bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of a New Splice Variant of the Human ABCC6 Transporter
Authors: Armentano Maria Francesca , Ostuni Angela , Infantino Vittoria , Iacobazzi Vito , Castiglione Morelli Maria Antonietta , Bisaccia Faustino
Published: December 2008

ABCC6 is a member of the adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) gene subfamily C that encodes a protein (MRP6) involved in active transport of intracellular compounds to the extracellular environment. Mutations in ABCC6 cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), an autosomal recessive disorder of the connective tissue characterized by progressive calcification of elastic structures in the skin, the eyes, and the cardiovascular system. MRP6 is codified by 31 exons and contains 1503 amino acids. In addition to a full-length transcript of ABCC6, we have identified an alternatively spliced variant of ABCC6 from a cDNA of human liver that lacks exons 19 and 24. The novel isoform was named ABCC6 1924. PCR analysis from cDNA of cell cultures of primary human hepatocites and embryonic kidney confirms the presence of the ABCC61924 isoform. Western blot analysis of the embryonic kidney cells shows a band corresponding to the molecular weight of the truncated protein.
Twenty-Year Evolution of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Venkitachalam Lakshmi , Kip Kevin E. , Selzer Faith , Wilensky Robert L. , Slater James , Mulukutla Suresh R. , Marroquin Oscar C. , Block Peter C. , Williams David O. , Kelsey Sheryl F.
Published: December 2008

Background—

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has undergone rapid progress, both in technology and adjunct therapy. However, documentation of long-term temporal trends in relation to contemporary practice is lacking.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed PCI use and outcomes in 8976 consecutive patients in the multicenter, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–sponsored 1985–1986 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) and 1997–2006 Dynamic Registries waves (wave 1: 1997–1998, bare-metal stents; wave 2: 1999, uniform use of stents; wave 3: 2001–2002, brachytherapy; waves 4 and 5: 2004–2006, drug-eluting stents). Patients undergoing PCI in the recent waves were older and more often reported comorbidities than those in the balloon era. PCI was more often performed for acute coronary syndromes and, in spite of the greater disease burden, was more often selective. Procedural success was achieved and maintained more often in the stent era. Significant reductions were observed in in-hospital rates (%) of myocardial infarction (PTCA Registry: 4.9; wave 1, 2.7; wave 2, 2.8; wave 3, 1.9; wave 4, 2.6; wave 5, 2;
P
trend
<0.001) and emergency coronary artery bypass surgery (PTCA Registry: 3.7; wave 1, 0.4; wave 2, 0.4; wave 3, 0.3; wave 4, 0.4; wave 5, 0;
P
trend
<0.001). Compared with the PTCA Registry, risk for repeat revascularization (31 to 365 days after index PCI) was significantly lower in the dynamic waves (adjusted hazard ratio: wave 1, 0.72; wave 2, 0.51; wave 3, 0.51; wave 4, 0.30; wave 5, 0.36;
P
<0.05 for all).

Conclusions—

Percutaneous interventions, in the last 2 decades, have evolved to include more urgent, comorbid cases, despite achieving high success rates with significantly reduced need for repeat revascularization.
Get With the Guidelines–Stroke Is Associated With Sustained Improvement in Care for Patients Hospitalized With Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack
Authors: Schwamm Lee H. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Reeves Mathew J. , Pan Wenqin , Frankel Michael R. , Smith Eric E. , Ellrodt Gray , Cannon Christopher P. , Liang Li , Peterson Eric , LaBresh Kenneth A.
Published: December 2008

Background—

Adherence to evidence-based guidelines for treatment of stroke or transient ischemic attack is suboptimal. We sought to establish whether participation in Get With the Guidelines–Stroke was associated with improvements in adherence.

Methods and Results—

This prospective, nonrandomized, national quality improvement program measured adherence to guideline recommendations in 322 847 hospitalized patients discharged with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. A volunteer sample of 790 US academic and community hospitals participated from 2003 through 2007. The main outcome measures were change in adherence over time to 7 prespecified performance measures and a composite measure (total number of interventions provided in eligible patients divided by total number of care opportunities among eligible patients). Generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors associated with improvement. Participation in Get With the Guidelines–Stroke was associated with improvements in the 7 individual and 1 composite measures from baseline to the fifth year: intravenous thrombolytics (42.09% versus 72.84%), early antithrombotics (91.46% versus 97.04%), deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis (73.79% versus 89.54%), discharge antithrombotics (95.68% versus 98.88%), anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (95.03% versus 98.39%), lipid treatment for low-density lipoprotein >100 mg/dL (73.63% versus 88.29%), smoking cessation (65.21% versus 93.61%), and composite (83.52% versus 93.97%) (
P
<0.0001 for all comparisons). Multivariate analysis showed that time in Get With the Guidelines–Stroke was associated with a 1.18-fold yearly increase in the odds of fulfilling care opportunities that was independent of secular trends.

