bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atrial BNP endocrine function during chronic unloading of the normal canine heart
Authors: Lisy Ondrej , Redfield Margaret M. , Schirger John A. , Burnett John C.
Published: December 2004

The goal of the study was to define the effect of chronic unloading of the normal heart on atrial endocrine function with a focus on brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), specifically addressing the role of load and neurohumoral stimulation. Although produced primarily by atrial myocardium in the normal heart, controversy persists with regard to load-dependent vs. neurohumoral mechanisms controlling atrial BNP synthesis and storage. We used a unique canine model of chronic unloading of the heart produced by thoracic inferior vena caval constriction (TIVCC), which also resulted in activation of plasma endothelin (ET-1), ANG II, and norepinephrine (NE), known activators of BNP synthesis, compared with sham. TIVCC was produced by banding of the inferior vena cava for 10 days ( n = 6), whereas in control ( n = 5) the band was not constricted (sham). In a third group ( n = 7), the band was released on day 11, thus acutely reloading the heart. Chronic TIVCC decreased cardiac output and right atrial pressure with a decrease in atrial mass index consistent with atrial atrophy. Atrial BNP mRNA decreased compared with sham. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed an increase in BNP in atrial granules consistent with increased storage. Acute reloading increased cardiac filling pressures and resulted in an increase in plasma BNP. We conclude that chronic unloading of the normal heart results in atrial atrophic remodeling and in suppression of atrial BNP mRNA despite intense stimulation by ET, ANG II, and NE, underscoring the primacy of load in the control of atrial endocrine function and structure.
Angiotensin II AT1receptor blockade decreases vasopressin-induced water reabsorption and AQP2 levels in NaCl-restricted rats
Authors: Kwon Tae-Hwan , Nielsen Jakob , Knepper Mark A. , Frøkiær Jørgen , Nielsen Søren
Published: December 2004

Vasopressin and ANG II, which are known to play a major role in renal water and sodium reabsorption, are mainly coupled to the cAMP/PKA and phosphoinositide pathways, respectively. There is evidence for cross talk between these intracellular signaling pathways. We therefore hypothesized that vasopressin-induced water reabsorption could be attenuated by ANG II AT1receptor blockade in rats. To address this, three protocols were used: 1) DDAVP treatment (20 ng/h sc for 7 days, n = 8); 2) DDAVP (20 ng/h sc for 7 days) and candesartan (1 mg·kg−1·day−1sc for 7 days) cotreatment ( n = 8); and 3) vehicle infusion as the control ( n = 8). All rats were maintained on a NaCl-deficient diet (0.1 meq Na+·200 g body wt−1·day−1) during the experiment. DDAVP treatment alone resulted in a significant decrease in urine output (3.1 ± 0.2 ml/day) compared with controls (11.5 ± 2.2 ml/day, P < 0.05), whereas the urine output was significantly increased in response to DDAVP and candesartan cotreatment (9.8 ± 1.0 ml/day, P < 0.05). Consistent with this, rats cotreated with DDAVP and candesartan demonstrated decreased urine osmolality (1,319 ± 172 mosmol/kgH2O) compared with rats treated with DDAVP alone (3,476 ± 182 mosmol/kgH2O, P < 0.05). Semiquantitative immunoblotting revealed significantly decreased expression of medullary aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and AQP2 phosphorylated in the PKA phosphorylation consensus site Ser-256 (p-AQP2) in response to DDAVP and candesartan cotreatment compared with DDAVP treatment alone. In addition, cortical and medullary AQP1 was also downregulated. Fractional sodium excretion (FENa) and plasma potassium levels were markedly increased, and the expressions of the cortical type 3 Na+/H+exchanger (NHE3), thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC), and Na-K-ATPase were significantly decreased in response to DDAVP and candesartan cotreatment. Moreover, medullary type 1 bumetanide-sensitive Na-K-2Cl cotransporter expression showed a marked gel mobility shift from 160 to ∼180 kDa corresponding to enhanced glycosylation, whereas expression was unchanged. In conclusion, ANG II AT1receptor blockade in DDAVP-treated rats was associated with decreased urine concentration and decreased AQP2 and AQP1 expression. Moreover, FENawas increased in parallel with decreased expression of NHE3, NCC, and Na-K-ATPase. These results suggest that ANG II AT1receptor activation plays a significant role in regulating aquaporin and sodium transporter expression and modulating urine concentration in vivo.
Lifelong genetic minipumps
Authors: Caron Kathleen M. I. , James Leighton R. , Lee Gene , Kim Hyung-Suk , Smithies Oliver
Published: December 2004

