bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphatase PRL-3 Is a Direct Regulatory Target of TGFβ in Colon Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Jiang Yanjun , Liu Xiao-Qiong , Rajput Ashwani , Geng Liying , Ongchin Melanie , Zeng Qi , Taylor Gregory S. , Wang Jing
Published: November 2010

Metastasis causes most deaths from cancer yet mechanistic understanding and therapeutic options remain limited. Overexpression of the phosphatase PRL-3 (phosphatase of regenerating liver) is associated with metastasis of colon cancer. Here, we show that PRL-3 is a direct target of signaling by TGFβ, which is broadly implicated in progression and metastasis. We found that suppression of PRL-3 expression by TGFβ was mediated by Smad-dependent inhibition of PRL-3 transcription at the level of promoter activity. PRL-3 activation stimulated PI3K/AKT signaling that caused resistance to stress-induced apoptosis. PRL-3 overexpression promoted metastatic colonization in an orthotopic mouse model of colon cancer, whereas PRL-3 knockdown reduced metastatic potential. Altered metastatic phenotypes were not derivative of primary tumor development or local invasion but could be attributed to PRL-3–mediated cell survival. Our findings suggest that inhibiting PRL-3 expression might be an important mechanism through which TGFβ suppresses metastasis in colon cancer. In addition, our findings suggest that loss of TGFβ signaling, which occurs commonly during colon cancer progression, is sufficient to activate a PRL-3–mediated cell survival pathway that can selectively promote metastasis. Therefore, a major implication of our findings is that PRL-3 antagonists may offer significant value for antimetastatic therapy in patients with colon cancer. Cancer Res; 71(1); 234–44. ©2010 AACR.
A Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor, PI-103, Cooperates with Stem Cell–Delivered TRAIL in Experimental Glioma Models
Authors: Bagci-Onder Tugba , Wakimoto Hiroaki , Anderegg Maarten , Cameron Cody , Shah Khalid
Published: November 2010

The resistance of glioma cells to a number of antitumor agents and the highly invasive nature of glioma cells that escape the primary tumor mass are key impediments to the eradication of tumors in glioma patients. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of a novel PI3-kinase/mTOR inhibitor, PI-103, in established glioma lines and primary CD133+ glioma-initiating cells and explored the potential of combining PI-103 with stem cell–delivered secretable tumor necrosis factor apoptosis-inducing ligand (S-TRAIL) both in vitro and in orthotopic mouse models of gliomas. We show that PI-103 inhibits proliferation and invasion, causes G0–G1 arrest in cell cycle, and results in significant attenuation of orthotopic tumor growth in vivo. Establishing cocultures of neural stem cells (NSC) and glioma cells, we show that PI-103 augments the response of glioma cells to stem cell–delivered S-TRAIL. Using bimodal optical imaging, we show that when different regimens of systemic PI-103 delivery are combined with NSC-derived S-TRAIL, a significant reduction in tumor volumes is observed compared with PI-103 treatment alone. To our knowledge, this is the first study that reveals the antitumor effect of PI-103 in intracranial gliomas. Our findings offer a preclinical rationale for application of mechanism-based systemically delivered antiproliferative agents and novel stem cell–based proapoptotic therapies to improve treatment of malignant gliomas. Cancer Res; 71(1); 154–63. ©2010 AACR.
Biological Activity of 4-Substituted Methoxybenzoyl- Aryl-Thiazole: An Active Microtubule Inhibitor
Authors: Li Chien-Ming , Wang Zhao , Lu Yan , Ahn Sunjoo , Narayanan Ramesh , Kearbey Jeffrey D. , Parke Deanna N. , Li Wei , Miller Duane D. , Dalton James T.
Published: November 2010

Formation of microtubules is a dynamic process that involves polymerization and depolymerization of αβ-tubulin heterodimers. Drugs that enhance or inhibit tubulin polymerization can destroy this dynamic process, arresting cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Although drugs that target tubulin generally demonstrate cytotoxic potency in the subnanomolar range, resistance due to drug efflux is a common phenomenon among the antitubulin agents. We recently reported a class of 4-substituted methoxybenzoyl-aryl-thiazoles (SMART) that exhibited great in vitro potency and broad spectrum cellular cytotoxicity. Evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities of 3 SMART compounds, SMART-H (H), SMART-F (F), and SMART-OH (OH), with varying substituents at the 4-position of aryl ring, demonstrated that they bind potently to the colchicine-binding site in tubulin, inhibit tubulin polymerization, arrest cancer cells in G2/M phase of the cell cycle, and induce their apoptosis. The SMART compounds also equipotently inhibit the growth of parental and MDR-overexpressing cells in vitro, indicating that they can overcome multidrug resistance. In vivo antitumor efficacy studies in human prostate (PC-3) and melanoma (A375) cancer xenograft models demonstrated that SMART-H and SMART-F treatments resulted in %T/C values ranging from 4% to 30%. In addition, in vivo SMART-H treatment for 21days at the higher dose (15 mg/kg) failed to produce any apparent neurotoxicity. These studies provide the first in vivo evidence and proof-of-concept that SMART compounds are similarly efficacious to currently FDA approved antitubulin drugs for cancer treatment, but they can circumvent P-glycoprotein-mediated drug resistance. Cancer Res; 71(1); 216–24. ©2010 AACR.
The BH3 Mimetic ABT-737 Induces Cancer Cell Senescence
Authors: Song Jin H. , Kandasamy Karthikeyan , Zemskova Marina , Lin Ying-Wei , Kraft Andrew S.
Published: November 2010

