bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of chloride secretion across porcine endometrial epithelial cells by prostaglandin E2
Authors: Deachapunya C. , O'Grady S. M.
Published: September 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism of PGE2regulation of Cl−transport across glandular endometrial cells grown in primary culture.

Most of the basal short circuit current (Isc) was inhibited by luminal addition of 5‐nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) or glibenclamide, suggesting the presence of a basally active Cl−conductance in the apical membrane.

Basolateral addition of 10 μM PGE2increasedIscby 41 ± 3 μA. A similar response was observed when cells were treated with 8‐(4‐chlorophenylthio) adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphate (CPT‐cAMP). Pretreatment of monolayers with NPPB and glibenclamide blocked the PGE2and cAMP‐mediated increase inIsc, suggesting that the effects of PGE2and cAMP were dependent on the activity of an apical NPPB‐ and glibenclamide‐sensitive conductance.

Addition of 50 nM antiPGE2antibody to the basolateral bathing solution decreased basalIscby 20 % and shifted the threshold response to exogenous PGE2. This result suggests autocrine regulation of electrogenic Cl−transport by PGE2.

Experiments with amphotericin B‐permeabilized monolayers revealed that the apical PGE2‐activated, NPPB‐ and glibenclamide‐sensitive conductance was Cl−dependent and that the current‐voltage relationship and anion permeation properties (SCN−>Br−> Cl−> I−) were characteristic of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR).

Cultured porcine endometrial epithelial cells were specifically labelled with an antibody to a peptide sequence within the regulatory domain of CFTR.

The effect of PGE2was blocked by basolateral addition of bumetanide and furosemide at concentrations that are selective for inhibition of Na+‐K+‐2Cl−cotransport activity. The effect of bumetanide onIscwas Cl−dependent, suggesting a role for the bumetanide‐sensitive transport pathway in Cl−secretion.

PGE2and cAMP also activated an outwardly rectifying basolateral K+channel which presumably sustains the driving force for electrogenic Cl−efflux across the apical membrane.

The concentration‐conductance and concentration‐Iscresponse relationships for PGE2showed that basolateral K+permeability was rate limiting with respect to transepithelial anion secretion and that activation of a basolateral K+channel by PGE2was necessary to achieve maximum rates of Cl−secretion.
Characterization of an eag‐like potassium channel in human neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Meyer Roman , Heinemann Stefan H.
Published: September 2010

SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells were investigated with whole‐cell and perforated patch recording methods.

Besides a quickly activating delayed rectifier channel and a HERG‐like channel, a slowly activating potassium channel with biophysical properties identical to those of rat eag (r‐eag) channels was detected, here referred to as h‐eag.

h‐eag shows a marked Cole‐Moore shift, i.e. the activation kinetics become very slow when the depolarization starts from a very negative holding potential. In addition, extracellular Mg2+ and Ni2+ strongly slow down activation.

Application of acetylcholine induces a fast block of the current when recorded in the perforated patch mode. This block is presumably mediated by Ca2+, as about 1 μM intracellular Ca2+ completely abolished h‐eag outward current.

When cells were grown in the presence of 10 μM retinoic acid in order to synchronize the cell line in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, h‐eag current was reduced to less than 5 % of the control value, while the delayed rectifier channel was expressed more abundantly. Down‐regulation of h‐eag by long‐term exposure to retinoic acid was paralleled by a right shift in the activation potential of HERG‐like channels.

Acute application of 10 μM retinoic acid blocked the delayed rectifier channel but enhanced the h‐eag current.

Thus, our results show that human neuroblastoma cells express in a cell cycle‐dependent manner an [Mg2+]o‐dependent potassium channel (h‐eag) which is blocked by submicromolar concentrations of intracellular Ca2+.
Muscarinic facilitation of GABA release in substantia gelatinosa of the rat spinal dorsal horn
Authors: Baba H. , Kohno T. , Okamoto M. , Goldstein P. A. , Shimoji K. , Yoshimura M.
Published: September 2010

Blind patch clamp recordings were made from substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones in the adult rat spinal cord slice to study the mechanisms of cholinergic modulation of GABAergic inhibition.

In the majority of SG neurones tested, carbachol (10 μM) increased the frequency (677 % of control) of spontaneous GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs). A portion of these events appeared to result from the generation of spikes by GABAergic interneurones, since large amplitude IPSCs were eliminated by tetrodotoxin (1 μM).

The effect of carbachol on spontaneous IPSCs was mimicked by neostigmine, suggesting that GABAergic interneurones are under tonic regulation by cholinergic systems.

The frequency of GABAergic miniature IPSCs in the presence of tetrodotoxin (1 μM) was also increased by carbachol without affecting amplitude distribution, indicating that acetylcholine facilitates quantal release of GABA through presynaptic mechanisms.

Neither the M1receptor agonist McN‐A‐343 (10‐300 μM) nor the M2receptor agonist, arecaidine (10‐100 μM), mimicked the effects of carbachol. All effects of carbachol and neostigmine were antagonized by atropine (1 μM), while pirenzepine (100 nM), methoctramine (1 μM) and hexahydrosiladifenidol hydrochloride,p‐fluoro‐analog (100 nM) had no effect.

