bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbon-13 Cross-Polarization Magic-Angle-Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of the Interactions between Maleic Anhydride Grafted Polypropylene and Wood Polymers
Authors: Rude Erica , Laborie Marie-Pierre G.
Published: May 2008

The chemical interactions between maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) and wood were studied with solid-state carbon-13 cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CP-MAS NMR) spectroscopy. MAPP was synthesized with 100% 13C enrichment at the C1 and C4 carbons to allow detection of the [1,4−13C2]MAPP functional groups and was melt blended with cellulose, lignin, and maple wood. In the cellulose/MAPP blend, changes in 13C CP-MAS NMR corrected signal intensities for the anhydride and dicarboxylic maleic acid functionalities suggested that esterification may have occurred predominantly from the more numerous diacid carbons. A single proton longitudinal relaxation in the rotating frame, HT1ρ, for the MAPP and the cellulose carbons in the blend suggested that they were spin coupled, i.e., homogeneous on a 10–200 Angstrom scale. Esterification was also suggested in the lignin/MAPP blend. Furthermore, the more significant changes in the intensities of the carbonyl signals and HT1ρ values suggested that lignin may be more reactive to MAPP than cellulose. Finally, when maple was melt blended with MAPP, the same trends in the 13C CP-MAS NMR spectra and HT1ρ behavior were observed as when MAPP was blended with cellulose or lignin. This study therefore clarifies that during melt compounding of wood with MAPP, esterification occurs with wood polymers, preferentially with lignin. Understanding the interactions of MAPP with wood is of significance for the development of natural-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites.
Comparison of Raman Spectrograph Throughput Using Two Commercial Systems: Transmissive versus Reflective
Authors: Lieber Chad A. , Kanter Elizabeth M. , Mahadevan-Jansen Anita
Published: May 2008

A common goal of most Raman spectroscopists is the acquisition of clear Raman spectra in short integration times. It is paramount, then, that the hardware used in a Raman system be optimized for throughput, signal-to-noise ratio, and resolution. To this end, we performed a systematic comparison of two Raman spectrographs: the widely used Kaiser HoloSpec™ and a relatively new commercial offering, the Raman Explorer™ by Headwall Photonics. Both strong and weak Raman scattering samples were measured using various launching conditions. When resolution-matched, the throughputs of both spectrographs were found to be roughly similar over the central range of the fingerprint region (approximately 800 to 1140 cm−1, using 785 nm illumination), with the Raman Explorer™ demonstrating a slight throughput advantage outside this range. Other factors are also considered such that end users may better select the optimum spectrograph for their particular application.
Spectrograph Based on a Single Diffractive Element for Real-Time Measurement of Circular Dichroism
Authors: Pagliusi Pasquale , Provenzano Clementina , Mazzulla Alfredo , Giorgini Loris , Cipparrone Gabriella
Published: May 2008

In this study, a novel and simple diffractive spectrographic method for real-time measurements of circular dichroism (CD) is considered from a theoretical and experimental approach. A demonstrator prototype of the CD spectrograph has been developed and its performance has been compared with a commercial phase-modulation CD spectrometer. The main element of the device is a polarization holographic grating, recorded in a thin photosensitive organic film, by two interfering opposite circularly polarized beams. A peculiarity of this grating is that the amplitude of the +1 (–1) order of diffraction is proportional to the right (left) circular polarization component of the incoming beam. Here we demonstrate that the CD spectrum of a specimen can be easily evaluated from the intensities of the diffracted beams. A white light beam passing through the specimen is diffracted from the grating and the intensities of the ± 1 orders of diffraction are measured. Due to the spectral selectivity of the grating, the CD at each wavelength can be evaluated at the same time using two linear array detectors.
Insights into Linear and Rank Correlation for Material Identification in Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and other Spectral Techniques
Authors: Gornushkin I. B. , Mueller M. , Panne U. , Winefordner J. D.
Published: May 2008

The purpose of this work was to critically assess the potential and limitations of linear and rank correlation methods, not only relevant to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), but to other spectroscopic techniques as well. Through computer simulations, it was demonstrated that a linear correlation is a more suitable technique for material identification than a rank correlation due to its better stability toward noise and better ability to detect small systematic variations in line intensities. The effect of noise on the results of correlation analysis has been studied. It was found that random noise causes correlation coefficients to be distributed normally, whereas flicker noise (random fluctuations in line intensities) results in a gamma distribution of correlation coefficients. Hence, the distribution of correlation coefficients can be used for detection of the type of noise that dominates correlated spectra. A potential of linear correlation analysis for plasma diagnostics has been demonstrated. It is based on a strong dependence of the linear correlation coefficient upon the line shapes of correlated spectral lines and, consequently, upon plasma parameters (plasma temperature, number densities).
Psychic Distance: Antecedents, Retail Strategy Implications, and Performance Outcomes
Authors: Evans Jody , Mavondo Felix T. , Bridson Kerrie
Published: May 2008