Conclusions—

Get With the Guidelines–Stroke participation was associated with increased adherence to all stroke performance measures. Markedly improved stroke care was seen in all hospitals regardless of size, geography, and teaching status.
Evidence for Statin Pleiotropy in Humans
Authors: Liu Ping-Yen , Liu Yen-Wen , Lin Li-Jen , Chen Jyh-Hong , Liao James K.
Published: December 2008

Background—

By inhibiting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, statins not only reduce cholesterol biosynthesis but also decrease the formation of isoprenoids, which are important for mediating signaling through the Rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase (ROCK) pathway. Increased ROCK activity has been implicated in endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation. We hypothesize that ezetimibe, which inhibits intestinal cholesterol absorption, may not exert similar cholesterol-independent or pleiotropic effects of statins and, when used with a lower dose of statin, have less effect on ROCK activity than a higher dose of statin.

Methods and Results—

In a prospective, randomized, observer-blinded study, we treated 60 dyslipidemic subjects without cardiovascular disease with simvastatin 40 mg/d, simvastatin/ezetimibe 10/10 mg/d, or placebo tablets for 28 days (n=20 in each arm). We evaluated baseline demographics and lipid levels, ROCK activity, C-reactive protein, and flow-mediated dilation before and after treatment. Compared with the placebo group, both treatment regimens decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 38% and C-reactive protein by 38% to 40% after 28 days (
P
<0.01 for both compared with placebo). Although the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and C-reactive protein reductions were comparable with either lipid-lowering regimen, only simvastatin 40 mg reduced ROCK activity and improved flow-mediated dilation (
P
<0.01 for both compared with baseline). Reduction in ROCK activity with simvastatin 40 mg remained significant even after controlling for changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (
P
=0.01) and correlated with improvement in flow-mediated dilation (
R
2
=−0.78,
P
<0.01). No correlation was found between changes in flow-mediated dilation and changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or C-reactive protein.

Conclusion—

These results indicate that high-dose statin monotherapy exerts greater effects on ROCK activity and endothelial function, but not on C-reactive protein, than low-dose statin plus ezetimibe. These findings provide additional evidence of statin benefits beyond cholesterol lowering.
Association Between C-Reactive Protein Genotype, Circulating Levels, and Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity
Authors: Schumacher Wiebke , Cockcroft John , Timpson Nicholas J. , McEniery Carmel M. , Gallacher John , Rumley Ann , Lowe Gordon , Smith George Davey , Wilkinson Ian B. , Ben-Shlomo Yoav
Published: December 2008

Circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) level is associated with cardiovascular disease. Whether this relationship is causal has been subject of debate, especially as a potential therapeutic target. Previous studies have demonstrated an association between circulating CRP levels and arterial pulse wave velocity, an accepted measure of arterial stiffness. We investigated the association between circulating CRP levels,
CRP
genotype, and aortic pulse wave velocity by examining data on 790 healthy male participants of the Caerphilly study. Circulating CRP levels were associated with aortic pulse wave velocity after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and other potential confounders (
P
=0.001). Three single nucleotide polymorphisms in the
CRP
gene (rs1130864, rs1800947, and rs1205) were associated with differences in circulating CRP levels (ratio of geometric means: 1.12, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.21,
P
=0.005; 0.76, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.87,
P
<0.001; 0.88, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.95,
P
=0.001, respectively). However, there was no relationship between any of the genotypes and aortic pulse wave velocity (regression coefficient for C:G/G:G versus C:C genotypes for single nucleotide polymorphism rs1800947 β=0.005; 95% CI, −0.57 to 0.58;
P
=0.99). These results suggest that although circulating CRP levels are associated with aortic pulse wave velocity, CRP does not have a causal role in the development of arterial stiffness. CRP may simply act as a marker of vascular damage (ie, reverse causality), or the association reflects residual confounding. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings, particularly in view of the central role CRP has played in cardiovascular disease so far.
Hypertension Produced by Placental Ischemia in Pregnant Rats Is Associated With Increased Soluble Endoglin Expression
Authors: Gilbert Jeffrey S. , Gilbert Sara A.B. , Arany Marietta , Granger Joey P.
Published: December 2008

Recent clinical studies indicate that an excess of angiostatic factors, such as soluble endoglin (sEng), is related to the occurrence of preeclampsia. Although recent clinical studies report that sEng is increased in preeclamptic women, the mechanisms underlying its overexpression remain unclear. Evidence suggests that hypoxia and induction of heme oxygenase-1 have opposing effects on sEng expression, the former stimulatory and the latter inhibitory. Hence, we hypothesized that placental ischemia because of reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) in the pregnant rat would increase sEng expression and decrease heme oxygenase-1. Mean arterial pressure was obtained via arterial catheter, and serum and placental proteins were measured by Western blot. Mean arterial pressure was increased (132±3 mm Hg versus 102±2 mm Hg;
P
<0.001), and fetal (2.35±0.05 g versus 1.76±0.08 g;
P
<0.001) and placental weight were decreased (0.47±0.04 g versus 0.58±0.03 g;
P
<0.01) in the RUPP compared with normal pregnant controls. Serum sEng (0.10±0.02 arbitrary pixel units [apu] versus 0.05±0.01 apu;
P
<0.05) and placental endoglin (4.7±2.3 apu versus 1.45±0.42 apu;
P
<0.05) were increased along with placental hypoxia inducible factor-1α (1.42±0.25 apu versus 0.68±0.09 apu;
P
<0.05) expression in the RUPP versus the normal pregnant dams. Placental HO-1 (1.4±0.3 apu versus 2.5±0.1 apu;
P
<0.05) expression decreased in the RUPP compared with normal pregnant dams. The present findings support our hypothesis that placental ischemia because of RUPP increases the expression of sEng and shifts the balance of angiogenic factors in the maternal circulation toward an angiostatic state. The present study provides further evidence that placental ischemia is a strong in vivo stimulus of angiostatic factors during pregnancy.
Which Sry Locus Is the Hypertensive Y Chromosome Locus?
Authors: Turner Monte E. , Farkas Joel , Dunmire Jeff , Ely Daniel , Milsted Amy
Published: December 2008

