bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generations and Atheism: Patterns of Response to Communist Rule among Different Generations and Countries
Authors: Zrinščak Sinišsa
Published: June 2004

The communist systems in Central and Eastern European countries had some common features, with atheism as the cornerstone of the political order, but they varied in many different aspects. Both political pressure and social change brought about not only the rise of secularism but also the rise of religiosity, particularly in the 1980s. However, the course of change and the impact of atheism on generations were quite different in each country. This is shown in the empirical analysis, which is presented in two parts. First, four countries are examined (Croatia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia) showing three distinctive responses to communist rule. Second, on the basis of the EVS 1999 data for 14 post-communist countries, three groups of countries are differentiated according to religious and non-religious legacies and the different generational impacts of the communist system.
De La Classe Sociale à La Génération Comme Facteur Principal De Différenciation Des Attitudes Religieuses
Authors: Lambert Yves
Published: June 2004

Since the articles by Pierre Bréchon, Siniša Zrinščak et Chantal Saint-Blancat are so rich, I am simply going to add two things: (1) first, to discuss how and why differences of age or generation have come to have a dominant effect on religion from the end of the 1960s in Western and, a little later apparently, in Eastern Europe, and (2) to clarify present-day religious changes among young people.
Christian-Inspired Groups in the People’s Republic of China After 1978: Reaction of State and Party Authorities
Authors: Kupfer Kristin
Published: June 2004

Starting in 1978, the spiritual and religious life of China has shown a strong and diverse awakening due in large part to the weakening ideological and organizational control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Christian-inspired groups which combine organizational and doctrinal elements of Christian, as well as Chinese folk religious tradition, have a special appeal for the “losers” of China’s modernization process in the countryside. Since the Ming dynasty, spiritual-religious groups have been perceived as an indicator of socio-economic instability and potential political unrest, and, therefore, pose an ideological and organizational threat to the Chinese State. With a still unchanged repressive policy towards spiritual-religious groups, the CCP has not been very successful in stopping the spread of spiritual-religious groups. Finding a more comprehensive approach to religion and to the interlinked socio-economic problems is one of the great challenges for the future of the Communist regime.
The Sublime and the Subliminal
Authors: Ferguson Harvie
Published: June 2004

The article considers some aspects of the problem of both individual and collective identity in the context of the development of different kinds of warfare in modern western society. The elucidation of these relations requires an unexpected application of aesthetic ideas; in particular the notion of the sublime. It is argued that the experience of combat is one possible ‘real’ form of the sublime. It is further suggested, paradoxically, that sublime combat cannot actually be experienced; it is an ‘inexperience’. The historical significance of modern western war literature, thus, is just that it fills the ‘gap’ left by the destructive inexperience of combat and it allows those who endured it, as well as those who did not, to construct a ‘memory’ of the events themselves.
Artworks’ Networks
Authors: Albertsen Niels , Diken Bülent
Published: June 2004

Focusing on the connections between the artwork and its internal and external network, the article presents four different approaches to the sociology of art developed by Lyotard, Bourdieu, Luhmann, and Hennion and Latour. While Lyotard, from a phiosophical point of view, emphasizes the transcendence of the artwork in relation to its network, for Bourdieu the work of art is part of a network and the ‘social genesis’ grounds the artwork as an artwork. In contrast to Bourdieu, Luhmann conceives of art as an autopoietic system and the artwork as a communicative artefact. Yet, in this, the materiality of the artwork disappears in communication, which is why Hennion and Latour’s approach to the world of art as heterogeneous networks of human and non-human mediators is significant. ‘Thinking with’ these different approaches, the article produces three main results. First, Bourdieu’s and Luhmann’s otherwise very different sociologies significantly parallel each other regarding arts and modernity. Second, the question of the artwork radically unravels the difficult relationship between social theory and material objects. In this respect most contemporary social theories (e.g. Bourdieu’s and Luhmann’s) remain essentially modernist. Third, a focus on artworks demonstrates that the conceptual vocabulary of social theory and the sociology of art must be reconsidered. Furthermore, the article demonstrates the discovery of a ‘lucid illusio’ and specifies a Spinozist moment in Bourdieu’s social theory.
Genetic Structuralism, Psychological Sociology and Pragmatic Social Actor Theory
Authors: Frère Bruno
Published: June 2004

This article sets out to show that Wittgenstein and Freud have exerted a considerable - though narrow - influence on Bourdieu’s sociology. But their influence also pervades the theoretical development of two other currents that have emerged in French sociology in the last few years, and that were developed by L. Boltanski and L. Thévenot on the one hand, and B. Lahire on the other. Although they do not make it explicit, the advocates of these two currents have nevertheless been influenced by Wittgenstein and Freud. Thus Boltanski has drawn on Wittgenstein to develop a sociology which gives primacy to the social actor’s interpretation of his or her situation through lay theorizing. Lahire’s work clearly pays a debt to Freud with his psychological sociology. It would therefore be interesting, in the first instance, to tease out how Wittgenstein and Freud, respectively, have influenced these two systems to demonstrate that they can indeed be used to generate new sociological currents, other than Bourdieu’s own. This would then allow us to explore how they could be used to fill any gaps in Bourdieu’s work, thus giving the latter renewed relevance and staunching its stagnating tendencies. Ultimately, this analysis aims to show how Wittgenstein’s and Freud’s theoretical influences can lead the way towards a theoretical synthesis between Bourdieu’s critical sociology, Boltanski’s social actor theory and Lahire’s psychological sociology. Currently, these three currents operate independently of each other, without any kind of dialogue. And yet, far from being incompatible, these sociologies offer opportunities for exploring how they might complement and mutually enrich each other.
Link, Search, Interact
Authors: Bach Jonathan , Stark David
Published: June 2004

