bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced Toll-Like Receptor 3 Expression in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients and Its Restoration by Interferon Therapy
Authors: Huang Yi-Wen , Lin Shih-Chang , Wei Shu-Chen , Hu Jui-Ting , Chang Han-Yu , Huang Shih-Hung , Chen Ding-Shinn , Chen Pei-Jer , Hsu Ping-Ning , Yang Sien-Sing , Kao Jia-Horng
Published: June 2013

Background

Toll-like receptor (TLR)3 gene variants may correlate with clinical significance of chronic viral infections including HBV. We aimed to investigate the expression of TLR3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and liver cells of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and its response to pegylated interferon or nucleoside analogue therapy.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled 127 CHB patients and 64 hepatitis B surface antigen-negative, anti-HCV-negative healthy individuals as controls. We compared the TLR3 expressions on fresh PBMCs and liver cells from patients and controls, before and during pegylated interferon or nucleoside analogue therapy.

Results

Compared to controls, patients had a lower TLR3 mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) on PBMCs (mean ±sd 14.61 ±13.49 versus 9.70 ±4.61; P<0.001), independent of age, gender and alanine aminotransferase (ALT; -13.466, 95% CI -17.202, -9.730; P<0.001). Patients had limited TLR3 stains on Kupffer cells, whereas controls had diffuse stains on Kupffer and hepatocytes. Hepatic TLR3 messenger RNA was lower in patients than controls (0.47 ±0.30 versus 1-fold). Using pretreatment TLR3 MFI as a referent, among 5 of 12 pegylated-interferon-treated patients with sustained virological response (SVR), TLR3 MFI was restored to a mean of 1.5- to 1.7-folds immediately after treatment. Among seven non-responders or relapsers, TLR3 MFI reduced to a mean of 0.5- to 0.7-fold. Among 10 entecavir-treated patients with on-treatment virological response, TLR3 MFI gradually was restored to a mean of 1.2-folds during 48-week therapy.

Conclusions

CHB patients have reduced TLR3 expression on PBMCs, independent of age, gender and ALT, and on liver cells. Patients with pegylated-interferon-induced SVR have a more significant restoration of TLR3 expression than those under entecavir.
Penser le rôle des foires internationales dans la mondialisation de l'édition
Authors: Serry Hervé , Vincent Josée
Published: June 2013

Depuis les années 1950, les foires internationales du livre sont devenues des lieux décisifs pour la structuration des marchés du livre dans une dynamique de mondialisation des marchés de l’édition. Depuis la renaissance de la Buchmesse de Francfort, au lendemain de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les foires du livre organisent plus que des échanges de droit. À partir de cet épicentre allemand, des pratiques commerciales, des modèles professionnels, des règles économiques, des comportements normés d’échanges, des formes esthétiques et cognitives se sont diffusées. Une foire du livre situe les marchés et les acteurs nationaux dans un ensemble hiérarchisé et contraignant. À partir du cas des investissements québécois à Francfort, il s’agit de voir comment s’articulent les dimensions locales et globales, comment un acteur dominé, c’est-à-dire périphérique du point de vue de la langue et de la notoriété de sa production, peut exister sur le marché mondial des livres. L’étude s’appuie sur la consultation de plusieurs fonds d’archives déposés à Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec et sur le dépouillement de la revue professionnelle Vient de paraître , publiée par le Conseil supérieur du livre de 1965 à 1978. Ainsi, nous montrerons qu’au-delà de la reconnaissance d’une littérature ou d’une culture considérée comme encore « marginale », la présence des éditeurs québécois à Francfort marque aussi la volonté d’imposer l’image d’une nation en devenir. La question se pose enfin de la circulation des modèles professionnels et des formes d’intégration de ceux-ci par le biais de ces espaces hiérarchisés que sont les foires du livre comme Francfort. Et donc des processus de rationalisation des pratiques éditoriales.
Ethnology in Slovenia and Serbia: Two Traditions of Yugoslav Ethnology?
Authors: Slavec Gradišnik Ingrid
Published: June 2013

Prispevek obravnava izbrana vprašanja v razvoju etnološke vede v Sloveniji in Srbiji v 20. stoletju: njune raziskovalne bližine in razlike, stike med institucijami in posamezniki. Nekatere vzporedne in divergentne poti so produkt širšega družbenega in zgodovinskega konteksta, v katerem se je etnologija razvijala v 20. stoletju, pa seveda tudi različnih razmer in disciplinarnih nastavkov. Komentirani so tudi usoda nekaterih skupnih raziskovalnih projektov v drugi polovici stoletja in raziskovalni izzivi, ki izhajajo iz večdesetletnega življenja v skupni državi.
***
The presentation discusses selected issues in the disciplinary development of Slovenian and Serbian ethnology in the 20th century: their research proximities and differences, institutional ties, contacts between individual researchers. Parallel and divergent scholarly orientations are considered as a product of specific historical and social contexts and disciplinary traditions. Planned joint research projects during the second part of the 20th century and research challenges, connected with decades of life in the common state are commented.
Ethnographic Film in Slovenia and Serbia: Outline of Project Results
Authors: Križnar Naško
Published: June 2013

