bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SEISMIC STRATIGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERPRETED UPPER CAMBRIAN TO MIDDLE ORDOVICIAN SEQUENCE IN THE NW BLANTYRE SUB‐BASIN, DARLING BASIN (WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA)
Authors: Khalifa M. Kh. , Mills K. J.
Published: March 2014

In this paper, a new interpretation is presented of the seismic stratigraphy of units equivalent to the upper Cambrian to middle Ordovician Scropes Range Formation in the NW Blantyre Sub‐basin in the central part of the Palaeozoic Darling Basin, western New South Wales. This succession was previously unrecognised, attributed to the lower part of the overlying Winduck Interval, or regarded as basement. The structural development of the study area is described, and may contribute to a better understanding of the regional stratigraphic evolution of the Lower Palaeozoic section in this part of the Darling Basin

This study presents interpretations of a regional two‐dimensional seismic survey which investigated the upper Cambrian to middle Ordovician Scropes Range Formation in the NW Blantyre Sub‐basin. A shallow marine Cambro‐Ordovician succession is well established in the Bancannia Trough in the western Darling Basin but this interval appears to have been ignored in the central Darling Basin where a deeper‐marine environment and suitable kitchen conditions may have provided greater petroleum potential. Data from two shallow wells in the 831 km2 study area were available to support the seismic investigations. Seismic sequences were defined by a combination of horizon mapping, the configuration of internal reflections, termination patterns and thicknesses. Six seismic reflection horizons were defined and used to identify five seismic sequences named Units A, B, C, D and E. These features were identified in three seismic lines and demonstrate the continuity of the Scropes Range Formation throughout the NW Blantyre Sub‐basin. All seismic sequence boundaries are based on fair to good continuous markers, with strong amplitudes throughout the study area. The acoustic basement beneath the Scropes Range Formation was metamorphosed in the Delamerian Orogeny (around 500 Ma). Acoustic facies recognized in the three seismic lines can be correlated with sedimentary facies observed in outcrops in the Scropes Range, 130 km west of the study area, and are comparable to acoustic facies in modern fluvial sandstones associated with local braided delta deposits. Complex geological features suggest potential structural and stratigraphic hydrocarbon traps.

This study emphasizes the reservoir potential of the Scropes Range Formation in the central Darling Basin where extensive exploration efforts are currently occurring. The detailed interpretation of the seismic stratigraphy may lead to the definition of new exploration plays in this under‐explored region.
Perspective: Linking Design Thinking with Innovation Outcomes through Cognitive Bias Reduction
Authors: Liedtka Jeanne
Published: March 2014

“Design thinking” has generated significant attention in the business press and has been heralded as a novel problem‐solving methodology well suited to the often‐cited challenges business organizations face in encouraging innovation and growth. Yet the specific mechanisms through which the use of design, approached as a thought process, might improve innovation outcomes have not received significant attention from business scholars. In particular, its utility has only rarely been linked to the academic literature on individual cognition and decision‐making. This perspective piece advocates addressing this omission by examining “design thinking” as a practice potentially valuable for improving innovation outcomes by helping decision‐makers reduce their individual level cognitive biases. In this essay, I first review the assumptions, principles, and key process tools associated with design thinking. I then establish its foundation in the decision‐making literature, drawing on an extensive body of research on cognitive biases and their impact. The essay concludes by advancing a set of propositions and research implications, aiming to demonstrate one particular path that future research might take in assessing the utility of design thinking as a method for improving organizational outcomes related to innovation. In doing so, it seeks to address the challenge of conducting academic research on a practice that is obviously popular in management circles but appears resistant to rigorous empirical inquiry because of the multifaceted nature of its “basket” of tools and processes and the complexity of measuring the outcomes it produces.
Pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in pigs after intravenous and intramuscular administration of a single dose of 8 mg/kg: dose proportionality, influence of the age of the animals and urinary elimination
Authors: Schneider M. , Paulin A. , Dron F. , Woehrlé F.
Published: March 2014

The pharmacokinetics of marbofloxacin in pigs were evaluated as a function of dose and animal age following intravenous and intramuscular administration of a 16% solution (Forcyl®). The absolute bioavailability of marbofloxacin as well as the dose proportionality was evaluated in 27‐week‐old fattening pigs. Blood PK and urinary excretion of marbofloxacin were evaluated after a single intramuscular dose of 8 mg/kg in 16‐week‐old male pigs. An additional group of 12‐week‐old weaned piglets was used for the evaluation of age‐related kinetics. The plasma and urine concentration of marbofloxacin was determined using a HPLC method. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental methods. After intravenous administration in 27‐week‐old fattening pigs, the total body clearance was 0.065 L/h·kg. After intramuscular administration to the same animals, the mean observedCmaxwas 6.30 μg/mL, and the AUCINFwas 115 μg·h/mL. The absolute bioavailability was 91.5%, and dose proportionality was shown within the dose range of 4–16 mg/kg. The renal clearance was about half of the value of the total clearance. The total systemic clearance values significantly decreased as a function of age, being 0.092 L/h·kg and 0.079 L/h·kg in pigs aged 12 and 16 weeks, respectively.
Nucleotide excision repair in Trypanosoma brucei: specialization of transcription‐coupled repair due to multigenic transcription
Authors: Machado Carlos R. , Vieira‐da‐Rocha João P. , Mendes Isabela Cecilia , Rajão Matheus A. , Marcello Lucio , Bitar Mainá , Drummond Marcela G. , Grynberg Priscila , Oliveira Denise A. A. , Marques Catarina , Van Houten Ben , McCulloch Richard
Published: March 2014

