bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential expression of signal transduction factors in ovarian follicle development: a functional role for betaglycan and FIBP in granulosa cells in cattle
Authors: Forde N. , Mihm M. , Canty M. J. , Zielak A. E. , Baker P. J. , Park S. , Lonergan P. , Smith G. W. , Coussens P. M. , Ireland J. J. , Evans A. C. O.
Published: February 2008

Ovarian follicles develop in groups yet individual follicles follow different growth trajectories. This growth and development are regulated by endocrine and locally produced growth factors that use a myriad of receptors and signal transduction pathways to exert their effects on theca and granulosa cells. We hypothesize that differential growth may be due to differences in hormonal responsiveness that is partially mediated by differences in expression of genes involved in signal transduction. We used the bovine dominant follicle model, microarrays, quantitative real-time PCR and RNA interference to examine this. We identified 83 genes coding for signal transduction molecules and validated a subset of them associated with different stages of the follicle wave. We suggest important roles for CAM kinase-1 and EphA4 in theca cells and BCAR1 in granulosa cells for the development of dominant follicles and for betaglycan and FIBP in granulosa cells of regressing subordinate follicles. Inhibition of genes for betaglycan and FIBP in granulosa cells in vitro suggests that they inhibit estradiol production in regressing subordinate follicles.
Uncloaking the Genetic Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Lahiry Piya , Pollex Rebecca L. , Hegele Robert A.
Published: February 2008

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a commonly encountered cluster of clinical phenotypes, including central obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. Identifying genetic determinants of MetS will lead to better understanding of its progression and pathogenesis. To further the knowledge of MetS it is important to not only study the candidate genes for each individual component but to also investigate patients with rare monogenic disorders who express a cluster of the phenotypes commonly observed in MetS, however defined. In addition, certain genetic variants have been observed to increase or decrease the risk of developing the entire syndrome. It is apparent that only through complete understanding of the gene–gene, gene–gender and gene–nutrition interactions underlying MetS, will it become possible to determine or minimize the principal complications, namely type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this review, we focus on the current evidence for common gene polymorphisms that predispose to or protect from the development of MetS.
Dietary Modulators of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors: Implications for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Guri Amir J. , Hontecillas Raquel , Bassaganya-Riera Josep
Published: February 2008

In its simplest form, obesity is a state characterized by nutrient overabundance leading to hypertrophy of storage cells in white adipose tissue and the deposition of excess lipids into key metabolic regions, such as skeletal muscle and liver. Ever so steadily, this condition begins to manifest itself as progressive insulin resistance and thus ensues a myriad of other chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, which all fall into the realm of the metabolic syndrome. To offset imbalances in nutrient availability, however, it appears that nature has developed the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), a family of endogenous lipid sensors that adeptly modulate our rates of macronutrient oxidation and regulate the systemic inflammatory response, which itself is tightly linked to the development of obesity-induced chronic disease. By understanding how PPARs α, δ and γ act jointly to maintain metabolic homeostasis and reduce the chronic inflammation associated with obesity, we may one day discover that the machinery needed to defeat obesity and control the devastating consequences of the metabolic syndrome have been with us the entire time.
Nanomedicine: Application of Nanobiotechnology in Medical Practice
Authors: Jain K.K.
Published: February 2008

Nanomedicine is the application of nanobiotechnologies to medicine. This article starts with the basics of nanobiotechnology, followed by its applications in molecular diagnostics, nanodiagnostics, and improvements in the discovery, design and delivery of drugs, including nanopharmaceuticals. It will improve biological therapies such as vaccination, cell therapy and gene therapy. Nanobiotechnology forms the basis of many new devices being developed for medicine and surgery such as nanorobots. It has applications in practically every branch of medicine and examples are presented of those concerning cancer (nanooncology), neurological disorders (nanoneurology), cardiovascular disorders (nanocardiology), diseases of bones and joints (nanoorthopedics), diseases of the eye (nanoophthalmology), and infectious diseases. Safety issues of in vivo use of nanomaterials are also discussed. Nanobiotechnology will facilitate the integration of diagnostics with therapeutics and facilitate the development of personalized medicine, i.e. prescription of specific therapeutics best suited for an individual. Many of the developments have already started and within a decade a definite impact will be felt in the practice of medicine.
Gender Differences in Pharmacological and Clinical Associates of Kidney Disease
Authors: Sweileh Waleed M.
Published: February 2008

