bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Immunotoxicity Induced by Two Different Windows of Developmental Trichloroethylene Exposure
Authors: Gilbert Kathleen M. , Woodruff William , Blossom Sarah J.
Published: February 2014

Developmental exposure to environmental toxicants may induce immune system alterations that contribute to adult stage autoimmune disease. We have shown that continuous exposure of MRL+/+ mice to trichloroethylene (TCE) from gestational day (GD) 0 to postnatal day (PND) 49 alters several aspects of CD4+T cell function. This window of exposure corresponds to conception-adolescence/young adulthood in humans. More narrowly defining the window of TCE developmental exposure causes immunotoxicity that would establish the stage at which avoidance and/or intervention would be most effective. The current study divided continuous TCE exposure into two separate windows, namely, gestation only (GD0 to birth (PND0)) and early-life only (PND0-PND49). The mice were examined for specific alterations in CD4+T cell function at PND49. One potentially long-lasting effect of developmental exposure, alterations in retrotransposon expression indicative of epigenetic alterations, was found in peripheral CD4+T cells from both sets of developmentally exposed mice. Interestingly, certain other effects, such as alterations in thymus cellularity, were only found in mice exposed to TCE during gestation. In contrast, expansion of memory/activation cell subset of peripheral CD4+T cells were only found in mice exposed to TCE during early life. Different windows of developmental TCE exposure can have different functional consequences.
Cigarette Smoking, Physical Activity, and Alcohol Consumption as Predictors of Cancer Incidence among Women at High Risk of Breast Cancer in the NSABP P-1 Trial
Authors: Land Stephanie R. , Liu Qing , Wickerham D. Lawrence , Costantino Joseph P. , Ganz Patricia A.
Published: February 2014

Background: NSABP P-1 provides an opportunity to examine the association of behavioral factors with prospectively monitored cancer incidence and interactions with tamoxifen.

Methods: From 1992 to 1997, 13,388 women with estimated 5-year breast cancer risk greater than 1.66% or a history of lobular carcinoma in situ (87% younger than age 65; 67% postmenopausal) were randomly assigned to tamoxifen versus placebo. Invasive breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer were analyzed with Cox regression. Predictors were baseline cigarette smoking, leisure-time physical activity, alcohol consumption, and established risk factors.

Results: At median 7 years follow-up, we observed 395, 66, 35, and 74 breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer, respectively. Women who had smoked were at increased risk of breast cancer (P = 0.007; HR = 1.3 for 15–35 years smoking, HR = 1.6 for ≥35 years), lung cancer (P < 0.001; HR = 3.9 for 15–35 years, HR = 18.4 for ≥35 years), and colon cancer (P < 0.001; HR = 5.1 for ≥35 years) versus never-smokers. Low activity predicted increased breast cancer risk only among women assigned to placebo (P = 0.021 activity main effect, P = 0.013 activity–treatment interaction; HR = 1.4 for the placebo group) and endometrial cancer among all women (P = 0.026, HR = 1.7). Moderate alcohol (>0–1 drink/day) was associated with decreased risk of colon cancer (P = 0.019; HR = 0.35) versus no alcohol. There were no other significant associations between these behaviors and cancer risk.

Conclusion: Among women with elevated risk of breast cancer, smoking has an even greater impact on breast cancer risk than observed in past studies in the general population.

Impact: Women who smoke or are inactive should be informed of the increased risk of multiple types of cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(5); 823–32. ©2014 AACR.
Preclinical Pharmacological Evaluation of a Novel Multiple Kinase Inhibitor, ON123300, in Brain Tumor Models
Authors: Zhang Xiaoping , Lv Hua , Zhou Qingyu , Elkholi Rana , Chipuk Jerry E. , Reddy M.V. Ramana , Reddy E. Premkumar , Gallo James M.
Published: February 2014

ON123300 is a low molecular weight multikinase inhibitor identified through a series of screens that supported further analyses for brain tumor chemotherapy. Biochemical assays indicated that ON123300 was a strong inhibitor of Ark5 and CDK4, as well as growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases such as β-type platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFRβ). ON123300 inhibited U87 glioma cell proliferation with an IC50 3.4 ± 0.1 μmol/L and reduced phosphorylation of Akt, yet it also unexpectedly induced Erk activation, both in a dose- and time-dependent manner that subsequently was attributed to relieving Akt-mediated C-Raf S259 inactivation and activating a p70S6K-initiated PI3K-negative feedback loop. Cotreatment with the EGFR inhibitor gefitinib produced synergistic cytotoxic effects. Pursuant to the in vitro studies, in vivo pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of ON123300 were completed in mice bearing intracerebral U87 tumors following intravenous doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg alone, and also at the higher dose concurrently with gefitinib. ON123300 showed high brain and brain tumor accumulation based on brain partition coefficient values of at least 2.5. Consistent with the in vitro studies, single agent ON123300 caused a dose-dependent suppression of phosphorylation of Akt as well as activation of Erk in brain tumors, whereas addition of gefitinib to the ON123300 regimen significantly enhanced p-Akt inhibition and prevented Erk activation. In summary, ON123300 demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic characteristics, and future development for brain tumor therapy would require use of combinations, such as gefitinib, that mitigate its Erk activation and enhance its activity. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(5); 1105–16. ©2014 AACR.
Functional Connectivity and Temporal Variability of Brain Connections in Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Barttfeld Pablo , Petroni Agustín , Báez Sandra , Urquina Hugo , Sigman Mariano , Cetkovich Marcelo , Torralva Teresa , Torrente Fernando , Lischinsky Alicia , Castellanos Xavier , Manes Facundo , Ibañez Agustín
Published: February 2014

