bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entertaining Children: an Exploration of the Business and Politics of Childhood
Authors: Arrighi Gillian , Emeljanow Victor
Published: January 2012

This article explores the conflict between the constructions of childhood and their political/legal implications in the context of the entertainment business, as related to the demands imposed upon children by parents and theatre managers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Once children could move freely both within and between countries, these conflicts and concerns assumed a global dimension. Through a number of case studies, the authors offer some fresh observations about how legal and social imperatives affected the transmission of values about children employed as entertainers between Britain and Australasia during the period from 1870 to the start of the First World War – from the Education Acts of the 1870s to the legislation of 1910–1913 restricting the export of child entertainers. Gillian Arrighi is a Lecturer in Drama at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She has recently published articles in Theatre Journal (Dec 2008), Australasian Drama Studies (April 2009 and Oct 2010), and in Impact of the Modern: Vernacular Modernities in Australia 1870s–1960s (Sydney, 2008). She is associate editor of the e-journal Popular Entertainment Studies. Victor Emeljanow is Emeritus Professor of Drama at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and General Editor of the e-journal Popular Entertainment Studies. He has published widely on subjects ranging from the reception of Chekhov in Britain and the career of Theodore Kommisarjevsky, to Victorian popular dramatists. He co-wrote with Jim Davis the award-winning Reflecting the Audience: London Theatregoing 1840–1880 in 2001, and his chapter on staging the pirate in the nineteenth century was included in Swashbucklers and Swindlers: Pirates and Mutineers in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture, edited by Grace Moore (2011).
Clubbing Audiences: Relational Theatre Practice at ‘Death Disco’
Authors: Overend David
Published: January 2012

In this article David Overend proposes a concept of ‘audience’ that accounts for a complex process of fluctuation between observing or spectating performance as part of a wider group, and becoming part of the aesthetic – forming individual relationships with the artwork and its environment. It is proposed that developing Nicolas Bourriaud's concept of ‘relational aesthetics’ as a model for ‘relational theatre practice’ responds to the continually shifting modes of engagement of those encountering and becoming part of a performance event. Focusing on the Arches arts centre in Glasgow, and drawing on the theory of clubbing, Overend develops a performance for a club night, comparing the experience of the clubbing crowd to that of a theatre audience in order to interrogate the relationship of two cultural practices that remain largely autonomous within the day-to-day operations of the site. Midland Street (September 2009) was a one-off performance for ‘Death Disco’, the monthly electro club night at the Arches. Using cars parked outside the venue, a chaotic poker game, and an array of overtly theatrical characters, including a clown and a pack of urban animals, the performance attempted to move outside the boundaries of the theatre programme as well as the studio theatre space, entering another dynamic relational realm, which is central to the Arches' cultural identity and funding structures. Combining a practical and theoretical approach, this research interrogates Bourriaud's relational aesthetic model through its application to the development of theatre practice within the specific context of an arts venue.
The Aesthetics of Song of the Goat Theatre
Authors: Brown Mark
Published: January 2012

Symposium on the work of Teatr Pieśń Kozła (Song of the Goat Theatre), held at the Barbican Centre, London, on 20 November 2010.
Directors Shine in Bucharest
Authors: Herbert Ian
Published: January 2012

Report on the National Theatre Festival in Bucharest, October–November 2011.
Emotional availability: Critical questions and research horizons
Authors: Emde Robert N.
Published: January 2012

Based on attachment theory, the construct of emotional availability and its assessment goes beyond attachment in important ways. Its origins in clinical experience and emotions research are discussed as well as the prospects for continuing advances in knowledge stimulated by the contributions in the Special Section. This is especially so in terms of developmental variations and the biological underpinnings of emotional availability. A major need and opportunity also exists concerning research related to psychopathology, clinical interventions, and training.
Etiological features of borderline personality related characteristics in a birth cohort of 12-year-old children
Authors: Belsky Daniel W. , Caspi Avshalom , Arseneault Louise , Bleidorn Wiebke , Fonagy Peter , Goodman Marianne , Houts Renate , Moffitt Terrie E.
Published: January 2012

It has been reported that borderline personality related characteristics can be observed in children, and that these characteristics are associated with increased risk for the development of borderline personality disorder. It is not clear whether borderline personality related characteristics in children share etiological features with adult borderline personality disorder. We investigated the etiology of borderline personality related characteristics in a longitudinal cohort study of 1,116 pairs of same-sex twins followed from birth through age 12 years. Borderline personality related characteristics measured at age 12 years were highly heritable, were more common in children who had exhibited poor cognitive function, impulsivity, and more behavioral and emotional problems at age 5 years, and co-occurred with symptoms of conduct disorder, depression, anxiety, and psychosis. Exposure to harsh treatment in the family environment through age 10 years predicted borderline personality related characteristics at age 12 years. This association showed evidence of environmental mediation and was stronger among children with a family history of psychiatric illness, consistent with diathesis–stress models of borderline etiology. Results indicate that borderline personality related characteristics in children share etiological features with borderline personality disorder in adults and suggest that inherited and environmental risk factors make independent and interactive contributions to borderline etiology.
Carbon budgets for three autotrophic Australian estuaries: Implications for global estimates of the coastal air‐water CO2 flux
Authors: Maher D. T. , Eyre B. D.
Published: January 2012