V času Socialistične federativne republike Jugoslavije so bila med njenimi nacionalnimi etnologijami v navadi redna srečevanja in razprave. Ko so bili tovrstni stiki zaradi razpada države prekinjeni, je bilo prekinjeno tudi medsebojno informiranje o stanju na področju etnografskega filma. Medtem je prišlo do hitrega razvoja in velikih sprememb v etnografskem filmu in vizualni antropologiji v celoti. Zato se avtor članka v sklepu osredinja predvsem na premislek o oblikah sodobne vizualne etnografije, ki še najbolj ustreza znanstveno raziskovalnim praksam obeh etnoloških inštitutov (pri ZRC SAZU v Ljubljani in SANU v Beogradu), in o ustreznem izobraževanju za to področje.
***
Within Yugoslavia, regular conferences and discussions used to take place between ethnologists working in the various Yugoslav republics. When Yugoslavia collapsed and these contacts were interrupted, information about developments in ethnographic film also stopped being exchanged. Meanwhile, rapid development and great changes took place in ethnographic film and visual anthropology as a whole. This article therefore primarily focuses on the reflection of forms of contemporary visual ethnography, which largely corresponds with the research practices of the ethnology institutions in Ljubljana and Belgrade (ZRC SAZU and SANU, respectively), and suitable education in ethnology.
Surnames of Slovenians in Serbia at the Beginning of the 21st Century
Authors: Niškanović Miroslav
Published: June 2013

V članku so predstavljeni priimki ljudi, ki so se pri popisu prebivalstva v Srbiji leta 2002 (popis ni bil izveden na Kosovu) izrekli za pripadnike slovenske narodne manjšine. Gre za 5159 posameznikov v 2130 gospodinjstvih. Zapisanih je bilo 1579 priimkov. Razvrščeni so abecedno, skupaj s podatki o številu nosilcev najpogostejših priimkov in številu gospodinjstev s posamičnim priimkom.
***
This article presents the surnames of people that declared themselves to be members of the Slovenian national minority during the 2002 population census in Serbia (the census was not conducted in Kosovo). This population consists of 5,159 persons living in 2,130 households. A total of 1,579 surnames were registered. The surnames are listed alphabetically with records on the number of the most frequent surname holders and the number of households with these surnames.
Bordeaux : l'impossible fabrique d'un territoire viticole bio ?
Authors: Célérier Frédérique
Published: June 2013

Cet article propose une étude du développement de la production de vin biologique dans le vignoble du Bordelais. La diffusion des pratiques viti-vinicoles biologiques est portée par une demande croissante, et par une filière de plus en plus structurée. Les acteurs de la bio ont engagé des initiatives de construction territoriale, garante de qualité pour des vins d'abord identifiés par leur mode de production. La constitution de cette identité territoriale biologique se heurte dans le contexte bordelais à la force du modèle territorialisé de la qualité.
An Overview of the Fluctuating Fortunes of Viticulture in England and Wales
Authors: Clout Hugh
Published: June 2013

Cet article analyse le passé et le présent de la viticulture en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles. Ces vignobles et établissements vinicoles n’y représentent qu’une partie infime de l’ensemble de la production viticole. En dépit de leur faible représentativité sur la scène mondiale, ils ont connu un succès modeste au cours des siècles passés et connaissent depuis les soixante dernières années un regain grâce aux efforts d’un nombre restreint de pionniers, dont les actions sont étudiées ici. La vigne moyenne est extrêmement petite, mais il existe également de plus grandes entreprises commerciales qui produisent des vins de table de qualité et des vins mousseux, quoiqu'en petite quantité. Quelques opérateurs ont développé le tourisme viticole de manière originale afin de contribuer à la diversification rurale. Les implications du « réchauffement global » peuvent favoriser le développement de la viticulture en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles dans les années à venir pourvu que les conditions de capital, de talent, de flair entreprenarial et de marché soient ouvertes.
‘Quality’ as a governmental rationality in New Zealand wine
Authors: Prince Russell , Lewis Nicolas
Published: June 2013

La notion de “qualité” est tout autant inhérente à l’économie vinicole qu’aux économies culturelles. Il est donc possible d’identifier les qualités objectives, subjectives et multiples du vin au travers des nombreux profils d’arômes. Dans cet article, nous commençons par étudier les conséquences de l’utilisation généralisée de la notion de qualité, de sa matérialité indéfinie et des technologies de contrôle pesant sur l’économie vinicole. L’exemple de la Nouvelle-Zélande nous permet d’expliquer que la qualité a été utilisée pour soutenir la rente générée par la réputation nationale des vins et de mettre en avant les principales technologies développées pour soutenir l’industrie vinicole dans la création et le soutien de cette réputation. Nous suggérons qu’en tant que gouvernementalité, la qualité est le fondement d’une économie éthique associant la gestion des rentes collectives et la culture du vin, qui par là même, transcende son économie. Cet article a pour principal objectif d’analyser le rôle de la qualité dans la gouvernance de l’économie vinicole néo-zélandaise.
Imaging of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticle Using Atomic Force Microscope
Authors: Zakaria Nurul Sabihah , Siti Rabizah Makhsin , Aziz Azlan Abdul , Razak Khairunisak Abdul
Published: June 2013

