bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
K+current changes account for the rate dependence of the action potential in the human atrial myocyte
Authors: Maleckar Mary M. , Greenstein Joseph L. , Giles Wayne R. , Trayanova Natalia A.
Published: July 2009

Ongoing investigation of the electrophysiology and pathophysiology of the human atria requires an accurate representation of the membrane dynamics of the human atrial myocyte. However, existing models of the human atrial myocyte action potential do not accurately reproduce experimental observations with respect to the kinetics of key repolarizing currents or rate dependence of the action potential and fail to properly enforce charge conservation, an essential characteristic in any model of the cardiac membrane. In addition, recent advances in experimental methods have resulted in new data regarding the kinetics of repolarizing currents in the human atria. The goal of this study was to develop a new model of the human atrial action potential, based on the Nygren et al. model of the human atrial myocyte and newly available experimental data, that ensures an accurate representation of repolarization processes and reproduction of action potential rate dependence and enforces charge conservation. Specifically, the transient outward K+current ( It) and ultrarapid rectifier K+current ( IKur) were newly formulated. The inwardly recitifying K+current ( IK1) was also reanalyzed and implemented appropriately. Simulations of the human atrial myocyte action potential with this new model demonstrated that early repolarization is dependent on the relative conductances of Itand IKur, whereas densities of both IKurand IK1underlie later repolarization. In addition, this model reproduces experimental measurements of rate dependence of It, IKur, and action potential duration. This new model constitutes an improved representation of excitability and repolarization reserve in the human atrial myocyte and, therefore, provides a useful computational tool for future studies involving the human atrium in both health and disease.
β1-Adrenergic receptors stimulate cardiac contractility and CaMKII activation in vivo and enhance cardiac dysfunction following myocardial infarction
Authors: Yoo ByungSu , Lemaire Anthony , Mangmool Supachoke , Wolf Matthew J. , Curcio Antonio , Mao Lan , Rockman Howard A.
Published: July 2009

The β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) signaling system is one of the most powerful regulators of cardiac function and a key regulator of Ca2+homeostasis. We investigated the role of βAR stimulation in augmenting cardiac function and its role in the activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) using various βAR knockouts (KO) including β1ARKO, β2ARKO, and β1/β2AR double-KO (DKO) mice. We employed a murine model of left anterior descending coronary artery ligation to examine the differential contributions of specific βAR subtypes in the activation of CaMKII in vivo in failing myocardium. Cardiac inotropy, chronotropy, and CaMKII activity following short-term isoproterenol stimulation were significantly attenuated in β1ARKO and DKO compared with either the β2ARKO or wild-type (WT) mice, indicating that β1ARs are required for catecholamine-induced increases in contractility and CaMKII activity. Eight weeks after myocardial infarction (MI), β1ARKO and DKO mice showed a significant attenuation in fractional shortening compared with either the β2ARKO or WT mice. CaMKII activity after MI was significantly increased only in the β2ARKO and WT hearts and not in the β1ARKO and DKO hearts. The border zone of the infarct in the β2ARKO and WT hearts demonstrated significantly increased apoptosis by TUNEL staining compared with the β1ARKO and DKO hearts. Taken together, these data show that cardiac function and CaMKII activity are mediated almost exclusively by the β1AR. Moreover, it appears that β1AR signaling is detrimental to cardiac function following MI, possibly through activation of CaMKII.
SAP97 regulates Kir2.3 channels by multiple mechanisms
Authors: Vikstrom Karen L. , Vaidyanathan Ravi , Levinsohn Susan , O'Connell Ryan P. , Qian Yueming , Crye Mark , Mills Jeffrey H. , Anumonwo Justus M. B.
Published: July 2009

We examined the impact of coexpressing the inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Kir2.3, with the scaffolding protein, synapse-associated protein (SAP) 97, and determined that coexpression of these proteins caused an approximately twofold increase in current density. A combination of techniques was used to determine if the SAP97-induced increase in Kir2.3 whole cell currents resulted from changes in the number of channels in the cell membrane, unitary channel conductance, or channel open probability. In the absence of SAP97, Kir2.3 was found predominantly in a cytoplasmic, vesicular compartment with relatively little Kir2.3 localized to the plasma membrane. The introduction of SAP97 caused a redistribution of Kir2.3, leading to prominent colocalization of Kir2.3 and SAP97 and a modest increase in cell surface Kir2.3. The median Kir2.3 single channel conductance in the absence of SAP97 was ∼13 pS, whereas coexpression of SAP97 led to a wide distribution of channel events with three distinct peaks centered at 16, 29, and 42 pS. These changes occurred without altering channel open probability, current rectification properties, or pH sensitivity. Thus association of Kir2.3 with SAP97 in HEK293 cells increased channel cell surface expression and unitary channel conductance. However, changes in single channel conductance play the major role in determining whole cell currents in this model system. We further suggest that the SAP97 effect results from SAP97 binding to the Kir2.3 COOH-terminal domain and altering channel conformation.
Dimethylthiourea normalizes velocity-dependent, but not force-dependent, index of ventricular performance in diabetic rats: role of myosin heavy chain isozyme
Authors: Yeih Dong-Feng , Yeh Hung-I , Hsin Ho-Tsung , Lin Lian-Yu , Chiang Fu-Tien , Tseng Chuen-Den , Chu Shu-Hsun , Tseng Yung-Zu
Published: July 2009

Hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide are involved in the pathogenesis of systolic dysfunction in diabetic rats, but the precise mechanisms and the effect of antioxidant therapy in diabetic subjects have not been elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a potent hydroxyl radical scavenger, on both force-dependent and velocity-dependent indexes of cardiac contractility in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced early and chronic diabetic rats. Seventy-two hours and 8 wk after STZ (55 mg/kg) injection, diabetic rats were randomized to either DMTU (50 mg·kg−1·day−1ip) or vehicle treatment for 6 and 12 wk, respectively. All rats were then subjected to invasive hemodynamic studies. Maximal systolic elastance (Emax) and maximum theoretical flow (Qmax) were assessed by curve-fitting techniques in terms of the elastance-resistance model. Both normalized Emax(Emaxn) and afterload-adjusted Qmax(Qmaxad) were depressed in diabetic rats, concomitant with altered myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition and its upstream regulators, such as myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF-2) and heart autonomic nervous system and neural crest derivatives (HAND). In chronic diabetic rats, DMTU markedly attenuated the impairment in Qmaxadand normalized the expression of MEF-2 and eHAND and MHC isoform composition but exerted an insignificant benefit on Emaxn. Regarding preventive treatment, DMTU significantly ameliorated both Emaxnand Qmaxadin early diabetic rats. In conclusion, our study shows that DMTU has disparate effects on Qmaxadand Emaxnin chronic diabetic rats. The advantage of DMTU in chronic diabetic rats might involve normalization of MEF-2 and eHAND, as well as reversal of MHC isoform switch.
Dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator inhibits phagocytosis of apoptotic cells with proinflammatory consequences
Authors: Vandivier R. William , Richens Tiffany R. , Horstmann Sarah A. , deCathelineau Aimee M. , Ghosh Moumita , Reynolds Susan D. , Xiao Yi-Qun , Riches David W. , Plumb Jonathan , Vachon Eric , Downey Gregory P. , Henson Peter M.
Published: July 2009

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutated CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and is characterized by robust airway inflammation and accumulation of apoptotic cells. Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) is a pivotal regulator of inflammation, because it prevents postapoptotic necrosis and actively suppresses release of a variety of proinflammatory mediators, including IL-8. Because CF is associated with accumulation of apoptotic cells, inappropriate levels of IL-8, and robust inflammation, we sought to determine whether CFTR deficiency specifically impairs efferocytosis and its regulation of inflammatory mediator release. Here we show that CFTR deficiency directly interferes with efferocytosis by airway epithelium, an effect that is not due to altered binding of apoptotic cells to epithelial cells or altered expression of efferocytosis receptors. In contrast, expression of RhoA, a known negative regulator of efferocytosis, is substantially increased in CFTR-deficient cells, and inhibitors of RhoA or its downstream effector Rho kinase normalize efferocytosis in these cells. Impaired efferocytosis appears to be mediated through an amiloride-sensitive ion channel, because amiloride restores phagocytic competency in CFTR-deficient cells. Finally, ineffective efferocytosis in CFTR-deficient cells appears to have proinflammatory consequences, because apoptotic cells enhance IL-8 release by these cells, but not by wild-type controls. Therefore, in CF, dysregulated efferocytosis may lead to accumulation of apoptotic cells and impaired regulation of the inflammatory response and, ultimately, may suggest a new therapeutic target.
A paradoxical protective role for the proinflammatory peptide substance P receptor (NK1R) in acute hyperoxic lung injury
Authors: Dib Marwan , Zsengeller Zsuzsanna , Mitsialis Alex , Lu Bao , Craig Stewart , Gerard Craig , Gerard Norma P.
Published: July 2009

The neuropeptide substance P manifests its biological functions through ligation of a G protein-coupled receptor, the NK1R. Mice with targeted deletion of this receptor reveal a preponderance of proinflammatory properties resulting from ligand activation, demonstrating a neurogenic component to multiple forms of inflammation and injury. We hypothesized that NK1R deficiency would afford a similar protection from inflammation associated with hyperoxia. Counter to our expectations, however, NK1R−/− animals suffered significantly worse lung injury compared with wild-type mice following exposure to 90% oxygen. Median survival was shortened to 84 h for NK1R−/− mice from 120 h for wild-type animals. Infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lungs was significantly increased; NK1R−/− animals also exhibited increased pulmonary edema, hemorrhage, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid protein levels. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was significantly elevated in NK1R−/− animals following hyperoxia. Furthermore, induction of metallothionein and Na+-K+-ATPase was accelerated in NK1R−/− compared with wild-type mice, consistent with increased oxidative injury and edema. In cultured mouse lung epithelial cells in 95% O2, however, addition of substance P promoted cell death, suggesting the neurogenic component of hyperoxic lung injury is mediated by additional mechanisms in vivo. Release of bioactive constituents including substance P from sensory neurons results from activation of the vanilloid receptor, TRPV1. In mice with targeted deletion of the TRPV1 gene, acute hyperoxic injury is attenuated relative to NK1R−/− animals. Our findings thus reveal a major neurogenic mechanism in acute hyperoxic lung injury and demonstrate concerted actions of sensory neurotransmitters revealing significant protection for NK1R-mediated functions.
Inhibition of mTOR attenuates store-operated Ca2+ entry in cells from endarterectomized tissues of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Ogawa Aiko , Firth Amy L. , Yao Weijuan , Madani Michael M. , Kerr Kim M. , Auger William R. , Jamieson Stuart W. , Thistlethwaite Patricia A. , Yuan Jason X.-J.
Published: July 2009

