bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies in geophysics for estimation of unconventional resources
Authors: von Lunen Eric , Jensen Stephen , Leslie-Panek Jennifer
Published: September 2012

The rise of unconventional resource plays to prominence in the oil and gas industry has presented geophysics with a set of unprecedented challenges, chief among which is the problem of resource and reserve estimation. Instead of the traditional concerns with trap mapping, spill points, and degree of fill, unconventional resource plays require information on reservoir quality, fracability, fracture networks, and the stimulated rock volume (SRV) resulting from frac-completion programs. Figure 1 shows the critical differences in risk assessment between traditional and unconventional systems. The quantification of the “deliverability system” is the principal area, which geophysical methods must address. These requirements lead to a reliance on seismic inversion, attributes such as curvature and coherence, and microseismic data.
Testosterone and 17β-Estradiol Induce Glandular Prostatic Growth, Bladder Outlet Obstruction, and Voiding Dysfunction in Male Mice
Authors: Nicholson Tristan M. , Ricke Emily A. , Marker Paul C. , Miano Joseph M. , Mayer Robert D. , Timms Barry G. , vom Saal Frederick S. , Wood Ronald W. , Ricke William A.
Published: September 2012

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) are common in older men and can contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms that significantly impact quality of life. Few existing models of BOO and BPH use physiological levels of hormones associated with disease progression in humans in a genetically manipulable organism. We present a model of BPH and BOO induced in mice with testosterone (T) and 17β-estradiol (E2). Male mice were surgically implanted with slow-releasing sc pellets containing 25 mg T and 2.5 mg E2 (T+E2). After 2 and 4 months of hormone treatment, we evaluated voiding patterns and examined the gross morphology and histology of the bladder, urethra, and prostate. Mice treated with T+E2 developed significantly larger bladders than untreated mice, consistent with BOO. Some mice treated with T+E2 had complications in the form of bladder hypertrophy, diverticula, calculi, and eventual decompensation with hydronephrosis. Hormone treatment caused a significant decrease in the size of the urethral lumen, increased prostate mass, and increased number of prostatic ducts associated with the prostatic urethra, compared with untreated mice. Voiding dysfunction was observed in mice treated with T+E2, who exhibited droplet voiding pattern with significantly decreased void mass, shorter void duration, and fewer sustained voids. The constellation of lower urinary tract abnormalities, including BOO, enlarged prostates, and voiding dysfunction seen in male mice treated with T+E2 is consistent with BPH in men. This model is suitable for better understanding molecular mechanisms and for developing novel strategies to address BPH and BOO.
The Vitamin D Analog ED-71 Is a Potent Regulator of Intestinal Phosphate Absorption and NaPi-IIb
Authors: Brown Alex J. , Zhang Fanjie , Ritter Cynthia S.
Published: September 2012

The vitamin D analog ED-71 [1α,25-dihydroxy-2β-(3-hydroxypropyloxy)vitamin D3] has been approved for treatment of osteoporosis in Japan, but its effects on mineral metabolism have not been fully explored. We investigated the actions of ED-71 on phosphate (Pi) absorption and induction of the intestinal sodium/phosphate cotransporters. Oral treatment of vitamin D-deficient rats with ED-71 (20 pmol every other day for 8 d) produced a maximal 8-fold increase in duodenal Pi absorption, measured by the in situ loop method, whereas 1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], at doses up to 150 pmol, had no effect. This action of ED-71 was attributable to a dramatic 24-fold induction of sodium-dependent Pi transporter type IIb (NaPi-IIb) mRNA in the duodenum; Pit-1 and Pit-2 mRNA levels were not increased. In vitamin D-replete rats, ED-71 treatment (50 pmol) at 72 and 24 h before death increased NaPi-IIb mRNA in the duodenum and jejunum, but not the ileum, whereas 1,25(OH)2D3 at 1000 pmol was ineffective in all segments. Single oral doses of ED-71 increased mouse intestinal NaPi-IIb mRNA and protein between 6 and 24 h. Surprisingly, rat lung NaPi-IIb was not increased by ED-71, despite its coexpression with the vitamin D receptor in alveolar type II cells. However, ED-71 did not induce intestinal NaPi-IIb in vitamin D receptor-ablated mice. The greater potency of ED-71 than 1,25(OH)2D3 on NaPi-IIb appears to be due to much higher and more prolonged levels of ED-71 in the circulation. In summary, ED-71, due to its disparate pharmacokinetics, is a much more potent inducer of intestinal Pi absorption and NaPi-IIb than 1,25(OH)2D3, suggesting a role for this analog in the treatment of Pi-wasting disorders.
rpS6 Regulates Blood-Testis Barrier Dynamics By Affecting F-Actin Organization and Protein Recruitment
Authors: Mok Ka-Wai , Mruk Dolores D. , Silvestrini Bruno , Cheng C. Yan
Published: September 2012

