bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Greek Foreign Policy and Russia: Political Realignment, Civilizational Aspects, and Realism
Authors: Tziampiris Aristotle
Published: June 2010

In his Clash of Civilizations, Samuel Huntington specifically predicts a rapprochement in Greek-Russian relations on account of common civilizational factors. The explanatory validity of this claim can be assessed by examining the extent and nature of the recently improved bilateral relations between Athens and Moscow. An analysis is presented of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline deal, Greece's participation in the South Stream gas pipeline project, its purchase of Russian tanks, and its more recent strategy of taking a step back from its overall excellent relations with Russia. Upon further scrutiny, it is concluded that cultural affinities do not determine or even greatly influence contemporary Greek foreign policy. Rather, Athens' various decisions are better explained on the basis of more traditional realist concepts.
Deborah Poynton: Everything Matters: ACA Gallery of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, Georgia, February 19–March 29, 2009
Authors: Dziedzic Erin
Published: June 2010

Everything Matters seeks to explore the positive reciprocal exchange of power relations suffusing the South African painter Deborah Poynton’s monumental canvases. Works from 2008 and 2009 were shown at Poynton’s first exhibition in the United States. Employing Gilles Deleuze’s (1925–95) and Félix Guattari’s (1930–92) notion of a variable sensibility of power or puissance, this review suggests that Poynton’s psychologically dense portrait tableaux help create an open exchange of power, rather than a closed mode of reactive power, or pouvoir, that inherently posits dominance of one body over another. Everything Matters presents a selection of Poynton’s single- and multiple-figure paintings to address the depicted postures, expressions, and possible iconographic and historical elements in each painting, along with similar details supplied by artist and viewer, all of which convey a more egalitarian exchange of puissance. Several modes of understanding puissance in relation to the paintings are considered: the artist’s power over whom she chooses to paint, as well as the composition of the figures; the exchange of power among the people she paints and their relationship to one another; the viewers’ relationship to these life-size portraits; and ways in which the gestures of the painted figures facilitate an exchange of power. This exploration of Poynton’s work is intended not to negate one’s possible understanding of the artist’s intention of expressing a mode of dominant, reactive power but to explore an exchange of puissance inherent in the concept and visual language on offer in Everything Matters.
Arctic Spaces: Politics and Aesthetics in True North and Gender on Ice
Authors: Bloom Lisa E.
Published: June 2010

Reconsidering Isaac Julien’s film True North (2004) in relation to my book Gender on Ice (1993) at this moment is a political and intellectual challenge, especially given that the recent resurgence of interest in the Arctic is not only about concern over global warming and the desire to protect the Arctic landscape, wildlife, and indigenous peoples from unchecked industrialization but also about territorial expansion and the mining of natural resources. Moreover, this straightforward imperial rivalry for the Arctic resources that were once off-limits recalls earlier struggles for power articulated by our nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century counterparts. Given the complex politics of the Arctic, this seems an opportune moment to examine the relationship between a book that helped initiate the study of the powerful and continuing cultural investment in the legacy of the so-called heroic age of polar exploration and its link to geographic science and empire, then examine how its analysis was reprised and extended by Julien’s 2004 film. Julien’s film takes the critical scholarship of the book in new directions and in the process makes us think differently about Arctic discourses, race, and gender.
Kader Attia in Conversation with Régis Durand
Authors: Durand Régis
Published: June 2010

In this interview Régis Durand asks the French Algerian artist Kader Attia about his 2008 exhibition at the Centro Huarte de Arte Contemporáneo (Navarra) and his ideas for the four different pieces exhibited. Durand is particularly interested in the genesis of these different works: How did Attia get the ideas, and what need do they meet for him? Also, how does Attia approach a new project, consider its specific features and its relation to earlier pieces? Attia describes the pieces in the exhibition and ties each into the ideas he tries to grapple with in his art. He conceives of the exhibition as an opera in four acts about our world now, in the past, and in the future. Kasbah is an installation of a shantytown made with sheet iron and plastic, showing the town from above: the roofs spread over a considerable area, but always on the ground, so that visitors can walk over them. Another installation (based on the earlier Rocher carrés) is a series of blocks four meters high and two meters wide, made of Sheetrock panels covered with recycled gray paper, sloping at an angle of forty-five or sixty degrees. Attia intends for them to suggest urban architecture in the process of collapsing. A piece made with oil drums is titled Black and White. There is also a video (Oil and Sugar), which shows a structure of sugar cubes disintegrating in a pool of black oil, as well as a series of sculptures made with empty plastic bags. Another work discussed at length in the interview is Ghost. Durand asks Attia to comment on the role of architecture in his recent works. Attia argues that architecture provides answers, whereas philosophy asks questions. In fact, it’s the notion of architecture’s “answer” that he tries to keep calling into question in his work.
Roundtable II: Contemporary African Art History and the Scholarship
Authors: Okeke-Agulu Chika
Published: June 2010

