bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Category Learning on Neural Sensitivity to Non-native Phonetic Categories
Authors: Myers Emily B. , Swan Kristen
Published: May 2012

Categorical perception, an increased sensitivity to between- compared with within-category contrasts, is a stable property of native speech perception that emerges as language matures. Although recent research suggests that categorical responses to speech sounds can be found in left prefrontal as well as temporo-parietal areas, it is unclear how the neural system develops heightened sensitivity to between-category contrasts. In the current study, two groups of adult participants were trained to categorize speech sounds taken from a dental/retroflex/velar continuum according to two different boundary locations. Behavioral results suggest that for successful learners, categorization training led to increased discrimination accuracy for between-category contrasts with no concomitant increase for within-category contrasts. Neural responses to the learned category schemes were measured using a short-interval habituation design during fMRI scanning. Whereas both inferior frontal and temporal regions showed sensitivity to phonetic contrasts sampled from the continuum, only the bilateral middle frontal gyri exhibited a pattern consistent with encoding of the learned category scheme. Taken together, these results support a view in which top–down information about category membership may reshape perceptual sensitivities via attention or executive mechanisms in the frontal lobes.
Diverging realities of a Christian vakıf, sixteenth to eighteenth centuries
Authors: Laiou Sophia
Published: May 2012

This article aims to investigate the adaptation of the Christian monastic foundations to the Islamic vakıf and to demonstrate the often flexible and equivocal way the term vakıf was applied by the Orthodox monks and the state officials in the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The question of the Christian vakıf is important, since a significant part of the agricultural property of many Orthodox monasteries in the Greek lands was vakıf, owned since the Byzantine period and acknowledged as such by the Ottomans, or property acquired during the Ottoman period and characterized as vakıf through the legal procedure or perceived as such by the monks themselves. The article also refers to the importance of the study in a comparative perspective of Greek monastic documents issued in the Ottoman period, since they may contribute to a better understanding of the Ottoman landholding reality.
Limitations of Seasonal Predictability for Summer Climate over East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific
Authors: Kosaka Yu , Chowdary J. S. , Xie Shang-Ping , Min Young-Mi , Lee June-Yi
Published: May 2012

Predictability of summer climate anomalies over East Asia and the northwestern Pacific is investigated using observations and a multimodel hindcast ensemble initialized on 1 May for the recent 20–30 yr. Summertime East Asia is under the influence of the northwestern Pacific subtropical high (PASH). The Pacific–Japan (PJ) teleconnection pattern, a meridional dipole of sea level pressure variability, affects the northwestern PASH. The forecast models generally capture the association of the PJ pattern with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

The Silk Road pattern, a wave train along the summer Asian jet, is another dominant teleconnection that influences the northwestern PASH and East Asia. In contrast to the PJ pattern, observational analysis reveals a lack of correlations between the Silk Road pattern and ENSO. Coupled models cannot predict the temporal phase of the Silk Road pattern, despite their ability to reproduce its spatial structure as the leading mode of atmospheric internal variability. Thus, the pattern is rather unpredictable at monthly to seasonal lead, limiting the seasonal predictability for summer in East Asia.

The anomalous summer of 2010 in East Asia is a case in point, illustrating the interference by the Silk Road pattern. Canonical anomalies associated with a decayed El Niño and developing La Niña would have the PJ pattern bring a cold summer to East Asia in 2010. In reality, the Silk Road pattern overwhelmed this tendency, bringing a record-breaking hot summer instead. A dynamical model experiment indicates that European blocking was instrumental in triggering the Silk Road pattern in the 2010 summer.
Understanding the Changing Characteristics of Droughts in Sudan and the Corresponding Components of the Hydrologic Cycle
Authors: Zhang Zengxin , Xu Chong-Yu , Yong Bin , Hu Junjun , Sun Zhonghua
Published: May 2012

Droughts are becoming the most expensive natural disasters in former Sudan and have exerted serious impacts on local economic development and ecological environment. The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of the temporal and spatial variations of droughts by using the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) and to discuss their relevance to the changes of hydrological variables in Sudan. The analysis results show that 1) droughts start in the late 1960s in Sudan and severe droughts occur during the 1980s in different regions of Sudan—the annual precipitation and soil moisture also reveal the evidence that the droughts prevail since the late 1960s; 2) the greater negative soil moistures anomalies are found in central and southern Sudan during the rainy seasons while greater negative anomalies of precipitation occur only in central Sudan compared between 1969–2009 and 1948–68; 3) the precipitation recycling ratio averaged over 1948–2009 decreases from south to north and the percentage of local actual evapotranspiration to local precipitation in dry conditions is greater than that in wet conditions; and 4) the highest (second highest) correlations appear between soil moisture and precipitation (actual evapotranspiration) and the significant decreases in annual soil moisture are associated with the decrease of annual precipitation and the increase of annual temperature. This suggests that continuous droughts in Sudan are caused jointly by the decrease of precipitation and the increase of temperature in the region.
Retrievals for the Rainfall Rate over Land Using Special Sensor Microwave Imager Data during Tropical Cyclones: Comparisons of Scattering Index, Regression, and Support Vector Regression
Authors: Wei Chih-Chiang , Roan Jinsheng
Published: May 2012

