isoform in cardiac tissue from patients with coronary artery disease. We tested the hypothesis that apelins have vascular and cardiac actions in human tissues in vitro and compared responses to [Pyr
1
]apelin-13, apelin-13, and apelin-36. In endothelium-intact mammary artery, all 3 of the apelins induced concentration-dependent vasodilatation with comparable potency (EC
50
: 0.6 to 1.6 nM; maximum response: 40% to 50%). Vasodilatation was abolished after endothelial removal or preincubation with indomethacin but was unaffected by preincubation with
N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester, indicating involvement of prostanoids but not NO in dilatation by apelins in this patient group. Apelins were potent constrictors of endothelium-denuded saphenous vein (EC
50
: 0.6 to 1.6 nM; maximum response: 17% to 26%) and mammary artery ([Pyr
1
]apelin-13; EC
50
: 0.2 nM; maximum response: 29%). In paced atrial strips, all 3 of the peptides increased the force of contraction with subnanomolar potencies (EC
50
: 40 to 125 pM). For the first time, we demonstrate that the 3 principal forms of apelin have comparable potency and efficacy in human cardiovascular tissues. Apelins are potent endothelium-dependent vasodilators acting via a prostanoid-dependent mechanism; however, removal of the endothelium revealed direct vasoconstrictor actions in both the artery and vein. Furthermore, in human cardiac tissue, the apelin peptides are among the most potent endogenous positive inotropic agents yet reported.
The Cardioprotective Effects of Fish Oil During Pressure Overload Are Blocked by High Fat Intake
Authors: Shah Keyur B. , Duda Monika K. , O'Shea Karen M. , Sparagna Genevieve C. , Chess David J. , Khairallah Ramzi J. , Robillard-Frayne Isabelle , Xu Wenhong , Murphy Robert C. , Des Rosiers Christine , Stanley William C.
Published: July 2009

Supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from fish oil may prevent development of heart failure through alterations in cardiac phospholipids that favorably impact inflammation and energy metabolism. A high-fat diet may block these effects in chronically stressed myocardium. Pathological left ventricle (LV) hypertrophy was generated by subjecting rats to pressure overload by constriction of the abdominal aorta. Animals were fed: (1) standard diet (10% of energy from fat), (2) standard diet with EPA+DHA (2.3% of energy intake as EPA+DHA), (3) high fat (60% fat); or (4) high fat with EPA+DHA. Pressure overload increased LV mass by ≈40% in both standard and high-fat diets without fish oil. Supplementation with fish oil increased their incorporation into cardiac phospholipids, and decreased the proinflammatory fatty acid arachidonic acid and urine thromboxane B
2
with both the standard and high-fat diet. Linoleic acid and tetralinoloyl cardiolipin (an essential mitochondrial phospholipid) were decreased with pressure overload on standard diet, which was prevented by fish oil. Animals fed high-fat diet had decreased linoleic acid and tetralinoloyl cardiolipin regardless of fish oil supplemention. Fish oil limited LV hypertrophy on the standard diet, and prevented upregulation of fetal genes associated with heart failure (myosin heavy chain-β and atrial natriuetic factor). These beneficial effects of fish oil were absent in animals on the high-fat diet. In conclusion, whereas treatment with EPA+DHA prevented tetralinoloyl cardiolipin depletion, LV hypertrophy, and abnormal genes expression with pressure overload, these effects were absent with a high-fat diet.
Methods for Long-Term Environmental Policy Challenges
Authors: Lempert Robert , Scheffran Jürgen , Sprinz Detlef F.
Published: July 2009

This article provides a concise overview of methods for analyzing policy choices that have been used in the study of long-term environmental challenges. We open with an overview of the broad classes of methods used for long-term policy analysis, and subsequent sections will describe in depth three particular methods. They are: statistical models, such as employed in the debate on the environmental Kuznets curve, which infer past patterns from data and project them into the future; robust decision-making, a decision analytic framework that supports choices under deep uncertainty, and relates near-term policy interventions to different clusters of long-term environmental futures; and adaptive control and agent-based modeling, which provide an approach to simulation modeling that focuses on cooperation and conflict among multiple actors and their choice of strategies. While all three approaches can be used for various applications, this article focuses on the challenge of a potential transition to a low-carbon future to illustrate the strengths, weaknesses, and synergies among the respective methods. In the final section, we offer guidance for choosing among methods.
Implementing Long-Term Climate Policy: Time Inconsistency, Domestic Politics, International Anarchy
Authors: Hovi Jon , Sprinz Detlef F. , Underdal Arild
Published: July 2009