Objectives: To assess brain functional connectivity and variability in adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) relative to a control (CT) group. Methods: Electroencephalography (EEG) was measured in 35 participants (BD = 11; ADHD = 9; CT = 15) during an eyes-closed 10-min rest period, and connectivity and graph theory metrics were computed. A coefficient of variation (CV) computed also the connectivity's temporal variability of EEG. Multivariate associations between functional connectivity and clinical and neuropsychological profiles were evaluated. Results: An enhancement of functional connectivity was observed in the ADHD (fronto-occipital connections) and BD (diffuse connections) groups. However, compared with CTs, intrinsic variability (CV) was enhanced in the ADHD group and reduced in the BD group. Graph theory metrics confirmed the existence of several abnormal network features in both affected groups. Significant associations of connectivity with symptoms were also observed. In the ADHD group, temporal variability of functional connections was associated with executive function and memory deficits. Depression, hyperactivity and impulsivity levels in the ADHD group were associated with abnormal intrinsic connectivity. In the BD group, levels of anxiety and depression were related to abnormal frontotemporal connectivity. Conclusions: In the ADHD group, we found that intrinsic variability was associated with deficits in cognitive performance and that connectivity abnormalities were related to ADHD symptomatology. The BD group exhibited less intrinsic variability and more diffuse long-range brain connections, and those abnormalities were related to interindividual differences in depression and anxiety. These preliminary results are relevant for neurocognitive models of abnormal brain connectivity in both disorders.
Molecular Analysis of a Series of Israeli Families with Comèl-Netherton Syndrome
Authors: Israeli Shirli , Sarig Ofer , Garty Ben Zion , Indelman Margarita , Bergman Reuven , Sprecher Eli , Goldberg Ilan
Published: February 2014

Background: Comèl-Netherton syndrome is a rare congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by congenital ichthyosis, hair shaft abnormalities and atopic diathesis. It is caused by mutations in SPINK5, which encodes the serine protease inhibitor LEKTI. Objectives: To delineate the spectrum of mutations carried by a series of Israeli patients in an attempt to establish an effective diagnostic strategy for this disease in Israel. Methods: Mutations were identified by direct sequencing of the entire coding sequence of SPINK5 and confirmed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: Three mutations were identified in seven families, of which two were novel. All mutations were predicted to result in premature termination of protein translation. Conclusions: This report presents the first case series of patients affected with Comèl-Netherton syndrome in Israel and suggests that some mutations reoccur in a substantial portion of cases in our country, a fact that should be taken into consideration when designing molecular analysis in new cases.
Fetal Reduction: 25 Years' Experience
Authors: Evans Mark I. , Andriole Stephanie , Britt David W.
Published: February 2014

Fetal reduction (FR) began in the 1980s to salvage the pregnancies of couples needing fertility therapy who were finally successful but with too many fetuses. Since then, it has gone from a rarity performed in only the highest risk situations to an integral fail-safe of infertility practice. Our understanding of the problems of multiple and premature births has increased - even twins carry 4-5 times more risk than singletons. Evaluation of fetuses before FR has permitted more intelligent choices and improved resultant outcomes. We now perform chorionic villus sampling in approximately 85% of cases, obtain fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) results overnight, and then perform FR the next day. Decisions about which to reduce prioritize anomalies, but now can include fetal gender in the decision process, as couples are now just as likely to want girls as boys. In Mendelian cases, sophisticated molecular analyses permit diagnoses before FR, and new uses such as paternity analysis can be performed. Ethical arguments have also evolved; as with many technologies in which the start was for only ‘life or death cases', FR has also moved into ‘quality of life' issues. FR of twins to a singleton now compromise about 30% of our cases.
Implication of P-Glycoprotein in Formation of Depression-Prone Personality: Association Study between the C3435T MDR1 Gene Polymorphism and Interpersonal Sensitivity
Authors: Enokido Masanori , Suzuki Akihito , Sadahiro Ryoichi , Matsumoto Yoshihiko , Shibuya Naoshi , Goto Kaoru , Otani Koichi
Published: February 2014

