bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disruption of classical eyelid conditioning after cerebellar lesions: damage to a memory trace system or a simple performance deficit?
Authors: Steinmetz JE , Lavond DG , Ivkovich D , Logan CG , Thompson RF
Published: March 2018

Over the past 10 years, a number of laboratories have reported that classically conditioned skeletal muscle responses, such as conditioned nictitating membrane/eyelid responses, are critically dependent on activity in the cerebellum. For example, unilateral lesions of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus have been shown to prevent acquisition and abolish retention of the conditioned eyelid response on the side ipsilateral to the lesions without affecting conditioned responding (CR) on the contralateral side. Also, recording studies involving the interpositus nucleus have consistently revealed patterns of neuronal discharge that predict execution of the CR. The lesion and recording studies have generally been cited as evidence that plasticity in the cerebellum is critically involved in the learning and memory of classically conditioned responses. This interpretation was recently challenged by Welsh and Harvey (1989a), who claimed that cerebellar lesions simply produced a performance deficit and speculated that the role of the cerebellum was not in learning and memory processes associated with the CR but only in performance of the eye blink response. Presented here are three experiments that provide additional strong evidence for a critical role of the cerebellum in the learning and memory of the Pavlovian CR. These experiments include (1) demonstrations of complete and permanent CR abolition after appropriate interpositus lesions, (2) a failure to find systematic or persisting decrements in the unconditioned response amplitude (i.e., the eye blink reflex) after appropriate interpositus lesion, and (3) observations of differential effects on the CR and unconditioned response after lesions were placed in populations of motoneurons responsible for executing the eye blink response. These data are discussed in the context of performance versus learning issues; evidence presented here rules out the possibility that interpositus lesion abolition of the eye blink CR is simply due to lesion effects on performance.
The 25 kDa synaptosomal-associated protein SNAP-25 is the major methionine-rich polypeptide in rapid axonal transport and a major substrate for palmitoylation in adult CNS
Authors: Hess DT , Slater TM , Wilson MC , Skene JH
Published: March 2018

A conspicuous correlate of the developmental transformation of axonal growth cones to synaptic terminals is a marked increase in synthesis and axonal transport of a methionine-rich, acidic polypeptide of approximately 25 kDa. This polypeptide, designated “super protein” (SuP), is the most prominent species among methionine-labeled proteins conveyed by rapid axonal transport in mature CNS and PNS neurons of warm- and cold-blooded vertebrates. We show here that SuP is identical to SNAP-25, a highly conserved synaptic protein of known primary structure, by immunoprecipitation with anti-SNAP-25 antiserum of SuP labeled with 35S-methionine and transported by retinal ganglion cells of rat and cat. In addition, we show that SNAP-25/SuP is the most prominent species among retinal polypeptides that incorporate 3H- palmitate in vivo, that it is fatty acylated through a hydroxylamine- labile, thioester bond, and that palmitoylated SNAP-25/SuP is axonally transported. Thus, SNAP-25/SuP is a rapidly transported constituent of the presynaptic apparatus and a major neuronal substrate for long-chain fatty acylation.
Rapid onset of neuronal death induced by blockade of either axoplasmic transport or action potentials in afferent fibers during brain development
Authors: Catsicas M , Pequignot Y , Clarke PG
Published: March 2018

We have investigated how neurons in the optic tecta of embryonic day 16 chick embryos depend for survival on their afferents from the retina. To distinguish between activity-mediated effects and other, “trophic,” ones, we compared the effects on the tectal neurons of blocking intraocular axoplasmic transport (with colchicine) or action potentials (by means of TTX). Both interventions rapidly induced the appearance of dying (pyknotic) neurons in the tectum, with major increases in their number occurring within 13 hr post-colchicine and within 9 hr post-TTX. Following both drugs, the dying neurons were morphologically similar, and in both cases the cell death depended on protein synthesis. However, the effects of colchicine and of TTX could be dissociated, since the most superficial tectal neurons became pyknotic only in response to colchicine, and, with a sufficiently short survival time (9 hr), the deep cells of the stratum griseum centrale became pyknotic only in response to TTX. We hence argue that the survival of the tectal neurons depends on their ongoing maintenance by substances released from retinotectal axon terminals, the release being activity dependent in the case of the deep neurons but independent of activity in the case of the superficial ones.
Neural regulation of N-cadherin gene expression in developing and adult skeletal muscle
Authors: Hahn CG , Covault J
Published: March 2018

Using monoclonal antibody and cDNA probes, we have studied N-cadherin gene expression in developing and adult chick skeletal muscle. N- cadherin was expressed by developing myotubes during the period of initial nerve-muscle contact but was downregulated within days of innervation. Treatment of embryos with d-tubocurare partially reversed this downregulation. In the adult, there were muscle fiber type differences in N-cadherin expression. N-cadherin was undetectable on normally innervated twitch fibers, while multiply innervated tonic muscle fibers expressed low but readily detectable levels of N- cadherin. Denervation led to the renewed expression of N-cadherin in twitch fibers as well as a marked increase in expression in tonic fibers. Levels of N-cadherin expressed by tonic fibers could also be modulated by animal housing conditions that favored either increased or decreased levels of daily motor activity. Increased motor activity was correlated with decreased levels of N-cadherin, while decreased motor activity correlated with increased levels of muscle N-cadherin. Results of in vitro studies using the calcium channel agonist ryanodine suggest that changes in intracellular calcium may be the initial signal linking neural stimulation with changes in muscle fiber expression of N- cadherin. Together, our results indicate that neural stimulation of chick skeletal muscle fibers dynamically and reversibly downregulates the expression of N-cadherin mRNA and protein. This pattern of regulation may be functionally important in limiting and/or promoting axon growth in innervated versus denervated muscle and may serve as a molecular model system for studies of the activity-dependent regulation of gene expression.
Coordinate expression of insulin-like growth factor system components by neurons and neuroglia during retinal and cerebellar development
Authors: Lee WH , Javedan S , Bondy CA
Published: March 2018

