bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory Role of mir-203 in Prostate Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Authors: Saini Sharanjot , Majid Shahana , Yamamura Soichiro , Tabatabai Laura , Suh Seong O. , Shahryari Varahram , Chen Yi , Deng Guoren , Tanaka Yuichiro , Dahiya Rajvir
Published: December 2010

Purpose: Advanced metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) is a fatal disease, with only palliative therapeutic options. Though almost 80% of cases of metastatic PCa present bone metastasis, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern this metastatic dissemination remains fragmentary. The main objective of the present study was to identify microRNA (miRNA) genes that regulate metastatic PCa.

Experimental Design: miRNA expression profiling was done in human prostate cell lines to identify dysregulated miRNA components of advanced PCa. miR-203 expression was assessed in prostate carcinoma cell lines and clinical specimens by real-time PCR and in situ hybridization. To assess the biological significance of miR-203, miR-203 was reexpressed in bone metastatic PCa cell lines followed by in vitro and in vivo functional assays.

Results: miR-203 expression is specifically attenuated in bone metastatic PCa suggesting a fundamental antimetastatic role for this miRNA. Reintroduction of miR-203 in bone metastatic PCa cell lines suppresses metastasis via inhibition of several critical steps of the metastatic cascade including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion, and motility. Ectopic miR-203 significantly attenuated the development of metastasis in a bone metastatic model of PCa. Importantly, miR-203 regulates a cohort of pro-metastatic genes including ZEB2, Bmi, survivin, and bone-specific effectors including Runx2, a master regulator of bone metastasis.

Conclusions: miR-203 is an “antimetastatic” miRNA in PCa that acts at multiple steps of the PCa metastatic cascade via repression of a cohort of prometastatic targets. miR-203 may be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in advanced PCa. Clin Cancer Res; 17(16); 5287–98. ©2011 AACR.
Rituximab in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis: Fad or Fact?
Authors: Fervenza Fernando C.
Published: December 2010

A number of case reports and case series of patients with Wegener’s granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis and Churg-Strauss syndrome have supported the use of rituximab (RTX) for the treatment of refractory ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Whether B cell depletion with RTX could replace cyclophosphamide as a first-line therapy for patients with severe AAV remains to be proven. Two studies, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, have examined the efficacy of RTX in inducing remission in patients with severe AAV.
Impact of Acute Renal Failure on the Relationship between N-Terminal pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Hemodynamic Parameters
Authors: Balik Martin , Jabor Antonin , Otahal Michal , Waldauf Petr , Pavlisova Marie
Published: December 2010

Background: We studied the influence of acute renal failure (ARF) on the relationship between N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and hemodynamic parameters. Methods: The echocardiographic parameters and NT-proBNP levels were compared between 26 mechanically ventilated patients with ARF requiring continuous hemodiafiltration and 44 control patients. Results: The relationships between NT-proBNP and left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.001), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (p = 0.03), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (p = 0.008), and pulmonary artery pressure (p = 0.01) were found only in the control group. The median and interquartile range of NT-proBNP (1,717.5, 389.5–4,138 ng/l) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the low diuresis subgroup than the levels (748.8, 384.2–2,217 ng/l) in the subgroup where daily diuresis increased and both had significantly higher levels than controls (350.7, 130.2–661.2 ng/l, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The high levels of NT-proBNP >1,000 ng/l seem to be typical, particularly for oliguric ARF. It seems that ARF precludes its utilization for any hemodynamic diagnosis.
Symmetrical Dimethylarginine Outperforms CKD-EPI and MDRD-Derived eGFR for the Assessment of Renal Function in Patients with Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Tutarel Oktay , Denecke Agnieszka , Bode-Böger Stefanie M. , Martens-Lobenhoffer Jens , Schieffer Bernhard , Westhoff-Bleck Mechthild , Kielstein Jan T.
Published: December 2010

Background/Aims: Adults with congenital heart disease exhibit a 3-fold higher mortality in the presence of chronic kidney disease, hence assessment of renal function is crucial in this patient population. Formulas for the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) have not been evaluated in this patient population. Therefore, this study compares different markers and equations for the estimation of renal function in adults with congenital heart disease. Methods: Renal function was assessed in 102 patients using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation, the simplified MDRD equation, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation and the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Additionally, symmetrical dimethylarginine (SDMA) was measured. Those parameters were compared to cystatin C-derived GFR using the Larsson equation. Results: GFR estimates using the original MDRD (r = 0.465, p < 0.001) and the CKD-EPI equation (r = 0.462, p < 0.001) showed a similar strong correlation with the cystatin C-based eGFR equation, while eGFR using the simplified MDRD equation showed a slightly weaker correlation (r = 0.439, p < 0.001). The Cockcroft-Gault formula showed no correlation at all to the cystatin C-based eGFR (r = 0.144, p = 0.17). The strongest correlation was observed for SDMA and cystatin C-based eGFR (r = –0.552, p < 0.001). Conclusion: GFR in adults with congenital heart disease should be estimated using the original MDRD or the CKD-EPI formula. SDMA seems to be a promising marker of renal function for this patient group.
Development and Validation of the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-Life (AFEQT) Questionnaire in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Spertus John , Dorian Paul , Bubien Rosemary , Lewis Steve , Godejohn Donna , Reynolds Matthew R. , Lakkireddy Dhanunjaya R. , Wimmer Alan P. , Bhandari Anil , Burk Caroline
Published: December 2010

