bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fractional diffusion analysis of the electromagnetic field in fractured media — Part 2: 3D approach
Authors: Ge Jianchao , Everett Mark E. , Weiss Chester J.
Published: April 2015

We have proposed a 3D finite-difference (FD) approach to discretize the frequency-domain fractional-derivative Maxwell equation on a staggered grid. The Maxwell equation was reformulated to include a fractional-order time derivative that described multiscale electromagnetic (EM) induction in fractured formations exhibiting a fractal geometry. The roughness [Formula: see text] that appeared in the theory described the falloff of the power spectrum of the heterogeneity of a subsurface region in the wavenumber domain, disclosing the geologic model structure in an explicit way. The fractional-derivative Maxwell equation was transformed into the frequency domain and solved by the FD method. To further probe the controlled-source EM response of a power law length-scale distribution of natural fractures, a stochastic random medium model was generated using the von Kármán correlation function. The usual deterministic EM response to such a fractured block model was fitted by a zero-[Formula: see text] fractional EM response at multiple frequencies, indicating that the von-Kármán-type fractured model response is classical. This confirmed the expectation that a fractional diffusion EM response was not reproduced by piecewise constant models based on the classical Maxwell equation.
Inflammatory and Cardiometabolic Risk on Obesity: Role of Environmental Xenoestrogens
Authors: Teixeira Diana , Pestana Diogo , Santos Cristina , Correia-Sá Luísa , Marques Cláudia , Norberto Sónia , Meireles Manuela , Faria Ana , Silva Ricardo , Faria Gil , Sá Carla , Freitas Paula , Taveira-Gomes António , Domingues Valentina , Delerue-Matos Cristina , Calhau Conceição , Monteiro Rosário
Published: April 2015

Context:

Some chemicals used in consumer products or manufacturing (eg, plastics, pesticides) have estrogenic activities; these xenoestrogens (XEs) may affect immune responses and have recently emerged as a new risk factors for obesity and cardiovascular disease. However, the extent and impact on health of chronic exposure of the general population to XEs are still unknown.

Objective:

The objective of the study was to investigate the levels of XEs in plasma and adipose tissue (AT) depots in a sample of pre- and postmenopausal obese women undergoing bariatric surgery and their cardiometabolic impact in an obese state.

Design and Participants:

We evaluated XE levels in plasma and visceral and subcutaneous AT samples of Portuguese obese (body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2) women undergoing bariatric surgery. Association with metabolic parameters and 10-year cardiovascular disease risk was assessed, according to menopausal status (73 pre- and 48 postmenopausal). Levels of XEs were determined by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected prior to surgery. Adipocyte size was determined on tissue sections obtained during surgery.

Results:

Our data show that XEs are pervasive in this obese population. Distribution of individual and concentration of total XEs differed between plasma, visceral AT, and subcutaneous AT, and the pattern of accumulation was different between pre- and postmenopausal women. Significant associations between XE levels and metabolic and inflammatory parameters were found. In premenopausal women, XEs in plasma seem to be a predictor of 10-year cardiovascular disease risk.

Conclusions:

Our findings point toward a different distribution of XE between plasma and AT in pre- and postmenopausal women, and reveal the association between XEs on the development of metabolic abnormalities in obese premenopausal women.
Aldehyde-specific Quinazoline Ring-Closure for Highly Sensitive Fluorescent and Redox Formaldehyde Detection
Authors: Huang Wei , Shen Fuxing , Wu Dayu
Published: April 2015

Structurally tunable small signaling molecules have been specifically designed to probe-free formaldehyde concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm, establishing the utility of probing the exposure limit for safe human consumption according to the guidelines suggested by W.H.O. The substrate, 2-aminobenzoylhydrazide, fluorescent core skeleton was designed for the construction of diverse quinazoline compounds with combinatorial substituent-pending potentials via rapid condensation reactions with aldehyde groups. After identifying the fluorescent species by 1H NMR and X-ray crystallography, we demonstrate that the fluorescent emission is substituent dependent and that, by simple structural variation, the fluorescence can be tunable through controlling internal charge transfer (ICT) within a dye platform. Finally, by introducing more electron-rich ferrocene into the substrate to further undermine the ICT process, we demonstrate highly sensitive formaldehyde sensing through dual signal output, including fluorescence and redox potential.
Photoinduced Crystallization in Ionic Liquids: Photodimerization-induced Equilibrium Shift and Crystal Patterning
Authors: Hisamitsu Shota , Yanai Nobuhiro , Fujikawa Shigenori , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: April 2015

An ionic liquid (IL) composed of 9-anthracenecarboxylate anion and ammonium cation possessing three diethylene glycol chains shows phototriggered dimerization of anthracence chromophores. It causes segregation and crystallization of protonated 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid dimer, which is associated with the concurrent liberation of the free amine in the IL. This work provides a new molecular design for photoresponsive ILs, whose first application for site-selective photopatterning is demonstrated.
Adherence to Artemisinin Combination Therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Siddiqui M. Ruby , Willis Andrew , Bil Karla , Singh Jatinder , Mukomena Sompwe Eric , Ariti Cono
Published: April 2015

Between 2011 and 2013 the number of recorded malaria cases had more than doubled, and between 2009 and 2013 had increased almost 4-fold in MSF-OCA (Médecins sans Frontières – Operational Centre Amsterdam) programmes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The reasons for this rise are unclear. Incorrect intake of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) could result in failure to treat the infection and potential recurrence. An adherence study was carried out to assess whether patients were completing the full course of ACT.

