bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hochschulprivatisierung und akademische Freiheit
Authors: Fernández Darraz Enrique , Lenhardt Gero , Reisz Robert D. , Stock Manfred
Published: September 2014

Neoliberale Reformer wollen den Staat im Hochschulwesen zurückdrängen. Lehrende und Lernende sollen zu Marktteilnehmern werden, die Fachschulung als Dienstleistung handeln. Allerdings: Wenn die bürgerrechtliche Ordnung an Wirksamkeit gewinnt, kann statt marktwirtschaftlicher Zwänge auch die akademische Freiheit expandieren. Welche der beiden Alternativen sich in den Hochschulen tatsächlich durchsetzt, ist Thema dieser vergleichenden Studie des Hochschulwesens in Deutschland, USA, Rumänien und Chile. Sie wendet sich an alle, die sich für die Hochschulbildung interessieren.
Vermessung des Verbrechers
Authors: Kailer Thomas
Published: September 2014

Die Praxis der »Kriminalbiologischen Untersuchung« unterwarf Strafgefangene in Bayern detaillierten Vermessungs- und Erfassungspraktiken: 1923 mit dem Ziel eingerichtet, besserungsfähige von unverbesserlichen Verbrechern unterscheiden zu können, wurden mit dieser Methode Biographie, Leben und Persönlichkeit von Gefangenen bestimmt, ihre Körper vermessen und sie selbst sowie ihre Verwandten erbbiologisch erfasst. Unter wissenshistorischer Perspektive gibt Thomas Kailer Einblicke in diese extensiven Vermessungs- und Erfassungspraktiken, die von der kriminalbiologischen Annahme eines Zusammenhangs von biologischer Disposition und Kriminalität dominiert waren.
Schreiben ein Leben lang
Authors: Rüttinger Denise
Published: September 2014

Der jüdische Romanist Victor Klemperer (1881-1960) ist für seine Tagebücher aus der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus bekannt. Diese erste rein literaturwissenschaftliche Untersuchung seiner Aufzeichnungen zeigt: Klemperers Diarien sind Ausdruck des Versuchs, die eigene Existenz in einen überdauernden Kontext einzuschreiben. Die Analyse seiner vollständigen originalen Tagebücher im Spiegel seiner schriftstellerischen, journalistischen, wissenschaftlichen und autobiographischen Werke offenbart ein komplexes Netzwerk aus unterschiedlichen Schriften, das nicht nur Lebensereignisse autobiographisch fixiert, sondern zumindest phasenweise literarischen Anspruch aufweist.
Räume kollektiver Identität
Authors: Golova Tatiana
Published: September 2014

Wie wird kollektive Identität in einer sozialen Bewegung konstruiert? Wie wird dadurch gemeinsames Handeln ermöglicht? Tatiana Golova geht der Annahme nach, dass Prozesse kollektiver Identitätsbildung unter anderem mittels interaktiver Raumproduktion im Alltag ablaufen: Indem Bewegungsaktivisten temporäre oder langfristige Räume in der Stadt durchsetzen, entwickeln sie kollektive Macht. Dieses Buch schlägt ein theoretisches Konzept der Verräumlichung kollektiver Identität vor und wendet es in einer ethnographischen Studie der Berliner »linken Szene« an. Neben Szenekneipen werden Freiraum-Diskurse und Demonstrationen in Bezug auf die Mobilisierung und die emotional-körperliche Identitätskonstruktion untersucht.
Read me!
Authors: Meerhoff Jasmin
Published: September 2014

Mehrdeutige Zeichnungen, unverständliche Fachbegriffe und mangelhafte Übersetzungen - die Bedienungsanleitung ist Gegenstand von Klagen, Spott und Aggression. Sie ist das Medium, das stört. Sie operiert an der Kontaktstelle von Mensch und Maschine und hat viel darüber zu berichten: von der wechselseitigen Konditionierung, von Verantwortung und phantasievollen (Miss-)Bräuchen. Diese Studie zur Theorie und Geschichte der Bedienungsanleitung zeigt auf, wie Relationen gestiftet, Informationen über- und Interessen vermittelt werden. Sie untersucht, wie wir den Umgang mit der Welt der Dinge erlernen und uns dabei gleichzeitig selbst programmieren.
Die Erfindung des Raums
Authors: Lestringant Frank
Published: September 2014

Dieses Buch ist eine Reise in die Kartographie-, Religions- und Literaturgeschichte der Frühen Neuzeit und gibt zum ersten Mal in deutscher Übersetzung einen Einblick in die Studien des französischen Renaissance-Forschers Frank Lestringant. Stilistisch ebenso brillant wie historisch präzise untersucht der Reiseliteratur-Spezialist nicht nur das Verhältnis von Kartographie und Literatur von Olaus Magnus bis François Rabelais, sondern wirft auch die Frage auf, wie Europa in der Auseinandersetzung mit fernen Welten seine eigene Fremdheit entdecken kann.
Mensch und Weltkultur
Authors: Antweiler Christoph
Published: September 2014

Die global vernetzte Welt wird kleiner und lässt uns nach kulturübergreifenden Orientierungen suchen. Politik und Religion brauchen ein Gespräch darüber, was die Einheit der Menschheit ausmacht. Wie kann eine humane Weltkultur aussehen, die Erfahrungen der europäischen Welt nicht einfach universalisiert? Christoph Antweiler bringt die Debatte um globale Ethik erstmals mit breiten kulturvergleichenden Erkenntnissen zusammen und befragt zentrale Positionen zu Kosmopolitismus und Weltgesellschaft, etwa von Anthony Appiah und Martha Nussbaum, auf ihre Tauglichkeit für den interkulturellen Umgang.
Theater der Identität
Authors: Wessely Katharina
Published: September 2014