Background—

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has a deleterious impact on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL), but measuring this outcome is difficult. A comprehensive, validated, disease-specific questionnaire to measure the spectrum of QoL domains affected by AF and its treatment is not available. We developed and validated a 20-item questionnaire, Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-life (AFEQT), in a 6-center, prospective, observational study.

Methods and Results—

Factor analyses established 4 conceptual domains (Symptoms, Daily Activities, Treatment Concern, and Treatment Satisfaction) from which individual domain and global scores were calculated. Participants from 6 centers completed the AFEQT at baseline, at month 1, and at month 3. Psychometric analyses included internal consistency and known-group validity. Test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing 1-month changes in scores among those with no change in therapy. Effect size was used to assess responsiveness after intervention. Among 219 patients age 62±11.9 years, 94% completed the AFEQT at baseline and 3 months; 66% had paroxysmal, 24% persistent, 5% longstanding persistent, and 5% permanent AF. Internal consistency was >0.88 for all scales. Lower AFEQT scores were observed with increased AF severity, categorized as asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe, respectively: 71.2±20.6, 71.3±19.2, 57.9±19.0, and 42.0±21.2. Intraclass correlations for Overall, Symptoms, Daily Activities, Treatment Concern, and Satisfaction scores were 0.8, 0.5, 0.8, 0.7, and 0.7, respectively. Changes in 3-month scores were larger after ablation than with pharmacological adjustments, and both were greater than those observed in stable patients.

Conclusions—

This initial validation of AFEQT supports its use as an outcome in studies and a means to clinically follow patients with AF.
Suitability of V1 Energy Models for Object Classification
Authors: Bergstra James , Bengio Yoshua , Louradour Jérôme
Published: December 2010

Simulations of cortical computation have often focused on networks built from simplified neuron models similar to rate models hypothesized for V1 simple cells. However, physiological research has revealed that even V1 simple cells have surprising complexity. Our computational simulations explore the effect of this complexity on the visual system's ability to solve simple tasks, such as the categorization of shapes and digits, after learning from a limited number of examples. We use recently proposed high-throughput methodology to explore what axes of modeling complexity are useful in these categorization tasks. We find that complex cell rate models learn to categorize objects better than simple cell models, and without incurring extra computational expense. We find that the squaring of linear filter responses leads to better performance. We find that several other components of physiologically derived models do not yield better performance.
Machine-Learning-Based Coadaptive Calibration for Brain-Computer Interfaces
Authors: Vidaurre Carmen , Sannelli Claudia , Müller Klaus-Robert , Blankertz Benjamin
Published: December 2010

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) allow users to control a computer application by brain activity as acquired (e.g., by EEG). In our classic machine learning approach to BCIs, the participants undertake a calibration measurement without feedback to acquire data to train the BCI system. After the training, the user can control a BCI and improve the operation through some type of feedback. However, not all BCI users are able to perform sufficiently well during feedback operation. In fact, a nonnegligible portion of participants (estimated 15%–30%) cannot control the system (a BCI illiteracy problem, generic to all motor-imagery-based BCIs). We hypothesize that one main difficulty for a BCI user is the transition from offline calibration to online feedback. In this work, we investigate adaptive machine learning methods to eliminate offline calibration and analyze the performance of 11 volunteers in a BCI based on the modulation of sensorimotor rhythms. We present an adaptation scheme that individually guides the user. It starts with a subject-independent classifier that evolves to a subject-optimized state-of-the-art classifier within one session while the user interacts continuously. These initial runs use supervised techniques for robust coadaptive learning of user and machine. Subsequent runs use unsupervised adaptation to track the features’ drift during the session and provide an unbiased measure of BCI performance. Using this approach, without any offline calibration, six users, including one novice, obtained good performance after 3 to 6 minutes of adaptation. More important, this novel guided learning also allows participants with BCI illiteracy to gain significant control with the BCI in less than 60 minutes. In addition, one volunteer without sensorimotor idle rhythm peak at the beginning of the BCI experiment developed it during the course of the session and used voluntary modulation of its amplitude to control the feedback application.
Does High Firing Irregularity Enhance Learning?
Authors: Christodoulou Chris , Cleanthous Aristodemos
Published: December 2010

