bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction: Mezza Voce Quietism?
Authors: Perl Jeffrey M. , McDaniel W. Caleb , Kraugerud Hanne Andrea , Ramberg Bjørn Torgrim , Fricker Christophe , Plotkin Sidney , Dandelion Pink , Mulsow Martin
Published: December 2009

In this introduction to the fourth part of an ongoing symposium on quietism, Perl, the editor of the sponsoring journal Common Knowledge, remarks on a new question raised in this latest grouping of articles. Can there be such a thing as a “mezza voce quietism”? Can there be activist quietists or quietist activists or active teachers of quietism without self-contradiction? Perl takes Gandhi and “passive resistance” as his own test case, concluding that Gandhi was a teacher of quietism and that satyagraha was a type of moral education directed at those (first the South Africans, then, more momentously, the British in India) whose spirits were imperiled by their self-confident certainty and whose manners were spoiled by their indelicacy and intrusiveness.
John Brown, Quietist
Authors: McDaniel W. Caleb
Published: December 2009

In common usage, quietism is often conflated with passivity, and pacifism is often equated with quietism. As a result, pacifism has often been confused with passivity. In the antebellum United States, John Brown and other militant abolitionists who endorsed the use of violent antislavery tactics criticized nonviolent reformers like William Lloyd Garrison as men of words instead of men of action. Garrison and his allies rejected the equation of their pacifism with quietism, but the charge that Garrisonian abolitionists were more passive than Brown still survives. In fact, the most recent scholarship on John Brown has tended to reinforce Brown's own division of the movement into active reformers like himself and less radical pacifists like Garrison. In this article, McDaniel challenges this polarized view of the abolitionist movement, which is partly the product of the common polarization of quietism and activism. He shows that both Garrison and Brown were complex icons, neither of whom can be easily categorized as a quietist or activist. A careful look at the antislavery movement suggests, therefore, that pacifism and quietism are not synonymous. Moreover, a careful look at Brown suggests that quietism and activism are not antonyms. On some definitions of quietism, McDaniel argues, even a violent activist like Brown can exhibit quietistic aspects. This article therefore challenges, as well, the common connotation of quietism as inaction.
All Quietist on the Marina Front?
Authors: Fricker Christophe
Published: December 2009

This article deals with the question of whether Ernst Jünger's long story Auf den Marmorklippen (1939)—the publication of the text itself as well as its contents—should be interpreted as political action or quietist retreat. The author examines the notions that the text advocates fatalism and escapism, both of which could be seen as tenets of (anti-)Catholic Quietism, of which Fénelon is cited as a practitioner. A close reading shows that Jünger's protagonists value their carefree and quiet lives before the story's wars and only join the militant Mauretanian order because of its promise of serene detachment. Jünger's world is imbued with manifestations of the divine—much unlike the Quietists'—and as such is worthy of the protagonists' sustained intellectual attention. They arrive at a thorough appreciation of the prevailing social and political situation and develop a new language to capture it. They understand that resistance against the ruling party is futile but do not reject their own responsibility for their friends and neighbors. The article concludes that Jünger presents the protagonists' escape at the end of the story as a temporary solution. He writes a complex narrative that leaves its interpretation and application to his readers. He neither fashions himself as a national redeemer-poet nor do his protagonists content themselves with a reclusive life forgetful of their surroundings.
Guarded Domesticity and Engagement with “THE World”
Authors: Dandelion Pink
Published: December 2009

This contribution to a symposium on quietism concerns what is known as the Quietist period of Quakerism in the eighteenth century. Dandelion addresses the key question of conflict between the quietist commitment of the Quaker faithful and the commitment of many among them to abolitionism and other pressing social causes. He reviews the scholarship on this issue, noting the recent tendency to look for mystical aspects to the social commitment of Quakers. Instead, however, he argues that the culture of Friends during this period became self-enclosed to a remarkable degree, permitting some of the members to move about extramurally, as required by conscience, then return to their essentially quietist world.
Long nuclear-retained non-coding RNAs and allele-specific higher-order chromatin organization at imprinted snoRNA gene arrays
Authors: Vitali Patrice , Royo Hélène , Marty Virginie , Bortolin-Cavaillé Marie-Line , Cavaillé Jérôme
Published: December 2009

The imprinted Snurf-Snrpn domain, also referred to as the Prader-Willi syndrome region, contains two ∼100-200 kb arrays of repeated small nucleolar (sno)RNAs processed from introns of long, paternally expressed non-protein-coding RNAs whose biogenesis and functions are poorly understood. We provide evidence that C/D snoRNAs do not derive from a single transcript as previously envisaged, but rather from (at least) two independent transcription units. We show that spliced snoRNA host-gene transcripts accumulate near their transcription sites as structurally constrained RNA species that are prevented from diffusing, as well as multiple stable nucleoplasmic RNA foci dispersed in the entire nucleus but not in the nucleolus. Chromatin structure at these repeated arrays displays an outstanding parent-of-origin-specific higher-order organization: the transcriptionally active allele is revealed as extended DNA FISH signals whereas the genetically identical, silent allele is visualized as singlet DNA FISH signals. A similar allele-specific chromatin organization is documented for snoRNA gene arrays at the imprinted Dlk1-Dio3 domain. Our findings have repercussions for understanding the spatial organization of gene expression and the intra-nuclear fate of non-coding RNAs in the context of nuclear architecture.
Uncoupling of the spindle-checkpoint and chromosome-congression functions of BubR1
Authors: Elowe Sabine , Dulla Kalyan , Uldschmid Andreas , Li Xiuling , Dou Zhen , Nigg Erich A.
Published: December 2009

