bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symbols and investments as signals: Courtship behaviors in adolescent sexual relationships
Authors: Paik Anthony , Woodley Vernon
Published: February 2012

Both structural and cultural arguments suggest that extensive relationship-building behaviors are a precursor to the onset of sexual intercourse. This research develops and tests a game-theoretic signaling framework, which suggests that the association between courtship behaviors and the onset of sexual intercourse should reflect selection effects. To test this framework empirically, this research utilized the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (1994–1996) and estimated probit and recursive bivariate probit models of sexual intercourse. The results showed support for the signaling framework. Extensive use of courtship behaviors was associated with sexual intercourse, but this association reflected the effects of selectivity. However, extensive courtship was more associated with sexual intercourse when adolescents did not know one another well prior to the start of their romantic relationships. These findings suggest that selectivity associated with signaling theory can complement models of cultural influence and structural effects.
Game theory and the kula
Authors: Corriveau Louis
Published: February 2012

The paper expounds a non-cooperative game that can be interpreted as a model of the system of kula that was described by Bronislaw Malinowski in his Argonauts of the Western Pacific. The game of kula is an infinite-horizon game with an arbitrary, but fixed, number n of players. It generates pure norms of direct reciprocity, pure norms of indirect reciprocity, and mixed norms whereby a player who deviates is punished both by the individual who has been harmed and by a third party.
The ‘culture of honor’ in citizens’ concepts of their duty as voters
Authors: Baron Jonathan
Published: February 2012

Web studies explored citizens’ concepts of their duty as voters and their choices concerning actual policies. Some people see a moral duty to support their group (their nation) regardless of harmful effects on outsiders. One study supports the hypothesis that this duty avoids betrayal of the nation, which they see as granting the right to vote for the purpose of advancing national interest. Some also see a duty to defend their self-interest through voting; many think this is a rational way to pursue their interests. Another justification is, “If [the voter] does not look out for her own interests, nobody else will.” I hypothesize a norm of responsibility for self-defense, part of the “culture of honor” (Cohen and Nisbett, 1994) in all of us. Yet politics is by design an inefficient way to pursue self-interest, although it is efficient for advancing the good of all.
Spaces of civil society: the role of migrant non-governmental organizations in Beijing and Shanghai
Authors: Hsu Jennifer Y.J.
Published: February 2012

This article examines the impact of migrant non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the development of civil society in Beijing and Shanghai. Interviews with migrant NGOs’ representatives and government departments suggest that the expansion of civil society is dependent on both state and society actors. That is, civil society, viz. migrant NGOs, do not reflect the normative ideal of civil society – whereby, a separation of state and society activities is emphasized. The article will instead argue that civil society in this context can be seen as a descriptive concept and is used as a starting point to understand a complex inter-relationship between migrant NGOs and the state.
Notes from the semi-periphery
Authors: Barry Marguerite
Published: February 2012

This article argues that small states have a significant contribution to make to international communications research, which is dominated by a large state event-oriented outlook. A study of newspaper reporting on developing countries in Ireland shows significant coverage in genres neglected by research to date, beyond the ‘international news’ pages, which presents a less negative and more nuanced picture of the developing world than usually described in the literature. The discussion is situated within international news flow and world-systems theory and demonstrates the potential for small states to depolarize the event vs context debate on determinants, showing why semi-peripheral perspectives are vital for the future development and application of world-systems theory in international communications research.
Lifestyles, gratifications sought, and narrative appeal: American and Korean TV drama viewing among Internet users in urban China
Authors: Jiang Qiaolei , Leung Louis
Published: February 2012

In recent years, online viewing has become an important way for Chinese audiences to watch foreign TV dramas. This exploratory study investigated the predictive power of lifestyles, gratifications sought, narrative appeal, and demographics on the viewing preference for and frequency of American and Korean TV dramas among a sample of 455 Internet users in urban China. The results show that narrative appeal, viewing habits, and gender were predictors of viewing preference. Lifestyles were significantly linked to gratifications sought. Frequent American TV drama viewers tended to be motivated by learning about American language, culture, and fashion; attracted by the complicated plot; and preferred online viewing. The study supports and expands understanding of the uses and gratifications theory, and argues that viewing foreign TV dramas could be an index of social distinction in urban China. Practical implications for the media industry are discussed.
‘I’m Sister Maria. Please help me’: A lexical study of 4-1-9 international advance fee fraud email communications
Authors: Onyebadi Uche , Park Jiwoo
Published: February 2012

4-1-9 is a multi-billion-dollar international email scam that is believed to have originated from Nigeria. This study examines the framing of email communications used in this fraud and content-analyzes their lexical features. Findings indicate that the scammers used Realism as the main persuasive lexical characteristic in the messages, that is, language that suggests meeting tangible needs in people’s everyday lives. The scammers also framed their messages as ‘business’ proposals to disguise their fraudulent tactics and plans. But while the scam may have originated from Nigeria, it appears that it may no longer be operationally restricted to that country.
Communism in retrospect: The rhetoric of historical representation and writing the collective memory of recent past
Authors: Tileagă Cristian
Published: February 2012

