bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exact logistic models for nested binary data
Authors: Troxler Steven , Lalonde Trent , Wilson Jeffrey R.
Published: January 2011

The use of logistic models for independent binary data has relied first on asymptotic theory and later on exact distributions for small samples. However, the use of logistic models for dependent analysis based on exact analysis is not as common. Moreover, attention is usually given to one‐stage clustering. In this paper, we extend the exact techniques to address hypothesis testing (estimation is not addressed) for data with second‐stage and probably higher levels of clustering. The methods are demonstrated through a somewhat generic example using mathrmC+ + program. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transplanted Stem Cell-Secreted Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Effects Poststroke Recovery, Inflammation, and Vascular Repair
Authors: Horie Nobutaka , Pereira Marta P. , Niizuma Kuniyasu , Sun Guohua , Keren-Gill Hadar , Encarnacion Angelo , Shamloo Mehrdad , Hamilton Scott A. , Jiang Kewen , Huhn Stephen , Palmer Theo D. , Bliss Tonya M. , Steinberg Gary K.
Published: January 2011

Cell transplantation offers a novel therapeutic strategy for stroke; however, how transplanted cells function in vivo is poorly understood. We show for the first time that after subacute transplantation into the ischemic brain of human central nervous system stem cells grown as neurospheres (hCNS-SCns), the stem cell-secreted factor, human vascular endothelial growth factor (hVEGF), is necessary for cell-induced functional recovery. We correlate this functional recovery to hVEGF-induced effects on the host brain including multiple facets of vascular repair and its unexpected suppression of the inflammatory response. We found that transplanted hCNS-SCns affected multiple parameters in the brain with different kinetics: early improvement in blood-brain barrier integrity and suppression of inflammation was followed by a delayed spatiotemporal regulated increase in neovascularization. These events coincided with a bimodal pattern of functional recovery, with, an early recovery independent of neovascularization, and a delayed hVEGF-dependent recovery coincident with neovascularization. Therefore, cell transplantation therapy offers an exciting multimodal strategy for brain repair in stroke and potentially other disorders with a vascular or inflammatory component.
MyoD Gene Suppression by Oct4 Is Required for Reprogramming in Myoblasts to Produce Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Watanabe Shuichi , Hirai Hiroyuki , Asakura Yoko , Tastad Christopher , Verma Mayank , Keller Charles , Dutton James R. , Asakura Atsushi
Published: January 2011

Expression of the four transcription factors, that is, Oct4, Sox2, cMyc, and Klf4 has been shown to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from many types of specialized differentiated somatic cells. It remains unclear, however, whether fully committed skeletal muscle progenitor cells (myoblasts) have the potency to undergo reprogramming to develop iPSCs in line with previously reported cases. To test this, we have isolated genetically marked myoblasts derived from satellite cell of adult mouse muscles using the Cre-loxP system (Pax7-CreER:R26R and Myf5-Cre:R26R). On infection with retroviral vectors expressing the four factors, these myoblasts gave rise to myogenic lineage tracer lacZ-positive embryonic stem cell (ESC)-like colonies. These cells expressed ESC-specific genes and were competent to differentiate into all three germ layers and germ cells, indicating the successful generation of myoblast-derived iPSCs. Continuous expression of the MyoD gene, a master transcription factor for skeletal muscle specification, inhibited this reprogramming process in myoblasts. In contrast, reprogramming myoblasts isolated from mice lacking the MyoD gene led to an increase in reprogramming efficiency. Our data also indicated that Oct4 acts as a transcriptional suppressor of MyoD gene expression through its interaction with the upstream enhancer region. Taken together, these results indicate that suppression of MyoD gene expression by Oct4 is required for the initial reprogramming step in the development of iPSCs from myoblasts. This data suggests that the skeletal muscle system provides a well-defined differentiation model to further elaborate on the effects of iPSC reprogramming in somatic cells.
Curcumin prevents haloperidol‐induced development of abnormal oro‐facial movements: Possible implications of Bcl‐XL in its mechanism of action
Authors: Sookram Christal , Tan Mattea , Daya Ritesh , Heffernan Spencer , Mishra Ram K.
Published: January 2011

Curcumin (Curcuma Longa Linn), the active component of turmeric, has been shown to be effective in ameliorating several stress and drug‐induced disorders in rats and humans. However, it is unclear whether short term curcumin administration can prevent the abnormal oro‐facial movements (AOFM) which develop following blockade of dopamine D2 receptors by antagonist such as Haloperidol. The objective of this study is to determine whether short term treatment with curcumin along with Haloperidol can prevent the development of AOFM in rats. Male Sprague Dawley rats were administered curcumin at 200 mg/kg, and Haloperidol at 2 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks, and AOFMs and locomotor activity were assessed at baseline, day 7 and day 14. By day 14, rats receiving concurrent curcumin administration had a significant reduction in the incidence of Haloperidol‐induced AOFMs, but no change on the Haloperidol‐induced hypolocomotion. There was no spiked increase in locomotor activity in absence of challenge with dopamine D2 receptor agonist. The exact mechanism by which curcumin attenuates AOFMs remains unknown, therefore, we performed a proteomic analysis of the striatal samples obtained from control and curcumin treated groups. A number of proteins were altered by curcumin, among them an antiapoptotic protein, Bcl‐XL, was significantly upregulated. These results suggest that curcumin may be a promising treatment to prevent the development of AOFMs and further suggest some therapeutic value in the treatment of movement disorders. Synapse 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mefloquine effects on ventral tegmental area dopamine and GABA neuron inhibition: A physiologic role for connexin‐36 GAP junctions
Authors: Allison David W. , Wilcox Rebecca S. , Ellefsen Kyle L. , Askew Caitlin E. , Hansen David M. , Wilcox Jeffrey D. , Sandoval Stephanie S. , Eggett Dennis L. , Yanagawa Yuchio , Steffensen Scott C.
Published: January 2011