Background and Aim: Interpersonal sensitivity is defined as undue and excessive awareness of, and sensitivity to, the behavior and feelings of others. Previous studies suggested that interpersonal sensitivity is one of the vulnerable factors to depression, and that genetic factors and cortisol are involved in the formation of interpersonal sensitivity. On the other hand, P-glycoprotein, which is encoded by the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene, serves as a barrier to entry and as an active eliminator for xenobiotics and cellular metabolites including cortisol, which is implicated in multiple brain functions. In the present study, we examined the effects of the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism (rs1045642) on interpersonal sensitivity in healthy subjects. Methods: The subjects were 842 healthy Japanese volunteers (mean age = 26.7 years, male/female ratio = 490/352). The C3435T polymorphism of MDR1 gene was detected by a PCR method, and interpersonal sensitivity was assessed by the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM). Results: The 2-factor analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant main effect of the MDR1 genotype on the IPSM scores with a significant interaction between the genotype and gender. The subsequent 1-factor ANCOVA showed that in females the C/C genotype group had higher IPSM scores than the C/T genotype group (p < 0.001) and the T/T genotype group (p < 0.001), and the C/T genotype group had higher IPSM scores than the T/T genotype group (p = 0.014). In males no significant association was found between the MDR1 genotype and the IPSM scores. In allelic analyses using the χ2 tests, the C allele frequency in females was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the high IPSM group than in the low IPSM group, while there was no significant difference in the C allele frequency between the high and low IPSM groups in total subjects and males. Conclusion: The present study suggests that the C3435T polymorphism of the MDR1 gene affects the formation of a depression-prone personality trait in Japanese females.
Face Arm Speech Time Test Use in the Prehospital Setting, Better in the Ambulance than in the Emergency Medical Communication Center
Authors: Berglund Annika , Svensson Leif , Wahlgren Nils , von Euler Mia ,   for the HASTA collaborators
Published: February 2014

Background: Prehospital identification of acute stroke increases the possibility of early treatment and good outcome. To increase identification of stroke, the Face Arm Speech Time (FAST) test was introduced in the Emergency Medical Communication Center (EMCC). This substudy aims to evaluate the implementation of the FAST test in the EMCC and the ambulance service. Methods: The study was conducted in the region of Stockholm, Sweden during 6 months. The study population consisted of all calls to the EMCC concerning patients presenting at least one FAST symptom or a history/finding making the EMCC or ambulance personnel to suspect stroke within 6 h. Positive FAST was compared to diagnosis at discharge. Positive predictive values (PPV) for a stroke diagnosis at discharge were calculated. Results: In all, 900 patients with a median age of 71 years were enrolled, 667 (74%) by the EMCC and 233 (26%) by the ambulances. At discharge, 472 patients (52%) were diagnosed with stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA), 337 identified by the EMCC (71%) and 135 (29%) by the ambulances. The PPV for a discharge diagnosis of stroke/TIA was 51% (CI 47-54%) in EMCC-enrolled and 58% (CI 52-64%) in ambulance-enrolled patients. With a positive FAST the PPV of a correct stroke/TIA diagnosis increased to 56% (CI 52-61%) and 73% (CI 66-80%) in EMCC- and ambulance-enrolled patients, respectively. Positive FAST from EMCC was also found in 44% of patients with a nonstroke diagnosis at discharge. A stroke/TIA diagnosis at discharge but negative FAST was found in 58 and 27 patients enrolled by the EMCC and ambulances, respectively. Conclusions: The PPV of FAST is higher when used on the scene by ambulance than by EMCC. FAST may be a useful prehospital tool to identify stroke/TIA but has limitations as the test can be negative in true strokes, can be positive in nonstrokes, and FAST symptoms may be present but not identified in the emergency call. For the prehospital care situation better identification tools are needed.
Ambient Temperature and Severity of Intracerebral Haemorrhage: The INTERACT1 Study
Authors: Zheng Danni , Arima Hisatomi , Heeley Emma , Karpin Anne , Heller Gillian , Yang Jie , Chalmers John , Anderson Craig S. ,   for the INTERACT1 Investigators
Published: February 2014

Background: Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) rates increase in winter months. We aimed to determine associations of ambient temperature with clinical severity and haematoma size in acute ICH among Chinese participants in the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT1). Methods: INTERACT1 was a randomised controlled trial of early intensive blood pressure lowering in 404 patients with acute ICH. Among 304 (79%) Chinese participants, data on ambient temperature (average, minimum, maximum and range) on the day of ICH onset obtained from the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System were linked to measures of clinical severity: elevated National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score (>10), low Glasgow Coma Scale score (<14), and haematoma parameters at the time of presentation. Clinical outcomes were evaluated in logistic regression models, and haematoma volume (log transformed, with and without intraventricular haemorrhage, IVH) was evaluated in multivariable regression models. Results: No significant associations were evident between temperature parameters and clinical parameters and haematoma volume (with and without IVH), even after adjustment for key prognostic factors. Conclusions: No relationship was evident between ambient temperature and severity in acute ICH.
Impact of Delivery Models on Understanding Genomic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Haga S.B. , Barry W.T. , Mills R. , Svetkey L. , Suchindran S. , Willard H.F. , Ginsburg G.S.
Published: February 2014

Background: Genetic information, typically communicated in-person by genetic counselors, can be challenging to comprehend; delivery of this information online - as is becoming more common - has the potential of increasing these challenges. Methods: To address the impact of the mode of delivery of genomic risk information, 300 individuals were recruited from the general public and randomized to receive genomic risk information for type 2 diabetes mellitus in-person from a board-certified genetic counselor or online through the testing company's website. Results: Participants were asked to indicate their genomic risk and overall lifetime risk as reported on their test report as well as to interpret their genomic risk (increased, decreased, or same as population). For each question, 59% of participants correctly indicated their risk. Participants who received their results in-person were more likely than those who reviewed their results on-line to correctly interpret their genomic risk (72 vs. 47%, p = 0.0002) and report their actual genomic risk (69 vs. 49%, p = 0.002). Conclusions: The delivery of personal genomic risk through a trained health professional resulted in significantly higher comprehension. Therefore, if the online delivery of genomic test results is to become more widespread, further evaluation of this method of communication may be needed to ensure the effective presentation of results to promote comprehension.
Hormone-Independent Pathways of Sexual Differentiation
Authors: Renfree Marilyn B. , Chew Keng Yih , Shaw Geoffrey
Published: February 2014

