bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Constructing the State Action Doctrine, 1940–1990
Authors: Peretti Terri
Published: May 2010

According to the state action doctrine, the Constitution restricts the activities of governmental but not private entities. Despite this rule's apparent simplicity, the Supreme Court has been clearly uncomfortable with precedents like Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) and has varied considerably in its receptiveness to state action claims from 1940 to 1990. The attitudinal model provides barely a beginning in accounting for both Shelley and changes in state action limitations. While liberal justices did initially relax state action requirements and conservative justices subsequently tightened them, that explanation ignores changes in the NAACP's litigation strategy, the Court's creation of doctrinal alternatives, and powerful civil rights legislation that together produced a sharp decline in state action claims involving race after 1970. These nonattitudinal “regime politics” factors enable a more complete and nuanced understanding of the state action field and help us to see the Court as collaborative rather than independent, dependent, or countermajoritarian.
The Logics of Supranational Human Rights Litigation, Official Acknowledgment, and Human Rights Reform: The Southeast Turkey Cases before the European Court of Human Rights, 1996–2006
Authors: Çalı Başak
Published: May 2010

This article examines the domestic impact of supranational human rights litigation on acknowledgment of state violence in the context of macroprocesses of global governance. The article's argument is that the impact of supranational human rights litigation on the process of acknowledgment must be seen through counternarratives on state violence. The article undertakes a detailed textual analysis of the truth claims and denial strategies that emerged from the European Court of Human Rights proceedings on state violence during Turkey's struggle against the armed group the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). It assesses these in the context of the human rights reforms that were created following pressure from European‐level governance processes. The article argues that attention must be paid to agency in acknowledgment and truth‐telling processes, and points to the limits of technical‐bureaucratic forms of human rights reform interventions in the context of state violence.
Loosing the Dragon: Charismatic Legal Action and the Construction of the Taiping Legal Order
Authors: Trager Glenn A.
Published: May 2010

This article develops the notion of legal charisma by analyzing the Taiping Rebellion in mid‐nineteenth‐century China. The concept of legal charisma seeks to capture those normally inchoate aspects of law that transcend its institutionalized incarnations and empower its subjects to act out visions of the universal, often in anarchic and unpredictable ways. The article further suggests that such charismatic legal behavior, in spite of its anarchic qualities, provides an important means through which systems of legal authority revitalize and strengthen their hold over legal subjects. The Taiping Rebellion provides an example of both these facets of legal charisma; the rebellion drew on visions of collective empowerment inherent in a newly articulated legal code to act out a challenge to existing social institutions—even as this same code came to assert an ever‐tightening grip on the lives of the Taiping population.
Who's Running the Road? Street Railway Strikes and the Problem of Constructing a Liberal Capitalist Order in Canada, 1886–1914
Authors: Tucker Eric
Published: May 2010

Street railway strikes in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were frequently the occasion for large‐scale collective violence in North American cities and challenged the capacity of local authorities to maintain civic order. However, this was only the most visible manifestation of the challenge that street railway workers' collective action posed to the order of liberal capitalism, an order constructed on several intersecting dimensions. Using the example of Canadian street railway workers from 1886 to 1914, a period of rapid urbanization and industrialization, this article explores the ways the collective action by workers and their community sympathizers challenged the workplace, marketplace, and “streetplace” orders of liberal capitalism. It discusses how those challenges were met through political and legal processes of resistance and accommodation, taking into account the fragmentation of state power, hostile public opinion toward the street railways, and conflicting views over the legitimate scope for workers' collective action.
Is Law Unbounded? Property Rights and Control of Social Groupings
Authors: Lehavi Amnon
Published: May 2010

This review essay follows up on a suggested model for resolving problems of neighborhood externalities and exclusionary associational patterns in metropolitan areas. The model is based on a property rights regime of “alienable entitlements,” as articulated by Lee Anne Fennell in The Unbounded Home (2009). The essay frames this model as promoting a groundbreaking approach to the fundamental quandary over the role of law as a tool for broad‐based social change and asks if legal rules can fully absorb the multiple types of societal effects that influence the nature of contemporary homeownership. It assesses the normative desirability and practical feasibility of controlling social exclusion through property rights.
Closing Loopholes: Getting Illegal Fishing Under Control
Authors: Flothmann Stefan , von Kistowski Kristín , Dolan Emily , Lee Elsa , Meere Frank , Album Gunnar
Published: May 2010

The current system of port state control lacks transparency, accountability, and the global reach to punish fishers who are illegally emptying our oceans.
Determination of Sexual Maturation Stages of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Captured at Sea
Authors: Idler D. R. , Hwang S. J. , Crim L. W. , Reddin D.
Published: May 2010

