bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anorectal Function Testing and Anal Endosonography in the Diagnostic Work-Up of Patients with Primary Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Authors: Groenendijk Annette G. , Birnie Erwin , Boeckxstaens Guy E. , Roovers Jan-Paul W. , Bonsel Gouke J.
Published: December 2008

Aim: To study the pathophysiology of defecation disorders in patients with primary pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and the diagnostic potential of anorectal function testing (AFT) including endosonography in the work-up of these patients. Methods: 59 Patients were evaluated with a validated questionnaire, clinical examination, AFT and endosonography. Results: Women with POP showed lower squeezing pressure, postponed first sensation and desire, lower capacity and prolonged pudendal nerve terminal latency time compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.01). Manometric findings did not differ significantly between patients with and without constipation. Patients with fecal incontinence had significantly lower resting and squeezing pressures than patients without fecal incontinence and an increased risk of an external sphincter defect (odds ratio = 12.75, 95% confidence interval 2.40–66.67). Although digital rectal examination could quantify absent, decreased and normal squeezing pressure, the positive predictive value for external sphincter defects was low (0.32). Conclusion: AFT indicates the presence of neuromuscular damage of the anorectal region in patients with POP. AFT is not useful in the work-up of patients with POP and constipation, because it fails to discriminate between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. In cases of fecal incontinence, AFT and endosonography are helpful to distinguish between functional and anatomical problems.
Hepatocyte Growth Factor Treatment Improves Alveolarization in a Newborn Murine Model of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Authors: Ohki Yasushi , Mayuzumi Hiroo , Tokuyama Kenichi , Yoshizawa Yukihiro , Arakawa Hirokazu , Mochizuki Hiroyuki , Morikawa Akihiro
Published: December 2008

Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is thought to be one form of developmental arrest of the lung. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) participates in normal lung growth and in lung regeneration. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether HGF can improve alveolarization and attenuates functional abnormalities of a murine model of BPD induced by hyperoxia. Methods: Three-day-old CD-1 mice were exposed to 90% of oxygen or room air (control group) for 7 days. These animals were then kept in room air for the next 7 days. Recombinant human (rh) HGF (100 μg/g b.w., divided 3 times, rhHGF group) or vehicle (vehicle group) was administered intraperitoneally during hyperoxia. On day 17, the pulmonary function test and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) were examined. Mean linear intercepts (MLI) were measured as parameters of alveolarization. Cell renewal (on day 10) and vascularization of the lung were also evaluated. Results: Exposure to hyperoxia induced increased airway resistance and BHR. These animals showed a severely simplified alveolar structure, increased MLI, decreased cell renewal (16.1 ± 2.4 vs. 29.6 ± 2.4%, p < 0.05), and decreased vascularization (15.1 ± 0.3 vs. 18.4 ± 1.5 vessels/hpf, p < 0.05, vehicle vs. control group, respectively). rhHGF treatment during exposure to hyperoxia significantly reduced all of these changes (27.9 ± 1.7%, 18.2 ± 0.5 vessels/hpf for cell renewal and vascularization, respectively; all values are p < 0.05 against vehicle animals). Conclusion: HGF partially protects against the inhibition of alveolarization and improves functional abnormality in the hyperoxia-induced neonatal mice model of BPD.
Cell Therapy of Acute Myocardial Infarction: Open Questions
Authors: Dimmeler Stefanie , Zeiher Andreas M.
Published: December 2008

Cell-based therapy is a promising option for treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Based on experimental studies demonstrating that bone marrow-derived stem and progenitor cells improve the functional recovery after ischemia, clinical trials were initiated to address this new therapeutic concept. So far, clinical studies preferentially used adult bone marrow-derived cells for the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Overall, cell therapy was shown to reduce the infarct size and improve cardiac contractile function. However, the extent of functional improvement varied between the studies and various questions remain. The present review article will discuss the heterogeneity of the clinical results, the timing of the cell delivery and the benefit achieved so far in different patient populations.
Certain Progestins Prevent the Enhancing Effect of 17β-Estradiol on NO-Mediated Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation by Endothelial Cells
Authors: Zerr-Fouineau Murielle , Jourdain Marie , Boesch Caroline , Hecker Markus , Bronner Christian , Schini-Kerth Valérie B.
Published: December 2008

Objectives—Estro-progestin treatments have been associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic events in postmenopausal women. This study examined whether progestins affect the stimulatory effect of estrogens on the endothelial formation of nitric oxide (NO), a potent antithrombotic factor.

Methods and Results—Experiments were performed with human endothelial cells. Endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I) mRNA expression was assessed by RT-PCR, eNOS protein by Western blotting, NO formation by electron spin resonance spectroscopy, and platelet aggregation by an aggregometer. Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), progesterone, levonorgestrel, and nomegestrol acetate prevented the 17β-estradiol (17β-E)-induced expression of eNOS mRNA and protein. MPA and progesterone reduced the 17β-E-induced formation of NO and potentiation of the inhibitory effect of endothelial cells on platelet aggregation whereas levonorgestrel and nomegestrol acetate were without effect. Moreover, MPA and progesterone prevented the 17β-E-induced expression of GTPCH I mRNA. Mifepristone, a glucocorticoid and progesterone receptor antagonist, and L-sepiapterin prevented the inhibitory effect of MPA and progesterone on platelet aggregation.