During spermatogenesis, preleptotene spermatocytes residing near the basement membrane of the seminiferous tubule must traverse the blood-testis barrier (BTB) at stage VIII–IX of the epithelial cycle to continue their development in the adluminal compartment. Unlike other blood-tissue barriers (e.g. the blood-brain barrier) that are created by the endothelial tight junction (TJ) barrier of capillaries, the BTB is created by specialized junctions between Sertoli cells in which TJ coexists with basal ectoplasmic specialization (basal ES, a testis-specific adherens junction). The basal ES is typified by the presence of tightly packed actin filament bundles sandwiched between cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and the apposing plasma membranes of Sertoli cells. These actin filament bundles also confer unusual adhesive strength to the BTB. Yet the mechanisms by which these filamentous actin (F-actin) networks are regulated from the bundled to the debundled state to facilitate the transit of spermatocytes remain elusive. Herein, we provide evidence that ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6), the downstream signaling molecule of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway, is a major regulator of F-actin organization and adhesion protein recruitment at the BTB. rpS6 is restrictively and spatiotemporally activated at the BTB during the epithelial cycle. An activation of rpS6 led to a disruption of the Sertoli cell TJ barrier and BTB integrity. Its silencing in vitro or in vivo by using small interfering RNA duplexes or short hairpin RNA was found to promote the Sertoli cell TJ permeability barrier by the recruitment of adhesion proteins (e.g. claudin-11 and occludin) to the BTB. Thus, rpS6 in the mTORC1 pathway regulates BTB restructuring via its effects on the F-actin organization and protein recruitment at the BTB.
Evidence that glucose is the major transferred metabolite in dinoflagellate–cnidarian symbiosis
Authors: Burriesci Matthew S. , Raab Theodore K. , Pringle John R.
Published: September 2012

Reef-building corals and many other cnidarians are symbiotic with dinoflagellates of the genus Symbiodinium. It has long been known that the endosymbiotic algae transfer much of their photosynthetically fixed carbon to the host and that this can provide much of the host's total energy. However, it has remained unclear which metabolite(s) are directly translocated from the algae into the host tissue. We reexamined this question in the small sea anemone Aiptasia using labeling of intact animals in the light with 13C-bicarbonate, rapid homogenization and separation of animal and algal fractions, and analysis of metabolite labeling by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We found labeled glucose in the animal fraction within 2 min of exposure to 13C-bicarbonate, whereas no significant labeling of other compounds was observed within the first 10 min. Although considerable previous evidence has suggested that glycerol might be a major translocated metabolite, we saw no significant labeling of glycerol within the first hour, and incubation of intact animals with 13C-labeled glycerol did not result in a rapid production of 13C-glucose. In contrast, when Symbiodinium cells freshly isolated from host tissue were exposed to light and 13C-bicarbonate in the presence of host homogenate, labeled glycerol, but not glucose, was detected in the medium. We also observed early production of labeled glucose, but not glycerol, in three coral species. Taken together, the results suggest that glucose is the major translocated metabolite in dinoflagellate–cnidarian symbiosis and that the release of glycerol from isolated algae may be part of a stress response.
Oblique color vision in an open-habitat bird: spectral sensitivity, photoreceptor distribution and behavioral implications
Authors: Moore Bret A. , Baumhardt Patrice , Doppler Megan , Randolet Jacquelyn , Blackwell Bradley F. , DeVault Travis L. , Loew Ellis R. , Fernández-Juricic Esteban
Published: September 2012

Color vision is not uniform across the retina because of differences in photoreceptor density and distribution. Retinal areas with a high density of cone photoreceptors may overlap with those with a high density of ganglion cells, increasing hue discrimination. However, there are some exceptions to this cell distribution pattern, particularly in species with horizontal visual streaks (bands of high ganglion cell density across the retina) that live in open habitats. We studied the spectral sensitivity and distribution of cone photoreceptors involved in chromatic and achromatic vision in the Canada goose (Branta canadiensis), which possesses an oblique rather than horizontal visual streak at the ganglion cell layer. Using microspectrophotometry, we found that the Canada goose has a violet-sensitive visual system with four visual pigments with absorbance peaks at 409, 458, 509 and 580 nm. The density of most cones involved in chromatic and achromatic vision peaked along a band across the retina that matched the oblique orientation of the visual streak. With the information on visual sensitivity, we calculated chromatic and achromatic contrasts of different goose plumage regions. The regions with the highest visual saliency (cheek, crown, neck and upper tail coverts) were the ones involved in visual displays to maintain flock cohesion. The Canada goose oblique visual streak is the retinal center for chromatic and achromatic vision, allowing individuals to sample the sky and the ground simultaneously or the horizon depending on head position. Overall, our results show that the Canada goose visual system has features that make it rather different from that of other vertebrates living in open habitats.
Detection of free light chain monoclonal proteins co-migrating with intact monoclonal proteins in patients with monoclonal gammopathy
Authors: Wetenhall Kate , Saleem Rehana , Rowbottom Anthony
Published: September 2012

Background

In a small, but potentially significant proportion of patients with a monoclonal gammopathy, patients show the existence of an intact monoclonal (M-) protein co-migrating with a free light chain (FLC) M-protein. Using traditional methods for detection of monoclonal immunoglobulins, only the intact M-protein may be detectable, and hence the FLC M-proteins may be missed.

Methods

Immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) using two different sets of antisera were compared (one detecting both free and bound FLC epitopes, and one detecting only the free FLC epitopes), alongside urine protein electrophoresis and the Freelite assay in order to ascertain the best methods of detecting both types of M-proteins in this subset of patients.

