bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IFN type I and type II independent enhancement of B cell TLR7 expression by natural killer cells
Authors: Sinha Suwan , Guo Yuhong , Thet Suwannee , Yuan Dorothy
Published: May 2012

Natural Killer cells can augment the expression of TLR7 by resting B cells via IFNIII leading to enhanced ability to respond to TLR7 ligand.

The PRR TLR7 plays a key role in the activation of autoantigen-reactive B cells. This response is increased markedly by IFN-α, produced by accessory cells, as a result of the up-regulation of TLR7. We report herein an alternative pathway by which TLR7 expression can be augmented. This finding was derived from continuation of ongoing studies to uncover interactions between NK and B cells. Here, we have compared gene expression profiles by microarray analysis of B cells before and after their interaction with purified NK cells. The most outstanding alteration of genes transcribed in B cells is a significant increase in the expression of many members of the ISG family, among which is TLR7. Further analysis revealed that the enhancement of TLR7 on B cells is not mediated via type I or type II IFN but by another cytokine, IL-28, a type III IFN, which acts in concert with contact-mediated interactions with NK cells. This increased expression allows B cells to respond more readily upon stimulation by its ligand and may increase in vivo responses to other TLR7 ligands, such as autoantigens, prior to or jointly with stimulation by other cytokines.
IFN-γ-deficient mice develop IL-1-dependent cutaneous and musculoskeletal inflammation during experimental brucellosis
Authors: Skyberg Jerod A , Thornburg Theresa , Kochetkova Irina , Layton William , Callis Gayle , Rollins MaryClare F , Riccardi Carol , Becker Todd , Golden Sarah , Pascual David W
Published: May 2012

Osteoarticular and soft tissue inflammation occur in subsequent infection with wild-type Brucella in mice deficient of IFN-γ, resembling aspects of human disease.

Human brucellosis exhibits diverse pathological manifestations that can affect almost any organ. In particular, osteoarticular complications are the most common focal manifestation of brucellosis and occur in 40–80% of patients. In immunocompetent mice, Brucella replication is generally restricted to the spleen, liver, and to a lesser extent, LNs, thereby limiting their use for study of focal inflammation often found in brucellosis. Here, we report that nasal, oral, or peritoneal infection of IFN-γ−/− mice with WT Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus results in joint and periarticular tissue inflammation. Histological analysis of the affected joints revealed inflammatory infiltrates and debris within the joint space colocalizing with Brucella antigen. Osteoarthritis, necrosis, periarticular soft tissue inflammation, and substantial brucellae burdens were observed. Oral rifampicin was effective in clearing infection and halting further progression of focal inflammation from infected IFN-γ−/− mice, although some symptoms and swelling remained. Elevated IL-1β, but not TNF-α, IL-6, or IL-17, was detected in joint homogenates from infected IFN-γ−/− mice. Whereas more susceptible to systemic infection, IL-1R−/− mice depleted of IFN-γ were more resistant to focal inflammation than WT mice similarly depleted of IFN-γ. Collectively, these results show IFN-γ−/− mice represent a potential model for study of focal inflammation attributed to Brucella infection and will allow evaluation of intervention strategies targeting IL-1, IL-1R, or other inflammatory mediators, with the potential to complement antibiotic-based therapies.
Genomic Characterization of Human and Rat Prolactinomas
Authors: Tong Yunguang , Zheng Yun , Zhou Jin , Oyesiku Nelson M. , Koeffler H. Phillip , Melmed Shlomo
Published: May 2012

Although prolactinomas can be effectively treated with dopamine agonists, about 20% of patients develop dopamine resistance or tumor recurrence after surgery, indicating a need for better understanding of underlying disease mechanisms. Although estrogen-induced rat prolactinomas have been widely used to investigate the development of this tumor, the extent that the model recapitulates features of human prolactinomas is unclear. To prioritize candidate genes and gene sets regulating human and rat prolactinomas, microarray results derived from human prolactinomas and pituitaries of estrogen-treated ACI rats were integrated and analyzed. A total of 4545 differentially expressed pituitary genes were identified in estrogen-treated ACI rats [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.01]. By comparing pituitary microarray results derived from estrogen-treated Brown Norway rats (a strain not sensitive to estrogen), 4073 genes were shown specific to estrogen-treated ACI rats. Human prolactinomas exhibited 1177 differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05). Combining microarray data derived from human prolactinoma and pituitaries of estrogen-treated ACI rat, 145 concordantly expressed genes, including E2F1, Myc, Igf1, and CEBPD, were identified. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that 278 curated pathways and 59 gene sets of transcription factors were enriched (FDR < 25%) in estrogen-treated ACI rats, suggesting a critical role for Myc, E2F1, CEBPD, and Sp1 in this rat prolactinoma. Similarly increased Myc, E2F1, and Sp1 expression was validated using real-time PCR and Western blot in estrogen-treated Fischer rat pituitary glands. In summary, characterization of individual genes and gene sets in human and in estrogen-induced rat prolactinomas validates the model and provides insights into genomic changes associated with this commonly encountered pituitary tumor.
Progesterone Receptors: A Key for Neuroprotection in Experimental Stroke
Authors: Liu Ailing , Margaill Isabelle , Zhang Shaodong , Labombarda Florencia , Coqueran Bérard , Delespierre Brigitte , Liere Philippe , Marchand-Leroux Catherine , O'Malley Bert W. , Lydon John P. , De Nicola Alejandro F. , Sitruk-Ware Regine , Mattern Claudia , Plotkine Michel , Schumacher Michael , Guennoun Rachida
Published: May 2012