International institutions are being transformed by the twinned appearance of new non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and new technologies. How do these processes co-evolve? If we were limited to three words to describe the new interactive technologies of the Web, we would highlight the following logics: link, search, interact. Whereas in other systems these logics are additive, on the Web they can be recombinatory. Search, for example, can be conducted based on the structure of links, leading to new patterns of interaction, new links and new methods of search. Of greatest interest are the kinds of search where you don’t know what you’re looking for but will recognize it when you find it. In short, innovation is promoted by networked organizational forms. New technologies do not determine these innovative outcomes, but they can facilitate them. The article explores the prospect of shifts among NGOs from autarky to collaboration, and from information transmission to knowledge networks in the virtual public sphere.
Neoliberal Empire
Authors: Pieterse Jan Nederveen
Published: June 2004

If neoliberal globalization was a regime of American economic unilateralism, has this been succeeded by or combined with political and military unilateralism? This discussion probes the emerging features of a hybrid formation of neoliberal empire; a mélange of political-military and economic unilateralism, an attempt to merge geopolitics with the aims and techniques of neoliberalism. This is examined in relation to government, privatization, trade, aid, marketing and the occupation of Iraq. A further question is what kind of wider strategy is taking shape amid the turmoil of the new wars.
The Parish Hall Enquiry: A Community-Based Alternative to Formal Court Processing in the Channel Island of Jersey
Authors: Miles Helen
Published: June 2004

The Parish Hall Enquiry system in Jersey is of great antiquity and, like the Honorary Police system upon which it depends, its origins lie in very long-established forms of communal organization. Presided over by a ‘centenier’ (an elected, unpaid parish official) in the local parish hall, the current system has evolved through 800 years of customary practice. Enquiries have no basis in statute law and sanctions levied at Parish Hall are not considered to be criminal convictions. The centenier is empowered to enquire into the circumstances surrounding any offence committed within the boundaries of the parish, adjudicate upon the facts presented, and propose an appropriate penalty.
Beyond a Drug Trafficking Offence: No Way Forward?
Authors: Goulden Carlotta
Published: June 2004

This is a personal account of the past six years of my life after I was convicted of a serious criminal offence and imprisoned in the United States of America. I describe the reasons for my arrest and my time in detention, where I discovered that I was pregnant. The article is, however, mainly about the impact my criminal record has had on my life and on my employment opportunities in particular. Acquiring a serious criminal conviction seriously damaged my opportunities to secure employment suited to my skills and capabilities. I conclude with a discussion of the STRETCH project I set up, which aims to widen participation of offenders and ex-offenders in museums and galleries.
Get Carter
Authors: Dobson Geoff
Published: June 2004

The ‘Carter Report’ (Carter, 2003) was issued at the beginning of the year, together with the Government’s initial response (Home Office, 2004). It provides an economic analysis of society’s responses to crime and a strategy intended to improve cost-effectiveness in the criminal justice system, while maintaining public confidence. The recommendation for a National Offender Management Service was accepted without further consultation and the new body is to be established from 1st June 2004. This decision signals the end of the probation service as a separate entity. It will create a market to `ensure the end-to-end management of offenders, regardless of whether they were given a custodial or community sentence' (Home Office, 2004, p. 14). The author examines Carter’s likely impact on the prison population and sets the review alongside the social policy analysis provided by the Social Exclusion Unit (2002). He identifies risks that must be accounted for in the development and implementation of this ambitious plan. Finally he raises concerns about what might be lost in the new arrangements.
‘Social Poker’
Authors: Crosson Scott , Orbell John , Arrow Holly
Published: June 2004

The theory of clubs addresses the gap between purely private and purely public goods, being concerned with how groups (‘clubs’) form to provide themselves with goods that are available to their membership, but from which others (non-members) can be excluded. Despite 35 years of formal development, there have been virtually no laboratory studies of club formation. We develop the ‘social poker’ laboratory paradigm toward .lling this gap, and test the predictions from club theory that populations will partition into a privately and socially optimal set of clubs. The experiment included three conditions: (1) ‘Single shot’ with one trial of club formation; (2) ‘iterated’ with a sequence of four trials; and (3) ‘iterated dollar-guarantee’, with four trials in which participants who were not included in clubs still earned a small amount of money. In all conditions, clubs were frequently larger than was privately or collectively optimal; in the second condition, clubs were increasingly likely to include unnecessary members across trials. After clubs formed, members had the opportunity to ‘overclaim’ – to take more than their agreed-upon share of the club good. Although the incidence of overclaiming was low, it was more common in larger clubs, further reducing the collective earnings of participants.
The Logic of Xenophobia
Authors: Rydgren Jens
Published: June 2004

