bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The RNA-binding protein hnRNPLL induces a T cell alternative splicing program delineated by differential intron retention in polyadenylated RNA
Authors: Cho Vicky , Mei Yan , Sanny Arleen , Chan Stephanie , Enders Anselm , Bertram Edward M , Tan Andy , Goodnow Christopher C , Andrews T Daniel
Published: January 2014

Background

Retention of a subset of introns in spliced polyadenylated mRNA is emerging as a frequent, unexplained finding from RNA deep sequencing in mammalian cells.

Results

Here we analyze intron retention in T lymphocytes by deep sequencing polyadenylated RNA. We show a developmentally regulated RNA-binding protein, hnRNPLL, induces retention of specific introns by sequencing RNA from T cells with an inactivating Hnrpll mutation and from B lymphocytes that physiologically downregulate Hnrpll during their differentiation. In Ptprc mRNA encoding the tyrosine phosphatase CD45, hnRNPLL induces selective retention of introns flanking exons 4 to 6; these correspond to the cassette exons containing hnRNPLL binding sites that are skipped in cells with normal, but not mutant or low, hnRNPLL. We identify similar patterns of hnRNPLL-induced differential intron retention flanking alternative exons in 14 other genes, representing novel elements of the hnRNPLL-induced splicing program in T cells. Retroviral expression of a normally spliced cDNA for one of these targets, Senp2, partially corrects the survival defect of Hnrpll-mutant T cells. We find that integrating a number of computational methods to detect genes with differentially retained introns provides a strategy to enrich for alternatively spliced exons in mammalian RNA-seq data, when complemented by RNA-seq analysis of purified cells with experimentally perturbed RNA-binding proteins.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that intron retention in mRNA is induced by specific RNA-binding proteins and suggest a biological significance for this process in marking exons that are poised for alternative splicing.
Progenitor cell therapy for sacral pressure sore: a pilot study with a novel human chronic wound model
Authors: Wettstein Reto , Savic Miodrag , Pierer Gerhard , Scheufler Oliver , Haug Martin , Halter Jörg , Gratwohl Alois , Baumberger Michael , Schaefer Dirk Johannes , Kalbermatten Daniel Felix
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Chronic wounds are a major health-care issue, but research is limited by the complexity and heterogeneity in terms of wound etiology as well as patient-related factors. A suitable animal model that replicates the situation in humans is not available. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to present a standardized human wound model and the data of a pilot study of topically applied progenitor cells in a sacral pressure sore.

Methods

Three patients underwent cell harvest from the iliac crest at the time of the initial debridement. Forty-eight hours after bone marrow harvest and debridement, the CD34+ selected cell suspension was injected into the wound. With the aid of a laser scanner, three-dimensional analyses of wound morphometry were performed until the defect was reconstructed with a local flap 3 weeks after debridement.

Results

Decreases in volume to 60% ± 6% of baseline on the sham side and to 52% ± 3% of baseline on the cell side were measured. Histologic work-up revealed no signs of metaplastic, dysplastic, or neoplastic proliferation/differentiation after progenitor cell treatment. CD34+ cells were detected in the biopsies of day 0.

Conclusions

The pressure sore wound model allows investigation of the initial 3 weeks after cell-based therapy. Objective outcome analysis in terms of wound volume and histology can be performed without, or with, minimal additional morbidity, and the anatomy of the sacral area allows a control and study side in the same patient. Therefore, this model can serve as a standard for wound-healing studies.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00535548.
Aerodynamics of the flying snake Chrysopelea paradisi: how a bluff body cross-sectional shape contributes to gliding performance
Authors: Holden Daniel , Socha John J. , Cardwell Nicholas D. , Vlachos Pavlos P.
Published: January 2014

A prominent feature of gliding flight in snakes of the genus Chrysopelea is the unique cross-sectional shape of the body, which acts as the lifting surface in the absence of wings. When gliding, the flying snake Chrysopelea paradisi morphs its circular cross-section into a triangular shape by splaying its ribs and flattening its body in the dorsoventral axis, forming a geometry with fore–aft symmetry and a thick profile. Here, we aimed to understand the aerodynamic properties of the snake's cross-sectional shape to determine its contribution to gliding at low Reynolds numbers. We used a straight physical model in a water tunnel to isolate the effects of 2D shape, analogously to studying the profile of an airfoil of a more typical flyer. Force measurements and time-resolved (TR) digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) were used to determine lift and drag coefficients, wake dynamics and vortex-shedding characteristics of the shape across a behaviorally relevant range of Reynolds numbers and angles of attack. The snake's cross-sectional shape produced a maximum lift coefficient of 1.9 and maximum lift-to-drag ratio of 2.7, maintained increases in lift up to 35 deg, and exhibited two distinctly different vortex-shedding modes. Within the measured Reynolds number regime (Re=3000–15,000), this geometry generated significantly larger maximum lift coefficients than many other shapes including bluff bodies, thick airfoils, symmetric airfoils and circular arc airfoils. In addition, the snake's shape exhibited a gentle stall region that maintained relatively high lift production even up to the highest angle of attack tested (60 deg). Overall, the cross-sectional geometry of the flying snake demonstrated robust aerodynamic behavior by maintaining significant lift production and near-maximum lift-to-drag ratios over a wide range of parameters. These aerodynamic characteristics help to explain how the snake can glide at steep angles and over a wide range of angles of attack, but more complex models that account for 3D effects and the dynamic movements of aerial undulation are required to fully understand the gliding performance of flying snakes.
Visual odometry in the wolf spider Lycosa tarantula (Araneae: Lycosidae)
Authors: Ortega-Escobar J. , Ruiz M. A.
Published: January 2014

