bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Backstory, Biography, and the Life of the James Stuart Archive
Authors: Hamilton Carolyn
Published: March 2012

Why explore the life of an archive, and what might it mean to study its “life” as opposed to writing its history? The proposition of an archive having a life is, on the face of it, counter-intuitive. Once safely cloistered in the archive, we imagine that a record, an object or a collection is preserved relatively unchanged for posterity. Under those conditions does it even have an ongoing history worth investigating, let alone a life?

The efficacy of archives in affording researchers a view of a past, our awareness of the incompleteness of the glimpse offered, our gratitude for the historical accident or deliberate act that preserved the fragments on which we depend, and our understanding that particular records reflect the biases and interests of their writers, all of these recognitions concentrate our attention on the status, possibilities and limitations of records as sources. The historical disciplines have a range of sophisticated methods for mining these sources, of attending to their biases, reading them against the grain, and filling in the gaps. As historians, we acknowledge our debts to the archives, or archival configurations which house these sources, thanking fulsomely the skilled professionals who facilitate our enquiries. We rue failing institutional contexts when the conditions of preservation and care deteriorate, and where we can, we organize interventions to support archives. Much of the disciplinary practice of history depends on ideas about archives as neutral, professional storehouses, committed to holding deposited records as far as is possible unchanged over time. Indeed, this is the understanding of archives that underpins the professional practice of the archivists. Thankfully, professional archivists mostly do an outstanding job in ensuring conditions of preservation.
Doubting Modernity for Madagascar's Cactus Pastoralists
Authors: Kaufmann Jeffrey C.
Published: March 2012

Doubt persists in pastoralist studies, but not the kind that David Henige champions in his explorations of historical methods. Nostalgia for past glories, when pastoral nomads were mighty and fierce or healthy and wise, throws doubt on today's mobile livestock herders surviving for much longer in modern times. Scholars of this sort direct their skepticism not at how they came to such a conclusion, which Henige would urge them to do, but at how “traditional” herding ways of life can possibly survive vis-à-vis “modernity.” In such a “disappearing worlds” approach to change, where students of pastoralist cultures confront their subjects through their approaching demise, documenting the ways of life of pastoralist peoples before they disappear has deeply romantic overtones.

Henige's pyrrhonist skepticism aids in exposing the assumptions behind such a romantic scholarly endeavor. “Pyrrhonists demand,” Henige reminds us, “that, to be successful, all inquiry must be characterized by rhythms of searching, examining, and doubting, with each sequence generating and influencing the next in a continuously dialectical fashion.” In his Montaigne-like essayistic book,Historical Evidence and Argument, doubting does not end inquiry like a one-man scorched-earth policy, but sets David on a journey with many twists and turns and no end in sight. Along the way, the implicit has a chance to become more explicit. Methods – the ways that we search for, examine, and doubt our evidence and eventual arguments – are thus revealed more effectively when made a subject of critical reasoning and their revelatory powers questioned.
Literacy's Feedback on Historical Analysis Revisited: Papers in Honor of David Henige
Authors: Doortmont Michel R. , Hanson John H. , Jansen Jan , van den Bersselaar Dmitri
Published: March 2012

During the course of a long and fruitful career as an historian and librarian, David Henige has made major contributions to the development of the field of African history, as well as to the historical profession in general. His insistence that historians reflect carefully on how they collect, sample and analyze their data, and the lucid way in which he has written about the historian's craft, has not only helped to remind us historians of important methodological concerns, it has also inspired us to engage with methodology as an exciting topic in its own right. One major theme in his work has been that of literacy and its impact on oral tradition, memory, and historical interpretation. His book Oral Historiography (1982) and his articles on “feedback” and chronology in oral tradition have become essential reading for all students of African history. While among historians of Africa, it is particularly in this area where he has made most if an impact, David Henige has also made important contributions to other fields of history. He is a remarkably versatile and widely read historian, who has engaged with an impressively broad range of topics – and in each case with a strong methodological concern. His wide-ranging oeuvre and impact are explored in detail in Michel Doortmont's contribution to this special issue.
Ndukwana kaMbengwana as an Interlocutor on the History of the Zulu Kingdom, 1897–1903
Authors: Wright John
Published: March 2012

In the six years from October 1897 to October 1903, Ndukwana kaMbengwana engaged in scores of conversations in numerous different locations with magistrate James Stuart about the history and culture of the nineteenth-century Zulu kingdom. In the 1880s Ndukwana had been a lowranking official in the native administration of Zululand; at an unknown date before late 1900 he seems to have become Stuart's personalindunaor “headman,” to give a common English translation. Stuart's handwritten notes of these conversations, as archived in the James Stuart Collection, come to a total of 65,000 to 70,000 words. As rendered in volume 4 of theJames Stuart Archive, published in 1986, these notes fill 120 printed pages, far more than the testimonies of any other of Stuart's interlocutors except Socwatsha kaPhaphu. From 1900, Ndukwana was also present during many of Stuart's conversations with other individuals.