The interactions of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) with the type I IGF receptor are modulated by a family of high-affinity IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs). One of these, IGFBP2, demonstrates a striking spatiotemporal relationship with IGF-I during cerebellar and retinal development. IGF-I mRNA is transiently expressed in large projection neurons--cerebellar Purkinje and retinal ganglion cells--while IGFBP2 mRNA is selectively expressed by contiguous neuroglia--Bergmann glia in the cerebellum and Muller cells and astrocytes of the nerve fiber layer in the retina. IGF-I and IGFBP2 gene expression is not only neuroanatomically coordinated but also temporally synchronized, peaking together during the postnatal maturation of these structures. This pattern of IGF system expression suggests that IGFBP2 is closely related to IGF-I's action in the developing nervous system.
Does loss of nerve growth factor receptors precede loss of cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer's disease? An autoradiographic study in the human striatum and basal forebrain
Authors: Strada O , Hirsch EC , Javoy-Agid F , Lehericy S , Ruberg M , Hauw JJ , Agid Y
Published: March 2018

The mechanism by which cholinergic neurons degenerate in Alzheimer's disease is not known. Some of these neurons depend, however, on trophic support from NGF via a membrane receptor. We have analyzed the state of these receptors by autoradiography, with 125I-NGF as the ligand, in the caudate nucleus, putamen, ventral striatum, nucleus basalis of Meynert, and nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus of six patients with Alzheimer's disease and five controls, matched for age and postmortem delay. The binding characteristics were similar in the striatum (including caudate nucleus, putamen, and ventral striatum) and basal forebrain of control subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease (Kd = 2.5-4 x 10(-11) M). In control brains, high levels of 125I-NGF binding were observed in the basal forebrain and striatum (0.32–0.49 fmol/mg tissue equivalent), but no specific binding was detected in the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus. NGF binding sites were distributed heterogeneously in the striatum with patches of low density, corresponding to AChE-poor striosomes, surrounded by a matrix in which receptor density was significantly greater. In Alzheimer's disease, the density of NGF receptors was markedly decreased in the caudate nucleus, putamen, ventral striatum, and nucleus basalis of Meynert. In contrast, AChE staining decreased less in the nucleus basalis of Meynert in all Alzheimer's disease patients, and in the ventral striatum of those most severely affected. These results indicate that if NGF receptors are located on cholinergic neurons, receptor loss and the consequent decrease in trophic support may precede cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The relationship between the loss of these receptors and the pathogenesis of the disease remains to be determined.
Serotonin agonists increase transferrin levels via activation of 5-HT1C receptors in choroid plexus epithelium
Authors: Esterle TM , Sanders-Bush E
Published: March 2018

Choroid plexus epithelial cells are enriched in mRNA for proteins such as the iron carrier transferrin, which acts as a trophic factor in the brain. Choroid plexus epithelial cells also have a high density of 5- HT1C receptors linked to activation of the phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis second messenger system. The present studies show that the 5- HT1C/5-HT2 receptor agonist 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2- aminopropane (DOI) potently increases PI hydrolysis and the levels of transferrin in primary cultures of rat choroid plexus epithelial cells. These effects are blocked by the 5-HT1C/5-HT2 receptor antagonists mesulergine and mianserin, but not by the 5-HT2 receptor-selective antagonist spiperone. Similarly, mesulergine and mianserin, but not spiperone, block the increases in transferrin levels and PI hydrolysis elicited by 5-carboxamidotryptamine (5-CT), a 5-HT1 receptor-selective agonist, and by serotonin. We conclude, therefore, that 5-HT1C receptor activation in the choroid plexus leads to an increase in the production of transferrin. By promoting transferrin synthesis in the choroid plexus, 5-HT may indirectly influence brain development and differentiation.
Regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor mRNA in primary cultures of hippocampal neurons and astrocytes
Authors: Zafra F , Lindholm D , Castren E , Hartikka J , Thoenen H
Published: March 2018

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NGF are both expressed by neurons in the hippocampus. In previous studies, it has been demonstrated that both BDNF and NGF mRNA levels are regulated by neuronal activity. Upregulation is predominantly regulated by the glutamate (NMDA and non-NMDA receptors); downregulation, predominantly by the GABA system (Zafra et al., 1990, 1991). In neuronal cultures of the rat hippocampus, potassium depolarization and kainic acid-mediated increases in BDNF and NGF mRNA were eliminated in a dose-dependent manner by the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. Conversely, calcium ionophores (Bay-K8644 and ionomycin) augmented BDNF and NGF mRNA levels by a calmodulin-mediated mechanism. In view of the fact that many potential modulators (conventional transmitters and neuropeptides) of neuronal and astrocytic BDNF and NGF mRNA synthesis may act via the adenylate cyclase system, we studied the effect of forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase. Indeed, forskolin enhanced the effects of calcium ionophores and kainic acid on BDNF and NGF mRNA levels. Cytokines, such as interleukin-1 and transforming growth factor-beta 1, which have previously been shown to increase NGF mRNA markedly in astrocytes, were without effect on neuronal BDNF and NGF mRNA levels. In contrast to neuronal cultures, where the regulation of BDNF and NGF mRNA was generally very similar, the regulation in astrocytes was distinctly different. All the cytokines that produce a marked increase in NGF mRNA were without effect on astrocyte BDNF mRNA levels, which under basic conditions were below the detection limit. However, norepinephrine produced a marked elevation of BDNF mRNA in astrocytes, an effect that was further enhanced by glutamate receptor agonists.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Microtubule-based filopodium-like protrusions form after axotomy
Authors: Goldberg DJ , Burmeister DW
Published: March 2018

