bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inflammation: cytokines and RNA‐based regulation
Authors: Stumpo Deborah J. , Lai Wi S. , Blackshear Perry J.
Published: May 2010

The outcome of an inflammatory response depends upon the coordinated regulation of a variety of both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines and other proteins. Regulation of these inflammation mediators can occur at multiple levels, including transcription, mRNA translation, post‐translational modifications, and mRNA degradation. Post‐transcriptional regulation has been shown to play an important role in controlling the expression of these mediators, allowing for normal initiation and resolution of the inflammatory response. Many inflammatory mediators have unstable mRNAs due, in part, to the presence of AU‐rich elements in their 3′‐untranslated regions. Increasing numbers of RNA‐binding proteins have been identified that can bind to these AU‐rich elements and then regulate the stability and/or translation of the mRNA. This review summarizes current knowledge about the role of several RNA‐binding proteins that act through AU‐rich elements to post‐transcriptionally regulate the biosynthesis of proteins involved in inflammation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Polyadenylation and beyond: emerging roles for noncanonical poly(A) polymerases
Authors: Schmidt Marie‐Joëlle , Norbury Chris J.
Published: May 2010

The addition of nontemplated nucleotides, particularly adenylyl and uridylyl residues, to the 3′ ends of RNA substrates has been the focus of much attention in recent years, and these studies have generated some intriguing surprises. In addition to the well‐known canonical poly(A) polymerase (PAP) that polyadenylates mRNAs prior to export from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, a separate class of noncanonical poly(A) polymerases has emerged over the past decade. Studies on various organisms have led to the realization that these noncanonical PAPs, which are conserved from yeast to mammals, play crucial and diverse roles in the regulation of gene expression. Here we review the current knowledge of these enzymes, with an emphasis on the human proteins, and highlight recent discoveries that have implications far beyond the understanding of RNA metabolism itself. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > 3' End Processing

RNA Processing > Processing of Small RNAs

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability
Posttranscriptional regulation of cancer traits by HuR
Authors: Abdelmohsen Kotb , Gorospe Myriam
Published: May 2010

Cancer‐related gene expression programs are strongly influenced by posttranscriptional mechanisms. The RNA‐binding protein HuR is highly abundant in many cancers. Numerous HuR‐regulated mRNAs encode proteins implicated in carcinogenesis. Here, we review the collections of HuR target mRNAs that encode proteins responsible for implementing five major cancer traits. By interacting with specific mRNA subsets, HuR enhances the levels of proteins that (1) promote cell proliferation, (2) increase cell survival, (3) elevate local angiogenesis, (4) help the cancer cell evade immune recognition, and (5) facilitate cancer cell invasion and metastasis. We propose that HuR exerts a tumorigenic function by enabling these cancer phenotypes. We discuss evidence that links HuR to several specific cancers and suggests its potential usefulness in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Long noncoding RNAs in mammalian cells: what, where, and why?
Authors: Chen Ling‐Ling , Carmichael Gordon G.
Published: May 2010

Not all long, polyadenylated cellular RNAs encode polypeptides. In recent years, it has become apparent that a number of organisms express abundant amounts of transcripts that lack open reading frames or that are retained in the nucleus. Rather than accumulating silently in the cell, we now know that many of these long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in nuclear architecture or in the regulation of gene expression. Here, we discuss some recent progress in our understanding of the functions of a number of important lncRNAs in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > RNA Editing and Modification

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Regulatory RNAs

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Development
Plant viruses versus RNAi: Simple pathogens reveal complex insights on plant antimicrobial defense
Authors: Qu Feng
Published: May 2010

RNA interference (RNAi) and related processes serve as a nucleic‐acid‐mediated surveillance system conserved in almost all eukaryotic organisms. This surveillance system detects various forms of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) in cells and initiates a cascade of events that degrades dsRNAs into small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) or microRNAs (miRNAs). These small RNAs in turn serve as sequence‐specific guides to interfere with the function of other nucleic acids through degradation or translational repression of homologous RNAs, or modification of homologous genome segments. One of the major roles of RNAi in plants and invertebrates is antiviral defense. Conversely, viruses have also evolved to encode suppressors of RNAi (VSRs), which disrupt RNAi at various steps. Research activities focusing on the relationship between plant viruses and RNAi have been essential to our current understanding of RNAi mechanisms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > RNAi: Mechanisms of Action

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Lessons learnt from animal models: pathophysiology of neuropathic lysosomal storage disorders
Authors: Hemsley Kim M. , Hopwood John J.
Published: May 2010

