bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platelets and Megakaryocytes Contain Functional Nuclear Factor-κB
Authors: Spinelli Sherry L. , Casey Ann E. , Pollock Stephen J. , Gertz Jacqueline M. , McMillan David H. , Narasipura Srinivasa D. , Mody Nipa A. , King Michael R. , Maggirwar Sanjay B. , Francis Charles W. , Taubman Mark B. , Blumberg Neil , Phipps Richard P.
Published: December 2009

Objective—

To investigate the presence and role of NF-κB proteins in megakaryocytes and platelets. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factor family is well known for its role in eliciting inflammation and promoting cell survival. We discovered that human megakaryocytes and platelets express the majority of NF-κB family members, including the regulatory inhibitor-κB (I-κB) and I-κ kinase (IKK) molecules.

Methods and Results—

Anucleate platelets exposed to NF-κB inhibitors demonstrated impaired fundamental functions involved in repairing vascular injury and thrombus formation. Specifically, NF-κB inhibition diminished lamellapodia formation, decreased clot retraction times, and reduced thrombus stability. Moreover, inhibition of I-κB-α phosphorylation (BAY-11-7082) reverted fully spread platelets back to a spheroid morphology. Addition of recombinant IKK-β or I-κB-α protein to BAY inhibitor–treated platelets partially restored platelet spreading in I-κB-α inhibited platelets, and addition of active IKK-β increased endogenous I-κB-α phosphorylation levels.

Conclusion—

These novel findings support a crucial and nonclassical role for the NF-κB family in modulating platelet function and reveal that platelets are sensitive to NF-κB inhibitors. As NF-κB inhibitors are being developed as antiinflammatory and anticancer agents, they may have unintended effects on platelets. On the basis of these data, NF-κB is also identified as a new target to dampen unwanted platelet activation.
Diabetes Mellitus Induces Bone Marrow Microangiopathy
Authors: Oikawa Atsuhiko , Siragusa Mauro , Quaini Federico , Mangialardi Giuseppe , Katare Rajesh G. , Caporali Andrea , van Buul Jaap D. , van Alphen Floris P.J. , Graiani Gallia , Spinetti Gaia , Kraenkel Nicolle , Prezioso Lucia , Emanueli Costanza , Madeddu Paolo
Published: December 2009

Objective—

The impact of diabetes on the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment was not adequately explored. We investigated whether diabetes induces microvascular remodeling with negative consequence for BM homeostasis.

Methods and Results—

We found profound structural alterations in BM from mice with type 1 diabetes with depletion of the hematopoietic component and fatty degeneration. Blood flow (fluorescent microspheres) and microvascular density (immunohistochemistry) were remarkably reduced. Flow cytometry verified the depletion of MECA-32
+
endothelial cells. Cultured endothelial cells from BM of diabetic mice showed higher levels of oxidative stress, increased activity of the senescence marker β-galactosidase, reduced migratory and network-formation capacities, and increased permeability and adhesiveness to BM mononuclear cells. Flow cytometry analysis of lineage
−
c-Kit
+
Sca-1
+
cell distribution along an in vivo Hoechst-33342 dye perfusion gradient documented that diabetes depletes lineage
−
c-Kit
+
Sca-1
+
cells predominantly in the low-perfused part of the marrow. Cell depletion was associated to increased oxidative stress, DNA damage, and activation of apoptosis. Boosting the antioxidative pentose phosphate pathway by benfotiamine supplementation prevented microangiopathy, hypoperfusion, and lineage
−
c-Kit
+
Sca-1
+
cell depletion.

Conclusion—

We provide novel evidence for the presence of microangiopathy impinging on the integrity of diabetic BM. These discoveries offer the framework for mechanistic solutions of BM dysfunction in diabetes.
BMPER Is Upregulated by Statins and Modulates Endothelial Inflammation by Intercellular Adhesion Molecule–1
Authors: Helbing Thomas , Rothweiler René , Heinke Jennifer , Goetz Lena , Diehl Philipp , Zirlik Andreas , Patterson Cam , Bode Christoph , Moser Martin
Published: December 2009

Objective—

In addition to lowering cholesterol, statins exert pleiotropic effects on endothelial cells. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have recently been implicated in vascular inflammation and disease. We set out to investigate the effect of statins on BMP endothelial cell precursor–derived regulator (BMPER), a novel member of the BMP pathway.

Methods and Results—

Mevastatin enhanced BMPER expression in cultured endothelial cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner as determined by immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western blotting. Similar effects were observed in vitro and in vivo using simvastatin. Actinomycin D chase analysis and BMPER promoter reporter assays revealed that this is mostly a posttranscriptional event resulting in prolonged BMPER RNA half-life. We confirmed that the RhoA/Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase Rho kinase (Rock)/actin pathway is involved using the specific pathway activator cytotoxic necrotizing factor of
Y
ersinia pseudotuberculosis
, which prevented upregulation of BMPER expression by mevastatin and pathway inhibitors (C3-toxin, RhoAN19 mutant, fasudil, and cytochalasin D) that enhanced BMPER expression. Increasing concentrations of BMPER exert antiinflammatory features in endothelial cells as reflected by intercellular adhesion molecule–1 downregulation. Accordingly, silencing of BMPER enhances intercellular adhesion molecule–1 expression. Furthermore, mevastatin reduced the expression of proinflammatory BMP4, a well-known direct interaction partner of BMPER.