The growth cone at the front of a growing neurite often has F-actin- rich structures--digitate filopodia and sheet-like veils and lamellipodia--whose protrusion advances the leading edge. Microtubules and other cytoplasmic constituents later fill the protruded area, transforming it into new neuritic length. Growth can be initiated from an axon by transecting it. We have used video-enhanced contrast- differential interference contrast microscopy to observe the early events following transection of Aplysia axons in culture. Many filopodium-like protrusions (FLPs) grew rapidly (average instantaneous velocity of 1.6 microns/sec) from the sides and end of the axon stump within minutes of transection. Some of these displayed bidirectional transport of swellings, at a rate similar to fast axonal transport. Dihydrocytochalasin B, which blocks actin polymerization, only halved the number of FLPs that formed within 10 min of transection, and actually increased the number of transporting FLPs. Nocodazole, a microtubule-specific drug, also halved the number of FLPs, but none of them displayed transport of swellings. No FLPs formed in the presence of both drugs. In transected axons that had not been exposed to either drug, removal of the plasma membrane revealed fibers in many of the FLPs; immunofluorescence showed these fibers to be microtubules. Thus, a substantial number of the FLPs that form soon after axotomy are microtubule based, rather than actin based, underscoring the potential of microtubules to drive the rapid extension of neuritic precursors.
Spontaneous synchronous synaptic calcium transients in cultured cortical neurons
Authors: Murphy TH , Blatter LA , Wier WG , Baraban JM
Published: March 2018

The firing pattern displayed by neuronal aggregates is thought to play a key role in cortical development and physiology. In this study, we have employed optical recording of intracellular calcium to monitor activity of multiple neurons simultaneously in primary cortical cultures. With this approach, we have observed spontaneous synchronous calcium transients among adjacent cortical neurons. These transients appear to be mediated by prominent spontaneous synaptic excitation, as they are enhanced by picrotoxin, a blocker of inhibitory GABAergic transmission, and reduced by antagonism of glutamate receptors or addition of TTX. After picrotoxin treatment, the calcium transients exhibit regular frequency and amplitude, and occur in synchrony with bursts of excitatory synaptic potentials every 10–20 sec. Using electrical stimulation, we have identified a relative refractory period, extending up to 5 sec after a synchronous burst, that may play a role in cell synchronization. NMDA receptor antagonists or reduced extracellular calcium levels lower the amplitude of the calcium transients yet fail to alter their frequency, suggesting that intracellular calcium levels may not be a major determinant of burst frequency. In contrast, mild depolarization with kainic acid (0.5–1 microM) increased burst frequency up to fivefold, suggesting a critical dependence of rhythmic activity on membrane potential. Chronic blockade of electrical activity with TTX beginning a few days after plating of cultures dampens the amplitude and significantly increases the frequency of calcium transients in mature cultures. These studies demonstrate that aggregates of cultured cortical neurons express synchronous firing activity in vitro and that this network activity is dependent in part on neuronal firing during development.
Selective vulnerability of dentate hilar neurons following traumatic brain injury: a potential mechanistic link between head trauma and disorders of the hippocampus
Authors: Lowenstein DH , Thomas MJ , Smith DH , McIntosh TK
Published: March 2018

Despite intensive study, the neurobiological basis of epilepsy and persistent memory impairment following traumatic head injury remains unknown. Since abnormalities of the hippocampus are known to be associated with temporal lobe seizures and memory dysfunction, we investigated the effects of experimental traumatic brain injury on hippocampal structure and function in the rat. Using a model of fluid- percussion injury, we have discovered that neurons of the dentate hilus are vulnerable to a brief, unilateral impact to the extradural surface of the brain. One week after trauma, there was a dramatic reduction in hilar neurons ipsilateral to the impact, and a milder but significant decrease in neurons on the contralateral side as well. This neuronal loss was highly selective since adjacent dentate granule and pyramidal neurons appeared relatively unaffected. Immunocytochemistry showed that the hilar cell loss included a loss of somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons, and degeneration stains provided evidence that irreversible hilar injury occurred within 4 hr of impact. To assess the functional effects of the hilar damage, dentate granule cell field potentials were measured in response to perforant path stimulation. This revealed abnormal dentate granule cell hyperexcitability at 2.0 Hz stimulation in many of the injured animals. The presence of abnormal hyperexcitability correlated with the loss of hilar neurons. Thus, a momentary impact to the surface of the brain can cause selective, bilateral hippocampal injury with associated abnormalities in dentate gyrus physiology. Furthermore, the pattern of cell loss is similar to that observed in some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Trigeminal and dorsal root ganglion neurons express CCK receptor binding sites in the rat, rabbit, and monkey: possible site of opiate- CCK analgesic interactions
Authors: Ghilardi JR , Allen CJ , Vigna SR , McVey DC , Mantyh PW
Published: March 2018

