bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal Decomposition Reactions for the Exploration of New Coordination Polymers based on Mn(NCS)2 and Pyridazine
Authors: Wöhlert Susanne , Näther Christian
Published: September 2012

Reaction of different ratios of manganese(II) thiocyanate with pyridazine in water at room temperature leads always to the formation of the pyridazine‐rich 1:4 compound (1:4 = ratio between metal and neutral co‐ligand) Mn(NCS)2(pyridazine)4 (1). In the crystal structure of 1, the Mn2+ cations are coordinated by two nitrogen atoms of terminal N‐bonded thiocyanato anions and four nitrogen atoms of pyridazine ligands within slightly distorted octahedra. However, in one reaction single crystals of the new compound Mn3(NCS)6(pyridazine)4(H2O)·(pyridazine) (2) were obtained. In its crystal structure the manganese atoms are linked into chains by µ‐1, 3 and µ‐1, 1 bridging thiocyanato anions as well as bridging pyridazine ligands. Heating rate dependent DTA‐TG measurements of 1 reveal a multi‐step thermal decomposition, in which three new pyridazine‐deficient compounds of composition Mn(NCS)2(pyridazine)3 (3), Mn(NCS)2(pyridazine)2 (4) and Mn(NCS)2(pyridazine) (5‐Mn) are formed. IR‐spectroscopic investigations indicate that on heating more condensed coordination networks with µ‐1, 3‐ and µ‐1, 1‐bridging thiocyanato anions has formed. Magnetic measurements show only Curie‐Weiss paramagnetism for compounds 1, 3 and 4, whereas in the 1:1 compound 5 an antiferromagnetic ordering is observed at TN = 14 K. Surprisingly, the most pyridazine deficient compound 5 transforms into 2 after storage for several weeks.
(NH4)AgMoS4: Synthesis, Structure and Catalytic Activity
Authors: Shafaei‐Fallah Maryam , Malliakas Christos D. , Kanatzidis Mercouri G.
Published: September 2012

The synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of (NH4)AgMoS4 is presented. (NH4)AgMoS4 was prepared by the stoichiometric reaction of AgNO3 with (NH4)2MoS4. The black microcrystalline (NH4)AgMoS4 is thermally unstable and contaminated by a phase that analyzes for Ag2MoS4. In the TGA continuous weight loss was observed corresponding to the loss of ammonia gas subsequent loss of sulfur and H2S to give Ag2S and MoS2. In the infrared spectrum of (NH4)AgMoS4, characteristic bands for the ammonium ion at 1350–1400 cm–1 and for the [MoS4]2– group at 460 cm–1 are observed. Crystals of (NH4)AgMoS4 were investigated using a synchroton source. (NH4)AgMoS4 is isostructural to (NH4)CuMoS4 and crystallizes in the tetragonal space group I$\bar{4}$ (Z = 2, a = 7.8740(3), c = 5.7733(4) Å). (NH4)AgMoS4 can be used as a catalyst in the syngas conversion to higher alcohols with showing good activity and ethanol selectivity.
Origins for Everyone
Authors: Ellington Andrew D.
Published: September 2012

The origin of life on Earth remains a mystery, but the question can still be approached with scientific rigor. Identifying life’s origins requires the definition of life itself, which has been described as a self-sustaining system capable of Darwinian evolution, although it's also possible that there is no good scientific definition. All known living systems contain linear strings of information based on DNA, a molecule that makes Darwinian evolution possible through replication and mutation. This review explains the scientific concepts and issues underlying the origin of life, possible mechanisms of origins, and the features of living systems that can arguably be viewed as an inevitable consequence of the earliest molecules.
Morphologic changes in the placentas of HIV‐positive women and their association with degree of immune suppression
Authors: Vermaak Anine , Theron Gerhard B. , Schubert Pawel T. , Kidd Martin , Rabie Ursula , Adjiba Benedict M. , Wright Colleen A.
Published: September 2012

Objective

To provide baseline information regarding a possible association between specific histopathologic features of the placentas of HIV‐positive women and the degree of immune suppression.

Methods

A prospective single‐blinded laboratory‐based pilot study was conducted at Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa. The macroscopic and microscopic features of placentas from HIV‐positive (n = 91) and HIV‐negative women (n = 89) were compared and recorded using a standard template. Investigators were blinded to the participants’ HIV status and CD4‐positive cell count.

Results

Placentas from the HIV‐positive group were characterized by decreased weight and increased number of marginal infarcts relative to the HIV‐negative group. The most important microscopic finding was the increased presence of villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) among the group of untreated HIV‐positive women with CD4 cell counts of 200 cells/mm3 or below.

