bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Climatological Evolution of the Okinawa Baiu and Differences in Large-Scale Features during May and June
Authors: Okada Yasuko , Yamazaki Koji
Published: April 2012

The Okinawa baiu (summer rainy season) starts in early May and ends in late June, preceding the baiu in mainland Japan by approximately 1 month. This study investigates the time evolution of the large-scale circulation associated with the Okinawa baiu using 10-yr (1997–2006) climatologies of precipitation and meteorological fields, with particular focus on temperature advection at 500 hPa.The onset of the Okinawa baiu occurs in early May and is followed by an initial peak in precipitation during mid-May. The baiu rainband then moves southeastward, leading to a short break in baiu precipitation during late May. The rainband returns to Okinawa in early June, and a second peak in precipitation occurs during mid-June. The baiu rainband withdraws northward in late June. The mid-May precipitation peak is associated with warm advection at 500 hPa, mainly due to the meridional temperature gradient and the prevailing southerly winds. This warm advection coincides with upward motion near Okinawa; however, the warm advection is insufficient to explain the peak precipitation amount. Enhancement of precipitation by a transient disturbance probably contributes to the peak amount. The break period during late May coincides with the peak of South China Sea monsoon. Warm advection at 500 hPa strengthens again in June because of the strong zonal thermal contrast between the warm Tibetan Plateau and cold Pacific. This warm advection is able to adequately explain both the upward motion and precipitation. These results indicate that the large-scale meteorological characteristics are different during the first and second peaks.
Relative Merit of Model Improvement versus Availability of Retrospective Forecasts: The Case of Climate Forecast System MJO Prediction
Authors: Zhang Qin , van den Dool Huug
Published: April 2012

Retrospective forecasts of the new NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) have been analyzed out to 45 days from 1999 to 2009 with four members (0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 UTC) each day. The new version of CFS [CFS, version 2 (CFSv2)] shows significant improvement over the older CFS [CFS, version 1 (CFSv1)] in predicting the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), with skill reaching 2–3 weeks in comparison with the CFSv1’s skill of nearly 1 week. Diagnostics of experiments related to the MJO forecast show that the systematic error correction, possible only because of the enormous hindcast dataset and the ensemble aspects of the prediction system (4 times a day), do contribute to improved forecasts. But the main reason is the improvement in the model and initial conditions between 1995 and 2010.
Touloutoutou and Tet Mare Churches: Language, Class and Protestantism in the Haitian Diaspora of the Bahamas
Authors: Louis Bertin M.
Published: April 2012

Within Haiti’s growing transnational Protestant community, there are different types of churches and adherents that practice traditional forms of Protestant Christianity (such as the Adventist, Methodist and Baptist faiths) and Pentecostal/Charismatic forms of Protestant Christianity. Using Michèle Lamont’s work on symbolic boundaries, I explore how Haitian Protestants living in New Providence, Bahamas, differentiate these two major Haitian Protestant church cultures through the use of denigrating terms about differing religious traditions. Churches which practice traditional forms of Haitian Protestantism, for example, are sometimes called touloutoutou churches. Churches where Pentecostal/Charismatic forms of Haitian Protestantism are practiced are sometimes referred to as tet mare churches by some Haitian Protestants. In addition, practitioners’ descriptions reflect issues of social class and contested notions of Christian authenticity among Haitian Protestants in the Bahamas.

Dans la communauté haïtienne protestante transnationale, il existe différents types d’églises et de fidèles qui forment une pratique traditionnelle du christianisme protestant (comme les adventistes, méthodistes et les religions Baptiste) et pentecôtiste / charismatique qui forment le christianisme protestant. Avec l’utilisation du travail de Michèle Lamont sur les frontières symboliques, j’explore comment les protestants haïtiens vivant à New Providence, Bahamas, peuvent faire la différence entre ces deux grandes cultures haïtiennes grâce à l’utilisation des termes dénigrants au sujet de traditions religieuses différentes. Les églises haïtiennes qui pratiquent les formes traditionnelles du protestantisme, par exemple, sont parfois appelées « églises touloutoutou ». D’autre part, les églises où les formes pentecôtiste / charismatique du protestantisme haïtien sont pratiquées sont parfois dénommés « églises tèt mare » pour certains protestants haïtiens. En outre, les descriptions des praticiens reflètent les questions de classe sociale et les notions d’authenticité chrétienne attaquée chez les protestants haïtiens aux Bahamas.
The Racialization of the New European Migration to the UK
Authors: Fox Jon E , Moroşanu Laura , Szilassy Eszter
Published: April 2012

The purpose of our article is to examine how current East European migration to the UK has been racialized in immigration policy and tabloid journalism. The state’s immigration policy, we argue, exhibits features of institutionalized racism that implicitly invokes shared whiteness as a basis of racialized inclusion. The tabloids, in contrast, tend toward cultural racism in their coverage of these migrations by explicitly invoking cultural difference as a basis of racialized exclusion. Our analysis focuses on two cohorts of migrants: Hungarians, representing the larger 2004 entrants, and Romanians, representing the smaller 2007 entrants. The processes of racialization we examine in this article reveal degrees of whiteness that give ‘race’ continued currency as an idiom for making sense of these migrations and the migrants that people them.
Mental Health Counseling in Haiti
Authors: Nicolas Guerda , Jean-Jacques Ronald , Wheatley Anna
Published: April 2012

