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(Near-)inverses of sequences
(2006)
We introduce the notion of a near-inverse of a non-decreasing sequence of positive integers; near-inverses are intended to assume the role of inverses in cases when the latter cannot exist. We prove that the near-inverse of such a sequence is unique; moreover, the relation of being near-inverses of each other is symmetric, i.e. if sequence g is the near-inverse of sequence f, then f is the near-inverse of g. There is a connection, by approximations, between near- inverses of sequences and inverses of continuous strictly increasing real-valued functions which can be exploited to derive simple expressions for near-inverses
Binding or catalysis? Both can be distinguished with a molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) by the different patterns of heat generation. The catalytically active sites, like in the corresponding enzyme, generate a steady-state temperature increase. Thus, enzyme-like catalysis and antibody-analogue binding are analyzed simultaneously in a bifunctional MIP for the first time (see scheme).
Objective Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication of pregnancy with high morbidity and mortality and an incidence of 3-5% in all pregnancies. Early prediction is still insufficient in clinical practice. Although most pre- eclamptic patients have pathological uterine perfusion in the second trimester, perfusion disturbance has a positive predictive accuracy (PPA) only of approximately 30%. Methods Non-invasive continuous blood pressure recordings were taken simultaneously via a finger cuff for 30 min. Time series of systolic as well as diastolic beat-to-beat pressure values were extracted to analyse heart rate and blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity in 102 second- trimester pregnancies, to assess predictability for pre-eclampsia (n = 16). All women underwent Doppler investigations of the uterine arteries. Results We identified a combination of three variability and baroreflex parameters to best predict pre-eclampsia several weeks before clinical manifestation. The discriminant function of these three parameters classified patients with later pre-eclampsia with a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 83.7%, and a PPA of 50.0%. Combined with Doppler investigations of uterine arteries, PPA increased to 71.4%. Conclusions This technique of incorporating one-stop clinical assessment of uterine perfusion and variability parameters in the second trimester produces the most effective prediction of pre-eclampsia to date
A successful assignment for the fundamental bands observed in the experimental IR spectra of mn-12S(2)O(2) and fn-12S(2)O(2) dithiacrown ethers was achieved by the aid of the density functional theory (DFT) based quantum mechanical calculations carried out at the 133LYP/6-31G(d) and B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level of theory. Two different scaling approaches, '(i) scaled quantum mechanics force field (SQM FF) methodology', and (ii) the 'scaling frequencies with dual empirical scale factors', were used in order to fit the calculated harmonic frequencies to the experimental ones. Potential energy distribution (PED) calculations were carried out to define the internal coordinate contributions to each normal mode and to define the corresponding normal modes of the molecules. The effects of the conformational differences onto the IR active normal modes of the two isomeric molecules and their corresponding experimental frequencies were discussed in the light of the calculated spectral data.
A mathematical model of working-memory capacity limits is proposed on the key assumption of mutual interference between items in working memory. Interference is assumed to arise from overwriting of features shared by these items. The model was fit to time-accuracy data of memory-updating tasks from four experiments using nonlinear mixed effect (NLME) models as a framework. The model gave a good account of the data from a numerical and a spatial task version. The performance pattern in a combination of numerical and spatial updating could be explained by variations in the interference parameter: assuming less feature overlap between contents from different domains than between contents from the same domain, the model can account for double dissociations of content domains in dual-task experiments. Experiment 3 extended this idea to similarity within the verbal domain. The decline of memory accuracy with increasing memory load was steeper with phonologically similar than with dissimilar material, although processing speed was faster for the similar material. The model captured the similarity effects with a higher estimated interference parameter for the similar than for the dissimilar condition. The results are difficult to explain with alternative models, in particular models incorporating time-based decay and models assuming limited resource pools.
A 741-cm-long laminated sediment core, covering the last 10,800 years was collected from Lake Zigetang, central Tibetan Plateau (90.9 degrees E, 32.0 degrees N, 4560m a.s.l.), and analysed palynologically at 69 horizons. Biome reconstruction suggests a dominance of temperate steppe vegetation (mainly Artemisia and Poaceae) on the central Tibetan Plateau during the first half of the Holocene (10.8-4.4 cal. ka BP), while alpine steppes with desert elements (mainly Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and characteristic high-alpine herb families) tend to dominate the second half (4.4-0 cal. ka BP). The Artemisia/Cyperaceae ratio-a semi-quantitative measure for summer temperature-indicates a general cooling trend throughout the Holocene. Dense temperate steppe vegetation and maximum desert plant withdrawal, however, indicate that a suitable balance of wet and warm conditions for optimum vegetation growth likely occurred during the middle Holocene (7.3-4.4 cal. ka BP). Severe Early Holocene cold events have been reconstructed for 8.7-8.3 and similar to 7.4 cal. ka BP. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.
A short and convenient synthesis of metallochlorin-C-60 dyads based on a Heck-type hetero coupling at the 3(2) position of a chlorin is described. p-Bromobenzaldehyde was treated with Zn-metalated 13(2)- demethoxycarbonylmethylpheophorbide a, using a palladium acetate/LiCl catalyst mixture under phase-transfer conditions in DMF at 70 degrees C. The resulting asymmetric olefin was obtained in a high trans/cis ratio. The desired trans isomer was separated and subsequently transformed into a donor-acceptor dyad by a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to C-60 in the presence of sarcosine in refluxing toluene. The resulting dyads are expected to undergo efficient photoinduced electron transfer and can potentially be utilized in solar energy conversion devices.
In his short paper of 1886, the neogrammarian linguist Delbruck sketches his views on normal language processing and their relevance for the interpretation of some of the symptoms of progressive anomic aphasia. In particular, he discusses proper name impairments, verb and abstract noun superiority and the predominance of semantically related errors. Furthermore, he suggests that part of speech, morphology and word order may be preserved in this condition. This historical document has been lost in oblivion but the original ideas and their relevance for contemporary discussions merit a revival.
A novel quantum method to deal with typical system-bath dynamical problems is introduced. Subsystem discrete variable representation and bath coherent-state sets are used to write down a multiconfigurational expansion of the wave function of the whole system. With the help of the Dirac-Frenkel variational principle, simple equations of motion-a kind of Schrodinger-Langevin equation for the subsystem coupled to (pseudo) classical equations for the bath-are derived. True dissipative dynamics at all times is obtained by coupling the bath to a secondary, classical Ohmic bath, which is modeled by adding a friction coefficient in the derived pseudoclassical bath equations. The resulting equations are then solved for a number of model problems, ranging from tunneling to vibrational relaxation dynamics. Comparison of the results with those of exact, multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree calculations in systems with up to 80 bath oscillators shows that the proposed method can be very accurate and might be of help in studying realistic problems with very large baths. To this end, its linear scaling behavior with respect to the number of bath degrees of freedom is shown in practice with model calculations using tens of thousands of bath oscillators.
Genetic correlations between plant resistances to multiple natural enemies are important because they have the potential to determine the mode of selection that natural enemies impose on a host plant, the structure of herbivore and pathogen communities, and the success of plant breeding for resistance to multiple diseases and pests. We conducted a meta-analysis of 29 published studies of 16 different plant species reporting a total of 467 genetic correlations between resistances to multiple herbivores or pathogens. In general, genetic associations between resistances to multiple natural enemies tended to be positive regardless of the breeding design, type of attacker, and type of host plant. Positive genetic correlations between resistances were stronger when both attackers were pathogens or generalist herbivores and when resistance to different enemies was tested independently, suggesting that generalists may be affected by the same plant resistance traits and that interactions among natural enemies are common. Although the mean associations between resistances were positive, indicating the prevalence of diffuse selection and generalized defenses against multiple enemies, the large variation in both the strength and the direction of the associations suggests a continuum between pairwise and diffuse selection
In this article, we consider high-dimensional data which contains a low-dimensional non-Gaussian structure contaminated with Gaussian noise and propose a new linear method to identify the non-Gaussian subspace. Our method NGCA (Non-Gaussian Component Analysis) is based on a very general semi-parametric framework and has a theoretical guarantee that the estimation error of finding the non-Gaussian components tends to zero at a parametric rate. NGCA can be used not only as preprocessing for ICA, but also for extracting and visualizing more general structures like clusters. A numerical study demonstrates the usefulness of our method
The small and large subunits of molybdopterin (MPT) synthase (MOCS2A and MOCS2B), are both encoded by the MOCS2 gene in overlapping and shifted open reading frames (ORFs), which is a highly unusual structure for eukaryotes. Theoretical analysis of genomic sequences suggested that the expression of these overlapping ORFs is facilitated by the use of alternate first exons leading to alternative transcripts. Here, we confirm the existence of these overlapping transcripts experimentally. Further, we identified a deletion in a molybdenum cofactor deficient patient, which removes the start codon for the small subunit (MOCS2A). We observed undisturbed production of both transcripts, while Western blot analysis demonstrated that MOCS2B, the large subunit, is unstable in the absence of MOCS2A. This reveals new insights into the expression of this evolutionary ancient anabolic system.
