bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Angiopoietin-1 Requires IQ Domain GTPase-Activating Protein 1 to Activate Rac1 and Promote Endothelial Barrier Defense
Authors: David Sascha , Ghosh Chandra C. , Mukherjee Aditi , Parikh Samir M.
Published: September 2011

Objective—

IQ domain GTPase-activating protein 1 (IQGAP1) contributes to cytoskeletal network regulation in epithelial cells by its scaffolding properties and by binding the Rho GTPase Rac1 to maintain its activity. The functions of IQGAP1 in endothelial cells beyond angiogenesis remain unclear. We hypothesized that IQGAP1 participates in the regulation of endothelial barrier function.

Methods and Results—

Silencing IQGAP1 in human microvascular endothelial cells resulted in a disruption of adherens junctions, formation of interendothelial gaps, and a reduction in barrier function. Furthermore, silencing of IQGAP1 abrogated the barrier enhancement effect of angiopoietin-1 (Angpt-1) and abolished the barrier-stabilizing effect of Angpt-1 on thrombin-stimulated cells. Coimmunoprecipitation detected binding of endogenous IQGAP1 with Rac1 at baseline that was stronger when Rac1 was activated and weaker when it was deactivated. Measurement of GTP-bound Rac1 revealed that Angpt-1 failed to activate Rac1 not only if IQGAP1 was silenced but also if cells were transfected with a mutant disabled in Rac1 binding (T1050AX2). Furthermore, a dominant-active Rac1 was sufficient to completely reverse the morphological and functional changes induced by reduction in IQGAP1.

Conclusion—

These experiments are the first demonstration of IQGAP1 regulating barrier function in any cell type. Further, our data show that Angpt-1 requires IQGAP1 as an indispensable activator of Rac1.
Fatty Liver, Abdominal Visceral Fat, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors
Authors: Liu Jiankang , Fox Caroline S. , Hickson DeMarc , Bidulescu Aurelian , Carr J. Jeffery , Taylor Herman A.
Published: September 2011

Objective—

The goal of this study was to examine whether fatty liver and abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) are jointly associated with cardiometabolic abnormalities.

Methods and Results—

Black participants were from the Jackson Heart Study (n=2882, 65% women) who underwent computed tomography. Fatty liver was measured by liver attenuation in Hounsfield units (LA), and VAT was quantified volumetrically. Cross-sectional associations between LA, VAT, and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed using linear and logistic regression, and their joint associations were further examined in 4 subgroups: high-LA/low-VAT (n=1704), low-LA/low-VAT (n=422), high-LA/high-VAT (n=436), and low-LA/high-VAT (n=320). Both LA and VAT were associated with most cardiometabolic traits (all
P
<0.0001), which persisted after additional adjustment for each other (LA,
P
<0.01–0.0001; VAT,
P
<0.0001). In bootstrap analyses, the regression coefficient of VAT was significantly greater than LA for triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, impaired glucose, and metabolic syndrome (
P
=0.009–0.0001). The interaction between LA and VAT was significant for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
P
=0.002), impaired glucose (
P
=0.003), and metabolic syndrome (
P
=0.04). Among 4 subgroups, participants with higher VAT and lower LA had higher prevalence of cardiometabolic traits than those with each condition alone.

Conclusion—

Both fatty liver and VAT are independent correlates of cardiometabolic risk, but the associations are stronger for VAT than for fatty liver.
Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis Promotes Vessel Remodeling and Repair via Activation of Cell Migration, Proliferation, and Collagen Synthesis
Authors: Yu Haixiang , Clarke Murray C.H. , Figg Nichola , Littlewood Trevor D. , Bennett Martin R.
Published: September 2011

Objective—

Although vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis occurs after vessel injury and during remodeling, the direct role of VSMC death in determining final vessel structure is unclear. We sought to determine the role of VSMC apoptosis in vessel remodeling, medial repair, and neointima formation and to identify the mediators involved.

Methods and Results—

The left common carotid artery was ligated in SM22α-human diphtheria toxin receptor mice, in which diphtheria toxin treatment selectively induces VSMC apoptosis. Apoptosis induced from day 7 to day 14 after ligation significantly increased neointimal and medial areas, cell proliferation, migration, and vessel size. Neointima formation depended on VSMCs, as VSMC depletion before ligation significantly reduced neointimal area and cellularity. In culture, conditioned media from apoptotic VSMCs promoted VSMC migration, proliferation, and collagen synthesis. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion increased 5-fold and IL-1α 1.5-fold after apoptosis, whereas IL-6 inhibition negated the effect of apoptotic VSMC supernatants on VSMC migration, proliferation, and matrix synthesis.

Conclusion—

Signaling from apoptotic VSMCs directly promotes vessel remodeling, medial repair, and neointima formation after flow reduction. Although lumen size appears to depend on flow, VSMC apoptosis is an important determinant of vessel, medial, and neointimal size after flow reduction.
The Cholesterol Content of Western Diets Plays a Major Role in the Paradoxical Increase in High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Upregulates the Macrophage Reverse Cholesterol Transport Pathway
Authors: Escolà-Gil Joan Carles , Llaverias Gemma , Julve Josep , Jauhiainen Matti , Méndez-González Jesús , Blanco-Vaca Francisco
Published: September 2011

Objective—

A high–saturated fatty acid– and cholesterol-containing (HFHC) diet is considered to be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed to determine the effects of this Western-type diet on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) from macrophages to feces.

