bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increases in diastolic [Ca2+] can contribute to positive inotropy in guinea pig ventricular myocytes in the absence of changes in amplitudes of Ca2+transients
Authors: Shutt Robin H. , Ferrier Gregory R. , Howlett Susan E.
Published: May 2006

Increases in contraction amplitude following rest or in elevated extracellular Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]) have been attributed to increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+stores and/or increased trigger Ca2+. However, either manipulation also may elevate diastolic [Ca2+]. The objective of this study was to determine whether elevation of diastolic [Ca2+] could contribute to positive inotropy in isolated ventricular myocytes. Voltage-clamp experiments were conducted with high-resistance microelectrodes in isolated myocytes at 37°C. Intracellular free [Ca2+] was measured with fura-2, and cell shortening was measured with an edge detector. SR Ca2+stores were assessed with 10 mM caffeine (0 mM Na+, 0 mM Ca2+). Following a period of rest, cells were activated with trains of pulses, which generated contractions of increasing amplitude, called positive staircases. Positive staircases were accompanied by increasing diastolic [Ca2+] but no change in Ca2+transient amplitudes. When extracellular [Ca2+] was elevated from 2.0 to 5.0 mM, resting intracellular [Ca2+] increased and resting cell length decreased. Amplitudes of contractions and L-type Ca2+current increased in elevated extracellular [Ca2+], although SR Ca2+stores, assessed by rapid application of caffeine, did not increase. Although Ca2+transient amplitude did not increase in 5.0 mM extracellular [Ca2+], diastolic [Ca2+] continued to increase with increasing extracellular [Ca2+]. These data suggest that increased diastolic [Ca2+] contributes to positive inotropy following rest or with increasing extracellular [Ca2+] in guinea pig ventricular myocytes.
Lung surfactant secretion by interalveolar Ca2+ signaling
Authors: Ichimura Hideo , Parthasarathi Kaushik , Lindert Jens , Bhattacharya Jahar
Published: May 2006

Although clusters of alveoli form the acinus, which is the most distal respiratory unit, it is not known whether interalveolar communication coordinates acinar surfactant secretion. To address this, we applied real-time digital imaging in conjunction with photo-excited Ca2+ uncaging in intact alveoli of the isolated, blood-perfused rat lung. We loaded alveolar cells with the Ca2+ cage o-nitrophenyl EGTA-AM (NP-EGTA-AM) together with the fluorophores, fluo 4, or LysoTracker green (LTG) to determine, respectively, the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) or type 2 cell secretion. To uncage Ca2+ from NP-EGTA, we exposed a region in a selected alveolus to high-intensity UV illumination. As a result, fluo 4 fluorescence increased, whereas LTG fluorescence decreased, in the photo-targeted region, indicating that uncaging both increased [Ca2+]cyt and induced secretion. Concomitantly, [Ca2+]cyt increases conducted from the uncaging site induced type 2 cell secretion in both the selected alveolus as well as in neighboring alveoli, indicating the presence of interalveolar communication. These conducted responses were inhibited by pretreating alveoli with the connexin43 (Cx43)-inhibiting peptides gap 26 and gap 27. However, although the conducted [Ca2+]cyt increase diminished with distance from the uncaging site, type 2 cell secretion rates were similar at all locations. We conclude that Cx43-dependent, interalveolar Ca2+ signals regulate type 2 cell secretion in adjacent alveoli. Such interalveolar communication might facilitate acinar coordination of alveolar function.
Integrating acute lung injury and regulation of alveolar fluid clearance
Authors: Guidot David M. , Folkesson Hans G. , Jain Lucky , Sznajder Jacob I. , Pittet Jean-François , Matthay Michael A.
Published: May 2006

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema and flooding of the alveolar air spaces with proteinaceous fluid. ARDS develops in response to inflammatory stresses including sepsis, trauma, and severe pneumonia, and despite aggressive critical care management, it still has a mortality of 30–50%. At the time of its original description in 1967, relatively little was known about the specific mechanisms by which the alveolar epithelium regulated lung fluid balance. Over the last 20 years, substantial advances in our understanding of the alveolar epithelium have provided major new insights into how molecular and cellular mechanisms regulate the active transport of solutes and fluid across the alveolar epithelium under both normal and pathological conditions. Beginning with the elucidation of active sodium transport as a major driving force for the transport of water from the air space to the interstitium, elegant work by multiple investigators has revealed a complex and integrated network of membrane channels and pumps that coordinately regulates sodium, chloride, and water flux in both a cell- and condition-specific manner. At the Experimental Biology Meeting in San Francisco on April 4, 2006, a symposium was held to discuss some of the most recent advances. Although there is still much to learn about the mechanisms that impair normal alveolar fluid clearance under pathological conditions, the compelling experimental findings presented in this symposium raise the prospect that we are now poised to test and develop therapeutic strategies to improve outcome in patients with acute lung injury.
Inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-9 prevents neutrophilic inflammation in ventilator-induced lung injury
Authors: Kim Je Hyeong , Suk Min Hyun , Yoon Dae Wui , Lee Seung Heon , Hur Gyu Young , Jung Ki Hwan , Jeong Hae Cheol , Lee Sung Yong , Lee Sang Yeub , Suh In Bum , Shin Chol , Shim Jae Jeong , In Kwang Ho , Yoo Se Hwa , Kang Kyung Ho
Published: May 2006