Using a case study of official representation of communism in Romania, this article addresses the rhetoric of historical representation and some of the ways in which the collective memory of communism is managed in the context of how post-communist democracies reckon with former regimes. It specifically centres on the public accomplishment of coming to terms with the past in the ‘Tismăneanu Report’ condemning communism in Romania. Using an ethnomethodologically inspired critical analysis, the article examines how the report and texts supporting it address the issue of how to take the communist era into public consciousness. The shaping of a specific representation of communism and the making of political-moral judgments in the report is legitimated by (1) treating communism as a category of the macro-social and textually mediated reality, (2) constructing the need for a scientific approach, and (3) conceiving communism as Other, alien to national identity and national interest. General implications for the substance and meaningfulness of coming to terms with recent history are discussed.
Plasma and HVOF sprayed WC–Co coatings as hard chrome replacement solution
Authors: Hazra S , Sabiruddin K , Bandyopadhyay P P
Published: February 2012

In the present study, WC–12Co coating has been deposited using plasma spray and high velocity oxyfuel spraying (HVOF) and wear performances of these coatings have been compared with electroplated hard chrome. Bearing steel and WC–Co balls have been used as rubbing counterparts. The wear is predominantly adhesive for the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) and the electroplated coating. For HVOF coating, wear has been found to occur by localised microfracture. A careful choice of plasma spray parameters yields a coating more wear resistant than the electroplated hard chrome. However, the HVOF coating has always offered the highest wear resistance.
Development of eco-friendly surface modification process for 316L austenitic stainless steel weld cladding
Authors: Jayachandran J A R , Murugan N
Published: February 2012

Austenitic stainless steels are used for industrial applications due to their improved corrosion resistance properties. Their poor tribological behaviour is a barrier for their wider application under corrosion–wear conditions taking place between rolling and sliding contacts. The present work has been conducted to develop a low temperature liquid nitriding process for austenitic stainless steel claddings to impart better resistance to corrosion–wear. This work presents the results of the corrosion and wear tests performed on liquid nitrided AISI 316L stainless steel claddings. The wear tests were conducted with a Ducom pin on disc machine under rolling–sliding conditions. Surface and subsurface were studied by an optical microscope. The hardness and depth of the modified layer were measured in the sectioned samples using a microhardness tester. The optical metallographic microstructures of the liquid nitrided specimens were revealed using Marbles reagent. The electrochemical behaviour of the liquid nitrided specimens was investigated with a dc anodic potentiodynamic polarisation technique.
Studies on remelting of tungsten carbide and rare earth modified nickel base alloy composite coating
Authors: Dhakar B M , Dwivedi D K , Sharma S P
Published: February 2012

The Ni base alloy (EWAC 1004EN) was used to develop coatings on the mild steel substrate by flame spraying process. The Ni base alloy powder was modified by adding tungsten carbide (10 and 20 wt-%) and CeO2 to study their effects on the microstructure, microhardness and abrasive wear behaviour of unmodified and modified coatings. All the coatings were subjected to remelting using tungsten inert gas arc welding. The abrasive wear behaviour of all the coatings in different conditions was studied using different normal loads (5, 10, 15 and 20 N) against 120 and 600 grit size abrasive medium. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of the worn out surfaces was carried out to understand the wear mechanisms. It was observed that the remelting of the coatings increased the hardness of WC and CeO2 modified flame sprayed coatings by ∼35%, while the abrasive wear resistance increased by 1·5- to threefold.
Laser treatment of carbon film coated steel surface
Authors: Yilbas B S , Akhtar S S , Matthews A , Karatas C
Published: February 2012

Laser controlled melting in nitrogen of a preprepared steel surface has been carried out. A carbon film formed from a phenolic resin precursor containing 5 vol.-% of TiC particles was first formed at the surface of the steel before the laser treatment. The morphological and metallurgical changes in the laser treated region were examined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Temperature and stress fields were predicted in the workpiece using a finite element code. The residual stress at the surface was measured using XRD. The hardness of the workpiece was measured using microindention testing. It was found that the laser treatment results in a dense layer composed of fine grains and TiC particles at the surface, which enhances surface microhardness. The presence of the carbon film at the surface and high pressure nitrogen gas enable the formation of FeN3 and Fe(N,C) phases at the surface and nitrogen diffusion into the substrate material causes nitride precipitation below the surface. The residual stress measured using the XRD technique at the surface region is −420 MPa, which is in agreement with the numerical predictions.
Public Library Picture Collecting in Late Nineteenth-Century America
Authors: Brodherson David
Published: February 2012

In the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, librarians and their newly established professional group, the American Library Association (ALA), considered one of their great triumphs the collection of pictures as a form of art and visual information. News of acquisition and management of every imaginable pictorial medium ranging from paintings to lithographs, engravings, etchings, photographs, and larger runs of photomechanical reproductions appeared in the new professional periodicals of ‘library economy’. This article concentrates on the achievements of public library picture collecting often reported in the new nineteenth-century journalism of ‘library economy’.