In the editors' preface to volume 4 of theJames Stuart Archive, after drawing attention to the length of Ndukwana's testimony, Colin Webb and I wrote as follows:

Since these were the early years of Stuart's collecting career, it is probable that Ndukwana exercised a considerable influence on the presuppositions about Zulu society and history which Stuart took with him into his interviews. No less likely, however, is the reverse possibility that Ndukwana in turn became a repository of much of the testimony he heard while working with Stuart, and that, increasingly over the years, the information which he supplied would have been a fusion of data and traditions from a variety of sources.
The Origin of College Libraries in North Carolina: A Social History, 1890-1920
Authors: Valentine Patrick
Published: March 2012

The creation of academic libraries at the end of the nineteenth century was a fundamental element in the rapid growth of higher education in the United States. This was the period when college and university libraries began their transformation from book depositories into centers of information retrieval, access, and dissemination. Academic libraries, however, have seldom been studied on a statewide or regional basis. Using a state as the basis of investigation provides a suitable set of examples for comparative analysis and historical insight. North Carolina is a good illustration of academic library development because it was neither first nor last in this process of transformation. The state also enjoys a wealth of archival materials about academic libraries, which facilitates their examination against a scholarly background of local and national research.
Rabelais and the Abbey of Saint-Victor Revisited
Authors: Bodemer Brett
Published: March 2012

The seventh chapter of François Rabelais's Pantagruel concludes with a list of books attributed to the Abbey of Saint-Victor. The chapter's brief narrative foregrounds the catalog by touching on aspects of intellectual life in Paris, mentioning both the "great University of Paris" and the "seven liberal arts." It is not surprising, then, that critics have viewed the catalog as a broad critique of scholasticism. Evidence presented here warrants the addition of a further layer of nuance to this critique that is directly related to this abbey's contributions to education, reading, textual organization, and library classification.
Collaboration in Art and in Science: Approaches to Attribution, Authorship, and Acknowledgment
Authors: Cronin Blaise
Published: March 2012

What does it mean to author or coauthor a scholarly paper or a painting? What conditions have to be fulfilled for authorship status to be granted? Must every researcher on a massively coauthored, high-energy physics paper have penned at least n words to warrant the appellation "coauthor"? Is the touch of the artist necessary for authorship to be granted, or is conceiving and superintending the production of the work sufficient? What kinds and scale of contributions warrant acknowledgment? This article explores authorship and attribution practices in the sciences and in the world of art.
Playpens for Mind Children: Continuities in the Practice of Programming
Authors: Galloway Patricia
Published: March 2012

Like most activities, the practice of computer programming involves real people trying to get their work done, and it has a complicated, if relatively short, history in its modern manifestation. This article addresses some of the early computer science discussions of programming and theories about how it should proceed. The article closes with a discussion of the more recent turn to so-called agile methods, demonstrating that some of the problems and practices of computer programming demonstrate a remarkable continuity over forty years in spite of much-promoted new approaches and changes in the computing environment.
Women Ph.D. Students in Engineering and a Nuanced Terrain: Avoiding and Revealing Gender
Authors: Erickson Shelley K.
Published: March 2012

Tensions regarding gender emerged from interviews conducted with 20 women Ph.D. students. This article does not focus explicitly on the reasons for women’s continued underrepresentation in engineering. Rather the students’ explanations for underrepresentation serve as a case study with which to analyze their gendered experiences. They avoid freely narrating their own gendered experiences but reveal the gendered experiences of other women. Engineering’s strong gender-neutral discourse remains powerful enough for women to continue claiming that hard work and perseverance will result in success, despite experiences and observations that tell them otherwise.
Working through Whiteness: White, Male College Students Challenging Racism
Authors: Cabrera Nolan L.
Published: March 2012

This qualitative study relies on Freire’s conception of liberatory praxis to examine White male college students’ becoming aware of racism and translating awareness into action. The participants developed racial cognizance via crossracial contact and course content. They also tended to be open to interrogating racism and racial privilege due to other marginalized identities (e.g., being gay). The participants took actions against racism but continued to struggle with race (e.g., essentializing minority experiences). The findings demonstrate the importance of race-conscious curricula, empathy, and cross-racial contact in promoting racial justice actions, while illustrating the nonlinear trajectory of White student racial identity development.
College Aid Policy and Competition for Diversity
Authors: Melguizo Tatiana , Chung Anna
Published: March 2012

The main objective of this study is to identify differences in the freshman financial aid packages of low-income, high-achieving minority students in public and private institutions. Our results suggest that private and selective institutions can offer better financial aid packages that enable them to recruit higher numbers of low-income, high-achieving minorities. We found that, as a consequence of banning affirmative action policies, flagship public selective institutions, unlike selective private ones, cannot freely compose financial aid packages to recruit and retain minority students. This, in turn, translates into an increased financial burden for the students in flagship public universities.
Examining How Residential College Environments Inspire the Life of the Mind
Authors: Jessup-Anger Jody E.
Published: March 2012

