bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-Term Effects of Changes in Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Mass Index on All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Men
Authors: Lee Duck-chul , Sui Xuemei , Artero Enrique G. , Lee I-Min , Church Timothy S. , McAuley Paul A. , Stanford Fatima C. , Kohl Harold W. , Blair Steven N.
Published: December 2011

Background—

The combined associations of changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) with mortality remain controversial and uncertain.

Methods and Results—

We examined the independent and combined associations of changes in fitness and BMI with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in 14 345 men (mean age 44 years) with at least 2 medical examinations. Fitness, in metabolic equivalents (METs), was estimated from a maximal treadmill test. BMI was calculated using measured weight and height. Changes in fitness and BMI between the baseline and last examinations over 6.3 years were classified into loss, stable, or gain groups. During 11.4 years of follow-up after the last examination, 914 all-cause and 300 CVD deaths occurred. The hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of all-cause and CVD mortality were 0.70 (0.59–0.83) and 0.73 (0.54–0.98) for stable fitness, and 0.61 (0.51–0.73) and 0.58 (0.42–0.80) for fitness gain, respectively, compared with fitness loss in multivariable analyses including BMI change. Every 1-MET improvement was associated with 15% and 19% lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality, respectively. BMI change was not associated with all-cause or CVD mortality after adjusting for possible confounders and fitness change. In the combined analyses, men who lost fitness had higher all-cause and CVD mortality risks regardless of BMI change.

Conclusions—

Maintaining or improving fitness is associated with a lower risk of all-cause and CVD mortality in men. Preventing age-associated fitness loss is important for longevity regardless of BMI change.
A
2b
Adenosine Receptor Regulates Hyperlipidemia and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Koupenova Milka , Johnston-Cox Hillary , Vezeridis Alexander , Gavras Haralambos , Yang Dan , Zannis Vassilis , Ravid Katya
Published: December 2011

Background—

The cAMP-elevating A
2b
adenosine receptor (A
2b
AR) controls inflammation via its expression in bone marrow cells.

Methods and Results—

Atherosclerosis induced by a high-fat diet in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice was more pronounced in the absence of the A
2b
AR. Bone marrow transplantation experiments indicated that A
2b
AR bone marrow cell signals alone were not sufficient to elicit this effect. Intriguingly, liver expression of the A
2b
AR in wild-type mice was vastly augmented by a high-fat diet, raising the possibility that this upregulation is of functional significance. A
2b
AR genetic ablation led to elevated levels of liver and plasma cholesterol and triglycerides and to fatty liver pathology typical of steatosis, assessed by enzymatic assays and analysis of liver sections. Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed elevated expression of the following molecules in the liver of A
2b
AR-null mice: the transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) and its 2 downstream targets and regulators of lipogenesis, acetyl CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. Pharmacological activation or inhibition of A
2b
AR in primary hepatocytes confirmed the regulation of SREBP-1 by this receptor. A
2b
AR-mediated changes in cAMP were found to regulate levels of the transcriptionally active form of SREBP-1. Finally, adenovirally mediated restoration of the A
2b
AR in the liver of A
2b
AR-null mice reduced the lipid profile and atherosclerosis. Similarly, in vivo administration of the A
2b
AR ligand BAY 60-6853 in control mice on a high-fat diet reduced the lipid profile and atherosclerosis.

Conclusion—

This study provides the first evidence that the A
2b
AR regulates liver SREBP-1, hyperlipidemia, and atherosclerosis, suggesting that this receptor may be an effective therapeutic target.
Mitochondrial Thioredoxin Reductase Is Essential for Early Postischemic Myocardial Protection
Authors: Horstkotte Jan , Perisic Tamara , Schneider Manuela , Lange Philipp , Schroeder Melanie , Kiermayer Claudia , Hinkel Rabea , Ziegler Tilman , Mandal Pankaj K. , David Robert , Schulz Sabine , Schmitt Sabine , Widder Julian , Sinowatz Fred , Becker Bernhard F. , Bauersachs Johann , Naebauer Michael , Franz Wolfgang M. , Jeremias Irmela , Brielmeier Markus , Zischka Hans , Conrad Marcus , Kupatt Christian
Published: December 2011

Background—

Excessive formation of reactive oxygen species contributes to tissue injury and functional deterioration after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Especially, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species are capable of opening the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, a harmful event in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion. Thioredoxins are key players in the cardiac defense against oxidative stress. Mutations in the mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase (thioredoxin reductase-2, Txnrd2) gene have been recently identified to cause dilated cardiomyopathy in patients. Here, we investigated whether mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase is protective against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Methods and Results—

In mice, α-MHC-restricted Cre-mediated Txnrd2 deficiency, induced by tamoxifen (
Txnrd2-/-ic
), aggravated systolic dysfunction and cardiomyocyte cell death after ischemia (90 minutes) and reperfusion (24 hours).
Txnrd2-/-ic
was accompanied by a loss of mitochondrial integrity and function, which was resolved on pretreatment with the reactive oxygen species scavenger N-acetylcysteine and the mitochondrial permeability transition pore blocker cyclosporin A. Likewise, Txnrd2 deletion in embryonic endothelial precursor cells and embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, as well as introduction of Txnrd2-shRNA into adult HL-1 cardiomyocytes, increased cell death on hypoxia and reoxygenation, unless N-acetylcysteine was coadministered.