Since the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, all eyes have been on Haiti. In particular, with the influx of foreign psychological and psychosocial efforts, the country’s mental health infrastructure has been under scrutiny. In the context of a strong familial, community, and religious social fabric, the field of formal mental health services, including counseling, is not as strongly developed as in the United States, or other Westernized countries. In the wake of the earthquake, however, service providers in Haiti within the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and social work are moving toward increased organization and structural cohesiveness. This report provides an overview of historical foundations, current context, and future implications surrounding the state of counseling in Haiti.
Impact of Racial Macro- and Microaggressions in Black Women’s Lives
Authors: Donovan Roxanne A. , Galban David J. , Grace Ryan K. , Bennett Jacqueline K. , Felicié Shaina Z.
Published: April 2012

Most studies on perceived racial discrimination do not differentiate between macroaggressions (i.e., overt, purposeful discrimination) and microaggressions (i.e., subtle, typically unconscious discrimination) or examine gender. This study addresses these gaps by exploring: (a) the prevalence of perceived racial macroaggressions (PRMa) and perceived racial microaggressions (PRMi) in Black women’s lives and (b) how PRMa and PRMi influence depressive and anxious symptoms in this group. Participants were 187 undergraduate students who self-identified as Black women. Sixty-three percent of the participants reported experiencing some type of PRMa at least once in a while during the past year, and 96% reported experiencing some type of PRMi at least a few times a year. As hypothesized, PRMa and PRMi significantly predicted depressive symptoms; however, PRMa made a stronger unique contribution. Contrary to hypotheses, PRMa but not PRMi significantly predicted anxious symptoms. Findings suggest that PRMa and PRMi are common occurrences for Black women and are associated with negative mental health outcomes, with PRMa being the less common but more detrimental of the two.
The Elohist: A 7th-Century bce Theological Tradition
Authors: Gnuse Robert K.
Published: April 2012

The Elohist Pentateuchal tradition may be dated to the 7th and 6th centuries bce in the cult center of Bethel as a theological response to the destruction of Samaria and the exile of Israelites in the north in 722 bce. If this is true, then significant theological themes may be perceived in these texts that address the religious needs and the question of identity for Israelite exiles. Eventually these Elohist texts will be absorbed by the Yahwist Historian in the late 6th century bce.
‘A genuinely emotional week’: learning disability, sport and television – notes on the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games 2009
Authors: Carter Neil , Williams John
Published: April 2012

In July 2009, the Special Olympics Great Britain National Summer Games for athletes with learning disabilities were held in Leicester. Uniquely the Games achieved considerable television news coverage. This article offers a preliminary analysis of television representations of the Games. National TV coverage of the Paralympics is now established, but Special Olympics – and sport for people with learning disabilities in general – receives little media or research attention. This is partly because Special Olympics remains located outside mainstream national sporting networks and its ethos stresses the importance of participation over sporting excellence. The 2009 Games’ television coverage projected complex and ‘mixed’ messages reflected in the language, tone and images typically employed by broadcasters. We identify three key themes: first, the problematically relentless ‘positive’ tone of the coverage, which echoes wider public discourses concerning learning disability; second, the media emphasis on ‘human interest’ narratives and so, via these, the invidualizing of learning disability questions and the general absence of any wider discussion of political or social agendas linking sport and disability; finally, how television in its occasional focus on the families of athletes with learning disabilities articulated values and tensions which characterize the unusually conflicted status of the Games.
Towards a discretely actuated steerable cannula for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
Authors: Ayvali Elif , Liang Chia-Pin , Ho Mingyen , Chen Yu , Desai Jaydev P
Published: April 2012

We have designed, developed, and evaluated the performance of a multi-degree-of-freedom discretely actuated steerable cannula with shape-memory alloy (SMA) actuators. This will enable us to deliver diagnostic as well as therapeutic devices to the target location through the hollow inner core of the cannula. We propose to use SMAs to generate bending forces due to its small size and high power density. We annealed the SMA wires through a customized training process in an arc shape and mounted them at discrete locations on the outer surface of the cannula to enable joint motion. A pulse-width modulation (PWM)-based control scheme was implemented to control all SMA actuators simultaneously to enable multiple joint motion using a single power supply. The proposed controller was validated through an experiment inside gelatin to mimic the motion of the cannula inside a medium which requires a significant amount of force to move the joints of the cannula. Trajectory planning using a suitable metric and trajectory execution were successfully implemented. To demonstrate the delivery of a diagnostic tool through our cannula, we demonstrate that we can pass an optical coherence tomography probe through the cannula and perform in situ microscale imaging.
More Phantom Than Menace
Authors: Clarke Kevin A.
Published: April 2012