125I-Bolton-Hunter sulfated cholecystokinin-8 was used to localize and characterize cholecystokinin (CCK) receptor binding sites in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia, and in the spinal cord of the rat, rabbit, and monkey. In the rabbit and monkey, a substantial number, 90 +/- 21% and 24 +/- 8%, respectively, of trigeminal and dorsal root ganglion neurons express CCK binding sites. In the spinal cord, the highest concentration of CCK receptors is found in laminae I and II, which is the major termination site of dorsal root ganglia neurons expressing CCK receptor binding sites. Neonatal capsaicin treatment of the rat results in a 70% decline in CCK receptor binding sites in laminae I and II of the spinal cord, indicating that dorsal root ganglia neurons are a major source of CCK receptors in the spinal cord. Pharmacological experiments using selective CCK-A and CCK-B receptor antagonists demonstrate that CCK-B is the prominent CCK receptor subtype in trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia neurons in the rat, rabbit, and monkey. In the rat and rabbit spinal cord, CCK-B binding sites are the prominent subtype, whereas in the monkey cord, CCK-A is the prominent receptor subtype. These results demonstrate that CCK-B receptors are expressed by a substantial percentage of dorsal root ganglion neurons at all spinal levels, and that CCK may antagonize opiate analgesia at the level of the primary afferent neuron itself.
Amino terminus of substance P potentiates kainic acid-induced activity in the mouse spinal cord
Authors: Larson AA , Sun X
Published: March 2018

Sensitization to the behavioral effects produced by repeated injections of kainic acid (KA) into the mouse spinal cord area has been previously shown to be abolished by pretreatment with capsaicin, a neurotoxin of substance P (SP)-containing primary afferent C-fibers. While SP has a variety of well characterized biological actions that are mediated by interactions of its COOH terminus with neurokinin receptors, more recently we have characterized an amino-terminally directed SP binding site. The present studies were initiated to determine whether behavioral sensitization to repeated injections of intrathecally administered KA is mediated by the COOH or NH2 terminal of SP. In the present studies, pretreatment with SP(1-7), an NH2-terminal fragment of SP, but not SP(5-11), a COOH-terminal fragment, potentiated KA-induced behavioral activity in mice. Pretreatment with [D-Pro2,D-Phe7]SP(1-7), an inhibitor of SP NH2-terminal binding, blocked the potentiative effect of SP(1-7) as well as the sensitization to repeated injections of KA. In contrast, [D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9]SP, a neurokinin antagonist, had little effect on behavioral sensitization to KA. The present study suggests that SP has an important modulatory role on excitatory amino acid activity in the spinal cord that is mediated by an action of the NH2 terminal of SP at a non-neurokinin receptor.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide and noradrenaline exert long-term control on glycogen levels in astrocytes: blockade by protein synthesis inhibition
Authors: Sorg O , Magistretti PJ
Published: March 2018

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and noradrenaline (NA) have been previously shown to promote glycogenolysis in mouse cerebral cortex (Magistretti, 1990). This action, which is fully expressed within a few minutes, is exerted on astrocytes (Sorg and Magistretti, 1991). In the present article, we report a second, temporally delayed, action of VIP or NA in primary cultures of mouse cerebral cortical astrocytes; thus, following glycogenolysis, an induction of glycogen resynthesis is observed, resulting, within 9 hr, in glycogen levels that are 6–10 times higher than those measured before the application of either neurotransmitter. This effect of VIP or NA is concentration dependent and, for NA, is mediated by adrenergic receptors of the beta subtype. The continued presence of the neurotransmitter is not necessary for this long-term effect, since pulses as short as 1 min result in the doubling of glycogen levels 9 hr later. The induction of glycogen resynthesis triggered by VIP or NA is dependent on protein synthesis, since both cycloheximide and actinomycin D abolish it entirely. The ability to elicit glycogenolysis is not sufficient per se to trigger the induction of glycogen resynthesis. Thus, two glycogenolytic agents such as methoxamine, an alpha 1-adrenergic agonist, and phorbol 12,13- dibutyrate, both acting via protein kinase C activation, are unable to induce glycogen resynthesis. This observation, taken together with the fact that dibutyryl-cAMP application also results in enhanced glycogen resynthesis, strongly suggests that the long-term effect of VIP or NA is mediated by the cAMP second-messenger pathway.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Whole Genome Assembly of the Horn Fly, Haematobia irritans, and Prediction of Genes with Roles in Metabolism and Sex Determination
Authors: Konganti Kranti , Guerrero Felix D , Schilkey Faye , Ngam Peter , Jacobi Jennifer L , Umale Pooja E , Perez de Leon Adalberto A , Threadgill David W
Published: March 2018

Haematobia irritans, commonly known as the horn fly, is a globally distributed blood-feeding pest of cattle that is responsible for significant economic losses to cattle producers. Chemical insecticides are the primary means for controlling this pest but problems with insecticide resistance have become common in the horn fly. To provide a foundation for identification of genomic loci for insecticide resistance and for discovery of new control technology, we report the sequencing, assembly, and annotation of the horn fly genome. The assembled genome is 1.14 Gb, comprising 76,616 scaffolds with N50 scaffold length of 23 Kb. Using RNA-Seq data, we have predicted 34,413 gene models of which 19,185 have been assigned functional annotations. Comparative genomics analysis with the Dipteran flies Musca domestica L., Drosophila melanogaster, and Lucilia cuprina, show that the horn fly is most closely related to M. domestica, sharing 8,748 orthologous clusters followed by D. melanogaster and L. cuprina, sharing 7,582 and 7,490 orthologous clusters respectively. We also identified a gene locus for the sodium channel protein in which mutations have been previously reported that confers target site resistance to the most common class of pesticides used in fly control. Additionally, we identified 276 genomic loci encoding members of metabolic enzyme gene families such as cytochrome P450s, esterases and glutathione S-transferases, and several genes orthologous to sex determination pathway genes in other Dipteran species.
Defilement and Moral Discourse in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Feder Yitzhaq
Published: March 2018