Approximately 50 inborn errors of metabolism known as lysosomal storage disorders have been discovered to date, most of which are due to a single mutation in a gene encoding a soluble lysosomal enzyme. Consequently, inadequate enzyme activity results in the accumulation of substrates for that enzyme, invariably accompanied by a wide variety of secondary pathological changes. Many of these conditions remain untreatable, and therefore, research into pathogenic processes and potential treatment strategies is intense. A key tool for researchers in this area is the availability of clinically relevant animal models in which to study disease manifestation and evaluate therapeutic outcomes. Large numbers of both naturally occurring and genetically modified animal models of neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders are in existence, with spontaneous models occurring in both large domestic (e.g., cat, dog, sheep) and small (e.g., mouse) animal species. Many have undergone rigorous phenotypic characterization and are now providing us with insights into neurological disease processes. The purpose of this review is to highlight some of the major lessons learnt from these studies.
Effects of root diameter and root nitrogen concentration on in situ root respiration among different seasons and tree species
Authors: Chen Dima , Zhou Lixia , Rao Xingquan , Lin Yongbiao , Fu Shenglei
Published: May 2010

Knowledge of root respiration is a prerequisite for a better understanding of ecosystem carbon budget and carbon allocation. However, there are not many relevant data in the literature on direct measurements of in situ root respiration by root chamber method. Furthermore, few studies have been focused on the effects of root diameter (Dr) and root nitrogen concentration (Nr) on in situ root respiration among different seasons and tree species. To address these goals, we used a simplified root‐chamber system to measure in situ root respiration rates of Acacia crassicarpa and Eucalyptus urophylla in subtropical plantations of south China. We found that the species and season variation in root respiration were affected by Dr and Nr. Also, the root respiration per unit dry mass (Rr, nmol CO2 g−1 s−1) and root respiration per unit N (Rn, nmol CO2 g N−1 s−1) were affected by Dr and Nr. The Rr, Rn, Nr and soil temperature sensitivity (Q10) of Rr for the two species significantly decreased with an increase of Dr. The Rr of the two species showed significant an inter‐seasonal and diurnal pattern, and this trend decreased with increasing Dr. Both the Rr and Q10 of the two species increased with increasing Nr. The Dr and Nr explained 54 and 52% of the observed variation in Rr for A. crassicarpa, and 65 and 70% for E. urophylla. The Rr, Nr, and Q10 of A. crassicarpa were significantly higher than those of E. urophylla. Our results indicated that root respiration was dependent on Dr and Nr, and this dependence varied with season and plant species.
What You Need to Know about Nursing and Health Care in the United States
Authors: Stangler Susan
Published: May 2010

What You Need to Know about Nursing and Health Care in the United States Barbara Nichols, Catherine Davis 2009, Springer Publishing Co, Inc 304 pages, $35 softcover
The Voice of Success
Authors: Colopinto Kara
Published: May 2010

The Voice of Success Joni Wilson 2009, AMACOM 240 pages, $17.95 softcover
Inhibition of tissue transglutaminase sensitizes TRAIL‐resistant lung cancer cells through upregulation of death receptor 5
Authors: Frese-Schaper Manuela , Schardt Julian A. , Sakai Toshiyuki , Carboni Giovanni L. , Schmid Ralph A. , Frese Steffen
Published: May 2010

Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is implicated in cellular processes such as apoptosis and cell migration. Its acyl transferase activity cross‐links certain proteins, among them transcription factors were described. We show here that the TG2 inhibitor KCC009 reversed resistance to tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing factor (TRAIL) in lung cancer cells. Sensitization required upregulation of death receptor 5 (DR5) but not of death receptor 4. Upregulation of DR5 involved the first intron of the DR5 gene albeit it was independent from p53 and nuclear factor kappa B. In conclusion, inhibition of tissue transglutaminase provides an interesting strategy for sensitization to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis in p53‐deficient lung cancer cells.
Host Proteome Research in HIV Infection
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Zhang Xiaojun , Ma Qing , Zhou Honghao
Published: May 2010

Proteomics has been widely used in the last few years to look for new biomarkers and decipher the mechanism of HIV–host interaction. Herein, we review the recent developments of HIV/AIDS proteomic research, including the samples used in HIV/AIDS related research, the technologies used for proteomic study, the diagnosis biomarkers of HIV-associated disease especially HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment, the mechanisms of HIV–host interaction, HIV-associated dementia, substance abuse, and so on. In the end of this review, we also give some prospects about the limitation and future improvement of HIV/AIDS proteomic research.
Characterization of Evolutionarily Conserved MicroRNAs in Amphioxus
Authors: Wang Lei , Jiang Lan , Hu Songnian , Wang Yejun
Published: May 2010

Amphioxus is an extant species closest to the ancestry of vertebrates. Observation of microRNA (miRNA) distribution of amphioxus would lend some hints for evolutionary research of vertebrates. In this study, using the publicly available scaffold data of the Florida amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) genome, we screened and characterized homologs of miRNAs that had been identified in other species. In total, 68 pieces of such homologs were obtained and classified into 33 families. Most of these miRNAs were distributed as clusters in genome. Inter-species comparison showed that many miRNAs, which had been thought as vertebrate- or mammal-specific before, were also present in amphioxus, while some miRNAs that had been considered as protostome-specific before also existed in amphioxus. Compared with ciona, amphioxus had an apparent miRNA gene expansion, but phylogenetic analysis showed that the duplicated miRNAs or clusters of amphioxus had a higher homology level than those duplicated ones in vertebrates.
In Silico Analysis of Sequential, Structural and Functional Diversity of Wheat Cystatins and Its Implication in Plant Defense
Authors: Dutt Shriparna , Singh V.K. , Marla Soma S. , Kumar Anil
Published: May 2010

