bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hawthorne, Madonna, and Lady Gaga:The Marble Faun'sTransgressive Miriam
Authors: BROEK MICHAEL 
Published: March 2012

AbstractMost criticism of Nathaniel Hawthorne's NovelThe Marble Faunhas focussed on its many images of domestic containment, its supposed argument in favor of Christian idealism, as well as Hawthorne's apparent “castration” of the American sculptor Kenyon – just another in a long list of the author's male protagonists who succumb to a mixture of self-doubt (Dimmesdale, inThe Scarlet Letter), narcissism (Coverdale, inThe Blithedale Romance), and the allure of the chaste virgin (Holgrave, inThe House of the Seven Gables). This essay, however, argues that Miriam, the novel's chief female protagonist, actually completes a complicated “liberation” from the proscriptions (as Hawthorne envisioned them) of her gender, enacted by her embrace of multiple, ancient, and organic symbols. Through a simultaneous analysis of the American music icons Madonna and Lady Gaga, we find that Hawthorne engages a complex set of ideational forces – misogyny, Catholicism, and female eros – as Miriam emerges, like these famous pop stars, as an independent artist, a position that not one of the author's male protagomists is able to attain. In this sense, Miriam may be reconsidered Hawthorne's internationalized Hester, or, more aptly, his mature Pearl.
Creating Spaces for Asian Interaction Through the Anti-Globalization Campaigns in the Region
Authors: ENCARNACION TADEM TERESA S. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis paper discusses the political opportunity structures which facilitated the creation of sites of interaction and protest against the Asian Development Bank during the Bank's Annual General Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2000. The factors which facilitated the coming together of Thai social movements and their regional and international counterparts are mainly their shared critique of the neo-liberal paradigm and its adverse effects on their respective countries. The strategies they used to highlight these effects enhanced their sites of engagement and confrontation with the Bank and included dialogue with Bank officials, demonstrations, and the use of the media to highlight their concerns. Importance was also placed on the manner in which they were able to mobilize resources for the anti-Asian Development Bank campaigns and the process by which they framed their issues to gain the sympathy and support of the public. The 1997 Asian financial crisis, which highlighted the shortcomings of the Bank's development paradigm, as well as the ongoing democratization process in Thailand during that period, provided the impetus in fostering the anti-globalization alliances of local and transnational social movements in a common venue.
Does the acanthocephalan parasite Polymorphus minutus modify the energy reserves and antitoxic defences of its intermediate host Gammarus roeseli?
Authors: GISMONDI E. , COSSU-LEGUILLE C. , BEISEL J.-N. 
Published: March 2012

SUMMARYIn disturbed environments, infected organisms have to face both parasitic and chemical stresses. Although this situation is common, few studies have been devoted to the effects of infection on hosts' energy reserves and antitoxic defence capacities, while parasite survival depends on host survival. In this study, we tested the consequences of an infection by Polymorphus minutus on the energy reserves (protein, lipid and glycogen) and antioxidant defence capacities (reduced glutathione, γ-glutamylcysteine ligase activity) of Gammarus roeseli males and females, in the absence of chemical stress. Moreover, malondialdehyde concentration was used as a toxicity biomarker. The results revealed that in infected G. roeseli, whatever their gender and the sampling month, protein and lipid contents were lower, but glycogen contents were higher. This could be explained by the fact that the parasite diverts part of the host's energy for its own development. Moreover, glutathione concentrations and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase activity were both lower, which could lead to lower antitoxic defence in the host. These results suggest negative effects on individuals in the case of additional stress (e.g. pollutant exposure). In the absence of chemical stress, the lower malondialdehyde level in infected gammarids could imply a probable protective effect of the parasite.
Diversity of avian haemosporidians in arid zones of northern Venezuela
Authors: BELO NAYARA O. , RODRÍGUEZ-FERRARO ADRIANA , BRAGA ERIKA M. , RICKLEFS ROBERT E. 
Published: March 2012