Conclusions—

We report that Txnrd2 exerts a crucial function during postischemic reperfusion via thiol regeneration. The efficacy of cyclosporin A in cardiac Txnrd2 deficiency may indicate a role for Txnrd2 in reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, thereby preventing opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore.
T Regulatory Lymphocytes Prevent Aldosterone-Induced Vascular Injury
Authors: Kasal Daniel A. , Barhoumi Tlili , Li Melissa W. , Yamamoto Naoki , Zdanovich Evguenia , Rehman Asia , Neves Mario F. , Laurant Pascal , Paradis Pierre , Schiffrin Ernesto L.
Published: December 2011

Aldosterone mediates actions of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inducing hypertension, oxidative stress, and vascular inflammation. Recently, we showed that angiotensin II–induced hypertension and vascular damage are mediated at least in part by macrophages and T-helper effector lymphocytes. Adoptive transfer of suppressor T-regulatory lymphocytes (Tregs) prevented angiotensin II action. We hypothesized that Treg adoptive transfer would blunt aldosterone-induced hypertension and vascular damage. Thirteen to 15-week–old male C57BL/6 mice were injected intravenously at 1-week intervals with 3×10
5
CD4
+
CD25
+
cells (representing Treg) or control CD4
+
CD25
−
cells and then infused or not for 14 days with aldosterone (600 μg/kg per day, SC) while receiving 1% saline to drink. Aldosterone induced a small but sustained increase in blood pressure (
P
<0.001), decreased vasodilatory responses to acetylcholine by 66% (
P
<0.001), increased both media:lumen ratio (
P
<0.001) and media cross-sectional area of resistance arteries by 60% (
P
<0.05), and increased NADPH oxidase activity 2-fold in aorta (
P
<0.001), kidney and heart (
P
<0.05), and aortic superoxide production. As well, aldosterone enhanced aortic and renal cortex macrophage infiltration and aortic T-cell infiltration (all
P
<0.05), and tended to decrease Treg in the renal cortex. Treg adoptive transfer prevented all of the vascular and renal effects induced by aldosterone. Adoptive transfer of CD4
+
CD25
−
cells exacerbated aldosterone effects except endothelial dysfunction and increases in media:lumen ratio of resistance arteries. Thus, Tregs suppress aldosterone-mediated vascular injury, in part through effects on innate and adaptive immunity, suggesting that aldosterone-induced vascular damage could be prevented by an immunomodulatory approach.
23
Na Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Tissue Sodium
Authors: Kopp Christoph , Linz Peter , Wachsmuth Lydia , Dahlmann Anke , Horbach Thomas , Schöfl Christof , Renz Wolfgang , Santoro Davide , Niendorf Thoralf , Müller Dominik N. , Neininger Myriam , Cavallaro Alexander , Eckardt Kai-Uwe , Schmieder Roland E. , Luft Friedrich C. , Uder Michael , Titze Jens
Published: December 2011

Hypertension is linked to disturbed total-body sodium (Na
+
) regulation; however, measuring Na
+
disposition in the body is difficult. We implemented
23
Na magnetic resonance spectroscopy (
23
Na-MR) and imaging technique (
23
Na-MRI) at 9.4T for animals and 3T for humans to quantify Na
+
content in skeletal muscle and skin. We compared
23
Na-MRI data with actual tissue Na
+
content measured by chemical analysis in animal and human tissue. We then quantified tissue Na
+
content in normal humans and in patients with primary aldosteronism. We found a 29% increase in muscle Na
+
content in patients with aldosteronism compared with normal women and men. This tissue Na
+
was mobilized after successful treatment without accompanying weight loss. We suggest that, after further refinements, this tool could facilitate understanding the relationships between Na
+
accumulation and hypertension. Furthermore, with additional technical advances, a future clinical use may be possible.
Set up for a Fall
Authors: Park Sun Hyun , Westphal James D. , Stern Ithai
Published: December 2011