A piezoelectric biosensor has been developed on the basis of the reversible acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor propidium. The propidium cation was bound to a 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid monolayer on gold-coated quartz crystals. The immobilization was done via activation of carboxyl groups by 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). Different types of cholinesterases (acetyl- and butyryl-ChE) from different origins were tested for their binding ability towards the immobilized propidium. Binding Studies were performed in a flow system, Furthermore, catalytically active and organophosphate-inhibited enzyme were compared re-aiding their binding capability. The binding constants were derived by using an one to one binding model and a refined model also including rebinding effects. It was shown that organophosphorylation of the active site hardly influences the affinity of AChE towards propidium. Furthermore the propidium-based biosensor provides equal sensitivity as compared with piezolelectric sensors with immobilized paraoxon- an active site ligand of AChE. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) genes are large gene families in every animal, sometimes making up to 1-2% of the animal's genome. Of all insect GPCRs, the neurohormone (neuropeptide, protein hormone, biogenic amine) GPCRs are especially important, because they, together with their ligands, occupy a high hierarchic position in the physiology of insects and steer crucial processes such as development, reproduction, and behavior. In this paper, we give a review of our current knowledge on Drosophila melanogaster GPCRs and use this information to annotate the neurohormone GPCR genes present in the recently sequenced genome from the honey bee Apis mellifera. We found 35 neuropeptide receptor genes in the honey bee (44 in Drosophila) and two genes, coding for leucine-rich repeats-containing protein hormone GPCRs (4 in Drosophila). In addition, the honey bee has 19 biogenic amine receptor genes (21 in Drosophila). The larger numbers of neurohormone receptors in Drosophila are probably due to gene duplications that occurred during recent evolution of the fly. Our analyses also yielded the likely ligands for 40 of the 56 honey bee neurohormone GPCRs identified in this study. In addition, we made some interesting observations on neurohormone GPCR evolution and the evolution and co-evolution of their ligands. For neuropeptide and protein hormone GPCRs, there appears to be a general co-evolution between receptors and their ligands. This is in contrast to biogenic amine GPCRs, where evolutionarily unrelated GPCRs often bind to the same biogenic amine, suggesting frequent ligand exchanges ("ligand hops") during GPCR evolution.
Simulation models that describe autonomous individual organisms (individual based models, IBM) or agents (agent-based models, ABM) have become a widely used tool, not only in ecology, but also in many other disciplines dealing with complex systems made up of autonomous entities. However, there is no standard protocol for describing such simulation models, which can make them difficult to understand and to duplicate. This paper presents a proposed standard protocol, ODD, for describing IBMs and ABMs, developed and tested by 28 modellers who cover a wide range of fields within ecology. This protocol consists of three blocks (Overview, Design concepts, and Details), which are subdivided into seven elements: Purpose, State variables and scales, Process overview and scheduling, Design concepts, Initialization, Input, and Submodels. We explain which aspects of a model should be described in each element, and we present an example to illustrate the protocol in use. In addition, 19 examples are available in an Online Appendix. We consider ODD as a first step for establishing a more detailed common format of the description of IBMs and ABMs. Once initiated, the protocol will hopefully evolve as it becomes used by a sufficiently large proportion of modellers. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A time-staggered semi-Lagrangian discretization of the rotating shallow-water equations is proposed and analysed. Application of regularization to the geopotential field used in the momentum equations leads to an unconditionally stable scheme. The analysis, together with a fully nonlinear example application, suggests that this approach is a promising, efficient, and accurate alternative to traditional schemes.
The recently characterized cytosolic transglucosidase DPE2 (EC 2.4.1.25) is essential for the cytosolic metabolism of maltose, an intermediate on the pathway by which starch is converted to sucrose at night. In in vitro assays, the enzyme utilizes glycogen as a glucosyl acceptor but the in vivo acceptor molecules remained unknown. In this communication we present evidence that DPE2 acts on the recently identified cytosolic water-soluble heteroglycans (SHG) as does the cytosolic phosphorylase (EC 2.4.1.1) isoform. By using in vitro two-step C-14 labeling assays we demonstrate that the two transferases can utilize the same acceptor sites of the SHG. Cytosolic heteroglycans from a DPE2-deficient Arabidopsis mutant were characterized. Compared with the wild type the glucose content of the heteroglycans was increased. Most of the additional glucosyl residues were found in the outer chains of SHG that are released by an endo- alpha-arabinanase (EC 3.2.1.99). Additional starch-related mutants were characterized for further analysis of the increased glucosyl content. Based on these data, the cytosolic metabolism of starch-derived carbohydrates is discussed
Wild birds are considered a potential reservoir or a carrier of viral diseases and may therefore play a role in the epidemiology of economically important or zoonotic diseases. In 2001 and 2002, a survey with special emphasis oil virus isolation in migrating waders and some other birds were conducted. In one of the most important inland resting sites for migratory waterfowl, tracheal and cloacal swabs were collected from 465 waders representing 19 different species, and 165 other birds that were not captured on purpose. A total of 42 avian viruses were isolated, 34 of these were identified as paramyxoviruses (PMVs). The majority of isolates came from waders and wild ducks, and were characterized as PMV-1. In contrast, PMV-4 was found in wild ducks only, PMV-6 was mainly detected in wader species. Four avian influenza viruses (ATVs), belonging to H4 and H3 haemagglutinin subtype, were isolated from wild duck species. Furthermore, four reo-like viruses were isolated from one particular wader species for the first time. The majority of virus positive birds were < 1 year old and did not show any clinical symptoms. There was no evidence for the presence of West Nile virus in these birds. These results confirm that the restricted resting sites in Western Europe must be considered as important locations for the intra- and interspecies transmission of avian viruses
Activity patterns and time budgets of bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) were studied in a free-ranging population in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda from August 2000 to January 2002. We investigated differences in activity patterns in relation to daytime, season, sun radiation, moonlight, age and sex. Bushbuck were found to show peak activities around sunrise and at dawn. No difference in the mean activity rates was found between the dry and wet season. Daytime activity was not predicted by differences in sun radiation, nor was nighttime activity predicted by the presence or absence of moonlight. We found the activity of adult territorial males to be strongly positively correlated with that of females, whereas the activity of young-adult non-territorial males was not significantly correlated with the activity of females. This suggests that young-adult males shift their peak activity to phases when adult territorial males are less active.
The micelle aggregation numbers (N-agg) of several series of cationic oligomeric surfactants were determined by time-resolved fluorescence quenching (TRFQ) experiments, using advantageously 9,10-dimethylanthracene as fluorophore. The study comprises six dimeric ("gemini"), three trimeric, and two tetrameric surfactants, which are quaternary ammonium chlorides, with medium length spacer groups (C-3-C-6) separating the individual surfactant fragments. Two standard cationic surfactants served as references. The number of hydrophobic chains making up a micellar core is relatively low for the oligomeric surfactants, the spacer length playing an important role. For the dimers, the number decreases from 32 to 21 with increasing spacer length. These numbers decrease further with increasing degree of oligomerization down to values of about 15. As for many conventional ionic surfactants, the micelles of all oligomers studied grow only slightly with the concentration, and they remain in the regime of small micelles up to concentrations of at least 3 wt %.
Effects of the impact of natural long-term irradiation with alpha particles in one chamosite and one cordierite sample were characterised in detail using electron microprobe, Raman microprobe, optical absorption spectroscopy (cordierite only), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM; cordierite only) analysis. In both cases, the impact of He- 4 cores (alpha particles) that were emitted from actinide-bearing mineral inclusions has caused the formation of radiation damage haloes in the host mineral. These haloes have maximum radii of about 33 mu m (chamosite) and 47 mu m (cordierite). They show notably changed optical properties, i.e., intensified absorption of light as recognised by brown (chamosite) and yellow (cordierite) pleochroism and enhanced or even anomalous interference colours. In spite of the significant disturbance of their short range order, alpha particle haloes are characterised by generally low degrees of structural radiation damage. This is indicated by rather moderate broadening of vibrational bands and, in the case of cordierite, apparently undisturbed electron diffraction patterns in the TEM. Intensive damage, virtually close to an amorphous state, was only found in cordierite up to a few tens of nanometres away from actinide-bearing inclusions. This damage is mainly assigned to recoils of heavy nuclei upon emission of an alpha particle, which have particle trajectory lengths that are three orders of magnitude shorter than those of the alpha particles. Similar to observations on biotite, alpha particle haloes in chamosite and cordierite as observed in the optical microscope may be considered as representative of a very early stage of the metamictisation process
Two experiments investigated the acceptability of multiple questions. As expected, sentences violating the Superiority Condition were accepted less often than sentences obeying it. The status of the Superiority violations was not improved by the addition of a third wh, regardless of whether the third wh was an adjunct or an argument, though it was improved by the addition of a second question (e.g., and when). Further, in a small pilot study directly comparing a sentence with adjacent final wh-phrases that may induce a stress clash (I'd like to know who hid it where when) with a sentence violating Superiority but avoiding the final adjacent wh-phrases (I'd like to know where who hid it when), half the participants indicated that the Superiority violation sentence sounded better. This suggests that the status of some additional-wh sentences may appear to improve simply because the comparison sentence with adjacent final wh-phrases is degraded. Overall, the results of the studies suggest that there is no need to complicate syntactic theory to account for the additional-wh effect, because there is no general additional-wh effect
The material reported on in this paper is part of a set of experiments in which the role of Information Structure on L2 processing of words is tested. Pitch and duration of 4 sets of experimental material in German and English are measured and analyzed in this paper. The well-known finding that accent boosts duration and pitch is confirmed. Syntactic and lexical means of marking focus, however, do not give the duration and the pitch of a word an extra boost.