Radioimmunoassay (RIA) of plasma vitellogenin (Vg), estradiol (E2), 11-ketotestosterone (11-keto), and gonadotropin (GtH), together with histological techniques were evaluated for determination of the maturation stage of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at sea.Male salmon had lower plasma Vg, E2, and higher 11-keto levels and could be distinguished from females several months in advance of spawning. Six female salmon were tagged at sea in 1975 in Placentia Bay and samples of blood taken. When the fish were recovered in rivers the lowest plasma Vg value was 396 μg/mL. This formed the basis of a working hypothesis, that fish with Vg values in excess of 396 μg/mL (~5–6 mo before spawning) will spawn in the year of capture. This hypothesis was supported by the Vg values of an additional 19 tagged females recaptured in Newfoundland and mainland rivers and brackish water off mainland rivers in 1976.Significant correlations between stage of gonadal development and plasma Vg, stage of gonadal development and gonadosomatic index (GSI), stage of gonadal development and plasma E2, plasma Vg and plasma E2, GSI and plasma E2, and between plasma Vg and 11-keto values were found for the female fish. The gonadal development of female fish from Bonavista Bay ranged between oil globule stage and secondary yolk stage. All those females which had reached the primary yolk stage would almost certainly mature and may be considered spawners of the year; on this basis 91% of the females were spawners of the year. Based on the minimum plasma Vg values, at sea, for fish which subsequently returned to the rivers, there were 86% spawners of the year among female salmon taken in Bonavista Bay. Based on plasma Vg levels, spawners of the year ranged from essentially zero in Greenland (fish captured in Greenland during August–November are not spawners of the year, except for the very few that spawn in one Greenland river) to 100% for fish caught in several other fisheries.11-Ketotestosterone was higher in the male fish than in the female fish and there was a correlation between GSI and 11-keto for male fish.The plasma GtH content of fish taken in the sea was extremely low as measured by RIA.Key words: salmon, maturation, migration, radioimmunoassay, vitellogenin, estradiol, gonadotropin, 11-ketotestosterone, histology, gonadosomatic index
Reproductive Behavior of Hybrid Charr (Salvelinus fontinalis × S. namaycush)
Authors: Berst Alfred H. , Emery Alan R. , Spangler George R.
Published: May 2010

Observations of the reproductive behavior of splake (Salvelinus fontinalis × S. namaycush) planted in Jack Lake, Algonquin Park, Ont., indicated that they spawned on rocky shoals from late October to early November. In mid-October, splake approached the spawning locations. By late October females had selected redd sites and dominant males were aggressively defending the sites that had been cleared by the females, against other males. Redd digging was variable in duration and frequency. Depth of water over redds varied between 0.5 and 4 m. No attempts were made to cover the eggs, most of which settled into the crevices between rocks. Males and females used acoustic signals during both aggression and courtship. The male initiated courtship by maintaining his head over the female's tail, then crisscrossing over the tail. Parallel positioning of the two sexes was a prerequisite to release of sex products. Visual and sonic cues appeared to be used in sequencing behavior. Circling functioned as a neutral action to which any other courting behavior could revert. Nest digging ceased after completion of egg deposition. A swim-in-place behavior of the female was a positive indicator of egg deposition. Egg predation by adult splake was observed, but it appeared to offer no serious threat to natural reproduction. Laboratory observations of splake reproductive behavior in aquaria did not indicate any behavioral obstacles to successful natural reproduction. Courtship behavior and egg deposition in the artificial spawning beds was followed by normal development and emergence of fry.Key words: splake, reproductive behavior, Ontario, visual and acoustic signaling
Stream Periphyton Development in Relation to Current Velocity and Nutrients
Authors: Horner R. R. , Welch E. B.
Published: May 2010

Measurement of chlorophyll a accrual on flattened rock substrates placed in streams revealed that a velocity increase up to ~50 cm∙s−1 enhanced periphytic algae accumulation when orthophosphate-phosphorus concentration exceeded 40–50 μg∙L−1. At lower P concentrations velocity increases reduced the accrual rate. The erosive effect of current was hypothesized to retard accumulation unless nutrient availability was such that the positive influence of turbulent diffusion of dissolved substances, and consequent cell growth, overcame frictional shear. Velocity increments above 50 cm∙s−1 eroded an increasingly greater proportion of the periphyton growth. The definition and use of a heterotrophic index as the ratio of adenosine triphosphate to chl a demonstrated that current velocity increases assisted the accumulation of the attached consumers relative to that of the primary producers. Comparison of heterotrophic indices before and after elevated storm runoff currents showed smaller reductions in the standing crop of the periphytic heterotrophs than that of the autotrophs.Key words: periphyton, current velocity, nutrients, phosphorus, chlorophyll a, adenosine triphosphate, heterotrophs
Capturing Fish Measurements and Counts with Calipers and Probe Interfaced with a Computer or Pocket Calculator
Authors: McAllister Don E. , Planck R. Jon
Published: May 2010

Dial calipers and a counting probe were interfaced to a Hewlett–Packard 9845 minicomputer. Data input into computer memory can be output on the computer display screen or the computer printer, or stored on tape. A comparison of automatic and manual dial calipers showed that measuring, recording, and magnetic tape storage of data was twice as fast with the automatic system; measurements made on a hard object were less precise with manual as with the automatic calipers; but 95% of the repeated automatic measurements on the same object were within ±0.2 mm. Intercaliper differences between the four calipers studied exceed 0.1 mm with the same operater. Other sources of variation such as pressure of caliper jaws on measured parts, inter-caliper differences, and inter-scientist technique, probably exceed the error introduced by automation. Automatic measuring avoids mis-writing, -reading, and -keying the values into the computer. We conclude that automatic measurement offers benefits to museum taxonomy, other sciences, and industries. Interfaces are now commercially available for programmable pocket calculators as well as computers. Battery power supplies make these portable.Key words: measurements, counts, calipers, computer, calculator, measuring board, fish
Using Growth/Mortality Trade-offs to Explore a Crayfish Species Replacement in Stream Riffles and Pools
Authors: Mather Martha E. , Stein Roy A.
Published: May 2010

