bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IL-17-mediated Bcl-2 expression regulates survival of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis through STAT3 activation
Authors: Lee Seon-Yeong , Kwok Seung-Ki , Son Hye-Jin , Ryu Jun-Geol , Kim Eun-Kyung , Oh Hye-Jwa , Cho Mi-La , Ju Ji Hyeon , Park Sung-Hwan , Kim Ho-Youn
Published: February 2013

Introduction

Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are a major cell population of the pannus that invades adjacent cartilage and bone in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was undertaken to determine the effect of interleukin-17 (IL-17) on the survival and/or proliferation of FLSs from RA patients and to investigate whether signal tranducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is implicated in this process.

Methods

Bcl-2 and Bax expression in FLSs was determined using the real-time PCR and western blot analysis. The expression of Bcl-2 and phosphoSTAT3 in synovial tissues was investigated by confocal microscope. Apoptosis of FLSs was detected by Annexin V/propidium iodide staining and/or phase contrast microscopy. The proliferation of FLSs was determined by CCK-8 ELISA assay.

Results

The pro-apoptotic Bax is decreased and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 is increased in FLSs from RA patients compared with those from patients with osteoarthritis (OA). IL-17 upregulated the expression of Bcl-2 in FLSs from RA patients, but not in FLSs from OA patients. STAT3 was found to mediate IL-17-induced Bcl-2 upregulation in FLSs from RA patients. Additionally, IL-17 promoted the survival and proliferation of FLSs from RA patients. Most importantly, treatment with STAT3 inhibitor reversed the protective effect of IL-17 on FLSs apoptosis induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP).

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that STAT3 is critical in IL-17-induced survival of FLS from RA patients. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that target the IL-17/STAT3 pathway might be strong candidates for RA treatment modalities.
A de novo assembly of the newt transcriptome combined with proteomic validation identifies new protein families expressed during tissue regeneration
Authors: Looso Mario , Preussner Jens , Sousounis Konstantinos , Bruckskotten Marc , Michel Christian S , Lignelli Ettore , Reinhardt Richard , Höffner Sabrina , Krüger Marcus , Tsonis Panagiotis A , Borchardt Thilo , Braun Thomas
Published: February 2013

Background

Notophthalmus viridescens, an urodelian amphibian, represents an excellent model organism to study regenerative processes, but mechanistic insights into molecular processes driving regeneration have been hindered by a paucity and poor annotation of coding nucleotide sequences. The enormous genome size and the lack of a closely related reference genome have so far prevented assembly of the urodelian genome.

Results

We describe the de novo assembly of the transcriptome of the newt Notophthalmus viridescens and its experimental validation. RNA pools covering embryonic and larval development, different stages of heart, appendage and lens regeneration, as well as a collection of different undamaged tissues were used to generate sequencing datasets on Sanger, Illumina and 454 platforms. Through a sequential de novo assembly strategy, hybrid datasets were converged into one comprehensive transcriptome comprising 120,922 non-redundant transcripts with a N50 of 975. From this, 38,384 putative transcripts were annotated and around 15,000 transcripts were experimentally validated as protein coding by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Bioinformatical analysis of coding transcripts identified 826 proteins specific for urodeles. Several newly identified proteins establish novel protein families based on the presence of new sequence motifs without counterparts in public databases, while others containing known protein domains extend already existing families and also constitute new ones.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that our multistep assembly approach allows de novo assembly of the newt transcriptome with an annotation grade comparable to well characterized organisms. Our data provide the groundwork for mechanistic experiments to answer the question whether urodeles utilize proprietary sets of genes for tissue regeneration.
Comparative genomics of the core and accessory genomes of 48 Sinorhizobiumstrains comprising five genospecies
Authors: Sugawara Masayuki , Epstein Brendan , Badgley Brian D , Unno Tatsuya , Xu Lei , Reese Jennifer , Gyaneshwar Prasad , Denny Roxanne , Mudge Joann , Bharti Arvind K , Farmer Andrew D , May Gregory D , Woodward Jimmy E , Médigue Claudine , Vallenet David , Lajus Aurélie , Rouy Zoé , Martinez-Vaz Betsy , Tiffin Peter , Young Nevin D , Sadowsky Michael J
Published: February 2013

Background

The sinorhizobia are amongst the most well studied members of nitrogen-fixing root nodule bacteria and contribute substantial amounts of fixed nitrogen to the biosphere. While the alfalfa symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti RM 1021 was one of the first rhizobial strains to be completely sequenced, little information is available about the genomes of this large and diverse species group.

