bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imidazole‐ and Benzimidazole‐Based Inhibitors of the Kinase IspE: Targeting the Substrate‐Binding Site and the Triphosphate‐Binding Loop of the ATP Site
Authors: Mombelli Paolo , Le Chapelain Camille , Munzinger Noah , Joliat Evelyne , Illarionov Boris , Schweizer W. Bernd , Hirsch Anna K. H. , Fischer Markus , Bacher Adelbert , Diederich François
Published: January 2013

The enzymes of the mevalonate‐independent biosynthetic pathway to isoprenoids are attractive targets for the development of new drug candidates, in particular against malaria and tuberculosis, because they are present in major human pathogens but not in humans. Herein, the structure‐based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a series of inhibitors featuring a central imidazole or benzimidazole scaffold for the kinase IspE from E. coli, a model for the corresponding malarial enzyme, are described. Optimization of the binding preferences of the hydrophobic sub‐pocket at the substrate‐binding site allowed IC50 values in the lower micromolar range to be reached. Structure–activity relationship studies using a 1,2‐disubstituted imidazole central core revealed that alicyclic moieties fit the sub‐pocket better than acyclic aliphatic and aromatic residues. The phosphate‐binding region in the ATP‐binding site of IspE, a neutral glycine‐rich loop, was addressed for the first time by an additional vector attached to the central core. Polar functional groups, such as trifluoromethyl or nitriles, were introduced to undergo orthogonal dipolar interactions with the amide groups in the loop. Alternatively, small hydrogen‐bond‐accepting heterocyclic residues, capable of binding to the convergent NH groups in the loop, were explored. The biological data showed slightly improved inhibitory potency in some cases and confirmed the challenges in addressing, with gain in binding affinity, the highly water‐exposed sections of enzyme active sites, such as the glycine‐rich loop of IspE.
Detection of Autoantibodies Against Actin Filaments in Celiac Disease
Authors: Porcelli B. , Ferretti F. , Vindigni C. , Scapellato C. , Terzuoli L.
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Serum autoantibodies specifically directed toward intracellular cytoskeletal actin filaments (anti‐actin antibodies, AAA) were found to be associated with intestinal villous atrophy (IVA) in celiac disease (CD). The aim of this study was to assess IgA‐AAA with a commercial test that uses sections of rat intestinal epithelial cells in a well‐selected cohort of patients and to evaluate the relationship between the presence of serum IgA‐AAA and the severity of intestinal mucosa damage. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 27:21–26, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Materials and Methods

Serum samples from 70 CD patients and 150 controls subjects were analyzed retrospectively for the presence of IgA‐AAA.

Results

The indirect immunofluorescence test that we used has a specificity of 100%; the sensitivity of the test is not high (25.7%). In this study we also show that serum AAA are more frequently positive in CD patients with total IVA (77.8%) and that this association is significant

Discussion

IgA‐AAA certainly cannot take the place of much more sensitive tests such as a‐tTG and EMA in the diagnosis of CD because of their low sensitivity; nonetheless, these antibodies could be determined in a‐tTG and/or EMA positive patients who cannot undergo an intestinal biopsy because of a severe contraindication, or in the case of negative consensus regarding endoscopy, or when the histology interpretation is difficult.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the IFI commercial test with intestinal epithelial cells as substrate offers a useful method for IgA‐AAA determination. Serum IgA‐AAA positivity is indicative of more severe intestinal histology damage and their assay could be a real help to the clinician, especially in the complicated cases.
Analysis of liver viscosity behavior as a function of multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) postprocessing
Authors: Leclerc Gwladys E. , Charleux Fabrice , Robert Ludovic , Ho Ba Tho Marie‐Christine , Rhein Colette , Latrive Jean‐Paul , Bensamoun Sabine F.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

To analyze the relevance of the viscosity measurement as a liver diagnostic marker.

Materials and Methods

To determine the level of fibrosis, a Fibroscan test was performed on 40 subjects (10 healthy volunteers and 30 patients). Subsequently, multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography (MMRE) tests were made with a pneumatic driver at 60, 70, and 80 Hz. Phase images were analyzed with two different postprocessing methods, without (Method 1) and with (Method 2) the inversion algorithm (IA), using rheological models (Voigt, springpot) in order to characterize the viscoelastic properties (viscosity: η and elasticity: μ).

Results

MRE cartography of the viscous tendency (G″MRE_M2) measured within the region of interest (ROI) of the liver increased as a function of the level of fibrosis. Similar results were also obtained for the viscosity (ηmodels_M1) calculated with a postprocessing without IA. However, the viscosity (ηmodels_M2) remained constant with the stage of fibrosis when the postprocessing was composed of an IA. The experimental (μMRE_M1 and G′MRE_M2) and rheological (μmodels_M2 and μmodels_M1) elasticities always increased with the level of fibrosis regardless of the postprocessing method.