Most physiologists working with animals are familiar with osmotic minipumps. These surgically implanted devices can, for a limited period, administer a reagent at a constant predetermined rate that is unaffected by concurrent procedures. The investigator can then test the physiological effects of other treatments knowing that the animals’ homeostatic responses will not be able to alter the dose of the pumped reagent. To develop the genetic equivalent of a lifelong minipump, simply inherited as an autosomal dominant, we here combine three of our previously described strategies, genetic clamping, single-copy chosen-site integration, and modification of untranslated regions (UTRs). As a test of the procedure, we have generated a series of intrinsically useful animals having genetic minipumps secreting renin ectopically from the liver at levels controlled by the investigator but not subject to homeostatic changes. To achieve the different dosage levels of these genetic minipumps, we altered the UTRs of a renin transgene driven by an albumin promoter and inserted it into the genome as a single copy at the ApoA1/ ApoC3 locus, a locus that is strongly expressed in the liver. The resulting mice express plasma renin over ranges from near physiological to eightfold wild type and develop graded cardiovascular and kidney disease consequent to their different levels of ectopically secreted renin. The procedure and DNA constructs we describe can be used to generate genetic minipumps for controlling plasma levels of a wide variety of secreted protein products.
Crystal structure of Cu doped La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 by Rietveld refinement
Authors: Cai H. L. , Wu X. S. , Wang F. Z. , Hu A. , Jiang S. S. , Feng J. F. , Qian B. , Xing J. H. , Chen C. J. , Chen X. , Sun M. H. , Wu Z. H.
Published: December 2004

The crystal structure of La0.67Ca0.33Mn0.80Cu0.20O3 (LCMCO) compound was determined from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data and refined by the Rietveld method. LCMCO is isostructural with La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO). The crystal data are: La0.64Ca0.36Mn0.82Cu0.18O3.01, Mr=843.80, orthorhombic system, space group Pnma, a=5.4364(1) Å, b=7.6725(2) Å, c=5.4452(1) Å, V=227.124(8)Å3, Z=4, Dx=6.168 g∕cm3. In comparing with the Cu-free compound, subtle structural changes such as bond lengths and bond angles found in the Cu-doped compound may be responsible for the larger effects on the transport and magnetic properties when Cu partially substitutes for Mn in CMCO.
Ultrastructure of Tubular Epithelial Cells in Response to Microembolism-Induced Chronic Ischemic Injury in Rats
Authors: Fujigaki Yoshihide , Kimura Masato , Asano Mitsuko , Suzuki Takayuki , Hishida Akira
Published: December 2004

Background: Loss of polarization of proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) with detachment is known as an early response of PTEC to acute ischemia during acute tubular necrosis. However, the early morphologic changes of PTECs to chronic ischemic injury are not clear. We previously reported that rat renal microembolism induced chronic tubulointerstitial ischemia and extensive proximal tubular atrophy. Among atrophic tubules, some tubules showed a peculiar pattern mixed with intact and atrophic epithelial cells, which was thought to be the earliest feature leading to atrophic tubules. Methods: Chronic ischemic injury was induced by the left renal perfusion of microspheres after removal of the right kidney in rats. The ultrastructual changes, especially focusing on the process of tubular atrophy, are examined by electron microscopy after 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Results: Early changes in PTECs showed slight simplification or dedifferentiation such as loss or diminution of basolateral infolding and microvilli. Moderately simplified PTECs were partially detached from the tubular basement membrane (TBM) with matrix production in the detached spaces but maintained cell-cell contacts between PTECs. In the advanced stage, severely simplified PTECs showed complete detachment from TBM and more atrophic features characterized by cobblestone appearance with a uniform attachment between cells. In concert with these PTEC changes, accumulation of interstitial fibroblast-like cells (FLCs) with collagenous matrices could be found first in the interstitial spaces and later in the spaces where PTECs detached from TBM. Conclusion: Our results suggest that microembolism-induced chronic ischemic injury induces PTEC dedifferentiation and detachment from TBM with matrix production in concert with FLC activation, resulting in tubulointerstitial damage characterized by tubular atrophy and renal fibrosis.
Changes in thrombopoiesis and platelet reactivity in extremely low birth weight infants undergoing erythropoietin therapy for treatment of anaemia of prematurity
Authors: Cardona Francesco , Schwindt Jens , Berger Angelika , Kuhle Stefan , Homoncik Monika , Jilma-Stohlawetz Petra , Pollak Arnold , Jilma Bernd , Haiden Nadja
Published: December 2004

Erythropoietin (Epo) is frequently administered to premature infants to stimulate erythropoiesis. There is evidence from studies in animals and healthy adults that Epo also interacts with thrombopoiesis and platelet function.This study investigates the effect of Epo therapy on platelet reactivity, peripheral platelet counts and thiazole orange-positive (TO+) platelets in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. In a randomised-controlled trial, ELBW infants with a birth weight ≤ 800g and a gestational age ≤ 32 weeks were either randomised to a group receiving Epo during the first weeks of life or to a control group. Our results show that thrombin receptor-activating peptide (TRAP-6) -induced expression of P-selectin increased significantly during the first two weeks of Epo treatment.With the exception of week five, the number of TO+ platelets was significantly higher during the first eight weeks in Epo-treated infants compared to controls. The increase of TO+ platelets was not paralleled by an increase in total platelet count.We can conclude that Epo therapy has a short-lasting effect on platelet reactivity toTRAP-6 in ELBW infants during the first two weeks of life.Furthermore, Epo therapy is associated with an increase in the number of TO+ platelets compared to controls.
Mortality rates and risk factors for asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis in medical patients
Authors: Leizorovicz Alain , Cohen Alexander , Turpie Alexander , Olsson Carl-Gustav , Goldhaber Samuel , Vaitkus Paul ,   for the PREVENT Medical Thromboprophylaxis Study Group
Published: December 2004

