Induction of Ankrd1 in dilated cardiomyopathy correlates with the heart failure progression

Progression of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is marked with extensive left ventricular remodeling whose clinical manifestations and molecular basis are poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the clinical potential of titin ligands in monitoring progression of cardiac remodeling associated with end-stage IDCM. Expression patterns of 8 mechanoptotic machinery-associated titin ligands (ANKRD1, ANKRD2, TRIM63, TRIM55, NBR1, MLP, FHL2, and TCAP) were quantitated in endomyocardial biopsies from 25 patients with advanced IDCM. When comparing NYHA disease stages, elevated ANKRD1 expression levels marked transition from NYHA < IV to NYHA IV. ANKRD1 expression levels closely correlated with systolic strain depression and short E wave deceleration time, as determined by echocardiography. On molecular level, myocardial ANKRD1 and serum adiponectin correlated with low BAX/BCL-2 ratios, indicative of antiapoptotic tissue propensity observed during the worsening of heart failure. ANKRD1 is a potential marker for cardiac remodeling and disease progression in IDCM. ANKRD1 expression correlated with reduced cardiac contractility and compliance. The association of ANKRD1 with antiapoptotic response suggests its role as myocyte survival factor during late stage heart disease, warranting further studies on ANKRD1 during end-stage heart failure

Sexual harassment and abuse in sport: The research context

This special issue of the Journal of Sexual Aggression draws on the contributions to a Symposium on ‘Sexual Harassment in Sport – Challenges for Sport Psychology in the New Millennium’, held at the Xth Congress of the International Society for Sport Psychology, Skiathos, Greece from May 28th to June 2nd 2001. The symposium, which was organised by the authors of this editorial, was intended to move forward the international research agenda on sexual harassment and abuse in sport and to examine professional practice issues for sport psychologists. It was clear from the attendance of over 60 delegates at that symposium that international interest in this subject is growing. Further evidence of this came from the attendance of 26 members states – from Azerbaijan to Sweden - at a Council of Europe seminar on The Protection of Children, Young People and Women in Sport, held in Helsinki in September 2001

Systematic comparison of ISOLDE-SC yields with calculated in-target production rates

Recently, a series of dedicated inverse-kinematics experiments performed at GSI, Darmstadt, has brought an important progress in our understanding of proton and heavy-ion induced reactions at relativistic energies. The nuclear reaction code ABRABLA that has been developed and benchmarked against the results of these experiments has been used to calculate nuclide production cross sections at different energies and with different targets and beams. These calculations are used to estimate nuclide production rates by protons in thick targets, taking into account the energy loss and the attenuation of the proton beam in the target, as well as the low-energy fission induced by the secondary neutrons. The results are compared to the yields of isotopes of various elements obtained from different targets at CERN-ISOLDE with 600 MeV protons, and the overall extraction efficiencies are deduced. The dependence of these extraction efficiencies on the nuclide half-life is found to follow a simple pattern in many different cases. A simple function is proposed to parameterize this behavior in a way that quantifies the essential properties of the extraction efficiency for the element and the target - ion-source system in question.Comment: 46 pages, 49 figures, background information on http://www-w2k.gsi.de/charms

Representations of sport in the revolutionary socialist press in Britain, 1988–2012

This paper considers how sport presents a dualism to those on the far left of the political spectrum. A long-standing, passionate debate has existed on the contradictory role played by sport, polarised between those who reject it as a bourgeois capitalist plague and those who argue for its reclamation and reformation. A case study is offered of a political party that has consistently used revolutionary Marxism as the basis for its activity and how this party, the largest in Britain, addresses sport in its publications. The study draws on empirical data to illustrate this debate by reporting findings from three socialist publications. When sport did feature it was often in relation to high profile sporting events with a critical tone adopted and typically focused on issues of commodification, exploitation and alienation of athletes and supporters. However, readers’ letters, printed in the same publications, revealed how this interpretation was not universally accepted, thus illustrating the contradictory nature of sport for those on the far left