Conclusion

The variation of the liver viscosity parameter as a function of postprocessing revealed that this parameter should be further investigated to demonstrate its relevance in clinical practice. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:422–428. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Radiofrequency field enhancement with high dielectric constant (HDC) pads in a receive array coil at 3.0T
Authors: Yang Qing X. , Rupprecht Sebastian , Luo Wei , Sica Christopher , Herse Zachary , Wang Jianli , Cao Zhipeng , Vesek Jeffrey , Lanagan Michael T. , Carluccio Giuseppe , Ryu Yeun‐Chul , Collins Christopher M.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

To investigate the use of a new high‐dielectric constant (HDC) material for improving SNR and transmission efficiency for clinical MRI applications at 3 Tesla (T) with cervical spine imaging.

Materials and Methods

Human subjects were imaged using a commercial cervical spine receive array coil on a clinical system with and without pads containing Barium Titanate beads in deuterium water placed around the neck. Numerical electromagnetic field simulations of the same configuration were also performed.

Results

Experimental and simulated maps of transmit and receive fields showed greater efficiency for imaging the cervical spine when the pads were present. Experimental measurements showed a significant improvement in SNR with the pads present and an average input power reduction of 46%.

Conclusion

Use of HDC material can enhance SNR and transmission efficiency for clinical imaging of the cervical spine at 3.0T. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:435–440. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Left atrial flow velocity distribution and flow coherence using four‐dimensional FLOW MRI: A pilot study investigating the impact of age and Pre‐ and Postintervention atrial fibrillation on atrial hemodynamics
Authors: Fluckiger Jacob U. , Goldberger Jeffrey J. , Lee Daniel C. , Ng Jason , Lee Richard , Goyal Amita , Markl Michael
Published: January 2013

Purpose:

To use four‐dimensional (4D) flow MRI to characterize and quantify 3D blood flow in the left atria (LA) of patients with a history of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Materials and Methods:

The 4D flow MRI was acquired in 19 volunteers (n = 9<30 years, n = 10>50 years) and 10 patients with AF (62 ± 9.6 years; n = 4 in persistent AF, n = 6 postintervention). The LA in each dataset was segmented, and intra‐atrial blood flow velocity was quantified. Flow coherence was measured as the consistency of the net blood flow vector.

Results:

Quantification of atrial flow revealed significant differences in atrial hemodynamics between age groups. Postintervention AF patients had a mean blood flow of 0.22 ± 0.04 m/s, which was not significantly different than age‐matched volunteers (0.21 ± 0.03 m/s). Patients with persistent AF had a mean blood flow of 0.13 ± 0.01 m/s, lower than AF patients in sinus rhythm (0.22 ± 0.04 m/s, P = 0.005), or age‐matched volunteers (0.21 ± 0.03 m/s, P < 0.001). Flow coherence was significantly impaired in patients in AF.

Conclusion:

Flow‐sensitive MRI shows that patients with a history of AF had global hemodynamics in the LA similar to those of age‐matched volunteers. Additional studies with larger cohorts of AF patients and correlation with outcome are needed to further investigate the potential of atrial 4D flow MRI to flow patterns indicative of stroke risk in AF. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:580–587. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of 3‐point dixon imaging and fuzzy C‐means clustering methods for breast density measurement
Authors: Clendenen Tess V. , Zeleniuch‐Jacquotte Anne , Moy Linda , Pike Malcolm C. , Rusinek Henry , Kim Sungheon
Published: January 2013

Purpose

To assess two methods of fat and fibroglandular tissue (FGT) segmentation for measuring breast MRI FGT volume and FGT%, the volume percentage of FGT in the breast, in longitudinal studies.

Materials and Methods

Nine premenopausal women provided one MRI per week for 4 weeks during a natural menstrual cycle for a total of 36 datasets. We compared a fuzzy c‐means (FC) and a 3‐point Dixon segmentation method for estimation of changes in FGT volume and FGT% across the menstrual cycle. We also assessed whether differences due to changes in positioning each week could be minimized by coregistration, i.e., the application of the breast boundary selected at one visit to images obtained at other visits.

Results

FC and Dixon FGT volume were highly correlated (r = 0.93, P < 0.001), as was FC and Dixon FGT% (r = 0.86, P = 0.01), although Dixon measurements were on average 10–20% higher. Although FGT measured by both methods showed the expected pattern of increase during the menstrual cycle, the magnitude, and for one woman the direction, of change varied according to the method used. Measurements of FGT for coregistered images were in close agreement with those for which the boundaries were determined independently.

Conclusion

The method of segmentation of fat and FGT tissue may have an impact on the results of longitudinal studies of changes in breast MRI FGT. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;38:474–481. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An iterative ensemble square root filter and tests with simulated radar data for storm‐scale data assimilation
Authors: Wang Shizhang , Xue Ming , Schenkman Alexander D. , Min Jinzhong
Published: January 2013

