bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Exposure to Di-2-Ethylhexylphthalate Replacements With Increased Insulin Resistance in Adolescents From NHANES 2009–2012
Authors: Attina Teresa M. , Trasande Leonardo
Published: May 2015

Context:

Di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP) are environmental chemicals increasingly used to replace di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) and commonly found in processed foods. Phthalate exposures, in particular DEHP, have been associated with insulin resistance in adolescents, but there are no data regarding the two substitutes, DINP and DIDP.

Objective:

This study aimed to examine associations of DINP, DIDP, and DEHP with insulin resistance outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants:

This was a cross-sectional analysis of 2009–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) composed of 356 fasting 12–19-year-olds.

Main Outcome Measures:

Insulin resistance as a categorical outcome expressed as homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), using a cut point of 4.39 to define insulin resistance. We also examined continuous HOMA-IR as an outcome in secondary analyses.

Results:

Controlling for demographic and behavioral factors, diet, age, body mass index, and urinary creatinine, for each log increase in DINP metabolite, a 0.08 (P = .001) increase in HOMA-IR was identified. Compared with the first tertile of DINP (23.4% adjusted prevalence), the third tertile was associated with a 34.4% prevalence (95% confidence interval [CI], 27.3–41.6%; P = .033) of insulin resistance. Similarly, compared with the first tertile of DEHP (20.5% adjusted prevalence), the third tertile had 37.7% prevalence (95% CI 29.8–45.6%; P = .003).

Conclusions:

Urinary DINP concentrations were associated with increased insulin resistance in this cross-sectional study of adolescents. The previously identified association of DEHP with insulin resistance was also confirmed. Further, longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations, with the possibility to assess opportunities for intervention.
They Gon’ Think You Loud Regardless: Ratchetness, Reality Television, and Black Womanhood
Authors: Warner Kristen J.
Published: May 2015

This article explores the interstitial spaces between positive and negative representations of black womanhood on reality television. It argues that regardless of the presence of supposedly positive images in media, if audiences choose to see black women as “loud,” the symbolic power of representation alone cannot counter that worldview. Thus, instead of disavowing these representations, we should explore how they function as types of black femininity. One of those types is here described as “ratchet.” Ratchetness, a disposition characterized by foolery that is more tacky than ghetto and more world-worn than camp, is a fitting descriptor for many of the women on reality series such as VH1’s Basketball Wives (2010–13) and Love and Hip Hop (2011–) and their respective spinoffs, Basketball Wives LA (2011–) and Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta (2012–). By no means does the article suggest that these black women's behaviors are anything short of performative; neither does it condone their behavior as socially acceptable. However, the analysis rests on an understanding of the liminality of their performance of ratchetness as a means of ensuring a material wage and maintaining visibility in a medium where black women's bodies are often rendered invisible. Through a close examination of these cult-hit cable reality series that centers on a consideration of black women's affect, the article seeks to explore the in-betweenness of black women's performances on reality TV not to celebrate them but as part of a “make-do” identificatory project through which black female audiences can indulge the ostensibly disreputable aspects of themselves within their own communal spaces.
Magic That Works: Performing Scientia in the Old English Metrical Charms and Poetic Dialogues of Solomon and Saturn
Authors: Paz James
Published: May 2015

Is it possible to reach a deeper understanding of early medieval science through poetry of the period? This article examines how Anglo-Saxon scientia was performed in a practical way, as a kind of craft, in the Old English metrical charms and poetic dialogues of Solomon and Saturn. In the process, the article challenges modern readers to discard casual assumptions about benighted inhabitants of the “Dark Ages” and to engage with the nuances of Anglo-Saxon cognitive modes. This reassessment of the Old English texts aims to break down barriers to understanding created by terms like “superstition” and thus to extend scientific knowledge into the early Middle Ages, long before the much-lauded achievements of the “Renaissance” and “Enlightenment.” From this vantage point, Anglo-Saxon ways of perceiving and knowing do not mirror or anticipate modern mental habits that split science and poetry apart; rather, the powers of science and poetry are fused together to create an impact in the world.
Pygmalion’s Wax: “Fruitful Knowledge” in Bacon and Montaigne
Authors: Mann Jenny C.
Published: May 2015

This essay documents the mutual interactions of philosophy and poesis in early modern theories of knowledge. It does so by following the trajectory of the wax image, or simulacrum, from Greek philosophy to Roman rhetoric and onwards to early modern philosophy and poetry. Ovid’s fable of Pygmalion—the artist who brings an ivory statue to life—evokes the wax simulacrum and thereby makes explicit the shared terrain of philosophy, poetics, and rhetoric around questions of knowledge and representation. Consequently, this essay uses Pygmalion as a hinge that links these disparate periods and discourses. Culminating in an analysis of works by Francis Bacon and Michel de Montaigne, the essay claims that the figure of Pygmalion is a vehicle by which the softening tendencies of poesis shape the theories of knowledge put forward in early modern philosophical writing.
A Brn2–Zic1 axis specifies the neuronal fate of retinoic-acid-treated embryonic stem cells
Authors: Urban Sylvia , Kobi Dominique , Ennen Marie , Langer Diana , Le Gras Stéphanie , Ye Tao , Davidson Irwin
Published: May 2015

Mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) treated with all-trans retinoic acid differentiate into a homogenous population of glutamatergic neurons. Although differentiation is initiated through activation of target genes by the retinoic acid receptors, the downstream transcription factors specifying neuronal fate are less well characterised. Here, we show that the transcription factor Brn2 (also known as Pou3f2) is essential for the neuronal differentiation programme. By integrating results from RNA-seq following Brn2 silencing with results from Brn2 ChIP-seq, we identify a set of Brn2 target genes required for the neurogenic programme. Further integration of Brn2 ChIP-seq data from retinoic-acid-treated ESCs and P19 cells with data from ESCs differentiated into neuronal precursors by Fgf2 treatment and that from fibroblasts trans-differentiated into neurons by ectopic Brn2 expression showed that Brn2 occupied a distinct but overlapping set of genomic loci in these differing conditions. However, a set of common binding sites and target genes defined the core of the Brn2-regulated neuronal programme, among which was that encoding the transcription factor Zic1. Small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated silencing of Zic1 prevented ESCs from differentiating into neuronal precursors, thus defining a hierarchical Brn2–Zic1 axis that is essential to specify neural fate in retinoic-acid-treated ESCs.
Eye-independent, light-activated chromatophore expansion (LACE) and expression of phototransduction genes in the skin of Octopus bimaculoides
Authors: Ramirez M. Desmond , Oakley Todd H.
Published: May 2015

Cephalopods are renowned for changing the color and pattern of their skin for both camouflage and communication. Yet, we do not fully understand how cephalopods control the pigmented chromatophore organs in their skin and change their body pattern. Although these changes primarily rely on eyesight, we found that light causes chromatophores to expand in excised pieces of Octopus bimaculoides skin. We call this behavior light-activated chromatophore expansion (or LACE). To uncover how octopus skin senses light, we used antibodies against r-opsin phototransduction proteins to identify sensory neurons that express r-opsin in the skin. We hypothesized that octopus LACE relies on the same r-opsin phototransduction cascade found in octopus eyes. By creating an action spectrum for the latency to LACE, we found that LACE occurred most quickly in response to blue light. We fit our action spectrum data to a standard opsin curve template and estimated the λmax of LACE to be 480 nm. Consistent with our hypothesis, the maximum sensitivity of the light sensors underlying LACE closely matches the known spectral sensitivity of opsin from octopus eyes. LACE in isolated preparations suggests that octopus skin is intrinsically light sensitive and that this dispersed light sense might contribute to their unique and novel patterning abilities. Finally, our data suggest that a common molecular mechanism for light detection in eyes may have been co-opted for light sensing in octopus skin and then used for LACE.
Characterization of the target of ivermectin, the glutamate-gated chloride channel, fromAnopheles gambiae
Authors: Meyers Jacob I. , Gray Meg , Kuklinski Wojtek , Johnson Lucas B. , Snow Christopher D. , Black William C. , Partin Kathryn M. , Foy Brian D.
Published: May 2015

The use of insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual insecticides targeting adult mosquito vectors is a key element in malaria control programs. However, mosquito resistance to the insecticides used in these applications threatens malaria control efforts. Recently, the mass drug administration of ivermectin (IVM) has been shown to kill Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes and disrupt Plasmodium falciparum transmission in the field. We cloned the molecular target of IVM from A. gambiae, the glutamate-gated chloride channel (AgGluCl), and characterized its transcriptional patterns, protein expression and functional responses to glutamate and IVM. AgGluCl cloning revealed an unpredicted fourth splice isoform as well as a novel exon and splice site. The predicted gene products contained heterogeneity in the N-terminal extracellular domain and the intracellular loop region. Responses to glutamate and IVM were measured using two-electrode voltage clamp on Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing AgGluCl. IVM induced non-persistent currents in AgGluCl-a1 and did not potentiate glutamate responses. In contrast, AgGluCl-b was insensitive to IVM, suggesting that the AgGluCl gene could produce IVM-sensitive and -insensitive homomultimers from alternative splicing. AgGluCl isoform-specific transcripts were measured across tissues, ages, blood feeding status and sex, and were found to be differentially transcribed across these physiological variables. Lastly, we stained adult, female A. gambiae for GluCl expression. The channel was expressed in the antenna, Johnston's organ, supraesophageal ganglion and thoracic ganglia. In summary, we have characterized the first GluCl from a mosquito, A. gambiae, and described its unique activity and expression with respect to it as the target of the insecticide IVM.
Forgotten Third Parties: Analyzing the Contingent Association Between Unshared Third Parties, Knowledge Overlap, and Knowledge Transfer Relationships with Outsiders
Authors: Reagans Ray , Singh Param Vir , Krishnan Ramayya
Published: May 2015