Phytocystatins constitute a multigene family that regulates the activity of endogenous and/or exogenous cysteine proteinases. Cereal crops like wheat are continuously threatened by a multitude of pathogens, therefore cystatins offer to play a pivotal role in deciding the plant response. In order to study the need of having diverse specificities and activities of various cystatins, we conducted comparative analysis of six wheat cystatins (WCs) with twelve rice, seven barley, one sorghum and ten corn cystatin sequences employing different bioinformatics tools. The obtained results identified highly conserved signature sequences in all the cystatins considered. Several other motifs were also identified, based on which the sequences could be categorized into groups in congruence with the phylogenetic clustering. Homology modeling of WCs revealed 3D structural topology so well shared by other cystatins. Protein-protein interaction of WCs with papain supported the notion that functional diversity is a consequence of existing differences in amino acid residues in highly conserved as well as relatively less conserved motifs. Thus there is a significant conservation at the sequential and structural levels; however, concomitant variations maintain the functional diversity in this protein family, which constantly modulates itself to reciprocate the diversity while counteracting the cysteine proteinases.
Quality Assessment of Transcriptome Data Using Intrinsic Statistical Properties
Authors: Brysbaert Guillaume , Pellay François-Xavier , Noth Sebastian , Benecke Arndt
Published: May 2010

In view of potential application to biomedical diagnosis, tight transcriptome data quality control is compulsory. Usually, quality control is achieved using labeling and hybridization controls added at different stages throughout the processing of the biologic RNA samples. These control measures, however, only reflect the performance of the individual technical manipulations during the entire process and have no bearing as to the continued integrity of the RNA sample itself. Here we demonstrate that intrinsic statistical properties of the resulting transcriptome data signal and signal-variance distributions and their invariance can be identified independently of the animal species studied and the labeling protocol used. From these invariant properties we have developed a data model, the parameters of which can be estimated from individual experiments and used to compute relative quality measures based on similarity with large reference datasets. These quality measures add supplementary, non-redundant information to standard quality control estimates based on spike-in and hybridization controls, and are exploitable in data analysis. A software application for analyzing datasets as well as a reference dataset for AB1700 arrays are provided. They should allow AB1700 users to easily integrate this method into their analysis pipeline, and might instigate similar developments for other transcriptome platforms.
A Modified Enrichment Method to Construct Microsatellite Library from Plateau Pika Genome (Ochotona Curzoniae)
Authors: Geng Jianing , Li Kexin , Zhang Yanming , Hu Songnian
Published: May 2010

A microsatellite-enriched library of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) was constructed according to the strong affinity between biotin and streptavidin. Firstly, genomic DNA was fragmented by ultrasonication, which is a major improvement over traditional methods. Linker-ligated DNA fragments were hybridized with biotinylated microsatellite probes, and then were subjected to streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. PCR amplification was performed to obtain double-stranded DNA fragments containing microsatellites. Ligation and transformation were carried out by using the pGEM-T Vector System I and Escherichia coli DH10B competent cells. Sequencing results showed that 80.2% of clones contained microsatellite repeat motif. Several modifications make this protocol time-efficient and technically easier than the traditional ones; particularly, composition and relative abundance of microsatellite repeats in plateau pika genome were truly represented through the optimized PCR conditions. This method has also been successfully applied to construct microsatellite-enriched genomic libraries of Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) and small abalone [Haliotis diversicolor (Reeve)] with high rates of positive clones, demonstrating its feasibility and stability.
Evolution of interspecific variation in size of attachment structures in the large tapeworm genusAcanthobothrium(Tetraphyllidea: Onchobothriidae)
Authors: RANDHAWA H. S. , POULIN R.
Published: May 2010

Parasites have evolved a myriad of attachment structures closely adapted to their hosts and sites of attachment. Here, using members of the genusAcanthobothriumvan Beneden, 1850 (Cestoda: Tetraphyllidea: Onchobothriidae), we (i) examined the influence of host body size and phylogeny, in addition to morphological features of these tapeworms, on the size of 3 structures used in attachment (bothridia, accessory suckers and hooks) by means of general linear models and phylogenetic-independent contrasts methods, and (ii) quantified the scaling exponents of relationships between size of attachment structures and tapeworm body size. Our results indicate that there exists a positive relationship, albeit not directly proportional, between size of attachment structures andAcanthobothriumspp. body size, and hook size and size of bothridia and accessory suckers. These results suggest that the resource investment in whole-body growth is greater than that in attachment structures, and that a greater investment in development of bothridia and accessory suckers is required to maintain an equivalent functional efficacy to hooks. In addition, host body size also influences, though less markedly, the size of attachment structures inAcanthobothriumspp. independently of parasite size itself.Acanthobothriumspecies have evolved a generalized mode of attachment that is successful in maintaining their position on various intestinal mucosal topographies across a variety of hosts exploiting different food resources.
Efficacy of the sequential integration of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in major depressive disorder: a preliminary meta-analysis
Authors: Guidi J. , Fava G. A. , Fava M. , Papakostas G. I.
Published: May 2010

Background

Prevention of relapse and recurrence represents an important task in the successful treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this meta-analysis was to examine the efficacy of the sequential integration of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in reducing the risk of relapse and recurrence in MDD.