Auch nach dem Machtverlust, den das Kriegsende 1918 für die deutschsprachige Brünner Bevölkerung bedeutete, blieb das Theater wichtiger Bezugspunkt im gesellschaftlichen Leben und einer der bevorzugten Orte, an denen sich Identitätskonzepte in Diskursen und sozialen Praktiken manifestierten. Katharina Wessely zeigt die Rolle des Theaters für die Entwicklung und Diskussion der verschiedenen Identitätskonzepte der Brünner Deutschen auf. »Theater« wird dabei als komplexes System verstanden: als Ort künstlerischer Umsetzung dramatischer Texte, als Interaktionsraum zwischen Bühne und Publikum, als Betrieb und Organisationsform sowie als Diskussionsraum.
Wie Popmusik bedeutet
Authors: Petras Ole
Published: September 2014

Popmusik ist zu einem komplexen Forschungsgegenstand geworden, bei dem diverse Idiome, Medien und Lesarten interagieren. Die Analyse erfolgt zumeist aus dem Blickwinkel einer singulären Disziplin, etwa der Musik-, Literatur-, Medien- oder Sozialwissenschaft. Jedoch bleibt dabei das Zusammenspiel der einzelnen Komponenten - und mit ihm das Deutungsspektrum des popmusikalischen Textgewebes - notwendig außen vor. Ole Petras entwickelt einen methodischen Ansatz, der stattdessen nach dem Wie der Sinnproduktion fragt und jene Regeln erforscht, die die Verbindung einzelner bedeutungstragender Elemente organisieren. Er zeigt: Was Popmusik bedeutet, ist nachrangig, wenn wir wissen, wie Bedeutung entsteht.
spielend denken
Authors: Sack Mira
Published: September 2014

Probenprozesse bedingen ein Wechselverhältnis zwischen konzeptionellen Überlegungen und spielerischer Suche. Theaterpädagogische Didaktik ist dabei die Kunst, zwischen diesen Parametern zu vermitteln. Ideen und Ideale von Kunst und Bildung treffen dabei auf Eigensinn und Besonderheiten der Darsteller. Die Dramaturgie des Probens bestimmt, aus welchen Haltungen heraus Handlungs- und Erfahrungsspielräume erschlossen werden. Im Kontext einer performativen Bildungsprozesstheorie begründet Mira Sack essenzielle Aspekte theaterpädagogischen Handelns. Dabei hebt sie das Ineinander von Spielen und Denken als zentrale Achse von Interaktionen hervor und verfolgt deren qualitatives Potenzial entlang von Prozessen des Produzierens.
Der Golem-Effekt
Authors: Chihaia Matei
Published: September 2014

Meyrinks Bestseller »Der Golem« und der Stummfilm, in dem sich eine kabbalistisch belebte Lehmfigur ihrem Schöpfer entzieht, durchbrechen geläufige Vorstellungen von Fiktion. In beiden wird vorgeführt, wie Kunstwerke lebendig werden oder Menschen mit Kunstfiguren interagieren können. Dass sich zeitgleich ähnliche ästhetische Paradoxe auch in den Erzählungen südamerikanischer Autoren wie Quiroga, Borges, Bioy Casares, Palma, Hernández oder Cortázar finden, hängt eng mit dem gemeinsamen Bezug auf das unvertraute Medium des Kinos zusammen. Matei Chihaia zeigt, wie in diesen Texten die Durchdringung einer filmischen Parallelwelt mit der Lebenswelt des Zuschauers, dessen Desorientierung oder Reorientierung, zu einem phantastischen »Golem-Effekt« stilisiert wird.
Negative Poetik
Authors: Schönthaler Philipp
Published: September 2014

Im Zuge der Destruktionsgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts haben klassische Erzählpositionen ihre Legitimation eingebüßt. Anhand dreier prominenter Autoren - Thomas Bernhard, W.G. Sebald und Imre Kertész - weist dieses Buch sämtliche Setzungsakte von Erzähler und Erzählung als paradigmatisches Problem der Literatur nach 1945 aus. Das kritische Potenzial einer negativen Poetik, das Philipp Schönthaler in seiner Lektüre der Autoren erarbeitet, befragt die Nachkriegsliteratur auf ihre inhaltlichen und formalen Einsätze. - Eine innovative Perspektive, die zugleich gängige Positionen der Gedächtnis- und Erinnerungsliteratur, Holocaustforschung und Narratologie konfrontiert und zur Disposition stellt.
Europa zwischen Grenzkontrolle und Flüchtlingsschutz
Authors: Klepp Silja
Published: September 2014

Die Außengrenzen sind zu einem umkämpften Raum der EU-Politik zwischen Grenzkontrollen und Flüchtlingsrechten geworden. Silja Klepp stellt diese Aushandlungskämpfe in einer Ethnographie der Seegrenze dar. Forschungsreisen entlang der Küsten von Libyen, Italien und Malta verbinden sich zu einem einzigartig dichten Blick auf die Zwänge und Handlungslogiken der Akteure im Grenzraum. Auf der Spur der Flüchtlinge von Süden nach Norden werden die Lage der Migrantinnen in Libyen, die Grenzschutzagentur Frontex und die Verhältnisse auf See sowie schließlich Haftzentren und andere Grenzeinrichtungen in den Ankunftsorten Malta und Süditalien illustriert und auf die europäische Politik rückbezogen. Eine intensive Perspektive auf einen umstrittenen Teil der europäischen Außenpolitik.
Die traumatisierte Nation?
Authors: Hartwig Marcel
Published: September 2014

