bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effectiveness of Eplerenone Compared With Placebo in Patients With Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Heart Failure
Authors: Weintraub William S. , Zhang Zefeng , Mahoney Elizabeth M. , Kolm Paul , Spertus John A. , Caro Jaime , Ishak Jack , Goldberg Robert , Tooley Joseph , Willke Richard , Pitt Bertram
Published: February 2005

Background—

In the Eplerenone Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study (EPHESUS), aldosterone blockade with eplerenone decreased mortality in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure after acute myocardial infarction. The present study was performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of eplerenone compared with placebo in these patients.

Methods and Results—

A total of 6632 patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and heart failure after acute myocardial infarction were randomized to eplerenone or placebo and followed up for a mean of 16 months. The coprimary end points were all-cause mortality and the composite of cardiovascular mortality/cardiovascular hospitalization. The evaluation of resource use included hospitalizations, outpatient services, and medications. Eplerenone was priced at the average wholesale price, $3.60 per day. Survival beyond the trial period was estimated from data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Saskatchewan Health database, and the Worcester Heart Attack Registry. The incremental cost-effectiveness of eplerenone in cost per life-year and quality-adjusted life-year gained compared with placebo was estimated. The number of life-years gained with eplerenone was 0.1014 based on Framingham (95% CI, 0.0306 to 0.1740), 0.0636 with Saskatchewan (95% CI, 0.0229 to 0.1038), and 0.1337 with Worcester (95% CI, 0.0438 to 0.2252) data. Cost was $1391 higher over the trial period in the eplerenone arm (95% CI, 656 to 2165) because of drug cost. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $13 718 per life-year gained with Framingham (96.7% under $50 000 per life-year gained), $21 876 with Saskatchewan, and $10 402 with Worcester.

Conclusions—

Eplerenone compared with placebo in the treatment of heart failure after acute myocardial infarction is effective in reducing mortality and is cost-effective in increasing years of life by commonly used criteria.
Incidence, Location, Magnitude, and Clinical Correlates of Saphenous Vein Graft Calcification
Authors: Castagna Marco T. , Mintz Gary S. , Ohlmann Patrick , Kotani Jun-Ichi , Maehara Akiko , Gevorkian Natalie , Cheneau Edouard , Stabile Eugenio , Ajani Andrew E. , Suddath William O. , Kent Kenneth M. , Satler Lowell F. , Pichard Augusto D. , Weissman Neil J.
Published: February 2005

Background—

The pattern of saphenous vein graft (SVG) calcification before percutaneous intervention has not been studied.

Methods and Results—

We used diagnostic and preintervention intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to determine the incidence and magnitude of SVG calcification in 334 SVG lesions in 274 consecutive patients. Calcium was found in 133 SVGs (40%). Calcium was uniformly distributed among 48 lesion sites (14%), 43 proximal references (13%), and 42 distal references (13%). Calcium was superficial in 20 (40%) and deep in 28 (60%). Over the entire length of the SVGs, the maximum arc and length of calcium (in calcium-containing SVGs) averaged 174±107° and 6.8±4.8 mm, respectively. In calcium-containing SVGs, lesion site arc and length of calcium measured 151±107° and 4.1±3.7 mm, similar to the proximal and distal references (175±121° and 4.0±2.3 mm and 177±121° and 4.1±2.5 mm, respectively). Graft age (7.5±4.7 versus 10.5±4.7 years,
P
<0.0001), insulin-treated diabetes mellitus (40% versus 60%,
P
=0.02), and tobacco use (44% versus 55%,
P
=0.06) were clinical independent predictors of SVG calcification.

Conclusions—

Sixty-five percent of calcium-containing SVGs had reference calcium in the absence of lesion calcium. Calcium was located primarily in SVG wall and not at the plaque. These data suggest that SVG calcium is not just part of lesion formation and maturation. SVG calcium occurred more commonly in older grafts, in insulin-treated diabetic patients, and in smokers.
Ventricular Structure and Function in Aged Dogs With Renal Hypertension
Authors: Munagala Vijaya K. , Hart Chari Y.T. , Burnett John C. , Meyer Donna M. , Redfield Margaret M.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Heart failure (HF) with normal ejection fraction (diastolic HF [DHF]) usually occurs in elderly patients with hypertension. The presence and significance of altered systolic and diastolic ventricular function in DHF is increasingly controversial. Our objective was to develop a clinically relevant large-animal model to better understand the pathophysiology of DHF.

Methods and Results—

Ventricular structure and function were characterized in young control (YC group; n=6), old control (OC group; n=7), and old dogs made hypertensive by renal wrapping (experimental DHF [ExDHF] group; n=8). The ExDHF group was associated with normal left ventricular (LV) volume, increased LV mass, and myocardial fibrosis. LV relaxation was impaired in ExDHF (τ=53±6 ms) compared with OC (τ=35±3 ms;
P
<0.05) and YC (τ=33±6 ms;
P
<0.05) dogs. The percent diastole at which relaxation is complete was increased in ExDHF (116±30%) compared with OC (69±8%;
P
<0.05) and YC (35±5%;
P
<0.05) dogs. The coefficient of LV diastolic stiffness was similar in OC, YC, and ExDHF dogs. Diastolic pressures increased dramatically in response to increases in blood pressure. End-systolic LV stiffness was enhanced in ExDHF dogs and after load enhancement of myocardial performance was maintained. Arterial stiffness was increased in ExDHF dogs.

Conclusions—

Aged dogs with chronic hypertension exhibit LV hypertrophy and fibrosis with impaired LV relaxation but no increase in the coefficient of LV diastolic stiffness. LV systolic and arterial stiffness are increased, which may exacerbate load-dependent impairment of relaxation and contribute to increased filling pressures with hypertensive episodes. This model mimics many of the structural and functional characteristics described in the limited studies of human DHF and provides insight into the pathogenesis of DHF.
Effect of Treatment With Candesartan or Enalapril on Subcutaneous Small Artery Structure in Hypertensive Patients With Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Rizzoni Damiano , Porteri Enzo , De Ciuceis Carolina , Sleiman Intissar , Rodella Luigi , Rezzani Rita , Paiardi Silvia , Bianchi Rossella , Ruggeri Giuseppina , Boari Gianluca E.M. , Muiesan Maria Lorenza , Salvetti Massimo , Zani Francesca , Miclini Marco , Rosei Enrico Agabiti
Published: February 2005

Structural alterations of subcutaneous small resistance arteries are associated with a worse clinical prognosis in hypertension and noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). However, no data are presently available about the effects of antihypertensive therapy on vascular structure in hypertensive patients with NIDDM. Therefore, we have investigated the effect of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, and a highly selective angiotensin receptor blocker, candesartan cilexetil, on indices of subcutaneous small resistance artery structure in 15 patients with mild hypertension and NIDDM. Eight patients were treated with candesartan (8 to 16 mg per day) and 7 with enalapril (10 to 20 mg per day) for 1 year. Each patient underwent a biopsy of the subcutaneous fat from the gluteal region at baseline and after 1 year of treatment. Small arteries were dissected and mounted on a micromyograph and the media-to-internal lumen ratio was evaluated; moreover, endothelium-dependent vasodilation to acetylcholine was assessed. A similar blood pressure-lowering effect and a similar reduction of the media-to-lumen ratio of small arteries was observed with the 2 drugs. Vascular collagen content was reduced and metalloproteinase-9 was increased by candesartan, but not by enalapril. Changes of circulating indices of collagen turnover and circulating matrix metalloproteinase paralleled those of vascular collagen. The 2 drugs equally improved endothelial function. In conclusion, antihypertensive treatment with drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity is able to correct, at least in part, alterations in small resistance artery structure in hypertensive patients with NIDDM. Candesartan may be more effective than enalapril in reducing collagen content in the vasculature.
Transforming Growth Factor-β, 20-HETE Interaction, and Glomerular Injury in Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rats
Authors: Dahly-Vernon Annette J. , Sharma Mukut , McCarthy Ellen T. , Savin Virginia J. , Ledbetter Steven R. , Roman Richard J.
Published: February 2005

This study examined the role of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in altering the glomerular permeability to albumin (P
alb
) during hypertension development in Dahl salt-sensitive (Dahl S) rats and whether TGF-β acts by inhibiting the glomerular production of 20-HETE. The results indicate that the renal expression of TGF-β doubles in Dahl S rats fed a high-salt diet for 7 days, and this is associated with a marked rise in P
alb
from 0.19±0.04 to 0.75±0.01 and changes in the ultrastructure of the glomerular filtration barrier. Chronic treatment of Dahl S rats with a TGF-β neutralizing antibody prevented the increase in P
alb
and preserved the structure of glomerular capillaries. It had no effect on the rise in blood pressure produced by the high-salt diet. In other studies, preincubation of glomeruli isolated from Sprague Dawley rats with TGF-β1 (10 ng/mL) for 15 minutes increased P
alb
from 0.01±0.01 to 0.60±0.02. This was associated with inhibition of the glomerular production of 20-HETE from 221±11 to 3.4±0.5 μg per 30 minutes per milligram of protein. Pretreatment of Sprague Dawley glomeruli with a stable analog of 20-HETE, 20-hydroxyeicosa-5(Z), 14(Z)-dienoic acid, reduced baseline P
alb
and opposed the effects of TGF-β to increase P
alb
. These studies indicate that upregulation of the glomerular formation of TGF-β may contribute to the development of proteinuria and glomerular injury early in hypertension development in Dahl S rats by increasing P
alb
through inhibition of the glomerular production of 20-HETE.
Inhibitory Effects of AT
1
Receptor Blocker, Olmesartan, and Estrogen on Atherosclerosis Via Anti-Oxidative Stress
Authors: Tsuda Masahiro , Iwai Masaru , Li Jian-Mei , Li Huan-Sheng , Min Li-Juan , Ide Ayumi , Okumura Midori , Suzuki Jun , Mogi Masaki , Suzuki Hiromichi , Horiuchi Masatsugu
Published: February 2005

Abstracts—

The present study explored the possibility that estrogen enhances the inhibitory effect of an angiotensin II type-1 (AT
1
) receptor blocker (ARB), olmesartan, on atherosclerosis, focusing on oxidative stress using apolipoprotein E knockout mice (ApoEKO). After 6 weeks on a high-cholesterol diet, marked atherosclerotic lesion formation with an increase in oxidative stress, such as superoxide production, NAD(P)H oxidase activity and expression of p47
phox
mRNA and rac-1 mRNA, were observed in the proximal aorta in both male and female ApoEKO mice, whereas these changes were less marked in female mice. Ovariectomy enhanced these parameters, the changes of which were reversed by 17β-estradiol (80 μg/kg per day) replacement. Treatment with olmesartan (3 mg/kg per day) significantly inhibited oxidative stress and atherosclerosis, whereas its inhibitory effects were more marked in female than in male or ovariectomized mice. Smaller doses of olmesartan (0.5 mg/kg per day) or 17β-estradiol (20 μg/kg per day) did not influence atherosclerosis and oxidative stress in ovariectomized mice, whereas co-administration of olmesartan and 17β-estradiol at these doses attenuated these parameters. An angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, temocapril, also inhibited atherosclerotic changes similarly to olmesartan. Moreover, angiotensin II–mediated activation of NAD(P)H oxidase in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells was attenuated by 17β-estradiol. These results indicate that estrogen and an ARB synergistically attenuate atherosclerosis at least partly via inhibition of oxidative stress.
Effect of Short-Term Supplementation of Potassium Chloride and Potassium Citrate on Blood Pressure in Hypertensives
Authors: He Feng J. , Markandu Nirmala D. , Coltart Rosemary , Barron Jeffrey , MacGregor Graham A.
Published: February 2005

Randomized trials have shown that increasing potassium intake lowers blood pressure. However, most previous trials used potassium chloride, whereas potassium in fruits and vegetables is not a chloride salt. It is unclear whether a nonchloride salt of potassium has a greater or lesser effect on blood pressure compared with potassium chloride. We performed a randomized crossover trial comparing potassium chloride with potassium citrate (96 mmol/d, each for 1 week) in 14 hypertensive individuals. At baseline, blood pressure was 151±16/93±7 mm Hg with a 24-hour urinary potassium of 81±24 mmol. During the randomized crossover part of the study, blood pressure was 140±12/88±7 mm Hg with potassium chloride (24-hour urinary potassium: 164±36 mmol) and 138±12/88±6 mm Hg with potassium citrate (24-hour urinary potassium: 160±33 mmol). These blood pressures were significantly lower compared with that at baseline; however, there was no significant difference in blood pressure between potassium chloride and potassium citrate, mean difference (95% confidence interval): 1.6 (−2.3 to 5.6) mm Hg for systolic and 0.6 (−2.4 to 3.7) mm Hg for diastolic. Our results, in conjunction with the evidence from many previous trials that potassium chloride has a significant blood pressure-lowering effect, suggest that potassium citrate has a similar effect on blood pressure as potassium chloride. These results support other evidence for an increase in potassium intake and indicate that potassium does not need to be given in the form of chloride to lower blood pressure. Increasing the consumption of foods high in potassium is likely to have the same effect on blood pressure as potassium chloride.
LARES: An Artificial Chemical Process Approach for Optimization
Authors: Irizarry Roberto
Published: February 2005

This article introduces a new global optimization procedure called LARES. LARES is based on the concept of an artificial chemical process (ACP), a new paradigm which is described in this article. The algorithm's performance was studied using a test bed with a wide spectrum of problems including random multi-modal random problem generators, random LSAT problem generators with various degrees of epistasis, and a test bed of real-valued functions with different degrees of multi-modality, discontinuity and flatness. In all cases studied, LARES performed very well in terms of robustness and efficiency.
The Cooperative Coevolutionary (1+1) EA
Authors: Jansen Thomas , Wiegand R. Paul
Published: February 2005

Coevolutionary algorithms are variants of traditional evolutionary algorithms and are often considered more suitable for certain kinds of complex tasks than noncoevolutionary methods. One example is a general cooperative coevolutionary framework for function optimization. This paper presents a thorough and rigorous introductory analysis of the optimization potential of cooperative coevolution. Using the cooperative coevolutionary framework as a starting point, the CC (1+1) EA is defined and investigated from the perspective of the expected optimization time. The research concentrates on separability, a key property of objective functions. We show that separability alone is not sufficient to yield any advantage of the CC (1+1) EA over its traditional, non-coevolutionary counterpart. Such an advantage is demonstrated to have its basis in the increased explorative possibilities of the cooperative coevolutionary algorithm. For inseparable functions, the cooperative coevolutionary set-up can be harmful. We prove that for some objective functions the CC (1+1) EA fails to locate a global optimum with overwhelming probability, even in infinite time; however, inseparability alone is not sufficient for an objective function to cause difficulties. It is demonstrated that the CC (1+1) EA may perform equal to its traditional counterpart, and may even outperform it on certain inseparable functions.
The Body - The New Sacred? The Body in Hypermodernity
Authors: Varga Ivan
Published: February 2005

Religious and philosophical ideas about the body and its position in the chain of being, compared to the soul, were replaced in the 19th century by practical concerns about the bodies - and especially about the health - of the working classes. At about the same time, ethnographic information about the treatment of bodies among non-European societies gave rise to the understanding of different treatments of the body. Classical sociology paid attention to the body but did not develop a sociology of the body per se. However, Simmel’s, Freud’s and Foucault’s ideas led to the development of the modern sociology of the body. Postmodern conditions created a situation where individuality is thought to be maintained by and through the public presentation of the body, and in hypermodernity the ‘virtual body’ was made possible by the spread of digital technology.
Trance States and Accessing Implicit Memories: A Psychosocial Genomic Approach to Reconstituting Social Memory during Religious Rituals
Authors: Greenfield Sidney M.
Published: February 2005

This article explores the relationship between efforts by members of diverse social groups to regain, reconstruct or remember disappearing cultural pasts - in which life was believed to have been better and more meaningful - and the distinctive forms taken in the ritual and other practices of so many of today’s religions. The author proposes that religious rituals that enable participants to enter into trance, or other altered states of consciousness (ASC), contribute positively to the reconstruction of social memories and make it possible for seemingly forgotten beliefs and practices to be retrieved. A combination of recent developments in research, theory and conjecture in neuroscience and older theory, data and speculation in anthropology are employed to explicate this idea. The analysis focuses on the (individual human) body within which social practice (or culture) and biophysiological processes converge. For so many in the contemporary world who see their lives as shattered by modernity’s secularizing and dehumanizing forces, what is taking place as they strive to reconstruct their social pasts is a cultural-biological response manifesting itself in a range of social practices in which religion is pre-eminent.
Body Trance and Word Trance in Brazilian Religion
Authors: Motta Roberto
Published: February 2005

Among the popular religions of Brazil, Candomblé, deriving from both West African tradition and from Iberian Baroque Catholicism, stands out as the religion of the body, its emotions and expressions. Practised with blood sacrifice, trance, music and dance, it imposes no code of ascetic conduct on its devotees, being different from other forms of religion, like Pentecostalism, which are also growing in the country. Candomblé is a festive religion, in which the notions of sin, guilt and expiation, as understood in western theology, play little or no role. Thus it has been viewed by many analysts as a religion of personal and social liberation. Yet, the recent growth of Candomblé, in all parts of Brazil and among people of all social origins, in keen competition with Pentecostalism, gives rise to some theoretical problems. The markedly concrete character of Candomblé, within a society increasingly dominated by economic and social abstraction, seems to be difficult to reconcile with a Marxist or Weberian inspired sociology of religion.
The Robot and the Forest
Authors: Sonigo Pierre
Published: February 2005

Biology has long been under the influence of the animal-machine metaphor. Today’s reference machine is no longer a clock but a robot. Accordingly, living cells are but individual parts in charge of the smooth functioning of the robot. Now, what if the living body rather were compared to a forest? Ecosystems do not evolve under the tutelary guidance of some central programming biased by the search of a best collective interest, but rather by the conjunction of the particular interests of each of its individual inhabitants. That body-forest would arise not from a prefigured plan tending to a preconceived goal but merely from its history. Among the many questions that such a proposal might at once inspire is the following: how could specialized physiological functions such as say defence against infections which implicates the cooperation of multiple cell types emerge from that organization?
The Integration of Body and Mind
Authors: van Gelder Nico M.
Published: February 2005

This article explores the anatomical, neurophysiological and neurochemical processes that constitute the material substrate of the mind. It also describes the development of the human brain, from birth, through infancy till the mature adult human brain and the influence of the human environment on cognitive processes. The underlying neural processes that make possible perception, abstract thought and language acquisition are analysed. As well, the combination of genomic factors and human environmental impacts, the role of teaching and learning, punishments and rewards are examined.
Banking on Immortality? Exploring the Stem Cell Supply Chain from Embryo to Therapeutic Application
Authors: Glasner Peter
Published: February 2005

This article addresses a number of difficult and controversial issues surrounding the development of stem cell lines from embryonic stem cells derived from unused embryos during IVF treatment. The UK has recently established the world’s first Stem Cell Bank to be a repository for stem cell lines from the UK and elsewhere, and to make them available for use by both academic and commercial laboratories around the world. It will not accept material from embryos specifically created for the purposes of research. However, this novel development poses a number of interesting sociological questions that will be explored in detail. As the stem cell lines are effectively immortal the provenance of any donation will need to be carefully scrutin-ized. How will the required information about whether appropriate informed consent has been obtained, whether the donors are traceable or anonymous, and where any intellectual property rights may reside, or be established? Of particular interest will be the basis for achieving standardization of practice across the variety of stakeholders (laboratories, clinics, patients, pharmaceutical companies, regulatory authorities, etc.) involved. Finally, while the UK has one of the most liberal, but also the most regulated governance structures within which to work, it appears that most of the attention is focused on tissue collection, leaving downstream therapeutic application (which may never materialize) by commercial interests relatively ungoverned. Provenance, standardization and governance in the ‘supply chain’ of embryonic stem cell lines may therefore provide a basis for better understanding the global commodification of ‘life’.
Taking Arms Against a Sea of Troubles: Conventional Arms Races During Periods of Rivalry
Authors: Gibler Douglas M. , Rider Toby J. , Hutchison Marc L.
Published: February 2005

This article revisits the arms race to war relationship with the hope of resolving a lingering debate in international relations over the effects of arms races. Previous empirical studies in this area suffered from a possible selection effect, rendering them unable to differentiate between the escalatory and deterrent effects of arms races. Specifically, earlier quantitative investigations were unable to test deterrence hypotheses, because the unit of analysis (dispute) presupposed that deterrence had already failed in preventing dispute onset. In order to take the possibility of deterrence seriously, a dataset is constructed that identifies arms races independently of dispute occurrence. This article improves on previous studies in that a measure of interdependent arming exogenous to dispute initiation allows for a test of whether arms races actually deter the onset of militarized disputes or contribute to dispute escalation. Both the deterrence and escalation hypotheses are tested using a sample of ‘strategic rivals’ from 1816 to 1993. The analyses reveal that arms races increase the likelihood of disputes and war. Furthermore, to account for the possibility that the arms race to war relationship may be spurious to dyadic hostilities accounting for both arms races and war, a selection model is employed that differentiates between dispute and war processes. This indicates that arms races do not contribute to deterrence and are instead associated with both disputes and war.
Political Gender Equality and State Human Rights Abuse
Authors: Melander Erik
Published: February 2005

Feminist theorists argue that more equal societies that are not based on gender hierarchies ought to be less plagued by collective violence. This study tests whether political gender equality is associated with lower levels of personal integrity rights abuse carried out by state agents, such as fewer political imprisonments, torture, killings, and disappearances. Two indicators of political gender equality are used: (1) a dummy indicating that the chief executive of a state is a woman; and (2) the percentage of women in parliament. The impact of political gender equality on personal integrity rights abuse is tested using multiple regression techniques and a dataset spanning most countries of the world during the period 1977–96. Female chief executives are rare, and their tenures are not significantly associated with the level of abuse. The percentage of women in parliament is associated with lower levels of personal integrity rights abuse. Results show both a direct effect of female representation in parliament and an effect in interaction with the level of institutional democracy. These results hold when controlling for the most important factors known or suspected to influence human rights behavior: democracy, leftist regime, military regime, British colonial experience, civil war, international war, wealth, population, ethnic heterogeneity, and regime transition and collapse.
The Demand for Arms Imports
Authors: Smith Ron P. , Tasiran Ali
Published: February 2005

This article presents estimates of demand functions for arms imports for a panel of 52 countries, 1981–99, where there are non-zero observations for both the main measures, WMEAT and SIPRI. In principle, the WMEAT series is a value measure, while the SIPRI series is a volume measure, thus the ratio is a proxy for price. A baseline static log-linear model that makes arms imports a function of this proxy for price, military expenditure and per capita income, is estimated in a variety of ways. This shows significant price effects, with an elasticity around minus one; significant military expenditure effects with an elasticity below one; and no systematic effect of per capita income, though there is some suggestion that richer countries import less for the same level of military expenditure. Thus, there seems to be a relatively well-defined demand function of the form that has been assumed in much of the theoretical work. The article then examines the effects on the results of: measurement error in the proxy for price; choice of estimator; non-linearity; dynamic specification; and possible endogeneity of prices. In general, the results seem robust, though in cross-section there is a non-linearity – arms imports appear to rise and then fall as military expenditure increases – which is not apparent in time-series. The cross-section non-linearity may reflect the long-run effects of the development of domestic arms production capability on imports. However, because good data on arms production capability are not available, this explanation cannot be evaluated. Finally, the article reviews a range of potential criticisms of this approach, and areas for further research are also reviewed.
A Crisis-Density Formulation for Identifying Rivalries
Authors: Hewitt J. Joseph
Published: February 2005

This study reports the results of a project that identifies interstate rivalries through the repeated incidence of international crises using data from the International Crisis Behavior project. Despite the existence of other rivalry data collections, a crisis-density population of rivalries has the potential for making important new contributions to this growing literature. The article discusses several justifications for this new formulation for rivalry and then presents an operational procedure for identifying interstate rivals through repeated crises. The study compares the resulting population of crisis-density rivalries to other well-known populations and discusses how attributes of the different rivalry conceptions account for the differences and similarities between the identified populations. The study finds that the crisis-density approach tends to identify rivalries that have reached higher levels of hostility and militarization. Rival relationships characterized by numerous low-level militarized disputes may be likely to qualify for enduring status with dispute-density procedures, but not under the crisis-density approach. In comparison to other populations of rivalries, however, crisis-density rivalries, especially those that are enduring, are very similar in terms of the likelihood of experiencing full-scale war.
Rethinking the Greed–Grievance Nexus: Property Rights and the Political Economy of War in Sri Lanka
Authors: Korf Benedikt
Published: February 2005

The literature on civil wars tends to understand greed and grievances in antagonistic terms of ‘either–or’. This article suggests that in the political economy of conflict, greed and grievances may be causally linked and reinforce each other: war (or shadow) economies of combatants and the survival economies of civilians are intertwined. Gains made by conflict entrepreneurs and war profiteers feed grievances about identity, economic inequality, and lack of political power. Once civil war is onset (for whatever reason), the political economy of war produces a self-sustaining logic of clientelism along the lines of perceived ‘friends’ and ‘foes’. These dividing lines get reinforced in everyday political networks of survival. This everyday clientelism, in turn, nourishes grievance discourses along the same lines. These grievances contribute to heighten the motivation for people to fight for ‘justice’. In this way, greed produces grievances, which in turn stabilize the war economy and offer economic opportunities for greedy entrepreneurs of violence. Case studies from Sri Lanka on local resource conflicts in the context of civil war support this proposition. They indicate that because of the civil war and the breakdown of state and civic institutions, ethnicity becomes a mechanism for civilian actors to access resources available largely through arbitrary power. Civilians thus become part of the ‘game’. In effect, this leads to ‘ethnicized entitlements’, where the ethnic groups are asymmetrically endowed with bargaining power to access resources, depending upon their affiliation with militant actors and their respective initial power resources. These ethnicized entitlements satisfy greed for some war winners and feed grievances among those at the losing end.
From the Moselle to the Pyrenees
Authors: Kidd William
Published: February 2005

Memory debates in the twentieth century were determined very largely by war and the aftermath of conflict. The analysis of commemorative practice in historically problematic French frontier territories after 1918 offers insight into the way collective memory is constructed in a context of local-national tension which also impinges on, and is influenced by, what is commonly understood to be ‘cultural memory’. Post-1945, the impact of immigration and exile created the conditions for the emergence of new communities whose claims to a ‘duty of memory’ have shaped commemorative agendas in the last three decades.
Memory gaps
Authors: Becker Annette
Published: February 2005

When one reads Maurice Halbwachs’s Les Cadres sociaux de la mémoire, it is noticeable that the sociologist-philosopher has almost completely obliterated from his thoughts the war he has just lived through. At the very time when an arsenal of unprecedented memories born of the consequences of the Great War was being put into place, here was a man theorizing the notion of collective memory while simultaneously forgetting, in the numerous examples punctuating his work on the subject, to think about the weight of the recent past including his own personal past. This article aims to understand these gaps.
From Baalbek to Baghdad and beyond
Authors: Benhaïm André
Published: February 2005

A work of memory, Marcel Proust’s novel is also a lieu de mémoire, a monument of French culture. Yet, we must remember how strange it is. Indeed, we recall here some of the oriental aspects of the book, like the ‘semitic’ traits friends and foes found in its author, or like its hero, in perpetual exile, whose recollections make Normandy or Paris into fabulous Mediterranean and Persian cities. However, the Orient of La Recherche owes little to Orientalism: rather, it shows a desire to disorient Frenchness, to take its origins elsewhere. Proust, whose style critics often qualified as ‘Arabiscoid’ or ‘Talmudic’, and who himself found the idea of a ‘pure’ French language ludicrous, deserves his place in the paradigms of ‘non-metropolitan’ Francophone literature. If La Recherche is a ‘realm of memory’, it is also the space and the work of a stranger.
Protecting the past
Authors: Emery Elizabeth
Published: February 2005

The 1900 Paris World’s Fair prided itself on the modernity of its exhibits. Paradoxically, however, one of its most successful attractions proved to be Le Vieux Paris, a picturesque model city built along the Seine to ‘bring Old Paris back to life’. Designer Albert Robida chose not only to create a picturesque and entertaining model of life in old France, but to construct the exhibit as a locus of cultural memory. In it he glorified French accomplishments, while attempting to redress his contemporaries’ neglect of their shared architectural and literary heritage. Using the popular exhibit as a device for celebrating national achievement, he inspired widespread appreciation of French heritage, thereby invigorating a nascent conservation moment.
Memory and the politics of forgetting
Authors: Wilson Colette
Published: February 2005

This study focuses on the representation of Paris during the 1878 Exposition universelle (World Fair) and the Fête du 30 juin (Festival of 30 June) in a selection of articles in the popular, conservative, illustrated journal Le Monde illustré and Charles Marville’s specially commissioned photographic exhibits, Le Vieux Paris (Bygone Paris) and Travaux (Public Works). A close reading of these texts and images reveals that while Marville’s collection of juxtaposed photographs conforms to the officially promoted view of the city as a modern, healthy and hygienic metropolis and, as such, constitutes an effective denial of the memory of Communard Paris, the ironies and ambiguities presented in the descriptions of the city by Le Monde illustré ’s pseudonymous reporter would, on the contrary, suggest that the memory of the recent past cannot be so easily erased. The article concludes by reflecting on some of the wider issues raised by these examples and the extent to which official histories are invariably the creation of a society’s ruling class.
Disconfirming communication and self-verification in marriage: Associations among the demand/withdraw interaction pattern, feeling understood, and marital satisfaction
Authors: Weger Harry
Published: February 2005

This study examines the link between communication and self-verification in marriage. A theoretical model that explains the relationships among disconfirming communication, perceptions of self-confirmation, and marital satisfaction is proposed and tested. The demand/withdrawal conflict pattern in marriage is hypothesized to result in the disconfirmation of the demanding spouse’s identity (i.e., feeling misunderstood). Furthermore, the affect of the demand/withdrawal interaction pattern is predicted to be mediated by perceptions of self-confirmation. Fifty-three married couples completed questionnaires that measured the perceived quality of the marriage, the perception that they are understood (or self-verified) by their spouse, and the degree to which the demand/withdrawal pattern of communication occurs during conflicts. Results indicate that both husbands and wives feel less verified by their partner when their partner withdraws from conflict. Results also indicate that the influence of demand/withdrawal on marital satisfaction is completely mediated by self-verification for husbands and partially mediated by self-verification for wives.
For better or worse: Exploring the meanings of same-sex marriage within the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community
Authors: Lannutti Pamela J.
Published: February 2005

This study examines how gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) men and women assign meaning to legally recognized same-sex marriage and its impact on their understanding of the LGBT community. Open-ended web-based survey questions asked participants ( N = 288) to consider the ways in which legally recognizing same-sex marriage may positively and negatively affect the LGBT community. The understanding of legally recognized same-sex marriage that emerges is multilayered, with an overarching theme of equality forming a surface over deeper dialectical themes describing tensions in the perceived influence of same-sex marriage on same-sex romantic relationships, the LGBT community, and the relationship between the LGBT community and heterosexual others. The findings of the study suggest that same-sex marriage should be considered as a context for all future discussions of married and unmarried same-sex partnerships.
Mental health in U.S. adults: The role of positive social support and social negativity in personal relationships
Authors: Bertera Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2005

This study examines positive social support, social negativity, and anxiety and mood disorders in a random sample of 4688 adults aged 21-54 years from the National Comorbidity Survey (1990-1992). Social negativity with spouses, relatives, and friends had a strong positive association with the number of anxiety and mood disorder episodes. One surprising finding was that positive support was not as strongly associated with the number of anxiety and mood disorder episodes as social negativity. Positive support from spouses or friends was not associated with a lower number of episodes of either anxiety or mood disorders. Only positive support from relatives was associated with a lower number of episodes of both anxiety and mood disorders. These results may be due to variation by source in the link between support and negativity. Given that much previous research has focused on the role of positive social support, these findings demonstrate the significant impact that negative social exchanges can have on mental health.
Tickling the monster: Jealousy induction in relationships
Authors: Fleischmann Amy A. , Spitzberg Brian H. , Andersen Peter A. , Roesch Scott C.
Published: February 2005

This study develops a general model of jealousy induction in romantic relationships. The model posits that the goals of jealousy induction predict jealousy-induction tactics, which in turn predict partner responses to jealousy, which in turn predict strategic outcomes. Measures were developed for this study to assess jealousy-induction goals, induction tactics, and strategic outcome (i.e., tactical efficacy). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two types of jealousy-induction goals(i.e., relational rewards, relational revenge), three types of jealousy-induction tactics (i.e., relational distancing, flirtation façade, relational alternatives), and three types of partner response to jealousy (i.e., aggressive, withdrawal, relational compensation). Using relational outcome variables representing tactical efficacy and relational improvement, structural equation modeling demonstrated partial support for the model, but with modifications to several components. Specifically, the jealousy responses did not function as a single latent variable, and were treated as individual indicators. Furthermore, the final model did not fit well statistically, but did fit very well according to the descriptive indices, for both males and females. The model provides a general framework for understanding strategic jealousy induction, and suggests a variety of paths for future work elucidating the role of jealousy in relational development and maintenance.
Fathers’ and sons’ reports of fathers’ affectionate communication: Implications of a naïve theory of affection
Authors: Floyd Kory , Morman Mark T.
Published: February 2005

According to Robey, Cohen, and Epstein (1988), children may hold a naïve theory of affection, whereby they believe that their parents’ affection for them is a finite resource for which they must compete against their siblings. Parents, conversely, are unlikely to view their own affection in the same way. Although research on naïve theories is often conducted with youngsters, we speculated that even adult children may perceive that they compete with their siblings for their parents’ affection, and we tested the naïve theory of affection in a study of 115 dyads of adult men and their adult sons. As hypothesized, the sons’ numbers of brothers and sisters were associated inversely with sons’ reports of how much affection they received from their fathers but were unrelated to fathers’ reports. Fathers’ and sons’ reports of fathers’ affection were also linearly related to each other, but fathers reported being more affectionate with their sons than their sons reported them being. Results suggest that naïve theorizing about parental affection is not limited to young children but continues to affect familial experience in adulthood.
Uncertainty management and adoptees’ ambiguous loss of their birth parents
Authors: Powell Kimberly A. , Afifi Tamara D.
Published: February 2005

According to the National Adoption Information Clearing House (2000; http://www.calib.com/naic/statistics.htm) 120,000 children each year are adopted in or into the US. Much has been written about the attachment and adjustment issues adoptees experience, yet there has been no comprehensive study on the loss felt by adoptees as they reach adulthood. This study of 54 adult adoptees extends the literature on uncertainty management and ambiguous loss by examining how these forces inform one another in the context of adoption. More specifically, it builds upon the uncertainty management literature by investigating the multiple ways in which adoptees experience uncertainty and loss and how these experiences, and the management responses that result from them, are shaped by the familial, perceptual, and situational factors that comprise them.
Assessment of modafinil on attentional processes in a five-choice serial reaction time test in the rat
Authors: Waters Kerry A. , Burnham Katherine E. , O’Connor Desmond , Dawson Gerard R. , Dias Rebecca
Published: February 2005

It is well known that modafinil is an effective wake-promoting agent, but there is growing evidence to suggest that modafinil may also enhance some aspects of cognition. In man, modafinil has been shown to enhance vigilance in sleep-deprived and/or narcoleptic subjects and also to improve executive-type functioning (predominantly inhibitory response control processes) across a variety of human patient population groups. Preclinically, a delay-dependent improvement has been reported with modafinil in a mouse T-maze test of working memory. To investigate further the role of modafinil as a potential cognition enhancer, the effects of modafinil on attentional processes were assessed in the rat. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of modafinil to enhance five-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRT) performance. Lister Hooded rats received 32-128 mg/kg modafinil and 5-CSRT performance was assessed under standard and test parametric conditions in which the attentional load was increased, and also under conditions of scopolamine pre-treatment. Modafinil failed to significantly enhance 5-CSRT performance under standard conditions. Similarly, modafinil was unable to reverse the deficits in accuracy and/or increased omission errors induced by either parametric or pharmacological manipulations. Indeed, at higher doses, modafinil caused an increase in premature responding under certain test conditions, suggestive of increased impulsivity. The present findings suggest that, although modafinil may enhance vigilance in sleep-deprived human subjects, attentional processes in normal awake rats remain unaffected. No evidence was found to support a modafinil-induced improvement in response control; rather, under conditions of increased attentional load, modafinil appeared to facilitate impulsive responding. Finally, the failure of modafinil to improve a scopolamine-induced performance deficit suggests that modafinil does not act on the cholinergic system directly.
Effects of phenytoin on memory, cognition and brain structure in post-traumatic stress disorder: a pilot study
Authors: Bremner J. Douglas , Mletzko Tanja , Welter Silke , Quinn Sinead , Williams Chanda , Brummer Marijn , Siddiq Sajid , Reed Lai , Heim Christine M. , Nemeroff Charles B.
Published: February 2005

Phenytoin (Dilantin®) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy. It is believed to act by modulation of glutamatergic transmission. Because the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been hypothesized to involve alterations in glutamatergic transmission with subsequention neurotoxicity, we assessed the effects of phenytoin on cognition and brain structure in PTSD patients. Phenytoin was administered in an open label fashion for 3 months to nine adult patients with PTSD related to a variety of traumas, including early abuse, combat and car accidents. Subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging for measurement of whole brain and hippocampal volume, and neuropsychological testing of memory and cognition, before and after treatment. Phenytoin treatment resulted in a significant 6% increase in right brain volume (p < 0.05). Increased hippocampal volume was correlated with reductions in symptom severity as measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and improvements in executive function as measured by the Trails test. However, treatment associated improvements in memory and cognition did not achieve statistical significance. These findings suggest that phenytoin treatment may be associated with changes in brain structure in patients with PTSD.