bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Times to Treatment in Transfer Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the United States
Authors: Nallamothu Brahmajee K. , Bates Eric R. , Herrin Jeph , Wang Yongfei , Bradley Elizabeth H. , Krumholz Harlan M.
Published: February 2005

Background—

Treatment delays in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) transferred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may decrease the advantage of this strategy over on-site fibrinolytic therapy that has been demonstrated in recent clinical trials. Accordingly, we sought to describe patterns of times to treatment in patients undergoing interhospital transfer for primary PCI in the United States.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed patients with STEMI undergoing interhospital transfer for primary PCI between January 1999 and December 2002 in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction. The primary outcome was “total” door-to-balloon time measured from time of arrival at the initial hospital to time of balloon inflation at the PCI hospital. Multivariable hierarchical models were used to assess the relationship of total door-to-balloon time with patient and hospital characteristics. Among 4278 patients transferred for primary PCI at 419 hospitals, the median total door-to-balloon time was 180 minutes, with only 4.2% of patients treated within 90 minutes, the benchmark recommended by national quality guidelines. Comorbid conditions, absence of chest pain, delayed presentation after symptom onset, less specific ECG findings, and hospital presentation during off-hours were associated with longer total door-to-balloon times. Patients at teaching hospitals in rural areas also had significantly longer times to treatment.

Conclusions—

Total door-to-balloon times for transfer patients undergoing primary PCI in the United States rarely achieve guideline-recommended benchmarks, and current decision making should take these times into account. For the full benefits of primary PCI to be realized in transfer patients, improved systems are urgently needed to minimize total door-to-balloon times.
High Prevalence of Viral Genomes and Multiple Viral Infections in the Myocardium of Adults With “Idiopathic” Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Kühl Uwe , Pauschinger Matthias , Noutsias Michel , Seeberg Bettina , Bock Thomas , Lassner Dirk , Poller Wolfgang , Kandolf Reinhard , Schultheiss Heinz-Peter
Published: February 2005

Background—

For a long time, enteroviruses have been considered to be the most common cause of acute viral myocarditis (MC), with possible transition from MC to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Recent investigations have shown, however, that other viruses are also frequently encountered in MC patients, suggesting that persistence of various virus species may play a pathogenic role in the transition from MC to DCM. The purpose of this study was to screen endomyocardial biopsies (EMBs) from patients with “idiopathic” DCM for the presence of viral genomes by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess the frequency of cardiac viral infections that may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods and Results—

EMBs were obtained for PCR analysis from 245 consecutive patients (median left ventricular ejection fraction, 35.0%; range, 9% to 59%). PCR and reverse transcription–PCR were performed to detect the genomic sequences of enterovirus (EV), adenovirus (ADV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), herpes simplex virus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), parvovirus B19 (PVB19), and influenza A and B viruses. Myocardial inflammation was assessed by histological and immunohistological analyses. Viral genomes could be amplified from EMBs of 165 (67.4%) of the 245 DCM patients: EV=23 (9.4%), ADV=4 (1.6%), PVB19=126 (51.4%), HHV-6=53 (21.6%), EBV=5 (2.0%), HCMV=2 (0.8%), including n=45 cases (27.3%) with multiple infections. Active or borderline myocarditis according to the Dallas classification did not exist in any case. Lymphocyte and macrophage infiltrates were not significantly different in virus-positive versus virus-negative patients.

Conclusions—

Viral genomes were frequently detected in EMBs of patients with systolic left ventricular dysfunction. Our data suggest that myocardial persistence of various viruses, often presenting as multiple infections, may play a role in the pathogenesis of DCM far more frequently than suspected so far.
Novel Mutation in the Per-Arnt-Sim Domain of KCNH2 Causes a Malignant Form of Long-QT Syndrome
Authors: Rossenbacker Tom , Mubagwa Kanigula , Jongbloed Roselie J. , Vereecke Johan , Devriendt Koen , Gewillig Marc , Carmeliet Edward , Collen Désiré , Heidbüchel Hein , Carmeliet Peter
Published: February 2005

Background—

It has been proposed that the highest risk for cardiac events in patients with long-QT syndrome subtype 2 (LQT2) is related to mutations in the pore region of the KCNH2 channel. It has also been suggested that a subpopulation of LQT2 patients may benefit from pharmacological therapy with modified KCNH2 channel–blocking drugs.

Methods and Results—

In a large LQT2 family (n=33), we have identified a novel nonpore missense mutation (K28E) in the Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain of the KCNH2 channel associated with a malignant phenotype: One third of the suspected gene carriers experienced a major cardiac event. Wild-type and K28E-KCNH2 channels were transiently transfected in HEK293 cells. For the mutant channel, whole-cell patch-clamp analysis showed a reduced current density, a negative shift of voltage-dependent channel availability, and an increased rate of deactivation. Western blot analysis and confocal imaging revealed a trafficking deficiency for the mutant channel that could be rescued by the K
+
channel blocker E-4031. In cells containing both wild-type and mutant channels, deactivation kinetics were normal. In these cells, reduced current density was restored with E-4031.

