bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framing dialect in the 1800 Lyrical Ballads: Wordsworth, regionalisms and footnotes
Authors: Broadhead Alex
Published: August 2010

This article addresses one of the most theoretically and linguistically vexing issues in the history of English poetic language: stylistic variation in Wordsworth and Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads. It suggests that two footnotes, added to the 1800 edition, offer a new perspective on a question which has prompted debate since its publication: specifically, what is the relationship between Wordsworth’s use of dialect and the language of ‘low and rustic life’ promised by the 1800 Preface to Lyrical Ballads? In sections 1 and 2 the article expands on the importance of the footnotes in relation to the discussion surrounding Wordsworth’s language. Section 3 examines the departure of Lyrical Ballads from 18th-century conventions regarding the glossing of non-standard language in poetry, while section 4 explores the function of the unfootnoted and unframed regionalisms that can be found throughout the collection. Sections 5 and 6 discuss the content of the two footnotes in relation to Wordsworth’s blurring of the roles of poet and glosser, and suggest that this conflation of roles is connected to Wordsworth’s implicit blurring of Standard English and dialect in his definition of ‘low and rustic life’ (a definition explored in greater detail in section 7). The conclusion suggests that the lack of specificity in Wordsworth’s Preface and his approach to framing dialect were part of a single strategy to integrate Standard English and dialect in a more organic manner than was typical of 18th-century writing.
Formal, geographic and cultural metalepsis: The fiction of Russell Banks
Authors: Parker Joshua
Published: August 2010

This article investigates how narrative form and thematic content work in conjunction to encourage a reader’s support for specific political, cultural and social views, using examples of metalepsis that mirror and support thematic socio-political stances in Russell Banks’s fiction. Metalepsis (the crossing of a text’s narrative levels) and plot themes of geographic and cultural boundary crossings play together in Banks’s writing, which explores the permeability of divisions between African American and European American, the Caribbean and continental North America, male and female, and parent and child, consistently emphasizing issues surrounding national, cultural, gender and generational borders. Mirroring these more obvious sociological themes and arguments of his plots, Banks’s structural border crossings force us to consider the permeability of conceptual boundaries between author and reader, reader and character, and narrator and narratee. Banks examines these boundaries’ porosity — on both levels — by exploiting an increasingly common technique for shifting focalization in contemporary fiction — episodic use of second-person narration. This metaleptic technique, crossing the borders of narrative levels, not only reflects, but inherently supports Banks’s themes of geographic border crossings as a means of intercultural, interracial and interclass understanding.
It Takes a Village to Deliver and Test Child and Family-Focused Services
Authors: McKay Mary M. , Gopalan Geetha , Franco Lydia M. , Kalogerogiannis Kosta , Umpierre Mari , Olshtain-Mann Orly , Bannon William , Elwyn Laura , Goldstein Leah
Published: August 2010

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to highlight the benefits of collaboration in child focused mental health services research. Method: Three unique research projects are described. These projects address the mental health needs of vulnerable, urban, minority children and their families. In each one, service delivery was codesigned, interventions were co-delivered and a team of stakeholders collaboratively tested the impact of each one. Results: The results indicate that the three interventions designed, delivered, and tested are associated with reductions in youth mental health symptoms. Conclusion: These interventions are feasible alternatives to traditional individualized outpatient treatment.
Perceptions of Life Balance Among a Working Population in Sweden
Authors: Wagman Petra , Björklund Anita , Håkansson Carita , Jacobsson Christian , Falkmer Torbjörn
Published: August 2010

A life in balance is commonly related to health and well-being. However, our knowledge regarding the perceptions of life balance among the general population is limited. Our aim was to explore the perception of life balance among working people without recent long-term sick leave. Individual interviews were conducted with 7 men and 12 women and analyzed according to grounded theory, aiming at achieving a description. The results showed that life balance includes four interrelated dimensions: activity balance, balance in body and mind, balance in relation to others, and time balance. Life balance was regarded by the participants as health related, promoted by a sense of security, and affected by context and individual strategies. Life balance was also seen as being individually defined and dynamic. The results indicate that the perceptions of life balance might be quite general because they show similarities with previous research on different populations.
Care in the Context of the Complexity of Psoriasis
Authors: Bjarkøy Ragnhild Øye , Gjengedal Eva , Wahl Astrid K.
Published: August 2010

Previous research has demonstrated the multidimensional challenges of living with psoriasis and dermatology wards provide a unique setting in which to reach people strongly affected by this disease. The aim of this study is to determine the components of care that psoriasis patients and dermatology nurses consider to be important during hospitalization. A purposeful sample of seven psoriasis inpatients and seven dermatology nurses were interviewed in depth during a 3-month period in 2006-2007. The data are analyzed with a modified version of Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Patients consider hospitalization a relief from everyday life with psoriasis and describe its treatment as the focus of nursing care. Despite their knowledge of the psychosocial aspects of psoriasis, nurses consider the physical manifestations of the disease most important. The patients’ descriptions of the challenges in their everyday lives illustrate an area of concern among psoriasis inpatients that is not actively addressed by nursing care.
1960s’ Lessons Learned: Liberating Leadership and Transformational Scholarship
Authors: Getz Isaac
Published: August 2010

