bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial distribution of suicide in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Qi Xin , Tong Shilu , Hu Wenbiao
Published: December 2010

Background

There has been a lack of investigation into the spatial distribution and clustering of suicide in Australia, where the population density is lower than many countries and varies dramatically among urban, rural and remote areas. This study aims to examine the spatial distribution of suicide at a Local Governmental Area (LGA) level and identify the LGAs with a high relative risk of suicide in Queensland, Australia, using geographical information system (GIS) techniques.

Methods

Data on suicide and demographic variables in each LGA between 1999 and 2003 were acquired from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. An age standardised mortality (ASM) rate for suicide was calculated at the LGA level. GIS techniques were used to examine the geographical difference of suicide across different areas.

Results

Far north and north-eastern Queensland (i.e., Cook and Mornington Shires) had the highest suicide incidence in both genders, while the south-western areas (i.e., Barcoo and Bauhinia Shires) had the lowest incidence in both genders. In different age groups (≤24 years, 25 to 44 years, 45 to 64 years, and ≥65 years), ASM rates of suicide varied with gender at the LGA level. Mornington and six other LGAs with low socioeconomic status in the upper Southeast had significant spatial clusters of high suicide risk.

Conclusions

There was a notable difference in ASM rates of suicide at the LGA level in Queensland. Some LGAs had significant spatial clusters of high suicide risk. The determinants of the geographical difference of suicide should be addressed in future research.
Mood color choice helps to predict response to hypnotherapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Carruthers Helen R , Morris Julie , Tarrier Nicholas , Whorwell Peter J
Published: December 2010

Background

Approximately two thirds of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) respond well to hypnotherapy. However, it is time consuming as well as expensive to provide and therefore a way of predicting outcome would be extremely useful. The use of imagery and color form an integral part of the hypnotherapeutic process and we have hypothesised that investigating color and how it relates to mood might help to predict response to treatment. In order to undertake this study we have previously developed and validated a method of presenting colors to individuals for research purposes called the Manchester Color Wheel (MCW). Using this instrument we have been able to classify colors into positive, neutral and negative shades and this study aimed to assess their predictive role in hypnotherapy.

Methods

156 consecutive IBS patients (aged 14-74, mean 42.0 years, 127 (81%) females, 29 (19%) males) were studied. Before treatment, each patient was asked to relate their mood to a color on the MCW as well as completing the IBS Symptom Severity Score, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) Scale, the Non-colonic Symptom Scale, the Quality of Life Scale and the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS) which is a measure of hypnotisability. Following hypnotherapy all these measures were repeated with the exception of the TAS.

Results

For patients with a positive mood color the odds of responding to hypnotherapy were nine times higher than that of those choosing either a neutral or negative color or no color at all (odds ratio: 8.889; p = 0.042). Furthermore, a high TAS score and the presence of HAD anxiety also had good predictive value (odds ratio: 4.024; p = 0.092, 3.917; p < 0.001 respectively) with these markers and a positive mood color being independent of each other. In addition, these factors could be combined to give an even stronger prediction of outcome. Twice as many responders (63, 77.8%) had a positive mood color or were anxious or had a high TAS score compared with 32 (42.7%) without these factors (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

A positive mood color, especially when combined with HAD anxiety and a high TAS score, predict a good response to hypnotherapy.
Tetra-O-methyl nordihydroguaiaretic acid (Terameprocol) inhibits the NF-κB-dependent transcription of TNF-α and MCP-1/CCL2 genes by preventing RelA from binding its cognate sites on DNA
Authors: Oyegunwa Akinbolade O , Sikes Michael L , Wilson Jason R , Scholle Frank , Laster Scott M
Published: December 2010

Background

Tetra-O-methyl nordihydroguaiaretic acid, also known as terameprocol (TMP), is a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in the resin of the creosote bush. We have shown previously that TMP will suppress production of certain inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and lipids from macrophages following stimulation with LPS or infection with H1N1 influenza virus. In this study our goal was to elucidate the mechanism underlying TMP-mediated suppression of cytokine and chemokine production. We focused our investigations on the response to LPS and the NF-κB protein RelA, a transcription factor whose activity is critical to LPS-responsiveness.

Methods

Reporter assays were performed with HEK293 cells overexpressing either TLR-3, -4, or -8 and a plasmid containing the luciferase gene under control of an NF-κB response element. Cells were then treated with LPS, poly(I:C), or resiquimod, and/or TMP, and lysates measured for luciferase activity.

RAW 264.7 cells treated with LPS and/or TMP were used in ChIP and EMSA assays. For ChIP assays, chromatin was prepared and complexes precipitated with anti-NF-κB RelA Ab. Cross-links were reversed, DNA purified, and sequence abundance determined by Q-PCR. For EMSA assays, nuclear extracts were incubated with radiolabeled probes, analyzed by non-denaturing PAGE and visualized by autoradiography.

RAW 264.7 cells treated with LPS and/or TMP were also used in fluorescence microscopy and western blot experiments. Translocation experiments were performed using a primary Ab to NF-κB RelA and a fluorescein-conjugated secondary Ab. Western blots were performed using Abs to IκB-α and phospho-IκB-α. Bands were visualized by chemiluminescence.