Residential colleges in large, public research universities purport to create a small liberal arts environment with the resources of a major university, but little empirical attention has been paid to their claims of effectiveness. This study examined one facet of the liberal arts ideal, the development of lifelong learners. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was utilized to examine student characteristics, residential college environments, and cross-level interactions. Findings illustrate that students’ motivations, coupled with an ethos of academic challenge and faculty/student interaction in their residential college environment, were associated with developing lifelong learners. Findings and implications are discussed in the context of existing research.
Predictors of Bachelor’s Degree Completion among Rural Students at Four-Year Institutions
Authors: Byun Soo-yong , Irvin Matthew J. , Meece Judith L.
Published: March 2012

Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, this study explored various factors that predicted bachelor’s degree attainment among rural youth attending a four-year institution. Results showed that Hispanic origin, family income, parental educational expectations, the rigor of the high school curriculum, timing and intensity of college enrollment, and participation in Greek social clubs were significant predictors. Contrary to expectations, gender, parental education, family structure, number of siblings, institutional features of the college first attended, and participation in intramural athletics and student government were insignificant predictors. The discussion highlights implications for secondary and postsecondary policies.
The Meaning of Academic Life
Authors: Hagedorn Linda Serra
Published: March 2012

This address reports the findings of a survey of higher education colleagues on the degree of happiness associated with personal definitions of “meaning of life” and “purpose in life.” Using a unique sliding scale, the survey draws items from the Oxford Happiness Project among other sources and began with all ASHE members (N = 1,904) with a final response rate of 38%. The highestscoring responses were “serving others” and having meaningful relationships. Responses from graduate students and emeriti faculty/administrators showed particularly interesting patterns. The article includes the original survey so that those who did not participate initially can still take the survey and calculate their own ratings.
Synchrony and Process: Editing Manuscript Miscellanies
Authors: Gibson Jonathan
Published: March 2012

This essay argues that editors of informal early modern manuscript miscellanies should place greater emphasis on the discontinuities in miscellany construction. Manuscript miscellanies are often the products of discrete phases of composition, collection, and transcription, combining distinct thematic and generic sections in complex but analyzable ways, rather than authorially unified collections comparable to sonnet sequences. The argument is illustrated by an analysis of points at which Jean Klene’s RETS edition of Anne Southwell’s miscellany elides textual discontinu ity, and the essay concludes with some suggestions about ways in which future editions of manuscript miscellanies, both electronic and hard copy, might better reflect the complex structures of their copy texts.
Editing James Shirley’s Poems
Authors: West Philip
Published: March 2012

A prolific and successful writer for the stage, James Shirley (1596–1666) also composed over a hundred lyric poems and songs. This essay considers the challenges of editing these texts, with a particular focus on the media of their transmission: manuscript miscellanies and songbooks, a single authorial manuscript, and an authorized print edition, Poems &c. (1646). It argues that an editor can best approach Shirley’s poems as instances of what Harold Love has called “serial composition”: an ongoing process of recasting and revision arising from the material conditions of early modern literary culture.
Editing Stuart Poetry
Authors: Burlinson Christopher , Connolly Ruth
Published: March 2012

In 1615, a group of Oxford men were present at a visit of King James I to Cambridge; one of them, Richard Corbett, wrote a satirical poem about the occasion that has come to be known as the “Oxford Ballad.” A number of equally satirical and sometimes hostile poems were written in response to Corbett’s, as were other verses on the same occasion. Many manuscript copies of Corbett’s poem survive today, a number of which record it—in different forms—alongside these responses and further poems. Through an analysis of the “Oxford Ballad” and these other poems, this article considers the ways in which accumulation and response might be regarded as editorial principles at work in the early transmission of Stuart poetry, and also principles for modern editions of that poetry: editions that would not only record but also shape themselves around the occasions on which poetry was written, the social exchanges that provoked it, and the accretion of extra stanzas and lines, as well as additional poetry, that complicate the singular agency of the author.
Hester Pulter’s “Indivisibles” and the Challenges of Annotating Early Modern Women’s Poetry
Authors: Eardley Alice
Published: March 2012

Several recent commentators have called for complete rejection of editorial annotation. Using Hester Pulter’s atomic poetry as a case study, this article argues instead for its importance and highlights the need for a transparent methodology sensitive to broader developments in literary research. This means taking into account factors including conceptions of the author and the generic and formal characteristics of the text in question. This approach is facilitated by recent developments in digital technology, which expanded the range of material we are able to bring to bear on the work being annotated.
Final Intentions or Process?: Editing Greville’s Caelica
Authors: Alexander Gavin
Published: March 2012

This article discusses the challenge of editing Fulke Greville’s lyric sequence Caelica for the new Oxford Greville edition. Printed posthumously, though a few poems had leaked into print during Greville’s long lifetime, the work evolved over nearly fifty years, reaching an almost final form in the Warwick manuscript, a scribal copy heavily annotated with Greville’s revisions, many in his own hand. How does the editor both fix a text and represent the process of its evolution?
Deficiency and Supplement: Perfecting the Prosthetic Text
Authors: Zurcher Andrew
Published: March 2012