Conclusion

Both macroscopic and microscopic differences relating to the degree of immune suppression were identified, which seemingly contradicts previous reports. Larger studies are warranted to define the function of antiretroviral therapy and VUE in the mechanism of mother‐to‐fetus transmission of HIV. Furthermore, the potential role of VUE in the pathophysiology of the compromised immune response observed among HIV‐exposed but uninfected infants should be investigated.
Misoprostol for preventing and treating postpartum hemorrhage in the community: A closer look at the evidence
Authors: Oladapo Olufemi T.
Published: September 2012

The lack of clear interpretation of clinical and operational evidence on misoprostol use for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in the community may jeopardize the realization of its full potential for improving women's survival. This paper highlights the usefulness of misoprostol in addressing PPH in the community within the limits of available research evidence. There is now substantial evidence to support the beneficial effects of 600 μg of oral misoprostol for PPH prevention in the community, with a trend toward better protection against severe PPH morbidity, and particularly when administered by less skilled or lay caregivers. Although there is tangible evidence to show that 800 μg of sublingual misoprostol has important benefits for PPH treatment where there is no access to oxytocin, there is presently no direct evidence to indicate that less skilled or lay caregivers can safely use it to treat PPH in the community. Operational research evidence indicates that advance community distribution of misoprostol to pregnant women for postpartum self‐use is a feasible strategy to ensure availability of the drug at the time of birth. The evidence is, however, limited by its quality to establish whether the benefits of such a strategy truly outweigh the potential harms. It is time for the international community to focus on improving PPH‐related outcomes by scaling up what is currently guided by hard evidence and join forces to address unanswered questions through high‐quality research.
Polymorphic variations in the FANCA gene in high‐risk non‐BRCA1/2 breast cancer individuals from the French Canadian population
Authors: Litim Nadhir , Labrie Yvan , Desjardins Sylvie , Ouellette Geneviève , Plourde Karine , Belleau Pascal ,   INHERIT BRCAs, Durocher Francine
Published: September 2012

The majority of genes associated with breast cancer susceptibility, including BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, are involved in DNA repair mechanisms. Moreover, among the genes recently associated with an increased susceptibility to breast cancer, four are Fanconi Anemia (FA) genes: FANCD1/BRCA2, FANCJ/BACH1/BRIP1, FANCN/PALB2 and FANCO/RAD51C. FANCA is implicated in DNA repair and has been shown to interact directly with BRCA1. It has been proposed that the formation of FANCA/G (dependent upon the phosphorylation of FANCA) and FANCB/L sub‐complexes altogether with FANCM, represent the initial step for DNA repair activation and subsequent formation of other sub‐complexes leading to ubiquitination of FANCD2 and FANCI. As only approximately 25% of inherited breast cancers are attributable to BRCA1/2 mutations, FANCA therefore becomes an attractive candidate for breast cancer susceptibility. We thus analyzed FANCA gene in 97 high‐risk French Canadian non‐BRCA1/2 breast cancer individuals by direct sequencing as well as in 95 healthy control individuals from the same population. Among a total of 85 sequence variants found in either or both series, 28 are coding variants and 19 of them are missense variations leading to amino acid change. Three of the amino acid changes, namely Thr561Met, Cys625Ser and particularly Ser1088Phe, which has been previously reported to be associated with FA, are predicted to be damaging by the SIFT and PolyPhen softwares. cDNA amplification revealed significant expression of 4 alternative splicing events (insertion of an intronic portion of intron 10, and the skipping of exons 11, 30 and 31). In silico analyzes of relevant genomic variants have been performed in order to identify potential variations involved in the expression of these spliced transcripts. Sequence variants in FANCA could therefore be potential spoilers of the Fanconi‐BRCA pathway and as a result, they could in turn have an impact in non‐BRCA1/2 breast cancer families.
Major hydrological regime change along the semiarid western coast of South America during the early Holocene
Authors: Ortega Cristina , Vargas Gabriel , Rutllant José A. , Jackson Donald , Méndez César
Published: September 2012

Water availability in the semiarid western coast of Chile (30–32°S) is conditioned by high interannual precipitation variability, reflecting the transition between arid subtropical and moist mid-latitude climates in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. A paleoclimate reconstruction based on the latest Pleistocene–Holocene geological record from the Quebrada Santa Julia archeological site in Chile (31°50′S) and on modern meteorological mechanisms producing alluvial episodes in this region indicates a major change in the rainfall regime shortly after 8600 cal yr BP. This, together with other paleoclimate proxies along the west coast of South America (34°–14°S), suggests La Niña-like conditions 13,000–8600 cal yr BP. Based on sedimentological and geomorphologic evidence, we hypothesized that the absence of heavy rainfall events in northern Chile and the new hydrological regime that prevailed ca. 8600–5700 cal yr BP in north-central Chile resulted from an increase in the large-scale westerly flow over central Chile, as expected in near-neutral ENSO conditions. This atmospheric circulation anomaly is compatible with an equatorward shift of the influence of the Southeast Pacific Subtropical Anticyclone relative to the early Holocene, prior to the onset of modern ENSO variability.
Overcoming Discrimination by Consumers during the Age of Segregation: The Example of Garrett Morgan
Authors: Cook Lisa D.
Published: September 2012

From professional baseball to legal services, discrimination against sellers became widespread in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This article examines the means by which African American inventor-entrepreneurs overcame discrimination against them by consumers. It makes use of data from the advertising records of Garrett Morgan, who invented the modern gas mask and the traffic light. Both the deliberate use of measures, such as disguises and surrogates, and serendipity (the result of the racial neutrality of patents) were critical in facilitating sellers' anonymity and in promoting desirable economic outcomes.
Brand Protection and the Globalization of British Business
Authors: da Silva Lopes Teresa , Casson Mark
Published: September 2012