A crayfish species replacement is underway in Ohio streams. We explore how growth, mortality, habitat use, and size influence the replacement of Orconectes sanborni by O. rusticus. In field cages we assessed growth of crayfish. Both species grew faster when confined to riffles and O. rusticus grew faster than O. sanborni in this fast-water habitat. In another experiment, we tethered crayfish in riffles, shallow pools (< 40 cm), and deep pools (> 40 cm) to assess mortality. After 8 d, more crayfish were eaten in deep pools than in riffles or shallow pools. Given this finding, we predicted that crayfish should preferentially occupy high-growth low-mortality riffles. To test this hypothesis, we quantified crayfish habitat use in sympatric streams, with and without fish predators. Crayfish did not prefer riffles. Apparently, juvenile crayfish do not assess specific benefits and costs using only food and fish predators. Other costs associated with riffles (e.g. passive drift, terrestrial predators, summer desiccation, physiological cost of position maintenance, etc.) must reduce riffle use. In addition, O. rusticus grows larger than O. sanborni. Because size confers advantages in biotic interactions, this critical finding may be the key to the replacement.
Branchial Morphological and Endocrine Responses of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to a Long-Term Sublethal Acid Exposure In Which Acclimation Did Not Occur
Authors: Audet Céline , Wood Chris M.
Published: May 2010

Changes in branchial morphology and in plasma Cortisol, adrenaline, and noradrenaline were quantified throughout an 81 -d exposure of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to sublethal acidity (pH 4.8) in artificial soft water and after a 5-h acid challenge (pH 4.0) of naive fish and 81-d acid-preexposed fish. Changes in branchial morphology at pH 4.8 were generally very mild and characterized by slight increases in filamental mucous cells and decreases in lamellar mucous cells. Chloride cell numbers and branchial Na+–K+- and total ATPase activities did not change. The filamental epithelium thickened, but the water–blood diffusion distance in the lamellae decreased during chronic exposure. Cortisol was significantly elevated throughout whereas catecholamines exhibited relatively little response. Response to acute pH 4.0 challenge was similar in naive and 81-d acid-exposed fish: epithelial damage, increase in visible mucous cells, loss of chloride cells by necrosis, and high cortisol levels but no changes in lamellar or filamental epithelial thickness, diffusion distance, ATPase activities, or catecholamine levels. Previously reported physiological data from these same trout demonstrated that sensitization rather than acclimation had occurred. Therefore, these observations support the view that acclimation does not occur in the absence of significant branchial damage and repair.
Community Structure of Lacustrine Macrobenthos: Do Taxon-based and Size-based Approaches Yield Similar Insights?
Authors: Rodríguez Marco A. , Magnan Pierre
Published: May 2010

We sampled the macrobenthos of three Laurentian Shield lakes to evaluate how the taxonomic structure and the size distribution (biomass spectra) of littoral communities varied (1) seasonally over the summer, (2) among lakes, and (3) in relation to substratum. Seasonal variation was limited: although total numbers differed significantly among months, the taxonomic structure (biomass) and the biomass size spectrum for each lake–year combination were relatively constant during the summer. Taxonomic structure differed significantly among lake–year combinations; substratum variables explained 55% of this variation. Biomass spectra were conspicuously bimodal for all lake–date combinations, with a main peak at 6.4–102.4 mg dry mass and a lesser peak at 0.1–0.4 mg dry mass. These spectra differ considerably from those reported previously for marine and lacustrine macrobenthos. The shape of the biomass spectrum was relatively invariant across months and lakes, which is remarkable in view of the differences in taxonomic structure, substratum, and fish species composition among lakes. This conservative pattern provides indirect evidence for structuring of littoral macrobenthic communities by size-dependent processes. The results illustrate that taxon-based and size-based approaches can emphasize strikingly different aspects of community structure.
Influence of Age-Selective Surveys on the Reliability of Stock Synthesis Assessments
Authors: Bence James R. , Gordoa Ana , Hightower Joseph E.
Published: May 2010

We used Monte Carlo simulations to examine the reliability of assessments following a method of separable catch-at-age analysis (Methot's stock synthesis approach). Our simulations were based on the widow rockfish (Sebastes entomelas) fishery off the west coast of the continental United States. We designed the study to examine how the performance of the method depended upon the age-specific selectivity pattern of a survey of relative abundance. When survey selectivity increased asymptotically with age, stock synthesis estimates of final year biomass (and most other parameters) tended to be closest to the correct value. When the survey concentrated on young fish the estimates were least reliable. When the survey selectivity was "dome-shaped," concentrating on intermediate-aged fish, estimates were somewhat less precise (and less accurate) than for the asymptotic pattern but much more precise than for the survey concentrating on young fish. Predictably, estimates of recruitment and biomass were better at a higher fishing mortality rate and when the magnitude of survey error was lower. Generally, mean errors in estimated biomass and recruitment were positive, while median errors were close to zero. This pattern is due to transformation bias associated with a lognormal error structure.
Unexpected Changes in Reproductive Rates and Mean Age at First Birth during the Decline of the Pribilof Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus)
Authors: Trites Andrew W. , York Anne E.
Published: May 2010