We are largely unaware of the early writings about public library picture collecting; nevertheless, the issues addressed about picture collecting are part of the intellectual DNA of librarians, scholars, and readers managing information or reading periodicals today.
Producing Knowledge About Malaya: Readers, Contributors, Printers, Editors, and the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society in the 1950s
Authors: Luyt Brendan
Published: February 2012

The creation and dissemination of knowledge about the various parts of the British Empire was an important component of the imperial mission. This article examines one of the vehicles charged with knowledge dissemination in British Malaya, the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. More specifically it focuses on the community of contributors, readers, printers, and editors that came together around the publication in the 1950s, the twilight of British rule on the peninsula. We can look at this community as a fragile web of elements or actors responsible for producing the Journal, which over the course of the decade rapidly began to unravel for a number of reasons (difficulties in conducting local research, a decline in the number of contributors as the British colonial officials left the country without being replaced, delays in publication, and a lack of skilled printers, among others) so that by the 1960s there was some doubt that the publication would survive.
Increasing the source/sink ratio in Vitis vinifera (cv Sangiovese) induces extensive transcriptome reprogramming and modifies berry ripening
Authors: Pastore Chiara , Zenoni Sara , Tornielli Giovanni Battista , Allegro Gianluca , Dal Santo Silvia , Valentini Gabriele , Intrieri Cesare , Pezzotti Mario , Filippetti Ilaria
Published: February 2012

Background

Cluster thinning is an agronomic practice in which a proportion of berry clusters are removed from the vine to increase the source/sink ratio and improve the quality of the remaining berries. Until now no transcriptomic data have been reported describing the mechanisms that underlie the agronomic and biochemical effects of thinning.

Results

We profiled the transcriptome ofVitis viniferacv. Sangiovese berries before and after thinning at veraison using a genome-wide microarray representing all grapevine genes listed in the latest V1 gene prediction. Thinning increased the source/sink ratio from 0.6 to 1.2 m2leaf area per kg of berries and boosted the sugar and anthocyanin content at harvest. Extensive transcriptome remodeling was observed in thinned vines 2 weeks after thinning and at ripening. This included the enhanced modulation of genes that are normally regulated during berry development and the induction of a large set of genes that are not usually expressed.

Conclusion

Cluster thinning has a profound effect on several important cellular processes and metabolic pathways including carbohydrate metabolism and the synthesis and transport of secondary products. The integrated agronomic, biochemical and transcriptomic data revealed that the positive impact of cluster thinning on final berry composition reflects a much more complex outcome than simply enhancing the normal ripening process.
NOV/CCN3 attenuates inflammatory pain through regulation of matrix metalloproteinases-2 and -9
Authors: Kular Lara , Rivat Cyril , Lelongt Brigitte , Calmel Claire , Laurent Maryvonne , Pohl Michel , Kitabgi Patrick , Melik-Parsadaniantz Stéphane , Martinerie Cécile
Published: February 2012

Background

Sustained neuroinflammation strongly contributes to the pathogenesis of pain. The clinical challenge of chronic pain relief led to the identification of molecules such as cytokines, chemokines and more recently matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as putative therapeutic targets. Evidence points to a founder member of the matricial CCN family, NOV/CCN3, as a modulator of these inflammatory mediators. We thus investigated the possible involvement of NOV in a preclinical model of persistent inflammatory pain.

Methods

We used the complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced model of persistent inflammatory pain and cultured primary sensory neurons for in vitro experiments. The mRNA expression of NOV and pro-inflammatory factors were measured with real-time quantitative PCR, CCL2 protein expression was assessed using ELISA, MMP-2 and -9 activities using zymography. The effect of drugs on tactile allodynia was evaluated by the von Frey test.

Results

NOV was expressed in neurons of both dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and dorsal horn of the spinal cord (DHSC). After intraplantar CFA injection, NOV levels were transiently and persistently down-regulated in the DRG and DHSC, respectively, occurring at the maintenance phase of pain (15 days). NOV-reduced expression was restored after treatment of CFA rats with dexamethasone. In vitro, results based on cultured DRG neurons showed that siRNA-mediated inhibition of NOV enhanced IL-1β- and TNF-α-induced MMP-2, MMP-9 and CCL2 expression whereas NOV addition inhibited TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression through β1 integrin engagement. In vivo, the intrathecal delivery of MMP-9 inhibitor attenuated mechanical allodynia of CFA rats. Importantly, intrathecal administration of NOV siRNA specifically led to an up-regulation of MMP-9 in the DRG and MMP-2 in the DHSC concomitant with increased mechanical allodynia. Finally, NOV intrathecal treatment specifically abolished the induction of MMP-9 in the DRG and, MMP-9 and MMP-2 in the DHSC of CFA rats. This inhibitory effect on MMP is associated with reduced mechanical allodynia.

Conclusions

This study identifies NOV as a new actor against inflammatory pain through regulation of MMPs thus uncovering NOV as an attractive candidate for therapeutic improvement in pain relief.
Sequence analysis of Epstein-Barr virus EBNA-2 gene coding amino acid 148-487 in nasopharyngeal and gastric carcinomas
Authors: Wang Xinying , Wang Yun , Wu Guocai , Chao Yan , Sun Zhifu , Luo Bing
Published: February 2012

Background

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen 2 (EBNA-2) plays a key role in the B-cell growth transformation by initiating and maintaining the proliferation of infected B-cell upon EBV infection in vitro. Most studies about EBNA-2 have focused on its functions yet little is known for its intertypic polymorphisms.

