bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of basin architecture and eustacy on the evolution of Tethyan Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate sequences
Authors: Gerdes K. D. , Winefield P. , Simmons M. D. , Van Oosterhout C.
Published: April 2010

During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras, regional tectonic processes, eustatic variations and the volume and distribution of non-carbonate sediment controlled the progressive expansion and rapid reduction of the accommodation space available for the deposition of carbonate sequences, in the area that is now the Mediterranean and Middle East.

We present a simplified super-regional tectonostratigraphic history of this area from earliest Triassic time to the present day, to demonstrate the influence of these large-scale processes on the evolution of major Tethyan Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate sequences. The time period is divided into 11 tectonostratigraphic phases (TSP) two of which (1 and 11) are incomplete. Each TSP commenced with major changes in basin architecture in response to regional tectonic processes. Subsequent pulses of transgression and regression generated sequence stratigraphic hierarchies. These stratigraphic hierarchies reflect the interaction between regional and local tectonics, eustatic variations, carbonate growth processes, climate and non-carbonate sediment supply. A map is presented of a major second-order transgressive sequence (TST) within each TSP to illustrate the maximum extent of marine onlap. These maps also include the main plate configurations; active regional tectonic features and the resultant time averaged carbonate gross depositional systems that developed during the transgression.

The sequence of maps illustrate that the volume of available accommodation space during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic Eras reached a maximum during the Late Cretaceous and has been progressively reduced during the Cenozoic Era to the present day minimum.
Spatial and temporal distribution of ooids along a Jurassic carbonate ramp: Amellago outcrop transect, High-Atlas, Morocco
Authors: Pierre A. , Durlet C. , Razin P. , Chellai E. H.
Published: April 2010

Carbonate ramp systems are widespread throughout the geological record, but very few areas have seismic-scale, continuous and structurally undeformed outcrops that allow reliable interpretation of facies distributions and stacking patterns. The Amellago outcrop shows the detailed depositional and stratigraphic relationships of an ooid-dominated ramp system that is almost completely exposed along a dip profile (37 km long and 1000 m thick) in the Lower to Middle Jurassic of the southern High Atlas, Morocco. Ammonite and brachiopod fauna provide excellent biostratigraphic control on small scale stacking patterns.

At Amellago, the evolution of depositional environments is evident at different scales of space and time during this period of tectonic quiescence dominated by thermal subsidence. An important observation is that the Amellago ramp system contains micrite-rich, ooid-free intervals that alternate with ooid-rich intervals. The ooid-rich intervals are mainly in the late transgressive and highstand system tracts, whereas the ooid-free intervals occur in the early transgressive phase. More than 25 such alternations were recorded in high frequency cycles and at the scale of one large cycle at the Aalenian/Bajocian transition. These compositional changes and the associated different ramp geometries are interpreted to result from the combined effects of eustatic sea level and climatic changes.
Sequence stratigraphy and carbon isotope stratigraphy of an Aptian mixed carbonate-siliciclastic platform to basin transition (Galve sub-basin, NE Spain)
Authors: Embry J.-C. , Vennin E. , Van Buchem F. S. P. , Schroeder R. , Pierre C. , Aurell M.
Published: April 2010

A 380 m thick Aptian platform to basin transition has been studied along a 16 km long transect of excellent and continuous outcrops in NE Spain. The series has been dated using biostratigraphy (foraminifera and ammonites) and carbon-isotope stratigraphy, and has been subdivided at four scales of depositional sequences. The Aptian marine succession is subdivided into two-large scale sequences separated by a middle Aptian sub-aerial exposure surface. A characteristic trend of the floral-faunal fossil assemblages is present, which evolves from orbitolinid-ooid dominated ramps in Sequence I-1, to a coral-stromatoporoid-microbialite dominated platform in Sequence I-2, to a rudist-dominated platform top in Sequence II-1, and finally to a second episode of orbitolinid-ooid dominated ramp system in Sequence II-2. There was an influx of siliciclastic sediments at the base and at the top of this succession. The detailed carbon-isotope curve measured along the Miravete section and covering almost the complete Aptian succession, is compared with published Aptian curves recorded in both basinal and carbonate platform settings along the northern and southern NeoTethys margins. It shows that the Galve sub-basin curve represents all the major isotope excursions of the lower and upper Aptian, in a dominantly shallow-water succession.
High-resolution seismic stratigraphy of the Shu'aiba and Natih formations in the Sultanate of Oman: implications for Cretaceous epeiric carbonate platform systems
Authors: Droste H.
Published: April 2010

The Shu'aiba and Natih Formation carbonates are important hydrocarbon reservoirs in the Sultanate of Oman. They consist of stacked deepening and shallowing-upward depositional cycles within an extensive middle Cretaceous epeiric carbonate platform.

Geological models for these units traditionally assume a layer-cake stratigraphy and a high lateral continuity of facies. This is based on the assumption that epeiric platforms consist of ramps with low depositional gradients, broad facies belts and gradual facies transitions. However, high-resolution 3D seismic data covering large areas of the platform have revealed a more complicated internal stratigraphic architecture and have led to a new geometrical model for these epeiric platform systems.