Conclusions—Certain progestins, including MPA, attenuate the 17β-E-induced NO-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation by endothelial cells through preventing both eNOS and GTPCH I expression most likely via activation of glucocorticoid receptors.
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibits G12/13and Rho-Kinase Activated by the Angiotensin II Type-1 Receptor
Authors: Suzuki Hiroyuki , Kimura Keita , Shirai Heigoro , Eguchi Kunie , Higuchi Sadaharu , Hinoki Akinari , Ishimaru Kazuhiro , Brailoiu Eugen , Dhanasekaran Danny N. , Stemmle Laura N. , Fields Timothy A. , Frank Gerald D. , Autieri Michael V. , Eguchi Satoru
Published: December 2008

Background—Although, endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) is believed to antagonize vascular remodeling induced by the angiotensin II (AngII) type-1 receptor, the exact signaling mechanism remains unclear.

Methods and Results—By expressing eNOS to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) via adenovirus, we investigated a signal transduction mechanism of the eNOS gene transfer in preventing vascular remodeling induced by AngII. We found marked inhibition of AngII-induced Rho/Rho-kinase activation and subsequent VSMC migration by eNOS gene transfer whereas Gq-dependent transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor by AngII remains intact. This could be explained by the specific inhibition of G12/13activation by eNOS-mediated G12/13phosphorylation.

Conclusion—The eNOS/NO cascade specifically targets the Rho/Rho-kinase system via inhibition of G12/13to prevent vascular migration induced by AngII, representing a novel signal cross-talk in cardiovascular protection by NO.
Despite Antiatherogenic Metabolic Characteristics, SCD1-Deficient Mice Have Increased Inflammation and Atherosclerosis
Authors: MacDonald Marcia L.E. , van Eck Miranda , Hildebrand Reeni B. , Wong Brian W.C. , Bissada Nagat , Ruddle Piers , Kontush Anatol , Hussein Hala , Pouladi Mahmoud A. , Chapman M. John , Fievet Catherine , van Berkel Theo J.C. , Staels Bart , McManus Bruce M. , Hayden Michael R.
Published: December 2008

Objective—Absence of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) in mice reduces plasma triglycerides and provides protection from obesity and insulin resistance, which would be predicted to be associated with reduced susceptibility to atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of SCD1 deficiency on atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results—Despite an antiatherogenic metabolic profile, SCD1 deficiency increases atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-deficient mice challenged with a Western diet. Lesion area at the aortic root is significantly increased in males and females in two models of SCD1 deficiency. Inflammatory changes are evident in the skin of these mice, including increased intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and ulcerative dermatitis. Increases in ICAM-1 and interleukin-6 are also evident in plasma of SCD1-deficient mice. HDL particles demonstrate changes associated with inflammation, including decreased plasma apoA-II and apoA-I and paraoxonase-1 and increased plasma serum amyloid A. Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response and cholesterol efflux are not altered in SCD1-deficient macrophages. In addition, when SCD1 deficiency is limited to bone marrow–derived cells, lesion size is not altered in LDLR-deficient mice.

Conclusions—These studies reinforce the crucial role of chronic inflammation in promoting atherosclerosis, even in the presence of antiatherogenic biochemical and metabolic characteristics.
Leukocyte Cathepsin S Is a Potent Regulator of Both Cell and Matrix Turnover in Advanced Atherosclerosis
Authors: de Nooijer R. , Bot I. , von der Thüsen J.H. , Leeuwenburgh M.A. , Overkleeft H.S. , Kraaijeveld A.O. , Dorland R. , van Santbrink P.J. , van Heiningen S.H. , Westra M.M. , Kovanen P.T. , Jukema J.W. , van der Wall E.E. , van Berkel Th.J.C. , Shi G.P. , Biessen E.A.L.
Published: December 2008

Objective—

A dysbalance of proteases and their inhibitors is instrumental in remodeling of atherosclerotic plaques. One of the proteases implicated in matrix degradation is cathepsin-S (CatS). To address its role in advanced lesion composition, we generated chimeric LDLr
−/−
mice deficient in leukocyte CatS by transplantation with CatS
−/−
×LDLr
−/−
or with LDLr
−/−
bone marrow and administered a high-fat diet.

Methods and Results—

No difference in aortic root lesion size could be detected between CatS
+/+
and CatS
−/−
chimeras. However, leukocyte CatS deficiency markedly changed plaque morphology and led to a dramatic reduction in necrotic core area by 77% and an abundance of large foam cells. Plaques of CatS
−/−
chimeras contained 17% more macrophages, 62% less SMCs, and 33% less intimal collagen. The latter two could be explained by a reduced number of elastic lamina fractures. Moreover, macrophage apoptosis was reduced by 60% with CatS deficiency. In vitro, CatS was found to be involved in cholesterol metabolism and in macrophage apoptosis in a collagen and fibronectin matrix.

