bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Professionalism
Authors: Hughes Adam G. , Teodoro Manuel P.
Published: December 2012

Professional organizations now accredit state and local agencies across several fields. This article investigates the attitudes of street-level bureaucrats toward their agencies and the tasks required of them in accredited and nonaccredited agencies.  If accreditation changes bureaucratic attitudes in ways that build a sense of mission or shape functional preferences, it could lead to more effective public service delivery.  The empirical subjects of this study are American municipal police departments and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEAs).  Analysis of quasi-experimental data from a survey of officers suggests that accreditation helps build a sense of mission at the street level but finds little evidence of an effect on functional preferences.
The creation of a ‘fully public service’
Authors: Gard Raymond
Published: December 2012

This article uses archive material to show how a ’fully public’ probation service was created in England and Wales at the behest of central government and the Home Office between 1925 and 1936. It focuses on key themes in probation that have contemporary resonances – they include central control, financial controls, training and inspection – and shows how these contemporary concerns have their origins in this very specific time period.
Is payment by results the most efficient way to address the challenges faced by the criminal justice sector?
Authors: Fox Chris , Albertson Kevin
Published: December 2012

In recent years the UK government has emphasized evidence-based policy, as a part of which the Payment by Results (PbR) approach has increasingly been promoted. Payment by Results allows the government to pay a provider of services on the basis of specified outcomes achieved rather than the inputs or outputs delivered. Linked to PbR is the innovative source of funding social interventions know as Social Impact Bonds (SIBs). We discuss the potential benefits of PbR and survey its use across the UK public sector. Then, concentrating in particular on the Criminal Justice System (CJS) we outline three methodological challenges to the implementation of PbR: gaming, measuring outcomes and identifying fiscal benefits. We then identify a number of challenges to the implementation of PbR. We conclude that PbR has a place in commissioning services, but that its role in the CJS is likely to be limited and unlikely to succeed as a socially efficient means of attracting new sources of funding. We finish by considering two alternatives to PbR: justice reinvestment and personalization.
Exploring space and place in marketing research
Authors: Hirschman Elizabeth C , Ruvio Ayalla , Belk Russell W
Published: December 2012

Based on an ethnographic study of American garages, we develop a model of the roles that liminal spaces perform in the management of possessions and their meanings. We find that the garage serves as a transitional space that links the useful and useless, female and male, clean and dirty, sacred and profane, and past, present, and future. We also propose that the garage can be a de facto museum and prosthetic memory device, as well as a link across generations of the family. Based on these findings, we offer a model of liminal household spaces and their dynamic role in making and managing meanings of everyday life.
The X-Factor enigma
Authors: Hackley Chris , Brown Stephen , Hackley Rungpaka Amy
Published: December 2012

In this paper we take a cultural perspective to understand the success of Simon Cowell’s X Factor TV talent show and its various brand extensions which, we suggest, epitomize the new marketing priorities of the media convergence era. We seek insights not from formal theories of marketing management but in the myth and magic of Cowell’s enchanted TV presence as the mystical authority, the trickster figure, conducting a mass-mediated experience of Turner’s (1969) ‘existential liminality’. Detached from formal rites of passage, this simulation of liminal ritual, temporarily and symbolically, subverts formal social barriers and opens up for the contestants the possibility of transformed identity. We suggest that X Factor viewers partake both vicariously and actually in this marketized experience of existential liminality. We review literary as well as anthropological antecedents of the media role Cowell personifies and we critique and extend previous applications of Turner’s work in marketing and consumption to suggest a wider resonance beyond the exemplar of X Factor in a range of ordinary, as well as extraordinary, consumption phenomena.
Poetic witness
Authors: Canniford Robin
Published: December 2012

This article introduces the concept of ‘poetic witness’, a method of performing and presenting research that acknowledges the constellations of multiple objects, emotions and forces that constitute everyday consumption life worlds. This possibility is enabled through methodological processes of poetic transcription and poetic translation, which are applied to data collected during an ethnography of surfing culture. Potential uses for poetic witness in future marketing research are offered. In particular, poetic witness is shown to generate insightful research questions and to widen theoretical agendas for future marketing research.
The logical structure of the service-dominant logic of marketing
Authors: Williams John
Published: December 2012

The Service-dominant (S-D) logic of marketing is currently comprised of ten foundational premises (FPs). The original statements of eight FPs have since been reworded and two additional FPs have been added. The proposers of S-D logic, Steven Vargo and Robert Lusch, have stated that S-D logic is neither complete nor owned by them: it is ‘Open Source’.

However, despite the many articles that have been published on S-D logic, it seems that many scholars do not fully understand the fundamental ideas that underpin the logic. In particular, perusal of the FPs leaves many scholars confused. This is probably for two reasons: (1) the ideas are unfamiliar; (2) there are so many of them. Hence the purposes of this paper are to explain briefly the unfamiliar ideas, and, more importantly, to reduce the complexity of S-D logic by explicitly analysing the ontological content of the FPs and the logical structure of relationships between the FPs, as premises (or axioms) and conclusions or corollaries. The outcome of this analysis is that the core, essential, FPs are identified, as well as some gaps.

