bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nikolai Vasilievich Bugaev: A Background
Authors: Langen Timothy
Published: May 2011

This article treats the philosophical writings of Nikolai Vasilievich Bugaev. Known best as a mathematician, father of Andrey Bely, and teacher of Pavel Florensky, Bugaev also wrote philosophical articles treating the arrangement of human knowledge and intellectual activity and the structure of being and consciousness. An examination of Bugaev's philosophical work sheds light not only on these questions, but also on the peculiar character of "background" figures and works in intellectual history.
The Ironic Triumph of Old Bolshevism: The Debates of April 1917 in Context
Authors: Lih Lars
Published: May 2011

During the debates in Bolshevik party circles after Lenin's return to Russia in early April 1917, one central issue was the status of "Old Bolshevism." According to Lenin, Old Bolshevism was outmoded, whereas other Bolsheviks such as Lev Kamenev and Mikhail Kalinin defended its relevance. The central tenet of prewar Old Bolshevism was "democratic revolution to the end," a slogan that implied a vast social transformation of Russia under the aegis of a revolutionary government based directly on the narod. Far from being rendered irrelevant by the overthrow of the tsar, Old Bolshevism mandated a political course aimed at overthrow of the "bourgeois" Provisional Government. Lenin's innovative vision of "steps toward socialism" in Russia, prior to and independent of European socialist revolution was not a radical break with Old Bolshevism and it was not the central issue during the debates of April 1917. The actual Bolshevik message of 1917 (as documented by pamphlets issued by the Moscow Bolsheviks) was closer in most respects to the outlook of Lenin's opponents, as he came close to explicitly admitting. The usual characterization of the April debates as Lenin's successful attempt to imbue the Bolsheviks with a radically new vision of socialist revolution must therefore be rejected.
The Three-Dimensional Distribution of Clouds over the Southern Hemisphere High Latitudes
Authors: Verlinden Kathryn L. , Thompson David W. J. , Stephens Graeme L.
Published: May 2011

The authors exploit three years of data from the CloudSat and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) satellites to document for the first time the seasonally varying vertical structure of cloudiness throughout Antarctica and the high-latitude Southern Ocean. The results provide a baseline reference of Southern Hemisphere high-latitude cloudiness for future observational and modeling studies, and they highlight several previously undocumented aspects and key features of Antarctic cloudiness.

The key features of high-latitude Southern Hemisphere cloudiness documented here include 1) a pronounced seasonal cycle in cloudiness over the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere, with higher cloud incidences generally found during the winter season over both the Southern Ocean and Antarctica; 2) two distinct maxima in vertical profiles of cloud incidence over the Southern Ocean, one centered near the surface and another centered in the upper troposphere; 3) a nearly discontinuous drop-off in cloudiness near 8 km over much of the continent that peaks during autumn, winter, and spring; 4) large east–west gradients in upper-level cloudiness in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula that peak during the austral spring season; and 5) evidence that cloudiness in the polar stratosphere is marked not by a secondary maximum at stratospheric levels but by a nearly monotonic decrease with height from the tropopause.

Key results are interpreted in the context of the seasonally varying profiles of vertical motion and static stability and compared with results of previous studies.
Estimation of Multivariate Observation-Error Statistics for AMSU-A Data
Authors: Gorin Vadim E. , Tsyrulnikov Mikhail D.
Published: May 2011

Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit A (AMSU-A) observation-error covariances are objectively estimated by comparing satellite radiances with radiosonde data. Channels 6–8 are examined as being weakly dependent on the surface and on the stratosphere above the radiosonde top level. Significant horizontal, interchannel, temporal, and intersatellite correlations are found. Besides, cross correlations between satellite and forecast (background) errors (largely disregarded in practical data assimilation) proved to be far from zero. The directional isotropy hypothesis is found to be valid for satellite error correlations. Dependencies on the scan position, the season, and the satellite are also checked. Bootstrap simulations demonstrate that the estimated covariances are statistically significant. The estimated correlations are shown to be caused by the satellite errors in question and not by other (nonsatellite) factors.
Analyses of Nocturnal Temperature Cooling-Rate Response to Historical Local-Scale Urban Land-Use/Land Cover Change
Authors: Chow Winston T. L. , Svoma Bohumil M.
Published: May 2011