Conclusion—

Leukocyte CatS deficiency results in considerably altered plaque morphology, with smaller necrotic cores, reduced apoptosis, and decreased SMC content and collagen deposition and may thus be critical in plaque stability.
Heparanase Alters Arterial Structure, Mechanics, and Repair Following Endovascular Stenting in Mice
Authors: Baker Aaron B. , Groothuis Adam , Jonas Michael , Ettenson David S. , Shazly Tarek , Zcharia Eyal , Vlodavsky Israel , Seifert Philip , Edelman Elazer R.
Published: December 2008

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are potent regulators of vascular remodeling and repair. Heparanase is the major enzyme capable of degrading heparan sulfate in mammalian cells. Here we examined the role of heparanase in controlling arterial structure, mechanics, and remodeling. In vitro studies supported that heparanase expression in endothelial cells serves as a negative regulator of endothelial inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell (vSMC) proliferation. Arterial structure and remodeling to injury were also modified by heparanase expression. Transgenic mice overexpressing heparanase had increased arterial thickness, cellular density, and mechanical compliance. Endovascular stenting studies in Zucker rats demonstrated increased heparanase expression in the neointima of obese, hyperlipidemic rats in comparison to lean rats. The extent of heparanase expression within the neointima strongly correlated with the neointimal thickness following injury. To test the effects of heparanase overexpression on arterial repair, we developed a novel murine model of stent injury using small diameter self-expanding stents. Using this model, we found that increased neointimal formation and macrophage recruitment occurs in transgenic mice overexpressing heparanase. Taken together, these results support a role for heparanase in the regulation of arterial structure, mechanics, and repair.
Activation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase by Metformin Improves Left Ventricular Function and Survival in Heart Failure
Authors: Gundewar Susheel , Calvert John W. , Jha Saurabh , Toedt-Pingel Iris , Yong Ji Sang , Nunez Denise , Ramachandran Arun , Anaya-Cisneros Mauricio , Tian Rong , Lefer David J.
Published: December 2008

Clinical studies have reported that the widely used antihyperglycemic drug metformin significantly reduces cardiac risk factors and improves clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure. The mechanisms by which metformin exerts these cardioprotective effects remain unclear and may be independent of antihyperglycemic effects. We tested the hypothesis that chronic activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) with low-dose metformin exerts beneficial effects on cardiac function and survival in in vivo murine models of heart failure. Mice were subjected to permanent left coronary artery occlusion or to 60 minutes left coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion for 4 weeks. High-resolution, 2D echocardiography was performed at baseline and 4 weeks after myocardial infarction to assess left ventricular dimensions and function. Metformin (125 μg/kg) administered to mice at ischemia and then daily improved survival by 47% (
P
<0.05 versus vehicle) at 4 weeks following permanent left coronary artery occlusion. Additionally, metformin given at reperfusion and then daily preserved left ventricular dimensions and left ventricular ejection fraction (
P
<0.01 versus vehicle) at 4 weeks. The improvement in cardiac structure and function was associated with increases in AMPK and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation, as well as increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α expression in cardiac myocytes. Furthermore, metformin significantly improved myocardial cell mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis compared to vehicle. The cardioprotective effects of metformin were ablated in mice lacking functional AMPK or eNOS. This study demonstrates that metformin significantly improves left ventricular function and survival via activation of AMPK and its downstream mediators, eNOS and PGC-1α, in a murine model of heart failure.
A Spectrum of Knock-Type Doppler Signals in the Intracranial Vessels
Authors: Tsivgoulis Georgios , Man Bing L. , Lao Annabelle Y. , Sharma Vijay K. , Kotsis Vassilios , Vadikolias Konstantinos , Alexandrov Andrei V.
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Knock-type Doppler signals (KTDS) are detectable by transcranial Doppler, and it has been hypothesized that they are related to an occlusion of a small perforating artery and microvascular ischemia. However, the nature of KTDS has not been prospectively defined. We aimed at describing the spectral and power motion Doppler characteristics of KTDS and ultrasound exposure conditions that lead to their appearance.

Methods—

Consecutive patients referred with symptoms of stroke or transient ischemic attacks to our cerebrovascular ultrasound laboratory were screened for the presence of KTDS. The presence of microvascular ischemia was assessed using brain MRI.

Results—

Among 327 patients with cerebrovascular symptoms, 46 (14%) had KTDS. KTDS were found more frequently in posterior circulation vessels (55% vertebral artery, 21.5% basilar artery, and 6% posterior cerebral artery). There was no association between ultrasound identification of KTDS and the presence of brain ischemia in the distribution of any vessel (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.09–1.53;
P
=0.171) on univariate logistic regression analyses. KTDS was not related to the presence of microvascular ischemia on brain MRI (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.55–2.29;
P
=0.761). We described the range of spectral and power motion Doppler appearances of KTDS and experimentally demonstrated the most likely underlying mechanism being a large vessel wall movement artifact.

Conclusions—

Although KTDS can be distinguished from other spectral flow signals, they can be found in normal vessels, they do not seem to be associated with the vessel affected by ischemia, and they should not be overinterpreted.
Edaravone, a Free Radical Scavenger, Inhibits MMP-9–Related Brain Hemorrhage in Rats Treated With Tissue Plasminogen Activator
Authors: Yagi Kenji , Kitazato Keiko T. , Uno Masaaki , Tada Yoshiteru , Kinouchi Tomoya , Shimada Kenji , Nagahiro Shinji
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—Intracerebral hemorrhage, induced by recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in ischemic stroke, is attributable to the increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Patients with acute infarct benefit from the neuroprotective drug edaravone, a free radical scavenger. We examined the mechanisms by which edaravone may help to suppress rtPA-induced brain hemorrhage.

