bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optoelectronic properties of nanocolumnar InGaN/GaN quantum disk LEDs
Authors: Sacconi Fabio , Auf der Maur Matthias , Pecchia Alessandro , Lopez Marco , Di Carlo Aldo
Published: April 2012

In this work we use the multi‐scale software tool tiberCAD to study the electronic and optical properties of a InGaN quantum disk (QD) in a GaN nanocolumn p‐i‐n diode structure, both with a macroscopical and an atomistic approach. Results show that the strain relaxation close to the lateral surface is evident for smaller nanocolumns but its effect tends to vanish for higher values of the column width. Self‐consistent Schrödinger–Poisson/drift‐diffusion calculations show that particle density and therefore radiative recombination rate are focused in the center of the QD (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Critical analysis of the through‐space transmission of NMRJFHspin–spin coupling constants
Authors: Contreras Rubén H. , Ducati Lucas C. , Tormena Cláudio F.
Published: April 2012

NMRJFHcoupling constants transmitted through space are known to show several unusual peculiarities. The main three are (a) in many cases their experimental values are reported to be positive and in others, negative; (b) theoretical values show that in some cases they are substantially contributed not only from the Fermi contact (FC) term but also from the paramagnetic spin orbit (PSO) term, and their respective signs could be either like or unlike; (c) in many cases it can hardly be expected that the corresponding FH proximate interactions could be considered a “hydrogen bond,” whereas in other cases it is evident that they are. For discussing points (a) and (b), characteristics of both the FC and PSO terms are discussed performing qualitative analyses based on their expressions given in terms of the polarization propagator formalism. Point (c) is discussed in terms of the well‐known Bader's QTAIM method as well as recalling the known relationship between the transmissions of the Fermi hole and of the FC interaction of spin–spin coupling constants. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Habitat preferences and evidence for niche partitioning amongst cetaceans in the waters between Gabon and Angola, eastern tropical Atlantic
Authors: Weir Caroline R. , MacLeod Colin D. , Pierce Graham J.
Published: April 2012

The habitat preferences and niches of eight cetacean species inhabiting eastern tropical Atlantic waters between Angola and Gabon (1°N–11°S latitude) were examined. A total of 2873 cetacean sightings, recorded between January 2004 and June 2009, was assigned to 10 × 10 km grid cells and linked to four ecogeographical variables (EGVs): water depth, seabed slope, sea surface temperature (SST) and relative frontal strength. Classification trees revealed that the habitat preferences (in terms of the habitats sampled) of most species were primarily determined by SST (for Bryde's whale, sperm whale, short-finned pilot whale and common dolphin) and water depth (for Risso's dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and Atlantic spotted dolphin). Seabed slope was the most important EGV describing the presence of the striped dolphin. A principal component analysis was used to compare the niches of the species with respect to the four EGVs. Nineteen species pairs (68%) differed significantly in median principal component (PC) score for the first PC axis, suggesting differences in their niche centres for that axis. Sixteen species pairs (57%) differed significantly in PC score variance suggesting differences in the niche widths along the first PC axis. Water depth and SST were the most important variables for the first PC axis. Together, these results suggest that cetacean species inhabiting the eastern tropical Atlantic exhibit interspecific variation in their habitat preferences, and so differ in the niches that they occupy. These differences are most likely related to variation in prey species and foraging strategy.
An experimental evaluation of the short-term effects of trawling on infaunal assemblages of the coast off southern Brazil
Authors: Prantoni Alessandro Lívio , Lana Paulo da Cunha , Sandrini-Neto Leonardo , Filho Orlei Antônio Negrello , de Oliveira Verônica Maria
Published: April 2012

Bottom trawling is a large-scale fishing activity along the Brazilian coast, but its effects on benthic infauna are still poorly known. This is the first experimental evaluation of benthic responses to bottom trawling along the Brazilian coast. We tested the effects of trawling on macroinfaunal assemblages on the inner continental shelf off Paraná (southern Brazil) by using a sampling design with adjacent trawl and control areas. We hypothesized that if trawl fishing has a negative effect then we should expect lower numbers of species and lower benthic densities after an experimental trawling. Sampling was conducted at adjacent sites within each area to minimize confounding due to spatial variation. Five sites were sampled at a control, and five at an experimental area for infaunal and sedimentological variables. Sampling was carried out just before and one hour after experimental trawling. Multidimensional scaling followed by a PERMANOVA did not show any clear variation tendencies in the structure of the benthic assemblages in the impacted area before and after trawling. However, variance analysis showed a significant and unexpected increase in infaunal total density, in the density of the numerically dominant species (except for the polychaetes Capitella sp. and Loandalia tricuspis) and in species richness in the experimental area. Conversely, no significant variations were recorded in the control area. We suggest that the overall increase in benthic density after a disturbance is correlated with the reworking of the sediment matrix and benefits the suspension-feeders after sediment resuspension.
Post-Salvagism: Choreography and Its Discontents in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Authors: Rowe Nicholas
Published: April 2012