The Y chromosome of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) contains a genetic component that raises blood pressure compared with the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) Y chromosome. This research tests the Sry gene complex as the hypertensive component of the SHR Y chromosome. The Sry loci were sequenced in 1 strain with a hypertensive Y chromosome (SHR/Akr) and 2 strains with a normotensive Y chromosome (SHR/Crl and WKY/Akr). Both SHR strains have 7 Sry loci, whereas the WKY strain has 6. The 6 loci in common between SHR and WKY strains were identical in the sequence compared (coding region, 392-bp 5′ prime flanking, 1200-bp 3′ flanking). Both SHR strains have a locus (Sry3) not found in WKY rats, but this locus is different between SHR/Akr and SHR/Crl rats. Six mutations have accumulated in Sry3 between the SHR strains, whereas the other 6 Sry loci are identical. This pattern of an SHR-specific locus and mutation in this locus in SHR/Crl coinciding with the loss of Y chromosome hypertension is an expected pattern if Sry3 is the Y chromosome–hypertensive component. The SHR/y strain showed a significant increase in total Sry expression in the kidney between 4 and 15 weeks of age. There are significant differences in Sry expression between adrenal glands and the kidney (15 to 30 times higher in kidneys) but no significant differences between strains. These results, along with previous studies demonstrating an interaction of Sry with the tyrosine hydroxylase promoter and increased blood pressure with exogenous Sry expression, suggest the Sry loci as the hypertensive component of the SHR Y chromosome.
Increased Activation of Stromal Interaction Molecule-1/Orai-1 in Aorta From Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Giachini Fernanda R.C. , Chiao Chin-Wei , Carneiro Fernando S. , Lima Victor V. , Carneiro Zidonia N. , Dorrance Anne M. , Tostes Rita C. , Webb R. Clinton
Published: December 2008

Disturbances in the regulation of cytosolic calcium (Ca
2+
) concentration play a key role in the vascular dysfunction associated with arterial hypertension. Stromal interaction molecules (STIMs) and Orai proteins represent a novel mechanism to control store-operated Ca
2+
entry. Although STIMs act as Ca
2+
sensors for the intracellular Ca
2+
stores, Orai is the putative pore-forming component of Ca
2+
release–activated Ca
2+
channels at the plasma membrane. We hypothesized that augmented activation of Ca
2+
release–activated Ca
2+
/Orai-1, through enhanced activity of STIM-1, plays a role in increased basal tonus and vascular reactivity in hypertensive animals. Endothelium-denuded aortic rings from Wistar-Kyoto and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats were used to evaluate contractions because of Ca
2+
influx. Depletion of intracellular Ca
2+
stores, which induces Ca
2+
release–activated Ca
2+
activation, was performed by placing arteries in Ca
2+
free-EGTA buffer. The addition of the Ca
2+
regular buffer produced greater contractions in aortas from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats versus Wistar-Kyoto rats. Thapsigargin (10 μmol/L), an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca
2+
ATPase, further increased these contractions, especially in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat aorta. Addition of the Ca
2+
release–activated Ca
2+
channel inhibitors 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (100 μmol/L) or gadolinium (100 μmol/L), as well as neutralizing antibodies to STIM-1 or Orai-1, abolished thapsigargin-increased contraction and the differences in spontaneous tone between the groups. Expression of Orai-1 and STIM-1 proteins was increased in aorta from stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats when compared with Wistar-Kyoto rats. These results support the hypothesis that both Orai-1 and STIM-1 contribute to abnormal vascular function in hypertension. Augmented activation of STIM-1/Orai-1 may represent the mechanism that leads to impaired control of intracellular Ca
2+
levels in hypertension.
Impact of Treatment on Myocardial Lysyl Oxidase Expression and Collagen Cross-Linking in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: López Begoña , Querejeta Ramón , González Arantxa , Beaumont Javier , Larman Mariano , Díez Javier
Published: December 2008

