bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Male mice that lack the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR41 have low energy expenditure and increased body fat content
Authors: Bellahcene Mohamed , O'Dowd Jacqueline F. , Wargent Ed T. , Zaibi Mohamed S. , Hislop David C. , Ngala Robert A. , Smith David M. , Cawthorne Michael A. , Stocker Claire J. , Arch Jonathan R. S.
Published: October 2012

SCFA are produced in the gut by bacterial fermentation of undigested carbohydrates. Activation of the Gαi-protein-coupled receptor GPR41 by SCFA in β-cells and sympathetic ganglia inhibits insulin secretion and increases sympathetic outflow, respectively. A possible role in stimulating leptin secretion by adipocytes is disputed. In the present study, we investigated energy balance and glucose homoeostasis in GPR41 knockout mice fed on a standard low-fat or a high-fat diet. When fed on the low-fat diet, body fat mass was raised and glucose tolerance was impaired in male but not female knockout mice compared to wild-type mice. Soleus muscle and heart weights were reduced in the male mice, but total body lean mass was unchanged. When fed on the high-fat diet, body fat mass was raised in male but not female GPR41 knockout mice, but by no more in the males than when they were fed on the low-fat diet. Body lean mass and energy expenditure were reduced in male mice but not in female knockout mice. These results suggest that the absence of GPR41 increases body fat content in male mice. Gut-derived SCFA may raise energy expenditure and help to protect against obesity by activating GPR41.
When Is the Pen Truly Mighty? Regime Type and the Efficacy of Naming and Shaming in Curbing Human Rights Abuses
Authors: Hendrix Cullen S. , Wong Wendy H.
Published: October 2012

Does naming and shaming states affect respect for human rights in those states? This article argues that incentives to change repressive behaviour when facing international condemnation vary across regime types. In democracies and hybrid regimes – which combine democratic and authoritarian elements – opposition parties and relatively free presses paradoxically make rulers less likely to change behaviour when facing international criticism. In contrast, autocracies, which lack these domestic sources of information on abuses, are more sensitive to international shaming. Using data on naming and shaming taken from Western press reports and Amnesty International, the authors demonstrate that naming and shaming is associated with improved human rights outcomes in autocracies, but with either no effect or a worsening of outcomes in democracies and hybrid regimes.
Elections, Uncertainty and Irreversible Investment
Authors: Canes-Wrone Brandice , Park Jee-Kwang
Published: October 2012

This article argues that the policy uncertainty generated by elections encourages private actors to delay investments that entail high costs of reversal, creating pre-election declines in the associated sectors. Moreover, this incentive depends on the competitiveness of the race and the policy differences between the major parties/candidates. These arguments are tested using new survey and housing market data from the United States. The survey analysis assesses whether respondents’ perceptions of presidential candidates’ policy differences increased the likelihood that they would delay certain purchases and actions. The housing market analysis examines whether elections are associated with a pre-election decline in economic activity, and whether any such decline depends on electoral competitiveness. The results support the predictions and cannot be explained by existing theories.
Dangerous Neighbours, Regional Territorial Conflict and the Democratic Peace
Authors: Gibler Douglas M. , Braithwaite Alex
Published: October 2012

The likelihood of conflict and the observation of joint democracy tend to cluster regionally. This article tests the argument that these clusters can be explained by regional variations in the stability of international borders using a new dataset of territorial dispute hot spots from 1960–1998. These hot spots identify spatial and temporal correlations in the territorial dispute data and therefore serve as close proxies for regional or neighbourhood instability. The addition of these hot spots also eliminates a common form of omitted variable bias – the spatial clustering of conflict – in international conflict models. These results confirm that joint democracy is only statistically significant as a predictor of fatal militarized interstate disputes in more peaceful neighbourhoods once territorial hot spots are jointly estimated. The interaction between joint democracy and regional instability confirms that the effects of regime type on continued conflict apply mostly to dyads in peaceful regions.
Age, growth and mortality of the garfish, Belone belone (L. 1761) in the Adriatic Sea
Authors: Zorica Barbara , Keč Vanja Čikeš
Published: October 2012

A sample of 3393 garfish, Belone belone (Linnaeus, 1761) was captured using a seine net between January 2003 and December 2008, along the eastern Adriatic Sea. The range in total length was 20.8–75.4 cm and in weight was 12.21–639.25 g. Length–length equations for converting size measurements (standard length and fork length to total length (TL)) were linear. In the length–weight relationship, positive allometry was established (b = 3.4818). Age, determined from sagittal otoliths, ranged from 1+ to 8+ years. The estimated von Bertalanffy model growth parameters for garfish were L∞ = 90.3 cm, K = 0.158 year−1, t0 = −0.109. Otolith weight was endorsed as a possible age predictor, as it showed highly exponential correlation with total garfish length and age (Wo = 0.0012 TL2.189; Wo = 0.568t1.486). These findings were used to examine mortality rates and exploitation in order to improve conservation and management of this pelagic species.
Idealism, Imperialism, and Internationalism: Opium Politics in the Colonial Philippines, 1898–1925
Authors: WERTZ DANIEL J. P.
Published: October 2012

