bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
À propos de la genèse de l’accent des Québécois
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Gendron, Jean-Denis. D’oùvient l’accent des Québécois ? Et celui des Parisiens ? Essai sur l’origine des accents. Contribution à l’histoire de la prononciation du français moderne. Québec, Presses de l’Université Laval, 2007, 287 p. ISBN 978-2-7637-8615-5
Authors: Wolf Lothar
Published: April 2012

Cette note commente un essai du phonéticien Jean-Denis Gendron sur l’origine de l’accent des Québécois, fondé sur une réunion très riche de faits et documents, dont les remarques des voyageurs qui ont visité le continent nord-américain. Ceux qui passaient au pays durant le xviie et la première moitié du xviiie siècle constataient un français impeccable, sans accent, tandis que leurs successeurs au xixe siècle s’exprimaient de façon nettement moins favorable sur le langage entendu. En étudiant les observations de ces derniers, l’auteur voit, à juste titre, que leurs jugements défavorables sont faits à l’aune de l’accent des classes supérieures de Paris, qui s’est modifié de manière fondamentale au cours du siècle postrévolutionnaire. Le commentateur conclut que cet ouvrage de fond constitue la première explication historique de la divergence d’accent de part et d’autre de l’Atlantique, entre Québécois et Parisiens.
Quand l’art réinvente la vie
Authors: Noury Mathieu , Lafontaine Céline
Published: April 2012

Partant du principe selon lequel l’art contemporain offre un lieu d’étude privilégié à l’analyse sociologique des nouvelles représentations du corps et du vivant, cet article propose de prendre le cas de l’art transgénique d’Eduardo Kac comme terrain d’analyse de la représentation du vivant propre aux technosciences. Intégrant les a priori épistémologiques propres aux biotechnologies, l’art transgénique constitue un modèle idéal-typique du paradigme informationnel qui s’articule autour de trois éléments principaux : la communication, la technoscience et la génétique. Afin de rendre compte de cette représentation informationnelle du vivant, il sera analysé les discours d’Eduardo Kac sur deux de ses oeuvres majeures : GFP-Bunny (2000) et Genesis (1999).
D’une révolution l’autre : figures de l’engagement chez Hubert Aquin et Mordecai Richler
Authors: Lapointe Martine-Emmanuelle
Published: April 2012

Dans le contexte littéraire québécois, on osera rarement comparer les oeuvres d’Hubert Aquin et de Mordecai Richler, écrivains aux convictions politiques radicalement opposées. Mais n’y aurait-il pas lieu de quitter le territoire de la politique nationale pour mieux réfléchir aux représentations de la révolution qui traversent leurs oeuvres respectives ? Aussi éloignées soient-elles, leurs oeuvres partagent une certaine fascination pour l’engagement révolutionnaire, lequel emprunte souvent la forme d’un idéal inatteignable, voire d’une pure fiction. Entre la révolution du Québec, appelée de ses voeux par le héros aquinien de Prochain épisode, et le spectre de la Révolution espagnole, fantasmée et reconstruite par plusieurs personnages richleriens, est-il possible d’établir des liens, d’esquisser des passages, de relever des effets d’écho ? Dans le cadre de cet article, il s’agira de se prêter au jeu de la comparaison, de se hasarder à formuler des pistes de lecture et de tenter de contourner le piège de la nationalisation de l’engagement littéraire.
Le nationalisme et la gauche au Québec
Authors: Béland Daniel , Lecours André
Published: April 2012

L’un des aspects les plus intéressants du nationalisme québécois depuis les années 1960 est son ancrage à gauche. Comparé aux nationalismes flamand et catalan, par exemple, le nationalisme québécois est le plus souvent associé aux politiques égalitaristes d’inspiration sociale-démocrate. Bien qu’il existe une faction néolibérale au sein du mouvement indépendantiste, le nationalisme québécois semble inséparable de l’idée que le Québec forme une « société distincte » non seulement en raison de sa langue et de sa culture, mais également en raison de son modèle économique et social. L’objectif de cet article est d’expliquer et d’illustrer cet ancrage à gauche du nationalisme québécois dans le champ des politiques économiques et sociales depuis les années 1960. Centré sur le Québec, mais incluant une discussion d’autres cas, l’article met l’accent sur les rapports entre les acteurs, les idées économiques et les institutions politiques, notamment les partis.
Le revenu familial, un concept vague et insidieux : analyse critique et historique des relations économiques familiales
Authors: Belleau Hélène , Proulx Raphaëlle
Published: April 2012

Les relations économiques entre parents et enfants et entre conjoints se sont radicalement transformées au cours du dernier siècle. Les changements économiques (urbanisation, crises financières, guerres, etc.) mais aussi certaines lois et mesures sociales ont influencé grandement les liens d’interdépendances au sein des ménages au point d’en inverser parfois le sens des flux monétaires. En nous attardant spécifiquement au contexte québécois, cette réflexion tente de dégager les principaux points tournant de cette évolution en posant un regard sur les liens entre les jeunes et leurs parents et entre ces derniers et sur les enjeux sociaux qu’elle suscite.
Determining In Vivo Phosphorylation Sites Using Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Breitkopf Susanne B. , Asara John M.
Published: April 2012

