bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Youth Psychotherapy Outcome Research: A Review and Critique of the Evidence Base
Authors: Weisz John R. , Doss Amanda Jensen , Hawley Kristin M.
Published: November 2004

Over the past four decades, researchers have produced extensive evidence on psychotherapy for youth mental health problems and disorders. The evidence often has been evaluated through narrative reviews and through meta-analyses assessing the magnitude of treatment effects, but methodological analysis addressing the character and quality of the evidence base itself is an important complement, needed to place treatment effects in perspective and to suggest directions for future research. We carried out such an analysis, focusing on all the methodologically acceptable published randomized trials our search identified involving treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD and related conditions, and conduct-related problems and disorders. The 236 studies tested 383 treatments and included 427 treatment-control comparisons, spanning the years 1962 through 2002. The analysis revealed considerable breadth, diversity, and rigor in the measurement approaches used to assess participant characteristics and treatment outcomes. However, reporting on important sample characteristics (e.g., ethnicity) showed major gaps, and more than half the studies failed to use well-standardized procedures to ensure appropriate sample selection. Because sample sizes left most studies underpowered, and procedures to enhance treatment fidelity were generally weak, many of the treatments investigated may not have received fair tests. Studies were particularly weak in clinical representativeness of their samples, therapists, and settings, suggesting a need for increased emphasis on external validity in youth treatment research.
Behavioral Inhibition: Linking Biology and Behavior within a Developmental Framework
Authors: Fox Nathan A. , Henderson Heather A. , Marshall Peter J. , Nichols Kate E. , Ghera Melissa M.
Published: November 2004

Behavioral inhibition refers to a temperament or style of reacting that some infants and young children exhibit when confronted with novel situations or unfamiliar adults or peers. Research on behavioral inhibition has examined the link between this set of behaviors to the neural systems involved in the experience and expression of fear. There are strong parallels between the physiology of behaviorally inhibited children and the activation of physiological systems associated with conditioned and unconditioned fear. Research has examined which caregiving behaviors support the frequency of behavioral inhibition across development, and work on the interface of cognitive processes and behavioral inhibition reveal both how certain cognitive processes moderate behavioral inhibition and how this temperament affects the development of cognition. This research has taken place within a context of the possibility that stable behavioral inhibition may be a risk factor for psychopathology, particularly anxiety disorders in older children. The current chapter reviews these areas of research and provides an integrative account of the broad impact of behavioral inhibition research.
COMPETING DIETARY CLAIMS FOR WEIGHT LOSS: Finding the Forest Through Truculent Trees
Authors: Katz David L.
Published: November 2004

▪ Abstract  In response to an accelerating obesity pandemic, competing weight-loss diets have propagated; those touting carbohydrate restriction are currently most in vogue. Evidence that sustainable weight loss is enhanced by means other than caloric restriction, however, is lacking. Whereas short-term weight loss is consistently achieved by any dietary approach to the restriction of choice and thereby calories, lasting weight control is not. Competing dietary claims imply that fundamental knowledge of dietary pattern and human health is lacking; an extensive literature belies this notion. The same dietary and lifestyle pattern conducive to health promotion is consistently associated with weight control. A bird's eye view of the literature on diet and weight reveals a forest otherwise difficult to discern through the trees. Competing diet claims are diverting attention and resources from what is actually and urgently needed: a dedicated and concerted effort to make the basic dietary pattern known to support both health and weight control more accessible to all.
EMF AND HEALTH
Authors: Feychting Maria , Ahlbom Anders , Kheifets Leeka
Published: November 2004

▪ Abstract  Electric and magnetic fields are ubiquitous in the modern society, and concerns have been expressed regarding possible adverse effects of these exposures. This review covers epidemiologic research on health effects of exposures to static, extremely low-frequency (ELF), and radio frequency (RF) fields. Research on ELF fields has been performed for more than two decades, and the methodology and quality of studies have improved over time. Studies have consistently shown increased risk for childhood leukemia associated with ELF magnetic fields, whereas ELF fields most likely are not a risk factor for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. There are still inadequate data for other outcomes. More recently, focus has shifted toward RF exposures from mobile telephony. There are no persuasive data suggesting a health risk, but this research field is still immature with regard to the quantity and quality of available data. This technology is constantly changing and there is a need for continued research on this issue. Almost no epidemiologic data are available for static fields.
Development of water transport in the collecting duct
Authors: Bonilla-Felix Melvin
Published: November 2004

The ability of the immature kidney to concentrate urine is lower than in adults. This can lead to severe water and electrolyte disorders, especially in premature babies. Resistance to AVP and lower tonicity of the medullary interstitium seem to be the major factors limiting urine concentration in newborns. AVP-stimulated cAMP generation is impaired. This is the result of inhibition of the production by PGE2acting through EP3 receptors and increased degradation by phosphodiesterase IV. The expression of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the immature kidney is low; however, under conditions of water deprivation and after stimulation with DDAVP, it rises to adult levels. The expression of AQP3 and AQP4 is intact at birth and does not seem to contribute to the hyporesponsiveness to AVP. Low sodium transport by thick ascending loops of Henle, immaturity of the medullary architecture, and adaptations in the transport of urea contribute to the lower tonicity of the medullary interstitium. This paper reviews the alterations in the AVP signal transduction pathway in the immature kidney.
Skilled Motor Learning Does Not Enhance Long-Term Depression in the Motor Cortex In Vivo
Authors: Cohen Jeremy D. , Castro-Alamancos Manuel A.
Published: November 2004