Method

Keyword searches were conducted in Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library from inception of each database to December 2008. Randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of the administration of psychotherapy after successful response to acute-phase pharmacotherapy in the treatment of adults with MDD were considered for inclusion in the meta-analysis.

Results

Eight high-quality studies with 442 patients in a sequential treatment arm and 433 in a control treatment arm were included. The pooled risk ratio (RR) for relapse/recurrence was 0.797 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.659–0.964] according to the random-effects model, suggesting a relative advantage in preventing relapse/recurrence for the sequential administration of treatments compared with control conditions. Performing subgroup analyses, we found a trend favoring psychotherapy during continuation of antidepressant drugs compared to antidepressants or treatment as usual (RR 0.842, 95% CI 0.674–1.051). Patients randomized to psychotherapy while antidepressants were discontinued were significantly less likely to experience relapse/recurrence compared to controls (RR 0.650, 95% CI 0.463–0.912).

Conclusions

We found evidence that the sequential integration of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is a viable strategy for preventing relapse and recurrence in MDD. In addition, our findings suggest that discontinuation of antidepressant drugs may be feasible when psychotherapy is provided.
Controlled cross-over study in normal subjects of naloxone-preceding-lactate infusions; respiratory and subjective responses: relationship to endogenous opioid system, suffocation false alarm theory and childhood parental loss
Authors: Preter M. , Lee S. H. , Petkova E. , Vannucci M. , Kim S. , Klein D. F.
Published: May 2010

Background

The expanded suffocation false alarm theory (SFA) hypothesizes that dysfunction in endogenous opioidergic regulation increases sensitivity to CO2, separation distress and panic attacks. In panic disorder (PD) patients, both spontaneous clinical panics and lactate-induced panics markedly increase tidal volume (TV), whereas normals have a lesser effect, possibly due to their intact endogenous opioid system. We hypothesized that impairing the opioidergic system by naloxone could make normal controls parallel PD patients' response when lactate challenged. Whether actual separations and losses during childhood (childhood parental loss, CPL) affected naloxone-induced respiratory contrasts was explored. Subjective panic-like symptoms were analyzed although pilot work indicated that the subjective aspect of anxious panic was not well modeled by this specific protocol.

Method

Randomized cross-over sequences of intravenous naloxone (2 mg/kg) followed by lactate (10 mg/kg), or saline followed by lactate, were given to 25 volunteers. Respiratory physiology was objectively recorded by the LifeShirt. Subjective symptomatology was also recorded.

Results

Impairment of the endogenous opioid system by naloxone accentuates TV and symptomatic response to lactate. This interaction is substantially lessened by CPL.

Conclusions

Opioidergic dysregulation may underlie respiratory pathophysiology and suffocation sensitivity in PD. Comparing specific anti-panic medications with ineffective anti-panic agents (e.g. propranolol) can test the specificity of the naloxone+lactate model. A screen for putative anti-panic agents and a new pharmacotherapeutic approach are suggested. Heuristically, the experimental unveiling of the endogenous opioid system impairing effects of CPL and separation in normal adults opens a new experimental, investigatory area.
The associations of high levels of C-reactive protein with depression and myocardial infarction in 9258 women and men from the HUNT population study
Authors: Bjerkeset O. , Romild U. , Smith G. Davey , Hveem K.
Published: May 2010

Background

Elevated levels of circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with coronary heart disease and, in some studies, depression. Most studies have been of populations selected by age and/or gender. We investigate these associations with depression, myocardial infarction (MI), or both, in a large general population sample.

Method

A cross-sectional population study of 9258 women and men aged ⩾20 years. The study included clinical examination, self-report of MI and depression and factors known to confound their associations. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess severity of depressive symptoms. Elevated high sensitive-CRP was defined as values >2.2 mg/l.

Results

The association of elevated CRP with depression was attenuated towards the null [from odds ratio (OR) 1.28, p=0.001 to OR 1.08, p=0.388] following extensive adjustment, while associations with MI (adjusted OR 1.42, p=0.032) and co-morbid MI and depression (adjusted OR 2.66, p=0.003) persisted. Confounders associated with elevated CRP levels were smoking (OR 1.66; p<0.001), chronic physical illness (OR 1.34, p<0.001), BMI ⩾30 (OR 1.13, p<0.001), employment (OR 0.70, p<0.001) and high coffee consumption (OR 0.83, p=0.017). Interaction tests indicated a lower effect of old age (OR 0.54, p<0.001) and smoking (OR 0.63, p<0.001) on elevated CRP levels in women compared with men.