Phosphorylation is the most studied protein post‐translational modification (PTM) in biological systems, since it controls cell growth, proliferation, survival, and other processes. High‐resolution/high mass accuracy mass spectrometers are used to identify protein phosphorylation sites due to their speed, sensitivity, selectivity, and throughput. The protocols described here focus on two common strategies: (1) identifying phosphorylation sites from individual proteins and small protein complexes, and (2) identifying global phosphorylation sites from whole‐cell and tissue extracts. For the first, endogenous or epitope‐tagged proteins are typically immunopurified from cell lysates, purified via gel electrophoresis or precipitation, and enzymatically digested into peptides. Samples can be optionally enriched for phosphopeptides using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) or titanium dioxide (TiO2) and then analyzed by microcapillary liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Global phosphorylation site analyses that capture pSer/pThr/pTyr sites from biological sources sites are more resource and time consuming and involve digesting the whole‐cell lysate, followed by peptide fractionation by strong cation‐exchange chromatography, phosphopeptide enrichment by IMAC or TiO2, and LC‐MS/MS. Alternatively, the protein lysate can be fractionated by SDS‐PAGE, followed by digestion, phosphopeptide enrichment, and LC‐MS/MS. One can also immunoprecipitate only phosphotyrosine peptides using a pTyr antibody followed by LC‐MS/MS. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 98:18.19.1‐18.19.27. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
From Second‐Wave to Postructuralist Feminism
Authors: Marie Hardin
Published: March 2012

In this essay, we trace the evolution of scholarship on media representations of women's sports. Introspection about our own work in this area has brought us to consider the potential ofthird‐wave/poststructuralistfeminism as a theoretical lens for our own critical inquiry into depictions of women's sports. We trace the trajectory of our work by first reviewing second‐wave feminist critiques of representations of women in sport and the solutions stemming from those critiques. We then consider the development of our own research and the possibilities of a poststructuralist lens in that work, assessing how such a perspective might offer useful alternatives to standard, Gramscian‐oriented critiques of the coverage of women's sports.
How Should We Think About Audience Power in the Digital Age?
Authors: Turow Joseph
Published: March 2012

This chapter emphasizes the workings of corporate power in people's core relationships to the emerging digital media system. Its aim is to provide a counterbalance to a perspective with a lot of traction among contemporary academics: that the best way to think about audiences in the new age is to emphasize that individual audience members are exercising unprecedented control over the creation and distribution of media products. Focusing on the media‐buying sector of the advertising industry, this chapter outlines the contours of a new ecosystem of digital‐marketing companies that buys and sells data about online users without their permission or knowledge. This ecosystem raises a new version of the concerns about media's constructions of society for society that scholars first expressed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Corporate Carbon Strategies and Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessments: The Implications of Scope 3 Emission Factor Selection
Authors: Downie John , Stubbs Wendy
Published: March 2012

Scholars and practitioners acknowledge the benefits of organizations understanding their contribution to global warming and implementing carbon management strategies to address climate change concerns. A key element of a carbon management strategy is to reduce emissions, which requires an assessment of a firm's greenhouse gas emissions. For most organizations the indirect (scope 3) emissions represent the largest portion of their total carbon footprint. When facility‐specific data are not available, firms are encouraged to use standard emission factors to calculate scope 3 emissions. This paper investigates how sampled Australian organizations assess their scope 3 emissions with respect to the emission factors they are using to convert activity data into units of carbon dioxide equivalent emission (CO2‐e), and the implications for producing an accurate emission assessment. The research study found that, where conversion information was not available in a recognized government publication, the use of varying conversion value sources resulted in wide discrepancies in reported emissions for like activities. This undermines the assessment quality, makes comparison of results across organizations difficult and can lead to inappropriate carbon management strategy choices and misallocation of resources. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Kinetic modeling of the photosynthetic growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in a photobioreactor
Authors: Takache Hosni , Pruvost Jérémy , Cornet Jean‐François
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study was to establish and validate a model for the photosynthetic growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in photobioreactors (PBRs). The proposed model is based on an energetic analysis of the excitation energy transfer in the photosynthesis apparatus (the Z‐scheme for photosynthesis). This approach has already been validated in cyanobacteria (Arthorspira platensis) and is extended here to predict the volumetric biomass productivity for the microalga C. reinhardtii in autotrophic conditions, taking into consideration the two metabolic processes taking place in this eukaryotic microorganism, namely photosynthesis and respiration. The kinetic growth model obtained was then coupled to a radiative transfer model (the two‐flux model) to determine the local kinetics, and thereby the volumetric biomass productivity, in a torus PBR. The model was found to predict PBR performances accurately for a broad set of operating conditions, including both light‐limited and kinetic growth regimes, with a variance of less than 10% between experimental results and simulations. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2012
Subjective uncertainty and limbic hyperactivation in obsessive‐compulsive disorder
Authors: Stern Emily R. , Welsh Robert C. , Gonzalez Richard , Fitzgerald Kate D. , Abelson James L. , Taylor Stephan F.
Published: March 2012

Obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) is often associated with pathological uncertainty regarding whether an action has been performed correctly or whether a bad outcome will occur, leading to compulsive “evidence gathering” behaviors aimed at reducing uncertainty. The current study used event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate neural functioning in OCD patients and controls as subjective certainty was rated in response to sequential pieces of evidence for a decision. Uncertainty was experimentally manipulated so that some decisions were associated with no “objective” uncertainty (all observed evidence pointed to one correct choice), whereas other decisions contained calculable but varying levels of objective uncertainty based on displayed probabilities. Results indicated that OCD patients differed from controls on decisions that contained no objective uncertainty, such that patients rated themselves as more uncertain. Patients also showed greater activation in a network of brain regions previously associated with internally‐focused thought and valuation including ventromedial prefrontal cortex, parahippocampus, middle temporal cortex, as well as amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex/ventral anterior insula. In the patient group, a significantly greater number of positive intersubject correlations were found among several of these brain regions, suggesting that this network is more interconnected in patients. OCD patients did not differ from controls on decisions where task parameters led to uncertainty. These results indicate that OCD is associated with hyperactivation in a network of limbic/paralimbic brain regions when making decisions, which may contribute to the greater subjective experience of doubt that characterizes the disorder. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhancing employee and organizational performance through coaching based on mystery shopper feedback: A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Latham Gary P. , Ford Robert C. , Tzabbar Danny
Published: March 2012

Based on reinforcement theory, a quasi‐experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of (a) feedback obtained from (b) a relatively neutral third party (namely, mystery shoppers) that was obtained on a (c) variable interval schedule for managers to use to (d) coach their employees. An interrupted time‐series design showed that both employee and organizational performance increased as a result of this intervention. Performance dropped when this intervention was cut back and, subsequently, discontinued. These results were replicated in two additional restaurants. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanosensory neurons, cutaneous mechanoreceptors, and putative mechanoproteins
Authors: Valle M.E. Del , Cobo T. , Cobo J.L. , Vega J.A.
Published: March 2012

The mammalian skin has developed sensory structures (mechanoreceptors) that are responsible for different modalities of mechanosensitivity like touch, vibration, and pressure sensation. These specialized sensory organs are anatomically and functionally connected to a special subset of sensory neurons called mechanosensory neurons, which electrophysiologically correspond with Aβ fibers. Although mechanosensory neurons and cutaneous mechanoreceptors are rather well known, the biology of the sense of touch still remains poorly understood. Basically, the process of mechanosensitivity requires the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal through the activation of ion channels that gate in response to mechanical stimuli. These ion channels belong primarily to the family of the degenerin/epithelium sodium channels, especially the subfamily acid‐sensing ion channels, and to the family of transient receptor potential channels. This review compiles the current knowledge on the occurrence of putative mechanoproteins in mechanosensory neurons and mechanoreceptors, as well as the involvement of these proteins on the biology of touch. Furthermore, we include a section about what the knock‐out mice for mechanoproteins are teaching us. Finally, the possibilities for mechanotransduction in mechanoreceptors, and the common involvement of the ion channels, extracellular membrane, and cytoskeleton, are revisited. Microsc. Res. Tech. 75:1033–1043, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chromosome observation by scanning electron microscopy using ionic liquid
Authors: Dwiranti Astari , Lin Linyen , Mochizuki Eiko , Kuwabata Susumu , Takaoka Akio , Uchiyama Susumu , Fukui Kiichi
Published: March 2012

Electron microscopy has been used to visualize chromosome since it has high resolution and magnification. However, biological samples need to be dehydrated and coated with metal or carbon before observation. Ionic liquid is a class of ionic solvent that possesses advantageous properties of current interest in a variety of interdisciplinary areas of science. By using ionic liquid, biological samples need not be dehydrated or metal‐coated, because ionic liquid behaves as the electronically conducting material for electron microscopy. The authors have investigated chromosome using ionic liquid in conjunction with electron microscopy and evaluated the factors that affect chromosome visualization. Experimental conditions used in the previous studies were further optimized. As a result, prewarmed, well‐mixed, and low concentration (0.5∼1.0%) ionic liquid provides well‐contrasted images, especially when the more hydrophilic and the higher purity ionic liquid is used. Image contrast and resolution are enhanced by the combination of ionic liquid and platinum blue staining, the use of an indium tin oxide membrane, osmium tetroxide‐coated coverslip, or aluminum foil as substrate, and the adjustment of electron acceleration voltage. The authors conclude that the ionic‐liquid method is useful for the visualization of chromosome by scanning electron microscopy without dehydration or metal coating. Microsc. Res. Tech. 75:1113–1118, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nervous system development in Spinicaudata and Cyclestherida (Crustacea, Branchiopoda)—comparing two different modes of indirect development by using an event pairing approach
Authors: Fritsch Martin , Richter Stefan
Published: March 2012

