bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of neonatal and adult rat carotid body responses to chronic intermittent hypoxia
Authors: Pawar Anita , Peng Ying-Jie , Jacono Frank J. , Prabhakar Nanduri R.
Published: January 2008

Previous studies suggest that carotid body responses to long-term changes in environmental oxygen differ between neonates and adults. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) on the carotid body differ between neonates and adult rats. Experiments were performed on neonatal (1–10 days) and adult (6–8 wk) males exposed either to CIH (9 episodes/h; 8 h/day) or to normoxia. Sensory activity was recorded from ex vivo carotid bodies. CIH augmented the hypoxic sensory response (HSR) in both groups. The magnitude of CIH-evoked hypoxic sensitization was significantly greater in neonates than in adults. Seventy-two episodes of CIH were sufficient to evoke hypoxic sensitization in neonates, whereas as many as 720 CIH episodes were required in adults, suggesting that neonatal carotid bodies are more sensitive to CIH than adult carotid bodies. CIH-induced hypoxic sensitization was reversed in adult rats after reexposure to 10 days of normoxia, whereas the effects of neonatal CIH persisted into adult life (2 mo). Acute intermittent hypoxia (IH) evoked sensory long-term facilitation of the carotid body activity (sensory LTF, i.e., increased baseline neural activity following acute IH) in CIH-exposed adults but not in neonates. The effects of CIH were associated with hyperplasia of glomus cells in neonatal but not in adult carotid bodies. These observations demonstrate that responses to CIH differ between neonates and adults with regard to the magnitude of sensitization of HSR, susceptibility to CIH, induction of sensory LTF, reversibility of the responses, and morphological remodeling of the chemoreceptor tissue.
Local Circuit Connections Between Hamster Laminae III and IV Dorsal Horn Neurons
Authors: Schneider Stephen P.
Published: January 2008

To better understand the role of intrinsic spinal cord circuits in the integration of mechanosensory information, we studied synaptic transmission between neurons in Rexed's laminae III–IV, a major termination zone for cutaneous mechanoreceptor afferents, using dual, simultaneous whole cell electrophysiological recordings in young hamsters. Synaptic connections were detected between 32 of 106 cell pairs (linkage probability of 0.3) and were predominantly unidirectional (91%). Inhibitory connections outnumbered excitatory connections by 2:1. Amplitude of single-axon postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) was independent of postsynaptic cell input resistance. Intracellular labeling suggested that recordings were obtained from local axon interneurons. In connected cell pairs, the percentage of presynaptic action potentials that failed to evoke a postsynaptic response was 44 ± 29%. Shape indices of PSPs suggested that synaptic contacts were widely distributed along the postsynaptic membrane. Linkage probability was unrelated to intrinsic firing properties, laminar position of the cells or the distance (<160 μm) separating them. However, PSPs in target cells following action potentials in neurons with phasic firing patterns had longer duration and lower failure rates than PSPs activated by neurons with tonic firing patterns. Thus transmission reliability at synapses between lamina III/IV interneurons overall is low, and efficacy of these connections is related to firing properties of the presynaptic cells. The observations also suggest that synaptic organization in LIII–IV is fundamentally different from the superficial dorsal horn (LI–II) where neural circuits may be composed of stereotyped units made from connections between a few functional types of neurons.
Stimulus-Response Compatibility in Huntington's Disease: A Cognitive-Neurophysiological Analysis
Authors: Beste Christian , Saft Carsten , Andrich Jürgen , Gold Ralf , Falkenstein Michael
Published: January 2008

The basal ganglia are assumed to be of importance in action/response selection, but results regarding the importance are contradictive. We investigate these processes in relation to attentional processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) in Huntington's disease (HD), an autosomal genetic disorder expressed by degeneration of the basal ganglia, using a flanker task. A symptomatic HD group, a presymptomatic HD group (pHD), and healthy controls were examined. In the behavioral data, we found a general response slowing in HD while the compatibility effect was the same for all groups. The ERP data show a decrease of the N1 on the flanker in HD and pHD; this suggests deficient attentional processes. The N1 on the target was unaffected, suggesting that the attentional system in HD is not entirely deficient. The early lateralized readiness potential (LRP), reflecting automatic response activation due to the flankers, was unchanged, whereas the late LRP, reflecting controlled response selection due to the target information, was delayed in HD. Thus levels of action-selection processes are differentially affected in HD with automatic processes seeming to be more robust against neurodegeneration. The N2, usually associated with conflict processing, was reduced in the HD but not in the pHD and the control groups. Because the N2 was related to the LRP and reaction times in all groups, the N2 may generally not be related to conflict but rather to controlled response selection, which is impaired in HD. Overall, the results suggest alterations in attentional control, conflict processing, and controlled response selection in HD but not in automatic response selection.
Visuo-vestibular Influences on the Moving Platform Locomotor Aftereffect
Authors: Bunday Karen L. , Bronstein Adolfo M.
Published: January 2008