In expanding on earlier analyses of the evolution of multinational business that have drawn from concepts of competition and innovation, this study examines the strategies used by British multinationals, between 1870 and 1929, to protect the global reputation of their brands, which were crucial to their survival and success. Even after the passage of new trademark legislation in 1876, enforcement of trademarks remained expensive, and often firms preferred to negotiate, rather than to prosecute violations. Many trademark imitators were based in the newly industrializing countries of the time—the United States, Germany, and Japan—and were part of the British export supply chains as licensees, franchisees, or wholesalers. British firms responded to infringements by lobbying governments, appointing local agents to provide intelligence, and collaborating with other firms.
A Case of Prejudice? The Uncertain Development of Collective and Certification Marks
Authors: Duguid Paul
Published: September 2012

The introduction of collective and certification marks to U.S. law in 1946 by the Lanham Act has generally been regarded as an innovative and forward-looking step. Yet these marks had been widely used by individual states since the previous century, and international conventions had long been pushing the federal government to enact measures to protect them. Indeed, it may be stranger that the U.S. trademark law of 1905 did not include protection for such marks than that, forty years later, the Lanham Act did. In exploring why the law of 1905 failed to respond to widespread innovation, and why the Lanham Act was celebrated for fulfilling such a long-overdue obligation, this article raises questions about conventionally linear accounts of the development of trademark law and practice.
Embedded null subjects in Capeverdean
Authors: COSTA JOÃO , PRATAS FERNANDA
Published: September 2012

The status of Capeverdean as apro-drop language is controversial. Baptista (2002) contends that this Portuguese-based creole has null referential subjects with some types of predicates, while Pratas (2002, 2007) proposes that it has only expletive null subjects. She argues that the rare cases of root null subjects can be analyzed as instances of null expletives. The aim of this paper is to show that in Capeverdean there is an asymmetry in the distribution of null referential subjects. These are ruled out in root contexts, but allowed in some embedded contexts; this is the case when the null subject is bound by awh-operator or a quantifier. Following Holmberg's (2005) and Holmberg, Nayudu & Sheehan's (2009) analysis of null subjects, we offer an analysis of Capeverdean null subjects exploring the properties of T in the language (in particular, the lack of a rich inflectional system), the syntax of subjects, and the type of null category available. We claim that Capeverdean embedded null subjects are variables, licensed by an operator in the matrix clause. We show that these specific properties explain minimal differences between null subjects in Capeverdean and Brazilian Portuguese.
Readmission of known MRSA carriers and MRSA colonization pressure in hospital
Authors: GROHS P. , PINEAU B. , KAC G. , GUTMANN L. , MEYER G.
Published: September 2012

Readmission of asymptomatic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers may contribute to the hospital reservoir. Using an electronic alert system, we assessed the weight of readmission of known MRSA carriers on MRSA colonization pressure in a hospital setting. During the 2004–2010 period, 2058 alerts were generated for 1060 inpatients. A total of 486/1060 patients (46%) were readmitted at least once, and 330/486 (64·4%) were readmitted <3 months after discharge. A mean of 20 MRSA patients were present on the same day (from 40 in 2004 to eight in 2010). The number of MRSA patient-days was 34 575, i.e. 2·5% of the 1 366 277 patient-days of the study period, and 17 737 (51·3%) MRSA patient-days were due to readmission of known MRSA carriers. The number of new MRSA cases was partly correlated with the number of MRSA patients hospitalized (R2 = 0·49). Rapid electronic identification of these patients proved essential in decreasing the global burden of MRSA in our hospital.
Hepatitis C virus prevalence in The Netherlands: migrants account for most infections
Authors: VRIEND H. J. , VAN VEEN M. G. , PRINS M. , URBANUS A. T. , BOOT H. J. , OP DE COUL E. L. M.
Published: September 2012

A population-based anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence is important for surveillance purposes and it provides insight into the burden of disease. The outcomes of recent studies in the general Dutch population as well as recent HCV data from specific risk groups including migrants, men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users (IDUs), were implemented in a modified version of the Workbook Method (a spreadsheet originally designed for HIV estimations), to estimate Dutch HCV seroprevalence. The estimated national seroprevalence of HCV was 0·22% (min 0·07%, max 0·37%), corresponding to 28 100 (min n = 9600, max n = 48 000) HCV-infected individuals in The Netherlands. Of these, first-generation migrants from HCV-endemic countries (HCV prevalence ⩾2%) accounted for the largest HCV-infected group, followed by IDUs and HIV-positive MSM.
Those dishonest goldsmiths
Authors: Selgin George
Published: September 2012

London's seventeenth-century goldsmiths are routinely said to have pioneered fractional-reserve banking in England by clandestinely lending coin they were supposed to store – that is, by embezzling their clients. I draw upon both contemporary testimony and contemporary English law to show that the goldsmiths were almost certainly innocent of the crime for which they are so often accused. I then go on to speculate that the myth of the embezzling goldsmith may have its roots in confusion of that crime with (1) crimes other than embezzlement of which goldsmiths were accused by their contemporaries and (2) embezzlement of stored coin not by goldsmiths but by the British crown and by some merchants' servants.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 6-wk trial of the efficacy and tolerability of 5 mg vortioxetine in adults with major depressive disorder*
Authors: Jain Rakesh , Mahableshwarkar Atul R. , Jacobsen Paula L. , Chen Yinzhong , Thase Michael E.
Published: September 2012