An iterative procedure is designed to accelerate the ‘spin‐up’ of ensemble square‐root filter (EnSRF) data‐assimilation cycles when starting from a poor initial ensemble. Referred to as the iterative EnSRF (iEnSRF), this iterative procedure follows the ‘running in place’ (RIP) concept developed for the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) but because of algorithm differences is implemented differently. The iEnSRF is a three‐step procedure: first, a backward EnSRF analysis is performed that updates the ensemble model states at an earlier time. Second, an ensemble of forecasts is run from these updated model states to the analysis time. These two steps are then repeated a prespecified number of times. The backward analysis is performed via an asynchronous ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), which is capable of assimilating observations collected at times different than the analysis time. Like RIP, the iEnSRF uses the same observations repeatedly during the initial assimilation cycles, allowing for the extraction of additional information from observations when estimated ensemble mean state and ensemble covariance are poor. The iEnSRF algorithm is tested using simulated radar data for an idealized supercell storm. In experiments with a perfect model and the correct storm environment, as well as in the presence of model and environmental errors, the iEnSRF reduces the analysis error in the first few cycles more quickly than the regular EnSRF, leading to improved subsequent short‐range forecasts. After the first few analysis cycles, continued use of iterations does not lead to further improvement. The better performance of the iEnSRF appears to be the result of improved background error covariance estimation as well as improved state estimation in the first few cycles, especially for correlations between observed and unobserved variables. Through iterations, the iEnSRF is also able to reach a steady level of state estimation error more quickly than the corresponding non‐iterated version.
Prenatal microarray analysis as second‐tier diagnostic test: single‐center prospective study
Authors: Schmid M. , Stary S. , Springer S. , Bettelheim D. , Husslein P. , Streubel B.
Published: January 2013

Objective

To evaluate the usefulness of chromosome microarrays as a second‐tier test in prenatal genetic testing.

Methods

We prospectively analyzed 75 high‐risk pregnancies undergoing invasive prenatal genetic testing in which the karyotype either was normal or had findings other than a common non‐mosaic autosomal aneuploidy.

Results

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was performed successfully in all cases. Pathological copy‐number variations (CNVs) explaining the phenotypes were found in 11 cases (14.7%). Four cases were detected with an unbalanced translocation. In three of these cases, subsequent genetic analysis demonstrated that a parent was an unknown carrier of a balanced translocation. Among the 67 cases with normal karyo‐types, submicroscopic rearrangements with pathological significance were detected in five (7.5%) and CNVs of unclear significance were detected in one (1.5%). CMA was able to discriminate correctly between true mosaicism and confined or pseudomosaicism in all six mosaic cases.

Conclusion

CMA is a valuable second‐tier test in high‐risk pregnancies for which identification or further delineation of genetic aberrations is important. Its higher resolution results in a higher detection rate of aberrant cases, with a clear clinical benefit for estimation of risk of recurrence. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On-shell recursion for massive fermion currents
Authors: Britto Ruth , Ochirov Alexander
Published: January 2013

Abstract

We analyze the validity of BCFW recursion relations for currents of n − 2 gluons and two massive quarks, where one of the quarks is off shell and the remaining particles are on shell. These currents are gauge-dependent and can be used as ingredients in the unitarity-based approach to computing one-loop amplitudes. The validity of BCFW recursion relations is well known to depend on the so-called boundary behavior of the currents as the momentum shift parameter goes to infinity. With off-shell currents, a new potential problem arises, namely unphysical poles that depend on the choice of gauge. We identify conditions under which boundary terms are absent and unphysical poles are avoided, so that there is a natural recursion relation. In particular, we are able to choose a gauge in which we construct a valid shift for currents with at least n − 3 gluons of the same helicity. We derive an analytic formula in the case where all gluons have the same helicity. As by-products, we prove the vanishing boundary behavior of general off-shell objects in Feynman gauge, and we find a compact generalization of Berends-Giele gluon currents with a generic reference spinor.
Detecting Intervention Effects Using a Multilevel Latent Transition Analysis with a Mixture IRT Model
Authors: Cho Sun-Joo , Cohen Allan S. , Bottge Brian
Published: January 2013

A multilevel latent transition analysis (LTA) with a mixture IRT measurement model (MixIRTM) is described for investigating the effectiveness of an intervention. The addition of a MixIRTM to the multilevel LTA permits consideration of both potential heterogeneity in students’ response to instructional intervention as well as a methodology for assessing stage sequential change over time at both student and teacher levels. Results from an LTA–MixIRTM and multilevel LTA–MixIRTM were compared in the context of an educational intervention study. Both models were able to describe homogeneities in problem solving and transition patterns. However, ignoring a multilevel structure in LTA–MixIRTM led to different results in group membership assignment in empirical results. Results for the multilevel LTA–MixIRTM indicated that there were distinct individual differences in the different transition patterns. The students receiving the intervention treatment outscored their business as usual (i.e., control group) counterparts on the curriculum-based Fractions Computation test. In addition, 27.4 % of the students in the sample moved from the low ability student-level latent class to the high ability student-level latent class. Students were characterized differently depending on the teacher-level latent class.
IRT Test Equating in Complex Linkage Plans
Authors: Battauz Michela
Published: January 2013

Linkage plans can be rather complex, including many forms, several links, and the connection of forms through different paths. This article studies item response theory equating methods for complex linkage plans when the common-item nonequivalent group design is used. An efficient way to average equating coefficients that link the same two forms through different paths will be presented and the asymptotic standard errors of indirect and average equating coefficients are derived. The methodology is illustrated using simulations studies and a real data example.
Alkyl Polyglucosides as Components of Water Based Lubricants
Authors: Sułek Marian Włodzimierz , Ogorzałek Marta , Wasilewski Tomasz , Klimaszewska Emilia
Published: January 2013