In particular it seems clear that only two of the FPs are fundamental, or axiomatic: that service is the fundamental basis of exchange, and that value is co-created (by beneficiary and service-provider)
Constrained ordination analysis in the presence of zero inflation
Authors: Zhang Yingjie , Thas Olivier
Published: December 2012

Constrained ordination analysis, with canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) as its best known method, is a class of popular techniques for analyzing species abundance studies in ecology. These methods rely on distributional assumptions on the conditional abundance distributions. For abundance observations, the Poisson and the negative binomial distributions are the most frequently considered distributions. However, many large abundance studies result in many zero abundances. This may happen because of several reasons. To name one, in microbial community ecology the abundances of a very large number of species are nowadays often obtained by means of sequencing the pooled DNA sample. Due to the small sensitivity for rare species, too many observed zeroes are to be expected. Moreover, more zeroes are expected with increasing number of species. We propose a constrained ordination method based on zero-altered count distributions (e.g., zero-inflated Poisson, hurdle models). We show how the parameters and the environmental gradients can be estimated. In simulation studies we examine the behaviour of the estimators, and we apply the method to a real data set. We conclude that in the presence of zero inflation our methods give better results than the Poisson-based approaches.
Small area semiparametric additive monotone models
Authors: Rueda C , Lombardía MJ
Published: December 2012

In this paper, semiparametric monotone mixed models are introduced, exploring, in particular, the problems of estimation and bootstrapping. The models are deﬁned in a small area setting, using the assumption that some of the auxiliary variables have a monotone relationship with the response, and with the incorporation of linear terms to model other auxiliaries as the dummy variables. An estimator for the variance of the random effects is proposed and two bootstrap approaches, specially designed for monotone regression, are given to estimate the mean squared error for the area means. A simulation experiment is carried out to compare the performance of the new model-based estimators against the Fay–Herriot approach and to conﬁrm the good performance of the bootstrap. The semiparametric model-based area estimators are also compared with the parametric-based estimators using data on a survey of lakes, where the questions of the prediction of missing data and model selection are nicely solved using simple proposals.
An application of Bayesian growth mixture modelling to estimate infection incidences from repeated serological tests
Authors: Menten J , Boelaert M , Lesaffre E
Published: December 2012

Diagnoses of infectious diseases are often performed using antibody detection through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. These data are usually dichotomized into positive and negative samples using a fixed cut-off and prevalences of infection are subsequently estimated assuming perfect correspondence between the dichotomized test results and infection status. In contrast to this approach, in this case study, we estimate the effect of distributing insecticide impregnated bednets to prevent Leishmania infection through mixture modelling of the original continuous data. We analyze the data from a cluster randomized intervention trial using a generalized latent variable model consisting of a longitudinal mixture model for the observed outcome and a Hidden Markov model for the underlying unobserved disease status to estimate the effect of an intervention. The response and structural models are jointly estimated in a Bayesian framework. This model has the advantage that it avoids the need to choose an arbitrary cut-off and allows for uncertainty in the infection status. In this paper, we describe the development of the model and selection of priors, the application to the motivating data, model checking and simulation results.
Contemporary Dalit Assertions in Kerala: Governmental Categories vs Identity Politics?
Authors: Devika J.
Published: December 2012

Caste inequality is a heatedly debated issue in contemporary Kerala, in stark contrast to an earlier time, when the idea that Kerala had overcome caste hierarchies through the twin strategies of social development and political mobilisation was still hegemonic. Post-1990s, political developments have pushed the question of caste back into the forefront of public debate, and ‘Dalit identity politics’ has been perceived as a serious threat by Kerala’s powerful left parties, despite the fact that Dalit political formations are not numerically powerful. Three processes seem to be crucial in precipitating the current situation: (a) the transformation of politics itself in the mid-1990s from the ‘public action’ mode to the ‘liberal’ mode, which was rejected by the Dalits and tribal communities; (b) rapidly widening economic inequalities and rapidly crystallising elite ideological dominance led to the strengthening of abjection as a mode of marginalisation of the lower castes which is being resisted; (c) the transformation of the Malayali literary public brought to the fore questions of caste and gender that were submerged under the earlier socio-cultural consensus generated by the hegemonic Malayali national popular shaped by the communists.
The Dramatic Performances Act of 1876: Reactions of the Bengali Establishment to Its Introduction
Authors: Kundu Manujendra
Published: December 2012