The BubR1 checkpoint protein performs multiple functions in mitosis. We have carried out a functional analysis of conserved motifs of human BubR1 (also known as BUB1B) and demonstrate that spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) and chromosome attachment functions can be uncoupled from each other. Mutation of five proline-directed serine phosphorylation sites, identified in vivo by mass spectrometry, essentially abolishes attachment of chromosomes to the spindle but has no effect on SAC functionality. By contrast, mutation of the two conserved KEN boxes required for SAC function does not impact chromosome congression. Interestingly, the contribution of the two KEN-box motifs is not equal. Cdc20 associates with the N-terminal but not C-terminal KEN box, and mutation of the N-terminal KEN motif results in more severe acceleration of mitotic timing. Moreover, the two KEN motifs are not sufficient for maximal binding of Cdc20 and APC/C, which also requires sequences in the BubR1 C-terminus. Finally, mutation of the GLEBS motif causes loss of Bub3 interaction and mislocalization of BubR1 from the kinetochore; concomitantly, BubR1 phosphorylation as well as SAC activity and chromosome congression are impaired, indicating that the GLEBS motif is strictly required for both major functions of human BubR1.
Selfish Drug Allocation for Containing an International Influenza Pandemic at the Onset
Authors: Sun Peng , Yang Liu , de Véricourt Francis
Published: December 2009

Recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that the prophylactic use of antiviral drugs could slow down the spread of an influenza epidemic. Because drug stockpiles are presently scattered in different countries, the outbreak of an epidemic gives rise to a game in which each country must make decisions about how best to allocate its own stockpile in order to protect its population. We develop a two-period multivariate Reed-Frost model to represent the spread of the epidemic within and across countries at its onset. We consider the first two periods only to mimic the exponential growth of an epidemic in its early stage, while keeping the model tractable. Preliminary numerical studies suggest that insights from the two-period model hold in general when considering the entire time horizon. Our model captures three critical sources of uncertainty: the number of initial infections, the spread of the disease, and drug efficacy. We show that for small probabilities of between-country infections, the underlying game is supermodular, Nash equilibrium exists, and there is a unique one that is Pareto optimal among all existing equilibria. Further, we identify sufficient conditions under which the optimal solution of a central planner (such as the World Health Organization) constitutes a Pareto improvement over the decentralized equilibrium, suggesting that countries should agree on an allocation scheme that would benefit everyone. By contrast, when the central planner's solution does not constitute a Pareto improvement, minimizing the total number of infected persons globally requires some countries to sacrifice part of their own population, which raises intriguing ethical issues.
Discursive embodiment: the theatre as adaptation
Authors: Ley Graham
Published: December 2009

The belief that adaptation is a sideline and a second-rate substitute for originality in the theatre belies its role in the foundation of dramatic performance, evidenced in a variety of cultures. Performance theory has contributed to a belief in the actor as the original essence of
theatre-making, but this is inaccurate, since in origin what we have is an astonishing discursive embodiment of pre-existent grand narratives in which characters were embedded. Examples can be found in the ancient Greek theatre and the medieval Christian cycles, and there is a case for saying
that the primary fascination in dramatic theatre is for the embodiment of decisive, spoken actions, most emblematically found in Austin's performatives (1962). Granted the significance of adaptation in the history of dramatic theatre, it may be useful to distinguish between primary (from non-theatrical
material) and secondary (from an existing play) adaptation. The continuing high profile for adaptation in the history of modern dramatic theatre is abundantly clear from numerous examples, whether in the strand of realism or of Brechtian practice. It is also a major resource of what might
be called a contemporary necessary theatre, that of the foundational companies in the United Kingdom that are Asian-led and which together constitute what is known as British Asian theatre.
Mired in desire: Jane Campion's Portrait of erotics
Authors: Lundy Tiel
Published: December 2009

This article considers the political and representational implications of Jane Campion's 1996 film adaptation of Henry James'sThe Portrait of a Lady(1908). Campion has said in interviews that one of her goals for the film was to recuperate the sexual content she claims is merely latent in James's novel and a reflection of Victorian society's repression of female sexuality. The article analyzes two specific revisions to the novel: the film's re-inscription of James's portrait metaphor with metonymic modes of representation, and its anti-realist anachronisms that dislocate the text from its nineteenth century context. By manipulating the novel's mode of aesthetic representation and its historical context, Campion sets out to create a space for the depiction of Victorian female sexuality. Although Campion's film ultimately fails to negotiate the knotty relationships among the female body, social world and historical moment,Portraitnonetheless makes an important contribution to ongoing debates about the representation of women on screen.
This Blasted translation: or location, dislocation, relocation
Authors: de Senna Pedro
Published: December 2009