While establishing a framework for colonial governance in the Philippines, American policymakers had to confront the issue of opium smoking, which was especially popular among the Philippine Chinese community. In 1903, the Philippine Commission proposed a return to the Spanish-era policy of controlling the opium trade through tax farming, igniting outrage among American Protestant missionaries in the Philippines and their supporters in the United States. Their actions revived a faltering global anti-opium movement, leading to a series of international agreements and domestic restrictions on opium and other drugs. Focusing mostly on American policy in the Philippines, this paper also examines the international ramifications of a changing drug control regime. It seeks to incorporate the debate over opium policy into broader narratives of imperial ideology, international cooperation, and local responses to colonial rule, demonstrating how a variety of actors shaped the new drug-control regimes both in the Philippines and internationally.
Weight loss and Alzheimer's disease: temporal and aetiologic connections
Authors: Sergi Giuseppe , De Rui Marina , Coin Alessandra , Inelmen Emine Meral , Manzato Enzo
Published: October 2012

The intermediate and advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are frequently associated with weight loss (WL), but WL may even precede the onset of cognitive symptoms. This review focuses on the possible aetiologic and temporal relationships between AD and WL. When WL occurs some years before any signs of cognitive impairment, it may be a risk factor for dementia due to deficiency of several micronutrients, such as vitamins and essential fatty acids, and consequent oxidative tissue damage. The leptin reduction associated with WL may also facilitate cognitive decline. The mechanisms potentially inducing WL in AD include lower energy intake, higher resting energy expenditure, exaggerated physical activity, or combinations of these factors. A hypermetabolic state has been observed in animals with AD, but has not been confirmed in human subjects. This latter mechanism could involve amyloid assemblies that apparently increase the circulating cytokine levels and proton leakage in mitochondria. WL may be caused by patients’ increased physical activity as they develop abnormal motor behaviour (restlessness and agitation) and waste energy while trying to perform daily activities. During the course of AD, patients usually find it increasingly difficult to eat, so they ingest less food. AD-related neurodegeneration also affects brain regions involved in regulating appetite. The caregiver has an important role in ensuring an adequate food intake and controlling behavioural disturbances. In conclusion, WL is closely linked to AD, making periodic nutritional assessments and appropriate dietary measures important aspects of an AD patient's treatment.
Increased stress reactivity: a mechanism specifically associated with the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder
Authors: Lataster T. , Valmaggia L. , Lardinois M. , van Os J. , Myin-Germeys I.
Published: October 2012

Background

An increased reactivity to stress in the context of daily life is suggested to be an independent risk factor underlying the positive symptoms of psychotic disorder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether positive symptoms moderate the association between everyday stressful events and negative affect (NA), known as stress reactivity. This hypothesis was put to the test in patients with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder.

Method

The Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History (CASH) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess positive and negative symptoms. The experience sampling method (ESM), a structured diary technique, was used to measure stress reactivity and psychotic symptoms in daily life.

Results

Higher levels of positive symptoms (CASH:B = 0.14,p = 0.005; PANSS:B = 0.05,p = 0.000; ESM:B = 0.03,p = 0.000) and lower levels of negative symptoms (PANSS:B = − 0.05,p = 0.001) significantly moderate the association between unpleasant events and NA. No significant moderating effect was found for CASH negative symptoms. Moreover, the moderating effect of lifetime and current symptoms on the stress–NA association was significantly larger for those patients with predominantly positive symptoms (CASH:B = 0.09,p = 0.000; PANSS:B = 0.08,p = 0.000; ESM:B = 0.13,p = 0.000).

Conclusions

Patients with a ‘psychotic syndrome’ with high levels of positive symptoms and low levels of negative symptoms show increased reactivity to stress in daily life, indicating that stress reactivity is a possible risk factor underlying this syndrome.
Evidence that hippocampal–parahippocampal dysfunction is related to genetic risk for schizophrenia
Authors: Di Giorgio A. , Gelao B. , Caforio G. , Romano R. , Andriola I. , D'Ambrosio E. , Papazacharias A. , Elifani F. , Bianco L. Lo , Taurisano P. , Fazio L. , Popolizio T. , Blasi G. , Bertolino A.
Published: October 2012

Background

Abnormalities in hippocampal–parahippocampal (H-PH) function are prominent features of schizophrenia and have been associated with deficits in episodic memory. However, it remains unclear whether these abnormalities represent a phenotype related to genetic risk for schizophrenia or whether they are related to disease state.

Method

We investigated H-PH-mediated behavior and physiology, using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI), during episodic memory in a sample of patients with schizophrenia, clinically unaffected siblings and healthy subjects.