Results

Coding region for amino acid (aa) 148-487 of the EBNA-2 gene was sequenced in 25 EBV-associated gastric carcinomas (EBVaGCs), 56 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) and 32 throat washings (TWs) from healthy donors in Northern China. Three variations (g48991t, c48998a, t49613a) were detected in all of the samples (113/113, 100%). EBNA-2 could be classified into four distinct subtypes: E2-A, E2-B, E2-C and E2-D based on the deletion status of three aa (294Q, 357K and 358G). Subtypes E2-A and E2-C were detected in 56/113 (49.6%), 38/113 (33.6%) samples, respectively. E2-A was observed more in EBVaGCs samples and subtype E2-D was only detected in the NPC samples. Variation analysis in EBNA-2 functional domains: the TAD residue (I438L) and the NLS residues (E476G, P484H and I486T) were only detected in NPC samples which located in the carboxyl terminus of EBNA-2 gene.

Conclusions

The subtypes E2-A and E2-C were the dominant genotypes of the EBNA-2 gene in Northern China. The subtype E2-D may be associated with the tumorigenesis of NPC. The NPC isolates were prone harbor to more mutations than the other two groups in the functional domains.
A rice transient assay system identifies a novel domain in NRR required for interaction with NH1/OsNPR1 and inhibition of NH1-mediated transcriptional activation
Authors: Chern Mawsheng , Bai Wei , Sze-To Wing Hoi , Canlas Patrick E , Bartley Laura E , Ronald Pamela C
Published: February 2012

Background

Arabidopsis NPR1 is a master regulator of systemic acquired resistance. NPR1 binds to TGA transcription factors and functions as a transcriptional co-activator. In rice, NH1/OsNPR1 functions to enhance innate immunity. NRR disrupts NH1 function, when over-expressed.

Results

We have established a rice transient protoplast assay to demonstrate that NH1 is a transcriptional co-activator and that NRR represses NH1-mediated activation. We identified three NRR homologues (RH1, RH2, and RH3). RH1 and RH3, but not RH2, also effectively repress NH1-mediated transcriptional activation. NRR, RH1, RH2, and RH3 share sequence similarity in a region beyond the previously identified NPR1-interacting domain. This region is required for strong interaction with NH1. A double point mutation, W66A/F70A, in this novel NH1-interacting domain severely reduces interaction with NH1. Mutation W66A/F70A also greatly reduces the ability of NRR to repress NH1-mediated activation. RH2 carries a deviation (amino acids AV) in this region as compared to consensus sequences (amino acids ED) among NRR, RH1, and RH3. A substitution (AV to ED) in RH2 results in strong binding of mutant RH2ED to NH1 and effective repression of NH1-mediated activation.

Conclusions

The protoplast-based transient system can be used to dissect protein domains associated with their functions. Our results demonstrate that the ability of NRR and its homologues to repress NH1-mediated transcriptional activation is tightly correlated with their ability to bind to NH1. Furthermore, a sequence is identified as a novel NH1-interacting domain. Importantly, this novel sequence is widely present in plant species, from cereals to castor bean plants, to poplar trees, to Arabidopsis, indicating its significance in plants.
Identification of genetic risk variants for deep vein thrombosis by multiplexed next-generation sequencing of 186 hemostatic/pro-inflammatory genes
Authors: Lotta Luca A , Wang Mark , Yu Jin , Martinelli Ida , Yu Fuli , Passamonti Serena M , Consonni Dario , Pappalardo Emanuela , Menegatti Marzia , Scherer Steven E , Lewis Lora L , Akbar Humeira , Wu Yuanqing , Bainbridge Matthew N , Muzny Donna M , Mannucci Pier M , Gibbs Richard A , Peyvandi Flora
Published: February 2012

Background

Next-generation DNA sequencing is opening new avenues for genetic association studies in common diseases that, like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), have a strong genetic predisposition still largely unexplained by currently identified risk variants. In order to develop sequencing and analytical pipelines for the application of next-generation sequencing to complex diseases, we conducted a pilot study sequencing the coding area of 186 hemostatic/proinflammatory genes in 10 Italian cases of idiopathic DVT and 12 healthy controls.

Results

A molecular-barcoding strategy was used to multiplex DNA target capture and sequencing, while retaining individual sequence information. Genomic libraries with barcode sequence-tags were pooled (in pools of 8 or 16 samples) and enriched for target DNA sequences. Sequencing was performed on ABI SOLiD-4 platforms. We produced > 12 gigabases of raw sequence data to sequence at high coverage (average: 42X) the 700-kilobase target area in 22 individuals. A total of 1876 high-quality genetic variants were identified (1778 single nucleotide substitutions and 98 insertions/deletions). Annotation on databases of genetic variation and human disease mutations revealed several novel, potentially deleterious mutations. We tested 576 common variants in a case-control association analysis, carrying the top-5 associations over to replication in up to 719 DVT cases and 719 controls. We also conducted an analysis of the burden of nonsynonymous variants in coagulation factor and anticoagulant genes. We found an excess of rare missense mutations in anticoagulant genes in DVT cases compared to controls and an association for a missense polymorphism ofFGA(rs6050; p = 1.9 × 10-5, OR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.22-1.72; after replication in > 1400 individuals).