Methods—Male Wistar rats weighing 250 to 280 g were subjected to 3-hour transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and divided randomly into 3 groups. Immediately after reperfusion, 1 group was intravenously injected with 10 mg/kg rtPA, another with rtPA plus 3 mg/kg edaravone, and the 3rd group received no treatment. We assessed the hemorrhage volume and the activity of MMP-9 in the brain 24 hours postischemia. We also studied the activity of MMP-9, its mRNA expression, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity in rtPA-stimulated human microvascular endothelial cells (HBECs).

Results—The degree of hemorrhage and the level of endothelial cell–derived MMP-9 were elevated in rats treated with rtPA alone and attenuated in rats treated with rtPA plus edaravone. In rtPA-stimulated HBECs, edaravone suppressed the activity and mRNA expression of MMP-9 in a dose-dependent manner. Edaravone also inhibited NF-κB activation.

Conclusions—We demonstrate that edaravone inhibits rtPA-induced cerebral hemorrhage in the ischemic brain of rats via the inhibition of MMP-9 expression in vivo, which is substantiated by inhibition of MMP-9 expression and NF-κB activation in HBECs. Edaravone may render thrombolytic therapy safer for the administration of rtPA in patients with ischemic stroke.
Serial Diffusion Imaging in a Case of Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-Like Episodes
Authors: Tzoulis Charalampos , Bindoff Laurence A.
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Most diffusion MRI studies of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episode stroke-like lesions report high- or normal-apparent diffusion coefficient, and this has been used to differentiate stroke-like lesion from ischemic stroke. There are, however, 3 recent reports of restricted diffusion in the acute phase of the stroke-like lesions. The purpose of our study was to investigate this apparent paradox.

Methods—

We performed 9 serial MRI covering 2 stroke-like episodes in a 36-year-old man with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episode caused by the common mitochondrial DNA mutation
3243A>G
.

Results—

We found clear evidence of initial restricted diffusion in the stroke-like lesions, which gradually evolved to high-apparent diffusion coefficient as lesions aged. Evolution was, however, asynchronous with both high- and low-apparent diffusion coefficients temporally coexisting.

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest that cytotoxic edema does occur early in the course of a stroke-like lesions and that its presence or, conversely, the absence of vasogenic edema, should not weaken the possibility of mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episode in favor of ischemic stroke.
Independent Associations Between Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Outcomes in Patients With Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Coghlan Landis A. , Hindman Bradley J. , Bayman Emine O. , Banki Nader M. , Gelb Adrian W. , Todd Michael M. , Zaroff Jonathan G. ,   IHAST Investigators
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Electrocardiographic abnormalities are common after subarachnoid hemorrhage, but their significance remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine whether any specific electrocardiographic abnormalities are independently associated with adverse neurological outcomes.

Methods—

This was a substudy of the Intraoperative Hypothermia Aneurysm Surgery Trial, which was designed to determine whether intraoperative hypothermia would improve neurological outcome in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage undergoing aneurysm surgery. The outcome was the 3-month Glasgow Outcome Score treated as both a categorical measure (Glasgow Outcome Score 1 [good outcome] to 5 [death]) and dichotomously (mortality/Glasgow Outcome Score 5 versus Glasgow Outcome Score 1 to 4). The predictor variables were preoperative electrocardiographic characteristics, including heart rate, corrected QT interval, and ST- and T-wave abnormalities. Univariate logistic regression was performed to screen for significant electrocardiographic variables, which were then tested for associations with the outcome by multivariate logistic regression adjusting for clinical covariates.

Results—

The study included 588 patients, of whom 31 (5%) died. There was a significant, nonlinear association between heart rate and mortality such that lowest quartile (≤60 beats/min; OR, 6.5;
P
=0.027) and highest quartile (>80 beats/min; OR, 8.8;
P
=0.006) were associated with higher risk. There was also a significant association between nonspecific ST- and T-wave abnormalities and mortality (OR, 3.1;
P
=0.031).

Conclusions—

Bradycardia, relative tachycardia, and nonspecific ST- and T-wave abnormalities are strongly and independently associated with 3-month mortality after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Further research should be performed to determine whether there is a causal relationship between cardiac dysfunction and neurological outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Increased Levels of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Patients With Moyamoya Disease
Authors: Rafat Neysan , Beck Grietje Ch. , Peña-Tapia Pablo G. , Schmiedek Peter , Vajkoczy Peter
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Chronic cerebral ischemia leads to higher risk for strokes attributable to insufficient collateralization, resulting from inadequate capacity for arteriogenesis and angiogenesis. Patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD) have similar transient ischemic attack frequencies compared to patients with chronic cerebral ischemia with other etiologies, but a strong capacity for arteriogenesis and angiogenesis. The mechanisms involved in the upregulation of the arteriogenesis and angiogenesis in MMD still remain unknown. In the present study we investigated if circulating endothelial progenitor cells are increasingly mobilized during MMD.