Tropical cyclones, also known as typhoons or hurricanes, are among the most devastating events in nature and often strike the western North Pacific region (including the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China, and others). This paper focuses on addressing the rainfall retrieval problem for quantitative precipitation forecast during tropical cyclones. In this study, Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) data and Water Resources Agency (WRA) measurements of Taiwan were used to quantitatively estimate precipitation over the Tanshui River basin in northern Taiwan. Various retrievals for the rainfall rate over land are compared by five methods/techniques. They are the single-channel regression, multichannel linear regressions (MLR), scattering index over land approach (SIL), support vector regression (SVR), and the proposed SIL–SVR. This study collected 70 typhoons affecting the studied watershed over the past 12 years (1997–2008). The measurements of the SSM/I satellite comprise the brightness temperatures at 19.35, 22.23, 37.0, and 85.5 GHz. Overall, the results showed the approaches using the SVR and conjoined SVR and SIL performed better than regression and SIL methods according to their performances of the root-mean-square error (RMSE), bias ratio, and equitable threat score (ETS).
Downwelling in Basins Subject to Buoyancy Loss
Authors: Cenedese Claudia
Published: May 2012

Recent observational, theoretical, and modeling studies all suggest that the upper part of the downwelling limb of the thermohaline circulation is concentrated in strong currents subject to buoyancy loss near lateral boundaries. This is fundamentally different from the traditional view that downwelling takes place in regions of deep convection. Even when resolving the buoyant boundary currents, coarse-resolution global circulation and climate models rely on parameterizations of poorly known turbulent mixing processes. In this study, the first direct measurements of downwelling occurring within a basin subject to buoyancy loss are obtained. Downwelling is observed near the basin’s vertical wall within the buoyant boundary current flowing cyclonically around the basin. Although the entire basin is cooled, large-scale mean downwelling is absent in the basin interior. Laboratory rotating experiments are conducted to explicitly resolve the turbulent mixing due to convective plumes and the baroclinic eddies generated by the boundary current, and to identify where downwelling takes place. Small vertical velocities can be measured more reliably in the laboratory than in many numerical calculations, whereas the measurement of these small vertical velocities is still a challenge for field experiments. Downwelling is observed near the vertical wall within a boundary layer with a thickness that scales with the baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation, consistent with the dynamical balance proposed by a previous numerical study. Hence, downwelling in the Labrador Sea and Lofoten Basin cyclonic boundary currents may be concentrated in a baroclinic Rossby radius of deformation thick boundary layer in regions with large eddy generation.
A Real-Time and Offline Quality Control Methodology for SeaSonde High-Frequency Radar Currents
Authors: Cosoli Simone , Bolzon Giorgio , Mazzoldi Andrea
Published: May 2012

A near-real-time and offline quality control methodology for SeaSonde systems is proposed. It is applied on radial current maps and is based on the determination of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of the Doppler lines that contribute to the hourly radial current at each range-bearing (R, θ) pair, under the assumption that SNR is a proxy for radar data quality. The retrieval of the sequence of Doppler lines is performed through a minimization procedure that takes advantage of the statistical descriptors output in the short-term radial maps. The separation of the contributing Doppler velocities into valid observations and anomalous velocities is based on their spectral quality factor and on a range-dependent noise threshold derived from statistics (average and standard deviation) of the signal amplitudes in the tails of the Doppler spectra. The final product of the quality control procedure is a radial current map, in which Doppler velocities are weighted by their SNR values and their spectral quality factors, and averaged to produce an output that is fully compatible with the proprietary software. This procedure is fast, despite the fact that a large number of combinations might be required during the retrieval of the Doppler lines, and effective, because it removes both evident spikes as well as Doppler velocities that are not clearly identified as anomalous velocities. In principle, this approach can be used to fill gaps in the radar coverage without the need for interpolation in time or space, proved that the Doppler velocities satisfy predetermined SNR constraints.
A Surface Mooring for Air–Sea Interaction Research in the Gulf Stream. Part I: Mooring Design and Instrumentation
Authors: Weller Robert A. , Bigorre Sebastien P. , Lord Jeffrey , Ware Jonathan D. , Edson James B.
Published: May 2012

The design of a surface mooring for deployment in the Gulf Stream in the Mid-Atlantic Bight is described. The authors' goals were to observe the surface meteorology; upper-ocean variability; and air–sea exchanges of heat, freshwater, and momentum in and near the Gulf Stream during two successive 1-yr deployments. Of particular interest was quantifying these air–sea fluxes during wintertime events that carry cold, dry air from the land over the Gulf Stream. Historical current data and information about the surface waves were used to guide the design of the surface mooring. The surface buoy provided the platform for both bulk meteorological sensors and a direct covariance flux system. Redundancy in the meteorological sensors proved to be a largely successful strategy to obtain complete time series. Oceanographic instrumentation was limited in size by considerations of drag; and two current meters, three temperature–salinity recorders, and 15 temperature recorders were deployed. Deployment from a single-screw vessel in the Gulf Stream required a controlled-drift stern first over the anchor sites. The first deployment lasted the planned full year. The second deployment ended after 3 months when the mooring was cut by unknown means at a depth of about 3000 m. The mooring was at times in the core of the Gulf Stream, and a peak surface current of over 2.7 m s−1 was observed. The 15-month records of surface meteorology and air–sea fluxes captured the seasonal variability as well as several cold-air outbreaks; the peak observed heat loss was in excess of 1400 W m−2.
Short-term anoxic conditioning hormesis boosts antioxidant defenses, lowers oxidative damage following irradiation and enhances male sexual performance in the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa
Authors: López-Martínez Giancarlo , Hahn Daniel A.
Published: May 2012