Die mediale Verarbeitung des 11. Septembers 2001 - so die zentrale These dieses Buchs - ist in den USA maßgeblich durch die Erinnerung an Pearl Harbor geprägt: Beide Anschläge waren auch Angriffe auf die nationale Identität. Vor dem Hintergrund kulturwissenschaftlicher Diskussionen um kulturelle, nationale oder kollektive Traumata diskutiert die amerikanistische Studie von Marcel Hartwig Ästhetik und Erzählmodi von insgesamt elf Hollywoodproduktionen zu beiden Ereignissen. Damit leistet sie einen ebenso instruktiven wie innovativen Beitrag zur Untersuchung des jüngeren Nationenbildungsprozesses in den USA.
Das Geschlecht der Depression
Authors: Teuber Nadine
Published: September 2014

Depressionsdiagnosen nehmen weltweit zu. Das Bild der Depression ist dabei statistisch und ikonographisch das einer Frau. Frauen sind einem doppelt hohen Depressionsrisiko ausgesetzt und Weiblichkeitsstereotype erscheinen als Ausdruck depressiver Symptome. Dieses Buch widmet sich der Darstellung und Untersuchung der konzeptuellen Verflechtungen von kulturellen Geschlechternormen im Depressionsdiskurs. Nadine Teuber folgt hierfür den Spuren des vergeschlechtlichten Umgangs mit Verlusten aus medizinisch-psychologischer, psychoanalytischer und kulturwissenschaftlicher Perspektive - von der »melancholischen Männlichkeit« der Antike bis zur modernen Medikalisierung »depressiver Weiblichkeit«.
Raum-Zeiten im Umbruch
Authors: Lay Brander Miriam
Published: September 2014

Im Sevilla um 1600, das sich als »Tor zur Neuen Welt« zu einem wissenschaftlichen, kommerziellen und kulturellen Zentrum entwickelt hat, verdichten sich typisch frühneuzeitliche Konfrontationen zwischen dem Eigenen und dem Fremden, dem Alten und dem Neuen, zwischen empirischer Öffnung und allegorischer Schließung. Diese Spannungen artikulieren sich in Form von raum-zeitlichen Konstellationen in den verschiedensten Textgattungen. Miriam Lay Brander untersucht die wechselseitige Abhängigkeit von Raum- und Zeitkonzeptionen und begegnet so der Einseitigkeit des Spatial Turn mit einer theoretischen Ausgewogenheit von Raum und Zeit.
Ästhetik des Chaos in der Karibik
Authors: Ueckmann Natascha
Published: September 2014

Karibische Literatur unterläuft die Narrative des wissenden (weißen, kolonialen) Subjekts. Natascha Ueckmanns literaturästhetische Zusammenschau der aktuellen franko- und hispanokaribischen Postplantagen-Literatur dient dazu, Geschichts-, Kultur- und Identitätskonzepte in Gesellschaften zu beleuchten, die das Vermächtnis der Verschleppung und Versklavung sowie der Kreolisierung als gemeinsame historische Erfahrung teilen. Ziel der Studie ist die postkoloniale Umschreibung der Globalisierungsgeschichte - durch Einschreibung karibischer Literaturen und Kultur(theorie). Die Studie wurde ausgezeichnet mit dem Elise-Richter-Forschungspreis des Deutschen Romanistenverbandes.
Kunstwerk Computerspiel - Digitale Spiele als künstlerisches Material
Authors: Schwingeler Stephan
Published: September 2014

Mit »Kunstwerk Computerspiel« liegt die erste fundierte kunstwissenschaftliche Untersuchung der Gattung Computerspiel vor. Stephan Schwingeler untersucht die medialen Eigenschaften digitaler Spiele grundsätzlich und beleuchtet ihre Verbindung zur Kunst anhand von auf den Spielen basierenden Kunstwerken. Er geht den verschiedenen Ansatzpunkten nach, mit denen meist kommerzielle Computerspiele durch einen modifizierenden Eingriff als künstlerisches Material genutzt werden. Durch die Analyse der Kunstwerke unter medientheoretischen und bildwissenschaftlichen Gesichtspunkten zeigt sich das Potenzial des Computerspiels, Kunstwerke hervorzubringen. Mit einem Vorwort von Peter Weibel.
Haneke
Authors: Müller Katharina
Published: September 2014

Michael Haneke ist nicht nur einer der renommiertesten Vertreter des europäischen Kinos. Seine Filme zählen, unter Einbeziehung von mitunter erstaunlichen und kuriosen Auslegungen, zu den meistkommentierten und umstrittensten der Filmgeschichte. Diese bislang umfassendste Einzelstudie zu Werk und Erfolg des Oscarpreisträgers verwehrt sich den üblichen Interpretationen und nähert sich differenziert vermittels Interviews der oftmals vorschnell etikettierten Erfolgsgeschichte Hanekes an: als Chronik einer abenteuerlichen Reise von Wien über Paris nach Cannes und bis nach Hollywood - getragen von den Gedanken des Regisseurs sowie von den Stimmen seiner Komplizen und Gegner.
Das konvivialistische Manifest
Authors:   Les Convivialistes
Published: September 2014