One hundred and eight malaria patients in Shamwana, Katanga province, DRC were visited in their households the day after ACT was supposed to be completed. They were asked a series of questions about ACT administration and the blister pack was observed (if available).

Sixty seven (62.0%) patients were considered probably adherent. This did not take into account the patients that vomited or spat their pills or took them at the incorrect time of day, in which case adherence dropped to 46 (42.6%). The most common reason that patients gave for incomplete/incorrect intake was that they were vomiting or felt unwell (10 patients (24.4%), although the reasons were not recorded for 22 (53.7%) patients). This indicates that there may be poor understanding of the importance of completing the treatment or that the side effects of ACT were significant enough to over-ride the pharmacy instructions.

Adherence to ACT was poor in this setting. Health education messages emphasising the need to complete ACT even if patients vomit doses, feel unwell or their health conditions improve should be promoted.
Do Your Online Friends Make You Pay? A Randomized Field Experiment on Peer Influence in Online Social Networks
Authors: Bapna Ravi , Umyarov Akhmed
Published: April 2015

Demonstrating compelling causal evidence of the existence and strength of peer-to-peer influence has become the holy grail of modern research in online social networks. In these networks, it has been consistently demonstrated that user characteristics and behavior tend to cluster both in space and in time. There are multiple well-known rival mechanisms that compete to be the explanation for this observed clustering. These range from peer influence to homophily to other unobservable external stimuli. These multiple mechanisms lead to similar observational data, yet have vastly different policy implications. In this paper, we present a novel randomized experiment that tests the existence of causal peer influence in the general population—one that did not involve subject recruitment for experimentation—of a particular large-scale online social network. We utilize a unique social feature to exogenously induce adoption of a paid service among a group of randomly selected users, and in the process develop a clean exogenous randomization of treatment and control groups. A variety of nonparametric, semiparametric, and parametric approaches, ranging from resampling-based inference to ego-level random effects to logistic regression to survival models, yield close to identical, statistically and economically significant estimates of peer influence in the general population of a freemium social network. Our estimates show that peer influence causes more than a 60% increase in odds of buying the service due to the influence coming from an adopting friend. In addition, we find that users with a smaller number of friends experience stronger relative increase in the adoption likelihood due to influence from their peers as compared to the users with a larger number of friends. Our nonparametric resampling procedure-based estimates are helpful in situations of networked data that violate independence assumptions. We establish that peer influence is a powerful force in getting users from free to premium levels, a known challenge in freemium communities.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
A clinician's guide to cardiopulmonary exercise testing 1: an introduction
Authors: Taylor Claire , Nichols Simon , Ingle Lee
Published: April 2015

Compared to standard exercise tolerance testing, cardiopulmonary exercise testing is a reliable and powerful tool that can be used for risk stratification, exercise prescription and clinical diagnosis.
A simulated wilderness exercise: the development of relational competence in paramedic students
Authors: Ford Rosemary , Webb Helen , Allen-Craig Sandy , Goodwin Val , D'Antonio Jenny , Lofts Charmane
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a cognitively and physically challenging simulated wilderness exercise (SWE) on the development of relational competence in senior paramedic students. New paramedic graduates reportedly bring limited relational competence to their work role. The SWE, conducted in a wilderness landscape in Central Victoria, Australia was developed to address this limitation. Our study, an interpretative qualitative design, used a convenience sample of paramedic students who attended the three-day event (n=29). Qualitative data were collected through participant field diary and focus groups. Thematic analysis of study data identified four themes associated with relational competence, with each giving voice to participants’ new understandings of themselves in the work environment, namely: ‘interpersonal relating’, ‘maturity, respect and tolerance’, ‘self-awareness in the team environment’ and ‘belonging and professional identity’. It is clear that the challenge of working in teams in an unfamiliar and physically taxing environment prompted and/or extended relational competence in study participants. The practice implication of this finding is that these graduates will perform the relational aspects of their work role with greater ease, thus strengthening transition to normal work pressures in their first professional work role.
Peer-assisted teaching and learning in paramedic education: a pilot study
Authors: Fox Michael , Winship Christian , Williams Whitney , Leaf Sinead , Boyd Leanne , McKenna Lisa , Williams Brett
Published: April 2015

Background:

Peer-assisted teaching and learning continues to grow internationally as a useful pedagogical strategy in health professional education. Paramedics are continually engaged in teaching students, other health professionals, patients and their families—so experience teaching peers during their university education may increase their confidence when teaching as a paramedic.

Objectives:

This project aims to explore: i) third-year students’ experiences of teaching and assessing junior students, and ii) first-year students’ experiences of being taught and assessed by senior students.

Methods:

A quasi-experimental design was used to investigate peer-assisted teaching and learning among paramedic first and third-years at Monash University using the Peer Teaching Experience Questionnaire and the Clinical Teaching Preference Questionnaire. Both self-reporting measures used a 5-point Likert scale.

Results:

A total of 154 students participated in the study: n=127 first-years (n=87 control group, n=40 intervention group), and n=27 third-years (n=8 control group and n=19 intervention group). The majority of students were <26 years of age, n=130 (84%) and female n=100 (63%). Ninety-four percent (n=120) first-year students felt (strongly agree or agree) ‘teaching is an important role for paramedics’. Almost two-thirds n=82 (64%) felt (strongly agree or agree) ‘being taught by peers increased their collaboration with other students compared with their instructor’.

