bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of whole-body vibration on upper- and lower-body EMG during static and dynamic contractions
Authors: Hazell Tom J. , Jakobi Jennifer M. , Kenno Kenji A.
Published: November 2007

Whole-body vibration (WBV) training uses a vertically oscillating platform and reports suggest that this perturbation elicits reflexive muscle contractions that augment muscle activity and contribute to increased strength. No WBV study has measured both upper- and lower-body muscle activation. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal WBV stimulus (frequency × amplitude) to increase electromyography (EMG) in upper- and lower-body muscles for three distinctive unloaded actions: isometric semi-squat, dynamic leg squats, and static and dynamic bilateral bicep curls. Surface EMG was measured for the vastus lateralis (VL), biceps femoris (BF), biceps brachii (BB), and triceps brachii (TB) in 10 recreationally active male university students (24.4 ± 2.0 years; mean ± SD) when WBV was administered at 2 and 4 mm and at 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 Hz. EMG changes are reported as the difference between WBV and no WBV EMG root mean square expressed as a percentage of maximum voluntary exertion (%MVE). In static semi-squat, WBV increased muscle activity 2.9%–6.7% in the VL and 0.8%–1.2% in the BF. During dynamic squatting, WBV increased muscle activity in the VL by 3.7%–8.7% and in the BF by 0.4%–2.0%. In a static biceps curl, WBV had no effect on BB EMG, but did increase TB activity 0.3%–0.7%. During dynamic biceps curls, WBV increased BB EMG activity by 0.6%–0.8% and TB activity by 0.2%–1.0%. The higher WBV amplitude (4 mm) and frequencies (35, 40, 45 Hz) resulted in the greatest increases in EMG activity.
Physical activity guidelines and guides for Canadians: facts and futureThis article is part of a supplement entitled Advancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelines co-published by Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the Canadian Journal of Public Health. It may be cited as Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32(Suppl. 2E) or as Can. J. Public Health 98(Suppl. 2).
Authors: Tremblay Mark S. , Shephard Roy J. , Brawley Lawrence R. , Cameron Christine , Craig Cora Lynn , Duggan Mary , Esliger Dale W. , Hearst William , Hicks Audrey , Janssen Ian , Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Latimer Amy E. , Martin Ginis Kathleen A. , McGuire Ashlee , Paterson Donald H. , Sharratt Michael , Spence John C. , Timmons Brian , Warburton Darren , Young T. Kue , Zehr Lori
Published: November 2007

This article summarizes the main findings from the papers included in this journal supplement. It consolidates the evidence currently available to inform and advance the development of physical activity guidelines for Canadians, and it highlights the specific needs of various population subgroups. The challenges of translating guideline information into effective and persuasive physical activity messages, of campaigns to disseminate messages, and of related evaluations are underlined. Recommendations on how to proceed are based on the evidence base provided by this series of papers; the immediate next steps mandated by this initiative are outlined and priorities for future research are indicated.
Revised clearance for participation in physical activity: greater screening responsibility for qualified university-educated fitness professionals
Authors: Jamnik Veronica K. , Gledhill Norman , Shephard Roy J.
Published: November 2007

For many individuals, pre-participation clearance using the PAR-Q and the PARmed-X has become a barrier to adopting a physically active lifestyle. An extensive project is therefore planned to reduce the number of medical referrals from the PAR-Q and to revise the PARmed-X so that it becomes more effective, user friendly, and evidence based. The entire process will likely require 3 years to complete; therefore, as an interim solution, we propose giving greater pre-participation screening responsibility to qualified university-educated fitness professionals. The highest level of professional fitness qualification in Canada is the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Certified Exercise Physiologist; the requirements for this certification are such that it could serve as a model allowing other countries that use the PAR-Q to develop similarly qualified university-educated fitness professionals who could also be entrusted with greater pre-participation screening responsibility.
Cytotoxic rotenoloids from the stems of Derris trifoliata
Authors: Cheenpracha Sarot , Karalai Chatchanok , Ponglimanont Chanita , Chantrapromma Kan
Published: November 2007

A new rotenoloid, designated 7a-O-methylelliptonol, was isolated from hexane and CH2Cl2 extracts from the stems of Derris trifoliata together with ten known compounds. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR. The cytotoxicity of all compounds was also evaluated against human cancer cell lines.Key words: Derris trifoliata, Leguminosae, 7a-O-methylelliptonol, cytotoxicity, rotenoloids.
Rotating ring-disk voltammetric investigations on the degradation rate of the nickel(III)-glycylglycyl-L-histidine complex
Authors: Alipázaga María V , Lowinsohn Denise , Bertotti Mauro , Coichev Nina
Published: November 2007

