bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensitivity of tumor cells towards CIGB‐300 anticancer peptide relies on its nucleolar localization
Authors: Perera Yasser , Costales Heydi C. , Diaz Yakelin , Reyes Osvaldo , Farina Hernan G. , Mendez Lissandra , Gómez Roberto E. , Acevedo Boris E. , Gomez Daniel E. , Alonso Daniel F. , Perea Silvio E.
Published: March 2012

CIGB‐300 is a novel anticancer peptide that impairs the casein kinase 2‐mediated phosphorylation by direct binding to the conserved phosphoacceptor site on their substrates. Previous findings indicated that CIGB‐300 inhibits tumor cell proliferation in vitro and induces tumor growth delay in vivo in cancer animal models. Interestingly, we had previously demonstrated that the putative oncogene B23/nucleophosmin (NPM) is the major intracellular target for CIGB‐300 in a sensitive human lung cancer cell line. However, the ability of this peptide to target B23/NPM in cancer cells with differential CIGB‐300 response phenotype remained to be determined. Interestingly, in this work, we evidenced that CIGB‐300's antiproliferative activity on tumor cells strongly correlates with its nucleolar localization, the main subcellular localization of the previously identified B23/NPM target. Likewise, using CIGB‐300 equipotent doses (concentration that inhibits 50% of proliferation), we demonstrated that this peptide interacts and inhibits B23/NPM phosphorylation in different cancer cell lines as evidenced by in vivo pull‐down and metabolic labeling experiments. Moreover, such inhibition was followed by a fast apoptosis on CIGB‐300‐treated cells and also an impairment of cell cycle progression mainly after 5 h of treatment. Altogether, our data not only validates B23/NPM as a main target for CIGB‐300 in cancer cells but also provides the first experimental clues to explain their differential antiproliferative response. Importantly, our findings suggest that further improvements to this cell penetrating peptide‐based drug should entail its more efficient intracellular delivery at such subcellular localization. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two‐stage k‐sample designs for the ordered alternative problem
Authors: Shan Guogen , Hutson Alan D. , Wilding Gregory E.
Published: March 2012

In preclinical studies and clinical dose‐ranging trials, the Jonckheere–Terpstra test is widely used in the assessment of dose–response relationships. Hewett and Spurrier (1979) presented a two‐stage analog of the test in the context of large sample sizes. In this paper, we propose an exact test based on Simon's minimax and optimal design criteria originally used in one‐arm phase II designs based on binary endpoints. The convergence rate of the joint distribution of the first and second stage test statistics to the limiting distribution is studied, and design parameters are provided for a variety of assumed alternatives. The behavior of the test is also examined in the presence of ties, and the proposed designs are illustrated through application in the planning of a hypercholesterolemia clinical trial. The minimax and optimal two‐stage procedures are shown to be preferable as compared with the one‐stage procedure because of the associated reduction in expected sample size for given error constraints. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibitory Effects of Key Compounds Isolated from Corni fructus on BACE1 Activity
Authors: Youn Kumju , Jun Mira
Published: March 2012

Progressive cerebral deposition of Aβ in the brain is a seminal event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ is generated from the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by proteolytic processing of β‐secretase (BACE1) and γ‐secretase. Consequently, BACE1, a key enzyme in the production of Aβ, is a prime target for therapeutic intervention in AD. In the course of screening for natural BACE1 inhibitors from Corni fructus, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed significant inhibitory activity against BACE1. By activity guided purification, three compounds of BACE1 inhibitors p‐coumaric acid, gallic acid and ursolic acid were isolated from Corni fructus EtOAc fraction. All isolated compounds suppressed BACE1 in a dose dependent manner. p‐Coumaric acid, in particular, exhibited significant inhibitory activity against BACE1 with 9.0 × 10‐5 m and a Ki value of 1.9 × 10‐6 m. Also this compound was non‐competitive with a substrate in the Dixon plot, suggesting that it might bind either to the β‐secretase subsite or to another regulatory site. All compounds showed no significant attenuation of TACE (α‐secretase) and other serine proteases such as chymotrypsin and trypsin, demonstrating that they were relatively selective and specific inhibitors of BACE1. These novel findings suggest that Corni fructus contains biologically active components that may be used to attenuate the progression and/or prevention of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kavalactone Metabolism in the Isolated Perfused Rat Liver
Authors: Fu Shuang , Rowe Anthony , Ramzan Iqbal
Published: March 2012

Metabolic pathways for kavalactone metabolism in humans and rats have been identified, but more detailed description of the enzyme kinetics involved is lacking. The disposition profiles of three of the six major kavalactones (kavain, methysticin and desmethoxyyangonin) and their respective metabolites (p‐hydroxykavain, m,p‐dihydroxykavain and p‐hydroxy‐5,6‐dehydrokavain) were examined in the perfusate and bile of the isolated perfused rat liver. The metabolism of the kavalactones is first‐order in nature with similar decay half‐lives. p‐Hydroxykavain and m,p‐dihydroxykavain were the only metabolites detected in the perfusate. Kavalactone biliary excretion was negligible. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inhibition of Neutrophil Elastase and Metalloprotease‐9 of Human Adenocarcinoma Gastric Cells by Chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) Infusion
Authors: Bulgari Michela , Sangiovanni Enrico , Colombo Elisa , Maschi Omar , Caruso Donatella , Bosisio Enrica , Dell'Agli Mario
Published: March 2012