Methods and Results—

Experiments were carried out in mice fed a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, an HFHC diet, or an HFHC diet without added cholesterol (high–saturated fatty acid and low-cholesterol [HFLC]). The HFHC diet caused a significant increase in plasma cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and liver cholesterol and enhanced macrophage-derived [
3
H]cholesterol flux to feces by 3- to 4-fold. These effects were greatly reduced in mice fed the HFLC diet. This HFHC diet–mediated induction of RCT was sex independent and was not associated with obesity or insulin resistance. The HFHC diet caused 1.4- and 3-fold increases in [
3
H]cholesterol efflux to plasma and HDL-derived [
3
H]tracer fecal excretion, respectively. Unlike a low-fat, low-cholesterol and HFLC diets, the HFHC diet increased liver ABCG5/G8 expression. The effect of the HFHC diet on fecal macrophage-derived [
3
H]cholesterol excretion was totally blunted in ABCG5/G8-deficient mice.

Conclusion—

Despite its deleterious effects on atherosclerosis, the HFHC diet promoted a sustained compensatory macrophage-to-feces RCT. Our data provide direct evidence of the crucial role of dietary cholesterol signaling through liver ABCG5/G8 upregulation in the HFHC diet–mediated induction of macrophage-specific RCT.
Human Thrombomodulin Knock-In Mice Reveal Differential Effects of Human Thrombomodulin on Thrombosis and Atherosclerosis
Authors: Raife Thomas J. , Dwyre Denis M. , Stevens Jeff W. , Erger Rochelle A. , Leo Lorie , Wilson Katina M. , Fernández Jose A. , Wilder Jennifer , Kim Hyung-Suk , Griffin John H. , Maeda Nobuyo , Lentz Steven R.
Published: September 2011

Objective—

We sought to develop a murine model to examine the antithrombotic and antiinflammatory functions of human thrombomodulin in vivo.

Methods and Results—

Knock-in mice that express human thrombomodulin from the murine thrombomodulin gene locus were generated. Compared with wild-type mice, human thrombomodulin knock-in mice exhibited decreased protein C activation in the aorta (
P
<0.01) and lung (
P
<0.001). Activation of endogenous protein C following infusion of thrombin was decreased by 90% in knock-in mice compared with wild-type mice (
P
<0.05). Carotid artery thrombosis induced by photochemical injury occurred more rapidly in knock-in mice (12±3 minutes) than in wild-type mice (31±6 minutes;
P
<0.05). No differences in serum cytokine levels were detected between knock-in and wild-type mice after injection of endotoxin. When crossed with apolipoprotein E–deficient mice and fed a Western diet, knock-in mice had a further decrease in protein C activation but did not exhibit increased atherosclerosis.

Conclusion—

Expression of human thrombomodulin in place of murine thrombomodulin produces viable mice with a prothrombotic phenotype but unaltered responses to systemic inflammatory or atherogenic stimuli. This humanized animal model will be useful for investigating the function of human thrombomodulin under pathophysiological conditions in vivo.
Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cells Mobilize cKit
+
and CD133
+
Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells and Improve Regional Function in Hibernating Myocardium
Authors: Suzuki Gen , Iyer Vijay , Lee Te-Chung , Canty John M.
Published: September 2011

Rationale:

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improve function after infarction, but their mechanism of action remains unclear, and the importance of reduced scar volume, cardiomyocyte proliferation, and perfusion is uncertain.

Objective:

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that MSCs mobilize bone marrow progenitor cells and improve function by stimulating myocyte proliferation in collateral-dependent hibernating myocardium.

Methods and Results:

Swine with chronic hibernating myocardium received autologous intracoronary MSCs (icMSCs; ≈44×10
6
cells, n=10) 4 months after instrumentation and were studied up to 6 weeks later. Physiological and immunohistochemical findings were compared with untreated hibernating animals (n=7), sham-normal animals (n=5), and icMSC–treated sham-normal animals (n=6). In hibernating myocardium, icMSCs increased function (percent wall thickening of the left anterior descending coronary artery 24±4% to 43±5%,
P
<0.05), although left anterior descending coronary artery flow reserve (adenosine/rest) remained critically impaired (1.2±0.1 versus 1.2±0.1). Circulating cKit
+
and CD133
+
bone marrow progenitor cells increased transiently after icMSC administration, with a corresponding increase in myocardial cKit
+
/CD133
+
and cKit
+
/CD133
−
bone marrow progenitor cells (total cKit
+
from 223±49 to 4415±866/10
6
cardiomyocytes,
P
<0.05). In hibernating hearts, icMSCs increased Ki67
+
cardiomyocytes (from 410±83 to 2460±610/10
6
nuclei,
P
<0.05) and phospho-histone H3–positive cardiomyocytes (from 9±5 to 116±12/10
6
nuclei,
P
<0.05). Myocyte nuclear number (from 75 336±5037 to 114 424±9564 nuclei/mm
3
,
P
<0.01) and left ventricular mass (from 2.5±0.1 to 2.8±0.1 g/kg,
P
<0.05) increased, yet myocytes were smaller (14.5±0.4 versus 16.5±0.4 μm,
P
<0.05), which supports endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation. In sham-normal animals, icMSCs increased myocardial bone marrow progenitor cells with no effect on myocyte proliferation or regional function.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that icMSCs improve function in hibernating myocardium independent of coronary flow or reduced scar volume. This arises from stimulation of myocyte proliferation with increases in cKit
+
/CD133
+
bone marrow progenitor cells and cKit
+
/CD133
−
resident stem cells, which increase myocyte number and reduce cellular hypertrophy.
Improving Door-to-Needle Times in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Fonarow Gregg C. , Smith Eric E. , Saver Jeffrey L. , Reeves Mathew J. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Peterson Eric D. , Sacco Ralph L. , Schwamm Lee H.
Published: September 2011