Colloidal gold or also known as gold nanoparticle (AuNP) is a suspension of sub-nanometer-sized particle of gold in a fluid usually water. The synthesized AuNP have particle sizes ranging from, e.g. 10 nm to 100 nm with color changing from an intense red color (for particle less than 100 nm) to a dirty yellowish color (for larger particle). The size of AuNP determines their unique optic, electronic and magnetic properties. AuNP nowadays has widely used in material science [ and biomedical [2,. For many of this application, the AuNP need to be monodispersed and have a specific size. Generally, colloidal AuNP can be synthesis as monodispersed nanoparticles with core sizes ranging from 1nm to 250nm. The synthesis of AuNP can be controlled in different size and shapes due to their ability to react and agglomerate with other nanoparticles in their ambient condition [. Furthermore, AuNP can also becomes more prone to flocculation and aggregation [. As the size of colloidal AuNP increase so do their sensitivity to salt and environment. AuNP have increasingly gain interest due to their unique properties ofcontrolable morphology [ and size dispersion [6,, less toxicity and ease in synthesis and detection.
Cryptococcus gattii Is Killed by Dendritic Cells, but Evades Adaptive Immunity by Failing To Induce Dendritic Cell Maturation
Authors: Huston Shaunna M. , Li Shu Shun , Stack Danuta , Timm-McCann Martina , Jones Gareth J. , Islam Anowara , Berenger Byron M. , Xiang Richard F. , Colarusso Pina , Mody Christopher H.
Published: June 2013

During adaptive immunity to pathogens, dendritic cells (DCs) capture, kill, process, and present microbial Ags to T cells. Ag presentation is accompanied by DC maturation driven by appropriate costimulatory signals. However, current understanding of the intricate regulation of these processes remains limited. Cryptococcus gattii, an emerging fungal pathogen in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the United States, fails to stimulate an effective immune response in otherwise healthy hosts leading to morbidity or death. Because immunity to fungal pathogens requires intact cell-mediated immunity initiated by DCs, we asked whether C. gattii causes dysregulation of DC functions. C. gattii was efficiently bound and internalized by human monocyte-derived DCs, trafficked to late phagolysosomes, and killed. Yet, even with this degree of DC activation, the organism evaded pathways leading to DC maturation. Despite the ability to recognize and kill C. gattii, immature DCs failed to mature; there was no increased expression of MHC class II, CD86, CD83, CD80, and CCR7, or decrease of CD11c and CD32, which resulted in suboptimal T cell responses. Remarkably, no increase in TNF-α was observed in the presence of C. gattii. However, addition of recombinant TNF-α or stimulation that led to TNF-α production restored DC maturation and restored T cell responses. Thus, despite early killing, C. gattii evades DC maturation, providing a potential explanation for its ability to infect immunocompetent individuals. We have also established that DCs retain the ability to recognize and kill C. gattii without triggering TNF-α, suggesting independent or divergent activation pathways among essential DC functions.
Intrinsic Molecular Factors Cause Aberrant Expansion of the Splenic Marginal Zone B Cell Population in Nonobese Diabetic Mice
Authors: Stolp Jessica , Mariño Eliana , Batten Marcel , Sierro Frederic , Cox Selwyn L. , Grey Shane T. , Silveira Pablo A.
Published: June 2013

Marginal zone (MZ) B cells are an innate-like population that oscillates between MZ and follicular areas of the splenic white pulp. Differentiation of B cells into the MZ subset is governed by BCR signal strength and specificity, NF-κB activation through the B cell–activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF) receptor, Notch2 signaling, and migration signals mediated by chemokine, integrin, and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors. An imbalance in splenic B cell development resulting in expansion of the MZ subset has been associated with autoimmune pathogenesis in various murine models. One example is the NOD inbred mouse strain, in which MZ B cell expansion has been linked to development of type 1 diabetes and Sjögren’s syndrome. However, the cause of MZ B cell expansion in this strain remains poorly understood. We have determined that increased MZ B cell development in NOD mice is independent of T cell autoimmunity, BCR specificity, BCR signal strength, and increased exposure to BAFF. Rather, mixed bone marrow chimeras showed that the factor(s) responsible for expansion of the NOD MZ subset is B cell intrinsic. Analysis of microarray expression data indicated that NOD MZ and precursor transitional 2-MZ subsets were particularly dysregulated for genes controlling cellular trafficking, including Apoe, Ccbp2, Cxcr7, Lgals1, Pla2g7, Rgs13, S1pr3, Spn, Bid, Cd55, Prf1, and Tlr3. Furthermore, these B cell subsets exhibited an increased steady state dwell time within splenic MZ areas. Our data therefore reveal that precursors of mature B cells in NOD mice exhibit an altered migration set point, allowing increased occupation of the MZ, a niche favoring MZ B cell differentiation.
Cutting Edge: CD1d Restriction and Th1/Th2/Th17 Cytokine Secretion by Human Vδ3 T Cells
Authors: Mangan Bozgana A. , Dunne Margaret R. , O’Reilly Vincent P. , Dunne Pádraic J. , Exley Mark A. , O’Shea Donal , Scotet Emmanuel , Hogan Andrew E. , Doherty Derek G.
Published: June 2013

