bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
G Protein-Coupled Receptor 39 Deficiency Is Associated with Pancreatic Islet Dysfunction
Authors: Holst Birgitte , Egerod Kristoffer L. , Jin Chunyu , Petersen Pia Steen , Østergaard Mette Viberg , Hald Jacob , Sprinkel A. M. Ejernaes , Størling Joachim , Mandrup-Poulsen Thomas , Holst Jens J. , Thams Peter , Ørskov Cathrine , Wierup Nils , Sundler Frank , Madsen Ole D. , Schwartz Thue W.
Published: February 2009

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)-39 is a seven-transmembrane receptor expressed mainly in endocrine and metabolic tissues that acts as a Zn++ sensor signaling mainly through the Gq and G12/13 pathways. The expression of GPR39 is regulated by hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1α and HNF-4α, and in the present study, we addressed the importance of GPR39 for glucose homeostasis and pancreatic islets function. The expression and localization of GPR39 were characterized in the endocrine pancreas and pancreatic cell lines. Gpr39(−/−) mice were studied in vivo, especially in respect of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and in vitro in respect of islet architecture, gene expression, and insulin secretion. Gpr39 was down-regulated on differentiation of the pluripotent pancreatic cell line AR42J cells toward the exocrine phenotype but was along with Pdx-1 strongly up-regulated on differentiation toward the endocrine phenotype. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that GRP39 is localized selectively in the insulin-storing cells of the pancreatic islets as well as in the duct cells of the exocrine pancreas. Gpr39(−/−) mice displayed normal insulin sensitivity but moderately impaired glucose tolerance both during oral and iv glucose tolerance tests, and Gpr39(−/−) mice had decreased plasma insulin response to oral glucose. Islet architecture was normal in the Gpr39 null mice, but expression of Pdx-1 and Hnf-1α was reduced. Isolated, perifused islets from Gpr39 null mice secreted less insulin in response to glucose stimulation than islets from wild-type littermates. It is concluded that GPR39 is involved in the control of endocrine pancreatic function, and it is suggested that this receptor could be a novel potential target for the treatment of diabetes.
Carbon Dioxide-Induced Anesthesia Results in a Rapid Increase in Plasma Levels of Vasopressin
Authors: Reed Brian , Varon Jack , Chait Brian T. , Kreek Mary Jeanne
Published: February 2009

Brief anesthesia, such as after exposure to high levels of carbon dioxide, prior to decapitation is considered a more humane alternative for the euthanasia of rodents, compared with use of decapitation alone. Studies of the levels of certain stress hormones in plasma such as corticosterone and ACTH have supported the use of this method of euthanasia in endocrinological and molecular studies. In the current study, rats were briefly exposed to a chamber filled with carbon dioxide until recumbent (20–25 sec), immediately killed via decapitation, and trunk blood collected; findings were compared with rats killed via decapitation with no exposure to carbon dioxide. RIAs were used to measure arginine vasopressin (AVP) and ACTH immunoreactivity (ir) in plasma. Whereas ACTH-ir levels remained steady after brief exposure to carbon dioxide (in accordance with results of other investigators), AVP-ir levels were increased by more than an order of magnitude. These results were confirmed by quantitative capillary-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, indicating this observation of rapid increase in plasma AVP-ir levels is not due to nonspecific recognition by the antibody used in the RIA. Likewise, using capillary-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we observed a rapid increase in plasma oxytocin levels after carbon dioxide exposure. These surprising findings have important implications for the design and interpretation of studies involving brief carbon dioxide exposure prior to decapitation as well as those with euthanasia resulting from carbon dioxide-induced asphyxiation.
Reinventing Tribal Mechanisms of Governance: The Emergence of Maori Runanga and Komiti in New Zealand Before 1900
Authors: O'Malley Vincent
Published: February 2009

Nineteenth-century Maori society responded to colonization in creative, flexible, and dynamic ways. This is seen clearly in the way in which mechanisms of tribal self-government were reinvented, mixing indigenous with exotic influences to establish new and much stronger bodies better suited to cope with the challenges confronting Maori in the new environment. Increasing Maori anxiety to prevent uncontrolled land alienation and the complete subservience to European society that many Maori feared saw runanga based on older tribal assemblies radically over-hauled to ensure ongoing communal control, while komiti, at first based on European models but increasingly indigenized over time, also became important institutions of governance. Occasional Crown attempts to co-opt such institutions for its own ends were largely unsuccessful. Runanga and komiti were instead, although ultimately unable to stem the tide of land alienation, of vital importance in ensuring the survival of the Maori as a distinct people.
Marriage Alliances among Colonial Mixtec Elites: The Villagómez Caciques of Acatlan-Petlalcingo
Authors: Chance John K.
Published: February 2009

