bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Appraisal of Nuclear Organisation in Interphase Embryonic Fibroblasts of Chicken, Turkey and Duck
Authors: Skinner B.M. , Völker M. , Ellis M. , Griffin D.K.
Published: December 2009

Determining the nuclear ‘addresses’ of chromosome territories is a well-documented means of assaying for nuclear organisation in many cell types and species. Data in avian species are however limited at best, despite the pivotal role played by birds (particularly chickens) in agriculture, and as model organisms in developmental biology. That is, studies have hitherto focussed mostly on mammals (especially humans) and have demonstrated the importance of chromosome territory positioning in embryology, disease and evolution. Thus a detailed study of nuclear organisation in many species, many cell types and many developmental stages in birds is warranted, however, before this is achieved, ‘baseline’ needs to be established to determine precisely the relative locations of chromosome territories in at least 1 cell type of at least 1 bird. With this in mind we hybridised FISH probes from chicken chromosomes 1–28 to embryonic fibroblast nuclei, determining nuclear addresses using a newly developed plug-in to the image analysis package ImageJ. In our experience, evenly spaced representative BAC clones yielded more consistent results than hybridisation of chromosome paints. Results suggested that chromosome territory distribution best fitted a chromosome size-based (rather than gene density-based) pattern. Identical BAC clones were then hybridised to turkey and duck in a comparative genomic strategy. Observations were consistent with those seen in chicken (although, less well-defined in duck), providing preliminary evidence of conservation throughout evolution.
Phylogeny of Horse Chromosome 5q in the Genus Equus and Centromere Repositioning
Authors: Piras F.M. , Nergadze S.G. , Poletto V. , Cerutti F. , Ryder O.A. , Leeb T. , Raimondi E. , Giulotto E.
Published: December 2009

Horses, asses and zebras belong to the genus Equus and are the only extant species of the family Equidae in the order Perissodactyla. In a previous work we demonstrated that a key factor in the rapid karyotypic evolution of this genus was evolutionary centromere repositioning, that is, the shift of the centromeric function to a new position without alteration of the order of markers along the chromosome. In search of previously undiscovered evolutionarily new centromeres, we traced the phylogeny of horse chromosome 5, analyzing the order of BAC markers, derived from a horse genomic library, in 7 Equus species (E. caballus, E. hemionus onager, E. kiang, E. asinus, E. grevyi, E. burchelli and E. zebra hartmannae). This analysis showed that repositioned centromeres are present in E. asinus (domestic donkey, EAS) chromosome 16 and in E. burchelli (Burchell’s zebra, EBU) chromosome 17, confirming that centromere repositioning is a strikingly frequent phenomenon in this genus. The observation that the neocentromeres in EAS16 and EBU17 are in the same chromosomal position suggests that they may derive from the same event and therefore, E. asinus and E. burchelli may be more closely related than previously proposed; alternatively, 2 centromere repositioning events, involving the same chromosomal region, may have occurred independently in different lineages, pointing to the possible existence of hot spots for neocentromere formation. Our comparative analysis also showed that, while E. caballus chromosome 5 seems to represent the ancestral configuration, centric fission followed by independent fusion events gave rise to 3 different submetacentric chromosomes in other Equus lineages.
A Comparison of Coding Sequence and Cytogenetic Localization of the Myostatin Gene in the Dog, Red Fox, Arctic Fox and Chinese Raccoon Dog
Authors: Grzes M. , Nowacka-Woszuk J. , Szczerbal I. , Czerwinska J. , Gracz J. , Switonski M.
Published: December 2009

The gene encoding myostatin (MSTN), due to its crucial function for growth of skeletal muscle mass, is an important candidate for muscularity. In this study we analyzed the nucleotide sequence and FISH localization of this gene in 4 canids, including 3 farm species. The nucleotide sequence of the MSTN coding fragment turned out to be highly conserved, since its identity among the studied species was very high and varied between 99.4 and 99.7%. Only 1, widely spread, silent single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was found in exon 1 of the Chinese raccoon dog. The MSTN gene was localized close to the centromere in one-armed chromosomes of the dog (37q11) and bi-armed chromosomes of the red fox (16p11) and arctic fox (10q11), with an exception of the Chinese raccoon dog chromosome (2q14–q21). This chromosome is orthologous to 3 canine chromosomes and thus the MSTN was found more interstitially. Our results are in agreement with the hypothesis that karyotypes of the canids evolved mainly through centric fusion/fission events, while tandem fusions occurred rarely.
Comparative Cytogenetic and Molecular Studies of DM Domain Genes in Pig and Cattle
Authors: Bratuś A. , Słota E.
Published: December 2009