Methods—

Twenty MMD patients, 8 patients with atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease, and 15 healthy individuals were included in this study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and circulating endothelial progenitor cells were characterized by triple staining using antibodies against CD133, CD34, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2. Serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results—

In MMD patients the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells was significantly higher than in atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease patients (
P
<0.002) and healthy controls (
P
<0.0001). Serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations in MMD patients and in atherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease patients were significantly higher compared to those in healthy controls (
P
<0.0001). Similar findings were observed for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. An inverse correlation between circulating endothelial progenitor cell numbers and serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (
r
=−0.53;
P
<0,02) was found in the MMD group.

Conclusion—

Our results show increased circulating endothelial progenitor cell numbers in MMD, which may play a role in the increased arteriogenesis and angiogenesis in MMD. Moreover, our results suggest that increased circulating endothelial progenitor cell mobilization in MMD may not be entirely mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
LDL Cholesterol and the Development of Stroke Subtypes and Coronary Heart Disease in a General Japanese Population
Authors: Imamura Tsuyoshi , Doi Yasufumi , Arima Hisatomi , Yonemoto Koji , Hata Jun , Kubo Michiaki , Tanizaki Yumihiro , Ibayashi Setsuro , Iida Mitsuo , Kiyohara Yutaka
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Although the relation between serum LDL cholesterol level and coronary heart disease (CHD) is well established, its relation with stroke subtypes is less clear.

Methods—

A total of 2351 inhabitants age ≥40 years in a Japanese community were followed up for 19 years.

Results—

During follow-up, 271 subjects developed stroke and 144 developed CHD. Whereas the age- and sex-adjusted incidences of CHD significantly increased with increasing LDL cholesterol levels (
P
for trend <0.001), the associations between LDL cholesterol level and the incidences of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were not significant. The age- and sex-adjusted incidences of atherothrombotic infarctions (ATIs) and lacunar infarctions (LIs) significantly increased with increasing LDL cholesterol level (
P
for trend=0.03 for ATIs and=0.02 for LIs), but no such association was observed for cardioembolic infarction. After multivariate adjustment, the positive associations of LDL cholesterol level with the risks of ATI and CHD remained significant (
P
for trend=0.02 for ATIs and=0.03 for CHD), whereas the association with LIs was not significant. The risk of ATI significantly increased in the fourth quartile of LDL cholesterol compared with the first quartile (multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio=2.84; 95% CI, 1.17 to 6.93). The multivariate-adjusted risks for developing nonembolic infarction (ATIs and LIs) and CHD were significantly elevated in the groups with elevated LDL cholesterol values with and without the metabolic syndrome.

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest that an elevated LDL cholesterol level is a significant risk factor for developing ATI as well as CHD, and these associations are independent of the metabolic syndrome.
Flow-Mediated Vascular Remodeling in Hypertension
Authors: Ibrahim Jamila , Berk Bradford C.
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—

Changes in shear and medial wall stress induced by blood flow contribute to vascular remodeling, but details of these relations remain undefined. We hypothesized that remodeling has a strong genetic component and that phenotypic responses to hemodynamic stress will differ among rat strains. Here, we characterized phenotypic traits related to carotid remodeling in the 2 rat strains that we previously showed the greatest difference in shear stress regulation: Genetically Hypertensive (GH) and Brown Norway (BN) rat strains.

Methods—

Left internal and external carotid arteries were ligated and blood flow was reduced in the left common (LCA) by 90% and increased in the right common carotid artery (RCA) by 60%. Rats were studied for up to 28 days after flow modification and carotid outer diameters were measured in vivo, and wall and luminal components by histomorphometry, to obtain indices of remodeling. Blood flow and pressure measurements were made at corresponding time points.

Results—

By day 28, remodeling in the GH was greater in response to high flow than in BN, and shear stress was normalized. In contrast, remodeling in the BN was greater in the low flow LCA than in GH. Media stress was greater in GH than BN for any value of carotid shear stress and remained relatively unchanged in low flow, but markedly increased in high flow remodeling. Importantly, pressure was not a major determinant of flow remodeling in these conditions.

Conclusions—

There are key differences in the ability of carotids in GH and BN rats to adhere to hemodynamic laws during vascular remodeling. GH rats exhibit intact regulatory mechanisms for increased, but not reduced, shear stress. Moreover, the ability to maintain physiological shear and media stresses during vascular remodeling in response to modified flow appears to be intrinsically “genetically” determined.
Enhanced Contractile Response of the Basilar Artery to Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Maeda Yoshihisa , Hirano Katsuya , Hirano Mayumi , Kikkawa Yuichiro , Kameda Katsuharu , Sasaki Tomio , Kanaide Hideo
Published: December 2008

Background and Purpose—The level of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in cerebrospinal fluid is elevated in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Therefore, the contractile effect of PDGF on the basilar artery was examined in SAH.