Marriage alliances among governing families were an important instrument of political integration in Postclassic Mesoamerica, especially in Mixteca. Alliances among Mixtec nobles persisted during the colonial period, although after the sixteenth century, the caciques lost much of their political power to the gobernadores and indigenous town councils. This article investigates the significance of alliances among Mixtec caciques through the marriages of eight generations of the Villagómez family of Acatlan and Petlalcingo, from 1669 until the mid-nineteenth century. It argues that only the first of these marriages was politically strategic. Marriages in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries sought, instead, to consolidate the class position of the participants and to gain access to capital to further their economic interests.
Muscular and non-muscular contributions to maximum power cycling in children and adults: implications for developmental motor control
Authors: Korff Thomas , Hunter Elaine L. , Martin James C.
Published: February 2009

During submaximal cycling, children demonstrate a different distribution between muscular and non-muscular (gravitational and motion-dependent) forces when compared with adults. This is partly due to anthropometric differences. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that during maximum power cycling,children would construct the task (in terms of the distribution between muscular and non-muscular pedal power) similarly to adults. Eleven children(aged 8–9 years) and 13 adults (aged 20–40 years) performed a maximal isokinetic cycling task over 3 s at 115 r.p.m. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed no significant differences in normalized maximum, minimum and average positive non-muscular pedal power between children and adults(Wilks' λ=0.755, F3,20=2.17, P=0.124). Thus, maximum cycling is a developmental `self-scaling' task and age-related differences in muscular power production are not confounded by differences in anthropometry. This information is useful to researchers who wish to differentiate between muscular and non-muscular power when studying developmental motor control. In addition to the similarities in the distribution between muscular and non-muscular pedal power, we found age-related differences in the relative joint power contributions to total pedal power. In children, a significantly smaller proportion of total pedal power was generated at the ankle joint (6.1±5.4% for children and 12.6±3.2% for adults), whilst relatively more power was generated at the knee and hip joints. These results suggest that intermuscular coordination may be contributing to children's limits in maximum power production during multi-joint tasks.
Characterization of amphioxus nebulin and its similarity to human nebulin
Authors: Hanashima Akira , Kubokawa Kaoru , Kimura Sumiko
Published: February 2009

Identification of a large molecule in muscle is important but difficult to approach by protein chemistry. In this study we isolated nebulin cDNA from the striated muscle of amphioxus, and characterized the C-terminal regions of nebulins from other chordates. Although the sequence homology with that of human is only 26%, the C-terminal region of amphioxus nebulin has similar structural motifs of 35 amino acid nebulin repeats and an SH3 domain. Using in situ indirect immunofluorescence analysis with a specific antibody raised to the bacterially produced recombinant peptide, we identified that this nebulin fragment is located in the Z-line of the sarcomere, similar to human nebulin. Pull-down and co-sedimentation assays in vitro showed that the C-terminal region binds to actin, α-actinin and connectin(titin). These results suggest that the C-terminal region of amphioxus nebulin plays a similar role in maintaining striated muscle structure to that of human nebulin. This is the first report of the exact location of nebulin in amphioxus muscle.
Aerobic capacity and running performance across a 1.6 km altitude difference in two sciurid rodents
Authors: Chappell Mark A. , Dlugosz Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2009

Hypoxia at high altitudes is often assumed to constrain exercise capacity,but there have been few high- versus low-altitude comparisons of species native to a wide range of altitudes. Such studies are ecologically realistic, as wild-caught animals tested at their native altitude are presumably maximally acclimated (via phenotypic plasticity) or adapted (by evolutionary change) to that altitude. We compared aerobic performance, measured as maximum oxygen consumption in forced exercise(V̇O2,max), and voluntary wheel-running in two species of sciurid rodents captured and tested at field sites that differed in altitude by 1.6 km (2165 m versus3800 m). We found reduced V̇O2,max at 3800 m in least chipmunks (Tamias minimus) but no significant effect of altitude on V̇O2,max in golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus lateralis). Individuals of both species averaged several km day–1 in wheels. Most behavioral indices of voluntary running (including mean and maximum speeds,time spent running, daily running distance, and the number and duration of running bouts) were unaffected by altitude, even in the species with reduced V̇O2,max at high altitude. Metabolic rates during running and energy costs of transport differed to some extent across altitudes but in different ways in the two species. At both test sites, voluntary running by both species was almost exclusively at speeds well within aerobic limits. We conclude that substantial differences in altitude do not necessarily result in differences in aerobic capacity in small mammals and, even if V̇O2,max is reduced at high altitude, there may be no effect on voluntary running behavior.
Diverse cell-specific expression of myoglobin isoforms in brain, kidney,gill and liver of the hypoxia-tolerant carp and zebrafish
Authors: Cossins Andrew R. , Williams Daryl R. , Foulkes Nick S. , Berenbrink Michael , Kipar Anja
Published: February 2009