Urbanization affects near-surface climates by increasing city temperatures relative to rural temperatures [i.e., the urban heat island (UHI) effect]. This effect is usually measured as the relative temperature difference between urban areas and a rural location. Use of this measure is potentially problematic, however, mainly because of unclear “rural” definitions across different cities. An alternative metric is proposed—surface temperature cooling/warming rates—that directly measures how variations in land-use and land cover (LULC) affect temperatures for a specific urban area. In this study, the impact of local-scale (<1 km2), historical LULC change was examined on near-surface nocturnal meteorological station temperatures sited within metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, for 1) urban versus rural areas, 2) areas that underwent rural-to-urban transition over a 20-yr period, and 3) different seasons. Temperature data were analyzed during ideal synoptic conditions of clear and calm weather that do not inhibit surface cooling and that also qualified with respect to measured near-surface wind impacts. Results indicated that 1) urban areas generally observed lower cooling-rate magnitudes than did rural areas, 2) urbanization significantly reduced cooling rates over time, and 3) mean cooling-rate magnitudes were typically larger in summer than in winter. Significant variations in mean nocturnal urban wind speeds were also observed over time, suggesting a possible UHI-induced circulation system that may have influenced local-scale station cooling rates.
Warm Season Subseasonal Variability and Climate Extremes in the Northern Hemisphere: The Role of Stationary Rossby Waves
Authors: Schubert Siegfried , Wang Hailan , Suarez Max
Published: May 2011

This study examines the nature of boreal summer subseasonal atmospheric variability based on the new NASA Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) for the period 1979–2010. An analysis of the June, July, and August subseasonal 250-hPa meridional υ-wind anomalies shows distinct Rossby wave–like structures that appear to be guided by the mean jets. On monthly subseasonal time scales, the leading waves [the first 10 rotated empirical orthogonal functions (REOFs) of the 250-hPa υ wind] explain about 50% of the Northern Hemisphere υ-wind variability and account for more than 30% (60%) of the precipitation (surface temperature) variability over a number of regions of the northern middle and high latitudes, including the U.S. northern Great Plains, parts of Canada, Europe, and Russia. The first REOF in particular consists of a Rossby wave that extends across northern Eurasia where it is a dominant contributor to monthly surface temperature and precipitation variability and played an important role in the 2003 European and 2010 Russian heat waves. While primarily subseasonal in nature, the Rossby waves can at times have a substantial seasonal mean component. This is exemplified by REOF 4, which played a major role in the development of the most intense anomalies of the U.S. 1988 drought (during June) and the 1993 flooding (during July), though differed in the latter event by also making an important contribution to the seasonal mean anomalies. A stationary wave model (SWM) is used to reproduce some of the basic features of the observed waves and provide insight into the nature of the forcing. In particular, the responses to a set of idealized forcing functions are used to map the optimal forcing patterns of the leading waves. Also, experiments to reproduce the observed waves with the SWM using MERRA-based estimates of the forcing indicate that the wave forcing is dominated by submonthly vorticity transients.
On the Decline of Wintertime Precipitation in the Snowy Mountains of Southeastern Australia
Authors: Chubb Thomas H. , Siems Steven T. , Manton Michael J.
Published: May 2011

Data from a precipitation gauge network in the Snowy Mountains of southeastern Australia have been analyzed to produce a new climatology of wintertime precipitation and airmass history for the region in the period 1990–2009. Precipitation amounts on the western slopes and in the high elevations (>1000 m) of the Snowy Mountains region have experienced a decline in precipitation in excess of the general decline in southeastern Australia. The contrast in the decline east and west of the ranges suggests that factors influencing orographic precipitation are of particular importance. A synoptic decomposition of precipitation events has been performed, which demonstrates that about 57% of the wintertime precipitation may be attributed to storms associated with “cutoff lows” (equatorward of 45°S). A further 40% was found to be due to “embedded lows,” with the remainder due to Australian east coast lows and several other sporadically occurring events. The declining trend in wintertime precipitation over the past two decades is most clearly seen in the intensity of precipitation due to cutoff lows and coincides with a decline in the number of systems associated with a cold frontal passage. Airmass history during precipitation events was represented by back trajectories calculated from ECMWF Interim Reanalysis data, and statistics of air parcel position were related to observations of precipitation intensity. This approach gives insight into sources of moisture during wintertime storms, identifying “moisture corridors,” which are typically important for transport of water vapor from remote sources to the Snowy Mountains region. The prevalence of these moisture corridors is associated with the southern annular mode, which corresponds to fluctuations in the strength of the westerly winds in southeastern Australia.
Spatial and Temporal Sampling of Polar Regions from Two-Satellite System on Molniya Orbit
Authors: Trishchenko Alexander P. , Garand Louis
Published: May 2011

There has been a significant increase of interest in the building of a comprehensive Arctic observing system in recent years to properly and timely track the environmental and climate processes in this vast region. In this regard, a satellite observing system on highly elliptical orbit (HEO) with 12-h period (Molniya type) is of particular interest, because it enables continuous coverage of the entire Arctic region (58°–90°N) from a constellation of two satellites. Canada is currently proposing to operate such a constellation by 2017. Extending the pioneering study of S. Q. Kidder and T. H. Vonder Haar, this paper presents in-depth analysis of spatiotemporal sampling properties of the imagery from this system. This paper also discusses challenges and advantages of this orbit for various applications that require high temporal resolution and angular sampling.
Dynamical Sensitivity Analysis of Tropical Cyclone Steering Using an Adjoint Model
Authors: Hoover Brett T. , Morgan Michael C.
Published: May 2011

