bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo modification of tyrosine residues in recombinant mussel adhesive protein by tyrosinase co-expression in Escherichia coli
Authors: Choi Yoo Seong , Yang Yun Jung , Yang Byeongseon , Cha Hyung Joon
Published: October 2012

Background

In nature, mussel adhesive proteins (MAPs) show remarkable adhesive properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. Thus, they have been considered promising adhesive biomaterials for various biomedical and industrial applications. However, limited production of natural MAPs has hampered their practical applications. Recombinant production in bacterial cells could be one alternative to obtain useable amounts of MAPs, although additional post-translational modification of tyrosine residues into 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (Dopa) and Dopaquinone is required. The superior properties of MAPs are mainly attributed to the introduction of quinone-derived intermolecular cross-links. To solve this problem, we utilized a co-expression strategy of recombinant MAP and tyrosinase in Escherichia coli to successfully modify tyrosine residues in vivo.

Results

A recombinant hybrid MAP, fp-151, was used as a target for in vivo modification, and a dual vector system of pET and pACYC-Duet provided co-expression of fp-151 and tyrosinase. As a result, fp-151 was over-expressed and mainly obtained from the soluble fraction in the co-expression system. Without tyrosinase co-expression, fp-151 was over-expressed in an insoluble form in inclusion bodies. The modification of tyrosine residues in the soluble-expressed fp-151 was clearly observed from nitroblue tetrazolium staining and liquid-chromatography-mass/mass spectrometry analyses. The purified, in vivo modified, fp-151 from the co-expression system showed approximately 4-fold higher bulk-scale adhesive strength compared to in vitro tyrosinase-treated fp-151.

Conclusion

Here, we reported a co-expression system to obtain in vivo modified MAP; additional in vitro tyrosinase modification was not needed to obtain adhesive properties and the in vivo modified MAP showed superior adhesive strength compared to in vitro modified protein. It is expected that this co-expression strategy will accelerate the use of functional MAPs in practical applications and can be successfully applied to prepare other Dopa/Dopaquinone-based biomaterials.
Integrated vector management targeting Anopheles darlingi populations decreases malaria incidence in an unstable transmission area, in the rural Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Martins-Campos Keillen M , Pinheiro Waléria D , Vítor-Silva Sheila , Siqueira André M , Melo Gisely C , Rodrigues Íria C , Fé Nelson F , Barbosa Maria das Graças V , Tadei Wanderli P , Guinovart Caterina , Bassat Quique , Alonso Pedro L , Lacerda Marcus VG , Monteiro Wuelton M
Published: October 2012

Background

Studies on vector behaviour should be conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of vector control measures on malaria protection in endemic areas of Latin America, where P. vivax predominates. This work aims to investigate the fauna of anopheline mosquitoes and verify the impact of integrated vector management in two colonization projects in the Careiro Municipality, Western Brazilian Amazon.

Methods

Four mosquitoes’ captures were carried out from August 2008 to March 2010, with an interval of six months between each collection. Since September 2009 a large programme to reduce the burden of malaria has started in the two communities by distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITN) and intensification of indoor residual spraying (IRS). Human biting rates (HBRs), entomological inoculation rates (EIRs), malaria incidence rate (MIR) and Plasmodium carrier’s prevalence were used as outcomes to estimate the impact of the control measures.

Results

A total of 3,189 anophelines were collected, belonging to 13 species. Anopheles darlingi was the predominant species in the period (42.6%), followed by Anopheles albitarsis (38.4%). An. darlingi HBRs showed a notable decreasing trend from the start to the end of the study. Conversely, An. albitarsis increased its contribution to overall HBRs throughout the study. For An. darlingi there was a significant positive correlation between HBRs and MIR (p = 0.002). Anopheles albitarsis HBRs showed a significant negative correlation with the corresponding MIR (p = 0.045). EIR from total anophelines and from An. darlingi and An. albitarsis presented decreasing patterns in the successive collections. Four species of anophelines (An. darlingi, An. albitarsis, Anopheles braziliensis and Anopheles nuneztovari) were naturally infected with Plasmodium, albeit at very low infection rates. There were a decrease in the MIR for both vivax and falciparum malaria and in the prevalence of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum carriers during the period of study.

Conclusions

There is strong evidence of association between the density of An. darlingi and the incidence of malaria in the studies sites, further highlighting the importance of this vector in malaria transmission in this region. An. darlingi susceptibility to control using ITN and IRS is likely to be high in the rural settlements studied.
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and interleukin (IL)-1β synergistically promote ERK1/2-mediated invasive breast ductal cancer cell migration and invasion
Authors: Ma Liqiang , Lan Fenghua , Zheng Zhiyong , Xie Feilai , Wang Lie , Liu Wei , Han Junyong , Zheng Feng , Xie Yanchuan , Huang Qiaojia
Published: October 2012

Background

Patients with invasive breast ductal carcinoma (IBDC) with metastasis have a very poor prognosis. Little is known about the synergistic action of growth and inflammatory factors in IBDC metastases.