Neutrophils are considered to play a central role in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). However, the pulmonary consequences of neutrophil accumulation have not been fully elucidated. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) had been postulated to participate in neutrophil transmigration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of MMP-9 in the neutrophilic inflammation of VILI. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: 1) low tidal volume (LVT), 7 ml/kg of tidal volume (VT); 2) high tidal volume (HVT), 30 ml/kg of VT; and 3) HVT with MMP inhibitor (HVT+MMPI). As a MMPI, CMT-3 was administered daily from 3 days before mechanical ventilation. Degree of VILI was assessed by wet-to-dry weight ratio and acute lung injury (ALI) scores. Neutrophilic inflammation was determined from the neutrophil count in the lung tissue and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). MMP-9 expression and activity were examined by immunohistochemical staining and gelatinase zymography, respectively. The wet-to-dry weight ratio, ALI score, neutrophil infiltration, and MPO activity were increased significantly in the HVT group. However, in the HVT+MMPI group, pretreatment with MMPI decreased significantly the degree of VILI, as well as neutrophil infiltration and MPO activity. These changes correlated significantly with MMP-9 immunoreactivity and MMP-9 activity. Most outcomes were significantly worse in the HVT+MMPI group compared with the LVT group. In conclusion, VILI mediated by neutrophilic inflammation is closely related to MMP-9 expression and activity. The inhibition of MMP-9 protects against the development of VILI through the downregulation of neutrophil-mediated inflammation.
Higher urine desmosine levels are associated with mortality in patients with acute lung injury
Authors: McClintock Dana E. , Starcher Barry , Eisner Mark D. , Thompson B. Taylor , Hayden Doug L. , Church Gwynne D. , Matthay Michael A.
Published: May 2006

Desmosine is a stable breakdown product of elastin that can be reliably measured in urine samples. We tested the hypothesis that higher baseline urine desmosine would be associated with higher mortality in 579 of 861 patients included in the recent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network trial of lower tidal volume ventilation ( 1 ). We also correlated urine desmosine levels with indexes of disease severity. Finally, we assessed whether urine desmosine was lower in patients who received lower tidal volumes. Desmosine was measured by radioimmunoassay in urine samples from days 0, 1, and 3 of the study. The data were expressed as a ratio of urine desmosine to urine creatinine to control for renal dilution. The results show that higher baseline ( day 0) urine desmosine-to-creatinine concentration was associated with a higher risk of death on adjusted analysis (odds ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.82, P = 0.03). Urine desmosine increased in both ventilator groups from day 0 to day 3, but the average rise was higher in the 12-ml/kg predicted body weight group compared with the 6-ml/kg predicted body weight group ( P = 0.053, repeated-measures model). In conclusion, patients with acute lung injury ventilated with lower tidal volumes have lower urine desmosine levels, a finding that may reflect reduced extracellular matrix breakdown. These results illustrate the value of evaluating urinary biological markers that may have prognostic and pathogenetic significance in acute lung injury.
Ectopic expression of C/EBPα in the lung epithelium disrupts late lung development
Authors: Berg Tove , Didon Lukas , Nord Magnus
Published: May 2006

The lung develops from the endoderm through a process of branching morphogenesis. This process is highly active during the pseudoglandular stage of lung development and continues into the canalicular stage, resulting in the formation of terminal sacs. CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are transcription factors regulating central aspects of differentiation and proliferation. We report here the developmental expression of C/EBPα, -β, and -δ in the lung. C/EBPα exhibits a dynamic expression pattern and is first detected during the late pseudoglandular stage. At this stage, expression is observed in a subset of epithelial cells in the distal parts of the branching tubules. The expression of C/EBPα is confined to nonproliferating cells. To examine the role of C/EBPα in lung development, we generated transgenic mice ectopically expressing C/EBPα in the lung epithelium using the human surfactant protein C promoter. Lungs from these mice were of normal size but exhibited a phenotype characterized by fewer and larger developing epithelial tubules, indicating that the branching process was affected. No effects on overall proliferation or cellular differentiation were observed. When this phenotype was compared with that of mice carrying a targeted mutation of the Cebpa gene, the Cebpa−/−mice exhibited a similar developmental phenotype. In conclusion, our results show a role for C/EBPα in lung development and suggest a function in the later stages of lung branching morphogenesis.
Choosing the frequency of deep inflation in mice: balancing recruitment against ventilator-induced lung injury
Authors: Allen Gilman B. , Suratt Benjamin T. , Rinaldi Lisa , Petty Joseph M. , Bates Jason H. T.
Published: May 2006

