bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-Duration Epileptic Discharges Show a Distinct Phase Preference During Ongoing Hippocampal Slow Oscillations
Authors: de Guzman Philip H. , Nazer Farhang , Dickson Clayton T.
Published: August 2010

Non-REM (slow-wave) sleep has been shown to facilitate temporal lobe epileptiform events, whereas REM sleep seems more restrictive. This state-dependent modulation may be the result of the enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission and/or the degree of network synchronization expressed within the hippocampus of the temporal lobe. The slow oscillation (SO), a ∼1 Hz oscillatory pattern expressed during non-REM sleep and urethane anesthesia, has been recently shown to facilitate the generation, maintenance, and propagation of stimulus-evoked epileptiform activity in the hippocampus. To further address the state-dependent modulation of epileptic activity during the SO, we studied the properties of short-duration interictal-like activity generated by focal application of penicillin in the hippocampus of urethane-anesthetized rats. Epileptiform spikes were larger but only slightly more prevalent during the SO as opposed to the theta (REM-like) state. More notably, however, epileptic spikes had a significant tendency to occur just following the peak negativity of ongoing SO cycles. Because of the known phase-dependent changes in 1) synaptic excitability (just following the positive peak of the SO) and 2) network synchronization (during the negative peak of the SO), these results suggest that it is the synchrony and not the changes in synaptic excitability that lead to the facilitation of epileptiform activity during sleep-like slow wave states.
Progress in Polycrystalline Thin-Film Cu(In,Ga)Se2Solar Cells
Authors: Singh Udai P. , Patra Surya P.
Published: August 2010

For some time, the chalcopyrite semiconductor CuInSe2and its alloy with Ga and/or S [Cu(InGa)Se2or Cu(InGa)(Se,S)2], commonly referred as CIGS, have been leading thin-film material candidates for incorporation in high-efficiency photovoltaic devices. CuInSe2-based solar cells have shown long-term stability and the highest conversion efficiencies among all thin-film solar cells, reaching 20%. A variety of methods have been reported to prepare CIGS thin film. Efficiency of solar cells depends upon the various deposition methods as they control optoelectronic properties of the layers and interfaces. CIGS thin film grown on glass or flexible (metal foil, polyimide) substrates require p-type absorber layers of optimum optoelectronic properties and n-type wideband gap partner layers to form the p-n junction. Transparent conducting oxide and specific metal layers are used for front and back contacts. Progress made in the field of CIGS solar cell in recent years has been reviewed.
Rapid Extravasation and Establishment of Breast Cancer Micrometastases in the Liver Microenvironment
Authors: Martin Michelle D. , Kremers Gert-Jan , Short Kurt W. , Rocheleau Jonathan V. , Xu Lei , Piston David W. , Matrisian Lynn M. , Gorden D. Lee
Published: August 2010

To examine the interplay between tumor cells and the microenvironment during early breast cancer metastasis, we developed a technique for ex vivo imaging of murine tissue explants using two-photon microscopy. Cancer cells in the liver and the lung were compared by imaging both organs at specific time points after the injection of the same polyomavirus middle T-initiated murine mammary tumor cell line. Extravasation was greatly reduced in the lung compared with the liver, with 56% of tumor cells in the liver having extravasated by 24 hours, compared with only 22% of tumor cells in the lung that have extravasated. In the liver, imaged cells continually transitioned from an intravascular location to an extravascular site, whereas in the lung, extravasation rates slowed after 6 hours. Within the liver microenvironment, the average size of the imaged micrometastatic lesions increased 4-fold between days 5 and 12. Histologic analysis of these lesions determined that by day 12, the micrometastases were heterogeneous, consisting of both tumor cells and von Willebrand factor–positive endothelial cells. Further analysis with intravenously administered lectin indicated that vessels within the micrometastatic tumor foci were patent by day 12. These data present the use of two-photon microscopy to directly compare extravasation times in metastatic sites using the same tumor cell line and highlight the differences in early events and metastatic patterns between two important secondary sites of breast cancer progression with implications for future therapy. Mol Cancer Res; 8(10); 1319–27. ©2010 AACR.
Visual Orientation and Navigation in Nocturnal Arthropods
Authors: Warrant Eric , Dacke Marie
Published: August 2010

With their highly sensitive visual systems, the arthropods have evolved a remarkable capacity to orient and navigate at night. Whereas some navigate under the open sky, and take full advantage of the celestial cues available there, others navigate in more difficult conditions, such as through the dense understory of a tropical rainforest. Four major classes of orientation are performed by arthropods at night, some of which involve true navigation (i.e. travel to a distant goal that lies beyond the range of direct sensory contact): (1) simple straight-line orientation, typically for escape purposes; (2) nightly short-distance movements relative to a shoreline, typically in the context of feeding; (3) long-distance nocturnal migration at high altitude in the quest to locate favorable feeding or breeding sites, and (4) nocturnal excursions to and from a fixed nest or food site (i.e. homing), a task that in most species involves path integration and/or the learning and recollection of visual landmarks. These four classes of orientation – and their visual basis – are reviewed here, with special emphasis given to the best-understood animal systems that are representative of each.
Avian Visual Behavior and the Organization of the Telencephalon
Authors: Shimizu Toru , Patton Tadd B. , Husband Scott A.
Published: August 2010