Methods

The expression of activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (phosphorylated or p-ERK1/2) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in IBDC tissue samples from 80 cases. BT474 IBDC cell migration and invasion were quantified using the Transwell assay. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 expression and activity were analyzed by RT-PCR, Western blotting and zymography. Activator protein (AP)-1 activity was measured with a luciferase reporter gene assay. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Chi-square test, the partition of Chi-square test, independent t-test, and Spearman’s method were used for the statistical analysis.

Results

Phosphorylated ERK1/2 was detected in 58/80 (72.5%) IBDC tissues, and was associated with higher TNM stage and lymph node metastasis, but not patient age or tumor size. Individually, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and interleukin (IL)-1β activated ERK1/2, increased cell migration and invasion, MMP-9 expression and activity, AP-1 activation in vitro and the expression of p-ERK1/2 was positively correlated with EGF expression levels, as well as IL-1β, MMP-9 and c-fos in IBDC tissue samples. Co-stimulation with EGF and IL-1β synergistically increased ERK1/2 and AP-1 activation, cell migration and invasion, and MMP-9 expression and activity. Inhibition of ERK1/2 using U0126 or siRNA abolished EGF and/or IL-1β-induced cell migration and invasion in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion

Activated ERK1/2 was associated with higher TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in IBDC. Both in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that ERK-1/2 activation may increase the metastatic ability of IBDC cells. Growth and inflammatory factors synergistically induced IBDC cell migration and invasion via ERK1/2 signaling, AP-1 activation and MMP-9 upregulation.
Nanoparticle biofabrication using English ivy (Hedera helix)
Authors: Burris Jason N , Lenaghan Scott C , Zhang Mingjun , Stewart C Neal
Published: October 2012

Background

English ivy (Hedera helix) is well known for its adhesive properties and climbing ability. Essential to its ability to adhere to vertical surfaces is the secretion of a nanocomposite adhesive containing spherical nanoparticles, 60–85 nm in diameter, produced exclusively by root hairs present on adventitious roots. These organic nanoparticles have shown promise in biomedical and cosmetic applications, and represent a safer alternative to metal oxide nanoparticles currently available.

Results

It was discovered that the maximum adventitious root production was achieved by a 4 h application of 1 mg/ml indole-3 butyric acid (IBA) to juvenile English ivy shoot segments cultured in custom vessels. After incubation of the shoots under continuous light at 83 μmol/m2 s at 20°C for 2 weeks, the adventitious roots were harvested from the culture system and it was possible to isolate 90 mg of dry weight nanoparticles per 12 g of roots. The nanoparticle morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy, and found to be similar to previous studies.

Conclusions

An enhanced system for the production of English ivy adventitious roots and their nanoparticles by modifying GA7 Magenta boxes and identifying the optimal concentration of IBA for adventitious root growth was developed. This system is the first such platform for growing and harvesting organic nanoparticles from plants, and represents an important step in the development of plant-based nanomanufacturing. It is a significant improvement on the exploitation of plant systems for the formation of metallic nanoparticles, and represents a pathway for the generation of bulk ivy nanoparticles for translation into biomedical applications.
3D coverage analysis of LTE urban heterogeneous networks with dense femtocell deployments
Authors: Letourneux Florian , Corre Yoann , Suteau Erwan , Lostanlen Yves
Published: October 2012

Femtocell technology recently gained attention due to its potential benefits for mobile operators (significant capacity offload and extension of the coverage at low cost) but there are still hard technical challenges to be addressed (e.g., the optimization of the interference management). Furthermore, the deployment strategies are still in question, such as the femtocell access-mode (open or closed) and the spectrum usage to adopt. Consequently, reliable simulations are necessary in the perspective of massive femtocell deployments, in particular for characterization of the impact on the coverage quality. An original solution is introduced and exploited in this article. It offers two complementary approaches for two different applications: a synthetic model for realization of small-scale or illustrative case studies and a real model for realistic and large-scale heterogeneous network performance evaluation. It relies on a suite of simulation tools including the generation of random 3D femtocell deployments in synthetic or real environments; realistic pathloss predictions; and a 3D downlink coverage performance analysis (i.e., considering all floors) of long-term evolution heterogeneous networks. A first study shows not only a large improvement of coverage quality for femtocell users, but also a very significant degradation for non-subscribers in the vicinity of closed-access femtocells. The femtocells have a strong impact locally (gain or degradation depending on the access-mode and user type) and not only at their own floor. Therefore, a 3D evaluation is relevant. Then, a second study offers realistic and large-scale analyses of the coverage evolution after corporate femtocells have massively been deployed in urban macrocells. The results show a moderate impact on the average spectral efficiencies but a strong impact locally. In this study, closed-access femtocells cause dead zones for non-subscribers in 15% of indoor areas leading to non-uniform service coverage, whereas they increase the spectral efficiency of femtocell subscribers (by 1.5 bps/Hz in 20% of indoor areas). These are critical information for a mobile operator since the experience of its customers is much affected by the femtocell deployment and by the selected access mode.
Molecular characterization of hepatitis c virus in multi-transfused Colombian patients
Authors: di Filippo Diana , Cortes-Mancera Fabian , Beltran Mauricio , Arbelaez Maria Patricia , Jaramillo Sergio , Restrepo Juan Carlos , Correa Gonzalo , Navas Maria-Cristina
Published: October 2012

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects 170 million persons worldwide and is a public health problem. Considering that HCV is principally transmitted by exposure to infected blood, multi-transfused patients constitute one of the most important risk groups in developing countries. To explore the dynamics of this infection in Colombia, we performed a study to determine the genotypes of HCV in a cohort of multi-transfused patients.

