bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decidualization Induces a Secretome Switch in Perivascular Niche Cells of the Human Endometrium
Authors: Murakami Keisuke , Lee Yie Hou , Lucas Emma S. , Chan Yi-Wah , Durairaj Ruban Peter , Takeda Satoru , Moore Jonathan D. , Tan Bee K. , Quenby Siobhan , Chan Jerry K. Y. , Gargett Caroline E. , Brosens Jan J.
Published: August 2014

The endometrial perivascular microenvironment is rich in mesenchymal stem-like cells that express type 1 integral membrane protein Sushi domain containing 2 (SUSD2) but the role of these cells in the decidual transformation of this tissue in pregnancy is unknown. We used an antibody directed against SUSD2 (W5C5) to isolate perivascular (W5C5+) and nonperivascular (W5C5−) fibroblasts from mid-luteal biopsies. We show that SUSD2 expression, and hence the ratio of W5C5+:W5C5− cells, changes in culture depending on cell-cell contact and activation of the Notch signaling pathway. RNA sequencing revealed that cultures derived from W5C5+ progenitor cells remain phenotypically distinct by the enrichment of novel and established endometrial perivascular signature genes. In an undifferentiated state, W5C5+-derived cells produced lower levels of various chemokines and inflammatory modulators when compared with their W5C5− counterparts. This divergence in secretomes was switched and became more pronounced upon decidualization, which transformed perivascular W5C5+ cells into the dominant source of a range of chemokines and cytokines, including leukemia inhibitory factor and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 7. Our findings suggest that the decidual response is spatially organized at the embryo-maternal interface with differentiating perivascular cells establishing distinct cytokine and chemokine profiles that could potentially direct trophoblast toward maternal vessels and govern local immune responses in pregnancy.
Insulin Action on GABA Neurons Is a Critical Regulator of Energy Balance But Not Fertility in Mice
Authors: Evans Maggie C. , Rizwan Mohammed Z. , Anderson Greg M.
Published: August 2014

Insulin signaling in the brain plays an important role in the central regulation of energy homeostasis and fertility, such that mice exhibiting brain-specific deletion of insulin receptors (InsRs) display a diet-sensitive obesogenic phenotype and hypothalamic hypogonadism. However, the specific neurons mediating insulin's central effects on fertility remain largely unidentified. The neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are important modulators of fertility and energy homeostasis and are widely distributed in the hypothalamus. We therefore investigated whether insulin signaling via GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons plays an important role in the metabolic regulation of fertility. We used the Cre-loxP system to generate mice with a selective inactivation of the Insr gene from GABAergic (Vgat+) or glutamatergic (Vglut2+) cells by crossing Insr-flox mice with Vgat-Cre or Vglut2-Cre mice, respectively. Multiple reproductive and metabolic parameters were then compared between male and female Insr-flox/Vgat-Cre+ (VgatIRKO), Insr-flox/Vglut2-Cre+ (VglutIRKO), and Insr-flox/Cre-negative control (CON) mice. Female VgatIRKO mice exhibited a significant increase in adult body weight, abdominal fat mass, and fasting plasma insulin and leptin concentrations, but normal fasting glucose concentration and glucose tolerance compared with CON mice. Surprisingly, VgatIRKO and VglutIRKO mice exhibited normal reproductive maturation and function compared with CONs. No differences in the age of puberty onset, estrous cyclicity, or fertility were observed between VgatIRKO, VglutIRKO, and CON mice. However, male VgatIRKO mice exhibited significantly augmented LH concentration and a trend toward reduced seminal vesicle weight compared with CON mice, which may be indicative of primary hypogonadism. Our results therefore demonstrate that insulin signaling via GABAergic and glutamatergic cells is not required for fertility in mice, but show that GABAergic neurons encompass circuitry through which insulin acts to modulate energy homeostasis.
Common and Rare Variants in the Exons and Regulatory Regions of Osteoporosis-Related Genes Improve Osteoporotic Fracture Risk Prediction
Authors: Lee Seung Hun , Kang Moo Il , Ahn Seong Hee , Lim Kyeong-Hye , Lee Gun Eui , Shin Eun-Soon , Lee Jong-Eun , Kim Beom-Jun , Cho Eun-Hee , Kim Sang-Wook , Kim Tae-Ho , Kim Hyun-Ju , Yoon Kun-Ho , Lee Won Chul , Kim Ghi Su , Koh Jung-Min , Kim Shin-Yoon
Published: August 2014

Context:

Osteoporotic fracture risk is highly heritable, but genome-wide association studies have explained only a small proportion of the heritability to date. Genetic data may improve prediction of fracture risk in osteopenic subjects and assist early intervention and management.

Objective:

To detect common and rare variants in coding and regulatory regions related to osteoporosis-related traits, and to investigate whether genetic profiling improves the prediction of fracture risk.

Design and Setting:

This cross-sectional study was conducted in three clinical units in Korea.

Participants:

Postmenopausal women with extreme phenotypes (n = 982) were used for the discovery set, and 3895 participants were used for the replication set.

Main Outcome Measure:

We performed targeted resequencing of 198 genes. Genetic risk scores from common variants (GRS-C) and from common and rare variants (GRS-T) were calculated.