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify the pharmacological and clinical associates of kidney disease among males and females. Subjects and Methods: This is a cross-sectional retrospective study. All patients admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine at Al-Watani Hospital were included in the study. Medical data were obtained from patients’ medical records. Kidney disease was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) less than the published cutoff points. Males with GFR <64.25 ml/min and females with GFR <59.25 ml/min were designated as kidney group and those above were considered the reference group. GFR was estimated using Cockroft-Gault equation; χ2 and multiple logistic regressions were used to test for significance using statistical package for social sciences program. Results: Of the 340 patients, 185 (54.5%) were males and 155 (45.6%) females; mean age was 60.4 ± 17 years. Of the 185 males, 58 (31.4%) and of the 155 females, 41 (26.6%) had low GFR kidney disease. Stepwise forward multiple logistic regression in males identified age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (DM) as associates of low GFR. In females, DM and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I)/diuretic utilization were identified as significant associates of having low GFR. As the number of clinical conditions present in the patient increased, the odds ratio of having low GFR increased, in a similar and parallel way in both genders. Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus, but not hypertension or advancing age, was significantly associated with low GFR in both males and females. Utilization of the ACE-I/diuretic combination was significantly associated with low GFR among females but not males. Patients, regardless of gender, who had multiple clinical conditions, had higher risk of having low GFR.
Hepatic Steatosis in Iranian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Minakari Mohammad , Sameni Farzaneh Khadem , Shalmani Hamid Mohaghegh , Molaee Mahsa , Zali Mohammad-Reza
Published: February 2008

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency and severity of fibrosis, and also the association of various viral and host factors of steatosis in Iranian patients with hepatitis C (CHC). Subjects and Methods: Eighty treatment-naïve CHC patients, age 37.6 ± 11.77 years, were studied. Percutaneous liver biopsy was performed for all patients. Based on pathology reports, patients were divided into two groups: with and without significant steatosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA), various viral and host factors, and biochemical findings and genotyping of HCV were compared in the two groups. Results: Of the 80 patients, 42 (52.5%) had pathologic evidence of significant steatosis. The mean serum level of cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase as well as the mean body mass index, viral load, stage of fibrosis and frequency of genotype 3 were significantly higher in the patients with than those without steatosis (p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, only genotype 3 and viral load had significant association with steatosis. In patients with genotype 3 infection, the mean viral load in those with and without steatosis was 1,623,357 ± 833,543.46 and 821,262.1 ± 924,480 copies/ml, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.009). The mean viral load in patients with genotype 1 infection was not significantly different between the two groups. The mean stage of fibrosis was higher in the group that had significant steatosis (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Steatosis is a common finding in Iranian patients with CHC. Infection with HCV genotype 3 and high viral load in these patients are associated with significant steatosis.
Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein B1B1 Genotype Is Associated with a Parental History of Cardiovascular Diseases in Taiwanese People
Authors: Hsieh Ming-Chia , Chen Chung-Chi , Wang Jaw-Yuan , Chong Inn-Wen , Yhe Chi-Jung , Shin Shyi-Jang , Lin Shiu-Ru
Published: February 2008

Objective: To investigate the association between family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) TaqIB polymorphism in Taiwanese subjects. Subjects and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 240 subjects (115 men and 125 women) were divided into two groups based on whether or not they had a parental history of CVD. Polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to analyze the genotype of the subjects for the TaqIB polymorphism of CETP in intron 1. Results: The frequency of the B1B1 genotype was significantly higher in Taiwanese subjects with a family history of CVD than in those without it (31.2 vs. 18.8%, odds ratio = 1.97, 95% confidence interval = 1.084–3.579, p = 0.035). Siblings with the B1B1 genotype had lower levels of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) than siblings with either B1B2 (46.7 ± 11.0 vs. 52.5 ± 11.1 mg/dl, p = 0.034) or B2B2 genotypes (46.7 ± 11.0 vs. 55.2 ± 9.6 mg/dl, p = 0.01). Conclusion: CETP TaqIB polymorphism is associated with plasma HDL-C levels. The CETP B1B1 genotype may influence the susceptibility to CVD in Taiwan.
Primary Mediastinal Pleomorphic Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Case Report
Authors: Vyas V. , Al Awadi S. , Nemec J. , El Khodary A. , Francis I.M. , Muralidharan K.C. , Delvadiya M.D.
Published: February 2008

Objective: To report a rare case of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma which occurred in the mediastinum of a 34-year-old man.Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A young male labourer presented with dyspnoea on exertion. A large mediastinal mass was detected on chest CT scan. The chest surgeons advised against open biopsy. His α-fetoprotein was 22,000 IU/l; based on this the diagnosis of a germ cell tumour was made and the patient was treated with a bleomycin/etoposide/cisplatin regimen. He left for his native country where an open biopsy from the mediastinum was taken and reported as pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. He was given five courses of chemotherapy with doxorubicin, etoposide, and ifosfamide with mesna protection without much relief. The inoperable disease occupied the whole of the right chest and mediastinum. The enormous size of the radiation field made radiotherapy prohibitive. Finally, the patient opted for symptomatic treatment and left for his native place. Conclusion: This case is presented because of its difficulty in management and rarity.
Diffuse Cystic Bronchiectasis Associated with Left Microtia and External Auditory Canal Atresia: A Very Rare Coincidence
Authors: Davutoglu Mehmet , Dilber Cengiz , Turut Hasan , Guler Ekrem , Karabiber Hamza , Guler Selma
Published: February 2008

