bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of sepsis on CD4 T cell immunity
Authors: Cabrera-Perez Javier , Condotta Stephanie A , Badovinac Vladimir P , Griffith Thomas S
Published: May 2014

Sepsis remains the primary cause of death from infection in hospital patients, despite improvements in antibiotics and intensive-care practices. Patients who survive severe sepsis can display suppressed immune function, often manifested as an increased susceptibility to (and mortality from) nosocomial infections. Not only is there a significant reduction in the number of various immune cell populations during sepsis, but there is also decreased function in the remaining lymphocytes. Within the immune system, CD4 T cells are important players in the proper development of numerous cellular and humoral immune responses. Despite sufficient clinical evidence of CD4 T cell loss in septic patients of all ages, the impact of sepsis on CD4 T cell responses is not well understood. Recent findings suggest that CD4 T cell impairment is a multipronged problem that results from initial sepsis-induced cell loss. However, the subsequent lymphopenia-induced numerical recovery of the CD4 T cell compartment leads to intrinsic alterations in phenotype and effector function, reduced repertoire diversity, changes in the composition of naive antigen-specific CD4 T cell pools, and changes in the representation of different CD4 T cell subpopulations (e.g., increases in Treg frequency). This review focuses on sepsis-induced alterations within the CD4 T cell compartment that influence the ability of the immune system to control secondary heterologous infections. The understanding of how sepsis affects CD4 T cells through their numerical loss and recovery, as well as function, is important in the development of future treatments designed to restore CD4 T cells to their presepsis state.
Joint stochastic inversion of 3D prestack seismic-amplitude data and well logs for high-resolution reservoir characterization of deepwater hydrocarbon reservoirs
Authors: Contreras Arturo , Torres-Verdín Carlos , Fasnacht Timothy , Chesters William , Kvien Knut
Published: May 2014

A new algorithm for joint stochastic inversion of well logs and multiple-angle stacks of migrated 3D prestack seismic data is based on a Bayesian statistical search criterion implemented with fast Markov-chain Monte Carlo updates. It enforces a priori measures of spatial correlation as well as geometric structural and stratigraphic embedding. Results consist of spatial distributions of elastic properties with a vertical resolution intermediate between that of seismic-amplitude data and well logs. In addition, the algorithm provides quantitative estimates of nonuniqueness based on statistical distribution of multiple spatial realizations derived from random initial models. It is also possible to estimate lithology and petrophysical properties such as porosity by enforcing multidimensional statistical correlations between elastic and petrophysical properties sampled from well logs. Results are described from the successful application of the inversion algorithm to the high-resolution characterization of hydrocarbon-producing units of a deepwater reservoir in the central Gulf of Mexico. Sensitivity analyses of resolution and non-uniqueness at blind-well locations corroborate the reliable estimation of elastic and petrophysical properties. Estimated distributions of lithology and elastic properties are influenced only marginally by the choice of inversion parameters and the assumed measures of spatial correlation.
Diagnostic fracture-injection tests with complex fracture networks
Authors: McClure Mark W.
Published: May 2014

Diagnostic fracture-injection tests (DFIT) are small-volume fracturing tests used to estimate the minimum principal stress and other formation properties. Conventional DFIT interpretation techniques assume that injection forms a single, planar fracture perpendicular to the minimum principal stress. However, abundant evidence exists that hydraulic fracturing causes the generation of complex networks, especially in shale. A computational simulation of a DFIT test in a “complex” fracture network that includes both new and preexisting fractures was performed with a discrete fracture-network (DFN) algorithm that fully couples fluid flow with the stresses induced by fracture deformation and propagation. Results show that with fracture network complexity, standard DFIT interpretation methods might give erroneous results. More broadly, results suggest that hydraulic-fracture models and interpretation techniques need to be updated to include the effects of fracture-network complexity. The results are preliminary because of several simplifying assumptions made by the simulator. In future work, those assumptions will be relaxed, the simulator will be used to develop applied interpretation techniques, and the techniques will be applied to field data.
Reviews
Authors: Green William R.
Published: May 2014

Paleoclimate, by M. L. Bender, ISBN 978-0-691-14555-6, 2013, Princeton University Press, 328 p., $27.95 (e-book available).
Assessment and Management of Chemical Coping in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Del Fabbro Egidio
Published: May 2014