Conclusion—

Mevastatin modulates the BMP pathway by enhancing BMPER via the RhoA/Rock/actin pathway, as well as by reducing BMP4 expression. BMP4 downregulation and BMPER upregulation contribute to the antiinflammatory pleiotropic effects of statins.
Effect of Right Ventricular Versus Biventricular Pacing on Electrical Remodeling in the Normal Heart
Authors: Saba Samir , Mehdi Haider , Mathier Michael A. , Islam M. Zahadul , Salama Guy , London Barry
Published: December 2009

Background—

Biventricular (BIV) pacing can improve cardiac function in heart failure by altering the mechanical and electric substrates. We investigated the effect of BIV versus right ventricular (RV) pacing on the normal heart.

Methods and Results—

Male New Zealand White rabbits (n=33) were divided into 3 groups: sham-operated (control), RV pacing, and BIV pacing groups. Four weeks after surgery, the native QT (
P
=0.004) interval was significantly shorter in the BIV group compared with the RV or sham-operated groups. Also, compared with rabbits in the RV group, rabbits in the BIV group had shorter RV effective refractory period at all cycle lengths and shorter LV paced QT interval during the drive train of stimuli and close to refractoriness (
P
<0.001 for all comparisons). Protein expression of the KVLQT1 was significantly increased in the BIV group compared with the RV and control groups, whereas protein expression of SCN5A and connexin43 was significantly decreased in the RV compared with the other study groups. Erg protein expression was significantly increased in both pacing groups compared with the controls.

Conclusions—

In this rabbit model, we demonstrate a direct effect of BIV but not RV pacing on shortening the native QT interval as well as the paced QT interval during burst pacing and close to the ventricular effective refractory period. These findings underscore the fact that the effect of BIV pacing is partially mediated through direct electric remodeling and may have implications as to the effect of BIV pacing on arrhythmia incidence and burden.
Confirmation That the Renin Gene Distal Enhancer Polymorphism
REN
-5312C/T Is Associated With Increased Blood Pressure
Authors: Vangjeli Ciara , Clarke Niamh , Quinn Ursula , Dicker Patrick , Tighe Orna , Ho Clara , O'Brien Eoin , Stanton Alice V.
Published: December 2009

Background—

Studies of knockout and transgenic mice have demonstrated key roles for genes encoding components of the renin angiotensin system in blood pressure regulation. However, whether polymorphisms in these genes contribute to the cause of essential hypertension in humans is still a matter of debate.

Methods and Results—

We performed an experiment with dense tagging single-nucleotide polymorphism coverage of 4 genes encoding proteins that control the overall activity of the cascade, namely renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, in 2 Irish populations. Both clinic and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements were available from population I (n=387), whereas just clinic blood pressure was measured in population II (n=1024). Of the 23 polymorphisms genotyped, only a single renin gene polymorphism, REN-5312C/T, showed consistent statistically significant associations with elevated diastolic pressures. Carriage of one REN-5312T allele was associated with the following age- and sex-adjusted increments in diastolic pressures (mean [95% CI]): population I, clinic, 1.5 mm Hg (0.3 to 2.8); daytime, 1.4 mm Hg (0.4 to 2.4); night-time, 1.3 mm Hg (0.4 to 2.3), and population II, clinic, 1.1 mm Hg (0.1 to 2.1). Haplotypic analyses and multivariate stepwise regression analyses were in concordance with individual single-nucleotide polymorphism analyses.

Conclusions—

The REN-5312T allele had been shown previously to result in increased in vitro expression of the renin gene. We have now shown, in 2 independent populations, that carriage of a REN-5312T allele is associated with elevated diastolic blood pressure. These data provide evidence that renin is an important susceptibility gene for arterial hypertension in whites.
Posturing for Peace? Pakistan's Nuclear Postures and South Asian Stability
Authors: Narang Vipin
Published: January 2010

A probe of various regional power nuclear postures reveals that such postures, rather than simply the acquisition of nuclear weapons, can have differential effects on deterrence and stability dynamics. The India-Pakistan dyad is a useful candidate for exploring these various effects because the three regional power nuclear postures—catalytic, assured retaliation, and asymmetric escalation—have interacted with each other in South Asia. In particular, Pakistan's shift from a catalytic posture to an asymmetric escalation posture in 1998 against a continuous Indian assured retaliation posture allows the effects of nuclear posture to be isolated in an enduring rivalry in which many variables can be held constant. The asymmetric escalation posture may be “deterrence optimal” for Pakistan, suggesting that nuclear postures do have different effects on conflict dynamics, but it has also enabled Pakistan to more aggressively pursue longstanding revisionist preferences in India, triggering more frequent and intense crises on the subcontinent. Furthermore, the command and control procedures that Pakistan undertakes to make its asymmetric escalation posture credible amplify this instability. These procedures generate risks to the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear assets, both at present and as India and Pakistan continue to dynamically evolve nuclear and conventional postures. The conclusions for South Asian and international security of this reality are grim.
Pride as sin and virtue
Authors: Schweitzer Don
Published: January 2010