Connexin‐36 (Cx36) gap junctions (GJs) appear to be involved in the synchronization of GABA interneurons in many brain areas. We have previously identified a population of Cx36‐connected ventral tegmental area (VTA) GABA neurons that may regulate mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, a system implicated in reward from both natural behaviors and drugs of abuse. The aim of this study was to determine the effect mefloquine (MFQ) has on midbrain DA and GABA neuron inhibition, and the role Cx36 GJs play in regulating midbrain VTA DA neuron activity in mice. In brain slices from adolescent wild‐type (WT) mice the Cx36‐selective GJ blocker mefloquine (MFQ, 25 μM) increased VTA DA neuron sIPSC frequency sixfold, and mIPSC frequency threefold. However, in Cx36 KO mice, MFQ only increased sIPSC and mIPSC frequency threefold. The nonselective GJ blocker carbenoxolone (CBX, 100 μM) increased DA neuron sIPSC frequency twofold in WT mice, did not affect Cx36 KO mouse sIPSCs, and did not affect mIPSCs in WT or Cx36 KO mice. Interestingly, MFQ had no effect on VTA GABA neuron sIPSC frequency. We also examined MFQ effects on VTA DA neuron firing rate and current‐evoked spiking in WT and Cx36 KO mice, and found that MFQ decreased WT DA neuron firing rate and current‐evoked spiking, but did not alter these measures in Cx36 KO mice. Taken together these findings suggest that blocking Cx36 GJs increases VTA DA neuron inhibition, and that GJs play in key role in regulating inhibition of VTA DA neurons. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Children as codesigners of new technologies: Valuing the imagination to transform what is possible
Authors: Druin Allison
Published: January 2011

The technological complexity and richness of a child's environment today is far beyond what any adults today experienced when they were growing up. For example, no adult today knows what it is like to be a four‐year‐old using his or her first iPhone app or Webkinz account. Therefore, we seek ways to understand what children need in today's new technologies even without ourselves being children. Since 1999, young people ages seven to eleven have been the author's partners in codesigning new educational technologies at the University of Maryland's Human‐Computer Interaction Lab. This work has helped inform who children are—what matters to them, what technologies need to be changed, and what needs to be built for the future. This work uses cooperative inquiry, a set of codesign methods that can enable adults and children to share their ideas while minimizing the differences in age and communication styles. This article describes low‐tech methods for brainstorming, offering feedback, and supporting creative change in technology prototype designs. Examples of technologies are discussed and insights from children shared.
Ligand Exchange Processes on Solvated Beryllium Cations V. Water Exchange on [Be(X)(H2O)3]+ (X: H–,F–, Cl–, Br–, OH–, CN–, NCNCN–)‡
Authors: Budimir Ana , Walther Markus , Puchta Ralph , van Eldik Rudi
Published: January 2011

The water exchange reaction of BeII complexes in the series [Be(X)(H2O)3]+ (X = H–, F–, Cl–, Br–, OH–, CN–, NCNCN–) was studied by DFT calculations (RB3LYP/6‐311+G**) and identified as an associative interchange mechanism. The influence of X on the activation energies was examined and found to be largely negligible, thus making them all act as spectator ligands. The energies for addition of a fourth water molecule, representing the second coordination sphere, were approximately half of that found for similar dicationic complexes and close to that found for monocationic species like [Li(H2O)4]+.
Development and Validation of a Higher-Throughput Equilibrium Dialysis Assay for Plasma Protein Binding
Authors: van Liempd Sebastiaan , Morrison Denise , Sysmans Leen , Nelis Paul , Mortishire-Smith Russell
Published: January 2011

We describe the practical aspects of developing a semiautomated, higher-throughput plasma protein binding (PPB) assay. The assay has a capacity of 32 PPB measurements per screen using triplicate incubations per measurement, and it is flexible with respect to the number of compounds and the number of plasma types used. The described method is based on the 48-well format rapid equilibrium dialysis (RED) device in combination with a robotic liquid handling platform and quantitative bioanalysis. The RED device method was optimized with respect to equilibration time. Method validation was performed by comparison of results from the semiautomated RED PPB assay with both of those obtained using an alternative, manual equilibrium dialysis method and with literature values. Propranolol and warfarin were used as control compounds. We have modeled the effect of dialysis membrane leakage on the measured unbound fraction and implemented a test for measuring protein content in the buffer compartment to confirm the integrity of each insert of the RED device. With the described method, it is possible to screen a relatively large number of compounds for PPB in a drug discovery environment.
Evolution of a coastal alluvial deposit in response to the last Quaternary marine transgression, Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina
Authors: Giagante Darío Andrés , Aliotta Salvador , Ginsberg Silvia Susana , Vecchi Laura Gabriela , Spagnuolo Jorge Osvaldo
Published: January 2011