ABT-737, a small molecule cell-permeable Bcl-2 antagonist that acts by mimicking BH3 proteins, induces apoptotic cell death in multiple cancer types. However, when incubated with this agent many solid tumor cell lines do not undergo apoptosis. The current study reveals a novel mechanism whereby ABT-737 when added to apoptosis-resistant cancer cells has profound biologic effects. In PV-10 cells, a renal cell carcinoma that does not die after ABT-737 treatment, this agent induces a two-fold change in the transcription of nearly 430 genes. Many of these induced mRNA changes are in secreted proteins, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-11 and chemokines CXCL2 and CXCL5, or genes associated with an “inflammatory” phenotype. Strikingly, these gene changes are highly similar to those changes previously identified in cellular senescence. Brief exposure of apoptosis-resistant renal, lung and prostate cancer cell lines to ABT-737, although not capable of inducing cell death, causes the induction of senescence-associated β-galactosidase and inhibition of cell growth consistent with the induction of cellular senescence. Evidence indicates that the induction of senescence occurs as a result of reactive oxygen species elevation followed by low-level activation of the caspase cascade, insufficient to induce apoptosis, but sufficient to lead to minor DNA damage and increases in p53, p21, IL-6 and 8 proteins. By overexpression of a dominant-negative p53 protein, we show that ABT-737-induced cellular senescence is p53-dependent. Thus, in multiple cancer types in which ABT-737 is incapable of causing cell death, ABT-737 may have additional cellular activities that make its use as an anticancer agent highly attractive. Cancer Res; 71(2); 506–15. ©2010 AACR.
Autophagic Survival in Resistance to Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors: Novel Strategies to Treat Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors
Authors: Lopez Gonzalo , Torres Keila , Liu Juehui , Hernandez Belinda , Young Eric , Belousov Roman , Bolshakov Svetlana , Lazar Alexander J. , Slopis John M. , McCutcheon Ian E. , McConkey David , Lev Dina
Published: November 2010

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) show promise as cancer therapeutics; however, the full scope of their utility remains unknown. Here we report findings that strongly rationalize clinical evaluation of HDACis in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), a class of highly aggressive, therapeutically resistant, and commonly fatal malignancies that occur sporadically or in patients with the inherited neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) syndrome. We evaluated the effects of the chemical HDACis PCI-24781, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, and MS-275 on a panel of human NF1-associated and sporadic MPNSTs in vitro and in vivo. A subset of MPNSTs was found to be highly sensitive to HDACis, especially to PCI-24781. All cell lines in this group were NF1-associated. Significant proapoptotic effects were noted in vitro and in vivo and were independent of p53 mutational status. In contrast, as a group the sporadic–MPNST cells were markedly resistant to HDACi treatment. HDACis were found to induce productive autophagy in MPNST cells. Genetic and/or pharmacologic autophagy blockade resulted in significant HDACi-induced apoptosis in cells defined as resistant or sensitive, leading to abrogated growth of primary tumors and lung metastases in tumor xenograft assays. Among autophagy-associated genes expressed in response to HDACi, the immunity-related GTPase family, M was validated as a critical target in mediating HDACi-induced autophagy and enhanced apoptosis. Taken together, our findings strongly support the evaluation of HDACi currently in clinical trials as an important new therapeutic strategy to treat MPNST, including in combination with autophagy blocking combination regimens in particular for patients with sporadic MPNST. Cancer Res; 71(1); 185–96. ©2010 AACR.
In vivoAntitumor Activity of a Recombinant IL-7/HGFβ Hybrid Cytokine in Mice
Authors: Lai Laijun , Jin Jingjun , Goldschneider Irving
Published: November 2010

The immune cytokine interleukin (IL)-7 and the β-chain of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) aggregate to form a naturally occurring heterodimer that stimulates the growth of common lymphoid progenitors and immature B and T lymphoid cells. We have cloned and expressed the heterodimer as a single-chain hybrid cytokine [recombinant (r) IL-7/HGFβ], which stimulates short-term hematopoietic stem cells as well as lymphoid precursors. Inasmuch as IL-7 and HGF are known to have antitumor and protumor activities, respectively, we determined here whether either of these activities is exhibited by rIL-7/HGFβ. We show that the in vivo administration of rIL-7/HGFβ markedly inhibits the growth of newly initiated and established tumors and the formation of pulmonary metastases in murine models of colon cancer and melanoma. The antitumor effect of rIL-7/HGFβ correlated with a marked increase in the number of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and activated dendritic cells. A major role for these immune cells in tumor suppression was indicated by the inability of rIL-7/HGFβ to inhibit the growth of tumor cells in vitro and in congenitally athymic mice. Analysis of interferon-γ–secreting T cells showed that the immune response was tumor specific. Our findings justify further evaluation of rIL-7/HGFβ as a novel experimental cancer therapy. Cancer Res; 71(1); 61–7. ©2011 AACR.
Effect of Weight Loss Maintenance on Arterial Compliance and Metabolic and Inflammatory Parameters: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Wolfson N. , Garish D. , Goldberg Y. , Boaz M. , Matas Z. , Shargorodsky M.
Published: November 2010