Through the use of an adjoint model, the sensitivity of the steering of a simulated tropical cyclone (TC) to various aspects of a model forecast trajectory can be calculated. This calculation, providing a priori information about how small perturbations to the model state will impact the steering of the TC at some future time, provides a wealth of dynamical information about the importance of synoptic-scale features and associated processes to the steering of a modeled TC that is difficult or impossible to obtain by other means. Regions of strong sensitivity to cyclone steering are regions where, if errors in the model state exist, those errors would have the largest effect on TC steering at a specified time in the future. However, without a dynamical understanding of why the steering of a simulated TC is sensitive to changes in these regions, errors in the methodology of implementing an adjoint model for calculating these sensitivities may result in sensitivity gradients that do not represent sensitivity of TC steering at all, and without a strong dynamical interpretation of these sensitivities, these errors may escape notice.

An adjoint model is employed for several cases of simulated TCs in the west Pacific to determine the dynamical significance of regions for which sensitivity to TC steering is found to be particularly strong. It is found that the region of subsidence upstream of a passing midlatitude trough can play a crucial role in the development of perturbations that strongly impact a recurving TC. A dynamical interpretation of this relationship is described and tested.
Application of multiple sediment fingerprinting techniques to determine the sediment source contribution of gully erosion: Review and case study from Boushehr province, southwestern Iran
Authors: Nazari Samani A. , Wasson R.J. , Malekian Arash
Published: May 2011

Soil erosion by water is one of the most important causes of land degradation in arid and semi-arid regions. Quantitative determination of the relative contributions of sediment sources within catchments is an essential task before developing any appropriate management strategy in order to control soil erosion and sediment transport. In this paper a multi-parameter fingerprinting method is used to determine the sediment contribution of gully erosion (Scg) in three catchments in Iran, with different areas and drainage densities. Tracers including carbon, nitrogen, C/N, phosphorus and 137Cs which provide a clear distinction between subsoil and topsoil were used. The mean value of Scg, the efficiency of the composite tracer, the variation of Scg, and finally the accuracy of model calculations for each tracer are discussed. Although all tracers showed a considerable Scg (between 84 and 99%), the variation and accuracy of mixed models varied noticeably. Furthermore, the residual root mean square error (RRMSE) showed that 137Cs is the most valuable informative tracer while the composite tracers combining organic tracers and 137Cs presented the lowest accuracy. The results also demonstrate that the optimum combination of tracers in each region might be different. Combining the value of Scg with catchment area and geomorphic parameters showed that drainage density and catchment area are the most important factors on Scg variation. However, other physical factors such as gully density and hillslope length should also be taken into account to determine where gully erosion becomes a dominant soil erosion process. Land managers, who rely on results of erosion models which mainly focus on rill and sheet erosion, should consider the results, which demonstrate the importance of gullies as a major sediment source.
Understanding Perceptions of Supervision and Organizational Operations Among Prison Teachers
Authors: Garland Brett , McCarty William
Published: May 2011

Prison educators and vocational trainers are instrumental in prisons given their roles in teaching and preparing prisoners for a successful reintegration into the community. Although prior research has explored the impact of vocational and educational programs on offender recidivism, scant attention has been paid to the work experiences of prison educators and instructors. The current study thus examines perceptions of supervision and organizational operations among a sample of 263 educational and vocational staff employed in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. A key contribution of this study is the inclusion of new organizational-level variables (e.g., a prison’s average institutional tenure and average institutional commitment) as predictors of perceptions of the prison work environment. Hierarchical Linear Models (HLM) identified that efficacy with inmates was the strongest predictor of perceptions of both supervision and organizational operations. Age, supervisory status, Hispanic ethnicity, and the average institutional tenure were also significant predictors of both outcome measures. Security level, inmate gender composition, average institutional commitment, the amount of contact with inmates, and race had different effects on the dependent variables. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Improving the Reading Recall of High School Students With ADHD
Authors: Johnson Joseph W. , Reid Robert , Mason Linda H.
Published: May 2011

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have difficulty with reading comprehension. This multiple baseline across participants design with multiple probes study examined the effectiveness of a multicomponent reading comprehension strategy (TWA: Think Before Reading, Think While Reading, Think After Reading) taught following the self-regulated strategy development model on social studies expository text recall of three high school students with ADHD. Results showed improvement in the number of main ideas and percentage of supporting details recalled. Gains were maintained and some improvement occurred at 2- and 4-week follow-ups. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Team Exploratory and Exploitative Learning: Psychological Safety, Task Conflict, and Team Performance
Authors: Kostopoulos Konstantinos C. , Bozionelos Nikos
Published: May 2011