The purpose of this research is to analyze the seismostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental features of an ancient fluvial deposit characterized by the presence of paleochannels and sedimentary structures in Bahía Blanca estuary, Argentina. To this end, high-resolution seismic methods were used. Paleochannels exhibiting v-shaped cuts were found at different topographic positions at the base of this deposit. It was observed that channel silting is indicative of the relative change of river base level and the consequent migration of fluvial tributaries. This alluvial deposit is composed of low compacted fine sand and its middle–upper facies is characterized by the presence of horizontal and discontinuous wavy reflectors. The upper boundary of this deposit is an erosive discontinuity resulting from Holocene sea-level rise during which the mouth of old fluvial courses underwent changes. The deposit was subsequently buried by sandy and clayey silt sediments. The paleodrainage at subbottom indicates that this deposit is associated with an ancient river mouth. Based on the seismostratigraphic and lithological characteristics and the paleochannel structures found in the study area, it can be concluded that the deposit analyzed is an alluvial sequence formed in the period from the Middle-Late Pleistocene to Holocene marine transgression.
ANALYSIS OF GAPS AND POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS FOR IMPROVING WATER PRODUCTIVITY IN CROP LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS OF ETHIOPIA
Authors: DESCHEEMAEKER KATRIEN , AMEDE TILAHUN , HAILESLASSIE AMARE , BOSSIO DEBORAH
Published: January 2011

Low crop and livestock productivities in the mixed farming systems of Ethiopia hamper efforts to meet the increasing food demands from a stressed natural resource base. Important reasons for the low agricultural productivity are water scarcity and poor spatial and temporal rainfall distribution. Although improving agricultural water productivity would safeguard people's livelihoods and the environment, the lack of information on best bet interventions and strategies to achieve this impedes targeted decision making. Therefore, the aim of this study was to conduct an ex-ante evaluation of the potential effect of selected interventions on livestock water productivity (LWP) in mixed crop-livestock systems. Baseline data were collected from a water scarce area in the Ethiopian highlands. An analysis of productivity gaps and stakeholder interviews helped to identify promising interventions, which were categorized in three groups related to feed, water and animal management. A spreadsheet model was developed that was composed of the various production components of the farming system, their interactions and influencing factors. By linking water use for feed production with livestock products through the energy supplied by the feeds, the potential effect of interventions on LWP could be simulated. The evaluation showed that the various interventions targeting feed, water and animal management could result in LWP improvements ranging from 4 to 94%. Feed and energy water productivity increased particularly with interventions like fertilizer application, and the introduction of fodder trees, concentrates, improved food-feed crops, and soil and water conservation measures. Combining the different interventions led to a stronger improvement than any of the single interventions. The results of the evaluation can inform policy-makers and development actors on which best bets to promote and invest in.
IMPROVING WATER PRODUCTIVITY IN CROP-LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS OF DROUGHT-PRONE REGIONS: EDITORIAL COMMENT
Authors: AMEDE TILAHUN , TARAWALI SHIRLEY , PEDEN DON
Published: January 2011

Crop-livestock systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are mostly rainfall-dependent and based on fragmented marginal lands that are vulnerable to soil erosion, drought and variable weather conditions. The threat of water scarcity in these systems is real, due to expanding demand for food and feed, climate variability and inappropriate land use (Amede et al., 2009). According to recent estimates, farming, industrial and urban needs in developing countries will increase water demand by 40% by 2030 (FAO, 2009). Water shortage is expected to be severe in areas where the amount of rainfall will decrease due to climate change. The lack of capacity of communities living in drought-prone regions to respond to market opportunities, climatic variability and associated water scarcity also results from very low water storage facilities, poverty and limited institutional capacities to efficiently manage the available water resources at local, national and basin scales. The spiral of watershed degradation causes decline in water budgets (Awlachew and Ayana, 2011), decreases soil fertility and reduces farm incomes in SSA (Amede and Taboge, 2007) and reduces crop and livestock water productivity (Descheemaeker et al., 2011). In areas where irrigated agriculture is feasible, there is an increasing demand for water and competition among different users and uses.
Global stability of swept flow around a parabolic body: features of the global spectrum
Authors: MACK CHRISTOPH J. , SCHMID PETER J.
Published: January 2011

