bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A three-generational study of In ovo exposure to PBDE-99 in the zebra finch
Authors: Winter Viktoria , Williams Tony D. , Elliott John E.
Published: December 2012

Based on a literature review of avian data for polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), ecologically relevant doses, low (10 ng/egg), medium (100 ng/egg), and high (1,000 ng/egg) of the 2,2′,4,4′,5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) congener along with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) control were injected into the yolk sac of un-incubated eggs of zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Offspring development and adult phenotype were followed over three generations. No effects of in ovo PBDE exposure on hatching success, chick growth, thyroid hormone levels, or hematological traits were measured at sexual maturity (90 d posthatching). However, the authors did detect significant effects of BDE-99 treatment on adult phenotype of in ovo–exposed birds by breeding observations, in which clutch size was significantly smaller in all PBDE-dosed birds (low, medium, and high) compared with controls. A trend was also seen for longer laying intervals in PBDE-dosed birds (13–14 d) compared with control birds (8 d). In addition, a significant effect of PBDE was found on growth of the second-generation offspring of in ovo–treated females; body mass was significantly lower in the high-PBDE dosed birds compared with controls from hatch through to fledging (day 30). The authors found no evidence of effects over the longer term and in successive generations, whether in adult, reproductive phenotype of the second-generation offspring of in ovo–treated birds, or in the growth of their (third-generation) offspring. Their results suggest that egg levels as low as 10 ng/g BDE-99 may affect reproduction in small passerines by reducing clutch size. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2013;32:562–568. © 2012 SETAC
Deglacial history of glacial lake windermere, UK: implications for the central British and Irish Ice Sheet
Authors: Pinson Luke J. W. , Vardy Mark E. , Dix Justin K. , Henstock Timothy J. , Bull Jonathan M. , Maclachlan Suzanne E.
Published: December 2012

In the UK, a combination of outcrop mapping, satellite digital elevation models, high‐resolution marine geophysical data and a range of dating techniques have constrained the maximum limit and overall retreat behaviour of the British and Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS). The changing styles of deglaciation have been most extensively studied in the west and north‐western sectors of the BIIS, primarily using offshore geophysical surveys. The surviving record in the southern, terrestrial sector is fragmentary, permitting only large‐scale (tens of kilometres) and longer timescale (c. 1 ka) reconstructions of ice‐margin movement, with limited information on deglacial processes. Here we present a high‐resolution study of the retreat behaviour for a section of the southern ice‐margin from Windermere in the Lake District, using high‐resolution two‐dimensional multi‐channel seismic data, processed using prestack depth migration. By combining the seismic stratigraphy with landform morphologies, extant cores and seismic velocity measurements, we are able to distinguish between: over‐consolidated till; recessional moraines; De Geer moraines; flowed till/ice‐front fan; supra‐/en‐glacial melt‐out till; and subsequent glaciolacustrine/lacustrine sedimentation. The results reveal a complex and active valley glacier withdrawal from Windermere that changed character between basins and produced two small, localized areas of ice‐stagnation and downwasting. This study indicates that similar active ice‐margin retreats probably took place in other valleys of the Lake District during the Late Devensian deglaciation rather than the previously held view of rapid ice‐stagnation and downwasting. When combined with the regional terrestrial record, this supports a model of early ice loss in terrestrial England compared with other parts of the UK. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New age constraints for the maximum extent of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet (NW sector)
Authors: Everest J. D. , Bradwell T. , Stoker M. , Dewey S.
Published: December 2012

This paper presents the first terrestrial age constraints from the outer continental shelf for the maximum extent of the NW sector of the last British–Irish Ice Sheet. Cosmogenic 10Be ages from eight glacially transported boulders on the island of North Rona show that the Late Devensian (Late Weichselian) British–Irish Ice Sheet overrode the island at its maximal stage and retreated c. 25 ka BP. These new dates, supported by other geological evidence, indicate that the north‐western part of the ice sheet was most extensive between 27 and 25 ka BP, reaching the outer continental shelf during the global eustatic sea‐level minimum at the Last Glacial Maximum. Copyright © 2012 British Geological Survey/Natural Environment Research Council copyright 2012. Reproduced with the permission of BGS/NERC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
« Techno-esthétique » de l'économie smithienne. Valeur et fonctionnalité des objets dans l'Angleterre des Lumières
Authors: Hilaire-Pérez Liliane
Published: December 2012

DeLa Théorie des sentiments morauxàl'Essai sur la nature de l'imitation dans les arts, Adam Smith a déployé une conception de l'esthétique comme art des liaisons. Il a fondé sa définition de la beauté des objets comme aptitude à être utiles (aptness), non sans écho avec la valeur d'échange comme « faculté d'acheter d'autres marchandises », « pouvoir » d'agencer et de réaliser des desseins. Composition, adaptation, réduction et mise en scène des moyens: une « techno-esthétique » naît en Angleterre au XVIIIesiècle, portée par l'économie du produit.
Une réévaluation de la métaphore théâtrale chez Goffman
Authors: Thura Mathias
Published: December 2012