Focal stimulation of deep dorsal horn, but not dorsolateral funiculus, evoked a similar increase in IPSC frequency to that evoked by carbachol and neostigmine. The stimulation‐induced facilitation of GABAergic transmission lasted for 2‐3 min post stimulation, and the effect was antagonized by atropine (100 nM).

Our observations suggest that GABAergic interneurones possess muscarinic receptors on both axon terminals and somatodendritic sites, that the activation of these receptors increases the excitability of inhibitory interneurones and enhances GABA release in SG and that the GABAergic inhibitory system is further controlled by cholinergic neurones located in the deep dorsal horn. Those effects may be responsible for the antinociceptive action produced by the intrathecal administration of muscarinic agonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
Adenosine modulates hypoxia‐induced responses in rat PC12 cells via the A2Areceptor
Authors: Kobayashi Shuichi , Conforti Laura , Pun Raymund Y. K. , Millhorn David E.
Published: September 2010

The present study was undertaken to determine the role of adenosine in mediating the cellular responses to hypoxia in rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells, an oxygen‐sensitive clonal cell line.

Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction studies revealed that PC12 cells express adenosine deaminase (the first catalysing enzyme of adenosine degradation) and the A2Aand A2Badenosine receptors, but not the A1or A3adenosine receptors.

Whole‐cell current‐ and voltage‐clamp experiments showed that adenosine attenuated the hypoxia‐induced membrane depolarization. The hypoxia‐induced suppression of the voltage‐sensitive potassium current (IK(V)) was markedly reduced by adenosine. Furthermore, extracellularly applied adenosine increased the peak amplitudes of IK(V)in a concentration‐dependent manner. This increase was blocked by pretreatment not only with a non‐specific adenosine receptor antagonist, 8‐phenyltheophylline (8‐PT), but also with a selective A2Areceptor antagonist, ZM241385.

Ca2+imaging studies using fura‐2 acetoxymethyl ester (fura‐2 AM) revealed that the increase in intracellular free Ca2+during hypoxic exposure was attenuated significantly by adenosine. Voltage‐clamp studies showed that adenosine inhibited the voltage‐dependent Ca2+currents (ICa) in a concentration‐dependent fashion. This inhibition was also abolished by both 8‐PT and ZM241385.

The modulation of bothIK(V)andICaby adenosine was prevented by intracellular application of an inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA), PKA inhibitor fragment (6‐22) amide. In addition, the effect of adenosine on eitherIK(V)orICawas absent in PKA‐deficient PC12 cells.

These results indicate that the modulatory effects of adenosine on the hypoxia‐induced membrane responses of PC12 cells are likely to be mediated via activation of the A2Areceptor, and that the PKA pathway is required for these modulatory actions. We propose that this modulation serves to regulate membrane excitability in PC12 cells and possibly other oxygen‐sensitive cells during hypoxia.
Elevation of intracellular Ca2+ in the physiologically relevant range does not inhibit voltage‐gated K+ channels in human T lymphocytes
Authors: Verheugen Jos A. H.
Published: September 2010

Human T lymphocytes express both voltage‐gated (K(V)) and Ca2+‐activated (K(Ca)) potassium channels. The K(Ca) channel is activated by elevations of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) at concentrations attained during physiological Ca2+ signalling. Whether or not the K(V) channel is affected by [Ca2+]i is a matter of controversy. Here, the interaction between the K+ channels of lymphocytes and [Ca2+]i was studied using cell‐attached and whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings, while [Ca2+]i of the same cell was monitored simultaneously by fura‐2 imaging or from the activity of the K(Ca) channels.

The K+ channels in cell‐attached patches were measured using a high K+ pipette solution. The K(V) conductance was quantified as the integral of the inward current during voltage ramp stimulation, yielding a measure independent of the cell membrane potential. Whereas the open probability of the K(Ca) channel showed an absolute dependence on [Ca2+]i, the K(V) channel was little affected by [Ca2+]i. The K(V) conductance is not reduced by elevations of [Ca2+]i in the range 0‐8 μM. On the contrary, a modest but consistent increase in the K(V) current component in cell‐attached currents was observed when [Ca2+]i was elevated.

The absence of inhibition of the K(V) current by [Ca2+]i was also apparent from whole‐cell measurements with pipette solutions buffered to 1 μM free Ca2+: following break‐in to whole‐cell configuration, depolarizing voltage ramps were applied at regular intervals to activate the K(V) current while the K(Ca) current was measured from the slope of the ramp current below the activation of the voltage‐gated current. During the gradual activation of the K(Ca) current, as the cell interior was perfused with the pipette solution, the K(V) current remained constant in amplitude.

In the initial period following break‐in to whole‐cell configuration, a gradual increase in the rate of K(V) current inactivation was generally observed. However, the time course of this change in kinetics was much slower than the perfusion of the cell interior, as judged from the activation of the K(Ca) conductance, ruling out a direct effect of Ca2+, within the physiological range, on K(V) channel kinetics.
Regulation of arterial diameter and wall [Ca2+] in cerebral arteries of rat by membrane potential and intravascular pressure
Authors: Knot Harm J. , Nelson Mark T.
Published: September 2010

The regulation of intracellular [Ca2+] in the smooth muscle cells in the wall of small pressurized cerebral arteries (100‐200 μm) of rat was studied using simultaneous digital fluorescence video imaging of arterial diameter and wall [Ca2+], combined with microelectrode measurements of arterial membrane potential.

