bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stress phase angle depicts differences in coronary artery hemodynamics due to changes in flow and geometry after percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Torii Ryo , Wood Nigel B. , Hadjiloizou Nearchos , Dowsey Andrew W. , Wright Andrew R. , Hughes Alun D. , Davies Justin , Francis Darrel P. , Mayet Jamil , Yang Guang-Zhong , Thom Simon A. McG. , Xu X. Yun
Published: January 2009

The effects of changes in flow velocity waveform and arterial geometry before and after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the right coronary artery (RCA) were investigated using computational fluid dynamics. An RCA from a patient with a stenosis was reconstructed based on multislice computerized tomography images. A nonstenosed model, simulating the same RCA after PCI, was also constructed. The blood flows in the RCA models were simulated using pulsatile flow waveforms acquired with an intravascular ultrasound-Doppler probe in the RCA of a patient undergoing PCI. It was found that differences in the waveforms before and after PCI did not affect the time-averaged wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index, but the phase angle between pressure and wall shear stress on the endothelium, stress phase angle (SPA), differed markedly. The median SPA was −63.9° (range, −204° to −10.0°) for the pre-PCI state, whereas it was 10.4° (range, −71.1° to 25.4°) in the post-PCI state, i.e., more asynchronous in the pre-PCI state. SPA has been reported to influence the secretion of vasoactive molecules (e.g., nitric oxide, PGI2, and endothelin-1), and asynchronous SPA (≈−180°) is proposed to be proatherogenic. Our results suggest that differences in the pulsatile flow waveform may have an important influence on atherogenesis, although associated with only minor changes in the time-averaged wall shear stress and oscillatory shear index. SPA may be a useful indicator in predicting sites prone to atherosclerosis.
Reactive oxygen species and the control of vascular function
Authors: Wolin Michael S.
Published: January 2009

This article summarizes perspectives on how reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox signaling mechanisms participate in regulating vascular smooth muscle function that have resulted from our studies over the past 25 years in areas including oxygen sensing and the regulation of cGMP production by soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) that were presented in the Robert M. Berne Distinguished Lectureship at the 2008 Experimental Biology Meeting. It considers mechanisms controlling the activity of sources of ROS including Nox oxidases and mitochondria by physiological stimuli, vascular diseases processes, and metabolic mechanisms linked to NAD(P)H redox and hypoxia. Metabolic interactions of individual ROS such as hydrogen peroxide with cellular peroxide metabolizing enzymes are viewed as some of the most sensitive ways of influencing cellular signaling systems. The control of cytosolic NADPH redox also seems to be a major contributor to bovine coronary arterial relaxation to hypoxia, where its oxidation functions to coordinate the lowering of intracellular calcium, whereas increased cytosolic NADPH generation in pulmonary arteries appears to maintain elevated Nox oxidase activity, and relaxation to hydrogen peroxide, which is attenuated by hypoxia. The sensitivity of sGC to nitric oxide seems to be regulated by thiol and heme redox systems controlled by cytosolic NADPH. Heme biosynthesis and metabolism are also important factors regulating the sGC system. The signaling pathways controlling oxidases and their colocalization with redox-regulated systems enables selective activation of numerous regulatory mechanisms influencing vascular function in physiological processes and the progression of aging-associated vascular diseases.
Angiotensin II, mitochondria, cytoskeletal, and extracellular matrix connections: an integrating viewpoint
Authors: de Cavanagh Elena MV , Ferder Marcelo , Inserra Felipe , Ferder Leon
Published: January 2009

Malfunctioning mitochondria strongly participate in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular damage associated with hypertension and other disease conditions. Eukaryotic cells move, assume their shape, resist mechanical stress, accommodate their internal constituents, and transmit signals by relying on the constant remodeling of cytoskeleton filaments. Mitochondrial ATP is needed to support cytoskeletal dynamics. Conversely, mitochondria need to interact with cytoskeletal elements to achieve normal motility, morphology, localization, and function. Extracellular matrix (ECM) quantity and quality influence cellular growth, differentiation, morphology, survival, and mobility. Mitochondria can sense ECM composition changes, and changes in mitochondrial functioning modify the ECM. Maladaptive ECM and cytoskeletal alterations occur in a number of cardiac conditions and in most types of glomerulosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular and renal fibrosis, respectively. Angiotensin II (ANG II), a vasoactive peptide and growth factor, stimulates cytosolic and mitochondrial oxidant production, eventually leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Also, by inducing integrin/focal adhesion changes, ANG II regulates ECM and cytoskeletal composition and organization and, accordingly, contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular remodeling. ANG II-initiated integrin signaling results in the release of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), a cytokine that modifies ECM composition and structure, induces reorganization of the cytoskeleton, and modifies mitochondrial function. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesize that the depression of mitochondrial energy metabolism brought about by ANG II is preceded by ANG II-induced integrin signaling and the consequent derangement of the cytoskeletal filament network and/or ECM organization. ANG II-dependent TGF-β1release is a potential link between ANG II, ECM, and cytoskeleton derangements and mitochondrial dysfunction. It is necessary to emphasize that the present hypothesis is among many other plausible explanations for ANG II-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction. A potential limitation of this proposal is that the results compiled here were obtained in different cells, tissues, and/or experimental models.
Cytokines are produced locally by myocytes in rat skeletal muscle during endotoxemia
Authors: Borge Bengt Åge Sørby , Kalland Karl-Henning , Olsen Sue , Bletsa Athanasia , Berggreen Ellen , Wiig Helge
Published: January 2009