Pulmonary vascular remodeling occurs in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). One factor contributing to this vascular wall thickening is the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) and cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) in PASMC are known to be important in cell proliferation and vascular remodeling in pulmonary hypertension. Rapamycin is widely known for its antiproliferative effects in injured coronary arteries. Although several reports have suggested favorable effects of rapamycin in animal models of pulmonary hypertension, no reports have been published to date in human tissues. Here we report that rapamycin has an inhibitory effect on SOCE and an antiproliferative effect on PASMC derived from endarterectomized tissues of CTEPH patients. Cells were isolated from endarterectomized tissues obtained from patients undergoing pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE). Immunohistochemical analysis indicated high deposition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in tissue sections from PTE tissues and increased PDGF receptor expression. PDGF transiently phosphorylated Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and p70S6 kinase in CTEPH cells from CTEPH patients. Acute treatment (30 min) with rapamycin (10 nM) slightly increased cyclopiazonic acid (10 μM)-induced Ca2+ mobilization and significantly reduced SOCE. Chronic treatment (24 h) with rapamycin reduced Ca2+ mobilization and markedly inhibited SOCE. The inhibitory effects of rapamycin on SOCE were less prominent in control cells. Rapamycin also significantly reduced PDGF-stimulated cell proliferation. In conclusion, the data from this study indicate the importance of the mTOR pathway in the development of pulmonary vascular remodeling in CTEPH and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of rapamycin (or inhibition of mTOR) in these patients.
Pump Spectral Bandwidth, Birefringence, and Entanglement in Type‐II Parametric Down Conversion
Authors: Erenso Daniel
Published: July 2009

The twin photons produced by a type‐II spontaneous parametric down conversion are well know
as a potential source of photons for quantum teleportation due to the strong entanglement in polarization. This strong entanglement in polarization, however, depends on the spectral composition of the pump photon and the nature of optical isotropy of the crystal. By exact numerical calculation of the concurrence, we have shown that how pump photons spectral width and the birefringence nature of the crystal directly affect the degree of polarization entanglement of the twin photons.
Perspectives on Adipose Tissue, Chagas Disease and Implications for the Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Nagajyothi Fnu , Desruisseaux Mahalia S. , Jelicks Linda A. , Machado Fabiana S. , Chua Streamson , Scherer Philipp E. , Tanowitz Herbert B.
Published: July 2009

The contribution of adipose tissue an autocrine and endocrine organ in the pathogenesis of infectious disease and metabolic syndrome is gaining attention. Adipose tissue and adipocytes are one of the major targets ofT. cruziinfection. Parasites are detected 300 days postinfection in adipose tissue. Infection of adipose tissue and cultured adipocytes triggered local expression of inflammatory mediators resulting in the upregulation of cytokine and chemokine levels. Adipose tissue obtained from infected mice display an increased infiltration of inflammatory cells. Adiponectin, an adipocyte specific protein, which exerts antiinflammatory effects, is reduced during the acute phase of infection. The antiinflammatory regulator peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ(PPAR-γ) is downregulated in infected cultured adipocytes and adipose tissue.T. cruziinfection is associated with an upregulation of signaling pathways such as MAPKs, Notch and cyclin D, and reduced caveolin-1 expression. Adiponectin null mice have a cardiomyopathy and thus we speculate that theT. cruzi-induced reduction in adiponectin contributes to theT. cruzi-induced cardiomyopathy. WhileT. cruziinfection causes hypoglycemia which correlates with mortality, hyperglycemia is associated with increased parasitemia and mortality. TheT. cruzi-induced increase in macrophages in adipose tissue taken together with the reduction in adiponectin and the associated cardiomyopathy is reminiscent of the metabolic syndrome.
Common Variation in the Platelet Receptor
P2RY12
Gene Is Associated With Residual On-Clopidogrel Platelet Reactivity in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Interventions
Authors: Rudež Goran , Bouman Heleen J. , van Werkum Jochem W. , Leebeek Frank W.G. , Kruit Adrian , Ruven Hendrik J.T. , ten Berg Jurriën M. , de Maat Moniek P.M. , Hackeng Christian M.
Published: July 2009

Background—

The clinical efficacy of clopidogrel is hampered by a large interindividual variability in platelet inhibition. Polymorphisms in the
P2RY12
receptor gene have been suggested to contribute to this variability, but previous studies included a relatively small number of patients and incompletely covered the common variation in the
P2RY12
gene. The aim of this study was to comprehensively investigate the possible association between common variation in the entire
P2RY12
locus and the magnitude of residual on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity measured by 2 commonly used platelet function assays in a large cohort of patients.