An analysis of my current practice, this article explores some of the issues surrounding the translation of Sarah Kane's seminal work, Blasted ([1995] 2001), into Brazilian Portuguese. It is an account of the process so far, from the early impulse to translate, through discussions
with the director and actor/producer, and the thoughts and doubts that have plagued me since. A fundamental concern relates to the possibility or need to adapt the setting to a Brazilian (and specifically a Rio de Janeiro) context the problem Hale and Upton (2007) have called the dilemma over
foreignization or domestication (2000: 7) and the implications of that adaptation. As tensions between the specific and the universal are dislocated, do they also become diluted? Even if the setting remains the same, are not the contingencies of production (accents, knowledge of a particular
actor, even the theatre building itself) necessarily relocating an audience's theatrical experience? Where should, then, be the locus of this displacement? In the translation, the production, the performances?
Neural and Behavioral Discrimination of Sound Duration by Cats
Authors: Qin Ling , Liu Yongchun , Wang JingYu , Li ShuNan , Sato Yu
Published: December 2009

Sound duration is important for distinguishing auditory object. Previous studies on the neural representation of duration have usually lacked psychophysical data obtained from the same species; hence, the correspondence between neural and behavioral discrimination of duration remains obscure. We addressed this issue in cats by using the signal detection theory to investigate both neural activities in the primary auditory cortex (A1) and the cat's behavioral performance. We found that 320 ms duration can be well discriminated from 10 ms duration by some A1 neurons with specific response patterns: sustained response extended proportionally with the increase of stimulus duration and the On–Off response synchronizing stimulus onset and offset. Neurons with only On response cannot discriminate duration. The discrimination performance of both sustained and On–Off responses deteriorated as the target duration decreased from 320 to 20 ms and the percentage of discriminative neurons (correct rate >0.75) decreased from 40 to 2%. Compared with the psychophysical results, we found that the psychometric functions of cats well matched the neurometric functions of most sustained-response neurons and a small number of On–Off-response neurons. Pooling the spikes of multiple units improved neural discrimination, which may be attributable to the salience (noise reduction) of the responses in pooled data. Our results suggest that the sustained and Off responses of A1 neurons underlie the duration discrimination behavior of cats.
Deficiency of the 65 kDa Isoform of Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Impairs Extinction of Cued But Not Contextual Fear Memory
Authors: Sangha Susan , Narayanan Rajeevan T. , Bergado-Acosta Jorge R. , Stork Oliver , Seidenbecher Thomas , Pape Hans-Christian
Published: December 2009

Extinction procedures are clinically relevant for reducing pathological fear, and the mechanisms of fear regulation are a subject of intense research. The amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) have all been suggested to be key brain areas in extinction of conditioned fear. GABA has particularly been implicated in extinction learning, and the 65 kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) may be important in elevating GABA levels in response to environmental signals. Extinction of conditioned fear was examined inGad65−/−mice while recording local field potentials from the amygdala, hippocampus, and PFC simultaneously while monitoring behavior.Gad65−/−mice showed generalization of cued fear, as reported previously, and impaired extinction of cued fear, such that fear remained high across extinction training. This endurance in cued fear was associated with theta frequency synchronization between the amygdala and hippocampus. Extinction of contextual fear, however, was unaltered inGad65−/−mice when compared with wild-type littermates. The data imply that GAD65 plays a critical role in regulating cued fear responses during extinction learning and that, during this process, GABAergic signaling is involved in modulating synchronized activity between the amygdala and hippocampus. In view of the more pronounced effect on cued versus contextual fear extinction, these influences may rely more on GABAergic mechanisms in the amygdala.
Electrophysiology of Object Naming in Primary Progressive Aphasia
Authors: Hurley Robert S. , Paller Ken A. , Wieneke Christina A. , Weintraub Sandra , Thompson Cynthia K. , Federmeier Kara D. , Mesulam M.-Marsel
Published: December 2009

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA), a selective neurodegeneration of the language network, frequently causes object naming impairments. We examined the N400 event-related potential (ERP) to explore interactions between object recognition and word processing in 20 PPA patients and 15 controls. Participants viewed photographs of objects, each followed by a word that was either a match to the object, a semantically related mismatch, or an unrelated mismatch. Patients judged whether word–object pairs matched with high accuracy (94% PPA group; 98% control group), but they failed to exhibit the normal N400 category effect (N400c), defined as a larger N400 to unrelated versus related mismatch words. In contrast, the N400 mismatch effect (N400m), defined as a larger N400 to mismatch than match words, was observed in both groups. N400m magnitude was positively correlated with neuropsychological measures of word comprehension but not fluency or grammatical competence, and therefore reflected the semantic component of naming. After ERP testing, patients were asked to name the same set of objects aloud. Trials with objects that could not be named were found to lack an N400m, although the name had been correctly recognized at the matching stage. Even accurate overt naming did not necessarily imply normal semantic processing, as shown by the absent N400c. The N400m was preserved in one patient with postsemantic anomia, who could write the names of objects she could not verbalize. N400 analyses can thus help dissect the multiple cognitive mechanisms that contribute to object naming failures in PPA.
Activity-Dependent Anchoring of Importin α at the Synapse Involves Regulated Binding to the Cytoplasmic Tail of the NR1-1a Subunit of the NMDA Receptor
Authors: Jeffrey Rachel A. , Ch'ng Toh Hean , O'Dell Thomas J. , Martin Kelsey C.
Published: December 2009