Estuaries are ‘hot spots’ in the global carbon cycle, yet data on carbon dynamics, in particular air‐sea CO2 fluxes, from autotrophic systems are rare. Estuarine carbon budgets were constructed for three geomorphically distinct warm temperate Australian estuaries over an annual cycle. All three estuaries were net autotrophic, with annual net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) ranging from 8 ± 13.4 molC m−2 yr−1 to 10 ± 14 molC m−2 yr−1. There was a net flux of CO2 from the atmosphere to the estuaries of between 0.4 ± 0.6 molC m−2 yr−1 and 2 ± 0.9 molC m−2 yr−1. Loading of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the estuaries varied markedly within and between the estuaries, and was directly related to freshwater inflow. While NEM was similar in all three estuaries, the ratio of benthic versus pelagic contributions to NEM differed, with NEM dominated by pelagic production in the river dominated system, benthic production dominating in the intermediate estuary, and equal contributions of benthic and pelagic production in the marine dominated lagoon. All three estuaries exported more organic carbon than was imported, fueled by additional organic carbon supplied by NEM. The estuaries essentially acted as bioreactors, transforming DIC to organic carbon. Burial of organic carbon ranged from 1.2 ± 0.3 molC m−2 yr−1 to 4.4 ± 1.2 molC m−2 yr−1 and represented up to half of NEM. The annual net uptake of atmospheric CO2 in these systems, along with previous estimates of the global estuarine CO2flux being based predominantly on heterotrophic, large river dominated estuarine systems, indicates that the global estimate of the estuarine air‐water CO2flux may be over‐estimated due to the lack of studies from autotrophic marine dominated estuaries.
Major and trace analysis of basaltic glasses by laser‐ablation ICP‐MS
Authors: Jenner Frances E. , O'Neill Hugh St. C.
Published: January 2012

Chemical analysis by laser‐ablation ICP‐MS can determine a large number of trace elements with a precision approaching traditional whole‐rock analysis, but on a scale approaching that achieved by the electron microprobe. These characteristics make it a particularly attractive method for the analysis of volcanic glasses, but at present little is known about systematic errors, especially those from matrix effects. Here we investigate the precision and accuracy of LA‐ICP‐MS analysis of basaltic glasses for 60 elements, including rare earth elements (REE), large ion lithophile elements (LILE), high field strength elements (HFSE), the first row transition elements (FRTE), as well as less commonly analyzed elements such as Li, Be, Ge, Ga, W, Mo, As, Sb, Sn, Se, Ag, Tl, Bi, Cd and In. The rate of signal decline during ablation was found to vary systematically with the electronic structure of the element, in both calibration material (NIST SRM 612) and unknowns (natural basaltic glass VG‐2 and vitrified basalt BCR‐2G). These observations allow optimal analytical conditions with the available instrumentation and standards to be established. Analyses of VG‐2 and seven of the MPI‐DING vitrified rocks, commonly used as secondary standards, obtained under these conditions, are presented.
Long tails in regional surface temperature probability distributions with implications for extremes under global warming
Authors: Ruff Tyler W. , Neelin J. David
Published: January 2012

Prior work has shown that probability distributions of column water vapor and several passive tropospheric chemical tracers exhibit longer‐than‐Gaussian (approximately exponential) tails. The tracer‐advection prototypes explaining the formation of these long‐tailed distributions motivate exploration of observed surface temperature distributions for non‐Gaussian tails. Stations with long records in various climate regimes in National Climatic Data Center Global Surface Summary of Day observations are used to examine tail characteristics for daily average, maximum and minimum surface temperature probability distributions. Each is examined for departures from a Gaussian fit to the core (here approximated as the portion of the distribution exceeding 30% of the maximum). While the core conforms to Gaussian for most distributions, roughly half the cases exhibit non‐Gaussian tails in both winter and summer seasons. Most of these are asymmetric, with a long, roughly exponential, tail on only one side. The shape of the tail has substantial implications for potential changes in extreme event occurrences under global warming. Here the change in the probability of exceeding a given threshold temperature is quantified in the simplest case of a shift in the present‐day observed distribution. Surface temperature distributions with long tails have a much smaller change in threshold exceedances (smaller increases for high‐side and smaller decreases for low‐side exceedances relative to exceedances in current climate) under a given warming than do near‐Gaussian distributions. This implies that models used to estimate changes in extreme event occurrences due to global warming should be verified regionally for accuracy of simulations of probability distribution tails.
Global‐scale hybrid simulation of cusp precipitating ions associated with magnetopause reconnection under southward IMF
Authors: Tan B. , Lin Y. , Perez J. D. , Wang X. Y.
Published: January 2012