In this article I discuss the subjective rationality of xenophobic and racist beliefs. Although such beliefs are mostly non-rational from an objective perspective, because of their incongruence with reality, under certain conditions they may appear rational from people’s subjective point of view – in particular in situations of uncertainty. The reason for this is mainly cognitive limitations and biased background information. I argue that xenophobic beliefs are often underpinned by categorization and inference biases. More speci.cally, xenophobic beliefs may arise out of invalid inductive inferences and by stereotyped categorization processes. Both these types of erroneous inferences result from thought processes that have the same form as cognitive mechanisms people use successfully in their daily lives, which give them good reason for relying on them without much reflection.
Public Attention, Political Action: the Example of Environmental Regulation
Authors: Newig Jens
Published: June 2004

In this paper, a rational choice model of the dynamics of public attention to politically relevant issues is proposed, responding to the following research questions: When and why does public attention arise in the .rst place? Do ‘issue attention cycles’ really exist? What issues are likely to attain which degree of public attention? How can public attention be measured soundly? In which way does public attention in.uence regulatory action, and how, in turn, is public attention affected by political action? To this end, the paper sets off with a discussion of the concepts of ‘public’, ‘issue’, ‘attention’ and ‘cycle’. Key variables of the causal model include the acuteness/severity and accessibility/visibility of the issue at stake, as well as the ability to ‘solve’ the underlying problem. In an empirical study, several environmental issues and their corresponding regulation in Germany are examined in order to test the theoretical conjectures which could, for the most part, be empirically supported.
Physicians’ Constructions of Depression: Inside/Outside the Boundaries of Medicalization
Authors: Thomas-MacLean Roanne , Stoppard Janet M.
Published: June 2004

A qualitative study explored primary care physicians’ experiences of diagnosing and treating depression. Twenty physicians participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview questions asked physicians to consider a range of topics such as the etiology of depression, the diagnostic process and treatment of depression. Transcripts were analyzed discursively with a view to exploring the ways in which physicians construct depression. In this article, physicians’ constructions of depression are examined through exploration of their descriptions of this condition, as well as their recognition of the social context of depression. Based on this analysis, it was concluded that physicians’ medicalized understandings of depression conflict with recognition of the social context of depression. The result of this conflict is dissonant descriptions of depression. One implication of this research is that physicians’ training would benefit from the integration of multidisciplinary perspectives on depression, which would better reflect physicians’ experiences in routine practice situations.
The Local Production of Knowledge: Disease Labels, Identities and Category Entitlements in ME Support Group Talk
Authors: Horton-Salway Mary
Published: June 2004

This article uses discursive psychology to analyse how knowledge claims and entitlements are locally produced in an ME support group meeting and a research interview. The article demonstrates how ‘expertise’ and ‘experience’ associated with lay and professional membership are locally constituted in the activity of reasoning, arguing and claims making. The analysis shows how expertise and experiential claims are constructed, disclaimed, warranted and undermined in relationship to membership categorization and entitlements to knowledge that are co-constructed in the process of a discussion about disease labels and the nature of the illness as physical or psychological. In a discussion about the definition of contested disease categories, what is ‘at stake’ for the group members is the entitlement to speak from experience as members who can ‘know’ their own minds.
Factors Affecting Pain Scores during Female Urethral Catheterization
Authors: Tanabe Paula , Steinmann Rebecca , Anderson Jill , Johnson Deborah , Metcalf Sue , Ring‐Hurn Eileen
Published: June 2004

Objectives: To compare pain and discomfort ratings of female patients undergoing urethral catheterization randomized to topical application of plain lubricant versus lidocaine gel prior to the procedure. Methods:This was a prospective, randomized, double‐blind study involving female patients requiring urethral catheterization at an urban university‐based academic emergency department. A staff nurse blinded to the lubricant type injected 5 mL of sterile surgical lubricant or 2% lidocaine gel into the urinary meatus. After 1 minute, an 8‐F (for specimen collection) or a 16‐F (for continuous collection) catheter was inserted into the urethra. Each patient rated the pain of the procedure on a validated 0‐ to 100‐mm visual analog scale. The Mann‐Whitney U test was used to analyze associations between pain ratings, lubricant type, and catheter size. Logistic regression was used to identify the contribution of lubricant type, catheter size, age category, difficulty of insertion, preprocedural pain, and diagnosis of urinary tract infection to procedural pain rating. Results: One hundred women were randomized to plain lubricant (n= 50) or lidocaine (n= 50). The overall mean (± SD) pain score was 23.5 ± 27.2 mm. No significant differences in pain ratings were found based on catheter size or lubricant type. Younger women, aged 18–59 years, experienced higher pain ratings than women aged 60–101 (mean pain difference 14.4 mm; 95% CI = 4.3 to 24.5; p < 0.006). Multiple logistic regression identified preprocedural pain as the only predictor of higher pain rating after catheterization (OR 1.02; 95% CI = 1.002 to 1.039, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Catheter size and lubricant type did not affect the severity of pain after urethral catheterization in women.
Characteristics of Household Addresses That Repeatedly Contact 911 to Report Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Houry Debra , Parramore Constance , Fayard Gregory , Thorn Jennifer , Heron Sheryl , Kellermann Arthur
Published: June 2004