New observations over the last 25 years of hormone-independent sexual dimorphisms have gradually and unequivocally overturned the dogma, arising from Jost's elegant experiments in the mid-1900s, that all somatic sex dimorphisms in vertebrates arise from the action of gonadal hormones. Although we know that Sry, a Y-linked gene, is the primary gonadal sex determinant in mammals, more recent analysis in marsupials, mice, and finches has highlighted numerous sexual dimorphisms that are evident well before the differentiation of the testis and which cannot be explained by a sexually dimorphic hormonal environment. In marsupials, scrotal bulges and mammary primordia are visible before the testis has differentiated due to the expression of a gene(s) on the X chromosome. ZZ and ZW gynandromorph finches have brains that develop in a sexually dimorphic way dependent on their sex chromosome content. In genetically manipulated mice, it is the X chromosomes, not the gonads, that determine many characters including rate of early development, adiposity, and neural circuits. Even spotted hyenas have sexual dimorphisms that cannot be simply explained by hormonal exposure. This review discusses the recent findings that confirm that there are hormone-independent sexual dimorphisms well before the gonads begin to produce their hormones.
Diagnostik von Selbstekel im Rahmen der Depression
Authors: Schienle Anne , Ille Rottraut , Sommer Error! No bookmark name given.Markus , Arendasy Martin
Published: February 2014

Hintergrund: Selbstekel beschreibt die Abscheu, die gegen spezifische Aspekte der eigenen Person gerichtet ist und könnte deshalb eine wichtige Rolle für depressive Störungen spielen. Ziel einer ersten Studie war die Entwicklung eines Messinstruments, das sowohl in psychisch gesunden als auch klinischen Populationen eingesetzt werden kann. Methodik: Eine erste Version des Fragebogens zur Erfassung des Selbstekels (FESE) wurde von 895 Probanden im Alter zwischen 15 und 71 Jahren bearbeitet. Ergebnisse: Die Hauptachsenanalyse mit schiefwinkliger Rotation ergab für die Daten der ersten Teilstichprobe (n = 302) 2 inhaltlich relevante Faktoren: «personenbezogener Ekel» (9 Items, Abwertung des eigenen äußeren Erscheinungsbildes und der Persönlichkeit) und «verhaltensbezogener Ekel» (5 Items, Abwertung des eigenen Verhaltens). Diese Lösung konnte durch eine konfirmatorische Faktoranalyse über die zweite Teilstichprobe (n = 593) bestätigt werden. In einer zweiten Studie erzielten depressive Patienten in stationärer Therapie höhere FESE-Werte als gesunde Kontrollprobanden. Schlussfolgerungen: Der FESE ist ein reliabler, valider und ökonomischer Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Selbstekels, dessen klinische Relevanz für Patienten mit einer Depression aufgezeigt werden konnte. Die Untersuchung weiterer klinischer Störungen mittels dieses Instruments erscheint vielversprechend.
Risk of Acute Kidney Injury After Percutaneous Coronary Interventions Using Radial Versus Femoral Vascular Access
Authors: Kooiman Judith , Seth Milan , Dixon Simon , Wohns David , LaLonde Thomas , Rao Sunil V. , Gurm Hitinder S.
Published: February 2014

Background—

Transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI [TRI]) does not involve catheter manipulation in the descending aorta, whereas transfemoral PCI (TFI) does. Therefore, the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) after PCI might be influenced by vascular access site. We compared risks of AKI and nephropathy requiring dialysis (NRD) among patients treated with TRI and TFI.

Methods and Results—

We included patients across 47 hospitals in Michigan. Primary end point was AKI (serum creatinine increase ≥0.5 mg/dL). Secondary end points were NRD and postprocedural bleeding. Odds ratios (OR) for study end points were calculated for the entire and propensity-matched population, reported as crude, and values adjusted for preprocedural calculated AKI risk. Between 2010 and 2012, a total of 82 225 PCI procedures were performed, of which 8915 were TRI. After adjustment, TRI was associated with a reduction in AKI (OR, 0.76, 95% confidence intervals [0.62–0.92]) and bleeding with a trend toward lower NRD risk. The propensity-matched population consisted of 8857 procedures per group. In this population, TRI was associated with lower adjusted odds of AKI (OR, 0.74; 95% confidence intervals [0.58–0.96]), and bleeding (OR, 0.47; 95% confidence intervals [0.36–0.63]), but no difference in NRD was observed. Although postprocedural bleeding was independently associated with AKI (OR, 2.86; 95% confidence intervals [1.75–4.66]) in the propensity-matched population, the lower odds of AKI was not mediated by a reduction in bleeding with TRI. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that the observed association between access site and AKI could potentially be explained by a moderately strong unknown confounder.