The wolf spider Lycosa tarantula homes using path integration. The angular component of the displacement is measured using a polarized-light compass associated with the functioning of the anterior median eyes. However, how L. tarantula estimates the linear component of the displacement was not known prior to this investigation. The ability of L. tarantula to gauge the distance walked after being displaced from its burrow was investigated using experimental channels placed in an indoor setup. Firstly, we manipulated the perception of visual stimuli by covering all the spider's eyes. Secondly, we changed the optic flow supplied by a black-and-white grating (λ=2 cm) perceived either in the lateral or in the ventral field of view. Finally, the period of the lateral or ventral grating was changed from λ=2 cm to λ=1 cm. Our results indicate that visual information contributes to distance estimation because when the spider's eyes were covered, the spiders tended to search for the burrow at very variable distances. This visual information is created by the motion of the image as the spider walks, the motion in the lateral field of view being the most important. The preference of a lateral optic flow over the ventral flow can be explained by the difference in the resolution capacity of the posterior lateral eyes and the anterior lateral eyes.
The Dividend Clientele Hypothesis: Evidence from the 2003 Tax Act
Authors: Kawano Laura
Published: January 2014

This paper provides evidence that dividend and capital gains tax rates importantly influence household portfolio choices. Using data from the Surveys of Consumer Finances around the 2003 dividend tax reductions, I estimate the relationship between taxes and household portfolio dividend yields. I find that a one percentage point decrease in the dividend tax rate relative to the long-term capital gains tax rate causes household portfolio dividend yields to increase by 0.04 percentage points. The results suggest that high income households significantly increased their portfolio dividend yields in response to the 2003 dividend tax rate reductions. (JEL D14, G11, G35, H24)
Watch Your Step: Optimal Policy in a Tipping Climate
Authors: Lemoine Derek , Traeger Christian
Published: January 2014

We investigate the optimal policy response to the possibility of abrupt, irreversible shifts in system dynamics. The welfare cost of a tipping point emerges from the policymaker's response to altered system dynamics. Our policymaker also learns about a threshold's location by observing the system's response in each period. Simulations with a recursive, numerical climate-economy model show that tipping possibilities raise the optimal carbon tax more strongly over time. The resulting policy paths ultimately lower optimal peak warming by up to 0.5°C. Different types of posttipping shifts in dynamics generate qualitatively different optimal pretipping policy paths. (JEL D78, H23, Q54, Q58)
Airline Pricing, Price Dispersion, and Ticket Characteristics On and Off the Internet
Authors: Sengupta Anirban , Wiggins Steven N.
Published: January 2014

This paper uses transaction data to investigate the effects of Internet purchase on airline fares. Our data include ticket characteristics, restrictions, flight load factors, and dates and channel of purchase. Controlling for ticket and flight characteristics, online purchasers pay about 11 percent less than offline purchasers, which seems rooted in more efficient shopping. The results do not support a spillover in terms of reduced fares or dispersion from greater Internet shopping. The paper also uses the data to reevaluate the relationship between market concentration and fares, but fails to identify any statistically significant, robust relationship. (JEL D83, L11, L86, L93)
Corrigendum: The Price Effects of a Large Merger of Manufacturers: A Case Study of Maytag Whirlpool
Authors: Ashenfelter Orley C. , Hosken Daniel S. , Weinberg Matthew C.
Published: January 2014

In equations (1), (2), and (3) of our paper, we state that we simultaneously control for time effects, age effects, and product fixed effects. Because there is an exact linear relationship between age, time, and time at birth (a time-invariant product characteristic that will be absorbed by the product fixed effects), it is not possible to separately identify time effects, age effects, and product fixed effects (see Deaton 1997 for a discussion). As a result, the age-coefficients we plotted in Figures 1 and 2 can only be identified by an arbitrary normalization.
Average Utility Maximization: A Preference Foundation
Authors: Kothiyal Amit , Spinu Vitalie , Wakker Peter P.
Published: January 2014

This paper provides necessary and sufficient preference conditions for average utility maximization over sequences of variable length. We obtain full generality by using a new algebraic technique that exploits the richness structure naturally provided by the variable length of the sequences. Thus we generalize many preceding results in the literature. For example, continuity in outcomes, a condition needed in other approaches, now is an option rather than a requirement. Applications to expected utility, decisions under ambiguity, welfare evaluations for variable population size, discounted utility, and quasilinear means in functional analysis are presented.
Evidence and the antisocial behaviour policy cycle
Authors: Bannister Jon , O’Sullivan Anthony
Published: January 2014