After walking onto a moving platform subjects experience a locomotor aftereffect (LAE), including a self-generated stumble, when walking again onto a stationary platform. Thus this LAE affords examination of the role of vestibular input during an internally generated postural challenge. The experiments involved walking onto the stationary sled (BEFORE trials), walking onto the moving sled (MOVING), and a second set of stationary trials (AFTER). We investigated 9 bilateral labyrinthine defective subjects (LDS) and 13 age-matched normal controls (NC) with eyes open. We repeated the experiment in 5 NC and 5 LDS but this time the AFTER trials were performed twice, first eyes closed and then on eye reopening. During MOVING trials, LDS were considerably unstable, thus confirming the established role of the vestibular system during externally imposed postural perturbations. During AFTER trials, both groups experienced an aftereffect with eyes open and closed, shown as higher approach gait velocity, a forward trunk overshoot, and increased leg EMG. However, there were no significant group differences due to the fact that stopping the forward trunk overshoot was accomplished by anticipatory EMG bursts. On eye reopening the aftereffect reemerged, significantly larger in LDS than that in NC. The lack of group differences in AFTER trials suggests that when facing internally generated postural perturbations, as in this adaptation process, the CNS relies less on vestibular feedback and more on anticipatory mechanisms. Reemergence of the aftereffect on eye reopening indicates the existence of a feedforward visuo-contextual mechanism for locomotor learning, which is adaptively enhanced in the absence of vestibular function.
Space-Clamp Problems When Voltage Clamping Neurons Expressing Voltage-Gated Conductances
Authors: Bar-Yehuda Dan , Korngreen Alon
Published: January 2008

The voltage-clamp technique is applicable only to spherical cells. In nonspherical cells, such as neurons, the membrane potential is not clamped distal to the voltage-clamp electrode. This means that the current recorded by the voltage-clamp electrode is the sum of the local current and of axial currents from locations experiencing different membrane potentials. Furthermore, voltage-gated currents recorded from a nonspherical cell are, by definition, severely distorted due to the lack of space clamp. Justifications for voltage clamping in nonspherical cells are, first, that the lack of space clamp is not severe in neurons with short dendrites. Second, passive cable theory may be invoked to justify application of voltage clamp to branching neurons, suggesting that the potential decay is sufficiently shallow to allow spatial clamping of the neuron. Here, using numerical simulations, we show that the distortions of voltage-gated K+ and Ca2+ currents are substantial even in neurons with short dendrites. The simulations also demonstrate that passive cable theory cannot be used to justify voltage clamping of neurons due to significant shunting to the reversal potential of the voltage-gated conductance during channel activation. Some of the predictions made by the simulations were verified using somatic and dendritic voltage-clamp experiments in rat somatosensory cortex. Our results demonstrate that voltage-gated K+ and Ca2+ currents recorded from branching neurons are almost always severely distorted.
Spinal Mechanisms Contribute to Differences in the Time to Failure of Submaximal Fatiguing Contractions Performed With Different Loads
Authors: Klass Malgorzata , Lévénez Morgan , Enoka Roger M. , Duchateau Jacques
Published: January 2008

This study compared the mechanisms that limit the time to failure of a sustained submaximal contraction at 20% of maximum when the elbow flexors either supported an inertial load (position task) or exerted an equivalent constant torque against a rigid restraint (force task). The surface electromyogram (EMG), the motor-evoked potential (MEP) in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex, and the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) and maximal M-wave (Mmax) elicited by electrical stimulation of the brachial plexus were recorded in biceps brachii during the two tasks. Although the time to failure for the position task was only 44% of that for the force task, the rate of increase of the average EMG (aEMG; % initial MVC) and MEP area (% Mmax) did not differ significantly during the two tasks. At task failure, however, the increases in normalized aEMG and MEP area were significantly ( P < 0.05) greater for the force task (36.4 and 219.9%) than for the position task (22.4 and 141.7%). Furthermore, the superimposed mechanical twitch (% initial MVC), evoked by TMS during a brief MVC of the elbow flexors immediately after task failure, was increased similarly in both tasks. Although the normalized H-reflex area (% Mmax) decreased during the two fatiguing contractions, the reduction was more rapid and greater during the position task (59.8%) compared with the force task (34.7%). Taken together, the results suggest that spinal mechanisms were a major determinant of the briefer time to failure for the position task.
Antiangiogenic compounds interfere with chemotherapy of brain tumors due to vessel normalization
Authors: Claes An , Wesseling Pieter , Jeuken Judith , Maass Cathy , Heerschap Arend , Leenders William P.J.
Published: January 2008