The voltammetric behavior of the Ni(II)/glycylglycyl-L-histidine complex and the degradation of the electrogenerated Ni(III) species were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. Results of electrochemical and spectrophotometric experiments indicated some differences in the nature and reactivity of Ni(III) complexes formed by two independent routes, i.e., anodic oxidation of Ni(II) and homogeneous oxidation by an autocatalytic reaction in a medium containing oxygen and S(IV) (H2SO3, HSO[Formula: see text], and SO[Formula: see text]). The Ni(III) species formed electrochemically reacts in a fast chemical process (EC mechanism) and the observed rate constant of the degradation (k = 0.17 s–1) was determined by a rotating ring-disk electrode technique measuring kinetic collection efficiency values as a function of the rotation rate. Key words: nickel, glycylglycyl-L-histidine, sulfite, degradation reaction, rotating ring-disk voltammetry.
A HORSESHOE IN A CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORK OF FOUR-DIMENSIONAL AUTONOMOUS ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Authors: YANG XIAO-SONG , LI QINGDU
Published: November 2007

We obtain numerically a horseshoe in a Poincaré map derived from a cellular neural network described by four-dimensional autonomous ordinary differential equations. Contrary to the horseshoe numerically found in the Hodgkin–Huxley model, which showed evidence that the Poincaré map derived from the Hodgkin–Huxley model has just one expanding direction on some invariant subset, the horseshoe obtained in this paper proves that the Poincaré map derived from the neural network have two expanding directions on some invariant subset.
CHAOS AND ROBUST ADAPTIVE SYNCHRONIZATION IN A NONLINEAR EMITTER–RECEIVER SYSTEM
Authors: MOUKAM KAKMENI F. M. , BOWONG SAMUEL
Published: November 2007

This work studies transitions to chaos and adaptive synchronization of a nonlinear emitter–receiver system in a drive–response framework. Safe bifurcations and explosive bifurcations are observed. A robust adaptive observer-based response system is designed to synchronize the emitter–receiver system with unknown parameters and external disturbances. Lyapunov stability ensures global synchronization between the drive and response systems even if Lipschitz constants on functions matrices and bound on uncertainties are unknown. Computer simulations are provided to illustrate the designed adaptive synchronization scheme.
FORMAL AND ANALYTIC INTEGRABILITY OF THE ROSSLER SYSTEM
Authors: LLIBRE JAUME , VALLS CLÀUDIA
Published: November 2007

The well–known Rossler system can be written as ẋ = -(z + y), ẏ = x + ay and ż = b + xz - cz. Here, we study the first integrals of the Rossler system that can be described by formal power series.
Guessing secrets efficiently via list decoding
Authors: Alon Noga , Guruswami Venkatesan , Kaufman Tali , Sudan Madhu
Published: November 2007

We consider the guessing secrets problem defined by Chung et al. [2001]. This is a variant of the standard 20 questions game where the player has a set of
k
> 1 secrets from a universe of
N
possible secrets. The player is asked Boolean questions about the secret. For each question, the player picks one of the
k
secrets adversarially, and answers according to this secret.

We present an explicit set of
O
(log
N
) questions together with an efficient (i.e., poly(log
N
) time) algorithm to solve the guessing secrets problem for the case of 2 secrets. This answers the main algorithmic question left unanswered by Chung et al. [2001]. The main techniques we use are small
ϵ-biased spaces
and the notion of
list decoding
.

We also establish bounds on the number of questions needed to solve the
k
-secrets game for
k
> 2, and discuss how list decoding can be used to get partial information about the secrets, specifically to find a small core of secrets that must intersect the actual set of
k
secrets.
Routing selfish unsplittable traffic
Authors: Auletta Vincenzo , Prisco Roberto De , Penna Paolo , Persiano Giuseppe
Published: November 2007

We consider general resource assignment games involvingselfish users/agentsin which users compete for resources and try to be assigned to those which maximize their own benefits (e.g., try to route their traffic through links which minimize the latency of their own traffic). We propose and study amechanism designapproach in which an allocation mechanism assigns users to resources and charges the users for using the resources so as to induce each user totruthfullyreport a private piece of information he/she holds (e.g., how much traffic he/she needs to transmit). This information is crucial for computing optimal (or close to optimal) allocations and an agent could misreport his/her information to induce the underlying allocation algorithm to output a solution which he/she likes more (e.g., which assigns better resources to him/her).

For our resource allocation problems, we give analgorithmic characterizationof the solutions for which truth-telling is a Nash equilibrium. A natural application of these results is to a scheduling/routing problem which is the mechanism design counterpart of the selfish routing game of Koutsoupias and Papadimitriou [1999]: Each selfish user wants to route a piece of unsplittable traffic using one ofmlinks of different speeds so as to minimize his/herownlatency. Our mechanism design counterpart can be seen as the problem of schedulingselfish jobson parallel related machines and is the dual of the problem of scheduling (unselfish) jobs on parallelselfish machinesstudied by Archer and Tardos [2001].

Koutsoupias and Papadimitriou studied an “anarchic” scenario in which each user chooses his/her own link, and this may produce Nash equilibria of cost Ω(logm/log logm) times the optimum. Our mechanism design counterpart is a possible way of reducing the effect of selfish behavior via suitable incentives to the agents (i.e., taxes for using the links). We indeed show that in the resulting game, it is possible to guarantee an approximation factor of 8 for any number of links/machines (this solution also works for online settings). However, it remains impossible to guarantee arbitrarily good approximate solutions, even for 2 links/machines and even if the allocation algorithm is allowed superpolynomial time. This result shows that our scheduling problem with selfish jobs is more difficult than the scheduling problem with selfish machines by Archer and Tardos (which admits exact solutions).