Chemical coping is a working definition that describes patients' intake of opioids on a scale that spans the range between normal nonaddictive opioid use for pain all the way to opioid addiction. Most patients will fall somewhere between the two extremes in using opioid analgesics to cope with their psychological or spiritual distress. The degree to which patients use their medications in a maladaptive manner will determine their susceptibility to drug toxicity and harm. When there are no obvious cancer-related causes for increased pain intensity, chemical coping and other patient-related factors such as delirium, somatization, and depression should be considered. As part of the initial evaluation of patients with cancer-related pain, a brief screening tool such as the CAGE questionnaire should be used to identify patients who may be at risk for chemical coping. Identifying patients at risk will allow clinicians to avoid unnecessary opioid toxicity, control pain, and improve quality of life. A structured approach for managing opioid use should be adopted, including standardized documentation, opioid treatment agreements, urine drug screens, frequent visits, and restricted quantities of breakthrough opioids. All patients at risk should receive brief motivational interviewing with an objective, nonjudgmental, and empathic style that includes personalized feedback, particularly about markers of risk or harm. For chemical copers approaching the addiction end of the spectrum, with evidence of compulsive use and destructive behavior, referral should be made to substance abuse specialists.
Capecitabine and Oxaliplatin in the Preoperative Multimodality Treatment of Rectal Cancer: Surgical End Points From National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Trial R-04
Authors: O'Connell Michael J. , Colangelo Linda H. , Beart Robert W. , Petrelli Nicholas J. , Allegra Carmen J. , Sharif Saima , Pitot Henry C. , Shields Anthony F. , Landry Jerome C. , Ryan David P. , Parda David S. , Mohiuddin Mohammed , Arora Amit , Evans Lisa S. , Bahary Nathan , Soori Gamini S. , Eakle Janice , Robertson John M. , Moore Dennis F. , Mullane Michael R. , Marchello Benjamin T. , Ward Patrick J. , Wozniak Timothy F. , Roh Mark S. , Yothers Greg , Wolmark Norman
Published: May 2014

Purpose

The optimal chemotherapy regimen administered concurrently with preoperative radiation therapy (RT) for patients with rectal cancer is unknown. National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trial R-04 compared four chemotherapy regimens administered concomitantly with RT.

Patients and Methods

Patients with clinical stage II or III rectal cancer who were undergoing preoperative RT (45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks plus a boost of 5.4 Gy to 10.8 Gy in three to six daily fractions) were randomly assigned to one of the following chemotherapy regimens: continuous intravenous infusional fluorouracil (CVI FU; 225 mg/m2, 5 days per week), with or without intravenous oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2once per week for 5 weeks) or oral capecitabine (825 mg/m2twice per day, 5 days per week), with or without oxaliplatin (50 mg/m2once per week for 5 weeks). Before random assignment, the surgeon indicated whether the patient was eligible for sphincter-sparing surgery based on clinical staging. The surgical end points were complete pathologic response (pCR), sphincter-sparing surgery, and surgical downstaging (conversion to sphincter-sparing surgery).

Results

From September 2004 to August 2010, 1,608 patients were randomly assigned. No significant differences in the rates of pCR, sphincter-sparing surgery, or surgical downstaging were identified between the CVI FU and capecitabine regimens or between the two regimens with or without oxaliplatin. Patients treated with oxaliplatin experienced significantly more grade 3 or 4 diarrhea (P < .001).

Conclusion

Administering capecitabine with preoperative RT achieved similar rates of pCR, sphincter-sparing surgery, and surgical downstaging compared with CVI FU. Adding oxaliplatin did not improve surgical outcomes but added significant toxicity. The definitive analysis of local tumor control, disease-free survival, and overall survival will be performed when the protocol-specified number of events has occurred.
EphA receptors regulate prostate cancer cell dissemination through Vav2–RhoA mediated cell–cell repulsion
Authors: Batson Jennifer , Maccarthy-Morrogh Lucy , Archer Amy , Tanton Helen , Nobes Catherine D.
Published: May 2014

Metastatic prostate cancer cells display EphB receptor-mediated attraction when they contact stromal fibroblasts but EphA-driven repulsion when they contact one another. The impact of these ‘social’ interactions between cells during cancer cell invasion and the signalling mechanisms downstream of Eph receptors are unclear. Here we show that EphA receptors regulate prostate cancer cell dissemination in a 2D dispersal assay and in a 3D cancer cell spheroid assay. We show that EphA receptors signal via the exchange factor Vav2 to activate RhoA and that both Vav2 and RhoA are required for prostate cancer cell–cell repulsion. Furthermore, we find that in EphA2/EphA4, Vav2 or RhoA siRNA-treated cells, contact repulsion can be restored by partial microtubule destabilisation. We propose that EphA–Vav2–RhoA-mediated repulsion between contacting cancer cells at the tumour edge could enhance their local invasion away from the primary tumour.
Aggresome formation is regulated by RanBPM through an interaction with HDAC6
Authors: Salemi Louisa M. , Almawi Ahmad W. , Lefebvre Karen J. , Schild-Poulter Caroline
Published: May 2014

In conditions of proteasomal impairment, the build-up of damaged or misfolded proteins activates a cellular response leading to the recruitment of damaged proteins into perinuclear aggregates called aggresomes. Aggresome formation involves the retrograde transport of cargo proteins along the microtubule network and is dependent on the histone deacetylase HDAC6. Here we show that ionizing radiation (IR) promotes Ran-Binding Protein M (RanBPM) relocalization into discrete perinuclear foci where it co-localizes with aggresome components ubiquitin, dynein and HDAC6, suggesting that the RanBPM perinuclear clusters correspond to aggresomes. RanBPM was also recruited to aggresomes following treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 and the DNA-damaging agent etoposide. Strikingly, aggresome formation by HDAC6 was markedly impaired in RanBPM shRNA cells, but was restored by re-expression of RanBPM. RanBPM was found to interact with HDAC6 and to inhibit its deacetylase activity. This interaction was abrogated by a RanBPM deletion of its LisH/CTLH domain, which also prevented aggresome formation, suggesting that RanBPM promotes aggresome formation through an association with HDAC6. Our results suggest that RanBPM regulates HDAC6 activity and is a central regulator of aggresome formation.
Functional anatomy and ion regulatory mechanisms of the antennal gland in a semi-terrestrial crab, Ocypode stimpsoni
Authors: Tsai Jyuan-Ru , Lin Hui-Chen
Published: May 2014