The global temporal stability of three-dimensional compressible flow about a yawed parabolic body of infinite span is investigated using an iterative eigenvalue technique in combination with direct numerical simulations. The computed global spectrum provides a comprehensive picture of the temporal perturbation dynamics of the flow, and a wide and rich variety of modes has been uncovered for the investigated parameter choices: stable and unstable boundary-layer modes, different types of stable and unstable acoustic modes, and stable wavepacket modes have been found. A parameter study varying the spanwise perturbation wavenumber and the sweep Reynolds number reproduced a preferred spanwise length scale and a critical Reynolds number for a boundary-layer or acoustic instability. Convex leading-edge curvature has been found to have a strongly stabilizing effect on boundary-layer modes but only a weakly stabilizing effect on acoustic modes. Furthermore, for certain parameter choices, the acoustic modes have been found to dominate the boundary-layer modes.
Rural male leadership, religion and the environment in Thailand's mid-south, 1920s–1960s
Authors: Reynolds Craig J.
Published: January 2011

By considering the historical significance of a southern Thai policeman, Khun Phantharakratchadet (1898–2006), I aim to shift historical writing away from the court, the aristocracy and the capital even though the social setting is not merely ‘local’ or ‘peripheral’ but an amalgam of elements found throughout the country. I also want to give credit to local historians often dismissed for being parochial, untheoretical and disposed to myth-making, and to show how tantric practices (saiyasat), the arts of self-defence, policing, banditry and masculinity intersect in the career of this policeman, a native of the unique environment in the Songkhla lakes district.
Gibbs-like measure for spectrum of a class of quasi-crystals
Authors: FAN SHEN , LIU QING-HUI , WEN ZHI-YING
Published: January 2011

Let α∈(0,1) be an irrational, and [0;a1,a2,…] the continued fraction expansion of α. Let Hα,V be the one-dimensional Schrödinger operator with Sturmian potential of frequency α. Suppose the potential strength V >20 and the sequence (ai)i≥1 is bounded. We proceed by developing some new ideas on dimensional theory of Cookie-cutter sets. We prove that the spectral generating bands satisfy the principles of bounded variation and bounded covariation, and then we show that there exists a Gibbs-like measure on the spectrum σ(Hα,V). As an application, we prove that where s* and s* are the lower and upper pre-dimensions. Moreover, if (an)n≥1 is ultimately periodic, then s* =s*.
Robust and reversible execution of self-reconfiguration sequences
Authors: Schultz Ulrik , Bordignon Mirko , Stoy Kasper
Published: January 2011

Modular, self-reconfigurable robots are robotic systems that can change their own shape by autonomously rearranging the physical modules from which they are built. In this work, we are interested in how to distributedly execute a specified self-reconfiguration sequence. The sequence is specified using a simple and centralized scripting language, which either could be the outcome of a planner or be hand-coded. The distributed controller generated from this language allows for parallel self-reconfiguration steps and is highly robust to communication errors and loss of local state due to software failures. Furthermore, the self-reconfiguration sequence can automatically be reversed, if desired. We verify our approach and demonstrate its robustness in experiments using physical and the simulated ATRON modules, as well as simulated M-TRAN modules. Overall, the contribution of this work is the combination of the tractability of a centralized scripting language with the robustness and parallelism of distributed controllers in modular robots.
A characterization of the reconfiguration space of self-reconfiguring robotic systems
Authors: Larkworthy Tom , Ramamoorthy Subramanian
Published: January 2011

Motion planning for self-reconfiguring robots can be made efficient by exploiting potential reductions to suitably large subspaces. However, there are no general techniques for identifying suitable restrictions that have a positive effect on planning efficiency. We present two approaches to understanding the structure that is required of the subspaces, which leads to improvement in efficiency of motion planning. This work is presented in the context of a specific motion planning procedure for a hexagonal metamorphic robot. First, we use ideas from spectral graph theory – empirically estimating the algebraic connectivity of the state space – to show that the HMR model is better structured than many alternative motion catalogs. Secondly, using ideas from graph minor theory, we show that the infinite sequence of subspaces generated by configurations containing increasing numbers of subunits is well ordered, indicative of regularity of the space as complexity increases. We hope that these principles could inform future algorithm design for many different types of self-reconfiguring robotics problems.
Efficient constant-velocity reconfiguration of crystalline robots
Authors: Aloupis Greg , Collette Sébastien , Damian Mirela , Demaine Erik D. , Flatland Robin , Langerman Stefan , O'Rourke Joseph , Pinciu Val , Ramaswami Suneeta , Sacristán Vera , Wuhrer Stefanie
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we propose novel algorithms for reconfiguring modular robots that are composed ofnatoms. Each atom has the shape of a unit cube and can expand/contract each face by half a unit, as well as attach to or detach from faces of neighboring atoms. For universal reconfiguration, atoms must be arranged in 2 × 2 × 2 modules. We respect certain physical constraints: each atom reaches at most constant velocity and can displace at most a constant number of other atoms. We assume that one of the atoms has access to the coordinates of atoms in the target configuration.