Objective: To present a case in which diffuse cystic bronchiectasis was associated with left microtia/external auditory canal atresia. Clinical Presentation: A 10-year-old girl suffering from cough, fever, dyspnea and sputum for 6 months was transferred to our clinic due to the diagnosis of bronchopneumonia. She had recurrent episodes of bronchopneumonia. On examination, left microtia and left external auditory canal atresia were detected. Thorax CT revealed diffuse cystic bronchiectasis on the left lung. Radiological examination showed atresia of the left external auditory canal. We could not find any etiopathological reason causing bronchiectasis. Intervention: The patient underwent left pneumonectomy and postoperative histopathology was reported as bronchiectasis. Conclusion: This report shows a unique case in which an association of diffuse cystic bronchiectasis and left microtia/external auditory canal atresia was observed. Hence in newborns with microtia and/or external auditory canal atresia, the probability of development of bronchiectasis should be borne in mind and such patients should be followed up more carefully regarding this rare association.
Transcription of Corynebacterium glutamicum Genes Involved in Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle and Glyoxylate Cycle
Authors: Han Sung Ok , Inui Masayuki , Yukawa Hideaki
Published: February 2008

Transcription of the tricarboxylic acid cycle genes of Corynebacterium glutamicum was investigated. Northern hybridizations revealed that gltA-fkb, odhA-orfA, sucC-sucD, sdhC-sdhA-sdhB-orfB and mdh-orfC were transcribed as polycistronic mRNAs of size 1.9, 4.5, 2.5, 4.0 and 1.7 kb, respectively. The acn-acnR-gat gene cluster was transcribed as a mono-, bi- or tricistronic mRNA, depending on the carbon source. The 2.9-kb (acn) and 1.5-kb (acnR-gat) mRNAs, which were regulated by different promoters upstream of acn and acnR, were inversely expressed in acetate and glucose. The 4.5 kb (acn-acnR-gat) mRNA was constitutively expressed. The sizes of the mRNAs were 2.3, 2.1, 1.5, 1.3, 1.7, 1.5 and 2.9 kb for icd, sucB, fum, mdhB, mqo, aceA and aceB, respectively, indicating monocistronic transcription of these genes. RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends analysis of C. glutamicum RNA showed that the transcriptional start sites of gltA, acn, icd, odhA, sucB, sucC, sdhC, fum, mdh, mdhB, mqo, aceA and aceB were located 121, 107, 31, 99, 46, 83, 15, 25, 33, 23, 70, 111 and 183 bp upstream from the first nucleotide of the respective translation initiation codons. Alignment of these gene promoter regions provided evidence for highly conserved sequences that exhibited similarity to the σA consensus promoter sequences of Gram-positive bacteria.
Spontaneous Resolution of Severe Aplastic Anemia following Thymic Hemorrhage
Authors: Ghosh Kanjaksha , Madkaikar Manisha , Jijina Farah
Published: February 2008

Over the last 7 years we have seen more than 200 severe aplastic anemia patients at this centre. Three of them developed an unusual complication in the form of thymic hemorrhage. Following this complication, all 3 patients recovered partially from their aplastic anemia, without any need for further immunosuppression. These cases show possible ways to manipulate the thymus gland as a management strategy for this disease.
Cardioprotection by
N
-Acetylglucosamine Linkage to Cellular Proteins
Authors: Jones Steven P. , Zachara Natasha E. , Ngoh Gladys A. , Hill Bradford G. , Teshima Yasushi , Bhatnagar Aruni , Hart Gerald W. , Marbán Eduardo
Published: February 2008

Background—

The modification of proteins with
O
-linked β-
N
-acetylglucosamine (
O
-GlcNAc) represents a key posttranslational modification that modulates cellular function. Previous data suggest that
O
-GlcNAc may act as an intracellular metabolic or stress sensor, linking glucose metabolism to cellular function. Considering this, we hypothesized that augmentation of
O
-GlcNAc levels represents an endogenously recruitable mechanism of cardioprotection.

Methods and Results—

In mouse hearts subjected to in vivo ischemic preconditioning,
O
-GlcNAc levels were significantly elevated. Pharmacological augmentation of
O
-GlcNAc levels in vivo was sufficient to reduce myocardial infarct size. We investigated the influence of
O
-GlcNAc levels on cardiac injury at the cellular level. Lethal oxidant stress of cardiac myocytes produced a time-dependent loss of cellular
O
-GlcNAc levels. This pathological response was largely reversible by pharmacological augmentation of
O
-GlcNAc levels and was associated with improved cardiac myocyte survival. The diminution of
O
-GlcNAc levels occurred synchronously with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in isolated cardiac myocytes. Pharmacological enhancement of
O
-GlcNAc levels attenuated the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Proteomic analysis identified voltage-dependent anion channel as a potential target of
O
-GlcNAc modification. Mitochondria isolated from adult mouse hearts with elevated
O
-GlcNAc levels had more
O
-GlcNAc–modified voltage-dependent anion channel and were more resistant to calcium-induced swelling than cardiac mitochondria from vehicle mice.