This study investigated whether the antiinflammatory effect of chamomile infusion at gastric level could be ascribed to the inhibition of metalloproteinase‐9 and elastase. The infusions from capitula and sifted flowers (250–1500 µg/mL) and individual flavonoids (10 µm) were tested on phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate‐stimulated AGS cells and human neutrophil elastase. The results indicate that the antiinflammatory activity associated with chamomile infusions from both the capitula and sifted flowers is most likely due to the inhibition of neutrophil elastase and gastric metalloproteinase‐9 activity and secretion; the inhibition occurring in a concentration dependent manner. The promoter activity was inhibited as well and the decrease of metalloproteinase‐9 expression was found to be associated with the inhibition of NF‐kB driven transcription. The results further indicate that the flavonoid‐7‐glycosides, major constituents of chamomile flowers, may be responsible for the antiinflammatory action of the chamomile infusion observed here. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimated trichloroethene transformation rates due to naturally occurring biodegradation in a fractured rock aquifer
Authors: Chapelle Francis H. , Lacombe Pierre J. , Bradley Paul M.
Published: March 2012

Rates of trichloroethene (TCE) mass transformed by naturally occurring biodegradation processes in a fractured rock aquifer underlying a former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) site in West Trenton, New Jersey, were estimated. The methodology included (1) dividing the site into eight elements of equal size and vertically integrating observed concentrations of two daughter products of TCE biodegradation—cis‐dichloroethene (cis‐DCE) and chloride—using water chemistry data from a network of 88 observation wells; (2) summing the molar mass of cis‐DCE, the first biodegradation product of TCE, to provide a probable underestimate of reductive biodegradation of TCE, (3) summing the molar mass of chloride, the final product of chlorinated ethene degradation, to provide a probable overestimate of overall biodegradation. Finally, lower and higher estimates of aquifer porosities and groundwater residence times were used to estimate a range of overall transformation rates. The highest TCE transformation rates estimated using this procedure for the combined overburden and bedrock aquifers was 945 kg/yr, and the lowest was 37 kg/yr. However, hydrologic considerations suggest that approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr is the probable range for overall TCE transformation rates in this system. Estimated rates of TCE transformation were much higher in shallow overburden sediments (approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr) than in the deeper bedrock aquifer (approximately 20 to 0.15 kg/yr), which reflects the higher porosity and higher contaminant mass present in the overburden. By way of comparison, pump‐and‐treat operations at the NAWC site are estimated to have removed between 1,073 and 1,565 kg/yr of TCE between 1996 and 2009. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*
Remediating TCE‐contaminated groundwater in low‐permeability media using hydraulic fracturing to emplace zero‐valent iron/organic carbon amendment
Authors: Swift Dana , Rothermel Joe , Peterson Lance , Orr Brennon , Bures Gordon H. , Weidhaas Jennifer
Published: March 2012

A field pilot test in which hydraulic fracturing was used to emplace granular remediation amendment (a mixture of zero‐valent iron [ZVI] and organic carbon) into fine‐grained sandstone to remediate dissolved trichloroethene (TCE)‐contaminated groundwater was performed at a former intercontinental ballistic missile site in Colorado. Hydraulic fracturing was used to enhance the permeability of the aquifer with concurrent emplacement of amendment that facilitates TCE degradation. Geophysical monitoring and inverse modeling show that the network of amendment‐filled fractures extends throughout the aquifer volume targeted in the pilot test zone. Two years of subsequent groundwater monitoring demonstrate that amendment addition resulted in development of geochemical conditions favorable to both abiotic and biological TCE degradation, that TCE concentrations were substantially reduced (i.e., greater than 90 percent reduction in TCE mass), and that the primary degradation processes are likely abiotic. The pilot‐test data aided in re‐evaluating the conceptual site model and in designing the full‐scale remedy to address a larger portion of the TCE‐contaminated groundwater plume. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PREDICTING THE LIKELIHOOD OF ALTERED STREAMFLOWS AT UNGAUGED RIVERS ACROSS THE CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES
Authors: Eng K. , Carlisle D. M. , Wolock D. M. , Falcone J. A.
Published: March 2012