As a quintessential long-term policy problem, climate change poses two major challenges. The first is to develop, under considerable uncertainty, a plan for allocating resources over time to achieve an effective policy response. The second is to implement this plan, once arrived at, consistently over time. We consider the second of these two challenges, arguing that it consists of three interrelated, commitment problems—the time inconsistency problem, the domestic politics problem, and the anarchy problem. We discuss each of these commitment problems in some detail, explore how they relate to climate policy, and suggest institutional designs that may help limit their adverse impact. While each of these commitment problems is difficult to tackle on its own, climate change requires us to cope with all of them at once. This is likely one major reason why we have so far made only modest headway on this vital issue.
Explaining the Schwarzenegger Phenomenon: Local Frontrunners in Climate Policy
Authors: Urpelainen Johannes
Published: July 2009

The surge of local climate policy is a puzzling political-economic phenomenon. Why have local policy-makers, incapable of mitigating global warming through individual emissions reductions, adopted ambitious policies while national governments refrain from action? I construct a game-theoretic model of two-level climate policy with incomplete information over political benefits. In equilibrium, the government selects a lax national regulation, and local policy-makers with private information on high local benefits choose more ambitious policies despite incentives to free ride. The analysis also suggests that even though local policy-makers prefer not to reveal information to the government, they must do so to pursue short-term political gains. Counterintuitively, new information can lead to more ambitious national regulation even if the government learns that the local political benefits are likely lower than expected. As an empirical application, I study the evolution of climate policies in the United States.
The Quest for Hizbut Tahrir in Indonesia
Authors: Muhtadi Burhanuddin
Published: July 2009

This article describes the nature of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) in the post-Suharto era and its views on the resurrection of the global Islamic caliphate, its opposition to the notions of democracy and nation-state. In the aftermath of Suharto's fall in 1998, HTI has seized the opportunity to promise the establishment of a fair society under a global Islamic caliphate. The rapid rise of HTI has, more so than most other Islamist groups, been accentuated by the growing public dissatisfaction with the post-Suharto or reformasi period. There is an increasing perception in larger society that political, economic, and law reforms introduced in the reformasi era has had no significant impact to improve people's daily lives. This deteriorating condition under post-Suharto regimes has successfully justified the HTI's claims that Indonesia needs a radical and comprehensive system, or what HTI coined as al-khalifah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic caliphate). Looking at HTI's grand narrative of the global Islamic caliphate and its refutation of the ideas of democracy and nation-state, it is clear that HTI has taken a number of negative steps in the direction of democratic consolidation in Indonesia.
'. . . And the Truth Shall Set You Free': Confessional Trade-Offs and Community Reconciliation in East Timor
Authors: Larke Ben
Published: July 2009

In East Timor, as with many nations dealing with the legacies of colonisation and occupation, divisions and allegiances forged in the past are combining with other contemporary factors to destabilising effect. The civil unrest of 2006/2007 provides the most recent example of the propensity for violence to escalate rapidly in such a climate. In this context, past experience in promoting and facilitating re-integration following the mass displacement in 1999 in East Timor may offer lessons for those seeking to address social cohesion in the wake of more recent displacement. This paper assesses the work of the Community Reconciliation Process implemented by the Commission of Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (Commonly known by the Portuguese acronym CAVR) in order to provide a reflection on what was achieved and highlight some of the shortcomings that might similarly befall current, and future, attempts. In doing so, the process, and particularly the use of narrative, is considered in terms of its performative elements: the circumstances in which the scripts were written; the stage on which they were acted out; the actors who voiced them, and the audience who listened. It is argued that the Community Reconciliation Process, through its mechanism that synthesised customary reconciliation procedures and elements of the formal justice system, facilitated a reintegrative process that had at its core the exchange of confession, apology and shaming for the right to re-enter the social group from which perpetrators had been excluded. This process, however, may have occurred at the expense of the competing needs of those who had been victimised.
Social and Intercultural Relations in Nineteenth-Century Zanzibar: Dressed Identity
Authors: Vander biesen Ivan
Published: July 2009