Conclusions:

Preliminary results support the utility of peer-assisted teaching and learning in undergraduate paramedic education, and suggest that larger scale studies take place in the future. Consideration should be given for inclusion into existing paramedic curricula nationally.
Use of an autologous leucocyte and platelet-rich fibrin patch on hard-to-heal DFUs: a pilot study
Authors: Löndahl M. , Tarnow L. , Karlsmark T. , Lundquist R. , Nielsen A.M. , Michelsen M. , Nilsson A. , Zakrzewski M. , Jörgensen B.
Published: April 2015

Objective:

Leucopatch is a leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin patch that provides concentrated blood cells and signal substances to the surface of an ulcer. It is produced by centrifugation of the patient's own venous blood. The aim of this pilot multicentre cohort study was to evaluate effects of the leucocyte patch in patients with hard-to-heal diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

Method:

Non-ischaemic Wagner grade 1 or 2 DFUs with a duration of more than 6 weeks and a maximal area of 10cm2 were included. Patients with >40% ulcer area change during a two-week run-in period were excluded. The treatment was applied once a week for up to 19 treatments or until the foot ulcer was completely epithelialised. The primary endpoint was healing within 20 weeks.

Results:

Of the 60 patients who gave consent 16 were excluded during run-in period, 44 patients initiated study treatment and 39 were included in the per-protocol analysis. Complete epithelisation was achieved in 34% (per-protocol analysis 36%) at 12 weeks and 52% (59%) at 20 weeks. In patients with ulcer duration less than 6 months, 73% of ulcers healed within 20 weeks. Patients with healed ulcers had larger ulcer area reduction during the first two treatment weeks compared to non-healers. Adverse events were mild and rare.

Conclusion:

The leucocyte patch is well-tolerated, easy to use and has potential in the armamentarium of the DFU treatment, provided this outcome is confirmed in an appropriately powered randomised clinical trial.

Declaration of interest:

M.L and L.T have received consultation fees from Reapplix A/S. R.L. is co-inventor of the Leucopatch technology. All other authors declare no duality of interest associated with this manuscript. This study was financed by Reapplix A/S. Time to data analysis and manuscript preparations have been financed by Medical Faculty (ALF), Lund University, Lund Sweden.
A 9-year retrospective evaluation of 102 pressure ulcer reconstructions
Authors: Kenneweg K.A. , Welch M.C. , Welch P.J.
Published: April 2015

Objective:

Several pressure ulcer (PU) risk factors including paralysis and age greater than 70 have been identified, while others such as nutrition are debated. The object of this study is to identify perioperative risk factors that may predict improved outcomes and reduced complications in primary and recurrent PU reconstructions.

Method:

A retrospective chart review of patients treated surgically for PUs from 2004 to 2013 at the University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio, US, was completed. Data collected included ulcer and medical history, as well as risk factors, complications and postoperative outcome. Data were statistically analysed for perioperative variances between primary and recurrent ulcers and closure status.

Results:

A total of 49 patients with 102 reconstructions were reviewed. Spinal cord injured patients accounted for 90% receiving flap coverage of ulcers. Numerous differences between primary and recurrent ulcers were identified, including ulcer location, patient nutritional status, wound infection, postoperative course and recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed a flap reconstruction prediction model using creatinine, haematocrit, haemoglobin, and prealbumin that is able to successfully predict closure outcome in 83.6% of cases.

Conclusion:

Many factors play a role in the development, course and treatment of PUs. It is vital to understand the role of patient risk factors in the development of PUs, to direct subsequent management and reconstruction, and to prevent future recurrences.

Declaration of interest:

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The evolution of negative pressure wound therapy: negative pressure wound therapy with instillation
Authors: Wolvos Tom
Published: April 2015

Complex wounds pose a considerable burden to patients and the health-care system. The development of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has revolutionised the treatment of these wounds. NPWT helps create a favourable wound healing environment by removing infectious material, decreasing oedema and promoting perfusion and granulation tissue formation. Additionally, NPWT has been reported to help reduce time to wound closure and length of hospital stay. Modifications of this foundation of wound care have added intermittent instillation with a dwell time to NPWT (NPWTi-d). This new system offers more comprehensive wound care through automated wound irrigation, allowing more control over the wound environment and the opportunity to deliver topical wound solutions directly to the affected tissues. A comparison between the two therapies, NPWT and NPWTi-d, is described, and two real-world applications of NPWTi-d are presented.
The keys to success: Supplemental measures of player expertise in Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Authors: Bergstrom Kelly , Jenson Jennifer , Hydomako Richard , de Castell Suzanne
Published: April 2015

In this article we describe an investigation of player expertise deployed as part of a mixed-methods longitudinal, multi-site study that examined whether and how players’ offline characteristics are recognizable in their online interactions in Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). After detailing our methodology and analytical toolkit, we narrow our focus to a case study that examines three players with previous experience in First-Person Shooter (FPS) games playing Rift (Trion Worlds 2011) (a fantasy-themed MMOG) for the very first time. This case study illuminates how interpretation of data can be inadvertently influenced by the researcher’s choice of technologies and methods employed in their study design. In particular, we demonstrate that initial research assessments of a player’s level of skill may be inaccurate and how the use of multiple data sources acts as a means for triangulating observations and analyses providing a richer – yet more complicated – view of player expertise.
Review
Authors: Mullen Mark
Published: April 2015