An Extended Query language for action languages (and its application to aggregates and preferences)
(2006)
This paper presents a study of PH, a woman with aphasia, who shows a robust impairment in naming pictures of non-living relative to living things. Un-timed investigations of feature knowledge show similar performance across categories suggesting that, as in previous studies, the category effect may be arising at a post-semantic level. However, her performance on a timed feature verification task was slower for non-living than living things (relative to matched controls), in line with her naming. This suggests that the source of PH's category deficit is in fact semantic and that thorough investigation is necessary before claiming a post-semantic category specific deficit in word production. Finally, the results of an intervention study, which apparently eliminated the effect of semantic category on PH's naming, are reported.
Reaction centers (RCs) of purple bacteria are uniquely suited objects to study the mechanisms of the photosynthetic conversion of light energy into chemical energy. A recently introduced method of higher order derivative spectroscopy [I.K. Mikhailyuk, H. Lokstein, A.P. Razjivin, A method of spectral subband decomposition by simultaneous fitting the initial spectrum and a set of its derivatives, J. Biochem. Biophys. Methods 63 (2005) 10-23] was used to analyze the NIR absorption spectra of RC preparations from Rhodobacter (R.) sphaeroides strain 2R and Blastochloris (B.) viridis strain KH, containing bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) a and b, respectively. Q(y) bands of individual RC porphyrin components (BChls and bacteriopheophytins, BPheo) were identified. The results indicate that the upper exciton level Py+ of the photo-active BChl dimer in RCs of R. sphaeroides has an absorption maximum of 810nm. The blue shift of a complex integral band at approximately 800nm upon oxidation of the RC is caused primarily by bleaching of Py+, rather than by an electrochromic shift of the absorption band(s) of the monomeric BChls. Likewise, the disappearance of a band peaking at 842 nm upon oxidation of RCs from B. viridis indicates that this band has to be assigned to Py+, A blue shift of an absorption band at approximately 830nm upon oxidation of RCs of B. viridis is also essentially caused by the disappearance of Py+, rather than by an electrochromic shift of the absorption bands of monomeric BChls. Absorption maxima of the monomeric BCHls, B-B and B-A are at 802 and 797nm, respectively, in RCs of R. sphaeroides at room temperature. BPheo co-factors H-B and HA peak at 748 and 758 nm, respectively, at room temperature. For B. viridis RCs the spectral positions of HB and HA were found to be 796 and 816nm, respectively, at room temperature.
Pattern-process analysis is one of the main threads in landscape ecological research. It aims at understanding the complex relationships between ecological processes and landscape patterns, identifying the underlying mechanisms and deriving valid predictions for scenarios of landscape change and its consequences. Today, various studies cope with these tasks through so called "landscape modelling" approaches. They integrate different aspects of heterogeneous and dynamic landscapes and model different driving forces, often using both statistical and process-oriented techniques. We identify two main approaches to deal with the analysis of pattern-process interactions: the first starts with pattern detection, pattern description and pattern analysis, the second with process description, simulation and pattern generation. Focussing on the interplay between these two approaches, landscape analysis and landscape modelling will improve our understanding of pattern-process interactions. The comparison of simulated and observed pattern is a prerequisite for both approaches. Therefore, we identify a set of quantitative, robust, and reproducible methods for the analysis of spatiotemporal patterns that is a starting point for a standard toolbox for ecologists as major future challenge and suggest necessary further methodological developments. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
What makes computer users spend their free time working with the computer? Are there different types of users and, if so, in what ways do they differ? N = 271 subjects took part in an online survey concerning the incentives for computer use in free time. Selected mailing lists were used to identify highly committed users (A4 3.9 hours of free time a day spent working with computers). The following incentive factors were found for these users: community/ affiliation; sense of competence; flexibility/utility; avoidance of boredom; rebellious tendency to illegality. Depending on their favorite use of the computer, three types of users were found: Purposeful users (58%), hackers (entering other networks without intention to cause damage) (22%), and crackers (entering other networks with intention to cause damage) (20%). There are significant differences in the incentive profiles of these types of users. Hacking and cracking, but not purposeful use, are correlated with flow experience and positive activation. These findings are not representative for all leisure time computer users. They refer to a sample of highly committed users who can be reached in special associations (e.g., relevant student networks, the Chaos Computer Club)
The emission dynamics of a mode-locked laser oscillator with a nonlinear mirror based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) has been investigated with regard to its spectrum and to its intensity distribution. The investigation was carried out experimentally as well as by numerical simulations. The laser yields trains of pulses with measured durations of 410 ps and energies of the single pulse of up to 2 mJ. Two theoretical models describing the complex emission dynamics of a mode-locked SBS-laser oscillator are introduced. The first model consists of spectrally resolved laser rate equations and thus describes the mode locking in the frequency domain by the superposition of the longitudinal resonator modes. The SBS-Q-switch is incorporated by a phenomenological description of the time dependent SBS reflectivity. Numerical simulations based on this model yield the evolution of a few 100 longitudinal laser modes and the corresponding intensity distribution during the course of a Q-switch pulse with 10-ps resolution. The influences of the different components on the spectrum and thus on the pulse duration will be discussed. The second model describes all occurring dynamics in the time domain providing easy access to the study of misalignment on the output dynamics. Results of numerical simulations of both models and measurement results are compared
Antioxidant activity of isoflavones and their major metabolites using different in vitro assays
(2006)
Isoflavone phytoestrogens found mainly in soybeans and clover are widely studied phytochemicals. Genistein and daidzein, the major isoflavones found in soy, have received the most attention. However, they undergo extensive metabolism in the intestine and the liver, which might affect their biological properties, e.g. their antioxidant capacities. Furthermore, the biological activities of other naturally occurring isoflavones, for instance, glycitein from soy or biochanin A from red clover, have not yet been studied in detail. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activities of six naturally occurring isoflavones and their corresponding oxidative and bacterial metabolites. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay as well as the in vitro oxidation of low density lipoproteins with the conjugated diene and the thiobarbituric acid reacting substances formation as end points were used. The oxidative metabolites of genistein and daidzein as well as equol exhibited the highest antioxidant activities in all three assays. With few exceptions, they were more effective than the positive controls quercetin and ascorbic acid. Formononetin, the 4'-O-methyl ether of daidzein, showed the lowest antioxidant property. Because the antioxidant efficacy of isoflavones as effective antioxidants is evident at concentrations well within the range found in the plasma of subjects consuming soy products, this biological activity could be of physiological relevance
The acetone extracts of the root bark and stem bark of Erythrina sacleuxii showed antiplasmodial activities against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. Chromatographic separation of the acetone extract of the root bark afforded a new isoflavone, 7-hydroxy-4 -methoxy-3'- prenylisoflavone (trivial name 5-deoxy-3' - prenylbiochanin A) along with known isoflavonoids as the antiplasmodial principles. Flavonoids and isoflavonoids isolated from the stem bark of E. sucleuxii were also tested and showed antiplasmodial activities. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence
We demonstrate, within the framework of the FitzHugh-Nagumo model, that a firing neuron can respond to a noisy driving in a nonreliable manner: the same Gaussian white noise acting on identical neurons evokes different patterns of spikes. The effect is characterized via calculations of the Lyapunov exponent and the event synchronization correlations. We construct a theory that explains the antireliability as a combined effect of a high sensitivity to noise of some stages of the dynamics and nonisochronicity of oscillations. Geometrically, the antireliability is described by a random noninvertible one-dimensional map
The consumption of arabinoxylan, a soluble fibre fraction, has been shown to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetic subjects. Soluble dietary fibre may modulate gastrointestinal or adipose tissue hormones regulating food intake. The present study investigated the effects of arabinoxylan consumption on serum glucose, insulin, lipids, leptin, adiponectin and resistin in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. In a randomized, single-blind, controlled, crossover intervention trial, 11 adults consumed white bread rolls as either placebo or supplemented with 15g arabinoxylan for 6 weeks with a 6-week washout period. Fasting serum glucose, insulin, triglycerides, unesterified fatty acids, apolipoprotein A1 and B, adiponectin, resistin and leptin were assessed before and after intervention. Fasting serum glucose, serum triglycerides and apolipoprotein A-1 were significantly lower during arabinoxylan consumption compared to placebo (p = 0.029, p = 0.047; p = 0.029, respectively). No effects of arabinoxylan were observed for insulin, adiponectin, leptin and resistin as well as for apolipoprotein B, and unesterified fatty acids. In conclusion, the consumption of AX in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance improved fasting serum glucose, and triglycerides. However, this beneficial effect was not accompanied by changes in fasting adipokine concentrations.