Methods and Results—

A total of 1031 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease who were scheduled for elective percutaneous coronary interventions were enrolled. Platelet function was assessed by means of ADP-induced light-transmittance aggregometry and the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay. Six haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms were carefully selected to comprehensively cover the total common variation in the
P2RY12
gene and its flanking regulatory regions. Six common haplotypes were inferred from these haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (denoted A to F). Haplotype F was associated with significantly lower residual on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity compared with the reference haplotype A. The size of this effect per haplotype allele was approximately 5% aggregation in the ADP-induced light-transmittance aggregometry (
P
<0.05) and 11 P2Y12 reaction units in the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (
P
<0.05).

Conclusions—

Common variation in the
P2RY12
gene is a significant determinant of the interindividual variability in residual on-clopidogrel platelet reactivity in patients with coronary artery disease.
Sarcomere Mutations in Cardiomyopathy With Left Ventricular Hypertrabeculation
Authors: Dellefave Lisa M. , Pytel Peter , Mewborn Stephanie , Mora Bassem , Guris Deborah L. , Fedson Savitri , Waggoner Darrel , Moskowitz Ivan , McNally Elizabeth M.
Published: July 2009

Background—

Mutations in the genes encoding sarcomere proteins have been associated with both hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy. Recently, mutations in myosin heavy chain (
MYH7
), cardiac actin (
ACTC
), and troponin T (
TNNT2
) were associated with left ventricular noncompaction, a form of cardiomyopathy characterized with hypertrabeculation that may also include reduced function of the left ventricle.

Methods and Results—

We used clinically available genetic testing on 3 cases referred for evaluation of left ventricular dysfunction and noncompaction of the left ventricle and found that all 3 individuals carried sarcomere mutations. The first patient presented with neonatal heart failure and was referred for left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Genetic testing found 2 different mutations in
MYBPC3 in trans
. The first mutation, 3776delA, Q1259fs, rendered a frame shift at 1259 of cardiac myosin-binding protein C and the second mutation was L1200P. The frameshift mutation was also found in this mother who displayed mild echocardiographic features of cardiomyopathy, with only subtle increase in trabeculation and an absence of hypertrophy. A second pediatric patient presented with heart failure and was found to carry a de novo
MYH7
R369Q mutation. The third case was an adult patient with dilated cardiomyopathy referred for ventricular hypertrabeculation. This patient had a family history of congestive heart failure, including pediatric onset cardiomyopathy where 3 individuals in the family were found to have the
MYH7
mutation R1250W.

Conclusion—

Genetic testing should be considered for cardiomyopathy with hypertrabeculation.
High Incidence of the Cardiac Variant of Fabry Disease Revealed by Newborn Screening in the Taiwan Chinese Population
Authors: Lin Hsiang-Yu , Chong Kah-Wai , Hsu Ju-Hui , Yu Hsiao-Chi , Shih Chun-Che , Huang Cheng-Hung , Lin Shing-Jong , Chen Chen-Huan , Chiang Chuan-Chi , Ho Huey-Jane , Lee Pi-Chang , Kao Chuan-Hong , Cheng Kang-Hsiang , Hsueh Chuen , Niu Dau-Ming
Published: July 2009

Background—

Fabry disease is a treatable lysosomal storage disorder, which is often misdiagnosed or belatedly diagnosed.

Methods and Results—

To determine the disease incidence in the Taiwan Chinese population, a Fabry disease newborn screening study was initiated. A total of 110 027 newborns were screened by assaying the α-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) activity using dry blood spots. Low plasma α-Gal A activity and presence of a Fabry mutation was demonstrated in 45 neonates (3 females). Eight different mutations were identified, including 3 known missense mutations (R112H, A143T, and R356W), 4 novel missense mutations (G104V, M296L, G360C, and K391T), and one known intronic mutation (IVS4+919G→A). The IVS4+919G→A mutation was most common (82% of patients). A total of 20 maternal grandparents of infants harboring this intronic mutation were evaluated by echocardiography, mutation analysis and α-Gal A activity assay. The intronic mutation was found in 9 grandfathers and 11 grandmothers. Of these grandparents, 3 grandfathers (33%) but none of the grandmothers had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, 16 males who had been diagnosed with idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were screened by mutation analysis and α-Gal A activity; 4 (25%) showed deficient plasma α-Gal A activity in combination with the intronic mutation.