We also study some generalizations of this basic problem.
Physical design refinement
Authors: Bruno Nicolas , Chaudhuri Surajit
Published: November 2007

Physical database design tools rely on a DBA-provided workload to pick an “optimal” set of indexes and materialized views. Such tools allow either creating a new such
configuration
or adding new structures to existing ones. However, these tools do not provide adequate support for the incremental and flexible refinement of existing physical structures. Although such refinements are often very valuable for DBAs, a completely manual approach to refinement can lead to infeasible solutions (e.g., excessive use of space). In this article, we focus on the important problem of
physical design refinement
and propose a transformational architecture that is based upon two novel primitive operations, called
merging
and
reduction
. These operators help refine a configuration, treating indexes and materialized views in a unified way, as well as succinctly explain the refinement process to DBAs.
Introduction to the special issue
Authors: Petta Paolo , Omicini Andrea , Payne Terry , McBurney Peter
Published: November 2007

This article introduces the special issue of
ACM Transactions on Autonomous and Adaptive Systems
devoted to research papers arising from the three Technical Forum Group meetings held in 2004 and 2005 that were organized and sponsored by the European FP6 Coordination Action AgentLink III.
Awareness in collaborative ubiquitous environments
Authors: Locatelli Marco P. , Vizzari Giuseppe
Published: November 2007

Collaborative Ubiquitous Environments (CUEs) are environments that support collaboration among persons in a context of ubiquitous computing. This article shows how results of the research in the Multi-Agent System (MAS) area, and in particular on MAS environments, can be used to model, design and engineer CUEs, with specific reference to the management of context-awareness information. After a description of the reference scenario, the Multilayered Multi-Agent Situated System model will be introduced and applied to represent and to manage several types of awareness information (both physical and logical contextual information). Finally, three different approaches to the design and engineering of CUEs will then be introduced and evaluated.
Specifying protocols for multi-agent systems interaction
Authors: Poslad Stefan
Published: November 2007

Multi-Agent-Systems or MAS represent a powerful distributed computing model, enabling agents to cooperate and complete with each other and to exchange both semantic content and a semantic context to more automatically and accurately interpret the content. Many types of individual agent and MAS models have been proposed since the mid-1980s, but the majority of these have led to single developer homogeneous MAS systems. For over a decade, the FIPA standards activity has worked to produce public MAS specifications, acting as a key enabler to support interoperability, open service interaction, and to support heterogeneous development. The main characteristics of the FIPA model for MAS and an analysis of design, design choices and features of the model is presented. In addition, a comparison of the FIPA model for system interoperability versus those of other standards bodies is presented, along with a discussion of the current status of FIPA and future directions.
A context-based mediation approach to compose semantic Web services
Authors: Mrissa Michael , Ghedira Chirine , Benslimane Djamal , Maamar Zakaria , Rosenberg Florian , Dustdar Schahram
Published: November 2007

Web services composition is a keystone in the development of interoperable systems. However, despite the widespread adoption of Web services, several obstacles still hinder their smooth automatic semantic reconciliation when being composed. Consistent understanding of data exchanged between composed Web services is hampered by various implicit modeling assumptions and representations. Our contribution in this article revolves around context and how it enriches data exchange between Web services. In particular, a context-based mediation approach to solve semantic heterogeneities between composed Web services is presented.
Prospect of ballistic CNFET in high performance applications
Authors: Paul Bipul C. , Fujita Shinobu , Okajima Masaki , Lee Thomas
Published: November 2007

With the advent of carbon nanotube technology, evaluating circuit and system performance using these devices is becoming extremely important. In this article, we present a quasi-analytical device model for intrinsic ballistic CNFET, which can be used in any conventional circuit simulator like SPICE. This simple quasi-analytical model is effective in a wide variety of CNFET structures as well as for a wide range of operating conditions in the digital circuit application domain. We also provide insight into how the parasitic fringe capacitance in state-of-the-art CNFET geometries impacts the overall performance of CNFET circuits. We show that unless the device width can be significantly reduced, the effective gate capacitance of CNFET will be strongly dominated by the parasitic fringe capacitances, and the superior performance of intrinsic CNFET over silicon MOSFET cannot be achieved in circuit. We further show that unlike conventional MOSFET, nanotube FETs are significantly less sensitive to many process parameter variations due to their inherent device structures and cylindrical gate geometry.
Design and analysis of a replicated server architecture for supporting IP-Host mobility
Authors: Jue Jason P. , Ghosal Dipak
Published: November 2007

