bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delicate Balance among Three Types of T Cells in Concurrent Regulation of Tumor Immunity
Authors: Izhak Liat , Ambrosino Elena , Kato Shingo , Parish Stanley T. , O'Konek Jessica J. , Weber Hannah , Xia Zheng , Venzon David , Berzofsky Jay A. , Terabe Masaki
Published: January 2013

The nature of the regulatory cell types that dominate in any given tumor is not understood at present. Here, we addressed this question for regulatory T cells (Treg) and type II natural killer T (NKT) cells in syngeneic models of colorectal and renal cancer. In mice with both type I and II NKT cells, or in mice with neither type of NKT cell, Treg depletion was sufficient to protect against tumor outgrowth. Surprisingly, in mice lacking only type I NKT cells, Treg blockade was insufficient for protection. Thus, we hypothesized that type II NKT cells may be neutralized by type I NKT cells, leaving Tregs as the primary suppressor, whereas in mice lacking type I NKT cells, unopposed type II NKT cells could suppress tumor immunity even when Tregs were blocked. We confirmed this hypothesis in 3 ways by reconstituting type I NKT cells as well as selectively blocking or activating type II NKT cells with antibody or the agonist sulfatide, respectively. In this manner, we showed that blockade of both type II NKT cells and Tregs is necessary to abrogate suppression of tumor immunity, but a third cell, the type I NKT cell, determines the balance between these regulatory mechanisms. As patients with cancer often have deficient type I NKT cell function, managing this delicate balance among 3 T-cell subsets may be critical for the success of immunotherapy for human cancer. Cancer Res; 73(5); 1514–23. ©2012 AACR.
Mixed Lineage Kinase MLK4 Is Activated in Colorectal Cancers Where It Synergistically Cooperates with Activated RAS Signaling in Driving Tumorigenesis
Authors: Martini Miriam , Russo Mariangela , Lamba Simona , Vitiello Elisa , Crowley Emily Hannah , Sassi Francesco , Romanelli Davide , Frattini Milo , Marchetti Antonio , Bardelli Alberto
Published: January 2013

Colorectal cancers (CRC) are commonly classified into those with microsatellite instability and those that are microsatellite stable (MSS) but chromosomally unstable. The latter are characterized by poor prognosis and remain largely intractable at the metastatic stage. Comprehensive mutational analyses have revealed that the mixed lineage kinase 4 (MLK4) protein kinase is frequently mutated in MSS CRC with approximately 50% of the mutations occurring in KRAS- or BRAF-mutant tumors. This kinase has not been characterized previously and the relevance of MLK4 somatic mutations in oncogenesis has not been established. We report that MLK4-mutated alleles in CRC are constitutively active and increase the transformation and tumorigenic capacity of RAS-mutated cell lines. Gene expression silencing or targeted knockout of MLK4 impairs the oncogenic properties of KRAS- and BRAF-mutant cancer cells both in vitro and in xenograft models. In establishing the role of MLK4 in intracellular signaling, we show it directly phosphorylates MEK1 (MAP2K1) and that MEK/ERK (MAPK1) signaling is impaired in MLK4 knockout cells. These findings suggest that MLK4 inhibitors may be efficacious in KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs and may provide a new opportunity for targeting such recalcitrant tumors. Cancer Res; 73(6); 1912–21. ©2012 AACR.
Genetic Amplification of the NOTCH Modulator LNX2 Upregulates the WNT/β-Catenin Pathway in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Camps Jordi , Pitt Jason J. , Emons Georg , Hummon Amanda B. , Case Chanelle M. , Grade Marian , Jones Tamara L. , Nguyen Quang T. , Ghadimi B. Michael , Beissbarth Tim , Difilippantonio Michael J. , Caplen Natasha J. , Ried Thomas
Published: January 2013

Chromosomal copy number alterations (aneuploidy) define the genomic landscape of most cancer cells, but identification of the oncogenic drivers behind these imbalances remains an unfinished task. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of colorectal carcinomas that integrated genomic copy number changes and gene expression profiles. This analysis revealed 44 highly overexpressed genes mapping to localized amplicons on chromosome 13, gains of which occur often in colorectal cancers (CRC). RNA interference (RNAi)–mediated silencing identified eight candidates whose loss-of-function reduced cell viability 20% or more in CRC cell lines. The functional space of the genes NUPL1, LNX2, POLR1D, POMP, SLC7A1, DIS3, KLF5, and GPR180 was established by global expression profiling after RNAi exposure. One candidate, LNX2, not previously known as an oncogene, was involved in regulating NOTCH signaling. Silencing LNX2 reduced NOTCH levels but also downregulated the transcription factor TCF7L2 and markedly reduced WNT signaling. LNX2 overexpression and chromosome 13 amplification therefore constitutively activates the WNT pathway, offering evidence of an aberrant NOTCH–WNT axis in CRC. Cancer Res; 73(6); 2003–13. ©2012 AACR.
Identification of Inherited Genetic Variations Influencing Prognosis in Early-Onset Breast Cancer
Authors: Rafiq Sajjad , Tapper William , Collins Andrew , Khan Sofia , Politopoulos Ioannis , Gerty Sue , Blomqvist Carl , Couch Fergus J. , Nevanlinna Heli , Liu Jianjun , Eccles Diana
Published: January 2013

Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have begun to investigate associations between inherited genetic variations and breast cancer prognosis. Here, we report our findings from a GWAS conducted in 536 patients with early-onset breast cancer aged 40 or less at diagnosis and with a mean follow-up period of 4.1 years (SD = 1.96). Patients were selected from the Prospective Study of Outcomes in Sporadic versus Hereditary breast cancer. A Bonferroni correction for multiple testing determined that a P value of 1.0 × 10−7 was a statistically significant association signal. Following quality control, we identified 487,496 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) for association tests in stage 1. In stage 2, 35 SNPs with the most significant associations were genotyped in 1,516 independent cases from the same early-onset cohort. In stage 2, 11 SNPs remained associated in the same direction (P ≤ 0.05). Fixed effects meta-analysis models identified one SNP associated at close to genome wide level of significance 556 kb upstream of the ARRDC3 locus [HR = 1.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.33–1.96; P = 9.5 × 10−7]. Four further associations at or close to the PBX1, RORα, NTN1, and SYT6 loci also came close to genome-wide significance levels (P = 10−6). In the first ever GWAS for the identification of SNPs associated with prognosis in patients with early-onset breast cancer, we report a SNP upstream of the ARRDC3 locus as potentially associated with prognosis (median follow-up time for genotypes: CC = 4 years, CT = 3 years, and TT = 2.7 years; Wilcoxon rank-sum test CC vs. CT, P = 4 × 10−4 and CT vs. TT, P = 0.76). Four further loci may also be associated with prognosis. Cancer Res; 73(6); 1883–91. ©2012 AACR.
xCT Inhibition Depletes CD44v-Expressing Tumor Cells That Are Resistant to EGFR-Targeted Therapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yoshikawa Momoko , Tsuchihashi Kenji , Ishimoto Takatsugu , Yae Toshifumi , Motohara Takeshi , Sugihara Eiji , Onishi Nobuyuki , Masuko Takashi , Yoshizawa Kunio , Kawashiri Shuichi , Mukai Makio , Asoda Seiji , Kawana Hiromasa , Nakagawa Taneaki , Saya Hideyuki , Nagano Osamu
Published: January 2013

The targeting of antioxidant systems that allow stem-like cancer cells to avoid the adverse consequences of oxidative stress might be expected to improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. Here, we show that head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells that express variant isoforms of CD44 (CD44v) rely on the activity of the cystine transporter subunit xCT for control of their redox status. xCT inhibition selectively induces apoptosis in CD44v-expressing tumor cells without affecting CD44v-negative differentiated cells in the same tumor. In contrast to CD44v-expressing undifferentiated cells, CD44v-negative differentiated cells manifest EGF receptor (EGFR) activation and rely on EGFR activity for their survival. Combined treatment with inhibitors of xCT-dependent cystine transport and of EGFR resulted in a synergistic reduction of EGFR-expressing HNSCC tumor growth. Thus, xCT-targeted therapy may deplete CD44v-expressing undifferentiated HNSCC cells and concurrently sensitize the remaining differentiating cells to available treatments including EGFR-targeted therapy. Cancer Res; 73(6); 1855–66. ©2012 AACR.
A 13-Gene Signature Prognostic of HPV-Negative OSCC: Discovery and External Validation
Authors: Lohavanichbutr Pawadee , Méndez Eduardo , Holsinger F. Christopher , Rue Tessa C. , Zhang Yuzheng , Houck John , Upton Melissa P. , Futran Neal , Schwartz Stephen M. , Wang Pei , Chen Chu
Published: January 2013

Purpose: To identify a prognostic gene signature for patients with human papilloma virus (HPV)–negative oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC).

Experimental Design: Two gene expression datasets were used: a training dataset from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC, Seattle, WA; n = 97) and a validation dataset from the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC, Houston, TX; n = 71). We applied L1/L2-penalized Cox regression models to the FHCRC data on the 131-gene signature previously identified to be prognostic in patients with OSCCs to identify a prognostic model specific for patients with high-risk HPV-negative OSCCs. The models were tested with the MDACC dataset using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results: A 13-gene model was identified as the best predictor of HPV-negative OSCC-specific survival in the training dataset. The risk score for each patient in the validation dataset was calculated from this model and dichotomized at the median. The estimated 2-year mortality (±SE) of patients with high-risk scores was 47.1% (±9.24%) compared with 6.35% (±4.42) for patients with low-risk scores. ROC analyses showed that the areas under the curve for the age, gender, and treatment modality-adjusted models with risk score [0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74–0.86] and risk score plus tumor stage (0.79; 95% CI, 0.75–0.87) were substantially higher than for the model with tumor stage (0.54; 95% CI, 0.48–0.62).

Conclusions: We identified and validated a 13-gene signature that is considerably better than tumor stage in predicting survival of patients with HPV-negative OSCCs. Further evaluation of this gene signature as a prognostic marker in other populations of patients with HPV-negative OSCC is warranted. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1197–203. ©2012 AACR.
Association of RASSF1A and p63 with Poor Recurrence-Free Survival in Node-Negative Stage I–II Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Ko Eunkyung , Lee Bo Bin , Kim Yujin , Lee Eun Ju , Cho Eun Yoon , Han Jungho , Shim Young Mog , Park Joobae , Kim Duk-Hwan
Published: January 2013