Our within firm research on Freedom-form companies and on the leaders who builtthem illustrates how such work and its results sharing with managers can leadto mutually beneficial collaborative networks between scholars and CEOs. Ourresearch’s intellectual roots extend to the 1960s’ work of McGregor, Argyris, and Likertwho believed in collaboration between scholars and executives to facilitate theadoption of their organizational approaches. We have initiated a similar collaborationand illustrate it in this article. We conclude by reflecting on how our exposure to the pioneering organizational scholarship of the 1960s led to our engagement intransformational scholarship (Oliver, 2010).
Developing a Family-Centered Participatory Action Research Project
Authors: Garwick Ann W. , Seppelt Ann M.
Published: August 2010

The purpose of this article is to illustrate strategies used to design and implement a family-centered, participatory action research (PAR) project to meet the asthma information needs identified by English-, Hmong-, and Spanish-speaking parents of preschool children with asthma enrolled in a multisite, urban Head Start program. PAR is an approach that encourages researchers and those who will benefit from the research (e.g., families and community leaders) to work together in all phases of the project. PAR projects involve two core components: a needs assessment and action plan development. PAR is rooted in the cultural tradition of the participants and builds on strengths and resources in the community. Actively involving family participants and community leaders in community-based PAR projects increases the likelihood of developing interventions and resources that are culturally relevant and address family needs.
Polymorphisms and Mutations in vWF and ADAMTS13 Genes and Their Correlation With Plasma Levels of FVIII and vWF in Patients With Deep Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Bittar Luis Fernando , de Paula Erich Vinícius , Mello Tayana B. T. , Siqueira Lúcia H. , Orsi Fernanda L. A. , Annichino-Bizzacchi Joyce M.
Published: August 2010

Background: Increased levels of factor VIII (FVIII) are a prevalent and independent risk factor for deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and are affected by von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels. Design and Methods: ADAMTS13 contributes to vWF levels, and we investigated genetic polymorphisms previously described to be associated with decreased levels of these proteins in 435 patients with DVT (126 M and 309 F; median age 37 years, range 18-68 years) and 580 controls (163 M and 417 F; median age 35 years, range 18-68 years). Subsequently, we investigated the relationship between the genotypes and plasma levels of FVIII, vWF, and DVT risk. Results: Patients with DVT showed higher plasma levels of FVIII:C, FVIII:Ag, and vWF:Ag ( P < .001) when compared to controls. Patients and controls heterozygous for the 4751A>G polymorphism in the vWF gene presented decreased levels of vWF:Ag, FVIII:Ag, and FVIII:C ( P < .001), but this was not a protective factor for DVT. Individuals heterozygous for 1852C>G polymorphism in ADAMTS13 gene, which is associated with reduced levels of ADAMTS13, had significantly elevated levels of vWF:Ag ( P = .001), FVIII:Ag ( P = .01), and FVIII:C ( P = .02). However, this polymorphism was not a risk factor for DVT in our study. Heterozygosis for a new polymorphism identified in ADAMTS13 gene, 1787-26G>A, was significantly associated with elevated levels of FVIII:C ( P = .02) when compared to wild type. Conclusions: Despite the tempting assumption that genetic factors that change ADAMTS13 activity might modulate the risk of DVT by altering vWF and FVIII levels, the polymorphisms analyzed in this study did not correlate with DVT risk among patients investigated.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in a Case of Brucellosis
Authors: Akbayram Sinan , Dogan Murat , Akgun Cihangir , Peker Erdal , Parlak Mehmet , Oner Ahmet Faik
Published: August 2010

Brucellosis is a multisystem disease with a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations; hematological abnormalities ranging from fulminant as of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) to anaemia, leucopoenia, thrombocytopenia, and clotting disorders. In this report, we present DIC in a case of brucellosis because of rare presentation. A 3-year-old boy was admitted with the complaints of continuous fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bruise on leg. He looked pale and his physical examination revealed purpuric skin lesions on both legs. A mild hepatosplenomegaly was noted on palpation. Laboratory tests showed hematocrit 21%, hemoglobin 7 g/dL, platelet count 20,000/mm3, prothrombin time 19 seconds, activated partial thromboplastin time 48 seconds, plasma fibrinogen level 20 mg/dL, andd-dimer 8 µg/mL. Serum antibrucella titration agglutination test was found to be 1 of 1280 positive. Blood cultures performed on specimens obtained at the time of admission yielded Brucella melitensis. The clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with DIC.
Increased Mean Platelet Volume in Patients With Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Varol Ercan , Arslan Akif , Yucel Habil , Ozaydin Mehmet , Erdogan Dogan , Dogan Abdullah
Published: August 2010

Background: Systemic thromboembolism is a serious complication in patients with aortic stenosis (AS). Previous studies have demonstrated that platelet activation occurs in patients with AS. The aim of this study was to assess the mean platelet volume (MPV), an indicator of platelet activation in patients with AS. Patients and Methods: The study group consisted of 43 patients with AS. An age-, gender-, and body mass index−matched control group consisted of 35 healthy volunteers. All patients and control participants underwent echocardiographic examination. We measured the serum MPV values in patients and control participants. Results: Mean platelet volume was significantly higher among patients with AS when compared with the control group (8.7 ± 1.0 vs 7.9 ± 0.9 fL, respectively; P = .001). Conclusion: We have shown that MPV was significantly elevated in patients with AS compared to control participant.
The wash-out technique in the management of delayed presentations of extravasation injuries
Authors: Dionyssiou D. , Chantes A. , Gravvanis A. , Demiri E.
Published: August 2010