Glioblastomas are highly aggressive primary brain tumors. Curative treatment by surgery and radiotherapy is generally impossible due to the presence of diffusely infiltrating tumor cells. Furthermore, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in infiltrative tumor areas is largely intact, and this hampers chemotherapy as well. The occurrence of angiogenesis in these tumors makes these tumors attractive candidates for antiangiogenic therapies. Because antiangiogenic compounds have been shown to synergize with chemotherapeutic compounds in other tumor types, based on vessel normalization, there is a tendency toward such combination therapies for primary brain tumors also. However, vessel normalization in brain may result in restoration of the BBB with consequences for the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we investigated this hypothesis. BALB/c nude mice with intracerebral xenografts of the human glioblastoma lines E98 or U87 were subjected to therapy with different dosages of vandetanib (an angiogenesis inhibitor), temozolomide (a DNA alkylating agent), or a combination (n > 8 in each group). Vandetanib selectively inhibited angiogenic growth aspects of glioma and restored the BBB. It did not notably affect diffuse infiltrative growth and survival. Furthermore, vandetanib antagonized the effects of temozolomide presumably by restoration of the BBB and obstruction of chemodistribution to tumor cells. The tumor microenvironment is an extremely important determinant for the response to antiangiogenic therapy. Particularly in brain, antiangiogenic compounds may have adverse effects when combined with chemotherapy. Thus, use of such compounds in neuro-oncology should be reconsidered. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(1):71–8]
MicroRNAs modulate the chemosensitivity of tumor cells
Authors: Blower Paul E. , Chung Ji-Hyun , Verducci Joseph S. , Lin Shili , Park Jong-Kook , Dai Zunyan , Liu Chang-Gong , Schmittgen Thomas D. , Reinhold William C. , Croce Carlo M. , Weinstein John N. , Sadee Wolfgang
Published: January 2008

MicroRNAs are strongly implicated in such processes as development, carcinogenesis, cell survival, and apoptosis. It is likely, therefore, that they can also modulate sensitivity and resistance to anticancer drugs in substantial ways. To test this hypothesis, we studied the pharmacologic roles of three microRNAs previously implicated in cancer biology (let-7i, mir-16, and mir-21) and also used in silico methods to test pharmacologic microRNA effects more broadly. In the experimental system, we increased the expression of individual microRNAs by transfecting their precursors (which are active) or suppressed the expression by transfection of antisense oligomers. In three NCI-60 human cancer cell lines, a panel of 60 lines used for anticancer drug discovery, we assessed the growth-inhibitory potencies of 14 structurally diverse compounds with known anticancer activities. Changing the cellular levels of let-7i, mir-16, and mir-21 affected the potencies of a number of the anticancer agents by up to 4-fold. The effect was most prominent with mir-21, with 10 of 28 cell-compound pairs showing significant shifts in growth-inhibitory activity. Varying mir-21 levels changed potencies in opposite directions depending on compound class; indicating that different mechanisms determine toxic and protective effects. In silico comparison of drug potencies with microRNA expression profiles across the entire NCI-60 panel revealed that ∼30 microRNAs, including mir-21, show highly significant correlations with numerous anticancer agents. Ten of those microRNAs have already been implicated in cancer biology. Our results support a substantial role for microRNAs in anticancer drug response, suggesting novel potential approaches to the improvement of chemotherapy. [Mol Cancer Ther 2008;7(1):1–9]
Visible Light Modulates the Expression of Cancer-Retina Antigens
Authors: Bazhin Alexandr V. , Schadendorf Dirk , Owen Robert W. , Zernii Evgeni Yu , Philippov Pavel P. , Eichmüller Stefan B.
Published: January 2008

Proteins involved in the visual signaling cascade show light-dependent expression levels in photoreceptor cells. Recently, these proteins have been described to be expressed in neuroectodermal tumors and to function as cancer-retina antigens. Here, we show that light can down-regulate gene expression of rhodopsin, transducin, and cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate phosphodiesterase 6 (PDE6) and up-regulate guanylyl cyclase 1, recoverin, and arrestin in human melanoma cells in vitro, comparable to physiologic changes earlier observed in photoreceptor cells. Similar modulation can be detected at the protein level in melanoma cells except for no changes in PDE6 protein levels. Two regulatory pathways have been identified: Sp1/Sp3/Sp4 proteins for rhodopsin and PDE6, and mitogen-activated protein kinases for recoverin and arrestin. The visual cascade and retinoic acid as its derivate do not play any role in this process. Putative explanations for light-dependent modulation of cancer-retina antigen expression in melanoma cells are discussed. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(1):110–8)
Genomic Changes and Gene Expression Profiles Reveal That Established Glioma Cell Lines Are Poorly Representative of Primary Human Gliomas
Authors: Li Aiguo , Walling Jennifer , Kotliarov Yuri , Center Angela , Steed Mary Ellen , Ahn Susie J. , Rosenblum Mark , Mikkelsen Tom , Zenklusen Jean Claude , Fine Howard A.
Published: January 2008

