bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MINIATURIZED AND HARMONIC-SUPPRESSED RF WILKINSON POWER DIVIDER WITH IB-CMRC
Authors: ZHANG FEI
Published: March 2009

In this paper, the technique served by a microstrip electromagnetic band gap cell entitled IBCMRC is employed to suppress the high-order harmonics and reduce the length by over 30% for a quarter-wave conventional transmission line. The successful application of IB-CMRC cell in a 2 GHz Wilkinson power divider shows that the second and third harmonics are successfully suppressed without downgrading the performance at the operating frequency. The whole size of the proposed IBCMRC-based divider has been reduced by 42% compared to the conventional divider. In miniaturization and harmonic rejection of microwave circuits, the proposed IBCMRC technique holds great promise.
ENHANCED NEAR-INFRARED FLUORESCENCE FROM DYE-DOPED CORE-SHELL Ag/SiO2 NANOWIRES
Authors: LI MIN , ZHOU ZHANG-KAI , ZHAI YUE-YING , SONG HAO , ZHANG ZONG-SUO , LI XING , YU XUE-FENG
Published: March 2009

We have studied the increase of the radiative decay rate of heptamethine cyanine NIR laser dye within core-shell Ag/SiO 2 nanowires. The photoluminescence intensity and lifetime of the heptamethine cyanine dye are affected by the Ag nanowires. Both the photoluminescence intensity and the decay rate of the heptamethine cyanine dye are greatly enhanced by the Ag nanostructures and are caused by the interactions between the excited-state fluorophore and the local electric field near the metal particles.
EPR INVESTIGATIONS OF CuO-B2O3-PbO-Ag2O GLASSES
Authors: TIMAR VIOREL , CICEO-LUCÃCEL RALUCA , HULPUŞ OCTAVIA , ARDELEAN IOAN
Published: March 2009

Glasses of the x CuO · (100 - x)[3 B 2 O 3· 0.9 PbO · 0.1 Ag 2 O ] system, with 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 10 mol %, were prepared and investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements. Structural details of different diamagnetic vitreous systems may be revealed by the Cu 2+ ions, frequently used as paramagnetic probes in EPR experiments. The shape and the intensity of the recorded EPR lines are dependent on the CuO content. The EPR spectra are asymmetric, with characteristics for Cu 2+ (3d9) ions in axially-distorted octahedral symmetric sites. Due to the interaction of the unpaired electron spin (s = 1/2) with the nuclear one (I = 3/2) of Cu 2+ ions, the characteristic hyperfine structure (hfs) is visible for small concentrations of CuO in both spectra bands (parallel and perpendicular). The increasing of copper content in the samples generates the EPR absorption spectra modification, the hfs being resolved in the parallel band of the spectra in whole compositional range, while in the perpendicular band, hfs disappear for x > 3 mol %. This fact indicates the structural modification in Cu 2+ vicinity and possible magnetic interactions.
EXOTIC STATISTICS FOR ORDINARY PARTICLES IN QUANTUM GRAVITY
Authors: SWAIN JOHN
Published: March 2009

Objects exhibiting statistics other than the familiar Bose and Fermi ones are natural in theories with topologically nontrivial objects, including geons, strings, and black holes. It is argued here from several viewpoints that the statistics of ordinary particles with which we are already familiar are likely to be modified due to quantum gravity effects. In particular, such modifications are argued to be present in loop quantum gravity and in any theory which represents space–time in a fundamentally piecewise-linear fashion or, more generally, which has large curvature fluctuations at small scales. The appearance of unusual statistics may be a generic feature (such as the deformed position–momentum uncertainty relations and the appearance of a fundamental length scale) which is to be expected in any theory of quantum gravity, and which could be testable.
TRANSIENT ASTROPHYSICAL PULSES AND QUANTUM GRAVITY
Authors: KAVIC MICHAEL , MINIC DJORDJE , SIMONETTI JOHN H.
Published: March 2009

Searches for transient astrophysical pulses could open an exciting new window into the fundamental physics of quantum gravity. In particular, an evaporating primordial black hole in the presence of an extra dimension can produce a detectable transient pulse. Observations of such a phenomenon can in principle explore the electroweak energy scale, indicating that astrophysical probes of quantum gravity can successfully complement the exciting new physics expected to be discovered in the near future at the Large Hadron Collider.
QUANTUM COSMIC CENSOR: GRAVITATION MAKES REALITY UNDECIDABLE
Authors: GAMBINI RODOLFO , PULLIN JORGE
Published: March 2009

When one takes into account gravitation, the measurement of space and time cannot be carried out with infinite accuracy. When quantum mechanics is reformulated taking into account this lack of accuracy, the resolution of the measurement problem can be performed via decoherence without the usual pitfalls. The resulting theory has the same physical predictions of quantum mechanics with a reduction postulate, but is radically different, with the quantum states evolving unitarily in terms of the underlying variables. Gravitation therefore makes this worrisome situation, potentially leading to two completely different views of reality, irrelevant from an empirical point of view. It may, however, be highly relevant from a philosophical point of view.
STRONG IN SMALL AND WEAK AT LARGE: THOUGHTS AND BOUNDS ON HIGHER-DIMENSIONAL GRAVITY
Authors: UNNIKRISHNAN C. S. , GILLIES G. T.
Published: March 2009