This paper examines a tension in Christian thought between the traditional critique of pride as a sin and the more recent affirmation of pride as a virtue. By analyzing where each locates the fundamental evil to be overcome, it shows how this critique and affirmation are conflicting goods that need to be held together. It concludes by indicating how the eschatological Christian hope and the preferential option for the poor help achieve this goal, and points to a dynamic understanding of God's relationship to the world that can undergird both the affirmation and the critique of pride.
Étude de quelques mots obscurs du Qohélet à la lumière de l'histoire de l'exégèse et des manuscrits judéo-persans de la Bibliothèque nationale de France
Authors: Lavoie Jean-Jacques , Mehramooz Minoo
Published: January 2010

Il existe plusieurs mots ou expressions dans le livre du Qohélet qui n'ont jamais été clarifiés avec certitude, aussi bien par les versions anciennes que par les interprètes médiévaux et modernes. À la lumière de l'histoire de l'exégèse et, pour la première fois dans l'histoire, à la lumière des traductions proposées par les quatre manuscrits judéo-persans provenant de la Bibliothèque nationale de France, la présente étude en analyse six: deux expressions (š iddā wešiddōt en 2,8 et ba'alē y ăsupôt en 12,11) et quatre verbes ( bûr en 9,1 et 'izzēn, hiqqēr et tiqqén en 12,9). Il ressort clairement de cet examen que la vérité du comprendre s'adapte constamment à la finitude de chaque langue, chaque culture et chaque époque et que, par conséquent, le sens du Qohélet se constitue dans l'histoire même de sa réception.
Creative imitation in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Van Seters John
Published: January 2010

The source of creative composition for many forms of literature was well recognized by literary critics in antiquity to be in the imitation of older literary works and this has been a major concern of literary criticism in modern classical studies as well. It is remarkable, therefore, that so little attention has been given to this subject in biblical studies. Even in the current discussion of intertextuality, the possibility of literary imitation is rarely made the focus of attention. In this article I will lay out what, in antiquity, was regarded as the appropriate use of imitation of the classics for composition of new works, as well as the creation of rival versions of history, and how the notion of imitation to account for similarity can be useful in biblical studies. These issues will be illustrated by a number of examples of imitation in the Hebrew Bible that have often been explained in other less appropriate ways.
"Pluck the rose but shun the thorns": The ancient school and Christian origins
Authors: Beavis Mary Ann
Published: January 2010

Although early Christianity had a "scholastic" dimension at an early stage, the place of the Greco-Roman urban institution of the school in the lives of Christians and the role of education in the development and dissemination of Christianity has not received much attention in recent scholarship. This article revisits this topic, with special reference to the concept of "competition." Three conclusions result: Christian students and teachers typically resorted to pagan schools; the Greco-Roman school system provided Christians with education in grammar and rhetoric that they put to good use in undermining paganism; and, to some extent, the schools may have provided a forum for proselytizing on the part of some Christian teachers and pupils.
Puissance divine et finitude humaine selon Qohélet 3,10 -15
Authors: Lavoie Jean-Jacques
Published: January 2010

Qo 3,10-15 est un texte sans glose, bien délimité et structuré autour de trois petites unités (3,10-11.12-13.14-15). En reprenant une idée essentielle de chacune des grandes parties de Qo 1,4-3,8, ces trois unités de Qo 3,10-15 constituent la première synthèse théologique du livre. L'ensemble du texte laisse entendre qu'entre un bonheur incertain et un effroi assuré, l'être humain est condamné à vivre dans l'impuissance, l'ignorance et la résignation face à un dieu omnipotent, froid, lointain et incompréhensible. Quelques allusions à Qo 3,10-15 chez Ben Sira montrent toutefois que ce dernier ne partage aucunement l'avis du livre de Qohélet.
Imagining Buddhism in Sri Lanka: Walpola Rahula and Gamini Salgado
Authors: Grant Patrick
Published: January 2010

The modern Buddhist revival in Sri Lanka came to fruition in the period leading up to independence from Britain in 1948. By this time, a broad division had taken shape within Sri Lankan Buddhism between "modernists" and "traditionalists" (Gombrich 1991). These alternatives can be represented by Walpola Rahula's The Heritage of the Bhikkhu and Gamini Salgado's The True Paradise. Both offer an integral vision of Buddhism in the period preceding Independence, but neither deals adequately with the cultural and political complexities of Sri Lanka at that time. Yet these books—like the traditions from which they emerge—also complement one another in ways that intimate a more adequate view of the issues than is imagined by either independently. In such a view, Buddhism might especially discover itself a reconciler of the claims of cultural diversity and the search for a common politics.
The future of non-Christian religions in Canada: Patterns of religious identification among recent immigrants and their second generation, 1981-2001
Authors: Beyer Peter
Published: January 2010