Third parties play a prominent role in network-based explanations for successful knowledge transfer. Third parties can be either shared or unshared. Shared third parties signal insider status and have a predictable positive effect on knowledge transfer. Unshared third parties, however, signal outsider status and are believed to undermine knowledge transfer. Surprisingly, unshared third parties have been ignored in empirical analysis, and so we do not know if or how much unshared third parties contribute to the process. Using knowledge transfer data from an online technical forum, we illustrate how unshared third parties affect the rate at which individuals initiate and sustain knowledge transfer relationships. Empirical results indicate that unshared third parties undermine knowledge sharing, and they also indicate that the magnitude of the negative unshared-third-party effect declines the more unshared third parties overlap in what they know. Our results provide a more complete view of how third parties contribute to knowledge sharing. The results also advance our understanding of network-based dynamics defined more broadly. By documenting how knowledge overlap among unshared third parties moderates their negative influence, our results show when the benefits provided by third parties and by bridges (i.e., relationships with outsiders) will be opposed versus when both can be enjoyed.
Depression and mental health in the community and the role of the nurse
Authors: Mendes Aysha
Published: May 2015

Aysha Mendes discusses the risk of depression in patients who live alone, are elderly, or who are coping with physical illness, and the importance of community nurses quickly and correctly diagnosing any symptoms
Are you ready for change?
Authors: Oshikanlu Ruth
Published: May 2015

During a time of political change, Ruth Oshikanlu challenges health visitors to consider change in the workplace: how can you manage and embrace change in your service?
Neurodevelopmental disorders: What to look out for
Authors: Hobson Sally , Davie Max
Published: May 2015

Neurodevelopmental disorders are commonly encountered in health visiting practice, but the precise diagnosis often takes a considerable time to emerge. Health visitors therefore have a crucial role, especially (but not exclusively) before formal diagnostic assignment, in: assessment of developmental needs; referral for specific diagnostic assessment; and family support with issues such as sleep, behaviour and feeding. This paper discusses the nature and causes of neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as providing an overall framework for approaching these problems. It considers some specific conditions—autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental coordination disorder and dyslexia—looking at what each condition is, prevalence and presentation, and what to do when the condition is suspected. Practice points are emphasised regarding the importance of flexibility when considering diagnosis, and managing presenting difficulties, not presumptive diagnoses.
Can parents be effective screeners in identifying developmental dysplasia of the hip? Review of a self-check guide
Authors: Lee Angela , Doherty Nina , Dodds Richard , Davies Neville
Published: May 2015

Background:

Infants have been screened for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) since the 1960s. However, changes to the national screening programme in 2008 have reduced the surveillance of DDH following the removal of the 8-month infant hip check, leaving only the 6–8 week hip check as standard.

Aim:

The study was to ascertain if parents/carers could be effective screeners in the detection of infant DDH using a self-check guide.

Design and setting:

A self-check guide for DDH was developed to enlist parents as screeners. The guide highlights common signs used to alert to the possibility of DDH or hip dislocation. It was disseminated during 2008–13 by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust in West Berkshire, through maternity services and health centres.

Results:

Of those infants referred to our clinic as a result of parental screening, 73% were ‘abnormal’; of these, 33% went on to treatment with splintage. The mean age of infants was 5.36 months, and 20% of positive findings were in infants aged 7 months or over at the time seen. None went on to have open surgery. These patients represented 5–10% of the overall group of DDH-positive patients. If left undiagnosed, they may have gone on to late presentation requiring surgery as a child, or undiagnosed acetabular dysplasia and possible surgical treatment in relatively early adulthood.

Conclusion:

Given the right guidance, parents could assist in detecting DDH in their infant.
Primary care in Caribbean Small Island Developing States
Authors: Kranenburg J.D. , Essink D.R.
Published: May 2015

Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) made good process on improving the health of their populations; but concerns exist when it comes to meeting changing health needs. Due to remoteness and limited resources it is difficult to respond to high rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Furthermore, little is known about how primary care (PC) is organised and how this responds to current health issues. This study focused on gaining insights in the organisation of PC of Caribbean SIDS based on currently available literature. This literature review was an explorative multiple case study, where structure of PC and health status of 16 Caribbean SIDS were reviewed using available scientific and grey literature between the years 1997 and 2014. Thirty documents were used to analyse 20 indicators for the dimensions “Structure of Primary Care” and “Health Status”. Results were mapped in order to identify if there is a possible relation between structures of PC to the health of the populations. When reviewing the structure of PC, the majority of information was available for “Economic conditions of PC” (78%) and the least information was available for “Governance of PC” (40%). With regards to health status, all islands show improvements on “Life expectancy at birth” since 2007. In contrast, on average, the mortality due to NCDs did not improve. Saint Lucia performs best on “Structure of PC”. The British Virgin Islands have the best health status. When both dimensions were analysed, Saint Lucia performs best. There is still little known on the responsiveness of PC of Caribbean SIDS to NCDs. There is a need for elaborate research on: (1) If and how the functioning of these health systems relate to the health status; (2) What islands can learn from an analysis over time and what they can learn from cross-island analysis; and (3) Filling the gaps of knowledge which currently exist within this field of research.
General solution and generalized Ulam-Hyers stability of a generalized n- type additive quadratic functional equation in Banach space and Banach algebra: direct and fixed point methods
Authors: Murthy S. , Arunkumar M. , Govindan V.
Published: May 2015