SUMMARYArid zones of northern Venezuela are represented by isolated areas, important from an ornithological and ecological perspective due to the occurrence of restricted-range species of birds. We analysed the prevalence and molecular diversity of haemosporidian parasites of wild birds in this region by screening 527 individuals (11 families and 20 species) for parasite mitochondrial DNA. The overall prevalence of parasites was 41%, representing 17 mitochondrial lineages: 7 ofPlasmodiumand 10 ofHaemoproteus. Two parasite lineages occurred in both the eastern and western regions infecting a single host species,Mimus gilvus.These lineages are also present throughout northern and central Venezuela in a variety of arid and mesic habitats. Some lineages found in this study in northern Venezuela have also been observed in different localities in the Americas, including the West Indies. In spite of the widespread distributions of some of the parasite lineages found in northern Venezuela, several, including some that are relatively common (e.g. Ven05 and Ven06), have not been reported from elsewhere. Additional studies are needed to characterize the host and geographical distribution of avian malaria parasite lineages, which will provide a better understanding of the influence of landscape, vector abundance and diversity, and host identity on haemosporidian parasite diversity and prevalence.
The influence of prior expectations on facial expression discrimination in schizophrenia
Authors: Barbalat G. , Rouault M. , Bazargani N. , Shergill S. , Blakemore S.-J. 
Published: March 2012

BackgroundBelief inflexibility is a thinking style observed in patients with schizophrenia, in which patients tend to refute evidence that runs counter to their prior beliefs. This bias has been related to a dominance of prior expectations (prior beliefs) over incoming sensory evidence. In this study we investigated the reliance on prior expectations for the processing of emotional faces in schizophrenia.MethodEighteen patients with schizophrenia and 18 healthy controls were presented with sequences of emotional (happy, fearful, angry or neutral) faces. Perceptual decisions were biased towards a particular expression by a specific instruction at the start of each sequence, referred to as the context in which stimuli occurred. Participants were required to judge the emotion on each face and the effect of the context on emotion discrimination was investigated.ResultsFor threatening emotions (anger and fear), there was a performance cost for facial expressions that were incongruent with, and perceptually close to, the expression named in the instruction. For example, for angry faces, participants in both groups made more errors and reaction times (RTs) were longer when they were asked to look out for fearful faces compared with the other contexts. This bias against sensory evidence that runs counter to prior information was stronger in the patients, evidenced by a group by context interaction in accuracy and RTs for anger and fear respectively.ConclusionsOverall, the present data suggest an overdependence on prior expectations for threatening stimuli, reflecting belief inflexibility, in schizophrenia.
Electric, magnetic Wakefields, and electron acceleration in quantum plasma
Authors: Kumar P. , Tewari C. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractA detailed study of Wakefield excitation in very dense quantum plasma is presented. Electric and magnetic Wakefields have been obtained for a particular profile of the laser pulse, using perturbative technique involving orders of the incident laser beam. The Wakefields can trap electrons and accelerate them to extremely high energies. It is observed that the quantum effects significantly change the classical nature of the Wakefield. The axial and radial forces acting on a test electron due to the Wakefields have been evaluated.
Risk factors associated with human brucellosis in the country of Georgia: a case-control study
Authors: HAVAS K. A. , RAMISHVILI M. , NAVDARASHVILI A. , HILL A. E. , TSANAVA S. , IMNADZE P. , SALMAN M. D. 
Published: March 2012

SUMMARYHuman brucellosis occurs when humans ingest or contact Brucella spp. from shedding animals or contaminated environments and food. In Georgia animal and human brucellosis is endemic, but the epidemiology has not been fully characterized. A case-control study was conducted in 2010 to identify risk factors for human brucellosis. Using multivariable logistic regression, the following risk factors were identified: animal-related work [odds ratio (OR) 77·8, 90% confidence interval (CI) 4·7–1278], non-animal-related work (OR 12·7, 90% CI 1·1–149), being unemployed or a pensioner (OR 13·1, 90% CI 1·7, 101), sheep ownership (OR 19·3, 90% CI 5·1–72·6), making dairy products (OR 12·4, 90% CI 1·4–113), living in eastern Georgia (Kakheti) (OR 278·1, 90% CI 9·5–8100), and being aged >44 years (OR 9·3, 90% CI 1·02–84·4). Education of at-risk groups about risk factors and control of disease in sheep may reduce the human disease risk. This is the first study of its kind in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Epidemiology of classic and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma in the USA: incidence, survival, and geographical distribution from 1975 to 2005
Authors: ARMSTRONG A. W. , LAM K. H. , CHASE E. P. 
Published: March 2012