While researching dance within the Occupied Palestinian Territories, comments made by the choreographers of local performance troupes resonated in my mind because they exemplify how foreign hegemony controls notions of modernity. The first was a lament: “But can't they understand that this is our contemporary dance?” It followed the rejection of the group's application to a European contemporary dance festival, on the basis that their dance production was not contemporary enough and that it would be better suited to a folkloric festival. For those engaged in creative innovation in dance, this rebuke can feel like being sent to a home for the elderly: packed off to a place where everybody dances in circles, reminiscing about the glorious golden past of their own particular civilization. The second comment cropped up in numerous conversations with local dance practitioners and audiences: “I don't like the modern dance.” This comment was generally directed at any foreign or local dance production that did not fit within nostalgically imagined impressions of dance in times gone by.
I Promised Myself I Would Never Let It Leave My Body's Memory
Authors: Catterson Pat
Published: April 2012

From Jill Johnston to Sally Banes, Susan Leigh Foster, Mark Franko, Ramsay Burt, and, most recently, Carrie Lambert-Beatty, dance historians and theorists have extolled the qualities of Yvonne Rainer's Trio A (1966) and discussed its significance in dance history. My relationship to this dance is unique. I first saw it at the Billy Rose Theatre in New York City in 1969, and in the same year I learned and performed it at the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College. In November of 1970 I first performed it retrograde, and I first taught it in the summer of 1971. In the forty years since, I have continued to perform and teach it. One of the high points in this odyssey was performing it in a duet with Yvonne at Judson Church in Trio A Pressured, a 1999 piece that marked her return to dance after a twenty-five-year hiatus as a filmmaker.

What is it about this dance, beyond its ideas and groundbreaking methods, that has kept me wanting to perform it and others wanting to see and learn it? And how is the experience of doing it different from that of viewing it? How has it changed for me and across generations over the years? I must go back to that first experience with the dance to begin to answer these questions.
Trio A Canonical
Authors: Giersdorf Jens Richard
Published: April 2012

Despite Yvonne Rainer's subversive refusal to stage Trio A as a spectacle, to have it represent or narrate social structures, or to engage with the audience in a traditional manner, the landmarks of canonization have all been put upon it. The Banes-produced 1978 film of Rainer dancing Trio A was recently exhibited while the dance was performed live simultaneously by Pat Catterson, Jimmy Robert, and Ian White at the Museum of Modern Art, the institution that determines what constitutes important modernist and contemporary art in the United States and, indeed, the Western world. In conjunction with Rainer's famous NO Manifesto, Trio A appears in nearly every publication on so-called postmodern dance and art. Moreover, the key documentary on postmodern dance Beyond the Mainstream—containing Trio A—is screened in most dance history courses when postmodern dance is discussed. As a result, the choreography became not only a staple on syllabi in dance departments but also in disciplines such as gender studies, film and art history, or communications. Even Susan Au's Ballet and Modern Dance, a conservative historical text utilized in many dance history classes, defines Trio A as “one of the most influential works in the modern dance repertoire” (Au 2002, 155).
“But How Do I Write about Dance?”: Thoughts on Teaching Criticism
Authors: Malnig Julie
Published: April 2012

For the past several years I have taught an advanced writing seminar at New York University's Gallatin School called Writing About Performance. While dance is not the only focus—we write about various forms of live art—it is indeed a central component.
Extending Critical Voices Between the Lecture Room and the Dance Studio
Authors: Nugent Ann
Published: April 2012

The majority of students come to us at the University of Chichester in the United Kingdom, where I am a dance lecturer, because they want to develop careers as dancers, choreographers, or dance teachers. They are usually attracted by the opportunity to improve their dance technique and/or to be creative rather than to align themselves with the more conventional avenues of academia, and for most writing will never be a career contender.
Dialogues: Genesis and Concept of Human Writes
Authors: Thomas Kendall , Keenan Thomas , Franko Mark
Published: April 2012

The following is a transcription of the presentation by Kendall Thomas, co-creator with William Forsythe of the performance installation Human Writes, followed by a discussion with Thomas Keenan and Mark Franko. Kendall Thomas's talk was given simultaneously with a screening of a silent video documentation of the work. (The reader can find moving images of Human Writes at ). The panel “Rights to Move: Choreographing the Human Rights Struggle,” of which this discussion was a part, also included the participation of Leah Cox, dancer of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. The event was curated and moderated by Mark Franko and produced by Alan Pally, and it took place at the Bruno Walter Auditorium of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center, on October 12, 2009.
Performing Acupuncture on a Necropolitical Body: Choreographer Faustin Linyekula's Studios Kabako in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Scott Ariel Osterweis
Published: April 2012