The transgressive part of the cycles is dominated by a low angle ramp depositional profile with localized development of algal-dominated mounds. Differential carbonate growth led to a topography of shallow carbonate shoals and intra-platform ‘basins’ with water depths reaching several tens to 100 m. During the regressive part of the cycles these basins were progressively filled-in by prograding carbonate rudist shoal complexes with depositional slopes of 0.5° to more than 30°. Clinoform belts on seismic show a wide range of progradational geometries ranging from closely spaced, laterally continuous ‘tramlines’ to irregular wedges and noses. The cycle tops are characterized by bedrock incisions and the influx of fine clastic sediments that fill in remnants of the intra-platform basins.

The seismic images show that previous stratigraphic models for these carbonates oversimplified and flattened the stratigraphy. As a result the stratigraphic trapping potential and the internal reservoir heterogeneity for these systems has been underestimated.
Channelized systems in an inner carbonate platform setting: differentiation between incisions and tidal channels (Natih Formation, Late Cretaceous, Oman)
Authors: Grélaud C. , Razin P. , Homewood P.
Published: April 2010

The Natih Formation (late Albian–early Turonian, Oman) corresponds to a very broad inner carbonate platform extending over more than 800 km between the Arabian Shield to the south and the Tethys continental margin to the north. Two types of channelized systems have developed recurrently on this inner carbonate platform:

incisions
corresponding to strictly erosive drainage systems which formed at the top of the sub-aerially-exposed platform during significant drops of relative sea level;

tidal channels
corresponding to partly erosive but mainly constructive/depositional systems which formed during phases of flooding of the inner platform.

The comparative analysis of the basal surface and fill of incisions and tidal channels, based on the study of several outcrops in the Oman Mountains allows the recognition of the similarities and the main differences between these two types of channelized systems which both develop in an inner carbonate platform setting.

One of the main criteria of differentiation is the stratigraphic context in which incisions and channels develop. Incisions develop at the top of regressive sequences, whereas the channels analysed here developed during phases of flooding or maximum flooding, during which higher energy processes such as tidal currents developed on the platform.

The incision surface is clearly defined, with diagenetic effects such as silicification and dolomitization below, and with the systematic fill of subjacent burrows and cracks by sparitic calcite crystals. The basal erosion surface of channels is often multiple and composite, systematically burrowed, and associated with no significant diagenetic effect.

Channels are generally less deep than incisions but their width is very similar. Incisions are longer than channels and present a section that is, on the whole, symmetrical and regular, whereas channels locally have one margin that is steeper and more erosive than the other.

Finally, the less diagnostic parameter of differentiation is their fill. Indeed, incisions and channels are similarly filled during phases of flooding of the inner platform. Incisions and channels form significant heterogeneities at the reservoir scale. It is therefore necessary to be able to recognize these two types of channelized systems, in order to predict their geometry, extent and fill type, and the eventual occurrence of associated reservoir bodies in the more distal direction (forced regressive wedges/bioclastic shoals).
Regulation of muscle force in the absence of actin-myosin-based cross-bridge interaction
Authors: Leonard T. R. , Herzog W.
Published: April 2010

For the past half century, the sliding filament-based cross-bridge theory has been the cornerstone of our understanding of how muscles contract. According to this theory, active force can only occur if there is overlap between the contractile filaments, actin and myosin. Otherwise, forces are thought to be caused by passive structural elements and are assumed to vary solely because of the length of the muscle. We observed increases in muscle force by a factor of 3 to 4 above the purely passive forces for activated and stretched myofibrils in the absence of actin-myosin overlap. We show that this dramatic increase in force is crucially dependent on the presence of the structural protein titin, cannot be explained with calcium activation, and is regulated by actin-myosin-based cross-bridge forces before stretching. We conclude from these observations that titin is a strong regulator of muscle force and propose that this regulation is based on cross-bridge force-dependent titin-actin interactions. These results suggest a mechanism for stability of sarcomeres on the “inherently unstable” descending limb of the force-length relationship, and they further provide an explanation for the protection of muscles against stretch-induced muscle injuries.
Autophagy in health and disease. 5. Mitophagy as a way of life
Authors: Gottlieb Roberta A. , Carreira Raquel S.
Published: April 2010

Our understanding of autophagy has expanded greatly in recent years, largely due to the identification of the many genes involved in the process and to the development of better methods to monitor the process, such as green fluorescent protein-LC3 to visualize autophagosomes in vivo. A number of groups have demonstrated a tight connection between autophagy and mitochondrial turnover. Mitochondrial quality control is the process whereby mitochondria undergo successive rounds of fusion and fission with a dynamic exchange of components to segregate functional and damaged elements. Removal of the mitochondrion that contains damaged components is accomplished via autophagy (mitophagy). Mitophagy also serves to eliminate the subset of mitochondria producing the most reactive oxygen species, and episodic removal of mitochondria will reduce the oxidative burden, thus linking the mitochondrial free radical theory of aging with longevity achieved through caloric restriction. Mitophagy must be balanced by biogenesis to meet tissue energy needs, but the system is tunable and highly dynamic. This process is of greatest importance in long-lived cells such as cardiomyocytes, neurons, and memory T cells. Autophagy is known to decrease with age, and the failure to maintain mitochondrial quality control through mitophagy may explain why the heart, brain, and components of the immune system are most vulnerable to dysfunction as organisms age.
Curcumin-induced suppression of adipogenic differentiation is accompanied by activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Ahn Jiyun , Lee Hyunjung , Kim Suna , Ha Taeyoul
Published: April 2010