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a highly conserved genome repair pathway acting on helix distorting DNA lesions. NER is divided into two subpathways: global genome NER (GG‐NER), which is responsible for repair throughout genomes, and transcription‐coupled NER (TC‐NER), which acts on lesions that impede transcription. The extent of the Trypanosoma brucei genome that is transcribed is highly unusual, since most genes are organized in multigene transcription units, each transcribed from a single promoter. Given this transcription organization, we have addressed the importance of NER to T. brucei genome maintenance by performing RNAi against all predicted contributing factors. Our results indicate that TC‐NER is the main pathway of NER repair, but only CSB, XPBz and XPG contribute. Moreover, we show that UV lesions are inefficiently repaired in T. brucei, perhaps due to preferential use of RNA polymerase translesion synthesis. RNAi of XPC and DDB was found to be lethal, and we show that these factors act in inter‐strand cross‐link repair. XPD and XPB appear only to act in transcription, not repair. This work indicates that the predominance of multigenic transcription in T. brucei has resulted in pronounced adaptation of NER relative to the host and may be an attractive drug target.
Collecting, Exhibiting, and Interpreting: Museums as Mediators and Midwives of Meaning
Authors: Karp Ivan , Kratz Corinne A
Published: March 2014

A commentary on Paul Mullins's article “The Banality of Everyday Consumption,” this essay engages questions concerning domestic objects that might be collected in urban settings. It discusses challenges involved in documenting the complex meanings associated with such objects, what happens when objects are incorporated into museum collections and exhibitions, and how museum visitors interpret exhibitions in relation to their own expectations, assumptions, and narratives. [collecting, exhibitions, objects, narrative, visitor reception]
Collecting Contemporary Urban Culture: An Emerging Framework for the Field Museum
Authors: Wali Alaka
Published: March 2014

The article discusses a process and protocol for adding contemporary urban material culture to the Field Museum. The Field Museum is a natural history museum with significant anthropology collections that has experimented with exhibiting contemporary cultural themes but lacks a significant collection in this area. I argue that urban lifeways are an important area for collecting work and that building such a collection should be done within the parameters of anthropological theorizing on social life, material culture, and the urban context. [collections protocols, urban material culture, Field Museum]
Theories of Material Agency and Practice: A Guide to Collecting Urban Material Culture
Authors: Clarke Alison
Published: March 2014

In understanding the objects of urban life, social scientists formerly emphasized formal phases of acquisition; mechanisms such as advertising, retailing, and marketing placed at the forefront of their theorization. The lived trajectories of material culture have taken on a new prescience for museology as contemporary anthropological discourse and everyday urban practice increasingly acknowledge the embeddedness of “things.” Highlighting examples of the recent intersection of social science discourse, museology, art practice, and popular culture, this article explores concepts of material agency as a source for thinking through future collecting of urban material culture. [material culture, material agency, contemporary museology]
Material Agency in the Urban Material Culture Initiative
Authors: Rotenberg Robert
Published: March 2014

This contribution to the discussion of collecting contemporary objects reviews the implications of taking seriously how and what objects communicate, especially how we can identify the ways messages are coded in the forms of familiar objects. Of special interest are the conceptual tools that are available to differentiate these messages when objects are arranged in assemblages, including emergent implicit messages, the messages implicit in sets of objects. I advocate an approach to collecting in museums based on the tactics people use to create these assemblages at home. What theorizing about material agency offers to our collection program is a focus on objects in use rather than objects isolated from use. [material culture, consumption, agency, assemblage]
Eating disorders: When social rank perceptions are shaped by early shame experiences
Authors: Matos Marcela , Ferreira Cláudia , Duarte Cristiana , Pinto‐Gouveia José
Published: March 2014

Objectives

Recent research has shown that early adverse experiences can be an important risk factor for eating disorders. However, the role of early shame memories and how they are structured as traumatic and central memories to self‐identity in eating disorders has never been investigated. This study explores the phenomenology of shame memories involving attachment figures and other agents from the wider social domain in patients with eating disorders, and examines the relationship between their traumatic and centrality features, social comparison based on physical appearance, and the severity of eating psychopathology.

Design

The study has a cross‐sectional design using a structured interview to assess retrospective data.

Methods

Participants in this study were 36 patients with an eating disorder diagnosis, who were assessed using Eating Disorder Examination (EDE 16.0D), the Shame Experiences Interview (SEI), and self‐report instruments measuring the traumatic features and centrality to identity of shame memories and social comparison.

Results

Results indicated that the traumatic and centrality qualities of shame memories involving social agents other than attachment figures (e.g., peers) are significantly correlated with unfavourable social rank perceptions and with increased eating psychopathology severity. Furthermore, the impact of such shame memories on eating psychopathology is fully mediated by social comparisons based on physical appearance.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the importance of early shame experiences involving peers and other social agents that become traumatic memories, central to self‐identity, to eating disorder patients' perceptions of inferiority and their core psychopathology features.