Purpose: This study was aimed at analyzing the recurrence-related prognostic significance of 12 candidate molecular biomarkers in node-negative stage I–II non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Experimental Design: We retrospectively analyzed promoter methylation of eight genes using methylation-specific PCR in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues from 328 node-negative stage I–II NSCLCs. The expression of Bcl-2, E-cadherin, p53, and p63 proteins was also assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Results: Recurrence was found in 145 (44%) of 328 node-negative stage I–II NSCLCs with a median follow-up period of 6.2 years. No association was found between recurrence and alteration of individual biomarker in univariate analysis. We defined recurrently divergent groups on the basis of recursive partitioning analyses for 12 biomarkers and found a significant association of co-alteration of RASSF1A and p63 with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS). Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that hypermethylation of RASSF1A and negative expression of p63 was associated with poor RFS [HR, 1.93; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13–5.47; P = 0.009] compared with those without co-alteration of RASSF1A and p63, after adjusting for age, adjuvant therapy, histology, and tumor size. Random forest classifier including RASSF1A and p63 showed best performance in the prediction of recurrence in node-negative stage I–II NSCLCs: area under receiver operator characteristic curve for random forest was 0.91 and error rate for the model was 17%.

Conclusion: The present study suggests that RASSF1A and p63 may be independent prognostic indicators for RFS in node-negative stage I–II NSCLCs. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1204–12. ©2012 AACR.
Downregulation of miR-138 Sustains NF-κB Activation and Promotes Lipid Raft Formation in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Gong Hui , Song Libing , Lin Chuyong , Liu Aibin , Lin Xi , Wu Jueheng , Li Mengfeng , Li Jun
Published: January 2013

Purpose: Constitutive activation of NF-κB signaling plays vital roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of miR-138 on NF-κB activation and ESCC progression.

Experimental Design: Expression of miR-138 in ESCC cell lines, ESCC tissues, and 205 archived ESSC specimens was determined using real-time PCR analysis. Anchorage-independent growth, chicken chorioallantoic membrane, Transwell matrix invasion and Annexin V–binding assays, and a xenograft tumor model were used to determine the role of miR-138 in ESCC progression. The effect of miR-138 on NF-κB activation was investigated using IKK in vitro kinase, electrophoretic mobility shift, lipid raft isolation, and luciferase reporter assays.

Results: miR-138 was downregulated and inversely correlated with tumor progression and patient survival in ESCCs. Downregulation of miR-138 enhanced, whereas upregulation of miR-138 reduced, the aggressive phenotype of ESCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Silencing miR-138 promoted K63-linked polyubiquitination of the NF-κB signaling intermediaries TRAF2 and RIP1 and sustained NF-κB activation. Furthermore, downregulation of miR-138 induced lipid raft formation via upregulating multiple components of lipid rafts, including FLOT1, FLOT2, and caveolin-1. Importantly, the in vitro analysis was consistent with a significant inverse correlation between miR-138 expression and NF-κB hyperactivation in a cohort of human ESCC specimens.

Conclusion: Our results show that miR-138 functions as a tumor-suppressive miRNA and that downregulation of miR-138 contributes to constitutive NF-κB activation and ESCC progression. Clin Cancer Res; 19(5); 1083–93. ©2013 AACR.
Molecular Dissection of AKT Activation in Lung Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Guo Yanan , Du Jinyan , Kwiatkowski David J.
Published: January 2013

AKT is a critical signaling node downstream of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which is often activated in cancer. We analyzed the state of activation of AKT in 80 human non–small cell lung carcinoma cell lines under serum starvation conditions. We identified 13 lines, which showed persistent AKT activation in the absence of serum. In 12 of 13 lines, AKT activation could be attributed to loss of PTEN, activating mutation in EGF receptor (EGFR) or PIK3CA, or amplification of ERBB2. HCC2429 was the only cell line that had no alterations in those genes, but had high phospho-AKT(Ser473) levels under serum starvation conditions. However, the activation of AKT in HCC2429 was PI3K- and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2)-dependent based upon use of specific inhibitors. Kinome tyrosine phosphorylation profiling showed that both Notch and SRC were highly activated in this cell line. Despite the activation of Notch, AKT activation and cell survival were not affected by Notch inhibitors DAPT or compound E. In contrast, SRC inhibitors PP2 and dasatinib both significantly decreased pAKT(Ser473) levels and reduced cell survival by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, a combination of SRC and mTOR inhibition synergistically blocked activation of AKT and induced apoptosis. Overexpression of SRC has been identified previously in human lung cancers, and these results suggest that a combination of SRC and mTOR inhibitors may have unique therapeutic benefit for a subset of lung cancers with these molecular features. Mol Cancer Res; 11(3); 282–93. ©2012 AACR.
Aberrant Synthesis, Metabolism, and Plasma Accumulation of Circulating Estrogens and Estrogen Metabolites in Preeclampsia Implications for Vascular Dysfunction
Authors: Jobe Sheikh O. , Tyler Chanel T. , Magness Ronald R.
Published: January 2013