Cytokines act as chemical mediators during the inflammatory process. Measurements of cytokine levels in tissue have previously been performed in homogenized tissue, but the true concentrations in native interstitial fluid (ISF), i.e., the compartment where cytokines exert their biologically active role, have remained unknown. The role of skeletal muscle myocytes as a source for cytokines during endotoxemia was explored by collecting muscle ISF using a wick method, and the levels of 14 cytokines in ISF and plasma were related to the corresponding changes in mRNA levels to reveal any potential discrepancies between gene expression and protein release of cytokines to ISF. The majority of investigated cytokines were elevated in muscle ISF during endotoxemia, and an analysis of cytokine mRNA levels revealed consistency between gene expression and protein release. The elevated cytokine level in ISF, in addition to elevated gene expression in muscle, indicated a significant local production and release of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines within skeletal muscle tissue during endotoxemia. Immunohistochemistry revealed that myocytes constituted a significant source of IL-1β and TNF-α production during endotoxemia, whereas the contribution from inflammatory cells i.e., leukocytes, was found to be less significant. Muscle cells apparently constitute an important source of several different cytokines during endotoxemia, governing the level in the muscle microenvironment, and are likely to contribute significantly to cytokine levels in plasma.
Nrf2 increases survival and attenuates alveolar growth inhibition in neonatal mice exposed to hyperoxia
Authors: McGrath-Morrow Sharon , Lauer Thomas , Yee Min , Neptune Enid , Podowski Megan , Thimmulappa Rajesh K. , O'Reilly Michael , Biswal Shyam
Published: January 2009

Increased oxidative stress is associated with perinatal asphyxia and respiratory distress in the newborn period. Induction of nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor (Nrf2) has been shown to decrease oxidative stress through the regulation of specific gene pathways. We hypothesized that Nrf2 attenuates mortality and alveolar growth inhibition in newborn mice exposed to hyperoxia. Nrf2+/+ and Nrf2−/− newborn mice were exposed to hyperoxia at 24 h. Survival was significantly less in Nrf2−/− mice exposed to 72 h of hyperoxia and returned to room air ( P < 0.0001) and in Nrf2−/− mice exposed to hyperoxia for 8 continuous days ( P < 0.005). To determine the response of Nrf2 target genes to hyperoxia, glutathione peroxidase 2 (Gpx2) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) expression was measured from lung of newborn mice using real-time PCR. In the Nrf2+/+ mice, significant induction of lung Gpx2 and NQO1 above room air controls was found with hyperoxia. In contrast, Nrf2−/− mice had minimal induction of lung Gpx2 and NQO1 with hyperoxia. Expression of p21 and IL-6, genes not regulated by Nrf2, were also measured. IL-6 expression in Nrf2−/− lung was markedly induced by 72 h of hyperoxia in contrast to the Nrf2+/+ mice. p21 was induced in both Nrf2+/+ and Nrf2−/− lung by hyperoxia. Mean linear intercept (MLI) and mean chord length (MCL) were significantly increased in 14-day-old Nrf2−/− mice previously exposed to hyperoxia compared with Nrf2+/+ mice. The percentage of surfactant protein C (Sp-c+) type 2 alveolar cells in 14-day-old Nrf2−/− mice exposed to neonatal hyperoxia was also significantly less than Nrf2+/+ mice ( P < 0.02). In summary, these findings indicate that Nrf2 increases survival in newborn mice exposed to hyperoxia and that Nrf2 may help attenuate alveolar growth inhibition caused by hyperoxia exposure.
Highly Ordered Boron Nitride Nanotube Arrays with Controllable Texture from Ammonia Borane by Template‐Aided Vapor‐Phase Pyrolysis
Authors: Wang Yuting , Yamamoto Yasunori , Kiyono Hajime , Shimada Shiro
Published: January 2009

An efficient approach for the preparation of good‐quality boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) is developed. BNNTs with specific texture were prepared from ammonia borane (BH3NH3) by vapor‐phase pyrolysis with the aid of a template in two independent temperature‐controlled furnaces. Two kinds of BNNTs, 200–300 nm wide ×60 μm long and 70–80 nm wide ×40 μm long, were produced after removal of the templates. The as‐produced BNNTs were heated at different temperatures in the range of 1300–1700 ∘C in NH3. FT‐IR and XPS results confirmed the formation of BN from BH3NH3. Ordered arrays of BNNTs without cracks on the surface were seen using microstructural observations. The diameter and length of the BNNTs are controlled using templates with different pore sizes and thickness. The wall thickness of the nanotubes was increased by increasing the number of deposition cycles. The crystallinity of the BNNTs was improved by heating at a high temperature (1700 ∘C) in NH3.
Investigation of Gastric Emptying Disorders in Patients with Functional Dyspepsia Reveals Impaired Inhibitory Gastric Emptying Regulation in the Early Postcibal Period
Authors: Zai Hiroaki , Kusano Motoyasu
Published: January 2009