Background and Purpose—

The benefits of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent, and guidelines recommend a door-to-needle time of ≤60 minutes. However, fewer than one third of acute ischemic stroke patients who receive tPA are treated within guideline-recommended door-to-needle times. This article describes the design and rationale of Target: Stroke, a national initiative organized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association in partnership with other organizations to assist hospitals in increasing the proportion of tPA-treated patients who achieve guideline-recommended door-to-needle times.

Methods—

The initial program goal is to achieve a door-to-needle time ≤60 minutes for at least 50% of acute ischemic stroke patients. Key best practice strategies previously associated with achieving faster door-to-needle times in acute ischemic stroke were identified.

Results—

The 10 key strategies chosen by Target: Stroke include emergency medical service prenotification, activating the stroke team with a single call, rapid acquisition and interpretation of brain imaging, use of specific protocols and tools, premixing tPA, a team-based approach, and rapid data feedback. The program includes many approaches intended to promote hospital participation, implement effective strategies, share best practices, foster collaboration, and achieve stated goals. A detailed program evaluation is also included. In the first year, Target: Stroke has enrolled over 1200 United States hospitals.

Conclusions—

Target: Stroke, a multidimensional initiative to improve the timeliness of tPA administration, aims to elevate clinical performance in the care of acute ischemic stroke, facilitate the more rapid integration of evidence into clinical practice, and improve outcomes.
Cerebrovascular Disease Pathology and Parkinsonian Signs in Old Age
Authors: Buchman Aron S. , Leurgans Sue E. , Nag Sukriti , Bennett David A. , Schneider Julie A.
Published: September 2011

Background and Purpose—

Mild motor symptoms including parkinsonian signs are common in old age, but their underlying neuropathology is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that cerebrovascular pathologies are related to parkinsonian signs.

Methods—

We studied brain autopsies from 418 deceased participants from the Religious Order Study, who underwent evaluation of parkinsonian signs with a modified version of the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Brains were evaluated for macroscopic and microinfarcts and the severity of arteriolosclerosis. Regression analyses were used to examine the association of cerebrovascular pathologies with parkinsonian signs.

Results—

More than 35% of cases (N=149) showed macroscopic infarcts. Almost 30% of cases without macroscopic infarcts showed pathologies not detected by conventional brain imaging: microinfarcts (N=33 [7.9%]), arteriolosclerosis (N=62 [14.8%]), or both (N=24 [5.7%]). Macroscopic infarcts, specifically multiple cortical and ≥1 subcortical macroscopic infarcts, were related to higher global parkinsonian scores. The presence of multiple and cortical microinfarcts was associated with global parkinsonian score. Arteriolosclerosis was associated with global parkinsonian score, but this effect was attenuated and no longer significant after accounting for infarcts. Each of the 3 pathologies was separately associated with parkinsonian gait (macroscopic infarcts [estimate, 0.552; SE, 0.210;
P
=0.009]; microinfarcts [estimate, 0.424; SE, 0.213;
P
=0.047]; arteriolosclerosis [estimate, 0.191; SE, 0.056;
P
<0.001]). Further analyses showed that subcortical macroscopic and microinfarcts were specifically associated with the severity of parkinsonian gait.

Conclusions—

Cerebrovascular pathologies, including macroscopic infarcts, microinfarcts, and arteriolosclerosis, are common in older persons and may be unrecognized common etiologies of mild parkinsonian signs, especially parkinsonian gait, in old age.
Common Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness Progression as a Predictor of Stroke in Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Polak Joseph F. , Pencina Michael J. , O'Leary Daniel H. , D'Agostino Ralph B.
Published: September 2011

Background and Purpose—

Carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is a marker of cardiovascular disease associated with incident stroke. We studied whether IMT rate of change is associated with stroke.