La traduction de la métaphore théâtrale goffmanienne en France a induit un déplacement théorique au coeur de son œuvre. Elle a exagéré le caractère dramaturgique des interactions, laissant de côté certaines nuances initiales. Une relecture du texte anglais remet la métaphore à sa place et en fait un instrument analytique pour les sciences sociales. Nous proposons de repenser cet instrument à partir de l’étude de l’improvisation théâtrale, dont pourrait découler un modèle qui tient compte de l’indétermination dans la dynamique des interactions.
Multidimensional Life Table Estimation of the Total Fertility Rate and Its Components
Authors: Retherford Robert D. , Eini-Zinab Hassan , Choe Minja Kim , Ogawa Naohiro , Matsukura Rikiya
Published: December 2012

Using discrete-time survival models of parity progression and illustrative data from the Philippines, this article develops a multivariate multidimensional life table of nuptiality and fertility, the dimensions of which are age, parity, and duration in parity. The measures calculated from this life table include total fertility rate (TRF), total marital fertility rate (TMFR), parity progression ratios (PPR), age-specific fertility rates, mean and median ages at first marriage, mean and median closed birth intervals, and mean and median ages at childbearing by child’s birth order and for all birth orders combined. These measures are referred to collectively as “TFR and its components.” Because the multidimensional life table is multivariate, all measures derived from it are also multivariate in the sense that they can be tabulated by categories or selected values of one socioeconomic variable while controlling for other socioeconomic variables. The methodology is applied to birth history data, in the form of actual birth histories from a fertility survey or reconstructed birth histories derived from a census or household survey. The methodology yields period estimates as well as cohort estimates of the aforementioned measures.
Emergency obstetrics knowledge and practical skills retention among medical students in Rwanda following a short training course
Authors: Homaifar Nazaneen , Mwesigye David , Tchwenko Samuel , Worjoloh Ayaba , Joharifard Shahrzad , Kyamanywa Patrick , Wilkinson Jeff , Rulisa Stephen , Thielman Nathan M.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To describe rates of improved knowledge following a structured 2‐day emergency obstetrics training course.

Methods

Quantitative assessments to evaluate emergency obstetrics knowledge and practical skills were administered before, immediately after, and 3–9 months following the training course for 65 final‐year medical students at the National University of Rwanda. A survey was administered during the final assessment.

Results

In total, 52 (80.0%) students demonstrated knowledge improvement after training. Fifty‐seven (87.7%) students improved or maintained their scores from the post‐training written test to the final assessment, and 32 (49.2%) retained practical skills. Twenty‐one (32.3%) of the class demonstrated competency in both written and practical skills. According to multivariable logistic regression analysis, female gender was associated with overall competency (P = 0.01), and use of the internet for academic purposes more than 3–5 times per week tended toward competency (P = 0.11).

Conclusion

A 2‐day emergency obstetrics training course increased knowledge among medical students. Because educational policies are tailored to address high rates of maternal mortality in resource‐poor settings, workshops dedicated to emergency obstetrics should be promoted.
KLF4 overexpression and apigenin treatment down regulated anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 proteins and matrix metalloproteinases to control growth of human malignant neuroblastoma SK‐N‐DZ and IMR‐32 cells
Authors: Mohan Nishant , Ai Walden , Chakrabarti Mrinmay , Banik Naren L. , Ray Swapan K.
Published: December 2012

Neuroblastoma is a childhood tumor that arises from immature neuroblasts of the sympathetic nervous system. Krüpple‐like factor 4 (KLF4) is a transcription factor, the precise function of which in neuroblastoma is unclear. We examined the effects of KLF4 overexpression and apigenin (APG) treatment in human malignant neuroblastoma SK‐N‐DZ and IMR‐32 cell lines. KLF4 overexpression in both SK‐N‐DZ and IMR‐32 cell lines was confirmed by laser scanning immunofluorescent confocal microscopy and Western blotting. We found that 100 nM KLF4 plasmid and 25 μM APG synergistically inhibited the growth of SK‐N‐DZ and IMR‐32 cells. We also found increase in KLF4 expression in response to treatment with various concentrations of APG. Combination of KLF4 plasmid and APG treatment significantly increased the amounts of apoptosis in both cell lines when compared with control vector or single treatment. We also noticed that the combination therapy decreased expression of the anti‐apoptotic proteins Bcl‐2 and Mcl‐1, increased expression of the pro‐apoptotic proteins Bax, Noxa, and Puma, upregulated p53, and caused activation of caspase‐3 for cleavage of the inhibitor of caspase‐activated DNase (ICAD) leading to completion of apoptosis machinery. Further, combination of KLF4 overexpression and APG treatment was highly effective in inhibiting migration of both neuroblastoma cell lines and was associated with down regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) such as MMP‐2 and MMP‐9. Collectively, our results from this investigation strongly suggest that KLF4 functions as a tumor suppressor and potentiates the anti‐cancer activities of APG in two different human malignant neuroblastoma cell lines.
Numerical Assessment of Optimal Equipment Allocation and Close-Fitting Acoustical Hoods Within a Multi-Noise Plant Using an Artificial Immune Method
Authors: Chiu M.-C.
Published: December 2012

High noise levels in a multi-noise plant can be harmful to workers and can lead to both psychological and physiological problems. Consequently, noise control work on equipment such as acoustic hoods becomes vital. However, research work of shape optimization on space-constrained close-fitting acoustic hoods has been neglected.