SUMMARYThis study aimed to examine trends in incidence, geographical distribution, and survival of classic and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in the general US population using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) tumour registries with 12 066 patients diagnosed with KS between 1975 and 2005. Although the age-adjusted standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of AIDS-related KS (1·9) during 1980–2005 was not significantly higher than that of classic KS (1·4) during 1975–2005 (P = 0·78), the trends in annual SIR rates revealed distinct patterns. While the SIR for AIDS-related KS declined across all registries from the early 1990s (4·6) to late-1990s (0·3) (P = 0·05), the SIR of classic KS remained relatively steady (1·7). In both forms the SIR of KS was highest in metropolitan areas. The 5-year survival rates for patients with AIDS-related KS improved from 12·1% (1980–1995) to 54% (1996–2005) (P = 0·05). Survival rates for patients with classic KS remained stable, ranging from 75·7% to 88·6% during the 30-year period. These results may reflect improved HIV treatment.
Natural and human-induced predation on Cape Cormorants at Dyer Island
Authors: VOORBERGEN ANNE , DE BOER WILLEM F. , UNDERHILL LES G. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryTo develop conservation strategies for vulnerable seabird species that need attention, it is important to know which factors influence their breeding productivity. Predation of eggs and chicks can have large influences on seabird reproduction, especially when human disturbance facilitates predation. On Dyer Island, Kelp GullsLarus dominicanusprey on Cape CormorantPhalacrocorax capensiseggs and chicks, whereas Cape fur sealsArctocephalus pusillus pusillusprey on Cape Cormorant fledglings in the waters surrounding the island. Kelp Gulls were estimated to predate 3.8% of the total number of Cape Cormorant eggs and 2.0% of the chicks on the island. These percentages can be expressed as a loss of 4.8% of Cape Cormorant fledglings, which is low compared to the estimated 24.3% mortality of Cape Cormorant fledglings by Cape fur seal predation. Human disturbance facilitated Kelp Gull egg and chick predation and increased the mobbing of cormorant fledglings by Kelp Gulls. Cormorant egg predation by gulls was more frequently reported in the late afternoon. Seal predation was more abundant at the northern side of the island compared to the southern side, was recorded more frequently in the morning, and increased through the breeding season. The altered abundance and distribution of prey, the availability of suitable breeding habitat and mortality from avian cholera, have also influenced the Cape Cormorant’s population size. Hence, the possibility that Cape Cormorants may be locked in a predator-pit, where seals and gulls prevent the population from increasing in size, needs further attention.
Intracardiac masses in young Africans: case reports and a brief review of the literature
Authors: Mocumbi Ana O. H. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractIntracardiac masses in the young occur in some conditions that are prevalent in Africa. Although usually non-malignant, they may present with refractory heart failure and other complications that can be fatal. In the majority of cases, the aetiologic differentiation can be achieved by careful history, physical examination, basic laboratory tests, and transthoracic echocardiography. We report three cases in young Africans and discuss the aetiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and outcome of selected conditions in resource-limited settings.
An architect's Tagwerk: notes on Otto Steidle's work between the urban and the rural
Authors: Kossak Florian 
Published: March 2012