From 1956 to 1968, female northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) were harvested on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska, in an effort to increase the productivity of the herd. In theory, pregnancy rates should have increased and the age at first birth should have declined as population density was reduced. Instead the opposite happened: pregnancy rates dropped and age of first birth increased. It is unlikely that these changes were caused by shortages of food or poor physical condition of the females, given that body size increased over this period. The most likely explanations for the changes observed between 1958 and 1974 are related to altered age and sex ratios of breeding animals caused by the depletion of females and/or the harvesting of young males. Changes in pregnancy rates and age at first birth are inconsistent with the density-dependence paradigm and suggest that relative densities of mature age and sex classes on the breeding beaches (a product of social interactions and territory size) may be more consequential than absolute population densities in affecting the reproductive biology of northern fur seals.
Current Trends in Including Risk and Uncertainty in Stock Assessment and Harvest Decisions
Authors: Hilborn Ray , Pikitch Ellen K. , Francis Robert C.
Published: May 2010

Many fisheries management bodies are considering methods for explicit consideration of uncertainty and risk in harvest decisions. We propose a two-step process where, in the first step, a stock assessment group determines the possible biological and economic "states" of the fishery and evaluates the expected outcomes of different possible management actions for each possible "state." The evaluation may be summarized in a tabular form, or it can take the form of a computer model. In the second step, a decision-making body, consisting of government, public, and user-group representatives, examines the risks and benefits of each possible management action, given the possible "states" of the fishery, and formulates a decision. This proposal differs from many current stock assessment and management procedures in that (1) the stock assessment group makes no recommendations about catch levels, (2) the stock assessment group does not attempt to produce a "best" estimate of stock condition, and (3) the decision group deals explicitly with risk and biological and economic uncertainties.
KNOTS, SLIPKNOTS, AND EPHEMERAL KNOTS IN RANDOM WALKS AND EQUILATERAL POLYGONS
Authors: MILLETT KENNETH C.
Published: May 2010

The probability that a random walk or polygon in the 3-space or in the simple cubic lattice contains a knot goes to one at the length goes to infinity. Here, we prove that this is also true for slipknots consisting of unknotted portions, called the slipknot, that contain a smaller knotted portion, called the ephemeral knot. As is the case with knots, we prove that any topological knot type occurs as the ephemeral knotted portion of a slipknot.
MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Authors: NHEMACHENA CHARLES , HASSAN RASHID , KURUKULASURIYA PRADEEP
Published: May 2010

This study measured the economic impacts of climate change on crop and livestock farming in Africa based on a cross-sectional survey of over 8000 farming households from 11 countries in east, west, north and southern Africa. The response of net revenue from crop and livestock agriculture across various farm types and systems in Africa to changes in climate normals (i.e. mean rainfall and temperature) is analysed. The analyses controlled for effects of key socioeconomic, technology, soil and hydrological factors influencing agricultural production. Results show that net farm revenues are in general negatively affected by warmer and drier climates. The small-scale mixed crop and livestock system predominantly typical in Africa is the most tolerant whereas specialized crop production is the most vulnerable to warming and lower rainfall. These results have important policy implications, especially for the suitability of the increasing tendency toward large-scale mono-cropping strategies for agricultural development in Africa and other parts of the developing world in light of expected climate changes. Mixed crop and livestock farming and irrigation offered better adaptation options for farmers against further warming and drying predicted under various future climate scenarios.
Pancreatic acinar-specific overexpression of Reg2 gene offered no protection against either experimental diabetes or pancreatitis in mice
Authors: Li Bing , Wang Xiao , Liu Jun-Li
Published: May 2010