Vortioxetine (Lu AA21004) is a multi-modal antidepressant in clinical development for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The current study evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of 5 mg vortioxetine compared to placebo after 6 wk of treatment in adults with MDD in an out-patient setting. Adults aged 18–75 yr, with a diagnosis of MDD and a baseline Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score ⩾30, were randomized to receive either 5 mg vortioxetine or placebo over 6 wk, followed by a 2-wk medication-free discontinuation period. The primary efficacy measure was change from baseline in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD)-24 total score at week 6 compared to placebo. Additional measures included response and remission rates, Clinical Global Impression Scale – Improvement scores, HAMD-24 total score in subjects with baseline Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) >19 and MADRS-S total score. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed throughout the study. A total of 600 adults were randomized. There were no significant differences in efficacy measures between subjects in the 5 mg vortioxetine and placebo groups at week 6. HAMD-24 total score in subjects with baseline HAMA >19 in the 5 mg vortioxetine group was improved at weeks 3–6 compared to the placebo group (nominal p value <0.05). The most common AEs for the vortioxetine and placebo groups were nausea (19.1 and 9.4%), headache (17.1 and 15.1%) and diarrhoea (11.4 and 7.0%), respectively. In this study of adults with MDD, 5 mg vortioxetine did not differ significantly from placebo in reducing depression symptoms after 6 wk of treatment.
Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 and p35/p25 activators in schizophrenia and major depression prefrontal cortex: basal contents and effects of psychotropic medications
Authors: Ramos-Miguel Alfredo , Meana J. Javier , García-Sevilla Jesús A.
Published: September 2012

Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK5) and p35/p25 activators, interacting with the exocytotic machinery (e.g. munc18-1 and syntaxin-1A), play critical roles in neurosecretion. The basal status of CDK5/p35/p25 and the effect of psychotropic drugs (detected in blood/urine samples) were investigated in post-mortem prefrontal cortex (PFC)/Brodmann's area 9 of schizophrenia (SZ) and major depression (MD) subjects. In SZ (all subjects, n = 24), CDK5 and p35, but not p25, were reduced (−28 to −58%) compared to controls. In SZ antipsychotic-free (n = 12), activator p35 was decreased (−52%). In SZ antipsychotic-treated (n = 12), marked reductions of CDK5 (−47%), p35 (−76%) and p25 (−36%) were quantified. In MD (n = 13), including antidepressant-free/treated subgroups, CDK5, p35 and p25 were unaltered. In SZ (n = 24), CDK5, p35 or p25 correlated with munc18-1a, but not with syntaxin-1A. The results demonstrate reduced p35 basal content and down-regulation of CDK5/p35/p25 by antipsychotics in SZ. The suggested CDK5/munc18-1a functional interaction may lead to dysregulated neurosecretion in SZ PFC.
Neurobiologie und Psychopathologie – wie passt das zusammen?
Authors: Borgwardt Stefan , Retz Wolfgang , Reischies Friedel
Published: September 2012

Zusammenfassung: Die Erfolge neurobiologischer Forschung haben dazu geführt, dass die Psychopathologie als Grundlagenwissenschaft der Psychiatrie vereinzelt als überholt und als vernachlässigbare Disziplin der klinischen Psychiatrie angesehen wird. Allerdings ist man derzeit von einer auf biologischen Parametern basierenden Diagnostik und Klassifikation psychischer Störungen, die ohne Psychopathologie als zentrales Ordnungsmerkmal auskommen, noch weit entfernt. In dieser Arbeit soll anhand bildgebender Befunde exemplarisch gezeigt werden, wie neurobiologische Forschung zur Erklärung psychopathologischer Symptome beitragen und dadurch einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis psychischer Störungen und deren Behandlung leisten kann. Bis die ätiopathogenetischen Zusammenhänge komplexer neuropsychiatrischer Erkrankungen wie die der Schizophrenie vollständig verstanden sein werden, bleibt die Psychopathologie bzw. die genaue Beschreibung und Erfassung psychopathologischer Einzelsymptome und Symptommuster im Sinne psychopathologischer Syndrome der unerlässliche Bezugspunkt für das Verständnis neurobiologischer Befunde.
50 Jahre AMDP-System – Eine Bestandsaufnahme
Authors: Rösler Michael , Thiel Andreas , Domke Adam , Stieglitz Rolf-Dieter
Published: September 2012

Zusammenfassung: Das AMDP-System wurde in den 60er und 70er Jahren des vergangenen Jahrhunderts entwickelt mit dem Ziel der stürmisch aufstrebenden Psychopharmakologie ein Instrumentarium zur Verfügung zu stellen, das geeignet war, die Wirksamkeit der neu entdeckten Neuroleptika, Antidepressiva, Anxiolytika etc. auf die verschiedenen psychopathologischen Syndrome nachzuweisen. Entsprechend dem nomothetischen Konzept des AMDP-Systems handelt es sich um ein standardisiertes Instrument mit 100 sorgfältig definierten Symptomen, aus dem acht psychopathologische Syndrome generiert werden können. Die Ausprägungen der Symptome sind durch Ankerpunkte definiert. Es liegen Normwerte vor, die über eine Transformation in T-Werte eine Aussage über den Ausprägungsgrad der psychopathologischen Syndrome möglich machen. Das System wurde immer wieder aktualisiert, ergänzt und überarbeitet. Es wird derzeit in der 8. Auflage angewendet. Im europäischen Raum wird das AMDP-System weiterhin vor allem in pharmakologischen Studien eingesetzt. Ein neues, immer intensiver genutztes Feld der Anwendung in Deutschland und der Schweiz ist die Aus- und Weiterbildung in Psychopathologie der Studenten an den Universitäten, von Ärzten und Psychologen im Rahmen der Weiterbildung, insbesondere auf dem Weg zum Facharzt für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie.
Gefühle haben viele Gesichter – Kann ein Emotionstrainig Einfluss auf die Negativsymptomatik schizophreniekranker Menschen nehmen?
Authors: Sippel Volkmar , Häger Regina , Chirazi-Stark Michael Sadre , Braus Dieter , Fadai Thamine
Published: September 2012