Results

The serum samples from patients positive for anti-HCV were evaluated for HCV RNA by nested-PCR of the 5’untranslated region (5’UTR). Viral genotype was determined by RFLP and/or automated sequencing. HCV subtype 1b was found in eight cases (66.7%) and subtype 1a in two cases (16.7%); seven isolates of subtype 1b were obtained from patients who had received the first transfusion before 1986. Either genotypes 2b (8.3%) or 3a (8.3%) were found in the remaining positive specimens.

Conclusions

This is the first HCV genotyping study developed in multi-transfused patients in Colombia where HCV subtype 1b was the most prevalent. The mutation G235A in the 5’UTR of three isolates generated an additional restriction site and an RFLP pattern different from those previously described for genotype 1.
Yield of Screening for Long-Term Complications Using the Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines
Authors: Landier Wendy , Armenian Saro H. , Lee Jin , Thomas Ola , Wong F. Lennie , Francisco Liton , Herrera Claudia , Kasper Clare , Wilson Karla D. , Zomorodi Meghan , Bhatia Smita
Published: October 2012

Purpose

The Children's Oncology Group Long-Term Follow-Up (COG-LTFU) Guidelines use consensus-based recommendations for exposure-driven, risk-based screening for early detection of long-term complications in childhood cancer survivors. However, the yield from these recommendations is not known.

Methods

Survivors underwent COG-LTFU Guideline–directed screening. Yield was classified as negligible/negative (< 1%), intermediate (≥ 1% to < 10%), or high (≥ 10%). For long-term complications with high yield, logistic regression was used to identify subgroups more likely to screen positive.

Results

Over the course of 1,188 clinic visits, 370 childhood cancer survivors (53% male; 47% Hispanic; 69% leukemia/lymphoma survivors; median age at diagnosis, 11.1 years [range, 0.3 to 21.9 years]; time from diagnosis, 10.5 years [range, 5 to 55.8 years]) underwent 4,992 screening tests. High-yield tests included thyroid function (hypothyroidism, 10.1%), audiometry (hearing loss, 22.6%), dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans (low bone mineral density [BMD], 23.2%), serum ferritin (iron overload, 24.0%), and pulmonary function testing/chest x-ray (pulmonary dysfunction, 84.1%). Regression analysis failed to identify subgroups more likely to result in high screening yield, with the exception of low BMD (2.5-fold increased risk for males [P = .04]; 3.3-fold increased risk for nonobese survivors [P = .01]). Screening tests with negligible/negative (< 1%) yield included complete blood counts (therapy-related leukemia), dipstick urinalysis for proteinuria and serum blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (glomerular defects), microscopic urinalysis for hematuria (hemorrhagic cystitis, bladder cancer), ECG (anthracycline-related conduction disorder), and hepatitis B and HIV serology.

Conclusion

Screening tests with a high yield are appropriate for risk groups targeted for screening by the COG-LTFU Guidelines. Elimination of screening tests with negligible/negative yield should be given consideration.
Patterns of Use and Short-Term Complications of Breast Brachytherapy in the National Medicare Population From 2008–2009
Authors: Presley Carolyn J. , Soulos Pamela R. , Herrin Jeph , Roberts Kenneth B. , Yu James B. , Killelea Brigid , Lesnikoski Beth-Ann , Long Jessica B. , Gross Cary P.
Published: October 2012

Purpose

Brachytherapy has disseminated into clinical practice as an alternative to whole-breast irradiation (WBI) for early-stage breast cancer; however, current national treatment patterns and associated complications remain unknown.

Patients and Methods

We constructed a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries ages 66 to 94 years who underwent breast-conserving surgery from 2008 to 2009 and were treated with brachytherapy or WBI. We used hospital referral regions (HRRs) to assess national treatment variation and an instrumental variable analysis to compare complication rates between treatment groups, adjusting for patient and clinical characteristics. We compared overall, wound and skin, and deep-tissue and bone complications between brachytherapy and WBI at 1 year of follow-up.

Results

Of 29,648 women in our sample, 4,671 (15.8%) received brachytherapy. The percent of patients receiving brachytherapy varied substantially across HRRs, ranging from 0% to over 70% (interquartile range, 7.5% to 23.3%). Of women treated with brachytherapy, 34.3% had a complication compared with 27.3% of women undergoing WBI (P < .001). After adjusting for patient and clinical characteristics, 35.2% of women treated with brachytherapy (95% CI, 28.6 to 41.9) had a complication compared with 18.4% treated with WBI (95% CI, 15.5 to 21.3; P value for difference, <.001). Brachytherapy was associated with a 16.9% higher rate of wound and skin complications compared with WBI (95% CI, 10.0 to 23.9; P < .001), but there was no difference in deep-tissue and bone complications.