Practitioner points

Early shame experiences of patients with eating disorders should be carefully assessed.

Shame traumatic memories involving social agents outside the family circle (e.g., peers) seem to be especially damaging for patients with eating disorders, and influence how physical appearance is used as a central dimension to establish their social rank.

Practitioners should directly work with these shame memories, focusing on diminishing their traumatic nature and reconstruct their central meaning to self‐identity.
Identification of a candidate gene for resistance to root‐knot nematode in a wild peach and screening of its polymorphisms
Authors: Cao Ke , Wang Lirong , Zhao Pei , Zhu Gengrui , Fang Weichao , Chen Changwen , Wang Xinwei
Published: March 2014

Root‐knot nematode disease, caused by Meloidogyne species, is an important soil‐borne disease of peach (Prunus persica L.) worldwide. To identify a major locus of genetic resistance to M. incognita, PkMi, in a wild peach species, we reconstructed a linkage group in a BC1 population of 187 lines using resistance gene analogue markers surrounding the PkMi locus. A resistance gene analogue marker, ppa021062m, co‐segregated with the PkMi locus and was therefore considered a strong candidate for PkMi. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced protein sequences of ppa021062m, together with the other seven genes for nematode resistance, allowed ppa021062m to be assigned to the Toll/Interleukin1 Receptor‐Nucleotide Binding Site‐Leucine Rich Repeat class, similar to Ma in myrobalan plum (P. cerasifera). Comparative analysis of the candidate gene sequence in four genotypes that had different levels of resistance to root‐knot nematode disease showed that most non‐synonymous SNPs in the genic region were distributed in the TIR and NBS motifs. This study enhances our understanding of the genetic and molecular control of resistance to root‐knot nematode disease in peach.
Dynamics of leaf water relations components in co‐occurring iso‐ and anisohydric conifer species
Authors: MEINZER FREDERICK C. , WOODRUFF DAVID R. , MARIAS DANIELLE E. , MCCULLOH KATHERINE A. , SEVANTO SANNA
Published: March 2014

Because iso‐ and anisohydric species differ in stomatal regulation of the rate and magnitude of fluctuations in shoot water potential, they may be expected to show differences in the plasticity of their shoot water relations components, but explicit comparisons of this nature have rarely been made. We subjected excised shoots of co‐occurring anisohydricJuniperus monospermaand isohydricPinus edulisto pressure‐volume analysis with and without prior artificial rehydration. InJ. monosperma, the shoot water potential at turgor loss (ΨTLP) ranged from −3.4 MPain artificially rehydrated shoots to −6.6 MPain shoots with an initialΨof −5.5 MPa, whereas inP. edulismeanΨTLPremained at ∼ −3.0 MPaover a range of initialΨfrom −0.1 to −2.3 MPa. The shoot osmotic potential at full turgor and the bulk modulus of elasticity also declined sharply with shootΨinJ. monosperma, but not inP. edulis. The contrasting behaviour ofJ. monospermaandP. edulisreflects differences in their capacity for homeostatic regulation of turgor that may be representative of aniso‐ and isohydric species in general, and may also be associated with the greater capacity ofJ. monospermato withstand severe drought.
Faith and Fear: Explaining Jewish and Unionist Attitudes Toward Compromise in Israel and Northern Ireland
Authors: Newman Saul
Published: March 2014

This study analyzes two case studies: the Unionist–Republican conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. These disputes are comparable in that peace accords depend on majorities ceding rights to subordinate nationalist groups. However, dominant nationalist groups in the two cases have behaved differently. Unionists have proven more willing to make the necessary political concessions for peace. Testing hypotheses derived from theories of negotiation, trust, opportunity, positive and negative contact and covenants, the findings suggest these variations may be partially explained by the level of trust in subordinate nationalists, perceived threats to dominant labor, and the level of religiosity among dominant nationalists. Trust is a function of both the cessation of violence and a commitment to not engage in future violence. The impact of compromise on dominant labor played a greater role in Northern Ireland than in Israel. Religiosity also serves as a major obstacle toward concessions. Secularization plays a crucial role in opening dominant nationalists to compromise.
Combined effects of nitrogen addition and litter manipulation on nutrient resorption of Leymus chinensis in a semi‐arid grassland of northern China
Authors: Li X. , Liu J. , Fan J. , Ma Y. , Ding S. , Zhong Z. , Wang D.
Published: March 2014

