bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Profitable Participation: Technology Innovation as an Influence on the Ratification of Regulatory Treaties
Authors: Marcoux Christopher , Urpelainen Johannes
Published: June 2013

What determines state participation in regulatory regimes? This article argues that if international regulation creates markets for new technologies, innovative companies support the ratification of the relevant regulatory treaties. Consequently, technological innovativeness should have a positive effect on regulatory treaty ratification. From the harmonization of telecommunication technology to pesticide regulation, many regulatory treaties create new product markets, so the argument applies to a variety of regulatory issues. This hypothesis is tested against data on the ratification of two major multilateral treaties for pesticide control: the 1998 Rotterdam Convention and the 2001 Stockholm Convention. Countries that are capable of biotechnology innovation are found to be more likely to ratify each treaty. The findings suggest that (1) technology innovation is key to regulatory treaty ratification and (2) constituency preferences for regulatory treaties are contingent upon expected profits from innovation. More broadly, the article emphasizes the importance of technological factors for international co-operation.
Development of a PC-Based Software Receiver for the Reception of Beidou Navigation Satellite Signals
Authors: Juang Jyh-Ching , Tsai Chiu-Teng , Chen Yu-Hsuan
Published: June 2013

Beidou is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) being developed in China, with the aim to provide a global navigation service that is similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Galileo navigation systems. In this paper, it is demonstrated that through the flexibility and re-configurability of a PC-based software receiver in which the baseband operations are realized in terms of software, it is possible to acquire, track, and demodulate Beidou satellite signals even when only a limited amount of information is known. Further, with the Beidou interface control document now available, the proposed PC-based software receiver can be easily adapted to perform navigation functions. This research lays the foundation for the further development of navigation receivers and exploration of multi-GNSS applications.
AN IMPROVED SECOND-ORDER NUMERICAL METHOD FOR THE GENERALIZED BURGERS–FISHER EQUATION
Authors: BRATSOS A. G.
Published: June 2013

A second-order in time finite-difference scheme using a modified predictor–corrector method is proposed for the numerical solution of the generalized Burgers–Fisher equation. The method introduced, which, in contrast to the classical predictor–corrector method is direct and uses updated values for the evaluation of the components of the unknown vector, is also analysed for stability. Its efficiency is tested for a single-kink wave by comparing experimental results with others selected from the available literature. Moreover, comparisons with the classical method and relevant analogous modified methods are given. Finally, the behaviour and physical meaning of the two-kink wave arising from the collision of two single-kink waves are examined.
Quetiapine and flupentixol differentially improve anterior cingulate cortex function in schizophrenia patients: an event-related potential study
Authors: Schneider Sabrina , Bahmer Thomas Juergen , Metzger Florian Gerhard , Reif Andreas , Polak Thomas , Pfuhlmann Bruno , Walter Gudrun , Eberle Mark-Christian , Ernst Lena Helene , Fallgatter Andreas Jochen , Ehlis Ann-Christine
Published: June 2013

Atypical antipsychotic agents are a frequently and effectively used treatment in schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. Other than conventional antipsychotics, which mainly exert their pharmacological effect in subcortical dopaminergic systems, atypical antipsychotics additionally affect partly serotonergically innervated structures within prefrontal areas, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, only few controlled, randomized studies have so far investigated direct and indirect effects of atypical antipsychotics on the ACC and, up until now, no clinical investigation has exclusively addressed the specific effects of quetiapine on ACC function. The present study assessed ACC function in 18 quetiapine-medicated patients and 13 flupentixol-treated patients suffering from schizophrenia by means of the error-related negativity (ERN), a neurophysiological marker of ACC function, in a pre-post design. Between-group comparisons revealed different effects of quetiapine and flupentixol on ACC function despite similar improvement in psychopathology, cognitive performance and quality of life. Whereas atypical treatment was associated with an increase in amplitudes over time, there were prolonged ERN peak latencies in patients treated with the typical agent. Moreover, treatment effects depended on baseline prefrontal cortex function in both groups. We conclude that both flupentixol and quetiapine improve prefrontal function especially in patients with weak initial ACC function which might be due to their shared affinity for serotonin receptors in frontal brain regions. However, since this affinity is more pronounced for quetiapine, patients treated with quetiapine seemed to profit more evidently concerning their prefrontal cortex function compared to patients of the flupentixol group, who exhibited a compensatory prolongation of processes.
Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung bei opiatabhängigen methadonsubstituierten Patienten
Authors: Celenk Suna , Huber Christine , Borgwardt Stefan , Stieglitz Rolf-Dieter , Olbrich Hans
Published: June 2013