Conclusions—

Our data suggest that besides pore mutations, mutations in the PAS domain may also exhibit a malignant outcome. Pharmacological restoration of current density is promising as a mutation-specific therapy for patients carrying this trafficking-defective mutant.
Fenofibrate Prevents the Development of Angiotensin II–Dependent Hypertension in Mice
Authors: Vera Trinity , Taylor Montoya , Bohman Quinn , Flasch Averia , Roman Richard J. , Stec David E.
Published: February 2005

Previous studies have indicated that the production of 20-hydroxyecisatatraenoic acid (20-HETE) is similar in the liver of C57/B6 mice and rats, but the renal production of 20-HETE is very low in this strain of mice. The present study examined the effects of induction of the renal production of 20-HETE with fenofibrate (FF) on the development of angiotensin II (Ang II)–dependent hypertension in C57BL/6J mice. The mice were divided into 4 groups and treated with vehicle (control), FF (90 mg/kg per day, IP), Ang II (1000 ng/kg per minute, SC), and Ang II plus FF. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) averaged 109±4 and 106±2 mm Hg in control and FF-treated mice (n=7). MAP was significantly increased in the Ang II-treated mice to 144±4 mm Hg (n=7). However, FF treatment prevented the development of Ang II–dependent hypertension, with MAP averaging 115±5 mm Hg in mice treated with both Ang II plus FF (n=7). Renal production of 20-HETE was very low in control (n=7) and Ang II-treated (n=7) mice and was increased by >2-fold in FF-treated (n=7) and Ang II plus FF-treated (n=7) mice. The levels of Cyp4A proteins were markedly increased in the kidneys of mice treated with FF and Ang II plus FF but not in the renal vasculature. These results suggest that upregulation of the production of 20-HETE in renal tubules may contribute to the blood pressure-lowering effects of FF treatment in Ang II–dependent hypertension in C57BL/6J mice.
Dietary Protein Source Determines the Degree of Hypertension and Renal Disease in the Dahl Salt-Sensitive Rat
Authors: Mattson David L. , Meister Carla J. , Marcelle Michelle L.
Published: February 2005

Previous studies demonstrated that a whole-grain diet attenuated sodium-dependent hypertension and renal disease in Dahl salt-sensitive rats from the colony at the Medical College of Wisconsin (Dahl SS/Mcw rats) compared with rats maintained on a purified AIN-76A diet. The present experiments determined which component(s) of the grain diet prevented renal and cardiovascular disease. Male SS/Mcw rats were maintained on isocaloric diets identical to AIN-76A, except the source of protein (wheat gluten for casein), carbohydrate (wheat flour for sucrose), or fat (soybean oil for corn oil) was substituted in separate diets. Rats were maintained on the different diets from weaning and studied after 3 weeks on a high-salt (4.0% NaCl) diet. Substitution of the carbohydrate in the diet did not affect body weight, arterial pressure, or renal disease. Replacement of casein with wheat gluten significantly reduced body weight (258±7 versus 353±3 grams), mean arterial pressure (133±2 versus 153±2 mm Hg), and albumin excretion (9±1 versus 50±7 mg/d) to levels of rats fed the whole-grain diet (n=7 to 16/group). Replacement of the fat in the diet increased arterial pressure without affecting body weight or albumin excretion. The results of the present study indicate that dietary components other than sodium play an important role in the development of hypertension and renal disease in the Dahl SS/Mcw rat.
Central Neuropeptide Y Signaling Ameliorates
N
(ω)-Nitro-
l
-Arginine Methyl Ester Hypertension in the Rat Through a Y1 Receptor Mechanism
Authors: Michalkiewicz Mieczyslaw , Zhao Guiqing , Jia Zhen , Michalkiewicz Teresa , Racadio Mae J.
Published: February 2005

Neuropeptide Y is a potent inhibitory neurotransmitter expressed in the central neurons that control blood pressure. NO also serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and its deficit causes sympathetic overactivity, which then contributes to hypertension. This study tested the hypothesis that neuropeptide Y functions as a central neurotransmitter to lower blood pressure, therefore its increased signaling ameliorates hypertension induced by NO deficiency. Conscious neuropeptide Y transgenic male rats, overexpressing the peptide under its natural promoter, and nontransgenic littermates (controls) were used in this study. Neuropeptide Y, Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP3226, or vehicle (saline) were administered continuously for 14 days into the cerebral lateral ventricle in unrestrained animals using osmotic pumps. Blood pressure was measured by radiotelemetry. Compared with control animals, transgenic overexpression of neuropeptide Y significantly ameliorated (by 9.7±1.5 mm Hg) NO deficiency hypertension (induced by administration of
N
(ω)-nitro-
l
-arginine methyl ester in the drinking water). This hypotensive effect of neuropeptide Y upregulation was associated with reduced proteinuria and cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Central administration of neuropeptide Y in nontransgenic rats also reduced (by 10.2±1.6 mm Hg) the NO deficiency hypertension, whereas a neuropeptide Y1 receptor antagonist centrally administered in the transgenic subjects during NO deficiency hypertension completely attenuated the depressor effect of neuropeptide Y upregulation. Thus, acting at the level of the central nervous system distinctively via a Y1 receptor–mediated mechanism, endogenous neuropeptide Y exerted a potent antihypertensive function, and its enhanced signaling ameliorated NO deficiency hypertension.
Hyperaldosteronism and Hypertension
Authors: Grim Clarence E. , Cowley Allen W. , Hamet Pavel , Gaudet Daniel , Kaldunski Mary L. , Kotchen Jane Morley , Krishnaswami Shanthi , Pausova Zdenka , Roman Richard , Tremblay Johanne , Kotchen Theodore A.
Published: February 2005

