6,122 research outputs found
Exploration of the Neuronal Subtype Specificity of an Ethanol Responsive Gene: Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b)
Exploration of the Neuronal Subtype Specificity of an Ethanol Responsive Gene: Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b)
Dalton Huey, Depts. of Bioinformatics, Biology & Chemistry, A. van der Vaart, G. M. Harris, and M. F. Miles, with Dr. Sarah Golding, Dept. of Biology
Previous work done in our laboratory revealed that Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b) functions as a hub gene in a network of genes regulated by acute ethanol in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) across a mouse genetic panel. Adult mice treated with acute ethanol showed increased phosphorylation of GSK3B on the Ser9 residue in prefrontal cortex. Subsequent viral-mediated overexpression of Gsk3bin mouse mPFC caused an increase in ethanol consumption and pharmacological inhibition of GSK3B decreased ethanol consumption. However, it is unknown what neuron subtypes are driving this change in behavior. Here, we provide evidence that deletion of Gsk3bin Camk2a+ glutamatergic neurons of the mPFC results in a decrease in ethanol consumption in both continuous and intermittent access drinking paradigms. Furthermore, we have recently designed and validated a plasmid for Cre-dependent overexpression of Gsk3b, along with a Cre-dependent reporter as a control. These plasmids are planned for use in conjunction with different Cre drivers for viral-mediated expression in any cell type. Dissection of the neural circuitry of this ethanol responsive pathway can lead to a better assessment of Gsk3bas a potential target for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Work supported by grants R01A027581 and P50AA022537 to MFM.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1313/thumbnail.jp
Meta-analyses of Post-acquisition Performance: Indications of Unidentified Moderators
Empirical research has not consistently identified antecedents for predicting post-acquisition performance. We employ meta-analytic techniques to empirically assess the impact of the most commonly researched antecedent variables on post-acquisition performance. We find robust results indicating that, on average and across the most commonly studied variables, acquiring firms’ performance does not positively change as a function of their acquisition activity, and is negatively affected to a modest extent. More importantly, our results indicate that unidentified variables may explain significant variance in post-acquisition performance, suggesting the need for additional theory development and changes to M&A research methods
Effect of BMI and Binge Eating on Food Reward and Energy Intake: Further Evidence for a Binge Eating Subtype of Obesity
Background: The psychological characteristics of binge eating have been proposed as a phenotype to further understanding of overconsumption and susceptibility to obesity. This study examined the influence of trait binge eating in lean and overweight or obese women on appetite, food reward and energy intake. Methods: 25 lean and 25 overweight or obese women were categorised as either ‘binge type' or ‘non-binge type' based on their scores on the Binge Eating Scale. Food reward and food intake were assessed in fasted and fed conditions. Results: Overweight or obese binge types (O-B) consumed more energy than overweight or obese non-binge types (O-NB) and lean binge (L-B) and non-binge types (L-NB). Both L-B and O-B exhibited greater preference for sweet foods. In O-NB, L-B and L-NB, lower liking and wanting for sweet foods was exhibited in the fed condition compared to the fasted condition. However, in O-B wanting for sweet foods was greater when they were fed compared to when they were in a fasted state. Conclusions: These findings provide further support for trait binge eating as a hedonic subtype of obesity. Binge types were characterised by greater intake of high-fat sweet foods and increased wanting for these foods when satiated. Additionally, these findings highlight the potential for separation in liking and wanting for food as a marker of susceptibility to overeat
Redshifts and Velocity Dispersions of Galaxy Clusters in the Horologium-Reticulum Supercluster
We present 118 new optical redshifts for galaxies in 12 clusters in the
Horologium-Reticulum supercluster (HRS) of galaxies. For 76 galaxies, the data
were obtained with the Dual Beam Spectrograph on the 2.3m telescope of the
Australian National University at Siding Spring Observatory. After combining 42
previously unpublished redshifts with our new sample, we determine mean
redshifts and velocity dispersions for 13 clusters, in which previous
observational data were sparse. In six of the 13 clusters, the newly determined
mean redshifts differ by more than 750 km/s from the published values. In the
case of three clusters, A3047, A3109, and A3120, the redshift data indicate the
presence of multiple components along the line of sight. The new cluster
redshifts, when combined with other reliable mean redshifts for clusters in the
HRS, are found to be distinctly bi-modal. Furthermore, the two redshift
components are consistent with the bi-modal redshift distribution found for the
inter-cluster galaxies in the HRS by Fleenor et al. (2005).Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, Accepted to A
Biased-estimations of the Variance and Skewness
Nonlinear combinations of direct observables are often used to estimate
quantities of theoretical interest. Without sufficient caution, this could lead
to biased estimations. An example of great interest is the skewness of
the galaxy distribution, defined as the ratio of the third moment \xibar_3
and the variance squared \xibar_2^2. Suppose one is given unbiased estimators
for \xibar_3 and \xibar_2^2 respectively, taking a ratio of the two does
not necessarily result in an unbiased estimator of . Exactly such an
estimation-bias affects most existing measurements of . Furthermore,
common estimators for \xibar_3 and \xibar_2 suffer also from this kind of
estimation-bias themselves: for \xibar_2, it is equivalent to what is
commonly known as the integral constraint. We present a unifying treatment
allowing all these estimation-biases to be calculated analytically. They are in
general negative, and decrease in significance as the survey volume increases,
for a given smoothing scale. We present a re-analysis of some existing
measurements of the variance and skewness and show that most of the well-known
systematic discrepancies between surveys with similar selection criteria, but
different sizes, can be attributed to the volume-dependent estimation-biases.