Conclusions

CRP levels were raised in those with MI and co-morbid MI and depression; the positive association with depression was explained by confounding factors. We found new evidence that might help understand gender-specific patterns. Future studies should explore the neurobiological mechanisms underpinning these interrelations and their relevance for treatment of these conditions.
The dynamics of development: Challenges for Bayesian rationality
Authors: Straubinger Nils , Cokely Edward T. , Stevens Jeffrey R.
Published: May 2010

Oaksford & Chater (O&C) focus on patterns of typical adult reasoning from a probabilistic perspective. We discuss implications of extending the probabilistic approach to lifespan development, considering the role of working memory, strategy use, and expertise. Explaining variations in human reasoning poses a challenge to Bayesian rational analysis, as it requires integrating knowledge about cognitive processes.
ADVERTISING AND FICTION INTHE PICKWICK PAPERS
Authors: Williams Andy
Published: May 2010

It is well known that manyof Dickens's novels were published in monthly serial parts. Not so commonly known is that each of these monthly numbers consisted not only of Dickens's words and his illustrator's pictures but also a substantial advertising supplement. In the original serial numbers ofThe Pickwick Papers, the presence of advertising cannot escape notice. Before reaching the illustrations that precede the novel in each serial part, the Victorian reader would have encountered “The Pickwick Advertiser,” a paratextual supplement that consisted of page upon page of advertisements for all manner of commodities. At the end of the last chapter of the serial number were usually around ten further pages of advertising stitched in before the back cover (which was also filled with publicity material). Almost one third of the material text ofPickwickin parts consisted of advertising material (Hatton and Cleaver xiii).
VICTORIAN COSMOPOLITANISMS: INTRODUCTION
Authors: Agathocleous Tanya , Rudy Jason R.
Published: May 2010

Though it has become conventionalto refer to the “new cosmopolitanisms” when discussing the resurgence of the term in the 1990s, current debates about cosmopolitanism can be traced back to its usages in the nineteenth century. In both its Victorian and contemporary contexts,cosmopolitanismranges in connotation from the pejorative to the progressive and in denotation from a phenomenon to an ideal. This constitutive ambivalence helps to explain the controversy that has attended the term, both then and now.
VICTORIAN COSMOPOLITANISM, INTERRUPTED
Authors: Robbins Bruce
Published: May 2010

Readers ofMiddlemarch(1871–1872) willremember the moment when Brooke's bid to win a seat in Parliament abruptly ends, in the middle of the Reform Bill campaign and in the middle of a speech. He tells the crowd how happy he is to be there. He tells the crowd he is a “close neighbor” of theirs. Then he says the following:

“I've always gone a good deal into public questions – machinery, now, and machine-breaking – you're many of you concerned with machinery, and I've been going into that lately. It won't do, you know, breaking machines: everything must go on – trade, manufactures, commerce, interchange of staples – that kind of thing – since Adam Smith that must go on. We must look all over the globe: – ‘Observation with extensive view,’ must look everywhere, ‘from China to Peru,’ as somebody says – Johnson, I think, ‘The Rambler,’ you know. That's what I have done up to a certain point – not as far as Peru; but I've not always stayed at home – I saw it wouldn't do. I've been in the Levant, where some of your Middlemarch goods go – and then, again, in the Baltic. The Baltic, now.” (Eliot,Middlemarch349; Book 5, ch. 51)

It's when he passes from the Levant to the Baltic that Brooke is interrupted by a laugh-creating echo from the crowd, an echo which, “by the time it said, ‘The Baltic, now'” (350; Book 5, ch. 51), has become fatal.
UNSPEAKABLE GEORGE ELIOT
Authors: Kurnick David
Published: May 2010

The very idea of Victoriancosmopolitanism might at first glance seem an oxymoron. Historically bracketed by a Romanticism that took political inspiration from France and intellectual cues from Germany and by a modernism whose most prominent “English” personnel were largely from overseas, the Victorians can look decidedly parochial. The most incisive recent attempts to link cosmopolitan thinking to specific formal or stylistic innovations have tended to leave the Victorians out of the picture. A recent essay by David Simpson, for example, nominates what he terms the Romantic “historical-geographical epic” as a critically cosmopolitan genre – one whose barrage of footnotes ruptures the surface of the text and ensures that even in surveying the exotic Other, Romantic epics guarantee that “the pleasure of poetry sits uneasily but inescapably alongside the burden of critique” (150). On the modernist side, Rebecca Walkowitz'sCosmopolitan Style(2006) has compellingly excavated the links between a host of modernist experimental practices and the project of thinking creatively outside national boundaries – reaching the conclusion that “there is no critical cosmopolitanism without modernist practices” (18). Neither Simpson nor Walkowitz deals with the Victorians in depth, but a certain idea of nineteenth-century realism hovers as the implicit contrast to the genres and practices they catalogue.
RULE BOHEMIA: THE COSMOPOLITICS OF SUBCULTURE IN GEORGE DU MAURIER'STRILBY
Authors: Stern Kimberly J.
Published: May 2010

In 1895, theCriticpublishedan anecdote about two young ladies discussing the popularity of George Du Maurier's novelTrilby(1894):

“What is this ‘Trilby’ everybody is talking about?” asked one of these. “Oh,” replied the other, “it's a book – a novel.” “They say it is awfully bad,” said the first young person. “Yes, I've heard so; but it isn't so at all. I read it clear through, and there wasn't anything bad in it. I didn't like it either; there is too much French in it.” “French?” commented the first young woman; “well that's it, then – all the bad part is in French.” “I hadn't thought of that,” mused the other one, “I suppose that's just the way of it.”

