Risk factors for Barrett’s esophagus among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: A community clinic-based case-control study

Objective: To measure the relative risks of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) associated with demographic factors, measures of adiposity and smoking among patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with specialized intestinal metaplasia (SIM) (n=197) were compared to patients with GERD (n= 418) in a community clinic-based case-control study. Case sub-groups included those with any visible columnar epithelium (VBE) (n=97), and those with a long segment (=2cm) of columnar epithelium (LSBE) (n=54). Results: Risks increased with older age (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) per decade for SIM=1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI)= 1.1-1.5; VBE aOR=1.4 ,CI=1.1-1.6; LSBE aOR=1.5, CI=1.2-1.9), male gender (SIM aOR=1.5, CI=1.1-2.2; VBE aOR=2.7, CI=1.6-4.5; LSBE aOR=3.9, CI=1.9- 8.1) and possibly Asian race. Increased risk of BE in particular was observed with high waist-tohip ratio (WHR, male high: =0.9, female high: =0.8) (SIM aOR=1.3, CI=0.9-2.1; VBE aOR=1.9, CI=1.0-3.5; LSBE aOR=4.1, CI=1.5-11.4). These associations were independent of body mass index (BMI) for the VBE and LSBE case groups but not for SIM which was the only case group in which BMI was a significant risk factor. Ever smoking cigarettes increased risk similarly for all case groups (SIM aOR=1.8, CI=1.2-2.6; VBE aOR=1.6, CI=1.0-2.6; LSBE aOR=2.6, CI=1.3- 4.9), although dose response relationship was not detected for duration or intensity of smoking. Conclusions: Older age, male gender and history of smoking increased risk of SIM and BE among GERD patients independent of other risk factors for BE. Central adiposity was most strongly related to risk of VBE and LSBE. These results may be useful in development of risk profiles for screening GERD patients

Deformation-based shape analysis of the hippocampus in the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia and Alzheimer’s disease

Background Increasing evidence shows that the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) is characterized by hippocampal atrophy. However, less is known about disease-related morphological hippocampal changes. The goal of the present study is to conduct a detailed characterization of the impact of svPPA on global hippocampus volume and morphology compared with control subjects and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods We measured hippocampal volume and deformation-based shape differences in 22 patients with svPPA compared with 99 patients with AD and 92 controls. Multiple Automatically Generated Templates Brain Segmentation Algorithm (MAGeT-Brain) was used on MRI images obtained at the diagnostic visit. Results Comparable left and right hippocampal atrophy were observed in svPPA and AD. Deformation-based shape analysis showed a common pattern of morphological deformation in svPPA and AD compared with controls. More specifically, both svPPA and AD showed inward deformations in the dorsal surface of the hippocampus, from head to tail on the left side, and more limited to the anterior portion of the body in the right hemisphere. These results also pointed out that both diseases are characterized by a lateral displacement of the central part (body) of the hippocampus. Discussion Our study provides critical new evidence of hippocampal morphological changes in svPPA, similar to those found in AD. These findings highlight the importance of considering morphological hippocampal changes as part of the anatomical profile of patients with svPPA

Grey and white matter correlates of recent and remote autobiographical memory retrieval:Insights from the dementias

The capacity to remember self-referential past events relies on the integrity of a distributed neural network. Controversy exists, however, regarding the involvement of specific brain structures for the retrieval of recently experienced versus more distant events. Here, we explored how characteristic patterns of atrophy in neurodegenerative disorders differentially disrupt remote versus recent autobiographical memory. Eleven behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia, 10 semantic dementia, 15 Alzheimer's disease patients and 14 healthy older Controls completed the Autobiographical Interview. All patient groups displayed significant remote memory impairments relative to Controls. Similarly, recent period retrieval was significantly compromised in behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease, yet semantic dementia patients scored in line with Controls. Voxel-based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging analyses, for all participants combined, were conducted to investigate grey and white matter correlates of remote and recent autobiographical memory retrieval. Neural correlates common to both recent and remote time periods were identified, including the hippocampus, medial prefrontal, and frontopolar cortices, and the forceps minor and left hippocampal portion of the cingulum bundle. Regions exclusively implicated in each time period were also identified. The integrity of the anterior temporal cortices was related to the retrieval of remote memories, whereas the posterior cingulate cortex emerged as a structure significantly associated with recent autobiographical memory retrieval. This study represents the first investigation of the grey and white matter correlates of remote and recent autobiographical memory retrieval in neurodegenerative disorders. Our findings demonstrate the importance of core brain structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, irrespective of time period, and point towards the contribution of discrete regions in mediating successful retrieval of distant versus recently experienced events