The clinical importance of asymptomatic proximal and distal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains uncertain and controversial. The aim of this retrospective,post-hoc analysis was to examine mortality and risk factors for development of proximal DVT in hospitalized patients with acute medical illness who were recruited into a randomized, prospective clinical trial of thromboprophylaxis with dalteparin (PREVENT).We analyzed 1738 patients who had not sustained a symptomatic venous thromboembolic event by Day 21 and who had a complete compression ultrasound of the proximal and distal leg veins on Day 21. We examined the 90-day mortality rates in patients with asymptomatic proximal DVT (Group I, N = 80), asymptomatic distal DVT (Group II, N = 118) or no DVT (Group III, N = 1540).The 90-day mortality rates were 13.75%, 3.39%, and 1.92% for Groups I–III, respectively. The difference in mortality between Group I and Group III was significant (hazard ratio 7.63, 95% CI = 3.8–15.3;p < 0.0001),whereas the difference between Groups II and III did not reach significance (hazard ratio 1.36, 95% CI = 0.41–4.45).The association of asymptomatic proximal DVT with increased mortality remained highly significant after adjusting for differences in baseline demographics and clinical variables. Risk factors significantly associated with the development of proximal DVT included advanced age (p = 0.0005), prior DVT (p = 0.001), and varicose veins (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the high mortality rate in patients with asymptomatic proximal DVT underscores its clinical relevance and supports targeting of asymptomatic proximal DVT as an appropriate endpoint in clinical trials of thromboprophylaxis.
Soluble and cleaved forms of the urokinase-receptor: degradation products or active molecules?
Authors: Montuori Nunzia , Visconte Valeria , Rossi Guido , Ragno Pia
Published: December 2004

The urokinase-mediated plasminogen activation (PA) system is involved in many physiological and pathological events that include cell migration and tissue remodelling, such as embryogenesis, ovulation, inflammation, wound healing, angiogenesis, and tumor invasion and metastasis. The urokinase receptor (uPAR) is a key molecule of this system and can bind extracellular and cell membrane molecules such as urokinase (uPA), vitronectin (VN), integrins and chemotaxis receptors. These multiple interactions can be modulated by the shedding or the cleavage of the cell membrane receptor. Indeed, cleaved forms of uPAR, lacking the N-terminal D1 domain, have been detected on the surface of cells and in tissues, while soluble forms have been found in biological fluids. Cleaved and soluble forms could represent the intermediary products of the uPAR metabolism or active molecules with precise and distinct functional roles. Here, we review the data concerning the in vitro and in vivo identification of these uPAR forms, their origin and functions, and the role that uPAR shedding and cleavage could play in biological processes.
A 4-Yr Climatology of Cold-Season Bow Echoes over the Continental United States
Authors: Burke Patrick C. , Schultz David M.
Published: December 2004

A search of radar mosaics and level-II Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) data revealed 51 cold-season (October–April) bow echoes that occurred in the contiguous United States from 1997–98 to 2000–01. Proximity soundings indicated mean 0–2.5-, 0–5-, and 5–10-km shear values of 14, 23, and 19 m s−1, respectively. Mean CAPE was 1366 J kg−1. Most bow echoes developed from squall lines, groups of cells, or squall lines overtaking cells that originated in the path of the squall line. Overall, cell mergers occurred just prior to the development of 34 (67%) of the 51 bow echoes, and embedded supercells were present in the mature stage of 22 (43%) bow echoes.

Nine severe, long-lived bow echoes (LBEs) were identified, and seven of these had damage paths that met derecho criteria. LBEs developed in strongly forced, dynamic synoptic patterns with low to moderate instability. As in previous observational studies, proximity soundings suggested that LBEs are possible within much wider ranges of sampled CAPE and shear than idealized numerical modeling studies have indicated.

Cold-season bow echoes formed overwhelmingly (47 of 51) in southwesterly 500-mb flow. Twenty (39%) bow echoes formed in a Gulf coast synoptic pattern that produced strong shear and moderate instability over the southeastern United States. Nineteen (37%) and seven (14%) bow echoes, respectively, formed in the plains and east synoptic patterns, which resemble classic severe weather outbreak patterns. Four (8%) bow echoes developed in a northwest flow synoptic pattern that produced strong shear and moderate instability over the southern plains.
Staying Legal: The Challenge to Information and Knowledge Managers
Authors: O’Hare Christine
Published: December 2004

The role of information managers has grown to encompass managing websites, intranets and other related technologies, often on a global basis. Information and knowledge managers generally have responsibilities for devising information strategies and procedures to ensure the effective use of such technologies. An awareness of the legal/regulatory environment is therefore vital but the associated issues are complex with much legal uncertainty. This paper outlines how a practical approach to exploring the related legal issues has been effectively incorporated into the Legal Perspectives module on London Metropolitan’s MSc in Information and Knowledge Management. Discussion of two important policy activities, undertaken on the course illustrates the relevance of this approach to practising managers.
Search Engine Marketing: Why it Benefits Us all
Authors: Green David C.
Published: December 2004