Human γδ T cells expressing the Vδ3 TCR make up a minor lymphocyte subset in blood but are enriched in liver and in patients with some chronic viral infections and leukemias. We analyzed the frequencies, phenotypes, restriction elements, and functions of fresh and expanded peripheral blood Vδ3 T cells. Vδ3 T cells accounted for ∼0.2% of circulating T cells, included CD4+, CD8+, and CD4−CD8− subsets, and variably expressed CD56, CD161, HLA-DR, and NKG2D but neither NKG2A nor NKG2C. Vδ3 T cells were sorted and expanded by mitogen stimulation in the presence of IL-2. Expanded Vδ3 T cells recognized CD1d but not CD1a, CD1b, or CD1c. Upon activation, they killed CD1d+ target cells, released Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines, and induced maturation of dendritic cells into APCs. Thus, Vδ3 T cells are glycolipid-reactive T cells with distinct Ag specificities but functional similarities to NKT cells.
Synergistic Expression of the CXCL10 Gene in Response to IL-1β and IFN-γ Involves NF-κB, Phosphorylation of STAT1 at Tyr701, and Acetylation of Histones H3 and H4
Authors: Burke Susan J. , Goff Matthew R. , Lu Danhong , Proud David , Karlstad Michael D. , Collier J. Jason
Published: June 2013

The CXCL10 gene encodes a peptide that chemoattracts a variety of leukocytes associated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The present study was undertaken to determine the molecular mechanisms required for expression of the CXCL10 gene in response to IL-1β and IFN-γ using rat islets and β cell lines. IL-1β induced the expression of the CXCL10 gene and promoter activity, whereas the combination of IL-1β plus IFN-γ was synergistic. Small interfering RNA–mediated suppression of NF-κB p65 markedly inhibited the ability of cytokines to induce the expression of the CXCL10 gene, whereas targeting STAT1 only diminished the synergy provided by IFN-γ. Furthermore, we found that a JAK1 inhibitor dose dependently reduced IFN-γ–controlled CXCL10 gene expression and promoter activity, concomitant with a decrease in STAT1 phosphorylation at Tyr701. We further discovered that, although the Tyr701 phosphorylation site is inducible (within 15 min of IFN-γ exposure), the Ser727 site within STAT1 is constitutively phosphorylated. Thus, we generated single-mutant STAT1 Y701F and double-mutant STAT1 Y701F/S727A adenoviruses. Using these recombinant adenoviruses, we determined that overexpression of either the single- or double-mutant STAT1 decreased the IFN-γ–mediated potentiation of CXCL10 gene expression, promoter activity, and secretion of protein. Moreover, the Ser727 phosphorylation was neither contingent on a functional Y701 site in β cells nor was it required for cytokine-mediated expression of the CXCL10 gene. We conclude that the synergism of IL-1β and IFN-γ to induce expression of the CXCL10 gene requires NF-κB, STAT1 phosphorylated at Tyr701, recruitment of coactivators, and acetylation of histones H3 and H4.
Amino Acid Copolymers That Alleviate Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis In Vivo Interact with Heparan Sulfates and Glycoprotein 96 in APCs
Authors: Koenig Paul-Albert , Spooner Eric , Kawamoto Norio , Strominger Jack L. , Ploegh Hidde L.
Published: June 2013

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the CNS. One approved treatment for relapsing forms of MS is YEAK, a random copolymer of the amino acids tyrosine, glutamic acid, alanine, and lysine. YFAK, a second-generation copolymer composed of tyrosine, phenylalanine, alanine, and lysine, is more successful in treating experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a mouse model of MS. Although originally designed and optimized based on the autoantigen myelin basic protein (MBP) and the MBP-derived peptide MBP85-99 presented to the MS-associated class II MHC molecule HLA-DR2, YEAK and YFAK also stimulate cytokine and chemokine production in APCs that lack class II MHC products. How YEAK and YFAK copolymers interact with APCs remains enigmatic. We used biotinylated YFAK to affinity-purify YFAK-interacting proteins from RAW264.7 cells and tested APCs from mice deficient in several of the newly identified interactors for their capacity to secrete CCL22 in response to YEAK and YFAK. We propose that initial contact of YFAK with cells is mediated mainly by electrostatic interactions, and find that interaction of YFAK with host proteins is strongly dependent on ionic strength. Cells deficient in enzymes involved in sulfation of proteins and proteoglycans showed strongly reduced binding of biotinylated YFAK. Lastly, cells stimulated with YFAK in the presence of heparin, structurally similar to heparan sulfates, failed to produce CCL22. We conclude that charge-dependent interactions of copolymers that alleviate MS/experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis are critical for their effects exerted on APCs and may well be the main initial mediators of these therapeutically active copolymers.
In vriendskap met Darwin in die Christelike ontwerp van ’n antropologie?
Authors: Veldsman Daniël P.
Published: June 2013