Gravity in a higher-dimensional scenario is one of the most topical of research subjects due to the possibility of decisive results from experiments. The field exhibits duality of various kinds. On the one hand, the weakness of gravity and the hierarchy issues are handled with some success as one cascades from a larger number of small dimensions with strong gravity to a smaller number of dimensions of larger space with weaker effective gravity. On the experimental front, the highest energy accelerator and the weakest energy mechanical oscillators available to us today are simultaneously focussed at the TeV scale to address new features in gravity physics. This intriguing scenario and its conceptual and phenomenological aspects are examined here, with new results from considerations of hitherto-unexplored higher-dimensional gravitomagnetic effects at the atomic scale.
GRAVITY: THE INSIDE STORY
Authors: PADMANABHAN T.
Published: March 2009

It is well known that one could determine the kinematics of gravity by using the Principle of Equivalence and local inertial frames. I describe how the dynamics of gravity can be similarly understood by suitable thought experiments in a local Rindler frame. This approach puts in proper context several unexplained features of gravity and describes the dynamics of space–time in a broader setting than in Einstein's theory.
SYNCHRONIZATION AND CANCELATION IN WORKFLOWS BASED ON RESET NETS
Authors: WYNN M. T. , VAN DER AALST W. M. P. , TER HOFSTEDE A. H. M. , EDMOND D.
Published: March 2009

Workflow languages offer constructs for coordinating tasks. Among these constructs are various types of splits and joins. One type of join, which shows up in various incarnations, is the OR-join. Different approaches assign a different (often only intuitive) semantics to this type of join, though they do share the common theme that branches that cannot complete will not be waited for. Many systems and languages struggle with the semantics and implementation of the OR-join because its non-local semantics require a synchronization depending on the analysis of future execution paths. The presence of cancelation features, potentially unbounded behavior, and other OR-joins in a workflow further complicates the formal semantics of the OR-join.

In this paper, the concept of the OR-join is examined in detail in the context of the workflow language YAWL, a powerful workflow language designed to support a collection of workflow patterns and inspired by Petri nets. The paper provides a suitable (non-local) semantics for an OR-join and gives a concrete algorithm with two optimization techniques to support the implementation. This approach exploits a link that is proposed between YAWL and reset nets, a variant of Petri nets with a special type of arc that can remove all tokens from a place when its transition fires. Through the behavior of reset arcs, the behavior of cancelation regions can be captured in a natural manner.
THE CONTINUING SEARCH FOR LARGE ELITE PRIMES
Authors: CHAUMONT ALAIN , LEICHT JOHANNES , MÜLLER TOM , REINHART ANDREAS
Published: March 2009

A prime number p is called elite if only finitely many Fermat numbers 22n + 1 are quadratic residues modulo p. So far, all 21 elite primes less than 250 billion were known, together with 24 larger items. We completed the systematic search up to the range of 2.5 · 1012 finding six more such numbers. Moreover, 42 new elites larger than this bound were found, among which the largest has 374 596 decimal digits. A survey on the knowledge about elite primes together with some open problems and conjectures are presented.
BIJECTIVE PROOFS OF A THEOREM OF FINE AND RELATED PARTITION IDENTITIES
Authors: YEE AE JA
Published: March 2009

In this paper, we prove a theorem of Fine bijectively. Stacks with summits and gradual stacks with summits are also discussed.
CONTROL THEOREMS FOR ELLIPTIC CURVES OVER FUNCTION FIELDS
Authors: BANDINI A. , LONGHI I.
Published: March 2009

Let F be a global field of characteristic p > 0, 𝔽/F a Galois extension with [Formula: see text] and E/F a non-isotrivial elliptic curve. We study the behavior of Selmer groups SelE(L)l (l any prime) as L varies through the subextensions of 𝔽 via appropriate versions of Mazur's Control Theorem. In the case l = p, we let 𝔽 = ∪ 𝔽d where 𝔽d/F is a [Formula: see text]-extension. We prove that Sel E(𝔽d)p is a cofinitely generated ℤp[[ Gal (ℤd/F)]]-module and we associate to its Pontrjagin dual a Fitting ideal. This allows to define an algebraic L-function associated to E in ℤp[[Gal(ℤ/F)]], providing an ingredient for a function field analogue of Iwasawa's Main Conjecture for elliptic curves.
A BINARY ADDITIVE EQUATION INVOLVING FRACTIONAL POWERS
Authors: KUMCHEV ANGEL V.
Published: March 2009

Let c be a real number with 1 < c < 2. We study the representations of a large integer n in the form [Formula: see text] where m is an integer and p is a prime number. We prove that when [Formula: see text], all sufficiently large integers are thus representable.
TORSIONAL RESONANCE MODE ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY OF A PROTEIN–DNA COMPLEX
Authors: WEISSMÜLLER GILBERTO , YURTSEVER AYHAN , COSTA LILIAN T. , PACHECO ANA B. F. , BISCH PAULO M. , HECKL WOLFGANG M. , STARK ROBERT W.
Published: March 2009

Precise mapping of protein-binding sites on DNA is an important application of atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging. For a reliable measurement of distances on curved DNA molecules, an image-processing algorithm is required, which extracts the DNA contour from topographic AFM data. To this end we implemented an image analysis method providing an efficient way to obtain the contour together with a physical map of single and multiple protein-binding sites. This method relies on a calculation of the height profile along the DNA fragment, allowing one to determine the DNA length and the relative position of the binding site occupied by a protein. As a first test, complexes of the LexA repressor protein from the Escherichia coli SOS system and DNA fragments containing a specific LexA binding site (recA operator) were imaged by the torsional resonance mode (TR mode) and analyzed using the specialized algorithm. A topographic height of less than 0.5 nm of the DNA molecules indicates repulsive imaging conditions.
ENDOFULLERENES M@C60 WITH DIFFERENT MONOVALENT METALS
Authors: GURIN VALERIJ
Published: March 2009