Hintergrund: In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird der Zusammenhang zwischen der Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTBS) nach einem einmalig vorgekommenen Trauma und dem Heroinkonsum, der Schwere der Abhängigkeit und der Schwere der psychischen Gesamtsymptomatik sowie geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede untersucht. Methode: Bei 48 opiatabhängigen methadonsubstituierten Patienten mit einem traumatischen Ereignis in der Anamnese, welches einmalig erlebt wurde, haben wir anhand mehrerer Interviews das Vorliegen einer PTBS, sowie den Heroingebrauch, die Schwere der Abhängigkeit (Addiction Severity Index; ASI) und die Schwere der psychischen Gesamtsymptomatik (Symptom Checkliste; SCL-90-R) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt zeigten 18 Patienten (37 %) eine PTBS (8 Frauen, 10 Männer). Der Heroingebrauch der letzten 6 Monate lag bei der Gruppe mit PTBS signifikant niedriger. Die Schwere der Abhängigkeit war bei der Gruppe mit PTBS signifikant grösser. Bezogen auf die Gesamtgruppe (mit und ohne PTBS) lag die Schwere der Abhängigkeit (ASI) bei den Frauen höher als bei den Männern, insbesondere bezüglich der Bereiche «familiär/sozial» und «Drogen». Bei der Gruppe mit PTBS zeigte sich eine signifikant schwerere Beeinträchtigung durch die Abhängigkeit bezüglich des Bereichs «Arbeit/Unterhalt». Die Schwere der psychischen Gesamtsymptomatik zeigte keinen signifikanten Unterschied zwischen dem Vorliegen oder Fehlen einer PTBS. Diskussion: Die erhobenen Befunde entsprechen dem aktuellen Stand der Forschung über PTBS mit Substanzabhängigkeit. Es konnte zusätzlich gezeigt werden, dass der Heroingebrauch bei der Gruppe mit PTBS nach einmalig aufgetretenem Trauma signifikant niedriger war als der bei der Gruppe ohne PTBS. Es macht deutlich, dass die Rolle der Opioide im Zusammenhang mit den klassischen Symptomen der PTBS komplex ist und weiterer Untersuchungen bedarf.
Layer-Specific Dilation of Penetrating Arteries Induced by Stimulation of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert in the Mouse Frontal Cortex
Authors: Hotta Harumi , Masamoto Kazuto , Uchida Sae , Sekiguchi Yuta , Takuwa Hiroyuki , Kawaguchi Hiroshi , Shigemoto Kazuhiro , Sudo Ryo , Tanishita Kazuo , Ito Hiroshi , Kanno Iwao
Published: June 2013

To clarify mechanisms through which activation of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) increases cerebral cortical blood flow, we examined whether cortical parenchymal arteries dilate during NBM stimulation in anesthetized mice. We used two-photon microscopy to measure the diameter of single penetrating arteries at different depths (~800 μm, layers I to V) of the frontal cortex, and examined changes in the diameter during focal electrical stimulation of the NBM (0.5 ms at 30 to 50 μA and 50 Hz) and hypercapnia (3% CO2 inhalation). Stimulation of the NBM caused diameter of penetrating arteries to increase by 9% to 13% of the prestimulus diameter throughout the different layers of the cortex, except at the cortical surface and upper part of layer V, where the diameter of penetrating arteries increased only slightly during NBM stimulation. Hypercapnia caused obvious dilation of the penetrating arteries in all cortical layers, including the surface arteries. The diameters began to increase within 1 second after the onset of NBM stimulation in the upper cortical layers, and later in lower layers. Our results indicate that activation of the NBM dilates cortical penetrating arteries in a layer-specific manner in magnitude and latency, presumably related to the density of cholinergic nerve terminals from the NBM.
Penicillin's catalytic mechanism revealed by inelastic neutrons and quantum chemical theory
Authors: Mucsi Zoltán , Chass Gregory A. , Ábrányi-Balogh Péter , Jójárt Balázs , Fang De-Cai , Ramirez-Cuesta Annibal J. , Viskolcz Béla , Csizmadia Imre G.
Published: June 2013

Penicillin's dynamic structure–activity relationship resolved by inelastic neutrons kinetics, NMR and QM/MM-theory. Self-activating geometric changes catalyse bacterial enzyme inactivation.
Unscheduled Telephone Calls to Measure Percent Syllables Stuttered During Clinical Trials
Authors: Karimi Hamid , O'Brian Sue , Onslow Mark , Jones Mark , Menzies Ross , Packman Ann
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Researchers have used unscheduled telephone calls for many years during clinical trials to measure adult stuttering severity before and after treatment. Because variability is a hallmark of stuttering severity with adults, it is questionable whether an unscheduled telephone call is truly representative of their everyday speech.

Method

The authors studied the speech of 9 men and 1 woman for a 12-hr day during different speaking activities. On that day and 1 week prior to that day, participants received an unscheduled 10-min telephone call from a person unknown to them. The authors compared the percent syllables stuttered (%SS) for the unscheduled telephone call on the day to the %SS of the unscheduled telephone call 1 week prior to the day and to the %SS during the entire day.

Results

No significant differences were found, and all confidence intervals with
t
tests included 0. The concordance correlation test also showed a strong positive correlation between %SS scores for the entire day and for the unscheduled 10-min telephone call.