In friendship with Darwin in designing an anthropology from a Christian perspective? Best science and best theological reflection – the two belongs together for the sake of both. This is argued for in the exposition of the justification of friendship with Darwin (best science as evolutionary science) which is argumentatively connected from a Christian perspective to the praiseworthiness of God as creator (best theological reflection). Concretely, this implies making theologically sense of the important contemporary contribution of evolutionary biology on the origin of life and the descriptions of life. This endeavour necessitates a critical re-reading not only of Darwinian abuse and misperceptions but also of the larger historical context of the aforegoing scientific revolutions and their aftermath. Therefore, both discourses of abuse on the extreme spectrum of reflection on creation and life are critically addressed, namely creationism or Intelligent Design and bio-fundamentalism. As hermeneutical tool of discernment, the argument of evolutionary re-conceptualisation is unfolded as a distinction between an official story and alternative story to highlight not only the exciting implications of the latter but also especially as act of the de-domestication of our understanding of God as the praiseworthy God of creation.
Impacts of aircraft emissions on the air quality near the ground
Authors: Lee H. , Olsen S. C. , Wuebbles D. J. , Youn D.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. The continuing increase in demand for commercial aviation transport raises questions about the effects of resulting emissions on the environment. The purpose of this study is to investigate, using a global chemistry transport model, to what extent aviation emissions outside the boundary layer influence air quality in the boundary layer. The large-scale effects of current levels of aircraft emissions were studied through comparison of multiple simulations allowing for the separated effects of aviation emissions occurring in the low, middle and upper troposphere. We show that emissions near cruise altitudes (9–11 km in altitude) rather than emissions during landing and take-off are responsible for most of the total odd-nitrogen (NOy), ozone (O3) and aerosol perturbations near the ground with a noticeable seasonal difference. Overall, the perturbations of these species are smaller than 1 ppb even in winter when the perturbations are greater than in summer. Based on the widely used air quality standards and uncertainty of state-of-the-art models, we conclude that aviation-induced perturbations have a negligible effect on air quality even in areas with heavy air traffic. Aviation emissions lead to a less than 1% aerosol enhancement in the boundary layer due to a slight increase in ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) during cold seasons and a statistically insignificant aerosol perturbation in summer. In addition, statistical analysis using probability density functions, Hellinger distance, and p value indicate that aviation emissions outside the boundary layer do not affect the occurrence of extremely high aerosol concentrations in the boundary layer. An additional sensitivity simulation assuming the doubling of surface ammonia emissions demonstrates that the aviation induced aerosol increase near the ground is highly dependent on background ammonia concentrations whose current range of uncertainty is large.
Comparison of three vertically resolved ozone data sets: climatology, trends and radiative forcings
Authors: Hassler B. , Young P. J. , Portmann R. W. , Bodeker G. E. , Daniel J. S. , Rosenlof K. H. , Solomon S.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. Climate models that do not simulate changes in stratospheric ozone concentrations require the prescription of ozone fields to accurately calculate UV fluxes and stratospheric heating rates. In this study, three different global ozone time series that are available for this purpose are compared: the data set of Randel and Wu (2007) (RW07), Cionni et al. (2011) (SPARC), and Bodeker et al. (2013) (BDBP). All three data sets represent multiple-linear regression fits to vertically resolved ozone observations, resulting in a spatially and temporally continuous stratospheric ozone field covering at least the period from 1979 to 2005. The main differences among the data sets result from regression models, which use different observations and include different basis functions. The data sets are compared against ozonesonde and satellite observations to assess how the data sets represent concentrations, trends and interannual variability. In the Southern Hemisphere polar region, RW07 and SPARC underestimate the ozone depletion in spring ozonesonde measurements. A piecewise linear trend regression is performed to estimate the 1979–1996 ozone decrease globally, covering a period of extreme depletion in most regions. BDBP overestimates Arctic and tropical ozone depletion over this period relative to the available measurements, whereas the depletion is underestimated in RW07 and SPARC. While the three data sets yield ozone concentrations that are within a range of different observations, there is a large spread in their respective ozone trends. One consequence of this is differences of almost a factor of four in the calculated stratospheric ozone radiative forcing between the data sets (RW07: −0.038 Wm−2, SPARC: −0.033 Wm−2, BDBP: −0.119 Wm−2), important in assessing the contribution of stratospheric ozone depletion to the total anthropogenic radiative forcing.
Southern hemispheric halon trends and global halon emissions, 1978–2011
Authors: Newland M. J. , Reeves C. E. , Oram D. E. , Laube J. C. , Sturges W. T. , Hogan C. , Begley P. , Fraser P. J.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. The atmospheric records of four halons, H-1211 (CBrClF2), H-1301 (CBrF3), H-2402 (CBrF2CBrF2) and H-1202 (CBr2F2), measured from air collected at Cape Grim, Tasmania, between 1978 and 2011, are reported. Mixing ratios of H-1211, H-2402 and H-1202 began to decline in the early to mid-2000s, but those of H-1301 continue to increase up to mid-2011. These trends are compared to those reported by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and AGAGE (Advanced Global Atmospheric Experiment). The observations suggest that the contribution of the halons to total tropospheric bromine at Cape Grim has begun to decline from a peak in 2008 of about 8.1 ppt. An extrapolation of halon mixing ratios to 2060, based on reported banks and predicted release factors, shows this decline becoming more rapid in the coming decades, with a contribution to total tropospheric bromine of about 3 ppt in 2060. Top-down global annual emissions of the halons were derived using a two-dimensional atmospheric model. The emissions of all four have decreased since peaking in the late 1980s–mid-1990s, but this decline has slowed recently, particularly for H-1301 and H-2402 which have shown no decrease in emissions over the past five years. The UEA (University of East Anglia) top-down model-derived emissions are compared to those reported using a top-down approach by NOAA and AGAGE and the bottom-up estimates of HTOC (Halons Technical Options Committee). The implications of an alternative set of steady-state atmospheric lifetimes are discussed. Using a lifetime of 14 yr or less for H-1211 to calculate top-down emissions estimates would lead to small, or even negative, estimated banks given reported production data. Finally emissions of H-1202, a product of over-bromination during the production process of H-1211, have continued despite reported production of H-1211 ceasing in 2010. This raises questions as to the source of these H-1202 emissions.
Observations of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the upper troposphere by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS)
Authors: Tereszchuk K. A. , Moore D. P. , Harrison J. J. , Boone C. D. , Park M. , Remedios J. J. , Randel W. J. , Bernath P. F.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (CH3CO·O2NO2, abbreviated as PAN) is a trace molecular species present in the troposphere and lower stratosphere due primarily to pollution from fuel combustion and the pyrogenic outflows from biomass burning. In the lower troposphere, PAN has a relatively short lifetime and is principally destroyed within a few hours through thermolysis, but it can act as a reservoir and carrier of NOx in the colder temperatures of the upper troposphere, where UV photolysis becomes the dominant loss mechanism. Pyroconvective updrafts from large biomass burning events can inject PAN into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), providing a means for the long-range transport of NOx. Given the extended lifetimes at these higher altitudes, PAN is readily detectable via satellite remote sensing. A new PAN data product is now available for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) version 3.0 data set. We report observations of PAN in boreal biomass burning plumes recorded during the BORTAS (quantifying the impact of BOReal forest fires on Tropospheric oxidants over the Atlantic using Aircraft and Satellites) campaign (12 July to 3 August 2011). The retrieval method employed by incorporating laboratory-recorded absorption cross sections into version 3.0 of the ACE-FTS forward model and retrieval software is described in full detail. The estimated detection limit for ACE-FTS PAN is 5 pptv, and the total systematic error contribution to the ACE-FTS PAN retrieval is ~ 16%. The retrieved volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles are compared to coincident measurements made by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument on the European Space Agency (ESA) Environmental Satellite (ENVISAT). The MIPAS measurements demonstrated good agreement with the ACE-FTS VMR profiles for PAN, where the measured VMR values are well within the associated measurement errors for both instruments and comparative measurements differ no more than 70 pptv. The ACE-FTS PAN data set is used to obtain zonal mean distributions of seasonal averages from ~ 5–20 km. A strong seasonality is clearly observed for PAN concentrations in the global UTLS. Since the principal source of PAN in the UTLS is due to lofted biomass burning emissions from the pyroconvective updrafts created by large fires, the observed seasonality in enhanced PAN coincides with fire activity in different geographical regions throughout the year.