Results

In reporter assays with TLR-3, -4, and -8 over-expressing cells, TMP caused strong inhibition of NF-κB-dependent transcription.

ChIP assays showed TMP caused virtually complete inhibition of RelA binding in vivo to promoters for the genes for TNF-α, MCP-1/CCL2, and RANTES/CCL5 although the LPS-dependent synthesis of IκB-α was not inhibited. EMSA assays did not reveal an effect of TMP on the binding of RelA to naked DNA templates in vitro.

TMP did not inhibit the nuclear translocation of NF-κB RelA nor the phosphorylation of IκB-α.

Conclusion

TMP acts indirectly as an inhibitor of NF-κB-dependent transcription by preventing RelA from binding the promoters of certain key cytokine and chemokine genes.
Microglial activation state exerts a biphasic influence on brain endothelial cell proliferation by regulating the balance of TNF and TGF-β1
Authors: Welser Jennifer V , Li Longxuan , Milner Richard
Published: December 2010

Background

Studies of cerebral ischemia and other neuroinflammatory states have demonstrated a strong association between new vessel formation and microglial recruitment and activation, raising the possibility that microglia may be involved in promoting angiogenesis. As endothelial cell proliferation is a fundamental early step in angiogenesis, the aim of this study was to test this hypothesis by examining the influence of microglial secreted factors on brain endothelial cell (BEC) proliferation using BrdU incorporation.

Methods

Primary cultures of mouse BEC, microglia and astrocytes were used in this study. Proliferation of BEC was examined by BrdU incorporation. ELISA was used to quantify TNF and TGF-β1 levels within cell culture supernatants.

Results

Microglia regulated BEC proliferation in a biphasic manner; microglia conditioned medium (MG-CM) from resting microglia inhibited, while that from activated microglia promoted BEC proliferation. A screen of microglial cytokines revealed that BEC proliferation was inhibited by TGF-β1, but promoted by TNF. ELISA showed that TNF and TGF-β1 were both present in MG-CM, and that while TGF-β1 dominated in resting MG-CM, TNF levels were massively increased in activated MG-CM, shifting the balance in favor of TNF. Antibody-blocking studies revealed that the influence of MG-CM to inhibit or promote BEC proliferation was largely attributable to the cytokines TGF-β1 and TNF, respectively.

Conclusion

This data suggests that microglial activation state might be an important determinant of cerebral angiogenesis; inhibiting BEC proliferation and neovascularization in the normal central nervous system (CNS), but stimulating the growth of new capillaries under neuroinflammatory conditions.
Prediction of conformational changes by single mutation in the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) identified in HBsAg-negative blood donors
Authors: Ie Susan I , Thedja Meta D , Roni Martono , Muljono David H
Published: December 2010

Background

Selection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) by host immunity has been suggested to give rise to variants with amino acid substitutions at or around the 'a' determinant of the surface antigen (HBsAg), the main target of antibody neutralization and diagnostic assays. However, there have never been successful attempts to provide evidence for this hypothesis, partly because the 3 D structure of HBsAg molecules has not been determined. Tertiary structure prediction of HBsAg solely from its primary amino acid sequence may reveal the molecular energetic of the mutated proteins. We carried out this preliminary study to analyze the predicted HBsAg conformation changes of HBV variants isolated from Indonesian blood donors undetectable by HBsAg assays and its significance, compared to other previously-reported variants that were associated with diagnostic failure.

Results

Three HBV variants (T123A, M133L and T143M) and a wild type sequence were analyzed together with frequently emerged variants T123N, M133I, M133T, M133V, and T143L. Based on the Jameson-Wolf algorithm for calculating antigenic index, the first two amino acid substitutions resulted in slight changes in the antigenicity of the 'a' determinant, while all four of the comparative variants showed relatively more significant changes. In the pattern T143M, changes in antigenic index were more significant, both in its coverage and magnitude, even when compared to variant T143L. These data were also partially supported by the tertiary structure prediction, in which the pattern T143M showed larger shift in the HBsAg second loop structure compared to the others.

Conclusions

Single amino acid substitutions within or near the 'a' determinant of HBsAg may alter antigenicity properties of variant HBsAg, which can be shown by both its antigenic index and predicted 3 D conformation. Findings in this study emphasize the significance of variant T143M, the prevalent isolate with highest degree of antigenicity changes found in Indonesian blood donors. This highlights the importance of evaluating the effects of protein structure alterations on the sensitivity of screening methods being used in detection of ongoing HBV infection, as well as the use of vaccines and immunoglobulin therapy in contributing to the selection of HBV variants.
PK20, a New Opioid-Neurotensin Hybrid Peptide That Exhibits Central and Peripheral Antinociceptive Effects
Authors: Kleczkowska Patrycja , Kosson Piotr , Ballet Steven , Van den Eynde Isabelle , Tsuda Yuko , Tourwé Dirk , Lipkowski Andrzej W
Published: December 2010

Background:

The clinical treatment of various types of pain relies upon the use of opioid analgesics. However most of them produce, in addition to the analgesic effect, several side effects such as the development of dependence and addiction as well as sedation, dysphoria, and constipation. One solution to these problems are chimeric compounds in which the opioid pharmacophore is hybridized with another type of compound to incease antinociceptive effects. Neurotensin-induced antinociception is not mediated through the opioid system. Therefore, hybridizing neurotensin with opioid elements may result in a potent synergistic antinociceptor.