Conclusion

The authors conclude that there is no reason to doubt that 10-min unscheduled telephone calls are a representative speech sample for %SS during clinical trials of stuttering treatments.
Low‐complexity selected mapping scheme using cyclic‐shifted inverse fast Fourier transform for peak‐to‐average power ratio reduction in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems
Authors: Kim Kee‐Hoon , Jeon Hyun‐Bae , No Jong‐Seon , Shin Dong‐Joon
Published: June 2013

In this study, a new peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) reduction scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is proposed based on the selected mapping (SLM) scheme. The proposed SLM scheme generates alternative OFDM signal sequences by cyclically shifting the connections in each subblock at an intermediate stage of inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). Compared with the conventional SLM scheme, the proposed SLM scheme achieves similar PAPR reduction performance with much lower computational complexity and no bit error rate degradation. The performance of the proposed SLM scheme is analysed mathematically and verified through numerical analysis. Also, it is shown that the proposed SLM scheme has the lowest computational complexity among the existing low‐complexity SLM schemes exploiting the signals at an intermediate stage of IFFT.
Output tracking control for a class of switched non‐linear systems with partial state constraints
Authors: Niu Ben , Zhao Jun
Published: June 2013

In this study, we deal with the output tracking control problem for a class of switched non‐linear systems in lower triangular form subject to constraints on the states. To prevent states from transgressing the constraints, we employ a barrier Lyapunov function (BLF), which grows to infinity when its arguments approach domain boundaries. Based on the simultaneous domination assumption, we design a continuous feedback controller for the switched system. Furthermore, we show that asymptotic tracking is achieved without violation of the constraints and all closed‐loop signals remain bounded, when a mild requirement on the initial values is imposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed results is demonstrated using two simulation examples.
New approach to delay‐dependent H∞ filtering for discrete‐time Markovian jump systems with time‐varying delay and incomplete transition descriptions
Authors: Wei Yanling , Wang Mao , Qiu Jianbin
Published: June 2013

This study is concerned with the delay‐dependent H∞ filter design for a class of discrete‐time Markovian jump linear systems (MJLSs) with time‐varying delay and incomplete transition descriptions. The considered systems with incomplete transition descriptions cover the MJLSs with known transition probabilities (TPs), partially unknown TPs and uncertain TPs, which are more general. A new equivalent model is proposed for the original MJLSs by employing a two‐term approximation method, which formulates the filtering problem in the framework of input–output stability. Based on a Markovian Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional combined with the scaled small gain theorem, a new delay‐dependent bounded real lemma for the underlying systems is established. It is shown that by using a linearisation technique, the corresponding full‐ and reduced‐order H∞ filter design is cast into a convex optimisation problem in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, simulation examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness and less conservatism of the proposed approach.
Robust stabilisation of non‐triangular multi‐input switched non‐linear systems and its application to a continuously stirred tank reactor system
Authors: Long Lijun , Zhao Jun
Published: June 2013

The problem of global robust stabilisation is investigated for a class of multi‐input switched non‐linear systems where each subsystem is not assumed to be asymptotically stabilisable when applying the backstepping technique. The systems under study admit a structure which includes both the p ‐normal form and the nested lower triangular form as special cases. By exploiting the multiple Lyapunov functions method and the adding a power integrator technique, a sufficient condition for the solvability of the global robust stabilisation problem is derived by constructing state‐feedback controllers for individual subsystems and a switching law. Also, an approach is proposed to deal with individual coordinate transformations for subsystems that are required when applying the adding a power integrator technique. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated by its application to a two continuously stirred tank reactor system, which cannot be handled by the existing approaches.
Quantifying possible transmission network benefits from higher cable conductor temperatures
Authors: Pilgrim James , Lewin Paul , Gorwadia Ankit , Waite Francis , Payne David
Published: June 2013

The maximum current rating of high‐voltage power cables is limited by the allowable conductor temperature, in order to prevent damage to the adjacent dielectric material. Cross‐linked polyethylene dielectrics are generally subject to a thermal limit of 90°C in the UK. The use of novel new dielectric materials may allow the temperature limit to be raised considerably. This study examines the possible thermal rating benefits available from 400 kV cable systems capable of conductor temperatures of up to 150°C in a number of common deployment scenarios, including direct burial and installation in ventilated tunnels. The results of the analysis show a divide between modest improvements in continuous rating and much more utilisable gains in short‐term emergency ratings, which could offer the possibilities of single‐cable circuits being able to match the current carrying capacity of overhead lines over 24‐h period.
Light-control of liquid crystal alignment from vertical to planar
Authors: Ata Alla Rasha , Hegde Gurumurthy , Komitov Lachezar
Published: June 2013