In this paper, a sound insertion loss used for evaluating the acoustic performance of an acoustical hood will be adopted. A numerical case for depressing the noise levels at the receiving points along the boundary of three kinds of multi-equipment plants by optimally designing a shaped one-layer close-fitting acoustic hood and reallocating the equipment within a constrained space will also be introduced. Moreover, an artificial immune method (AIM) is adopted and coupled with the equations of sound attenuation and minimal variation square in conjunction with a twelve-point monitoring system.

Consequently, this paper provides a quick and effective method for reducing the noise impact around a plant by optimally designing a shaped one-layer close-fitting acoustic hood and reallocating equipment within the AIM searching technique.
Stiffness Analysis of Linear Guideways Without Preload
Authors: Shaw D. , Su W. L.
Published: December 2012

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the stiffness of non-clearance linear guideways without preload were conducted. A theoretical approach that applied Hertz's contact theory to steel balls to derive the contact angle equation was proposed. The theoretical analysis showed that the stiffness of the linear guideway under variable vertical loads changes nonlinearly with the external load. Therefore, an experimental setup was proposed in which the stiffness curves of three blocks, differing in geometrical shape and assembled with steel balls, were measured under increased vertical load until the guideway began to plastically deform. The results showed that variation in both the width and the thickness of the block does not significantly affect stiffness. A comparison of the theoretical and experimental results revealed a relative error of 4.5%, indicating the correctness of the theoretical model. Based on theoretical equations, the main parameters that affect stiffness are conformityfm, coefficient of contact deformationcδ, reference diameter of the ballDw, number of load-carrying rowsi, number of load-carrying balls in one rowZ, and initial contact angle α0. The results are useful for determining the static/dynamic behavior and rigidity of linear guideways in the design stage.
Regularization of the Boundary Integrals in the Bem Analysis of 3D Potential Problems
Authors: Shiah Y. C. , Hematiyan M. R. , Chen Y. H.
Published: December 2012

In the conventional boundary element analysis, near-singularities are present in the associated boundary integral equation for problems involving ultra-thin media. For this case, any conventional numerical schemes will fail to yield proper values for the integrals. In this paper, the boundary integrals of the boundary element method for 3D potential problems are fully regularized by the technique of integration by parts under the local coordinate system. The fully regularized integrands are expressed as very explicit formulations that can be easily programmed into a computer code. Numerical tests carried out for a typical case have verified the accuracy of the approach for any orders of small distance between the source and the element under integration.
The Injuries of Reading: Jesse Pomeroy and the Dire Effects of Dime Novels
Authors: KEETLEY DAWN
Published: December 2012

In December 1874, at the age of fifteen, Jesse Pomeroy became the youngest person in Massachusetts ever to be sentenced to death. He had, when he was twelve, tortured seven children in his South Boston neighborhood, subsequently mutilating and killing two others. All Pomeroy said in explanation was that he “couldn't help it.” This essay argues that an important cause of Pomeroy's affectless violence was one held by many of his contemporaries but dismissed by later cultural historians: his voracious reading of dime novel westerns. Central to cheap western literature was the formulaic scene of torture practiced by Indians and white renegades. Pomeroy's crimes, as I will describe, strikingly repeated these accounts, and they further disclose his dangerous identification with the unambiguously evil renegade Simon Girty. Moreover, the logic of torture in dime novel westerns – the fact that the torture is promised but never delivered – maps perfectly onto what have been called the “nonfulfilled experiences” central to the fantasies of serial killers. Just as with some horrific crimes of our own era, it seemed as if the mass media – specifically the mass production of repetitive violent images and plots – had indeed played a role in a boy's compulsive violence.
Effect of feeding buckwheat and chicory silages on fatty acid profile and cheese-making properties of milk from dairy cows
Authors: Kälber Tasja , Kreuzer Michael , Leiber Florian
Published: December 2012

Fresh buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and chicory (Cichorium intybus) had been shown to have the potential to improve certain milk quality traits when fed as forages to dairy cows. However, the process of ensiling might alter these properties. In the present study, two silages, prepared from mixtures of buckwheat or chicory and ryegrass, were compared with pure ryegrass silage (Lolium multiflorum) by feeding to 3 × 6 late-lactating cows. The dietary dry matter proportions realised for buckwheat and chicory were 0·46 and 0·34 accounting also for 2 kg/d of concentrate. Data and samples were collected from days 10 to 15 of treatment feeding. Buckwheat silage was richest in condensed tannins. Proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and α-linoleic acid in total fatty acids (FA) were highest in the ryegrass silage. Feed intake, milk yield and milk gross composition did not differ among the groups. Feeding buckwheat resulted in the highest milk fat concentrations (g/kg) of linoleic acid (15·7) and total PUFA (40·5; bothP < 0·05 compared with ryegrass). The concentration of α-linolenic acid in milk fat was similar across treatments, but its apparent recovery in milk relative to the amounts ingested was highest with buckwheat. The same was true for the occurrence of FA biohydrogenation products in milk relative to α-linolenic acid intake. Recovery of dietary linoleic acid in milk remained unaffected. Feeding buckwheat silage shortened rennet coagulation time by 26% and tended (P < 0·1) to increase curd firmness by 29%. In conclusion, particularly buckwheat silage seems to have a certain potential to modify the transfer of FA from feed to milk and to contribute to improved cheese-making properties.
Activation of hatching in diapaused and quiescentGlobodera pallida
Authors: PALOMARES-RIUS JUAN E. , JONES JOHN T. , COCK PETER J. , CASTILLO PABLO , BLOK VIVIAN C.
Published: December 2012