With a 3‐D global‐scale hybrid simulation model, we investigate the energy spectra of cusp precipitating ions and issues associated with magnetopause reconnection under a southward IMF. Both the spatial and temporal energy spectra of cusp precipitating ions are computed by tracing trajectories of the transmitted magnetosheath ions. The spatial spectrum shows a dispersive feature consistent with satellite observations, with higher energy particles at lower latitudes and lower energy particles at higher latitudes. The simulation reveals (1) how and where particles are transmitted from the solar wind into the magnetosphere via direct magnetic reconnection on the dayside; (2) how the features of the spectra are related to ongoing magnetic FTEs; and (3) how the motion of the cusp, particularly the latitudinal variation of the open/closed field line boundary, is correlated with the dayside reconnection and reflected in the energy flux spectra of the precipitating ions as a function of time.
Electron and wave characteristics observed by the THEMIS satellites near the magnetic equator during a pulsating aurora
Authors: Nakajima A. , Shiokawa K. , Sakaguchi K. , Miyoshi Y. , Lee S. , Angelopoulos V. , Le Contel O. , McFadden J. P. , Bonnell J. W. , Fornacon K.‐H. , Donovan E.
Published: January 2012

Based on conjugate ground and THEMIS satellite observations, we show electron spectra and wave characteristics near the magnetic equatorial plane during a pulsating aurora event on the high latitude side of the auroral oval. The pulsating aurora was observed by a 30‐Hz sampled all‐sky imager (ASI) at Gillam (56.4°N, 265.4°E), Canada, at ∼0840‐0910 UT on 8 January 2008. The auroral intensity pulsation at the possible THEMIS D (THD) footprints had frequency peaks at ∼0.1–0.2 Hz. The footprint of THD was in the poleward part of the proton aurora observed by a meridian‐scanning photometer. After auroral pulsation began at ∼0842 UT, both THD and THEMIS E which was near THD in the mid‐tail at 11.6–11.8 RE, observed enhanced field‐aligned electron fluxes at energies of 1–10 keV. However, the amplitudes of whistler mode waves and electrostatic cyclotron harmonics (ECH) waves observed by THD with the highest sampling rate of 8 kHz were not significant, showing a marked contrast to the recent report of clear correlation between whistler mode waves and auroral pulsations observed at 5–9 RE. We suggest that the observed field‐aligned electrons, which are probably caused by Fermi‐type acceleration associated with earthward plasma flow in the mid‐tail plasma sheet, are modulated by some wave processes to cause pulsating auroras.
The IMF dependence of the local time of transpolar arcs: Implications for formation mechanism
Authors: Fear R. C. , Milan S. E.
Published: January 2012

Transpolar arcs are auroral features that extend from the nightside auroral oval into the polar cap. It is well established that they occur predominantly when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) has a northward component (Bz > 0). Results concerning how the magnetic local time at which transpolar arcs form might depend upon the IMF dawn‐dusk component (BY) are more mixed. Some studies have found a correlation between these two variables, with Northern Hemisphere arcs forming predominantly premidnight when BY > 0 and postmidnight when BY < 0 and vice versa in the Southern Hemisphere. However, a more recent statistical study found that there was no significant correlation, and other studies find that the formation of moving arcs is triggered by a change in the sign of the IMF BY component. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the magnetic local time at which transpolar arcs form and the IMF BY component. It is found that there is indeed a correlation between the magnetic local time at which transpolar arcs form and the IMF BY component, which acts in opposite senses in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. However, this correlation is weak if the IMF is only averaged over the hour before the first emergence of the arc and becomes stronger if the IMF is averaged 3–4 h beforehand. This is consistent with a mechanism where the magnetic local time at which the arc first forms depends on the BY component in the magnetotail adjacent to the plasma sheet, which is determined by the IMF BY component during intervals of dayside reconnection in the hours preceding the first emergence of the arc. We do not find evidence for the triggering of arcs by an IMF BY sign change.
Impact of Caribbean cyclones on the detachment of Loop Current anticyclones
Authors: Athié Gabriela , Candela Julio , Ochoa José , Sheinbaum Julio
Published: January 2012

The western boundary current in the North Atlantic is characterized by an intense flow (reaching 2.5 ms−1, at the surface) that enters the Caribbean Sea through the Lesser Antilles passages, crosses the entire Caribbean and enters the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Channel, where it is known as the Loop Current. A characteristic feature of the Loop Current is eddy‐shedding events (i.e., the detachment of large anticyclonic eddies) at irregular intervals. Moored current measurements between January 2005 and July 2009 in the Loop Current, the Yucatan Channel, and the Caribbean coastal waters of Mexico (i.e., the Western Cayman Sea), along with AVISO altimetry, are used to evidence the northward propagation of cyclonic anomalies along the Caribbean coast of Mexico and the marked eastward displacement of the Loop Current at 23°N latitude, just before several anticyclonic eddy shedding events. After entering the Gulf of Mexico, these cyclonic anomalies might initiate or enhance existing Campeche Bank cyclonic eddies, which are related to many of the Loop Current detachment events. Sixteen of the twenty‐one detachments that occurred during the study period (76%) are related to the cyclonic eddies in the Western Caribbean Sea; six of them were not reattached again to the Loop Current. Observations, thus, clearly indicate that cyclonic eddies in the Western Cayman Sea contribute significantly to the Loop Current eddy‐shedding process, which is complex and in principle not unique.
Modeling low‐level clouds over the Okhotsk Sea in summer: Cloud formation and its effects on the Okhotsk high
Authors: Koseki Shunya , Nakamura Tomohiro , Mitsudera Humio , Wang Yuqing
Published: January 2012