Myoglobin (Mb) is famous as a muscle-specific protein – yet the common carp expresses the gene (cMb1) encoding this protein in a range of non-muscle tissues and also expresses a novel isoform (cMb2)in the brain. Using a homologous antibody and riboprobes, we have established the relative amounts and cellular sites of non-muscle Mb expression in different tissues. The amounts of carp myoglobin (cMb) in supernatants of different tissues were just 0.4–0.7% relative to that of heart supernatants and were upregulated by two-to-four fold in liver, gill and brain following 5 days of hypoxic treatment. Brain exhibited both cMb proteins in western analysis, whereas all other tissues had only cMb1. We have also identified cells expressing cMb protein and cMb mRNA using immunohistology and RNA in situ hybridisation (RNA-ISH),respectively. Mb was strongly expressed throughout all cardiac myocytes and a subset of skeletal muscle fibres, whereas it was restricted to a small range of specific cell types in each of the non-muscle tissues. These include pillar and epithelial cells in secondary gill lamellae, hepatocytes, some neurones,and tubular epithelial cells in the kidney. Capillaries and small blood vessels in all tissues exhibited Mb expression within vascular endothelial cells. The cMb2 riboprobe located expression to a subset of neurones but not to endothelial cells. In zebrafish, which possesses only one Mb gene, a similar expression pattern of Mb protein and mRNA was observed. This establishes a surprisingly cell-specific distribution of Mb within non-muscle tissues in both carp and zebrafish, where it probably plays an important role in the regulation of microvascular, renal and brain function.
The design of a test rig and study of the performance and efficiency of a Tesla disc turbine
Authors: Hoya G P , Guha A
Published: February 2009

A Tesla disc turbine and a flexible test rig have been designed and manufactured, and experimental results are presented. An analysis of the performance and efficiency of the disc turbine is carried out. The design philosophy of the flexible test rig has been explained. Various complementary methods of measurement have been implemented and compared, and several operational experiences have been noted. A new simple method, the angular acceleration method, for measuring output torque and power in a Tesla turbine has been developed. This proved to be a successful method for overcoming the difficulties associated with the determination of very low torque at very high angular speed.
Reliable decentralized stabilization with performance
Authors: Lee P H , Soh Y C
Published: February 2009

This paper presents a systematic design methodology for reliable decentralized N-channel
Combustion in a heavy-duty direct-injection engine using hydrogen—methane blend fuels
Authors: McTaggart-Cowan G P , Rogak S N , Munshi S R , Hill P G , Bushe W K
Published: February 2009

Adding hydrogen to the fuel in a direct injection natural gas engine offers the potential significantly to reduce local and global air pollutant emissions. This work reports on the effects of fuelling a heavy-duty engine with late-cycle direct injection of blended hydrogen—methane fuels and diesel pilot ignition over a range of engine operating conditions. The effect of hydrogen on the combustion event varies with operating condition, providing insight into the fundamental factors limiting the combustion process. Combustion stability is enhanced at all conditions studied; this leads directly to a significant reduction in emissions of combustion byproducts, including carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and unburned fuel. Carbon dioxide emissions are also significantly reduced by the lower carbon—energy ratio of the fuel. The results suggest that this technique can significantly reduce both local and global pollutant emissions associated with heavy-duty transport applications while requiring minimal changes to the fuelling system.
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs: A Strategic Analysis
Authors: Amaldoss Wilfred , He Chuan
Published: February 2009

Consumers cannot purchase a prescription drug without a prescription from a physician, yet many prescription drugs are promoted to consumers with the help of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. In this paper, we propose and test a competitive model of DTC advertising. We find that the brand specificity of DTC advertising can have an inverted U-shaped relationship with detailing, DTC advertising, and profits. Furthermore, an increase in the cross-price sensitivity between competing prescription drugs is not always detrimental to firm profits. A laboratory test lends qualitative support to some of our model predictions. We also discuss potential implications of DTC advertising for generic drugs and over-the-counter drugs.
A Model for the Construction of Country-Specific Yet Internationally Comparable Short-Form Marketing Scales
Authors: de Jong Martijn G. , Steenkamp Jan-Benedict E. M. , Veldkamp Bernard P.
Published: February 2009

In the last few decades, the measurement of marketing constructs has improved tremendously. Our discipline has also started to systematically catalogue our measurement knowledge in influential handbooks of marketing scales. However, at least two important issues remain. First, existing scales are often too long for administration in nonstudent samples or in applied studies. Second, existing (U.S.-developed) scales may contain items that are not informative about the underlying construct in particular countries, whereas relevant items tapping into local cultural expressions of the construct in question may be missing. To address these issues, we propose a new model that yields country-specific yet fully cross-nationally comparable short forms of unidimensional marketing scales. The procedure is based on hierarchical item response theory and optimal test design. The procedure is flexible in the sense that the researcher can specify various constraints on item content, scale length, and measurement precision. Because our procedure allows inclusion of country-specific (or “emic”) items in standardized (or “etic”) scales, it presents an important step toward resolving the emic-etic dilemma that has plagued international marketing research for decades.
Understanding the Role of Trade-Ins in Durable Goods Markets: Theory and Evidence
Authors: Rao Raghunath Singh , Narasimhan Om , John George
Published: February 2009

The act of trading in a used car as partial payment for a new car resonates with practically all consumers. Such transactions are prevalent in many other durable goods markets, ranging from golf clubs to CT scanners. What roles do trade-ins play in these markets? What motivates the seller to set up a channel to facilitate trade-ins? Intuitively, accepting a trade-in would appear to stimulate demand for the producer's product, but facilitating the resale of these used goods that substitute for new goods might also increase cannibalization. Although such transactions involve billions of dollars, we know relatively little about this practice from the extant research literature.