Zusammenfassung: 23 ambulant behandelte und stabil auf atypische Neuroleptika eingestellte Patienten mit der Diagnose paranoide Schizophrenie nach DSM IV durchlaufen zusätzlich zu ihren sonstigen ambulanten Behandlungsmaßnahmen ein achtwöchiges standardisiertes Theatertraining (90 Minuten pro Woche). Es werden in diesem Training speziell erstellte Fotoreihen zum Einüben vom Mimik und Gestik zu den Emotionen Freude und Trauer in drei Ausdrucksgraden verwendet und in abschließenden Sitzungen kleine Rollenspiele vorgegeben, die beide Emotionen in allen Ausdrucksgraden enthalten. Hauptziel über das Training ist eine Verbesserung in Emotionserkennung und Ausdrucksimitation nach dem Training. Verbesserungen zeigen sich nur in den klinischen und den psychosozialen Parametern. Um eine ausdrucksbezogene Verbesserung zu belegen wäre es erforderlich, die Studie noch einmal mit einem sensitiveren Testparadigma und größeren Fallzahlen zu wiederholen.
Psychotherapie in der Psychosomatik – Trends in Diagnostik und Therapie
Authors: de Vries Ulrike , Schüßler Gerhard , Petermann Franz
Published: September 2012

Zusammenfassung: Vor dem Hintergrund der hohen Prävalenz für psychosomatische Störungen im Erwachsenenalter ist die Forschung zur Ätiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie höchst relevant. Zu prüfen ist, ob und mit welchen Schwerpunkten dieser Themenbereich in der aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Diskussion berücksichtigt wird. Hierzu wird eine bibliometrische Analyse vorgelegt, die die Thematik in den Jahrgängen 2010 und 2011 in repräsentativen deutsch-sprachigen Zeitschriften zusammenfasst. Im Fokus stehen hierbei psychosoziale Ursachen und Kontextfaktoren psychosomatischer Erkrankungen sowie hieraus ableitend Hinweise zur Weiterentwicklung des medizinischen und therapeutischen Behandlungsangebotes.
Comparison of mixing efficiency and vertical diffusivity models from temperature microstructure
Authors: Dunckley J. F. , Koseff J. R. , Steinbuck J. V. , Monismith S. G. , Genin A.
Published: September 2012

Due to the many difficulties associated with measuring buoyancy flux directly in the field, parameterizations for the flux involving eddy diffusivities are commonly used. These parameterizations are often cast in terms of a mixing efficiency (Γ), which itself is often assumed to be a constant throughout the water column (0.17–0.2). Alternatively, Γ can be calculated in terms of turbulence parameters which attempt to capture the varying mixing dynamics throughout the water column. In this paper three separate parameterizations are used to calculate the eddy diffusivities in a dynamically evolving stratified water column in the Gulf of Aqaba. Furthermore, we use two different approaches for calculating Γ by Ivey and Imberger (1991) and Shih et al. (2005) for these diffusivity parameterizations and compare the results obtained using each approach. Further work on the Shih et al. (2005) parameterization by D. Bouffard and L. Boegman (personal communication, 2011) has also been used in this analysis. While direct measurements of buoyancy flux are needed to validate the actual accuracy of the mixing efficiency parameterizations, we can make the following conclusions. First, we found that in some circumstances the eddy diffusivity models produce very different estimates from one another and the estimates are themselves sensitive to the choice of parameterization for Γ. Second, when the stratification is weak and temperature variance is small, parameterizations involving calculations of the Thorpe scale, χT as well as the turbulent Froude number and Reynolds numbers should be treated with great caution. Third, under the same circumstances, the Shih et al. (2005) approach for Γ applied to the κρ parameterization for vertical diffusivity seems to be the best vertical diffusivity (based on a comparison to κχ).
The structure, dynamics and tropospheric signature of the Polar Annular Mode
Authors: Black Robert X. , McDaniel Brent , Lee Yun‐Young
Published: September 2012

Intraseasonal variability in the stratospheric polar vortex is intrinsically linked to concomitant tropospheric variability via the annular modes. The primary mode, the Northern Annular Mode (NAM), represents variability in the polar vortex strength while the second mode, the lesser studied Polar Annular Mode (PAM), represents variability in the latitudinal position of the polar vortex. The current study examines the structural evolution, zonal‐mean dynamical forcing and tropospheric impact of discrete PAM episodes occurring during boreal winter. The analysis identifies large amplitude positive and negative PAM events occurring in the absence of NAM or sudden stratospheric warming events. Composite time evolution analyses are performed for both positive and negative PAM events. The onset of positive (negative) PAM events is preceded by a weak and broad acceleration (deceleration) within the stratospheric polar vortex at midlatitudes. During PAM onset the canonical PAM structure in zonal‐mean zonal wind develops over a 5 day period in association with robust stratosphere‐troposphere coupling. Zonal wind changes occurring during onset are induced by anomalous wave driving associated with low frequency Rossby wave activity. After PAM onset, the zonal wind anomaly features at high latitudes quickly weaken while those in the subtropics and midlatitudes persist for a period of 2–3 weeks. During this time, PAM events provide a statistically significant impact upon the tropospheric circulation, with large‐scale perturbations in (a) surface air temperature over North America and Eurasia and (b) the structure and amplitude of the primary storm tracks.
On the origin of graben and ridges within and near volcanically buried craters and basins in Mercury's northern plains
Authors: Freed Andrew M. , Blair David M. , Watters Thomas R. , Klimczak Christian , Byrne Paul K. , Solomon Sean C. , Zuber Maria T. , Melosh H. J.
Published: September 2012