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relationship between aldosterone and blood pressure in a total of 220 normotensive and 293 essential hypertensive subjects in 2 genetically distinct populations—blacks and white French Canadians. The 24-hour blood pressure monitoring was performed under standardized conditions after discontinuing antihypertensive medications. Plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone were measured in the supine position and after standing for 10 minutes. Plasma atrial natriuretic factor was also measured. Supine and standing plasma renin activities were lower (
P
≤0.01), plasma aldosterone was higher (
P
<0.0001), and the aldosterone/renin ratios were higher (
P
<0.0001) in the hypertensive subjects. Atrial natriuretic factor was also higher in the hypertensive subjects (
P
<0.0001). Among blacks, blood pressures did not correlate with plasma renin activity. However, both average daytime and nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressures were correlated with supine and standing plasma aldosterone and with the aldosterone/renin ratio (
P
<0.005 or less). In French Canadians, blood pressures tended to be positively correlated with standing plasma renin activity and aldosterone, but not with the aldosterone/renin ratio. Correlations of blood pressure with aldosterone were more consistent and more striking in blacks than in French Canadians. In both ethnic groups, there were inconsistent correlations of blood pressure with atrial natriuretic factor. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that aldosterone-induced volume expansion is an important contributor to hypertension, especially in blacks.
Involvement of Aldosterone and Mineralocorticoid Receptors in Rat Mesangial Cell Proliferation and Deformability
Authors: Nishiyama Akira , Yao Li , Fan Yuyan , Kyaw Moe , Kataoka Noriyuki , Hashimoto Ken , Nagai Yukiko , Nakamura Emi , Yoshizumi Masanori , Shokoji Takatomi , Kimura Shoji , Kiyomoto Hideyasu , Tsujioka Katsuhiko , Kohno Masakazu , Tamaki Toshiaki , Kajiya Fumihiko , Abe Youichi
Published: February 2005

We demonstrated recently that chronic administration of aldosterone to rats induces glomerular mesangial injury and activates mitogen-activated protein kinases including extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). We also observed that the aldosterone-induced mesangial injury and ERK1/2 activation were prevented by treatment with a selective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist, eplerenone, suggesting that the glomerular mesangium is a potential target for injuries induced by aldosterone via activation of MR. In the present study, we investigated whether MR is expressed in cultured rat mesangial cells (RMCs) and involved in aldosterone-induced RMC injury. MR expression and localization were evaluated by Western blotting analysis and fluorolabeling methods. Cell proliferation and micromechanical properties were determined by [
3
H]-thymidine uptake measurements and a nanoindentation technique using an atomic force microscope cantilever, respectively. ERK1/2 activity was measured by Western blotting analysis with an anti-phospho–ERK1/2 antibody. Protein expression and immunostaining revealed that MR was abundant in the cytoplasm of RMCs. Aldosterone (1 to 100 nmol/L) dose-dependently activated ERK1/2 in RMCs with a peak at 10 minutes. Pretreatment with eplerenone (10 μmol/L) significantly attenuated aldosterone-induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Aldosterone (100 nmol/L) treatment for 30 hours increased [
3
H]-thymidine incorporation and decreased the elastic modulus, indicating cellular proliferative and deforming effects of aldosterone, respectively. These aldosterone-induced changes in cellular characteristics were prevented by pretreatment with eplerenone or an ERK (MEK) inhibitor, PD988059 (100 μmol/L). The results indicate that aldosterone directly induces RMC proliferation and deformability through MR and ERK1/2 activation, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of glomerular mesangial injury.
Genomic Susceptibility Loci for Brain Atrophy in Hypertensive Sibships From the GENOA Study
Authors: Turner Stephen T. , Fornage Myriam , Jack Clifford R. , Mosley Thomas H. , Kardia Sharon L. R. , Boerwinkle Eric , de Andrade Mariza
Published: February 2005

We measured 366 microsatellite markers genome-wide to search for loci contributing to subcortical white matter ischemic damage (leukoariosis) and brain atrophy in 488 non-Hispanic white subjects (193 men, 295 women; mean age±SD=64.1±7.7 years; 79% hypertensive) from 223 sibships recruited through ≥2 members with essential hypertension diagnosed before age 60. Leukoariosis was quantitated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), brain atrophy by the difference between intracranial and brain volumes, and calculated mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure provided measures of steady-state level and pulsatile components of blood pressure. After adjustment for sex and age, variance components models estimated significant heritability of leukoariosis (0.72), brain atrophy (0.52), mean arterial pressure (0.084), and pulse pressure (0.294) (
P
<0.0001 for each trait). Univariate maximum logarithm of odds scores (MLS) were observed for leukoariosis on chromosome 5 (MLS=1.91;
P
=0.00150); for brain atrophy on 1q and 17p (MLS=2.76,
P
=0.00018); for mean arterial pressure on 11p (MLS=1.57;
P
=0.00354); and for pulse pressure on 11p (MLS=3.02;
P
=0.00070). Bivariate linkage analyses provided evidence of loci with pleiotropic effects on brain atrophy and pulse pressure on chromosomes 11p (MLS = 5.07 at 16 cM;
P
=0.00001) and 16q (MLS of 4.56 at 124 cM;
P
=0.00003). These results demonstrate usefulness of multivariate linkage analyses to detect loci with pleiotropic effects on genetically correlated traits and suggest overlap between the genes influencing blood pressure and those contributing to brain atrophy.
Hypertension Genes Are Genetic Markers for Insulin Sensitivity and Resistance
Authors: Guo Xiuqing , Cheng Suzanne , Taylor Kent D. , Cui Jinrui , Hughes Randall , Quiñones Manuel J. , Bulnes-Enriquez Isabel , De La Rosa Roxana , Aurea George , Yang Huiying , Hsueh Willa , Rotter Jerome I
Published: February 2005