This study conceptualized exploratory and exploitative learning as distinct team-level activities, constructed measures of them, and examined their relationships with psychological safety, task conflict, and team performance. Structural equation analysis in a sample of 142 innovation project teams indicated that psychological safety was linearly and nonlinearly related to team exploitative and exploratory learning, respectively; whereas task conflict positively moderated the relationship between psychological safety and exploitative learning. Furthermore, exploratory and exploitative learning were additively related to team performance, as rated by team managers, and mediated its relationship with psychological safety. The findings contribute to understanding how and under what conditions organizational teams engage in exploratory and exploitative learning to maximize their performance.
On the representations of solutions in the theory of generalized thermoelastic diffusion
Authors: Kothari Shweta , Mukhopadhyay Santwana
Published: May 2011

The present work is an attempt to derive the representation of a Galerkin-type solution in the linear theory of generalized thermoelastic diffusion. First, the representation of a Galerkin-type solution of equations of motion is obtained in the form of a theorem. Then, the representation theorem of the Galerkin type of system of equations of steady oscillations is established. On the basis of this theorem, we finally establish a theorem which represents the general solution of the system of homogenous equations of steady oscillation in terms of metaharmonic functions.
The active client: The boundary-spanning roles of internal consultants as gatekeepers, brokers and partners of their external counterparts
Authors: Sturdy Andrew , Wright Christopher
Published: May 2011

This article examines the active client of management consultancy as a key agent in managing and mediating knowledge flows across organizational boundaries. From a qualitative study of a particular case of active clients—internal consultants managing their external counterparts—three boundary-spanning roles are identified. Active clients can act as a gatekeeper, broker and partner with respect to both consultants and the knowledge they bring. These roles are shown to vary according to a client’s expertise, formal project responsibilities and personal reputation, as well as the different phases of consulting projects. They not only elucidate an otherwise neglected or static dimension of management consultancy—client activity—but highlight the dynamic and essentially political character of serving as knowledge barriers and/or bridges in the intermediation and co-production of management knowledge across organizational boundaries.
High prevalence of obesity in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL): implications for differentiating agents in APL and metabolic syndrome
Authors: Tedesco Jason , Qualtieri Julianne , Head David , Savani Bipin N. , Reddy Nishitha
Published: May 2011

Background: Between January 1999 and December 2008, 469 patients treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were included in this single-institution study.

Methods: We performed a case–control analysis to study the rate of obesity among patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and non-APL AML.

Results: A total of 81% of APL patients analyzed were obese compared with 41.7% in the non-APL group ( p < 0.001). Body mass index (BMI) >30 was seen in 57% of APL patients compared with 31% for the non-APL group ( p = 0.01). Neither obesity nor the chemotherapy dosing based on ideal body weight affected survival.

Conclusions: Our findings generate the hypothesis that APL and metabolic syndromes may share a common pathogenic pathway via retinoic acid receptors (RARs), the ligand-controlled transcription factors that function as heterodimers with retinoid X receptors (RXRs) to regulate cell growth and survival. If this link is confirmed in larger studies, our data will instigate further studies using RXR and RAR modulators as a preventive strategy among obese individuals.
Aciculatin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-mediated inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression via suppressing NF-κB and JNK/p38 MAPK activation pathways
Authors: Hsieh I-Ni , Chang Anita Shin-Yuan , Teng Che-Ming , Chen Chien-Chih , Yang Chia-Ron
Published: May 2011

Objectives

Natural products have played a significant role in drug discovery and development. Inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) have been suggested to connect with various inflammatory diseases. In this study, we explored the anti-inflammatory potential of aciculatin (8-((2R,4S,5S,6R)-tetrahydro-4,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-2H-pyran-2-yl)-5-hydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one), one of main components ofChrysopogon aciculatis, by examining its effects on the expression and activity of iNOS and COX-2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages.

Methods

We used nitrate and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) assays to examine inhibitory effect of aciculatin on nitric oxide (NO) and PGE2levels in LPS-activated mouse RAW264.7 macrophages and further investigated the mechanisms of aciculatin suppressed LPS-mediated iNOS/COX-2 expression by western blot, RT-PCR, reporter gene assay and confocal microscope analysis.

Results

Aciculatin remarkably decreased the LPS (1 μg/mL)-induced mRNA and protein expression of iNOS and COX-2 as well as their downstream products, NO and PGE2respectively, in a concentration-dependent manner (1-10 μM). Such inhibition was found, via immunoblot analyses, reporter gene assays, and confocal microscope observations that aciculatin not only acts through significant suppression of LPS-induced NF-κB activation, an effect highly correlated with its inhibitory effect on LPS-induced IκB kinase (IKK) activation, IκB degradation, NF-κB phosphorylation, nuclear translocation and binding of NF-κB to the κB motif of the iNOS and COX-2 promoters, but also suppressed phosphorylation of JNK/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs).