Plant growth in semi‐arid ecosystems is usually severely limited by soil nutrient availability. Alleviation of these resource stresses by fertiliser application and aboveground litter input may affect plant internal nutrient cycling in such regions. We conducted a 4‐year field experiment to investigate the effects of nitrogen (N) addition (10 g N·m−2·year−1) and plant litter manipulation on nutrient resorption of Leymus chinensis, the dominant native grass in a semi‐arid grassland in northern China. Although N addition had no clear effects on N and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiencies in leaves and culms, N fertilisation generally decreased leaf N resorption proficiency by 54%, culm N resorption proficiency by 65%. Moreover, N fertilisation increased leaf P resorption proficiency by 13%, culm P resorption proficiency by 20%. Under ambient or enriched N conditions, litter addition reduced N and P resorption proficiencies in both leaves and culms. The response of P resorption proficiency to litter manipulation was more sensitive than N resorption proficiency: P resorption proficiency in leaves and culms decreased strongly with increasing litter amount under both ambient and enriched N conditions. In contrast, N resorption proficiency was not significantly affected by litter addition, except for leaf N resorption proficiency under ambient N conditions. Furthermore, although litter addition caused a general decrease of leaf and culm nutrient resorption efficiencies under both ambient and enriched N conditions, litter addition effects on nutrient resorption efficiency were much weaker than the effects of litter addition on nutrient resorption proficiency. Taken together, our results show that leaf and non‐leaf organs of L. chinensis respond consistently to altered soil N availability. Our study confirms the strong effects of N addition on plant nutrient resorption processes and the potential role of aboveground litter, the most important natural fertiliser in terrestrial ecosystems, in influencing plant internal nutrient cycling.
Brachypodium distachyon is a pathosystem model for the study of the wheat disease rhizoctonia root rot
Authors: Schneebeli K. , Mathesius U. , Watt M.
Published: March 2014

Brachypodium distachyon (Bd) is increasingly being used as a model for cereal diseases and to study cereal root architecture. Rhizoctonia solani AG 8 is a necrotrophic root pathogen that infects wheat soon after germination resulting in reduced plant growth and yield loss. Genetic resistance to R. solani AG 8 is not available in commercial wheat cultivars, although some quantitative levels of resistance have previously been found in mutant lines and grass relatives. Resistance mechanisms in cereals remain unknown. The ability to use Bd as a model to study the wheat–R. solani AG 8 pathosystem was investigated. The results presented show that Bd is susceptible to R. solani AG 8 and that the pathogen infects both species to a similar degree, producing comparable disease symptoms. Root length reduction was the primary indicator of disease, with shoots also affected. The second objective was to develop a repeatable phenotyping method to screen Bd populations for resistance to R. solani AG 8. Results of a preliminary experiment provide evidence for variation in resistance between Bd inbred lines. This is the first report showing the potential of Bd as a model plant for discovery of quantitative genetic variation in resistance to a necrotrophic cereal root pathogen.
A New Approach to Feedback for Robust Signaling Gradients
Authors: Kushner T. , Simonyan A. , Wan F. Y. M.
Published: March 2014

The patterning of many developing tissues is orchestrated by gradients of morphogens through a variety of elaborate regulatory interactions. Such interactions are thought to make gradients robust, that is, resistant to changes induced by genetic or environmental perturbations; but just how this might be done is a major unanswered question. Recently extensive numerical simulations suggest that robustness of signaling gradients cannot be attained by negative feedback (of the Hill's function type) on signaling receptors but can be achieved through binding with nonsignaling receptors (or nonreceptors for short) such as heparan sulfate proteoglycans with the resulting complexes degrading after endocytosis. These were followed by a number of analytical and numerical studies in support of the aforementioned observations. However, evidence of feedback regulating signaling gradients has been reported in literature. The present paper undertakes a different approach to the role of feedback in robust signaling gradients. The overall goal of the project is to investigate the effectiveness of feedback mechanisms on ligand synthesis, receptor synthesis, nonreceptor synthesis, and other regulatory processes in the morphogen gradient system. As a first step, we embark herein a proof‐of‐concept examination of a new spatially uniform feedback process that is distinctly different from the conventional spatially nonuniform Hill function approach.
External Debt, Labour Productivity Growth and Convergence: Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Wamboye Evelyn , Tochkov Kiril
Published: March 2014

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) has long suffered from lagging productivity and excessive levels of indebtedness. Using both parametric and non‐parametric techniques, this paper examines the impact of external debt on labour productivity growth and convergence acrossSSAeconomies over the period 1970–2010. The results indicate the presence of debt‐overhang effects, regardless of model and sample specification. Debt reduction through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries and Multilateral Debt Relief initiatives enhanced growth but was not successful in offsetting the debt‐overhang effects. Moreover, excessive levels of external debt were responsible for divergence in output per worker over the early 1990s. Although this trend was reversed over the 2000s, reduction in debt through the debt relief initiatives seems to have been insufficient in helping heavily indebted countries inSSAcatch up with the labour productivity levels of the best‐performing economies in the region.
Globalisation, Institutional Reforms and Financial Development in East Asian Economies
Authors: Law Siong Hook , Tan Hui Boon , Azman‐Saini W. N. W.
Published: March 2014

This study investigates the dynamic effects of globalisation on institutions and financial development in East Asian economies using panel data tests. Our empirical results demonstrate that globalisation has a significant influence on institutional quality, and that institutional reforms in turn facilitate and support financial development, in particular the development of the banking sector in East Asia. Globalisation is also found to have a favourable direct impact on stock market development without passing through an institutional quality channel.
United Arab EmiratesFDIOutlook
Authors: Mina Wasseem
Published: March 2014