Results:

Using the known structure-activity relationships of neurotensin we have synthesized a new chimeric opioid-neurotensin compound PK20 which is characterized by a very strong antinociceptive potency. The observation that the opioid antagonist naltrexone did not completely reverse the antinociceptive effect, indicates the partial involvement of the nonopioid component in PK20 in the produced analgesia.

Conclusions:

The opioid-neurotensin hybrid analogue PK20, in which opioid and neurotensin pharmacophores overlap partially, expresses high antinociceptive tail-flick effects after central as well as peripheral applications.
Loss of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog or Phosphoinositol-3 Kinase Activation and Response to Trastuzumab or Lapatinib in Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Overexpressing Locally Advanced Breast Cancers
Authors: Dave Bhuvanesh , Migliaccio Ilenia , Gutierrez M. Carolina , Wu Meng-Fen , Chamness Gary C. , Wong Helen , Narasanna Archana , Chakrabarty Anindita , Hilsenbeck Susan G. , Huang Jian , Rimawi Mothaffar , Schiff Rachel , Arteaga Carlos , Osborne C. Kent , Chang Jenny C.
Published: December 2010

Purpose

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss or activating mutations of phosphoinositol-3 (PI3) kinase (PIK3CA) may be associated with trastuzumab resistance. Trastuzumab, the humanized human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) monoclonal antibody, and lapatinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor/HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, are both established treatments for HER2-overexpressing breast cancers. Understanding of the cellular response to HER2-targeted therapies is needed to tailor treatments and to identify patients less likely to benefit.

Methods

We evaluated the effect of trastuzumab or lapatinib in three HER2-overexpressing cell lines. We confirmed the in vitro observations in two neoadjuvant clinical trials in patients with HER2 overexpression; 35 patients received trastuzumab as a single agent for the first 3 weeks, then docetaxel every 3 weeks for 12 weeks (trastuzumab regimen), whereas 49 patients received lapatinib as a single agent for 6 weeks, followed by trastuzumab/docetaxel for 12 weeks before primary surgery (lapatinib regimen). Apoptosis, Ki67, p-MAPK, p-AKT, and PTEN were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Genomic DNA was sequenced for PIK3CA mutations.

Results

Under low PTEN conditions, in vitro data indicate that lapatinib alone and in combination with trastuzumab was effective in decreasing p-MAPK and p-AKT levels, whereas trastuzumab was ineffective. In the clinical trials, we confirmed that low PTEN or activating mutation in PIK3CA conferred resistance to the trastuzumab regimen (P = .015), whereas low PTEN tumors were associated with a high pathologic complete response rate (P = .007).

Conclusion

Activation of PI3 kinase pathway is associated with trastuzumab resistance, whereas low PTEN predicted for response to lapatinib. These observations support clinical trials with the combination of both agents.
Randomized Phase II Trial of Single-Agent Amrubicin or Topotecan as Second-Line Treatment in Patients With Small-Cell Lung Cancer Sensitive to First-Line Platinum-Based Chemotherapy
Authors: Jotte Robert , Conkling Paul , Reynolds Craig , Galsky Matthew D. , Klein Leonard , Fitzgibbons James F. , McNally Richard , Renschler Markus F. , Oliver Jennifer W.
Published: December 2010

Purpose

This phase II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of single-agent amrubicin versus topotecan in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) sensitive to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to amrubicin (40 mg/m2/d in a 5-minute intravenous [IV] infusion, days 1 through 3, every 21 days) or topotecan (1.5 mg/m2/d in a 30-minute IV infusion, days 1 through 5, every 21 days). The primary efficacy end point was overall response rate (ORR) for amrubicin. Secondary end points included time to progression, median progression-free survival (PFS), and median overall survival (OS).

Results

Of 76 patients enrolled, 50 patients were randomly assigned to amrubicin, and 26 patients were randomly assigned to topotecan. Amrubicin treatment resulted in a significantly higher ORR than topotecan (44% v 15%; P = .021). Median PFS and median OS were 4.5 months and 9.2 months with amrubicin and 3.3 months and 7.6 months with topotecan, respectively. Tolerability was similar with both agents. However, grade 3 or worse neutropenia and thrombocytopenia seemed to be more frequent in the topotecan group as compared with the amrubicin group (78% and 61% v 61% and 39%, respectively).