Insulin resistance is a determinant of blood pressure variation and risk factor for hypertension. Because insulin resistance and blood pressure cosegregate in Mexican American families, we thus investigated the association between variations in 9 previously reported hypertension genes (
ACE, AGT, AGTRI, ADDI, NPPA, ADDRB2, SCNN1A, GNB3
, and
NOS3
) and insulin resistance. Families were ascertained via a coronary artery disease proband in the Mexican American Coronary Artery Disease Project. Individuals from 100 Mexican American families (n=656) were genotyped for 14 polymorphisms in the 9 genes and all adult offspring and offspring spouses were phenotyped for insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (n=449).
AGT
M235T and
NOS3
A(−922)G and E298D polymorphisms were significantly associated with insulin sensitivity (
P
=0.018, 0.036, 0.039) but were not significant after adjusting for body mass index.
ADD1
G460W was associated with insulin sensitivity only after adjusting for body mass index. The
NPPA
T2238C and
SCNN1A
A663T were associated with decreased fasting insulin levels after adjusting for body mass index (
P
=0.015 and 0.028). In conclusion,
AGT
,
NOS3
,
NPPA
,
ADRB2
,
ADD1
, and
SCNN1A
may well be genetic markers for insulin resistance, and adiposity was a potential modifier for only some gene/trait combinations. Our data support the hypothesis that genes in the blood pressure pathway may play a role in insulin resistance in Mexican Americans.
Angiotensin II Increases H
+
-ATPase B1 Subunit Expression in Medullary Collecting Ducts
Authors: Valles Patricia , Wysocki Jan , Salabat Mohammed Reza , Cokic Ivan , Ye Minghao , LaPointe Michael S. , Batlle Daniel
Published: February 2005

Metabolic alkalosis is a common feature of hypokalemic hypertensive syndromes associated with angiotensin II excess. The alkalosis-generating effect of angiotensin II is usually ascribed to its stimulatory effect on aldosterone secretion, a hormone that upregulates collecting duct hydrogen ion secretion. We studied the effect of angiotensin II infusions on the expression of B1 and a4 protein, subunits of the renal H
+
-ATPase in adrenalectomized rats. Adrenalectomized rats were given either angiotensin II or vehicle for 7 days via osmotic mini-pumps. H
+
-ATPase B1 protein expression was evaluated by Western blot analysis in isolated medulla and cortex plasma membrane preparations from one kidney, whereas the contralateral kidney was used for immunostaining. By Western blotting, the relative abundance of B1 protein was 2-fold higher in renal medulla membranes from rats with intact adrenal glands (sham surgery) than from adrenalectomized rats (219±47%, n=12;
P
<0.05). In contrast to renal medulla, adrenalectomy did not significantly alter the relative abundance of B1 protein in renal cortex. Angiotensin II also did not significantly alter the relative levels of B1 protein in the cortex, but it increased it significantly in renal medullary membranes (231±56%, n=8;
P
<0.005). Moreover, enhanced H
+
-ATPase B1 subunit protein immunoreactivity was found in medullary collecting duct segments of rats infused with angiotensin II. In contrast to B1, expression of a4, another subunit of the H
+
-ATPase was not altered by adrenalectomy or angiotensin II. We conclude that adrenalectomy decreases whereas angiotensin II increases H
+
-ATPase B1 subunit expression in medullary, but not in cortical collecting ducts. By increasing the relative abundance of the B1 subunit of H
+
-ATPase in the collecting duct, angiotensin II excess may lead to increased hydrogen ion secretion and thus metabolic alkalosis—a common feature of hypertensive syndromes associated with angiotensin II overactivity.
Reverse Epidemiology of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Death in the Hemodialysis Population
Authors: Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar , Kilpatrick Ryan D. , McAllister Charles J. , Greenland Sander , Kopple Joel D.
Published: February 2005