Background/Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate gastric emptying profiles in patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) as a means to understand relationships between gastric emptying and dyspepsia. Methods: Gastric emptying times were measured using a 13C breath test. In addition to comparisons of 13C half excretion times (t 1/2 ex) between patients with PDS and healthy subjects, gastric emptying (%dose/h) curves were analyzed using a multipeak curve-fitting technique, and fitted curves were differentiated to measure the slope of curves for each time point. Results: (1) During the early postcibal period, the slope of %dose/h curves in 27% of patients with PDS was larger than the average slope derived from healthy subjects. The t 1/2 ex was also higher in these patients relative to healthy subjects. (2) During the midpostcibal period, the slope of %dose/h curves in 36% of PDS patients was larger than the average slope derived from healthy subjects. There was a trend toward lower t 1/2 ex values for these patients relative to control subjects. (3) When t 1/2 ex was calculated overall, however, there was no significant difference between healthy subjects and patients with PDS. Conclusion: Our findings document abnormal gastric outflow in patients with PDS. In some patients, there appears to be a significant correspondence between PDS-related dyspepsia and accelerated gastric emptying in the early postcibal period, whereas other patients showed a similar correspondence between dyspepsia and impaired inhibitory gastric emptying regulation in the midpostcibal period.
Effect of Cannabinoids upon the Uptake of Folic Acid by BeWo Cells
Authors: Araújo João R. , Gonçalves Pedro , Martel Fátima
Published: January 2009

Folic acid (FA) is an essential micronutrient that is particularly important during pregnancy for normal placental and fetal development and growth. The placenta and the fetus become frequently exposed to drugs of abuse such as cannabinoids because of maternal use of these substances. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of cannabinoids on the uptake of FA by BeWo cells. Acute treatment with anandamide (1–10 μmol/l) caused a 15% decrease in 3H-FA uptake at pH 7.5. Moreover, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (1–10 μmol/l) caused a 30% increase, and AM630 (1 μmol/l) a 15% decrease in this parameter at pH 6.5. Neither the inhibitory effect of anandamide nor the stimulatory effect of THC were changed in the presence of cannabi- noid receptor type 1 or type 2 antagonists (AM251 and AM630, respectively). Chronic treatment (48 h) with THC (100 nmol/l) and AM251 (100 nmol/l) decreased the uptake of 3H-FA by 20% at pH 7.5, and anandamide (1 μmol/l) and AM630 (10–500 nmol/l) increased it by 30%. Moreover, CP55,940 (10 nmol/l) increased the uptake of 3H-FA by 30% at pH 6.5. RT-PCR analysis showed that the mRNA levels of the reduced folate transporter 1 increased by 9% after chronic treatment with AM630 (500 nmol/l). The mRNA levels of the proton-coupled folate transporter decreased by 17% and increased by 18% after chronic treatment with THC (0.1 μmol/l) and AM251 (100 nmol/l), respectively. In conclusion, 3H-FA uptake by BeWo cells is significantly, although not very markedly, changed by several distinct CB receptor agonists and antagonists, both after acute and chronic exposure of the cells. The acute effects of cannabinoid receptor agonists do not seem to be mediated by the cannabinoid receptor, and with a few exceptions the chronic effects do not seem to be related to changes in the expression levels of FA transporters.
Patterns of Demineralization and Dentin Reactions in Radiation-Related Caries
Authors: Silva A.R.S. , Alves F.A. , Antunes A. , Goes M.F. , Lopes M.A.
Published: January 2009

Radiation-related caries is a unique form of rampant decay and is a complication of head and neck radiotherapy that frequently causes generalized dental destruction and impairs quality of life in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the patterns of demineralization of caries in irradiated patients and to establish whether direct radiogenic damage to the dentition might be important in the progression of radiation-related caries. Teeth from patients who had concluded radiotherapy were examined histologically by polarized light microscopy, and the ultrastructure was examined by scanning backscattered electron microscopy. Cervical caries and incisal caries, a very unusual sort of lesion, were widely detected. Additionally, diffuse brown discoloration of the smooth surface of enamel was frequently observed. Polarized light microscopy suggested that these areas were incipient caries. Evidence of normal odontoblast function was observed in the detection of reactionary dentin and intratubular dentin deposition. In conclusion, radiation-related caries seems to have the same morphological and demineralization pattern as ordinary caries, with the presence of demineralized dentin, a translucent zone, dentin dead tracts, reactionary dentin and intratubular dentin deposition. Based on these findings, direct radiogenic destruction of the teeth seems to be not essential to the microscopic progression of radiation-related caries.
Giving Uridine and/or Docosahexaenoic Acid Orally to Rat Dams during Gestation and Nursing Increases Synaptic Elements in Brains of Weanling Pups
Authors: Cansev Mehmet , Marzloff George , Sakamoto Toshimasa , Ulus Ismail H. , Wurtman Richard J.
Published: January 2009