This paper addresses the question whether recent immigration to Canada from non-European and mostly non-Christian parts of the world is leading to increasing religious pluralism in Canada, rather than only enhanced ethno-cultural pluralism. Testing Reginald Bibby's hypothesis that, in spite of this immigration, Christianity will continue as the overwhelmingly dominant religious identification in Canada, this article analyzes data from the 1971-2001 decennial censuses. It finds that religious pluralism as measured by number and percent of adherents to major non-Christian religions is increasing and will likely continue to increase because of the composition of continuing immigration. There are, however, also countervailing trends that support continued Christian dominance as well as an increase in no religious identification. These trends include patterns in religious identification over time and the enigmatic effect of rising multiple ethnicity.
The secular masks of religion: A (re) constructive critique of W. D. Hart's Edward Said and the Religious Effects of Culture
Authors: Courville Mathieu E.
Published: January 2010

Since the late 1970s, much scholarly interest has been generated by Edward Said's Orientalism. More recently, some scholarly attention has been devoted towards understanding Said's view of religion. One such example is W. D. Hart's Edward Said and the Religious Effects of Culture. This article aims to show that Hart's reading of Said's œuvre is not only partial, but also largely uncharitable and therefore inadequate. Two major problems of Hart's book are the focus of attention: first, that according to Hart, Said was only negative in regards to religion, and second, that, again according to Hart, Said thought religion and secularism could not be fruitfully allied. To correct these two erroneous views, six theses based on Said's writings are proposed as correctives. In offering the correctives this article provides a more nuanced account of Said's views of religion based on the understanding that Said expressed his thoughts concerning religion on two relatively distinct discursive levels: one metaphorical, the other concrete. To illustrate this, the article examines an example of Said's metaphorical reflections concerning nationalism as religious, and conversely, of exile as secularity.
The dialectic of understanding and explanation in answers to questions of theodicy
Authors: Schweitzer Don
Published: January 2010

This paper addresses the topic of how God can be known in relation to the radical evil of innocent human suffering. Beginning by distinguishing between understanding and explanation as two related but different types of knowledge, it argues that God's love and radical evil are to be understood, not explained. While logical explanations of how God's love and radical evil inevitably subvert one or both realities, understanding allows both to stand and be appreciated for what they are. The paper goes on to argue that explanation does have a necessary role in enabling participation in God's redemptive work of overcoming evil. Explanation enriches understanding but never replaces it. Related in this way, understanding and explanation can supplement each other in the task of illuminating the human condition and guiding human action.
Imagine no religion: On defining "New Age"
Authors: Klippenstein Janet M.
Published: January 2010

"New Age" is generally assumed to be distinguishable from mainstream religion, whether it is approached as a social (i.e., secular) movement or as a religious movement of sorts. Despite these distinctions, insiders and academics alike define the category in much the same way as they define religion. Because there is a dearth of theoretical and methodological consideration in analyses of New Age, however, this likeness is largely ignored. Problematic assumptions about religion—such as the distinction between religion and economics or the existence of an isolatable category of religion in the first place—are carried over uncritically to analyses of New Age. This investigation exposes some of these assumptions in order to call into question the validity of both "New Age" and "religion" as useful theoretical categories.
Aux sources du Désenchantement du monde de Marcel Gauchet. Éléments pour une généalogie
Authors: Cantin Serge
Published: January 2010

Que nous dit Marcel Gauchet sur la religion qui n'ait pas été dit avant lui ? Dans quelle mesure son histoire politique de la religion renouvelle-t-elle notre compréhension du phénomène religieux ? Pareille question engage à soumettre les thèses de Gauchet au jeu de la confrontation avec les grandes interprétations modernes de la religion (Hegel, Feuerbach, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Weber, etc.). Au regard de cette tâche colossale, notre intention se veut infiniment plus modeste, qui consiste à soulever ici quelques questions à visée généalogique et à portée critique sur Le Désenchantement du monde.
Exodus and settlement: A two sojourn hypothesis
Authors: Hagens Graham
Published: January 2010

Although recent scholarship has questioned the very existence of an historical Exodus, a review of the evidence does suggest that a significant number of Asiatic workers did leave Egypt during the late 19th or early 20th Dynasties of Egypt and made their way to the Canaanite highlands via the Sinai peninsula. It is very probable that this event is related to the establishment of numerous new settlements in the Canaanite highlands during the early Iron Age. The suggestion made here is that the numerous conflicts between the biblical and extrabiblical materials associated with this model may be resolved by assuming that migrants split into two distinct groups during this Exodus-Sojourn experience. The larger of these spent very little time in transit and formed the bulk of the population of the Iron I highland settlements. A second, smaller contingent, however, remained in the Sinai for a considerably longer period of time in association with Bedouin tribes in the Arabah. It is this second group to which the emergence of Yahwism may be attributed.
Yielded to Christ or conformed to this world ? Postwar Mennonite responses to labour activism
Authors: Thiessen Janis
Published: January 2010

The urbanization of North American Mennonites after the Second World War necessitated a reconsideration of Mennonite religious beliefs. Post-war concerns for social justice led to a greater emphasis on non-violence and agape at the expense of Gelassenheit. The tenor of Mennonite church conference resolutions regarding labour union membership changed; while skepticism remained regarding the wisdom of union involvement, the door was left open for participation in unions. The labour militancy of the 1970s led Manitoba Mennonites to re-examine their engagement with the labour movement, a process that has continued to the present day. Without further research on Mennonite workplaces, it cannot be known exactly how the change in religious emphases has affected Mennonite identity.
Raymond Brown and the sensus plenior interpretation of the Bible
Authors: Dunn Matthew W.I.
Published: January 2010

In their exegesis of the sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments, Christian interpreters believed that they were uncovering other levels of meaning in the biblical text when read in the light of Jesus and of the church. In the last century, some Catholic scholars posited a distinct sense of scripture (the sensus plenior or "fuller sense") in order to explain this peculiar form of exegesis. Raymond E. Brown (1928-98) treated this subject several times during his impressive career, eventually rejecting it as too problematic. This article will discuss his definition of the theory and the difficulties he later identified with it. It will also offer some observations on the development of the idea in his thinking.
Feminist Theology and embedded fundamentalism: Re-imagining reconsidered
Authors: Steenhuisen Lauve H.
Published: January 2010

The 1993 Re-Imagining theological conference attempted to provide for participants a women-affirming "lived religious experience," and it encountered immediate controversy. Denominational firestorms erupted in both Presbyterian (PCUSA) and Methodist (UMC) denominations, causing loss of church-wide giving and the firings of prominent denominational staff. The Re-Imagining conference in this article will be deconstructed to show its representation as an overt battle in a cultural war over theology and liturgy. This article argues for a multidimensional approach, specifically sociological and theological analyses, to determine how socio-religious movements use theology to assert their cultural visions for America. By examining theological concepts of gender, sexual norms, and liturgical theologies of both fundamentalist and feminist parties to the conflict, the article examines how theology becomes politically motivating.
Is there a "renaissance" of religion in Canada? A critical look at Bibby and beyond
Authors: Thiessen Joel , Dawson Lorne L.
Published: January 2010

Research suggests Canada is a largely secular nation. Yet Reginald Bibby (2002) has recently proposed, surprisingly, that Canada is experiencing a religious renaissance. While "private spirituality" abounds in Canada, Bibby says his claim rests on increased levels of involvement in "organized religion." We have our doubts about Bibby's new optimism, and there are two sources of our scepticism. First, the cumulative weight of his own evidence is still more indicative of a continued preference for the consumption of religious fragments, a notion first popularized by Bibby (1987), than a renaissance of organized religion. Second, the credibility of his proposal is undermined by some nagging problems with the way he sorts, reports and interprets his data. To grasp whether something new is happening in Canada we need more precise and relevant data, and we make four methodological suggestions for acquiring the kinds of information needed.
Mi bodi henge with thi bodi neiled o rode: The gendering of the Pauline concept of crucifixion with Christ in medieval devotional prose for women
Authors: Innes-Parker Catherine
Published: January 2010

This article explores the implications of gendering biblical texts through an examination of the use of the Pauline concept of crucifixion with Christ in the group of 13th-century texts known as the Katherine Group. Written for an audience of female religious recluses or anchoresses, these texts tie the image of being crucified with Christ to the spousal metaphor of the soul as the bride of Christ, figuring the anchoress's re-enactment of the incarnation and the crucifixion in profoundly feminine terms. The results are ambiguous: female flesh is transformed and empowered, yet this empowerment is tied to images of suffering and penance. This equivocal outcome has significant ramifications for feminist scholarship as we explore the implications of gendered language in the analysis and translation of biblical texts.
Whitehead's intellectual adventure
Authors: Ford Lewis S.
Published: January 2010

This article traces Whitehead's own adventure of ideas, . especially the way in which he gradually worked out his concept of God. This adventure had its own dark side. Whitehead was impatient with the process of preparing his manuscript for publication. In Science and the Modern World, he left his original lectures intact, even though his additions espouse a very different orientation to time. The original lectures are about events, each infinitely divisible, while the additions examine occasions, which are atomistic and not further divisible without loss of actuality. This is often overlooked because we tend to assume a book should represent a single unit of interpretation. In this case the book is read as if it were all about occasions, when most of the book is about events. In Process and Reality Whitehead determined to leave everything he had written intact, even though he seems to have changed his mind on crucial points some 13 times. Because all these passages are simply placed side by side, they offer valuable clues as to his intellectual adventure, which is examined in this essay in terms of its three successive concepts of God: God as non-temporal, as the conceptual realization of all forms and as the temporal experience of the world.
Ailsa Craig Boys' Farm: A "pioneering institution," 1954-70
Authors: Marr Lucille
Published: January 2010

This article is about the early development of Ailsa Craig Boys' Farm (later Craigwood), an Ontario Mennonite and Brethren in Christ initiative. During World War II, these denominations had undertaken a variety of relief projects to express their goodwill towards a government that had honoured their theology of non-resistance by granting them conscientious objection privileges. With the waning of the world crisis, they looked for new ways to contribute to Canadian society. What better avenue than helping Ontario Social Services rebuild hurting families by providing a healthy environment for pre-delinquent boys? This initiative came increasingly under government direction, but despite an increasing dependence on public support, the Farm's Christian ethos remained foundational to its initial success.
When Are Concerted Reforms Feasible? Explaining the Emergence of Social Pacts in Western Europe
Authors: Avdagic Sabina
Published: January 2010

Under what conditions do governments, employers, and unions enter formal policy agreements on incomes, employment, and social security? Such agreements, widely known as social pacts, became particularly prominent during the 1990s when European economies underwent major adjustment. This article seeks to explain national variation in adjustment strategies and specifically why concerted agreements were struck in some countries but not in others. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of 14 European countries is employed to assess main arguments about the emergence of pacts. The analysis yields two key findings. First, although prevailing arguments emphasize Economic and Monetary Union—related pressures, or alternatively unemployment, these factors were neither necessary nor in themselves sufficient for pacts to materialize. Rather, a high economic “problem load” appears to be causally relevant only when combined with particular political and institutional conditions, namely, the prevalence of electorally weak governments and/or an intermediate level of union centralization. Second, the analysis refines existing multicausal explanations of pacts by demonstrating three distinct, theoretically and empirically relevant causal pathways to concerted agreements.
New Directions in Measuring Racial Isolation in School
Authors: Conger Dylan
Published: December 2009

This article offers new directions in measuring racial isolation in schools. The most widely used measurement approach is to examine the mean on the distribution of school percentage non-White across non-White students (the isolation rate) or the percentage of non-White students in schools with large shares of non-Whites (e.g., 90% or more) at a single point in time. Using data on New York City public school students, I discuss the complexity that is revealed when school officials and researchers consider the following three dimensions of racial isolation: between classrooms, over time, and among non-White students.
It’s Only Part of the Story: The Fallacy of Improved Outcome Data in New York City’s Effort to Make Its High Schools Small
Authors: Shiller Jessica
Published: December 2009

This article examines a recent reform effort that has opened hundreds of small high schools in poor urban communities in New York City, The New Century Schools Initiative (NCSI). Outcome data have shown that NCSI has dramatically increased graduation rates among poor students and students of color. However, an ethnographic study of the instructional practices at 3 NCSI high schools revealed that these schools are struggling to maintain high expectations and to prepare their students for higher education. In a climate that prioritizes outcome data, these challenges are obscured. Consequently, this article argues that urban school reform focus its efforts on improving instructional practice so to truly make sustainable improvements in the education of poor students.
Construct Commensurability and the Analysis of Change
Authors: Lloyd Jennifer E. V.
Published: December 2009

This article provides readers with an accessible and minimally technical description of foundational issues surrounding the analysis of individual change—that is, the amount by which a given construct related to individuals changes over time. Of primary focus is an explanation of what is meant by construct commensurability, the requirement that longitudinal measures assess the same or comparable construct over time. Because construct commensurability is a key requirement for analyses of individual change, this article also describes various methods by which to empirically assess the commensurability of longitudinal measures. Based on the discussion of commensurability presented herein, implications for research practice are offered from a general validity theory perspective.
An Investigation on Reactivity, Mechanical and Fire Properties of Pu Flexible Foam
Authors: Bashirzadeh R. , Gharehbaghi A.
Published: December 2009

Regarding the increasing demands for the fire resistance polyurethane foam for train and airplane industry and a serious planning to phase out the halogenated flame retardants (FR) because of high and toxic smoke generation, the use of halogen-free fire retardants have been more investigated in recent years. In this work, we have concentrated more on two well-known solid halogen-free fire retardants, expandable graphite, and melamine with two grades of each one and compare their performance in a variety of areas including reactivity, physical and mechanical properties, and fire behaviors and finally the tendency of each FR to have a synergetic effect with each other. The obtained results show that the addition of these two FR affect significantly on reactivity and physical—mechanical properties such as recession factor, expansion factor and compression load deflection (CLD P25/5), sag factor, compression set, tear strength, resilience, and more efficiently on fire behavior of flexible polyurethanes foam.
Hyper-responsive Phenotype in Localized Aggressive Periodontitis
Authors: Shaddox L. , Wiedey J. , Bimstein E. , Magnuson I. , Clare-Salzler M. , Aukhil I. , Wallet S.M.
Published: December 2009

The ‘hyper-responsive’ trait is an increased inflammatory response upon stimulation of innate immune receptors. Our objective was to determine if a hyper-reactive trait is present in a cohort diagnosed with aggressive periodontitis (LAgP). Peripheral blood was collected from 30 LAgP, 10 healthy unrelated, and 10 healthy sibling participants and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E. coli and P. gingivalis. Cyto/chemokine response profiles were evaluated and analyzed by ANOVA. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cyto/chemokines were detected in E. coli and P. gingivalis LPS-stimulated LAgP cultures when compared with those of healthy unrelated control individuals. Periodontally healthy siblings presented with attenuated hyper-inflammatory cyto/chemokine profiles. Regression analysis demonstrated the hyper-reactive trait to be concomitant expression of pro-inflammatory cyto/chemokines and an absence of anti-inflammatory mediator expression. Our findings demonstrate hyper-responsive trait in a LAgP cohort, along with an attenuated hyper-responsiveness in healthy siblings, which can be induced in response to multiple TLR ligations.
New Insights into Hyperglycemia-induced Molecular Changes in Microvascular Cells
Authors: Roy S. , Trudeau K. , Roy S. , Behl Y. , Dhar S. , Chronopoulos A.
Published: December 2009