Maintenance hemodialysis patients in the United States have a high prevalence (≈80%) of systolic hypertension and a high mortality (≈20% per year). Some reports indicate a paradoxical association between hypertension and morality in hemodialysis patients (ie, a normal to low blood pressure is associated with poor outcome), whereas high pressure confers survival advantages, a phenomenon referred to as “reverse epidemiology.” We hypothesized that malnutrition-inflammation complex syndrome may be a cause of this paradoxical association. We studied a 15-month cohort of 40 933 hemodialysis patients in the United States whose predialysis and postdialysis blood pressure values were recorded routinely during each hemodialysis treatment. Patients were 59.8±15.3 years old; 54% were women and 46% diabetics. Cox proportional hazard models were used for blood pressure categories (systolic <110, ≥190 mm Hg; diastolic <50, ≥110; and increments of 10 mm Hg in between). Unadjusted, case-mix and dialysis dose–adjusted, and additional malnutrition-inflammation–adjusted hazard ratios of all-cause and cardiovascular death showed progressively increasing all-cause and cardiovascular death risk for decreasing blood pressure values. The lowest mortality was associated with predialysis systolic pressure of 160 to 189 mm Hg, whereas normal to low predialysis pressure values were associated with significantly increased mortality. Adjustment for the malnutrition-inflammation mitigated only a small portion of paradoxical associations between the low blood pressure and mortality. Predialysis systolic hypertension remained a significant predictor of highest all-cause and cardiovascular survival rate. Although these associations may not be causal, they call into question whether treatment goals for the general population can be applied to dialysis patients or other similar populations.
Synthetic Salusins as Cardiac Depressors in Rat
Authors: Izumiyama Hajime , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Egi Koso , Sunamori Makoto , Hirata Yukio , Shichiri Masayoshi
Published: February 2005

Using bioinformatic analyses of full-length, enriched human cDNA libraries, we recently identified salusins, multifunctional related peptides ubiquitously expressed in major human tissues. Salusins cause transient and profound hypotension when injected intravenously to rats, the hypotensive effect of salusin-β being especially striking. However, the mechanisms of this hypotensive action remain elusive. To determine whether salusins modulate cardiac function in rats, we studied serial changes of systemic hemodynamics and functions of isolated perfused working and nonworking hearts before and after salusin administration. Intravenous salusin-β administration to intact anesthetized rats caused a temporary rapid, profound decrease in aortic blood flow concomitantly with hypotension and bradycardia without affecting systemic vascular resistance. Salusin-β-induced hypotension and bradycardia were completely blocked by pretreatment with atropine, a muscarinic receptor antagonist, but not by propranolol. In isolated perfused working rat hearts, salusin-β significantly decreased cardiac output, aortic flow, and stroke work. However, it did not affect coronary flow in isolated working and nonworking hearts. Our results indicate that salusins induce potent hypotension via negative inotropic and chronotropic actions. Salusin-β promotes its actions by facilitating vagal outflows to the heart, whereas the negative inotropism of salusin-β is also mediated via a direct myotropic effect.
Adducin Polymorphism
Authors: Bianchi Giuseppe , Ferrari Patrizia , Staessen Jan A.
Published: February 2005

Adducin is a heterodymeric cytoskeleton protein, the 3 subunits of which are encoded by genes (
ADD1
,
ADD2
,
ADD3
) mapping to 3 different chromosomes. A long series of parallel studies in the Milan hypertensive rat strain model of hypertension and humans indicated that an altered adducin function may cause hypertension through an enhanced constitutive tubular sodium reabsorption. Six human linkage studies showed positive results when a DNA marker mapping to 30 kb from the ADD1 locus or single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 1 of the 3 adducin genes were considered either alone or in combination with each other or angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)
D
allele or salt intake. When DNA markers mapping at much larger distance from the ADD1 locus were used, negative results were found by 4 studies. Positive results were also obtained in 18 of 20 association studies that, in addition to blood pressure, investigated variables reflecting body sodium or the renin-angiotensin system. Mixed results regarded case-control studies or studies in predominantly normotensive populations that did not consider the above-mentioned variables. Four of 5 studies showed a selective beneficial effect of diuretics in carriers of the mutated ADD1. Twelve of 16 studies found that ADD1 polymorphism alone or in combination with that of ACE positively associates with stroke or coronary heart disease or renal or vascular dysfunctions. In conclusion, when context is taken into account, the impact of adducin in hypertension and its related disorders is clear.
High Heritability of Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Families of East African Descent
Authors: Bochud Murielle , Bovet Pascal , Elston Robert C. , Paccaud Fred , Falconnet Catherine , Maillard Marc , Shamlaye Conrad , Burnier Michel
Published: February 2005

We estimated the heritability of ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) in east African families with at least 2 hypertensive siblings and living in the Seychelles islands (Indian Ocean). The sample consisted of 314 individuals (147 men and 167 women), both normotensive and hypertensive, from 76 pedigrees (mean±SD of 4.1±2.8 persons per pedigree). After a 2-week off-treatment period, daytime and nighttime ambulatory blood pressure (BP) was monitored. Office BP was measured with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. We estimated by maximum likelihood the age- and sex-adjusted heritabilities from the additive polygenic component of the variance of the traits allowing for the presence of other familial correlations. We also adjusted for ascertainment (ie, for the fact that 2 siblings had to be hypertensive) and examined the effect of adjusting for body mass index, 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, plasma renin activity, and plasma aldosterone concentration. Heritability estimates (±SE) for ambulatory SBP, DBP, and PP were, respectively, 0.37±0.12/0.24±0.12/0.54±0.12 for daytime and 0.34±0.13/ 0.37±0.15/0.47±0.12 for nighttime measurements (
P
<0.05 for all estimates). Heritability estimates for office SBP, DBP, and PP were, respectively, 0.20±0.11, 0.05±0.09, and 0.37±0.12. Heritability estimates for SBP varied markedly according to whether participants were treated for hypertension at baseline. The present data show that ambulatory BP and PP have a high heritability in families of African descent. They also demonstrate that antihypertensive treatment and the number of BP measurements have a major influence on the heritability estimates.
Mitochondria-Derived Reactive Oxygen Species and Vascular MAP Kinases
Authors: Kimura Shoji , Zhang Guo-Xing , Nishiyama Akira , Shokoji Takatomi , Yao Li , Fan Yu-Yan , Rahman Matlubur , Abe Youichi
Published: February 2005