Methods and Results—A rabbit double-hemorrhage SAH model was used. In the medial layers of the control basilar artery, PDGF had no effect on contraction up to 1 nmol/L, whereas 3 nmol/L PDGF induced slight contraction. In SAH, PDGF induced an enhanced contraction with an increase in [Ca2+]iat 1 nmol/L and higher concentrations. The levels of [Ca2+]iand tension induced by 1 nmol/L PDGF in SAH were 17% and 20%, respectively, of those obtained with 118 mmol/L K+depolarization. The PDGF-induced elevation of [Ca2+]iand contraction seen in SAH were abolished in the absence of extracellular Ca2+. In α-toxin–permeabilized strips of SAH animals, PDGF induced no further development of tension during contraction induced by 300 nmol/L Ca2+, suggesting no direct effect on myofilament Ca2+sensitivity. Genistein at 10 μmol/L completely inhibited the tension induced by 1 nmol/L PDGF. The level of myosin light-chain phosphorylation was significantly increased by 1 nmol/L PDGF.

Conclusions—These results show that the contractile response to PDGF of the basilar artery was enhanced in SAH. The PDGF-induced contraction depended mostly on tyrosine phosphorylation and Ca2+-dependent myosin light-chain phosphorylation. The enhancement of the responsiveness to PDGF may therefore contribute to the development of cerebral vasospasm after SAH.
Justificación de la desigualdad y actitudes hacia la discapacidad ¿Oposición a la igualdad o dominancia?
Authors: del Prado Silván-Ferrero María , Bustillos Antonio
Published: December 2008

Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar algunos aspectos de la relación con las personas con discapacidad física—actitud general, ansiedad intergrupal y creencias suma-cero desde los motivos propuestos en la Teoría de la Justificación del Sistema (Jost y Banaji, 1994): justificación del grupo y justificación del sistema. En línea con planteamientos recientes (Jost y Hunyady, 2002), la influencia de estos motivos se ha estudiado a través de los componentes de la escala de Orientación a la Dominancia Social (SDO) definidos por Jost y Thompson (2000): Orientación a la Dominancia Grupal y Oposición a la Igualdad. Los resultados muestran diferentes relaciones de cada subfactor con la ansiedad intergrupal y las creencias suma-cero. A su vez, la amenaza percibida en relación con los recursos, establecida a través de las creencias suma-cero, aparece como la mejor predictora de la actitud hacia las personas con discapacidad física.
La crianza y la educación de los hijos en la sociedad actual: ¿lo estamos haciendo bien?
Authors: Etxebarria Itziar , Apodaca Pedro , Fuentes Ma Jesús , López Félix , Ortiz Ma José
Published: December 2008

Se analizó el modo en que, hoy en día y en nuestro país, los padres y las madres viven la crianza y la educación de los niños, prestando especial atención a diversas variables relevantes en el comportamiento cívico-moral de éstos. Un total de 3.711 padres y madres de niños de 2 a 12 años de cuatro comunidades autónomas respondieron a un amplio cuestionario, en el cual, como permitieron establecer sucesivos análisis factoriales confirmatorios, subyacían 11 dimensiones: dedicación, afecto, aceptación incondicional, intervención educativa en el ámbito cívico-moral, preocupación-control de las influencias exteriores, desacuerdo y conflicto con la pareja en relación con la crianza, dificultades y costes personales derivados de ésta, centralidad de la familia, alienación en la paternidad/maternidad y emancipación. En general, las madres presentaron en dichas dimensiones un perfil mejor que los padres, la mitad de los cuales mostraba un perfil negativo. Se encontró una alta proporción de universitarios en los grupos con un perfil más deficitario. Los resultados ponen de relieve la necesidad de una mayor implicación de los hombres y la sociedad en su conjunto en la educación y el cuidado de los niños.
La norma social sobre la expresión de prejuicio explícito hacia diferentes grupos sociales
Authors: Rodríguez Armando , Betancor Verónica , Delgado Naira
Published: December 2008

Una de las formas en que la norma social manifiesta su poder dentro de las relaciones intergrupales es modulando la expresión abierta del prejuicio hacia los exogrupos, permitiendo criticar a unos pero no a otros. Precisamente, uno de los objetivos de esta investigación es conocer la norma social sobre la expresión abierta de prejuicio hacia diferentes grupos sociales. Además, exploramos si el grado de control de las personas para pertenecer a esos grupos, y la probabilidad de formar parte de ellos predicen la norma social. Por último, se comprobó si las variables propuestas generaban alguna tipología de los grupos sociales. Los resultados muestran que la norma social varía dependiendo del grupo social, que las dos variables planteadas predicen la norma social, y se establece una tipología de los grupos en función de las variables antecedents.
Adaptación y relaciones familiares según los adolescentes acogidos por sus abuelos
Authors: Fuentes Ma Jesús , Bernedo Isabel Ma
Published: December 2008

Este estudio analiza los problemas de conducta de los adolescentes en relación con el afecto y la forma de establecer las normas de los abuelos acogedores. La muestra estuvo formada por 70 adolescentes (39 chicas y 31 chicos, con una edad media de 13,7 años) y 54 abuelos/as acogedores (36 maternos y 18 paternos). Los instrumentos de evaluación fueron la Escala de Afecto (EA) y la Escala de Normas y Exigencias (ENE), ambas de Bersabé, Fuentes y Motrico (2001), y el Youth Self Report (YSR/11–18) de Achenbach (2001). Los resultados mostraron, por un lado, que los adolescentes percibían una alta manifestación de afecto y comunicación por parte de sus abuelos acogedores y una baja expresión de crítica y rechazo; y por otro, que los abuelos utilizaban prioritariamente un tipo de disciplina inductiva para establecer las normas. Respecto a los problemas de conducta, los adolescentes acogidos se encontraban dentro del rango de normalidad. Los adolescentes que percibían a sus abuelos y abuelas más afectivos y con un estilo inductivo de establecer las normas presentaban menos problemas de conducta.
Representación social de la sexualidad y actitudes en estudiantes universitarios mexicanos
Authors: Moral José , Ortega María-Estela
Published: December 2008