Results

Patients with schizophrenia and unaffected siblings displayed abnormalities in episodic memory performance. During an fMRI memory encoding task, both patients and siblings demonstrated a similar pattern of reduced H-PH engagement compared with healthy subjects.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the inability of patients with schizophrenia to properly engage the H-PH during episodic memory is related to genetic risk for the disorder. Therefore, H-PH dysfunction can be assumed as a schizophrenia susceptibility-related phenotype.
Contact mechanics for soft robotic fingers: modeling and experimentation
Authors: Bakhy Sadeq H. , Hassan Shaker S. , Nacy Somer M. , Dermitzakis K. , Arieta Alejandro Hernandez
Published: October 2012

Human fingers possess mechanical characteristics, which enable them to manipulate objects. In robotics, the study of soft fingertip materials for manipulation has been going on for a while; however, almost all previous researches have been carried on hemispherical shapes whereas this study concentrates on the use of hemicylindrical shapes. These shapes were found to be more resistant to elastic deformations for the same materials. The purpose of this work is to generate a modified nonlinear contact-mechanics theory for modeling soft fingertips, which is proposed as a power-law equation. The contact area of a hemicylindrical soft fingertip is proportional to the normal force raised to the power of γcy, which ranges from 0 to 1/2. Subsuming the Timoshenko and Goodier (S. P. Timoshenko and J. N. Goodier, Theory of Elasticity, 3rd ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1970) pp. 414–420) linear contact theory for cylinders confirms the proposed power equation. We applied a weighted least-squares curve fitting to analyze the experimental data for different types of silicone (RTV 23, RTV 1701, and RTV 240). Our experimental results supported the proposed theoretical prediction. Results for human fingers and hemispherical soft fingers were also compared.
Attractors of directed graph IFSs that are not standard IFS attractors and their Hausdorff measure
Authors: BOORE G. C. , FALCONER K. J.
Published: October 2012

For directed graph iterated function systems (IFSs) defined on ℝ, we prove that a class of 2-vertex directed graph IFSs have attractors that cannot be the attractors of standard (1-vertex directed graph) IFSs, with or without separation conditions. We also calculate their exact Hausdorff measure. Thus we are able to identify a new class of attractors for which the exact Hausdorff measure is known.
On conjugacy growth of linear groups
Authors: BREUILLARD EMMANUEL , CORNULIER YVES , LUBOTZKY ALEXANDER , MEIRI CHEN
Published: October 2012

We investigate the conjugacy growth of finitely generated linear groups. We show that finitely generated non-virtually-solvable subgroups of GLd have uniform exponential conjugacy growth and in fact that the number of distinct polynomials arising as characteristic polynomials of the elements of the ball of radius n for the word metric has exponential growth rate bounded away from 0 in terms of the dimension d only.
Risk of invasive pneumococcal disease varies by neighbourhood characteristics: implications for prevention policies
Authors: FEEMSTER K. A. , LI Y. , LOCALIO A. R. , SHULTS J. , EDELSTEIN P. , LAUTENBACH E. , SMITH T. , METLAY J. P.
Published: October 2012

This study investigates neighbourhood variation in rates of pneumococcal bacteraemia and community-level factors associated with neighbourhood heterogeneity in disease risk. We analysed data from 1416 adult and paediatric cases of pneumococcal bacteraemia collected during 2005–2008 from a population-based hospital surveillance network in metropolitan Philadelphia. Cases were geocoded using residential address to measure disease incidence by neighbourhood and identify potential neighbourhood-level risk factors. Overall incidence of pneumococcal bacteraemia was 36·8 cases/100 000 population and varied significantly (0–67·8 cases/100 000 population) in 281 neighbourhoods. Increased disease incidence was associated with higher population density [incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1·10/10 000 people per mile2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·0–1·19], higher percent black population (per 10% increase) (IRR 1·07, 95% CI 1·04–1·09), population aged ⩽5 years (IRR 3·49, CI 1·8–5·18) and population aged ⩾65 years (IRR 1·19, CI 1·00–1·38). After adjusting for these characteristics, there was no significant difference in neighbourhood disease rates. This study demonstrates substantial small-area variation in pneumococcal bacteraemia risk that appears to be explained by neighbourhood sociodemographic characteristics. Identifying neighbourhoods with increased disease risk may provide valuable information to optimize implementation of prevention strategies.
Single-Molecule Localization Super-Resolution Microscopy: Deeper and Faster
Authors: Herbert Sébastien , Soares Helena , Zimmer Christophe , Henriques Ricardo
Published: October 2012

For over a decade fluorescence microscopy has demonstrated the capacity to achieve single-molecule localization accuracies of a few nanometers, well below the ∼200 nm lateral and ∼500 nm axial resolution limit of conventional microscopy. Yet, only the recent development of new fluorescence labeling modalities, the increase in sensitivity of imaging hardware, and the creation of novel image analysis tools allow for the emergence of single-molecule-based super-resolution imaging techniques. Novel methods such as photoactivated localization microscopy and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy can typically reach a tenfold increase in resolution compared to standard microscopy methods. Their implementation is relatively easy only requiring minimal changes to a conventional wide-field or total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. The recent translation of these two methods into commercial imaging systems has made them further accessible to researchers in biology. However, these methods are still evolving rapidly toward imaging live samples with high temporal resolution and depth. In this review, we recall the roots of single-molecule localization microscopy, summarize major recent developments, and offer perspective on potential applications.
Special forum on Moral Limit and Possibility in World Politics
Authors: Price Richard M. , Snyder Jack , Vinjamuri Leslie , Erskine Toni , Rengger Nicholas
Published: October 2012