Conclusions

We implemented a barcode-based strategy to efficiently multiplex sequencing of hundreds of candidate genes in several individuals. In the relatively small dataset of our pilot study we were able to identify bona fide associations with DVT. Our study illustrates the potential of next-generation sequencing for the discovery of genetic variation predisposing to complex diseases.
An ovary transcriptome for all maturational stages of the striped bass (Morone saxatilis), a highly advanced perciform fish
Authors: Reading Benjamin J , Chapman Robert W , Schaff Jennifer E , Scholl Elizabeth H , Opperman Charles H , Sullivan Craig V
Published: February 2012

Background

The striped bass and its relatives (genus Morone) are important fisheries and aquaculture species native to estuaries and rivers of the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico in North America. To open avenues of gene expression research on reproduction and breeding of striped bass, we generated a collection of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from a complementary DNA (cDNA) library representative of their ovarian transcriptome.

Results

Sequences of a total of 230,151 ESTs (51,259,448 bp) were acquired by Roche 454 pyrosequencing of cDNA pooled from ovarian tissues obtained at all stages of oocyte growth, at ovulation (eggs), and during preovulatory atresia. Quality filtering of ESTs allowed assembly of 11,208 high-quality contigs ≥ 100 bp, including 2,984 contigs 500 bp or longer (average length 895 bp). Blastx comparisons revealed 5,482 gene orthologues (E-value < 10-3), of which 4,120 (36.7% of total contigs) were annotated with Gene Ontology terms (E-value < 10-6). There were 5,726 remaining unknown unique sequences (51.1% of total contigs). All of the high-quality EST sequences are available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Short Read Archive (GenBank: SRX007394). Informative contigs were considered to be abundant if they were assembled from groups of ESTs comprising ≥ 0.15% of the total short read sequences (≥ 345 reads/contig). Approximately 52.5% of these abundant contigs were predicted to have predominant ovary expression through digital differential display in silico comparisons to zebrafish (Danio rerio) UniGene orthologues. Over 1,300 Gene Ontology terms from Biological Process classes of Reproduction, Reproductive process, and Developmental process were assigned to this collection of annotated contigs.

Conclusions

This first large reference sequence database available for the ecologically and economically important temperate basses (genus Morone) provides a foundation for gene expression studies in these species. The predicted predominance of ovary gene expression and assignment of directly relevant Gene Ontology classes suggests a powerful utility of this dataset for analysis of ovarian gene expression related to fundamental questions of oogenesis. Additionally, a high definition Agilent 60-mer oligo ovary 'UniClone' microarray with 8 × 15,000 probe format has been designed based on this striped bass transcriptome (eArray Group: Striper Group, Design ID: 029004).
Random noise attenuation using f-x regularized nonstationary autoregression
Authors: Liu Guochang , Chen Xiaohong , Du Jing , Wu Kailong
Published: February 2012

We have developed a novel method for random noise attenuation in seismic data by applying regularized nonstationary autoregression (RNA) in the frequency-space ([Formula: see text]) domain. The method adaptively predicts the signal with spatial changes in dip or amplitude using [Formula: see text] RNA. The key idea is to overcome the assumption of linearity and stationarity of the signal in conventional [Formula: see text] domain prediction technique. The conventional [Formula: see text] domain prediction technique uses short temporal and spatial analysis windows to cope with the nonstationary of the seismic data. The new method does not require windowing strategies in spatial direction. We implement the algorithm by an iterated scheme using the conjugate-gradient method. We constrain the coefficients of nonstationary autoregression (NA) to be smooth along space and frequency in the [Formula: see text] domain. The shaping regularization in least-square inversion controls the smoothness of the coefficients of [Formula: see text] RNA. There are two key parameters in the proposed method: filter length and radius of shaping operator. Tests on synthetic and field data examples showed that, compared with [Formula: see text] domain and time-space domain prediction methods, [Formula: see text] RNA can be more effective in suppressing random noise and preserving the signals, especially for complex geological structure.
Seismic imaging of the water-column deep layer associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Authors: Hildebrand John A. , Armi Laurence , Henkart Paul C.
Published: February 2012