Results:

Nineteen common variants in 17 genes (of the discovered 34 functional variants in 26 genes) and 31 rare variants in five genes (of the discovered 87 functional variants in 15 genes) were associated with one or more osteoporosis-related traits. Accuracy of fracture risk classification was improved in the osteopenic patients by adding GRS-C to fracture risk assessment models (6.8%; P < .001) and was further improved by adding GRS-T (9.6%; P < .001). GRS-C improved classification accuracy for vertebral and nonvertebral fractures by 7.3% (P = .005) and 3.0% (P = .091), and GRS-T further improved accuracy by 10.2% (P < .001) and 4.9% (P = .008), respectively.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that both common and rare functional variants may contribute to osteoporotic fracture and that adding genetic profiling data to current models could improve the prediction of fracture risk in an osteopenic individual.
Aldosterone Suppression on Contralateral Adrenal During Adrenal Vein Sampling Does Not Predict Blood Pressure Response After Adrenalectomy
Authors: Monticone Silvia , Satoh Fumitoshi , Viola Andrea , Fischer Evelyn , Vonend Oliver , Bernini Giampaolo , Lucatello Barbara , Quinkler Marcus , Ronconi Vanessa , Morimoto Ryo , Kudo Masataka , Degenhart Christoph , Gao Xing , Carrara Davide , Willenberg Holger S. , Rossato Denis , Mengozzi Giulio , Riester Anna , Paci Enrico , Iwakura Yoshitsugu , Burrello Jacopo , Maccario Mauro , Giacchetti Gilberta , Veglio Franco , Ito Sadayoshi , Reincke Martin , Mulatero Paolo
Published: August 2014

Context:

Adrenal vein sampling (AVS) is the only reliable means to distinguish between aldosterone-producing adenoma and bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, the two most common subtypes of primary aldosteronism (PA). AVS protocols are not standardized and vary widely between centers.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to retrospectively investigate whether the presence of contralateral adrenal (CL) suppression of aldosterone secretion was associated with improved postoperative outcomes in patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for PA.

Setting:

The study was carried out in eight different referral centers in Italy, Germany, and Japan.

Patients:

From 585 consecutive AVS in patients with confirmed PA, 234 procedures met the inclusion criteria and were used for the subsequent analyses.

Results:

Overall, 82% of patients displayed contralateral suppression. This percentage was significantly higher in ACTH stimulated compared with basal procedures (90% vs 77%). The CL ratio was inversely correlated with the aldosterone level at diagnosis and, among AVS parameters, with the lateralization index (P = .02 and P = .01, respectively). The absence of contralateral suppression was not associated with a lower rate of response to adrenalectomy in terms of both clinical and biochemical parameters, and patients with CL suppression underwent a significantly larger reduction in the aldosterone levels after adrenalectomy.

Conclusions:

For patients with lateralizing indices of greater than 4 (which comprised the great majority of subjects in this study), CL suppression should not be required to refer patients to adrenalectomy because it is not associated with a larger blood pressure reduction after surgery and might exclude patients from curative surgery.
Escaping compound eye ancestry: the evolution of single-chamber eyes in holometabolous larvae
Authors: Buschbeck Elke K.
Published: August 2014

Stemmata, the eyes of holometabolous insect larvae, have gained little attention, even though they exhibit remarkably different optical solutions, ranging from compound eyes with upright images, to sophisticated single-chamber eyes with inverted images. Such optical differences raise the question of how major transitions may have occurred. Stemmata evolved from compound eye ancestry, and optical differences are apparent even in some of the simplest systems that share strong cellular homology with adult ommatidia. The transition to sophisticated single-chamber eyes occurred many times independently, and in at least two different ways: through the fusion of many ommatidia [as in the sawfly (Hymenoptera)], and through the expansion of single ommatidia [as in tiger beetles (Coleoptera), antlions (Neuroptera) and dobsonflies (Megaloptera)]. Although ommatidia-like units frequently have multiple photoreceptor layers (tiers), sophisticated image-forming stemmata tend to only have one photoreceptor tier, presumably a consequence of the lens only being able to efficiently focus light on to one photoreceptor layer. An interesting exception is found in some diving beetles [Dytiscidae (Coleoptera)], in which two retinas receive sharp images from a bifocal lens. Taken together, stemmata represent a great model system to study an impressive set of optical solutions that evolved from a relatively simple ancestral organization.
The role of titin in eccentric muscle contraction
Authors: Herzog Walter
Published: August 2014

Muscle contraction and force regulation in skeletal muscle have been thought to occur exclusively through the relative sliding of and the interaction between the contractile filaments actin and myosin. While this two-filament sarcomere model has worked well in explaining the properties of isometrically and concentrically contracting muscle, it has failed miserably in explaining experimental observations in eccentric contractions. Here, I suggest, and provide evidence, that a third filament, titin, is involved in force regulation of sarcomeres by adjusting its stiffness in an activation-dependent (calcium) and active force-dependent manner. Upon muscle activation, titin binds calcium at specific sites, thereby increasing its stiffness, and cross-bridge attachment to actin is thought to free up binding sites for titin on actin, thereby reducing titin's free-spring length, thus increasing its stiffness and force upon stretch of active muscle. This role of titin as a third force regulating myofilament in sarcomeres, although not fully proven, would account for many of the unexplained properties of eccentric muscle contraction, while simultaneously not affecting the properties predicted by the two-filament cross-bridge model in isometric and concentric muscle function. Here, I identify the problems of the two-filament sarcomere model and demonstrate the advantages of the three-filament model by providing evidence of titin's contribution to active force in eccentric muscle function.
Forward shift of feeding buzz components of dolphins and belugas during associative learning reveals a likely connection to reward expectation, pleasure and brain dopamine activation
Authors: Ridgway S. H. , Moore P. W. , Carder D. A. , Romano T. A.
Published: August 2014