Developing neurons synthesize substantial quantities of membrane phospholipids in producing new synapses. We investigated the effects of maternal uridine (as uridine-5′-monophosphate) and docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on pups’ brain phospholipids, synaptic proteins and dendritic spine densities. Dams consumed neither, 1 or both compounds for 10 days before parturition and 20 days while nursing. By day 21, brains of weanlings receiving both exhibited significant increases in membrane phosphatides, various pre- and postsynaptic proteins (synapsin-1, mGluR1, PSD-95), and in hippocampal dendritic spine densities. Administering these phosphatide precursors to lactating mothers or infants could be useful for treating developmental disorders characterized by deficient synapses.
Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Liposomal Amphotericin B and Voriconazole in a Murine Pulmonary Aspergillosis Model
Authors: Takemoto Koji , Yamamoto Yutaka , Ueda Yutaka , Kanazawa Katsunori , Yoshida Koichiro , Niki Yoshihito
Published: January 2009

Background:No clinical studies have compared the efficacy of liposomal formulation AMB (L-AMB) and voriconazole (VRC) in the treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of L-AMB and VRC in murine pulmonary aspergillosis.Methods: Leucopenic mice were infected intratracheally with Aspergillus fumigatus and treated intravenously with L-AMB (once a day) or VRC (twice a day). Results: L-AMB and VRC at a dose of ≥5 and ≥20 mg/kg, respectively, significantly prolonged the survival time of infected mice and reduced the pulmonary fungal burden in comparison with the control group. At the maximum recommended dose for clinical use, 5 mg/kg of L-AMB exhibited greater efficacy than 10 mg/kg of VRC, which achieved an area under the concentration-time curve level equivalent to that of 6 mg/kg (loading dose) in humans, in terms of increasing survival and reducing the fungal burden. Conclusion: The in vivo efficacy of L-AMB was superior to that of VRC at the maximum recommended dose in a murine pulmonary aspergillosis model.
Association between polymorphisms in the β2-adrenergic receptor gene with myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke in women
Authors: Kurth Tobias , Ridker Paul , Buring Julie , Zee Robert , Schürks Markus
Published: January 2009

Results from studies investigating the association between polymorphisms in the β2-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB2) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are controversial. Using haplo-type-based analysis, we have previously shown a protective effect of the Gly16-Gln27-Ile164 haplotype on myocardial infarction in men. We sought to replicate these findings in women and further investigated whether the gene variants exert differential effects on myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. We performed a prospective study among 25,224 women, participating in the Women’s Health Study and free of CVD at study entry. We had information on polymorphisms Gly16Arg, Gln27Glu, and Thr164Ile in the ADRB2. Incident CVD was self-reported and confirmed after medical record review. We used proportional hazards models to investigate the association between genotypes and haplotypes with any myocardial infarction, any ischaemic stroke, and CVD death. During a mean of 11.8 years of follow-up, 274 myocardial infarctions, 299 ischaemic strokes, and 159 CVD deaths occurred. Among the whole cohort genotypeand haplotype-based analyses did not show an association for any of the gene variants with any of the CVD outcomes. When we focused on Caucasian women, the haplotype-based analysis, however, suggested an inverse association of the haplotype Gly16-Gln27-Thr164 with incident myocardial infarction (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.58–0.97; p=0.03). We did not find associations in the haplo-type-based analyses with incident ischaemic stroke or CVD death. Our results suggest that the haplotype Gly16-Gln27-Thr164 is associated with reduced risk of incident myocardial infarction but not ischaemic stroke in Caucasian women and suggest differential pathophysiologies for myocardial infarction and stroke.
Association study between variants in the fibrinogen gene cluster, fibrinogen levels and hypertension: Results from the MONICA/ KORA study
Authors: Kolz Melanie , Baumert Jens , Gohlke Henning , Grallert Harald , Döring Angela , Peters Annette , Wichmann Erich , Illig Thomas , Koenig Wolfgang
Published: January 2009