Late presentation of extravasation injuries from chemotherapeutic agents is not uncommon. Twenty-four patients with extravasation injuries presented with upper limb extravasation but without any skin necrosis between the second and the fourteenth day following injury day. We flushed out the infiltrated area with 300–500 ml of normal saline through multiple stab incisions. All 24 patients responded well to the procedure and no further complications occurred. The average time for the complete healing of the wounds was 15 days. All the patients were able to continue their chemotherapy treatment without delay. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 13 months. They all recovered with no functional deficit and only mild scarring. Early recognition and immediate treatment of extravasation injuries are of paramount importance. In cases with no evidence of skin necrosis, a delayed wash-out procedure appears to be very effective in removing the extravasated drug and minimizing further tissue damage.
Defined particle ligands trigger specific defense mechanisms of macrophages
Authors: Dykstra Tobias , Utermoehlen Olaf , Haas Albert
Published: August 2010

Phagocytosis is a receptor-mediated process for sequestration and inactivation of infectious microbes. It can be triggered by microbial surface compounds or particle-attached host proteins. We monitored the effector functions of murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) in response to polystyrene-streptavidin beads coated with the defined ligands IgG1, β-glucan, mannan, complement factors C1q or iC3b, or fibronectin (FN). Cell-autonomous effector mechanisms (uptake, phagosome maturation, cytokine responses and killing activity) were differentially triggered. All particle—ligand complexes stimulated the release of nitric oxide, but only beads coated with IgG, complement factors or FN caused production of superoxide. Beads coated with C1q, iC3b or FN strongly stimulated the secretion of pro-inflammatory TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and also of anti-inflammatory IL-10. Escherichia coli coated with C1q, iC3b or FN was killed much less efficiently than with any of the other ligands, depending on the presence of IL-10 activity. This indicated an important role of IL-10 as regulator of cell-autonomous immune functions of macrophages. Our data show that defined ligands on microbial surfaces are interesting candidates to activate innate defense mechanisms selectively and specifically.
Distinct regulation by lipopolysaccharides of the expression of interleukin-1β by murine macrophages and salivary glands
Authors: Seil M , Ouaaliti M El , Abdou Foumekoye S , Pochet S , Dehaye JP
Published: August 2010

The regulation of interleukin (IL)-1 expression and secretion by salivary glands and macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was compared. In wild-type mice, injection of LPS significantly decreased the volume of saliva stimulated by pilocarpine and increased its protein and amylase concentration. It did not modify the salivary concentration of IL-1β. The cytokine was expressed by submandibular acini and ducts. Macrophages also expressed IL-1β but at lower concentration than salivary glands. The pre-incubation of macrophages with LPS increased the phosphorylation of IκB and the expression of IL-1β. Adenosine triphosphate also promoted the secretion of the cytokine by these cells. These responses were absent in submandibular gland cells. These glands expressed CD14, TLR4 and MyD88. P2X7-KO mice secreted a lower volume of saliva which contained less proteins and amylase. In conclusion, IL-1β is constitutively expressed by submandibular glands and its secretion is not regulated by a P2X7 agonist. In these cells, LPS do not activate the nuclear factor-κB–pro-IL-1β axis in spite of the expression of the proteins involved in their recognition.
Traumatic Bone Bruises in the Athlete’s Knee
Authors: DeAngelis Joseph P. , Spindler Kurt P.
Published: August 2010

Context:

Mobile water within the bone marrow is a physiological phenomenon that is identifiable on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and signal changes can result from blood pooling, reactive hyperemia, edema, and microfracture. When these MR lesions are associated with an acute traumatic event, the findings are referred to as bone bruises and so represent a unique manifestation of injury. This review discusses bone bruises in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, patella dislocations, occult fractures, and contusions.

Methods:

A PubMed search of the literature from 1982 to December 2009 was conducted with the terms knee and bone bruise.

Results:

Bone bruises are associated with ACL tears, patella dislocations, occult fractures, and contusions. For each injury, a unique pattern of bone bruising is found on MR imaging, which results from the acute trauma. When acute trauma produces a subchondral lesion with low T1-weighted and high T2-weighted signal intensity, the resulting bony contusion is best described as a bone bruise.

