TY - JOUR A1 - Naze, Yael A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Gosset, Eric T1 - A detailed x-ray investigation of zeta puppis - II. the variability on short and long timescales JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - Stellar winds are a crucial component of massive stars, but their exact properties still remain uncertain. To shed some light on this subject, we have analyzed an exceptional set of X-ray observations of zeta Puppis, one of the closest and brightest massive stars. The sensitive light curves that were derived reveal two major results. On the one hand, a slow modulation of the X-ray flux (with a relative amplitude of up to 15% over 16 hr in the 0.3-4.0 keV band) is detected. Its characteristic timescale cannot be determined with precision, but amounts from one to several days. It could be related to corotating interaction regions, known to exist in zeta Puppis from UV observations. Hour-long changes, linked to flares or to the pulsation activity, are not observed in the last decade covered by the XMM observations; the 17 hr tentative period, previously reported in a ROSAT analysis, is not confirmed either and is thus transient, at best. On the other hand, short-term changes are surprisingly small (<1% relative amplitude for the total energy band). In fact, they are compatible solely with the presence of Poisson noise in the data. This surprisingly low level of short-term variability, in view of the embedded wind-shock origin, requires a very high fragmentation of the stellar wind, for both absorbing and emitting features (>10(5) parcels, comparing with a two-dimensional wind model). This is the first time that constraints have been placed on the number of clumps in an O-type star wind and from X-ray observations. KW - stars: early-type KW - stars: individual (zeta Pup) KW - X-rays: stars Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/763/2/143 SN - 0004-637X VL - 763 IS - 2 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trinh, Christopher Q. A1 - Ellis, Simon C. A1 - Bland-Hawthorn, Joss A1 - Lawrence, Jon S. A1 - Horton, Anthony J. A1 - Leon-Saval, Sergio G. A1 - Shortridge, Keith A1 - Bryant, Julia A1 - Case, Scott A1 - Colless, Matthew A1 - Couch, Warrick A1 - Freeman, Kenneth A1 - Löhmannsröben, Hans-Gerd A1 - Gers, Luke A1 - Glazebrook, Karl A1 - Haynes, Roger A1 - Lee, Steve A1 - O'Byrne, John A1 - Miziarski, Stan A1 - Roth, Martin M. A1 - Schmidt, Brian A1 - Tinney, Christopher G. A1 - Zheng, Jessica T1 - Gnosis - the first instrument to use fiber bragg gratings for OH suppression JF - The astronomical journal N2 - The near-infrared is an important part of the spectrum in astronomy, especially in cosmology because the light from objects in the early universe is redshifted to these wavelengths. However, deep near-infrared observations are extremely difficult to make from ground-based telescopes due to the bright background from the atmosphere. Nearly all of this background comes from the bright and narrow emission lines of atmospheric hydroxyl (OH) molecules. The atmospheric background cannot be easily removed from data because the brightness fluctuates unpredictably on short timescales. The sensitivity of ground-based optical astronomy far exceeds that of near-infrared astronomy because of this long-standing problem. GNOSIS is a prototype astrophotonic instrument that utilizes "OH suppression fibers" consisting of fiber Bragg gratings and photonic lanterns to suppress the 103 brightest atmospheric emission doublets between 1.47 and 1.7 mu m. GNOSIS was commissioned at the 3.9 m Anglo-Australian Telescope with the IRIS2 spectrograph to demonstrate the potential of OH suppression fibers, but may be potentially used with any telescope and spectrograph combination. Unlike previous atmospheric suppression techniques GNOSIS suppresses the lines before dispersion and in a manner that depends purely on wavelength. We present the instrument design and report the results of laboratory and on-sky tests from commissioning. While these tests demonstrated high throughput (approximate to 60%) and excellent suppression of the skylines by the OH suppression fibers, surprisingly GNOSIS produced no significant reduction in the interline background and the sensitivity of GNOSIS+IRIS2 is about the same as IRIS2. It is unclear whether the lack of reduction in the interline background is due to physical sources or systematic errors as the observations are detector noise dominated. OH suppression fibers could potentially impact ground-based astronomy at the level of adaptive optics or greater. However, until a clear reduction in the interline background and the corresponding increasing in sensitivity is demonstrated optimized OH suppression fibers paired with a fiber-fed spectrograph will at least provide a real benefit at low resolving powers. KW - atmospheric effects KW - infrared: diffuse background KW - instrumentation: miscellaneous Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/145/2/51 SN - 0004-6256 VL - 145 IS - 2 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Seifan, Merav A1 - Seifan, Tal A1 - Schiffers, Katja A1 - Jeltsch, Florian A1 - Tielboerger, Katja T1 - Beyond the competition-colonization trade-off - linking multiple trait response to disturbance characteristics JF - The American naturalist : a bi-monthly journal devoted to the advancement and correlation of the biological sciences N2 - Disturbances' role in shaping communities is well documented but highly disputed. We suggest replacing the overused two-trait trade-off approach with a functional group scheme, constructed from combinations of four key traits that represent four classes of species' responses to disturbances. Using model results and field observations from sites affected by two highly different disturbances, we demonstrated that popular dichotomous trade-offs are not sufficient to explain community dynamics, even if some emerge under certain conditions. Without disturbances, competition was only sufficient to predict species survival but not relative success, which required some escape mechanism (e.g., long-term dormancy). With highly predictable and large-scale disturbances, successful species showed a combination of high individual tolerance to disturbance and, more surprisingly, high competitive ability. When disturbances were less predictable, high individual tolerance and long-term seed dormancy were favored, due to higher environmental uncertainty. Our study demonstrates that theories relying on a small number of predefined trade-offs among traits (e.g., competition-colonization trade-off) may lead to unrealistic results. We suggest that the understanding of disturbance-community relationships can be significantly improved by employing sets of relevant trait assemblies instead of the currently common approach in which trade-offs are assumed in advance. KW - competition resistance trade-off KW - functional types KW - intermediate disturbance hypothesis KW - plant communities KW - species assemblies Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1086/668844 SN - 0003-0147 VL - 181 IS - 2 SP - 151 EP - 160 PB - Univ. of Chicago Press CY - Chicago ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Salert, Beatrice Ch. D. A1 - Krueger, Hartmut A1 - Bagnich, Sergey A. A1 - Unger, Thomas A1 - Jaiser, Frank A1 - Al-Sa'di, Mahmoud A1 - Neher, Dieter A1 - Hayer, Anna A1 - Eberle, Thomas T1 - New polymer matrix system for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes and the role of the small molecular co-host JF - Journal of polymer science : A, Polymer chemistry N2 - A new matrix system for phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on an electron transporting component attached to an inert polymer backbone, an electronically neutral co-host, and a phosphorescent dye that serves as both emitter and hole conductor are presented. The inert co-host is used either as small molecules or covalently connected to the same chain as the electron-transporting host. The use of a small molecular inert co-host in the active layer is shown to be highly advantageous in comparison to a purely polymeric matrix bearing the same functionalities. Analysis of the dye phosphorescence decay in pure polymer, small molecular co-host film, and their blend lets to conclude that dye molecules distribute mostly in the small molecular co-host phase, where the co-host prevents agglomeration and self-quenching of the phosphorescence as well as energy transfer to the electron transporting units. In addition, the co-host accumulates at the anode interface where it acts as electron blocking layer and improves hole injection. This favorable phase separation between polymeric and small molecular components results in devices with efficiencies of about 47 cd/A at a luminance of 1000 cd/m(2). Investigation of OLED degradation demonstrates the presence of two time regimes: one fast component that leads to a strong decrease at short times followed by a slower decrease at longer times. Unlike the long time degradation, the efficiency loss that occurs at short times is reversible and can be recovered by annealing of the device at 180 degrees C. We also show that the long-time degradation must be related to a change of the optical and electrical bulk properties. KW - charge transport KW - conducting polymer KW - degradation KW - host-guest systems KW - light-emitting diodes KW - random copolymer KW - synthesis KW - UV-vis spectroscopy Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.26409 SN - 0887-624X VL - 51 IS - 3 SP - 601 EP - 613 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cheng, Lisa Lai-Shen A1 - Vicente, Luis T1 - Verb doubling in Mandarin Chinese JF - Journal of East Asian linguistics N2 - This article examines two so-far-understudied verb doubling constructions in Mandarin Chinese, viz., verb