Cladocera are the ecologically most important group within the Branchiopoda. They are unquestionably branchiopods but their evolutionary origin remains unclear. One favored explanation of their origin is that they evolved from a reproductive larva of a clam shrimp‐like ancestor. To reveal a transformation and identify (potential) changes in chronology (heterochrony), we investigated and compared the development of representatives of two clam shrimp taxa, one of the Spinicaudata (Leptestheria dahalacensis) and one of the Cyclestherida (Cyclestheria hislopi), the sister group of Cladocera. Both taxa develop indirectly although the exact modes are quite different. The development of the nervous system, labeled and analyzed using immunohistochemical techniques and confocal microscopy, and that of the external morphology, scanned with an electron microscope, was investigated. L. dahalacensis hatch as a free‐swimming nauplius and the nervous system and external morphology develop gradually. In C. hislopi, on the other hand, several internal and external structures develop before the hatching of a nonswimming embryo‐like larva which is still carried in a dorsal brood pouch. The development in L. dahalacensis is directed from anterior to posterior, whereas in C. hislopi a more synchronous anterior and posterior differentiation is present. A comparison of both developmental sequences gives us the first indications of the evolutionary transformation which the Cladocera may have undergone from a clam shrimp‐like ancestor. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Organization of the sensory system of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris (Annelida, Clitellata) visualized by DiI
Authors: Kiszler Gabor , Varhalmi Eszter , Berta Gergely , Molnar Laszlo
Published: March 2012

The anatomical organization of the peripheral and central sensory structures of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris was investigated applying a fluorescent carbocyanine dye (DiI) as a neuronal tracer. Using whole‐mount preparations and confocal laser scanning microscopy, the pattern of primary sensory cells and pathways of their processes were traced and reconstructed in three‐dimensions. Our study shows that a ventral nerve cord ganglion receives sensory fibers from at least two adjacent segments suggesting that the peripheral nervous system is not segmental in its arrangement and the receptive‐fields of the body wall overlap in earthworms. Furthermore, our result suggests an integrative function of the basiepidermal plexus consists of sensory and motor fibers. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of neurotransmitter distribution in brain development of benthic and pelagic octopod cephalopods
Authors: Wollesen Tim , Sukhsangchan Charuay , Seixas Pedro , Nabhitabhata Jaruwat , Wanninger Andreas
Published: March 2012

The database on neurotransmitter distribution during central nervous system development of cephalopod mollusks is still scarce. We describe the ontogeny of serotonergic (5‐HT‐ir) and FMRFamide‐like immunoreactive (Fa‐lir) neurons in the central nervous system of the benthicOctopus vulgarisand Fa‐lir distribution in the pelagicArgonauta hians. Comparing our data to previous studies, we aim at revealing shared immunochemical domains among coleoid cephalopods, i.e., all cephalopods except nautiluses. During development ofO. vulgaris, 5‐HT‐ir and Fa‐lir elements occur relatively late, namely during stage XII, when the brain neuropils are already highly differentiated. In stage XII‐XX individuals, Fa‐lir cell somata are located in the middle and posterior subesophageal mass and in the optic, posterior basal, and superior buccal lobes. 5‐HT is predominately expressed in cell somata of the superior buccal, anterior basal, and optic lobes, as well as in the subesophageal mass. The overall population of Fa‐lir neurons is larger than the one expressing 5‐HT. Fa‐lir elements are distributed throughout homologous brain areas ofA. hiansandO. vulgaris.We identified neuronal subsets with similar cell number and immunochemical phenotype in coleoids. These are located in corresponding brain regions of developmental stages and adults ofO. vulgaris, A. hians, and the decapod squidIdiosepius notoides. O. vulgarisandI. notoidesexhibit numerous 5‐HT‐ir cell somata in the superior buccal lobes but none or very few in the inferior buccal lobes. The latter have previously been homologized to the gastropod buccal ganglia, which also lack 5‐HT‐ir cell somata in euthyneuran gastropods. Among coleoids, 5‐HT‐ir neuronal subsets, which are located ventrally to the lateral anterior basal lobes and in the anterior middle subesophageal mass, are candidates for homologous subsets. Contrary toI. notoides, octopods exhibit Fa‐lir cell somata ventrally to the brachial lobes and 5‐HT‐ir cell somata close to the stellate ganglia. J. Morphol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Education and Poverty: Confronting the Evidence
Authors: Ladd Helen F.
Published: March 2012

Current U.S. policy initiatives to improve the U.S. education system, including No Child Left Behind, test‐based evaluation of teachers, and the promotion of competition are misguided because they either deny or set to the side a basic body of evidence documenting that students from disadvantaged households on average perform less well in school than those from more advantaged families. Because these policy initiatives do not directly address the educational challenges experienced by disadvantaged students, they have contributed little—and are not likely to contribute much in the future—to raising overall student achievement or to reducing achievement and educational attainment gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged students. Moreover, such policies have the potential to do serious harm. Addressing the educational challenges faced by children from disadvantaged families will require a broader and bolder approach to education policy than the recent efforts to reform schools.
Freezing E3‐brane instantons with fluxes
Authors: Bianchi M. , Collinucci A. , Martucci L.
Published: March 2012