Continuous or discontinuous transition from vertical to planar alignment was found in nematic cells, containing polyimide alignment layer exposed to linear polarized UV light, depending on whether the alignment layer was mechanically rubbed or not prior the illumination. The polyimide material is designed originally to promote vertical alignment when deposited onto the inner cell substrates' surface. The mechanism behind these observations is complicated. It includes inclination of the alkyl side chains of the polyimide alignment layer towards the rubbing direction and the bond breaking process due to UV illumination which are considered as the key factors for occurrence of such alignment transition.
Correctness of certain integral equation theories for core-softened fluids
Authors: Huš Matej , Zalar Matja , Urbic Tomaz
Published: June 2013

Integral equation approaches, based on the Ornstein-Zernike equation, provide a fast way to calculate phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties of systems as opposed to time-consuming and computationally expensive computer simulations. However, when employing integral equations it is necessary to introduce simplifications. The Ornstein-Zernike equation merely relates two unknown functions h(r) and c(r), and another relation (closer) between these two functions is needed. The later function cannot be obtained in a closed form and it is always in some approximations. Various approximations exist with each of its own advantages and disadvantages. In this work we extensively tested hyper-netted chain, Percus-Yevick, Kovalenko-Hirata, and Rogers-Young closure on an interaction model with core-softened potential. Convergence domain was established for each method. We calculated pair distribution functions, pressure, and excess energy. Results were compared with Monte Carlo simulation results and literature data from molecular dynamics simulations.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of the forced LacI-AraC oscillator with a minimal gene regulatory model
Authors: Rodrigo Guillermo , Kirov Boris , Shen Shensi , Jaramillo Alfonso
Published: June 2013

Oscillatory dynamics have been observed in multiple cellular functions and synthetic constructs; and here, we study the behavior of a synthetic oscillator under temporal perturbations. We use a minimal model, involving a single transcription factor with delayed self-repression and enzymatic degradation, together with a first-order perturbative approach, to derive an analytical expression for the power spectrum of the system, which characterizes its response to external forces and molecular noise. Experimentally, we force and monitor the dynamics of the LacI-AraC oscillator in single cells during long time intervals by constructing a microfluidics device. Pulse dynamics of IPTG with different periods serve to perturb this system. Due to the resonance of the system, we predict theoretically and confirm experimentally the dependence on the forcing frequency of the variability in gene expression with time and the synchronization of the population to the input signal. The reported results show that the engineering of gene circuits can provide test cases for dynamical models, which could be further exploited in synthetic biology.
Three dimensional subwavelength focus by a near-field plate lens
Authors: Lan Lu , Jiang Wei , Ma Yungui
Published: June 2013

We implemented the inverse design method to build a thin near-field lens that could produce a desired subwavelength focus by manipulating the near fields of a magnetic dipole source. The flat near-field lens represented by an artificial impedance surface was fabricated by lumped reactive elements (capacitor and inductor) with spatially varying values. In the experiment, a desired annular focusing spot with a characteristic size nearly three times smaller than that allowed by the diffraction limit was obtained. Besides high-resolution imaging, the proposed near-field plate could be extended for other interesting applications, such as wireless power transfer or complex wavefront/beam shaper.
Angular resonant absorption curves in magnetic nanowire arrays
Authors: Cimpoesu Dorin , Ding Junjia , Stoleriu Laurentiu , Adeyeye Adekunle , Stancu Alexandru , Spinu Leonard
Published: June 2013

We systematically probed the dynamics of two-dimensional Ni80Fe20 nanowire arrays with different strengths of interwire interactions using angular dependent microwave absorption spectroscopy. The experimental results are analyzed in terms of a graphical representation of the resonant absorption data through a critical-curve-like approach. This representation has the advantage of offering a direct and complete visual representation of anisotropy, interactions, and magnetization dynamics effects in nanomagnet arrays. In the paper, the connection between the proposed image of polar resonant absorption curves and the static switching field critical curves is substantiated using both macrospin and fully micromagnetic simulation approaches.
Islands stretch test for measuring the interfacial fracture energy between a hard film and a soft substrate
Authors: Sun Jeong-Yun , Lu Nanshu , Oh Kyu-Hwan , Suo Zhigang , Vlassak Joost J.
Published: June 2013

We present a technique for measuring the interfacial fracture energy, Γi, between a hard thin film and a soft substrate. A periodic array of hard thin islands is fabricated on a soft substrate, which is then subjected to uniaxial tension under an optical microscope. When the applied strain reaches a critical value, delamination between the islands and the substrate starts from the edge of the islands. As the strain is increased, the interfacial cracks grow in a stable fashion. At a given applied strain, the width of the delaminated region is a unique function of the interfacial fracture energy. We have calculated the energy release rate driving the delamination as a function of delamination width, island size, island thickness, and applied strain. For a given materials system, this relationship allows determination of the interfacial fracture energy from a measurement of the delamination width. The technique is demonstrated by measuring the interfacial fracture energy of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition SiNx islands on a polyimide substrate. We anticipate that this technique will find application in the flexible electronics industry where hard islands on soft substrates are a common architecture to protect active devices from fracture.
Size-dependence of magneto-electronic coupling in Co nanoparticles
Authors: Jiang W. , Gartland P. , Davidović D.
Published: June 2013