Context conditions the nature of policy development. The relationship between evidence and policy is similarly conditioned in terms of the types of evidence deployed to address specific policy matters. This raises a number of interesting questions: how are different types of evidence best classified? Are there systematic linkages between context and evidence type? Do different forms of evidence hold greater sway at different points of the policy cycle? Antisocial behaviour (ASB) policy – and the way in which ASB policy in Scotland and England has diverged over time – offers a good vehicle for exploring these propositions and their implications.
A collaborative approach to bridging the research-policy gap through the development of policy advice software
Authors: John Milne Barry , Lay-Yee Roy , McLay Jessica , Tobias Martin , Tuohy Pat , Armstrong Ann , Lynn Robert , Pearson Janet , Mannion Oliver , Davis Peter
Published: January 2014

We have developed a software-based tool to support a dynamic micro-simulation model of life-course development (to age 13) as an aid to policy makers assessing the impact of policies affecting children. We demonstrate how this approach bridges the research-policy gap by creating: (1) an easy transfer of evidence in a form that policymakers can use (for example, ‘What is the policy influence of X on Y?’); and (2) a ‘pull’ system of knowledge transfer by which policy makers control the knowledge they access. The advantage of close collaboration with policy makers in the development and implementation phases is also discussed.
Sources and Resources
Authors: Uneke Chigozie Jesse , Ezeoha Abel , Ndukwe Chinwendu , Oyibo Patrick , Onwe Friday , Bhupinder Aulakh
Published: January 2014

This paper presents and discusses the outcome of a mentorship programme for capacity enhancement of Nigerian policy makers for evidence use in policy making. Policy makers were mentored by senior researchers to foster their research capacity for evidence-informed policy making. The mentorship programme involved lectures, focus group discussions, dialogues, and group work. Mentees were taught research techniques and how to use research evidence in the policy-making process. The mentorship programme knowledge assessment test and evaluation outcome indicated a considerable improvement in the mentees’ skill, knowledge and understanding of evidence-informed policy making.
Lausanne-Zagreb via Berlin, or heading for an unforeseen Europeanness
Authors: Lampropoulos Apostolos
Published: January 2014

This article discusses the Eurovision Song Contest and focuses on the two editions of the event immediately before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, i.e. the 1989 contest that was held in Lausanne and the 1990 contest in Zagreb. It attempts to figure out the different kinds of Europeanness that were outlined on the Eurovision stage before the remapping of Europe during the early 1990s. Reading closely the conformist and narcissistic Eurocentrism of the 1989 contest, as well as the touristic and sometimes patronizing attitude vis-à-vis Europe of the 1990 contest, it spells out some ways in which an emblematic televised show understood its own political dimension and reacted to the emerging realities.
The bibliografting of Montolieu, village du Livre des Arts Graphiques
Authors: Merfeld-Langston Audra
Published: January 2014

In 2010, Montolieu, France celebrated its twentieth anniversary as Montolieu, village du livre et des Arts Graphiques. Within two decades, this town of under 800 residents has witnessed significant economic, cultural, demographic and physical changes that have transformed it from a victim of rural exodus to an increasingly important cultural centre and tourist destination, as well as a desirable location for purchasing second residences. I begin this article by examining the conditions that prompted the rural town’s decision to adopt a new identity based on literary and print culture. I contextualize the development of this village du livre within a growing European book town trend and within a larger French fascination with literature, literary culture and literacy. I next investigate the tensions and challenges that arose in the community as the project began taking shape. Finally, I analyse how the adoption of a new identity has affected the town’s social and physical make-up, especially as evident in three local lieux de mémoire: the Musée Michel Braibant, the Manufacture Royale and the Coopérative, Centre d’Art et de Littérature.
Reviews
Authors: Murphy Michael , O’Callaghan Liam
Published: January 2014

Morrissey: Fandom, Representations and Identities, Eoin Devereux, Aileen Dillane and Martin J. Power (eds) (2011) Bristol: Intellect, 342 pp., ISBN: 9781841504179, h/bk £29.95

Sport, Representation and Evolving Identities in Europe, Philip Dine and Sean Crosson (eds) (2010) Bern: Peter Lang, 369 pp., ISBN: 978-3-03911-977-6, p/bk, €54.40
El Estado, los movimientos sociales y el ciudadano de a pie: exploraciones en Bolivia entre 2006 y 2011
Authors: Salman Ton
Published: January 2014

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar y contextualizar el aparente deterioro de la relación entre los movimientos sociales y el partido, ahora oficialista, MAS, entre el 2006 y el 2012, en Bolivia. El análisis está basado en una sistemática lectura de periódicos, revistas, artículos científicos y libros sobre la coyuntura política boliviana en este período, así como en una serie de entrevistas callejeras, y en muchas conversaciones con académicos y periodistas bolivianos. Se argumenta que el desarrollo de la relación entre movimientos sociales y su «portador» partidista después de un triunfo electoral depende de varios factores: el pluralismo del partido y su programa, la composición de los movimientos que lo apoyan, el estilo de gobierno, el cambio del papel del partido una vez que asume el poder y el favoritismo que despliega como gobierno. Se concluye que, en el caso del MAS en Bolivia, la combinación de factores más estructurales y factores más coyunturales, como el autoritarismo del MAS, llevaron a la dinámica que hoy en día resulta en una relación compleja y tensa entre el MAS y los movimientos sociales que contribuyeron a su llegada al gobierno.
Effects of long-term fertilisation on soil properties in Scots pine and Norway spruce stands
Authors: Saarsalmi Anna , Tamminen Pekka , Kukkola Mikko
Published: January 2014