Brachyuran crabs from diverse habitats show great differences in their osmoregulatory processes, especially in terms of the structural and physiological characteristics of the osmoregulatory organs. In crustaceans, the antennal glands are known to be important in osmoregulation, and they play a functional role analogous to that of the vertebrate kidney. Nevertheless, the detailed structure and function of the antennal glands in different species have rarely been described. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of the antennal gland in ion regulation by examining the ultrastructure of the cells and the distribution of the ion regulatory proteins in each cell type in the antennal gland of a semi-terrestrial crab. The results showed that Na+, K+-ATPase activity significantly increased in the antennal gland after a 4-day acclimation in dilute seawater and returned to its original (day 0) level after 7 days. Three major types of cells were identified in the antennal gland, including coelomic cells (COEs), labyrinthine cells (LBRs) and end-labyrinthine cells (ELBRs). The proximal tubular region (PT) and distal tubular region (DT) of the antennal gland consist of LBRs and COEs, whereas the end tubular region (ET) consists of all three types of cells, with fewer COEs and more ELBRs. We found a non-uniform distribution of NKA immunoreactivity, with increasing intensity from the proximal to the distal regions of the antennal gland. We summarise our study with a proposed model for the urine reprocessing pathway and the role of each cell type or segment of the antennal gland.
GRASP65 controls the cis Golgi integrity in vivo
Authors: Veenendaal Tineke , Jarvela Tim , Grieve Adam G. , van Es Johan H. , Linstedt Adam D. , Rabouille Catherine
Published: May 2014

GRASP65 and GRASP55 are peripheral Golgi proteins localized to cis and medial/trans cisternae, respectively. They are implicated in diverse aspects of protein transport and structure related to the Golgi complex, including the stacking of the Golgi stack and/or the linking of mammalian Golgi stacks into the Golgi ribbon. Using a mouse model, we interfered with GRASP65 by homologous recombination and confirmed its absence of expression. Surprisingly, the mice were healthy and fertile with no apparent defects in tissue, cellular or subcellular organization. Immortalized MEFs derived from the mice did not show any growth or morphological defects. However, despite the normal appearance of the Golgi ribbon, a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay revealed functional discontinuities specific to the cis cisternal membrane network. This leads to a strong change in the plasma membrane GSII lectin staining that was also observed in certain mutant tissues. These findings substantiate the role of GRASP65 in continuity of the cis Golgi network required for proper glycosylation, while showing that neither this continuity nor GRASP65 itself are essential for the viability of a complex organism.
Mice deficient for the epidermal Dermokine β and γ display transient cornification defects
Authors: Leclerc E. A. , Huchenq A. , Kezic S. , Serre G. , Jonca N.
Published: May 2014

Expression of the human Dermokine gene (DMKN) leads to the production of four isoform families. The secreted α, β and γ isoforms share epidermis-restricted expression pattern, with Dmkn β/γ being specifically expressed by the granular keratinocytes. The δ isoforms are intracellular and ubiquitous. Our in-depth characterization of Dmkn expression in mouse skin revealed it was less complex than in Human. In particular, messengers coding for the δ family were absent. Homozygous Dmkn(β/γ)−/− mice showed no obvious phenotype but only a temporary scaly skin during the first week of life. The Dmkn(β/γ)−/− pups had smaller keratohyalin granules and their cornified envelopes were more sensitive to mechanical stress. At the molecular level, amounts of profilaggrin and filaggrin monomers were reduced whereas amino-acid components of the natural moisturizing factor were increased. In addition, the electrophoretic mobility of involucrin was modified, suggesting post-translational modifications. Finally, the Dmkn(β/γ)−/− mice strongly overexpressed Dmkn α. These data are evocative of compensatory mechanisms, relevant with the temporary phenotype. Overall, we improved the knowledge of Dmkn expression in mouse and highlighted a role for Dmkn β/γ in cornification.
Distinct functional roles for the SLX4 ubiquitin-binding UBZ domains mutated in Fanconi anemia
Authors: Lachaud Christophe , Castor Dennis , Hain Karolina , Muñoz Ivan , Wilson Jamie , MacArtney Thomas J. , Schindler Detlev , Rouse John
Published: May 2014