Modern psychological research has devoted considerable attention to physiological disgust and “moral” disgust, finding both similarities and significant differences between them. Of particular interest is the plausible evolutionary hypothesis that physiological disgust provides the phylogenetic basis for social or moral disgust. To a considerable extent, these distinctions are comparable to the different categories of pollution which have been identified in the Hebrew Bible, specifically the distinction between so-called “ritual” and “moral” impurities. It will be argued that the evolutionary framework employed for the study of disgust can shed light on the role of pollution beliefs in shaping moral discourse in ancient Israel. This evolutionary perspective will serve as the basis for a renewed examination of the social implications of purity, duly stressed in Mary Douglas’ influential treatise Purity and Danger (1966). However, in contrast with Douglas’ symbolic approach to pollution, which presupposed a top-down process rooted in disembodied rationality, this paper outlines a bottom-up account grounded in physiological concerns related to disgust and infectious disease. This embodied framework enables the identification of two distinct mechanisms by which pollution can take on broader socio-moral implications, specifically those embedded in purity practices themselves and those emerging from the rhetorical extensions of purity language. The article concludes with discussion of how this historical evidence can encourage a reconsideration of some prevalent assumptions in modern experimental research of moral disgust.
Exploring the Challenges and Potentialities of the Database of Religious History for Cognitive Historiography
Authors: Sullivan Brenton , Muthukrishna Michael , Tappenden Frederick S. , Slingerland Edward
Published: March 2018

This article explores the potential impact and contribution of the Database of Religious History (DRH) project within the field of Cognitive Historiography. The DRH aims to bring together, in a systematic and open-access format, data on religious groups from across the globe and throughout history. By utilizing robust, open-source technologies and best-practice software principles, the DRH constitutes a novel and innovative approach to historical and cultural studies. As a contribution to the scientific study of both religion and history, the DRH offers data amenable to statistical analyses, thus providing tools for assessing diachronic cultural innovation and adaptation, the testing of grand narrative theories of religious change, and for enriching and revitalizing traditional fields such as comparative religions, history of religion(s), and anthropology of religion. In this article we explore the methods employed in collecting and digitizing historical data, identify our unit of analysis, outline the challenges of recruiting historians of various fields, and highlight the DRH’s methodological potential for both Religious Studies and Cognitive Historiography.
Network Analysis of Biblical Texts
Authors: Czachesz István
Published: March 2018

This article presents examples of using Network Theory to analyse the text of the New Testament. We provide an introduction to the basic concepts of Network Theory and centrality measures in networks and suggest a simple method of creating word co-occurrence networks from passages. Special consideration is given to the psychological realism of the model in the context of the ancient Mediterranean world. Following a demonstration of the method on the first two verses of the Gospel of John, we compare multiple versions of a miracle story with the help of network analysis. The final part of the article demonstrates how the method can be extended to account for the knowledge of different readerships in the interpretation of the text.
Luther H. Martin, Deep History, Secular Theory: Historical and Scientific Studies of Religion (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014), 364 pp. ISBN 978-1-61451- 619-4. €99.95 /US$140.00 hbk.
Authors: Ambasciano Leonardo
Published: March 2018

Luther H. Martin, Deep History, Secular Theory: Historical and Scientific Studies of Religion (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014), 364 pp. ISBN 978-1-61451- 619-4. €99.95 /US$140.00 hbk.
Helen De Cruz and Johan De Smedt, A Natural History of Natural Theology: The Cognitive Science of Theology and Philosophy of Religion (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2015), xvii+246 pp. ISBN: 978-0-26202-854-7. $40.00/£27.95 hbk.
Authors: Wiebe Donald
Published: March 2018

Helen De Cruz and Johan De Smedt, A Natural History of Natural Theology: The Cognitive Science of Theology and Philosophy of Religion (Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2015), xvii+246 pp. ISBN: 978-0-26202-854-7. $40.00/£27.95 hbk.
David Wengrow, The Origins of Monsters: Image and Cognition in the First Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Princeton, NJ and Oxford: Princeton University Press 2013), 184 pp. ISBN: 9-780-6911-5904-1. $42.00/£34.95 hbk.
Authors: Bloch Maurice
Published: March 2018

David Wengrow, The Origins of Monsters: Image and Cognition in the First Age of Mechanical Reproduction (Princeton, NJ and Oxford: Princeton University Press 2013), 184 pp. ISBN: 9-780-6911-5904-1. $42.00/£34.95 hbk.
Database of Religious History and the Study of Ancient Mediterranean Religiosity
Authors: Tappenden Frederick S.
Published: March 2018