Faustin Linyekula stages what I shall call “geo-choreography” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). What is choreography if not an embodied practice that demands a continual reordering of space? Geo-choreography reorders the urban landscape choreographically without colonizing it. Instead, it establishes a network of architectural sites within that landscape whose effect I shall endeavor to describe in this essay. In 1993 Congolese choreographer Linyekula went into exile for eight years, during which time he attended university in Kenya and studied theater in London, only to be pressured by the British government to return to Kenya, where he was introduced to dance theater. In 2001 Linyekula returned to the DRC, where he founded his contemporary dance company, Studios Kabako, in Kinshasa, the country's capital. Working out of both Kinshasa and Paris, Linyekula established an international career as an experimental dance maker. After five years (in 2006) he transferred his company from Kinshasa to his hometown, Kisangani. Located in the northeastern DRC, this haunted urban terrain has been devastated by political violence, including that of the Second Congo War (1998–2003) and its aftermath. In trying to rediscover a sense of belonging for himself and for others, Linyekula is presently designing a network of studios for emerging artists throughout Kisangani. Linyekula's dance company and network of studios taken together, and housed under the same name of Studios Kabako, encourage a fluid movement between the social and the artistic.
Permeability evolution during triaxial compaction of an anisotropic porous sandstone
Authors: Baud Patrick , Meredith Philip , Townend Edward
Published: April 2012

In this paper we report results from an experimental study into the influence of pre‐existing structural anisotropy on deformation localization and permeability evolution during triaxial compaction of a porous sandstone. Diemelstadt sandstone was selected for this study because it exhibited significant structural anisotropy as measured by AMS and P and S‐wave velocities. This resulted in significant mechanical anisotropy, with samples deformed parallel to bedding being always stronger in the compactant regime than samples deformed normal to bedding. Permeability decreases were also larger (by about an order of magnitude) and far more abrupt in samples deformed normal to bedding. Microstructural analysis of deformed samples revealed that both the mechanical anisotropy and the differences in permeability evolution can be explained by the different geometrical attributes of the compaction bands that propagated in the two orientations. Bedding‐parallel compaction bands developed at lower stresses and were more tabular and less tortuous than bands that developed at oblique angles to bedding. Bands appear to have a similar thickness regardless of orientation, and we estimated a permeability contrast of about 3 orders of magnitude between the host rock matrix and the compaction bands. Our new data suggest that pre‐existing structural anisotropy in a sandstone formation may play a major role in the development of compaction localization and its influence on fluid flow. Our laboratory results generally compare well with attributes of compaction bands observed in the field.
Virtual screening for NS5B inhibitors of Hepatitis C virus
Authors: R Amjesh , S. Nair Achuthsankar , V.S. Sugunan
Published: April 2012

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a serious cause of chronic liver disease worldwide with more than 170 million infected individuals at a risk of developing significant morbidity and mortality. To date there is no effective drug for the treatment or vaccine to prevent this infection. The present study aims to discover novel inhibitors which target an allosteric binding site of RNA dependent RNA polymerase enzyme of HCV. A structure based virtual screening of Zinc database by computational docking and the post docking analysis of energy calculations and interactions followed by ADMET studies were conducted. Our study revealed 10 compounds which has more potential than the existing inhibitor to be considered as lead compounds.
Better Analysis, Better Acceptance ‐Take up the Challenge of Publishing in Bioinformatics
Authors: Bhattacharyya Malay
Published: April 2012

This presentation teaches the novice in bioinformatics research to publish quality analysis in good venues.
Role of cardiac resynchronization therapy in the development of new-onset atrial fibrillation: A single-center prospective study.
Authors: Santulli Gaetano , Chiariello Massimo , d’Ascia Cristofaro , d’Ascia Salvatore
Published: April 2012

Albeit several studies examined the association between cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) in heart failure (HF), results are still unclear and quite conflicting. We thereby designed a single-center prospective study to determine whether CRT has a favorable effect on the incidence of new-onset AF in a homogeneous population of patients with non-ischemic idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and severe heart failure HF. We enrolled 58 patients, AF naïve when received CRT. After 1 year of follow-up our population was subdivided into responders (72.4%) and non (27.6%), so to compare the incidence of AF after 1, 2 and 3 years of follow-up in these two groups. Already after 1 year, there is a significant (p<0.05) difference in new-onset AF in non-responder patients respect to responders (18.2% vs 3.3%). These data are confirmed at 2 year (33.3% vs 12.2%) and 3 year (50.0% vs 15.0%) follow-up. In particular, at 3 year follow-up, non-responders have an increased risk to develop new-onset AF (OR=5.67, 95% confidence interval = 1.36-23.59, p=0.019). The present work suggests a possible favorable role of this non-pharmacological therapy, on the prevention of AF.
Probing bulk defect energy bands using generalized charge pumping method
Authors: Masuduzzaman Muhammad , Weir Bonnie , Alam Muhammad Ashraful
Published: April 2012

The multifrequency charge pumping (CP) technique has long been used to probe the density of defects at the substrate-oxide interface, as well as in the bulk of the oxide of MOS transistors. However, profiling the energy levels of the defects has been more difficult due to the narrow scanning range of the voltage of a typical CP signal, and the uncertainty associated with the defect capture cross-section. In this paper, we discuss a generalized CP method that can identify defect energy bands within a bulk oxide, without requiring separate characterization of the defect capture cross-section. We use the new technique to characterize defects in both fresh and stressed samples of various dielectric compositions. By quantifying the way defects are generated as a function of time, we gain insight into the nature of defect generation in a particular gate dielectric. We also discuss the relative merits of voltage, time, and other variables of CP to probe bulk defect density, and compare the technique with related characterization approaches.
A new pulsed laser deposition technique: Scanning multi-component pulsed laser deposition method
Authors: Fischer D. , de la Fuente G. F. , Jansen M.
Published: April 2012