Low tidal volume (Vt) ventilation is protective against ventilator-induced lung injury but can promote development of atelectasis. Periodic deep inflation (DI) can open the lung, but if delivered too frequently may cause damage via repeated overdistention. We therefore examined the effects of varying DI frequency on lung mechanics, gas exchange, and biomarkers of injury in mice. C57BL/6 males were mechanically ventilated with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of 2 cmH2O for 2 h. One high Vt group received a DI with each breath (HV). Low Vt groups received 2 DIs after each hour of ventilation (LV) or 2 DIs every minute (LVDI). Control groups included a nonventilated surgical sham and a group receiving high Vt with zero PEEP (HVZP). Respiratory impedance was measured every 4 min, from which tissue elastance ( H) and damping ( G) were derived. G and H rose progressively during LV and HVZP, but returned to baseline after hourly DI during LV. During LVDI and HV, G and H remained low and gas exchange was superior to that of LV. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein was elevated in HV and HVZP but was not different between LV and LVDI. Lung tissue IL-6 and IL-1β levels were elevated in HVZP and lower in LVDI compared with LV. We conclude that frequent DI can safely improve gas exchange and lung mechanics and may confer protection from biotrauma. Differences between LVDI and HV suggest that an optimal frequency range of DI exists, within which the benefits of maintaining an open lung outweigh injury incurred from overdistention.
Mediators and modulators of pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Said Sami I.
Published: May 2006

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined as a mean pulmonary arterial (PA) pressure of >25 mmHg at rest or >30 mmHg during exercise, is characterized by a progressive and sustained increase in pulmonary vascular resistance that eventually leads to right ventricular failure. Clinically, PH may result from a variety of underlying diseases ( Table 1 and Refs. 50 , 113 , 124 ). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may be familial (FPAH) or sporadic (idiopathic, IPAH), formerly known as primary pulmonary hypertension, i.e., for which there is no demonstrable cause. More often, PAH is due to a variety of identifiable diseases including scleroderma and other collagen disorders, liver disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and the intake of appetite-suppressant drugs such as phentermine and fenfluramine ( 72 ). Other, more common, causes of PAH include left ventricular failure (perhaps the most common cause), valvular lesions, chronic pulmonary diseases, sleep-disordered breathing, and prolonged residence at high altitude. This classification, now widely accepted, was first proposed at a meeting in Evian, France, in 1998, and modified in Venice, Italy, in 2003 ( 124 ).
Photophysical properties of self‐aggregated porphyrin: semiconductor nanoassemblies
Authors: Zenkevich E. , Blaudeck T. , Abdel-Mottaleb M. , Cichos F. , Shulga A. , von Borczyskowski C.
Published: May 2006

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals from CdSe show photoluminescence quenching via titration with porphyrin derivatives. This quenching is an indication of the formation of nanoassemblies via surface attachment of pyridyl linker groups. As a consequence of the complex formation, dynamic and/or static interactions between QD and porphyrins are induced. Quenching efficiencies depend critically on sample stability, temperature, solvent, and electronic properties of the porphyrins. In order to optimize photoinduced dynamic processes these parameters have to be under control.
Evaluation of a Multicommuted Flow System for PhotometricEnvironmental Measurements
Authors: Ródenas-Torralba Eva , Rocha Fábio R. P. , Reis Boaventura F. , Morales-Rubio Ángel , de la Guardia Miguel
Published: May 2006

A portable flow analysis instrument is described for in situ
photometric measurements. This system is based on light‐emitting
diodes (LEDs) and a photodiode detector, coupled to a multipumping
flow system. The whole equipment presents dimensions of 25 cm × 22 cm × 10 cm, weighs circa 3 kg,
and costs 650 €. System performance was evaluated for
different chemistries without changing hardware configuration for
determinations of (i) Fe3+ with SCN-, (ii)
iodometric nitrite determination, (iii) phenol with sodium
nitroprusside, and (iv) 1‐naphthol‐N‐methylcarbamate
(carbaryl) with p‐aminophenol. The detection limits were
estimated as 22, 60, 25, and 60 ng mL−1 for iron,
nitrite, phenol, and carbaryl at the 99.7% confidence level with
RSD of 2.3, 1.0, 1.8, and 0.8%, respectively. Reagent and waste
volumes were lower than those obtained by flow systems with
continuous reagent addition. Sampling rates of 100, 110, 65, and
72 determinations per hour were achieved for iron, nitrite,
phenol, and carbaryl determinations
Solution of a transmission problem for semilinearparabolic‐hyperbolic equations by the time‐discretizationmethod
Authors: Bouziani Abdelfatah
Published: May 2006

We consider a transmission problem for semilinear
parabolic‐hyperbolic equations. Existence, uniqueness, and
continuous dependence of the solution upon the data are proved by
using the time‐discretization method. Besides, some convergence
results of the approximations are established.
L1 Antisense Promoter Drives Tissue‐Specific Transcriptionof Human Genes
Authors: Mätlik Kert , Redik Kaja , Speek Mart
Published: May 2006