Conclusion

Amrubicin shows promising activity, with an ORR of 44% compared with an ORR of 15% for topotecan as second-line treatment in patients with SCLC sensitive to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. In addition, the safety profiles were comparable; however, a trend was noted for more frequent grade 3 or worse neutropenia and thrombocytopenia in the topotecan group as compared with the amrubicin group. Additional studies are ongoing.
Immunohistochemical Methods for Predicting Cell of Origin and Survival in Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated With Rituximab
Authors: Meyer Paul N. , Fu Kai , Greiner Timothy C. , Smith Lynette M. , Delabie Jan , Gascoyne Randy D. , Ott German , Rosenwald Andreas , Braziel Rita M. , Campo Elias , Vose Julie M. , Lenz Georg , Staudt Louis M. , Chan Wing C. , Weisenburger Dennis D.
Published: December 2010

Purpose

Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be divided into prognostic groups based on the cell of origin of the tumor as determined by microarray analysis. Various immunohistochemical algorithms have been developed to replicate these microarray results and/or stratify patients according to survival. This study compares some of those algorithms and also proposes some modifications.

Patients and Methods

Two-hundred and sixty-two cases of de novo DLBCL treated with rituximab and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or CHOP-like therapy were examined.

Results

The Choi algorithm and Hans algorithm had high concordance with the microarray results. Modifications of the Choi and Hans algorithms for ease of use still retained high concordance with the microarray results. Although the Nyman and Muris algorithms had high concordance with the microarray results, each had a low value for either sensitivity or specificity. The use of LMO2 alone showed the lowest concordance with the microarray results. A new algorithm (Tally) using a combination of antibodies, but without regard to the order of examination, showed the greatest concordance with microarray results. All of the algorithms divided patients into groups with significantly different overall and event-free survivals, but with different hazard ratios. With the exception of the Nyman algorithm, this survival prediction was independent of the International Prognostic Index. Although the Muris algorithm had prognostic significance, it misclassified a large number of cases with activated B-cell type DLBCL.

Conclusion

The Tally algorithm showed the best concordance with the microarray data while maintaining prognostic significance and ease of use.
Phase II Study of Bevacizumab Plus Temozolomide During and After Radiation Therapy for Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Lai Albert , Tran Anh , Nghiemphu Phioanh L. , Pope Whitney B. , Solis Orestes E. , Selch Michael , Filka Emese , Yong William H. , Mischel Paul S. , Liau Linda M. , Phuphanich Surasak , Black Keith , Peak Scott , Green Richard M. , Spier Cynthia E. , Kolevska Tatjana , Polikoff Jonathan , Fehrenbacher Louis , Elashoff Robert , Cloughesy Timothy
Published: December 2010

Purpose

This open-label, prospective, multicenter single-arm phase II study combined bevacizumab (BV) with radiation therapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM). The objectives were to determine the efficacy of this treatment combination and the associated toxicity.

Patients and Methods

Seventy patients with newly diagnosed GBM were enrolled between August 2006 and November 2008. Patients received standard RT starting within 3 to 6 weeks after surgery with concurrent administration of daily TMZ and biweekly BV. After completion of RT, patients resumed TMZ for 5 days every 4 weeks and continued biweekly BV. MGMT promoter methylation was assessed on patient tumor tissue. A University of California, Los Angeles/Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles (KPLA) control cohort of newly diagnosed patients treated with first-line RT and TMZ who had mostly received BV at recurrence was derived for comparison.

Results

The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 19.6 and 13.6 months, respectively, compared to 21.1 and 7.6 months in the University of California, Los Angeles/KPLA control cohort, and 14.6 and 6.9 months in the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-National Cancer Institute of Canada cohort. Correlation of MGMT promoter methylation and improved OS and PFS was retained in the study group. Comparative subset analysis showed that poor prognosis patients (recursive partitioning analysis class V/VI) may derive an early benefit from the use of first-line BV. Toxicity attributable to RT/TMZ was similar, and additional toxicities were consistent with those reported in other BV trials.

Conclusion

Patients treated with BV and TMZ during and after RT showed improved PFS without improved OS compared to the University of California, Los Angeles/KPLA control group. Additional studies are warranted to determine if BV administered first-line improves survival compared to BV at recurrence.
Teaching on and Off the Tenure Track
Authors: Bartholomae David
Published: December 2010

This article presents highlights from “Education in the Balance: A Report on the Academic Workforce in English,” the 2008 ADE/MLA survey of staffing patterns in English departments. It raises questions about the increased institutional separation of research and teaching.
You Don't Know Jack
Authors: Avery Bruce
Published: December 2010

Many students in American universities are unable to absorb information from a Shakespeare text in the lecture-discussion format. Consumption of electronic media has both absorbed increasing amounts of their time and encouraged passive modes of learning. My response is to seek a pedagogy that produces, on the one hand, in active interpreters of complex language, and, on the other, a participatory, collegial classroom through a pedagogy fusing traditional modes of literary criticism with active modes of learning.
I'm Not Making This Up
Authors: Hogue Bev
Published: December 2010

In a 2002 article in College English, Peter Elbow argued that writing pedagogy would benefit by “[m]ore honoring of style, playfulness, fun, pleasure, humor” (543). Although Elbow was referring specifically to the need for cross-fertilization between the disciplines of literature and composition, his call for attention to playfulness in writing pedagogy is equally relevant to the teaching of creative nonfiction. The question he fails to consider is how playfulness can become an essential part of writing pedagogy without undermining the seriousness of the endeavor. My experience teaching an upper-level creative nonfiction class devoted to humor writing suggests that while incorporating playfulness into nonfiction-writing pedagogy poses serious challenges, it also provides significant rewards and develops skills transferable to other writing tasks.
Hippo signaling: growth control and beyond
Authors: Halder Georg , Johnson Randy L.
Published: December 2010