Methods—

We studied 5028 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) comprising white, Chinese, Hispanic, and black participants free of cardiovascular disease. In this MESA IMT progression study, IMT rate of change (mm/year) was the difference in right common carotid artery far wall IMT (mm) divided by the interval between 2 ultrasound examinations (median interval, 32 months). Common carotid artery IMT was measured in a region free of plaque. Cardiovascular risk factors and baseline IMT were determined when IMT rate of change was measured. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models generated hazard risk ratios (HR) with cardiovascular risk factors, ethnicity, and education level/income as predictors.

Results—

There were 42 first-time strokes seen during a mean follow-up of 3.22 years (median, 3.0 years). Average age was 64.2 years, with 48% males. In multivariable models, age (HR, 1.05 per year), systolic blood pressure (HR, 1.02 per mm Hg), lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HR, 0.96 per mg/dL), and IMT rate of change (HR, 1.23 per 0.05 mm/year; 95% confidence limit, 1.02–1.48) were significantly associated with incident stroke. The upper quartile of IMT rate of change had HR of 2.18 (95% confidence limit, 1.07–4.46) compared to the lower 3 quartiles combined.

Conclusions—

Common carotid artery IMT progression is associated with incident stroke in this cohort free of prevalent cardiovascular disease and atrial fibrillation at baseline.
Increased Documentation and Management of Pediatric Obesity Following Implementation of an EMR Upgrade and Education
Authors: Keehbauch Jennifer , Miguel Gretchen San , Drapiza Leslie , Pepe Julie , Bogue Richard , Smith-Dixon Amelia
Published: September 2011

Background: Overweight children are often not identified or counseled. Purpose: We assessed the documentation rate and clinical management of overweight children before and after an electronic medical record (EMR) upgrade calculating body mass index (BMI) percentile for age and gender. Methods: Family Medicine resident and faculty physicians at two sites received an EMR upgrade; Site1 physicians also received BMI training and education. From two years before to one year after the upgrade, randomly selected charts were reviewed for all encounters with overweight children for documentation of obesity and clinical management. Results: After the EMR upgrade, documentation and counseling rates significantly improved at both sites but the rate of change was greater for Site 1; postintervention documentation was significantly greater for Site 1 vs. Site 2 (40% vs. 28%, P<0.01). Conclusions: We found an increase in documentation and management of overweight children following an EMR upgrade that calculates BMI percentiles for age and gender. Physician education was an important adjunct.
Cocktail Approach for In Vivo Phenotyping of 5 Major CYP450 Isoenzymes: Development of an Effective Sampling, Extraction, and Analytical Procedure and Pilot Study With Comparative Genotyping
Authors: Wohlfarth Ariane , Naue Jana , Lutz‐Bonengel Sabine , Dresen Sebastian , Auwärter Volker
Published: September 2011

In this study, the authors developed a phenotyping method for CYP1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2D6, and 3A4 using a cocktail of 100 mg caffeine, 125 mg tolbutamide, 20 mg omeprazole, 30 mg dextromethorphan, and 2 mg midazolam. A simple sampling scheme was established collecting 3 blood samples at 0, 4, and 24 hours followed by solid‐phase extraction and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. After addition of 8 deuterated internal standards and extraction, the analytes were separated using gradient elution with ammonium acetate and methanol. Data acquisition was performed on a triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer in multiple‐reaction monitoring mode with positive electrospray ionization. The assay was validated according to international guidelines: limits of quantification (LOQs) were between 0.25 and 1.0 ng/mL for all analytes, except for paraxanthine and caffeine (20 ng/mL). Extraction efficiencies ranged between 77% and 103% and matrix effects between 23% and 95%; precision and accuracy data fulfilled accepted criteria. Calibration curves from LOQ to 1000 ng/mL were established for undiluted and 1:10 diluted plasma (r>0.998). The method was tested in a pilot study with 14 volunteers. Additional genotyping of the probands generally demonstrated good accordance with the measured phenotyping indices but also disclosed certain contradictory results.
The moderating effect of Machiavellianism on the relationships between bullying, peer acceptance, and school adjustment in adolescents
Authors: Wei Hsi-Sheng , Chen Ji-Kang
Published: September 2011

This study examined the moderating effect of Machiavellianism on the relationships between bullying, peer acceptance, and school adjustment (rule-following behavior and academic performance) among 216 middle school 7th-graders in Taipei, Taiwan. The participants were divided into two groups according to their Machiavellianism. Multi-group path analysis showed that for those who were low in Machiavellianism condition, physical and verbal bullying was negatively linked to peer acceptance and academic performance while no significant association was found for the high-Machiavellianism group. Bullying was negatively, yet non-significantly, associated with rule-following behavior for both groups. The results largely supported the buffering effect of Machiavellianism on the negative outcomes of bullying. Implications for school-violence prevention and for research on adaptive bullies are discussed.
Should Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Be a Putative Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Condition? A Critical Appraisal
Authors: McKay Dean , Andover Margaret
Published: September 2011