The Dramatic Performances Act of 1876, puts curbs on the exercise of theatrical representation in India. Although it drew severe criticism from a wide section of the intelligentsia, there were still others who were in favour of such a draconian law, both in order to maintain the status quo within Indian society and to not antagonise the British government. From correspondence between the government and some of the most influential Bengali personalities, and accounts of the vernacular media, it is evident that a section of Bengali intellectuals was serving the interests of the colonisers so as to protect their own profits and status in future.
Bupivacaine-induced apoptosis independently of WDR35 expression in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a cells
Authors: Harato Misako , Huang Lei , Kondo Fumio , Tsunekawa Koji , Feng Guo-Gang , Fan Jun-Hua , Ishikawa Naohisa , Fujiwara Yoshihiro , Okada Shoshiro
Published: December 2012

Background

Bupivacaine-induced neurotoxicity has been shown to occur through apoptosis. Recently, bupivacaine was shown to elicit reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and induce apoptosis accompanied by activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in a human neuroblastoma cell line. We have reported that WDR35, a WD40-repeat protein, may mediate apoptosis through caspase-3 activation. The present study was undertaken to test whether bupivacaine induces apoptosis in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a cells and to determine whether ROS, p38 MAPK, and WDR35 are involved.

Results

Our results showed that bupivacaine induced ROS generation and p38 MAPK activation in Neuro2a cells, resulting in apoptosis. Bupivacaine also increased WDR35 expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) also increased WDR35 expression in Neuro2a cells. Antioxidant (EUK-8) and p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB202190) treatment attenuated the increase in caspase-3 activity, cell death and WDR35 expression induced by bupivacaine or H2O2. Although transfection of Neuro2a cells with WDR35 siRNA attenuated the bupivacaine- or H2O2-induced increase in expression of WDR35 mRNA and protein, in contrast to our previous studies, it did not inhibit the increase in caspase-3 activity in bupivacaine- or H2O2-treated cells.

Conclusions

In summary, our results indicated that bupivacaine induced apoptosis in Neuro2a cells. Bupivacaine induced ROS generation and p38 MAPK activation, resulting in an increase in WDR35 expression, in these cells. However, the increase in WDR35 expression may not be essential for the bupivacaine-induced apoptosis in Neuro2a cells. These results may suggest the existence of another mechanism of bupivacaine-induced apoptosis independent from WDR35 expression in Neuro2a cells.
Prediction of lung cancer risk in a Chinese population using a multifactorial genetic model
Authors: Li Huan , Yang Lixin , Zhao Xueying , Wang Jiucun , Qian Ji , Chen Hongyan , Fan Weiwei , Liu Hongcheng , Jin Li , Wang Weimin , Lu Daru
Published: December 2012

Background

Lung cancer is a complex polygenic disease. Although recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified multiple susceptibility loci for lung cancer, most of these variants have not been validated in a Chinese population. In this study, we investigated whether a genetic risk score combining multiple.

Methods

Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in previous GWA or large cohort studies were genotyped in 5068 Chinese case–control subjects. The genetic risk score (GRS) based on these SNPs was estimated by two approaches: a simple risk alleles count (cGRS) and a weighted (wGRS) method. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) in combination with the bootstrap resampling method was used to assess the predictive performance of the genetic risk score for lung cancer.

Results

Four independent SNPs (rs2736100, rs402710, rs4488809 and rs4083914), were found to be associated with a risk of lung cancer. The wGRS based on these four SNPs was a better predictor than cGRS. Using a liability threshold model, we estimated that these four SNPs accounted for only 4.02% of genetic variance in lung cancer. Smoking history contributed significantly to lung cancer (P < 0.001) risk [AUC = 0.619 (0.603-0.634)], and incorporated with wGRS gave an AUC value of 0.639 (0.621-0.652) after adjustment for over-fitting. This model shows promise for assessing lung cancer risk in a Chinese population.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that although genetic variants related to lung cancer only added moderate discriminatory accuracy, it still improved the predictive ability of the assessment model in Chinese population.
Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma presenting with dense spindle stroma cells: a potential diagnostic pitfall
Authors: Lin Xu-Yong , Wang Yan , Fan Chui-Feng , Liu Yang , Yu Juan-Han , Dai Shun-Dong , Wang Liang , Wang En-Hua
Published: December 2012

Pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH) is an uncommon pulmonary tumor. Histologically, PSH typically consists of two types of cells, surface cuboidal cells and polygonal cells, four architectural patterns including papillary, sclerotic, solid, and hemorrhagic. Herein, we present a case of PSH in a 59-year-old Chinese female. The tumor was predominantly composed of solid area presenting with diffuse spindle cells rather than polygonal cells. Focally, classical papillary and sclerotic area could be seen. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the spindle cells were positive for TTF-1, EMA, Actin(SM) and Vimentin, and negative for cytokeratin, cytokeratin7, cytokeratin5/6, surfactant apoprotein A, surfactant apoprotein B, CD34, CD99, S-100, HMB45, Desmin, Synaptophysin, CD56, ALK and Calretinin. The immunophenotype of the dense spindle cells in this case was similar to that of the polygonal cells, and thus the spindle cells may be the variants of polygonal cells. Based on morphologic features and the immunohistochemical profile, the tumor was diagnosed as a PSH. The significance of spindle cells change is unclear for us. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PSH showing dense spindle cells in solid area. This case represents a potential diagnostic pitfall, as it may be misdiagnosed as a mesenchymal tumor such as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor, synovial sarcoma, solitary fibrous tumor, leiomyoma, or even mesothelioma, especially if the specimen is limited or from fine- needle aspiration.