Our algorithms involve a total ofO(n2) atom operations, which are performed inO(n) parallel steps. This improves on previous reconfiguration algorithms, which either useO(n2) parallel steps or do not respect the constraints mentioned above. In fact, in the settings considered, our algorithms are optimal. A further advantage of our algorithms is that reconfiguration can take place within the union of the source and target configuration space, and only requires local communication.
A stochastic self-replicating robot capable of hierarchical assembly
Authors: Kaloutsakis Georgios , Chirikjian Gregory S.
Published: January 2011

This paper presents the development of a self-replicating mobile robot that functions by undergoing stochastic motions. The robot functions hierarchically. There are three stages in this hierarchy: (1) An initial pool of feed modules/parts together with one functional basic robot; (2) a collection of basic robots that are spontaneously formed out of these parts as a result of a chain reaction induced by stochastic motion of the initial seed robot at stage 1; (3) complex formations of joined basic robots from stage 2. In the first part of this paper we demonstrate basic stochastic self-replication in unstructured environments. A single functional robot moves around at random in a sea of stock modules and catalyzes the conversion of these modules into replicas. In the second part of the paper, the robots are upgraded with a layer that enables mechanical connections between robots. The replicas can then connect to each other and aggregate. Finally, self-reconfigurability is presented for two robotic aggregations.
Who needs theory anyway? The relationship between theory and practice of music education in a philosophical outlook
Authors: Westerlund Heidi , Väkevä Lauri
Published: January 2011

For a practicing arts educator, the relationship between theory and practice is often unproblematic: theory is considered to be irrelevant for the good practice. Considering the matter from an academic standpoint, one faces the distinction between poietic, or productive, and contemplative, or responsive, mindsets stemming from the classical philosophical tradition. Still more confusing is the question of the relationship between theory and philosophy; one's theory seems to follow one's chosen philosophical commitment, even to a degree that advocates of different philosophical stances do not necessarily understand each others' conceptions of theory.

In this article,1we examine the complex relationships between philosophy, theory and practice in music education. We shall begin with analysing different approaches to philosophy of music education. Proceeding towards more general conceptions of the relationship between theory and practice, we will examine the work of some of the well-known authors within the field of music education in order to pave way to a philosophical outlook that conceives the role of philosophy of music education as a form of cultural critique. The suggested alternative approach mediates between contemplative and poietic fields in pedagogical praxis. This guides us towards an understanding that considers theoretical concepts as philosophically loaded pragmatic tools that serve critical rationality embedded in practical action. From this standpoint there is indeed no need to cut theory apart from a good practice: both can be taken to serve the same master, philosophically informed way of living meaningfully.
Evaluating the relative effectiveness of alternative conservation interventions in influencing stated behavioural intentions: the saiga antelope in Kalmykia (Russia)
Authors: HOWE CAROLINE , MEDZHIDOV RUSLAN , MILNER-GULLAND E. J.
Published: January 2011

Evaluating the relative effectiveness of different conservation interventions is difficult and rarely undertaken. Conservation of the critically endangered saiga antelope in the Republic of Kalmykia (Russia) provides a unique experimental set-up that was used to disentangle this issue. This study uses the amount pledged for conservation, adapted from contingent valuation methods, as a measure of behavioural intention to contribute to saiga conservation, to evaluate conservation effectiveness. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 250 individuals in eight villages exposed to traditional ‘fences-and-fines’ conservation, livelihoods enhancement (social engagement) or low-level media coverage. The intervention employed had a direct effect on amount pledged for saiga conservation. Social engagement programmes decreased protest-bidding behaviour but resulted in low amounts pledged for saiga conservation. Those exposed to media coverage pledged the greatest amounts on average, whilst those exposed to traditional conservation had both a high level of protest bidding and low pledges from those who pledged something. The primary reason given for protest bids was that the government or international community should pay for conservation. This may be a relic from the Soviet era, and may explain low pledges for conservation under social engagement. Ecological knowledge strongly affected amount pledged. The results were influenced by cultural and demographic factors, including residence time, exposure to saigas, age, wealth and knowledge regarding conservation. This study is unusual in disentangling the effect of a conservation intervention from other factors, and proposes using amount pledged for conservation as a practical tool for evaluating the effectiveness of projects aimed at increasing awareness and promoting positive behavioural intentions towards conservation. It provides support for media awareness-raising as a successful conservation intervention.
Effect of age, GV transfer and modified nucleocytoplasmic ratio on PKCα in mouse oocytes and early embryos
Authors: Cui Long-Bo , Zhao Zhen-Jun , Zhou Xue-Ying , Li Qian , Huang Xiu-Ying , Sun Fang-Zhen
Published: January 2011

Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of Ser/Thr protein kinases that can be activated by Ca2+, phospholipid and diacylglycerol. There is evidence that PKC plays key roles in the meiotic maturation and activation of mammalian oocytes. The present study aimed to monitor the effect of age, germinal vesicle (GV) transfer and modified nucleoplasmic ratio on the subcellular distribution profile of PKCα, an important isozyme of PKC, in mouse oocytes undergoing meiotic maturation and following egg activation. Germinal vesicle oocytes were collected from 6–8-week-old and 12-month-old mice. Germinal vesicle-reconstructed oocytes and GV oocytes with one-half or one-third of the original oocyte volume were created using micromanipulation and electrofusion. The subcellular localization of PKCα was detected by immunocytochemistry and laser confocal microscopy. Our study showed that PKCα had a similar location pattern in oocytes and early embryos from young and old mice. PKCα was localized evenly in ooplasm, with weak staining in GV at the GV stage, and present in the entire meiosis II (MII) spindle at the MII stage. In pronuclear and 2-cell embryos, PKCα was concentrated in the nucleus except for the nucleolus. After the GV oocytes were reconstructed, the resultant MII oocytes and embryos showed a similar distribution of PKCα between reconstructed and unreconstructed controls. After one-half or two-thirds of the cytoplasm was removed from the GV oocytes, PKCα still had a similar location pattern in MII oocytes and early embryos from the GV oocytes with modified nucleoplasmic ratio. Our study showed that age, GV transfer and modified nucleocytoplasmic ratio does not affect distribution of PKCα during mouse oocyte maturation, activation, and early embryonic mitosis.
Political Science, Political Sex
Authors: Rollins Joe
Published: January 2011