Life’s a bitch and then you die Banished, Shining Rock Software (2014) Version 1.02, 19.99 (USD) (available via direct download or through the Steam distribution service)
A massively moral game? Mass Effect as a case study to understand the influence of players’ moral intuitions on adherence to hero or antihero play styles
Authors: Boyan Andy , Grizzard Matthew , Bowman Nicholas
Published: April 2015

This research examines relationships regarding moral foundations and moral decisions in the Mass Effect video game series. The findings suggest that moral foundation predicts what type of moral decisions a player will make during play. This research reports an online survey (N=138) that asked participants the salience of their moral foundations, along with the moral path, either traditionally heroic (paragon) or traditionally antiheroic (renegade), they chose in their first time playing through the Mass Effect series. The results indicate that moral foundations predict the extent to which game path players choose, but only with regard to the harm/care moral foundation. These findings are discussed in light of game design and the potential for game designers to use morality as a game mechanic beyond the harm foundation and into realms of more nuanced moral situations in game narratives.
Plans and co-situated factions: An evaluation of Avatar Affordances in Rift’s character creation interface
Authors: McArthur Victoria , Jenson Jennifer
Published: April 2015

This article sets out a new analytic framework for the systematic analysis of character creation interfaces (CCIs) in Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) and Virtual Worlds (VWs), the Avatar Affordances Framework. To model this framework, we present an analysis of the CCIs from Rift (Trion Worlds 2011) and explore the pragmatics of avatar customization through a micro-ethnographic user study involving 39 participants. Our motivation is to highlight the agency of interfaces; to make visible their participation, via affordances, in self-representational practices that have hitherto been taken as a kind of direct relationship: one is as one represents oneself online.
O canto dos helenos: poesia e performance
Authors: Santos Fernando Brandão dos
Published: April 2015

This study presents a brief reflection on the genesis of literary genres in Ancient Greece. It is intended here, in the first place, take us off this "comfort zone" when we talk about "Greek literature" in antiquity, at least from the period of Homer until the fifth century. B.C. , moment when, in fact, the writing has become stable not only in the continent but spreads out reaching the Italian peninsula and generating what we have today as the Roman alphabet. Therefore, we examine some terms that appear to be so clear for us which termed other doings, such as poetry, poem, among others. We also examine issues concerning the epic, lyrical and dramatic poetry
Adequação, formas e função de coisas e nomes no Crátilo de Platão
Authors: Vireira Celso Oliveira
Published: April 2015

The article aims to understand the role of names in Plato’s Cratylus based upon the ontological theory that backgrounds the discussion. From the identi?cation, at some level, of the theory of Ideas follows an attempt to coordinate into an ontological scheme important terms on Plato’s thought as essence and Idea. After establishing the roles of Idea and essence in relation to things comes the effort to prove its correspondence when applied to names. This investigation leads to a new possibility in understanding the relations between names and things based on their functions (when they realize their essence) and on their connection with Ideas. Such an understanding allows one to see the function of names as a simple instrument for reference. If so, there is a plausible justi?cation for the denying of names on the search for knowledge that appears in the aporetic ending of the dialogue.
Apolo e Mársias: certame ou duelo musical?
Authors: Cerqueira Fábio Vergara
Published: April 2015

We study the mythological treatment of thesymbolic duality between the lýra and the aulós in the ancient Greek music. We analyze the mythological complex that includes the following narratives: a) the invention of the aulós and its later disposal by Athena, b) the adoption of the aulós by the Silenus Marsyas, and c) the musical duel between Apollo and Marsyas, and its consequences. We compare the mythological approach of this complex in the literary and graphic traditions. Concerning the literary tradition, we focus on the following authors: Pindar (Pythian, XII), Melanipides (ap. Athenaeus), Herodotus, Xenophon (Anabasis), Apollodorus (Library) and Ovid (Metamorphoses, Fasti). With respect to the iconographic tradition, we bring mainly the painting of Attic and Apulian vases, as well as the Etruscan vases and mirrors, besides the sculptural groups known by Pliny the Elder and Pausanias. The popularity of this mythological theme, in the literature as in the vase painting, leads us to the philosophical, pedagogic, political and esthetical debate covered by the symbolic dichotomy between aulós and lýra. And furthermore it is an important component of an allegedly hegemonic system of thought, characterized by normative goals concerning culture and social behavior.
Der Cliffhanger und die serielle Narration
Authors: Fröhlich Vincent
Published: April 2015

Der Cliffhanger, also die Erzähltechnik, in einem spannenden Moment eine serielle Erzählung zu unterbrechen, steht im Zentrum dieser Studie. Vincent Fröhlichs Analysen reichen von »1001 Nacht« über viktorianische Fortsetzungsromane, französische Feuilletonromane, Kinoserien, Radio-Seifenopern, neue TV-Serien bis hin zu E-Books, Games und Webserien. Das Buch bietet nicht nur eine überfällige historische Perspektive auf den Cliffhanger, die serielle Narration und deren Entstehungsbedingungen, sondern arbeitet zudem heraus, wie reich die Formen und wie vielseitig die Charakteristika dieser Forschungsgegenstände sind und wie sehr bisher ihr kultureller und narrativer Stellenwert unterschätzt wurde.
Das andere New York
Authors: Möller Angelika
Published: April 2015