The potato cyst nematodes (PCN)Globodera pallidaandG. rostochiensisare major pests of potatoes. TheG. pallida(andG. rostochiensis) life cycle includes both diapause and quiescent stages. Nematodes in dormancy (diapause or quiescent) are adapted for long-term survival and are more resistant to nematicides. This study analysed the mechanisms underlying diapause and quiescence. The effects of several compounds (8Br-cGMP, oxotremorine and atropine) on the activation of hatching were studied. The measurements of some morphometric parameters in diapaused and quiescent eggs after exposure to PRD revealed differences in dorsal gland length, subventral gland length and dorsal gland nucleolus. In addition, the expression of 2 effectors (IVg9 and cellulase) was not induced in diapaused eggs in water or PRD, while expression was slightly induced in quiescent eggs. Finally, we performed a comparative study to identify orthologues ofC. elegansdiapause related genes in plant-parasitic nematodes (G. pallida, Meloidogyne incognita, M. haplaandBursaphelenchus xylophilus). This analysis suggested that it was not possible to identifyG. pallidaorthologues of the majority ofC. elegansgenes involved in the control of dauer formation. All these data suggest thatG. pallidamay use different mechanisms toC. elegansin regulating the survival stage.
Reproductive consequences of host age in a desert flea
Authors: LIBERMAN VICTORIA , KHOKHLOVA IRINA S. , DEGEN A. ALLAN , KRASNOV BORIS R.
Published: December 2012

We tested for the effect of age of a rodent host (Meriones crassus) on reproductive performance of fleas in terms of number and quality of offspring and predicted that fleas would perform better on juvenile and old than on subadult and adult hosts. The number of flea offspring was evaluated via egg and new imago production, while their quality was estimated via duration of development, resistance to starvation and body size. Although fleas produced more eggs when they exploited adults than when they exploited juvenile, subadult and old hosts, significantly more new imago emerged from fleas fed on juvenile and old hosts than on subadult and adult hosts. Fleas performed better when they fed on juvenile and/or old hosts than on subadult and adult hosts in 2 of 3 measures of offspring quality (duration of development and body size). Nevertheless, when offspring quality was estimated via resistance to starvation of a new imago, fleas demonstrated good performance in young (juvenile and subadult) hosts, while they performed poorly in old hosts. Thus, general reproductive performance of fleas was better when they exploited young and old hosts than when they exploited median age cohorts. However, the effect of host age on flea reproductive performance was manifested somewhat differently between (a) male and female hosts and (b) male and female flea offspring.
The Reliability of Trends over Time in International Education Test Scores: Is the Performance of England's Secondary School Pupils Really in Relative Decline?
Authors: JERRIM JOHN
Published: December 2012

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) are respected cross-national studies of pupil achievement. They have been specifically designed to study how countries’ educational systems are performing against one another, and how this is changing over time. These are, however, politically sensitive issues, where different surveys can produce markedly different results. This is shown via a case study for England, where apparent decline in PISA test performance has caused policymakers much concern. Results suggest that England's drop in the PISA ranking is not replicated in TIMSS, and that this contrast may be due to data limitations in both surveys. Consequently, I argue that the current coalition government should not base educational policies on the assumption that the performance of England's secondary school pupils has declined over the past decade.
Horizontal and vertical target efficiency – a comparison between users and non-users of public long-term care in Sweden
Authors: LAGERGREN MÅRTEN , SJÖLUND BRITT-MARIE , FAGERSTRÖM CECILIA , BERGLUND JOHAN , FRATIGLIONI LAURA , NORDELL EVA , WIMO ANDERS , ELMSTÅHL SÖLVE
Published: December 2012

The extent to which a system of services is in tune with the needs of the population can be expressed in terms of target efficiency, which includes horizontal target efficiency – the extent to which those deemed to need a service receive it – and vertical target efficiency – the corresponding extent to which those who receive a service actually need it. Vertical efficiency can be measured by looking only at those receiving services. To measure horizontal target efficiency in a population, one must have access to population surveys. Data were taken from the baseline survey of the Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care (SNAC study). The results show that more than 80 per cent of those dependent in personal activities of daily living in the studied geographic areas were users of public long-term care (LTC). Dependency in instrumental activities of daily living was identified as the most important predictor of using LTC. Vertical target efficiency was 83–95 per cent depending on age, gender and type of household, if need was defined as dependency in instrumental activities of daily living. It was considerably lower, 35–61 per cent when defined as dependency in personal daily activities. Overall, long-term target efficiency in Sweden must be regarded as high. Few persons who need public LTC services fail to receive them.
‘I was there when she passed’: older widowers' narratives of the death of their wife
Authors: VAN DEN HOONAARD DEBORAH K. , BENNETT KATE MARY , EVANS ELIZABETH
Published: December 2012