This study considers the potentially negative consequences for corporate leaders of being subjected to high levels of ingratiation in the form of flattery and opinion conformity from other managers and board members. Chief executive officers (CEOs) who have acquired positions of relatively high social status in the corporate elite tend to be attractive targets of flattery and opinion conformity from colleagues, which can have potentially negative consequences for CEOs and their firms. Our theory suggests how high levels of flattery and opinion conformity can increase CEOs’ overconfidence in their strategic judgment and leadership capability, which results in biased strategic decision making. Specifically, we contend that heightened overconfidence from receiving high levels of such ingratiatory behavior reduces the likelihood that CEOs will initiate needed strategic change in response to poor firm performance. We tested and confirmed our hypotheses with a dataset that includes original survey data from a large sample of U.S. CEOs, other top managers, and board members in the period 2001–2007. Further analyses suggest that strategic persistence that results from high levels of flattery and opinion conformity directed at the CEO can result in the persistence of low firm performance and may ultimately increase the likelihood of the CEO’s dismissal. Implications for theory and research on social influence, sources of overconfidence in decision making, and the dynamics of executive careers are discussed.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Relation to Ischemic Stroke Nonfatal Events in Nonhypercholesterolemic and Hypercholesterolemic Participants
Authors: Kastorini Christina-Maria , Milionis Haralampos J. , Kantas Dimitrios , Bika Eftychia , Nikolaou Vassilios , Vemmos Konstantinos N. , Goudevenos John A. , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B.
Published: December 2011

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the development of ischemic stroke according to cholesterol levels. During 2009-2010, 500 participants were enrolled; 250 were consecutive patients (77 ± 9 years, 55.6% men) with a first ischemic stroke and 250 population-based, control participants, matched to the patients by age and sex. Sociodemographic, clinical, dietary, and other lifestyle characteristics were measured. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed by the validated MedDietScore (theoretical range: 0-55). After various adjustments, each 1/55 unit increase in the MedDietScore was associated with 17% lower likelihood of having an ischemic stroke in nonhypercholesterolemic participants (95%CI: 0.72-0.96) and 10% lower likelihood in participants with hypercholesterolemia (95%CI: 0.81-0.99). The present work highlights the cardioprotective benefits from the adoption of the Mediterranean diet, by showing its beneficial effect regarding ischemic stroke development, regardless of the presence of hypercholesterolemia.
Antiplatelet Efficacy of Long-Term Treatment With Clopidogrel Besylate in Patients With a History of Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Tsoumani Maria E. , Kalantzi Kallirroi I. , Dimitriou Andromachi A. , Ntalas Ioannis V. , Goudevenos Ioannis A. , Tselepis Alexandros D.
Published: December 2011

The efficacy of clopidogrel therapy in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been established using the clopidogrel hydrogen sulfate (CHS) formulation. We compared the antiplatelet effectiveness of long-term administration of the original CHS with a generic clopidogrel besylate (CB) salt formulation in 86 patients with a history of an ACS. At 1 month after the episode, patients receiving 75 mg/d CHS were randomized to continue with CHS (n = 41) or to switch to 75 mg/d CB (n = 45). Platelet aggregation, vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) phosphorylation, P-selectin expression, and platelet–leucocyte conjugates were determined before randomization and at 6 months afterward. No difference in any platelet parameter studied was observed between the 2 groups either before randomization or after 6 months of treatment with CHS or CB. We conclude that there is no difference in the antiplatelet efficacy between CB and CHS during long-term administration in patients with a history of an ACS.
Elevated Resting Heart Rate Is Associated With White Blood Cell Count in Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals Without Apparent Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Inoue Taku , Iseki Kunitoshi , Iseki Chiho , Kinjo Kozen
Published: December 2011

We investigated the association between resting heart rate (HR) and inflammation markers in a healthy population. White blood cell (WBC) count was used as a surrogate marker of subclinical inflammation. Smoking status, body mass index, resting HR, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and glycated hemoglobin were significantly associated with WBC in both men and women. Blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose levels, however, were associated with WBC only in women. Logistic regression analysis indicated that for every 10 beats per minute increase in HR, the odds ratio of an increase in the WBC was approximately 1.3 in both men and women. These findings indicate the clinical significance of resting HR for identifying individuals at risk of subclinical inflammation and a future cardiovascular event.
Does Cheating Pay? The Effect of Electoral Misconduct on Party Systems
Authors: Donno Daniela , Roussias Nasos
Published: December 2011

This article examines the effect of electoral misconduct on party systems in new electoral regimes. The authors distinguish between different forms of electoral misconduct and argue that preelection tools—which aim to deter opposition parties and their supporters and create a biased information environment—exert a “psychological” effect on parties and voters, whereas ballot fraud exerts a direct, “mechanical” effect on vote shares. Using original data on electoral misconduct in legislative elections in Latin America and postcommunist countries, the authors find that preelection misconduct has a strong reductive effect on the effective number of parties; however, ballot fraud does not. Further investigation suggests that intimidation of opposition parties and voters is the most important mechanism through which misconduct reduces party numbers. By identifying electoral misconduct as a key omitted variable, this article renders the conventional model of party systems more applicable to the political contexts in new electoral regimes.
Speaking of Bodies in Justice-Oriented, Feminist Teacher Education
Authors: Jones Stephanie , Hughes-Decatur Hilary
Published: December 2011