Results

Here we report the draft assembly and annotation of 48 strains of Sinorhizobium comprising five genospecies. While S. meliloti and S. medicae are taxonomically related, they displayed different nodulation patterns on diverse Medicago host plants, and have differences in gene content, including those involved in conjugation and organic sulfur utilization. Genes involved in Nod factor and polysaccharide biosynthesis, denitrification and type III, IV, and VI secretion systems also vary within and between species. Symbiotic phenotyping and mutational analyses indicated that some type IV secretion genes are symbiosis-related and involved in nitrogen fixation efficiency. Moreover, there is a correlation between the presence of type IV secretion systems, heme biosynthesis and microaerobic denitrification genes, and symbiotic efficiency.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that each Sinorhizobium strain uses a slightly different strategy to obtain maximum compatibility with a host plant. This large genome data set provides useful information to better understand the functional features of five Sinorhizobium species, especially compatibility in legume-Sinorhizobium interactions. The diversity of genes present in the accessory genomes of members of this genus indicates that each bacterium has adopted slightly different strategies to interact with diverse plant genera and soil environments.
Life-Cycle Risk Assessment of Spatially Distributed Aging Bridges under Seismic and Traffic Hazards
Authors: Decò Alberto , Frangopol Dan M.
Published: February 2013

This paper presents a rational framework for the quantitative assessment of life-cycle risk of bridges within a transportation network. Bridge vulnerability is evaluated with respect to seismic and abnormal traffic hazards. The effects induced by seismic hazard are investigated by means of fragility analysis. Random earthquakes are generated using Latin Hypercube sampling technique, and probabilities of exceeding specific structural damage states are computed for each specific seismic scenario. Traffic hazard is assessed considering Weibull distributed time-to-failure of the bridge superstructure. Epistemic and aleatory uncertainties are accounted for in order to provide a rational assessment of life-cycle risk. Consequence analysis includes different levels of bridge serviceability (fully serviceable, partly serviceable, closed, and collapsed), and monetary values are used to evaluate direct and indirect consequences. Seismic risk, traffic-induced risk, and total risk are evaluated for a group of existing bridges located north of the San Diego metropolitan area.
Virtual Earthquake Engineering Laboratory Capturing Nonlinear Shear, Localized Damage and Progressive Buckling of Bar
Authors: Cho In Ho
Published: February 2013

We embarked upon developing a novel parallel simulation platform that is rooted in microphysical mechanisms. Primarily aiming at large-scale reinforced-concrete structures exposed to cyclic loading, we sought to settle the question as to how to capture nonlinear shear, localized damage and progressive buckling of reinforcing bar. We proposed a tribology-inspired three-dimensional (3-D) interlocking mechanism in the well-established framework of multidirec-tional smeared crack models. Strong correlation between random material property and localized damage has been shown, notably at the global system level. An automated platform has been suggested to capture progressive buckling phenomena. Validation and applications straddle a wide range, from small laboratory tests to large-scale 3-D experiments, successfully offering a clear causal pathway between underlying physical mechanisms and the unresolved issues addressed above.
Engineering Characteristics of Ground Motion Records from the 2010 Mw 7.2 El Mayor–Cucapah Earthquake in Mexico
Authors: Liao Yun , Meneses Jorge
Published: February 2013

This paper presents an engineering analysis of ground motion records from the 2010 El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake. Spectral accelerations from the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake are also compared with NGA Boore and Atkinson 2008 (BA08) and SEA99 ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs). Both GMPEs predict slower distance attenuation than demonstrated by the 2010 earthquake but capture distance attenuation shown by the 1979 earthquake. Intra-event residuals of both GMPEs relative to the 2010 earthquake data exhibit larger scattering than the 1979 earthquake data. H/V ratios indicate that some soft-soil sites show predominant site periods of about 0.4 to 0.7 seconds, but the remaining sites show lengthened predominant periods of about 1.0 to 2.0 seconds. Rock sites show no pronounced predominant periods despite the presence of a weak H/V ratio peak at 0.2 seconds.
The Impact of Earthquakes on the Domestic Stock Market
Authors: Scholtens Bert , Voorhorst Yvonne
Published: February 2013

How do financial markets respond to the impact of earthquakes? We investigate this for more than 100 earthquakes with fatalities in 21 countries from five continents in the period 1973–2011. Using an event study methodology we conclude that there are significant negative effects on stock market value. We find that the stock market's response to earthquakes is more pronounced in recent years than in the 1970s and 1980s. There is no difference in the responses to the most and least severe earthquakes or to those in high-income and low-income countries. There is hardly a significant difference in the response to earthquakes in German law–based countries and English or French law–based countries. This suggests that the stock market is not very sensitive regarding key characteristics of earthquakes.
Collision-Induced Dissociation of 40 Flavonoid Aglycones and Differentiation of the Common Flavonoid Subtypes Using Electrospray Ionization Ion-Trap Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Yang Wen-Zhi , Ye Min , Qiao Xue , Wang Qing , Bo Tao , Guo De-An
Published: February 2013