Background/Aims: To evaluate the effect of long-term weight loss maintenance on arterial compliance, and metabolic and inflammatory parameters in obese patients who participated in a 6-month weight loss program featuring nutritional and exercise intervention. Methods: Sixty-seven obese subjects who participated in a 6-month weight loss program were followed for an additional 30 months. The 47 patients who fully completed the 3-year follow-up were divided into two groups according to change in BMI from the end of the weight loss program to the long-term follow-up visit. Group 1 included 22 patients whose BMI decreased or remained stable; group 2 included 25 patients whose BMI increased after program discontinuation. Arterial compliance and metabolic measures were evaluated at baseline, and at 3, 6 and 36 months of follow-up. Results: BMI changed from 35.4 ± 6.9 to 32.6 ± 6.6 after 6 months and to 33.4 ± 7.0 after 36 months. While 53% of participants regained weight after program discontinuation, the mean weight at 3 years remained lower than at entry into the study. Large artery elasticity index (LAEI) as well as small artery elasticity index (SAEI) increased during initial weight loss program in both groups. After program discontinuation, significant improvement in SAEI was observed in patients who decreased or did not change BMI, whereas SAEI decreased in subjects who gained weight. LAEI increased marginally in group 1, while it significantly decreased in group 2. Conclusions: Obese subjects who successfully completed a 6-month behavioral weight loss program and decreased or maintained weight during 30 additional months exhibited improved arterial stiffness compared to subjects who regained weight.
Reducing Global Neonatal Mortality Is Possible
Authors: Saugstad Ola Didrik
Published: November 2010

Background: The global neonatal mortality of 28/1,000 live births is unacceptably high. Furthermore, the huge difference in mortality between high- and low-income countries and regions is presently one of the most burning human rights issues. The decline in neonatal mortality has been slow and is a main reason the Millennium Development Goal 4 does not seem to have been reached. Objectives: Several countries have shown it is possible to reduce neonatal mortality quickly and dramatically without much cost. Methods: It is important to learn from the successful countries and focus on the 3–4 major causes of neonatal death: asphyxia, infection, low birth weight/prematurity and congenital malformations. Results: A reasonable short-term goal is to reduce global neonatal mortality to 15/1,000 which can be achieved without introduction of high technology medicine. A further reduction of mortality to 5/1,000 should be the next global goal. Reaching this would reduce the present 3.8 million annual deaths by 3 million. In order to do this, regionalization of health care should be implemented. Maternal health should be the focus, with free antenatal care and centralized deliveries with health personnel attending the birth. Education of girls is perhaps the best way to prevent perinatal and neonatal deaths. Ten simple recommendations are given to reduce neonatal mortality. One of these is that each newborn baby in the world should have free access to essential drugs. Conclusions: It is possible to reduce newborn mortality in all countries and regions. Most important to achieve these goals is, however, political will.
Resistance Status and Evolution Trends of Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates in a University Hospital in Greece: Ineffectiveness of Carbapenems and Increasing Resistance to Colistin
Authors: Neonakis I.K. , Samonis G. , Messaritakis H. , Baritaki S. , Georgiladakis A. , Maraki S. , Spandidos D.A.
Published: November 2010

Background: Due to its increased non-susceptibility rates, Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged as one of the most problematic pathogens. Methods: The level of resistance to 25 antimicrobials of K. pneumoniae isolates from a teaching hospital in Greece and the evolution trends during 2 decades were examined. Results: A statistically significant increase in non-susceptibility rates was found for almost all antimicrobials examined. During 2008, the isolates presented non-susceptibility rates to aminoglycosides >50% and to quinolones >60%. Nowadays, 1 out of 10 isolates is non-susceptible to colistin. Moreover, the isolates non-susceptible to imipenem were almost doubled between 2007 (29%) and 2008 (50%). Among the imipenem-resistant isolates, 1 out of 4 was also resistant to colistin. Conclusion: The effectiveness of carbapenems has been compromised and the increase in resistance to colistin is rapid and steep.
Meta-Analysis of Incidence and Risk of Hypomagnesemia with Cetuximab for Advanced Cancer
Authors: Cao Yunfei , Liao Cun , Tan Aihua , Liu Lidan , Gao Feng
Published: November 2010