Progesterone receptors (PR) are expressed throughout the brain. However, their functional significance remains understudied. Here we report a novel role of PR as crucial mediators of neuroprotection using a model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and PR knockout mice. Six hours after ischemia, we observed a rapid increase in progesterone and 5α-dihydroprogesterone, the endogenous PR ligands, a process that may be a part of the natural neuroprotective mechanisms. PR deficiency, and even haploinsufficiency, increases the susceptibility of the brain to stroke damage. Within a time window of 24 h, PR-dependent signaling of endogenous brain progesterone limits the extent of tissue damage and the impairment of motor functions. Longer-term improvement requires additional treatment with exogenous progesterone and is also PR dependent. The potent and selective PR agonist Nestorone is also effective. In contrast to progesterone, levels of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone, which modulates γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors, did not increase after stroke, but its administration protected both wild-type and PR-deficient mice against ischemic damage. These results show that 1) PR are linked to signaling pathways that influence susceptibility to stroke, and 2) PR are direct key targets for both endogenous neuroprotection and for therapeutic strategies after stroke, and they suggest a novel indication for synthetic progestins already validated for contraception. Although allopregnanolone may not be an endogenous neuroprotective agent, its administration protects the brain against ischemic damage by signaling mechanisms not involving PR. Collectively, our data clarify the relative roles of PR and allopregnanolone in neuroprotection after stroke.
Spinal Motor and Sensory Neurons Are Androgen Targets in an Acrobatic Bird
Authors: Fuxjager Matthew J. , Schultz J. Douglas , Barske Julia , Feng Ni Y. , Fusani Leonida , Mirzatoni Anahid , Day Lainy B. , Hau Michaela , Schlinger Barney A.
Published: May 2012

Sex steroids affect the motivation to court mates, but less is known about how they influence motor movements associated with courtship behavior. Steroidal control of motor function may be especially important for species in which courtship requires superior strength, stamina, and neuromuscular coordination. Here we use the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus) to examine whether the neuromuscular circuitry that controls motoric aspects of courtship activity is sensitive to androgens. Males of this tropical species attract mates by rapidly jumping among branches in a courtship arena and using their wings to produce loud wing snaps. Testosterone activates this display via the androgen receptor (AR), and past work reveals that manakins injected with radio-labeled T (3H-T) accumulate radioactivity in the spinal cord. Thus, we used quantitative PCR to measure AR, estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) subtype, and aromatase (AROM) mRNA in spinal cords of male and female manakins and zebra finches. Expression of AR, but not ER-α or aromatase, was higher throughout the manakin spinal cord compared with the zebra finch. Next, we tested whether AR-expressing skeletal muscles are innervated by motor and sensory neurons that also express AR. To do this, we backfilled spinal neurons by injecting fluorescent tracers into select AR-sensitive wing and leg muscles of wild caught male and female manakins. We then removed these spinal cords and measured AR expression with in situ hybridization. Both sexes showed abundant AR mRNA in the cervical and lumbosacral spinal enlargements as well as in dorsal root ganglia attached to these enlargements. Together our findings suggest that androgens act widely on peripheral motor and sensory circuits in golden-collared manakins to influence wing snapping displays.
Biasing the Prostaglandin F2α Receptor Responses toward EGFR-Dependent Transactivation of MAPK
Authors: Goupil Eugénie , Wisehart Veronica , Khoury Etienne , Zimmerman Brandon , Jaffal Sahar , Hébert Terence E. , Laporte Stéphane A.
Published: May 2012

The G protein-coupled prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) receptor [F prostanoid (FP) receptor] has been implicated in many physiological events including cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, reproductive, and endocrine responses. Binding of PGF2α to FP receptor elicits inositol production and protein kinase C-dependent MAPK activation through Gαq coupling. Here we report that AL-8810, previously characterized as an orthosteric antagonist of PGF2α-dependent, Gαq-mediated signaling, potently activates ERK1/2 in a protein kinase C-independent manner. Rather, AL-8810 promoted ERK1/2 activation via an epidermal growth factor receptor transactivation mechanism in both human embryonic kidney 293 cells and in the MG-63 osteoblast-like cells, which express endogenous FP receptors. Neither AL-8810- nor PGF2α-mediated stimulation of FP receptor promoted association with β-arrestins, suggesting that MAPK activation induced by these ligands is independent of β-arrestin's signaling scaffold functions. Interestingly, the spatiotemporal activation of ERK1/2 promoted by AL-8810 and PGF2α showed almost completely opposite responses in the nucleus and the cytosol. Finally, using [3H]thymidine incorporation, we noted differential regulation of PGF2α- and AL-8810-induced cell proliferation in MG-63 cells. This study reveals, for the first time, the signaling biased nature of FP receptor orthosteric ligands toward MAPK signaling. Our findings on the specific patterns of ERK1/2 activation promoted by FP receptor ligands may help dissect the distinct roles of MAPK in FP receptor-dependent physiological responses.
Research Resource: Genome-Wide Profiling of Progesterone Receptor Binding in the Mouse Uterus
Authors: Rubel Cory A. , Lanz Rainer B. , Kommagani Ramakrishna , Franco Heather L. , Lydon John P. , DeMayo Francesco J.
Published: May 2012