Results

A total of 2% of the patient population tested were shown to have a FLC M-protein migrating coincidentally with an intact M-protein. These were not detected by IFE using the widely utilised antisera to both free and bound FLC epitopes, and hence may have been missed during routine testing, but were detectable using the other methods.

Conclusions

This study highlights the important finding that in some patients with both an intact and a FLC M-protein, the FLC M-protein may be missed during routine testing. In incidences where no corresponding urine sample is sent to the laboratory alongside the serum sample, we would suggest testing for the presence of FLC M-proteins in this subset of patients using the Freelite assay, if no urine sample can be obtained, to ensure all FLC M-proteins are appropriately detected.
Body Size, Coping Strategies, and Mental Health in Adolescent Female Athletes
Authors: Cumming Sean P. , Smith Ronald E. , Grossbard Joel R. , Smoll Frank L. , Malina Robert M.
Published: September 2012

Relations among body size, stress coping strategies, and mental health were examined in female high-school gymnasts (n=44) and basketball players (n=105), aged 14–18 years (M = 15.8, SD = 1.1), through hierarchical regression analyses. Athletes completed the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist prior to the season and the Mental Health Inventory at the end of the season. Body mass index (BMI) was also calculated. The use of adaptive over maladaptive coping strategies was associated with more positive mental health and less distress in both sports. In gymnasts, BMI was inversely related to psychological well-being and the interaction between height and less adaptive coping strategies significantly predicted psychological distress.
Flame Shape and Spatially Resolved Rayleigh Criterion Using Proper Orthogonal Decomposition
Authors: Kopp-Vaughan Kristin M. , Renfro Michael W.
Published: September 2012

Chemiluminescence imaging was performed for premixed flames with natural thermoacoustic instabilities in a Rijke tube. The images were phase locked to the natural pressure oscillations in the tube. The use of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) to identify phase-resolved flame fronts and flame surface area is reported. The flame front results compare favorably to an Abel transform for axisymmetric cases but also work well for cases with non-axisymmetric contributions. The flame area perturbations are compared to previous work using OH planar laser induced fluorescence. The relatively-simpler chemiluminescence approach finds the same flame surface area correlations versus pressure. Additionally, the modes from POD are used to compute local acoustic coupling via the space and time resolved Rayleigh index. It is found that one mode in the decomposition is spatially the same as the Rayleigh index and can be used to characterize the thermoacoustic coupling. This similarity is due to the mode's time constant replicating the phase of the tube's natural pressure oscillations.
Judging Borrowers by the Company They Keep: Friendship Networks and Information Asymmetry in Online Peer-to-Peer Lending
Authors: Lin Mingfeng , Prabhala Nagpurnanand R. , Viswanathan Siva
Published: September 2012

We study the online market for peer-to-peer (P2P) lending, in which individuals bid on unsecured microloans sought by other individual borrowers. Using a large sample of consummated and failed listings from the largest online P2P lending marketplace, Prosper.com, we find that the online friendships of borrowers act as signals of credit quality. Friendships increase the probability of successful funding, lower interest rates on funded loans, and are associated with lower ex post default rates. The economic effects of friendships show a striking gradation based on the roles and identities of the friends. We discuss the implications of our findings for the disintermediation of financial markets and the design of decentralized electronic markets.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
Multistage Capital Budgeting with Delayed Consumption of Slack
Authors: Baiman Stanley , Heinle Mirko S. , Saouma Richard
Published: September 2012

Capital budgeting frequently involves multiple stages at which firms can continue or abandon ongoing projects. In this paper, we study a project requiring two stages of investment. Failure to fund Stage 1 of the investment precludes investment in Stage 2, whereas failure to fund Stage 2 results in early termination. In contrast to the existing literature, we assume that the firm can limit the manager's informational rents with the early termination of the project. In this setting, we find that the firm optimally commits to a capital allocation scheme whereby it forgoes positive net present value (NPV) projects at Stage 1 (capital rationing), whereas at Stage 2, depending on the manager's previous report, it sometimes implements projects with a negative continuation NPV but in other situations forgoes implementing projects with positive continuation NPVs.

This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting.
Forecasting Call Center Arrivals: Fixed-Effects, Mixed-Effects, and Bivariate Models
Authors: Ibrahim Rouba , L'Ecuyer Pierre
Published: September 2012

We consider different statistical models for the call arrival process in telephone call centers. We evaluate the forecasting accuracy of those models by describing results from an empirical study analyzing real-life call center data. We test forecasting accuracy using different lead times, ranging from weeks to hours in advance, to mimic real-life challenges faced by call center managers. The models considered are (i) a benchmark fixed-effects model that does not exploit any dependence structures in the data; (ii) a mixed-effects model that takes into account both interday (day-to-day) and intraday (within-day) correlations; and (iii) two new bivariate mixed-effects models, for the joint distribution of the arrival counts to two separate queues, that exploit correlations between different call types. Our study shows the importance of accounting for different correlation structures in the data.
Optimal Pricing in Networks with Externalities
Authors: Candogan Ozan , Bimpikis Kostas , Ozdaglar Asuman
Published: September 2012