In this paper, the authors introduce and investigate the general solution and generalized Ulam-Hyers stability of a generalized n-type additive-quadratic functional equation.

g(x + 2y; u + 2v) + g(x 􀀀 2y; u 􀀀 2v) = 4[g(x + y; u + v) + g(x 􀀀 y; u 􀀀 v)] 􀀀 6g(x; u)
+ g(2y; 2v) + g(􀀀2y;􀀀2v) 􀀀 4g(y; v) 􀀀 4g(􀀀y;􀀀v)

Where  is a positive integer with , in Banach Space and Banach Algebras using direct and fixed point methods.
The long arm of justice: U.S. structural power and international banking
Authors: Emmenegger Patrick
Published: May 2015

How much authority can sovereign states exercise over international banking in times of financial globalization? While most literature on international finance is rather pessimistic, this article argues that in case of US law enforcement, this pessimistic view is increasingly erroneous. The reason is that US authorities can take advantage of international banks’ structural dependence on access to the dollar-based financial system to force banks into punitive agreements or to plead guilty in case of criminal offenses. Using the conflict between the USA and Swiss banks over tax evasion by US persons, this article demonstrates that banks in the liberal economic system can no longer survive without access to the US-controlled, dollar-based financial system, thus giving the USA structural power over banks. In addition, it is shown that US structural power can be used strategically during negotiation processes to apply pressure on banks. Finally, while the use of this structural power was originally restricted to smaller banks, whose collapse would not endanger the world economy, US authorities have recently learnt to manage market expectations in a way that allows them to also target banks that were previously considered “too big to jail.”
A review of beat-to-beat vectorcardiographic (VCG) parameters for analyzing repolarization variability in ECG signals
Authors: Hasan Muhammad A. , Abbott Derek
Published: May 2015

Elevated ventricular repolarization lability is believed to be linked to the risk of ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation. However, ventricular repolarization is a complex electrical phenomenon, and abnormalities in ventricular repolarization are not completely understood. To evaluate repolarization lability, vectorcardiography (VCG) is an alternative approach where the electrocardiographic (ECG) signal can be considered as possessing both magnitude and direction. Recent research has shown that VCG is advantageous over ECG signal analysis for identification of repolarization abnormality. One of the key reasons is that the VCG approach does not rely on exact identification of the T-wave offset, which improves the reproducibility of the VCG technique. However, beat-to-beat variability in VCG is an emerging area for the investigation of repolarization abnormality though not yet fully realized. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to explore the techniques, findings, and efficacy of beat-to-beat VCG parameters for analyzing repolarization lability, which may have potential utility for further study.
Towards biomarker-based tests that can facilitate decisions about prevention and management of preeclampsia in low-resource settings
Authors: Acestor Nathalie , Goett Jane , Lee Arthur , Herrick Tara M. , Engelbrecht Susheela M. , Harner-Jay Claudia M. , Howell Bonnie J. , Weigl Bernhard H.
Published: May 2015

In recent years, an increasing amount of literature is emerging on candidate urine and blood-based biomarkers associated with incidence and severity of preeclampsia (PE) in pregnant women. While enthusiasm on the usefulness of several of these markers in predicting PE is evolving, essentially all work so far has focused on the needs of high-resource settings and high-income countries, resulting primarily in multi-parameter laboratory assays based on proteomic and metabolomics analysis techniques. These highly complex methods, however, require laboratory capabilities that are rarely available or affordable in low-resource settings (LRS). The importance of quantifying maternal and perinatal risks and identifying which pregnancies can be safely prolonged is also much greater in LRS, where intensive care facilities that can rapidly respond to PE-related health threats for women and infants are limited. For these reasons, simple, low cost, sensitive, and specific point-of-care (POC) tests are needed that can be performed by antenatal health care providers in LRS and that can facilitate decisions about detection and management of PE. Our study aims to provide a comprehensive systematic review of current and emerging blood and urine biomarkers for PE, not only on the basis of their clinical performance, but also of their suitability to be used in LRS-compatible test formats, such as lateral flow and other variants of POC rapid assays.
Compound Piezomechanical Systems of Algae Cell Disrupting
Authors: Vasiljev Piotr , Bareikis Regimantas , Borodinas Sergejus , Struckas Arunas , Kasperovicienė Jurate
Published: May 2015

One of the most attractive sources of raw materials for biofuel production can be algae oil processing into biofuels. In this paper, the authors are proposing a unique ultrasonic piezoelectric system, which would allow the reduction of internal energy losses and concentration of ultrasonic energy into a small closed volume. The current vibrating systems whose ultrasonic energy is concentrated inside of a hollow cylinder where the water–algae mixture is flowing. The ultrasonic energy is concentrated in a local volume to create a high-power bubble implosion process. Two, three or multiple ultrasonic composite systems to concentrate the total energy into a hollow cylinder in order to create a strong algae cell ultrasonication are used. The experiments and the numerical finite element method (FEM) analysis results using the proposed transducers as well as the biological test results on algae cell disruption by ultra-sonication are presented in this paper.
Bayesian Analysis of the Brown–Proschan Model
Authors: Nguyen Dinh Tuan , Dijoux Yann , Fouladirad Mitra
Published: May 2015