The aim of this study was to investigate whether torasemide modifies collagen cross-linking in the failing human heart. We analyzed the degree of cross-linking and the expression of the enzyme lysyl oxidase, which regulates cross-linking, in the myocardium of patients with chronic heart failure at baseline and after 8 months of treatment with either torasemide or furosemide in addition to their standard heart failure therapy. Whereas lysyl oxidase protein expression was very scarce in normal hearts, it was highly expressed in failing hearts. Cross-linking was increased (
P
<0.001) in heart failure patients compared with normal hearts. These 2 parameters decreased (
P
=0.021 and
P
=0.034) in torasemide-treated patients and remained unchanged in furosemide-treated patients. In addition, more (
P
=0.009) patients showed normalization of left ventricular chamber stiffness in the torasemide subgroup than in the furosemide subgroup after treatment. Lysyl oxidase expression correlated with cross-linking (
r
=0.661;
P
<0.001), and cross-linking correlated with left ventricular chamber stiffness (
r
=0.452;
P
=0.002) in all patients. These findings show for the first time that lysyl oxidase overexpression is associated with enhanced collagen cross-linking in the failing human heart. In addition, we report that the ability of torasemide to correct both lysyl oxidase overexpression and enhanced collagen cross-linking results in normalization of left ventricular chamber stiffness in patients with heart failure. Lysyl oxidase may thus represent a target for reduction of stiff collagen and improvement of left ventricular mechanical properties in heart failure patients.
Child welfare needs in Mongolia
Authors: Hayashi Reiko , Frost Caren J. , Yamashita Eizaburo , Khuajin Ulziitungalag , Nyamsuren B.
Published: December 2008

English

Mongolia's rapid transition to a capitalist ecomony resulted in family disintegration and child homelessness. This article, based on interviews with six youths who spent several years in an orphanage, suggests that institutionalization is not a solution. Although generalizations require caution, the study supports the importance of developing family preservation policies.

French

La transition rapide de la Mongolie en une économie capitaliste a pour résultats la désintégration de la famille et la multiplication des enfants sans abris. Cet article, basé sur les interviews de six jeunes ayant passé plusieurs années dans un orphelinat, suggère que l’institutionnalisation n’est pas une solution. Bien qu’il faille se méfier des généralisations, l’étude souligne l’importance du développement des politiques de préservation des familles.

Spanish

La transición rápida de Mongolia a una economía capitalista resulto en desintegración familiar y niños sin techo. Este artículo, basado en entrevistas con seis jóvenes que pasaron varios años en un orfanato, sugiere que la institucionalización no es buena solución. Aunque las generalizaciones requieren cautela, el estudio apoya la importancia de desarrollar políticas que preserven a la familia.
The Katrina Conspiracies
Authors: Hirsch Arnold R. , Lee Levert A.
Published: December 2008

The desolation of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina necessitated the evacuation, repopulation, and reconstruction of the city. Historic social, economic, and political divisions conditioned that process, both reflecting and exacerbating racial tensions. The lack of trust between blacks and whites generated rumors and, for many, explanations for the slow response to cries for relief, the attempts to restrict black mobility in the immediate aftermath of the storm, and fears of exclusion or other-race domination in the post-Katrina political era. Contemporary opportunists and exploiters of such racial divisions lent their weight to the support of traditional racial reactions. The strategy, tactics, and outcomes of the first post-Katrina elections thus revealed the deep influence of pre-Katrina values and behavior in the rebuilding process. Under such conditions, that process remains halting, mired in racial and political conflict, and seemingly unable to make a break with a racially burdened past.
La Guerra de Agua
Authors: Ofer Inbal
Published: December 2008

This article is part of a larger work in progress that tells the story of Orcasitas—fifteen hundred shacks built by immigrants during the 1950s on the southern outskirts of central Madrid. Without any electricity, running water, paved roads, or health or education centers, this section of the city was for many years the embodiment of urban alienation. Yet, Orcasitas is also a success story of a shantytown that has turned into a residential neighborhood through the efforts of its inhabitants. For more than twenty years, the dwellers of Orcasitas struggled, against the backdrop of a weakening dictatorship and then within a new democracy, to obtain proper infrastructure, health and education facilities, and apartments to replace their shacks. This article looks at one aspect of this process: the struggle to obtain running water and sanitation services and the way this struggle shaped and was shaped by the inhabitants' perceptions of morality, respectability, and community life.
The Birth of Modern Urban Governance
Authors: DiGaetano Alan
Published: December 2008

Although there is little dispute that modern urban governance was born in the nineteenth century in Britain and the United States, several questions have been left unanswered by past and current inquiries into the formation of modern urban governing institutions. For example, what specifically in the historical context of the early nineteenth century convinced political leaders that new forms of urban governance were warranted? How did the first efforts at urban political modernization proceed? Finally, did the early nineteenth-century formation and development of urban governing institutions follow similar paths cross-nationally, or did patterns of modernization diverge sharply across nations? In this article, the author attempts to answer these questions about the birth of modern forms of governance in Boston, Massachusetts, and Bristol, England.
Striving for comfort: “Positive” construction of dating cultures among second-generation Chinese American youths
Authors: Baozhen Luo
Published: December 2008

This article explores the ways that second-generation Chinese American youths (from both mainland and Taiwan origins) construct their dating attitudes and behaviors. Based on an analysis of 20 in-depth interviews, this study finds that respondents use both Chinese and American lenses to construct their dating attitudes and behaviors. Chinese and American dating are constructed as oppositional among the respondents. When discussing parents' roles, commitment, premarital sex, and gender expectations, second-generation Chinese American youths pick and choose from their constructions of Chinese and American dating cultures. In so doing, they cope with discomfort and attempt to present a “positive” image of themselves in front of both Chinese and American dating cultures, thereby inventing a “positive” culture of dating.
Is actual similarity necessary for attraction? A meta-analysis of actual and perceived similarity
Authors: Montoya R. Matthew , Horton Robert S. , Kirchner Jeffrey
Published: December 2008

To evaluate the impact of actual and perceived similarity on interpersonal attraction, we meta-analyzed 460 effect sizes from 313 laboratory and field investigations. Results indicated that the associations between interpersonal attraction and both actual similarity (r = .47) and perceived similarity (r = .39) were significant and large. The data also indicate that (i) actual similarity was important in no-interaction and short-interaction studies, (ii) there was a significant reduction in the effect size of actual similarity beyond no-interaction studies, and (iii) the effect of actual similarity in existing relationships was not significant. Alternatively, perceived similarity predicted attraction in no-interaction, short-interaction, and existing relationship studies. The implications of perceived similarity, rather than actual similarity, being predictive of attraction in existing relationships are discussed.
Division of eco-friendly household labor and the marital relationship
Authors: Judkins Brooke , Presser Lois
Published: December 2008

Qualitative interviews were conducted with both members of 12 married couples who had made a commitment to environmentalism in their everyday lives. Women in the sample generally performed more eco-friendly domestic labor than did their husbands. The article focuses on husbands' and wives' accounts for the unintended gender injustice that came with efforts at environmental justice. These accounts stressed that men intended to do their share of the labor, though they did not, while women did more of the labor because they were better at or more interested in it. Men and women offered similar accounts for the asymmetrical division of labor. The logic of the accounts can be used as part of new discourses that promote gender equity while doing environmental justice.
An examination of the tripartite approach to commitment: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis of the effect of relational maintenance behavior
Authors: Ramirez Artemio
Published: December 2008

A consistently reported finding is that indicators of relationship quality reflect a strong association with relational maintenance behaviors (Stafford, 2002). The present study conceptualized one such indicator, commitment, as a multidimensional, tripartite phenomenon (Johnson, 1991, 1999) to examine its persistent association with maintenance behaviors over two time periods. Using an Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis (APIM; Kashy & Kenny, 2000), the overall results revealed that actors' and partners' experience of personal commitment at time 2 was significantly associated with maintenance strategy use reported at time 1. Whereas the analysis of moral commitment showed a similar pattern of actor effects, the partner effects suggest spouses' experience of moral commitment may be more strongly connected to their partners' use of maintenance behavior than that of personal commitment. However, analysis of actors' and partners' experience of structural commitment revealed few significant associations with relational maintenance. Implications for the tripartite approach and relationship maintenance are discussed.
Searching for the Good Plan
Authors: Berke Philip , Godschalk David
Published: December 2008

Despite the centrality of comprehensive plans to the profession of city and regional planning, there is a gap in knowledge about the quality of plans as they are not routinely evaluated against best practice standards. We discuss plan quality evaluation, an emerging methodology for assessing the quality of plans. We review the evolution of the concept, the dimensions covered, and the principles and criteria used. We then provide a comparative meta-analytic analysis of the findings from published plan quality evaluations, ranging from research studies in the United States to national planning policy applications in Holland and New Zealand, and offer recommendations about future directions in improving content analysis of plan documents and research design in plan quality evaluation.
`White Men Can't Jump'
Authors: Azzarito Laura , Harrison Louis
Published: December 2008

This study examined the ways young people negotiate, take up and/or resist dominant discourses of race, athleticism and sport in school physical education contexts in the southeastern United States. The participants in this performance ethnography study were 28 high school students and one physical education teacher/coach. Data from multiple sources were collected, including field notes, and formal and informal interviews with each participant. The results of this study show that white boys complied with the notion of blacks' `natural' physical superiority, and black boys occupied an ambiguous position within dominant discourses of race and natural athleticism; while girls, in general, rejected racialized discourses of the body, instead adopting a liberal humanistic position. Considering these findings, we advocate for sport educators' and physical education teachers' adoption of critical media pedagogy to promote a democratic consciousness among young people in sport and physical education settings.
Discourses On Mass Versus Elite Sport and Pre-Adult Football in Norway
Authors: Helle-Valle Jo
Published: December 2008

This article focuses on the discursive framework of pre-adult football in Norway. The analytical starting point features debates in two major Norwegian newspapers, started by the head of the elite division of the Norwegian national sport organization. His main concern is to discuss the conditions for elite sport — focusing on legitimation and talent development. This discussion serves as a focus for the investigation of the social anchoring of organized sport. It is argued that the state's interest in the population's health, the way sport is organized, and dominant values related to children, together form the discourse of pre-adult sport. The main characteristics of this discourse are that the values of mass sport dominate, the issue of mass versus elite sport is relatively mute, and that clear discursive positions are hard to detect.
Player Welfare and Privacy in the Sports Entertainment Industry
Authors: Kelly Peter , Hickey Christopher
Published: December 2008