Eine andere Welt ist nicht nur möglich, sie ist auch absolut notwendig. Die globalen Probleme des Klimawandels, der Armut, sozialen Ungleichheit oder der Finanzkrise erfordern ein Umdenken und veränderte Formen des Zusammenlebens. Viele Bewegungen, Initiativen und Gruppierungen suchen aktuell schon nach alternativen Wegen. Ihnen allen gemeinsam ist das Streben nach einer neuen Kunst, miteinander zu leben (con-vivere). Konvivialismus bedeutet das Ausloten von Möglichkeiten, wie jenseits der Wachstumsgesellschaft ein Zusammenleben möglich sein kann, wie Sozialität, Konflikt und Individualität aufeinander bezogen werden und wie ökologisch und sozial nachhaltige Formen demokratischen Lebens ausschauen können. Eine neue politische Philosophie erscheint daher dringend geboten, und das weltweit diskutierte Manifest renommierter Autoren stellt als Minimalforderung klar: Eine solche neue Philosophie und Kunst des Zusammenlebens muss den Primat des Ökonomischen brechen und sich auf eine gemeinsame Menschheit und auf den Wert der Individualität zugleich berufen. Herausgegeben von Frank Adloff und Claus Leggewie in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Käte Hamburger Kolleg / Centre for Global Cooperation Research Duisburg. Website zum Buch: www.diekonvivialisten.de.
Teaching children with Niemann-Pick disease
Authors: Gartin Barbara C. , Murdick Nikki L. , Cooley Jennifer , Barnett Sara
Published: September 2014

Niemann-Pick Disease (NPD) is a group of rare inherited disorders that are both systemic and degenerative. Knowledge of the disease, its characteristics, and its progression are essential for the teacher and related service personnel to provide an appropriate educational experience for the student. For the teacher who has a student with NPC1 in his/her classroom, the focus is two-fold: first to provide a supportive academic environment for the student with NPC1 and her/his classroom peers; and, second, to provide emotional support for the student and the family. Included in this manuscript are suggested accommodations for the teacher and other therapists and related service personnel to use in providing an appropriate education for a student with NPC1.
Developing Training Programs to Save Lives: Serving Students with Complex or Emergency Healthcare Needs
Authors: Urso Annmarie , Rozalski Michael E.
Published: September 2014

The number of students with special health care needs (SHCN; McPherson, Arango & Fox, 1998) and the frequency of life-threatening health emergencies in schools (e.g., asthma, diabetes, severe allergic reactions, cardiac arrest, seizure disorders), continues to increase. It has become increasingly important for teachers to be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of automated external defibrillators (AED) in response to the growing number of students with SHCN in school settings and to assist life-threatening emergencies as they arise on school campuses. The purpose of this article is to describe a collaborative project that trained 38 preservice teachers to use CPR and AED in emergency situations. An established long-term goal of the project was to create a sustainable delivery model of three faculty members certified to train all preservice teacher candidates to competently provide first aid, perform CPR, and use an AED, while taking coursework and learning about support services for students with SHCN.
A Bolder Step towards Privacy Protection in Hong Kong: A Statutory Cause of Action
Authors: Mo Yun Ching Jojo , Koo A. K. C.
Published: September 2014

Privacy is an important value which is internationally recognised as worthy of protection. However, it has been under constant challenge for a number of reasons including changes in technology which facilitate informational and other forms of surveillance and privacy-invasive media practices. Because of its multi-faceted nature, privacy is typically regulated by a variety of different means. Data protection laws seek to ensure the fair handling of personal information. Criminal sanctions are used to outlaw more serious invasions of privacy, including certain breaches of communications privacy and uses of surveillance devices. Assorted civil actions are relied on to protect broader interests in privacy. However, the piecemeal nature of privacy protection is often found to be inadequate and victims frequently lack appropriate remedies. Therefore, many common law countries either provide for or are actively considering the introduction of civil remedies to specifically address general privacy issues. There has also been active consideration of measures to regulate media organisations, especially in the light of the Murdoch scandal in the United Kingdom. The inadequacies in the law have prompted calls for law reform in Hong Kong, and recommendations have been made in the report on Civil Liability for Invasion of Privacy (2004). It examined the need of individuals to be able to seek civil remedies for unwarranted invasion of privacy. In it the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong (HKLRC) proposed the introduction of specific statutory torts of privacy to cover acts and conduct frustrating the reasonable expectation of an individual’s privacy. It proposed that a person, who invaded another’s privacy by intruding upon their solitude or seclusion, or by intruding into their private affairs or concerns, should be liable in tort. It also recommended another tort for invasion of privacy arising out of public disclosure of private facts. This article focuses on the issue of civil liability and analyses the inadequacies of existing laws and regulatory regimes and attempts to come up with a model that is most suitable for Hong Kong. It takes the HKLRC’s recommendations as its starting point but refines and modifies them, drawing on the insights that have since become available from the work of other law reform bodies and further developments in overseas case law.
Environomical Analysis and Mathematical Modelling for Tomato Flakes Drying in a Modified Greenhouse Dryer under Active Mode
Authors: Prakash Om , Kumar Anil
Published: September 2014

In this study, the main concern is to complete a performance analysis, a mathematical modelling and an environmental analysis of tomato flakes drying in a modified greenhouse dryer under active mode. Experimentation was conducted simultaneously in the designed dryer and also with natural drying processes. Tomato flakes were dried from an initial moisture of 96.0% w.b. to a final moisture of 9.09% w.b. for 15 h in the dryer. In this communication, mathematical modelling and environmental analysis were done for tomato flakes drying in the designed dryer. In the environmental analysis, various environmental and economic parameters have been evaluated, including the payback period by cost, energy payback time (EPBT), embodied energy, CO2 emission and the earned carbon credit. Seven existing drying kinetics models have been applied and one mathematical model has been proposed. The coefficient of determination for the proposed model is 0.9985, which is higher than all other existing models. The payback period by the cost of the dryer is only 1.9 years. The embodied energy of the dryer is 628.7287 kWh. The EPBT is only 1.14 year, and CO2 emission per year is 17.6 kg per year. The net CO2 emission is 38.06 tonnes and the earned carbon credit varies from 12,561.70 INR to 50,245.49 INR during its lifespan. The nutrient content of the dried tomato – in the dryer as well as in open sun drying – was examined. Tomato dried in the dryer was found to have more nutrient content than with open sun drying. The total experimental uncertainty is 23.41%.
Degradation Kinetics of Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Pomegranate Arils during the Drying Process
Authors: Başlar Mehmet , Karasu Salih , Kiliçli Mahmut , Us Ahmet Abdullah , Sağdiç Osman
Published: September 2014