Curcumin, a polyphenol found in the rhizomes of Curcuma longa , improves obesity-associated inflammation and diabetes in obese mice. Curcumin also suppresses adipocyte differentiation, although the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we used 3T3-L1 cells to investigate the details of the mechanism underlying the anti-adipogenic effects of curcumin. Curcumin inhibited mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (ERK, JNK, and p38) phosphorylation that was associated with differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes. During differentiation, curcumin also restored nuclear translocation of the integral Wnt signaling component β-catenin in a dose-dependent manner. In parallel, curcumin reduced differentiation-stimulated expression of CK1α, GSK-3β, and Axin, components of the destruction complex targeting β-catenin. Accordingly, quantitative PCR analysis revealed that curcumin inhibited the mRNA expression of AP2 (mature adipocyte marker) and increased the mRNA expression of Wnt10b, Fz2 (Wnt direct receptor), and LRP5 (Wnt coreceptor). Curcumin also increased mRNA levels of c-Myc and cyclin D1, well-known Wnt targets. These results suggest that the Wnt signaling pathway participates in curcumin-induced suppression of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells.
Mechanism and regulation of folate uptake by pancreatic acinar cells: effect of chronic alcohol consumption
Authors: Said Hamid M. , Mee Lisa , Sekar V. Thillai , Ashokkumar Balasubramaniem , Pandol Stephen J.
Published: April 2010

Folate plays an essential role in one-carbon metabolism, and a relationship exists between methyl group metabolism and pancreatic exocrine function. Little, however, is known about the mechanism(s) and regulation of folate uptake by pancreatic acinar cells and the effect of chronic alcohol use on the process. We addressed these issues using the rat-derived pancreatic acinar cell line AR42J and freshly isolated primary rat pancreatic acinar cells as models. We found [3H]folic acid uptake to be 1) temperature and pH dependent with a higher uptake at acidic than at neutral/alkaline pH; 2) saturable as a function of substrate concentration at both buffer pH 7.4 and 6.0; 3) inhibited by folate structural analogs and by anion transport inhibitors at both buffer pH 7.4 and 6.0; 4) trans-stimulated by unlabeled folate; 5) adaptively regulated by the prevailing extracellular folate level, and 6) inhibited by modulators of the cAMP/PKA-mediated pathway. Both the reduced folate carrier (RFC) and the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) were found to be expressed in AR42J and in primary pancreatic acinar cells, as well as in native human pancreas with expression of RFC being higher than PCFT. Chronic alcohol feeding of rats (4 wk; 36% of calories from ethanol) led to a significant decrease in folate uptake by freshly isolated primary pancreatic acinar cells compared with cells from pair-fed controls; this effect was associated with a parallel decrease in the level of expression of RFC and PCFT. These studies reveal that folate uptake by pancreatic acinar cells is via a regulated carrier-mediated process which may involve RFC and PCFT. In addition, chronic alcohol feeding leads to a marked inhibition in folate uptake by pancreatic acinar cells, an effect that is associated with reduction in level of expression of RFC and PCFT.
Gut glucose metabolism in rainbow trout: implications in glucose homeostasis and glucosensing capacity
Authors: Polakof Sergio , Álvarez Rosa , Soengas José L.
Published: April 2010

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the relative contribution of the intestine to glucose homeostasis in rainbow trout. In a first set of in vivo experiments trout were subjected to oral glucose treatments alone or in combination with insulin injections to assess changes in glucose-related enzymes activities, metabolite levels, and mRNA levels. Rainbow trout gut displays an important glucose metabolism that includes the ability to store glucose as glycogen (mostly in the muscle layers) and a large capacity to oxidize glucose. This constitutes a surprising result for a carnivorous fish. In a second set of in vivo experiments, trout received an oral amino acid solution alone or in combination with insulin injection to determine whether other factors besides fasting could regulate gluconeogenesis in intestine. The results confirm the absence of regulation of gluconeogenesis in trout gut, which does not respond to hormones, glucose, lactate, or amino acid changes, either in vivo or in vitro. We also fully characterized gut glucose metabolism in vitro. We observed that a large amount of glucose is oxidized to lactate, supporting the importance of glucose in gut metabolism. Moreover, we corroborated the minor actions of insulin in trout gut, whereas other hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 and C-peptide appear to be major hormonal regulators of glucose metabolism in fish gut. Finally, we obtained the first evidence for the existence of a glucosensing mechanism in the midgut of this carnivorous species.
Cardiac and metabolic changes in long-term high fructose-fat fed rats with severe obesity and extensive intramyocardial lipid accumulation
Authors: Axelsen Lene N. , Lademann Jacob B. , Petersen Jørgen S. , Holstein-Rathlou Niels-Henrik , Ploug Thorkil , Prats Clara , Pedersen Henrik D. , Kjølbye Anne Louise
Published: April 2010