This affects the inference of the galaxy-bias(es) from these surveys. Our
methodology can be adapted to measurements of analogous quantities in quasar
spectra and weak-lensing maps. We suggest methods to reduce the above
estimation-biases, and point out other examples in LSS studies which might
suffer from the same type of a nonlinear-estimation-bias.Comment: 28 pages of text, 9 ps figures, submitted to Ap
Teleportation with a uniformly accelerated partner
In this work, we give a description of the process of teleportation between
Alice in an inertial frame, and Rob who is in uniform acceleration with respect
to Alice. The fidelity of the teleportation is reduced due to Unruh radiation
in Rob's frame. In so far as teleportation is a measure of entanglement, our
results suggest that quantum entanglement is degraded in non inertial frames.Comment: 7 pages with 4 figures (in revtex4
Theory of Pseudomodes in Quantum Optical Processes
This paper deals with non-Markovian behaviour in atomic systems coupled to a
structured reservoir of quantum EM field modes, with particular relevance to
atoms interacting with the field in high Q cavities or photonic band gap
materials. In cases such as the former, we show that the pseudo mode theory for
single quantum reservoir excitations can be obtained by applying the Fano
diagonalisation method to a system in which the atomic transitions are coupled
to a discrete set of (cavity) quasimodes, which in turn are coupled to a
continuum set of (external) quasimodes with slowly varying coupling constants
and continuum mode density. Each pseudomode can be identified with a discrete
quasimode, which gives structure to the actual reservoir of true modes via the
expressions for the equivalent atom-true mode coupling constants. The quasimode
theory enables cases of multiple excitation of the reservoir to now be treated
via Markovian master equations for the atom-discrete quasimode system.
Applications of the theory to one, two and many discrete quasimodes are made.
For a simple photonic band gap model, where the reservoir structure is
associated with the true mode density rather than the coupling constants, the
single quantum excitation case appears to be equivalent to a case with two
discrete quasimodes
The radical left's turn towards civil society in Greece: One strategy, two paths
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) made remarkable ‘turns towards civil society’ over the last decade. It is argued that this was primarily a response aimed at strengthening their social legitimacy, which had reached its lowest point in the early 1990s. Differences in the way the two parties attempted to stabilise and engage their membership and re-establish links to trade unions and new social movements can be attributed to their distinct ideological and organisational legacies. Despite those differences, their respective linkage strategies were both successful until the game-changing 2012 Greek national elections, which brought about the remarkable rise of SYRIZA and the electoral demise of the KKE
Microjansky radio sources in DC0107-46 (Abell 2877)
The cluster DC0107-46 (Abell 2877) lies within the Phoenix Deep Survey, made
at 1.4 GHz with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. Of 89 known optical
cluster members, 70 lie within the radio survey area. Of these 70 galaxies, 15
(21%) are detected, with luminosities as faint as 10^20 W/Hz. Spectroscopic
observations are available for 14/15 of the radio-detected cluster galaxies.
Six galaxies show only absorption features and are typical low-luminosity AGN
radio sources. One galaxy hosts a Seyfert 2 nucleus, two are star-forming
galaxies, and the remaining five may be star-forming galaxies, AGNs, or both.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, Accepted by ApJS (v128n2p JUN 2000 issue
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