Despite great differences in the biology of sex determination, the DM domain genes are thought to regulate sexual development in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Although they seem to represent the first known example of the conservation of metazoan sexual pathways, the structure-function relationships of this gene family have not yet been clearly determined. Our previous and current studies on the DMRT (Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor) gene cluster, DMRT1, DMRT2, DMRT3, in pig and cattle, have revealed conserved linkage to bovine (BTA8q17) and swine (SSC1q21) autosomes. However, the DMRT cluster seems to harbour the genes in different orders in both cattle (Entrez database) and pig (IMpRH map), compared to other vertebrates investigated so far. Moreover, we found that expression of DMRT1 (considered as the testicular regulator so far) is not restricted to gonads in adult animals. Beside ovary and testis, DMRT1 expression was detectable in swine kidney and bovine liver, heart, skeletal muscle, kidney, lung, spleen and showed no differences between the sexes. Swine and bovine DMRT3 expression was strongly restricted to the adult testis, while DMRT2 homologues have a wider expression pattern, as occurs in other mammals. The significance of this expression pattern of DMRT genes in adult pig and cattle remains unclear. It might shed new light on mammalian DM domain genes evolution and livestock intersexuality.
Analysis Using Sperm-FISH of a Putative Interchromosomal Effect in Boars Carrying Reciprocal Translocations
Authors: Bonnet-Garnier A. , Guardia S. , Pinton A. , Ducos A. , Yerle M.
Published: December 2009

The occurrence of interchromosomal effects (ICE) in reciprocal translocation carriers still remains contradictory in the human literature. We used the pig as an animal model to investigate whether the structure of the reciprocal translocations as well as the size and/or type of the chromosomes not involved in the rearrangement may influence the occurrence and the extent of ICE. Analyses of chromosomal sperm content by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using whole-chromosome painting probes for 7 chromosomes (1, 10, 11, 13, 18, X and Y) were carried out on sperm samples of 2 boars with normal semen parameters carrying different balanced reciprocal translocations: 38, XY, t(3;15)(q27;q13) or 38, XY, t(12;14)(q13;q21). One fertile boar with normal karyotype was also studied as a control. Aneuploidy rates for the 7 chromosomes were estimated by scoring 10,000 to 20,000 spermatozoa for each probe combination. No significant ICE was found except for chromosome 1 in the case of the t(3;15) translocation. Even if statistically significant, this ICE remained very weak and should have very little impact on the reproductive performance of the carrier boar. The size and/or type of chromosomes not involved in the translocation do not seem to have a major influence on the occurrence of ICE. The structure of the translocation could play a role, but complementary studies should be carried out to confirm this assumption.
Macrocephaly in Bull Spermatozoa Is Associated with Nuclear Vacuoles, Diploidy and Alteration of Chromatin Condensation
Authors: Revay T. , Nagy S. , Kopp C. , Flyckt A. , Rens W. , Rath D. , Hidas A. , Kovacs A. , Johannisson A. , Rodriguez-Martinez H. , Andersson M.
Published: December 2009

Spermatozoa from 2 dairy AI (artificial insemination) bulls (A and B), identified by their abnormal spermiogram with cells depicting frequent macrocephaly, double tails and nuclear vacuoles, were case-investigated and compared to normal spermatozoa from a control AI sire (C). Head sizes were measured and morphological abnormalities scored using brightfield and differential interference contrast microscopy. The degree of sperm maturation and of resistance to acid-induced DNA denaturation in situ were determined after uploading of acridine orange using flow cytometry of 5,000 cells/sample. Nuclear fragmentation, i.e. the ratio of red to total (red + green) fluorescence, reached 7.1% and 31% in bulls A and B, compared to 2% in bull C. The proportion of immature spermatozoa, i.e. those with incomplete histone-protamine exchange and depicting higher green fluorescence compared to the main population of the control bull, reached 9.54% in A and 7.75% in B, compared to only 0.47% in the control. In the second part of this study the previously unknown chromosomal constitution of large-headed spermatozoa of bull A was investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization using an X-Y painting probe set. The 7.5% XY-bearing cells and the presence of diploid spermatozoa detected by flow cytometry indicate a meiotic arrest in the first division in bull A, becoming the first proven case of association of macrocephaly and M1 diploidy. The diverse approaches used for the investigation of spermatozoal DNA provide insights into the etiology of macrocephaly.
Investigation of Chromosome Aneuploidies in Early Porcine Embryos Using Comparative Genomic Hybridization
Authors: Hornak M. , Hulinska P. , Musilova P. , Kubickova S. , Rubes J.
Published: December 2009

Although numerical chromosome errors are known to be prevalent in early human embryos and are likely to be a considerable factor influencing the mortality of early embryos and implantation failure, in domestic animals data about the frequency and nature of errors is limited. The objectives of this study were to investigate the whole chromosome set of in vivo obtained early pig embryos, applying methods of whole genome amplification and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and to contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the topic. The embryos were collected from gilts 72 h after insemination. Further, they were lysed and underwent whole genome amplification by multiple displacement amplification. In a subsequent CGH, amplified DNA was compared to control DNA using different fluorescent labeling and hybridization to male pig mitoses. 11 (14.3%) of the 77 pig embryos examined were observed to be aneuploid. We found chromosome errors comprising loss/gain of one or a few chromosomes (10.4%) but also extensive chromosome imbalances (3.9%). Chromosomes 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, and X were most frequently involved in aneuploidies, when compared to chromosomes 2, 9, and 18, which were rarely involved in chromosome errors.
X-Y Sperm Aneuploidy in 2 Cattle (Bos taurus) Breeds as Determined by Dual Color Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH)
Authors: Nicodemo D. , Pauciullo A. , Castello A. , Roldan E. , Gomendio M. , Cosenza G. , Peretti V. , Perucatti A. , Di Meo G.P. , Ramunno L. , Iannuzzi L. , Rubes J. , Di Berardino D.
Published: December 2009

