bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROPERTIES OF HEAVY B HADRONS
Authors: PAULINI MANFRED
Published: September 2009

We review recent measurements of heavy B hadron states including masses and lifetimes of the [Formula: see text] meson as well as excited B states [Formula: see text]. We discuss properties of the [Formula: see text] meson such as lifetime, lifetime difference ΔΓs/Γs and CP violation in [Formula: see text] decays. We also summarize new measurements of the masses and lifetimes of bottom baryons including the [Formula: see text] baryon, the Σb baryon states as well as the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] baryons.
Regulation of food intake and body weight by recombinant proghrelin
Authors: Zhang Weizhen , Majumder Arundhati , Wu Xiaobin , Mulholland Michael W.
Published: September 2009

Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid hormone derived from the endoproteolytic processing of its prehormone proghrelin. Although ghrelin has been reported to regulate food intake and body weight, it is still unknown whether proghrelin exercises any biological function. Here we show that recombinant proghrelin alters food intake and energy metabolism in mice. After intraperitoneal administration of recombinant proghrelin (100 nmol/kg body wt), cumulative food intake was significantly increased at days 1, 2, and 3 (6 ± 0.3, 13 ± 0.5, and 20 ± 0.8 g vs. 5 ± 0.2, 10 ± 0.2, and 16 ± 0.3 g of the control mice receiving normal saline, respectively, n = 6, P < 0.05). Twelve-hour cumulative food intake in the light photo period in mice treated with proghrelin increased significantly relative to the control (2.1 ± 0.04 vs. 1.3 ± 0.2 g, n = 6, P < 0.05). No change in 12-h cumulative food intake in the dark photo period was observed between mice treated with proghrelin and vehicle (4.2 ± 0.6 vs. 4.3 ± 0.6 g, n = 6, P > 0.05). This is associated with a decrease in body weight (0.42 ± 0.04 g) for mice treated with proghrelin, whereas control animals gained body weight (0.31 ± 0.04 g). Mice treated with proghrelin demonstrate a significant decrease in respiratory quotient, indicating an increase in fat consumption. Recombinant proghrelin is functionally active with effects on food intake and energy metabolism.
Reward Processing by the Opioid System in the Brain
Authors: Le Merrer Julie , Becker Jérôme A. J. , Befort Katia , Kieffer Brigitte L.
Published: September 2009

The opioid system consists of three receptors, mu, delta, and kappa, which are activated by endogenous opioid peptides processed from three protein precursors, proopiomelanocortin, proenkephalin, and prodynorphin. Opioid receptors are recruited in response to natural rewarding stimuli and drugs of abuse, and both endogenous opioids and their receptors are modified as addiction develops. Mechanisms whereby aberrant activation and modifications of the opioid system contribute to drug craving and relapse remain to be clarified. This review summarizes our present knowledge on brain sites where the endogenous opioid system controls hedonic responses and is modified in response to drugs of abuse in the rodent brain. We review 1) the latest data on the anatomy of the opioid system, 2) the consequences of local intracerebral pharmacological manipulation of the opioid system on reinforced behaviors, 3) the consequences of gene knockout on reinforced behaviors and drug dependence, and 4) the consequences of chronic exposure to drugs of abuse on expression levels of opioid system genes. Future studies will establish key molecular actors of the system and neural sites where opioid peptides and receptors contribute to the onset of addictive disorders. Combined with data from human and nonhuman primate (not reviewed here), research in this extremely active field has implications both for our understanding of the biology of addiction and for therapeutic interventions to treat the disorder.
Prions: Protein Aggregation and Infectious Diseases
Authors: Aguzzi Adriano , Calella Anna Maria
Published: September 2009

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are inevitably lethal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans and a large variety of animals. The infectious agent responsible for TSEs is the prion, an abnormally folded and aggregated protein that propagates itself by imposing its conformation onto the cellular prion protein (PrPC) of the host. PrPCis necessary for prion replication and for prion-induced neurodegeneration, yet the proximal causes of neuronal injury and death are still poorly understood. Prion toxicity may arise from the interference with the normal function of PrPC, and therefore, understanding the physiological role of PrPCmay help to clarify the mechanism underlying prion diseases. Here we discuss the evolution of the prion concept and how prion-like mechanisms may apply to other protein aggregation diseases. We describe the clinical and the pathological features of the prion diseases in human and animals, the events occurring during neuroinvasion, and the possible scenarios underlying brain damage. Finally, we discuss potential antiprion therapies and current developments in the realm of prion diagnostics.
The Function of Activity-Regulated Genes in the Nervous System
Authors: Loebrich Sven , Nedivi Elly
Published: September 2009