An approach is presented in this study to aid water‐resource managers in characterizing streamflow alteration at ungauged rivers. Such approaches can be used to take advantage of the substantial amounts of biological data collected at ungauged rivers to evaluate the potential ecological consequences of altered streamflows. National‐scale random forest statistical models are developed to predict the likelihood that ungauged rivers have altered streamflows (relative to expected natural condition) for five hydrologic metrics (HMs) representing different aspects of the streamflow regime. The models use human disturbance variables, such as number of dams and road density, to predict the likelihood of streamflow alteration. For each HM, separate models are derived to predict the likelihood that the observed metric is greater than (‘inflated’) or less than (‘diminished’) natural conditions. The utility of these models is demonstrated by applying them to all river segments in the South Platte River in Colorado, USA, and for all 10‐digit hydrologic units in the conterminous United States. In general, the models successfully predicted the likelihood of alteration to the five HMs at the national scale as well as in the South Platte River basin. However, the models predicting the likelihood of diminished HMs consistently outperformed models predicting inflated HMs, possibly because of fewer sites across the conterminous United States where HMs are inflated. The results of these analyses suggest that the primary predictors of altered streamflow regimes across the Nation are (i) the residence time of annual runoff held in storage in reservoirs, (ii) the degree of urbanization measured by road density and (iii) the extent of agricultural land cover in the river basin. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Risk Factors for Chronic Pain after Open Ventral Hernia Repair by Underlay Mesh Placement
Authors: Gronnier Caroline , Wattier Jean‐Michel , Favre Hugo , Piessen Guillaume , Mariette Christophe
Published: March 2012

Background

Incisional hernia is a frequent complication following abdominal surgery. Repairs that include the use of mesh have been associated with decreased recurrence. The aim of the present study was to determine the outcomes and risk factors for chronic pain after ventral hernia repair with underlay placement of a composite polypropylene mesh.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted from September 2005 to June 2008. The study included consecutive patients who underwent elective incisional hernia repair with underlay composite mesh placement. Postoperative course, recurrence, pain, and patient satisfaction were assessed by an independent observer. Chronic pain was defined as significant pain persisting after 3 months as assessed using a 10‐point numeric scale (≥3: chronic pain, ≥7: severe pain).

Results

After a mean follow‐up period of 24.6 months, 109 of 121 patients operated on during the period were evaluated. No patients experienced small bowel obstructions, enterocutaneous fistulas, or mesh infections leading to the need for mesh removal. The recurrence rate was 6.1 % at the repair site and 10.5% at another site. Thirty‐one patients (28%) had chronic pain and seven patients (6.6%) had severe pain. Affective and nociceptive components were the majority of complaints. Chronic cough was the only variable independently associated with chronic pain in univariate and multivariate analyses (OR = 4.8; p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Intraperitoneal composite mesh placement after ventral hernia repair is safe with regard to intra‐abdominal potential complications. Chronic pain is not uncommon, with chronic cough identified as the major independent predictor.
Cosmesis and Body Image after Minimally Invasive or Open Thyroid Surgery
Authors: Bokor Therezia , Kiffner Erhard , Kotrikova Bibiana , Billmann Franck
Published: March 2012

Background

Minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic appendectomy or minimally invasive thyroid surgery, are thought to produce better cosmetic results. However, cosmesis in thyroid surgery was rarely investigated using a standardized approach. The objectives of this study were to evaluate body image and cosmesis in patients who had either minimally invasive (MI) or conventional open (CO) thyroid surgery.

Methods

Two hundred fifty patients of 540 participated (46.3 %): 50 patients (20.0 %) had MI thyroid surgery and 200 (80.0 %) had CO thyroid surgery. The patients filled out a body image questionnaire that investigated body image, cosmesis, and self‐confidence. SPSS 19.0 software was used for statistical analysis.

Results

Although the mean incision size was significantly shorter in the MI group than in the CO group (2.8 vs. 3.5 cm), the mean scores from the body image questionnaire (body image score, cosmetic score, and self‐confidence score) were similar for both groups (p > 0.05). No significant differences in postoperative complications were observed in these groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Studies in the literature that evaluate body image and cosmesis in thyroid surgery using standardized methods are scarce. In our department, the results of a questionnaire showed that the MI approach has no advantage for body image and cosmesis over the CO approach. Further prospective randomized studies using different tools with a larger sample size are needed to investigate the use of MI procedures for thyroid surgery.
The clinical role of critical pathway implementation for pancreaticoduodenectomy in 179 patients
Authors: Yamaki So , Satoi Sohei , Toyokawa Hideyoshi , Yanagimoto Hiroaki , Yamamoto Tomohisa , Hirooka Satoshi , Yui Rintaro , Inoue Kentaro , Matsui Yoichi , Kwon A‐Hon
Published: March 2012

Background/purpose

In June 2004, a critical pathway for patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) was introduced. The objective of this study was to determine the clinical value of critical pathway implementation.

Methods

256 consecutive patients who underwent PD between 2000 and 2010 were divided into 4 groups by date of operation as follows; group A (n = 77), the pre‐pathway group; group B (n = 51), the CP implementation group who were managed according to departmental guidelines; group C (n = 78), the group who had no stenting in the reconstruction of PD; and group D (n = 50), the group who had reinforcement of the pancreaticojejunostomy. The success rates of clinical outcomes and post‐operative morbidity were compared between each group, year by year and every 50 patients.

Results

The success rates of clinical outcomes, including the timings of nasogastric tube removal, discontinuation of prophylactic anti‐microbial agent, drain removal, starting oral intake, and patient discharge, were significantly improved in group B relative to group A, and in group C relative to group B. There were no significant differences in mortality and morbidity between any of the groups. All clinical outcomes reached a plateau at 2—3 years or 100—150 patients' operations after critical pathway implementation.