Objectives: To determine whether households that generate several 911 calls differ in important ways from those that make a single call and to determine whether households that generate repeat 911 calls for intimate partner violence (IPV) experience more severe violence than those that do not. Methods: All cases of police‐documented IPV were reviewed and linked with their respective 911 calls. Each incident report was reviewed to determine the relationship between the offender and victim, demographic characteristics of the offender and victim, weapon and substance involvement, prior incidents of IPV, and violence severity. Results: Of the 1,505 IPV addresses identified during the 12‐month study interval, 1,010 (67.1%) placed more than one phone call to report IPV. Sixty‐nine percent of African American victims, 50.6% of white victims, and 36.8% of Hispanic victims were repeat callers (p < 0.001). There were no differences between addresses that generated repeat calls versus single calls with respect to offender alcohol or drug involvement, presence of children, victim age, or offender age. Sixty‐seven percent of households with severe violence and 66.9% of households with minor violence generated repeat 911 calls (p = 0.98). Conclusions: Ethnic differences in 911 use for IPV exist between African Americans, whites, and Hispanics. However, unknown societal, economic, or cultural issues could have influenced this finding. Households that repeatedly contacted 911 during the study interval to report IPV were not more likely to experience severe violence than those that placed a single 911 call.
Participation in the Academic Associate Program: Effect on Medical School Admission Rate
Authors: Sparano Dina M. , Shofer Frances S. , Hollander Judd E.
Published: June 2004

Objectives: Several emergency medicine programs are using premedical students as research assistants for clinical research in the emergency department (ED). These programs have been shown to enhance faculty research productivity, but the effects of these programs on the students' goals have not been assessed. The authors evaluated the effect of the Academic Associate Program (AAP) on medical school acceptance rates. Methods:From 1997 to 2002, premedical students who attended informational sessions about the AAP completed a 28‐item survey including demographic information, educational experiences, career goals, grade point average (GPA), and prior research participation. Premedical students who had a career goal of becoming a physician were included in the study if they matriculated into medical school or changed their career plans by the fall of 2003. Medical school acceptance was determined by contacting students or their parents via telephone and e‐mail. Students enrolled in the AAP were compared with Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data to determine whether they were more or less likely to be accepted into medical school. Results: During the study period, 198 students enrolled in the AAP had attained a final disposition with respect to medical school matriculation. Students were a mean age of 22.4 ± 3.0 years, 55% female, and 43% nonwhite. Most students (91%) were junior year or later with respect to educational level. Prior research experience included being an author on an abstract (25%), being an author on a manuscript (17%), and presenting research at a scientific meeting (14%). The mean GPA (± standard deviation) for Academic Associates was 3.38 (± 0.31). Medical school acceptance rates were 79% for students in the AAP (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 73.1 to 84.5). This is higher than expected based on AAMC published data with a 49% (95% CI = 48.5 to 49.5) acceptance rate for students with a mean GPA of 3.46. Conclusions: Compared with AAMC data, students in the AAP have a higher medical school acceptance rate despite a slightly lower GPA. This finding suggests that participation in the program enhances a student's likelihood of matriculating in medical school.
Does the Lateral Chest Radiograph Help Pediatric Emergency Physicians Diagnose Pneumonia? A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Lynch Tim , Gouin Serge , Larson Charles , Patenaude Yves
Published: June 2004

Objectives: To determine whether the addition of the lateral chest radiograph to the frontal view influences the pediatric emergency physician's diagnosis and management of patients with pneumonia. Methods:A randomized clinical trial was conducted, involving 570 patients, 1–16 years of age, visiting a pediatric emergency department (ED) for whom frontal and lateral chest radiographs were ordered for the clinical suspicion of pneumonia. Pediatric emergency physicians reviewed the frontal film alone in group 1 and both the frontal and the lateral films in group 2. The interpretation of each radiograph was then compared with consensus interpretation by pediatric radiologists who interpreted both views. Results: There were 604 eligible children; 34 families declined to participate. Three hundred three were randomized into group 1, whereas 267 were randomized into group 2. The clinicians' interpretations were equal in sensitivity for group 1 at 91% and 87% in group 2 (p = 0.321) and equal in specificity for group 1 at 58% and 57% in group 2 (p = 0.888). Conclusions: The addition of the lateral chest radiograph to the frontal view did not improve the sensitivity or specificity of pediatric emergency physicians in their diagnosis of pneumonia in children.
Deferral of the Rectal Examination in Blunt Trauma Patients: A Clinical Decision Rule
Authors: Guldner Gregory , Babbitt Jonathan , Boulton Mike , O'Callaghan Thomas , Feleke Rehema , Hargrove Jenny
Published: June 2004