This paper describes studies of the effect of electron tunneling on magnetic switching in single Co particles large enough to exhibit continuous energy spectra at mK-temperatures. The ground state spin S0, in units of ℏ, is estimated to be ∼104 in these particles. The magnetic switching field decreases versus tunneling current, with the effective magnetic temperature at the switching field smaller by factor of 2–3 compared to that found previously in smaller Co particle where S0∼103. We show that this relatively weak size dependence confirms that the magnetic tunneling transitions in the particle are driven by mesoscopic fluctuations in magnetic anisotropy energy.
Lubricant-infused micro/nano-structured surfaces with tunable dynamic omniphobicity at high temperatures
Authors: Daniel Daniel , Mankin Max N. , Belisle Rebecca A. , Wong Tak-Sing , Aizenberg Joanna
Published: June 2013

Omniphobic surfaces that can repel fluids at temperatures higher than 100 °C are rare. Most state-of-the-art liquid-repellent materials are based on the lotus effect, where a thin air layer is maintained throughout micro/nanotextures leading to high mobility of liquids. However, such behavior eventually fails at elevated temperatures when the surface tension of test liquids decreases significantly. Here, we demonstrate a class of lubricant-infused structured surfaces that can maintain a robust omniphobic state even for low-surface-tension liquids at temperatures up to at least 200 °C. We also demonstrate how liquid mobility on such surfaces can be tuned by a factor of 1000.
Fast response ZnO:Al/CuO nanowire/ZnO:Al heterostructure light sensors fabricated by dielectrophoresis
Authors: García Marín A. , García Núñez C. , Ruiz E. , Piqueras J. , Pau J. L.
Published: June 2013

Metal oxide nanowire (NW) photoconductors tend to exhibit high photoconductive gains and long recovery times mainly due to surface effects. In this work, p-type CuO NWs are synthesized by direct oxidation of copper and deposited on n-type ZnO:Al electrodes by dielectrophoresis. The heterostructure is electro-optically characterized showing recovery times in the 10 μs range, mainly limited by the resistance-capacitance product of the equivalent circuit, without signs of persistent effects. The fast response is attributed to short transit times across space charge regions built between CuO and ZnO:Al materials and fast carrier recombination at neutral regions.
Morphology evolution by controlling solvent-solute interactions using a binary solvent in bulk heterojunction solar cells
Authors: Cho Namchul , Yip Hin-Lap , Jen Alex K.-Y.
Published: June 2013

Improved power conversion efficiency of poly(indacenodithiophene-co-phananthrene-quinoxaline) (PIDT-PhanQ)/[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) based bulk- heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells was achieved upon adding tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a co-solvent to 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB). This reasonably large enhancement is achieved due to THF changes the morphology in the active layer by reducing the solvent-solute interaction. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter and cohesive energy densities for PIDT-PhanQ and PD71BM with different solvents were further studied to understand the underlying phase separation mechanism in BHJ films.
Sintered powder cores of high B
s and low coreloss Fe84.3Si4B8P3Cu0.7 nano-crystalline alloy
Authors: Zhang Yan , Sharma Parmanand , Makino Akihiro
Published: June 2013

Nano-crystalline Fe-rich Fe84.3Si4B8P3Cu0.7 alloy ribbon with saturation magnetic flux density (Bs) close to Si-steel exhibits much lower core loss (Wt) than Si-Steels. Low glass forming ability of this alloy limits fabrication of magnetic cores only to stack/wound types. Here, we report on fabrication, structural, thermal and magnetic properties of bulk Fe84.3Si4B8P3Cu0.7 cores. Partially crystallized ribbons (obtained after salt-bath annealing treatment) were crushed into powdered form (by ball milling), and were compacted to high-density (∼88%) bulk cores by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Nano-crystalline structure (consisting of α-Fe grain in remaining amorphous matrix) similar to wound ribbon cores is preserved in the compacted cores. At 50 Hz, cores sintered at Ts = 680 K show Wt < 10 W/kg (f = 50 Hz, Bm ∼1 T). Coating/mixing of powders with an insulating agent like SiO2 is shown to be effective in further reduction of Wt at f > 1 kHz. A trade-off between porosity and electrical resistivity is necessary to get low Wt at higher f. In the f range of ∼1 to 100 kHz, we have shown that the cores mixed with SiO2 exhibit much lower Wt than Fe-powder cores, non-oriented Si-steel sheets and commercially available sintered cores. We believe our core material is very promising to make power electronics/electrical devices much more energy-efficient.
SFS? Not likely
Authors: Koenderink Jan , van Doorn Andrea , Wagemans Johan
Published: June 2013

SFS (Shape From Shading) theory is based upon the Lambertian paradigm. Our visual demonstrations imply that this paradigm fails to apply to the conventional stimuli used to probe vision.
Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A affects porcine oocyte maturation in vitro
Authors: Jin Yong-Xun , Zhao Ming-Hui , Zheng Zhong , Kwon Jung-Suk , Lee Seul-Ki , Cui Xiang-Shun , Kim Nam-Hyung
Published: June 2013