Conclusions:

Bone marrow edema is identified using MR imaging and may result from traumatic or atraumatic causes. Bone bruises can be characterized by their pattern at presentation, by the mechanism of injury, and by their associated injuries. This type of bone edema can accompany contact and noncontact ACL ruptures as well as patella dislocations. Although increased marrow edema can be associated with an occult fracture, the long-term significance of these lesions is unclear.
Is the presence of abnormal prion protein in the renal glomeruli of feline species presenting with FSE authentic?
Authors: Lezmi Stéphane , Baron Thierry GM , Bencsik Anna A
Published: August 2010

In a recent paper written by Hilbe et al (BMC vet res, 2009), the nature and specificity of the prion protein deposition in the kidney of feline species affected with feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) were clearly considered doubtful. This article was brought to our attention because we published several years ago an immunodetection of abnormal prion protein in the kidney of a cheetah affected with FSE. At this time we were convinced of its specificity but without having all the possibilities to demonstrate it. As previously published by another group, the presence of abnormal prion protein in some renal glomeruli in domestic cats affected with FSE is indeed generally considered as doubtful mainly because of low intensity detected in this organ and because control kidneys from safe animals present also a weak prion immunolabelling. Here we come back on these studies and thought it would be helpful to relay our last data to the readers of BMC Vet res for future reference on this subject.

Here we come back on our material as it is possible to study and demonstrate the specificity of prion immunodetection using the PET-Blot method (Paraffin Embedded Tissue - Blot). It is admitted that this method allows detecting the Proteinase K (PK) resistant form of the abnormal prion protein (PrPres) without any confusion with unspecific immunoreaction. We re-analysed the kidney tissue versus adrenal gland and brain samples from the same cheetah affected with TSE using this PET-Blot method. The PET-Blot analysis revealed specific PrPres detection within the brain, adrenal gland and some glomeruli of the kidney, with a complete identicalness compared to our previous detection using immunohistochemistry. In conclusion, these new data enable us to confirm with assurance the presence of specific abnormal prion protein in the adrenal gland and in the kidney of the cheetah affected with FSE. It also emphasizes the usefulness for the re-examination of any available tissue blocks with the PET-Blot method as a sensitive complementary tool in case of doubtful PrP IHC results.
Neuroprotection resulting from insufficiency of RANBP2 is associated with the modulation of protein and lipid homeostasis of functionally diverse but linked pathways in response to oxidative stress
Authors: Cho Kyoung-in , Yi Haiqing , Tserentsoodol Nomingerel , Searle Kelly , Ferreira Paulo A.
Published: August 2010

Oxidative stress is a deleterious stressor associated with a plethora of disease and aging manifestations, including neurodegenerative disorders, yet very few factors and mechanisms promoting the neuroprotection of photoreceptor and other neurons against oxidative stress are known. Insufficiency of RAN-binding protein-2 (RANBP2), a large, mosaic protein with pleiotropic functions, suppresses apoptosis of photoreceptor neurons upon aging and light-elicited oxidative stress, and promotes age-dependent tumorigenesis by mechanisms that are not well understood. Here we show that, by downregulating selective partners of RANBP2, such as RAN GTPase, UBC9 and ErbB-2 (HER2; Neu), and blunting the upregulation of a set of orphan nuclear receptors and the light-dependent accumulation of ubiquitylated substrates, light-elicited oxidative stress and Ranbp2 haploinsufficiency have a selective effect on protein homeostasis in the retina. Among the nuclear orphan receptors affected by insufficiency of RANBP2, we identified an isoform of COUP-TFI (Nr2f1) as the only receptor stably co-associating in vivo with RANBP2 and distinct isoforms of UBC9. Strikingly, most changes in proteostasis caused by insufficiency of RANBP2 in the retina are not observed in the supporting tissue, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Instead, insufficiency of RANBP2 in the RPE prominently suppresses the light-dependent accumulation of lipophilic deposits, and it has divergent effects on the accumulation of free cholesterol and free fatty acids despite the genotype-independent increase of light-elicited oxidative stress in this tissue. Thus, the data indicate that insufficiency of RANBP2 results in the cell-type-dependent downregulation of protein and lipid homeostasis, acting on functionally interconnected pathways in response to oxidative stress. These results provide a rationale for the neuroprotection from light damage of photosensory neurons by RANBP2 insufficiency and for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and approaches promoting neuroprotection.
TIMP3: a physiological regulator of adult myogenesis
Authors: Liu Huijie , Chen Shuen-Ei , Jin Bingwen , Carson James A. , Niu Airu , Durham William , Lai Jian-Yang , Li Yi-Ping
Published: August 2010

Myogenic differentiation in adult muscle is normally suppressed and can be activated by myogenic cues in a subset of activated satellite cells. The switch mechanism that turns myogenesis on and off is not defined. In the present study, we demonstrate that tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3), the endogenous inhibitor of TNFα-converting enzyme (TACE), acts as an on–off switch for myogenic differentiation by regulating autocrine TNFα release. We observed that constitutively expressed TIMP3 is transiently downregulated in the satellite cells of regenerating mouse hindlimb muscles and differentiating C2C12 myoblasts. In C2C12 myoblasts, perturbing TIMP3 downregulation by overexpressing TIMP3 blocks TNFα release, p38 MAPK activation, myogenic gene expression and myotube formation. TNFα supplementation at a physiological concentration rescues myoblast differentiation. Similarly, in the regenerating soleus, overexpression of TIMP3 impairs release of TNFα and myogenic gene expression, and delays the formation of new fibers. In addition, downregulation of TIMP3 is mediated by the myogenesis-promoting microRNA miR-206. Thus, TIMP3 is a physiological regulator of myogenic differentiation.
Mobility of G proteins is heterogeneous and polarized during chemotaxis
Authors: van Hemert Freek , Lazova Milena D. , Snaar-Jagaska B. Ewa , Schmidt Thomas
Published: August 2010

