bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SEARCHING FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES WITH THE HILBERT–HUANG TRANSFORM
Authors: CAMP JORDAN , STROEER ALEXANDER , CANNIZZO JOHN , SCHOFIELD ROBERT
Published: October 2009

Gravitational waves are a consequence of Einstein's theory of general relativity applied to the motion of very dense and massive objects such as black holes and neutron stars. Their detection will reveal a wealth of information about these mysterious objects that cannot be obtained with electromagnetic probes. Two projects are underway to attempt the detection of gravitational waves: LISA, a space based mission being designed to search for waves from supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, and LIGO, a ground based facility that is now searching for waves from supernovae, pulsars, and the coalescence of black hole and neutron star systems. Because general relativity is an inherently nonlinear theory, many of the predicted source waveforms show strong frequency modulation. In addition, the LIGO and LISA detectors are highly sensitive devices that produce a variety of nonlinear, transient noise features. Thus the unique capabilities of the HHT, the extraction of intrawave modulation and the characterization of nonlinear and nonstationary signals, have a natural application to both signal detection and experimental characterization of the detectors.
APPLICATION OF EMPIRICAL MODE DECOMPOSITION IN STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING: SOME EXPERIENCE
Authors: CHEN JUN
Published: October 2009

The installation of long-term structural health monitoring (SHM) system on super-tall buildings, long span bridges and large space structures has become a worldwide trend since last decade to monitor loading conditions, to detect damage, to assess structural safety and to guide maintenance during their service life. The core part of an SHM system is the function of data processing and structural parameter/damage identification that extracts useful information from huge amount of raw data and provides reliable knowledge for proper decision. Recently emerged data processing technique empirical mode decomposition (EMD) in conjunction with Hilbert transform (HT) provides a more better and powerful tool for SHM. This paper summarizes some research experience gained from application of EMD + HT in SHM with focuses on pre-processing raw data, structural parameter identification and damage detection. In particular, EMD is applied to determining time varying mean wind speed for wind data and to extract multipath effect from GPS data. For structural parameter identification, the EMD + HT approach is employed to identify natural frequencies and modal damping ratios of long span bridge during passage of strong typhoon and of structures with closely spaced modes of vibration. The results manifest the advantages of EMD + HT over traditional FFT-based methods in damping estimation. Furthermore, experimental investigation has been carried out to study the applicability of EMD for identifying structural damage caused by a sudden change of structural stiffness. It is concluded from all these investigations that EMD approach is a promising tool for structural health monitoring of large civil structures. Finally, some issues concerned for further practical application of EMD are highlighted and discussed based on these academic researches.
Obesity and upper airway control during sleep
Authors: Schwartz Alan R. , Patil Susheel P. , Squier Samuel , Schneider Hartmut , Kirkness Jason P. , Smith Philip L.
Published: October 2009

Mechanisms linking obesity with upper airway dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea are reviewed. Obstructive sleep apnea is due to alterations in upper airway anatomy and neuromuscular control. Upper airway structural alterations in obesity are related to adipose deposition around the pharynx, which can increase its collapsibility or critical pressure (Pcrit). In addition, obesity and, particularly, central adiposity lead to reductions in resting lung volume, resulting in loss of caudal traction on upper airway structures and parallel increases in pharyngeal collapsibility. Metabolic and humoral factors that promote central adiposity may contribute to these alterations in upper airway mechanical function and increase sleep apnea susceptibility. In contrast, neural responses to upper airway obstruction can mitigate these mechanical loads and restore pharyngeal patency during sleep. Current evidence suggests that these responses can improve with weight loss. Improvements in these neural responses with weight loss may be related to a decline in systemic and local pharyngeal concentrations of specific inflammatory mediators with somnogenic effects.
A Significant Increase of RNAi Efficiency in Human Cells by the CMV Enhancer with a tRNAlys Promoter
Authors: Weiwei Ma , Zhenhua Xie , Feng Liu , Hang Ning , Yuyang Jiang
Published: October 2009

RNA interference (RNAi) is the process of mRNA degradation induced by double‐stranded RNA in a sequence‐specific manner. Different types of promoters, such as U6, H1, tRNA, and CMV, have been used to control the inhibitory effect of RNAi expression vectors. In the present study, we constructed two shRNA expression vectors, respectively, controlled by tRNAlys
and CMV enhancer‐tRNAlys promoters. Compared to the vectors with tRNAlys or U6 promoter, the vector with a CMV enhancer‐tRNAlys promoter silenced pokemon more efficiently on both the mRNA and the protein levels. Meanwhile, the silencing of pokemon inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 cells, but the induction of apoptosis of MCF7 cells was not observed. We conclude that the CMV enhancer‐tRNAlys promoter may be a powerful tool in driving intracellular expression of shRNA which can efficiently silence targeted gene.
Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures after Head Injury: A Case Report
Authors: Scévola Laura , D'Alessio Luciana , Saferstein Dario , Centurión Estela , Consalvo Damián , Kochen Silvia
Published: October 2009