Mobility support in IP networks requires servers to forward packets to mobile hosts and to maintain information pertaining to a mobile host's location in the network. In the mobile Internet Protocol (mobile-IP), location and packet forwarding functions are provided by servers referred to as home agents. These home agents may become the bottleneck when there are a large number of mobile hosts in the network. In this paper, we consider the design and analysis of a replicated server architecture in which multiple home agents are used to provide mobility support. In order to minimize the delay across the home agents, one of the key aspects is the design of load balancing schemes in which a home agent may transfer the control of a mobile host to another home agent in the same network. The methods for triggering the transfer and the policy for selecting the next home agent define various load balancing schemes which have different performance characteristics. In this paper, we design a protocol that forms the building block for implementing such load balancing schemes, and we then study the performance characteristics of random, round-robin, and join the shortest queue (JSQ) selection policies, and timer-, counter- and threshold-based transfer policies.
European activities in wireless multimedia communications
Authors: Aghvami Hamid
Published: November 2007

There are two system concepts for future mobile communication systems being developed and standardized in Europe. These are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Mobile Broadband System (MBS). UMTS is being standardized by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) through its various technical committee Special Mobile Groups (SMGs). UMTS is intended to provide a wide range of mobile services up to 2 Mb/s to the users. MBS is aimed at providing a range of broadband services with transmission at up to 155 Mb/s. The standardization of MBS has not yet been commenced [1].
Improving causality logging in mobile computing networks
Authors: Baquero Carlos , Moura Francisco
Published: November 2007

Vector clocks, or their compressed representations, have played a central role in the detection of causal dependencies between events in a distributed system. When adapting these techniques to a mobile network, bounding the vector clock size to the number of mobile nodes does not provide a satisfactory approach. This paper builds on previous techniques for efficient causality logging in mobile networks and presents a lighter logging mechanism. The technique is based on a particular partial order that is generated by the interleaving of events on mobile hosts that are mediated by the same support station.
Extending the Condor distributed systems for mobile clients
Authors: Yi Song-Yi , Livny Miron
Published: November 2007

Condor is a distributed batch system for sharing the workload among the computers connected by a network. Condor distributed system was developed on the basis that every machine in a Condor pool is always connected by a network to run a Condor Job. Due to advances in wireless communication and mobile computing technology, conventional distributed computer systems can now include "mobile" clients as well as "fixed" clients. Moreover, mobile users want to be as low power as possible and benefit from offloading potentially power and resource consuming jobs. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of extended Condor to support mobile clients. The main purpose of this work is to enable users on mobile computers to interact with Condor environment any time anywhere regardless of their connection to a Condor pool. The mobile Condor distributed system also aims to provide mobile users the same Condor services without making any significant changes to the existing Condor system.
Health aspects of wireless communication
Authors: Lin James C.
Published: November 2007

Although our knowledge regarding the health effects of RF radiation has increased considerably, it has become a focus of attention because of the accelerated use of RF radiation for wireless communication over the past few years. This article gives a brief summary of the biological effects and health aspects of RF radiation from mobile and personal communication devices. In future articles we will deal with some of the issues raised here, such as DNA and gene expression, cancer induction and promotion, impact of modulation schemes, human studies, as well as new developments in guidelines for safety protection.
Implementing component reuse strategy in complex products environments
Authors: Oshri Ilan , Newell Sue , Pan Shan L.
Published: November 2007

Tensions grow---and often so do costs---when operating procedures change. This corporate study illustrates how friction between engineers and management can be eased by introducing complementary initiatives.
5-Lipoxygenase-derived lipid mediators are not required for the development of NSAID-induced inflammatory bowel disease in IL-10−/−mice
Authors: Narushima Seiko , DiMeo Daniel , Tian Jun , Zhang Juan , Liu Dahzi , Berg Daniel J.
Published: November 2007

Leukotrienes are potent lipid mediators derived from the metabolism of arachidonic acid by the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO). Elevated levels of the proinflammatory leukotriene LTB4have been found in preclinical models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as well as in colon tissue from individuals with IBD. We therefore determined the extent to which absence of 5-LO-derived lipid mediators would alter the colitis in IL-10−/−mice, a model of human IBD. IL-10−/−/5-LO−/−mice were generated and were healthy. Absence of 5-LO did not alter the development of spontaneous colitis in IL-10-deficient mice. We then evaluated the extent to which absence of 5-LO would alter the development of NSAID-induced colitis in IL-10−/−mice. Absence of 5-LO did not delay the onset or alter the severity of inflammation in NSAID-treated IL-10−/−mice. At an early time point, 3 days after NSAID treatment was initiated, a qualitative increase in the number of dendritic cells and CD4+T cells was noted in the colons of IL-10−/−/5-LO−/−; however, this difference was no longer present after 14 days of NSAID treatment. Absence of 5-LO did not alter the degree of neutrophil infiltration into the in this model. Absence of 5-LO does not alter the development of IFN-γ producing Th1-type CD4+T cells or IL-17 producing CD4+T cells. Absence of 5-LO-derived mediators did not alter the expression of the adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and P-selectin. Development of colitis in IL-10−/−mice was associated with increased levels of the 5-LO-derived anti-inflammatory lipoxin LXA4. These studies demonstrate that 5-LO-derived leukotrienes are not required for the development or maintenance of spontaneous or NSAID-induced colonic inflammation in IL-10−/−mice.
Diameter asymmetry of porcine coronary arterial trees: structural and functional implications
Authors: Kaimovitz Benjamin , Huo Yunlong , Lanir Yoram , Kassab Ghassan S.
Published: November 2007