Metabolic syndrome and obesity-related diseases are affecting more and more people in the Western world. The basis for an effective treatment of these patients is a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. Here, we characterize fructose- and fat-fed rats (FFFRs) as a new animal model of metabolic syndrome. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 60 kcal/100 kcal fat diet with 10% fructose in the drinking water. After 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 wk of feeding, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, plasma insulin, glucose, and lipid levels were measured. Cardiac function was examined by in vivo pressure volume measurements, and intramyocardial lipid accumulation was analyzed by confocal microscopy. Cardiac AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) and hepatic phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) levels were measured by Western blotting. Finally, an ischemia-reperfusion study was performed after 56 wk of feeding. FFFRs developed severe obesity, decreased glucose tolerance, increased serum insulin and triglyceride levels, and an initial increased fasting glucose, which returned to control levels after 24 wk of feeding. The diet had no effect on blood pressure but decreased hepatic PEPCK levels. FFFRs showed significant intramyocardial lipid accumulation, and cardiac hypertrophy became pronounced between 24 and 36 wk of feeding. FFFRs showed no signs of cardiac dysfunction during unstressed conditions, but their hearts were much more vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion and had a decreased level of phosphorylated AMPK at 6 wk of feeding. This study characterizes a new animal model of the metabolic syndrome that could be beneficial in future studies of metabolic syndrome and cardiac complications.
Diversified cardiovascular actions of six homologous natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP, VNP, CNP1, CNP3, and CNP4) in conscious eels
Authors: Nobata Shigenori , Ventura Albert , Kaiya Hiroyuki , Takei Yoshio
Published: April 2010

The natriuretic peptide (NP) family consists of seven paralogs [atrial NP (ANP), brain NP (BNP), ventriclar NP (VNP), and C-type NP 1–4 (CNP1–4)] in teleosts, but relative biological activity of the seven NPs has not been comprehensively examined using homologous peptides. In this study, we newly identified CNP3 and CNP4 in eels to use homologous peptides, but the CNP2 gene may have been silenced in this species. The CNP4 gene was expressed exclusively in the brain as CNP1, but the CNP3 gene, from which cardiac ANP, BNP, and VNP were generated by tandem duplication, was most abundantly expressed in the pituitary, suggesting its local action. All NPs induced hypotension dose dependently after intra-arterial injection with a potency order of ANP > VNP > BNP > CNP4 > CNP1 = CNP3. The degree of hypotension was similar at the ventral and dorsal aorta, indicating similar actions on the branchial and systemic circulation. The hypotension induced by cardiac NPs was longer lasting than CNPs, probably because of the difference in preferential receptors. Among cardiac NPs, the hypotensive effect of VNP lasted much longer than those of ANP and BNP, even though VNP disappeared from the blood more quickly than ANP. To analyze the unique effect of VNP, we examined possible involvement of the autonomic nervous system using ANP, VNP, and CNP3. β-adrenergic blockade diminished hypotensive effects of all three NPs, but α-adrenergic and cholinergic blockade enhanced only the effect of VNP, suggesting a specific mechanism for the VNP action. The NP-induced tachycardia was diminished by all blockers examined. Furthermore, the cardiovascular action of VNP was not impaired by a blocker of NP receptor, HS-142-1. Taken together, the homologous NPs exhibit diverse cardiovascular actions in eels partially through the autonomic nervous system, and the unique VNP action may be mediated by a novel receptor that has not been identified in teleosts.
CLIC5 mutant mice are resistant to diet-induced obesity and exhibit gastric hemorrhaging and increased susceptibility to torpor
Authors: Bradford Emily M. , Miller Marian L. , Prasad Vikram , Nieman Michelle L. , Gawenis Lara R. , Berryman Mark , Lorenz John N. , Tso Patrick , Shull Gary E.
Published: April 2010

Chloride intracellular channel 5 (CLIC5) and other CLIC isoforms have been implicated in a number of biological processes, but their specific functions are poorly understood. The association of CLIC5 with ezrin and the actin cytoskeleton led us to test its possible involvement in gastric acid secretion. Clic5 mutant mice exhibited only a minor reduction in acid secretion, Clic5 mRNA was expressed at only low levels in stomach, and Clic5 mutant parietal cells were ultrastructurally normal, negating the hypothesis that CLIC5 plays a major role in acid secretion. However, the mutants exhibited gastric hemorrhaging in response to fasting, reduced monocytes and granulocytes suggestive of immune dysfunction, behavioral and social disorders suggestive of neurological dysfunction, and evidence of a previously unidentified metabolic defect. Wild-type and mutant mice were maintained on normal and high-fat diets; plasma levels of various hormones, glucose, and lipids were determined; and body composition was studied by quantitative magnetic resonance imaging. Clic5 mutants were lean, hyperphagic, and highly resistant to diet-induced obesity. Plasma insulin and glucose levels were reduced, and leptin levels were very low; however, plasma triglycerides, cholesterol, phospholipids, and fatty acids were normal. Indirect calorimetry revealed increased peripheral metabolism and greater reliance on carbohydrate metabolism. Because Clic5 mutants were unable to maintain energy reserves, they also exhibited increased susceptibility to fasting-induced torpor, as indicated by telemetric measurements showing episodes of reduced body temperature and heart rate. These data reveal a requirement for CLIC5 in the maintenance of normal systemic energy metabolism.
Acute neurosteroids inhibit the spinal reflex potentiation via GABAergic neurotransmission
Authors: Chang Junn-Liang , Peng Hsien-Yu , Wu Hsi-Chin , Lu Hsiao-Ting , Pan Shwu-Fen , Chen Mei-Jung , Lin Tzer-Bin
Published: April 2010