The role of hydrological transience in peatland pattern formation
Authors: Morris P. J. , Baird A. J. , Belyea L. R.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. The sloping flanks of peatlands are commonly patterned with non-random, contour-parallel stripes of distinct microhabitats such as hummocks, lawns and hollows. Patterning seems to be governed by feedbacks among peatland hydrological processes, plant micro-succession, plant litter production and peat decomposition. An improved understanding of peatland patterning may provide important insights into broader aspects of the long-term development of peatlands and their likely response to future climate change. We recreated a cellular simulation model from the literature, as well as three subtle variants, to explore the controls over peatland patterning. Our models each consist of three submodels, which simulate: peatland water tables in a gridded landscape; a simple representation of microhabitat dynamics in response to water-table depths; and changes in peat hydraulic properties. We found that the strength and nature of simulated patterning was highly dependent on the degree to which water tables had reached a steady state in response to hydrological inputs. Contrary to previous studies, we found that under a true steady state the models predict largely unpatterned landscapes that cycle rapidly between contrasting dry and wet states, dominated by hummocks and hollows, respectively. Realistic patterning only developed when simulated water tables were still transient. Literal interpretation of the degree of hydrological transience required for patterning suggests that the model should be discarded; however, the transient water tables appear to have captured some aspect of real peatland behaviour that generates patterning. Recently-buried peat layers may remain hydrologically active despite no longer reflecting current vegetation patterns, providing a form of ecological memory. Furthermore, the models were highly sensitive to the assumed values of peat hydraulic properties, which we take to indicate that the models are missing an important negative feedback between peat decomposition and dynamic changes in peat hydraulic properties. Understanding peatland patterning likely requires the unification of cellular landscape models such as ours with cohort-based models of long-term peatland development.
An interdisciplinary swat ecohydrological model to define catchment-scale hydrologic partitioning
Authors: Shope C. L. , Maharjan G. R. , Tenhunen J. , Seo B. , Kim K. , Riley J. , Arnhold S. , Koellner T. , Ok Y. S. , Peiffer S. , Kim B. , Park J.-H. , Huwe B.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. Land use and climate change have long been implicated in modifying ecosystem services, such as water quality and water yield, biodiversity, and agricultural production. To account for future effects on ecosystem services, the integration of physical, biological, economic, and social data over several scales must be implemented to assess the effects on natural resource availability and use. Our objective is to assess the capability of the SWAT model to capture short-duration monsoonal rainfall-runoff processes in complex mountainous terrain under rapid, event-driven processes in a monsoonal environment. To accomplish this, we developed a unique quality-control gap-filling algorithm for interpolation of high frequency meteorological data. We used a novel multi-location, multi-optimization calibration technique to improve estimations of catchment-wide hydrologic partitioning. We calibrated the interdisciplinary model to a combination of statistical, hydrologic, and plant growth metrics. In addition, we used multiple locations of different drainage area, aspect, elevation, and geologic substrata distributed throughout the catchment. Results indicate scale-dependent sensitivity of hydrologic partitioning and substantial influence of engineered features. While our model accurately reproduced observed discharge variability, the addition of hydrologic and plant growth objective functions identified the importance of culverts in catchment-wide flow distribution. The results of this study provide a valuable resource to describe landscape controls and their implication on discharge, sediment transport, and nutrient loading. This study also shows the challenges of applying the SWAT model to complex terrain and extreme environments. By incorporating anthropogenic features into modeling scenarios, we can greatly enhance our understanding of the hydroecological impacts on ecosystem services.
Virtual water trade and development in Africa
Authors: Konar M. , Caylor K.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. A debate has long existed on the relationships between human population, natural resources, and development. Recent research has expanded this debate to include the impacts of trade; specifically, virtual water trade, or the water footprint of traded commodities. We conduct an empirical analysis of the relationships between virtual water trade, population, and development in Africa. We find that increases in virtual water imports do not lead to increases in population growth nor do they diminish human welfare. We establish a new index of virtual water trade openness and show that levels of undernourishment tend to fall with increased values of virtual water trade openness. Countries with small dam storage capacity obtain a higher fraction of their agricultural water requirements from external sources, which may indicate implicit "infrastructure sharing" across nations. Globally, increased crop exports tends to correlate with increased crop water use efficiency, though this relationship does not hold for Africa. However, internal African trade is much more efficient in terms of embodied water resources than any other region in the world. Thus, internal African trade patterns may be compensating for poor internal production systems.
Spatial debris-cover effect on the maritime glaciers of Mount Gongga, south-eastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Y. , Hirabayashi Y. , Fujita K. , Liu S. , Liu Q.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. The Tibetan Plateau and surroundings contain a large number of debris-covered glaciers, on which debris cover affects glacier response to climate change by altering ice melting rates and spatial patterns of mass loss. Insufficient spatial distribution of debris thickness data makes it difficult to analyze regional debris-cover effects. Mount Gongga glaciers, maritime glaciers in the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau, are characterized by a substantial reduction in glacier length and ice mass in recent decades. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)-derived thermal property of the debris layer reveals that 68% of the glaciers have extensive mantles of supraglacial debris in their ablation zones, in which the proportion of debris cover to total glacier area varies from 1.74% to 53.0%. Using a surface energy-mass balance model accounting for the debris-cover effect applied at a regional scale, we find that although the presence of supraglacial debris has a significant insulating effect on heavily debris-covered glaciers, it accelerates ice melting on ~ 10.2% of the total ablation area and produces rapid wastage of ~ 25% of the debris-covered glaciers, resulting in the similar mass losses between debris-covered and debris-free glaciers. Widespread debris cover also facilitates the development of active terminus regions. Regional differences in the debris-cover effect are apparent, highlighting the importance of debris cover for understanding glacier status and hydrology in both the Tibetan Plateau and other mountain ranges around the world.
HowNauchnaia FantastikaWas Made: The Debates about the Genre of Science Fiction from NEP to High Stalinism
Authors: Schwartz Matthias
Published: June 2013