In this note, we demonstrate that the high firing irregularity produced by the leaky integrate-and-fire neuron with the partial somatic reset mechanism, which has been shown to be the most likely candidate to reflect the mechanism used in the brain for reproducing the highly irregular cortical neuron firing at high rates (Bugmann, Christodoulou, & Taylor, 1997 ; Christodoulou & Bugmann, 2001 ), enhances learning. More specifically, it enhances reward-modulated spike-timing-dependent plasticity with eligibility trace when used in spiking neural networks, as shown by the results when tested in the simple benchmark problem of XOR, as well as in a complex multiagent setting task.
Collective Stability of Networks of Winner-Take-All Circuits
Authors: Rutishauser Ueli , Douglas Rodney J. , Slotine Jean-Jacques
Published: December 2010

The neocortex has a remarkably uniform neuronal organization, suggesting that common principles of processing are employed throughout its extent. In particular, the patterns of connectivity observed in the superficial layers of the visual cortex are consistent with the recurrent excitation and inhibitory feedback required for cooperative-competitive circuits such as the soft winner-take-all (WTA). WTA circuits offer interesting computational properties such as selective amplification, signal restoration, and decision making. But these properties depend on the signal gain derived from positive feedback, and so there is a critical trade-off between providing feedback strong enough to support the sophisticated computations while maintaining overall circuit stability. The issue of stability is all the more intriguing when one considers that the WTAs are expected to be densely distributed through the superficial layers and that they are at least partially interconnected. We consider how to reason about stability in very large distributed networks of such circuits. We approach this problem by approximating the regular cortical architecture as many interconnected cooperative-competitive modules. We demonstrate that by properly understanding the behavior of this small computational module, one can reason over the stability and convergence of very large networks composed of these modules. We obtain parameter ranges in which the WTA circuit operates in a high-gain regime, is stable, and can be aggregated arbitrarily to form large, stable networks. We use nonlinear contraction theory to establish conditions for stability in the fully nonlinear case and verify these solutions using numerical simulations. The derived bounds allow modes of operation in which the WTA network is multistable and exhibits state-dependent persistent activities. Our approach is sufficiently general to reason systematically about the stability of any network, biological or technological, composed of networks of small modules that express competition through shared inhibition.
Contextualizing Sexual Objectification
Authors: Fischer Ann R. , Bettendorf Sonya K. , Wang Yu-Wei
Published: December 2010

The preceding articles provide an excellent overview of relatively recent theory and research on sexual objectification of women from a psychological perspective. Importantly, the authors have contributed to the literature through their conceptual extensions and research applications of objectification theory. In this reaction piece, our goals are to direct attention to an underplayed aspect of objectification theory, offer applause and a caveat about specifying criteria for sexually objectifying environments, critically analyze false parallels and common yes, but challenges to objectification theory, encourage further consideration of sociopolitical dimensions of sexual objectification, and suggest avenues for continued work.
Extending Sexual Objectification Theory and Research to Minority Populations, Couples, and Men
Authors: Heimerdinger-Edwards Sarah R. , Vogel David L. , Hammer Joseph H.
Published: December 2010

This reaction highlights several strengths of this major contribution and discusses some future directions in this line of research.The authors offer research ideas in the areas of cultural and cross-cultural issues, couples and relationships, as well as direct and indirect effects of sexual objectification on men. In terms of providing increasing support for the model of sexual objectification and substance use, the authors suggest more exhaustive studies that can look at the causal order of variables and consider such possibilities as a reciprocal effect of depression and substance use or a combined effect of depression and eating disorders leading to substance use, as well as examine possible moderating variables that could serve as risk or protective factors for negative outcomes. Furthermore, the authors also offer future directions for research on the interpersonal effects of sexual objectification. Specifically, they offer research ideas related to sexual objectification and relationship disruptions, continued gender stereotyping, as well as negative direct and indirect consequences for men, such as conveying unrealistic messages about how to establish and maintain genuine intimate relationships with women.
Multidimensionality of Teachers’ Graded Responses for Preschoolers’ Stylistic Learning Behavior: The Learning-to-Learn Scales
Authors: McDermott Paul A. , Fantuzzo John W. , Warley Heather P. , Waterman Clare , Angelo Lauren E. , Gadsden Vivian L. , Sekino Yumiko
Published: December 2010

Assessment of preschool learning behavior has become very popular as a mechanism to inform cognitive development and promote successful interventions. The most widely used measures offer sound predictions but distinguish only a few types of stylistic learning and lack sensitive growth detection. The Learning-to-Learn Scales was designed to mitigate these shortcomings. Exploratory factoring of teachers’ ordered categorical ratings of 1,000 Head Start children uncovered seven dimensions: Strategic Planning, Effectiveness Motivation, Interpersonal Responsiveness in Learning, Vocal Engagement in Learning, Sustained Focus in Learning, Acceptance of Novelty and Risk, and Group Learning. Confirmatory analysis with an independent sample of 980 children supported the dimensionality, and full-information bifactor analyses revealed coexisting general and specific dimensions. Multilevel longitudinal study of item response theory—derived scores highlighted growth sensitivity, and multilevel logistic modeling indicated that the phenomena underlying Learning-to-Learn Scales dimensions afford substantial protective agency against future deficits in cognitive achievement.
Early Devotion to Jesus: A Report, Reflections and Implications
Authors: Hurtado Larry W.
Published: December 2010

Over the last 20+ years there has been a renewed interest in earliest expressions of devotion to Jesus as a historical phenomenon. Research of these years has underscored how early Jesus-devotion emerged within the first years of the Christian movement and among circles of Jewish believers. The resultant devotional pattern, involving two distinguishable figures (God and Jesus), comprises a remarkable development, thus, in ancient Jewish monotheistic religion. This development is most noteworthy in the way that Jesus functions in the corporate worship life of early Christian circles. This essay reports on some of this recent research and the main findings.
Organizational Development Interventions: An Artifaction Perspective
Authors: Romme A. Georges L.
Published: December 2010

Given the highly instrumental nature of the literature on organizational interventions, this article explores and defines key elements of an artifaction theory of organizational development (OD) interventions. Four dimensions of artifaction are distinguished: ascription, fabrication, displacement, and reinterpretation. This framework then serves to develop a number of propositions regarding the nature and background of OD interventions, the ability to create alternative purposes and values, the involvement of stakeholders in the intervention process, the deliberate incompleteness of the intervention approach adopted, as well as its standardization and codification. Finally, the article discusses how an artifaction perspective on OD intervention may serve to develop an OD science that is theoretically as well as practically significant.
Microfinance and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from a Village Study in Bangladesh
Authors: Nawaz Shah
Published: December 2010

To evaluate the competing claims on the impact of microfinance programs on multidimensional poverty, a village study in Bangladesh was conducted where three microfinance programs had been operating for more than five years. The study found that microfinance has resulted in a moderate reduction in the poverty of borrowers, as measured by a variety of socio-economic indicators, but has not reached many of the poorest in the village. To make microfinance a more effective means of poverty reduction other services such as skills training, technological support, education and health related strategies should be included with microfinance.
Is There a Distinct Style of Asian Democracy?
Authors: Mukherjee Kunal
Published: December 2010

For a long time, especially through orientalist writings, Eastern or Asian political systems were seen as inherently authoritarian and as the antithesis of the West or Western political systems. Although there is some truth to this, there are aspects of Asian politics and culture which are very much in keeping with Western understandings of political liberalism and this paper tries to focus on some of these similarities. The paper tries to look into the question, ‘Is there is a distinct style of Asian democracy’? The paper argues that there are aspects of Asian culture and politics which sit comfortably with Western notions of liberalism and other aspects which do not. However, for the aspects which do not, these have a lot to do with politicians using aspects of the Asian political tradition, like acceptance of hierarchy and respect for authority, to consolidate their own position when their power base lacks political legitimacy. Before making an assessment of the political systems in Asia, one also has to look at specificities and the particular historical, geographical and sociological context each country is grounded in. This paper has a special focus on South and East Asia and thus makes use of a comparative approach, whilst trying to answer its research question.
Taijin Kyofusho and Social Phobia Symptoms in Young Adults in England and in Japan
Authors: Essau Cecilia A. , Sasagawa Satoko , Chen Junwen , Sakano Yuji
Published: December 2010

The main aims of the present study were to compare the frequency of social phobia and taijin kyofusho symptoms among young adults in Japan and in England and to examine the role of family environment in the development of these two conditions. A total of 927 young adults (462 in England and 465 in Japan) between the ages of 19 and 24 were investigated. They completed a set of questionnaires that were used to measure social phobia and taijin kyofusho symptoms, as well as family background. Results showed that young adults in Japan reported significantly higher levels of taijin kyofusho and social phobia symptoms than young adults in England. Family sociability had a consistent effect on both social phobia and taijin kyofusho symptoms across the two cultures, but parental rearing attitudes showed distinct patterns between the two countries. This finding suggests that cross-cultural models need to consider familial factors that may be predictive across cultures and others that may be more culturally specific.
Japanese and American Perceptions of Group Entitativity and Autonomy
Authors: Kurebayashi Koichi , Hoffman Lesa , Ryan Carey S. , Murayama Aya
Published: December 2010

The authors examined cross-cultural differences in the relationships of essence and dynamic group properties to perceived group entitativity (i.e., perceived “groupiness”) and the influence of entitativity, essence properties, and dynamic properties on group autonomy beliefs. American and Japanese college students completed questionnaires that assessed perceptions of essence properties (e.g., similarities in group members’ physical and personality traits), dynamic properties (e.g., common goals and outcomes), entitativity, and autonomy for nine target groups. Multilevel analyses indicated that essence and dynamic properties predicted entitativity among both Americans and Japanese. However, between-person effects indicated that essence properties more strongly predicted entitativity in the United States than in Japan, whereas within-person effects indicated that dynamic properties more strongly predicted entitativity in Japan. Finally, dynamic properties and entitativity were independently associated with group autonomy and their effects were stronger when essence properties were high. However, as expected, these autonomy relationships were only evident in the United States.
Le développement du bouddhisme en contexte italien. Aspects de la modernisation et du pluralisme religieux en Italie
Authors: Mathé Thierry
Published: December 2010