The present study was undertaken to investigate aneuploidy rates in the sperm populations of 2 cattle (Bos taurus) breeds by using dual color fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with Xcen and Y chromosome-specific painting probes, obtained by chromosome microdissection and DOP-PCR. Frozen semen from 10 Italian Friesian and 10 Italian Brown testing bulls was used for the investigation. For each bull, more than 5,000 sperm were analyzed, for a total of 52,586 and 51,342 sperm cells for the 2 breeds, respectively. The present study revealed – in both breeds – a preponderance of the Y-bearing sperm compared to the X-bearing sperm. Within each breed, a statistically significant variation in the various classes of aneuploidy (XX, YY and XY) was found: differences were found in the Friesian breed among the 3 diploidy classes, and in the Brown breed, among the 3 disomy classes (p < 0.05) as well as among the 3 diploidy classes (p < 0.01). However, the 2 breeds did not differ significantly in the overall mean rates of X-Y aneuploidy (disomy + diploidy) which amounts to 0.162% in the Italian Friesian and 0.142% in the Italian Brown. When meiosis I (MI) and II (MII) errors were compared, statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) were found in the disomy classes and in both breeds, whereas the differences between diploidy classes were not significant. Compared to humans, a lower level of aneuploidy has been found in the domestic species analyzed so far. The present study contributes to the establishment of a baseline level of aneuploidy in the sperm populations of 2 cattle breeds which could be used for monitoring future trends of reproductive health, especially in relation to environmental changes and mutagens.
Nattokinase-Promoted Tissue Plasminogen Activator Release from Human Cells
Authors: Yatagai Chieko , Maruyama Masugi , Kawahara Tomoko , Sumi Hiroyuki
Published: December 2009

When heated to a temperature of 70°C or higher, the strong fibrinolytic activity of nattokinase in a solution was deactivated. Similar results were observed in the case of using Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-pNA and H-D-Val-Leu-Lys-pNA, which are synthetic substrates of nattokinase. In the current study, tests were conducted on the indirect fibrinolytic effects of the substances containing nattokinase that had been deactivated through heating at 121°C for 15 min. Bacillus subtilis natto culture solutions made from three types of bacteria strain were heat-treated and deactivated, and it was found that these culture solutions had the ability to generate tissue plasminogen activators (tPA) from vascular endothelial cells and HeLa cells at certain concentration levels. For example, it was found that the addition of heat-treated culture solution of the Naruse strain (undiluted solution) raises the tPA activity of HeLa cells to about 20 times that of the control. Under the same conditions, tPA activity was raised to a level about 5 times higher for human vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC), and to a level about 24 times higher for nattokinase sold on the market. No change in cell count was observed for HeLa cells and HUVEC in the culture solution at these concentrations, and the level of activity was found to vary with concentration.
Regulation of ADAMTS13 Expression in Proliferating Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells
Authors: Kling Stephen J. , Judd Cambria A. , Warner Keith B. , Rodgers George M.
Published: December 2009

ADAMTS13, the von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, is constitutively produced by endothelial cells. The aim was to quantify ADAMTS13 production in proliferating and nonproliferating human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and to determine if such production was regulated. HUVECs were plated at 50,000 cells/cm2 or 10,000 cells/cm2, densities yielding confluence or subconfluence, respectively. Subconfluent HUVEC supernatants and cell lysates contained at least 2-fold more ADAMTS13 antigen than those of confluent HUVECs (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry supported this increase and indicated no dramatic shifts in subcellular localization of HUVEC ADAMTS13 by HUVEC proliferation. The activity of the ADAMTS13 produced by subconfluent HUVECs was increased about 2-fold also. HUVECs rapidly increased ADAMTS13 mRNA in response to subconfluent conditions. This change in regulation, in turn, leads to increased ADAMTS13 protein production and activity by these proliferating cells.
The Role of Platelet and Fibrin Ultrastructure in Identifying Disease Patterns
Authors: Pretorius E.
Published: December 2009

Platelets and fibrin play an important role in the coagula- tion process where they are involved in the maintenance of haemostasis. Many diseases like cancer, thrombotic disease, bleeding disorders, asthma and even conditions like HIV/AIDS are associated with ultrastructural changes in platelets and fibrin, and because of this altered morphology in many diseases, the question now arises whether ultrastructural and morphological analyses of platelets and fibrin networks have a place in contemporary medical research. The present work aims to demonstrate the usefulness of ultrastructural analyses in the broadening of knowledge of disease patterns and suggests that information gained by studying ultrastructure may enhance treatment regimes. We propose an altered haemostasis with changed coagulation factors resulting in a thrombotic event is present in the human body long before the actual event. Thus, by studying the coagulum and platelet profile, preventative actions can be taken. It is therefore concluded that morphology and ultrastructure do indeed have a place in medical research based on the fact that the knowledge obtained through these studies helps in the broadening of knowledge of disease patterns.
Prothrombin Complex Concentrates for Urgent Anticoagulation Reversal in Patients with Intracranial Haemorrhage
Authors: Imberti D. , Barillari G. , Biasioli C. , Bianchi M. , Contino L. , Duce R. , D’Incà M. , Mameli L. , Pinna L. , Ageno W.
Published: December 2009