Genetic aberrations, such as gene amplification, deletions, and loss of heterozygosity, are hallmarks of cancer and are thought to be major contributors to the neoplastic process. Established cancer cell lines have been the primary in vitro and in vivo models for cancer for more than 2 decades; however, few such cell lines have been extensively characterized at the genomic level. Here, we present a high-resolution genome-wide chromosomal alteration and gene expression analyses of five of the most commonly used glioma cell lines and compare the findings with those observed in 83 primary human gliomas. Although genomic alterations known to occur in primary tumors were identified in the cell lines, we also observed several novel recurrent aberrations in the glioma cell lines that are not frequently represented in primary tumors. Additionally, a global gene expression cluster distinct from primary tumors was identified in the glioma cell lines. Our results indicate that established cell lines are generally a poor representation of primary tumor biology, presenting a host of genomic and gene expression changes not observed in primary tissues, although some discrete features of glioma biology were conserved in the established cell lines. Refined maps of genetic alterations and transcriptional divergence from the original tumor type, such as the one presented here, may help serve as a guideline for a more biologically rational and clinically relevant selection of the most appropriate glioma model for a given experiment. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(1):21–30)
A Cold Start for Hot Wars? The Indian Army's New Limited War Doctrine
Authors: Ladwig Walter C.
Published: January 2008

In response to the perceived inability of the Indian military to leverage its conventional superiority to end Pakistan's “proxy war” in Kashmir, the Indian Army announced a new offensive doctrine in 2004 intended to allow it to mobilize quickly and undertake limited retaliatory attacks on its neighbor, without crossing Pakistan's nuclear threshold. This Cold Start doctrine marks a break with the fundamentally defensive military doctrines that India has employed since gaining independence in 1947. Requiring combined arms operating jointly with the Indian Air Force, Cold Start represents a significant advance in India's conventional military capabilities. Yet, despite the Indian Army's intentions, it risks provoking or escalating a crisis on the subcontinent that could breach the nuclear threshold. Recent military exercises and associated organizational changes indicate that although the Indian Army has made progress toward developing an operational Cold Start capability, particularly in the area of network-centric warfare, the doctrine remains in the experimental stage. Nevertheless, this is a development that deserves further study. As the Indian Army enhances its ability to achieve a quick military decision against Pakistan, the political pressure to employ such a strategy in a crisis will increase—with potentially catastrophic results.
“New Fighting Power!” Japan's Growing Maritime Capabilities and East Asian Security
Authors: Samuels Richard J.
Published: January 2008

Japanese leaders struggled for decades to overcome legal, political, and normative constraints on the expansion of the Self-Defense Forces so that Japan could field a robust military. Their progress was steady and significant, but slow. Now, having reframed the nature of the threat Japan faces and having borrowed creatively from the U.S. model, they have found new traction by empowering the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). Today's JCG has what its publicists, citing capabilities explicitly banned by Japan's constitution, call “New Fighting Power!” Remarkably, however, JCG modernization and expansion are being achieved without much objection from Japan's neighbors or from the domestic public. Although the JCG is not a “second navy,” it is already a fourth branch of the Japanese military. Tokyo is now able to project additional diplomatic influence as well as “fighting power.” Japan's “new fighting power” is thus greater than the sum of its military parts.
Subcultural dynamics in transformation: A multi-perspective study of healthcare professionals
Authors: Morgan Philip I. , Ogbonna Emmanuel
Published: January 2008

The extensive criticism of the integrative `shared values' view of culture has prompted many researchers to argue that one way of advancing culture research is by examining the ways different subcultures interact in organizational settings. However, existing studies in this area generally explore the nature of subcultures and the differences between them. The findings from a study of two large healthcare organizations suggest that greater insights can be generated into organizational subcultures by studying doctors, nurses and non-clinical managers through multiple analytical lenses. Such analyses help to uncover the wide variation in subcultural values, norms and assumptions, revealing those that are shared, those that differ and those that are characterized by ambiguity both within and across subcultures. It is argued that this approach reveals interesting insights into the dynamics of subcultures and the ways in which different subcultures interpret and respond to management initiated changes designed to transform organizational practices .
Post-socialist segmented capitalism: The case of Hungary. Developing business systems theory
Authors: Martin Roderick
Published: January 2008

The article uses business systems theory to analyse post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on Hungary. The article briefly reviews five models of post-socialist capitalism — liberal market, coordinated market, heterarchy, neo-colonial and comparative business systems. The article identifies four critical features of postsocialist transformation: asset ownership, capital accumulation, access to local, national and international production systems and the degree of differentiation between state and economy. Four groups — state, privatized, de novo and international — are identified in Hungary, whose business system is segmented, exhibiting a low level of integration. This segmentation is linked to the legacies of socialism, the political history of the transition, including the international context, and uneven post-socialist economic development. The article closes with a plea for `more history and less systems' in the comparative analysis of capitalisms.
Progressive Damage of Unidirectional Composite Panels
Authors: Laš Vladislav , Zemčík Robert
Published: January 2008