Reg proteins are normally expressed in pancreatic acinar cells, and the level of several of these proteins was significantly induced upon damage to the endocrine or exocrine pancreas. It has been established that Reg1 and pancreatic islet neogenesis-associated protein [INGAP, Reg3δ] promote the growth or regeneration of the endocrine islet cells. Recent reports suggest that Reg2 is an autoantigen normally expressed in islet β-cells. Reg2 overexpression in vitro offered protection to insulinoma cells. Overexpressed Reg3α increased cyclin D1 and CDK4 levels and the rate of proliferation in insulinoma cells. Acinar-specific overexpression of INGAP increased β-cell mass and protected the animals from streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Moreover, Reg2 gene expression was induced during pancreatitis. We hypothesized that Reg2 is a secreted protein that promotes the growth, survival, and/or regeneration of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine cells. To test its effectiveness, we used elastase-1 promoter (Ela-Reg2) to develop an acinar cell-specific overexpression of the Reg2 gene. Western blot analysis, real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry revealed barely detectable levels of endogenous Reg2 in the pancreas of normal wild-type mice and increased Reg2 levels in the pancreas of Ela-Reg2 mice that were similar to or higher than Reg2 levels induced in experimental diabetes or pancreatitis. Compared with wild-type littermates, growth, blood glucose and insulin levels, and glucose tolerance were normal in Ela-Reg2 mice; pancreatic histology revealed no change in endocrine or exocrine tissues. Acinar-specific overexpression of the Reg2 gene offered no protection against streptozotocin-induced β-cell damage and diabetes, in hyperglycemia and weight loss, and no advantage in restoring glucose homeostasis and islet function within 3 mo. Furthermore, serum amylase level and pancreatic histochemistry showed that Reg2 overexpression did not protect acinar cells against caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. In contrast to INGAP or Reg3β, exocrine overexpression of Reg2 offered no protection to the endocrine or exocrine pancreas, indicating clear subtype specificities of the Reg family of proteins.
Effect of limb muscle fatigue on perception of respiratory effort in healthy subjects
Authors: Grippo Antonello , Carrai Riccardo , Chiti Linda , Bruni Giulia Innocenti , Scano Giorgio , Duranti Roberto
Published: May 2010

The role of nonrespiratory peripheral afferents in dyspnea perception has not been fully elucidated yet. Our hypothesis is that fatigue-induced activation of limb muscle metaboreceptors served by group IV fine afferent fibers may impact on respiratory effort perception. We studied 12 healthy subjects breathing against progressive inspiratory resistive loads (10, 18, 30, 40, and 90 cmH2O·l−1·s) before and after inducing low-frequency fatigue of quadriceps muscle by repeating sustained contractions at ≥80% of maximal voluntary contraction. Subjects also underwent a sham protocol while performing two loaded breathing runs without muscle fatigue in between. During the loaded breathing, while subjects mimicked the quiet breathing pattern using a visual feedback, ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, pleural pressure swings, arterial oxygen saturation, end-tidal partial pressure of CO2, and dyspnea by a Borg scale were recorded. Compared with prefatigue, limb muscle fatigue resulted in a higher increase in respiratory effort perception for any given ventilation, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, pleural pressure swings, end-tidal partial pressure of CO2, and arterial oxygen saturation. No difference between the two runs was observed with the sham protocol. The present data support the hypothesis that fatigue of limb muscles increases respiratory effort perception associated with loaded breathing, likely by the activation of limb muscle metaboreceptors.
Age-related changes in carotid vascular responses to adenosine and nitric oxide in the rat: in vitro and in vivo studies
Authors: Omar Nisreen Mansour , Marshall Janice M.
Published: May 2010

We investigated how the ability of adenosine to release nitric oxide (NO) from carotid artery in vitro, and dilator responses evoked in carotid circulation in vivo by systemic infusion of adenosine, change with age in rats of 4–5, 10–12, and 42–44 wk (juvenile, mature, and middle aged). A secondary aim was to follow age-related changes in carotid/cerebral autoregulation. In opened carotid artery, graded doses of adenosine evoked graded increases in NO output measured with a NO sensor that were greater in mature and middle-aged than juvenile rats. Infusion of adenosine to reduce mean arterial pressure (ABP) to ∼60 mmHg increased carotid vascular conductance (CVC) in all groups, but the increase was larger in mature rats; carotid blood flow (CBF) was unchanged in juvenile, increased in mature, but fell in 4/8 middle-aged rats. The NO synthase inhibitor nitro l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 10 mg/kg iv) increased baseline ABP in all groups but caused larger percentage reductions in baseline CVC and CBF in mature and middle-aged than juvenile rats. Thereafter, the adenosine-evoked increase in CVC was unchanged in juvenile and middle-aged rats, yet CBF remained constant in juvenile but increased in middle-aged rats. In mature rats, the evoked increases in CVC and CBF were attenuated and further attenuated by l-NAME at 30 mg/kg. We propose that the ability of adenosine to release NO and cause vasodilation in the carotid artery and its circulation is greater in mature, than juvenile or middle-aged rats, but NO has greater tonic dilator influence in carotid circulation of mature and middle-aged than juvenile rats. By middle age, the lower limit of cerebral autoregulation has increased such that the tonic dilator influence of NO on ABP and CVC limits autoregulation of CBF to depressor responses. However, partial NO synthase inhibition overcomes this impairment, raising baseline ABP and allowing adenosine-evoked increases in CVC to increase CBF.
Peritoneal Protein Transport during the Baseline Peritoneal Equilibration Test Is an Accurate Predictor of the Outcome of Peritoneal Dialysis Patients
Authors: Pérez-Fontán Miguel , Rodríguez-Carmona Ana , Barreda Dolores , López-Muñiz Andrés , Blanco-Castro Natalia , García-Falcón Teresa
Published: May 2010