Progesterone (P4) signaling through its nuclear transcription factor, the progesterone receptor (PR), is essential for normal uterine function. Although deregulation of PR-mediated signaling is known to underscore uterine dysfunction and a number of endometrial pathologies, the early molecular mechanisms of this deregulation are unclear. To address this issue, we have defined the genome-wide PR cistrome in the murine uterus using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq). In uteri of ovariectomized mice, we identified 6367 PR-binding sites in the absence of P4 ligand; however, this number increased at nearly 3-fold (18,432) after acute P4 exposure. Sequence analysis revealed that approximately 73% of these binding sites contain a progesterone response element or a half-site motif recognized by the PR. Many previously identified P4 target genes known to regulate uterine function were found to contain PR-binding sites, confirming the validity of our methodology. Interestingly, when the ChIP-seq data were coupled with our microarray expression data, we identified a novel regulatory role for uterine P4 in circadian rhythm gene expression, thereby uncovering a hitherto unexpected new circadian biology for P4 in this tissue. Further mining of the ChIP-seq data revealed Sox17 as a direct transcriptional PR target gene in the uterus. As a member of the Sox transcription factor family, Sox17 represents a potentially novel mediator of PR action in the murine uterus. Collectively, our first line of analysis of the uterine PR cistrome provides the first insights into the early molecular mechanisms that underpin normal uterine responsiveness to acute P4 exposure. Future analysis promises to reveal the PR interactome and, in turn, potential therapeutic targets for the diagnosis and/or treatment of endometrial dysfunction.
Scaling the gas transfer velocity and hydraulic geometry in streams and small rivers
Authors: Raymond Peter A. , Zappa Christopher J. , Butman David , Bott Thomas L. , Potter Jody , Mulholland Patrick , Laursen Andrew E. , McDowell William H. , Newbold Denis
Published: May 2012

Lay Abstract

The exchange of gasses between water and air is important to the budgets of carbon, nutrients, and pollutants. This exchange is driven, in part, by the turbulent energy at the air–water interface. Turbulent energy at the air–water interface scales with the gas transfer velocity (k), which can be measured in streams through various methods. We performed a metadata analysis of studies that have measured k in streams using direct gas tracer releases. We evaluated models that predict k based on stream morphology. We found that models that use slope and velocity to predict k perform reasonably well and are consistent with general theory. We also used the data set to provide new stream hydraulic equations that predict stream morphology (width, depth, velocity) based on discharge.
Genome wide expression profiling of the mesodiencephalic region identifies novel factors involved in early and late dopaminergic development
Authors: Chakrabarty Koushik , Von Oerthel Lars , Hellemons Anita , Clotman Frédéric , Espana Agnès , Groot Koerkamp Marian , Holstege Frank C. P. , Pasterkamp R. Jeroen , Smidt Marten P.
Published: May 2012

Meso-diencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons are critical for motor control and cognitive functioning and their loss or dysfunction is associated with disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), schizophrenia and addiction. However, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying mdDA neuron development and maintenance. Here, we determined the spatiotemporal map of genes involved in the development of mdDA neurons to gain further insight into their molecular programming. Genome-wide gene expression profiles of the developing ventral mesencephalon (VM) were compared at different developmental stages leading to the identification of novel regulatory roles of neuronal signaling through nicotinic acthylcholine receptors (Chrna6 and Chrnb3 subunits) and the identification of novel transcription factors (Oc2 and 3) involved in the generation of the mdDA neuronal field. We show here that Pitx3, in cooperation with Nurr1, is the critical component in the activation of the Chrna6 and Chrnb3 subunits in mdDA neurons. Furthermore, we provide evidence of two divergent regulatory pathways resulting in the expression of Chrna6 and Chrnb3 respectively.
Conditional over-expression of PITX1 causes skeletal muscle dystrophy in mice
Authors: Pandey Sachchida N. , Cabotage Jennifer , Shi Rongye , Dixit Manjusha , Sutherland Margret , Liu Jian , Muger Stephanie , Harper Scott Q. , Nagaraju Kanneboyina , Chen Yi-Wen
Published: May 2012

Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 1 (PITX1) was specifically up-regulated in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) by comparing the genome-wide mRNA expression profiles of 12 neuromuscular disorders. In addition, it is the only known direct transcriptional target of the double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4) of which aberrant expression has been shown to be the cause of FSHD. To test the hypothesis that up-regulation of PITX1 contributes to the skeletal muscle atrophy seen in patients with FSHD, we generated a tet-repressible muscle-specific Pitx1 transgenic mouse model in which expression of PITX1 in skeletal muscle can be controlled by oral administration of doxycycline. After PITX1 was over-expressed in the skeletal muscle for 5 weeks, the mice exhibited significant loss of body weight and muscle mass, decreased muscle strength, and reduction of muscle fiber diameters. Among the muscles examined, the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, quadricep, bicep, tricep and deltoid showed significant reduction of muscle mass, while the soleus, masseter and diaphragm muscles were not affected. The most prominent pathological change was the development of atrophic muscle fibers with mild necrosis and inflammatory infiltration. The affected myofibers stained heavily with NADH-TR with the strongest staining in angular-shaped atrophic fibers. Some of the atrophic fibers were also positive for embryonic myosin heavy chain using immunohistochemistry. Immunoblotting showed that the p53 was up-regulated in the muscles over-expressing PITX1. The results suggest that the up-regulation of PITX1 followed by activation of p53-dependent pathways may play a major role in the muscle atrophy developed in the mouse model.
CD81 and CD9 work independently as extracellular components upon fusion of sperm and oocyte
Authors: Ohnami Naoko , Nakamura Akihiro , Miyado Mami , Sato Masahiro , Kawano Natsuko , Yoshida Keiichi , Harada Yuichirou , Takezawa Youki , Kanai Seiya , Ono Chihiro , Takahashi Yuji , Kimura Ken , Shida Toshio , Miyado Kenji , Umezawa Akihiro
Published: May 2012