There is evidence that older widowed women provide narrative accounts of the events that led up to the deaths of their husbands. These accounts are qualitatively different from other parts of their interviews. This study examines interviews from older widowers and asks what features characterise their narrative accounts of their wife's death. The data show that men do speak of the death of their wife in a qualitatively different way than they do of other matters: women speak emotionally whilst men speak of their behaviour. Using Kirsi, Hervonen and Jylhä's typology of male care-givers, we find that their interviews are characterised by four types of speech: factual, agentic, familistic and destiny speech. In addition, we find two additional speech types related to blame – one related to medical negligence (a subset of destiny speech) and one to self-blame (a subset of familistic speech). We argue that the use of these patterns of speech allow men to preserve their masculine identities at a time when bereavement puts them under intense strain.
Markedness, participation and grammatical paradigms: Jakobson and Hjelmslev revisited
Authors: Jensen Eva Skafte
Published: December 2012

The topic of this paper is markedness theory as initially developed in early works by Jakobson and Hjelmslev. The aim is to show how this early theory is (still) useful in the analysis of language-particular grammatical paradigms, and, further, to investigate which aspects of this early theory of markedness might still benefit from further refinements. One major point of this paper is to reinforce the notion of participation (a term originally suggested by Hjelmslev) as crucial in the understanding of markedness theory. Another major point is to show how the markedness relations of a paradigm depend not only on the members of the paradigm in question but also on the contexts in which the members of the paradigm are being used. Examples from Modern Danish grammar are given as illustration. The approach is functional-structural in the sense of Engberg-Pedersen et al. (1996).
Variation in Norwegian retroflexion
Authors: Johnsen Sverre Stausland
Published: December 2012

A phonological process in Norwegian takes morpheme-initial alveolar /t d n s/ to retroflex [ʈ ɖ ɳ ʂ] after a morpheme ending in the tap /ɾ/, a process which earlier descriptions in the literature have classified as obligatory. This paper reports on production experiments with both existing and novel words, which show that Norwegian speakers treat retroflexion of morpheme-initial /s/ as optional, and that they are more likely to apply retroflexion to a morpheme in /s-/ when the /s/ is followed by a consonant (/sC-/) than when the /s/ is followed by a vowel (/sV-/).
Resistance to larvicides in mosquito populations and how it could benefit malaria control
Authors: LIU RONGSONG , GOURLEY STEPHEN A.
Published: December 2012

We model larviciding of mosquitoes taking into account the evolution of resistance to the larvicides, the evolutionary costs of resistance and the implications for malaria control. There is evidence that resistance comes with various costs, one of which is reduced adult longevity for resistant mutants. The mosquito adult lifespan is one of the most crucial parameters in malaria transmission due to a long developmental time for the malaria parasite in the insect. A possible malaria control strategy is therefore to shorten this adult lifespan by larviciding with a potent larvicide to which mosquitoes become resistant. This novel strategy is studied using a mathematical model for the wild type and resistant mutants and by incorporating the malaria disease dynamics using an SEI type model with standard incidence that incorporates the latency period of the parasite in wild-type and resistant mosquitoes. We consider the linear stability of the malaria-free equilibrium in which the resistant strain is dominant and derive a condition for the global eradication of malaria. Numerical simulations are presented, which offer further insights. The parameter to which the analysis is most sensitive is the per-capita death rate of resistant adult mosquitoes. Increasing this parameter dramatically reduces the basic reproduction number R0. However, increasing it too much causes the wild type to outcompete the resistant mutants, and the control strategy fails. Exploitation of costs of resistance to larvicides thus offers a possible malaria control measure if the larvicide is sufficiently potent and costs of resistance are neither too great nor too small.
New insights into the mechanism of drug-induced dyskinesia
Authors: Loonen Anton J. M. , Ivanova Svetlana A.
Published: December 2012

Dyskinesia is an extrapyramidal movement disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive, irregular motions that affect the mouth and face and/or the limbs and trunk. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a well-known complication of long-term treatment with antipsychotic drugs. Dyskinesia is also induced with levodopa, a treatment for Parkinson's disease, and it occurs spontaneously as a symptom of Huntington's disease. Research on the pathogenesis of TD has focused on a dysfunction of either the dopaminergic or serotonergic system. However, recent evidence has suggested that we should focus on the possible damage of GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs). MSNs are the first station in the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuit that regulates the amplitude and velocity of movements. Two pathways can be distinguished in this circuit: a direct pathway, which increases movements (hyperkinesia), and an indirect pathway, which decreases movements (hypokinesia). Both pathways are activated by glutamatergic corticostriatal neurons. Here, we discuss some evidence that supports the hypothesis that indirect pathway MSNs are damaged in dyskinesia.
German pitches in English: Production and perception of cross-varietal differences in L2
Authors: ULBRICH CHRISTIANE
Published: December 2012