Conclusions

Long‐term use of a critical pathway is associated with improved clinical outcomes. A certain period of time or volume of patients is needed for this improvement in clinical outcomes to reach a plateau, which indicates achieving standardization of peri‐operative management.
Understanding of Genetic Inheritance among Xhosa‐Speaking Caretakers of Children with Hemophilia
Authors: Solomon Gabriele , Greenberg Jacquie , Futter Merle , Vivian Lauraine , Penn Claire
Published: March 2012

Hemophilia A and B are X‐linked recessive inherited bleeding disorders that have a profound impact on the family of affected individuals. Education is vital to enable women to appreciate the implications of being a carrier and the implications for a prospective child. Prior research has shown that cultural, socio‐economic and linguistic issues in South Africa are major barriers to communication for first‐language Xhosa‐speakers. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the basic knowledge of genetic inheritance among this cultural group in order to promote culturally‐sensitive, effective genetic counseling. Ten in‐depth interviews were conducted with Xhosa‐speaking mothers or caregivers of boys with hemophilia. Results suggest that the participants had a very limited understanding of the clinical management, genetic consequences and cause of hemophilia. While treatment and care by health care service providers was fully accepted, several participants believed that traditional methods would provide them with more satisfactory explanations. These findings suggest that there is a critical need for socio‐culturally tailored, language‐specific education for families with hemophilia.
Patterns of foliar δ15N and their control in Eastern Asian forests
Authors: Fang Yunting , Koba Keisuke , Yoh Muneoki , Makabe Akiko , Liu Xueyan
Published: March 2012

Foliar δ15N has been used increasingly in research on ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling, because it can serve as an integrator of ecosystem N cycling and thus has a potential to reveal temporal and spatial patterns of N cycling as well as how the N cycle is altered by disturbances. However, the current understanding on controls of foliar δ15N is based principally on studies from America, Europe, Australia and Africa. Here we compiled data from 65 forests at 33 sites across East Asia to explore regional patterns and what controls foliar δ15N by linking it to climate, species composition, soil depth, slope position, N deposition, and soil N availability. In East Asia, foliar δ15N ranged from −7.1 to +2.7‰. Mean foliar δ15N values for tropical, subtropical and temperate forests were all −3.1‰, which was unexpected. The patterns of foliar δ15N with precipitation, temperature and altitude were not clear. The variation in foliar δ15N among species and between different slope positions appeared to be small within a given forest. The δ15N for both bulk soil N and extractable inorganic N generally increased with soil depth as expected, strengthening the idea that deep‐rooted trees may have access to15N‐enriched N. Different from the positive correlations reported across America and Europe, in East Asia we found that foliar δ15N decreased with increasing N deposition and did not relate to soil N availability. These discrepancies deserve more research to elucidate the mechanisms by which foliar δ15N is affected by ecosystem N availability at a regional scale.
Microbe‐mediated plant–soil feedback and its roles in a changing world
Authors: Miki Takeshi
Published: March 2012

Plants affect soil conditions, which in turn alter plant growth and interspecific competition, forming plant–soil feedback (PSF) systems. PSF is a good example of bidirectional interactions between biomes and the non‐living environments, acting as a major driving force of community structure and ecosystem function. Among the major types of PSF mediated by various soil components, there are many holes in our knowledge of the interactions between PSF mediated by plant species‐specific litter and PSF mediated by soil microbes. Here I discuss the role of the functional diversity of microbial decomposers in litter‐mediated PSF and also propose new hypotheses on the role of microbial diversity in PSF mediated by pathogenic and mutualistic soil microbes. I also review how PSF interacts with human‐induced environmental change, i.e., direct drivers of change in the ecosystem (e.g. climate change and the invasion of alien species). Many authors have suggested that the impact of alien plant species on ecosystems is mediated by PSF, which also interacts with other direct drivers, such as climate change. Using a simple model of litter‐mediated PSF with microbial decomposers, I confirm that the interactions between PSF and other direct drivers affect the invasion process of alien species. The model also demonstrates that the functional diversity of microbial decomposers accelerates or decelerates the speed of the invasion depending on the environmental change scenarios. Further theoretical and empirical studies are needed to derive general predictions on how exogenous environmental change induced by human activities alters communities and ecosystems through disturbance or modification of endogenous community–ecosystem interactions, such as the functioning of PSF.
Characterization of Methacrylated Type-I Collagen as a Dynamic, Photoactive Hydrogel
Authors: Gaudet Ian D. , Shreiber David I.
Published: March 2012

Type-I collagen is an attractive scaffold material for tissue engineering due to its ability to self-assemble into a fibrillar hydrogel, its innate support of tissue cells through bioactive adhesion sites, and its biodegradability. However, a lack of control of material properties has hampered its utility as a scaffold. We have modified collagen via the addition of methacrylate groups to create collagen methacrylamide (CMA) using a synthesis reaction that allows retention of fundamental characteristics of native collagen, including spontaneous fibrillar self-assembly and enzymatic biodegradability. This method allows for a rapid, five-fold increase in storage modulus upon irradiation with 365 nm light. Fibrillar diameter of CMA was not significantly different from native collagen. Collagenolytic degradability of uncrosslinked CMA was minimally reduced, while photocrosslinked CMA was significantly more resistant to degradation. Live/Dead staining demonstrated that a large majority (71%) of encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells remained viable 24 h after photocrosslinking, which further increased to 81% after 72 h. This material represents a novel platform for creating mechanically heterogeneous environments.
Opening up our windows to the world
Authors: Ten Cate Olle
Published: March 2012