Wie konnte aus einer verschlafenen Kleinstadt die Stadt werden, die niemals schläft? »Das andere New York« ist einer vernachlässigten Epoche gewidmet: der Antebellum-Ära. Angelika Möller bespricht die Entwicklung New Yorks von der Kleinstadt zur Großstadt in der Zeit zwischen Amerikanischer Revolution und Bürgerkrieg aus sozial- und kulturgeschichtlicher Perspektive. Unter Einbeziehung von zeitgenössischen Diskursen und kulturellen Praktiken zeigt sie, wie Orte im Stadtraum geplant, gebaut, bewohnt, angeeignet, gefeiert, geplündert, transformiert und ausrangiert wurden. Die Studie lenkt den Blick auf ungewöhnliche Freiräume und Vergnügungen unter freiem Himmel und verhandelt, welche Rolle diese in der Metropolwerdung New Yorks spielten.
BlogLife
Authors: Augustin Elisabeth
Published: April 2015

Wieso werden Geheimnisse im virtuellen Raum geteilt? Welche Motive führen zum Erzählen persönlicher Erlebnisse online - und wie medienkompetent sind die Digital Natives wirklich? Nahezu alle Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen nutzen Laptops und Smartphones rund um die Uhr. Medienwissenschaftler_innen, Medienpädagog_innen, aber auch Psycholog_innen, Eltern und Lehrer_innen müssen sich die Frage stellen, wie sich durch die zunehmende Internetnutzung Kommunikation, Identität und Bildungsprozesse verändern. Elisabeth Augustins empirische Studie zeichnet nach, wie Weblogs als Copingstrategie bei Lebensereignissen genutzt werden, und beleuchtet Chancen und Herausforderungen der Mediatisierung.
Kunstbetrachtung in der Schule
Authors: Engels Sidonie
Published: April 2015

»Wie viel Kunstgeschichte gehört in den Kunstunterricht? Welche Epochen, Stile oder Kunstwerke sind für welche Klassenstufen relevant? Was für ein Zusammenhang besteht zwischen Kunstbetrachtung und praktischer Gestaltungsarbeit? Sidonie Engels geht diesen und weiteren kunstpädagogischen ›Dauerbrennerfragen‹ nach, indem sie einen weitgehend in Vergessenheit geratenen Bereich der Fachgeschichte intensiv aufarbeitet: Das ›Handbuch der Kunst- und Werkerziehung‹ steht für eine grundlegende Formierung des schulischen Kunstunterrichts nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg. Es umfasst eine Spanne von 26 Jahren, 13 Bänden und mehr als 5000 Seiten. Für Generationen von Lehrerinnen und Lehrern war es maßgebliche Grundlage der Ausbildungsphase sowie der Ausrichtung ihres Unterrichts. Die Studie bietet nicht nur einen interessanten Einblick in einen wichtigen Abschnitt der Fachgeschichte, sondern regt darüber hinaus an, aufgrund der historischen Entwicklung des Kunstunterrichts über aktuelle Themen wie Bildkompetenz, kunstwissenschaftliche Theorie sowie den Stellenwert der Kunstgeschichte als Bezugswissenschaft der Kunstpädagogik neu nachzudenken.« (Helene Skladny)
Vorausschauendes Denken
Authors: Gransche Bruno
Published: April 2015

Der soziotechnische Wandel bringt neue Phänomene des Zufalls hervor, die sich den üblichen Strategien des Umgangs mit Risiken und Unsicherheit entziehen. Diese Akzidenzphänomene sind prinzipiell unvorhersehbar und in ihrer komplexen Effektgesamtheit jenseits von Kalkulation und Antizipation. Eine allgemeine Verzukünftigung unseres Weltbezuges mit spezifischen weitreichenden Problemen ist die Folge und lässt klassische Agenturen des Risikomanagements und der Unsicherheitsbewältigung an ihre Leistungsgrenzen stoßen. Bruno Gransche zeigt, dass Philosophie und Zukunftsforschung gemeinsam großes Potenzial aufweisen, hier zu helfen.
Vermögende Körper
Authors: Apostolou-Hölscher Stefan
Published: April 2015

In Jean Georges Noverres Briefen über die Tanzkunst zeigt sich, inwiefern das Aufkommen der Ästhetik um 1800 mit dem korreliert, was Foucault Biopolitik nennt. Mit Rancière demonstriert Stefan Apostolou-Hölscher: Sie beziehen sich dennoch anders auf das Leben. Weil Biopolitik sich aus der Freisetzung von Potentialen speist, setzt sie vermögende Körper voraus. Umgekehrt jedoch sind vermögende Körper denkbar, deren ästhetische Praxis in einem widerständigen Verhältnis zur Biopolitik steht. Diese Spannung wird vermittels Stücken von Sasa Asentic, Jérome Bel, Mette Ingvartsen/Jefta van Dinther, Ivana Müller und Yvonne Rainer skizziert.
Die Inklusionslüge
Authors: Becker Uwe
Published: April 2015