Birds have excellent visual abilities that are comparable or superior to those of primates, but how the bird brain solves complex visual problems is poorly understood. More specifically, we lack knowledge about how such superb abilities are used in nature and how the brain, especially the telencephalon, is organized to process visual information. Here we review the results of several studies that examine the organization of the avian telencephalon and the relevance of visual abilities to avian social and reproductive behavior. Video playback and photographic stimuli show that birds can detect and evaluate subtle differences in local facial features of potential mates in a fashion similar to that of primates. These techniques have also revealed that birds do not attend well to global configural changes in the face, suggesting a fundamental difference between birds and primates in face perception. The telencephalon plays a major role in the visual and visuo-cognitive abilities of birds and primates, and anatomical data suggest that these animals may share similar organizational characteristics in the visual telencephalon. As is true in the primate cerebral cortex, different visual features are processed separately in the avian telencephalon where separate channels are organized in the anterior-posterior axis roughly parallel to the major laminae. Furthermore, the efferent projections from the primary visual telencephalon form an extensive column-like continuum involving the dorsolateral pallium and the lateral basal ganglia. Such a column-like organization may exist not only for vision, but for other sensory modalities and even for a continuum that links sensory and limbic areas of the avian brain. Behavioral and neural studies must be integrated in order to understand how birds have developed their amazing visual systems through 150 million years of evolution.
Redundant Mechanisms for Vascular Growth Factors in Retinopathy of Prematurity in vitro
Authors: Xiang Nan , Zhao Min-Jian , Li Xin-Yu , Zheng Hai-Hong , Li Gui-Gang , Li Bin
Published: August 2010

Background: Current treatments for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) targeting single vascular growth factors are ineffective in preventing neoangiogenesis. Methods: We investigated the redundant/compensatory mechanisms between vascular growth factors in ROP. Cultured retinal vascular endothelial cells under CoCl2-induced hypoxia were transfected with recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or pGIPZ-VEGF RNA interference to up- and downregulate VEGF expression, respectively. At 48 h after transfection, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and angiopoietin 1 (ANG1) gene expression as well as mitotic cycle changes were analyzed in the cells and correlated with the change in VEGF expression. Results: Compared with the normal control group 1, at 30 min, 12 h and 24 h, the expressions of VEGF, bFGF and ANG1 in the hypoxia control group 2 were significantly higher. In the highly expressing VEGF group (group 3), the expressions of bFGF and ANG1 were downregulated, while in the low-expressing VEGF group 4, the expressions of bFGF and ANG1 were significantly upregulated. In the bevacizumab treatment group 5, the expressions of VEGF, bFGF and ANG1 were similar to those in group 2, and the difference was not significant. Conclusions: A compensatory mechanism (redundancy) exists between vascular growth factors in ROP. Such a phenomenon could partially explain why the inhibition of a single growth factor cannot effectively prevent the recurrence of neovascularization in ROP. A more effective strategy for treating ROP may be to inhibit VEGF and its redundant pathways.
Secondary Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus as a Complication of Inherited Renal Diseases
Authors: Bockenhauer D. , van’t Hoff W. , Dattani M. , Lehnhardt A. , Subtirelu M. , Hildebrandt F. , Bichet D.G.
Published: August 2010

Background/Aims: Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) is a serious condition with large water losses in the urine and the risk of hypernatremic dehydration. Unrecognized, repeated episodes of hypernatremic dehydration can lead to permanent brain damage. Primary NDI is due to mutations in either AVPR2 or AQP2. NDI can also occur as a secondary complication, most commonly from obstructive uropathy or chronic lithium therapy. We observed NDI in patients with inherited tubulopathies and aimed to define the clinical and molecular phenotype. Methods: We reviewed the medical notes of 4 patients with clinical NDI and an underlying molecularly confirmed diagnosis of nephropathic cystinosis, Bartter syndrome, nephronophthisis and apparent mineralocorticoid excess, respectively. Results: The patients all failed to concentrate their urine after administration of 1-desamino[8-D-arginine] vasopressin. None had an identifiable mutation in AVPR2 or AQP2, consistent with secondary NDI. Patients experienced repeated episodes of hypernatremic dehydration, and in 2 cases, NDI was initially thought to be the primary diagnosis, delaying recognition of the underlying problem. Conclusion: The recognition of this potential complication is important as it has direct implications for clinical management. The occurrence of NDI in association with these conditions provides clues for the etiology of aquaporin deficiency.
Affects, Trauma, and Mechanisms of Symptom Formation: A Tribute to John C. Nemiah, MD (1918–2009)
Authors: Taylor Graeme J.
Published: August 2010