The interaction of G-protein-coupled receptors with G proteins is a key event in transmembrane signal transduction that leads to vital decision-making by the cell. Here, we applied single-molecule epifluorescence microscopy to study the mobility of both the Gβγ and the Gα2 subunits of the G protein heterotrimer in comparison with the cAMP receptor responsible for chemotactic signaling in Dictyostelium discoideum. Our experimental results suggest that ~30% of the G protein heterotrimers exist in receptor-precoupled complexes. Upon stimulation in a chemotactic gradient, this complex dissociates, subsequently leading to a linear diffusion and collision amplification of the external signal. We further found that Gβγ was partially immobilized and confined in an agonist-, F-actin- and Gα2-dependent fashion. This led to the hypothesis that functional nanometric domains exist in the plasma membrane, which locally restrict the activation signal, and in turn, lead to faithful and efficient chemotactic signaling.
Dynamic Commitment and the Soft Budget Constraint: An Empirical Test
Authors: Pettersson-Lidbom Per
Published: August 2010

This paper develops an empirical framework for the problem of soft budgets which is explicitly based on a dynamic commitment problem, i.e., the inability of a supporting organization to commit itself not to extend more resources ex post to a budget-constrained organization than it was prepared to provide ex ante. Swedish local governments are used as a testing ground since the central government distributed a large number of fiscal transfers. The estimated soft-budget effect is economically significant: on average, a local government increases its debt by more than 20 percent by going from a hard to a soft budget constraint. (JEL D82, G32, L32)
Mechanism Design for “Free” but “No Free Disposal” Services: The Economics of Personalization Under Privacy Concerns
Authors: Chellappa Ramnath K. , Shivendu Shivendu
Published: August 2010

Online personalization services belong to a class of economic goods with a “no free disposal” (NFD) property where consumers do not always prefer more services to less because of the privacy concerns. These concerns arise from the revelation of information necessary for the provision of personalization services. We examine vendor strategies in a market where consumers have heterogeneous concerns about privacy. In successive generalizations, we allow the vendor to offer a fixed level of personalization, variable levels of personalization, and monetary transfers (coupons) to the consumers that depend on the level of personalization chosen. We show that a vendor offering a fixed level of personalization does not offer a coupon unless his marginal value of information (MVI) is sufficiently high, and even when personalization is costless, the vendor does not cover the market. Under a fixed services offering, the vendor serves the same market with or without couponing. Next, we demonstrate that in the absence of couponing, the vendor's optimal variable personalization services contract maximizes surplus for all heterogeneous consumers, which is in contrast to standard results from monopolistic screening. When the vendor can offer coupons that vary according to personalization levels, the optimal contract is not fully revealing unless his MVI is high and he will not offer coupons when this MVI is low. However, a vendor with a moderate MVI (between certain thresholds) offers a bunched contract, wherein consumers with low privacy concerns receive a variable services-coupon contract, those with moderate privacy concerns receive a fixed services-coupon contract, and those with high privacy concerns do not participate in the market. The coupon value is decreasing in privacy sensitivity of consumers.
Triphasic Dynamics of Stimulus-Dependent Information Flow between Single Neurons in Macaque Inferior Temporal Cortex
Authors: Hirabayashi Toshiyuki , Takeuchi Daigo , Tamura Keita , Miyashita Yasushi
Published: August 2010

The functional connectivity between cortical neurons is not static and is known to exhibit contextual modulations in terms of the coupling strength. Here we hypothesized that the information flow in a cortical local circuit exhibits complex forward-and-back dynamics, and conducted Granger causality analysis between the neuronal spike trains that were simultaneously recorded from macaque inferior temporal (IT) cortex while the animals performed a visual object discrimination task. Spikes from neuron pairs with a displaced peak on the cross-correlogram (CCG) showed Granger causality in the gamma-frequency range (30–80 Hz) with the dominance in the direction consistent with the CCG peak (forward direction). Although, in a classical view, the displaced CCG peak has been interpreted as an indicative of a pauci-synaptic serial linkage, temporal dynamics of the gamma Granger causality after stimulus onset exhibited a more complex triphasic pattern, with a transient forward component followed by a slowly developing backward component and subsequent reappearance of the forward component. These triphasic dynamics of causality were not explained by the firing rate dynamics and were not observed for cell pairs that exhibited a center peak on the CCG. Furthermore, temporal dynamics of Granger causality depended on the feature configuration within the presented object. Together, these results demonstrate that the classical view of functional connectivity could be expanded to incorporate more complex forward-and-back dynamics and also imply that multistage processing in the recognition of visual objects might be implemented by multiphasic dynamics of directional information flow between single neurons in a local circuit in the IT cortex.
SNARE Force Synchronizes Synaptic Vesicle Fusion and Controls the Kinetics of Quantal Synaptic Transmission
Authors: Guzman Raul E. , Schwarz Yvonne N. , Rettig Jens , Bruns Dieter
Published: August 2010