Conclusions—

The risk of AKI was significantly lower after TRI compared with TFI. This finding needs to be evaluated in randomized controlled trials.
Use of Renin–Angiotensin System Blockers in Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Bainey Kevin R. , Armstrong Paul W. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Cannon Christopher P. , Hernandez Adrian F. , Peterson Eric D. , Peacock W. Frank , Laskey Warren K. , Zhao Xin , Schwamm Lee H. , Bhatt Deepak L.
Published: February 2014

Background—

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) initiated after myocardial infarction (MI) reduce mortality and are American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline recommended. Yet the extent to which ACEI/ARB therapy is applied in patients with acute coronary syndrome at hospital discharge is unclear.

Methods and Results—

We performed an observational analysis of 80 241 patients admitted with an acute coronary syndrome and discharged home from 311 US hospitals participating in the Get With the Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease Program from January 2005 to December 2009. Among the 60 847 patients with an American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association class I indication (left ventricular dysfunction or medical history of heart failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or chronic kidney disease), 49 682 (81.7%) received ACEI/ARB with an increase in the rate of treatment over the study period (76.7%–84.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.24;
P
<0.001, per calendar year). In-hospital coronary artery bypass grafting and renal insufficiency were independently associated with lower use (adjusted odds ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.48–0.63 and adjusted odds ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.52–0.64, respectively).

Conclusions—

Results from this large US national registry suggest that 1 in 5 eligible patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome failed to receive American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association class I guideline-recommended ACEI/ARB therapy, and the use varies by patient factors. In particular, the low likelihood of ACEI/ARB after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery or in patients with renal insufficiency raises concern. These findings highlight an unmet need in this population and provide an incentive for additional quality improvement efforts.
Optical Mapping of Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca
2+
in the Intact Heart
Authors: Wang Lianguo , Myles Rachel C. , De Jesus Nicole M. , Ohlendorf Alex K.P. , Bers Donald M. , Ripplinger Crystal M.
Published: February 2014

Rationale:

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca
2+
cycling is key to normal excitation–contraction coupling but may also contribute to pathological cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.

Objective:

To measure intra-SR free [Ca
2+
] ([Ca
2+
]
SR
) changes in intact hearts during alternans and ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Methods and Results:

Simultaneous optical mapping of V
m
(with RH237) and [Ca
2+
]
SR
(with Fluo-5N AM) was performed in Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Alternans and VF were induced by rapid pacing. SR Ca
2+
and action potential duration (APD) alternans occurred in-phase, but SR Ca
2+
alternans emerged first as cycle length was progressively reduced (217±10 versus 190±13 ms;
P
<0.05). Ryanodine receptor (RyR) refractoriness played a key role in the onset of SR Ca
2+
alternans, with SR Ca
2+
release alternans routinely occurring without changes in diastolic [Ca
2+
]
SR
. Sensitizing RyR with caffeine (200 μmol/L) significantly reduced the pacing threshold for both SR Ca
2+
and APD alternans (188±15 and 173±12 ms;
P
<0.05 versus baseline). Caffeine also reduced the magnitude of spatially discordant SR Ca
2+
alternans, but not APD alternans, the pacing threshold for discordance, or threshold for VF. During VF, [Ca
2+
]
SR
was high, but RyR remained nearly continuously refractory, resulting in minimal SR Ca
2+
release throughout VF.

Conclusions:

In intact hearts, RyR refractoriness initiates SR Ca
2+
release alternans that can be amplified by diastolic [Ca
2+
]
SR
alternans and lead to APD alternans. Sensitizing RyR suppresses spatially concordant but not discordant SR Ca
2+
and APD alternans. Despite increased [Ca
2+
]
SR
during VF, SR Ca
2+
release was nearly continuously refractory. This novel method provides insight into SR Ca
2+
handling during cardiac alternans and arrhythmia.
Animal Protein and Rational Choice: Diet in the Eighteenth Century
Authors: Bruegel Martin , Chevet Jean-Michel , Lecocq Sébastien
Published: February 2014

Analysis of the account books of the convent school of Saint-Cyr between 1688 and 1788 reveals the causes of the institution's changing patterns of meat consumption. Although a rational-choice model can explain short-term variations in the school's diet, economic variables alone are not sufficient to explain its long-term variations, as evolving tastes began to infiltrate Saint-Cyr's traditional, aristocratic diet. The unintended side effect of this development was to improve nutrition, which the school managed to do without running afoul of claims to elite status.
The Revolutionary Black Roots of Slavery's Abolition in Massachusetts
Authors: Sesay Jr. Chernoh M.
Published: February 2014

In 1773–74 and again in 1777, people of African descent in Massachusetts successfully lobbied a governing body to take up the question of slavery as it related to an entire enslaved population. The essay examines their petitions, the first such abolitionist activity in the colonies and in England as well.
El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de la Porciúncula: Or How Los Angeles Got its Name
Authors: Aronberg Lavin Marilyn
Published: February 2014