In summer the Okhotsk Sea is often covered by low‐level clouds, which occasionally co‐occur with the Okhotsk high. We investigate the formation of low‐level clouds and their effects on the Okhotsk high in July using reanalysis, satellite data, and a regional climate model. Statistical analysis suggests that the amount of low‐level clouds over the Okhotsk Sea has a positive relationship with the strength of the Okhotsk high; however, the formation processes of the Okhotsk high and low‐level clouds are not dependent on each other. A simulation focusing on July 2003, when the Okhotsk high was the strongest in the past decade, showed low‐level cloud formation and resulting strong cooling over most of the Okhotsk Sea, which can be attributed to longwave radiation. Sensitivity experiments with reduced cloud amounts reveal that this radiative flux results in the cooling of the cloud top boundary layer (CBL), thereby reinforcing the Okhotsk high within the CBL. Trajectory analyses show that unsaturated air reaches saturation mainly because of the downward sensible heat flux. After cloud formation, radiative cooling causes an upward sensible heat flux below the clouds. Such cooling and heating roughly balance with the cooling due to evaporation of drizzle and cloud water and the heating due to condensation. Eventually, the CBL achieves a low‐temperature steady state over the Okhotsk Sea. Although the latent heat flux is positive over the Okhotsk Sea irrespective of the presence or absence of low‐level clouds, associated moisture flux is insignificant for achieving saturation. This positive latent heat flux is enhanced under cloudy conditions and compensates for the loss of water vapor due to condensation.
Monitoring of snow avalanches using a seismic array: Location, speed estimation, and relationships to meteorological variables
Authors: Lacroix P. , Grasso J.‐R. , Roulle J. , Giraud G. , Goetz D. , Morin S. , Helmstetter A.
Published: January 2012

Monitoring snow avalanches is necessary in order to better understand their triggering mechanisms and ultimately improve forecast performance. Seismic monitoring has been developed by several groups over the last 20 years and holds great potential to detect, locate, and characterize snow avalanches. During the 2009–2010 winter, a seismic antenna was installed in the French Alps close to the village of Saint‐Christophe‐en‐Oisans (1700 m above sea level). The array of seven sensors operated during 50 days in October and November 2009 under snow‐free conditions and during 40 days in January and February 2010 in presence of snow. It recorded different types of seismic events including snow avalanches, rockfalls, shots, and regional and local microearthquakes. Eighty avalanche signals were visually identified. Using a beam‐forming method, we were able to locate snow avalanches on slopes of various orientations in a radius of about 3 km and track their propagation. The location technique allowed for the estimation of avalanches' front speed, which ranged between 12 and 32 m s−1. The method can also distinguish dry and wet snow avalanches. Durations of avalanches can be as long as 380 s because of the length of the slopes in the area. Seismic monitoring provides a catalog of avalanches with precise times, which can be used to analyze the impact of meteorological forcings on the avalanche triggering. Snowfall is found to be the dominant forcing of avalanche activity during this period, as revealed by the strongest correlation. For the period of study, our results suggest that the impact of precipitation on the snowpack instability lasts for about 6 days.
Substrate effects from force chain dynamics in dense granular flows
Authors: Estep Joe , Dufek Josef
Published: January 2012

Granular materials are composed of solid, discrete particles and exhibit mechanical properties that range from fluid to solid behavior. Some of the complexity exhibited by granular systems arises due to the long‐range order that develops due to particle‐particle contact. Inter‐particle forces in granular materials often form a distributive network of filamentary force‐accommodating chains (i.e., force chains), such that a fraction of the total number of particles accommodates the majority of the forces in the system. The force chain network inherent to a system composed of granular materials controls the macroscopic behavior of the granular material. Force transmission by these filamentary chains is focused (or localized) to the grain scale at boundaries such as the granular flow substrate. This investigation addresses the effects of force localization on the substrate by dynamic force chain processes and the implications for bed entrainment in dense, unconfined, two‐dimensional, gravity‐driven granular flows. Our experimental system employs photoelastic techniques and provides an avenue for quantitative force analysis via image processing and provides a data set that can be used validate discrete element modeling approaches. We show that force chains cause extreme bed‐force localization in dynamic granular systems, and that these localized forces can propagate extensively into the substrate, even ahead of the flow front.
Flow path depth is the main controller of mean base flow transit times in a mountainous catchment
Authors: Asano Yuko , Uchida Taro
Published: January 2012

Transit time of discharge is a hydrological characteristic used in water resource management. Previous studies have demonstrated large spatial variation in the mean transit time (MTT) of stream base flow in meso‐scale catchments. Various relationships between topography and MTT have been reported. Although it is generally assumed that base flow MTT is controlled by the depth of the hydrologically active layer that recharges a stream, this hypothesis has not been tested in field studies. This study confirmed that the depth of hydrologically active soil and bedrock controls spatial variation in MTT. The study used isotopic and geochemical tracer data gathered in the 4.27 km2 Fudoji catchment, central Japan. The results, together with previously documented relationships between topography and MTT, indicate that the depth of the hydrologically active layer is sometimes, but not always, related to topography. A comprehensive understanding of the factors that control base flow production in mountainous catchments will require further study of the water flow path depths that recharge streams.
Using TreeBASE from R
Authors: Boettiger Carl
Published: January 2012