doubling clefts and verb doubling lianaEuro broken vertical bar dou. We show that these constructions have the same internal syntax as regular clefts and lianaEuro broken vertical bar dou sentences, the doubling effect being epiphenomenal; therefore, we classify them as subtypes of the general cleft and lianaEuro broken vertical bar dou constructions, respectively, rather than as independent constructions. Additionally, we also show that, as in many other languages with comparable constructions, the two instances of the verb are part of a single movement chain, which has the peculiarity of allowing Spell-Out of more than one link. KW - Mandarin Chinese KW - Verb doubling KW - Verb movement KW - Cleft KW - lian ... dou Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-012-9095-6 SN - 0925-8558 VL - 22 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 37 PB - Springer CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Niemeyer, Helen A1 - Musch, Jochen A1 - Pietrowsky, Reinhard T1 - Publication Bias in meta-analyses of the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions for depression JF - Journal of consulting and clinical psychology N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether systematic reviews investigating psychotherapeutic interventions for depression are affected by publication bias. Only homogeneous data sets were included, as heterogeneous data sets can distort statistical tests of publication bias. Method: We applied Begg and Mazumdar's adjusted rank correlation test, Egger's regression analysis, and the trim and fill procedure to assess the presence and magnitude of publication bias in all homogeneous data sets of systematic reviews published up to September 2010. Results: Thirty-one data sets reported in 19 meta-analyses fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Significant bias was detected in 5 (16.13%; rank correlation test) and 6 (19.35%; Egger's regression analysis) of these data sets. Applying the trim and fill procedure to amend presumably missing studies rarely changed the assessment of the efficacy of therapeutic interventions, with 2 exceptions. In 1 data set psychotherapy was no longer found to be significantly more efficacious than pharmacotherapy in reducing dropout at posttreatment when publication bias was taken into account. In the 2nd data set, after correcting for publication bias, there was no longer evidence that depressed patients without comorbid personality disorder profited more from psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy than patients with comorbid personality disorder. Conclusions: The results suggest that taken together, psychotherapy research for depression is only marginally affected by the selective reporting of positive outcomes. With 2 notable exceptions, correcting for publication bias did not change the evaluation of the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions. KW - depression KW - publication bias KW - meta-analysis KW - psychotherapy research Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031152 SN - 0022-006X VL - 81 IS - 1 SP - 58 EP - 74 PB - American Psychological Association CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van Leeuwen, Judith A1 - Kern, Kristine T1 - The External Dimension of European Union Marine Governance: Institutional Interplay between the EU and the International Maritime Organization JF - Global environmental politics N2 - This article focuses on the emergence of a decentralized institutional complex, interplay management, and the institutional interplay between the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU in the issue area of environmental shipping policies. It shows that the synergistic relationship between both institutions has been driven primarily by commitment and compliance mechanisms. By influencing IMO decision-making and improving the implementation and effectiveness of IMO conventions, the EU has become a driving force in international environmental shipping policies, and its new initiatives may even enhance its leadership role within the IMO in the future. Despite the still-existing lack of cognitive leadership by the EU, the synergies between both institutions provide evidence for the EU's leadership capacities in global environmental politics. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1162/GLEP_a_00154 SN - 1526-3800 SN - 1536-0091 VL - 13 IS - 1 SP - 69 EP - + PB - MIT Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Hans-Jürgen T1 - The tetralogy of Birkhoff theorems JF - General relativity and gravitation N2 - We classify the existent Birkhoff-type theorems into four classes: first, in field theory, the theorem states the absence of helicity 0- and spin 0-parts of the gravitational field. Second, in relativistic astrophysics, it is the statement that the gravitational far-field of a spherically symmetric star carries, apart from its mass, no information about the star; therefore, a radially oscillating star has a static gravitational far-field. Third, in mathematical physics, Birkhoff's theorem reads: up to singular exceptions of measure zero, the spherically symmetric solutions of Einstein's vacuum field equation with can be expressed by the Schwarzschild metric; for , it is the Schwarzschild-de Sitter metric instead. Fourth, in differential geometry, any statement of the type: every member of a family of pseudo-Riemannian space-times has more isometries than expected from the original metric ansatz, carries the name Birkhoff-type theorem. Within the fourth of these classes we present some new results with further values of dimension and signature of the related spaces; including them are some counterexamples: families of space-times where no Birkhoff-type theorem is valid. These counterexamples further confirm the conjecture, that the Birkhoff-type theorems have their origin in the property, that the two eigenvalues of the Ricci tensor of 2-D pseudo-Riemannian spaces always coincide, a property not having an analogy in higher dimensions. Hence, Birkhoff-type theorems exist only for those physical situations which are reducible to 2-D. KW - Birkhoff theorem KW - Einstein space KW - Isometry group Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10714-012-1478-5 SN - 0001-7701 VL - 45 IS - 2 SP - 395 EP - 410 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vorpahl, Peter A1 - Dislich, Claudia A1 - Elsenbeer, Helmut A1 - Märker, Michael A1 - Schröder-Esselbach, Boris T1 - Biotic controls on shallow translational landslides JF - Earth surface processes and landforms : the journal of the British Geomorphological Research Group N2 - In undisturbed tropical montane rainforests massive organic layers accommodate the majority of roots and only a small fraction of roots penetrate the mineral soil. We investigated the contribution of vegetation to slope stability in such environments by modifying a standard model for slope stability to include an organic layer with distinct mechanical properties. The importance of individual model parameters was evaluated using detailed measurements of soil and vegetation properties to reproduce the observed depth of 11 shallow landslides in the Andes of southern Ecuador. By distinguishing mineral soil, organic layer and above-ground biomass, it is shown that in this environment vegetation provides a destabilizing effect mainly due to its contribution to the mass of the organic layer (up to 973 t ha-1 under wet conditions). Sensitivity analysis shows that the destabilizing effect of the mass of soil and vegetation can only be effective on slopes steeper than 37.9 degrees. This situation applies to 36% of the study area. Thus, on the steep slopes of this megadiverse ecosystem, the mass of the growing forest promotes landsliding, which in turn promotes a new cycle of succession. This feedback mechanism is worth consideration in further investigations of the impact of landslides on plant diversity in similar environments. KW - shallow translational landslides KW - tropical montane forest KW - biomass KW - organic layer Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3320 SN - 0197-9337 VL - 38 IS - 2 SP - 198 EP - 212 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Neuschäfer-Rube, Frank A1 - Pathe-Neuschäfer-Rube, A. A1 - Hippenstiel, S. A1 - Kracht, M. A1 - Püschel, Gerhard Paul T1 - NF-kB-dependent IL-8 induction by prostaglandin EP2 receptors EP1 and EP4 JF - British journal of pharmacology : journal of The British Pharmacological Society N2 - Background and Purpose Recent studies suggested a role for PGE2 in the expression of the chemokine IL-8. PGE2 signals via four different GPCRs, EP1-EP4. The role of EP1 and EP4 receptors for IL-8 induction was studied in HEK293 cells, overexpressing EP1 (HEK-EP1), EP4 (HEK-EP4) or both receptors (HEK-EP1 + EP4). Experimental Approach IL-8 mRNA and protein induction and IL-8 promoter and NF-?B activation were assessed in EP expressing HEK cells. Key Results In HEK-EP1 and HEK-EP1 + EP4 but not HEK or HEK-EP4 cells, PGE2 activated the IL-8 promoter and induced IL-8 mRNA and protein synthesis. Stimulation of HEK-EP1 + EP4 cells with an EP1-specific agonist activated IL-8 promoter and induced IL-8 mRNA and protein, whereas a specific EP4 agonist neither activated the IL-8 promoter nor induced IL-8 mRNA and protein synthesis. Simultaneous stimulation of HEK- EP1 + EP4 cells with both agonists activated IL-8 promoter and induced IL-8 mRNA to the same extent as PGE2. In HEK-EP1 + EP4 cells, PGE2-mediated IL-8 promoter activation and IL-8 mRNA induction were blunted by inhibition of I?B kinase. PGE2 activated NF-?B in HEK-EP1, HEK-EP4 and HEK-EP1 + EP4 cells. In HEK-EP1 + EP4 cells, simultaneous activation of both receptors was needed for maximal PGE2-induced NF-?B activation. PGE2-stimulated NF-?B activation by EP1 was blocked by inhibitors of