‭This study traces the route by which the city of Los Angeles came to be called by that name. Late in life St. Francis retired to a tiny hut on “a little piece of property,” una porziuncola near Assisi. Because angels were frequently heard singing there, the area around his hut was known as “La Valle di Nostra Donna degli Angeli.” Here, Francis experienced two appearances of Mary and her Son, during which he obtained the revolutionary plenary indulgence known as Il Perdono d’Assisi. The Porziuncola became a pilgrims’ shrine, and Francis’s hut was transformed into a huge basilica dedicated to Santa Maria degli Angeli. Reception of the indulgence slowly spread throughout Europe, and most particularly in Spain. Columbus, who was a Franciscan Tertiary, after a stay in the monastery of Our Lady of the Angels at La Rábida, set sail on his momentous journey on the feast of the Perdono (2 August). The indulgence was carried to the New World by the Franciscans where the devotion developed a wide-spread cult. Three hundred years later, the Spanish king’s army, accompanied by Franciscan friars, journeyed up the western coast and came upon a clear stream, which they called la Porciúncula. In 1781, the New World City of the Angels was founded in the cult’s honor.‬
Contingency and Faithfulness: Francis Alÿs and the (Re)Presentation of St. Fabiola
Authors: Anderson Jonathan A.
Published: February 2014

‭As a European emigrant to (and now longtime resident of) Mexico City, contemporary artist Francis Alÿs is deeply sensitive to the ways that cultural systems shape and organize human lives. Over two decades, his work has become deftly efficient at instigating subtle social interferences that highlight and reconsider these organizing systems. Although much has been written about the social and political force of these interferences, the literature on Alÿs’s work has generally ignored the significant religious content and allusions recurring throughout his artistic practice. This essay is a critical meditation on the religious implications of his Fabiola project, a collection of more than 370 handmade copies of a lost nineteenth-century painting of a fourth-century Christian saint named Fabiola. By paying special attention to the ways that these “handmade readymades” ennoble the voices of others and revise the possible meanings of visual repetition (particularly in the context of mechanical mass-reproduction), this essay argues that Alÿs’s Fabiola is not only a profound study of cultural transmission but one that is particularly resonant with the Christianity that formed St. Fabiola’s own life and the forms by which she has been remembered.‬
Legitimacy Concerns in Animal Advocacy Organizations during the Michael Vick Dogfighting Scandal
Authors: Badano Solange E. , Burgermeister Steven J. , Henne Sidney , Murphy Sean T. , Cole Benjamin M.
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Using the quasi-experimental setting of the Michael Vick dogfighting case, the researchers employed rich interview content to explore the question, “When a critical event occurs in the animal advocacy field, what motivates advocacy groups to respond?” The investigation reveals that what was thought to be one critical event was in actualitythreeunique yet interrelated critical events—(1) the revelation of the transgressions; (2) the punishment of the perpetrator; and (3) the decision about whether to ally with the perpetrator in advocacy. The study shows that legitimacy concerns, occasionally paired with reflections on organizational identity, influenced the decision-making of advocacy organizations across all three critical events, as each held the potential either to legitimize or to delegitimize the advocacy organizations and/or the perpetrator (i.e., Vick).
The ‘General Intellect’ in the Grundrisse and Beyond
Authors: Smith Tony
Published: February 2014

Abstract

In recent publications Paolo Virno and Carlo Vercellone have called attention to Marx’s category of the general intellect in theGrundrisse, and to the unprecedented role its diffusion plays in contemporary capitalism. According to Virno, the flourishing of the general intellect, which Marx thought could only take place within communism, characterises post-Fordist capitalism. Vercellone adds that Marx’s account of the real subsumption of living labour under capital is obsolete in contemporary cognitive capitalism. Both authors regard Marx’s value theory as historically obsolete. I argue that these views rest on a confusion of value and wealth, a neglect of Marx’s account of the role of ‘free gifts’ to capital, an underestimation of the role of the general intellect in the period prior to the rise of post-Fordism/cognitive capitalism, and an underestimation of the restrictions on the diffusion of the general intellect in contemporary capitalism.
The Fiction of Economic Coercion: Political Marxism and the Separation of Theory and History
Authors: Rioux Sébastien
Published: February 2014

Abstract

The theory of social-property relations, or political Marxism, has argued that in contradistinction with pre-capitalist forms of exploitation, capitalism is characterised by the separation of the economic and the political, which makes surplus appropriation under this system uniquely driven by economic coercion. In spite of political Marxism’s various strengths, this article argues that the paradigm puts forward an ahistorical and sanitised conception of capitalism typical of bourgeois economics, which is an outcome of its formal-abstractionist approach to the concept of the mode of production and the separation between theory and history that it operates. A more satisfactory solution to political Marxism’s inability to make sense of past and present forms of coercion and violence under capitalism can be found in Jairus Banaji’s emphasis on Marx’s historical – rather than formal – conception of the mode of production.
‫موقع ***** الجغرافي في نقش وادي حمامات رقم 1‬ (The Geographical Location of ***** in Hammamat Inscription (1))
Authors: ‫الشرقاوي‬ ‫محمد‬
Published: February 2014