Much literature is available with respect to the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of different subtypes of flavonoid aglycones. However, a simultaneous comparison study of the common flavonoid subtypes under unified conditions is rarely reported, which is of crucial significance for their rapid structural elucidation. This study depicted the negative CID of 40 free flavonoids (comprising nine different subtypes) utilizing electrospray ionization ion-trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS n). High-accuracy quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was employed to confirm the chemical formula of proposed key fragments. Specific fragmentation features were discovered among different flavonoid subtypes in terms of the essential collision energy, base peak, RDA fragmentation, and diversity of fragmentation pathways: CID of flavanones, chalcones and flavanonols was in need of lower levels of collision energy (< 40%) and exhibited simplified fragmentation pathways; overriding neutral loss of CO2 was detected for flavones, aurones and xanthones, while isoflavones preferred neutral loss of CO; 1,2A− and 1,3A− fragments were respectively dominant for flavonols and flavanones/chalcones, while homoisoflavones underwent specific radical elimination of ring B or methylene-ring B. These differentiated fragmentation characteristics integrating UV absorption resulted in the establishment of a decision tree to characterize and distinguish the common flavonoid subtypes. This study firstly revealed remarkable differentiations in the negative CID behavior of nine common flavonoid aglycone subtypes and the proposed determination strategy would much benefit the screening and rapid characterization of flavonoids from complicated matrixes by tandem mass spectrometry.
Proteins in Aqueous Humor from Cataract Patients with and without Pseudoexfoliationsyndrome
Authors: Taube Amelie Botling , Hardenborg Emilia , Wetterhall Magnus , Artemenko Konstantin , Hanrieder Jörg , Andersson Marit , Alm Albert , Bergquist Jonas
Published: February 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the protein content in aqueous humor in eyes with and without pseudoexfoliations (PEX) and to evaluate the quantitative proteomics method, isobaric tagging for relative and absolute protein quantification (iTRAQ), in combination with two separation methods followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). During cataract surgery, samples of aqueous humor were collected from 20 eyes with PEX and from 18 control eyes. The relative concentrations of proteins in the pooled samples of ten PEX eyes and eight controls were evaluated after trypsin digestion and labeling of the peptides with (iTRAQ) reagent. Two separation methods, liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) were used, followed by MALDI mass spectrometry and MS/MS. Furthermore, 1D gel electrophoresis was performed on the remaining ten pooled PEX samples and ten control samples. The gel material was separated by nano-liquid chromatography (nano-LC) followed by linear-ion-trap quadrupole Fourier transformation ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR). Fifty four proteins were identified in the LC runs and 24 with CE. The relative concentrations of β-crystallines B2 and S were raised and those of angiotensinogen and osteopontin lowered in the PEX sample compared to the control. The trends regarding β-crystallines B2, angiotensinogen and osteopontin were confirmed by the 1D gel electrophoresis.
Buckling-Restrained-Lug Connection for Energy Dissipation
Authors: Chan Ricky W.K. , Albermani Faris
Published: February 2013

Under extreme loading conditions such as an earthquake event considerable amount of energy is imparted to a structure. To protect the structure and to minimize damages, a method is to divert a portion of the input energy into designated energy dissipating devices. A new energy dissipation device is presented in this paper. The device is referred to as Buckling-Restrained-Lug (BRL) which can be incorporated in structural joints. The device is composed of a short segment of a steel strut embedded inside a mortar filled jacket which makes the BRL's capacity governed by the squash load under axial tension or compression. The BRL dissipates energy through axial yielding of the steel strut. Analytical, finite element modeling and experimental results of the proposed BRL are presented and compared. Implementation of the BRL in a beam-to-column connection that results in a dissipative partial-moment-resisting joint is proposed. Based on the obtained results, the paper advocates the consideration of the BRL as a viable, compact and low-cost passive energy dissipation device.
Static Vertical Displacement Measurement of Bridges Using Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) Sensors
Authors: Yau M. H. , Chan T.H.T. , Thambiratnam D. P. , Tam H. Y.
Published: February 2013

Vertical displacements are one of the most relevant parameters for structural health monitoring of bridges in both the short and long terms. Bridge managers around the globe are always looking for a simple way to measure vertical displacements of bridges. However, it is difficult to carry out such measurements. On the other hand, in recent years, with the advancement of fiber-optic technologies, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are more commonly used in structural health monitoring due to their outstanding advantages including multiplexing capability, immunity of electromagnetic interference as well as high resolution and accuracy. For these reasons, using FBG sensors is proposed to develop a simple, inexpensive and practical method to measure vertical displacements of bridges. A curvature approach for vertical displacement measurements using curvature measurements is proposed. In addition, with the successful development of FBG tilt sensors, an inclination approach is also proposed using inclination measurements. A series of simulation tests of a full-scale bridge was conducted. It shows that both of the approaches can be implemented to determine vertical displacements for bridges with various support conditions, varying stiffness ( EI) along the spans and without any prior known loading. These approaches can thus measure vertical displacements for most of slab-on-girder and box-girder bridges. Besides, the approaches are feasible to implement for bridges under various loading. Moreover, with the advantages of FBG sensors, they can be implemented to monitor bridge behavior remotely and in real time. A beam loading test was conducted to determine vertical displacements using FBG strain sensors and tilt sensors. The discrepancies as compared with dial gauges reading using the curvature and inclination approaches are 0.14mm (1.1%) and 0.41mm (3.2%), respectively. Further recommendations of these approaches for developments will also be discussed at the end of the paper.
Structural Novelty Detection Based on Adaptive Consensus Data Fusion Algorithm and Wavelet Analysis
Authors: Jiang Shao-Fei , Fu Da-Bao , Ma Sheng-Lan , Fang Sheng-En , Wu Zhao-Qi
Published: February 2013