Images of Mercury's northern volcanic plains taken by the MESSENGER spacecraft reveal a large number of buried impact craters and basins discernible by wrinkle‐ridge rings that overlie their rims. Many of these “ghost” craters and basins contain interior graben of diverse widths and orientations. Here we use finite element models to test a variety of mechanisms for the formation of these graben and ridges. Results show that graben are best explained by cooling of large thicknesses of flood lavas within the craters and basins; conservation of surface area during cooling induces the required extensional stress state. In contrast, the development of wrinkle‐ridge rings is best explained as the result of cooling and contraction of Mercury's interior, during which a reduction in Mercury's surface area led to a compressional state of stress. The critical factor in determining where large graben form is the thickness of the youngest cooling unit, the topmost sequence of lavas that cooled coevally. A thicker cooling unit leads to a deeper initiation of normal faulting (wider graben floors). Consistent with observations, the widest graben are predicted to occur where pooled lavas were thickest, and no graben are predicted within generally thinner plains outside of major craters. Observed concentrically oriented graben can be explained by variations in the thickness of the youngest cooling unit. In contrast, none of the basin uplift mechanisms considered, including isostatic response to crater topography, inward flow of the lower crust, or exterior loading by volcanic plains, can account for concentrically oriented graben.
Climatology of midlatitude ionospheric disturbances from the Very Large Array Low‐frequency Sky Survey
Authors: Helmboldt J. F. , Lane W. M. , Cotton W. D.
Published: September 2012

The results of a climatological study of ionospheric disturbances derived from observations of cosmic sources from the Very Large Array (VLA) Low‐frequency Sky Survey (VLSS) are presented. We have used the ionospheric corrections applied to the 74 MHz interferometric data within the VLSS imaging process to obtain fluctuation spectra for the total electron content (TEC) gradient on spatial scales from a few to hundreds of kilometers and temporal scales from less than one minute to nearly an hour. The observations sample nearly all times of day and all seasons. They also span latitudes and longitudes from 28°N to 40°N and 95°W to 114°W, respectively. We have binned and averaged the fluctuation spectra according to time of day, season, and geomagnetic (Kp index) and solar (F10.7) activity. These spectra provide a detailed, multiscale account of seasonal and intraday variations in ionospheric activity with wavelike structures detected at wavelengths between about 35 and 250 km. In some cases, trends between spectral power and Kp index and/or F10.7 are also apparent. In addition, the VLSS observations allow for measurements of the turbulent power spectrum down to periods of 40 s (scales of ∼0.4 km at the height of the E‐region). While the level of turbulent activity does not appear to have a strong dependence on eitherKp index or F10.7, it does appear to be more pronounced during the winter daytime, summer nighttime, and near dusk during the spring.
Analytical methods for ecosystem resilience: A hydrological investigation
Authors: Peterson T. J. , Western A. W. , Argent R. M.
Published: September 2012

In recent years a number of papers have quantitatively explored multiple steady states and resilience within a wide range of hydrological systems. Many have identified multiple steady states by conducting simulations from different initial state variables and a few have used the more advanced technique of equilibrium or limit cycle continuation analysis to quantify how the number of steady states may change with a single model parameter. However, like resilience investigations into other natural systems, these studies often omit explanation of these fundamental resilience science techniques; rely on complex numerical methods rather than analytical methods; and overlook use of more advanced techniques from nonlinear systems mathematics. In the interests of wider adoption of advanced resilience techniques within hydrology, and advancing resilience science more broadly, this paper details fundamental methods for quantitative resilience investigations. Using a simple model of a spatially lumped unconfined aquifer, one and two parameter continuation analysis was undertaken algebraically. The shape of each steady state attractor basin was then quantified using Lyapunov stability curves derived at a range of precipitation rates, but was found to be inconsistent with the resilience behavior demonstrated by stochastic simulations. Most notably, and contrary to standard resilience concepts, the switching between steady states from wet or dry periods (and vice versa) did not occur by crossing of the threshold between the steady states. It occurred by exceedance of the two steady‐state domain, producing a counterclockwise hysteresis loop. Additionally, temporary steady states were identified that could not have been detected using equilibrium continuation with a constant forcing rate. By combining these findings with the Lyapunov stability curves, new measures of resilience were developed for endogenous disturbances to the model and for the recovery from disturbances exogenous to the model.
Hairless promotes PPARγ expression and is required for white adipogenesis
Authors: Kumpf Susann , Mihlan Michael , Goginashvili Alexander , Grandl Gerald , Gehart Helmuth , Godel Aurélie , Schmidt Juliane , Müller Julius , Bezzi Marco , Ittner Arne , Guccione Ernesto , Wolfrum Christian , Ricci Romeo
Published: September 2012