The present study examines the effect of cross-varietal prosodic characteristics of two German varieties, Northern Standard German (NG) and Swiss German (SG), on the production and perception of foreign accent in L2 Belfast English. The analysis of production data revealed differences in the realisation of nuclear pitch accents in L1 German and L2 English produced by the two groups of speakers. Foreign accent ratings of L2 English sentences produced by NG speakers with no or extensive experience, native Belfast English speakers and SG speakers were obtained from native Belfast English listeners. The findings showed that segmental and prosodic characteristics play a role in the perception of foreign accent. In addition, they can be more similar across languages than across varieties of the same language. This in turn affects which and how cross-varietal differences in L1 impact on the degree of perceived foreign accentedness. The results are consistent with a usage-based account.
Are non-native structural preferences affected by native language preferences?
Authors: FLETT SUSANNA , BRANIGAN HOLLY P. , PICKERING MARTIN J.
Published: December 2012

A structural priming experiment investigated whether bilingual speakers’ processing of their non-native language (L2) depends entirely on their experience of L2, or whether it is also affected by their experience of the native language (L1). German-L1 and Spanish-L1 proficient speakers of English (and English-L1 controls) described pictures of dative events after reading unrelated sentences that had a Prepositional Object (PO) or Double Object (DO) structure. Participants in all three groups were more likely to produce DO descriptions after reading DO sentences than PO sentences. Crucially, Spanish-L1 speakers, whose L1 allows PO but not DO structures, showed the same pattern of priming as German-L1 speakers, whose L1 allows both structures. Additionally, the groups showed no difference in their baseline preference for DO structures. We suggest that in proficient bilinguals, processing in L2 is not affected by L1 experience and L1 preferences, and propose a model to account for our findings.
Metabolic risk factors in first-episode schizophrenia: baseline prevalence and course analysed from the European First-Episode Schizophrenia Trial
Authors: Fleischhacker W. Wolfgang , Siu Cynthia O. , Bodén Robert , Pappadopulos Elizabeth , Karayal Onur N. , Kahn René S. ,   the EUFEST study group
Published: December 2012

Available data on antipsychotic-induced metabolic risks are often constrained by potential confounding effects due to prior antipsychotic treatment. In this study, we assessed the baseline prevalence of metabolic abnormalities and changes following treatment with five commonly-used antipsychotic drugs (haloperidol, amisulpride, olanzapine, quetiapine or ziprasidone) in first-episode, partially antipsychotic-naive patients with schizophrenia in the European first-episode schizophrenia trial (EUFEST). Overall baseline prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) was 6.0%, with similar rates observed in the antipsychotic-naive patients (5.7%, 9/157) and in the other patients with only a brief prior exposure to antipsychotics (6.1%, 20/326). These results are consistent with the MetS prevalence rate estimated in a general population of similar age. Examination of individual risk factors showed 58.5% of subjects had one or more elevated metabolic risks at baseline: 28.5% demonstrated suboptimal HDL; 24.2% hypertension; 17.7% hypertriglyceridemia; 8.2% abdominal obesity; 7.3% hyperglycaemia. Increase in body weight (kg/month) occurred in patients treated with haloperidol (0.62 s.e. 0.11), amisulpride (0.76 s.e. 0.08), olanzapine (0.98 s.e. 0.07) and quetiapine (0.58 s.e. 0.09), which was significantly greater than that in the ziprasidone group (0.18 s.e. 0.10). The incidence rate of new diabetes cases over a 52-wk follow-up period was 0.82% (4/488). More patients experienced worsening rather than improvement of hypertriglyceridemia or hyperglycaemia in all treatment groups. Our findings suggest that in first-episode, partially antipsychotic-naive patients, the baseline prevalence rate of MetS appears to be no higher than that in the general population, but serious underlying individual risk factors nevertheless existed.
Vaccine development for protecting swine against influenza virus
Authors: Chen Qi , Madson Darin , Miller Cathy L. , Harris D.L. Hank
Published: December 2012

Influenza virus infects a wide variety of species including humans, pigs, horses, sea mammals and birds. Weight loss caused by influenza infection and/or co-infection with other infectious agents results in significant financial loss in swine herds. The emergence of pandemic H1N1 (A/CA/04/2009/H1N1) and H3N2 variant (H3N2v) viruses, which cause disease in both humans and livestock constitutes a concerning public health threat. Influenza virus contains eight single-stranded, negative-sense RNA genome segments. This genetic structure allows the virus to evolve rapidly by antigenic drift and shift. Antigen-specific antibodies induced by current vaccines provide limited cross protection to heterologous challenge. In pigs, this presents a major obstacle for vaccine development. Different strategies are under development to produce vaccines that provide better cross-protection for swine. Moreover, overriding interfering maternal antibodies is another goal for influenza vaccines in order to permit effective immunization of piglets at an early age. Herein, we present a review of influenza virus infection in swine, including a discussion of current vaccine approaches and techniques used for novel vaccine development.
Did Secularism Fail? The Rise of Religion in Turkish Politics
Authors: Taydas Zeynep , Akbaba Yasemin , Morrison Minion K. C.
Published: December 2012