L’auteur présente un tableau général du développement du bouddhisme en Italie, où une stratégie de modernisation religieuse, mise en œuvre de longue date, n’a pas entraîné de vaste dérégulation institutionnelle de l’Église catholique. Ainsi peut-on expliquer le nombre relativement faible d’adeptes du bouddhisme par rapport à d’autres pays comparables. L’auteur propose une présentation historique, statistique et institutionnelle de la présence du bouddhisme en Italie et développe, ensuite, une approche compréhensive révélant des similitudes dans les motivations des “convertis” des différentes traditions bouddhiques installées dans la péninsule. Enfin, il analyse la spécificité du contexte italien en termes socioreligieux et son incidence sur les conditions d’émergence des nouvelles communautés religieuses.
Displacing Religion, Disarming Law: Situating Quaker Spirituality in the “Trident Three” Case
Authors: Smith Lisa Ann , Beaman Lori G.
Published: December 2010

The authors focus on the case of the “Trident Three”, who boarded a Trident submarine control station on barge on a Scottish loch and, using their bare hands and small hammers, disabled much of the computer equipment in the station, temporarily disarming one third of Britain’s nuclear weapons system. Drawing primarily on a discourse analysis of the case, the authors identify a profound disjuncture between the ways in which the law and religious discourse framed the actions of the Trident Three. They explore the ways in which religious claims are reshaped by legal discourse as isolated actions rather than as actions set in a broader moral context with transcendental implications. Their project is to conduct a socio-legal analysis of competing discourses, paying particular attention to the ways in which power relations are worked out. They also acknowledge the contribution of social movements literature to an understanding of the ways in which groups deploy notions of “the good society” or “the public good” in order to ground their justification of choice of action.
The theory of storms: Jacob Burckhardt and the concept of ‘historical crisis’
Authors: Martin James R
Published: December 2010

This paper looks at the role of the ‘historical crisis’ in Jacob Burckhardt’s theory of history. By examining how Burckhardt praised the ‘crisis’ for the ways in which it could accelerate historical processes, the paper challenges interpretations of his work that focus exclusively on its synchronic elements. It also examines the relationship of his theories of the crisis to his views on warfare and on how large-scale wars could serve to speed up historical development. Ultimately, this paper seeks to challenge the easy categorization of Burckhardt as either a conservative or a liberal thinker by suggesting that his work channelled the rhetoric of both his radical and his reactionary intellectual contemporaries.
West German economic reconstruction and moral reconstitution: An examination of economic instability and its impact on ‘Holocaust moments’
Authors: Richert Nugent Christine
Published: December 2010

After WWII, Germany found itself in physical ruin as well as in a moral shambles. The rebuilding process in West Germany included both economic reconstruction and moral reconstitution. In my paper I argue that these two processes were more closely related than generally believed. While economic instability, measured by unemployment rates, certainly has not caused a greater willingness to come to terms with the National Socialist past, such times seem to have coincided with some of the great historiographical controversies about that past, namely the Fischer controversy, the Historikerstreit, the Goldhagen affair, and the highly controversial, so-called Wehrmachtsausstellung. This paper proposes a model for the relationship and explores possible explanations.
A Comparison of Static and Dynamic Assessment of Sexual Offender Risk and Need in a Treatment Context
Authors: Olver Mark E. , Wong Stephen C.P.
Published: December 2010

The authors investigated the efficacy of static versus dynamic approaches to risk assessment and the validity of the Risk Principle through comparing treatment changes made by high- versus lower-risk offenders. The investigations were carried out using a sample of 321 treated sex offenders followed up for an average 10 years postrelease. Risk was assessed using the Static 99, and treatment change was assessed using the Violence Risk Scale—Sexual Offender version. Actuarially high-risk/ low-change offenders had significantly higher rates of sexual recidivism than similarly high-risk offenders who had demonstrated greater treatment changes. The Static 99 predicted sexual recidivism well among sex offenders with smaller treatment change but demonstrated weaker prediction among offenders with greater treatment change, likely owing, in part, to the static nature of the risk predictors. Implications regarding the dynamic nature of risk and potential utility of incorporating treatment change—related information into sex offender risk assessments are discussed.
Dispositional Versus Situational Coping: Are the Coping Strategies African Americans Use Different for General Versus Racism-Related Stressors?
Authors: Brown Tamara L. , Phillips Clarenda M. , Abdullah Tahirah , Vinson Ebony , Robertson Jermaine
Published: December 2010