Virtual slides

The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here:http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1235401622806126
Genotyping of Coxiella burnetiifrom domestic ruminants in northern Spain
Authors: Astobiza Ianire , Tilburg Jeroen JHC , Piñero Alvaro , Hurtado Ana , García-Pérez Ana L , Nabuurs-Franssen Marrigje H , Klaassen Corné HW
Published: December 2012

Background

Information on the genotypic diversity ofCoxiella burnetiiisolates from infected domestic ruminants in Spain is limited. The aim of this study was to identify theC. burnetiigenotypes infecting livestock in Northern Spain and compare them to other European genotypes. A commercial real-time PCR targeting the IS1111ainsertion element was used to detect the presence ofC. burnetiiDNA in domestic ruminants from Spain. Genotypes were determined by a 6-loci Multiple Locus Variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) panel and Multispacer Sequence Typing (MST).

Results

A total of 45 samples from 4 goat herds (placentas, N = 4), 12 dairy cattle herds (vaginal mucus, individual milk, bulk tank milk, aerosols, N = 20) and 5 sheep flocks (placenta, vaginal swabs, faeces, air samples, dust, N = 21) were included in the study. Samples from goats and sheep were obtained from herds which had suffered abortions suspected to be caused byC. burnetii, whereas cattle samples were obtained from animals with reproductive problems compatible withC. burnetiiinfection, or consisted of bulk tank milk (BTM) samples from a Q fever surveillance programme.C. burnetiigenotypes identified in ruminants from Spain were compared to those detected in other countries. Three MLVA genotypes were found in 4 goat farms, 7 MLVA genotypes were identified in 12 cattle herds and 4 MLVA genotypes were identified in 5 sheep flocks. Clustering of the MLVA genotypes using the minimum spanning tree method showed a high degree of genetic similarity between most MLVA genotypes. Overall 11 different MLVA genotypes were obtained corresponding to 4 different MST genotypes: MST genotype 13, identified in goat, sheep and cattle from Spain; MST genotype 18, only identified in goats; and, MST genotypes 8 and 20, identified in small ruminants and cattle, respectively. All these genotypes had been previously identified in animal and human clinical samples from several European countries, but some of the MLVA genotypes are described here for the first time.

Conclusions

Genotyping revealed a substantial genetic diversity among domestic ruminants from Northern Spain.
Clarifying off-target effects for torcetrapib using network pharmacology and reverse docking approach
Authors: Fan Shengjun , Geng Qiang , Pan Zhenyu , Li Xin , Tie Lu , Pan Yan , Li Xuejun
Published: December 2012

Background

Torcetrapib, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor which raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, has been documented to increase mortality and cardiac events associated with adverse effects. However, it is still unclear the underlying mechanisms of the off-target effects of torcetrapib.

Results

In the present study, we developed a systems biology approach by combining a human reassembled signaling network with the publicly available microarray gene expression data to provide unique insights into the off-target adverse effects for torcetrapib. Cytoscape with three plugins including BisoGenet, NetworkAnalyzer and ClusterONE was utilized to establish a context-specific drug-gene interaction network. The DAVID functional annotation tool was applied for gene ontology (GO) analysis, while pathway enrichment analysis was clustered by ToppFun. Furthermore, potential off-targets of torcetrapib were predicted by a reverse docking approach. In general, 10503 nodes were retrieved from the integrative signaling network and 47660 inter-connected relations were obtained from the BisoGenet plugin. In addition, 388 significantly up-regulated genes were detected by Significance Analysis of Microarray (SAM) in adrenal carcinoma cells treated with torcetrapib. After constructing the human signaling network, the over-expressed microarray genes were mapped to illustrate the context-specific network. Subsequently, three conspicuous gene regulatory networks (GRNs) modules were unearthed, which contributed to the off-target effects of torcetrapib. GO analysis reflected dramatically over-represented biological processes associated with torcetrapib including activation of cell death, apoptosis and regulation of RNA metabolic process. Enriched signaling pathways uncovered that IL-2 Receptor Beta Chain in T cell Activation, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor (PDGFR) beta signaling pathway, IL2-mediated signaling events, ErbB signaling pathway and signaling events mediated by Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor (HGFR, c-Met) might play decisive characters in the adverse cardiovascular effects associated with torcetrapib. Finally, a reverse docking algorithm in silico between torcetrapib and transmembrane receptors was conducted to identify the potential off-targets. This screening was carried out based on the enriched signaling network analysis.