For many years, we heard sounds associated with reward from dolphins and belugas. We named these pulsed sounds victory squeals (VS), as they remind us of a child's squeal of delight. Here we put these sounds in context with natural and learned behavior. Like bats, echolocating cetaceans produce feeding buzzes as they approach and catch prey. Unlike bats, cetaceans continue their feeding buzzes after prey capture and the after portion is what we call the VS. Prior to training (or conditioning), the VS comes after the fish reward; with repeated trials it moves to before the reward. During training, we use a whistle or other sound to signal a correct response by the animal. This sound signal, named a secondary reinforcer (SR), leads to the primary reinforcer, fish. Trainers usually name their whistle or other SR a bridge, as it bridges the time gap between the correct response and reward delivery. During learning, the SR becomes associated with reward and the VS comes after the SR rather than after the fish. By following the SR, the VS confirms that the animal expects a reward. Results of early brain stimulation work suggest to us that SR stimulates brain dopamine release, which leads to the VS. Although there are no direct studies of dopamine release in cetaceans, we found that the timing of our VS is consistent with a response after dopamine release. We compared trained vocal responses to auditory stimuli with VS responses to SR sounds. Auditory stimuli that did not signal reward resulted in faster responses by a mean of 151 ms for dolphins and 250 ms for belugas. In laboratory animals, there is a 100 to 200 ms delay for dopamine release. VS delay in our animals is similar and consistent with vocalization after dopamine release. Our novel observation suggests that the dopamine reward system is active in cetacean brains.
Adaptive changes in echolocation sounds byPipistrellus abramusin response to artificial jamming sounds
Authors: Takahashi Eri , Hyomoto Kiri , Riquimaroux Hiroshi , Watanabe Yoshiaki , Ohta Tetsuo , Hiryu Shizuko
Published: August 2014

The echolocation behavior of Pipistrellus abramus during exposure to artificial jamming sounds during flight was investigated. Echolocation pulses emitted by the bats were recorded using a telemetry microphone mounted on the bats' backs, and their adaptation based on acoustic characteristics of emitted pulses was assessed in terms of jamming-avoidance responses (JARs). In experiment 1, frequency-modulated jamming sounds (3 ms duration) mimicking echolocation pulses of P. abramus were prepared. All bats showed significant increases in the terminal frequency of the frequency-modulated pulse by an average of 2.1–4.5 kHz when the terminal frequency of the jamming sounds was lower than the bats' own pulses. This frequency shift was not observed using jamming frequencies that overlapped with or were higher than the bats' own pulses. These findings suggest that JARs in P. abramus are sensitive to the terminal frequency of jamming pulses and that the bats' response pattern was dependent on the slight difference in stimulus frequency. In experiment 2, when bats were repeatedly exposed to a band-limited noise of 70 ms duration, the bats in flight more frequently emitted pulses during silent periods between jamming sounds, suggesting that the bats could actively change the timing of pulse emissions, even during flight, to avoid temporal overlap with jamming sounds. Our findings demonstrate that bats could adjust their vocalized frequency and emission timing during flight in response to acoustic jamming stimuli.
Pre-start timing information is used to set final linear speed in a C-start manoeuvre
Authors: Reinel Caroline , Schuster Stefan
Published: August 2014

In their unique hunting behaviour, archerfish use a complex motor decision to secure their prey: based solely on how dislodged prey initially falls, they select an adapted C-start manoeuvre that turns the fish right towards the point on the water surface where their prey will later land. Furthermore, they take off at a speed that is set so as to arrive in time. We show here that the C-start manoeuvre and not subsequent tail beating is necessary and sufficient for setting this adaptive level of speed. Furthermore, the C-start pattern is adjusted to independently determine both the turning angle and the take-off speed. The selection of both aspects requires no a priori information and is done based on information sampled from the onset of target motion until the C-start is launched. Fin strokes can occur right after the C-start manoeuvre but are not required to fine-tune take-off speed, but rather to maintain it. By probing the way in which the fish set their take-off speed in a wide range of conditions in which distance from the later catching point and time until impact varied widely and unpredictably, we found that the C-start manoeuvre is programmed based on pre-C-start estimates of distance and time until impact. Our study hence provides the first evidence for a C-start that is fine-tuned to produce an adaptive speed level.
One-pot Synthesis of Gold–Platinum Core–Shell Nanoparticles on Polybenzimidazole-decorated Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Kim ChaeRin , Fujigaya Tsuyohiko , Nakashima Naotoshi
Published: August 2014

Gold (Au) nanoparticles having a Pt-shell layer (Au–Pt) deposited on a conductive support are a promising electrocatalyst for fuel cells, enabling the minimal use of Pt. We describe a facile one-pot method to grow Au–Pt having a 3.8-nm diameter on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in the absence of a reducing agent, in which polybenzimidazole was used as the binding sites on the MWNTs to load the Au–Pt.
Palladium-catalyzed Annulation of 2-Substituted Silylethynyloxybiaryls through δ-C–H Activation
Authors: Minami Yasunori , Anami Tomohiro , Hiyama Tamejiro
Published: August 2014