The dialogue provides an illuminating glimpse into the controversy surrounding the publication ofTrilby, a novel that brazenly celebrates a heroine who possesses “all the virtues but one” – chastity (35; pt. 1). AlthoughTrilbywas successful enough to inspire a spate of songs, literary parodies, and stage adaptations, its depiction of Paris's bohemian underground flouted mainstream Victorian values. TheConnecticut Magazinecharged Du Maurier with inspiring “comparative indifference” to sexual virtue, and readers everywhere worried that young people, like those depicted in the above vignette, would be unable to distinguish virtue from vice after reading the novel (“A Free Lance” 105).
GOOD EUROPEANS AND NEO-LIBERAL COSMOPOLITANS: ETHICS AND POLITICS IN LATE VICTORIAN AND CONTEMPORARY COSMOPOLITANISM
Authors: Gagnier Regenia
Published: May 2010

In a recent discussion of “VictorianInternationalisms,” the termcosmopolitanismis often used to designate the domain of individual feeling or ethics of toleration in contrast to the more geopolitical terminology of “inter-” or “trans-nationalism” (Goodlad and Wright 5–16). For Goodlad and Wright, the tendency of cosmopolitanism to evoke individual ethos rather than cultural, social, or political process suggests the merits of exploring complementary terms (15). They then go on to discuss authors with “more complicated subject positions than ‘European or American first’” serving other ends than conventional European hegemony (Goodlad and Wright).
Numbers as a cognitive and social technology: on the nature of conventional number sequences used in economic systems
Authors: HARPER DAVID A.
Published: May 2010

This paper examines the fundamental nature of numbers as they are used in economic systems. In the framework proposed, number sequences are technological objects (‘tools’) that are constituted by both form and function. To do their job, number sequences have to have the necessaryinternalstructure – all elements (e.g. symbols) of the sequence must be distinct from one another, and the sequence must be a progression. In addition, numerical toolkits have to have the rightexternalstructure – they must be situated in a social network of economic agents that confers on them quantitative functions (e.g. identifying set sizes). Number sequences are the product of multilevel evolutionary processes, including psychological selection that screens sequences for their learnability by human users. Number tools are a kind of capital; they are material systems that are as real as other everyday objects. Just as changing physical tools alters the structure of productive activity, so too changing number sequences alters cognitive, behavioral, and social routines.
Transient luminous events above two mesoscale convective systems: Storm structure and evolution
Authors: Lang Timothy J. , Lyons Walter A. , Rutledge Steven A. , Meyer Jonathan D. , MacGorman Donald R. , Cummer Steven A.
Published: May 2010

Two warm‐season mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) were analyzed with respect to their production of transient luminous events (TLEs), mainly sprites. The 20 June 2007 symmetric MCS produced 282 observed TLEs over a 4 h period, during which the storm's intense convection weakened and its stratiform region strengthened. TLE production corresponded well to convective intensity. The convective elements of the MCS contained normal‐polarity tripole charge structures with upper‐level positive charge (<−40°C), midlevel negative charge (−20°C), and low‐level positive charge near the melting level. In contrast to previous sprite studies, the stratiform charge layer involved in TLE production by parent positive cloud‐to‐ground (+CG) lightning resided at upper levels. This layer was physically connected to upper‐level convective positive charge via a downward sloping pathway. The average altitude discharged by TLE‐parent flashes during TLE activity was 8.2 km above mean sea level (MSL; −25°C). The 9 May 2007 asymmetric MCS produced 25 observed TLEs over a 2 h period, during which the storm's convection rapidly weakened before recovering later. Unlike 20 June, TLE production was approximately anticorrelated with convective intensity. The 9 May storm, which also had a normal tripole in its convection, best fit the conventional model of low‐altitude positive charge playing the dominant role in sprite production; however, the average altitude discharged during the TLE phase of flashes still was higher than the melting level: 6.1 km MSL (−15°C). Based on these results, it is inferred that sprite production and sprite‐parent positive charge altitude depend on MCS morphology.
Constraining the roughness degree of slip heterogeneity
Authors: Causse Mathieu , Cotton Fabrice , Mai P. M.
Published: May 2010