Argument-head distance and processing complexity: Explaining both locality and antilocality effects
(2006)
Although proximity between arguments and verbs (locality) is a relatively robust determinant of sentence-processing difficulty (Hawkins 1998, 2001, Gibson 2000), increasing argument-verb distance can also facilitate processing (Konieczny 2000). We present two self-paced reading (SPR) experiments involving Hindi that provide further evidence of antilocality, and a third SPR experiment which suggests that similarity-based interference can attenuate this distance-based facilitation. A unified explanation of interference, locality, and antilocality effects is proposed via an independently motivated theory of activation decay and retrieval interference (Anderson et al. 2004).*
The photooxygenation of homochiral cyclohexene ketals, which are easily available from 2-cyclohexenone and L-tartrates, affords hydroperoxides and after reduction the corresponding allylic alcohols in good yields and high regioselectivities. This can be rationalized by electronic repulsions in a perepoxide intermediate and provides evidence for unfavorable 1,3 diaxial interactions with a dioxolane oxygen atom. Only low stereoselectivities were observed, due to the flexibility of the cyclohexene ring. However, the diastereomers could be separated and after cleavage of the auxiliary, 4-hydroxy-2-cyclohexen-1-one was isolated in enantiomerically pure form, which can serve as a building block for natural product synthesis.
It was well known that auxin is critical for anther/pollen grain development, however, the clear distribution and detailed effects of auxin during floral development are still unclear. We have shown here that, through analyzing GUS activities of Arabidopsis lines harboring auxin response elements DR5-GUS, auxin was mainly accumulated in the anther during flower stages 10-12. Further studies employing the indoleacetic acid-lysine synthetase (iaaL) coding gene from Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi under control of the promoter region of Arabidopsis phosphatidylinositol monophosphate 5-kinase 1 gene, which conducts the anther filament-specific expression, showed that block of auxin flow of filaments resulted in shortened filaments and significantly defective pollen grains. Similar phenotype was observed in tobacco plants transformed with the same construct, confirming the effects of auxin flow in filaments on anther development. Detailed studies further revealed that the meiosis process of pollen grain was normal while the mitosis at later stage was significantly defected, indicating the effects of auxin flow in filaments on pollen grain mitosis process. Analysis employing [C-14]IAA, as well as the observation on the expression of AtPIN1, coding for auxin efflux carrier, demonstrated the presence of polar auxin transport in anther filaments and pollen grains
The averaged dynamics of various two-phase systems in a high-frequency vibration field is studied theoretically. The continuum approach is applied to describe such systems as solid particle suspensions, emulsions, bubbly fluids, when the volume concentration of the disperse phase is small and gravity is insignificant. The dynamics of the disperse system is considered by means of the method of averaging, when the fast pulsation and slow averaged motion can be treated separately. Two averaged models for both nondeformable and deformable particles, when the compressibility of the disperse phase becomes important, are obtained. A criterion when the compressibility of bubbles cannot be neglected is figured out. For both cases the developed models are applied to study the averaged dynamics of the disperse media in an infinite plane layer under the action of transversal vibration. (C) 2006 American Institute of Physics
The deterministic calculation of earthquake scenarios using complete waveform modelling plays an increasingly important role in estimating shaking hazard in seismically active regions. Here we apply 3-D numerical modelling of seismic wave propagation to M 6+ earthquake scenarios in the area of the Lower Rhine Embayment, one of the seismically most active regions in central Europe. Using a 3-D basin model derived from geology, borehole information and seismic experiments, we aim at demonstrating the strong dependence of ground shaking on hypocentre location and basin structure. The simulations are carried out up to frequencies of ca. 1 Hz. As expected, the basin structure leads to strong lateral variations in peak ground motion, amplification and shaking duration. Depending on source-basin-receiver geometry, the effects correlate with basin depth and the slope of the basin flanks; yet, the basin also affects peak ground motion and estimated shaking hazard thereof outside the basin. Comparison with measured seismograms for one of the earthquakes shows that some of the main characteristics of the wave motion are reproduced. Cumulating the derived seismic intensities from the three modelled earthquake scenarios leads to a predominantly basin correlated intensity distribution for our study area
The influence of the water soluble polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on structure formation in the quasiternary system sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)/pentanol-xylene/water was checked by means of conductometry, rheology, and micro differential calorimetry. The polymer induces the formation of an isotropic phase channel between the o/w and w/o microemulsion. The transition from the normal as well as from the inverse micellar to the bicontinuous phase range can be detected by conductometry, rheology as well as micro-DSC. As a result of polymer-surfactant interactions, the spontaneous curvature of the surfactant film is changed and a sponge phase is formed. The bicontinuous phase is characterized by a moderate shear viscosity, a Newtonian flow behaviour, and the disappearence of interphasal water in the heating curve of the micro-DSC. When the polymer-modified bicontinuous phase is used as a template phase for the nanoparticle formation, spherical BaSO4 nanoparticles were formed. During the following solvent evaporation process the primarily formed spherical nanoparticles aggregate to nanorods and triangular structures due to the non-restriction of the bicontinuous template phase in longitudinal direction
In most stochastic models addressing the persistence of small populations, environmental noise is included by imposing a synchronized effect of the environment on all individuals. However, buffer mechanisms are likely to exist that may counteract this synchronization to some degree. We have studied whether the flexibility in the mating system, which has been observed in some bird species, is a potential mechanism counteracting the synchronization of environmental fluctuations. Our study organism is the lesser spotted woodpecker Picoides minor (Linnaeus), a generally monogamous species. However, facultative polyandry, where one female mates with two males with separate nests, was observed in years with male-biased sex ratio. We constructed an individual-based model from data and observations of a population in Taunus, Germany. We tested the impact of three behavioural scenarios on population persistence: (1) strict monogamy; (2) polyandry without costs; and (3) polyandry assuming costs in terms of lower survival and reproductive success for secondary males. We assumed that polyandry occurs only in years with male-biased sex ratio and only for females with favourable breeding conditions. Even low rates of polyandry had a strong positive effect on population persistence. The increase of persistence with carrying capacity was slower in the monogamous scenario, indicating strong environmental noise. In the polyandrous scenarios, the increase of persistence was stronger, indicating a buffer mechanism. In the polyandrous scenarios, populations had a higher mean population size, a lower variation in number of individuals, and recovered faster after a population breakdown. Presuming a realistic polyandry rate and costs for polyandry, there was still a strong effect of polyandry on persistence. The results show that polyandry and in general flexibility in mating systems is a buffer mechanism that can significantly reduce the impact of environmental and demographic noise in small populations. Consequently, we suggest that even behaviour that seems to be exceptional should be considered explicitly when predicting the persistence of populations
A free-ranging bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) population was observed over a period of 3 years, thereby enabling a detailed description of the behavioural repertoire of this widespread but barely investigated solitary African antelope species. Agonistic and submissive behaviour patterns are described, among them several hitherto un- described behaviour patterns - such as "escorting", where territorial males guide intruders to the periphery of their territory - and "push-up position", an extreme form of submissive behaviour. Furthermore, we report on behaviour patterns of males and females during mating as well as on behaviour patterns of parents directed towards their offspring. Again, we describe a hitherto unknown behaviour: the protection of calves by adult males, which may be a socio-positive behaviour directed towards their offspring led by kin selection
Coherence relations are typically taken to link two clauses or larger units and to be signaled at the text surface by conjunctions and certain adverbials. Relations, however, also can hold within clauses, indicated by prepositions like despite, due to, or in case of, when these have an internal argument denoting an eventuality. Although these prepositions act as reliable cues to indicate a specific relation, others are lexically more neutral. We investigated this situation for the German preposition bei, which turns out to be highly ambiguous. We demonstrate the range of readings in a corpus study, proposing 6 more specific prepositions as a comprehensive substitution set. All these uses of bei share a common kernel meaning, which is missed by the standard accounts that assume lexical polysemy. We examine the range of coherence relations that can be signaled by bei and provide some factors here supporting the disambiguation task in a framework of discourse interpretation
Between reasoning
(2006)
In two experiments we investigated three-term reasoning with spatial relational assertions using the preposition between as compared to projective prepositions (such as to the left of). For each kind of assertion we distinguish the referent expression (i.e., the grammatical subject) from the relatum expression (i.e., the internal argument of the preposition; e.g., [The hedgehog](referent)_(expression) is to the left of [the frog](relatum)_(expression); [the snake](referent)_(expression) is between [the donkey and the deer](relatum)_(expression)). Previous research has shown that integrating premises with projective prepositions is easier (a) when the relatum expression of the second premise denotes an element already given by the first premise (relatum = given), and (b) when the term denoting a given element precedes the term denoting a new element (given - new). Experiment 1 extended this finding to second premises with the preposition between. In Experiment 2, between figured in the first premise. In this case, participants built an initial preferred model already from the first premise, although such a premise is indeterminate with respect to the array that it describes. Since there is no need left for integrating the second premise, this premise is instead used to verify the initial model and to modify it when necessary. A further investigation of conclusion evaluation times showed that conclusions were evaluated faster when they first mentioned the element that was included most recently into the mental model of the premises. The use of premises with between permitted the separation of recency of model inclusion from recency of appearance of an element in a premise.