The paper presents a Bayesian approach of the Brown–Proschan imperfect maintenance model. The initial failure rate is assumed to follow a Weibull distribution. A discussion of the choice of informative and non-informative prior distributions is provided. The implementation of the posterior distributions requires the Metropolis-within-Gibbs algorithm. A study on the quality of the estimators of the model obtained from Bayesian and frequentist inference is proposed.
An application to real data is finally developed.
Sunflower Heat-Shock Protein Synthesis Study under Water Deficit Condition
Authors: Enferadi Sattar Tahmasebi , Rabiei Zohreh , Vannozzi Gian Paolo
Published: May 2015

To follow heat shock proteins (HSPs) expression in sunflower seeds as portion of total seed storage proteins (SSPs), we kept all agronomic factors constant except temperature. In this research, a drought-tolerant sunflower hybrid was planted under normal and drought stress conditions in order to investigate the effect of temperature on protein synthesis and accumulation during achene filling phase. The analyses of proteins were carried out by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), after total protein extraction from achene 25 days after pollination. In total, at least 542 protein spots were detected in seeds at normal growth condition versus 551 protein spots in seeds of stress condition. The presence of a polypeptide bond of 17.7 kDa as a small heat shock protein (SHSP) was only observed in seed grown in drought stress and the accuracy of identification was confirmed by micro-lab-on-chip capillary electrophoresis.
Germination and Seedling Growth Response on Sunflower Seeds to Priming and Temperature Stress
Authors: Lekić S. , Draganić I. , Milivojević M. , Todorović G.
Published: May 2015

The present paper shows results obtained on effects of priming of sunflower seeds, subjected to accelerated ageing and the cold test, on seed vigour. Seeds were primed with distilled water, the potassium nitrate solution (0.2%) and the gibberellic acid solution (0.04%). The following parameters were tested: energy of germination, germination, proportion of abnormal seedlings, lengths of roots and shoots of normal seedlings. Accelerated ageing in the course of 3 and 5 days resulted in a statistically significant reduction in energy of germination and germination; it adversely affected the length of roots and shoots and it increased the proportion of abnormal seedlings. Seed priming with all three solutions mitigated adverse effects of 3-day accelerated ageing on energy of germination. Furthermore, seed priming with gibberellic acid prior to 3-day accelerated ageing positively affected seed germination and neutralized a negative effect of accelerated ageing on the number of abnormal seedlings, as well as on lengths of shoots and roots of normal seedlings. The cold test (at 5°C for 7 days) negatively affected energy of germination and the root length, increased the proportion of abnormal seedlings and did not affect seed germination. Priming of seeds with distilled water prior to the cold test completely neutralized the adverse effect of low temperatures on energy of germination. Finally, priming of seeds with all three solutions completely neutralized the adverse effect of cold test on the root length.
Critical moisture conditions for fungal decay of modified wood by basidiomycetes as detected by pile tests
Authors: Meyer Linda , Brischke Christian , Treu Andreas , Larsson-Brelid Pia
Published: May 2015

The aim of cell wall modification is to keep wood moisture content (MC) below favorable conditions for decay organisms. However, thermally modified, furfurylated, and acetylated woods partly show higher MCs than untreated wood in outdoor exposure. The open question is to which extent decay is influenced by the presence of liquid water in cell lumens. The present paper contributes to this topic and reports on physiological threshold values for wood decay fungi with respect to modified wood. In total, 4200 specimens made from acetylated, furfurylated, and thermally modified beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Scots pine sapwood (sW) (Pinus sylvestris L.) were exposed to Coniophora puteana and Trametes versicolor. Piles consisting of 50 small specimens were incubated above malt agar in Erlenmeyer flasks for 16 weeks. In general, pile upward mass loss (ML) and MC decreased. Threshold values for fungal growth and decay (ML≥2%) were determined. In summary, the minimum MC for fungal decay was slightly below fiber saturation point of the majority of the untreated and differently modified materials. Surprisingly, T. versicolor was able to degrade untreated beech wood at a minimum of 15% MC, and growth was possible at 13% MC. By contrast, untreated pine sW was not decayed by C.
puteana at less than 29% MC.
Numerical Solution of MHD Stagnation Point Flow of Williamson Fluid Model over a Stretching Cylinder
Authors: Malik M. Y. , Salahuddin T.
Published: May 2015

The present paper deals with the numerical solution of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of Williamson fluid model over a stretching cylinder. The governing partial differential equation of Williamson fluid is converted into an ordinary differential equation using similarity transformations along with boundary layer approach, which is then solved numerically by applying the shooting method in conjunction with Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method. The effect of different parameters on velocity profile is thoroughly examined through graphs and tables.
Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Qinling Mountain Engineered Rocks during Pulse-Shaped SHPB Test
Authors: Liu Shi , Xu Jinyu
Published: May 2015