Transcription of transposable elements interspersed in the genome
is controlled by complex interactions between their regulatory
elements and host factors. However, the same regulatory elements
may be occasionally used for the transcription of host genes. One
such example is the human L1 retrotransposon, which contains an
antisense promoter (ASP) driving transcription into adjacent genes
yielding chimeric transcripts. We have characterized 49 chimeric
mRNAs corresponding to sense and antisense strands of human genes.
Here we show that L1 ASP is capable of functioning as an
alternative promoter, giving rise to a chimeric transcript whose
coding region is identical to the ORF of mRNA of the following
genes: KIAA1797, CLCN5, and SLCO1A2.
Furthermore, in these cases the activity of L1 ASP is
tissue‐specific and may expand the expression pattern of the
respective gene. The activity of L1 ASP is tissue‐specific also in
cases where L1 ASP produces antisense RNAs complementary to
COL11A1 and BOLL mRNAs. Simultaneous assessment
of the activity of L1 ASPs in multiple loci revealed the presence
of L1 ASP‐derived transcripts in all human tissues examined. We
also demonstrate that L1 ASP can act as a promoter in vivo and
predict that it has a heterogeneous transcription initiation site.
Our data suggest that L1 ASP‐driven transcription may increase the
transcriptional flexibility of several human genes.
Effects of Thalidomide on the Expression of Adhesion Molecules in Rat Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Lv Peng , Paul Shelley Chireyath , Xiao Yanjv , Liu Shiquan , Luo Hesheng
Published: May 2006

This study was to evaluate the effects of thalidomide on
expression of adhesion molecules in liver cirrhosis. The cirrhosis
was induced in Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of
CCl4, and thalidomide (10 mg/kg/day or
100 mg/kg/day) was given by intragastric administration for 8
weeks. Liver histopathology and immunohistochemistry were
significantly improved and the expressions of ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1,
E‐selectin, and TNF‐α mRNA and protein were decreased
significantly in rats treated with a high dose of thalidomide.
Close positive correlation was observed in the expression of the
TNF‐α mRNA and that of ICAM‐1, VCAM‐1, and E‐selectin mRNA,
respectively. These results indicate that thalidomide exerts its
effect on the downregulation of adhesion molecules via
TNF‐α signaling pathway to inhibit liver fibrosis.
The Legendre‐tau technique for the determination of a source parameter in a semilinear parabolic equation
Authors: Saadatmandi Abbas , Dehghan Mehdi , Campo Antonio
Published: May 2006

A numerical procedure for an inverse problem concerning diffusion
equation with source control parameter is considered. The
proposed method is based on shifted Legendre‐tau technique. Our
approach consists of reducing the problem to a set of algebraic
equations by expanding the approximate solution as a shifted
Legendre function with unknown coefficients. The operational
matrices of integral and derivative together with the tau method
are then utilized to evaluate the unknown coefficients of shifted
Legendre functions. Illustrative examples are included to
demonstrate the validity and applicability of the presented
technique.
Point availability of a renewable T‐system
Authors: Vanderperre Edmond J.
Published: May 2006

We analyze the point availability of a technical device subjected to random inspections
and perfect repair. All distributions involved are general. Our analysis is based on the theory of sectionally holomorphic functions.
The Judicial System of the European Community And Its Recent Evolution
Authors: Mengozzi Paolo
Published: May 2006

The Treaty of Nice triggered considerable change in the European Community's judicial system. Immediately it gave rise to a modification. It foresees the establishment of judicial panels charged to hear and determine at first instance certain classes of action or proceedings brought in specific areas. Furthermore, it adds that "the decisions given by judicial panels may be subject to a right of appeal on points of law only or, when provided for in the decision establishing the panel, a right of appeal also on matters of fact, before the Court of First Instance". This article analyses the consequences of these recent changes.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: An Overview of its Jurisdictional Procedure
Authors: Caminos Hugo
Published: May 2006

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea established the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as one of the compulsory procedures to be chosen by States for the settlement of their disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. ITLOS became operational on 1 October 1996. As a specialized judicial forum, the jurisdiction of ITLOS is limited to matters related to the Law of the Sea. On the other hand it is open to entities other than States, "which contributes to the Tribunal's comprehensive character. The Tribunal's decisions […] are final and are required to be complied with by all the parties to the disputes. Thus except in relation to its jurisdiction, […] in other respects the Tribunal enjoys a standing comparable to the ICJ". The jurisdiction in personam of ITLOS is a remarkable innovation. The author gives an overview of the jurisdictional procedure of the Tribunal in this article.
Remarks on Proceedings before the International Court of Justice
Authors: Pellett Alain
Published: May 2006