Synaptic plasticity, the capacity of neurons to change the strength of their connections with experience, provides a mechanism for learning and memory in the brain. Long-term plasticity requires new transcription, indicating that synaptically generated signals must be transported to the nucleus. Previous studies have described a role for importin nuclear transport adaptors in mediating the retrograde transport of signals from synapse to nucleus during plasticity. Here, we investigated the possibility that stimulus-induced translocation of importins from synapse to nucleus involves activity-dependent anchoring of importins at the synapse. We show that importin α binds to a nuclear localization signal (NLS) present in the cytoplasmic tail of NR1-1a. This interaction is disrupted by activation of NMDA receptors in cultured neurons and by stimuli that trigger late-phase, but not early-phase, long-term potentiation of CA3–CA1 synapses in acute hippocampal slices.In vitroPKC phosphorylation of GST-NR1-1a abolishes its ability to bind importin α in brain lysates, and the interaction of importin α and NR1 in neurons is modulated by PKC activity. Together, our results indicate that importin α is tethered at the postsynaptic density by binding to the NLS present in NR1-1a. This interaction is activity dependent, with importin α being released following NMDA receptor activation and phosphorylation rendering it available to bind soluble cargoes and transport them to the nucleus during transcription-dependent forms of neuronal plasticity.
Nurr1 Is Required for Maintenance of Maturing and Adult Midbrain Dopamine Neurons
Authors: Kadkhodaei Banafsheh , Ito Takehito , Joodmardi Eliza , Mattsson Bengt , Rouillard Claude , Carta Manolo , Muramatsu Shin-Ichi , Sumi-Ichinose Chiho , Nomura Takahide , Metzger Daniel , Chambon Pierre , Lindqvist Eva , Larsson Nils-Göran , Olson Lars , Björklund Anders , Ichinose Hiroshi , Perlmann Thomas
Published: December 2009

Transcription factors involved in the specification and differentiation of neurons often continue to be expressed in the adult brain, but remarkably little is known about their late functions. Nurr1, one such transcription factor, is essential for early differentiation of midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons but continues to be expressed into adulthood. In Parkinson's disease, Nurr1 expression is diminished and mutations in theNurr1gene have been identified in rare cases of disease; however, the significance of these observations remains unclear. Here, a mouse strain for conditional targeting of theNurr1gene was generated, andNurr1was ablated either at late stages of mDA neuron development by crossing with mice carrying Cre under control of the dopamine transporter locus or in the adult brain by transduction of adeno-associated virus Cre-encoding vectors.Nurr1deficiency in maturing mDA neurons resulted in rapid loss of striatal DA, loss of mDA neuron markers, and neuron degeneration. In contrast, a more slowly progressing loss of striatal DA and mDA neuron markers was observed after ablation in the adult brain. As in Parkinson's disease, neurons of the substantia nigra compacta were more vulnerable than cells in the ventral tegmental area whenNurr1was ablated at late embryogenesis. The results show that developmental pathways play key roles for the maintenance of terminally differentiated neurons and suggest that disrupted function of Nurr1 and other developmental transcription factors may contribute to neurodegenerative disease.
Adult Plasticity in Multisensory Neurons: Short-Term Experience-Dependent Changes in the Superior Colliculus
Authors: Yu Liping , Stein Barry E. , Rowland Benjamin A.
Published: December 2009

Multisensory neurons in the superior colliculus (SC) have the capability to integrate signals that belong to the same event, despite being conveyed by different senses. They develop this capability during early life as experience is gained with the statistics of cross-modal events. These adaptations prepare the SC to deal with the cross-modal events that are likely to be encountered throughout life. Here, we found that neurons in the adult SC can also adapt to experience with sequentially ordered cross-modal (visual-auditory or auditory-visual) cues, and that they do so over short periods of time (minutes), as if adapting to a particular stimulus configuration. This short-term plasticity was evident as a rapid increase in the magnitude and duration of responses to the first stimulus, and a shortening of the latency and increase in magnitude of the responses to the second stimulus when they are presented in sequence. The result was that the two responses appeared to merge. These changes were stable in the absence of experience with competing stimulus configurations, outlasted the exposure period, and could not be induced by equivalent experience with sequential within-modal (visual-visual or auditory-auditory) stimuli. A parsimonious interpretation is that the additional SC activity provided by the second stimulus became associated with, and increased the potency of, the afferents responding to the preceding stimulus. This interpretation is consistent with the principle of spike-timing-dependent plasticity, which may provide the basic mechanism for short term or long term plasticity and be operative in both the adult and neonatal SC.
Rescue of Motor Coordination by Purkinje Cell-Targeted Restoration of Kv3.3 Channels inKcnc3-Null Mice RequiresKcnc1
Authors: Hurlock Edward C. , Bose Mitali , Pierce Ganon , Joho Rolf H.
Published: December 2009