The United States is a society that is simultaneously consumed and repulsed by the body; a society where obsession over a constructed “obesity” epidemic runs alongside obsession over thinness; a society where advertisers manipulate digital images of bodies to present two-dimensional versions of ideal male and female physiques, and plastic surgeons cut, suck, tuck, and fill three-dimensional fleshed versions of those digital images. In this article, the authors articulate a theory of a critical body pedagogy that can contribute to a larger justice-oriented project. This project is one of shaping young women and men who are more comfortable in their bodies, who will engage in critical readings of body-related texts, and—perhaps—can one day help future early childhood and elementary students construct healthier relationships with their bodies and the larger world through a justice-oriented pedagogy.
Instilling Stewardship to Address the Integrity/Efficiency Dilemma
Authors: Segal Lydia
Published: December 2011

One of the most perplexing problems facing modern governments is how to balance the pursuit of integrity with that of efficiency. The pursuit of integrity has resulted in a massive body of rules and oversight structures that can paralyze management and harm efficiency. Most administrative prescriptions do not deal with the root of this problem—the insistence that integrity be assured by managerial strategies rather than administrative moral agencies. This article argues that by instilling a culture of stewardship, so that integrity flows from people, public agencies could ease heavy-handed corruption controls and pursue efficiency relatively unhindered. A case study of the Edmonton Public Schools is offered to illustrate how stewardship could harmonize the pursuit of integrity and efficiency.
Unraveling the Mystery of Brazilian Jeitinho
Authors: Ferreira Maria Cristina , Fischer Ronald , Porto Juliana Barreiros , Pilati Ronaldo , Milfont Taciano L.
Published: December 2011

Two studies explore the structure and psychological makeup of jeitinho, a Brazilian indigenous construct associated with problem-solving strategies in strong hierarchies. Study 1 used a scenario approach with nonstudent participants and demonstrated that jeitinho can be described by a three-dimensional structure: corruption, creativity, and social norm breaking. Study 2 used individual and social norm scenarios in nonstudent samples and demonstrated that moral leniency is associated with more corruption and social norm breaking. Furthermore, only in the personal but not the social norm condition was greater social dominance orientation associated with more corruption and social norm breaking. Jeitinho is not a monolitical construct, but it is a complex sociocultural strategy that has distinct functional components at the personal and normative levels. Theoretical advances in the understanding of social norms and indigenous psychology by examining both culture-specific and general social-psychological processes are outlined.
How Couples Manage the Household
Authors: Treas Judith , Tai Tsui-o
Published: December 2011

Despite many studies on the gendered division of housework, there is little research on how couples divide the work of household management. Relative resource theories of household bargaining inform analyses of who does the housework, but their applicability to household management is unclear, if only because management responsibility may be viewed as unwanted drudgery or as coveted control over family and household. Building on theories of power and exchange, this article examines the relation of relative resources and management responsibility and asks whether the partner who does more housework also does more management. According to 2002 International Social Survey Program data for 31 countries, three fourths of married persons report joint, rather than individual, decision making on children’s upbringing, weekend activities, and major purchases. Supporting a gendered relative resource hypothesis, women, and not men, are more likely to take sole charge of household decision making when their income is higher than their partner’s.
Paternal Banking and Maternal Gatekeeping in Postdivorce Families
Authors: Moore Elena
Published: December 2011

The research explores the way in which postseparated parents continue to exert a bidirectional force on each other following divorce and separation. The study draws on qualitative interviews with 39 separated mothers and fathers in Ireland, including five marital sets of former couples. The study found many fathers adopted a range of paternal banking strategies on separation and that these strategies appeared influential on, or in response to, maternal gatekeeping behavior. The article develops the concept of paternal banking by linking it to maternal gatekeeping practices postseparation. The research indicates that an investigation of maternal gatekeeping in the absence of a review of paternal banking practices undermines the nature of parental role battle within the postseparated couple. The article argues that this is especially true when located in a state, like Ireland, where traditional family structures are pervasive.
Teaching Marketing Through a Micro-Economy in Virtual Reality
Authors: Drake-Bridges Erin , Strelzoff Andrew , Sulbaran Tulio
Published: December 2011

Teaching retailing principles to students is a challenge because although real-world wholesale and retail decision making very heavily depends on dynamic conditions, classroom exercises are limited to abstract discussions and role-playing. This article describes two interlocking class projects taught using the virtual reality of secondlife.com , which allowed students to use their recently gained skills in wholesaling and retailing. The exercises provided students with unique educational experiences without the need of “bricks and mortar” product development, wholesale, or retail spaces. This spurred students’ creativity and entrepreneurship. Students described the simulations as “fun” and “interesting.” Students also reported a greater depth of learning as a result of participating in the virtual simulation. This article describes the interdisciplinary team efforts to develop educational experiences for students. It also uses previous research in virtual reality implementation for classroom use to provide a framework for assessing the credibility of the set of assignments.
Co-combustion of solid recovered fuels in coal-fired power plants
Authors: Thiel Stephanie , Thomé-Kozmiensky Karl Joachim
Published: December 2011