In an era when games at the elite level are sports entertainment businesses many of the elite performers in different industries have evolved into celebrities: they exist as images, icons and brands whose every thought, action, change of style or partner is commodified and consumed. This article reports on one aspect of a research project that was funded by the Australian Football League (AFL) to explore the emergence and evolution of a `professional identity' for AFL footballers. Drawing on Foucault's later work on the care of the Self we focus on the ways in which player identities are governed by coaches, club officials, and the AFL Commission/Executive; and the manner in which players conduct themselves in ways that can be characterized as professional — or not. The article explores the roles of Player Development Managers (PDMs) in emerging processes of risk and player management that can be seen as intrusive in players' lives. The research we report on produced evidence of tensions between the paternalistic, profiling and reporting elements of various risk management practices at the Club level — in an environment where what it means to be a professional footballer is taking on new forms.
Levosimendan and Calcium Sensitization of the Contractile Proteins in Cardiac Muscle: Impact on Heart Failure
Authors: Kota Bindu , Prasad Aditya S. , Economides Christina , Singh Bramah N.
Published: December 2008

Levosimendan increases the sensitivity of the cardiac fibrils to calcium, favorably affects hemodynamics in patients with heart failure. It is a positive inotrope and a peripheral vasodilator. The elimination half-life of the compound is about 1 hour. The drug decreases pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, increases cardiac output with the improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction leading to symptomatic improvement which includes decreased dyspnea and fatigue. Levosimendan can be used safely with diuretics, nitrates, beta-blockers, digoxin, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The most common adverse effects of levosimendan are headache and hypotension. Prolongation of the QTc interval does not appear to increase the incidence of arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and torsades de pointes. Levosimendan is a novel agent in the treatment of decompensated heart failure, representing a newer class of medications aimed at increasing calcium sensitivity. Its properties holds promise for the treatment of heart failure but further large-scale studies will be needed to determine its precise efficacy, safety, as well as the compound's long-term impact on mortality.
Storytelling and Ethnographic Intersections
Authors: Cherot Natalie
Published: December 2008

The exit of approximately 2,000 Vietnamese orphans in April 1975 through Operation Babylift is a key part of Vietnam War debates. The Babylift volunteers, American women who aided with the children's evacuation, published autobiographies of their involvement and publicly commemorated the history. This article uses pedagogy, collective memory, and commemoration theory to examine how Vietnamese adoptees negotiate the volunteers' accounts and how they reclaim their history by labeling the volunteers' narratives as inadequate, recognize their community's agency, and create new commemorations. The article uses interviews, participation observation, and Vietnamese adoptee written life stories to discuss Vietnamese adoption. It also explores some issues of using life story texts in ethnographic research.
Taking Europe To Its Extremes
Authors: De Vries Catherine E. , Edwards Erica E.
Published: December 2008

This article revisits the age-old debate about elite—mass linkages in the European Union (EU) by examining the way in which political contexts shape individual differentiation in Euroscepticism. We argue that the growing uncertainties about the future of European integration among national publics are increasingly politicized by Eurosceptical elites on both the extreme right and left of the political spectrum. To analyse the cueing effects of these extremist parties, we employ a two-level hierarchical linear model which combines individual-level and contextual data. We show that Eurosceptic cues are, indeed, found on both extremes, but for different reasons. Whereas right-wing extremist parties oppose European integration with the defence of `national sovereignty' and successfully mobilize national identity considerations against the EU, left-wing extremist parties resist further integration in Europe on the basis of the neoliberal character of the project and effectively cue voters against the EU on the basis of economic insecurity arguments.
SoCal DigiCult
Authors: Sterling Bruce
Published: December 2008

Vintners tell us it is the unique combination of the soil and the local climate which makes the richness of the wine. The location is everything. Can we say the same of different regions' contribution to digital culture — of Amsterdam, London, Moscow, Ljubljana, Vienna, Milan, Tokyo, New York, Melbourne, Barcelona? Science fiction author and visionary Bruce Sterling reflects on Southern California's particular contribution, selecting key points in its pioneering history of innovation.
When Geeks Go Camping
Authors: Thomas Sue
Published: December 2008

This article examines the evolution of nature metaphors in computing and cyberspace via some examples of the influence of Californian outdoor life on computer culture in Silicon Valley and beyond. It is drawn from research for a book-length study, The Wild Surmise: Nature and Cyberspace (http://www.thewildsurmise.com), which discusses the many ways in which we use our experiences of nature to situate and comprehend our experiences of cyberspace. It examines the hypothesis that cyberspace contains not only the cities and suburbs of cyberpunk but also the great outdoors, from rural landscapes to wildest nature. The project will be extensively developed in relation to California culture and landscapes during a 2009 Visiting Scholarship to the University of California, Santa Barbara, funded by The British Academy.
Sexuality as a Diversity Factor: An Examination of Awareness
Authors: Kormanik Martin B.
Published: December 2008

The problem and the solution . Lack of awareness of the facets of sexuality—sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sexual attraction—can be stressful and distracting, has the potential for creating workplace misunderstandings and tension, and may lead to allegations of unfair treatment and/or a hostile work environment.The purpose of this article is to examine how facets of sexuality may be viewed differently within the same workplace context, based on individual employees' stage of awareness development around each facet. The results of an exploratory study demonstrate that employees within the same workplace context have different stages of awareness development around the five facets of sexuality.The results also show that the awareness development around sexual orientation and gender identity is substantially different—less developed—than the awareness development for sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual attraction. The discussion includes implications for practice.
Why Ambiguity Detection Is a Predictor of Early Reading Skill
Authors: Szabo Wankoff Lorain , Cairns Helen Smith
Published: December 2008