When faced with difficulties and problems, people use a variety of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope, and culture influences the strategies that are chosen. Unfortunately, little is known about how culture influences coping because most research is done with White samples. As coping is a key determinant of a person’s adaptation to stressful life events, it is imperative that researchers develop a nuanced understanding of African American coping that is specific enough to guide prevention and intervention efforts. Thus, the aim of this study was to (a) investigate how African Americans differ from one another in the way they cope and (b) examine whether the strategies they typically use to cope (dispositional coping) differ from those used to cope with racism (situation-specific coping). Results indicate that African Americans cope differently depending on the type of stressor—they use one set of strategies generally but rely on a different set to cope with racism. Results also revealed gender and acculturation differences in how African Americans cope.
Enter the Dragon: Mordecai as Agonistic Combatant in Greek Esther
Authors: Seeman Chris
Published: December 2010

Mordecai’s refusal to bow before Haman provokes the central conflict of the Book of Esther. In the Hebrew version of this story, Mordecai’s defiance is never explained. By contrast, in both Greek versions, he claims to have acted out of pious motives (“so as not to set human glory above God’s glory”). While most readers of Greek Esther take Mordecai’s words at face value, I argue that, when read in connection with other passages in the book, the credibility of his defense is called into question. The author of Greek Esther depicts Haman and Mordecai as “two great dragons, both ready to come forth to wrestle,” an image that hints at agonistic self-assertion on the part of both characters. This article explores the valence of dragons and wrestling in their Hellenic and Judean cultural contexts.
Social Status in Luke’s Infancy Narrative: Zechariah the Priest
Authors: Autero Esa
Published: December 2010

This article investigates the social status of Zechariah in Luke’s Gospel using Lenski’s social stratification model. Beyond macro-sociological setting, we will conduct a multidimensional analysis of Zechariah’s social status. We investigate Zechariah’s place in the Judean priestly hierarchy using Luke’s narrative presentation and Josephus’ testimonies about social conflicts among various priestly groups within first-century Judea. The narrative clue about the “priestly order of Abijah” has been ignored by most scholars, but it will be argued that this is an important detail in the placement of Zechariah in the social stratification system. We will also argue that placing Zechariah in the retainer class is not viable. Rather, Zechariah is depicted in Luke’s narrative as a humble, lowly priest, who nevertheless maintained rather high social status due to his priestly pedigree.
Gender, ICTs, and Productivity in Low-Income Countries
Authors: Miller B. Paige , Duque Ricardo , Shrum Wesley
Published: December 2010

This essay presents the first analysis of gender differences in productivity using panel data on scientists in low-income countries. About 540 researchers in Ghana, Kenya, and Kerala (India) were studied using the same survey instrument in 2001 and 2005. Results indicate very few gender disparities in outcomes at either period of the study with one exception: productivity in international journals. The authors show that substantial gains in access to technology and higher education by women have not reduced the gender gap on this important career dimension.
Europe and the Migrant Experience: Transforming Integration
Authors: Jackson Darrell
Published: December 2010

The European Union is founded upon a commitment to the free movement of people across its internal borders. Internal EU migration and migration into the EU have meant that central to EU policy has been a discussion of integration. This paper discusses the integration of migrants with reference to the missio Dei and contextualisation, advancing the view that a sensitive and mutual policy of integration is appropriate in the light of biblical and missiological insights. Core to the missiological task remains the ongoing transformation of the experience of integration in light of these insights. Practical steps are outlined.
The early stages of the integration of the internet in EU newsrooms
Authors: Sarrica Mauro , Fortunati Leopoldina , O'Sullivan John , Balcytiene Aukse , Macgregor Phil , Nuust Vallo , Roussou Nayia , Meso Koldobika , Pereira Xosé , de Luca Federico
Published: December 2010

The current study explores the perceived integration of the internet inside European newsrooms. The authors carried out a survey with 239 journalists working for 40 of the most-read outlets in 11 European countries. The study shows that journalists consider the internet a useful tool mainly for practical functions, rather than to enhance the core values and functions of their profession. However, news production continues to be based on direct interaction, and journalists’ professional identity is still anchored to print newspapers. Moreover, a lack of communication between publishers and newsrooms emerges. Professional and personal profiles and nationality play a relevant role in the development of attitudes towards the implementation of the internet in newsrooms.
Towards PSB 2.0? Applying the PSB ethos to online media in Europe: A comparative study of PSBs’ internet policies in Spain, Italy and Britain
Authors: Brevini Benedetta
Published: December 2010

European institutions such as the European Parliament and the European Council have repeatedly asserted the importance for public service broadcasters (PSBs) to develop online media services. The crucial necessity for PSBs to expand their new media activities has been emphasized by the Council of Europe in numerous Recommendations. The European Commission reaffirmed the opportunity for PSBs to expand online in the 2001 Communication on the application of state aid to public service broadcasters. However, the place and the weight of each European PSB in the online context differ from country to country since the determination of a PSB’s remit is still a prerogative of the member states. This article investigates how the public service broadcasting ethos has been applied to online media in three different European countries: Spain, Italy and Britain. It investigates the main policies adopted by the governments of these three nations to regulate the evolution of PSBs on the internet and the policies and practices adopted by the broadcasters: TVE (Spain), RAI (Italy) and the BBC (UK). It concludes by arguing that a new policy toolkit (PSB 2.0) is needed to infuse the online world with the same public service ethos that has characterized traditional broadcasting.
Sending and receiving: The ethical framing of intra-EU migration in the European press
Authors: Balabanova Ekaterina , Balch Alex
Published: December 2010