This paper develops an analytical model that incorporates key features of real-world durable goods markets: (i) coexistence of new and used goods markets, (ii) consumer heterogeneity with respect to quality sensitivity, (iii) firms that anticipate the cannibalization problem arising from the coexistence of new and used goods, and (iv) lemon problems in resale markets, whereby sellers of used goods are better informed than buyers about the quality of their particular item.

In our analysis, a trade-in policy amounts to an intervention by the firm in the used goods market, which reduces inefficiencies arising from the lemon problem. It motivates owners to purchase new goods and reduces their proclivity to hold on to purchased goods because of the low price the latter would fetch in a lemon market.

We also show that trade-in programs are more valuable for less reliable products, as well as for products that deteriorate more slowly. Our analysis shows that producers in durable goods markets should consider trade-in programs as a matter of routine. Despite cannibalization concerns arising from a more active resale market, a producer's profits will inevitably rise from introducing trade-ins, given pervasive lemon problems. We test the key predictions of the model about price and volume of trade by assembling a data set of transactions of U.S. automobile consumers and find broad support for our model.
An Optimal Contact Model for Maximizing Online Panel Response Rates
Authors: Neslin Scott A. , Novak Thomas P. , Baker Kenneth R. , Hoffman Donna L.
Published: February 2009

We develop and test an optimization model for maximizing response rates for online marketing research survey panels. The model consists of (1) a decision tree predictive model that classifies panelists into “states” and forecasts the response rate for panelists in each state and (2) a linear program that specifies how many panelists should be solicited from each state to maximize response rate. The model is forward looking in that it optimizes over a finite horizon during which S studies are to be fielded. It takes into account the desired number of responses for each study, the likely migration pattern of panelists between states as they are invited and respond or do not respond, as well as demographic requirements. The model is implemented using a rolling horizon whereby the optimal solution for S successive studies is derived and implemented for the first study. Then, as results are observed, an optimal solution is derived for the next S studies, and the solution is implemented for the first of these studies, etc. The procedure is field tested and shown to increase response rates significantly compared to the heuristic currently being used by panel management. Further analysis suggests that the improvement was due to the predictive model and that a “greedy algorithm” would have done equally well in the field test. However, further Monte Carlo simulations suggest circumstances under which the model would outperform the greedy algorithm.
Contagion of Wishful Thinking in Markets
Authors: Seybert Nicholas , Bloomfield Robert
Published: February 2009

Prior research provides only weak and controversial evidence that people overestimate the likelihood of desirable events (wishful thinking), but strong evidence that people bet more heavily on those events (wishful betting). Two experiments show that wishful betting contaminates beliefs in laboratory financial markets because wishful betters appear to possess more favorable information than they actually do. As a consequence, market interaction exacerbates rather than mitigates wishful thinking. This phenomenon, “contagion of wishful thinking,” could be problematic in many settings where people infer others' beliefs from their behavior.
Coordination Mechanisms in Decentralized Serial Inventory Systems with Batch Ordering
Authors: Shang Kevin H. , Song Jing-Sheng , Zipkin Paul H.
Published: February 2009

This paper studies a periodic-review, serial supply chain in which materials are ordered and shipped according to (R,nQ) policies. Three information scenarios are considered, depending on the level of information available: echelon, local, and quasilocal. In the echelon scenario, each stage can access the inventory and cost information within its echelon (comprising the stage itself and all downstream stages); in the local scenario, each stage only accesses its own local information. Finally, in the quasilocal scenario, each stage knows its local information, plus the actual customer demands. We propose coordination schemes that regulate the stages to achieve the supply chain's optimal cost under each information setting. All these coordination schemes fit comfortably within an emerging practice called supply chain finance, which includes the organization and technology needed to implement them.
How do gelotophobes interpret laughter in ambiguous situations? An experimental validation of the concept
Authors: Ruch Willibald , Altfreder Olga , Proyer René T.
Published: February 2009