Endofullerenes M@ C 60 with M = Li , Na , Ag are considered theoretically at the ab initio level. The electronic structure is calculated to reveal effects of the nature of metal atoms inside C60 upon features of the minimum energy endostructures. The Hartree–Fock and DFT methods with all-electronic ( Li and Na ) and effective core potential ( Ag ) basis sets were used admitting an arbitrary symmetry distortion (down to the C 1 point group). All structures display the off-center position of the endoatoms. The charge transfer between metal atoms and the carbon cage is also strongly dependent on the nature of the metals. Ionization potentials and atomic radii are proposed as the basic factors providing properties of the endofullerenes.
C60(OH)n-ASSISTED DISPERSION OF SINGLE-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES
Authors: MAEDA YUTAKA , KATO TAKAAKI , HIGO JUNKI , HASEGAWA TADASHI , KITANO TAKAHIRO , TSUCHIYA TAKAHIRO , AKASAKA TAKESHI , OKAZAKI TOSHIYA , LU JING , NAGASE SHIGERU
Published: March 2009

We demonstrate that C 60( OH )n-assists the dispersion of SWNTs in aqueous and nonaqueous solutions, which effectively exfoliates large-diameter SWNTs. The SWNT dispersions are characterized by absorption and photoluminescence spectra.
The essential role of Oct-2 in LPS-induced expression of iNOS in RAW 264.7 macrophages and its regulation by trichostatin A
Authors: Lu Shao-Chun , Wu Hsiao-Wen , Lin Yen-Jen , Chang Shwu-Fen
Published: March 2009

This article reports on a study of the effect of trichostatin A (TSA), an inhibitor of histone deacetylase, on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW 264.7 macrophages and its underlying mechanisms. TSA pretreatment potently diminishes LPS-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) release and both mRNA and protein levels of iNOS in macrophages. The effects of TSA and LPS on transcription factors binding to two LPS-responsive elements within the iNOS promoter, one binding the NF-κB site and the other the octamer element, were investigated. Results show that TSA did not alter the LPS-activated NF-κB activity demonstrated by the nuclear translocation of p50 and p65 and by a NF-κB-driven reporter gene expression system. In addition, neither TSA nor LPS changed the expression of Oct-1, a ubiquitously expressed octamer binding protein. However, TSA suppressed the LPS-induced expression of Oct-2, another octamer binding protein, at both mRNA and protein levels. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that binding of Oct-2 to the iNOS promoter was enhanced by LPS treatment; however, pretreatment with TSA resulted in loss of this binding. Moreover, forced expression of Oct-2 by transfection of pCG-Oct-2 plasmid restored the TSA-suppressed iNOS expression elevated by LPS stimulation, further indicating that Oct-2 activation is a crucial step for transcriptional activation of the iNOS gene in response to LPS stimulation in macrophages. This study demonstrates that TSA diminishes iNOS expression in LPS-treated macrophages by inhibiting Oct-2 expression and thus reducing the production of NO.
A rapid, PPAR-γ-dependent effect of pioglitazone on the phosphorylation of MYPT
Authors: Atkins Kevin B. , Irey Brittany , Xiang Nan , Brosius Frank C.
Published: March 2009

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ ligands, thiazolidinediones, have been demonstrated to regulate vascular reactivity. We examined the effect of pioglitazone (PIO; 20 μM) in rat primary cultured aortic smooth muscle cells on constitutive phosphorylation of the regulatory subunit of myosin phosphatase (MYPT). PIO decreased the phosphorylation of Thr697 on MYPT within 15 min, and the inhibition was maintained up to 6 h. The PPAR-γ antagonist GW-9662 (5 μM) abrogated the inhibition of Thr697 phosphorylation mediated by PIO. Because longer-term PIO treatment inhibits RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) signaling and Thr697 phosphorylation, we tested the effect of the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 (10 μM) on the inhibition of Thr697 phosphorylation by PIO. Y-27632 alone inhibited Thr697 phosphorylation, and there was an additive effect with PIO. In addition, up to 1 h of PIO treatment did not affect RhoA localization or decrease ROCK-dependent phosphorylation of Thr855. These results suggest that the effect of PIO is independent of inhibition of RhoA/ROCK. PIO increased the phosphorylation of Ser696 in the same time course as its effect on Thr697. Ser696 has been shown to be phosphorylated by PKA and PKG. PKA inhibitor H-89 (10 μM) and PKG inhibitor KT-5823 (0.5 μM) abrogated the effect of PIO on both Thr697 and Ser696 phosphorylation. The constitutive turnover of phosphorylation of Thr697 is rapid, suggesting that the decreased phosphorylation of Thr697 by PIO is due to enhanced phosphorylation of Ser696. This is supported by the finding that PIO blocks ANG II-stimulated phosphorylation of Thr697 but not ANG II-stimulated RhoA translocation. Therefore, the effect of shorter-term PIO apparently is to increase myosin light chain phosphatase activity, thereby desensitizing the vascular smooth muscle to agonist signaling.
Prolonged RXFP1 and RXFP2 signaling can be explained by poor internalization and a lack of β-arrestin recruitment
Authors: Callander Gabrielle E. , Thomas Walter G. , Bathgate Ross A. D.
Published: March 2009