A Proposed Model

Rocha-Penedo, R., Cruz-Jesus, F., & Oliveira, T. (2021). Opposite Outcomes of Social Media Use: A Proposed Model. In S. K. Sharma, Y. K. Dwivedi, B. Metri, & N. P. Rana (Eds.), Re-imagining Diffusion and Adoption of Information Technology and Systems: A Continuing Conversation - IFIP WG 8.6 International Conference on Transfer and Diffusion of IT, TDIT 2020, Proceedings (pp. 524-537). (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology; Vol. 618). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64861-9_46Social media are probably one of the most influential and disruptive technology of the present times. It is ubiquitous and has the capability to influence virtually every aspect of one’s life while, at the same time, also influence the way firms and public organizations operate and communicate with individuals. Although there is a plethora of studies in the IS literature focused on SM adoption and outcomes, studies hypothesizing positive and negative outcomes together are scarce. We propose a comprehensive research model to shed light on SM positive and negative outcomes, and how these affect one’s happiness. We also explore how personality traits can influence these relationships.authorsversionpublishe

Ants impact the energy reserves of natural enemies through the shared honeydew exploitation

[EN] Ants, as well as many species of parasitoids and predators, rely on sugar-richfoodssuchashoneydewtofulfilltheirenergeticneeds.Thus,antsandnatural enemies may interact through the shared honeydew exploitation. 2.Ant-exclusionexperimentswereperformedinacitrusorchardtotestthehypothesis that ants may impact the energy reserves of predators and parasitoids through the competitionforhoneydew.Throughtheuseofhigh-performanceliquidchromatography (HPLC)thelevelofantactivitywiththeenergyreservesandfeedinghistoryofindividual specimens collected in the field during representative days of spring, summer, and autumn were related. 3. Out of 145 Aphytis chrysomphali Mercet parasitoids captured in the field, 65% were classified as sugar-fed and 24.7% as honeydew-fed. In summer, when ant activity peaked,therewasasignificant negativecorrelationbetweenthelevelofantactivityand the total sugar content and honeydew feeding incidence by A.chrysomphali. Out of 47 individuals of the predator Chrysoperla carnea sensu lato (Stephens), captured in the field, 55.3% were classified as sugar-fed. We found a significant negative effect of the level of ant activity on the sugar-feeding incidence by C.carneain spring. 4.Thepresentstudyprovidesevidencethatantscaninterferewiththeenergyreserves of natural enemies. This interaction may be widespread in various ecosystems with important consequences for the arthropod community composition and with practical implicationsforbiologicalcontrolgiventhatabsenceofsugarfeedingisdetrimentalfor thefitness of many species of predatorsand parasitoidsDr Jerome Casas is greatly acknowledged for valuable comments on earlier versions of the manuscript and Dr Petr Duelli for providing help with the Chrysoperla identifications. We also thank Dr Cristina Navarro Campos and Dr Aleixandre Beltra for their help in the field samplings and for stimulating discussions, Barbara Rodriguez for help in the laboratory analyses and the reviewers for their helpful comments. This work was supported by the project (RTA2010-00012-C02-02) assigned to F. G. M from the Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Spain and the project (BIO2013-48779-C4-1-R) from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and COST action CM1303 on Systems Biocatalysis.Calabuig Gomar, A.; Tena Barreda, A.; Wäkers, FL.; Lucia Fernandez-Arrojo; Plou, FJ.; García Mari, F.; Pekas, A. (2015). Ants impact the energy reserves of natural enemies through the shared honeydew exploitation. Ecological Entomology. 40:687-695. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12237S68769540Avidov, Z., Balshin, M., & Gerson, U. (1970). Studies onAphytis coheni, a parasite of the California red scale,Aonidiella aurantii in Israel. Entomophaga, 15(2), 191-207. doi:10.1007/bf02371871Bartlett, B. R. (1961). The Influence of Ants Upon Parasites, Predators, and Scale Insects1. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 54(4), 543-551. doi:10.1093/aesa/54.4.543Bascompte, J., Jordano, P., & Olesen, J. M. (2006). Asymmetric Coevolutionary Networks Facilitate Biodiversity Maintenance. Science, 312(5772), 431-433. doi:10.1126/science.1123412Blüthgen, N., E. Stork, N., & Fiedler, K. (2004). Bottom-up control and co-occurrence in complex communities: honeydew and nectar determine a rainforest ant mosaic. Oikos, 106(2), 344-358. doi:10.1111/j.0030-1299.2004.12687.xCalabuig, A., Garcia-Marí, F., & Pekas, A. (2013). Ants affect the infestation levels but not the parasitism of honeydew and non-honeydew producing pests in citrus. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 104(4), 405-417. doi:10.1017/s0007485313000564Campbell, M. M. (1976). Colonisation of Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae) in Aonidiella aurantii (Mask.) (Hemiptera, Coccidae) on citrus in South Australia. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 65(4), 659-668. doi:10.1017/s0007485300006350Carroll, C. R., & Janzen, D. H. (1973). Ecology of Foraging by Ants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4(1), 231-257. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.04.110173.001311Cerdá, X., Palacios, R., & Retana, J. (2009). Ant Community Structure in Citrus Orchards in the Mediterranean Basin: Impoverishment as a Consequence of Habitat Homogeneity. Environmental Entomology, 38(2), 317-324. doi:10.1603/022.038.0203DUELLI, P. (1980). Adaptive dispersal and appetitive flight in the green lacewing, Chrysopa cornea. Ecological Entomology, 5(3), 213-220. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.1980.tb01144.xDuelli, P. (1980). Preovipository migration flights in the green lacewing, Chrysopa carnea (Planipennia, Chrysopidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 7(3), 239-246. doi:10.1007/bf00299370Eubanks, M. D., & Finke, D. L. (2014). Interaction webs in agroecosystems: beyond who eats whom. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2, 1-6. doi:10.1016/j.cois.2014.06.005Faria, C. A., Wäckers, F. L., & Turlings, T. C. J. (2008). The nutritional value of aphid honeydew for non-aphid parasitoids. Basic and Applied Ecology, 9(3), 286-297. doi:10.1016/j.baae.2007.02.001Finney, G. L. (1948). Culturing Chrysopa californica and Obtaining Eggs for Field Distribution. Journal of Economic Entomology, 41(5), 719-721. doi:10.1093/jee/41.5.719HEIMPEL, G. E., & COLLIER, T. R. (1996). THE EVOLUTION OF HOST-FEEDING BEHAVIOUR IN INSECT PARASITOIDS. Biological Reviews, 71(3), 373-400. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.1996.tb01279.xHeimpel, G. E., Rosenheim, J. A., & Mangel, M. (1997). Predation on adult Aphytis parasitoids in the field. Oecologia, 110(3), 346-352. doi:10.1007/s004420050168Heimpel, G. E., Rosenheim, J. A., & Kattari, D. (1997). Adult feeding and lifetime reproductive success in the parasitoid Aphytis melinus. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 83(3), 305-315. doi:10.1046/j.1570-7458.1997.00185.xHOGERVORST, P. A. M., WÄCKERS, F. L., & ROMEIS, J. (2007). Detecting nutritional state and food source use in field-collected insects that synthesize honeydew oligosaccharides. Functional Ecology, 21(5), 936-946. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2007.01297.xHölldobler, B., & Wilson, E. O. (1990). The Ants. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-10306-7Holway, D. A., Lach, L., Suarez, A. V., Tsutsui, N. D., & Case, T. J. (2002). The Causes and Consequences of Ant Invasions. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33(1), 181-233. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.33.010802.150444James, D. G., Stevens, M. M., O’Malley, K. J., & Faulder, R. J. (1999). Ant Foraging Reduces the Abundance of Beneficial and Incidental Arthropods in Citrus Canopies. Biological Control, 14(2), 121-126. doi:10.1006/bcon.1998.0678JERVIS, M. A., & KIDD, N. A. C. (1986). HOST-FEEDING STRATEGIES IN HYMENOPTERAN PARASITOIDS. Biological Reviews, 61(4), 395-434. doi:10.1111/j.1469-185x.1986.tb00660.xJervis, M. A., Kidd, N. A. C., Fitton, M. G., Huddleston, T., & Dawah, H. A. (1993). Flower-visiting by hymenopteran parasitoids. Journal of Natural History, 27(1), 67-105. doi:10.1080/00222939300770051Kaplan, I., & Eubanks, M. D. (2005). APHIDS ALTER THE COMMUNITY-WIDE IMPACT OF FIRE ANTS. Ecology, 86(6), 1640-1649. doi:10.1890/04-0016Lach, L. (2007). Argentine ants displace floral arthropods in a biodiversity hotspot. Diversity and Distributions, 14(2), 281-290. doi:10.1111/j.1472-4642.2007.00410.xLaverty, T. M., & Plowright, R. C. (1985). Competition between hummingbirds and bumble bees for nectar in flowers of Impatiens biflora. Oecologia, 66(1), 25-32. doi:10.1007/bf00378548LeVan, K. E., Hung, K.