E3‐instantons that generate non‐perturbative superpotentials in IIB 𝒩 = 1 compactifications have a much more frequent occurrence than currently believed. Worldvolume fluxes will typically lift the E3‐brane geometric moduli and their fermionic superpartners, leaving only the two required universal fermionic zero‐modes. We consistently incorporate SL(2, ℤ) monodromies and world‐volume fluxes in the effective theory of the E3‐brane fermions and study the resulting zero modes spectrum, highlighting the relation between F‐theory and perturbative IIB results. This leads us to a IIB derivation of the index for generation of superpotential terms, which reproduces and generalizes available results. Furthermore, we show how E3 worldvolume fluxes can be explicitly constructed in a one‐modulus compactification, such that the instanton has exactly two fermonic zero‐modes. This construction is readily applicable to numerous scenarios.
Transovarial biotransference of etoxazole through a terrestrial trophic web
Authors: Sáenz‐de‐Cabezón Irigaray Francisco J , Zalom Frank G
Published: March 2012

BACKGROUND: Transovarial transport is defined as the passage of chemicals from the maternal body to eggs within the ovaries. Little is known about the effects of transovarial transport on non‐target species. This study evaluates etoxazole (a transovarial acaricidal compound) on a terrestrial trophic web consisting of a ubiquitous phytophagous mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, and three species of predatory mites.

RESULTS: Predatory mite females that consumed eggs laid by etoxazole‐treated T. urticae also produced infertile eggs. There was a negative relationship between the proportion of etoxazole‐treated T. urticae females and the instantaneous rate of predatory mite increase at the population level (r2 = 0.86). Reduced fertility of etoxazole‐treated T. urticae females continued for 18 days following application. Eggs laid by etoxazole‐treated T. urticae females remained toxic to predatory mite females for 42 days after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Transovarial transport could lead to magnification in the ecosystem by enhancing both bioavailability and movement of an active ingredient. The potential for enhancement of residual activity by terrestrial organisms and its significance once reaching the food web should be taken into account for new classes of acaricides and insecticides. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Sol–gel synthesis, solid sintering, and thermal stability of single‐phase YCoO3
Authors: Feng Guanlin , Xue Yanfeng , Shen Hongzhi , Feng Shuo , Li Liang , Zhou Jing , Yang Hang , Xu Dapeng
Published: April 2012

Using Y(NO3)3·6H2O and Co(NO3)2·6H2O as the starting materials, the single‐phase YCoO3 has been synthesized by a two‐step process involving a sol–gel technique and a sintering method. The structure, electromagnetic properties, and thermal stability of the synthesized samples were measured by XRD, thermogravimmetry and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA), TEM, and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM). The experimental results show that the synthesis conditions of the single‐phase YCoO3 are 900–950 °C for 10 h in air. And the synthesis temperature is extended to 900–1000 °C and the sintering time is shortened to 5 h in an oxygen atmosphere. The synthesized powders have orthorhombic structure, with a diameter of ∼30 nm, which is stable in air below 1050 °C and in oxygen atmosphere below 1100 °C. Above those temperatures, YCoO3 decomposes into Y2O3 and Co3O4.
ODMR of single point defects in silicon nanostructures
Authors: Bagraev Nikolay , Danilovsky Eduard , Gets Dmitry , Klyachkin Leonid , Kudryavtsev Andrey , Kuzmin Roman , Malyarenko Anna
Published: March 2012

We present the findings of the optically detected magnetic resonance technique (ODMR), which reveal single point defects in the ultra‐narrow silicon quantum wells (Si‐QW) confined by the superconductor δ‐barriers. This technique allows the ODMR identification without application of an external cavity, as well as a high frequency source and recorder, and with measuring the transmission spectra within the frameworks of the excitonic normal‐mode coupling caused by the microcavities embedded in the Si‐QW plane. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Shapiro steps revealed by Josephson junctions embedded in silicon microcavities
Authors: Bagraev Nikolay , Danilovsky Eduard , Gets Dmitry , Klyachkin Leonid , Kudryavtsev Andrey , Kuzmin Roman , Malyarenko Anna
Published: March 2012

One of the best candidate on the role of the THz optoelectronic pairs appears to be the high mobility p ‐type silicon quantum well (Si‐QW), 2 nm, confined by the δ‐barriers heavily doped with boron on the n ‐type Si (100) surface. The δ‐barriers heavily doped with boron are already shown to exhibit the high temperature superconductor properties, Tc = 145 K, 2Δ = 44 meV and Hc 2 = 0.22 T. This Si‐QW confined by the superconductor δ‐barriers is a basis of the sandwich nanostructure device that is used to register the Shapiro steps and the Fiske steps by measuring the Josephson CV characteristics. The Josephson GHz and THz emission is controlled, for the first time, by stabilizing the drain‐source current and by varying the top gate voltage. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy of zinc‐blende GaN quantum dots
Authors: Bürger M. , Schupp T. , Lischka K. , As D. J.
Published: March 2012

We analyzed the cathodoluminescence of zinc‐blende GaN/AlN quantum dots grown by two different methods. Method A being droplet epitaxy, a vapor liquid solid process and method B being Stranski‐Krastanov growth. At an equal quantum dot density of 1011 cm‐2, droplet epitaxy grown quantum dots have shown a luminescence intensity which was more than one order of magnitude higher than the one of Stranski‐Krastanov quantum dots. Furthermore, we revealed a dependency between the quantum dot emission energy and the amount of deposited Ga. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Topographically controlled growth of silver nanoparticle clusters
Authors: Wi Jung‐Sub , Shrestha Lok Kumar , Nagao Tadaaki
Published: March 2012