Die Debatte um Inklusion hat seit der 2009 in Deutschland in Kraft getretenen UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention deutlich an Popularität gewonnen. Auffällig ist, dass hier oftmals das Bild einer dichotomen Gesellschaft bemüht wird, in der es angeblich ein »Drinnen« und ein »Draußen« gibt. Der Inklusion wird dadurch der Charakter eines »heiligen Projekts« zugeschrieben, durch das Menschen mit Behinderung Aufnahme finden sollen in die Gesellschaft. Es gibt aber keine Exklusion aus der Gesellschaft. Allerdings bestehen innerhalb der Gesellschaft massive Ausgrenzungsprozesse. Diese zu beseitigen hieße, die Gesellschaft so zu transformieren, dass ihre Fokussierung auf Erwerbsarbeit und die Normierungen der leistungszentrierten Bildungsinstitutionen aufgegeben werden können. Uwe Becker analysiert umfänglich die Ausgrenzungsdynamiken, die Menschen in den Bildungsinstitutionen, in Arbeitslosigkeit und Armut - begleitet von politischer Diffamierung - erleiden. Er fordert eine Korrektur der ökonomisch gesteuerten, erwerbsarbeitszentrierten Gesellschaftslogik ein, ohne die Inklusion zum Desaster für Menschen mit Behinderungen, deren Angehörige, Pädagoginnen, Pädagogen und alle gutwilligen Akteure dieses Projekts zu werden droht.
Kollektivitäten
Authors: Falb Daniel
Published: April 2015

Unter Rekurs auf Bruno Latour und Gabriel Tarde entwirft Daniel Falb eine prozessorientierte Vorstellung von Kollektivitäten, in der Populationen und Netzwerke in ihrer wechselseitigen Konstitution im Zentrum stehen. In einer neuartigen Grundlegung der Sozialontologie werden Kollektivitäten als »Prozessobjekte« bestimmt, die sich allein performativ über Wiederholungen in der Welt halten. Dieser interdisziplinäre Ansatz lässt das philosophische Universalienproblem, die wissenschaftshistorische Frage nach dem Grund statistischer Stabilität und das soziologische Thema der Materialität von Akteur-Netzwerken in ihren Logiken ebenso wie in ihrem Zusammenhang transparent werden.
Passive and specific targeting of lymph nodes: the influence of the administration route
Authors: Pitorre Marion , Bastiat Guillaume , dit Chatel Elodie Marie , Benoit Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2015

Patients diagnosed with an advanced-stage cancer present a dismal prognosis due to the presence of metastases. From the primary tumor, the cancer cells are disseminated via lymphatic circulation; metastases develop initially in lymph nodes. Therefore, the targeting of lymph nodes needs to be improved in the design of future chemotherapy, and one way to ensure this targeting is by using the subcutaneous (SC) route. Using lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) (40 nm and fluorescently-labeled with DiD) as nanocarriers, a correlation between the SC injection site (behind the neck, the right and left flanks, and above the tail) for LNC administration and specific lymph node accumulation (left and right cervical, axillary and inguinal lymph nodes) was achieved for Sprague-Dawley rats. The pharmacokinetic and biodistribution profiles confirmed the absence of LNCs in systemic circulation after SC administration due to the optimal size of the LNCs. With appropriate SC administration, LNCs can accumulate in specific lymph nodes, whereas IV administration led to a weak accumulation of LNCs in all lymph nodes. Specific accumulation followed the lymph flow: bottom-up from the lower to upper limbs and top down from the head, with two lymph circulation partitions: right upper limb and the rest. Administration above the tail presented high inguinal and axillary lymph node accumulation whereas weak accumulation was observed after administration behind the neck. LNCs administered in the left flank only accumulated in the left inguinal and axillary lymph nodes, whereas left and right inguinal and axillary lymph nodes presented accumulation after administration in the right flank. Cervical lymph nodes, in the opposite direction of lymph flow, were never targeted after SC administration, whatever the injection site.
Evaluation of resin-enamel interface micromorphology in respect of different Er,Cr:YSGG laser parameters
Authors: Ayar Muhammet Kerim
Published: April 2015

Background and objective:

Enamel irradiation with an erbium,chromium:yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser has been reported to cause micromorphological alterations within resin-enamel interfaces and subsurface enamel. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different output power/pulse repetition rate parameter combinations of Er,Cr:YSGG laser on the micromorphology of resin-enamel interfaces and subsurface enamel.

Materials and methods:

Thirty-five bovine incisors were used in the present study. Er,Cr:YSGG laser was used on enamel with different output power/pulse repetition rate parameter combinations as follows: 6 W/20 Hz, 6 W/35 Hz, 6 W/50 Hz, 3 W/20 Hz, 3 W/35 Hz, 3 W/50 Hz. Following adhesive and composite procedures, specimens were sectioned and either acid-etched with 37% phosphoric acid for 1 min or immersed in 55% nitric acid for 12 h. Then the resin-enamel interfaces were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results:

Micromorphological findings by SEM revealed that when enamel surfaces were irradiated with all 6-W groups and 3 W/20 Hz-combinations, large resin structures indicating subsurface microcracks were generally evident within interfaces and subsurface enamel. However, when irradiated with 3 W/35 Hz and 3 W/50 Hz-combinations, the observed resin-enamel interfaces were similar to those of the acid-etched only group.