Background: Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is a serious and potentially fatal complication of oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT). Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) produce a rapid and effective reversal of OAT effects, but little evidence exists on their efficacy and safety in the management of ICH in patients on OAT. Aim:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PCCs for the rapid reversal of OAT in patients with ICH. Methods: Patients suffering from acute ICH while receiving OAT were eligible for this prospective cohort study if their international normalized ratio (INR) was ≥2.0. Stratified 35–50 IU kg–1 PCC doses were infused based on initial INR. Results: A total of 92 patients (50 males; mean age 74 years, range 34–92 years) were included. The median INR at presentation was 3.3 (range 2–9). At 30 min after PCC administration the median INR was 1.4 (range 0.9–3.1), declining to ≤1.5 in 75% of patients. The benefit of PCC was maintained for a long time, since in 98% of all post-infusion time points through 96 h the median INR remained ≤1.5 (median 1.19; range 0.9–2.3). During hospitalization neither thrombotic complications nor significant adverse events were observed and 11 patients died (11.9%). None of the deaths was judged to be related to PCC administration. Conclusions: PCC administration is an effective, rapid and safe treatment for the urgent reversal of OAT in patients with ICH. Broader use of PCC in this clinical setting appears to be appropriate.
Genetic Variation in N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Subunit NR3A but Not NR3B Influences Susceptibility to Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Liu Hsin-Ping , Lin Wei-Yong , Liu Shu-Hsiang , Wang Wen-Fu , Tsai Chon-Haw , Wu Bor-Tsang , Wang Chien-Kuo , Tsai Fuu-Jen
Published: December 2009

Background: The administration of memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, has clinically improved the cognitive function of patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), indicating that a disturbance in glutamatergic transmission might be involved in a predisposition to developing the disease. Aim: The potential association of polymorphisms in NMDA receptor subunits NR3A and NR3B, encoded by the GRIN3A and GRIN3B genes, with AD was investigated. Methods: We performed a case-control study. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms, 3104 G/A (rs10989563) and 3723 G/A (rs3739722), in the GRIN3A gene and 2 GRIN3B gene polymorphisms, 1210 C/T (rs4807399) and 1730 C/T (rs2240158), were studied. Results: Upon genotyping of the exonic polymorphism in the GRIN3A gene, the G allele was present at a higher rate than the A allele at position 3723 in AD patients compared with normal groups (p < 0.05). Three haplotypes (designated Ht1–3) were identified from these 2 polymorphisms (3104 G/A and 3723 G/A), and the distribution of Ht2 (AG) differed between AD patients and controls (p < 0.05). Additionally, from the 2 GRIN3B gene variants 1210 C/T and 1730 C/T analyzed, no strong association with AD was observed. Conclusion: These observations suggest that the genetic variation of the NR3A, but not NR3B, subunit of the NMDA receptor may be a risk factor for AD pathogenesis among the Taiwanese population.
Fertility-Sparing Approach in a Teenager with Uterine Tumor Diagnosed as a Sarcoma on Imaging
Authors: Berveiller Paul , Mir Olivier , Menu Yves , Jamali Maryam , Carbonne Bruno
Published: December 2009

Background: Uterine tumors are extremely rare in teenage patients. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help distinguish between leiomyoma and sarcoma, it may also seriously mislead the diagnosis. Case Report: An 18-year-old female patient presented with marked anemia, and a rapidly growing uterine tumor that strongly suggested uterine sarcoma on MRI. In order to avoid dispensable radical surgery, explorative laparotomy with tumor biopsy was performed after balancing risk/benefit ratio. Extemporaneous pathologic examination revealed a benign leiomyoma, and the patient subsequently underwent complete conservative myomectomy. Conclusion: Preserving fertility is an important issue in young patients with uterine tumors, and tumor biopsy may overcome MRI false positive results, as illustrated in this case. Conservative approach deserves further evaluation in this specific setting.
Comparison of Cross-Sectional Hardness and Transverse Microradiography of Artificial Carious Enamel Lesions Induced by Different Demineralising Solutions and Gels
Authors: Magalhães A.C. , Moron B.M. , Comar L.P. , Wiegand A. , Buchalla W. , Buzalaf M.A.R.
Published: December 2009