When a sperm and oocyte unite into one cell upon fertilization, membranous fusion between the sperm and oocyte occurs. In mice, Izumo1 and a tetraspanin molecule CD9 are required for sperm-oocyte fusion as one of the oocyte factors, and another tetraspanin molecule CD81 is also thought to involve in this process. Since these two tetraspanins often form a complex upon cell-cell interaction, it is probable that such a complex is also formed in sperm-oocyte interaction; however, this possibility is still under debate among researchers. Here we assessed this problem using mouse oocytes. Immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated that both CD9 and CD81 were widely distributed outside the oocyte cell membrane, but these molecules were separate, forming bilayers, confirmed by immunobiochemical analysis. Electron-microscopic analysis revealed the presence of CD9- or CD81-incorporated extracellular structures in those bilayers. Finally, microinjection of in vitro-synthesized RNA showed that CD9 reversed a fusion defect in CD81-deficient oocytes in addition to CD9-deficient oocytes, but CD81 failed in both oocytes. These results suggest that both CD9 and CD81 independently work upon sperm-oocyte fusion as extracellular components.
The sperm-oocyte switch in the C. elegans hermaphrodite is controlled through steady-state levels of the fem-3 mRNA
Authors: Zanetti Simone , Grinschgl Sonja , Meola Marco , Belfiore Marco , Rey Samantha , Bianchi Pamela , Puoti Alessandro
Published: May 2012

Post-transcriptional control regulates many aspects of germline development in the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite. This nematode switches from spermatogenesis to oogenesis and is, therefore, capable of self-fertilization. This sperm-oocyte switch requires 3′ UTR-mediated repression of the fem-3 mRNA. Loss of fem-3 repression results in continuous spermatogenesis in hermaphrodites. Although several factors regulating fem-3 have been identified, little is known about the mechanisms that control fem-3. Here, we investigate the steady-state levels of the fem-3 transcript and the expression pattern of its protein product. We show that FEM-3 is exclusively present in germ cells that are committed to spermatogenesis. We found that in fem-3(gf)/+ heterozygotes, mutant fem-3 gain-of-function transcripts are more abundant than their wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, we show that the penetrance of the fem-3(gf) allele correlates with inefficient FBF binding and extended poly(A) tail size of fem-3 mRNAs. Finally, we show that wild-type and gain-of-function mutated fem-3 mRNAs associate equally well with polyribosomes. We propose that the fem-3 mRNA is regulated through stabilization rather than through translatability.
Evidence for a cytoplasmic microprocessor of pri-miRNAs
Authors: Shapiro Jillian S. , Langlois Ryan A. , Pham Alissa M. , tenOever Benjamin R.
Published: May 2012

microRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of noncoding RNAs that fine-tune gene expression through post-transcriptional silencing. While miRNA biogenesis occurs in a stepwise fashion, initiated by the nuclear microprocessor, rare noncanonical miRNAs have also been identified. Here we characterize the molecular components and unique attributes associated with the processing of virus-derived cytoplasmic primary miRNAs (c-pri-miRNAs). RNA in situ hybridization and inhibition of cellular division demonstrated a complete lack of nuclear involvement in c-pri-miRNA cleavage while genetic studies revealed that maturation still relied on the canonical nuclear RNase III enzyme, Drosha. The involvement of Drosha was mediated by a dramatic relocalization to the cytoplasm following virus infection. Deep sequencing analyses revealed that the cytoplasmic localization of Drosha does not impact the endogenous miRNA landscape during infection, despite allowing for robust synthesis of virus-derived miRNAs in the cytoplasm. Taken together, this research describes a unique function for Drosha in the processing of highly structured cytoplasmic RNAs in the context of virus infection.
Exhibiting Conflict: History and Politics at the Museo de la Memoria de ANFASEP in Ayacucho, Peru
Authors: Feldman Joseph P.
Published: May 2012

This essay locates the Museo de la Memoria de ANFASEP in Ayacucho, Peru within transnational discourses of memorialization and the sociopolitical context of post-conflict Peru. I examine ways in which the museum’s representations of recent political violence embrace and contest “official” historical narratives, how visitors engage with and react to the museum, and perspectives on the institution among residents of Ayacucho. I conclude by assessing the museum’s place in relation to ongoing struggles over history and recognition in Peru and within local and national heritage industries, along with the possibilities and limitations of the ANFASEP Museum’s promotion of a “human rights culture” and politics of remembrance.
Ordinary Refugees: Social Precarity and Soul in 21st Century Japan
Authors: Allison Anne
Published: May 2012

