bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Britain’s American Problem: The International Perspective
Authors: Marshall P. J.
Published: December 2012

Britain valued its American colonies primarily because of their contribution to the nation's security, power, and influence in Europe. A recurring British fear was that France, Britain's inevitable enemy during the period, might invade the British Isles. Many argued that Britain must be actively engaged in Europe, and that it was a fundamental British interest to prevent the French from dominating the continent. There is a general consensus on the main trends in British foreign relations during the American Revolution. During the Seven Years' War, Britain was able to effectively distribute resources between European and global theaters of war. Throughout the 1760s and 1770s, however, it became increasingly isolated in Europe, and thus had no European ally when it tried to crush the American rebellion. The specter of a global war led the British governing elite to confront what they perceived to be their problem with the United States: owing to the weak governance of Britain's dependencies, the colonies were not capable of defending themselves or of making an adequate contribution to British efforts to defend them.
The Polite and the Plebeian
Authors: Zuckerman Michael
Published: December 2012

In May 1774, Alexander Hamilton set off from his home in Annapolis and embarked on a journey from Delaware to modern-day Maine. His travels took him to eight very different colonies, and he recorded his impressions of the diverse customs and habits of the people he met in a journal that he called Itinerarium, which offers a glimpse into manners in colonial America and provides an intimate ethnography of social relations during the period. Historians who view the American Revolution as the indispensable determinant of American democracy have failed to see what Hamilton saw. Hamilton found out that men who laid claim to worldly estate were considered genteel, whereas men without wealth were not seen as gentlemen. Historians have argued that the Revolution was a watershed in social as well as in political relations, but Hamilton's Itinerarium shows that democratic manners were prevalent long before the imperial crisis.
The War in the Countryside
Authors: Kulikoff Allan
Published: December 2012

The experience of Tiverton, a town in Rhode Island, during the American Revolution reflects the story of much of Revolutionary America, particularly the countryside. However, the history of the war in the countryside is not well understood. During peaceful times, Britain promoted trade and a colonial political hierarchy, with courts and town meetings justifying gender, class, and racial relations. Men and women, the poor and the middling sort, slave and free, lived in households and communities that sustained free families, validated the division of labor, and resulted in economic growth. This social order was disrupted by the war, and the violence it brought in its wake. This chapter first examines the patterns of Revolutionary-era violence and plunder in the countryside, and then discusses the macroeconomic consequences of war and violence, and the eruption of the first great economic depression in American national history. It concludes by analyzing the impact of war on social groups (for example, free women and slaves) and on the households they organized.
Native Peoples in the Revolutionary War
Authors: Merritt Jane T.
Published: December 2012

The relationship between native peoples and the emerging United States during the era of the American Revolution was a complicated one. From the onset of Lord Dunmore's War in 1774 to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Indians in North America faced a dilemma on whether they would fight, for whom they would fight, and why they would fight. Most Native Americans initially thought that the Revolution was an isolated disagreement between white colonists and their mother country. However, the Revolutionary War evolved into a continent-wide struggle that the Indians could not avoid. Individual Indians joined both the Continental and British armies as regular soldiers or as scouts, guides, mariners, and diplomats. Indian involvement in the American Revolution has often been interpreted as the story of a people who picked the wrong side, lost, and were destined to move west and disappear. However, history shows that Native Americans not only participated in the American Revolution, but also survived the long-term changes it produced.
Women in the American Revolutionary War
Authors: Pearsall Sarah M. S.
Published: December 2012

This chapter examines the experiences of women during the American Revolution, focusing on how they affected the war and how the war affected them. Wartime violence made many women (and men) into victims and survivors; fear of violence is sometimes as potent as violence itself. At the same time, wartime destruction and economic inflation had an impact on women's lives and labors. Nevertheless, women were transformed from mere victims into agents in the war, battling demons of chaos, brutality, tyranny, and hunger. The chapter focuses on five periods and places: the first centers on New England in 1775–1776, the second is set in southern England in 1778, the third takes place in the country of the Six Nations in 1779, the fourth deals with Pennsylvania in 1780, and the fifth concentrates on the South in 1781–1782. These snapshots offer insights into the diversity of women's experiences, as well as the ways in which the war altered patterns of women's mobility and public participation.
A More Perfect Union: The Framing and Ratification of the Constitution
Authors: Edling Max M.
Published: December 2012

James Madison, the chief architect of the United States Constitution, drafted an introduction to notes from the proceedings of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unlike modern interpreters, which tend to view the U.S. Constitution as the blueprint of a liberal democratic society that protects the rights of individuals and minorities from the actions of overbearing majorities, Madison saw the Constitution as a plan of union between independent state-republics. It represented an attempt to reform the already existing union between the states that had been put in place by the chapters of Confederation. Until recently, few historians regarded international politics and problems of federalism as the main impetus for constitutional reform. Instead, it was usually argued that the Constitution was primarily an attempt to counteract the alarming revolutionary democratization of state politics. In recent years, historians have begun to focus on foreign affairs and federalism—the very issues emphasized by Madison.
The Evangelical ASCENDENCY in Revolutionary America
Authors: Juster Susan
Published: December 2012