Starting from the nineteenth century descriptive literatures on Zanzibar by authors such as Sir Richard Burton and Charles Guillain, and Salima bint Said-Ruete's autobiography, we can draw a rather detailed picture of the relationship between the different social layers, cultures and genders on Zanzibar. Describing and differentiating the complexity of Zanzibar society in the nineteenth century is the main aim of this paper. The focus is on clothing in order to sketch the social organization of the society and to highlight the cultural relations between the different groups in Zanzibar. The evidence obtained from the description of clothing is used as an eye-opener for the Zanzibar society and this evidence is supported by nineteenth century literature and photography on Zanzibar.
Outcomes of Late-Preterm Infants: A Retrospective, Single-Center, Canadian Study
Authors: Kitsommart Ratchada , Janes Marianne , Mahajan Vikas , Rahman Asad , Seidlitz Wendy , Wilson Jennifer , Paes Bosco
Published: July 2009

Objective. To study the prevalence of major morbidities and mortality of inborn, late-preterm infants. Methods. A retrospective review was conducted from 2004 to 2008. Descriptive outcomes were compared with predefined aggregate outcomes of term infants during the same period. Results. Data on 1193 late-preterm and 8666 term infants were compared. Majority of late-preterm infants were 36 weeks (43.6%), followed by 35 weeks (29.2%) and 34weeks (27.2%), respectively. The prevalence of intensive care admission, respiratory support, pneumothorax, and mortality in late preterm infants was significantly higher compared with term infants. Mechanical ventilation and continuous positive airway pressure rates substantially decreased with increased gestational age. Although only 1.0% had positive cultures, 28.5% received parenteral antibiotics. The late-preterm group had a 12-fold higher risk of death with an overall mortality rate of 0.8%. Conclusion. This study confirmed the high-risk status of late-preterm infants with worse mortality and morbidities compared with term infants.
Effects of Classroom Acoustics on Performance and Well-Being in Elementary School Children: A Field Study
Authors: Klatte Maria , Hellbrück Jürgen , Seidel Jochen , Leistner Philip
Published: July 2009

Children are more impaired than adults by unfavorable listening conditions such as reverberation and noise. Nevertheless, the acoustical conditions in classrooms often do not fit the specific needs of young listeners. This field study aimed to analyze the effects of classroom reverberation on children's performance and well-being at school. Performance and questionnaire data were collected from 487 children from 21 classrooms which differed in mean reverberation time from 0.49 to 1.1 seconds. Significant effects of reverberation on speech perception and short-term memory of spoken items were found. Furthermore, the children from reverberating classrooms performed lower in a phonological processing task, reported a higher burden of indoor noise in the classrooms, and judged the relationships to their peers and teachers less positively than children from classrooms with good acoustics. The results demonstrate the importance of good acoustical conditions in classrooms.
Forces of Nature Affect Implicit Connections With Nature
Authors: Duffy Sean , Verges Michelle
Published: July 2009

The purpose of this study was to examine whether seasonal and meteorological changes in nature correspond to environmental attitudes and concerns. An implicit connection to nature task, environmental concern scale, and conservation behavior survey were administered to 220 participants across spring, autumn, and winter seasons in a temperate region of the United States. These behavioral data were correlated with temperature and precipitation data from the U.S. National Weather Service. Results indicated seasonal and meteorological factors were associated with performance on the implicit task, but not explicit, environmental attitudes and self-reported behaviors. These findings suggested contextual influences in the natural environment correspond to implicit connectedness with nature.
Dynamically Vulcanized PP/EPDM Blends: Effect of Composition and Curing Agents
Authors: Nicolini Adriana , De Campos Rocha Tatiana Louise Ávila , Maldaner Jacobi Marly Antonia
Published: July 2009