In the aftermath of the bursting of the Bubble economy in 1991, a turn to more flexible labor since the late 1980s, and the recent disaster (of earthquake/tsunami/nuclear reactor accident) of March 11th, the socioeconomic equilibrium in Japan has been shaken. In contrast to the post-war era of high economic growth when lifelong jobs and a middle-class lifestyle were the norm, today these staples of “good living” have become undermined or unobtainable for more and more Japanese. Not only are more workers irregularly employed (called the “precariat” or precarious proletariat by activist Amamiya Karin), but there are signs of a more pervasive precarity—experienced by more than just the precariat—at the level of an evisceration of social ties, connectedness with others, and a sense of security. Taking the example of “net café refugees”—young working poor who live in net cafés—as paradigmatic of what has been called the “refugeeization” of Japan as a place no longer materially or socially secure for many of its citizens, the essay studies the condition of “social precarity” in post post-war Japan. This is looked at through the lens of affect: not only the state of precarity as it is experienced affectively (as a pain and longing for what still gets assumed to be “ordinary”), but also the affects deployed in practices adopted by the socially disenfranchised and economically precariat to survive. Seeing in these extra-economic networks of survival a glimmer of social change—a recalibration of human life and relationality in a new direction—I consider them to be a biopolitics of life from below, constituting new zones of (post post-Fordist) social possibility for Japan/ese.
Demeter in Hermione: Sacrifice and Ritual Polyvalence
Authors: Johnston Sarah Iles
Published: May 2012

This article offers a close reading of a ritual described by Pausanias (2.35.4-8) in which old women use sickles to slaughter heifers inside a temple of Demeter in Hermione. Following the contextualization of several of the rituals' elements within other Hermionian cults, other cults of Demeter, and Greek cultural values more generally, the author argues that the ritual was directed towards both agriculture and the proper maturation of maidens. The article also problematizes the category "sacrifice," suggesting that the broader "ritualized killing" enables us to make better sense of this and other rituals, and encourages more consciously polyvalent readings of ancient rituals.
Brothels, Boys, and the Athenian Adonia
Authors: Burnett Anne
Published: May 2012

Why Athenian women annually joined with prostitutes in a disorderly celebration of Adonis, and why Athenian men tolerated their excesses, are questions that have never been satisfactorily answered. The argument of this paper is that the women found, in this imported cult, a ritualized expression of their concern for sons who left them to enter the world of active heterosexuality. Youths of 17 or 18 years, banished from the women's quarters through fear of incest, with no access to citizen females and at least a dozen years to wait for marriage, would normally frequent prostitutes. Ideally, such frequentation would be joyous, healthy, brief, and unfruitful, and such was the symbolic burden of the Adonia, with its "gardens" that sprouted only to wither, and its mixture of obscenity and mourning.
Decreasing Authority Dependence During the First Year of College
Authors: Baxter Magolda Marcia B. , King Patricia M. , Taylor Kari B. , Wakefield Kerri M.
Published: May 2012

Annual interviews with 228 students at 6 diverse campuses in the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education reveal 123 students’ developmental growth away from authority dependence between the beginning of the first and second years of college. In the first year of college, 86% of participants relied solely on external authorities to define their beliefs, identity, and relationships. At the start of their second year, 57% relied solely on external authorities. We used students’ narratives about the effect of their academic, cocurricular, and personal learning experiences to map the nature of their journeys out of authority dependence and toward self-authorship.
Delineating the Ways That Key Institutional Agents Provide Racial Minority Students With Access to Social Capital in College
Authors: Museus Samuel D. , Neville Kathleen M.
Published: May 2012

This study focuses on the characteristics of institutional agents who can and do facilitate racial minority student success by providing them with access to social capital in college. Individual semi-structured interviews with 60 Asian American, Black, and Latino undergraduates reveal that key institutional agents who positively influence those participants’ success and provide them with access to social capital share four common characteristics: They (a) Share common ground with those students, (b) provide holistic support for those students, (c) humanize the educational experience, and (d) provide proactive support for those students. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Learning from the Experiences of Self-Identified Women of Color Activists
Authors: Linder Chris , Rodriguez Katrina L.
Published: May 2012

We studied 7 women of color student activists on a large, predominantly White college campus and employed intersectionality theory and multiple identity development theory to examine how they make meaning of their multiple identities. Findings from this narrative study highlight ways students’ identities led them to activism, experiences of marginalization, and finally, the nature of safe spaces where allies “do their own work” and students feel whole. We provide and strategies for student affairs practice. By better understanding these phenomena, educators may challenge practices on college campuses that unintentionally perpetuate the problem of marginalization.
Conjugal Secrets in Balzac's La Muse du département
Authors: Knight Diana
Published: May 2012

This article explores Balzac's exposure, in La Muse du département , of the social function of indiscretion relative to the fathering of Dinah de La Baudraye's children. Lousteau's infamous dispatch of a faire-part broadcasting his paternity, and his earlier defamatory crumpling of Dinah's organdie dress, fuel the public scandal that allows adulterine reproduction to lay claim to the status of an aberration. Gossip about Dinah's marriage therefore follows the hypocritical logic of the open secret: public knowledge of La Baudraye's impotence continues to masquerade as a secret, while his calculated complaisance is underpinned by the Civil Code's assertion that the father of a child conceived within marriage is the husband. Balzac's intercalated Gothic narrative of a clandestine birth ( Histoire d'un bras ), in which the surgeon's indiscretion has dire consequences, serves as an ironic foil for the cynical complicity of husband, lover, and doctor (Bianchon) in the main plot of the novel.
Yeats, Fairies, and the New Animism
Authors: Mattar Sinéad Garrigan
Published: May 2012