The role of cerebellar Kv3.1 and Kv3.3 channels in motor coordination was examined with an emphasis on the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN). Kv3 channel subunits encoded byKcncgenes are distinguished by rapid activation and deactivation kinetics that support high-frequency, narrow action potential firing. Previously we reported that increased lateral deviation while ambulating and slips while traversing a narrow beam of ataxicKcnc3-null mice were corrected by restoration of Kv3.3 channels specifically to Purkinje cells, whereasKcnc3-mutant mice additionally lacking oneKcnc1allele were partially rescued. Here, we report mice lacking allKcnc1andKcnc3alleles exhibit no such rescue. For Purkinje cell output to reach the rest of the brain it must be conveyed by neurons of the DCN or vestibular nuclei. AsKcnc1, but notKcnc3, alleles are lost, mutant mice exhibit increasing gait ataxia accompanied by spike broadening and deceleration in DCN neurons, suggesting the facet of coordination rescued by Purkinje-cell-restricted Kv3.3 restoration in mice lacking justKcnc3is hypermetria, while gait ataxia emerges when additionallyKcnc1alleles are lost. Thus, fast repolarization in Purkinje cells appears important for normal movement velocity, whereas DCN neurons are a prime candidate locus where fast repolarization is necessary for normal gait patterning.
Orientation Discrimination Performance Is Predicted by GABA Concentration and Gamma Oscillation Frequency in Human Primary Visual Cortex
Authors: Edden Richard A. E. , Muthukumaraswamy Suresh D. , Freeman Tom C. A. , Singh Krish D.
Published: December 2009

Neuronal orientation selectivity has been shown in animal models to require corticocortical network cooperation and to be dependent on the presence of GABAergic inhibition. However, it is not known whether variability in these fundamental neurophysiological parameters leads to variability in behavioral performance. Here, using a combination of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetoencephalography, and visual psychophysics, we show that individual performance on a visual orientation discrimination task is correlated with both the resting concentration of GABA and the frequency of stimulus-induced gamma oscillations in human visual cortex. Behaviorally, a strong oblique effect was found, with the mean angular threshold for oblique discrimination being five times higher than that for vertically oriented stimuli. Similarly, we found an oblique effect for the dependency of performance on neurophysiological parameters. Orientation detection thresholds were significantly negatively correlated with visual cortex GABA concentration for obliquely oriented patterns (r= −0.65,p< 0.015) but did not reach significance for vertically oriented stimuli (r= −0.39,p= 0.2). Similarly, thresholds for obliquely oriented stimuli were negatively correlated with gamma oscillation frequency (r= −0.65,p< 0.017), but thresholds for vertical orientations were not (r= −0.02,p= 0.9). Gamma oscillation frequency was positively correlated with GABA concentration in primary visual cortex (r= 0.67,p< 0.013). These results confirm the importance of GABAergic inhibition in orientation selectivity and demonstrate, for the first time, that interindividual performance on a simple visual task is linked to neurotransmitter concentration. The results also suggest a key role for GABAergic gamma oscillations in visual discrimination tasks.
Synchronous and Asynchronous Transmitter Release at Nicotinic Synapses Are Differentially Regulated by Postsynaptic PSD-95 Proteins
Authors: Neff Robert A. , Conroy William G. , Schoellerman Jeffrey D. , Berg Darwin K.
Published: December 2009

The rate and timing of information transfer at neuronal synapses are critical for determining synaptic efficacy and higher network function. Both synchronous and asynchronous neurotransmitter release shape the pattern of synaptic influences on a neuron. The PSD-95 family of postsynaptic scaffolding proteins, in addition to organizing postsynaptic components at glutamate synapses, acts transcellularly to regulate synchronous glutamate release. Here we show that PSD-95 family members at nicotinic synapses on chick ciliary ganglion neurons in culture execute multiple functions to enhance transmission. Together, endogenous PSD-95 and SAP102 in the postsynaptic cell appear to regulate transcellularly the synchronous release of transmitter from presynaptic terminals onto the neuron while stabilizing postsynaptic nicotinic receptor clusters under the release sites. Endogenous SAP97, in contrast, has no effect on receptor clusters but acts transcellularly from the postsynaptic cell through N-cadherin to enhance asynchronous release. These separate and parallel regulatory pathways allow postsynaptic scaffold proteins to dictate the pattern of cholinergic input a neuron receives; they also require balancing of PSD-95 protein levels to avoid disruptive competition that can occur through common binding domains.
High Efficiency PPV-Based Polymer Light Emitting Diodes With
Cs2CO3 Cathode
Authors: Suhonen Riikka , Krause Ralf , Kozlowski Fryderyk , Sarfert Wiebke , Päetzold Ralph , Winnacker Albrecht
Published: December 2009