Six Earth system models of intermediate complexity that are able to simulate interaction between atmosphere, ocean, and land surface, were forced with a scenario of land cover changes during the last millennium. In response to historical deforestation of about 18 million sq km, the models simulate a decrease in global mean annual temperature in the range of 0.13-0.25 degrees C. The rate of this cooling accelerated during the 19th century, reached a maximum in the first half of the 20th century, and declined at the end of the 20th century. This trend is explained by temporal and spatial dynamics of land cover changes, as the effect of deforestation on temperature is less pronounced for tropical than for temperate regions, and reforestation in the northern temperate areas during the second part of the 20th century partly offset the cooling trend. In most of the models, land cover changes lead to a decline in annual land evapotranspiration, while seasonal changes are rather equivocal because of spatial shifts in convergence zones. In the future, reforestation might be chosen as an option for the enhancement of terrestrial carbon sequestration. Our study indicates that biogeophysical mechanisms need to be accounted for in the assessment of land management options for climate change mitigation
The emergence of drug resistance remains one of the most challenging issues in the treatment of HIV-1 infection. The extreme replication dynamics of HIV facilitates its escape from the selective pressure exerted by the human immune system and by the applied combination drug therapy. This article reviews computational methods whose combined use can support the design of optimal antiretroviral therapies based on viral genotypic and phenotypic data. Genotypic assays are based on the analysis of mutations associated with reduced drug susceptibility, but are difficult to interpret due to the numerous mutations and mutational patterns that confer drug resistance. Phenotypic resistance or susceptibility can be experimentally evaluated by measuring the inhibition of the viral replication in cell culture assays. However, this procedure is expensive and time consuming
We investigated whether female association preferences for males are influenced by black spot disease (BSD), a parasite induced change of the host phenotype. We compared three different species of fish: a gynogenetic hybrid species, Poecilia formosa (amazon molly) and two sexual species (Poecilia latipinna and Poecilia mexicana), which were involved in the natural hybridisation leading to the amazon molly. Contrary to their sexual relatives, asexual amazon mollies significantly avoided images of males infected with black spot disease. We propose that amazon molly females have direct fitness benefits from choosing healthy males. The adaptive significance of the preference for BSD-uninfected males in the asexual amazon molly is yet unclear but may involve avoidance of predation or parasite infection as well as increased sperm availability
We report that the performances of blue polymer electrophosphorescent devices are crucially depending on the choice of the electron transporting material incorporated into the emissive layer. Devices with 1,3-bis[(4-tert- butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxidiazolyl]phenylene (OXD-7) doped at similar to 40 wt% into a poly(vinylcarbazole) matrix exhibited significantly higher efficiencies than those with 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), yielding maximum luminous and power efficiency values of 18.2 Cd/A and 8.8 lm/W, respectively. Time resolved photoluminescence measurements revealed a long lifetime phosphorescence component in layers with PBD, which we assign to significant triplet harvesting by this electron-transporting component. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics
The velocity distribution of a granular gas is analyzed in terms of the Sonine polynomials expansion. We derive an analytical expression for the third Sonine coefficient a(3). In contrast to frequently used assumptions this coefficient is of the same order of magnitude as the second Sonine coefficient a(2). For small inelasticity the theoretical result is in good agreement with numerical simulations. The next-order Sonine coefficients a(4), a(5) and a(6) are determined numerically. While these coefficients are negligible for small dissipation, their magnitude grows rapidly with increasing inelasticity for 0 < epsilon less than or similar to 0.6. We conclude that this behavior of the Sonine coefficients manifests the breakdown of the Sonine polynomial expansion caused by the increasing impact of the overpopulated high-energy tail of the distribution function
We give a new view on building content clusters from page pair models. We measure the heuristic importance within every two pages by computing the distance of their accessed positions in usage sessions. We also compare our page pair models with the classical pair models used in information theories and natural language processing, and give different evaluation methods to build the reasonable content communities. And we finally interpret the advantages and disadvantages of our models from detailed experiment results
A new precursor route for the preparation of bulk oxides and thin films of bismuth vanadates is proposed. The method involves the thermal treatment under air and mild conditions of hybrid organic-inorganic precursors, made from a zwitterionic salt-free polymer matrix and selected inorganic species. Monoclinic BiVO4 was obtained in the form of bulk oxide by calcination of the powdered homogeneous hybrid materials at 600 degrees C, from precursors containing Bi and V in stoichiometric amounts. In the same way, thermodiffractometry studies performed on a hybrid material exhibiting a Bi/ V molar ratio of 2 revealed that the ionic conductor gamma-Bi4V2O11 phase can be stabilized under very soft thermal conditions (300 degrees C). Additionally, thin films of yellow monoclinic BiVO4 were for the first time fabricated, by thermal treatment of the same hybrid polymeric precursors deposited on quartz substrates by spin coating, using a layer- by-layer technique. The presence of the target phase at the surface of the plates was confirmed by X-ray diffraction as well as UV-vis measurements
Business process management
(2006)
Calpain 1-gamma filamin interaction in muscle cells : a possible in situ regulation by PKC-alpha
(2006)
Calpain 1-gamma filamin interaction in muscle cells : a possible in situ regulation by PKC-alpha
(2006)
Calpains are a family of calcium-dependant cysteine-proteases involved in cytoskeleton remodelling and muscle differentiation. In a recent study, we observed the presence of calpain I in the muscle contractile apparatus and specifically in the N1- and N2-fines. This calpain isoform was found to be involved in the degradation of muscle fibres via proteolysis of key proteins in Z-disk and costameric junctions. The goal of this study was to determine whether gamma-filamin - a specific muscle isoform of the filamin family - is a calpain, I substrate and to characterise this interaction. gamma-Filamin is a major muscle architectural protein located in the Z-fine and under the sarcolemmal membrane. This protein is a component of the chain binding the sarcolemma to the sarcomeric structure. In this study, we found that gamma-filamin formed a stable complex in vitro and in cells with calpain I in the absence of calcium stimulation. We also located the binding domains in the C-terminus of gamma-filamin with a cleavage site between serine 2626 and serine 2627 in the hinge 2 region. The catalytic (80 kDa) and regulatory (28 kDa) subunits of calpain I are both involved in high affinity binding at gamma-filamin. Moreover, we showed that phosphorylation of the filamin C- terminus domain by PKC alpha protected gamma-filamin against proteolysis by calpain I in COS cells. Stimulation of PKC activity in myotubes, prevented gamma-filamin proteolysis by calpain and resulted in an increase in myotube adhesion.
Calpain 1-gamma filamin interaction in muscle cells :a possible in situ regulation by PKC-alpha
(2006)
Reversible assembly of the V0V1 holoenzyme from V-0 and V-1 subcomplexes is a widely used mechanism for regulation of vacuolar-type H+-ATPases (V-ATPases) in animal cells. in the blowfly (Calliphora vicina) salivary gland, V- ATPase is located in the apical membrane of the secretory cells and energizes the secretion of a KCl-rich saliva in response to the hormone serotonin. We have examined whether the CAMP pathway, known to be activated by serotonin, controls V-ATPase assembly and activity. Fluorescence measurements of pH changes at the luminal surface of isolated glands demonstrate that CAMP, Sp-adenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate, or forskolin, similar to serotonin, cause V-ATPase-dependent luminal acidification. In addition, V-ATPase-dependent ATP hydrolysis increases upon treatment with these agents. Immunofluorescence microscopy and pelleting assays have demonstrated further that V, components become translocated from the cytoplasm to the apical membrane and V-ATPase holoenzymes are assembled at the apical membrane during conditions that increase intracellular cAMP. Because these actions occur without a change in cytosolic Ca2+, our findings suggest that the cAMP pathway mediates the reversible assembly and activation of V-ATPase molecules at the apical membrane upon hormonal stimulus
An experimental evaluation of a safer sex promotion leaflet was undertaken to assess its capacity to change antecedent cognitions of condom use. The leaflet was identified in a previous study as addressing research-based cognitive antecedents of condom use. A pre-post-test experimental study including three conditions was conducted: (a) presentation of the leaflet; (b) presentation of the leaflet plus incentive for systematic processing; (c) no-leaflet control. The leaflet was evaluated in terms of its capacity to change eight cognitive correlates of condom use identified in a recent meta-analysis. The sample consisted of 230 tenth-grade students. Following baseline assessments, leaflet-induced change was measured immediately following the intervention and at a follow up 4 weeks post-intervention. The target leaflet alone did not result in significant changes in the cognitive antecedents of condom use compared with the control condition. However, in combination with an incentive for systematic processing, the target leaflet had a greater impact on cognitive antecedents than the no-leaflet control condition. The findings are discussed with regard to the development and evaluation of research-based health-promotion materials
Trophic resources are an important control governing carbonate production. Though this importance has long been recognized, no calibration exists to quantitatively compare biogenic assemblages within trophic resource fields. This study presents a field calibration of carbonate producers in a range of settings against high-resolution in situ measurements of nutrients, temperature and salinity. With its latitudinal extent from 30 degrees to 23 degrees N, the Gulf of California, Mexico, spans the warm-temperate realm and encompasses nutrient regimes from oligo-mesotrophic in the south to eutrophic in the north. Accordingly, from south to north carbonates are characterized by: (i) coral- dominated shallow carbonate factories (5-20 m water depth) with average sea-surface temperatures of 25 degrees C (min. 18 degrees C, max. 31 degrees C), average salinities of 35.06 parts per thousand and average chlorophyll a levels, which are a proxy for nutrients, of 0.25 mg Chl a m(-3) (max. 0.48, min. 0.1). (ii) Red algal-dominated subtidal to inner- shelf carbonate formation (10-25 m) in the central Gulf of California exhibiting average temperatures of 23 degrees C (min. 18 degrees C, max. 30 degrees C), average salinities of 35.25 parts per thousand, and average Chl a levels of 0.71 Chl a m(-3) (max. 5.62, min. 0). (iii) Molluskan bryozoan-rich inner to outer shelf factories in the northern Gulf of California (20-50 m) with average sea surface temperatures of only 20 degrees C (min. 13 degrees C, max 29 degrees C), average salinities of 35.01 parts per thousand, and average contents of 2.2 mg Chl a m(-3) (max. 8.38, min. 0). By calibrating sedimentological data with in situ measured oceanographic information in different environments, the response of carbonate producers to environmental parameters was established and extrapolated to carbonates on a global scale. The results demonstrate the importance of recognizing and quantifying trophic resources as a dominant control determining the biogenic composition and facies character of both modern and fossil carbonates
Cationic and perfluorinated polymeric pseudostationary phases for electrokinetic chromatography
(2006)
Separation selectivity in electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) is directly affected by the chemistry and solvent characteristics of the pseudostationary phase (PSP). The chemical selectivity of micellar PSPs has been previously demonstrated to vary significantly between anionic and cationic surfactants as well as between hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfactants. Polymeric PSPs have also been demonstrated to provide unique selectivity. In the current study, four cationic polymeric pseudo-stationary phases, two of which have perfluorinated pendant groups, are introduced and characterized as PSPs in EKC. Their performance and selectivity is compared to conventional micellar PSPs with similar structure. The solvation characteristics and selectivity of the four polymers most closely resemble those observed for cationic micelles. The polymers are all more cohesive and more polar than their hydrocarbon micellar counterparts. The fluorocarbon PSPs did show preferential interaction with fluorocarbon solutes, were somewhat more cohesive, and were stronger hydrogen bond donors. However, the presence of fluorocarbon moieties did not have as dramatic an effect on selectivity as was observed and published previously for fluorocarbon micelles. This may result from the selectivity being dominated by the presence of the cationic head groups or from the fluorocarbon character of the pendant groups being moderated by the presence of hydrocarbon functionality on the polymer back-bones.