Bile Acids Specifically Increase Hepatitis C Virus RNA-Replication

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients with high serum levels of bile acids (BAs) respond poorly to IFN therapy. BAs have been shown to increase RNA-replication of genotype 1 but not genotype 2a replicons. Since BAs modulate lipid metabolism including lipoprotein secretion and as HCV depends on lipids and lipoproteins during RNA-replication, virus production and cell entry, BAs may affect multiple steps of the HCV life cycle. Therefore, we analyzed the influence of BAs on individual steps of virus replication.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>We measured replication of subgenomic genotype (GT) 1b and 2a RNAs as well as full-length GT2a genomes in the presence of BAs using quantitative RT-PCR and luciferase assays. Cell entry was determined using HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp). Virus assembly and release were quantified using a core-specific ELISA. Replicon chimeras were employed to characterize genotype-specific modulation of HCV by BAs. Lunet CD81/GFP-NLS-MAVS cells were used to determine infection of Con1 particles.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>BAs increased RNA-replication of GT1b replicons up to 10-fold but had no effect on subgenomic GT2a replicons both in Huh-7 and HuH6 cells. They did not increase viral RNA translation, virus assembly and release or cell entry. Lowering replication efficiency of GT2a replicons rendered them susceptible to stimulation by BAs. Moreover, replication of full length GT1b with or without replication enhancing mutations and GT2a genomes were also stimulated by BAs.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Bile acids specifically enhance RNA-replication. This is not limited to GT1, but also holds true for GT2a full length genomes and subgenomic replicons with low replication capacity. The increase of HCV replication by BAs may influence the efficacy of antiviral treatment in vivo and may improve replication of primary HCV genomes in cell culture.</p> </div

'It's just superstition I suppose ... I've always done something on game day': The construction of everyday life on a university basketball team

Research in sport has tended to focus on ‘spectacular’ or ‘extra-ordinary’ experiences, at the expense of discussing how particular phenomena are embedded in everyday life. Drawing on ethnographic research with a university basketball team in the North of England, this article considers the meanings that amateur players attach to basketball and how such meanings go beyond their participation in competitive games. Analysis reveals the rhythms and rituals which are hugely important in determining the players’ sense of self. It also highlights the carnivalesque celebrations which allow the players to temporarily disrupt the status quo and experiment with alternative identities. In conclusion, it is argued that the meaning of sport should not be seen as rigid, determining and predictable, but rather a creative experience that is largely dependent on the subjective appropriation of time and place

A Single Polar Residue and Distinct Membrane Topologies Impact the Function of the Infectious Bronchitis Coronavirus E Protein

The coronavirus E protein is a small membrane protein with a single predicted hydrophobic domain (HD), and has a poorly defined role in infection. The E protein is thought to promote virion assembly, which occurs in the Golgi region of infected cells. It has also been implicated in the release of infectious particles after budding. The E protein has ion channel activity in vitro, although a role for channel activity in infection has not been established. Furthermore, the membrane topology of the E protein is of considerable debate, and the protein may adopt more than one topology during infection. We previously showed that the HD of the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) E protein is required for the efficient release of infectious virus, an activity that correlated with disruption of the secretory pathway. Here we report that a single residue within the hydrophobic domain, Thr16, is required for secretory pathway disruption. Substitutions of other residues for Thr16 were not tolerated. Mutations of Thr16 did not impact virus assembly as judged by virus-like particle production, suggesting that alteration of secretory pathway and assembly are independent activities. We also examined how the membrane topology of IBV E affected its function by generating mutant versions that adopted either a transmembrane or membrane hairpin topology. We found that a transmembrane topology was required for disrupting the secretory pathway, but was less efficient for virus-like particle production. The hairpin version of E was unable to disrupt the secretory pathway or produce particles. The findings reported here identify properties of the E protein that are important for its function, and provide insight into how the E protein may perform multiple roles during infection

Drugs and supplements in amateur boxing: pugilistic amateurism and ideologies of performance

This research, which is based on the thoughts and experiences of coaches, athletes, officials and others involved in amateur boxing, explores the use of supplements, recreational and performance-enhancing drugs in the sport. After providing some context through a discussion of ideologies that shape elite sport, some key methodological issues are briefly described. The findings explore the manner in which ideologies of performance are shaped in relation to the notion of 'pugilistic amateurism'. In this way, the paper maps out a theoretical scaffold that can be used to understand the manner in which 'old school' training methods and participation in sport align with 'traditional' understandings of work-class manhood to produce an ideological tension with a win-at-all-costs mentality. This sheds light on the ways that boxing gyms might be understood as havens where drugs use can be resisted at the same times as potentially positive behaviours can be learned