Over two decades ago, anthropologist Gayle Rubin began a now-classic article with a deceptively simple declaration: “The time has come to think about sex” (1984). Although Rubin was not the first thinker to place sex at the center of her work, her systematic sketch of Western sexual ideology made it possible to think about the political ramifications of sex in new and productive ways by disentangling the physical acts of sex from gender and sexuality (i.e., how we understand, interpret, and ascribe meaning to those acts). Among her many useful insights was the recognition that sex and sexuality are part of a hierarchical value system that serves as the basis for other forms of social, economic, and political power. Sex is the starting point of all human life and, consequently, sexuality subtends all other institutions from marriage to families, communities, states, and international organizations. What Foucault (1978) calledbiopower—the regulation of bodies, including sex—has continued to change and expand, giving rise to new forms of biopolitics—the regulation of populations and sexuality. Such regulations include moral policing and criminal sanctions, biomedical intervention, family and immigration laws, and a host of other tools that have tended to establish heterosexuality as the only normal and sanctioned sexual behavior. Regulating sex, and particularly reproduction, is an essential objective of the state because, ultimately, sex and reproduction are key to how the state regulates the fundamental element of its own composition: citizenship.
Networks in Political Science: Back to the Future
Authors: Lazer David
Published: January 2011

What are the relational dimensions of politics? Does the way that people and organizations are connected to each other matter? Are our opinions affected by the people with whom we talk? Are legislators affected by lobbyists? Is the capacity of social movements to mobilize affected by the structure of societal networks? Powerful evidence in the literature answers each of these questions in the affirmative. However, compared to other paradigmatic foci, political science has invested tiny amounts of capacity in the study of the relevance of networks to political phenomena. Far more attention has been paid to the psychology of how people process information individually as opposed to collectively, and to the role that institutions play in structuring politics as opposed to the relational undergirdings of politics. A review of the flagship journals in political science reveals a dearth of articles on networks. Few, if any, doctoral programs include courses for which the primary focus is network-related ideas, and even the notion of a relational dependence in data is rarely mentioned in discussions of the assumptions embedded in the statistical methods that dominate political science.
Postmortems of the 2010 Midterm Election Forecasts: The Predicted Midterm Landslide
Authors: Campbell James E.
Published: January 2011

The “Seats in Trouble” forecasting model predicted in mid-August that Republicans would gain a landslide number of seats in the 2010 elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, and that this number would be sufficiently large to restore their majority control of the House, which was lost in the 2006 midterms. Republicans were predicted to gain approximately 51 or 52 seats, about the magnitude of their 1994 midterm victory and the largest seat change since the Truman-Dewey election of 1948. As predicted, on Election Day, Republicans won a landslide number of seats, enough to give them a substantial House majority.
A Proposal for Apportioning the House
Authors: Neubauer Michael G. , Gartner Margo G.
Published: January 2011

The year 2012 will mark a full century in which the size of the House of Representatives has held constant at 435. The 1910 census determined the population of the United States to be 92,228,496, which amounted to an average of one representative for every 212,000 persons. Following the 1910 census, Congress passed Public Law 62-5, which fixed the House size at 435. The law has never been repealed. In 2000, the census showed the population of the United States to be 298,757,310, or about 300 million. Consequently, in 2000, there was one representative for every 687,000 persons counted in the census, a more than threefold increase in district size since 1910. The average district size today is already greater than the populations of the four least populous states. According to population estimates, this average will further increase to 712,000 in 2010 and over 1 million by the middle of the twenty-first century. The 2010 census offers a great opportunity to renew debate about an increase in the size of the House.
Postmortems of the 2010 Midterm Election Forecasts: A Post-Mortem on “Will the Republicans Retake the House in 2010?”
Authors: Cuzán Alfred G.
Published: January 2011

A bare-bones, “economic performance” model of the number of seats won by the president's party in U.S. House of Representatives elections, estimated over the 1914–2008 period, yielded a point forecast of 227 seats for the Democrats, a net loss of 30 seats relative to what the party held at the start of the 111th Congress (if estimated with midterm elections only; 27 seats, if estimated with all elections). However, there was a great deal of uncertainty around that number, to the degree that there was “one chance in three or four that the Democrats [would] lose at least 40 seats,” enough to deprive them of a majority (Cuzán 2010a). Moreover, “the historical distribution of incumbent midterm losses” since 1914 suggested “that the odds of such an outcome occurring [were] around two in five,” so that “although the model forecasts lean against it, a change in party control cannot be dismissed tout court” (Cuzán 2010a, 640–41).
Experience and results obtained at the ESRF with high-precision air bearing motion systems
Authors: Marion P. , Ducotte L. , Nicola M. , van der Kleij H. P. , Eybert L. , Gagliardini E. , Dabin Y. , Bernard P.
Published: January 2011