Previous studies show that porcine oocyte aging resulting from asynchronised IVM impairs embryo developmental competence. In the present study we investigated whether trichostatin A (TSA; an inhibitor of histone deacetylation) prolongs the maturation time and prevents the aging of oocytes. Porcine oocytes were cultured in medium containing increasing concentrations of TSA (300 nM) for 24, 44 or 64 h. The percentage of oocytes that underwent germinal vesicle breakdown was significantly lower in the TSA-treated group (300 nM) than in the control group. TSA did not affect oocyte quality at MII based on levels of maturation-promoting factor, the phosphorylation status of mitogen-activated protein kinase or histone H3K9 acetylation analysis. We also compared the preimplantation developmental competence and the viability of pathenogenetic embryos treated with 100 nM TSA for 24 h and then continuously cultured for another 24 h in TSA free condition. No significant differences were observed for either parameter between the TSA-treated and control groups. These results indicate that TSA prolongs the IVM of porcine oocytes but that oocyte quality and aging are not affected. These findings provide a feasible option by which to adjust the initiation time of downstream experiments based on porcine matured oocytes.
The incidence of road-killed possums in the Ku-ring-gai area of Sydney
Authors: Russell Tracey C. , Herbert Catherine A. , Kohen James L. , Cooper Des
Published: June 2013

The spatial and temporal incidence of possum mortality on roads was monitored in Sydney’s northern suburbs over a two-year period. In total, 217 road surveys were completed, equating to over 17 000 km travelled. Almost 600 possums were observed as road-kill, with common ringtail possums (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) encountered in 87% of surveys and almost three times as often as common brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) (encountered in 52% of surveys). Roads were classified into three categories based on adjacent landscape attributes, with the road-side environment ranging from suburban housing to continuous sclerophyll forest. Clusters, or ‘hot spots’, for possum road-kill were identified using GIS. Most possum fatalities, and five out of six hot spots, occurred along roads at the bush–urban interface, suggesting high possum movement rates and/or abundance at these sites. Continuous canopy across the road was available along only 4% of the roads surveyed, forcing these arboreal marsupials to cross roads via electricity wires or at ground level, making them vulnerable to collision with vehicles. In an attempt to mitigate the possum road toll, two rope tunnel bridges were erected at canopy level above the most consistent hot spot. Subsequent monitoring of the roads was undertaken for 10 months after erection of the canopy bridge and road-kill numbers declined significantly at the site of the bridges, but also at adjacent sites throughout the study area.
Genetic circuitry of
Survival motor neuron
, the gene underlying spinal muscular atrophy
Authors: Sen Anindya , Dimlich Douglas N. , Guruharsha K. G. , Kankel Mark W. , Hori Kazuya , Yokokura Takakazu , Brachat Sophie , Richardson Delwood , Loureiro Joseph , Sivasankaran Rajeev , Curtis Daniel , Davidow Lance S. , Rubin Lee L. , Hart Anne C. , Van Vactor David , Artavanis-Tsakonas Spyros
Published: June 2013

Significance

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of infant mortality, is a devastating neurodegenerative disease caused by reduced levels of Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) gene activity. Despite well-characterized aspects of the involvement of SMN in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein biogenesis, the gene circuitry affecting SMN activity remains obscure. Here, we use
Drosophila
as a model system to integrate results from large-scale genetic and proteomic studies and bioinformatic analyses to define a unique SMN interactome to provide a basis for a better understanding of SMA. Such efforts not only help dissect
Smn
biology but also may point to potential clinically relevant targets.
Multiple Site Surveillance Cultures as a Predictor of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Authors: Sim Benedict Lim Heng , McBryde Emma , Street Alan C. , Marshall Caroline
Published: June 2013

Objective.

To determine the relationship between methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization density, colonization site, and probability of infection in a frequently screened cohort of intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Methods.

Patients had swab samples tested for MRSA at admission to the ICU, discharge from the ICU, and twice weekly during their ICU stay, and they were followed up for development of MRSA infection. Swab test results were analyzed to determine the proportion of patients colonized and the proportion colonized at each screening site. Hazard of MRSA infection (rate of infection per day at risk) was calculated using a Cox proportional hazards analysis, and risk factors for MRSA infection, including presence of MRSA, degree of colonization, and pattern of colonization were determined.

Results.

Among the 4,194 patient episodes, 238 (5.7%) had screening results that were positive for MRSA, and there were 34 cases of MRSA infection. The hazard ratio (HR) for developing an infection increased as more sites were colonized (HR, 3.4 for being colonized at more than 1 site compared with colonization at 1 site [95% confidence interval, 1.2-9.9]). Colonization site was predictive of developing infection (HR for nose or throat colonization compared with no colonization, 168 [95% confidence interval, 69-407]).

Conclusion.