This paper proposes a new structural novelty detection method in the case of vast measurement data having uncertainties. Considering the effects of measurement accuracy and environmental variations on measurement variance, precise analytical methods of adaptive confidence distance and measurement variance are presented on the basis of statistical theory, and thus an adaptive consensus data fusion algorithm has been firstly developed to deal with the large volume of data involving considerable uncertainties. The proposed adaptive fusion algorithm can adaptively choose sensors whose data will be subsequently fused. The algorithm is then incorporated with wavelet analysis for the purpose of structural novelty detection. Two numerical examples are carried out to validate the efficiency and adaptability of the proposed method. The obtained results have been compared with those from other existing methods, which demonstrate the high efficiency of the proposed method in data processing considering uncertainties and unsatisfied performance of some sensors, as well as its accuracy in structural novelty detection. The proposed method also shows some robustness to noise.
An Experimental Study on Damage Detection of Concrete Structures Using Decentralized Algorithms
Authors: Jayawardhana M. , Zhu X. Q. , Liyanapathirana R.
Published: February 2013

In this paper, an experimental study has been carried out to detect damage on a simply supported two-span reinforced concrete slab. Different crack damages are created by static loads on the slab and impact tests are carried out before and after removing the static loads. Two decentralized damage detection methods – Auto Correlation Function-Cross Correlation Function (ACF-CCF) method and Auto Regressive-Auto Regressive with exogenous input (AR-ARX) method, are used to localize damage from measured responses. The accuracy and sensitivity as well as the effect of sensor location and loading status of the structure were analysed with these two methods. The results show that the ACF-CCF method is more effective in detecting and locating damage than the AR-ARX method. The Novelty Index value of the ACF-CCF method could be a reliable indicator of damage in concrete structures.
Damage Detection for Structures under Ambient Vibration via Covariance of Covariance Matrix and Consistent Regularization
Authors: Li Xueyan , Wang Lixin , Law S. S.
Published: February 2013

A consistent regularization technique is adopted for the inverse identification of local damages in a structure under ambient vibration. The consistent regularization method fully makes use of the information from results obtained in previous iteration steps. Some elements are identified as undamaged and others are updated with small incremental steps between iterations. The covariance of covariance matrix which are formed from the auto/cross-correlation function of acceleration responses of a structure under white noise ambient excitation are used for damage detection in this paper. The components of the covariance matrix are proved to be function of the modal parameters (modal frequency, mode shape and damping parameter) of the structure. The number of vibration modes of the structure associated with the components is only limited by the sampling frequency. A simply supported thirty-one bar plane truss structure and a seven-floor frame structure are studied where a multiple damage scenario with different noise levels are identified. Numerical results show that the consistent regularization method combined with covariance of covariance matrix is very effective in improving the results in the inverse problem with ill-condition phenomenon compared with the Tikhonov regularization.
Post-weld residual stresses and heat treatments of Gas Tungsten Arc Welded aluminum alloy AA6061-T651
Authors: Dewan M. , Liang J. , Wahab M. , Okeil A.
Published: February 2013

Heat-treatable AA-6061-T651 Aluminum alloys (Al-Mg-Si) have found considerable importance in structural and aerospace applications for their high strength to weight ratio and improved corrosion resistance properties. Intrinsic weld defects, post-weld residual stresses, and microstructural changes are the key factors for performance reductions and failures of welded structures. Gas-Tungsten-Arc-Welding (TIG/GTAW) was carried out on AA-6061-T651 plates with Argon/Helium (50/50) as the shielding gases. Non-destructive Phased-Array-Ultrasonic-Testing (PAUT) was applied for the detection and characterization of weld defects and mechanical performances. Ultrasonic technique was used for the evaluation of post-weld residual stresses in welded components. The approach is based on the acoustoelastic effect, in which ultrasonic wave propagation speed corresponds to the magnitude of stresses present within the materials. To verify the PAUT's residual stress results, a semi-destructive hole-drilling technique was used; and observed analogous results. The effects of post-weld-heat-treatment (PWHT) on the residual stresses, grain size, micro-hardness, and tensile properties are also studied. The grain size and micro-hardness values are studied through Heyn's method and Vickers hardness test, respectively. Lower residual stresses are observed in post-weld heat-treated specimens, which are also confirmed from microstructural and micro-hardness studies. The PWHT enhanced tensile properties for the redistribution of microstructures and residual stresses.
Graphene and some of its structural analogues: full-potential density functional theory calculations
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Gautam , Behera Harihar
Published: February 2013

Using full-potential density functional calculations we have investigated the structural and electronic properties of graphene and some of its structural analogues, viz., monolayer (ML) of SiC, GeC, BN, AlN, GaN, ZnO, ZnS and ZnSe. While our calculations corroborate some of the reported results based on different methods, our results on ZnSe, the two dimensional bulk modulus of ML-GeC, ML-AlN, ML-GaN, ML-ZnO and ML-ZnS and the effective masses of the charge carriers in these binary mono-layers are something new. With the current progress in synthesis techniques, some of these new materials may be synthesized in near future for applications in nano-devices.
Experimental analysis of column web under transverse loading
Authors: Mostefa Mimoune , Arezki Ait , Fares Bousbaa
Published: February 2013