Conclusions

Our study provided unique insights into the biological processes of torcetrapib-associated off-target adverse effects in a systems biology visual angle. In particular, we highlighted the importance of PDGFR, HGFR, IL-2 Receptor and ErbB1tyrosine kinase might be direct off-targets, which were highly related to the unfavorable adverse effects of torcetrapib and worthy of further experimental validation.
The effect of Cinnamaldehyde on mucositis and salivary antioxidant capacity in gamma-irradiated rats (a preliminary study)
Authors: Molania Tahereh , Moghadamnia Ali Akbar , Pouramir Mahdi , Aghel Sara , Moslemi Dariush , Ghassemi Leila , Motallebnejad Mina
Published: December 2012

Background and purpose of the study

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of cinnamaldehyde on mucositis and salivary total antioxidant capacity in gamma-irradiated rats.

Methods

The study was conducted on 28 male Wistar rats, 7–11 weeks of age and 160 ± 20 g body weight, divided into four groups of seven rats each. The first group receiving normal saline (S), the second group receiving saline and gamma radiation (SR), the third group receiving 50 mg/kg cinnamaldehyde 98% (C), and the fourth group receiving 50 mg/kg cinnamaldehyde 98% and gamma radiation (CR). SR and CR groups were exposed to 15 Gy gamma irradiation for 7 min and 39 s. Rats were intraperitoneally injected each day during the 10-day period of the experiment, and their tongues and lips were examined to assess the incidence and severity of mucositis. The saliva samples were taken from the animals three times on day zero, six, and ten.

Results

The mean mucositis incidence appeared to be delayed in the CR than the SR group (P = 0.024), and the severity was significantly higher in the SR compared to the CR group;the difference was statistically significant on the second day (P = 0.027). In the evaluation of salivary antioxidant capacity, salivary antioxidant concentration was significantly higher in the C than the S, SR, and CR groups on the tenth day of the experiment (p <0.05).

Conclusion

The clinical effects in the CR group seem to be due to antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamaldehyde; this conclusion, however, requires further investigations. Delayed antioxidant effect in the CR group was evident in ip cinnamaldehyde injection, the exact mechanism is not clear.
COX-2 structural analysis and docking studies with gallic acid structural analogues
Authors: Amaravani M , Prasad Nirmal K , Ramakrishna Vadde
Published: December 2012

Emblica officinalis is an ayurvedic herbal plant. The compounds isolated from this plant have good inhibitory effects against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), among them gallic acid (GA) has the highest inhibitory effect. COX-2 (1.14.99.1)is an oxidoreductase having a role in prostaglandin biosynthesis, inflammatory responses and in cardiovascular events. COX-2 has gained special focus on research since past few decades. The sequence and structural studies reveals Mus musculus COX-2 shares the common conserved sequence and structural pattern with human COX-2. Molecular modeling and docking analysis with gallic acid and their structural analogues showed that 2-[(2E,4E)-hexa-2,4-dienyl]-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoyl) 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate and 3-hydroxy-4-sulfooxybenzoic acid are more interactive and binding strongly than gallic acid at active site. Hence these three compounds should be considered as strong inhibitors for COX-2.
Transient marine electromagnetic responses of 3D resistive structures: Implications for navigation
Authors: Swidinsky Andrei , Edwards R. Nigel
Published: December 2012

The marine controlled-source electromagnetic method has become a popular technique for mapping the electrical resistivity structure of the seafloor. Electromagnetic fields, produced by an electric dipole transmitter, diffuse through the earth and are recorded on the seabed by nodal or cable based electric dipole receivers. Accurate information on transmitter and receiver geometry is extremely important for proper interpretation; errors in the position and orientation of the transmitter and/or the receivers propagate into errors in the predicted seafloor resistivity. We consider the special situation where a receiver cable is towed in the vicinity of a transmitter which is located on the seafloor with a known position and orientation. We theoretically and numerically examine the response of this system for a selection of 1D, 2D, and 3D models, and show that although the electromagnetic field recorded at early times contains information about the subsurface resistivity, the late time decay of the transient response is only a function of the seawater conductivity and receiver position for all the models we consider. In fact, the shape of the late time decay is almost exactly the same as that of a dipole in a wholespace having the same resistivity as seawater. This shows that late time transient information can be used to determine the position of the receiver cable, whereas early time information can be used to determine the resistivity structure of the seafloor.
A Picture of Europe: Possession Trance in Heart of Darkness
Authors: Lawtoo Nidesh
Published: December 2012