Without a doubt, the Court has demonstrated its ability to have the rapidity required in certain circumstances; but this is simply more discouraging for the States that have not been able to benefit from the same exceptions. They have the impression that the case that they have submitted to the Court has not been considered as urgent or important. Indeed, not all cases reflect the same degree of urgency; but, for the Parties, the cases they submit are always, or almost always, essential and represent situations where sovereignty is at stake a factor which the Judges perhaps are not always wary of. The author describes some procedural weaknesses of the I.C.J but concludes that they do not detract from the strength of the role of Justice on the international plane.
Methods of Dispute Resolution in Inter-state Litigation: When States Go to Arbitration Rather Than Adjudication
Authors: Malintoppi Loretta
Published: May 2006

When States decide to litigate their legal differences, different factors – not always of a strictly legal nature – come into play that can tilt the balance in favour of arbitration or judicial settlement. This article does not purport to take a position in favour of arbitration, as opposed to adjudication by an international court or tribunal, but merely to identify some of the considerations which a State may be confronted with when it selects arbitration amongst the available alternatives for inter-State dispute resolution. When diplomacy fails, and adjudication by a permanent court or tribunal is not the preferred solution, international arbitration is considered to be an effective and equitable means of settling a dispute.
The MERCOSUR Settlement of Disputes System
Authors: Vinuesa Raúl Emilio
Published: May 2006

The establishment of a common market for the southern cone (Mercosur) States was scheduled to be accomplished by the end of 1994. During the transition period, member States were to adopt general rules of origin, a system for the settlement of disputes and safeguards clauses, as contained in the respective annexes to the Asunción Treaty. This article describes the subsequent methods for the settlement of disputes among the Mercosur member States.
The Dispute Settlement System of the WTO: Structure and Function in the Perspective of the First 10 Years
Authors: Sacerdoti Giorgio
Published: May 2006

The dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (the "WTO") presents a number of innovative features within the various models of international justice existing at the turn of the millennium. Ten years after its establishment, it is worthwhile to examine its key features in the light of a comparative analysis, exploring its strengths and weaknesses, and highlighting aspects of general interest and possible developments.
The Criminal Procedure before the International Criminal Court: Main Features
Authors: Gioia Federica , Politi Mauro
Published: May 2006

This article provides a broad and comprehensive overview so as to confirm the starting assumption that the ICC proceedings do not entirely mirror either the adversarial or the inquisitorial system. Elements drawn and inspired from both traditions are to be found in the Rome Statute and the other institutive instruments of the Court which concur to create an innovative procedural framework aimed at preserving the fairest and most efficient features of both. It will be for the Court's practice to show whether this framework will be able to live up to the ambitious goal pursued by the Rome Conference: the creation of a model for international criminal justice which is not only fair and impartial (both requirements being necessary in order to achieve any form of justice), but is also efficient and expeditious.
International Investment Arbitration: Recent Developments as to the Applicable Law and Unilateral Recourse
Authors: Giardina Andrea
Published: May 2006

International arbitration relating to investments is a field in which important and rapid developments have taken place. Such developments have produced a noteworthy reinforcement of the procedural and substantive rights and positions of foreign investors vis-á-vis host States. Among the various items characterizing these new developments, two have been selected to be examined in this Article: (I) The compliance with international law by arbitral awards and their rationale; (II) The new form of arbitration which is apparently developing, the unilateral arbitration or arbitration without privity.
Modifications Provided by Protocol No. 14 Concerning Proceedings Before the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Starace Vincenzo
Published: May 2006

The accumulation of the increasing number of applications to be examined and decided entails the serious danger of a progressive breakdown of the European Convention on Human Rights machinery which, if it is not efficaciously dealt with, would betray its raison d'être, which is to secure for victims of violations of the Convention and its relevant Protocols an international judicial mechanism for remedying violations within a reasonable period of time. It therefore became necessary to adopt without delay certain measures directed at saving the Convention's machinery from its own demise owing to the exponential increase in the number of individual applications. Such measures are incorporated into Protocol No. 14, opened for signature in Strasbourg on 13 May 2004, whose purpose, stated in the preamble, is precisely to "maintain and improve the efficiency of the control system for the long term, mainly in the light of the continuing increase in the workload of the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe", safeguarding at the same time the "pre-eminent role" of the Court "in protecting human rights in Europe".
Legitimate Expectation in the Case-law of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal
Authors: Vicuña Francisco Orrego
Published: May 2006

A long-standing tradition of administrative tribunals and other bodies has established the discretionary nature of administrative acts, which generally means that such acts are not subject to judicial review. However, this very concept has been qualified in a number of ways, particularly when some form of abuse of power or procedural irregularity taints the act. Legitimate expectation, dealing in part with procedural matters but also with substantive questions, has also been a concept inspiring the work of international administrative tribunals, which is the topic of this article.
Globalization and its Effect on International Courts and Tribunals
Authors: Vecchio Angela Del
Published: May 2006