This article investigates different approaches for assessing the degree of roughness of the slip distribution of future earthquakes. First, we analyze a database of slip images extracted from a suite of 152 finite‐source rupture models from 80 events (Mw = 4.1–8.9). This results in an empirical model defining the distribution of the slip spectrum corner wave numbers (kc) as a function of moment magnitude. To reduce the “epistemic” uncertainty, we select a single slip model per event and screen out poorly resolved models. The number of remaining models (30) is thus rather small. In addition, the robustness of the empirical model rests on a reliable estimation of kc by kinematic inversion methods. We address this issue by performing tests on synthetic data with a frequency domain inversion method. These tests reveal that due to smoothing constraints used to stabilize the inversion process, kc tends to be underestimated. We then develop an alternative approach: (1) we establish a proportionality relationship between kc and the peak ground acceleration (PGA), using a k−2 kinematic source model, and (2) we analyze the PGA distribution, which is believed to be better constrained than slip images. These two methods reveal that kc follows a lognormal distribution, with similar standard deviations for both methods.
Rocket‐borne in situ measurements of meteor smoke: Charging properties and implications for seasonal variation
Authors: Rapp Markus , Strelnikova Irina , Strelnikov Boris , Hoffmann Peter , Friedrich Martin , Gumbel Jörg , Megner Linda , Hoppe Ulf‐Peter , Robertson Scott , Knappmiller Scott , Wolff Mareile , Marsh Daniel R.
Published: May 2010

Rocket‐borne observations of meteoric smoke particles (MSPs) are presented from three campaigns at polar latitudes (69°N) in September 2006, and in the summers of 2007 and 2008. MSPs are detected using a novel technique based on photoelectron emission from the particles after stimulation by UV photons emitted by a xenon flashlamp. Resulting photoelectron currents are shown to be proportional to particle volume density. September results match model predictions qualitatively at altitudes from 65 to 85 km while measurements at higher altitudes are contaminated by photoelectrons from NO and O2(1Δg). Contamination below this altitude can be excluded based on concurrent satellite observations. The observations show a large variability from flight to flight. Part of this variability can be attributed to differences in the charging of MSPs during day and night. Finally we find that MSP volume density in summer can exceed that during September. Analyzing model simulations of the global transport and microphysics of these particles, we show that our observations are in agreement with the model predictions, even though number densities of particles with radii >1 nm, which have long been thought to be suitable condensation nuclei for mesospheric ice particles, show the opposite behavior. It is shown that this discrepancy is caused by the fact that even larger particles (∼3 nm) dominate the volume density and that transport affects these different particle sizes in different ways. These results reinforce previous model findings according to which seasonal MSP variability is mainly driven by the global circulation and corresponding transport.
Time‐varying magnetospheric environment near Enceladus as seen by the Cassini magnetometer
Authors: Jia Y.‐D. , Russell C. T. , Khurana K. K. , Leisner J. S. , Ma Y. J. , Dougherty M. K.
Published: May 2010

In 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made four close Enceladus flybys along similar trajectories. During these flybys the magnetometer recorded the time‐varying magnetic field associated with the plasma interaction with Enceladus and its plume. Close to Enceladus, the Cassini magnetometer observed 4% to 7% enhancement in the magnetic field magnitude, associated with the slowing down of the ambient plasma. Herein we examine these four flybys, estimate the deceleration of the flow, locate the momentum‐loading center for each pass, and compare their pass to pass variability. Even though the spacecraft trajectories were similar, two different types of perturbations were observed at distances greater than 5 Enceladus radii downstream, and to the north of the moon. Ion‐cyclotron waves were observed during each of the flybys, with pass to pass wave amplitudes varying in a similar manner as the enhancement of the field magnitude.
Oxygen energization by localized perpendicular electric fields at the cusp boundary
Authors: Lindstedt T. , Khotyaintsev Y. V. , Vaivads A. , André M. , Nilsson H. , Waara M.
Published: May 2010

We report Cluster observations of oxygen energization by several keV at the boundary between the high latitude cusp and lobe. A localized electric field at the cusp/lobe boundary is responsible for a significant part of the observed energization. Such electric fields can be related to the separatrix region of reconnection at the magnetopause. Ions are accelerated as they move non‐adiabatically in the spatially inhomogeneous electric field. Additional heating may be provided by low frequency waves at the oxygen gyrofrequency.
Optically black waters in the northern Baltic Sea
Authors: Berthon Jean‐François , Zibordi Giuseppe
Published: May 2010

The peculiar bio‐optical properties of the northernmost waters of the Baltic Sea (Bothnian Sea and Bothnian Bay) are illustrated by exploiting unique in situ measurements of apparent and inherent optical properties collected in 2007. Specifically, this study shows that the high values of absorption by colored dissolved organic matter (ays(412) around 1.4 m−1) resulting from the presence of humic matter brought by the numerous Swedish and Finnish rivers alimenting the basin are not correlated with high concentrations of particles as generally observed in the southern Baltic Sea. As a consequence, extremely low values (i.e., less than 0.5) of the ratio of scattering to absorption are observed in the blue spectral region. The corresponding spectra of normalized water leaving radiance are close to satisfy the “black pixel” assumption in the blue and even in the green part of the visible spectrum. Consequently, the Bothnian Sea and most of all the Bothnian Bay, appear ideal candidates for studies on atmospheric corrections and vicarious calibration of ocean color sensors in coastal waters.
The genus Micromonospora is widespread in legume root nodules: the example of Lupinus angustifolius
Authors: Trujillo Martha E , Alonso-Vega Pablo , Rodríguez Raúl , Carro Lorena , Cerda Eugenia , Alonso Pilar , Martínez-Molina Eustoquio
Published: May 2010