The authors propose a conceptual model of the psychic distance–organizational performance relationship that incorporates organizational factors (international experience and centralization of decision making), entry strategy, and retail strategy implications. The findings suggest that when entering psychically distant markets, retailers should adopt low-cost/low-control entry strategies and adapt their retail strategy to a greater extent than in psychically close markets. However, the authors find that such strategic responses have an adverse effect on performance. They find that international experience, psychic distance, entry strategy, and retail strategy adaptation are significant drivers of organizational performance and factors that determine critical success in international retailing.
Simple Meals with M.F.K. Fisher
Authors: reardon joan
Published: May 2008

During the early 70s, M.F.K. Fisher moved from her large Victorian home in St. Helena to a unique three-room palazzino, designed by David Bouverie on his Glen Ellen ranch. Mary Frances named her new home Last House and slowly adjusted to life among the natural waterfalls, streams, vineyards, and pastures. But she was also careful to balance living the Valley of the Moon with living in older, familiar landscapes. Provence drew her like a magnet, and in 1973, 1976, and 1978, with her sister Norah as a companion, she lived for extended periods of time Marseille and Aix, This article focuses on the changes that occurred in Fisher's life when she left the Napa Valley and took up residence in the Sonoma Valley and the different direction her writing took at this time. Of importance also so is her account of the changes that had occurred in Provence since she lived there in the early 60s, and the re-telling of her adventures in living and preparing meals in the various impromptu kitchens that she and her sister lived in while they each pursued their various projects in Aix and Marseille.
Economy, Gastronomy, and the Guilt of the Fancy Meal
Authors: wurgaft benjamin aldes
Published: May 2008

This essay explores the psychological calculations behind our judgments that a restaurant meal was either ““worth it”” or ““not worth it.”” It inquires into the way we try to place a cash value on essential ephemeral sensations and experiences, such as those supplied by fancy restaurants. More abstractly, this essay asks why we tend to rely on such abstract standards of judgment, and deploy the language of ““worth”” for sensations that lie outside the bounds of economic calculation. Without becoming critical of our use of such language, it asks why we continue to use modes of expression that cannot help but fail to capture the full dimensions of our gastronomic experiences.
Self-Defense and the Mistaken Racist
Authors: Garvey Stephen P.
Published: May 2008

How should the law of a liberal state respond when one person (D) kills another person (V), who is black, because D believes that V is about to kill him, but D would not have believed that V was about to kill him if V had been white? Should D be exonerated on grounds of self-defense? Some commentators argue that D's claim of self-defense should be rejected and that he should be convicted, either of murder or manslaughter, and punished accordingly.

I disagree. I argue that denying D's claim of self-defense would be at odds with the principle that an actor should be punished, not for possessing or choosing to possess racist or otherwise illiberal beliefs or desires, but only for choosing to cause (or risk causing) harm when the law does not permit him to make such a choice. Moreover, insofar as this principle can fairly be characterized as one to which a liberal state must adhere, then a liberal state should acknowledge D's claim of self-defense.
Self-Defense: Reasonable Beliefs or Reasonable Self-Control?
Authors: Simons Kenneth W.
Published: May 2008

The reasonable person test is often employed in criminal law doctrine as a criterion of cognitive fault: Did the defendant unreasonably fail to appreciate a risk of harm, or unreasonably fail to recognize a legally relevant circumstance element (such as the nonconsent of the victim)? But it is sometimes applied more directly to conduct: Did the defendant depart sufficiently from a standard of reasonable care, e.g., in operating a motor vehicle, that he deserves punishment? A third version of the reasonable person criterion, which has received much less attention, asks what degree of control a reasonable person would have exercised. Many criminal acts occur in highly emotional, stressful, or emergency situations, situations in which it is often both unrealistic and unfair to expect the actor to formulate beliefs about all of the facts relevant to the legality or justifiability of his conduct. A "reasonable degree of self-control" criterion is sometimes the best criterion for embracing these contextual factors.

In self-defense, for example, it is conventional to ask whether the actor believes, and whether a reasonable person would believe, each of the following facts: (a) an aggressor was threatening him with harm, (b) that harm would be of a particular level of gravity, (c) his use of force in response would prevent that harm, (d) the level of responsive force he expects to employ would be of a similar level of gravity, (e) if the force was not used, the threatened harm would occur immediately, and (f ) no nonviolent or less forceful alternatives were available whereby the threat could be avoided. United States law typically requires an affirmative answer to each of these questions. Yet in many cases, an actor threatened with harm will actually have no beliefs at all about most of these matters. It would be unfair to deny a full defense to all such actors. At the same time, we should still hold such an actor to a normative standard of justifiable behavior. Specifically, this essay suggests that we reformulate the reasonableness criterion and require this type of actor to exercise a reasonable degree of selfcontrol in response to a threat of force.
Competing norms in a bilingual community
Authors: Blas-Arroyo José Luis
Published: May 2008