PLC, calcium-signalling and Src-kinase, whereas that induced by EP4 was only blunted by Src-kinase inhibition. Conclusions and Implications These findings suggest that PGE2-mediated NF-?B activation by simultaneous stimulation of EP1 and EP4 receptors induces maximal IL-8 promoter activation and IL-8 mRNA and protein induction. KW - prostaglandin receptor KW - NF-?B KW - IL-8 transcription KW - signal transduction Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02182.x SN - 0007-1188 VL - 168 IS - 3 SP - 704 EP - 717 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lotinun, Sutada A1 - Kiviranta, Riku A1 - Matsubara, Takuma A1 - Alzate, Jorge A. A1 - Neff, Lynn A1 - Lüth, Anja A1 - Koskivirta, Ilpo A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Vacher, Jean A1 - Vuorio, Eero A1 - Horne, William C. A1 - Baron, Roland T1 - Osteoclast-specific cathepsin K deletion stimulates S1P-dependent bone formation JF - The journal of clinical investigation N2 - Cathepsin K (CTSK) is secreted by osteoclasts to degrade collagen and other matrix proteins during bone resorption. Global deletion of Ctsk in mice decreases bone resorption, leading to osteopetrosis, but also increases the bone formation rate (BFR). To understand how Ctsk deletion increases the BFR, we generated osteoclast- and osteoblast-targeted Ctsk knockout mice using floxed Ctsk alleles. Targeted ablation of Ctsk in hematopoietic cells, or specifically in osteoclasts and cells of the monocyte-osteoclast lineage, resulted in increased bone volume and BFR as well as osteoclast and osteoblast numbers. In contrast, targeted deletion of Ctsk in osteoblasts had no effect on bone resorption or BFR, demonstrating that the increased BFR is osteoclast dependent. Deletion of Ctsk in osteoclasts increased their sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) expression. Conditioned media from Ctsk-deficient osteoclasts, which contained elevated levels of sphingosine-l-phosphate (S1P), increased alkaline phosphatase and mineralized nodules in osteoblast cultures. An S1P(1,3) receptor antagonist inhibited these responses. Osteoblasts derived from mice with Ctsk-deficient osteoclasts had an increased RANKL/OPG ratio, providing a positive feedback loop that increased the number of osteoclasts. Our data provide genetic evidence that deletion of CTSK in osteoclasts enhances bone formation in vivo by increasing the generation of osteoclast-derived S1P. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI64840 SN - 0021-9738 VL - 123 IS - 2 SP - 666 EP - 681 PB - American Society for Clinical Investigation CY - Ann Arbor ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Bernd A1 - Berger, René T1 - A deacetylation-diazotation-coupling sequence - palladium-catalyzed CC bond formation with acetanilides as formal leaving groups JF - Advanced synthesis & catalysis N2 - Acetanilides can be deacetylated and diazotized in situ, and subsequently used in Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions without isolation of the diazonium intermediate. Heck reactions, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions, and a Pd-catalyzed [2+2+1]cycloaddition have been investigated as terminating CC bond-forming steps of this one-flask sequence. The sequence does not require the exchange of solvents or removal of by-products between the individual steps, but proceeds by addition of reagents and catalysts in due course. KW - diazo compounds KW - Heck reaction KW - homogeneous catalysis KW - palladium KW - Suzuki coupling Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/adsc.201200929 SN - 1615-4150 VL - 355 IS - 2-3 SP - 463 EP - 476 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jbeily, Nayla A1 - Suckert, Iris A1 - Gonnert, Falk A. A1 - Acht, Benedikt A1 - Bockmeyer, Clemens L. A1 - Grossmann, Sascha D. A1 - Blaess, Markus F. A1 - Lüth, Anja A1 - Deigner, Hans-Peter A1 - Bauer, Michael A1 - Claus, Ralf A. T1 - Hyperresponsiveness of mice deficient in plasma-secreted sphingomyelinase reveals its pivotal role in early phase of host response JF - Journal of lipid research N2 - Plasma secretion of acid sphingomyelinase is a hallmark of cellular stress response resulting in the formation of membrane embedded ceramide-enriched lipid rafts and the reorganization of receptor complexes. Consistently, decompartmentalization of ceramide formation from inert sphingomyelin has been associated with signaling events and regulation of the cellular phenotype. Herein, we addressed the question of whether the secretion of acid sphingomyelinase is involved in host response during sepsis. We found an exaggerated clinical course in mice genetically deficient in acid sphingomyelinase characterized by an increased bacterial burden, an increased phagocytotic activity, and a more pronounced cytokine storm. Moreover, on a functional level, leukocyte-endothelial interaction was found diminished in sphingomyelinase-deficient animals corresponding to a distinct leukocytes' phenotype with respect to rolling and sticking as well as expression of cellular surface proteins.