Conclusion

Brachytherapy is commonly used among Medicare beneficiaries and varies substantially across regions. After 1 year, wound and skin complications were significantly higher among women receiving brachytherapy compared with those receiving WBI.
Complex regulation controls Neurogenin3 proteolysis
Authors: Roark Ryan , Itzhaki Laura , Philpott Anna
Published: October 2012

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is known to be responsible for the rapid turnover of many transcription factors, where half-life is held to be critical for regulation of transcriptional activity. However, the stability of key transcriptional regulators of development is often very poorly characterised. Neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) is a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor that plays a central role in specification and differentiation of endocrine cells of the pancreas and gut, as well as spermatogonia and regions of the brain. Here we demonstrate that Ngn3 protein stability is regulated by the ubiquitin proteasome system and that Ngn3 can be ubiquitylated on lysines, the N-terminus and, highly unusually, on non-canonical residues including cysteines and serines/threonines. Rapid turnover of Ngn3 is regulated both by binding to its heterodimeric partner E protein and by the presence of cdk inhibitors. We show that protein half-life does appear to regulate the activity of Ngn3 in vivo, but, unlike the related transcription factor c-myc, ubiquitylation on canonical sites is not a requirement for transcriptional activity of Ngn3. Hence, we characterise an important new level of Ngn3 post-translational control, which may regulate its transcriptional activity.
A novel intubation technique for minimally invasive longitudinal studies of rat lungs using hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Fox M S , Welch I , Hobson D , Santyr G E
Published: October 2012

Hyperpolarized noble gas (HNG) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be useful for studying rodent models of lung disease. Image quality can be substantially degraded by signal loss from molecular oxygen entering the airway, requiring invasive surgery to ensure a good seal between the endotracheal (ET) tube and trachea. A modified Foley catheter having an inflatable cuff near the tip provides a novel approach for ensuring image quality for HNG MRI, thereby enabling longitudinal studies and reducing animal numbers. A Foley catheter was modified for rodent intubation and to minimize dead space. Three pairs of age-matched male Sprague Dawley rats 400 (30) g were used. Two pairs were intubated using the Foley and the third with an intravenous catheter. Leak rates were measured from pressure versus time curves within each animal. The pairs were euthanized immediately or six days postrecovery to assess the effects of the procedure on animal health, as reflected by histological examination. The Foley catheter resulted in minimal leak rates (−0.20 (0.03) versus −0.16 (0.05) cmH2O/s), and were shown to be well below upper-limit leak rates of −0.5 and −0.7 cmH2O/s. Tracheal samples from rats in a separate Foley group (not mechanically ventilated) showed superficial damage six days postextubation (grade = 0). 3He imaging performed using the Foley showed good image quality. Though some technical issues remain to be solved, a modified Foley catheter used as an ET tube offers the potential to enable longitudinal studies in rodents and reduce animal numbers.
Spontaneous fibrosarcoma in an experimental aged Lewis rat
Authors: Sasaki Ryo , Matsumine Hajime , Matsumoto Naoyuki , Watanabe Yorikatsu , Yamato Masayuki , Okano Teruo , Ando Tomohiro
Published: October 2012

This case report describes the results of the gross pathological, histological and immunohistological examinations of a fibrosarcoma that spontaneously developed in the left neck region of an aged male Lewis rat that participated in a long-term facial nerve regeneration study. A 10 mm long polylactic acid (PLA) tube was implanted into a 7 mm critical defect gap of the buccal branch of the left facial nerve of a male eight-week-old Lewis rat. Forty-two weeks after implantation, an approximately 8 cm × 9 cm × 2.5 cm rapidly growing mass with ulceration of the overlying skin was found in the left neck region. Gross examination of the tumour and the surrounding tissues before tumour excision revealed that the tumour had clear boundaries, and had not invaded any facial tissues, the facial nerve and the PLA nerve guide. Gross examination of the tumour's cut surface revealed that the tumour comprised numerous smooth nodules with a homogeneous white tan colour. Examination of the haematoxylin and eosin-stained sections of the tumour revealed that the tumour was predominantly composed of bundles of spindle-shaped atypical proliferating cells that were mixed with bundles of collagen fibres and arranged in a storiform pattern. Tumour emboli and skin invasion were also observed. Immunohistological examination revealed that the tumour cells were weakly positive for vimentin, but negative for keratin, α-smooth muscle actin, S-100 protein and CD34. From the results of these analyses, the final pathological diagnosis of this tumour was a fibrosarcoma.
The incidence, pathology of trauma and victim profiles of homicidal deaths in Pretoria, South Africa (2007–2008)
Authors: Cocks Jeannie , Saayman Gert
Published: October 2012