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNESs) are diagnosed when disruptive changes in behaviour, thinking, or emotion resemble epileptic seizures (ESs), but no paroxysmal discharges are seen on electroencephalogram (EEG) and do not originate from another medical illness. The gold standard for PNES diagnosis is video electroencephalogram (Video-EEG). PNESs are defined by modern psychiatry as conversion and dissociative disorders but these disorders may coexist with many others psychiatric disorders, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and personality disorders. It is well known that epileptic seizures are a frequent and well-studied complication of traumatic head injury (THI). However, THI may also generate psychic symptoms including PNES. In this paper we describe a patient who developed PNES after THI in a bus accident and received a diagnosis of refractory epilepsy for 24 years until she underwent Video-EEG.
Bandwidth Enhancement of UWB Microstrip Antenna with a Modified Ground Plane
Authors: Prombutr N. , Kirawanich P. , Akkaraekthalin P.
Published: October 2009

This article presents a bandwidth enhancing technique using a modified ground plane with diagonal edges, rectangular slot, and T-shape cut for the design of compact antennas. The proposed low-cost, compact-size circular patch antenna on 3 cm 5.1 cm printed circuit board (FR-4) is designed and validated through simulations and experiments. Results show that the T-shaped ground plane with the presence of the diagonal cuts at the top corners and the rectangular slots can increase the bandwidth. Return losses of 19 and 26 dB for the first and second resonant frequencies, respectively, can be achieved when the depth of the diagonal cut is 5 mm, the dimension of each rectangular slot is  mm, and the T-shaped size is  mm, providing a 28.67% wider bandwidth than FCC standard.
B Cell IgD Deletion Prevents Alveolar Bone Loss Following Murine Oral Infection
Authors: Baker Pamela J. , Boutaugh Nicole Ryan , Tiffany Michaela , Roopenian Derry C.
Published: October 2009

Periodontal disease is one of the most common infectious diseases of humans. Immune responses to infection trigger loss of alveolar bone from the jaw and eventual tooth loss. We investigated the contribution of B cell IgD to alveolar bone loss by comparing the response of B cell normal BALB/cJ mice and IgD deficient BALB/c-Igh-5−/−Jmice to oral infection withPorphyromonas gingivalis, a gram-negative periodontopathic bacterium from humans.P. gingivalis-infected normal mice lost bone. Specific antibody toP. gingivaliswas lower and oral colonization was higher in IgD deficient mice; yet bone loss was completely absent. Infection increased the proportion of CD69+activated B cells and CD4+T cells in immune normal mice compared to IgD deficient mice. These data suggest that IgD is an important mediator of alveolar bone resorption, possibly through antigen-specific coactivation of B cells and CD4+T cells.
Impact of the Pro12Ala Polymorphism of the PPAR‐Gamma 2 Gene on Metabolic and Clinical Characteristics in the Palestinian Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Ereqat S. , Nasereddin A. , Azmi K. , Abdeen Z. , Amin R.
Published: October 2009

Peroxisome proliferators activated receptor‐gamma2 (PPARγ2) represents the transcriptional master regulator of adipocyte differentiation and therefore has been suggested as a candidate gene for obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. The objective of the study was to investigate for the first time the potential association of the most common variant Pro12Ala (p.P12A) substitution of the PPAR γ2 gene with body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, plasma total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, and plasma triglyceride in a sample of 202 (138 females and 64 male) type 2 diabetic Palestinians. Genotyping of the PPAR γ2 p.P12A polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) analysis. The A12 allele was associated with lower fasting plasma glucose (P = .03) but had no influence on blood pressure, BMI, or other metabolic parameters. In obese patients, the p.P12A substitution was associated with elevated total plasma cholesterol levels (P = .02) and a tendency toward increased LDL cholesterol level (P = .06). In conclusion, the p.P12A variant of the PPAR γ2 may influence cardiovascular risk through effects on lipid metabolism in obese T2D Palestinian patients.
Manifestations of the Electron-Phonon Coupling in the Spectroscopy of High-Temperature Superconductors
Authors: Mishchenko A. S.
Published: October 2009

A review of experimental and theoretical results on the spectroscopy of high-temperature superconductors is presented. The models where hole doped into antiferromagnet interacts both with magnetic subsystem and with phonons are considered. Theoretical results of these models for phonon spectra, angle resolved photoemission spectra, and optical conductivity are presented. Comparison with experimental data gives evidence for the strong electron-phonon coupling in the undoped and weakly doped high-temperature superconductors. The strength of electron-phonon coupling decreases with doping though at the optimal doping the compounds are still in the intermediate coupling regime.
The Prominent Role of Neutrophils during the Initial Phase of Infection byLeishmaniaParasites
Authors: Charmoy Mélanie , Auderset Floriane , Allenbach Cindy , Tacchini-Cottier Fabienne
Published: October 2009