The American Revolution has spawned a number of creation myths, one of which relates to the wave of religious revivals that swept the colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. This chapter offers a different creation story: the pitched battle on May 26, 1771 that pitted angry farmers against the colonial militia in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The Great Awakening sparked the politicization of evangelicals in America. A process that the historian Nathan Hatch calls “the democratization of American Christianity” spanned five decades, bookended by the First and Second Great Awakenings with the American Revolution as the fulcrum point. The chapter discusses the evangelical ascendency in all its dimensions, focusing on five discrete “typologies” of evangelical Protestantism: the Insurgent, the Consumer, the Patriarch, the Martyr, and the Patriot. Each of these typologies tells us something important about both the history and the historiography of the evangelical contribution to the political crisis of the 1770s. The chapter concludes by looking at evangelical patriots and reexamining the relationship between revived religion and the American Revolution.
The Problems of Slavery
Authors: Brown Christopher Leslie
Published: December 2012

When the Stamp Act crisis erupted, the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade or the overthrow of colonial slavery was deemed impossible. Less than a quarter century later, by the time delegates gathered for the Constitutional Convention, both slavery and the Atlantic slave trade were being condemned, not only in the new United States, but also in Britain and France. Between 1765 and 1787, antislavery declarations and protests proliferated and imaginative proposals were put forward to achieve a comprehensive emancipation. The American Revolution was credited for initiating these changes by popularizing the idea of universal liberty and, in turn, stigmatizing the institution of slavery. Yet the founders failed to deliver the fatal blow to slavery after the war as the promise of universal emancipation implied in the war's rhetoric collapsed. Denied and deferred in the United States, the antislavery movement would achieve its greatest influence in Britain. In Saint-Domingue, slave insurrections led to the abolition of slavery in the French West Indies by 1794.
Print Culture after the Revolution
Authors: O’Donnell Catherine
Published: December 2012

During the American Revolution, print emerged as a medium to describe conversion experiences, to exhort to virtue, to plead for votes, to amuse, and to scandalize. Printed texts enabled ideas to float from one mind to another. Imprints and newspapers both experienced dramatic growth, in part due to advances in papermaking, typesetting, and bookbinding. The heart of early Republican print culture, though, was not books, but ephemera. Much of the power of print depended on Americans' ability to read. The new United States was a highly literate and schooled society. The first federal copyright law, passed in 1790, spurred the transition from printers to publishers, while the Sedition Act resulted in the significant expansion of the Republican press. Aside from newspapers, almanacs and magazines flourished in the decades after the Revolution.
The Laboring Republic
Authors: Hodges Graham Russell Gao
Published: December 2012

The American Revolution enabled ordinary people to enjoy political freedom. The story of how the common people of the early American cities made and inherited the war has been intertwined with the meaning of American independence from Britain. After winning that freedom, all working people seemed to have a greater opportunity, whether through politics, an independent economy, or personal liberty. Historians have studied the roles of artisans or mechanics (as they were then known) in order to understand the common people of urban, Revolutionary America. Artisans asserted greater political freedom as a Revolutionary heritage and eventually joined forces with southern agrarians to form a Republican Party that competed with the dominant Federalists. By 1800, they played a key role in the election of President Thomas Jefferson. Aside from politics, two other factors that changed traditional craft relationships among artisans were the Industrial Revolution and the introduction of capitalist labor relations. This chapter explores how American workers between the American Revolution and the War of 1812 confronted shared challenges and different obstacles shaped by gender, race, and region.
Revisiting Lombroso
Authors: DeLisi Matt
Published: December 2012

Cesare Lombroso's atavism theory argues that criminals are primitive savages who are evolutionarily backward compared to normal citizens. According to Lombroso, born criminals possess an array of stigmata or markers that may be considered putative evidence of their criminality. These include their excessive tattoos, their manner of writing and talking, or the size and shape of their skull, ears, forehead, and hands. In his work, including Criminal Man , Lombroso provides a wide range of examples where he likens criminal offenders not only to primitive savages, but also to plants and animals. This article examines the factors that motivated Lombroso to become a criminologist, and the reasons why he used the approaches that he did to better understand the causes and correlates of crime. It first provides a brief overview of each chapter of each of the five editions of Criminal Man, before discussing differences between Lombroso's theory and current biosocial criminology.
General Strain and Urban Youth Violence
Authors: Brezina Timothy , Agnew Robert
Published: December 2012