In this paper we present the data from a variationist study devoted to a Spanish phonological variable in an area of the peninsula where this language coexists with Catalan (Castellón). The general results of the multivariate analysis show a significantly higher level of retention of the voiced dental /d/ in the word ending –ado than in the rest of the regions in mainland Spain, where vernacular norms tend towards elisions. Even more interesting are the notable differences among speakers according to certain ethnolinguistic and social factors, namely the higher the level of use and competence over the native language of the region (Catalan, in its Valencian variety), the greater the tendency to retentions. These results and those of other sociological group factors (place of origin, sex, age…) shape the variable in an early stage of a change from above, which involves the stigmatisation of elisions and has been widespread throughout mainland Spain for years. Two factors are decisive in this process, that is to say, the current revalorisation of the autochthonous trend in peripheral Spanish regions, and the basic coincidence of this vernacular norm with the cultivated norm in formal and written contexts in Spanish.
Early and contemporary Nahuatl texts in sociolinguistic perspective
Authors: Farfán José Antonio Flores
Published: May 2008

This paper will present a series of illustrations at different levels of sociolinguistic analysis, including phono-morphological as well as semantic materials stemming from work in progress on the investigation of Nahuatl linguistic ideologies in historical as well as in a contemporary perspective. For this aim, selected Nahuatl texts pertaining to so called Classical Nahuatl (CN), early colonial Nahuatl documents as well as the contemporary use of contact varieties in different settings will be considered, re-contextualizing them in their socio-pragmatic and ethno–historical dimensions. Such verbal practices belong to several types of genres and linguistic varieties, which analytically have been reduced to a grammatical schema, with very scarce if any attention to the Nahua verbal sociolinguistic culture and its variability. In this sense, our focus will be on the relation of variability and power, understanding linguistic variability as an eloquent index of the ethno-pragmatics of power relationships established in any (bilingual) society, most of all in terms of specific power arrangements and differentials manifested in heteroglossic phenomena.
Address forms and the construction of multiple identities among university students in Ghana
Authors: Afful Joseph
Published: May 2008

In the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest among scholars in the issue of identity in social domains such as academia, politics, religion, home, and workplace. Located in an academic setting, this study examines how university students express their identities through an important verbal behaviour, address forms. To accomplish this task, a two-pronged framework comprising social constructionism and identity theory is drawn upon. An ethnographic approach constitutes the primary research design adopted in this study. The analysis points to three key findings. First, Ghanaian students use three major categories of address forms: personal names, descriptive terms, and titles. Second, the university students’ use of address forms constitutes an isogloss. Third, students use these three modes of address to express their multiple identities. These findings have implications for identity theory, intercultural communication, and future research in address terms.
Linguistic inequalities in Nigeria and minority language education
Authors: Igboanusi Herbert
Published: May 2008

This paper identifies different forms of linguistic inequalities in Nigeria resulting from natural endowment, socio-political factors and language attitude. In the country, the value placed on linguistic resources varies – English, major languages (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) and minority languages (i.e. all other indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria) – in that (descending) order. While English is the official language of the country used as a medium of instruction from primary to tertiary education levels, Nigeria’s major languages (also recognised as ‘national’ languages) are taught as subjects in the school system and also serve as media of instruction up to the third year of primary education within the geographical zones in which they are used as L1. Most of the minority languages are neither used as media of instruction nor taught as subjects in schools. To address this imbalance, the paper suggests the use of minority languages in formal education based on the strong conviction that education is the best means of raising the value of languages, and consequently reducing linguistic inequality. It also recommends a reform of the education policy in Nigeria, which should aim at achieving high levels of bilingualism or multilingualism for both the minority and majority groups.
Chercheurs en interaction. Comment émergent les savoirs. Lorenza Mondada (2005)
Authors: Melo Silvia
Published: May 2008

Chercheurs en interaction. Comment émergent les savoirs. Lorenza Mondada (2005) Lausanne: Presses Polytechniques et Universitaires Romandes, 142pp ISBN 2–88074–584–5
Hypoxia Enhances Tumor Stemness by Increasing the Invasive and Tumorigenic Side Population Fraction
Authors: Das Bikul , Tsuchida Rika , Malkin David , Koren Gideon , Baruchel Sylvain , Yeger Herman
Published: May 2008

Although advances have been made in understanding the role of hypoxia in the stem cell niche, almost nothing is known about a potentially similar role of hypoxia in maintaining the tumor stem cell (TSC) niche. Here we show that a highly tumorigenic fraction of side population (SP) cells is localized in the hypoxic zones of solid tumors in vivo. We first identified a highly migratory, invasive, and tumorigenic fraction of post-hypoxic side population cells (SPm[hox] fraction) in a diverse group of solid tumor cell lines, including neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and small-cell lung carcinoma. To identify the SPm(hox) fraction, we used an “injured conditioned medium” derived from bone marrow stromal cells treated with hypoxia and oxidative stress. We found that a highly tumorigenic SP fraction migrates to the injured conditioned medium in a Boyden chamber. We show that as few as 100 SPm(hox) cells form rapidly growing tumors in vivo. In vitro exposure to hypoxia increases the SPm(hox) fraction significantly. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence studies showed that SPm(hox) cells expressed Oct-4, a “stemness” gene having a potential role in TSC maintenance. In nude mice xenografts, SPm(hox) cells were localized to the hypoxic zones, as demonstrated after quantum dot labeling. These results suggest that a highly tumorigenic SP fraction migrates to the area of hypoxia; this migration is similar to the migration of normal bone marrow SP fraction to the area of injury/hypoxia. Furthermore, the hypoxic microenvironment may serve as a niche for the highly tumorigenic fraction of SP cells.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Concise Review: Pax6 Transcription Factor Contributes to both Embryonic and Adult Neurogenesis as a Multifunctional Regulator
Authors: Osumi Noriko , Shinohara Hiroshi , Numayama-Tsuruta Keiko , Maekawa Motoko
Published: May 2008