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key mediators in signal transduction of angiotensin II (Ang II). However, roles of vascular mitochondria, a major intracellular ROS source, in response to Ang II stimuli have not been elucidated. This study aimed to examine the involvement of mitochondria-derived ROS in the signaling pathway and the vasoconstrictor mechanism of Ang II. Using 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD; a specific inhibitor of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium [mitoK
ATP
] channels) and tempol (a superoxide dismutase mimetic), the effects of Ang II and diazoxide (a mitoK
ATP
channel opener) were compared on redox-sensitive mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (RVSMCs) in vitro and in rat aorta in vivo. Stimulation of RVSMCs by Ang II or diazoxide increased phosphorylated MAP kinases (ERK1/2, p38, and JNK), as well as superoxide production, which were then suppressed by 5-HD pretreatment in a dose-dependent manner, except for ERK1/2 activation by Ang II. The same events were reproduced in rat aorta in vivo. Ang II-like diazoxide depolarized the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ
M
) of RVSMCs determined by JC-1 fluorescence, which was inhibited by 5-HD. 5-HD did not modulate Ang II–induced calcium mobilization in RVSMCs and did not affect on the vasoconstrictor effect in either acute or chronic phases of Ang II–induced hypertension. These results reveal that Ang II stimulates mitochondrial ROS production through the opening of mitoK
ATP
channels in the vasculature-like diazoxide, leading to reduction of ΔΨ
M
and redox-sensitive activation of MAP kinase; however, generated ROS from mitochondria do not contribute to Ang II–induced vasoconstriction.
Explaining Vote Switching Across First- and Second-Order Elections
Authors: Carrubba Cliff , Timpone Richard J.
Published: February 2005

Across Western democracies, individuals frequently vote for different parties in different elections. A variety of explanations have been proposed for this behavior. In the European context, scholars have focused on the idea that individuals may vote for different parties because some elections are less important than others (i.e., are “second-order” elections). In the U.S. context, scholars have focused on the possibility that individuals might vote for different parties because they care about how the two chambers will affect policy outcomes. In this article, the authors test among four alternative motivations for vote switching, two predicated on the notion that individuals treat one of the elections as second-order and two predicated on the notion that individuals care about policy outcomes from both chambers. The tests are performed by analyzing Euro-barometer survey data on individual voting behavior in European national and European Parliament elections. The authors find support for all four motivations.
Reforme et restructuration de l’enseignement de l’islam dans les colleges marocains
Authors: Faoubar Mohamed
Published: February 2005

English

The author draws a comparison between two manuals, the old and the new, aimed at teaching Islam in Morocco. Whereas the old manual situated the student uniquely in a relationship with God, the one resulting from reforms in education tries to respond to the questions and expectations of the young today and joins the teaching of Islamic values to social and cultural reality. In so doing, it transmits the image of a modern Islam, integrating realities and values linked to modernity, such as communication, openness of spirit, science, reason, tolerance and the rights of man. It moreover seeks to give young people a civic consciousness, designed to help them become responsible citizens.

French

L'auteur esquisse une comparaison entre deux manuels, l'ancien et le nouveau, destinés à l'enseignement de l'islam au Maroc. Alors que l'ancien manuel situait l'élève uniquement dans une relation à Dieu, celui qui suivit la réforme de l'enseignement tente de répondre aux questions et aux attentes des jeunes d'aujourd'hui et d'articuler l'enseignement des valeurs de l'islam à la réalité sociale et culturelle. Ce faisant, il véhicule l'image d'un islam moderne, intégrant des réalités et des valeurs liées à la modernité telles que la communication, l'ouverture d'esprit, la science, la raison, la tolérance et les droits de l'homme. De plus, il cherche à donner aux jeunes une conscience civique pour les aider à devenir des citoyens responsables.
L’islamisme officiel marocain et la lutte contre les plaisirs
Authors: Clement Jean-Francois
Published: February 2005

English

The official Moroccan Islamists of the PJD (Party for Justice and Development), here studied through articles in their press (the Tajdîd daily newspaper), from time to time denounce the pleasures offered in contemporary Moroccan society. Thus, it is possible to see which pleasures are significant for them but also we can discover how they conceive of what is called by them the divine Law. This is perceived to be a remote ideal to introduce gradually into the customs, according to alliances with non-Islamists, relating to the present political climate. It is not God who imposes His Law, but men who organize religion with their rules, according to the contingent forces.