Relaxin induces sustained physiological responses, which brings into question the deactivation processes typical of most G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) for its receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1). Here, we examined relaxin-dependent phosphorylation of RXFP1 and the related insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) receptor, RXFP2, as well as the capacity of these receptors to recruit β-arrestins and internalize in response to ligand stimulation. We confirmed in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293T cells, expressing RXFP1 or RXFP2, that both receptors elicit prolonged cAMP responses up to 6 h after stimulation. Receptors immunoprecipitated from 32P metabolically labeled cells were used to investigate the agonist-specific phosphorylation. Rapid and robust receptor phosphorylation was not observed for either RXFP1 or RXFP2, although some 32P-incorporation was observed at 30 min; however, this was not statistically significant. In accord with this result, RXFP1 and RXFP2 demonstrated poor internalization in response to relaxin or INSL3, as compared with the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), which undergoes rapid and robust phosphorylation and internalization in response to angiotensin II. Additionally, coexpression of GPCR kinases has no effect on the rate of internalization for either RXFP1 or RXFP2. Confocal microscopy was used to follow the trafficking of green fluorescent protein-labeled β-arrestins after receptor activation. Neither RXFP1 nor RXFP2 activation results in recruitment of β-arrestins to the cell surface, whereas AT1R rapidly recruits both β-arrestins-1 and -2. The apparent lack of classical regulation for RXFP1 and RXFP2 provides the molecular basis for the prolonged signaling and physiological actions of relaxin and related peptides.
Chronic blockade of hindbrain glucocorticoid receptors reduces blood pressure responses to novel stress and attenuates adaptation to repeated stress
Authors: Bechtold Andrea G. , Patel Gina , Hochhaus Guenther , Scheuer Deborah A.
Published: March 2009

Exogenous glucocorticoids act within the hindbrain to enhance the arterial pressure response to acute novel stress. Here we tested the hypothesis that endogenous glucocorticoids act at hindbrain glucocorticoid receptors (GR) to augment cardiovascular responses to restraint stress in a model of stress hyperreactivity, the borderline hypertensive rat (BHR). A 3- to 4-mg pellet of the GR antagonist mifepristone (Mif) was implanted over the dorsal hindbrain (DHB) in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and BHRs. Control pellets consisted of either sham DHB or subcutaneous Mif pellets. Rats were either subjected to repeated restraint stress (chronic stress) or only handled (acute stress) for 3–4 wk, then all rats were stressed on the final day of the experiment. BHR showed limited adaptation of the arterial pressure response to restraint, and DHB Mif significantly ( P ≤ 0.05) attenuated the arterial pressure response to restraint in both acutely and chronically stressed BHR. In contrast, WKY exhibited a substantial adaptation of the pressure response to repeated restraint that was significantly reversed by DHB Mif. DHB Mif and chronic stress each significantly increased baseline plasma corticosterone concentration and adrenal weight and reduced the corticosterone response to stress in all rats. We conclude that endogenous corticosterone acts via hindbrain GR to enhance the arterial pressure response to stress in BHR, but to promote the adaptation of the arterial pressure response to stress in normotensive rats. Endogenous corticosterone also acts in the hindbrain to restrain corticosterone at rest but to maintain the corticosterone response to stress in both BHR and WKY rats.
Role of SLC12A10.2, a Na-Cl cotransporter-like protein, in a Cl uptake mechanism in zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Wang Yi-Fang , Tseng Yung-Che , Yan Jia-Jiun , Hiroi Junya , Hwang Pung-Pung
Published: March 2009

The thiazide-sensitive Na+-Cl−cotransporter (NCC), a member of the SLC12 family, is mainly expressed in the apical membrane of the mammalian distal convoluted tubule (DCT) cells, is responsible for cotransporting Na+and Cl−from the lumen into DCT cells and plays a major role in the mammalian renal NaCl reabsorption. The NCC has also been reported in fish, but the functional role in fish ion regulation is yet unclear. The present study used zebrafish as an in vivo model to test the hypothesis of whether the NCC plays a role in Na+and/or Cl−uptake mechanisms. Four NCCs were cloned, and only one of them, zebrafish (z) slc12a10.2 was found to predominately and specifically be expressed in gills. Double in situ hybridization/immunocytochemistry in zebrafish skin/gills demonstrated that the specific expression of zslc12a10.2 mRNA in a novel group of ionocytes differed from those of the previously-reported H+-ATPase-rich (HR) cells and Na+-K+-ATPase-rich (NaR) cells. Gill mRNA expression of zslc12a10.2 was induced by a low-Cl environment that stimulated fish Cl−influx, while a low-Na environment suppressed this expression. Incubation with metolazone, a specific inhibitor of the NCC, impaired both Na+and Cl−influx in 5-day postfertilization (dpf) zebrafish embryos. Translational knockdown of zslc12a10.2 with a specific morpholino caused significant decreases in both Cl−influx and Cl−content of 5-dpf zebrafish embryos, suggesting that the operation of zNCC-like 2 results in a net uptake of Cl−in zebrafish. On the contrary, zslc12a10.2 morphants showed increased Na+influx and content that resulted from upregulation of mRNA expressions of Na+-H+exchanger 3b and carbonic anhydrase 15a in HR cells. These results for the first time provide in vivo molecular physiological evidence for the possible role of the NCC in the Cl−uptake mechanism in zebrafish skin/gills.
Dynamic cerebral autoregulation during passive heat stress in humans
Authors: Low David A. , Wingo Jonathan E. , Keller David M. , Davis Scott L. , Cui Jian , Zhang Rong , Crandall Craig G.
Published: March 2009