Pax6 is a highly conserved transcription factor among vertebrates and is important in various developmental processes in the central nervous system (CNS), including patterning of the neural tube, migration of neurons, and formation of neural circuits. In this review, we focus on the role of Pax6 in embryonic and postnatal neurogenesis, namely, production of new neurons from neural stem/progenitor cells, because Pax6 is intensely expressed in these cells from the initial stage of CNS development and in neurogenic niches (the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricle) throughout life. Pax6 is a multifunctional player regulating proliferation and differentiation through the control of expression of different downstream molecules in a highly context-dependent manner.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Effect of dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide, on body fat mobilization in normal mice
Authors: Kim Kyung-Ah , Ka Sun-O , Moon Woo Sung , Yi Ho-Keun , Lee Young-Hoon , Kwon Kang-Beom , Park Jin-Woo , Park Byung-Hyun
Published: May 2008

Dermcidin (DCD), an antimicrobial peptide that is secreted by sweat glands, is reportedly a human homolog of mouse proteolysis-inducing factor. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of DCD on body fat mobilization. The expression level of DCD in the livers of Ad-DCD-injected mice was higher than in those of Ad-β-galactosidase (Ad-β-gal)-injected mice 7 days after injection. In addition, injection with the Ad-DCD virus led to decreased body weight and epididymal fat mass when compared with controls. The plasma triglyceride level was decreased, whereas the free fatty acid and glycerol levels were increased in the Ad-DCD-injected group. Epididymal adipose tissues obtained from Ad-DCD-injected mice consisted of smaller adipocytes than tissues obtained from Ad-β-gal-injected mice. The gene expression profiles revealed an upregulation of hormone-sensitive lipase and adipose fatty acid-binding protein, both of which are involved in adipocyte lipolysis, in Ad-DCD-injected mice, and this lipolytic effect of DCD paralleled the increase of circulating tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level that was observed. The perilipin levels in adipose tissue were decreased in Ad-DCD-injected mice when compared with those of the control mice. Taken together, these results suggest that DCD-mediated body fat reduction might occur as a result of TNF-α-induced downregulation of perilipin in adipose tissue.
Defining sustainable energy
Authors: Acres D.
Published: May 2008

The terms sustainability and sustainable energy are constantly referenced in energy policy discussions and the climate change debate. However, there is no single definition of sustainable energy. Instead, there is a wide range of interpretations. This lack of a common framework is at the root of many arguments over the sustainability (or otherwise) of energy technologies or policies. This paper examines possible approaches to defining sustainable energy. It puts forward a working set of principles for assessing the relative sustainability of options for energy supply and use and identifies areas of continuing debate that should be a priority for further attention.
A transport policy toolkit for the West Midlands
Authors: van Vuren T.
Published: May 2008

This paper presents the hierarchy of transport models that has been developed in the West Midlands to support policy-making by metropolitan authorities. Transport policies and schemes—which cost money, have both positive and negative impacts on different parts of the population, and must be assessed on a wider set of criteria, including the impacts on economy, safety and the environment—are increasingly questioned by the public. By transferring state-of-the-art academic developments into practice, validated by real-life observations, the toolkit enables engineering solutions and non-intrusive transport policies to be tested using a robust, comprehensive and integrated set of methods. The visualisation capabilities of the toolkit ease the involvement of non-experts, such as the business community and the public.
Highway safety analysis using geographic information systems
Authors: Castro M. , Iglesias L. , Rodriguez-Solano R. , Sánchez J. A.
Published: May 2008

Given the high number of crashes occurring on highways, it is necessary to intensify the search for new tools that assist in understanding their causes. With this aim in mind, the authors have developed a computer system, named Highway Design Analysis (HDA), which analyses the relationship between the geometric characteristics of a highway and those characteristics that the driver expects to find. The system is based on the analysis of vehicles' operating speed and allows the selection of the operating speed prediction model to be used. Several speed prediction models, including the model developed in Spain in the current study, have been used in the case study. The information generated by the application developed has been integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) with the purpose of manipulating, analysing and showing the results in a more efficient way. The system developed is discussed along with its application to three highways.
Catchment descriptors to optimise hydrometric networks
Authors: Laizé C. L. R. , Marsh T. J. , Morris D. G.
Published: May 2008