Learning of motor skills may occur as a consequence of changes in the efficacy of synaptic connections in the primary motor cortex. We investigated if learning in a reaching task affects the excitability, short-term plasticity, and long-term plasticity of horizontal connections in layers II–III of the motor cortex. Because training in this task requires animals to be food-deprived, we compared the trained animals with similarly food-deprived untrained animals and normal controls. The results show that the excitability, short-term plasticity, and long-term plasticity of the studied horizontal connections were unaffected by motor learning. However, stress-related effects produced by food deprivation and handling significantly enhanced the expression of long-term depression in these pathways. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that the acquisition of a complex motor skill produces bi-directional changes in synaptic strength that are distributed throughout the complex neural networks of motor cortex, which remains synaptically balanced during learning. The results are incompatible with the idea that learning causes large unidirectional changes in the population response of these neural networks, which may occur instead during certain behavioral states, such as stress.
ACE gene titration in mice uncovers a new mechanism for ACE on the control of body weight
Authors: Heimann A. S. , Favarato M. H. , Gozzo F. C. , Rioli V. , Carreño F. R. , Eberlin M. N. , Ferro E. S. , Krege J. H. , Krieger J. E.
Published: November 2004

Mice harboring 1, 2, or 3 copies of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene were used to evaluate the quantitative role of the ACE locus on obesity. Three-copy mice fed with a high-fat diet had lower body weight and peri-epididymal adipose tissue than did 1- and 2-copy mice ( P < 0.05). On regular diet, 3-copy mice had to eat more to maintain the same body weight; on a high-fat diet, they ate the same but weighed less than 1- and 2-copy mice ( P < 0.05), indicating a higher metabolic rate in 3-copy mice that was not affected by ANG II AT1blocker treatment. A catalytically inactive form of thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15 ; EP24.15) was used to isolate ACE substrates from adipose tissue. Liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) identified 162 peptide peaks; 16 peptides were present in both groups (1- and 3-copy mice fed with a high-fat diet), whereas 58 of the 72 unique peptides were found only in the 3-copy mice. Peptide size distribution was shifted to lower molecular weight in 3-copy mice. Two of the identified peptides, LVVYPWTQRY and VVYPWTQRY, which are ACE substrates, inhibited in vitro protein kinase C phosphorylation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, neurolysin (EC 3.4.24.16 ; EP24.16) activity was lower in fat tissue from 3- vs. 1-copy mice ( P < 0.05). Taken together, these results provide evidence that ACE is associated with body weight and peri-epididymal fat accumulation. This response may involve the generation of oligopeptides that inhibit the activity of EP24.16 and other oligopeptidases within the adipose tissue.
Value of Electrocardiographic Parameters and Ajmaline Test in the Diagnosis of Brugada Syndrome Caused by SCN5A Mutations
Authors: Hong Kui , Brugada Josep , Oliva Antonio , Berruezo-Sanchez Antonio , Potenza Domenico , Pollevick Guido D. , Guerchicoff Alejandra , Matsuo Kiyotaka , Burashnikov Elena , Dumaine Robert , Towbin Jeffrey A. , Nesterenko Vladislav , Brugada Pedro , Antzelevitch Charles , Brugada Ramon
Published: November 2004

Background—

The Brugada syndrome is an arrhythmogenic disease caused in part by mutations in the cardiac sodium channel gene, SCN5A. The electrocardiographic pattern characteristic of the syndrome is dynamic and is often absent in affected individuals. Sodium channel blockers are effective in unmasking carriers of the disease. However, the value of the test remains controversial.

Methods and Results—

We studied 147 individuals representing 4 large families with SCN5A mutations. Of these, 104 were determined to be at possible risk for Brugada syndrome and underwent both electrocardiographic and genetic evaluation. Twenty-four individuals displayed an ECG diagnostic of Brugada syndrome at baseline. Of the remaining, 71 received intravenous ajmaline. Of the 35 genetic carriers who received ajmaline, 28 had a positive test and 7 a negative ajmaline test. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the drug challenge were 80% (28:35), 94.4% (34:36), 93.3% (28:30), and 82.9% (34:41), respectively. Penetrance of the disease phenotype increased from 32.7% to 78.6% with the use of sodium channel blockers. In the absence of ST-segment elevation under baseline conditions, a prolonged P-R interval, but not incomplete right bundle-branch block or early repolarization patterns, indicates a high probability of an SCN5A mutation carrier.