The submerged hydrocarbon layer at a depth of approximately 1100–1200 m in the water column near the Deepwater Horizon well site was associated with a temperature anomaly that was imaged by seismic reflection data collected two days before and one day after the well shut-in. Conventional multichannel seismic reflection profiling data were processed to enhance water-column reflections by filtering out low-frequency energy and applying higher gain than typically used for imaging subsurface geology. The deep layer reflectivity, within a few km of the well site, has an impedance less than seawater by about a factor of approximately [Formula: see text], or equivalently, a negative sound-velocity step of about [Formula: see text]. Water-column profile data collected at the same time as the seismic data show a comparable sound velocity and temperature decrease associated with the deep layer. Mixing of less dense hydrocarbons entrains cold seawater, resulting in a temperature anomaly within the deep layer at the level of neutral buoyancy. This temperature contrast explains the negative sound-velocity anomaly associated with the deep reflector. Because of the small hydrocarbon concentration in the deep layer, their contribution to the seismic velocity anomaly is too small to be significant. The high horizontal resolution (3 m) of the seismic image reveals a layer with patchiness of several hundred meters lateral extent.
Cartilage-specific RBPjκ-dependent and -independent Notch signals regulate cartilage and bone development
Authors: Kohn Anat , Dong Yufeng , Mirando Anthony J. , Jesse Alana M. , Honjo Tasuku , Zuscik Michael J. , O’Keefe Regis J. , Hilton Matthew J.
Published: February 2012

The Notch signaling pathway has emerged as an important regulator of endochondral bone formation. Although recent studies have examined the role of Notch in mesenchymal and chondro-osteo progenitor cell populations, there has yet to be a true examination of Notch signaling specifically within developing and committed chondrocytes, or a determination of whether cartilage and bone formation are regulated via RBPjκ-dependent or -independent Notch signaling mechanisms. To develop a complete understanding of Notch signaling during cartilage and bone development we generated and compared general Notch gain-of-function (Rosa-NICDf/+), RBPjκ-deficient (Rbpjκf/f), and RBPjκ-deficient Notch gain-of-function (Rosa-NICDf/+;Rbpjκf/f) conditional mutant mice, where activation or deletion of floxed alleles were specifically targeted to mesenchymal progenitors (Prx1Cre) or committed chondrocytes (inducible Col2CreERT2). These data demonstrate, for the first time, that Notch regulation of chondrocyte maturation is solely mediated via the RBPjκ-dependent pathway, and that the perichodrium or osteogenic lineage probably influences chondrocyte terminal maturation and turnover of the cartilage matrix. Our study further identifies the cartilage-specific RBPjκ-independent pathway as crucial for the proper regulation of chondrocyte proliferation, survival and columnar chondrocyte organization. Unexpectedly, the RBPjκ-independent Notch pathway was also identified as an important long-range cell non-autonomous regulator of perichondral bone formation and an important cartilage-derived signal required for coordinating chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation during endochondral bone development. Finally, cartilage-specific RBPjκ-independent Notch signaling likely regulates Ihh responsiveness during cartilage and bone development.
Diffusion, capture and recycling of SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 complexes observed in cells by single-molecule imaging
Authors: Millius Arthur , Watanabe Naoki , Weiner Orion D.
Published: February 2012

The SCAR/WAVE complex drives lamellipodium formation by enhancing actin nucleation by the Arp2/3 complex. Phosphoinositides and Rac activate the SCAR/WAVE complex, but how SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 complexes converge at sites of nucleation is unknown. We analyzed the single-molecule dynamics of WAVE2 and p40 (subunits of the SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 complexes, respectively) in XTC cells. We observed lateral diffusion of both proteins and captured the transition of p40 from diffusion to network incorporation. These results suggest that a diffusive 2D search facilitates binding of the Arp2/3 complex to actin filaments necessary for nucleation. After nucleation, the Arp2/3 complex integrates into the actin network and undergoes retrograde flow, which results in its broad distribution throughout the lamellipodium. By contrast, the SCAR/WAVE complex is more restricted to the cell periphery. However, with single-molecule imaging, we also observed WAVE2 molecules undergoing retrograde motion. WAVE2 and p40 have nearly identical speeds, lifetimes and sites of network incorporation. Inhibition of actin retrograde flow does not prevent WAVE2 association and disassociation with the membrane but does inhibit WAVE2 removal from the actin cortex. Our results suggest that membrane binding and diffusion expedites the recruitment of nucleation factors to a nucleation site independent of actin assembly, but after network incorporation, ongoing actin polymerization facilitates recycling of SCAR/WAVE and Arp2/3 complexes.
Cell-cycle-regulated expression of STIL controls centriole number in human cells
Authors: Arquint Christian , Sonnen Katharina F. , Stierhof York-Dieter , Nigg Erich A.
Published: February 2012

Control of centriole number is crucial for genome stability and ciliogenesis. Here, we characterize the role of human STIL, a protein that displays distant sequence similarity to the centriole duplication factors Ana2 in Drosophila and SAS-5 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Using RNA interference, we show that STIL is required for centriole duplication in human cells. Conversely, overexpression of STIL triggers the near-simultaneous formation of multiple daughter centrioles surrounding each mother, which is highly reminiscent of the phenotype produced by overexpression of the polo-like kinase PLK4 or the spindle assembly abnormal protein 6 homolog (SAS-6). We further show, by fluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy, that STIL is recruited to nascent daughter centrioles at the onset of centriole duplication and degraded, in an APC/CCdc20–Cdh1-dependent manner, upon passage through mitosis. We did not detect a stable complex between STIL and SAS-6, but the two proteins resemble each other with regard to both localization and cell cycle control of expression. Thus, STIL cooperates with SAS-6 and PLK4 in the control of centriole number and represents a key centriole duplication factor in human cells.
Efficacy and safety of endovenous foam sclerotherapy: meta-analysis for treatment of venous disorders
Authors: Rathbun S , Norris A , Stoner J
Published: February 2012

Aim

Endovenous foam sclerotherapy (EFS) is used widely throughout the USA for the treatment of venous disorders. The purpose of the quantitative meta-analysis was to systematically and comprehensively evaluate the literature to provide accurate estimates of safety and efficacy outcomes for this procedure.