The present study was designed to examine the phenomenon of the fear of being laughed at. Three groups of adults, preselected with respect to: (1) having no fear of being laughed at, (2) being borderline with respect to the fear of being laughed at, and (3) being abnormally afraid of being laughed at (gelotophobic). All the subjects listened to tape recordings of laughter. These recordings of laughter reflected a variety of emotional qualities. The subjects rated these recordings according to several criteria and estimated the emotional-motivational state of the laughing person. The subjects were also shown 20 cartoons depicting social situations that involved laughter or the potential of someone's being laughed at and were asked to stipulate what a target person in the cartoon would think or say. It was shown that gelotophobes experienced positively motivated laughter as more unpleasant than did subjects in the non-gelotophobic groups. The gelotophobic group was also more prone to estimate that the laughing person was in a state of negative affect. Those with no fear of laughter and those on the borderline experienced an increase in mood level after the laughter perception task whereas the gelotophobes remained unaffected. Finally, in the semi-projective cartoon evaluation task, the gelotophobes gave more answers that expressed mockery and fear of being laughed at than the other subjects. The results of these experiments show that anomalies relating to individual subjects' degrees of fear of laughter (gelotophobia) exist and can be predicted by the measures described.
Intelligence and gelotophobia: The relations of self-estimated and Psychometrically measured intelligence to the fear of being laughed at
Authors: Proyer René T. , Ruch Willibald
Published: February 2009

The present article examines the relation between the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) and intellectual abilities (verbal, numeric, and spatial intelligence, memory and reasoning, vocabulary, and attention) and the self-estimation of one's own abilities. In a first study, N = 167 participants completed ability tests along with a subjective measure for gelotophobia. The results indicate that gelotophobia and intellectual abilities exist independently from each other. These results were replicated in a second study (N = 177) with an independently collected data set. In this study the participants also completed a form for the self-estimation of their own abilities. Though there was a tendency for lower self-estimations of their own abilities, the mean scores were not significantly different among groups of non-gelotophobes and participants with borderline, slight, and pronounced fear of being laughed at. However, the differences between psychometrically measured and self-estimated abilities showed that gelotophobes have a lower self-estimation of their abilities regarding general intelligence, vocabulary, and attention. Taken together the studies show that gelotophobia is not related to intelligence but that gelotophobes tend to have lower self-estimations of their own abilities and underestimate their true ability (i.e., psychometrically measured) by 6 IQ-points. The general pattern of low self-estimations of abilities in gelotophobes is discussed and whether this might be a useful starting point for the development of treatments for gelotophobia.
Extending the study of gelotophobia: On gelotophiles and katagelasticists
Authors: Ruch Willibald , Proyer René T.
Published: February 2009

In Ruch and Proyer (Humor: International Journal of Humor Research 21:47–67, 2008a), the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) was introduced as a new individual differences phenomenon. In this article, two new laughter-related concepts are presented: gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at) and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). The main aim of the present article was an empirical verification of these three concepts. Data analyses from a construction (N = 390) and a replication sample (N = 157) led to a three factor solution for the data comprising the three concepts. Intercorrelations among the three groups suggest that there is a negative correlation between gelotophiles and gelotophobes and a positive relation between gelotophiles and katagelasticists. The correlation coefficients, however, indicate that there is a relation but that the concepts are not interchangeable. A reliable and stable standard 45-item questionnaire (PhoPhiKat-45) and an economic short form of 30 items (PhoPhiKat-30) for the assessment of the three concepts are presented. Additionally, it was shown that, contrary to what had to be expected from early literature on gelotophobia, remembered experiences of having been laughed at by parents and peers in childhood and youth cannot be considered as major contributors to the development of gelotophobic symptoms as an adult (the same is true for gelotophilia and katagelasticism). However, gelotophobes tended to remember more events of having been ridiculed by their father. Suggestions for future research and conceptual developments are given.
Were they really laughed at? That much? Gelotophobes and their history of perceived derisibility
Authors: Proyer René T. , Hempelmann Christian F. , Ruch Willibald
Published: February 2009

The List of Derisible Situations (LDS; Proyer, Hempelmann and Ruch, List of Derisible Situations (LDS), University of Zurich, 2008) consists of 102 different occasions for being laughed at. They were retrieved in a corpus study and compiled into the LDS. Based on this list, information on the frequency and the intensity with which people recall being laughed at during a given time-span (12 months in this study) can be collected. An empirical study (N = 114) examined the relations between the LDS and the fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia), the joy of being laughed at (gelotophilia), and the joy of laughing at others (katagelasticism; Ruch and Proyer this issue). More than 92% of the participants recalled having been laughed at at least once over the past 12 months. Highest scores were found for experiencing an embarrassing situation, chauvinism of others or being laughed at for doing something awkward or clumsy. Gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism were related about equally to the recalled frequency of events of being laughed at (with the lowest relation to katagelasticism). Gelotophobia, gelotophilia, and katagelasticism yielded a distinct and plausible pattern of correlations to the frequency of events of being laughed at. Gelotophobes recalled the situations of being laughed at with a higher intensity than others. Thus, the fear of being laughed at exists to a large degree independently from actual experiences of being laughed at, but is related to a higher intensity with which these events are experienced.
Attitude toward Public Trust; the Discourses of Accountability and Transparency in Biobank Japan
Authors: Iwae Sosuke
Published: February 2009