FDIis important in building a sustainable and diversified knowledge‐basedUAEeconomy. The stock ofFDIgrew at an average annual growth rate of 49 per cent over the past decade reachingUS$85.4 billion or nearly 25 per cent ofGDPin 2011.FDIflows have not recovered from the global financial crises. MostFDIstock is concentrated in finance, construction and real estate. Recent greenfieldFDIis concentrated in construction, while more than half of the top merger and acquisition deals took place in finance, transportation, communications and utilities. The list of topOECDhome countries forFDIin theUAEincluded Chile, Denmark, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Switzerland,UKand theUS. Though investment policy limits foreign investment and reduces competition, theUAEhas undertaken reforms and contracted investment treaties that have encouraged investment. Efforts are under way to speed up the ratification of a new foreign investment law, which removes several of the current legal barriers toFDIand offers foreign investors similar rights to those ofUAEnationals. TheUAEhas significant potential for improvingFDIperformance.
Limb position sense, proprioceptive drift and muscle thixotropy at the human elbow joint
Authors: Tsay A. , Savage G. , Allen T. J. , Proske U.
Published: March 2014

Key points

When a blindfolded subject holds his or her arm at a particular angle, its reported position shifts over time; this is known as proprioceptive drift.

Here, we show that in relation to position sense at the elbow, the direction of perceived shifts is consistent with adaptation in discharge levels of sensory receptors in elbow muscles.

Raising or lowering receptor discharge levels by similar amounts in opposing muscles at the elbow using muscle conditioning abolishes proprioceptive drift, but large position errors may result.

The present experiments provide an explanation for proprioceptive drift and indicate that, in a forearm position‐matching task, the brain is not concerned with actual discharge levels from arm muscles, but with their difference.

These experiments on the human forearm are based on the hypothesis that drift in the perceived position of a limb over time can be explained by receptor adaptation. Limb position sense was measured in 39 blindfolded subjects using a forearm‐matching task. A property of muscle, its thixotropy, a contraction history‐dependent passive stiffness, was exploited to place muscle receptors of elbow muscles in a defined state. After the arm had been held flexed and elbow flexors contracted, we observed time‐dependent changes in the perceived position of the reference arm by an average of 2.8° in the direction of elbow flexion over 30 s (Experiment 1). The direction of the drift reversed after the arm had been extended and elbow extensors contracted, with a mean shift of 3.5° over 30 s in the direction of elbow extension (Experiment 2). The time‐dependent changes could be abolished by conditioning elbow flexors and extensors in the reference arm at the test angle, although this led to large position errors during matching (±10°), depending on how the indicator arm had been conditioned (Experiments 3 and 4). When slack was introduced in the elbow muscles of both arms, by shortening muscles after the conditioning contraction, matching errors became small and there was no drift in position sense (Experiments 5 and 6). These experiments argue for a receptor‐based mechanism for proprioceptive drift and suggest that to align the two forearms, the brain monitors the difference between the afferent signals from the two arms.
Activation of glycine receptors modulates spontaneous epileptiform activity in the immature rat hippocampus
Authors: Chen Rongqing , Okabe Akihito , Sun Haiyan , Sharopov Salim , Hanganu‐Opatz Ileana L. , Kolbaev Sergei N. , Fukuda Atsuo , Luhmann Heiko J. , Kilb Werner
Published: March 2014

Key points

Taurine has a pro‐ and anticonvulsive effect on the immature hippocampus, depending on the dose.

The taurine effect is mediated by GABAA and glycine receptors.

The taurine effect can be partially mimicked by glycine.

Inhibition of glycine receptors has a weak proconvulsive effect on the immature hippocampus.

We conclude that an endogenous activation of glycine receptors by glycine or taurine contributed to the control of neuronal excitability in the immature hippocampus.

While the expression of glycine receptors in the immature hippocampus has been shown, no information about the role of glycine receptors in controlling the excitability in the immature CNS is available. Therefore, we examined the effect of glycinergic agonists and antagonists in the CA3 region of an intact corticohippocampal preparation of the immature (postnatal days 4–7) rat using field potential recordings. Bath application of 100 μm taurine or 10 μm glycine enhanced the occurrence of recurrent epileptiform activity induced by 20 μm 4‐aminopyridine in low Mg2+ solution. This proconvulsive effect was prevented by 3 μm strychnine or after incubation with the loop diuretic bumetanide (10 μm), suggesting that it required glycine receptors and an active NKCC1‐dependent Cl− accumulation. Application of higher doses of taurine (≥1 mm) or glycine (100 μm) attenuated recurrent epileptiform discharges. The anticonvulsive effect of taurine was also observed in the presence of the GABAA receptor antagonist gabazine and was attenuated by strychnine, suggesting that it was partially mediated by glycine receptors. Bath application of the glycinergic antagonist strychnine (0.3 μm) induced epileptiform discharges. We conclude from these results that in the immature hippocampus, activation of glycine receptors can mediate both pro‐ and anticonvulsive effects, but that a persistent activation of glycine receptors is required to suppress epileptiform activity. In summary, our study elucidated the important role of glycine receptors in the control of neuronal excitability in the immature hippocampus.
Effect of low dose γ-irradiation on DC performance of circular AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors
Authors: Hwang Ya-Hsi , Hsieh Yueh-Ling , Lei Lei , Li Shun , Ren Fan , Pearton Stephen J. , Yadav Anupama , Schwarz Casey , Shatkhin Max , Wang Luther , Flitsiyan Elena , Chernyak Leonid , Baca Albert G. , Allerman Andrew A. , Sanchez Carlos A. , Kravchenko I. I.
Published: March 2014