Conclusions—

O
-GlcNAc signaling represents a unique endogenously recruitable mechanism of cardioprotection that may involve direct modification of mitochondrial proteins critical for survival such as voltage-dependent anion channel.
Dietary Fish and ω-3 Fatty Acid Consumption and Heart Rate Variability in US Adults
Authors: Mozaffarian Dariush , Stein Phyllis K. , Prineas Ronald J. , Siscovick David S.
Published: February 2008

Background—

Fish and ω-3 fatty acid consumption reduce risk of cardiac death, but mechanisms are not well established. Heart rate variability (HRV) predicts cardiac death and reflects specific electrophysiological pathways and influences. We hypothesized that habitual consumption of fish and marine ω-3 fatty acids would be associated with more favorable HRV, elucidating electrophysiological influences and supporting effects on clinical risk.

Methods and Results—

In a population-based cohort of older US adults, we evaluated cross-sectional associations of usual dietary fish and ω-3 consumption during the prior year and ECG-derived (n=4263) and 24-hour Holter monitor–derived (n=1152) HRV. After multivariable adjustment, consumption of tuna or other broiled/baked fish was associated with specific HRV components, including indices suggesting greater vagal predominance and moderated baroreceptor responses (eg, higher root mean square successive differences of normal-to-normal intervals [
P
=0.001]; higher normalized high-frequency power [
P
=0.008]; and lower low-frequency/high-frequency ratio [
P
=0.03]) and less erratic sinoatrial node firing (eg, lower Poincaré ratio [
P
=0.02] and higher short-term fractal scaling exponent [
P
=0.005]) but not measures of circadian fluctuations (eg, 24-hour standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals). Findings were similar for estimated dietary consumption of marine ω-3 fatty acids. For magnitudes of observed differences in HRV comparing the highest to lowest category of fish intake, differences in relative risk of cardiac death during 10.8 years of follow-up ranged from 1.1% (for difference in standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals) to 5.9% and 8.4% (for differences in Poincaré ratio and short-term fractal scaling exponent) lower risk.

Conclusions—

Habitual tuna/other fish and marine ω-3 consumption are associated with specific HRV components in older adults, particularly indices of vagal activity, baroreceptor responses, and sinoatrial node function. Cellular mechanisms and implications for clinical risk deserve further investigation.
Birth Weight Relates to Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure in Healthy Adults
Authors: de Boer Michiel P. , IJzerman Richard G. , de Jongh Renate T. , Eringa Etto C. , Stehouwer Coen D.A. , Smulders Yvo M. , Serné Erik H.
Published: February 2008

The association between birth weight and blood pressure is well established but at present unexplained. According to the Borst-Guyton concept, chronic hypertension can occur only with a shift in the renal pressure–natriuresis relationship resulting in increased salt sensitivity of blood pressure. We assessed salt sensitivity of blood pressure in a group of 27 healthy adults whose birth weight was available. Birth weight was ascertained from birth certificates or announcements. Salt sensitivity of blood pressure was determined as difference in mean arterial pressure (MAP) between a 1-week high-salt (≈235 mmol NaCl/d) versus low-salt diet (≈55 mmol NaCl/d). Creatinine clearance was estimated according to the formula of Cockcroft and Gault. Birth weight was negatively associated with salt sensitivity of blood pressure (
r
=−0.60,
P
=0.002). The creatinine clearance was positively associated with birth weight (
r
=0.53;
P
=0.008) but did not influence the association between birth weight and salt sensitivity of blood pressure. Birth weight is associated with salt sensitivity of blood pressure, and this may play a role in the maintenance of elevated blood pressure in individuals with a low birth weight.
The
Atp1a1
Gene From Inbred Dahl Salt Sensitive Rats Does Not Contain the A1079T Missense Transversion
Authors: Mokry Michal , Cuppen Edwin
Published: February 2008

The existence of the A1079T transversion in the α1 isoform of the Na
+
, K
+
-ATPase (
Atp1a1
) gene in Dahl salt-sensitive rat (SS/Jr) strain, discovered by Herrera and Ruiz-Opazo and proposed to underlay hypertension sensitivity, represents one of the most controversial topics in hypertension research. As our research group did not have any previous connection to any party in this dispute nor to hypertension-related research, we were asked (
J Hypertens
. 2006;24:2312–2313) to definitively adjudge the existence of the A1079T transversion. Hence, different state-of-the art SNP detection technologies that depend on a variety of mechanisms and enzymes to detect the transversion in genomic DNA as well as cDNA derived from different tissues were used. Although it was possible to readily detect other silent polymorphisms between SS and SR strains in the
Atp1a1
gene by all methods used, no evidence for the existence of the A1079T transversion in SS/Jr rats was found.
Cloud-Top Temperatures for Precipitating Winter Clouds
Authors: Hanna Jay W. , Schultz David M. , Irving Antonio R.
Published: February 2008