This panel, convened from September 4 to October 10, 2009, is the second of a three-part series on issues in contemporary African art. The first panel, which appeared in issue 22/23 of Nka, focused on large-scale exhibitions, which have been instrumental in bringing the work of African artists to global attention, and the third will examine the politics of contemporary African art and the art museum. What concerns the panel here is the scholarship of contemporary African art: the teaching, research, and publishing in the field. The discussion considers such questions as the place of contemporary African art in art history programs and its relationship with contemporary Western art as a subfield within art history, as well as the challenges involved in training graduate students. The panel also walks on such gritty grounds as the relationship between contemporary and traditional or classical African art history.
Connecting the transcription site to the nuclear pore: a multi-tether process that regulates gene expression
Authors: Dieppois Guennaëlle , Stutz Françoise
Published: June 2010

It is now well established that the position of a gene within the nucleus can influence the level of its activity. So far, special emphasis has been placed on the nuclear envelope (NE) as a transcriptionally silent nuclear sub-domain. Recent work, however, indicates that peripheral localization is not always associated with repression, but rather fulfills a dual function in gene expression. In particular, in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a large number of highly expressed genes and activated inducible genes preferentially associate with nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), a process that is mediated by transient interactions between the transcribed locus and the NPC. Recent studies aimed at unraveling the molecular basis of this mechanism have revealed that maintenance of genes at the NPC involves multiple tethers at different steps of gene expression. These observations are consistent with tight interconnections between transcription, mRNA processing and export into the cytoplasm, and highlight a role for the NPC in promoting and orchestrating the gene expression process. In this Commentary, we discuss the factors involved in active gene anchoring to the NPC and the diverse emerging roles of the NPC environment in promoting gene expression, focusing on yeast as a model organism.
Splicing-independent recruitment of U1 snRNP to a transcription unit in living cells
Authors: Spiluttini Béatrice , Gu Bo , Belagal Praveen , Smirnova Anna S. , Nguyen Van Trung , Hébert Charles , Schmidt Ute , Bertrand Edouard , Darzacq Xavier , Bensaude Olivier
Published: June 2010

Numerous non-coding RNAs are known to be involved in the regulation of gene expression. In this work, we analyzed RNAs that co-immunoprecipitated with human RNA polymerase II from mitotic cell extracts and identified U1 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) as a major species. To investigate a possible splicing-independent recruitment of U1 snRNA to transcription units, we established cell lines having integrated a reporter gene containing a functional intron or a splicing-deficient construction. Recruitment of U snRNAs and some splicing factors to transcription sites was evaluated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunofluorescence. To analyze imaging data, we developed a quantitative procedure, ‘radial analysis’, based on averaging data from multiple fluorescence images. The major splicing snRNAs (U2, U4 and U6 snRNAs) as well as the U2AF65 and SC35 splicing factors were found to be recruited only to transcription units containing a functional intron. By contrast, U1 snRNA, the U1-70K (also known as snRNP70) U1-associated protein as well as the ASF/SF2 (also known as SFRS1) serine/arginine-rich (SR) protein were efficiently recruited both to normally spliced and splicing-deficient transcription units. The constitutive association of U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) with the transcription machinery might play a role in coupling transcription with pre-mRNA maturation.
ccz-1mediates the digestion of apoptotic corpses inC. elegans
Authors: Nieto Cristina , Almendinger Johann , Gysi Stephan , Gómez-Orte Eva , Kaech Andres , Hengartner Michael O. , Schnabel Ralf , Moreno Sergio , Cabello Juan
Published: June 2010

During development, the processes of cell division, differentiation and apoptosis must be precisely coordinated in order to maintain tissue homeostasis. The nematode C. elegans is a powerful model system in which to study cell death and its control. C. elegans apoptotic cells condense and form refractile corpses under differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy. Activation of the GTPase CED-10 (Rac) in a neighbouring cell mediates the recognition and engulfment of the cell corpse. After inclusion of the engulfed corpse in a phagosome, different proteins are sequentially recruited onto this organelle to promote its acidification and fusion with lysosomes, leading to the enzymatic degradation of the cell corpse. We show that CCZ-1, a protein conserved from yeasts to humans, mediates the digestion of these apoptotic corpses. CCZ-1 seems to act in lysosome biogenesis and phagosome maturation by recruiting the GTPase RAB-7 over the phagosome.
Kidins220/ARMS regulates Rac1-dependent neurite outgrowth by direct interaction with the RhoGEF Trio
Authors: Neubrand Veronika E. , Thomas Claire , Schmidt Susanne , Debant Anne , Schiavo Giampietro
Published: June 2010

Neurite extension depends on extracellular signals that lead to changes in gene expression and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton. A factor that might orchestrate these signalling pathways with cytoskeletal elements is the integral membrane protein Kidins220/ARMS, a downstream target of neurotrophins. Here, we identified Trio, a RhoGEF for Rac1, RhoG and RhoA, which is involved in neurite outgrowth and axon guidance, as a binding partner of Kidins220. This interaction is direct and occurs between the N-terminus of Trio and the ankyrin repeats of Kidins220. Trio and Kidins220 colocalise at the tips of neurites in NGF-differentiated PC12 cells, where F-actin and Rac1 also accumulate. Expression of the ankyrin repeats of Kidins220 in PC12 cells inhibits NGF-dependent and Trio-induced neurite outgrowth. Similar results are seen in primary hippocampal neurons. Our data indicate that Kidins220 might localise Trio to specific membrane sites and regulate its activity, leading to Rac1 activation and neurite outgrowth.
Differential roles of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and phosphorylation in moesin activation duringDrosophiladevelopment
Authors: Roch Fernando , Polesello Cédric , Roubinet Chantal , Martin Marianne , Roy Christian , Valenti Philippe , Carreno Sébastien , Mangeat Paul , Payre François
Published: June 2010

The ezrin, radixin and moesin (ERM) proteins regulate cell membrane architecture in several cellular contexts. Current models propose that ERM activation requires a PtdIns(4,5)P2-induced conformational change, followed by phosphorylation of a conserved threonine. However, how these inputs contribute in vivo to orchestrate ERM activation is poorly understood. We addressed this issue by evaluating the contribution of PtdIns(4,5)P2 and phosphorylation to the regulation of moesin during Drosophila development. Unexpectedly, we found that a form of moesin that cannot be phosphorylated displayed significant activity and could substitute for the endogenous product during wing morphogenesis. By contrast, we also show that PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding is essential for moesin recruitment to the membrane and for its subsequent phosphorylation. Our data indicate that PtdIns(4,5)P2 acts as a dosing mechanism that locally regulates ERM membrane recruitment and activation, whereas cycles of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation further control their activity once they have reached the cell cortex.
TRIM8 modulates STAT3 activity through negative regulation of PIAS3
Authors: Okumura Fumihiko , Matsunaga Yui , Katayama Yuta , Nakayama Keiichi I. , Hatakeyama Shigetsugu
Published: June 2010

TRIM8 is a member of the protein family defined by the presence of a common domain structure composed of a tripartite motif: a RING-finger, one or two B-box domains and a coiled-coil motif. Here, we show that TRIM8 interacts with protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 (PIAS3), which inhibits IL-6-dependent activation of STAT3. Ectopic expression of TRIM8 cancels the negative effect of PIAS3 on STAT3, either by degradation of PIAS3 through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway or exclusion of PIAS3 from the nucleus. Furthermore, expression of TRIM8 in NIH3T3 cells enhances Src-dependent tumorigenesis. These findings indicate that TRIM8 enhances the STAT3-dependent signal pathway by inhibiting the function of PIAS3.
Potential Role of Salicylates in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Rumore Martha M , Kim Katelynn S
Published: June 2010

Objective:

To review the evidence base supporting the use of salicylates for glucose level control in patients with type 2 diabetes and provide a comprehensive review of available information describing the potential role of salicylates and, in particular, salsalate, for glucose control in type 2 diabetes prevention and treatment. DATA SOURCES: A literature search using MEDLINE (1966–March 2010), PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted using the search terms salicylates, salicylic acid, aspirin, salsalate, acetytsalicylic acid, insulin, glucose, glycemic control, diabetes, hyperglycemia, and nuclear factor. The bibliographies of identified articles were reviewed for additional citations.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All relevant English-language information on the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of salicylates for glucose control related to insulin resistance or diabetes prevention were reviewed. Preclinical data, clinical trials, and case reports were identified, evaluated, and included in this systematic review.

Data Synthesis:

Treatment of inflammation may be a potential novel strategy in prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes, in which the body is resistant to the effects of insulin. Previous and recent studies reveal a possible relationship between inflammation and obesity. The chronic activation of the immune system due to low-grade inflammation was found in several studies to be associated with obesity, and this, in turn, can promote development of insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance. Administration of salicylates was shown over a century ago to lower glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Many in vitro and in vivo pharmacologic studies have demonstrated a glucose-lowering effect of salicylates. Salicylates, especially salsalate, were found in several clinical studies and case reports to be potential agents for diabetes treatment with a favorable safety profile. Although these studies had inherent limitations, such as small numbers of patients and short duration, the vast majority showed significant glucose-lowering effects. A large randomized trial, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases–sponsored Targeting Inflammation with Salsalate in Type 2 Diabetes (TINSAL-T2D) trial, recently concluded that salsalate lowers hemoglobin A1c levels and improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Conclusions:

Salicylates, especially salsalate, appear to be a promising treatment option for prevention or treatment of diabetes by lowering glucose levels. More extensive studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms involved and whether the effects are sustainable with continued administration of these agents. Further studies are warranted.
Probable Hypoglycemic Adverse Drug Reaction Associated with Prickly Pear Cactus, Glipizide, and Metformin in a Patient with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Sobieraj Diana M , Freyer Craig W
Published: June 2010

Objective:

To report a case of an adverse drug reaction (ADR) in a patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus taking prickly pear cactus (PPC), glipizide, and metformin.

Case Summary:

A 58-year-old Mexican male with type 2 diabetes mellitus being treated with metformin 1000 mg twice daily and extended-release glipizide 10 mg daily was referred to the pharmacist for medication education. He denied taking herbal supplements or experiencing hypoglycemia. Two hemoglobin A1c values (6.8% and 6.7%) obtained over the past year demonstrated glycemic control, which was supported by his reported fasting blood glucose readings of 113–132 mg/dL. One month later, the patient reported 4 hypoglycemic events with blood glucose readings of 49–68 mg/dL, which resulted in discontinuation of glipizide. One month later, the patient denied any further hypoglycemia. During medication reconciliation he reported consuming crude PPC pads daily for 2 months for glucose control.

Discussion:

Literature suggests that PPC has an effect on lowering blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, although few identified data describe ADRs from combining PPC with other agents used in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus. A literature search of MEDLINE (through December 2009) using the search terms diabetes mellitus, prickly pear cactus, nopal, opuntia, metformin, glipizide, glyburide, glimepiride, and sulfonylurea revealed no case reports of the described ADR. One case report describing the blood glucose–lowering effect of PPC in a patient concurrently taking oral antihyperglycemics documented an episode of hypoglycemia, although the Naranjo probability scale was not applied. One patient survey discovered the most common drug-herbal interaction in the given population to be between PPC and antihyperglycemic agents, resulting in hypoglycemia. In our case, use of the Naranjo probability scale suggests the ADR to be probable. The mechanism may be due to the additive glucose lowering of the 3 agents consumed concurrently by the patient.

Conclusions:

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus should be routinely counseled about the use of herbal products to minimize the risk of ADRs.
Impact on Siblings of Children With Intellectual Disability: The Role of Child Behavior Problems
Authors: Neece Cameron L. , Blacher Jan , Baker Bruce L.
Published: June 2010

The impact on everyday life for siblings of children with intellectual disability or typical development was examined. Participants were families of children with intellectual disability (n  =  39) or typical development (n  =  75). Child behavior problems and sibling impact were assessed at child ages 5, 6, 7, and 8. Results indicate that siblings of children with intellectual disability were consistently reported by mothers and fathers to be more negatively impacted compared to siblings of typically developing children. When child behavior problems were accounted for, however, there was no longer a significant relationship between child intellectual status and sibling impact. For both intellectual disability and typical development groups, cross-lagged panel analyses indicate that early child behavior problems lead to increased sibling negative impact over time.
Factorial Validity of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS)
Authors: Kuppens Sofie , Bossaert Goele , Buntinx Wil , Molleman Catherin , Van den Abbeele Ann , Maes Bea
Published: June 2010

The Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) was developed to provide information on the support needs of persons with intellectual disability. Our aim here was to evaluate the factorial validity of the SIS in a sample of 14,862 persons with intellectual disability. The structure of the instrument as promulgated by the developers was tested and its stability evaluated across gender, age, disability complexity, and disability severity groups. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the originally proposed subscale structure. The six-factor structure yielded strict factorial invariance across gender, age, and disability complexity, whereas invariance of factor configuration was merely established across disability severity groups. Possible explanations and implications of these findings are discussed.
The somatic practice of intentional rest in dance education preliminary steps towards a method of study
Authors: Batson Glenna
Published: June 2010

Every performing art has its caesura a resting pause a potent stillness in the rhythmic flow of action. For western contemporary dance, stillness is a powerful aesthetic tool. Far less understood are the physiological and behavioural benefits of rest. While rest intervals routinely
are prescribed in sports science to promote physiological recovery and improve performance, such protocols are unknown in dance. Somatic approaches (somatics) purposely embed intervals of stillness and rest for active listening and reflection. This kind of intentional reduction in action alters
typical space-time-effort values of a dance technique class, shifting attention to an array of kinaesthetic qualities, thoughts and feelings. While dance customarily relegates somatics to a wellness role, the larger behavioural implications of intentional rest within dance pedagogy merit further
investigation. Although the purposes are not fully clarified, intentional rest potentially allows a deeper level of embodied knowledge to surface and be directed towards self-regulation and change. This article addresses the somatic function of intentional rest within the context of dance
training. The author provides an overview of the scientific evidence substantiating rest. Further, the author opens an inquiry into the behavioural values of intentional rest as gleaned from written reflections of Master's degree dance students in a seminar on somatics. These narratives appear
to advance not only with those benefits advocated by sports science, but also psychophysical embodiment and personal autonomy, values essential to becoming a dance artist.
Hara breathing applied to dance practice
Authors: Roubicek Sasha
Published: June 2010