This study tested the hypothesis that passive heating impairs cerebral autoregulation. Transfer function analyses of resting arterial blood pressure and middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCA Vmean), as well as MCA Vmean and blood pressure responses to rapid deflation of previously inflated thigh cuffs, were examined in nine healthy subjects under normothermic and passive heat stress (increase core temperature 1.1 ± 0.2°C, P < 0.001) conditions. Passive heating reduced MCA Vmean [change (Δ) of 8 ± 8 cm/s, P = 0.01], while blood pressure was maintained (Δ −1 ± 4 mmHg, P = 0.36). Coherence was decreased in the very-low-frequency range during heat stress (0.57 ± 0.13 to 0.26 ± 0.10, P = 0.001), but was >0.5 and similar between normothermia and heat stress in the low- (0.07–0.20 Hz, P = 0.40) and high-frequency (0.20–0.35 Hz, P = 0.12) ranges. Transfer gain was reduced during heat stress in the very-low-frequency (0.88 ± 0.38 to 0.59 ± 0.19 cm·s−1·mmHg−1, P = 0.02) range, but was unaffected in the low- and high-frequency ranges. The magnitude of the decrease in blood pressure (normothermia: 20 ± 4 mmHg, heat stress: 19 ± 6 mmHg, P = 0.88) and MCA Vmean (13 ± 4 to 12 ± 6 cm/s, P = 0.59) in response to cuff deflation was not affected by the thermal condition. Similarly, the rate of regulation of cerebrovascular conductance (CBVC) after cuff release (0.44 ± 0.22 to 0.38 ± 0.13 ΔCBVC units/s, P = 0.16) and the time for MCA Vmean to recover to precuff deflation baseline (10.0 ± 7.9 to 8.7 ± 4.9 s, P = 0.77) were not affected by heat stress. Counter to the proposed hypothesis, similar rate of regulation responses suggests that heat stress does not impair the ability to control cerebral perfusion after a rapid reduction in perfusion pressure, while reduced transfer function gain and coherence in the very-low-frequency range during heat stress suggest that dynamic cerebral autoregulation is improved during spontaneous oscillations in blood pressure within this frequency range.
Molecular and functional characterization of two distinct IGF binding protein-6 genes in zebrafish
Authors: Wang Xianlei , Lu Ling , Li Yun , Li Mingyu , Chen Chen , Feng Qiang , Zhang Chunyang , Duan Cunming
Published: March 2009

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are high-affinity binding partners for IGFs and play important roles in modulating IGF activities. In this study, we have identified and characterized two functional IGFBP-6 genes in zebrafish. Structural, phylogenetic, and comparative genomic analyses indicate that they are co-orthologs of the human IGFBP-6 gene. To gain insight into how the duplicated genes may have evolved through partitioning of ancestral functions, gene expression and functional studies were carried out. In adult fish, IGFBP-6a mRNA was most abundantly expressed in the muscle. The levels of IGFBP-6a mRNA in nonmuscle tissues were very low or barely detectable. In comparison, the levels of IGFBP-6b mRNA were high in the brain, heart, and muscle, but very low or undetectable in other adult tissues. During embryogenesis, the IGFBP-6a mRNA levels were relatively low. The IGFBP-6b mRNA levels were low during the initial 48 h. They became significantly higher at 72 and 96 h postfertilization. Overexpression of zebrafish IGFBP-6a and IGFBP-6b caused a similar degree of reduction in body size and developmental rate. No notable effects were observed on cell fate or patterning in these transgenic fish. These data suggest that the duplicated igfbp-6 genes encode two functionally similar proteins, but they have evolved distinct spatial and temporal expression patterns. These findings are consistent with the notion of an additional gene duplication event in teleost fish and have provided novel insight into the structural and functional evolution of the IGFBP gene family.
Renal NMDA receptors independently stimulate proximal reabsorption and glomerular filtration
Authors: Deng Aihua , Thomson Scott C.
Published: March 2009

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDA) are expressed in the kidney, where little is known of their functional role. Several series of micropuncture experiments were performed in hydropenic rats using the NMDA channel blocker, MK801, and the NMDA coagonist, l-glycine, to probe NMDA for effects on single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR) and proximal reabsorption ( Jprox). During intravenous infusion of MK801 or l-glycine, Henle's loop was perfused to manipulate SNGFR via tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF), thereby facilitating analysis of glomerulotubular balance. To confirm local actions on the kidney, MK801 was delivered to the glomerulus by microperfusion past the macula densa and to the proximal tubule by microperfusion into the early S1 segment. By all measures, MK801 acted on the glomerulus to reduce SNGFR, and acted on the proximal tubule to suppress Jprox, while having no effect on the responsiveness of TGF. l-Glycine raised SNGFR, dampened the TGF response, and could not be proved to independently stimulate proximal reabsorption. NMDA exerts a tonic vasodilatory influence on the glomerulus and a proreabsorptive effect on the proximal tubule. These combined effects allow NMDA to modulate SNGFR with minimal impact on late proximal flow. The full effects of l-glycine infusion on proximal tubule and TGF response do not extrapolate from the response to NMDA blockade.
Distinct Functional and Anatomical Architecture of the Endocannabinoid System in the Auditory Brainstem
Authors: Zhao Yanjun , Rubio Maria E. , Tzounopoulos Thanos
Published: March 2009