Neutrophils are rapidly and massively recruited to the site ofLeishmaniainoculation, where they phagocytose the parasites, some of which are able to survive within these first host cells. Neutrophils can thus provide a transient safe shelter for the parasites, prior to their entry into macrophages where they will replicate. In addition, neutrophils release and synthesize rapidly several factors including cytokines and chemokines. The mechanism involved in their rapid recruitment to the site of parasite inoculation, as well as the putative consequences of their massive presence on the microenvironment of the focus of infection will be discussed in the context of the development of theLeishmania-specific immune response.
When Should Surgical Cytoreduction in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Take Place?
Authors: Martinek Igor E. , Kehoe Sean
Published: October 2009

Initial surgical management is commonly accepted to date as paramount in the treatment of women presenting with epithelial ovarian cancer and permits the assessment of the disease (staging), the histological confirmation of disease type and grade, and the practice of maximal debulking preceding platinum-based chemotherapy. Many studies have shown that the volume of residual disease after initial surgical cytoreduction inversely correlates with survival. Thus, women with optimal debulking performed by a trained specialist have improved median survival. In this review, we will focus on the answers gleaned from clinical trials on primary and interval surgery, which prompts the question on the timing of surgery in respect to chemotherapy. Interval debulking surgery (IDS) is secondary cytoreduction following primary debulking and is carried out in between the courses of chemotherapy. The major clinical trials and the latest systematic reviews seem unable to give any definitive guidance or recommendation for clinical practice. The choice of aggressive primary cytoreduction or upfront chemotherapy followed by second line surgical cytoreduction seems among others to have to be individualized according to tumour load, prediction of its resectability, and response to chemotherapy. The role of tumour biology must also be kept in mind. Finally, concrete answers are awaited on the timing of surgery from the ongoing prospective randomized control trials (CHORUS and EORTC 55971) though preliminary data from the latter have already been presented at major meetings (IGCS 2008; SGO 2009) and ignited strong debate.
Regulation of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor and 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase Gene Expression by Thymoquinone-Rich Fraction and Thymoquinone in HepG2 Cells
Authors: Al-Naqeep Ghanya , Ismail Maznah , Allaudin Zeenathul
Published: October 2009

Background and Aim: Nigella sativa and its active constituent thymoquinone (TQ) have been exploited for their various health benefits. This work was aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of TQ-rich fraction (TQRF) and commercial TQ on the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) genes in HepG2 cells. Methods and Results: TQRF was extracted from N. sativa seeds using supercritical fluid extraction. The regulatory effects of TQRF at 80 μg/ml and TQ at 2 μg/ml on LDLR and HMGCR gene expression were investigated in HepG2 cells using quantitative real-time PCR. The TQ content in TQRF was 2.77% (w/w) and was obtained at a temperature of 40°C and a pressure of 600 bar. Treatment of cells with TQRF and TQ resulted in a 7- and 2-fold upregulation of LDLR mRNA level, respectively, compared with untreated cells. The mRNA level of HMGCR was downregulated by 71 and 12%, respectively, compared with untreated cells. Conclusion: TQRF and TQ regulated genes involved in cholesterol metabolism by two mechanisms, the uptake of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol via the upregulation of the LDLR gene and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis via the suppression of the HMGCR gene.
Mouth and Nasal Inspiratory Pressure: Learning Effect and Reproducibility in Healthy Adults
Authors: Terzi Nicolas , Corne Frédéric , Mouadil Amèle , Lofaso Frédéric , Normand Hervé
Published: October 2009

Background: Inspiratory muscle strength measurements have become a cornerstone in monitoring neuromuscular disorders. Usually, sniff nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) are performed. To our knowledge the session-to-session learning effect has rarely been evaluated for MIP performance and has never been done for SNIP performance. Objectives: We hypothesized that the sniff manoeuvre was natural and did not need to be learned, whereas the Muller manoeuvre, used for MIP measurement, was an isometric contraction which needed to be learned because it is rarely performed in real life conditions. This hypothesis suggests that from the first session and continuing through a subsequent one, the maximal SNIP value and the number of sniff trials necessary to attain it are more reproducible than the maximal MIP value and the number of Muller manoeuvre trials necessary to attain it. Methods: Seventy-one healthy subjects were included. SNIP and MIP manoeuvres were repeated 12 and 6 times, respectively, per week during 2 sessions a week apart. Results: We observed a session effect on MIP but not on SNIP. Maximal value for MIP was higher during the second session, whereas SNIP maximal value did not increase during the second session. The number of trials needed to obtain the maximal value for MIP was lower during the second session whereas it was not different for SNIP. Conclusions: SNIP is less sensitive to a learning effect than is MIP. It requires only a routine warm-up. We suggest that SNIP is preferable to MIP for repeated measurement of inspiratory muscle performance.
Spectral Karyotypic and Comparative Genomic Analysis of the Endocrine Pancreatic Tumor Cell Line BON-1
Authors: Lopez Juan R. , Claessen Sandra M.H. , Macville Merryn V.E. , Albrechts Jozefa C.M. , Skogseid Britt , Speel Ernst-Jan M.
Published: October 2009

BON-1 is a human serotonin-producing endocrine pancreatic tumor (EPT) cell line, which has been used for various studies of tumorigenesis and treatment. Because its genotype, phenotype and degree of differentiation may underlie events that are instrumental to the development of endocrine tumors and, moreover, may vary between labs and over time, we decided to comprehensively characterize the chromosomal constitution of BON-1 by applying conventional GTG-banding, spectral karyotyping (SKY), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). BON-1 cells proved to be hyperdiploid containing a modal chromosome number of 57 (range 56–64). SKY identified a stemline containing 6 clonal aberrations including del(1p), t(9;12)del(9p)x2, der(10)t(5;10), der(19)t(8;19), der(14)t(9;14)t(9;10), and a sideline harboring an additional del(12q). CGH and FISH confirmed the SKY results and, in addition, highlighted the chromosomal regions involved in the rearrangements. Moreover, they identified a homozygous deletion of the key tumor suppressor genes CDKN2A and CDKN2B at 9p21.3, in accordance with absence of p16INK4A and p14ARF expression as revealed by immunocytochemistry. Apart from deregulation of the cell cycle and p53 pathway this finding indicates escape from replicative senescence (induced by mutated NRAS) and detachment-induced apoptosis as molecular mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of BON-1 cells. Immunostaining results for p53, MDM2 and pRb expression were consistent with previously published data using Western analysis. In conclusion, we provide here a comprehensive cytogenetic profile of BON-1. This cell line harbors both numerical and structural genomic alterations indicative for malignant EPTs.
Ghrelin Receptor Expression in Lymphocytes Isolated from Adult Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Cohen Rubin I. , Chandra Subani , Koenig Seth , Tsang Donna , Wilson David , McCloskey Thomas
Published: October 2009

Background: To explore mechanisms of weight loss in cystic fibrosis (CF), we studied ghrelin receptor expression on isolated lymphocytes from CF subjects with different body mass indices (BMIs). Eating behavior is influenced by hormone peptides such as ghrelin, a potent appetite stimulator. However, studies on ghrelin plasma levels in CF showed it to be increased in cachectic subjects, the expected physiological response. Objectives: (1) To compare ghrelin receptor expression between clinically stable CF subjects with normal BMI, CF subjects with cachexia and healthy controls. (2) To investigate ghrelin receptor expression in the same CF subjects before and after treatment for an acute exacerbation. Methods: Lymphocytes were isolated from CF patients with normal BMI and low BMI and from controls. Ghrelin receptor quantification was determined via flow cytometry. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance, and plasma levels of ghrelin, TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 were determined. Results: CF subjects with low BMI had increased inflammation evidenced by increased plasma cytokines and showed decreased lymphocytic ghrelin receptor expression. Ghrelin receptor expression in the CF group with normal BMI was similar to controls; it decreased during an acute exacerbation associated with weight loss and returned to baseline following treatment and recovery of the weight loss. Conclusions: Differences exist in ghrelin receptor expression in lymphocytes isolated from stable CF patients with different BMIs. These changes may be due to a disordered pathological response to weight loss.
Contributions of Ion Channel Currents to Ventricular Action Potential Changes and Induction of Early Afterdepolarizations During Acute Hypoxia
Authors: Gaur Namit , Rudy Yoram , Hool Livia
Published: October 2009

Rationale:

Variability in delivery of oxygen can lead to electric instability in the myocardium and the generation of arrhythmias. In addition ischemic heart disease and angina are associated with an increase in circulating catecholamines that further increases the risk of developing ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Objective:

We investigated the net effects of acute hypoxia and catecholamines on the cardiac action potential.

Methods and Results:

We incorporated all published data on the effects of hypoxia on the late Na
+
current (
I
Na-L
), the fast Na
+
current (
I
Na
), the basal L-type Ca
2+
channel current (
I
Ca-L
), and the slow (
I
Ks
) and rapid components of the delayed rectifier K
+
-current (
I
Kr
) in the absence and presence of β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) stimulation into the Luo–Rudy model of the action potential. Hypoxia alone had little effect on the action potential configuration or action potential duration. However in the presence of β-AR stimulation, hypoxia caused a prolongation of the action potential and early afterdepolarizations (EADs) and spontaneous tachycardia were induced. Experiments performed in guinea pig ventricular myocytes confirmed the modeling results.

Conclusions:

EADs occur predominantly because of the increased sensitivity of
I
Ca-L
to β-AR stimulation during hypoxia. β-AR stimulation is necessary to induce EADs as EADs are never observed during hypoxia in the absence of β-AR stimulation.
Inpp5f Is a Polyphosphoinositide Phosphatase That Regulates Cardiac Hypertrophic Responsiveness
Authors: Zhu Wenting , Trivedi Chinmay M. , Zhou Diane , Yuan Lijun , Lu Min Min , Epstein Jonathan A.
Published: October 2009

Rationale:

Cardiac hypertrophy occurs in response to a variety of extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli that impose increased biomechanical stress. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway has previously been strongly associated with hypertrophic signaling in the heart, and with the control of cell size in multiple contexts. This pathway is tightly regulated by many factors, including a host of kinases and phosphatases that function at multiple steps in the signaling cascade. For example, the PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) tumor suppressor protein is a phosphoinositide 3-phosphatase that, by metabolizing phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns[3,4,5]P
3
, PIP3), acts in direct antagonism to growth factor–stimulated PI3K. Inhibition of PTEN leads to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Another polyphoinositide phosphatase, inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase F (Inpp5f) has recently been implicated in regulation of cardiac hypertrophy. Like PTEN, this phosphatase can degrade PtdIns(3,4,5)P
3
and thus modulates the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Objective:

To characterize the role of Inpp5f in regulating cardiac hypertrophy.

Methods and Results:

We generated homozygous Inpp5f knockout mice and cardiac specific Inpp5f overexpression transgenic mice. We evaluated their hearts for biochemical, structural and functional changes.
Inpp5f
knockout mice have augmented hypertrophy and reactivation of the fetal gene program in response to stress when compared to wild-type littermates. Furthermore, cardiac overexpression of Inpp5f in transgenic mice reduces hypertrophic responsiveness.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that Inpp5f is a functionally important endogenous modulator of cardiac myocyte size and of the cardiac response to stress.
S100A12 Mediates Aortic Wall Remodeling and Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Hofmann Bowman Marion , Wilk Jeannine , Heydemann Ahlke , Kim Gene , Rehman Jalees , Lodato Joseph A. , Raman Jai , McNally Elizabeth M.
Published: October 2009

Rationale
:

S100A12 is a small calcium binding protein that is a ligand of RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products). RAGE has been extensively implicated in inflammatory states such as atherosclerosis, but the role of S100A12 as its ligand is less clear.

Objective
:

To test the role of S100A12 in vascular inflammation, we generated and analyzed mice expressing human S100A12 in vascular smooth muscle under control of the smooth muscle 22α promoter because S100A12 is not present in mice.

Methods and Results
:

Transgenic mice displayed pathological vascular remodeling with aberrant thickening of the aortic media, disarray of elastic fibers, and increased collagen deposition, together with increased latent matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein and reduction in smooth muscle stress fibers leading to a progressive dilatation of the aorta. In primary aortic smooth muscle cell cultures, we found that S100A12 mediates increased interleukin-6 production, activation of transforming growth factor β pathways and increased metabolic activity with enhanced oxidative stress. To correlate our findings to human aortic aneurysmal disease, we examined S100A12 expression in aortic tissue from patients with thoracic aortic aneurysm and found increased S100A12 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Conclusions
:

S100A12 expression is sufficient to activate pathogenic pathways through the modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular remodeling in vivo.
Ancrod in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Levy David E. , del Zoppo Gregory J. , Demaerschalk Bart M. , Demchuk Andrew M. , Diener Hans-Christoph , Howard George , Kaste Markku , Pancioli Arthur M. , Ringelstein E. Bernd , Spatareanu Carmen , Wasiewski Warren W.
Published: October 2009

Background and Purpose—

Previous studies of multiple-day dosing with the defibrinogenating agent, ancrod, in acute ischemic stroke yielded conflicting results but suggested that a brief dosing regimen might improve efficacy and safety. The Ancrod Stroke Program was designed to test this concept in subjects beginning ancrod or placebo within 6 hours of the onset of acute ischemic stroke.

Methods—

Five hundred subjects with acute ischemic stroke who could begin receiving study material within 6 hours of symptom onset were infused intravenously with either ancrod (0.167 IU/kg per hour) or placebo over 2 or 3 hours. The primary efficacy outcome was a dichotomized, modified Rankin score at 90 days with less stringent cut-points for higher prestroke modified Rankin score and pretreatment NIHSS total score (“responder analysis”). Safety variables included mortality, major bleeding, and intracranial hemorrhage.

Results—

Although the desired changes in fibrinogen level were seen in >90% of ancrod subjects, interim analysis for futility led to the study being halted for lack of efficacy. Positive responder status in the interim dataset was seen in 39.6% of ancrod subjects and 37.2% of placebo subjects (
P
=0.47). Ninety-day mortality did not differ between the 2 groups (ancrod, 15.6%; placebo, 14.1%;
P
=0.32), and the incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within the first 72 hours, although not significantly different in ancrod compared to placebo subjects (
P
=0.19), was approximately twice as high (3.9% vs 2.0%;
P
=0.19).

Conclusion—

These results demonstrate that intravenous ancrod starting within 6 hours after symptom onset in a broad selection of subjects with ischemic stroke did not improve their outcome and revealed a trend to increased bleeding despite successful efforts to achieve rapid initial defibrinogenation and avoid prolonged hypofibrinogenemia.
Caspase-1 Inhibitor Prevents Neurogenic Pulmonary Edema After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice
Authors: Suzuki Hidenori , Sozen Takumi , Hasegawa Yu , Chen Wanqiu , Zhang John H.
Published: October 2009

Background and Purpose—

We examined the effects of a caspase-1 inhibitor, N-Ac-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethyl ketone (Ac-YVAD-CMK), on neurogenic pulmonary edema in the endovascular perforation model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in mice.

Methods—

Ninety-seven mice were assigned to sham, SAH+vehicle, SAH+Ac-YVAD-CMK (6 or 10 mg/kg), and SAH+Z-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone (Z-VAD-FMK, 6 mg/kg) groups. Drugs were intraperitoneally injected 1 hour post-SAH. Pulmonary edema measurements, Western blot for interleukin-1β, interleukin-18, myeloperoxidase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, cleaved caspase-3 and zona occludens-1, MMP zymography, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining, and immunostaining were performed on the lung at 24 hours post-SAH.

Results—

Ten- but not 6-mg/kg of Ac-YVAD-CMK significantly inhibited a post-SAH increase in the activation of interleukin-1β and caspase-3 and the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive pulmonary endothelial cells, preventing neurogenic pulmonary edema. Another antiapoptotic drug, Z-VAD-FMK, also reduced neurogenic pulmonary edema. SAH did not change interleukin-18, myeloperoxidase, MMP-2, MMP-9, zona occludens-1 levels, or MMP activity.

Conclusions—

We report for the first time that Ac-YVAD-CMK prevents lung cell apoptosis and neurogenic pulmonary edema after SAH in mice.
Medieval Biography
Authors: Prestwich Michael
Published: October 2009

The nature of the surviving evidence subjects biographers of medieval figures to certain difficulties. As a case in point, my biography of Edward I was more a history of the reign than a study of the king alone, though documents provided clues about his character. Although a number of biographical studies have led to significant advances in understanding the history of medieval England during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the lives of kings and queens, as well as nobles and bishops, dominate the field simply because information about the lives of people in less grandiose positions is severely limited. There is a market for popular books about medieval figures, but these biographies do little more than tell a good story.
Biography as History: A Personal Reflection
Authors: Wolpert Stanley
Published: October 2009

History has illuminated every field of human endeavor—science as well as the arts—embracing countless modern disciplines, expanding its focus on change over time to comprehend entire nations, cultures, and civilizations, each far more complex than any individual life. But at its best, biography is the finest form of history. The light of truth embodied in biographical history is the most effective antidote to malicious historical falsehoods, our gravest “errors of judgment.” Learning about the roots of mistakes and errors of judgment in history may someday teach us to avoid repeating them. What greater reward could any biographical historian hope to reap from a lifetime of labor?
Bringing avoidance and anxiety to the job: Attachment style and instrumental helping behavior among co-workers
Authors: Geller Dvora , Bamberger Peter
Published: October 2009

While social psychologists have widely explored the link between adult attachment styles and interpersonal relating behaviors such as caregiving in intimate relationships, organizational researchers have yet to examine the generalizability of such findings to employee interrelating behaviors at work. Addressing this gap in the research, we extend attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969) to the work context in order to generate and test hypotheses regarding the way in which helping behavior may be explained on the basis of the help provider’s level of attachment anxiety and avoidance. Data collected from 320 call center employees of a large Israeli telecommunications company suggest that while attachment anxiety is inversely associated with instrumental helping, it also attenuates the inverse effects of attachment avoidance on such helping. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
‘Girls’ working together without ‘teams’: How to avoid the colonization of management language
Authors: Learmonth Mark
Published: October 2009

Many of us increasingly experience our personal and working lives through a range of categories and classifications that have come to be strongly associated with the formal management of organizations, the effect of which has been explained as a subtle colonization of our minds and imaginations. This article presents insights from an organizational ethnography based in a UK hospital’s medical records library where participants rarely used management discourses, the only managerial terms they used at all being teams and teamwork, and then mostly by way of parody, while strongly preferring an alternative collective identity, the girls. This article therefore illustrates and analyses how these workers shunned, if not entirely avoided, management language’s colonizing incursions.
Follow-Up Study of Female Delinquent Adolescents in a Detention Centre: Effectiveness of Psychiatric Intervention as a Mental Health Service
Authors: Ariga Michio , Uehara Toru , Takeuchi Kazuo , Ishige Yoko , Nakano Reiko , Mikuni Masahiko
Published: October 2009

Background: Results of previous studies suggest that many female offenders have co-morbid psychiatric disorders, which require mental health services. However, few longitudinal studies examined subjects during incarceration or detention. This study compares depressive symptoms, abnormal eating behaviour and impulsivity before release from a detention centre and after incarceration, thereby indicating the effectiveness of psychiatric intervention in a Japanese detention centre.

Method: Of 64 young women, 36 were followed up. Self-report measures were used to assess depression, eating behaviour and impulsivity after incarceration and one month before release.

Results: Of the 36 participants, nine were diagnosed using the MINI-kids as needing mental health services. Those who received psychiatric intervention were diagnosed as having major depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. Significant main effects of intervention and effects of time were shown in the DSD. The EAT-26 score demonstrated the significance of the effects of time and interaction. In the BIS-11 scores, neither intervention nor time showed significant effects.

Conclusions: Results of this study showed that the time course and psychiatric intervention contributed to recovery of depression and therapeutic intervention. The time course might reduce eating problems. Psychiatric intervention might be necessary for female juvenile detainees, which presents an important issue for future studies.
Vatican II and Fundamental Theology
Authors: O'Collins Gerald
Published: October 2009

This article describes and evaluates what the teaching of Vatican II has contributed to the development of fundamental theology in four areas: (1) the salvific self-revelation or self-communication of the tripersonal God; (2) the conditions that enable human beings to respond to this divine self-communication with faith; (3) the credibility of God’s self-revelation that makes Christian faith a reasonable option; and (4) the transmission and interpretation (through tradition and the inspired scriptures) of the experience of God’s self-revelation. The article also indicates how the teaching of John Paul II has been significant for developing further fundamental theology: for instance, in what he wrote about revelation being also a present reality communicated through the medium of human experience and about the Holy Spirit operating at the heart of each person’s ‘religious questioning’ (Redemptoris Missio ).
Organizational Ecology: No Darwinian Evolution After All. A Rejoinder to Lemos
Authors: Scholz Markus , Reydon Thomas A.C.
Published: October 2009

In a recent article we argued that organizational ecology is not a Darwinian research program. John Lemos criticized our argumentation on various counts. Here we reply to some of Lemos’s criticisms.
Na krilima patriotisma—On the Wings of Patriotism: Delegated and Spin-Off Violence in Serbia
Authors: Schlichte Klaus
Published: October 2009

This article addresses the causes and dynamics of spin-off violence by paramilitary groups that developed in Serbia in the early 1990s. It shows that some forms of violence that challenge the state’s monopoly come into being due to decisions of state agencies. But delegated violence easily develops a life of its own, and therefore the decisions of state leaders are not the only variable, perhaps not even an important one, needed to explain the dynamics of violence once the turmoil of war has started. In retrospect, it seems as if warfare was just an episode in the political life of militias or the political groupings behind them. Violence was just one means among others in the fight for political chances. Therefore, the emergence and the life of these groups have to be explained as attempts of single political entrepreneurs to achieve the accumulation of power through the exertion of violence.
Attitudes of Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans toward Gay and Lesbian Service Members
Authors: Moradi Bonnie , Miller Laura
Published: October 2009

U.S. policy banning openly gay and lesbian personnel from serving in its military rests on the belief that heterosexual discomfort with lesbian and gay service members in an integrated environment would degrade unit cohesion and readiness. To inform this policy, data from a 2006 survey of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are analyzed in this study. Views of these war veterans are consistent with prior surveys of military personnel showing declining support for the policy: from about 75 percent in 1993 to 40 percent in this survey. Among the demographic and military experience variables analyzed, comfort level with lesbian and gay people was the strongest correlate of attitudes toward the ban. War veterans indicated that the strongest argument against the ban is that sexual orientation is unrelated to job performance and that the strongest argument in favor of the ban is a projected negative impact on unit cohesion. However, analyses of these war veterans’ ratings of unit cohesion and readiness revealed that knowing a gay or lesbian unit member is not uniquely associated with cohesion or readiness; instead, the quality of leaders, the quality of equipment, and the quality of training are the critical factors associated with unit cohesion and readiness.
Manipulation Checks as Manipulation: Another Look at the Ease-of-Retrieval Heuristic
Authors: Kühnen Ulrich
Published: October 2009

Previous findings suggest that individuals rely on ease of retrieval primarily under low judgment elaboration. However, in these previous studies the manipulation check (MC) has always been measured before the dependent variable (DV). It is argued that this sequence increases the likelihood that individuals rely on subjective experience particularly under conditions that prevent considering retrieved contents. Four conceptual replications of such previous findings are reported where the manipulation of the MC—DV order was added to the original design. In all four cases (Study 1 on accuracy motivation, Study 2 on cognitive capacity, Study 3 using a misattribution paradigm, and Study 4 on power), ease-of-retrieval effects under low-judgment-elaboration conditions were observed only if the MC measurement preceded the DV, but not with reversed order.
Giving Birth to Empathy: The Effects of Similar Experience on Empathic Accuracy, Empathic Concern, and Perceived Empathy
Authors: Hodges Sara D. , Kiel Kristi J. , Kramer Adam D. I. , Veach Darya , Villanueva B. Renee
Published: October 2009

This study examined how having had a similar experience to a target person’s experience affected three facets of empathy: empathic concern, empathic accuracy, and perceived empathy. Women who had never been mothers, who were pregnant with their first child, or who had just given birth to their first child (20 in each group) served as perceivers, watching videotapes of new-mother targets ( N = 20) and providing measures of emotional and cognitive empathy. When perceivers had experienced the same life events as the targets, they expressed greater empathic concern and reported greater understanding of targets. However, experience had a much smaller effect on empathic accuracy, limited to comparisons between new-mother and never-pregnant perceivers and only for accuracy at guessing stereotypic attitudes, not individual thoughts. Perceived empathy, in contrast, appeared to be influenced by targets’ knowledge of whether perceivers had experienced similar events.
Role of Vitamin D in Adults Requiring Nutrition Support
Authors: Pittas Anastassios G. , Laskowski Ursula , Kos Luke , Saltzman Edward
Published: October 2009