This study demonstrated that the hazard of developing an infection was higher when more sites were colonized and that certain sites were more predictive of infection than others. These results may be useful for predicting infection in ICU patients and may influence treatment.
Arf3p GTPase is a key regulator of Bud2p activation for invasive growth inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Hsu Jia-Wei , Lee Fang-Jen S.
Published: June 2013

The regulation and signaling pathways involved in the invasive growth of yeast have been studied extensively because of their general applicability to fungal pathogenesis. Bud2p, which functions as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for Bud1p/Rsr1p, is required for appropriate budding patterns and filamentous growth. The regulatory mechanisms leading to Bud2p activation, however, are poorly understood. In this study, we report that ADP-ribosylation factor 3p (Arf3p) acts as a regulator of Bud2p activation during invasive growth. Arf3p binds directly to the N-terminal region of Bud2p and promotes its GAP activity both in vitro and in vivo. Genetic analysis shows that deletion of BUD1 suppresses the defect of invasive growth in arf3Δ or bud2Δ cells. Lack of Arf3p, like that of Bud2p, causes the intracellular accumulation of Bud1p-GTP. The Arf3p–Bud2p interaction is important for invasive growth and facilitates the Bud2p–Bud1p association in vivo. Finally, we show that under glucose depletion–induced invasion conditions in yeast, more Arf3p is activated to the GTP-bound state, and the activation is independent of Arf3p guanine nucleotide-exchange factor Yel1p. Thus we demonstrate that a novel spatial activation of Arf3p plays a role in regulating Bud2p activation during glucose depletion–induced invasive growth.
Tort
Authors: Hedley Stephen
Published: June 2013

Titles in the Core Text series take the reader straight to the heart of the subject, providing focused, concise, and reliable guides for students at all levels. The seventh edition of Tort introduces the central principles of the subject, providing a clear and concise exposition of the law. The text provides an introduction to this key area of undergraduate study. The book starts with the question: what is tort? Chapters then consider deliberate harm and negligent harm. The book also looks at deliberate infliction of economic loss, land use and the environment, and protection of reputation. Finally the book examines parties, liability, remedies, and defences and other factors limiting damages.
6. Deliberate infliction of economic loss
Authors: Hedley Steve , Padfield Nicola
Published: June 2013

Titles in the Core Text series take the reader straight to the heart of the subject, providing focused, concise, and reliable guides for students at all levels. This chapter discusses torts that protect the claimant’s economic interests against deliberate harm. Some are best defined as particular types of forbidden conduct: such as deceit, intimidation, and conspiracy. Others are best defined as protecting particular economic interests, particularly the claimant’s interest in the performance of contracts to which the claimant is party.
Epigrams and Satire in Latin Poetry
Authors: Johnston Patricia A.
Published: June 2013

“Epigram” is from a Greek word that means “inscription.” Greek epigrams originally were inscriptions on objects or monuments (often tombs), intended to identify their owner or maker, and are usually defined as pointed and witty maxims or adages. Latin epigrams, too, can be identified as early funerary inscriptions, but they also comprise the erotic and occasional verse of the sort that Catullus wrote and the extant Priapea, a collection of poems about the phallic god Priapus and attributed to an unnamed group of poets who met at the house of Maecenas (the patron of Vergil, Horace, and Propertius, among others). Similar poems, largely lost, were attributed to such authors as Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Ovid, Seneca, Pliny, and Petronius. From a later period there are epigrams by Claudian, Ausonius, Paulinus of Nola, Pope Damasus I, and those authors represented by the Anthologia Latina. By far the greatest body of extant Latin epigram, however, is the collected poetry of Martial, who, in his 1,561 poems, changed the epigram into something almost uniquely his own. Martial will therefore be the focus of this portion of this article. Epigrams fall into four categories: (1) inscriptions, (2) short erotic poems, (3) special verses for social occasions, and (4) the short satirical poem having a “point.” This fourth category causes epigram to be most closely allied to satire. Roman satire, like Latin love elegy (“elegiac poetry”), is considered to be a uniquely Roman poetic form. Originally a mix of verse forms, or of both prose and verse forms, it soon acquired its own character as an ironic or humorous treatment of human faults and foibles. Menippean satires, named after the 3rd-century bce Cynic philosopher Menippus of Gadara (in Palestine), were a mixture of prose and verse. They were imitated by Varro, L. Annaeus Seneca, Petronius Arbiter, and the emperor Julian. “Roman satire,” however, most often refers to the dactylic hexameter satirical poetry (“Roman verse satire”) of Lucilius, Horace, Persius, and Juvenal.
Presocratic Philosophy
Authors: McKirahan Richard D.
Published: June 2013