Se estudia la representación social de la sexualidad y su relación con las actitudes y comportamientos sexuales en una muestra de 395 estudiantes de psicología mexicanos. Se empleó un cuestionario, integrado por un test de asociación libre de palabras para determinar el contenido semántico de la representación, dos escalas tipo Likert para medir actitud hacia la sexualidad y la homosexualidad, así como preguntas cerradas y abiertas sobre conductas sexuales. El análisis de datos se realizó por análisis de conglomerados, análisis factorial, correlaciones, comparaciones de medias y chi-cuadrado. En el núcleo central de la representación social encontramos una sexualidad definida por la identidad de género y la heterosexualidad, cuyo ejercicio se basa en el amor y valores de respeto. El análisis de conglomerados arroja 5 grupos semánticos. Estos grupos presentan una asociación débil con las actitudes, pero independencia con la conducta. Por el contrario, las actitudes se relacionan con la conducta sexual en un grado de débil a moderado. Se discute la conexión de lo cognitivo con el comportamiento y el efecto de las medidas usadas.
Congruencia de rol de género y aspiraciones de las mujeres a posiciones de liderazgo
Authors: López-Zafra Esther , Garcia-Retamero Rocio , Eagly Alice H.
Published: December 2008

La idea de que las mujeres tienen una ventaja para liderar se ha hecho muy popular en la actualidad. Sin embargo, las investigaciones ofrecen resultados contradictorios, lo cual ha generado un gran debate. Para comprender este debate son fundamentales los trabajos de Eagly y Carli (2003a, 2003b), quienes afirman que existen tanto ventajas como prejuicios hacia las mujeres líderes. En nuestro trabajo revisamos el papel de las aspiraciones de las mujeres hacia puestos de liderazgo tal y como se refleja en la literatura sobre prejuicio hacia las mujeres líderes. Nuestros resultados muestran que las mujeres anticipan ciertos problemas derivados del desempeño de una posición de liderazgo ya que éstas siguen experimentando prejuicio, especialmente en contextos masculinos. Interpretamos estos resultados basándonos en la Teoría de la Congruencia de Rol de Eagly y Karau (2002).
Objective Definition of the Indian Summer Monsoon Onset*
Authors: Wang Bin , Ding Qinghua , Joseph P. V.
Published: December 2008

The onset of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) over the southern tip of the Indian peninsula [also known as monsoon onset over Kerala (MOK)] has been considered the beginning of India’s rainy season. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) makes an official prediction of ISM onset every year using a subjective method. Based on an analysis of the past 60-yr (1948–2007) record, the authors show that the onset date can be objectively determined by the beginning of the sustained 850-hPa zonal wind averaged over the southern Arabian Sea (SAS) from 5° to 15°N, and from 40° to 80°E. The rapid establishment of a steady SAS westerly is in excellent agreement with the abrupt commencement of the rainy season over the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. In 90% of the years analyzed, this simple and objective index has excellent agreement with the onset dates that are subjectively defined by the IMD. There are only 3 yr of the past 60 yr during which the two onset dates differ by more than 10 days, and none of them perfectly reflects the MOK.

A prominent onset precursor on the biweekly time scale is the westward extension of the convection center from the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean toward the southeast Arabian Sea. On the intraseasonal time scale, the onset tends to be led by northeastward propagation of an intraseasonal convective anomaly from the western equatorial Indian Ocean. The objective determination of the onset based on the SAS low-level westerly is a characteristic representation of the complex process of the ISM onset. Given its objectiveness and its representation of the large-scale circulation, the proposed new onset definition provides a useful metric for verifying numerical model performance in simulating and predicting the ISM onset and for studying predictability of interannual variations of the onset.
The Labor Market and Young Black Men: Updating Moynihan's Perspective
Authors: Holzer Harry J.
Published: December 2008

This article reviews Daniel Patrick Moynihan's views on employment and young black men in his 1965 report. The author then updates the evidence on their employment status and reviews the causes and policy implications of these trends. Moynihan was extremely insightful and even prescient in arguing that the employment situation of young black men was a “crisis . . . that would only grow worse.” He understood that these trends involve both limits on labor market opportunities that these young men face as well as skill deficits of and behavioral responses by the young men themselves. Policies that deal with a wide range of disadvantages and behaviors are needed to reverse these trends.
Race in the American Mind: From the Moynihan Report to the Obama Candidacy
Authors: Bobo Lawrence D. , Charles Camille Z.
Published: December 2008