The mammalian brain is plastic in the sense that it shows a remarkable capacity for change throughout life. The contribution of neuronal activity to brain plasticity was first recognized in relation to critical periods of development, when manipulating the sensory environment was found to profoundly affect neuronal morphology and receptive field properties. Since then, a growing body of evidence has established that brain plasticity extends beyond development and is an inherent feature of adult brain function, spanning multiple domains, from learning and memory to adaptability of primary sensory maps. Here we discuss evolution of the current view that plasticity of the adult brain derives from dynamic tuning of transcriptional control mechanisms at the neuronal level, in response to external and internal stimuli. We then review the identification of “plasticity genes” regulated by changes in the levels of electrical activity, and how elucidating their cellular functions has revealed the intimate role transcriptional regulation plays in fundamental aspects of synaptic transmission and circuit plasticity that occur in the brain on an every day basis.
The Hepatic Microcirculation: Mechanistic Contributions and Therapeutic Targets in Liver Injury and Repair
Authors: Vollmar Brigitte , Menger Michael D.
Published: September 2009

The complex functions of the liver in biosynthesis, metabolism, clearance, and host defense are tightly dependent on an adequate microcirculation. To guarantee hepatic homeostasis, this requires not only a sufficient nutritive perfusion and oxygen supply, but also a balanced vasomotor control and an appropriate cell-cell communication. Deteriorations of the hepatic homeostasis, as observed in ischemia/reperfusion, cold preservation and transplantation, septic organ failure, and hepatic resection-induced hyperperfusion, are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. During the last two decades, experimental studies have demonstrated that microcirculatory disorders are determinants for organ failure in these disease states. Disorders include 1) a dysregulation of the vasomotor control with a deterioration of the endothelin-nitric oxide balance, an arterial and sinusoidal constriction, and a shutdown of the microcirculation as well as 2) an overwhelming inflammatory response with microvascular leukocyte accumulation, platelet adherence, and Kupffer cell activation. Within the sequelae of events, proinflammatory mediators, such as reactive oxygen species and tumor necrosis factor-α, are the key players, causing the microvascular dysfunction and perfusion failure. This review covers the morphological and functional characterization of the hepatic microcirculation, the mechanistic contributions in surgical disease states, and the therapeutic targets to attenuate tissue injury and organ dysfunction. It also indicates future directions to translate the knowledge achieved from experimental studies into clinical practice. By this, the use of the recently introduced techniques to monitor the hepatic microcirculation in humans, such as near-infrared spectroscopy or orthogonal polarized spectral imaging, may allow an early initiation of treatment, which should benefit the final outcome of these critically ill patients.
Calcium-Induced Calcium Release in Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Endo Makoto
Published: September 2009

Calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) was first discovered in skeletal muscle. CICR is defined as Ca2+release by the action of Ca2+alone without the simultaneous action of other activating processes. CICR is biphasically dependent on Ca2+concentration; is inhibited by Mg2+, procaine, and tetracaine; and is potentiated by ATP, other adenine compounds, and caffeine. With depolarization of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), a potential change of the SR membrane in which the luminal side becomes more negative, CICR is activated for several seconds and is then inactivated. All three types of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) show CICR activity. At least one RyR, RyR1, also shows non-CICR Ca2+release, such as that triggered by the t-tubule voltage sensor, by clofibric acid, and by SR depolarization. Maximum rates of CICR, at the optimal Ca2+concentration in the presence of physiological levels of ATP and Mg2+determined in skinned fibers and fragmented SR, are much lower than the rate of physiological Ca2+release. The primary event of physiological Ca2+release, the Ca2+spark, is the simultaneous opening of multiple channels, the coordinating mechanism of which does not appear to be CICR because of the low probability of CICR opening under physiological conditions. The coordination may require Ca2+, but in that case, some other stimulus or stimuli must be provided simultaneously, which is not CICR by definition. Thus CICR does not appear to contribute significantly to physiological Ca2+release. On the other hand, CICR appears to play a key role in caffeine contracture and malignant hyperthermia. The potentiation of voltage-activated Ca2+release by caffeine, however, does not seem to occur through secondary CICR, although the site where caffeine potentiates voltage-activated Ca2+release might be the same site where caffeine potentiates CICR.
Six-Minute Walk Test and Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Guazzi Marco , Dickstein Kenneth , Vicenzi Marco , Arena Ross
Published: September 2009

Background—

The six-minute walk test (6MWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) are the 2 testing modalities most broadly used for assessing functional limitation in patients with heart failure (HF). A comprehensive comparison on clinical and prognostic validity of the 2 techniques has not been performed and is the aim of the present investigation.

Methods and Results—

Two hundred fifty-three patients diagnosed with systolic (n=211) or diastolic (n=42) HF (age: 61.9�10.1 years; New York Heart Association Class: 2.2�0.78) underwent a 6MWT and a symptom-limited CPET evaluation and were prospectively followed up. During the 4-year tracking period, there were 43 cardiac-related deaths with an annual cardiac mortality rate of 8.7%. The 6MWT distance correlated with CPET-derived variables (ie, peak V
o
2
, V
o
2
at anaerobic threshold, and V
e
/V
co
2
slope) and was significantly reduced in proportion with lower peak V
o
2
and higher V
e
/V
co
2
slope classes and presence of an exercise oscillatory breathing (EOB) pattern (
P
<0.01). However, no significant differences were observed in distance covered between survivors and nonsurvivors (353.2�95.8 m versus 338.5�76.4 m;
P
=NS). At univariate and multivariate Cox proportional analyses, the association of the 6MWT distance with survival was not significant either as a continuous or dicotomized variable (≤300 m). Conversely, CPET-derived variables emerged as prognostic with the strongest association found for EOB (systolic HF) and V
e
/V
co
2
slope (entire population with HF and patients with a 6MWT≤300 m).