Background: Peritoneal protein excretion (PPE) is a potential marker of the outcome in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Method: Observational study of a cohort of 269 patients starting PD in a single unit. Study variables: total PPE during a baseline peritoneal equilibration test (PET; PET-PPE) and 24-hour PPE. Control variables: essential baseline demographic, laboratory and adequacy markers. Main outcomes: mortality, cardiovascular events and risk of peritonitis. We applied univariate and multivariate strategies of survival analysis. Main Results: PET-PPE sustained a significant, yet limited correlation with 24-hour PPE (r = 0.46, p < 0.0005). At baseline, the main study variables showed an independent correlation with peritoneal transport characteristics (D/P240’ creatinine) and cardiovascular comorbidity. PET-PPE (p < 0.0005, model global χ2 59.4) was a more accurate predictor of overall mortality than 24-hour PPE (p = 0.04, χ2 50.5). Moreover, PPE during PET, but not 24-hour PPE, was an independent predictor of the risks of cardiovascular and infectious mortality, and of peritonitis. Conclusions: Baseline PPE represents a strong independent marker of survival of PD patients. Estimation of PPE during PET is more accurate than 24-hour PPE for this purpose, sustains a definite independent association with cardiovascular and infectious mortality, and shows a significant correlation with the risk of peritonitis.
Targeted Screening of Adult First-Degree Relatives for Chronic Kidney Disease and Its Risk Factors
Authors: Bagchi Soumita , Agarwal Sanjay Kumar , Gupta Sanjay
Published: May 2010

Background: First-degree relatives (FDRs) of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have a high prevalence of CKD and its risk factors. We evaluated adult FDRs of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients for the prevalence of CKD and its risk factors. Methods: Adult FDRs of ESRD patients were screened. Patients <18 years of age with CKD due to polycystic kidney disease, diabetic nephropathy and urological disease were excluded. Age, sex, hypertension, weight, blood pressure, urine analysis, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine and cholesterol were done. Results: 606 FDRs of 145 index patients were screened; mean age was 39.8 years and 53.3% were male, 26 obese and 122 overweight. 29.7% had hypertension and 3.6% diabetes mellitus. Screening identified new cases of hypertension (21.5%), diabetes mellitus (2.0%), impaired fasting glucose (22.4%) and hypercholesterolemia (18.8%). 5.9% had proteinuria (≧1+). 61.2% of FDRs had eGFR in stage 1, 34.7% in stage 2, 3.6% in stage 3, and 0.5% in stage 4–5. 8.6% had CKD (88.5% were unaware). On multivariate analysis, older age, female sex, proteinuria and uncontrolled blood pressure had a significant association with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion: In India, CKD and its risk factors show a familial clustering, and screening of FDRs of ESRD patients will be a viable option for a CKD preventive program.
The Immunosuppressive Drug Mizoribine Directly Prevents Podocyte Injury in Puromycin Aminonucleoside Nephrosis
Authors: Takeuchi Shigeru , Hiromura Keiju , Tomioka Mai , Takahashi Satoshi , Sakairi Toru , Maeshima Akito , Kaneko Yoriaki , Kuroiwa Takashi , Nojima Yoshihisa
Published: May 2010

Background/Aims: Mizoribine (MZR) is an imidazole nucleoside used as a therapeutic immunosuppressive agent. Though a previous report showed that MZR ameliorates proteinuria in puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephropathy, the effect of MZR on podocytes has not been clarified. In this study, we determined whether MZR directly prevents PAN-induced podocyte injury. Methods: Rats were intravenously injected once on day 0 with 100 mg/kg of PAN and received daily subcutaneous injections of MZR at a dose of 10 mg/kg from days 0 to 14. Cultured podocytes were pretreated with 50 µg/ml of MZR and then treated with 30 µg/ml of PAN. Results: In rat PAN nephrosis, treatment with MZR from days 0 to 14 almost completely inhibited proteinuria. Immunofluorescence staining of nephrin was diminished, showing a discontinuous pattern in saline-treated PAN rats. In contrast, MZR treatment resulted in maintenance of a normal linear pattern. In cultured podocytes exposed to PAN, the percentages of viable cells were significantly increased with MZR treatment. The protective effect of MZR on PAN-induced podocyte injury was independent of inosine 5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase that is a known target enzyme of MZR as an immunosuppressant. MZR reduced PAN-induced integrin-linked kinase activation (ILK) and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) in vivo and in vitro. Conclusion: MZR directly prevents PAN-induced podocyte injury, possibly by affecting signaling cascades involving ILK and GSK3β.
Intrauterine Upper Limb Ischemia Associated with Fetal Thrombophilia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Khriesat Wadah M. , Al-Rimawi Hala S. , Lataifeh Isam M. , Al-Sweedan Suleimman , Baqain Eyad
Published: May 2010