Religious movements have long been challenging the modernist and secularist ideas around the world. Within the last decade or so, pro-religious parties made significant electoral advances in various countries, including India, Sudan, Algeria, and the Palestinian territories. In this article, we focus on the rise of the pro-religious Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi- AKP) to power in the 2002 elections in Turkey. Using the Turkish experience with political Islam, we evaluate the explanatory value of Mark Juergensmeyer's rise of religious nationalism theory, with a special emphasis on the “failed secularism” argument. Our analysis indicates that the theoretical approach formulated by Juergensmeyer has a great deal of explanatory power; however, it does not provide a complete explanation for the success of the AKP. The rise of religion in Turkish politics is the result of a complex process over long years of encounter and confrontation between two frameworks of order, starting with the sudden imposition of secularism from above, when the republic was established. Hence, to understand the rise of religion in contemporary Turkish politics, an in-depth understanding of history, politics, and the sources of tension between secularists and Islamists is essential. The findings of this article have important implications for other countries, especially those that are experiencing a resurgence of religion in politics, and are struggling to integrate religious parties into a democratic system.
Mechanics of Old Faithful Geyser, Calistoga, California
Authors: Rudolph M. L. , Manga M. , Hurwitz S. , Johnston M. , Karlstrom L. , Wang C.‐Y.
Published: December 2012

In order to probe the subsurface dynamics associated with geyser eruptions, we measured ground deformation at Old Faithful Geyser of Calistoga, CA. We present a physical model in which recharge during the period preceding an eruption is driven by pressure differences relative to the aquifer supplying the geyser. The model predicts that pressure and ground deformation are characterized by an exponential function of time, consistent with our observations. The geyser's conduit is connected to a reservoir at a depth of at least 42 m, and pressure changes in the reservoir can produce the observed ground deformations through either a poroelastic or elastic mechanical model.
Introducing subgrid‐scale cloud feedbacks to radiation for regional meteorological and climate modeling
Authors: Alapaty Kiran , Herwehe Jerold A. , Otte Tanya L. , Nolte Christopher G. , Bullock O. Russell , Mallard Megan S. , Kain John S. , Dudhia Jimy
Published: December 2012

Convective systems and associated cloudiness directly influence regional and local atmospheric radiation budgets, as well as dynamics and thermodynamics, through feedbacks. However, most subgrid‐scale convective parameterizations in regional weather and climate models do not consider cumulus cloud feedbacks to radiation, resulting in biases in several meteorological parameters. We have incorporated this key feedback process into a convective parameterization and a radiation scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting model, and evaluated the impacts of including this process in short‐term weather and multiyear climate simulations. Introducing subgrid‐scale convective cloud‐radiation feedbacks leads to a more realistic simulation of attenuation of downward surface shortwave radiation. Reduced surface shortwave radiation moderates the surface forcing for convection and results in a notable reduction in precipitation biases. Our research reveals a need for more in‐depth consideration of the effects of subgrid‐scale clouds in regional meteorology/climate and air quality models on radiation, photolysis, cloud mixing, and aerosol indirect effects.
Managing biological complexity across orthologs with a visual knowledgebase of documented biomolecular interactions
Authors: VanBuren Vincent , Chen Hailin
Published: December 2012

The complexity of biomolecular interactions and influences is a major obstacle to their comprehension and elucidation. Visualizing knowledge of biomolecular interactions increases comprehension and facilitates the development of new hypotheses. The rapidly changing landscape of high-content experimental results also presents a challenge for the maintenance of comprehensive knowledgebases. Distributing the responsibility for maintenance of a knowledgebase to a community of subject matter experts is an effective strategy for large, complex and rapidly changing knowledgebases. Cognoscente serves these needs by building visualizations for queries of biomolecular interactions on demand, by managing the complexity of those visualizations and by crowdsourcing to promote the incorporation of current knowledge from the literature.
Polyphenols differentially inhibit degranulation of distinct subsets of vesicles in mast cells by specific interaction with granule-type-dependent SNARE complexes
Authors: Yang Yoosoo , Oh Jung-Mi , Heo Paul , Shin Jae Yoon , Kong Byoungjae , Shin Jonghyeok , Lee Ji-Chun , Oh Jeong Su , Park Kye Won , Lee Choong Hwan , Shin Yeon-Kyun , Kweon Dae-Hyuk
Published: December 2012