Our current knowledge of plant-microbe interactions indicate that populations inhabiting a host plant are not restricted to a single microbial species but comprise several genera and species. No one knows if communities inside plants interact, and it has been speculated that beneficial effects are the result of their combined activities. During an ecological study of nitrogen-fixing bacterial communities from Lupinus angustifolius collected in Spain, significant numbers of orange-pigmented actinomycete colonies were isolated from surface-sterilized root nodules. The isolates were analysed by BOX-PCR fingerprinting revealing an unexpectedly high genetic variation. Selected strains were chosen for 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that all strains isolated belonged to the genus Micromonospora and that some of them may represent new species. To determine the possibility that the isolates fixed atmospheric nitrogen, chosen strains were grown in nitrogen-free media, obtaining in some cases, significant growth when compared with the controls. These strains were further screened for the presence of the nifH gene encoding dinitrogenase reductase, a key enzyme in nitrogen fixation. The partial nifH-like gene sequences obtained showed a 99% similarity with the sequence of the nifH gene from Frankia alni ACN14a, an actinobacterium that induces nodulation and fixes nitrogen in symbiosis with Alnus. In addition, in situ hybridization was performed to determine if these microorganisms inhabit the inside of the nodules. This study strongly suggests that Micromonospora populations are natural inhabitants of nitrogen-fixing root nodules.
Microbial characterization of a subzero, hypersaline methane seep in the Canadian High Arctic
Authors: Niederberger Thomas D , Perreault Nancy N , Tille Stephanie , Lollar Barbara Sherwood , Lacrampe-Couloume Georges , Andersen Dale , Greer Charles W , Pollard Wayne , Whyte Lyle G
Published: May 2010

We report the first microbiological characterization of a terrestrial methane seep in a cryo-environment in the form of an Arctic hypersaline (∼24% salinity), subzero (−5 °C), perennial spring, arising through thick permafrost in an area with an average annual air temperature of −15 °C. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene clone libraries indicated a relatively low diversity of phylotypes within the spring sediment (Shannon index values of 1.65 and 1.39, respectively). Bacterial phylotypes were related to microorganisms such as Loktanella, Gillisia, Halomonas and Marinobacter spp. previously recovered from cold, saline habitats. A proportion of the bacterial phylotypes were cultured, including Marinobacter and Halomonas, with all isolates capable of growth at the in situ temperature (−5 °C). Archaeal phylotypes were related to signatures from hypersaline deep-sea methane-seep sediments and were dominated by the anaerobic methane group 1a (ANME-1a) clade of anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea. CARD-FISH analyses indicated that cells within the spring sediment consisted of ∼84.0% bacterial and 3.8% archaeal cells with ANME-1 cells accounting for most of the archaeal cells. The major gas discharging from the spring was methane (∼50%) with the low CH4/C2+ ratio and hydrogen and carbon isotope signatures consistent with a thermogenic origin of the methane. Overall, this hypersaline, subzero environment supports a viable microbial community capable of activity at in situ temperature and where methane may behave as an energy and carbon source for sustaining anaerobic oxidation of methane-based microbial metabolism. This site also provides a model of how a methane seep can form in a cryo-environment as well as a mechanism for the hypothesized Martian methane plumes.
Soil bacterial and fungal communities across a pH gradient in an arable soil
Authors: Rousk Johannes , Bååth Erland , Brookes Philip C , Lauber Christian L , Lozupone Catherine , Caporaso J Gregory , Knight Rob , Fierer Noah
Published: May 2010

Soils collected across a long-term liming experiment (pH 4.0–8.3), in which variation in factors other than pH have been minimized, were used to investigate the direct influence of pH on the abundance and composition of the two major soil microbial taxa, fungi and bacteria. We hypothesized that bacterial communities would be more strongly influenced by pH than fungal communities. To determine the relative abundance of bacteria and fungi, we used quantitative PCR (qPCR), and to analyze the composition and diversity of the bacterial and fungal communities, we used a bar-coded pyrosequencing technique. Both the relative abundance and diversity of bacteria were positively related to pH, the latter nearly doubling between pH 4 and 8. In contrast, the relative abundance of fungi was unaffected by pH and fungal diversity was only weakly related with pH. The composition of the bacterial communities was closely defined by soil pH; there was as much variability in bacterial community composition across the 180-m distance of this liming experiment as across soils collected from a wide range of biomes in North and South America, emphasizing the dominance of pH in structuring bacterial communities. The apparent direct influence of pH on bacterial community composition is probably due to the narrow pH ranges for optimal growth of bacteria. Fungal community composition was less strongly affected by pH, which is consistent with pure culture studies, demonstrating that fungi generally exhibit wider pH ranges for optimal growth.