In this study, the drying kinetics of pomegranate arils, the degradation kinetics of some bioactive compounds, and changes in color values during the drying process were investigated. The drying process was performed by a forced air circulating oven at 55, 65, and 75°C. Drying times were calculated to be 1,020, 520, and 330 min, respectively. Effective moisture diffusivity values ranged from 5.39×10−11 to 1.70×10−10 m2 s−1 and increased with increases in temperature. Six different thin-layer drying models were applied to evaluate the goodness of the model. The degradation rate of bioactive compounds increased at higher temperatures; however, remaining amounts of phenolic, anthocyanin, and flavonoid compounds after drying were higher in samples dried at 75°C. The highest antioxidant capacity value was observed in the pomegranate arils dried at 75°C. While the L* values of pomegranate arils decreased after the drying process, the a* values increased.
Formation and Stability of Vitamin E Enriched Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Octenyl Succinic Anhydride Modified Starch
Authors: Hategekimana Joseph , Bwengye Miriam Kisamba , Masamba Kingsley George , Yokoyama Wallace , Zhong Fang
Published: September 2014

Vitamin E (VE) is highly susceptible to autoxidation; therefore, it requires systems to encapsulate and protect it from autoxidation. In this study, we developed VE delivery systems, which were stabilized by Capsul® (MS), a starch modified with octenyl succinic anhydride. Influences of interfacial tension, VE viscosity, molecular weight distribution, and surfactant type (MS versus Tween 80) on stability and droplet size obtained by high-pressure homogenization were investigated. Both surfactants reduced interfacial tension and small droplet diameters (<350 nm) were produced at high VE content (80% oil phase, w/w) and low emulsifier (2.5%, w/w), which was attributed to their molecular distribution and interfacial characteristics and the magnitude of disruptive forces generated within homogenizer. MS nanoemulsions were stable to droplet coalescence at high temperature–short time exposure (30, 55, 80°C; 30 min). Results indicated that MS can be used successfully to stabilize VE nanoemulsions at ambient temperatures. Such nanoemulsions may be incorporated in many food products.
Progress in silicon platforms for integrated optics
Authors: Novack Ari , Streshinsky Matt , Ding Ran , Liu Yang , Lim Andy Eu-Jin , Lo Guo-Qiang , Baehr-Jones Tom , Hochberg Michael
Published: September 2014

Rapid progress has been made in recent years repurposing CMOS fabrication tools to build complex photonic circuits. As the field of silicon photonics becomes more mature, foundry processes will be an essential piece of the ecosystem for eliminating process risk and allowing the community to focus on adding value through clever design. Multi-project wafer runs are a useful tool to promote further development by providing inexpensive, low-risk prototyping opportunities to academic and commercial researchers. Compared to dedicated silicon manufacturing runs, multi-project-wafer runs offer cost reductions of 100× or more. Through OpSIS, we have begun to offer validated device libraries that allow designers to focus on building systems rather than modifying device geometries. The EDA tools that will enable rapid design of such complex systems are under intense development. Progress is also being made in developing practical optical and electronic packaging solutions for the photonic chips, in ways that eliminate or sharply reduce development costs for the user community. This paper will provide a review of the recent developments in silicon photonic foundry offerings with a focus on OpSIS, a multi-project-wafer foundry service offering a silicon photonics platform, including a variety of passive components as well as high-speed modulators and photodetectors, through the Institute of Microelectronics in Singapore.
Analysis of the conformations of septanoside sugars
Authors: Dey Supriya , Jayaraman N.
Published: September 2014

Conformational analysis of unnatural seven-membered sugars, namely, septanoses and septanosides are discussed herein. The conformational properties of these sugars in the solid state, solution phase and computational methods are presented. The analyses reveal that conformations of septanosides are diverse and largely unpredictable, as compared furanosides and pyranosides.
Law-invariant risk measures: Extension properties and qualitative robustness
Authors: Koch-Medina Pablo , Munari Cosimo
Published: September 2014

We characterize when a convex risk measure associated to a law-invariant acceptance set in L
∞ can be extended to Lp
,

1
≤
p
<
∞

$1\le p<\infty $

, preserving finiteness and continuity. This problem is strongly connected to the statistical robustness of the corresponding risk measures. Special attention is paid to concrete examples including risk measures based on expected utility, max-correlation risk measures, and distortion risk measures.
Interindividual Variation in Fornix Microstructure and Macrostructure Is Related to Visual Discrimination Accuracy for Scenes But Not Faces
Authors: Postans Mark , Hodgetts Carl J. , Mundy Matthew E. , Jones Derek K. , Lawrence Andrew D. , Graham Kim S.
Published: September 2014