Defects in SLX4, a scaffold for DNA repair nucleases, cause Fanconi anemia due to defective repair of inter-strand DNA crosslinks (ICLs). Some FA patients have an SLX4 deletion removing two tandem UBZ4-type ubiquitin-binding domains, implicated in protein recruitment to sites of DNA damage. Here we show that human SLX4 is recruited to sites of ICL induction but the UBZ-deleted form of SLX4 in cells from FA patients is not. SLX4 recruitment does not require ubiquitination of FANCD2, or the E3 ligases RNF8, RAD18 and BRCA1. We show that the first (UBZ-1), but not the second UBZ domain of SLX4 binds to ubiquitin polymers with a preference for K63-linked chains. Furthermore, UBZ-1 is required for SLX4 recruitment to ICL sites, and for efficient ICL repair in murine fibroblasts. SLX4 UBZ-2 domain does not bind ubiquitin in vitro or contribute to ICL repair, but it is required for resolution of Holliday junctions in vivo. These data shed light on SLX4 recruitment, and suggest that there remain to be identified ubiquitinated ligands and E3 ligases critical for ICL repair.
The conserved transmembrane proteoglycan Perdido/Kon-tiki is essential for myofibrillogenesis and sarcomeric structure in Drosophila
Authors: Pérez-Moreno J. J. , Bischoff M. , Martín-Bermudo M. D. , Estrada B.
Published: May 2014

Muscle differentiation requires the assembly of high-order structures called myofibrils, composed of sarcomeres. Even though the molecular organization of sarcomeres is well known, the mechanisms underlying myofibrillogenesis are poorly understood. It has been proposed that integrin-dependent adhesion nucleates myofibril at the periphery of the muscle cell to sustain sarcomere assembly. Here, we report a role for the gene perdido (perd, also known as kon-tiki, a transmembrane chondroitin proteoglycan) in myofibrillogenesis. Expression of perd RNAi in muscles, prior to adult myogenesis, can induce misorientation and detachment of Drosophila adult abdominal muscles. In comparison to controls, perd-depleted muscles contain fewer myofibrils, localized at the cell periphery. These myofibrils are detached from each other and display a defective sarcomeric structure. Our results demonstrate that the extracellular matrix receptor Perd has a specific role in the assembly of myofibrils and in sarcomeric organization. We suggest that Perd acts downstream or in parallel to integrins to enable the connection of nascent myofibrils to the Z-bands. Our work identifies the Drosophila adult abdominal muscles as a model to investigate in vivo the mechanisms behind myofibrillogenesis.
Comparison of the Acoustical Behaviour of Colonial Churches of Three Architectural Styles in Peru
Authors: Dianderas Carlos R. Jiménez
Published: May 2014

The paper presents a comparison of the acoustic behavior of churches built under three architectural styles during the Spanish colonial domination in representative cities of Peru. European architectural styles of the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical were adapted to the geography, geology and construction process of the current Peruvian territory. Through some acoustical parameters characterize the acoustic behavior of each church analyzed. Then, it is performed a comparative analysis of these acoustic conditions by grouping the architectural style churches.
Room Acoustical Quality of Concert Halls: Perceptual Factors and Acoustic Criteria — Return from Experience
Authors: Kahle Eckhard
Published: May 2014

Several acousticians have attempted to define a complete set of factors describing room acoustic quality, based on laboratory and/or real hall listening tests. After finishing a PhD thesis on room acoustic quality, the author has worked on new constructions of performance spaces, renovations as well as optimizations of existing spaces and the question can now be asked whether the widely used set of objective criteria and perceptual factors proves sufficient to describe the problems and challenges encountered.

When working on high-quality acoustic spaces, the commonly used set of acoustic criteria is insufficient to describe all aspects and problems. Further descriptors are required with respect to both acoustic measurements and perceptual factors. Proposals for additional acoustic criteria and their link to the architecture of a space will be given, aiming to better describe the signature of a room with respect to both source presence and room presence.

The concept of “stream segregation” into source presence and room presence is confirmed, but for both the “source” and “room” parts not only the magnitude (strength) needs to be considered but equally more detailed aspects like “lateralness” and direction of arrival, i.e. what could be called the “spatial center of gravity”. For example, changing the spatial center of gravity of the reverberation has very strong perceptual consequences. Another aspect that often tends to be neglected is the question of orchestral balance (for audience members but equally for musicians on stage) that can strongly be influenced by acoustic design decisions.
Throw Away That Standard and Listen: Your Two Ears Work Better
Authors: Lokki Tapio
Published: May 2014

The acoustics of a concert hall is often described with the help of ISO3382-1:2009 parameters. However, several recent studies suggest that IS03382-1 cannot explain the details of subjective perception nor preferences of the listeners. The current parameters, averaged over listener positions, and the use of only mid frequencies are definitely inadequate. We have recently measured over 15 concert halls around Europe with a novel measurement system – the loudspeaker orchestra. It consists of 34 calibrated loudspeakers on stage to simulate an orchestra, the most common sound source in concert halls. For objective analysis and spatial sound reproduction, we measure spatial impulse responses from each loudspeaker at accurately defined receiver positions. This enables accurate comparison of the properties of spatial impulse responses between halls. Furthermore, we have developed methods to convolve anechoic symphony orchestra recordings with the measured spatial impulse responses for multichannel loudspeaker listening. Both subjective comparison of halls and objective analysis with time-frequency and spatiotemporal properties of impulse responses have helped us to link architectural features and subjective perceptions. This article gives example of these links and shows the importance of early reflections for engaging sound.
Under-Balcony Acoustics Improvement with Simple Electro-Acoustic Means: A Theoretical Development and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Rouch Jérémy , Galland Marie-Annick , Schmich-Yamane Isabelle
Published: May 2014

In concert halls, the acoustic quality below a large balcony is often reduced compared with the acoustic quality of the main volume. This is caused by significant differences in the reverberated energy behavior between these two volumes. The main difference is a global lack of reverberated energy under the balcony, which can be theoretically estimated by the Sabine's theory applied to coupled spaces. A solution for enhancing the reverberated energy below the balcony is to inject amplified sound picked up in the main volume. This can be performed with simple electro-acoustic channels such as those used in a regenerative reverberation enhancement system. Thus, each channel is composed of a microphone in the main volume, an amplification processing unit and a loudspeaker under the balcony.

In this paper, a theoretical development based on the Sabine's approach is presented to explain and predict how the electro-acoustic channels increase the coupling coefficient between the main volume and the volume below the balcony. A new coupling criterion is also proposed and the theoretical effect of the electro-acoustic system on this criterion is exposed. Additionally, the limits of this coupling enhancement technique are presented and discussed, especially with respect to feedback problems of electro-acoustic installation in a room. In order to prove the validity of these theoretical developments, numerical simulations based on ray-tracing methods have been implemented. These numerical simulations also show that a properly calibrated electro-acoustic coupling enhancement system (EACES) can sensitively decrease the acoustic shadow effect of the balcony with respect to room acoustic criteria. Hence, electro-acoustic systems appear to be an efficient solution for coupling volumes in concert halls.
Comparison of Strategies to Model Spatial Fluctuations of Room Acoustic Single Number Quantities
Authors: Witew Ingo B. , Dietrich Pascal , Pelzer Sönke , Vorländer Michael
Published: May 2014

In a number of independent empiric studies it was shown that room acoustic single number parameters vary severely with small changes of the source and microphone position. Presently there is no evidence that these spatial fluctuations can be modelled using simulated impulse responses. As a result there is limited knowledge about the origin and the contributing influence factors of this variance over space. In this contribution the results of simulations using wave based as well as ray tracing simulations are compared to each other. It will be discussed if these simulations are able to predict the fluctuations that were found in measurement series taken in a number of different auditoria.
Neuroacoustics: Study on the Perception of Stereo Reverberant Sound Field at Cortical Level
Authors: Bidondo Alejandro , Recuero Manuel
Published: May 2014

On the basis of the Ando's brain hemispheric specialization auditory model, spatial information is processed in the right hemisphere. When hearing a complex sound stimuli, like a monaural sound source reproduced in a reverberant sound field, several independent acoustic cues are processed in both hemispheres simultaneously. To study the brain specialization perceiving these types of sounds, it was developed the Auditory Evoked Potentials analysis for 2000 ms after the first 80 ms from the sound onset, even though the first 300 ms is normally analyzed, and Cortical Activity descriptors, which were applied to Mismatch Negativity electro-physiological signals taken from Left and Right hemispheres. It was possible to measure the specialization of hemispheres by using two different monaural and anechoic sound sources, one with a minimum effective duration of its autocorrelation function (tau e) as low as 0.2 ms and another with minimum tau e of 190ms, both embedded into the same reverberant sound field and reproduced thru headphones. This study opens the possibility to measure the perception of listener envelopment to further develop a subjective descriptor.
Auditory and Visual Contribution to Egocentric Distance and Room Size Perception
Authors: Maempel Hans-Joachim , Jentsch Matthias
Published: May 2014

The perception of rooms involves various unimodal and multimodal aspects on different perceptual levels. Rather abstract yet self-evident aspects are the source distance and the room size. We investigated to what extent the perceived room size and egocentric source distance as supramodal aspects are based on the auditory and the visual modality, i.e. experimentally influenced by the acoustic and optical stimulus. The statistical determination of the respective contributions demands the mutually independent variation of optical and acoustical room properties, usually referred to as conflicting stimulus paradigm. Simulation data of four rooms were collected acoustically by acquiring binaural room impulse responses for different head orientations and optically by acquiring stereoscopic images of the rooms including the electroacoustic sound source. In the laboratory, respective acoustic scenes were played back applying dynamic binaural synthesis, whereas the optical scenes were presented by the use of a stereoscopic display. Test participants were asked to assess the source distance and the room size. Results show main effects of the modalities rather than an interaction effect. It was found that distance perception in rooms is predominantly based on the acoustic stimulus characteristics whereas room size perception predominantly relies on optical information. There is no evidence in favour of the proximity image effect hypothesis. Results do also not confirm an auditory or audio-visual underestimation of the source distance but show a general underestimation of room size and indicate an audio-visual asymmetry regarding the accuracy of room size perception. Maximum accuracy and cross-modal consistency of judgements were distinctively observed in low-absorbent rooms.
When Source is Also Receiver
Authors: Halmrast Tor
Published: May 2014

Musicians (and low budget acousticians) often judge the acoustics of a venue by clapping, shouting or making other kinds of more or less impulse-like sounds. In such situations, the source and the receiver are (almost) at the same position. This is a different situation than for standard measurements of room acoustics, where there is a (long) distance between the sound source (loudspeakers, pistols, balloons and musical instruments) and the receiver (microphone, ear). The sonic experience must be totally different, but still we trust our clapping and our ears. We probably “recalculate” so that reverberation times etc. judged in such a way “by ear”, are often quite correct. How can this be? And: Can we learn from how a blind person uses click sounds made with the mouth in order to “see”/echolocate surfaces and objects by the ears? In both situations the position of the source and the receiver are (almost) the same. In this paper we compare the results from room acoustic measurements taken from “in-ear”-recordings of own hand claps with more standardised measurements in three types of rooms: A big, reverberant foyer, a concert hall and a small living room/music room.
Elution of High-affinity (>10-9 KD) Antibodies from Tissue Sections
Authors: Gendusa Rossella , Scalia Carla Rossana , Buscone Serena , Cattoretti Giorgio
Published: May 2014

Inconsistent results obtained with published methods for the elution of antibodies from tissue sections prompted the assessment of both old and new methods in combination with monoclonal rabbit antibodies of known, increased affinity (above 1×10-9 KD). We tested an acidic (pH 2) glycine buffer, a 6 M urea hot buffer and a 2-Mercaptoethanol, SDS buffer (2-ME/SDS). Some antibodies were not removed by the glycine pH 2 or 6 M urea hot buffers, indicating that antibodies survive much harsher conditions than previously believed. We found that the elution is dependent upon the antibody affinity and is reduced by species-specific crosslinking via a dimeric or Fab fragments of a secondary antibody. The high affinity bond of exogenous streptavidin with the endogenous biotin can be removed by 6 M urea but not by the other buffers. 2-ME/SDS buffer is superior to glycine pH 2 and 6 M urea hot elution buffers for all antibodies because of its irreversible effect on the structure of the antibodies. It also has a mild retrieving effect on some antigens present on routinely treated sections and no detrimental effect on the immunoreactivity of the tissue. Therefore, 2-ME/SDS buffer is the method of choice to perform multiple rounds of immunostaining on a single routine section.
Arquivos e Edições Digitais
Authors: Portela Manuel , Brito Matheus De
Published: May 2014

Apresentação sumária de sete arquivos digitais: Rossetti Archive, Dickinson Electronic Archives, The William Blake Archive, Radical Scatters, Arquivo Pessoa, Espólio Fernando Pessoa e Samuel Beckett Digital Manuscript Project.
TRACKING DOWN LOCALIZED MODES IN PT-SYMMETRIC HAMILTONIANS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A COMPETING NONLINEARITY
Authors: Bagchi Bijan , Modak Subhrajit , Panigrahi Prasanta K.
Published: May 2014

The relevance of parity and time reversal (PT)-symmetric structures in optical systems has been known for some time with the correspondence existing between the Schrödinger equation and the paraxial equation of diffraction, where the time parameter represents the propagating distance and the refractive index acts as the complex potential. In this paper, we systematically analyze a normalized form of the nonlinear Schrödinger system with two new families of PT-symmetric potentials in the presence of competing nonlinearities. We generate a class of localized eigenmodes and carry out a linear stability analysis on the solutions. In particular, we find an interesting feature of bifurcation characterized by the parameter of perturbative growth rate passing through zero, where a transition to imaginary eigenvalues occurs.
THE FLOQUET METHOD FOR PT-SYMMETRIC PERIODIC POTENTIALS
Authors: Jones H. F.
Published: May 2014

By the general theory of PT-symmetric quantum systems, their energy levels are either real or occur in complex-conjugate pairs, which implies that the secular equation must be real. However, for periodic potentials it is by no means clear that the secular equation arising in the Floquet method is indeed real, since it involves two linearly independent solutions of the Schrödinger equation. In this brief note we elucidate how that reality can be established.
ON TWO WAYS TO LOOK FOR MUTUALLY UNBIASED BASES
Authors: Kibler Maurice R.
Published: May 2014

Two equivalent ways of looking for mutually unbiased bases are discussed in this note. The passage from the search for d+1 mutually unbiased bases in Cd to the search for d(d+1) vectors in Cd2 satisfying constraint relations is clarified. Symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures are briefly discussed in a similar vein.
Galapagos Tortoises and Sea Turtles in Gold Rush-Era California
Authors: Conrad Cyler , Pastron Allen
Published: May 2014

Spotting a sea turtle or Galapagos tortoise on the early wharfs and streets of San Francisco or Sacramento, California during the Gold Rush (1848-1855) would not have been a rare event. Massive population influx into the San Francisco Bay region during this time resulted in substantial impacts to native species and habitats of all taxa, but the demand for food resulted in many resources, turtles and tortoises included, being imported into the cities. Providing a fresh and delectable food source, these terrapin were brought to San Francisco and Sacramento to feed the hungry Gold Rush populous. Their taste, popularity and demand also resulted in small numbers being imported into gold mining towns in the San Joaquin Valley and foothills of the Sierra Nevada’s. Remarkable as this process was, the consumption and importation of both sea turtles and Galapagos tortoises during the Gold Rush pushed native populations of these species to the brink of extinction during the mid to late-nineteenth century. Declining numbers of terrapin and increased scientific curiosity, with a desire to safeguard these creatures for future generations, resulted in their eventually legal protection and conservation. In many ways the impacts of the decimation of terrapin in the eastern Pacific during the Gold Rush are still felt today, as conservation and breeding efforts continue in an attempt to return native turtle and tortoise populations to pre-Euro-American contact levels. This research describes the historical, and new archaeofaunal, evidence of the terrapin import market in San Francisco, Sacramento and beyond during the dynamic period of the California Gold Rush.
The Bay Area's Solar Salt Industry
Authors: Watt Laura A. , Johnck Ellen Joslin
Published: May 2014

Now part of a 15,100-acre restoration project, the salt ponds of the southern San Francisco Bay have a long history of industrial use and management. Early developers of these lands in the late 1800s modified the marshy tidal margin of the bay to be productive and profitable; wetlands were not valued for their own sake or for ecological values, but were considered wastelands until they could be “improved” for human utilization. The land barons behind what became the Leslie Salt Company created an elaborate landscape of dikes and ponds, but producing solar salt was considered an interim use, while the owners aimed for further, more lucrative possibilities: first planning a heavily industrialized manufacturing and distribution center, and later considering filling the marshlands to create residential developments. Ironically the vision of a filled-in Bay helped to trigger a wave of environmentalism in the 1960s and ‘70s, resulting first in the creation of a wildlife refuge and later this ambitious restoration project, circling back toward the tidal marshes’ earlier form and function. Examining their history helps us to see not only the potential conservation value of lands previously used for industrial purposes, but also to help us understand that we can live side by side with conservation lands, that their ecological or wildness values are not necessarily diminished by human presence or past.
Eating Things
Authors: Lee Michael Parrish
Published: May 2014

This essay tests how Lewis Carroll’s Alice books might bridge four potentially disparate approaches to literary analysis: thing theory, animal studies, actor-network theory, and food studies. Expanding the investigation of objects and “things” in literature beyond a human/thing dichotomy, I draw on the actor-network theory (ANT) of Bruno Latour to explore the entanglement of humans, objects, animals, and appetites that generates so much of the wonder in Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871). I argue that these texts attempt to reconcile the Victorian destabilization of discrete “human” and “animal” categories facilitated by evolutionary theory with an increasingly commodified culture where everything and everyone seem potentially consumable. The Alice books give us “things” in networks, but networks that supersede, and have utility beyond, the human. Eating, I propose, is our way into these networks. I show how Carroll presents a world that is both fully social and thoroughly objectified, where humans, animals, and objects trade, share, and fight for positions in a network of edible things.
The Effect of Thermal Modification on the Development of Carbon Material Microporous Structure
Authors: Ostafiychuk B.K. , Budzulyak I.M. , Ivanichok N.Ya. , Rachiy B.I. , Lisovsky R.P.
Published: May 2014

A research is done to characterize the microporous structure of outgoing and thermally modified (673 K, 180 min) plant-extracted carbon material. The porous system characteristics are worked out by different methods on low temperature (77K) N2 adsorption-desorption based isotherm. It is stated that thermal modification contributes to the enlargement of specific       surface (from 361 m2/g to 673 m2/g), an increase in total pore volume (from 0,166 cm3/g                    to 0,477 cm3/g) and an increase in micropore volume (from 0,127 cm3/g to 0,173 cm3/g). Most effectively thermal modification  is apt to form nanopores with diameters of 0,75; 1,25 and 4 nm.
Temperature Frequency Characteristics of Charge Transition in the Li0.5Fe2.4Ti0.1O4 Non-stoichiometric System
Authors: Gasyuk I.M. , Ugorchuk V.V. , Kaykan L.S. , Deputat B.J.
Published: May 2014

A study of conductivity temperature frequency dependence of Li0.5Fe2.4Ti0.1O4 non-stoichiometric spinel has exhibited frequency dispersion conductivity presence. The time of relaxation (τ) proved to make 2·10-6s within the limits of dispersion. The conductivity size was found to be dependant upon the amount of Fe2+ ions in the structure.
A Bayesian Approach to Inferring the Phylogenetic Structure of Communities from Metagenomic Data
Authors: O’Brien John D , Didelot Xavier , Iqbal Zamin , Amenga-Etego Lucas , Ahiska Bartu , Falush Daniel
Published: May 2014

Metagenomics provides a powerful new tool set for investigating evolutionary interactions with the environment. However, an absence of model-based statistical methods means that researchers are often not able to make full use of this complex information. We present a Bayesian method for inferring the phylogenetic relationship among related organisms found within metagenomic samples. Our approach exploits variation in the frequency of taxa among samples to simultaneously infer each lineage haplotype, the phylogenetic tree connecting them, and their frequency within each sample. Applications of the algorithm to simulated data show that our method can recover a substantial fraction of the phylogenetic structure even in the presence of high rates of migration among sample sites. We provide examples of the method applied to data from green sulfur bacteria recovered from an Antarctic lake, plastids from mixed Plasmodium falciparum infections, and virulent Neisseria meningitidis samples.
Primary Spinal Tumor Registry in the National Centre for Spinal Disorders
Authors: Szövérfi Zsolt , Lazáry Áron , Varga Péter Pál
Published: May 2014

Primary spinal tumors are rare diseases. Primary spinal tumor registry would be useful to help decision making in this complex field of spine surgery. In this article the authors present the latest findings from the Primary Spinal Tumor Registry at the National Centre for Spinal Disorders, Hungary. The registry is based on a novel database management software, the REDCap electronic data capture system. It contains data of 323 patients treated surgically during an 18-year period. Among the 126 malignant tumors, the most frequent was chordoma (61 cases). In the case of benign tumors schwannoma showed the largest prevalence (45 cases). The authors conclude that due to the rarity of the disease and the complexity of the management, multicenter, prospective registries are required to provide high level of evidence. The structure of the Primary Spinal Tumor Registry in the National Centre for Spinal Disorders in Hungary is optimal for user-friendly, fast and secure data collection providing a prospective database for scientific researches and clinical follow-up. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(19), 745–749.
Protecting Her Image
Authors: Artman Amy
Published: May 2014

In the panel article "Beautiful Babies, Hidden Mothers, and Plasticized Prisoners: The Display of Bodies and Theories of American Religion," this paper delves into a study of how the mid-twentieth-century “Miracle Woman,” the televangelist Kathryn Kuhlman, used popular media--first radio and then television--to control her own image. The panelist argues that Kuhlman’s deft utilization of television, in particular, enabled her not only to control her own image but also to change the image of charismatic Christianity for postwar American audiences. In addition to crafting an image of herself and charismatic Christianity, Kuhlman also mastered the discourse of elision in order to subordinate her very visible, very feminine body. As a female religious leader, Kuhlman had to contend with the practice of self-negation expected by women in many conservative Christian groups in order to gain any significant degree of power. In other words, Kuhlman had to “disappear” or “die” in order to be a vessel for the Holy Spirit if she was to maintain authority. As an embodied female she could not lead without first subordinating, even denying, her own very visible body.
Beautiful Babies, Hidden Mothers, and Plasticized Prisoners
Authors: Koehlinger Amy
Published: May 2014

This essay responds to the papers presented in the collection "Beautiful Babies, Hidden Mothers, and Plasticized Prisoners: The Display of Bodies and Theories of American Religion," addressing some of the theoretical issues that the papers raise.
Haunting the Streets of Cairo
Authors: Lindsey Rachel
Published: May 2014

This article examines connections between visual habits of American imperialism, photographic technology, and biblical imagination in the last decade of the nineteenth century. The author argues that visual habits of optical elision, or the learned technique of not-seeing photographic contemporaries in order to see instead photographic evidence of a biblical past, linked modes of biblical interpretation with forms of American imperialism. She also contends that halftone print technology introduced considerations of the relationship between images and text, providing silhouettes of theological developments at the end of the century that differentiate photography from prior modes of illustration.
Treatment-Related Mortality With Everolimus in Cancer Patients
Authors: Wesolowski Robert , Abdel-Rasoul Mahmoud , Lustberg Maryam , Paskell Maria , Shapiro Charles L. , Macrae Erin R.
Published: May 2014

Introduction.

The overall incidence and odds of fatal adverse events (FAEs) after exposure to everolimus are not well defined. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine the role of everolimus in treatment-related mortality in patients with cancer.

Methods.

PubMed databases and abstracts from the proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium were searched for RCTs of everolimus either alone or in combination with another agent compared with the control arm without everolimus and that reported deaths from an adverse event from January 1966 to July 2013. The primary objective was to determine the difference of FAEs between everolimus-treated patients and control group patients.

Results.

In total, 2,997 patients with multiple solid tumors from nine RCTs were included. The overall incidence of FAEs in cancer patients treated with everolimus was 0.7% (95% CI 0.3%–1.1%) compared with 0.4% (95% CI 0.0%–0.7%) in cancer patients who did not receive everolimus. The odds ratio of FAEs was greater in everolimus-treated patients (Peto odds ratio = 3.80, 95% CI 1.59–9.07, p = .003). In subgroup analyses, no significant difference was found in the incidence or odds of FAEs by everolimus administration (alone or in combination) or tumor type (breast cancer vs. nonbreast cancer; p = .63).

Conclusion.

In patients with cancer, everolimus is associated with a small but significant increase in the odds of a treatment-related fatal events.
Integrating Primary Care in Cancer Survivorship Programs: Models of Care for a Growing Patient Population
Authors: Nekhlyudov Larissa
Published: May 2014

The author describes the primary care physician's role in caring for cancer survivors who are transitioning from oncology settings to primary care settings. Four scenarios are addressed and advantages and disadvantages of each are listed.