The coronary vasculature is characterized by highly asymmetric diameters at bifurcations, which may be an important determinant of flow distribution. To facilitate accurate reconstruction of the coronary network for hemodynamic analysis, we introduce a statistical data set of the diameter asymmetry at bifurcations based on morphometric data of the porcine coronary arterial and venous trees. The bifurcation asymmetry data were represented by the diameter ratio of the daughters relative to mother vessel and by an area expansion ratio (AER) at each bifurcation. A novel asymmetry ratio matrix was introduced to describe the diameter asymmetry of daughters to mother vessels. The relations between AER and flow velocity, and asymmetry ratio matrix and flow distribution, were considered. The results indicate that the ratio of large daughter to mother vessel has a minimum value at order 5 (mean diameter of ∼70 μm), whereas the ratio of small daughter to mother vessel decreases monotonically with increase in order number. The AER was found to be fairly uniform for larger vessels and to increase from order 5 toward the capillaries. At order 5, we observe a transition in asymmetric bifurcation pattern that may mark a hemodynamic transition from transmural to perfusion subnetworks. The functional implications of these structural transitions are considered.
Relative Location of Inhibitory Synapses and Persistent Inward Currents Determines the Magnitude and Mode of Synaptic Amplification in Motoneurons
Authors: Bui Tuan V. , Grande Giovanbattista , Rose P. Ken
Published: November 2007

In some motoneurons, L-type Ca2+ channels that partly mediate persistent inward currents (PICs) have been estimated to be arranged in 50- to 200-μm-long discrete regions in the dendrites, centered 100 to 400 μm from the soma. As a consequence of this nonuniform distribution, the interaction between synaptic inputs to motoneurons and these channels may vary according to the distribution of the synapses. For instance, >93% of synapses from Renshaw cells have been observed to be located 65 to 470 μm away from the cell body of motoneurons. Our goal was to assess whether Renshaw cell synapses are distributed in a position to more effectively control the activation of the L-type Ca2+ channels. Using compartmental models of motoneurons with L-type Ca2+ channels distributed in 100-μm-long hot spots centered 100 to 400 μm away from the soma, we compared the inhibition generated by four distributions of inhibitory synapses: proximal, distal, uniform, and one based on the location of Renshaw cell synapses on motoneurons. Regardless of whether the synapses were activated tonically or transiently, in the presence of L-type Ca2+ channels, inhibitory synapses distributed according to the Renshaw cell synapse distribution generate the largest inhibitory currents. The effectiveness of a particular distribution of inhibitory synapses in the presence of PICs depends on their ability to deactivate the channels underlying PICs, which is influenced not only by the superposition between synapses and channels, but also by the distance away from the somatic voltage clamp.
Architecture of the Mouse Utricle: Macular Organization and Hair Bundle Heights
Authors: Li A. , Xue J. , Peterson E. H.
Published: November 2007

Hair bundles are critical to mechanotransduction by vestibular hair cells, but quantitative data are lacking on vestibular bundles in mice or other mammals. Here we quantify bundle heights and their variation with macular locus and hair cell type in adult mouse utricular macula. We also determined that macular organization differs from previous reports. The utricle has ∼3,600 hair cells, half on each side of the line of polarity reversal (LPR). A band of low hair cell density corresponds to a band of calretinin-positive calyces, i.e., the striola. The relation between the LPR and the striola differs from previous reports in two ways. First, the LPR lies lateral to the striola instead of bisecting it. Second, the LPR follows the striolar trajectory anteriorly, but posteriorly it veers from the edge of the striola to reach the posterior margin of the macula. Consequently, more utricular bundles are oriented mediolaterally than previously supposed. Three hair cell classes are distinguished in calretinin-stained material: type II hair cells, type IDhair cells contacting calretinin-negative (dimorphic) afferents, and type IChair cells contacting calretinin-positive (calyceal) afferents. They differ significantly on most bundle measures. Type II bundles have short stereocilia. Type ICbundles have kinocilia and stereocilia of similar heights, i.e., KS ratios (ratio of kinocilium to stereocilia heights) ∼1, unlike other receptor classes. In contrast to these class-specific differences, bundles show little regional variation except that KS ratios are lowest in the striola. These low KS ratios suggest that bundle stiffness is greater in the striola than in the extrastriola.
Cortical and Spinal Modulation of Antagonist Coactivation During a Submaximal Fatiguing Contraction in Humans
Authors: Lévénez Morgan , Garland S. Jayne , Klass Malgorzata , Duchateau Jacques
Published: November 2007