This article proposes Robert Agnew's general strain theory (GST) as an alternative to subcultural and social disorganization theories. Unlike other crime theories, GST highlights the negative social relations and emotions that pressure individuals into crime. GST is particularly relevant to urban youth violence; young people have a greater tendency to experience strains conducive to violence and to react to them with violence. Moreover, GST helps to explain the self-perpetuating cycle of violence that consumes many youth, a major phenomenon in many inner-city communities whereby high levels of violent victimization act as a major strain that prompts further violence. After providing an overview of GST, this article examines how it explains urban youth violence. It then reviews research on the validity of GST and its application to urban youth violence, giving special attention to research on community violence exposure/victimization. It also uses GST to explain the origin of those deviant subcultures that also trigger urban youth violence.
Contemporary Gang Ethnographies
Authors: Decker Scott , Pyrooz David
Published: December 2012

Until the middle of the twentieth century, research on gangs was ethnographic in nature, with a strong journalistic approach. However, there has been a shift in the ethnographic study of gangs from serious fieldwork in America to the European setting. This article focuses on the state of contemporary gang ethnography by analyzing three periods of ethnographic research on gangs: the classic era, the “interstitial” period, and the contemporary period. It traces the evolution of the ethnographic approach to the study of youth behavior in the United States over the past century. It also looks at the interstitial period to provide a contrast to the state of gang ethnography in Europe.
Gender and Theories of Delinquency
Authors: De Coster Stacy , Heimer Karen , Cumley Samantha R.
Published: December 2012

Females are less likely than males to violate the law, a statement that has become a criminological truism and might help explain why the major theoretical paradigms in criminology tend to focus more on male offending than on female delinquency. Although females are less likely to engage in illegal behavior, they do so nonetheless. This article looks at the major criminological paradigms—control, strain, and learning—and the extent to which they have addressed female delinquency as well as the gender gap in delinquency. While it is true that the most prominent theories in each paradigm pay little attention to gender, some have suggested that these theories can explain delinquency in both males and females. In other words, the theories are believed to be gender-neutral. Indeed, there is empirical evidence to support the argument that the major social-psychological processes and variables in these theories—social bonds, self-control, strain, and learning—influence male and female delinquency.
Neighborhood Ties, Control, and Crime
Authors: Warner Barbara D. , Clubb Audrey C.
Published: December 2012

Since E. A. Ross's ([1901] 1929) seminal work at the beginning of the twentieth century, social control has emerged as a central concept in American sociology. Recent research indicates that neighborhoods with high levels of informal social control have lower crime rates. This article reviews findings on the role of neighborhood social ties in providing informal social control and preventing crime, both theoretically and empirically. It discusses the important gaps in knowledge that are considered crucial in better understanding the role played by social ties in social control and crime prevention. The article first describes Clifford R. Shaw and Henry D. McKay's social disorganization theory and its extension, the systemic model of social disorganization. It then emphasizes the need to distinguish social disorganization theory from deterrence theory, highlighting the implications for models of justice and identifying areas for future research.
Community, Inequality, and Crime
Authors: Ousey Graham C. , Lee Matthew R.
Published: December 2012

One of the most exciting developments in the field of criminology is the emergence of studies that seek to explain variation in crime rates across aggregate social communities. These studies have an underlying theoretical theme: crime rates across communities are strongly correlated with structural inequality, or the stratification of communities on several key socioeconomic dimensions. This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the link between structural inequality and crime rates across communities. Specifically, it looks at theory and research that examines whether and how structural inequality affects crime rates in macro-level social communities such as cities, metropolitan areas, counties, and neighborhoods. It also discusses the notion that dimensions of structural inequality increase crime rates by increasing criminal motivation among those individuals who directly experience deprivation, and that such inequality contributes to crime by creating community-level differences in the extent of collective informal social control.
The Code of the Suburb and Drug Dealing
Authors: Jacques Scott , Wright Richard
Published: December 2012

High rates of violence are characteristic of many urban drug markets because the individuals therein abide by a set of informal rules known as the code of the street. This code governs interpersonal conduct that emerges from the social circumstances found in various communities in America. Drug market participants who subscribe to this code view violence as a means to earn respect, status, and security. Not all drug markets are urban, how or exhibit high rates of violence, however. This is probably the reason why researchers have focused disproportionately on violent, inner-city drug markets to account for the conditions that facilitate violence in such environments. This article examines why there is a dearth of violence in drug markets in suburbs, focusing on the cultural context in which such markets operate. It first describes a study of twenty-five young suburban drug dealers before looking at the code of the suburb. It also assesses the code's impact on drug dealing, especially in relation to handling victimization, and concludes by highlighting the relevance of peace for understanding violence.
Social Institutions and Crime
Authors: Messner Steven F. , Rosenfeld Richard , Karstedt Susanne
Published: December 2012

Over the past several years, criminological theorists have shown renewed interest in the role of social institutions in the onset of crime. This development has been aptly labeled the “new institutionalism” by Susanne Karstedt in 2010 and has been manifested most prominently in recent studies on criminal punishment. Recognition of the central role of institutions in trying to understand the societal response to crime is not new or surprising, given that the criminal justice system is itself an institution (or an institutional subsystem). Social institutions influence how social life is regulated and facilitate the functioning of social systems. There are three interrelated dimensions of social institutions that are particularly relevant to the study of crime: institutional structure, institutional regulation or legitimacy, and institutional performance.
The Market Economy and Crime
Authors: Currie Elliott
Published: December 2012