This study aimed to establish the incidence of homicide, associated pathology of trauma and victim profiles in cases admitted to or managed as homicidal deaths at the Pretoria Medico-Legal Laboratory (PMLL) over the period of 2007–2008. A total of 1088 cases were reviewed. Homicides accounted for 22.7% of all cases admitted to the PMLL. The majority of homicide victims were male individuals (87.0%). The most common cause of death was gunshot wounds (42.6%), followed by blunt force trauma (25.1%). Homicides are most likely to occur at the victim's place of residence (28.5%) and only 37.4% of victims survive long enough to receive hospital care. The results of this study seem to concur with international findings for the most part, with a few interesting deviations. Highlighting at-risk groups, as well as dangerous locations and incident times, creates the potential to decrease the occurrence of unnecessary deaths by generating an awareness of the trends.
Sound Production by Vorticity Fluctuations in a Stagnation Point Flow
Authors: George K. Joseph , Sujith R. I.
Published: October 2012

A linear mechanism for the emergence of acoustic waves from aperiodic vorticity disturbances is presented for a simple stagnation point flow. The non-modal approach, which made possible the discovery of a similar mechanism in unbounded shear flows, is employed. The phenomenon is shown to be closely related to the non-normal nature of the linearized operator governing the evolution of small perturbations about the mean flow. The vorticity disturbance acts as an acoustic source by interacting with the mean velocity gradient and drives the acoustic waves in a non-resonant manner. The physical mechanism by which the acoustic and vortical components of the disturbance exchange energy with the mean flow is presented. The proposed mechanism is relevant for numerous applications involving mass addition or removal, such as aeroacoustic instabilities in a solid rocket motor. Similar phenomena are expected to occur in accelerated flows, like the flow in a nozzle. Numerical simulations using a high order, dispersion relation preserving scheme is used to demonstrate how a localized vorticity disturbance of small amplitude generates sound waves when strained by the gradients in the base flow. The simulations reveal that the vorticity disturbance acts as a quadrupole source of sound, whose origin is explained using physical arguments. Linear simulations using a spectral code verify the results of the nonlinear simulations performed at small amplitude.
Crystal structure of the primary piRNA biogenesis factor Zucchini reveals similarity to the bacterial PLD endonuclease Nuc
Authors: Voigt Franka , Reuter Michael , Kasaruho Anisa , Schulz Eike C. , Pillai Ramesh S. , Barabas Orsolya
Published: October 2012

Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are a gonad-specific class of small RNAs that associate with the Piwi clade of Argonaute proteins and play a key role in transposon silencing in animals. Since biogenesis of piRNAs is independent of the double-stranded RNA-processing enzyme Dicer, an alternative nuclease that can process single-stranded RNA transcripts has been long sought. A Phospholipase D-like protein, Zucchini, that is essential for piRNA processing has been proposed to be a nuclease acting in piRNA biogenesis. Here we describe the crystal structure of Zucchini from Drosophila melanogaster and show that it is very similar to the bacterial endonuclease, Nuc. The structure also reveals that homodimerization induces major conformational changes assembling the active site. The active site is situated on the dimer interface at the bottom of a narrow groove that can likely accommodate single-stranded nucleic acid substrates. Furthermore, biophysical analysis identifies protein segments essential for dimerization and provides insights into regulation of Zucchini's activity.
If It’s 1815, This Must Be Belgium: The Origins of the Modern Travel Guide
Authors: François Pieter
Published: October 2012

This article calls for a more evolutionary understanding of the “birth of the modern travel guide” by contextualizing the guidebooks of Murray and Baedeker within the wider genre and by focusing on their lesser-known predecessors. An analysis of British travel guides to and accounts of “Belgium” from the period 1815–1870 reveals that the division between the “travel account” and the “travel guide” was not always clear-cut, as both genres were closely intertwined. It demonstrates that the process of gathering travel information became less transnational during the period 1815–1870 and increasingly reliant on internal borrowing from other travel guides and accounts published in English. We therefore need a more nuanced assessment of the use of travel literature as a source for the study of intercultural representation, imagery, and stereotypes—an assessment in which there is ample room for a transnational focus.
“Sidelines” and Trade Lines: Publishing the Australian Novel, 1860–1899
Authors: Bode Katherine
Published: October 2012

Recent studies of the book (and of publishing and reading) in Australia emphasize the importance of British books and authors for colonial literary culture, while describing the absence of local publishing and disregard of colonial readers for Australian fiction. Based on a quantitative analysis of the place and form of publication of Australian novels from 1860 to 1899, I argue that local publishing and writing were significantly more important to colonial literary culture than these recent accounts allow, and that a local readership for Australian fiction also helps to explain the activities of British book publishers in the colonial market.
“The Facts—the Color!—the Facts”: The Idea of a Report in American Print Culture, 1885–1910
Authors: Forde Kathy Roberts , Foss Katherine A.
Published: October 2012

This article explores what producers and observers of the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century American print marketplace understood an appropriate report of the world to be and how social forces and cultural values shaped this understanding. In doing so, it analyzes the discourse in print industry trade publications from 1885 to 1910. This study charts the rise and passing of a particular discourse about literary work and facticity, a discourse that reflected differing ideas and intense cultural negotiation about appropriate representational strategies, prose style, voice, and genre in print culture, including imaginative and journalistic expression. The formerly distinct but fluid genres of literature and journalism separated into rigid categories of public expression.
Race, Respectability, and the Short Life of Duke Magazine
Authors: Nishikawa Kinohi
Published: October 2012