In the wake of Chinua Achebe's critique of Conrad as a “thoroughgoing racist,” much has been said about race in Heart of Darkness; and yet, so far, the anthropological meaning of the rituals Conrad describes has tended to remain unexplored. “A Picture of Europe” reopens the race dossier by considering Conrad's images of frenzy as a representation of what religious anthropologists now call “possession trance.” This essay argues that Conrad's artistic insights into possession trance cannot simply be dismissed as a distorting image of Africa but emerge out of a carefully crafted picture of Europe—that is, a mimetic picture that struggles to make us see the horrors that ensue when massive forms of ritual frenzy break out, not so much at the heart of Africa but at the heart of Europe instead. It is this essay's contention that the terms of the race debate need to be reframed in light of this mimetic realization.
Iridium(III) products isolated in a reaction of IrCl3 with phenyl 2-pyridyl ketoxime
Authors: Hołyńska Małgorzata
Published: December 2012

Synthesis and properties of two iridium(III) complexes (1 and 2) isolated from the same system upon change in organic solvent, are presented. 1 is a mononuclear compound with two bidentate oxime ligands linked by a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond and with two chlorido ligands in the central Ir3+ ion coordination sphere. 2 is a binuclear centrosymmetric anionic complex with two Ir3+ ions double-bridged by chlorido ligands and three terminal chlorido ligands further coordinated to two sodium cations to form a characteristic aggregate with acetonitrile molecules completing coordination spheres of the metal ions. Both 1 and 2 may help to develop a route to products analogous to Co(II) SMMs (Single Molecule Magnets) also as starting materials.
Mapping Six New Susceptibility to Colon Cancer (Scc) Loci Using a Mouse Interspecific Backcross
Authors: Eversley Chevonne D , Yuying Xie , Pearsall R Scott , Threadgill David W
Published: December 2012

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a complex etiology resulting from the combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors, each with small effects. Interactions among susceptibility modifier loci make many of the loci difficult to detect in human genome-wide association studies. Previous analyses in mice have used classical inbred strains, which share large portions of their genomes due to common ancestry. Herein, we used an interspecific backcross between the Mus musculus strain A/J and the Mus spretus strain SPRET/EiJ to map 6 additional CRC modifier loci (Scc16-21) and 2 suggestive loci. Three loci modify the location of tumors along the proximal-distal axis of the colon. Six CRC modifiers previously mapped in intraspecific crosses were also replicated. This work confirms genetic models suggesting that CRC is caused by many small effect alleles and brings the catalog of reported CRC modifier loci to 23 spread across 13 chromosomes. Furthermore, this work provides the foundation for large population-level epistatic interaction tests to identify combinations of low effect alleles that may have large effects on CRC susceptibility.
Suppressors ofipl1-2in Components of a Glc7 Phosphatase Complex, Cdc48 AAA ATPase, TORC1, and the Kinetochore
Authors: Robinson Lucy C , Phillips Joshua , Brou Lina , Boswell Evan P , Tatchell Kelly
Published: December 2012

Ipl1/Aurora B is the catalytic subunit of a protein kinase complex required for chromosome segregation and nuclear division. Before anaphase, Ipl1 is required to establish proper kinetochore-microtubule associations and to regulate the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). The phosphatase Glc7/PP1 opposes Ipl1 for these activities. To investigate Ipl1 and Glc7 regulation in more detail, we isolated and characterized mutations in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae that raise the restrictive temperature of the ipl-2 mutant. These suppressors include three intragenic, second-site revertants in IPL1; 17 mutations in Glc7 phosphatase components (GLC7, SDS22, YPI1); two mutations in SHP1, encoding a regulator of the AAA ATPase Cdc48; and a mutation in TCO89, encoding a subunit of the TOR Complex 1. Two revertants contain missense mutations in microtubule binding components of the kinetochore. rev76 contains the missense mutation duo1-S115F, which alters an essential component of the DAM1/DASH complex. The mutant is cold sensitive and arrests in G2/M due to activation of the SAC. rev8 contains the missense mutation ndc80-K204E. K204 of Ndc80 corresponds to K166 of human Ndc80 and the human Ndc80 K166E variant was previously shown to be defective for microtubule binding in vitro. In a wild-type IPL1 background, ndc80-K204E cells grow slowly and the SAC is activated. The slow growth and cell cycle delay of ndc80-K204E cells are partially alleviated by the ipl1-2 mutation. These data provide biological confirmation of a biochemically based model for the effect of phosphorylation on Ndc80 function.
Iron Deprivation inSynechocystis: Inference of Pathways, Non-coding RNAs, and Regulatory Elements from Comprehensive Expression Profiling
Authors: Hernández-Prieto Miguel A , Schön Verena , Georg Jens , Barreira Luísa , Varela João , Hess Wolfgang R , Futschik Matthias E
Published: December 2012