Most organisms are repeatedly exposed to oxidative stress from multiple sources throughout their lifetimes, potentially affecting all aspects of organismal performance. Here we test whether exposure to a conditioning bout of anoxia early in adulthood induces a hormetic response that confers resistance to oxidative stress and enhances male sexual performance later in life in the Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspensa. Anoxic conditioning of adults prior to emergence led to an increase in antioxidant capacity driven by mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. When exposed to gamma irradiation, a strong oxidative stressor, males that received anoxic conditioning had lower lipid and protein oxidative damage at sexual maturity. Anoxia conditioning led to greater male sexual competitiveness compared with unconditioned males when both were irradiated, although there was no effect of anoxia conditioning on mating competitiveness in unirradiated males. Anoxia also led to higher adult emergence rates and greater flight ability in irradiation-stressed flies while preserving sterility. Thus, hormetic treatments that increased antioxidant enzyme activity also improved male performance after irradiation, suggesting that antioxidant enzymes play an important role in mediating the relationship between oxidative stress and sexual selection. Furthermore, our work has important applied implications for the sterile insect technique (SIT), an environmentally friendly method of insect pest control where males are sterilized by irradiation and deployed in the field to disrupt pest populations via mating. We suggest that hormetic treatments specifically designed to enhance antioxidant activity may produce more sexually competitive sterile males, thus improving the efficacy and economy of SIT programs.
Feeding in the dark: lateral-line-mediated prey detection in the peacock cichlid Aulonocara stuartgranti
Authors: Schwalbe Margot A. B. , Bassett Daniel K. , Webb Jacqueline F.
Published: May 2012

The cranial lateral line canal system of teleost fishes is morphologically diverse and is characterized by four patterns. One of these, widened lateral line canals, has evolved convergently in a wide range of teleosts, including the Lake Malawi peacock cichlids (Aulonocara), and has been attributed to its role in prey detection. The ability to study Aulonocara in the laboratory provides an opportunity to test the hypothesis that their reported ability to feed on invertebrate prey living in sandy substrates in their natural habitat is the result of lateral-line-mediated prey detection. The goal of this study was to determine whether Aulonocara stuartgranti could detect hydrodynamic stimuli generated by tethered brine shrimp (visualized using digital particle image velocimetry) under light and dark conditions, with and without treatment with cobalt chloride, which is known to temporarily inactivate the lateral line system. Fish were presented with six pairs of tethered live and dead adult brine shrimp and feeding behavior was recorded with HD digital video. Results demonstrate that A. stuartgranti: (1) uses the same swimming/feeding strategy as they do in the field; (2) detects and consumes invertebrate prey in the dark using its lateral line system; (3) alters prey detection behavior when feeding on the same prey under light and dark conditions, suggesting the involvement of multiple sensory modalities; and (4) after treatment with cobalt chloride, exhibits a reduction in their ability to detect hydrodynamic stimuli produced by prey, especially in the dark, thus demonstrating the role of the lateral line system in prey detection.
Why might they be giants? Towards an understanding of polar gigantism
Authors: Moran Amy L. , Woods H. Arthur
Published: May 2012

Beginning with the earliest expeditions to the poles, over 100 years ago, scientists have compiled an impressive list of polar taxa whose body sizes are unusually large. This phenomenon has become known as ‘polar gigantism’. In the intervening years, biologists have proposed a multitude of hypotheses to explain polar gigantism. These hypotheses run the gamut from invoking release from physical and physiological constraints, to systematic changes in developmental trajectories, to community-level outcomes of broader ecological and evolutionary processes. Here we review polar gigantism and emphasize two main problems. The first is to determine the true strength and generality of this pattern: how prevalent is polar gigantism across taxonomic units? Despite many published descriptions of polar giants, we still have a poor grasp of whether these species are unusual outliers or represent more systematic shifts in distributions of body size. Indeed, current data indicate that some groups show gigantism at the poles whereas others show nanism. The second problem is to identify underlying mechanisms or processes that could drive taxa, or even just allow them, to evolve especially large body size. The contenders are diverse and no clear winner has yet emerged. Distinguishing among the contenders will require better sampling of taxa in both temperate and polar waters and sustained efforts by comparative physiologists and evolutionary ecologists in a strongly comparative framework.
A test of the validity of range of motion studies of fossil archosaur elbow mobility using repeated-measures analysis and the extant phylogenetic bracket
Authors: Hutson Joel D. , Hutson Kelda N.
Published: May 2012