One of the earliest statements of a theoretical perspective on the impact of the market economy on crime can be found in Sir Thomas More's Utopia, his sixteenth-century critique of socioeconomic conditions in England. This article argues that the “holistic” and multi-layered character of the market society perspective makes it a very powerful framework for elucidating differences in crime, especially serious criminal violence, among contemporary societies; that there is strong and diverse empirical support for the relationship between “market society” and elevated rates of violence; that the market society perspective can shed light on the pronounced differences in violence between the United States and other advanced industrial societies; and that the global spread of neoliberal economic policies, along with the corollary elimination of long-established restraints on the unfettered operation of markets, have major implications for the future of crime and criminal justice.
Coercion and Crime
Authors: Vander Ven Thomas , Colvin Mark
Published: December 2012

This article explores the link between coercion and crime and how this link has evolved. It also presents five propositions relating coercion to crime. First, coercion is a primary mechanism in the social reproduction process of class society. Second, coercive messages from the larger culture help to enhance the coercive nature of this process. Third, economic conditions help shape the coerciveness of society. Fourth, long-term changes in crime rates are influenced by shifts in impersonal coercive forces related to economic and cultural changes. Fifth, the ratio of coercion to social support within a society is correlated with the shifting balance of power between capital and labor in continuing class struggles under capitalism.
Perceptual Deterrence Theory
Authors: Paternoster Ray , Bachman Ronet
Published: December 2012

According to deterrence theory in criminology, we are affected by both the costs and rewards that are consequent to our behavior. In other words, we tend to behave based on the expectation that we will receive some type of reward for doing it while hoping to avoid some type of punishment for not doing it or doing something else. We also provide disincentives, such as the criminal justice system, in order to discourage crime. The criminal justice system can reduce crime by apprehending and punishing offenders based on two mechanisms: specific deterrence and general deterrence. Deterrence theory posits that the actual practices of the criminal justice system, or what is known as the objective properties of punishment, affect would-be offenders' decisions by way of the perceptual properties of punishment. The idea behind perceptual deterrence theory is that the perceived certainty, severity, and celerity of punishment are inversely related to the decisions by would-be offenders to commit crime.
The Effects of Imprisonment
Authors: Jonson Cheryl Lero
Published: December 2012

Over the past forty years, the United States has relied on mass incarceration as a means to control crime. This reliance on imprisonment, known as the “penal harm movement,” has advocated incapacitation and other get-tough policies to punish offenders. This “get tough” era has made imprisonment one of the main crime control strategies utilized in the United States to incapacitate offenders and deter current and future offenders. Prisons exist for this purpose; they house both serious and minor offenders. This article assesses the impact of imprisonment on the reoffending of individuals sentenced to non-custodial sanctions as opposed to those given custodial sanctions, sentenced to shorter versus longer sentences, and placed in harsher compared to less harsh prison conditions.
Coercive Mobility
Authors: Frost Natasha A. , Clear Todd R.
Published: December 2012

Using Robert J. Bursik and Harold G. Grasmick's re-specification of social disorganization theory as systemic theory, Dina R. Rose and Todd R. Clear showed how high levels of incarceration, concentrated in poor places, would be expected to have a “tipping point” at which the incarceration would cause crime to go up rather than down. The Rose and Clear model, later called the coercive mobility thesis, treats the removal of residents for incarceration as a major source of instability in poor neighborhoods. Rose and Clear argue that the same sorts of destabilizing and norm-weakening effects that Clifford Shaw and Henry D. McKay originally attributed to residential mobility, would also occur when the cause of the outward migration is incarceration by the state. The coercive mobility thesis assumes that the cycling of people into and out of prison constitutes an important and distinct form of mobility which can harm the communities that are hardest hit by both crime and, perhaps ironically, crime control policies.
BRCA1 deficiency in skin epidermis leads to selective loss of hair follicle stem cells and their progeny
Authors: Sotiropoulou Panagiota A. , Karambelas Andrea E. , Debaugnies Maud , Candi Aurelie , Bouwman Peter , Moers Virginie , Revenco Tatiana , Rocha Ana Sofia , Sekiguchi Kiyotoshi , Jonkers Jos , Blanpain Cedric
Published: December 2012