In high-accuracy motion stages, the positioning accuracy at the point of interest is strongly influenced by guiding errors: for translation motions, straightness errors and angular errors (pitch, yaw and roll); for rotation motions, axial, radial and tilt errors. When air bearings are used for guiding, the air film averages out local irregularities of bearings surfaces, which helps reduce guiding errors considerably. Some results obtained with air bearing precision systems designed and manufactured by specialized companies and tested at ESRF are described below.
Cell polarity during motile processes: keeping on track with the exocyst complex
Authors: Hertzog Maud , Chavrier Philippe
Published: January 2011

Motile processes are critical for several physiological and pathological situations such as embryonic development, tumour dissemination and metastasis. Migrating cells, or developing neurons, need to establish front–rear polarity consisting of actin-driven extension of the leading edge and traffic of components that are essential for membrane extension and cell adhesion at the front. Previously, several studies have suggested that the exocyst complex is critical for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. This octameric complex controls the docking and insertion of exocytic vesicles to growing areas of the plasma membrane. The aim of the present review is to detail recent advances concerning the molecular and structural organization of the exocyst complex that help to elucidate its role in cell polarity. We will also review the function of the exocyst complex and some of its key interacting partners [including the small GTP-binding protein Ral, aPKCs (atypical protein kinase Cs) and proteins involved in actin assembly] in the formation of plasma extensions at the leading edge, growth cone formation during axonal extension and generation of cell movement.
Wnt3a stimulation elicits G-protein-coupled receptor properties of mammalian Frizzled proteins
Authors: Koval Alexey , Katanaev Vladimir L.
Published: January 2011

Receptors of the Fz (Frizzled) family initiate Wnt ligand-dependent signalling controlling multiple steps in organism development and carcinogenesis. Fz proteins possess seven transmembrane domains, and their signalling depends on heterotrimeric G-proteins in various organisms; however, Fz proteins constitute a distinct group within the GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor) superfamily, and Fz signalling can be G-protein-independent in some experimental setups, leading to concerns about the GPCR nature of these proteins. In the present study, we demonstrate that mammalian Fz proteins act as GPCRs on heterotrimeric Go/i proteins. Addition of the Wnt3a ligand to rat brain membranes or cultured cells elicits Fz-dependent guanine-nucleotide exchange on Go/i proteins. These responses were sensitive to a Wnt antagonist and to pertussis toxin, which decouples the Go/i proteins from their receptors through covalent modification. The results of the present study provide the long-awaited biochemical proof of the GPCR nature of Fz receptors.
Oxalate Bridged Copper Pyrazole Complex Templated Anderson-Evans Cluster Based Solids
Authors: Pavani Katikaneani , Singh Monika , Ramanan Arunachalam
Published: January 2011

The synthesis of four new Anderson-Evans type cluster based solids was carried out from an aqueous solution containing sodium molybdate, chromium chloride, cupric chloride and pyrazole at room temperature: [{Cr3O(CH3COO)6(H2O)3}2{H7CrMo6O24}]·24H2O, 1; [{Cu2(ox)(pz)4}{H7CrMo6O24}]·11H2O, 3; [{Cu(pz)2(H2O)2}{Cu2(ox)(pz)4}{H5CrMo6O24}]·8H2O, 4; and [{Cu(pz)3Cl}{Cu2(ox)(pz)4}{H6CrMo6O24}]·8H2O, 5. In 1, the discrete Anderson-Evans cluster aggregates with trimeric chromium acetate cationic complex through supramolecular interactions. In 3–5, the Anderson-Evans cluster is covalently linked into a 1D chain through oxalate bridged copper pyrazole units. In 3, the chains are further stabilized by water oligomers. In 4 and 5, the chains are covalently linked into 2D sheets by different copper pyrazole complexes. The oxalate molecules in 3–5 are probably generated in situ in the reaction medium, through a reductive coupling of dissolved carbon dioxide assisted by copper pyrazole units.
Replication infidelity via a mismatch with Watson–Crick geometry
Authors: Bebenek Katarzyna , Pedersen Lars C. , Kunkel Thomas A.
Published: January 2011