In a dialogue discussing issues of the relation between empirical and normative theory, four contributors comment upon the edited volume by Richard Price, Moral Limit and Possibility in World Politics, and Richard Price responds. The contributions principally revolve around the following themes: (1) whether a division of labor between normative and empirical theory can or should be overcome, which in turn presupposes notions of (2) just what constitutes normative and empirical international relations as such; and (3) the ethics of constructivism itself, including what if anything is distinctive about how constructivism might respond to the question of ‘how we should act’.
‘Hollow promises?’ Critical materialism and the contradictions of the Democratic Peace
Authors: MacMillan John
Published: October 2012

The Democratic Peace research programme explicitly and implicitly presents its claims in terms of their potential to underpin a universal world peace. Yet whilst the Democratic Peace appears robust in its geographical heartlands it appears weaker at the edges of the democratic world, where the spread of democracy and the depth of democratic political development is often limited and where historically many of the purported exceptions to the Democratic Peace are found. Whereas Democratic Peace scholarship has tended to overlook or downplay these phenomena, from a critical materialist perspective they are indicative of a fundamental contradiction within the Democratic Peace whereby its universalistic aspirations are thwarted by its material grounding in a hierarchical capitalist world economy. This, in turn, raises the question of whether liberal arguments for a universal Democratic Peace are in fact hollow promises. The article explores these concerns and argues that those interested in democracy and peace should pay more attention to the critical materialist tradition, which in the discussion below is represented principally by the world-system approach.
Assessing Individual Differences in Basic Computer Skills
Authors: Goldhammer Frank , Naumann Johannes , Keßel Yvonne
Published: October 2012

A definition of basic computer skills (BCS) is proposed and the psychometric properties of a newly developed BCS scale are investigated. BCS is defined as the ability and speed of performing basic actions in graphical user interfaces of computers to access, collect, and provide information. BCS is thus considered a basic component skill of the much broader construct of ICT literacy. Data from the German PISA 2009 field trial was used to determine the factor structure of the BCS scale as well as convergent and discriminant validity. The latent factor structure underlying the BCS scale was investigated by testing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models for response times and responses. CFA results suggest that there is one dimension of BCS speed and BCS ability, respectively. With respect to convergent validity, practical computer knowledge and skill in digital reading had strong associations with BCS speed and ability. With respect to discriminant validity, only moderate associations were found with lower level reading skills and self-reported computer skills. Differences between BCS speed and ability and further developments of the BCS scale are discussed.
Detection of Malingered Neurocognitive Dysfunction Among Patients with Acquired Brain Injuries
Authors: Hegedish Omer , Hoofien Dan
Published: October 2012

The Word Memory Test (WMT) is one of the most sensitive forced-choice tests available designed to evaluate negative response bias (NRB). Presently there is no valid verbal test designed to evaluate NRB for Hebrew-speaking patients. The aims of the present study were to validate the response bias measures of the WMT among Hebrew-speaking patients with acquired brain injuries and to reveal the malingering base rate among Israeli patients involved in compensation-seeking. Participants were 112 patients. The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) was used for convergent validity and injury related variables were used for concurrent validity. A translated version of the WMT had high split-half reliability. Regarding convergent validity, WMT effort measures had high positive correlations with the TOMM. Moreover, based on TOMM cutoff scores for classification, the WMT had reasonable classification rates. Regarding concurrent validity, multivariate logistic regression revealed that failure in the WMT was significantly predicted by normal brainscans and involvement in compensation-seeking behavior. The baserate of probable malingering was 34%. These findings emphasize the universality of the WMT in detecting NRB and establishing a malingered neurocognitive dysfunction baserate among Israeli patients involved in compensation-seeking.
Self-Reported Functional Status
Authors: Theofilou Paraskevi
Published: October 2012

Functional status is an understudied, yet important, modifiable risk factor in a number of chronic illnesses. This topic has not yet been studied extensively for chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study investigates the relationship of functional status to mental health and health perceptions among patients undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. A sample of 144 patients was recruited, consisting of 84 patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and 60 patients in peritoneal dialysis (PD). Measurements were conducted with the following instruments: the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI 1/STAI 2), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC). Functional status was associated negatively with all subscales of the GHQ-28 (somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, social dysfunction, severe depression) and the GHQ-28 total score. It was also related negatively to depression, as measured by CES-D scale, as well as to state and trait anxiety, and positively to internal health locus of control. The present study demonstrates the importance of functional status in understanding the health perceptions of patients with CKD and the contribution of functional status to mental health.
An Examination of the Structure and Stability of Early Maladaptive Schemas by Means of the Young Schema Questionnaire-3
Authors: Calvete Esther , Orue Izaskun , González-Diez Zahira
Published: October 2012

The Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) assesses early maladaptive schemas (EMS) that underlie a variety of psychological disorders. Since its creation by Young, several versions of this questionnaire have been developed. The Young Schema Questionnaire-3 (YSQ-3; Young, 2006 ) adds three new schemas (approval-seeking, punitiveness, and pessimism/negativity) in addition to the previous versions. This study examines the structure, consistency, stability, and concurrent validity of the YSQ-3 in a sample of Spanish students (n = 971, 54% females). The participants completed the YSQ-3 together with measures of depression, social anxiety, and hostility. A subsample of 351 was followed up 6 months later. The results support the structure of 18 EMS for the YSQ-3. However, the results for the second-order structure are mixed. Whereas the disconnection and rejection and the impaired autonomy domains are well supported, evidence for the other domains is limited, and results suggest that these domains may be integrated into one common domain. Finally, consistent with their content, EMS were associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility, and showed relative stability over time.
Energetic radiation belt electron precipitation showing ULF modulation
Authors: Brito T. , Woodger L. , Hudson M. , Millan R.
Published: October 2012

The energization and loss processes for energetic radiation belt electrons are not yet well understood. Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) waves have been correlated with both enhancement in outer zone radiation belt electron flux and modulation of precipitation loss to the atmosphere. This study considers the effects of ULF waves in the Pc‐4 to Pc‐5 period range (45 s–600 s) on electron loss to the atmosphere on a time scale of several minutes. Global simulations using magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) model fields as drivers provide a valuable tool for studying the dynamics of these ∼MeV energetic particles. ACE satellite measurements of the MHD solar wind parameters are used as the upstream boundary condition for the Lyon‐Fedder‐Mobarry (LFM) 3D MHD code calculation of fields, used to drive electrons in a 3D test particle simulation that keeps track of attributes like energy, pitch‐angle and L‐shell. The simulation results are compared with balloon observations obtained during the January 21, 2005 CME‐shock event. Rapid loss of 20 keV to 1.5 MeV electrons was detected by balloon‐borne measurements ofbremsstrahlungX‐rays during the MINIS campaign following the shock arrival at Earth. The global precipitation response of the radiation belts to this CME‐shock driven storm was investigated focusing on their interaction with ULF waves. A primary cause for the precipitation modulation seen in both the simulation and the MINIS campaign is suggested based on the lowering of mirror points due to compressional magnetic field oscillations.
Source location of falling tone chorus
Authors: Kurita Satoshi , Misawa Hiroaki , Cully Christopher M. , Le Contel Olivier , Angelopoulos Vassilis
Published: October 2012

Chorus is characterized by its fine structures consisting of rising or falling tones believed to result from nonlinear wave‐particle interactions. However, previous studies have showed that the intensity and propagation characteristics of rising and falling tone chorus are quite different, suggesting that their generation processes might be different. In this paper, the propagation direction of falling tone chorus is statistically investigated to identify its source region based on the Poynting vector measurement with THEMIS. The result shows that the falling tone chorus propagates from the magnetic equator to higher latitude both in the northern and southern hemispheres, in the same way as rising tone chorus. Our result shows that the magnetic equator is the common source location for both rising and falling tone chorus. The result emphasizes that the different properties between rising and falling tone chorus originate from their generation mechanism rather than source region.
Unusually short period in electrons at Saturn
Authors: Carbary J. F. , Mitchell D. G. , Krimigis S. M. , Krupp N.
Published: October 2012

When subject to Lomb periodogram analyses, fluxes of energetic electrons (27–496 keV) observed during the first 245 days of 2012 exhibit both mono and dual periods depending on energy. For E < 100 keV electrons, dual periods at 9.95 hours and 10.64 hours are evident, with the strongest signal at the shortest period. For higher energy electrons, only the period at 10.64 hours is evident. The 9.95 hour period is the shortest period ever measured for Saturn's magnetosphere, and is even shorter than the ∼10.5 hour period suggested by studies of Saturn's gravity field and cloud vorticity. If Saturn's magnetospheric periodicities are driven by ionospheric vortices, as suggested by some models, then their speeds would need to be super‐rotational to sustain the 9.95 hour period reported here.
Is a cation ordering transition of the Mg‐Fe olivine phase in the mantle responsible for the shallow mantle seismic discontinuity beneath the Indian Craton?
Authors: Mandal Nibir , Chakravarty Krishna Hara , Borah Kajaljyoti , Rai S. S.
Published: October 2012