Labour migration in the European Union (EU) has become a hot topic in public debates, particularly around the issue of European enlargement. The media are frequently criticized for stirring up debates around immigration but analysis has overlooked the underlying ethical justifications for migration controls. This article addresses this by developing an innovative approach that applies an ethical lens to media coverage of intra-EU migration. It shows how a generally narrow range of communitarian and cosmopolitan arguments are employed by the press in two European countries that occupy very different positions in the migratory system: Bulgaria and the UK. It finds a convergence of communitarian arguments across the case studies, and a significant importation of frames, reversing the roles of sending and receiving country.
Marine Mammals as Sentinel Species for Oceans and Human Health
Authors: Bossart G. D.
Published: December 2010

The long-term consequences of climate change and potential environmental degradation are likely to include aspects of disease emergence in marine plants and animals. In turn, these emerging diseases may have epizootic potential, zoonotic implications, and a complex pathogenesis involving other cofactors such as anthropogenic contaminant burden, genetics, and immunologic dysfunction. The concept of marine sentinel organisms provides one approach to evaluating aquatic ecosystem health. Such sentinels are barometers for current or potential negative impacts on individual- and population-level animal health. In turn, using marine sentinels permits better characterization and management of impacts that ultimately affect animal and human health associated with the oceans. Marine mammals are prime sentinel species because many species have long life spans, are long-term coastal residents, feed at a high trophic level, and have unique fat stores that can serve as depots for anthropogenic toxins. Marine mammals may be exposed to environmental stressors such as chemical pollutants, harmful algal biotoxins, and emerging or resurging pathogens. Since many marine mammal species share the coastal environment with humans and consume the same food, they also may serve as effective sentinels for public health problems. Finally, marine mammals are charismatic megafauna that typically stimulate an exaggerated human behavioral response and are thus more likely to be observed.
Upregulation of Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Porcine Macula Densa With Chronic Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition
Authors: Kommareddy M. , McAllister R. M. , Ganjam V. K. , Turk J. R. , Laughlin M. Harold
Published: December 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in the macula densa (MD) of swine, as well as the effects on expression of related proteins. Adult female Yucatan swine were given either tap water (control, n = 6) or water with NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 mg/liter, n = 5) for a minimum of 30 days. Duplicate samples of kidney were fixed or snap frozen. There was a significant ( P = .0082) upregulation of COX-2 mRNA expression in the MD of L-NAME, as well as an apparent increase in COX-2 protein. Plasma renin activity also increased with L-NAME treatment (control, 0.34 ± 0.08 ng/ml; L-NAME, 1.26 ± 0.03 ng/ml; P = .00000003). There were no differences between groups in expression of either inducible NOS or renin protein or in serum electrolyte concentrations. In conclusion, with chronic inhibition of NOS, COX-2 in MD is upregulated, perhaps to compensate for loss of nitric oxide. Increases in COX-2 products may counteract renal arteriolar constriction and sustain renin release.
Pathology and Immunohistochemical Findings of West Nile Virus Infection in Psittaciformes
Authors: Palmieri C. , Franca M. , Uzal F. , Anderson M. , Barr B. , Woods L. , Moore J. , Woolcock P. , Shivaprasad H. L.
Published: December 2010

West Nile virus (WNV) infection was diagnosed in 38 psittacine birds based on histology, immunohistochemistry, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Rosellas ( Platycercus spp, n = 13), conures ( Enicognathus, Aratinga, and Nandayus spp, n = 6), and lorikeets ( Trichoglossus spp, n = 6) represented the most commonly affected species. Clinical signs ranged from lethargy, ruffled feathers, anorexia, and weight loss in most birds to sudden death in others. Except for mild to moderate enlargement of liver and spleen, there were no significant gross lesions at necropsy. Histopathologic findings included lymphoplasmacytic and histiocytic hepatitis, interstitial nephritis, myocarditis, splenitis, enteritis, pancreatitis, and occasionally, encephalitis. Viral antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in 34 of 35 hearts (97.1%), 29 of 32 pancreata (90.6%), 33 of 37 kidneys (89.2%), 31 of 35 intestines (88.6%), 27 of 33 gizzards (81.8%), 8 of 10 ovaries (80%), 27 of 34 spleens (79.4%), 30 of 38 livers (78.9%), 23 of 32 lungs (71.9%), 21 of 31 proventriculi (67.7%), 14 of 21 adrenals (66.7%), 10 of 16 testes (62.5%), 17 of 30 brains (56.7%), 15 of 27 skins (55.5%), 3 of 6 oviducts (50%), 15 of 34 skeletal muscles (44.1%), 11 of 27 crop or esophagus (40.7%), and 1 of 6 thymuses (16.7%). Kidney was positive for WNV by RT-PCR in all the cases tested. In conclusion, Psittaciformes are susceptible to West Nile virus infection, and WNV infections are often associated with nonspecific clinical signs and widespread viral distribution in this order of birds.
Spontaneous Metritis Related to the Presence of Vaginal Septum in Pregnant Sprague Dawley Crl:CD(SD) Rats
Authors: Lezmi S. , Thibault-Duprey K. , Bidaut A. , Hardy P. , Pino M. , Macary G. Saint , Barbellion S. , Brunel P. , Dorchies O. , Clifford C. , Leconte I.
Published: December 2010