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has many behavioral and cognitive features that would make it appear to be closely tied to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessive-compulsive-related disorders (OCRDs) have been described in the literature as conditions that share a common phenomenology, neurobiology, and treatment response. The authors reviewed the literature describing the degree that NSSI is similar to, and distinct from, OCRDs based on these hypothesized common areas. They conclude with recommendations for conceptualization that draws partly from the OCRD literature and from cognitive-behavioral models of rumination.
Adherence to Treatment in a Behavioral Intervention Curriculum for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Moore Timothy R. , Symons Frank J.
Published: September 2011

Parents ( N = 21) of children with autism spectrum disorders responded to a survey on adherence to skills instruction and problem behavior management strategies they had previously been observed to master in a standardized training curriculum based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. Survey items were guided by existing models of and research in treatment adherence. Parents reported adherence below observed mastery criteria in five of six skill areas. Three independent variables indexing caregiver perception were significantly correlated with reported adherence: perceived effectiveness as a behavior change agent, confidence in the intervention to produce meaningful change, and acceptance of child in family and community. Perceived confidence significantly predicted adherence in a regression model ( p < .05). Implications of caregiver perception in explanatory frameworks for adherence are discussed, and next steps in the measurement and study of treatment adherence in behavior analysis are proposed.
When the Seemingly Innocuous “Stings”
Authors: Wang Jennifer , Leu Janxin , Shoda Yuichi
Published: September 2011

Commonplace situations that are seemingly innocuous may nonetheless be emotionally harmful for racial minorities. In the current article the authors propose that despite their apparent insignificance, these situations can be harmful and experienced as subtle racism when they are believed to have occurred because of their race. In Study 1, Asian Americans reported greater negative emotion intensity when they believed that they encountered a situation because of their race, even after controlling for other potential social identity explanations. Study 2 replicated this finding and confirmed that the effect was significantly stronger among Asian Americans than among White participants. These findings clarify how perceptions of subtle racial discrimination that do not necessarily involve negative treatment may account for the “sting” of racial microaggressions, influencing the emotional well-being of racial minorities, even among Asian Americans, a group not often expected to experience racism.
Negativity and Outgroup Biases in Attitude Formation and Transfer
Authors: Ratliff Kate A. , Nosek Brian A.
Published: September 2011

In an initial experiment, the behavior of one person had a stronger influence on implicit evaluations of another person from the same group when (a) the attitude was negative rather than positive and (b) the people were outgroup members rather than ingroup members. Explicitly, participants resisted these attitude transfer effects. In a second experiment, negative information formed less negative explicit attitudes when the target was Black than when the target was White, and participants were more vigilant not to transfer that negative attitude to a new Black person. Implicit attitudes, however, transferred to both Black and White targets. Positive information formed stronger positive explicit attitudes when the target was Black than when the target was White, and that evaluation transferred to another Black person both implicitly and explicitly. Even when deliberately resisting outgroup negativity in attitude formation and transfer, people appear unable to avoid it implicitly.
Perceived Racial Discrimination as a Barrier to College Enrollment for African Americans
Authors: O’Hara Ross E. , Gibbons Frederick X. , Weng Chih-Yuan , Gerrard Meg , Simons Ronald L.
Published: September 2011

African Americans trail European Americans in terms of academic achievement, even when accounting for differences in socioeconomic status. One cause of this gap may be racial discrimination. In the current article the authors hypothesized that early perceived racial discrimination (by 5th grade) would predict college enrollment, mediated by changes from 7th grade to 10th grade in academic orientation, college aspirations and expectations, and deviance tolerance. Participants were 750 African Americans from the Family and Community Health Study. A structural equation model that controlled for socioeconomic status and earlier academic performance supported the hypothesis, with the exception that discrimination did not influence aspirations. The effect of discrimination on expectations, however, was moderated: Participants with high future orientation maintained high expectations in spite of discrimination. These results suggest that discrimination discourages some African Americans from pursuing higher education and that increasing future orientation may promote African Americans’ college enrollment.
Selective Incivility as Modern Discrimination in Organizations
Authors: Cortina Lilia M. , Kabat-Farr Dana , Leskinen Emily A. , Huerta Marisela , Magley Vicki J.
Published: September 2011

This collection of studies tested aspects of Cortina’s theory of selective incivility as a “modern” manifestation of sexism and racism in the workplace and also tested an extension of that theory to ageism. Survey data came from employees in three organizations: a city government (N = 369), a law enforcement agency (N = 653), and the U.S. military (N = 15,497). According to analyses of simple mediation, target gender and race (but not age) affected vulnerability to uncivil treatment on the job, which in turn predicted intent to leave that job. Evidence of moderated mediation also emerged, with target gender and race interacting to predict uncivil experiences, such that women of color reported the worst treatment. The article concludes with implications for interventions to promote civility and nondiscrimination in organizations.
Organizational Aspirations, Reference Points, and Goals
Authors: Shinkle George A.
Published: September 2011