We study the optimal pricing strategies of a monopolist selling a divisible good (service) to consumers who are embedded in a social network. A key feature of our model is that consumers experience a (positive) local network effect. In particular, each consumer's usage level depends directly on the usage of her neighbors in the social network structure. Thus, the monopolist's optimal pricing strategy may involve offering discounts to certain agents who have a central position in the underlying network. Our results can be summarized as follows. First, we consider a setting where the monopolist can offer individualized prices and derive a characterization of the optimal price for each consumer as a function of her network position. In particular, we show that it is optimal for the monopolist to charge each agent a price that consists of three components: (i) a nominal term that is independent of the network structure, (ii) a discount term proportional to the influence that this agent exerts over the rest of the social network (quantified by the agent's Bonacich centrality), and (iii) a markup term proportional to the influence that the network exerts on the agent. In the second part of the paper, we discuss the optimal strategy of a monopolist who can only choose a single uniform price for the good and derive an algorithm polynomial in the number of agents to compute such a price. Third, we assume that the monopolist can offer the good in two prices, full and discounted, and we study the problem of determining which set of consumers should be given the discount. We show that the problem is NP-hard; however, we provide an explicit characterization of the set of agents who should be offered the discounted price. Next, we describe an approximation algorithm for finding the optimal set of agents. We show that if the profit is nonnegative under any feasible price allocation, the algorithm guarantees at least 88% of the optimal profit. Finally, we highlight the value of network information by comparing the profits of a monopolist who does not take into account the network effects when choosing her pricing policy to those of a monopolist who uses this information optimally.
Overflow Networks: Approximations and Implications to Call Center Outsourcing
Authors: Gurvich Itai , Perry Ohad
Published: September 2012

Motivated by call center cosourcing problems, we consider a service network operated under an overflow mechanism. Calls are first routed to an in-house (or dedicated) service station that has a finite waiting room. If the waiting room is full, the call is overflowed to an outside provider (an overflow station) that might also be serving overflows from other stations. We establish approximations for overflow networks with many servers under a resource-pooling assumption that stipulates, in our context, that the fraction of overflowed calls is nonnegligible. Our two main results are (i) an approximation for the overflow processes via limit theorems and (ii) asymptotic independence between each of the in-house stations and the overflow station. In particular, we show that, as the system becomes large, the dependency between each in-house station and the overflow station becomes negligible. Independence between stations in overflow networks is assumed in the literature on call centers, and we provide a rigorous support for those useful heuristics.
Robust and Stochastically Weighted Multiobjective Optimization Models and Reformulations
Authors: Hu Jian , Mehrotra Sanjay
Published: September 2012

We introduce and study a family of models for multiexpert multiobjective/criteria decision making. These models use a concept of weight robustness to generate a risk-averse decision. In particular, the multiexpert multicriteria robust weighted sum approach (McRow) introduced in this paper identifies a (robust) Pareto decision that minimizes the worst-case weighted sum of objectives over a given weight region. The corresponding objective value, called the robust value of a decision, is shown to be increasing and concave in the weight set. We study compact reformulations of the McRow model with polyhedral and conic descriptions of the weight regions. The McRow model is developed further for stochastic multiexpert multicriteria decision making by allowing ambiguity or randomness in the weight region as well as the objective functions. The properties of the proposed approach are illustrated with a few textbook examples. The usefulness of the stochastic McRow model is demonstrated using a disaster planning example and an agriculture revenue management example.
Oncology; Everolimus: A New Treatment Option for Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors
Authors: Thompson Lisa A , Kim Miryoung , Wenger Sarah D , O'Bryant Cindy L
Published: September 2012

OBJECTIVE:

To present the current clinical evidence on everolimus for use in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET).

DATA SOURCES:

A literature search was performed using PubMed and MEDLINE (1946-March 2012). Search terms were everolimus, RAD001, mTOR inhibitor, and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. Abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2000-2012 meetings and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews were searched to obtain otherwise unpublished data. The national clinical trials registry was searched for current and future studies of everolimus in pNET.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

Clinical studies available in the English language describing the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical activity, and safety of everolimus in pNET were included. All peer-reviewed, clinically relevant publications were reviewed for inclusion.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Everolimus is an oral mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor approved by the FDA in May 2011 for the treatment of progressive, advanced pNET. Everolimus exerts its effect by inhibiting multiple downstream pathways of mTOR, which decreases cell proliferation, survival, and angiogenesis. Its pNET indication was based on the results of RADIANT-3, a Phase 3 trial demonstrating increased median progression-free survival (11 months) with everolimus 10 mg orally once daily compared to placebo (4.6 months). Everolimus was well tolerated in clinical trials. The most commonly reported adverse events included stomatitis, rash, diarrhea, fatigue, infections, nausea, and decreased appetite. Grade 3/4 events including anemia, thrombocytopenia, pneumonitis, and hyperglycemia occurred in approximately 5% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Based on review of the available literature, everolimus is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with low- to intermediate-grade, unresectable or metastatic pNET that have progressed on prior therapies. Until results of head-to-head, randomized controlled trials are conducted to compare everolimus to other treatment options, it cannot be said whether everolimus is more efficacious or tolerable than other treatment options.
Clay Mineralogy of the Zhada Sediments: Evidence for Climatic and Tectonic Evolution Since ~9 Ma in Zhada, Southwestern Tibet
Authors: Hong Hanlie , Wang Chaowen , Zeng Kefeng , Zhang Kexin , Yin Ke , Li Zhaohui
Published: September 2012