Based on a detailed analysis of published and unpublished sources, Matthias Schwartz reconstructs the making of Soviet science fiction in the cultural context of Soviet literary politics. Beginning in the 1920s,nauchnaia fantastika(scientific fantasy) became one of the most popular forms of light fiction, though literary critics and activists tended to dismiss it because of its origins in popular adventure, its ties to the so-called Pinkerton literature, and its ambiguous relationship to scientific inventions and social progress. Schwartz's analysis shows that even during high Stalinism, socialist realism's norms were far from being firmly established, but in the case of nauchnaia fantastika had to be constantly negotiated and reconstituted as fragile compromises involving different interest groups (literary politicians, writers, publishers, readers). A cultural history of Soviet science fiction also contributes to a better understanding of what people actually wanted to read and sheds new light on the question of how popular literature adapts to political changes and social destabilizations.
Low frequency of male circumcision and unwillingness to be circumcised among MSM in Buenos Aires, Argentina: association with sexually transmitted infections
Authors: Pando María A , Balan Ivan C , Dolezal Curtis , Marone Ruben , Barreda Victoria , Carballo‐Dieguez Alex , Avila María M
Published: June 2013

Objective

The aims of this study were to investigate the frequency of male circumcision among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina; the association between circumcision and sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and, among those uncircumcised, the willingness to be circumcised.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 500 MSM recruited through the respondent‐driven sampling (RDS) technique. Participants underwent a consent process, responded to a Web‐based survey that included questions on demographic information, sexual behaviour, and circumcision and provided biological samples. HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Treponema pallidum, and human papiloma virus (HPV) diagnoses were performed using standard methodologies. For all analyses, data were weighted based on participants’ network size.