The comparative study between two curing agents, conventional peroxide (Peroximon) and bismaleimide/dicumyl peroxide combination (BMI/DCP), and the influence of composition in TPE-Vs based on polypropylene (PP) and ethylene—propylene—diene terpolymer (EPDM) were investigated. The materials were characterized by mechanical, hardness, swelling and morphological properties. The TPE-Vs obtained using Peroximon presented lower tensile strength, remarkable lower deformation and swelling degrees than those cured with BMI/DCP. Among all the investigated PP/EPDM compositions, the content of thermoplastic increases the tensile at break. The experimental swelling values are in agreement with the theoretical for the TPE-Vs obtained using BMI/DCP and for the obtained using Peroximon all compositions showed experimental swelling degree higher than the theoretical ones. The hardness is determined by the amount of PP. We also observed in the morphology studies that the rubber domains are smaller and better defined when the BMI/DCP is used.
Effect of Metallic Salts of Glutaric Acid on the Formation of β-crystalline Form in Isotactic Polypropylene
Authors: Dou Qiang , Lu Qu-Liang , Li Huai-Dong
Published: July 2009

The effects of glutaric acid and the lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc, and cadmium salts of glutaric acid on the formation of β-crystalline form in isotactic polypropylene (iPP) at the crystallization temperatures 120 and 130°C have been investigated. It is found that glutaric acid and the sodium, potassium, and zinc salts of glutaric acid inhibit the formation of β-crystalline form in polypropylene. Lithium glutarate has a limited positive effect on the formation of β-crystalline form. Magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium salts of glutaric acid exhibit increased β-nucleation abilities with the increasing atomic radii of the combined metals. Cadmium glutarate is a good β-nucleating agent and the formation of β-crystalline form is favored at the crystallization temperature of 120°C. The increases in the orientation of b-axes of the nucleated iPP samples are due to the presences of sodium and zinc salts of glutaric acid.
Effect of Kaolin on Adhesion Property of Epoxidized Natural Rubber-based Pressure-sensitive Adhesive Using Gum Rosin as the Tackifier
Authors: Poh B.T. , Chew C.E.
Published: July 2009

The viscosity, loop tack, and peel strength of kaolin-filled epoxidized natural rubber (ENR 25 grade) adhesive was investigated using gum rosin as the tackifying resin. Kaolin loading was varied from 10—50 parts per hundred parts of rubber (phr), whereas the gum rosin concentration was fixed at 40 phr. Toluene was used as the solvent throughout the study. Polyethylene terephthalate substrate was coated at various adhesive coating thicknesses, i.e., 30, 60, 90, and 120 µm using a SHEEN hand coater. A HAAKE Rotary Viscometer Viscosity was used to measure the viscosity of the adhesive. Loop tack and peel strength were determined by a Llyod Adhesion Tester operating at 30 cm/min. Results show that viscosity of the adhesive increases gradually with increase of kaolin loading due to the concentration effect of the filler. Loop tack and peel strength, however, show maximum value at 20 phr and 30 phr kaolin, respectively, an observation which is attributed to the maximum wettability and compatibility of adhesive on the substrate.
The Limits of Black Activism
Authors: Wolfinger James
Published: July 2009

When the Philadelphia Tribune, the National Negro Congress, and other African American organizations launched a campaign for better housing in the mid-1930s, they displayed the hope many black Philadelphians had that public housing could improve their lives. That campaign, which succeeded in obtaining federal support for housing in Philadelphia, led to the construction of several projects, including the James Weldon Johnson and Richard Allen Homes. Many of the city’s African Americans regarded the new projects with great optimism. Over time, however, they learned that government officials, pressured by white Philadelphians, would not place “black” public housing in white neighborhoods, which meant the projects actually deepened segregation. Ironically, African Americans campaigned for, and won, housing projects that improved their lives in the short term but at the same time deepened their long-term problems. Paying attention to grassroots black politics, this article suggests, helps us understand how African Americans shaped their lives, but also argues that we must pay attention to the limits of their activism.
The Racing-Game Effect: Why Do Video Racing Games Increase Risk-Taking Inclinations?
Authors: Fischer Peter , Greitemeyer Tobias , Morton Thomas , Kastenmüller Andreas , Postmes Tom , Frey Dieter , Kubitzki Jörg , Odenwälder Jörg
Published: July 2009