We present a straightforward method to form regular arrays of chemically synthesized Ag nanoparticle clusters, which are preferentially nucleated and developed inside pre‐patterned Si nanowells. The sizes and shapes of the clusters follow the dimensions of the lithographically defined Si nanowells, which here have a depth of 100 nm and form a square array with a pitch of 300 nm. Potential use of the array of Ag nanoparticle clusters as a surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) based sensing platform is demonstrated by the calculation of locally enhanced electromagnetic fields and by confocal microscopic measurements of increased Raman signals from organic molecules adsorbed on the Ag nanoparticle clusters. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Density functional theory study of the multimode Jahn‐Teller problem in the fullerene anion
Authors: Ramanantoanina Harry , Gruden‐Pavlovic Maja , Zlatar Matija , Daul Claude
Published: March 2012

The fullerene anion, C60−, within the Ih point group, is a spherical molecule subject to the T ⊗ h Jahn–Teller (JT) distortion. The descent in symmetry goes to the three epikernel subgroups, namely D5d, D3d, and D2h. The last one completely removes the electronic degeneracy, whereas D5d and D3d structures are subject to further JT distortion, leading to C2h minimum energy structure. The multideterminantal density functional theory approach was applied to calculate the JT parameters for all seven different structures of lower symmetry. The multimode problem in this system was addressed using the intrinsic distortion path method, in which the JT distortion is expressed as a linear combination of all totally symmetric normal modes in the particular low symmetry minimum energy conformation. Results obtained by both methods are consistent and give direct insight into the coupling of electronic distribution and nuclear movements in C. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry for analysis of sexual assault evidence
Authors: Musah Rabi A. , Cody Robert B. , Dane A. John , Vuong Angela L. , Shepard Jason R. E.
Published: March 2012

RATIONALE

Sexual assault crimes are vastly underreported and suffer from alarmingly low prosecution and conviction rates. The key scientific method to aid in prosecution of such cases is forensic DNA analysis, where biological evidence such as semen collected using a rape test kit is used to determine a suspect's DNA profile. However, the growing awareness by criminals of the importance of DNA in the prosecution of sexual assaults has resulted in increased condom use by assailants as a means to avoid leaving behind their DNA. Thus, other types of trace evidence are important to help corroborate victims' accounts, exonerate the innocent, link suspects to the crime, or confirm penetration.

METHODS

Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART‐MS) was employed for the comprehensive characterization of non‐DNA trace evidence associated with sexual assault. The ambient ionization method associated with DART‐MS is extremely rapid and samples are processed instantaneously, without the need for extraction, sample preparation, or other means that might compromise forensic evidence for future analyses.

RESULTS

In a single assay, we demonstrated the ability to identify lubricant formulations associated with sexual assault, such as the spermicide nonoxynol‐9, compounds used in condom manufacture, and numerous other trace components as probative evidence. In addition, the method can also serve to identify compounds within trace biological residues, such as fatty acids commonly identified in latent fingerprints.

CONCLUSIONS

Characterization of lubricant residues as probative evidence serves to establish a connection between the victim and the perpetrator, and the availability of these details may lead to higher rates of prosecution and conviction, as well as more severe penalties. The methodology described here opens the way for the adoption of a comprehensive, rapid, and sensitive analysis for use in crime labs, while providing knowledge that can inform and guide criminal justice policy and practice. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patterning Hierarchy in Direct and Inverse Opal Crystals
Authors: Mishchenko Lidiya , Hatton Benjamin , Kolle Mathias , Aizenberg Joanna
Published: March 2012

Biological strategies for bottom‐up synthesis of inorganic crystalline and amorphous materials within topographic templates have recently become an attractive approach for fabricating complex synthetic structures. Inspired by these strategies, herein the synthesis of multi‐layered, hierarchical inverse colloidal crystal films formed directly on topographically patterned substrates via evaporative deposition, or “co‐assembly”, of polymeric spheres with a silicate sol–gel precursor solution and subsequent removal of the colloidal template, is described. The response of this growing composite colloid–silica system to artificially imposed 3D spatial constraints of various geometries is systematically studied, and compared with that of direct colloidal crystal assembly on the same template. Substrates designed with arrays of rectangular, triangular, and hexagonal prisms and cylinders are shown to control crystallographic domain nucleation and orientation of the direct and inverse opals. With this bottom‐up topographical approach, it is demonstrated that the system can be manipulated to either form large patterned single crystals, or crystals with a fine‐tuned extent of disorder, and to nucleate distinct colloidal domains of a defined size, location, and orientation in a wide range of length‐scales. The resulting ordered, quasi‐ordered, and disordered colloidal crystal films show distinct optical properties. Therefore, this method provides a means of controlling bottom‐up synthesis of complex, hierarchical direct and inverse opal structures designed for altering optical properties and increased functionality.
Is it possible to obtain a presurgical Lasmar score for hysteroscopic myomectomy by ultrasound alone?
Authors: Camanni M. , Bonino L. , Tessarolo M. , Migliaretti G. , Ferrero B. , Deltetto F.
Published: March 2012

Objective

To determine whether a Lasmar score obtained entirely by the use of two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound provides results similar to those obtained using the original hysteroscopic technique.