None
Omics and therapy – A basis for precision medicine
Authors: Garay Joseph P. , Gray Joe W.
Published: March 2012

A founding premise of the human genome project was that knowledge of the spectrum of abnormalities that comprise cancers and other human diseases would lead to improved disease management by identifying molecular abnormalities that could guide disease detection and diagnosis, suggest new therapeutic strategies and be developed as markers to predict response to therapy. This project led to elucidation of a reference normal human genome sequence and normal polymorphisms therein against which sequences from diseased tissues can be compared to enable identification of causal abnormalities. It also stimulated development of an array of computational tools for genomic analysis and catalyzed public and private sector development of revolutionary tools for genome analysis that transformed analysis of whole genomes from an enterprise that required international teams and hundreds of millions of dollars to a process that can be carried out in core facilities for only a few thousand dollars per sample. Indeed, the $1000 genome is nearly upon us. Applications of these technologies to human cancers in international cancer genome projects are now revealing the spectra of abnormalities that comprise thousands of individual cancers. Analyses of these data are leading to the promised improvements in disease management. We review several aspects of cancer genomics with emphasis on aspects that are relevant to improving cancer therapy.
Electromigration dispersion in a capillary in the presence of electro-osmotic flow
Authors: Ghosal S. , Chen Z.
Published: March 2012

The differential migration of ions in an applied electric field is the basis for the separation of chemical species by capillary electrophoresis. Axial diffusion of the concentration peak limits the separation efficiency. Electromigration dispersion is observed when the concentration of sample ions is comparable to that of the background ions. Under such conditions, the local electrical conductivity is significantly altered in the sample zone making the electric field, and, therefore, the ion migration velocity, concentration dependent. The resulting nonlinear wave exhibits shock-like features and, under certain simplifying assumptions, is described by Burgers’ equation (Ghosal & Chen Bull. Math. Biol., vol. 72, 2010, p. 2047). In this paper, we consider the more general situation where the walls of the separation channel may have a non-zero zeta potential and are therefore able to sustain an electro-osmotic bulk flow. The main result is a one-dimensional nonlinear advection diffusion equation for the area averaged concentration. This homogenized equation accounts for the Taylor–Aris dispersion resulting from the variation in the electro-osmotic slip velocity along the wall. It is shown that in a certain range of parameters, the electro-osmotic flow can actually reduce the total dispersion by delaying the formation of a concentration shock. However, if the electro-osmotic flow is sufficiently high, the total dispersion is increased because of the Taylor–Aris contribution.
Building a Left Coast: The Legacy of the California Popular Front and the Challenge to Cold War Liberalism in the Post-World War II Era
Authors: BELL JONATHAN
Published: March 2012

The Cold War in the late 1940s blunted attempts by the Truman administration to extend the scope of government in areas such as health care and civil rights. In California, the combined weakness of the Democratic Party in electoral politics and the importance of fellow travelers and communists in state liberal politics made the problem of how to advance the left at a time of heightened Cold War tensions particularly acute. Yet by the early 1960s a new generation of liberal politicians had gained political power in the Golden State and was constructing a greatly expanded welfare system as a way of cementing their hold on power. In this article I argue that the New Politics of the 1970s, shaped nationally by Vietnam and by the social upheavals of the 1960s over questions of race, gender, sexuality, and economic rights, possessed particular power in California because many activists drew on the longer-term experiences of a liberal politics receptive to earlier anti-Cold War struggles. A desire to use political involvement as a form of social networking had given California a strong Popular Front, and in some respects the power of new liberalism was an offspring of those earlier battles.
Family and the Renegotiation of Masculine Identity in Philip Roth'sThe Plot Against America
Authors: HOBBS ALEX
Published: March 2012

This article considers the negotiation of masculinity that takes place within a family context, juxtaposing Raewyn Connell's concept of hegemonic masculinity with one that is more aligned with the collective. Taking Philip Roth's 2003 novelThe Plot Against America, the article uses the character of Herman Roth as a case study. Despite Roth's reputation as a fundamentally masculine writer, and one who has not always represented the family as a positive force on individual masculine identity, this novel portrays a father who is responsive to circumstance and whose masculinity evolves according to his family's needs.
The Madoff Paradox: American Jewish Sage, Savior, and Thief
Authors: BERKOWITZ MICHAEL
Published: March 2012