The aims of this study were: (1) to correlate surface (SH) and cross-sectional hardness (CSH) with microradiographic parameters of artificial enamel lesions; (2) to compare lesions prepared by different protocols. Fifty bovine enamel specimens were allocated by stratified randomisation according to their initial SH values to five groups and lesions produced by different methods: MC gel (methylcellulose gel/lactic acid, pH 4.6, 14 days); PA gel (polyacrylic acid/lactic acid/hydroxyapatite, pH 4.8, 16 h); MHDP (undersaturated lactate buffer/methyl diphosphonate, pH 5.0, 6 days); buffer (undersaturated acetate buffer/fluoride, pH 5.0, 16 h), and pH cycling (7 days). SH of the lesions (SH1) was measured. The specimens were longitudinally sectioned and transverse microradiography (TMR) and CSH measured at 10- to 220-μm depth from the surface. Overall, there was a medium correlation but non-linear and variable relationship between mineral content and √CSH. √SH1 was weakly to moderately correlated with surface layer properties, weakly correlated with lesion depth but uncorrelated with integrated mineral loss. MHDP lesions showed the highest subsurface mineral loss, followed by pH cycling, buffer, PA gel and MC gel lesions. The conclusions were: (1) CSH, as an alternative to TMR, does not estimate mineral content very accurately, but gives information about mechanical properties of lesions; (2) SH should not be used to analyse lesions; (3) artificial caries lesions produced by the protocols differ, especially considering the method of analysis.
NIPAL4/Ichthyin Is Expressed in the Granular Layer of Human Epidermis and Mutated in Two Pakistani Families with Autosomal Recessive Ichthyosis
Authors: Wajid Muhammad , Kurban Mazen , Shimomura Yutaka , Christiano Angela M.
Published: December 2009

Background: Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) can be divided into 3 types including lamellar ichthyosis (OMIM 242304), nonbullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (OMIM 242100) and harlequin ichthyosis (OMIM 242500). The last type is uncommon since newborns with harlequin ichthyosis usually die shortly after birth. Several genes have been linked to ARCI, but these represent only 60% of the known genetic causes of this condition. Methods: After having performed a linkage analysis, we analyzed the DNA of 2 consanguineous Pakistani families with ARCI for NIPAL4 mutations and performed in situ hybridization (ISH) for NIPAL4 mRNA in the epidermis. Results: The haplotype analysis revealed a linkage to chromosome 5, and we identified a recurrent missense mutation, p.A176D, in affected individuals from both families. We also determined by ISH that NIPAL4 mRNA is highly expressed in the granular cell layer of the epidermis, consistent with the ARCI phenotype. Conclusion: Our results expand the spectrum of the clinical manifestations of the NIPAL4 gene and further extend our understanding of its molecular function.
Temporal Phase Relation of Circadian Neural Oscillations Alters RFamide-Related Peptide-3 and Testicular Function in the Mouse
Authors: Sethi Sumit , Tsutsui Kazuyoshi , Chaturvedi Chandra Mohini
Published: December 2009

In order to study the effect of the temporal synergism of neural oscillations on reproductive regulation and the response of RFamide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3; a mammalian ortholog of avian gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone), expression of immunoreactive RFRP-3 in the neurons of the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus was monitored in sexually immature and mature laboratory mice (study I). In study II, the effects of serotonin and dopamine precursors (5-hydroxytryptophan and L-dihydroxyphenylalanine; injected daily, 8 or 12 h apart, for 13 days in 3-week-old mice) on testicular activity and immunoreactive RFRP-3 neurons were studied until 24 days after treatment. Results indicate high levels of expression of immunoreactive RFRP-3 in the sexually immature and 8-hour mice (simulating gonadal suppression), while a low level was noted in mature and 12-hour mice (simulating gonadal stimulation). These findings not only suggest the modulation of gonadal development in mice (during the course of puberty attainment) by changing the temporal phase relation of serotonergic and dopaminergic oscillations (as in some seasonally breeding species), but also demonstrate an inverse correlation of RFRP-3 neurons and gonadal activity in both control and experimental conditions.
Many Tongues, Many Senses: Pentecost, the Body Politic, and the Redemption of Dis/Ability
Authors: Yong Amos
Published: December 2009

Disability studies and Pentecostal studies have not interacted much in the young history of both fields of inquiry. This essay identifies some of the reasons for this missed interface, explores how disability perspectives might bring to the fore resources for rethinking Pentecostal understandings of disability, explicates (with the help of a disability hermeneutic) the Pentecostal theology of "many tongues" bearing witness to the gospel with the correlative motif of "many senses" capable of receiving and giving witness to the works of God, and reassesses the possibility of Pentecostal contributions to theology of disability and disability studies in light of the "many senses" motif. My thesis is that the dialogue between disability studies and Pentecostal studies will be challenging but also helpful for both sides, even as our joint efforts might also testify to the wonders of God in and through the diversity of embodied human experiences.
Wesley's Sanctification Narrative: A Tool for Understanding the Holy Spirit's Work in a More Physical Soul
Authors: Shrier Paul , Shrier Cahleen
Published: December 2009

Rapid advances in neuroscience during the past fifteen years require Christians to rethink traditional understandings of the human soul, sin, salvation, and sanctification. John Wesley's understanding of means of grace and his theology of the Holy Spirit provide tools to integrate our understanding of the soul and sanctification with current neuroscience. First, a new, more physical, Christian understanding of the soul is suggested. Then Wesley's theology of sanctification through acts of mercy is explained and related to current concepts of empathy. The relationship between empathy and sanctification, as understood by Wesley, is then compared with new neurological findings about human mirror neuron systems that are prerequisite for empathizing with others. The final section suggests a new sanctification narrative based on the interactions of the Holy Spirit, mirror neuron systems, and empathy, and then makes recommendations for Christian actions based on the correlation of brain function and operations of the Holy Spirit.
Hymnody and Liturgy in the Azusa Street Revival, 1906-1908
Authors: Dove Stephen
Published: December 2009