Transection of the nonhuman primate fornix has been shown to impair learning of configurations of spatial features and object-in-scene memory. Although damage to the human fornix also results in memory impairment, it is not known whether there is a preferential involvement of this white-matter tract in spatial learning, as implied by animal studies. Diffusion-weighted MR images were obtained from healthy participants who had completed versions of a task in which they made rapid same/different discriminations to two categories of highly visually similar stimuli: (1) virtual reality scene pairs; and (2) face pairs. Diffusion-MRI measures of white-matter microstructure [fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)] and macrostructure (tissue volume fraction,f) were then extracted from the fornix of each participant, which had been reconstructed using a deterministic tractography protocol. Fornix MD andfmeasures correlated with scene, but not face, discrimination accuracy in both discrimination tasks. A complementary voxelwise analysis using tract-based spatial statistics suggested the crus of the fornix as a focus for this relationship. These findings extend previous reports of spatial learning impairments after fornix transection in nonhuman primates, critically highlighting the fornix as a source of interindividual variation in scene discrimination in humans.
Change of Fate Commitment in Adult Neural Progenitor Cells Subjected to Chronic Inflammation
Authors: Covacu Ruxandra , Perez Estrada Cynthia , Arvidsson Lisa , Svensson Mikael , Brundin Lou
Published: September 2014

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) have regenerative capabilities that are activated during inflammation. We aimed at elucidating how NPCs, with special focus on the spinal cord-derived NPCs (SC-NPCs), are affected by chronic inflammation modeled by experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). NPCs derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ-NPCs) were also included in the study as a reference from a distant inflammatory site. We also investigated the transcriptional and functional difference between the SC-NPCs and SVZ-NPCs during homeostatic conditions. NPCs were isolated and propagated from the SVZ and cervical, thoracic, and caudal regions of the SC from naive rats and rats subjected to EAE. Using Affymetrix microarray analyses, the global transcriptome was measured in the different NPC populations. These analyses were paralleled by NPC differentiation studies. Assessment of basal transcriptional and functional differences between NPC populations in naive rat revealed a higher neurogenic potential in SVZ-NPCs compared with SC-NPCs. Conversely, during EAE, the neurogenicity of the SC-NPCs was increased while their gliogenicity was decreased. We detected an overall increase of inflammation and neurodegeneration-related genes while the developmentally related profile was decreased. Among the decreased functions, we isolated a gliogenic signature that was confirmed by differentiation assays where the SC-NPCs from EAE generated fewer oligodendrocytes and astrocytes but more neurons than control cultures. In summary, NPCs displayed differences in fate-regulating genes and differentiation potential depending on their rostrocaudal origin. Inflammatory conditions downregulated gliogenicity in SC-NPCs, promoting neurogenicity. These findings give important insight into neuroinflammatory diseases and the mechanisms influencing NPC plasticity during these conditions.
Schwann Cells Sense and Control Acetylcholine Spillover at the Neuromuscular Junction by α7 Nicotinic Receptors and Butyrylcholinesterase
Authors: Petrov Konstantin A. , Girard Emmanuelle , Nikitashina Alexandra D. , Colasante Cesare , Bernard Véronique , Nurullin Leniz , Leroy Jacqueline , Samigullin Dmitry , Colak Omer , Nikolsky Evgenii , Plaud Benoit , Krejci Eric
Published: September 2014

Terminal Schwann cells (TSCs) are key components of the mammalian neuromuscular junction (NMJ). How the TSCs sense the synaptic activity in physiological conditions remains unclear. We have taken advantage of the distinct localization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) at the NMJ to bring out the function of different ACh receptors (AChRs). AChE is clustered by the collagen Q in the synaptic cleft and prevents the repetitive activation of muscle nicotinic AChRs. We found that BChE is anchored at the TSC by a proline-rich membrane anchor, the small transmembrane protein anchor of brain AChE. When BChE was specifically inhibited, ACh release was significant depressed through the activation of α7 nAChRs localized on the TSC and activated by the spillover of ACh. When both AChE and BChE were inhibited, the spillover increased and induced a dramatic reduction of ACh release that compromised the muscle twitch triggered by the nerve stimulation. α7 nAChRs at the TSC may act as a sensor for spillover of ACh adjusted by BChE and may represent an extrasynaptic sensor for homeostasis at the NMJ. In myasthenic rats, selective inhibition of AChE is more effective in rescuing muscle function than the simultaneous inhibition of AChE and BChE because the concomitant inhibition of BChE counteracts the positive action of AChE inhibition. These results show that inhibition of BChE should be avoided during the treatment of myasthenia and the pharmacological reversal of residual curarization after anesthesia.
The Major Cholesterol Metabolite Cholestane-3β,5α,6β-Triol Functions as an Endogenous Neuroprotectant
Authors: Hu Haiyan , Zhou Yuehan , Leng Tiandong , Liu Ailing , Wang Youqiong , You Xiuhua , Chen Jingkao , Tang Lipeng , Chen Wenli , Qiu Pengxin , Yin Wei , Huang Yijun , Zhang Jingxia , Wang Liwei , Sang Hanfei , Yan Guangmei
Published: September 2014

Overstimulation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors is believed to be responsible for neuronal death of the CNS in various disorders, including cerebral and spinal cord ischemia. However, the intrinsic and physiological mechanisms of modulation of these receptors are essentially unknown. Here we report that cholestane-3β,5α,6β-triol (triol), a major metabolite of cholesterol, is an endogenous neuroprotectant and protects against neuronal injury bothin vitroandin vivovia negative modulation of NMDA receptors. Treatment of cultured neurons with triol protects against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity, and administration of triol significantly decreases neuronal injury after spinal cord ischemia in rabbits and transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. An inducible elevation of triol is associated with ischemic preconditioning and subsequent neuroprotection in the spinal cord of rabbits. This neuroprotection is effectively abolished by preadministration of a specific inhibitor of triol synthesis. Physiological concentrations of triol attenuate [Ca2+]iinduced by glutamate and decrease inward NMDA-mediated currents in cultured cortical neurons and HEK-293 cells transiently transfected with NR1/NR2B NMDA receptors. Saturable binding of [3H]triol to cerebellar granule neurons and displacement of [3H]MK-801 binding to NMDA receptors by triol suggest that direct blockade of NMDA receptors may underlie the neuroprotective properties. Our findings suggest that the naturally occurring oxysterol, the major cholesterol metabolite triol, functions as an endogenous neuroprotectantin vivo, which may provide novel insights into understanding and developing potential therapeutics for disorders in the CNS.
Molecular Mechanisms Contributing to TARP Regulation of Channel Conductance and Polyamine Block of Calcium-Permeable AMPA Receptors
Authors: Soto David , Coombs Ian D. , Gratacòs-Batlle Esther , Farrant Mark , Cull-Candy Stuart G.
Published: September 2014