-L. J., McCann, K. R., Ludka, J. T., & Holway, D. A. (2013). Floral visitation by the Argentine ant reduces pollinator visitation and seed set in the coast barrel cactus, Ferocactus viridescens. Oecologia, 174(1), 163-171. doi:10.1007/s00442-013-2739-zTeresa Martinez-Ferrer, M., Grafton-Cardwell, E. E., & Shorey, H. H. (2003). Disruption of parasitism of the California red scale (Homoptera: Diaspididae) by three ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Biological Control, 26(3), 279-286. doi:10.1016/s1049-9644(02)00158-5McEwen, P. K., Clow, S., Jervis, M. A., & Kidd, N. A. C. (1993). Alteration in searching behaviour of adult female green lacewingsChrysoperla carnea (Neur.: Chrysopidae) following contact with honeydew of the black scaleSaissetia oleae (Hom.: Coccidae) and solutions containing acidhydrolysed L-tryptophan. Entomophaga, 38(3), 347-354. doi:10.1007/bf02374452Miller, T. E. (1994). Direct and Indirect Species Interactions in an Early Old-Field Plant Community. The American Naturalist, 143(6), 1007-1025. doi:10.1086/285646Moreno, D. S., Haney, P. B., & Luck, R. F. (1987). Chlorpyrifos and Diazinon as Barriers to Argentine Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Foraging on Citrus Trees1. Journal of Economic Entomology, 80(1), 208-214. doi:10.1093/jee/80.1.208Ohgushi, T. (2008). Herbivore‐induced indirect interaction webs on terrestrial plants: the importance of non‐trophic, indirect, and facilitative interactions. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 128(1), 217-229. doi:10.1111/j.1570-7458.2008.00705.xOLSON, D. M., & WÄCKERS, F. L. (2006). Management of field margins to maximize multiple ecological services. Journal of Applied Ecology, 44(1), 13-21. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01241.xPace, M. L., Cole, J. J., Carpenter, S. R., & Kitchell, J. F. (1999). Trophic cascades revealed in diverse ecosystems. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 14(12), 483-488. doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(99)01723-1Pekas, A., Aguilar, A., Tena, A., & Garcia-Marí, F. (2010). Influence of host size on parasitism by Aphytis chrysomphali and A. melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) in Mediterranean populations of California red scale Aonidiella aurantii (Hemiptera: Diaspididae). Biological Control, 55(2), 132-140. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2010.07.010Pekas, A., Tena, A., Aguilar, A., & Garcia-Marí, F. (2010). Effect of Mediterranean Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on California Red Scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) Populations in Citrus Orchards. Environmental Entomology, 39(3), 827-834. doi:10.1603/en09207Pekas, A., Tena, A., Aguilar, A., & Garcia-Marí, F. (2010). Spatio-temporal patterns and interactions with honeydew-producing Hemiptera of ants in a Mediterranean citrus orchard. Agricultural and Forest Entomology, 13(1), 89-97. doi:10.1111/j.1461-9563.2010.00501.xRosen, D., & DeBach, P. (1979). Species of Aphytis of the World. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-9603-8Rosumek, F. B., Silveira, F. A. O., de S. Neves, F., de U. Barbosa, N. P., Diniz, L., Oki, Y., … Cornelissen, T. (2009). Ants on plants: a meta-analysis of the role of ants as plant biotic defenses. Oecologia, 160(3), 537-549. doi:10.1007/s00442-009-1309-xRudgers, J. A., & Gardener, M. C. (2004). EXTRAFLORAL NECTAR AS A RESOURCE MEDIATING MULTISPECIES INTERACTIONS. Ecology, 85(6), 1495-1502. doi:10.1890/03-0391Sheldon, J. K., & MacLeod, E. G. (1971). Studies on the Biology of the Chrysopidae II. The Feeding Behavior of the Adult of Chrysopa carnea (Neuroptera). Psyche: A Journal of Entomology, 78(2), 107-121. doi:10.1155/1971/505909Stelzl, M., & Devetak, D. (1999). Neuroptera in agricultural ecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 74(1-3), 305-321. doi:10.1016/s0167-8809(99)00040-7STEPPUHN, A., & WACKERS, F. L. (2004). HPLC sugar analysis reveals the nutritional state and the feeding history of parasitoids. Functional Ecology, 18(6), 812-819. doi:10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00920.xStyrsky, J. D., & Eubanks, M. D. (2006). Ecological consequences of interactions between ants and honeydew-producing insects. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 274(1607), 151-164. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.3701Tena, A., Hoddle, C. D., & Hoddle, M. S. (2013). Competition between honeydew producers in an ant–hemipteran interaction may enhance biological control of an invasive pest. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 103(6), 714-723. doi:10.1017/s000748531300045xTena, A., Llácer, E., & Urbaneja, A. (2013). Biological control of a non-honeydew producer mediated by a distinct hierarchy of honeydew quality. Biological Control, 67(2), 117-122. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2013.07.018TENA, A., PEKAS, A., WÄCKERS, F. L., & URBANEJA, A. (2013). Energy reserves of parasitoids depend on honeydew from non-hosts. Ecological Entomology, 38(3), 278-289. doi:10.1111/een.12018Tena, A., Pekas, A., Cano, D., Wäckers, F. L., & Urbaneja, A. (2015). Sugar provisioning maximizes the biocontrol service of parasitoids. Journal of Applied Ecology, 52(3), 795-804. doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12426Völkl, W., Woodring, J., Fischer, M., Lorenz, M. W., & Hoffmann, K. H. (1999). Ant-aphid mutualisms: the impact of honeydew production and honeydew sugar composition on ant preferences. Oecologia, 118(4), 483-491. doi:10.1007/s004420050751Wackers, F. L. (2000). Do oligosaccharides reduce the suitability of honeydew for predators and parasitoids? A further facet to the function of insect-synthesized honeydew sugars. Oikos, 90(1), 197-201. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0706.2000.900124.xWäckers, F. L. (2001). A comparison of nectar- and honeydew sugars with respect to their utilization by the hymenopteran parasitoid Cotesia glomerata. Journal of Insect Physiology, 47(9), 1077-1084. doi:10.1016/s0022-1910(01)00088-9Wäckers, F. L. (2005). Suitability of (extra-)floral nectar, pollen, and honeydew as insect food sources. Plant-Provided Food for Carnivorous Insects, 17-74. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511542220.003Wäckers, F. L., van Rijn, P. C. J., & Heimpel, G. E. (2008). Honeydew as a food source for natural enemies: Making the best of a bad meal? Biological Control, 45(2), 176-184. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2008.01.007Wade, M. R., Zalucki, M. P., Wratten, S. D., & Robinson, K. A. (2008). Conservation biological control of arthropods using artificial food sprays: Current status and future challenges. Biological Control, 45(2), 185-199. doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.10.024Way, M. J. (1963). Mutualism Between Ants and Honeydew-Producing Homoptera. Annual Review of Entomology, 8(1), 307-344. doi:10.1146/annurev.en.08.010163.001515Wilder, S. M., Barnum, T. R., Holway, D. A., Suarez, A. V., & Eubanks, M. D. (2012). Introduced fire ants can exclude native ants from critical mutualist-provided resources. Oecologia, 172(1), 197-205. doi:10.1007/s00442-012-2477-7YOO, H. J. S., KIZNER, M. C., & HOLWAY, D. A. (2013). Ecological effects of multi-species, ant-hemipteran mutualisms in citrus. Ecological Entomology, 38(5), 505-514. doi:10.1111/een.12042ZAPPALA, L., CAMPOLO, O., GRANDE, S. B., SARACENO, F., BIONDI, A., SISCARO, G., & PALMERI, V. (2012). Dispersal of Aphytis melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) after augmentative releases in citrus orchards. European Journal of Entomology, 109(4), 561-568. doi:10.14411/eje.2012.070Zoebelein, G. (2009). Der Honigtau als Nahrung der Insekten: Teil I. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie, 38(4), 369-416. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0418.1956.tb01612.