The paper is focused on the characterization and use of phosphatidylcholine (PC)-based inverse microemulsions as a template phase for the CdS nanoparticle formation. The optically clear, isotropic phase in the oil corner was identified as a "classicalö water-in-oil microemulsion by means of NMR-diffusion measurements. Because of the very small dimensions of the water droplets, the isotropic phase shows a Newtonian-like flow behavior, and adequate amounts of bulk water cannot be detected by DSC. It is demonstrated that this w/o microemulsion can be used successfully as a nanoreactor for the formation of CdS nanoparticles with diameters of 4-5 nm. During the following process of solvent evaporation the individual small CdS nanoparticles aggregate to significant larger cubic nanoparticles, with an edge length of 2-40 nm, arranged in well-defined mosaic-like superstructures. In presence of SDS the nanocubes were stable up to 800 °C. It has to be stated here that polyelectrolytes prevent the formation of such well-ordered superstructures.
[ 1] The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is key to understanding the role of inherited basement anisotropies in the evolution of active noncollisional mountain belts. In particular, the Rio Blanco-Guatiquia region of the Eastern Cordillera is exemplary in displaying a variety of phenomena that document the importance of the orientation, geometry, and segmentation of preorogenic anisotropies. We document the first unambiguous evidence that extensional basement structures played an important role in determining the locus of deformation during contractional reactivation in the Eastern Cordillera. Detailed structural field mapping and analysis of industry seismic reflection profiles have helped to identify the inherited San Juanito, Naranjal, and Servita normal faults and associated transfer faults as important structures that were inverted during the Cenozoic Andean orogeny. Apparently, the more internal faults in the former rift basin were not properly oriented for an efficient reactivation in contraction. However, these faults have a fundamental role as strain risers, as folding is concentrated west of them. In contrast, reactivated normal faults such as the more external Servita fault are responsible for uplifting the eastern flank of the Eastern Cordillera. In addition, these structures are adjacent and intimately linked to the development of thin-skinned faults farther east. In part, the superimposed compression in this prestrained extensional region is compensated by lateral escape. The dominant presence of basement involved buckling and thrusting, and the restricted development of thin-skinned thrusting in this inversion orogen makes the Eastern Cordillera a close analog to the intraplate Atlas Mountains of Morocco and other inverted sectors of the Andean orogen farther south
Intramontane sedimentary basins along the margin of continental plateaus often preserve strata that contain fundamental information regarding the pattern of orogenic growth. The sedimentary record of the elastic Miocene-Pliocene sequence deposited in the Fiambala Basin, at the southern margin of the Puna Plateau (NW Argentina), documents the late Miocene paleodrainage evolution from headwaters to the west, towards headwaters in the ranges that constitute the border of the Puna Plateau to the north. Apatite Fission track (AFT) thermochronology of sedimentary and basement rocks show that the southern Puna Plateau was the source for the youngest, middle Miocene, detrital population detected in late Miocene rocks; and that the margin of the Puna Plateau expressed a high relief, possibly similar to or higher than at present, by late Miocene time. Cooling ages obtained from basement rocks at the southern Puna margin suggest that exhumation started in the Oligocene and continued until the middle Miocene. We interpret the basin reorganization and the creation of a high relief plateau margin to be the direct response of the source-basin system to a wholesale surface uplift event that may have occurred during the late Cenozoic in the Puna-Altiplano region. At this time coeval paleodrainage reorganization is observed not only in the Fiambala Basin, but also in different basins along the southern and eastern Puna margin, suggesting a genetic link between the last stage of plateau formation and basin response. However, this event did not cause sufficient exhumation of basin bounding ranges to be recorded by AFT thermochronology. Our new data thus document a decoupling between late Cenozoic surface uplift and exhumation in the southern Puna Plateau. High relief achieved at the Puna margin by late Miocene time is linked to Oligocene-Miocene exhumation; no significant erosion (< 3 km) has occurred since in this and highland.
Changing negative attitudes towards persons with physical disabilities: an experimental intervention
(2006)
An experimental study was designed and tested to change negative attitudes towards the physically disabled. A pre-post-test intervention was conducted including three conditions: (a) cognitive intervention; (b) cognitive and behavioural intervention involving equal-status contact with the target group; (c) no-intervention control. The sample consisted of 70 ninth grade students. Following baseline assessments of attitudes, attitude change was measured immediately following the intervention and at a follow-up three months post-intervention. The cognitive intervention provided information about physical disability and challenged stereotypic conceptions about the physically disabled. The behavioural intervention consisted of engaging in three paralympic disciplines under the instruction of a group of disabled athletes. The cognitive intervention alone did not result in significant changes in attitudes towards the physically disabled. However, the combined cognitive-behavioural intervention resulted in greater attitude change than the no-intervention condition, both immediately post-intervention and at a three months follow-up. The findings are discussed with regard to models of attitude change through equal-status contact.
The aim of this study was to investigate differences in concentrations of vitamin A, transthyretin (TTR) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in dogs. RBP was detected using ELISA, and both RBP and TTR by Western blot analysis after separation on SDS-PAGE. Vitamin A was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. RBP and TTR as well as vitamin A were detected in all samples but at substantially lower concentrations in CSF compared to plasma. RBP in dog plasma showed a similar molecular mass to that of humans, whereas canine TTR had a lower molecular mass. Comparison between plasma and CSF showed that both RBP and TTR were of lower molecular mass in CSF. In CSF, RBP and retinol were present at 10-100-fold lower concentrations compared to plasma. Retinyl esters were present only in minute amounts in 5/17 samples. In conclusion, the CSF of dogs compared to humans is significantly different in terms of both quality and quantity of transport proteins for vitamin A.