Recently, we demonstrated a chronic neurosteroid-dependent inhibition of activity-dependent spinal reflex potentiation (SRP), but it remains unclear whether neurosteroids acutely modulate SRP induction. This study shows progesterone as well as two of its 3α,5α-derivatives, allopregnalonone and 3α,5α-tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC), to be capable of producing acute GABAA receptor (GABAAR)-dependent inhibition of SRP. When compared with test simulation (1 stimulation/30 s) of pelvic afferent nerves that evoked a baseline reflex activity in an external urethra sphincter electromyogram, repetitive stimulation (RS; 1 stimulation/1 s) induced SRP characterized by an increase in the evoked activity. Intrathecal progesterone (3–30 μM, 10 μl) at 10 min before stimulation onset dose dependently prevented RS induction. Intrathecal allopregnalonone (10 μM, 10 μl it) and THDOC (10 μM, 10 μl it) also prevented the SRP caused by RS. Pretreatment with the GABAAR antagonist bicuculline (10 μM, 10 μl it) at 1 min before progesterone/neurosteroid injection attenuated the inhibition of SRP caused by progesterone, allopregnanolone, and THDOC. Results suggest that progesterone and its neurosteroid metabolites may be crucial to the development of pelvic visceral neuropathic/postinflammatory pain and imply clinical use of neurosteroids, such as allopregnanolone and THDOC, for visceral pain treatment.
Proximodistal Gradient in the Perception of Delayed Stiffness
Authors: Nisky Ilana , Baraduc Pierre , Karniel Amir
Published: April 2010

Proximal and distal muscles are different in size, maximum force, mechanical action, and neuromuscular control. In the current study we explore the perception of delayed stiffness when probing is executed using movement of different joints. We found a proximodistal gradient in the amount of underestimation of delayed stiffness in the transition between probing with shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. Moreover, there was a similar gradient in the optimal weighting between estimation of stiffness and the inverse of estimation of compliance that predicted the perception of the subjects. These gradients could not be ascribed to differences in movement amplitude, duration, velocity, and force amplitude because these variables were not significantly modulated by the joint used for probing. Mean force did not follow a similar gradient either. Therefore we suggest that the observed gradient in perception reveals a proximodistal gradient in control, such that proximal joints are dominated by force control, whereas distal joints are dominated by position control.
Discrimination of Communication Vocalizations by Single Neurons and Groups of Neurons in the Auditory Midbrain
Authors: Schneider David M. , Woolley Sarah M. N.
Published: April 2010

Many social animals including songbirds use communication vocalizations for individual recognition. The perception of vocalizations depends on the encoding of complex sounds by neurons in the ascending auditory system, each of which is tuned to a particular subset of acoustic features. Here, we examined how well the responses of single auditory neurons could be used to discriminate among bird songs and we compared discriminability to spectrotemporal tuning. We then used biologically realistic models of pooled neural responses to test whether the responses of groups of neurons discriminated among songs better than the responses of single neurons and whether discrimination by groups of neurons was related to spectrotemporal tuning and trial-to-trial response variability. The responses of single auditory midbrain neurons could be used to discriminate among vocalizations with a wide range of abilities, ranging from chance to 100%. The ability to discriminate among songs using single neuron responses was not correlated with spectrotemporal tuning. Pooling the responses of pairs of neurons generally led to better discrimination than the average of the two inputs and the most discriminating input. Pooling the responses of three to five single neurons continued to improve neural discrimination. The increase in discriminability was largest for groups of neurons with similar spectrotemporal tuning. Further, we found that groups of neurons with correlated spike trains achieved the largest gains in discriminability. We simulated neurons with varying levels of temporal precision and measured the discriminability of responses from single simulated neurons and groups of simulated neurons. Simulated neurons with biologically observed levels of temporal precision benefited more from pooling correlated inputs than did neurons with highly precise or imprecise spike trains. These findings suggest that pooling correlated neural responses with the levels of precision observed in the auditory midbrain increases neural discrimination of complex vocalizations.
Small Lesions Evaluation Based on Unsupervised Cluster Analysis of Signal‐Intensity Time Courses in Dynamic Breast MRI
Authors: Meyer-Baese A. , Schlossbauer T. , Lange O. , Wismueller A.
Published: April 2010

An application of an unsupervised neural network‐based computer‐aided diagnosis (CAD) system is reported for the detection
and characterization of small indeterminate breast lesions, average size 1.1 mm, in dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI. This system
enables the extraction of spatial and temporal features of dynamic MRI data and additionally provides a segmentation with regard
to identification and regional subclassification of pathological breast tissue lesions. Lesions with an initial contrast enhancement
≥50% were selected with semiautomatic segmentation. This conventional segmentation analysis is based on the mean initial signal
increase and postinitial course of all voxels included in the lesion. In this paper, we compare the conventional segmentation analysis
with unsupervised classification for the evaluation of signal intensity time courses for the differential diagnosis of enhancing
lesions in breast MRI. The results suggest that the computerized analysis system based on unsupervised clustering has the potential to
increase the diagnostic accuracy of MRI mammography for small lesions and can be used as a basis for computer‐aided diagnosis
of breast cancer with MR mammography.
Effects of Current on Arc Fabrication of Cu Nanoparticles
Authors: Kassaee M. Z. , Buazar F. , Motamedi E.
Published: April 2010