The intramolecular hydroarylation of 2-(silylethynyloxy)biphenyls takes place with the aid of a palladium catalyst to give 6-methylene-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyrans. The product can be transformed into 6,6-disubstituted dibenzopyrans via protodesilylation, followed by 1,2-addition. 1,4-Bis[2-(triisopropylsilylethynyloxy)phenyl]benzene is shown to undergo a dual intramolecular insertion reaction leading to the formation of pentacyclic condensed aromatics.
Case Report: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in a woman heterozygous for G6PD A-
Authors: Perdigones Nieves , Morales Mariela , Mason Philip , Bessler Monica
Published: August 2014

We describe a case of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) in a woman who is heterozygous for the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase A-   (G6PDA-) allele. PNH is associated with one or more clones of cells that lack complement inhibition due to loss of function somatic mutations in thePIGAgene. PIGAencodes the enzyme phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class A, which catalyses the first step of glycosylphosphatidylinisotol (GPI)  anchor synthesis. Two GPI anchored red cell surface antigens regulate complement lysis. G6PD catalyses the first step of the pentose phosphate pathway and enzyme variants, frequent in some populations have been because they confer resistance to malaria, are associated with hemolysis in the presence of oxidizing agents including several drugs. The patient had suffered a hemolytic attack after taking Bactrim, a drug that precipitates hemolysis in G6PD deficient individuals. Since bothG6PDandPIGAare X-linked we hypothesized that the PIGA mutation was on the X-chromosome carrying the G6PDA- allele. Investigations showed that in fact the PIGA mutation was on the X-chromosome carrying the normalG6PD Ballele. We speculate that complement activation on G6PD A- red cells exposed to Bactrim might have triggered complement activation inducing the lysis of G6PD B PNH Type II red blood cells or that the patient may have had a PNH clone expressing G6PDA- at the time of the hemolytic episode.
Microfluidic Genotyping by Rapid Serial PCR and High-Speed Melting Analysis
Authors: Sundberg Scott O , Wittwer Carl T , Howell Renée M , Huuskonen Jarkko , Pryor Robert J , Farrar Jared S , Stiles Heather M , Palais Robert A , Knight Ivor T
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND

Clinical molecular testing typically batches samples to minimize costs or uses multiplex lab-on-a-chip disposables to analyze a few targets. In genetics, multiple variants need to be analyzed, and different work flows that rapidly analyze multiple loci in a few targets are attractive.

METHODS

We used a microfluidic platform tailored to rapid serial PCR and high-speed melting (HSM) to genotype 4 single nucleotide variants. A contiguous stream of master mix with sample DNA was pulsed with each primer pair for serial PCR and melting. Two study sites each analyzed 100 samples for F2 (c.*97G>A), F5 (c.1601G>A), and MTHFR (c.665C>T and c.1286A>C) after blinding for genotype and genotype proportions. Internal temperature controls improved melting curve precision. The platform's liquid-handling system automated PCR and HSM.

RESULTS

PCR and HSM were completed in a total of 12.5 min. Melting was performed at 0.5 °C/s. As expected, homozygous variants were separated by melting temperature, and heterozygotes were identified by curve shape. All samples were correctly genotyped by the instrument. Follow-up testing was required on 1.38% of the assays for a definitive genotype.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate genotyping accuracy on a novel microfluidic platform with rapid serial PCR and HSM. The platform targets short turnaround times for multiple genetic variants in up to 8 samples. It is also designed to allow automatic and immediate reflexive or repeat testing depending on results from the streaming DNA. Rapid serial PCR provides a flexible genetic work flow and is nicely matched to HSM analysis.
Natur
Authors: Groß Matthias
Published: August 2014

Natur ist Gegenbegriff von Gesellschaft, von Kultur, vom Sozialen, kurz: sie ist alles, was der Mensch nicht erschaffen hat. Natur scheint damit auch all das zu sein, was nicht zum Untersuchungsbereich der Soziologie gehört. Dieses Buch interpretiert die Entwicklung der Soziologie als Auseinandersetzung mit ihrem vermeintlichen Gegenpol Natur. Hierzu gehören immer wieder aufflammende Debatten um die menschliche Natur, Konzepte von Gesellschaft als Naturprozess oder Diskussionen über die Rückwirkungen der äußeren Natur auf die Gesellschaft. Der auf den Einsatz in der Lehre zugeschnittene Einführungsband verweist damit auf die Zentralität des Gesellschafts-Natur-Verhältnisses für die soziologische Begriffs- und Theoriebildung.
Oper als Aufführung
Authors: Daude Daniele
Published: August 2014

Weder Konzert noch Theater - Opernaufführungen lassen sich nur teilweise von der musikwissenschaftlichen Opernforschung bzw. von der theaterwissenschaftlichen Musiktheaterforschung erfassen. Während die Musikwissenschaft Oper mit Opernmusik gleichstellte, befasste sich die Theaterwissenschaft zwar mit der szenischen Dimension von Opern, ohne jedoch über die spezifischen musikdramaturgischen Instrumentarien zu verfügen. Erst mit dem Siegeszug der Performance Studies in den 1990er Jahren und der dadurch möglich gewordenen Unterscheidung zwischen Inszenierung und Aufführung rückte die performative Dimension von Opern in den Blick. Daniele Daude entwickelt eine systematische Technik der Opernanalyse, in der die Prägungen und Einflüsse der Opernaufführung im analytischen Prozess mit einbezogen werden.
Islamfeindlichkeit
Authors: Cakir Naime
Published: August 2014

Kann es eine Islamfeindlichkeit ohne die Religion des Islam geben? Naime Cakir zeigt, dass nicht allein die Terroranschläge des 11. September 2001 für die zunehmenden antiislamischen Vorurteile und Feindbilder in Deutschland verantwortlich sind, sondern auch die Erkenntnis, dass die ehemaligen Gastarbeiter ihren Lebensmittelpunkt auf Dauer in die Bundesrepublik verlegt haben und nun für sich beanspruchen, Objekt von Verantwortung zu sein. Damit waren für die Residenzgesellschaft und für die Einwanderer die etablierten Rollen des Gastgebers und des Gastes irritiert. Die Studie zeichnet nach, wie der Islam zum Gegenstand öffentlicher Anerkennungskonflikte gemacht worden ist, da es einer Neujustierung der Rollen innerhalb des Gesellschaftsgefüges bedurfte, die die Marginalisierung der mittlerweile etablierten Einwanderer weiterhin zu gewährleisten hatte.
Kunst am Ursprung
Authors: Hönes Hans Christian
Published: August 2014

Die spektakulären und höchst spekulativen Geschichtsentwürfe und Bildtheorien bedeutender Antiquare wie Pierre d'Hancarville und Richard Payne Knight stehen in diesem Buch erstmals im Fokus der Analyse. Hans Christian Hönes beleuchtet deren Theorien über den Ursprung der Kunst und das, so die These, daraus resultierende Narrativ eines bis in die eigene Gegenwart virulenten »Nachlebens« dieser Ursprünge. So offenbart sich ein Geschichtsentwurf, der überraschende Parallelen zu Theorien aufweist, wie sie um 1900 im Werk Aby Warburgs kulminieren. Die Studie zeigt: Das Anliegen der Protagonisten ist weniger die Suche nach historistischer Wahrheit - sondern vielmehr die Konstruktion einer souverän entworfenen, polemischen und romanhaften Kunstübung.
Kunst Unternehmen Kunst
Authors: Mir Emmanuel
Published: August 2014

Ob durch Kunstsponsoring, Kunstevents, Stipendien oder die Konstituierung einer eigenen Sammlung: Immer mehr Unternehmen integrieren Kunst in ihre Tätigkeitsbereiche - mit der Absicht, besser als die Konkurrenz zu sein, wie ein ehemaliger Vorstand von Philip Morris einst zugab. Über eine bloße Imagepflege hinaus wird dabei versucht, die Kompetenzen der Angestellten zu steigern und ein innerbetriebliches Wertesystem zu etablieren, das auf Kreativität, Flexibilität, Selbstorganisation und Engagement abzielt. Von konkreten Fällen ausgehend und mit einem betont interdisziplinären Ansatz hinterfragt Emmanuel Mir die Spielarten der neoliberalen Instrumentalisierung von Kunst.
Dichtungsmaschine aus Bestandteilen
Authors: Boatin Janet
Published: August 2014

Das Werk des österreichischen Schriftstellers Konrad Bayer wird in diesem Buch aus neuer Perspektive analysiert. Janet Boatin setzt sein Œuvre mit zeitgenössisch wirkmächtigen und epistemologischen Denkfiguren in Beziehung. Im Wechsel aus Einzelinterpretation und Überschau werden Analogien einerseits zu der in Stuttgart von Max Bense begründeten Informationsästhetik, andererseits zur internationalen Art-and-Technology-Bewegung hergestellt. So wird ein diskursanalytisch perspektivierter Beitrag zur Kulturgeschichte der Kybernetik geleistet, der die Wechselbeziehungen zwischen Wissenschafts-, Literatur- und Mediengeschichte der 1950er und 1960er Jahre entfaltet.
Mediale Reflexivität
Authors: Möller Jan-H.
Published: August 2014

Mit der Figur des »Mediums« wird in der Regel eine Vermittlungsfunktion angenommen und ein mittelbares Weltverhältnis unterstellt. Dem hält Jan-H. Möller entgegen, dass sich erst mittels reflexiver medialer Strukturen ein differentes oder abständiges Seinsverhältnis herausbildet. Neben Kittler widmet sich seine Untersuchung dabei in erster Linie Adorno, Derrida, Heidegger und Luhmann. Sie zeigt: Die Frage ist nicht, wie das Subjekt zum Objekt kommt, sondern wie es aus einer Indifferenz mit ihm zu sich gelangt. Entsprechend lässt sich Mittelbarkeit als medialer Effekt rekonstruieren: Erst anhand von Strukturen medialer Reflexivität wird das Dasein aus seiner wahrnehmungsmäßigen Welteinbettung abgeschieden.
Postnaturalism
Authors: Denson Shane
Published: August 2014

»Postnaturalism« offers an original account of human-technological co-evolution and argues that film and media theory, in particular, needs to be re-evaluated from the perspective of our material interfaces with a constantly changing environment. Extrapolating from Frankenstein films and the resonances they establish between a hybrid monster and the spectator hooked into the machinery of the cinema, Shane Denson engages debates in science studies and philosophy of technology to rethink histories of cinema, media, technology, and ultimately of the affective channels of our own embodiment. With a foreword by media theorist Mark B. N. Hansen.
Fractal Narrative
Authors: Duarte German A.
Published: August 2014

Fractals suggest recursivity, infinity and the repetition of a principle of order. They are digital pictures of the universe's continuous movement ignored by mankind during millennia. This book investigates the relationship existing between geometries and technology, and how it guided cognitive processes and thus the organization of narrative spaces. The author proposes a new approach for the study of media remarking that from Bacon's camera obscura to von Neumann's computers both geometries and technology strongly influenced the organization of narrative spaces, which acquired a fractal character.
Editorial
Authors: Pawlak Mirosław
Published: August 2014

.
Q methodology for post-social-turn research in SLA
Authors: Irie Kay
Published: August 2014

Q methodology, an approach to inquiry on the subjective views about a complex phenomenon/issue which has been increasingly employed in a wide range of social science fields has not yet been applied in language learning and teaching research. It is a unique approach that has characteristics of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The purpose of the present paper is to introduce Q methodology as an alternative approach and demonstrate its potential to respond to the needs of the field that has been expanding in its epistemological diversity since the social turn (Block, 2003; Ortega, 2012). The relevance of the methodology for SLA research will be discussed with a particular focus on the parallels between the development of the methodology in the 1930s and current criticisms towards the traditional cognitive approach in SLA. Using a published study (Irie & Ryan, 2014), the author explains how the focus on the holistic understanding of subjectivity is built into the procedure. Suggestions for possible areas of research and teaching in which Q methodology could be applied are discussed.
The impact of teaching communication strategies on EFL learners’ Willingness to Communicate
Authors: Mesgarshahr Abulfazl , Abdollahzadeh Esmaeel
Published: August 2014

One of the pedagogical implications of the research on the Willingness to Communicate (WTC) might be to propose practical ways of making language learners more willing to communicate in the classroom. This study investigated the impact of teaching communication strategies (CSs) on Iranian EFL learners’ WTC. To this end, 8 intact classes were included as the experimental and control groups. The control group underwent regular language instruction, while the experimental group received the treatment (i.e., communication strategy training). The self-report measurement of WTC (MacIntyre, Baker, Clément, & Conrad, 2001) was done before (pre-test) and after the treatment (post-test). The results of the independent-samples t test showed that the degree of WTC of the treatment group was significantly higher compared with that of the control group. It was concluded that teaching CSs helps learners become more willing to communicate in the classroom.
Minimum Wages: Do They Really Hurt Young People?
Authors: Galán Sofía , Puente Sergio
Published: August 2014

This paper uses a significant increase in the minimum wage in Spain between 2004 and 2010 as a case study to analyse the effects on the individual probability of losing employment, using a large panel of social security records. We show that this individual approach is important, as the possible effects for different types of individuals may differ from other estimates in the literature, based on aggregate or firm-level data, hence complementing them. Our main finding is that older people experienced the largest increase in the probability of losing their job, when compared with other age groups, including young people. The intuition is simple: among the affected (low-productivity) workers, young people are expected to increase their productivity more than older ones, who are in the flat part of their life-cycle productivity curve. Consequently, an employer facing a uniform increase in the minimum wage may find it profitable to retain young employees and to fire older ones.
Update on non-canonical microRNAs
Authors: Abdelfattah Ahmed Maher , Park Chanhyun , Choi Michael Y.
Published: August 2014

Non-canonical microRNAs are a recently-discovered subset of microRNAs. They structurally and functionally resemble canonical miRNAs, but were found to follow distinct maturation pathways, typically bypassing one or more steps of the classic canonical biogenesis pathway. Non-canonical miRNAs were found to have diverse origins, including introns, snoRNAs, endogenous shRNAs and tRNAs. Our knowledge about their functions remains relatively primitive; however, many interesting discoveries have taken place in the past few years. They have been found to take part in several cellular processes, such as immune response and stem cell proliferation. Adversely, their deregulation has pathologic effects on several different tissues, which strongly suggests an integral role for non-canonical miRNAs in disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the recently-discovered functional characteristics of non-canonical miRNAs and illustrate their principal maturation pathways as well as debating their potential role in multiple cellular processes.
Rowland Payne syndrome in a neonate as a consequence of birth trauma
Authors: Murone Anne-Joëlle Bosset , Kawasaki Aki
Published: August 2014

Background: The syndrome of Rowland Payne is a rare triad of unilateral Horner syndrome, ipsilateral vocal cord paralysis, and ipsilateral paralysis of the hemidiaphragm.

Case: A healthy newborn was noted to have right ptosis, a weak hoarse cry, and stridor immediately following delivery with forceps. Pupillary miosis on the same side as the ptosis was observed. Chest X-ray showed elevation of the right diaphragmatic dome. A diagnosis of Rowland Payne syndrome was made. Neuroimaging did not reveal any structural mass lesions. The hoarseness and stridor resolved within 1 month without intervention. The Horner syndrome improved but did not disappear completely.

Conclusion: In the few reported cases in the literature, the cause of Rowland Payne syndrome has been a malignant lesion of the anterior neck disrupting the oculosympathetic nerve, the vagus nerve, and the phrenic nerve. This is the first report of Rowland Payne syndrome in a neonate. We did not find any malignancy or compressive lesion to account for his symptoms and signs. We suggest that shearing forces at the lower neck at the level of the clavicle caused stretching and mechanical injury to these motor nerves or their branches. In this report of Roland Payne syndrome related to birth trauma, the prognosis was favorable.
Homology model of human prothrombinase based on the crystal structure of Pseutarin C
Authors: Pomowski Anja , Ustok Fatma Isik , Huntington James A.
Published: August 2014

Thrombin is generated from prothrombin through cleavage at two sites by the prothrombinase complex. Prothrombinase is composed of a protease, factor (f) Xa, and a cofactor, fVa, which interact on negatively charged phospholipid surfaces and cleave prothrombin into thrombin 300 000 times faster than fXa alone. The balance between bleeding and thrombosis depends on the amount of thrombin produced, and this in turn depends on the function of the prothrombinase complex. How fXa and fVa interact and how improved prothrombin processing is conferred are of critical importance for understanding healthy and pathological blood clotting. Until recently, little structural information was available, and molecular models were built on partial structures with assembly guided by biochemical data. Last year our group published a crystal structure of a prothrombinase complex from the venom of the Australian Eastern Brown snake (known as Pseutarin C). Here we use the crystal structure of Pseutarin C as a starting point for homology modelling and assembly of the full human prothrombinase complex. The interface is complementary in shape and charge, and is consistent with much of the published biochemical data. The model of human prothrombinase presented here provides a powerful resource for contextualizing previous data and for designing future experiments.
Specific targeting of human caspases using designed ankyrin repeat proteins
Authors: Flütsch Andreas , Schroeder Thilo , Barandun Jonas , Ackermann Rafael , Bühlmann Martin , Grütter Markus G.
Published: August 2014

Caspases play important roles in cell death, differentiation, and proliferation. Due to their high homology, especially of the active site, specific targeting of a particular caspase using substrate analogues is very difficult. Although commercially available small molecules based on peptides are lacking high specificity due to overlapping cleavage motives between different caspases, they are often used as specific tools. We have selected designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) against human caspases 1–9 and identified high-affinity binders for the targeted caspases, except for caspase 4. Besides previously reported caspase-specific DARPins, we generated novel DARPins (D1.73, D5.15, D6.11, D8.1, D8.4, and D9.2) and confirmed specificity for caspases 1, 5, 6, and 8 using a subset of caspase family members. In addition, we solved the crystal structure of caspase 8 in complex with DARPin D8.4. This binder interacts with non-conserved residues on the large subunit, thereby explaining its specificity. Structural analysis of this and other previously published crystal structures of caspase/DARPin complexes depicts two general binding areas either involving active site forming loops or a surface area laterally at the large subunit of the enzyme. Both surface areas involve non-conserved surface residues of caspases.
G20210A mutation and cerebral venous infarct: a rare presentation in a child
Authors: Ahmareen Oneza , Neary Elaine , Sharif Farhana
Published: August 2014

A 14-month old male was admitted with a 1-day history of lethargy, vomiting, drowsiness, and pallor. His examination was unremarkable. Within 24 h of admission, he developed partial seizures on the right side of his face. Magnetic resonance imaging scan showed cerebral venous thrombosis. Subsequent investigations included a thrombophilia screen, which revealed the heterozygote for prothrombin mutation
Hormone-brain-aging relationships, broadly reactive with imidazole-containing dipeptides: targeting of telomere attrition as an aging biomarker and dynamic telomerase activity flirting
Authors: Babizhayev Mark A. , Vishnyakova Khava S. , Yegorov Yegor E.
Published: August 2014

It has been documented that telomere-associated cellular senescence may contribute to certain age-related disorders, and telomere length (TL) may be an informative biomarker of healthy aging. Hormone-brain-aging behavior-modulated telomere dynamics and changes in telomerase activity are consistent elements of cellular alterations associated with changes in proliferative state, and these processes are consequently considered as the new therapeutic drug targets for physiological control with advanced drug delivery and nutritional formulations. We raise and support a therapeutic concept of using nonhydrolyzed forms of naturally occurring neuron-specific imidazole dipeptide-based compounds carnosine and carcinine, making it clinically possible that slowing down the rate of telomere shortening could slow down the human aging process in specific tissues where proliferative senescence is known to occur, with the demonstrated evidence of telomere shortening that appeared to be a hallmark of oxidative stress and disease. Carnosine released from skeletal muscle during exercise may be transported into the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) histamine neurons and hydrolyzed. The resulting L-histidine may subsequently be converted into histamine, which could be responsible for the effects of carnosine on neurotransmission and hormone-like antiaging physiological function. The preliminary longitudinal studies of elderly individuals suggest that longer telomeres are associated with better survival, and an advanced oral nutritional support with nonhydrolyzed carnosine (or carcinine and patented compositions thereof) is a useful therapeutic tool for a critical TL maintenance that may fundamentally be applied in the treatment of age-related sight-threatening eye disorders, prolonged life expectancy, increased survival and chronological age of an organism in health control, smoking behavior, and disease.

  “Our pleasures were simple—they included survival.”

   —Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, 1953–1961
Narrating the unspeakable. Person marking and focalization in Nabokov's short story ‘Signs and Symbols’
Authors: Levie Sophie , Wildschut Puck
Published: August 2014

This article investigates the interaction of person marking and focalization in the short story ‘Signs and Symbols’ (first published 1948, The New Yorker) by Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov. This story has been studied extensively for its symbolism, its metafictional aspect, and its narrative structure. However, researchers have consequently ignored its most striking linguistic features: the almost exclusive use of pronouns in referring to the main characters and their characterization solely through lexical expressions focusing on outward appearances. This article offers a cognitive-stylistic analysis of these linguistic features in order to explain why many readers of ‘Signs and Symbols’ report a feeling of uncanniness while reading. Drawing on insights both from empirical linguistics and literary studies, the article aims to explain the role of pronominal expressions and deictic descriptions in reader's theme-construction and affective response to the text.
Language shifts in free indirect discourse
Authors: Maier Emar
Published: August 2014

Free indirect discourse is a way of reporting what a protagonist thinks or says that is distinct from both direct and indirect discourse. In particular, while pronouns and tenses are presented from the narrator's perspective, as in indirect discourse, other indexical and expressive elements reflect the protagonist's point of view, as in direct discourse. In this paper I discuss a number of literary examples of free indirect discourse in which the narrator slips into the language, dialect or idiolect of the protagonist. I argue that the leading formal semantic analyses of free indirect discourse, which rely on semantic context shifting, fail to account for such language shifts. I then present an alternative account that treats free indirect discourse as a form of mixed quotation.
Effect of growth hormone deficiency on brain MRI findings among children with growth restrictions
Authors: Naderi Fariba , Eslami Samira Rajabi , Mirak Sohrab Afshari , Khak Mohammad , Amiri Jalaladin , Beyrami Bahram , Shekarchi Babak , Poureisa Masoud
Published: August 2014

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a major problem among children with short stature. In this study, the role of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in defining the underlying defects among short children with GHD is evaluated.

In a cross-sectional study, data of 158 children were evaluated. Growth hormone (GH) levels were measured using stimulating tests and brain MRI with gadolinium contrast was applied, as well.

Some 25.3% of patients had GHD with a mean age of 8.01±3.40 years. MRI results showed 35 as normal, four with pituitary hypoplasia, and one with microadenoma. The MRI results were significantly associated with GH levels and presence of other endocrine disorders. There was a significant association between prenatal disorders and patients’ bone age delay.

In patients with severe GHD and patients with multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies, MRI is more likely to be abnormal, and bone age is much delayed in patients with history of prenatal disorders.
THE RHETORICAL FUNCTION OF THE PERFECT IN CLASSICAL GREEK
Authors: Nijk Arjan Amor
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is both to make a contribution towards a fuller understanding of the use of the perfect in Classical Greek, and to show how this understanding can yield new insights into how a speaker uses language to adapt his presentation of past events to his present rhetorical concerns. First, the semantic value of the perfect and its different basic uses are described. Second, four principles that help accounting for the variation between the perfect and aorist are outlined. Third, a number of typical uses of the perfect in Attic forensic oratory are distinguished. Finally, a textual analysis of De Corona 57-60, 79-121 is given in order to show how Demosthenes uses the perfect to accomplish his rhetorical ends.
Effect of Fabric and Weathering Intensity on Dynamic Properties of Residual and Saprolitic Soils via Resonant Column Testing
Authors: Pineda Jorge A. , Colmenares Julio E. , Hoyos Laureano R.
Published: August 2014

Chemical weathering processes, such as decomposition and dissolution, are fairly well-understood phenomena as they relate to the formation of residual and saprolitic soils in the tropics. However, the effects that weathering intensity has on the physical characteristics and mechanical properties of weathered soil/rock materials, particularly their dynamic properties, are not yet fully understood. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation conducted to assess the dynamic response of residual and saprolitic soils derived from a granodiorite rock in the central mountain range of Colombia and how this response relates to the soil microstructure and weathering intensity. Key dynamic properties, namely, shear modulus and material damping, were obtained via a fixed-free resonant column apparatus suitable for shear strain amplitudes ranging from 0.001 % to 0.1 %. Results from a short series of triaxial and oedometer tests substantiated the patterns of weathering intensity observed for each test soil. Soil fabric studies based on scanning electron microscopy observations, mercury intrusion porosimetry tests, and pore space distributions were also performed to identify the most relevant characteristics of the soil skeleton, as determined by the corresponding weathering intensity, that affect the dynamic response of each test soil. The residual soil, as the most altered/weathered material, was found to have a more rigid fabric, and thus greater stiffness, due to the presence of sesquioxides acting as cementing agents. In the saprolitic soil, a less weathered material, the soil fabric was dominated by distinct clay bridges formed between particle aggregations of partially decomposed primary minerals, resulting in less rigidity. The influence of confinement level on the shear modulus was found to be more pronounced in the saprolitic soil, which can be directly attributed to the changes in fabric of uncemented bonds during isotropic loading. Finally, and consistent with these general trends, the material damping of saprolitic soil was observed to be slightly less than that of residual soil, whereas the normalized shear moduli (G/Gmax) degradation curve was more pronounced in residual soil samples beyond a threshold value of shear strain amplitude.
A Non-Contact Technique for Damage Monitoring in Submerged Plates Using Guided Waves
Authors: Sharma Sandeep , Mukherjee Abhijit
Published: August 2014

This paper discusses a non-contact and in situ damage-monitoring methodology in submerged plates using ultrasonic guided waves. Specific Lamb wave modes sensitive to near-surface and sub-surface damages have been identified. These modes are further utilized for non-contact scanning of the plates to identify the presence, as well as extent, of damage. Effective combination of specific Lamb wave modes leads to comprehensive inspection of the submerged plate structures. The developed methodology is successfully applied for monitoring notches and corrosion in plate. The data generated from scanning the plates have been pictorially represented in the form of defect maps.