Operational needs commonly dictate the evolution of hydrometric networks. Such an approach can fail to meet long-term water management information objectives. This paper investigates how spatial descriptors can be used to assess the strategic value of individual catchments in the UK gauging station network. A catchment utility index (CUI) is presented based on an automated implementation of the Flood Estimation Handbook pooling-group procedure for assessing catchment similarity. The CUI is derived from the frequency with which gauged catchments across the UK are called in the pooling-groups for around four million catchments. Several case studies illustrate how the index is interpreted and used—in combination with the hydrometric performance of gauging stations and the degree of disturbance to the natural flow regime—to identify the most strategically useful gauged catchments. Such information is an essential component in guiding network evolution and in improving the effectiveness of procedures to estimate river flows in ungauged catchments.
Cascade stilling basin design using continuous ant algorithm
Authors: Afshar M. H. , Daraeikhah M.
Published: May 2008

The application of a continuous ant algorithm for the optimal design of cascade stilling basins as a common means for energy dissipation is investigated. Ant colony optimisation (ACO) is a newly introduced metaheuristic algorithm for solving discrete optimisation problems. The algorithm is based on the behaviour of real ant colonies and has traditionally been used exclusively for solving problems in the discrete domain. Since the emergence of ant algorithms as an optimisation tool, some attempts have been made to use them for tackling continuous optimisation problems. This paper presents a specialised version of the ACO algorithm that is capable of searching continuous spaces and used for solving continuous optimisation problems. The objective is to investigate the efficiency of ACO by minimising the total cost of cascade stilling basin construction (a function of height of falls and length of the basin) while fulfilling hydraulic and topographical criteria. The proposed method is first tested against some well-known benchmark problems. The method is then used to optimally solve an engineering example (a cascade stilling basin, Tehri dam, India). The results are presented and compared with those of an existing conventional design method based on engineering judgement. The sensitivity of the proposed algorithm to the only parameter of the model is tested and the results are presented for the design example. The results indicate that the algorithm is capable of producing designs superior to the existing alternative method in all the cases considered.
AN INVADER DIFFERENTIALLY AFFECTS LEAF PHYSIOLOGY OF TWO NATIVES ACROSS A GRADIENT IN DIVERSITY
Authors: Kittelson Pamela , Maron John , Marler Marilyn
Published: May 2008

Little is known about how exotics influence the ecophysiology of co‐occurring native plants or how invader impact on plant physiology may be mediated by community diversity or resource levels. We measured the effect of the widespread invasive forb spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) on leaf traits (leaf dry matter content, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen percentage, leaf C:N ratios, and δ13C as a proxy for water use efficiency) of two co‐occurring native perennial grassland species, Monarda fistulosa (bee balm) and Koeleria macrantha (Junegrass). The impact of spotted knapweed was assessed across plots that varied in functional diversity and that either experienced ambient rainfall or received supplemental water. Impact was determined by comparing leaf traits between identical knapweed‐invaded and noninvaded assemblages. Virtually all M. fistulosa leaf traits were affected by spotted knapweed. Knapweed impact, however, did not scale with its abundance; the impact of knapweed on M. fistulosa was similar across heavily invaded low‐diversity assemblages and lightly invaded high‐diversity assemblages. In uninvaded assemblages, M. fistulosa δ13C, leaf nitrogen, and C:N ratios were unaffected by native functional group richness, whereas leaf dry matter content significantly increased and specific leaf area significantly decreased across the diversity gradient. The effects of spotted knapweed on K. macrantha were weak; instead native functional group richness strongly affected K. macrantha leaf C:N ratio, δ13C, and specific leaf area, but not leaf dry matter content. Leaf traits for both species changed in response to spotted knapweed or functional richness, and in a manner that may promote slower biomass accumulation and efficient conservation of resources. Taken together, our results show that an invader can alter native plant physiology, but that these effects are not a simple function of how many invaders exist in the community.
Airborne spectranomics: mapping canopy chemical and taxonomic diversity in tropical forests
Authors: Asner Gregory P , Martin Roberta E
Published: May 2008

Tree canopies play an enormous role in the maintenance of tropical forest diversity and ecosystem function, and are therefore central to conservation, management, and resource policy development in tropical regions. However, high‐resolution mapping of tropical forest canopies is very difficult, because traditional field, airborne, and satellite measurements cannot resolve the number of canopy species, or particular species of interest, over the large regional scales commensurate with conservation goals and strategies. Newer technologies, such as imaging spectroscopy and light detection and ranging (lidar), are just now reaching performance levels that will allow monitoring of tropical forest diversity from the air, but the methods for applying these technologies are not yet ready. Here, we present concepts that combine chemical and spectral remote sensing perspectives to facilitate canopy diversity mapping. Using examples from our ongoing work in the Hawaiian Islands, we demonstrate how a new “airborne spectranomics” approach could revolutionize tropical forest monitoring in the future.
The Essence of Res(ex)pectability
Authors: Reid-Brinkley Shanara R.
Published: May 2008