This study was designed to determine the contributions of metalinguistic skill and psycholinguistic processing ability to children's ability to detect the ambiguity of sentences and the relationship among all three factors to early reading ability. A total of 20 first graders and 20 second graders were given tasks testing the following abilities: ambiguity detection, conservation, lexical processing, and reading comprehension. Although intercorrelations among all four tasks were highly significant, regression analyses indicate independent contributions of processing and metalinguistic skills to ambiguity detection, which is, in turn, the sole predictor of reading comprehension. A developmental sequence is hypothesized. The authors suggest that ambiguity detection can be used to identify children who are at risk for reading failure and that training in ambiguity detection can be used in reading-readiness training and as an intervention tool.
Recommended nomenclature for the sapphirine and surinamite groups (sapphirine supergroup)
Authors: Grew E. S. , Hålenius U. , Pasero M. , Barbier J.
Published: December 2008

Minerals isostructural with sapphirine-1A, sapphirine-2M, and surinamite are closely related chain silicates that pose nomenclature problems because of the large number of sites and potential constituents, including several (Be, B, As, Sb) that are rare or absent in other chain silicates. Our recommended nomenclature for the sapphirine group (formerly aenigmatite group) makes extensive use of precedent, but applies the rules to all known natural compositions, with flexibility to allow for yet undiscovered compositions such as those reported in synthetic materials. These minerals are part of a polysomatic series composed of pyroxene or pyroxene-like and spinel modules, and thus we recommend that the sapphirine supergroup should encompass the polysomatic series. The first level in the classification is based on polysome, i.e. each group within the supergroup corresponds to a single polysome. At the second level, the sapphirine group is divided into subgroups according to the occupancy of the two largestMsites, namely, sapphirine (Mg), aenigmatite (Na), and rhönite (Ca). Classification at the third level is based on the occupancy of the smallestMsite with most shared edges,M7, at which the dominant cation is most often Ti (aenigmatite, rhönite, makarochkinite), Fe3+(wilkinsonite, dorrite, høgtuvaite) or Al (sapphirine, khmaralite); much less common is Cr (krinovite) and Sb (welshite). At the fourth level, the two most polymerizedTsites are considered together, e.g. ordering of Be at these sites distinguishes høgtuvaite, makarochkinite and khmaralite. Classification at the fifth level is based on XMg= Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) at theMsites (excluding the two largest andMl). In principle, this criterion could be expanded to include other divalent cations at these sites, e.g. Mn. To date, most minerals have been found to be either Mg-dominant (XMg> 0.5), or Fe2+-dominant (XMg< 0.5), at theseMsites. However, XMgranges from 1.00 to 0.03 in material described as rhönite, i.e. there are two species present, one Mg-dominant, the other Fe2+-dominant. Three other potentially new species are a Mg-dominant analogue of wilkinsonite, rhönite in the Allende meteorite, which is distinguished from rhonite and dorrite in that Mg rather than Ti or Fe3+is dominant atMl, and an Al-dominant analogue of sapphirine, in which Al > Si at the two most polymerizedTsitesvs. Al < Si in sapphirine. Further splitting of the supergroup based on occupancies other than those specified above is not recommended.
Rapid intracrystalline exchange of octahedrally-coordinated divalent cations in amphiboles: an in situ high-temperature neutron diffraction study of synthetic potassic richterite AKB(NaCa)C(Mg2.5Ni2.5)Si8O22(OH)2
Authors: Welch M. D. , Reece J. J. , Redfern S. A. T.
Published: December 2008

The distribution of Mg and Ni over the octahedrally-coordinated sites M(l,2,3) in Ni-substituted potassic richterite solid solution, AKB(NaCa)c(Mg2.5Ni2.5)Si8O22(OH)2, synthesized at 0.1 GPa/750°C (25 days), has been studied in situ to 700°C by neutron powder diffraction with Rietveld structure refinement. Using a 2.7 g sample it was possible to make short data collections (3 h) at each temperature at intervals of 50° from 50 to700°C and locate the onset of cation exchange. Above 700°C the amphibole decomposes rapidly and so only an on-heating dataset was collected. Unit-cell parameters increase smoothly upon heating, with no discontinuities evident. Site occupancies of M(l), M(2) and M(3) sites were refined from site-scattering values. The initial XNi values of M(l), M(2) and M(3) sites, corresponding to the synthesis temperature of 750°C, are 0.57(1), 0.34(1) and 0.68(2), respectively. Above 400°C, there is initial ordering whereby thermal annealing allows the disordered Mg-Ni distribution of the quenched synthesis product to adjust to be closer to those appropriate for lower temperatures of the heating sequence. This ordering involves the exchange of Mg and Ni between M(l) and M(2), with no significant change in M(3) occupancy. At 700°C, XNi values of the M(l), M(2) and M(3) sites are 0.64(1), 0.27(1) and 0.69(2), respectively. No disordering was observed, due to the short duration of the high-temperature data collections and decomposition at 750°C. The results of this study indicate that divalent cations exchange between octahedral sites in amphiboles in a matter of hours.
From structure topology to chemical composition.VIII. Titanium silicates: the crystal chemistry of mosandrite from type locality of Låven (Skådön), Langesundsfjorden, Larvik, Vestfold, Norway
Authors: Sokolova E. , Cámara F.
Published: December 2008