Search engines are playing an increasingly important role in Internet marketing and commerce. Having once been sidelined by the major portals in favor of other ‘sticky’ features such as news, search is once again central to portal strategies. Yahoo has recently spent almost US $2 billion acquiring other search technology providers to compete with Google more directly. The world-wide search market is forecast to grow from US $2.1 billion in 2003 to US $7 billion by 2007. However, against the background of a rapidly consolidating search market, there are increasingly sophisticated technology tools and approaches to utilizing search engines to achieve marketing goals.
Ephrin-A1 binding to CD4+ T lymphocytes stimulates migration and induces tyrosine phosphorylation of PYK2
Authors: Aasheim Hans-Christian , Delabie Jan , Finne Eivind Farmen
Published: December 2004

Eph receptors, the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases, and their ephrin ligands are important mediators of cell-cell communication regulating cell attachment, shape, and mobility. Here we demonstrate that CD4+ T lymphocytes express the EphA1 and EphA4 receptors and that these cells bind the ligand ephrin-A1. Further we show ephrin-A1 expression in vivo on high endothelial venule (HEV) endothelial cells. Ephrin-A1 binding to CD4+ T cells stimulates both stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF-1α)- and macrophage inflammatory protein 3β (MIP3β)-mediated chemotaxis. In line with the increased chemotactic response, increased actin polymerization is observed in particular with the combination of ephrin-A1 and SDF-1α. Signaling through EphA receptors induces intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation. In particular, proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2) is phosphorylated on tyrosine residues 402 and 580. Ephrin-A1-induced chemotaxis and intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation, including EphA1 and Pyk2, was inhibited by Tyrphostin-A9. In conclusion, ligand engagement of EphA receptors on CD4+ T cells stimulates chemotaxis, induces intracellular tyrosine phosphorylation, and affects actin polymerization. This, together with our finding that ephrin-A1 is expressed by HEV endothelial cells, suggests a role for Eph receptors in transendothelial migration.
Simplified Estimation of Economic Seismic Risk for Buildings
Authors: Porter Keith A. , Beck James L. , Shaikhutdinov Rustem
Published: December 2004

A seismic risk assessment is often performed on behalf of a buyer of commercial buildings in seismically active regions. One outcome of the assessment is that a probable maximum loss ( PML) is computed. PML is of limited use to real-estate investors as it has no place in a standard financial analysis and reflects too long a planning period. We introduce an alternative to PML called probable frequent loss ( PFL), defined as the mean loss resulting from shaking with 10% exceedance probability in 5 years. PFL is approximately related to expected annualized loss ( EAL) through a site economic hazard coefficient (H) introduced here. PFL and EAL offer three advantages over PML: (1) meaningful planning period; (2) applicability in financial analysis (making seismic risk a potential market force); and (3) can be estimated using a single linear structural analysis, via a simplified method called linear assembly-based vulnerability (LABV) that is presented in this work. We also present a simple decision-analysis framework for real-estate investments in seismic regions, accounting for risk aversion. We show that market risk overwhelms uncertainty in seismic risk, allowing one to consider only expected consequences in seismic risk. We illustrate using 15 buildings, including a 7-story nonductile reinforced-concrete moment-frame building in Van Nuys, California, and 14 buildings from the CUREE-Caltech Woodframe Project.
Damage Assessment of Rectangular Concrete-Filled Steel Tubes for Performance-Based Design
Authors: Tort Cenk , Hajjar Jerome F.
Published: December 2004

Damage evolution of rectangular concrete-filled steel tube (RCFT) column and beam-column members as documented in experimental tests is presented in this paper. An experimental database was first constructed that included RCFT tests that were reported in detail in the worldwide literature. Based on the experimental data, appropriate damage states for RCFT members, connections, and frames were defined at different levels of loading. For each damage state, the performance of the specimens was documented quantitatively with the use of deformation-based damage functions, energy-based damage functions, and ductility functions developed in this work. The paper then documents how to use these damage measures to assess capacity of RCFT columns and beam-columns within the context of a performance-based design methodology.
Effect of Seismic Risk on Lifetime Property Value
Authors: Porter Keith A. , Beck James L. , Shaikhutdinov Rustem V. , Au Siu Kui , Mizukoshi Kaoru , Miyamura Masamitsu , Ishida Hiroshi , Moroi Takafumi , Tsukada Yasu , Masuda Manabu
Published: December 2004