Background: Cetuximab is often used in patients with colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, and other cancers. Hypomagnesemia is a major adverse event that was often ignored in studies. The aim of this meta-analysis is to gain a better understanding of the overall incidence and risk of hypomagnesemia in patients who received cetuximab-based therapy. Methods: Databases, including Pubmed, EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, American Society of Clinical Oncology (2000–2008), and Web of Science, were searched to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies were prospective phase II/III clinical trials of patients with cancer assigned cetuximab at a dose of 400 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 and 250 mg/m2 weekly thereafter. The primary endpoint was incidence of hypomagnesemia. Results: Nineteen clinical reports were identified which included a total of 4,559 patients available for analysis, with 3,081 patients assigned cetuximab-based treatment. This result showed a high incidence of grade 3 and 4 hypomagnesemia (5.6%; 95% CI = 3.0–10.2) and a high incidence of all-grade hypomagnesemia associated with cetuximab-based therapy for advanced cancer (36.7%; 95% CI = 22–54.4). Compared with non-cetuximab therapy, cetuximab-based therapy has a higher risk of grade 3 and 4 hypomagnesemia (4.75; 95% CI = 3.661–6.18) and all-grade hypomagnesemia (4.75; 95% CI = 3.661–6.18). Conclusion: Cetuximab-based therapy is associated with a significant risk of hypomagnesemia. Early monitoring and effective management of hypomagnesemia are important for patients that received cetuximab-based therapy.
Supplementation of Flaxseed Oil Diminishes Skin Sensitivity and Improves Skin Barrier Function and Condition
Authors: Neukam K. , De Spirt S. , Stahl W. , Bejot M. , Maurette J.-M. , Tronnier H. , Heinrich U.
Published: November 2010

Background: Skin sensitivity is a common problem in the Western population correlated with changes of skin properties like skin barrier function, hydration and skin physiology. Skin properties can be modulated by dietary fatty acids (FA), especially poly-unsaturated FA. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of daily supplementation with flaxseed oil and safflowerseed oil on healthy volunteers with sensitive skin. Methods: The study was designed as a randomized, double-blind 12-week intervention with 2 female treatment groups (n = 13). Plasma FA profile, skin sensitivity, skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin surface were evaluated on day 0, week 6 and week 12. Results: Supplementation with flaxseed oil led to significant decreases in sensitivity (after nicotinate irritation), TEWL, skin roughness and scaling, while smoothness and hydration were increased. Concomitantly, the ratio of n–6/n–3 FA in plasma decreased. Upon supplementation with safflowerseed oil, only a significant improvement in skin roughness and hydration was observed; however, the effects were less pronounced and determined at a later point in time than with flaxseed oil. The plasma n–6/n–3 FA ratio increased. Conclusion: The data provide evidence that daily intake of flaxseed oil modulates skin condition.
Nutrition Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Middle East and North Africa Countries: Reviewing the Evidence
Authors: Mehio Sibai Abla , Nasreddine Lara , Mokdad Ali H. , Adra Nada , Tabet Maya , Hwalla Nahla
Published: November 2010

Aim: To examine the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Middle East and North Africa countries and their associations with dietary behaviors as nutrition transition is unfolding in the region. Data: Data on CVD risk factors were collected from scholarly papers and a systematic review of published articles was performed. Dietary patterns were derived from the WHO Food and Agriculture Organization Statistical Databases. Results: Wide variations exist across countries in the prevalence of CVD risk factors, namely obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking and physical inactivity, with some countries showing high values of certain factors which approach those observed in the developed world. In particular, obesity prevalence rates have reached alarming levels, particularly among women in the oil-rich countries (over 40%), making it the most pressing health concern in the region. Trends in the dietary pattern illustrated a consistent rise in total energy supply by approximately 730 kcal per capita per day between 1970 and 2005. Dietary patterns showed an increased consumption of fat and animal protein and a decreased intake of carbohydrates, particularly whole grain cereals, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Regional differences were attributed to differences in lifestyle, occupation and a shift from traditional food habits. Our understanding of the CVD disparities across various geographic regions is key to our effort in planning relevant intervention programs. Public health efforts should focus on obesity, physical inactivity and unhealthy dietary practices. The success of these interventions depends on governmental commitment, multisectoral partnership and a consideration of the sociocultural norms of the target population.
Evolution of Synchronization and Desynchronization in Digital Organisms
Authors: Knoester David B. , McKinley Philip K.
Published: November 2010

We present a study in the evolution of temporal behavior, specifically synchronization and desynchronization, through digital evolution and group selection. In digital evolution, a population of self-replicating computer programs exists in a user-defined computational environment and is subject to instruction-level mutations and natural selection. Group selection links the survival of the individual to the survival of its group, thus encouraging cooperation. Previous approaches to engineering synchronization and desynchronization algorithms have taken inspiration from nature: In the well-known firefly model, the only form of communication between agents is in the form of flash messages among neighbors. Here we demonstrate that populations of digital organisms, provided with a similar mechanism and minimal information about their environment, are capable of evolving algorithms for synchronization and desynchronization, and that the evolved behaviors are robust to message loss. We further describe how the evolved behavior for synchronization mimics that of the well-known Ermentrout model for firefly synchronization in biology. In addition to discovering self-organizing behaviors for distributed computing systems, this result indicates that digital evolution may be used to further our understanding of synchronization in biology.
Identifying Patterns from One-Rule-Firing Cellular Automata
Authors: Shin Jae Kyun
Published: November 2010