The Hippo pathway has emerged as a conserved signaling pathway that is essential for the proper regulation of organ growth in Drosophila and vertebrates. Although the mechanisms of signal transduction of the core kinases Hippo/Mst and Warts/Lats are relatively well understood, less is known about the upstream inputs of the pathway and about the downstream cellular and developmental outputs. Here, we review recently discovered mechanisms that contribute to the dynamic regulation of Hippo signaling during Drosophila and vertebrate development. We also discuss the expanding diversity of Hippo signaling functions during development, discoveries that shed light on a complex regulatory system and provide exciting new insights into the elusive mechanisms that regulate organ growth and regeneration.
Investigations into the effect of grip tightness on off-centre forehand strikes in tennis
Authors: Choppin S , Goodwill S , Haake S
Published: December 2010

Previous experimental studies into the dynamics of a ball–racket impact have recorded ball velocities and trajectories in one or two dimensions. These studies were limited in terms of possible impact positions and the ability to represent realistic impact conditions. As the number of dimensions in an experiment increases, it becomes difficult to isolate single variables and to monitor their effect on the output. This paper describes a method of accurately assessing the effect of specific independent variables in impact experiments with a large number of variables. A total of 900 impacts on a Head Ti-S6 tennis racket were recorded within bespoke impact apparatus. The impact velocity, the impact angle, the impact position, and a restrictive torque about the handle were varied between each impact. Each test was recorded with two Phantom high-speed video cameras at 600 frames/s; the use of two cameras allowed the ball trajectory to be tracked in three dimensions. A multi-variate fit based on a second-order polynomial was used to establish trends within the data. It was found that applying a torque about the handle reduced the angular deviation for all impact positions along the racket's transverse axis. In a standard forehand shot, a firm grip reduces the flight time and angle of trajectory of the ball after impact, suggesting that a firm grip is beneficial during competitive play.
Male injecting drug users in the Deep South: bisexual behaviour is a marker for elevated HIV risk
Authors: Salazar L F , Crosby R A , Head S , Siegler A
Published: December 2010

This study determined whether bisexual male injecting drug users (IDUs) as compared with heterosexual IDUs were more likely to engage in HIV-associated risk behaviours. Respondent-driven sampling was employed to recruit a sample of 382 male IDUs residing in the southeastern USA. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews. Weighted analyses showed that bisexual IDUs in the past 12 months were 4.6 times as likely to share needles and 3.5 times as likely to share a cooker; having multiple female sexual partners and trading money or drugs for sex with women were marginally significant. Bisexual IDUs were 10 times as likely to self-report HIV. Male IDUs, who engage in bisexual behaviour, are also engaging in HIV-associated drug and to some degree sexual-risk behaviours with women more so than heterosexual IDUs. Their higher prevalence of HIV infection coupled with their risk behaviours place themselves and other IDUs at heightened risk of both acquiring and transmitting HIV.
Unacceptable side-effects associated with a hyperosmolar vaginal microbicide in a phase 1 trial
Authors: Lacey C J , Woodhall S , Qi Z , Sawant S , Cowen M , McCormack S , Jiang S
Published: December 2010

We carried out a phase 1 trial of a candidate vaginal microbicide gel against HIV-1 and other sexually transmitted diseases, which contained cellulose acetate 1,2-benzenedicarboxylate (also known as cellulose acetate phthalate) in a glycerol-based vehicle. We had to terminate the study after five women had completed dosing, due to all women experiencing unacceptable vulvo-vaginal side-effects. Further investigations showed that the gel had a very high osmolality, which we believe led to excessive fluid transudation across the vaginal mucosa and acute mucosal dysfunction. We also showed that the rheology of the gel changed dramatically on fluid dilution. The osmolality and rheology of candidate microbicides and other genital mucosal products should therefore be analysed and considered at an early stage of product development.
European guideline for the management of hepatitis B and C virus infections, 2010
Authors: Brook G , Soriano V , Bergin C
Published: December 2010

These are the guidelines on hepatitis B and C management for IUSTI/WHO in Europe, 2010. They describe the epidemiology, diagnosis, clinical features, treatment and prevention of hepatitis B and C with particular reference to sexual health clinical practice.
Degradation of ribosomal RNA during starvation: Comparison to quality control during steady-state growth and a role for RNase PH
Authors: Basturea Georgeta N. , Zundel Michael A. , Deutscher Murray P.
Published: December 2010