Arc‐fabricated copper nanoparticles (Cu Nps) size, morphology and the crystalline structure, as well as the yields of Nps appear sensitive to the applied currents (50–160 A) in distilled water. The results indicate that the sizes of Cu Nps are directly proportional to the currents employed. At 50 A, TEM, XRD, and SEM analyses show fabrication of relatively purest, the most dispersed, face‐centered cubic (fcc) brown Cu Nps with rather smallest average size of 20 nm. At the same current, the TGA‐DTA analysis reveals neither weight loss nor gain, indicating thermal stability of the fabricated Cu Nps.
Contractile Properties of Esophageal Striated Muscle: Comparison with Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles in Rats
Authors: Shiina Takahiko , Shima Takeshi , Masuda Kazuaki , Hirayama Haruko , Iwami Momoe , Takewaki Tadashi , Kuramoto Hirofumi , Shimizu Yasutake
Published: April 2010

The external muscle layer of the mammalian esophagus consists of striated muscles. We investigated the contractile properties of esophageal striated muscle by comparison with those of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Electrical field stimulation with single pulses evoked twitch-like contractile responses in esophageal muscle, similar to those in skeletal muscle in duration and similar to those in cardiac muscle in amplitude. The contractions of esophageal muscle were not affected by an inhibitor of gap junctions. Contractile responses induced by high potassium or caffeine in esophageal muscle were analogous to those in skeletal muscle. High-frequency stimulation induced a transient summation of contractions followed by sustained contractions with amplitudes similar to those of twitch-like contractions, although a large summation was observed in skeletal muscle. The results demonstrate that esophageal muscle has properties similar but not identical to those of skeletal muscle and that some specific properties may be beneficial for esophageal peristalsis.
Regression of Human Prostate Tumors and Metastases in Nude Mice following Treatment with the Recombinant Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus GLV-1h68
Authors: Gentschev Ivaylo , Donat Ulrike , Hofmann Elisabeth , Weibel Stephanie , Adelfinger Marion , Raab Viktoria , Heisig Martin , Chen Nanhai , Yu Yong A. , Stritzker Jochen , Szalay Aladar A.
Published: April 2010

Virotherapy using oncolytic vaccinia virus strains is one of the most promising new strategies for cancer therapy. In the current study, we analyzed the therapeutic efficacy of the oncolytic vaccinia virus GLV-1h68 against two human prostate cancer cell lines DU-145 and PC-3 in cell culture and in tumor xenograft models. By viral proliferation assays and cell survival tests, we demonstrated that GLV-1h68 was able to infect, replicate in, and lyse these prostate cancer cells in culture. In DU-145 and PC-3 tumor xenograft models, a single intravenous injection with GLV-1h68 resulted in a significant reduction of primary tumor size. In addition, the GLV-1h68-infection led to strong inflammatory and oncolytic effects resulting in drastic reduction of regional lymph nodes with PC-3 metastases. Our data documented that the GLV-1h68 virus has a great potential for treatment of human prostate carcinoma.
Global and National Socioeconomic Disparities in Obesity, Overweight, and Underweight Status
Authors: Moore Spencer , Hall Justin N. , Harper Sam , Lynch John W.
Published: April 2010

Objective. To examine the association between socioeconomic factors and weight status across 53 countries.Methods. Data are cross-sectional and from the long version of the World Health Survey (WHS). There were 172,625 WHS participants who provided self-reported height and weight measures and sociodemographic information. The International Classification of adult weight status was used to classify participants by body mass index (BMI): (1) underweight (<18.5), (2) normal weight (18.5–24.9), (3) overweight (25.0–29.9), and (4) obese (>30.0). Multinomial regression was used in the analyses.Results. Globally, 6.7% was underweight, 25.7% overweight, and 8.9% obese. Underweight status was least (5.8%) and obesity (9.3%) most prevalent in the richest quintile. There was variability between countries, with a tendency for lower-income quintiles to be at increased risk for underweight and reduced risk for obesity.Conclusion. International policies may require flexibility in addressing cross-national differences in the socio-economic covariates of BMI status.
The Functional Role of Calcineurin in Hypertrophy, Regeneration, and Disorders of Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Sakuma Kunihiro , Yamaguchi Akihiko
Published: April 2010

Skeletal muscle uses calcium as a second messenger to respond and adapt to environmental stimuli. Elevations in intracellular calcium levels activate calcineurin, a serine/threonine phosphatase, resulting in the expression of a set of genes involved in the maintenance, growth, and remodeling of skeletal muscle. In this review, we discuss the effects of calcineurin activity on hypertrophy, regeneration, and disorders of skeletal muscle. Calcineurin is a potent regulator of muscle remodeling, enhancing the differentiation through upregulation of myogenin or MEF2A and downregulation of the Id1 family and myostatin. Foxo may also be a downstream candidate for a calcineurin signaling molecule during muscle regeneration. The strategy of controlling the amount of calcineurin may be effective for the treatment of muscular disorders such as DMD, UCMD, and LGMD. Activation of calcineurin produces muscular hypertrophy of the slow-twitch soleus muscle but not fast-twitch muscles.
Physicochemical Control of Adult Stem Cell Differentiation: Shedding Light on Potential Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Titushkin Igor , Sun Shan , Shin Jennifer , Cho Michael
Published: April 2010