During the last two decades, social scientists have rethought what is understood as “animism” by reading the evidences of contemporary animistic ontologies as contrary to the concept of animism inherited from Victorian comparative anthropology. By investigating W. B. Yeats’s antimaterialist plundering of “materialist philosophy” in the service of an animism he refused to acknowledge as such, Garrigan Mattar argues that the time is ripe to rethink our understanding of Victorian acceptations of the animistic. In so doing, she also suggests that the fairies of Yeats’s “Celtic Twilight” are deserving of more rigorous scrutiny than they have hitherto received: in Yeats’s writing, the fairies are peculiarly, respectfully, construed as being part of what we would now call a “relational ontology.”
“Prestige of a Momentary Diamond”: Economies of Distinction in Proust
Authors: Freed-Thall Hannah
Published: May 2012

The essay examines Proust’s involvement in the “Lemoine Affair,” a diamond-fabrication scam that captured the French popular imagination in 1908. Lemoine’s hoax inspired Proust to undertake his own virtuosic exercise in fraud: in the year before he began drafting In Search of Lost Time, he published a series of pastiches in the newspaper— fictional accounts of the affair written in the styles of Balzac, Flaubert, Michelet, and others. These pastiches highlight Proust’s penchant for newspapers, magic tricks, and ventriloquistic play. Experiments in the phenomenology of “convulsive” and “unstable” preciosity, they reveal Proust’s fascination with the volatility of value and the peculiar status of the aesthetic object in modernity.
Therapeutic Travel in Richard Brome's The Antipodes
Authors: McInnis David
Published: May 2012

Critics typically situate Richard Brome's The Antipodes (1636) in a satiric tradition of travel writing in the vein of Joseph Hall's Mundus Alter et Idem (1605), arguing that the play is "purely allegorical" and a "travel drama that is not about travel." This paper argues that The Antipodes is very much "about travel," but specifically about the psychology of travel, not the physicality of voyaging. Brome foregrounds travel tropes within the framework of Jonsonian comedy not merely for the sake of producing yet another entertaining quirk or eccentricity, but also so that the psychology of travel writing itself can be examined and the experiences of travelers and playgoers critiqued. Privileging the cultural role of the imagination and desire over the imperial and mercantile aspects of travel usually examined by critics, this paper addresses the principal concern of The Antipodes —the pleasures and risks of vicarious travel; a rich but relatively underappreciated aspect of travel writing in the early modern period.
"He Said What?!": Constructed Dialogue in Various Interface Modes
Authors: Young Lesa , Morris Carla , Langdon Clifton
Published: May 2012

This study analyzes the manifestation of constructed dialogue in ASL narratives as dependent on the interface mode (i.e., face-to-face conversation, electronic conversation over videophone, and vlog monologues). Comparisons of eye gaze over three interface modes shows how aspects of constructed dialogue are altered to fit the communication mode. Research on spoken languages has presented strong evidence of language variations as dependent on the interface mode (e.g. via telephone). Our study here examines whether American Sign Language also exhibits variation in response to the interface mode. We discovered that the features of constructed dialogue—eye-gaze and body (posture) shifts—are influenced by the interface mode. Specifically, our analysis shows that eye-gaze shifts were less frequent in the video monologues and even less common in the videophone interactions. These findings reveal that American Sign Language indeed exhibits effects of electronic communication.
Toward the Integration of Theatre History and Affect Studies: Shame and the Rude Mechs’s The Method Gun
Authors: Bernstein Robin
Published: May 2012

As affect studies has become increasingly central to performance studies and many other fields, a question has emerged: How can one historicize affect? This essay forges one answer through analysis of The Method Gun , a 2008 avant-garde theatrical piece created by the Austin-based company the Rude Mechs. The Method Gun simultaneously archives actors’ historically specific feelings of shame, and reveals shame as a motor that powers much contemporary theatre. The Method Gun singles out method-based realism as a site of special intensity in the production of shame. Because method-based realism is historically and geographically located and because shame is increasingly central to affect studies (and especially queer affect studies), method acting presents an extraordinary opportunity to historicize affect. Modern theatre history, then, is vital to the transdisciplinary project of thinking historically about affect.
Vitamin D metabolism, sex hormones, and male reproductive function
Authors: Blomberg Jensen Martin
Published: May 2012

The spectrum of vitamin D (VD)-mediated effects has expanded in recent years, and VD is now recognized as a versatile signaling molecule rather than being solely a regulator of bone health and calcium homeostasis. One of the recently identified target areas of VD is male reproductive function. The VD receptor (VDR) and the VD metabolizing enzyme expression studies documented the presence of this system in the testes, mature spermatozoa, and ejaculatory tract, suggesting that both systemic and local VD metabolism may influence male reproductive function. However, it is still debated which cell is the main VD target in the testis and to what extent VD is important for sex hormone production and function of spermatozoa. This review summarizes descriptive studies on testicular VD metabolism and spatial distribution of VDR and the VD metabolizing enzymes in the mammalian testes and discusses mechanistic and association studies conducted in animals and humans. The reviewed evidence suggests some effects of VD on estrogen and testosterone biosynthesis and implicates involvement of both systemic and local VD metabolism in the regulation of male fertility potential.
Egg activation in physiological polyspermy
Authors: Iwao Yasuhiro
Published: May 2012

