bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parent Psychological Control and Responses to Interpersonal Stress in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Abaied Jamie L. , Emond Chelsea
Published: April 2013

This study examined links between parent psychological control and responses to interpersonal stress in emerging adulthood and whether temperament (i.e., behavioral inhibition [BI] and behavioral activation [BA]) moderated this association. A sample of 161 emerging adults ( Mage = 19.48, SD = 1.00) enrolled in a public university reported their perceptions of parent psychological control, responses to stress, and BI and BA. Results revealed that parent psychological control and temperament made both independent and interactive contributions to emerging adults’ responses to stress. Specifically, psychological control and BI were associated with maladaptive responses, whereas BA was associated with adaptive responses. In some cases, susceptibility to parent psychological control varied as a function of BI and BA. This study extends previous research with children and adolescents by demonstrating that parenting and temperament are associated with responses to stress in emerging adulthood.
A flood-based information flow analysis and network minimization method for gene regulatory networks
Authors: Pavlogiannis Andreas , Mozhayskiy Vadim , Tagkopoulos Ilias
Published: April 2013

Background

Biological networks tend to have high interconnectivity, complex topologies and multiple types of interactions. This renders difficult the identification of sub-networks that are involved in condition- specific responses. In addition, we generally lack scalable methods that can reveal the information flow in gene regulatory and biochemical pathways. Doing so will help us to identify key participants and paths under specific environmental and cellular context.

Results

This paper introduces the theory of network flooding, which aims to address the problem of network minimization and regulatory information flow in gene regulatory networks. Given a regulatory biological network, a set of source (input) nodes and optionally a set of sink (output) nodes, our task is to find (a) the minimal sub-network that encodes the regulatory program involving all input and output nodes and (b) the information flow from the source to the sink nodes of the network. Here, we describe a novel, scalable, network traversal algorithm and we assess its potential to achieve significant network size reduction in both synthetic and E. coli networks. Scalability and sensitivity analysis show that the proposed method scales well with the size of the network, and is robust to noise and missing data.

Conclusions

The method of network flooding proves to be a useful, practical approach towards information flow analysis in gene regulatory networks. Further extension of the proposed theory has the potential to lead in a unifying framework for the simultaneous network minimization and information flow analysis across various “omics” levels.
miRNA regulated pathways in late stage murine lung development
Authors: Mujahid Sana , Logvinenko Tanya , Volpe MaryAnn V , Nielsen Heber C
Published: April 2013

Background

MicroRNAs play important roles in regulating biological processes, including organ morphogenesis and maturation. However, little is known about specific pathways regulated by miRNA during lung development. Between the canalicular and saccular stages of the developing lung several important cellular events occur, including the onset of surfactant synthesis, microvascular remodeling and structural preparation for subsequent alveolarization. The miRNAs that are actively regulated, and the identity of their targets during this important developmental interval in the lung remain elusive.

Results

Using TLDA low density real-time PCR arrays, the expression of 376 miRNAs in male and female fetal mouse lungs of gestational days E15 – E18 were profiled. Statistical analyses identified 25 and 37 miRNAs that changed significantly between sexes and with gestation, respectively. In silico analysis using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) identified specific pathways and networks known to be targets of these miRNAs which are important to lung development. Pathways that are targeted by sex regulated miRNAs include retinoin, IGFR1, Tp53 and Akt. Pathways targeted by gestation-regulated miRNAs include VEGFA and mediators of glucose metabolism.

Conclusion

MiRNAs are differentially regulated across time and between sexes during the canalicular and saccular stages of lung development. Sex-associated differential miRNA expression may regulate the differences in structural and functional male and female lung development, as shown by networks generated using in silico analysis. These data provide a valuable resource to further enhance the understanding of miRNA control of lung development and maturation.
Development, organization, and remodeling of phoronid muscles from embryo to metamorphosis (Lophotrochozoa: Phoronida)
Authors: Temereva Elena N , Tsitrin Eugeni B
Published: April 2013

Background

The phoronid larva, which is called the actinotrocha, is one of the most remarkable planktotrophic larval types among marine invertebrates. Actinotrochs live in plankton for relatively long periods and undergo catastrophic metamorphosis, in which some parts of the larval body are consumed by the juvenile. The development and organization of the muscular system has never been described in detail for actinotrochs and for other stages in the phoronid life cycle.

Results

In Phoronopsis harmeri, muscular elements of the preoral lobe and the collar originate in the mid-gastrula stage from mesodermal cells, which have immigrated from the anterior wall of the archenteron. Muscles of the trunk originate from posterior mesoderm together with the trunk coelom. The organization of the muscular system in phoronid larvae of different species is very complex and consists of 14 groups of muscles. The telotroch constrictor, which holds the telotroch in the larval body during metamorphosis, is described for the first time. This unusual muscle is formed by apical myofilaments of the epidermal cells. Most larval muscles are formed by cells with cross-striated organization of myofibrils. During metamorphosis, most elements of the larval muscular system degenerate, but some of them remain and are integrated into the juvenile musculature.