The accurate maintenance of genomic integrity is essential for tissue homeostasis. Deregulation of this process leads to cancer and aging. BRCA1 is a critical mediator of this process. Here, we performed conditional deletion of Brca1 during epidermal development and found that BRCA1 is specifically required for hair follicle (HF) formation and for development of adult HF stem cells (SCs). Mice deficient for Brca1 in the epidermis are hairless and display a reduced number of HFs that degenerate progressively. Surprisingly, the interfollicular epidermis and the sebaceous glands remain unaffected by Brca1 deletion. Interestingly, HF matrix transient amplifying progenitors present increased DNA damage, p53 stabilization, and caspase-dependent apoptosis compared with the interfollicular and sebaceous progenitors, leading to hyperproliferation, apoptosis, and subsequent depletion of the prospective adult HF SCs. Concomitant deletion of p53 and Brca1 rescues the defect of HF morphogenesis and loss of HF SCs. During adult homeostasis, BRCA1 is dispensable for quiescent bulge SCs, but upon their activation during HF regeneration, Brca1 deletion causes apoptosis and depletion of Brca1-deficient bulge SCs. Our data reveal a major difference in the requirement of BRCA1 between different types of epidermal SCs and progenitors and during the different activation stages of adult HF SCs.
Molecular investigation of carbapenem resistance among multidrug‐resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated clinically in Thailand
Authors: Khuntayaporn Piyatip , Montakantikul Preecha , Santanirand Pitak , Kiratisin Pattarachai , Chomnawang Mullika Traidej
Published: December 2012

Carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were isolated among multidrug‐resistant (CR‐MDR) organisms from tertiary hospitals in Thailand. Decreased expression of oprD mRNA (93.65%) was predominant followed by increased expression of mexAB‐oprM mRNA (92.06%) and mexXY mRNA (63.49%). Interestingly, 23 of 126 (18.25%) isolates were susceptible to imipenem with down‐regulated oprD expression and non‐up‐regulated mexCD‐oprJ mRNA expression. Metallo‐β‐lactamases production was clearly positive in 24 isolates (18.46%) and weakly positive in 12 isolates (9.23%). Among both of these sets of isolates, imp‐1, imp‐14 and vim‐2 were identified. Hyperproduction of AmpC β‐lactamase had the lowest prevalence rate (3.97%). It was concluded that CR‐MDR P. aeruginosa clinical isolates in Thailand possess multifactorial resistance mechanisms.
Interleukin‐8 and CXCL10 expression in oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts via Toll‐like receptors
Authors: Fukui Akiko , Ohta Kouji , Nishi Hiromi , Shigeishi Hideo , Tobiume Kei , Takechi Masaaki , Kamata Nobuyuki
Published: December 2012

Oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts may be the first line of host defense against oral microorganisms. Here, the contention that oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts recognize microbial components via Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) and participate in development of oral inflammation was examined. It was found that immortalized oral keratinocytes (RT7), fibroblasts (GT1) and primary cells express mRNA of TLRs 1–10. Interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) production by RT7 cells was induced by treatment with TLRs 1–9 with the exception of TLR7 agonist, whereas GT1 cells were induced to produce IL‐8 by all TLR agonists tested except for TLR7 and TLR9. GT1 cells showed increased CXCL10 production following treatment with agonists for TLR1/2, TLR3, TLR4, and TLR5, whereas only those for TLR3 and TLR5 increased CXCL10 production in RT7 cells. Moreover, TLR agonists differentially regulated tumor necrosis factor‐alpha‐induced IL‐8 and CXCL10 production by the tested cell types. These findings suggest that recognition of pathogenic microorganisms in oral keratinocytes and fibroblasts by TLRs may have important roles in orchestrating host immune responses via production of various chemokines.
Accumulation of major histocompatibility complex class II+CD11c− non‐lymphoid cells in the spleen during infection with Plasmodium yoelii is lymphocyte‐dependent
Authors: Kamei Rika , Miyakoda Mana , Tamura Takahiko , Kimura Daisuke , Honma Kiri , Kimura Kazumi , Yui Katsuyuki
Published: December 2012

The spleen is the main organ for immune defense during infection with Plasmodium parasites and splenomegaly is one of the major symptoms of such infections. Using a rodent model of Plasmodium yoelii infection, MHC class II+CD11c− non‐T, non‐B cells in the spleen were characterized. Although the proportion of conventional dendritic cells was reduced, that of MHC II+CD11c− non‐T, non‐B cells increased during the course of infection. The increase in this subpopulation was dependent on the presence of lymphocytes. Experiments using Rag‐2−/− mice with adoptively transferred normal spleen cells indicated that these cells were non‐lymphoid cells; however, their accumulation in the spleen during infection with P. yoelii depended on lymphocytes. Functionally, these MHC II+CD11c− non‐T, non‐B cells were able to produce the proinflammatory cytokines alpha tumor necrosis factor and interleukin‐6 in response to infected red blood cells, but had only a limited ability to activate antigen‐specific CD4+ T cells. This study revealed a novel interaction between MHC II+CD11c− non‐lymphoid cells and lymphoid cells in the accumulations of these non‐lymphoid cells in the spleen during infection with P. yoelii.
Genomic polymorphisms in 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ24‐reductase promoter sequences
Authors: Salem Nagla Elwy , Saito Makoto , Kasama Yuri , Ozawa Makoto , Kawabata Toshiko , Harada Shinji , Suda Hiroko , Asonuma Katsuhiro , El‐Gohary Ahmed , Tsukiyama‐Kohara Kyoko
Published: December 2012