Conclusions—

In families with Brugada syndrome, the data suggest that ajmaline testing is valuable in the diagnosis of SCN5A carriers. In the absence of ST-segment elevation at baseline, family members with first-degree atrioventricular block should be suspected of carrying the mutation. An ajmaline test is often the key to making the proper diagnosis in these patients.
Increased Myocardial Collagen Content in Transgenic Rats Overexpressing Cardiac Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Is Related to Enhanced Breakdown of
N
-Acetyl-Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro and Increased Phosphorylation of Smad2/3
Authors: Pokharel Saraswati , van Geel Peter P. , Sharma Umesh C. , Cleutjens Jack P.M. , Bohnemeier Holger , Tian Xiao-Li , Schunkert Heribert , Crijns Harry J.G.M. , Paul Martin , Pinto Yigal M.
Published: November 2004

Background—

Although increased activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has been associated with increased cardiac collagen, no studies to date have established a direct cause-and-effect relation between the two.

Methods and Results—

We used transgenic rats that overexpress human ACE selectively in the myocardium. Two independent heterozygous transgenic rat lines were studied, one expressing 2 to 3 copies (L1172) and the other expressing 5 to 10 copies (L1173) of the ACE transgene. These rats were normotensive but developed a proportionate increase in myocardial collagen depending on the ACE gene dose (up to 2.5-fold,
P
<0.01), but cardiac angiotensin II levels remained normal, whereas collagen content reversed to control levels on ACE inhibition. To explain these changes, we investigated
N
-acetyl-Ser-Asp-Lys-Pro (AcSDKP), an alternative substrate that is catabolized exclusively by ACE. Increased cardiac expression of ACE was paralleled by a reciprocal decrease in cardiac AcSDKP and a proportionate increase in phosphorylated Smad2 and Smad3, all of which normalized after both ACE inhibition and AcSDKP infusion. Furthermore, a functional link of this signaling cascade was demonstrated, because AcSDKP inhibited Smad3 phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner in cultured cardiac fibroblasts and in vivo.

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest that increased cardiac ACE activity can increase cardiac collagen content by degradation of AcSDKP, an inhibitor of the phosphorylation of transforming growth factor-β signaling molecules Smad2 and Smad3. This implies that the antifibrotic effects of ACE inhibitors are mediated in part by increasing cardiac AcSDKP, with subsequent inhibition of Smad 2/3 phosphorylation.
Alterations of Left Ventricular Myocardial Characteristics Associated With Obesity
Authors: Wong Chiew Y. , O’Moore-Sullivan Trisha , Leano Rodel , Byrne Nuala , Beller Elaine , Marwick Thomas H.
Published: November 2004

Background—

Obesity is associated with heart failure, but an effect of weight, independent of comorbidities, on cardiac structure and function is not well established. We sought whether body mass index (BMI) and insulin levels were associated with subclinical myocardial disturbances.

Methods and Results—

Transthoracic echocardiography, myocardial Doppler-derived systolic (sm) and early diastolic velocity (em), strain and strain rate imaging and tissue characterization with cyclic variation (CVIB), and calibrated integrated backscatter (cIB) were obtained in 109 overweight or obese subjects and 33 referents (BMI <25 kg/m
2
). BMI correlated with left ventricular (LV) mass and wall thickness (
P
<0.001). Severely obese subjects (BMI >35) had reduced LV systolic and diastolic function and increased myocardial reflectivity compared with referents, evidenced by lower average long-axis strain, sm, cIB, lower CVIB, and reduced em, whereas LV ejection fraction remained normal. Differences in regional or global strain, sm, and em were identified between the severely obese (BMI >35) and the referent patients (
P
<0.001). Similar but lesser degrees of reduced function by sm, em, and basal septal strain and increased reflectivity by cIB were present in overweight (BMI, 25 to 29.9) and mildly obese (BMI, 30 to 35) groups (
P
<0.05). Although tissue Doppler measures were not associated with duration of obesity, they did correlate with fasting insulin levels and reduced exercise capacity. BMI was independently related to average LV strain (β=0.40,
P
=0.02), sm (β=−0.36,
P
=0.002), and em (β=−0.41,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Overweight subjects without overt heart disease have subclinical changes of LV structure and function even after adjustment for mean arterial pressure, age, gender, and LV mass.
Muscle Mechanoreflex and Metaboreflex Responses After Myocardial Infarction in Rats
Authors: Li Jianhua , Sinoway Adam N. , Gao Zhaohui , Maile Michael D. , Pu Min , Sinoway Lawrence I.
Published: November 2004

Background—

During exercise, the sympathetic nervous system is activated and blood pressure and heart rate increase. In heart failure (HF), the muscle metaboreceptor contribution to sympathetic outflow is attenuated and the mechanoreceptor contribution is accentuated. Previous studies suggest that (1) capsaicin stimulates muscle metabosensitive vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1), inducing a neurally mediated pressor response, and (2) activation of ATP-sensitive P2X receptors enhances the pressor response seen when muscle mechanoreceptors are engaged by muscle stretch. Thus, we hypothesized that the pressor response to VR1 stimulation would be smaller and the sensitizing effects of P2X stimulation greater in rats with HF due to chronic myocardial infarction (MI) than in controls.