The word “Presocratic” was invented in the 19th century ce and does not represent a category recognized in antiquity. The expression “Presocratic philosophy” is misleading: first, because some “Presocratics” were Socrates’ contemporaries, some of them surviving him by decades, and second, because they did not call themselves philosophers and because the fields of inquiry they practiced extend far beyond what we think of as philosophy. Nevertheless, the label “Presocratic” is commonly applied to the intellectual figures of the 6th and 5th centuries bce (and a few that lived into the 4th) who dwelt in the Greek-speaking lands from what is now coastal Turkey to Sicily and who are included in this bibliography. Evidence of the influence of Presocratic thought on other areas of culture than philosophy is found in texts ranging from historical and rhetorical works to tragedy and comedy and beyond, to the Hippocratic medical writings and the Derveni Papyrus. Since no original texts of the Presocratics survive entirely, our knowledge of them is based on quotations (“fragments”) from their works and on reports (“testimonia”) about their views, lives, and writings in other authors whose works have been transmitted. Presocratic philosophy is the earliest phase of Greek philosophy; Plato and Aristotle were strongly influenced by the Presocratics and recognized them as their intellectual predecessors. The subsequent interest in the Presocratics in antiquity and in consequence our knowledge of them is largely due to Aristotle. In more recent times, systematic study of them began in the 19th century. Diels’s Doxographi Graeci (Diels 1879, cited under Source Criticism) for the first time permitted a rational reconstruction of much of the testimonial material, and Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker (Diels and Kranz 1952, cited under Collections of Source Materials; first published in 1903) provided a collection of fragments and testimonia that brought the study of the Presocratics within the range of students and nonspecialist scholars of philosophy, classics, and the history of science. The study of “Presocratic philosophy” has traditionally extended to more subjects than we commonly consider philosophical. It includes topics not only in method, logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, cognition, cosmology, and “psychology”—here meaning views about the nature of the psuchē (frequently translated “soul”)—but also examines connections with science and mathematics, and a variety of social practices. Recently this tendency has further expanded to include religious and mystical beliefs and practices, while by no means excluding the philosophical and scientific aspects of Presocratic thought, which remain the dominant topics of research.
Parmenides
Authors: Palmer John
Published: June 2013

Active in the earlier part of the 5th century bce, Parmenides of Elea is Presocratic philosophy’s most challenging and profound thinker. His reputation rests on the fragmentary remains of a hexameter poem in which he presents a detailed account of his mystical journey to the abode of a goddess who says she will provide him instruction that will come in two major phases (fr. 1). In the first phase she describes how he may direct his understanding along “the path of conviction” to apprehend “true reality” (fr. 2); she explains how she will lead him along this path and how he must avoid the path mortals ordinarily follow in their quest for understanding (frs. 6–7); and she demonstrates in an elaborate metaphysical deduction that “What Is,” or true reality, is “ungenerated and deathless, whole and uniform, and still and perfect” (fr. 8). In the second phase of her revelation, which she describes as “the notions of mortals, in which there is no genuine trustworthiness,” she presents a cosmology broadly in the tradition of early Greek cosmological accounts, though with important innovations such as its positing of two basic principles, light and night; its view of the moon as shining with a reflected light; and its identification of the earth as spherical in shape. Already in Antiquity there was fundamental disagreement and a good deal of confusion about the fundamental upshot of Parmenides’s message, occasioned to no small degree by the novelty and obscurity of his own doctrine but also by the fact that Zeno of Elea came to be seen as his pupil and by the deformations of his doctrine by Melissus of Samos, Gorgias of Leontini, and certain other sophists. Basic disagreement continues today about whether he was, in fact, a monist and, if so, what type of monist he was; about whether he was motivated by the perceived inadequacies of the principles of earlier Presocratic cosmologies or by more purely logical concerns; and about whether his metaphysics committed him to regarding the changing world of everyday experience as unreal or merely as unsuitable as an object for understanding of the sort revealed to him by the goddess. As difficult as it may be, achieving a proper understanding of Parmenides’s thought is an important task, since Parmenides is normally regarded, in one way or another, as the pivotal figure in the history of early Greek philosophy, and, in any case, he is certainly among its most significant figures.
Proclus
Authors: Siorvanes Lucas
Published: June 2013

Proclus (b. 410/412–d. 485 ce) was head of the Athenian philosophy school in Late Antiquity, when Neoplatonism had incorporated the study of Aristotle, Pythagoreanism, Stoicism, and other philosophies. During his tenure he taught what was, in effect, the higher learning of the eastern Roman Empire, and his students included statesmen such as a Byzantine patrician who became emperor of Rome. Respected by his peers as the embodiment of philosophy, Proclus built on developments after Plotinus, with a special concern for the problems of unity and diversity. How do the many “levels” of thought and being relate to the ultimate One? Every plurality is defined in some way by unity. Valued as the good, unity is present in everything. Even matter is good, contra Plotinus. Proclus’s writings included commentaries on Plato, Euclid, Ptolemy, Plotinus, Homer, and Hesiod; his commentaries on Aristotle do not survive, but his monograph, the Elements of Physics, does. His most extensive treatises were on metaphysics and on the physical cosmos: their influence reached 19th-century philosophers and poets. About a third of Proclus’s works are extant, but they still give a total of more than one million, ninety-three thousand words.