Duke debuted as America’s first black pinup magazine in the summer of 1957. Through short stories, feature articles, and partially nude centerfolds, Chicago-based Duke aimed to validate African American men’s participation in consumer society and their efforts to achieve the good life. In considering why the magazine folded after only six issues, this essay documents the history behind its production as well as the reception of its content. The essay finds that decisions made by Duke’s white editor, Ben Burns, and intraracial debates over middle-class respectability combined to frame the magazine’s surprisingly conservative tone on matters of leisure, consumerism, and black male sexuality.
Authors Losing Control: The European Transformations of Henry Neville’s The Isle of Pines (1668)
Authors: Mahlberg Gaby M.
Published: October 2012

Henry Neville’s utopian travel narrative The Isle of Pines, first published in London in June 1668, became an instant bestseller on the European market. Within a few months more than twenty foreign editions were printed in five western European languages, and numerous responses, commentaries, and adaptations followed over the years, leaving the reader wondering whether the story was fact, fiction, or something else entirely. This essay traces the complex transformations of this successful pamphlet as it traveled across the Continent in an attempt to shed new light on its contemporary impact and significance outside of England. In an attempt to shed new light on its contemporary impact and significance outside of England.
An Icon Adrift: The Modern Library in the 1990s
Authors: Platt Daniel
Published: October 2012

This article examines Random House’s decision to relaunch the Modern Library of America series in 1992. The series had a major influence on American culture in the interwar period, making significant works of modernist literature available to middle-class readers for a low price, but it faded after the paperback revolution of the 1960s. I follow the New Modern Library as it repopulated its catalog, experimented with electronic media, and published a controversial Best Books list, and I argue that instead of returning to its roots in democratic cosmopolitanism, the series came to resemble the very middlebrow ventures it had historically been defined against.
Writing Print Cultures Past: Literary Criticism and Book History
Authors: Gavin Michael
Published: October 2012

Book historians focus on the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries as a period of transformation in authorship and reading practices in England. Their studies often turn to paratextual matter like prefaces and dedications for evidence about how authors, patrons, publishers, and readers negotiated their roles in the changing literary marketplace. Early literary criticism found expression in the same paratexts. Yet although they share common artifacts, these two lines of inquiry remain largely separate. In this article, I bring these threads of inquiry together to show how the history of literary criticism contributes to the history of the book (and vice versa).
The Enkindling Reciter: E-Books in the Bibliographical Imagination
Authors: Galey Alan
Published: October 2012

E-books are human artifacts and bear the traces of their making no less for being digital, though they bear those traces in ways bibliographers have yet to explain thoroughly. The bibliographic consideration of e-books is a dual challenge in that it must reckon not only with unfamiliar forms of textuality but also with a pervasive cultural discourse about e-books that tends to mystify the textual condition itself. This article explores the dual nature of that challenge and outlines some principles toward the bibliographical study of e-books, taking the Canadian novel The Sentimentalists (Gaspereau Press, 2009) as a test case.
Of Grubs and Other Insects: Constructing the Categories of “Ephemera” and “Literature” in Eighteenth-Century British Writing
Authors: McDowell Paula
Published: October 2012

The category “ephemera,” like the category “Literature,” is a classification that does powerful rhetorical, practical, ideological, and disciplinary work. This essay historicizes these value-laden classifications across disciplinary and period boundaries. It begins by suggesting how librarians and collectors have defined ephemera since the 1960s, then steps back to the eighteenth century in Britain, arguing that the categories of “ephemera” and “Literature” were reciprocally constructed parts of a classification system that was a response to the commercialization of letters and the proliferation of print. But today, new media technologies and digital archives are destabilizing centuries-old categorical distinctions, and eighteenth-century authors’ classification work can help us to think through the challenges and opportunities we face in the digital age.
Book History in the African World: The State of the Discipline
Authors: le Roux Elizabeth
Published: October 2012

African print culture has not been widely studied from a historical perspective. Many studies focus on the present, without interrogating the historical developments that led to the present situation. We do find information available on what has been published over time, but little attention has been paid to the material forms of texts, their distribution, marketing, readership, or impact. Much earlier work is also largely descriptive. It is only recently—in the past ten years or so—that theoretical models of book history have begun to influence studies in this field. This essay is the first attempt to organize book historical studies in an African context. While this survey cannot be considered comprehensive, given the scope of the continent and its research, it presents a sampling of the most significant work and highlights trends.
La gestión del agua y el desarrollo de indicadores ambientales en México y Canadá: un análisis comparativo
Authors: Sánchez Argelia Tiburcio , Perevochtchikova María
Published: October 2012

One major barrier in the effective implementation of integrated urban water is the missing operable indicators or criteria for indicating implementation success. Canada is recognized as a country leader in the development of environmental indicators; thus this study proposes a comparative analysis with the aim of finding proposals for Mexico, as well as identifying limitations in implementation. Based on a combination of documental research and fieldwork the following areas were compared: Problems in water management; the institutional framework of existing environmental indicators; and the use of indicators of water management. From the country and city-level analysis of Mexico City and Montreal we observe a strong difference in water management systems which are reflected in the type of proposed indicators. But in both cases there are very few urban water-related indicators and a lack of coordination and organization of the data that result in poor use by the decision-makers.
Socio-environmental Conflict in Argentina
Authors: Reboratti Carlos
Published: October 2012