We summarize here the development of various piezoelectric biosensors utilizing cholinesterase (ChE) as the recognition element. In our work we studied the interaction between cholinesterase and its ligands (propidium, carnitine, benzylgonine-1,8-diamino-3,4-dioxaoctane (BZE-DADOO) and paraoxon). The sensor modification was based on a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of a thiol compound (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid) on the gold electrode and the subsequent covalent coupling of the cholinesterase ligand to this SAM. The ligand-modified piezoelectric sensors were placed in a flow system to allow the on-line monitoring of cholinesterase binding and the enzymatic activity quantification by amperometry. Cholinesterases from different species-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from Electrophorus electricus , AChE from Drosophila melanogaster , and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) of human origin-were tested on the various immobilized ligands. Our research allowed the development of a competitive assay for the detection of organophosphates in river water samples using the BZE-DADOO-modified piezosensor. Another direction of research was pointed on the characterization of the interactions between ChE and its ligands. The kinetic binding constants were derived using a one- to-one binding model
Characterization of polarization attributes of seismic waves using continuous wavelet transforms
(2006)
Complex-trace analysis is the method of choice for analyzing polarized data. Because particle motion can be represented by instantaneous attributes that show distinct features for waves of different polarization characteristics, it can be used to separate and characterize these waves. Traditional methods of complex-trace analysis only give the instantaneous attributes as a function of time or frequency. However. for transient wave types or seismic events that overlap in time, an estimate of the polarization parameters requires analysis of the time-frequency dependence of these attributes. We propose a method to map instantaneous polarization attributes of seismic signals in the wavelet domain and explicitly relate these attributes with the wavelet-transform coefficients of the analyzed signal. We compare our method with traditional complex-trace analysis using numerical examples. An advantage of our method is its possibility of performing the complete wave-mode separation/ filtering process in the wavelet domain and its ability to provide the frequency dependence of ellipticity, which contains important information on the subsurface structure. Furthermore, using 2-C synthetic and real seismic shot gathers, we show how to use the method to separate different wave types and identify zones of interfering wave modes
Different chemical and enzymatic methods were applied for the hydrolysis of main stems from Lupinus nootkatensis (harvest November 2002). The whole process (all steps) is based on the lignocellulose-feedstock biorefinery regime. The acid hydrolysis of L. was performed with concentrated hydrochloric acid; advantages in this process are exothermic hydrolysis and the possibility of acid recovery. Enzymatic hydrolysis achieved high yields of fermentable carbohydrates (regarding to input cellulose) with high selectivity. However, this way requires the generation of cellulose from L. by chemical pulping. Monosaccharide derivatives thus obtained were identified by their GC retention times and the corresponding MS fragmentation. Hexamethyldisilazane was used as derivatization reagent to prepare the trimethylsilyl derivatives of the carbohydrates and of the degradations products of cellulose from the different fractions. The glucose content was quantified by GC peak integration with respect to an internal standard.
Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana) inhabit a variety of surface habitats, but they also occur in a sulfur cave in southern Mexico. We examined male mate choice relative to female body size in the cave population and in the most closely related surface-dwelling population from a nearby river. Males from both populations were either light- or dark-reared and could choose between two differently sized females either on the basis of visual cues in light or on the basis of solely nonvisual cues in darkness. Sexual preferences were estimated from the degree of association. Cave molly males always showed a preference for the larger female, both in light and in darkness. Among the surface males, only light-reared males showed a preference in the visual cues test, but not in darkness. In a control experiment, we demonstrated that male association preferences directly translate into actual mating preferences. Apparently, using visual cues for mate choice is the ancestral state in this system, and using nonvisual cues has evolved as a novel trait in the cave population. We discuss the evolution of nonvisual male mate choice in the context of changed environmental conditions, namely the absence of light, hypoxia, and toxic hydrogen sulfide in the cave
The article departs from the discussion of the Sources of the scholar interest in civil societv and proceeds to the functional expectations about it. It claims that the concept of civil society, as it is frequently used in scientific and political debates, has specific cultural roots, which makcs a trans-cultural analysis difficult or perhaps even impossible. Furthermore, the article addresses three conceptual problems of civil society, namely the issue of what constitutes civil society, its autonomy and impact as well as the challenge of civil society to the state. The central argument of the article is that in order to examine the impact of civil society on governance and democracy, it is recommendable to include three levels of analysis, namely the structure and functions of civil society (including also the possibly negative impact of civil society), the type of state co-existing with civil society as well as the character of the relationship between state and civil society
[1] We document late Pleistocene - Holocene aggradation and incision processes at the mountain front of the Qilian Shan, an active intracontinental fold-and-thrust belt accommodating a significant portion of the India-Asia convergence. The Shiyou River cuts through a NNE vergent fault propagation fold with Miocene red beds in the core and Pliocene - Quaternary growth strata on the northern forelimb. South of the anticline, Miocene strata dip 20 degrees SSW, suggesting a similar orientation for the basal decollement. After aggradation of an similar to 150-m-thick, late Pleistocene valley fill, the Shiyou River formed three terraces. The highest terrace, located 170 m above the river, constitutes the top of the fill. The other terraces are fill cut terraces: their treads are located 130 - 105 m and 37 m above the river, respectively. The 10 Be exposure dating of the terraces suggests that river incision accelerated from 0.8 +/- 0.2 mm yr(-1) to similar to 10 mm yr(-1) at 10 - 15 kyr. We interpret fast Holocene river incision as largely unrelated to tectonic forcing. The late Pleistocene incision rate of 0.8 +/- 0.2 mm yr(-1) places an upper limit of 2.2 +/- 0.5 mm yr(-1) on the horizontal shortening rate, assuming that incision is solely caused by rock uplift above a decollement dipping 20 degrees. However, the actual shortening rate may lie between similar to 2.2 mm yr(-1) and zero because deformation of the terraces and the valley fill cannot be unequivocally demonstrated. Our estimate is consistent with the bulk shortening rate of similar to 5 - 10 mm yr(-1) across several faults in NE Tibet derived from neotectonic and GPS data, although in case of the Shiyou River, Holocene deformation is barely discernible owing to intense climate-induced river incision.
Combined optimization of spatial and temporal filters for improving brain-computer interfacing
(2006)
Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems create a novel communication channel from the brain to an output de ice by bypassing conventional motor output pathways of nerves and muscles. Therefore they could provide a new communication and control option for paralyzed patients. Modern BCI technology is essentially based on techniques for the classification of single-trial brain signals. Here we present a novel technique that allows the simultaneous optimization of a spatial and a spectral filter enhancing discriminability rates of multichannel EEG single-trials. The evaluation of 60 experiments involving 22 different subjects demonstrates the significant superiority of the proposed algorithm over to its classical counterpart: the median classification error rate was decreased by 11%. Apart from the enhanced classification, the spatial and/or the spectral filter that are determined by the algorithm can also be used for further analysis of the data, e.g., for source localization of the respective brain rhythms.
We have recently shown that efficient polymer solar cells can be fabricated by using a weakly soluble derivative of poly-p-vinylene (M3EH-PPV) as the electron donor. Here we present studies on bilayer devices using organic electron acceptors with varying LUMO levels and M3EH-PPV. It is found that the open-circuit voltage scales linearly with the LUMO level of the acceptor, reaching values as high as 1.5 V when cyano-substituted poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)-alt- poly(p-phenylenevinylene) copolymers are used. Further, we discovered that for an increasing number of triple bonds in the repeat unit of the acceptor polymer the device performance decreases with increasing thickness of the acceptor layer. Also, the quantum efficiency was smaller when using polymers with higher LUMO levels. Thus, further effort is needed to design optimum acceptor polymers for devices exhibiting large open-circuit voltage and high quantum efficiency
The concept of complementarity, originally defined for non-commuting observables of quantum systems with states of non-vanishing dispersion, is extended to classical dynamical systems with a partitioned phase space. Interpreting partitions in terms of ensembles of epistemic states (symbols) with corresponding classical observables, it is shown that such observables are complementary to each other with respect to particular partitions unless those partitions are generating. This explains why symbolic descriptions based on an ad hoc partition of an underlying phase space description should generally be expected to be incompatible. Related approaches with different background and different objectives are discussed
Two copper(II) coordination compounds with vanillic acid C8H8O4 (1), namely [Cu- 2(C8H7O4)(2)(O2CCH3)(2)(CH3OH)(2)] (2) and [Cu-2(C8H7O4)(4)(H2O2)(2)] (3), were synthesized and characterized. Single crystals of 1-3 were obtained and their crystal structures determined. The structure of 2 shows dinuclear cage structure of copper acetate hydrate type, however with two different carboxylates, acetates and vanillic acid anions,. respectively. Both bridging anions are in pairs in trans orientation. Methanol molecules are apically coordinated (Cu-O7 2.160(2) angstrom), fulfilling square-pyramidal coordination sphere around both copper ions. The compound 2 decomposes outside mother-liquid (yielding [Cu-2(C8H7O4)(2)(O2CCH3)(2)(H2O)(2)] (2a)) with the removal of methanol, but without significant change of the dicopper tetracarboxylate cage structure, as noticed by mu(eff) 1.48 BM for 2a. Similar was found also in the X-band EPR spectra with three signals H-z1, H-perpendicular to 2 and H-z2 in the region from 0 to 600 mT. The structure of free vanillic acid 1 is composed of dimeric units of two molecules, connected by two parallel hydrogen bonds between carboxylate group of each other (O1-H(...)O2 2.642(3) angstrom), while the structure of 3 is of [Cu-2(O2CCH3)(4)(H2O)(2)] type. Interestingly, an additional signal in the EPR spectra of 3 is found at 80 mT (H- perpendicular to 1) at 298 and at 116 K, next to three signals H-z1, H-perpendicular to 2 and H-z2.