Objectives: To develop a clinical decision rule that would allow for the safe deferral of the digital rectal examination (DRE) in blunt trauma patients. Methods:The authors reviewed the medical records of all adult blunt trauma patients meeting trauma team activation criteria over a 14‐month period. The results of the DRE and six predictor variables—abnormal neurologic examination, abdominal tenderness, pelvic stability, blood at the urethral meatus, blood pressure < 90 mm Hg, and age over 65 years—were recorded. Patients with abnormal DREs had their discharge summaries reviewed for specific criteria to determine if the abnormal DRE was a true‐ or false‐positive examination. Predictor variables were entered into a classification and regression tree (CART) analysis designed to predict true‐positive abnormal DREs. Results: Of the 579 patients, 53 had abnormal DREs, 34 of which were true positives. CART analysis retained three predictors, abnormal neurologic examination, blood at the urethral meatus, and age over 65 years, and accurately classified all patients with a true‐positive abnormal DRE. The probability of a true‐positive abnormal DRE in a patient with a normal neurologic examination, no blood at the urethral meatus, and age less than 65 years is between 0% and 0.8%. Conclusions: Adult patients with blunt trauma and a normal neurologic examination, with no blood at the urethral meatus, and who are less than 65 years old have an exceedingly low likelihood of a true‐positive abnormal DRE. If validated, patients who meet these three criteria may have the DRE safely deferred.
Comparison of Topical Anesthetics and Lubricants Prior to Urethral Catheterization in Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Siderias John , Guadio Flavio , Singer Adam J.
Published: June 2004

Although male urethral catheterization in the emergency department (ED) is both common and painful, few studies have evaluated the use of topical anesthesia prior to catheterization. Objectives: To determine whether pretreatment of the urethra with topical lidocaine reduces the pain associated with urethral catheterization. Methods:This was a prospective, double‐blind, randomized clinical trial of 36 alert, cooperative male adult patients requiring urethral catheterization, without allergies to the study medications or contraindications to their use, from a suburban university‐based ED. Patients in the experimental group had topical lidocaine 2% gel injected in their urethras, whereas control patients received intraurethral lubrication only. Standardized catheterization with a no. 16 Foley was performed followed by pain assessment. The primary outcome measured was pain of catheterization on a 100‐mm visual analog scale. Other outcomes included ease of insertion and procedural bleeding. Results: The authors evaluated 36 patients evenly distributed between study groups. Mean age was 62 years (range 22–85). Compared with controls, patients pretreated with lidocaine experienced significantly less pain of catheterization (38 ± 28 mm vs. 58 ± 30 mm; mean difference 20 mm; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.4 to 32; p = 0.04) and less pain of injection (23 ± 17 mm vs. 40 ± 25 mm; mean difference 17 mm; 95% CI = 3 to 32 mm; p = 0.02). There were no differences in the number of attempts and incidence of adverse events between the groups. Conclusions: Use of topical lidocaine gel reduces the pain associated with male urethral catheterization in comparison with topical lubricants only.
Derivation and Validation of a Risk Stratification Model to Identify Coronary Artery Disease in Women Who Present to the Emergency Department with Potential Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Diercks Deborah B. , Hollander Judd E. , Sites Frank , Kirk J. Douglas
Published: June 2004

Objectives: To derive and validate a model to identify women who would benefit from further evaluation of chest pain after an initial negative emergency department (ED) evaluation for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods:The derivation and validation cohorts were comprised of women who presented to the ED with chest pain at two university hospitals. Patients were excluded if the initial electrocardiogram (ECG) or cardiac markers were consistent with ACS. Patients were followed for 30 days after the index visit to identify evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), which was defined as a positive diagnostic study, myocardial infarction, or death. The authors performed a logistic regression analysis to identify significant predictors of CAD. A scoring system was developed based on the B‐coefficient of these significant predictors. Levels of risk were assigned by summing and categorizing the cumulative risk score into low‐, moderate‐, and high‐risk groups. Results: The derivation and validation sets were comprised of 733 and 2,440 women, respectively. From the derivation set predictors of CAD (score) were history of CAD (1), age ≥60 years (1), and high clinical suspicion (3). Low risk was defined as a score = 0, moderate risk score = 1–2, high risk score =≥3. In the validation set, the numbers of patients with evidence of CAD were four of 1,348 (0.30%), 18 of 498 (3.6%), and 71 of 594 (11.9%) in the low‐, moderate‐, and high‐risk groups, respectively. Conclusions: The risk of underlying CAD in women who present to the ED with potential ACS may be determined using a simple risk stratification score.
Melanocortin 4 Receptor-Mediated Hyperphagia and Activation of Neuropeptide Y Expression in the Dorsomedial Hypothalamus during Lactation
Authors: Chen Peilin , Williams Sarah M. , Grove Kevin L. , Smith M. Susan
Published: June 2004