Conclusions—

The 6MWT is confirmed to be a simple and reliable first-line test for quantification of exercise intolerance in patients with HF. However, there is no supportive evidence for its use as a prognostic marker in alternative to or in conjunction with CPET-derived variables.
Predictors of Improvement of Unrepaired Moderate Ischemic Mitral Regurgitation in Patients Undergoing Elective Isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Penicka Martin , Linkova Hana , Lang Otto , Fojt Richard , Kocka Viktor , Vanderheyden Marc , Bartunek Jozef
Published: September 2009

Background—

The persistence of moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) after isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery is an important independent predictor of long-term mortality. The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of postoperative improvement in moderate IMR in patients with ischemic heart disease undergoing elective isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Methods and Results—

The study population consisted of 135 patients with ischemic heart disease (age, 65±9 years; 81% male) and moderate IMR undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Fourteen patients died before the 12-month follow-up echocardiography and were excluded. At the 12-month follow-up, 57 patients showed no or mild IMR (improvement group), whereas 64 patients failed to improve (failure group). Before coronary artery bypass graft surgery, the improvement group had significantly more viable myocardium and less dyssynchrony between papillary muscles than the failure group (
P
<0.001). All other preoperative parameters were similar in both groups. Large extent (≥5 segments) of viable myocardium (odds ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.22 to 1.89;
P
<0.001) and absence (<60 ms) of dyssynchrony (odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.29 to 1.72;
P
<0.001) were independently associated with improvement in IMR. The majority (93%) of patients with viable myocardium and an absence of dyssynchrony showed an improvement in IMR. In contrast, only 34% and 18% of patients with dyssynchrony and nonviable myocardium, respectively, showed an improvement in IMR, whereas 32% and 49%, respectively, of these patients showed worsening of IMR (
P
<0.001).

Conclusion—

Reliable improvement in moderate IMR by isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery was observed only in patients with concomitant presence of viable myocardium and absence of dyssynchrony between papillary muscles.
Cardiovascular Benefit of Magnitude of Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction
Authors: Rahilly-Tierney Catherine R. , Lawler Elizabeth V. , Scranton Richard E. , Gaziano J. Michael
Published: September 2009

Background—

We examined the effect of the magnitude of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction across subjects of various ages in a retrospective cohort study.

Methods and Results—

We selected 20 132 male veterans at high risk for an acute cardiovascular event and who had 2 or more LDL-C measurements before their first documented acute myocardial infarction, revascularization, death, or censoring date. LDL-C reduction was categorized as no reduction (<10 mg/dL; reference), small reduction (between 10 and 40 mg/dL), moderate reduction (between 40 and 70 mg/dL), or large reduction (≥70 mg/dL). The primary outcome was combined acute myocardial infarction or revascularization. The first and last LDL-C levels in the databases were used to calculate the LDL-C reduction in patients who experienced no outcome or who died. Within each age quartile and in a subgroup of patients ≥80 years of age, a Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine hazard ratios for each category of LDL-C reduction compared with the reference category, with adjustment for age, body mass index, current smoking status, medications, and comorbidities. In all age groups, the magnitude of LDL-C reduction was proportional to the magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction. Risk reduction for the combined outcome in patients who achieved a large LDL-C reduction was similar in all age quartiles, with multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios of approximately 0.30.

Conclusions—

In a cohort of veterans at high risk for cardiovascular events, patients of all ages, including those 80 years or older, benefitted the most from large reductions in LDL-C.
Predictors of Technical Success and Postnatal Biventricular Outcome After In Utero Aortic Valvuloplasty for Aortic Stenosis With Evolving Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: McElhinney Doff B. , Marshall Audrey C. , Wilkins-Haug Louise E. , Brown David W. , Benson Carol B. , Silva Virginia , Marx Gerald R. , Mizrahi-Arnaud Arielle , Lock James E. , Tworetzky Wayne
Published: September 2009

Background—

Aortic stenosis in the midgestation fetus with a normal-sized or dilated left ventricle predictably progresses to hypoplastic left heart syndrome when associated with certain physiological findings. Prenatal balloon aortic valvuloplasty may improve left heart growth and function, possibly preventing evolution to hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Methods and Results—

Between March 2000 and October 2008, 70 fetuses underwent attempted aortic valvuloplasty for critical aortic stenosis with evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome. We analyzed this experience to determine factors associated with procedural and postnatal outcome. The median gestational age at intervention was 23 weeks. The procedure was technically successful in 52 fetuses (74%). Relative to 21 untreated comparison fetuses, subsequent prenatal growth of the aortic and mitral valves, but not the left ventricle, was improved after intervention. Nine pregnancies (13%) did not reach a viable term or preterm birth. Seventeen patients had a biventricular circulation postnatally, 15 from birth. Larger left heart structures and higher left ventricular pressure at the time of intervention were associated with biventricular outcome. A multivariable threshold scoring system was able to discriminate fetuses with a biventricular outcome with 100% sensitivity and modest positive predictive value.