We use first‐principles molecular dynamics simulations to study the behavior of cation ordering in the non‐equivalent octahedral sites of Mg‐Fe olivine solid solutions. Our theoretical calculations confirm the previous experimental finding that Mg2+ and Fe2+ can invert their octahedral site occupancy at a critical temperature. Assuming that the site preference of Fe changes discontinuously between two states in which it is completely restricted to either M1 or M2 sites, we have calculated the transition temperature, Tt, between the two extreme states. Under ambient pressure Tt is calculated to be 520°C that agrees fairly with the experimental finding in which, however, the ordering state changed discontinuously over a much smaller range of the site occupancy of Fe. Tt is found to be pressure sensitive, showing an increase by 30 to 100°C per unit GPa, depending upon the iron content. Using the Indian continental geotherm, we estimate a depth of around 75 Km corresponding to the calculated transition pressure and temperature of cation ordering, which matches well with the depth for the Hales discontinuity marked by a jump of shear wave velocity by ∼4%. For olivine solid solutions with 12.5% iron, the ordering transition increases Vs from 4.5 to 4.7 Km/s. Both the inferences, viz. depth of discontinuity and magnitude of velocity increase find support from the modeling of teleseismic earthquake waveforms recorded over broadband seismographs on the Dharwar Craton. This leads us to infer that the cation ordering transition in ferromagnesian olivine might be a potential factor for the Hales discontinuity.
Near 13 day barotropic ocean response to the atmospheric forcing in the North Pacific
Authors: Na Hanna , Park Jae‐Hun , Watts D. Randolph , Donohue Kathleen A. , Lee Ho Jin
Published: October 2012

In the Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS) east of Japan, bottom pressure observations over the 2 year study period exhibit strong high‐frequency variability near 13 days. The first cyclostationary empirical orthogonal function mode for the band‐pass‐filtered KESS bottom pressure explains about 57% of the near 13 day variance and exhibits almost in‐phase variability in space with a hint of westward propagation. The 13 day variability is strong during the winter and is driven by the large‐scale wind stress curl over a broad region of the North Pacific. Modeling results over the North Pacific closely follow the observations and indicate that topography confines the barotropic response to the west of Emperor Seamount Chain and slows the westward propagation of the near 13 day bottom pressure variability.
hnRNP A1 mediates the activation of the IRES-dependent SREBP-1a mRNA translation in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Damiano Fabrizio , Rochira Alessio , Tocci Romina , Alemanno Simone , Gnoni Antonio , Siculella Luisa
Published: October 2012

A growing amount of evidence suggests the involvement of ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress in lipid metabolism and in the development of some liver diseases such as steatosis. The transcription factor SREBP-1 (sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein 1) modulates the expression of several enzymes involved in lipid synthesis. Previously, we showed that ER stress increased the SREBP-1a protein level in HepG2 cells, by inducing a cap-independent translation of SREBP-1a mRNA, through an IRES (internal ribosome entry site), located in its leader region. In the present paper, we report that the hnRNP A1 (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1) interacts with 5′-UTR (untranslated region) of SREBP-1a mRNA, as an ITAF (IRES trans-acting factor), regulating SREBP-1a expression in HepG2 cells and in primary rat hepatocytes. Overexpression of hnRNP A1 in HepG2 cells and in rat hepatocytes increased both the SREBP-1a IRES activity and SREBP-1a protein level. Knockdown of hnRNP A1 by small interfering RNA reduced either the SREBP-1a IRES activity or SREBP-1a protein level. hnRNP A1 mediates the increase of SREBP-1a protein level and SREBP-1a IRES activity in Hep G2 cells and in rat hepatocytes upon tunicamycin- and thapsigargin-induced ER stress. The induced ER stress triggered the cytosolic relocation of hnRNP A1 and caused the increase in hnRNP A1 bound to the SREBP-1a 5′-UTR. These data indicate that hnRNP A1 participates in the IRES-dependent translation of SREBP-1a mRNA through RNA–protein interaction. A different content of hnRNP A1 was found in the nuclei from high-fat-diet-fed mice liver compared with standard-diet-fed mice liver, suggesting an involvement of ER stress-mediated hnRNP A1 subcellular redistribution on the onset of metabolic disorders.
Proper orthogonal decomposition investigation of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a rectangular cavity
Authors: Podvin Bérengère , Sergent Anne
Published: October 2012

We consider the large-eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection for air in a parallepipedic cavity of ratio (1:5:1) over the range Ra = 6 × 108 up to Ra = 1010 previously studied in Sergent and Le Quéré (Proceedings of the 13th European Turbulence Conference, 2011). Using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) analysis, we confirm the existence of a large-scale circulation (LSC) consisting of quasi-stationary cross-stream rolls (y-rolls) which are aligned with the small direction of the box. Strong changes in the LSC are observed to take place over a few hundred convective time units, defined as \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\kappa /(L_{x}^{2} Ra^{1/2})$\end{document}κ/(Lx2Ra1/2), where κ is the fluid diffusivity, Lx is the height of the box and Ra is the Rayleigh number. We also show the existence of a secondary flow, which consists of horizontal rolls (z-rolls) surrounding the core of the cavity and orthogonal to the cross-stream rolls. The amplitude of these longitudinal rolls oscillates on a time scale of 50 convective units. The longitudinal rolls are associated with strong variations in the vertical momentum transfer, while cross-stream rolls are primarily responsible for more than half of the convective heat transfer and make little contribution to the convective momentum transfer. Integration of a simplified dynamical model with stationary y-rolls leads to an oscillation in the z-rolls with a characteristic period of 70 units, which supports the idea that the oscillation of the secondary rolls is determined by the primary flow structure. Using 2D linear stability analysis based on the contributions from POD modes, we show that the presence of longitudinal shear leads to the stabilization of the high wavenumber range, and we predict a roll size which is reasonably close to that observed in the LES. We conjecture that changes in the large-scale circulation of the flow are related to the fluctuating shear created by the secondary rolls and higher-order modes outside the boundary layer.
Environmental Water Allocations in regulated lowland rivers may encourage offstream movements and spawning by common carp, Cyprinus carpio: implications for wetland rehabilitation
Authors: Conallin Anthony J. , Smith Ben B. , Thwaites Leigh A. , Walker Keith F. , Gillanders Bronwyn M.
Published: October 2012