A new firing scheme for cellular automata in which only one rule is fired at a time produces myriad patterns. In addition to geometric patterns, natural patterns such as flowers and snow crystals were also generated. This study proposes an efficient method identifying the patterns using a minimal number of digits. Complexity of the generated patterns is discussed in terms of the shapes and colors of the patterns.
Erasmus and the Natural History of Friendship
Authors: Lobis Seth
Published: November 2010

In his colloquy Amicitia, Erasmus uses Pliny's Historia naturalis as the primary source for an energetic and inventive exploration of the topic of friendship. Like certain animals and objects in the natural world, friends share a natural affinity, but Erasmus goes further than this natural-historical observation, concluding that the moral life requires from us a more active relationship to our instincts and inclinations. Apposing two senses of the word amicitia, natural affinity and personal friendship, Erasmus ultimately suggests an intimate relationship between natural history and moral philosophy.
The Erasmian Adage in the Controversy with Luther
Authors: Rowe Asia
Published: November 2010

Despite the absence of allusions to Luther in the Adagia, Erasmus' use of particular adages in his apologiae and letters helps to clarify his shifting strategies in debating not only Luther but his Catholic opponents. Initially interested in distinguishing between Luther and his Catholic critics and intent on bringing his fellow reformer back into the fold with adages softened by explicit framing, Erasmus eventually makes less conspicuous and more offensive use of proverbs, deploying them to conflate his enemies and represent himself as trapped between their partisan agendas.
Clouds at Arctic Atmospheric Observatories. Part I: Occurrence and Macrophysical Properties
Authors: Shupe Matthew D. , Walden Von P. , Eloranta Edwin , Uttal Taneil , Campbell James R. , Starkweather Sandra M. , Shiobara Masataka
Published: November 2010

Cloud observations over the past decade from six Arctic atmospheric observatories are investigated to derive estimates of cloud occurrence fraction, vertical distribution, persistence in time, diurnal cycle, and boundary statistics. Each observatory has some combination of cloud lidar, radar, ceilometer, and/or interferometer for identifying and characterizing clouds. By optimally combining measurements from these instruments, it is found that annual cloud occurrence fractions are 58%–83% at the Arctic observatories. There is a clear annual cycle wherein clouds are least frequent in the winter and most frequent in the late summer and autumn. Only in Eureka, Nunavut, Canada, is the annual cycle shifted such that the annual minimum is in the spring with the maximum in the winter. Intersite monthly variability is typically within 10%–15% of the all-site average. Interannual variability at specific sites is less than 13% for any given month and, typically, is less than 3% for annual total cloud fractions. Low-level clouds are most persistent at the observatories. The median cloud persistence for all observatories is 3–5 h; however, 5% of cloud systems at far western Arctic sites are observed to occur for longer than 100 consecutive hours. Weak diurnal variability in cloudiness is observed at some sites, with a daily minimum in cloud occurrence near solar noon for those seasons for which the sun is above the horizon for at least part of the day.
Clouds at Arctic Atmospheric Observatories. Part II: Thermodynamic Phase Characteristics
Authors: Shupe Matthew D.
Published: November 2010

Cloud phase defines many cloud properties and determines the ways in which clouds interact with other aspects of the climate system. The occurrence fraction and characteristics of clouds distinguished by their phase are examined at three Arctic atmospheric observatories. Each observatory has the basic suite of instruments that are necessary to identify cloud phase, namely, cloud radar, depolarization lidar, microwave radiometer, and twice-daily radiosondes. At these observatories, ice clouds are more prevalent than mixed-phase clouds, which are more prevalent than liquid-only clouds. Cloud ice occurs 60%–70% of the time over a typical year, at heights up to 11 km. Liquid water occurs at temperatures above −40°C and is increasingly more likely as temperatures increase. Within the temperature range from −40° to −30°C, liquid water occurs in 3%–5% of the observed cloudiness. Liquid water is found higher in the atmosphere when accompanied by ice; there are few liquid-only clouds above 3 km, although liquid in mixed-phase clouds occurs at heights up to about 7–8 km. Regardless of temperature or height, liquid water occurs 56% of the time at Barrow, Alaska, and at a western Arctic Ocean site, but only 32% of the time at Eureka, Nunavut, Canada. This significant difference in liquid occurrence is due to a relatively dry lower troposphere during summer at Eureka in addition to warmer cloud temperatures with more persistent liquid water layers at the far western locations. The most persistent liquid clouds at these locations occur continuously for more than 70 h in the autumn and more than 30 h in the winter. Ice clouds persist for much longer than do liquid clouds at Eureka and occur more frequently in the winter season, leading to a total cloud occurrence annual cycle that is distinct from the other observatories.
Diurnal Cycle of Thermally Driven Cross-Basin Winds in Arizona’s Meteor Crater
Authors: Lehner Manuela , Whiteman C. David , Hoch Sebastian W.
Published: November 2010