This paper discusses the geographical location of ***** mentioned in Hammamat
Inscription No. 1, according to Couyat and Montet. This inscription was created by Sankh
in commemoration of his expedition to the Eastern Desert and the Red Sea Coast during the
reign of Mentuhotep IV.
The toponym is problematic due to its complete absence from all ancient Egyptian texts.
This made scientists disagree about its geographical location; some located it in Quseir, while
others placed it on the River Nile, or in the Eastern Desert. This matter has been a mystery,
and the toponym remained unknown without a specific identity, which made some scientists
leave it without certain specifications, and this, in turn, added more mystery to the inscription,
and led a number of scientists to minimize its value. Therefore, the researcher has decided to
confront this problem, especially after the recent archaeological discoveries on the Red Sea
Coast in general, and the port of ***** (Mersa Gawasis) in particular.
According to the writer, these recent discoveries may define ***** as Mersa
Gawasis (this conforms with the nature of Sankh’s expedition in light of other inscriptions
and according to the linguistic comparisons between these two toponyms). The inscription,
thus, becomes very important as it proves—for the first time in the ancient Egyptian sources—
that there were some activities attributed to Mentuhotep IV on the Red Sea Coast and Mersa
Gawasis, which provides a new historical and cultural dimension to the policy of this king, and
increases the value of the inscription. (please note that this article is in Arabic)
‫(دراسة تأريخية – إحصائية) ومعجمه للغة المصرية القديمة (م1851-1923) "أحمد باشا كمال: "صعود السلم‬ (Ahmed Kamal Pasha (1851-1923) Steps to his Ancient Egyptian Dictionary (Chronological-Statistical Study))
Authors: ‫الشرقاوي‬ ‫باسم سمير‬
Published: February 2014

A few people wrote about Ahmed Kamal Pasha (1851-1923) or mentioned some of his
works, but no one paid real attention to his huge effort, his dictionary Manuscrit Lexique de
la langue Égyptienne Ancienne since 2002 when SCA started publishing its 23 volumes, except
what is published by me separately, or together with the team of the ‘Studying, Indexing and
Verifying the Ahmed Kamal Pasha ’s Ancient Egyptian Dictionary Project (KDP)’.
The present study aims to record, in historical order, the total of Ancient Egyptian words
in each study of Kamal’s works, since his first book on Ancient Egyptian History (1883) until
his death in 1923, including his final (Ancient Egyptian Dictionary).
The researcher records 504 words (Table 1) in Kamal’s second book on Hieroglyphic Grammar
(1885/6); then his Arabic book with French title Vocabulaire hiéroglyphique comprenant les noms
des plantes (1889/90) contains 790 words (Table 2), but in his book Ancient Egyptian Civilization
Boghiyat al Talebeen… (1891/92 – 1894/95) includes ‘Four Dictionaries’ with a total of 1389
words (Tables 3 and 4), three of them (1021 words) are in Hieroglyphic and Demotic: the first
concerns deities (578 words), the second deals with metals and stones (89 words), the third
is related to animals and their parts (354), while the fourth Dictionary (Table 4) contains the
Arabic names of Planets (368 words). He mentioned a few words in his book about ‘Heliopolis’
(1896): names of geographical sites and some deities relating to this great ancient city. Between
1914 and 1917, Kamal climbed towards the top, collecting extra specific words in various small
studies, comparing with the ancient Egyptian words with the Arabic words. At the end, the
researcher records 12.730 ± 994 words (Table 5) in Kamal’s biggest work Manuscrit Lexique de
la langue Égyptienne Ancienne (since 2002 to present), also compares his results with the others,
H. Brugsch, E.A.W. Budge, and the Berliner Wörterbuch (Tables 5 and 6). Finally, the author
compiles all results together (Table 7) to evaluate Kamal’s efforts during his long lifetime, the
total words of each sign or sound in each study. (Please note that this article is in Arabic)
‫ساويس أسقف الأشمونين أول من كتب من الأقباط باللغة العربية‬ (Severus, Bishop of Ashmunein, first Coptic Bishop to write in Arabic)
Authors: ‫يوسف‬ ‫يوحنا نسيم‬
Published: February 2014

As an introduction, our study will start with a historical context of Egypt in the Abbasids
and Fatimids periods. We will highlight the artistic and literary environment. We will expose
the different religious factions, viz. Muslims, Christians and Jews.
We will overview the life of Severus, or at least what is known about him before his
ordination as a Bishop of Ashmunein such as his nickname (Kunya), his education and his
employment. We will discuss the different sources related to his life.
Severus from the tenth century, was one of the first Christians who wrote in Arabic. He
wrote several treatises, tackling different subjects, such as dogmatic theological subjects and
apologetic texts against others as well as a treatment of psychology. We will discuss the reasons
of the choice to use Arabic. We will discuss his works and his vocabulary and we will give a
list of his works that survive. We will give a brief summary of each book. We will argue about
some books ascribed to him such as the History of the Patriarchs and the Order of Priesthood.
Our conclusion stresses that freedom and prosperity allow Severus to expose his ideas. (Please note that this article is in Arabic).
‫نقود الصلة والدعاية المسكوكة في العصر العباسي باسم أبي أحمد طلحة الموفق بالله‬ (Coin donations and advertising minted in the Abbasid Era for Abu Ahmed Talha el-Muwaffak Billah)
Authors: ‫مختار‬ ‫أسامة أحمد‬
Published: February 2014