Methods and Results—

Eight to 14 weeks after coronary ligation, rats with infarcts >35% had an increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and a marked increase in heart weight. Capsaicin injected into the arterial supply of the hindlimb increased blood pressure by 39% (baseline, 93.9±9.5 mm Hg) in control animals but only by 8% (baseline, 94.8±10.1 mm Hg) in rats with large MIs (
P
<0.05). P2X receptor stimulation by α,β-methylene ATP enhanced the pressor response to muscle stretch by 42% in control animals and by 72% in rats with large MIs (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Compared with control animals, cardiovascular responses to VR1 stimulation are blunted and P2X-mediated responses are augmented in rats with HF owing to large MIs.
Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Heart Failure in Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase–Activating Polypeptide Type I Receptor–Deficient Mice
Authors: Otto Christiane , Hein Lutz , Brede Marc , Jahns Roland , Engelhardt Stefan , Gröne Hermann-Josef , Schütz Günther
Published: November 2004

Background—

Pituitary adenylate cyclase–activating polypeptide (PACAP), acting via 3 different G protein–coupled receptors, has been implicated in the regulation of several homeostatic systems in the body, including cardiopulmonary control. To define the physiologic role of the PACAP-preferring type I receptor, PAC1, in cardiopulmonary function, we developed a mutant mouse strain lacking functional PAC1 receptors.

Methods and Results—

When PAC1-deficient mice were crossed onto a C57BL/6 background, almost all mutants died during the second postnatal week. Whereas mutant mice were indistinguishable from their wild-type littermates at birth, they showed progressive weakness and died from rapidly developing heart failure. Right ventricles of PAC1 mutants were massively dilated and showed cardiac myocyte hypertrophy, whereas left ventricular structure was unaltered. On direct cardiac catheterization, right ventricular pressure was elevated by 45% in PAC1-deficient mice, indicating increased pulmonary artery pressure, as no malformations were detected in the valves or outflow tract of the right ventricle. Consistent with elevated pulmonary pressure, lung capillary density was decreased by 30% and small pulmonary arteries of mutant mice had significant vascular smooth muscle cell hypertrophy compared with wild-type mice.

Conclusions—

Whereas PACAP induces vasodilation in isolated pulmonary vessels in wild-type mice, the absence of its specific receptor PAC1 causes pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure after birth. These in vivo findings demonstrate the crucial importance of PAC1-mediated signaling for the maintenance of normal pulmonary vascular tone during early postnatal life.
Mate Guarding Conflict, Extra-Pair Courtship And Signalling in the Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus Histrionicus
Authors: Inglis Ian , Lazarus John , Torrance Rebecca
Published: November 2004

Socially monogamous birds pursuing extra-pair reproductive strategies may be in conflict, both sexes seeking new mates or copulations outside the pair, while simultaneously attempting to prevent infidelity by the partner. Intra-pair conflicts are augmented by inter-pair conflicts when pairs meet, when all four individuals may be sexually attracted to one member of the other pair while seeking to prevent their mate from copulating, or deserting, with the other. We studied the dynamics, signalling and resolution of these conflicts in a field experiment with the harlequin duck, recording responses to single model birds of both sexes, and to model pairs. Both sexes mate guarded by placing themselves between the mate and a model competitor, and by signalling with the head nod display. Females were closer to model pairs than their mates. Female mate guarding responded adaptively to infidelity risk, increasing to models of paired females, single females and single females inviting copulation, respectively. Males head nodded to signal the goal of (extra-pair) copulation, pairing or mate switching. Courtship by unpaired males increased to models of paired females, single females and single females inviting copulation, respectively. Paired males courted these models equally, perhaps inhibited by the parallel increase in mate guarding of their mates. Males signalled mate guarding using the head nod more than females, but this predicted difference in mate guarding was not shown for the measure of relative proximity to the models. In spite of male extra-pair courtship the harlequin is strictly monogamous, due to female fidelity and close mate guarding. The use of models revealed mate guarding by females, and failed extra-pair reproductive attempts by males, neither of which were apparent from observational studies alone.
Women and the Superintendency: Insights From Theory and History
Authors: Tallerico Marilyn , Blount Jackie M.
Published: November 2004

This article examines 20th-century longitudinal data on the American superintendency’s composition by sex. The authors analyze and discuss those data in the light of occupational sex segregation theory to illuminate complexities associated with women’s in roads into historically male work. The authors’ overarching purpose is to deepen understanding of the contemporary superintendency by building on historical and feminist scholarship, situating findings in their social contexts, and considering possibilities for the future.
Motives and Power of School Board Members: Implications for School Board-Superintendent Relationships
Authors: Mountford Meredith
Published: November 2004

The qualitative study presented in this article explores motivations for school board membership and conceptions of power held by school board members. The findings of the study suggest a relationship exists between the way board members define power and the type of motivation board members have for service. The implications of these findings for school board-superintendent relationships are also discussed. The purpose of the article is to suggest new concepts for board training and within superintendent leadership preparation programs so that board members and superintendents can develop healthier relationships.
Temptation and Seduction in the Technological Milieu
Authors: van der Laan J. M.
Published: November 2004