I introduce an R package allowing programmatic access to the phylogenetic data in the TreeBASE archive and highlight why this is important.
Integrating Open Lab Notebooks with Online Databases
Authors: Boettiger Carl
Published: January 2012

My slides from a presentation and panel discussion on integrating open lab notebooks with online databases. A video archive of the presentation is available here: http://vimeo.com/20100632
Women With and Without Metabolic Disorder Differ in Their Gut Microbiota Composition
Authors: Munukka Eveliina , Wiklund Petri , Pekkala Satu , Völgyi Eszter , Xu Leiting , Cheng Shumei , Lyytikäinen Arja , Marjomäki Varpu , Alen Markku , Vaahtovuo Jussi , Keinänen‐Kiukaanniemi Sirkka , Cheng Sulin
Published: January 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate whether overweight/obese women in metabolic disorder group (MDG, n = 27) differ in their gut microbiota composition from overweight/obese women in non‐metabolic disorder group (NMDG, n = 47) and normal weight women group (NWG, n = 11). Gut microbiota was profiled from fecal samples by 16S rRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and flow cytometry in 85 premenopausal women. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance, and dietary intakes were collected via food diaries. Standard procedures were used to assess plasma glucose, serum insulin, lipids, and inflammatory status. We found that the proportion of bacteria belonging to Eubacterium rectale‐Clostridium coccoides group, indicating efficient energy harvest from nutrients in gut, was higher in MDG compared to NMDG and NWG, while no difference was found between NMDG and NWG. The proportion of Eubacterium rectale‐Clostridium coccoides group correlated positively with weight, BMI, total fat, fat mass percentage (FM%), visceral fat area, and serum triglycerides, and negatively with high‐density lipoprotein (HDL). Our results indicate that certain members of Eubacterium rectale‐Clostridium coccoides group are associated with obesity‐related MDs not obesity per se.
Bilateral Mandibular Distraction Osteogenesis in the Neonate with Pierre Robin Sequence and Airway Obstruction: A Primary Option
Authors: Zenha Horácio , Azevedo Luis , Rios Leonor , Pereira Alberto , Pinto Armindo , Barroso Maria Luz , Costa Horácio
Published: January 2012

Children with craniofacial abnormalities associated with retromicrognathia and glossoptosis often have compromised upper airway flow. In severe cases, emergency intubation is necessary immediately after birth, and tracheostomy is advocated to manage the airway in the neonatal period and to allow for feeding. Early intervention with bilateral mandibular osteogenesis avoids the need for tracheostomy, along with its complications, and it targets the primary etiologic factor of the problem—the anomalous anatomy of the mandible. We report two neonates with severe Pierre Robin sequence managed with bilateral mandibular distraction osteogenesis on day 9 and day 11 of life. The surgical techniques and distraction and consolidation periods were similar apart from the distraction devices used. The procedures were successful with early extubation (day 5 and day 7), oral feeding tolerance (day 11 and day 13) and hospital discharge (day 19 and day 18). Total mandibular distraction was 19 mm and 23.45 mm, respectively. No major complications were reported. Medium to long-term results were good. Bilateral mandibular distraction osteogenesis in the neonate is a safe and accurate procedure and is the primary option in cases of selected severe Pierre Robin sequence.
An integrated hollow-core photonic crystal fiber transverse optical trapping system for optical manipulation and detection
Authors: Shinoj V. K. , Murukeshan V. M.
Published: January 2012

Optical manipulation, separation, and detection of biological cells have immense potential biomedical applications, for example, in disease detection. In this paper, we present optical manipulation and detection of micron sized fluorescent particles inside hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) by transverse optical trapping. An optical trapping system is designed where a near-infrared laser light is focused using a microscope objective to create an optical trap across a liquid-filled HC-PCF. The fluorescent microsphere particles trapped in the core of HC-PCF using the laser induced optical force further undergo imaging and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis. It is illustrated that the proposed method can track the particle into a different medium using the optical trap as well. The obtained results indicate that this proposed method has tangible potential for developing HC-PCF based lab-on-a-chip bio/chemical sensors capable of detecting reagents in ultra low sample volumes.
Coupled plastic flow and phase transformation under compression of materials in a diamond anvil cell: Effects of transformation kinetics and yield strength
Authors: Zarechnyy Oleg M. , Levitas Valery I. , Ma Yanzhang
Published: January 2012

The large-strain problem on phase transformations (PTs) under compression in a diamond anvil cell is studied in detail using the finite-element method. The combined effect of transformation kinetics and ratios of the yield strengths of low- and high-pressure phases is examined. Some experimental phenomena (e.g., plateaus in pressure distribution and plastic flow to the center of a sample) are reproduced. Results are applied to interpretation of experimental data and characterization of strain-induced PTs.
The trace formula for a point scatterer on a compact hyperbolic surface
Authors: Ueberschär Henrik
Published: January 2012

An exact trace formula for the perturbation of the Laplacian by a Dirac delta potential on a compact hyperbolic Riemann surface is derived. The formula can be considered an analogue of the Selberg trace formula. The difference of perturbed and unperturbed trace is expressed as an identity term plus a sum over combinations of diffractive orbits which visit the position of the potential.
Using Negative Detections to Estimate Source-Finder Reliability
Authors: Serra P. , Jurek R. , Flöer L.
Published: January 2012