Recently, 6% of 1,176 Sprague Dawley rats examined in our reproductive toxicity studies presented with dark-red uterine contents with or without fetuses demonstrating delayed development. Sometimes, a high proportion of the litter was found dead, and dystocia with death or preterminal euthanasia of the dam occurred. Microscopic findings in the uterus consisted of necrohemorrhagic and suppurative periplacentitis associated with the presence of bacterial colonies identified as Escherichia coli. In the vagina, similar findings were observed that were associated with mucus accumulation and the presence of a transverse occlusive or partially occlusive thin membrane identified as a vaginal septum. Microscopically, this septum consisted of a thin band of connective tissue covered on both sides by a mucous epithelium that was continuous with vaginal epithelium. In some cases, there was only mucus accumulation retained by a septum in the vagina without evidence of bacterial infection. Serological and histological examinations did not reveal any specific pathogenic agent. The presence of these septa in the vagina most likely favored mucus accumulation, nonspecific ascending bacterial infection, and dystocia.

This colony of rats presented with an unusually high incidence of vaginal septa as it was described in different strains of mice and rats in the past. We hypothesized that the use of an impedance meter by the breeder—to determine the phase of the estrous cycle by introducing a probe in the vagina—likely facilitated gestation by perforating the vaginal septum in some cases.
Alter-ontologies: Towards a constituent politics in technoscience
Authors: Papadopoulos Dimitris
Published: December 2010

This paper identifies four recent conceptualizations of politics in relation to technoscience that focus on expertise, institutional participation, the inclusion of non-human others and the importance of marginalized experiences. The paper argues that each of these forms of politics is mainly concerned with renegotiating the already constituted terms of inclusion in a specific technoscientific field. In many cases such a strategy is necessary, but the paper aims to open up discussion of alternative forms of politics that act as constituent forces of radical social and material transformation in technoscience: alter-ontologies.
‘Face value’: New medical imaging software in commercial view
Authors: Coopmans Catelijne
Published: December 2010

Based on three ethnographic vignettes describing the engagements of a small start-up company with prospective competitors, partners and customers, this paper shows how commercial considerations are folded into the ways visual images become ‘seeable’. When company members mount demonstrations of prototype mammography software, they seek to generate interest but also to protect their intellectual property. Pivotal to these efforts to manage revelation and concealment is the visual interface, which is variously performed as obstacle and ally in the development of a profitable product. Using the concept of ‘face value’, the paper seeks to develop further insight into contemporary dynamics of seeing and showing by tracing the way techno-visual presentations and commercial considerations become entangled in practice. It also draws attention to the salience and significance of enactments of surface and depth in image-based practices.
Letter From the outside
Authors: Stoppard Tom
Published: December 2010

Playwright Tom Stoppard on why he would never have been a writer in prison — and the importance of communicating with those who are
Don’t tell us what to write
Authors: Atwood Margaret
Published: December 2010

Margaret Atwood on why the mark of a truly free society is one that allows writers to speak with their own voice, not for causes, however worthy
Words without borders
Authors: Appignanesi Lisa
Published: December 2010

As ideas move freely around the world, attacks on writers continue, reports Lisa Appignanesi
Two for the road
Authors: Freely Maureen
Published: December 2010

Maureen Freely on Harold Pinter and Arthur Miller’s infamous trip to Turkey and the pitfalls of intervening in another country’s troubles
The price of truth
Authors: Medjo Lewis
Published: December 2010

Following his release in May 2010, newspaper editor Lewis Medjo writes about the horrors of his 20-month ordeal in a Cameroonian jail
Lone Star
Authors: Tripathi Salil
Published: December 2010

As activists shift focus, Salil Tripathi reminds us that the battle for universal rights is not yet won
Never Forgotten
Authors: Warner Val
Published: December 2010

In July 2010, several Black Spring dissidents were released after years in detention. Val Warner reflects on the highs and lows of writing to Cuban prisoners
A licence to write
Authors: wa Thiong'o Ngugi
Published: December 2010

Classroom rules provide first lessons in censorship. Ngugi wa Thiong’o looks back on a childhood debate and recalls his early brushes with a repressive regime