This paper deals with the donations and advertising coins, which were minted in Isfahan
and Dinewer, by the order of Abu Ahmed Talha el-Muwaffak Billah, brother of the Abbasid
Caliph el–Moatemid ala’ Allah (256-279 AH/869-892 CE). These coins, include Quranic
verses which were inscribed on it, and phrases which reflected the high rank of el–Muwaffak
Billah in the succession of his brother el–Moatemid ala’ Allah. It also shows the weakness of
the Caliph el–Moatemid, and the mighty control of his brother el–Muwaffak Billah to all
State affairs. Nothing remained to the Caliph el–Moatemid following the succession but the
name and insignia, resembled in praying for him in Friday prayers, and carving his name on
the coins; in addition to calling him the prince of believers; on the other hand el–Muwaffak
Billah was the official ruler who gave all orders and prohibitions in matters of succession. In
the context of this vision, the research paper introduced two Dirhams of the el–Muwaffak
Billah, with Quranic verses and inscriptions written on them. It deals also with inscriptions
through research analysis. (Please note that this article is in Arabic).
‫الجامع الكبير بجزر الملاديف‬ (The Foundation Text of the Old Mosque of Male)
Authors: ‫عزب‬ ‫خالد‬ , ‫السايح‬ ‫شيماء‬
Published: February 2014

The Old Mosque of Male, which is known by the Old Friday Mosque of Male, is one of the
most important mosques in Male. It was constructed in CE 1656 by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar I.
This Mosque remains in the minds of the Maldivian people because of its unique works of
traditional art.
The stone and wooden structures in the interior of the Mosque of Male are decorated
with intricately carved designs and inscriptions. The inscriptions are mainly in two languages;
Arabic and Dhivehi. Some historical facts about the construction of this Mosque are also
inscribed. These inscriptions are quotations from the Holy Quran and the sayings of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him). Some of these inscriptions spell out the main duties assigned
to the Imams and to the other members holding various offices in the Mosque.
The inscription discussed in this research were discovered during the renovation of the
ceiling of the Mosque in CE 1964. This inscription written on an old wooden plaque, prove
that the first Friday Mosque built by Sultan Mohamed bin Abdulla (CE 1141-1166), stood in
that place. This plaque is at present in the National Museum. (Please note that this article is in Arabic).
Twenty seven new species of Orthocentrus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae; Orthocentrinae) with a key to the Neotropical species of the genus
Authors: VEIJALAINEN ANU , BROAD GAVIN R. , SÄÄKSJÄRVI ILARI E.
Published: February 2014

We describe 27 new species of parasitoid wasps of the genus Orthocentrus (Ichneumonidae: Orthocentrinae) from the Neotropical region, where previously only one species of the genus (O. insularis Ashmead) was known, and provide a key to all described Orthocentrus species of the region. Based on previous studies and additional material that we have seen from the region, describing these species is only an initial attempt to document the Neotropical orthocentrine fauna.
A widely applicable plasma renin activity assay by LC-MS/MS with offline solid phase extraction
Authors: Owen Laura J , Adaway Joanne , Morris Karen , Lockhart Stephen , Keevil Brian G
Published: February 2014

Background

The measurement of plasma renin activity using LC-MS/MS is an attractive alternative to radioimmunoassay techniques. A published method for renin activity by LC-MS/MS uses equipment that is not available in all LC-MS/MS laboratories. Here, we present an offline modification to allow users of LC-MS/MS to perform this analysis without specialist equipment.

Methods

Samples were prepared in duplicate and incubated for 6.5 h and 24 h. Solid phase extraction was performed offline using Waters Oasis MAX ion-exchange 96-well plate. A method comparison was performed between this assay and a previously published assay using on-line solid phase extraction.

Results

The offline method for plasma rennin activity gave similar results to the on-line method across the concentration range. Analytical performance was also found to be comparable and the use of a 24 h incubation for low samples was also deemed unnecessary.

Discussion

The method described is an acceptable alternative to a previously published assay which does not require the use of highly specialist equipment and will be applicable to the majority of LC-MS/MS users.
Rethinking Psychological Contracts in the Context of Organizational Change
Authors: Chaudhry Anjali , Song Lynda Jiwen
Published: February 2014

The employee–employer relationship is said to be affected by extensive workplace transitions, and yet little is known about how employees make sense of these changes while deciding on their responses to them. Our study investigated two factors, social comparison and the nature of the exchanges, as moderators of the effects of psychological contract (i.e., employee beliefs regarding the terms of exchange between the employee and the organization) and psychological contract fulfillment (i.e., employee beliefs regarding the extent to which the employer is fulfilling these terms of exchange) on employee performance. Analysis of data before and after organizational change showed that unfavorable social comparison is associated with lower employee performance for transactional, relational, and balanced psychological contracts. Employees’ perception of the social nature of exchange was associated with lower performance in response to relational and balanced psychological contract fulfillments.
Singapore Airlines
Authors: Heracleous Loizos , Wirtz Jochen
Published: February 2014

We explore how Singapore Airlines has become one of the highest performing and respected airlines in the world through its ability to transcend organizational paradoxes. We address four paradoxes: cost-effective service excellence, simultaneous decentralized and centralized innovation, being simultaneously a follower and a leader in service development, and accomplishing standardization as well as personalization in customer interactions. We employ empirical data from multiyear case research on Singapore Airlines to outline how the organization simultaneously balances dual capabilities (seen as poles of the paradoxes) that most other organizations would consider distinct or incompatible. We conclude that the ability to balance opposing poles and in this way transcend paradoxes is what affords Singapore Airlines its sustainable competitive advantage and that this ability is becoming more and more relevant to organizational effectiveness as competition intensifies.