To explore the role of cloud microphysics in a large dataset of precipitating clouds, a 6-month dataset of satellite-derived cloud-top brightness temperatures from the longwave infrared band (channel 4) on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) is constructed over precipitation-reporting surface observation stations, producing 144 738 observations of snow, rain, freezing rain, and sleet. The distributions of cloud-top brightness temperatures were constructed for each precipitation type, as well as light, moderate, and heavy snow and rain. The light-snow distribution has a maximum at −16°C, whereas the moderate- and heavy-snow distributions have a bimodal distribution with a primary maximum around −16° to −23°C and a secondary maximum at −35° to −45°C. The light, moderate, and heavy rain, as well as the freezing rain and sleet, distributions are also bimodal with roughly the same temperature maxima, although the colder mode dominates when compared with the snow distributions. The colder of the bimodal peaks trends to lower temperatures with increasing rainfall intensity: −45°C for light rain, −47°C for moderate rain, and −50°C for heavy rain. Like the distributions for snow, the colder peak increases in amplitude relative to the warmer peak at heavier rainfall intensities. The steep slope in the snow distribution for cloud-tops warmer than −15°C is likely due to the combined effects of above-freezing cloud-top temperatures not producing snow, the activation of ice nuclei, the maximum growth rate for ice crystals at temperatures near −15°C, and ice multiplication processes from −3° to −8°C. In contrast, the rain distributions have a gentle slope toward higher cloud-top brightness temperatures (−5° to 0°C), likely due to the warm-rain process. Last, satellite-derived cloud-top brightness temperatures are compared with coincident radiosonde-derived cloud-top temperatures. Although most differences between these two are small, some are as large as ±60°C. The cause of these differences remains unclear, and several hypotheses are offered.
Overview and First Results of the Montreal Urban Snow Experiment 2005
Authors: Lemonsu A. , Bélair S. , Mailhot J. , Benjamin M. , Morneau G. , Harvey B. , Chagnon F. , Jean M. , Voogt J.
Published: February 2008

Within the framework of a large urban meteorology program recently launched in Canada, the Montreal Urban Snow Experiment (MUSE) campaign has been conducted in order to document the thermoradiative exchanges in a densely built-up area of Montreal in late winter and spring conditions. The targeted period is of particular scientific interest because it covers the transition period from a mainly snow-covered urban environment to a mainly snow-free environment. The campaign is based on four weeks of observations from 17 March to 14 April 2005. It couples automatic and continuous measurements of radiation and turbulent fluxes, radiative surface temperatures, and air temperature and humidity with manual observations performed during intensive observation periods to supplement the surface temperature observations and to characterize the snow properties. The footprints of radiation and turbulent flux measurements are computed using the surface–sensor–sun urban model and the flux-source area model, respectively. The analysis of the radiometer footprint underscores the difficulty of correctly locating this type of instrument in urban environments, so that the sensor sees a representative combination of the urban and nonurban surfaces. Here, the alley contribution to the upward radiation tends to be overestimated to the detriment of the road contribution. The turbulent footprints cover homogeneous zones in terms of surface characteristics, whatever the wind direction. The initial analysis of the energy balance displays the predominance of the residual term (QRes = Q* − QH − QE) in comparison with the turbulent sensible (QH) and latent (QE) heat fluxes, since its daytime contribution exceeds 50% of the net radiation (Q*). The investigation of energy balances observed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment (i.e., with and without snow) also indicates that the snow plays a significant role in the flux partitioning and the daily pattern of fluxes. Without snow, the energy balance is characteristic of energy balances that have been already observed in densely built-up areas, notably because of the hysteresis observed for QRes and QH in relation to Q* and because of the high contribution of QRes, which includes the effect of heat storage inside the urban structures. With snow, the flux partitioning is modified by the snowmelt process leading to contributions of the residual term and latent heat flux, which are larger than in the case without snow to the detriment of the sensible heat flux.
`Pernicious History' as a Cause of National Misperceptions
Authors: Mendeloff David
Published: February 2008

This article examines Russia's response to the 1999 Kosovo crisis in order to evaluate theoretical propositions about the relationship between historical memory and conflict-causing misperceptions. For decades, Russian society consumed, especially through mass education, a particular interpretation of Russia's imperial wars and interventions in the Balkans and its historical relations with Serbia and the West. A comparison of the content of this view to the Russian elite and popular response to the 1999 Kosovo crisis shows how particularly pernicious historical ideas influenced a number of serious misperceptions about Balkan realities and Western motives in 1999. The case reveals that historical memory is more far-reaching than accounted for by traditional theories of misperception. Those theories, when they do incorporate historical memory, ignore or minimize the role of popular historical ideas as independent causes of misperceptions; perceptual distortions result largely from cognitive limitations in the processing of information, hence little can be done to avoid them. This study shows how historical ideas themselves may be a source of misperceptions. This has important policy implications: since historical beliefs are hardly immutable, efforts taken to scrutinize and challenge particularly pernicious interpretations of the past could help avoid conflict-causing perceptual distortions.
British Sociological Textbooks from 1949
Authors: Platt Jennifer
Published: February 2008