(jlr) We conclude that hydrolysis of membrane-embedded sphingomyelin, triggered by circulating sphingomyelinase, plays a pivotal role in the first line of defense against invading microorganisms. This function might be essential during the early phase of infection leading to an adaptive response of remote cells and tissues.-Jbeily, N., I. Suckert, F. A. Gonnert, B. Acht, C. L. Bockmeyer, S. D. Grossmann, M. F. Blaess, A. Lueth, H.-P. Deigner, M. Bauer, and R. A. Claus. Hyperresponsiveness of mice deficient in plasma-secreted sphingomyelinase reveals its pivotal role in early phase of host response. J. Lipid Res. 2013. 54: 410-424. KW - sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 1 KW - inflammation KW - sepsis KW - gene expression KW - survival KW - leukocyte-endothelial interaction KW - trans-migration KW - organ failure Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1194/jlr.M031625 SN - 0022-2275 VL - 54 IS - 2 SP - 410 EP - 424 PB - American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology CY - Bethesda ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grimm, Christiane A1 - Meyer, Thomas A1 - Czapla, Sylvia A1 - Nikolaus, Jörg A1 - Scheidt, Holger A. A1 - Vogel, Alexander A1 - Herrmann, Andreas A1 - Wessig, Pablo A1 - Huster, Daniel A1 - Müller, Peter T1 - Structure and dynamics of molecular rods in membranes application of a Spin-Labeled rod JF - Chemistry - a European journal N2 - Molecular rods consisting of a hydrophobic backbone and terminally varying functional groups have been synthesized for applications for the functionalization of membranes. In the present study, we employ a spin-labeled analogue of a recently described new class of molecular rods to characterize their dynamic interactions with membranes. By using the different approaches of ESR and NMR spectroscopy, we show that the spin moiety of the membrane-embedded spin-labeled rod is localized in the upper chain/glycerol region of membranes of different compositions. The rod is embedded within the membrane in a tilted orientation to adjust for the varying hydrophobic thicknesses of these bilayers. This orientation does not perturb the membrane structure. The water solubility of the rod is increased significantly in the presence of certain cyclodextrins. These cyclodextrins also allow the rods to be extracted from the membrane and incorporated into preformed membranes. The latter will improve the future applications of these rods in cellular systems as stable membrane-associated anchors for the functionalization of membrane surfaces. KW - hydrophobic mismatch KW - membranes KW - molecular rods KW - phospholipids KW - spiro compounds Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201202500 SN - 0947-6539 VL - 19 IS - 8 SP - 2703 EP - 2710 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bescherer, Klaus A1 - Munzke, Dorit A1 - Reich, Oliver A1 - Loock, Hans-Peter T1 - Fabrication and modeling of multimode fiber lenses JF - Applied optics N2 - We report on the fabrication, modeling, and experimental verification of the emission of fiber lenses fabricated on multimode fibers in different media. Concave fiber lenses with a radius of 150 mu m were fabricated onto a multimode silica fiber (100 mu m core) by grinding and polishing against a ruby sphere template. In our theoretical model we assume that the fiber guides light from a Lambertian light source and that the emission cone is governed solely by the range of permitted emission angles. We investigate concave and convex lenses at 532 nm with different radii and in a variety of surrounding media from air (n(0) = 1.00) to sapphire (n(0) = 1.77). It was found that noticeable focusing or defocusing effects of a silica fiber lens in ethanol (n(0) = 1.36) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (n(0) = 1.48) are only observed when the fiber lens radius was less than the fiber diameter. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.52.000B40 SN - 1559-128X SN - 2155-3165 VL - 52 IS - 4 SP - B40 EP - B45 PB - Optical Society of America CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Milinkovitch, Michel C. A1 - Kanitz, Ricardo A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Tapia, Washington A1 - Llerena, Fausto A1 - Caccone, Adalgisa A1 - Gibbs, James P. A1 - Powell, Jeffrey R. T1 - Recovery of a nearly extinct Galapagos tortoise despite minimal genetic variation JF - Evolutionary applications N2 - A species of Galapagos tortoise endemic to Espanola Island was reduced to just 12 females and three males that have been bred in captivity since 1971 and have produced over 1700 offspring now repatriated to the island. Our molecular genetic analyses of juveniles repatriated to and surviving on the island indicate that none of the tortoises sampled in 1994 had hatched