The crystal structure of mosandrite, ideally Na2Ca4REETi(Si2O7)2OF3,a =7.4184(8),b =5.6789(6), c = 18.873(2) Å, β = 101.410(2)°,V =779.35(5) Å3, space groupP21/c, Z =2, Dcalc= 3.363 g.cm-3, from the type locality, Låven (Skådön), Langesundsfjorden, Larvik, Vestfold, Norway, has been refined toRi =6.33% on the basis of 1113 unique reflections F°≥4σF. Electron microprobe analysis gave the empirical formula Na1.99(Ca3.93Sr0.02)Σ3.95(Ce0.41La0.16Nd0.13Pr0.04Sm0.02Dy0.01Y0.13)Σ0.90(Ti0.864+Nb0.08Zr0.05)Σ0.99(Si207)2(F1.20O0.80)Σ2.00F2, Z = 2, calculated on the basis of 18 (O + F) a.p.f.u.. The crystal structure of mosandrite is a framework of TS (titanium silicate) blocks. The TS block consists of HOH sheets (H-heteropolyhedral, O-octahedral). The TS block in mosandrite exhibits linkage and stereochemistry typical for Group I (Ti = 1 a.p.f.u.) Ti-disilicate minerals: two H sheets connect to the O sheet such that two (Si2O7) groups link to thetransedges of a Na polyhedron of the O sheet. The O sheet cations give Na(NaCa)Ti (4 a.p.f.u.). The TS blocks linkviacommon vertices of (Si2O7) groups and common vertices and edges of Ca-dominant MHand Appolyhedra. Two adjacent TS blocks are related by the glide plane cy. Composition and topology of the TS block in mosandrite and rinkite are identical. The crystal structure of mosandrite from the type locality is topologically and chemically identical to that of rinkite from the type locality of Kangerdluarssuk, Greenland.
Moissanite in serpentinite from the Dabie Mountains in China
Authors: Xu Shutong , Wu Weiping , Xiao Wansheng , Yang Jingsui , Chen Jing , Ji Shouyuan , Yican Liu
Published: December 2008

Although moissanite has been found in various rocks, reliable primary moissanite has been reported only from kimberlites and meteorites. The Dabie Mountain moissanite reported in this paper is the first occurrence of primary moissanite hosted by serpentinite. It differs from synthetic silicon carbide in optical properties, inclusions and infrared spectrum. The biaxiality of the Dabie Mountain moissanite is thought to be the result of intracrystal deformation. In reference to the ultrahigh pressure (7—8 GPa) signature of exsolution of rod-like apatite, clinopyroxene and rutile in garnets, and magnetite lamellae in olivine reported in the Dabieshan, we inferred that the moissanite from the Dabie Mountains was probably generated at a depth of 180 km; and then subducted to a depth of 210—250 km, where the moissanite became biaxial before its exhumation.
A comparison of optical microscope- and scanning electron microscope-based cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and spectroscopy applied to geosciences
Authors: Götze J. , Kempe U.
Published: December 2008

Cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and spectroscopy are outstanding methods in several fields of geosciences. Cathodoluminescence can be examined using a wide variety of electron-beam equipment. Of special interest to geologists are optical microscopes (OMs) equipped with an electron gun. scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) and electron microprobes. Despite the similar kind of excitation, the results obtained may show marked differences. These are related to the use of focused or defocused as well as a scanned or stationary electron beam and the kind of signal acquisition. Images obtained by OM-CL (hot or cold acceleration) and SEM-CL differ due to different spatial resolution, true colour, grey-scale, or monochromatic detection, contrast inversion, phosphorescence effects, etc.

Instrumentation used for spectroscopic studies may differ in sequential or parallel signal acquisition, wavelength range, spectral resolution, and the kind of analytical spot limitation. This is particularly important when investigating transient CL, rare earth element (REE) emissions, or luminescence in the near UV and IR regions as well as samples with small grain sizes and contrasting CL behaviour of adjacent mineral phases.

In the present study, the influence of analytical parameters is demonstrated for certain mineral examples including zircon, fluorite, apatite, feldspar, quartz, corundum, kaolinite, and dickite.
The metal-rich portions of the phase system Cu-Fe-Pd-S at 1000°C, 900°C and 725°C: implications for mineralization in the Skaergaard intrusion
Authors: Karup-Møller S. , Makovicky E. , Barnes S.-J.
Published: December 2008

The sulphur-poor portions of the dry condensed Cu-Fe-Pd-S system were studied at 1000°C, 900°C and 725°C by synthesis in evacuated silicate glass tubes, along with textural observations and electron microprobe analyses of equilibrated reaction products. Sulphide melt coexists with Cu-Fe-Pd alloys, bornite, Fe1-xS and iss (intermediate solid solution, Cabri, 1973) and Pd4S. Compositional data were obtained for the associations bornite-alloy-melt, pyrrhotite-alloy-melt and for immiscible Cu-rich sulphide melts. Partition coefficients for all three metals were derived for the association alloy-melt. Formation of the two new Cu-Pd alloy minerals, skaergaardite and nielsenite, is discussed in terms of the present findings.