There is a need for the international community to make provision for and construct a system of rules and sanctions with far greater binding force than the previous system and which draws its strength of application from the setting up of new international tribunals endowed with personal, subject matter and territorial jurisdiction. It is precisely these courts and tribunals, when ruling that individual cases fall within the scope of the general interests of the community as a whole, which are the institutions best equipped to respond to globalization. Moreover, it is increasingly recognized that courts and tribunals have law-making powers since in the current international legal order the effects of their decisions are often not limited to a single case, i.e. the decisions can be universally valid at least within the geographical area in which the court operates or the sector in respect of which it enjoys jurisdiction. In this connection, the author explores the effects of globalization on international courts and tribunals.
Criminal Proceedings before the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda
Authors: Pocar Fausto
Published: May 2006

The ad hoc Criminal Tribunals have shown, by their case law, how practically to go about judicial enforcement of international humanitarian law at the international level and have guided the formation of other international and mixed criminal courts. Following the precedent set at the Nuremberg trials, the most important legacy of the ad hoc Tribunals has been the development and effective enforcement of the entire body of international humanitarian law put into place since the end of World War II, which seeks to maintain a proper balance between prosecuting individuals for grave breaches of international humanitarian law and upholding due process norms including protection of the rights of the accused. The path paved by the ad hoc Tribunals is crucial for the future regulation of the behaviour of States and individuals in times of conflict and has triggered increased attention to and enforcement of international humanitarian law in various other jurisdictions, including, in the first place, in the International Criminal Court. These are some of the author's conclusions following an analysis of the challenges faced by the ad hoc Tribunals.
Reactions to Internal and External Criticism of Outgroups: Social Convention in the Intergroup Sensitivity Effect
Authors: Sutton Robbie M. , Elder Tracey J. , Douglas Karen M.
Published: May 2006

Recent research has documented the intergroup sensitivity effect (ISE) whereby people respond more favorably to internal versus external criticism of their group. The present studies examine the reactions of bystanders who do not belong to the criticized group and whose reactions are therefore more likely to be informed by social conventions than by defensiveness. Studies 1 and 2 presented British participants with criticisms of Australians, manipulating their ostensible source. These British bystanders exhibited the ISE, responding more favorably to the speaker and comments when the critic was Australian rather than non-Australian. These responses were driven by the perceived motives of speakers rather than their level of experience with the group (Study 2). Study 3 provides direct evidence that internal criticism is more conventionally acceptable than is external criticism.
Striving for Success in Outgroup Settings: Effects of Contextually Emphasizing Ingroup Dimensions on Stigmatized Group Members’ Social Identity and Performance Styles
Authors: Derks Belle , van Laar Colette , Ellemers Naomi
Published: May 2006

For members of stigmatized groups, being confronted with highstatus outgroup members threatens social identity and undermines performance on status-relevant dimensions. Two experiments examined whether the negative effects of outgroup contexts are alleviated when value is expressed for a dimension on which the stigmatized ingroup excels. Specifically, the authors assessed whether ingroup versus outgroup context and contextual value for ingroup dimensions affects group members’ reactions to failure on status-relevant dimensions and subsequent performance. Experiment 1 showed that in comparison to ingroup contexts, outgroup contexts induce stigmatized group members to protect social identity and to feel more agitated following negative performance feedback. Experiment 2 showed that when others in the context emphasize the importance of a dimension on which the ingroup excels, the negative effects of outgroup contexts are alleviated, stigmatized group members feel more cheerful concerning an upcoming task, and task performance is characterized by a focus on success.
The Positive and Negative Framing of Affirmative Action: A Group Dominance Perspective
Authors: Haley Hillary , Sidanius Jim
Published: May 2006

Using a sample of 328 White, Latino, and Black Los Angeles County adults, the authors examined the tendency to employ various affirmative action “frames” (e.g., affirmative action as a “tie-breaking” device or as a quota-based policy). All three groups agreed about which frames cast affirmative action in a positive light and which cast it in a negative light. Although minorities had a tendency to frame affirmative action in terms that most people find morally acceptable, Whites had a tendency to frame affirmative action in terms most people find unacceptable. In addition, compared to minorities, Whites were less supportive of affirmative action regardless of how it was framed. LISREL modeling also was employed to test two competing models regarding predictors of the tendency to use frames that one personally finds to be relatively negative versus positive. Consistent with the expectations of social dominance theory and a motivated cognition perspective, the authors found that social dominance orientation (SDO) had significant net direct and indirect effects on one's framing of affirmative action.
The “Ripple Effect”: Cultural Differences in Perceptions of the Consequences of Events
Authors: Maddux William W. , Yuki Masaki
Published: May 2006

Previous research has demonstrated that people from East Asian cultural backgrounds make broader, more complex causal attributions than do people from Western cultural backgrounds. In the current research, the authors hypothesized that East Asians also would be aware of a broader, more complex distribution of consequences of events. Four studies assessed cultural differences in perceptions of the consequences of (a) a shot in a game of pool, (b) an area being converted into a national park, (c) a chief executive officer firing employees, and (d) a car accident. Across all four studies, compared to participants from Western cultural backgrounds, participants from East Asian cultural backgrounds were more aware of the indirect, distal consequences of events. This pattern occurred on a variety of measures, including spontaneously generated consequences, estimations of an event's impact on subsequent events, perceived responsibility, and predicted affective reactions. Implications for our understanding of cross-cultural psychology and social perception are discussed.
How to Bite Your Tongue Without Blowing Your Top: Implicit Evaluation of Emotion Regulation Predicts Affective Responding to Anger Provocation
Authors: Mauss Iris B. , Evers Catharine , Wilhelm Frank H. , Gross James J.
Published: May 2006