Ralph Knevet’s 1635 A Supplement of The Faery Queene is a prosthetic (supplementary, “added-on”) in every way: not only does it supply supposedly missing parts of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene , but its historical allegory is defined by its additive qualities. The editorial challenges presented by Knevet’s prosthetic poem are typical of an important class of English literary works from this period. Their self-effacing historical situatedness undermines modern assumptions about the editor’s role in creating or maintaining value in an author or his/her work. Prosthesis, by contrast, emerges as a stimulating new paradigm for the editing of early modern literary works.
Response and Accumulation: Textual Editors and Richard Corbett’s “Oxford Ballad”
Authors: Burlinson Christopher
Published: March 2012

In 1615, a group of Oxford men were present at a visit of King James I to Cambridge; one of them, Richard Corbett, wrote a satirical poem about the occasion that has come to be known as the “Oxford Ballad.” A number of equally satirical and sometimes hostile poems were written in response to Corbett’s, as were other verses on the same occasion. Many manuscript copies of Corbett’s poem survive today, a number of which record it—in different forms—alongside these responses and further poems. Through an analysis of the “Oxford Ballad” and these other poems, this article considers the ways in which accumulation and response might be regarded as editorial principles at work in the early transmission of Stuart poetry, and also principles for modern editions of that poetry: editions that would not only record but also shape themselves around the occasions on which poetry was written, the social exchanges that provoked it, and the accretion of extra stanzas and lines, as well as additional poetry, that complicate the singular agency of the author.
Echoes as Evidence in the Poetry of Andrew Marvell
Authors: Loxley James
Published: March 2012

Marvell, writes Annabel Patterson, “had a habit of borrowing other men’s words.” The identification of Marvellian allusions has often provided evidential support for factual and critical judgments in editions of the poetry over the years. Such echoes have also been used to bolster biographical and interpretive claims about the poet’s connections and the circles in which he moved. This essay looks at the evidential uses of allusion in the editing and criticism of Marvell, and explores the extent to which such usage might benefit from greater reflective attention than it has recently received.
Responding to Criticisms of Phylogenetic Methods in Stemmatology
Authors: Howe Christopher J. , Connolly Ruth , Windram Heather F.
Published: March 2012

Phylogenetic methods from evolutionary biology have been used in recent years for stemmatic analysis of manuscript and other traditions. However, some scholars have criticized the applicability of these methods. We review the methods used and the criticisms made. We argue that many of the criticisms arise from a misunderstanding of present methods. While other criticisms may be valid, they also apply to conventional stemmatic analysis. We argue that a combination of phylogenetic methodology and traditional scholarship is likely to be the most useful.
The Challenges of Editing Donne and Herbert
Authors: Todd Richard , Wilcox Helen
Published: March 2012

This article argues the case for single-author editions of the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert. It draws on hands-on editorial experience: Richard Todd is Assistant Textual Editor to the multi-volume Donne Variorum project and Helen Wilcox has edited the recent Cambridge Herbert edition. These two case studies contrast dramatically in that Donne’s poetry in manuscript survives today in a terminal moraine of multiple nonholograph manuscript witnesses, whereas Herbert’s manuscript and print history appears on the surface considerably more straightforward. Yet both corpora, raising different and provocative issues concerning the textual culture of the period, are presented so as to argue strongly the case for the single-author edition in the world of poetic miscellany, scribal community, and creative interaction in both manuscript and print.
Editing Intention in the Manuscript Poetry of Robert Herrick
Authors: Connolly Ruth
Published: March 2012

This essay describes the editing of Robert Herrick’s manuscript poetry and evaluates what the evidence can tell us about the evolution of Herrick’s literary style, modes of publication in manuscript, and the shaping of his literary reputation in that medium. Arguing that the distinguishing quality of manuscript publication is collaboration, the essay proposes using the principle of agency rather than authority when conceptualizing new editions of manuscript poetry.
Recent Studies in the English Renaissance
Authors: Watkins John
Published: March 2012

An assessment of recent scholarly work treating the literature of the English Renaissance and some general observations on the state of the profession. A full bibliography and price list of the works received by SEL for consideration follow.
Seeking an Expanding Competitor: How Product Line Expansion Can Increase All Firms' Profits
Authors: Thomadsen Raphael
Published: March 2012