Environmental Water Allocations (EWAs) are used to enhance native flora and fauna in regulated rivers, but may also benefit alien invasive species like common carp (Cyprinus carpio). We examined the invasion and spawning risk posed by adult common carp during an EWA delivered from the River Murray to a flow-through wetland in South Australia from June to December 2008. Offstream movements of fish and turtles were monitored continuously via the inlet and outlet creeks. Long-necked turtles (Chelodina longicollis, n = 129) dominated at the inlet where few fish were collected (n = 24), whereas much larger numbers of common carp in prime spawning condition (n = 4709), alien goldfish (Carassius auratus, n = 1201) and native bony herring (Nematalosa erebi, n = 93) were attracted to the outlet and displayed distinct movements. Adult common carp movements began in August, in response to increasing water temperatures, peaked in mid-September before spawning, then declined and were close to zero by December. The timing of EWA deliveries potentially could be manipulated to reduce adult carp invasion and spawning potential while providing some advantage to native fish, but the benefits may be short-lived without additional carp management interventions such as wetland drying.
Coastal wetlands of temperate eastern Australia: will Cinderella ever go to the ball?
Authors: Boon Paul I.
Published: October 2012

The many sheltered embayments, riverine estuaries and drowned river valleys of temperate eastern Australia support a large area and a wide diversity of coastal wetlands. This region also supports over one-half of the country’s population and includes its major tourist and industrial centres. The story of Cinderella provides an excellent simile for the status of coastal wetlands in this region of Australia: coastal wetlands provide extremely valuable ecosystem services (indeed, of considerably greater value than those provided by an equivalent area of inland wetland), yet they are undervalued by the general community, by natural-resource managers and by funding agencies. The selective investment of ecological research (including rehabilitation studies) into inland wetlands – and in particular into floodplain wetlands of the Murray–Darling Basin – has left us inadequately equipped to understand how temperate coastal wetlands function, how they will respond to climate change, and how degraded sites can be rehabilitated. Not only is an increase in research funding required, but funding has to be coordinated and focussed. The problem, however, is not only a lack of research funding; at a more fundamental level, the widespread ignorance of the value of temperate coastal wetlands needs also to be addressed.
Ecological effects of alternative fuel-reduction treatments: highlights of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS)
Authors: McIver James D. , Stephens Scott L. , Agee James K. , Barbour Jamie , Boerner Ralph E. J. , Edminster Carl B. , Erickson Karen L. , Farris Kerry L. , Fettig Christopher J. , Fiedler Carl E. , Haase Sally , Hart Stephen C. , Keeley Jon E. , Knapp Eric E. , Lehmkuhl John F. , Moghaddas Jason J. , Otrosina William , Outcalt Kenneth W. , Schwilk Dylan W. , Skinner Carl N. , Waldrop Thomas A. , Weatherspoon C. Phillip , Yaussy Daniel A. , Youngblood Andrew , Zack Steve
Published: October 2012

The 12-site National Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS) was a multivariate experiment that evaluated ecological consequences of alternative fuel-reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests of the US. Each site was a replicated experiment with a common design that compared an un-manipulated control, prescribed fire, mechanical and mechanical + fire treatments. Variables within the vegetation, fuelbed, forest floor and soil, bark beetles, tree diseases and wildlife were measured in 10-ha stands, and ecological response was compared among treatments at the site level, and across sites, to better understand the influence of differential site conditions. For most sites, treated stands were predicted to be more resilient to wildfire if it occurred shortly after treatment, but for most ecological variables, short-term response to treatments was subtle and transient. Strong site-specificity was observed in the response of most ecosystem variables, suggesting that practitioners employ adaptive management at the local scale. Because ecosystem components were tightly linked, adaptive management would need to include monitoring of a carefully chosen set of key variables. Mechanical treatments did not serve as surrogates for fire for most variables, suggesting that fire be maintained whenever possible. Restoration to pre-settlement conditions will require repeated treatments over time, with eastern forests requiring more frequent applications.
TFIIB dephosphorylation links transcription inhibition with the p53-dependent DNA damage response
Authors: Shandilya Jayasha , Wang Yuming , Roberts Stefan G. E.
Published: October 2012