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that aciculatin exerts potent anti-inflammatory activity through its dual inhibitory effects on iNOS and COX-2 by regulating NF-κB and JNK/p38 MAPK pathways.
GDF-15 is abundantly expressed in plexiform lesions in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and affects proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary endothelial cells
Authors: Nickel Nils , Jonigk Danny , Kempf Tibor , Bockmeyer Clemens L , Maegel Lavinia , Rische Johanna , Laenger Florian , Lehmann Ulrich , Sauer Clemens , Greer Mark , Welte Tobias , Hoeper Marius M , Golpon Heiko A
Published: May 2011

Background

Growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-responsive, transforming growth factor-β-related cytokine, which has recently been reported to be elevated in serum of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). The aim of the study was to examine the expression and biological roles of GDF-15 in the lung of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Methods

GDF-15 expression in normal lungs and lung specimens of PAH patients were studied by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Using laser-assisted micro-dissection, GDF-15 expression was further analyzed within vascular compartments of PAH lungs. To elucidate the role of GDF-15 on endothelial cells, human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMEC) were exposed to hypoxia and laminar shear stress. The effects of GDF-15 on the proliferation and cell death of HPMEC were studied using recombinant GDF-15 protein.

Results

GDF-15 expression was found to be increased in lung specimens from PAH patients, com-pared to normal lungs. GDF-15 was abundantly expressed in pulmonary vascular endothelial cells with a strong signal in the core of plexiform lesions. HPMEC responded with marked upregulation of GDF-15 to hypoxia and laminar shear stress. Apoptotic cell death of HPMEC was diminished, whereas HPMEC proliferation was either increased or decreased depending of the concentration of recombinant GDF-15 protein.

Conclusions

GDF-15 expression is increased in PAH lungs and appears predominantly located in vascular endothelial cells. The expression pattern as well as the observed effects on proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary endothelial cells suggest a role of GDF-15 in the homeostasis of endothelial cells in PAH patients.
Auditory Narrative in the Modernist Novel: Prosody, Music, and the Subversion of Vision in Dorothy Richardson'sPilgrimage
Authors: Frattarola Angela
Published: May 2011

This article interrogates the auditory narrative of Dorothy Richardson's multivolume work, Pilgrimage. By drawing on her film column in Close Up, where she champions the silent film with musical accompaniment over the talkie, Frattarola explicates the significance that Richardson places on music and the prosody of speech in her fiction. Often in Pilgrimage, vision and language are depicted as alienating and judgmental, while music and vocal prosody foster connectivity and intimacy. Though audition is not free of prejudice in Pilgrimage, and indeed it is integral to the subjective stream of consciousness, Richardson brings music and voice to the forefront of her narrative to subvert the dominance of vision and language, which she associates with masculinity. Ultimately, Miriam Henderson's pilgrimage to become a writer is fulfilled with her discovery of an “inner eye” that—like prosody, music, and silence—allows her to experience a multivalent way of remembering, knowing, and being.
Introduction
Authors: Weiner Joshua J. , Young Damon
Published: May 2011

This special issue considers how queerness constitutes and designates forms of sociality. Specifically, it explores how a utopian, inventive impulse in sexual sociabilities is simultaneously articulated with a dehiscent, corrosive pull away from sociality. An interplay between these two trajectories, we argue, has informed queer theory from its inception. We develop the concept of queer bondsto describe relations radically in excess of humanist and neoliberal accounts of the individual, suggesting queer theory has always been a theory of queer bonds. If sex is (or becomes queer when it is) a force of tearing and symbolic rupture, queer theory teaches us that it is also a forging of sociabilities in this space of rupture. It also teaches us that queer collectivities are always made across and through social negativities. Theorizing queerness in terms of queer bonds rather than queer subjects has two implications. First, we ask whether the closet still functions as a monolithic epistemological regime that produces homosexuality as a question, primarily, of what is known and not known. Instead, we ask how lateral, or “slantwise,” forms of reciprocal interpellation between queers may have defined an “us” as much as the disciplinary regimes of modernity that invented “homosexuality.” Second, we ask how we should approach today the question of oppositionality to regimes of social normativity, arguing that an oppositional stance is a necessary but not sufficient condition for queer self-definition. Queer bonds are forged where a resistance to homophobic regimes of knowledge and normalization is articulated with precarious, transitory zones of self-exemption from those regimes. Building on and recasting debates about homonormativity and homonationalism, this introduction argues that we need a theory of queer bonds that can span differences that will remain incommensurable, holding open a space of resistance while acknowledging that queer bonds also produce sociabilities that cannot be apprehended in advance in the terms according to which we have come to understand them.
The Part That Has No Part: Enjoyment, Law, and Loss
Authors: Povinelli Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2011

Hinged to a conversation between the author and her friend and colleague (now deceased) in Australia in 1993, this essay examines an ethical and conceptual gap that opens between an analytic that focuses on the disruptive nature of enjoyment in heteronormative orders and the distributional price of exceeding the Law in settler normativities. It pivots on the claim that the general availability of intensified potential, like the general availability of enjoyment, doesn't negate the specific social (dis)orderings that differentiate and then treat different bodies differently. It asks what purchase might accrue conceptualizing this conversation as an instance of a “queer bond.”
Mouse models of graft-versus-host disease: advances and limitations
Authors: Schroeder Mark A. , DiPersio John F.
Published: May 2011