Recent studies have presented range of motion (ROM) data in degrees for dinosaur forelimb joints, usually via physical manipulation of one individual. Using these data, researchers have inferred limb orientations, postures, gaits, ecological functions and even phylogenetic trends within clades. However, important areas of concern remain unaddressed; for example, how does ROM at a forelimb joint change after soft tissues are lost in archosaurs? And are fossil ROM methodologies amenable to reproducibility and statistical analysis? Here, we investigated these questions using the extant phylogenetic bracket of dinosaurs. Repeated measures of elbow joint ROM from Struthio camelus and Alligator mississippiensis forelimbs were statistically analyzed as they were sequentially dissected through five levels of tissue removal treatment. Our data indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in repeated measures of ROM between observers who use the same techniques. Extrinsic soft tissues, such as integument, muscles and ligaments were found to impede ROM at the elbow joint. Intrinsic soft tissues, such as articular cartilage, may increase ROM. The hypothesis that the articular surfaces of the bones within the elbow joints of archosaurs provide a general approximation of mobility is supported. Final ROMs were less than the initial ROMs in both taxa, which suggests that prior reports of elbow joint ROMs in degrees for nonavian dinosaurs may represent conservative estimates. We conclude that if observer bias and other variables are controlled for, ROM studies of fossil archosaur limbs can obtain useful degree data for inferring joint mobility in vivo.
Contribution of the paraventricular nucleus in autonomic adjustments to heat stress
Authors: Leite Laura H R , Zheng Hong , Coimbra Cândido C , Patel Kaushik P
Published: May 2012

We assessed the contribution of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the heat stress-mediated changes in sympathetic nerve activity and blood flow redistribution from the core to the skin surface. Renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and body and tail temperatures were recorded in anesthetized rats after bilateral microinjection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), lidocaine or NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (l-NMMA) into the PVN during heat stress. Heat stress was induced by a graded increase in the temperature of a heating pad for 30 min. Heat stimulus after blockade of the PVN with lidocaine resulted in a blunted RSNA response (ΔRSNA: 117.6 ± 17.0% versus 11.3 ± 7.3%), as well as blunted MAP and HR (ΔMAP: 22 ± 2 versus −0.04 ± 7.2 mmHg; ΔHR: 93.4 ± 9.3 versus 43.4 ± 18.8 bpm). Body temperature threshold for tail vasodilation was unaffected by lidocaine treatment. The increase in RSNA, MAP and HR due to heat stress in l-NMMA-treated rats reached similar levels as CSF-treated control rats. However, a higher body temperature threshold for tail vasodilation was observed after l-NMMA injection (37.3 ± 0.1 versus 37.8 ± 0.2°C). In conclusion, an intact PVN contributes to an increase in renal sympathetic activity provoked by heat stress, resulting in cardiovascular adjustments that influence core blood redistribution to the periphery. Furthermore, during heat stress, the effect of the PVN on cutaneous vasodilation is dependent on a nitric oxide mechanism.
A proteomic study of protein variation between osteopenic and age-matched control bone tissue
Authors: Chaput Christopher D , Dangott Lawrence J , Rahm Mark D , Hitt Kirby D , Stewart Donald S , Wayne Sampson H
Published: May 2012

The focus of this study was to identify changes in protein expression within the bone tissue environment between osteopenic and control bone tissue of human femoral neck patients with osteoarthritis. Femoral necks were compared from osteopenic patients and age-matched controls. A new method of bone protein extraction was developed to provide a swift, clear view of the bone proteome. Relative changes in protein expression between control and osteopenic samples were quantified using difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) technology after affinity chromatographic depletion of albumin and IgG. The proteins that were determined to be differentially expressed were identified using standard liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and database searching techniques. In order to rule out blood contamination, blood from age-matched osteoporotic, osteopenic and controls were analyzed in a similar manner. Image analysis of the DIGE gels indicated that 145 spots in the osteopenic bone samples changed at least ± 1.5-fold from the control samples ( P < 0.05). Three of the proteins were identified by LC/MS/MS. Of the proteins that increased in the osteopenic femurs, two were especially significant: carbonic anhydrase I and phosphoglycerate kinase 1. Apolipoprotein A–I was the most prominent protein that significantly decreased in the osteopenic femurs. The blood samples revealed no significant differences between groups for any of these proteins. In conclusion, carbonic anhydrase I, phosphoglycerate kinase 1 and apolipoprotein A–I appeared to be the most significant variations of proteins in patients with osteopenia and osteoarthritis.
Public Perceptions of Police Service Quality: Empirical Evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Akhtar Aisha , Rafiq Sadaf , Asif Ali , Saeed Arshia , Kashif Muhammad
Published: May 2012

Public sector institutions in developing countries are going through major transformations because consumers are becoming more knowledgeable and demanding. This study presents the service quality of the Punjab Police using Mastrofski's six-dimensional policing model in the non-Western context of Pakistan by explaining the extent of service quality in the Punjab police. The survey-based approach was used to collect data from 360 citizens through developing an instrument based on Mastrofski's six dimensions. Descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis and correlation analysis were used to empirically explain application of the six-dimensional model of policing. The findings suggest that the public are satisfied with the quality of service provided by the police, based on the six dimensions of the model used for this research. However, the research model is highly correlated in a non-Western setting. This research, for the first time, discusses the service quality of police in a Pakistani context, which will help public policy personnel to improve the overall service quality of the Punjab Police.
Research Productivity of Law Enforcement Scholars: Are Those with Practical Experience Equal to Their Peers without Practical Experience?
Authors: Tewksbury Richard , Vito Gennaro F.
Published: May 2012