In several hyperphagic models, including lactation, in which hypothalamic melanocortin signaling is reduced, a novel expression of NPY mRNA in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) has been observed, suggesting that melanocortin signaling and the induced NPY in the DMH may constitute unique neurocircuitry in mediating energy balance. Using lactating rats as a model, the present study first showed that in the DMH abundant α-MSH and agouti-related protein fibers are in close apposition to NPY-positive cells. However, no NPY and MC4R (a melanocortin receptor) double-labeled neurons were observed. These data suggested that melanocortin input may synapse on presynaptic terminals that then synapse on DMH NPY cells. To study the function of DMH MC4Rs in energy balance, an MC3/4R-selective agonist, melanotan II (MTII), was injected bilaterally into the DMH. MTII injection significantly suppressed feeding induced by 24 hr fasting or suckling-induced hyperphagia. Furthermore, MTII treatment greatly attenuated suckling-induced NPY expression in the DMH. MTII treatment also stimulated uncoupling protein 1 activity in the brown adipose tissue of suckling female rats, indicative of increased sympathetic outflow. In summary, the present study demonstrated that the melanocortin system in the DMH not only plays an important role in inducing NPY expression in the DMH of lactating rats but also in regulating energy homeostasis, at least in part, by modulating appetite and energy expenditure.
2-Aminoethoxydiphenyl Borate Activates and Sensitizes the Heat-Gated Ion Channel TRPV3
Authors: Chung Man-Kyo , Lee Hyosang , Mizuno Atsuko , Suzuki Makoto , Caterina Michael J.
Published: June 2004

Six of the mammalian transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel subtypes are nonselective cation channels that can be activated by increases or decreases in ambient temperature. Five of them can alternatively be activated by nonthermal stimuli such as capsaicin [transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1)] or hypo-osmolarity (TRPV2 and TRPV4). No nonthermal stimuli have yet been described for TRPV3, a warmth-gated ion channel expressed prominently in skin keratinocytes. Here, we demonstrate that 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a compound used to inhibit store-operated Ca2+channels and IP3receptors, produces robust activation of recombinant TRPV3 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells with an EC50of 28 μm. 2-APB also sensitizes TRPV3 to activation by heat, even at subthreshold concentrations. In inside-out membrane patches from TRPV3-expressing cells, 2-APB increases the open probability of TRPV3. Also, whereas heat alone is capable of activating TRPV3-mediated currents in only a small proportion of primary mouse keratinocytes, 2-APB activates heat-evoked, TRPV3-mediated currents in the majority of these cells. Together, these findings identify 2-APB as the first known chemical activator of TRPV3 and enhance the notion that TRPV3 participates in the detection of heat by keratinocytes.
Elevated Thalamic Low-Voltage-Activated Currents Precede the Onset of Absence Epilepsy in the SNAP25-Deficient Mouse MutantColoboma
Authors: Zhang Yi , Vilaythong Alexander P. , Yoshor Daniel , Noebels Jeffrey L.
Published: June 2004

Recessive mutations in genes encoding voltage-gated Ca2+channel subunits alter high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium currents, impair neurotransmitter release, and stimulate thalamic low-voltage-activated (LVA) currents that contribute to a cortical spike-wave epilepsy phenotype in mice. We now report thalamic LVA current elevations in a non-Ca2+channel mutant. EEG analysis ofColoboma(Cm/+), an autosomal dominant mutant mouse lacking one copy of the gene for a synaptosomal-associated protein (SNAP25) that interacts with HVA channels, reveals abnormal spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the behaving animal. We compared the biophysical properties of both LVA and HVA currents inCm/+ and wild-type thalamic neurons and observed a 54% increase in peak current density of LVA currents evoked at –50 mV from –110 mV inCm/+ before the developmental onset of seizures relative to control. The midpoint voltage for steady-state inactivation of LVA currents inCm/+ was shifted in a depolarized direction by 8 mV before epilepsy onset, and the mean time constant for decay of LVA Ca2+currents at –50 mV was also prolonged. No significant differences were found in recovery from inactivation of LVA currents or in HVA current densities and kinetics. Our data demonstrate that a non-Ca2+channel subunit gene mutation leads to potentiated thalamic LVA currents that precede the appearance of SWDs and that altered somatodendritic HVA currents are not required for abnormal thalamocortical oscillations. We suggest that presynaptic release defects shared by these mutants lead to postsynaptic LVA excitability increases in thalamic pacemaker neurons that favor rebound bursting and absence epilepsy.
Dopamine Modulates Use-Dependent Plasticity of Inhibitory Synapses
Authors: Baimoukhametova Dinara V. , Hewitt Sarah A. , Sank Cheryl A. , Bains Jaideep S.
Published: June 2004