We describe a simple method to determine the reliability of source finders based on the detection of sources with both positive and negative total flux. Under the assumption that the noise is symmetric and that real sources have positive total flux, negative detections can be used to assign to each positive detection a probability of being real. We discuss this method in the context of upcoming, interferometric Hi surveys.
Synthesis, Anti-Arthritic, and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of N-Tosyl aza Cyclophanes
Authors: Rajakumar Perumal , Padmanabhan Ramar
Published: January 2012

The synthesis of novel N-tosyl tetraaza cyclophanes and N-tosyl diaza cyclophane incorporating m-terphenyl as spacer units is described. Anti-arthritic activity was studied by inhibition of the protein denaturation method (bovine serum albumin). All the N-tosyl aza cyclophanes exhibit excellent anti-arthritic activity. Anti-inflammatory activity of the synthesized cyclophanes was investigated using the human red blood cells (HRBC) membrane stabilization method and some of the N-tosyl aza cyclophanes exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity.
Progress in understanding the use of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) – back to basics
Authors: Davison William , Zhang Hao
Published: January 2012

Environmental contextIt is now nearly 20 years since the introduction of the technique of diffusive gradients in thin films, which can provide information on solute concentrations and dynamics in sediments, soils and water. The interpretation of these measurements in terms of concentrations relies on simple equations and associated assumptions. This review examines how well they have stood the test of time.
AbstractDiffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) is now widely used to measure a range of determinands in waters, soils and sediments. In most cases the mass accumulated is interpreted in terms of a labile form of the component being measured using a simple equation that applies to steady-state conditions. During the past decade several publications have revealed phenomena that question some of the assumptions necessary for use of the simple equation. This review systematically examines the available evidence relating to appropriate geometry, possible charge effects, binding of solutes and ligands to the diffusive gel and filter, the rate of reaction with the binding layer, the effects of solution complexation and kinetic limitation, necessary time for deployment and the measurement of nanoparticles. DGT emerges as a robust monitoring tool for labile components in solution. Although there is evidence, for some conditions, of binding of metals and, more moderately, humic substances to the diffusive gel and filter membrane, this is unlikely to affect DGT measurement in natural waters for deployment times exceeding a few days. Detailed speciation and kinetic studies require a more thorough interpretation of the mass accumulated by DGT. A coherent theory has emerged for relatively simple solutions, but systems with complex heterogeneous ligands, as is the case for natural waters, are challenging. The size discrimination of DGT is still poorly known. Systematic measurements with well characterised nanoparticles are required to define the distribution of pore sizes in the gels and to establish the contribution of natural colloids to the DGT measurement.
Avian influenza virus hemagglutinins H2, H4, H8, and H14 support a highly pathogenic phenotype
Authors: Veits Jutta , Weber Siegfried , Stech Olga , Breithaupt Angele , Gräber Marcus , Gohrbandt Sandra , Bogs Jessica , Hundt Jana , Teifke Jens P. , Mettenleiter Thomas C. , Stech Jürgen
Published: January 2012

High-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) evolve from low-pathogenic precursors specifying the HA serotypes H5 or H7 by acquisition of a polybasic HA cleavage site. As the reason for this serotype restriction has remained unclear, we aimed to distinguish between compatibility of a polybasic cleavage site with H5/H7 HA only and unique predisposition of these two serotypes for insertion mutations. To this end, we introduced a polybasic cleavage site into the HA of several low-pathogenic avian strains with serotypes H1, H2, H3, H4, H6, H8, H10, H11, H14, or H15, and rescued HA reassortants after cotransfection with the genes from either a low-pathogenic H9N2 or high-pathogenic H5N1 strain. Oculonasal inoculation with those reassortants resulted in varying pathogenicity in chicken. Recombinants containing the engineered H2, H4, H8, or H14 in the HPAIV background were lethal and exhibited i.v. pathogenicity indices of 2.79, 2.37, 2.85, and 2.61, respectively, equivalent to naturally occurring H5 or H7 HPAIV. Moreover, the H2, H4, and H8 reassortants were transmitted to some contact chickens. The H2 reassortant gained two mutations in the M2 proton channel gate region, which is affected in some HPAIVs of various origins. Taken together, in the presence of a polybasic HA cleavage site, non-H5/H7 HA can support a highly pathogenic phenotype in the appropriate viral background, indicating requirement for further adaptation. Therefore, the restriction of natural HPAIV to serotypes H5 and H7 is likely a result of their unique predisposition for acquisition of a polybasic HA cleavage site.
Light stimuli control neuronal migration by altering of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling
Authors: Li Ying , Komuro Yutaro , Fahrion Jennifer K. , Hu Taofang , Ohno Nobuhiko , Fenner Kathleen B. , Wooton Jessica , Raoult Emilie , Galas Ludovic , Vaudry David , Komuro Hitoshi
Published: January 2012