John Nemiah was interested in the impact of emotionally traumatic events on mental and bodily processes and in conceptualizing the psychological defenses and deficits that contribute to the development of psychological and somatic symptoms. He viewed dissociation as the central psychological mechanism in the formation of a spectrum of symptoms, and conceptualized alexithymia as a deficit in the cognitive processing of emotion such that stress-induced arousal could bypass the psyche and produce somatic symptoms. This article briefly reviews some of Nemiah’s conceptual ideas and relates them to several new theories and concepts and findings from empirical research. His concept of the ‘psychic elaboration’ of emotion is consistent with contemporary theories of the cognitive processing of emotions that emphasize the importance of imagery and linguistic symbolizations. Alexithymia is inversely related to mentalization and is associated with insecure attachment styles and emotional trauma, which influence the capacity to regulate affects induced by stressful events. A multiple code theory of emotional information processing links psychological and somatic symptoms to various degrees of dissociation within and between the elements comprising emotion schemas and to compensatory attempts at repair. Recent studies support Nemiah’s view that alexithymia and intrapsychic conflicts may both contribute to the pathogenesis of panic attacks. There is also substantial evidence of an association between childhood trauma and the development of somatic disease in adult life. Secure attachments and well-developed capacities for symbolization and affect regulation seem to render individuals more resilient to the traumas and stressful events of everyday life.
The Development and Validation of an Outcome Measure for Spiritual Healing: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Bishop Felicity L. , Barlow Fiona , Walker Jan , McDermott Clare , Lewith George T.
Published: August 2010

Background: Spiritual healing, probably the oldest documented paramedical intervention, is a neglected area of research. In order to conduct further research into the effects of healing, a valid and reliable outcome measure is needed that captures the experience of individuals receiving healing (healees) and is not burdensome to complete. We aimed to develop such a measure. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were used to generate and refine questionnaire items grounded in the experiences and language of healees (Study 1). The resulting questionnaire was tested and its formal psychometric properties were evaluated (Study 2). Participants were recruited from a spiritual healing sanctuary and via individual healers (including registered spiritual healers, Reiki practitioners, healers affiliated with churches). Results: In Study 1, 24 participants took part in 7 focus groups and 6 cognitive interviews. 29 common effects were identified and grouped into 7 discrete dimensions that appeared to characterize potentially sustainable effects reported by participants following their experiences of spiritual healing. In Study 2, 393 participants returned completed baseline questionnaires, 243 of whom completed the questionnaire again 1–6 weeks later. Exploratory factor analysis generated 5 subscales, based on 20 of the items: outlook, energy, health, relationships and emotional balance. These subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency, convergent validity and test-retest reliability. Three of the subscales and the whole questionnaire demonstrated good sensitivity to change. Conclusions: We have produced a psychometrically sound healing impact questionnaire that is acceptable to healees, healers and researchers for use in future evaluations of spiritual healing.
Safety and Efficacy of Sorafenib in Elderly Patients Treated in the North American Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Sorafenib Expanded Access Program
Authors: Bukowski Ronald M. , Stadler Walter M. , McDermott David F. , Dutcher Janice P. , Knox Jennifer J. , Miller, Jr. Wilson H. , Hainsworth John D. , Henderson Charles A. , Hajdenberg Julio , Kindwall-Keller Tamila L. , Ernstoff Marc S. , Drabkin Harry A. , Curti Brendan D. , Chu Luis , Ryan Christopher W. , Hotte Sebastien J. , Xia Chenghua , Cupit Lisa , Figlin Robert A.
Published: August 2010

Objective: In this retrospective analysis of the Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Sorafenib (ARCCS) program in North America, we compared the safety and efficacy of sorafenib in patients aged ≧70 with those aged <70 years. Methods: Patients were treated with oral sorafenib twice daily until the occurrence of disease progression or treatment intolerance. The primary objective of the ARCCS program was making sorafenib available to patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the USA and Canada before marketing approval was obtained; the secondary objective was the evaluation of its safety and efficacy. Results: Of the 2,504 patients enrolled in the ARCCS program who received at least 1 dose of sorafenib, 736 (29%) were aged ≧70 years. The most common grade ≧3 adverse events included rash/desquamation (5% in both groups), hand-foot skin reaction (8% in those aged ≧70 years vs. 10% in those <70 years of age), hypertension (5 vs. 4%) and fatigue (7 vs. 4%). Partial response was seen in 4% of the patients in both age groups. The median overall survival for the ≧70-year versus <70-year groups was also similar (46 vs. 50 weeks). Conclusions: There were no substantial differences in safety and efficacy between patients aged ≧70 and <70 years with advanced RCC treated with sorafenib.
Evaluating Everyday Competence in Older Adult Couples: Epidemiological Considerations
Authors: Dixon Roger A.
Published: August 2010

Among older adults, everyday competence is often expressed in the context of other participating individuals. Although this active human context may be occasionally comprised of mere acquaintances, long-term partners (such as couples) often act as a unit in engaging in everyday actions or reporting on familiar domains. This special section reflects an important movement in aging research to examine couples as an alternative but normatively common unit of analysis. My discussion focuses on 2 main issues. First, I sketch the rationale, logic, expectation and evidence that long-term couples might develop and display unique advantages in everyday competence. Second, I explore the possibilities that epidemiological principles – thus far applied primarily to individual-level aging, decline and disease – may provide concepts or models for research on long-term changes in couple-level adaptation.
A New Role for the Muscle Repair Protein Dysferlin in Endothelial Cell Adhesion and Angiogenesis
Authors: Sharma Arpeeta , Yu Carol , Leung Cleo , Trane Andy , Lau Marco , Utokaparch Soraya , Shaheen Furquan , Sheibani Nader , Bernatchez Pascal
Published: August 2010

Objective—

Ferlins are known to regulate plasma membrane repair in muscle cells and are linked to muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy. Recently, using proteomic analysis of caveolae/lipid rafts, we reported that endothelial cells (EC) express myoferlin and that it regulates membrane expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). The goal of this study was to document the presence of other ferlins in EC.