Elevation of intravascular pressure (from 10 to 100 mmHg) caused a membrane depolarization from ‐63 ± 1 to ‐36 ± 2 mV, increased arterial wall [Ca2+] from 119 ± 10 to 245 ± 9 nM, and constricted the arteries from 208 ± 10 μm (fully dilated, Ca2+free) to 116 ± 7 μm or by 45 % (‘myogenic tone’).

Pressure‐induced increases in arterial wall [Ca2+] and vasoconstriction were blocked by inhibitors of voltage‐dependent Ca2+channels (diltiazem and nisoldipine) or to the same extent by removal of external Ca2+.

At a steady pressure (i.e. under isobaric conditions at 60 mmHg), the membrane potential was stable at ‐45 ± 1 mV, intracellular [Ca2+] was 190 ± 10 nM, and arteries were constricted by 41 % (to 115 ± 7 μm from 196 ± 8 μm fully dilated). Under this condition of ‐45 ± 5 mV at 60 mmHg, the voltage sensitivity of wall [Ca2+] and diameter were 7.5 nM mV−1and 7.5 μm mV−1, respectively, resulting in a Ca2+sensitivity of diameter of 1 μm nM−1.

Membrane potential depolarization from ‐58 to ‐23 mV caused pressurized arteries (to 60 mmHg) to constrict over their entire working range, i.e. from maximally dilated to constricted. This depolarization was associated with an elevation of arterial wall [Ca2+] from 124 ± 7 to 347 ± 12 nM. These increases in arterial wall [Ca2+] and vasoconstriction were blocked by L‐type voltage‐dependent Ca2+channel inhibitors.

The relationship between arterial wall [Ca2+] and membrane potential was not significantly different under isobaric (60 mmHg) and non‐isobaric conditions (10‐100 mmHg), suggesting that intravascular pressure regulates arterial wall [Ca2+] through changes in membrane potential.

The results are consistent with the idea that intravascular pressure causes membrane potential depolarization, which opens voltage‐dependent Ca2+channels, acting as ‘voltage sensors’, thus increasing Ca2+entry and arterial wall [Ca2+], which leads to vasoconstriction.
ERRATUM
Authors: Gross E. , Hawkins K. , Pushkin A. , Sassani P. , Dukkipati R. , Abuladze N. , Hopfer U. , Kurtz I.
Published: September 2010

Journal of Physiology
537, 659–665 (2001)

On page 660, eqn (1) should have appeared as:
urn:x-wiley:00223751:media:TJP1003:tjp1003-math-0001u

Faculty Positions in Institute of Zoology

Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan

Two tenure‐track positions in the ranks of assistant, or associate research fellows, which are equivalent to assistant, or associate professors positions are available in Physiology and Organismic Group of the Institute. Individuals with at least two years of postdoctoral training who are interested and/or have prior knowledge and experience in the following two areas ‐ (i) integrative and comparative physiology and (ii) ecological and evolutionary physiology, are encouraged to send a CV, a description of past research accomplishment and a proposal of the future research, and three letters of recommendation to, Institute of Zoology, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.

Academia Sinica website: http://www.sinica.edu.tw

Deadline for application is March 15, 2002
What is stress? Concepts, definitions and applications in seed science
Authors: Kranner Ilse , Minibayeva Farida V. , Beckett Richard P. , Seal Charlotte E.
Published: September 2010

‘Stresses’ that impact upon seeds can affect plant reproduction and productivity, and, hence, agriculture and biodiversity. In the absence of a clear definition of plant stress, we relate concepts from physics, medicine and psychology to stresses that are specific to seeds. Potential ‘eustresses’ that enhance function and ‘distresses’ that have harmful effects are considered in relation to the seed life cycle. Taking a triphasic biomedical stress concept published in 1936, the ‘General Adaptation Syndrome’, to the molecular level, the ‘alarm’ response is defined by post‐translational modifications and stress signalling through cross‐talk between reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, and seed hormones, that result in modifications to the transcriptome. Protection, repair, acclimation and adaptation are viewed as the ‘building blocks’ of the ‘resistance’ response, which, in seeds, are the basis for their longevity over centuries. When protection and repair mechanisms eventually fail, depending on dose and time of exposure to stress, cell death and, ultimately, seed death are the result, corresponding to ‘exhaustion’. This proposed seed stress concept may have wider applicability to plants in general.

Contents

Summary
655

I.