Participants in the Azusa Street Revival regularly emphasized the nonliturgical nature of their Spirit-led worship. This article argues, however, that while worshippers eschewed traditional devices such as lectionaries and set schedules, they did create their own, unique form of liturgy through hymnody. The liturgical functions served by music at Azusa Street included selecting Scripture readings, ordering services, and providing theological balance. To make this case, the author surveys references to music, singing, and hymn writing in the official publications of the revival and in later accounts of the revival recorded by participants. From these sources, the author identifies three types of music used at Azusa Street: singing in the Spirit, new compositions written in a conventional style, and traditional hymns. The article further demonstrates how these genres served specific functions in the community, one of the most important of which was to emphasize the christological, as opposed to pneumatological, aspects of Pentecostal theology.
Response to Reviews of, In Jesus' Name
Authors: Reed David
Published: December 2009

This article is a response by Reed to two reviews of his book. Both reviewers write as Oneness or "Apostolic" Pentecostals, Millner from an African-American tradition and French from a predominantly white organization. Reed briefly examines three issues raised in the reviews based on their implications for race within OP identity: the historical roots of OP theology in early evangelicalism, OP's heterodox beliefs and tenuous relationship with other Christian bodies, and Reed's historical-theological methodology.
A Stochastic Analysis of the Impact of Small-Scale Fluctuations on the Tropospheric Temperature Response to CO2 Doubling
Authors: Seiffert Rita , von Storch Jin-Song
Published: December 2009

The climate response to increased CO2 concentration is generally studied using climate models that have finite spatial and temporal resolutions. Different parameterizations of the effect of unresolved processes can result in different representations of small-scale fluctuations in the climate model. The representation of small-scale fluctuations can, on the other hand, affect the modeled climate response. In this study the mechanisms by which enhanced small-scale fluctuations alter the climate response to CO2 doubling are investigated. Climate experiments with preindustrial and doubled CO2 concentrations obtained from a comprehensive climate model [ECHAM5/Max Planck Institute Ocean Model (MPI-OM)] are analyzed both with and without enhanced small-scale fluctuations. By applying a stochastic model to the experimental results, two different mechanisms are found. First, the small-scale fluctuations can change the statistical behavior of the global mean temperature as measured by its statistical damping. The statistical damping acts as a restoring force that determines, according to the fluctuation–dissipation theory, the amplitude of the climate response to a change in external forcing (here, CO2 doubling). Second, the small-scale fluctuations can affect processes that occur only in response to the CO2 increase, thereby altering the change of the effective forcing on the global mean temperature.
Why Is ENSO Influencing Northwest India Winter Precipitation in Recent Decades?
Authors: Yadav R. K. , Yoo J. H. , Kucharski F. , Abid M. A.
Published: December 2009

This study examines decadal changes of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence on the interannual variability of northwest India winter precipitation (NWIWP). The analysis is based on correlations and regressions performed using India Meteorological Department (IMD) records based on station data and reanalysis fields from 1950 to 2008. The authors find that the interannual variability of NWIWP is influenced by the ENSO phenomenon in the recent decades. This conclusion is supported by a consistency across the different observational datasets employed in this study and confirmed by numerical modeling. A physical mechanism for such an influence is proposed, by which western disturbances (WDs) are intensified over northwest India because of a baroclinic response due to Sverdrup balance related to large-scale sinking motion over the western Pacific during the warm phase of ENSO. This response causes an upper-level cyclonic circulation anomaly north of India and a low-level anticyclonic anomaly over southern and central India. The cyclonic circulation anomaly intensifies the WDs passing over northwest India.
On the Duration and Sustainability of Transnational Terrorist Organizations
Authors: Brock Blomberg S. , Engel Rozlyn C. , Sawyer Reid
Published: December 2009

This article aims to improve scholars’ understanding of how transnational terrorist organizations emerge, survive, thrive, and eventually die.The authors use a data set that catalogues terrorist organizations and their attacks over time (the ITERATE database of thousands of terrorist events from 1968 through 2007) and merge those data with socioeconomic information about the environment in which each attack occurs. They use these data to trace the life cycle pattern of terrorist activity and the organizations that perpetrate them. They identify at least two types of terrorist organizations— recidivists and one-hit wonders. The authors find that recidivist organizations, those that have repeatedly attacked, are less likely to survive once political and socioeconomic factors have been included. However, they find that sporadic or one-hit wonders are not easily deterred by socioeconomic factors, leaving open a role for counterinsurgency tactics.
Can You Dig It?
Authors: Beer David
Published: December 2009

Coolness is an elusive concept. This research note seeks to understand its place in the life of the sociologist. Reflecting on the recent experiences of the author, this piece focuses on the problems of studying music cultures where the interested researcher has become uncool. It begins by tracking this problem, with particular regard to the problems of identifying and studying the very aspects of culture that the researcher wishes to investigate, before suggesting how we might react where we think our uncoolness is a problem in our research. The note concludes with a discussion of the implications of these issues for sociology more generally.
Topologies of Power
Authors: Collier Stephen J.
Published: December 2009

The publication of Michel Foucault’s lectures at the Collège de France in the late 1970s has provided new insight into crucial developments in his late work, including the return to an analysis of the state and the introduction of biopolitics as a central theme. According to one dominant interpretation, these shifts did not entail a fundamental methodological break; the approach Foucault developed in his work on knowledge/power was simply applied to new objects. The present article argues that this reading — which is colored by the overwhelming privilege afforded to Discipline and Punish in secondary literature — obscures an important modification in Foucault’s method and diagnostic style that occurred between the introduction of biopolitics in 1976 (in Society Must Be Defended) and the lectures of 1978 ( Security, Territory, Population) and 1979 ( Birth of Biopolitics). Foucault’s initial analysis of biopolitics was couched in surprisingly epochal and totalizing claims about the characteristic forms of power in modernity. The later lectures, by contrast, suggest what I propose to call a ‘topological’ analysis that examines the ‘patterns of correlation’ in which heterogeneous elements — techniques, material forms, institutional structures and technologies of power — are configured, as well as the redeployments through which these patterns are transformed. I also indicate how attention to the topological dimension of Foucault’s analysis might change our understanding of key themes in his late work: biopolitics, the analysis of thinking, and the concept of governmentality.
Rethinking Biopolitics, Race and Power in the Wake of Foucault
Authors: Macey David
Published: December 2009

This article examines the ambivalences in Foucault’s elaboration of the concept of biopower and biopolitics. From the beginning, he relates the idea of a power over life to struggle and war, and so to race. In the period of the formation of the nation-state, threats to the unity and strength of the population were thought to come from a contagion by an alien element. In this context, tropes of race became aligned with the ‘sciences and technologies of the social’ that were emerging as part of biopolitics. They became part of the new rationality of the state, finding expression in projects such as public hygiene and eugenics, and, at the extreme, in Nazism.
Another Life
Authors: Terranova Tiziana
Published: December 2009

The article focuses on the relation established by Foucault in the two lecture courses Security, Territory, Population and The Birth of Biopolitics between life, nature and political economy. It explores the ways in which liberalism constructs a notion of economic nature as a phenomenon of circulation of aleatory series of events and poses the latter as an internal limit to sovereign power. It argues that the entwinement of vital and economic processes provides the means of internal redefinition of the raison d’État and uses such an explanation to understand the emergence of the network topos as a technology of regulation of the unstable co-causality of milieus of circulation. The article also follows Foucault’s argument that the neoliberal market is significantly different from the liberal market inasmuch as, unlike the latter, it is not defined as an abstract logic of exchange among equals but as an ideal logic of competition between formal inequalities. Finally it asks whether new theories of social production and sympathetic cooperation, in the work of authors such as Yochai Benkler and Maurizio Lazzarato, can offer an alternative to the neoliberal logic of market-based competition as the basis for the production of new forms of life.
‘Why Does a Nikkei Want to Talk to Other Nikkeis?’
Authors: Nishida Mieko
Published: December 2009

■ This article explores the complexities of Japanese Brazilian identity in contemporary São Paulo, home to the largest concentration of Japanese descendants outside Japan. In the city of São Paulo, Japanese Brazilians are racially placed as whites and also identify themselves as such, based on their collective socio-economic position as members of the urban middle class. Yet their claims to participate in whiteness are widely undermined by racial/ethnic references or markers such as ‘slanted eyes’. Such social markers serve to keep them separate from general white Brazilian society. Based on extensive life-history interviews and archival research in São Paulo, this article analyzes the meanings of the phrase ‘slanted eyes’ for Japanese Brazilian identities. After briefly examining Japanese Brazilian history in São Paulo, this article discusses the significant effects that their large-scale ‘return’ labor migrations to Japan (called dekassegui) have had on Japanese Brazilians’ self-perceptions since the mid 1980s. It also discusses Japanese Brazilians’ prevalent practice of ‘whitening’, and elite college students and young professionals’ collective ‘affirmation’ of Nikkei (Japanese descendant) identity. The article concludes by drawing important parallels between Japanese Brazilians and Afro-Brazilians with regard to collective identity formation in relation to race, ethnicity and class in the city of São Paulo. Ultimately, this article extends debates on whiteness beyond what is largely an Anglo-American literature and demonstrates how ‘minority ethnic’ groups such as the Japanese can adopt and adapt notions of whiteness in the case of São Paulo.
Swiss Adolescents’ Career Aspirations: Influence of Context, Age, and Career Adaptability
Authors: Hirschi Andreas
Published: December 2009

This study investigated the content, realism, stability, and coherence of the career aspirations of 262 students in seventh grade in Switzerland (ages 13-15 years). The content analysis revealed that 82% of the participants named at least one realistic career aspiration, and aspirations showed clear resemblance to existing opportunities in the environment. Quantitative analyses confirmed the hypotheses that realism and stability of aspirations over a 10-month period could better be predicted by individual degree of career adaptability as measured by planfulness and exploration than by chronological age when grade level was controlled for. Coherence of aspirations was not related to age or adaptability. Students attending basic scholastic requirements school tracks reported more adaptability but not more realistic, stable, or coherent aspirations compared to students in advanced requirements tracks.
Promoting Equality? Gendered Messages in State Materials for New Immigrants
Authors: Wilton Shauna
Published: December 2009

This article explores immigration policies and the state materials distributed to new and potential immigrants in Canada, Sweden and The Netherlands, focusing specifically on how these important tools of socialization contribute to the regulation of gender roles and family life. Beyond conveying key messages about the host society, these materials are also often devised to offset a perceived threat from immigrant cultures. This is particularly apparent with regards to gender roles and family structures, in which women’s roles are often put forward as symbolic markers of the differences between immigrant and host cultures. Ultimately, this article argues that while all three of the case studies view themselves as models of equality and tolerance, they also impose specific culturally informed definitions of family and gender on new immigrants that rely heavily on essentialized notions of immigrant and host communities.
Signs of the Surveillant Assemblage: Privacy Regulation, Urban CCTV, and Governmentality
Authors: Lippert Randy
Published: December 2009

Signage in urban ‘open-street’ CCTV arrangements is explored in relation to the strategies and forms of law brought to bear upon it. In the context of privacy regulation, CCTV signage’s content reflects deterrence strategies and political subjectification consistent with liberal governmentality. CCTV signage is evinced to be both an agent and target of privacy and other forms of law and is therefore shaped and brought into being by complex webs of legal governance. Rather than befitting panoptic arrangements or merely amplifying CCTV’s deterrent effects, CCTV signage signals and serves as a vital element of the surveillant assemblage. Possessing varied functions, including features attributed to surveillance cameras, CCTV signage is a material means by which the surveillance assemblage interfaces with the legal complex and by which urban time-spaces are constituted. This analysis moves beyond previous accounts of regulatory signage and has broad implications for governmentality and surveillance studies.
MRE Properties under Shear and Squeeze Modes and Applications
Authors: Popp Kristin M. , Kröger Matthias , Li Wei hua , Zhang Xian Zhou , Kosasih Prabuono B.
Published: December 2009

Magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) are smart materials whose mechanical properties, like their modulus and elasticity, can be controlled by an external magnetic field. This feature has resulted in a number of novel applications, such as adaptive tuned dynamic vibration absorbers for suppressing unwanted vibrations over a wide frequency range. MRE-based devices operate in different modes, such as shear mode and squeeze mode; however, the study of mechanical performances of MREs under squeeze mode is very rare. This article aims to investigate MRE performances under both shear and squeeze modes. Experimental studies and simulations were conducted to analyze the MR effect in both modes. These studies indicate a different working frequency ranges for both modes. In a case study, a MRE-based vibration absorber was built up in a simulation and its mechanical performances were analyzed, which demonstrated good capabilities in reducing vibrations.
Ultrasonic Guided Wave Imaging Techniques in Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Fei Yan  , Royer Roger L. , Rose Joseph L.
Published: December 2009

Ultrasonic guided waves, due to their capability of interrogating a large structure from a single sensor position, have been proven as a promising tool for structural health monitoring. In this article, we present two imaging approaches of utilizing guided wave leave-in-place sensors for early detection of defects in plate-like structures. The first approach is based on a guided wave tomographic technique, in which the region surrounded by a sparse sensor array is monitored. The second one is a phased array approach, in which sensors are attached to a structure in a compact format to form an array. The region subjected to inspection and monitoring is the region outside the array. Both techniques have shown excellent capability of determining damage size, location, and severity.
Electrogenic Tuning of the Axon Initial Segment
Authors: Clark Brian D. , Goldberg Ethan M. , Rudy Bernardo
Published: December 2009

Action potentials (APs) provide the primary means of rapid information transfer in the nervous system. Where exactly these signals are initiated in neurons has been a basic question in neurobiology and the subject of extensive study. Converging lines of evidence indicate that APs are initiated in a discrete and highly specialized portion of the axon—the axon initial segment (AIS). The authors review key aspects of the organization and function of the AIS and focus on recent work that has provided important insights into its electrical signaling properties. In addition to its main role in AP initiation, the new findings suggest that the AIS is also a site of complex AP modulation by specific types of ion channels localized to this axonal domain.
Social consequences of multiple sclerosis (1): early pension and temporary unemployment—a historical prospective cohort study
Authors: Hilt Pfleger Claudia Christina , Meulengracht Flachs Esben , Koch-Henriksen Nils
Published: December 2009

Multiple sclerosis affects young and middle-aged people and often leads to physical and cognitive handicaps. There is a need for detailed knowledge of the social consequences of the disease. We aim here to describe the course of the working life and career of multiple sclerosis patients at the time of onset and thereafter, in terms of probability of early pension and income development.

All 2538 patients with multiple sclerosis in Denmark with disease onset between 1980 and 1989, identified through the Danish MS-Registry, were included in this study. Twenty matched control persons per patient were randomly drawn from the civil registration system. Information on economic status was retrieved from Statistics Denmark. A survival analysis technique was used with onset as the starting point. We found that the probability of remaining without early pension was at 5 years 70% for patients and 97% for controls, and at 20 years 22% for patients and 86% for controls. Due to lower rates for early pension, gross income with time was lower in patients than controls. We conclude that multiple sclerosis seriously affects the economic life of multiple sclerosis patients, even within a few years of onset.