The response of surface soil after 45- to 52-years to repeated nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation was studied. This study included 30 factorial experiments established in young (5- to 30-year-old) stands using plots of 900 m, on average, and by randomising treatments within each experiment. Total amount of N added varied from 534 to 1908 kg ha and that of P from 69 to 193 kg ha, repeated at every second N fertilisation. Liming was performed twice; in total, 6000 kg ha of dolomite was applied. Nitrogen fertilisation increased the mass of the organic layer and the amount of carbon and consequently the amounts of most of the elements in the organic layer. In both the organic layer and the 0â10 cm layer of mineral soil, nitrogen fertilisation decreased the C/N ratio and tended to lower pH, although only slightly. Phosphorus fertilisation increased the amounts of P and Ca. Liming increased the total amounts of most elements in the organic layer, except for C and N. We were able to derive models to describe how changes in the chemical properties of the surface soil depended on doses of elements and on site and stand properties.2â1â1â1
The consistency among curriculum, textbooks and placement tests in terms of elementary biology education in Turkey
Authors: Akçay Süleyman
Published: January 2014

The educational reform movements in Turkey have been accelerating since the 1990s. In connection with this, 5-year compulsory education was changed to 8 years. Following this, primary education curriculum was renewed in 2000 and 2004. The important components of formal education are the curriculum, textbooks and the examinations for entering the next stage of education (such as Secondary Education Placement Examinations (SEPE) and Higher Education Placement Examinations (HEPE) exams). This study investigates the content congruity between primary education second stage (the 6th-8 grade) curriculum for the science and technology course and the SEPE exams and the textbooks from the perspective of biology. The research found, in consequence, no incongruity between the three elements in general. In SEPE exams (2008-2010), there were no questions on some issues in the textbooks and curriculum which, therefore, can be regarded as inconsistency among curriculum, textbooks and SEPE exams. In the last part of our study, several recommendations towards the innovations of the curriculum have been made for the future.
Moderating Effects of the Relationship between Private Label Share and Store Loyalty
Authors: Koschate-Fischer Nicole , Cramer Johannes , Hoyer Wayne D.
Published: January 2014

A key benefit of private labels for retailers is their potential to increase customers’ store loyalty. However, previous research has not examined how this relationship varies across customers and situations. This study contributes to knowledge in this area by developing a conceptual framework that guides the investigation of the role of four moderating factors in strengthening the private label brand share–store loyalty link: (1) customers’ price-oriented behavior, (2) degree of commoditization of the product category, (3) product category involvement, and (4) the retailer's price positioning. This article draws on a large-scale empirical study using a household panel and questionnaire data for 35 diverse fast-moving consumer goods product categories. The results of this study show that the relationship between private label share and store loyalty is more complex than previous research has suggested. Specifically, the private label brand share–store loyalty link is stronger for customers with high price-oriented behavior, retailers with a low price positioning, and product categories that are less commoditized and have relatively higher involvement.
Stability of equilibrium configurations for elastic films in two and three dimensions
Authors: Bonacini Marco
Published: January 2014

We establish a local minimality sufficiency criterion, based on the strict positivity of the second variation, in the context of a variational model for the epitaxial growth of elastic films. Our result holds also in the three-dimensional case and for a general class of nonlinear elastic energies. Applications to the study of the local minimality of flat morphologies are also shown.
On the solutions of a singular elliptic equation concentrating on a circle
Authors: Manna Bhakti B. , Srikanth P. Chakravarthy
Published: January 2014

Let

A
=
{
x
∈

ℝ

2
N
+
2

:
0
<
a
<
|
x
|
<
b
}

${A=\lbrace x\in \mathbb {R}^{2N+2} : 0< a< |x| <b\rbrace }$

be an annulus. Consider the following singularly perturbed elliptic problem on A:

-

ε
2

▵
u

+

|
x
|

α

u
=

|
x
|

α

u
p

${-\varepsilon ^2{\triangle u} + |x|^{\alpha }u = |x|^{\alpha }u^p}$

in A,
u > 0 in A,

∂
u

∂
ν

=
0

$\frac{\partial u}{\partial \nu } = 0$

on

∂
A

$\partial A$

,
where

1
<
p
<

2
*

-
1

${1<p<2^*-1}$

.
We shall show that there exists a positive solution

u
ε

${u_\varepsilon }$

concentrating on an S1
orbit as

ε
→
0

${\varepsilon \rightarrow 0}$

. We prove this by reducing the problem
to a lower-dimensional one and analyzing a single point concentrating solution in the lower-dimensional space. We make precise how the single peak concentration depends on the parameter α.
On hemicontinuity of bifunctions for solving equilibrium problems
Authors: Alleche Boualem
Published: January 2014

This paper deals with solving equilibrium problems under
local conditions on equilibrium bifunctions. Some techniques first
considered for multivalued mixed variational inequalities are
investigated and applied to equilibrium problems. It results that
the notion of hemicontinuity is not needed on the whole space when
solving equilibrium problems involving pseudomonotone or
quasimonotone bifunctions. Generalizations of some well-known
results concerning existence of solutions of equilibrium problems
are obtained and applications to equilibrium problems involving
two, rather than one, bifunctions are given.
Refined semiclassical asymptotics for
fractional powers of the Laplace operator
Authors: Frank Rupert L. , Geisinger Leander
Published: January 2014