This article presents a study of all editions from 1949 to 2003 of British introductory sociological textbooks intended for university use. The market is described and related to institutional changes, and characteristics of the authors and the types of text produced are sketched. It is shown how the texts have changed in bulk and character over time; their explicit or implicit pedagogical strategies are considered, and their uses in a context of traditional hostility to textbooks are discussed. Typical areas of substantive and theoretical content, and their changes over time, are outlined. Finally, it is considered to what extent they are distinctively British.
The First French Sociology Textbooks (1920—45)
Authors: Guth Suzie
Published: February 2008

The first French sociology textbooks were based on a 1920 official curriculum for Ecoles Normales (teacher training schools). The textbooks for students of philosophy and for students at the Ecole Normale Supérieure are related to the same curriculum. This article compares the textbooks written for the Ecole Normale, students of philosophy and students of the Ecole Normale Supérieure. Célestin Bouglé, director of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, played a key role in the undertaking. Sociology in the Ecole Normale is supposed to give to the trainees a Weltanschauung, practical norms and a certain practical knowledge, while university students are invited to try to understand the world and to see sociology as part of general culture.
New Zealand Sociology Textbooks
Authors: Crothers Charles
Published: February 2008

The historical sequence of core New Zealand sociology texts is presented through brief descriptions of their content and form, together with some comments on other sociology-related texts and New Zealand-produced sociology texts that have wider distributions. Texts are progressively larger and with a more extensive range of coverage and move from being compilations of previously published work to original material. As the pedagogic form and content of the texts thickens, there is a consequent tendency for the texts to be distanced from ongoing sociological research in New Zealand and there is less attention to the key features of New Zealand society as the framework for organizing the text.
Textbooks, Syllabuses and Disciplinary Formation in Sweden
Authors: Larsson Anna
Published: February 2008

In the history of an academic discipline, it takes a while before a textbook production appears. In Sweden, a body of sociological textbooks began to develop in the 1950s. Sociology had become an independent university discipline in 1947 with a chair, given to Torgny T. Segerstedt, and a department at Uppsala University, followed gradually by the universities in Lund, Stockholm, Gothenburg and, somewhat later, Umeå. The participating authors and the areas covered in the first textbook can be read as an image of the state of Swedish sociology by that time. But textbooks can also serve a purpose in the disciplinary formation process itself. This article discusses the role and use of textbooks, course literature and syllabuses in the defining and boundary-work of the new Swedish university discipline of sociology.
Tending Wounds
Authors: Powley Edward H. , Piderit Sandy Kristin
Published: February 2008

The authors extend the metaphor of wound healing in medicine to organizations and propose a model of organizational healing. Organizational healing differs from resilience, hardiness, and recovery and refers to the actual work of repairing and mending the collective social fabric of an organization after crisis. Using a qualitative research study based on interview data gathered after a shooting incident in a Midwestern university, the authors propose a model of organizational healing that includes three stages of healing and six key enablers: inflammation—prioritizing individual in need of urgent care and minimizing the potential for recriminations; proliferation—fostering high-quality connections and improvising on routines; and remodeling—strengthening a family organizational culture and initiating ceremonies and rituals. The authors offer implications for how organizations manage these enablers after crisis and suggest that organizations adopting these are more likely to experience healing.
Helpful Intervention? The Impact of the Comintern on Early Colombian Communism
Authors: Meschkat Klaus
Published: February 2008

Unpublished documents from the Moscow Comintern archives on the Comintern intervention and its consequences for the political orientation of revolutionary militants in Colombia from the late 1920s to the beginnings of the Communist party in 1930 show that the possibility of a Colombian revolution was discussed during important Comintern meetings in 1928 and 1929. Furthermore, they show how Comintern functionaries in Moscow and in the South American Office in Buenos Aires attempted to influence early Colombian communism. Case studies of two outstanding Colombian revolutionaries who received political training in Moscow during the years of rising Stalinism and became general secretaries of the Communist Party of Colombia after returning to their country show what happened to Colombian revolutionaries in the process of joining a world party and submitting to Leninist principles in the period of their Stalinist implementation. The evidence suggests that Colombian communism was weakened by renouncing its own heritage.
Inventing an Internationalist Left for the New Century
Authors: Arcary Valério
Published: February 2008

The social and political pressures that caused the breakup of the Brazilian left during the first government of Lula and the Workers' party raised strategic questions on an international level for all anticapitalist movements. When grassroots labor and popular parties take power, should the socialist forces be on the side of government or in opposition? Similar challenges presented themselves 100 years ago, although of course with numerous differences, in Germany for the left of Rosa Luxemburg and the Social Democratic party and in Russia for Lenin and the Bolsheviks, when the problems were first to separate themselves from the Second International and then to identify themselves with respect to the governments of Ebert/Scheidermann in Berlin and Kerensky in Petrograd.
Extent of Poverty Alleviation by Migrant Remittances in Sri Lanka
Authors: Kageyama Ayako
Published: February 2008