Methods and Results—

EC expressed another ferlin, dysferlin, and that in contrast to myoferlin, it did not regulate VEGFR-2 expression levels or downstream signaling (nitric oxide and Erk1/2 phosphorylation). Instead, loss of dysferlin in subconfluent EC resulted in deficient adhesion followed by growth arrest, an effect not observed in confluent EC. In vivo, dysferlin was also detected in intact and diseased blood vessels of rodent and human origin, and angiogenic challenge of dysferlin-null mice resulted in impaired angiogenic response compared with control mice. Mechanistically, loss of dysferlin in cultured EC caused polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of platelet endothelial cellular adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1/CD31), an adhesion molecule essential for angiogenesis. In addition, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of PECAM-1 rescued the abnormal adhesion of EC caused by dysferlin gene silencing.

Conclusion—

Our data describe a novel pathway for PECAM-1 regulation and broaden the functional scope of ferlins in angiogenesis and specialized ferlin-selective protein cargo trafficking in vascular settings.
Essential Role of Copper-Zinc Superoxide Dismutase for Ischemia-Induced Neovascularization Via Modulation of Bone Marrow–Derived Endothelial Progenitor Cells
Authors: Groleau Jessika , Dussault Sylvie , Haddad Paola , Turgeon Julie , Ménard Catherine , Chan John S. , Rivard Alain
Published: August 2010

Objective—

To investigate the effect of oxidative stress on ischemia-induced neovascularization in copper-zinc (CuZn) superoxide dismutase (SOD)–deficient mice.

Methods and Results—

In the vascular wall, CuZnSOD is essential for protecting against excessive oxidative stress and maintaining endothelial function. However, its specific role for the development of new vessels in response to ischemia is unknown. After surgically induced hind limb ischemia, CuZnSOD-deficient mice showed impaired neovascularization, as assessed by blood flow recuperation (laser Doppler) and capillary density in the ischemic muscles. This was associated with increased levels of oxidative stress in ischemic tissues and peripheral blood, together with reduced plasmatic NO production. CuZnSOD-deficient mice demonstrated an important reduction in the number of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the bone marrow and spleen. Moreover, EPCs isolated from CuZnSOD-deficient mice showed increased oxidative stress levels, decreased NO production, and a reduced ability to migrate and integrate into capillary-like networks. Importantly, the functional activities of CuZnSOD-deficient EPCs were rescued after treatment with the SOD-mimetic Tempol (a membrane-permeable radical scavenger) or the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Moreover, the neovascularization defect in CuZnSOD-deficient mice could be rescued by wild-type (but not CuZnSOD-deficient) EPC supplementation.

Conclusion—

Protection against oxidative stress by CuZnSOD may be essential for EPC function and reparative neovascularization after ischemia.
Protease-Activated Receptor 2 Deficiency Reduces Cardiac Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Antoniak Silvio , Rojas Mauricio , Spring Denise , Bullard Tara A. , Verrier Edward D. , Blaxall Burns C. , Mackman Nigel , Pawlinski Rafal
Published: August 2010

Objective—To investigate the effect of protease-activated receptor (PAR) 2 deficiency on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury–induced infarct size, inflammation, heart remodeling, and cardiac function.

Methods and Results—PAR-2 signaling enhances inflammation in different diseases. The effect of PAR-2 deficiency in cardiac I/R injury is unknown. PAR-2−/−mice and wild-type littermates were subjected to 30 minutes of ischemia and up to 4 weeks of reperfusion. Infarct size, oxidative/nitrative stress, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, and inflammatory gene expression were assessed 2 hours after reperfusion. Changes in heart size and function were measured by echocardiography up to 4 weeks after reperfusion. Infarct size was significantly reduced in hearts of PAR-2−/−mice compared with wild-type littermates. In addition, oxidative/nitrative stress, phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase, and expression of proinflammatory genes were significantly attenuated in injured hearts of PAR-2−/−mice. Finally, PAR-2−/−mice were protected from postinfarction remodeling and showed less impairment in heart function compared with wild-type littermates up to 4 weeks after I/R injury.

Conclusion—PAR-2 deficiency reduces myocardial infarction and heart remodeling after I/R injury.
Krüppel-Like Factor-4 Transcriptionally Regulates VE-Cadherin Expression and Endothelial Barrier Function
Authors: Cowan Colleen E. , Kohler Erin E. , Dugan Tracey A. , Mirza M. Kamran , Malik Asrar B. , Wary Kishore K.
Published: August 2010

Rationale:

Vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin localized at adherens junctions (AJs) regulates endothelial barrier function. Because
WNT
(wingless) signaling-induced activation of the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor (KLF)4 may have an important role in mediating the expression of VE-cadherin and AJ integrity, we studied the function of KLF4 in regulating VE-cadherin expression and the control of endothelial barrier function.