The case of a transverse load applied in the plane of profile is common in steel construction. Examples include the reaction at a simple support, the pressure of a roller on a beam of the raceway and the concentrated effort of compression provided by the compression flange in a column-beam joint. In this paper, the attention is focused on the study of the partially encased column web and flange in compression, by investigating the whole force displacement behavior of this component by means of an experimental program planned and carried out on eighteen specimens. Analytical formulations for predicting the resistance are analyzed. And the results obtained by the proposed formula are more aligned with the test results.
Clinical Relevance of Linezolid-Associated Serotonin Toxicity
Authors: Woytowish Melanie R , Maynor Lena M
Published: February 2013

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and review the literature surrounding serotonin toxicity in patients receiving linezolid and determine the clinical relevance of this reaction.

DATA SOURCES

Literature was accessed via MEDLINE/PubMed and Google Scholar (both through February 2013) using the search terms linezolid, serotonin syndrome, serotonin toxicity, and adverse reaction.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Relevant case reports, retrospective studies, surveys, and review articles were included. Bibliographies of all relevant articles were reviewed for additional sources.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Linezolid exhibits mild, nonselective inhibition of monoamine oxidase and has been associated with serotonin toxicity when used in combination with other serotonergic agents. Based on published reports, the incidence of linezolid-associated serotonin toxicity is between 0.54% and 18.2%. Our review identified 32 documented cases, including 3 fatalities. Most cases occurred in patients concurrently receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Receipt of multiple agents with serotonergic activity seems to increase the risk of serotonin toxicity. Both onset and resolution of symptoms varied from hours to days.

CONCLUSIONS

Current Food and Drug Administration recommendations to avoid the use of linezolid in patients receiving select serotonergic agents highlight the need to carefully balance the risk/benefit ratio in this situation. Although linezolid has been available for 12 years, reports of serotonin toxicity with this agent are uncommon. While clinicians should be aware of this potentially severe interaction and closely monitor patients who are receiving linezolid in combination with serotonergic agents, our findings show that linezolid is not contraindicated in this situation.
Foxp2 Mediates Sex Differences in Ultrasonic Vocalization by Rat Pups and Directs Order of Maternal Retrieval
Authors: Bowers J. Michael , Perez-Pouchoulen Miguel , Edwards N. Shalon , McCarthy Margaret M.
Published: February 2013

TheFOXP2gene is central to acquisition of speech and language in humans and vocal production in birds and mammals. Rodents communicate via ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and newborn pups emit distress USVs when separated from their dam, thereby facilitating their retrieval. We observed that isolated male rat pups emitted substantially more USV calls and these were characterized by a significantly lower frequency and amplitude compared with female rat pups. Moreover, the dam was more likely to first retrieve male pups back to the nest, then females. The amount of Foxp2 protein was significantly higher in multiple regions of the developing male brain compared with females and a reduction of brain Foxp2 by siRNA eliminated the sex differences in USVs and altered the order of pup retrieval. Our results implicateFoxp2as a component of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals. We extended these observations to humans, a species reported to have gender differences in language acquisition, and found the amount of FOXP2 protein in the left hemisphere cortex of 4-year-old boys was significantly lower than in age-matched girls.
Endfeet Serve as Diffusion-Limited Subcellular Compartments in Astrocytes
Authors: Nuriya Mutsuo , Yasui Masato
Published: February 2013

Astrocytes extend their processes to make contact with neurons and blood vessels and regulate important processes associated with the physiology/pathophysiology of the brain. Their elaborate morphology, with numerous fine processes, could allow them to perform complex signal transductions with distinct compartments or to function as a spatial buffer depending on the diffusion properties of their intracellular molecules. Apart from calcium ions, however, the diffusion dynamics of molecules within astrocytes are poorly understood. In this study, we applied two-photon uncaging and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching of fluorescent molecules to acute cortical brain slices from mice to investigate the diffusion dynamics of molecules within astrocytes. We found that diffusion was significantly more restricted at the endfeet than at trunks and distal ends of other processes. Slow diffusion dynamics at the endfeet resulted in a large population of molecules being retained in a small region for tens of seconds, creating subcellular compartments that were isolated from other regions. In contrast, diffusion was fast and free at other processes. The same patterns were observed with the diffusions of a higher molecular weight (10 kDa) molecule and 2-NBDG, a fluorescent analog of glucose. These findings suggest that molecular diffusion is not uniform across the intracellular environment and that subcellular compartments are present in astrocytes. Therefore, similar to neurons, the elaborate and specialized structures of astrocytes may enable them to perform complex computations by providing distinct information storage/processing capacity among processes.
Evolutionarily Novel Functional Networks in the Human Brain?
Authors: Mantini Dante , Corbetta Maurizio , Romani Gian Luca , Orban Guy A. , Vanduffel Wim
Published: February 2013