The limiting factor for successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a post-transplant disorder that results from immune-mediated attack of recipient tissue by donor T cells contained in the transplant. Mouse models of GvHD have provided important insights into the pathophysiology of this disease, which have helped to improve the success rate of HSCT in humans. The kinetics with which GvHD develops distinguishes acute from chronic GvHD, and it is clear from studies of mouse models of GvHD (and studies of human HSCT) that the pathophysiology of these two forms is also distinct. Mouse models also further the basic understanding of the immunological responses involved in GvHD pathology, such as antigen recognition and presentation, the involvement of the thymus and immune reconstitution after transplantation. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of currently available mouse models of acute and chronic GvHD, highlighting their benefits and limitations, and discuss research and clinical opportunities for the future.
Reproducibility in research
Authors: Siegel Vivian
Published: May 2011

Progress in biomedical research depends in part on being able to build on the findings of other researchers – and thereby on being able to apply others’ methods to your own research. However, most of us have struggled to understand how to repeat or adapt another researcher’s study because of minimal or missing details in the Methods section of a published paper. In expensive and complex experiments involving animal models, clear descriptions of the methods are particularly important. In this and the accompanying Editorial in this issue, we discuss how crucial the Methods section is to the integrity and utility of a biomedical research paper, and encourage researchers working with animal models to follow the recently released ARRIVE guidelines when preparing their studies for publication.
2,2′-Diamino-6,6′-dimethylbiphenyl as an Efficient Ligand in the CuI-Catalyzed Sonogashira Reaction of Aryl Iodides and Bromides with Terminal Alkynes
Authors: Wang Bin-Bin , Ye Yue-Mei , Chen Jun-Jun , Zhou Xia-Xia , Lu Jian-Mei , Shao Li-Xiong
Published: May 2011

2,2′-Diamino-6,6′-dimethylbiphenyl (L1) was found to be a good ligand in the CuI-catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction of various aryl iodides and bromides with terminal alkynes. Under suitable conditions, all reactions gave the desired coupling products in moderate to excellent yields.
Kinetics of the Reactions of Ozone with 2,5-Dimethylfuran and Its Atmospheric Implications
Authors: Matsumoto Jun
Published: May 2011

To determine the reaction rate coefficient of volatile organic compounds with ozone, the reduction of ozone through a flow-tube reactor was measured by a chemiluminescent detector. The validity of the method was confirmed by examination on isoprene. Consequently, the reaction rate coefficient of 2,5-dimethylfuran, DMF, with ozone was determined as (4.2 ± 0.9) × 10−16 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 for the first time. It was suggested that ozonolysis can be important for the fate of DMF in the atmosphere.
Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for metastatic germ cell tumours
Authors: Haldipur N , Devaraj S , Shehata A , Lewis AK , Smith MO , Hatton M , Nassef A , Beard JD
Published: May 2011

INTRODUCTION

In the North Trent Cancer Network (NTCN) patients requiring retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy for metastatic testicular cancer have been treated by vascular service since 1990. This paper reviews our experience and considers the case for involvement of vascular surgeons in the management of these tumours.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients referred by the NTCN to the vascular service for retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy between 1990 and 2009 were identified through a germ cell database. Data were supplemented by a review of case notes to record histology, intraoperative and postoperative details.

RESULTS

A total of 64 patients were referred to the vascular service for retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, with a median age of 29 years (16–63 years) and a median follow-up of 4.9 years. Ten patients died: eight from tumour recurrence, one from septicaemia during chemotherapy and one by suicide. Of the 54 who survived, 7 were alive with residual masses and 47 patients were disease-free at the last follow-up. Sixteen patients required vascular procedures: four had aortic repair (fascia), three had aortic replacement (spiral graft), four had inferior vena cava resection, two had iliac artery replacement and two had iliac vein resection.

CONCLUSIONS

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection often involves mobilisation and/or the resection/replacement of major vessels. We recommend that a vascular surgeon should be a part of testicular germ cell multidisciplinary team.
Training in the MMC Era: Procedure-Based Assessments – the Parents' Perspective
Authors: Nataraja RM , Department SC Blackburn , Rawat D , Benjamin E , Clarke SA , Department MJ Haddad , Drake DP
Published: May 2011

The recent implementation of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) has had a significant impact on the way that both medical and surgical trainees in the UK are trained and clinically or technically assessed. The aim of MMC is 'to drive up the quality of care for patients through reform and improvement in postgraduate medical education and training'. Surgical training has also been affected by the final stage of the implementation of the European Working Time Regulations. One of the primary changes in MMC has been the introduction of a formal assessment system of the trainees. The new system was initiated to progress towards more competency-based training rather than the total time spent in training. The trainee's progress in achieving clinical and technical competencies is assessed, as is the quality of the trainee and the training he or she receives.
Funding surgical research at the College
Authors: Fountain Jonathan
Published: May 2011