As a quantitative and qualitative encyclopaedia of religious cultural history, the Database of Religious History (DRH) opens for historians new and exciting avenues of research. Some of these avenues complement and cohere with existing research practices, while others supplement and even expand the horizons of scholarly inquiry and imagination. In this article I explore the function and utility of the DRH when studying a specific geo-temporal locale (namely, the ancient Mediterranean) and the many expressions of religion that exist within that historical space (namely, ancient Mediterranean religiosity). My aim is twofold. On the one hand, I demonstrate the utility of the DRH, specifically showing how this database project confronts, even embraces, the challenges posed by historical sources. On the other hand, I highlight promising avenues that are opened up by the DRH in addressing a specific problem within the scholarly study of ancient Mediterranean religiosity (namely, the question of whether we should we speak of religion or religions in the ancient Mediterranean). My discussion concludes with reflection on the intersection of the DRH with cognitive historiography, specifically with respect to the inherent interdisciplinarity of both projects.
Nephrin-Binding Ephrin-B1 at the Slit Diaphragm Controls Podocyte Function through the JNK Pathway
Authors: Fukusumi Yoshiyasu , Zhang Ying , Yamagishi Ryohei , Oda Kanako , Watanabe Toru , Matsui Katsuyuki , Kawachi Hiroshi
Published: March 2018

Background B-type ephrins are membrane-bound proteins that maintain tissue function in several organs. We previously reported that ephrin-B1 is localized at the slit diaphragm of glomerular podocytes. However, the function of ephrin-B1 at this location is unclear.

Methods We analyzed the phenotype of podocyte-specific ephrin-B1 knockout mice and assessed the molecular association of ephrin-B1 and nephrin, a key molecule of the slit diaphragm, in HEK293 cells and rats with anti-nephrin antibody-induced nephropathy.

Results Compared with controls, ephrin-B1 conditional knockout mice displayed altered podocyte morphology, disarrangement of the slit diaphragm molecules, and proteinuria. Ephrin-B1 expressed in HEK293 cells immunoprecipitated with nephrin, which required the basal regions of the extracellular domains of both proteins. Treatment of cells with an anti-nephrin antibody promoted the phosphorylation of nephrin and ephrin-B1. However, phosphorylation of ephrin-B1 did not occur in cells expressing a mutant nephrin lacking the ephrin-B1 binding site or in cells treated with an Src kinase inhibitor. The phosphorylation of ephrin-B1 enhanced the phosphorylation of nephrin and promoted the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which was required for ephrin-B1–promoted cell motility in wound-healing assays. Notably, phosphorylated JNK was detected in the glomeruli of control mice but not ephrin-B1 conditional knockout mice. In rats, the phosphorylation of ephrin-B1, JNK, and nephrin occurred in the early phase (24 hours) of anti-nephrin antibody-induced nephropathy.

Conclusions Through interactions with nephrin, ephrin-B1 maintains the structure and barrier function of the slit diaphragm. Moreover, phosphorylation of ephrin-B1 and, consequently, JNK are involved in the development of podocyte injury.
Evaluation of ERP softwares with fuzzy AHP integrated TODIM method
Authors: Tolga A. Çağrı
Published: March 2018

Since enterprise
resource planning process is important for growing and developed private
companies due to productivity, in the business world it has found effectively its
place. ERP system softwares those are fundamental interest area of industrial
engineering, have gained much importance in recent years according to doing the
jobs productivity needs. In this study, a solution method is proposed for a
private organization that desires to re-evaluate the distributed ERP softwares
of it owns. For this, most used multi-criteria decision-making method named analytic
hieararchy process is utilized for determination of criteria weights. In
addition a risk involving process called TODIM (an MCDM method), which is based
on prospect theory, was chosen for risky and dynamic conditions in the study.
Since the Nobel prize-winning prospect theory including risk avoidance and risk
taking situations in decision-making behaviors has been integrated in TODIM's
decision-making process. This process involves ambiguities as well as risk. Furthermore,
the company's data privacy policy has been incorporated into the solution
procedure with the fuzzy logic, which takes into account these drawbacks.
Besides, it has been ensured that the cost criterion is integrated in a
detailed manner. In the real world application, a selection is made between the
renovation of the existing system alternative consisting of the scattered and
different softwares –especially stressed on built-in software that only a
majority uses-; this software’s cloud alternative and a completely different
rival software alternatives. The result of this study, which examines ERP
software selection under uncertainties by adding risk and cost measures, has
been influential on enterprise’s preferences about this project.
ENERJİ TÜKETİMİ İLE EKONOMİK BÜYÜME ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİ: DÜŞÜK VE ORTA GELİRLİ ÜLKELER ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: AYDIN Mücahit
Published: March 2018

Bu
çalışmada enerji tüketimi ve ekonomik büyüme arasındaki ilişki düşük ve orta
gelir grubu ülkeler için 1971-2013 dönemi verileri kullanılarak incelenmiştir.
Bu amaçla değişkenler arasındaki ilişki Kónya panel nedensellik testi
kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Ampirik sonuçlara göre düşük ve orta gelir grubuna
dâhil ülkelerde çoğunlukla tarafsızlık hipotezinin geçerli olduğu
görülmektedir. Geribildirim hipotezinin ise yalnızca Kenya için geçerli olduğu
çalışmadan elde edilen bir başka sonuçtur. 
Sonuç olarak ekonomik büyüme ile enerji tüketimi arasındaki nedensellik
ilişkisinin yönü için zaman ve ülke boyutuna göre farklılaşmalar olduğunu
söylemek mümkündür.
COĞRAFİ BİLGİ SİSTEMLERİYLE ATIK TOPLAMA ARAÇLARININ ROTALARININ BELİRLENMESİ
Authors: CİNGÖZ Kısmet , GÜRGEN Ender , BEYHAN Burak
Published: March 2018