French

Les islamistes officiels marocains du PJD (Parti pour la Justice et le Développement), étudiés au travers des articles de leur presse (le quotidien Tajdîd), dénoncent, de temps à autre, les plaisirs offerts dans l'actuelle société marocaine. Cela permet de voir quels plaisirs sont importants à leurs yeux mais aussi de savoir comment ils conçoivent ce qu'ils appellent la Loi divine. Celle-ci est perçue comme un idéal lointain à introduire progressivement dans les moeurs selon des alliances conjoncturelles, et très politiques, avec des non-islamistes. Ce n'est pas Dieu qui impose sa Loi, mais les hommes qui bricolent avec leurs règles selon des rapports de forces contingents.
Public Religion and Political Change in Wales
Authors: Chambers Paul , Thompson Andrew
Published: February 2005

This article examines the experiences of a range of faith groups in Wales drawn from 40 interviews with these groups and related organizations. The principal aim of the project from which the data are drawn was to study experiences of change within the religious sphere in Wales, most notably changes brought about by the process of devolution since 1999. The article has three main concerns. First, drawing on Casanova’s idea of a ‘public religion’, we examine the public roles of faith groups, from the local level through to engagement with politicians in the National Assembly for Wales, and how, especially among Christian denominations, such roles are understood as of growing importance against a backdrop of declining church attendance. Second, we consider the attitudes of faith group representatives towards devolution and the Assembly, highlighting how to date Christian faith groups have been better placed to adapt to political change, for a variety of reasons. Leading on from this, we explore the factors that facilitate and limit engagement of faith groups with the Assembly.
The Interactional Organization of the Gender Attribution Process
Authors: Speer Susan A.
Published: February 2005

This article illustrates some interactional properties of the ‘gender attribution process’ - that is, the methodical procedures through which members come to identify others as male or female (Kessler and McKenna, 1978). Drawing on data from interviews and group discussions where respondents were asked to comment on a series of pictures containing gendered images, I explore instances where members have trouble identifying the gender of the person in the picture. I analyse the procedures through which they manage that trouble, and collectively assign a coherent gender identity to the person in the image - thus re-establishing what Garfinkel (1967) has termed the ‘natural attitude’ toward ‘normally sexed persons’. Although, in most instances, an ‘uncertain’ or ‘incorrect’ gender attribution is treated as an accountable phenomenon which requires identity work on the part of the speaker, in some cases, members’ displayed ‘doubt’ or failure to attribute, itself becomes an interactional resource, used as a relatively ‘safe’ form of negative identity attribution.
Is Thirty the New Sixty? Dating, Age and Gender in a Postmodern, Consumer Society
Authors: Jagger Elizabeth
Published: February 2005

Based on a content analysis of 1094 advertisements, the article extends the author’s previous research on dating by examining how age and gender intersect to influence the age at which people advertise, their choice of partner and how they manage aspects of their age identity. Locating analyses in the context of a postmodern, consumer culture, it shows that young men and older women are most likely to advertise. It reveals that the maintenance of traditional age differentials varies according to age group. It argues that intimations of a reversal in tradition are discernible in that some older women now seek younger men. It concludes that in a culture that gives primacy to youth, assembling an age identity is problematic, not only for women but also for the chronologically young.
Population Estimation without Censuses or Surveys: A Discussion of Mark-recapture Methods Illustrated by Results from Three Studies
Authors: Bloor Michael
Published: February 2005

Contact-recontact (aka ‘mark-recapture’) methods offer sociologists a potentially economical and effective means of estimating the size of a range of different populations, but also face a number of difficulties - ethical identification of matches, sample independence, population movement, population definition, and sample heterogeneity. Drawing on three recent studies for illustration (the prevalence of injecting drug use across Wales, the local prevalence of problem drinking, and the prevalence of ‘rooflessness’ in Scotland), it is argued that the first three of these problems can be readily addressed, while the last two are only open to partial resolution. Population definition may be partly addressed by careful selection of datasets or by combining contact-recontact methods with a screening instrument. Sample heterogeneity may be partly addressed by separate modelling of different constituent sub-populations. However, some of these ‘solutions’ may themselves generate further problems: the value of such methods is great in potential but uncertain in practice.
On the reproduction of the musical economy after the Internet
Authors: Leyshon Andrew , Webb Peter , French Shaun , Thrift Nigel , Crewe Louise
Published: February 2005

The focus of this article is a crisis of reproduction that beset the contemporary popular music industry from the late 1990s onwards. In the early 21st century the music industry began to suffer from declining sales, negative growth and financial losses. Explanations internal to the music industry identified the cause of the crisis as the rise of Internet piracy, although the emergence of software formats, such as MP3, and Internet distribution systems is more accurately described as a ‘tipping point’ that brought into focus a set of deeper structural problems for the industry related to changing forms of popular music consumption. Drawing on research undertaken by the authors within US music companies, the article examines responses to the crisis in the form of three distinctive business models that represent different strategies in the face of the contemporary crisis of the musical economy, an arena within which a range of experiments are being undertaken in an effort to develop new ways of generating income. Nevertheless, there is reluctance within the industry to embrace the more radical organizational changes that might allow it to fully accommodate the impact of software formats and Internet distribution systems. A key reason for this, we argue, is the stakes that the leaders of the major record companies have in the preservation of the current social order of the musical economy.
Market valorization in broadcasting policy in Ghana: abandoning the quest for media democratization
Authors: Alhassan Amin
Published: February 2005

Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) policies have inaugurated a new paradigm in postcolonial governance that is characterized by a predilection for market instrumentality in policy articulation. A review of colonial and, indeed, early post-colonial communication policies demonstrates that the state had always resisted the lure of the market because of the quest to democratize media access. The early postcolonial state thought of national resources as to be regulated more by the requirements of national community need than by the rules of exchange-value. This article puts the development of broadcasting policy in Ghana into historical perspective and shows how commodification has been resisted until the implementation of SAP policies in the last two decades. It argues that the state’s abandonment of responsibility in relation to the business of broadcasting will come at a heavy price of a non-democratized electronic media, as rural areas remain unattractive to broadcasting-for-profit enterprises.
Public aid mechanisms in feature film production: the EU MEDIA Plus Programme
Authors: Henning Victor , Alpar Andre
Published: February 2005

In 2002, the third generation of the EU’s support programme for the European film industry, the MEDIA Plus Programme, was launched. Despite 12 years of integrated efforts, European cinema still does not seem to be able to compete with its American peers. This led us to question the effectiveness and strategy of MEDIA Plus. As we point out in our analysis, the present approach addresses the film industry’s symptoms rather than its problems. We draw the conclusion that the lines of action taken by MEDIA Plus may well have counterproductive outcomes as they are not designed to overcome the structural fragmentation that holds back the industry. Possible corrections to MEDIA’s strategy are then outlined.
Eric Wolf’s Ethical-political Humanism, and Beyond
Authors: Heyman Josiah McC.
Published: February 2005

This article reviews the references to humanity and humanism in Eric R. Wolf’s work. These words have particular rhetorical weight in his books, indicating that they convey his ethical-political perspective. Yet Wolf’s own emphasis on history, context, power and transformation present challenges to a broad-brush humanism, as do writings of other social theorists. The article considers those criticisms, exploring replies to them derived from Wolf’s work. This textual, intellectual work speaks to contemporary anthropology, which openly considers ethical-political perspectives (e.g. militant and engaged anthropologies) and in which ‘humanism’ is increasingly being advocated as a central value. Ethical-political humanism is proposed to be a framework for combined scientific and normative discussion, in which values of individual, collectivity (cultures), and shared commonality come into play.
Some Histories are More Possible than Others
Authors: Gledhill John
Published: February 2005

While there are elements of postmodernist and post-structuralist thought that Wolf either anticipated or incorporated happily into his own thinking, his realist epistemology remained radically opposed to the fashions that became dominant after the publication of Europe and the People without History. He insisted that the goal of a humanistic science was to explain rather than simply to interpret ‘experience-near’ phenomena, and that explanation was a viable goal provided anthropologists adopted agreed canons for formulating concepts and undertaking comparisons. He also saw the quest for explanation as a cumulative process, in which new developments incorporated insights from the past. This article argues that Wolf’s particular way of marrying historical and ethnographic research enabled him to produce an understanding of the development of the modern world that is quite different from the grand narratives that postmodernists reject but still enables us to grasp the ‘bigger picture’ of global history as movement and the force of structural power in local scenarios. Postmodernist and postcolonial theorizing has, in contrast, failed to grasp the historical conditions of its own production and the way our world has changed, offering social and political critiques readily defused or appropriated by today’s more ‘decentred’ hegemonic forces.
Cartilage Restoration, Part 1
Authors: Alford J. Winslow , Cole Brian J.
Published: February 2005

Surgical procedures designed to treat focal chondral lesions are evolving and are supported by basic science principles of cartilage physiology and known responses to injury. Selecting the proper treatment algorithm for a particular patient depends on careful patient evaluation, including the recognition of comorbidities such as ligamentous instability, deficient menisci, or malalignment of the mechanical limb axis or extensor mechanism. These comorbidities may need to be treated in conjunction with symptomatic chondral injuries to provide a mutually beneficial effect. A central tenet of cartilage restoration is to leave future treatment options available should they become necessary. In this article (part 1), the authors review the basic science of chondral injuries, the historical perspective of the available surgical options, and present guidelines for patient evaluation and treatment.
Prediction of Shape Distortions for a Curved Composite C-spar
Authors: Svanberg J. M. , Altkvist C. , Nyman T.
Published: February 2005

This paper presents predictions and validations of shape distortions of a curved C-spar, using a simulation tool developed in the general purpose FE-program ABAQUS. The simulation tool is based on a simplified mechanical constitutive model that accounts for the mechanisms identified in a previous experimental study concerning the influence from the cure schedule on shape distortions. The main objective of the present paper is to validate the simplified constitutive model and a simplified simulation approach. The feasibility for simulation of shape distortions of a component with relatively complex shape has also been investigated.
Political Exchange and Bargaining Reform in Italy and Spain
Authors: Romo Óscar Molina
Published: February 2005

Wage bargaining structures in Italy and Spain changed significantly in the 1990s. This is usually seen as an employer-led response to exogenous pressures such as the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). This article shows that while EMU acted as a catalyst for negotiated adjustments, changes in wage bargaining are better explained through factors endogenous to national systems, in particular union strategies and interactions in the policy-making arena. By means of policy concertation and political exchange, unions have shaped institutional change in collective bargaining so as to avoid a disorganized decentralization of labour relations.