A green Unimog, the penultimate agricultural utility vehicle, makes its way through a curved, potholed road in the dark woods of Lower Bavaria. What differs from an otherwise everyday scene is the strange, compact structure that rises from its rear body and partly overhangs the driver's cabin. Painted in a warm yellow and oxblood red it contrasts vividly with the muted dark green of the surrounding fir trees.At the end of the road, the forest opens up and the wide plain of the river Inn leads the way towards the west, towards Munich. Looking southwards through the driver's window one can see the profile of the Bavarian Alps in the evening sunset. Arriving in Munich the vehicle makes a stop at a busy boulevard lined with cafés and bars.
WITHDRAWN: An Evaluation of Modern Pottery from Southern Africa as a Magnetic Recorder
Authors: Neukirch Levi P. , Tarduno John A. , Cottrell Rory D. , Watkeys Michael K. , Huffman Thomas N. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractStudies of the recent history of Earth's magnetic field have revealed a rich spatial and temporal structure, but face limitations by a lack of Southern Hemisphere archeomagnetic data. Studies of Iron Age (200‐1850 AD) peoples of southern Africa have revealed a potentially rich source of archeomagnetic information in the form of ceramics (specifically pottery). Additionally, contemporary pottery made with traditional techniques and materials can still be found. Reported here is the first step in addressing whether ancient pottery from southern Africa might faithfully record the geomagnetic field. We analyze contemporary pottery made with traditional techniques and methods. Rock magnetic measurements, including magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature and magnetic hysteresis behavior, are discussed. Intensity results generated by three common paleointensity methods: Thellier‐ Coe double heating experiments, the multi‐specimen method of Dekkers and Böhnel, and Shaw's method (with and without the corrections of Kono) are compared to the known field at the time of firing. The Thellier‐Coe method reproduces the field (with an accuracy of 1.3 μT), the Shaw technique with the correction approach of Kono overestimates the field by 3.7%. The multispecimen method overestimates the field by 20%, however improvement upon this could be expected given recent improvements to the technique. These values bound the accuracies we can expect when applying the methods to ideal samples, representing a best‐case for dealing with archeological ceramics from southern Africa
Retrieval of the aerosol direct radiative effect over clouds from spaceborne spectrometry
Authors: de Graaf M. , Tilstra L. G. , Wang P. , Stammes P. 
Published: March 2012

The solar radiative absorption by an aerosol layer above clouds is quantified using passive satellite spectrometry from the ultraviolet (UV) to the shortwave infrared (SWIR). UV‐absorbing aerosols have a strong signature that can be detected using UV reflectance measurements, even when above clouds. Since the aerosol extinction optical thickness decreases rapidly with increasing wavelength for biomass burning aerosols, the properties of the clouds below the aerosol layer can be retrieved in the SWIR, where aerosol extinction optical thickness is sufficiently small. Using radiative transfer computations, the contribution of the clouds to the reflected radiation can be modeled for the entire solar spectrum. In this way, cloud and aerosol effects can be separated for a scene with aerosols above clouds. Aerosol microphysical assumptions and retrievals are avoided by modeling only the pure (aerosol‐free) cloud spectra. An algorithm was developed using the spaceborne spectrometer Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY). The aerosol direct radiative effect (DRE) over clouds over the South Atlantic Ocean west of Africa, averaged through August 2006 was found to be 23 ± 8 Wm−2 with a mean variation over the region in this month of 22 Wm−2. The largest aerosol DRE over clouds found in that month was 132 ± 8 Wm−2. The algorithm can be applied to any instrument, or a combination of instruments, that measures UV, visible and SWIR reflectances at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) simultaneously.
Modulation of cellular S1P levels with a novel, potent and specific inhibitor of sphingosine kinase-1
Authors: Schnute Mark E. , McReynolds Matthew D. , Kasten Tom , Yates Matthew , Jerome Gina , Rains John W. , Hall Troii , Chrencik Jill , Kraus Michelle , Cronin Ciaran N. , Saabye Matthew , Highkin Maureen K. , Broadus Richard , Ogawa Shinji , Cukyne Kristin , Zawadzke Laura E. , Peterkin Vincent , Iyanar Kaliapan , Scholten Jeffrey A. , Wendling Jay , Fujiwara Hideji , Nemirovskiy Olga , Wittwer Arthur J. , Nagiec Marek M. 
Published: March 2012