Methods

A comprehensive electronic search of published literature in several databases was performed using a wide variety of MESH headings. In addition, meeting abstracts and bibliographies of selected references were reviewed for eligible papers. Two reviewers abstracted selected treatment-related data.

Results

Of 684 identified manuscripts and abstracts reviewed, 104 papers were abstracted and analysed. More than 50% were published between 2004 and 2008. EFS was found to be effective with similar vein occlusion rates to laser therapy, but less effective than surgery. In addition, major adverse effects were rare.

Conclusions

EFS is a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of venous disorders.
The Semantics of Love: Conflict, Sublimation and Experience in Arabic Discourse
Authors: Leder Stefan
Published: February 2012

A resilient pattern of early Arabic discourse depicts love as a statement of conflict between passion and rules of reasonable and socially approved behaviour. The antagonism is surmounted by sublime love replacing the initial aspiration in the course of a process of refinement. The resulting contradictive stance – emotional attachment becoming even more intense as the beloved is absented by adverse circumstance – inspires intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual experience, as it is valid for profane relationship and for divine love. The work of Dāʾūd al-Anṭākī (d. 1599) is discussed here to demonstrate that Arabic tradition, in contrast to European notions of sensitivity, increasingly concentrated on the expression of aesthetic and spiritual experience to the detriment of depictions of conflict setting the individual against social rules and norms. In his late and widespread compendium, the author, famous physician and practical philosopher, analyses the discourse on love. Displaying a rationalist, non-idealistic, down-to-earth attitude, he pursues a critical interest in the manifestations of love. By correlating profane love to the mystic’s love of God, he directs attention towards the sublime expression of longing, fear and ecstasy of fulfilment which is in his view the true signification of love and the justification for its persisting representation in literature.
Zur Geschichte der Beziehungen zwischen Okzident und Orient. Zwischen rationaler Analyse und emotionaler Erklärung
Authors: Moghith Anwar
Published: February 2012

Ausgehend von der Unterscheidung individueller und kollektiver Emotion wird die Rolle von Emotionen gegenüber der rationalen Analyse bei der Darstellung der historischen Beziehungen zwischen Okzident und Orient im arabischen Raum untersucht. Ein Plädoyer für die rationale Analyse verbindet sich mit der Forderung nach einer Zukunftsperspektive der politischen und kulturellen Diskussion.
Zeitgenössische schiitische Trauerrituale im Libanon
Authors: Weinrich Ines
Published: February 2012

Wichtiges Element schiitischer Identität ist die Erinnerung an den Tod des Prophetenenkels Husein, nach schiitischer Auffassung rechtmäßiger Führer der islamischen Gemeinde, der 680 n. Chr. von Truppen des amtierenden Kalifen Yazid umgebracht wurde. Die Erinnerungsrituale sind hinsichtlich Typologie und Erscheinungsform höchst unterschiedlich; im Zentrum des Interesses standen bisher die Aufführung als Passionsspiel und Formen der Selbstgeißelung. Klagen und Weinen wurden als Hauptcharakteristikum schiitischer Identität ausgemacht. Hier stehen Techniken und Ästhetik der Trauersitzungen (majalis) in verschiedenen urbanen Milieus in Beirut im Zentrum. Die Aufführungen folgen einer vorgegebenen Struktur und sind gleichzeitig inhaltlich und musikalisch flexibel. Klagen und Weinen sind Teil des Rituals und weniger Ausdrucksform einer Mentalität.
Mourning Deaths, Lamenting Lives: Grief and Transformation in Inner Maniot Laments
Authors: Varvantakis Christos
Published: February 2012

The funeral laments (moiroloya) of Inner Mani, a region in southern Peloponnese, are the focus of this article, in particular the gestural and transformative aspects of their liminal character. A specific case of a wake (klama) is discussed and analyzed in order to provide insight into the particular process of lamenting. Some general characteristics of lamenting in the region are reviewed and some of the basic assumptions of anthropologists concerning the role of emotional expression in death rituals are considered. Lastly, by focusing on an excerpt from a lament that was sung in the wake session under question, the article points to the gestural, mimetic and transformative qualities of the emotional performance of lamenting, suggesting thus an alternative reading of the expression of grief within the course of death ritual.
Emotional Disorders in a Transcultural World
Authors: Bajbouj Malek , Asasleh Maher Al
Published: February 2012

Emotional competencies and affective disorders share common basic neuronal mechanisms. However, individual differences of behavioral and psychopathological signature are strongly shaped by cultural influences. In this review article, we compare four different clinical syndromes in Western societies and the Arab world each exemplifying a dysfunction of a distinct emotional capability comprising affective disorders with a prominent mood disturbance, anxiety disorders with fear dysregulation, autism with a prominent communication dysfunction, and borderline personality disorder as an example of emotional instability.
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Children
Authors: Pedersen Anita , Pettygrove Sydney , Meaney F. John , Mancilla Kristen , Gotschall Kathy , Kessler Daniel B. , Grebe Theresa A. , Cunniff Christopher
Published: February 2012

OBJECTIVE:

The number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) continues to increase in the United States and other developed countries; however, ASD is diagnosed less commonly in Hispanic than in non-Hispanic white individuals. This report analyzes differences in ASD prevalence between Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites in a large, population-based sample of 8-year-old children, and explores how prevalence has changed over time.