We examine seismic risk from the commercial real estate investor's viewpoint. We present a methodology to estimate the uncertain net asset value ( NAV) of an investment opportunity considering market risk and seismic risk. For seismic risk, we employ a performance-based earthquake engineering methodology called assembly-based vulnerability (ABV). For market risk, we use evidence of volatility of return on investment in the United States. We find that uncertainty in NAV can be significant compared with investors’ risk tolerance, making it appropriate to adopt a decision-analysis approach to the investment decision, in which one optimizes certainty equivalent, CE, as opposed to NAV. Uncertainty in market value appears greatly to exceed uncertainty in earthquake repair costs. Consequently, CE is sensitive to the mean value of earthquake repair costs but not to its variance. Thus, to a real estate investor, seismic risk matters only in the mean, at least for the demonstration buildings examined here.
Structure and Function of Carnitine Acyltransferases
Authors: JOGL GERWALD , HSIAO YU‐SHAN , TONG LIANG
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Carnitine acyltransferases catalyze the exchange of acyl groups between carnitine and coenzyme A (CoA). These enzymes include carnitine acetyltransferase (CrAT), carnitine octanoyltransferase (CrOT), and carnitine palmitoyltransferases (CPTs). CPT‐I and CPT‐II are crucial for the β‐oxidation of long‐chain fatty acids in the mitochondria by enabling their transport across the mitochondrial membrane. The activity of CPT‐I is inhibited by malonyl‐CoA, a crucial regulatory mechanism for fatty acid oxidation. Mutation or dysregulation of the CPT enzymes has been linked to many serious, even fatal human diseases, and these enzymes are promising targets for the development of therapeutic agents against type 2 diabetes and obesity. We have determined the crystal structures of murine CrAT, alone and in complex with its substrate carnitine or CoA. The structure contains two domains. Surprisingly, these two domains share the same backbone fold, which is also similar to that of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and dihydrolipoyl transacetylase. The active site is located at the interface between the two domains, in a tunnel that extends through the center of the enzyme. Carnitine and CoA are bound in this tunnel, on opposite sides of the catalytic His343 residue. The structural information provides a molecular basis for understanding the catalysis by carnitine acyltransferases and for designing their inhibitors. In addition, our structural information suggests that the substrate carnitine may assist the catalysis by stabilizing the oxyanion in the reaction intermediate.
Carnitine Replacement in End‐Stage Renal Disease and Hemodialysis
Authors: CALVANI MENOTTI , BENATTI PAOLA , MANCINELLI ANGELO , D'IDDIO STEFANIA , GIORDANO VINCENZO , KOVERECH ALEARDO , AMATO ANTONINO , BRASS ERIC P.
Published: December 2004

Abstract: In patients with chronic renal failure, not yet undergoing hemodialysis (HD), plasma acylcarnitines accumulate in part due to a decreased renal clearance of esterified carnitine moieties. In these patients, a high acylcarnitine/free‐carnitine ratio is usually found in plasma. Patients undergoing maintenance HD, usually present with plasma carnitine insufficiency, due to accumulation of metabolic intermediates combined with impaired carnitine biosynthesis, reduced protein intake and increased removal via HD. Plasma carnitine concentrations rapidly decrease to 40% of baseline level during the dialysis session, with a slow restoration of the carnitine concentration during the interdialytic period, mainly from organs of storage (skeletal muscle). Dietary intake also plays an important role in carnitine homeostasis of HD patients since the prevalence of malnutrition ranges from 18% to 75% of these cases. This could differentially affect various body compartments, with clinical consequences such as impaired muscle function, decreased wound healing, altered ventilatory response, and abnormal immune function. Repeated hemodialytic treatments are associated with decreased carnitine stores in skeletal muscle. The administration of intravenous l‐carnitine (LC) postdialysis replenishes the free carnitine removed from the blood and contributes to replenishment of muscle carnitine content. LC supplementation in selected uremic patients may yield clinical benefits by ameliorating several conditions, such as erythropoietin‐resistant anemia, decreased cardiac performance, intradialytic hypotension, muscle symptoms, as well as impaired exercise and functional capacities. Furthermore, LC may positively influence the nutritional status of HD patients by promoting a positive protein balance, and by reducing insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, possibly through an effect on leptin resistance.
The Role of Carnitine in the Male Reproductive System
Authors: NG CHIU MING , BLACKMAN MARC R. , WANG CHRISTINA , SWERDLOFF RONALD S.
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Carnitine is highly concentrated in the epididymis and spermatozoa, where it may serve as an intramitochondrial vehicle for the acyl group, which in the form of acyl CoA acts as a substrate for the oxidation process producing energy for sperm respiration and motility. To date, studies in rodents and humans suggest that sperm count, motility, and maturation are related to epididymal free carnitine concentrations. Moreover, supplementation with carnitine improves sperm quality and/or quantity in testes of mice exposed to physical insults, such as heat and X‐irradiation, and in men with idiopathic oligoasthenospermia. These benefits may be due to increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation resulting in improvement in motility of epididymal sperm. The antiapoptotic effect(s) of carnitine in the testes may also contribute, but this remains speculative and requires further investigation. Research to uncover the many characteristics and mechanisms of action of carnitine in somatic and germ cells may provide insights into the pathophysiology of germ cell apoptosis, the prevention of germ cell death, and possibly specific therapy of some forms of infertility. Further well‐controlled, carefully designed, larger‐scale studies are necessary and desirable before widespread clinical use as an infertility therapy can be contemplated.
Fascist Era Elites (1). Family matters: ministerial elites and the articulation of the Francoist dictatorship
Authors: Cazorla-Sánchez Antonio
Published: December 2004

The question of the integration of ‘political families’ in the New State, and its position at the various centres of decision making, is essential in understanding Francoism, not so much its nature (how ‘fascist’ it was), as its shifting policies. In order to explain the relationship between the regime and these families, this paper addresses the following four aspects: 1. The birth of the regime from a historical perspective and how the different forces of the Francoist coalition integrated themselves into the new institutions; 2. How the dictator articulated his power in the nascent New State and his relations to those political families; 3. The composition, functions, means and political power of the single party, the Falange, during the ‘Fascist’ period of 1939–1945; and finally, 4. The permanent organizational arrangement, both formal and informal, which shaped the dictatorship’s mechanisms for decision making.
Nonaudit Services and Earnings Management: UK Evidence*
Authors: FERGUSON MICHAEL J. , SEOW GIM S. , YOUNG DANQING
Published: December 2004