Primate evolution has been accompanied by complex reorganizations in brain anatomy and function. Little is known, however, about the relationship between anatomical and functional changes induced through primate evolution. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we assessed spatial and temporal correspondences of cortical networks in humans and monkeys. We provided evidence for topologically and functionally correspondent networks in sensory-motor and attention regions. More specifically, we revealed a possible monkey equivalent of the human ventral attention network. For other human networks, such as the language and the default-mode networks, we detected topological correspondent networks in the monkey, but with different functional signatures. Furthermore, we observed two lateralized human frontoparietal networks in the cortical regions displaying the greatest evolutionary expansion, having neither topological nor functional monkey correspondents. This finding may indicate that these two human networks are evolutionarily novel. Thus, our findings confirm the existence of networks where evolution has conserved both topology and function but also suggest that functions of structurally preserved networks can diverge over time and that novel, hence human-specific networks, have emerged during human evolution.
Functional Specializations of the Ventral Intraparietal Area for Multisensory Heading Discrimination
Authors: Chen Aihua , DeAngelis Gregory C. , Angelaki Dora E.
Published: February 2013

The ventral intraparietal area (VIP) of the macaque brain is a multimodal cortical region with directionally selective responses to visual and vestibular stimuli. To explore how these signals contribute to self-motion perception, neural activity in VIP was monitored while macaques performed a fine heading discrimination task based on vestibular, visual, or multisensory cues. For neurons with congruent visual and vestibular heading tuning, discrimination thresholds improved during multisensory stimulation, suggesting that VIP (like the medial superior temporal area; MSTd) may contribute to the improved perceptual discrimination seen during cue combination. Unlike MSTd, however, few VIP neurons showed opposite visual/vestibular tuning over the range of headings relevant to behavior, and those few cells showed reduced sensitivity under cue combination. Our data suggest that the heading tuning of some VIP neurons may be locally remodeled to increase the proportion of cells with congruent tuning over the behaviorally relevant stimulus range. VIP neurons also showed much stronger trial-by-trial correlations with perceptual decisions (choice probabilities; CPs) than MSTd neurons. While this may suggest that VIP neurons are more strongly linked to heading perception, we also find that correlated noise is much stronger among pairs of VIP neurons, with noise correlations averaging 0.14 in VIP as compared with 0.04 in MSTd. Thus, the large CPs in VIP could be a consequence of strong interneuronal correlations. Together, our findings suggest that VIP neurons show specializations that may make them well equipped to play a role in multisensory integration for heading perception.
Bismuth decoration of electrodeposited platinum thin films with a preferential (100) orientation
Authors: Bertin E. , Garbarino S. , Martin M.H. , Guay D.
Published: February 2013

Preferentially {100} oriented and polycrystalline platinum electrodes were prepared by potentiostatic electrodeposition. The surface of the electrodes was characterized by deconvolution of the hydrogen desorption region. The catalytic activity for formic acid oxidation was determined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The results indicate that although the maximum current observed in cyclic voltammogram does not increase, the long term performances as measured by chronoamperometry dramatically increase up to 33 times with increased Bi coverage despite the loss of electroactive Pt surface area.
Experiment and Modelisation Results on Laser Thermal Processing for Ultra-Shallow Junction Formation: Influence of Laser Pulse Duration
Authors: Venturini J. , Hernandez M. , Zahorski D. , Kerrien G. , Sarnet T. , Debarre D. , Boulmer J. , Laviron C. , Semeria M.-N. , Camel D. , Santailler J.-L.
Published: February 2013

According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS), the doping technology requirements for the MOSFET source and drain regions of the future CMOS generations lead to a major challenge. A critical point of this evolution is the formation of ultra-shallow junctions(USJ) for which present technologies, based on ion implantation and rapid thermal annealing, will hardly meet the ITRS specifications. Laser Thermal Processing (LTP) has been shown to be a potential candidate to solve this fundamental problem. In the present paper, LTP experiments have been performed with two XeCl excimer lasers (λ= 308 nm) with different pulse characteristics. The first laser (Lambda Physik, Compex 102) delivers 200 mJ laser pulses with a duration of ∼25 ns. The second laser is an industrial tool (SOPRA, VEL 15) that delivers 16 J laser pulses with a duration of ∼200 ns and allows to anneal a few cm die in a single laser shot. Here we examine the influence of the pulse duration on LTP of B+ (with and without Ge+ pre-amorphization) and BF2 implanted silicon samples on the basis of real-time optical monitoring of the laser induced melting/recrystallisation process, four-point probe resistivity measurements, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) depth profiles. Experimental results are compared to finite element modelisation (FIDAP Fluent Software) that takes into account both laser pulses. The activated dopant dose, junction depth and sheet resistance, as a function of the laser fluence and shot number for both lasers, confirm the efficiency of laser processing to realize ultra-shallow and highly doped junctions as required by the future CMOS generations. Influence of the pulse duration on the USJ formation process is also discussed.
Montaigne, philosophe au quotidien: vie privée et vie publique dans les essais
Authors: Desan Philippe
Published: February 2013