Biobank research contains potentially a lot of ethical issues, because it usually involves large numbers of individuals. So, the necessity of establishing governance framework has been emphasized in biobank research. It can be said that the core of the governance policy is fostering public trust, which also consists of two significant components: accountability and transparency. In this article, I explored how the accountability and transparency have actually been interpreted in the governance framework of Biobank Japan through the interviews with people involved in the ELSI committee. However, it became clear that both factors have not been developed in Biobank Japan owing to the closed culture and independent monitoring body with little authority. Finally, I presented several policy suggestions on how to improve public trust.
A Rockfill Triaxial Cell with Suction Control
Authors: Chávez C. , Romero E. , Alonso E. E.
Published: February 2009

This paper describes the development of a new triaxial cell specifically built to test coarse granular material under partially saturated conditions. The partial saturation is achieved by imposing a total suction that is correlated with the relative humidity. Relative humidity control was achieved by water vapor transfer using a forced convection system, which is driven by an air pump transporting the air humidity to the sample, and it is controlled by saturated saline solutions placed in a vessel. A double-wall cell was designed to monitor global volume changes of the material on compression and shearing. In addition, the cell uses a novel technique to measure local axial and radial deformations. The use of both global and local measurements allows detecting experimental problems such as membrane penetration on isotropic compression and shearing, as well as membrane sliding on shearing at low confining stresses. Selected test results are presented to show the capability of the cell during isotropic compression and shearing made with strain and stress control. The results of the test with strain control show a nonlinear increase in strength and dilatancy of the material in relation to the decrease of the relative humidity. Also they have a tendency to reach the critical state, and it can be seen that such a critical state line is a function of the relative humidity. Under a constant deviator stress, a collapse test of the rockfill was carried out and the results showed that the deformation depends strongly on the time. Furthermore, it is larger than that produced by making a test under saturated conditions, commonly taken as final reference.
Captive Breeding of Endangered Yaqui Topminnow and Yaqui Chub for Recovery Purposes
Authors: Kline S Jason , Bonar Scott A
Published: February 2009

Yaqui topminnow Poeciliopsis occidentalis sonoriensis and Yaqui chub Gila purpurea, two federally endangered fishes from the Rio Yaqui basin (Arizona, USA, and Sonora, Mexico), were propagated by various methods. Propagation of Yaqui topminnow was attempted in aquaria and wading pools; the greatest number of offspring was produced in 556-L, plastic wading pools. We added substrate, artificial plants, and a vertical mesh barrier to create refuge for offspring. Fish were stocked when water was 19°C; after 1 month, when water temperatures exceeded 21°C, Yaqui topminnow started to produce young continuously. On average, 7.4 offspring/d were captured from four pools collectively. Yaqui chub were propagated in 189-L, glass aquaria. We manipulated photoperiod, diet, and substrate to induce spawning of Yaqui chub, but success was only achieved after the water was chilled to 17°C for 30 d and then adjusted to 21°C over 14 d. After the water was maintained at 21°C for 3 d, we covered the bottom of each aquarium with glazed ceramic tiles and a raised plastic grid to protect eggs from predation. Broadcast spawning of Yaqui chub occurred at night; the next morning, we retrieved the tiles and the attached eggs and placed them in incubation tanks. Yaqui chub eggs hatched over the next 5 d, and the hatching success rate averaged 83%. After this initial spawn, manipulation of water temperature was not required to induce spawning, as Yaqui chub spawned each time tiles were placed in the tanks. These methods worked well, and we recommend them for propagation of Yaqui topminnow and Yaqui chub.
Short term regulation of aldosterone secretion after stimulation and suppression experiments in mice
Authors: Spyroglou Ariadni , Manolopoulou Jenny , Wagner Sibylle , Bidlingmaier Martin , Reincke Martin , Beuschlein Felix
Published: February 2009

Aldosterone is synthesized acutely from the zona glomerulosa cells upon stimulation by the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system. Several enzymes are involved in this steroidogenic process including the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), P450 side chain cleavage enzyme (Cyp11a1), and aldosterone synthase (Cyp11b2) which has been demonstrated to be transcriptionally regulated by the nuclear transcription factors NGF1-B and Nurr1. We investigated the short time transcriptional regulation of these genes in wild-type mice at 10 min intervals for 1 h following application of 0.2 nmol angiotensin II (ANGII) or sodium chloride in comparison sham injections. Using real-time PCR a fast upregulation of adrenal Cyp11b2 expression (53±5% increase over baseline) could be observed 10 min after sham injection which was accompanied by a transient increase in aldosterone secretion while StAR and Cyp11a1 upregulation was delayed and more sustained. ANGII caused an increase of StAR and Cyp11a1 expression similar to that observed after sham injection while Cyp11b2 upregulation was more pronounced (10 min, 236±39%) and reflected ANGII induced stimulation of aldosterone output. Sodium challenge was followed by a sustained reduction of all three genes examined (Cyp11b2, 20 min, −63±6%) which was accompanied by a significant suppression of aldosterone secretion detectable after 60 min. While increases in NGF1-B mRNA levels were similar between the treatment groups, Nurr1 expression levels were induced only upon ANGII administration. These data suggest that acute regulation of aldosterone synthesis is accompanied by fast transcriptional modulation of steroidogenic enzymes and transcription factors that are likely to be involved in aldosterone secretion.
Persistence and sorption of fipronil degradates in urban stream sediments
Authors: Lin Kunde , Haver Darren , Oki Lorence , Gan Jay
Published: February 2009

Fipronil, an increasingly popular insecticide used for urban pest control, is known to readily transform into several degradates that generally have similar or greater toxicity to aquatic organisms than the parent compound. However, knowledge on the fate of these degradates in the environment is obscure. In the present study, degradation kinetics and sorption of desthiofipronil, fipronil sulfide, and fipronil sulfone were investigated in urban stream sediments. All degradates showed enhanced persistence in sediments compared to fipronil under facultative or anaerobic conditions. Under facultative conditions, the estimated half-lives of desthiofipronil, fipronil sulfide, and fipronil sulfone were 217 to 497, 195 to 352, and 502 to 589 d, respectively. Under anaerobic conditions, the corresponding half-lives were over one year in one sediment, while no detectable degradation occurred in the other two sediments after 280 d. Sorption isotherms of fipronil and its degradates in the sediments were linear, with mean KOC values of 802, 1,296, 3,684, and 3,543 L/kg for fipronil, desthiofipronil, fipronil sulfide, and fipronil sulfone, respectively, suggesting that the degradates generally have a higher sorption capacity than fipronil. Sorption coefficient Kd increased up to fourfold over 280 d, suggesting an aging effect on sorption. The inherent toxicity, long persistence, and strong sorption potential highlight the importance for a better understanding of the sediment toxicity of fipronil degradates in surface water bodies.
A Brief, Clinic-Based, Safer Sex Intervention for Heterosexual African American Men Newly Diagnosed With an STD: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Crosby Richard , DiClemente Ralph J. , Charnigo Richard , Snow Gregory , Troutman Adewale
Published: February 2009

Objective. We evaluated the efficacy of a brief, clinic-based, safer sex program administered by a lay health adviser for young heterosexual African American men newly diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Methods. Subsequent to STD diagnosis, eligible men (N = 266; aged 18–29 years) were randomized to either a personalized, single-session intervention (delivered by a lay health adviser) or standard of care. We conducted behavioral assessments at baseline and 3 months postintervention (retention was 74.1%). We also conducted a 6-month clinic record review.

Results. Compared to men randomized to the control condition, those receiving the intervention were significantly less likely to acquire subsequent STDs (50.4% vs 31.9%; P = .002) and more likely to report using condoms during last sexual intercourse (72.4% vs 53.9%; P = .008). They also reported fewer sexual partners (mean 2.06 vs 4.15; P < .001) and fewer acts of unprotected sex (mean 12.3 vs 29.4; P = .045). Based on a 9-point rating scale, men in the intervention group had higher proficiency scores for condom application skills (mean difference = 3.17; P < .001).

Conclusion. A brief clinic-based intervention delivered by a lay health adviser may be an efficacious strategy to reduce incident STDs among young heterosexual African American men.
HIV Prevention Technology Transfer: Challenges and Strategies in the Real World
Authors: Veniegas Rosemary C. , Kao Uyen H. , Rosales Ricardo , Arellanes Melissa
Published: February 2009

Objectives. We examined implementation of evidence-based interventions for HIV prevention at community-based organizations in Los Angeles County, CA.

Methods. We conducted 2 waves of interviews with 34 organization staff members. We analyzed activities reported by staff in the phases (preimplementation, implementation, and maintenance and evolution) and activities defined by the technology transfer model for evidence-based HIV prevention interventions.

Results. Staff members were able to select, adapt, and implement evidence-based HIV prevention interventions despite challenges in each phase of technology transfer. Preimplementation challenges included lack of information and poor fit between the interventions and organizations' clients. Implementation challenges included retention of participants across intervention sessions and staff turnover. A challenge in the maintenance and evolution phase was enhancing staff skills in outcome monitoring and cost analyses.

Conclusions. Technical assistance must be matched to the specific challenges found in each phase of technology transfer. Successful transfer of evidence-based HIV prevention interventions will depend on their continued uptake and use by organization staff. This study highlights directions for improving communications regarding appropriate modifications to these interventions and for organizational planning to continue adapted interventions.
Demographic Characteristics and Survival With AIDS: Health Disparities in Chicago, 1993–2001
Authors: Woldemichael Girma , Christiansen Demian , Thomas Sandra , Benbow Nanette
Published: February 2009

Objectives. We examined correlations between survival and race/ethnicity, age, and gender among persons who died from AIDS-related causes.