The clay mineralogy of the Zhada sediments was investigated, using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, to obtain a better understanding of climatic change and uplift of the Himalayas in the Zhada region of Tibet. The sediments of Zhada basin in the late Miocene to Pliocene consist of lacustrine and fluvial deposits >800 m thick and can be subdivided into five clay assemblage zones based on their clay-mineral composition. The upward zonation is as follows: (1) smectite-kaolinite; (2) illite-chlorite; (3) chlorite-illite-kaolinite; (4) illite-chlorite; and (5) smectite, illite, and kaolinite. The ratio of chlorite + illite to kaolinite + smectite (Ch+I/K+S) and the Kübler index indicate a warm and humid climate from 9.5 to 8.4 Ma, a cold and dry climate from 8.4 to 7.2 Ma, a warm and seasonal arid climate from 7.2 to 4.5 Ma, a cool and humid climate from 4.5 to 3.6 Ma, and a warm and seasonally humid climate from 3.6 to 3.0 Ma. Intense fluctuations in the Kübler index and in the quantities of evaporite minerals dolomite, aragonite, and gypsum, during the period 7.2–4.5 Ma suggest strong climatic fluctuations between humid and seasonally humid conditions in the Zhada basin. Rapid uplift around the Zhada basin occurred at 8.4 and 3.6 Ma, with sharp subsidence at 7.2 and 4.5 Ma. Evolution of the climate at Zhada showed a different model from that of global climate change, and tectonics-led climate change was the major contributor to climate evolution in the area.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrokinetic Properties of Polyindene/Colemanite Conducting Composite
Authors: Cetin Berrak , Unal Halil Ibrahim , Erol Ozlem
Published: September 2012

The aim of the aqueous electrokinetic experiments in the present study was to assess the relative contribution of the conducting polyindene (PIn) and inorganic colemanite components to the zeta (ζ) potentials of the composite particles, thus providing further insight into their surface composition in the dispersed state and establishing colloidally stable conditions for potential rheological, industrial applications. For this, PIn and a PIn/colemanite composite (containing 5 wt.% colemanite) were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization using FeCl3 as an oxidizing agent. Colemanite, PIn, and PIn/colemanite composite samples were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, conductivity, dielectric constant, magnetic susceptibility, density, particle-size measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy methods. The electrokinetic properties of colemanite and PIn/colemanite composite dispersions were determined by ζ-potential measurements in aqueous medium, taking into account the effects of time, pH, various electrolytes, surfactants, and temperature. The pH was observed to have a greater effect on the ζ potentials of colemanite in water but caused only slight changes in the presence of cationic (NaCl, BaCl2, AlCl3) and anionic (NaCl, Na2SO4) electrolytes. Increased pH values shifted the ζ potentials of PIn/colemanite composite dispersions to more negative values. The most effective surfactant acting on the ζ potentials of colemanite and PIn/colemanite composite dispersions was cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), which shifted the ζ potentials to more positive regions. Elevated temperatures caused almost no change to the ζ potentials of either the colemanite or the PIn/colemanite composite dispersions.
Practical aspects of modern interferometry for optical manufacturing quality control, Part 3
Authors: Smythe Robert A.
Published: September 2012

Modern phase shifting interferometers enable the manufacture of optical systems that drive the global economy. Semiconductor chips, solid-state cameras, cell phone cameras, infrared imaging systems, space-based satellite imaging, and DVD and Blu-Ray disks are all enabled by phase-shifting interferometers. Theoretical treatments of data analysis and instrument design advance the technology but often are not helpful toward the practical use of interferometers. An understanding of the parameters that drive the system performance is critical to produce useful results. Any interferometer will produce a data map and results; this paper, in three parts, reviews some of the key issues to minimize error sources in that data and provide a valid measurement.
Poetic form as meaning in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass
Authors: Fabb, Nigel
Published: September 2012

The poetic forms of Whitman's Leaves of Grass, including its lineation and various rhythmic and syntactic patterns, are implied rather than inherent; that is, the poetic forms hold of the text as the contents of a set of implicatures, which mutually reinforce one another, and which hold somewhat loosely and with a certain degree of strength. This includes the division of the text into lines, and the presence of rhetorical groups, parallel sections, and rhythmic sequences; Whitman's idiosyncratic punctuation contributes to this loose form. Form is not just attributed as a meaning of the text, but is also meaningful in the poem, whose ‘leaves of grass’ – both the sheets of the book and the lines of the poem – are on the one hand sheets of papyrus and on the other hand manifestations of the democratic spirit. The meaningfulness of the poetic form is enabled by its attributed status.
Towards a Neo-Gricean Stylistics: Implicature in Dorothy L. Sayers's Gaudy Night
Authors: Chapman, Siobhan
Published: September 2012