Los conflictos socio-ambientales son aquellos enfocados en el incompatibilidad del uso de los recursos naturales y sus impactos en el ambiente por parte de las diferentes sectores sociales. Su número e importancia ha aumentado considerablemente en América Latina durante la década pasada. Aquí el foco se centra en el caso específico de Argentina, analizando sus características que, para unos, han impedido hasta ahora una solución que esté más allá de la "suma cero".
Indigenous Struggles for a Plurinational State: An Analysis of Indigenous Rights and Competences in Bolivia
Authors: Radhuber Isabella M.
Published: October 2012

La formación de los Estados-nación siempre ha sido un proceso violento. En Bolivia, el ímpetu de construir una nación homogénea llevó a una crisis multidimensional del Estado, y la formación de una sociedad que puede ser caracterizada como diversa o abigarrada. Ésta crisis se expresó en las intensas movilizaciones sociales, que han movido al país especialmente después de 2000, demandando no solamente la reapropiación del sector de gas natural, sino también la descolonización y democratización del estado. Grupos indígenas-campesinos desarrollaron un proyecto de estado plurinacional para fortalecer la autodeterminación indígena-campesina, el cual ahora está inscrito en la Constitución de 2009. Sin embargo, nuevos movimientos de resistencia indígena han emergido, demandando un mayor control sobre sus territorios y los recursos naturales en ellos. El sector del gas natural ahora constituye la base económica del estado, y propongo un análisis de la materialización de este proyecto de transformación del estado con respecto a los derechos indígenas-campesinos y las competencias fiscales en el sector del gas natural que contribuyen a la comprensión de las actuales tensiones políticas.
Indigenous Land and Environmental Conflicts in Panama: Neoliberal Multiculturalism, Changing Legislation, and Human Rights
Authors: Velásquez Runk Julie
Published: October 2012

Panamá está en medio de cambios profundos. Es una de las economías de mayor crecimiento de América Latina, tiene una industria de turismo aumentando, y es un destino prominente para migrantes residenciales. El interés del gobierno en desarrollo económico neoliberal ha causado varios cambios de política en los derechos a la tierra y el ambiente. Utilizo la idea de multiculturalismo neoliberal para demonstrar como en Panamá las reformas neoliberales están debilitando los derechos indígenas a la tierra y el ambiente mientras que dan la impresión que las apoyan. Aquí uso dieciseis años de investigación en Panamá para examiner cambios legales en los derechos indígenas a través de todo el país, y explorar como los pueblos Ngäbe, Guna, Emberá y Wounaan están respondiendo a los retos sobre las tierras y sus recursos. Estas son tendencias preocupantes debido al impresionante crecimiento económico y acaparamiento de tierra en el país.
Consultation, Compensation and Conflict: Natural Gas Extraction in Weenhayek Territory, Bolivia
Authors: Bebbington Denise Humphreys
Published: October 2012

Este estudio examina como la creciente importancia de la producción de gas natural en el Chaco boliviano ha modificado las posibilidades de grupos indígenas, como los Weenhayek: a) recuperar sus tierras ancestrales; b) consolidar mejores niveles de auto-gobierno y autonomía; c) acceder a fuentes de rentas de gas, para sustentar sus formas de existencia tradicional. A través de un foco en proyectos específicos y el proceso de Consulta y Participación dirigido por el Estado, explora como la expansión de gas ha generado conflictos dentro la sociedad Weenhayek, como también entre ellos, el Estado boliviano y las empresas extractivas. El argumento es que las tensiones que envuelven la expansión de hidrocarburos y los procesos de consulta deben ser entendidas a la luz de cálculos económicos particulares, las experiencias territoriales, y los dinámicos organizacionales de los Weenhayek en periodos históricos y contemporáneos. Estos cálculos están marcados por la lógica de recolección y la importancia principal de asegurar sustentos --en general y de temporada a temporada. En adición, las tensiones sobre la expansión de hidrocarburos dentro del territorio Weenhayek deben ser entendidas en un contexto en que las políticas del gobierno favorecen imperativos políticos centrales sobre los proyectos políticos sub-nacionales de grupos indígenas.
Contested Groves: Forest Reserves and Land Conflict in the Eastern Amazon
Authors: Aldrich Stephen P.
Published: October 2012

Ao longo dos últimos trinta anos, o desmatamento da Amazônia alarmou o mundo, e embora muitas das causas do desmatamento são bem conhecidas, outros são mais novas. Ao combinar os relatos de conflito a partir de notícias na imprensa, sensoriamento remoto e sistemas de informações geográficas, descubro que a interação social conflituosa nas disputas fundiárias envolve as florestas da Amazônia Oriental, e as envolve como local e objeto de conflito. Os resultados de estudos de caso e de uma análise de desmatamento regional fornecem algumas implicações para o investimento estrangeiro para retardar o desmatamento e também para o programa de vigilância de desmatamento que o Brasil implementou na última década.
Consultation, Compensation and Extraction in Bolivia after the 'Left Turn': The Case of Oil Exploration in the North of La Paz Department
Authors: Pellegrini Lorenzo , Ribera Arismendi Marco Octavio
Published: October 2012