The present studies investigated why video racing games increase players’ risk-taking inclinations. Four studies reveal that playing video racing games increases risk taking in a subsequent simulated road traffic situation, as well as risk-promoting cognitions and emotions, blood pressure, sensation seeking, and attitudes toward reckless driving. Study 1 ruled out the role of experimental demand in creating such effects. Studies 2 and 3 showed that the effect of playing video racing games on risk taking was partially mediated by changes in self-perceptions as a reckless driver. These effects were evident only when the individual played racing games that reward traffic violations rather than racing games that do not reward traffic violations (Study 3) and when the individual was an active player of such games rather than a passive observer (Study 4). In sum, the results underline the potential negative impact of racing games on traffic safety.
Intestinal Redox Status of Major Intracellular Thiols in a Rat Model of Chronic Alcohol Consumption
Authors: Tian Junqiang , Brown Lou Ann S. , Jones Dean P. , Levin Marc S. , Wang Lihua , Rubin Deborah C. , Ziegler Thomas R.
Published: July 2009

Background: Alcohol consumption is associated with oxidative stress in multiple tissues in vivo, yet the effect of chronic alcohol intake on intestinal redox state has received little attention. In this study, we investigated the redox status of 2 major intracellular redox regulating couples: glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and cysteine (Cys)/cystine (CySS) in a rat model of chronic alcohol ingestion. Methods: Sprague‐Dawley rats were fed the liquid Lieber‐DeCarli diet consisting of 36% ethanol of total calories for 6 weeks. Control rats were pair‐fed with an isocaloric, ethanol‐free liquid diet. Defined mucosal samples from the jejunum, ileum, and colon were obtained and analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for GSH and Cys pool redox status. Mucosal free malondialdehyde (MDA) was measured as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Results: In the ethanol‐fed rats, Cys and mixed disulfide (GSH‐Cys) were significantly decreased in all 3 segments of intestinal mucosa. Free MDA was increased in jejunal but not in ileal or colonic mucosa. Chronic ethanol ingestion significantly increased mucosal GSH concentration in association with a more reducing GSH/GSSG redox potential in the jejunum, but these indices were unchanged in the ileum. In the colon, chronic ethanol ingestion increased oxidant stress as suggested by decreased GSH and oxidized GSH/GSSG redox potential. Conclusions: Chronic alcohol intake differentially alters the mucosal redox status in proximal to distal intestinal segments in rats. Such changes may reflect different adaptability of these intestinal segments to the oxidative stress challenge induced by chronic ethanol ingestion.
The Empty Nest Syndrome in Midlife Families
Authors: Mitchell Barbara A. , Lovegreen Loren D.
Published: July 2009

This study explores parental health and well-being in relation to “empty nest” transitions. Focus is placed on the purported empty nest syndrome (i.e., self-reported experiences of depression and emotional distress when children leave home) and variations by parental gender and cultural background. This study is primarily based on in-depth telephone interviews conducted in 2006 and 2007 with a subsample ( n = 316) of parents from four cultural groups (British, Chinese, Southern European, and Indo/East Indian) living in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia. A mixed-methodological approach is used whereby both quantitative and qualitative strategies are combined. Findings reveal that overall only a minority of parents report having experienced the empty nest syndrome. However, cultural background and other sociodemographic and relational processes are found to influence the likelihood of reporting this condition. With increasing cultural diversity in North American society, these results have the potential to shed light on a significant life course transition.
Aggravation and Stress in Parenting: Associations with Coparenting and Father Engagement Among Resident Fathers
Authors: Bronte-Tinkew Jacinta , Horowitz Allison , Carrano Jennifer
Published: July 2009

This study uses a sample of 2,139 resident biological fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing surveys (baseline and 12-month follow-up), to examine whether paternal aggravation and stress in parenting is associated with father engagement and coparenting and whether this association differs by father’s socioeconomic status. Results of Ordinary Least Squares regression models indicate that paternal aggravation and stress in parenting is significantly associated with lower levels of father engagement and with less supportive coparenting relationships (controlling for mothers’ aggravation and stress in parenting). Findings also indicate a more negative association between paternal aggravation/stress in parenting and father engagement and coparenting for fathers with household incomes below the poverty threshold. Findings suggest that policies aimed at decreasing parenting stress may be especially beneficial to fathers living in poor families.
The Implications of Grandparent Coresidence for Economic Hardship Among Children in Mother-Only Families
Authors: Mutchler Jan E. , Baker Lindsey A.
Published: July 2009