Neonatal extremity gangrene is rare, even rarer are those born with evidence of intrauterine vascular occlusion. Intrauterine limb ischemia has been attributed to several etiological factors which include thromboembolic disease occluding the arteries of the affected limb or compression of the limb during intrauterine life. In this report, we present a case of brachioradial arterial thrombosis associated with mild homocysteinemia and double heterozygosity of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C-T and factor V Leiden gene mutations. We suggest investigating the neonates and their mothers for possible genetic prothrombotic risk factors when they present with intrauterine thrombosis as this issue is important for management and counseling.
Decreased
S
-Nitrosylation of Tissue Transglutaminase Contributes to Age-Related Increases in Vascular Stiffness
Authors: Santhanam Lakshmi , Tuday Eric C. , Webb Alanah K. , Dowzicky Phillip , Kim Jae Hyung , Oh Young Jun , Sikka Gautam , Kuo Maggie , Halushka Marc K. , Macgregor Anne M. , Dunn Jessilyn , Gutbrod Sarah , Yin David , Shoukas Artin , Nyhan Daniel , Flavahan Nicholas A. , Belkin Alexey M. , Berkowitz Dan E.
Published: May 2010

Rationale
:

Although an age-related decrease in NO bioavailability contributes to vascular stiffness, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We hypothesize that NO constrains the activity of the matrix crosslinking enzyme tissue transglutaminase (TG2) via
S
-nitrosylation in young vessels, a process that is reversed in aging.

Objective
:

We sought to determine whether endothelium-dependent NO regulates TG2 activity by
S
-nitrosylation and whether this contributes to age-related vascular stiffness.

Methods and Results
:

We first demonstrate that NO suppresses activity and increases
S
-nitrosylation of TG2 in cellular models. Next, we show that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition leads to increased surface and extracellular matrix–associated TG2. We then demonstrate that endothelium-derived bioactive NO primarily mediates its effects through TG2, using TG2
−/−
mice chronically treated with the NOS inhibitor
l
-
N
G
-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME). We confirm that TG2 activity is modulated by endothelium-derived bioactive NO in young rat aorta. In aging rat aorta, although TG2 expression remains unaltered, its activity increases and
S
-nitrosylation decreases. Furthermore, TG2 inhibition decreases vascular stiffness in aging rats. Finally, TG2 activity and matrix crosslinks are augmented with age in human aorta, whereas abundance remains unchanged.

Conclusions
:

Decreased
S
-nitrosylation of TG2 and increased TG activity lead to enhanced matrix crosslinking and contribute to vascular stiffening in aging. TG2 appears to be the member of the transglutaminase family primarily contributing to this phenotype. Inhibition of TG2 could thus represent a therapeutic target for age-associated vascular stiffness and isolated systolic hypertension.
Line Bisection Error and Its Anatomic Correlate
Authors: Baier Bernhard , Mueller Notger , Fechir Marcel , Dieterich Marianne
Published: May 2010

Background and Purpose—

Patients with chronic visual field defects typically show a contralesional line bisection error (LBE). However, in the acute phase of the disease, it has been suggested that the LBE points to the ipsilesional side. The aims of the current study were first, to test whether specific lesions are associated with LBE, and second, to determine whether there is a difference in the LBE between the acute and the chronic phase.

Methods—

Twenty-two patients with visual field defects due to stroke without neglect were tested for line bisection and for the anatomic lesion site by voxelwise lesion-behavior mapping analysis.

Results—

Patients with visual field defects in the acute and chronic phases differed in neither the direction nor the extent of their LBE. An association between lesions of the lingual gyrus, the cuneus, and the extent of contralesional LBE was found.

Conclusions—

Present data support the view that a contralesional LBE is due rather to lesions of the lingual gyrus and the cuneus and not to an adaptive attentional mechanism over time.
Many Parents Report Their Child’s Breathing and Sleep Patterns During Overnight Sleep Study as Atypical
Authors: Rosen Dennis
Published: May 2010

Many parents report their child’s breathing and sleep patterns during overnight sleep study as atypical. Objective: To determine how closely parents/guardians of children undergoing polysomnography (PSG) felt the breathing and sleep patterns observed during PSG resembled those typically seen at home. Methods and subjects: Retrospective chart and post-PSG questionnaire review of 200 consecutive PSGs. Results: In all, 19 questionnaires were not completed, and 5 were only partially completed. A total of 115 respondents (64.2%) described the child’s breathing patterns as “typical,” 6 (3.4%) as “louder,” and 58 (32.4%) as “quieter” than usual. Overall 69 respondents (38.7%) described the child’s sleep as “typical,” 45 (25.2%) as “more restless,” and 21 (11.8%) as “better” than usual; 45 respondents (25.2%) described a longer and 16 (9%) a shorter sleep latency than usual. Conclusion: Many respondents felt their child’s breathing (35.8%) and sleeping (61.3%) patterns the night of the PSG did not reflect those usually seen at home, raising questions about how representative of normal breathing and sleep patterns those seen in the sleep lab truly are.
Coadministration of Dalcetrapib With Pravastatin, Rosuvastatin, or Simvastatin: No Clinically Relevant Drug‐Drug Interactions
Authors: Derks Michael , Abt Markus , Phelan Mary , Turnbull Lynn , Meneses‐Lorente Georgina , Bech Nuria , White Anne‐Marie , Parr Graeme
Published: May 2010