In the late fall of 2004, following the media spectacle created by Spelman College's protest of the misogyny and sexism in the music and videos of rapper Nelly, Essence, a popular black women's magazine, began a campaign to raise awareness. Arguing that a more public discussion by black women of the issue of misogyny in rap's portrayal of black women is long overdue, the magazine published a year-long series of articles as part of its “Take Back the Music” campaign. More interesting than the series of articles produced by the magazine is the overwhelming response generated on its internet-based scribble boards, which offered their readers the opportunity to participate in a communal dialogue. Arguing that the scribble boards became a black women's temporary “safe space,” this essay interrogates the manner in which black women construct subject positions around the performance of race, class, and gender as a means to resist dominant representations of black women, while simultaneously engaging in disciplinary practices that constrain black femininity.
“Roll It Gal”
Authors: Springer Jennifer Thorington
Published: May 2008

“‘Roll It Gal’: Alison Hinds, Female Empowerment, and Calypso” examines the ways in which Caribbean women's bodies, namely those of black women, have been overly sexualized in calypsos. More importantly, this article examines how Hinds (re)claims calypso and its dance forms to empower women cross-culturally. She subverts traditional representations of womanhood in her songs and performances, thereby expanding existing definitions of womanhood. Hinds addresses women's ambivalent relationships with the performance and celebration of Caribbean culture through dance as she recovers/reinvents the female body. Hinds's ability to demand respect for her “wining” skills is also discussed. She validates the “wuk up” as an art form intrinsic to Caribbean culture, and openly challenges colonial ideologies that conceptualize “wukking up” as inappropriate or disrespectful. Simultaneously, in her claim of being “de ruffest gal winer” that no man/woman can test, Hinds's own dance performance becomes a subversive text and not merely dance as aesthetic pleasure.
Bachelorhood and Men's Attitudes about Gender Roles
Authors: Pitt Richard N. , Borland Elizabeth
Published: May 2008

This paper examines the gendered domestic division of labor and men's attitudes regarding gender roles. It focuses on a potential catalyst for changing gender attitudes: bachelorhood. Because social conditions increasingly delay heterosexual men's movement toward marriage, it is important to consider the significance of the period between childhood and marriage. Using the NLSY, we find that the longer a man lives independently—outside his parents' home and institutional settings (e.g., college dorms), and not married or cohabiting—the less traditional his attitudes about gender. Specifically, we find that the longer a man lives independently, the more likely he is to agree that men should share housework, and the less likely he is to think that a woman's place is in the home.
Agency-Based Male Sex Work: A Descriptive Focus on Physical, Personal, and Social Space
Authors: Smith Michael D. , Grov Christian , Seal David W.
Published: May 2008

Thirty male sex workers (MSWs) from a single agency participated in a qualitative interview about social and occupational aspects of their lives. MSWs established physical (defined areas where clients were not invited) and psychological (limitations of relationship with clients, other escorts, and the agency manager) boundaries to construct personal and professional space regarding sex work. Physical and psychological boundaries often were blended (e.g., bringing friends/family to the agency, utilizing the agency as a “drop-in community center”). The agency further mitigated negative aspects of sex work by providing job training, social support, stigma management, and dual-use space. Actors co-created a context wherein business could be conducted while meeting MSWs' psychosocial needs.
Where are Fathers in American Literature? Re-Visiting Fatherhood in U.S. Literary History
Authors: Armengol-Carrera Josep M.
Published: May 2008

The American literary hero has often been portrayed as a self-willed orphan, an individualistic character who breaks with his origins and begins a new life by himself, alone and unencumbered by the responsibilities of family life. Moreover, American literary fathers, when/if present, tend to be represented as authoritarian and repressive figures. Nevertheless, the aim of this paper will be twofold. On the one hand, it will explore, and re-assess, several theoretical explanations that may help account for such dichotomous representation of fatherhood as an absent or repressive institution in U.S literature. On the other hand, it will posit both the feasibility and the desirability of moving beyond traditional binary conceptions of American fatherhood, illustrating the plurality as well as the irreducible complexity of fathers in American literary history.
Impact of Ischemia and Reperfusion Times on Myocardial Infarct Size in Mice In Vivo
Authors: Redel Andreas , Jazbutyte Virginija , Smul Thorsten M. , Lange Markus , Eckle Tobias , Eltzschig Holger , Roewer Norbert , Kehl Franz
Published: May 2008