Estimates suggest that more than 6 million children live with at least one grandparent. Despite evidence establishing the growing prevalence of this arrangement, limited research has focused on estimating the implications of coresidence for the economic well-being of grandchildren. Using data from the 2001 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation, this article examines levels of financial hardship among a particularly vulnerable group of children—those living in mother-only families. Findings suggest that children living in mother-only families that include a grandparent are substantially less likely to be living below or near the poverty level, compared with children living in mother-only families without a grandparent present. The financial security of children in these three-generation households is enhanced through significant economic contributions of the grandparents and from household receipt of a wide range of financial resources, including means-tested cash transfers and other income such as Social Security.
Active Consent in Urban Elementary Schools
Authors: Bergstrom Jessica P. , Partington Susan , Murphy M. Kathleen , Galvao Loren , Fayram Elizabeth , Cisler Ron A.
Published: July 2009

The consent process is an integral piece of research and evaluation studies, especially when conducted within a school setting. The challenge of reaching parents of students to obtain consent is an issue with which those conducting school-based studies grapple. The literature suggests that the success of the consent process can affect the representativeness of the sample. This study describes one consent approach and examines the demographic differences between the eligible population, the consenters and the refusers. Demographic differences were found between consenters and refusers and suggestions are offered for further research and for other researchers who conduct school-based projects.
Effects of Categorizing Continuous Variables in Decision-Analytic Models
Authors: Bentley Tanya G. K. , Weinstein Milton C. , Kuntz Karen M.
Published: July 2009

Purpose. When using continuous predictor variables in discrete-state Markov modeling, it is necessary to create categories of risk and assume homogeneous disease risk within categories, which may bias model outcomes. This analysis assessed the tradeoffs between model bias and complexity and/or data limitations when categorizing continuous risk factors in Markov models. Methods. The authors developed a generic Markov cohort model of disease, defining bias as the percentage change in life expectancy gain from a hypothetical intervention when using 2 to 15 risk factor categories as compared with modeling the risk factor as a continuous variable. They evaluated the magnitude and sign of bias as a function of disease incidence, disease-specific mortality, and relative difference in risk among categories. Results. Bias was positive in the base case, indicating that categorization overestimated life expectancy gains. The bias approached zero as the number of risk factor categories increased and did not exceed 4% for any parameter combinations or numbers of categories considered. For any given disease-specific mortality and disease incidence, bias increased with relative risk of disease. For any given relative risk, the relationship between bias and parameters such as disease-specific mortality or disease incidence was not always monotonic. Conclusions. Under the assumption of a normally distributed risk factor and reasonable assumption regarding disease risk and moderate values for the relative risk of disease given risk factor category, categorizing continuously valued risk factors in Markov models is associated with less than 4% absolute bias when at least 2 categories are used.
Entrepreneurial Science
Authors: Jones Mark Peter
Published: July 2009

Scholars across a range of academic fields continue to rely on Robert K. Merton’s scientific norms to frame analyses of the privatization of research in the life sciences. I revisit constructivist criticisms of the Mertonian approach and then develop an empirically grounded interpretation of academic entrepreneurship. Focusing on the case of an early biotech entrepreneur, I investigate how scientists and university administrators managed intellectual property issues and conflicts of interest and commitment during the ‘biotech revolution’ of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This story shows that many contemporary studies — both supportive and critical of privatization — misunderstand or misrepresent the ethical dimensions of faculty participation in commerce.
Help-Seeking Behaviors and Reasons for Help Seeking Reported by a Representative Sample of Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence in New Zealand
Authors: Fanslow Janet L. , Robinson Elizabeth M.
Published: July 2009