Conclusion—

We found an unexpected high prevalence of the cardiac variant Fabry mutation IVS4+919G→A among both newborns (≈1 in 1600 males) and patients with idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the Taiwan Chinese population. The early identification of undiagnosed patients allows timely therapeutic intervention providing a better clinical outcome.
Shrinking Merton
Authors: Turner Stephen P.
Published: July 2009

Agassi, Sztompka, Kincaid, and Crothers argue, in various ways, that Merton should not be held responsible for his published views on theory construction, and they provide psychological or strategic explanations for his failure to resolve issues with these views. I argue that this line of defense is unnecessary. A better case for Merton would be that theories in his middle-range sense were a nontechnical alternative solution to the problem of spurious correlation. Middle-range theory was not, however, a solution to the problem of diverse approaches. Merton also did not resolve the problems with his account of functionalism, and the problems undermine the claim that he had a distinctive “structural” approach all along.
Prometheus of the Revolution
Authors: Chang Liu
Published: July 2009

The development of modern education beginning in the late nineteenth century created a new type of educator—the public school teacher—in rural China. This article examines why rural school teachers turned out to be the vanguard of the Chinese communist revolution in the countryside. Most rural teachers, it shows, were young men in their twenties from humble farming families. Their age and background made them energetic and critical, and their training and profession made them the modern intellectual elite in rural villages and towns. But their poor living and working conditions did not live up to either their education or their expectations. This situation caused the radical and revolutionary ideas sowed in their minds during their professional training to take root. A large number of them thus joined the Communist Party and carried the torch of the urban-born communist movement into the countryside.
Nurse Satisfaction Using Insulin Pens in Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Davis Estella M. , Bebee Anne , Crawford LeaAnne , Destache Chris
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate nurse satisfaction using pen devices compared with vials/syringes to administer insulin to hospitalized patients with diabetes.

Methods

A quasi-experimental 1-group posttest only study design was utilized to distribute a satisfaction survey to 54 registered nurses in a community hospital after implementation of insulin pen devices from July 2005 to May 2006 on 2 medical-surgical floors. Nurses completed a voluntary, anonymous, self-administered, postassessment, investigator-developed survey asking about the number of years practiced as a nurse and experience administering insulin to patients. The survey also asked about insulin administration satisfaction questions comparing insulin pen devices to vials/syringes, and estimated time to teach patients to self-inject insulin using either delivery method during the study period.

Results

In comparison to vials/syringes, the majority of nurses agreed that insulin pens were more convenient, simple and easy to use, and an overall improvement compared with conventional vials/syringes. There were no insulin-related needlestick injuries using the insulin pens and safety needles.

Conclusion

Nurses were satisfied with multiple aspects of insulin pens compared with vials/syringes. Implementation of insulin pen devices does not increase nursing time spent to teach patients to self-inject insulin and does not increase insulin-related needlestick injuries.
Filial Piety and Psychosocial Adjustment in Hong Kong Chinese Early Adolescents
Authors: Leung Angel Nga-man , Wong Stephanie Siu-fong , Wong Iris Wai-yin , McBride-Chang Catherine
Published: July 2009

Is the Confucian concept of filial piety relevant for understanding contemporary Chinese children’s psychological well-being? This study of 231 Hong Kong Chinese fifth and sixth graders demonstrated that parental warmth and two facets of children’s filial piety belief were uniquely associated with life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social competence. Following the dual filial piety model, results distinguished children’s reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety beliefs. In particular, there were significant positive associations of reciprocal filial piety with life satisfaction and social competence and significant negative associations of authoritarian reciprocal filial piety with self-esteem and social competence, even statistically controlling for children’s ages, grade levels, and perceived parental warmth. Results suggested that children’s filial piety belief is a theoretically important aspect of Chinese values and beliefs that is uniquely associated with a variety of psychosocial adjustment variables and should be explored cross-culturally.
Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis of Change in Maternal Knowledge Over the Transition to Adolescence
Authors: Grundy Amber M. , Gondoli Dawn M. , Blodgett Salafia Elizabeth H.
Published: July 2009

Change in maternal knowledge over the transition to adolescence was assessed using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). In addition, maternal warmth, behavior control, and adolescent delinquency were considered as predictors of knowledge as well as time-varying covariates. Five years of self-report data were collected from 159 mothers and their early adolescents, beginning when the adolescents were in fourth grade. The results indicated that there was a significant mean decrease in maternal knowledge over time for both mother and adolescent reports. In addition, the data followed a quadratic trend, which was necessary to account for the slight increase in knowledge from T1 to T2. Maternal warmth, but not maternal behavior control, was a consistent predictor of the knowledge trajectory. Adolescent delinquency also predicted change in knowledge over time. Adolescent gender, mother’s T1 marital status, and change in mother’s marital status were not significant predictors. The study makes several important contributions, including examining knowledge across the transition to adolescence and considering a number of predictors of the knowledge trajectory.
Correlation of Throwing Mechanics With Elbow Valgus Load in Adult Baseball Pitchers
Authors: Aguinaldo Arnel L. , Chambers Henry
Published: July 2009

Background

Studies have shown that various biomechanical factors affect valgus extension overload during baseball pitching; yet, their relationships are not clearly defined, and factors such as trunk rotation and arm slot have not been investigated.