The murine in vivo model of acute myocardial infarction is increasingly used to study signal transduction pathways. However, methodological details of this model are rarely published, and durations of ischemia and reperfusion (REP) time vary considerably among different laboratories. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that infarct size (IS) is dependent on both duration of ischemia and REP time. Pentobarbital-anesthetized male C57BL/6 mice were intubated, mechanically ventilated, and instrumented for continuous monitoring of mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. After left fourth thoracotomy, the left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated. Mice were randomly assigned to receive 30, 45, or 60 mins of coronary artery occlusion (CAO) and 120, 180, or 240 mins of REP, respectively. IS was determined with triphenyltetrazolium chloride and area at risk (AAR) with Evans blue, respectively. Arterial blood gas analysis and hemodynamics were not different among groups. Prolongation of CAO from 30 to 60 mins significantly (* P < 0.05) increased IS from 18% ± 5% to 69% ± 3%*, from 20% ± 2% to 69% ± 6%* and from 42% ± 10% to 75% ± 2%* after 120, 180, and 240 mins REP, respectively. Moreover, IS was increased from 18% ± 5% to 42% ± 10%* (30 mins CAO) and from 40% ± 3% to 72% ± 6%* (45 mins CAO) when REP time was prolonged from 120 to 240 mins. IS was not increased when REP was prolonged from 120 to 240 mins at 60 mins CAO (69% ± 3% vs. 75% ± 2%). In the present study, we describe important methodological aspects of the murine in vivo model of acute myocardial infarction and provide evidence that, in this model, IS depends both on duration of ischemia and on REP time.
Plasma Levels of Cell-Free Apoptotic DNA Ladders and Gamma-Glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) in Diabetic Children
Authors: Langford Marlyn P. , Redens Thomas B. , Harris Norman R. , Lee Seungjun , Jain Sushil K. , Reddy Sudha , McVie Robert
Published: May 2008

The plasma levels of apoptotic DNA ladders (i.e., apoptosemia) and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) in diabetic outpatients and rats were investigated. Apoptotic DNA ladders were detected in plasma from 26.8% of type 1 (T1) and 18.5% of type 2 (T2) diabetic children 1–20 years of age, 25.7% of hospitalized children and 35.7% of adult RA outpatients, but in only 3.5% of adult pre-op patients. Plasma from 7.7% of young streptozotocin-induced diabetic but not control rats contained apoptotic DNA ladders. Apoptosemia was detected more often in male T1 (31%) and T2 (30.8%) diabetic outpatients than in female T1 (20.8%) and T2 (15.4%) diabetic outpatients. GGT in apoptosemic plasma was significantly higher than in nonapoptosemic plasma from T1 ( P = 0.001) but not T2 diabetic children. The highest amounts of apoptotic DNA were detected most often in diabetic children ≥14 years of age. In vitro study results suggest that cell-free apoptotic DNA ladders appear prior to an increase in GGT activity in serum from human blood incubated at 37°C. The results suggest that 24.7% of plasma samples from diabetic children contained apoptotic DNA ladders, the incidence and amounts of apoptotic DNA ladders were higher in the older diabetic children, and GGT was elevated in apoptosemic T1 diabetic children ( P = 0.01). The results indicate that “silent” apoptosemia occurs in T1 and T2 diabetic children and suggest elevated GGT in diabetic children could be due to release from apoptotic cells.
Corneal Protein Nitration in Experimental Uveitis
Authors: Aslan Mutay , Yucel İclal , Ciftcioglu Akif , Savaş Berna , Akar Yusuf , Yucel Gultekin , Sanlioglu Salih
Published: May 2008

Increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS-2) in inflammatory diseases like uveitis suggests that it contributes to the observed pathological state. The aim of this study was to evaluate corneal expression of NOS-2 and corneal protein nitration in a rat model of uveitis. A single injection of intravitreal lipopolysaccharide was used to induce uveitis. Corneal proteins were separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and visualized by Coomassie blue staining. Expression of NOS-2 and nitrotyrosine (NO2Tyr) formation were determined via immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Total nitrate/nitrite levels in the vitreous were measured by spectral analysis via the Griess reagent. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased corneal NOS-2 and NO2Tyr immunoreactivity in rats with uveitis compared with controls. NOS-2 and NO2Tyr immunoreactivity was observed in and around basal cells in the corneal epithelium. Western blot analysis of corneal lysates showed multiple nitrated protein bands in uveitic rats. Spectrophotometric measurement of total nitrate/nitrite levels in the vitreous affirmed significantly increased levels of nitric oxide generation in uveitis (126 ±2.63 μ M/mg protein) compared with controls (65 ±6.57 μ M/mg protein). The presented data suggests that extensive formation of protein nitration and reactive nitrogen species in the cornea contributes to tissue destruction in uveitis. Hence, selective inhibition of NOS-2 may prevent long-term complications and lead to an improvement in the management of uveitis.
Identification of Putative Bovine Mammary Epithelial Stem Cells by Their Retention of Labeled DNA Strands
Authors: Capuco Anthony V.
Published: May 2008