Using a sample of UK firms for the period 1996‐98, we provide empirical evidence on the relation between nonaudit services (NAS) purchase and three proxies for earnings management: (1) the likelihood that client firm accounting practices during the sample period were publicly criticized or subject to regulatory investigation; (2) the likelihood that client firms were required to restate prior financial statements or adjust current year results upon adoption of Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) No. 12, which was intended to curb opportunistic use of provisions; and (3) the mean absolute value of client discretionary working capital accruals over the sample period. The level of NAS purchase is measured, alternatively, as (1) the ratio of nonaudit to total auditor fees, (2) the natural log of NAS fees, and (3) the decile rank of a particular client's NAS fees given all NAS fees received by the audit firm practice office. With one exception, we find that all three measures of earnings management are positively and significantly associated with the three measures of NAS purchase.
Joint Tests of Signaling and Income Smoothing through Bank Loan Loss Provisions*
Authors: KANAGARETNAM KIRIDARAN , LOBO GERALD J. , YANG DONG‐HOON
Published: December 2004

We examine whether and how managers use loan loss provisions to smooth income and to signal their private information about their banks' future prospects. Our paper highlights that the use of the loan loss provision to accomplish more than one objective gives rise to situation‐specific costs and benefits of manipulating the provision up or down. We hypothesize that relatively undervalued banks have greater incentives to signal their future prospects than fairly valued banks and that banks' incentives to smooth intensify as premanaged earnings deviate from norms. On the basis of these conjectures, we categorize sample banks into subgroups that are predicted to use loan loss provisions consistent with their situation‐specific incentives. This allows us to refine the research methods used in prior research to examine heterogeneous incentives. While we find evidence consistent with the use of loan loss provisions to smooth earnings, particularly when premanaged earnings are extreme, our evidence on signaling is less consistent. In particular, our signaling results depend on the introduction of an interaction term that has not been used in prior research. We also document that the intensity of smoothing (signaling) is not uniform across the sample. In addition to being a function of the incentive to smooth (signal), it also is a function of the incentive to signal (smooth).
Convergence and Segregation of the Multiple Rod Pathways in Mammalian Retina
Authors: Völgyi Béla , Deans Michael R. , Paul David L. , Bloomfield Stewart A.
Published: December 2004

Using a multidisciplinary approach, we demonstrate that three different pathways are responsible for the transmission of rod signals across the mouse retina. Each pathway serves a primarily nonoverlapping range of stimulus intensities, with ganglion cells receiving either segregated or convergent inputs. For both on-center (ON) and off-center (OFF) ganglion cells, the primary rod pathway carries signals with the lowest threshold, whereas the secondary rod pathway is less sensitive by ∼1 log unit. In addition, OFF signaling uses a tertiary rod pathway that is ∼1 log unit less sensitive than the secondary. Although some ganglion cells received rod inputs exclusively from one of the pathways, others showed convergent inputs. Using pharmacological and genetic approaches, we defined classes of ON and OFF ganglion cells for which the scotopic inputs derive only from the primary pathway or from both primary and secondary pathways. In addition, we observed a class of OFF ganglion cell receiving mixed input from primary and tertiary pathways. Interestingly, OFF ganglion cells receiving convergent inputs from all three rod pathways or from the secondary and tertiary pathways together were never observed. Overall, our data show a complex arrangement of convergence and segregation of rod inputs to ganglion cells in the mammalian retina.
Independent Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Mechanisms Regulate Endocannabinoid Signaling at Multiple Synapses in the Ventral Tegmental Area
Authors: Riegel Arthur C. , Lupica Carl R.
Published: December 2004

Dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area have been implicated in psychiatric disorders and drug abuse. Understanding the mechanisms through which their activity is regulated via the modulation of afferent input is imperative to understanding their roles in these conditions. Here we demonstrate that endocannabinoids liberated from DA neurons activate cannabinoid CB1 receptors located on glutamatergic axons and on GABAergic terminals targeting GABABreceptors located on these cells. Endocannabinoid release was initiated by inhibiting either presynaptic type-III metabotropic glutamate receptors or postsynaptic calcium-activated potassium channels, two conditions that also promote enhanced DA neuron excitability and bursting. Thus, activity-dependent release of endocannabinoids may act as a regulatory feedback mechanism to inhibit synaptic inputs in response to DA neuron bursting, thereby regulating firing patterns that may fine-tune DA release from afferent terminals.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 and Its Signaling Intermediates Are Recruited to Lipid Rafts in the Traumatized Brain
Authors: Lotocki George , Alonso Ofelia F. , Dietrich W. Dalton , Keane Robert W.
Published: December 2004