Endocannabinoids (ECs) act as retrograde messengers that enable postsynaptic cells to regulate the strength of their synaptic inputs. Here, by using physiological and histological techniques, we showed that, unlike in other parts of the brain, excitatory inputs are more sensitive than inhibitory inputs to EC signaling in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), an auditory brainstem nucleus. The principal cells of the DCN, fusiform cells, integrate acoustic signals through nonplastic synapses located in the deep layer with multimodal sensory signals carried by plastic parallel fibers in the molecular layer. Parallel fibers contact fusiform cells and inhibitory interneurons, the cartwheel cells, which in turn inhibit fusiform cells. Postsynaptic depolarization or pairing of postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) with action potentials (APs) induced EC-mediated modulation of excitatory inputs but did not affect inhibitory inputs. Quantitative electron microscopical studies showed that glutamatergic terminals express more cannabinoid 1 receptors (CB1Rs) than glycinergic terminals. Fusiform and cartwheel cells express diacylglycerol lipase α and β (DGLα/β), the two enzymes involved in the generation of the EC, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG). DGLα and DGLβ are found in the spines of cartwheel but not fusiform cells indicating that the synthesis of ECs is more distant from parallel fiber synapses in fusiform than cartwheel cells. The differential localization and density of DGLα/β and CB1Rs leads to cell- and input-specific EC signaling that favors activity-dependent EC-mediated suppression at synapses between parallel fibers and cartwheel cell spines, thus leading to reduced feedforward inhibition in fusiform cells. We propose that EC signaling is a major modulator of the balance of excitation and inhibition in auditory circuits.
Contribution of the T1r3 Taste Receptor to the Response Properties of Central Gustatory Neurons
Authors: Lemon Christian H. , Margolskee Robert F.
Published: March 2009

T1r3 is a critical subunit of T1r sweet taste receptors. Here we studied how the absence of T1r3 impacts responses to sweet stimuli by taste neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) of the mouse. The consequences bear on the multiplicity of sweet taste receptors and how T1r3 influences the distribution of central gustatory neurons. Taste responses to glycine, sucrose, NaCl, HCl, and quinine were electrophysiologically recorded from single NTS neurons in anesthetized T1r3 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Other stimuli included l-proline, d-fructose, d-glucose, d-sorbitol, Na-saccharin, acesulfame-K, monosodium glutamate, NaNO3, Na-acetate, citric acid, KCl, denatonium, and papaverine. Forty-one WT and 41 KO neurons were recorded. Relative to WT, KO responses to all sweet stimuli were significantly lower, although the degree of attenuation differed among stimuli, with near zero responses to sugars but salient residual activity to artificial sweeteners and glycine. Residual KO across-neuron responses to sweet stimuli were variably similar to nonsweet responses, as indexed by multivariate and correlation analyses. In some cases, this suggested that residual KO activity to “sweet” stimuli could be mediated by nonsweet taste receptors, implicating T1r3 receptors as primary contributors to NTS sweet processing. The influence of T1r3 on the distribution of NTS neurons was evaluated by comparing neuron types that emerged between WT and KO cells. Neurons tuned toward sweet stimuli composed 34% of the WT sample but did not appear among KO cells. Input from T1r3-containing receptors critically guides the normal development of NTS neurons oriented toward sweet tastants.
Enhancement of Ectopic Discharge in Regenerating A- and C-Fibers by Inflammatory Mediators
Authors: Grossmann Lydia , Gorodetskaya Natalia , Baron Ralf , Jänig Wilfrid
Published: March 2009

Afferent A- and C-fibers regenerating into a nerve following peripheral nerve injury are exposed to inflammatory mediators released by Schwann cells, resident and invading macrophages, and other inflammatory cells. Here we tested the hypothesis that ongoing and evoked activity in these afferent fibers are enhanced by a mixture of inflammatory mediators [inflammatory soup (IS)] applied to the injured nerve. Using in vivo electrophysiology, regenerating afferent nerve fibers were studied 7–14 days after sural nerve crush lesion. The ectopic activity was studied before and ≤1.5 h after topical application of IS to the nerve in 73 C-fibers and 22 A-fibers that were either ectopically active before application of IS (61 C-fibers, 17 A-fibers) or recruited by IS (12 C-fibers, 5 A-fibers). More than one half of the C-fibers were activated by IS for ≤90 min after its removal. The majority of mechano- (23/38) and heat-sensitive (29/35) C-fibers as well as mechano-sensitive A-fibers (12/17) decreased their activation thresholds and/or increased the response magnitude to mechanical and/or heat stimulation of the nerve. Noxious cold sensitivity, but not nonnoxious cold sensitivity, was weakly influenced by IS. Some initially nonresponsive C- and A-fibers developed new ectopic properties, i.e., were recruited, and exhibited ongoing activity and/or could be activated by physiological stimuli after application of IS. The results suggest that inflammatory mediators may be critical to enhance ectopic excitability of regenerating afferent nerve fibers. These peripheral mechanisms may be important triggering and maintaining neuropathic pain.
Assessing Candidate Gene nsSNPs for Phenotypic Differences in Double-Strand Break Repair Using Radiation-InducedγH2A.X Foci
Authors: Markunas Christina A. , Umbach David M. , Xu Zongli , Taylor Jack A.
Published: March 2009

Nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) in DNA repair genes may be important determinants of DNA damage and cancer risk. We applied a set of screening criteria to a large number of nsSNPs and selected a subset of SNPs that were likely candidates for phenotypic effects on DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR). In order to induce and follow DSBR, we exposed panels of cell lines to gamma irradiation and followed the formation and disappearance ofγH2A.X foci over time. All panels of cell lines showed significant increases in number, intensity, and area of foci at both the 1-hour and 3-hour time points. Twenty four hours following exposure, the number of foci returned to preexposure levels in all cell lines, whereas the size and intensity of foci remained significantly elevated. We saw no significant difference inγH2A.X foci between controls and any of the panels of cell lines representing the different nsSNPs.
Direct Fabrication of Carbon Nanotubes STM Tips by Liquid Catalyst‐Assisted Microwave Plasma‐Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Tung Fa-Kuei , Yoshimura Masamichi , Ueda Kazuyuki
Published: March 2009

Direct and facile method to make carbon nanotube (CNT) tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is presented. Cobalt (Co) particles, as catalysts, are electrochemically deposited on the apex of tungsten (W) STM tip for CNT growth. It is found that the quantity of Co particles is well controlled by applied DC voltage, concentration of catalyst solution, and deposition time. Using optimum growth condition, CNTs are successfully synthesized on the tip apex by catalyst‐assisted microwave‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CA‐MPECVD). A HOPG surface is clearly observed at an atomic scale using the present CNT‐STM tip.
An Efficient Preparation, Spectroscopic Properties, and Crystal Structure of 1,1-Bis(4-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]phenyl)-2-(3-guaiazulenyl)ethylene
Authors: Takekuma Shin-ichi , Hori Seiki , Minematsu Toshie , Takekuma Hideko
Published: March 2009

Reaction of 2-(3-guaiazulenyl)-1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethylene with 2-chloroethyldimethylammonium chloride in acetone in the presence of K2CO3 at reflux temperature for 24 hours gives a new title compound in 89% yield. Spectroscopic properties and crystal structure of the target molecule are reported.
Colors and Some Morphological Traits as Defensive Mechanisms in Anurans
Authors: Toledo Luís Felipe , Haddad Célio F. B.
Published: March 2009

Anurans may be brightly colored or completely cryptic. Generally, in the former situation, we are dealing with aposematism, and the latter is an example of camouflage. However, these are only simple views of what such colorations really mean and which defensive strategy is implied. For instance, a brightly colored frog may be part of a mimicry ring, which could be either Batesian, Müllerian, or Browerian. These are only examples of the diversity of color-usage systems as defensive strategies. Unfortunately, reports on the use of colors as defensive mechanisms are widespread in the available literature, and the possible functions are rarely mentioned. Therefore, we reviewed the literature and added new data to this subject. Then, we the use of colors (as defensive mechanism) into categories. Mimicry was divided into the subcategories camouflage, homotypy, and nondeceitful homotypy, and these groups were also subcategorized. Dissuasive coloration was divided into behavioral display of colors, polymorphism, and polyphenism. Aposematism was treated apart, but aposematic colorations may be present in other defensive strategies. Finally, we propose functions and forms of evolution for some color systems in post-metamorphic anurans and hope that this review can be the basis for future research, even on other animal groups.
Pleading for Hell: Postulates, Fantasies, and the Senselessness of Punishment
Authors: Burkert Walter
Published: March 2009

If the ideal of justice includes effective punishment of offenders, an extension into afterlife must be postulated. This still involves all the questionable aspects and paradoxes of punishment that make rational and enlightened argumentation difficult.

A historical survey of ancient tentatives at hell lore shows diverse starting points and interests. There is just a germ of such speculations in Sumerian. When hell fire first appears in Egypt, it goes together with the fear of magic from the dead; in Zoroastrianism and Judaism it is partisan interest which makes the adherents of the wrong religion destined for hell. In Greece we find various ethical and poetical motifs interfering, from the powerful yet enigmatic images in the Odyssey to a general proclamation of punishments in the Hymn to Demeter. The most graphic and horrible descriptions of something like hell are finally found in Plato, whose sources — besides Homer — can be postulated but not identified.
The Concept and Purpose of Hell: Its Nature and Development in West Semitic Thought
Authors:   Wyatt
Published: March 2009

A number of currents of thought gradually coalesced into the Judaeo-Christian conception of “hell.” This article attempts to relate them. The earliest traceable ideas involve a disembodied, subterranean existence of the common dead, or in exceptional cases total annihilation. Deceased kings were deified and continued to be involved in the affairs of the living, as in the Ugaritic funeral and

kispum

text KTU 1.161. This was parodied in Isaiah 14, which also indicates that such a belief was current, if criticised, in Israel-Judah. The theme of cosmic rebellion, wrongly traced to text KTU 1.6 i 43–67, actually emerged in such passages as Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28 and post-biblical derivative texts. The arrogant royal figure of such passages merged with the developing figure of Satan. The tradition of child sacrifice in Israel-Judah, performed at the

tophet

in the Valley of Hinnom, also contributed to the geography of hell in its Greek form

Gehenna

.
Hell in Zoroastrian History
Authors: Stausberg Michael
Published: March 2009

The present article surveys some relevant developments of conceptualizations of hell in the Rg-Veda, the Avestan corpus and the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) literature of the Zoroastrians, where hell is more extensively discussed. The article concludes by looking at the belief in heaven and hell among the world-wide Zoroastrian diaspora communities, urban laity in Mumbai, and professional priests in Westen India.
Christian Hell: From the Apocalypse of Peter to the Apocalypse of Paul
Authors: Bremmer Jan
Published: March 2009