After reviewing some of the available empirical literature on current trends of remittances and their economic impact on welfare of migrating countries, this study focuses on the case of Sri Lanka to demonstrate that workers’ remittances may have both positive and negative consequences in home communities. Economically, remittances will benefit migrant households, particularly poorer ones, by increased income in the short term. However, they may sometimes cause negative social effects, particularly through disruption in family relations and also by creating a sense of relative deprivation in non-migrant communities. Therefore, migration and remittances are not the sole solution of poverty alleviation and appropriate policies also need to address unexpected adverse effects.
The Influence of Nonanatomical Insertion and Incongruence of Meniscal Transplants on the Articular Cartilage in an Ovine Model
Authors: von Lewinski Gabriela , Kohn Dieter , Wirth Carl Joachim , Lazovic Djordje
Published: February 2008

Background

Adequate size matching and anatomically correct positioning must be recognized as essential factors influencing the outcome of meniscal transplantation.

Hypothesis

Nonanatomical insertion and incongruence of meniscal transplants has an influence on the development of degenerative changes.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Ten female sheep were used for this animal study. Both knees (N = 20) were divided into 3 groups, subjected to either meniscectomy (group I; n = 10), to a medial meniscal autograft transplantation with a nonanatomical insertion of the anterior and posterior horn (group II; n = 5), or a meniscal autograft transplantation from the opposite knee as an incongruent meniscal autograft (group III; n = 5). After 6 months, radiographic (Fairbank's criteria), macroscopic (Jackson score), and histological evaluation by light microscopy (Mankin score) and scanning electron microscopy of the articular cartilage was performed.

Results

All applied evaluation methods demonstrated that nonanatomical insertion of meniscal transplants resulted in the highest amount of degenerative cartilage changes. The histological assessment even revealed a significantly enlarged cartilage damage for the non-anatomic-positioned meniscal transplants in relation to the meniscectomized knees. Furthermore, the incongruent meniscal transplants demonstrated a significantly better cartilage situation than nonanatomically inserted meniscal transplants.

Conclusion

The histological evaluation demonstrated clearly that a nonanatomically inserted meniscal transplant leads to degenerative cartilage changes that are worse than that after meniscectomy.

Clinical Relevance

Precise anatomic positioning is mandatory for the potential chondroprotective effect of meniscal transplants.
Observer Reliability in Ankle and Calcaneocuboid Stress Radiography
Authors: Lohrer Heinz , Nauck Tanja , Arentz Sabine , Schöll Jakob
Published: February 2008

Background

Stress radiographic measurements play an important role in assessing the degree of joint instability in scientific investigations and for decision making in treatment. However, their validity and reliability are still a matter of intensive debate.

Hypothesis

There is no difference regarding interobserver and intraobserver reliability with respect to anterior talar drawer, talar tilt, and calcaneocuboid stress radiographs.

Study Design

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

Eighty-nine anterior talar drawer, 89 talar tilt, and 76 calcaneocuboid stress radiographs were selected. Analyses for anterior talar drawer (1 measurement technique), talar tilt (1 measurement technique), and lateral calcaneocuboid instability (4 measurement techniques) were performed by 4 independent raters. One rater repeated the measurements after 1 month. Intraclass and interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with calculated confidence intervals assessed intratester and intertester reliability of each measure.

Results

Ankle stress radiographic interobserver agreement was ICC = 0.73 to 0.97 for anterior talar drawer test and ICC = 0.78 to 0.97 for talar tilt. Interobserver reliability for calcaneocuboid angle measurement methods was lower (ICC = 0.35–0.91) than for the calcaneocuboid joint-space distance measurements (ICC = 0.81–0.95). Intraobserver ICC varied between 0.78 and 0.97 for ankle stress testing and was 0.67 to 0.94 for calcaneocuboid stress radiography, respectively.

Conclusions

Ankle stress radiographic measurements were proven to be reliable. Insufficient reproducibility was found for angular calcaneocuboid stress radiography measurements, while lateral calcaneocuboid joint-space distances offered accurate reliability.

Clinical Relevance

Measurement errors can be avoided using standardized stress radiography and measurement techniques with proven reliability.
Negotiating Transitions in Later Life: Married Couples in Assisted Living
Authors: Kemp Candace L.
Published: February 2008

Although a minority in assisted living facilities (ALFs), couples do reside in these settings and the numbers are predicted to rise. Despite this prediction, little is known about these couples' experiences. Endeavoring to advance knowledge and inform policy and practice, this article presents an analysis of qualitative data from an exploratory study involving 20 married couples living in ALFs. Analysis considers couples' pathways and responses to assisted living. Findings show couples' pathways to ALFs typically involved a major health transition for one or both spouses and required enabling resources paired with the desire to remain together. For most, the need for relocation was asynchronous. Couples' ALF experiences were variable in terms of how spouses reported interacting with one another and how they interacted with others. A couple's degree of health synchronicity, level of disability, and previous social patterns influenced activity in ALFs. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.
A Case of Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy—Connatal Seitelberger Disease
Authors: Chow Gabriel , Padfield C. James H.
Published: February 2008