Adipose tissue is the largest compartment in the mammalian body for storing energy as fat, providing an important reservoir of fuel for maintaining whole body energy homeostasis. Herein, we identify the transcriptional cofactor hairless (HR) to be required for white adipogenesis. Moreover, forced expression of HR in non‐adipogenic precursor cells induces adipogenic gene expression and enhances adipocyte formation under permissive conditions. HR exerts its proadipogenic effects by regulating the expression of PPARγ, one of the central adipogenic transcription factors. In conclusion, our data provide a new mechanism required for white adipogenesis.
Measurements of convective and radiative heating in wildland fires
Authors: Frankman David , Webb Brent W. , Butler Bret W. , Jimenez Daniel , Forthofer Jason M. , Sopko Paul , Shannon Kyle S. , Hiers J. Kevin , Ottmar Roger D.
Published: September 2012

Time-resolved irradiance and convective heating and cooling of fast-response thermopile sensors were measured in 13 natural and prescribed wildland fires under a variety of fuel and ambient conditions. It was shown that a sensor exposed to the fire environment was subject to rapid fluctuations of convective transfer whereas irradiance measured by a windowed sensor was much less variable in time, increasing nearly monotonically with the approach of the flame front and largely declining with its passage. Irradiance beneath two crown fires peaked at 200 and 300 kW m–2, peak irradiance associated with fires in surface fuels reached 100 kW m–2 and the peak for three instances of burning in shrub fuels was 132 kW m–2. The fire radiative energy accounted for 79% of the variance in fuel consumption. Convective heating at the sensor surface varied from 15% to values exceeding the radiative flux. Detailed measurements of convective and radiative heating rates in wildland fires are presented. Results indicate that the relative contribution of each to total energy release is dependent on fuel and environment.
Supertertiary structure of the synaptic MAGuK scaffold proteins is conserved
Authors: McCann James J. , Zheng Liqiang , Rohrbeck Daniel , Felekyan Suren , Kühnemuth Ralf , Sutton R. Bryan , Seidel Claus A. M. , Bowen Mark E.
Published: September 2012

Scaffold proteins form a framework to organize signal transduction by binding multiple partners within a signaling pathway. This shapes the output of signal responses as well as providing specificity and localization. The Membrane Associated Guanylate Kinases (MAGuKs) are scaffold proteins at cellular junctions that localize cell surface receptors and link them to downstream signaling enzymes. Scaffold proteins often contain protein-binding domains that are connected in series by disordered linkers. The tertiary structure of the folded domains is well understood, but describing the dynamic inter-domain interactions (the superteritary structure) of such multidomain proteins remains a challenge to structural biology. We used 65 distance restraints from single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) to describe the superteritary structure of the canonical MAGuK scaffold protein PSD-95. By combining multiple fluorescence techniques, the conformational dynamics of PSD-95 could be characterized across the biologically relevant timescales for protein domain motions. Relying only on a qualitative interpretation of FRET data, we were able to distinguish stable interdomain interactions from freely orienting domains. This revealed that the five domains in PSD-95 partitioned into two independent supramodules: PDZ1-PDZ2 and PDZ3-SH3-GuK. We used our smFRET data for hybrid structural refinement to model the PDZ3-SH3-GuK supramodule and include explicit dye simulations to provide complete characterization of potential uncertainties inherent to quantitative interpretation of FRET as distance. Comparative structural analysis of synaptic MAGuK homologues showed a conservation of this supertertiary structure. Our approach represents a general solution to describing the supertertiary structure of multidomain proteins.
Nonconscious activation of placebo and nocebo pain responses
Authors: Jensen Karin B. , Kaptchuk Ted J. , Kirsch Irving , Raicek Jacqueline , Lindstrom Kara M. , Berna Chantal , Gollub Randy L. , Ingvar Martin , Kong Jian
Published: September 2012

The dominant theories of human placebo effects rely on a notion that consciously perceptible cues, such as verbal information or distinct stimuli in classical conditioning, provide signals that activate placebo effects. However, growing evidence suggest that behavior can be triggered by stimuli presented outside of conscious awareness. Here, we performed two experiments in which the responses to thermal pain stimuli were assessed. The first experiment assessed whether a conditioning paradigm, using clearly visible cues for high and low pain, could induce placebo and nocebo responses. The second experiment, in a separate group of subjects, assessed whether conditioned placebo and nocebo responses could be triggered in response to nonconscious (masked) exposures to the same cues. A total of 40 healthy volunteers (24 female, mean age 23 y) were investigated in a laboratory setting. Participants rated each pain stimulus on a numeric response scale, ranging from 0 = no pain to 100 = worst imaginable pain. Significant placebo and nocebo effects were found in both experiment 1 (using clearly visible stimuli) and experiment 2 (using nonconscious stimuli), indicating that the mechanisms responsible for placebo and nocebo effects can operate without conscious awareness of the triggering cues. This is a unique experimental verification of the influence of nonconscious conditioned stimuli on placebo/nocebo effects and the results challenge the exclusive role of awareness and conscious cognitions in placebo responses.
TBC1D16 is a Rab4A GTPase activating protein that regulates receptor recycling and EGF receptor signaling
Authors: Goueli Basem S. , Powell Marianne Broome , Finger Elizabeth C. , Pfeffer Suzanne R.
Published: September 2012

Rab4A is a master regulator of receptor recycling from endocytic compartments to the plasma membrane. The protein TBC1D16 is up-regulated in melanoma, and TBC1D16-overexpressing melanoma cells are dependent on TBC1D16. We show here that TBC1D16 enhances the intrinsic rate of GTP hydrolysis by Rab4A. TBC1D16 is both cytosolic and membrane associated; the membrane-associated pool colocalizes with transferrin and EGF receptors (EGFRs) and early endosome antigen 1, but not with LAMP1 protein. Expression of two TBC1D16 isoforms, but not the inactive R494A mutant, reduces transferrin receptor recycling but has no effect on transferrin receptor internalization. Expression of TBC1D16 alters GFP-Rab4A membrane localization. In HeLa cells, overexpression of TBC1D16 enhances EGF-stimulated EGFR degradation, concomitant with decreased EGFR levels and signaling. Thus, TBC1D16 is a GTPase activating protein for Rab4A that regulates transferrin receptor recycling and EGFR trafficking and signaling.
Revisiting the contribution of negative charges on the chaperonin cage wall to the acceleration of protein folding
Authors: Motojima Fumihiro , Motojima-Miyazaki Yuko , Yoshida Masasuke
Published: September 2012

Chaperonin GroEL mediates the folding of protein encapsulated in a GroES-sealed cavity (cage). Recently, a critical role of negative charge clusters on the cage wall in folding acceleration was proposed based on experiments using GroEL single-ring (SR) mutants SR1 and SRKKK2 [Tang YC, et al. (2006)
Cell
125:903–914; Chakraborty K, et al. (2010)
Cell
142:112–122]. Here, we revisited these experiments and discovered several inconsistencies. (i) SR1 was assumed to bind to GroES stably and to mediate single-round folding in the cage. However, we show that SR1 repeats multiple turnovers of GroES release/binding coupled with ATP hydrolysis. (ii) Although the slow folding observed for a double-mutant of maltose binding protein (DMMBP) by SRKKK2 was attributed to mutations that neutralize negative charges on the cage wall, we found that the majority of DMMBP escape from SRKKK2 and undergo spontaneous folding in the bulk medium. (iii) An osmolyte, trimethylamine
N
-oxide, was reported to accelerate SRKKK2-mediated folding of DMMBP by mimicking the effect of cage-wall negative charges of WT GroEL and ordering the water structure to promote protein compaction. However, we demonstrate that in-cage folding by SRKKK2 is unaffected by trimethylamine
N
-oxide. (iv) Although it was reported that SRKKK2 lost the ability to assist the folding of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, we found that SRKKK2 retains this ability. Our results argue against the role of the negative charges on the cage wall of GroEL in protein folding. Thus, in chaperonin studies, folding kinetics need to be determined from the fraction of the real in-cage folding.
Progressive dopaminergic cell loss with unilateral-to-bilateral progression in a genetic model of Parkinson disease
Authors: Rousseaux Maxime W. C. , Marcogliese Paul C. , Qu Dianbo , Hewitt Sarah J. , Seang Sarah , Kim Raymond H. , Slack Ruth S. , Schlossmacher Michael G. , Lagace Diane C. , Mak Tak W. , Park David S.
Published: September 2012

DJ-1 mutations cause autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson disease (PD). We report a model of PD pathology: the DJ1-C57 mouse. A subset of DJ-1–nullizygous mice, when fully backcrossed to a C57BL/6J background, display dramatic early-onset unilateral loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in their
substantia nigra pars compacta
, progressing to bilateral degeneration of the nigrostriatal axis with aging. In addition, these mice exhibit age-dependent bilateral degeneration at the
locus ceruleus
nucleus and display mild motor behavior deficits at aged time points. These findings effectively recapitulate the early stages of PD. Therefore, the DJ1-C57 mouse provides a tool to study the preclinical aspects of neurodegeneration. Importantly, by exome sequencing, we identify candidate modifying genes that segregate with the phenotype, providing potentially critical clues into how certain genes may influence the penetrance of DJ-1–related degeneration in mice.
Brain imaging reveals neuronal circuitry underlying the crow’s perception of human faces
Authors: Marzluff John M. , Miyaoka Robert , Minoshima Satoshi , Cross Donna J.
Published: September 2012

Crows pay close attention to people and can remember specific faces for several years after a single encounter. In mammals, including humans, faces are evaluated by an integrated neural system involving the sensory cortex, limbic system, and striatum. Here we test the hypothesis that birds use a similar system by providing an imaging analysis of an awake, wild animal’s brain as it performs an adaptive, complex cognitive task. We show that in vivo imaging of crow brain activity during exposure to familiar human faces previously associated with either capture (threatening) or caretaking (caring) activated several brain regions that allow birds to discriminate, associate, and remember visual stimuli, including the rostral hyperpallium, nidopallium, mesopallium, and lateral striatum. Perception of threatening faces activated circuitry including amygdalar, thalamic, and brainstem regions, known in humans and other vertebrates to be related to emotion, motivation, and conditioned fear learning. In contrast, perception of caring faces activated motivation and striatal regions. In our experiments and in nature, when perceiving a threatening face, crows froze and fixed their gaze (decreased blink rate), which was associated with activation of brain regions known in birds to regulate perception, attention, fear, and escape behavior. These findings indicate that, similar to humans, crows use sophisticated visual sensory systems to recognize faces and modulate behavioral responses by integrating visual information with expectation and emotion. Our approach has wide applicability and potential to improve our understanding of the neural basis for animal behavior.