Currently, in ten coal-fired power plants in Germany solid recovered fuels from mixed municipal waste and production-specific commercial waste are co-combusted and experiments have been conducted at other locations. Overall, in 2010 approximately 800 000 tonnes of these solid recovered fuels were used. In the coming years up to 2014 a slight decline in the quantity of materials used in co-combustions is expected. The co-combustion activities are in part significantly influenced by increasing power supply from renewable sources of energy and their impact on the regime of coal-fired power plants usage. Moreover, price trends of CO2 allowances, solid recovered fuels as well as imported coal also have significant influence. In addition to the usage of solid recovered fuels with biogenic content, the co-combustion of pure renewable biofuels has become more important in coal-fired power plants. The power plant operators make high demands on the quality of solid recovered fuels. As the operational experience shows, a set of problems may be posed by co-combustion. The key factors in process engineering are firing technique and corrosion. A significant ecological key factor is the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. The results of this study derive from research made on the basis of an extensive literature search as well as a survey on power plant operators in Germany. The data from operators was updated in spring 2011.
Development of the Distance From Privilege Measures
Authors: Kerr Barbara A. , Multon Karen D. , Syme Maggie L. , Fry Nancy M. , Owens Rhea , Hammond Marie , Robinson-Kurpius Sharon
Published: December 2011

This article reports on the development and validation of the Distance from Privilege (DFP) measures. Items for the measures were developed on theoretical grounds. The primary sample consisted of 292 undergraduates with various majors from a Midwestern University and a Historically Black University in the south. One of the measures is the DFP-Resources scale which consists of 11 items with two factors described as social capital and economic resources. The other measure is the DFP-Status scale that has 10 items and one factor. Results revealed that the DFP consists of two measures with good internal consistency and construct validity. Each measure accounts for a sufficiently high proportion of the overall variance and has moderately high stability over time.
Why Ukraine Is Not Russia
Authors: Brudny Yitzhak M. , Finkel Evgeny
Published: December 2011

The article discusses the impact of national identity on democratization and market reforms in Russia and Ukraine. We develop a concept of hegemonic national identity and demonstrate its role in Russian and Ukrainian post-communist political development. The article argues that Russia’s slide toward authoritarianism was to an important degree an outcome of the notions of national identity adopted by the main political players and society at large. In Ukraine, on the other hand, a hegemonic identity failed to emerge and the public discussion of issues of national identity led to the adoption of much more liberal and democratic notions of identity by a considerable part of the political elite. Adoption of this more liberal identity, in turn, was one of the main reasons for the Orange Revolution. The main theoretical implications of this argument are as follows: (a) choices of national identity profoundly affect the prospects for democracy in the newly democratizing states; (b) institutions do shape identities; (c) elites’ preference for (or opposition to) liberal democracy is not simply a consequence of their understanding of their self-interest in gaining and preserving power but also is dependent to a significant extent on their choices of political identity.
East European History: The “State of the Field”
Authors: Naimark Norman , Snyder Timothy
Published: December 2011

What is east European about east European history, and what is historical about east European studies? Some twenty historians from the United States and Canada gathered at the History Department at Stanford to discuss the present, past, and, most importantly, the future of the east European field, broadly defined.
Eastern Europe in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Wolff Larry
Published: December 2011

This article reviews recent historiography of Eastern Europe in the eighteenth century, and considers the possibility of a decline in this field since the end of the Cold War.
Student Choice in Higher Education
Authors: Wilkins Stephen , Balakrishnan Melodena Stephens , Huisman Jeroen
Published: December 2011

The international branch campus has emerged as a prominent feature on the international higher education landscape. Although there exists a fairly substantial body of literature that has sought to identify the motivations or choice criteria used by international students to select countries and institutions, there has to date been little research on student motivations for studying at an international branch campus. This quantitative study, using the push-pull model of international student destination choice as its theoretical framework, involved 320 undergraduate and postgraduate students studying at branch campuses in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was found that the main motivations of students who choose to study at an international branch campus are different to those students who choose to study at home campuses. Thus, we propose a revised model of international student destination choice, which incorporates two distinct sets of push and pull factors—one that applies to the home campuses of Western universities and one that applies to international branch campuses. In addition to developing the theory on international student choice, our findings may be used by higher education institutions to better understand both their existing and potential students, with the view to applying segmentation techniques in their marketing activities.
Helping Students Manage Their Energy
Authors: Spreitzer Gretchen M. , Grant Traci
Published: December 2011