Cross-basin winds produced by asymmetric insolation of the crater sidewalls occur in Arizona’s Meteor Crater on days with weak background winds. The diurnal cycle of the cross-basin winds is analyzed together with radiation, temperature, and pressure measurements at the crater sidewalls for a 1-month period. The asymmetric irradiation causes horizontal temperature and pressure gradients across the crater basin that drive the cross-basin winds near the crater floor. The horizontal temperature and pressure gradients and wind directions change as the sun moves across the sky, with easterly winds in the morning and westerly winds in the evening. A case study of 12 October 2006 further illustrates the obtained relation between these parameters for an individual day. The occurrence of an elevated cross-basin flow on 23 October 2006 is shown to relate to the presence of an elevated inversion layer.
A Mass Flux Model of Nocturnal Cold-Air Intrusions into a Closed Basin
Authors: Haiden Thomas , Whiteman C. David , Hoch Sebastian W. , Lehner Manuela
Published: November 2010

Observations made during the Meteor Crater Experiment (METCRAX) field campaign revealed unexpected nighttime cooling characteristics in Arizona’s Meteor Crater. Unlike in other natural closed basins, a near-isothermal temperature profile regularly develops over most of the crater depth, with only a shallow stable layer near the crater floor. A conceptual model proposed by Whiteman et al. attributes the near-isothermal stratification to the intrusion, and subsequent detrainment, of near-surface air from outside the crater into the crater atmosphere. To quantify and test the hypothesis, a mass flux model of the intrusion process is developed. It is found that the observed temperature profile can be reproduced, providing confirmation of the conceptual model. The near-isothermal stratification can be explained as a result of progressively cooler air entering the crater and detraining into the atmosphere, combined with the finite time of ascent in the compensating rising motion. The strength of detrainment largely determines the characteristics of the cooling process. With weak detrainment, most of the cooling arises from an adiabatic rising motion (“filling-up” mode). Stronger detrainment leads to reduced rising motion and enhanced cooling at upper levels in the crater (“destabilization” mode). Of interest is that the detrainment also reduces the total cooling, which, for a given intrusion mass flux, is determined by the temperature difference between the intruding air and the crater atmosphere at rim height.
Synoptically Driven Arctic Winter States
Authors: Stramler Kirstie , Del Genio Anthony D. , Rossow William B.
Published: November 2010

The dense network of the Surface Heat Budget of the Arctic (SHEBA) observations is used to assess relationships between winter surface and atmospheric variables as the SHEBA site came under the influence of cyclonic and anticyclonic atmospheric circulation systems. Two distinct and preferred states of subsurface, surface, atmosphere, and clouds occur during the SHEBA winter, extending from the oceanic mixed layer through the troposphere and preceded by same-sign variations in the stratosphere. These states are apparent in distributions of surface temperature, sensible heat and longwave radiation fluxes, ocean heat conduction, cloud-base height and temperature, and in the atmospheric humidity and temperature structure.

Surface and atmosphere are in radiative–turbulent–conductive near-equilibrium during a warm opaquely cloudy-sky state, which persists up to 10 days and usually occurs during the low surface pressure phase of a baroclinic wave, although occasionally occurs during the high surface pressure phase because of low, scattered clouds. Clouds occurring in this state have near-unity emissivity and the lowest bases in the vicinity of, or below, the temperature inversion peak. A cold radiatively clear-sky state persists up to two weeks, and occurs only in the high surface pressure phase of a baroclinic wave. The radiatively clear state has clouds that are too tenuous when surface based or, irrespective of opacity, located too far aloft to contribute significantly to the surface energy budget. There is a 13-K surface temperature difference between the two states, and atmospheric inversion peak temperatures are linearly related to the surface temperature in both states. The snow–sea ice interface temperature oscillates over the course of the winter season, as it cools during the radiatively clear state and is warmed from atmospheric emission above and ocean heat conduction from below during the opaquely cloudy state.

Analysis of satellite data over the Arctic from 70°–90°N indicates that the radiatively clear and opaquely cloudy states observed at SHEBA may be representative of the entire Arctic basin. The results suggest that model formulation inadequacies should be easier to diagnose if modeled energy transfers are compared with observations using process-based metrics that acknowledge the bimodal nature of the Arctic ocean–ice–snow–atmosphere column, rather than monthly and regionally averaged quantities. Climate change projections of thinner Arctic sea ice and larger advective water vapor influxes into the Arctic could yield different frequencies of occupation of the radiatively clear and opaquely cloudy states and higher wintertime temperatures of SHEBA ocean, ice, snow, atmosphere, and clouds—in particular, a wintertime warming of the snow–sea ice interface temperature.
Loop Current Cycle: Coupled Response of the Loop Current with Deep Flows
Authors: Chang Y.-L. , Oey L.-Y.
Published: November 2010