In 1965 Daniel Patrick Moynihan observed that the “racist virus in the American blood stream still afflicts us.” The authors assess the tenor of racial attitudes in white and black America across the ensuing four decades. Their core conclusion is paradoxical. On one hand, a massive positive change in social norms regarding race has taken place that dislodged Jim Crow ideology and now calls for integration and equality as the rules that should guide black-white interaction. On the other hand, negative stereotypes of African Americans, cultural (not structural or discrimination-based) accounts of black disadvantage, and deep polarization over the appropriate social policy response to racial inequality yield an ongoing legacy of tension and division. The authors link these trends in attitudes to broader changes in society (i.e., racial segregation, job discrimination, rates of intermarriage), patterns of intergroup and interpersonal behavior, and national political dynamics.
Racial Stratification and the Durable Tangle of Neighborhood Inequality
Authors: Sampson Robert J.
Published: December 2008

This article revisits neglected arguments of the Moynihan Report to yield insights for a contemporary understanding of racial inequality in American cities. The author argues that the logic of Moynihan's reasoning implies three interlinked hypotheses: (1) the tangle of “pathology,” or what today we call social dislocations, has a deep neighborhood structure, as does socioeconomic disadvantage; (2) the tangle of neighborhood inequality is durable and generates self-reinforcing properties that, because of racial segregation, are most pronounced in the black community; and (3) neighborhood “poverty traps” can ultimately only be broken with government structural interventions and macro-level policies. Examining longitudinal neighborhood-level data from Chicago and the United States as a whole, the author finds overall support for these hypotheses. Despite urban social transformations in the post-Moynihan era, neighborhoods remained remarkably stable in their relative economic standing. Poverty is also stubbornly persistent in its ecological concentration with other social disadvantages, especially in the black community.
The Black Family and Mass Incarceration
Authors: Western Bruce , Wildeman Christopher
Published: December 2008

Released in 1965, the Moynihan Report traced the severe social and economic distress of poor urban African Americans to high rates of single-parenthood. Against Moynihan's calls for social investment in poor inner-city communities, politics moved in a punitive direction, driving massive growth in the prison population. The authors document the emergence of mass incarceration and describe its significance for African American family life. The era of mass incarceration can be understood as a new stage in the history of American racial inequality. Because of its recent arrival, the social impact of mass incarceration remains poorly understood. The authors conclude by posing several key research questions that can illuminate the effects of dramatic growth in the American penal system.
Welfare Reform in the Mid-2000s: How African American and Hispanic Families in Three Cities Are Faring
Authors: Cherlin Andrew , Frogner Bianca , Ribar David , Moffitt Robert
Published: December 2008

This article reports on a sample of 538 African American and Hispanic women who were receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in 1999, 416 of whom left the program by 2005. The Hispanic women consisted of a Mexican-origin group and a second group that was primarily Puerto Rican and Dominican. Combining the experiences of the employed and the non-employed welfare leavers, the authors find at best a modest decline in the average poverty rate among African American welfare leavers between 1999 and 2005. Hispanic leavers showed larger average declines in poverty. Among just the welfare leavers who were employed in 2005, the averages for women in all racial-ethnic groups showed increases in household income and declines in poverty. Among those who were not employed, African Americans had experienced a decline in household income and were further below the poverty line than in 1999, whereas Hispanic women had experienced modest declines or slight increases in their household incomes.
Romantic Unions in an Era of Uncertainty: A Post-Moynihan Perspective on African American Women and Marriage
Authors: Burton Linda M. , Tucker M. Belinda
Published: December 2008

This article provides a brief overview of how African American women are situated in and around the thesis of the Moynihan Report. The authors take the lens of uncertainty and apply it to a post-Moynihan discussion of African American women and marriage. They discuss uncertainty in the temporal organization of poor women's lives and in the new terrains of gender relationships and how both influence African American women's thoughts and behaviors in their romantic relationships and marriages. They argue that much is to be learned from by focusing the lens in this way. It allows us to look at the contemporary romantic relationship and marriage behaviors of African American women in context and in ways that do not label them as having pathological behaviors that place them out of sync with broader societal trends.
If Moynihan Had Only Known: Race, Class, and Family Change in the Late Twentieth Century
Authors: Furstenberg Frank F.
Published: December 2008

In this article, the author argues that while Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1965 analysis of the black family was prescient in many respects, it also largely ignored social class variations among black families. This gave the erroneous impression that the changes occurring in the black family were related to distinctive cultural features rather than the economic position of most blacks. Over time, it has become evident that poor economic circumstances would produce comparable effects on whites just as they did for blacks when Moynihan published his findings.
Claiming Fatherhood: Race and the Dynamics of Paternal Involvement among Unmarried Men
Authors: Edin Kathryn , Tach Laura , Mincy Ronald
Published: December 2008

In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan argued that the black family was nearing “complete breakdown” due to high rates of out-of-wedlock childbearing. In subsequent decades, nonmarital childbearing rose dramatically for all racial groups and unwed fathers were often portrayed as being absent from their children's lives. The authors examine contemporary nonmarital father involvement using quantitative evidence from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and qualitative evidence from in-depth interviews with 150 unmarried fathers. The authors find that father involvement drops sharply after parents' relationships end, especially when they enter subsequent relationships and have children with new partners. These declines are less dramatic for African American fathers, suggesting that fathers' roles outside of conjugal relationships may be more strongly institutionalized in the black community. The challenges Moynihan described among black families some forty years ago now extend to a significant minority of all American children.