Ribosomal RNAs are generally stable in growing Escherichia coli cells. However, their degradation increases dramatically under conditions that lead to slow cell growth. In addition, incomplete RNA molecules and molecules with defects in processing, folding, or assembly are also eliminated in growing cells in a process termed quality control. Here, we show that there are significant differences between the pathways of ribosomal RNA degradation during glucose starvation and quality control during steady-state growth. In both processes, endonucleolytic cleavage of rRNA in ribosome subunits is an early step, resulting in accumulation of large rRNA fragments when the processive exoribonucleases, RNase II, RNase R, and PNPase are absent. For 23S rRNA, cleavage is in the region of helix 71, but the exact position can differ in the two degradative processes. For 16S rRNA, degradation during starvation begins with shortening of its 3′ end in a reaction catalyzed by RNase PH. In the absence of this RNase, there is no 3′ end trimming of 16S rRNA and no accumulation of rRNA fragments, and total RNA degradation is greatly reduced. In contrast, the degradation pattern in quality control remains unchanged when RNase PH is absent. During starvation, the exoribonucleases RNase II and RNase R are important for fragment removal, whereas for quality control, RNase R and PNPase are more important. These data highlight the similarities and differences between rRNA degradation during starvation and quality control during steady-state growth and describe a role for RNase PH in the starvation degradative pathway.
Modernity's enchanting shadow: The Hall of Fantasy, horror programmes and US post-war radio
Authors: Killmeier Matthew A
Published: December 2010

This article offers a cultural history of the post-war horror radio anthology series The Hall of Fantasy (19471953). It unearths the particular significances of the series as a species of horror radio, and contributes to and refines our understanding of post-war radio. I argue
that The Hall of Fantasy is formally innovative in its expressionistic use of the radio medium to heighten listeners' emotional involvement with the drama. And the series is culturally rich as it mines post-war modernity for thematic resources that resonate with audiences' anxieties.
The Hall of Fantasy constructs a shadow of post-war modernity that suggests the cultural potency of enchantment.
The world as wide web: following codes to access knowledge-lands
Authors: Ciastellardi Matteo , Cruciani Andrea , de Kerckhove Derrick , de Almeida Cristina Miranda
Published: December 2010

In this article, we will firstly explore the concept of connected design; secondly, we will explain how environments can be understood as interfaces for knowledge; and thirdly, we will expose the characteristics and objectives of the project Wired Book & Electronic Margin, which is part of a larger project called Universal Margin, as an example of connective design. Lastly, we will show the benefits of contextualizing information and transforming the world into a connected and lively real-time library, to underline how connected design can facilitate a bottom-up construction of knowledge.
Heat Transfer Stages Recognition by Boiling Acoustic During Quenching
Authors: Ravnik Franc , Grum Janez
Published: December 2010

In order to control the quenching process and provide uniform quenching, wetting of the specimen with the quenching medium is very important since this will provide equable heat transfer and therefore uniform quenching conditions for the specimen. During the quenching of the specimens in liquids, in the boundary layer between the specimen and the quenching medium, three characteristic phenomena occur in the following sequence: Film boiling, bubble boiling, and convection. The phenomena concerned proceed with different rates of intensity at different locations at the specimen surface or at its entire surface. The quenching process is always accompanied by evaporation of the quenching medium at the specimen surface, where the characteristic boundary layer will form. Vaporization and boiling is always involved with sound generated by formation, oscillation, and decay of the bubbles, predominantly in the range of hearing, and which slightly round this threshold. During the experiment of dip quenching, the acoustic emission generated was captured with the hydrophone. The sound pressure changes are indicated in a digital sound record. A spectrum analysis of sound pressure is shown in the diagrams indicating variations of the sound pressure level as a function of frequency and time, in three-dimensional diagrams of sound pressure changes, as a time-variation of pressure amplitude, as a signal power spectrum, etc. The variations of sound pressure in dependence of the acoustic signal captured confirm the phenomena in the boundary layer between the specimen and the quenching medium. From the acoustic signals captured in the course of the quenching process, it can be inferred (1) the occurrence and continuing of film boiling, in which intense emission will occur due to the evaporation of a quenching medium followed by generation characteristic sound signals with high amplitude; (2) this is followed by bubble boiling with a characteristic calm emission of the vapor bubbles. Sound signals have constant amplitude values; and (3) at the conclusion of the quenching process, the bubble emission will reduce and eventually stop, which is reflected in the amplitude value of the sound signal. The aim of the experimental study of quenching by measuring the characteristics of the sound signal is to monitor the quenching process and obtain optimal results.
Learning to Work: The Hidden Curriculum of the Classroom
Authors: LeCompte Margaret
Published: December 2010

Schools appear to generate work‐related values and behavior patterns. We explored the relationship between specific kinds of teacher behavior and student beliefs about work and school. We suggested that the special function of schooling in socialization was preparation for the work world through a “hidden curriculum” stressing authority, time, work, achievement, and order. This curriculum was presented by means of teacher behavior; it expressed institutional rather than idiosyncratic teacher needs, and prevailed regardless of classroom environment and teacher style.
A Hindu Odyssey
Authors: Barnouw Victor
Published: December 2010

Amitav Ghosh The Circle of Reason. New York, NY: Viking, 1986, 423 pp. $17.95 (cloth)
From the Periphery: Values, Culture, and Imagination
Authors: Hopgood James F.
Published: December 2010

A. M. Hocart. Imagination and Proof: Selected Essays of A. M. Hocart. Edited and with an Introduction by Rodney Needham. The Anthropology of Form and Meaning (series). Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1987. ix plus 130 pp, front. $19.95 (cloth).
The Flesh and the Word: Stories and Other Gifts of the Animals in Chipewyan Cosmology
Authors: Smith David M.
Published: December 2010