The author examines conditions under which one firm's product line expansion can cause all firms to be more profitable in horizontally differentiated markets. Although a firm's profits might be expected to decrease when a competitor expands its product line because the firm loses some sales to the new product, this intuition is incomplete because a competitor's product line expansion can also soften price competition. The author first provides an example using the Hotelling model that demonstrates the possibility and mechanism of profit-increasing competitor entry. He then presents conditions under which a competitor's product line expansion increases profits under the mixed-logit model. The study demonstrates that firms benefit from a rival's entry most when a moderate number of customers are unserved before the new-product introduction and when the new product is positioned such that both the rivals' products appeal to similar sets of customers. With regard to extensions, this study demonstrates that the result continues to hold when firms choose product attributes endogenously and that a manufacturer's profits can increase from a rival's product line expansion even when the firms sell through a retailer.
Neuronal Encoding of Subjective Value in Dorsal and Ventral Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Authors: Cai Xinying , Padoa-Schioppa Camillo
Published: March 2012

We examined the activity of individual cells in the primate anterior cingulate cortex during an economic choice task. In the experiments, monkeys chose between different juices offered in variables amounts and subjective values were inferred from the animals' choices. We analyzed neuronal firing rates in relation to a large number of behaviorally relevant variables. We report three main results. First, there were robust differences between the dorsal bank (ACCd) and the ventral bank (ACCv) of the cingulate sulcus. Specifically, neurons in ACCd but not in ACCv were modulated by the movement direction. Furthermore, neurons in ACCd were most active before movement initiation, whereas neurons in ACCv were most active after juice delivery. Second, neurons in both areas encoded the identity and the subjective value of the juice chosen by the animal. In contrast, neither region encoded the value of individual offers. Third, the population of value-encoding neurons in both ACCd and ACCv underwent range adaptation. With respect to economic choice, it is interesting to compare these areas with the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), previously examined. While neurons in OFC encoded both pre-decision and post-decision variables, neurons in ACCd and ACCv only encoded post-decision variables. Moreover, the encoding of the choice outcome (chosen value and chosen juice) in ACCd and ACCv trailed that found in OFC. These observations indicate that economic decisions (i.e., value comparisons) take place upstream of ACCd and ACCv. The coexistence of choice outcome and movement signals in ACCd suggests that this area constitutes a gateway through which the choice system informs motor systems.
TRPM2 Contributes to Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain through the Aggravation of Pronociceptive Inflammatory Responses in Mice
Authors: Haraguchi Kayo , Kawamoto Ai , Isami Kouichi , Maeda Sanae , Kusano Ayaka , Asakura Kayoko , Shirakawa Hisashi , Mori Yasuo , Nakagawa Takayuki , Kaneko Shuji
Published: March 2012

Accumulating evidence suggests that neuroimmune interactions contribute to pathological pain. Transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) is a nonselective Ca2+-permeable cation channel that acts as a sensor for reactive oxygen species. TRPM2 is expressed abundantly in immune cells and is important in inflammatory processes. The results of the present study show that TRPM2 plays a crucial role in inflammatory and neuropathic pain. While wild-type and TRPM2 knock-out mice showed no difference in their basal sensitivity to mechanical and thermal stimulation, nocifensive behaviors in the formalin test were reduced in TRPM2 knock-out mice. In carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain and sciatic nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain models, mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were attenuated in TRPM2 knock-out mice. Carrageenan-induced inflammation and sciatic nerve injury increased the expression of TRPM2 mRNA in the inflamed paw and around the injured sciatic nerve, respectively. TRPM2 deficiency diminished the infiltration of neutrophils and the production of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-2 (CXCL2), a major chemokine that recruits neutrophils, but did not alter the recruitment of F4/80-positive macrophages in the inflamed paw or around the injured sciatic nerve. Microglial activation after nerve injury was suppressed in the spinal cord of TRPM2 knock-out mice. Furthermore, CXCL2 production and inducible nitric oxide synthase induction were diminished in cultured macrophages and microglia derived from TRPM2 knock-out mice. Together, these results suggest that TRPM2 expressed in macrophages and microglia aggravates peripheral and spinal pronociceptive inflammatory responses and contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
A Neuronal Model of Predictive Coding Accounting for the Mismatch Negativity
Authors: Wacongne Catherine , Changeux Jean-Pierre , Dehaene Stanislas
Published: March 2012

The mismatch negativity (MMN) is thought to index the activation of specialized neural networks for active prediction and deviance detection. However, a detailed neuronal model of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the MMN is still lacking, and its computational foundations remain debated. We propose here a detailed neuronal model of auditory cortex, based on predictive coding, that accounts for the critical features of MMN. The model is entirely composed of spiking excitatory and inhibitory neurons interconnected in a layered cortical architecture with distinct input, predictive, and prediction error units. A spike-timing dependent learning rule, relying upon NMDA receptor synaptic transmission, allows the network to adjust its internal predictions and use a memory of the recent past inputs to anticipate on future stimuli based on transition statistics. We demonstrate that this simple architecture can account for the major empirical properties of the MMN. These include a frequency-dependent response to rare deviants, a response to unexpected repeats in alternating sequences (ABABAA…), a lack of consideration of the global sequence context, a response to sound omission, and a sensitivity of the MMN to NMDA receptor antagonists. Novel predictions are presented, and a new magnetoencephalography experiment in healthy human subjects is presented that validates our key hypothesis: the MMN results from active cortical prediction rather than passive synaptic habituation.
Motor Neuron Rescue in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Mice Demonstrates That Sensory-Motor Defects Are a Consequence, Not a Cause, of Motor Neuron Dysfunction
Authors: Gogliotti Rocky G. , Quinlan Katharina A. , Barlow Courtenay B. , Heier Christopher R. , Heckman C. J. , DiDonato Christine J.
Published: March 2012