Fertilization is indispensable not only for restoring diploid genomes but also for the initiation of early embryonic cell cycles in sexual reproduction. While most animals exhibit monospermy, which is ensured by polyspermy blocks to prevent the entry of extra sperm into the egg at fertilization, several animals exhibit physiological polyspermy, in which the entry of several sperm is permitted but only one sperm nucleus participates in the formation of a zygote nucleus. Polyspermy requires that the sperm transmit the egg activation signal more slowly, thus allowing the egg to accept several sperm. An increase in intracellular Ca2+concentration induced by the fertilizing sperm is both necessary and sufficient for egg activation in polyspermy. Multiple small Ca2+waves induced by several fertilizing sperm result in a long-lasting Ca2+rise, which is a characteristic of polyspermic amphibian eggs. We introduced a novel soluble sperm factor for egg activation, sperm-specific citrate synthase, into polyspermic newt eggs to cause Ca2+waves. Citrate synthase may perform dual functions: as an enzyme in mitochondria and as a Ca2+-inducing factor in egg cytoplasm. We also discuss the close relationship between the mode of fertilization and the Ca2+rise at egg activation and consider changes in this process through evolution in vertebrates.
Tolerância à seca de genótipos de trigo utilizando agentes indutores de estresse no processo de seleção
Authors: Girotto Larissa , Alves José Donizeti , Deuner Sidnei , Albuquerque Ana Christina Sagebin , Tomazoni Ana Paula
Published: May 2012

Com o objetivo de selecionar genótipos de trigo tolerantes à seca, por meio da indução de déficit hídrico por diferentes agentes osmóticos, sementes e embriões imaturos de oito genótipos foram submetidos a diferentes gradientes osmóticos e avaliados quanto ao comprimento da parte aérea e da raiz principal e à produção de biomassa total. As sementes foram submetidas aos agentes polietilenoglicol-6000 e manitol, em sete gradientes osmóticos, e avaliadas após dez dias. Os embriões foram cultivados em meio macrobatata, suplementado com PEG 6000, manitol e maltose nas concentrações de 10, 20 e 30%, além do controle, e avaliados após 30 dias de incubação. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado e os dados foram submetidos à análise de regressão, utilizando-se o teste "t", para comparar os valores de Beta, e análise de variância, com teste de médias pelo teste "t". Houve efeito do estresse hídrico em todos os genótipos testados para as plântulas oriundas de sementes, com interação significativa entre agente e cultivar e efeito negativo maior para PEG 6000. Os genótipos BH 1146 e Ocepar 14 apresentaram maior tolerância à seca, redução média no crescimento, na presença dos agentes estressantes, de 58 e 62%, respectivamente. Em contraste, o Aliança foi o mais sensível, com redução média de 92%. Para as plântulas oriundas de embriões imaturos, o genótipo BH 1146 também apresentou relativa tolerância; já o Ocepar 14 e Aliança foram altamente sensíveis. Porém, estes genótipos também apresentaram baixo desempenho no meio sem a presença dos agentes estressantes, podendo o efeito negativo estar condicionado ao cultivo in vitro.
Divergência genética em genótipos de feijão comum cultivados em Mato Grosso do Sul
Authors: Correa Agenor Martinho , Gonçalves Manoel Carlos
Published: May 2012

O melhoramento do feijoeiro (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) baseia-se, principalmente, na hibridação de cultivares e linhagens, sendo importante o conhecimento da dissimilaridade entre os genitores para a obtenção de genótipos superiores. Este trabalho teve por objetivo promover o agrupamento de genótipos de feijoeiro comum, entre cultivares e linhagens, em função da dissimilaridade genética apresentada, indicar a contribuição relativa dos caracteres avaliados para a dissimilaridade genética e apontar as combinações híbridas mais promissoras para produzir recombinações superiores, utilizando-se de procedimentos multivariados. Desta forma, 13 genótipos de feijão comum, entre cultivares e linhagens avançadas, foram avaliados no ano agrícola 2005/2006, no período da "seca", na área experimental da Universidade Estadual do Mato Grosso do Sul, em Aquidauana. O experimento foi conduzido no delineamento de blocos casualizados, com três repetições, avaliando-se os caracteres: número de vagens por planta (NVP), número de grãos por vagem (NGV), massa de 100 grãos (MCG) e produtividade de grãos (PROD). Os genótipos foram reunidos em três grupos pelo método hierárquico do vizinho mais próximo e em cinco grupos pelas variáveis canônicas. O cultivar IAC Carioca Eté mostrou-se o mais dissimilar, podendo ser estrategicamente utilizado em hibridações artificiais dirigidas. O caráter "MCG" apresentou a maior contribuição relativa para a dissimilaridade genética total e as associações mais divergentes foram: "CNFv 8025 x IAC Carioca-Eté", "Rudá x IAC Carioca-Eté" e "CNF 7135 Bambuí x IAC Carioca-Eté".
Influência da idade da planta na produção de óleo essencial de alevante
Authors: Oliveira Ariana Reis Messias Fernandes de , Jezler Caroline Nery , Oliveira Rosilene Aparecida , Costa Larissa Corrêa do Bomfim
Published: May 2012