Previous studies reported a gender-specific association between plasma fibrinogen concentrations and incident hypertension. We systematically analysed polymorphisms and haplotypes across the fibrinogen gene cluster with fibrinogen levels and assessed their contribution to prevalent hypertension in 2,200 men and 2,159 women from the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg study. Eleven tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were systematically selected in the three fibrinogen genes and haplotypes were reconstructed. The minor alleles of two SNPs, rs2227401 (FGB) and rs2070016 (FGA) and the haplotypes tagged by those variants, were significantly associated with higher fibrinogen concentrations in both, men and women, explaining 1% of the total variance of fibrinogen concentrations. In addition, a FGG haplotype, tagged by rs1049636, was associated with lower concentrations of fibrinogen in women, but not in men. Regarding hypertension, we detected a significant association with a FGA promoter variant (rs2070008) in women only, whereas fibrinogen haplotypes were not associated with hyper-tension after correction for multiple comparisons in either men or women. In conclusion, our results suggest that variants in all three fibrinogen genes are significantly associated with differences in fibrinogen concentrations with modest contribution to phenotypic variance. It is likely that other genetic variants outside the fibrinogen gene loci are involved in the regulation of fibrinogen concentrations. In addition, one FGA promoter variant was significantly associated with hypertension in women. Confirmation of these findings by future studies is warranted.
Sequential Changes of Myocardial Microstructure in Patients Postmyocardial Infarction by Diffusion-Tensor Cardiac MR
Authors: Wu Ming-Ting , Su Mao-Yuan M. , Huang Yi-Luan , Chiou Kuan-Rau , Yang Pinchen , Pan Huay-Ben , Reese Timothy G. , Wedeen Van J. , Tseng Wen-Yih I.
Published: January 2009

Background—

We used diffusion-tensor cardiac MR to investigate myocardial microstructure changes, including tissue integrity (mean diffusivity [MD], fractional anisotropy) and fiber architecture (helix angles) in patients with recent myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to investigate the sequential changes of myocardial microstructure and its relationships with changes of macrostructure and function of the left ventricle post-MI.

Methods and Results—

Seventeen patients (age, 55.1�11.5 years; all men) participated in the follow-up study. Diffusion-tensor cardiac MR, cine gradient echo for left ventricle function, and late gadolinium enhancement for viability were measured from recent to chronic MI (median interval, 191 days). When compared with the remote zone, the infarct-adjacent zone showed overall increase of MD (2-way MANOVA, F
1,16
=36.3;
P
<0.001), decrease of fractional anisotropy (F
1,16
=5.8;
P
=0.029), and decrease of mean helix angles (F
1,16
=62.0;
P
<0.001). From recent to chronic MI, there was overall sequential decrease of MD (F
1,16
=22.6;
P
<0.001) and increase of fractional anisotropy (F
1,16
=7.8;
P
=0.013). Multiple linear regression showed that the improvement of wall thickening in the infarct-adjacent zone correlated with sequential decrease of MD in the infarct-adjacent zone (
r
=−0.70;
P
=0.002) and increase of mean helix angles (ie, more right-handed helical myofiber reorientation, predominantly subendocardial location) in the remote zone (
r
=0.60;
P
=0.011). Likewise, wall thickening in the remote zone correlated with MD in the remote zone (
r
=−0.72;
P
=0.001) and mean helix angles in the infarct-adjacent zone (
r
=0.72;
P
=0.001).

Conclusion—

Diffusion-tensor cardiac MR suggests that sequential zonal improvement of tissue integrity and fiber architecture remodeling both associate with sequential recovery of zonal wall thickening of the left ventricle from recent to chronic MI.
Long-Term Trends in First Hospitalization for Heart Failure and Subsequent Survival Between 1986 and 2003
Authors: Jhund Pardeep S. , MacIntyre Kate , Simpson Colin R. , Lewsey James D. , Stewart Simon , Redpath Adam , Chalmers James W.T. , Capewell Simon , McMurray John J.V.
Published: January 2009

Background—

We examined whether population-level hospitalization rates for heart failure (HF) and subsequent survival have continued to improve since the turn of the century. We also examined trends in the prescribing of evidence-based pharmacological treatment for HF.

Methods and Results—

All patients in Scotland hospitalized with a first episode of HF between 1986 and 2003 were followed up until death or the end of 2004. Prescriptions of evidence-based treatments issued from 1997 to 2003 by a sample of primary care practices were also examined. A total of 116 556 individuals (52.6% women) had a first hospital discharge for HF. Age-adjusted first hospitalization rates for HF (per 100 000; 95% CI in parentheses) rose from 124 (119 to 129) in 1986 to 162 (157 to 168) in 1994 and then fell to 105 (101 to 109) in 2003 in men; in women, they rose from 128 (123 to 132) in 1986 to 160 (155 to 165) in 1993, falling to 101 (97 to 105) in 2003. Case-fatality rates fell steadily over the period. Adjusted 30-day case-fatality rates fell after discharge (adjusted odds [2003 versus 1986] 0.59 [95% CI 0.45 to 0.63] in men and 0.77 [95% CI 0.67 to 0.88] in women). Adjusted 1- and 5-year survival improved similarly. Median survival increased from 1.33 to 2.34 years in men and from 1.32 to 1.79 years in women. Age-adjusted prescribing rates for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, and spironolactone increased from 1997 to 2003 (all
P
<0.0001 for trend).