The loss of motor neurons (MNs) is a hallmark of the neuromuscular disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA); however, it is unclear whether this phenotype autonomously originates within the MN. To address this question, we developed an inducible mouse model of severe SMA that has perinatal lethality, decreased motor function, motor unit pathology, and hyperexcitable MNs. Using anHb9-Creallele, we increased Smn levels autonomously within MNs and demonstrate that MN rescue significantly improves all phenotypes and pathologies commonly described in SMA mice. MN rescue also corrects hyperexcitability in SMA motor neurons and prevents sensory-motor synaptic stripping. Survival in MN-rescued SMA mice is extended by only 5 d, due in part to failed autonomic innervation of the heart. Collectively, this work demonstrates that the SMA phenotype autonomously originates in MNs and that sensory-motor synapse loss is a consequence, not a cause, of MN dysfunction.
Early Activation of Microglia Triggers Long-Lasting Impairment of Adult Neurogenesis in the Olfactory Bulb
Authors: Lazarini Françoise , Gabellec Marie-Madeleine , Torquet Nicolas , Lledo Pierre-Marie
Published: March 2012

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, engulf and eliminate cellular debris during brain injury and disease. Recent observations have extended their roles to the healthy brain, but the functional impact of activated microglia on neural plasticity has so far been elusive. To explore this issue, we investigated the role of microglia in the function of the adult olfactory bulb network in which both sensory afferents and local microcircuits are continuously molded by the arrival of adult-born neurons. We show here that the adult olfactory bulb hosts a large population of resident microglial cells. Deafferentation of the olfactory bulb resulted in a transient activation of microglia and a concomitant reduction of adult olfactory bulb neurogenesis. One day after sensory deafferentation, microglial cells proliferate in the olfactory bulb, and their numbers peaked at day 3, and reversed at day 7 after lesion. Similar lesions performed on immunodeficient mice demonstrate that the both innate and adaptive lymphocyte responses are dispensable for the lesion-induced microglial proliferation and activation. In contrast, when mice were treated with an antiinflammatory drug to prevent microglial activation, olfactory deafferentation did not reduce adult neurogenesis, showing that activated microglial cells per se, and not the lack of sensory experience, relates to the survival of adult-born neurons. We conclude that the status of the resident microglia in the olfactory bulb is an important factor directly regulating the survival of immature adult-born neurons.
Bangladesh in 2011
Authors: D'Costa Bina
Published: March 2012

Bangladesh has achieved some impressive social and developmental goals in its health and education sectors. It has also effectively dealt with the adversities caused by the downturn of the global economy, and focused on strengthening its military capabilities to protect its national interests. However, environmental issues, growing international scrutiny about a fair war crimes trial, human rights concerns, the India-Bangladesh border, and transit and water sharing arrangements remain key challenges.
Myanmar in 2011
Authors: Turnell Sean
Published: March 2012

Overall, 2011 was a year of significant change in Myanmar. By year-end, there was hope that political and economic reforms—incomplete and fragile—were at last underway. Myanmar continued to be an important regional exporter of energy and resources, but in other areas underperformed. Myanmar's international relations improved, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited at the end of November.
Vietnam in 2011
Authors: Fforde Adam
Published: March 2012

Tensions in the international arena are linked here to problems in contemporary Vietnam. Eroding domestic political authority is related to the lack of political reconstruction to suit a market economy and an increasingly open society. At the close of 2011, it appears that there is as yet no clear path forward.
Thailand in 2011
Authors: Dalpino Catharin
Published: March 2012

Although the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party was favored to win Thailand's parliamentary elections in July, the party's 53% majority gave it a mandate that was stronger than expected. However, two months into her administration, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was challenged by Thailand's worst floods in half a century. The crisis initially exacerbated the partisan political divide and gave a new twist to the urban-rural tensions that fueled Thailand's five-year political crisis.
Cambodia in 2011
Authors: Un Kheang
Published: March 2012

Cambodia's economy in 2011 recovered from the global economic downturn with a rise in garment exports. Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian People's Party further consolidated power via the exercise of rule by law and patronage politics. Relations with Thailand returned to normal; ties with China strengthened with increased assistance and trade. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal proceeded amid allegations of political interference by the Cambodian government, making the further expansion of indictments unlikely.
Singapore in 2011
Authors: Tan Kenneth Paul
Published: March 2012