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand-receptor system plays an essential role in apoptosis that contributes to secondary damage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). TNF also stimulates inflammation by activation of gene transcription through the IκB kinase (IKK)/NF-κB and JNK (c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase)/AP-1 signaling cascades. The mechanism by which TNF signals between cell death and survival and the role of receptor localization in the activation of downstream signaling events are not fully understood. Here, TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) signaling complexes in lipid rafts were investigated in the cerebral cortex of adult male Sprague Dawley rats subjected to moderate (1.8-2.2 atmospheres) fluid-percussion TBI and naive controls. In the normal rat cortex, a portion of TNFR1 was present in lipid raft microdomains, where it associated with the adaptor proteins TRADD (TNF receptor-associated death domain), TNF receptor-associated factor-2 (TRAF-2), the Ser/Thr kinase RIP (receptor-interacting protein), TRAF1, and cIAP-1 (cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1), forming a survival signaling complex. Moderate TBI resulted in rapid recruitment of TNFR1, but not TNFR2 or Fas, to lipid rafts and induced alterations in the composition of signaling intermediates. TNFR1 and TRAF1 were polyubiquitinated in lipid rafts after TBI. Subsequently, the signaling complex contained activated caspase-8, thus initiating apoptosis. In addition, TBI caused a transient activation of NF-κB, but receptor signaling interacting proteins IKKα and IKKβ were not detected in raft-containing fractions. Thus, redistribution of TNFR1 in lipid rafts and nonraft regions of the plasma membrane may regulate the diversity of signaling responses initiated by these receptors in the normal brain and after TBI.
Spatial Govemmentality and the New Urban Social Order: Controlling Gender Violence through Law
Authors: Merry Sally Engle
Published: December 2004

The new urban social order depends on a complex combination of systems of punishment, discipline, and security. Scholars drawing on Foucault's analysis of the art and rationality of governance, or govemmentality, have explored how urban social orders are increasingly based on the governance of space rather than on the discipline of offenders or the punishment of offenses. The new urban social order is characterized by privatized security systems and consumer‐policed spaces such as malls. Gender violence interventions represent another deployment of spatial forms of govemmentality. Over the last two decades, punishment of batterers has been augmented by disciplinary systems that teach batterers new forms of masculinity and by security systems for women based on spatial separation. In the postmodern city, spatial govemmentality is integrally connected with punishment and discipline. These new forms of governance circulate globally along with neoliberal ideas of the diminished state, [gender violence, govemmentality, urban society, globalization, law]
El Nuevo Mundo: The Landscape of Latino Los Angeles
Authors: Phillips Susan A.
Published: December 2004

El Nuevo Mundo: The Landscape of Latino Los Angeles. Photographs by Camilo José Vergara. National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., December 3, 1998‐March 19, 1999; Cooper‐Hewitt National Design Museum, New York City, June 25‐September 5, 1999; Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, January 29–July 16, 2000 (review venue); Graham Foundation, Chicago, November 15,2000–January 25,2001.

ElNuevo Mundo: The Landscape of Latino Los Angeles. Photographs by Camilo José Vergara. Gustavo Leclerc. Michael J. Dear. and J. Dallas Dishman. eds. Los Angeles: Southern California Studies Center, 2000.48 pp.
Ancient Mesopotamia: The Eden That Never Was
Authors: Lamberg‐Karlovsky C. C.
Published: December 2004

Ancient Mesopotamia: The Eden That Never Was. Susan Pollock. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.259 pp.
The Barbarians Speak: How the Conquered Peoples Shaped Roman Europe
Authors: Millett Martin
Published: December 2004

The Barbarians Speak: How the Conquered Peoples Shaped Roman Europe. Peter S. Wells. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999. 335 pp.
The Origins of Language: What Nonhuman Primates Can Tell Us
Authors: Fischer Julia
Published: December 2004

The Origins of Language: What Nonhuman Primates Can Tell Us. Barbara J. King. ed. Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research, 1999. 442 pp.
Primate Behavioral Ecology
Authors: McGraw W. C.
Published: December 2004

Primate Behavioral Ecology. Karen B. Strier. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2000. 392 pp.
Critical Comparisons in Politics and Culture
Authors: Lindholm Charles
Published: December 2004

Critical Comparisons in Politics and Culture. John Bowen and Roger Petersen. eds. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999. 266 pp.
Net Curtains and Closed Doors: Intimacy, Family and Public Life in Dublin
Authors: Saris A. Jamie
Published: December 2004

Net Curtains and Closed Doors: Intimacy, Family and Public Life in Dublin. Elizabeth A. Throop. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey, 1999. 168 pp.
Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality
Authors: Daly Richard H.
Published: December 2004

Wandering God:. Study in Nomadic Spirituality. Morris Berman. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2000. 349 pp.
Society's Child: Identity, Clothing, and Style
Authors: McCormick Charlie
Published: December 2004

Society's Child: Identity, Clothing, and Style. Ruth P. Rubinstein. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2000. 297 pp.
Beyond Theology: Toward an Anthropology of "Fundamentalism"
Authors: Nagata Judith
Published: December 2004