We present a male stillbirth with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (connatal Seitelberger disease). Following the development of polyhydramnios with an ultrasound scan showing severe distal arthrogryposis, the mother was induced at 38 weeks. A moderately macerated severely intrauterine growth restricted male stillbirth was delivered. External microcephaly, sloping forehead, simplified palmar skin creases, fixed flexion deformities of the knees, severe talipes equinovarus, spinal scoliosis, and empty scrotum were present. The brain was microcephalic with normal gyration, having a hypoplastic corpus callosum, thinned insular cortex, and enlarged lateral ventricles. There was a progressive increase in axonal spheroids going in a rostrocaudal direction in the central nervous system with the preferential distal denervation of muscles, with their motor nerves showing axonal spheroids. The presence of axonal spheroids in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and electron microscopic appearances were diagnostic of infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy occurring in utero.
Efficacy of Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Treatment of Nondepressed Psychiatric Illness in Elderly Patients: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Wilkins Kirsten M. , Ostroff Robert , Tampi Rajesh R.
Published: February 2008

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is well established as a safe and effective treatment for several psychiatric disorders. Responsiveness to ECT does not abate with age, and data indicate that the use of ECT in the treatment of psychiatric disorders in the elderly persons has increased in recent decades. Special consideration must be given to the baseline cognitive abilities of an elderly patient prior to treatment with ECT. Much of the literature on the use of ECT in the elderly persons has focused on the treatment of mood disorders, whereas less research has been devoted to its use in the treatment of other psychiatric conditions. Although depressive syndromes remain the most common indication for ECT in the elderly persons, clinicians treating elderly patients should remain aware of the safety and efficacy of this treatment modality with other psychiatric disorders. This review examines the literature on the use of ECT in elderly patients with some common neuropsychiatric disorders including catatonia, bipolar mania, schizophrenia, dementia with behavioral disturbance, and Parkinson's disease.
Stroke, Depression, and Functional Health Outcomes Among Adults in the Community
Authors: Goodwin Renee D. , Devanand Devangere P.
Published: February 2008

The objective was to determine the association between stroke and depression, the co-occurrence of stroke and depression, and functional health outcomes among adults in the US population. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States Study (MIDUS) (N = 3032), a nationally representative sample of adults age 25 to 74. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between stroke (past 12-month prevalence), depression (past 12-month prevalence), and functional health outcomes (past 12 months) and to determine whether there is an interaction between depression and stroke in predicting impairment in functioning. Almost one third (29.2%) of adults with stroke in the past year also had depression in the past year (odds ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval 1.4, 8.9). The co-occurrence of stroke and depression was associated with significantly greater limitations in walking and climbing stairs and poorer general physical functioning than that associated with either without the other. There was evidence of interaction between depression and stroke in predicting limitations, specifically with a statistically significant effect in walking short distances ( P = .045). These findings are consistent with previous clinical data and extend those data by suggesting that the co-occurrence of depression and stroke is associated with even poorer functional health outcomes, compared with each alone, and that there may be synergism between the two disorders related to this effect.
Posttraumatic Stress and Aggression Among Veterans in Long-term Care
Authors: Carlson Eve B. , Lauderdale Sean , Hawkins James , Sheikh Javaid I.
Published: February 2008

Because stresses associated with long-term care settings may exacerbate distress and aggression related to past trauma, we investigated self-report and staff reports of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and staff observations of verbal and physical aggression in 32 elderly males who were patients in a long-term care unit for veterans. Feelings of anger and irritability were reported by 47% of patients; levels of anger and irritability were significantly correlated with observed aggressive behaviors ( r = 0.43, P < .02); and observed aggressive behaviors were significantly more frequent among those reporting past traumatic stressors ( t = 2.84, P < .008). Patient-reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms were significantly correlated with the frequency of past traumatic stressors ( r = 0.48, P < .006). Observer-reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and patient reports of anger were strongly correlated ( r = 0.73, P < .001). No patient or staff reports were related to level of cognitive function. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that posttraumatic symptoms can contribute to aggressive behaviors in elderly, medically ill, and cognitively impaired patients.
Patterns of Depression in Spanish- and English-Speaking Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Ownby Raymond L. , Acevedo Amarilis , Harwood Dylan G. , Barker Warren W. , Duara Ranjan
Published: February 2008

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether distinct subtypes of depression could be identified in patients with Alzheimer's disease and, if so, to evaluate the patients in these subgroups. Ratings on the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) of 306 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 129 of whom were Spanish- and 177 English-speaking, were subjected to latent class analysis. Four subgroups were identified based on CSDD symptoms. These included an asymptomatic group, groups with mild and more severe typical depression, and a group characterized by prominent anxiety and irritability in addition to sadness. Group differences on demographic, cognitive, clinical, and functional status measures were explored via chi-square tests and analyses of variance. Results show that for some patients with Alzheimer's disease, patterns of symptoms of depression are similar to those in younger adult populations. A distinct subtype may exist, however, with prominent anxiety and irritability.