Conclusion:

Deploying Er,Cr:YSGG laser with lower power and high pulse repetition rate combinations may reduce damage to resin-enamel interfaces and subsurface enamel. However, assessment of the relationship between these findings and bond strength requires further study.
Flavouring food: the contribution of chimpanzee behaviour to the understanding of Neanderthal calculus composition and plant use in Neanderthal diets
Authors: Krief Sabrina , Daujeard Camille , Moncel Marie-Hélène , Lamon Noemie , Reynolds Vernon
Published: April 2015

In a recent study, Hardy et al. (2012) examined ten samples of dental calculus from five Neanderthal individuals from El Sidrón in northern Spain (occupation dates between 47300 and 50600 BP). In calculus from a young adult, they discovered the presence of compounds (dihydroazulene, chamazulene and methylherniarin) that occur in yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and camomile (Matriarca chamomilla). In preference to other hypotheses, the authors proposed that these two plants were used for self-medication. In this paper, we do not reject the self-medication hypothesis, but our observations of wild chimpanzees in Uganda, at Sonso in the Budongo Forest Reserve and at Kanyawara and Sebitoli in Kibale National Park (separated by about 150km), as well as ethnological and palaeontological evidence, lead us to propose three other explanations for the presence of these compounds. In addition, data on Neanderthal behaviour suggest that their subsistence and technological strategies were complex.
Sigh and Eupnea Rhythmogenesis Involve Distinct Interconnected Subpopulations: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study
Authors: Toporikova Natalia , Chevalier Marc , Thoby-Brisson Muriel
Published: April 2015

Neural networks control complex motor outputs by generating several rhythmic neuronal activities, often with different time scales. One example of such a network is the pre-Bötzinger complex respiratory network (preBötC) that can simultaneously generate fast, small-amplitude, monophasic eupneic breaths together with slow, high-amplitude, biphasic augmented breaths (sighs). However, the underlying rhythmogenic mechanisms for this bimodal discharge pattern remain unclear, leaving two possible explanations: the existence of either reconfiguring processes within the same network or two distinct subnetworks. Based on recentin vitrodata obtained in the mouse embryo, we have built a computational model consisting of two compartments, interconnected through appropriate synapses. One compartment generates sighs and the other produces eupneic bursts. The model reproduces basic features of simultaneous sigh and eupnea generation (two types of bursts differing in terms of shape, amplitude, and frequency of occurrence) and mimics the effect of blocking glycinergic synapses. Furthermore, we used this model to make predictions that were subsequently tested on the isolated preBötC in mouse brainstem slice preparations. Through a combination ofin vitroandin silicoapproaches we find that (1) sigh events are less sensitive to network excitability than eupneic activity, (2) calcium-dependent mechanisms and theIhcurrent play a prominent role in sigh generation, and (3) specific parameters ofIhactivation set the low sensitivity to excitability in the sigh neuronal subset. Altogether, our results strongly support the hypothesis that distinct subpopulations within the preBötC network are responsible for sigh and eupnea rhythmogenesis.
Egr3-Dependent Muscle Spindle Stretch Receptor Intrafusal Muscle Fiber Differentiation and Fusimotor Innervation Homeostasis
Authors: Oliveira Fernandes Michelle , Tourtellotte Warren G.
Published: April 2015

Muscle stretch proprioceptors (muscle spindles) are required for stretch reflexes and locomotor control. Proprioception abnormalities are observed in many human neuropathies, but the mechanisms involved in establishing and maintaining muscle spindle innervation and function are still poorly understood. During skeletal muscle development, sensory (Ia-afferent) innervation induces contacted myotubes to transform into intrafusal muscle fibers that form the stretch receptor core. The transcriptional regulator Egr3 is induced in Ia-afferent contacted myotubes by Neuregulin1 (Nrg1)/ErbB receptor signaling and it has an essential role in spindle morphogenesis and function. Because Egr3 is widely expressed during development and has a pleiotropic function, whether Egr3 functions primarily in skeletal muscle, Ia-afferent neurons, or in Schwann cells that myelinate Ia-afferent axons remains unresolved. In the present studies, cell-specific ablation of Egr3 in mice showed that it has a skeletal muscle autonomous function in stretch receptor development. Moreover, using genetic tracing, we found that Ia-afferent contacted Egr3-deficient myotubes were induced in normal numbers, but their development was blocked to generate one to two shortened fibers that failed to express some characteristic myosin heavy chain (MyHC) proteins. These “spindle remnants” persisted into adulthood, remained innervated by Ia-afferents, and expressed neurotrophin3 (NT3), which is required for Ia-afferent neuron survival. However, they were not innervated by fusimotor axons and they did not express glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which is essential for fusimotor neuron survival. These results demonstrate that Egr3 has an essential role in regulating gene expression that promotes normal intrafusal muscle fiber differentiation and fusimotor innervation homeostasis.
Oscillatory Recruitment of Bilateral Visual Cortex during Spatial Attention to Competing Rhythmic Inputs
Authors: Gray Michael J. , Frey Hans-Peter , Wilson Tommy J. , Foxe John J.
Published: April 2015