Realization of the exciting potential for stem-cell-based biomedical and therapeutic applications, including tissue engineering, requires an understanding of the cell-cell and cell-environment interactions. To this end, recent efforts have been focused on the manipulation of adult stem cell differentiation using inductive soluble factors, designing suitable mechanical environments, and applying noninvasive physical forces. Although each of these different approaches has been successfully applied to regulate stem cell differentiation, it would be of great interest and importance to integrate and optimally combine a few or all of the physicochemical differentiation cues to induce synergistic stem cell differentiation. Furthermore, elucidation of molecular mechanisms that mediate the effects of multiple differentiation cues will enable the researcher to better manipulate stem cell behavior and response.
Fixed Points of Discontinuous Multivalued Operators in Ordered Spaces with Applications
Authors: Hong ShihuangH , Qiu Zheyong
Published: April 2010

Existence theorems of fixed points for multivalued increasing operators in partially ordered spaces are presented. Here neither the continuity nor compactness is assumed for multivalued operators. As an application, we lead to the existence principles for integral inclusions of Hammerstein type multivalued maps.
Indefinite Almost Paracontact Metric Manifolds
Authors: Tripathi Mukut Mani , Kılıç Erol , Yüksel Perktaş Selcen , Keleş Sadık
Published: April 2010

We introduce the concept of (ε)‐almost paracontact manifolds,
and in particular, of (ε)‐para‐Sasakian manifolds. Several examples are presented. Some
typical identities for curvature tensor and Ricci tensor of (ε)‐para Sasakian manifolds are
obtained. We prove that if a semi‐Riemannian manifold is one of flat, proper recurrent
or proper Ricci‐recurrent, then it cannot admit an (ε)‐para Sasakian structure. We
show that, for an (ε)‐para Sasakian manifold, the conditions of being symmetric, semi‐symmetric,
or of constant sectional curvature are all identical. It is shown that a symmetric
spacelike (resp., timelike) (ε)‐para Sasakian manifold Mn is locally isometric to a pseudohyperbolic
space (resp., pseudosphere ). At last, it is proved that for an (ε)‐para Sasakian manifold the conditions of being Ricci‐semi‐symmetric, Ricci‐symmetric,
and Einstein are all identical.
Dynamic Traffic Network Equilibrium System
Authors: He Yun-Peng , Xu Jiu-Ping , Huang Nan-Jing , Wu Meng
Published: April 2010

We discuss the dynamic traffic network equilibrium system problem. We introduce the equilibrium definition based on Wardrop's principles when there are some internal relationships between different kinds of goods which transported through the same traffic network. Moreover, we also prove that the equilibrium conditions of this problem can be equivalently expressed as a system of evolutionary variational inequalities. By using the fixed point theory and projected dynamic system theory, we get the existence and uniqueness of the solution for this equilibrium problem. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate our results.
RTS2—The Remote Telescope System
Authors: Kubánek Petr
Published: April 2010

RTS2 is an open source observatory manager. It was written from scratch in the C++ language, with portability and modularity in mind. Its driving requirements originated from quick follow‐ups of Gamma Ray Bursts. After some years of development it is now used to carry tasks it was originally not intended to carry. This article presents the current development status of the RTS2 code. It focuses on describing strategies which worked as well as things which failed to deliver expected results.
The Anti-Inflammatory Activity of HMGB1 A Box Is Enhanced When Fused with C-Terminal Acidic Tail
Authors: Gong Wei , Zheng Yingru , Chao Fan , Li Yuan , Xu Zhizhen , Huang Gang , Gao Xiang , Li Song , He Fengtian
Published: April 2010

HMGB1, composed of the A box, B box, and C tail domains, is a critical proinflammatory cytokine involved in diverse inflammatory diseases. The B box mediates proinflammatory activity, while the A box alone acts as a specific antagonist of HMGB1. The C tail contributes to the spatial structure of A box and regulates HMGB1 DNA binding specificity. It is unknown whether the C tail can enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of A box. In this study, we generated fusion proteins consisting of the A box and C tail, in which the B box was deleted and the A box and C tail were linked either directly or by the flexible linker sequence(Gly4Ser)3. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the two fusion proteins had a higher anti-inflammatory activity compared to the A box alone. This suggests that the fused C tail enhances the anti-inflammatory effect of the A box.
American Exceptionalism Revisited
Authors: Hooks Gregory , McQueen Brian
Published: April 2010