This work focuses on the numerical simulation of damage and fracture of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite structures using the finite element method. A computational model is presented which can predict initial failure and is capable of the simulation of the subsequent process of local material damage up to final fracture. This procedure also known as progressive failure analysis originally combines Puck's failure criterion for the prediction of local failure and an innovative stiffness degradation approach for the simulation of resulting damage. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated on examples of tensile tests of single-ply fiber-reinforced panels having different fiber orientations with and without stress concentrators. The numerical simulation is performed both as quasi-static and transient analysis and it involves identification and repetitive adjustment of material properties. The comparison of the results from experiment and from the simulation yields satisfactory agreement.
“Now I Am a Man and a Woman!”
Authors: Boehm Deborah A.
Published: January 2008

Scholars have suggested that migration from Mexico to the United States benefits women by challenging often rigid gender norms. The results of ethnographic field research in San Luis Potosí and New Mexico complicate this view. Here migration results in a complex interplay between males and females—a series of negotiations through which women exercise increased autonomy in some circumstances but also face the reassertion of male dominance and in which males reproduce patriarchal power even as they create new ways to express masculinity. This research problematizes previous understandings of the impact of migration on gender roles and underscores the need to make a gendered analysis central to theories of transnationalism and the study of (im)migration.
Introduction
Authors: Pritchett Wendell E. , Rose Mark H.
Published: January 2008

Authors of articles in this issue identify two themes in American urban history. First, between 1950 and 1980, politicians including St. Louis mayors as well as New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller and Robert A. Weaver (Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), fostered an upward shift in the locus of authority for directing the urban-political economy. By the 1980s, however, small-city mayors around San Francisco as well as President Richard M. Nixon joined with policy activists including Jane Jacobs and Irving Kristol to affect a downward shift of authority. Unlikely allies, Jacobs, Kristol, and Nixon sought to return power to the hands of local leaders. Second, authors show that political elites shaped the conceptual, legal, and institutional frameworks within which they worked to foster economic growth, reduce crime, structure the economic and social geography of cities and regions, and deal with the challenges of race and class at a moment of social upheaval.
Depressive symptomatology in young adults with a history of MDMA use: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Falck Russel S. , Jichuan Wang  , Carlson Robert G.
Published: January 2008

Research suggests that methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)/`ecstasy' can cause serotonin depletion as well as serotonergic neurodegradation that may result in depression. This longitudinal study used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) to assess depressive symptomatology every six months over a two-year period among a community sample of young adult MDMA/`ecstasy' users ( n = 402). Multilevel growth modeling was used to analyze changes in BDI scores. Between baseline and 24 months, the mean BDI score declined from 9.8 to 7.7. Scores varied significantly across individuals at baseline and declined at a rate of 0.36 points every six months. Persons with higher baseline scores were more likely to have their scores decrease over time. Several factors were significantly associated with score levels, independent of time: gender — men's scores were lower than women's; ethnicity — whites' scores were lower than those of non-whites; education — persons with at least some university education had scores that were lower than those without any college experience; benzodiazepines — current users' scores were higher than non-users'; opioids — current users' scores were higher than non-users'; and cumulative ecstasy use — people who had used MDMA more than 50 times had scores that were higher than persons who had used the drug less often. The results reported here show low levels of depressive symptoms among a sample that, after 24 months, consisted of both current and former MDMA users. The low and declining mean scores suggest that for most people MDMA/`ecstasy' use does not result in long-term depressive symptomatology.
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Predict New Learning Outcome at 5 Years After Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Catroppa Cathy , Anderson Vicki , Ditchfield Michael , Coleman Lee
Published: January 2008

Memory and learning entail the recruitment of a number of neural areas, including the medial temporal lobes, temporal association areas, and prefrontal cortices. This study examined the effects of injury severity on long-term memory function in 55 children who sustained traumatic brain injury 5 years earlier and compared this with 17 healthy controls. It also investigated cortical damage and diffuse axonal injury and their association to memory and learning outcomes 5 years after traumatic brain injury. Children were administered memory tests of increasing complexity. Results indicated that injury severity affected aspects of complex memory, with no significant influence on working memory; that focal cortical damage was not predictive of working or complex memory, whereas diffuse axonal injury predicted outcome on complex memory tasks. Findings suggest that the implementation of diffuse axonal injury as an index of injury may assist in predicting memory outcome after childhood traumatic brain injury.
Social cognition and discourse processing goals in the analysis of `ex-gay' rhetoric
Authors: Stewart Craig O.
Published: January 2008

This article reports a critical discourse analysis of a series of newspaper advertisements advocating `ex-gay' ministries and `reparative therapy' for homosexuality — interventions designed to `treat' homosexuality through prayer or psychoanalysis. These ads, part of an effort to make `ex-gay' discourse more central to the public communication strategies of conservative, anti-gay political groups, feature both narrative and statistical arguments that gay men and lesbians can be converted to heterosexuality. This study draws on quantitative social psychological research on antigay attitudes and Slater's extension of the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion to establish the cognitive context for this discourse and to link the argumentative features of the advertisements to potential persuasive effects on different audiences. The analysis shows how different rhetorical strategies employed in these ads might differentially influence readers who are either `value protective' or `value affirmative' in their processing goals.
The Consensus—Expectations Gap: Explaining Europe's Ineffective Foreign Policy
Authors: Toje Asle
Published: January 2008