Hypothesis

The onset of trunk rotation, with other biomechanical variables that define sequential body motion, will significantly predict elbow valgus loading.

Study Design

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods

Sixty-nine adult baseball players pitched off an indoor mound during 3-dimensional motion analysis to measure whole body kinematics and kinetics at 240 Hz. Thirteen biomechanical variables were calculated and extracted for regression analysis to investigate their associations with elbow valgus load. A 2-way analysis of variance compared valgus torques between pitchers with 2 onsets of trunk rotation (before and after front-foot contact) and 2 arm slot positions (overhand and sidearm).

Results

Six biomechanical variables had significant correlations ( P < .02) with elbow valgus torque—with maximum shoulder external rotation, elbow flexion at peak valgus torque, and elbow valgus loading rate accounting for 68% of its variance. Reduced elbow valgus torques were associated with increased elbow flexion ( P < .01). Players who initiated trunk rotation before front-foot contact had significantly higher elbow valgus torques than did those who rotated afterward ( P = .02). Fourteen pitchers displayed a sidearm delivery and had significantly higher elbow valgus torques than did those with an overhand arm slot position.

Conclusion

Valgus torque at the elbow during baseball pitching is associated with 6 biomechanical variables of sequential body motion. A condition of late trunk rotation, reduced shoulder external rotation, and increased elbow flexion appeared to be most closely related to valgus torque. Sidearm pitchers appeared to be more susceptible than overhand pitchers to reduced elbow valgus torque.

Clinical Relevance

The biomechanical findings of this study offer scientific feedback for developing methods used to minimize the effects of valgus load on pitching-related elbow injuries.
Assessment of Differences Between the Modified Cincinnati and International Knee Documentation Committee Patient Outcome Scores
Authors: Agel Julie , LaPrade Robert F.
Published: July 2009

Background

Functional outcome questionnaires have become a common part of patient follow-up in the orthopaedic community. The modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective scale were designed to provide clinicians with information regarding a patient’s functional and clinical status after knee surgery.

Hypothesis

The functional outcome data reported on the modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System and the IKDC subjective questionnaire are equivalent.

Study Design

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods

Between 2000 and 2007, all patients with complex knee disorders seen in our orthopaedic clinic were prospectively followed and given simultaneously the modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System and the IKDC subjective questionnaires to report their functional outcomes. The total scores of each instrument were compared at each time of evaluation. As a measure of responsiveness, the standardized response means were calculated. A second within-patient analysis was also performed to determine if the results would be different when looked at by the patient.

Results

There were a total of 130 patients with a total of 444 modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System questionnaires and 462 IKDC subjective complete questionnaires included in the study. Overall total scores on both the modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System and the IKDC subjective questionnaires were equivalent in a population analysis. Overall total scores showed improvement in function over time from preoperative measurement through the 2-year follow-up. The individual patient analysis demonstrated that, for a specific patient, it was possible that up to 34% of the population would report a total score of more than 10 points difference, depending on the scale selected.

Conclusion

The modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System and the IKDC subjective rating questionnaires reported by patient population provide similar results. The practitioner who is not performing a population-based study but following individual patients for recovery will find that the individual questionnaires may offer different functional limitations. Individual differences were lost in the population means, with the approximate balance of positive and negative score differences masking the individual patient differences.
Injury Patterns in Division I Collegiate Swimming
Authors: Wolf Brian R. , Ebinger Alexander E. , Lawler Michael P. , Britton Carla L.
Published: July 2009

Background

In the last 25 years, it is estimated that over 42,000 male and female swimmers have competed at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I-A level. Despite the magnitude of these numbers, little is known about the epidemiology of collegiate swimming injuries.

Purpose

To describe the pattern of injuries incurred for one NCAA Division I collegiate men’s and women’s swimming team over 5 seasons.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

Musculoskeletal and head injuries reported in the Sports Injury Management System for a Division I swimming team from 2002–2007 were identified. Gender, body part, year of eligibility, position, stroke specialty, scholarship status, and team activity during which the injury occurred and lost time were recorded. Risk of injury was assessed relative to gender, stroke specialty, and year of eligibility.

Results

From 2002–2007, 44 male and 50 female athletes competed for the University of Iowa swimming and diving team. The overall injury rates were estimated as 4.00 injuries per 1000 exposures for men and 3.78 injuries per 1000 exposures for women. Thirty-seven percent of injuries resulted in missed time. The shoulder/upper arm was the most frequently injured body part followed by the neck/back. Freshman swimmers suffered the most injuries as well as the highest mean number of injuries per swimmer. A significant pattern of fewer injuries in later years of eligibility was also demonstrated. The relative risk (RR) for injury was higher among nonfreestyle stroke specialties (RR, 1.33 [1.00–1.77]). Injury most often occurred as a result of, or during, practice for all swimmers. However, 38% of injuries were the result of team activities outside of practice or competition, such as strength training. No significant relationship was found between occurrence of injury and gender or scholarship status. There was no significant relationship between body part injured and stroke specialty. An increased number of total injuries and an increased risk of injuries in freshman collegiate swimmers were found.