The thin electron injection layers between the cathode and the light
emitting polymer layer in polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs) have been
shown to have a big impact on the final device performance. Usually, in
PLEDs low work function metals like Ba, Mg or Ca are used to reduce the
energy barrier between the cathode and the polymer thus providing a better
electron injection from the cathode. Also salts like LiF, NaF,
Cs2CO3 and CsF have recently been shown to function
as electron injection layers in light emitting devices. From these,
especially caesium carbonate (Cs2CO3) results into
high efficiency diodes both as a solution processed electron injection layer
in PLEDs, as well as an n-dopant in the electron transport layer in vacuum
deposited small molecule based OLEDs. The functional mechanism of Cs2CO3 as
a pure interlayer is not yet fully understood. The proposed mechanisms
include the n-doping of the organic layer with Cs2CO3,
the thermal decomposition of Cs2CO3 and following
formation of caesium metal or the formation of an n-doped CsO2
layer. In this study the phenomena resulting from the combination of a
hole-dominant alkoxy-phenyl-substituted poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) based
light emitting polymer with a highly efficient electron injection layer of
Cs2CO3 in light emitting diodes has been
investigated. As a result, diodes with about 35 % higher efficiency were
achieved with PPV-Cs2CO3 structure in comparison to
the traditional PPV-Ba structure. Additionally to the increased efficiency,
also the lifetime of the Cs2CO3-diodes is comparable
to the Ba-diodes implying that the long-term stability of the diodes is not
affected by the optimized Cs2CO3-cathode. The strong
increase in the electron injection of the Cs2CO3
diodes is apparently caused by a highly conductive, n-doped layer resulting
from the charge transfer reaction between Cs2CO3 and
PPV, where the magnitude of the reaction and resulting effects strongly
depend on the amount of the applied Cs2CO3. The
conclusion of the n-doped layer can be drawn from the LIV, impedance and
photoluminescence measurements of the diodes with Ba and
Cs2CO3 cathodes before, during and after electrical
stressing.
Surface Energetics of Nanocrystalline YSZ Powders
Authors: Costa Gustavo C. C. , Ushakov Sergey V. , Navrotsky Alexandra , Muccillo Reginaldo
Published: December 2009

Nanocrystalline 8 and 12 mol % yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powders with fluorite-type structure were synthesized by a precipitation method. Powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and nitrogen adsorption analyses. Precipitation produced amorphous powder which crystallized at approximately 450-470 °C into a cubic phase with a crystallization enthalpy ranging from 13.7 ± 0.6 kJ/mol for 8YSZ to 11.7 ± 0.5 kJ/mol for 12YSZ. Integral heat of water adsorption at room temperature measured on 8YSZ was -63 ± 2 kJ/mol for coverage 4.1 ± 0.1H2O/nm2. Drop solution calorimetry experiments were performed in a custom made Calvet twin calorimeter using sodium molybdate 3Na2O 4MoO3 solvent. The preliminary values for surface enthalpies of hydrated surfaces are 0.8 ± 0.1 J/m2 for 8YSZ and 1.3 ± 0.1 J/m2 for 12YSZ.
pH and Biological Sensing of Ultrathin (10nm) InN Based ISFETs
Authors: Lu Yen-Sheng , Lin Cheng-Yi , Chang Yuh-Hwa , Hong Yu-Liang , Gwo Shangjr , Yeh J.A
Published: December 2009

Ultrathin (∼10 nm) InN ion selective field effect transistors (ISFETs) show a current variation ratio of 3.5 % per pH decade with a response time of less than 10 s. When the ISFET is employed as an electrolyte FET, the current variation of 18 % was measured as the gate bias changes from zero to 0.3 V given a drain-source voltage of 0.1 V. The high current (resistance) variation ratio is attributed to the ultrathin epilayer and an unusual phenomenon of intrinsic strong electron accumulation on InN surface, which enables a chemical/biological sensor with high sensitivity and resolution and permits detection of a slight concentration variation of the electrolyte. The pH response measurement of 10-nm-thick InN ISFETs investigated was performed in an aqueous solution titrated with diluted NaOH and HCl. The Helmholtz potential built at the electrolyte-InN interface is governed by direct adsorption of H+ ions at the surface metal oxides, modulating the channel current of the InN ISFETs. The channel current monotonically decreases as the pH value of an aqueous solution increases from 2 to 10. The sensitivity and resolution were found to be 58.3 mV per decade and 0.02 pH change, respectively. Besides, the detection of DNA hybridization was further performed after the InN surface was modified with MPTMS and probe DNA. A complementary target DNA solution of 100 nM led to a current decrease of approximate 6 uA, corresponding to the current variation of 0.74 %. The hybridization between negatively charged complementary DNA and the immobilized probe DNA caused the depletion of carriers at the InN surface, suppressing the channel current. The functionalized InN ISFETs are suitable for genetic analysis in clinical diagnostics without any labeling reagent. Such an InN-based sensor is appealing in the regime of chemical and biological sensing applications.
Biocompatibility Assessment of SiC Surfaces After Functionalization with Self Assembled Organic Monolayers
Authors: Oliveros Alexandra , Schoell Sebastian J. , Frewin Christopher , Hoeb Marco , Stutzmann Martin , Sharp Ian D. , Saddow Stephen E.
Published: December 2009