Conclusions—

Technically successful aortic valvuloplasty alters left heart valvar growth in fetuses with aortic stenosis and evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome and, in a subset of cases, appeared to contribute to a biventricular outcome after birth. Fetal aortic valvuloplasty carries a risk of fetal demise. Fetuses undergoing in utero aortic valvuloplasty with an unfavorable multivariable threshold score at the time of intervention are very unlikely to achieve a biventricular circulation postnatally.
Final 5-Year Results of the TAXUS II Trial
Authors: Silber Sigmund , Colombo Antonio , Banning Adrian P. , Hauptmann Karl , Drzewiecki Janusz , Grube Eberhard , Dudek Dariusz , Baim Donald S.
Published: September 2009

Background—

The TAXUS II trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the commercialized slow-release (SR) and an investigation-only moderate-release (MR) polymer-based TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stent compared with a bare-metal stent for the treatment of de novo coronary lesions.

Methods and Results—

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial enrolled 536 patients in 2 consecutive cohorts to compare TAXUS SR (n=131) and TAXUS MR (n=135) with an identical but uncoated bare-metal stent control (n=270). The present analysis reports final 5-year clinical outcomes of TAXUS II. At 5 years, both TAXUS SR and MR showed superior outcomes compared with control. The 5-year rates of major adverse cardiac events were 27.6%, 20.4%, and 15.1% (
P
=0.01); rates of target-vessel revascularization were 22.5%, 16.6%, and 9.0% (
P
=0.004); and rates of target-lesion revascularization were 18.4%, 10.3%, and 4.5% (
P
<0.001) for the control, TAXUS SR, and TAXUS MR groups, respectively. The rates of all-cause death and myocardial infarction were low and similar between groups, with 2 stent thromboses with bare-metal stents compared with no event beyond 2 years with either of the TAXUS stents.

Conclusions—

TAXUS II is the first large TAXUS trial to have reached 5-year follow-up. Both the SR and MR stents lowered the rates of target-vessel and target-lesion revascularization, which indicates their sustained efficacy. Furthermore, the low overall rates of all death, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis support the long-term safety of the TAXUS stent system.
Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Zwi Limor , Caspi Oren , Arbel Gil , Huber Irit , Gepstein Amira , Park In-Hyun , Gepstein Lior
Published: September 2009

Background—

The ability to derive human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cell lines by reprogramming of adult fibroblasts with a set of transcription factors offers unique opportunities for basic and translational cardiovascular research. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the cardiomyocyte differentiation potential of hiPS cells and to study the molecular, structural, and functional properties of the generated hiPS-derived cardiomyocytes.

Methods and Results—

Cardiomyocyte differentiation of the hiPS cells was induced with the embryoid body differentiation system. Gene expression studies demonstrated that the cardiomyocyte differentiation process of the hiPS cells was characterized by an initial increase in mesoderm and cardiomesoderm markers, followed by expression of cardiac-specific transcription factors and finally by cardiac-specific structural genes. Cells in the contracting embryoid bodies were stained positively for cardiac troponin-I, sarcomeric α-actinin, and connexin-43. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated the expression of cardiac-specific sarcomeric proteins and ion channels. Multielectrode array recordings established the development of a functional syncytium with stable pacemaker activity and action potential propagation. Positive and negative chronotropic responses were induced by application of isoproterenol and carbamylcholine, respectively. Administration of quinidine, E4031 (
I
Kr
blocker), and chromanol 293B (
I
Ks
blocker) significantly affected repolarization, as manifested by prolongation of the local field potential duration.

Conclusions—

hiPS cells can differentiate into myocytes with cardiac-specific molecular, structural, and functional properties. These results, coupled with the potential of this technology to generate patient-specific hiPS lines, hold great promise for the development of in vitro models of cardiac genetic disorders, for drug discovery and testing, and for the emerging field of cardiovascular regenerative medicine.
Coronary Artery Injury Due to Catheter Ablation in Adults
Authors: Roberts-Thomson Kurt C. , Steven Daniel , Seiler Jens , Inada Keiichi , Koplan Bruce A. , Tedrow Usha B. , Epstein Laurence M. , Stevenson William G.
Published: September 2009

Background—

Currently, only anecdotal information exists on the presentation and outcome of coronary arterial injury after ablation procedures.

Methods and Results—

Four patients who sustained coronary artery injury of a cohort of patients undergoing 4655 consecutive ablation procedures (0.09%) are described. The patients’ mean age was 45±11 years, and 1.8±0.5 prior ablation attempts had been unsuccessful. Coronary injury occurred from epicardial ventricular tachycardia ablation in 2 patients (irrigated radiofrequency ablation in one and cryoablation in the other) and ablation within the middle cardiac vein with irrigated radiofrequency in 2 patients. All involved branches of the right coronary artery. Acute occlusion presenting with ST-segment elevation immediately after ablation was recognized during the procedure in 2 cases. Occlusion failed to respond to nitroglycerin or balloon dilation, and stenting was required in both cases. Acute myocardial infarction occurred 2 weeks after epicardial ablation as a result of occlusion of a right ventricular branch of the right coronary artery giving rise to the posterior descending coronary artery in 1 patient. A moderate asymptomatic stenosis was seen on angiography after epicardial cryoablation in 1 patient. All patients recovered and remained asymptomatic from the coronary injury and arrhythmias during 37±53 months of follow-up.

Conclusions—

Coronary arterial injury after ablation procedures is rare. It may present acutely or several weeks after an ablation procedure. Acute occlusion appears to require coronary stenting. Unanticipated anatomic variations can predispose to coronary injury.
Effect of Recombinant Placental Growth Factor 2 on Hypertension Induced by Full-Length Mouse Soluble fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 1 Adenoviral Vector in Pregnant Mice
Authors: Suzuki Hirotada , Ohkuchi Akihide , Matsubara Shigeki , Takei Yuji , Murakami Masato , Shibuya Masabumi , Suzuki Mitsuaki , Sato Yasufumi
Published: September 2009

The first aim of our study was to develop a pregnant mouse model for preeclampsia using adenoviral vector containing mouse full-length soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) but not truncated sFlt-1. The second aim was to evaluate effects of recombinant mouse (rm) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and rm placental growth factor (PlGF) on a preeclampsia model induced by adenoviral vector containing mouse full-length sFlt-1. We injected adenoviral vector containing mouse full-length sFlt-1 on day 8.5 or 9.5 of gestation into pregnant Institute of Cancer Research mice, resulting in hypertension, proteinuria, and similar glomerular histological changes as those seen in human preeclamptic women with glomerular endotheliosis on day 16.5 or 17.5 of gestation. The preeclampsia models were treated with 100 μg/kg of rmVEGF164 (n=5), 100 μg/kg of rmPlGF-2 (n=5), or vehicle (n=7) twice a day for 2 days IP. The rmVEGF164 treatment significantly decreased the mean blood pressure on day 16.5 or 17.5 of gestation compared with the vehicle treatment (85±4 versus 97±2 mm Hg;
P
=0.018). The rmPlGF-2 treatment also significantly decreased the mean blood pressure on day 16.5 or 17.5 of gestation compared with the vehicle treatment (86±3 versus 97±2 mm Hg;
P
=0.018). However, proteinuria was not affected by either rmVEGF164 or rmPlGF-2. In conclusion, we, for the first time, created a mouse preeclampsia model using mouse full-length sFlt-1. VEGF and PlGF may be promising for ameliorating hypertension in women with preeclampsia. Additional study of PlGF as a potential drug for preeclampsia is warranted.
Inhibition of 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Synthesis Using Specific Plant Lignans
Authors: Wu Jason H.Y. , Hodgson Jonathan M. , Clarke Michael W. , Indrawan Adeline P. , Barden Anne E. , Puddey Ian B. , Croft Kevin D.
Published: September 2009

Sesamin, the major lignan found in sesame, has been shown to increase vitamin E levels by inhibiting its metabolism via the cytochrome P450isozyme CYP4F2. CYP4F2 and CYP4A11 are the predominant human isoforms that synthesize 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) from arachidonic acid. Considerable evidence suggests that 20-HETE may play a role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. We hypothesized that sesamin could be an inhibitor of 20-HETE synthesis. This study investigated the effects of sesamin on 20-HETE synthesis in vitro and the effect of sesame supplementation on plasma and urinary 20-HETE concentrations in humans. Human microsomes were used to investigate the potency and selectivity of sesamin inhibition of 20-HETE synthesis. Sesamin inhibited human renal and liver microsome 20-HETE synthesis with IC50<20 μmol/L. It was selective toward CYP4F2 (IC50: 1.9 μmol/L) and had reduced activity toward CYP4A11 (IC50: >150 μmol/L), as well as cytochrome P epoxygenation of arachidonic acid (IC50: >50 μmol/L). In a randomized, controlled crossover trial, overweight men and women (n=33) consumed 25 g/d of sesame (≈50 mg/d of sesame lignan) or an isocaloric matched control for 5 weeks each. Relative to control, sesame supplementation resulted in a 28% decrease in plasma and a 32% decrease in urinary 20-HETE (P<0.001). Urinary sodium, potassium, and blood pressure were not affected. This study demonstrates for the first time that sesame supplementation in humans reduces the plasma and urinary levels of 20-HETE, likely via inhibition of CYP4F2 by sesame lignans. These results suggest that sesame lignans could be used for the investigation of potential roles of 20-HETE in humans.
Observed Atmospheric Responses to Global SST Variability Modes: A Unified Assessment Using GEFA*
Authors: Wen Na , Liu Zhengyu , Liu Qinyu , Frankignoul Claude
Published: September 2009