Neuronal communication relies on rapid and discrete intercellular signaling but neither the molecular mechanisms of the exocytotic machinery that define the timing of the action potential-evoked response nor those controlling the kinetics of transmitter release from single synaptic vesicles are known. Here, we investigate how interference with the putative force transduction between the complex-forming SNARE (solubleN-ethylamide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) domain and the transmembrane anchor of synaptobrevin II (SybII) affects action potential-evoked currents and spontaneous, quantal transmitter release at mouse hippocampal synapses. The results indicate that SybII-generated membrane stress effectively determines the kinetics of the action potential-evoked response and show that SNARE force modulates the concentration profile of cleft glutamate by controlling the rate of transmitter release from the single synaptic vesicle. Thus, multiple SybII actions determine the exquisite temporal regulation of neuronal signaling.
Selection of Prime Actor in Humans during Bimanual Object Manipulation
Authors: Theorin Anna , Johansson Roland S.
Published: August 2010

In bimanual object manipulation tasks, people flexibly assign one hand as a prime actor while the other assists. Little is known, however, about the neural mechanisms deciding the role assignment. We addressed this issue in a task in which participants moved a cursor to hit targets on a screen by applying precisely coupled symmetrical opposing linear and twist forces on a tool held freely between the hands. In trials presented in an unpredictable order, the action of either the left or the right hand was spatially congruent with the cursor movements, which automatically rendered the left or right hand the dominant actor, respectively. Functional magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the hand-selection process engaged prefrontal cortical areas belonging to an executive control network presumed critical for judgment and decision-making and to a salience network attributed to evaluation of utility of actions. Task initiation, which involved switching between task sets, had a superordinate role with reference to hand selection. Behavioral and brain imaging data indicated that participants initially expressed two competing action representations, matching either mapping rule, before selecting the appropriate one based on the consequences of the initial manual actions. We conclude that implicit processes engaging the prefrontal cortex reconcile selections among action representations that compete for the establishment of a dominant actor in bimanual object manipulation tasks. The representation selected is the one that optimizes performance by relying on the superior capacity of the brain to process spatial congruent, as opposed to noncongruent, mappings between manual actions and desired movement goals.
Fine Thermotactic Discrimination between the Optimal and Slightly Cooler Temperatures via a TRPV Channel in Chordotonal Neurons
Authors: Kwon Young , Shen Wei L. , Shim Hye-Seok , Montell Craig
Published: August 2010

Animals select their optimal environmental temperature, even when faced with alternatives that differ only slightly. This behavior is critical as small differences in temperature of only several degrees can have a profound effect on the survival and rate of development of poikilothermic animals, such as the fruit fly. Here, we demonstrate thatDrosophilalarvae choose their preferred temperature of 17.5°C over slightly cooler temperatures (14−16°C) through activation of chordotonal neurons. Mutations affecting a transient receptor potential (TRP) vanilloid channel, Inactive (Iav), which is expressed specifically in chordotonal neurons, eliminated the ability to choose 17.5°C over 14−16°C. The impairment in selecting 17.5°C resulted from absence of an avoidance response, which is normally mediated by an increase in turns at the lower temperatures. We conclude that the decision to select the preferred over slightly cooler temperatures requiresiavand is achieved by activating chordotonal neurons, which in turn induces repulsive behaviors, due to an increase in high angle turns.
Causality Attribution Biases Oculomotor Responses
Authors: Badler Jeremy , Lefèvre Philippe , Missal Marcus
Published: August 2010

When viewing one object move after being struck by another, humans perceive that the action of the first object “caused” the motion of the second, not that the two events occurred independently. Although established as a perceptual and linguistic concept, it is not yet known whether the notion of causality exists as a fundamental, preattentional “Gestalt” that can influence predictive motor processes. Therefore, eye movements of human observers were measured while viewing a display in which a launcher impacted a tool to trigger the motion of a second “reaction” target. The reaction target could move either in the direction predicted by transfer of momentum after the collision (“causal”) or in a different direction (“noncausal”), with equal probability. Control trials were also performed with identical target motion, either with a 100 ms time delay between the collision and reactive motion, or without the interposed tool. Subjects made significantly more predictive movements (smooth pursuit and saccades) in the causal direction during standard trials, and smooth pursuit latencies were also shorter overall. These trends were reduced or absent in control trials. In addition, pursuit latencies in the noncausal direction were longer during standard trials than during control trials. The results show that causal context has a strong influence on predictive movements.
Lipoprotein Particles Cross the Blood–Brain Barrier inDrosophila
Authors: Brankatschk Marko , Eaton Suzanne
Published: August 2010

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) regulates passage of nutrients and signaling molecules from the circulation into the brain. Whether lipoproteins cross the BBBin vivohas been controversial, and no clear requirement for circulating lipoproteins in brain development has been shown. We address these issues inDrosophila, which has an functionally conserved BBB, and lipoproteins that resemble those of vertebrates. We show that theDrosophilalipoprotein lipophorin exists in two isoforms. Both isoforms cross the BBB, but accumulate on distinct subsets of cells within the brain. In addition to acting as a lipid carrier, lipophorin carries both sterol-linked and GPI-linked proteins into the circulation and transports them across the BBB. Finally, lipophorin promotes neuroblast proliferation by a mechanism that does not depend on delivery of dietary lipids. Transport of lipophorin and its cargo across the BBB represents a novel mechanism by which peripherally synthesized proteins might enter the brain and influence its development. Furthermore, lipid-linkage may be an efficient method to transport therapeutic molecules across the BBB.
Persistent Representation of Juvenile Experience in the Adult Songbird Brain
Authors: Prather Jonathan F. , Peters Susan , Nowicki Stephen , Mooney Richard
Published: August 2010