The biocompatibility of 6H-SiC (0001) surfaces was increased by more than a factor of six through the covalent grafting of NH2 terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAM) using APDEMS and APTES molecules. Surface functionalization began with a hydroxyl, OH, surface termination. The study included two NH2 terminated surfaces obtained through silanization with APDEMS (aminopropyldiethoxymethylsilane) and APTES (aminopropyltriethoxysilane) molecules (hydrophilic surfaces) and a CH3 terminated surface produced via alkylation with 1-octadecene (hydrophobic surface). H4 human neuroglioma and PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells were seeded on the functionalized surfaces and the cell morphology was evaluated with atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, 96 hour MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays were employed to evaluate the cell viability on the SAM modified samples. The biocompatibility was enhanced with a 2 fold (171-240%) increase with 1-octadecene, 3-6 fold (320-670%) increase with APDEMS and 5-8 fold (476-850%) increase with APTES with respect to untreated 6H-SiC surfaces.
How frequent storms affect wetland vegetation: a preview of climate‐change impacts
Authors: Zedler Joy B
Published: December 2009

Predicting how vegetation may change in response to an increasingly variable climate is difficult, but the analysis of observed responses to past climatic oscillations can inform the forecasting process. The consequences of multiple extreme events were recorded (1978–1998) for a California salt marsh. Ultimately, after less‐extreme decadal weather patterns were preceded by more‐extreme ones resulting from the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, six types of climate‐change‐related effects on vegetation became apparent. Among the identified effect types in this system, “sequential” (or event‐order‐dependent) effects were the most severe with regard to abrupt biodiversity losses. Similar outcomes could be applied to other ecosystems subjected to variable conditions. Managers and restoration ecologists need to anticipate the many ways in which extreme events can affect vegetation and use this knowledge to build resilience into restoration targets and plantings. A national program of adaptive restoration could first be applied in downstream wetlands, where the cumulative effects of flooding and sedimentation will cause vegetation to respond rapidly, and where adaptive approaches (eg futuristic assemblages) could be tested in large field experiments.
Extensible java EE-based agent framework and its application on distributed library catalogues
Authors: Vidakovic Milan , Milosavljevic Branko , Konjovic Zora , Sladic Goran
Published: December 2009

The paper presents the new agent framework XJAF and its application on distributed library catalogues. The framework is based on the Java EE technology and uses the concept of the plug-ins for implementation of the basic framework components. One important plug-in of the agent framework has been introduced into this system: the inter-facilitator connection plug-in, which defines how multiple facilitators form an agent network. The inter-facilitator connection plug-in is particularly important in both design and implementation phases in the field of distributed library catalogues. In order to substantiate the above statement, the framework has been used for implementation of the agent-based central catalogue of the library information system BISIS. Also, the framework has been used to implement the agent-based metadata harvesting system for the networked digital library of theses and dissertations (NDLTD). Both systems have been implemented at the University of Novi Sad.
Integrated product ontologies for inter-organizational networks
Authors: Zdravkovic Milan , Trajanovic Miroslav
Published: December 2009

Purpose of this paper is to propose approach and technical infrastructure for improvement of inter-organizational networks' response in product information acquisition and management. Different approaches (industrial categorization schemes, functional decomposition and semantic web) for management of product information are analyzed in context of inter-organizational networks. Process for semantic alignment of product information is defined, resulting with generalized, two-dimensional model, consisting of design and functional perspective. The process is expected to decrease human intervention in product data exchange in networked environments, as well as to create added value, through possible recognition of design intent, automated referencing to related manufacturing competences and reuse potential. Current prototype of system comprises of product ontologies and interfaces for topological model submission and refinement by using lexical term and predicate matching and property transfer. Impact of using formalized functional perspective is only theoretically justified and it still needs to be verified.
A call detail records data mart: Data modeling and OLAP analysis
Authors: Camilovic Dragana , Becejski-Vujaklija Dragana , Gospic Natasa
Published: December 2009

In order to succeed in the market, telecommunications companies are not competing solely on price. They have to expand their services based on their knowledge of customers' needs gained through the use of call detail records (CDR) and customer demographics. All the data should be stored together in the CDR data mart. The paper covers the topic of its design and development in detail and especially focuses on the conceptual/logical/physical trilogy. Some other design problems are also discussed. An important area is the problem involving time. This is why the implication of time in data warehousing is carefully considered. The CDR data mart provides the platform for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) analysis. As it is presented in this paper, an OLAP system can help the telecommunications company to get better insight into its customers' behavior and improve its marketing campaigns and pricing strategies.
Hyperglycemia Impairs Proteasome Function by Methylglyoxal
Authors: Queisser Markus A. , Yao Dachun , Geisler Sven , Hammes Hans-Peter , Lochnit Günter , Schleicher Erwin D. , Brownlee Michael , Preissner Klaus T.
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is the main degradation machinery for intracellularly altered proteins. Hyperglycemia has been shown to increase intracellular levels of the reactive dicarbonyl methylglyoxal (MGO) in cells damaged by diabetes, resulting in modification of proteins and alterations of their function. In this study, the influence of MGO-derived advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation on the activity of the proteasome was investigated in vitro and in vivo.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

MGO-derived AGE modification of proteasome subunits was analyzed by mass spectrometry, immunoprecipitation, and Western blots. Proteasome activity was analyzed using proteasome-specific fluorogenic substrates. Experimental models included bovine retinal endothelial cells, diabetic Ins2Akita mice, glyoxalase 1 (GLO1) knockdown mice, and streptozotocin (STZ)-injected diabetic mice.