Meeting the costs of surgical research has always relied on the generosity of donors and philanthropists. As the College's post-war research strategy has evolved in response to advances in knowledge and technology the need to raise funds to support it has not diminished. The Institute of Basic Medical Sciences (IBMS), established at the College in 1950, attracted considerable charitable monies, notably from the property developer Jack Cotton, the trustees of the Rank Foundation and industrialist and motor racing financier Tony Vandervell. The Buckston Browne Surgical Research Farm at Downe, where significant post-war dental research took place, was donated to the College in 1933. And the successor to the IBMS, the Hunterian Institute, received significant financial help from among others Lord Levehulme, Edward Lumley and the Wolfson and Marks families.
The Effect of Observation on Cranial Computed Tomography Utilization for Children After Blunt Head Trauma
Authors: Nigrovic Lise E. , Schunk Jeff E. , Foerster Adele , Cooper Arthur , Miskin Michelle , Atabaki Shireen M. , Hoyle John , Dayan Peter S. , Holmes James F. , Kuppermann Nathan ,   the Traumatic Brain Injury Group for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network
Published: May 2011

OBJECTIVE:

Children with minor blunt head trauma often are observed in the emergency department before a decision is made regarding computed tomography use. We studied the impact of this clinical strategy on computed tomography use and outcomes.

METHODS:

We performed a subanalysis of a prospective multicenter observational study of children with minor blunt head trauma. Clinicians completed case report forms indicating whether the child was observed before making a decision regarding computed tomography. We defined clinically important traumatic brain injury as an intracranial injury resulting in death, neurosurgical intervention, intubation for longer than 24 hours, or hospital admission for 2 nights or longer. To compare computed tomography rates between children observed and those not observed before a decision was made regarding computed tomography use, we used a generalized estimating equation model to control for hospital clustering and patient characteristics.

RESULTS:

Of 42 412 children enrolled in the study, clinicians noted if the patient was observed before making a decision on computed tomography in 40 113 (95%). Of these, 5433 (14%) children were observed. The computed tomography use rate was lower in those observed than in those not observed (31.1% vs 35.0%; difference: −3.9% [95% confidence interval: −5.3 to −2.6]), but the rate of clinically important traumatic brain injury was similar (0.75% vs 0.87%; difference: −0.1% [95% confidence interval: −0.4 to 0.1]). After adjustment for hospital and patient characteristics, the difference in the computed tomography use rate remained significant (adjusted odds ratio for obtaining a computed tomography in the observed group: 0.53 [95% confidence interval: 0.43–0.66]).

CONCLUSIONS:

Clinical observation was associated with reduced computed tomography use among children with minor blunt head trauma and may be an effective strategy to reduce computed tomography use.
Characterization and Correlation of New Electrical Penetration Graph Waveforms for the Corn Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)
Authors: Carpane Pablo , Wayadande Astri , Backus Elaine , Dolezal William , Fletcher Jacqueline
Published: May 2011

The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a vector of three maize, Zea mays L., pathogens that have become limiting factors for maize production in some areas of the Americas. Insect feeding plays an important role in vector acquisition and inoculation of pathogens and hence the disease spread. Thus, we sought to understand the different probing and stylet penetration activities performed by this insect while feeding on maize plants, with the ultimate goal of characterizing potential sources of insect resistance in maize. Using electrical penetration graph technology, six distinct waveforms were characterized and correlated with major probing activities of D. maidis via transmission of corn stunt spiroplasma and excretion of honeydew as markers. Major waveforms comprise stylet pathway (waveform 1), active ingestion in nonsieve elements (waveform 2), nonvascular probing (waveform 3), phloem contact (waveform 4, the X wave), phloem ingestion (waveform 5), and oviposition (waveform 6). Our results support most previous findings with this species, and also indicate that some waveforms (2, 4, and 5) are related to biopotentials generated during probing, as was previously found for other hemipteran species. The most important finding from this work is that D. maidis ingests from phloem sieve elements more frequently and for longer durations than seen in previous research, probably due to longer observation periods used in this study. This work provides basic information relevant to the understanding of probing behavior of D. maidis and to the characterization of potential sources of insect-resistant maize.
Comparative Behavioral and Protein Study of Salivary Secretions in Homalodisca spp. Sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae)
Authors: Alhaddad Hasan , Coudron Thomas A , Backus Elaine A , Schreiber Fred
Published: May 2011

A novel brush-induced method to physically stimulate salivation was applied to the glassy-winged and smoke tree sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae). This technique enabled the direct observation of salivary secretion processes, solidification of saliva, and collection of salivary secretions. For both species, brush-induced saliva was first secreted in liquid form, a portion of which gradually solidified to form the salivary sheath for both sharpshooter species. Proteins of similar molecular weight were obtained from brush-induced saliva extracts from both sharpshooters. Extracts from dried sheaths collected from Parafilm membranes over artificial diet had a different protein profile from brush-induced saliva extracts. The latter contained fewer proteins than extracts of the liquid content of salivary glands. Two proteins appeared in all three of the extracts from hemolymph, salivary glands, and brush-induced saliva, one of which also appeared in dried sheath extracts. Our findings support previous research by others that there is a limited flow of protein from hemolymph to salivary glands and brush-induced saliva. There is also some protein modification associated with saliva solidification. The quantity and composition of proteins suggest the brushinduced saliva collection method has merit for future biochemical analyses of saliva. The implications of this work could potentially include illuminating the mechanism of inoculation by the Pierce's disease bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa.
Comparative Morphology of the Immature Stages of Three Corn-Infesting Ulidiidae (Diptera)
Authors: Goyal Gaurav , Nuessly Gregg S , Steck Gary J , Capinera John L , Seal Dakshina R
Published: May 2011

Several species of Ulidiidae (Diptera) are primary pests of maize (Zea mays L.). The ability to distinguish their immature stages would be useful for biological studies where their distributions overlap. Morphology of the immature stages was examined for three Ulidiidae that attack maíze in the southeastern United States: Chaetopsis massyla (Walker), Euxesta eluta Loew, and Euxesta stigmatias Loew. Egg, larval, and pupal characters were measured and described with the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy. Because of considerable overlap in character states, only a few traits in each stage could be used to separate these three species. C. massyla eggs had pores restricted to the posterior end, but the pores were evenly distributed in the two Euxesta species. Eggs of the two Euxesta species could not be differentiated. Larval mouth hooks of C. massyla had a distinct tooth on their ventral surface, whereas this tooth was lacking in E. eluta and E. stigmatias. Fewer oral ridges were observed on C. massyla larvae than on E. eluta or E. stigmatias. Posterior spiracular slits were apparent in E. stigmatias versus obscure in E. eluta larvae. The length and spinule arrangements on creeping welts could be used to separate E. eluta and E. stigmatias larvae. Posterior spiracular plates of C. massyla puparia were trapezoidal versus ovoid in the two Euxesta species. Puparium color varied significantly among the three species.
Stem-Boring Caterpillars of Switchgrass in the Midwestern United States
Authors: Prasifka Jarrad R , Buhay Jennifer E , Sappington Thomas W , Heaton Emily A , Bradshaw Jeffrey D , Gray Michael E
Published: May 2011

Lepidopteran stem borers were collected from switchgrass, Panicum virgatum L., tillers showing symptoms of infestation at seven locations in Illinois and Iowa, with additional observations made on larval and adult activity. Blastobasis repartella (Dietz) (Coleophoridae), whose only known host is switchgrass, was common in plots grown for >5 yr, whereas the polyphagous stalk borer, Papaipema nebris (Guenée) (Noctuidae), was abundant in newly established (i.e., first- and second-year) switchgrass. Haimbachia albescens Capps (Crambidae) was collected from two locations in Illinois, making switchgrass the first known host for this species. Entry holes made by B. repartella and H. albescens were usually 1–2 cm above the soil surface, precluding discrimination between these species based on external appearance of damage. Although P. nebris often entered stems within 5 cm of the soil surface, they also seemed to move between stems and were the only species entering stems at heights >15 cm. Adults of B. repartella were active on and above the switchgrass canopy by 2130 hours, with peak activity at ≈0230 hours. Activity of B. repartella adults seemed greatly reduced on one night with relatively cool temperatures and low wind speeds. Data from switchgrass and giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L., suggest P. nebris larvae move out of switchgrass during July in search of hosts with larger diameter stems, although by then hosts such as corn, Zea mays L., or Miscanthus spp. may have outgrown the potential for serious damage. However, switchgrass could contribute to greater adult populations of P. nebris if thick-stemmed hosts such as giant ragweed are not managed.
Allometric Slopes Not Underestimated by Ordinary Least Squares Regression: A Case Study with Enchenopa Treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae)
Authors: Al-Wathiqui Nooria , Rodríguez Rafael L
Published: May 2011

The scaling of traits on body size—allometry—is a subject of broad interest in ecology and evolutionary biology, and one in which studies on insects and spiders have featured prominently. Allometric relationships are described with the slope of regressions of trait size (y) on body size (x). A common method—ordinary least squares (OLS) regression—is often expected to underestimate allometric slopes. The reason for this expectation is that OLS regression assumes that x is determined without error, which is expected to bias slope estimates unless the error in y is much larger than the error in x. However, alternative methods such as reduced major axis (RMA) regression suffer from problems of interpretability. Here, we test the hypothesis that OLS regression will underestimate allometric slopes. We used a natural experiment that arose in the course of training to measure insect genitalia, wherein measurement error for genitalia was larger before training than after training, and also differed by a very large amount between traits. Comparing allometric slopes estimated before and after training, and allometric slopes of traits having very different measurement errors, suggests that OLS regression is robust to measurement error in x and that it does not underestimate allometric slopes.