By 2008, what is commonly known as the EU's `capability—expectations gap' has narrowed considerably. While the EU has made notable improvements in terms of its resource availability, as well as the instruments at its disposal, a gap between what the EU member-states are expected to do in the world and what they are actually able to agree upon persists. This article argues that the primary reason why the European Union is unable to deliver the foreign and security policies expected is a lack of decisionmaking procedures capable of overcoming dissent. Repeated attempts to surmount the drawbacks of consensus policymaking have only marginally improved the consistency and effectiveness of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). These efforts are assessed by applying consensus as a `conceptual lens' through which to select and assess information. The real-world impact of the lack of cohesiveness, the capacity to make assertive collective decisions and stick to them, is illustrated by Europe's handling of the crisis in the Sudanese province of Darfur in the period 2003—08. The main finding of the article is that as long as the consensus—expectations gap exists, the EU is likely to remain a partial and inconsistent foreign policy actor.
Anticipatory Guidance to Improve Informed Consent: A New Application of the Concept
Authors: Yamokoski Amy D. , Hazen Rebecca A. , Kodish Eric D.
Published: January 2008

Although the concept of anticipatory guidance has long been used in general pediatrics to help prepare parents for what to expect in the coming months or year, this educational concept has not been transplanted for use in other contexts. The intervention described in this article uses the principles of anticipatory guidance in an effort to prepare parents of children with newly diagnosed acute leukemia for their upcoming discussions with their child's physician. Parents of children recently diagnosed with leukemia frequently feel overwhelmed and are anxious to discover what can be done to cure their child. By using the abilities of already medically trained oncology nurses and orienting them to conduct an intervention to educate, empathize, and prepare parents for the informed consent conference, this anticipatory guidance-based intervention was designed to target barriers to effective communication and increase the interactivity between families and health care providers.
The Assessment of Present-Moment Awareness and Acceptance
Authors: Cardaciotto LeeAnn , Herbert James D. , Forman Evan M. , Moitra Ethan , Farrow Victoria
Published: January 2008

The purpose of this project was to develop a bidimensional measure of mindfulness to assess its two key components: present-moment awareness and acceptance. The development and psychometric validation of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale is described, and data are reported from expert raters, two nonclinical samples (n = 204 and 559), and three clinical samples including mixed psychiatric outpatients (n = 52), eating disorder inpatients (n = 30), and student counseling center outpatients (n = 78). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses support a two-factor solution, corresponding to the two constituent components of the construct. Good internal consistency was demonstrated, and relationships with other constructs were largely as expected. As predicted, significant differences were found between the nonclinical and clinical samples in levels of awareness and acceptance. The awareness and acceptance subscales were not correlated, suggesting that these two constructs can be examined independently. Potential theoretical and applied uses of the measure are discussed.
Using Self-Assessments to Detect Workshop Success
Authors: D'Eon Marcel , Sadownik Leslie , Harrison Alexandra , Nation Jill
Published: January 2008

An accepted gold standard for measuring change in participant behavior is third-party observation. This method is highly resource intensive, and many small-scale evaluations may not be in a position to use this approach. This study was designed to assess the validity and reliably of aggregated group self-assessments as one way to measure workshop effectiveness. In this study, participants completed a pre-, post-, and retrospective self-assessment on their perceived skill level in delivering feedback. Trained raters scored recorded role-play episodes. A statistically and practically significant difference in feedback skills was detected in both the self-assessments and observer ratings. The instruments used to assess participants' feedback skills had acceptable reliability. Those charged with workshop evaluation should have some confidence that aggregated self-assessments can be used to help determine workshop effectiveness.
Response Rates for Mixed-Mode Surveys Using Mail and E-mail/Web
Authors: Converse Patrick D. , Wolfe Edward W. , Xiaoting Huang  , Oswald Frederick L.
Published: January 2008

This study examines response rates for mixed-mode survey implementation involving mail and e-mail/Web components. Using Dillman's Tailored Design Method, 1,500 participants were sent a survey either (a) via mail with a follow-up contact via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire or (b) via e-mail that directed them to a Web-based questionnaire with a follow-up contact via mail. Results indicate that these mixed-mode procedures produce moderately high response rates. However, the mail survey tended to be more effective than the e-mail/Web survey, when serving either as the initial contact or as the follow-up contact. These results suggest that survey implementation involving mail followed by e-mail/Web, or even mail-only approaches, may result in larger samples than implementation involving e-mail/Web followed by mail.
The relationship between situational and contextual self-determined motivation and physical activity intensity as measured by heart rates during ninth grade students' physical education classes
Authors: Jaakkola Timo , Liukkonen Jarmo , Laakso Timo , Ommundsen Yngvar
Published: January 2008