This article introduces a tool to help students learn to better manage their energy. The tool asks students to assess their energy levels for each waking hour over at least 2 days in order to identify patterns of activities associated with high energy and with depleted energy. The article describes how to use the tool in the classroom by articulating the learning objectives, providing background research on energy regulation, and debriefing student reactions. The findings from two classes of students suggest that the tool is effective in achieving its learning goals and has a longer term impact on student behavior. The article closes by discussing the challenges of energy management for students.
Understanding Economic Biases in Representation
Authors: Ellis Christopher
Published: December 2011

This article explores the extent, and possible causes, of income-based biases in representation of citizens by members of the 110th Congress. The author finds that the preferences of wealthier citizens are modestly but significantly better reflected in the choices of their congressional representatives than are the preferences of poorer citizens. More importantly, the author shows that education, political sophistication, political engagement, ethnicity, and other sociodemographic factors can explain only a small part of this representation gap. Biases in representation across income lines appear to be driven by income alone, or at least not by politically relevant factors correlated with income.
Networks Are Not Enough . . . But They Do Matter
Authors: Bramwell Allison
Published: December 2011

This comparison of workforce development networks in Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Ottawa, Ontario generates theoretical insights into the dynamics of capacity-building in Canadian cities. Evidence of new forms of state-society relations in Ontario cities suggests that there are features of urban governance that are particular to the Canadian case. None of the three cities was able to sustain a community-wide local workforce development network but networks did exist in all three cases despite the absence of a provincial policy framework, which indicates that the organization of societal interests and the patterns of interaction between them do have an impact on urban governance in Canada. Yet governance efforts in Canadian cities continue to operate in the ambiguous nexus between top–down policy frameworks and bottom–up self-organizing networks, and new forms of governance are difficult to sustain in the absence of supportive policy frameworks.
Ceci n’est pas un magazine: The politics of hybrid media in Mute magazine
Authors: Thoburn Nicholas
Published: December 2011

What are the possibilities for a political magazine in the new media environment? This article addresses that question through a study of the London-based art and politics magazine Mute, an experimental publishing venture that currently exists as a ‘hybrid’ of Web and print platforms. The politics in question resides not only in the magazine’s content, but throughout its media form. For Mute’s coverage of the evolving political and aesthetic capacities of new media has intersected with an insistent self-critique and remodelling of its magazine form, a reflexive orientation it set out in its ‘hybrid publishing’ manifesto, ‘Ceci n’est pas un magazine’. Drawing on an interview with the magazine’s editor and directors and employing concepts of ‘media ecology’ and ‘embodied text’, the article explores Mute’s hybrid media form through its publishing platforms, participatory mechanisms, aesthetic styles, commissioning practices, temporal modes, and commercial structures.
Negotiating everyday life: The role of energy and water consumption feedback
Authors: Strengers Yolande
Published: December 2011

Trials and evaluations of energy and water consumption feedback are premised on understandings of consumption as a rational and individual decision-making process. This article draws on two alternative conceptualizations of consumption to understand the role and effectiveness of consumption feedback delivered through an in-home display (IHD). The first considers how consumption is mediated by socio-technical systems of energy and water provision, and the second views it as part of social practices such as laundering, eating and heating. The article draws on these conceptualizations to analyse a qualitative dataset of interviews and tours with 28 Australian households participating in three separate IHD feedback programmes. The article finds that IHDs are an important visualization tool that illuminate otherwise invisible systems of energy and water provision. However, they have the potential to legitimize particular practices and to overlook those considered non-negotiable. The article concludes that IHDs can play a role in making socio-technical systems of energy and water provision more relevant to householders’ everyday lives, and in questioning and debating non-negotiable practices. This will necessitate repositioning and blurring the roles and responsibilities of resource providers and consumers. As a mediating device with the ability to extend both inside and outside the home, the IHD provides a unique platform for reorienting its role towards these ends.
Is it in the interest of the consumer to pay taxes? Transatlantic differences in postwar approaches to public consumption
Authors: Logemann Jan
Published: December 2011

This article is a comparative analysis of American and West German consumer policy and its underlying definition of the consumer interest during the decades following the Second World War. It traces diverging government responses to a transatlantic debate among economists, policy makers and a wider public over the proper balance between private and public consumption. Whereas postwar America put an emphasis on unrestrained private purchasing power and limited public spending, West German policy makers were more likely to include the provision of publicly supported and tax-funded goods and services as part of their definition of the consumer's interest. This contributed, the article proposes, to a fundamentally different perspective on government spending and taxation by middle-class consumers in both countries. Drawing on media sources, contemporary scholarly literature and government documents, I want to elaborate on our understanding of what counted as ‘consumption’ and ‘consumer goods’ and thereby encourage scholars in the growing field of consumption studies to look beyond the usual array of private goods. I furthermore question the influential notion of an ‘imperial’ reach of the American consumption model in the postwar era. Approaches to consumption and balancing private/public spending were markedly different in Western Europe, and the German case provides a prominent example of this.
Quiet Desperation
Authors: Wollard Karen Kelly
Published: December 2011

The Problem.