The changes in direct current performance of circular-shaped AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) after 60Co γ-irradiation doses of 50, 300, 450, or 700 Gy were measured. The main effects on the HEMTs after irradiation were increases of both drain current and electron mobility. Compton electrons induced from the absorption of the γ-rays appear to generate donor type defects. Drain current dispersions of ∼5% were observed during gate lag measurements due to the formation of a virtual gate between the gate and drain resulting from the defects generated during γ-irradiation.
A Guided Inquiry on Hubble Plots and the Big Bang
Authors: Forringer Ted
Published: March 2014

In our science for non-science majors course “21st Century Physics,” we investigate modern “Hubble plots” (plots of velocity versus distance for deep space objects) in order to discuss the Big Bang, dark matter, and dark energy. There are two potential challenges that our students face when encountering these topics for the first time. The first challenge is in understanding and interpreting Hubble plots. The second is that some of our students have religious or cultural objections to the concept of a “Big Bang” or a universe that is billions of years old. This paper presents a guided inquiry exercise that was created with the goal of introducing students to Hubble plots and giving them the opportunity to discover for themselves why we believe our universe started with an explosion billions of years ago. The exercise is designed to be completed before the topics are discussed in the classroom. We did the exercise during a one hour and 45 minute “lab” time and it was done in groups of three or four students, but it would also work as an individual take-home assignment.
Tennis Rackets and the Parallel Axis Theorem
Authors: Christie Derek
Published: March 2014

This simple experiment uses an unusual graph straightening exercise to confirm the parallel axis theorem for an irregular object. Along the way, it estimates experimental values for g and the moment of inertia of a tennis racket. We use Excel to find a 95% confidence interval for the true values.
The Crystal Set
Authors: Greenslade Thomas B.
Published: March 2014

In past issues of this journal, the late H. R. Crane wrote a long series of articles under the running title of “How Things Work.” In them, Dick dealt with many questions that physics teachers asked themselves, but did not have the time to answer. This article is my attempt to work through the physics of the crystal set, which I thought I knew, but actually did not.
New Experiments on Wave Physics with a Simply Modified Ripple Tank
Authors: Logiurato Fabrizio
Published: March 2014

The ripple tank is one of the physics education devices most appreciated by teachers and students. It allows one to visualize various phenomena related to wave physics in an effective and enthralling way.1,2 Usually this apparatus consists of a tank with a transparent bottom that is filled with a thin layer of water. A source of light illuminates the water surface from the top and the water is mechanically perturbed in order to produce regular waves. With the water crests and troughs acting as converging and diverging lenses, the surface configuration is reproduced on a screen using a play of light and shadows. We propose a simple and cheap change to this tool. Such a modification could be constructed by pupils themselves in their school laboratory. The lighting in our apparatus differs from the usual arrangement: the light is somewhat oblique with respect to the water surface, and a system of screens with holes and slits is placed at the bottom of the glass tank. This allows us to select and illuminate small portions of water. In this way our modified ripple tank gives us the possibility to perform new experiments and to explain by further examples the properties of waves.
Dietary Supplement Usage, Motivation, and Education in Young Canadian Athletes
Authors: Wiens Kristin , Erdman Kelly Anne , Stadnyk Megan , Parnell Jill A.
Published: March 2014

Purpose:

To evaluate dietary supplement use in young Canadian athletes, their motivation for consuming supplements, and their sources of information.

Methods:

A questionnaire tested for content validity and reliability was administered to 567 athletes between the ages of 11 and 25 years from the Canadian athletic community in face-to-face meetings. Demographics and sport variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Fisher’s exact tests were used to examine dietary supplementation patterns and sources of information regarding dietary supplement use between categories of gender, age, sport type, and competition level.

Results:

Ninety-eight percent of athletes were taking at least one dietary supplement. Males were more likely to consume protein powder, energy drinks, recovery drinks, branched chain amino acids, beta-alanine, and glutamine (p < .01); supplements typically associated with increased muscle mass. Athletes 11–17 years old focused on vitamin and mineral supplements; whereas, athletes 18–25 years old focused on purported ergogenic supplements. Strength training athletes were more likely to consume creatine, glutamine, and protein powders (p < .02). Reasons for supplement use included to stay healthy, increase energy, immune system, recovery, and overall performance. Primary sources of information were family and friends, coaches, and athletic trainers; with 48% of athletes having met with a dietitian. Preferred means of education included individual consultations, presentations, and the internet.

Conclusions:

The majority of young athletes are using dietary supplements with the belief they will improve performance and health; however, may not always have reliable information. Educational programs using individual consultations and electronic media are recommended for this demographic.
Adequacy of Nutrient Intakes in Elite Junior Basketball Players
Authors: Nikić Marina , Pedišić Željko , Šatalić Zvonimir , Jakovljević Saša , Venus Danielle
Published: March 2014

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to assess the nutrient intakes of elite junior basketball players in comparison with nonathletes.