De concert avec ses fonctions politiques - et cela sur vingt ans -, Montaigne rédigea ses Essais que l'on considère trop souvent comme séparés de ses responsabilités publiques aujourd'hui reléguées à l'arrière plan de sa carrière d'écrivain. Nous voudrions arguer que ses Essais sont indissociables de sa vie publique. Certes, les préoccupations littéraires et politiques de Montaigne changent avec son temps, mais ce qui fonde la forme de l'essai - à savoir un discours profondément inscrit dans le présent - ne permet pas d'établir une différence théorique entre le privé et le public puisque les deux sont pratiquement inséparables quand ils sont réduits à leur unité la plus stricte qui se rapporte essentiellement au quotidien, car dans l'immédiat du vécu, le privé et le public sont pratiquement indissociables. Si une philosophie se dégage indubitablement des Essais, elle a peut-être plus à voir avec la manipulation constante effectuée par Montaigne entre le particulier (vie privée) et l'universel (vie publique) que sur le contenu de tel précepte moral ou dogme des écoles antiques. La temporalité de l'écriture et celle des événements ne sont pas en synchronie dans les Essais et Montaigne joue constamment sur cette image d'un livre privé (hors de toute temporalité historique) alors que les Essais sont conçus comme un objet lui permettant précisément l'accès à la vie publique. Cette philosophie du quotidien et du temps présent qui ressort des Essais ne saurait mettre à l'écart les considérations publiques et historiques qui rythment toujours l'écriture d'une vie bien particulière.
História e exercício do julgamento em Montaigne
Authors: Theobaldo Maria Cristina
Published: February 2013

Exemplos, relatos e anedotas históricas são recorrentes nos Ensaios e revelam a maneira original de Montaigne se apropriar da história: como estudo do passado e das ocorrências particulares; como alimento moral; como referência fictícia ou real; através da relação da história com a retórica e a prova argumentativa; como história contemporânea e a crítica da mentalidade cultural; como história de vida. Em todas essas articulações da narrativa histórica, que podemos sintetizar ao modo de uma conversação com os homens do passado e do presente, encontramos o alvo de Montaigne: ir das ações às intenções, do outro para o conhecimento de si, do diverso para o discernimento. A história, sobretudo aquela à maneira plutarquiana, constitui matéria prima indispensável para o exercício do julgamento de Montaigne.
Óbitos perinatais investigados e falhas na assistência hospitalar ao parto
Authors: Martins Eunice Francisca , Rezende Edna Maria , Lana Francisco Carlos Félix , Souza Kleyde Ventura de
Published: February 2013

Objetivou-se analisar as falhas na assistência hospitalar ao parto, o perfil materno e as características do feto e do recém-nascido que evoluíram para óbito perinatal, em Belo Horizonte. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, dos óbitos perinatais investigados pelo Comitê de Prevenção de Óbitos de Belo Horizonte, ocorridos entre 2003 e 2007. A fonte dos dados foram as fichas de investigação do Comitê. Os dados foram analisados pela distribuição de frequência das variáveis e análise bivariada utilizando-se o teste de Qui-quadrado de Pearson, considerando o nível de significância de 5% (p<0,05). RESULTADOS: Foram estudados 253 óbitos, a maioria de nascidos a termo, com peso adequado ao nascer. Em 65,6% dos casos houve falhas na assistência, principalmente relacionadas ao acompanhamento da gestante durante o trabalho de parto e parto. CONCLUSÕES: Foram identificados um alto percentual de falhas assistenciais no processo do parto e um grande potencial de evitabilidade dos óbitos perinatais.
Mestrado acadêmico em enfermagem: interfaces de sua criação na perspectiva ecossistêmica
Authors: Oliveira Naiana Alves , Siqueira Hedi Crecencia Heckler de
Published: February 2013

Objetivou-se tecer as interfaces do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Stricto sensu, curso de Mestrado Acadêmico, em uma Universidade pública do extremo sul do país, na perspectiva ecossistêmica, a partir da voz dos docentes pioneiros. Trata-se de pesquisa qualitativa histórica construída por meio do método da história oral com os três docentes pioneiros do programa e levantamento documental. Os dados encontrados expressaram a seguinte temática: Criação do curso de pós-graduação stricto sensu - Mestrado Acadêmico. O estudo possibilitou conhecer como ocorreu a criação do curso de pós-graduação stricto sensu - Mestrado Acadêmico, o envolvimento, os significados de ser pioneiro e os desafios enfrentados pelos pioneiros. Conclui-se que o programa contribuiu expressivamente para a produção do conhecimento em enfermagem e saúde, para o seu desenvolvimento e para a qualificação de futuros docentes e pesquisadores, e estimulou e estimula a prática de ações interligadas, conectadas, em sintonia com o saber em Enfermagem.
Mulher cardiopata com úlcera por pressão: reflexão fenomenológica sobre um modelo de cuidado clínico de conforto
Authors: Silva Aurilene Lima da , Silva Lúcia de Fátima da , Souza Ivis Emília de Oliveira , Moreira Rui Verlaine Oliveira
Published: February 2013