Bernie Madoff perpetrated a Ponzi scheme on a scale that was gargantuan even compared with the outrageously destructive Enron and Worldcom debacles. A major aspect of the Madoff story is his rise as a specifically American Jewish type, who self-consciously exploited stereotypes to inspire trust and confidence in his counsel. Styling himself as a benefactor and protector of Jews as individuals and institutional Jewish interests, and possibly in the guise of the Jewish historical trope ofshtadlan(intercessor), he was willing to threaten the well-being of all those enmeshed in his empire. The license granted to Madoff stemmed in part from the extent to which he appeared to diverge from earlier Jewish financial titans, such as Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken, in that he epitomized an absolute “insider” – as opposed to an “outsider” or marginal figure. In reality he had none of the supposedly humane virtues attributed to Jewish crooks, at least in the realm of popular culture.
Tularaemia presenting as parapharyngeal abscess: case presentation
Authors: Koc S , Gürbüzler L , Yaman H , Eyibilen A , Salman N , Ekici A
Published: March 2012

Objective:

We report an extremely rare case of the oropharyngeal form of tularaemia, causing a parapharyngeal abscess.

Case report:

A 48-year-old woman presented with fever, sore throat, breathing difficulty and a right-sided neck swelling. This mass had previously been treated with penicillin without response, and had already been surgically drained once in another hospital. On physical examination, the tonsils were exudative and hypertrophic and the pharynx was hyperaemic. A fluctuant, 4 × 4 cm mass was seen on endoscopic examination, originating from the left parapharyngeal area and protruding towards the pyriform sinus, and partly obstructing the airway. Microagglutination test antibody titres for Francisella tularensis were positive (1/1280). The patient healed completely after definitive drainage of the abscess and antimicrobial therapy for 14 days (streptomycin, 2 × 1 g intramuscularly).

Conclusion:

Tularaemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with tonsillopharyngitis, cervical lymphadenitis and parapharyngeal abscess who do not respond to treatment with penicillin, even if they do not live in an endemic region.
Diagnostic difficulties of plunging ranula: case series
Authors: Jain R , Morton R P , Ahmad Z
Published: March 2012

Objectives:

To evaluate common pitfalls in diagnosing complicated plunging ranula, either due to misidentification of plunging ranula or alternative pathology (i.e. false negatives or false positives, respectively).

Methods:

A review of cases of plunging ranula seen in Middlemore Hospital, New Zealand, was performed. Diagnostically uncertain cases were identified and reviewed, taking particular note of clinical, radiological and surgical findings.

Results:

From our database, 12 cases were found to have had a complicated diagnosis of plunging ranula. Ten cases were false negatives: four were treated as abscesses, four as simple cysts, one as a thyroglossal cyst and one as a cystic hygroma. Two cases were false positives: one was found to be a thyroglossal cyst and the other a lipoma.

Conclusion:

The diagnosis of plunging ranula is usually straightforward, with simple surgical management. Misdiagnosis can lead to recurrence of symptoms and inappropriate management, with the associated risks, complications and frustrations of surgery.
XXV.—Some Continuant Determinants arising in Physics and Chemistry
Authors: Rutherford D. E.
Published: March 2012

In many problems in physics and chemistry certain determinants of large order and of a special type require to be evaluated. The determinants in question usually arise from some kind of secular equation, and in most cases they owe their origin to a system of particles of one kind or another which, in their equilibrium positions, form a regular lattice, each particle being acted upon by its nearest neighbours and perhaps by a fixed boundary. These forces may be assumed to be elastic in character, to the degree of approximation required. For simplicity we shall refer to these particles as atoms although they may be electrons, molecules or even material particles in the Newtonian sense, according to the nature of the problem under investigation. In particular we may mention the occurrence of these determinants in problems involving the solution of Schrödinger's Wave Equation for permitted energy levels and in determining the distribution of electric charge in crystals, metals and large molecules. They have also been used by Born in his investigations of crystal structure by means of X-rays. It is hoped therefore that the results achieved in this paper will be of interest to the physicist and chemist as well as to the mathematician.
2D analysis of direct-drive shock-ignited HiPER-like target implosions with the full laser megajoule
Authors: Canaud B. , Laffite S. , Brandon V. , Temporal M.
Published: March 2012

We present a 2D analysis of direct-drive shock ignition for the laser Megajoule. First, a target design is chosen in the HiPER-like target family generated by scale up and down of the original HiPER target. A first analysis is done considering the 1D fuel assembly and 2D shock ignition by means of the ring at polar angle of 33°2. The intensity profile is top-hat and calculations are done for several different radii. It is shown that larger the radius, lower the minimum spike power is. In addition, the intensity in each quad can stay below 4 × 1014 W/cm2 and is considered non crucial for parametric instabilities such as two plasmons. A 2D analysis of the fuel assembly is done in a second step by considering the two rings located at 49° and 59°5 and their symmetric by the equatorial plane symmetry. It is shown that low mode asymmetries are important at the stagnation and can significantly affect the areal density obtained. Finally, full 2D calculations of shock ignition is done, using all the beams of the LMJ and show that the spike power needed for ignition and gain is increased by a factor greater than 3 regarding the power needed in perfectly isotropic fuel assembly. This increase is mainly due to high level low mode asymmetries generated during fuel assembly.
Ultrahigh acceleration of plasma by picosecond terawatt laser pulses for fast ignition of fusion
Authors: Lalousis P. , Földes I.B. , Hora H.
Published: March 2012