People frequently have to control their emotions to function in life. However, mounting evidence suggests that deliberate emotion regulation often is costly. This presents a dilemma: Is it better to let emotions go or to pay the price of exerting costly control? In two studies, the authors explore whether emotion regulatory processes associated with implicit positive evaluation of emotion regulation might provide the benefits of successful emotion regulation without the costs. In Study 1, the authors introduce a measure of implicit evaluation of emotion regulation (ER-IAT). Study 2 examined whether this measure is associated with actual emotional responses to an anger provocation. It was found that greater ER-IAT scores were associated with lesser anger experience, fewer negative thoughts, lessened self-reported effortful emotion regulation, and an adaptive pattern of cardiovascular responding. These findings suggest that implicit positive evaluation of emotion regulation is associated with successful, automatic, and physiologically adaptive down-regulation of anger.
Time, Uncertainty, and Individual Differences in Decisions to Cooperate in Resource Dilemmas
Authors: Kortenkamp Katherine V. , Moore Colleen F.
Published: May 2006

Many environmental problems are resource dilemmas that contain two components–social and temporal–that encourage individuals not to act in the best interest of the group. Most research has focused on the social component. The authors examined the importance of the temporal component in two resource dilemma tasks. Participants (N = 112) reported their willingness to limit resource consumption in response to hypothetical dilemmas and forfeited extra credit points in response to a real dilemma. Cooperation rates were higher when the temporal dilemma was diminished, when uncertainty about environmental impacts was low, and for women. Individuals high in both proenvironmentalism and consideration of future consequences sustained high levels of cooperation even in the face of strong temporal dilemmas.
The Mixed Blessings of Self-Knowledge in Behavioral Prediction: Enhanced Discrimination but Exacerbated Bias
Authors: Epley Nicholas , Dunning David
Published: May 2006

Four experiments demonstrate that self-knowledge provides a mixed blessing in behavioral prediction, depending on how accuracy is measured. Compared with predictions of others, selfknowledge tends to decrease overall accuracy by increasing bias (the mean difference between predicted behavior and reality) but tends to increase overall accuracy by also enhancing discrimination (the correlation between predicted behavior and reality). Overall, participants’ self-predictions overestimated the likelihood that they would engage in desirable behaviors (bias), whereas peer predictions were relatively unbiased. However, selfpredictions also were more strongly correlated with individual differences in actual behavior (discrimination) than were peer predictions. Discussion addresses the costs and benefits of selfknowledge in behavioral prediction and the broader implications of measuring judgmental accuracy of judgment in terms of bias versus discrimination.
Sex and Power in the Academy: Modeling Sexual Harassment in the Lives of College Women
Authors: Huerta Marisela , Cortina Lilia M. , Pang Joyce S. , Torges Cynthia M. , Magley Vicki J.
Published: May 2006

The authors build an integrated model of the process by which academic sexual harassment undermines women's well-being; also examined is harasser power as a potential moderator of this process. Data from 1,455 college women suggest that sexual harassment experiences are associated with increased psychological distress, which then relates to lower academic satisfaction, greater physical illness, and greater disordered eating. The cumulative effect is greater disengagement from the academic environment, which in turn relates to performance decline (i.e., lower grades). Regardless of how frequently the harassment occurred, academic satisfaction was lower when the harassment came from higher-status individuals (i.e., faculty, staff, or administrators). At the same time, harassment was equally detrimental to mental health, regardless of who perpetrated it. The article concludes with implications for theory, research, and intervention.
Differential Effects of Right Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation on Outgroup Attitudes and Their Mediation by Threat From and Competitiveness to Outgroups
Authors: Duckitt John
Published: May 2006

A dual-process model of individual differences in prejudice proneness proposes that Right Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) will influence prejudice against particular outgroups through different motivational mechanisms. RWA should cause negative attitudes toward groups seen as threatening social control, order, cohesion, and stability, such as deviant groups, and negativity toward these groups should be mediated through perceived threat from them. SDO should cause negative attitudes toward groups that activate competitiveness over relative dominance and superiority, such as socially subordinate groups low in power and status, and negativity toward these groups should be mediated through competitiveness toward them. Findings from four student samples that assessed attitudes toward seven social groups selected as likely to vary systematically in social threat and social subordination supported these predictions. The findings have implications for reconciling intergroup and individual difference explanations of prejudice and for interventions to reduce prejudice.
Driven to Tears or to Joy: Response Dominance and Trait-Based Predictions
Authors: Robinson Michael D. , Goetz Mark C. , Wilkowski Benjamin M. , Hoffman Scott J.
Published: May 2006