Estrogens and estrogen metabolites have important functions in cardiovascular and other physiology, yet the patterns of estrogen synthesis, metabolism, and the individual plasma profile of estrogens and estrogen metabolites during human pregnancy as well as in preeclampsia remain undetermined. We performed liquid chromatography mass spectrometry on plasma samples from normotensive pregnant women (normP; n=8), women with mild (mPE; n=8), and severe (sPE; n = 8) preeclampsia at labor. Compared with normP, estrone was lower in sPE, whereas plasma level of estradiol-17β was significantly lower in women with mPE and sPE. Estriol was lower in sPE, but not in mPE. Although 2-hydroxyestrone was lower in mPE and sPE, 4-hydroxyestrone was high in sPE. 16-α-hydroxyestrone was higher in mPE, but not in sPE. 2-hydroxyestradiol in women with mPE and sPE were lower compared with normP. Compared with 2-methoxyestrone in normP, levels were lower in sPE. 3-methoxyestrone and 4-methoxyestrone were unchanged. 2-methoxyestradiol was lower in mPE and sPE; however, 4-methoxyestradiol was low only in sPE. Compared with normP, 16-keto-estradiol-17β levels were significantly higher in sPE, whereas 16-epi-estriol and 17-epi-estriol were lower in women with sPE. Our findings show that preeclampsia is characterized by aberrant synthesis, metabolism, and accumulation of estrogens and estrogen metabolites that are likely to be associated with alterations in vascular function. These results underscore the need to investigate the functional vascular and other physiology of estrogens and estrogen metabolites in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
Estradiol-17β and its Cytochrome P450- and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase–Derived Metabolites Selectively Stimulate Production of Prostacyclin in Uterine Artery Endothelial Cells
Authors: Jobe Sheikh O. , Ramadoss Jayanth , Wargin Andrew J. , Magness Ronald R.
Published: January 2013

Metabolism of estradiol-17β to 2-hydroxyestradiol, 4-hydroxyestradiol, 2-methoxyestradiol, and 4-methoxyestradiol contributes importantly to the vascular effects of estradiol-17β in several vascular beds. However, little is known about the role of estradiol-17β metabolites via the different estrogen receptors (ER-α/ER-β) on de novo endothelial prostacyclin and thromboxane production. We hypothesized that estradiol-17β and its metabolites, via ER-α or ER-β, can enhance the prostacyclin/thromboxane ratio through the classic phospholipase A
2
, cyclooxygenase-1, and prostacyclin synthase pathway in ovine uterine artery endothelial cells (UAECs) derived from pregnant (P-UAECs) versus nonpregnant (NP-UAECs) ewes. Western analyses showed higher expression of phospholipase A
2
, cyclooxygenase-1, and prostacyclin synthase in UAECs from the pregnant state, whereas thromboxane synthase was lowered in UAECs from the pregnant state. In UAECs from the pregnant state, estradiol-17β, 2-hydroxyestradiol, 4-hydroxyestradiol, 2-methoxyestradiol and 4-methoxyestradiol concentration and time-dependently increased prostacyclin compared with controls. Prostacyclin increases in UAECs from the nonpregnant state were of a lower magnitude. Estradiol-17β and its metabolites stimulated higher prostacyclin/thromboxane ratios in UAECs from the pregnant state compared with UAECs from the nonpregnant state. Estradiol-17β–induced prostacyclin increases were abrogated by the antagonists SC-560 (cyclooxygenase-1), U-51605 (Prostacyclin synthase), ICI 182 780 (ICI; both ER-α/β), and 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-5-[4-(2-piperidinyleth oxy)phenol]-1H-pyrazole dihydrochloride (MPP; ER-α), but not by 4-[2-phenyl-5,7-bis (trifluoromethyl) pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrim idin-3-yl]phenol (PHTPP; ER-β). Prostacyclin increases induced by its metabolites were abolished by SC-560 and U-51605, but unaltered by ICI, MPP, or PHTPP. Our findings demonstrate that estrogen via primarily ER-α and its metabolites via ER-independent mechanisms influence the de novo endothelial biosynthesis of prostacyclin, which may be important in the regulation of vascular tone. These findings also shed light on the complexities of estrogen signaling via its metabolism and the functional heterogeneity of the ERs.
Draft BioCode (2011) Principles and Rules regulating the naming of organisms New draft, revised in November 2010
Authors: GREUTER Werner , GARRITY George , HAWKSWORTH David L. , JAHN Regine , KIRK Paul M. , KNAPP Sandra , MCNEILL John , MICHEL Ellinor , PATTERSON David J. , PYLE Richard , TINDALL Brian J.
Published: January 2013

Preamble1. Biology requires a precise, coherent and simple system for the naming of organisms used internationally,dealing both with the nomenclatural terms and with the scientific names that are applied to the individualtaxonomic groups of organisms (taxa, singular taxon).
The problem of hemihomonyms and the on-line hemihomonyms database (HHDB)
Authors: Shipunov Alexey
Published: January 2013

Hemihomonyms (same nomina which are used for taxa from different nomenclature jurisdictions) are an overlooked but genuine nuisance in biological nomenclature. We compiled the first list of hemihomonyms for nomina in bacteriological, botanical and zoological nomenclatures and prepared an on-line database, the "Hemihomonym database" or HHDB (). HHDB now includes 1164 nomina, including 12 triple hemihomonyms. A simple suffix-based solution (like "Oenanthe (z)" for Oenanthe in zoology) could be used in case of hemihomonymy. More effort should be afforded towards the resolution of long-standing nomenclature confusing situations such as hemihomonymy, including regarding the nomina of higher taxa, nomina of intermediate ranks and ambiregnal nomina.
Review of potter wasps with a petiolate metasoma excluding so-called "Zethinae" (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) in the Lesser Sunda Islands of the Indonesian Archipelago
Authors: NUGROHO HARI , KOJIMA JUN-ICHI , UBAIDILLAH ROSICHON
Published: January 2013

Twenty species and six subspecies of nine genera of eumenine wasps with a petiolate metasoma occurring in the Lesser Sunda Islands are listed. New synonymies are proposed for Delta campaniforme campaniforme (Fabricius 1775) (=D. campaniforme gracilior Giordani Soika 1986, syn. nov.) and D. nigriculum Giordani Soika 1986, stat. nov. (=D. campaniforme rendalloide Giordani Soika 1993, syn. nov.). Eumenes piriformis de Saussure and E. inconspicuus Smith are newly recorded from the Lesser Sunda Islands; E. pius Giordani Soika, D. nigriculum Giordani Soika, D. pyriforme (Fabricius), D. sciarum (van der Vecht), Pareumenes nigerrimus van der Vecht, and Labus vandervechti Giordani Soika, are newly recorded from some islands of the Lesser Sunda. Hitherto unknown male of P. nigerrimus is described.
Review the leafhopper genera Parafagocyba Kuoh et Hu and Zorka Dworakowska (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with description of a new species and two new records from China
Authors: HUANG MIN , ZHANG YALIN
Published: January 2013

The leafhopper genus Parafagocyba Kuoh et Hu, 1992 and Zorka Dworakowska, 1970 are reviewed. One new species of Parafagocyba is described and illustrated, Parafagocyba forficula n. sp., and Parafagocyba multimaculata Kuoh et Hu 1992 is transferred to the genus of Zorka Dworakowska, 1970. Two species of Zorka are also newly recorded from China.
A new fossil genus of net-winged beetles, with a brief review of amber Lycidae (Insecta: Coleoptera)
Authors: KAZANTSEV SERGEY V.
Published: January 2013

A new fossil genus of net-winged beetles, Protolopheros gen. n., and a new species, Protolopheros hoffeinsorum sp. n., are described from the Baltic amber. The new taxon is placed in Erotini, next to Lopheros Leconte, 1881. The extant Pseudaplatopterus (Eropterus) Green, 1951, comb. n. is lowered in rank and placed as a subgenus of the fossil Pseudaplatopterus Kleine, 1940. The extant Kolibaceum (Laterialis) Kazantsev, 1990, comb. n. is lowered in rank and placed as a subgenus of the fossil Kolibaceum Winkler, 1987.
Regional Characterization of Tornado Activity
Authors: Trapp Robert J. , Brooks Harold E.
Published: January 2013

In the United States, tornado activity of a given year is usually assessed in terms of the total number of human-reported tornadoes. Such assessments fail to account for the seldom-acknowledged fact that an active (or inactive) tornado year for the United States does not necessarily equate with activity (or inactivity) everywhere in the country. The authors illustrate this by comparing the geospatial tornado distributions from 1987, 2004, and 2011. Quantified in terms of the frequency of daily tornado occurrence (or “tornado days”), the high activity in the South Atlantic and upper Midwest regions was a major contributor to the record-setting number of tornadoes in 2004. The high activity in 2011 arose from significant tornado occurrences in the Southeast and lower Midwest. The authors also show that the uniqueness of the activity during these years can be determined by modeling the local statistical behavior of tornado days by a gamma distribution.
Modulation of the Diurnal Cycle of Rainfall Associated with the MJO Observed by a Dense Hourly Rain Gauge Network at Sarawak, Borneo
Authors: Kanamori Hironari , Yasunari Tetsuzo , Kuraji Koichiro
Published: January 2013

This study investigates spatiotemporal characteristics of the diurnal cycle (DC) of rainfall over Sarawak in northwest Borneo Island, associated with large-scale intraseasonal disturbances represented by the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). This is accomplished using a dense hourly rain gauge network and satellite data. The spatial pattern of the DC is classified into two major groups, coastal and interior regions, based on remarkable differences in rainfall peak times and amplitudes. Amplitudes of the DC and daily rainfall amount increase in active MJO phases at all sites, but the MJO has a stronger effect in the coastal region than the interior region. This modulation of rainfall by the MJO disturbance is largely attributed to rainfall frequency in the interior region, but to both frequency and intensity of rainfall in the coastal region. The low-level westerly wind anomaly enhances convergence, the land–sea breeze, and a midnight rainfall peak in the coastal region during the active MJO phase. Analysis of moisture flux divergence and moist static instability suggests the different dynamics of this modulation of the DC between coastal and interior regions.
Partial Beam Blockage Correction Using Polarimetric Radar Measurements
Authors: Zhang P. , Zrnić D. , Ryzhkov A.
Published: January 2013

A new method for mitigation of partial beam blockage that uses the consistency between reflectivity factor Z and specific differential phase KDP and their radial integrals in rain is presented. The immunity of differential phase ΦDP to partial beam blockage is utilized to estimate the bias of reflectivity factor caused by beam blockage. The algorithm is tested on dual-polarization radar data collected by the NCAR S-band polarimetric Dopper radar system (S-Pol) during the Southwest Monsoon Experiment/Terrain-Influenced Monsoon Rainfall Experiment (SoWMEX/TiMREX) in June 2008 in Taiwan. Corrected reflectivity factors in the blocked sectors are compared with corresponding values deduced from a digital elevation model (DEM) to show the advantage of the suggested method in areas where obstacles such as high-rise buildings cause additional blockage that is not accounted for by DEM. The accuracy and robustness of the method is quantitatively evaluated using a series of radar volume scans obtained in three rainfall events.
Comments on “A Bias in the Midtropospheric Channel Warm Target Factor on the NOAA-9 Microwave Sounding Unit”
Authors: Christy John R. , Spencer Roy W.
Published: January 2013

Po-Chedley and Fu investigated the difference in the magnitude of global temperature trends generated from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) for the midtroposphere (TMT, surface to about 75 hPa) between the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS). Their approach was to examine the magnitude of a noise-reduction coefficient of one short-lived satellite, NOAA-9, which differed from UAH and RSS. Using radiosonde comparisons over a 2-yr period, they calculated an adjustment to the UAH coefficient that, when applied to the UAH data, increased the UAH global TMT trend for 1979–2009 by +0.042 K decade−1, which then happens to agree with RSS’s TMT trend. In studying their analysis, the authors demonstrate 1) the adjustment calculated using radiosondes is inconclusive when errors are accounted for; 2) the adjustment was applied in a manner inconsistent with the UAH satellite merging strategy, creating a larger change than would be generated had the actual UAH methodology been followed; and 3) that trends of a similar product that uses the same UAH coefficient are essentially identical to UAH and RSS. Based on the authors’ previous analysis and additional work here, UAH will continue using the NOAA-9 noise-reduction coefficient, as is, for version 5.4 and the follow-on version 5.5.
Impacts of Air–Sea Flux Parameterizations on the Intensity and Structure of Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Green Benjamin W. , Zhang Fuqing
Published: January 2013

Fluxes of momentum and moist enthalpy across the air–sea interface are believed to be one of the most important factors in determining tropical cyclone intensity. Because these surface fluxes cannot be directly resolved by numerical weather prediction models, their impacts on tropical cyclones must be accounted for through subgrid-scale parameterizations. There are several air–sea surface flux parameterization schemes available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model; these schemes differ from one another in their formulations of the wind speed–dependent exchange coefficients of momentum, sensible heat, and moisture (latent heat). The effects of surface fluxes on the intensity and structure of tropical cyclones are examined through convection-permitting WRF simulations of Hurricane Katrina (2005).

It is found that the intensity (and, to a lesser extent, structure) of the simulated storms is sensitive to the choice of surface flux parameterization scheme. In agreement with recent studies, the drag coefficient CD is found to affect the pressure–wind relationship (between minimum sea level pressure and maximum 10-m wind speed) and to change the radius of maximum near-surface winds of the tropical cyclone. Fluxes of sensible and latent heat (i.e., moist enthalpy) affect intensity but do not significantly change the pressure–wind relationship. Additionally, when low-level winds are strong, the contribution of dissipative heating to calculations of sensible heat flux is not negligible. Expanding the sensitivity tests to several dozen cases from the 2008 to 2011 Atlantic hurricane seasons demonstrates the robustness of these findings.
A Cell-Integrated Semi-Lagrangian Semi-Implicit Shallow-Water Model (CSLAM-SW) with Conservative and Consistent Transport
Authors: Wong May , Skamarock William C. , Lauritzen Peter H. , Stull Roland B.
Published: January 2013

A Cartesian semi-implicit solver using the Conservative Semi-Lagrangian Multitracer (CSLAM) transport scheme is constructed and tested for shallow-water (SW) flows. The SW equations solver (CSLAM-SW) uses a discrete semi-implicit continuity equation specifically designed to ensure a conservative and consistent transport of constituents by avoiding the use of a constant mean reference state. The algorithm is constructed to be similar to typical conservative semi-Lagrangian semi-implicit schemes, requiring at each time step a single linear Helmholtz equation solution and a single application of CSLAM. The accuracy and stability of the solver is tested using four test cases for a radially propagating gravity wave and two barotropically unstable jets. In a consistency test using the new solver, the specific concentration constancy is preserved up to machine roundoff, whereas a typical formulation can have errors many orders of magnitude larger. In addition to mass conservation and consistency, CSLAM-SW also ensures shape preservation by combining the new scheme with existing shape-preserving filters. With promising SW test results, CSLAM-SW shows potential for extension to a nonhydrostatic, fully compressible system solver for numerical weather prediction and climate models.
Observed Microphysical Evolution for Two East Coast Winter Storms and the Associated Snow Bands
Authors: Stark David , Colle Brian A. , Yuter Sandra E.
Published: January 2013

This paper presents the observed microphysical evolution of two coastal extratropical cyclones (19–20 December 2009 and 12 January 2011) and the associated passage of heavy snowbands in the cyclone comma head. The observations were made approximately 93 km east of New York City at Stony Brook, New York. Surface microphysical measurements of snow habit and degree of riming were taken every 15–30 min using a stereo microscope and camera, and snow depth and snow density were also recorded. A vertically pointing Ku-band radar observed the vertical evolution of reflectivity and Doppler vertical velocities. There were rapid variations in the snow habits and densities related to the changes in vertical motion and depth of saturation. At any one time, a mixture of different ice habits was observed. Certain ice habits were dominant at the surface when the maximum vertical motion aloft occurred at their favored temperature for depositional growth. Convective seeder cells above 4 km MSL resulted in relatively cold (less than −15°C) ice crystal habits (side planes, bullets, and dendrites). Needlelike crystals were prevalent during the preband period when the maximum vertical motion was in the layer from −5° to −10°C. Moderately rimed dendritic crystals were observed at snowband maturity associated with the strongest frontogenetical ascent on the warm (east) side of the bands. Riming rapidly decreased and more platelike crystals became more numerous as the strongest ascent moved east of Stony Brook. Snow-to-liquid density ratios ranged from 8:1 to 13:1 in both events, except during the period of graupel, when the ratio was as low as 4:1.
Neighborhood Context and Police Vigor
Authors: Sobol James J. , Wu Yuning , Sun Ivan Y.
Published: January 2013

This study provides a partial test of Klinger’s ecological theory of police behavior using hierarchical linear modeling on 1,677 suspects who had encounters with police within 24 beats. The current study used data from four sources originally collected by the Project on Policing Neighborhoods (POPN), including systematic social observation, in-person interviews with officers, census data, and police crime records. It investigates the effects of neighborhood violent crime rates and concentrated disadvantage on officer vigor, controlling for individual-level officer characteristics and situational factors. The analyses reveal that police vigor was significantly shaped by beat-level crime rates, with high–crime rate neighborhoods experiencing higher levels of police vigor in handling suspects. The findings are not consistent with the ecological propositions set forth by Klinger. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research and theoretical development are discussed.
Schools, Neighborhood Risk Factors, and Crime
Authors: Willits Dale , Broidy Lisa , Denman Kristine
Published: January 2013

Prior research has identified a link between schools (particularly high schools) and neighborhood crime rates. However, it remains unclear whether the relationship between schools and crime is a reflection of other criminogenic dynamics at the neighborhood level or whether schools influence neighborhood crime patterns independently of other established structural predictors. We address this question by investigating the relationship between schools and serious crime at the block group level while controlling for the potentially criminogenic effects of neighborhood instability and structural disadvantage. We find that, net of other structural correlates, neighborhoods with high schools and middle schools experience more violent, property, and narcotics crimes than those without middle or high schools. Conversely, neighborhoods with elementary schools exhibit less property crime than those not containing elementary schools. These results, which are consistent with prior research and with explanations derived from the routine activities and social disorganization perspectives, suggest some strategies for police deployment and community involvement to control crime.
Correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents: A systematic review of reviews
Authors: Sterdt Elena , Liersch Sebastian , Walter Ulla
Published: January 2013

Objective:

The aim of this study was to identify promoting and inhibiting correlates associated with the physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents (aged 3–18). The intention was to demonstrate the complexity of correlates of PA and to determine possible influencing factors.

Design:

A systematic review of reviews.

Methods:

Systematic database research was carried out in Medline, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Springer Link and Thieme Connect. Inclusion criteria were that the study: (a) was classified as a systematic review with or without meta-analysis; (b) was published between 2000 and 2009; (c) dealt with children and adolescents aged 3–18; (d) had as its dependent variable any measure of overall PA; and (e) reviewed associations between quantitatively measured variables and PA. The internal validity of the systematic reviews thus identified was evaluated using a validated quality instrument.

Results:

Nine systematic reviews without meta-analysis and one systematic review with meta-analysis were selected. Altogether 16 correlates were identified which were consistently associated with PA of children and/or adolescents: sex, age, ethnicity, parental education, family income, socioeconomic status, perceived competence, self-efficacy, goal orientation/motivation, perceived barriers, participation in community sports, parental support, support from significant others, access to sport/recreational facilities und time outdoors.

Conclusions:

Although the findings of the reviews covered are to some extent heterogeneous, it is possible to identify consistent correlates of PA in children and adolescents. The results show that PA is a complex and multi-dimensional behaviour determined by numerous biological, psychological, sociocultural and environmental factors.
Test–retest reliability of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS)
Authors: Anderson LM , Moore JB , Hayden BM , Becker CM
Published: January 2013

Objective:

This study examined the temporal stability (i.e. test–retest reliability) of the Salutogenic Wellness Promotion Scale (SWPS) using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Current intraclass results were also compared to previously published interclass correlations to support the use of the intraclass method for test–retest analyses.

Method:

One thousand, one hundred and thirty-one participants completed the SWPS twice, two weeks apart. ICC and descriptive statistics were calculated.

Results:

Test–retest reliability was moderate to high for 23 of 25 SWPS items in males and 25 of 25 SWPS items in females. Differences in reliability across the seven SWPS dimensions were observed.

Conclusions:

The reliability of the SWPS suits it well for further refinement. Intraclass correlation procedures likely detect more error, when compared to interclass correlation analyses, in the examination of temporal stability of measures.
Milieus in the Military: Soldierly Ethos, Nationalism and Conformism Among Workers in the Wehrmacht
Authors: Römer Felix
Published: January 2013

Historiography is currently discussing the concept of the ‘Volksgemeinschaft’ as social practice in National Socialist Germany. Yet the debate barely touched upon the largest institution of the Nazi state, the Wehrmacht. This research gap was due not least to a lack of appropriate sources. A collection of sources has been made accessible, however, that enables us to address this desideratum: the files of the US interrogation centre Fort Hunt, where over 3000 German soldiers were interrogated and wiretapped during the Second World War. The files contain eavesdropping transcripts and biographical data that reveal both mentalities and socio-cultural backgrounds. These documents allow for an analysis of the extent to which milieu-specific lines of segregation and cultural interpretation retained their effectiveness in the Wehrmacht or were superimposed by an overarching collective morality. By looking at soldiers from the working-class and the Catholic milieu, the article argues that traditional dividing lines were largely blurred in the Wehrmacht, even if cores of dissident milieus persisted. Loyalty to the regime crisscrossed milieu boundaries and the majority of the soldiers across the social strata identified themselves with the Wehrmacht’s canon of values, which was a key factor for the cohesion of the armed forces of the Nazi state.
The ‘Polish Operation’ of the NKVD: The Climax of the Terror Against the Polish Minority in the Soviet Union
Authors: Musial Bodan
Published: January 2013

Between summer 1937 and autumn 1938, the time of the ‘Great Terror’, numerous so-called ‘National Operations’ targeting ethnic minorities were carried out in the USSR. The largest was the ‘Polish Operation’. Starting in August 1937 and ending in October 1938, NKVD units arrested over 150,000 people, 111,000 of whom were soon shot. The ‘Polish Operation’ marked the zenith of the persecution of Poles in the Soviet Union, which had begun in the early 1930s when the party leadership embarked on systematic mass terror against the Polish minority. Between 1930 and 1936 Stalin ordered the Belorussian and Ukrainian Soviet Republics to be purged of Poles, resulting in thousands of deaths and many more deportations. It is estimated that Polish losses in the Ukrainian SSR were about 30 per cent, while in the Belorussian SSR, where some 300,000 persons declared themselves as Poles in the 1920s, the Polish minority was almost completely annihilated or deported. The available sources clearly imply that it was ethnic-defined terror and that the ‘Polish Operation’ was merely a peak in the persecution.
Nazi Ideology and Engineers at War: Fritz Todt’s ‘Speaker System’
Authors: Guse John C.
Published: January 2013

Fritz Todt created a program of lectures for German engineers in 1941. This ‘Speaker System’ was designed to enhance technical training, spread Todt’s Deutsche Technik ideology and prepare for technocratic Nazi control of postwar Europe. The Speaker System illustrates the tension inherent in the ‘ideological-pragmatic synthesis’ that was the Third Reich. Due to deteriorating wartime conditions and to Albert Speer’s shift to a ‘total war’ footing, the Speaker System faded away after 1943. Lectures were on the whole apolitical, with the ideological thrust varying widely between regions. Many speakers were not members of the Nazi Party or its engineering affiliate, demonstrating the regime’s wartime shift to technological pragmatism. Fritz Todt’s ideological vision proved secondary to the core Nazi goals of conquering Lebensraum and destroying the Jews.
Hesitation to Share Bad News
Authors: Dibble Jayson L. , Wisner Amy M. , Dobbins Lauren , Cacal Michael , Taniguchi Emiko , Peyton Aili , van Raalte Lisa , Kubulins Andra
Published: January 2013

Research on bad news delivery reveals a reliable temporal delay in the onset of the bad news message from the sender to the receiver. Two experiments utilized a false feedback test design to determine whether the delay is better accounted for by negative verbal message planning, politeness, or both. Both studies ( Ns = 135 and 138) featured participant-senders who delivered either scripted or unscripted good, neutral, or bad news to a stranger. News valence, delay before response, and reluctance were measured. Both experiments supported the functional politeness explanation. Study 2 also supported the negative verbal message–planning explanation. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Effect of fly ash on thermal stability, flammability, oil resistance and transport properties of chlorinated styrene butadiene rubber composites
Authors: Ramesan Manammel Thankappan
Published: January 2013

Fly ash (FA) can be used as a filler in rubber vulcanizates to get rid off their waste. Polymer composite based on chlorinated styrene butadiene rubber (CSBR)/containing varying amount of FA composites has been developed by melt compounding followed by dicumyl peroxide vulcanization. The influence of increased loading of FA on the cure characteristics, mechanical properties, thermal stability, flame and oil resistance has been investigated. The increase in FA loading in CSBR matrices has been found to accelerate the curing process up to 37% compared to unfilled sample. The uniform distribution of FA in CSBR has been confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, which also explained the improved mechanical properties, flame and oil resistance of the composites. The diffusion rate of aromatic hydrocarbon solvents through the composite film is minimum for composites with 30 phr of filler and the rate is increased with increasing the filler content. Activation parameters are estimated and the molecular mass is calculated using Flory–Rehner theory. The sorption data are used to estimate the enthalpy, entropy and free energy of mixing. Mechanical properties such as tensile strength, modulus and hardness of the samples decreased after immersion in ASTM oil and the decreasing trend is lower for 30 phr FA-filled samples.
Effect of crystal silica on thermal conductivity of elastic encapsulant
Authors: Shen Mingxia , Han Yongqin , Duan Pengpeng
Published: January 2013

A crystal silica was intermingled with an elastic ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer to fabricate an encapsulant and improve its thermal conductivity. The encapsulant showed not only an improved thermal conductivity and adhesiveness but also good thermal stability and tenacity. Its thermal conductivity with various sizes, dosage, and surface properties of silica (SiO2) was investigated using laser scattering method. The tenacity and adhesion properties were evaluated using dynamic viscoelasticity and peel strength, respectively. The integrated properties of the encapsulant were obtained while SiO2 reached to 80 wt portions in composite. Thermal conductivity of the composite was less dependent on the surface properties of SiO2.
Effect of processing methods on the mechanical properties of natural rubber filled with stearic acid-modified soy protein particles
Authors: Jong Lei
Published: January 2013

Natural rubber was reinforced with stearic acid-modified soy protein particles prepared using a microfluidizing and ball milling process. Longer ball milling time tends to increase the tensile strength of the rubber composites. Elastic modulus of the composites increased with the increasing filler concentration. The loss modulus and loss tangent indicated an increase in the amount of polymer immobilized by the modified soy protein. The extent of stearic acid modification affected the mechanical properties of the rubber composites. Compared with the unmodified soy protein, the microfluidized and stearic acid-modified soy protein filler improved the mechanical properties of the rubber composites.