It was recently reported by the present team that 3β‐hydroxysterol Δ24‐reductase (DHCR24) is induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In addition, upregulation of DHCR24 impairs p53 activity. In human hepatoma HuH‐7 cells, the degree of DHCR24 expression is higher than in normal hepatic cell lines (WRL68) at the transcriptional level. The genomic promoter sequence of DHCR24 was characterized and nucleotide substitutions were observed in HuH‐7 cells at nucleotide numbers −1453 (G to A), −1420 (G to T), −488 (A to C) and −200 (G to C). The mutations of these sequences from HuH‐7 cell types to WRL68 cell types suppressed DHCR24 gene promoter activity. The sequences were further characterized in hepatocytes from patient tissues. Four tissues from HCV‐positive patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (#1, 2, 3, 5) possessed HuH‐7 cell type sequences. Interestingly, one patient with liver cirrhosis (#4) possessed WRL68 cell‐type sequences; this patient had been infected with HCV and was HCV negative for 17 years after interferon therapy. Next, the effect of HCV infection on these polymorphisms was examined in humanized chimeric mouse liver and HuH‐7 cells. The human hepatocytes possess WRL68 cell type and did not show the nucleotide substitution after HCV infection. The HCV‐replicon was removed by interferon treatment and established the cured K4 cells. These cells possess HuH‐7 cell type sequences. Thus, this study showed the genomic polymorphism in DHCR24 promoter is not directly influenced by HCV infection.
Identification and structural characterization of serobactins, a suite of lipopeptide siderophores produced by the grass endophyte Herbaspirillum seropedicae
Authors: Rosconi Federico , Davyt Danilo , Martínez Verónica , Martínez Marcela , Abin‐Carriquiry Juan Andrés , Zane Hannah , Butler Alison , de Souza Emanuel M. , Fabiano Elena
Published: December 2012

Herbaspirillum seropedicae Z67 is a diazotrophic endophyte able to colonize the interior of many economically relevant crops such as rice, wheat, corn and sorghum. Structures of siderophores produced by bacterial endophytes have not yet been elucidated. The aim of this work was to identify and characterize the siderophores produced by this bacterium. In a screening for mutants unable to produce siderophores we found a mutant that had a transposon insertion in a non‐ribosomal peptide synthase (NRPS) gene coding for a putative siderophore biosynthetic enzyme. The chemical structure of the siderophore was predicted using computational genomic tools. The predicted structure was confirmed by chemical analysis. We found that siderophores produced by H. seropedicae Z67 are a suite of amphiphilic lipopeptides, named serobactin A, B and C, which vary by the length of the fatty acid chain. We also demonstrated the biological activity of serobactins as nutritional iron sources for H. seropedicae. These are the first structurally described siderophores produced by endophytic bacteria.
Let Their Voices Be Seen: Exploring Mental Mapping as a Feminist Visual Methodology for the Study of Migrant Women
Authors: Jung Hyunjoo
Published: December 2012

This article explores how mental mapping can be used as a critical methodology for feminist migration studies. In a case study of female marriage migrants who settle in rural areas in South Korea from other Asian countries, I attempt to develop mental mapping to supplement verbal interviews. Mental maps of hometowns and current neighborhoods drawn by my interviewees represent their geographical imaginations and complex identity negotiations that mirror the change in their social locations. In order to understand multilayered meanings embedded in the images and the way in which power relations existent between the researcher and the researched affect the map production, I suggest a critical reading of the maps. The article shows how a reflexive and intertextual reading makes a difference to the interpretation of the maps. It argues that the maps are not mere reflections of the women's cognition, but rather socially constructed texts through which their desires, emotions, feelings and internal contradictions are expressed and negotiated. My research suggests that mental mapping, if ethically performed and critically evaluated, has potential as a means to convey the unheard voices of the marginalized to diverse audiences.
Dynamic volumetric computed tomographic assessment of the young paediatric airway: Initial experience of rapid, non‐invasive, four‐dimensional technique
Authors: Tan Judith Zhi‐Yie , Crossett Marcus , Ditchfield Michael
Published: December 2012

Introduction

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamic volumetric CT in the assessment of the paediatric airway.

Methods

Ethics board approval was obtained for this retrospective review. Eight infants (median age 6 months, range 3 weeks to 1 year, 50% female) at a tertiary paediatric centre with complex clinical respiratory presentation underwent volumetric CT assessment of their airways. The entire lungs were examined over 1–2 respiratory cycles. In four patients, intravenous contrast was administered to assess for vascular airway compression. The patients were not intubated. CT findings were correlated with bronchography and bronchoscopy, where available.

Results

Two patients had diffuse tracheobronchomalacia associated with chronic lung disease. One patient demonstrated focal severe cervical tracheomalacia. One patient had a double aortic arch causing fixed narrowing with superimposed malacia of the distal trachea. Four patients had normal airways; one with chronic lung disease, one demonstrating air trapping. CT findings were concordant with bronchography (one case) and bronchoscopy (four cases) in all but one (CT negative, bronchoscopy positive) but did not alter patient management.