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between situational and contextual self-determined motivation and physical activity intensity as measured by heart rates during a ninth-grade students' physical education (PE) class. The participants of the study were 139 Finnish ninth-grade students (15-year-olds). The data were collected during one 60-minute PE class held by the class PE teacher. Results revealed that more self-determined situational motivation negatively predicted the lowest heart rate category (<120 beats/min.) as well as the next lowest heart rate category (120—40 beats/min.). Neither variation in type of situational or contextual motivations explained heart rates in the next highest category (140—60 beats/min.), whereas the highest heart rate category (>160 beats/min.) was positively predicted by situational motivation. Lastly, highly self-determined situational motivation accounted for a significant amount of variance in mean heart rate value. Taken together, results revealed that situational motivation associated more strongly with physical activity intensity as measured by heart rate than did contextual motivation.
Reconceptualizing student motivation in physical education: An examination of what resources are valued by pre-adolescent girls in contemporary society
Authors: O'Donovan Toni , Kirk David
Published: January 2008

Despite receiving an unprecedented level of government funding to ensure young people have two hours of high quality physical education (PE) and sport, physical educators in the UK continue to decry poor motivation levels and disengaged youth in PE. The major purpose of this paper is to achieve a greater understanding of the factors that motivate young girls' engagement in PE. Throughout this paper we foreground the perspectives of 13 white pre-adolescent girls through an ecological analysis of naturally occurring talk and interviews with pupils in year 7 (aged 11 to 12 years) of a suburban town in the UK Midlands. The discussion that follows attempts to provide new vantage points for contemplating what motivates pre-adolescent girls' engagement in PE. This paper examines the ways that this group of girls position themselves around available discourses in a wider physical and popular culture.
Reconsidering feminisms and the work of Norbert Elias for understanding gender, sport and sport-related activities
Authors: Mansfield Louise
Published: January 2008

This paper reconsiders the relationships between feminist perspectives and the figurational/process-sociological perspective of Norbert Elias for understanding gender, sport and sport-related activities. The main aim of the article is to respond to Colwell's claim that there are differences between feminist and figurational approaches to understanding and explaining gender that potentially negate the possibility of being a feminist and figurational sociologist at the same time. The paper makes a contribution to the wider discussions about the adequacy of Elias's work in understanding gender and sport, and the potential of blending feminist and figurational perspectives on sport and gender. It introduces the principles underlying feminist and figurational approaches to sociology. The key features of the ongoing debate about the differences between feminist and figurational approaches are briefly outlined. I reply to Colwell's criticisms of my work and revisit issues surrounding the role of values and evaluation in sociology. Involved-detachment is introduced as a feminist interpretation of Elias's theory of ever changing balances of involvement-detachment. The final part of the paper presents some reflections about working with involved-detachment in specific research on women's involvement in sport-related fitness activities.
Activated Protein C—Protein C Inhibitor Complex in Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: Is It Associated With Diameter and Growth Rate?
Authors: Kölbel Tilo , Strandberg Karin , Donath Tobias , Mattiasson Ingrid , Stenflo Johan , Lindblad Bengt
Published: January 2008

Increased thrombin activation was documented in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Activated protein C—protein C inhibitor (APC—PCI) complex, a new biological marker of thrombin generation, was measured in a population of 232 patients with AAA and a control group, and the association between aneurysm size, growth rate, and APC—PCI was studied. The patients were divided into cohorts according to AAA diameter and compared with a control group. APC—PCI was significantly higher in all AAA cohorts (n = 232; median, 0.36 µg/L; 10th to 90th percentile, 0.18-1.01) compared with the control group (n = 41; median, 0.19 µg/L; 10th to 90th percentile, 0.11-0.31; P ≤ .001). APC—PCI correlated with AAA diameter ( r = .22; P = .001), body mass index ( r = −.19; P = .004), and age ( r = .19; P = .004). APC—PCI did not correlate with AAA growth rate ( r = .11; P = .14).
MicroRNA signatures associated with cytogenetics and prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Garzon Ramiro , Volinia Stefano , Liu Chang-Gong , Fernandez-Cymering Cecilia , Palumbo Tiziana , Pichiorri Flavia , Fabbri Muller , Coombes Kevin , Alder Hansjuerg , Nakamura Tatsuya , Flomenberg Neal , Marcucci Guido , Calin George A. , Kornblau Steven M. , Kantarjian Hagop , Bloomfield Clara D. , Andreeff Michael , Croce Carlo M.
Published: January 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs of 19 to 25 nucleotides that are negative regulators of gene expression. To determine whether miRNAs are associated with cytogenetic abnormalities and clinical features in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we evaluated the miRNA expression of CD34+ cells and 122 untreated adult AML cases using a microarray platform. After background subtraction and normalization using a set of housekeeping genes, data were analyzed using Significance Analysis of Microarrays. An independent set of 60 untreated AML patients was used to validate the outcome signatures using real-time polymerase chain reaction. We identified several miRNAs differentially expressed between CD34+ normal cells and the AML samples. miRNA expression was also closely associated with selected cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities, such as t(11q23), isolated trisomy 8, and FLT3-ITD mutations. Furthermore, patients with high expression of miR-191 and miR-199a had significantly worse overall and event-free survival than AML patients with low expression (overall survival: miR-191, P = .03; and miR-199a, P = .001, Cox regression). In conclusion, miRNA expression in AML is closely associated with cytogenetics and FLT3-ITD mutations. A small subset of miRNAs is correlated with survival.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in females
Authors: Theorell-Haglöw J. , Berne C. , Janson C. , Lindberg E.
Published: January 2008

The aim of the present study was to assess associations between obstructive sleep apnoea and insulin sensitivity in a population-based sample of females.