This article explores the possibility of using neo-Gricean pragmatics as a tool for the stylistic analysis of literary texts, with reference to Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers (1935). Although displaying many of the traits of a detective mystery, this novel has been noted by both its author and critics to transcend this genre by exploring two more general themes. Firstly, it is concerned with attitudes to women's role and status in society, and with the consequences of these attitudes. Secondly, it deals with the psychological motivations and developments of its central characters, particularly in relation to the competing demands of emotion and intellect. In this article, neo-Gricean pragmatics is used to explain how these themes are communicated implicitly.
“It's not quite what I had in mind”: Adaptation, faithfulness, and interpretation
Authors: Furlong, Anne
Published: September 2012

This paper proposes that Gutt's work on translation (2000), situated in a relevance-theoretic framework, provides a productive basis on which to discuss adaptations, especially of graphic novels. Expectations held by audience members that they will see their reading of a work presented on the screen are seriously flawed. In Gutt's terms, audiences who anticipate direct translations of their reading on the screen are disappointed by adaptations that present indirect translations; the disparity between expectation and result is the cause of disaffection. This paper argues that there is a crucial distinction between the interpretation of the text as constructed by the reader, and the filmmaker's interpretation as performed by the adaptation. This paper surveys a range of responses to film adaptations, explores the meaning of “faithfulness” in adaptation within the relevance-theoretic notion of resemblance, and concludes by showing that it is the director's, not the writer's or reader's, non-spontaneous interpretation which is performed by an adaptation.
Integration of β-Catenin, Sirtuin, and FOXO Signaling Protects from Mutant Huntingtin Toxicity
Authors: Parker J. Alex , Vazquez-Manrique Rafael P. , Tourette Cendrine , Farina Francesca , Offner Nicolas , Mukhopadhyay Arnab , Orfila Anne-Marie , Darbois Aurélie , Menet Sophie , Tissenbaum Heidi A. , Neri Christian
Published: September 2012

One of the current challenges of neurodegenerative disease research is to determine whether signaling pathways that are essential to cellular homeostasis might contribute to neuronal survival and modulate the pathogenic process in human disease. InCaenorhabditis elegans,sir-2.1/SIRT1 overexpression protects neurons from the early phases of expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) toxicity, and this protection requires the longevity-promoting factordaf-16/FOXO. Here, we show that this neuroprotective effect also requires the DAF-16/FOXO partnerbar-1/β-catenin and putative DAF-16-regulated geneucp-4, the sole mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) in nematodes. These results fit with a previously proposed mechanism in which the β-catenin FOXO and SIRT1 proteins may together regulate gene expression and cell survival. Knockdown of β-catenin enhanced the vulnerability to cell death of mutant-huntingtin striatal cells derived from the HdhQ111 knock-in mice. In addition, this effect was compensated by SIRT1 overexpression and accompanied by the modulation of neuronal UCP expression levels, further highlighting a cross-talk between β-catenin and SIRT1 in the modulation of mutant polyQ cytoxicity. Taken together, these results suggest that integration of β-catenin, sirtuin and FOXO signaling protects from the early phases of mutant huntingtin toxicity.
Optogenetic Probing of Fast Glutamatergic Transmission from Hypocretin/Orexin to Histamine NeuronsIn Situ
Authors: Schöne Cornelia , Cao Zhen Fang Huang , Apergis-Schoute John , Adamantidis Antoine , Sakurai Takeshi , Burdakov Denis
Published: September 2012

Hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin (hcrt/orx) neurons coordinate sleep–wake cycles, reward seeking, and body energy balance. Neurochemical data suggest that hcrt/orx cells contain several transmitters, but what hcrt/orx cells release onto their projection targets is unknown. A major pathway by which hcrt/orx neurons are thought to promote arousal is through projections to tuberomammillary histamine (HA) neurons. To study the impact of the electrical activity in hcrt/orx cells on HA neurons, we genetically targeted the light-activated excitatory ion channel channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) to the plasma membrane of hcrt/orx cells, and performed patch-clamp recordings from HA cells in acute mouse brain slices. Stimulation of ChR2-containing fibers with millisecond flashes of blue light produced fast postsynaptic currents in HA neurons, with a high connection probability (≈60% of HA cells were connected to ≈40% of hcrt/orx cells expressing ChR2). These inputs depended on tetrodotoxin-sensitive action potentials, had kinetics typical of glutamatergic responses mediated by AMPA receptors, were blocked by the AMPA receptor blocker CNQX, and displayed multiple forms of short-term plasticity (depression in ≈70% trials, facilitation in ≈30% trials, both often in the same cell). Furthermore, stimulation of hcrt/orx axons at physiological frequencies rapidly and reversibly increased action potential firing in HA cells, an effect that was abolished by blockade of AMPA receptors. These results provide the first functional evidence that hcrt/orx neurons are capable of fast glutamatergic control of their projection targets, and suggest that variations in electrical activity of hcrt/orx axons can induce rapid changes in long-range signals generated by HA neurons.
Ceftriaxone Normalizes Nucleus Accumbens Synaptic Transmission, Glutamate Transport, and Export following Cocaine Self-Administration and Extinction Training
Authors: Trantham-Davidson Heather , LaLumiere Ryan T. , Reissner Kathryn J. , Kalivas Peter W. , Knackstedt Lori A.
Published: September 2012