Water can be used as an ecological lubricant base if it is possible to select additives which can beneficially modify its tribological and corrosion properties. Additionally, those additives should not be harmful to human health and the natural environment. These conditions limit or even eliminate the possibility for the application of the additives used in traditional oil bases as they are insoluble in water and often toxic. Alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) have been suggested as additives improving lubricating properties of water. They are biodegradable and do not have to be recycled. They exhibit surface activity. They produce micelles at low concentration and lyotropic liquid crystals at high concentration. Two types of alkyl polyglucosides differing in alkyl chain lengths and degrees of polymerization were used in this investigation. Tribological tests were carried out using a ball‐on‐disc T‐11 tester. The balls were made of steel, whereas the discs were made of steel, aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide, polyamide and poly(methyl methacrylate). The description of the device and the methods has been given in the literature (Szczerek and Tuszyński in TriboTest 8:273–284, 2002). The addition of APGs improves the lubricating properties of water. The relative decrease in motion resistance and wear depends both on the type of friction couple and on the kind of alkyl polyglucoside used. The tribological test results obtained were correlated with the activity of APGs measured as wettability of friction couples by their solutions.
Housing Tenure and Residential Segregation in Metropolitan America
Authors: Friedman Samantha , Tsao Hui-shien , Chen Cheng
Published: January 2013

Homeownership, a symbol of the American dream, is one of the primary ways through which families accumulate wealth, particularly for blacks and Hispanics. Surprisingly, no study has explicitly documented the segregation of minority owners and renters from whites. Using data from Census 2000, this study aims to fill this gap. Analyses here reveal that the segregation of black renters relative to whites is significantly lower than the segregation of black owners from whites, controlling for relevant socioeconomic and demographic factors, contrary to the notion that homeownership represents an endpoint in the residential assimilation process. The patterns for Hispanics and Asians conform more to expectations under the spatial assimilation model. The findings here suggest that race and ethnicity continue to be as important in shaping residential segregation as socioeconomic status, and raise concerns about the benefits of homeownership, particularly for blacks.
Randomised controlled trials of homeopathy in humans: characterising the research journal literature for systematic review
Authors: Hacke Daniela , Clausen Jürgen , Nicolai Ton , Riley David S. , Fisher Peter , Mathie Robert T.
Published: January 2013

Introduction:
A new programme of systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in homeopathy will distinguish important attributes of RCT records, including: placebo controlled versus other-than-placebo (OTP) controlled; individualised versus non-individualised homeopathy; peer-reviewed (PR) versus non peer-reviewed (NPR) sources.

Aims:
(a) To outline the methods used to search and categorise the RCT literature; (b) to report details of the records retrieved; (c) to compare our retrieved records with those reported in two previous systematic reviews (Linde et al., 1997; Shang et al., 2005).

Methods:
Ten major electronic databases were searched for records published up to the end of 2011. A record was accepted for subsequent systematic review if it was a substantive report of a clinical trial of homeopathic treatment or prophylaxis in humans, randomised and controlled, and published in a PR or NPR journal.

Results:
489 records were potentially eligible: 226 were rejected as non-journal, minor or repeat publications, or lacking randomisation and/or controls and/or a ‘homeopathic’ intervention; 263 (164 PR, 99 NPR) were acceptable for systematic review. The 263 accepted records comprised 217 (137 PR, 80 NPR) placebo-controlled RCTs, of which 121 were included by, 66 were published after, and 30 were potentially eligible for, but not listed by, Linde or Shang. The 137 PR records of placebo-controlled RCTs comprise 41 on individualised homeopathy and 96 on non-individualised homeopathy.

Conclusion:
Our findings clarify the RCT literature in homeopathy. The 263 accepted journal papers will be the basis for our forthcoming programme of systematic reviews.
Differential effects of reduced protein diets on fatty acid composition and gene expression in muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue of Alentejana purebred and Large White × Landrace × Pietrain crossbred pigs
Authors: Madeira Marta S. , Pires Virgínia M. R. , Alfaia Cristina M. , Costa Ana S. H. , Luxton Richard , Doran Olena , Bessa Rui J. B. , Prates José A. M.
Published: January 2013

The present study assessed the effect of pig genotype (fattyv.lean) and dietary protein and lysine (Lys) levels (normalv.reduced) on intramuscular fat (IMF) content, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) deposition, fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of genes controlling lipid metabolism. The experiment was conducted on sixty intact male pigs (thirty Alentejana purebred and thirty Large White × Landrace × Pietrain crossbred), from 60 to 93 kg of live weight. Animals were divided into three groups fed with the following diets: control diet equilibrated for Lys (17·5 % crude protein (CP) and 0·7 % Lys), reduced protein diet (RPD) equilibrated for Lys (13·2 % CP and 0·6 % Lys) and RPD not equilibrated for Lys (13·1 % CP and 0·4 % Lys). It was shown that the RPD increased fat deposition in the longissimus lumborum muscle in the lean but not in the fatty pig genotype. It is strongly suggested that the effect of RPD on the longissimus lumborum muscle of crossbred pigs is mediated via Lys restriction. The increase in IMF content under the RPD was accompanied by increased stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) andPPARGmRNA levels. RPD did not alter backfat thickness, but increased the total fatty acid content in both lean and fatty pig genotype. The higher amount of SAT in fatty pigs, when compared with the lean ones, was associated with the higher expression levels ofACACA,CEBPA,FASNandSCDgenes. Taken together, the data indicate that the mechanisms regulating fat deposition in pigs are genotype and tissue specific, and are associated with the expression regulation of the key lipogenic genes.
Margaret Tart, Lao She, and the Opium-Master's Wife: Race and Class among Chinese Commercial Immigrants in London and Australia, 1866–1929
Authors: Auerbach Sascha
Published: January 2013