Although the upper-layer dynamics of the Loop Current and eddies in the Gulf of Mexico are well studied, the understanding of how they are coupled to the deep flows is limited. In this work, results from a numerical model are analyzed to classify the expansion, shedding, retraction, and deep-coupling cycle (the Loop Current cycle) according to the vertical mass flux across the base of the Loop. Stage A is the “Loop reforming” period, with downward flux and deep divergence under the Loop Current. Stage B is the “incipient shedding,” with strong upward flux and deep convergence. Stage C is the “eddy migration,” with waning upward flux and deep throughflow from the western Gulf into the Yucatan Channel. Because of the strong deep coupling between the eastern and western Gulf, the Loop’s expansion is poorly correlated with deep flows through the Yucatan Channel. Stage A is longest and the mean vertical flux under the Loop Current is downward. Therefore, because the net circulation around the abyssal basin is zero, the abyssal gyre in the western Gulf is cyclonic. The gyre’s strength is strongest when the Loop Current is reforming and weakest after an eddy is shed. The result suggests that the Loop Current cycle can force a low-frequency [time scales ∼ shedding periods; O(months)] abyssal oscillation in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ensemble Tropical Rainfall Potential (eTRaP) Forecasts
Authors: Ebert Elizabeth E. , Turk Michael , Kusselson Sheldon J. , Yang Jianbin , Seybold Matthew , Keehn Peter R. , Kuligowski Robert J.
Published: November 2010

Ensemble tropical rainfall potential (eTRaP) has been developed to improve short-range forecasts of heavy rainfall in tropical cyclones. Evolving from the tropical rainfall potential (TRaP), a 24-h rain forecast based on estimated rain rates from microwave sensors aboard polar-orbiting satellites, eTRaP combines all single-pass TRaPs generated within ±3 h of 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC to form a simple ensemble. This approach addresses uncertainties in satellite-derived rain rates and spatial rain structures by using estimates from different sensors observing the cyclone at different times. Quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) are produced from the ensemble mean field using a probability matching approach to recalibrate the rain-rate distribution against the ensemble members (e.g., input TRaP forecasts) themselves. ETRaPs also provide probabilistic forecasts of heavy rain, which are potentially of enormous benefit to decision makers. Verification of eTRaP forecasts for 16 Atlantic hurricanes making landfall in the United States between 2004 and 2008 shows that the eTRaP rain amounts are more accurate than single-sensor TRaPs. The probabilistic forecasts have useful skill, but the probabilities should be interpreted within a spatial context. A novel concept of a “radius of uncertainty” compensates for the influence of location error in the probability forecasts. The eTRaPs are produced in near–real time for all named tropical storms and cyclones around the globe. They can be viewed online (http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/etrap.html) and are available in digital form to users.
Knowledge is not Power
Authors: Bayatrizi Zohreh
Published: November 2010

The discipline of sociology, as an officially funded area of research and teaching, was created in Iran five decades ago primarily as an instrument to help solve state problems. Today the state remains the main sponsor and client of sociological research. The absence of independent sources of research funding outside the government has left sociology dependent on state agencies and organizations. This situation has significant effects both on sociology and on the direction of policy-making in Iran. State-sponsored research is almost exclusively quantitative, narrowly problem-oriented, secretive and unable to offer concrete policy solutions. Lack of competition and the absence of non-governmental sources of funding have led to the marginalization of disinterested and fundamental research. Independent, critical sociology has always existed but it is in need of greater support. The situation in Iran is not unique: it reflects, in a magnified way, problems faced by sociologists in many other countries as they come under increasing pressures to undertake applied and policy-relevant research. The article concludes with five specific suggestions on how to improve the current state of sociological research.
The State, Empire and Imperialism
Authors: Roberts John
Published: November 2010

This article aims to develop a Marxist account to explain the more informal practices of imperialism today. In this respect the article agrees with those Marxists who argue that capitalists and politicians have sought to impose the hegemonic economic project of financial neoliberalism across the globe. However, unlike some Marxist accounts which tend to explore imperialism primarily through socioeconomic relations, this article argues that financial neoliberal hegemony is achieved through social, political and ideological mechanisms as well. This is to see and understand capitalism as a complex, interconnected whole in which the way that capital accrues profits is through the exploitation, governance and regulation of living labour, which itself requires social, political and ideological mechanisms in place to do so. The article argues that in contemporary imperialism these ‘non-economic’ forms of regulation have often been embedded in seemingly non-imperialist and more informal types of governance that some have identified as ‘Empire’. The article suggests that these governance mechanisms have extended imperialist financial domination of the US state through the political projects of neoliberalism and workfarism.
Because Women Will Always Be Women and Men Are Just Getting Older
Authors: Wilińska Monika
Published: November 2010

The aim of this article is to examine a meeting between discourses of gender and age at the macro-level, applying an intersectional research approach. The discussion of intersecting discourses is based on empirical material from Poland. It refers to the condition of social policy towards age and gender, in Poland, as well as the media discourse. The results of the study indicate that the intersection between discourses of age and gender involves discriminatory practices that result in an establishment of one-dimensional and pejorative subject positions. Two main subject positions of grandma and pensioner exemplify the main mechanism of a dynamic relationship between both discourses where the order implied by one discourse is strengthened at the expense of the other. The phenomenon of gendered age and aged gender reflects the key rule for understanding subject positions which pertain to categories of older women and older men.
Foundations of anti-immigrant sentiment: The variable nature of perceived group threat across changing European societies, 2002-2006
Authors: Pichler Florian
Published: November 2010