The role of genetic inheritance in brain development has been well characterized, but little is known about the contributions of natural environmental stimuli, such as the effect of light–dark cycles, to brain development. In this study, we determined the role of light stimuli in neuronal cell migration to elucidate how environmental factors regulate brain development. We show that in early postnatal mouse cerebella, granule cell migration accelerates during light cycles and decelerates during dark cycles. Furthermore, cerebellar levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are high during light cycles and low during dark cycles. There are causal relationships between light–dark cycles, speed of granule cell migration, and cerebellar IGF-1 levels. First, changes in light–dark cycles result in corresponding changes in the fluctuations of both speed of granule cell migration and cerebellar IGF-1 levels. Second, in vitro studies indicate that exogenous IGF-1 accelerates the migration of isolated granule cells through the activation of IGF-1 receptors. Third, in vivo studies reveal that inhibiting the IGF-1 receptors decelerates granule cell migration during light cycles (high IGF-1 levels) but does not alter migration during dark cycles (low IGF-1 levels). In contrast, stimulating the IGF-1 receptors accelerates granule cell migration during dark cycles (low IGF-1 levels) but does not alter migration during light cycles (high IGF-1 levels). These results suggest that during early postnatal development light stimuli control granule cell migration by altering the activity of IGF-1 receptors through modification of cerebellar IGF-1 levels.
Withania somnifera
reverses Alzheimer's disease pathology by enhancing low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein in liver
Authors: Sehgal Neha , Gupta Alok , Valli Rupanagudi Khader , Joshi Shanker Datt , Mills Jessica T. , Hamel Edith , Khanna Pankaj , Jain Subhash Chand , Thakur Suman S. , Ravindranath Vijayalakshmi
Published: January 2012

A 30-d course of oral administration of a semipurified extract of the root of
Withania somnifera
consisting predominantly of withanolides and withanosides reversed behavioral deficits, plaque pathology, accumulation of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ) and oligomers in the brains of middle-aged and old APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. It was similarly effective in reversing behavioral deficits and plaque load in APPSwInd mice (line J20). The temporal sequence involved an increase in plasma Aβ and a decrease in brain Aβ monomer after 7 d, indicating increased transport of Aβ from the brain to the periphery. Enhanced expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) in brain microvessels and the Aβ-degrading protease neprilysin (NEP) occurred 14–21 d after a substantial decrease in brain Aβ levels. However, significant increase in liver LRP and NEP occurred much earlier, at 7 d, and were accompanied by a rise in plasma sLRP, a peripheral sink for brain Aβ. In WT mice, the extract induced liver, but not brain, LRP and NEP and decreased plasma and brain Aβ, indicating that increase in liver LRP and sLRP occurring independent of Aβ concentration could result in clearance of Aβ. Selective down-regulation of liver LRP, but not NEP, abrogated the therapeutic effects of the extract. The remarkable therapeutic effect of
W. somnifera
mediated through up-regulation of liver LRP indicates that targeting the periphery offers a unique mechanism for Aβ clearance and reverses the behavioral deficits and pathology seen in Alzheimer's disease models.
Reversal of tumoral immune resistance by inhibition of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase
Authors: Pilotte Luc , Larrieu Pierre , Stroobant Vincent , Colau Didier , Dolušić Eduard , Frédérick Raphaël , De Plaen Etienne , Uyttenhove Catherine , Wouters Johan , Masereel Bernard , Van den Eynde Benoît J.
Published: January 2012

Tryptophan catabolism mediated by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) is an important mechanism of peripheral immune tolerance contributing to tumoral immune resistance, and IDO1 inhibition is an active area of drug development. Tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) is an unrelated hepatic enzyme that also degrades tryptophan along the kynurenine pathway. Here, we show that enzymatically active TDO is expressed in a significant proportion of human tumors. In a preclinical model, TDO expression by tumors prevented their rejection by immunized mice. We developed a TDO inhibitor, which, upon systemic treatment, restored the ability of mice to reject TDO-expressing tumors. Our results describe a mechanism of tumoral immune resistance based on TDO expression and establish proof-of-concept for the use of TDO inhibitors in cancer therapy.
Cell-to-cell movement of plastids in plants
Authors: Thyssen Gregory , Svab Zora , Maliga Pal
Published: January 2012

Our objective was to test whether or not plastids and mitochondria, the two DNA-containing organelles, move between cells in plants. As our experimental approach, we grafted two different species of tobacco,
Nicotiana tabacum
and
Nicotiana sylvestris
. Grafting triggers formation of new cell-to-cell contacts, creating an opportunity to detect cell-to-cell organelle movement between the genetically distinct plants. We initiated tissue culture from sliced graft junctions and selected for clonal lines in which gentamycin resistance encoded in the
N. tabacum
nucleus was combined with spectinomycin resistance encoded in
N. sylvestris
plastids. Here, we present evidence for cell-to-cell movement of the entire 161-kb plastid genome in these plants, most likely in intact plastids. We also found that the related mitochondria were absent, suggesting independent movement of the two DNA-containing organelles. Acquisition of plastids from neighboring cells provides a mechanism by which cells may be repopulated with functioning organelles. Our finding supports the universality of intercellular organelle trafficking and may enable development of future biotechnological applications.
Glucose activates free fatty acid receptor 1 gene transcription via phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-dependent
O
-GlcNAcylation of pancreas-duodenum homeobox-1
Authors: Kebede Melkam , Ferdaoussi Mourad , Mancini Arturo , Alquier Thierry , Kulkarni Rohit N. , Walker Michael D. , Poitout Vincent
Published: January 2012