Conclusion

Particular attention should be given to swimmers making the transition into collegiate level swimming. These data also suggest that injury surveillance and potential prevention strategies should focus on the shoulder for in-pool activities and the axial spine for cross-training activities.
The Effect of Pitching Biomechanics on the Upper Extremity in Youth and Adolescent Baseball Pitchers
Authors: Davis J.T. , Limpisvasti Orr , Fluhme Derrick , Mohr Karen J. , Yocum Lewis A. , ElAttrache Neal S. , Jobe Frank W.
Published: July 2009

Background

Increased pitch counts have been linked to increased complaints of shoulder and elbow pain in youth baseball pitchers. Improper pitching mechanics have not been shown to adversely affect the upper extremity in youth pitchers.

Hypothesis

The correct performance of 5 biomechanical pitching parameters correlates with lower humeral internal rotation torque and elbow valgus load, as well as higher pitching efficiency, in youth and adolescent pitchers.

Study Design

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods

In sum, 169 baseball pitchers (aged 9-18) were analyzed using a quantitative motion analysis system and a high-speed video while throwing fastballs. The correct performance of 5 common pitching parameters was compared with each pitcher's age, humeral internal rotation torque, elbow valgus load, and calculated pitching efficiency.

Results

Motion analysis correlated with video analysis for all 5 parameters (P <. 05). Youth pitchers (aged 9-13) performing 3 or more parameters correctly showed lower humeral internal rotation torque, lower elbow valgus load, and higher pitching efficiency (P <. 05).

Conclusions

Youth pitchers with better pitching mechanics generate lower humeral internal rotation torque, lower elbow valgus load, and more efficiency than do those with improper mechanics. Proper pitching mechanics may help prevent shoulder and elbow injuries in youth pitchers.

Clinical Relevance

The parameters described in this study may be used to improve the pitching mechanics of youth pitchers and possibly reduce shoulder and elbow pain in youth baseball pitchers.
Morbidity Prevalence and Health Care Utilization Among Older Adults in India
Authors: Agrawal Gopal , Arokiasamy P.
Published: July 2009

India is experiencing accelerated demographic transition. The country will face the challenge of dealing with problem of population aging in the coming decades. Amidst socioeconomic consequences, health risks among older adults are rising rapidly especially on account of noncommunicable diseases. Given such background, this study assesses the pattern of disease burden, health care utilization, and their covariates for older adults in two selected states based on the 60th round of National Sample Survey (NSSO) data. The states in focus are Maharashtra, the state ahead in demographic transition, and Uttar Pradesh, the state lagging in this process. Correspondingly, the overall prevalence of noncommunicable diseases is higher in Maharashtra compared with Uttar Pradesh. Multivariate logistic regression estimates further show that both the morbidity and health care utilization rates are increasing among older adults. At the same time, substantial disparities are demonstrated in the pattern of morbidity prevalence and health care utilization among older persons by demographic and socioeconomic factors and between Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
Feminist Identity Among Latina Adolescents
Authors: Manago Adriana M. , Spears Brown Christia , Leaper Campbell
Published: July 2009

This study explores developing conceptions of feminism among Latina adolescents, their prevalence of feminist endorsement, and whether home environment and well-being are related to feminist identity. One hundred and forty Latina girls (Grades 9 to 12, M age = 15) wrote personal narratives of their understanding of feminism and whether they consider themselves feminists. The major themes that emerged in girls’ conceptions were notions of feminism either as equality, as femininity, as female empowerment, as bias, or as sexism. Results show older adolescents are more likely to define feminism with regard to group-based status differences and that opposition to female superiority is a common reason for rejecting feminism. Endorsement of an egalitarian-based definition of feminism was correlated with higher body image but was unrelated to self-esteem or parent education.
The Italian Role in the Construction of the Concept “Pole-Catholic”
Authors: Jurek Lidia
Published: July 2009

In considering the concept of “Pole-Catholic,” it might well be asked not if it had real grounds but in what circumstances it was constructed. Although the Polish national identity in its current shape was “Catholicized” mostly in the twentieth century, the previous age—the nineteenth century—as a time of constant struggle for political independence has been regarded as having the most formative effect on Polish national imagination. This article discusses an important moment in the construction of the concept “Pole-Catholic.” It shows that far before the idea of Roman Dmowski (from the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries), who claimed that only a Catholic was a good Pole, the strong identification of Polish nationalism with Catholicism had been insistently articulated by Polish conservative groups. The discourse of the Catholic Polish nation appeared in (and even dominated) the debate on the Italian Risorgimento. Between 1848 and 1871, discussing the Italian—papal conflict, the conservatives created their religious programme for Poland and took advantage of the popularity of the Italian national movement among Poles to promote it in their writings. Their equation of Polishness with Catholicism appeared to leave a strong trace in the formation of the Polish identity and continues to inform the way in which Poles are perceived nowadays.
Founding-Family Ownership and Firm Performance
Authors: Tsao Chiung-Wen , Chen Shyh-Jer , Lin Chiou-Shiu , Hyde William
Published: July 2009