Objective:

The goal of this study was to determine the transcriptional role of KLF4 in regulating VE-cadherin expression and endothelial barrier function.

Methods and Results:

Expression analysis, microscopy, chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and VE-cadherin–luciferase reporter experiments demonstrated that KLF4 interacted with specific domains of VE-cadherin promoter and regulated the expression of VE-cadherin at AJs.
KLF4
knockdown disrupted the endothelial barrier, indicating that KLF4 is required for normal barrier function. In vivo studies in mice showed augmented lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury and pulmonary edema following Klf4 depletion.

Conclusion:

Our data show the key role of KLF4 in the regulation of VE-cadherin expression at the level of the AJs and in the acquisition of VE-cadherin–mediated endothelial barrier function. Thus, KLF4 maintains the integrity of AJs and prevents vascular leakage in response to inflammatory stimuli.
Upregulation of Nox4 by TGFβ1 Oxidizes SERCA and Inhibits NO in Arterial Smooth Muscle of the Prediabetic Zucker Rat
Authors: Tong XiaoYong , Hou Xiuyun , Jourd'heuil David , Weisbrod Robert M. , Cohen Richard A.
Published: August 2010

Rationale:

Vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration is an important pathological process in several vascular occlusive diseases, including atherosclerosis and restenosis, both of which are accelerated by diabetes mellitus.

Objective:

To determine the mechanisms of abnormal vascular SMC migration in type 2 diabetes, the obese Zucker rat (ZO), a model of obesity and insulin resistance, was studied.

Methods and Results:

In culture, ZO aortic SMCs showed a significant increase in Nox4 mRNA and protein levels compared with the control lean Zucker rat (ZL). The sarco-/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase (SERCA) nitrotyrosine-294,295 and cysteine-674 (C674)-SO3H were increased in ZO SMCs, indicating oxidant stress. Unlike ZL SMC, nitric oxide (NO) failed to inhibit serum-induced SMC migration in ZO. Transfection of Nox4 small interference RNA or overexpression of SERCA2b wild type, but not C674S mutant SERCA, restored the response to NO. Knockdown of Nox4 also decreased SERCA oxidation in ZO SMCs. In addition, transforming growth factor-β1 via Smad2 was necessary and sufficient to upregulate Nox4, oxidize SERCA, and block the antimigratory action of NO in ZO SMCs. Corresponding to the results in cultured SMCs, immunohistochemistry confirmed that Nox4 and SERCA C674-SO3H were significantly increased in ZO aorta. After common carotid artery injury, knockdown of Nox4 by adenoviral Nox4 short hairpin RNA decreased Nox4 and SERCA C674-SO3H staining and significantly decreased injury-induced neointima.

Conclusion:

These studies indicate that the upregulation of Nox4 by transforming growth factor-β1 in ZO SMCs is responsible for the impaired response to NO by a mechanism involving the oxidation of SERCA C674. Knockdown of Nox4 inhibits oxidation of SERCA, as well as neointima formation, after ZO common carotid artery injury.
Binge Drinking and Hypertension on Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Korean Men and Women
Authors: Sull Jae Woong , Yi Sang Wook , Nam Chung Mo , Choi Kwisook , Ohrr Heechoul
Published: August 2010

Background and Purpose—

The purpose of this study was to examine combined effects of hypertension and binge drinking on the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in Koreans.

Methods—

This study followed a cohort of 6100 residents in Kangwha County, aged ≥55 years as of March 1985, for cardiovascular mortality for 20.8 years up to December 31, 2005. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) for cardiovascular mortality by blood pressure and binge drinking habits using the Cox proportional hazard model. Binge drinkers and heavy binge drinkers were defined as having ≥6 drinks on 1 occasion and ≥12 drinks on 1 occasion.

Results—

After adjusting for total alcohol consumption, male heavy binge drinkers with Grade 3 hypertension had a 12-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR, 12.7; 95% CI, 3.47 to 46.5), whereas male binge drinkers with Grade 3 hypertension had a 4-fold increased risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR, 4.41; 95% CI, 1.38 to 14.1) when compared with nondrinkers with normal blood pressure. However, in considering separate effects of heavy binge drinking and hypertension on the risk of cardiovascular mortality, HRs were rather low (HR of heavy binge drinkers, 1.88, 1.10 to 3.20; HR of hypertensives, 2.00, 1.70 to 2.35) compared with nondrinkers with normal blood pressure.

Conclusions—

Binge drinkers and heavy binge drinkers with Grade 3 hypertension showed a marked increase in cardiovascular mortality risk. Even after adjusting for total alcohol consumption, the former revealed 4.41 and the latter indicated 12.7 of HR for the risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Whole Brain and Regional Hyperintense White Matter Volume and Blood Pressure
Authors: Kochunov Peter , Glahn David , Lancaster Jack , Winkler Anderson , Kent Jack W. , Olvera Rene L. , Cole Shelley A. , Dyer Thomas D. , Almasy Laura , Duggirala Ravi , Fox Peter T. , Blangero John
Published: August 2010

Background and Purpose—

The volume of T2-hyperintense white matter (HWM) is an important neuroimaging marker of cerebral integrity with a demonstrated high heritability. Pathophysiology studies have shown that the regional, ependymal, and subcortical HWM lesions are associated with elevated arterial pulse pressure and arterial blood pressure (BP), respectively. We performed bivariate, whole-genome linkage analyses for HWM volumes and BP measurements to identify chromosomal regions that contribute jointly to both traits in a population of healthy Mexican Americans. Our aims were to localize novel quantitative trait loci acting pleiotropically on these phenotypes and to replicate previous genetic findings on whole brain HWM volume and BP measurements.