In 2011, Singaporeans voted in parliamentary and presidential elections. The social networking media, dominated by alternative reporting and commentary, played a significant role in generating political interest and mobilizing oppositional thinking and support. Faced with a stronger oppositional presence and a politically emboldened electorate, the People's Action Party government won the elections but achieved its worst results ever.
North Korea in 2011
Authors: Beck Peter M.
Published: March 2012

North Korea underwent a seemingly seamless leadership transition from father to son in the midst of a struggling economy and widespread hunger. The North drew even closer to China but also reached out to the United States and Russia for the first time in several years. Meanwhile, inter-Korean relations remained in a deep freeze.
Taiwan in 2011
Authors: Chen Ming-Tong
Published: March 2012

Developments in Taiwan's politics, economy, society, and external relations in 2011 were closely tied to the presidential election contest. In the months leading up to the election, incumbent President Ma Ying-jeou held a slight lead in the polls over DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen. James Soong's late entry into the race had little impact on the outcome, and Ma Ying-jeou was reelected.
GLP1-derived nonapeptide GLP1(28–36)amide protects pancreatic β-cells from glucolipotoxicity
Authors: Liu Zhengu , Stanojevic Violeta , Brindamour Luke J , Habener Joel F
Published: March 2012

Type 2 diabetes, often associated with obesity, results from a deficiency of insulin production and action manifested in increased blood levels of glucose and lipids that further promote insulin resistance and impair insulin secretion. Glucolipotoxicity caused by elevated plasma glucose and lipid levels is a major cause of impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells, due to increased oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1), an insulinotropic glucoincretin hormone, is known to promote β-cell survival via its actions on its G-protein-coupled receptor on β-cells. Here, we report that a nonapeptide, GLP1(28–36)amide, derived from the C-terminal domain of the insulinotropic GLP1, exerts cytoprotective actions on INS-1 β-cells and on dispersed human islet cells in vitro in conditions of glucolipotoxicity and increased oxidative stress independently of the GLP1 receptor. The nonapeptide appears to enter preferably stressed, glucolipotoxic cells compared with normal unstressed cells. It targets mitochondria and improves impaired mitochondrial membrane potential, increases cellular ATP levels, inhibits cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and apoptosis, and enhances the viability and survival of INS-1 β-cells. We propose that GLP1(28–36)amide might be useful in alleviating β-cell stress and might improve β-cell functions and survival.
Integration of the Draft Sequence and Physical Map as a Framework for Genomic Research in Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and Wild Soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.)
Authors: Ha Jungmin , Abernathy Brian , Nelson William , Grant David , Wu Xiaolei , Nguyen Henry T , Stacey Gary , Yu Yeisoo , Wing Rod A , Shoemaker Randy C , Jackson Scott A
Published: March 2012

Soybean is a model for the legume research community because of its importance as a crop, densely populated genetic maps, and the availability of a genome sequence. Even though a whole-genome shotgun sequence and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are available, a high-resolution, chromosome-based physical map linked to the sequence assemblies is still needed for whole-genome alignments and to facilitate map-based gene cloning. Three independent G. max BAC libraries combined with genetic and gene-based markers were used to construct a minimum tiling path (MTP) of BAC clones. A total of 107,214 clones were assembled into 1355 FPC (FingerPrinted Contigs) contigs, incorporating 4628 markers and aligned to the G. max reference genome sequence using BAC end-sequence information. Four different MTPs were made for G. max that covered from 92.6% to 95.0% of the soybean draft genome sequence (gmax1.01). Because our purpose was to pick the most reliable and complete MTP, and not the MTP with the minimal number of clones, the FPC map and draft sequence were integrated and clones with unpaired BES were added to build a high-quality physical map with the fewest gaps possible (http://soybase.org). A physical map was also constructed for the undomesticated ancestor (G. soja) of soybean to explore genome variation between G. max and G. soja. 66,028 G. soja clones were assembled into 1053 FPC contigs covering approximately 547 Mbp of the G. max genome sequence. These physical maps for G. max and its undomesticated ancestor, G. soja, will serve as a framework for ordering sequence fragments, comparative genomics, cloning genes, and evolutionary analyses of legume genomes.
Gene Overexpression: Uses, Mechanisms, and Interpretation
Authors: Prelich Gregory
Published: March 2012