Definitions of stress
656

II.
The seed life cycle revisited in view of the eustress–distress concept
657

III.
Common denominators of many stresses: reactive oxygen and nitrogen species
660

IV.
Alarm
662

V.
Resistance
664

VI.
Exhaustion
666

VII.
Conclusions
667

Acknowledgements
669

References
669
NOCTURNAL EEG PROFILES AND PERFORMANCE
Authors: Williams Harold L. , Williams Cindy L.
Published: September 2010

Statistical analysis of baseline nocturnal EEG profiles identified two groups of Ss (a restless and quiet set) who differed in their performance efficiency under acute sleep deprivation. The restless group with less slow‐wave sleep, more body movements, more awakenings, more transitions from stage to stage, and longer sleep latencies showed greatest sleep‐loss decrement. On the first night of recovery sleep, the sleep profiles of the two groups were virtually identical, but by the third recovery night, the restless group was again showing signs of disturbed sleep. Within each group, all Ss had highly systematic stage‐of‐sleep cycles, forming Markov chains of at least order one.
AVOIDANCE CONDITIONING OF HEART RATE IN HUMANS
Authors: Frazier Thomas W.
Published: September 2010

An avoidance conditioning technique was employed to obtain external control over heart rate. A contingency was set up between heart‐rate maintenance and punishment avoidance. During periods of time signified by a visual stimulus, punishments were dispensed when the total number of beats per minute decreased from the previous minute's total.

Subjects (Ss) performed an instrument‐panel‐monitoring task without awareness of the biological avoidance contingency, but they were correctly informed that shocks were available only when the visual stimulus was present. After punishments had been dispensed on the basis of the contingency for several periods, punishment was discontinued and the visual stimulus was used alone as a conditioned aversive stimulus, in order to shape predetermined response patterns.

Results included: clear evidence of heart‐rate control over all Ss after training periods; maintenance of heart‐rate control over continuous 40‐min periods through continuous presentation of the visual stimulus; and shaping and replication of three prespecified response patterns.

These findings demonstrate that punishment avoidance contingencies can be used to impose effective control over cardiovascular functioning.
A CARDIOTACHOGRAPH WITH LOGARITHMIC RESPONSE FOR USE WITH RATS1
Authors: Mundl Wm. J.
Published: September 2010

A cardiotachograph (ECTG) for recording short term changes in heart rate of rats after electric brain stimulation is described. This instrument provides instantaneous graphical display of the electrocardiotachogram, showing the ratio of increase or decrease in heart rate regardless of the basal rate. The output voltage is proportional to the logarithm of the frequency of the electrocardiographic (EKG) signal. Stimulation artifacts are minimized by means of a filter network.
THE APPLICATION OF REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO QUANTITATIVE ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY IN MAN
Authors: Burdick J. Alan , Sugerman A. Arthur , Goldstein Leonide
Published: September 2010

The use of the Drohocki integrator to quantitate the area under the curve of the electroencephalogram (EEG) has provided useful information in earlier studies. However, difficulties arise in comparing data obtained with different types of EEG machines and integrators because of differences in the frequency spectra to which the machines respond. The slope of the regression line of SD on mean integrated area was studied to provide a measure of group variability which would not be unduly sensitive to these differences in equipment. It was found that the slope decreased from group to group in going from normal Ss to catatonic schizophrenics, with alcoholics and undifferentiated schizophrenics in intermediate positions in that order. It was suggested that the clockwise rotation of the regression line provides a convenient measure of the level of cerebral activation.
Interactive Effects of Difficulty and Instrumentality of Avoidant Behavior on Cardiovascular Reactivity
Authors: Wright Rex A. , Williams Barry J. , Dill Jody C.
Published: September 2010

College‐aged subjects performed 35 trials of an easy or difficult digit‐recognition task. Half were told that a good performance would ensure a high chance of avoiding a blast of noise, and half were told that a good performance would ensure a low chance of avoiding the noise. Results indicated that heart rate and systolic blood pressure reactivity were higher in the difficult condition than in the easy condition only when the probability of avoiding the noise (given success) was high. When the probability of avoiding the noise (given success) was low, heart rate and systolic responsivity were low regardless of task difficulty. It also was found that (1) performance quality was poorer overall among difficult subjects than among easy subjects, and (2) that the difference in performance quality between the easy and difficult groups was somewhat (not significantly) greater in the low‐probability conditions than in the high‐probability conditions. Major findings are considered in terms of Obrist's reasoning regarding the psychophysiological consequences of active coping and a motivational model by Brehm, which specifies conditions under which individuals will be more and less task engaged.
Event‐related brain potential correlates of self‐reported hunger and satiety
Authors: BALDEWEG TORSTEN , ULLSPERGER PETER , PIETROWSKY REINHARD , FEHM HORST LORENZ , BORN JAN
Published: September 2010

Perception of hunger and satiety was examined by means of event‐related potential (ERP) recordings. On the basis of Helson's frame‐of‐reference theory, it was hypothesized that hunger is perceived with reference to an actual adaptation level. ERPs were recorded to adjectives (hungry, thirsty, tired) combined with one of five adverbs (very, almost, somewhat, hardly, not). Subjects indicated whether a particular adverb‐adjective combination accurately described their actual feeling of hunger, thirst, or fatigue. They were tested after they had fasted for 16 hr and another time when they were satiated. Area of P300 of the ERP was smallest for adverb‐adjective combinations agreeing with the subject's actual state of hunger (i.e., adaptation level), which was almost hungry in fasting subjects and hardly hungry in satiated subjects. These P300 minima were flanked by significantly enhanced (p < 0.001) P300 areas for the immediately adjacent adverbs combined with hungry. P300 areas for adverbs combined with thirsty and tired did not depend on the subject's state of hunger. The data suggest that perception of internal states, such as hunger, refers to an adaptation level that is sensitively indicated by P300 area.
On the neural generators of the P300 component of the event‐related potential
Authors: JOHNSON RAY
Published: September 2010