Although the

Apocalypse of Paul

is just one of the hell-scapes that were produced by early Christianity, it is the most important step in the direction that would find its apogee in Dante. It is also a product of a specific place and time, undoubtedly produced for certain needs, even though these are no longer recoverable. In my contribution I first look at its place and date of origin, probably a monastic milieu in Egypt around AD 400. I then consider the sins in the

Apocalypse of Paul

and note that the author has mostly concentrated on matters of religious concern, whereas, in the

Apocalypse of Peter

, more general ethical problems, such as murder or false witnesses, still play a role. Moreover, there is no longer a border drawn against the pagans outside the Church, but against those who do not profess the orthodox doctrines. Finally, I discuss the question to what extent the punishments have been inspired by the penalties and tortures of the martyrs. Were they mainly inspired by literary tradition or by the historical reality?
Islamic Hell
Authors: Thomassen Einar
Published: March 2009

Ideas about punishment in hell (the Fire,

Jahannam

) have an important place both in the Qur'an and in later Muslim literature. The article surveys the scenarios of hell given in these sources and discusses the various functions of hell-talk in Islamic discourse. In particular, a tension exists between conceiving hell as a place of punishment for sins and as a place reserved for disbelievers, or non-Muslims. The two perspectives meet in the idea that disbelief (

kufr

) is the worst of all sins, though ambiguities regarding who belong in hell remain. Strategies to mediate this ambiguity are found in the ideas that hell is divided into several levels or that the punishment in hell is only temporary.
Three Functions of Hell in the Hindu Traditions
Authors: Jacobsen Knut
Published: March 2009

In this article are analysed three functions of hell in the Hindu traditions, a narrative, a social and an economic. Because of the strong images the narratives of hell contain, they are excellent means to catch the attention of the audience. The social function of hell is to protect the social order, the security of the people and especially to protect the privileges of those on top of the hierarchy. Since gifts to the priests are matched with specific punishments in hell that they release from, one economic function of hell seems to be as a source of income for the priests. However, it is argued that even though hell is both a textual and ritual reality in the Hindu traditions, its significance should not be exaggerated. Death is not the end of life, but the end of one rebirth, and release,

moksa

, is not about escaping a destiny in hell, but to gain freedom from the rebirth realms.
Adorno on Education or, Can Critical Self-Reflection Prevent the Next Auschwitz?
Authors: Cho Daniel
Published: March 2009

This article presents Theodor W. Adorno's concept of education, the basis of which is critical self-reflection. It argues that a close reading of Adorno's various writings on education yields a theory of critical self-reflection that is not simply introspection but an analysis of the social totality. Beginning with Adorno's assessment of education within capitalism – which is always a critique of capitalism itself – the article moves through his concept of critical self-reflection, and concludes by reassessing his claim that an education for critical self-reflection offers the strongest barrier to the recurrence of Auschwitz.
Capitalists and Conquerors Teaching Against Global Capitalism and the New Imperialism Rage and Hope: Interviews with Peter McLaren on War, Imperialism, and Critical Pedagogy
Authors: Lewis Tyson Edward
Published: March 2009

Through an immanent critique of Peter McLaren's recent work, the author demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of critical-revolutionary paedagogy. This review reveals internal lacks, gaps, and contradictions emerging from within the three main dimensions of McLaren's overarching manifesto including passion, reason, and revolution. Although McLaren is an important voice in linking Marxist political and cultural theory to the practice of education, his work ultimately cannot complete its own project and as such needs further development.
Subalternity and Language: Overcoming the Fragmentation of Common Sense
Authors: Green Marcus , Ives Peter
Published: March 2009

The topics of language and subaltern social groups appear throughout Antonio Gramsci's Prison Notebooks. Although Gramsci often associates the problem of political fragmentation among subaltern groups with issues concerning language and common sense, there are only a few notes where he explicitly connects his overlapping analyses of language and subalternity. We build on the few places in the literature on Gramsci that focus on how he relates common sense to the questions of language or subalternity. By explicitly tracing out these relations, we hope to bring into relief the direct connections between subalternity and language by showing how the concepts overlap with respect to Gramsci's analyses of common sense, intellectuals, philosophy, folklore, and hegemony. We argue that, for Gramsci, fragmentation of any social group's 'common sense', worldview and language is a political detriment, impeding effective political organisation to counter exploitation but that such fragmentation cannot be overcome by the imposition of a 'rational' or 'logical' worldview. Instead, what is required is a deep engagement with the fragments that make up subaltern historical, social, economic and political conditions. In our view, Gramsci provides an alternative both to the celebration of fragmentation fashionable in liberal multiculturalism and uncritical postmodernism, as well as other attempts of overcoming it through recourse to some external, transcendental or imposed worldview. This is fully in keeping with, and further elucidates Gramsci's understanding of the importance of effective 'democratic centralism' of the leadership of the party in relation to the rank and file and the popular masses.
Capitalism as Religion: Walter Benjamin and Max Weber
Authors: Löwy Michael
Published: March 2009

Benjamin's fragment 'Capitalism as Religion', written in 1921, was only published several decades after his death. Its aim is to show that capitalism is a cultic religion, without mercy or truce, leading humanity to the 'house of despair'. It is an astonishing document, directly based on Max Weber's Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, but – in ways akin to Ernst Bloch or Erich Fromm – transforming Weber's 'value-free' analysis into a ferocious anticapitalist argument, probably inspired by Gustav Landauer's romantic and libertarian socialism. This article analyses Benjamin's fragment and explores its relationship to Weber's thesis, as well as to the tradition of romantic anticapitalism.