The authors present a comprehensive assessment of the observed atmospheric response to SST variability modes in a unified approach using the Generalized Equilibrium Feedback Analysis (GEFA). This study confirms a dominant atmospheric response to the tropical SST variability associated with ENSO. A further analysis shows that the classical response to ENSO consists of two parts, one responding to the tropical Pacific ENSO mode and the other to the tropical Indian Ocean monopole (IOM) mode. The Pacific ENSO generates a significant baroclinic Rossby wave response locally over the tropical Pacific as well as equivalent barotropic wave train responses remotely into the extratropics. The IOM mode forces a strongly zonally symmetric response throughout the tropics and the extratropics. Furthermore, modest atmospheric responses to other oceanic modes were identified. For example, the North Pacific SST variability mode appears to generate an equivalent barotropic warm SST-ridge response locally over the Aleutian low with significant downstream influence on the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), whereas the North Atlantic tripole SST mode tends to force a local response on NAO. Finally, this pilot study serves as a demonstration of the potential utility of GEFA in identifying multiple surface feedbacks to the atmosphere in the observation.
Do Ethnic Parties Exclude Women?
Authors: Holmsten Stephanie S. , Moser Robert G. , Slosar Mary C.
Published: September 2009

Do parties that represent ethnic minorities tend to exclude women? There are several reasons to think that this may be the case. First, the comparatively smaller size of ethnic parties could exclude women, especially under proportional representation. Second, the subcultures of many ethnic minorities are often more patriarchal than the majority culture, and thus parties representing such groups may include fewer women. Finally, an ideological fixation on ethnicity within ethnic parties may marginalize subminorities within the target group. Using a new cross-national data set, the authors examine the degree to which ethnic parties represent women, controlling for party size, electoral systems, gender quotas, ideology, and democratic development. Findings show that ethnic parties, particularly those appealing to a religious minority, tend to elect fewer women, but only under proportional representation electoral systems.
Dosing up on food and physical activity: New Zealand children’s ideas about ‘health’
Authors: Burrows Lisette , Wright Jan , McCormack Jaleh
Published: September 2009

Objective To investigate New Zealand children’s understandings of ‘health’.

Design Secondary analysis of student responses to a task called ‘Being Healthy’ in New Zealand’s National Education Monitoring Project.

Setting Year 4 (8—9 year-old) and Year 8 (12—13 year-old) students who took part in New Zealand’s National Education Monitoring for Health and Physical Education in 2002.

Method Coding of student responses using NVivo qualitative analysis package.

Results Students reiterated messages widely promulgated in popular and professional mediums. Students predominantly conceived of health as a corporeal matter, citing eating, exercise and hygiene practices as the most important health promoting behaviours.

Conclusion Students could usefully be encouraged to adopt socially critical understandings of what health might entail and broader, more holistic conceptualizations of health beyond matters of the ‘body’ alone.
The effects of training medical students in motivational interviewing
Authors: Opheim Arild , Andreasson Sven , Eklund Astri Brandell , Prescott Peter
Published: September 2009

Objective To explore the effects of brief training in Motivational interviewing (MI) for medical students.

Design Video recordings of consultations between 113 final-year medical students and simulated patients were scored blind by two independent raters with the Motivational Interviewing Skill Code (MISC). Half of the students participated in a four-hour motivational interviewing workshop while the other half did not.

Results Differences between the two groups were statistically significant for five of six global MISC variables. All differences were in the expected direction, with higher scores in the group that had received MI training. There were also statistically significant group differences in the expected direction on several behavioural measures. The group that received MI training asked fewer closed questions and more open questions; they summarized, affirmed and emphasized patient control more often, and directed and confronted less often.

Conclusion Four hours of training has a measurable effect on medical students’ style and verbal behaviour in simulated patient consultations, but is not sufficient to become proficient in motivational interviewing.
War and Postwar Transformation of Urban Areas: The 1948 War and the Incorporation of Jaffa into Tel Aviv
Authors: Golan Arnon
Published: September 2009

War is a distinctive form of human-made catastrophe whose impact in many cases reaches far beyond the actual places of its occurrence. While regarded a catastrophe in areas exposed to acts of belligerency, in the rear war might generate a process of major development, resulting in a conclusive spatial transformation process. In both front and rear areas, the outcomes of wartime drastic processes are mostly short lived, gradually eradicated through the dynamics of postwar restoration and development. Drastic wartime events may turn cities into areas of devastation, depopulation, and misery but may also generate rapid development and change. In war-stricken areas of the stormy twentieth century, such as Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East, the formation of urban spaces and the shaping of urban landscapes were consequent to interplay between drastic and dynamic processes. Wartime emergencies frequently resulted in a rapid and wide-ranging though ephemeral process of spatial change. Postwar years were times of opportunity for restoration and reshaping. The impact of drastic and dynamic wartime and postwar processes on urban areas is depicted in the case of Tel Aviv—Jaffa during and following the 1948 war.
Telephone-mediated communication effects on young children’s oral and written narratives
Authors: Cameron Catherine Ann , Hutchison Judith
Published: September 2009

This study tested the effectiveness of a telephone-mediated language intervention on enhancing young children’s recontextualization processes in narrative expression. A four-week training program was incorporated into a primary school language-arts curriculum to investigate whether telephone experience designed to heighten listener awareness would augment oral and written narrative skill development. Findings supported predictions that telephone experience would affect both oral and written narrative expression. The telephone intervention enhanced oral psycholinguistic and narrative productivity over the face-to-face comparison treatment. Older students wrote significantly more sophisticated stories than younger students and the telephone enriched the written narratives of older children more than did in-person training. These findings advance theory and highlight educational benefits of a focus on recontextualization processes in distanced communication for understanding and advancing the role of audience awareness in emergent literacy development.
‘I like Barney’: Preschoolers’ spontaneous conversational initiations with peers
Authors: O'Neill Daniela K. , Main Rebecca M. , Ziemski Renata A.
Published: September 2009

In the absence of scaffolding provided by adults or a play situation, what topics will preschoolers raise in attempting to begin conversations with each other? This study provides a first in-depth examination of preschoolers’ peer-to-peer conversational initiations. The snack-time conversations of a class of 25 preschool children were videotaped bi-weekly for 21 weeks; 507 conversational initiations were identified and classified according to a detailed coding scheme that included utterance type (e.g., comment, question), person or object referent, person referenced (e.g., self, listener), and, of particular interest, reference to mental states. Of all initiations, 77.5% referenced persons (41.2% listener) and almost 30% referenced mental states, suggesting preschoolers are using their developing understanding of mind in finding common ground with peers.
Social factors in the acquisition of a new word order
Authors: Chang Franklin , Kobayashi Tessei , Amano Shigeaki
Published: September 2009

Present syntax acquisition tasks are not optimal for studying how children learn a new syntactic constraint and generalize it in sentence production. To address this issue, this study modified Akhtar’s production task where novel word orders were learned, so that it was more socially natural. Three- and four-year-old children were tested in this new task and the role of input factors was assessed. The new task was more effective at eliciting the novel word order, but the role of input factors differed from earlier studies. To trace the source of these differences, the study manipulated the social features directly in a second experiment. The results suggest that social knowledge contextualizes the influence of input factors in syntax acquisition.
What do acute stroke physiotherapists do to treat postural control and mobility? An exploration of the content of therapy in the UK
Authors: Tyson Sarah F , Connell Louise , Busse Monica , Lennon Sheila
Published: September 2009

Objective: To investigate the content of acute stroke physiotherapy to treat postural control and mobility problems.

Design: Stroke physiotherapists recorded the interventions used to treat postural control and mobility during treatment sessions. They recorded five sessions for at least five patients each. Descriptive statistics assessed the frequency with which the interventions were used.

Setting: Hospital-based acute stroke care.

Subjects: Thirty-six acute stroke physiotherapists recorded 2374 interventions in 364 treatment sessions for 76 patients.

Main measures: The Stroke Physiotherapy Intervention Recording Tool.

Results: Facilitation techniques were the most frequently used interventions (n = 1258, 53%) with exercise (n = 115, 5%), teaching others how to help the patient (n = 99, 4%) and provision of equipment (n = 63, 3%) the least frequently used.

Conclusions: Acute stroke physiotherapists primarily use therapist-led ‘hands-on’ interventions to treat postural control and mobility problems. Interventions to promote activity or practice outside the treatment session are infrequently used.
Effects of Nordic Walking training on exercise capacity and fitness in men participating in early, short-term inpatient cardiac rehabilitation after an acute coronary syndrome — a controlled trial
Authors: Kocur Piotr , Deskur-Śmielecka Ewa , Wilk Małgorzata , Dylewicz Piotr
Published: September 2009

Objective: To investigate the effects of Nordic Walking training supplemental to a standard, early rehabilitation programme on exercise capacity and physical fitness in men after an acute coronary syndrome.

Design: A controlled trial.

Setting: Cardiac rehabilitation service of a provincial hospital.

Subjects: Eighty men 2—3 weeks after an acute coronary syndrome, with good exercise tolerance.

Interventions: Three-week, inpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme (control group) supplemented with Nordic Walking (Nordic Walking group), or with traditional walking training (walking training group).

Main measures: Exercise capacity was assessed as peak energy cost (in metabolic equivalents) in symptom-limited treadmill exercise test, and physical fitness with the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test.

Results: Exercise capacity after the rehabilitation programme was higher in the Nordic Walking group than in the control group (10.8 ± 1.8 versus 9.2 ± 2.2 metabolic equivalents, P =0.025). The improvement in exercise capacity in the Nordic Walking group was higher than in the control group (1.8 ± 1.5 versus 0.7 ± 1.4 metabolic equivalents, P =0.002). In contrast to the control group, the results of all components of the Fullerton test improved in the Nordic Walking and walking training groups. After the programme, lower body endurance, and dynamic balance were significantly better in the Nordic Walking group in comparison with the walking training and control groups, and upper body endurance was significantly better in the Nordic Walking and walking training groups than in the control group.

Conclusions: Nordic Walking may improve exercise capacity, lower body endurance and coordination of movements in patients with good exercise tolerance participating in early, short-term rehabilitation after an acute coronary syndrome.
Motion Generation in the MRROC++ Robot Programming Framework
Authors: Zieliñski Cezary , Winiarski Tomasz
Published: September 2009

In this paper we present a formal approach to robot motion specification. This motion specification takes into account three elementary behaviors that suffice to define any robot interaction with the environment, i.e. free motion, exerting generalized forces and the transition between both of these behaviors. These behaviors provide a foundation for general motion generation taking into account any sensors, any effectors and the capability to exchange information between embodied agents. This specification can be used both for the definition of robot tasks and implementation of robot control software, hence both of those aspects are presented in this paper. This formal approach was used for the implementation of the MRROC++ robot programming framework. Two-handed manipulation of a Rubik’s cube is used as an exemplary task. Extensive experimentation both with the presented formalism and the MRROC++ framework showed that the imposed formal rigor eliminates many errors at the software specification phase, produces well-structured control software and significantly speeds up and simplifies its implementation. These advantages are mainly due to the fact that the proposed formal specification tool is derived from operational semantics used in computer science for the definition of programming languages, thus a close relationship between abstract definition and the implementation of the control system resulted.
Theorizing the meso level: the household as a crucible of pro-environmental behaviour
Authors: Reid Louise , Sutton Philip , Hunter Colin
Published: September 2009

This paper identifies the need to develop a conceptual approach that moves away from dichotomous thinking about pro-environmental behaviour by considering the meso level of reality, through which macro level change can be observed and micro level activity can be contextualized. The discussion reviews pro-environmental behaviour literatures, presenting an alternative conceptual approach that incorporates the importance of scale and the social units to which people belong. In particular, the paper argues that greater understanding of the household, as a unit within the meso level, offers an opportunity to rethink the future research agenda for the study of pro-environmental behaviour.
Land, CBOs and the Karachi Circular Railway
Authors: Hasan Arif
Published: September 2009

The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was planned in 1962 as a goods service linking five important work areas of the city. Subsequently, it was upgraded for commuter use as well. Pakistan Railways now wish to upgrade and expand the circular railway and double-track those parts of it that are single track. However, for this to be done about 20,000 households living in informal settlements along the railway tracks will have to be evicted and relocated. The residents of the informal settlements have organized themselves as part of the All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis (APAKA), and their local chapter is known as the Network of Railway Colonies. Two Karachi NGOs, the Orangi Pilot Project—Research and Training Institute (OPP—RTI) and the Urban Resource Centre (URC), have been instrumental in supporting the Network of Railway Colonies and other community organizations in surveying the “encroachments” (both formal and informal) along the railway tracks and in documenting the histories of the different settlements. This documentation has strengthened the negotiating power of the railway land informal settlements, whose communities have also made a number of proposals for changes and alternatives to the government’s scheme.
Growing city, shrinking hinterland: land acquisition, transition and conflict in peri-urban Gurgaon, India
Authors: Narain Vishal
Published: September 2009

This paper describes the implications of the land acquisition process in a village in the Gurgaon district of Haryana state in northwestern India. Gurgaon city, the district capital, is emerging as a major industrial hub, its growth made possible by the large-scale acquisition of agricultural lands by the government. The expansion of the city has altered patterns of rural natural resource use, created social, cultural and economic changes, and bred resentment among many peri-urban residents against urban authorities. The current top-down policies for land acquisition need to be revisited and replaced by more participative processes in which landowners and peri-urban residents themselves are involved. The speedy disbursement of reimbursements for lands acquired, and the spread of livelihood generation activities, can make processes of urbanization more inclusive and participatory. Improving transportation and connectivity to the city will be essential for sustaining new peri-urban livelihoods.
Crisis or adaptation? Migration and climate change in a context of high mobility
Authors: Tacoli Cecilia
Published: September 2009

The impacts of climate change are likely to affect population distribution and mobility. While alarmist predictions of massive flows of refugees are not supported by past experiences of responses to droughts and extreme weather events, predictions for future migration flows are tentative at best. What we do know is that mobility and migration are key responses to environmental and non-environmental transformations and pressures. They should therefore be a central element of strategies of adaptation to climate change. This requires a radical change in policy makers’ perceptions of migration as a problem and a better understanding of the role of local and national institutions in supporting and accommodating mobility.