Iron is an essential cofactor in many metabolic reactions. Mechanisms controlling iron homeostasis need to respond rapidly to changes in extracellular conditions, but they must also keep the concentration of intracellular iron under strict control to avoid the generation of damaging reactive oxygen species. Due to its role as a redox carrier in photosynthesis, the iron quota in cyanobacteria is about 10 times higher than in model enterobacteria. The molecular details of how such a high quota is regulated are obscure. Here we present experiments that shed light on the iron regulatory system in cyanobacteria. We measured time-resolved changes in gene expression after iron depletion in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 using a comprehensive microarray platform, monitoring both protein-coding and non-coding transcripts. In total, less than a fifth of all protein-coding genes were differentially expressed during the first 72 hr. Many of these proteins are associated with iron transport, photosynthesis, or ATP synthesis. Comparing our data with three previous studies, we identified a core set of 28 genes involved in iron stress response. Among them were genes important for assimilation of inorganic carbon, suggesting a link between the carbon and iron regulatory networks. Nine of the 28 genes have unknown functions and constitute key targets for further functional analysis. Statistical and clustering analyses identified 10 small RNAs, 62 antisense RNAs, four 5′UTRs, and seven intragenic elements as potential novel components of the iron regulatory network in Synechocystis. Hence, our genome-wide expression profiling indicates an unprecedented complexity in the iron regulatory network of cyanobacteria.
Invariance (?) of Mutational Parameters for Relative Fitness Over 400 Generations of Mutation Accumulation inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Matsuba Chikako , Lewis Suzanna , Ostrow Dejerianne G , Salomon Matthew P , Sylvestre Laurence , Tabman Brandon , Ungvari-Martin Judit , Baer Charles F
Published: December 2012

Evidence is accumulating that individuals in poor physiologic condition may accumulate mutational damage faster than individuals in good condition. If poor condition results from pre-existing deleterious mutations, the result is “fitness-dependent mutation rate,” which has interesting theoretical implications. Here we report a study in which 10 mutation accumulation (MA) lines of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that had previously accumulated mutations for 250 generations under relaxed selection were expanded into sets of “second-order” MA lines and allowed to accumulate mutations for an additional 150 generations. The 10 lines were chosen on the basis of the relative change in fitness over the first 250 generations of MA, five high-fitness lines and five low-fitness lines. On average, the mutational properties (per-generation change in mean relative fitness, mutational variance, and Bateman-Mukai estimates of genomic mutation rate and average mutational effect) of the high-fitness and low-fitness did not differ significantly, and averaged over all lines, the point estimates were extremely close to those of the first-order MA experiment after 200 generations of MA. However, several nonsignificant trends indicate that low-fitness lines may in fact be more likely to suffer mutational damage than high-fitness lines.
Genetic Control of Vulval Development inCaenorhabditis briggsae
Authors: Sharanya Devika , Thillainathan Bavithra , Marri Sujatha , Bojanala Nagagireesh , Taylor Jon , Flibotte Stephane , Moerman Donald G , Waterston Robert H , Gupta Bhagwati P
Published: December 2012

The nematode Caenorhabditis briggsae is an excellent model organism for the comparative analysis of gene function and developmental mechanisms. To study the evolutionary conservation and divergence of genetic pathways mediating vulva formation, we screened for mutations in C. briggsae that cause the egg-laying defective (Egl) phenotype. Here, we report the characterization of 13 genes, including three that are orthologs of Caenorhabditis elegans unc-84 (SUN domain), lin-39 (Dfd/Scr-related homeobox), and lin-11 (LIM homeobox). Based on the morphology and cell fate changes, the mutants were placed into four different categories. Class 1 animals have normal-looking vulva and vulva-uterine connections, indicating defects in other components of the egg-laying system. Class 2 animals frequently lack some or all of the vulval precursor cells (VPCs) due to defects in the migration of P-cell nuclei into the ventral hypodermal region. Class 3 animals show inappropriate fusion of VPCs to the hypodermal syncytium, leading to a reduced number of vulval progeny. Finally, class 4 animals exhibit abnormal vulval invagination and morphology. Interestingly, we did not find mutations that affect VPC induction and fates. Our work is the first study involving the characterization of genes in C. briggsae vulva formation, and it offers a basis for future investigations of these genes in C. elegans.
Genetic Analysis of Mps3 SUN Domain Mutants inSaccharomyces cerevisiaeReveals an Interaction with the SUN-Like Protein Slp1
Authors: Friederichs Jennifer M , Gardner Jennifer M , Smoyer Christine J , Whetstine Christine R , Gogol Madelaine , Slaughter Brian D , Jaspersen Sue L
Published: December 2012