Reflexão sobre a possibilidade de desenvolver um modo de cuidar, na prática clínica de enfermagem, de mulheres cardiopatas acometidas por úlcera por pressão durante a hospitalização, com vistas à promoção de conforto. Assim, objetivou-se desenvolver um modelo de cuidado baseado no método fenomenológico heideggeriano. Compreender este fenômeno motiva o desenvolvimento de ações que promovem o conforto de forma autêntica. Considera-se que o cuidado autêntico de enfermagem a esta clientela ressignifica a prática clínica de enfermagem e favorece a percepção de conforto.
Vivenciando situações de conflito no contexto da enfermagem: o esquete como estratégia de ensino-aprendizagem
Authors: Spagnol Carla Aparecida , Monteiro Luciana Alves Silveira , Paula Camila Leopoldino de , Bastos Joana Melillo , Honorato Joana Angélica Grossi
Published: February 2013

Na disciplina optativa: "Análise de situações de conflito vivenciadas pela equipe de enfermagem no contexto das organizações de saúde", do Curso de Graduação da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, utilizou-se o esquete como técnica de ensino, a fim de possibilitar uma relação pedagógica prazerosa, a partir de vivências apreendidas na realidade. O objetivo foi analisar a experiência dos alunos que cursaram a disciplina e dramatizaram uma situação real de conflito. Para isso, um grupo entrevistou um enfermeiro de um serviço de saúde, buscando apreender um conflito vivenciado no seu ambiente de trabalho, a fim de dramatizar essa situação. Um outro grupo, após análise, deveria elaborar outro desfecho para a situação. As encenações em relação à temática gestão de conflitos organizacionais permitiram aos alunos colocarem-se na posição do outro e fazerem reflexões mais elaboradas da prática profissional, refletindo sobre suas condutas como futuros enfermeiros.
Short storability of Caesalpinia echinata Lam. seeds as a consequence of oxidative processes
Authors: Lamarca Edmir Vicente , Barbedo Claudio José
Published: February 2013

The seed bank is one of the strategies for the preservation of endangered species, such as Caesalpinia echinata Lam. In this work we studied the changes in O2 consumption and CO2 release by seeds incubated at different temperatures and water contents, evaluating the deterioration of seeds through germination and tetrazolium tests. Our results demonstrated that the deterioration processes occurring in C. echinata seeds are related to respiration and possibly other oxidative processes, causing the death of embryonic tissues in short periods and loss of seed viability. This characteristic means that seed bank is an alternative for Caesalpinia echinata conservation, however it depends on the control of these oxidative processes.
Biodiversidade e distribuição das diatomáceas (Bacillariophyceae) de sedimentos superficiais nos reservatórios em cascata do rio Paranapanema, SP/PR, Brasil
Authors: Fontana Luciane , Bicudo Denise de Campos
Published: February 2013

O trabalho apresenta os resultados do inventário e da distribuição das diatomáceas da classe Bacillariophyceae de sedimentos superficiais de cinco reservatórios em cascata do rio Paranapanema. Amostras foram coletadas com draga em três locais (montante, região intermediária e lacustre) dos reservatórios. Foram identificados 44 táxons infragenéricos, sendo 23 (52,3%) novas citações para a bacia do rio Paranapanema, quatro (9,1%) para o Estado de São Paulo e duas (4,5%) para o Estado do Paraná. São disponibilizados dados morfométricos, comentários relevantes, distribuição espacial e local de ocorrência das espécies para os Estados de São Paulo e Paraná. A riqueza de espécie foi nitidamente mais elevada no primeiro reservatório da série (Jurumirim) e na estação com influência do rio Tibagi. Este trabalho traz contribuição pioneira para o país no que se refere à biodiversidade e distribuição espacial das diatomáceas em reservatórios em cascata, podendo subsidiar futuros estudos sobre conservação e monitoramento na bacia hidrográfica do rio Paranapanema.
Palinotaxonomia de espécies brasileiras de Pavonia Cav. (Malvoideae-Malvaceae), com ênfase nas regiões Nordeste e Sudeste
Authors: Corrêa Angela Maria da Silva , Cruz-Barros Maria Amélia Vitorino da , Esteves Gerleni Lopes
Published: February 2013

No presente trabalho, foram estudados os grãos de pólen de 26 espécies de Pavonia Cav. ocorrentes principalmente nas regiões nordeste e sudeste do Brasil, distribuídas em três subgêneros, Goetheoides, Pavonia e Typhalea. Os grãos de pólen foram acetolisados, medidos e fotografados sob microscopia óptica e microscopia eletrônica de varrredura. As medidas receberam tratamento estatístico, de acordo com a amostra. Com base nos tipos de aberturas as espécies formaram dois grupos morfopolínicos: a) grãos de pólen pantoporados com poros associados a colpóides, exina espinhosa, tectada-microrreticulado-espiculada ou tectada-perfurado-granulado-espiculada e b) grãos de pólen pantoporados com poros não associados a colpóides, exina espinhosa, tectada-microrreticulado-espiculada ou tectada-perfurado-granulado-espiculada. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o gênero Pavonia é estenopolínico não sendo possível a separação dos subgêneros Goetheoides e Pavonia através de caracteres polínicos, no entanto, o subgênero Typhalea se separou dos demais por apresentar os menores grãos de pólen. Caracteres como tipo de espinho, ornamentação do teto, espessura da exina e diâmetro dos poros foram importantes para taxonomia do gênero, permitindo separar as espécies e a confecção de uma chave polínica.