Stem cells appear to retain labeled DNA for extended periods because of their selective segregation of template DNA strands during mitosis. In this study, proliferating cells in the prepubertal bovine mammary gland were labeled using five daily injections of 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Five weeks later, BrdU-labeled mammary epithelial cells were still evident. The percentage of BrdU-labeled epithelial cells was greatest in the lower region of the mammary gland, near the gland cistern, and was decreased toward the periphery of the parenchymal region, where the ducts were invading the mammary fat pad. Increased numbers of BrdU-labeled epithelial cells in basal regions of the gland are likely a consequence of decreased proliferation rates and increased cell cycle arrest in this area. In peripheral regions of mammary parenchyma, the percentage of heavily labeled epithelial cells averaged 0.24%, a number that is consistent with estimates of the frequency of stem cells in the mouse mammary gland. Epithelial label-retaining cells seemingly represent a slowly proliferating population of cells, as 5.4% of heavily labeled cells were positive for the nuclear proliferation antigen Ki67. Because epithelial label-retaining cells contain estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and ER-positive cells, they apparently comprise a mixed population, which I suggest is composed of ER-negative stem cells and ER-positive progenitors. Continuing studies will address the usefulness of this technique to identify bovine mammary stem cells and to facilitate studies of stem cell biology.
Nitric Oxide Bioavailability and Not Production Is First Altered During the Onset of Insulin Resistance in Sucrose-Fed Rats
Authors: Blouet Clemence , Mariotti François , Mathe Veronique , Tome Daniel , Huneau Jean-François
Published: May 2008

Although the role of nitric oxide (NO) in peripheral glucose uptake has been thoroughly described, little is known regarding the alterations in NO metabolism during the early onset of insulin resistance. During this study we investigated the alterations in NO synthesis and bioavailability in a model for dietary modulations of insulin sensitivity. For 6 weeks, rats were fed a standard diet (C), a high-sucrose diet inducing insulin resistance (HS), or high-sucrose diets supplemented with cysteine, which endowed protection against the high-sucrose–induced insulin resistance (Ti). Several markers of NO synthesis and bioavailability were assessed and confronted with markers of insulin sensitivity. After 5 weeks, although urinary cGMP excretion did not differ between the groups, insulin resistance in HS rats was associated with both a significant increase in NO oxidation, as determined by plasma nitrotyrosine concentrations, and in the inducible NO synthase (iNOS)/endothelial NO synthase (iNOS/eNOS) mRNA ratio in skeletal muscle compared with C rats. These alterations were prevented in rats fed the cysteine-rich diets. NO production, as assessed by urinary 15 NO3− excretion following a [15N2-(guanido)]-arginine intra-venous bolus, independently and significantly correlated with insulin sensitivity but did not significantly differ between C, HS, and Ti rats; neither did the aortic eNOS protein expression or skeletal muscle insulin-induced eNOS activation. Our results indicate that in this model of dietary modulations of insulin sensitivity (i) NO production accounts for part of total inter-individual variation in insulin sensitivity, but (ii) early diet-related changes in insulin sensitivity are accompanied by changes in NO bioavailability.
Effect of 9-cis Retinoic Acid on Dopamine D2 Receptor Expression in Pituitary Adenoma Cells
Authors: Bondioni Sara , Angioni Anita R. , Corbetta Sabrina , Locatelli Marco , Ferrero Stefano , Ferrante Emanuele , Mantovani Giovanna , Olgiati Luca , Beck-Peccoz Paolo , Spada Anna , Lania Andrea G.
Published: May 2008

The dopamine receptor subtype 2 (D2R) promoter contains a functional retinoic acid response element involved in the control of D2R expression. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of 9- cis retinoic acid (9- cis RA) on D2R protein expression in human pituitary adenomas and GH3 cell line. Treatment with 9- cis RA (100 n M for 48 hrs) caused a 109 ± 32% increase of basal D2R levels in five of eight growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenomas (GH-omas), a 129 ± 28% increase in 7 of 11 nonfunctioning adenomas, and no effect in two resistant prolactinomas by Western blotting. The lack of D2R induction in some tumors was not associated with a different pattern of retinoid x receptor (RXR) and retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isoform expression that was similar in all tumors by immunohistochemistry. While the induction of D2R did not affect the slight but significant inhibitory effect exerted by dopamine (10 n M) on in vitro GH release by GH-oma cultured cells, in pituitary GH3 cell lines cis-9 RA enhanced the dopamine-induced inhibition of in vitro GH release (% inhibition: 16 ± 2 versus 26 ± 5, P < 0.05), cell proliferation (25 ± 2% versus 44 ± 5%, P < 0.05) and cell viability (16 ± 0.8% versus 29 ± 1%, P < 0.05), likely by activating caspase-3 (28 ± 3% versus basal, P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study provides novel evidence for a permissive role of retinoids on the expression of D2R in a good proportion of pituitary tumors and on the generation of pro-apoptotic signals in GH3 cell line.
A BRIEF COMMUNICATION
Authors: Scagnolari Carolina , Midulla Fabio , Trombetti Simona , Pierangeli Alessandra , Tromba Valeria , Grossi Rosanna , Di Marco Paola , Dianzani Caterina , Girardi Enrico , Antonelli Guido
Published: May 2008

To determine whether there is an airway IFN response in infants with acute bronchiolitis and to establish whether the rate of such a response is related to the severity of illness, the expression of some IFN-induced genes was measured in nasopharyngeal washes from 39 infants with acute bronchiolitis. The results indicate that in infants with a virus-associated acute bronchiolitis there is a strong activation of IFN system and that the severity of illness is inversely related to the level of expression of IFN-induced genes. This suggests that the IFN response plays an important role in determining virus–associated respiratory disease in early life.