Tersine lojistik, özellikle son yıllarda artan çevresel
kaygılar, kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk ve yasal düzenlemeler nedeniyle bütün
organizasyonlar için önemli bir çalışma alanı olmaktadır. Bu bağlamda,
işletmeler kullanılmış ürünleri/atıkları en kısa sürede, en az maliyetle ve
uğraması gereken bütün noktalara uğrayacak şekilde toplama yapmayı
amaçlarlar.  Özellikle Araç Rotalama Problemleri,
bu amaca ulaşmada kullanılan en önemli yöntemlerden birisidir. Bu çerçevede, bu
çalışmanın amacı, ambalaj atığı toplama ve ayırma lisansına sahip bir
işletmenin atık toplarken izleyebileceği en uygun rotayı Coğrafi Bilgi
Sistemleri yardımı ile belirlemektir. Rotalar belirlenirken OpenJUMP ile gvSIG
programları kullanılmış ve işletmenin hizmet verdiği Mersin İli Yenişehir
Belediyesi sınırları içerisindeki 9 mahalle için izlenmesi önerilen rotalar belirlenmiştir.
KURUMA DUYULAN PSİKOLOJİK SAHİPLENME İLE YENİLİKÇİ İŞ DAVRANIŞI ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİDE SANAL KAYTARMANIN DÜZENLEYİCİ ROLÜ
Authors: DERİN Neslihan
Published: March 2018

Bu
çalışmanın amacı; kuruma yönelik psikolojik sahiplenmenin, yenilikçi iş
davranışına olan etkisini tespit etmek ve kuruma duyulan psikolojik sahiplenme
ile yenilikçi iş davranışı arasındaki ilişkide sanal kaytarmanın düzenleyicilik
rolü olup olmadığını saptamaktır. Araştırmanın hipotezleri, İnönü Üniversitesi
idari ve akademik “355” personelinden oluşan örneklem üzerinden test
edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, üniversite personelinin kuruma yönelik
psikolojik sahiplenme duygularıyla yenilikçi iş davranışı arasında olumlu
ilişkinin olduğu, bu ilişkide sanal kaytarmanın düzenleyicilik rolüne sahip
olduğu görülmüştür. Düşük
sanal kaytarma oranına sahip olanlar için kurumu sahiplenme ve yenilikçi iş
davranışı arasındaki ilişki anlamlı ve pozitif yönlüdür (B=0,417, p<0.01). Yüksek sanal kaytarma yapanlar için ise bu
ilişki daha zayıftır (B=0,151, p<0.01). Çalışmanın bulgularından hareketle,
kuruma yönelik psikolojik sahiplenmenin artırılmasının, sanal kaytarma oranını
düşürülmesinin, yenilikçi iş davranışını artırabileceği, bu durumun kurumsal
başarıya katkı sağlayabileceği söylenebilir.
SABİT ÜRETİM HAZIRLIK MALİYETİNİN SÜREÇ ESNEKLİĞİNDE STOK OPTİMİZASYONUNA ETKİSİ
Authors: SOYSAL Mehmet , ÇİMEN Mustafa , BELBAĞ Sedat
Published: March 2018

Üretimde
süreç esnekliği, farklı ürünlerin minimum hazırlık maliyetiyle aynı üretim
tesisinde üretilmesini hedeflemektedir. Sabit üretim hazırlık maliyetinin
tamamen ortadan kalkması süreç esnekliği için yüksek seviyede yatırım yapılsa
bile, pek çok durumda mümkün değildir. Bu çalışmada, süreç esnekliğine sahip
sistemlerde stok kararlarının verilmesi için sabit hazırlık maliyetlerini
dikkate alan bir karar destek modeli sunulmuş ve sabit hazırlık maliyetlerinin
süreç esnekliğinde stok kararlarına etkisi araştırılmıştır. Bu çerçevede süreç
esnekliği problemi sabit hazırlık maliyeti göz önünde bulundurularak, karma tam
sayılı doğrusal programlama yöntemiyle modellenmiştir. Geliştirilen bu karar
destek modeli kullanılarak esnek olmayan, ikili zincir tasarımlı ve tam esnek
olmak üzere üç farklı üretim sistemi üzerinde değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır.
Elde edilen sonuçlar süreç esnekliği problemi için geliştirilen karar destek
modellerinde sabit üretim hazırlık maliyetinin göz önünde bulundurulmasının
gerekliliğini ortaya çıkarmaktadır.
ERKEK ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN KRONOTİPE GÖRE SAĞLIKLI YAŞAM BİÇİMİ DAVRANIŞLARI VE FİZİKSEL AKTİVİTE DÜZEYLERİ
Authors: TOKTAŞ Neşe , ERDEM K. Alparslan , YETİK Onur
Published: March 2018

Kronotipe göre, sağlıklı yaşam biçimi

davranışlarının ve fiziksel aktivite düzeylerinin incelenmesi amacıyla yapılan

çalışmaya 23 sabahçıl, 49 ara tip ve 32 akşamcıl tip olmak üzere toplam 104 erkek

üniversite öğrencisi katılmıştır. Horne-Ostberg’in

sabahçıl-akşamcıl tipi anket formu, sağlıklı yaşam biçimi davranışları ölçeği

ve Uluslararası fiziksel aktivite anketi (kısa form) kullanılmıştır. Verilerin

değerlendirilmesinde One Way Anova veya Kruskal Wallis varyans analizi

uygulanmış, Pearson korelasyon testi ile ilişkiler değerlendirilmiştir.