on the island versus 3% in 2004 and 24% in 2007, which demonstrates substantial and increasing reproduction in situ once again. This recovery occurred despite the parental population having an estimated effective population size <8 due to a combination of unequal reproductive success of the breeders and nonrandom mating in captivity. These results provide guidelines for adapting breeding regimes in the parental captive population and decreasing inbreeding in the repatriated population. Using simple morphological data scored on the sampled animals, we also show that a strongly heterogeneous distribution of tortoise sizes on Espanola Island observed today is due to a large variance in the number of animals included in yearly repatriation events performed in the last 40years. Our study reveals that, at least in the short run, some endangered species can recover dramatically despite a lack of genetic variation and irregular repatriation efforts. KW - captive populations KW - conservation biology KW - conservation genetics Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.12014 SN - 1752-4571 VL - 6 IS - 2 SP - 377 EP - 383 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van Loon, Jacco Th. A1 - Bailey, M. A1 - Tatton, B. L. A1 - Apellaniz, Jesus Maiz A1 - Crowther, P. A. A1 - de Koter, A. A1 - Evans, C. J. A1 - Henault-Brunet, V. A1 - Howarth, I. D. A1 - Richter, Philipp A1 - Sana, Hugues A1 - Simon Díaz, Sergio A1 - Taylor, W. A1 - Walborn, N. R. T1 - The VLT-FLAMES tarantula survey IX. - the interstellar medium seen through diffuse interstellar bands and neutral sodium JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. The Tarantula Nebula (a.k.a. 30 Dor) is a spectacular star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), seen through gas in the Galactic disc and halo. Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) offer a unique probe of the diffuse, cool-warm gas in these regions. Aims. The aim is to use DIBs as diagnostics of the local interstellar conditions, whilst at the same time deriving properties of the yet-unknown carriers of these enigmatic spectral features. Methods. Spectra of over 800 early-type stars from the Very Large Telescope Flames Tarantula Survey (VFTS) were analysed. Maps were created, separately, for the Galactic and LMC absorption in the DIBs at 4428 and 6614 angstrom and - in a smaller region near the central cluster R 136 - neutral sodium (the Na ID doublet); we also measured the DIBs at 5780 and 5797 angstrom. Results. The maps show strong 4428 and 6614 angstrom DIBs in the quiescent cloud complex to the south of 30 Dor but weak absorption in the harsher environments to the north (bubbles) and near the OB associations. The Na maps show at least five kinematic components in the LMC and a shell-like structure surrounding R 136, and small-scale structure in the Milky Way. The strengths of the 4428, 5780, 5797 and 6614 angstrom DIBs are correlated, also with Na absorption and visual extinction. The strong 4428 angstrom DIB is present already at low Na column density but the 6614, 5780 and 5797 angstrom DIBs start to be detectable at subsequently larger Na column densities. Conclusions. The carriers of the 4428, 6614, 5780 and 5797 angstrom DIBs are increasingly prone to removal from irradiated gas. The relative strength of the 5780 and 5797 angstrom DIBs clearly confirm the Tarantula Nebula as well as Galactic high-latitude gas to represent a harsh radiation environment. The resilience of the 4428 angstrom DIB suggests its carrier is large, compact and neutral. Structure is detected in the distribution of cool-warm gas on scales between one and > 100 pc in the LMC and as little as 0.01 pc in the Sun's vicinity. Stellar winds from the central cluster R 136 have created an expanding shell; some infalling gas is also detected, reminiscent of a galactic "fountain". KW - ISM: individual objects: Tarantula Nebula (30 Doradus Nebula) KW - ISM: molecules KW - ISM: kinematics and dynamics KW - ISM: lines and bands KW - ISM: structure KW - local insterstellar matter Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201220210 SN - 0004-6361 VL - 550 IS - 9 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herenz, Peter A1 - Richter, Philipp A1 - Charlton, Jane C. A1 - Masiero, Joseph R. T1 - The milky way halo as a QSO absorption-line system new results from an HST/STIS absorption-line catalogue of galactic high-velocity clouds JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - We use archival UV absorption-line data from HST/STIS to statistically analyse the absorption characteristics of the high-velocity clouds (HVCs) in the Galactic halo towards more than 40 extragalactic background sources. We determine absorption covering fractions of low-and intermediate ions (Oi, Cii, Si ii, Mgii, Feii, Si iii, Civ, and Si iv) in the range f(c) = 0.20-0.70. For detailed analysis we concentrate on Si ii absorption components in