In this article we examine how Europeans perceive the consequences of immigration. We draw upon group threat, conflict and boundary-making theories to differentiate between probable reasons of anti-immigrant sentiment. We hypothesize that perceived threats vary over time and across countries since their nature may shift according to changing economic and other conditions. Using data from three rounds and 24 countries of the European Social Survey, perceived threat is explained by socio-economic characteristics, political orientation and structural conditions. We then focus on more specific threats in economic and cultural terms and how they vary in their effects on negative attitudes toward immigration. Our findings support variable economic and cultural foundations of anti-immigrant sentiment exerting different influence associated with changing economic conditions. Implications of these findings for future policy and research are discussed in the light of the current economic crisis.
A cross-national analysis of physical intimate partner violence against women
Authors: Kaya Yunus , Cook Kimberly J
Published: November 2010

This study investigates the cross-national correlates of intimate partner violence against women with a sample of 40 developed and less developed countries. Specifically, we analyze physical intimate partner violence against women during the 12 months prior to data collection, using data from nationally representative surveys. In the process, we examine the evidence for three explanations we discern from the literature: empowerment of women, cultural context (i.e. religion, institutions), and globalization. The results of our analyses provide strong support for the empowerment of women explanation, which draws from feminist concerns regarding socio-economic status of women, and reveal some effect of cultural context and globalization. Female labor force participation in non-agricultural sectors and women’s secondary school enrollment decrease the likelihood of intimate partner violence while increasing total fertility rate signals more partner violence. Religious fractionalization and dependence on high-income countries as export partners also increase the likelihood of intimate partner violence against women.
Alive and well: A response to Sanderson
Authors: Chase-Dunn Christopher , Lawrence Kirk S
Published: November 2010

Stephen Sanderson’s (2005) ‘World-systems analysis after thirty years: Should it rest in peace?’ raised the prospect of an area of scholarship that had run its course. We answer the five main criticisms that he asserts against world-systems analysis: the primacy of exogenous over endogenous forces; teleology and reification; an incorrect understanding of the role of foreign investment; an inaccurate analysis of long-term trends of inequality; and, a misinterpretation of state socialism. As we respond to his criticisms, we find that while some of his arguments have merit, particularly against the relatively narrow form of world-systems analysis that he considered, his assumption of methodological individualism runs counter to the epistemological position of most world-systems scholars. Our review of the field finds it to be evolving and expanding into new realms that no do not suffer from the deficiencies Sanderson identified. Indeed, now at 35 years and counting, world-systems analysis is not dying, it is thriving.
CO2 Laser Improves 45S5 Bioglass Interaction with Dentin
Authors: Bakry A.S. , Takahashi H. , Otsuki M. , Sadr A. , Yamashita K. , Tagami J.
Published: November 2010

Bioglass 45S5 is a bioactive glass that can create a layer of calcium-phosphate crystals on mineralized hard tissues. In this study, 45S5 bioglass was mixed with phosphoric acid and irradiated with CO2 laser and examined as a possible aid in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity. The dentinal surface modified by the aforementioned technique was chemically and micro-morphologically examined with a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) equipped with an energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscope (EDS), and the crystalline structures of the examined dentinal surfaces were examined by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the mechanical properties of the newly formed layer were examined by nanoindentation. The results showed that 45S5 bioglass could occlude the dentinal tubule orifices with calcium-phosphate crystals. The application of CO2 laser potentially improved the mechanical organization of these crystals.
The Political Economy of Active Labor-Market Policy
Authors: Bonoli Giuliano
Published: November 2010

Active labor-market policies (ALMPs) have developed significantly over the past two decades across Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, with substantial cross-national differences in terms of both extent and overall orientation. The objective of this article is to account for cross-national variation in this policy field. It starts by reviewing existing scholarship concerning political, institutional, and ideational determinants of ALMPs. It then argues that ALMP is too broad a category to be used without further specification, and it develops a typology of four different types of ALMPs: incentive reinforcement, employment assistance, occupation, and human capital investment. These are discussed and examined through ALMP expenditure profiles in selected countries. The article uses this typology to analyze ALMP trajectories in six Western European countries and shows that the role of this instrument changes dramatically over time. It concludes that there is little regularity in the political determinants of ALMPs. In contrast, it finds strong institutional and ideational effects, nested in the interaction between the changing economic context and existing labor-market policies.
Xenophobia and Left Voting
Authors: Vernby Kåre , Finseraas Henning
Published: November 2010

In this article, the authors set out to evaluate two competing mechanisms that may account for the negative relationship between xenophobia and left voting. Xenophobia may reduce left voting because parties of the right are more conservative on issues relating to immigration and ethnic relations (the policy-bundling effect), or it may reduce left voting because many potential left voters lack sympathy with the groups to whom redistribution is thought to be directed (the anti-solidarity effect). These two mechanisms imply radically different scenarios for political competition. Using a multilevel modeling approach, the authors analyze the data compiled in fifteen different surveys carried out in ten Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries between 1990 and 2000. This study is the first to draw out the implications of these mechanisms for left voting and to subject them to empirical scrutiny in a large-scale comparative study. The results are consistent with the existence of a relatively strong policy-bundling effect; by contrast, the anti-solidarity effect is trivial in most of the surveys analyzed.