Hyperglycemia is the most prevalent characteristic of diabetes and plays a central role in mediating adverse effects on vascular cells during the progression of diabetic vascular complications. In diabetic microangiopathy, hyperglycemia induces biochemical and molecular changes in microvascular cells that ultimately progress to retinal, renal, and neural complications and extends to other complications, including advanced periodontal disease. In this review, we describe changes involving basement membrane thickening, tissue remodeling, gap junctions, inflammation, cytokines, and transcription factors, and their effects on the pathogenesis of diabetic microvascular complications. The majority of the changes described relate to retinal microangiopathy, since ultrastructural, structural, and biochemical alterations have been well-characterized in this tissue.
Association of ALDH2 Genotypes with Periodontitis Progression
Authors: Nishida N. , Tanaka M. , Sekine S. , Takeshita T. , Nakayama K. , Morimoto K. , Shizukuishi S.
Published: December 2009

The progression of periodontitis may be affected by ALDH2 genotypes with respect to the oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetate, which leads to the accumulation of acetaldehyde in plasma and potential toxic effects. We examined the prospective association of ALDH2 genotypes in terms of alcohol sensitivity between alcohol consumption and periodontal disease progression. In 2003, 224 of 256 (87.5%) individuals examined at baseline (1999) completed probing pocket depth measurements for the evaluation of periodontitis progression. Missing data on self-reported questionnaires and blood samples were excluded; therefore, 183 samples were analyzed. Individuals who consumed ≥ 33.0 g/day of alcohol exhibited high periodontal disease progression risk (OR = 3.54). ALDH2 *1/*2 individuals who consumed ≥ 33 g/day of alcohol displayed a significant odds ratio (OR = 4.28) of periodontitis progression risk, in contrast to ALDH2 *1/*1 individuals. These results suggested that alcohol consumption as well as alcohol sensitivity may be a risk factor for periodontitis progression.
Specific Lactobacillus/Mutans Streptococcus Co-aggregation
Authors: Lang C. , Böttner M. , Holz C. , Veen M. , Ryser M. , Reindl A. , Pompejus M. , Tanzer J.M.
Published: December 2009

Selective interaction of mutans streptococci with benign bacteria could present an opportunity for their removal from the mouth without disruption of other oral flora. This study was conducted to find probiotic lactobacilli that could specifically co-aggregate in vitro with mutans streptococci, but not with other plaque commensals. A search of 624 lactobacilli among a large culture library revealed 6 strains, all classifiable as L. paracasei or L. rhamnosus, which met this criterion. Such novel, specific co-aggregation, however, was not a general characteristic of these species or the genus Lactobacillus. The co-aggregation by these specific lactobacilli was characterized as heat treatment (autoclaving)- and protease-resistant, lectin-independent, not inactivated by sugar substitutes, operational over a wide pH range, unaffected by whole saliva, but calcium-dependent. It is thus seen to present a potential strategy for in vivo alteration of plaque biofilm and caries.
Autosomal-dominant Ankyloglossia and Tooth Number Anomalies
Authors: Acevedo A.C. , da Fonseca J.A.C. , Grinham J. , Doudney K. , Gomes R.R. , de Paula L.M. , Stanier P.
Published: December 2009

Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly characterized by the presence of a hypertrophic lingual frenulum. It frequently accompanies X-linked cleft palate and is sometimes seen alone due to mutations in the gene encoding the transcription factor TBX22, while knockout of Lgr5 in the mouse results in ankyloglossia. The aim of the present study was to characterize the phenotype and to verify sequence variations in the LGR5 gene in a Brazilian family with ankyloglossia associated with tooth number anomalies. Twelve individuals of three generations were submitted to physical, oral, and radiographic examinations and molecular analysis. Eight had ankyloglossia with various degrees of severity. Six also had hypodontia in the lower incisor region; one had a supernumerary tooth in this region, and another had a supernumerary tooth in the lower premolar region. The characterization of this family determined an autosomal-dominant inheritance and excluded the LGR5 gene mutations as being involved in the pathogenesis of this condition.
The Amelogenin C-Terminus Is Required for Enamel Development
Authors: Pugach M.K. , Li Y. , Suggs C. , Wright J.T. , Aragon M.A. , Yuan Z.A. , Simmons D. , Kulkarni A.B. , Gibson C.W.
Published: December 2009