Juveniles sometimes learn behaviors that they cease to express as adults. Whether the adult brain retains a record of experiences associated with behaviors performed transiently during development remains unclear. We addressed this issue by studying neural representations of song in swamp sparrows, a species in which juveniles learn and practice many more songs than they retain in their adult vocal repertoire. We exposed juvenile swamp sparrows to a suite of tutor songs and confirmed that, although many tutor songs were imitated during development, not all copied songs were retained into adulthood. We then recorded extracellularly in the sensorimotor nucleus HVC in anesthetized sparrows to assess neuronal responsiveness to songs in the adult repertoire, tutor songs, and novel songs. Individual HVC neurons almost always responded to songs in the adult repertoire and commonly responded even more strongly to a tutor song. Effective tutor songs were not simply those that were acoustically similar to songs in the adult repertoire. Moreover, the strength of tutor song responses was unrelated to the number of times that the bird sang copies of those songs in juvenile or adult life. Notably, several neurons responded most strongly to a tutor song performed only rarely and transiently during juvenile life, or even to a tutor song for which we could find no evidence of ever having been copied. Thus, HVC neurons representing songs in the adult repertoire also appear to retain a lasting record of certain tutor songs, including those imitated only transiently.
Consumo de adoçantes e produtos dietéticos por indivíduos com diabetes melito tipo 2, atendidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde em Ribeirão Preto, SP
Authors: Oliveira Paula Barbosa de , Franco Laércio Joel
Published: August 2010

OBJETIVO: Analisar o consumo de adoçantes e produtos dietéticos por indivíduos com diabetes melito tipo 2, atendidos pelo Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) em Ribeirão Preto, SP. SUJEITOS E MÉTODOS: Por meio de questionário, foram entrevistados 120 pacientes, estratificados por sexo, faixa etária e nível de atendimento. RESULTADOS: Os resultados mostram que o uso de adoçantes é frequente na população em estudo, com predomínio do tipo líquido, e o uso de produtos dietéticos é menor, com predomínio dos refrigerantes. O diagnóstico do DM foi determinante para o uso dos produtos e o critério de seleção mais utilizado foi o sabor. É pequena a porcentagem da amostra que sabe a diferença entre diet e light, que tem o hábito de ler o rótulo dos alimentos e que se preocupa com a quantidade utilizada de adoçante. CONCLUSÃO: É uma necessidade a inclusão de informações sobre o uso adequado desses produtos nas atividades assistenciais aos pacientes com DM nos diversos níveis do SUS.
Aggregation of subtropical soil under liming: a study using laser diffraction
Authors: Bortoluzzi Edson Campanhola , Poleto Cristiano , Baginski Álvaro José , Silva Vanderlei Rodrigues da
Published: August 2010

Laser diffraction (LD) provides detailed analysis of particle size distribution. Its application to testing the stability of soil aggregates can assist studies on the aggregation of soils with contrasting electrochemical properties. The objectives of the present work were: (a) to propose a protocol for using LD to study soil aggregation, (b) to study the aggregation of an Acrisol under the influence of different doses and forms of lime. Samples were collected in 2005 from a Brazilian Acrisol that in 1994 had received 0.0; 2.0; 8.5 and 17.0 Mg ha-1 of lime, left on the soil surface or incorporated. Aggregates from 4.76 to 8.00 mm diameters were studied using the traditional method proposed by Kemper & Chepil (1965), with wet sieving, while aggregates from 1.00 to 2.00 mm were studied using a CILAS® laser diffractometer that distinguishes particles ranging from 0.04 to 2,500.00 μm. LD readings were made after six consecutive pre-treatments, using agitation times, a chemical dispersion agent and ultrasound. Mean Weighted Diameter (MWD) and the Aggregate Stability Index (ASI) calculated, using the traditional method does not discriminate the treatments. However, LD is able to produce detailed data on soil aggregation, resulting in indexes of stability of aggregates that are linearly related to the doses of lime applied (MWD: R² = 0.986 and ASI: R² = 0.876). It may be concluded that electrochemical changes in the Brazilian Acrisol resulting from incorporated lime affect the stability of aggregates, increasing stability with increased doses of lime.
Mineralização de nitrogênio e carbono em solos sob plantações de eucalipto, em uma sequência de idades
Authors: Barreto Patrícia Anjos Bittencourt , Gama-Rodrigues Emanuela Forestieri , Gama-Rodrigues Antonio Carlos , Barros Nairam Félix de , Alves Bruno José Rodrigues , Fonseca Sebastião
Published: August 2010