METHODS:

Population-based surveillance of ASD was conducted on 142 717 8-year-old children. Evaluation of clinical and educational records resulted in 1212 children meeting the case definition criteria in 4 study years between 2000 and 2006.

RESULTS:

ASD prevalence in Hispanic children was lower than in non-Hispanic white children (P < .005) for all study years. More Hispanic than non-Hispanic white children met the case definition for intellectual disability (P < .05) in study years 2004 and 2006. Prevalence of ASD diagnosis increased in both groups; the Hispanic prevalence almost tripled, from 2.7 per 1000 in 2000 to 7.9 per 1000 in 2006. A comparison of prevalence ratios found that Hispanic and non-Hispanic white ASD prevalence became significantly more similar from 2000 to 2006 (χ2 = 124.89, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

The ASD prevalence for Hispanic individuals in this population-based sample is substantially higher than previously reported. Nonetheless, Hispanic children continue to have a significantly lower ASD prevalence in comparison with non-Hispanic whites. The prevalence of ASD is increasing in both populations, and results indicate that the gap in prevalence between groups is decreasing.
Impact of a Guideline on Management of Children Hospitalized With Community-Acquired Pneumonia
Authors: Newman Ross E. , Hedican Erin B. , Herigon Joshua C. , Williams David D. , Williams Arthur R. , Newland Jason G.
Published: February 2012

OBJECTIVES:

We sought to describe the impact a clinical practice guideline (CPG) had on antibiotic management of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective study of discharged patients from a children’s hospital with an ICD-9-CM code for pneumonia (480–486). Eligible patients were admitted from July 8, 2007, through July 9, 2009, 12 months before and after the CAP CPG was introduced. Three-stage least squares regression analyses were performed to examine hypothesized simultaneous relationships, including the impact of our institution\x{2019}s antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP).

RESULTS:

The final analysis included 1033 patients: 530 (51%) before the CPG (pre-CPG) and 503 (49%) after the CPG (post-CPG). Pre-CPG, ceftriaxone (72%) was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, followed by ampicillin (13%). Post-CPG, the most common antibiotic was ampicillin (63%). The effect of the CPG was associated with a 34% increase in ampicillin use (P < .001). Discharge antibiotics also changed post-CPG, showing a significant increase in amoxicillin use (P < .001) and a significant decrease in cefdinir and amoxicillin/clavulanate (P < .001), with the combined effect of the CPG and ASP leading to 12% (P < 0.001) and 16% (P < .001) reduction, respectively. Overall, treatment failure was infrequent (1.5% vs 1%).

CONCLUSIONS:

A CPG and ASP led to the increase in use of ampicillin for children hospitalized with CAP. In addition, less broad-spectrum discharge antibiotics were used. Patient adverse outcomes were low, indicating that ampicillin is appropriate first-line therapy for otherwise healthy children admitted with uncomplicated CAP.
Childhood Gender Nonconformity: A Risk Indicator for Childhood Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress in Youth
Authors: Roberts Andrea L. , Rosario Margaret , Corliss Heather L. , Koenen Karestan C. , Austin S. Bryn
Published: February 2012

OBJECTIVES:

Childhood gender nonconformity has been associated with poorer relationships with parents, but it is unknown if childhood gender nonconformity is associated with childhood abuse or risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in youth.

METHODS:

We examined whether gender nonconformity before age 11 years was associated with childhood sexual, physical, and psychological abuse and lifetime risk of probable PTSD by using self-report questionnaire data from the 2007 wave of the Growing Up Today Study (n = 9864, mean age = 22.7 years), a longitudinal cohort of US youth. We further examined whether higher exposure to childhood abuse mediated possible elevated prevalence of PTSD in nonconforming children. Finally, we examined whether association of childhood gender nonconformity with PTSD was independent of sexual orientation.

RESULTS:

Exposure to childhood physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, and probable PTSD were elevated in youth in the top decile of childhood gender nonconformity compared with youth below median nonconformity. Abuse victimization disparities partly mediated PTSD disparities by gender nonconformity. Gender nonconformity predicted increased risk of lifetime probable PTSD in youth after adjustment for sexual orientation.

CONCLUSIONS:

We identify gender nonconformity as an indicator of children at increased risk of abuse and probable PTSD. Pediatricians and school health providers should consider abuse screening for this vulnerable population. Further research to understand how gender nonconformity might increase risk of abuse and to develop family interventions to reduce abuse risk is needed.