The present study examines the research productivity of criminal justice scholars with a declared specialisation in law enforcement. Focus is on distinguishing and comparing the productivity, measured as publications, citations and grant dollars received, for law enforcement scholars who do and do not have a minimum of 5 years of practical experience in law enforcement. Using the membership of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences' Policing Section, data are drawn from members' curriculum vitae to assess total publications, publication of refereed articles, books, textbooks and grant dollars received. When looking at the research productivity — measured as publications, citations and receipt of grant dollars — the results suggest that law enforcement scholars with significant, real-world experience are research productive, but in different ways and at different levels than law enforcement scholars who do not bring significant real-world law enforcement experience to their work.
Retinal Guanylyl Cyclase Isozyme 1 Is the PreferentialIn VivoTarget for Constitutively Active GCAP1 Mutants Causing Congenital Degeneration of Photoreceptors
Authors: Olshevskaya Elena V. , Peshenko Igor V. , Savchenko Andrey B. , Dizhoor Alexander M.
Published: May 2012

Two calcium-sensitive guanylyl cyclase activating proteins (GCAP1 and GCAP2) activate cGMP synthesis in photoreceptor by retinal membrane guanylyl cyclase isozymes (RetGC1 and RetGC2) to expedite recovery, but calcium-insensitive constitutively active GCAP1 mutants cause photoreceptor degeneration in human patients and transgenic mice. Although GCAP1 and GCAP2 can both activate RetGC1 and RetGC2in vitro, we find that GCAP1 selectively regulates RetGC1in vivo. Furthermore, elimination of RetGC1 but not RetGC2 isozyme reverses abnormal calcium sensitivity of cGMP synthesis and rescues mouse rods in transgenic mice expressing GCAP1 mutants causing photoreceptor disease. Rods expressing mutant GCAP1 not only survive in the absence of RetGC1 but also remain functional, albeit with reduced electroretinography (ERG) amplitudes typical ofRetGC1−/−genotype. The rod ERG recovery from a strong flash, only slightly affected in bothRetGC1−/−andRetGC2−/−mice, becomes very slow inRetGC1−/−but notRetGC2−/−mice when GCAP2 is not available to provide Ca2+feedback to the remaining RetGC isozyme. The intrinsic biochemical properties of RetGC and GCAP determinedin vitrodo not explain the observed phenomena. Instead, our results argue that there must be a cellular mechanism that limits GCAP1 access to RetGC2 and makes RetGC1 isozyme a preferential target for the disease-causing GCAP1 mutants. A more general conclusion from our findings is that nondiscriminatory interactions between homologous effector enzymes and their regulatory proteins permitted by their intrinsic biochemical properties can be effectively restricted in a living photoreceptor.
Plasticity of Recurrent Inhibition in theDrosophilaAntennal Lobe
Authors: Sudhakaran Indulekha P. , Holohan Eimear E. , Osman Sahar , Rodrigues Veronica , VijayRaghavan K. , Ramaswami Mani
Published: May 2012

Recurrent inhibition, wherein excitatory principal neurons stimulate inhibitory interneurons that feedback on the same principal cells, occurs ubiquitously in the brain. However, the regulation and function of recurrent inhibition are poorly understood in terms of the contributing interneuron subtypes as well as their effect on neural and cognitive outputs. In theDrosophilaolfactory system, odorants activate olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), which stimulate projection neurons (PNs) in the antennal lobe. Both OSNs and PNs activate local inhibitory neurons (LNs) that provide either feedforward or recurrent/feedback inhibition in the lobe. During olfactory habituation, prior exposure to an odorant selectively decreases the animal's subsequent response to the odorant. We show here that habituation occurs in response to feedback from PNs. Output from PNs is necessary for olfactory habituation and, in the absence of odorant, direct PN activation is sufficient to induce the odorant-selective behavioral attenuation characteristic of olfactory habituation. PN-induced habituation occludes further odor-induced habituation and similarly requires GABAARs and NMDARs in PNs, as well as VGLUT and cAMP signaling in the multiglomerular inhibitory local interneurons (LN1) type of LN. Thus, PN output is monitored by an LN subtype whose resultant plasticity underlies behavioral habituation. We propose that recurrent inhibitory motifs common in neural circuits may similarly underlie habituation to other complex stimuli.
Uncovering a Context-Specific Connectional Fingerprint of Human Dorsal Premotor Cortex
Authors: Moisa Marius , Siebner Hartwig R. , Pohmann Rolf , Thielscher Axel
Published: May 2012