This study investigates the control mechanisms at the cortical and spinal levels of antagonist coactivation during a submaximal fatiguing contraction of the elbow flexors at 50% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). We recorded motor-evoked potentials in the biceps brachii and triceps brachii muscles in response to magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex (MEP) and corticospinal tract (cervicomedullary motor-evoked potentials—CMEPs), as well as the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) and maximal M-wave (Mmax) elicited by electrical stimulation of the brachial plexus, before, during, and after the fatigue task. The results showed that although the coactivation ratio did not change at task failure, the MVC torque produced by the elbow flexors declined by 48% ( P < 0.01) with no change in MVC torque for the elbow extensors. While the MEP and CMEP areas (normalized to Mmax) of the biceps brachii increased (∼50%) over the first 40% of the time to task failure and then plateaued, both responses in the triceps brachii increased (∼150–180%) gradually throughout the fatigue task. In contrast to the monotonic increase in the MEP and CMEP of the antagonist muscles, the H-reflex of the triceps brachii exhibited a biphasic modulation, increasing during the first part of the contraction before declining subsequently to 65% of its initial value. Collectively, these results suggest that the level of coactivation during a fatiguing contraction is mediated by supraspinal rather than spinal mechanisms and involves differential control of agonist and antagonist muscles.
Presentation, Management and Outcome of Acute Sigmoid Diverticulitis Requiring Hospitalization
Authors: Alvarez Jose A. , Baldonedo Ricardo F. , Bear Isabel G. , Otero Jorge , Pire Gerardo , Alvarez Paloma , Jorge Jose I.
Published: November 2007

Aim: This study was conducted to assess the presentation, management, and outcomes of patients with acute sigmoid diverticulitis requiring hospitalization. Methods: From 1986 to 2005, the medical records of 265 patients treated for acute sigmoid diverticulitis requiring hospitalization were retrospectively analyzed. Data were collected with regard to patient’s demographics, clinical characteristics, presentations of acute diverticulitis, treatment, morbidity, and mortality. Results: Only 47 patients (17.7%) had a previous diverticulitis episode. Of the 265 patients, 166 (62.6%) were managed without operation, and 99 (37.4%) underwent surgery. Overall and major morbidity in the whole series were 30.2 (80/265) and 15.5% (40/265), respectively; whereas among the patients with surgical management, were 72.7 (72/99), and 35.3% (35/99), respectively. Overall and postoperative mortality rates were 2.6 (7/265) and 6.1% (6/99), respectively. Older age, steroid use, perforation, and co-morbidities were significantly associated with unfavorable outcomes. Conclusions: It was concluded that surgery for acute sigmoid diverticulitis requiring hospitalization carries important morbidity and mortality. To achieve improvements in outcome, a selective therapeutic approach should be considered, choosing the best surgical procedure for each complication of diverticular disease.
A Comparative Evaluation of Various Methods for Microalbuminuria Screening
Authors: Sarafidis Pantelis A. , Riehle Jessica , Bogojevic Zvezdana , Basta Emad , Chugh Atul , Bakris George L.
Published: November 2007

Background/Aims: Microalbuminuria is a marker of abnormal vascular response and a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated a new quantitative office-based method to assess urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and compared it to other established methods. Methods: Spot urine samples from 165 patients were analyzed at a single study site using the HemoCue system, Clinitek Microalbumin, and Chemstrip Micral test, as well as at a central laboratory, where UAE and creatinine levels were measured. The central laboratory UAE values were used as reference. We evaluated the validity of the HemoCue results and compared them to the respective data for the laboratory albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Additionally, we assessed, diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of all four methods, as well as the reproducibility of the HemoCue measurements. Results: Linear regression analysis demonstrated a good correlation for the HemoCue system (y = 0.9978x – 1.0217, R2 = 0.904) and ACR (y = 0.0815x + 0.3373, R2 = 0.784). Sensitivity and specificity for microalbuminuria diagnosis were 92 and 98% for HemoCue, 73 and 96% for ACR, 100 and 81% for Clinitek Microalbumin, and 70 and 83% for Chemstrip Micral dipstick, respectively. The correlation coefficient of duplicate HemoCue measurements was r = 0.98 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The HemoCue system for microalbuminuria detection was as accurate and precise as laboratory ACR estimations. Its diagnostic performance was much better than that of widely used dipstick methods.
Divergent Biophysical Defects Caused by Mutant Sodium Channels in Dilated Cardiomyopathy With Arrhythmia
Authors: Nguyen Thao P. , Wang Dao W. , Rhodes Thomas H. , George Alfred L.
Published: November 2007

Mutations in SCN5A encoding the principal Na
+
channel α-subunit expressed in human heart (Na
V
1.5) have recently been linked to an inherited form of dilated cardiomyopathy with atrial and ventricular arrhythmia. We compared the biophysical properties of 2 novel Na
V
1.5 mutations associated with this syndrome (D2/S4 – R814W; D4/S3 – D1595H) with the wild-type (WT) channel using heterologous expression in cultured tsA201 cells and whole-cell patch-clamp recording. Expression levels were similar among WT and mutant channels, and neither mutation affected persistent sodium current. R814W channels exhibited prominent and novel defects in the kinetics and voltage dependence of activation characterized by slower rise times and a hyperpolarized conductance-voltage relationship resulting in an increased “window current.” This mutant also displayed enhanced slow inactivation and greater use-dependent reduction in peak current at fast pulsing frequencies. By contrast, D1595H channels exhibited impaired fast inactivation characterized by slower entry into the inactivated state and a hyperpolarized steady-state inactivation curve. Our findings illustrate the divergent biophysical defects caused by 2 different
SCN5A
mutations associated with familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Retrospective review of the published clinical data suggested that cardiomyopathy was not common in the family with D1595H, but rather sinus bradycardia was the predominant clinical finding. However, for R814W, we speculate that an increased window current coupled with enhanced slow inactivation and rate-dependent loss of channel availability provided a unique substrate predisposing myocytes to disordered Na
+
and Ca
2+
homeostasis leading to myocardial dysfunction.
Intramuscular Botulinum Toxin-A Reduces Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain
Authors: Lim Jae-Young , Koh Jae-Hyeon , Paik Nam-Jong
Published: November 2007