Dalcetrapib targets cholesteryl ester transfer protein and increases high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels. It is in clinical development for the prevention of cardiovascular events and will likely be used in combination with standard of care, including statins. Three crossover studies in healthy males investigated the pharmacokinetic drug‐drug interaction potential of 900 mg dalcetrapib and statins: two 3‐period studies (dalcetrapib plus pravastatin or rosuvastatin) and a 2‐period study (dalcetrapib plus simvastatin). Effect on lipids and safety were secondary end points. The 900 mg dose investigated is higher than the 600 mg dose currently being investigated in Phase III. Coadministration of dalcetrapib with pravastatin, rosuvastatin, or simvastatin was not associated with significant increases in statin exposure except for a 26% increase in rosuvastatin Cmax (90% CI 1.088 to 1.468) but not AUC0–24 (90% CI0.931 to 1.085). Dalcetrapib AUC0–24 and Cmax were not significantly altered by coadministration with pravastatin, and were significantly lower when dalcetrapib was coadministered with rosuvastatin or simvastatin compared with dalcetrapib alone. The HDL‐C increase with dalcetrapib was not compromised by coadministration with statins, and reduction in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol with dalcetrapib coadministered with statins was greater than with statins alone. Dalcetrapib alone and coadministered with statins was generally well tolerated.
Toward a political critique of reification: Lukács, Honneth and the aims of critical theory
Authors: Chari Anita
Published: May 2010

This article engages Axel Honneth’s recent work on Georg Lukács’ concept of reification in order to formulate a politically relevant and historically specific critique of capitalism that is applicable to theorizing contemporary democratic practice. I argue that Honneth’s attempt to reorient the critique of reification within the terms of a theory of recognition has done so at the cost of sacrificing the core of the concept, which forged a connection between the socio-political analysis of capitalist domination and an analysis of the unengaged, spectatorial stance of human beings toward the world, showing how they together impede emancipatory social transformation. In order to accomplish the unfinished task of rendering the critique of reification applicable to contemporary critical theory, I seek to synthesize the advantages of Honneth’s approach, which focuses on the normative aspects of the critique of reification, with Lukács’ emphasis on the practical, political-economic dimensions of reification and the historically specific pathologies of the capitalist social form.
Lithium in bipolar and other affective disorders: prescribing practice in the UK
Authors: Paton Carol , Barnes Thomas RE , Shingleton-Smith Amber , Hamish McAllister-Williams R. , Kirkbride James , Jones Peter B , McIntyre Samantha
Published: May 2010

The use of lithium for the treatment of mania, prophylaxis of bipolar disorder and augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-refractory unipolar depression is supported by British Association for Psychopharmacology and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines. We describe prescribing patterns with lithium in a large sample of patients with affective disorders. Data were collected during a baseline clinical audit of the quality of lithium monitoring, conducted by the Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health. Thirty-five National Health Service Trusts submitted data for 2776 patients with a diagnosis of affective illness (ICD10 F30—39), 1919 (69%) of whom had bipolar affective disorder. The last recorded lithium level was below the therapeutic range (<0.4 mmol/L) in one in 10 patients. Co-prescribing was common; 57% of bipolar patients were prescribed an antipsychotic and 77% of those with other affective disorders, an antidepressant. We conclude that serum lithium levels within the therapeutic range are maintained in the majority of patients. A high proportion of patients are co-prescribed other psychotropic drugs; such prescribing is consistent with evidence-based treatment guidelines and may reflect difficulty managing the symptoms of affective disorders with lithium monotherapy. A significant minority of patients prescribed lithium had a sub-therapeutic blood level and so may be at high risk of relapse.
Regulation of Compounding by the Food and Drug Administration
Authors: Williams Karl G.
Published: May 2010

Federal regulation of the traditional art of pharmacy practice compounding is an unsettled area of the law and the profession. For many years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was not interested in compounding. Attempts to regulate by FDA and Congress have caused difficulty within the profession, litigation with inconsistent results, and an unsettled state of affairs. There are a number of possible resolutions.
Tricyclic antidepressants intoxication in Tehran, Iran: Epidemiology and associated factors
Authors: Dianat Saied , Zarei Mohammd-Reza , Hassanian-Moghaddam Hossein , Rashidi-Ranjbar Neda , Rahimian Reza , Rasouli Mohammad R
Published: May 2010

Background: Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) intoxication contributes a large number of drug toxicities with serious complications. There are a few studies about factors associated with TCA intoxication. This study therefore aimed to identify determinants of this type of intoxication. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Loghman-Hakim Poison Hospital during a 6-month period. All poisoned patients aged >12 years presented to this hospital during the mentioned period were evaluated. Then, TCA-poisoned patients were compared with other drug intoxications as the control group to determine factors associated with TCA intoxications. Results: There were 9809 admissions, of which 1583 (16.1%) patients including 601 (38%) males were intoxicated with TCAs. Mean age of the subjects was 26.5 + 10 years. Most of the TCA intoxications (74.4%) were intentional (p = 0.01). Amitriptyline was the most frequent agent followed by Nortriptyline. There was no significant difference between TCA and non-TCA intoxications regarding the mortality (1.3% in TCA vs. 1.1% in others, p = 0.45). Logistic regression analysis revealed that sex, addiction status, and history of psychological problems have association with TCA intoxication. Conclusions: The results of this study are helpful in identifying individuals who are prone to TCA intoxication and may be useful in implementation of preventive strategies.