Selective attention uses temporal regularity of relevant inputs to bias the phase of ongoing population-level neuronal oscillations. This phase entrainment streamlines processing, allowing attended information to arrive at moments of high neural excitability. How entrainment resolves competition between spatially segregated inputs during visuospatial tasks is not yet established. Using high-density electroencephalography in humans, a bilateral entrainment response to the rhythm (1.3 or 1.5 Hz) of an attended stimulation stream was observed, concurrent with a considerably weaker contralateral entrainment to a competing rhythm. That ipsilateral visual areas strongly entrained to the attended stimulus is notable because competitive inputs to these regions were being driven at an entirely different rhythm. Strong modulations of phase locking and weak modulations of single-trial power suggest that entrainment was primarily driven by phase-alignment of ongoing oscillatory activity. In addition, interhemispheric differences in entrained phase were found to be modulated by attended hemifield, implying that the bilateral nature of the response reflected a functional flow of information between hemispheres. This modulation was strongest at the third of at least four harmonics that were strongly entrained. Ipsilateral increases in alpha-band (8–12 Hz) power were also observed during bilateral entrainment, reflecting suppression of the ignored stimulation stream. Furthermore, both entrainment and alpha lateralization significantly affected task performance. We conclude that oscillatory entrainment is a functionally relevant mechanism that synchronizes endogenous activity across the cortical hierarchy to resolve spatial competition. We further speculate that concurrent suppression of ignored input might facilitate the widespread propagation of attended information during spatial attention.
Abnormal Excitability and Episodic Low-Frequency Oscillations in the Cerebral Cortex of thetotteringMouse
Authors: Cramer Samuel W. , Popa Laurentiu S. , Carter Russell E. , Chen Gang , Ebner Timothy J.
Published: April 2015

The Ca2+channelopathies caused by mutations of theCACNA1Agene that encodes the pore-forming subunit of the human Cav2.1 (P/Q-type) voltage-gated Ca2+channel include episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2). Although, in EA2 the emphasis has been on cerebellar dysfunction, patients also exhibit episodic, nonmotoric abnormalities involving the cerebral cortex. This study demonstrates episodic, low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) throughout the cerebral cortex oftottering(tg/tg) mice, a widely used model of EA2. Ranging between 0.035 and 0.11 Hz, the LFOs intg/tgmice can spontaneously develop very high power, referred to as a high-power state. The LFOs intg/tgmice are mediated in part by neuronal activity as tetrodotoxin decreases the oscillations and cortical neuron discharge contain the same low frequencies. The high-power state involves compensatory mechanisms because acutely decreasing P/Q-type Ca2+channel function in either wild-type (WT) ortg/tgmice does not induce the high-power state. In contrast, blockingl-type Ca2+channels, known to be upregulated intg/tgmice, reduces the high-power state. Intriguingly, basal excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission constrains the high-power state because blocking ionotropic or metabotropic glutamate receptors results in high-power LFOs intg/tgbut not WT mice. The high-power LFOs are decreased markedly by acetazolamide and 4-aminopyridine, the primary treatments for EA2, suggesting disease relevance. Together, these results demonstrate that the high-power LFOs in thetg/tgcerebral cortex represent a highly abnormal excitability state that may underlie noncerebellar symptoms that characterizeCACNA1Amutations.
Single-Unit Activity during Natural Vision: Diversity, Consistency, and Spatial Sensitivity among AF Face Patch Neurons
Authors: McMahon David B.T. , Russ Brian E. , Elnaiem Heba D. , Kurnikova Anastasia I. , Leopold David A.
Published: April 2015

Several visual areas within the STS of the macaque brain respond strongly to faces and other biological stimuli. Determining the principles that govern neural responses in this region has proven challenging, due in part to the inherently complex stimulus domain of dynamic biological stimuli that are not captured by an easily parameterized stimulus set. Here we investigated neural responses in one fMRI-defined face patch in the anterior fundus (AF) of the STS while macaques freely view complex videos rich with natural social content. Longitudinal single-unit recordings allowed for the accumulation of each neuron's responses to repeated video presentations across sessions. We found that individual neurons, while diverse in their response patterns, were consistently and deterministically driven by the video content. We used principal component analysis to compute a family of eigenneurons, which summarized 24% of the shared population activity in the first two components. We found that the most prominent component of AF activity reflected an interaction between visible body region and scene layout. Close-up shots of faces elicited the strongest neural responses, whereas far away shots of faces or close-up shots of hindquarters elicited weak or inhibitory responses. Sensitivity to the apparent proximity of faces was also observed in gamma band local field potential. This category-selective sensitivity to spatial scale, together with the known exchange of anatomical projections of this area with regions involved in visuospatial analysis, suggests that the AF face patch may be specialized in aspects of face perception that pertain to the layout of a social scene.
Long-Term Memory Formation inDrosophilaRequires Training-Dependent Glial Transcription
Authors: Matsuno Motomi , Horiuchi Junjiro , Yuasa Yoshihiro , Ofusa Kyoko , Miyashita Tomoyuki , Masuda Tomoko , Saitoe Minoru
Published: April 2015

Long-term memory (LTM) formation requiresde novogene expression in neurons, and subsequent structural and functional modification of synapses. However, the importance of gene expression in glia during this process has not been well studied. In this report, we characterize a cell adhesion molecule, Klingon (Klg), which is required for LTM formation inDrosophila. We found that Klg localizes to the juncture between neurons and glia, and expression in both cell types is required for LTM. We further found that expression of a glial gene,repo, is reduced inklgmutants and knockdown lines.repoexpression is required for LTM, and expression increases upon LTM induction. In addition, increasingrepoexpression in glia is sufficient to restore LTM inklgknockdown lines. These data indicate that neuronal activity enhances Klg-mediated neuron-glia interactions, causing an increase in glial expression ofrepo. Repo is a homeodomain transcription factor, suggesting that further downstream glial gene expression is also required for LTM.