Methods—

BP measurements and volumes of whole-brain (WB), subcortical, and ependymal HWM lesions, measured from high-resolution (1 mm
3
) 3-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, served as focal quantitative phenotypes. Data were collected from 357 (218 females; mean age=47.9±13.2 years) members of large extended families who participated in the San Antonio Family Heart Study.

Results—

Bivariate genomewide linkage analyses localized a significant quantitative trait locus influencing WB and regional (ependymal) HWM volumes and pulse pressure and systolic BP to chromosomal location 1q24 between markers D1S196 and D1S1619. Several other chromosomal regions (1q42, 10q24-q26, and 15q26) exhibited suggestive linkages. The results of the post hoc analyses that excluded 55 subjects taking antihypertensive medication showed no substantive differences from the results obtained in the full cohort.

Conclusion—

This study confirms several previously observed quantitative trait loci influencing BP and cerebral integrity and identifies a novel significant quantitative trait locus at chromosome 1q24. The genetic results strongly support a role for pleiotropically acting genes jointly influencing BP and cerebral white matter integrity.
Patterns and Predictors of Discharge Statin Prescription Among Hospitalized Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Ovbiagele Bruce , Schwamm Lee H. , Smith Eric E. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Olson DaiWai M. , Pan Wenqin , Fonarow Gregg C. , Saver Jeffrey L.
Published: August 2010

Background and Purpose—

Many patients hospitalized with intracerebral hemorrhage are at high future risk for ischemic events and may benefit from stain therapy. However, little is known about patterns of statin prescription among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, especially after the finding of higher hemorrhagic stroke risk in the statin treatment arm of the Stroke Prevention by Aggressive Reduction in Cholesterol Levels (SPARCL) trial. We evaluated recent nationwide trends in discharge statin treatment after intracerebral hemorrhage hospitalization.

Methods—

Using data from 25 673 patients with hemorrhagic stroke admitted to Get With Guidelines–Stroke participating hospitals between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2007, we assessed factors associated with discharge statin prescription, including treatment over time and in relation to dissemination of the SPARCL results. Piecewise logistic multivariable regression models were fit to track statin use in various periods.

Results—

Mean age was 67.9±15 years, 48.1% female, and discharge statin treatment in 39.5%. Variables independently associated with lower discharge statin use included female sex (OR 0.87, 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.93), prior stroke/transient ischemic attack (OR 0.85, 95% CI, 0.78 to 0.92), academic center (OR 0.87, 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.93), and Midwest region (OR 0.65, 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.80). Statin prescription climbed over the study period from 66.9% to 74.5% (
P
<0.001) among eligible patients with a decrease during SPARCL reporting (
P
=0.03) and then a return to prior levels thereafter.

Conclusions—

Discharge statin prescription among hospitalized patients with intracerebral hemorrhage has modestly risen over time. The clinical implications of this care pattern among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage require further study.
An Introduction to Teacher Retirement Benefits
Authors: Hansen Janet S.
Published: August 2010

Like most other state and local government employees, teachers participate primarily in defined benefit pension plans whose benefits are largely based on final average salaries and length of service. Such pensions have been replaced in many private sector firms by defined contribution pensions. A number of questions have arisen about the feasibility and desirability of continuing to rely on defined benefit pensions for teachers. This article provides a brief history of teacher pensions and an overview of teacher retirement benefits today, including differences in the legal and economic context for public and private sector pensions that are important considerations in plan design. It then introduces issues related to financial sustainability, teacher mobility, and teacher shortages. The article concludes with an overview of key differences between traditional defined benefit and defined contribution plans and raises the possibility of adopting a “hybrid” kind of plan that includes features from both kinds of traditional plans.
The Enlarged Freedom of Frederick Law Olmsted
Authors: Menard Andrew
Published: August 2010

Frederick Law Olmsted's city parks represent a view of freedom derived from the offsetting influences of an orderly, systematic, public space. The author traces this view to the works of Francis Bacon, John Locke, Archibald Alison, Horace Bushnell, and the liberalism of nineteenth-century New England Whigs.
Historicising the International: Modes of Foreign Relations and Political Economy
Authors: van der Pijl Kees
Published: August 2010