In this article, I address whether the inclusion of control variables in the hopes of getting an unbiased estimate of the residual variance is a good reason for the inclusion of control variables. I conclude that the inclusion of an additional control variable is unlikely to decrease the estimated standard errors and that the tradeoffs involved with including a new control variable are simply too large.
Authoritarianism and Destructiveness in the Tea Party Movement
Authors: Lundskow George
Published: April 2012

The contemporary lower middle class, as constituted in the Tea Party movement, holds increasingly unfavorable views of government, especially among exurban whites, based on imagined and preferred versions of reality. This imagined reality valorizes the ingroup as the hegemonic standard even as their actual status and class opportunities decline. At its center, the Tea Party movement relies on moralism (conservative values), essentialistic fantasy (racism and religiosity), and Manichaean categorization (good/evil) to explain the reality of job loss, rising prices, and severe real estate decline. Rather than interrogate finance capital and deregulation, the Tea Party movement instead indulges in spectacle as both individual gratification and to herald renewed white privilege. However, the simultaneous rejection of the established institutions of power, simplistic policy formulation, and condemnation of outgroups suggests a racially motivated authoritarianism and destructiveness rather than any particular political commitment.
Application of the Taguchi approach to improve performance of the alignment-layer printing process in liquid crystal displays
Authors: Al-Refaie Abbas , Li Ming-Hsien C , Chang Bai-Chen , Jalham Issam
Published: April 2012

The uniformity of the alignment-layer thickness on indium tin oxide glass plays an important role in producing liquid crystal display panels of quality images. However, thickness non-uniformity results in producing liquid crystal display panel of poor color image, which increases rework cost and scrap. The Taguchi method is utilized in the define–measure–analyze–improve–control approach to improve the capability of this process. In the define phase, process mapping and quality characteristic definition are discussed. The x̄ and R control charts and process capability analysis are employed in the measure phase. The L18 array and signal-to-noise ratio, followed by analysis of variance, are utilized in the analyze phase. In the improve phase, two-step optimization is conducted to reduce thickness variations and adjust process mean on target. The control charts for the thickness are regularly constructed in the control phase. Initially, the estimates of the capability indices for the alignment-layer printing process are 0.731 and 0.69, respectively, which indicate that this process is incapable. Utilizing the Taguchi method, confirmation experiments showed that the potential and actual capability indices are respectively improved to 3.48 and 3.47. Hence, the process becomes highly capable. This proves the effectiveness of the Taguchi method in improving the performance of the alignment-layer printing process.
Incorporation of forward blade sweep in preliminary controlled vortex design of axial flow rotors
Authors: Vad J
Published: April 2012

A new controlled vortex design (CVD) method has been presented herein, incorporating forward blade sweep (FSW) in the preliminary design phase of axial flow rotors. Supplementing the traditional quasi-two-dimensional (Q2D) technique applied to CVD rotors of notable radial flow, the new method enables a more accurate consideration and control of blade aerodynamics along the three-dimensional suction side flow paths, where the majority of loss is generated away from the endwalls. For this purpose, the new method unifies Q2D and quasi-three-dimensional (Q3D) blade design approaches for CVD rotors. The incorporated Q2D and Q3D approaches can rely on traditional cascade correlations. The Q3D approach is to be aided by computational fluid dynamics. In contrast to the view dominating in literature that sweep is prescribed arbitrarily in preliminary design, the new method serves with the FSW angle distribution as design output. This means that the favourable blade stacking geometry is a result of the proposed preliminary design process. A design case study has been presented for demonstrating the consistency and advantages of the proposed method. At the design flow rate, fair agreement was found between the simulated and modelled three-dimensional flow features for the FSW rotor. Furthermore, moderation of total pressure loss was observed on the suction side away from the endwalls, leading to efficiency gain.
Spillover of the private city: BIDs as a pivot of social control in downtown Los Angeles
Authors: Marquardt Nadine , Füller Henning
Published: April 2012

Our paper addresses the complex role of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in current processes of inner-city restructuring and the function of BIDs in the implementation of new forms of social control in downtown areas. Our thesis is that, in the context of recent urban renaissance initiatives, BIDs are expanding their ‘clean and safe’ profile to be a much more comprehensive programme. Their goal is not only to produce safety and cleanliness in the urban environment but to influence the symbolic dimension of what the city is and for whom it is made. This implies indirect forms of governing the way in which the city is used, which go unnoticed if BIDs are identified solely as a tool to create ‘clean and safe’ public space. We will substantiate this claim with a case study on the current restructuring of downtown Los Angeles (L.A.). Since 1999, downtown L.A. has been profoundly ‘revitalized’ as a living and entertainment district for affluent residents. The nine BIDs covering the main parts of the downtown play an important role in making this gentrification happen by providing the appropriate context for restructuring. Beyond overt measures such as security forces or CCTV, the BIDs also have an important impact on the ‘geographical imagination’ (Harvey, 1973) of the city. The examples elucidate the anticipation of a broadening field of activity for BIDs, not only in securing an ‘urban renaissance’ but also in framing the way it is performed symbolically.
Business Improvement Districts (BIDs): the internationalization and contextualization of a ‘travelling concept’
Authors: Peyroux Elisabeth , Pütz Robert , Glasze Georg
Published: April 2012

In many countries across the world, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are seen as a new model of sub-municipal governance to secure private capital for improving the attractiveness of a city’s central spaces. Originating from North America (Canada and the United States), this model of self-taxing districts, often based on public–private partnerships, has spread to other continents, including Europe, Australia and Africa. This theme issue explores the internationalization and the contextualization of the BID model in both Northern countries (the United States, Canada, Germany and Sweden) and Southern countries (South Africa). The collection of articles focuses on key debates surrounding BIDs and presents different theoretical perspectives as well as lines of argument in relation to these debates. Relying on approaches based on political economy and local governance regimes, Foucault-inspired sociology of governance and governmentality studies or critical discourse analysis, the authors discuss the nature and significance of BIDs in relation to state restructuring and the neoliberalization of urban policies and to emergent rationalities and practices of security governance and policing arrangements. Using the recent discussions of policy transfer and ‘urban policy mobilities’, they look at the international circulation of the BID model and its local embeddedness, exploring the role of the global circuits of knowledge and the ways in which the model has been adopted and reshaped in different cities. Drawing a complex and differentiated picture of BIDs across continents and cities, this collection of articles emphasizes both the need for more comparative research across diverse urban experiences and contexts and the relevance of a relational perspective in urban studies that blurs the traditional lines of separation between studies of Northern and Southern cities.
Structural Disadvantage and American Indian Homicide and Robbery Offending
Authors: Painter-Davis Noah
Published: April 2012

This article contributes conceptually and empirically to research on American Indian violence. Conceptually, this study extends research on race differences in crime by outlining competing perspectives on the relationship between structural disadvantage and American Indian violence. Empirically, 1995-2005 California arrest data are used to extend macro-level analyses of American Indian violence, most notably by using offending instead of victimization data. Findings reveal that structural disadvantage is associated with increases in American Indian homicide and robbery offending. This suggests that macrosocial criminological theories are applicable to the study of American Indian violent offending as they are for other racial and ethnic groups.
Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm following blunt trauma
Authors: Dimmick Simon , Briggs Greg , Maher Richard
Published: April 2012

Blunt trauma is a rare cause of pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm. We report a case of a pseudoaneurysm of the right pulmonary artery sustained after a high speed motor vehicle accident, identified on multidetector CT imaging of the chest. After initial resuscitation, the patient remained haemodynamically stable and surgical management, with patch repair, was undertaken 4 days after the trauma. The patient was discharged without complication and follow-up imaging revealed no residual pseudoaneurysm. This case report highlights the need to assess both the aorta and pulmonary arteries on CT of the chest for potential sites of vascular injury.
Disputes in just war theory and meta-theory
Authors: Long Graham
Published: April 2012

Recently, alternatives to both the structure and content of ‘orthodox’ just war theory have been proposed by Jeff McMahan and David Rodin. In this paper, I draw on this debate to show that key ideas in just war theory can be disputed in both of these respects. More broadly, it is unclear how we should assess the debate between differing conceptions of individual principles (such as just cause and proportionality) and the competing wider theories in which they might be situated. I employ the idea of reflective equilibrium, taken from John Rawls, to show how these conflicting viewpoints might be understood and assessed. I argue, then, that contemporary just war theory faces both important questions of substance, and a set of difficult meta-theoretical issues concerning the grounds on which competing just war theories can be assessed. Futhermore, I contend, this should influence the character of – and our expectations for – real-world just war institutions.
Electrospinning via mechanically single probe-tip drawing for massive production
Authors: Hu Xingwang , Huang Xiangyu , Sun Daoheng , Wu Dezhi
Published: April 2012

A novel electrospinning, which is characterized by low driven voltage threshold and ease to expand production rate, is demonstrated by using a probe tip to touch and withdraw from the surface of a polyethylene oxide solution with speed of about 1 m/s, to issue a jet. Thus nanofibers are obtained on the collector. The experiment results show that the spinning period increases with increasing applied voltage and the process eventually becomes continuous as the applied voltage reaches more than 31 kV. The effect of applied voltage on the diameter of the nanofibers is also discussed. Such method will open a new door to achieve massive production of nanofibers.
The role of bone morphogenetic proteins in ankylosing spondylitis
Authors: Carter Shea , Braem Kirsten , Lories Rik J.
Published: April 2012

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the best-known form of spondyloarthritis (SpA), is a remodelling arthritis characterized by chronic inflammation and bone formation. Ankylosis of the axial skeleton and sacroiliac joints leads to an impairment of spinal mobility, progressive spinal fusion and an increased risk of spinal fractures. The nature of the relationship between inflammation and new bone formation in AS has been controversial and questions remain as to whether there is a direct relationship between inflammation and new bone formation. Like others, we have hypothesized that the molecular pathways underlying ankylosis recapitulate the process of endochondral bone formation and that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play a key role in this process in AS. Furthermore, we discuss the entheseal stress hypothesis, which proposes that inflammation and ankylosis are linked but largely independent processes, and consider observations from mouse models and other human diseases which also imply that biomechanical factors contribute to the pathogenesis of AS. As current therapeutics, such as tumour necrosis factor inhibitors do not impede disease progression and ankylosis in AS, it is the pathways discussed in this review that are the now the focus for the identification of future drug targets.
Between Mental Manufacture and Pure Transcript
Authors: Balakrishnan Vinod Valiathakidi
Published: April 2012

Sri Aurobindo’s multifaceted engagements will continue to occupy scholars in different fields. As one who belongs to a country that has begotten eminent theoreticians in the fields of literature, arts, linguistics, and aesthetics, Sri Aurobindo’s contribution deserves a dispassionate assessment. Volume 27 of the Complete Works contains his “Letters on Poetry and Art” which can be examined for the potential for a theory of poetry. As letters, they are informal responses. However, they are also responses to specific and thoughtfully worded questions from individuals who have engaged Sri Aurobindo in serious discussions on the issues concerning poetry and the arts. An Indian academic is forged in a system of education that is more Western, in character, than Indian. Hence, the present concern to explore the potential for a theory of poetry among Indian scholars and theoreticians. There is the large corpus of Indian aesthetic ideas and theories that have been ignored or relegated to a position behind the Western ideas and theories. So much so, the average scholar shows a greater familiarity with Plato, Aristotle, Coleridge, Arnold and is wanting in the knowledge of Anandavardana, Bharatrihari, or, even, Sri Aurobindo. The present article examines the Letters in Volume 27 for the purpose of cataloguing the major concerns, themes, philosophical categories that inform the discussions, and theoretical issues that such a project would generate.
Sublingual Flumazenil for the Residual Effects of Hypnotics: Zolpidem and Brotizolam
Authors: Katz Neriel , Pillar Giora , Peled Eli , Segev Adi , Peled Nir
Published: April 2012

Residual morning drowsiness is a frequent side effect of hypnotics. This study examined the safety and efficacy of sublingual Flumazenil in reversing the residual hypnotic effect. A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized crossover study with 20 healthy subjects who slept for 1.5 hours following sleep induction was conducted. Upon awakening, they underwent neurocognitive tests including immediate word recall test (iWRT), Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), and mood/performance questionnaires. They were then treated by Flumazenil or placebo and were reevaluated after 20 and 60 minutes. A week later, the same procedures were performed (placebo/Flumazenil accordingly). All 20 volunteers completed the study. Flumazenil was superior to placebo by 59% to 93% (P < .05‐.001) in improving performance in the various neurocognitive tasks. Subjects reported a significant improvement in vigilance with Flumazenil, both at 20 minutes and 60 minutes. iWRT improved with Flumazenil vs placebo at 20 minutes (4.2 ± 0.8 vs 1.3 ± 0.9 words, P < .005) and 60 minutes (5.4 ± 1.1 vs 1.2 ± 1.2 words, P < .02). Sublingual administration of Flumazenil is safe and effective in reversing the hypnotic effects of Zolpidem and Brotizolam. This may offer a comprehensive and safer treatment for insomniac patients.
Comparative Sirolimus Pharmacokinetics After Single‐Dose Administration of Two Prototype 0.5‐mg Tablets in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Korth‐Bradley Joan M. , Bhattacharya Indranil , Matschke Kyle , Diehl Annette M. , Longfellow Carl , Gourley Ian
Published: April 2012

Availability of a lower dose tablet would add to the dosing flexibility of currently available 1‐ and 2‐mg sirolimus tablets for optimal concentrations and patient compliance. A randomized, 3‐period crossover study was conducted in 30 fasting healthy volunteers (29 men, aged 31 ± 8 years, weight 79 ± 12 kg). Subjects were given 5 mg of sirolimus, either as doses of the 0.5‐mg nonshellac‐core prototype, 0.5‐mg shellac‐core prototype, or approved 1‐mg tablet. Whole blood samples were collected at selected time points for 144 hours after dosing and analyzed using LC/MS/MS assay. Noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed, followed by bioequivalence assessment. Twenty‐four subjects completed all dosing periods, and no formulation‐associated adverse events were reported. Ratios of maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the concentration‐time curve to the last measured concentration (AUCT), and area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 to infinity (AUC) for the nonshellac‐core prototype compared with the 1‐mg tablet were within the 80% to 125% range dictated by bioequivalence conventions. Similar results were observed when comparing the ratios of AUCT and AUC for the shellac‐core prototype, while 90% confidence interval of the ratio of Cmax values was 105% to 129%. Within the context of clinical equivalence standards established by a phase 3 study comparing liquid to tablet formulations, it was concluded that both prototypes were clinically bioequivalent to the reference formulation.
Atypical DNA methylation of genes encoding cysteine-rich peptides in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: You Wanhui , Tyczewska Agata , Spencer Matthew , Daxinger Lucia , Schmid Marc W , Grossniklaus Ueli , Simon Stacey A , Meyers Blake C , Matzke Antonius JM , Matzke Marjori
Published: April 2012

Background

In plants, transposons and non-protein-coding repeats are epigenetically silenced by CG and non-CG methylation. This pattern of methylation is mediated in part by small RNAs and two specialized RNA polymerases, termed Pol IV and Pol V, in a process called RNA-directed DNA methylation. By contrast, many protein-coding genes transcribed by Pol II contain in their gene bodies exclusively CG methylation that is independent of small RNAs and Pol IV/Pol V activities. It is unclear how the different methylation machineries distinguish between transposons and genes. Here we report on a group of atypical genes that display in their coding region a transposon-like methylation pattern, which is associated with gene silencing in sporophytic tissues.

Results

We performed a methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analysis to search for targets of RNA-directed DNA methylation in Arabidopsis thaliana and identified several members of a gene family encoding cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs). In leaves, the CRP genes are silent and their coding regions contain dense, transposon-like methylation in CG, CHG and CHH contexts, which depends partly on the Pol IV/Pol V pathway and small RNAs. Methylation in the coding region is reduced, however, in the synergid cells of the female gametophyte, where the CRP genes are specifically expressed. Further demonstrating that expressed CRP genes lack gene body methylation, a CRP4-GFP fusion gene under the control of the constitutive 35 S promoter remains unmethylated in leaves and is transcribed to produce a translatable mRNA. By contrast, a CRP4-GFP fusion gene under the control of a CRP4 promoter fragment acquires CG and non-CG methylation in the CRP coding region in leaves similar to the silent endogenous CRP4 gene.

Conclusions

Unlike CG methylation in gene bodies, which does not dramatically affect Pol II transcription, combined CG and non-CG methylation in CRP coding regions is likely to contribute to gene silencing in leaves because loss of this methylation in synergid cells is associated with CRP gene expression. We discuss this unusual methylation pattern and its alteration in synergid cells as well as the possible retrogene origin and evolutionary significance of CRP genes that are methylated like transposons.
The effectiveness and cost evaluation of pain exposure physical therapy and conventional therapy in patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1. Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Barnhoorn Karlijn J , Oostendorp Rob A B , van Dongen Robert T M , Klomp Frank P , Samwel Han , van der Wilt Gert Jan , Adang Eddy , Groenewoud Hans , van de Meent Henk , Frölke Jan Paul M
Published: April 2012

Background

Pain Exposure Physical Therapy is a new treatment option for patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1. It has been evaluated in retrospective as well as in prospective studies and proven to be safe and possibly effective. This indicates that Pain Exposure Physical Therapy is now ready for clinical evaluation. The results of an earlier performed pilot study with an n = 1 design, in which 20 patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 were treated with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy, were used for the design and power calculation of the present study.

After completion and evaluation of this phase III study, a multi-centre implementation study will be conducted.

The aim of this study is to determine whether Pain Exposure Physical Therapy can improve functional outcomes in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1.

Methods/design

This study is designed as a single-blinded, randomized clinical trial. 62 patients will be randomized with a follow-up of 9 months to demonstrate the expected treatment effect. Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 is diagnosed in accordance with the Bruehl/International Association for the Study of Pain criteria. Conventional therapy in accordance with the Dutch guideline will be compared with Pain Exposure Physical Therapy. Primary outcome measure is the Impairment level SumScore, restricted version.

Discussion

This is the first randomized controlled study with single blinding that has ever been planned in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome type 1 and does not focus on a single aspect of the pain syndrome but compares treatment strategies based on completely different pathophysiological and cognitive theories.

Trial registration

Clinical trials NCT00817128; National Trial Register NTR2090
Prospective evaluation of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of non-falciparum and mixed-species malaria in Gabon
Authors: Mombo-Ngoma Ghyslain , Kleine Christian , Basra Arti , Würbel Heike , Diop Daisy A , Capan Mesküre , Adegnika Ayola A , Kurth Florian , Mordmüller Benjamin , Joanny Fanny , Kremsner Peter G , Ramharter Michael , Bélard Sabine
Published: April 2012

Background

The recommendation of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) as first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria is supported by a plethora of high quality clinical trials. However, their recommendation for the treatment of mixed-species malaria and the large-scale use for the treatment of non-falciparum malaria in endemic regions is based on anecdotal rather than systematic clinical evidence.

Methods

This study prospectively observed the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated non-falciparum or mixed-species malaria in two routine district hospitals in the Central African country of Gabon.

Results

Forty patients suffering from uncomplicated Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale or mixed-species malaria (including Plasmodium falciparum) presenting at the hospital received artemether-lumefantrine treatment and were followed up. All evaluable patients (n = 38) showed an adequate clinical and parasitological response on Day 28 after oral treatment with artemether-lumefantrine (95% confidence interval: 0.91,1). All adverse events were of mild to moderate intensity and completely resolved by the end of study.

Conclusions

This first systematic assessment of artemether-lumefantrine treatment for P. malariae, P. ovale and mixed-species malaria demonstrated a high cure rate of 100% and a favourable tolerability profile, and thus lends support to the practice of treating non-falciparum or mixed-species malaria, or all cases of malaria without definite species differentiation, with artemether-lumefantrine in Gabon.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00725777
Second-site suppressors of HIV-1 capsid mutations: restoration of intracellular activities without correction of intrinsic capsid stability defects
Authors: Yang Ruifeng , Shi Jiong , Byeon In-Ja L , Ahn Jinwoo , Sheehan Jonathan H , Meiler Jens , Gronenborn Angela M , Aiken Christopher
Published: April 2012

Background

Disassembly of the viral capsid following penetration into the cytoplasm, or uncoating, is a poorly understood stage of retrovirus infection. Based on previous studies of HIV-1 CA mutants exhibiting altered capsid stability, we concluded that formation of a capsid of optimal intrinsic stability is crucial for HIV-1 infection.

Results

To further examine the connection between HIV-1 capsid stability and infectivity, we isolated second-site suppressors of HIV-1 mutants exhibiting unstable (P38A) or hyperstable (E45A) capsids. We identified the respective suppressor mutations, T216I and R132T, which restored virus replication in a human T cell line and markedly enhanced the fitness of the original mutants as revealed in single-cycle infection assays. Analysis of the corresponding purified N-terminal domain CA proteins by NMR spectroscopy demonstrated that the E45A and R132T mutations induced structural changes that are localized to the regions of the mutations, while the P38A mutation resulted in changes extending to neighboring regions in space. Unexpectedly, neither suppressor mutation corrected the intrinsic viral capsid stability defect associated with the respective original mutation. Nonetheless, the R132T mutation rescued the selective infectivity impairment exhibited by the E45A mutant in aphidicolin-arrested cells, and the double mutant regained sensitivity to the small molecule inhibitor PF74. The T216I mutation rescued the impaired ability of the P38A mutant virus to abrogate restriction by TRIMCyp and TRIM5α.

Conclusions

The second-site suppressor mutations in CA that we have identified rescue virus infection without correcting the intrinsic capsid stability defects associated with the P38A and E45A mutations. The suppressors also restored wild type virus function in several cell-based assays. We propose that while proper HIV-1 uncoating in target cells is dependent on the intrinsic stability of the viral capsid, the effects of stability-altering mutations can be mitigated by additional mutations that affect interactions with host factors in target cells or the consequences of these interactions. The ability of mutations at other CA surfaces to compensate for effects at the NTD-NTD interface further indicates that uncoating in target cells is controlled by multiple intersubunit interfaces in the viral capsid.
Treatment of 28 patients with sclerosing hemangioma (SH) of the lung
Authors: Lei Yang , Yong Duan , Jun-Zhong Ruan , Zhi Yang , Zi-Tong Wang
Published: April 2012

Background

Sclerosing hemangioma (SH) of the lung is a kind of rare pulmonary tumor. Preoperative diagnosis of this tumor is difficult and it is now generally accepted that SH of the lung is benign lesions and surgical excision alone is curative. Herein, we present our experiences of treating 28 patients with SH.

Methods

The medical records of 28 patients with SH from 1994 to 2010 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery in Beijing Chest Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

There were 3 male and 25 female patients with sclerosing hemangioma and 50% of the patients were asymptomatic. Preoperatively, all the patients had undergone CT of chest and 5 patients had undergone PET scan but 4 patients were misdiagnosed as malignancy. There was no operative mortality or tumor recurrence despite that three different operative methods were undertaken.

Conclusions

SH has a high incidence in middle-aged women. Most of SH is asymptomatic and the symptoms of SH are not related to the tumor size and distribution. The features of chest CT and PET are not specific. Bilateral or multiple lesions should not exclude the possibility of SH. Complete excision of lesion is a curable treatment method and there is no evidence to verify the need of adjuvant therapy.
Prevalence of canine leishmaniasis in Beichuan County, Sichuan, China and phylogenetic evidence for an undescribed Leishmania sp. in China based on 7SL RNA
Authors: Sun Ke , Guan Wang , Zhang Jian-Guo , Wang Ya-Jing , Tian Yu , Liao Lin , Yang Bin-Bin , Chen Da-Li , Chen Jian-Ping
Published: April 2012

Background

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease, which is still endemic in the west and northwest area of China. Canines are the major reservoirs of Leishmania, the etiological agent of human visceral leishmaniasis. Phlebotomus chinensis is the main transmission vector of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL).

Methods

In this study, rK39 dip-stick, ELISA and PCR methods were used to investigate the prevalence of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province, China.

Results

Among the 86 dogs which were included in the study, 13 dogs were positive using the dip-stick test (15.12%), while 8 dogs were positive using ELISA (9.30%) and 19 dogs were positive for PCR (22.03%). In total, 32 dogs were positive for one or more tests (37.21%). Interestingly, phylogenetic analysis based on the partial 7SL RNA fragment provided evidence that an undescribed Leishmania species, which is clearly a causative agent of CanL and human visceral leishmaniasis, does exist in China. This result is consistent with our previous study.

Conclusions

Our work confirmed that canine leishmaniasis is still prevalent in Beichuan County. Further control is urgently needed, as canine leishmaniasis is of great public health importance. The phylogenetic analysis based on 7SL RNA segment provides evidence for the existence of an undescribed Leishmania sp. in China.
Heart Activity and Autistic Behavior in Infants and Toddlers With Fragile X Syndrome
Authors: Roberts Jane E. , Tonnsen Bridgette , Robinson Ashley , Shinkareva Svetlana V.
Published: April 2012

The present study contrasted physiological arousal in infants and toddlers with fragile X syndrome to typically developing control participants and examined physiological predictors early in development to autism severity later in development in fragile X syndrome. Thirty-one males with fragile X syndrome (ages 8–40 months) and 25 age-matched control participants were included. The group with fragile X syndrome showed shorter interbeat intervals (IBIs), lower vagal tone (VT), and less modulation of IBI. Data suggested a nonlinear effect with IBI and autistic behavior; however, a linear effect with VT and autistic behavior emerged. These findings suggest that atypical physiological arousal emerges within the first year and predicts severity of autistic behavior in fragile X syndrome. These relationships are complex and dynamic, likely reflecting endogenous factors assumed to reflect atypical brain function secondary to reduced fragile X mental retardation protein. This research has important implications for the early identification and treatment of autistic behaviors in young children with fragile X syndrome.
Enhanced Immunoreactivity of TIMP-2 in the Stromal Compartment of Tumor as a Marker of Favorable Prognosis in Ovarian Cancer Patients
Authors: Hałoń Agnieszka , Nowak-Markwitz Ewa , Donizy Piotr , Matkowski Rafał , Maciejczyk Adam , Gansukh Tserenchunt , Györffy Balázs , Spaczyński Marek , Zabel Maciej , Lage Hermann , Surowiak Paweł
Published: April 2012

Degradation of the extracellular matrix and basement membrane is a critical step in tumor progression. Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP 2) act in a coordinated manner to form an integrated system involved in ovarian cancer (OC) progression. In this study, the authors describe the expression of TIMP-2 detected by immunohistochemistry in 6 OC cell lines and in 43 malignant epithelial ovarian tumors (in tumor and stromal compartments) in sections originating from primary laparotomies. No significant correlations between overall and progression-free survival and TIMP-2 expression in tumor compartment were observed. The analysis demonstrated a significant association between enhanced stromal expression of TIMP-2 and better clinical response to cisplatin- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy. Increased expression of TIMP-2 in the stromal compartment and simultaneous overexpression in both stromal and tumor compartments strongly correlated with increased survival. No significant correlations were found in vitro between resistance to cisplatin, paclitaxel, or topotecan and the expression of TIMP-2 in the OC cell lines, suggesting stromal influences on tumor chemoresistance in the physiological environment. This study supports the concept of TIMP-2 expression in the stromal compartment of OC as a promising marker of prognosis and response to cisplatin- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy in OC patients.
Der „Bromberger Blutsonntag“ 1939
Authors: Krzoska Markus
Published: April 2012

Vorspann

Kaum eine Darstellung des Zweiten Weltkriegs, die ihn unerwähnt ließe: den „Bromberger Blutsonntag“ vom 3./4. September 1939. Die brutale Ermordung von Volksdeutschen war für die deutschen Eindringlinge ein willkommener Vorwand für eine Besatzungspolitik der Unterdrückung, des Terrors und der Vernichtung, deren Opferzahl die der deutschen Minderheit schließlich weit übertraf. Die Instrumentalisierung des „Blutsonntags“ durch die NS-Propaganda hat eine genaue Klärung der Ereignisse jahrzehntelang erschwert – genau so die Frontstellung des Kalten Kriegs oder die tief eingefressenen Ressentiments auf beiden Seiten. Nun aber scheint eine zumindest teilweise Rekonstruktion der deutschen Opferzahl möglich.
Caleb Williams and the Philomaths
Authors: O'Shaughnessy David
Published: April 2012

This essay offers a reassessment of William Godwin's political engagement in the mid to late 1790s and the implications of this activity for his participation in the public sphere in the nineteenth century. It considers his membership of the Philomaths, a debating society that he joined in the 1790s, and suggests that his participation in the deliberative and rational exchange of the society influenced Caleb Williams (1794). The formation, activities, and membership of the Philomaths are discussed, with John Thelwall's involvement and his dispute with Godwin receiving particular attention. Godwin's engagement with and subsequent withdrawal from the Philomaths allows us to read his intellectual trajectory in a more positive fashion than has previously been the case, as he moves toward a more inclusive conception of the Habermasian public sphere. Such a move is consistent with the broader sociability that can now be mapped in his diary and the shift in emphasis in his writing activities, for example, his engagement with the theater.