A fundamental different mechanism dominates laser interaction with picosecond-terawatt pulses in contrast to the thermal-pressure processes with ns pulses. At ps-interaction, the thermal effects are mostly diminished and the nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces convert laser energy instantly with nearly 100% efficiency into the space charge neutral electron cloud, whose motion is determined by the inertia of the attached ion cloud. These facts were realized only by steps in the past and are expressed by the ultrahigh plasma acceleration, which is more than few thousand times higher than observed by any thermokinetic mechanism. The subsequent application for side-on ignition of uncompressed fusion fuel by the ultrahigh accelerated plasma blocks is studied for the first time by using the genuine two-fluid hydrodynamics. Details of the shock-like flame propagation can be evaluated for the transition to ignition conditions at velocities near 2000 km/s for solid deuterium-tritium.
Collisional effects on fast electron generation and transport in fast ignition
Authors: Sakagami H. , Okada K. , Kaseda Y. , Taguchi T. , Johzaki T.
Published: March 2012

As the binary collision process requires much more computation time, a statistical electron-electron collision model based on modified Langevin equation is developed to reduce it. This collision model and a simple electron-ion scattering model are installed into one-dimensional PIC code, and collisional effects on fast electron generation and transport in fast ignition are investigated. In the collisional case, initially thermal electrons are heated up to a few hundred keV due to direct energy transfer by electron-electron collision, and they are also heated up to MeV by Joule heating induced by electron-ion scattering. Thus the number of low energy component of fast electrons increase than that in the collisionless case.
Superficial changes on the Inconel 600 superalloy by picosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064, 532, and 266 nm: Comparative study
Authors: Stašić J. , Gaković B. , Trtica M. , Desai T. , Volpe L.
Published: March 2012

A comparative study of superficial changes on the superalloy Inconel 600, induced by a picosecond Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064, 532, and 266 nm, is presented. All of the laser wavelengths, as well as the used fluences of 2.5 (1064 nm), 4.3 (532 nm), and 0.6 J/cm2 (266 nm) were found to be adequate for inducing surface variations. Quite different surface features were produced depending on the laser wavelength used. The measured surface damage thresholds were 0.25, 0.13 and 0.10 J/cm2 for 1064, 532, and 266 nm, respectively. Drastic differences, in function of the wavelength used, were recorded for the crater depths, as well the appearance of hydrodynamic effects and periodic surface structures. Differences in crater depths were explained via an easier propagation of the first harmonic laser radiation (1064 nm) through the ejected material and plasma compared to a radiation at 532 and 266 nm. Finally, changes in the surface oxygen content caused by ultrashort laser pulses were considered.
Investigation of magnesium laser ablated plumes with Thomson scattering
Authors: Nedanovska E. , Nersisyan G. , Lewis C.L.S. , Riley D.
Published: March 2012

Optical Thomson scattering has been implemented as a diagnostic of laser ablated plumes generated with second harmonic Nd:YAG laser radiation at 532 nm. Thomson scattering data with both spatial and temporal resolution has been collected, giving both electron density, and temperature distributions within the plume as a function of time. Although the spatial profiles do not match very well for simple models assuming either isothermal or isentropic expansion, consideration of the measured ablated mass indicates an isothermal expansion fits better than an isentropic expansion and indeed, at late time, the spatial profile of temperature is almost consistent with an isothermal approximation.
Population densities and conservation status of Norfolk Island forest birds
Authors: DUTSON GUY
Published: March 2012

Three weeks of intensive surveys in Norfolk Island National Park in 2009 failed to find White-chested White-eye Zosterops albogularis and it was calculated that there was a less than 17% probability that a population of 10 birds had been overlooked. The last multi-observer record of this species was in 1978, and it is recommended that the species’ IUCN Red List status of “Critically Endangered” is tagged as “Possibly Extinct”. During these surveys, the population densities of seven bird species were calculated from 352 independent point counts. Causes of imprecision and bias were investigated, suggesting a small underestimation. Other species were recorded too infrequently, or their distributions were too biased, for analysis. The population densities of the extant endemic taxa were relatively high and suggest no current declines, and the population estimates were consistent with previous studies. This study recommends monitoring most species by point counts, or line transects if resources are limited, supplemented with specific monitoring of Tasman (Norfolk Island) Parakeet Cyanoramphus cookii, Pacific Robin Petroica multicolor, Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae and seabirds. Ongoing monitoring of these birds is needed to help inform management of the National Park and the island in general, given their small population sizes and their likely susceptibility to rat and cat predation, competition from alien species and drought.
Bhoja's Alternate Universe
Authors: COX WHITNEY
Published: March 2012