Background and Purpose—

Shoulder pain is frequent after stroke and interferes with the rehabilitative process and outcome. However, treatments used for hemiplegic shoulder pain are limited and largely ineffective. This prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled study was conducted to compare the efficacies of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) and triamcinolone acetonide (TA) on hemiplegic shoulder pain and their effects on arm function in patients with stroke.

Methods—

Twenty-nine hemiplegic stroke patients with shoulder pain (duration ≤24 months, pain on numeric rating scale ≥6/10) were randomized into 2 groups. One group received intramuscular injections of BoNT-A (BOTOX 100 U total) during one session to the infraspinatus, pectoralis and subscapularis muscles in conjunction with an intraarticular injection of normal saline to painful shoulder joint, whereas the other group received an intraarticular injection of TA (40 mg) and an intramuscular injection of normal saline to the same muscles. Outcome measures were pain (measured using a numeric rating scale), physician’s global rating scale, shoulder range of motion (ROM) in 4 directions, arm function measured using Fugl-Meyer score, and spasticity measured using the modified Ashworth scale. Measurements were made at baseline and 2, 6, and 12 weeks after injection.

Results—

At 12 weeks after treatment mean decrease in pain was 4.2 in the BoNT-A–treated group versus 2.5 in the TA-treated group (
P
=0.051), and improvements in overall ROM were 82.9
o
versus 51.8
o
in these groups (
P
=0.059), showing a strong trend toward there being less pain and better ROM among those treated with BoNT-A than with TA. However, no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of improvement in physician global rating, Fugl-Meyer score or modified Ashworth scales. No adverse effect was observed in either group.

Conclusions—

Results from this study suggest that injection of BoNT-A into selected muscles of the shoulder girdle might provide more pain relief and ROM improvement than intraarticular steroid in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain. A larger clinical trial needs to be undertaken to confirm the benefits of this approach.
Süleyman i and the Conquest of Hungary: Ottoman Manifest Destiny or a Delayed Reaction To Charles V's Universalist Vision
Authors: Murphey Rhoads
Published: November 2007

It has commonly (and rather persistently) been assumed that Ottoman relations with Christian Europe in the early sixteenth century were governed by fixed and immutable religio-political imperatives, whose ultimate aim was the establishment of Muslim dominance over Europe. The present study examines the interplay between three dimensions- the domestic, the regional and the international- that affected imperial planning and policy formulation in the period 1520 to 1540 to test the validity of this assumption of Ottoman immutability. Seen within the wider context of an inherent Ottoman need to balance conflicting priorities in an era of imperial growth, the study concludes that the early part of Süleyman's reign represents an era not of immutability, but of exploration, consolidation, and evolving imperatives formulated in response to pressures (both domestic and international) whose character changed and whose intensity fluctuated over time.
When Science Develops Outside State Patronage: Dutch Studies in Japan At the Turn of the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Horiuchi Annick
Published: November 2007

It is one of the peculiar features of the movement of translation of Western scientific treatises from Dutch into Japanese, known as Dutch learning (rangaku), that if first originated in Nagasaki with a group of Japanese interpreters. This group differed from the scholarly community of the capital, Edo, by both training and social status. This article shows how this difference contributes to explaining some of the particularities of rangaku in its initial phase. A case in point is Shizuki Tadao's introduction of Newtonian physics and astronomy. Yet, Sugita Genpaku, a major representative of the Edo scholarly community, gave an account of the beginning of Dutch learning that attempted to minimise, or even to erase, the contribution of the Nagasaki interpreters, who were dismissed as unscholarly. This attempt, too, is best understood in the light of the difference between the two communities.
Religion, Social Cohesion and Subjective Well-Being
Authors: van der Lans Jan , Kemper Frank , Nijsten Cécile , Rooijackers Margo
Published: November 2007

A positive correlation between religious participation and subjective well-being has been demonstrated frequently in empirical research among Christian believers. In this article, we demonstrate that this relationship also exists in a Muslim religious context. Data are presented, collected from a sample of Muslim youngsters of Turkish and Moroccan origin, now living in The Netherlands. Analysis of variance showed that young Muslim migrants who carry out religious duties, have a better subjective well-being than those who are less religiously involved, although this is more the case with men than with women. A qualitative analysis of the interview protocols revealed that female migrants suffer more from the restrictions laid upon them by religious obligations. It revealed also that the underlying factor of the relationship between religion and subjective well-being is group cohesion. Religious observance strengthens a feeling of togetherness and collective identity.
Radical Reductionism in the Psychological Study of Religion: Prospects for an Alternative Critical Methodology
Authors: Hardy Douglas S.
Published: November 2007