A estimativa da mineralização de N e de C é essencial no desenvolvimento de práticas que maximizem a eficiência no uso de N, especialmente no caso do eucalipto, que apresenta baixa magnitude de resposta à fertilização nitrogenada. Foram estimadas as taxas de mineralização de N e de C e avaliados os potenciais de mineralização de N e de C de solos sob plantações de eucalipto de 1, 3, 5 e 13 anos de idade, crescendo sob condições edafoclimáticas semelhantes. Amostras de solo foram coletadas na profundidade de 0-10 cm, em novembro de 2003. Essas amostras foram incubadas por períodos sucessivos de 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4 e 4 semanas, totalizando 19 semanas, sob condições aeróbias, em laboratório. O N mineralizado das amostras incubadas foi extraído periodicamente e determinado por colorimetria, e o C mineralizado, por titulação após liberação de C-CO2 a cada período de incubação. O valor médio de N mineralizado acumulado (Nm) foi de 58 mg kg-1 de N no solo e não diferiu significativamente entre as idades. As quantidades de N potencialmente mineralizável (No) variaram de 58 a 87 mg kg-1, o que representou 3,4 a 5,2 % do N total do solo (Nt), tomando por base a razão No:Nt. A forma predominante de N mineral em todas as idades foi o N-NH4+. As quantidades totais de C mineralizado (Cm) diferiram significativamente entre as idades, variando de 606 a 1.122 mg kg-1 de C no solo. O C potencialmente mineralizável (Co) dos solos foi, em média, de 862 mg kg-1 de C-CO2, o que representou 3,4 % do C orgânico do solo (Corg), de acordo com a razão Co:Corg. A taxa e o potencial de mineralização de C e N não foram influenciados pela idade das plantações do eucalipto. As reservas de N potencialmente mineralizável dos solos seriam suficientes para atender à demanda de N pelo eucalipto em rotações futuras.
Spodosols pedogenesis under barreiras formation and sandbank environments in the south of Bahia
Authors: Oliveira Aline Pacobahyba de , Ker João Carlos , Silva Ivo Ribeiro da , Fontes Maurício Paulo Ferreira , Oliveira Alessandra Pacobahyba de , Neves Alan Tadeu Goyatá
Published: August 2010

Morphologically differentiated Spodosols usually occur in the Coastal Plain of the South of Bahia and North of Espírito Santo. They are found in profiles known as "muçungas", i.e. sandy soils that accumulate water. In these areas, two kinds of Spodosols, different from those in the Restinga area, can be found: Spodosols with E albic horizon (white muçunungas) and without this horizon (black muçunungas). Eight soil profiles with spodic characteristics were collected and described in order to evaluate differences in the formation process of Barreiras and Restinga Spodosols in the South of Bahia. The soil profiles were also characterized chemically, physically and mineralogically. Additionally, texture and chemical analysis, Fe and Al extraction by sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DBC), acid ammonium oxalate and sodium pyrophosphate, ammonium oxalate extract optic density (DOox), sulphuric acid attack, and X ray difractometry of the clay fraction were performed. In the Spodosols of the Barreiras area, fragipan was found the spodic layers. Cemented B spodic horizon were observed in the white muçunungas, and granular structure and dark color from the surface in the black muçunungas. There was no fragipan or hard spodic horizon in the Restinga Spodosol. This soil is acid, dystrophic and alic, with sandy texture and high clay percentages in the spodic horizons. The CEC, based on H + Al, is predominantly represented by the organic matter. The most representative components of the mineral phase of the clay fraction are kaolinite and possibly vermiculite traces with interlayered hydroxy. Chemical, physical, morphological and mineralogical differences were observed between the Barreiras and Restinga environments. The black and white muçunungas differ in morphologic and chemical properties only.
Ocorrência de corpos silicosos em horizontes superficiais de solos de diferentes ecossistemas
Authors: Costa Liovando Marciano da , Santos Roseilton Fernandes dos , Schaefer Carlos Ernesto G.R. , Moreau Maria Souza dos Santos , Moreau Mauricio Santana
Published: August 2010

O entendimento dos processos que causam as diferentes distribuições de corpos silicosos no solo é essencial para a interpretação dos possíveis fatores ambientais responsáveis pela estabilidade deles, deposição de sedimentos, formação de paleossolos e para análise de sítios arqueológicos. Assim, a presente pesquisa objetivou identificar a ocorrência de corpos silicosos encontrados em horizontes superficiais de solos oriundos de diferentes ecossistemas terrestres. Amostras de horizonte superficial de 10 perfis de solo foram coletadas e queimadas em mufla, para remoção da matéria orgânica. Posteriormente, as amostras foram tratadas com HCl 10 cL L-1, para remoção das impurezas contidas na cinza. A fração silte foi obtida por sedimentação, usando o procedimento de análise granulométrica. A maior parte dos corpos silicosos em solos encontra-se na fração silte. Dessa fração, montaram-se lâminas, utilizando óleo de imersão tipo A para identificação dos corpos silicosos em microscópio óptico. A análise dos resultados permitiu observar a variedade de formas e abundância de corpos silicosos nos solos estudados, sendo mais abundantes e diversificados no solo desenvolvido de quartzito. Nos Latossolos, não houve diferença em abundância de fitólitos em relação aos solos dos biomas do Cerrado, Mata Atlântica e Caatinga.