In order to study the dynamic compression mechanical properties of engineering rock under high strain rate （100~102 S−1）loads, dynamic compression tests of three common engineering rocks (marble, sandstone and granite) taken from the Qinling Mountain are studied subjected to five different kinds of shock air pressure using Φ 100 mm split Hopkinson pressure bar test system improved with purple copper waveform shaper. The dynamic compression stress-strain curves, dynamic compressive strength, peak strain, energy absorption rate and elastic modulus of three rocks variation with strain rate are researched. The dynamic compression failure modes under different strain rates are analyzed. Then the three-dimensional numerical simulations of waveform shaper shaping effects and stress wave propagation in the SHPB tests are carried out to reproduce the test results. The research results show that the dynamic compression stress-strain curves show certain discreteness, and there is an obvious rebound phenomenon after the peak. With the increase in strain rate, the dynamic compressive strength, peak strain and energy absorption rate are all in a certain degree of increase, but the elastic modulus have no obvious change trend. Under the same strain rate, the dynamic compressive strength of granite is greatest while of sandstone is least. With the increase in strain rate, the margin of increase in peak strain and energy absorption rate of granite is greatest while of sandstone is least. The failure modes of the sample experience a developing process from outside to inside with the increase of strain rate.
Albanien als Krisen- und Kriegsgebiet 1908–1921
Authors: Opfer-Klinger Björn
Published: May 2015

The Albanian national movement was still quite young and heterogeneous when international conflicts lead to the foundation of the Albanian state in 1912/13. Located by the strategically important Strait of Otranto, it came into existence as a compromise and under the protection of the Great Powers in a time when the Osman Empire was collapsing and the South-eastern European States were practising an aggressive policy of expansion. Only a few months later World War I broke out and affected the region severely. Consequently, it took another ten years for the Albanian state to take permanent shape within the changed order of postwar Europe. At this point, however, the political self-concept of Albania had altered pertinently due to constant foreign intervention and occupation by opposing war parties. Some of these influences continue to affect Albania to the present day.
Bio-inspired approaches to accelerating metal ion-promoted reactions: enzyme-like rates for metal ion mediated phosphoryl and acyl transfer processes
Authors: Brown Robert Stan
Published: May 2015

Intense efforts by many research groups for more than 50 years have been directed at biomimetic approaches to understand how enzymes achieve their remarkable rate accelerations. Nevertheless, it was noted in 2003 that, despite numerous efforts to design models for catalyzing the cleavage of such species as phosphate diesters, “none of the several models so far described approaches the enormous catalytic efficiency of natural enzymes”. The same could be said for biomimetics of other enzymes promoting acyl or phosphoryl transfer reactions, particularly those mediated by metal ions such as Zn(II). Clearly other important factors were being overlooked or awaiting discovery. In this manuscript we describe two important effects that we have implemented to accelerate metal ion catayzed phosphoryl and acyl transfer reactions. The first of these relates to a medium effect where the polarity of the solution, as measured by dielectric constant, is reduced from that of water (ε= 78) to values of 31.5 and 24.3 when the solvent is changed to methanol or ethanol. Among organic solvents these light alcohols are closest to water in terms of structure and properties as well as retaining important H-bonding properties. The second important effect involves a known but difficult to demonstrate mode of catalysis where the leaving group (LG) in a solvolysis reaction is accelerated as it becomes progressively poorer. In the cases described herein, the LG’s propensity to depart from a substrate during the course of reaction is accelerated by coordination to a metal ion in a process known as leaving group assistance, or LGA. These two effects can each impart accelerations of 109–1017for certain metal ion catalyzed reactions relative to the corresponding solvent, or base induced reactions.
Ion-exchange separation of radioiodine and its application to production of 124I by alpha particle induced reactions on antimony
Authors: Uddin Md. Shuza , Qaim Syed M. , Hermanne Alex , Spahn Ingo , Spellerberg Stefan , Scholten Bernhard , Hossain Syed Mohammod , Coenen Heinz H.
Published: May 2015

The basic parameters related to radiochemical separation of iodine from tellurium and antimony by anion-exchange chromatography using
the resin Amberlyst A26 were studied. The separation yield of 124I amounted to 96% and the decontamination factor
from 121Te and 122Sb was > 104. The method was applied to the production of 124I via the
123Sb(α, 3n) reaction. In an irradiation of 110 mg of natSb2O3 (thickness
∼ 0.08 g/cm2) with 38 MeV α-particles at 1.2 μA beam current for 4 h,
corresponding to the beam energy range of E