Once considered exclusively a matter of religion, theology, or scriptural correctness, use of the termfundamentalismhas recently undergone metaphorical expansion into other domains and, depending on whose voice is being heard, may be applied to extreme forms of nationalism, certain socioreligious (especially Islamist) movements, and other forms of extremist ideological expression. An anthropological approach seeks the common elements amid these apparently diverse cases and, taking into account the hermeneutical problems of exegesis by multiple constituencies, proposes that most "fundamentalisms" involve special forms of identity politics, meaning, and labeling, characterized by a quest for certainty, exclusiveness, and unambiguous boundaries, where the "Other" is the enemy demonized. It also reflects a mind‐set uncompromising and antirelativist, as one response to the openness and uncertainties of a cosmopolitan world, and to chart a morally black and white path out of the gray zones of intimidating cultural and religious complexity,[fundamentalism, religion, hermeneutics, Islam]
Labor Law For The Rank and File
Authors: Nash June
Published: December 2004

Staughton Lynd 1978 Labor Law For The Rank and File, San Pedro: Singlejack Books. $1.50
The Changing Chicken: Chooks, Cooks, and Culinary Culture
Authors: Gulbas Lauren E.
Published: December 2004

The Changing Chicken: Chooks, Cooks, and Culinary Culture Jane Dixon Sydney, Australia: University of South Wales Press, 2002.
A Door to Paradise: Converts, the New Age, Islam, and the Past in Granada, Spain
Authors: Bahrami Beebe
Published: December 2004

THE ALBAICIN, the surviving medieval neighborhood of the city of Granada in southern Spain, is one of the great reminders that this part of Europe was once a part of the Muslim world. This article is an ethnographic examination of Granada's Muslim quarter, the Albaicin, showing how the neighborhood is a heritage site where the past is negotiated, multiple identities are tried on, and classic East‐West boundaries are blurred. The neighborhood's population is drawn from diverse groups that are attracted to both the Albaicin's past and present. These groups include: Spanish converts to Islam; young Spaniards looking for something new and different; health food and New Age shop owners; musicians and artists; resident and visiting North Africans and Middle Easterners; tourists, university students and other intellectuals from around the world. [Converts, heritage, Islam, New Age, Spain]
Art and Archaeology of Pre‐Columbian Cuba
Authors: Berman Mary Jane
Published: December 2004

Art and Archaeology of Pre‐Columbian Cuba. Ramón Dacal Moure and Manuel Rivero de Lacalle. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1996. xxiv +134 pp., 17 color and 102 b/w photographs, bibliography. $35.00
4‐Nonylbenzoic Acid
Authors: Fürstner Alois , Leitner Andreas , Seidel Günter
Published: December 2004

4‐Nonylbenzoic acid

1‐Bromononane

Nonylmagnesium bromide

4‐Chlorobenzoic acid methyl ester
Generation and Cyclization of 5‐Hexenyllithium: 2‐Cyclopentylacetophenone
Authors: Bailey William F. , Luderer Matthew R. , Mealy Michael J. , Punzalan Eric R.
Published: December 2004

6‐Iodo‐1‐hexene

2‐Cyclopentylacetophenone

tert‐
Butyllithium

5‐Hexen‐1‐ol, methyl sulfonate

Sodium iodide

Methanesulfonyl chloride
Phenylsulfenylation of Nonactivated δ‐Carbon Atom by Photolysis of Alkyl Benzenesulfenates: Preparation of 2‐Phenylthio‐5‐heptanol)
Authors: Petrović Goran , Saičić Radomir N. , Čeković Živorad
Published: December 2004

2‐Phenylthio‐5‐heptanol

3‐Heptyl benzenesulfenate

Benzenesulfenyl chloride

Hexabutylditin

Sulfuryl chloride
Preparation of Pivaloyl Hydrazide in Water
Authors: Li Bryan , Bemish Raymond J. , Bill David R. , Brenek Steven , Buzon Richard A. , Chiu Charles K‐F , Newell Lisa
Published: December 2004

Hyrdazine

Pivaloyl chloride

Pivaloyl hydrazide
The effect of pregnancy on lupus nephritis
Authors: Tandon Anu , Ibañez Dominique , Gladman Dafna D. , Urowitz Murray B.
Published: December 2004

Objective

To evaluate the effect of pregnancy on lupus nephritis with respect to renal activity and renal deterioration.

Methods

Seventy‐eight pregnancies occurred in 53 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and renal disease. Seventy‐eight nonpregnant SLE patients with evidence of renal disease were matched to the study population by age at the time of each pregnancy and by the presence of a renal manifestation at the beginning of the study. The nonpregnant controls were seen within 2 years of the assessment dates of the pregnant patients with whom they were matched. Renal activity was defined as the presence of active urine sediment or proteinuria, and changes in these parameters were monitored throughout the study period in both study populations. Renal deterioration was defined as an increase in the serum creatinine level that was >20% above the baseline value or an increase to >120 mmoles/liter.

Results

Renal disease activity patterns were available for 74 pairs of pregnancies and controls. Renal disease became active during the study period in 33 pregnancies (44.6%) and 31 controls (41.9%). Serial serum creatinine levels were available for 75 study pairs, among which 62 pregnancies (82.7%) and 57 controls (76.0%) showed no deterioration. Comparison of the treatments received by both the pregnant and the nonpregnant patients showed no significant difference in the amount of steroids taken. A significantly lower amount of immunosuppressive and antimalarial agents were taken during the pregnancies.

Conclusion

During pregnancy in patients with SLE and renal disease, changes in renal disease activity and deterioration in renal function are similar to those which occur in nonpregnant patients with lupus nephritis.