The classical genetic approach for exploring biological pathways typically begins by identifying mutations that cause a phenotype of interest. Overexpression or misexpression of a wild-type gene product, however, can also cause mutant phenotypes, providing geneticists with an alternative yet powerful tool to identify pathway components that might remain undetected using traditional loss-of-function analysis. This review describes the history of overexpression, the mechanisms that are responsible for overexpression phenotypes, tests that begin to distinguish between those mechanisms, the varied ways in which overexpression is used, the methods and reagents available in several organisms, and the relevance of overexpression to human disease.
Articulação entre Centros de Atenção Psicossocial e Serviços de Atenção Básica de Saúde
Authors: Chiavagatti Fabieli Gopinger , Kantorski Luciane Prado , Willrich Janaína Quinzen , Cortes Jandro Moraes , Jardim Vanda Maria da Rosa , Rodrigues Cândida Garcia Sinott Silveira
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVO: Analisar as formas de articulação que os Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) estabelecem com os Serviços de Atenção Básica deSaúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo de abordagem qualitativa realizado por meio de análise documental de 23 Projetos Terapêuticos dos CAPS tipo I e II de 23 cidades da Região Sul do Brasil (PR, SC e RS). RESULTADOS: Pôde-se observar que esta articulação estrutura-se basicamente na supervisão e capacitação das equipes e em um sistema de referência e contrarreferência, muitas vezes, mascarados sob a lógica dos encaminhamentos. No entanto, estas ações encontram-se mais sugestivas, referidas nos documentos como objetivos, do que propriamente traduzidas em ações como lógica de operacionalização concreta destas, na prática cotidiana dos serviços. CONCLUSÃO: De fato, a atenção à complexidade da demanda em saúde mental é dependente de uma construção gradativa de articulações orientadas pela corresponsabilização dos diferentes serviços que compõem a rede de atenção.
Uso rotineiro do brinquedo terapêutico na assistência a crianças hospitalizadas: percepção de enfermeiros
Authors: Francischinelli Ana Gabriela Bertozzo , Almeida Fabiane de Amorim , Fernandes Daisy Mitiko Suzuki Okada
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVO: verificar a percepção de enfermeiros em relação ao uso rotineiro do brinquedo terapêutico (BT) na assistência à crianças hospitalizadas. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo-exploratório, de abordagem quantitativa, realizado com 30 enfermeiros de unidades que atendem crianças em um hospital privado do município de São Paulo-SP. Os enfermeiros foram entrevistados e os dados analisados por meio de técnicas de estatística descritiva. RESULTADOS: A maioria já teve contato com o tema "brinquedo/brinquedo terapêutico" (27,9%) e considerou válido seu uso na prática (29,9%); entretanto (18,6%) não o utilizava na instituição onde trabalha. Dentre os que já empregaram o BT alguma vez, a maioria (22,7%) identificou benefícios e 11 enfermeiros (37%) citaram dificuldades, como a falta de tempo (9,3%). CONCLUSÃO: Apesar da maioria dos entrevistados ter conhecimento sobre BT e valorizar seu uso na prática, ainda não o utiliza rotineiramente em seu cotidiano.
Perfil dos usuários de serviços de Saúde Mental do município de Lorena - São Paulo
Authors: Pereira Maria Odete , Souza Juliana de Melo , Costa Ângela Maria da , Vargas Divane , Oliveira Márcia Aparecida Ferreira de , Moura Wagner Nunes de
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVOS: Identificar o perfil dos usuários do Ambulatório de Saúde Mental e do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial de Lorena - São Paulo. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório descritivo com dados coletados em 5.830 prontuários dos usuários desses dois serviços de Saúde Mental. RESULTADOS:Foram analisados 5.490 prontuários no Ambulatório e 340 no Centro de Atenção Psicossocial. No Ambulatório 68% dos usuários eram mulheres e no Centro de Atenção Psicossocial, 61% eram homens. Os diagnósticos que prevaleceram no Ambulatório foram: transtornos neuróticos, relacionados ao estresse e os somatoformes, e no Centro de Atenção Psicossocial, foram os transtornos decorrentes do uso de substâncias psicoativas. O grupo de medicamentos mais prescritos no Ambulatório foi o de antidepressivos, e no Centro de Atenção Psicossocial, os antipsicóticos. CONCLUSÃO: Verificou-se que os serviços de Saúde Mental atuam de forma desarticulada com a Atenção Básica de Saúde e faz-se necessário implantar o apoio matricial nesse município.
Avaliação da mortalidade de neonatos e crianças relacionada ao uso do cateter venoso central: revisão sistemática
Authors: Stocco Janislei Giseli Dorociaki , Crozeta Karla , Taminato Mônica , Danski Mityzy Tannia Reichembach , Meier Marineli Joaquim
Published: March 2012

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a mortalidade relacionada às infecções no uso de cateter venoso central em recém-nascidos e crianças hospitalizadas. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática, cujos estudos foram identificados nas bases de dados Medline, Embase, Lilacs, Cinahl, SciELO e Cochrane, em referências bibliográficas de artigos e outras revisões. Dois revisores independentes identificaram os estudos relevantes, analisaram a qualidade metodológica e, posteriormente, os dados foram extraídos. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 1.000 artigos, dos quais 16 se relacionavam à infecção de cateter e só dois mencionaram mortalidade. Dos estudos achados, verificou-se que a sepse primária foi a principal complicação relacionada ao uso de cateter venoso central, e sendo os micro-organismos mais prevalentes nestas infecções a Candida sp e Enterococcus sp com impacto significante para a mortalidade em neonatos e crianças. CONCLUSÃO: Observou-se nesta revisão que a sepse primária foi a complicação mais prevalente relacionada ao cateter central.