The triarchic model of P300 amplitude (Johnson, 1986, 1988a) postulated that the overall amplitude of the P300 recorded at any given electrode site represented the summation of activity from different neural generators, each related to the processing of a different type of information. However, neither of these original accounts provided an explicit description of the methods required to establish experimentally the presence of multiple neural sources. This paper reviews the triarchic amplitude model, the subsequently obtained data that support the postulated presence of multiple generators underlying the P300, and the methods used to demonstrate the presence of these multiple sources. These methods are straightforward because it is only necessary to show that the portions of P300 amplitude associated with different experimental variables have different scalp distributions. The implications of the multiple‐generator basis of P300 on such factors as component definition, neural source analyses, and the cognitive processes underlying its activity are discussed.
Are the anterior negativities to grammatical violations indexing working memory?
Authors: Martín‐Loeches Manuel , Muñoz Francisco , Casado Pilar , Melcón A. , Fernández‐Frías C.
Published: September 2010

Anterior negativities obtained when a grammatical rule is violated may reflect highly automatic first‐pass parsing processes, the detection of a morphosyntactic mismatch, and/or the inability to assign the incoming word to the current phrase structure. However, for some theorists these negativities rather reflect some aspect of working memory processes. Event‐related brain potentials (ERPs) obtained for word category and morphosyntactic violations were directly compared with effects obtained when working memory is particularly demanded (embedding subject‐ or object‐relative clauses), yielding a significant dissociation in terms of topography. Even though, the anterior negativities for grammatical violations vanished when relative clauses were embedded, suggesting that the processes reflected by anterior negativities related to grammatical violations and those related to working memory manipulations, even if different, are placing demands on a common pool of limited resources.
Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein‐1: a serial clearance homeostatic mechanism controlling Alzheimer’s amyloid β‐peptide elimination from the brain
Authors: Zlokovic Berislav V. , Deane Rashid , Sagare Abhay P. , Bell Robert D. , Winkler Ethan A.
Published: September 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)115, 1077–1089.

Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein‐1 (LRP1), a member of the low‐density lipoprotein receptor family, has major roles in the cellular transport of cholesterol, endocytosis of 40 structurally diverse ligands, transcytosis of ligands across the blood–brain barrier, and transmembrane and nuclear signaling. Recent evidence indicates that LRP1 regulates brain and systemic clearance of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ). According to the two‐hit vascular hypothesis for AD, vascular damage precedes cerebrovascular and brain Aβ accumulation (hit 1) which then further amplifies neurovascular dysfunction (hit 2) preceding neurodegeneration. In this study, we discuss the roles of LRP1 during thehit 1andhit 2stage of AD pathogenesis and describe a three‐level serial LRP1‐dependent homeostatic control of Aβ clearance including (i) cell‐surface LRP1 at the blood–brain barrier and cerebrovascular cells mediating brain‐to‐blood Aβ clearance (ii) circulating LRP1 providing a key endogenous peripheral ‘sink’ activity for plasma Aβ which prevents free Aβ access to the brain, and (iii) LRP1 in the liver mediating systemic Aβ clearance. Pitfalls in experimental Aβ brain clearance measurements with the concurrent use of peptides/proteins such as receptor‐associated protein and aprotinin are also discussed. We suggest that LRP1 has a critical role in AD pathogenesis and is an important therapeutic target in AD.
Strain Measurement on Composites: Errors due to Rosette Misalignment
Authors: Ajovalasit A. , Mancuso A. , Cipolla N.
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Electrical resistance strain gauges are increasingly used for the determination of the strain field in composite components. The effect of the angular misalignment of a strain gauge rosette on the determination of the strains in a composite material is investigated in this paper. The theoretical analysis shows that the strain error along the principal material directions depends on the difference of principal strains, on the angular misalignment of the rosette and on the angle between the maximum principal strain and the fibre direction. The paper also shows experimental evidence for the theoretical analysis.
Thermoelastic Stress Analysis of Vascular Devices
Authors: Dulieu‐Barton J. M. , Eaton‐Evans J. , Little E. G. , Brown I. A.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  The feasibility of using thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) to characterise angioplasty balloons and Nitinol self‐expanding stents was investigated. A detailed description of the experimental apparatus developed is provided. A review of recent studies by the authors describes calibration procedures for the balloon and the stent materials. The study demonstrated that quantitative stress data can be obtained from the balloons using TSA. A new study on using TSA to assess geometric changes in the balloons is presented and it is shown that TSA is useful in qualitative assessment of balloon features. The study of the Nitinol stents revealed that a number of difficult challenges need to be overcome before quantitative TSA can take place. This study is summarised in the current paper and new work is presented that involves conducting TSA at elevated temperatures to overcome some of the challenges identified in the earlier study.
Paying for water and the geography of commodities
Authors: Page Ben
Published: September 2010

Across the globe there is an ongoing debate about whether water ought to be treated as a commodity. This paper argues that recent geographical work on commodities can usefully inform these debates amongst environmental and development policymakers. First, the paper uses a case study from Cameroon to show that the commodification of public water supplies is not new, permanent or inevitable. Second, it uses the case study and insights from the psychoanalytic literature to examine the relationship between the willingness‐to‐pay for water and knowledge amongst water users about the costs of production. It is argued that the commodity fetish remains a useful concept, but that it requires reinterpretation. It concludes that demystifying the commodity includes not only unveiling the politics of production but also understanding the politics of the practice of exchange by considering the socio‐synthetic effects of treating things as commodities.
Conflicting perceptions between health care professionals and patients on the psychological morbidity following miscarriage
Authors: KONG Grace W. S. , LOK Ingrid H. , LAM Po M. , YIP Alexander S. K. , CHUNG Tony K. H.
Published: September 2010

Background:  Miscarriage is common and may result in significant psychological morbidity for women. Recent research has revealed that health care professionals often tend to neglect this factor. This negligence may lead to delayed diagnosis and appropriate care.

Aims:  To assess health care professionals’ and patients’ attitudes towards the psychological impact of miscarriage.

Methods:  A prospective, cross‐sectional survey of nearly 3000 subjects was conducted. Of these, 1269 were health care professionals and 1519 were pregnant women or their spouses. Their perceptions of the psychological impact of miscarriage, in comparison with postnatal depression were studied.

Results:  Health care professionals were less aware of the psychological impact of miscarriage compared with postnatal depression (91.9 vs 98.4%, P = 0.02). Furthermore, they believed that the psychological impact of miscarriage was less than that of postnatal depression (79.9 vs 88.9%, P < 0.001). However, more patients believed that psychological impact after miscarriage can seriously affect women (59.0 vs for health care professionals 38.3%, P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients compared with health care professionals (85.2 vs 74.3%, P < 0.001) believed that routine psychological support should be provided after miscarriage, but few agreed that primary health professionals were the most suitable people to provide this care although most health care professionals thought this to be appropriate (9.1 vs 59.7%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion:  Health care professionals should be more aware of the psychological morbidity associated with miscarriage and also be sensitive to a currently unmet need for psychological care.
Anxiety and the Development of Alcoholism
Authors: Clark Duncan B. , Sayette Michael A.
Published: September 2010

Theories concerning the etiology of alcoholism and commonly held beliefs suggest that anxiolytic effects of alcohol may be important in the development of problematic drinking. The effect of alcohol on anxiety has been studied through animal models, human experiments, and clinical observation. Human experiments have demonstrated that acute alcohol administration has anxiolytic effects. However, these effects depend on dose, the circumstances of administration, and subject characteristics. Systematic clinical observations show that anxiety disorders often precede and may contribute to alcohol abuse and dependence. Research is needed to determine the impact of anxiety symptoms on relapse and implications for treatment.
Hazardous Alcohol Consumption Among Mexican Inpatients
Authors: Guevara‐Arnal Luis , Zapata Laura , Kaplan Mariana , Vargas‐Vorackova Florencia , Márquez Mirella , Galindo Raúl , Fuente Juan Ramón de la , Kershenobich David
Published: September 2010

To determine the prevalence of “hazardous drinkers,” 1,064 Mexican inpatients (ages 18–59 years) from nine general hospitals answered an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire, previously validated by the World Health Organization. When subjects scored positive, a clinical screening procedure and a serum gamma‐glutamyl‐trans‐peptidase (GGT) test were carried out. An AUDIT score ≥ 8 (hazardous drinking) was found in 23.4% of the sample (43.2% in men vs. 3.6% in women). Patients' answers were positively correlated in 83.3% with those of their next of kin. The clinical screening procedure and serum GGT levels correlated with AUDIT scores ≥ 8 in 55%. Data support the recommendation of routine screening for alcohol consumption in a general hospital population and the usefulness of the AUDIT application as a screening instrument for early phases of hazardous use of alcohol.
Economic Analysis of a Randomized Trial of Academic Detailing Interventions to Improve Use of Antihypertensive Medications
Authors: Simon Steven R. , Rodriguez Hector P. , Majumdar Sumit R. , Kleinman Ken , Warner Cheryl , Salem‐Schatz Susanne , Miroshnik Irina , Soumerai Stephen B. , Prosser Lisa A.
Published: September 2010

The authors estimated the costs and cost savings of implementing a program of mailed practice guidelines and single‐visit individual and group academic detailing interventions in a randomized controlled trial to improve the use of antihypertensive medications. Analyses took the perspective of the payer. The total costs of the mailed guideline, group detailing, and individual detailing interventions were estimated at $1000, $5500, and $7200, respectively, corresponding to changes in the average daily per person drug costs of –$0.0558 (95% confidence interval, –$0.1365 to $0.0250) in the individual detailing intervention and –$0.0001 (95% confidence interval, –$0.0803 to $0.0801) in the group detailing intervention, compared with the mailed intervention. For all patients with incident hypertension in the individual detailing arm, the annual total drug cost savings were estimated at $21,711 (95% confidence interval, $53,131 savings to $9709 cost increase). Information on costs of academic detailing could assist with health plan decision making in developing interventions to improve prescribing.
Effects of Warfarin on Blood Pressure in Men With Diabetes and Hypertension—A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Lim Mary Ann , Shafique Shahzad , See Sein Yin , Khan Faisal N. , Parikh Chirag R. , Peixoto Aldo J.
Published: September 2010