Primate electrophysiological and lesion studies indicate a prominent role of the left dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) in action selection based on learned sensorimotor associations. Here we applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to human left PMd at low or high intensity while right-handed individuals performed externally paced sequential key presses with their left hand. Movements were cued by abstract visual stimuli, and subjects either freely selected a key press or responded according to a prelearned visuomotor mapping rule. Continuous arterial spin labeling was interleaved with TMS to directly assess how stimulation of left PMd modulates task-related brain activity depending on the mode of movement selection. Relative to passive viewing, both tasks activated a frontoparietal motor network. Compared with low-intensity TMS, high-intensity TMS of left PMd was associated with an increase in activity in medial and right premotor areas without affecting task performance. Critically, this increase in task-related activity was only present when movement selection relied on arbitrary visuomotor associations but not during freely selected movements. Psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a context-specific increase in functional coupling between the stimulated left PMd and remote right-hemispheric and mesial motor regions that was only present during arbitrary visuomotor mapping. Our TMS perturbation approach yielded causal evidence that the left PMd is implicated in mapping external cues onto the appropriate movement in humans. Furthermore, the data suggest that the left PMd may transiently form a functional network together with right-hemispheric and mesial motor regions to sustain visuomotor mapping performed with the left nondominant hand.
Integration of H-2Z1, a Somatosensory Cortex-Expressed Transgene, Interferes with the Expression of theSatb1andTbc1d5Flanking Genes and Affects the Differentiation of a Subset of Cortical Interneurons
Authors: Narboux-Nême Nicolas , Goïame Rosette , Mattéi Marie-Geneviève , Cohen-Tannoudji Michel , Wassef Marion
Published: May 2012

H-2Z1 is an enhancer trap transgenic mouse line in which the lacZ reporter delineates the somatosensory area of the cerebral cortex where it is expressed in a subset of layer IV neurons. In the search of somatosensory specific genes or regulatory sequences, we mapped the H-2Z1 transgene insertion site to chromosome 17, 100 and 460 kb away fromTbc1d5andSatb1flanking genes. We show here that insertion of the H-2Z1 transgene results in three distinct outcomes. First, a genetic background-sensitive expression oflacZin several brain and body structures. While four genes in a 1 Mb region around the insertion are expressed in the barrel cortex, H-2Z1 expression resembles more that of its two direct neighbors. Moreover, H-2Z1 closely reports most of the body and brain expression sites of theSatb1chromatin remodeling gene including tooth buds, thymic epithelium, pontine nuclei, fastigial cerebellar nuclei, and cerebral cortex. Second, the H-2Z1 transgene causes insertional mutagenesis ofTbc1d5andSatb1, leading to a strong decrease in their expressions. Finally, insertion of H-2Z1 affects the differentiation of a subset of cortical GABAergic interneurons, a possible consequence of downregulation of Satb1 expression. Thus, the H-2Z1 “somatosensory” transgene is inserted in the regulatory landscape of two genes highly expressed in the developing somatosensory cortex and reports for a subdomain of their expression profiles. Together, our data suggest that regulation of H-2Z1 expression results from local and remote genetic interactions.
Can Zeus be deceived? The Mekone Episode (Hes. theog. 535–561) between Theodicy and Power-Politics
Authors: Węcowski Marek
Published: May 2012

The goal of this paper is to offer a new interpretation of a crucial passage of Hesiod’s “Theogony”, the episode of the mischievous division of the carcass of an ox by Prometheus in Mekone. There is a striking incongruity in the scene featuring Zeus deceived by, and enraged at, Prometheus’ trick but at the same time fully aware beforehand of the Titan’s deceit. In the eyes of Hesiod’s contemporaries, the confrontation between the two divinities owed much to an underlying experience of deceitful political struggles fought in public by prominent political leaders. Despite his foreknowledge, Zeus cannot help choosing, in the presence of the crowds in Mekone, the pile of the gleaming fat that pretends his royal ‘part of honor’. On this interpretation, one can subscribe to a brilliant emendation of this difficult passage (ll. 538–541) by the 17th-century scholar François Guyet – against its diverse emendations and interpretations by later editors of Hesiod.
Was haben Apollonios’ Argonauten auf dem Istros zu suchen?
Authors: Zahrnt Michael , Zahrnt Michael
Published: May 2012

Die Geschichte von den Argonauten und ihrer Fahrt zu König Aietes und zurück nach Griechenland war schon den Verfassern der homerischen Epen bekannt und wurde in der Folgezeit vielfach behandelt. Während die Argonauten bei ihrer Fahrt zu Aietes den direkten Weg über Hellespont, Bosporos und Schwarzes Meer nahmen, gab es für ihre Rückfahrt recht unterschiedliche Versionen, die teilweise durch die geographischen Vorstellungen verschiedener Perioden bedingt waren und teilweise durch den Wunsch, die Argonauten mit bestimmten Orten in Verbindung zu bringen. Als Apollonios Rhodios in der Mitte des 3. Jh.s v. Chr. seine Argonautika verfaßte, konnte er für die Rückfahrt der Helden zwischen vier verschiedenen Versionen auswählen: die gleiche Route wie auf der Fahrt nach Kolchis, über den östlichen Ozean und durch Libyen, die Nordroute über den Tanais oder eine zentraleuropäische Route über den Istros und zurück ins Mittelmeer. Warum entschied er sich für die letztgenannte Route?
The effects of high fat diet on the basal activity of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis in mice
Authors: Auvinen Hanna E , Romijn Johannes A , Biermasz Nienke R , Pijl Hanno , Havekes Louis M , Smit Johannes W A , Rensen Patrick C N , Pereira Alberto M
Published: May 2012

Alterations in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity have been linked to the development of the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Common features of the MetS, like insulin resistance and obesity, are reproducibly induced by high fat diet (HFD) in animal models of diet-induced obesity. These models, hampered by methodological differences, reveal conflicting results with respect to HPA axis activation. This study was aimed to evaluate in detail nonstressed diurnal HPA axis activity in mice during obesity development. Male C57Bl/6J mice were fed high or low fat diet for 12 weeks. HPA axis activity was evaluated by plasma corticosterone concentrations (at 0700, 1200, and 1800 h), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA expression in the hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus, and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type-1 and -2 (11β-HSD-1 and -2) expression in adipose tissue and liver. Within 1 week, the HFD induced obesity and decreased corticosterone levels at 1200 and 1800 h, which persisted throughout the experiment. Twelve weeks of HFD decreased CRH mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and amygdala and GR mRNA in the PVN at 0900 h. At 1800 h, CRH mRNA expression increased in the PVN and amygdala, and GR mRNA increased in the CA1 region. 11β-HSD-1 expressions decreased in gonadal, visceral, and subcutaneous adipose tissues at 0900 and 1800 h, whereas hepatic 11β-HSD-1 expression increased at 1800 h, whereas 11β-HSD-2 expression was unaffected. The HFD induces complex changes in the diurnal regulation of the different components of the HPA axis. These changes are not unequivocally characterized by increased, but rather by decreased HPA axis activity.
Melatonin inhibits IL1β-induced MMP9 expression and activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cells by suppressing NF-κB activation
Authors: Qin Weiwei , Lu Wenbao , Li Hongwei , Yuan Xiaochen , Li Bingwei , Zhang Qiuju , Xiu Ruijuan
Published: May 2012

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been involved in inflammatory and degradative processes in pathologic conditions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of melatonin in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer permeability and the regulation of MMP9 induced by interleukin 1β (IL1β (IL1B)) in HUVECs. Protection studies were carried out with melatonin, a well-known antioxidant and antiinflammatory molecule. MMP9 expression was increased with IL1β induction in HUVECs. Melatonin showed a barrier-protective role by downregulation of MMP9 and upregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 expression in HUVECs. Meanwhile, melatonin also decreased sodium fluorescein permeability and counteracted the downregulation of vascular endothelial cadherin and occludin expression in HUVECs. During inflammatory stimulus, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) plays a significant role in regulating MMP genes expression, thus the function of NF-κB in HUVECs' barrier disruption was investigated. IL1β induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB in HUVECs and regulated MMP9 expression. However, NF-κB translocation into the nucleus was inhibited significantly by melatonin. Our results show that melatonin decreases the permeability of monolayer endothelial cell induced by IL1β. At the same time, melatonin decreased the expression and activity of MMP9 by a NF-κB-dependent pathway in HUVECs induced by IL1β.
Dynamic Simulation of the Migration of Oxygen Vacancy Defects in Rutile TiO2
Authors: Knaup Jan M. , Wehlau Michael , Frauenheim Thomas
Published: May 2012

We simulate the thermodynamics and kinetics of the drift/diffusion of oxygen vacancy defects in rutile TiO2, using the density-functional based tight-binding (DFTB) method. Both static and dynamic simulations have been performed. Results indicate that DFTB is well suited to examine the dynamic behavior of oxygen vacancies in TiO2. Detailed analysis shows, that strong model size dependence in relative diffusion barrier heights between different diffusion processes requires great care in defect diffusion simulations in TiO2. Thermodynamic results on the influence of an external electric field show that, due to the large dielectric constant, the coulomb driving force on oxygen vacancy diffusion is very small. Dynamic simulation of the influence of electric fields on the diffusion requires the use of advanced molecular dynamics acceleration schemes.
Production, characterization and application of inulinase from fungal endophyte CCMB 328
Authors: Nascimento Diego S. , Valasques Junior Gildomar , Fernandes Pedro , Ribeiro Geise C.A. , Lima Danyo M. , Góes-Neto Aristóteles , Oliveira Rodrigo Q. , Figueiredo-Ribeiro Rita de Cassia L. , Assis Sandra A. de
Published: May 2012

Inulinase (β-2,1-D- fructan fructanohydrolase), EC 3.2.1.7, targets the β-2,1 linkage of inulin, a polyfructan consisting of linear β-2,1 linked fructose, and hydrolyzes it into fructose. This use provides an alternative to produce fructose syrup through the hydrolysis of inulin. The objective of this work was to study the production, characterization and applications of inulinases from the fungal endophyte CCMB 328 isolated from the Brazilian semi-arid region. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed to evaluate the effect of variables (concentration of glucose and yeast extract), on secreted inulinase activities detected in the culture medium and also in the inulin hydrolysis. The results showed that the best conditions for inulinase production by CCMB 328 are 9.89 g / L for glucose and 1.09 g / L for yeast extract. The concentration of 0.20 mol/L of NaCl and KCl increased the activity of inulinase from CCMB 328 by approximately 63% and 37%, respectively. The results also showed that the inulinase has potential for inulin hydrolysis, whose conversion yields roughly 72.48 % for an initial concentration of inulin at 1% (w/v).
Signal transduction in Plasmodium-Red Blood Cells interactions and in cytoadherence
Authors: Cruz Laura N. , Wu Yang , Craig Alister G. , Garcia Célia R.S.
Published: May 2012

Malaria is responsible for more than 1.5 million deaths each year, especially among children (Snow et al. 2005). Despite of the severity of malaria situation and great effort to the development of new drug targets (Yuan et al. 2011) there is still a relative low investment toward antimalarial drugs. Briefly there are targets classes of antimalarial drugs currently being tested including: kinases, proteases, ion channel of GPCR, nuclear receptor, among others (Gamo et al. 2010). Here we review malaria signal transduction pathways in Red Blood Cells (RBC) as well as infected RBCs and endothelial cells interactions, namely cytoadherence. The last process is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of severe malaria. The molecules displayed on the surface of both infected erythrocytes (IE) and vascular endothelial cells (EC) exert themselves as important mediators in cytoadherence, in that they not only induce structural and metabolic changes on both sides, but also trigger multiple signal transduction processes, leading to alteration of gene expression, with the balance between positive and negative regulation determining endothelial pathology during a malaria infection.
Incidência da sífilis congênita no Brasil e sua relação com a Estratégia Saúde da Família
Authors: Araújo Cinthia Lociks de , Shimizu Helena Eri , Sousa Artur Iuri Alves de , Hamann Edgar Merchán
Published: May 2012

OBJETIVO: Estimar a incidência da sífilis congênita e identificar sua relação com a cobertura da Estratégia Saúde da Família. MÉTODOS: Estudo ecológico observacional, com componentes descritivos e analíticos, desenvolvido por meio de duas abordagens: em série temporal (2003 a 2008) e focalizando dados de 2008. Os dados secundários utilizados (epidemiológicos, demográficos e socioeconômicos) foram obtidos do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde e Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. A análise de possíveis efeitos da implantação dessa Estratégia sobre a prevenção da sífilis congênita foi realizada em subgrupos selecionados de municípios, por meio de duas abordagens: a) variação média anual da taxa de incidência de sífilis congênita em diferentes estratos de cobertura da Estratégia, durante o período de 2003 a 2008, com cálculo do coeficiente de regressão linear simples; e b) análise de regressão binomial negativa, com dados de 2008, para controle de alguns fatores de confundimento. RESULTADOS: Há tendência de aumento das notificações de sífilis congênita no Brasil, com desigualdades sociais na distribuição dos casos. Observa-se uma associação negativa entre a incidência de sífilis congênita em municípios com altas coberturas da Saúde da Família; mas, após controle de covariáveis, esse efeito pode ser atribuível à cobertura de pré-natal e a características demográficas dos municípios nos quais essa Estratégia foi prioritariamente implantada. CONCLUSÕES: Apesar do aumento das coberturas de pré-natal, ainda se observa uma baixa efetividade dessas ações para a prevenção da sífilis congênita. Não foi identificada uma associação melhor entre o pré-natal realizado pelas equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família e o controle da sífilis congênita do que aquela associação observada nas situações em que o pré-natal é realizado por outros modelos de atenção.
Teste de Morisky-Green e Brief Medication Questionnaire para avaliar adesão a medicamentos
Authors: Ben Angela Jornada , Neumann Cristina Rolim , Mengue Sotero Serrate
Published: May 2012

OBJETIVO: Analisar a confiabilidade e o desempenho da versão em português de instrumentos de avaliação da adesão ao tratamento anti-hipertensivo. MÉTODOS: Pacientes hipertensos atendidos de janeiro a setembro de 2010 em uma unidade de atenção primária em Porto Alegre, RS, foram selecionados aleatoriamente (n = 206). Na avaliação da adesão foram utilizadas versões em português do Teste de Morisky-Green (TMG) e do Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ). Foram analisados consistência interna, estabilidade temporal e desempenho com relação a três padrões-ouro: controle inadequado da pressão arterial (> 140/90 mmHg); taxa insuficiente de retirada de medicação na farmácia da Unidade Básica de Saúde (< 80%); e a combinação de ambos. RESULTADOS: Dos pacientes avaliados, 97 utilizavam medicamentos dispensados somente pela farmácia da Unidade Básica de Saúde. Os testes apresentaram boa consistência interna: BMQ α de Cronbach de 0,66 (IC95% 0,60;0,73) e o TMG 0,73 (IC95% 0,67;0,79). O desempenho do BMQ no domínio regime apresentou sensibilidade de 77%, especificidade de 58% e área sob a curva ROC de 0,70 (IC95% 0,55;0,86), e o TMG sensibilidade de 61%, especificidade de 36% e área sob a curva ROC de 0,46 (IC95% 0,30;0,62). A correlação entre o BMQ e o TMG foi de r = 0,28, p > 0,001. A baixa adesão ao BMQ está associada a maiores níveis tensionais quando comparada com pacientes aderentes (148,4 [dp 20,1] vs 128,8 [dp 17,8], p < 0,001), mas não para o TMG. CONCLUSÕES: O BMQ apresentou melhor desempenho que o TMG, com maiores sensibilidade e especificidade. A avaliação da adesão pode auxiliar o clinico na discriminação entre uso inadequado da medicação e esquema terapêutico insuficiente.