Conclusion

Early steps of phoronid myogenesis reflect the peculiarities of the actinotroch larva: the muscle of the preoral lobe is the first muscle to appear, and it is important for food capture. The larval muscular system is organized in differently in different phoronid larvae, but always exhibits a complexity that probably results from the long pelagic life, planktotrophy, and catastrophic metamorphosis. Degeneration of the larval muscular system during phoronid metamorphosis occurs in two ways, i.e., by complete or by incomplete destruction of larval muscular elements. The organization and remodeling of the muscular system in phoronids exhibits the combination of protostome-like and deuterostome-like features. This combination, which has also been found in the organization of some other systems in phoronids, can be regarded as an important characteristic and one that probably reflects the basal position of phoronids within the Lophotrochozoa.
Long-term effects of sulfur mustard on civilians’ mental health 20 years after exposure (The Sardasht-Iran Cohort Study)
Authors: Roshan Rasoul , Rahnama Parvin , Ghazanfari Zeinab , Montazeri Ali , Soroush Mohammad Reza , Naghizadeh Mohammad Mehdi , Melyani Mahdiyeh , Tavoli Azadeh , Ghazanfari Tooba
Published: April 2013

Background

Sulfur mustard (SM) is an alkylating agent that induces short and long term toxicity on various organs. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term psychological symptoms among samples of exposed to sulfur mustard gas compared with unexposed civilians 20 years after exposure.

Methods

This historical cohort study was conducted on 495 civilians of Sardasht and Rabat in two age matched groups, including 367 sulfur mustard exposed participants from Sardasht and 128 unexposed subjects from Rabat. Psychological symptoms was assessed using the Symptom Check List-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) including measures of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism providing three global distress indices namely: Global Severity Index (GSI), Positive Symptom Total (PST) and Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI). Comparison was made between exposed and unexposed civilians.

Results

There were significant differences in somatization (P = 0.002), obsessive-compulsive (P = 0.031), depression (P = 0.007), anxiety (P = 0.042), and hostility (P = 0.002), between the exposed and unexposed groups. In addition there were significant differences between two groups concerning the GSI (P = 0.045) and the PSDI (P < 0.001). The differences between two groups in other subscales were not significant.

Conclusions

The findings from this study showed that civilians who exposed to sulfur mustard gas were suffering from a number of psychological symptoms even 20 years after exposure. Providing mental health services and more resource allocation for this community are highly recommended.
Limited resection and two-staged lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer with ground-glass opacity
Authors: Ohtaka Kazuto , Hida Yasuhiro , Kaga Kichizo , Kato Tatsuya , Muto Jun , Nakada-Kubota Reiko , Hirano Satoshi , Matsui Yoshiro
Published: April 2013

Background

Lung tumors showing ground-glass opacities on high-resolution computed tomography indicate the presence of inflammation, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, or localized bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. We adopted a two-staged video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy strategy involving completion lobectomy for localized bronchioloalveolar carcinoma with an invasive component according to postoperative pathological examination by permanent section after partial resection.

Methods

Forty-one patients with undiagnosed small peripheral ground-glass opacity lesions underwent partial resection from 2001 to 2007 in Hokkaido University Hospital. Localized bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was classified according to the Noguchi classification for adenocarcinoma. Malignant lesions other than Noguchi types A and B were considered for completion lobectomy and systemic mediastinal lymphadenectomy. Perioperative data of completion video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies were compared with data of 67 upfront video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomies for clinical stage IA adenocarcinoma performed during the same period.

Results

Postoperative pathological examination revealed 35 malignant and 6 non-malignant diseases. Histologically, all of the malignant diseases were adenocarcinomas of Noguchi type A (n = 7), B (n = 9), C (n = 18), and F (n = 1). Eleven of 19 patients (58%) with Noguchi type C or F underwent two-staged video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy. Three patients refused a second surgery. There was no cancer recurrence. The two-staged lobectomy group had a significantly longer operative time and more blood loss than the upfront lobectomy group. There was no surgical mortality or cancer recurrence.

Conclusions

Two-staged lobectomy for undiagnosed small peripheral ground-glass opacity lesions showed satisfactory oncological results. However, low compliance for and invasiveness of the second surgery are concerns associated with this strategy.
National survey of pediatric services available in US emergency departments
Authors: Sullivan Ashley F , Rudders Susan A , Gonsalves Amanda L , Steptoe Anne P , Espinola Janice A , Camargo Carlos A
Published: April 2013

Background

Children account for nearly 20% of all US emergency department (ED) visits, yet previous national surveys found that many EDs lack specialized pediatric care. In response, a 2001 joint policy statement recommended resources needed by EDs for effective pediatric emergency care delivery. We sought to update and enhance previous estimates of pediatric services available in US EDs.

Methods

We administered a telephone survey to a 5% random sample (n = 279) of all US EDs from the 2007 National Emergency Department Inventory-USA. The survey collected data on local capabilities (including typical management of three clinical scenarios) and prevalence of a coordinator for pediatric emergency care. We used descriptive statistics to summarize data. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between survey respondent and ED characteristics as well as the presence of a coordinator for pediatric emergency medicine.

Results

Data were collected from 238 hospitals (85% response rate). A minority of hospitals had pediatric departments (36%) or intensive care units (12%). The median annual number of ED visits by children was 3,870 (interquartile range 1,500–8,800). Ten percent of hospitals had a separate pediatric ED; only 17% had a designated pediatric emergency care coordinator. Significant positive predictors of a coordinator were an ED pediatric visit volume of ≥1 patient per hour and urban location. Most EDs treated only mild-to-moderate cases of childhood bronchiolitis and asthma exacerbation (77% and 65%, respectively). Less than half (48%) of the hospitals reported the ability to surgically manage a child with acute appendicitis.

Conclusion

We found little change in pediatric emergency services compared to earlier estimates. Our study results suggest a continued need for improvements to ensure access to emergency care for children.
Abundance and diversity of zooplankton in semi intensive prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farm
Authors: Shil Jadobendro , Ghosh Alokesh Kumar , Rahaman S M Bazlur
Published: April 2013

The present study was carried out on the seasonal abundance and diversity of zooplankton in a semi- intensive prawn farm of Bagerhat district from July to December, 2008. Plankton samples were collected by conical shaped monofilament nylon net (Plankton net) and Lugol’s solution was used for preservation. The zooplankton abundance was influenced by physico-chemical factors. During the study period 11 genera of zooplankton under 5 orders were recorded from the study ponds namely Copepoda, Rotifera, Cladocera, Ostracoda and Crustacean Larvae. Among all groups copepod was the dominant order. The percentages of Copepoda, Rotifera, Cladocera, Ostracoda and Crustacean Larvae in semi-intensive culture system were 54%, 28%, 12%, 4% and 2% respectively. But the genera Brachionus under the order of Rotifer was dominant among all other genera. Cyclops and Helidiaptomus under the order of Copepod were the 2nd dominant genera. Numbers of zooplankton species were recorded to be the highest in summer season and minimum at early winter season. Highest number of zooplankton found at the month of October. Total zooplankton shows significant positive relationship with water temperature ((r = +0.384), Dissolve Oxygen(r = +0.113), pH(r = +0.320), Free CO2 (r = +0.319), Alkalinity(r = +0.269), Hardness (r = +0.402) and negative relationship with Salinity(r = -0.486), Transparency(r = -0.693). The findings of the present study will help to improve the management strategies of shrimp culture system.
Large-scale global optimization through consensus of opinions over complex networks
Authors: Askari-Sichani Omid , Jalili Mahdi
Published: April 2013

Purpose

Large-scale optimization tasks have many applications in science and engineering. There are many algorithms to perform such optimization tasks. In this manuscript, we aim at using consensus in multi-agent systems as a tool for solving large-scale optimization tasks.

Method

The model is based on consensus of opinions among agents interacting over a complex networked structure. For each optimization task, a number of agents are considered, each with an opinion value. These agents interact over a networked structure and update their opinions based on their best-matching neighbor in the network. A neighbor with the best value of the objective function (of the optimization task) is referred to as the best-matching neighbor for an agent. We use structures such as pure random, small-world and scale-free networks as interaction graph. The optimization algorithm is applied on a number of benchmark problems and its performance is compared with a number of classic methods including genetic algorithms, differential evolution and particle swarm optimization.

Results

We show that the agents could solve various large-scale optimization tasks through collaborating with each other and getting into consensus in their opinions. Furthermore, we find pure random topology better than small-world and scale-free topologies in that it leads to faster convergence to the optimal solution. Our experiments show that the proposed consensus-based optimization method outperforms the classic optimization algorithms.

Conclusion

Consensus in multi-agents systems can be efficiently used for large-scale optimization problems. Connectivity structure of the consensus network is effective in the convergence to the optimum solution where random structures show better performance as compared to heterogeneous networks.

AMS subject classification

15A04, 54A20, 60J20, 92D25
Interactions between immunity, proliferation and molecular subtype in breast cancer prognosis
Authors: Nagalla Srikanth , Chou Jeff W , Willingham Mark C , Ruiz Jimmy , Vaughn James P , Dubey Purnima , Lash Timothy L , Hamilton-Dutoit Stephen J , Bergh Jonas , Sotiriou Christos , Black Michael A , Miller Lance D
Published: April 2013

Background

Gene expression signatures indicative of tumor proliferative capacity and tumor-immune cell interactions have emerged as principal biology-driven predictors of breast cancer outcomes. How these signatures relate to one another in biological and prognostic contexts remains to be clarified.

Results

To investigate the relationship between proliferation and immune gene signatures, we analyzed an integrated dataset of 1,954 clinically annotated breast tumor expression profiles randomized into training and test sets to allow two-way discovery and validation of gene-survival associations. Hierarchical clustering revealed a large cluster of distant metastasis-free survival-associated genes with known immunological functions that further partitioned into three distinct immune metagenes likely reflecting B cells and/or plasma cells; T cells and natural killer cells; and monocytes and/or dendritic cells. A proliferation metagene allowed stratification of cases into proliferation tertiles. The prognostic strength of these metagenes was largely restricted to tumors within the highest proliferation tertile, though intrinsic subtype-specific differences were observed in the intermediate and low proliferation tertiles. In highly proliferative tumors, high tertile immune metagene expression equated with markedly reduced risk of metastasis whereas tumors with low tertile expression of any one of the three immune metagenes were associated with poor outcome despite higher expression of the other two metagenes.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a productive interplay among multiple immune cell types at the tumor site promotes long-term anti-metastatic immunity in a proliferation-dependent manner. The emergence of a subset of effective immune responders among highly proliferative tumors has novel prognostic ramifications.
DNA binding specificities of the long zinc-finger recombination protein PRDM9
Authors: Billings Timothy , Parvanov Emil D , Baker Christopher L , Walker Michael , Paigen Kenneth , Petkov Petko M
Published: April 2013

Background

Meiotic recombination ensures proper segregation of homologous chromosomes and creates genetic variation. In many organisms, recombination occurs at limited sites, termed 'hotspots', whose positions in mammals are determined by PR domain member 9 (PRDM9), a long-array zinc-finger and chromatin-modifier protein. Determining the rules governing the DNA binding of PRDM9 is a major issue in understanding how it functions.

Results

Mouse PRDM9 protein variants bind to hotspot DNA sequences in a manner that is specific for both PRDM9 and DNA haplotypes, and that in vitro binding parallels its in vivo biological activity. Examining four hotspots, three activated by Prdm9
Cst
and one activated by Prdm9
Dom2
, we found that all binding sites required the full array of 11 or 12 contiguous fingers, depending on the allele, and that there was little sequence similarity between the binding sites of the three Prdm9
Cst
activated hotspots. The binding specificity of each position in the Hlx1 binding site, activated by Prdm9
Cst
, was tested by mutating each nucleotide to its three alternatives. The 31 positions along the binding site varied considerably in the ability of alternative bases to support binding, which also implicates a role for additional binding to the DNA phosphate backbone.

Conclusions

These results, which provide the first detailed mapping of PRDM9 binding to DNA and, to our knowledge, the most detailed analysis yet of DNA binding by a long zinc-finger array, make clear that the binding specificities of PRDM9, and possibly other long-array zinc-finger proteins, are unusually complex.
Epigenetic changes associated with disease progression in a mouse model of childhood allergic asthma
Authors: Collison Adam , Siegle Jessica S. , Hansbro Nicole G. , Kwok Chau-To , Herbert Cristan , Mattes Joerg , Hitchins Megan , Foster Paul S. , Kumar Rakesh K.
Published: April 2013

Development of asthma in childhood is linked to viral infections of the lower respiratory tract in early life, with subsequent chronic exposure to allergens. Progression to persistent asthma is associated with a Th2-biased immunological response and structural remodelling of the airways. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but could involve epigenetic changes. To investigate this, we employed a recently developed mouse model in which self-limited neonatal infection with a pneumovirus, followed by sensitisation to ovalbumin via the respiratory tract and low-level chronic challenge with aerosolised antigen, leads to development of an asthmatic phenotype. We assessed expression of microRNA by cells in the proximal airways, comparing changes over the period of disease progression, and used target prediction databases to identify genes likely to be up- or downregulated as a consequence of altered regulation of microRNA. In parallel, we assessed DNA methylation in pulmonary CD4+ T cells. We found that a limited number of microRNAs exhibited marked up- or downregulation following early-life infection and sensitisation, for many of which the levels of expression were further changed following chronic challenge with the sensitizing antigen. Targets of these microRNAs included genes involved in immune or inflammatory responses (e.g. Gata3, Kitl) and in tissue remodelling (e.g. Igf1, Tgfbr1), as well as genes for various transcription factors and signalling proteins. In pulmonary CD4+ T cells, there was significant demethylation at promoter sites for interleukin-4 and interferon-γ, the latter increasing following chronic challenge. We conclude that, in this model, progression to an asthmatic phenotype is linked to epigenetic regulation of genes associated with inflammation and structural remodelling, and with T-cell commitment to a Th2 immunological response. Epigenetic changes associated with this pattern of gene activation might play a role in the development of childhood asthma.
Structural and functional analysis of a yeast centromere (cen3)
Authors: Carbon John , Clarke Louise
Published: April 2013

Structure-function analysis of a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) centromere (CEN3) has been carried out by altering the nucleotide sequence of the DNA within and surrounding the centromere of yeast chromosome III, and observing the behaviour of the resulting altered chromosomes during mitotic and meiotic cell divisions. A centromere substitution vector (pJC3-13) was constructed, which contains in the proper orientation: the DNA sequences that normally flank the chromosome III centromere, a wild-type URA3 gene for selection, and a unique BawzHI restriction site for insertion of various DNA sequences to be assayed for centromere activity. Cleavage of the plasmid DNA with EcoRI generates a linear DNA fragment whose ends are homologous with the regions flanking the centromere. Transformation of the appropriate homozygous ura3 diploid yeast strain with this linear DNA results in URA3+ transformants in which the CEN3 region on one copy of chromosome III has been replaced by the URA3 gene and the DNA sequence previously inserted into the vector. These studies identify a 289 base-pair (bp) DNA fragment from the CEN3 region that retains full centromere function when used to replace the normal CEN3 sequence. Centromeres function equally well in either orientation, and the chromosome XI centromere (CENIT) can be used to replace CEN3, with no observable effect on mitotic or meiotic chromosome segregation. Various DNA restriction fragments occurring within the CEN3 region were used alone or in combinations to replace the normal CEN3 sequence. Yeast centromeres contain a high A+T region about 82-89 bp in length (element II) flanked by a highly conserved 11 bp sequence (III) and a less-conserved 14bp sequence (I). The experiments demonstrate that both regions II and III are necessary for normal centromere function, although centromeres containing III plus truncated or rearranged portions of the high A+T region II retain partial activity. Chromosomes of the latter type often give abnormal segregation patterns through meiosis, including separation and random segregation of sister chromatids during the first meiotic division.
Simulation of Underground Pipeline Stressed-Deformed State on Sites of Complicated Geological Conditions
Authors: Ларионов  , Larionov Valeriy , Александров  , Aleksandrov Anatoliy , Сущев  , Sushchev Sergey
Published: April 2013

In estimating the safety of underground pipeline operated in complicated engineering and geological conditions, it is necessary to know and consider the main regularities caused by pipeline interaction with soil. Presented in this article mathematical model of pipeline spatial bend under the action of group of loadings and influences allows estimate influence of complicated geological conditions and design features on pipeline’s stressed-deformed state and reliability.Keywords: acceptable risk, admissible risk, practical expediency principle.
Probabilistic and Statistical Model of Air-Drying Process in Devices for the Maintenance of Shells Under Overload Pressu
Authors: Львов  , Lvov V. , Павлихин  , Pavlikhin Gennadiy , Калугина  , Kalugina O.
Published: April 2013

Application possibility of probabilistic and statistical calculation method of adsorptive air-drying process by silica-gel in devices for the maintenance of shells under overload static pressure is shown. It is established that distribution density function change of adsorbate and adsorbed substance concentration can be described by Fokker-Plank-Kolmogorov kinetic equation. In such a case the air-drying process by silica-gel can be presented as two-modal function of distribution density.
Assessment of Durability Resource of Bent Underground Main Pipelines
Authors: Котляревский  , Kotlyarevskiy Vladimir
Published: April 2013

Assessment methods of resource and durability of bent underground main pipelines being under pressure and exposed to temperature differences are considered.
Waste Treatment In The Process Of Development Of Oil-Gas Fields
Authors: Ярыгин  , Yarygin G. , Потапенко  , Potapenko A. , Макеев  , Makeev A. , Пуртова  , Purtova E.
Published: April 2013

Problem of treatment and recycling of waste, being formed at stages of construction and operation of oil-gas fields is considered in this article. Creation of independent waste treatment object as a part of general oil-gas field infrastructure is offered.
Increasing of Heat Supply Reliability as Power Efficiency Tool in the Process of Thermal Network Operation
Authors: Зайцев  , Zaytsev V. , Галицкий  , Galitskiy V. , Гашо  , Gasho E.
Published: April 2013

Measures for increasing of heating supply reliability developed and introduced in OJSC “Moscow Heat Distribution Company” are generalized and analyzed in this article. Analysis of these measures has shown their high power efficiency. Assessment of economic and ecological-economic efficiency from introduction of measures for increasing of heating supply reliability of Moscow is also given in this article.
Noise of petrol engine with air cooling system and methods of its decrease
Authors: Тупов  , Tupov Vladimir
Published: April 2013

Process of formation of structural noise in small-sized petrol engine with air cooling is considered. It is proposed the mode of this noise calculation and rationing at an engine design stage that allows to define a necessary suppression value of structural noise and to develop the methods and means of its reduction.
Risk-Informed Approach to Safety Operation of Units of Nuclear Power Plants
Authors: Ершов  , Ershov G. , Антонов  , Antonov Aleksandr , Морозова  , Morozova O.
Published: April 2013

Safety assurance of NPP units operation is the top priority objective for operating and regulatory organizations. For the purpose of NPP safety assurance deterministic and probabilistic methods the main advantages of which are combined into risk-informed method (approach) are traditionally utilized. Nowadays the risk-informed approach has a widespread application in the riskinformed decision-making process.
Assessment of Seismic Vulnerability of the Main Pipelines in Information Deficiency Conditions
Authors: Котляревский  , Kotlyarevskiy Vladimir , Ларионов  , Larionov Valeriy , Александров  , Aleksandrov Anatoliy , Сущев  , Sushchev Sergey
Published: April 2013

Operation in difficult climatic conditions and the large extent of the main gas and oil pipelines causes the need of search of new decisions for ensuring the reliable and safe operation of pipeline transport objects. The technique offered in this article is based on the plotting of seismic vulnerability function of the main pipeline embedded in soil by calculated dynamic analysis of stresseddeformed state in conditions of experimental information lack.
Safety Problems of Ownerless Hydraulic Engineering Constructions
Authors: Щурский  , Shchurskiy O. , Пименов
Published: April 2013

The package of measures for execution of the order No. Pr-626 of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 16, 2009 on ensuring the operational reliability and safety of hydraulic engineering constructions is considered.
Identification of Fire and Explosion Danger of the Vessel Working in Liquefied Natural Gas
Authors: Новиков  , Novikov V. , Маслов  , Maslov I.
Published: April 2013

Results of fire and explosion danger identification are given for the water transport vessels working in liquefied natural gas as alternative fuel when in service.
Safety Monitoring Systems of Labor and Health Protection in Russia and European Union Countries
Authors: Левашов  , Levashov S.
Published: April 2013

Research results of Safety monitoring systems of labor and health protection in RF and EU countries are presented. Classification of systems by monitoring spheres and objects, as well as results of correlation analysis during which characteristics, merits and defects of the systems operating in EU are adduced. Recommendations on labor safety monitoring organization in RF are developed on the basis of obtained data.
Acoustic Efficiency of Individual Protection Equipment from Low- Frequency Noise And Infrasound
Authors: Россельс  , Зинкин  , Zinkin V. , Богомолов  , Bogomolov A. , Еремин  , Eremin G.
Published: April 2013

The need of expansion of range of acoustic efficiency researches related to anti-noise earphones, regulated by operating GOST, on area of frequencies from 4 to 63 Hz is proved, and experimental installation for such researches is described in this article.
Efficiency Increase Method оf Biological Treatment оf Optical Mechanics Production Sewage
Authors: Сироткин  , Sirotkin A. , Суслова  , Suslova S. , Хузяшева  , Khuzyasheva D.
Published: April 2013

Laboratory results of biological sewage treatment from ions of heavy metals and synthetic surface-active substances are discussed in this article. The data on dependence of cleared sewage’s qualitative and quantitative composition from the mixture sequence of sewage’s separate streams are obtained as a result of researches. Results on research of specific adsorption of metals by activated sludge biomass are presented. The estimated prevented ecological damage from dumping of polluting impurity to the river is calculated.
About Technogenic Risk Studying, Imperfection of Programs and Educational Process in this Area
Authors: Чура  , Chura N.
Published: April 2013

The critical comment is adduced to the educational subject program «Reliability of technical systems and technogenic risk» which author is Pereezdchikov I.V. The laboratory course option on the risk analysis is considered.
How Paris Gave Rise to Cubism (and Picasso): Ambiguity and Fragmentation in Radical Innovation
Authors: Sgourev Stoyan V.
Published: April 2013

In structural analyses of innovation, one substantive question looms large: What makes radical innovation possible if peripheral actors are more likely to originate radical ideas but are poorly positioned to promote them? An inductive study of the rise of Cubism, a revolutionary paradigm that overthrew classic principles of representation in art, results in a model where not only the periphery moves toward the core through collective action, as typically asserted, but the core also moves toward the periphery, becoming more receptive to radical ideas. The fragmentation of the art market in early 20th-century Paris served as the trigger. The proliferation of market niches and growing ambiguity over evaluation standards dramatically reduced the costs of experimentation in the periphery and the ability of the core to suppress radical ideas. A multilevel analysis linking individual creativity, peer networks, and the art field reveals how market developments fostered Spanish Cubist Pablo Picasso’s experiments and facilitated their diffusion in the absence of public support, a coherent movement, and even his active involvement. If past research attests to the importance of framing innovations and mobilizing resources in their support, this study brings attention to shifts in the structure of opportunities to do so.
Weaving Together the Normative and Regulative Roles of Government: How the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund’s Responsible Conduct Is Shaping Firms’ Cross-Border Investments
Authors: Vasudeva Gurneeta
Published: April 2013

Based on institutional theory, I extend research on the regulative role of national government in society and suggest that government exerts important influences on firms’ actions through the diffusion of norms. I suggest that the Norwegian government, by instituting an ethical council that publicly censors and certifies the cross-border investments of the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund Government Pension Fund Global, contributes to the professionalization of responsible investment principles and thus plays a normative role in shaping firms’ investments. Employing a quasi-natural experiment, I find that focal Norwegian firms are more likely to make responsible cross-border investments following the formation of the Council on Ethics in 2004 and its associated censorship announcements. Further, I find that the normative pressure for responsible investments is mediated by firms’ imitation or overlap with the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund’s investments. However, the mediated effect of normative pressure on responsible investments becomes weaker for government-owned firms. These findings highlight the importance of normative mechanisms through which government can influence firms’ behavior, especially in contexts where regulatory authority may not hold. Moreover, these findings reveal the interplay among the normative, mimetic, and regulative pressures and the heterogeneity in the extent to which firms within the same country demonstrate institutional isomorphism.
Functional Connectivity from the Amygdala to the Hippocampus Grows Stronger after Stress
Authors: Ghosh Supriya , Laxmi T. Rao , Chattarji Sumantra
Published: April 2013

The cellular and molecular effects of stress on the amygdala are strikingly different compared with those in the hippocampus. Previous findings on stress-induced plasticity were based primarily on postmortem analysis within individual areas. However, little is known about how stress affects dynamic changes and interactions in neuronal activity between the two areas. Hence, we simultaneously monitoredin vivoactivity of neuronal populations located in hippocampal areas CA1 and CA3 and the lateral amygdala (LA) in rats during and after chronic immobilization stress. The amplitude of auditory-evoked potentials (AEPs) in the hippocampus increased transiently only after a single 2 h stress but not when it was repeated for 10 d. In contrast, both acute and chronic stress caused a persistent increase in AEPs in the LA. Chronic stress also elicited a sustained increase in the LA but a decrease in the hippocampus in the evoked power of gamma and beta frequencies. Moreover, beta and gamma synchrony was reduced between areas CA1 and CA3 but enhanced between the LA and hippocampus after chronic stress. Granger causality spectra revealed a strong directional influence from the LA to area CA1 that persisted throughout and even 10 d after chronic stress. However, directional coupling from hippocampal area CA3 to CA1 became weaker at the end of chronic stress. Thus, our findings suggest that the growing dominance of amygdalar activity over the hippocampus during and even after chronic stress may contribute to the enhanced emotional symptoms, alongside impaired cognitive function, seen in stress-related psychiatric disorders.
Vision Dominates at the Preresponse Level and Audition Dominates at the Response Level in Cross-modal Interaction: Behavioral and Neural Evidence
Authors: Chen Qi , Zhou Xiaolin
Published: April 2013

There are ongoing debates on the direction of sensory dominance in cross-modal interaction. In the present study, we demonstrate that the specific direction of sensory dominance depends on the level of processing: vision dominates at earlier stages, whereas audition dominates at later stages of cognitive processing. Moreover, these dominances are subserved by different neural networks. In three experiments, human participants were asked to attend to either visual or auditory modality while ignoring simultaneous stimulus inputs from the other modality. By manipulating three levels of congruency between the simultaneous visual and auditory inputs, congruent (C), incongruent at preresponse level (PRIC), and incongruent at response level (RIC), we differentiated the cross-modal conflict explicitly into preresponse (PRIC > C) and response (RIC > PRIC) levels. Behavioral data in the three experiments consistently suggested that visual distractors caused more interference to auditory processing than vice versa (i.e., the typical visual dominance) at the preresponse level, but auditory distractors caused more interference to visual processing than vice versa (i.e., the typical auditory dominance) at the response level regardless of experimental tasks, types of stimuli, or differential processing speeds in different modalities. Dissociable neural networks were revealed, with the default mode network being involved in the visual dominance at the preresponse level and the prefrontal executive areas being involved in the auditory dominance at the response level. The default mode network may be attracted selectively by irrelevant visual, rather than auditory, information via enhanced neural coupling with the ventral visual stream, resulting in visual dominance at the preresponse level.
A Novel Nicotinic Mechanism Underlies β-Amyloid-Induced Neuronal Hyperexcitation
Authors: Liu Qiang , Xie Xitao , Lukas Ronald J. , St. John Paul A. , Wu Jie
Published: April 2013

There is a significantly elevated incidence of epilepsy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Moreover, there is neural hyperexcitation/synchronization in transgenic mice expressing abnormal levels or forms of amyloid precursor protein and its presumed, etiopathogenic product, amyloid-β1–42(Aβ). However, the underlying mechanisms of how Aβ causes neuronal hyperexcitation remain unclear. Here, we report that exposure to pathologically relevant levels of Aβ induces Aβ form-dependent, concentration-dependent, and time-dependent neuronal hyperexcitation in primary cultures of mouse hippocampal neurons. Similarly, Aβ exposure increases levels of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α7 subunit protein on the cell surface and α7-nAChR function, but not α7 subunit mRNA, suggesting post-translational upregulation of functional α7-nAChRs. These effects are prevented upon coexposure to brefeldin A, an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi protein transport, consistent with an effect on trafficking of α7 subunits and assembled α7-nAChRs to the cell surface. Aβ exposure-induced α7-nAChR functional upregulation occurs before there is expression of neuronal hyperexcitation. Pharmacological inhibition using an α7-nAChR antagonist or genetic deletion of nAChR α7 subunits prevents induction and expression of neuronal hyperexcitation. Collectively, these results, confirmed in studies using slice cultures, indicate that functional activity and perhaps functional upregulation of α7-nAChRs are necessary for production of Aβ-induced neuronal hyperexcitation and possibly AD pathogenesis. This novel mechanism involving α7-nAChRs in mediation of Aβ effects provides potentially new therapeutic targets for treatment of AD.
Short-term Depression of External Globus Pallidus-Subthalamic Nucleus Synaptic Transmission and Implications for Patterning Subthalamic Activity
Authors: Atherton Jeremy F. , Menard Ariane , Urbain Nadia , Bevan Mark D.
Published: April 2013

The frequency and pattern of activity in the reciprocally connected GABAergic external globus pallidus (GPe) and glutamatergic subthalamic nucleus (STN) are closely related to motor function. Although phasic, unitary GPe–STN inputs powerfully pattern STN activityex vivo, correlated GPe–STN activity is not normally observedin vivo. To test the hypothesis that the GPe's influence is constrained by short-term synaptic depression, unitary GPe–STN inputs were stimulated in rat and mouse brain slices at rates and in patterns that mimicked GPe activityin vivo. Together with connectivity estimates these data were then used to simulate GPe–STN transmission. Unitary GPe–STN synaptic connections initially generated large conductances and transmitted reliably. However, the amplitude and reliability of transmission declined rapidly (τ = 0.6 ± 0.5 s) to <10% of their initial values when connections were stimulated at the mean rate of GPe activityin vivo(33 Hz). Recovery from depression (τ = 17.3 ± 18.9 s) was also longer than pauses in tonic GPe activityin vivo. Depression was the result of the limited supply of release-ready vesicles and was in sharp contrast to Calyx of Held transmission, which exhibited 100% reliability. Injection of simulated GPe–STN conductances revealed that synaptic depression caused tonic, nonsynchronized GPe–STN activity to disrupt rather than abolish autonomous STN activity. Furthermore, synchronous inhibition of tonically active GPe–STN neurons or phasic activity of GPe–STN neurons reliably patterned STN activity through disinhibition and inhibition, respectively. Together, these data argue that the frequency and pattern of GPe activity profoundly influence its transmission to the STN.
Genetic Evidence for p75NTR-Dependent Tetraploidy in Cortical Projection Neurons from Adult Mice
Authors: López-Sánchez Noelia , Frade José M.
Published: April 2013

A subpopulation of chick retinal projection neurons becomes tetraploid during development, an event prevented by blocking antibodies against p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). We have used an optimized flow cytometric assay, based on the analysis of unfixed brain cell nuclei, to study whether p75NTR-dependent neuronal tetraploidization takes place in the cerebral cortex, giving rise to projection neurons as well. We show that 3% of neurons in both murine neocortex and chick telencephalic derivatives are tetraploid, and that in the mouse ∼85% of these neurons express the immediate early genes Erg-1 and c-Fos, indicating that they are functionally active. Tetraploid cortical neurons (65–80%) express CTIP2, a transcription factor specific for subcortical projection neurons in the mouse neocortex. During the period in which these neurons are born, p75NTRis detected in differentiating neurons undergoing DNA replication. Accordingly, p75NTR-deficient mice contain a reduced proportion of both NeuN and CTIP2-positive neocortical tetraploid neurons, thus providing genetic evidence for the participation of p75NTRin the induction of neuronal tetraploidy in the mouse neocortex. In the striatum tetraploidy is mainly associated with long-range projection neurons as well since ∼80% of tetraploid neurons in this structure express calbindin, a marker of neostriatal-matrix spiny neurons, known to establish long-range projections to the substantia nigra and globus pallidus. In contrast, only 20% of tetraploid cortical neurons express calbindin, which is mainly expressed in layers II–III, where CTIP2 is absent. We conclude that tetraploidy mainly affects long-range projection neurons, being facilitated by p75NTRin the neocortex.
Functional Heterogeneity in Neighboring Neurons of Cat Primary Visual Cortex in Response to Both Artificial and Natural Stimuli
Authors: Martin Kevan A.C. , Schröder Sylvia
Published: April 2013

Neurons in primary visual cortex of many mammals are clustered according to their preference to stimulus parameters such as orientation and spatial frequency. Nevertheless, responses to complex visual stimuli are highly heterogeneous between adjacent neurons. To investigate the relation between these observations, we recorded from pairs of neighboring neurons in area 17 of anesthetized cats in response to stimuli of differing complexity: sinusoidal drifting gratings, binary dense noise, and natural movies. Comparisons of the tuning curves revealed similar orientation and direction preferences for neighboring neurons, but large differences in preferred phase, direction selectivity, and tuning width of spatial frequency. No pair was similar across all tuning properties. The neurons' firing rates averaged across multiple stimulus repetitions (the “signal”) were also compared. Binned between 10 and 200 ms, the correlation between these signals was close to zero in the median across all pairs for all stimulus classes. Signal correlations agreed poorly with differences in tuning properties, except for receptive field offset and relative modulation (i.e., the strength of phase modulation). Nonetheless, signal correlations for different stimulus classes were well correlated with each other, even for gratings and movies. Conversely, trial-to-trial fluctuations (termed “noise”) were poorly correlated between neighboring neurons, suggesting low degrees of common input. In response to gratings and visual noise, signal and noise correlations were well correlated with each other, but less so for responses to movies. These findings have relevance for our understanding of the processing of natural stimuli in a functionally heterogeneous cortical network.