Henry David Thoreau in Context

Well known for his contrarian and solitary posture, Henry David Thoreau was nonetheless deeply responsive to the world around him. Tracing a wide range of geographic, intellectual, cultural, political, and scientific contexts, this volume brings together leading scholars of Thoreau and nineteenth-century American literature and culture who provide original research, valuable synthesis of historical and scholarly sources, and innovative readings of Thoreau’s texts. The thirty-four chapters contained herein reveal a Thoreau deeply concerned with and shaped by diverse landscapes, intellectual and literary traditions, social issues, and modes of scientific practice. Essays also illuminate important posthumous contexts and consider the specific challenges of contextualizing Thoreau. A resource for students, teachers, general readers, and scholars, the volume provides a rich understanding of Thoreau and nineteenth-century literature, political activism, and environmentalist thinking

"The Land of Liberty": Henry Bibb's Free Soil Geographies

This essay situates "The Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, An American Slave" within the political context of the antislavery Free Soil movement, arguing that Bibb's representations of land and labor reflect the concerns of Free Soil. In particular, it argues that Bibb's narrative simultaneously critiques Free Soil ideology for its lack of a full-throated call for immediate abolition and its privileging of the white working class over both free and enslaved Black people. In addition, these aspects of Bibb’s Free Soil critique— both in condemning slavery and in reflexively challenging elements of Free Soil ideology—are more ecological than established Free Soil discourse, reflecting a deeper, more sensitive, and more radical understanding of material interconnection in regards to bodies, means of production, and topographies

"Who Are We? Where Are We?": Contact and Literary Navigation in The Maine Woods

This essay argues that Thoreau witnesses a series of clashes across the three essays collected in "The Maine Woods" and that Thoreau positions himself with a variety of contact zones, enabling him both to navigate the landscapes of northern Maine and recount his experiences to his audiences

Targeted Recruitment of 4-H Volunteers Involves Understanding Who Currently Volunteers and Why

Targeted recruitment of volunteers appeals to volunteer managers who desire to increase both their program scope and the efficiency of their outreach efforts. This article describes a Pennsylvania study looking at who currently volunteers to teach youth about natural resources (forestry, wildlife, and water) through 4-H, for the purpose of better identifying and finding more volunteers. A telephone survey with 4-H agents and semi-structured interviews with 4-H volunteers depict the current natural resources volunteers and suggest three promising groups of potential volunteers. Important characteristics to look for among the members of these groups and a direct recruitment approach are presented

Public Perceptions of Values Associated with Wildfire Protection at the Wildland-Urban Interface: A Synthesis of National Findings

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) continues to transform rural landscapes as previously undeveloped areas are populated with residential and commercial structures which, in turn, impact ecosystems and create landscapes of risk. Within this context, the science of wildfire risk mitigation has experienced renewed and enhanced support among scientists and managers. However, risk mitigation measures have not found purchase in either the public’s acceptance or involvement in this new role of and for fire. This may partially result from little regard for the effects of wildfire prevention efforts on values other than protecting homes and other structures. We report findings from qualitative interviews conducted across the United States to identify and define various values at risk from wildfire. Values influencing risk mitigation emerged from the biophysical, sociodemographic, and sociocultural contexts of wildfire. Findings demonstrate how wildfire is intertwined with diverse sets of risks experienced in daily life. We provide a discussion of how this research impacts the transformation of landscapes and risk management strategies. Identifying and better understanding the effects of values associated with wildfire—and landscape change in the WUI—will allow natural resource managers and decision makers to develop more effective fuel treatment programs and land use policies

Thy-1 interaction with Fas in lipid rafts regulates fibroblast apoptosis and lung injury resolution.

Thy-1-negative lung fibroblasts are resistant to apoptosis. The mechanisms governing this process and its relevance to fibrotic remodeling remain poorly understood. By using either sorted or transfected lung fibroblasts, we found that Thy-1 expression is associated with downregulation of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, as well as increased levels of cleaved caspase-9. Addition of rhFasL and staurosporine, well-known apoptosis inducers, caused significantly increased cleaved caspase-3, -8, and PARP in Thy-1-transfected cells. Furthermore, rhFasL induced Fas translocation into lipid rafts and its colocalization with Thy-1. These in vitro results indicate that Thy-1, in a manner dependent upon its glycophosphatidylinositol anchor and lipid raft localization, regulates apoptosis in lung fibroblasts via Fas-, Bcl-, and caspase-dependent pathways. In vivo, Thy-1 deficient (Thy1-/-) mice displayed persistence of myofibroblasts in the resolution phase of bleomycin-induced fibrosis, associated with accumulation of collagen and failure of lung fibrosis resolution. Apoptosis of myofibroblasts is decreased in Thy1-/- mice in the resolution phase. Collectively, these findings provide new evidence regarding the role and mechanisms of Thy-1 in initiating myofibroblast apoptosis that heralds the termination of the reparative response to bleomycin-induced lung injury. Understanding the mechanisms regulating fibroblast survival/apoptosis should lead to novel therapeutic interventions for lung fibrosis

Approaches for advancing scientific understanding of macrosystems

The emergence of macrosystems ecology (MSE), which focuses on regional- to continental-scale ecological patterns and processes, builds upon a history of long-term and broad-scale studies in ecology. Scientists face the difficulty of integrating the many elements that make up macrosystems, which consist of hierarchical processes at interacting spatial and temporal scales. Researchers must also identify the most relevant scales and variables to be considered, the required data resources, and the appropriate study design to provide the proper inferences. The large volumes of multi-thematic data often associated with macrosystem studies typically require validation, standardization, and assimilation. Finally, analytical approaches need to describe how cross-scale and hierarchical dynamics and interactions relate to macroscale phenomena. Here, we elaborate on some key methodological challenges of MSE research and discuss existing and novel approaches to meet them

Unusual reticulin staining pattern in well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Special stains, such as reticulin stain and CD34 immunostain, are very helpful in the diagnosis of well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most studies have shown that absent or decreased reticulin stain or an abnormal reticulin pattern with widened trabeculae is reliable for the diagnosis of well-differentiated HCC.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>We report here two cases of well differentiated HCC with an unusual reticulin staining pattern. A strongly positive reticulin network was preserved within the tumor, which surrounded individual tumor cells in a monolayered trabecular pattern. At the same time, an increased CD34 stain was present in the tumor.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This unusual reticulin pattern represents part of the diverse reticulin staining patterns seen in HCC. Although this staining pattern is rare, it should be recognized when diagnosing well-differentiated HCC in small samples such as cellblock of fine needle aspiration or small core biopsies.</p