The G protein-coupled free fatty acid receptor-1 (FFA1/GPR40) plays a major role in the regulation of insulin secretion by fatty acids. GPR40 is considered a potential therapeutic target to enhance insulin secretion in type 2 diabetes; however, its mode of regulation is essentially unknown. The aims of this study were to test the hypothesis that glucose regulates GPR40 gene expression in pancreatic β-cells and to determine the mechanisms of this regulation. We observed that glucose stimulates GPR40 gene transcription in pancreatic β-cells via increased binding of pancreas-duodenum homeobox-1 (Pdx-1) to the A-box in the HR2 region of the GPR40 promoter. Mutation of the Pdx-1 binding site within the HR2 abolishes glucose activation of GPR40 promoter activity. The stimulation of GPR40 expression and Pdx-1 binding to the HR2 in response to glucose are mimicked by
N
-acetyl glucosamine, an intermediate of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, and involve PI3K-dependent
O
-GlcNAcylation of Pdx-1 in the nucleus. We demonstrate that
O
-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) interacts with the product of the PI3K reaction, phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP
3
), in the nucleus. This interaction enables OGT to catalyze
O
-GlcNAcylation of nuclear proteins, including Pdx-1. We conclude that glucose stimulates GPR40 gene expression at the transcriptional level through Pdx-1 binding to the HR2 region and via a signaling cascade that involves an interaction between OGT and PIP
3
at the nuclear membrane. These observations reveal a unique mechanism by which glucose metabolism regulates the function of transcription factors in the nucleus to induce gene expression.
RNA virus microRNA that mimics a B-cell oncomiR
Authors: Kincaid Rodney P. , Burke James M. , Sullivan Christopher S.
Published: January 2012

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that play a regulatory role in numerous and diverse eukaryotic cellular processes. Virus-encoded miRNAs have garnered much interest, although the functions of most remain to be deciphered. To date, readily detectable, evolutionarily conserved natural miRNAs have only been identified from viruses with DNA genomes. Combined with the fact that most miRNAs are generated from endonucleolytic cleavage of longer transcripts, this finding has led to a common conception that naturally occurring RNA viruses will not encode miRNAs to avoid unproductive cleavage of their genomes or mRNAs. Here we demonstrate that the bovine leukemia virus (BLV), a retrovirus with an RNA genome, encodes a conserved cluster of miRNAs that are transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III). Thus, the BLV miRNAs avoid the conundrum of genome/mRNA cleavage because only the subgenomic pol III transcripts are efficiently processed into miRNAs. BLV infection is strongly associated with B-cell tumors in cattle. Because most cells in BLV-associated tumors express little viral mRNAs or proteins, exactly how BLV contributes to tumorigenesis has remained a decades-long unsolved mystery. One BLV miRNA, BLV-miR-B4, shares partial sequence identity and shared common targets with the host miRNA, miR-29. As miR-29 overexpression is associated with B-cell neoplasms that resemble BLV-associated tumors, our findings suggest a possible mechanism contributing to BLV-induced tumorigenesis.
YAP1, the nuclear target of Hippo signaling, stimulates heart growth through cardiomyocyte proliferation but not hypertrophy
Authors: von Gise Alexander , Lin Zhiqiang , Schlegelmilch Karin , Honor Leah B. , Pan Gina M. , Buck Jessica N. , Ma Qing , Ishiwata Takahiro , Zhou Bin , Camargo Fernando D. , Pu William T.
Published: January 2012

Heart growth is tightly controlled so that the heart reaches a predetermined size. Fetal heart growth occurs through cardiomyocyte proliferation, whereas postnatal heart growth involves primarily physiological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. The Hippo kinase cascade is an important regulator of organ growth. A major target of this kinase cascade is YAP1, a transcriptional coactivator that is inactivated by Hippo kinase activity. Here, we used both genetic gain and loss of
Yap1
function to investigate its role in regulating proliferative and physiologic hypertrophic heart growth. Fetal
Yap1
inactivation caused marked, lethal myocardial hypoplasia and decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation, whereas fetal activation of YAP1 stimulated cardiomyocyte proliferation. Enhanced proliferation was particularly dramatic in trabecular cardiomyocytes that normally exit from the cell cycle. Remarkably, YAP1 activation was sufficient to stimulate proliferation of postnatal cardiomyocytes, both in culture and in the intact heart. A dominant negative peptide that blocked YAP1 binding to TEAD transcription factors inhibited YAP1 proliferative activity, indicating that this activity requires YAP1–TEAD interaction. Although Yap1 was a critical regulator of cardiomyocyte proliferation, it did not influence physiological hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes, because postnatal
Yap1
gain or loss of function did not significantly alter cardiomyocyte size. These studies demonstrate that
Yap1
is a crucial regulator of cardiomyocyte proliferation, cardiac morphogenesis, and myocardial trabeculation. Activation of
Yap1
in postnatal cardiomyocytes may be a useful strategy to stimulate cardiomyocyte expansion in therapeutic myocardial regeneration.