Conclusion

The assessment of the paediatric airway, and in particular for tracheobronchomalacia, is difficult. Assessment with bronchography, bronchoscopy, helical CT and MR have issues with reliability, intubation, intratracheal/bronchial contrast administration and ionising radiation. Volumetric CT assesses the entire central airway in children at much lower radiation dose compared with previous dynamic CT imaging. This non‐invasive, rapid assessment obviates the need for patient cooperation and enables evaluation of extratracheal intrathoracic structures. Volumetric CT enables four‐dimensional assessment for paediatric tracheobronchomalacia without intubation or patient cooperation and at low radiation dose.
Why is microcalcification missed on mammography?
Authors: Peters Gudrun , Jones Catherine M , Daniels Katie
Published: December 2012

Introduction

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is often only mammographically evident as microcalcification. Although the overall percentage of screening cases with histologically proven DCIS microcalcification is small, the clinical relevance of missing this finding is significant. The current guidelines in Australia for breast screening departments are for double reading of mammograms to reduce both perceptive and interpretative error.

Methods

This retrospective study identified patients from a state screening program with histologically proven DCIS whose mammograms showed microcalcification. The initial double reader results were documented according to the 5‐point grading scale of BreastScreen Tasmania, and discrepancies between readers were noted. Mammographic factors such as breast density, lesion location, morphology, distribution, size and presence on previous imaging were assessed for significant influence on inter‐reader discrepancy. Histological evidence of invasion and grade of malignancy were also analysed.

Results

Of 65 identified cases, 29 (45%) showed that one of the two readers had not flagged the microcalcification on the report. Analyses revealed no significant difference in reader discrepancy with any of the analysed factors including breast density, size of microcalcification or presence on previous imaging. Twenty‐five of 29 (86%) cases of discrepancy were perceptive.

Conclusion

Breast screening reading for microcalcification is poorly correlated to mammographic or histological features. The majority of errors were perceptive rather than interpretative. Double reading is advocated as standard practice to reduce perceptive error.
Evidence‐based guideline for the written radiology report: Methods, recommendations and implementation challenges
Authors: Goergen Stacy K , Pool Felicity J , Turner Tari J , Grimm Jane E , Appleyard Mark N , Crock Carmel , Fahey Michael C , Fay Michael F , Ferris Nicholas J , Liew Susan M , Perry Richard D , Revell Ann , Russell Grant M , Wang Shih‐chang SC , Wriedt Christian
Published: December 2012

The written radiology report is the dominant method by which radiologists communicate the results of diagnostic and interventional imaging procedures. It has an important impact on decisions about further investigation and management. Its form and content can be influential in reducing harm to patients and mitigating risk for practitioners but varies markedly with little standardisation in practice. Until now, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists has not had a guideline for the written report. International guidelines on this subject are not evidence based and lack description of development methods. The current guideline seeks to improve the quality of the written report by providing evidence‐based recommendations for good practice. The following attributes of the report are addressed by recommendations:

Content

Clinical information available to the radiologist at the time the report was created

Technical details of the procedure

Examination quality and limitations

Findings (both normal and abnormal)

Comparison with previous studies

Pathophysiological diagnosis

Differential diagnoses

Clinical correlation and/or answer to the clinical question

Recommendations, particularly for further imaging and other investigations

Conclusion/opinion/impression

Format

Length

Format

Language

Confidence and certainty

Clarity

Readability

Accuracy

Communication of discrepancies between an original verbal or written report and the final report

Proofreading/editing of own and trainee reports
Supplemental value of diffusion‐weighted whole‐body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) technique to whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging in detection of bone metastases from thyroid cancer
Authors: Sakurai Yusuke , Kawai Hisashi , Iwano Shingo , Ito Shinji , Ogawa Hiroshi , Naganawa Shinji
Published: December 2012

Introduction

We compared the efficacy of whole‐body MRI (WBMRI) with and without diffusion‐weighted whole‐body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) using a 3.0‐T MR scanner to [18F] fluoro‐2‐D‐glucose positron emission tomography with CT (integrated FDG‐PET/CT) for the detection of bone metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC).

Methods

We examined 23 patients (16 women, 7 men; mean age, 56; range 17–74) with DTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy and were hospitalised to receive [I‐131I] therapy. All patients underwent both WBMRI with DWIBS and whole‐body FDG‐PET/CT. The skeletal system was classified into 13 anatomic segments and assessed for the presence of bone metastases. Bone metastases were verified when positive findings were indicated on at least two imaging modalities: post‐treated [131I] whole‐body scans, WBMRI without DWIBS (T1‐weighted images and short‐inversion time inversion recovery images), [18F]‐FDG‐PET and CT.