Conclusions—

After rising between 1986 and 1994, rates of first hospitalization for HF declined. Case-fatality rates also fell. Prescribing rates for HF therapies increased from 1997 to 2003. These findings suggest that improvements in the prevention and treatment of HF may have had progressive, sustained effects on outcomes at the population level; however, prognosis remains poor in HF.
Icelandic Control Is Not A-Movement: The Case from Case
Authors: Bobaljik Jonathan David , Landau Idan
Published: January 2009

A rich literature on Icelandic syntax has established that infinitival complements of obligatory control verbs constitute a case assignment domain independent from the matrix clause, and in this differ systematically from all types of A-movement, which manifest case dependence/preservation. As Landau (2003) has observed, these facts provide significant counterevidence to the movement theory of control (Hornstein 1999 and subsequent work). Boeckx and Hornstein (2006a) attempt to defend this theory in light of data from Icelandic. We offer here a review of the relevant literature, and we show that Boeckx and Hornstein's reply fails on several counts. We further argue that contrary to their claims, PRO in Icelandic receives structural rather than default (nominative) case, leaving the movement theory with no account for the distinction between PRO and lexical subjects.
The Dead Sea Scrolls and Violence: Sectarian Formation and Eschatological Imagination
Authors: Jassen Alex
Published: January 2009

This article analyzes two interconnected narratives of violence in the Dead Sea Scrolls by drawing upon some recent treatments of religious violence employing social-scientific approaches—in particular, the "scarce resources" theory—and more general sociological approaches to sectarianism. The first narrative of violence revolves around the origins of the community's violent worldview as embodied in its debates with its opponents. Early sectarian literature represents sectarian debates and polemics in terms of an exclusive understanding of the meaning of Scripture, the application of ritual and cultic law, and the identity of God's elect. These aspects become focal points of ideological debate as the community attempted to convince the "outsiders" of the correctness of the sectarian way. By tracing the development of these debates in sectarian literature, however, I reveal how they are transformed from innocuous elements of disagreement into focal points for the emergence of violence as a central preoccupation of the Qumran community. The "scarce resources" theory explains why these specific points of disagreement become infused with violence. The second narrative of violence involves the continued appearance of these debates within the community's eschatological literature as a rhetorical device to legitimize its violent expectations. Unlike related groups in Second Temple Judaism (e.g., the Zealots), for the Qumran community, violence outside of the framework of the eschatological battle is not legitimized and presumably did not exist. By delaying all punishment until the eschaton, the community simultaneously defused its own violent worldview. The simultaneous infusion and defusion of violence is explained in the context of the sectarian structure of the community.
Verification with Variograms
Authors: Marzban Caren , Sandgathe Scott
Published: January 2009

The verification of a gridded forecast field, for example, one produced by numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, cannot be performed on a gridpoint-by-gridpoint basis; that type of approach would ignore the spatial structures present in both forecast and observation fields, leading to misinformative or noninformative verification results. A variety of methods have been proposed to acknowledge the spatial structure of the fields. Here, a method is examined that compares the two fields in terms of their variograms. Two types of variograms are examined: one examines correlation on different spatial scales and is a measure of texture; the other type of variogram is additionally sensitive to the size and location of objects in a field and can assess size and location errors. Using these variograms, the forecasts of three NWP model formulations are compared with observations/analysis, on a dataset consisting of 30 days in spring 2005. It is found that within statistical uncertainty the three formulations are comparable with one another in terms of forecasting the spatial structure of observed reflectivity fields. None, however, produce the observed structure across all scales, and all tend to overforecast the spatial extent and also forecast a smoother precipitation (reflectivity) field. A finer comparison suggests that the University of Oklahoma 2-km resolution Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-ARW) model and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) 4-km resolution WRF-ARW slightly outperform the 4.5-km WRF-Nonhydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM), developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NOAA/NCEP), in terms of producing forecasts whose spatial structures are closer to that of the observed field.
Boundary-work and the human—animal binary: Piltdown man, science and the media
Authors: Goulden Murray
Published: January 2009

The infamous Piltdown hoax offers an excellent opportunity to study how a figure that straddled the human—animal boundary (both figuratively in its positioning as a “missing link,” and literally given its post-hoax status as a modern human skull and a modern orangutan jaw) was made to fit dichotomous understandings of it. The process of making this figure human reveals how scientific claims in the disputed border zone between humans and non-human animals are shaped by the cultural themes upon which the division stands. Nationalism, race and species classification became enmeshed in the efforts to lead Piltdown from its liminal position to more conceptually stable ground. The result was a stretching of human-ness, that brought Piltdown closer to us whilst modern-day “savages” were moved further away. The paper's theoretical framework shifts Gieryn's boundary-work model from an ontology of culture to an ontology of nature. Transplanting Gieryn's model in this way is useful not only because of the parallels specifically between the science—culture and human—animal boundaries, but also as it serves as a reminder of the strong relationship between the categorization of the social and natural worlds.
Defining issue-based publics for public engagement: climate change as a case study
Authors: Featherstone Helen , Weitkamp Emma , Ling Katy , Burnet Frank
Published: January 2009

Understanding your audiences' perceptions is key to the success of any communication campaign. This research note outlines a pilot study using the Situational Model of publics to segment the broader public. Focus groups were used to study publics' understandings and perceptions of climate change to determine if this issue-based publics model is relevant to this field. The work shows the potential of this model of publics, but in the case of climate change it may need a minor refinement.
The value of the use of biotechnology: public views in China and Europe
Authors: Lan Lü
Published: January 2009