Although subject to criticism, scholars generally acknowledge the validity of Marcel Mauss's assertion that the gift exchange is central to the origins of human society. However, commentary overlooks the fact that for a good many North American Indians, and for others known in the ethnographic record, society involves other‐than human persons—especially animal persons. Focusing on the gift of stories, this article argues that for the Northern Athapaskan‐speaking Chipewyan, animals are not just a part of society; they provide the fundamental gifts upon which life is based. The most portentous example of their generosity—sacrificially presenting themselves to be killed by hunters—is paradigmatic for the selflessness in which humans should give to other humans. Furthermore, it is the circulation of power (inkonze) found in the animals'flesh, along with the inkonze embedded in such things as the words and actions of curers and storytellers—who are inspired by dreams that are given as gifts from the animals—that makes human life possible. Not only society, but reality itself is, in important measure, based upon the giving, receiving, and the returning of gifts of power
Stories as Ethnographic Dilemma in Longitudinal Research
Authors: Friedl Erika
Published: December 2010

In this article, the author examines the ways her informants' stories have taken on lives of their own over a 37‐year engagement in fieldwork. Taking a practical approach, the author draws on personal experiences to ask: What is the ethnographer to do with stories that shrink, metamorphose, or disappear over time? The author suggests that these transformations run along lines of indigenous logic, and concludes by calling for the elevation of “the study of the lives of stories” to a topic of ethnographic inquiry in itself.
Maxwell's Demons: Disenchantment in the Field
Authors: McIntosh Janet
Published: December 2010

This is an account of the fluctuating spiritual beliefs of my research assistant, Maxwell, and me as we moved through his cultural world side by side—I, initially, as an agnostic ethnographer; he, initially, as the passionate would‐be leader of a revival movement for a marginalized indigenous religion. The article is intended as a meditation on the fine line between belief and disbelief, on the politics and pain of adhering to a stigmatized belief system, and on the underexplored complexities that may arise from the mismatch between ethnographers' epistemology and that of their assistants in the field.
My Daughter, Dancing
Authors: Glaser Michael S.
Published: December 2010

Silence

Discovering God (in Barnes and Noble)

St. Vitus Cathedral
GOOD PRISONER
Authors: Brady Ivan
Published: December 2010

The Day of Jumbled Words
Embodying the Tragic Father(s): Autobiography and Intertextuality in Aristophanes
Authors: Telò Mario
Published: December 2010

This paper examines the role of the generation gap in Aristophanes' construction of his persona throughout Wasps, Clouds, and Peace. It contends that in Wasps and Clouds Aristophanes defines the relationship with his audience and his rivals by presenting himself as the figure of a paternal son. The same stance shapes the comic poet's generic self-positioning in the initial scene of Peace, where the parody of Euripides' Aeolus and Bellerophon evinces a corrective attitude in relation not only to the troubled images of fatherhood offered in the two tragic plays, but also to Aristophanes' unsuccessful performances as a paternal son in his earlier comedies. Euripidean intertextuality thus serves as a discursive medium through which Aristophanes dramatizes the turning points of his poetic autobiography.
Urban Anthropology Redux: Thoughts on the Return Trip
Authors: Whiteford Michael B.
Published: December 2010

URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY has long suffered from an unnecessary, self‐inflicted identity problem resulting from the absence of a consensus on exactly how it should be defined. The concern is spurious. Just as there is no succinct and firm definition of “rural” anthropology, so too there not be any great concern about defining or charting the future direction of “urban” anthropology. What brings researchers on urban issues together are similar theoretical and methodological issues that should transcend population densities, [rural anthropology, methodology, urban anthropology]
Urban Anthropology, Postmodernist Cities, and Perspectives
Authors: Lynch Owen M.
Published: December 2010

WITH THE REALIZATION that “the city” was an essentialization and that anthropology of the city was a chimera, urban anthropology seems without a topic for study. This article argues that the need for urban anthropology has never been greater, if we consider that there are contesting perspectives constituting cities. One perspective appropriate to a renewed urban anthropology is presented in David Harvey's The Condition of Postmoderniiy (1989). Using that perspective the article demonstrates from ethnographic examples that deindustrialization in First‐World cities has its flip side in industrialization of Third‐World cities, [globalization, postmodernism, deindustrialization]
Representation, Subjectivity and Ethics in Urban Gay Ethnography
Authors: Hersker Alan L. , Leap William
Published: December 2010

IN EXPLORING ISSUES of ethics and subjectivity stemming from two ongoing studies of urban gay life, our purpose is to describe some of the constraints influencing process and product in urban gay ethnography. Often, our status as members of the communities we study forces us to confront problems of responsibility and ethics, and we use both our anthropological training as well as our gay sensibility to mediate professional and personal considerations. Some of the constraints are the potential danger to lesbian and gay communities in disseminating research findings, the loss of a distinctly private gay sphere, and our responsibilities to lesbian and gay cultures.
Belonging to a Place: Turks in Unified Berlin
Authors: White Jenny B.
Published: December 2010