α
 = 37 → 27 MeV, the batch yield of 124I obtained was
12.42 MBq and the 125I and 126I impurities amounted to 3.8% and 0.7%,
respectively. The experimental batch yield of 124I amounted to 80% of the theoretically calculated value but the
level of the radionuclidic impurities were in agreement with the theoretical values. About 96% of the radioiodine was in the
form of iodide and the inactive impurities (Te, Sb, Sn) were below the permissible level. Due to the relatively high level of
radionuclidic impurity the 124I produced would possibly be useful only for restricted local consumption or for animal
experiments.
Antennal Mechanosensory Neurons Mediate Wing Motor Reflexes in FlyingDrosophila
Authors: Mamiya Akira , Dickinson Michael H.
Published: May 2015

Although many behavioral studies have shown the importance of antennal mechanosensation in various aspects of insect flight control, the identities of the mechanosensory neurons responsible for these functions are still unknown. One candidate is the Johnston's organ (JO) neurons that are located in the second antennal segment and detect phasic and tonic rotations of the third antennal segment relative to the second segment. To investigate how different classes of JO neurons respond to different types of antennal movement during flight, we combined 2-photon calcium imaging with a machine vision system to simultaneously record JO neuron activity and the antennal movement from tethered flying fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). We found that most classes of JO neurons respond strongly to antennal oscillation at the wing beat frequency, but not to the tonic deflections of the antennae. To study how flies use input from the JO neurons during flight, we genetically ablated specific classes of JO neurons and examined their effect on the wing motion. Tethered flies flying in the dark require JO neurons to generate slow antiphasic oscillation of the left and right wing stroke amplitudes. However, JO neurons are not necessary for this antiphasic oscillation when visual feedback is available, indicating that there are multiple pathways for generating antiphasic movement of the wings. Collectively, our results are consistent with a model in which flying flies use JO neurons to detect increases in the wing-induced airflow and that JO neurons are involved in a response that decreases contralateral wing stoke amplitude.
Decoding Actions at Different Levels of Abstraction
Authors: Wurm Moritz F. , Lingnau Angelika
Published: May 2015

Brain regions that mediate action understanding must contain representations that are action specific and at the same time tolerate a wide range of perceptual variance. Whereas progress has been made in understanding such generalization mechanisms in the object domain, the neural mechanisms to conceptualize actions remain unknown. In particular, there is ongoing dissent between motor-centric and cognitive accounts whether premotor cortex or brain regions in closer relation to perceptual systems, i.e., lateral occipitotemporal cortex, contain neural populations with such mapping properties. To date, it is unclear to which degree action-specific representations in these brain regions generalize from concrete action instantiations to abstract action concepts. However, such information would be crucial to differentiate between motor and cognitive theories. Using ROI-based and searchlight-based fMRI multivoxel pattern decoding, we sought brain regions in human cortex that manage the balancing act between specificity and generality. We investigated a concrete level that distinguishes actions based on perceptual features (e.g., opening vs closing a specific bottle), an intermediate level that generalizes across movement kinematics and specific objects involved in the action (e.g., opening different bottles with cork or screw cap), and an abstract level that additionally generalizes across object category (e.g., opening bottles or boxes). We demonstrate that the inferior parietal and occipitotemporal cortex code actions at abstract levels whereas the premotor cortex codes actions at the concrete level only. Hence, occipitotemporal, but not premotor, regions fulfill the necessary criteria for action understanding. This result is compatible with cognitive theories but strongly undermines motor theories of action understanding.
Rhythmic Auditory Cortex Activity at Multiple Timescales Shapes Stimulus–Response Gain and Background Firing
Authors: Kayser Christoph , Wilson Caroline , Safaai Houman , Sakata Shuzo , Panzeri Stefano
Published: May 2015

The phase of low-frequency network activity in the auditory cortex captures changes in neural excitability, entrains to the temporal structure of natural sounds, and correlates with the perceptual performance in acoustic tasks. Although these observations suggest a causal link between network rhythms and perception, it remains unknown how precisely they affect the processes by which neural populations encode sounds. We addressed this question by analyzing neural responses in the auditory cortex of anesthetized rats using stimulus–response models. These models included a parametric dependence on the phase of local field potential rhythms in both stimulus-unrelated background activity and the stimulus–response transfer function. We found that phase-dependent models better reproduced the observed responses than static models, during both stimulation with a series of natural sounds and epochs of silence. This was attributable to two factors: (1) phase-dependent variations in background firing (most prominent for delta; 1–4 Hz); and (2) modulations of response gain that rhythmically amplify and attenuate the responses at specific phases of the rhythm (prominent for frequencies between 2 and 12 Hz). These results provide a quantitative characterization of how slow auditory cortical rhythms shape sound encoding and suggest a differential contribution of network activity at different timescales. In addition, they highlight a putative mechanism that may implement the selective amplification of appropriately timed sound tokens relative to the phase of rhythmic auditory cortex activity.
Opposing Role for Egr3 in Nucleus Accumbens Cell Subtypes in Cocaine Action
Authors: Chandra Ramesh , Francis T. Chase , Konkalmatt Prasad , Amgalan Ariunzaya , Gancarz Amy M. , Dietz David M. , Lobo Mary Kay
Published: May 2015