HVCs, for which we investigate the distribution of column densities, b-values, and radial velocities. Combining information for Si ii and Mg II, and using a geometrical HVC model we investigate the contribution of HVCs to the absorption cross section of strong Mg ii absorbers in the local Universe. We estimate that the Galactic HVCs would contribute on average similar to 52 percent to the total strong Mg ii cross section of the Milky Way, if our Galaxy were to be observed from an exterior vantage point. We further estimate that the mean projected covering fraction of strong Mg ii absorption in the Milky Way halo and disc from an exterior vantage point is < f(c,sMgII)> = 0.31 for a halo radius of R = 61 kpc. These numbers, together with the observed number density of strong Mg ii absorbers at low redshift, indicate that the contribution of infalling gas clouds (i.e., HVC analogues) in the halos of Milky Way-type galaxies to the cross section of strong Mgii absorbers is < 34 percent. These findings are in line with the idea that outflowing gas (e. g., produced by galactic winds) in the halos of more actively star-forming galaxies dominate the absorption-cross section of strong Mgii absorbers in the local Universe. KW - ISM: structure KW - Galaxy: halo KW - galaxies: halos Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201220531 SN - 0004-6361 VL - 550 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kerubo, Leonidah Omosa A1 - Midiwo, Jacob Ogweno A1 - Derese, Solomon A1 - Langat, Moses K. A1 - Akala, Hoseah M. A1 - Waters, Norman C. A1 - Peter, Martin A1 - Heydenreich, Matthias T1 - Antiplasmodial activity of compounds from the surface exudates of senecio roseiflorus JF - Natural product communications : an international journal for communications and reviews N2 - From the surface exudates of Senecio roseiflorus fourteen known methylated flavonoids and one phenol were isolated and characterized. The structures of these compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic analysis. The surface exudate and the flavonoids isolated showed moderate to good antiplasmodial activity with 5,4'-dihydroxy-7-dimethoxyflavanone having the highest activity against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum, with IC50 values of 3.2 +/- 0.8 and 4.4 +/- 0.01 mu g/mL respectively. KW - Senecio roseiflorus KW - Asteraceae KW - Surface exudates KW - Antiplasmodial activity Y1 - 2013 SN - 1934-578X VL - 8 IS - 2 SP - 175 EP - 176 PB - NPC CY - Westerville ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dorenkamp, Marc A1 - Bonaventura, Klaus A1 - Leber, Alexander W. A1 - Boldt, Julia A1 - Sohns, Christian A1 - Boldt, Leif-Hendrik A1 - Haverkamp, Wilhelm A1 - Frei, Ulrich A1 - Roser, Mattias T1 - Potential lifetime cost-effectiveness of catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation in patients with resistant hypertension JF - European heart journal N2 - Aims Recent studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of catheter-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) for the treatment of resistant hypertension. We aimed to determine the cost-effectiveness of this approach separately for men and women of different ages. Methods and results A Markov state-transition model accounting for costs, life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness was developed to compare RDN with best medical therapy (BMT) in patients with resistant hypertension. The model ran from age 30 to 100 years or death, with a cycle length of 1 year. The efficacy of RDN was modelled as a reduction in the risk of hypertension-related disease events and death. Analyses were conducted from a payer's perspective. Costs and QALYs were discounted at 3% annually. Both deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. When compared with BMT, RDN gained 0.98 QALYs in men and 0.88 QALYs in women 60 years of age at an additional cost of (sic)2589 and (sic)2044, respectively. As the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios increased with patient age, RDN consistently yielded more QALYs at lower costs in lower age groups. Considering a willingness-to-pay threshold of (sic)35 000/QALY, there was a 95% probability that RDN would remain cost-effective up to an age of 78 and 76 years in men and women, respectively. Cost-effectiveness was influenced mostly by the magnitude of effect of RDN on systolic blood pressure, the rate of RDN non-responders, and the procedure costs of RDN. Conclusion Renal sympathetic denervation is a cost-effective intervention for patients with resistant hypertension. Earlier treatment produces better cost-effectiveness ratios. KW - Cost-effectiveness KW - Resistant hypertension KW - Renal sympathetic denervation KW - Prevention KW - Cardiovascular disease Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehs355 SN - 0195-668X VL - 34 IS - 6 SP - 451 EP - + PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER -