bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Functional and Transcriptional Profiling of Bone Marrow Stem Cells After Transplantation Into Ischemic Myocardium
Authors: Sheikh Ahmad Y. , Huber Bruno C. , Narsinh Kazim H. , Spin Joshua M. , van der Bogt Koen , de Almeida Patricia E. , Ransohoff Katherine J. , Kraft Daniel L. , Fajardo Giovanni , Ardigo Diego , Ransohoff Julia , Bernstein Daniel , Fischbein Michael P. , Robbins Robert C. , Wu Joseph C.
Published: October 2011

Objective—

Clinical trials of bone marrow–derived stem cell therapy for the heart have yielded variable results. The basic mechanism(s) that underlies their potential efficacy remains unknown. In the present study, we evaluated the survival kinetics, transcriptional response, and functional outcome of intramyocardial bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation for cardiac repair in a murine myocardial infarction model.

Methods and Results—

We used bioluminescence imaging and high-throughput transcriptional profiling to evaluate the in vivo survival kinetics and gene expression changes of transplanted BMMCs after their engraftment into ischemic myocardium. Our results demonstrate short-lived survival of cells following transplant, with less than 1% of cells surviving by 6 weeks posttransplantation. Moreover, transcriptomic analysis of BMMCs revealed nonspecific upregulation of various cell regulatory genes, with a marked downregulation of cell differentiation and maturation pathways. BMMC therapy caused limited improvement of heart function as assessed by echocardiography, invasive hemodynamics, and positron emission tomography. Histological evaluation of cell fate further confirmed findings of the in vivo cell tracking and transcriptomic analysis.

Conclusion—

Collectively, these data suggest that BMMC therapy, in its present iteration, may be less efficacious than once thought. Additional refinement of existing cell delivery protocols should be considered to induce better therapeutic efficacy.
Utility of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance in Identifying Substrate for Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmias
Authors: White James A. , Fine Nowell M. , Gula Lorne , Yee Raymond , Skanes Allan , Klein George , Leong-Sit Peter , Warren Heather , Thompson Terry , Drangova Maria , Krahn Andrew
Published: October 2011

Background—

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) and sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT) are frequently associated with prior or acute myocardial injury. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) provides morphological, functional, and tissue characterization in a single setting. We sought to evaluate the diagnostic yield of CMR-based imaging versus non–CMR-based imaging in patients with resuscitated SCD or SMVT.

Methods and Results—

Eighty-two patients with resuscitated SCD or SMVT underwent routine non-CMR imaging, followed by a CMR protocol with comprehensive tissue characterization. Clinical reports of non-CMR imaging studies were blindly adjudicated and used to assign each patient to 1 of 7 diagnostic categories. CMR imaging was blindly interpreted using a standardized algorithm used to assign a patient diagnosis category in a similar fashion. The diagnostic yield of CMR-based and non–CMR-based imaging, as well as the impact of the former on diagnosis reclassification, was established. Relevant myocardial disease was identified in 51% of patients using non–CMR-based imaging and in 74% using CMR-based imaging (
P
=0.002). Forty-one patients (50%) were reassigned to a new or alternate diagnosis using CMR-based imaging, including 15 (18%) with unsuspected acute myocardial injury. Twenty patients (24%) had no abnormality by non-CMR imaging but showed clinically relevant myocardial disease by CMR imaging.

Conclusions—

CMR-based imaging provides a robust diagnostic yield in patients presenting with resuscitated SCD or SMVT and incrementally identifies clinically unsuspected acute myocardial injury. When compared with non–CMR-based imaging, a new or alternate myocardial disease process may be identified in half of these patients.
Improved Detection of Myocardial Involvement in Acute Inflammatory Cardiomyopathies Using T2 Mapping
Authors: Thavendiranathan Paaladinesh , Walls Michael , Giri Shivraman , Verhaert David , Rajagopalan Sanjay , Moore Sean , Simonetti Orlando P. , Raman Subha V.
Published: October 2011

Background—

T2-weighted cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is useful in diagnosing acute inflammatory myocardial diseases, such as myocarditis and tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTCM). We hypothesized that quantitative T2 mapping could better delineate myocardial involvement in these disorders versus T2-weighted imaging.

Methods and Results—

Thirty patients with suspected myocarditis or TTCM, referred for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, who met established diagnostic criteria underwent myocardial T2 mapping. T2 values were averaged in involved and remote myocardial segments, both defined by a reviewer blinded to T2 data. In myocarditis, T2 was 65.2±3.2 ms in the involved myocardium versus 53.5±2.1 ms in the remote myocardium (
P
<0.001). In TTCM, T2 was 65.6±4.0 ms in the involved myocardium versus 53.6±2.7 ms in the remote segments (
P
<0.001). T2 values were similar across remote myocardial segments in patients and all myocardial segments in controls (
P
>0.05 for all). T2 maps provided diagnostic data even in patients with difficulty breath holding. A T2 cutoff of 59 ms identified areas of myocardial involvement, with sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 97%, respectively. T2 mapping revealed regions of abnormal T2 beyond those identified by wall motion abnormalities or late gadolinium-enhancement positivity. Conventional T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery images were uninterpretable in 7 patients because of artifact and unremarkable in 2 patients who had elevated T2 values. T2-prepared steady-state–free precession images showed areas of signal hyperintensity in only 17 of 30 patients.

Conclusions—

Quantitative T2 mapping reliably identifies myocardial involvement in patients with myocarditis and TTCM. T2 mapping delineated a greater extent of myocardial disease in both conditions compared with that identified by wall motion abnormalities, T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery imaging, T2-prepared steady-state–free precession, or late gadolinium enhancement. Quantitative T2 mapping warrants consideration as a robust technique to identify myocardial injury in patients with acute myocarditis or TTCM.
Analysis of Transcriptome Complexity Through RNA Sequencing in Normal and Failing Murine Hearts
Authors: Lee Jae-Hyung , Gao Chen , Peng Guangdun , Greer Christopher , Ren Shuxun , Wang Yibin , Xiao Xinshu
Published: October 2011

Rationale:

Accurate and comprehensive de novo transcriptome profiling in heart is a central issue to better understand cardiac physiology and diseases. Although significant progress has been made in genome-wide profiling for quantitative changes in cardiac gene expression, current knowledge offers limited insights to the total complexity in cardiac transcriptome at individual exon level.

Objective:

To develop more robust bioinformatic approaches to analyze high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data, with the focus on the investigation of transcriptome complexity at individual exon and transcript levels.

Methods and Results:

In addition to overall gene expression analysis, the methods developed in this study were used to analyze RNA-Seq data with respect to individual transcript isoforms, novel spliced exons, novel alternative terminal exons, novel transcript clusters (ie, novel genes), and long noncoding RNA genes. We applied these approaches to RNA-Seq data obtained from mouse hearts after pressure-overload–induced by transaortic constriction. Based on experimental validations, analyses of the features of the identified exons/transcripts, and expression analyses including previously published RNA-Seq data, we demonstrate that the methods are highly effective in detecting and quantifying individual exons and transcripts. Novel insights inferred from the examined aspects of the cardiac transcriptome open ways to further experimental investigations.

Conclusions:

Our work provided a comprehensive set of methods to analyze mouse cardiac transcriptome complexity at individual exon and transcript levels. Applications of the methods may infer important new insights to gene regulation in normal and disease hearts in terms of exon utilization and potential involvement of novel components of cardiac transcriptome.
Age, Antipsychotics, and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke in the Veterans Health Administration
Authors: Wang Shirley , Linkletter Crystal , Dore David , Mor Vincent , Buka Stephen , Maclure Malcolm
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Time-dependent effects of antipsychotics on risk of stroke and potential effect modification by age have not been fully investigated. A case–case–time–control design uses within- and between-case comparisons to evaluate short-term effects at the same time as adjusting for unmeasured time-invariant confounders and exposure-time trends.

Methods—

We conducted a case–case–time–control design study using data from the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans with inpatient hospitalizations for ischemic stroke between 2002 and 2007 were included. For every stroke case, the “current” exposure period was defined as 1 to 30 days before hospitalization and the “reference” period as 91 to 120 days before hospitalization. Exposure during the current period was compared with exposure during the reference period within cases. Exposure-time trend-adjusted estimates of the effect of antipsychotic exposure on risk of stroke were obtained by dividing exposure odds for antipsychotic exposure by average exposure odds for other medications over the same time period among the same cases.

Results—

After adjusting for exposure-time trends, odds of stroke were 1.8 (95% CI, (1.7–1.9) times higher when exposed to antipsychotics than when unexposed. Age-stratified estimates suggest a greater triggering effect of antipsychotics among older patients.

Conclusions—

Exposure to antipsychotics may be a proximal trigger for stroke. Elevation in risk is apparent after brief exposure to antipsychotics.
Risk of Stroke After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Mérie Charlotte , Køber Lars , Olsen Peter Skov , Andersson Charlotte , Jensen Jan Skov , Torp-Pedersen Christian
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

The risk of stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is known to increase dramatically with age. During recent years, the age of patients operated on has increased and concomitant therapy has changed. Therefore, we have re-evaluated the risk of stroke after CABG.

Methods—

Through the Danish National Hospital Register, we identified all 25 159 patients with isolated CABG from 1997 through 2006. Stroke, comorbidities, and medication were further obtained. Risk factors of stroke were determined through regression models.

Results—

Overall, 1901 patients (7.6%) suffered a stroke after surgery, 477 patients (2.0%) within 30 days after CABG. Rates of stroke per 100 person-years (95% CI) within 30 days after surgery increased with age: <60 years, 10.1 (7.8–13.0); 60 to 64 years, 18.4 (14.3–23.5); 65 to 69 years, 27.7 (23.0–33.3); 70 to 74 years, 36.0 (30.4–42.6); 75 to 79 years, 36.1 (29.1–44.7); ≥80 years, 38.0 (25.2–57.1). Risks of stroke within 30 days after surgery adjusted for age (reference: age <60 years), sex, relevant comorbidities, and selected medication included: 60 to 64 years: HR, 1.7 (
P
=0.005; 95% CI, 1.2–2.4), 65 to 69 years: HR, 2.4 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 1.7–3.3), 70 to 74 years: HR, 2.8 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 2.1–3.8), 75 to 79 years: HR, 2.8 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 2.0–4.0), ≥80 years: HR, 3.0 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 1.8–4.9), previous stroke: HR, 4.2 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 3.3–5.4), diabetes: HR, 1.3 (
P
=0.019; 95% CI, 1.1–1.7), hypertension: HR, 1.4 (
P
=0.003; 95% CI, 1.1–1.7), peripheral vascular disease: HR, 1.6 (
P
=0.001; 95% CI, 1.3–2.1), renal failure: HR, 1.7 (
P
=0.012; 95% CI, 1.1–2.5), statins: HR, 0.8 (
P
=0.049; 95% CI, 0.7–1.0), clopidogrel: HR, 0.6 (
P
=0.032; 95% CI, 0.4–1.0).

Conclusions—

The increase in stroke with age after CABG is moderate and the relation uncertain in ages older than 70 years. Declining CABG in elderly patients because of risk of stroke purely on the basis of high age is debatable.
30-Day Mortality and Readmission After Hemorrhagic Stroke Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center-Certified and Noncertified Hospitals
Authors: Lichtman Judith H. , Jones Sara B. , Leifheit-Limson Erica C. , Wang Yun , Goldstein Larry B.
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Ischemic stroke patients treated at Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center (JC-PSC)-certified hospitals have better outcomes. Data reflecting the impact of JC-PSC status on outcomes after hemorrhagic stroke are limited. We determined whether 30-day mortality and readmission rates after hemorrhagic stroke differed for patients treated at JC-PSC–certified versus noncertified hospitals.

Methods—

The study included all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older with a primary discharge diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in 2006. Covariate-adjusted logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression assessed the effect of care at a JC-PSC–certified hospital on 30-day mortality and readmission.

Results—

There were 2305 SAH and 8708 ICH discharges from JC-PSC–certified hospitals and 3892 SAH and 22 564 ICH discharges from noncertified hospitals. Unadjusted in-hospital mortality (SAH: 27.5% versus 33.2%,
P
<0.0001; ICH: 27.9% versus 29.6%,
P
=0.003) and 30-day mortality (SAH: 35.1% versus 44.0%,
P
<0.0001; ICH: 39.8% versus 42.4%,
P
<0.0001) were lower in JC-PSC hospitals, but 30-day readmission rates were similar (SAH: 17.0% versus 17.0%,
P
=0.97; ICH: 16.0% versus 15.5%,
P
=0.29). Risk-adjusted 30-day mortality was 34% lower (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.76) after SAH and 14% lower (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.80–0.92) after ICH for patients discharged from JC-PSC–certified hospitals. There was no difference in 30-day risk-adjusted readmission rates for SAH or ICH based on JC-PSC status.

Conclusions—

Patients treated at JC-PSC–certified hospitals had lower risk-adjusted mortality rates for both SAH and ICH but similar 30-day readmission rates as compared with noncertified hospitals.
The Level of Cortical Afferent Inhibition in Acute Stroke Correlates With Long-Term Functional Recovery in Humans
Authors: Di Lazzaro Vincenzo , Profice Paolo , Pilato Fabio , Capone Fioravante , Ranieri Federico , Florio Lucia , Colosimo Cesare , Pravatà Emanuele , Pasqualetti Patrizio , Dileone Michele
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation, we investigated short-interval intracortical inhibition and short-latency afferent inhibition in acute ischemic stroke.

Methods—

We evaluated short-interval intracortical inhibition and short-latency afferent inhibition in the affected hemisphere and unaffected hemisphere in 16 patients and correlated electrophysiological parameters with outcome at 6 months.

Results—

Affected hemisphere short-latency afferent inhibition was significantly reduced in patients, and short-latency afferent inhibition level correlated with functional outcome.

Conclusions—

Reduced afferent inhibition in acute stroke correlates with long-term recovery.
How Often Are Patients With Ischemic Stroke Eligible for Decompressive Hemicraniectomy?
Authors: Rahme Ralph , Curry Richard , Kleindorfer Dawn , Khoury Jane C. , Ringer Andrew J. , Kissela Brett M. , Alwell Kathleen , Moomaw Charles J. , Flaherty Matthew L. , Khatri Pooja , Woo Daniel , Ferioli Simona , Broderick Joseph , Adeoye Opeolu
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Malignant middle cerebral artery infarction is estimated to occur in 10% of ischemic strokes, but few patients undergo decompressive hemicraniectomy, a proven therapy. We determined the proportion of patients with ischemic stroke without significant baseline disability with large middle cerebral artery infarction who would have been potentially eligible for hemicraniectomy in an era before publication of recent hemicraniectomy trials.

Methods—

Ischemic stroke cases that occurred in 2005 among residents of the 5-county Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area were ascertained. Two study physicians reviewed all clinical and neuroimaging data for patients with baseline modified Rankin Scale score <2, age ≥18 years with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥10. Large middle cerebral artery infarction was defined as >50% of the middle cerebral artery territory or >145 mL on diffusion-weighted MRI. Other eligibility criteria for hemicraniectomy, based on the pooled analysis of recent clinical trials, were age 18 to 60 years and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >15.

Results—

Of 2227 ischemic strokes, 39 (1.8%) with baseline modified Rankin Scale score <2 had large middle cerebral artery infarction. None underwent hemicraniectomy, and 16 (41.0%) died within 30 days. Six patients (0.3% of all ischemic strokes) were potentially eligible for hemicraniectomy; 1 died within 30 days.

Conclusions—

Based on criteria from clinical trials, only 0.3% of cases were eligible for hemicraniectomy. Given the survival and functional outcome benefit in treated patients, future studies should determine whether additional subgroups of patients with ischemic stroke may benefit from hemicraniectomy.
Cilostazol Reduces the Risk of Hemorrhagic Infarction After Administration of Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator in a Murine Stroke Model
Authors: Kasahara Yukiko , Nakagomi Takayuki , Matsuyama Tomohiro , Stern David , Taguchi Akihiko
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Prior use of antiplatelet agents improves stroke outcome in patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy as shown by reduced arterial reocclusion, although the risk of cerebral hemorrhage can be increased.

Methods—

The effect of cilostazol, an antiplatelet drug that improves endothelial function through upregulation of intracellular cAMP, on cerebral hemorrhage after thrombolytic therapy was investigated using a highly reproducible transient ischemia model.

Results—

Treatment with cilostazol for 7 days before ischemia significantly suppressed the risk and severity of cerebral hemorrhage after injection of tissue-type plasminogen activator, although treatment with aspirin had no such protective effect compared with nontreated mice. Immunohistological analysis revealed that treatment with cilostazol suppressed disruption of the microvasculature in the ischemic area associated with reduced matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity.

Conclusions—

Our results suggest that patients treated with cilostazol before onset of stroke could have a lower risk of cerebral hemorrhage after thrombolytic therapy and might also have a longer therapeutic time window for thrombolysis. Furthermore, the risk of cerebral hemorrhage can be significantly altered by prestroke therapies, and analysis of the effects of multiple drugs on tissue-type plasminogen activator-induced cerebral hemorrhage in animal models is essential for the extending safe and effective thrombolytic therapy to a wider group of patients.
Emergency Department Adherence to American Heart Association Guidelines for Blood Pressure Management in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Grise Erin McDonough , Adeoye Opeolu , Lindsell Christopher , Alwell Kathleen , Moomaw Charles , Kissela Brett , Woo Dan , Flaherty Matthew , Ferioli Simona , Khatri Pooja , Broderick Joseph , Kleindorfer Dawn
Published: October 2011

Background and Purpose—

Severely elevated blood pressure (BP) and aggressive BP reduction are both associated with poor outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). In nontissue-type plasminogen activator patients, the American Heart Association recommends antihypertensive therapy only if BP is ≥220/120 mm Hg with a goal of 15% to 25% reduction in the first 24 hours. We hypothesized that patients with AIS often receive antihypertensives in the emergency department below the recommended threshold and that BP reduction is often >20%.

Methods—

In 2005, AIS cases were ascertained at all 16 hospitals in Greater Cincinnati. BP was recorded at emergency department presentation and before and after antihypertensive treatment. Hypertension was defined as BP ≥220/120 mm Hg. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney
U
tests were used for comparisons.

Results—

A total of 1739 patients with AIS met inclusion criteria. Median age was 72 years with 43% male and 25% black. Of 218 treated with antihypertensives, 65 (30.0%) met treatment criteria immediately before treatment. Treated patients were younger (66 versus 73 years,
P
<0.001) with greater stroke severity than untreated patients (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score 4 versus 3,
P
=0.028). Median change in systolic BP was −25 mm Hg (range, −96 to 25 mm Hg). Median percentage change in systolic BP was −12.3% (range, −49.2% to 16.1%). Systolic BP decreased >20% in 52 treated patients (23.7%).

Conclusions—

Only one third of patients with AIS treated with antihypertensives met American Heart Association-recommended treatment criteria, and the rate of change of BP was frequently greater than recommended. Further studies are warranted to determine the impact of practice patterns on AIS outcomes.
Exploring the Roles of Complex Networks in Linguistic Categorization
Authors: Gong Tao , Baronchelli Andrea , Puglisi Andrea , Loreto Vittorio
Published: October 2011

This article adopts the category game model, which simulates the origins and evolution of linguistic categories in a group of artificial agents, to evaluate the effect of social structure on linguistic categorization. Based on the simulation results in a number of typical networks, we examine the isolating and collective effects of some structural features, including average degree, shortcuts, and level of centrality, on the categorization process. This study extends the previous simulations mainly on lexical evolution, and illustrates a general framework to systematically explore the effect of social structure on language evolution.
Deprivation of Liberty of Juvenile Offenders in Slovenia
Authors: Filipčič Katja , Prelic´ Danijela
Published: October 2011

Slovene courts sentence only less than 2% of juvenile offenders to prison, whereas approximately 6% are placed in institutions for residential treatment. The comparison with other European countries leads to the conclusion that Slovenia is one of the countries with the lowest share of juveniles in prison or pretrial detention. The other characteristics of sentencing and detaining indicate that Slovenia follows the recommendations stipulated in the international documents as regards to the deprivation of liberty of juvenile offenders. The article presents certain areas of the legislation in which the best interest of the child should be fulfilled more consistently.
Beyond the Throwaway Society: Ordinary Domestic Practice and a Sociological Approach to Household Food Waste
Authors: Evans David
Published: October 2011

This article offers a sociological analysis of household food waste and its starting point is a critique of perspectives in which volumes of waste generation are used to infer the presence of a throwaway society. Drawing on broadly ethnographic examples, the analysis illustrates some of the ways in which the passage of ‘food’ into ‘waste’ arises as a consequence of the ways in which domestic practices are socially and materially organized. Specifically, attention is paid to: 1) routines of household food provisioning and the contingencies of everyday life; 2) the social relations manifest in the enduring convention of the family meal and; 3) the socio-temporal context of food practices. Taken together it is suggested that contemporary sociological approaches to home consumption, material culture and everyday life can usefully engage with public and policy concerns about the origins and consequences of food waste.
Combining Ethnography and Game Theory Using Simulation: A Critique and Development of ‘Can Norms Account for Strategic Interaction?’ by S. Gezelius
Authors: Chattoe-Brown Edmund
Published: October 2011

In a 2007 article in Sociology, Gezelius offers an account of information exchange between Norwegian fishermen using game theoretic analysis of ethnographic data. In this article, I consider what his analysis reveals about using game theory in sociology. To be effective, this must combine systematic use of ethnography with effective application of game theory. In addition, the methods of simulation and evolutionary game theory are important tools to explain rich sets of norms and practices observable ethnographically.
The Practice of Fairtrade Support
Authors: Wheeler Kathryn
Published: October 2011

This article employs a practice–theoretical approach in order to explore how preferences towards Fairtrade goods emerge and are sustained through engagement in varied social practices. In recent years, the rates of Fairtrade consumption have been growing steadily both within the UK and globally and this growth has been widely represented as the result of thousands of individual citizen-consumers ‘voting’ for fairer trade. This article moves away from current accounts of (Fairtrade) consumption that rely on models of conscious and expressive consumer choice and instead demonstrates how consumption is shaped by shared structures of knowledge, institutional frameworks and infrastructures of provision. In so doing, attention is drawn to the wider practice of Fairtrade support which is collectively constituted by agents from diverse social backgrounds and in which consuming Fairtrade goods forms only one part of what is means to be a ‘Fairtrade supporter’.
Understanding the Religious Behaviour of Muslims in the Netherlands and the UK
Authors: Güveli Ayşe , Platt Lucinda
Published: October 2011

The position of Muslims in Western societies is the subject of intense study and debate. However, remarkably little attention has been paid to the practice of European Muslims and how Muslim religiosity relates to conventional measures of social and economic integration. In this article we draw on theories of secularization, assimilation, revitalization and integration to explore the correlates of attendance at religious meetings for Muslims of different backgrounds in the Netherlands and the UK. We conclude that patterns of religiosity and secularization cannot be generalized across national contexts.
The Social Structure of the Liquid Self: Exploratory Lessons from Israeli Flight Attendants
Authors: Hazaz-Berger Hagar , Yair Gad
Published: October 2011

This paper provides an empirical investigation of Israeli flight attendants in order to characterize the structural underpinnings of the liquid self, and their resultant phenomenological consequences on personal morality, conceptions of self and interpersonal relations. The study touched upon the motivations and behaviours of flight attendants, how they juggle family and personal commitments, and the internal persona they adopt vis-à-vis their own selves. By contextualizing their narratives through the structural elements of their jobs, the study exposes the attendants’ ambivalent and incoherent lives and the complex ways in which they manage their social networks across place and time. While flight attendants evince chameleon-like selves and fluid morality in their interpersonal relations – taking advantage of their ability to stage different selves in different ports of life – they maintain their multiple selves in functioning ways.
Meeting the Challenges of Intensive Parenting Culture: Gender, Risk Management and the Moral Parent
Authors: Shirani Fiona , Henwood Karen , Coltart Carrie
Published: October 2011

In recent years, academics have shown interest in the phenomenon of intensive parenting, which has predominantly focused on mothers as primary caregivers. In this article we seek to move beyond approaches which invoke a maternal lens in order to consider fathers’ experience of intensive parenting in relation to their lives with partners. Drawing on data from a qualitative longitudinal study of men over the transition to fatherhood we explore men’s experiences of the benefits and challenges of an intensive parenting approach. Despite increased involvement in childcare, men appear to be relatively insulated against the demands of intensive parenting, describing the importance of autonomous decision-making over following expert advice. However, this article considers the way in which other aspects of contemporary parenting may be experienced more intensively by men, pointing to gender differentiation in risks related to a moral parenthood identity.
Muslim Women Negotiating Collective Stigmatization: ‘We’re Just Normal People’
Authors: Ryan Louise
Published: October 2011

In the post 9/11 and 7/7 era how does collective stigmatization impact on Muslim women in Britain? Drawing on interviews with women from diverse Muslim backgrounds, this article explores how they experience and seek to resist anti-Islamic stigma. Using a Goffmanian framework, I examine how women resist stigmatization by asserting their moral integrity and laying claim to ‘the normal’. Particular attention is paid to how normality is constructed through the presentation and dressing of the self in everyday encounters. While on the surface the women embrace a shared sense of being ‘just normal’, further analysis reveals very different interpretations of what that might mean. Thus, the article additionally questions what is meant by being a ‘normal’ Muslim woman in multicultural Britain and examines the extent to which this can ever be attained.
The Distinguishing Features of Latin America’s New Left in Power
Authors: Ellner Steve
Published: October 2011

The governments of Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), and Rafael Correa (Ecuador) share strategies, policies, and discourses that contrast with those of the center-leftists in power in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay as well as the social democratic, socialist, and classical populist experiences of the past. All three governments have triumphed at the polls with large majorities, rely on the ongoing mobilization of their followers, and embrace radical democracy based on a strong executive branch and direct popular participation in decision making as opposed to corporatist mechanisms. The three governments have been characterized by steady radicalization, their movements consist of multiclass alliances, and their economic policies have diversified commercial and technological relations. They have also established close ties with neighboring center-left governments and have promoted unity arrangements in the continent to resolve political disputes that exclude the United States. Their movements have fashioned a new narrative of nationhood that links radical goals and nationalist sentiment with traditions of political and social struggle.
Review of James Hartley’s research on structured abstracts
Authors: Zhang Chunfang , Liu Xueli
Published: October 2011

Structured abstracts have been employed in biomedical journals for more than 20 years. Professor James Hartley in the School of Psychology, Keele University, UK has published over 25 research papers and conducted systematic studies on structured abstracts. This paper reviews this research from five perspectives: the advantages of structured abstracts over traditional ones, the typographic layout of structured abstracts, the content of structure abstracts, the application of structured abstracts to medical, non-medical and social science journals, and evaluating the quality of structured abstracts. Our aim is to achieve a fuller understanding of what is known about structured abstracts in this field by summarizing James Hartley’s research.
Determination of Absolute Counts of Circulating Regulatory T Cells in Cynomolgus Macaques Using an Optimized Flow Cytometric Method
Authors: Clark Stacie M. , Narayanan Padma K. , Fort Madeline M.
Published: October 2011

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a rare subset of lymphocytes that inhibit the activation and effector functions of T cells and are important regulators of immune responses. Although Tregs are well characterized in humans and rodents, little is known about their immunophenotyping (IP) profile in cynomolgus macaques ( Macaca fascicularis), which is an important species for pharmacological and toxicological evaluation of potential immune modulators because of their similar physiologic, genetic, and metabolic response patterns to humans. The authors have developed an immunophenotyping panel using a high-throughput 96-well microtiter plate–based assay to detect circulating Tregs (CD3+CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+) and have determined the normal range for the number of Tregs in naive healthy cynomolgus macaques to be 56.4 to 179.7 cells/µL (mean ± SEM = 113.6 ± 5.1 cells/µL; n = 25). Furthermore, the authors compared the resulting FoxP3+ Treg profiles with a CD127lo cell-surface panel (CD3+CD4+CD25hi CD127lo) and found a close correlation between the absolute numbers of CD3+CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+ and CD3+CD4+CD25hiCD127lo cells (mean ± SD = 120 ± 8.0 cells/µL). Quantification of circulating Tregs in cynomolgus macaques in this high-throughput assay may help to identify drug candidates that affect this rare, but critical, immunoregulatory cell population.
The Evident, the Secretive and the Mysterious in Analytic Group Psychotherapy
Authors: Nativ Galia
Published: October 2011

Three dimensions of human consciousness—the evident, the secretive and the mysterious—are reflected in the analytic therapy group. The aim of my article is to demonstrate this by discussing each dimension’s origin, quality and function in the group and their influence on each member and on the group matrix. I will illustrate my ideas with anecdotes from my analytic group and will also draw on excerpts from the novel, Laish (1994), by Israeli author Aharon Appelfeld. I will also make brief reference to certain relevant ideas of Plato.
Observations on the Interplay between Large and Small Analytic Groups
Authors: Rippa Ben , Moss Eric , Chirurg Mishael
Published: October 2011

The authors address unanswered questions about the attraction of the often stormy large group and the interplay between it and small groups. If the large group is a place that arouses many difficult feelings, why do people in conferences, workshops, training programmes and on the Internet continue to participate in them? The authors found that within Internet large groups there was a clear pattern of setting up a small, intimate core group. They found a similar pattern in two live, group workshops. The authors learned that large and small groups are intricately related, and that when participants have the chance, they choose to continue in an on-going, back-and-forth movement between each.
Modulatory effect of cod liver oil on bone mineralization in overiectomized female Sprague Dawley rats
Authors: Moselhy Said S , Al-Malki Abdulrahman L , Kumosani Taha A , Jalal Jalaluddin A
Published: October 2011

Osteoporosis represents a major public health problem through its association with fragility fractures, primarily of the hip, spine and distal forearm. The risk of osteoporosis increased in postmenopausal women due to decline in estrogen levels. Replicable hormone therapy is associated with undesirable side effects. Cod liver oil (CLO) is a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid eicosapentaenoic acid linolenic acid and vitamins A, E and D. In this study, the effect of CLO will be tested in the prevention of bone loss in the ovariectomized (OVX) female rats. One group of OVX rats ( n = 12) received an estrogen implantation at the time of operation and the second group was supplemented orally with CLO (200 μl/kg body weight) daily for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, blood was analysed for serum calcium, phosphorous, bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and estrogen and femur for calcium determination. Estrogen implantation as well as CLO supplementation in OVX rats increased the calcium level in femur as compared with sham rats ( p < 0.05). It is concluded that supplementation of CLO have a positive effect on bone mineralization in rat, and this could offer a new strategy to avoid the side effects of replaceable hormonal therapy.
Synergistic effect of lycopene and tocopherol against oxidative stress and mammary tumorigenesis induced by 7,12-dimethyl[a]benzanthracene in female rats
Authors: Al-Malki Abdulrahman L , Moselhy Said S , Refai Mohammed Y
Published: October 2011

Breast cancer is one of the most serious problems in oncology. We investigated the antitumor potential of lycopene (Lyco) alone or combined with tocopherol (Lyco + Toco) for 90 days against a single oral dose of (50 mg/kg body weight) 7,12-dimethyl[ a]benzanthracene (DMBA)-induced oxidative stress and mammary carcinogenesis in female rats. The treatment protocol started from the day immediately after DMBA administration. Results obtained indicated that there was a significant elevation in the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in serum and breast tissues of DMBA-injected rats. The combined treatment (Lyco + Toco) group showed a potential reduction of these parameters more than Lyco alone group. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were found to be significantly higher when compared to rats treated with Lyco alone. In DMBA group, a positive significant correlation between NO and MDA ( r = 0.92) was observed. Histopathological examination revealed the formation of tumor and angiogenesis in DMBA-induced rats and these abnormal changes were ameliorated by combined treatment with Lyco + Toco. In conclusion, these results suggested that supplementation of diet with Lyco and Toco provided antioxidant defense, with strong chemopreventive activity against DMBA-induced mammary tumors.
Study on a seawater hydraulic piston pump with check valves for underwater tools
Authors: He X , Zhu B , Liu Y , Jiang Z
Published: October 2011

The aim of this study is to develop a seawater hydraulic piston pump for the power pack of an underwater tool system. A pump with check valves and oil–water-separated structure was selected for the purpose of improving its tolerance to particles when applied in open-circuit system. A novel ‘anti-loosening’ structure was introduced for the piston/shoe assembly. To improve the anti-wear and anti-corrosion performances of the piston and sleeve pairs under seawater lubrication, carbon fibre-reinforced polyetheretherketone was injected as an inner of the sleeve, and synthesized WC was formed on the piston with improved surface hardness. The unbalance problem of the shaft assembly was solved based on Solidworks software by adjusting the centre of mass of the shaft to its rotation axis and making all the products of inertia close to zero for an arbitrary-given coordinate system in which one of its axes is at the rotation axis. Basic performances and reliability experiments for the pump were carried out on a test rig. The shaft assembly was verified by experiment to reach very desirable balance effect. The pump has relative high efficiency at 10 MPa rated pressure and 14 MPa maximum pressure. After 300 h durability test, neither excessive wear could be found for the piston/sleeve pairs as well as other parts in the pump, nor obvious performance degradation happened to the pump. The dynamic balancing method presented in this article provides an easy and effective way to solve the unbalance problem for a shaft with special structure and can be widely used in other rotating machines. New design on the seawater hydraulic pump was initially confirmed to be feasible, although further research needs to be conducted. The pump has been successfully applied in an underwater seawater hydraulic tool system.
Enhancement of ignition of a gas turbine by the addition of small amounts of H2O2
Authors: Prongidis A , McIntosh A C , Wilson C W , Dolmansley T
Published: October 2011

A novel ignition system was studied experimentally, in which small volumes of hydrogen peroxide – of the order of µL/s – were injected at the site of ignition, during the firing of a focus discharge igniter. Experiments were made at an atmospheric testing facility using an industrial Rolls-Royce olympus combustion chamber with kerosene Jet A1 as the fuel and atmospheric air as the oxidizer. The study concentrated on the determination of the lean ignition limits of the Jet A1–air mixture at various air mass flowrates with and without the addition of H2O2. Notable improvements, from 6.5 per cent to 44 per cent, in the ignition limits of the kerosene–air mixture were attainable using only a small amount of H2O2 during the ignition process. The study suggests that these improvements are directly related to the increase in the ignition efficiency of the igniter.
Fuzzy control with robust and passive properties for discrete-time Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy systems with multiplicative noises
Authors: Chang W-J , Jheng S-S , Ku C-C
Published: October 2011

This paper deals with the problem of robust fuzzy control for uncertain passive discrete-time non-linear stochastic systems with multiplicative noise. In this paper the non-linear stochastic system is represented by a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model. Using that approach the concept of parallel distributed compensation is applied to construct the fuzzy controller. Sufficient stability conditions are derived in terms of a linear matrix inequality by applying the Lyapunov theory. In addition, the passivity theory and robust technique are used to guarantee strict input passivity and robust asymptotical stability of the closed-loop system with admissible parameter uncertainties. Finally, a numerical example concerning the control of a truck–trailer system is provided to demonstrate the validity of the proposed fuzzy controller design method.
Exogenous Political Institutions? Constitutional Choice in Postindependence Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Elgie Robert
Published: October 2011

The study of the effects of institutions suffers from a potential endogeneity problem. This article proposes a strategy for addressing this problem by estimating the motivations for institutional choice directly. It identifies the motivations behind the wording of postindependence constitutions in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa. The author finds that constitutional wording in these countries has been motivated by the strength of ties with France. However, contrary to standard narratives, domestic political preferences also have been influential. By estimating the motivations for institutional choice directly, scholars are better placed to draw conclusions about the independent effect of institutions in this region.
Saving civilization from empire: Belligerency, pacifism and the two faces of civilization during the Second Opium War
Authors: Phillips Andrew
Published: October 2011

Conventional accounts of international society’s expansion have traditionally emphasized the role played by ‘civilizing missions’ in facilitating and legitimating European aggression and imperial expansion. Conversely, in this article, I demonstrate that the relationship between imperial violence and the rhetoric of ‘civilizing missions’ was far more contested and contingent than International Relations scholars have generally assumed. Using the parliamentary debate surrounding Britain’s involvement in the Second Opium War as a case study, I reveal that civilizational rhetoric in the 1857 ‘China debate’ was equally implicated in both anti-imperialist and imperialist agendas. Richard Cobden’s victory in the debate over Palmerston’s pro-war ministry further illustrates the political potency of appeals to civilization as a brake — however temporary — on Britain’s imperial expansion. An appreciation of civilization’s janus-faced character — as a rhetorical commonplace that at different times abetted and inhibited imperial aggression — is therefore critical if we are to comprehend the halting and arrhythmic pattern of international society’s progressive expansion under British leadership in the mid-Victorian period.
Marxism in IR: Condemned to a Realist fate?
Authors: Davenport Andrew
Published: October 2011

Behind the recent discussions within Marxist IR theory concerning political multiplicity and uneven and combined development lies the larger, still unresolved, question of Marxism’s relation to Realism. Marxism in IR has never sufficiently recognized the seriousness of the challenge that the Realist conceptions of the intrinsic nature of the political and, therefore, of the international present to any Marxist ambition of human freedom. A review of the major approaches within IR Marxism shows that the question of the political remains a theoretical blind spot. Hence, they cannot convincingly grasp geopolitics and the international without falling prey to Realist essentializing. This theoretical deficit within IR Marxism is traceable back to the ambivalence of Marx’s own thinking concerning revolutionary social change. If it is to escape the Realist fate, Marxism in IR must engage with the central categories of political thought to produce a critical theory of the political.
The future of critical security studies: Ethics and the politics of security
Authors: Browning Christopher S. , McDonald Matt
Published: October 2011

‘Critical security studies’ has come to occupy a prominent place within the lexicon of International Relations and security studies over the past two decades. While disagreement exists about the boundaries of this sub-discipline or indeed some of its central commitments, in this article we argue that we can indeed talk about a ‘critical security studies’ project orienting around three central themes. The first is a fundamental critique of traditional (realist) approaches to security; the second is a concern with the politics of security — the question of what security does politically; while the third is with the ethics of security — the question of what progressive practices look like regarding security. We suggest that it is the latter two of these concerns with the politics and ethics of security that ultimately define the ‘critical security studies’ project. Taking the so-called Welsh School and Copenhagen School frameworks as archetypal examples of ‘critical security studies’ (and its limits), in this article we argue that despite its promises, scholarship in this tradition has generally fallen short of providing us with a sophisticated, convincing account of either the politics or the ethics of security. At stake in the failure to provide such an account is the fundamental question of whether we need a ‘critical security studies’ at all.
The rise of Chinese exceptionalism in international relations
Authors: Zhang Feng
Published: October 2011

Although exceptionalism is an important dimension of China’s foreign policy, it has not been a subject of serious scholarly research. This article attempts to identify manifestations of exceptionalism in China’s long history and explain why and how different types of exceptionalism have arisen in different historical periods. The analytical approach is both historical and theoretical. It explores how international structure has interacted with perceptions of history and culture to produce three distinctive yet related types of exceptionalism in imperial, Maoist, and contemporary China. While resting on an important factual basis, China’s exceptionalism is constructed by mixing facts with myths through selective use of the country’s vast historical and cultural experiences. The implications of contemporary China’s exceptionalism — as characterized by the claims of great power reformism, benevolent pacifism, and harmonious inclusions — are drawn out by a comparison with American exceptionalism. While American exceptionalism has both offensive and defensive faces, Chinese exceptionalism is in general more defensive and even vague. While not determinative, exceptionalism can suggest policy dispositions, and by being an essential part of China’s worldview, it can become an important source for policy ideas, offer the ingredients for the supposed construction of Chinese theories of international relations, and provide a lens through which to view emerging Chinese visions of international relations.