Employee engagement continues to capture the interest of practitioners and scholars, yet estimates are that between 50%and 70% of workers are not engaged. Disengagement has implications for profitability, productivity, safety, mental health, turnover, and employee theft.

The Solution.

The article builds on Kahn’s concept of disengagement and presents a consolidated view of the research regarding the process of disengagement. A call to action is presented, as a plea to organizations to address cognitive, emotional and behavioral/physical needs of the majority of workers who are less than fully engaged.

The Stakeholders.

Human resource development (HRD) researcher and practitioners who work in organizations where engagement is low, turnover is high, or morale is plummeting.
Drawing Voices
Authors: Goss Jacqueline
Published: December 2011

This article presents a series of images, transcriptions, and musings on the making of Stranger Comes To Town (2007): an animated documentary that centers on the stories of six immigrants and visitors to the United States who describe their experiences crossing the border. The author chooses 10 images that are accompanied by transcriptions of each interviewee’s statements. She follows each pairing with a musing on either the process of making the animation – what she gleaned about the interviewee from the process of syncing a fabricated image to a ‘real’ voice, the different ways voice and text can play off each other in animation – or the (still surprisingly) subversive gesture of using subjective hand-drawn animations in documentary form.
BH3-only protein Noxa regulates apoptosis in activated B cells and controls high-affinity antibody formation
Authors: Wensveen Felix M. , Derks Ingrid A. M. , van Gisbergen Klaas P. J. M. , de Bruin Alex M. , Meijers Joost C. M. , Yigittop HaciAli , Nolte Martijn A. , Eldering Eric , van Lier René A. W.
Published: December 2011

The efficiency of humoral immune responses depends on the selective outgrowth of B cells and plasmacells that produce high affinity antibodies. The factors responsible for affinity maturation of B cell clones in the germinal center (GC) have been well established but selection mechanisms that allow clones to enter the GC are largely unknown. Here we identify apoptosis, regulated by the proapoptotic BH3-only member Noxa (Pmaip1), as a critical factor for the selection of high-affinity clones during B cell expansion after antigen triggering. Noxa is induced in activated B cells, and its ablation provides a survival advantage both in vitro and in vivo. After immunization or influenza infection, Noxa−/− mice display enlarged GCs, in which B cells with reduced antigen affinity accumulate. As a consequence, Noxa−/− mice mount low affinity antibody responses compared with wild-type animals. Importantly, the low affinity responses correlate with increased immunoglobulin diversity, and cannot be corrected by booster immunization. Thus, normal elimination of low affinity cells favors outgrowth of the remaining high-affinity clones, and this is mandatory for the generation of proper antibody responses. Manipulation of this process may alter the breadth of antibody responses after immunization.
TFPIβ is the GPI-anchored TFPI isoform on human endothelial cells and placental microsomes
Authors: Girard Thomas J. , Tuley Elodee , Broze George J.
Published: December 2011

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) produces factor Xa-dependent feedback inhibition of factor VIIa/tissue factor-induced coagulation. Messages for 2 isoforms of TFPI have been identified. TFPIα mRNA encodes a protein with an acidic N-terminus, 3 Kunitz-type protease inhibitor domains and a basic C-terminus that has been purified from plasma and culture media. TFPIβ mRNA encodes a form in which the Kunitz-3 and C-terminal domains of TFPIα are replaced with an alternative C-terminus that directs the attachment of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, but whether TFPIβ protein is actually expressed is not clear. Moreover, previous studies have suggested that the predominant form of TFPI released from cells by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) treatment is TFPIα, implying it is bound at cell surfaces to a separate GPI-anchored coreceptor. Our studies show that the form of TFPI released by PIPLC treatment of cultured endothelial cells and placental microsomes is actually TFPIβ based on (1) migration on SDS-PAGE before and after deglycosylation, (2) the lack of a Kunitz-3 domain, and (3) it contains a GPI anchor. Immunoassays demonstrate that, although endothelial cells secrete TFPIα, greater than 95% of the TFPI released by PIPLC treatment from the surface of endothelial cells and from placental microsomes is TFPIβ.
A co-ordinated interaction between CTCF and ER in breast cancer cells
Authors: Ross-Innes Caryn S , Brown Gordon D , Carroll Jason S
Published: December 2011

Background

CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a conserved zinc finger transcription factor that is involved in both intra- and interchromasomal looping. Recent research has shown a role for CTCF in estrogen receptor (ER) biology, at some individual loci, but a multi-context global analysis of CTCF binding and transcription activity is lacking.