This study contrasts public views of the value of biotechnology applications in China and Europe. The most striking result is that biotechnology applications get more consistent acceptance and support in China than in Europe. The Chinese people are extremely positive in their evaluation of the usefulness and moral acceptability of various applications of biotechnology, whereas the European public has broader and firmer understanding of the risks involved. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the public's perception of benefit might be a prerequisite to supporting the development of biotechnology; nevertheless, moral acceptance is the key to gaining public support. Conversely, public perceptions of high risk may not necessarily reduce the level of support.
Coping with uncertainty: Assessing nanotechnologies in a citizen panel in Switzerland
Authors: Valérie Burri Regula
Published: January 2009

The policy shift towards “upstream public engagement” requires dealing with a lack of individual and stabilized scientific knowledge that accompanies any early stage of research and development. This article examines how actors cope with this epistemic uncertainty when deliberating emerging technologies. Analyzing the arguments of the participants in a Swiss citizen panel on nanotechnology, the article explores how actors form their opinions in an epistemically nonstabilized situation. The article shows how actors develop a strategy to handle this situation: analogies, such as to other risk technologies or “nature,” and personal experiences as patients and consumers are used as interpretive patterns and serve as tools to cope with the unknown. Focusing on the ways uncertainty is handled, this approach is differentiated from other models to explain public attitudes toward emerging technologies, such as the “scientific literacy model” or the “cognitive miser model.”
Believing is seeing: laypeople's views of future socio-economic and climate change in England and in Italy
Authors: Lorenzoni Irene , Hulme Mike
Published: January 2009

Cross-cultural studies are particularly relevant in the context of climate change, given its pervasive character and the growing demand for climate change mitigation at both global and local levels. This paper reports on findings from comparative cross-cultural mixed-methods research eliciting perceptions of the future among citizens in Norwich (UK) and Rome (Italy). The paper explores how individuals at the two locations interpret socio-economic and climate scenarios, and how they relate environmental change to human behavior. Attitude segmentation was found to be similar in both localities. Although most participants in both locations realized the benefits of a future centered on sustainable resource use and societal welfare, individuals' attitudes and considerations about the future were not largely influenced by the scenarios. Discussions revealed that the credibility of the projections depended on individuals' prior beliefs and their trust in the science portrayed.
Believing in both genetic determinism and behavioral action: a materialist framework and implications
Authors: Condit Celeste M. , Gronnvoll Marita , Landau Jamie , Shen Lijiang , Wright Lanelle , Harris Tina M.
Published: January 2009

A disparity exists between studies reporting that genetics discourse produces deterministic or fatalistic responses and studies reporting that the majority of laypeople do not hold or adopt genetically deterministic views. This article reports data from an interview study ( n = 50), and an interpretation of those data grounded in materialist understandings of discourse, that explains at least part of the disparity. The article employs a detailed reading of an illustrative transcript embedded in a quantitative content analysis to suggest that laypeople have incorporated two sets of public discourses—one that describes genetic causation and another that describes behavioral causation. These different discourse tracks are presumed to be encoded in different sets of neural networks in people’s minds. Consequently, each track can be articulated upon proper cueing, but the tracks are not related to each other to produce a discourse for speaking about gene—behavior interactions. Implications for the effects of this mode of instantiation of discourse in human individuals with regard to genes and behavior are discussed, as well as implications for message design.
Modes of Communication Between Members of a String Quartet
Authors: Seddon Frederick A. , Biasutti Michele
Published: January 2009

This qualitative case study revealed the modes of communication employed between members of a professional string quartet during rehearsal and performance. Six modes of communication and two levels of attunement were revealed. The modes of communication were interpreted as verbal and non-verbal: instruction, cooperation, and collaboration. The levels of attunement were interpreted as sympathetic and empathetic. Results indicated that the members of the string quartet were able to become empathetically attuned and produce spontaneous musical variations during performance. These spontaneous musical variations were interpreted as examples of empathetic creativity. Participants confirmed researcher interpretations of the six modes of communication, sympathetic and empathic attunement, and empathetic creativity during member checks. The authors propose that spontaneous musical variations are examples of empathetic creativity. The findings of the current qualitative case study support the findings of a previous study conducted with a jazz sextet (Seddon, 2005). Implications of the findings of the current study for small group communication and creativity are discussed.
Practitioner Research Instruction
Authors: Spilka Rachel
Published: January 2009

Most technical communication practitioners conduct research throughout their careers. Yet, a survey of the Web sites of 114 undergraduate technical communication programs between September 2006 and April 2007 revealed that 65% (about two thirds) of these programs are providing minimal or no exposure to research instruction and therefore are not sufficiently preparing students to handle the types of research they will encounter in their upcoming careers. Given the disconnect between the centrality of research in the work that technical communicators do and the low presence of research instruction at the undergraduate level, academics need to look for ways to overcome institutional and other constraints in order to give research training greater priority in their undergraduate programs.
Measuring Adequacy of Coverage for the Privately Insured
Authors: Blewett Lynn A. , Rodin Holly , Davidson Gestur , Davern Michael
Published: January 2009

The privately insured are assuming a greater share of the costs of their health care, yet little is known about changes in out-of-pocket spending at the state level. The central problem is that national surveys with the relevant data are not designed to generate state-level estimates. The study addresses this shortcoming by using a two-sample modeling approach to estimate state-level measures of out-of-pocket spending relative to income for privately insured adults and children. National data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Household Component and state representative data from the from the Current Population Survey are used. Variation in out-of-pocket spending over time and across states is shown, highlighting concern about the adequacy of coverage for 2.9% of privately insured children and 7.8% of privately insured adults. Out-of-pocket spending relative to income is an important indicator of access to care and should be monitored at the state level.
Effects of Low-Intensity Exercise Conditioning on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Autonomic Modulation of Heart Rate in Men and Women with Hypertension
Authors: Hua Lien P.T. , Brown C. Ann , Hains Sylvia J.M. , Godwin Marshall , Parlow Joel L.
Published: January 2009

Untreated hypertension increases cardiovascular risk 2-fold to 3-fold, leading to serious cardiovascular problems that include left ventricular hypertrophy, stroke, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, vascular disease, renal disease, and death. Exercise conditioning is recommended as one of the initial treatments for hypertension. The purpose of this pretest—posttest study was to quantify the effects of a 12-week home-based low-intensity exercise conditioning (walking) program in hypertensive men and women on systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and autonomic modulation of heart rate. A total of 20 mildly hypertensive men and women who were assigned to a structured exercise (walking) program were compared with a control group of 20 nonexercising mildly hypertensive participants. Electrocardiographic heart rate and R-R interval data and beat-by-beat arterial blood pressure data were collected continuously for 10 min with participants in the supine and standing postures and during low-intensity steady-state exercise. The results show that systolic and diastolic blood pressure and R-R interval decreased and spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity increased in the exercise group. The decline in blood pressure was significant statistically and clinically. The increase in spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity indicates that the ability of the cardiovascular system to respond rapidly to changing stimuli improved after the 12-week walking protocol. The low-intensity exercise conditioning program achieved a training effect in this population.
Faking It: The Necessary Blind Spots of Understanding
Authors: Kolcio Katja , Gerdes Ellen
Published: January 2009

Scholarly research in the field of dance begins with the methodological premise that some things are only effectively known through their enactment. This article utilizes movement practice as a site for cultural research. The imminent, fluctuating and heightened physicality of movement research, reconstructed here in writing, contributes a different perspective toward the understanding of authenticity in relation to the construction of knowledge. The article is written in the present tense from the perspective of the protagonist to convey the ethnographic site in progress, and to highlight the visceral aspect of the issues at hand.
Molecular evolution in Panagrolaimus nematodes: origins of parthenogenesis, hermaphroditism and the Antarctic species P. davidi
Authors: Lewis Samantha C , Dyal Leslie A , Hilburn Caroline F , Weitz Stephanie , Liau Wei-Siang , LaMunyon Craig W , Denver Dee R
Published: January 2009

Background

As exemplified by the famously successful model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, nematodes offer outstanding animal systems for investigating diverse biological phenomena due to their small genome sizes, short generation times and ease of laboratory maintenance. Nematodes in the genus Panagrolaimus have served in comparative development and anhydrobiosis studies, and the Antarctic species P. davidi offers a powerful paradigm for understanding the biological mechanisms of extreme cold tolerance. Panagrolaimus nematodes are also unique in that examples of gonochoristic, hermaphroditic and parthenogenetic reproductive modes have been reported for members of this genus. The evolutionary origins of these varying reproductive modes and the Antarctic species P. davidi, however, remain enigmatic.

Results

We collected nuclear ribosomal RNA gene and mitochondrial protein-coding gene sequences from diverse Panagrolaimus species and strains, including newly discovered isolates from Oregon, to investigate phylogenetic relationships in this nematode genus. Nuclear phylogenies showed that the species and strains historically identified as members of Panagrolaimus constitute a paraphyletic group, suggesting that taxonomic revision is required for Panagrolaimus and related nematode lineages. Strain-specific reproductive modes were mapped onto the molecular phylogeny to show a single origin of parthenogenesis from a presumably gonochoristic ancestor. The hermaphroditic strains were all placed outside a major monophyletic clade that contained the majority of other Panagrolaimus nematodes. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial sequences showed that substantial molecular and geographic diversity exists within the clade of parthenogenetic strains. The Antarctic species P. davidi was found to be very closely related to two Panagrolaimus strains from southern California. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses suggested that P. davidi and the California strain PS1579 shared a common ancestor in the very recent evolutionary past.

Conclusion

Our study provides a phylogenetic framework for understanding the evolutionary origins and diversification patterns of varying reproductive modes within Panagrolaimus and important insights into the origin of the Antarctic species P. davidi. Panagrolaimus offers a powerful nematode model for understanding diverse evolutionary phenomena including the evolution of asexuality and the adaptive evolution of extreme cold tolerance.