SphK (sphingosine kinase) is the major source of the bioactive lipid and GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor) agonist S1P (sphingosine 1-phosphate). S1P promotes cell growth, survival and migration, and is a key regulator of lymphocyte trafficking. Inhibition of S1P signalling has been proposed as a strategy for treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. In the present paper we describe the discovery and characterization of PF-543, a novel cell-permeant inhibitor of SphK1. PF-543 inhibits SphK1 with a Ki of 3.6 nM, is sphingosine-competitive and is more than 100-fold selective for SphK1 over the SphK2 isoform. In 1483 head and neck carcinoma cells, which are characterized by high levels of SphK1 expression and an unusually high rate of S1P production, PF-543 decreased the level of endogenous S1P 10-fold with a proportional increase in the level of sphingosine. In contrast with past reports that show that the growth of many cancer cell lines is SphK1-dependent, specific inhibition of SphK1 had no effect on the proliferation and survival of 1483 cells, despite a dramatic change in the cellular S1P/sphingosine ratio. PF-543 was effective as a potent inhibitor of S1P formation in whole blood, indicating that the SphK1 isoform of sphingosine kinase is the major source of S1P in human blood. PF-543 is the most potent inhibitor of SphK1 described to date and it will be useful for dissecting specific roles of SphK1-driven S1P signalling.
Drosophila: A Model for Understanding Obesity and Diabetic Complications
Authors: Teleman A. , Ratzenböck I. , Oldham S. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThe molecular mechanisms underlying development of obesity and diabetic complications are not well understood. Drosophila has become a popular model organism for studying a variety of human diseases. We discuss here emerging Drosophila models of obesity and diabetic complications.
Liver: A Target of Late Diabetic Complications
Authors: Herzig S. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractWhereas many studies have implicated metabolic liver dysfunction as a causative factor for obesity-related type 2 diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome, its role as a long-term complication of diabetic metabolism is still mostly unexplored.In contrast to the well-described late diabetic micro- and macro-vascular complications in response to hyperglycemic conditions such as nephro- and retinopathy as well as atherosclerosis, only recent studies have highlighted disturbances of liver function as a novel aspect of diabetic late complications that may substantially impact the overall disease outcome and determine mortality rates in diabetic subjects. Here we will discuss recent developments in this area, particularly focusing on transcriptional regulators of hepatic dysfunction as a long-term consequence of established diabetes.
Murine Models of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Peters V. , Schmitt C. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractDiabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end stage renal diseases worldwide. Even though several diabetic animal models exist, not a single one develops renal changes sufficiently reflecting those seen in humans. This review provides an overview on mouse models presenting with various features of diabetic nephropathy. The critical analysis and comparison of existing mouse models substantially enhances our understanding of the disease process and should provide a guide for choosing the most suitable mouse model for the investigation of diabetic nephropathy.
Spectroscopic investigations of ThF and ThF+
Authors: Barker Beau J. , Antonov Ivan O. , Heaven Michael C. , Peterson Kirk A. 
Published: March 2012

The electronic spectra of ThF and ThF+ have been examined using laser induced fluorescence and resonant two-photon ionization techniques. The results from high-level ab initio calculations have been used to guide the assignment of these data. Spectra for ThF show that the molecule has an X 2Δ3/2 ground state. The upper spin-orbit component, X 2Δ5/2 was found at an energy of 2575(15) cm−1. The low-lying states of ThF+ were probed using dispersed fluorescence and pulsed field ionization - zero kinetic energy (PFI-ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy. Vibronic progressions belonging to four electronic states were identified. The lowest energy states were clearly 1Σ+ and 3Δ1. Although the energy ordering could not be rigorously determined, the evidence favors assignment of 1Σ+ as the ground state. The 3Δ1 state, of interest for investigation of the electron electric dipole moment, is just 315.0(5) cm−1 above the ground state. The PFI-ZEKE measurements for ThF yielded an ionization energy of 51 581(3) cm−1. Molecular constants show that the vibrational constant increases and the bond length shortens on ionization. This is consistent with removal of a non-bonding Th-centered 6d or 7s electron. Laser excitation of ThF+ was used to probe electronically excited states in the range of 19 000–21 500 cm−1.