Warfarin causes extensive vascular calcification leading to increased systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in rats, may be associated with increased valvular and coronary calcifications in man, and possibly worsens hypertension in high‐risk patients, particularly in those with diabetes mellitus or uncontrolled hypertension. The authors evaluated blood pressure and intensity of antihypertensive therapy over 36 months in a cohort of 58 patients with diabetes and hypertension on warfarin and 58 control subjects with diabetes and hypertension not on warfarin. The results demonstrate that warfarin therapy at conventional doses does not increase systolic blood pressure or pulse pressure in patients with diabetes and hypertension.
Automated Measurement of Blood Pressure in Routine Clinical Practice
Authors: Myers Martin G. , Godwin Marshall
Published: September 2010

In recent years, automated devices have been developed to record blood pressure (BP) accurately in the home and during usual daily activities. Clinical outcome studies have clearly shown home BP and 24‐hour ambulatory BP to be significantly better predictors of future cardiovascular events compared with BP recorded in the office setting using mercury sphygmomanometry. It is also now possible to measure office BP with the patient resting quietly alone in the examining room using an automated device. Studies in routine clinical practice using this approach have demonstrated that automated office BP can eliminate most of the white coat effect seen with manual BP measurement. The automated office BP also correlates significantly better than does the routine office BP with the 24‐hour ambulatory BP, the gold standard for predicting risk of future cardiovascular events. Sufficient evidence now exists to consider incorporating automated office BP into an algorithm for diagnosing hypertension.
Pharmacologic Agents in the Management of Hypertension—Nisoldipine Coat‐Core
Authors: White William B.
Published: September 2010

Nisoldipine coat‐core (CC), a 1,4‐dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, is indicated for the treatment of hypertension and may be used alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. The CC technology allows for extended delivery of the drug and once‐daily dosing. Nisoldipine CC tablets are absorbed across the entire gastrointestinal tract, including the colon. Eighty percent of the total dose is in the slow‐release outer coat, while the core has immediate‐release characteristics suitable for absorption in the distal gastrointestinal tract. Numerous double‐blind, randomized studies of this agent have been done in patients with hypertension. The use of nisoldipine CC reduced both clinic and ambulatory blood pressure to a similar degree when compared with angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β‐blockers, and the calcium antagonists amlodipine and felodipine. The drug has also been studied in hypertensive African Americans and demonstrated equivalent efficacy to amlodipine. Tolerability of the drug is good, with the most common side effect of edema at a rate similar to other dihydropyridine calcium antagonists. Thus, results of more than a decade of clinical trial data support the use of nisoldipine CC as once‐daily therapy for the treatment of hypertension.
Venous or Arterial Endothelium Evaluation for Early Cardiovascular Dysfunction in Hypertensive Patients?
Authors: Rubira Marcelo Custódio , Consolim‐Colombo Fernanda Marciano , Rabelo Eneida Rejane , Yugar‐Toledo Juan Carlos , Casarini Dulce , Coimbra Silmara Regina , Martins Luis Cláudio , Moreno Heitor , Krieger Eduardo Moacir , Irigoyen Maria Claúdia
Published: September 2010

Veins and arteries have active endothelium, producing vasoactive substances like nitric oxide. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether hypertensive patients exhibit venous endothelial dysfunction and to determine the relationship between endothelial‐dependent and endothelial‐independent vasodilation responses in venous and arterial systems. Sixteen unmedicated patients with stage I and II hypertension and without other risk factors and 15 matched normotensive volunteers had venous and arterial endothelial function evaluated with the dorsal hand vein technique and brachial artery ultrasonography. Hypertensive patients had a marked reduction of maximum dilation to acetylcholine (54.9%±21.6%) compared with normotensive controls (85.2%±27.0%). The flow‐mediated dilation responses were reduced in hypertensive patients compared with controls (6.6%±3.3%vs 12.4%±2.6%, respectively). The responses to nitric oxide were similar in both groups, and the responses with the dorsal hand vein technique and flow‐mediated dilation agreed in both groups. Hypertensive patients had an attenuated endothelial dependent response, indicating that endothelial dysfunction is also present in the venous system.
The Efficacy and Tolerability of Nebivolol in Hypertensive African American Patients
Authors: Saunders Elijah , Smith William B. , DeSalvo Karen B. , Sullivan Will A.
Published: September 2010

Hypertensive African Americans often respond poorly to β‐blocker monotherapy, compared with whites. There is evidence, however, that suggests that this response may be different if β‐blockers with vasodilating effects are used. This 12‐week, multi‐center, double‐blind, randomized placebo‐controlled study assessed the antihypertensive efficacy and safety of nebivolol, a cardioselective, vasodilating β1‐blocker, at doses of 2.5, 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg once daily in 300 African American patients with stage I or II hypertension (mean sitting diastolic blood pressure [SiDBP] ≥95 mm Hg and ≤109 mm Hg). The primary efficacy end point was the baseline‐adjusted change in trough mean SiDBP. After 12 weeks, nebivolol significantly reduced least squares mean SiDBP (P≤.004) at all doses of 5 mg and higher and sitting systolic blood pressure (P≤.044) at all doses 10 mg and higher, compared with placebo. The drug was safe and well‐tolerated, with no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events compared with placebo. Nebivolol monotherapy provides antihypertensive efficacy, with few significant adverse effects, in hypertensive African Americans.
Apheresis in Lupus Nephritis
Authors: Mistry‐Burchardi Nouhad , Schönermarck Ulf , Samtleben Walter
Published: September 2010