Bolivia es parte del giro a la izquierda que, desde finales de la década de 1990, ha caracterizado a la política de América Latina. Tradicionalmente ll país fue gobernado por un establecimiento conservador y la inestabilidad política caracterizó una década de conflictos que culminaron conla ascendencia del "Movimiento al Socialismo" (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS), y en 2006, Evo Morales se convirtió en el primer presidente indígena. La elección de Morales y los cambios posteriores en el Estado boliviano han sido aclamados por algunos estudiosos como revolucionarios, mientras que otros han argumentado que los mismos consisten, esencialmente, en una continuación y re-constitución de regímenes neoliberales. Aquí se destacan los cambios en las políticas de compensación y redistribución que han acompañado a la nacionalización de los hidrocarburos y la institucionalización de los procesos de consulta a los pueblos indígenas afectados por las actividades de hidrocarburos. En este contexto, se analiza un proyecto de exploración petrolera que tuvo lugar en el norte del departamento de La Paz. En particular, nos enfocamos en cómo los marcos de compensación y consulta debilitaron la oposición al proyecto. Llegamos a la conclusión de que las prioridades del gobierno están entrelazadas con la continuación del modelo económico extractivo. En estas circunstancias cuestionar los proyectos de extracción no es una opción.
Malleable Identities: Placing the Garínagu in New Orleans
Authors: Chaney James
Published: October 2012

La multiplicidad de la identidad Garifuna proporciona al Garínagu la flexibilidad para negociar y cambiar su identidad entre categorías étnicas, raciales y nacionales diferentes. Usando entrevistas a fondo, grupos de muestra y observación participante con Garifuna transmigrantes en Nueva Orleans post-Katrina, esta investigación ilustra el importante papel que una comunidad receptora juega en el enmarque de la identidad de los Garínagu. La investigación de académicos en la comunidad Garifuna en la ciudad de Nueva York, representa una identificación general con una oscuridad racial global. En Nueva Orleans, sin embargo, varios factores influyen transmigrantes Garifunas para identificarse con la población latina del área metropolitana, y enfatizar su nacionalidad hondureña. Así, este estudio subraya la importancia de la investigación específica del lugar donde se experimentan la vida diaria y experiencias de los inmigrantes contemporáneos.
The Role of Landscape in the Distribution of Deer-Vehicle Collisions in South Mississippi
Authors: McKee Jacob J. , Cochran David M.
Published: October 2012

Las colisiones entre vehículos y ciervos (DVCS, por sus siglas en inglés) tienen un impacto negativo en la economía, la seguridad del tráfico, y el biene-star general de los ciervos sanos. Para mitigar los DVCS, es imprescindible obtener una mejor comprensión de los factores que juegan un papel im-portante en su distribución espacial. Gran parte las investigaciones existentes sobre DVCS en los Estados Unidos no han sido concluyentes, apuntando a una variedad de factores causales que parecen más específicos para estudiar la localidad y la región, que indicativos de patrones generales. Pocas investigaciones DVC se han realizado en el sur de los Estados Unidos, convirtiendo a la región particularmente importante con respecto a esta situación. En este estudio, evaluamos los factores en el paisaje que han contribuido a la distribución de 347 DVCS que se produjeron en los condados de Forrest y Lamar del Sur de Mississippi, desde 2006 a 2009. Utilizando análisis de cercanía de vecino y análisis discriminante, demostramos que los DVCS en el sur de Mississippi no son fenómenos espaciales al azar. También desarrollamos un modelo de clasificación que identificó siete medidas del paisaje, explicó el 100 por ciento de la varianza, y pudo distinguir DVCS de los centros de control con una precisión del 81.3 por ciento.
Pet Ownership and the Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Evacuation Decisions
Authors: Thompson Courtney N. , Brommer David M. , Sherman-Morris Kathleen
Published: October 2012

Los autores encuestaron una muestra de evacuados desplazados por el Huracán Gustav sobre su decisión de incluir o no a las mascotas familiares en sus planes de evacuación. Los datos fueron recolectados a lo largo de dos mayores rutas de evacuación dentro del periodo de 48 horas previo a que el huracán llegara a tierra en la región del sur y costera de Louisiana, al sur de la Interestatal 10. Datos de códigos postales recolectados a través de las encuestas demostraron que los encuestados salían con mayor frecuencia de las regiones de código postal de Nueva Orleans, Houma, y Lafayette. Los resultados revelaron que la mayoría de los evacuados con mascotas optaron por incluirlas en sus planes de evacuación, resaltando el significado que las mascotas tienen en la toma oportuna de decisiones de evacuación. Si bien no es significativo en todas las regiones, la distancia de evacuación fue menor para personas con mascotas que para las personas que no tenían mascotas en sus vehículos.