What little has been written about Chinese immigrants in the British Empire has focused mainly on laborers, commonly known as “coolies,” and their roles in imperial society, culture, and industry. Chinese commercial immigrants, though they loomed large in public dialogues about race, migration, and empire, have been virtually ignored. This article examines how such immigrants were represented, and how two prominent individuals represented themselves, in London and metropolitan Australia, respectively, during a high tide of British imperialism and Chinese global migration. By the 1920s, the ardent pro-British sentiment expressed by Mei Quong Tart, thede factorepresentative of the Chinese merchant class in Australia, had been superseded by the anti-colonial critique of Lao She, one of China's foremost modern novelists. Lao She's semi-autobiographical depiction of Chinese life in London condemned the violent and emasculating character of British imperialism, while also excoriating Chinese society's failure to modernize, cohere as a nation, and overcome internecine class conflicts. Both authors were concerned with social relations between Chinese men and white British women, as were British commentators throughout this period, and with differentiating themselves from laboring Chinese immigrants. Contrary to Stuart Hall's famous assertion that “race is the modality through which class is lived,” for these Chinese commercial immigrants class and gender proved to be more essential than were crude concepts of race to their experiences and self-identification, and ultimately to British society's rejection of their attempts to assimilate.
Climate Change Justice
Authors: Brooks Thom
Published: January 2013

Climate change represents one of our greatest public policy challenges. A broad, well-established and international scientific consensus exists that our planet is undergoing climate change. The question is not whether there is climate change, but how best to respond to it. Climate change is a global phenomenon that requires a global effort unlike anything previously attempted. This global challenge is complicated by related and more controversial questions about causal responsibility. Although convincing evidence shows that climate change is a result of human behavior, much less agreement exists on how this should factor into policy.
AGGREGATION AND ENSEMBLES: PRINCIPLED COMBINATIONS OF DATA
Authors: Montgomery Jacob M. , Hollenbach Florian M. , Ward Michael D.
Published: January 2013

Perhapsthemajor story in forecasting the 2012 election is the growing awareness of the benefits of aggregating multiple sources of data for improving prediction. Most prominently, polling analysts including Simon Jackman, Drew Linzer, and Nate Silver made the strong case, ultimately validated by the election results, that combining information from multiple polls gives a better picture of the electorate than any poll analyzed in isolation.
WHY THE STATE-BY-STATE POLITICAL ECONOMY MODEL DID IT RIGHT
Authors: Jerôme Bruno , Jerôme-Speziari Véronique
Published: January 2013

One hundred and forty two days before the 2012 US presidential election our final State-by-State Political-Economy Model gave an advantage to Barack Obama with 51.6% of the popular vote (error margin ± 4.47) and 324 electoral votes (Jerôme and Jerôme-Speziari 2012). On November 6, 2012, with 51.6% of the vote and 332 electoral votes, the Democratic incumbent wins a second term. Regarding certainty of an Obama plurality, the model gave a probability of victory by 64%. In 2012, it seems that this was enough to ensure a good predictability.
APSA's Financial Operations 2011–2012
Authors: Benjamin-Alvarado Jonathan , Chavis Regina
Published: January 2013

The purpose of this report is to inform APSA's membership about the association's financial health for the 2011–2012 fiscal year. This report provides an overview of APSA's assets and current financial operations.
A Woman on the Hill: A Front-Row Seat to Women's Impact in Congress
Authors: Dittmar Kelly E.
Published: January 2013

It was May 2012, and we heard rumblings about a Senate vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill long-sponsored by my boss, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), that would end pay secrecy, strengthen workers' ability to challenge discrimination, and bring equal pay law into line with other civil rights laws. As the lead sponsor in the House of Representatives, the congresswoman immediately mobilized her staff and advocates to ensure that we did all we could to highlight the importance of the legislation, secure the strongest Senate support possible, and—assuming it would not pass in the current political climate—protect the integrity of the legislation for future Congresses and eventual passage. That is where I came in.
Trends in energy and nutrient supply in Trinidad and Tobago from 1961 to 2007 using FAO food balance sheets
Authors: Sheehy Tony , Sharma Sangita
Published: January 2013

Objective

Trinidad and Tobago has experienced an epidemiological transition over recent decades characterised by reduced rates of communicable diseases but rapidly increasing rates of obesity and non-communicable chronic diseases. The objective of the present study was to investigate the changes in energy and nutrient supply that have taken place in Trinidad and Tobago between 1961 and 2007.

Design

Food balance sheets for each year between 1961 and 2007 were downloaded from the FAOSTAT database and daily per capita supply for seventeen food commodity groupings was calculated. After appropriate coding, energy and nutrient supply were determined using dietary analysis software.

Setting

FAO food balance sheets for Trinidad and Tobago from 1961 to 2007.

Subjects

None.

Results

The food supply in 2007 provided an extra 1561 kJ (373 kcal)/capita per d than it did in 1961. Energy from carbohydrate as a percentage of total energy fell from 62 % in 1961 to 57 % in 2007, whereas energy from fat as a percentage of total energy increased from 26 % to over 30 % and now lies at the upper end of WHO recommendations. Sugars increased from 20 % to over 26 % of total energy and are well above WHO recommendations. When expressed on a nutrient density basis, supplies of vitamin A, folate and Ca are lower than WHO recommendations.

Conclusions

Nutritional imbalances in the Trinidadian food supply need to be addressed to combat the rise in nutrition-related chronic disease that is projected to cause increased disability and premature death in the country in the coming years.
Identifying whole grain foods: a comparison of different approaches for selecting more healthful whole grain products
Authors: Mozaffarian Rebecca S , Lee Rebekka M , Kennedy Mary A , Ludwig David S , Mozaffarian Dariush , Gortmaker Steven L
Published: January 2013

Objective

Eating whole grains (WG) is recommended for health, but multiple conflicting definitions exist for identifying whole grain (WG) products, limiting the ability of consumers and organizations to select such products. We investigated how five recommended WG criteria relate to healthfulness and price of grain products.

Design

We categorized grain products by different WG criteria including: the industry-sponsored Whole Grain stamp (WG-Stamp); WG as the first ingredient (WG-first); WG as the first ingredient without added sugars (WG-first-no-added-sugars); the word ‘whole’ before any grain in the ingredients (‘whole’-anywhere); and a content of total carbohydrate to fibre of ≤10:1 (10:1-ratio). We investigated associations of each criterion with health-related characteristics including fibre, sugars, sodium, energy, trans-fats and price.

Setting

Two major grocery store chains.

Subjects

Five hundred and forty-five grain products.

Results

Each WG criterion identified products with higher fibre than products considered non-WG; the 10:1-ratio exhibited the largest differences (+3·15 g/serving, P < 0·0001). Products achieving the 10:1-ratio also contained lower sugar (−1·28 g/serving, P = 0·01), sodium (−15·4 mg/serving, P = 0·04) and likelihood of trans-fats (OR = 0·14, P < 0·0001), without energy differences. WG-first-no-added-sugars performed similarly, but identified many fewer products as WG and also not a lower likelihood of containing trans-fats. The WG-Stamp, WG-first and ‘whole’-anywhere criteria identified products with a lower likelihood of trans-fats, but also significantly more sugars and energy (P < 0·05 each). Products meeting the WG-Stamp or 10:1-ratio criterion were more expensive than products that did not (+$US 0·04/serving, P = 0·009 and +$US 0·05/serving, P = 0·003, respectively).

Conclusions

Among proposed WG criteria, the 10:1-ratio identified the most healthful WG products. Other criteria performed less well, including the industry-supported WG-Stamp which identified products with higher fibre and lower trans-fats, but also higher sugars and energy. These findings inform efforts by consumers, organizations and policy makers to identify healthful WG products.
Immigration of Ideas, Or How Does a Camel Dance?
Authors: Aldor Gaby
Published: January 2013

In this paper I intend to show how Israeli early dance was influenced by German Freitanz or Ausdruckstanz and how the intellectual and spiritual background of the period, both in Germany and in Palestine or Eretz-Israel, led to the wondrous establishment of Israeli dance, whether theatrical, social, or folk dance.
Dance Beyond the Disquiet of Diaspora: Kristin Jackson's Aesthetic of Independent Dancing
Authors: Corpus Rina Angela
Published: January 2013

This essay navigates the dance history and aesthetics of New York–based Filipina-American dance artist Kristin Jackson, who bravely produced herself as an independent dance-maker. It highlights the independent and alternative dance practice of Jackson in the context of her multicultural identity and Filipino diaspora in America. As Jackson straddles both the Philippines and America, we witness in this narrative several issues mobilized around her dance and dance-making.
A Felt Authentic Grounding: Intersecting Theories of Authenticity and Tradition
Authors: Crosby Jill Flanders
Published: January 2013

Together, “authenticity” and “tradition” are embedded in cultural expressions at particular historical moments, and both are inherently fluid as they shift and bend over time. This paper examines these intersections, shifts, and bends by exploring a number of current theoretical approaches to the topics of authenticity and tradition. The author places them first in context with her own fieldwork and then moves on to an underpinning of the three subsequent papers that comprise this panel.
Alméeor Salomé?: Hybrid Dances of the East, 1890–1930
Authors: Deagon Andrea
Published: January 2013

The changing economic and artistic milieu of Western professional entertainment from 1890 to 1930 provided a liminal space for performances of “Eastern dance” by women of both Middle Eastern and non–Middle Eastern descent. In denning their performance personas and in articulating their hybrid dance techniques and presentations, these artists engaged in a fluid process that reflects the ever-changing reinscription of the relationship between the consumers of the West and the East they envision. This paper explores the nuances of this complex interaction through the careers and performance experiences of both Eastern and Western dancers.
“America Is the Future”: A Dance Travelogue into the Past by Rudolf Laban
Authors: Doerr Evelyn
Published: January 2013

In the paper the choreographer Rudolf Laban plays a decisive role. More precisely, the paper's focus is on the journey he undertook through the United States in 1926. The title, “America is the Future,” is a citation from Labans dance travelogues. Exploring the questions this sentiment raises lies at the heart of the study.
Celebrating November 20th: Agency and Defiance in the Construction of Memory in Capoeira Angola
Authors: Höfling Ana Paula
Published: January 2013

This paper explores memory and surrogation in the geographic and historical revisions/reinventions created within the practice of capoeira angola in Brazil. Employing Joseph Roach's discussion of circum-Atlantic memory, the author analyzes how angoleiros/as, the practitioners of capoeira angola, look back to Africa for an origin, while at the same time carving out an empowered space in Brazil through movement and song, ritual and play. Using Diana Taylor's concepts of archive and repertoire, the paper examines how angoleiros/as reject the Brazilian archive and claim agency by becoming the protagonists of history through the music and movement of capoeira. The author examine the word “vagrancy” (vadiagem) in the context of capoeira angola and relate it to Saidiya Hartman's discussion of postemancipation vagrancy laws and “indebted servitude,” proposing that vadiagem, re-appropriated by angoleiros/as to refer to the practice of capoeira, becomes symbolic of capoeira's subversion: it both remembers a past of persecution and challenges the capitalist hegemony by underscoring capoeira's nonproductivity.
Becoming an Egg Or: Migrating Body Parts in Some Works by William Forsythe
Authors: Hölscher Stefan
Published: January 2013

William Forsythe has remarked that the forms of ballet exist as a body of ideas. Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari write in A Thousand Plateaus that the body without organs is not an enemy organism but rather is another organization of the organs. The paper goes on to discuss isometry, transfer of energy, and anatomical migration and the concept of migration as a metaphor in the context of various historical discourses about the body.
José Limón: Mentor to Native Youth
Authors: Jones Daystar/Rosalie M.
Published: January 2013

This paper presents a description of the work of José Limón with American Indian students at Flandreau Indian School in 1970. This historic event grew out of the collaboration of Juilliard's Martha Hill with Mrs. Stewart (Lee) Udall and her organization the Center for Arts of Indian America, which was dedicated to enabling native youth to enter the fields of dance and theater.
The Globalization of Schuhplattler
Authors: Kolb Alexandra
Published: January 2013

This paper analyzes three aspects of the globalization ofSchuhplattler (slap dance), a German-Austrian folk dance. First, there is the actual geographical migration of the dance; second its integration into other artworks, such as modern dance choreographies and films; and third its commercialization through new media technologies, notably Pepsi-Cola's transnational advertising campaign during the 2006 soccer World Cup. The paper assesses the effects of global migration on the worldwide perception of Schuhplattler and its impact on images of Germany.
Dancing the American Dream: José Limón's War Choreography
Authors: Prickett Stacey
Published: January 2013

José Limón's early choreography on themes of war and conflict and the dances he created while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II represent diverse identities and ideological perspectives, ranging from antiwar statements to those perpetuating myths of the “American dream.” This paper will examine the myriad of symbols in his dances linked to national identity, which moved beyond “folk” representations, theorized through concepts such as the “imagined community” and a “pan-ethnic Americanism.”
Prancing Babushkas and Twirling Lawn Mowers: Dancing the Polka Down Main Street
Authors: Stern Carrie
Published: January 2013

A long, physicalized Polish joke marches through Whiting, Indiana's, Pierogi Fest. Traditional in form, this parade embraces once malicious stereotypes. Having assimilated “American” ways of moving and behaving in order to “belong,” the children of Eastern European immigrants are now secure, invisible in their whiteness. An in-joke, the parade humorously, lovingly embraces immigrant characters. Altering their carriage and movement style, the paraders reclaim ancestral bodies. In doing so this community gains an identity denied by homogenous “whiteness.”
The Budapest Ensemble's Csárdás! Tango of the East: Representational Mirrors of Traditional Music and Dance in a Postsocialist, Postmodern Landscape
Authors: Webster Jamie Lynn
Published: January 2013

This paper explores performance choices made by choreographer Zoltán Zsuráfsky for the ethnic music and dance production, Csárdás! Tango of the East for American tours in 2000 and 2005. Unlike older socialist models that elevated nationalism through homogenized choreography, Zsuráfsky's Csárdás! celebrates interethnic traditions, alternatives to traditional gender roles, and individual expression. These choices elevate regional traditions and maintain stylistic specificity and performer creativity but subdue elements of nationalism, gender inequality, and top-down ensemble hierarchy.
Using “Fair Use” to Free Archival Resources: Dance Heritage Coalition's Project to Increase Access to Dance Collections
Authors: Aldrich Elizabeth , Owen Norton , Smigel Libby
Published: January 2013

This interactive roundtable presented the findings of the Dance Heritage Coalition's (DHC) “fair use” project, whose outcomes will make dance-related materials at libraries, museums, and archives more readily accessible to researchers, students, and the public. Strict copyright observance affects the breadth of materials available for scholarly study, public programming, and classroom use. Thus, copyrights adversely skew the dialogue in historical and cultural studies of dance. The panelists from the archival and scholarly fields will illustrate the copyright problem and the “fair use” solution by offering several case scenarios (including curatorial problems in the DHC traveling exhibition, Dance Treasures). The DHC's initiative is modeled on the documentary filmmakers'project on “fair use.” Through individual interviews and focus groups of librarians/archivists, technical staff who work with librarians, and scholars/educators, the DHC developed a set of scenarios where copyrights conflict with the programs and missions of dance-related cultural institutions. Findings and agreements have been collected and will be shared in a published “Statement of Best Practices of Fair Use.” Q&A followed.
Going Native: Ethics and American Cultural Appropriation of Butoh Dance
Authors: Calamoneri Tanya
Published: January 2013

Inspired by an illustration entitled “Traditional Japanese Physique” in an American text on Butoh dance, this paper probes the conception of and relationship to such a body within American Butoh dance. What is this notion of a “Japanese body,” and what are the ethics of appropriating it? How do we talk about the body in a dance form that grew from a specific cultural context but is now considered a global form? I address these questions with reference to “Orientalization” in early American Modern Dance and related practices in contemporary American Butoh. Applying Edward T. Hall's model of cross-cultural communication to dance studies, I discuss ways in which American dancers and dance scholars might approach the Butoh body in nonessentializing terms. This paper is intended to open up conversation about cultural appropriation in artwork and the complexities of Butoh dance as a global practice.
Globalization and Dance in West Africa
Authors: Doumbia Kadidia Viviane
Published: January 2013

Dance in most African countries, especially in West Africa, is the responsibility of a particular class of the society. The main issue for performers or choreographers trained in modern standards is the transfer of information to dance professionals who are illiterate, approximately 75 percent of noneducated people on the continent. The majority are women. It is an oral tradition too, so diversity, globalization, and feminism mean nothing to them. The sociopolitical situation of the entire continent is a good example of the consequences of colonization that, besides being a historical big mistake, was also a disaster because it did not respect the structure of societies. Today's globalization of the world draws the continent down because it cannot consider Africa's specific needs. To me, dance cannot be globalized because of the creativity, identity, and social-specific values that would die.
Gendering in the Ascription of Symbolic Meaning to Dance in Germany
Authors: Mathis-Masury E. Hollister
Published: January 2013

This presentation deals with the current status of dance studies in Germany, focusing particularly on the situation in Baden-Württemberg, the home state of the internationally renowned Stuttgart Ballet. Whereas German dance companies enjoy some of the highest subsidies in the world, and freelance dancers in Germany benefit from privileges in the German social system, dance is not an independent subject of study at any level of the German educational system. The strong discrepancies in educational, cultural, and social policy on dance are indicative of the limits to and disagreements within symbolic meaning ascribed to dance. The relevant areas of policy will be presented, as well as the historical factors in the development of these discrepancies. A discussion of the role of gendering in the ascription of symbolic meanings to dance follows, especially considering current developments regarding community building and social justice.
“Smooth Criminals”: Mimicry, Choreography, and Discipline of Cebuano Dancing Inmates
Authors: Perillo Lorenzo
Published: January 2013

On July 17, 2007, Byron Garcia, Cebu provincial security consultant, uploaded the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center inmates' performance of Michael Jackson's iconic, record-breaking music video “Thriller,” which has gained enough popularity to be ranked You-Tube's fourth all-time favorite video. I ask how 1,500 Cebuano prisoners performing “Thriller” hold the global gaze so captive? Also, how do issues of sexual, racial, and cultural desire and anxiety inform “Thriller” in both content and reception? I analyze the filmed “Thriller” dance in Cebu in order to open up its ambivalent success as explicated through issues of mimicry, choreography, and reception. I argue that “Thriller” takes part in a century-long conversation on Philippine representation, discipline, and imperial meanings. What subjects are formed through this experiment designed to literally choreograph discipline onto “deviant” bodies? Finally, when situating this user-generated spectacle in the contexts of Filipino diaspora, postcolonialism, andbaklaperformance, what epistemological shifts do we make from the gaze-spectacle binary?
Gender in American Protestant Dance: Local and Global Implications
Authors: Wright Emily
Published: January 2013

In the field of dance studies much discourse surrounds notions of gender identity and women's rights within Western dance traditions. One group of scholars asserts that early modern dance practice successfully resisted patriarchal notions. Another contends that early modern dance perpetuated traditional assumptions. A third perspective proposes that early modern dance realized a simultaneous reiteration and subversion of traditional gender roles. In similar fashion, this paper delineates the parameters of a growing subset in contemporary dance and religious practice, the field of contemporary professional Christian dance, and explores the ways in which these groups reify traditional gender roles through choreographed depictions of rigid gender binaries while simultaneously subverting them through the introduction of the female body and the female voice into the traditionally male-dominated Protestant worship space. In terms of its relevance to global feminisms, contemporary professional Christian dancers reify and subvert traditional gender roles on a global scale through international touring and arts-based missionary outreach programs.