Kronotipe göre fiziksel aktivite düzeyi toplam puanı, şiddetli, orta şiddetli

aktivite, yürüme ve oturma puanları arasında anlamlı bir fark yoktur

(p>0,05). Kronotipe göre, sağlıklı yaşam biçimi davranışları toplam puanı ve

sağlık sorumluluğu, egzersiz, kişiler arası destek, stres yönetimi, beslenme

alt boyutları arasında anlamlı bir fark yokken (p>0,05), sabahçıl bireylerin

kendini gerçekleştirme alt boyutu akşamcıllardan daha yüksek bulunmuştur

(p<0,05). Sabahçıl akşamcıl tipi anket formu toplam puanı ile sağlıklı yaşam

biçimi davranışları toplam puanı arasında 

% 20,7 oranında zayıf pozitif bir ilişki varken (rs=0,207;

p=0,04), sabahçıl akşamcıl tipi anket formu toplam puanı ile fiziksel aktivite

düzeyi toplam puanı arasında anlamlı bir ilişki yoktur (rs=0,186;

p=0,07).
Evaluation of normalized miRNA expression in Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) tissue v1
Authors: Bisagni Alessandra , Croci. Stefania
Published: March 2018

This protocol is provided to synthesize single-stranded cDNA from total RNA samples using the TaqMan® MicroRNA Reverse Transcription Kit and quantification of miRNA using the comparative Cycle threshold (Ct) method. Endogenous controls are used to normalize the expression levels of target miRNAs by correcting differences in the amount of cDNA loaded into the PCR reactions. An appropriate constitutively expressed endogenous control must be selected.
Municipal Responses to ‘Illegality’: Urban Sanctuary across National Contexts
Authors: Bauder Harald , Gonzalez Dayana A.
Published: March 2018

Cities often seek to mitigate the highly precarious situation of Illegalized (or undocumented) migrants. In this context, “sanctuary cites” are an innovative urban response to exclusionary national policies. In this article, we expand the geographical scope of sanctuary policies and practices beyond Canada, the USA, and the UK, where the policies and practices are well-known. In particular, we explore corresponding urban initiatives in Chile, Germany, and Spain. We find that varying kinds of urban-sanctuary policies and practices permit illegalized migrants to cope with their situations in particular national contexts. However, different labels, such as “city of refuge,” “commune of reception,” or “solidarity city” are used to describe such initiatives. While national, historical, and geopolitical contexts distinctly shape local efforts to accommodate illegalized migrants, recognizing similarities across national contexts is important to develop globally-coordinated and internationally-inspired responses at the urban scale.
Facing Precarious Rights and Resisting EU ‘Migration Management’: South European Migrant Struggles in Berlin
Authors: Bouali Celia
Published: March 2018

In this article, I trace struggles regarding EU internal mobility and migrant labour as they emerge in the mobilization of South European migrants in Berlin. The effects of the 2007–2008 financial crisis and European austerity politics have reoriented migration flows within the EU, increasing South-to-North migration with Germany as a prime destination. German public discourse on the matter reveals a view on (EU) migration that focuses on its economic ‘usefulness’ and tries to regulate it accordingly. EU citizenship turns out to be a key instrument of such EU internal ‘migration management’. The emergence of migrant activist groups, however, hints at another force at play. In their fight for social rights and better working conditions, migrant activists show they will not allow themselves to be easily ‘managed’ into precarious ‘productivity’. Against this background, I argue that EU internal mobility is a field of struggle where attempts to control migrant labour clash with moments of autonomy and resistance. My aim is to explore this field from a migration perspective, analysing rationales of EU ‘migration management’ and their impact on migrants’ lives as well as investigating the strategies that migrants develop in response. Based on an analysis of EU legislation and interviews with Italian activists in Berlin, I trace conflicts around EU internal mobility and migrant labour. Against the background of critical migration studies, I analyse EU internal ‘migration management’, especially regarding the role of EU citizenship. Then, I look at EU migrant struggles in Berlin through the lens of autonomy of migration, drawing on the example of the Italian activist group Berlin Migrant Strikers.
Investigating the Emotional Responses of Individuals to Urban Green Space Using Twitter Data: A Critical Comparison of Three Different Methods of Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Roberts Helen , Resch Bernd , Sadler Jon , Chapman Lee , Petutschnig Andreas , Zimmer Stefan
Published: March 2018

In urban research, Twitter data have the potential to provide additional information about urban citizens, their activities, mobility patterns and emotion. Extracting the sentiment present in tweets is increasingly recognised as a valuable approach to gathering information on the mood, opinion and emotional responses of individuals in a variety of contexts. This article evaluates the potential of deriving emotional responses of individuals while they experience and interact with urban green space. A corpus of over 10,000 tweets relating to 60 urban green spaces in Birmingham, United Kingdom was analysed for positivity, negativity and specific emotions, using manual, semi-automated and automated methods of sentiment analysis and the outputs of each method compared. Similar numbers of tweets were annotated as positive/neutral/negative by all three methods; however, inter-method consistency in tweet assignment between the methods was low. A comparison of all three methods on the same corpus of tweets, using character emojis as an additional quality control, identifies a number of limitations associated with each approach. The results presented have implications for urban planners in terms of the choices available to identify and analyse the sentiment present in tweets, and the importance of choosing the most appropriate method. Future attempts to develop more reliable and accurate algorithms of sentiment analysis are needed and should focus on semi-automated methods.