Methods:

A previously designed food frequency questionnaire was undertaken by 57 male elite junior basketball players 15 to 16 years of age and 53 nonathlete peers.

Results:

Mean estimated energy intake was more than 700 kcal higher in basketball players than in the nonathletes (p = .002). In both groups estimated energy intake was ~14% from protein, 38% from fat, and ~48% from carbohydrates. For the basketball players, estimated protein intake was below 1.4 g/kg in 32% of the group and above 1.7 g/kg in 51%, while carbohydrate intake was below 6 g/kg in 56%. Percentages of participants who apparently failed to meet the estimated average requirement for micronutrients were higher in the nonathlete group. The nutrients most likely to fail to meet the recommendations for nutrient density were vitamin A (~70%), zinc (49% in basketball players and 30% in nonathletes), niacin and calcium (~30% for both micronutrients in both groups).

Conclusion:

Within the limitations of the survey methodology, elite junior basketball players appear to consume higher absolute energy, macronutrient and micronutrient intakes than nonathletes, but the contribution of macronutrients to daily energy intake and the nutrient density of food choices was similar for both groups. Elite junior basketball players might benefit from nutrition education targeting carbohydrate and protein intake. Dietary modifications that increase intakes of vitamin A, zinc, calcium and niacin in the diets of both groups might also be of value.
The Effect of Lifestyle Intervention on Body Composition, Glycemic Control, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Haqq Liza , McFarlane James , Dieberg Gudrun , Smart Neil
Published: March 2014

Introduction:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects 18–22% women of reproductive age. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify expected benefits of lifestyle (exercise and dietary) interventions on various clinical outcomes in PCOS.

Methods:

Potential studies were identified by conducting systematic search of PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane controlled trials registry (1966 to April 2013) using key concepts of PCOS, exercise, dietary and lifestyle interventions.

Results:

Significant improvements were seen in women who received lifestyle intervention vs. usual care, in body composition parameters of body mass index, mean difference (MD) = −0.12 kg.m−2 (95% CI [−0.22, −0.03], p = .009), body mass MD = −3.42 kg (95% CI [−4.86, −1.99], p < .00001), waist circumference MD = −1.64 cm (95% CI [−2.09, −1.19], p < .00001), waist−hip ratio MD = −0.03 (95% CI [−0.05, −0.01], p = .0002), and body fat % MD = −1.71% (95% CI [−3.10, −0.32], p = .02). Insulin did not improve, MD = −1.21 pmol/L (95% CI [−3.06, −0.63], p = .20). Lipid profile did not improve, total cholesterol MD = −0.02 mmol/L (95% CI [−0.25, 0.21], p = .89). C-reactive protein was significantly lower, MD = −0.47 mmol/L (95% CI [−0.80, −0.15], p = .004). Significant improvements were also observed in cardiorespiratory fitness with exercise alone reducing resting heart rate, MD = −1.89 beats.min−1 (95% CI [−2.90, −0.88], p = .0002), and peak VO2, MD = 4.86 ml.kg−1.min−1 (95% CI [2.83, 6.88], p < .00001). Lifestyle therapy also improved, peak VO2 MD = 5.09 ml.kg−1.min−1 (95% CI [3.13, 7.05], p < .00001).

Conclusions:

Our analyses suggest lifestyle intervention is optimal for improving body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in women with PCOS.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 25 March 2014
Authors: Scaltriti Maurizio , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: March 2014

A combination therapy that targets the PI3K-Akt pathway and signaling through the growth factor receptors EGFR and HER3 may be effective against triple-negative breast cancer.
Life and Cell Death
Authors: Ray L. Bryan
Published: March 2014

A particular protein kinase functions at a critical control point that determines whether—and how—cells die.
Resolving a Painful Controversy
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: March 2014

Peripheral δ opioid receptors could function in both touch and pain perception in a previously unknown class of sensory neurons.
Comparative Study of the Effects of Antituberculosis Drugs and Antiretroviral Drugs on Cytochrome P450 3A4 and P-Glycoprotein
Authors: Horita Yasuhiro , Doi Norio
Published: March 2014

Predicting drug-drug interactions (DDIs) related to cytochrome P450 (CYP), such as CYP3A4 and one of the major drug transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), is crucial in the development of future chemotherapeutic regimens to treat tuberculosis (TB) and TB/AIDS coinfection cases. We evaluated the effects of 30 anti-TB drugs, novel candidates, macrolides, and representative antiretroviral drugs on human CYP3A4 activity using a commercially available screening kit for CYP3A4 inhibitors and a human hepatocyte, HepaRG. Moreover, in order to estimate the interactions of these drugs with human P-gp, screening for substrates was performed. For some substrates, P-gp inhibition tests were carried out using P-gp-expressing MDCK cells. As a result, almost all the compounds showed the expected effects on human CYP3A4 both in the
in vitro
screening and in HepaRG cells. Importantly, the unproven mechanisms of DDIs caused by WHO group 5 drugs, thioamides, and
p
-aminosalicylic acid were elucidated. Intriguingly, clofazimine (CFZ) exhibited weak inductive effects on CYP3A4 at >0.25 μM in HepaRG cells, while an inhibitory effect was observed at 1.69 μM in the
in vitro
screening, suggesting that CFZ autoinduces CYP3A4 in the human liver. Our method, based on one of the pharmacokinetics parameters in humans, provides more practical information associated with not only DDIs but also with drug metabolism.
Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Alkylpolyamine DS-96 Inhibits Chlamydia trachomatis Infection by Blocking Attachment and Entry
Authors: Osaka Ichie , Hefty P. Scott
Published: March 2014