A comprehensive survey of the accessory-mineral assemblages in Variscan granites of the German Erzgebirge and Pan-African granites from Jordan revealed the occurrence of intermediate solid solutions of the tetragonal thorite- xenotime-zircon-coffinite mineral group with partially novel compositions. These solid solutions preferentially formed in evolved and metasomatically altered, P-poor leucogranites of either I- or A-type affinity. Thorite from the Erzgebirge contained up to 18-8 Wt-% Y2O3, 16.1 wt.% ZrO2, and 23.3 Wt-% UO2. Xenotime and zircon have incorporated Th in abundances up to 36.3 wt.% and 41.8 wt.% ThO2, respectively. Extended compositional gradation with only minor gaps is confined to hydrated members of this mineral group, and is observed to exist between thorite and xenotime, thorite and coffinite, and Y-HREE-bearing thorite and zircon. Complex, hydrous solid solutions containing elevated abundances of three or more of the endmembers are subordinate. Previously reported intermediate solid solutions between anhydrous zircon and xenotime, and anhydrous zircon and thorite, are not observed and are in conflict with experimental work demonstrating very limited miscibility between anhydrous species of endmember composition. The majority of hydrous intermediate solid solutions in the Th-Y-Zr-U system are likely thermodynamically unstable. Instead, they are probably metastable responses to unusual physico-chemical conditions involving various parameters and conditions, the relative importance of which is incompletely known. Leaching and dissolution of preexisting accessory phases during interaction with F-bearing hydrous fluids enriched in Th, Y(HREE), Zr, and/or U, and common deposition of the various elements at disequilibrium (supersaturation) seems to play a key role, but other processes may be of similar importance. Experimental work involving hydrous conditions and complex systems composed of more than two endmembers are needed to shed light into the stability relations of the chemically uncommon compositions treated in this study.
Most information systems log events (e.g., transaction logs, audit traits) to audit and monitor the processes they support. At the same time, many of these processes have been explicitly modeled. For example, SAP R/3 logs events in transaction logs and there are EPCs (Event-driven Process Chains) describing the so-called reference models. These reference models describe how the system should be used. The coexistence of event logs and process models raises an interesting question: "Does the event log conform to the process model and vice versa?". This paper demonstrates that there is not a simple answer to this question. To tackle the problem, we distinguish two dimensions of conformance: fitness (the event log may be the result of the process modeled) and appropriateness (the model is a likely candidate from a structural and behavioral point of view). Different metrics have been defined and a Conformance Checker has been implemented within the ProM Framework
Predictive habitat models are an important tool for ecological research and conservation. A major cause of unreliable models is excessive model complexity, and regularization methods aim to improve the predictive performance by adequately constraining model complexity. We compare three regularization methods for logistic regression: variable selection, lasso, and ridge. They differ in the way model complexity is measured: variable selection uses the number of estimated parameters, the lasso uses the sum of the absolute values of the parameter estimates, and the ridge uses the sum of the squared values of the parameter estimates. We performed a simulation study with environmental data of a real landscape and artificial species occupancy data. We investigated the effect of three factors on relative model performance: (1) the number of parameters (16, 10, 6, 2) in the 'true' model that determined the distribution of the artificial species, (2) the prevalence, i.e. the proportion of sites occupied by the species, and (3) the sample size (measured in events per variable, EPV). Regularization improved model discrimination and calibration. However, no regularization method performed best under all circumstances: the ridge generally performed best in the 16-parameter scenario. The lasso generally performed best in the 10-parameter scenario. Variable selection with AIC was best at large sample sizes (EPV >= 10) when less than half of the variables influenced the species distribution. However, at low sample sizes (EPV < 10), ridge and lasso always performed best, regardless of the parameter scenario or prevalence. Overall, calibration was best in ridge models. Other methods showed overconfidence, particularly at low sample sizes. The percentage of correctly identified models was low for both lasso and variable selection. Variable selection should be used with caution. Although it can produce the best performing models under certain conditions, these situations are difficult to infer from the data. Ridge and lasso are risk-averse model strategies that can be expected to perform well under a wide range of underlying species-habitat relationships, particularly at small sample sizes.
We demonstrate that a multiple delayed feedback is a powerful tool to control coherence properties of autonomous self-sustained oscillators. We derive the equation for the phase dynamics in presence of noise and delay, and analyze it analytically. In Gaussian approximation a closed set of equations for the frequency and the diffusion constant is obtained. Solutions of these equations are in good agreement with direct numerical simulations.
Correlation between burnout syndrome and psychological and psychosomatic symptoms among teachers
(2006)
Objectives: Psychosomatic disorders and symptoms that correlate with the so-called burnout syndrome turned out to be the main cause of increasing rates of premature retirement of school teachers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between occupational burden and psychological strain of teachers who are still in work. Methods: A sample of 408 teachers at ten grammar schools (am: High school; German: Gymnasium) in south-western Germany was evaluated. To determine the styles of coping with occupational burden we used the measure of coping capacity questionnaire (MECCA). To analyse the psychopathological and psychosomatic symptom load we applied SCL 90 R questionnaire. Results: According to the MECCA questionnaire, 32.5% of the sample suffered from burnout (type B), 17.7% suffered severe strain (type A), 35.9% showed an unambitious (type S) and 13.8% showed a healthy-ambitious coping style (type G). Burnout was significantly higher among women, divorced teachers and teachers working part-time. As part of the MECCA, teachers were asked to rate what they regarded as the strongest factor resulting in occupational burden. Teachers indicated that, besides high numbers of pupils in one class, they regarded destructive and aggressive behaviour of pupils as the primary stress factor. According to the SCL 90 R, 20% of the sample showed a severe degree (defined as > 70 points in the SCL90R GSI) of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms. MECCA type B (burnout) correlated significantly with high psychological and psychosomatic symptom load according to the SCL90R. Conclusions: In school teachers, burnout syndrome, a construct that derived from occupational psychology and occupational medicine, is significantly correlated with psychological and psychosomatic symptoms. Teachers rate destructive and aggressive behaviour of pupils as the primary stress factor.
We investigate the relationship between the gap between the energy of the ground state and the first excited state and the decay of correlation functions in harmonic lattice systems. We prove that in gapped systems, the exponential decay of correlations follows for both the ground state and thermal states. Considering the converse direction, we show that an energy gap can follow from algebraic decay and always does for exponential decay. The underlying lattices are described as general graphs of not necessarily integer dimension, including translationally invariant instances of cubic lattices as special cases. Any local quadratic couplings in position and momentum coordinates are allowed for, leading to quasi-free ( Gaussian) ground states. We make use of methods of deriving bounds to matrix functions of banded matrices corresponding to local interactions on general graphs. Finally, we give an explicit entanglement-area relationship in terms of the energy gap for arbitrary, not necessarily contiguous regions on lattices characterized by general graphs
We examined factors predicting female densities within the common home ranges of related females ("clans") in bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus Pallas, 1776. In this species, each female forms an individual home range, but the home ranges of matrilineal clan members strongly overlap. We found female densities to increase in areas with high canopy cover. Moreover, individual home range sizes tended to decrease with increasing cover. Food plant availability and intruder pressure by two heterospecific competitors did not significantly affect female densities. Apparently, canopy cover is the major limited resource in this species. A possible explanation is that both adult bushbuck and - even more markedly - fawns hide from predators in dense vegetation, in particular in thicket clumps and coalescences. The study shows an effect of habitat properties (eg sufficient canopy cover) on a within-population level in bushbuck, where female densities differ even among proximate clan areas
Current advances in SWIFT
(2006)
Models of eye movement control are very useful for gaining insights into the intricate connections of different cognitive and oculomotor subsystems involved in reading. The SWIFT model (Engbert, Longtin, & Kliegl (2002). Vision Research, 42, 621 - 636) proposed a unified mechanism to account for all types of eye movement patterns that might be observed in reading behavior. The model is based on the notion of spatially distributed, or parallel, processing of words in a sentence. We present a refined version of SWIFT introducing a letter-based approach that proposes a processing gradient in the shape of a smooth function. We show that SWIFT extents its capabilities by accounting for distributions of landing positions.
The correlation of deformation fabrics and metamorphic reactions with geochronologic data of UHP metamorphic rocks demonstrate that the multistage subduction and exhumation history of the Central Dabie Complex requires rapid subduction and rapid initial exhumation. Moreover, these data show that volume diffusion is not the major resetting mechanism of radiogenic isotope systems. Thus, our age data do not simply reflect a thermal/cooling history. In the investigated section, the maximum age for UHP is given by the 244 +/- 3 Ma (2 sigma) U-Pb age of a pre-UHP titanite phenocryst that survived UHP metamorphism and subsequent tectonometamorphic events. A minimum age for UHP is set by the 238 +/- 1 Ma (2 sigma) U-238-Pb-206 mineral isochron age of titanite and cogenetic epidote. These minerals formed from local partial melts during ascent and their age suggests fast exhumation and emplacement in the middle crust. In the period of ca. 238-218 Ma, the UHP terrain records HT metamorphism, local partial melting, and extensive pervasive strain below the eclogite (jd+grt) stability field. Exhumation was polyphase with a first phase of fast exhumation, succeeded by episodes of HT metamorphism and concomitant deformation at deep/mid crustal level between 238 and 218 Ma. Slow exhumation related to the final emplacement of tectonic units along greenschist facies shear zones did not cease before ca. 209-204 Ma. The resetting and homogenization of radiogenic isotope systems were aided by dissolution precipitation creep, which was the dominant deformation mechanism in quartz-feldspar rocks, in combination with fluid influx. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved