bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pseudo‐remote reference processing of magnetotelluric data: a fast and efficient data acquisition scheme for local arrays
Authors: Muñoz G. , Ritter O.
Published: February 2013

The basic physical properties of the magnetic source field, namely its homogeneity and spatial coherence, have been used for a variety of magnetotelluric processing techniques including remote reference processing. In the present work we propose a data acquisition and processing technique for a large number of stations distributed over a localized area ideally on a grid. For pseudo‐remote reference processing it is necessary to use the following station setup: five‐component MT data are only measured at some sites (base stations) while at the majority of sites (local stations) only the electric and vertical magnetic fields are recorded. The impedance tensor and vertical magnetic transfer functions at each local station are computed by assigning the magnetic fields of a base station to the local station as if they had been measured there. This approach can lead to biased or erroneous estimates of local transfer functions at stations in the vicinity of strong conductivity contrasts that can be corrected using the interstation transfer functions between the horizontal magnetic fields measured at the base station(s).

We test this approach with a data set collected in the vicinity of the Groß Schönebeck geothermal test site. Magnetotelluric data were collected at 146 local and 5 base stations distributed over an approximately 5 km × 25 km wide grid with site spacing ranging from 500 m × 500 m to 1000 m × 1000 m in the frequency range 128–0.001Hz. The obtained pseudo‐remote reference transfer functions are generally smooth and consistent and conductivity models obtained from 2D inversion of the data are in agreement with previous conductivity models from the study area.
An estimation method for effective stress changes in a reservoir from 4D seismics data
Authors: Garcia Alejandro , MacBeth Colin
Published: February 2013

Advances in seismics acquisition and processing and the widespread use of 4D seismics have made available reliable production‐induced subsurface deformation data in the form of overburden time‐shifts. Inversion of these data is now beginning to be used as an aid to the monitoring of a reservoir's effective stress. Past solutions to this inversion problem have relied upon analytic calculations for an unrealistically simplified subsurface, which can lead to uncertainties. To enhance the accuracy of this approach, a method based on transfer functions is proposed in which the function itself is calibrated using numerically generated overburden strain deformation calculated for a small select group of reference sources. This technique proves to be a good compromise between the faster but more accurate history match of the overburden strain using a geomechanical simulator and the slower, less accurate analytic method. Synthetic tests using a coupled geomechanical and fluid flow simulator for the South Arne field confirm the efficacy of the method. Application to measured time‐shifts from observed 4D seismics indicates compartmentalization in the Tor reservoir, more heterogeneity than is currently considered in the simulation model and moderate connectivity with the overlying Ekofisk formation.
Insight into the Work of the Clerks of the House of Lords: Some Case Studies during John Walker Senior's Occupancy of the Office of Clerk Assistant, 1670–80
Authors: Jones Clyve
Published: March 2013

During the occupancy of the office of clerk assistant in the house of lords by John Walker sr (1664–82) and his son John Walker jr (1682–1715) jottings appeared in the margins of the manuscript minutes (the preliminary stage of the Lords’ journal compiled each day on which the House sat). These jottings are concerned with the work that the clerks assistant performed as part of their ‘official’ duties, such as those concerned with the registering of proxy votes. But there are other jottings which indicate that the clerks were performing jobs for the individual members of the Lords, helping them in their own private affairs as well as helping the peers and bishops perform as lords of parliament. This article looks at the working of this system for the years 1670–80, its origins and why it ceased.
Strategies for fitting nonlinear ecological models in R, AD Model Builder, and BUGS
Authors: Bolker Benjamin M. , Gardner Beth , Maunder Mark , Berg Casper W. , Brooks Mollie , Comita Liza , Crone Elizabeth , Cubaynes Sarah , Davies Trevor , de Valpine Perry , Ford Jessica , Gimenez Olivier , Kéry Marc , Kim Eun Jung , Lennert‐Cody Cleridy , Magnusson Arni , Martell Steve , Nash John , Nielsen Anders , Regetz Jim , Skaug Hans , Zipkin Elise
Published: March 2013

Ecologists often use nonlinear fitting techniques to estimate the parameters of complex ecological models, with attendant frustration. This paper compares three open‐source model fitting tools and discusses general strategies for defining and fitting models.

R is convenient and (relatively) easy to learn, AD Model Builder is fast and robust but comes with a steep learning curve, while BUGS provides the greatest flexibility at the price of speed.

Our model‐fitting suggestions range from general cultural advice (where possible, use the tools and models that are most common in your subfield) to specific suggestions about how to change the mathematical description of models to make them more amenable to parameter estimation.

A companion web site (https://groups.nceas.ucsb.edu/non-linear-modeling/projects) presents detailed examples of application of the three tools to a variety of typical ecological estimation problems; each example links both to a detailed project report and to full source code and data.
Timing and intensity of bush cricket predation on egg batches of pine processionary moth: no evidence of population control
Authors: Hódar José A. , Torres‐Muros Lucía , Senhadji Karim
Published: March 2013

Bush crickets (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) are known predators of egg batches of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Denis and Schiffermüller, Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), a severe pest in Mediterranean pine woodlands. Bush crickets have been proposed as biological control agents of T. pityocampa populations, although their characteristics as generalist predators suggest that this would be possible only during the low‐density phases of the processionary population cycle.

We combined observational and experimental approaches aiming to determine the role played by the bush cricket Steropleurus andalusius as a regulator of T. pityocampa.

The synchrony of the phenology of T. pityocampa egg batches and the activity of bush crickets was poor, with the activity of bush crickets being longer than the period during which egg batches were available.

The predation rate of bush crickets reached 23%, varied in time and space, and was independent of T. pityocampa egg‐batch density. There was no relationship between the egg‐batch densities and bush cricket abundance, and no response to experimental variations in egg‐batch density.

Analysis of microhabitat selection suggests that T. pityocampa egg‐batch predation is a by‐product of the substrate selected by bush crickets for mating, and does not correspond with active searching of egg batches as food.

These findings do not rule out the possibilty of bush crickets being natural regulators of T. pityocampa populations, although they impose limits with respect to their future use in biological control.
Decreasing mortality and changing patterns of causes of death in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study
Authors: Weber R , Ruppik M , Rickenbach M , Spoerri A , Furrer H , Battegay M , Cavassini M , Calmy A , Bernasconi E , Schmid P , Flepp M , Kowalska J , Ledergerber B ,   Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS)
Published: March 2013

Background

Mortality among HIV‐infected persons is decreasing, and causes of death are changing. Classification of deaths is hampered because of low autopsy rates, frequent deaths outside of hospitals, and shortcomings of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD‐10) coding.

Methods

We studied mortality among Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS) participants (1988–2010) and causes of death using the Coding Causes of Death in HIV (CoDe) protocol (2005–2009). Furthermore, we linked the SHCS data to the Swiss National Cohort (SNC) cause of death registry.

Results

AIDS‐related mortality peaked in 1992 [11.0/100 person‐years (PY)] and decreased to 0.144/100 PY (2006); non‐AIDS‐related mortality ranged between 1.74 (1993) and 0.776/100 PY (2006); mortality of unknown cause ranged between 2.33 and 0.206/100 PY. From 2005 to 2009, 459 of 9053 participants (5.1%) died. Underlying causes of deaths were: non‐AIDS malignancies [total, 85 (19%) of 446 deceased persons with known hepatitis C virus (HCV) status; HCV‐negative persons, 59 (24%); HCV‐coinfected persons, 26 (13%)]; AIDS [73 (16%); 50 (21%); 23 (11%)]; liver failure [67 (15%); 12 (5%); 55 (27%)]; non‐AIDS infections [42 (9%); 13 (5%); 29 (14%)]; substance use [31 (7%); 9 (4%); 22 (11%)]; suicide [28 (6%); 17 (7%), 11 (6%)]; myocardial infarction [28 (6%); 24 (10%), 4 (2%)]. Characteristics of deceased persons differed in 2005 vs. 2009: median age (45 vs. 49 years, respectively); median CD4 count (257 vs. 321 cells/μL, respectively); the percentage of individuals who were antiretroviral therapy‐naïve (13 vs. 5%, respectively); the percentage of deaths that were AIDS‐related (23 vs. 9%, respectively); and the percentage of deaths from non‐AIDS‐related malignancies (13 vs. 24%, respectively). Concordance in the classification of deaths was 72% between CoDe and ICD‐10 coding in the SHCS; and 60% between the SHCS and the SNC registry.

Conclusions

Mortality in HIV‐positive persons decreased to 1.33/100 PY in 2010. Hepatitis B or C virus coinfections increased the risk of death. Between 2005 and 2009, 84% of deaths were non‐AIDS‐related. Causes of deaths varied according to data source and coding system.
Travail et droits
Authors: SEN Amartya
Published: March 2013

Consacré en 1998 par le prix Nobel d'économie, A. Sen, auteur des plus créatifs qui se situe à la rencontre de l'économie et de la philosophie, s'est attaquéà la question de l'emploi dans un ouvrage de référence intituléEmployment, technology and development; A study prepared for the ILO within the framework of the world employment programme qu'il a écrit pour le BIT en 1975 et dont il a tiré un article pour la Revue internationale du Travail [… lire la suite].
Fragmentation of an aflatoxin‐like gene cluster in a forest pathogen
Authors: Bradshaw Rosie E. , Slot Jason C. , Moore Geromy G. , Chettri Pranav , de Wit Pierre J. G. M. , Ehrlich Kenneth C. , Ganley Austen R. D. , Olson Malin A. , Rokas Antonis , Carbone Ignazio , Cox Murray P.
Published: March 2013

Plant pathogens use a complex arsenal of weapons, such as toxic secondary metabolites, to invade and destroy their hosts. Knowledge of how secondary metabolite pathways evolved is central to understanding the evolution of host specificity. The secondary metabolite dothistromin is structurally similar to aflatoxins and is produced by the fungal pine pathogenDothistroma septosporum. Our study focused on dothistromin genes, which are widely dispersed across one chromosome, to determine whether this unusual distributed arrangement evolved from an ancestral cluster.

We combined comparative genomics and population genetics approaches to elucidate the origins of the dispersed arrangement of dothistromin genes over a broad evolutionary time‐scale at the phylum, class and species levels.

Orthologs of dothistromin genes were found in two major classes of fungi. Their organization is consistent with clustering of core pathway genes in a common ancestor, but with intermediate cluster fragmentation states in theDothideomycetes fungi. Recombination hotspots in aD. septosporumpopulation matched sites of gene acquisition and cluster fragmentation at higher evolutionary levels.

The results suggest that fragmentation of a larger ancestral cluster gave rise to the arrangement seen inD. septosporum. We propose that cluster fragmentation may facilitate metabolic retooling and subsequent host adaptation of plant pathogens.
Prospective and concurrent correlates of emotion perception in psychotic disorders: A naturalistic, longitudinal study of neurocognition, affective blunting and avolition
Authors: Vaskinn Anja , Johnsen Erik , Jørgensen Hugo A. , Kroken Rune A. , Løberg Else‐Marie
Published: March 2013

This naturalistic study investigated longitudinal and cross‐sectional symptomatic and neurocognitive correlates of social cognition indexed by emotion perception. Participants were 31 persons admitted to a psychiatric emergency ward due to acute psychosis. Positive and negative (i.e., affective blunting and avolition) symptoms were assessed at baseline and 12‐month follow‐up using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Participants completed neuropsychological assessments with alternative versions of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status at baseline and at 12‐month follow‐up. Emotion perception was measured using the Face/Voice Emotion Test at 12‐month follow‐up. Correlational analyses (Spearman's rho) revealed strong and statistically significant associations between neurocognition and emotion perception (baseline r = 0.58, follow‐up r = 0.43). Associations between positive symptoms and emotion perception were weak or non‐existent (baseline r = 0.13, follow‐up r  =  –0.01). Emotion perception was moderately, but not significantly, associated with affective blunting at follow‐up (r = 0.33), but not at baseline (r = 0.21). The association with avolition was non‐existent (baseline r  =  –0.05, follow‐up r = 0.01). This study supports the notion that emotion perception has neurocognitive correlates. The cross‐sectional trend level association with affective blunting suggests that the ability to perceive emotions might be related to, but dissociable from the ability to express emotions.
Patient QA systems for rotational radiation therapy: A comparative experimental study with intentional errors
Authors: Fredh Anna , Scherman Jonas Bengtsson , Fog Lotte S. , Munck af Rosenschöld Per
Published: March 2013

Purpose:

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability of commercial patient quality assurance (QA) systems to detect linear accelerator‐related errors.

Methods:

Four measuring systems (Delta4®, OCTAVIUS®, COMPASS, and Epiqa™) designed for patient specific quality assurance for rotational radiation therapy were compared by measuring four clinical rotational intensity modulated radiation therapy plans as well as plans with introduced intentional errors. The intentional errors included increasing the number of monitor units, widening of the MLC banks, and rotation of the collimator. The measurements were analyzed using the inherent gamma evaluation with 2% and 2 mm criteria and 3% and 3 mm criteria. When applicable, the plans with intentional errors were compared with the original plans both by 3D gamma evaluation and by inspecting the dose volume histograms produced by the systems.

Results:

There was considerable variation in the type of errors that the various systems detected; the failure rate for the plans with errors varied between 0% and 72%. When using 2% and 2 mm criteria and 95% as a pass rate the Delta4® detected 15 of 20 errors, OCTAVIUS® detected 8 of 20 errors, COMPASS detected 8 of 20 errors, and Epiqa™ detected 20 of 20 errors. It was also found that the calibration and measuring procedure could benefit from improvements for some of the patient QA systems.

Conclusions:

The various systems can detect various errors and the sensitivity to the introduced errors depends on the plan. There was poor correlation between the gamma evaluation pass rates of the QA procedures and the deviations observed in the dose volume histograms.
Are Species Special?
The Ethics of Species
An Introduction

by Ronald L. Sandler

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2012. 245 pp. $85, £50. ISBN 9781107023468. Paper, $29.99, £18.99. ISBN 9781107658707.
Authors: Hughes P. William
Published: February 2013

Drawing on virtue ethics, Sandler offers a philosophical perspective on the value of species.
Two Indistinguishable Electrons Interfere in an Electronic Device
Authors: Schönenberger Christian
Published: February 2013

An electronic device that entangles indistinguishable electrons from two independent sources has applications in quantum information processing.

[Also see Report by

Bocquillon
et al.

]
Why National Science Academies?
Authors: Alberts Bruce
Published: February 2013

Next Week Marks the 150th Anniversary of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. In the midst of the Civil War, a bill introduced by Congressman Henry Wilson of Massachusetts was passed on 3 March 1863 and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln the same day. The Academy's charter thus created stipulated that a new Academy, formed by a group of not more than 50 of the nation's best scientists, "… shall, whenever called upon by any department of the Government, investigate, examine, experiment, and report upon any subject of science or art … but the Academy shall receive no compensation whatever for any services to the Government of the United States." Lacking funds, the new Academy got off to a very shaky start.
*
But today it thrives as part of the influential National Academies, the name given to the expanded institution that now includes the National Research Council, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Why has this organization prospered and grown over the course of the past 150 years? Critical to success is its unique mission to provide independent, evidence-based scientific advice to the nation's policy-makers.
Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Strain ATCC 23506 (Serovar O10:K5:H4)
Authors: Cress Brady F. , Greene Zachary R. , Linhardt Robert J. , Koffas Mattheos A. G.
Published: March 2013

We report the 5.101-Mbp high-quality draft assembly of the
Escherichia coli
strain ATCC 23506 (serovar O10:K5:H4, also known as NCDC Bi 8337-41) genome. This uropathogenic strain, commonly referred to as
E. coli
K5, produces
N
-acetyl heparosan, a glycosaminoglycan-like capsular polysaccharide and precursor to the anticoagulant pharmaceutical heparin. Metabolic reconstruction of this genome will enable the prediction of gene deletions and overexpressions that lead to increased heparosan production.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Myovirus Which Infects Atypical Strains of Edwardsiella tarda
Authors: Yasuike Motoshige , Sugaya Emi , Nakamura Yoji , Shigenobu Yuya , Kawato Yasuhiko , Kai Wataru , Nagai Satoshi , Fujiwara Atushi , Sano Motohiko , Kobayashi Takanori , Nakai Toshihiro
Published: March 2013

We present the genome sequence of a novel
Edwardsiella tarda
-lytic bacteriophage, MSW-3, which specifically infects atypical
E. tarda
strains. The morphological and genomic features of MSW-3 suggest that this phage is a new member of the dwarf myoviruses, which have been much less studied than other groups of myoviruses.
Plasmin-Mediated Activation of Pandemic H1N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Is Independent of the Viral Neuraminidase
Authors: Tse Longping V. , Marcano Valerie C. , Huang Weishan , Pocwierz Misty S. , Whittaker Gary R.
Published: March 2013

Influenza virus is well recognized to modulate host tropism and pathogenesis based on mutations in the proteolytic cleavage site of the viral hemagglutinin (HA), which activates HA and exposes the fusion peptide for membrane fusion. Instead of the conventional trypsin-mediated cleavage event, modification of the cleavage site allows extended use of host cell proteases and enhanced spread
in vivo
. For H1N1 influenza viruses, the mouse-adapted A/WSN/33 strain is known to replicate in the brain based on recruitment of plasminogen by the viral neuraminidase (NA), as well as a Ser-Tyr substitution at the P2 position of the HA cleavage site. Here, we show that an equivalent Ser-Tyr substitution has occurred in the HA of naturally occurring human H1N1 influenza viruses. We characterize one of these viruses (A/Beijing/718/2009), as well as the prototype A/California/04/2009 with a Ser-Tyr substitution in the cleavage site, and show that these HAs are preferentially cleaved by plasmin. Importantly, cleavage activation by plasmin/plasminogen was independent of the viral NA, suggesting a novel mechanism for HA cleavage activation. We show that the viral HA itself can recruit plasminogen for HA cleavage. We further show that cellular factors, as well as streptokinase from bacteria commonly coinfecting the respiratory tract of influenza patients, can be a source of activated plasminogen for plasmin-mediated cleavage of influenza virus HAs that contain a Ser-Tyr substitution in the cleavage site.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Encoded Viral IRF3 Modulates Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II (MHC-II) Antigen Presentation through MHC-II Transactivator-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms: Implications for Oncogenesis
Authors: Zuo Jianmin , Hislop Andrew D. , Leung Carol S. , Sabbah Shereen , Rowe Martin
Published: March 2013

Evasion of immune T cell responses is crucial for persistent viruses to establish a normal carrier state. Most studies on active immune modulation mechanisms have focused on the stage of virus production in infected cells, when large numbers of viral antigens and potential immune modulators are expressed. For oncogenic viruses such as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), which is carried as a lifelong infection, usually with little harmful effect, but can cause various tumors, the immune evasion strategies can also be relevant in the context of tumorigenesis. Here we report that the virus-encoded interferon regulatory factor 3 (vIRF3) latent viral gene expressed in KSHV-related tumors functions as a potent immunevasin. Expression of vIRF3 downregulates surface major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) DR expression with slow kinetics but, more importantly, can substantially inhibit recognition by KSHV-specific CD4 T cells prior to its effects on MHC-II DR downregulation in model cell systems. This property of vIRF3 is only partly due to its ability to inhibit the transcription of CIITA and, thus, MHC-II expression; CIITA-independent inhibition of MHC-II transcripts and another as yet unidentified posttranscriptional mechanism are also involved in qualitatively modulating the availability of specific peptide/MHC-II complexes at the cell surface. Consistent with these observations, the vIRF3-expressing KSHV-associated primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) lines are generally resistant to recognition by KSHV-specific CD4 T cells. Interestingly, some PEL lines exhibit small subpopulations with lower vIRF3 expression that can be recognized. These data implicate vIRF3 as a critical determinant of the MHC-II antigen presentation function in KSHV-associated PELs that is likely to be important in the pathogenesis of these tumors.
Maribavir Inhibits Epstein-Barr Virus Transcription through the EBV Protein Kinase
Authors: Whitehurst Christopher B. , Sanders Marcia K. , Law Mankit , Wang Fu-Zhang , Xiong Jie , Dittmer Dirk P. , Pagano Joseph S.
Published: March 2013

Maribavir (MBV) inhibits Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) replication and the enzymatic activity of the viral protein kinase BGLF4. MBV also inhibits expression of multiple EBV transcripts during EBV lytic infection. Here we demonstrate, with the use of a BGLF4 knockout virus, that effects of MBV on transcription take place primarily through inhibition of BGLF4. MBV inhibits viral genome copy numbers and infectivity to levels similar to and exceeding levels produced by BGLF4 knockout virus.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of hard palate with coincidental metastases to lung and liver
Authors: Akhavan Ali , Binesh Fariba , Navabii Hossein
Published: February 2013

Adenoid cystic carcinoma is the most frequent pathology occurring in the minor salivary glands .It is usually slow growing; however, it can spread via perineural invasion, haematogenous and lymphatogenous metastasis. Most common sites of metastasis are lung and bone. Involvement of the other sites is not common. In this article, we present a woman with coincident lung and liver metastases.
Rarity and reproductive biology: habitat specialists reveal a complex relationship
Authors: Miller-Struttmann Nicole E.
Published: February 2013

Understanding how species with historically fragmented populations are able to persist will provide insights into which factors may be important for the maintenance of newly fragmented populations. Plants with fragmented and isolated populations, such as habitat-specialist (HS) species, are likely less attractive to pollinators and may have adaptive traits that compensate for these distributional challenges, such as larger flowers and more specialized pollination systems. If they do not have these adaptations, HS species are predicted to have lower reproductive success and be more pollen limited than widespread species. Here, I test three predictions concerning differences in reproductive traits that are known to affect attractiveness to pollinators, pollen receipt, and reproductive success, by comparing three HS species to congeneric species with broader habitat use (HT, habitat tolerators). Two of the three HS species lend partial support to the predictions that HS species have larger floral displays and more specialized pollination systems. The third HS species did not have either of these traits but did have lower relative seedset compared to its matched HT. These results provide preliminary support for a positive relationship between habitat specificity and pollination specialization, and for the role of low fecundity in contributing to range restriction of HS species.
THE SUBGROUP IDENTIFICATION PROBLEM FOR FINITELY PRESENTED GROUPS
Authors: CHIODO MAURICE
Published: March 2013

We introduce the subgroup identification problem, show that there is a finitely presented group G for which it is unsolvable, and show that it is uniformly solvable in the class of finitely presented locally Hopfian groups. This is done as an investigation into the difference between strong and weak effective coherence for finitely presented groups.
THEORETICAL STUDIES ON THE CONFORMATION AND COORDINATION OFN-(1-PHENYL-3-METHYL-4-PROPENYLIDENE-5-PYRAZOLONE)-SALICYLIDENE
Authors: LIU ANJIE , YANG YINLING , JIA DIANZENG , WU DONGLING , LIU LANG , GUO JIXI
Published: February 2013

Density functional theory (DFT) calculation has been carried out to investigate the isomers of N -(1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-propenylidene-5-pyrazolone)-salicylidene. Chemical potential, chemical hardness and global electrophilicity, which are considered as global indices, have been calculated to assess the stability and reactivity of the tautomers. The condensed Fukui function is calculated for predicting the most probable sites for electrophilic attack. Molecular electrostatic potential is calculated to predict the regions for electrophilic attack.
STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETIC PHASE TRANSITIONS OF BiFeO3 INDUCED BY PRESSURE
Authors: FENG HONG-JIAN , HU XIAOYUN , CHEN HUIJUAN
Published: February 2013

First-principles calculations on BiFeO3 under low-pressure region show that the rhombohedral-monoclinic and rhombohedral-orthorhombic phase transitions can be found around the critical pressure value, ~9 GPa.We suggest that the structure involve the combination of these three phases and change to the pure orthorhombic phase gradually as pressure is beyond the critical value. Moreover, it is a first-order structural phase transition, accompanied with antiferromagnetic–ferromagnetic transition.
GLUON SCATTERING AMPLITUDES FROM GAUGE/STRING DUALITY AND INTEGRABILITY
Authors: SATOH YUJI
Published: March 2013

We discuss gluon scattering amplitudes/null-polygonal Wilson loops of [Formula: see text] super Yang-Mills theory at strong coupling based on the gauge/string duality and its underlying integrability. We focus on the amplitudes/Wilson loops corresponding to the minimal surfaces in AdS3, which are described by the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz equations of the homogeneous sine-Gordon model. Using conformal perturbation theory and an interesting relation between the g-function (boundary entropy) and the T-function, we derive analytic expansions around the limit where the Wilson loops become regular-polygonal. We also compare our analytic results with those at two loops, to find that the rescaled remainder functions are close to each other for all multi-point amplitudes.
HOLOGRAPHIC WILSONIAN RENORMALIZATION GROUP
Authors: ELANDER DANIEL , ISONO HIROSHI , MANDAL GAUTAM
Published: March 2013

We report on our recent studies on holographic Wilsonian renormalization group in a general class of asymptotically AdS backgrounds with a Maxwell gauge field.
ONE-LOOP VACUUM ENERGY AT THE TACHYON VACUUM
Authors: INATOMI SHOKO
Published: March 2013

We consider one-loop vacuum energy at the tachyon vacuum in cubic bosonic open string field theory. The BRST operator Ql in the theory around an identity-based solution is believed to represent a kinetic operator at the tachyon vacuum. Using homotopy operators for Ql, we find that one-loop vacuum energy at the tachyon vacuum is independent of moduli such as interbrane distances. This result can be interpreted as support for the annihilation of D-branes at the tachyon vacuum even in the quantum theory.
MDCT-based quantification of porcine pulmonary arterial morphometry and self-similarity of arterial branching geometry
Authors: Lee Yik Ching , Clark Alys R. , Fuld Matthew K. , Haynes Susan , Divekar Abhay A. , Hoffman Eric A. , Tawhai Merryn H.
Published: March 2013

The pig is frequently used as an experimental model for studies of the pulmonary circulation, yet the branching and dimensional geometry of the porcine pulmonary vasculature remains poorly defined. The purposes of this study are to improve the geometric definition of the porcine pulmonary arteries and to determine whether the arterial tree exhibits self-similarity in its branching geometry. Five animals were imaged using thin slice spiral computed tomography in the prone posture during airway inflation pressure at 25 cmH2O. The luminal diameter and distance from the inlet of the left and right pulmonary arteries were measured along the left and right main arterial pathway in each lung of each animal. A further six minor pathways were measured in a single animal. The similarity in the rate of reduction of diameter with distance of all minor pathways and the two main pathways, along with similarity in the number of branches arising along the pathways, supports self-similarity in the arterial tree. The rate of reduction in diameter with distance from the inlet was not significantly different among the five animals ( P > 0.48) when normalized for main pulmonary artery diameter and total main artery pathlength, which supports intersubject similarity. Other metrics to quantify the tree geometry are strikingly similar to those from airways of other quadrupeds, with the exception of a significantly larger length to diameter ratio, which is more appropriate for the vascular tree. A simplifying self-similar model for the porcine pulmonary arteries is proposed to capture the important geometric features of the arterial tree.
Prior caloric restriction increases survival of prepubertal obese- and PCOS-prone rats exposed to a challenge of time-limited feeding and physical activity
Authors: Diane Abdoulaye , Vine Donna F. , Heth C. Donald , Russell James C. , Proctor Spencer D. , Pierce W. David
Published: March 2013

We hypothesized that a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) background associated with obese-prone genotype, coupled with preconditioning by caloric restriction, would confer a survival benefit in genetically prepubertal obese/PCOS (O/PCOS)-prone rats faced with an unpredictable challenge of food shortage. Female, juvenile JCR:LA-cp rats, O/PCOS- and lean-prone, were exposed to 1.5 h of daily meals and 22.5 h of voluntary wheel-running, a procedure that leads to activity anorexia (AA). One week before the AA challenge (AAC), O/PCOS-prone rats were freely fed (O/PCOS-FF) or pair fed (O/PCOS-FR) to lean-prone, free-feeding animals (Lean-FF). O/PCOS-FR and lean-prone, food-restricted (Lean-FR) groups were matched on relative average caloric intake. Animals were removed from protocol at 75% of initial body weight (starvation criterion) or after 14 days (survival criterion). The AAC induced weight loss in all rats, but there were significant effects of both genotype and feeding history on weight loss (lean-prone rats exhibited a higher rate of weight loss than O/PCOS-prone; P < 0.001), and rats with prior caloric restriction retained more weight than those free fed previously (90.68 ± 0.59% vs. 85.47 ± 0.46%; P < 0.001). The daily rate of running was higher in lean-prone rats compared with O/PCOS-prone. This difference in running rate correlated with differences in mean days of survival. All O/PCOS-FR rats survived at day 14. O/PCOS-FF rats survived longer (10.00 ± 0.97 days) than Lean-FR (6.17 ± 1.58 days) and Lean-FF (4.33 ± 0.42 days) rats ( P < 0.05). Thus preconditioning by caloric restriction induces a substantial survival advantage, beyond genotype alone, in prepubertal O/PCOS-prone rats.
The zona incerta modulates spontaneous spike-wave discharges in the rat
Authors: Shaw Fu-Zen , Liao Yi-Fang , Chen Ruei-Feng , Huang Yu-Hsing , Lin Rick C. S.
Published: February 2013

The contribution of the zona incerta (ZI) of the thalamus on spike-wave discharges (SWDs) was investigated. Chronic recordings of bilateral cortices, bilateral vibrissa muscle, and unilateral ZI were performed in Long-Evans rats to examine the functional role of SWDs. Rhythmic ZI activity appeared at the beginning of SWD and was accompanied by higher-oscillation frequencies and larger spike magnitudes. Bilateral lidocaine injections into the mystacial pads led to a decreased oscillation frequency of SWDs, but the phenomenon of ZI-related spike magnitude enhancement was preserved. Moreover, 800-Hz ZI microstimulation terminates most of the SWDs and whisker twitching (WT; >80%). In contrast, 200-Hz ZI microstimulation selectively stops WTs but not SWDs. Stimulation of the thalamic ventroposteriomedial nucleus showed no obvious effect on terminating SWDs. A unilateral ZI lesion resulted in a significant reduction of 7- to 12-Hz power of both the ipsilateral cortical and contralateral vibrissae muscle activities during SWDs. Intraincertal microinfusion of muscimol showed a significant inhibition on SWDs. Our present data suggest that the ZI actively modulates the SWD magnitude and WT behavior.
Animal-to-animal variability in the phasing of the crustacean cardiac motor pattern: an experimental and computational analysis
Authors: Williams Alex H. , Kwiatkowski Molly A. , Mortimer Adam L. , Marder Eve , Zeeman Mary Lou , Dickinson Patsy S.
Published: February 2013

The cardiac ganglion (CG) of Homarus americanus is a central pattern generator that consists of two oscillatory groups of neurons: “small cells” (SCs) and “large cells” (LCs). We have shown that SCs and LCs begin their bursts nearly simultaneously but end their bursts at variable phases. This variability contrasts with many other central pattern generator systems in which phase is well maintained. To determine both the consequences of this variability and how CG phasing is controlled, we modeled the CG as a pair of Morris-Lecar oscillators coupled by electrical and excitatory synapses and constructed a database of 15,000 simulated networks using random parameter sets. These simulations, like our experimental results, displayed variable phase relationships, with the bursts beginning together but ending at variable phases. The model suggests that the variable phasing of the pattern has important implications for the functional role of the excitatory synapses. In networks in which the two oscillators had similar duty cycles, the excitatory coupling functioned to increase cycle frequency. In networks with disparate duty cycles, it functioned to decrease network frequency. Overall, we suggest that the phasing of the CG may vary without compromising appropriate motor output and that this variability may critically determine how the network behaves in response to manipulations.
Torricelli and the Ocean of Air: The First Measurement of Barometric Pressure
Authors: West John B.
Published: March 2013

The recognition of barometric pressure was a critical step in the development of environmental physiology. In 1644, Evangelista Torricelli described the first mercury barometer in a remarkable letter that contained the phrase, “We live submerged at the bottom of an ocean of the element air, which by unquestioned experiments is known to have weight.” This extraordinary insight seems to have come right out of the blue. Less than 10 years before, the great Galileo had given an erroneous explanation for the related problem of pumping water from a deep well. Previously, Gasparo Berti had filled a very long lead vertical tube with water and showed that a vacuum formed at the top. However, Torricelli was the first to make a mercury barometer and understand that the mercury was supported by the pressure of the air. Aristotle stated that the air has weight, although this was controversial for some time. Galileo described a method of measuring the weight of the air in detail, but for reasons that are not clear his result was in error by a factor of about two. Torricelli surmised that the pressure of the air might be less on mountains, but the first demonstration of this was by Blaise Pascal. The first air pump was built by Otto von Guericke, and this influenced Robert Boyle to carry out his classical experiments of the physiological effects of reduced barometric pressure. These were turning points in the early history of high-altitude physiology.
Cross Sections of Charged Current Neutrino Scattering off132Xe for the Supernova Detection
Authors: Divari P. C.
Published: March 2013

The total cross sections as well as the neutrino event rates are calculated in the charged current neutrino and antineutrino scattering off132Xe isotope at neutrino energiesEv<100 MeV. Transitions to excited nuclear states are calculated in the framework of quasiparticle random-phase approximation. The contributions from different multipoles are shown for various neutrino energies. Flux-averaged cross sections are obtained by convolving the cross sections with a two-parameter Fermi-Dirac distribution. The flux-averaged cross sections are also calculated using terrestrial neutrino sources based on conventional sources (muon decay at rest) or on low-energy beta-beams.
Longitudinal Changes in the Government-Certified Index Stage and Requisite Costs for Long-Term Care Insurance System among the Community-Dwelling Demented Elderly in Japan
Authors: Shinagawa Shunichiro , Nakamura Shiori , Iwamoto Makoto , Tsuno Norifumi , Shigeta Masahiro , Nakayama Kazuhiko
Published: March 2013

Background. A new public long-term care (LTC) insurance was launched in 2000 in Japan. However, there have been few studies involving factors that increase LTC costs of demented subjects; no follow-up studies involving the Government-Certified Index (GCI) and requisite costs related to the causes of dementia.Method. An epidemiological survey was conducted in a rural area in Japan in 1999, and 271 subjects were diagnosed as dementia patients. Age, sex, mini-mental state examination, clinical dementia rating, activity of daily living, causes of dementia, and coexisting physical disease were confirmed. After the LTC insurance has been launched, we tracked the GCI stages and payment amounts every month for 8 years.Result. 209 subjects were certified to be eligible for LTC insurance; however, 13 did not receive any payment. Only 49 out of 209 were alive after the follow-up period. The most common cause of dementia was Alzheimer’s disease (AD), followed by vascular dementia (VaD). There was no significant difference between the mortality rates of the two groups. VaD subjects required higher costs than AD subjects in the total certified period and in GCI stage 5.Conclusion. Our results indicate that causes of dementia can have an impact on the requisite costs for the LTC insurance.
PPAR Activation Induces M1 Macrophage Polarization via cPLA2-COX-2 Inhibition, Activating ROS Production againstLeishmania mexicana
Authors: Díaz-Gandarilla J. A. , Osorio-Trujillo C. , Hernández-Ramírez V. I. , Talamás-Rohana P.
Published: March 2013

Defence againstLeishmaniadepends upon Th1 inflammatory response and, a major problem in susceptible models, is the turnoff of the leishmanicidal activity of macrophages with IL-10, IL-4, and COX-2 upregulation, as well as immunosuppressive PGE2, all together inhibiting the respiratory burst. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) activation is responsible for macrophages polarization onLeishmaniasusceptible models where microbicide functions are deactivated. In this paper, we demonstrated that, at least forL. mexicana, PPAR activation, mainly PPARγ, induced macrophage activation through their polarization towards M1 profile with the increase of microbicide activity against intracellular pathogenL. mexicana. PPAR activation induced IL-10 downregulation, whereas the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 remained high. Moreover, PPAR agonists treatment induced the deactivation of cPLA2-COX-2-prostaglandins pathway together with an increase in TLR4 expression, all of whose criteria meet the M1 macrophage profile. Finally, parasite burden, in treated macrophages, was lower than that in infected nontreated macrophages, most probably associated with the increase of respiratory burst in these treated cells. Based on the above data, we conclude that PPAR agonists used in this work induces M1 macrophages polarization via inhibition of cPLA2and the increase of aggressive microbicidal activity via reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.
An Anchor-Free Localization Scheme with Kalman Filtering in ZigBee Sensor Network
Authors: Isokawa Teijiro , Motomura Shun , Ohtsuka Junya , Kawa Hironobu , Nakashima Satoshi , Kamiura Naotake , Matsui Nobuyuki
Published: March 2013

A localization scheme for wireless sensor networks is proposed and its performances are investigated in this paper. The proposed scheme is an anchor-free scheme, in which no geometrical information of sensor nodes is required for their localization. Thus, only local interaction among sensor nodes is used to estimate their locations. This scheme employs the link quality indicator and hop count between sensor nodes for location estimation. A weighted averaging and Kalman filtering schemes are incorporated in order to reduce the effects of the measurement errors in the obtained values of the link quality indicator. We performed experiments by implementing the proposed scheme on ZigBee sensor modules. The results of our experiments indicate that estimation could be successfully performed for networks comprising four sensor nodes.
Histological and Immunohistochemical Revision of Hepatocellular Adenomas: A Learning Experience
Authors: Fonseca S. , Hoton D. , Dardenne S. , Annet L. , Hubert C. , Godecharles S. , Jouret-Mourin A. , Reding R. , Otte J. B. , Rahier J. , Gigot J. F. , Sempoux C.
Published: March 2013

Light has been shed on the genotype/phenotype correlation in hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) recognizingHNF1α-inactivated HCA (H-HCA), inflammatory HCA (IHCA), andβ-catenin-activated HCA (b-HCA). We reviewed retrospectively our surgical HCA series to learn how to recognize the different subtypes histopathologically and how to interpret adequately their immunohistochemical staining. From January 1992 to January 2012, 37 patients underwent surgical resection for HCA in our institution. Nine had H-HCA (25%) characterized by steatosis and loss of L-FABP expression; 20 had IHCA (55.5%) showing CRP and/or SAA expression, sinusoidal dilatation, and variable inflammation; and 1 patient had both H-HCA and IHCA. In 5 patients (14%), b-HCA with GS andβ-catenin nuclear positivity was diagnosed, two already with hepatocellular carcinoma. Two cases (5.5%) remained unclassified. One of the b-HCA showed also the H-HCA histological and immunohistochemical characteristics suggesting a subgroup ofβ-catenin-activated/HNF1α-inactivated HCA, another b-HCA exhibited the IHCA histological and immunohistochemical characteristics suggesting a subgroup ofβ-catenin-activated/inflammatory HCA. Interestingly, three patients had underlying vascular abnormalities. Using the recently published criteria enabled us to classify histopathologically our retrospective HCA surgical series with accurate recognition of b-HCA for which we confirm the higher risk of malignant transformation. We also underlined the association between HCA and vascular abnormalities.
Spontaneous Type 2 Diabetic Rodent Models
Authors: Wang Yang-wei , Sun Guang-dong , Sun Jing , Liu Shu-jun , Wang Ji , Xu Xiao-hong , Miao Li-ning
Published: March 2013

Diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes (T2DM), is one of the most common chronic diseases and continues to increase in numbers with large proportion of health care budget being used. Many animal models have been established in order to investigate the mechanisms and pathophysiologic progress of T2DM and find effective treatments for its complications. On the basis of their strains, features, advantages, and disadvantages, various types of animal models of T2DM can be divided into spontaneously diabetic models, artificially induced diabetic models, and transgenic/knockout diabetic models. Among these models, the spontaneous rodent models are used more frequently because many of them can closely describe the characteristic features of T2DM, especially obesity and insulin resistance. In this paper, we aim to investigate the current available spontaneous rodent models for T2DM with regard to their characteristic features, advantages, and disadvantages, and especially to describe appropriate selection and usefulness of different spontaneous rodent models in testing of various new antidiabetic drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Lactobacillus plantarumLG42 Isolated from Gajami Sik-Hae Inhibits Adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 Adipocyte
Authors: Park Jeong-Eun , Oh Suk-Heung , Cha Youn-Soo
Published: March 2013

We investigated whether lactic acid bacteria isolated from gajami sik-hae (GLAB) are capable of reducing the intracellular lipid accumulation by downregulating the expression of adipogenesis-related genes in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The GLAB,Lactobacillus plantarumLG42, significantly decreased the intracellular triglyceride storage and the glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in a dose-dependent manner. mRNA expression of transcription factors like peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γand CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP)αinvolved in adipogenesis was markedly decreased by the GLAB treatment. Moreover, the GLAB also decreased the expression level of adipogenic markers like adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2), leptin, GPDH, and fatty acid translocase (CD36) significantly. These results suggest that the GLAB inhibits lipid accumulation in the differentiated adipocyte through downregulating the expression of adipogenic transcription factors and other specific genes involved in lipid metabolism.