Many properties of fast synaptic transmission in the brain are influenced by transmembrane AMPAR regulatory proteins (TARPs) that modulate the pharmacology and gating of AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs). Although much is known about TARP influence on AMPAR pharmacology and kinetics through their modulation of the extracellular ligand-binding domain (LBD), less is known about their regulation of the ion channel region. TARP-induced modifications in AMPAR channel behavior include increased single-channel conductance and weakened block of calcium-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) by endogenous intracellular polyamines. To investigate how TARPs modify ion flux and channel block, we examined the action of γ-2 (stargazin) on GluA1 and GluA4 CP-AMPARs. First, we compared the permeation of organic cations of different sizes. We found that γ-2 increased the permeability of several cations but not the estimated AMPAR pore size, suggesting that TARP-induced relief of polyamine block does not reflect altered pore diameter. Second, to determine whether residues in the TARP intracellular C-tail regulate polyamine block and channel conductance, we examined various γ-2 C-tail mutants. We identified the membrane proximal region of the C terminus as crucial for full TARP-attenuation of polyamine block, whereas complete deletion of the C-tail markedly enhanced the TARP-induced increase in channel conductance; thus, the TARP C-tail influences ion permeation. Third, we identified a site in the pore-lining region of the AMPAR, close to its Q/R site, that is crucial in determining the TARP-induced changes in single-channel conductance. This conserved residue represents a site of TARP action, independent of the AMPAR LBD.
Temporal and Region-Specific Requirements of αCaMKII in Spatial and Contextual Learning
Authors: Achterberg Katharina G. , Buitendijk Gabriëlle H.S. , Kool Martijn J. , Goorden Susanna M.I. , Post Laura , Slump Denise E. , Silva Alcino J. , van Woerden Geeske M. , Kushner Steven A. , Elgersma Ype
Published: September 2014

The α isoform of the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (αCaMKII) has been implicated extensively in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying spatial and contextual learning in a wide variety of species. Germline deletion ofCamk2aleads to severe deficits in spatial and contextual learning in mice. However, the temporal and region-specific requirements for αCaMKII have remained largely unexplored. Here, we generated conditionalCamk2amutants to examine the influence of spatially restricted and temporally controlled expression of αCaMKII. Forebrain-specific deletion of theCamk2agene resulted in severe deficits in water maze and contextual fear learning, whereas mice with deletion restricted to the cerebellum learned normally. Furthermore, we found that temporally controlled deletion of theCamk2agene in adult mice is as detrimental as germline deletion for learning and synaptic plasticity. Together, we confirm the requirement for αCaMKII in the forebrain, but not the cerebellum, in spatial and contextual learning. Moreover, we highlight the absolute requirement for intact αCaMKII expression at the time of learning.
Schema Representation in Patients with Ventromedial PFC Lesions
Authors: Ghosh Vanessa E. , Moscovitch Morris , Melo Colella Brenda , Gilboa Asaf
Published: September 2014

Human neuroimaging and animal studies have recently implicated the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in memory schema, particularly in facilitating new encoding by existing schemas. In humans, the most conspicuous memory disorder following vmPFC damage is confabulation; strategic retrieval models suggest that aberrant schema activation or reinstatement plays a role in confabulation. This raises the possibility that beyond its role in schema-supported memory encoding, the vmPFC is also implicated in schema reinstatement itself. If that is the case, vmPFC lesions should lead to impaired schema-based operations, even on tasks that do not involve memory acquisition. To test this prediction, ten patients with vmPFC damage, four with present or prior confabulation, and a group of twelve matched healthy controls made speeded yes/no decisions as to whether words were closely related to a schema (a visit to the doctor). Ten minutes later, they repeated the task for a new schema (going to bed) with some words related to the first schema included as lures. Last, they rated the degree to which stimuli were related to the second schema. All four vmPFC patients with present or prior confabulation were impaired in rejecting lures and in classifying stimulus belongingness to the schema, even when they were not lures. Nonconfabulating patients performed comparably to healthy adults with high accuracy, comparable reaction times, and similar ratings. These results show for the first time that damage to the human vmPFC, when associated with confabulation, leads to deficient schema reinstatement, which is likely a prerequisite for schema-mediated memory integration.
Amyloid-β-Induced Action Potential Desynchronization and Degradation of Hippocampal Gamma Oscillations Is Prevented by Interference with Peptide Conformation Change and Aggregation
Authors: Kurudenkandy Firoz Roshan , Zilberter Misha , Biverstål Henrik , Presto Jenny , Honcharenko Dmytro , Strömberg Roger , Johansson Jan , Winblad Bengt , Fisahn André
Published: September 2014

The amyloid-β hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) focuses on accumulation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) as the main culprit for the myriad physiological changes seen during development and progression of AD including desynchronization of neuronal action potentials, consequent development of aberrant brain rhythms relevant for cognition, and final emergence of cognitive deficits.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the cellular and synaptic mechanisms underlying the Aβ-induced degradation of gamma oscillations in AD, to identify aggregation state(s) of Aβ that mediate the peptides neurotoxicity, and to test ways to prevent the neurotoxic Aβ effect.