Decreased basal glutamate levels are observed in the rat nucleus accumbens (NA) core following cocaine self-administration. This disruption of glutamate homeostasis arises from a reduction in the export of glutamate via system xC−and is accompanied by a decrease in expression of xCT, the catalytic subunit of system xC−. A second hallmark of disrupted homeostasis is a decrease in expression and function of the major glutamate transporter, GLT-1. We have previously shown that chronic treatment with the antibiotic ceftriaxone restores xCT and GLT-1 expression following cocaine self-administration and attenuates both cue- and cocaine-primed reinstatement. Here we used a3H-glutamate uptake assay and microdialysis to test the hypothesis that ceftriaxone restores the function of both GLT-1 and xCT (glutamate reuptake and export, respectively) in the NA core following cocaine self-administration. We also used electrophysiology to investigate the ability of ceftriaxone to normalize measures of synaptic plasticity following cocaine. We found that 5 d of ceftriaxone treatment following cocaine self-administration restores basal glutamate levels in the accumbens core, likely through an upregulation of system xC−function. We also found that ceftriaxone restores glutamate reuptake and attenuates the increase in synaptically released glutamate that accompanies cocaine-primed reinstatement. Ceftriaxone also reversed the cocaine-induced synaptic potentiation in the accumbens core, evidenced by normalized spontaneous EPSC amplitude and frequency and evoked EPSC amplitude. These data indicate that ceftriaxone normalizes multiple aspects of glutamate homeostasis following cocaine self-administration and thus holds the potential to reduce relapse in human cocaine addicts.
Alleviation of Neuropathic Pain Hypersensitivity by Inhibiting Neuronal Pentraxin 1 in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla
Authors: Zapata Agustin , Pontis Silvia , Schepers Raf J. , Wang Ruizhong , Oh Eric , Stein Alexandra , Bäckman Cristina M. , Worley Paul , Enguita Marta , Abad M. Alba , Trullas Ramon , Shippenberg Toni S.
Published: September 2012

Peripheral nerve injury causes spontaneous and long-lasting pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. Excitatory amino acid receptor-dependent increases in descending facilitatory drive from the brainstem rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) contribute to injury-evoked hypersensitivity. Although increased excitability likely reflects changes in synaptic efficacy, the cellular mechanisms underlying injury-induced synaptic plasticity are poorly understood. Neuronal pentraxin 1 (NP1), a protein with exclusive CNS expression, is implicated in synaptogenesis and AMPA receptor recruitment to immature synapses. Its role in the adult brain and in descending pain facilitation is unknown. Here, we use the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in rodents to examine this issue. We show that SNI increases RVM NP1 expression and constitutive deletion or silencing NP1 in the RVM, before or after SNI, attenuates allodynia and hyperalgesia in rats. Selective rescue of RVM NP1 expression restores behavioral hypersensitivity of knock-out mice, demonstrating a key role of RVM NP1 in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain.
Impact of Prefrontal Cortex in Nicotine-Induced Excitation of Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine Neurons in Anesthetized Rats
Authors: Zhang Die , Gao Ming , Xu Dan , Shi Wei-Xing , Gutkin Boris S. , Steffensen Scott C. , Lukas Ronald J. , Wu Jie
Published: September 2012

Systemic administration of nicotine increases dopaminergic (DA) neuron firing in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which is thought to underlie nicotine reward. Here, we report that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a critical role in nicotine-induced excitation of VTA DA neurons. In chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats, extracellular single-unit recordings showed that VTA DA neurons exhibited two types of firing responses to systemic nicotine. After nicotine injection, the neurons with type-I response showed a biphasic early inhibition and later excitation, whereas the neurons with type-II response showed a monophasic excitation. The neurons with type-I, but not type-II, response exhibited pronounced slow oscillations (SOs) in firing. Pharmacological or structural mPFC inactivation abolished SOs and prevented systemic nicotine-induced excitation in the neurons with type-I, but not type-II, response, suggesting that these VTA DA neurons are functionally coupled to the mPFC and nicotine increases firing rate in these neurons in part through the mPFC. Systemic nicotine also increased the firing rate and SOs in mPFC pyramidal neurons. mPFC infusion of a non-α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist mecamylamine blocked the excitatory effect of systemic nicotine on the VTA DA neurons with type-I response, but mPFC infusion of nicotine failed to excite these neurons. These results suggest that nAChR activation in the mPFC is necessary, but not sufficient, for systemic nicotine-induced excitation of VTA neurons. Finally, systemic injection of bicuculline prevented nicotine-induced firing alterations in the neurons with type-I response. We propose that the mPFC plays a critical role in systemic nicotine-induced excitation of VTA DA neurons.
Optimizing the Sensitivity of FT-Rheology to Quantify and Differentiate for the First Time the Nonlinear Mechanical Response of Dispersed Beer Foams of Light and Dark Beer
Authors: Wilhelm Manfred , Reinheimer Kathrin , Kübel Jennifer
Published: September 2012