Results

We now map CTCF binding genome wide in breast cancer cells and find that CTCF binding is unchanged in response to estrogen or tamoxifen treatment. We find a small but reproducible set of CTCF binding events that overlap with both the nuclear receptor, estrogen receptor, and the forkhead protein FOXA1. These overlapping binding events are likely functional as they are biased towards estrogen-regulated genes, compared to regions lacking either CTCF or ER binding. In addition we identify cell-line specific CTCF binding events. These binding events are more likely to be associated with cell-line specific ER binding events and are also more likely to be adjacent to genes that are expressed in that particular cell line.

Conclusion

The evolving role for CTCF in ER biology is complex, but is likely to be multifunctional and possibly influenced by the specific genomic locus. Our data suggest a positive, pro-transcriptional role for CTCF in ER-mediated gene expression in breast cancer cells. CTCF not only provides boundaries for accessible and 'protected' transcriptional blocks, but may also influence the actual binding of ER to the chromatin, thereby modulating the estrogen-mediated gene expression changes observed in breast cancer cells.
Role and expression of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer
Authors: Valencia Tania , Joseph Ajay , Kachroo Naveen , Darby Steve , Meakin Susan , Gnanapragasam Vincent J
Published: December 2011

Background

FGF receptor substrates (FRS2 and FRS3) are key adaptor proteins that mediate FGF-FGFR signalling in benign as well as malignant tissue. Here we investigated FRS2 and FRS3 as a means of disrupting global FGF signalling in prostate cancer.

Methods

FRS2 and FRS3 manipulation was investigated in vitro using over-expression, knockdown and functional assays. FRS2 and FRS3 expression was profiled in cell lines and clinical tumors of different grades.

Results

In a panel of cell lines we observed ubiquitous FRS2 and FRS3 transcript and protein expression in both benign and malignant cells. We next tested functional redundancy of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer cells. In DU145 cells, specific FRS2 suppression inhibited FGF induced signalling. This effect was not apparent in cells stably over-expressing FRS3. Indeed FRS3 over-expression resulted in enhanced proliferation (p = 0.005) compared to control cells. Given this functional redundancy, we tested the therapeutic principle of dual targeting of FRS2 and FRS3 in prostate cancer. Co-suppression of FRS2 and FRS3 significantly inhibited ERK activation with a concomitant reduction in cell proliferation (p < 0.05), migration and invasion (p < 0.05). Synchronous knockdown of FRS2 and FRS3 with exposure to cytotoxic irradiation resulted in a significant reduction in prostate cancer cell survival compared to irradiation alone (p < 0.05). Importantly, this synergistic effect was not observed in benign cells. Finally, we investigated expression of FRS2 and FRS3 transcript in a cohort of micro-dissected tumors of different grades as well as by immunohistochemistry in clinical biopsies. Here, we did not observe any difference in expression between benign and malignant biopsies.

Conclusions

These results suggest functional overlap of FRS2 and FRS3 in mediating mitogenic FGF signalling in the prostate. FRS2 and FRS3 are not over-expressed in tumours but targeted dual inhibition may selectively adversely affect malignant but not benign prostate cells.
STAT3 activation in monocytes accelerates liver cancer progression
Authors: Wu Wen-Yong , Li Jun , Wu Zheng-Sheng , Zhang Chang-Le , Meng Xiang-Ling
Published: December 2011

Background

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important transcription factor ubiquitously expressed in different cell types. STAT3 plays an essential role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Aberrantly hyper-activated STAT3 signaling in cancer cells and in the tumor microenvironment has been detected in a wide variety of human cancers and is considered an important factor for cancer initiation, development, and progression. However, the role of STAT3 activation in monocytes in the development of HCC has not been well understood.

Methods

Immunohistochemical analysis of phosphorylated STAT3 was performed on tissue microarray from HCC patients. Using a co-culture system in vivo, HCC cell growth was determined by the MTT assay. In vivo experiments were conducted with mice given diethylinitrosamine (DEN), which induces HCC was used to investigate the role of STAT3 expression in monocytes on tumor growth. Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of cell proliferation and cell arrest associated genes in the tumor and nontumor tissue from liver.

Results

Phosphorylated STAT3 was found in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue samples and was expressed in tumor cells and also in monocytes. Phosphorylated STAT3 expression in monocyte was significantly correlated to advanced clinical stage of HCC and a poor prognosis. Using a co-culture system in vivo, monocytes promoted HCC cell growth via the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway. The STAT3 inhibitor, NSC 74859, significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo in mice with diethylinitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. In this animal model, blockade of STAT3 with NSC 74859 induced tumor cell apoptosis, while inhibiting both tumor cells and monocytes proliferation. Furthermore, NSC 74859 treatment suppressed cancer associated inflammation in DEN-induce HCC.

Conclusion

Our data suggest constitutively activated STAT3 monocytes promote liver tumorigenesis in clinical patients and animal experiments. Thus, STAT3 in tumor infiltrating inflammatory cells may an attractive target for liver cancer therapy.