The present studies reinvigorate the construct of traitedness from a cognitive perspective. Tendencies toward habit (vs. flexibility) were assessed by examining response dominance performance within choice reaction time tasks. Consistent with the idea that response dominance reflects a tendency toward habitual modes of thought and action, three studies involving 428 undergraduates revealed that trait-outcome and test-retest correlations were higher among individuals higher in response dominance. In Studies 1 and 2, such trait-consistency effects took the form of stronger relations between extraversion and neuroticism, on one hand, and mood states and behavior, on the other. In Study 3, such tendencies took the form of higher test-retest correlations related to daily experiences of mood states, somatic symptoms, and life satisfaction. Together, the studies reveal a consistent effect of response dominance on trait-like consistency and raise some important issues for future studies of the traitedness construct.
No Man Is an Island: The Need to Belong and Dismissing Avoidant Attachment Style
Authors: Carvallo Mauricio , Gabriel Shira
Published: May 2006

The need to belong theory proposes that all human beings need social connections. However, dismissive avoidant individuals claim to be comfortable without close relationships and appear to be indifferent to how other people think of them. The current studies examined the association between dismissing avoidant attachment and the desire to feel accepted by others. In Study 1, high-dismissive participants reported experiencing higher than average levels of positive affect and state self-esteem after learning that other participants accepted them. In Study 2, high-dismissive participants felt better about themselves and experienced higher levels of positive affect after learning that in the future they would be successful in interpersonal relative to independent domains or controls. The results of these studies suggest that dismissive avoidants do not represent a counterexample to the hypothesis that all human beings have a fundamental need and desire to belong.
Post-Fordism, beyond National Models: The Main Challenges for Regulation Theory
Authors: Dannreuther Charlie , Petit Pascal
Published: May 2006

This paper discusses the challenges to Regulation Theory (RT) that are presented by post-national modes of accumulation. It begins by introducing to RT's core analytical foundations a mode of social regulation and its explanation of the regime of accumulation. The paper then examines how, despite clear asymmetries, the stability of the international system supported domestic accumulation. Because of this, RT only really addressed the international from the perspective of the nation state, and with only limited engagement with North–South issues. While some authors did address the international system, the greater instability of the 1970s combined domestic regime change with greater international insecurity. Up to the collapse of the Berlin Wall, new political ideologies and economic ideals challenged the nation-based Keynesian compromise while greater trade from the South and greater financial liberalisation fundamentally altered the international environment. Various approaches to the post-Fordist international regime are discussed, including that of a financial regime, and the conclusion identifies some of the areas for future research.
Regulation Theory and the EU
Authors: Dannreuther Charlie
Published: May 2006

Regulation Theory (RT) approaches have had considerable success in explaining how social institutions have sustained capitalist regimes of accumulation in modern industrial economies. But they have been criticized for an excessive dependence on technological determinism in explaining change, as ignoring political conflicts over recognition (as opposed to redistribution) and as failing to incorporate changes in the international or global political economy in the sustenance and reform of domestic social compromise. This paper examines the EU as a mode of social regulation from a political science perspective. The paper examines recent developments in RT in the light of literature on European integration and finds that rights – civic, political, social and economic – are a focus of both literatures. RT rights are seen as a way of legitimating forms of capitalist accumulation and in political science as a way of integrating societies. It then examines the distribution of rights between the national and European level in the Fordist and then the post-Fordist period to examine the impact of changes in the distribution of rights on the government of member states. The paper concludes that by examining what modes of social regulation do (legitimating certain embedded strategic responses) as opposed to what they are (configurations of institutions), changes in regime of accumulation can be described over long historical periods and across diverse societal contexts. It also suggests that the supranational level has had a far more significant impact on the maintenance of domestic societal compromises than previously acknowledged.
Comparative gene expression analysis of NKT cell subpopulations
Authors: Lin Henry , Nieda Mie , Hutton Jonathon F , Rozenkov Vladislav , Nicol Andrew J
Published: May 2006

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a lymphocyte lineage, which has diverse immune regulatory activities in many disease settings. Most previous studies have investigated the functions of this family of cells as a single entity, but more recent evidence highlights the distinct functional and phenotypic properties of NKT cell subpopulations. It is likely that the diverse functions of NKT cells are regulated and coordinated by these different NKT subsets. Little is known about how NKT subsets differ in their interactions with the host. We have undertaken the first microarray analysis comparing the gene expression profiles of activated human NKT cell subpopulations, including CD8+ NKT cells, which have often been overlooked. We describe the significant gene expression differences among NKT cell subpopulations and some of the molecules likely to confer their distinct functional roles. Several genes not associated previously with NKT cells were shown to be expressed differentially in specific NKT cell subpopulations. Our findings provide new insights into the NKT cell family, which may direct further research toward better manipulation of NKT cells for therapeutic applications.