This article sets out to describe the beneficial effects of breathing methods derived from the Japanese martial arts Aikido and Kashima Shinryu Kenjutsu, as applied to professional dance practice and dance education. I wish to illustrate how change in subjective awareness may be brought
about through the fundamental human activity of breathing and how this may affirm and validate a sense of self. The article includes extracts from the thoughts of Japanese Budo master, Minoru Inaba, and observations of undergraduate dance students with whom I continue to explore experiential
processes.
Designing design and designing media
Authors: Faust Jurgen
Published: June 2010

When we reframe design through a discourse, designing on a meta level, we are actually designing design, as we are giving design a different meaning, changing frame to include or exclude what we do or don't consider as a part of the field. Therefore we need to frame at first what we
understand in speaking about design. And it is far more complex to speak about media design, since it triggers the idea of designing media. Marshall McLuhan's thoughts on media will help to explore what a media designer actually does; what he designs. However, if the digital media comes into
place, the new medium, the digital medium, suddenly is the major carrier of all of society's messages. How does it change the designer's work, and does it require a different designer
Design as rational discourse
Authors: Hix H. L
Published: June 2010

Although the popular view of design as enhancing beauty and functionality is not wrong, it is not enough. By thinking of design as not only aesthetic (enhancing beauty) and purposive (enhancing functionality) but also as discursive, this paper addresses the increasing prominence
of design, and gives a criterion for evaluating design, by asking what kind of discourse it should be. Design, I contend, ought to participate in rational, as compared to commercial or authoritarian, discourse. Commercial discourse reduces humans to consumers, and authoritarian discourse
divides humans into masters and slaves. Rational discourse envisions humans in the highest possible terms, as holding equal place within the real, and equal standing before the truth, and therefore as sharing common cause with one another, at all times and places, and under any conditions.
Commercial and authoritarian discourse both attempt to consolidate agency in the hands of a few; rational discourse, to distribute agency equally to all. Design is among the enterprises for which the obligatory work is rational discourse, and the stakes thus the fullness of our humanity and
the humanity of others.
Mandala as telematic design
Authors: A Huh Jung
Published: June 2010

This study starts from the premise that mandala is a design of the Cosmos and consciousness. mandala is a contracted and systematically designed cosmic space and represents high-level spirituality at the same time. The work of designing mandala is an experience with a sacred world as
itself and constitutes a process of self-discipline. In other words, mandala is to ritualize the world of Buddhism beyond a design context and visualize religious experience through a specific object. Therefore, it serves as a medium that gets both producers and audiences to experience the
sacred world. In this way, mandala is present as an experiencing design and a behaving medium.

This study aims to identify the archetype of empirical and synthetic design by analyzing mandala as an integrated icon for which the Cosmos and human beings or consciousness and matter meet each
other. Spatial structuralization is considered most important in the icon of mandala. The space in mandala is the place where consciousness joins reality, which represents the state of enlightenment. Many multi-dimensional Buddhas coexist in the space, and they are arranged in harmony and
in order. This visual structure allows mandala to play the role of interactive medium.

In the iconic shapes of mandala symbolizing a sacred world, major elements include a circle, square, semicircle, triangle and the numbers of 8 and 4. The respective shapes are matched to white, yellow,
red and black, and the five different senses are connected to one another. The five senses are symbolic of earth, water, fire, wind and void which constitute the universe, and again they remain connected to five different parts of the body of a disciplinant drawing mandala: liver, kidney,
spleen, lungs and heart. Those organs are associated with five Buddhas and in turn connected through the boundless space of the universe. By analyzing such a composite structure of mandala, this study tries to appreciate its in-depth meaning as an integrated design.
Virtual sites performance and materialization
Authors: Matthews Linda
Published: June 2010

The imagistic promotion of the iconic city form is increasingly achieved by the deployment of the CCTV webcam system. This not only presents new material to mediate people's engagement with this space, but also offers new ways to materialize its actual three-dimensional form.

Recent
design-based research conducted at the University of Technology, Sydney, shows that the function of the CCTV Internet cameras can be extended and adapted to provide a type of engagement with urban environments that subverts its more representational role and converts it into one that is qualitative
and experiential. The article will discuss how the performative aspects offered by this virtual environment can be productively employed by the Internet user to not only create a new type of engagement with public space, but also, ultimately, to curate this space.

The article will also
reveal how the strategic deployment of recently developed non-proprietary software can be used to intervene within the operational logic of the Internet camera to exploit its potential for use as a design tool. By the strategic recruitment of this software, raw virtual qualitative data from
webcam images are processed to generate a formal response to civic space. This type of intervention, which utilizes the two-dimensional image as a platform for intervention within three-dimensional space, asks the designer to relinquish the techniques traditionally used to generate urban form
and instead to capitalize upon the opportunities for material intervention offered by the spatial ambiguity of virtual and real-time environments. The exploration of the distortional optical properties associated with contemporary camera technology begins to suggest the development of a range
of new techniques for design intervention that will continue to evolve in direct relationship to the technology they exploit.

This article will therefore discuss how the utilization of the interactive potential of the CCTV system can produce a new understanding of urban space that replaces
any symbolic role for form with the affect of form. This range of unprecedented techniques can be seen to offer a new paradigm for material intervention within both virtual and urban space.
Effect of glutaraldehyde on water related properties of solid wood
Authors: Xiao Zefang , Xie Yanjun , Militz Holger , Mai Carsten
Published: June 2010

Scots pine sapwood was treated with various concentrations of glutaraldehyde (GA) and magnesium chloride as a catalyst in aqueous solutions. The weight percent gains (WPGs) attained after leaching were 1.0%, 8.6%, 13.7%, and 21.9%, respectively. The treatments reduced the equilibrium moisture content at 90% RH up to 30% compared with the untreated controls. Capillary water uptake of wood was also restrained by GA treatment (8.6% WPG) resulting in water reduction effectiveness of approximately 50% in both radial and tangential direction after 244 h. Wood blocks treated to the highest WPG (22%) attained 70% anti-swelling efficiency (ASE). High ASE values were caused by cell wall bulking through incorporation of GA in the cell wall and as a result of reduction of the maximum degree of swelling in water, i.e., through crosslinking of cell wall polymers. During 10 water submersion and drying cycles, untreated and GA treated specimens displayed equal weight losses indicating that mainly wood constituents were washed out. These cyclic water submersion tests also caused approximately 10% reduction in ASE in samples treated to higher WPG. Magnesium chloride as a catalyst for the reaction of GA imparts wood similar water related properties as sulphur dioxide catalysis of GA treatment, but the application of MgCl2 is much easier to perform in practice.
Cortical Representation of Natural Complex Sounds: Effects of Acoustic Features and Auditory Object Category
Authors: Leaver Amber M. , Rauschecker Josef P.
Published: June 2010

How the brain processes complex sounds, like voices or musical instrument sounds, is currently not well understood. The features comprising the acoustic profiles of such sounds are thought to be represented by neurons responding to increasing degrees of complexity throughout auditory cortex, with complete auditory “objects” encoded by neurons (or small networks of neurons) in anterior superior temporal regions. Although specialized voice and speech–sound regions have been proposed, it is unclear how other types of complex natural sounds are processed within this object-processing pathway. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we sought to demonstrate spatially distinct patterns of category-selective activity in human auditory cortex, independent of semantic content and low-level acoustic features. Category-selective responses were identified in anterior superior temporal regions, consisting of clusters selective for musical instrument sounds and for human speech. An additional subregion was identified that was particularly selective for the acoustic–phonetic content of speech. In contrast, regions along the superior temporal plane closer to primary auditory cortex were not selective for stimulus category, responding instead to specific acoustic features embedded in natural sounds, such as spectral structure and temporal modulation. Our results support a hierarchical organization of the anteroventral auditory-processing stream, with the most anterior regions representing the complete acoustic signature of auditory objects.
Onset Coding Is Degraded in Auditory Nerve Fibers from Mutant Mice Lacking Synaptic Ribbons
Authors: Buran Bradley N. , Strenzke Nicola , Neef Andreas , Gundelfinger Eckart D. , Moser Tobias , Liberman M. Charles
Published: June 2010

Synaptic ribbons, found at the presynaptic membrane of sensory cells in both ear and eye, have been implicated in the vesicle-pool dynamics of synaptic transmission. To elucidate ribbon function, we characterized the response properties of single auditory nerve fibers in mice lacking Bassoon, a scaffolding protein involved in anchoring ribbons to the membrane. Inbassoonmutants, immunohistochemistry showed that fewer than 3% of the hair cells' afferent synapses retained anchored ribbons. Auditory nerve fibers from mutants had normal threshold, dynamic range, and postonset adaptation in response to tone bursts, and they were able to phase lock with normal precision to amplitude-modulated tones. However, spontaneous and sound-evoked discharge rates were reduced, and the reliability of spikes, particularly at stimulus onset, was significantly degraded as shown by an increased variance of first-spike latencies. Modeling based onin vitrostudies of normal and mutant hair cells links these findings to reduced release rates at the synapse. The degradation of response reliability in these mutants suggests that the ribbon and/or Bassoon normally facilitate high rates of exocytosis and that its absence significantly compromises the temporal resolving power of the auditory system.
Distinct Signals Conveyed by Pheromone Concentrations to the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ
Authors: He Jie , Ma Limei , Kim Sangseong , Schwartz Joel , Santilli Michael , Wood Christopher , Durnin Michael H. , Yu C. Ron
Published: June 2010