In virtually all eukaryotic cells, protein bridges formed by the conserved inner nuclear membrane SUN (for Sad1-UNC-84) domain-containing proteins and their outer nuclear membrane binding partners span the nuclear envelope (NE) to connect the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. These linkages are important for chromosome movements within the nucleus during meiotic prophase and are essential for nuclear migration and centrosome attachment to the NE. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, MPS3 encodes the sole SUN protein. Deletion of MPS3 or the conserved SUN domain is lethal in three different genetic backgrounds. Mutations in the SUN domain result in defects in duplication of the spindle pole body, the yeast centrosome-equivalent organelle. A genome-wide screen for mutants that exhibited synthetic fitness defects in combination with mps3 SUN domain mutants yielded a large number of hits in components of the spindle apparatus and the spindle checkpoint. Mutants in lipid metabolic processes and membrane organization also exacerbated the growth defects of mps3 SUN domain mutants, pointing to a role for Mps3 in nuclear membrane organization. Deletion of SLP1 or YER140W/EMP65 (for ER membrane protein of 65 kDa) aggravated growth of mps3 SUN domain mutants. Slp1 and Emp65 form an ER-membrane associated protein complex that is not required directly for spindle pole body duplication or spindle assembly. Rather, Slp1 is involved in Mps3 localization to the NE.
The Impact of Sand and Asphaltic Production Problems on Pressure Behavior and Flow Regimes
Authors: Al Rbeawi Salam , Tiab D..
Published: December 2012

Asphaltic and sand production problems are common production challenges in the petroleum industry. Asphaltic problem results from the depositions of heavy material (asphaltene) in the vicinity of the well which may cause severe formation damage. Asphaltic materials are expected to deposit in all type of reservoirs. Sand production refers to the phenomenon of solid particles being produced together with the petroleum fluids. These two problems represent a major concern in oil and gas production systems either in the wellbore section or in the surface treatment facilities. Production data, well logging, laboratory testing, acoustic, intrusive sand monitoring devices, and analogy are different techniques used to predict sand production. This paper introduces a new technique to predict and quantify the skin factor resulting from asphaltene deposition and/or sand production using pressure transient analysis.

Pressure behavior and flow regimes in the vicinity of horizontal wellbore are extremely influenced by this skin factor. Analytical models for predicting this problem and determining how many zones of the horizontal well that are affected by sand production or asphaltic deposition have been introduced in this study. These models have been derived based on the assumption that wellbore can be divided into multi-subsequent segments of producing and non-producing intervals. Producing intervals represent free flowing zones while non producing intervals represent zones where perforations are closed because of sand or asphaltic deposits.

The effective length of the segments of a horizontal well where sand and/or asphaltene are significantly closing the perforations can be calculated either from the early radial or linear flow. Similarly, the effective length of the undamaged segments can be determined from these two flow regimes. The numbers of the damaged and undamaged zones can be calculated either from the intermediate radial (secondary radial) or linear flow if they are observed. If both flow regimes are not observed, the zones can be calculated using type curve matching technique. The paper will include the main type-curves, step-by-step procedure for interpreting the pressure test without using type curve matching technique when all necessary flow regimes are observed. A step-by-step procedure for analyzing pressure tests using the type-curve matching technique will also be presented. The procedure will be illustrated by several numerical examples.
Propagation of Emulsified Acids in Vuggy Dolomitic Rocks
Authors: Zakaria A. S. , Sayed M. A. , Nasr-El-Din H. A.
Published: December 2012

Carbonate formations are very complex in their pore structure and exhibit a wide variety of pore classes. Pore classes such as interparticle porosity, moldic porosity, vuggy porosity, intercrystalline porosity, and microporosity. Understanding the role of pore class on the performance of emulsified acid treatment and characterizing the physics of the flow inside is the objective of our study.

The study was performed using vuggy dolomite cores that represent mainly the vuggy porosity dominated structure, while the homogenous cores represent the intercrystalline pore structure. Core flood runs were conducted on 6 × 1.5 in. cores using emulsified acid formulated at 1 vol% emulsifier and 0.7 acid volume fraction. The objective of this set of experiments is to determine the acid pore volume to breakthrough for each carbonate pore class at different injection rates.

In this paper, a novel approach to interpret the core flood run results using thin section observations, tracer experiments, SEM, and resistivity measurements will be presented. Thin section observations provide means to study the vugs size and their distribution, connectivity, and explain the contribution of the pore class in the acid propagation. Relating the rotating disk experiments of emulsified acid with dolomite to our core flood run results will be also conducted in order.

The acid pore volumes to breakthrough for vuggy porosity dominated rocks were observed to be much lower than that for homogenous carbonates (intercrystalline pore structure). Also, the wormhole dissolution pattern was found to be significantly different in vuggy rocks than that in homogenous ones. Comparison of thin section observations, tracer results and the core flood runs results indicates that the vugs are distributed in a manner that creates a preferential flow path which can cause a rapid acid breakthrough and effective wormholing than those with a uniform pore structure. Rotating disk experiment results, demonstrating that the reaction of emulsified acid with dolomite is much lower than that with calcite, showed that the reaction kinetics played a role in determining the wormhole pattern.