We consider the fractional Laplacian on a domain and investigate the asymptotic behavior of its eigenvalues. Extending methods from semi-classical analysis we are able to prove a two-term formula for the sum of eigenvalues with the leading (Weyl) term given by the volume and the subleading term by the surface area. Our result is valid under very weak assumptions on the regularity of the boundary.
Large deviations for integrals of telegraph processes type
Authors: Logachov Artem V. , Makhno Sergey Y.
Published: January 2014

We consider the sequence of processes

η
n

(
t
)

=

λ
n

ϕ
(
n
)

∫
0
t

cos

(
α
ν

(
n
s
)

+
β
)

d
s
,

$ \eta _n(t)= \frac{\sqrt{\lambda n}}{\varphi (n)}\int _0^t\cos (\alpha \nu (ns)+\beta )ds, $

where

ν
(
t
)

${\nu (t) }$

is a Poisson process with parameter

λ
t

${\lambda t}$

,

ϕ
(
n
)

${\varphi (n)}$

is a monotonically increasing function,

n
∈
ℕ

${n\in \mathbb {N}}$

. The aim of this paper is to prove a large deviations
principle for the processes

η
n

${\eta _n}$

.
Austria Inc. Forever? On the Stability of a Coordinated Corporate Network in Times of Privatization and Internationalization
Authors: Korom Philipp
Published: January 2014

One of the features of organized Austrian capitalism is a tightly-knit corporate network (Austria Inc.) that facilitates control and coordination between companies. In the 1980s the subsidiaries of the Austrian industry-holding stock company (ÖIAG) and the largest banks were the central hubs of this network. Now, 30 years later, ÖIAG has privatized nearly all its companies and banks have not only merged and sold their equity interests, but also partly joined international business groups. Nevertheless, Austria Inc. has not eroded. By analyzing a network of personal connections between 1976 and 2000, I investigate in this article how the network has reconfigured to allow Austria Inc. to perpetuate. The analysis suggests three explanations: Despite extensive privatization of the economy, Austrian ownership continues to prevail within the network; the banking group Raiffeisen filled the gap that was opened by the withdrawal of the state from the economic sphere; members of the Austrian elite still use board meetings for social networking.
Beyond Blindsight: Properties of Visual Relearning in Cortically Blind Fields
Authors: Das Anasuya , Tadin Duje , Huxlin Krystel R.
Published: January 2014

Damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) or its immediate afferents results in a dense scotoma, termed cortical blindness (CB). CB subjects have residual visual abilities, or blindsight, which allow them to detect and sometimes discriminate stimuli with high temporal and low spatial frequency content. Recent work showed that with training, discriminations in the blind field can become more reliable, and even reach consciousness. However, the narrow spatiotemporal bandwidth of blindsight limits its functional usefulness in everyday vision. Here, we asked whether visual training can induce recovery outside the spatiotemporal bandwidth of blindsight. Specifically, could human CB subjects learn to discriminate static, nonflickering stimuli? Can such learning transfer to untrained stimuli and tasks, and does double training with moving and static stimuli provide additional advantages relative to static training alone? We found CB subjects capable of relearning static orientation discriminations following single as well as double training. However, double training with complex, moving stimuli in a separate location was necessary to recover complex motion thresholds at locations trained with static stimuli. Subjects trained on static stimuli alone could only discriminate simple motion. Finally, both groups had approximately equivalent, incomplete recovery of fine orientation and direction discrimination thresholds, as well as contrast sensitivity. These results support two conclusions: (1) from a practical perspective, complex moving stimuli and double training may be superior training tools for inducing visual recovery in CB, and (2) the cortically blind visual system can relearn to perform a wider range of visual discriminations than predicted by blindsight alone.
A Common Cortical Metric for Spatial, Temporal, and Social Distance
Authors: Parkinson Carolyn , Liu Shari , Wheatley Thalia
Published: January 2014

Distance describes more than physical space: we speak of close friends and distant relatives, and of the near future and distant past. Did these ubiquitous spatial metaphors arise in language coincidentally or did they arise because they are rooted in a common neural computation? To address this question, we used statistical pattern recognition techniques to analyze human fMRI data. First, a machine learning algorithm was trained to discriminate patterns of fMRI responses based on relative egocentric distance within trials from one distance domain (e.g., photographs of objects relatively close to or far away from the viewer in spatial distance trials). Next, we tested whether the decision boundary generated from this training could distinguish brain responses according to relative egocentric distance within each of two separate distance domains (e.g., phrases referring to the immediate or more remote future within temporal distance trials; photographs of participants' friends or acquaintances within social distance trials). This procedure was repeated using all possible combinations of distance domains for training and testing the classifier. In all cases, above-chance decoding across distance domains was possible in the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Furthermore, the representational similarity structure within this brain area reflected participants' own judgments of spatial distance, temporal soon-ness, and social familiarity. Thus, the right IPL may contain a parsimonious encoding of proximity to self in spatial, temporal, and social frames of reference.
Activity of the Principal Cells of the Olfactory Bulb Promotes a Structural Dynamic on the Distal Dendrites of Immature Adult-Born Granule Cells via Activation of NMDA Receptors
Authors: Breton-Provencher Vincent , Coté Daniel , Saghatelyan Armen
Published: January 2014

The adult olfactory bulb is continuously supplied with neuronal precursors that differentiate into granule and periglomerular cells. Little is known about the structural dynamic of adult-born granule cells (GCs) at their different maturational stages, the mechanisms controlling the integration of new neurons into the pre-existing neuronal circuitry, or the role of principal cell activity in these processes. We used two-photon time-lapse imaging to reveal a high level of filopodia formation and retraction on the distal dendrites of adult-born GCs at their early maturational stages. This dynamic decreased as the adult-born interneurons matured. Filopodia formation/retraction on the dendrites of adult-born GCs at the early maturational stages depended on the activation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs). The stimulation of mitral cells using a pattern that mimics activity of these principal neurons to odor presentation promotes the NMDAR-dependent filopodia dynamic of adult-born GCs during their early but not late maturational stages. Moreover, NMDA iontophoresis was sufficient to induce the formation of new filopodia on the distal dendrites of immature adult-born GCs. The maturation of adult-born interneurons was accompanied by a progressive hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and an increased Mg2+block of NMDARs. Decreasing the extracellular Mg2+concentration led to filopodia formation on the dendrites of mature adult-born GCs following NMDA iontophoresis. Our findings reveal an increased structural dynamic of adult-born GCs during the early stages of their integration into the mouse bulbar circuitry and highlight a critical period during which the principal cells' activity influences filopodia formation/retraction on the dendrites of interneurons.
Neuronal Activity and Glutamate Uptake Decrease Mitochondrial Mobility in Astrocytes and Position Mitochondria Near Glutamate Transporters
Authors: Jackson Joshua G. , O'Donnell John C. , Takano Hajime , Coulter Douglas A. , Robinson Michael B.
Published: January 2014

Within neurons, mitochondria are nonuniformly distributed and are retained at sites of high activity and metabolic demand. Glutamate transport and the concomitant activation of the Na+/K+-ATPase represent a substantial energetic demand on astrocytes. We hypothesized that mitochondrial mobility within astrocytic processes might be regulated by neuronal activity and glutamate transport. We imaged organotypic hippocampal slice cultures of rat, in which astrocytes maintain their highly branched morphologies and express glutamate transporters. Using time-lapse confocal microscopy, the mobility of mitochondria within individual astrocytic processes and neuronal dendrites was tracked. Within neurons, a greater percentage of mitochondria were mobile than in astrocytes. Furthermore, they moved faster and farther than in astrocytes. Inhibiting neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin (TTX) increased the percentage of mobile mitochondria in astrocytes. Mitochondrial movement in astrocytes was inhibited by vinblastine and cytochalasin D, demonstrating that this mobility depends on both the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons. Inhibition of glutamate transport tripled the percentage of mobile mitochondria in astrocytes. Conversely, application of the transporter substrated-aspartate reversed the TTX-induced increase in the percentage of mobile mitochondria. Inhibition of reversed Na+/Ca2+exchange also increased the percentage of mitochondria that were mobile. Last, we demonstrated that neuronal activity increases the probability that mitochondria appose GLT-1 particles within astrocyte processes, without changing the proximity of GLT-1 particles to VGLUT1. These results imply that neuronal activity and the resulting clearance of glutamate by astrocytes regulate the movement of astrocytic mitochondria and suggest a mechanism by which glutamate transporters might retain mitochondria at sites of glutamate uptake.
Performance Monitoring in Monkey Frontal Eye Field
Authors: Teichert Tobias , Yu Dian , Ferrera Vincent P.
Published: January 2014

The frontal eye fields (FEF) are thought to mediate response selection during oculomotor decision tasks. In addition, many FEF neurons have robust postsaccadic responses, but their role in postchoice evaluative processes (online performance monitoring) is only beginning to become apparent. Here we report error-related neural activity in FEF while monkeys performed a biased speed-categorization task that enticed the animals to make impulsive errors. Twenty-three percent of cells in macaque FEF coded an internally generated error-related signal, and many of the same cells also coded task difficulty. The observed responses are primarily consistent with three related concepts that have been associated with performance monitoring: (1) response conflict; (2) uncertainty; and (3) reward prediction. Overall, our findings suggest a novel role for the FEF as part of the neural network that evaluates the preceding choice to optimize behavior in the future.
Three Distinct Blue-Green Color Pathways in a Mammalian Retina
Authors: Mills Stephen L. , Tian Lian-Ming , Hoshi Hideo , Whitaker Christopher M. , Massey Stephen C.
Published: January 2014

In mammalian retinae, the first steps in the process of discrimination of color are mediated by color-opponent neurons that respond with opposite polarity to signals from short (S, blue) and longer wavelength (M, green or L, red) cones. Primates also contain a second system that is different from M and L cones. Although pathways responding to the onset of S-cone stimulation (S-ON) are well known, the existence of bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells that respond to the offset of S-cone stimulation (S-OFF) has been controversial. We have recorded from and stained three different types of S/M color-opponent ganglion cells in the rabbit retina that are distinguished by the polarity of their responses to S-cone stimulation, the stratification pattern of their dendrites, and the distinct mechanisms underlying their color-opponent responses. We describe an S-ON and an S-OFF pathway formed by amacrine cells inverting the S-ON signal. Most importantly, we also provide both anatomical and physiological evidence for a direct S-OFF pathway dependent on an S-OFF cone bipolar cell. The results indicate a greater diversity of pathways for processing of signals from S-cones than previously suspected.
Selective Adaptation to “Oddball” Sounds by the Human Auditory System
Authors: Simpson Andrew J.R. , Harper Nicol S. , Reiss Joshua D. , McAlpine David
Published: January 2014

Adaptation to both common and rare sounds has been independently reported in neurophysiological studies using probabilistic stimulus paradigms in small mammals. However, the apparent sensitivity of the mammalian auditory system to the statistics of incoming sound has not yet been generalized to task-related human auditory perception. Here, we show that human listeners selectively adapt to novel sounds within scenes unfolding over minutes. Listeners' performance in an auditory discrimination task remains steady for the most common elements within the scene but, after the first minute, performance improves for distinct and rare (oddball) sound elements, at the expense of rare sounds that are relatively less distinct. Our data provide the first evidence of enhanced coding of oddball sounds in a human auditory discrimination task and suggest the existence of an adaptive mechanism that tracks the long-term statistics of sounds and deploys coding resources accordingly.
Large-Scale Axonal Reorganization of Inhibitory Neurons following Retinal Lesions
Authors: Marik Sally A. , Yamahachi Homare , Meyer zum Alten Borgloh Stephan , Gilbert Charles D.
Published: January 2014

The functional properties of adult cortical neurons are subject to alterations in sensory experience. Retinal lesions lead to remapping of cortical topography in the region of primary visual cortex representing the lesioned part of the retina, the lesion projection zone (LPZ), with receptive fields shifting to the intact parts of the retina. Neurons within the LPZ receive strengthened input from the surrounding region by growth of the plexus of excitatory long-range horizontal connections. Here, by combining cell type-specific labeling with a genetically engineered recombinant adeno-associated virus andin vivotwo-photon microscopy in adult macaques, we showed that the remapping was also associated with alterations in the axonal arbors of inhibitory neurons, which underwent a parallel process of pruning and growth. The axons of inhibitory neurons located within the LPZ extended across the LPZ border, suggesting a mechanism by which new excitatory input arising from the peri-LPZ is balanced by reciprocal inhibition arising from the LPZ.
Distributed Effects of Biological Sex Define Sex-Typical Motor Behavior inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Mowrey William R. , Bennett Jessica R. , Portman Douglas S.
Published: January 2014

Sex differences in shared behaviors (for example, locomotion and feeding) are a nearly universal feature of animal biology. Though these behaviors may share underlying neural programs, their kinematics can exhibit robust differences between males and females. The neural underpinnings of these differences are poorly understood because of the often-untested assumption that they are determined by sex-specific body morphology. Here, we address this issue in the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans, which features two sexes with distinct body morphologies but similar locomotor circuitry and body muscle. Quantitative behavioral analysis shows thatC. elegansand related nematodes exhibit significant sex differences in the dynamics and geometry of locomotor body waves, such that the male is generally faster. Using a recently proposed model of locomotor wave propagation, we show that sex differences in both body mechanics and the intrinsic dynamics of the motor system can contribute to kinematic differences in distinct mechanical contexts. By genetically sex-reversing the properties of specific tissues and cells, however, we find that sex-specific locomotor frequency inC. elegansis determined primarily by the functional modification of shared sensory neurons. Further, we find that sexual modification of body wall muscle together with the nervous system is required to alter body wave speed. Thus, rather than relying on a single focus of modification, sex differences in motor dynamics require independent modifications to multiple tissue types. Our results suggest shared motor behaviors may be sex-specifically optimized though distributed modifications to several aspects of morphology and physiology.
Trans-Spinal Direct Current Stimulation Alters Muscle Tone in Mice with and without Spinal Cord Injury with Spasticity
Authors: Ahmed Zaghloul
Published: January 2014

Muscle tone abnormalities are associated with many CNS pathologies and severely limit recovery of motor control. Muscle tone depends on the level of excitability of spinal motoneurons and interneurons. The present study investigated the following hypotheses: (1) direct current flowing from spinal cord to sciatic nerve [spinal-to-sciatic direct current stimulation (DCS)] would inhibit spinal motor neurons and interneurons, hence reducing muscle tone; and (2) direct current flowing in the opposite direction (sciatic-to-spinal DCS) would excite spinal motor neurons and interneurons, hence increasing muscle tone. Current intensity was biased to be ∼170 times greater at the spinal column than at the sciatic nerve. The results showed marked effects of DCS on muscle tone. In controls and mice with spinal cord injuries with spasticity, spinal-to-sciatic DCS reduced transit and steady stretch-induced nerve and muscle responses. Sciatic-to-spinal DCS caused opposite effects. These findings provide the first direct evidence that trans-spinal DCS can alter muscle tone and suggest that this approach could be used to reduce both hypotonia and hypertonia.
Jim Rockford or Tony Soprano
Authors: Abbott Carl
Published: January 2014

Both in television shows such as The Rockford Files and The Sopranos and in the fiction of writers such as John Updike, Richard Ford, and Douglas Coupland, popular culture draws a distinction between Atlantic Coast and Pacific Coast suburbs. The differences revolve around two themes. The first concerns the roles of place and space. The second is the varying weight of history, often as manifested through families and social ties. Eastern suburbs and suburbanites are commonly depicted as embedded in place, rooted in time, and entangled in social networks. Western suburbs and suburbanites are often imagined as the opposite—isolated in space, atemporal, and free (or bereft) of social bonds.
Pedagogical Love as Critical Labor
Authors: Toyosaki Satoshi
Published: January 2014

Whiteness studies has become a popular topic for many critical intercultural communication researchers and pedagogues. Since my encounter with whiteness studies, I have been struggling with a practice of whiteness pedagogy. As a nonwhite pedagogue, I often experience dissonance in translating whiteness research into whiteness pedagogy. In this article, I analyze and make sense of this dissonance. I weave both my and my students’ stories and my ethnographic observations of “communication and race” classrooms in pursuit of a relational pedagogy of whiteness. I call for pedagogical love as a site of critical labor that creates difference and potentially interrupts racist systems and structures local to our everyday lives.
Food intake regulating hormones in adult craniopharyngioma patients
Authors: Roemmler-Zehrer J , Geigenberger V , Störmann S , Losa M , Crippa V , Otto B , Bidlingmaier M , Dimopoulou C , Stalla G K , Schopohl J
Published: January 2014

Introduction

Patients with craniopharyngioma (CP) have disturbances of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis and serious comorbidities such as obesity. We hypothesized that the secretion of hormones regulating the nutritional status is altered in adult patients with CP compared with patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA).

Methods

We included 40 CP (50% males, mean age: 49.6±14.3 years) and 40 NFPA (72.5% males, mean age: 63.4±9.8 years) patients. We measured glucose, insulin, leptin, total ghrelin, peptide-YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK) during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Fat mass (FM) was determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

Gender distribution was not significantly different, but CP patients were significantly younger (P<0.001). CP patients had significantly higher BMI and FM than NFPA patients (BMI 32±8 vs 28±4 kg/m2,P=0.009 and FM 37±9 vs 33±9%,P=0.02). Fasting glucose level (84±12 vs 78±11 mg/dl,P=0.03), leptin (27.9±34.2 vs 11.9±11.6 μg/l,P=0.008) and leptin levels corrected for percentage FM (0.66±0.67 vs 0.32±0.25 μg/l%,P=0.005) were significantly higher in CP than in NFPA patients, whereas ghrelin was significantly lower (131±129 vs 191±119 ng/l,P=0.035). Insulin, PYY and CCK did not differ significantly between groups. After glucose load, leptin decreased significantly in CP patients (P=0.019). In both groups, ghrelin decreased significantly during OGTT (bothP<0.001). The percentage decline was significantly smaller for CP. PYY and CCK increased equally after glucose in both groups.

Conclusion

Our patients with CP have more metabolic complications than our patients with NFPA. The levels of leptin and ghrelin at fasting status and after glucose seem to be altered in CP, whereas changes in insulin, PYY and CCK do not seem to be responsible for the metabolic changes in these patients.
To drive or be driven: the path of a mouse model of recurrent pregnancy loss
Authors: Bonney Elizabeth A , Brown Stephen A
Published: January 2014

This review is an example of the use of an animal model to try to understand the immune biology of pregnancy. A well-known model of recurrent spontaneous pregnancy loss is put in clinical, historical, and theoretical context, with emphasis on T cell biology.
Optical Fabrication of Semiconductor Single-Crystalline Microspheres in Superfluid Helium
Authors: Okamoto Shinya , Ichikawa Satoshi , Minowa Yosuke , Ashida Masaaki
Published: January 2014

We successfully fabricated semiconductor microspheres of ZnO, ZnSe, etc., by laser ablation in superfluid helium and investigated their morphology and optical properties. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy in ultraviolet region of single ZnO microspheres shows luminescence spectra with mode structures and remarkable reduction of the luminescence decay time compared to that of polycrystals or non-spherical microparticles. This indicates strong light-matter interaction due to efficient light-confinement in the ZnO microspheres. In addition, the fabricated ZnSe microspheres also show the photoluminescence spectra with typical mode structures indicating their high sphericity.
Production and biofunctionalization of elongated semiconducting nanocrystals for ex-vivo applications
Authors: Jochum Tobias , Ness Daniel , Dieckmann Marieke , Werner Katja , Niehaus Jan , Weller Horst
Published: January 2014

Hereby, we present a synthetic route for the production of wurtzite (WZ) CdSe nanocrystals (NCs), which are essential for further shell growing reaction (e.g. CdSe/CdS dot-in-rod (DRs) nanoheterostructures). Our continuous flow reactor set-up consists of a separate nucleation chamber and growth oven. Both components can be heated up to temperatures above 350 °C to guarantee WZ crystal structure.

Furthermore, we introduce DRs as the next powerful tool concerning biological imaging and assay detection. Using DRs in cell imaging results in an increased sensitivity due to the higher brightness compared to spherical core/shell/shell (CSS) nanocrystals.