The controversial findings of both high and low performance for family-controlled public firms offer a unique context in which to study the moderating role of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on founding-family ownership effects. In a sample of Taiwan-based public firms, founding-family ownership was found not to be associated with firm performance. However, when the level of HPWS facing family ownership was accounted for, the results showed that the relationship between founding-family ownership and firm performance is significantly negative for companies with lower levels of HPWS but is significantly positive for companies with higher levels of HPWS.
Field trip activity in an ancient gold mine: scientific literacy in informal education
Authors: Lima Alexandre , Vasconcelos Clara , Félix Natália , Barros José , Mendonça Alexandra
Published: July 2009

Considering informal education and field trips as important didactical elements that promote science and scientific literacy (to know, to understand, to apply science), this article presents the work carried out in the gold mines of Castromil (city of Paredes, Portugal), a region with an unquestionable richness in terms of geological heritage. The field trip involved 166 students, ranging from 10 to 21 years of age, and was organized according to Orion’s model. The evaluation of the field trip was observed in three aspects: i) the construction of scientific knowledge; ii) the quality of the activities performed; and iii) the promotion of environmental education. The results were obtained through a questionnaire applied to the participants, and interviews of the two monitors responsible for the field trip. The results allow us to conclude that Orion’s model was successfully applied in an informal field trip activity promoting scientific literacy.
The Mach-Planck debate revisited: democratization of science or elite knowledge?
Authors: Siemsen Hayo
Published: July 2009

Is scientific knowledge the domain of the intellectual elite or is it everyman’s concern, thus making the popularization of science a democratic activity integrally required of science itself? This is a question whose history extends back even longer than the enlightenment period. As technology starts to permeate every inch of daily life, the issues involved for our future development become more pressing and a matter of socio-political development. Dostoyevsky brought this to the point in a fictional dispute between a Great Inquisitor and Christ. This was also the subject of fierce scientific debates, the most prominent of which was probably the debate between Ernst Mach and Max Planck at the turn of the century, before the first world war, when the new Physics (quantum theory and relativity) was discovered and its relevance for our view of the world and our place in it was hotly discussed. For Mach, the job of popularization should rest with science - an informed public cannot be manipulated as easily by ‘pop science’. This article focuses on the mostly neglected political epistemological level of the debate, its sporadic later flare-ups in different places with different protagonists (Wagenschein, Wittenberg), and its relevance for the popularization of science today.
Popular press and forensic genetics in Portugal: Expectations and disappointments regarding two cases of missing children
Authors: Machado Helena , Santos Filipe
Published: July 2009

Two cases of missing children in Portugal ( Joana and Maddie) have recently highlighted the dilemmas and contingencies associated with the technology of “genetic fingerprinting” for forensic purposes in the context of criminal investigations. The purpose of this article is to analyze the popular press’s discourses and representations around forensic genetics in the context of those two highly mediatized criminal investigation cases. The symbolical construction and representation of forensic genetics by the media presents a form of public exposure to beliefs on forensic genetics’ characteristics and potential. These are blended with popular cultural contexts that are constructed with reference to images of a super-science which may carry consequences in the public understanding of forensic science. The media coverage of both cases and their actual disclosure resembles the patterns of a CSI effect, insofar as real science’s capabilities and limitations are placed against fictionalized representations of forensic science.
The framing of risk and implications for policy and governance: the case of EMF
Authors: Hom Anna Garcia , Plaza Ramon Moles , Palmén Rachel
Published: July 2009

The conceptualization of risk as objective, subjective, real or perceived has huge implications for its management as regards policy and governance. The sociological literature concerned with the science, technology and risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF) can be broadly divided into two main bodies of literature. The Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF) which sees risk as both an objective yet subjective phenomenon and the anthropological branch of Science and Technology Studies (STS) which stems from a more constructivist premise. These distinct bodies of knowledge frame the separate components of the EMF issue differently. Distinct attitudes to uncertainty and ignorance have huge implications for the subsequent governance of risk. How these two distinct bodies of knowledge consequently elaborate strategies of risk communication, public education and public participation gives us insight into the projected relationship between science and society, experts and laypeople, and technocrats and citizens.
Food labels as boundary objects
Authors: Eden Sally
Published: July 2009

This paper considers how consumers make sense of food labeling, drawing on a qualitative, empirical study in England. I look in detail at two examples of labeling: 1) food certified as produced by organic methods and 2) functional food claimed to be beneficial for human health, especially probiotic and cholesterol-lowering products. I use the concept of “boundary objects” to demonstrate how such labels are intended to work between the worlds of food producers and food consumers and to show how information is not merely transferred as a “knowledge fix” to consumer ignorance. Rather, consumers drew on a binary of “raw” and “processed” food and familiarity with marketing in today’s consumer culture to make sense of such labeling.