We examine Democrats’ decline in the House of Representatives from the mid-1930s to the late 1940s. Debates over American exceptionalism in the realm of social policy pay surprisingly little attention to a profound transformation that occurred during and after World War II: on the international stage, the United States emerged as the hegemon; at home, the Pentagon became the largest and most powerful agency in the federal bureaucracy. In modeling electoral losses suffered by Democrats, we show that World War II mobilization played an important role. First, Democrats lost ground in congressional districts where the nascent military-industrial complex was created, specifically in aircraft manufacturing centers. Second, the impact of aircraft manufacturing intersected with wartime in-migration of non-whites. Democrats suffered significantly greater losses where both non-white population and aircraft manufacturing employment increased. Our findings corroborate accounts of the social welfare state that stress partisan control and path dependence. Conservative congresses of the immediate postwar years left an imposing legacy, making it difficult to establish social welfare reforms for decades to come. Whereas most accounts of the rise and fall of the New Deal emphasize different aspects of domestic processes, we demonstrate that militarism and expansion of national security agencies undermined congressional support at a critical juncture. This intersection of wartime mobilization and social policy—and not an inherent and enduring institutional impediment to social welfare—contributed to underdevelopment of the welfare state and abandonment of universal social welfare programs in the United States.
Threat, Resistance, and Collective Action
Authors: Maher Thomas V.
Published: April 2010

How and why do movements transition from everyday resistance to overt collective action? This article examines this question taking repressive environments and threat as an important case in point. Drawing on primary and secondary data sources, I offer comparative insights on resistance group dynamics and perceptions of threat in three Nazi death camps—Sobibór, Treblinka, and Auschwitz—between 1941 and 1945. Prisoners formed resistance groups at each camp, but collective revolt occurred in only certain cases: when the collective perception of threat at a given camp was viewed as both immediate and lethal. The interpretation of changing, threatening conditions, and an understanding of structural and interactional opportunities for group identity and tactical strategizing, are vital for understanding collective action in repressive environments. I conclude by discussing these lessons pertaining to threat and their implications for repressive contexts and broader social movement theorizing.
Reinforcing Separate Spheres
Authors: Cha Youngjoo
Published: April 2010

This study examines whether long work hours exacerbate gender inequality. As working long hours becomes increasingly common, a normative conception of gender that prioritizes men’s careers over women’s careers in dual-earner households may pressure women to quit their jobs. I apply multilevel models to longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to show that having a husband who works long hours significantly increases a woman’s likelihood of quitting, whereas having a wife who works long hours does not appear to increase a man’s likelihood of quitting. This gendered pattern is more prominent among workers in professional and managerial occupations, where the norm of overwork and the culture of intensive parenting are strong. Furthermore, the effect is stronger among workers who have children. Findings suggest that overwork can reintroduce the separate spheres arrangement, consisting of breadwinning men and homemaking women, to many formerly dual-earner households.
Multiple-Dose Pharmacokinetics and Safety of an Ibuprofen-Pseudoephedrine Cold Suspension in Children
Authors: Gelotte Cathy K. , Prior Mary Jane , Pendley Charles , Zimmerman Brenda , Lavins Bernard J.
Published: April 2010

Two studies were conducted to characterize multiple-dose pharmacokinetics and potential drug interactions of ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine combined in a suspension and to evaluate safety of this combination in children with common cold, flu, or sinusitis. In the pharmacokinetic study, 24 healthy children aged 4-11 years were administered ibuprofen -pseudoephedrine suspension at 7.5 and 1.125 mg/kg, respectively, every 6 hours for 5 doses. Serial blood samples were drawn over 6 hours after final dose for assessment of steady-state pharmacokinetics. In the open-label, multicenter safety study, more than 100 children aged 2-11 years experiencing symptomatic rhinitis were enrolled. Ibuprofen -pseudoephedrine suspension was administered as needed at similar mg/kg doses every 6-8 hours for up to 3 days. Subjects enrolled in the pharmacokinetic study showed no accumulation of either drug; their weight-adjusted clearances were independent of age, and results were comparable with those from previous single-ingredient studies. For ibuprofen, oral clearance (Cl/F) was 77.5 ± 16.4 mL/kg/h and volume of distribution (Vd/F) was 0.147 ± 0.037 L/kg. For pseudoephedrine, Cl/F was 12.3 ± 2.2 mL/kg/min and Vd/F was 2.52 ± 0.47 L/kg. In the safety study, adverse events were reported for 18.4% of subjects; most were mild to moderate intensity. There was little difference in incidence of adverse events among different age and weight groups. In conclusion, administration of combined ibuprofen and pseudoephedrine in children demonstrated similar pharmacokinetics when compared with reports of the pharmacokinetics for the single-ingredient products, consistent with no apparent drug interactions. The combination suspension was generally well tolerated.
Association of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms and Adiposity Among Adolescent Females, Using Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry
Authors: Hillman Jennifer B. , Dorn Lorah D. , Bin Huang
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between anxiety and depressive symptoms and obesity among adolescent females using objective measures of adiposity and evaluate for moderating effects of race and age. This is a cross-sectional analysis of 198 females aged 11, 13, 15, and 17 years (mean = 14.6, standard deviation = 2.2). Adiposity measures include BMI, BMI Z score, percentage body fat from dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and fat distribution (fat mass upper vs lower body regions from DXA). Symptoms of anxiety are measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and depressive symptoms with the Children’s Depression Inventory. Trait anxiety and depressive symptoms are positively associated with BMI and percentage body fat. No interaction of anxiety/ depressive symptoms with race or age on measures of adiposity was detected. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are associated with percentage body fat among adolescent females, linking psychological distress with a physiological measure of adiposity.