Vaginally delivered microbicides are being developed to offer women self-initiated protection against transmission of sexually transmitted infections such as
Chlamydia trachomatis
. A small molecule, DS-96, rationally designed for high affinity to
Escherichia coli
lipid A, was previously demonstrated to bind and neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria (D. Sil et al., Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.
51:
2811–2819, 2007, doi:10.1128/AAC.00200-07). Aside from the lack of the repeating O antigen, chlamydial lipooligosaccharide (LOS) shares general molecular architecture features with
E. coli
LPS. Importantly, the portion of lipid A where the interaction with DS-96 is expected to take place is well conserved between the two organisms, leading to the hypothesis that DS-96 inhibits
Chlamydia
infection by binding to LOS and compromising the function. In this study, antichlamydial activity of DS-96 was examined in cell culture. DS-96 inhibited the intercellular growth of
Chlamydia
in a dose-dependent manner and offered a high level of inhibition at a relatively low concentration (8 μM). The data also revealed that infectious elementary bodies (EBs) were predominantly blocked at the attachment step, as indicated by the reduced number of EBs associated with the host cell surface following pretreatment. Of those EBs that were capable of attachment, the vast majority was unable to gain entry into the host cell. Inhibition of EB attachment and entry by DS-96 suggests that
Chlamydia
LOS is critical to these processes during the developmental cycle. Importantly, given the low association of host toxicity previously reported by Sil et al., DS-96 is expected to perform well in animal studies as an active antichlamydial compound in a vaginal microbicide.
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Activities of Three Oxazolidinones against Nonreplicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Zhang Ming , Sala Claudia , Dhar Neeraj , Vocat Anthony , Sambandamurthy Vasan K , Sharma Sreevalli , Marriner Gwendolyn , Balasubramanian V. , Cole Stewart T.
Published: March 2014

Oxazolidinones represent a new class of antituberculosis drugs that exert their function by inhibiting protein synthesis. Here, we compared the activities of three oxazolidinones, linezolid, PNU-100480, and AZD5847, against latent tuberculosis using a simple model employing the streptomycin-starved
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
strain 18b. The
in vitro
drug susceptibility results showed that the three oxazolidinones had a bacteriostatic effect against actively growing bacilli but potent bactericidal activity against nonreplicating cells. In the murine model of latent infection with
M. tuberculosis
18b, the efficacy of the three compounds varied greatly. Indeed, AZD5847 or its prodrug exhibited no activity or only modest activity, respectively, after 2 months of treatment, whereas both linezolid and PNU-100480 were effective against latent bacilli in mice and showed promising outcomes in combination therapy with rifampin. Moreover, the potency of PNU-100480 was significantly greater than that of linezolid, making it an attractive drug candidate in the development of new combination therapies for latent tuberculosis.
A Fine-Tuned Interaction between Trimeric Autotransporter Haemophilus Surface Fibrils and Vitronectin Leads to Serum Resistance and Adherence to Respiratory Epithelial Cells
Authors: Singh Birendra , Su Yu-Ching , Al-Jubair Tamim , Mukherjee Oindrilla , Hallström Teresia , Mörgelin Matthias , Blom Anna M. , Riesbeck Kristian
Published: March 2014

Haemophilus influenzae
type b (Hib) escapes the host immune system by recruitment of the complement regulator vitronectin, which inhibits the formation of the membrane attack complex (MAC) by inhibiting C5b-C7 complex formation and C9 polymerization. We reported previously that Hib acquires vitronectin at the surface by using
Haemophilus
surface fibrils (Hsf). Here we studied in detail the interaction between Hsf and vitronectin and its role in the inhibition of MAC formation and the invasion of lung epithelial cells. The vitronectin-binding region of Hsf was defined at the N-terminal region comprising Hsf amino acids 429 to 652. Moreover, the Hsf recognition site on vitronectin consisted of the C-terminal amino acids 352 to 374.
H. influenzae
was killed more rapidly in vitronectin-depleted serum than in normal human serum (NHS), and increased MAC deposition was observed at the surface of an Hsf-deficient
H. influenzae
mutant. In parallel, Hsf-expressing
Escherichia coli
selectively acquired vitronectin from serum, resulting in significant inhibition of the MAC. Moreover, when vitronectin was bound to Hsf, increased bacterial adherence and internalization into epithelial cells were observed. Taking our findings together, we have defined a fine-tuned protein-protein interaction between Hsf and vitronectin that may contribute to increased Hib virulence.