An imbalance in molecular signaling cascades and transcriptional regulation in nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neuron (MSN) subtypes, those enriched in dopamine D1 versus D2 receptors, is implicated in the behavioral responses to psychostimulants. To provide further insight into the molecular mechanisms occurring in MSN subtypes by cocaine, we examined the transcription factor early growth response 3 (Egr3). We evaluated Egr3 because it is a target of critical cocaine-mediated signaling pathways and because Egr3-binding sites are found on promoters of key cocaine-associated molecules. We first used a RiboTag approach to obtain ribosome-associated transcriptomes from each MSN subtype and found that repeated cocaine administration induced Egr3 ribosome-associated mRNA in NAc D1-MSNs while reducing Egr3 in D2-MSNs. Using Cre-inducible adeno-associated viruses combined with D1-Cre and D2-Cre mouse lines, we observed that Egr3 overexpression in D1-MSNs enhances rewarding and locomotor responses to cocaine, whereas overexpression in D2-MSNs blunts these behaviors. miRNA knock-down of Egr3 in MSN subtypes produced opposite behavioral responses from those observed with overexpression. Finally, we found that repeated cocaine administration altered Egr3 binding to promoters of genes that are important for cocaine-mediated cellular and behavioral plasticity. Genes with increased Egr3 binding to promoters, Camk2α, CREB, FosB, Nr4a2, and Sirt1, displayed increased mRNA in D1-MSNs and, in some cases, a reduction in D2-MSNs. Histone and the DNA methylation enzymes G9a and Dnmt3a displayed reduced Egr3 binding to their promoters and reduced mRNA in D1-MSNs. Our study provides novel insight into an opposing role of Egr3 in select NAc MSN subtypes in cocaine action.
Integrating Temperature with Odor Processing in the Olfactory Bulb
Authors: Kludt Eugen , Okom Camille , Brinkmann Alexander , Schild Detlev
Published: May 2015

Temperature perception has long been classified as a somesthetic function solely. However, in recent years several studies brought evidence that temperature perception also takes place in the olfactory system of rodents. Temperature has been described as an effective stimulus for sensory neurons of the Grueneberg ganglion located at the entrance of the nose. Here, we investigate whether a neuronal trace of temperature stimulation can be observed in the glomeruli and mitral cells of the olfactory bulb, using calcium imaging and fast line-scanning microscopy. We show in theXenopustadpole system that the γ-glomerulus, which receives input from olfactory neurons, is highly sensitive to temperature drops at the olfactory epithelium. We observed that thermo-induced activity in the γ-glomerulus is conveyed to the mitral cells innervating this specific neuropil. Surprisingly, a substantial number of thermosensitive mitral cells were also chemosensitive. Moreover, we report another unique feature of the γ-glomerulus: it receives ipsilateral and contralateral afferents. The latter fibers pass through the contralateral bulb, cross the anterior commissure, and then run to the ipsilateral olfactory bulb, where they target the γ-glomerulus. Temperature drops at the contralateral olfactory epithelium also induced responses in the γ-glomerulus and in mitral cells. Temperature thus appears to be a relevant physiological input to theXenopusolfactory system. Each olfactory bulb integrates and codes temperature signals originating from receptor neurons of the ipsilateral and contralateral nasal cavities. Finally, temperature and chemical information is processed in shared cellular networks.
NovelSCN9AMutations Underlying Extreme Pain Phenotypes: Unexpected Electrophysiological and Clinical Phenotype Correlations
Authors: Emery Edward C. , Habib Abdella M. , Cox James J. , Nicholas Adeline K. , Gribble Fiona M. , Woods C. Geoffrey , Reimann Frank
Published: May 2015

The importance of NaV1.7 (encoded bySCN9A) in the regulation of pain sensing is exemplified by the heterogeneity of clinical phenotypes associated with its mutation. Gain-of-function mutations are typically pain-causing and have been associated with inherited erythromelalgia (IEM) and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD). IEM is usually caused by enhanced NaV1.7 channel activation, whereas mutations that alter steady-state fast inactivation often lead to PEPD. In contrast, nonfunctional mutations inSCN9Aare known to underlie congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP). Although well documented, the correlation betweenSCN9Agenotypes and clinical phenotypes is still unclear. Here we report three families with novelSCN9Amutations. In a multiaffected dominant family with IEM, we found the heterozygous change L245 V. Electrophysiological characterization showed that this mutation did not affect channel activation but instead resulted in incomplete fast inactivation and a small hyperpolarizing shift in steady-state slow inactivation, characteristics more commonly associated with PEPD. In two compound heterozygous CIP patients, we found mutations that still retained functionality of the channels, with two C-terminal mutations (W1775R and L1831X) exhibiting a depolarizing shift in channel activation. Two mutations (A1236E and L1831X) resulted in a hyperpolarizing shift in steady-state fast inactivation. To our knowledge, these are the first descriptions of mutations with some retained channel function causing CIP. This study emphasizes the complex genotype–phenotype correlations that exist forSCN9Aand highlights the C-terminal cytoplasmic region of NaV1.7 as a critical region for channel function, potentially facilitating analgesic drug development studies.