O teor de óleo essencial e a sua composição química são características genéticas e podem ser influenciados pelo ambiente e pelo estádio de desenvolvimento ou idade da planta. Dessa forma, objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar a influência da idade da planta sobre a produção e a qualidade do óleo essencial de alevante. O experimento foi conduzido em Ilhéus, BA, no período de maio a dezembro de 2009. Os tratamentos foram constituídos da colheita, em seis idades da planta (60, 90, 120, 150, 180 e 210 dias após o transplante), utilizando-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. O óleo essencial foi obtido por hidrodestilação, em aparelho de Clevenger modificado. A identificação dos constituintes químicos foi realizada por cromatografia gasosa acoplada ao espectrômetro de massas (CG-EM). O maior teor do óleo essencial (1%) ocorreu aos 120 dias e o maior teor dos compostos majoritários α-fenchol (49,92%) e cis-mirtanol (30,03%), aos 120 e 150 dias após o transplante, respectivamente.
Prevalence of self-reported chronic diseases in individuals over the age of 40 in São Paulo, Brazil: the Platino study
Authors: Carvalho Andréa K. , Menezes Ana Maria B. , Camelier Aquiles , Rosa Fernanda Warken , Nascimento Oliver A. , Perez-Padilla Rogelio , Jardim José R.
Published: May 2012

Few studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases and its impact in individuals aged 40 years or over in Brazil. The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of some common chronic diseases in the Brazilian subgroup assessed by the PLATINO study using a self-reported survey. A total of 918 individuals (55% women) with a mean age of 54.6 ± 10.9 years were evaluated. The most prevalent diseases were obesity (62.5%), hypertension (39.2%) and gastritis (30.9%). We conclude from this study that there is a high prevalence of chronic diseases in the population over 40 years of age: 88% of the population suffers from a minimum of one disease and 26% of the sample suffers from at least three diseases. We also observed that the number of comorbidities increases with age.
Faltas ao trabalho por problemas de saúde na indústria
Authors: Yano Sylvia Regina Trindade , Santana Vilma Sousa
Published: May 2012

Neste estudo transversal, estima-se a prevalência de episódios de faltas ao trabalho por motivo de saúde (FTS), e fatores associados, focalizando o trabalho na indústria. A população do estudo foi uma amostra aleatória por conglomerado de 3.403 trabalhadores de 16 a 65 anos residentes em Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. Dados foram obtidos em entrevistas domiciliares. Entre os trabalhadores da indústria, a prevalência em um ano de FTS em geral, foi 12,5%, 5,5% para FTS relacionados ao trabalho, e 4,1% para FTS agravados pelo trabalho. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes em relação aos demais trabalhadores. Fatores associados à FTS foram percepção de perigo no trabalho, história de acidente de trabalho, e saúde autopercebida como ruim. Os resultados indicam que a ocorrência de faltas ao trabalho é comum, tanto na indústria como nos demais ramos de atividade, podem afetar a produtividade, o que requer programas de prevenção de agentes de risco em locais de trabalho.
Tradução e adaptação transcultural da Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale - 12 (MSWS-12) para a língua portuguesa do Brasil
Authors: Nogueira Leandro Alberto Calazans , Baitelli Carolinne , Alvarenga Regina Maria Papais , Thuler Luiz Claudio Santos
Published: May 2012

O baixo desempenho da caminhada é preditivo de doença cardíaca, de osteoporose e aumenta o risco de morte em idosos. A marcha associada à visão foram as funções corporais mais valiosas na percepção de pacientes com Esclerose Múltipla. O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar a tradução e a adaptação transcultural da Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale - 12 (MSWS-12) para a língua portuguesa no Brasil. Um estudo de adaptação transcultural foi conduzido em dez etapas. Participaram do estudo quatro tradutores, dois retrotradutores, 12 especialistas, 12 pacientes, 12 indivíduos saudáveis e uma profissional especializada em língua portuguesa. Apenas a questão referente a fazer coisas em pé apresentou dificuldade no processo de tradução. O tempo máximo de preenchimento foi de menos de três minutos (171 segundos). A análise da consistência interna revelou um elevado valor de confiabilidade (alfa de Cronbach = 0,94). As etapas de validação de conteúdo e consistência interna foram finalizadas de maneira satisfatória.
A instituição formal e a não-formal na construção do currículo de uma escola de tempo integral
Authors: Felício Helena Maria dos Santos
Published: May 2012

Este trabalho analisa a construção do currículo de uma Escola de Tempo Integral, em um contexto educacional formado pela parceria entre duas instituições (formal e não-formal), com o intuito de identificar os desafios e as possibilidades de tal construção que apontem para uma concepção integral de educação. A investigação desenvolveu-se em uma perspectiva qualitativa, compreendendo observação, análise documental e entrevistas com os educadores das duas instituições. Da análise realizada, a partir da organização e do funcionamento da estrutura curricular e do desenvolvimento coletivo da profissionalidade, constatou-se que os desafios e as possibilidades para a construção de tal currículo só se tornam possíveis quando as instituições: superarem a distinção existente entre elas; assumirem a construção de um único currículo; realizarem um trabalho coletivo; se encorajarem a olhar criticamente para o seu cotidiano, sendo capazes de propor ações que sejam fruto de uma interação com a comunidade e a cultura onde atuam.