The scholarly enterprise known as the psychology of religion can be understood as the psychological study of religious practice, belief, and experience. With one foot in the stream of psychological theory and research and the other in the flow of religious experience and understanding, it seeks to illuminate the latter through use of the former. In other words, religion becomes the object of psychological analysis, that is, in some sense subordinated to psychology (Wulff, 1997). This relative inequality raises significant methodological issues for anyone attempting to study religion in this way. In particular, one is confronted with the prospect of becoming reductionistic, that is, of explaining what is in fact a complex phenomenon in terms too simple and uni-dimensional, distorting (or at least diminishing) the object of study in the process.
Mental God-Representation Reconsidered: Probing Collective Representation of Cultural Symbol
Authors: Kwon Soo-Young
Published: November 2007

The current methods in psychoanalytic studies of God images and representations have focused almost exclusively on individual, internal processes. This article examines how psychological anthropologists go about formulating symbolic representations of deity in their research, in comparison with the object relations method of God-representations. Drawing on Melford Spiro's integrative proposal for interpreting the mental and collective representations in religious symbol systems, this paper proposes that there is a need for a comprehensive model of the representational process in the Eastern world in order to suit its cultural traditions. The author uses both theoretical and historical materials as well as personal narrative throughout its entirety to balance the two in a mutual and coherent flow of understanding. Noting the culturally patterned interactions with culturally postulated God-symbols, the object relations method of God-representations will be utilized to probe how God is both created and found on a collective (cultural) level as well as individual level.
Religious Judgement and Religious World View: Theoretical Relationship and Empirical Findings
Authors: Oser Fritz K. , Fetz Reto Luzius , Reich K. Helmut , Valentin Peter
Published: November 2007

The purpose of this paper is to explore theoretically and empirically the relation between Religious Judgement and Religious World View. “Religious Judgement” (RJ) refers to a person's relationship with an Ultimate (God for religious believers), as stimulated by and expressed in significant contingent situations (in the Aristotelian sense). In a structure-genetic view, this relationship develops from a stage where the Ultimate is perceived as all-powerful to a stage where the Ultimate is recognised by way of liberating interindividual actions. The “Religious World View” (WV) is concerned with the concept and the role of the Creator in originating and evolving the universe. WV stages develop from perceiving an artificialistic Maker of everything to a Higher Being with a more reduced yet more intrinsic role.
Religiosity, Moral Attitudes and Moral Competence
Authors: Duriez Bart
Published: November 2007

The present research investigates the relation between the religiosity dimensions which Wulff (1991; 1997) described (Exclusion vs. Inclusion of Transcendence and Literal vs. Symbolic) and both moral attitudes and moral competence. The Post-Critical Belief scale (Duriez et al., 2000) was used as a measure of Wulff's religiosity dimensions, and the Moral Judgment Test (Lind, 1998) was used to measure both moral attitudes and moral competence. Results from an adolescent sample (N = 138), a student sample (N = 372) and a sample of adults affiliated to the Roman Catholic Church (N = 294) suggest, that, whereas the Literal vs. Symbolic dimension shows substantial relations with moral attitudes and moral competence, the Exclusion vs. Inclusion of Transcendence dimension is unrelated to both of them. This suggests that there is no intrinsic relationship between religiosity and morality. However, results also suggest that religiously affiliated persons, in general, exhibit low moral competence. The content of the moral dilemmas that were presented cannot account for this.
Ethical Implications of Globalisation for Church, Religion and Society1
Authors: Mothlabi Mokgethi B.G.
Published: November 2007

This article explores the phenomenon of globalisation and its effects on the Third World, namely cultural, political and economic dominance by the West. While economic globalisation, accompanied by structural adjustment programs, is purported to enable economic development of the Third World, it has had the opposite effect, namely to tip the economic scales in favour of the West and thereby created further hardships in poorer Third World countries. Globalisation is therefore experienced as a new colonialism undergirded by exploitative political and economic relations. A global ethic is proposed as a way towards countering the ill effects of globalisation. Such an ethic is built on the two-fold foundation of human dignity and human responsibility. An exposition is given of the principles of a global ethic. Within the ambit of such an ethic moral and religious leaders are called upon to attend to the needs of local communities.
The Blood of Female Martyrs as the Sperm of the Early Church1
Authors: Vorster Johannes N.
Published: November 2007

To what extent did early Christian martyr stories function as empowering the female body and contributing to an independent view of her 'self' and 'identity'? In the light of claims, often motivated by political correctness, that certain early Christian traditions acknowledged, appreciated and promoted woman's agency in Graeco-Roman social interaction, it is argued that if the notion of a 'regulatory body' is taken into consideration, early Christian female bodies and identities were crushed both by the Roman Imperium and early Christian patriarchal leadership.