In total, 400 females aged 20–70 yrs underwent a full-night polysomnography, fasting blood sampling, measurement of anthropometric variables and oral glucose tolerance test with measurement of the insulin response (n = 358). The apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) was calculated from the results of the polysomnography. From the results of the oral glucose tolerance test, an insulin sensitivity index (ISI) was calculated.

Females with an AHI <5 (n = 119) had a mean±sdISI of 8.3±3.8, whereas females with an AHI ≥30 (n = 34) had an ISI of 6.2±4.0. Nocturnal minimal saturation was independently associated with decreased insulin sensitivity when controlling for age, waist/hip ratio, level of physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.004–0.14). When adjusting for confounders, the AHI was associated with increased fasting and 2-h insulin levels (95% CI 0.14–0.99 and 95% CI 0.28–6.47, respectively).

Obstructive sleep apnoea was found to be independently associated with decreased insulin sensitivity in the present population-based sample of females.
Differential regulation ofMoraxella catarrhalis-induced interleukin-8 response by protein kinase C isoforms
Authors: Slevogt H. , Maqami L. , Vardarowa K. , Beermann W. , Hocke A. C. , Eitel J. , Schmeck B. , Weimann A. , Opitz B. , Hippenstiel S. , Suttorp N. , N'Guessan P. D.
Published: January 2008

Moraxella catarrhalisis a major cause of infectious exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease. In pulmonary epithelial cells,M. catarrhalisinduces release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-8, which plays a pivotal role in orchestrating airway inflammation.

The present study demonstrated that protein kinase (PK)C was activated by Moraxella infection and positively regulatedM. catarrhalis-triggered nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation and subsequent IL-8 release. Activation of the PKC/NF-κB signalling pathway was found to be dependent on expression of the Moraxella-specific ubiquitous surface protein A2. In addition, it was shown that specific isoforms of PKC play differential roles in the fine-tuning of theM. catarrhalis-induced NF-κB-dependent gene expression through controllingil8promoter activity. Inhibition of PKCα and ϵ with chemical inhibitors or using short interfering RNA-mediated gene silencing significantly suppressed, whereas inhibition of PKCθincreased, theM. catarrhalis-induced IL-8 transcription and cytokine release.

In conclusion, it was shown thatMoraxella catarrhalisinfection activates protein kinase C and its isoforms α, ϵ andθ, which differentially regulate interleukin-8 transcription in human pulmonary epithelial cells.
The role of Drosophila Merlin in spermatogenesis
Authors: Dorogova Natalia V , Akhmametyeva Elena M , Kopyl Sergei A , Gubanova Natalia V , Yudina Olga S , Omelyanchuk Leonid V , Chang Long-Sheng
Published: January 2008

Background

Drosophila Merlin, the homolog of the human Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) gene, is important for the regulation of cell proliferation and receptor endocytosis. Male flies carrying a Mer
3 allele, a missense mutation (Met177→Ile) in the Merlin gene, are viable but sterile; however, the cause of sterility is unknown.

Results

Testis examination reveals that hemizygous Mer
3 mutant males have small seminal vesicles that contain only a few immotile sperm. By cytological and electron microscopy analyses of the Mer
3, Mer
4 (Gln170→stop), and control testes at various stages of spermatogenesis, we show that Merlin mutations affect meiotic cytokinesis of spermatocytes, cyst polarization and nuclear shaping during spermatid elongation, and spermatid individualization. We also demonstrate that the lethality and sterility phenotype of the Mer
4 mutant is rescued by the introduction of a wild-type Merlin gene. Immunostaining demonstrates that the Merlin protein is redistributed to the area associated with the microtubules of the central spindle in telophase and its staining is less in the region of the contractile ring during meiotic cytokinesis. At the onion stage, Merlin is concentrated in the Nebenkern of spermatids, and this mitochondrial localization is maintained throughout sperm formation. Also, Merlin exhibits punctate staining in the acrosomal region of mature sperm.

Conclusion

Merlin mutations affect spermatogenesis at multiple stages. The Merlin protein is dynamically redistributed during meiosis of spermatocytes and is concentrated in the Nebenkern of spermatids. Our results demonstrated for the first time the mitochondrial localization of Merlin and suggest that Merlin may play a role in mitochondria formation and function during spermatogenesis.