IN A POST–UNIFICATION CLIMATE of economic anxiety and crisis over the identity and the future direction of Germany, right–wing attacks on foreigners increased, targeting asylum seekers as well as long–term Turkish residents. This has caused many Turks to reevaluate their interaction with German society, either by withdrawing, consolidating forces, or by distancing themselves from the category of foreigner by emphasizing a local identity of place and a transnational Creole identity.
Extraordinary Vienna: Identity and the Metropolitan Project
Authors: Rotenberg Robert
Published: December 2010

THE KNOWLEDGE VIENNESE have of their public parks and private gardens re‐enforces their sense of belonging to the city. While place attachment may account for identification with a neighborhood or district, the sense of connection to the larger metropolis is another matter. Identification becomes possible through a “metropolitan project”—a mission or goal set by city leaders. The project's emphasis changes over time, yet commitment to it often transcends class, gender and ethnicity. Parks and gardens are shaped by the same forces that shape the metropolitan project in any given era. Green spaces become a medium through which their designers or gardeners express identification with the project, and through it, with the metropolis as a whole.
Beyond the Radiant Garden City Beautiful: Notes on the New Urbanism
Authors: Rutheiser Charles
Published: December 2010

The “New Urbanism” is a recent architectural and urban design movement that aspires to replace the sprawling, placeless metropolitan landscape with a denser and more integrated network of pedestrian–oriented communities characterized by revitalized public realms, ecological sustainability, and diversity of uses and users. Despite these commendable goals, the New Urbanism's selective rendering of the history of urban planning, its barely latent physical determinism, its superficial gloss on ecology, and its highly selective and exclusionary notions of community and the public realm render the principles and practices of the movement's proponents highly problematic. [Urbanism, architecture, planning, U.S.]
Urban Fear: Building the Fortress City
Authors: Low Setha M.
Published: December 2010

Currently one third of all new homes built in the United States are in gated residential developments, and eight million people already live in such communities. Secured neighborhoods are a logical extension of social and political processes producing the built environment of the late‐capitalist city. Although walled and fortified communities are not new, these recent developments are private rather than public, and are exclusively residential. Fortress–like, that is, walled, gated and guarded communities encode fear—materially, not just metaphorically—producing a literal landscape of fear. The study is based upon interviews with residents from gated developments in Los Angeles, New York and San Antonio. [Urban fear, urban studies, suburbs, gated communities, landscapes of fear]
Dynamics of the “Popcorn” Wolbachia Infection in OutbredAedes aegyptiInforms Prospects for Mosquito Vector Control
Authors: Yeap H L , Mee P , Walker T , Weeks A R , O'Neill S L , Johnson P , Ritchie S A , Richardson K M , Doig C , Endersby N M , Hoffmann A A
Published: December 2010

Forty percent of the world's population is at risk of contracting dengue virus, which produces dengue fever with a potentially fatal hemorrhagic form. The wMelPop Wolbachia infection of Drosophila melanogaster reduces life span and interferes with viral transmission when introduced into the mosquito Aedes aegypti, the primary vector of dengue virus. Wolbachia has been proposed as an agent for preventing transmission of dengue virus. Population invasion by Wolbachia depends on levels of cytoplasmic incompatibility, fitness effects, and maternal transmission. Here we characterized these traits in an outbred genetic background of a potential target population of Ae. aegypti using two crossing schemes. Cytoplasmic incompatibility was strong in this background, and the maternal transmission rate of Wolbachia was high. The infection substantially reduced longevity of infected adult females, regardless of whether adults came from larvae cultured under high or low levels of nutrition or density. The infection reduced the viability of diapausing and nondiapausing eggs. Viability was particularly low when eggs were laid by older females and when diapausing eggs had been stored for a few weeks. The infection affected mosquito larval development time and adult body size under different larval nutrition levels and densities. The results were used to assess the potential for wMelPop-CLA to invade natural populations of Ae. aegypti and to develop recommendations for the maintenance of fitness in infected mosquitoes that need to compete against field insects.
A Cis-Acting tRNA Gene Imposes the Cell Cycle Progression Requirement for Establishing Silencing at the HMR Locus in Yeast
Authors: Lazarus Asmitha G , Holmes Scott G
Published: December 2010

Numerous studies have determined that the establishment of Sir protein-dependent transcriptional silencing in yeast requires progression through the cell cycle. In our study we examined the cell cycle requirement for the establishment of silencing at the HML and HMR loci using strains bearing conditional or inducible SIR3 alleles. Consistent with prior reports, we observed that establishing silencing at HMR required progression through the cell cycle. Unexpectedly, we found that the HML locus is far less dependent on cell cycle progression to establish silencing. Seeking cis-acting elements that could account for this difference, we found that deletion of a tRNA gene that serves as a chromatin boundary at HMR abolishes the cell cycle progression requirement at this locus, while insertion of sequences containing this tRNA gene adjacent to HML imposes dependence on cell cycle progression for the full establishment of silencing. Our results indicate that the cell cycle progression requirement is not a property intrinsic to the formation of heterochromatin in yeast, but is instead a cis-limited, locus-specific phenomenon. We show that inactivation of the Scc1 cohesin also abolishes the requirement for cell cycle progression and test models based on a possible link between the tRNA gene and cohesin association.