Foams are dispersions consisting of a gaseous dispersed phase and a liquid or solid dispersion medium. For the case of beer foam, only the liquid dispersion medium is of interest here. The focus of this work was closed foams that were explored for the first time using Fourier Transform Rheology (FT-Rheology). It was shown that FT-Rheology was able to resolve differences between various brands of beers. While foam rheology is of high interest especially in the food industry and for personal care products, previous investigations were typically made using steady shear or were within the linear oscillatory regime. However, the challenge facing large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) measurements in foams is detection of the resulting extremely low torque related to the higher harmonics. Foams with a high volume fraction of the dispersed gaseous phase generate a LAOS response that is generally quite low, specifically torque values on the order of μN m. Therefore, the LAOS measurements have to be performed with a very sensitive and carefully optimized rheometer. To achieve the results here, the most advanced rheometer ARES G2 from TA Instruments was used because it possesses the highest sensitivity of status quo strain controlled rheometers and is able to measure torques down to 50 nN m. This requirement of high torque resolution limited previous investigations on nonlinear oscillatory shear experiments and makes the experimental results described here both unique and pioneering.
Temperature Controlled Activity of Lipase B from Candida Antarctica after Immobilization within p-NIPAM Microgel Particles
Authors: Gawlitza Kornelia , Wu Changzhu , Georgieva Radostina , Ansorge-Schumacher Marion , von Klitzing Regine
Published: September 2012

The immobilization of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CalB) within micronsized poly-N-Isopropylacrylamide (p-NIPAM) microgel particles with a crosslinker content of 5% is reported. The immobilization of the enzyme was reached by an exchange from polar to organic solvents. After determining the embedded amount of CalB within the polymer network, an enhanced specific activity in n-hexane was obtained. Due to the thermoresponsibility of the polymer particles, the activity reaction was done at 25 ºC and 50 ºC. The results presented show that the reversible collapse of the microgel leads to a decreased activity with increasing temperature. Hence, p-NIPAM microgels display a good opportunity to tailor the activity of CalB. An interesting side effect is that CalB presents a suitable probe to estimate the mesh size of the polymer network, since it penetrates in the unlabeled form but not after labeling with FITC.
Disponibilidade de macronutrientes em cultivares de cana-de-açúcar submetidas à competição com Brachiaria brizantha
Authors: Galon Leandro , Tironi Siumar Pedro , Silva Alexandre Ferreira da , Beutler Amauri Nelson , Rocha Paulo Roberto Ribeiro , Ferreira Evander Alves , Silva Antonio Alberto da
Published: September 2012

Objetivou-se com o trabalho verificar os teores foliares dos macronutrientes e o desenvolvimento das cultivares de cana-açúcar 'RB72454', 'RB867515' e 'SP801816' em competição com populações de Brachiaria brizantha. Os tratamentos utilizados foram: 1) cultivar de cana-de-açúcar 'RB72454' e população de B. brizantha de 0, 1, 3, 7, 15, 32, 40, 32, 64, 92, 88 e 112; 2) 'RB867515' e 0, 1, 4, 14, 10, 18, 28, 30, 36, 54, 52 e 72; 3) 'SP801816' e 0, 1, 3, 6, 14, 20, 24, 26, 26, 32, 46 e 56 plantas m-2. Aos 120 dias após a emergência da cultura, foi quantificada a massa seca (MS) da parte aérea da cana-de-açúcar e da B. brizantha. Aos 290 dias após a emergência (DAE), foram coletadas amostras das folhas +3 (terceira folha a partir do ápice das plantas), nas quais foram avaliadas as concentrações de nitrogênio total, fósforo, potássio, magnésio e cálcio. Com o aumento da população de B. brizantha, observou-se redução da MS somente na cultivar 'RB72454'. O aumento na população de B. brizantha reduziu a concentração de fósforo em todas as cultivares, nitrogênio em 'RB72454' e 'SP801816', potássio e magnésio para 'RB72454'. Nas populações mais elevadas de B. brizantha, houve maior competição pelos nutrientes disponíveis no meio, sendo o fósforo o mais limitante. A cultivar 'RB72454' foi a menos competitiva pelos nutrientes no solo. As cultivares apresentaram redução média de 76% na produtividade de colmos na densidade máxima de B. brizantha.
Produção do girassol e teor de óleo nos aquênios em função da temperatura do ar, precipitação pluvial e radiação solar
Authors: Thomaz Giovani Luiz , Zagonel Jeferson , Colasante Luiz Osvaldo , Nogueira Ranieri Ramos
Published: September 2012

O presente estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da temperatura do ar, precipitação pluvial e radiação solar, ocorridos em cada fase fenológica da cultura do girassol, na produção de aquênios, no teor de óleo dos aquênios e na produção de óleo do girassol. Foram conduzidos dez experimentos em intervalos de 20 dias, com início em 30/07/2007 e término em 28/01/2008. Cada experimento constituiu uma época de semeadura. Para verificar a normalidade dos erros e homogeneidade das variâncias, inicialmente, realizou-se uma análise individual por experimento para, em seguida, realizar análise conjunta. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com quatro tratamentos (cultivares) e quatro repetições, em cada época de semeadura. Houve interação entre épocas de semeadura e cultivares para todas as variáveis estudadas. Foram feitas análises de correlação entre as variáveis meteorológicas e as de produção do girassol. A produção de aquênios, teor de óleo e produção de óleo nas cultivares de girassol foram mais elevados quando ocorreram temperaturas mais baixas na fase vegetativa, maiores precipitações pluviais na floração e maiores índices de radiação solar na fase vegetativa e de enchimento de aquênios.