The general transcription factor II B (TFIIB) plays a central role in both the assembly of the transcription complex at gene promoters and also in the events that lead to transcription initiation. TFIIB is phosphorylated at serine-65 at the promoters of several endogenous genes, and this modification is required to drive the formation of gene promoter–3′ processing site contacts through the cleavage stimulation factor 3′ (CstF 3′)-processing complex. Here we demonstrate that TFIIB phosphorylation is dispensable for the transcription of genes activated by the p53 tumor suppressor. We find that the kinase activity of TFIIH is critical for the phosphorylation of TFIIB serine-65, but it is also dispensable for the transcriptional activation of p53-target genes. Moreover, we demonstrate that p53 directly interacts with CstF independent of TFIIB phosphorylation, providing an alternative route to the recruitment of 3′-processing complexes to the gene promoter. Finally, we show that DNA damage leads to a reduction in the level of phospho-ser65 TFIIB that leaves the p53 transcriptional response intact, but attenuates transcription at other genes. Our data reveal a mode of phospho-TFIIB-independent transcriptional regulation that prioritizes the transcription of p53-target genes during cellular stress.
Evolutionary layering and the limits to cellular perfection
Authors: Lynch Michael
Published: October 2012

Although observations from biochemistry and cell biology seemingly illustrate hundreds of examples of exquisite molecular adaptations, the fact that experimental manipulation can often result in improvements in cellular infrastructure raises the question as to what ultimately limits the level of molecular perfection achievable by natural selection. Here, it is argued that random genetic drift can impose a strong barrier to the advancement of molecular refinements by adaptive processes. Moreover, although substantial improvements in fitness may sometimes be accomplished via the emergence of novel cellular features that improve on previously established mechanisms, such advances are expected to often be transient, with overall fitness eventually returning to the level before incorporation of the genetic novelty. As a consequence of such changes, increased molecular/cellular complexity can arise by Darwinian processes, while yielding no long-term increase in adaptation and imposing increased energetic and mutational costs.
Animacy in early New Zealand English
Authors: Hundt Marianne , Szmrecsanyi Benedikt
Published: October 2012

The literature suggests that animacy effects in present-day spoken New Zealand English (NZE) differ from animacy effects in other varieties of English. We seek to determine if such differences have a history in earlier NZE writing or not. We revisit two grammatical phenomena — progressives and genitives — that are well known to be sensitive to animacy effects, and we study these phenomena in corpora sampling 19th- and early 20th-century written NZE; for reference purposes, we also study parallel samples of 19th- and early 20th-century British English and American English. We indeed find significant regional differences between early New Zealand writing and the other varieties in terms of the effect that animacy has on the frequency and probabilities of grammatical phenomena.
Beyond Hobson Jobson
Authors: Lambert James
Published: October 2012

Indian English is one of the most important and widely-spoken varieties of English, and yet at present the pinnacle of lexicographical treatment of the variety remains the well-renowned and much feted Hobson Jobson, originally published in 1886, with a second edition in 1903. British English has the Oxford, American English the Webster’s, Australian English the Macquarie, but Indian English must do with a dictionary over a century out of date. More recent lexicographical works that focus on Indian English suffer from a number of deficiencies that do not do the variety due justice. This paper analyses a selection of the currently available dictionaries on Indian English in order to identify these deficiencies. Finally, suggestions are made as to possible dictionary projects that may move Indian English lexicography, and the lexicography of other New Englishes, beyond Hobson Jobson and towards the 21st century.
English in Flemish adolescents’ computer-mediated discourse
Authors: De Decker Benny , Vandekerckhove Reinhild
Published: October 2012

The paper focuses on the presence of English in a written chat corpus produced by Flemish teenagers whose native language is (a variety of) Dutch: it deals with the relative presence of several lexemes and word categories, with the effect on the target language and with the way the loans are integrated into teenager chatspeak, i.e. with (g)localisation processes. In quantitative terms, the impact of English on the informal “speech” of Flemish teenagers appears to be considerable, but the borrowing process is not a copy-and-paste practice. In many cases the teenagers transform the English words graphemically, morphologically and/or semantically. By using an extensive and reliable corpus and by quantifying and categorizing the English tokens in several ways, this paper aims at describing a representative case study for the appropriation of English by a generation the socialization process of which partly proceeds via electronic media.
Editor’s report 2007–2012
Authors: Schneider Edgar W.
Published: October 2012

This article describes editorial activities in the selection and handling of contributions to English World-Wide, covering the five-year period of 2007 to 2012. Continuing earlier descriptions along these lines, it summarizes editiorial procedures from submission to publication. Furthermore, it categorizes submissions by the world regions and topics which they cover, and thus attempts to uncover trends of ongoing developments in the field.
Human impersonal pronouns in Swedish and Dutch
Authors: Coussé Evie , van der Auwera Johan
Published: October 2012

This paper presents a contrastive study of the human impersonal pronouns man in Swedish and men in Dutch. Both impersonal pronouns are etymologically derived from man ‘human being’ and they more or less have the same meaning. However, there are important differences in the usage of these pronouns. In this study, the similarities and differences between Swedish man and Dutch men are studied in a Dutch-Swedish parallel corpus. Analysing a parallel corpus has the advantage of allowing one to both study the distribution of man and men in original texts and to contrast the use of these pronouns with their translations.