The scanning multi-component pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method realizes uniform depositions of desired coatings by a modified pulsed laser deposition process, preferably with a femto-second laser-system. Multi-component coatings (single or multilayered) are thus deposited onto substrates via laser induced ablation of segmented targets. This is achieved via horizontal line-scanning of a focused laser beam over a uniformly moving target's surface. This process allows to deposit the desired composition of the coating simultaneously, starting from the different segments of the target and adjusting the scan line as a function of target geometry. The sequence and thickness of multilayers can easily be adjusted by target architecture and motion, enabling inter/intra layer concentration gradients and thus functional gradient coatings. This new, simple PLD method enables the achievement of uniform, large-area coatings. Case studies were performed with segmented targets containing aluminum, titanium, and niobium. Under the laser irradiation conditions applied, all three metals were uniformly ablated. The elemental composition within the rough coatings obtained was fixed by the scanned area to Ti-Al-Nb = 1:1:1. Crystalline aluminum, titanium, and niobium were found to coexist side by side at room temperature within the substrate, without alloy formation up to 600 °C.
Low temperature dielectric dispersion and relaxor like behavior in multiferroic Ba3NbFe3Si2O14
Authors: Rathore Satyapal Singh , Mishra S. K. , Vitta Satish
Published: April 2012

The structure and physical properties such as magnetization, heat capacity, and dielectric constant of the polycrystalline Ba3NbFe3Si2O14 have been studied in detail. It is found to be structurally similar to the single crystal and also has a similar antiferromagnetic transition at TN∼26 K. The heat capacity measured in the temperature range 5 K–300 K also shows a single peak at 26 K in agreement with the magnetic behavior. The dielectric constant measured both as a function of temperature and frequency, 10 Hz to 1 MHz however exhibits two clear peaks in the temperature ranges, 20 K–35 K, and 40 K–125 K, which are dispersive in nature. Both the peaks are found to be coupled to the magnetic order with the high temperature peak signaling the onset of magnetic order while the low temperature peak signifies the completion of magnetic order. The dispersion behavior is similar to that observed in relaxor ferroelectrics wherein formation of polar nano-regions affects the relaxation dynamics.
Effect of spacer layer thickness on multi-stacked InGaAs quantum dots grown on GaAs (311)B substrate for application to intermediate band solar cells
Authors: Shoji Yasushi , Narahara Kohei , Tanaka Hideharu , Kita Takashi , Akimoto Katsuhiro , Okada Yoshitaka
Published: April 2012

We have investigated the properties of multi-stacked layers of self-organized In0.4Ga0.6As quantum dots (QDs) on GaAs (311)B grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We found that a high degree of in-plane ordering of QDs structure with a six-fold symmetry was maintained though the growth has been performed at a higher growth rate than the conventional conditions. The dependence of photoluminescence characteristics on spacer layer thickness showed an increasing degree of electronic coupling between the stacked QDs for thinner spacer layers. The external quantum efficiency for an InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot solar cell (QDSC) with a thin spacer layer thickness increased in the longer wavelength range due to additive contribution from QD layers inserted in the intrinsic region. Furthermore, a photocurrent production by 2-step photon absorption has been observed at room temperature for the InGaAs/GaAs QDSC with a spacer layer thickness of 15 nm.
Dielectrophoretic differentiation of mouse ovarian surface epithelial cells, macrophages, and fibroblasts using contactless dielectrophoresis
Authors: Salmanzadeh Alireza , Kittur Harsha , Sano Michael B. , C. Roberts Paul , Schmelz Eva M. , Davalos Rafael V.
Published: April 2012

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies in women. The primary challenge is the detection of the cancer at an early stage, since this drastically increases the survival rate. In this study we investigated the dielectrophoretic responses of progressive stages of mouse ovarian surface epithelial (MOSE) cells, as well as mouse fibroblast and macrophage cell lines, utilizing contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP). cDEP is a relatively new cell manipulation technique that has addressed some of the challenges of conventional dielectrophoretic methods. To evaluate our microfluidic device performance, we computationally studied the effects of altering various geometrical parameters, such as the size and arrangement of insulating structures, on dielectrophoretic and drag forces. We found that the trapping voltage of MOSE cells increases as the cells progress from a non-tumorigenic, benign cell to a tumorigenic, malignant phenotype. Additionally, all MOSE cells display unique behavior compared to fibroblasts and macrophages, representing normal and inflammatory cells found in the peritoneal fluid. Based on these findings, we predict that cDEP can be utilized for isolation of ovarian cancer cells from peritoneal fluid as an early cancer detection tool.
Observation of the photoinduced anomalous Hall effect spectra in insulating InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells at room temperature
Authors: Yu J. L. , Chen Y. H. , Jiang C. Y. , Liu Y. , Ma H. , Zhu L. P.
Published: April 2012

The photocurrent spectra of inter-band photoinduced anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in insulating InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells have been observed at room temperature. The AHE current changes linearly with longitudinal electric fields. The anomalous Hall conductivity corresponding to excitonic state 1HH-1E (the first valence subband of heavy hole to the first conduction) has the same sign with that of excitonic state 1LH-1E, while the sign inverses when the photon energy is larger than the excitonic state 1LH-1E. The reason for this interesting phenomenon has been discussed. Due to the strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling in this perfect crystal, the photoinduced AHE is supposed to be intrinsic.
Ecology of the Australian mudskipper Periophthalmus minutus, an amphibious fish inhabiting a mudflat in the highest intertidal zone
Authors: Takeda Tatsusuke , Hayashi Masahiro , Toba Atsushi , Soyano Kiyoshi , Ishimatsu Atsushi
Published: April 2012

A population of Periophthalmus minutus inhabiting a mudflat in the highest intertidal zone in Darwin was investigated for surface activity, feeding and reproduction in relation to environmental conditions in the dry (August) and wet (February) seasons. On days with tidal inundation, the fish were diurnally active on the exposed mudflat surface at low tide, but retreated into burrows during daytime inundation and at night. Temperatures above 40°C and heavy precipitation suppressed the daytime surface activity of the fish. During neap tides, the mudflat remained uncovered by the tide for nine days in both seasons. The fish confined themselves in burrows without ingested food throughout the nine-day period in August, but they remained active on the mudflat surface and kept foraging in February. The salinity of burrow water during the nine-day emersion was extremely high (72 ± 6 psu, mean ± s.d.) in August, but lower (46 ± 9), though still higher than the open seawater value (34), in February. The burrows were J-shaped in February, but were straight (with no upturn) in August. Fertilised eggs were collected from the upturned portionof the burrow, and hatched upon submersion. Juveniles occurred in water pools on the mudflat surface in March.
Division-linked generation of death-intermediates regulates the numerical stability of memory CD8 T cells
Authors: Nolz Jeffrey C. , Rai Deepa , Badovinac Vladimir P. , Harty John T.
Published: April 2012

Infection or successful vaccination results in the formation of long-lived memory CD8 T-cell populations. Despite their numerical stability, memory CD8 T-cell populations are thought to completely turn over through proliferation within a 2- to 3-mo period. Therefore, steady-state memory cell proliferation must be balanced by a precisely regulated and equivalent death rate. However, the mechanisms regulating this balancing process remain completely undefined. Herein, we provide evidence for “death-intermediate memory cells” (T
DIM
) within memory CD8 T-cell populations generated by infection. Importantly, CD62L
Lo
/CD27
Lo
T
DIM
s are functionally characterized by an inability to produce cytokines, the failure to internalize T-cell receptor following antigenic stimulation, and signatures of apoptotic death. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, mechanistically, T
DIM
are directly generated from dividing “central memory” T-cell populations undergoing memory turnover in vivo. Collectively, these results demonstrate that as central memory CD8 T cells proliferate, they continuously generate a population of CD8 T cells that are nonfunctional and apoptotic; thus, our data support a model wherein division-linked generation of T
DIM
contributes to numerically stable CD8 T-cell memory.
Correlated neural variability in persistent state networks
Authors: Polk Amber , Litwin-Kumar Ashok , Doiron Brent
Published: April 2012

Neural activity that persists long after stimulus presentation is a biological correlate of short-term memory. Variability in spiking activity causes persistent states to drift over time, ultimately degrading memory. Models of short-term memory often assume that the input fluctuations to neural populations are independent across cells, a feature that attenuates population-level variability and stabilizes persistent activity. However, this assumption is at odds with experimental recordings from pairs of cortical neurons showing that both the input currents and output spike trains are correlated. It remains unclear how correlated variability affects the stability of persistent activity and the performance of cognitive tasks that it supports. We consider the stochastic long-timescale attractor dynamics of pairs of mutually inhibitory populations of spiking neurons. In these networks, persistent activity was less variable when correlated variability was globally distributed across both populations compared with the case when correlations were locally distributed only within each population. Using a reduced firing rate model with a continuum of persistent states, we show that, when input fluctuations are correlated across both populations, they drive firing rate fluctuations orthogonal to the persistent state attractor, thereby causing minimal stochastic drift. Using these insights, we establish that distributing correlated fluctuations globally as opposed to locally improves network's performance on a two-interval, delayed response discrimination task. Our work shows that the correlation structure of input fluctuations to a network is an important factor when determining long-timescale, persistent population spiking activity.
Cultural influences on Facebook photographs
Authors: Huang Chih‐Mao , Park Denise
Published: April 2012

Prior research in social psychology indicates that East Asians from collectivistic and interdependent sociocultural systems are more sensitive to contextual information than Westerners, whereas Westerners with individualistic and independent representation have a tendency to process focal and discrete attributes of the environment. Here we have demonstrated that such systematic cultural variations can also be observed in cyberspace, focusing on self‐presentation of photographs on Facebook, the most popular worldwide online social network site. We examined cultural differences in face/frame ratios for Facebook profile photographs in two studies. For Study 1, 200 digital profile face photographs of active Facebook users were randomly selected from native and immigrant Taiwanese and Americans. For Study 2, 312 Facebook profiles of undergraduate students of six public universities in East Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan) and the United States (California and Texas) were randomly selected. Overall, the two studies clearly showed that East Asian Facebook users are more likely to deemphasize their faces compared to Americans. Specifically, East Asians living in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan exhibited a predilection for context inclusiveness in their profile photographs, whereas Americans tended to prioritize their focal face at the expense of the background. Moreover, East Asian Facebook users had lower intensity of facial expression than Americans on their photographs. These results demonstrate marked cultural differences in context‐inclusive styles versus object‐focused styles between East Asian and American Facebook users. Our findings extend previous findings from the real world to cyberspace, and provide a novel approach to investigate cognition and behaviors across cultures by using Facebook as a data collection platform.
Gaining the trust of ‘highly resistant’ families: insights from attachment theory and research
Authors: Shemmings David , Shemmings Yvonne , Cook Alice
Published: April 2012

Despite being a contested and imprecise notion, the term ‘highly resistant families’ has grown in usage over the past few years. It refers, at one end of a spectrum, to parents who have been falsely accused of maltreating a child and to violent, even dangerous individuals, at the other. To complicate matters, the notion of false or ‘disguised’ compliance describes some family members who may confuse practitioners by appearing to co‐operate while merely going through the motions. Excluding parents who have been falsely accused, resistant or reluctant family members are likely to find considerable difficultly ‘mentalizing’– a concept similar to empathy, derived from contemporary applications of attachment‐based research – which we discuss in this paper. From an innovative study by Forresteret al., we noteen passantthat empathy was rarely observed when social workers were asked to enact a child protection referral in vignettes conducted by actors playing the role of parent. We summarize key neurobiological research underpinning pioneering new insights into empathy and mentalization, along with their implications for child protection social workers. We conclude by briefly outlining a promising mentalization‐based intervention already proving to be effective with reluctant or resistant parents.
Dip‐adaptive singular‐value decomposition filtering for seismic reflection enhancement
Authors: Porsani Milton J. , Ursin Bjorn , Silva Michelângelo G. , Melo Paulo E. M.
Published: April 2012

We present a singular value decomposition (SVD) filtering method for the enhancement of coherent reflections and for attenuation of noise. The method is applied in two steps. First normal move‐out (NMO) correction is applied to shot or CMP records, with the purpose of flattening the reflections. We use a spatial SVD filter with a short sliding window to enhance coherent horizontal events. Then the data are sorted in common‐offset panels and the local dip is estimated for each panel. The next SVD filtering is performed on a small number of traces and a small number of time samples centred around the output sample position. Data in a local window are corrected for linear moveout corresponding to the dips before SVD. At the central time sample position, we sum over the dominant eigenimages of a few traces, corresponding to SVD dip filtering. We illustrate the method using land seismic data from the Tacutu basin, located in the north‐east of Brazil. The results show that the proposed method is effective and is able to reveal reflections masked by ground‐roll and other types of noise.
cAMP response element‐binding protein 1 is required for hydroxyurea‐mediated induction of γ‐globin expression in K562 cells
Authors: Banan Mehdi , Esmaeilzadeh‐Gharehdaghi Elika , Nezami Majid , Deilami Zahra , Farashi Samaneh , Philipsen Sjaak , Esteghamat Fatemehsadat , Pourfarzad Farzin , Ali Imam AM , Najmabadi Hossein
Published: April 2012

Hydroxyurea (HU) is a drug used for the treatment of haemoglobinopathies. Hydroxyurea functions by upregulating γ‐globin transcription and fetal haemoglobin (HbF) production in erythroid cells. The K562 erythroleukaemia cell line is widely used as a model system in which to study the mechanism of γ‐globin induction by HU. However, the transcription factors required for the upregulation of γ‐globin expression by HU in K562 cells have not been identified. Similarities between the HU and sodium butyrate (SB) pathways suggest cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) 1 as a potential candidate. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible role of CREB1 in the HU pathway.

Experiments were performed using transient and stable RNA interference (RNAi) to show that CREB1 is necessary for HU‐mediated induction of γ‐globin expression and haemoglobin production in K562 cells.

Furthermore, western blot analyses demonstrated that CREB1 becomes phosphorylated in a dose‐dependent manner after HU (100–400 µmol/L) treatment of K562 cells for 72 h.

We also investigated role of a Gγ promoter CREB1 response element (G‐CRE) in this pathway. Quantitative amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction experiments were performed to demonstrate that HU induces the expression of both Gγ and Aγ in this cell line. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assays were used to show that levels of CREB1 complexes binding to the G‐CRE site are increased following HU treatment and are decreased in CREB1‐knockdown cells.

The results suggest that CREB1 is necessary for γ‐globin induction by HU in K562 cells, a role that may be mediated, in part, through the G‐CRE element.
Capsaicin induces cycle arrest by inhibiting cyclin‐dependent‐kinase in bladder carcinoma cells
Authors: Chen Dong , Yang Zhonghua , Wang Yongzhi , Zhu Guanbin , Wang Xinghuan
Published: April 2012

Objective:  Capsaicin is a specialized agonist of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 Ca2+ channel, a member of the vanilloid receptor family of cation channels. We aimed to investigate the effects of capsaicin on the proliferation and cell death of human bladder cancer cells.

Methods:  Human bladder cancer cell line 5637 was cultured and the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 verified by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Cells were given different disposals (different capsaicin concentration with/without pre‐treating with capsazepine; capsazepine, acting as a competitive antagonist of capsaicin) to observe cell viability, cell cycle and cell death by 3‐(4, 5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2, 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometry. The apoptosis indexes, such as intracellular production of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed to elucidate the potential mechanism of capsaicin effects in the cells.

Results:  Capsaicin decreased the viability of 5637 cells in a dose‐dependent way. The flow cytometry outcome showed that capsaicin blocked the cell cycle in the G0/G1 period. The Western blot of cyclin‐dependent‐kinase involved in G1/S transfer verified this. Meanwhile, increased reactive oxygen species production and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential were detected in capsaicin‐treated groups.

Conclusions:  Capsaicin induces cell death through increased reactive oxygen species and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, capsaicin inhibits the proliferation of 5637 bladder carcinoma cells by cycle arrest with the inhibition of CDK2, CDK4 and CDK6.
Usefulness of clip traction in the early phase of esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Ota Masaho , Nakamura Tsutomu , Hayashi Kazuhiko , Ohki Takeshi , Narumiya Kousuke , Sato Takuya , Shirai Yuji , Kudo Kenji , Yamamoto Masakazu
Published: April 2012

Background:  The usefulness of clip traction in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early esophageal carcinoma was investigated.

Methods:  A total of 87 patients who underwent ESD for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were included in the study. The hook knife method was used for ESD. Twenty patients underwent ESD without clip traction (non‐clip group) and 67 underwent procedures in which clip traction was used (clip group). A clip with a string was attached to the oral edge of the lesion after mucosal incision in the clip group.

Results:  ESD was successful in all cases. Wide exposure of the submucosal tissue below the lesion was obtained by applying tension to the clip traction. The duration of ESD was shorter in the clip group, and there was a significant difference in duration between the non‐clip and clip groups. There were no complications of ESD in the clip group, but muscle layer injury occurred in three patients in the non‐clip group.

Conclusion:  Clip traction shortens operating time and is safer in esophageal ESD. Clip traction is recommended as a useful auxiliary procedure.
Endogenously released ACh and exogenous nicotine differentially facilitate long‐term potentiation induction in the hippocampal CA1 region of mice
Authors: Nakauchi Sakura , Sumikawa Katumi
Published: April 2012

We examined the role of α7‐ and β2‐containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the induction of long‐term potentiation (LTP). Theta‐burst stimulation (TBS), mimicking the brain’s naturally occurring theta rhythm, induced robust LTP in hippocampal slices from α7 and β2 knockout mice. This suggests TBS is capable of inducing LTP without activation of α7‐ or β2‐containing nAChRs. However, when weak TBS was applied, the modulatory effects of nicotinic receptors on LTP induction became visible. We showed that during weak TBS, activation of α7 nAChRs occurs by the release of ACh, contributing to LTP induction. Additionally, bath‐application of nicotine activated β2‐containing nAChRs to promote LTP induction. Despite predicted nicotine‐induced desensitization, synaptically mediated activation of α7 nAChRs still occurs in the presence of nicotine and contributed to LTP induction. Optical recording of single‐stimulation‐evoked excitatory activity with a voltage‐sensitive dye revealed enhanced excitatory activity in the presence of nicotine. This effect of nicotine was robust during high‐frequency stimulation, and was accompanied by enhanced burst excitatory postsynaptic potentials. Nicotine‐induced enhancement of excitatory activity was observed in slices from α7 knockout mice, but was absent in β2 knockout mice. These results suggest that the nicotine‐induced enhancement of excitatory activity is mediated by β2‐containing nAChRs, and is related to the nicotine‐induced facilitation of LTP induction. Thus, our study demonstrates that the activation of α7‐ and β2‐containing nAChRs differentially facilitates LTP induction via endogenously released ACh and exogenous nicotine, respectively, in the hippocampal CA1 region of mice.
Safety and efficacy of ureteroscopic lithotripsy for stone disease in obese patients: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Aboumarzouk Omar M. , Somani Bhaskar , Monga Manoj
Published: April 2012

Study Type – Prognosis (systematic review)

Level of Evidence 1a

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Case series on ureteroscopy for obese patients have been published in the literature, but as yet no decisive conclusion has been published because of the small patient numbers included the study cohorts.

This review provides an overview of the literature discussing ureteroscopy for obese patients. In addition, it provides a meta‐analysis of the case series and published literature on the topic, which focuses on the safety and efficacy of ureteroscopy for obese patients.

OBJECTIVE

To look at the role and safety of ureteroscopy for stone management in obese patients.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, PubMed and the Cochrane Library from January 1990 to June 2011 for results of ureteroscopy and stone treatment in obese patients.

Inclusion criteria were all English language articles reporting on ureteroscopy in patients with morbid obesity.

Data on the outcomes and complications was extracted and a meta‐analysis of the results conducted.

RESULTS

Seven studies with 131 patients (136 renal units) were included.

All the studies included obese patients (mean BMI 42.2) treated with flexible URS for urinary calculi. The mode of fragmentation was pulse dye laser, holmium laser, and combined modality including electrohydraulic lithotripsy and basket retrieval in others.

The average stone size was (1.37). The stone free rate was 87.5% after completion of treatment with a ranged follow up between 3 months and 3.5 years. The mean operative time was 97.1 minutes (30‐275).

There was an overall 11.4% complication rate, however, none of the patients needed further monitoring and were treated conservatively.

A sub‐group analysis of the stones depending on size found the URS has a higher stone free rate in stones <2 cm in size (P= 0.0003). Furthermore, URS has a higher stone free rate when treating ureteric stones compared to renal stones (P= 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Retrograde stone treatment using ureteroscopy is a safe and efficient modality for treating obese patients with urinary tract calculi with an increased efficiency with smaller stones less than 2 cm in size.
727. STROBILANTHES LACHENENSIS
Authors: Wood John R. I.
Published: April 2012

The history of the discovery and description of Strobilanthes lachenensis is provided. Its wide distribution and the variability in its characteristics accounts for a relevantly extensive synonomy. As a hardy perennial, which roots from the nodes, it is easily cultivated in temperate climates unlike the monocarpic species of the same genus originating from more tropical regions.
In vitro testing of zinc oxide sunscreens
Authors: McCormick P. G. , Tsuzuki T.
Published: April 2012

Synopsis

The UVA performances of two all‐mineral zinc oxide sunscreens are measured following Colipa and ISO procedures and compared to a sunscreen containing only organic actives. It is found that the two sunscreen types yield very different in vitro SPF and UVA results. It shown that the results can be rationalized in terms of the differences in the monochromatic extinction spectra of the two types of sunscreens.
Dynein and dynactin components modulate neurodegeneration induced by excitotoxicity
Authors: Fujiwara Takeshi , Morimoto Koji , Kakita Akiyoshi , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: April 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 162–174.

Glutamate excitotoxicity causes neuronal dysfunction and degeneration. It is implicated in chronic disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, and in acute CNS insults such as ischemia. These disorders share prominent morphological features, including axon degeneration and cell body death. However, the molecular mechanism underlying excitotoxicity‐induced neurodegeneration remains poorly understood. A key molecular feature of neurodegeneration is deficits in microtubule‐based cargo transport that plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of survival and stress signaling in the axon. We developed an excitotoxicity‐induced neurodegeneration system in primary neuronal cultures. We find that excitotoxicity generates a C‐terminal truncated form of p150Glued, a major component of the dynactin complex, which exacerbates axon degeneration. This p150Glued truncated form was identified in brain tissues of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Overexpression of wild‐type (WT) dynein intermediate chain (DIC), a dynein component that interacts with p150Glued and links dynein and dynactin complexes, DIC (S84D) mutant, and WT p150Glued suppressed axon degeneration. These modulating effects of p150Glued and DIC on excitotoxicity‐induced axon degeneration are also observed in apoptosis and cell body death. Thus, our findings identify retrograde transport proteins, p150Glued and DIC, as novel modulators of neurodegeneration induced by glutamate excitotoxicity.
Hypothermia‐induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα in the brain
Authors: Maruyama Toshi , Kusakari Shinya , Sato‐Hashimoto Miho , Hayashi Yuriko , Kotani Takenori , Murata Yoji , Okazawa Hideki , Oldenborg Per‐Arne , Kishi Shoji , Matozaki Takashi , Ohnishi Hiroshi
Published: April 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 891–902.

Signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) is a neuronal membrane protein that undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation in the brain of mice in response to forced swim (FS) stress in cold water, and this response is implicated in regulation of depression‐like behavior in the FS test. We now show that subjection of mice to the FS in warm (37°C) water does not induce the tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα in the brain. The rectal temperature (Trec) of mice was reduced to 27° to 30°C by performance of the FS for 10 min in cold water, whereas it was not affected by the same treatment in warm water. The level of tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα in the brain was increased by administration of ethanol or picrotoxin, starvation, or cooling after anesthesia, all of which also induced hypothermia. Furthermore, the tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα in cultured hippocampal neurons was induced by lowering the temperature of the culture medium. CD47, a ligand of SIRPα, as well as Src family kinases or SH2 domain‐containing protein phosphatase 2 (Shp2), might be important for the basal and the hypothermia‐induced tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα. Hypothermia is therefore likely an important determinant of both the behavioral immobility and tyrosine phosphorylation of SIRPα observed in the FS test.