Jacques Ellul’s work on propaganda provides the basis for this analysis of life in technology. Advertising and the mass media rely on temptation and seduction and create a constant flow of propaganda, all of which serve the technological system. Propaganda aims to condition and regulate us so that we participate in and adapt ourselves to a desired pattern, specifically an existence adjusted to and in accord with the technological milieu. Technology tempts and seduces us with its promise and provision of comfort, convenience, and efficiency. Above all, technology tempts and seduces us with power: power over nature and over human beings. Naively and paradoxically, we believe we have power over technology, even though it actually has power over us. Our immersion in a sea of temptation and seduction, of constant and total propaganda, may seem inescapable; however, to criticize and challenge the primacy of technology is to reassert our freedom.
New Urbanism as Sustainable Growth?
Authors: Garde Ajay M.
Published: November 2004

New Urbanism is being promoted as a set of ideas to mitigate sprawl, to encourage sustainable growth, and to facilitate infill development. In this article, the author focuses on the supply side story of New Urbanism to examine its implications for public policy. Specifically, the author evaluates where designers, developers, and planners involved with New Urbanist projects differ (or concur) in their endorsement of New Urbanist principles and in their satisfaction with the implementation of these ideas. Research reveals that in general, these designers, developers, and planners are endorsing New Urbanist ideas as a tool for achieving sustainable growth. The study shows that New Urbanist principles that focus on neighborhood design are most likely to be promoted and are expected to influence public policy, while principles that focus on regional planning may not generate enough support and are least likely to be implemented. The article concludes with policy recommendations.
An Unusual Form of Phase Walk in a System of Coupled Oscillators
Authors: Gebber Gerard L. , Das Mahasweta , Barman Susan M.
Published: November 2004

The authors describe an unusual form of phase walk (i.e., a progressive change in phase angle between coupled oscillators) using the 10-Hz rhythmic discharges of the inferior cardiac and vertebral postganglionic sympathetic nerves (CN and VN, respectively) in hypercapnic, baroreceptor-denervated, and vagotomized cats anesthetized with urethane. Unlike phase walk ascribable to weakened coupling (desynchronization of oscillators), the phase walk of VN 10- Hz activity relative to CN10-Hz activity 1) recurred on the time scale of the respiratory cycle, 2) was bidirectional with CN-VN phase angle increasing during expiration and decreasing during inspiration, and 3) occurred over a range equivalent to one-half the period of the 10-Hz rhythm rather than a full cycle. Moreover, this form of phase walk occurred during strong coupling of the 10-Hz oscillators, as reflected by CN-VN coherence values approaching 1.0. The authors propose that the bidirectional phase walk reflects a state of strong coupling of the 10-Hz oscillators controlling the CN and VN, the angle of which is reset from cycle to cycle by the continuously changing level of activity in their respiratory inputs. In addition, the data demonstrate that frequency and amplitude modulation of sympathetic nerve discharge can be independently regulated by respiratory inputs.
Effect of Vitamin A Depletion on Nonvisual Phototransduction Pathways in Cryptochromeless Mice
Authors: Thompson Carol L. , Selby Christopher P. , Van Gelder Russell N. , Blaner William S. , Lee Janet , Quadro Loredana , Lai Katherine , Gottesman Max E. , Sancar Aziz
Published: November 2004

Mice exhibit multiple nonvisual responses to light, including 1) photoentrainment of circadian rhythm; 2) “masking,” which refers to the acute effect of light on behavior, either negative (activity suppressing) or positive (activity inducing); and 3) pupillary constriction. In mammals, the eye is the sole photosensory organ for these responses, and it contains only 2 known classes of pigments: opsins and cryptochromes. No individual opsin or cryptochrome gene is essential for circadian photoreception, gene photoinduction, or masking. Previously, the authors found that mice lacking retinol-binding protein, in which dietary depletion of ocular retinaldehyde can be achieved, had normal light signaling to the SCN, as determined by per gene photoinduction. In the present study, the authors analyzed phototransduction to the SCN in vitamin A-replete and vitamin A-depleted rbp-/- and rbp-/-cry1-/-cry2-/- mice using molecular and behavioral end points. They found that vitamin A-depleted rbp-/- mice exhibit either normal photoentrainment or become diurnal. In contrast, while vitamin A-replete rbp-/-cry1-/-cry2-/- mice are light responsive (with reduced sensitivity), vitamin A-depleted rbp-/-cry1-/-cry2-/- mice, which presumably lack functional opsins and cryptochromes, lose most behavioral and molecular responses to light. These data demonstrate that both cryptochromes and opsins regulate nonvisual photoresponses.
Patterns of Helium-Oxygen (Heliox) Usage in the Critical Care Environment
Authors: Berkenbosch John W. , Grueber Ryan E. , Graff Gavin R. , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: November 2004

The objective of this study was to describe the patterns of heliox use in critical care units of an academic medical center. The design was a prospective case series involving 7 critical care units of an academic medical center. All patients receiving heliox therapy over a 4-year period were studied, with prospective recording of patient demographics and the location, mode, indication for, and duration of heliox use. Use pattern comparisons based on anatomic location (upper vs lower airway) and age group (pediatric vs adult) were performed by α2 analysis and unpaired Student t test. Eighty-nine patients, aged 17.4 ± 20.9 years, received heliox for 30.5 ± 44.6 hours on 92 occasions. Pediatric (≤ 18 years) applications accounted for 72.8% of heliox use. Use was greater in frequency and scope during the final 2 study years, particularly in adults. Applications were split between upper airway (47%) and lower airway (53%) disorders. Airway manipulation was required in more adults (7/16) than in children (3/27) with upper airway obstruction (P < .05). The use patterns mirrored current literature emphases on postextubation stridor and asthma. This is the first description of heliox use patterns in the tertiary care critical care environment. Heliox use may be as dependent on practitioner experience as on published data. As a benign and relatively inexpensive therapy, heliox use should continue to be attractive, although ongoing study regarding efficacy in a number of settings is indicated.
Civic Service in Israel
Authors: Bar-Tura Maggie , Fleischer Nicole
Published: November 2004

Israel is a multicultural, polyethnic state, with a society made up of sectors that coexist in continuous tension. This article presents an overview of the different forms that civic service has taken in Israel, with the predominant form being the national youth service (NYS; Sherut Leumi in Hebrew). The article describes the controversies around the participation of Palestinian citizens of Israel in the NYS. Finally, the main conceptual issues to be addressed when devising prospects and policy directions are highlighted. The concern is raised whether the NYS in Israel is a segregating experience or rather an experience that provides a common civic denominator to all parts of society. In view of the complex reality of the Middle East in general and Israel in particular, prospects and policy directions concerning civic service are discussed.
Antioxidants and Cancer Therapy: Furthering the Debate
Authors: Block Keith I.
Published: November 2004

The consideration of whether to use antioxidants concomitantly with chemotherapy and radiation therapy has evolved into a heated debate. This special theme issue brings together several contributors to this debate, whose perspectives enlarge our views of the questions at hand, pointing out several very relevant ideas. First, the early hypotheses of the role of antioxidants in carcinogenesis gave a simplified and often inaccurate picture of the physiological effects of specific antioxidants. Antioxidants can have protective effects that have nothing to do with oxidation; on the other hand, they can under some circumstances develop prooxidant properties and promote carcinogenesis. During treatment, however, their role is far from clear and may be either quite positive or potentially negative. A number of clinical studies have already demonstrated beneficial effects of antioxidants in ameliorating side effects of chemotherapy. More theoretical work on the chemistry of antioxidants and chemotherapy drugs suggests that antioxidants might improve therapeutic efficacy of antineoplastics by counteracting aldehydes that impede the passage of cells through the cell cycle. However, detailed clinical study also makes it clear that we are only at the very beginning of understanding the dynamics of antioxidants and oxidant damage in the body during conventional treatment. Nevertheless, research is under way on radioprotective and chemoprotective substances, some of them rooted in traditional medicine and others in our understanding of dietary antioxidants, that may eventually lead to antioxidant-based supplements that support tolerability and efficacy of treatment, without protecting tumors through interference from antineoplastic treatment.
A comparison of vas occlusion techniques: cautery more effective than ligation and excision with fascial interposition
Authors: Sokal David , Irsula Belinda , Chen-Mok Mario , Labrecque Michel , Barone Mark A
Published: November 2004

Background

Vasectomy techniques have been the subject of relatively few rigorous studies. The objective of this analysis was to compare the effectiveness of two techniques for vas occlusion: intraluminal cautery versus ligation and excision with fascial interposition. More specifically, we aimed to compare early failure rates, sperm concentrations, and time to success between the two techniques.

Methods

We compared semen analysis data from men following vasectomy using two occlusion techniques. Data on intraluminal cautery came from a prospective observational study conducted at four sites. Data on ligation and excision with fascial interposition came from a multicenter randomized controlled trial that evaluated the efficacy of ligation and excision with versus without fascial interposition. The surgical techniques used in the fascial interposition study were standardized. The surgeons in the cautery study used their customary techniques, which varied among sites in terms of type of cautery, use of fascial interposition, excision of a short segment of the vas, and use of an open-ended technique. Men in both studies had semen analyses two weeks after vasectomy and then approximately every four weeks. The two outcome measures for the analyses presented here are (a) time to success, defined as severe oligozoospermia, or <100,000 sperm/mL in two consecutive semen analyses; and (b) early vasectomy failure, defined as >10 million sperm/mL at week 12 or later.

Results

Vasectomy with cautery was associated with a significantly more rapid progression to severe oligozoospermia and with significantly fewer early failures (1% versus 5%).

Conclusion

The use of cautery improves vasectomy outcomes. Limitations of this comparison include (a) the variety of surgical techniques in the cautery study and differences in methods of fascial interposition between the two studies, (b) the uncertain correlation between sperm concentrations after vasectomy and the risk of pregnancy, and (c) the use of historical controls and different study sites.
Are the effects of nicotinic acid on insulin resistance precipitated by abnormal phosphorous metabolism?
Authors: Al-Shaer Moutasim H , AbuSabha Hatem S
Published: November 2004

Nicotinic acid is a unique cholesterol modifying agent that exerts favorable effects on all cholesterol parameters. It holds promise as one of the main pharmacological agents to treat mixed dyslipidemia in metabolic syndrome and diabetic patients. The use of nicotinic acid has always been haunted with concerns that it might worsen insulin resistance and complicate diabetes management.

We will discuss the interaction between phosphorous metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism and the possibility that worsening of insulin resistance could be related to adrug induced alteration in phosphorous metabolism, and the implications of that in medical management of diabetes and metabolic syndrome patients with mixed dyslipidemia.
Genomic transcriptional response to loss of chromosomal supercoiling in Escherichia coli
Authors: Peter Brian J , Arsuaga Javier , Breier Adam M , Khodursky Arkady B , Brown Patrick O , Cozzarelli Nicholas R
Published: November 2004

Background

The chromosome of Escherichia coli is maintained in a negatively supercoiled state, and supercoiling levels are affected by growth phase and a variety of environmental stimuli. In turn, supercoiling influences local DNA structure and can affect gene expression. We used microarrays representing nearly the entire genome of Escherichia coli MG1655 to examine the dynamics of chromosome structure.

Results

We measured the transcriptional response to a loss of supercoiling caused either by genetic impairment of a topoisomerase or addition of specific topoisomerase inhibitors during log-phase growth and identified genes whose changes are statistically significant. Transcription of 7% of the genome (306 genes) was rapidly and reproducibly affected by changes in the level of supercoiling; the expression of 106 genes increased upon chromosome relaxation and the expression of 200 decreased. These changes are most likely to be direct effects, as the kinetics of their induction or repression closely follow the kinetics of DNA relaxation in the cells. Unexpectedly, the genes induced by relaxation have a significantly enriched AT content in both upstream and coding regions.

Conclusions

The 306 supercoiling-sensitive genes are functionally diverse and widely dispersed throughout the chromosome. We propose that supercoiling acts as a second messenger that transmits information about the environment to many regulatory networks in the cell.
Consensus clustering and functional interpretation of gene-expression data
Authors: Swift Stephen , Tucker Allan , Vinciotti Veronica , Martin Nigel , Orengo Christine , Liu Xiaohui , Kellam Paul
Published: November 2004

Microarray analysis using clustering algorithms can suffer from lack of inter-method consistency in assigning related gene-expression profiles to clusters. Obtaining a consensus set of clusters from a number of clustering methods should improve confidence in gene-expression analysis. Here we introduce consensus clustering, which provides such an advantage. When coupled with a statistically based gene functional analysis, our method allowed the identification of novel genes regulated by NFκB and the unfolded protein response in certain B-cell lymphomas.
Isochronous creep rupture loci for metals under biaxial stress
Authors: Kowalewski Z. L
Published: November 2004

Theoretical and experimental methods are presented for the determination of creep isochronous loci of copper and aluminium alloy subjected to multiaxial stresses. Creep tests were carried out in a complex stress state at elevated temperature equal to 523 K in the case of copper and 423 K for aluminium alloy.

Typical creep parameters, such as the duration of primary creep, the duration of secondary creep, the minimum creep rate and the time to rupture are analysed. The preliminary results for copper proved its isotropy during monotonic loading tests. In the case of creep conditions the material demonstrated anisotropic behaviour. A similar effect was observed for aluminium alloy; however, in this case the material exhibited additionally an initial anisotropy during monotonic loading tests. It is shown that for both materials, at the range of selected effective stresses, all typical creep parameters (e. g. minimum creep rate, time to rupture) are functions of the state of stress. The isochronous creep rupture surfaces were determined on the basis of experimental data and compared with those resulting from theoretical considerations. The surfaces describing the time to the end of primary creep and the start of tertiary creep are the same as the isochronous rupture surface. The latter is best described using the Sdobyrev equation with appropriate coefficients.
Rosenhain and Sturney revisited: The ‘tear’ chip in cutting interpreted in terms of modern ductile fracture mechanics
Authors: Atkins A G
Published: November 2004

Rosenhain and Sturney in 1925 identified the ‘tear’ chip, in addition to the well-known types of chip found in metal cutting, namely continuous with or without a built-up edge and discontinuous. Tear chips occur at deep uncut chip thicknesses and, since their formation results in undesirable surface finish, they have been largely ignored in subsequent analyses of machining. A recent paper by Atkins shows that metal cutting is from the class of ductile fracture problems where there is complete plastic collapse in the formation of the chip. It was demonstrated that incorporation of significant work of surface separation (ductile fracture toughness), in analyses of machining with continuous chip formation, explains many features of metal cutting which traditional ‘plasticity and friction only’ treatments cannot, in particular why the primary shear plane angle is material dependent. It also explained why finite element simulations of machining have to employ a ‘separation criterion’ at the tool tip. The new model is extended in this paper to predict quantitatively the conditions under which the tear chip forms. The production of other well-known types of chip is also considered, and the results are applied to diagrams relating combinations of tool rake angle and uncut chip thickness at which different types of chip are formed. It is demonstrated that the analysis has general applicability to the cutting of other materials such as plastics and wood for which similar diagrams exist.
Intramuscular Olanzapine in the Management of Acute Agitation
Authors: Tulloch Karen J , Zed Peter J
Published: November 2004

OBJECTIVE

To review the current efficacy and safety evidence for the use of intramuscular olanzapine in the management of acute agitation.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PubMed (all to March 2004) were searched for full-text, English-language publications in humans. Search terms included olanzapine, psychosis, agitation, psychiatric emergency, and intramuscular.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Prospective, randomized, controlled trials that evaluated efficacy or safety endpoints of intramuscular olanzapine in the management of acute agitation were included. All studies were evaluated independently by both authors. For clinical outcomes (efficacy, safety), the definitions as specified by each study were used.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Four prospective trials were included in this review. Intramuscular olanzapine is comparable to haloperidol or lorazepam monotherapy in managing acute agitation associated with schizophrenia and dementia. Intramuscular olanzapine is superior to lorazepam monotherapy in the management of agitation associated with bipolar affective disorder. Preliminary evidence demonstrates that intramuscular olanzapine is associated with fewer adverse movement disorders than monotherapy with intramuscular haloperidol. Interpretation of published evidence is limited by confounding factors of comparator regimens and the patient populations studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional studies comparing intramuscular olanzapine with combination antipsychotic/benzodiazepine therapy in more severely ill patients and patients with concomitant medical illnesses are needed to determine the most effective dosing regimen, use of adjunctive medications, and to obtain a comprehensive safety profile.
The impact of supervisors' cognitive styles on the quality of research supervision in management education
Authors: Armstrong Steven J.
Published: November 2004

Background: An aspect of teaching and learning that has been seriously overlooked in higher education is the process of research supervision. High failure rates for research dissertations in the social sciences have been partly attributed to student dissatisfaction with supervision and poor student‐supervisor relationships. One personality variable that has been shown to be partly responsible for shaping the effectiveness of supervisory relationships is cognitive style.

Aims: The study examined the effects of supervisor cognitive style on the quality of supervision for students undertaking a research project in the field of management education.

Sample: Both parties in each of 118 supervisor‐student dyads within a university business school in the UK participated in the study.

Method: Data were collected using the Cognitive Style Index to measure subjects on the analytic‐intuitive dimension of cognitive style. A self‐developed Thurstone attitude scale was used to measure students' perceptions of the quality of supervision. The scale's validity was assured by making extensive use of subjects' (N = 100) judgments from the population of interest in the scale's development. A second parallel scale was developed to test the instrument's reliability characteristics.

Results: Findings revealed that students perceived the quality of supervision to increase significantly with the degree to which supervisors were analytic in their cognitive style. Students whose supervisors were more analytic also achieved significantly higher grades for their dissertations.

Conclusions: Whilst there may be many factors influencing interpersonal relationships of this nature, this study demonstrated the potential relevance of cognitive style, which may prove to be a fertile area for further investigation.
Understanding the relationship between repetition priming and mere exposure
Authors: Butler Laurie T. , Berry Dianne C.
Published: November 2004

Over the last two decades interest in implicit memory, most notably repetition priming, has grown considerably. During the same period, research has also focused on the mere exposure effect. Although the two areas have developed relatively independently, a number of studies has described the mere exposure effect as an example of implicit memory. Tacit in their comparisons is the assumption that the effect is more specifically a demonstration of repetition priming. Having noted that this assumption has attracted relatively little attention, this paper reviews current evidence and shows that it is by no means conclusive. Although some evidence is suggestive of a common underlying mechanism, even a modified repetition priming (perceptual fluency/attribution) framework cannot accommodate all of the differences between the two phenomena. Notwithstanding this, it seems likely that a version of this theoretical framework still offers the best hope of a comprehensive explanation for the mere exposure effect and its relationship to repetition priming. As such, the paper finishes by offering some initial guidance as to ways in which the perceptual fluency/attribution framework might be extended, as well as outlining important areas for future research.
Editorial
Authors: Hudson Cheryl
Published: November 2004

This special edition of the European Journal of American Culture began life as a series of seminars that I pulled together with the assistance of a number of colleagues, at the Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford in the spring of 2003. Everyone who participated
in the series, which was titled ‘Americanisation and Anti-Americanism: Global Views of the USA’ agreed there was a growing need for a closer study of global attitudes toward the United States. In the wake of the attacks of September 11, 2001, the increasing strength of opinion
about America - in Europe particularly - encouraged an engagement in the discussion about the causes and consequences of Americanization and anti- Americanism. The response to the seminars in Oxford was enthusiastic and the widespread interest led to the staging of a three-day conference at
the Rothermere American Institute in September 2003, organized in conjunction with the Mershon Center at the Ohio State University. Local (as well as global) interest in the subject continues to grow, and it has recently secured a place on Oxford’s modern history faculty’s lecture
list....