The release of the hormones oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) into the circulation is dictated by the electrical activity of hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs). In the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), MNC neuronal activity is exquisitely sensitive to changes in input from inhibitory GABAergic synapses. To explore the hypothesis that efficacy at these synapses is dictated by the rate at which a given synapse is activated, we obtained whole-cell recordings from MNCs in postnatal day 21–27 male Sprague Dawley rat brain slices. IPSCs were elicited by electrically stimulating GABAergic projections from either the suprachiasmatic nucleus or putative interneuron populations immediately ventral to the fornix at 5, 10, 20, and 50 Hz. Short-term plasticity was observed at 88% of the synapses tested. Of this group, synaptic depression was observed in 58%, and synaptic facilitation was observed in 41%. Identification of cells using a combined electrophysiological and immunohistochemical approach revealed a strong correlation between cell phenotype and the nature of the plasticity. Short-term facilitation was observed preferentially in OT cells (86%), whereas short-term depression was predominant in VP neurons (69%). We next examined the effects of dopamine, which increases MNC excitability, on short-term plasticity. Activation of presynaptic D4receptors decreased the frequency of miniature IPSCs and prevented the development of synaptic depression at higher rates of activity. Synaptic facilitation, however, was unaffected by dopamine. These findings demonstrate that, by lowering GABA release probability, dopamine confers high-pass filtering properties to the majority of inhibitory synapses onto MNCs in PVN.
Role of the α1G T-Type Calcium Channel in Spontaneous Absence Seizures in Mutant Mice
Authors: Song Inseon , Kim Daesoo , Choi Soonwook , Sun Minjeong , Kim Yeongin , Shin Hee-Sup
Published: June 2004

Alterations in thalamic T-type Ca2+channels are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of absence seizures. Here, we found that mice with a null mutation for the pore-forming α1A subunits of P/Q-type channels (α1A–/–mice) were prone to absence seizures characterized by typical spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) and behavioral arrests. Isolated thalamocortical relay (TC) neurons from these mice showed increased T-type Ca2+currentsin vitro. To examine the role of increased T-currents in α1A–/–TC neurons, we cross-bred α1A–/–mice with mice harboring a null mutation for the gene encoding α1G, a major isotype of T-type Ca2+channels in TC neurons. α1A–/–/α1G–/–mice showed a complete loss of T-type Ca2+currents in TC neurons and displayed no SWDs. Interestingly, α1A–/–/α1G+/–mice had 75% of the T-type Ca2+currents in TC neurons observed in α1A+/+/α1G+/+mice and showed SWD activity that was quantitatively similar to that in α1A–/–/α1G+/+mice. Similar results were obtained using double-mutant mice harboring the α1G mutation plus another mutation also used as a model for absence seizures, i.e.,lethargic(β4lh/lh),tottering(α1Atg/tg), orstargazer(γ2stg/stg). The present results reveal that α1G T-type Ca2+channels play a critical role in the genesis of spontaneous absence seizures resulting from hypofunctioning P/Q-type channels, but that the augmentation of thalamic T-type Ca2+currents is not an essential step in the genesis of absence seizures.
A novel follicle culture system markedly increases follicle volume, cell number and oestradiol secretion
Authors: Wycherley G , Downey D , Kane M T , Hynes A C
Published: June 2004

This study reports a novel, simple method for culture of mouse follicles which results in follicles with cell numbers similar toin vivofully grown follicles. Using this method, follicles (180–240 μm in diameter) were cultured in a 100 μl inverted drop of medium without oil and compared with culture in upright drops with and without a mineral oil overlay. Follicles, isolated from C57BL/6 × CBA/ca crossbred and MF1 inbred mice, were cultured individually at 37 °C in 96-well round-bottomed suspension cell tissue culture plates for 6 days. Follicles grown in the inverted drop culture system reached a markedly higher final diameter (means±s.e.m.; 471 ± 6.0 μm) as compared with the upright with oil (363 ± 2.7 μm) and without oil (358 ± 4.0) systems. There was no significant effect of mouse strain on follicle diameter. Follicular secretion of oestradiol and lactate into the medium was measured on days 2, 4 and 6 of culture. Secretion of oestradiol per follicle on day 6 was 2.49 ± 0.45 ng in the inverted and 0.90 ± 0.17 ng in the upright without oil system (P< 0.001). Follicular secretion of lactate on a per unit of follicle volume basis remained constant in the inverted system over days 2, 4 and 6 and was less (P< 0.001) than secretion in both the upright with and without oil systems. Follicle cell proliferation was markedly increased in the inverted as compared with the upright with oil system; the increases in cell numbers were significant on day 3 (P< 0.01) and on all subsequent days (P< 0.001). These results are discussed in relation to the supply of oxygen to the follicle in culture.
Epigenetic reprogramming during early development in mammals
Authors: Santos Fátima , Dean Wendy
Published: June 2004