Towards the end of the eleventh chapter of the Śṛṅgāraprakāśa, there is an aside in gāthās that surveys the genres that king Bhoja accepts as constituting the complete range of literary form. The passage is long, 14 pages in Raghavan's edition, and gives us some idea of the unusual flavour of the Śṛṅgāraprakāśa as a whole. Much of it is taken over en bloc from the Nāṭyaśāstra's eighteenth adhyāya, although with considerable reorganisation and occasional rewriting by Bhoja to account for the spectrum of forms said to be prekṣya ‘visible’ or abhineya ‘performable’. When the text next moves to the anabhineya or ‘non-performable’ types (that is, what other genre surveys, following Kāvyādarśa 1: 39, would call śravyakāvya), Bhoja composes his own verses, though continuing in a very similar style to the old Bhāratīya gāthās, to account for the rest of his typology.
The Story of the Irascible Yakṣa and the King Who Nearly Beheaded Himself in Dhanapāla's Tilakamañjarī
Authors: DEZSŐ CSABA
Published: March 2012

The Tilakamañjarī, Dhanapāla's poem in prose (gadyakāvya) is one of the masterpieces of classical Sanskrit literature and deserves to be better known. What he says in one of the introductory verses about his contemporary audience is also true about the readers of our time: “People, smelling danger, turn away from prose which contains a forest of unbroken lines (i.e. compounds filling whole lines) and lots of descriptions, as they keep away from the many-coloured tiger which lives in the dense Daṇḍaka forest”. Although Dhanapāla shows more restraint in his descriptions and in the use of alliteration and long compounds than his illustrious predecessor Bāṇa, the extremely intricate plot of the Tilakamañjarī might discourage those who otherwise appreciate Sanskrit poetry. I am certain, however, that once a taste for gadyakāvya is acquired all these deterring factors turn into sources of delight.
The Samarāṅganasūtradhāra: Themes and Context for the Science of Vāstu
Authors: SALVINI MATTIA
Published: March 2012

The Samarāṅganasūtradhāra is an encyclopedic work, attributed by tradition to King Bhoja of the Paramāra dynasty. It collects a vast number of subjects under the general heading of vāstu, a term that refers to a dwelling or dwelling place and, by inclusion, comes to treat the many activities connected with dwellings and construction sites. Although probably incomplete in the available manuscripts, the size of the Samarāṅganasūtradhāra remains impressive: including the ‘interpolated section’ it runs for almost 7,500 Sanskrit verses. The various portions resemble, in turn, a Purāṇa, a treatise on architecture, a disquisition into dramaturgic detail and much more. Bhoja's work can be classified as belonging to the ‘northern’ Vāstu tradition; the text presents itself as such, by tracing its own origin to the divine architect Viśvakarman rather than Maya, as a southern text would do. Nevertheless, the Samarāṅganasūtradhāra contains an extensive treatment of southern temple types.
The Historiography of the Medieval in South Asia
Authors: ALI DAUD
Published: March 2012

Colonial scholars and administrators in the latter half of the nineteenth century were the first to subject South Asia to modern historicist scrutiny. Using coins, inscriptions, and chronicles, they determined the dates and identities of numerous kings and dynasties within an apparently scrupulous empiricist framework. From the 1930s, with the widespread rise of nationalist sentiment, South Asian scholars began to write about their own past. The particular configurations of colonial and early nationalist historiography of South Asia have proved immensely consequential for subsequent generations of historians. Not only did this historiography value certain types of evidence, particularly Indic language epigraphy, Persian chronicles, and archaeology (while at the same time devaluing others like literature and religious texts), it set some of the enduring thematic and topical parameters which have shaped the course of the field. The initial focus was on the careers and personalities of rulers or the genius of races as the key causative forces in history, but eventually dynastic history became the dominant mode of writing about the past.
Bijamaṇḍal and Carccikā: Tutelary Goddess of the Paramāra King Naravarman
Authors: MISHRA O. P.
Published: March 2012

On the edge of the old city of Vidiśā are the ruins of a large temple known as the Bijamaṇḍal. Only the plinth of the temple survives (Fig. 1). On top of the plinth, on the western side, is a small mosque which was constructed in the fifteenth century to judge from the design of themiḥrāb. The pillars used in the prayer-hall are of various sizes and dates and have not been studied comprehensively. One pillar is notable as it carries an inscription of Naravarman, the Paramāra king who ruled fromcircace1094 to 1134. A study of the inscription and the pillar on which it is carved provides a point of departure for considering several important questions about the dedication and history of the Bijamaṇḍal. The inscription also draws our attention to the tutelary goddesses of the Paramāra kings, a subject unstudied hitherto.
Editor's Foreword
Authors: Ansari Sarah
Published: March 2012

We are delighted to publish this collection of articles on the world of the Paramāra dynasty, edited by Dr Michael Willis FRAS of the British Museum. Between 2006–10 Dr Willis led an Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project in collaboration with the Department of History at SOAS and the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff, entitled ‘The Indian Temple: Production, Place and Patronage’. This project examined how Indian temples were designed, built and patronised and explored the social and economic role played by temples in medieval India. The project formed the backdrop for the articles which are brought together in this special issue.
Field/Work
Authors: Ewing Suzanne
Published: March 2012

Four of the papers collected in this issue of arq were first presented at a conference called Field/Work, held in November 2009 and jointly organised by the University of Edinburgh and AHRA, the Architectural Humanities Research Association. Here, the Conference Chair reflects on the event, reviewing the ideas behind it and its outcomes.