The abundant amelogenin proteins are responsible for generating proper enamel thickness and structure, and most amelogenins include a conserved hydrophilic C-terminus. To evaluate the importance of the C-terminus, we generated transgenic mice that express an amelogenin lacking the C-terminal 13 amino acids (CTRNC). MicroCT analysis of TgCTRNC29 teeth (low transgene number) indicated that molar enamel density was similar to that of wild-type mice, but TgCTRNC18 molar enamel (high transgene number) was deficient, indicating that extra transgene copies were associated with a more severe phenotype. When amelogenin-null (KO) and TgCTRNC transgenic mice were mated, density and volume of molar enamel from TgCTRNCKO offspring were not different from those of KO mice, indicating that neither TgCTRNC18 nor TgCTRNC29 rescued enamel’s physical characteristics. Because transgenic full-length amelogenin partially rescues both density and volume of KO molar enamel, it was concluded that the amelogenin C-terminus is essential for proper enamel density, volume, and organization.
Surveying Colorado Band Directors’ Opinions of Skills and Characteristics Important to Successful Music Teaching
Authors: Miksza Peter , Roeder Matthew , Biggs Dana
Published: December 2009

This study was designed to (a) gather band directors’ opinions of skills and characteristics important to teaching and (b) examine the relative effectiveness of electronic versus paper survey methods. Survey respondents ranked lists of music, teaching, and personal skills or characteristics in order of importance and answered open-ended items regarding advice for 1st-year teachers and the struggles and rewards of band directing. The final response rate was 66% ( N = 235). Personal and teaching skills and characteristics were ranked higher than music skills. The items “maintain high musical standards,” “be able to motivate students,” and “enthusiastic, energetic” were the highest ranked skills or characteristics. Perseverance, patience, and long-term vision were the most common forms of advice to 1st-year teachers. Issues related to classroom management and student success were the most-often-cited struggles and rewards of band directing, respectively. An experiment comparing response rate and response quality as a function of survey method (i.e., e-survey vs. paper survey) and follow-up notification (i.e., postnote, no postnote) also was completed using a smaller subsample of respondents ( n = 102). Response rates for the e-survey conditions were better than those for the paper survey conditions. Greater proportions of respondents from the paper survey conditions completed the open-ended items.
Current Philosophy of Science
Authors: Agassi Joseph
Published: December 2009

This Companion to the philosophy of science reflects fairly well the gloomy state of affairs in this subfield at its best—concerns, problems, prejudices, and all. The field is still stuck with the problem of justification of science, refusing to admit that there is neither need nor possibility to justify science and forbid dissent from it.
Synthesis and Investigation of Glycolysates and Obtained Polyurethane Elastomers
Authors: Datta Janusz
Published: December 2009

The polyurethane (PU) intermediates were obtained by glycolysis of waste PU foam in the reaction with 1,6-hexamethylene glycol (HDO). The effects of different weight ratios of HDO to PUR foam on selected physicochemical properties were also determined. The polyurethanes were synthesized from the obtained intermediates by a two-step method using diisocyanate and a glycolysis product in the molecular mass range 700—1000. Hexamethylene glycol, 1,4-butylene, and ethylene glycol were used as chain extenders. The influence of the NCO group concentration in prepolymer on the glass transition temperature (Tg) and storage modulus of PU elastomers were investigated by the DMTA method. Thermal decomposition of the obtained glycolysates and polyurethanes was investigated by thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Tensile strength and elongation at break of polyurethanes were determined using Zwick universal tensile tester. FTIR spectra showed that main decomposition occurs at about 400°C in both glycolysates and PU elastomers. The main products of thermal decomposition are carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, compounds containing ether and hydroxyl groups, and probably acetaldehyde. The synthesized PU’s had tensile strength in the range 13.4—15.6 MPa and elongation at break in the range 59.3—122.9%.
Between Tradition and Revolution: Fan Wenlan and the Origins of the Marxist Historiography of Modern China
Authors: Huaiyin Li
Published: December 2009

Focusing on the writings of Fan Wenlan, a leading historian in post-1949 China, this article examines the origins of the “revolutionary narrative” in the Marxist historiography of modern China in the context of political and intellectual struggles between the Nationalists and Communists and within the Communist Party in the 1930s and 1940s. The author argues that Fan’s new account of modern China emerged primarily as a product of the Communists’ resistance to the “modernization narrative” in Nationalist historiography. It was also a product of the Chinese Communists’ challenge to the “orthodox” Marxist interpretation of modern Chinese history prevailing in Russia and among Chinese Marxists in the 1920s and 1930s. But Fan’s background as a philologist, his poor training in Marxism, and his nationalist commitment greatly weakened his analysis of history from a Marxist perspective.
Thermal comfort in an office with intermittent air-conditioning operation
Authors: Xu XG , Sit KY , Deng SM , Chan MY
Published: December 2009

An effective way to reduce A/C energy use is to switch off air conditioning during unoccupied periods. The main concern is, however, whether occupants’ thermal comfort is sacrificed. This paper reports a study of the impacts of switching off A/C during unoccupied hours in an office on thermal comfort of occupant after returning to office and resuming the operation of A/C system. Site measurements for both indoor thermal environmental parameters and energy consumption of A/C were carried out and the thermal comfort of occupants was assessed. Measurement and assessment results indicated that up to 11% of annual energy consumption of A/C for the office could be saved, but the level of thermal comfort of occupants was not greatly degraded.

Practical applications: Intermittent operation of A/C is often ignored when people talk about energy saving. It requires no additional cost and equipment, but the saving is significant. Moreover, no advanced technology or knowledge is required. The most important result is that thermal comfort level is not scarified during occupied hours.