In describing the DNA double helix, Watson and Crick suggested that “spontaneous mutation may be due to a base occasionally occurring in one of its less likely tautomeric forms.” Indeed, among many mispairing possibilities, either tautomerization or ionization of bases might allow a DNA polymerase to insert a mismatch with correct Watson–Crick geometry. However, despite substantial progress in understanding the structural basis of error prevention during polymerization, no DNA polymerase has yet been shown to form a natural base–base mismatch with Watson–Crick-like geometry. Here we provide such evidence, in the form of a crystal structure of a human DNA polymerase λ variant poised to misinsert dGTP opposite a template T. All atoms needed for catalysis are present at the active site and in positions that overlay with those for a correct base pair. The mismatch has Watson–Crick geometry consistent with a tautomeric or ionized base pair, with the pH dependence of misinsertion consistent with the latter. The results support the original idea that a base substitution can originate from a mismatch having Watson–Crick geometry, and they suggest a common catalytic mechanism for inserting a correct and an incorrect nucleotide. A second structure indicates that after misinsertion, the now primer-terminal G•T mismatch is also poised for catalysis but in the wobble conformation seen in other studies, indicating the dynamic nature of the pathway required to create a mismatch in fully duplex DNA.
CD8
+
T regulatory cells express the Ly49 Class I MHC receptor and are defective in autoimmune prone B6-Yaa mice
Authors: Kim Hye-Jung , Wang Xuan , Radfar Soroosh , Sproule Thomas J. , Roopenian Derry C. , Cantor Harvey
Published: January 2011

The immune system includes a subpopulation of CD8
+
T cells equipped to inhibit the expansion of follicular T helper (T
FH
) cells, resulting in suppression of autoantibody production and associated lupus-like disease. These CD8
+
T regulatory (Treg) cells recognize Qa-1/peptide complexes on target T
FH
cells and depend on the IL-15 cytokine for development and function. Here we show that these CD8
+
Treg cells express a triad of surface receptors—CD44, CD122, and the class I MHC receptor Ly49—and account for <5% of CD8
+
T cells. Moreover, the development of systemic lupus erythematosus-like disease in B6-
Yaa
mutant mice is associated with a pronounced defect in CD8
+
Treg cell activity, suggesting that this regulatory subset may represent an effective therapeutic approach to systemic lupus erythematosus-like autoimmune disease.
Framing from grammar to application
Authors: Sambre Paul
Published: January 2011

This thematic issue of the BJL presents eight contributions on the notion of framing, ranging from theoretical to applied perspectives, and reflecting a range of issues on lexico-grammatical and discourse issues. More than forty years after Charles Fillmore’s (1968, 1977) seminal work on case grammar, the general objective of this volume is to show the vividness of the linguistic debate which arose out of Fillmore’s frame semantics. We do so both by bringing together a range of empirical materials reaching from strictly grammatical and lexical to discourse patterns, and by stimulating discussions with other, cognitively or socially oriented models and applications.
More specifically, the contributions in this volume cluster around two axes. The first one concentrates on how a form-meaning model of language in frame semantics interacts not only with its ‘sister theory’ of construction grammar (Östman and Fried 2004: 5) and other cognitive frameworks, but also with work on framing from a social perspective. The second axis deals with applying these sister theories to objects and corpora of different dimensions, from lexico-grammatical issues at the sentence level to larger stretches of discourse.
A frame-based approach to modality
Authors: Furmaniak Gregory
Published: January 2011

This paper sets out to demonstrate that the complex semantic structure underlying a modal concept such as OBLIGATION can only be characterized relative to a frame (or script) based on — but not limited to — a core force-dynamic configuration. It is assumed that the distributional properties of expressions of OBLIGATION throw light upon the more peripheral components of the script, among which the notion of volition is shown to play a substantial role. It is also argued that this script, conceived as a template, receives further semantic specifications when it is activated in discourse. These specifications account for the various uses of forms expressing the same notion.
Finally, it is suggested that an analysis of other modal concepts along the same lines would provide a valuable insight into the semantics of modality as a conceptual category and a key to understanding the linguistic properties of modal expressions.
You want to be careful
Authors: Verplaetse Heidi
Published: January 2011

The current contribution considers the use of the emerging modal forms want to / wanna for the speech act of advice with reference to two cognitive frameworks, viz. force dynamics and frame semantics. It is held that a volitional semantic core is projected in terms of wanting as a force dynamic experience which extends to the addressee as a mental extrapolation. In frame semantic terms the resulting speech act generates a new frame and new participant roles, so that the category “Attempt_suasion” is proposed as an addition for the verb form want in FrameNet. The interprations in terms of both theoretical frameworks are further supported by the case of second person want to / wanna for advice with an added question tag, representing respectively a lifted barrier and a frame shift, and illustrating the added potential of the forms in terms of face, when compared to the modal should.
“The suburbs are exploding”
Authors: Peeters Stefanie
Published: January 2011

Ever since Lakoff and Johnson (1980) introduced their Conceptual Metaphor Theory, metaphors have been seen as important ‘framing devices’: as metaphor involves constructing one conceptual domain in terms of another, the choice of the latter (or source domain) affects how the former (or target domain) is represented.
Based on a corpus of French written press reporting, this article will, on the one hand, show that the notion of ‘framing’ is, in line with the findings of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, useful for analysing metaphors as well as for indicating their constructive force. On the other hand, however, this article will defend the idea that an analysis of metaphors in terms of frames does not always suffice and needs to be complemented. Following a recent strand in metaphor studies that shows an increasing awareness of the importance of studying metaphors as linguistic and discursive phenomena (cf. Cameron, 2003; Semino, 2008), we will claim that a more co-text-oriented metaphor approach has to be adopted to account for the nuances and evaluative associations metaphors are able to convey.