This paper is based on the Isaac and Tamara Deutscher Memorial-Prize Lecture given at SOAS in London, on 27 November 2009. It claims that Marxism remains built around a critique of political economy (‘economics’) but lacks a parallel critique of international relations (IR). IR naturalises the organisation of inter-state relations along lines comparable to the naturalisation of the capitalist economy by economics. The paper argues that the disciplinary organisation of Western academia is part of the class-discipline in society at large. It was triggered by the abstraction of economics from the field of the broader social sciences. IR, in turn, was codified in the slipstream of Woodrow Wilson’s response to the Russian Revolution that followed on from the US-intervention in World-War I. The discipline was built around a founding myth of global liberalism and national self-determination. It served, among other things, to disqualify the claims of the theory of imperialism on disciplinary grounds, and its initial connections with Western hegemony, capital, and the national-security state remain in place today. Distinguishing modes of foreign relations, and specifying the occupation of space, protection, and exchange for tribal and empire/nomad foreign relations, as well as sovereign equality and global governance, on the other hand make it possible to understand the rise and continuing hegemony of the West in its own right, rather than as a superstructure of the transnationalisation of capital.
Art After Deskilling
Authors: Roberts John
Published: August 2010

The absence of would-be palpable skills in contemporary and modern art has become a commonplace of both conservative and radical art-criticism. Indeed, these criticisms have tended to define where the critic stands in relation to the critique of authorship and the limits of ‘expression’ at the centre of the modernist experience. In this article, I am less interested in why these criticisms take the form they do – this is a matter for ideology-critique and the sociology of criticism and audiences – than in the analysis of the radical transformation of conceptions in artistic skill and craft in the modern period. This will necessitate a focus on modernism and the avant-garde, and after, as it comes into alignment with, and retreat from, the modern forces of production and means of reproduction. Much, of course, has been written within the histories of modernism, and the histories of art since, on this process of confrontation and exchange – that is, between modern art’s perceived hard-won autonomy and the increasing alienation of the artist, and the reification of art under the new social and technological conditions of advanced capitalist competition – little, however, has been written on the transformed conditions and understanding of labour in the artwork itself (with the partial exception of Adorno). This is because so little art-history and art-criticism – certainly since the 1960s – has been framed explicitly within a labour-theory of culture: in what ways do artists labour, and how are these forms of labour indexed to art’s relationship to the development of general social technique (the advanced level of technology and science as it expressed in the technical conditions of social reproducibility)? In this article, I look at the modern and contemporary dynamics of this question.
Response to Henry Heller’s ‘The Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie’
Authors: Beik William
Published: August 2010

Beik criticises Heller’s mechanical view of the dynamic role of the bourgeoisie in the rise of capitalism in early-modern France. While they agree that the primary class-conflict was between the nobility and the peasantry, Beik stresses the slow emergence of genuine capitalist social relations and the cooptation of the bourgeoisie by a monarchical state which was still propping up the feudal regime, whereas Heller views mercantile activity and production increases as evidence of rising capitalism.
Henry Heller and the ‘Longue Durée of the French Bourgeoisie’
Authors: Parker David
Published: August 2010

This short article shows that Heller’s assertion that I have announced the death of the early modern French bourgeoisie is misplaced. At the same time, it defends the view that a prolonged period of economic stasis together with the low level of bourgeois classness make it impossible to sustain Engel’s view that absolute monarchy rested on a supposed balance between it and the nobility. In conclusion, it is suggested that Marxist analysis cannot be reduced to a treatment of class-anatogonisms.
Sciences et dialectiques de la nature, edited by Lucien Sève, Paris: La Dispute, 1998./La nature dans la pensée dialectique, Eftichios Bitsakis, Paris: L’Harmattan, 2001.
Authors: Barot Emmanuel
Published: August 2010

Dialectics, especially Engels’s dialectics of nature, is nowadays mostly held in low esteem, even by Marxist scholars because of its Stalinist dogmatisation over the past century. The aim of this comparative review is to show some stakes and prospects, in Marxism and for Marxism, of the debate: the two reviewed books show how the dialectics of nature could, and why it should be considered in a renewed materialist approach to the natural sciences, and provides the reader with complementary outline from the cognitive sciences to physics, via mathematics.
A Text with Teeth: Augustine’s Exegesis of Song of Songs 4:2 as Paradigm of His Hermeneutics
Authors: Kennedy Robert P.
Published: August 2010

In the second book of his treatise on scriptural interpretation, On Christian Doctrine, Augustine introduces the theme of the obscurity of some biblical texts with a quotation from the notoriously difficult Song of Songs: ‘‘Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes coming up from the washing, which all give birth to twins, and there is not one among them that is barren’’ (4:2). Unsurprisingly, he finds references to baptism and the double commandment of love of God and neighbour. What strikes a modern reader is Augustine’s unembarrassed use of violent imagery to describe how the saints cut off errors and then chew the newly converted until they are soft for digestion by the Church. In later texts, Augustine will advert to the violence of biblical imagery to emphasize the necessity of transformation into the likeness of God and to reinforce the eschatological hope of the Church. This paper will examine the role of difficulty and obscurity in Augustine’s understanding of the process by which Scripture forms and orients its readers to prepare them for the vision of heaven.
Taking Account of Religion in Canada: The Debates over Gay and Lesbian Marriage
Authors: Dickey Young Pamela
Published: August 2010

Using the recent debate over lesbian and gay marriage as a starting point, this article explores what it means to take account of religion in Canadian law making. The article suggests that religious views cannot be relegated entirely to the realm of the private, individual and voluntary. The article further suggests strategies that could be used by courts and legislators to engage religion more fully and directly than is often the case at present.
The Somatics of Syncretism: Tying Body and Soul in Haitian Religion
Authors: Rey Terry , Richman Karen
Published: August 2010