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Managing a non-profit hospitality platform conversion: The case of Couchsurfing.com

Couchsurfing (CS) was founded in 2003 as a non-profit for those interested in creating a common resource for world-wide hospitality exchange and low cost tourism. Built around a non-market communal sharing model, it became a for-profit in August 2011. Applying a discourse relational model approach, this study characterizes how competing discursive articulations over the conversion led to a discursive strategy of moral justification as management sought to retain its non-profit, alternative, democratic imaginary. The study finds that the justifications gained initial appeal, but ultimately lost credibility due to a mismanaged conversion. By articulating the competing discourses through the sacred value protection model (SVPM), this study provides insights into the way in which a management strategy can be interpreted at a micro-analysis level. It recommends that management decisions need to start from the activities of the organizations members, groups and networks so as to account for their emotions, motivations and actions

Genic and Global Functions for Paf1C in Chromatin Modification and Gene Expression in Arabidopsis

In budding yeast, intragenic histone modification is linked with transcriptional elongation through the conserved regulator Paf1C. To investigate Paf1C-related function in higher eukaryotes, we analyzed the effects of loss of Paf1C on histone H3 density and patterns of H3 methylated at K4, K27, and K36 in Arabidopsis genes, and integrated this with existing gene expression data. Loss of Paf1C did not change global abundance of H3K4me3 or H3K36me2 within chromatin, but instead led to a 3′ shift in the distribution of H3K4me3 and a 5′ shift in the distribution of H3K36me2 within genes. We found that genes regulated by plant Paf1C showed strong enrichment for both H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 and also showed a high degree of tissue-specific expression. At the Paf1C- and PcG-regulated gene FLC, transcriptional silencing and loss of H3K4me3 and H3K36me2 were accompanied by expansion of H3K27me3 into the promoter and transcriptional start regions and further enrichment of H3K27me3 within the transcribed region. These results highlight both genic and global functions for plant Paf1C in histone modification and gene expression, and link transcriptional activity with cellular memory