RESULTS

In vitro incubation with MGO caused adduct formation on several 20S proteasomal subunit proteins. In cultured endothelial cells, the expression level of the catalytic 20S proteasome subunit was not altered but proteasomal chymotrypsin-like activity was significantly reduced. In contrast, levels of regulatory 19S proteasomal proteins were decreased. In diabetic Ins2Akita, STZ diabetic, and nondiabetic and diabetic G101 knockdown mice, chymotrypsin-like activity was also reduced and MGO modification of the 20S-β2 subunit was increased.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperglycemia-induced formation of MGO covalently modifies the 20S proteasome, decreasing its activity in the diabetic kidney and reducing the polyubiquitin receptor 19S-S5a. The results indicate a new link between hyperglycemia and impairment of cell functions.
Oxygen Tension Regulates Pancreatic β-Cell Differentiation Through Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α
Authors: Heinis Mylène , Simon Marie-Thérèse , Ilc Karine , Mazure Nathalie M. , Pouysségur Jacques , Scharfmann Raphael , Duvillié Bertrand
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

Recent evidence indicates that low oxygen tension (pO2) or hypoxia controls the differentiation of several cell types during development. Variations of pO2 are mediated through the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), a crucial mediator of the adaptative response of cells to hypoxia. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pO2 in β-cell differentiation.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We analyzed the capacity of β-cell differentiation in the rat embryonic pancreas using two in vitro assays. Pancreata were cultured either in collagen or on a filter at the air/liquid interface with various pO2. An inhibitor of the prolyl hydroxylases, dimethyloxaloylglycine (DMOG), was used to stabilize HIF1α protein in normoxia.

RESULTS

When cultured in collagen, embryonic pancreatic cells were hypoxic and expressed HIF1α and rare β-cells differentiated. In pancreata cultured on filter (normoxia), HIF1α expression decreased and numerous β-cells developed. During pancreas development, HIF1α levels were elevated at early stages and decreased with time. To determine the effect of pO2 on β-cell differentiation, pancreata were cultured in collagen at increasing concentrations of O2. Such conditions repressed HIF1α expression, fostered development of Ngn3-positive endocrine progenitors, and induced β-cell differentiation by O2 in a dose-dependent manner. By contrast, forced expression of HIF1α in normoxia using DMOG repressed Ngn3 expression and blocked β-cell development. Finally, hypoxia requires hairy and enhancer of split (HES)1 expression to repress β-cell differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate that β-cell differentiation is controlled by pO2 through HIF1α. Modifying pO2 should now be tested in protocols aiming to differentiate β-cells from embryonic stem cells.
Moving to an A1C-Based Diagnosis of Diabetes Has a Different Impact on Prevalence in Different Ethnic Groups
Authors: Christensen Dirk L. , Witte Daniel R. , Kaduka Lydia , Jørgensen Marit E. , Borch-Johnsen Knut , Mohan Viswanathan , Shaw Jonathan E. , Tabák Adam G. , Vistisen Dorte
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

To compare screen-detected diabetes prevalence and the degree of diagnostic agreement by ethnicity with the current oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)-based and newly proposed A1C-based diagnostic criteria.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Six studies (1999–2009) from Denmark, the U.K., Australia, Greenland, Kenya, and India were tested for the probability of an A1C ≥6.5% among diabetic case subjects based on an OGTT. The difference in probability between centers was analyzed by logistic regression adjusting for relevant confounders.

RESULTS

Diabetes prevalence was lower with the A1C-based diagnostic criteria in four of six studies. The probability of an A1C ≥6.5% among OGTT-diagnosed case subjects ranged widely (17.0–78.0%) by study center. Differences in diagnostic agreement between ethnic subgroups in the U.K. study were of the same magnitude as between-country comparisons.

CONCLUSIONS

A shift to an A1C-based diagnosis for diabetes will have substantially different consequences for diabetes prevalence across ethnic groups and populations.
On set-valued cone absolutely summing maps
Authors: Labuschagne Coenraad , Marraffa Valeria
Published: December 2009

Spaces of cone absolutely summing maps are generalizations of Bochner spaces L
p(μ, Y), where (Ω, Σ, μ) is some measure space, 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞ and Y is a Banach space. The Hiai-Umegaki space $$
\mathcal{L}^1 \left[ {\sum ,cbf(X)} \right]
$$
of integrably bounded functions F: Ω → cbf(X), where the latter denotes the set of all convex bounded closed subsets of a separable Banach space X, is a set-valued analogue of L
1(μ, X). The aim of this work is to introduce set-valued cone absolutely summing maps as a generalization of $$
\mathcal{L}^1 \left[ {\sum ,cbf(X)} \right]
$$
, and to derive necessary and sufficient conditions for a set-valued map to be such a set-valued cone absolutely summing map. We also describe these set-valued cone absolutely summing maps as those that map order-Pettis integrable functions to integrably bounded set-valued functions.