Results

Only 64 (13%) of the 500 MSM in our study reported being circumcised. Among uncircumcised men (n=418), 302 (70.4%) said that they would not be willing to get circumcised even if the procedure could reduce the risk of HIV infection. When considering all participants, circumcision status was not significantly associated with HIV, HBV, HCV, T. pallidum or HPV infections. However, when we restricted the sample to men who do not practice receptive anal intercourse (RAI) and compared circumcised to uncircumcised men, the former (N=33) had no cases of HIV infection, while 34 of 231 (14.8%) uncircumcised men were HIV positive (p=0.020). Regarding HPV, uncircumcised men had a significantly larger number of different HPV types compared with circumcised men (mean 1.83 vs. 1.09, p<0.001) and a higher frequency of high‐risk‐HPV genotypes (47.6% vs. 12.5%, p=0.012).

Conclusions

Consistent with international evidence, male circumcision appears to have a partial protective effect among MSM. The efficacy of circumcision in reducing risk of HIV infection among MSM appears to be correlated with sexual practices. Given the lack of motivation among MSM with regard to circumcision, proper awareness on the risks and benefits of circumcision needs to be created, if circumcision has to be introduced as a prevention strategy.
Calving photocensus of the Rivière George Caribou Herd and comparison with an independent census
Authors: Couturier Serge , Courtois Réhaume , Crépeau Hélène , Rivest Louis-Paul , Luttich Stuart
Published: June 2013

Vertical photographs of the calving grounds have been used since 1984 to estimate the caribou (Rangifer tarandus) population of the Rivière George Caribou Herd (RGCH) in Northern Québec and Labrador. In spite of large confidence intervals, the 1984 and 1988 estimates suggested that the herd stabilized at more than 650 000 caribou (fall estimate including calves) making the RGCH the largest caribou herd in the world. Between 1984 and 1990, studies suggested that the former rapid growth of the herd deteriorated the calving and summer habitats. This poor habitat quality affected physical condition, pregnancy rate and calf survival. It was important to have a valid estimate of the herd size and a photocensus was done in June 1993. Contrary to previous censuses, a slightly different sampling design was applied in 1993. Two methods were used to estimate the number of females in the June population. In the first method, the number of females was derived from the estimated number of calves on the photographs and from the June female/calf ratio. The second method was used in the previous census and is based on the number of adults on the photos and on the June female/adult ratio. It is suggested that the first method of estimating female abundance in June is better due to sampling problems associated with a strong adult sex segregation during calving. From the first method, the herd size in October 1993 was estimated at 583 829 adults (±33.79%) and at 749 869 caribou including calves (±33.15%) while the second method provided estimates of 764 221 adults (±23.55%) and 981 565 caribou including calves (±22.64%). It was possible to compare those population estimates with an independent census. In July 1993, an oblique photocensus of the post-calving aggregations was conducted by Russell et al. (1996). A new analysis of their raw data provided an estimate of 608 384 adults (±14.35%). Both estimates from the June and July photocensus were combined. From the first and second method respectively, combined herd size estimates were 775 891 (±13.40%) and 823 375 (±12.36%) caribou including calves. The management implications are discussed and it is emphasized that the herd is still underharvested.
Post-calving photo-census of the Rivière George caribou herd in July 1993
Authors: Russell J. , Couturier S. , Sopuck L.G. , Ovaska K.
Published: June 2013

A photographie census of the Rivière George caribou herd in Quebec and Labrador was conducted between 4-23 July 1993 during the post-calving period. The primary objective of the study was to obtain an accurate estimate of the current size of the herd to permit the monitoring of population trends and effective management of the herd. The census procedure consisted of (1) use of satellite and conventional radio-telemetry to locate and photograph post-calving aggregations during the period of optimal aggregation, (2) determination of the minimum population size by direct counts from photographs, and (3) estimation of the total population size using the Petersen Index method. This method allowed extrapolation of the data to caribou that were either not photographed or that were not aggregated at the time of the census. The minimum count indicates that the Rivière George caribou herd consisted of at least 358 460 adults (older than calves) at the time of the census. This count underestimates the total population size but is useful because it is virtually free of error. The total size of the Rivière George herd in July 1993 was estimated to be 540 040 adults within 90% confidence limits of + 12.8%. Comparisons with previous estimates indicate that the size of the herd continues to be large, but that its growth has probably ceased. This study demonstrates that a photographic survey of post-calving aggregations is an effective method to census the Rivière George herd and possibly other large migratory caribou herds that are monitored by telemetry.
The diet of woodland caribou populations in west-central Alberta
Authors: Thomas Donald C. , Edmonds E. Janet , Brown W. Kent
Published: June 2013

The diet of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations in the foothills and Rocky Mountains of west-central Alberta was estimated by microhistological analyses of feces collected in winter and summer. In winter, terrestrial lichens averaged 60-83% of fecal fragment densities in both areas. In the mountains, decreasing proportions of terrestrial lichens and increasing proportions of conifer needles and moss indicated decreasing accessibility of forage because of deeper/harder snow. Apparent diets in summer were dominated by Salix spp., sedges, and lichens. However, forb inflorescences and stems were largely undetected by the microhistological technique and results for summer samples must be interpreted accordingly. We conclude that the conservation and management of forest ecotypes of caribou must include options of lichen-rich habitats as a major component of management plans.