Three distinct frameworks have been advanced by scholars to analyze organizational aspirations: behavioral theory, Ansoff’s strategic management view, and strategic reference point theory. These frameworks, or views, are grounded in different assumptions and mechanisms. This article reviews and synthesizes the three views, also drawing on literatures in economics, performance measurement, and psychology, to present a comprehensive understanding of organizational aspirations. This review shows the literature consists primarily of studies using behavioral theory explanations, typically provides studies of the consequences of theoretically inferred aspiration levels, is impoverished in terms of field measurement of aspirations, and lacks comparative or integrative studies of the three views. Drawing on this critique, the article identifies theoretical and empirical gaps and provides guidance for future research.
Religiosity, Homogamy, and Marital Adjustment
Authors: Schramm David G. , Marshall James P. , Harris Victor W. , Lee Thomas R.
Published: September 2011

This article explores the relationship between religiosity, denominational homogamy, religiosity homogamy, and marital adjustment. Using a statewide sample of spouses in first marriages ( N = 1,394) and remarriages ( N = 601), the authors find that within-group differences in religiosity, denominational homogamy, and religiosity homogamy are not as prevalent for spouses in remarriages. Overall, husbands and wives in first marriages who are very religious have significantly higher marital adjustment scores than spouses who are less religious. Similarly, husbands and wives in first marriages who share the same religious denomination report higher marital adjustment scores than spouses who report different denominations. For spouses in both first marriages and remarriages, those who report that they are “both religious” have higher marital adjustment scores than spouses where both partners are not religious, or where only the wife is religious. Possible reasons for the within-group similarities and differences are explored, particularly for spouses in remarriages.
Hyalinization of the Pyloric Stomach in CD-1 Mice Following Oral (Dietary) Administration of the Corticosteroid Agonists Mometasone Furoate, Budesonide, and Flunisolide
Authors: McKevitt Tom P. , Giffen Paul , Woodfine Jennie A. , McCawley Sean J. , Papworth Steve A. , McGill Paul , Osborne Jan , Beard Paul , Williams Tom C. , Klapwijk Jan , Lewis David J.
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this study was to compare the toxicity of three marketed corticosteroid receptor agonists (mometasone furoate, budesonide, or flunisolide) to the stomach of female CD-1 mice following oral administration via the diet for up to 52 weeks, with a 16-week recovery period (budesonide and flunisolide). A range of tissues was examined by light microscopy, accompanied by clinical pathology measurements to assess anticipated corticosteroid effects as a surrogate marker of systemic drug exposure. Microscopic changes seen in the stomach with each corticosteroid included pyloric hyalinization. This previously unreported finding was investigated using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques and was found to consist of hyalinized collagen, in association with increased immunohistochemical signal for transglutaminase-2 and osteopontin. The significance of the osteopontin finding is unclear; however, the ability of transglutaminase-2 to facilitate the formation of degradation resistant protein bonds implies this protein may be involved in the pathogenesis of this change. Furthermore, published evidence that transglutaminase-2 may be induced by a corticosteroid agonist raises the possibility that pyloric stomach hyalinization may be a class effect of corticosteroids via the action of this enzyme.
PartyIntents
Authors: Ramchand Rajeev , Becker Kirsten , Ruder Teague , Fisher Michael P.
Published: September 2011

PartyIntents examines whether portal survey methods could be used to anonymously survey gay and bisexual men about HIV-risk behaviors before and after a weekend party–oriented vacation. The study recruited 97% of eligible men and of these 489 participants 47% completed the follow-up assessment. Approximately one half of the men intended to use illegal drugs over the weekend, and almost 20% thought that they might have anal intercourse and not use a condom. The methodology can be applied and provides useful information about HIV risk at these events, though refinements may be needed to increase the follow-up rates.
A ‘Do Not Disturb’ Sign? Reexamining the Adjuration Refrain in Song of Songs
Authors: Gault Brian P.
Published: September 2011

Reading the adjuration refrain in Song of Songs (2.7; 3.5; 8.4) as a warning against disturbing lovers indulging their passions, though advocated by a few scholars past and present, has been rejected in recent scholarship due to an inadequate defense. In this article, it is suggested that the contextual and thematic continuity, literary structure, genre parallels, and grammar of this passage support the probability of such a reading.
‘Whoever Gives Me Thorns and Thistles’: Rhetorical Ambiguity and the Use of ‭ןתי‬ ‭ימ‬ in Isaiah 27.2-6
Authors: Johnson Benjamin J.M.
Published: September 2011

Isaiah 27.2-6, sometimes known as the ‘new song of the vineyard’, is a very difficult text. It has many textual oddities and it can be variously interpreted as a promise of salvation or a warning of judgment. This study proposes to alleviate some of the difficulties of Isa. 27.2-6 by reading them as an intentional device of rhetorical ambiguity which causes readers to reassess as they read. Specifically, it is suggested that the phrase ‭יננתי־ימ‬, most frequently understood as an optative idiom, ‘O that I had’, should rather be understood in this context as a simple indefinite and translated: ‘whoever gives me’. It is argued that this interpretation of the phrase ‭ןתי‬ ‭ימ‬ is both grammatically plausible and makes the most sense of this new song of the vineyard.
Implications Surrounding Girding the Loins in Light of Gender, Body, and Power
Authors: Low Katherine
Published: September 2011