Epigenetic modifications serve as an extension of the information content by which the underlying genetic code may be interpreted. These modifications mark genomic regions and act as heritable and stable instructions for the specification of chromatin organisation and structure that dictate transcriptional states. In mammals, DNA methylation and the modification of histones account for the major epigenetic alterations. Two cycles of DNA methylation reprogramming have been characterised. During germ cell development, epigenetic reprogramming of DNA methylation resets parent-of-origin based genomic imprints and restores totipotency to gametes. On fertilisation, the second cycle is triggered resulting in an asymmetric difference between parental genomes. Further epigenetic asymmetry is evident in the establishment of the first two lineages at the blastocyst stage. This differentiative event sets the epigenetic characteristics of the lineages as derivatives of the inner cell mass (somatic) and trophectoderm (extra-embryonic). It is the erasure and subsequent re-tracing of the epigenetic checkpoints that pose the most serious obstacles to somatic nuclear transfer. Elaboration of the mechanisms of these interactions will be invaluable in our fundamental understanding of biological processes and in achieving substantial therapeutic advances.
The fractal analysis of curing processes of epoxy resins
Authors: Kozlov G. V. , Bejev A. A. , Lipatov Yu. S.
Published: June 2004

The possibility of applying the models of the irreversible aggregation and the fractal analysis for the description of curing kinetics of haloid‐containing epoxy polymers was shown. There are two different modes of curing (homogeneous and nonhomogeneous), responding to conditions D = const and D = variant as a function of reaction time (D is the fractal dimension of microgels). The first condition corresponds to one dimension of the formed microgels, and the second one corresponds to the distribution of these dimensions. The mode of curing is determined by the level of fluctuations of density in the reaction medium. It was also shown that the fractal reactions at curing can be of the two following classes: reactions of fractal objects and reactions in fractal space. The basic difference of the two mentioned classes of reactions is the dependence of their rate on the fractal dimension of reaction products. The application of the methods of the fractal analysis and the theory of percolation allows us to find out that the first gelation point by crosslinking polymers is a structural transition, which is realized at filling by microgels of the whole reaction space. The physical nature of the autoacceleration (autostopping) effect in curing reactions is determined. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2558–2568, 2004
Physical agglomeration behavior in preparation of cellulose‐N‐methyl morpholine N‐oxide hydrate solutions by simple mixing
Authors: Kim Dong Bok , Jo Seong Mu , Lee Wha Seop , Pak James Jungho
Published: June 2004

The different melting temperatures of N‐methyl morpholine N‐oxide (NMMO) hydrates in the cellulose–NMMO hydrate solution may be explained by the rather different crystal structures of NMMO hydrates, which are determined by the amount of the hydrates. The preparative process of cellulose–NMMO hydrate solution may result in cellulose structural change from cellulose I to cellulose II, depending on the amount of the hydrate. Mixtures of cellulose and NMMO hydrate in a blender was changed from the granules to slurry with increasing mixing time at 60–70°C, which is below the melting point of the NMMO hydrate. In the case of 15 wt % cellulose–NMMO hydrate granules, which were made by mixing for 20 min, the melting points of various NMMO hydrates were obtained as 77.8°C (n = 0.83), 70.2°C (n = 0.97), and 69.7°C (n = 1.23), respectively, depending on the hydrate number. However, the melting points of cellulose–NMMO hydrate slurry and solution were shifted lower than those of cellulose granules, while the mixing time of slurry and solution are 25 and 35 min, respectively. These melting behaviors indicate instantaneous liquefaction of the NMMO hydrate and the diffusion of the NMMO hydrate into cellulose during mixing in a blender. When cellulose was completely dissolved in NMMO hydrate, the crystal structure of cellulose showed only cellulose II structure. In the cellulose–NMMO products of granules or slurry obtained by high‐speed mixing, which is a new preparation method, they still retained the original cellulose I structure. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1687–1697, 2004
Weighting and improvement of silk properties
Authors: Ramadan A. M. , Mosleh S. , Gawish S. M.
Published: June 2004

Silk was modified with the aim to increase the weight and improve the physical properties. A grafting chemical redox technique was adopted in this investigation by using ammonium persulfate (APS), copper sulfate as initiator and accelelerator for the reaction, glycidyl methacrylate (GM), and acrylamide (AM), or their mixture. The optimum ASP and copper sulfate concentration needed to decrease the homopolymerization reaction was noted in the case of GM and AM. The percentage graft yield was found to be highly affected by the various parameters studied, including the initiator, the monomer concentrations, the reaction time, and the temperature. The physical properties of the grafted silk fabric were done including crease recovery angles, abrasion resistance, and moisture regain. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1743–1747, 2004
Microcellular thin PET sheet foam preparation by compression molding
Authors: Guan Rong , Wang Biqin , Lu Deping , Fang Quan , Xiang Banglong
Published: June 2004

This study has created a new way of microcellullar processing PET thin sheet foam using a conventional hydraulic press by compression molding and by setting the temperature of press plates differently. Comparing this study with our previous work, the emphasis is on the difference of plate temperature. The nonisothermal condition is used to control the foaming agent decomposition to lead to more uniform cell size microcellular foam. A variety of cell sizes, cell densities, and relative densities are obtained as a consequence of the different foaming temperature, time, pressure, and foaming agent content via isothermal and nonisothermal conditions. The effect of isothermal and nonisothermal foaming on the cell size, cells density, and relative density has been discussed. The electrical properties of the microcellular poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) samples prepared in nonisothermal foaming have been investigated. The experimental results show that the microcellular PET foam has lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss and higher electric resistivity than unfoamed PET. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1698–1704, 2004