Anti-allergic effects of dietary polyphenols were extensively studied in numerous allergic disease models, but the molecular mechanisms of anti-allergic effects by polyphenols remain poorly understood. In the present study, we show that the release of granular cargo molecules, contained in distinct subsets of granules of mast cells, is specifically mediated by two sets of SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins, and that various polyphenols differentially inhibit the formation of those SNARE complexes. Expression analysis of RBL-2H3 cells for 11 SNARE genes and a lipid mixing assay of 24 possible combinations of reconstituted SNAREs indicated that the only two active SNARE complexes involved in mast cell degranulation are Syn (syntaxin) 4/SNAP (23 kDa synaptosome-associated protein)-23/VAMP (vesicle-associated membrane protein) 2 and Syn4/SNAP-23/VAMP8. Various polyphenols selectively or commonly interfered with ternary complex formation of these two SNARE complexes, thereby stopping membrane fusion between granules and plasma membrane. This led to the differential effect of polyphenols on degranulation of three distinct subsets of granules. These results suggest the possibility that formation of a variety of SNARE complexes in numerous cell types is controlled by polyphenols which, in turn, might regulate corresponding membrane trafficking.
Identification of an 8-vinyl reductase involved in bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis in Rhodobacter sphaeroides and evidence for the existence of a third distinct class of the enzyme
Authors: Canniffe Daniel P. , Jackson Philip J. , Hollingshead Sarah , Dickman Mark J. , Hunter C. Neil
Published: December 2012

The purple phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides utilises bacteriochlorophyll a for light harvesting and photochemistry. The synthesis of this photopigment includes the reduction of a vinyl group at the C8 position to an ethyl group, catalysed by a C8-vinyl reductase. An active form of this enzyme has not been identified in R. sphaeroides, but its genome contains two candidate ORFs (open reading frames) similar to those reported to encode C8-vinyl reductases in the closely related Rhodobacter capsulatus (bchJ), and in plants and green sulfur bacteria (rsp_3070). To determine which gene encodes the active enzyme, knock-out mutants in both genes were constructed. Surprisingly, mutants in which one or both genes were deleted still retained the ability to synthesize C8-ethyl bacteriochlorophyll. These genes were subsequently expressed in a cyanobacterial mutant that cannot synthesize C8-ethyl chlorophyll a. R. sphaeroides rsp_3070 was able to restore synthesis of the WT (wild-type) C8-ethyl chlorophyll a in the mutant, whereas bchJ did not. The results of the present study demonstrate that Rsp_3070 is a functional C8-vinyl reductase and that R. sphaeroides utilises at least two enzymes to catalyse this reaction, indicating the existence of a third class, while there remains no direct evidence for the activity of BchJ as a C8-vinyl reductase.
Electro-optic effect of lithium niobate in piezoelectric resonance
Authors: Takeda Kotaro , Hoshina Takuya , Takeda Hiroaki , Tsurumi Takaaki
Published: December 2012

The electro-optic (EO) effect of a lithium niobate (LN) single crystal was analyzed around a piezoelectric resonance frequency. The EO-coefficient of the LN resonator was measured as a function of frequency. The EO-coefficient around piezoelectric resonance frequency varied with a maximum and a minimum in the frequency dependence. To explain the frequency dependence of the EO-coefficient, three effects were considered: (1) the intrinsic EO-effect excluding the effect of piezoelectric resonance, (2) the change of optical pass length due to piezoelectric displacement, and (3) the photo-elastic effect due to piezoelectric strain. The maximum of the EO-coefficient corresponded to the maximum of piezoelectric displacement at the resonance frequency, while the minimum was caused by the phase-lag between applied sinusoidal electric field and piezoelectric displacement. A new equation including the three effects as well as the phase-lag was formulated to represent the EO-effect of piezoelectric crystals. The equation gave a good agreement in the fitting of calculation to the observation.
Thermodynamic characterization of the diffusive transport to wave propagation transition in heat conducting thin films
Authors: Vázquez F. , del Río J. A.
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we undertake the thermodynamical analysis of the diffusive transport to wave propagation transition in heat conducting thin films. Several constitutive equations have been conceived to describe heat transport but most fail at the nanometric length scales, where size effects must be taken into account or at time scales in the order of magnitude of heat carriers relaxation time, as for example when a laser pulse is applied to the system. The analysis is based on Jeffrey's model since it allows a jointed description of Fourier and Cattaneo heat conduction mechanisms. Jeffrey's model is complemented with a size dependent heat conductivity derived from Boltzmann transport equation. We study the diffusive transport to wave propagation transition in terms of the group and phase velocity of propagating modes, the system's effective thermodynamic susceptibility, the statistical properties of heat flux fluctuations, and the entropy produced in a thin heat conducting film. Jeffrey's model predicts a kind of discontinuity in the entropy production for thickness film of the order of magnitude of heat carrier mean free path which is corroborated by simulations results from the literature.
Modeling of a resonant heat engine
Authors: Preetham B. S. , Anderson M. , Richards C.
Published: December 2012

A resonant heat engine in which the piston assembly is replaced by a sealed elastic cavity is modeled and analyzed. A nondimensional lumped-parameter model is derived and used to investigate the factors that control the performance of the engine. The thermal efficiency predicted by the model agrees with that predicted from the relation for the Otto cycle based on compression ratio. The predictions show that for a fixed mechanical load, increasing the heat input results in increased efficiency. The output power and power density are shown to depend on the loading for a given heat input. The loading condition for maximum output power is different from that required for maximum power density.