Efforts to understand and support the process of help seeking by victims of intimate partner violence are of considerable urgency if we are to design systems and responses that are capable of actively and appropriately meeting the needs of victims. Using data from the New Zealand Violence Against Women Study, which drew from a representative general population sample of women aged 18 to 64 years, the authors report on the help-seeking behaviors of the women who had ever in their lifetime experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner ( n = 956). More than 75% of respondents reported that they had told someone about the violence, indicating that it is not necessarily a “secret and private” problem. However, more than 40% of women indicated that no one had helped them. Informal sources of support (family and friends) were most frequently told about the violence but not all provided helpful responses. Fewer women told formal sources of help such as police, health care providers, and not all provided helpful responses. Women’s reasons for seeking help and for leaving violent relationships were similar and included “could not endure more,” being badly injured, fear or threat of death, and concern for children. Women’s reasons for staying in or returning to violent relationships included perception of the violence as “normal/not serious,” her emotional investment in the relationship, or staying for the sake of the children. The findings suggest that broader community outreach is required to ensure that family and friends are able to provide appropriate support for women in abusive relationships who are seeking help. Continued improvement in institutional responses is also required.
Technology for everyone: representations of technology in popular Italian scientific magazines
Authors: Ricci Oscar
Published: July 2009

Over the last few years, several popular techno-scientific magazines have been published which provide a number of visions with regards to technology. This paper aims to analyze the manner in which some of these popular Italian scientific magazines represent technology. The methodology utilized in this analysis is based on a frame analysis of a sampling of five Italian popular scientific magazines ( Focus, Quark, T3, Jack, Explora), covering a period extending from July 2004 to January 2006. Results of this analysis show that two of the most frequent frames are the “vaporware” frame, relating to technologies not yet ready for the market, however presented as though they were, and the “relationships between technologies” frame, which emphasizes the relationship certain technologies have with other technologies. Technology is represented in negative as well as positive terms, often on the same topic and in the same magazine. This paper refers to this type of representation as “technological Orientalism,” quoting Said, meaning that technology is always seen as something which can be both terrifying and dangerous as well as wondrous and fabulous.
Does the public communication of science influence scientific vocation? Results of a national survey
Authors: Stekolschik Gabriel , Draghi Cecilia , Adaszko Dan , Gallardo Susana
Published: July 2009

The purpose of this work was to determine if public communication of science and technology (PCST) has any influence on people’s decision to become dedicated to scientific research. For this reason, a national survey involving 852 researchers from all disciplines was conducted in Argentina. The results showed that the factors affecting scientific vocation are many, and that, regardless of differences in gender, age or discipline, the greatest influence on the decision to go into scientific research is exerted by teachers. The analysis also demonstrated that different manifestations of PCST (science books, press articles, audiovisual material, and activities such as visits to science museums) play a significant role in awakening the vocation for science. From these results it may be stated that PCST—in addition to its function of informing and forming citizens—exerts a significant influence in fostering scientific vocation.
Ethics and Advance Care Planning in a Culturally Diverse Society
Authors: Johnstone Megan-Jane , Kanitsaki Olga
Published: July 2009

Emerging international research suggests that in multicultural countries, such as Australia and the United States, there are significant disparities in end-of-life care planning and decision making by people of minority ethnic backgrounds compared with members of mainstream English-speaking background populations. Despite a growing interest in the profound influence of culture and ethnicity on patient choices in end-of-life care, and the limited uptake of advance care plans and advance directives by ethnic minority groups in mainstream health care contexts, there has been curiously little attention given to cross-cultural considerations in advance care planning and end-of-life care. Also overlooked are the possible implications of cross-cultural considerations for nurses, policy makers, and others at the forefront of planning and providing end-of-life care to people of diverse cultural and language backgrounds. An important aim of this article is to redress this oversight.
Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor
Authors: Bisel Ryan S. , Messersmith Amber S. , Keyton Joann
Published: July 2009

To fill a critical void in organizational culture pedagogy, the authors present an instructional system that employs the metaphor of a gyroscope to help students understand implicit assumptions in culture research. Working from Martin’s nexus approach to organizational culture and Fairhurst and Putnam’s tripartite theory of organizational discourse, the system in this study illustrates three interpretations of the relationships between culture and communication implicit in the literature. Each relationship is defined, exemplified with culture research, and critiqued. Pedagogical applications of the gyroscope metaphor are also outlined.