Abstract:Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease which commonly involves the kidneys. Despite great improvement in survival over the past years due to immunosuppressive therapy, renal failure remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In view of the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis, the use of less toxic and more specific ways of treatment such as the extracorporeal removal of pathogenetically relevant autoantibodies seems rational. On the basis of currently available studies, plasma exchange used alone or as an adjunct to conventional immunosuppressive therapy offers no clear benefit over standard immunosuppression in patients with active lupus nephritis and therefore cannot be recommended. However, although not proven, plasmapheresis might be beneficial in patients with acute life‐threatening disease, for which high‐dose immunosuppressive therapy may not be possible, or as an adjunct procedure for patients not responding to conventional therapy. Rather than the unselective removal of plasma, adsorption procedures allow the selective or specific removal of immunoglobulins, which seems to be a more reasonable approach in lupus nephritis. The results of the first clinical trials using different adsorption columns seem promising, but their use cannot be recommended until well‐designed, case‐controlled studies have been performed to prove their usefulness and cost effectiveness in lupus nephritis. So far, clear‐cut recommendations regarding type of adsorption column, intensity and duration of treatment, and accompanying immunosuppressive treatment cannot be given.
A Comparative Subjective Assessment Study of PENNSAID® and Voltaren Gel®, Two Topical Formulations of Diclofenac Sodium
Authors: Galer Bradley S.
Published: September 2010

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease that is debilitating for many individuals. While oral nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) remain a common and effective treatment approach to managing OA, concerns over cardiovascular and gastrointestinal adverse events can potentially limit their use. Various formulations of topical NSAIDs have been shown to provide effective localized treatment with minimal adverse events. A patient perception study was conducted to evaluate patient preference between topical diclofenac sodium gel and that of diclofenac sodium topical solution with the penetration enhancer dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Twenty‐four healthy volunteers were randomized and asked to administer one dose of the topical products. Surveys were provided and assessed immediately after application, 5 minutes after application, and after the application had dried to gauge subjects' overall experience with the topical preparation. Overall, each drug's application was well tolerated and no adverse events were reported. Results of the patient preference survey demonstrated that topical diclofenac solution with DMSO had a number of characteristics that were rated significantly better than for diclofenac sodium gel. Mean subjective responses to topical diclofenac solution with DMSO were also more favorable for most items in the questionnaire, and more subjects preferred or highly preferred topical diclofenac solution with DMSO over diclofenac sodium gel.
Second Language Use, Socialization, and Learning in Internet Interest Communities and Online Gaming
Authors: THORNE STEVEN L. , BLACK REBECCA W. , SYKES JULIE M.
Published: September 2010

In recent years, there has been a great deal of research and pedagogical experimentation relating to the uses of technology in second (L2) and foreign language education. The majority of this research has usefully described and examined the efficacy of in‐class and directly classroom‐related uses of technology. This article broadens the scope of inquiry to include L2 and foreign language‐related uses of technology that extend into the interstitial spaces between instructed L2 contexts and entirely out‐of‐school noninstitutional realms of freely chosen digital engagement. Two demographically and sociologically significant phenomena are examined in detail; the first focuses on participation in Internet interest communities such as fan fiction and virtual diaspora community spaces and the second describes a continuum of three‐dimensional graphically rendered virtual environments and online games. A review of research in each of these areas reveals extended periods of language socialization into sophisticated communicative practices and demonstrates the salience of creative expression and language use as tools for identity development and management. In the final section of the article, we suggest a number of possibilities for synergistically uniting the analytic rigor of instructed L2 education with the immediacy and vibrancy of language use in digital vernacular contexts.
The Evaluation of Scholarly Activity in Computer‐Assisted Language Learning
Authors: SMITH BRYAN , LAFFORD BARBARA A.
Published: September 2010

The current study provides guidance for both junior computer‐assisted language learning (CALL) researchers as they decide on the most appropriate forms and placement of scholarly activity and also for decision makers attempting to evaluate the scholarly activity of these CALL researchers in their quest for promotion and tenure. In this study, data from 35 online surveys from established CALL researchers were examined to determine their expert opinions on the quality of CALL‐specific and general applied linguistics journals. These scholars were also asked to list the criteria they used to rank these journals and comment on the types of scholarly activity most beneficial to junior CALL scholars. Results suggest that the single most important element in the scholarly dossier of a CALL researcher is a series of refereed scholarly articles in highly ranked, peer‐reviewed journals. A clear qualitative hierarchy of both CALL‐specific and general applied linguistics journals emerged from the data. The data also show that scholars agree that the “best” journals for CALL research are those that reflect the highest quality of relevant articles and those that make a significant contribution to the field. Markedly less important to these CALL experts in determining journal quality are those more “objective” measures of quality such as acceptance rate, impact factor, and circulation.