Methods. We estimated survival among 11 022 persons at 12, 36, and 60 months after diagnosis with AIDS in 1993 through 2001 and reported through 2003 to the Chicago Department of Public Health. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) by demographic and risk characteristics.

Results. All demographic groups had higher 5-year survival rates after the introduction of highly active retroviral therapy (1996–2001) than before (1993–1995). The HR for non-Hispanic Blacks to Whites was 1.18 in 1993 to 1995 and 1.51 (P < .01) in 1996 to 2001. The HR for persons 50 years or older to those younger than 30 years was 1.63 in 1993–1995 and 2.28 (P < .01) in 1996–2001. The female-to-male HR was 0.90 in 1993–1995 and 1.20 (P < .02) in 1996–2001.

Conclusions. The risk of death was higher for non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics than for non-Hispanic Whites. Interventions are needed to increase early access to care for disadvantaged groups.
Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity Attitudes in Relation to Self-Rated Health and Physical Pain and Impairment Among Two-Spirit American Indians/Alaska Natives
Authors: Chae David H. , Walters Karina L.
Published: February 2009

Objectives. We examined associations between racial discrimination and actualization, defined as the degree of positive integration between self-identity and racial group identity, and self-rated health and physical pain and impairment.

Methods. We used logistic regressions to analyze data from 447 gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other sexual-minority American Indians/Alaska Natives.

Results. Greater self-reported discrimination was associated with higher odds of physical pain and impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.13, 1.78); high levels of actualization were associated with lower odds of physical pain and impairment (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.35, 0.99) and self-rated fair or poor health (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.32, 0.90). Actualization also moderated the influence of discrimination on self-rated health (t = –2.33; P = .020). Discrimination was positively associated with fair or poor health among participants with low levels of actualization, but this association was weak among those with high levels of actualization.

Conclusions. Among two-spirit American Indians/Alaska Natives, discrimination may be a risk factor for physical pain and impairment and for fair or poor self-rated health among those with low levels of actualization. Actualization may protect against physical pain and impairment and poor self-rated health and buffer the negative influence of discrimination.
Risky Sexual Behavior, Bleeding Caused by Intimate Partner Violence, and Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Patients of a Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic
Authors: Russell Marcia , Chen Meng-Jinn , Nochajski Thomas H. , Testa Maria , Zimmerman Scott J. , Hughes Patricia S.
Published: February 2009

Objectives. We sought to investigate independent contributions of risky sexual behaviors and bleeding caused by intimate partner violence to prediction of HCV infection.

Methods. We conducted a case–control study of risk factors among patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic with and without HCV antibodies, group-matched by age.

Results. Multivariate analyses indicated that Black race (odds ratio [OR] = 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3, 4.4), injection drug use (OR = 20.3; 95% CI = 10.8, 37.8), sharing straws to snort drugs (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.01, 3.0), sharing razors (OR = 7.8; 95% CI = 2.0, 31.0), and exposure to bleeding caused by intimate partner violence (OR = 5.5; 95% CI = 1.4, 22.8) contributed significantly to the prediction of HCV infection; risky sexual behavior and exposure to blood or sores during sexual intercourse did not.

Conclusions. HCV risk among patients of a sexually transmitted disease clinic can be explained by direct blood exposure, primarily through injection drug use. Exposure to bleeding caused by intimate partner violence may be a previously unrecognized mechanism for HCV transmission associated with risky sexual behavior.
Evaluation of the Impact of News Coverage of an HIV Multiclass Drug–Resistant Cluster in Seattle, Washington
Authors: Kahle Erin M. , Barash Elizabeth A. , Page Libby C. , Lansky Amy , Jafa Krishna , Sullivan Patrick S. , Buskin Susan E.
Published: February 2009

Objectives. In February 2007, Public Health–Seattle and King County issued a press release describing a cluster of multiclass drug–resistant HIV cases among men who had sex with men (MSM). We evaluated the effect of the press release among MSM in the Seattle area.

Methods. We administered a rapid assessment survey at venues where MSM congregate. Eligible participants were men who had sex with men in the past year, were older than 18 years, and were residents of western Washington State.

Results. Among 325 participants, 57% heard or saw messages related to the press release. Of these, 87% remembered 1 or more key points, but only 5% remembered key prevention messages. Ninety-eight percent of participants thought it was important for the health department to get the message out about drug-resistant HIV.

Conclusions. The press release was found to be a useful and well-received method to inform the public about an HIV drug–resistant cluster. Low retention and nonprominent coverage of key prevention messages suggests that health departments using press releases as a prevention tool need to carefully consider placement and emphasis of those messages in a press statement.