Methods

This was a prospective study performed on a series of patients presenting with symptomatic submucous fibroids and scheduled for hysteroscopic myomectomy. Ultrasound Lasmar scores were obtained by a single physician, a specialist in ultrasonography, in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. 3D images were evaluated by offline examination using multiplanar analysis. Classical Lasmar scores were obtained by a different physician, a specialist in hysteroscopy, during the follicular phase of the subsequent cycle. Surgery was performed by a third physician in the follicular phase who also reported a Lasmar score, which we considered as the gold standard. The concordance between group classifications (I–III, relating to difficulty of hysteroscopic resection) according to the three methods used to obtain the Lasmar score (ultrasound, classical and surgery) was calculated using Cohen's κ statistic.

Results

Thirty‐four women, with a mean age of 43 ± 4.9 years, were enrolled in the study. Thirty‐six submucous fibroids were identified by both ultrasound and diagnostic hysteroscopy. The mean diameter of fibroids evaluated was 28 ± 13.2 mm. The concordance between the three methods of classifying patients according to Lasmar score was high: classical vs. surgery, κ = 0.88; ultrasound vs. surgery, κ = 0.93; and classical vs. ultrasound, κ = 0.77.

Conclusion

The Lasmar score can be obtained solely by ultrasound examination performed in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, avoiding office hysteroscopy without a loss of diagnostic accuracy. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal left brachiocephalic vein in normal and abnormal conditions
Authors: Sinkovskaya E. , Abuhamad A. , Horton S. , Chaoui R. , Karl K.
Published: March 2012

Objectives

To establish values of fetal left brachiocephalic vein (LBCV) dimensions during normal pregnancy and determine whether routine assessment of the LBCV may help in identifying fetuses with congenital abnormalities of this vessel.

Methods

Fetal LBCV was assessed prospectively during ultrasound examinations in 431 normal singleton pregnancies. The visualization rate of the transverse view of the upper fetal chest at the level of drainage of the LBCV into the superior vena cava (SVC) by two‐dimensional (2D) and 2D plus color Doppler ultrasound was evaluated. Reference ranges of LBCV diameter during non‐complicated pregnancies were established. Interobserver and intraobserver measurement variability was analyzed. In addition, a retrospective review of the hospital medical records of 91 pregnancies with fetuses diagnosed with LBCV abnormalities was performed.

Results

Sonographic assessment of the fetal LBCV was consistently achieved in the second and third trimesters and in some fetuses in the first trimester of pregnancy. In normal fetuses LBCV diameter increased significantly throughout pregnancy, with a mean value of 0.7 mm at 11 weeks and 4.9 mm at term. Dilation of the fetal LBCV was noted in five cases of intracranial arteriovenous malformation and six cases of supracardiac type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection. Abnormal course of the LBCV was noted in 12 fetuses. In 63 fetuses with a persistent left SVC and a right SVC the LBCV was absent.

Conclusion

This is the first study describing an effective sonographic approach for the assessment of fetal LBCV dimensions during pregnancy. The normative data may provide an additional means of detecting rare anomalies of systemic and pulmonary veins during pregnancy. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cognitive aspects of depression
Authors: Kircanski Katharina , Joormann Jutta , Gotlib Ian H.
Published: March 2012

Depression is a prevalent and impairing psychiatric disorder that affects how we feel and how we think about ourselves and the world around us. Cognitive theories of depression have long posited that various thought processes are involved in the development, maintenance, and recurrence of depressive episodes. Contemporary research has utilized experimental procedures to examine cognitive processes in depressed individuals as well as the nature of the relation of these processes to the emotion dysregulation that is central to the disorder. For example, investigators have assessed the ways in which depression alters aspects of information processing, including attention and perception, interpretation, and memory processes; this research has generated relatively consistent findings. In addition, researchers have attempted to identify and elucidate the cognitive mechanisms that may link these biases in information processing to emotion dysregulation in depression. These mechanisms include inhibitory processes and deficits in working memory, ruminative responses to negative mood states, and the inability to use positive and rewarding stimuli to regulate negative mood. Results of these investigations converge on the formulation that depression is associated with increased elaboration of negative information, difficulties in cognitive control when processing this information, and difficulties disengaging from this information. Research examining cognitive aspects of depression not only enhances our understanding of this common and costly disorder, but also has implications for the treatment of depression and for future investigations of the biological foundations of this disorder. WIREs Cogn Sci 2012, 3:301–313. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1177

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Emotion and Motivation
Overview of the pharmacology and physiological roles of P2Y receptors
Authors: Boeynaems Jean‐Marie , Communi Didier , Robaye Bernard
Published: March 2012