Results

Bone metastases were confirmed in 78/290 (27%) segments in 20 (87%) of 23 patients. The sensitivities for bone metastases on a segment basis using WBMRI with DWIBS, WBMRI without DWIBS and integrated FDG‐PET/CT were 64 of 78 (82%), 50 of 78 (64%) and 62 of 78 (79%), respectively; the difference between values of WBMRI with and without DWIBS was statistically significant (P = 0.0015). The overall accuracies of WBMRI with DWIBS, WBMRI without DWIBS and integrated FDG‐PET/CT were 273 of 290 (94%), 261 of 290 (90%) and 272 of 290 (94%), respectively; the difference between values of MRI with and without DWIBS was also statistically significant (P = 0.003). There were only one to three false positive segments and the difference among specificities was not statistically significant in these modalities.

Conclusion

Adding DWIBS improved the sensitivity and the overall accuracy of WBMRI using 3.0‐T MRI for the detection of bone metastases in patients with DTC. There was no statistically significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between MRI with DWIBS and integrated FDG‐PET/CT.
Computed tomography of the temporomandibular joint
Authors: Boeddinghaus Rudolf , Whyte Andy
Published: December 2012

We present a pictorial review of the spectrum of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pathology diagnosed with CT. Although MRI is the modality of choice for most TMJ pathology, CT is useful when MRI is contraindicated or not accessible. With attention to technique and viewing conditions, CT is capable of showing internal disc derangement, arthritis, neoplasms and non‐TMJ regional pathology at a relatively low radiation dose.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult patients with severe acute respiratory failure
Authors: LINDSKOV C. , JENSEN R. H. , SPROGOE P. , KLAABORG K. E. , KIRKEGAARD H. , SEVERINSEN I. K , LORENTSEN A. G , FOLKERSEN L. , ILKJAER S. , PEDERSEN C. M.
Published: December 2012

Background

A group of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is resistant to advanced respiratory therapy. In these patients, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can be used as a rescue therapy. This study presents 14 years of experience from a Scandinavian ECMO centre. The aim of the study is to present outcome results and to investigate whether or not simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS‐II), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and/or Murray scores can be used to predict patients' outcome.

Methods

In a prospective observational study, we collected data from ECMO patients from January 1997 to March 2011. The treatment was based mainly on venous‐venous ECMO and centrifugal pumps. Patients were retrieved from Denmark plus a number from Sweden and Norway. The inclusion criteria were the classical criteria until November 2009 (n = 100), after which the new Extracorporeal Life Support Organisation criteria (n = 24) were used.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐four patients were enrolled with median age 45 (range 16–67) years. The median Murray score was 3.7 (2.5–4.0). One hundred and six (85%) of the patients were retrieved from referring hospitals on ECMO. The median duration of the ECMO runs was 215 (1–578) h. Ninety‐seven (78%) of the patients could be weaned from ECMO. A total of 88 (71%) were discharged alive to the referring hospitals. High SAPS‐II, SOFA and Murray scores were associated with a high mortality.

Conclusion

Patients with severe ARDS have a favourable outcome when treated with ECMO and when an ECMO retrieval team establishes the ECMO treatment at the referring hospital. SAPS‐II, SOFA and Murray scores predicted the outcome.
Neurophysiological Correlates of Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Older and Younger Social Drinkers
Authors: Lewis Ben , Boissoneault Jeff , Gilbertson Rebecca , Prather Robert , Nixon Sara Jo
Published: December 2012

Background

Nearly 40% of adults aged 65 and older in the United States consume alcohol. Research in older adults has largely examined potential health effects of a moderate drinking lifestyle. Examination of acute effects in this population is generally lacking. To investigate alcohol‐induced alteration of electrophysiological correlates of attention in this population, we employed a covert attentional task. We hypothesized that moderate alcohol administration as well as older age would reduce P3 amplitude and increase latency. We anticipated an interaction such that, relative to their age‐matched controls, older adults receiving alcohol would be more affected than their younger counterparts.

Methods

Participants included healthy older (aged 50 to 67; n = 20; 9 men) and younger (aged 25 to 35; n = 12; 5 men) moderate drinkers. Participants received either a moderate dose of alcohol (breath alcohol concentration ∼50 mg/dl) or a placebo beverage. Following absorption, the task was administered and neurophysiological measures were obtained. P3 amplitude and latency were separately subjected to ANOVA across cue conditions using age and dose as independent variables.

Results

As predicted, P3 amplitude in older adults was significantly lower than in younger adults across cue conditions. An age by alcohol interaction was detected, revealing that older adults receiving alcohol showed lower P3 amplitudes than any other group. An age effect for P3 latency was found, with older adults having longer latencies than their younger counterparts. A significant age by alcohol interaction for P3 latency was detected, revealing that older adults receiving alcohol displayed delayed P3 latencies relative to older adults receiving placebo. In contrast, younger adults receiving alcohol had reduced latency compared to those receiving placebo, although this effect did not reach significance.

Conclusions

Results suggest that older adults demonstrated alcohol‐related shifts in P3 characteristics during an intentional attention task, whereas younger adults failed to demonstrate this pattern.