The convergence of African religion and Christianity in the Atlantic world has inspired some of the most significant and most analyzed examples of syncretism in the study of religion. Scholarly discussions of these phenomena, however, tend to portray religions like Vodou in Haiti and Candomblé in Brazil as mergers of various Euro-Christian and ‘‘traditional’’ African elements that chiefly result from processes of cognitive ideation, thereby blurring the integrative somatic dimensions of religious syncretism. Modes of embodying knowledge, power, and morality are thus largely absent from the discussion of religious syncretism in Haitian Vodou and Catholicism, as well as other contact-cultural religions, whose congregational and performance spaces now span national boundaries. Drawing upon the historiography of Kongolese and Haitian religion, and on our multi-site ethnographic research among religious communities in Haiti, to think about religious syncretism in the African diaspora, this paper focuses on two key metaphors of mimetic knowledge and embodiment, mare and pwen (tying and point), arguing that they are both fundamental processes in Haitian religious syncretism and essential tropes for understanding Haitian Vodou and Catholicism, processes that are of predominantly Central African, and especially Kongolese, origin.
Le Père Noël, Piaget, Dieu et Darwin
Authors: Larivée Serge , Sénéchal Carole , Baril Daniel
Published: August 2010

Le but de cet article est de comprendre pourquoi, alors que les enfants attribuent les mêmes pouvoirs au Père Noël et à Dieu, la perte de croyance au premier n’entraîne pas la perte de croyance au second. Pour ce faire, nous effectuerons quatre analyses. La première concerne la relation entre la croyance au Père Noël et le développement cognitif. Dans la seconde partie, nous montrons que les enfants attribuent effectivement les mêmes pouvoirs au Père Noël et à Dieu. La troisième partie met en évidence que les dogmes religieux sont peu compatibles avec le développement cognitif des enfants. Enfin, trois arguments de nature évolutionniste devraient permettre d’éclairer le phénomène de la persistance des croyances religieuses.
Asthma in 10- to 13-Year-Olds: Challenges at a Time of Transition
Authors: Clark Noreen M. , Dodge Julia A. , Thomas Lara J. , Andridge Rebecca R. , Awad Daniel , Paton James Y.
Published: August 2010

In 10- to 13-year-old children with asthma, we know less than is desirable about the nature of the disease management tasks they face as youngsters approaching adolescence. This article reviews aspects of asthma management in youngsters at a time of significant transition. They experience puberty and growth spurts. Their cognitive abilities enable more abstract thinking. They seek individuation from their parents and socialization with peers. These factors influence asthma outcomes, including symptom control, health care use, and school attendance and performance. Furthermore, significant sex- and gender-related differences in outcome exist. Those with asthma who are 10 to 13 years of age contend not only with the particular management demands their chronic condition imposes on them but also the challenges associated with maturation. Most asthma management interventions do not account for the challenges faced at this transitional phase, and developmentally appropriate programs are needed.
Safety, Efficacy, and Pharmacokinetics of Telmisartan in Pediatric Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Wells Thomas G. , Portman Ronald , Norman Patricia , Haertter Sebastian , Davidai Giora , Fei Wang
Published: August 2010

Objective. To assess the safety, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy of telmisartan in pediatric (6 to <18 years) patients with hypertension. Study design. Patients with diagnosed hypertension were randomized to 4 weeks of treatment with placebo, or with 1 of 2 nominal telmisartan dose levels (1 mg/kg/d or 2 mg/kg/d). The primary end point was change in seated systolic BP (SBP) from baseline to study end. Results. A total of 77 patients were randomized and received at least 1 dose of study medication (placebo, n = 16; low-dose telmisartan, n = 30; high-dose telmisartan, n = 31). Adjusted mean changes (standard errors) in SBP from baseline to study end were −6 (2.4), −14 (1.7), and −9.7 (1.7) mm Hg, respectively, in the placebo, high-dose telmisartan, and low-dose telmisartan groups. Conclusions. Telmisartan may be an appropriate therapy for treatment of pediatric hypertension, although more extensive studies are required in patients younger than age 12.
Impact of a Computerized Template on Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infections in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Bourgeois Fabienne C. , Linder Jeffrey , Johnson Sarah A. , Co John Patrick T. , Fiskio Julie , Ferris Timothy G.
Published: August 2010

Background. Computerized decision support (CDS) can potentially improve patient safety and guideline adherence. The authors developed an acute respiratory illness interactive template (ARI-IT) within an electronic health record (EHR) to manage pediatric ARIs and assessed the impact on antibiotic prescribing. Methods. They randomized 12 practices either to receive the ARI-IT or to the control group. Antibiotic rates among all eligible ARI diagnoses were compared among control and intervention ARI visits, controlling for clustering by clinician. Results. There was no difference in total antibiotic prescriptions between control and intervention clinics. Use of the ARI-IT significantly reduced antibiotic prescriptions (31.7% vs 39.9%; P = .02) and use of macrolides (6.2% vs 9.5%; P = .02) among visits compared with those eligible visits where it was not used. Conclusion. Use of the CDS reduced antibiotic prescribing and macrolide prescriptions among children with an ARI. Nonetheless, the low overall use resulted in an ineffective intervention.