The release of nucleotides in extracellular fluids can result from cell necrosis, exocytosis of secretory granules (such as platelet‐dense granules), vesicular trafficking, or efflux through membrane channels. Once in the extracellular fluids, nucleotides are rapidly degraded by ectonucleotidases, such as CD39 and CD73, that transform ATP sequentially into ADP, AMP and finally adenosine. Extracellular nucleotides act on two families of receptors: the ionotropic P2X receptors and the G‐protein‐coupled P2Y receptors. There are eight genuine P2Y receptor subtypes encoded by distinct genes that can be subdivided in two structurally distinct subfamilies: P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y6, and P2Y11 on one hand and P2Y12, P2Y13, and P2Y14 on the other hand. Whereas P2X receptors are receptors of ATP, the different P2Y receptors are activated by distinct nucleotides, diphosphates or triphosphates, purines or pyrimidines, some of them being conjugated to sugars. The most striking action of nucleotides mediated by P2Y receptors is the aggregation of platelets by ADP that involves a cooperation between P2Y1 and P2Y12. The only drugs targeting a P2Y receptor currently on the market are P2Y12 antagonists used as antiplatelet agents: ticlopidine, clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor. However, gene silencing techniques have been instrumental in establishing new unexpected functions of P2Y receptors, such as the role of P2Y2 receptors in leukocyte chemotaxis and tissue infiltration, the attraction of microglia by P2Y12 and the stimulation of their phagocytic activity by P2Y6, and the activation of reverse cholesterol transport by P2Y13 expressed on hepatocytes. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1:581–588. doi: 10.1002/wmts.44

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Identification and functional study of a new FLO10-derivative gene from the industrial flocculating yeast SPSC01
Authors: He Lei-Yu , Zhao Xin-Qing , Ge Xu-Meng , Bai Feng-Wu
Published: March 2012

Yeast flocculation is an important property for the brewing industry as well as for ethanol fermentation to facilitate biomass recovery by sedimentation from the fermentation broth, which is cost-effective. In this study, a new flocculating gene FLO10  spsc of 4,221 bp homologous to FLO10 was identified in the industrial flocculating yeast SPSC01. Sequence analysis indicated that the N- and C-terminus of the deduced protein of this new FLO gene are 99 % identical to that of FLO10, but more intragenic repeats are included. The study on the function of FLO10  spsc by its integrative expression in the non-flocculating industrial yeast indicated severe inhibition in the flocculation of the transformant by mannose and maltose, moderate inhibition by sucrose and glucose and no inhibition by xylose and galactose, and thus the NewFlo type was established. Meanwhile, the flocculation of the transformant was stable when the temperature was below 50 °C and the pH was in the range of 4.0–6.0. Furthermore, the medium containing 250 g/l glucose was completely fermented within 48 h by the transformant, with about 110 g/l ethanol and 5.5 g(DCW)/l biomass produced, and no significant difference in ethanol fermentation performance was observed compared to its wide-type strain. Therefore, the FLO gene and corresponding transformation strategy provide a platform for engineering yeast strains with the flocculation phenotype to facilitate biomass recovery.
The Sorites Paradox, “Life,” and Abiogenesis
Authors: Vlaardingerbroek Barend
Published: March 2012

The ancient Greek philosopher Eubulides of Miletus drew attention to the impossibility of defining a point of transition between two states or conditions at opposite ends of a continuum. The ensuing “drawing the line” conundrum—the sorites paradox—arises from the vague predicates which humans use to convey concepts. It is argued that “life” is an indeterminate concept subject to the vagaries of the paradox. Science communicators and educators need to refrain from phraseology which connotes a sharp line of demarcation between nonliving and living or the existence of a discrete moment in time at which life appeared.
Glucose intolerance associated with early-life exposure to maternal cafeteria feeding is dependent upon post-weaning diet
Authors: Akyol Asli , McMullen Sarah , Langley-Evans Simon C.
Published: March 2012

In addition to being a risk factor for adverse outcomes of pregnancy, maternal obesity may play a role in determining the long-term disease patterns observed in the resulting offspring, with metabolic and dietary factors directly programming fetal development. The present study evaluated the potential for feeding rats an obesogenic cafeteria diet (O) pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy, during lactation and for the offspring post-weaning, to programme glucose tolerance. Early-life exposure to an O diet had no significant effect on offspring food intake. Early-life programming associated with O feeding to induce maternal obesity was associated with reduced adiposity in offspring weaned onto low-fat chow. Adult offspring exposed to an O diet in early life and weaned on a chow diet had low fasting glucose and insulin concentrations and appeared to be more sensitive to insulin during an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test. When weaned on an O diet, male offspring were more prone to glucose intolerance than females. On the basis of the area under the glucose curve, maternal O feeding at any point from pre-mating to lactation was associated with impaired glucose tolerance. The mechanism for this was not identified, although increased hepatic expression of Akt2 may have indicated disturbance of insulin signalling pathways. The observations in the present study confirm that maternal overnutrition and obesity during pregnancy are risk factors for metabolic disturbance in the resulting offspring. Although the effects on glucose homeostasis were independent of offspring adiposity, the programming of a glucose-intolerant phenotype was only observed when offspring were weaned on a diet that induced greater fat deposition.