In mammalian species, detection of pheromone cues by the vomeronasal organ (VNO) at different concentrations can elicit distinct behavioral responses and endocrine changes. It is not well understood how concentration-dependent activation of the VNO impacts innate behaviors. In this study, we find that, when mice investigate the urogenital areas of a conspecific animal, the urinary pheromones can reach the VNO at a concentration of ∼1% of that in urine. At this level, urinary pheromones elicit responses from a subset of cells that are tuned to sex-specific cues and provide unambiguous identification of the sex and strain of animals. In contrast, low concentrations of urine do not activate these cells. Strikingly, we find a population of neurons that is only activated by low concentrations of urine. The properties of these neurons are not found in neurons responding to putative single-compound pheromones. Additional analyses show that these neurons are masked by high-concentration pheromones. Thus, an antagonistic interaction in natural pheromones results in the activation of distinct populations of cells at different concentrations. The differential activation is likely to trigger different downstream circuitry and underlies the concentration-dependent pheromone perception.
Neurons in the Rat Anterior Cingulate Cortex Dynamically Encode Cost–Benefit in a Spatial Decision-Making Task
Authors: Hillman Kristin L. , Bilkey David K.
Published: June 2010

Optimal decision-making often requires an assessment of the costs and benefits associated with each available course of action. Previous studies have shown that lesions to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) impair cost–benefit decision-making in laboratory animals, but the neural mechanisms underlying the deficit are not well understood. We recorded from ACC neurons in freely moving rats as they performed a spatial decision-making task whereby, in the baseline configuration “2:6B,” rats could pursue two or six food pellets, the latter obtained by climbing a barrier [high cost, high reward (HCHR)]. In this configuration, the mean percentage of HCHR choices was 69 ± 4%, and a substantial portion of ACC neurons (63%) exhibited significantly higher firing for one goal trajectory versus the other; for 94% of these cells, higher firing was associated with the HCHR option. This HCHR bias was not simply attributable to the larger reward, the barrier, or behavioral preference. In intersession and intrasession manipulations involving at least one barrier (2:6B, 2B:6B, and 2:2B), ACC activity rapidly adapted and was consistently biased toward the economically advantageous option relative to the configuration. Interestingly, when only a difference in reward magnitude was presented (2:6, no barrier, HCHR choices of 84 ± 4%), ACC activity was minimal and nonbiased. One interpretation of our data is that the ACC encodes a relative, integrated cost–benefit representation of available choice options that is biased toward the “better” option in terms of effort/outcome ratio. This representation may be specifically recruited when an assessment of reward and effort is required to optimally perform a task.
Development of the Selection and Manipulation of Self-Generated Thoughts in Adolescence
Authors: Dumontheil Iroise , Hassan Bano , Gilbert Sam J. , Blakemore Sarah-Jayne
Published: June 2010

The ability to select and manipulate self-generated (stimulus-independent, SI), as opposed to stimulus-oriented (SO), information, in a controlled and flexible way has previously only been studied in adults. This ability is thought to rely in part on the rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC), which continues to mature anatomically during adolescence. We investigated (1) the development of this ability behaviorally, (2) the associated functional brain development, and (3) the link between functional and structural maturation. Participants classified according to their shape letters either presented visually (SO phases) or that they generated in their head by continuing the alphabet sequence (SI phases). SI phases were performed in the presence or absence of distracting letters. A total of 179 participants (7–27 years old) took part in a behavioral study. Resistance to visual distractors exhibited small improvements with age. SI thoughts manipulation and switching between SI and SO thoughts showed steeper performance improvements extending into late adolescence. Thirty-seven participants (11–30 years old) took part in a functional MRI (fMRI) study. SI thought manipulation and switching between SO and SI thought were each associated with brain regions consistently recruited across age. A single frontal brain region in each contrast exhibited decreased activity with age: left inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula for SI thought manipulation, and right superior RLPFC for switching between SO and SI thoughts. By integrating structural and functional data, we demonstrated that the observed functional changes with age were not purely consequences of structural maturation and thus may reflect the maturation of neurocognitive strategies.
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Cell-Based Delivery Prevents Synaptic Impairment and Improves Memory in Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Garcia Pierre , Youssef Ihsen , Utvik Jo K. , Florent-Béchard Sabrina , Barthélémy Vanassa , Malaplate-Armand Catherine , Kriem Badreddine , Stenger Christophe , Koziel Violette , Olivier Jean-Luc , Escanye Marie-Christine , Hanse Marine , Allouche Ahmad , Desbène Cédric , Yen Frances T. , Bjerkvig Rolf , Oster Thierry , Niclou Simone P. , Pillot Thierry
Published: June 2010

The development of novel therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents one of the biggest unmet medical needs today. Application of neurotrophic factors able to modulate neuronal survival and synaptic connectivity is a promising therapeutic approach for AD. We aimed to determine whether the loco-regional delivery of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) could prevent amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomer-induced synaptic damages and associated cognitive impairments that typify AD. To ensure long-term administration of CNTF in the brain, we used recombinant cells secreting CNTF encapsulated in alginate polymers. The implantation of these bioreactors in the brain of Aβ oligomer-infused mice led to a continuous secretion of recombinant CNTF and was associated with the robust improvement of cognitive performances. Most importantly, CNTF led to full recovery of cognitive functions associated with the stabilization of synaptic protein levels in the Tg2576 AD mouse model.In vitroas well asin vivo, CNTF activated a Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription-mediated survival pathway that prevented synaptic and neuronal degeneration. These preclinical studies suggest that CNTF and/or CNTF receptor-associated pathways may have AD-modifying activity through protection against progressive Aβ-related memory deficits. Our data also encourage additional exploration ofex vivogene transfer for the prevention and/or treatment of AD.
Synaptic Correlates of Increased Cognitive Vulnerability with Aging: Peripheral Immune Challenge and Aging Interact to Disrupt Theta-Burst Late-Phase Long-Term Potentiation in Hippocampal Area CA1
Authors: Chapman Timothy R. , Barrientos Ruth M. , Ahrendsen Jared T. , Maier Steven F. , Patterson Susan L.
Published: June 2010

Variability in cognitive functioning increases markedly with age, as does cognitive vulnerability to physiological and psychological challenges. Exploring the basis of this vulnerability may provide important insights into the mechanisms underlying aging-associated cognitive decline. As we have previously reported, the cognitive abilities of aging (24-month-old) F344 × BN rats are generally good, but are more vulnerable to the consequences of a peripheral immune challenge (an intraperitoneal injection of liveEscherichia coli) than those of their younger (3-month-old) counterparts. Four days after the injection, the aging, but not the young rats show profound memory deficits, specific to the consolidation of hippocampus-dependent memory processes. Here, we have extended these observations, using hippocampal slices to examine for the first time the combined effects of aging and a recent infection on several forms of synaptic plasticity. We have found that the specific deficit in long-lasting memory observed in the aged animals after infection is mirrored by a specific deficit in a form of long-lasting synaptic plasticity. The late-phase long-term potentiation induced in area CA1 using theta-burst stimulation is particularly compromised by the combined effects of aging and infection—a deficit that can be ameliorated by intra-cisterna magna administration of the naturally occurring antiinflammatory cytokine IL-1Ra (interleukin-1 receptor antagonist). These data support the idea that the combination of aging and a negative life event such as an infection might produce selective, early-stage failures of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, with corresponding selective deficits in memory.
Visual–Haptic Adaptation Is Determined by Relative Reliability
Authors: Burge Johannes , Girshick Ahna R. , Banks Martin S.
Published: June 2010

Accurate calibration of sensory estimators is critical for maintaining accurate estimates of the environment. Classically, it was assumed that sensory calibration occurs by one sense changing to become consistent with vision; this is visual dominance. Recently, it has been proposed that changes in estimators occur according to their relative reliabilities; this is the reliability-based model. We show that if cue combination occurs according to relative reliability, then reliability-based calibration assures minimum-variance sensory estimates over time. Recent studies are qualitatively consistent with the reliability-based model, but none have shown that the predictions are quantitatively accurate. We conducted an experiment in which the model could be assessed quantitatively. Subjects indicated whether visual, haptic, and visual–haptic planar surfaces appeared slanted positively or negatively from frontoparallel. In preadaptation, we determined the visual and haptic slants of perceived frontoparallel, and measured visual and haptic reliabilities. We varied visual reliability by adjusting the size of the viewable stimulus. Haptic reliability was fixed. During adaptation, subjects were exposed to visual–haptic surfaces with a discrepancy between the visual and haptic slants. After adaptation, we remeasured the visual and haptic slants of perceived frontoparallel. When vision was more reliable, haptics adapted to match vision. When vision was less reliable, vision adapted to match haptics. Most importantly, the ratio of visual and haptic adaptation was quantitatively predicted by relative reliability. The amount of adaptation of one sensory estimator relative to another depends strongly on the relative reliabilities of the two estimators.
Aufbau und Betrieb eines Infrarot-Mikrospektrometers auf der Basis eines MEMS-FP-Filters
Authors: Ebermann Martin , Neumann Norbert
Published: June 2010

In der IR-Absorptionsspektroskopie gibt es ein großes Potenzial für Mikrospektrometer z. B. für die Mehrkomponentenanalyse in der Gasmesstechnik. Es wird ein Mikrospektrometer für den Spektralbereich 3–5 μm vorgestellt, welches auf einem pyroelektrischen Detektor und einem MEMS-Fabry-Pérot-Filter (FPF) basiert. Die Gestaltung des optischen Systems hat großen Einfluss auf das spektrale Auflösungsvermögen und den Signal-Rausch-Abstand des FP-Spektrometers.