We show that Aβ1-42in physiological concentrations acutely degrades mouse hippocampal gamma oscillations in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The underlying cause is an Aβ-induced desynchronization of action potential generation in pyramidal cells and a shift of the excitatory/inhibitory equilibrium in the hippocampal network. Using purified preparations containing different aggregation states of Aβ, as well as a designed ligand and a BRICHOS chaperone domain, we provide evidence that the severity of Aβ neurotoxicity increases with increasing concentration of fibrillar over monomeric Aβ forms, and that Aβ-induced degradation of gamma oscillations and excitatory/inhibitory equilibrium is prevented by compounds that interfere with Aβ aggregation.

Our study provides correlative evidence for a link between Aβ-induced effects on synaptic currents and AD-relevant neuronal network oscillations, identifies the responsible aggregation state of Aβ and proofs that strategies preventing peptide aggregation are able to prevent the deleterious action of Aβ on the excitatory/inhibitory equilibrium and on the gamma rhythm.
Human Brain Responses to Concomitant Stimulation of Aδ and C Nociceptors
Authors: Hu L. , Cai M.M. , Xiao P. , Luo F. , Iannetti G.D.
Published: September 2014

Intense radiant heat pulses concomitantly activate Aδ- and C-fiber skin nociceptors, and elicit a typical double sensation: an initial Aδ-related pricking pain is followed by a C-related prolonged burning sensation. It has been repeatedly reported that C-fiber laser-evoked potentials (C-LEPs) become detectable only when the concomitant activation of Aδ-fibers is avoided or reduced. Given that the saliency of the eliciting stimulus is a major determinant of LEPs, one explanation for these observations is that the saliency of the C-input is smaller than that of the preceding Aδ-input. However, even if the saliency of the C-input is reduced because of the preceding Aδ-input, a C-LEP should still be visible even when preceded by an Aδ-LEP response. Here we tested this hypothesis by applying advanced signal processing techniques (peak alignment and time-frequency decomposition) to electroencephalographic data collected in two experiments conducted in 34 and 96 healthy participants. We show that, when using optimal stimulus parameters (delivering >80 stimuli within a small skin territory), C-LEPs can be reliably detected in most participants. Importantly, C-LEPs are observed even when preceded by Aδ-LEPs, both in average waveforms and single trials. By providing quantitative information about several response properties of C-LEPs (latency jitter, stimulus-response and perception–response functions, dependency on stimulus repetitions and stimulated area), these results define optimal parameters to record C-LEPs simply and reliably. These findings have important clinical implications for assessing small-fiber function in neuropathies and neuropathic pain.
Inhibition of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Alleviates Impairments in Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity Induced by Amyloid β
Authors: Ma Tao , Chen Yiran , Vingtdeux Valerie , Zhao Haitian , Viollet Benoit , Marambaud Philippe , Klann Eric
Published: September 2014

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a Ser/Thr kinase that is activated in response to low-energy states to coordinate multiple signaling pathways to maintain cellular energy homeostasis. Dysregulation of AMPK signaling has been observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is associated with abnormal neuronal energy metabolism. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that aberrant AMPK signaling underlies AD-associated synaptic plasticity impairments by using pharmacological and genetic approaches. We found that amyloid β (Aβ)-induced inhibition of long-term potentiation (LTP) and enhancement of long-term depression were corrected by the AMPK inhibitor compound C (CC). Similarly, LTP impairments in APP/PS1 transgenic mice that model AD were improved by CC treatment. In addition, Aβ-induced LTP failure was prevented in mice with genetic deletion of the AMPK α2-subunit, the predominant AMPK catalytic subunit in the brain. Furthermore, we found that eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and its kinase eEF2K are key downstream effectors that mediate the detrimental effects of hyperactive AMPK in AD pathophysiology. Our findings describe a previously unrecognized role of aberrant AMPK signaling in AD-related synaptic pathophysiology and reveal a potential therapeutic target for AD.
Music Enrichment Programs Improve the Neural Encoding of Speech in At-Risk Children
Authors: Kraus Nina , Slater Jessica , Thompson Elaine C. , Hornickel Jane , Strait Dana L. , Nicol Trent , White-Schwoch Travis
Published: September 2014

Musicians are often reported to have enhanced neurophysiological functions, especially in the auditory system. Musical training is thought to improve nervous system function by focusing attention on meaningful acoustic cues, and these improvements in auditory processing cascade to language and cognitive skills. Correlational studies have reported musician enhancements in a variety of populations across the life span. In light of these reports, educators are considering the potential for co-curricular music programs to provide auditory-cognitive enrichment to children during critical developmental years. To date, however, no studies have evaluated biological changes following participation in existing, successful music education programs. We used a randomized control design to investigate whether community music participation induces a tangible change in auditory processing. The community music training was a longstanding and successful program that provides free music instruction to children from underserved backgrounds who stand at high risk for learning and social problems. Children who completed 2 years of music training had a stronger neurophysiological distinction of stop consonants, a neural mechanism linked to reading and language skills. One year of training was insufficient to elicit changes in nervous system function; beyond 1 year, however, greater amounts of instrumental music training were associated with larger gains in neural processing. We therefore provide the first direct evidence that community music programs enhance the neural processing of speech in at-risk children, suggesting that active and repeated engagement with sound changes neural function.