Offering an analysis of the use of girding the loins as a signal of power negotiations at work in the biblical text, this article expands on traditional notions that when loins are girded, it is in preparation for strenuous activity. The action of girding the loins signals not only upcoming physical exertion, but also indicates an expectation of a gendered masculine performance. Furthermore, social systems imprint certain symbols onto the body in terms of girded loins. The article first considers some cultural assumptions about girded loins, followed by a discussion of select texts dealing with the phrase. In light of the gendered body, a complex interaction between social, theological, and political negotiations surround the action of girding the loins.
Women of God: Maternal Grief and Religious Response in 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4
Authors: Kalmanofsky Amy
Published: September 2011

1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4 are narratives about bereaved mothers who turn to men of God to heal their dead sons. These narratives support anthropologist Susan Starr Sered’s supposition that bereaved mothers turn to non-normative religion in response to the deaths of their children and often become innovative religious leaders. Though the patriarchal context of the Bible does not allow the women in these narratives to serve as healers, this article demonstrates that their prominence in the narratives and their interactions with the men of God supports Sered’s premise and proves that bereaved mothers in the Bible are, if not religious innovators, powerful religious seekers and activists.
Fifty Theses on Urban Planning and Urban Planners
Authors: Fischler Raphaël
Published: September 2011

The aim of this essay is to propose a common basis of definitions and principles for the field of urban planning. A general thesis places a number of dilemmas and paradoxes at the heart of planning; the next nine theses explain the meaning and origins of planning; another ten pertain to the substance and uses of professional planning; ten more suggest what makes for good planning and good plans; the following fifteen concern urban planners as individuals; the final five deal with planning education and research.
The Relationship of Perceived Neighborhood Social Climate to Walking in Hispanic Older Adults
Authors: Brown Scott C. , Huang Shi , Perrino Tatiana , Surio Priyanka , Borges-Garcia Raquel , Flavin Kathryn , Brown C. Hendricks , Pantin Hilda , Szapocznik José
Published: September 2011

Objective: This study examines possible bidirectional relationships between neighborhood climate (i.e., perceived neighborhood social environment) and walking behavior across a 12-month period in older Hispanics. Method: A population-based sample of 217 community-dwelling older Hispanics in Miami, Florida, completed measures of perceived neighborhood climate and neighborhood walking, at two assessment time points (12 months apart). Results: Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that neighborhood climate predicted subsequent walking 12 months later, such that more positive perceptions of neighborhood climate predicted more walking. Follow-up analyses revealed that older adults who resided in the top half of neighborhoods based on perceived neighborhood climate scores at initial assessment were 2.57 times as likely to have walked at least one block in the last week at follow-up, relative to older adults residing in neighborhoods whose climate was in the lower half. Discussion: Perceptions of a more positive neighborhood social environment may promote walking in urban, older Hispanics.
Patterns of Voluntary Participation in Membership Associations
Authors: Holmes Kirsten , Slater Alix
Published: September 2011

Previous studies of membership associations identify differences between passive and active participation and also identify both sociodemographic and motivational factors as influencing participation. Extant research has, however, relied on cross-sectional survey data which does not capture the whole picture of an individual’s memberships. This article reports on a mixed-methods study of members of voluntary associations in the UK heritage sector to examine patterns of participation. The data reveals intensity of participation ranging from passive to active membership and we identify a new form of engagement: substituters. We find motivation to be the main influence on participation level and identify a new group of members based on their motivation: hobbyists. The data also reveals barriers to participation, including distance to the heritage site, aging, work and family commitments, and participation in other membership or voluntary associations. Last, members display varying levels of participation over time within the same association.
Murdoch: how it all began
Authors: Leapman Michael
Published: September 2011

Rupert Murdoch’s biographer Michael Leapman reminds us how the media mogul got his hands on the News of the World by giving solemn undertakings that were not kept.
No more good guys
Authors: Hilsum Lindsey
Published: September 2011

In war,’ writes Channel 4’s international editor , Lindsey Hilsum, ‘there is no truth except what you see with your own eyes or hear with your own ears – and even they may deceive you, or show you a distorted, small piece of the jigsaw.’ But beware the distortions caused by your own opinions.
School for Scandal
Authors: Comix BJR
Published: September 2011

In a comic book presentation Bill Hagerty and Martin Rowson transform Rupert Murdoch’s Wapping headquarters into a darker version of St Trinians to explain the phone hacking saga. It’s billed as ‘a story of bullying, corruption, criminality and deceit.
Our only hope is to stand - and deliver
Authors: Marsh Kevin
Published: September 2011

Don't believe those who argue that social networks, WikiLeaks and crowdsourcing mean that we no longer need journalists, writes Kevin Marsh, former editor of the BBC's college of journalism. But journalists in a post-hacking world have to earn the public's respect by being genuinely accountable and transparent about their methods.
Child abuse: the media must listen
Authors: Gaber Ivor
Published: September 2011

A largely false image of social workers has been created by the media reporting of child abuse cases, according to Ivor Gaber, professor of media and politics at the University of Bedfordshire. Help may be at hand, however. A government-funded College of Social Work, which aims to be a first point of contact for journalists, is being set up later this year.
Manipulation is a two-way street
Authors: Marshall-Andrews Bob
Published: September 2011

Former Labour MP Bob Marshall-Andrews tells how the media preferred to ask him about a fornicating footman rather than the obscenity of the invasion of Iraq. In this edited extract from his book, Off message: The complete antidote to political humbug, he explains the nature of the dialectic between the modern mass media and politics.
Privacy: watchdogs turned attack dogs
Authors: Petley Julian
Published: September 2011

Newspaper proprietors seeking to undermine the legal protection for an individual’s right to privacy are guilty of hypocrisy and constitutional illiteracy, argues Julian Petley, professor of journalism and screen media at Brunel University. And he says some have a hidden agenda in hoping to bring about Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Privacy? It’s a dangerous myth
Authors: Hencke David
Published: September 2011

Nothing is secret any longer. Every detail of our lives can be accessed, as modern reporters in the digital age know only too well. Freelance investigative journalist David Hencke explains why total privacy is now impossible to achieve in today’s open society.
Long-term fire and forest history of subalpine balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and white spruce (Picea glauca) stands in eastern Canada inferred from soil charcoal analysis
Authors: de Lafontaine Guillaume , Payette Serge
Published: September 2011

The northernmost balsam fir forest in eastern Canada forms disjunct stands far beyond the extensive balsam fir forest zone of southern Canada. The northern balsam fir stands are distributed in the subalpine belt of high plateaus and coexist locally with white spruce stands. These subalpine stands contrast greatly with black spruce forest stands located in lowlands. Given that subalpine stands are remnants of an earlier northern expansion of the balsam fir forest, the main objective of this study is to assess whether white spruce stands are distinct communities having diverged from the balsam fir forest community earlier in the Holocene or if they rather correspond to a different stage of the chronosequence within the subalpine belt. Macrofossil analysis of charcoal in mineral soils was used to compare the stand-scale fire histories and taxonomic fossil composition of subalpine, old-growth balsam fir stands and white spruce stands. No significant differences of mean number of observed fires (mean = 6.35 fires per site), Holocene fire recurrence at the landscape scale and mean fire-return interval (mean = 580 years) were found between white spruce stands and balsam fir stands. The botanical composition of charcoal fragments from mineral soils showed that Abies, Betula and Picea were present throughout the fire period from 5600 cal. BP to present, and no difference was found in the fossil composition of the balsam fir and white spruce stands. No historical change in the botanical composition of charcoal from soils of both stand types was observed indicating that the initial floristic composition remained through the period of recurrent fires. Charcoal data suggest that white spruce stands are not divergent community types. Rather, the two community types are arranged along a chronosequence of different successional stages within the subalpine relict flora.
Transnational Relations Between Perceived Parental Acceptance and Personality Dispositions of Children and Adults
Authors: Khaleque Abdul , Rohner Ronald P.
Published: September 2011

Three questions drawn from parental acceptance–rejection theory were addressed: (a) Are children’s perceptions of parental acceptance transnationally associated with specific personality dispositions? (b) Are adults’ remembrances of parental acceptance in childhood transnationally associated with these personality dispositions? and (c) Do relations between parental acceptance and offspring’s personality dispositions vary by gender of parents? All studies used the child and adult versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaires (PARQ) for Mothers and for Fathers, as well as the child and adult versions of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire (PAQ). Results showed that both maternal and paternal acceptance in childhood correlated significantly in all countries with all seven personality dispositions of adult offspring. Adults’ remembrance of paternal acceptance in childhood correlated significantly with all adult personality dispositions except dependence.
Empowering the youth as citizen journalists: A South African experience
Authors: Berger Guy
Published: September 2011

Seldom unpacked in the notion of ‘citizen journalism’ is its difference to ‘citizen media’ and ‘alternative journalism’, and the same applies to the convergence of ‘citizenship’ and ‘journalism’. This article examines these issues in general and in the light of experience at Grocott’s Mail newspaper in South Africa, which operates a project to encourage youth participation in media. The first phase of this initiative (2008–2009) highlighted how specifically mobile ‘citizen journalism’ raises issues about the meanings of journalism, citizenship, identity and a local public sphere, especially in a developing country context.
Between the newsroom and the pub: The mobile phone in the dynamics of everyday mainstream journalism practice in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mabweazara Hayes Mawindi
Published: September 2011

This article uses an ethnographic case-study approach to investigate the deployment of the mobile phone by Zimbabwean mainstream print journalists in the dynamics of their daily professional routines and practices. The study’s theoretical and conceptual framework draws on social constructivist approaches to technology and the sociology of journalism to provide a direction for conceptualizing the interplay between journalists, their immediate context of practice and the wider socio-political and economic milieu that collectively structure and constrain the appropriation of the mobile phone. The findings suggest that the technology has assumed a taken-for-granted role in the routine operations of journalists and, in particular, that it is redefining traditional newsmaking practices. The article concludes that the cultural and social appropriations of the mobile phone by Zimbabwean mainstream journalists suggest that the technology has acquired new meanings in the social context of its appropriation. Its pervasiveness in everyday life has facilitated the blurring of the boundaries between the work and the private life of journalists.