The major and most well‐known function of vitamin D is to maintain calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and promote bone mineralization. However, recent evidence suggests that vitamin D may be important for a variety of nonskeletal outcomes. The review synthesizes the available evidence for the role of vitamin D in skeletal health as well as its novel roles in medical conditions such as muscle function, falls, immunity, glucose homeostasis, and cardiovascular diseases. The article reviews methods for assessing vitamin D status and suggests strategies to restore vitamin D status in patients requiring enteral or parenteral nutrition who are at particularly high risk of hypovitaminosis D. Screening for hypovitaminosis D with plasma total 25‐hydroxyvitamin D should be a routine part of the care of the patient requiring enteral or parenteral nutrition. Restoration of optimal vitamin D status with high‐dose supplemental vitamin D is required in most cases, whereas exposure to sunlight or an ultraviolet B radiation–emitting device is most effective in patients with severe malabsorption or those requiring long‐term parenteral therapy. Given the emerging role of vitamin D for a variety of acute and chronic conditions, the optimal vitamin D status in acutely ill patients as well as in patients requiring long‐term nutrition therapy warrants further investigation.
Social Ties and Depression: An Intersectional Examination of Black and White Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Mair Christine A.
Published: October 2009

Aging literature often links social ties to lower depression for older adults; however, research shows inconsistent findings by race and gender. Drawing from an “intersectionality” framework, this article explores whether the relationship between social ties and depression is moderated by race and gender for a nationally representative sample of diverse, community-dwelling older adults (aged 60 and older). Analysis of the most recent wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) indicates that White men, Black men, White women, and Black women differ in terms of the relationship between social ties and depression. Main findings include (a) the overwhelming benefit of marriage and partnership, (b) pronounced differences between Black women’s and White women’s friend and kin ties, and (c) the potential vulnerability of older Black men. Findings highlight the importance of catering community-based elder support toward diverse aging populations. Potential community-based care solutions are discussed.
Greek EPQ-J: Further Support for a Three-Factor Model of Personality in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Kokkinos Constantinos M. , Panayiotou Georgia , Charalambous Kyriakos , Antoniadou Nafsika , Davazoglou Aggeliki
Published: October 2009

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the Eysenckian personality dimensions in 1,368 children and adolescents who completed the Greek Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Junior (EPQ-J). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed. Controversial issues regarding the Lie and Psychoticism scales were also investigated. Finally, the predictive validity of the EPQ-J was assessed using Goodman’s Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analytic results supported the four-factor structure of the scale. Results provide support for the appropriateness of the EPQ-J with Greek speaking samples and add to the international literature regarding the three-factor model of personality in children and adolescents.
Philosophies of Adult Environmental Education
Authors: Walter Pierre
Published: October 2009

This article offers a typology of philosophical traditions in environmental education for adults, based on five philosophical perspectives of adult education described by Elias and Merriam. These five traditions are liberal, progressive, behaviorist, humanist, and radical adult environmental education, respectively. A summary of each philosophy’s main tenets, including the aims of education, beliefs about the nature of learners, the role of educators, and instructional strategies and assessment of learning is given in the article. Limitations of the typology are also discussed. Prominent examples from the environmental movement and adult environmental education practice in North America are then presented to illustrate each philosophy. The article ends with a discussion of directions for future research and implications for practice.
Future Law Enforcement Officers and Social Workers: Perceptions of Domestic Violence
Authors: McMullan Elizabeth C. , Carlan Philip E. , Nored Lisa S.
Published: October 2009

This study compares perceptions of domestic violence for college students planning to work in law enforcement with students aspiring to careers in social work and non-law-enforcement criminal justice ( N = 491). The study involves students attending four public universities across one Southern state who completed a survey (spring of 2006) measuring whether various scenarios were (1) related to domestic violence, and (2) worthy of being reported to law enforcement. Findings indicate that all student groups (law enforcement, non-law-enforcement criminal justice, and social work) tended to identify the various scenarios as domestic violence (and worthy of being reported) regardless of the person’s sexual orientation, violence severity, and offender’s or victim’s gender. However, law enforcement students are less sensitive to domestic violence when compared with social work and non—law enforcement criminal justice students. Findings reveal that (1) graduate students, (2) female students, and (3) White students (compared with African American students in general) attending majority White universities were more likely to identify domestic violence and its worthiness of being reported.The data in this study indicate that criminal justice programs produce graduates who are reasonably sensitive toward the importance of appropriate domestic violence response but could still improve using the techniques employed within social work programs.
Parenting and Women Arrested for Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Simmons Catherine A. , Lehmann Peter , Dia David A.
Published: October 2009

Exploring the relationship between parenting and women’s use of violence the current study surveyed 106 mothers arrested for intimate partner violence (IPV) related crimes on parenting styles and attitudes toward when using violence against their partner is justified. Findings indicate parenting styles indicative of low belief in using physical discipline with their child/ children and an internal parental locus of control. However, a moderate to weak relationship between parenting styles and justification for using violence against a partner was also found. Although some support for the spillover theory is noted, results are far from conclusive.